Kraven

I can’t wait for this one. I’ve been fascinated by it ever since I saw it for the first time years ago. I’d like to go for the platinum; I have it for Shovel Knight and want to continue the trend.

I’m not finding the game all that difficult. It can be tough in a few areas, but it’s not halting my progress whatsoever. That said, the game does feel unbalanced overall, so I’m welcome for the update. As others mentioned, I wish there would be a difficulty option—but I’ll take whatever is given to me.

What am I playing this weekend? What do you think - Baldur’s Gate 3, of course. As I sit by the campfire playing fetch with my dog Scratch, I can’t help but reflect what one day can do to a man, or in this case, a Dwarf monk.

My journey in the Shadow Lands has been quite an adventure. I messed around and found out because I’m somehow the savior of this disastrous locale. Throughout my time, I’ve told Marcus Falgor, this bulking man with childish harpy wings, to scram. He didn’t, but I made him, y’know? Afterwards, to celebrate my victory, I shared a few drinks with Thisobald. I used my monk’s willpower to stay sober while we swapped stories. I can’t say the same for him. Who knew beer could cause spontaneous combustion? It was a darn shame - I was enjoying his company. Oh, well; things happen.

Subsequently, upon leaving the tavern I got stopped by this gold blob - a toll collector by the name of Gerringothe Thorm. I didn’t like the cut of her gib, not one bit. She was too damn shiny. I convinced her to see the error of her ways and she responded by giving me all of her coin, including herself. It was just another day in the Forgotten Realms … so I thought.

In comes this googly-eyed weirdo; Malus Thorm is his name. What are with these Thorm people, anyway? Lady Shar Almighty. Anyway, I just wanted a touch-up to survive the evening. Instead, I walked into a hospital filled with undead nurses performing surgery on some poor man screaming in agony. Malus had a brilliant idea: having his nurses perform surgery on me. Are you a jester? We just met, you clown. I told him I don’t float that boat because I don’t let people under my skin until people are properly trained. He understood and told his staff to practice on each other. Let me tell you - they did an excellent job. Too good, in fact. That wasn’t enough, though. I told him practice makes perfect. He was confused, so I urged him to see how surgery feels on himself. That was the end of that.

So yeah, long story short, my playthrough is going better than expected. Me and Scratch are hanging out, playing fetch, and just mingling by the campfire before I see what shenanigans I can get up to at the Moonrise Towers.

@Dalamar I think it’s more of a balancing issue rather than a skill check. I’d rather have boss fights be more difficult as you progress through the game - not immediately starting out where it may hinder your motivation to persevere. If Malenia was the first boss fight in Elden Ring I would have turned it off and never played it again. However, since it was near the tail end and I had a good grasp on the mechanics and my skill(s), I managed to beat her. There has to be a fine balance between the two.

@Balaam_ Do you ever just say to yourself, “Alright, trophies aren’t that important. I should just play games for fun.”? I love getting platinums and I also dislike how my trophy list is sometimes incomplete, but it will never stop me from playing a great game. I can’t even imagine the amount of awesome games you’ve missed out on simply because the difficulty for the platinum isn’t up to your standards, as if game developers should focus primarily on trophy hunters rather than the general audience.

Just a heads up, the game is back on the PS Store. I just bought it.

PS Store is working and I can bring up the page, but there isn’t an option to buy. No big deal, I’m at work anyway. I’m sure it’ll be available later this evening.

@themightyant In the video they discuss how you can complete missions in different ways, similar to the Hitman games.

I just got around to watching the preview this morning. I have to say, it looks fantastic. Yes, it looks and feels like an Uncharted game, but we haven’t had one of those in years and I’m all for it. It has the perfect blend of Uncharted and Hitman, and that plane sequence was awesome considering you’re controlling it whilst simultaneously running and gunning. There were a few frame rate drops, but the developers have plenty of time to iron out the kinks before release date. I can’t wait.

I’m glad this game turned out well! And the negatives aren’t that much of a downfall at all. I’m happy to see Bloober Team show their true talent. I’ll definitely be picking this up soon!

@ErrantRob After reading other reviews, I decided to do the same thing. I’m looking forward to playing once I get off work this evening.

This sounds like an awesome game, but I’ll wait for a sale before I pick it up. There are too many games right now that have my interest. Also, I’m torn on whether or not I want to suffer through puzzles—-I’m awful at them in video games. Everything else sounds right up my alley.

Last week I talked about how I’m playing Baldur’s Gate 3 - taking my time, playing in spurts, and eventually completing it after reaching the end of Act 2. It would be at this point where fatigue settles in and I would ultimately shelve the game for months, only to come back, forget the mechanics, and create a new character. This process would be repeated over and over.

Meanwhile, my initial goal was to play BG3 between other games: Metal Gear Solid Delta, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, and Hollow Knight Silksong. Let me state for the record - those goals have gone to hell in a hand basket. I am in DEEEEEEP waters on my trek to reach the pinnacle of Act 3. I genuinely can’t get enough of it, and I’m about to wrap up the second act with a newfound sense of energy.

What blows my mind is how different this playthrough is compared to my previous ones. I have this awful habit in RPGs where I tend to choose the “good guy” route whenever there is dialogue choices. Moreover, I play the same type of character if I can - a high-elf, rogue assassin. And when I get a bad roll of the dice I reload my save until I get the outcome I wanted. This time, however, I’m a Dwarf monk and it has been awesome. I’m letting the rolls dictate the story, good or bad - a true RPG experience. What I wasn’t expecting is how unsatisfying rolls can actually create better moments throughout side quests and main campaign.

Simply put, there is a lot of game here. You never feel as if you missed out on something special regardless of your good or bad choices because the writing is so top notch that every thread is meticulously fleshed out so you can get the ultimate experience. My actions are generally good, but also morally grey. I tend to find the root of the problem and rip it out, but if I can use it to my advantage then I will. I’m living my best life in BG3 and wouldn’t have it any other way.

I want to conclude my rant by making a bold proclamation: from a video game perspective, BG3 might be the greatest of all time. That’s not to say it’s my favorite, but in totality I think it measures up to that threshold. To me, it’s the epitome of what I have always envisioned games to be ever since I could comprehend the basics in 1994.

A rich, lush world beckoning to be explored, filled with many secrets to uncover? Check. Freedom and allows for player expression? Double check. An incredible cast of characters with unique personalities, deep history to learn about, fully fleshed out, and having an experience tailor made to each individual and play-style? Triple check. Writing that is on another level, to the point where each interaction with any character or NPC feels meaningful? Quadruple check. Every facet of this game is seamlessly woven together, and I don’t understand it. I don’t want to, either. I’m just happy it exists.

This game never appealed to me for some reason. I’ve thought it looked generic from day one despite the kinetic gameplay. It’s a shame the story and characters aren’t up to snuff — that may have swayed me to checking out the game, if they were good, that is. Oh, well; maybe when the game goes on a deep sale I will check it out.

I will be ready whenever the game releases - it looks incredible, and sounds superb.

I can’t wait for this game. The first game is my favorite Obsidian RPG and I often replay it. The sequel looks to reach those same heights for me personally.

Good selection of games! Psychonauts 2 is a great addition. I’m looking forward to trying it out whenever I find the time.

@dgfdytry I preordered the deluxe edition and it was available to download Monday and be played yesterday. If you are just going to buy it without preordering it should be available tomorrow night at 11:00pm.

I’ll be picking this up on a sale, but it’s crazy to actually see the game on a PlayStation console. I remember getting all of the achievements for it on the Xbox 360 - yes, even all multiplayer ones, including the 10k kills - and still wanting more. I doubt I’ll go for the multiplayer trophies now, but I do love the campaign.

This is a bummer - Demonschool has been one of my most anticipated games for a long time. With that said, it’s a smart move. It’s also going to free up my wallet and give me time to play the numerous amount of games releasing in just days and weeks ahead.

@Northern_munkey If you pre order the deluxe edition you can play the game today. I caved and did that lol.

@Northern_munkey I figured it was haha.

@Northern_munkey It is not. You can check my comments if you’d like - I address his statements on trophies. For me, I like trophies and will go for the platinum if I can. If not, no big deal, I just wanna play good games.

@Quintumply That sounds like a proper good time and challenge. Thanks for answering my question!

I forgot to ask - how are the trophies? Is the platinum very difficult? I’m looking forward to the challenge if it is.

Looks like another day one purchase for me. This year has been a banger for games and we still have plenty more to go.

@Balaam_ You make it sound like gaming is a chore rather than a hobby. These kind of trophy lists should be what you want to have - a challenge that could be worth undertaking, giving you a real sense of accomplishment. It honestly seems like you’re fishing for trophies for a weird sense of self pride that nobody else cares about other than yourself.

This weekend I’m not playing anything. My wife and I surprised our daughter with her first ever tickets to a concert in Chicago, so that’s where we will be for the next couple of days. It will be our first time there, so we are going to do all of the touristy things. To say I’m excited to finally try Chicago deep dish pizza for the first time is an understatement.

However, throughout the week I decided to start a fresh playthrough in Baldur’s Gate 3. I’ve done this twice - both times reaching the end of Act 2, but getting fatigued and putting the game down for a long while. It’s truly a special game, but I have a tendency to implement the same style of play each time - a high elf, rogue assassin that focuses on stealth and archery. I do this with The Elder Scrolls, too.

This time I’m making a devoted effort to play in different ways. For starters, I’m a Dwarf with the subclass of Paladin. Secondly, I have a terrible habit of save scumming and being a good guy. While I will still be good, I’m going to choose dialogue options that are appropriate rather than solely choosing the “right” response, and whatever the dice rolls I am going to allow myself to accept the decision, good or bad. And lastly, I’m going to try new character abilities during combat. I generally play it safe and focus on raw strength and advantages rather than coming up with unique methods to approach combat, or not at all.

So far, my experimentation has turned out quite well. Who knew using magic was so fun? I’m throughly enjoying how I approach every situation and living with the results. Moreover, by doing so, I’m discovering unexpected side quests that I never found in my first two endeavors, and branching narratives that I can tell will have an impact later on. I’m really curious to see how things evolve.

The one thing that will never change: romancing Shadowheart. That will remain a constant until Gale decides to end us all with an explosion of jealousy and addiction. And on an unrelated side note - I’m praying for a Nintendo Switch 2 port because I’ll be doing a lot of traveling this upcoming year and it would be the perfect companion piece.

I’m glad to see this remake live up to the lofty expectations it had. The original is one of my favorite games of all time. I’ll definitely be picking this up on release day, but man, we are about to be drowning in games in the next couple of weeks. This, Cronos, Hell Is Us, Silksong, Trails in the Sky, Demon School, Gears of War. All of these games are either releasing on the same day or a week apart. And that’s not even all of the games - they are just the ones I could think of from the top of my head.

@Haruki_NLI I would normally agree, but this trailer looks fantastic. I have a feeling they will pull it off.

Wow - this looks really cool! I hope it has a strong narrative.

I’m glad I can finally play this on PS5, and being the most up to date version. I played it when it came out on Xbox and loved it deeply despite it missing some features. Hopefully, this will feel like a fresh new playthrough.

I can’t wait for this game. Between the Trails Of and Ys games, they are the perfect comfort food for me during difficult times in my life. They hold a special place in my heart.

@4fold I know, right? I kept checking the PS Store, fully expecting to buy it, but it was included with PS+. It was an awesome surprise!

@Dan12836666 TLC is great, and I got the platinum for it. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in 2D action platformers/metroidvania.

It’s still not available on the PS Store, which is a bummer. I was hoping I would be able to get to play it before I head to work this morning. Oh, well. I can’t wait to get my hands on it tomorrow!

Awful name; great game.

Dang - I am definitely picking this up! It looks incredible. I’m glad to see Prince of Persia go back its 2D roots, with this and The Lost Crown.

Maybe now people will be more excited for this game. I can’t wait.

I can only assume that it will be shadow dropped - that really is the only way to make this announcement “special”.

My goodness, this game continues to impress me more every time I see a new trailer. Can we make please get a release date?

This might shape up to be the best Shinobi game yet. It looks absolutely incredible.

I’m looking forward to trying this game out. It definitely sounds like a superb game. Great review!

Solid list! The Mass Effect Collection is an absolute banger. I should replay those games again. I have the platinum for the first game, but I’d like to get the platinum for 2 & 3. I’ve also been meaning to play South Park: The Stick of Truth. It’s been on my cross media bar for ages but I just never get to it. I hear great things about it.

I finished up the platinum trophy for Mafia: The Old Country this week. I found it to be the epitome of a 7/10 game which is a compliment. I honestly would rate it higher if not for a couple of nagging issues that prevent it from excelling.

The story and characters are very well written and acted. I managed to get invested in their arc(s) and care about the main protagonist and his fate. It may have been a predictable tale, but that didn’t stop it from being effective. My complaint, however, lies with its ending. It wasn’t bad—it was rushed. There should have been a few more chapters sprinkled in to flesh out the narrative. There are character perspectives that go from adoring someone in the Mafioso family to complete defilement in the span of one chapter. It didn’t make sense. Thematically, I understand, but how we got to that destination felt diluted.

On the other side of things, I found the gameplay solid and enjoyable. The driving felt more intuitive than Mafia 1, and the combat and stealth mechanics were great, albeit uninspired. It felt like an Uncharted game from the early PS3-era, with its cover based shooting, stealth elements, and set pieces.

The only real annoyance I have with the game - and this dates back to Mafia 1 - is the collectibles. My goodness, talk about atrocious. The developers really needs to come up with a better system for how you acquire these items, particularly when it’s an limited open world that encourages you to stay on the main course by having a countdown of 15 seconds to return to the main objective if you stray off the beaten path. Guess where at least a partial amount of those collectibles are; yep, you guessed it.

Thankfully, once you beat the game there is an option for chapter replay and “explore” mode, meaning you have access to the entire world map. This sounds great in theory, but it still makes hunting for collectibles tiresome. They won’t appear on the map unless you are physically next to it. This wouldn’t be much of an issue if there was an incentive to get out of your vehicle or dismount from your horse, but there isn’t. Speaking of the map, you can’t set any markers, so you are constantly opening and closing your map to see how close you are to your destination.

What doesn’t appear on the map regardless if you are near is the infamous foxes that you can obtain. There are 50 of them total, and unlike other collectibles such as Newspapers, Saint cards, and Photographs, they don’t have a specific name registered to them. Moreover, some of these collectibles are exclusively tied to main missions, and since there is no tracker for what you have or haven’t collected in the story, good luck with the hunt.

Overall, I think the game is good to borderline great. If you’re a fan of a tight narrative with compelling characters and serviceable gameplay you should definitely try this game out. There are a few stumbles along the way with its pacing, but if you’re looking for something to beat over a weekend then you can’t go wrong with this game.

It looks cool, and hopefully it will eventually release.

I rate it a 7/10, but it could easily be an 8/10 if it wasn’t for a few pacing issues.

I’m glad I bought this game. It was an enjoyable experience, and I got the platinum trophy for it this morning.

I think it looks pretty solid overall, but we shall wait and see.

That is a great list of games! There are several titles I’ll be dipping my toes into.