Kraven

It looks cool, but also like many other games in its genre. Honestly, not much stood out for me. I’m still interested, and I’ll more than likely play it, but unfortunately this trailer didn’t do much to get me hyped. Also, out of a personal preference, I kind of like the more cartoony look of the original games.

@SleepyNick MIO is pretty awesome. I’ve put in about 7 hours so far. I highly recommend it.

@MrPeanutbutterz I’m not discounting the fact that there are games exclusively tied to PS5 that aren’t on PS4. My argument is that the console hasn’t reached its potential because it has been held back, not only a large market of PS4 players (probably live service, most of them), but Covid, and increased development time for games.

It would have been nice to get Horizon Forbidden West—one of my favorite games of all time, actually—as a PS5 exclusive. It was on PS4 as well, same goes for God of War Ragnarok. There are maybe a handful of AAA games on the PS5 that show the consoles potential. We haven’t even seen a new property Naughty Dog game other than remakes. We haven’t seen Santa Monica other than a release on both PS4 and PS5, and the list continues. In fact, whatever new games they are working on may be launch titles for the PS6.

I know development time is much harder and longer to previous generations. My personal problem is that this console generation feels like it has barely started, and then we are going to get a PS6. In my opinion, I wish the new PS console wouldn’t release until at least 2028-2029 at the earliest, instead of the rumored 2027.

This is just a personal opinion of mine. My view can be completely different than everyone else’s, and mine might even be completely wrong. I do appreciate the games we have that are for PS5 only, but there should be more. If it wasn’t for Sucker Punch or Insomniac I don’t know if this generation would have been worth it, if you’re looking for specifically buying a new console for the exclusives. The third party support has been incredible for this generation, though. It reminds me a lot of the PS2 era.

Are we finally going to get the ultimate transition, and have games be made solely for PS5 rather than both consoles? I’m ready to see what this generation of consoles can truly do. We have had glimpses of its ability, but nothing close to its full potential.

I’m playing Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. I’m in the beginning stages in Chapter 3. It’s been a while since a video game has had me really plan and strategize—no pun intended—with party composition and classes.

The gameplay loop is very addicting, but not entirely overwhelming. It introduces new mechanics at a steady pace, and eases your understanding of transitioning into different classes. Once you grasp how the systems work, you’ll begin to appreciate the multi-layered depth the game offers.

As of now, my main character is classed as a Geomancer/Archer, paired with a Ninja Dragoon Knight that has martial arts abilities and a Black Mage Chemist Orator. We are annihilating enemies with ease. The seems to be a limitless amount of options to suit your preferred play-style.

The story is also compelling, and seems shockingly relevant (kidnapping a princess?). It’s one of these tales that isn’t gloom and doom for the sake of shock value—it has a purpose behind its brutality. With its excellent voice acting immersing you into its conflicts, to the motivations of its characters, you feel part of its strife.

The setting may be fictional, but there are many current commonalities. Life was difficult back in that time period, but hasn’t changed hundreds of years later. Friends can become enemies; motivations for your actions can be environmental; money, materialism, and social status is often more important than a person’s heart; and politics can cloud a person’s rationale.

All of this perturbation translates itself to the video game itself. It’s a reflection of life: strategizing and planning. It will often be difficult. Similar to the various maps—which are beautiful, cardboard cutout sceneries—there will be bumps in the road. You can and sometimes will permanently lose members close to you, but you will also grow stronger by sticking together.

Maybe I’m reading too much into things, and creating analogies where there aren’t none. In the last four months, my personal life has had some turbulence-from breaking my back, my mother-in-law passing, and my own mother getting diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer. In the midst of all this, I’ve had to change “classes” by being who I truly am at home to masking it all whilst at my job. My wife and I have grown stronger from all of this, creating an even sturdier unbreakable bond. And compatible to my marriage, Final Fantasy Tactics is going to be an all-timer for me.

@somnambulance Yes, Mina the Hollower is actually my most anticipated game of the year. I hope we get some new info soon.

The Eternal Life of Goldman is a game I’ve had my eye on for a while. I hope it turns out well!

I finished all of the prominent side quests and companion missions that I want to in Divinity Original Sin 2, so now I’m focusing on beating the game. I’m hoping to have it wrapped up in a couple of days—and I’m sure I’ll somehow get distracted by another side quest(s) despite saying I am fulfilled.

I did start Donkey Kong Bananza finally. I can acknowledge how great the game is, and its overall delightfulness, but it’s not for me. I find it to be too dense in its content. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an incredible achievement to have a game be tailored toward absolute destruction, yet at its core still be a platforming experience. That’s hard to do, and it’s done immaculately, with an ample amount of secrets, and provides an organic sense of player freedom and expression, it’s ultimately detrimental to my enjoyment.

Sometimes, there is simply too much content. I shouldn’t feel overwhelmed by a 3D platformer. Granted, a lot of my feelings could be remedied if I focused primarily on getting to point A to point B, but that’s not how I play video games. As a result, I feel completely disconnected. That’s okay, though; not every game is meant for everyone regardless of how critically acclaimed it may be.

My goal is to earnestly start Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. It has sat on my cross media bar for months, tempting me regularly, only to be too intimidated to start since I’ve been playing meaty RPGs as of late. Interestingly enough, I’ve never played this game; my time was spent with the Gameboy Advance version, and I have fond memories of it. I’m looking forward to seeing why this game is hailed as one of the best in its genre, if not the greatest.

This is one of the few Dragon Quest games I haven’t played. I own it in my 3DS, but have always been intimidated by how long the game seemingly is. I think I will finally jump in when the game releases; more than likely on the Switch 2 since I prefer RPGs in handheld.

I finally reached Act 3 in Divinity Original Sin 2. I’m still utterly blown away by the depth this game has to offer, not only from a gameplay perspective, but also its quests and companions.

But in terms of combat, I’ve usually always play as a barbarian or rogue assassin/archer, yet I’ve grown to be enamored with the sorcerer class. It’s been a blast — quite literally — and it’s incredibly OP if you can use the right talents, and have equipment that provides elemental buffs. This may just be my “go-to” class for future games, or even existing ones such as Baldur’s Gate 3.

And then there are the quests, main and side that continue for multiple chapters. I love how open-ended they can be, and really matter depending on your choices. I’m seeing ramifications for my actions in Act 1 as I venture into the final act. Oh, I’m also befriending members of the Black Ring and then betraying them in the utmost satisfying ways.

I’m really curious to see how much Larian continues to evolve with their new Divinity game. I personally believe Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of, if not the best game ever made on different levels, so to expand on their expertise is going to be very interesting.

I think now, I feel comfortable dipping my toes into another game to play in between sessions in Divinity; Cronos The New Dawn has been tempting me for months.

Claire Obscur is the best choice in my opinion. It’s a soundtrack I listen to on a regular basis, and that’s rare for me. With that said, I’m glad Silksong is on the list. I thought it had a very good score, particularly during its final boss fights.

I hope one of these announcements will be Metaphor heading to the Switch 2, unless they are keeping it strictly Personal related.

@MrStark He could have worded his thoughts better, but he himself also commented saying he agreed with my interpretation. Regardless of how it was written, his thoughts coincide with mine and that’s not something that can be debated—again, despite how it was phrased.

@MrStark I think you might be misinterpreting it. I think (and I could be wrong) he was implying that the game was so good, and as the majority of other people, it was their GOTY, so his answer was obvious. I don’t think he wished it to be different, rather he couldn’t give a different answer because of how good the game is.

@awp69 I agree. I don’t understand why people have to comment about another game that’s relatively unrelated to what the article is about. It’s similar to Nintendo forums where all people do is talk about Game Key Cards even though the topic is completely different.

Ghost of Yotei is a great game—I even got the platinum for it. However, a week or two after completing it, I started to realize something: I might be getting burned out on the Sony formula for first party games. As much as I love the brand, trophies, and games, it is starting to feel as if I’m playing the same first party game with every new release; they are all blending in together as one. It’s one of the main reasons why I haven’t felt compelled to play other games I bought due to that reason. All of that ranting is to say that I don’t believe it should be that high on the list, but I can understand why it is as well.

This weekend has snuck up on me. I’ve yet to prepare throughout the week about what game(s) I’ve been playing. The tl;dr version is Divinity Original Sin 2. I’m in Act 2 now, and let me just state for the record - the opening hour left me devastated. I truly wasn’t expecting the implications of my choices to play such a pivotal role fairly early in the game, but I was wrong. But hey, I can talk to ghosts now, so that’s cool.

Silksong for me. I didn’t like the original Hollow Knight, but its sequel is one of my all time favorite games. It’s crazy how drastic the difference is for me personally. With that said, Absolum and Ball x Pitt are exceptional as well.

BG3 is one of the greatest games ever made. Up until now, nobody had a clue that AI was used in some of their work. So, the question is, why is it a big deal all of a sudden? Does it somehow make the game lesser than? No. The same goes with Clair Obscur. I’m not saying I am for AI — I am definitely not — but I’m wise enough to know that it will make some lives easier regarding game development, and if the recent articles leaking out about BG3 and Clair Obscur were never brought to the light then everyone would still be praising the games, none the wiser. TL;DR - get over it.

This weekend I am playing Divinity Original Sin 2 for the first time. I’m unsure why it took me so long to sample it considering BG3 is one of my all time favorite games. My assumption was that Baldur’s Gate 3 was a culmination of the Divinity franchise, so am I really missing anything? The answer is a resounding yes.

I had the day off work Tuesday and zero obligations for the day, so I decided why not. What I thought would be an hour of time wasted before returning back to Night City turned out to be eight hours—my wife’s entire work shift—and I’ve just now left Fort Joy.

I’m already attached to the party members I have. Their questlines have started off significantly strong, and with the brief quests I’ve tackled in the first area, I can see how my decisions will more than likely have long-lasting implications.

What I find impressive is how rich and alive the world feels. There is an abundant amount of options to approach each quest. This level of player freedom provides an immense level of independence that results in reactionary results from NPCs and the game world. The world is your oyster, and it’s up to you on how it turns out.

With that said, I hope there is an option to respec your character. More often than not I struggle in RPGs with making particular builds—whether that’s from equipment, what stats and attributes to give each character, and party composition. I could remedy this by watching YouTube tutorials but it dampens my experience with discovering things myself.

My only complaints are the mission structure, but that’s becoming easier to navigate and understand; and the controls. It’s a bit archaic in terms of managing party members and equipment - it is clearly meant for PC (I’m playing on the Nintendo Switch 2) so I can’t fault it entirely. Nonetheless, those grievances are minuscule compared to the overall product.

I don’t understand how Larian does it, but they are masters of their craft. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them, but I can presume it will turn out incredible.

@AndyKazama It probably will since Ball x Pitt has more content planned for next year. If not, you are right: they should.

BG3 is one of my favorite games of all time, so I can only imagine how good (potentially) their next project will be. I have never played Divinity - Original Sin 2 and others - but I did purchase it yesterday once it got a Switch 2 upgrade. I’ll be trying it out sometime this evening.

The more I see of this game the more I’m excited. At first I was skeptical, and the gameplay didn’t seem to be up my alley. Now, however, I’m completely sold on the game. I’m very much looking forward to this one; and hopefully it’s another Capcom hit.

This is good news for me; I really enjoyed Dead Island 2.

This is awesome news. Silksong is arguably my GoTY, and I personally believe it’s one of the greatest Metroidvania’s of all time. I’ll be here for this DLC/expansion immediately.

So, December 31st, 2029?

I’m killing thugs and stopping conspiracies in Phantom Liberty, and Hasta La Vista’ing my way through Terminator 2D: No Fate.

Clair Obscur, Silksong, KCD2, Absolum, and Oblivion Remastered for me. It’s been a sensational year for gaming.

Immediate purchase for me - it looks incredible.

Mirage is a nice pull. I’ve almost bought that game numerous times but never did. I’m happy to see that my patience has paid off.

@Enuo I think it’s because we already know what the game essentially is. That’s not a bad thing, mind you; but it really is Returnal 2.0.

@Frmknst Serious problems? How so?

It’s been quite the month, from my car wreck, to my mother in law passing, and this week(end) I’m in Tennessee and Georgia for a wedding. It was a 13 hour journey, but it’s been fun so far.

Meanwhile, I have my Switch 2 with me and I’m playing Cyberpunk 2077. I played it on the PS5 and got the platinum for it. Even still, I can’t believe how damn good this game is on the Switch 2. It’s hands down one of the most immersive experiences I’ve had. It’s gorgeous, and plays smooth as hell. Additionally, I’ve realized I hadn’t actually played the Phantom Liberty DLC, so it feels like a fresh playthrough.

In addition, I’m playing Metroid Prime 4. I’m only a few hours in, and whilst it is quite linear at the moment, I find it to be wonderful. Personally, it invokes the same feelings I had when I first played Halo: Combat Evolved. I know there are issues—empty desert, chatty NPCs, and linear dungeons—but these things haven’t swayed my opinion negatively.

MP4 may not innovate the genre forward or have any revolutionary mechanics, but I don’t need it to. All I wanted was more Prime Metroid, and that is what I have gotten. The game still has the feeling of isolation, and very atmospheric locales. This is all bolstered by excellent sound design and a superb soundtrack.

It may not be worth the 18-year wait, but I’ll always take more Metroid over no Metroid.

@Reeneman How is it a scam? They didn’t say they had an update planned for the anniversary. Fans randomly assumed that was going to happen, with no factual evidence to suggest it.

Once again, people are disappointed by making wild assumptions and expectations in their own head.

I got the platinum already for PS5, but I just bought it for the Switch 2 and have been playing it all weekend. It’s seriously an incredible port, and an exceptional game to boot. I’ll take all the updates the game gives me.

Hello, Night City!

That’s right, chooms, I’m back in the city. My name is V, and I’m a katana wielding, net-running street-kid specialist, and brain-dancing my way to solving issues my way.

Seriously, though, Cyberpunk 2077 is peak gaming. I spent over 100 hours in the PS5 version, and got the platinum. I don’t know what compelled me to return to this world, but I’ve heard nothing but positives about the Nintendo Switch 2 version so I decided to buy it and see for myself.

This isn’t hyperbole—it’s an absolute jaw dropping experience. I’ve been playing exclusively on handheld and feel more immersed than previously before. I’m truly blown away by how well it runs, the graphics, and silky smooth gameplay. From here on out this should be the gold standard for future ports to this system, and it’s a testament to how good the S2 can be if given proper treatment.

It’s insane how much of a turnaround this game received, and rightfully so. CP2077 is one of the best open world RPGs ever made, with an incredible DLC that really hammers home the entire package.

I can’t wait! Lies of P is one of my all time favorite games—it surprised me immensely. I have no doubt they will make an even better sequel, because that ending for the first game is chef’s kiss.

Neon White is one of the best games I’ve played in the last few years. I highly encourage everyone to check it out.

It looks very similar in the art department to Nobody Save the World. I might pick this up down the line on a sale.

This past month has been quite the rollercoaster of emotions. I mentioned several weeks ago I totaled my car and broke my back. I’m slowly recovering, but yesterday my mother-in-law passed away. As me and my wife’s pastor said, we are going through a season.

In terms of what I’ve been playing, I’m still captivated by Hades 2. So far, I’ve completed approximately 75 nights — or runs, rather — and have defeated the “final boss” a handful of times. I use quotations because there is a ton of game here that I don’t want to spoil the surprise(s) in the culmination of events.

In addition, one of my most anticipated games of the last few years finally released: Demonschool. Unfortunately, I’m massively disappointed with my experience. I didn’t have unrealistic expectations, or presumed it would be on par with Persona, albeit pixelated, but the writing is astonishingly bland and generic. And the characters are one dimensional, with the life-sim aspects spent between characters never really evolving into something worth caring for.

On another note, Tomb Raider Definitive Edition shadow dropped for the Switch and I immediately picked it up. There is something whimsical about playing a sprawling adventure exploring a mysterious island, uncovering lost tombs, discovering diaries and treasures, while in portable mode. And honestly, as much as I thoroughly enjoyed it back in 2014, it’s even better than I remember.

Lastly, Stalker 2, one of my favorite games of last year released on the PS5 a couple of days ago. I figured since I’m mentally in a state of depression why not go full throttle and immerse myself into a post apocalyptic Chernobyl exclusion zone where it’s a struggle to survive.

Happy soon to be Thanksgiving, everybody!

This looked awesome, and a nice spin on the genre. I’m definitely going to keep my eyes on this project.

@RoomWithaMoose It was just an observation, that is all. Do I expect the kinks to be ironed out? Yes, but that doesn’t mean I can’t point out issues even though I said I think the game looked “insanely good” and that I’m looking forward to it.

This looked insanely good, albeit the framerate seemed choppy. Either way, I’m looking forward to this one—it seems like a real standout for the genre.

This weekend my time is spent obsessing on Hades 2. I played this quite a bit when it released on the Switch, but I got burned out during the 20-hour mark and took a lengthy break. I’m now 50+ hours deep and won’t be pausing any time soon.

It may sound embarrassing, but I have yet to complete a single run, but I’m okay with that due to its rich story strong narrative and characters. It’s truly astonishing that this game can have so much content. I’ve yet to encounter a single repeated line of dialogue between character interactions, and each person is fully developed, with excellent voice acting to provide an extra layer of immersion.

To simply put, Hades 2 is easily going into my pantheon of exceptional games, possibly in the top five. I’m not sure how Supergiant exceeded expectations, but they are a master of their craft. Every game they make is top tier, and better than the last. I can’t wait to see their next project. Until then, welcome to the GoTY discussion my indie darling.

And I’m now patiently waiting for one of my most anticipated games in years: Demonschool. Only a few more days to go.

Uh oh, we better watch out on Twitter; people will be saying how this game was a major flop due to its sales numbers 🙄

On a serious note, this game is phenomenal. I got the platinum trophy for it, and it would be my GoTY if not for Clair Obscur and Silksong.

I like this list of games! I’m definitely going to try out Pacific Drive.

I’ll definitely pick this up once it releases. It was one of the few standouts in the State of Play.

I have no expectations going in. I’d be content if Phantom Blade Zero got a release date. Other than that, I’m fine with whatever they decide to present—I have too many games to play as it is.