Lavalera

This sounds great. I thought it was more of a musou game but great to see it is more of a story based action game. Just have to find time to play it with Spiderman next week and tales dlc Lad gaiden & persona 5 Tactica all in november. Going lt be hard to fit it in the coming months, but will get it eventually

@Kienda The game is massive, but you can enjoy it at your own pace especially if you don't do end game raiding. There is a lot of story content in the game and most of it can be done solo with NPC parties. The advantage of that is that you can easily take a break in the middle of a dungeon when real life calls without feeling bad for your party members. I took several long breaks in between playing and can always easily pick it up again mostly because of those npc parties.
The whole Main Story Quest is kinda large though, If you want to finish it entirely it will probably take you a few 100 hours to get through all expansions.
Personally I am playing the game on and off. When i am waiting for new games to release or when i feel like progressing the story or just level some new characters. It is perfectly suited for the casual playstyle.
You can always try out the free trial and see how that goes when you are interested in it.

Man that RGG direct was awesome. We got so much information about Infinite Wealth. It looks to be even more packed than Like a Dragon. More playable characters, more minigames, more locations. This game looks insane. And also a bit sooner than i expected.
A week before Persona and Granblue Fantasy and FF7 Rebirth also launches in feb. Going to have to make choices what to play there, so stacked for JRPG fans

Relink looks amazing. Leaning more and more to preorder it. February is going to be wild. Persona 3, FF Rebirth and this all in one month. Lets hope Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth doesnt also release in feb then i have to chose what to play. Great time ahead for jrpg fans

@ShogunRok Yeah from what I've read on the gematse site with the schedule it is specifically a Tales of Arise 2nd anniversary live stream with the Producer and the voice actors of Alphen and Shionne. So I don't really expect a new announcement (unless it's maybe Tales of Arise 2, but i doubt that). I think it will be just a deep dive into the DLC. But thats fine. Really looking forward to it.

@Athrum Well I see 2 possibilities for the reason to release the DLC 2 years after. I expect either one of those things:

-They decided after the games huge succes to make a DLC. Because after the release of ToA it was said there were no plans for DLC.
-The other option is see is that this was supposed to be ToA 2 but they didn't have enough content to make it a seperate game and that why made it a DLC.
Those were the 2 things that popped my head when I saw the announcement. Still pretty happy it releases though, ToA was my favorite game of 2021

@thefourfoldroot1 LOL I do the same. I do those parts when she's at work or sleeping. Always feels weird to play those mini games with the wife in the same room. Even when she's not looking at the screen

@Amusei @Kidfunkadelic83 It is doable. I had to look up some things during character creation what does what, but once i started playing it slowly starts to make sense (been playing since this weekend because of the deluxe edition). Advise i can give you is to save a lot. And if you accidently use a wrong skill or do something that ends up different than you wanted just reload the save and you can try again. It's all a matter of trial and error basically.

@BusyOlf If Gaiden is succesfull I think RGG might make more Gaiden games. The potential is there for characters like Saejima, Daigo, Majima, Akiyama etc. Doesn't nescessarily have to tie in to the next entry like this one does, but there are a lot of untold stories for the "side" characters. Basically like something they did with Y0. And I really hope we get those games. I can't get enough of the characters of the first few games

@TommyNL Im also in NL, but mine already automatically downloaded this morning.

Exactly what I expected of it. Played Ryza last year and currently playing through Ryza 2. These games for me are chill games. Run around gather stuff, make items, do a battle here and there while also doing the quests and side quests.

When you're in the mood for a relaxing game and you don't mind Japanese games in general you should give this series a go. The downside is that it's a Koei Tecmo game so it's hardly ever on a sale.

I love all of them. Like some others have said there isn't really a bad game in the series. Sure there is difference in quality between them but I love them all.
My top 3 would be lad, 0 and lost judgment.

I see it as a good thing. It means they shipped us a full game instead of cutting out pieces and selling that as dlc like a lot of companies do now. Having said that I am absolutely loving this game even as a not Potter fan. It's exactly the type of Open world game I like the play. I really feel like I am the student and living in that world and that's usually a sign of a good rpg. I would love to see either an expansion of a sequel in the future. They showed us they can make a brilliant game in the universe.

Thanks for the review Robert. Looks like I will have a lot of fun with it based on your review. Time to spend over 100 hours in a Yakuza game again

@thefourfoldroot1 I can fully understand that. It's my goal to one day platinum all games in the series. I was late to the Yakuza party and only started around Yakuza like a dragons release. Then played the rest on gamepass. I recently started buying all the games on my ps5 and just started yakuza 6 again when it was needed for the stars campaign, I got hooked again so hope to one day be like you and can say I have them all.

If he looks and sounds like Kiryu you might as well play as him right I might get the DLC for a future playthrough for fun. I'll start the game with the original skin though. Can't wait for friday.

Just like most people on here it's Hogwarts Legacy for me. Not a big Harry Potter fan, but this game is great. Such a beautiful and detailed world. Haven't found anything negative about it yet. Haven't encountered a bug yet after 13 hours of playing.
It's a rare occasion but it's the first time in ages I'm only playing 1 game. But that's also partially due to Ishin releasing this week. So don't want to dive into another game.

Not a big Harry Potter fan, but the game drew my attention from the the moment I saw it. It is an open world fantasy rpg, exactly my type of game. The game looks gorgeous, the world is very detailed and haven't encountered a single bug yet. I had the game preordered and that war a great decision. Such a great game

To bad I'm in the EU and can't get this one. It looks absolutely amazing.

The market is already crowded enough with a lot of GaaS games. To even succeed you need to bring something so good it is going to draw the people away from the established ops like warzone, fort nite apex etc.
Currently a lot of projects draw a lot of people for a short while and that fomo chasing crowd just seems to follow the next new thing until that gets old again.

The only interest I really have in GaaS games are mmorpg type of games. But without monthly fees like final fantasy xiv has for instance. So only pve and no pvp unless it's optional. Something like Elder Scrolls Online but with better combat

On my ps5 it's valiant hearts. Because Hogwarts arrives in Tuesday (with the deluxe edition) I didn't really want to start another big game. It's a nice 2d puzzle platformer game from Ubisoft. In WW1.

On my Xbox I finished the amazing Hi-fi Rush this week. Currently playing One Piece Odyssey. As someone who never watched an episode the game feels incredibly mediocre. It feels like a game for the fans even though they said it wasn't.

With hogwarts and Like a Dragon Ishin on the horizon I'll probably play some in between games next to these 2. Elder scrolls online is one of my go to games when I don't really want to start a new game. Easy to get into and it's basically Skyrim online. So for an on and off game it s a good option. And maybe I'll play a bit of a Yakuza game. Can never play enough of those games. Even though I finished them all once already

I am one of those 30%. Before this generation i was mainly a PC mmorpg player with a few single player games here and there. When i wanted to upgrade my pc prices went through the roof for parts, so i decided to look at consoles as a replacement for gaming. Started out this generation with an Xbox and gamepass, since that gave me instantly access to a large amount of games (ps plus extra wasn't a thing back then). Just before Horizon Forbidden West came out i decided to start looking for a PS5 as well since that game looked so amazing and it was a game i had to play. I was pretty lucky of scoring one on my first real try and I am a happy double console owner since about a year now.

@NEStalgia Haha yeah it's somewhat crazy to imagine people already loved him so much before 0 even came out. People appearantly loved his crazy bad boy vibe so much. But i guess they already saw the multiple layers of his personality. And i think you might be right about RGG making his part of 0 because he was so popular.
I was late to the Yakuza party and started when Like a Dragon was released and then played 0 to 6 after that. So i got his whole backstory before i got see his mad sides from the later games. And i think 0 was the best thing they could do for him. They probably swayed even the non Majima lovers towards loving him.

Majima is such a well built character. Beneath his Mad Dog persona, there is someone who is incredibly loyal, sometimes even a bit obssessive (especially with Kiryu). He goes beyond limits to protects the ones he loves and trusts.
Yakuza 0 did a good job on explaining his character and shows a lot of the good sides of him and how he turned into the Majima of the later games. How he does everything just to protect Makoto and make her happy even above his own happiness. That was just heart warming and made me like him as character from the start.

The emotional storytelling has always been one of the strongest points of the series. They don't shy away from social problems like getting out crime, poverty, bullying, the idol industry etc etc.
That combined with the huge amount of side content to do, the wackyness of certain parts of the games and the great voice actors makes this by far my favorite game series. I can't wait to play this one day 1.

On my Ps5 it's the Deadpool dlc of Marvels midnight suns. It isn't that long so should be done with it this weekend. After that I don't know yet might be I wait with picking up a new game until Hogwarts releases.

On my Xbox it's Hi-fi Rush. Such a brilliant game. I generally suck at rhythm games, but this one is so much fun. I'm also playing Sword and Fairy 7. Which is a pretty decent game. Loving the Chinese mythology setting. The gameplay is decent, but not really spectacular. But enjoyable enough.

Easily my most anticipated game of the year. Rgg never lets me down with their games and it's a studio i trust more than enough to pre order a game from. SO looking forward to spend over 100 hours in this game doing all the mini game mostly.
So good to see Sega releasing this one in the west now. Lets hope Kenzan will be next.

@Bentleyma I ain't the biggest srpg fan either, but took a gamble with this game because so many people were positive about it and i absolutely loved the game. The battle part is even de nicest part about it. Hope you''ll enjoy it as much as i did

@ppitchfork Thanks for the advice. I haven't unlocked the threat room yet in the ng+. But once I do I'll keep that trick in mind

@Ashkorsair Yeah, that's the same one I'm missing. I just skip all cinematics and skip through the conversations until i see a dark/light choice. I also make sure to use mostly dark cards in my Hunter deck, which also increases dark balance. The battles are fun enough to not really make it feel like a slog getting this trophy.

Currently going through NG+ on Midnight Suns to get the last trophy for the platinum. Hope to finish it in time for the Deadpool DLC. It is a game that really surprised me how good it was. Never played a card battler before and never was a tactical rpg fan, but these battles are so much fun and addicting. This DLC will give me more fun in the game so cant wait

Playing the wonderful Marvels Midnight Suns. Finished the story buy doing some post game stuff until the Deadpool dlc drops this week. Surprisingly addicting game which I don't feel like I'm done with yet, not even after already putting 80 hours in.

On my Xbox is Sword and Fairy 7. The Chinese atmosphere and music are pretty awesome. The story and gameplay is okish, still very enjoyable. Also putting some time in One Piece Odyssey. That game is eehm mediocre. Never watched a one piece episode before, but since it was said it was also for new comers and it reminded me of Dq 11 in a way I decided to buy it. Playing it feels very fan service and people aren't lying when they say it is very easy. From what I've played you just use the normal attacks and already one shot most mons.

@belmont Yeah on the website it shows an ultimate edition, it just doesn't state what it includes and how much it costs. But seeing other Gust/Koei Tecmo games, it wouldn't surprise me if it is over 100 euros even.
I only played Ryza 1 until now and want to play 2 coming year and then wait until 3 is somewhere in a sale. That's another thing with Koei games, they hardly ever go on sale

Guess I know where I will spend most of my time playing this game.

On my Ps5 I'm still playing Marvel Midnight Suns. That game is highly enjoyable. It's part social sim, with friendship levels and the day night cycles like Persona has and part strategy rpg with cards. It's my first card battle game and I can say it's highly addicting. Especially since you mix the 2 up and the battles are usually pretty short.
On my Xbox i just bought Sword and Fairy Together Forever and One Piece Odyssey. Played the demo of One Piece without ever seeing the anime, and enjoyed it so decided to give the game a go.

@Amnesiac I totally agree with you. Wanted to buy myself a Christmas present and took the gamble on Midnight Suns. Like you say that game is very addicting. Hope to see the sales pick up and we see more fun games like that

For me it's Horizon Forbidden West. Elden Ring I tried several times but simply isn't my thing. Horizon has such a beautiful world, lots of stuff to do and I loved the structure and story. Ghostwire Tokyo is a close 2nd. I learned so much about Japanese folklore from that game. The exploration of Shibuya felt very relaxing and the combat felt good. The whole theme of letting go was woven into it nicely as well.

Gotham knights was okish. Didn't have a chance to play Dying light yet and Saints Row I won't touch until a deep sale.

Good to finally see some love for Ghostwire Tokyo. One of my favorite games of this year. It was a very relaxing game where i learned a lot about Japanese folklore. Also the whole theme of letting go was nicely woven into the game.

I'm surprised The Witcher 3 and Persona 5 didn't make the list, not even on the honorable mentions. For me it would be a tough choice between those 2, but I'll think I'll go for Persona 5, since it's the first time I played it and it's absolutely brilliant. The Witcher 3 looks and feels a lot better than it already was but I already played it 3 times, so that's why my vote goes to Persona 5

Merry Christmas to all.

On my ps5 I just finished Soul Hackers 2 the story. So doing a bit of trophy stuff there until it's no longer fun anymore. Decided to give myself a Christmas present with Marvel's Midnight sun. Never played a card combat game before but seeing it also has a lot of rpg stuff in there.

On my Xbox it's a replay of Yakuza like a dragon. I had an itch to play a yakuza game again and seeing Ishin is still 2 months away I started this one. I might start the Quarry as well but not sure yet.

@roylaza Thanks for the tip. I keep forgetting PS version management works different than pc/other consoles, hehe.

After i finish Soul Hackers 2 i will start my playthrough of one of my favorite games of all time. I can't wait to see how it plays and looks after the update.

Sounds like some good additions and a great price. Recently i played through P5R for the first time. What an absolute gem of a game was that. So can't wait to play these 2 games and see if they are as good as 5 is.

1127 hours, 35 games, 964 trophies. Most played game is Horizon Forbidden West with 103 hours. That game is also second on my favorite game of this year after A Plague Tale Requiem.

Great to see this good review. I can't wait to replay this again after I finish Soul Hackers 2. TW3 is my favorite game of all time and I'm sure with this upgrade it will feel even better than the last time I played it, which was 2 years ago.

I wanted to downgrade to Extra as well, because i doubt I would be using the functions of premium the coming year. But it's fine, with the current deal premium is 10 euros cheaper than if I would have just downgraded to Extra without a deal. So ill just renew with premium for a year. Still have some games to play on extra so ill just keep it for another year and see what ill do next year.

I can't wait for this game. It is my most anticipated game since it got announced. I absolutely love the Like a Dragon series and this looks like Like a Dragon in a historical setting. Especially since they used the same character models as before. It looks like a fun twist to the other games. Now to hope that one day they will bring all the other spinoffs to modern systems as well so i can enjoy them.

On my ps5 it's Gotham Knights and Atelier Ryza. Nearing the end of the story in Ryza and after that I'll do the rest for the platinum. Loving the relaxed atmosphere in it. Was my first ever Atelier game and it tastes like modem. Gotham Knights is an entertain able game, nothing groundbreaking but not as bad as some people make it out to be.

On my Xbox I started Persona 5 on gamepass. My first ever Atlus game and I can say I'm blown away by the start. Such and amazing game with a stellar soundtrack. Gives me Like a Dragon vibes somehow. I also decided to buy Star Ocean the Divine Force. Which feels a lot like Tales of Arise in a lot if ways. Not very far in yet, but the combat is great and the traversal system in the game with the dumas is actually great. With it you can basically dash through the world making traversal a lot easier.

Somewhere between a 7 and a 8. It isn't a goty game or anything stellar, but still a highly entertaining game.

Absolutely loved the game. It's my personal favorite game of this year. The visuals are amazing, the sound track is very fitting and great and the best of all is the voice acting and the story. Barely noticed it runninf at 30 fps not even at the parts with many rats.