LiamOliver

@Nei 'xactly this! I didn't realise how much I missed that era until I played this game. I don't mind admitting (as a 40yr old fella) that I enjoyed this game like the kid I could be back then. All the nonsense around it was outta my mind by mid afternoon on launch day because it gave me something gaming hasn't for a very long time now; good, honest fun.

I think most people saw this coming, but having utterly enjoyed the game I won't give up the opportunity to pick it back up again.

@Rob_230 It's well worth it, as others have mentioned it's like being back in the golden age of the PS2 era, but with 21stC hardware. I've blasted through it 5 times now (for one entire playthrough dressed as a bear). There's this part of me that expects it to show up on PS Plus next year sometime though, unless PS are wanting to hold that off until SB2.
And I, for one, haven't actually got around to playing NieR yet, so I might come down on your side of the fence still.

I'm seriously tempted with the Pro 30th bundle, unless it's much over a bag. I'm not arsed about the DualSense Edge or charging dock, although I'm sure all will be packaged in such a way as to be obvious if missing.
I'm 99% sure those who are after a Pro to use have a PS5 already or have been dragging the life out of their PS4 (Pro, as one of my friends has been doing) in anticipation of it so why don't Sony start with registering your interest via a console, sending an email with a priority link to buy?
Not sure if that makes sense (only been awake an hour) but preregistered interest in a preorder from confirmed preexisting members of the community would surely go someway to keeping the scalpers at bay?
It is inevitable that some people will buy to flip, some might even genuinely want one then change their mind and resort to resale, but I can see ebay being crammed with 30th anniversary items and PS5 Pro's at >double MSRP. And people will buy them.

It is incredibly generous of Sony to supply a matching disc drive cover with the consoles.

I don't think I like it. The DualSense's look pretty cool and I'd certainly consider one, but the consoles just don't look right.

My PS5 plus a 2tb SN850 (bought about a year later) cost me £730. In the 3 1/2 years since the console has gone up and the SSD has come down, but like for like it would still cost about £700. Once I realised this I accepted the price for the Pro isn't as horrific as I initially thought.
I still think it's over priced/under-featured, and I despise how we in the UK are paying more for it, and the disc drive. If Sony were to allow you to add a disc drive for £50 it would look a bit better and be a bit fairer, but I think it's worth (to me) is £700 including drive.

I can only give it a 9. It is very very good, but it's not perfect. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and have only noticed 2 small bugs, but I find myself needing to take a break from it because of the sounds. Astro's voice gets bloody annoying after a while. I REALLY wish there was an in-game volume control. Then I'd be complaining I can't give a 9.5!

Even though I live in a heavy urban area of I want a game then I have to order online to guarantee l get it. Am I old because I still prefer to have the actual disc in my hand?
I'm still kinda irked that Game are w@#king about, leaves us with Argos to pick up physical games in person, and if I'm doing that I'll pay and collect at my leisure (because distance selling regulations).
The last game I went into a store to buy new was before GT Sport came out, and it's not for want of trying either, my local Game was getting crap back then already.
I've pre-ordered more games for PS5 than all previous consoles combined, either from HMV or shopto because one or both will be at least a fiver off. I'd still rather engage with real people in a bricks and mortar store though. And I generally despise human interaction.

I get that you need eyes on pages to keep rooves over your heads, but come on, leave the hyperbole out of it, this isn't The Sun!
I just checked Argos and they're readily available for delivery and collection at all actual stores within 50 miles of me. And I know this is the North but it is not actually the back of beyond.

I don't get why it's 'an added complication'? Haven't they been doing the same with limited edition stuff?
Personally if I'm ordering something like this I'd rather there be fewer links in the chain, and it'll give Sony a good idea how demand actually is for the product. Although it seems Sony have used the pricing to join the scalpers rather than best them.

I've softened on the idea of it but likely won't preorder one, may even refuse to buy one new. With a disc drive it shouldn't be more than £700. Doing the maths using the US price the console and disc drive should be under 720 quid, and as a bundle they could slice the £20 and still be making money. Fecking charlatan's.

@GreatAuk *£583.33 plus VAT .

700 quid? Sod that. Add a disc drive and it's 8 ton. And what's with this £700=$700 nonsense? Even with VAT it should come in at under £645!

Might as well go and get an eye test and new glasses, because I'd need them to see the difference anyway!

Gah! I'd been meaning to get around to these but it's been nuts lately and I forgot... Best crack on, huh? At least I downloaded it again when they announced them!

@tselliot They announced the special bots with the new game, to be made available one at a time in the lead up to it's launch. I was waiting for all 4 to be unlocked, but may have forgot. At least there's a week to get 'em done!

How much?!? At prices like that I might as well get a decent GPU and back into PC gaming!
I got the 2tb of this some time back and I've an 8tb WD Black D10 for PS4 games and PS5 holding, so I'm good ta.

I'm gonna assume (which is always dangerous) that, with the WRC car and the new track, the physics they're talking about are rally physics. Which have always been a weak point in GT. Can't say I'm massively excited about it if I'm honest. Haven't played the game for eons anyway.

@Northern_munkey I got the fanatec GT DD Pro shortly after it came out, with the uprated power supply and the brake pedal, as an upgrade to my trusty Logitech G29. In all honesty I wish I'd just modded the G29 pedals, yes the DD Pro is a very good bit of kit, but nothing about the wheel/base side has me overly impressed with it, the G29 feels nicer in the hand too. But a load cell brake pedal? That made a whole world of difference.

Tracks...?

Although GT7 is the best argument for PSVR2. I'd say it's an expensive investment for one game, but then I sunk a grand into a wheel and pedals... 🙄

@CrashBandicoat I got my first PS2 from 'Smiths the week they came out! Randomly wandered in and they'd just had a truck pull up, they literally rolled a cage full of them past me as I was browsing PS1 games! 2 seconds later I heard the dreaded "may I help you, sir?" and I was like, "yeah, actually! Gimme one of them!"

@Mustoe I think the only place around me to browse games now is CeX. There's reportedly a Game concession in Selfridges, but no. Thanks.
We used to have 2 Game stores, one was a GameStation before Game took them over, and I spent not inconsiderable amounts of money in both them.
I saw the death of physical media in the cards over a decade ago when I went into the flagship HMV to spend at least £500 on CD's, and they'd shrunk the metal section to 2 tiny racks so I literally bought 2 CD's, and I'm pretty sure they were 2 for £10. Made me sad then, and even sadder now.

@WhensDinner I'm somewhat irked that Sony haven't seen this as a perfect opportunity to show PSVR2 some love. Definitely a game many would buy without hesitation. I would be head of the queue. Even if I never got around to finishing the first VR outing... 🙄

I'm glad to see this game getting a bit more love! Was my first PS5 game and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Need to get back to it for the special bots, downloaded it the other day but just haven't got around to it. Because life? (LeMans and other duties)
@BrettAwesome It's been updated, hasn't it. It seems the special bots are integrated into the guide as opposed to being tacked on as an addendum. Either way, most guides are from when it came out, and a lot more people have a PS5 now. Those that haven't played it have been tempted to give it a go with a second installment being announced, so an updated guide will be helpful to quite a few I would imagine.

@NeonPizza There's a part of me hoping beyond hope that the new one is flat and VR... But I'm sure that would have been pushed hard.
Part of me still feels mugged off over PSVR2....

I thoroughly enjoyed the 1st one (much to my surprise) so am more than willing to play it again. After I re-download it, of course... 🙄

Hopefully they'll step back and see the disdain many have for live service nonsense and pivot back towards decent actual games. And notice they've this fantastic bit of kit called PSVR2 that has so much potential.
Of course, I'm likely to end up with wet shoes, but without hope we've nothing. Guess I could get my PC back to a gameable state and get back into iRacing. I only need to take a mortgage out to get a new GPU....

There are quite a few comments along the lines of "It was looking like it had potential, and then...."

I also feel this. There wasn't much that piqued my interest in the state of play, but this one felt like a slap in the face "here, it actually could be really cool, well presented, characters that could be interesting... Oh, and it's 5v5". Bugger that for a game of soldiers. I'm willing to look outside my wheelhouse any day, but not THAT far...

Oh. There was thingy? Must've missed it. I just want fun things to play, Stellar Blade took me back to the fun of the PS2 era but in recent years games have felt too serious. I drifted away from PC gaming because there was always something to update/upgrade/patch which sucked the soul out of it.

MSM2 was good, and there's been a few other games I've had fun playing, but nothing has had that element of joy, you know? The anticipation and excitement was part of the fun, now it seems you get game, wait for it's patch to download and it's all just fannying about really.

And I'm still grumpy about GT7 being online only when it was clearly put together with single player being an offline mode. <insert ranty swear words here>

@get2sammyb I was really surprised when I spotted IoM and the Channel Islands on the banned list! Surely to buggary they should be considered part of the UK, for these purposes at least?

Granted, Jersey is closer to France than mainland Britain, but IoM is literally slap bang between England and Northern Ireland. You cannot draw a straight line from Manchester to Belfast without going straight through it!

So, reading this, the PS4 still hanging on by it's fingernails has impacted PS5 sales somewhat?

Doesn't surprise me. I only know one person who hasn't upgraded yet, but he mainly plays Fifa so hasn't seen the need. Although I think he's hoping he can swipe mine if/when I get a Pro... The cheap b@stard... 😂

Don't really care who makes them, just so long as there's games.

Personally I think first party stuff forgets the main reason why most of us play computer games, we just want to have fun. Stellar Blade has reminded me of this. SM2 and GOWR are great games with a high level of polish and I've enjoyed both, but I think studios should be focusing more on playability with a stable frame rate than... I dunno, why does it take them so long to make games nowadays?

Meh. Normally there's something I'll make a note of to give a go, but this month nothing jumps out at me.

Although I've only found out what they are this month from this article, so clearly other things are more important... 👍🏻

@Art_Vandelay RE4 is PSVR2?
RE8 was okay, Tetris Effect and Moss 1 I have on PS4 VR and didn't really fancy shelling out more.
Synapse and Red Matter I'd never heard of though so shall check them out, thanks! Appreciate the tip! 👍🏻

Why have I never heard of this? It looks fun.
My PSVR2 has been sat under the TV for months, I've browsed games for it many times but it became tiresome because so many looked rubbish. Although I do not regret it's purchase because it is the only way to play GT7, and it was cheaper than a decent OLED TV...

@PrettyPawsome Looking at the comments, clearly you're not. Although I don't mind a Coke, I'd always much rather Pepsi. Or Pepsi Max. Or pretty much any other Pepsi other than diet. Although given the choice between that and Coke Zero...

Also glad they weren't able to sell it out, we're thrown a bazillion things every day to consume one way or another via TV and film, or even simply walking down the street.
Games should be about escapism. Well, unless the game is some sort of sim, then correct and appropriate placement enhances the experience, when done well.

Have been all night. I pre-ordered it months ago, before all the bellyaching started (for only £52!) and it's as much fun as I expected, plus the music is sublime.
Definitely worth every penny.

D'ya know who I really miss? Neversoft. 12 year old me thought their logo was the most awesomest thing ever and considerably older me missed it on the THPS remake... Although Infogrames were also tied to many good times...

@MetalGear_Yoshi Agree with a Driver reboot. I still play 1 & 2 on the odd, but need to either fix my PC to emulate PS2 or get something less janky to connect mine to a modern TV to play later games. Or just buy a Sony Trinitron off Gumtree... 😁

I prefer higher frame rates. To be completely honest for high action games they should be aiming for 60fps with the low bar at 40, but more sedentary games can run at 30 all day long for me.

The problem I've noticed is most people I know with a PS5 have them set up so bass ackwards (or hooked up to a naff TV) that if they settled for locked 60fps@1080p they'd actually notice a difference.

After getting my PS2 to play nice with my modern TV finally, I've dug my Mega Drive/CD out so have mostly been playing early Sonic, with a bit of Road Avenger. Because I miss being 12.

I was really hoping for a Foamy tie in! Still seems nucking futs though so could be worth a coupla quid...

@michaelf I wish I'd held on to my Pro for exactly that reason. Instead I flirted it for space as I still had my original 4 to set up, but that thing seems to struggle with VR so it's basically just a display piece now...
My PS3 and PS2 still get some legwork every now and again too...

Meh. They can call trophies whatever they want, I tend to play games with the intent of having fun, trophies are a nice occasional bonus I guess, although I will try for all trophies if I particularly enjoy a game. Unless I get bored.

@guardianoftime I play 3 of those 6 and don't have any issue with them (although I tend to play GT7 in VR). My TV can take full advantage of higher frame rates and VRR, if it's in the game.
Don't get me wrong, if they dropped a Pro that runs at 120fps with RT and all the gloss I'd be first in the queue, but they won't make it that much better because they'll have nowhere to go with the PS6. But right now I'm with you, I'd rather more games.

@Andy22385 @ROTTIEMAN16 I didn't say things were perfect, but for the returns a Pro would give I feel it's not worth it, I'd MUCH rather efforts were put into making a PS6 able to handle RT, 90/120fps and 4k (which is lost on most people anyway) without skipping a beat. Time, effort and expense on something inbetween which will only appeal to a specific base isn't a good idea, I feel.
But then, I still play PS1 and 2 games, so clearly fidelity and frame rates aren't my highest priorities...

Is a PS5 Pro really needed though? I haven't noticed any real issues with my PS5 yet, whatever I'm playing for however long the thing stays whisper quiet and only gets warm, so it's not like it's having its legs stretched. Although I'd probably pick one up if they wasn't silly money, with the gap getting ever smaller between generations I'd rather Sony be putting all their efforts into a PS6.

Hmmm... I'm maybe tempted? Although this would be a lot of fun, I have the originals so I'll wait for a physical release or until they knock 75% off in PS store.

I have a dock and 4 controllers. I may find the time to sit and play for hours on end occasionally, but there'll always be a fully charged spare to swap to if (when) needed. Although a longer battery life is always welcomed as fewer charging cycles should lead to a better battery lifespan.

@Titntin You binned it? It takes half an hour to swap the module out, all you need is a soldering iron and a couple of quid on the new part. I got 2 of mine cheap off Ebay and fixed em good as new!

SM2 is one of the only games ever that I've pre-ordered and made the effort to actually get around to playing. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even if it was a little buggy and too short. Really don't give a monkey's what awards it gets or doesn't get. It was probably MY GOTY....

@Martijn87 That sucks. Also why I have 2 PS3's... Not that I really bought much digital stuff back then (or even now). There is certainly a convenience to digital, but I'd much rather not have to worry about never actually owning something.

I saw this sorta thing coming back in 2007/8 when I got my first iPod and iTunes purchases were being pushed as hard as hell. It is an inevitability that without physical media you will lose access to what you've paid for at some point, for some reason. Eventually.

Of course there's always alternative download sources...

Meh. Still haven't got around to Pt2 on PS4 yet, haven't even removed it from the cellophane... As for Pt1 remastered? I'll probably get around to it this weekend now I've done SM2. Unless something else crops up. My understanding is it runs perfectly well on PS5 and a PS5 remake would be wasted effort. If they start Pt3 now maybe I'll be ready to play it in 5 years?

@zekepliskin You know what, I'll have to try that. My PS3 is chaos and I've so many PS Plus games on it, I really should get around to it so I can sort the wheat from the chaff, I guess at worst it'll give me something to do over Christmas! Although I still have my PS4 I haven't turned it on since I got a PS5 so won't bother with that. Although I just scanned through my library and yeah, PS5 folders would be bloody useful! 😂🤣😂