Kraven

After an excessive amount of time, approximately 80 hours, I got the platinum for NiOh 3. I’m proud of the accomplishment, but let me state for the record now, and forever more: ***** the final boss.

It is now time to focus on Resident Evil Requiem. I picked up the generation pack that includes 7 & 8 on the Switch 2 since I’ll be traveling extensively the next few weeks. I can’t wait!

It’s disappointing to read comments on this review. 8/10 is apparently a bad score, though other sites have given it 9s and 10s. It’s sitting at a 90 on Open Critic, yet because it gets one point lower on Push Square it’s not that great. Other sites clearly think it’s a GOTY contender. Honestly, Push’s sister sites, Pure Xbox and Nintendo Life scored the game a 9/10. Honestly, I wish review scores would go away. ACG’s approach is nice - Buy, Don’t buy, Wait for a sale.

I’m stoked for this. It’s getting rave reviews on many other notable sites, and is sitting at a great score on Metacritic/Open Critic. Once again, Capcom delivers.

Thankfully, this should release before GTA 6.

I think developers need to stop pursuing live service. It’s such a tough market to break through. Don’t get me wrong, if your game is a success then it will become a culture phenomenon, but it’s rare when that happens. 1 or 2/10 new live service games gain traction. And when you have your top tier studios working on this genre, and subsequently get cancelled, or worse, shut down entirely, then you are losing at least three years on their AAA first party games. I understand the need to pursue this genre, but it’s way too risky.

The only game on my list is RE9. I’ve been hyped for it, and been playing Biohazard to get me in that world again.

I’m still neck deep into NiOh 3, working my way to the platinum trophy. It’s been such a tantalizing experience, and scratches that Elden Ring itch. By that, I mean its open world design. I prefer this approach to the genre because the difficulty of formidable bosses can be overwhelming. Being able to go somewhere else, explore, and level up gives you the feeling of always making strides to improvement.

That said, the final boss for the first region, Takeda Shingen was the bane of my existence. There were moments I contemplated whether or not victory was even fractionally possible. My death count was approximately 25 times, and my head hanged low before I had to go to work for the day. Prior to him, the (boss) fights had been challenging, but my confidence grew with each attempt. Nine hours later, I arrive home from work, and tell myself that I can beat him. Once again numerous deaths. And then I learned a pattern. Though I still died I was consistently getting him to the halfway mark. And then I learned another pattern. And another. Two attempts later, I beat him.

Sometimes, you just need to take a step back for a while. You have to realize that this is just a video game, and it can be beaten. Once I didn’t let the enemy frustrate me, toy with my emotions, and make me play defense, reacting for sheer survival rather than be offensive minded and focus on positioning, I knew I could do it. There is no other feeling like adrenaline. Subsequently, the next main boss I encountered I was victorious on the first attempt.

Meanwhile, during my lunch break at work, I read the news that Xenoblade Chronicles X got a Switch 2 upgrade; I downloaded it as soon as I could. It’s nearly been a year since I’ve last played — I have forgotten the controls and sole core mechanics. I’m debating whether I want to start a fresh playthrough, or boot up my save file that has 120-hours logged, and get accustomed to the systems again. I will probably choose the latter, knowing I more than likely won’t finish it if I start anew.

What an insane news week. I can’t fathom the Bluepoint closure, but I can see why Phil stepped down. It doesn’t matter how good Game Pass can be, it’s just not viable long term. But with all sincerity, I do wish him the best in retirement and whatever else he decides to do in life. He’s not a bad guy by any means, and I think he did the best that he could given the circumstances.

The more people that get to play this game the better. It’s easily in my top five this generation, and I would absolutely double dip if it came to Switch 2.

I’ve never played a game in this series, but it has always intrigued me, particularly the stealth. I think I will check this one out!

Wow, this is insane. They were one of the biggest up and coming developers out there. If they weren’t tasked to making a live service GOW game perhaps they would be in a better position on focusing on what they excel at.

Their influx of indie games reminds me of the Xbox 360 era, where there were so many available. I’m glad Sony is realizing how beneficial it is to support these games.

@rjejr That wouldn’t be a bad thing — KoA is fantastic.

@ShogunRok How are the trophies, and the platinum? Can it be done on a single playthrough?

Awesome review! I have it downloaded and ready to go for when I get off work this evening. Glad to see that it still has that Obsidian spirit, and while it may stumble in a few areas, it succeeds just as much.

If it’s Castlevania, I think it will be awesome. I can only imagine a AAA third person action adventure set in the universe of CV. The combat, weapon variety, interesting characters, and even the map design (assuming, of course), could be incredible given the high pedigree God of War’s combat is.

Excellent game. I’m glad to see the success the game has done in the west, and I’m looking forward to Chapter 2.

It’s an easy 9/10. My only criticism is how large the game is. I’ve spent 20 hours in the first region alone. I hope the game evolves over time, but as it stands it is fantastic.

I am VERY curious to see how Avowed reviews. I’ve been tempted to play it on numerous occasions. I know there are some fundamental problems with the game, particularly uninteresting companions, but the gameplay and map design/rewards for exploration have been praised quite a bit. If it reviews well, I’ll be picking it up for sure.

That’s not quite bad considering how much space most games take up nowadays.

Wow; these games were a big part of my PS2 childhood.

This weekend I am playing NiOh 3. I’m approximately a quarter of the way through with 13-hours of playtime. My experience has been sublime thus far. If you are not a fan of souls-like then this game won’t move the needle. However, if you’re a fan of this genre, and generally hardcore action game with robust combat, then welcome aboard.

This latest entry is probably the most accessible because of the approach in its difficulty. It’s achieved by open world exploration, and giving always giving you something to indulge. If you’re having trouble with a group of enemies, or an optional boss, simply go somewhere else. There is a strong essence of player agency and freedom, providing you the feeling that you aren’t ever stuck. It’s comparable to Elden Ring in that regard.

As we all know, this genre is typically associated with difficulty; NiOh 3 is no exception, but it’s hardly unbearable. There were a few boss encounters where I questioned my ability to defeat them, but once I understood the mechanics, the correct time to switch fighting styles (samurai and ninja), and deflecting, fights became manageable. One boss I encountered, Kamaitchi, which I believe is optional, was frantic, engaging, and incredibly unique with some of its movements. It’s easily one of my favorite throughout the entire souls-like games on the market.

The combat is the real star of the show—a staple in this franchise. It’s arguably better than any souls-like, perhaps even superior to From Software games. There is so much variety on play, and the amount creative builds feel limitless. In the prior two games you acquired various weapon types, each with their own stance and skill trees to master. That core element is still present, but rather than being a samurai you can switch to a Ninja on the fly. In doing so, there is no Ki pulse or different stances; instead, you’re more versatile, nimble, quicker to dodge, and can use various magic abilities in addition to numerous weapons. It’s a fun mechanic that is seamlessly integrated in the enemies and bosses you fight, making you to have quick reflexes.

One complaint I’ve had in every NiOh game is the copious amounts of loot. It really can be exhausting trying to manage everything. Whilst it’s still prevalent, there are accessibility options to make life easier. You can adjust your settings so anything that you pick up can be sold, or disassembled from common, uncommon, legendary, and rare. You also get the choice to choose between common, uncommon, rare, and legendary, that way you won’t be overwhelmed (more than you have to). This helps ease the monotonous of pouring through lists and lists of what to keep or not.

All in all, NiOh 3 seems to be the culmination of all its trademarks, and a new beginning for the franchise. It builds upon its foundation, sharpening what sets it apart from its contemporaries, and tries something different. There may be a couple of stumbles along the way, but nothing too bad to negate the amount of positives the game offers. This will more than likely be in the GoTY discussion, and it will be justified. In my opinion, this is Team Ninja/Koei Tecmo’s best game yet.

I feel like I woke up in the Twilight Zone this morning. Konami is actually caring, and seemingly releasing promising games again? I don’t know what world I’m living in right now.

I’ve played about an hour but it’s good. I wouldn’t say it’s great just yet—I want to see how the game evolves over time. The combat does feel crunchy, and good. It has Metroidvania aspects which I’m excited about because you’ll obviously unlock new abilities as you go, and the way the maps are set up, I think they will be very interesting.

This was the highlight of the show for me. I’m so happy Konami hasn’t forgotten about Castlevania, because for a long time I thought they had. This will be a day one purchase, and I love the title for the game.

It looks so good. I trust Remedy in just about anything they create, so this is high on my most anticipated list for the year.

I was praying for a shadow drop, but at least there is a hopeful release date soon, perhaps April. I’ve been dying to play this, aside from the demo.

I bought it without an hesitation. I will definitely be playing this evening when I get home from work!

The first game is one of my all time favorites. It came out at an interesting time for me—just when I was a teenager, and finding things that really inspired me. That game, along with a few others, defined my PS2 era. I can’t wait for this remake.

Solid A for me! There were a ton of announcements, and surprises. 2D God of War is finally real, and I will definitely be playing it tonight! And of course, the highlight of the show for me is a new Castlevania! It looks incredible.

This was a huge surprise, and I think it looks awesome! The first one was really good.

Damn, this is awesome! Absolum was one of my favorite games last year, and this is a great reason to jump back in.

This sounds better and better, and maybe a “forever game” without the live service. I really, really hope this game delivers. It’s clear they are confident in their product due to the amount of footage released, so fingers crossed 🤞

I personally loved this game, and I thought despite its flaws, there were interesting aspects to it. Combat was awesome, and really versatile, and the Metroidvania aspects were well done. The only real problem was the map design—it was confusing. But I think this game is underrated; it’s the perfect 7/10 type of game.

Dang, that’s a huge get. I’m sure we will also get more announcements during the State of Play, so I’m excited to see the upgraded list.

Is the internet ever kind to games nowadays? It’s exhausting.

@Dragoon1994 It’s essentially a sure fire assumption it will come to PS5; every other Xbox game has and is coming to the console.

I’d love to try the game out again. When it first released, I was enamored with Cyberpunk 2077 and its expansion, along with BG3. I never really gave the game a fair shake. Hopefully, a deep dive into the PS5 version will showcase new updates and additions to improve the overall gameplay experience.

Bummer about the review, but I’ll still pick it up on a deep sale.

I think we will get a second trailer for Intergalactic, a FF7 Part 3 teaser with the name shown, Santa Monica’s new game, and I hope we will get a shadow drop or a release date for Mina The Hollower.

This should be a banger—but I’ll keep my expectations in check. I, however, have no doubt there will be numerous games that are up my alley, though!

I can see the inspiration. I’ve defeated up to 10 bosses now, and some of them felt like muscle memory from when I was playing Lies of P. It’s been a brilliant, but grueling experience thus far.

I’ve kind of been in a funk, so I think I’m going to take a brief hiatus from gaming until Resident Evil Requiem releases, or perhaps Yakuza 3 Kiwami, if the reviews are solid. I sincerely haven’t gone longer than a singular day playing something for over five years, but I think it’ll be good to step away.

I have, however, been reading a lot more than usual — I do it often, but as of late I’m more ferociously. My wife convinced me to read the Fourth Wing series. I was skeptical because, as much as I love fantasy, the steamy romance scenes aren’t my cup of tea, so I went in expecting to dislike the book(s). Several days later, I finished all three books. They were quite incredible. I’m now reading The Will of the Many by James Islington, and it’s fantastic. The world building has been incredible, and the setting has my imagination running wild.

I’m cautiously optimistic. This game seems so ambitious that it feels impossible to meet expectations, but I hope it succeeds in every possible way. It looks incredible.

Absolute peak.

I don’t have much of an update from last weekend. I’m still playing Final Fantasy 7 Remake for the Switch 2. I’m approximately 65% through the story and absolutely enthralled despite beating the game multiple times on PS4/5. In fact, I may replay the game on PlayStation and get the platinum trophy since SqE essentially updated the game with “God mode” availability.

I have to say, though, after completing Rebirth and having more perspective on the story direction, it makes the first game even better.m due to its contextual gravity. You pick up subtle story beats, and character interaction and dialogue makes more sense. I think it is an impressive feat to have a sequel — Rebirth — that makes its predecessor —Remake — even better.

I can’t wait to see how Rebirth performs on the Switch 2. It’s remarkable how well optimized the Remake is, and how smooth the gameplay feels even though the frame-rate dips in a few cinematics. I’m not sure how it’s going to be pulled off considering how much larger it will be.

All of that said, these games feel tailored made for handheld and portability. I can’t imagine playing it any other way. It draws out a sense nostalgia, being a kid, staying up late when school was canceled because of snow and ice, and being a foot away from the television, my eyes glued to the screen. It’s the same reason why I have an affinity with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for the GBA. It feels personal; intimate, and that’s when a franchise is elevated to GOAT status.

There is so much ambition in this game that I’m afraid there will be something that is lacking. I’m hoping it’s not a culmination of all things - story, gameplay, and open world design - where on the surface it is amazing, but it’s not great in any given department. With that said, the game looks absolutely amazing. I really hope the developers pull this off because this could be a monumental achievement.

I’m glad people are giving this game praise. I strongly dislike a lot of gaming culture, where they hate on a game before it’s even released, and for no real reason, mind you, and attempt to sabotage work a developer worked hard on. It’s really disheartening. While the game isn’t for me, I happy to see it being good. I hope it finds an audience.

I picked up MIO: Memories In Orbit since it has been getting great reviews. I have to say, the reviews are in the mark — this game is awesome, but hard as hell.

I find the game to be quite excellent. There is a feeling of minimalism in a gorgeous, cell-shaded world. There are some moments with the soundtrack that brings me back to how I felt playing Death Stranding 1 & 2 because of how quiet it can be. That is an odd comparison, but very fitting.

The environments are all unique, although very similar to Hollow Knight and the Ori games. While it is familiar, it provides its own spin on how to traverse the world, and the dangers it presents. Speaking of, the platforming can be demanding, but the satisfaction you obtain by completing an obstacle is so rewarding. Just be prepared for a lot of trial and error.

The sense of progression is paced very well. There is always a stream of new abilities, with a plethora of combat modifiers and enhancements that can help during tough situations. Some of the unmissable abilities do seem useless, particularly the dodge mechanic. It essentially turns you invisible for a short period of time, but since most enemies are robotic in nature, there attacks are delayed and will hit you once you finish the dodge.

There are two issues I have with the game. Save points are very sparse, and the idea of backtracking can be really frustrating. You can easily die in two hits, and you’re going to because you’ll encounter new enemies with unique skill sets that you’re unlikely to know at the start. It’s basically trial by fire. You’ll eventually unlock shortcuts and abilities - a trope with the genre - but even then it can be a hassle.

The other quibble I have, albeit minor, are the boss fights and enemies. They are challenging, but not too demanding. However, they do tend to be repetitive in their aesthetic design. The fights themselves are varied, but when they tend to look the same they all feel disjointed. There are some enemies and bosses that have a big difficult spike — I’m looking at you Atmos — and it can be irritating where they spawn.

With that said, the accessibility options are fantastic. I’ve yet to use them, but they do assimilate problems where people struggle during difficult games such as Silksong. For example, there is an assist option that allows you to regain one health node when standing still. These won’t stack, so it’s a little reprieve from automatic death. Eroded Bosses will make boss fights weaker upon each failed attempt. If you combine that with some of the combat modifiers, it will help immensely.

Overall, I find MIO: Memories In Orbit to be a standout indie for the beginning of 2026.

I’m also playing Final Fantasy 7 Remake for the Switch 2. I’ve beaten this game three times for the PS4 & PS5, but I couldn’t resist the option for portability. I have been playing the game exclusively in handheld, and the game looks and runs silky smooth, with frame rate only dipping periodically in cutscenes. It feels like a dream to have a game like this I can take on the go.

I don’t care much for mini-games in video games, but I was so addicted to this. I would love a standalone title, or as someone else mentioned, a mobile game.