JayJ

Microsoft doomed themselves with their recent price hike. I used to be an Xbox fan this and last gen, but honestly they really lost me this year. So many bad moves, so many lame games, and it's like they're not even trying to have a real platform anymore with their whole "everything is an Xbox" campaign. Gamepass really took over the whole platform.

After the price hike I bought a PS5 Pro and I am just going to stick with that as my main console for the rest of this gen and probably move over to PC after, but at least Sony seems to still take their consoles seriously.

So it's sort of like the first Mafia I take it?

The first Mafia was sort of pseudo open world. Like it had a big open map that you could drive through and explore, but it was mostly just there as backdrop and you never really did any free roaming. Mafia 2 was pretty similar in this sense but it did have some moments during the story when it would open up more as open world. The Getaway was also like these games, probably one of my favorite PS2 games.

@Robocod I think it's online as in it's a live service game but I played it on gamepass a while back and I was able to play it solo no problem.

I was always disappointed with this game. Preferred the old Dirt games. Now a days WRC10 is my go-to.

This is one of those months that has very little for me. I already own Balatro and Boltgun and have no interest in Ark.

@B0udoir I'd say take the money you'd spend on a PS5 Pro or Series X 2TB and spend that on a PC instead. There's no shortage of things that you can use a PC for that doesn't involve gaming, and if you get into gaming on it the games tend to be a lot cheaper with no online subscriptions needed.

Seems pretty obvious how Sony has shifted over to Astrobot for their mascot this gen. Sackboy harks back to the PS3 gen, that's when they tried to establish him as a mascot originally. They had that Sackboy game this gen but I don't think it was that popular, I played it briefly and didn't think much of it. Little Big Planet always felt kinda overrated IMO, I can understand why it really fell off. Astrobot hit much harder.

I find it laughable at people suggesting I should rush out and spend $800 on a new game console out of FOMO because it might get more expensive.

How about no lol, I'll be saving that for a new gaming PC if anything.

Well they've only had the past 12 years to work on it, makes sense how they would feel rushed.

Totally burned out on this franchise, got zero interest in any new entries.

@Tomato_Goose Well think about it, under-cutting the competition by keeping cheaper prices would be a good incentive for the masses to support their platform over others. It's just good business. Why charge more when everyone else is trying to just because when you can get all the sales by being the cheaper option?

@Cornpop76 Tariffs keep being brought up because much of the MSM network news loves to blame every economic issue and price increase on that, even if it's all regarding countries and business that has nothing to do with the US. That and it's just another excuse for some people to shout about their favorite person to hate.

So how exactly would US tariffs make a Japanese console manufactured in China more expensive for Europe?

@ItsBritneyB_tch Yeah I agree it's like they can't just have fun female characters anymore, they have to be making a statement. This TV series seemed doomed by that sort of mentality.

Honestly the whole concept of what the Switch 2 is going after just isn't very appealing to me right now. Biggest problem is the simple fact of how the handheld gaming scene has changed significantly since the original Switch was introduced. Back then it was basically the most sophisticated handheld gaming option, but over the years we have seen the rise of the Steam Deck and many PC gaming handhelds and now the Switch 2 honestly struggles to look in any way impressive when compared to what's already out there. That and I simply don't play games on the go like I used to. It's exclusives are the only thing that could get me to buy one right now and the few it's got just aren't the type of thing I feel like I just have to play right away.

So as I've had a Steam Deck for many years I've got it loaded up with lots of games, many well beyond what the Switch was capable of playing, and the prospect of buying games I already got on consoles or PC just to play them on Nintendo's latest handheld simply isn't appealing to me, especially if they're going to be charging full price for them or worse yet the crazy prices Nintendo is trying to charge for games like the new Mario Kart. As a home console it's simply got nothing to offer over the Series X and PS5 I already got.

Right now feels like the worst timing for the industry to try and up the price of video games.

Uhh seems like high performance is literally the selling point for the Switch 2. It's battery life is taking a big hit and the price is going way up all in the name of better performance.

We already have Wreckfest

Well I am shocked, shocked at how this isn't a cinematic masterpiece!

Seems like the quality of games keeps declining while they keep trying to charge more for them. It's a bad trend that's been turning me off supporting consoles in the future.

@DennisReynolds I'm pressing X for doubt.

Western devs lost their way, that's how I'd summarize their issues lately. Like they always seem to be far too wrapped up in the wrong things and don't even seem to care about delivering the best gaming experience anymore. Meanwhile eastern devs are simply delivering good games that appeal to what the people want.

They're pumping out positive articles about this game like they're being paid to do it!

@DennisReynolds Lol it's going to take a lot more than that to convince me to actually spend money on this. I have lost a great deal of respect for "professional" critics for a good reason, most of the time I simply can't relate to their views and all too often I find them predictably praising the latest products from AAA publishers who advertise on their sites. That and I don't think any of these attempts at gaslighting anyone critical of the game will win me over either.

They keep trying to sell me on one of these and it's never going to happen lol, I have zero interest in a dedicated device for streaming. I have a phone with 5G that can do that.

Been playing this on Xbox I think it's the best RTS on consoles right now.

PS5 Pro seems like such a stop-gap now with all the recent talk about next gen already.

I remember when Naughty Dog was making games that really appealed to me. It was a long time ago.

No sir I don't think I will.

@Lowdefal Ryan was clearly given a golden parachute and asked to leave politely. His strategy is what led to games like Concord after all, and last I checked they lost a lot of money on that and other cancelled live service projects.

Why the lame Jim Ryan meme photo? That guy has not only been fired but he was only leading Playstation and he was responsible for the live services mess PS has been in.

@Jrs1 Shatter is another good and often overlooked brick breaking title.

The last Breakout game they made was pretty bad but this seems a lot more promising. Still prefer these games on PC though due to the paddle control being a lot easier with a mouse.

It's the same was it was, only now it takes up about 10x more space. Modern gaming!

10/10 from critics? Yikes, looks like I'll be avoiding this one.

Doesn't surprise me how the type of person who would buy something like this would also be the type more likely to be playing video games more often.

Crazy times. I think they're going to have a hard time enforcing that and will wind up turning it into a forbidden fruit, making it more appealing than ever.

@Youreforthim My problem with the Pro is a lack of killer apps. This generation has been a real disappointment for me, especially when it comes to PS5 exclusive games. Why bother with getting the most powerful game console when there's hardly any games I care about that really take advantage of it in a noticeable way?

What's the point of this when the Pro exists? If I'm buying another PS5 it's going to be a Pro or I'm just sticking with my original PS5. I got the black covers on it anyways so I think it looks good (for a PS5). As much as I like the anniversary look a "slim" is not worth buying by this point. I wasn't going to go out of my way or pay a premium for a Pro either, just don't see the need right now.

@ShogunRok That's a big reason why I am fine with skipping a PS5 Pro. What good is the most powerful console if there's no games I want that really take advantage of it?

Sadly that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this game's problems.

One of those things where I can take one look at it and already know I'm not interested.

PS5 Pro isn't even out yet and they are already starting in on the PS6 rumors and hype lol

"No sir, I don't think I have any use for a PS5 Pro" - Mr. Horse

@NEStalgia Yeah I have been going to these sites for a long time now and I could see a big change over the years for the worse.