Marquez

@SuperSilverback Exactly this. I recommend anyone who is on the fence to ignore the haters and give it a go.

@Mostik I like way much more of the game than I dislike, it's just the unnecessary jank that takes me out of the moment. Characters, music and the sights and sounds of that galaxy are great. Story is decent too.

Back to Star Wars Outlaws though the focus is to finish the story and that'll be that. Platinum was the aim but I've grown tired of the lumps and bumps in the gameplay, so maybe not. Still, a solid enough game and it consistently nails the Star Wars atmosphere. Have a top weekend everyone!

Can't get covers for my Day 1 PS5, so a controller it is - gold I think. Will look good alongside my 30th Anniversary and Spider-Man versions!

"...Narcotics were presented as teddy bears". Day One purchase.

Their incredible support for NMS makes me even more excited for Light No Fire and how that might develop over its lifetime - hoping of course that it releases in a more finished state than original NMS.

At the in-laws for the UK Bank Holiday weekend which means I'll be busting out the Portal. I've put together a shortlist of games to stream but I'm pretty sure I'll end up playing Balatro all weekend instead. Standard.

It’s not unusual that, as part of a takeover, the deals offered to shareholders include a lucrative three year agreement on restricted stock etc. And given its three years since the acquisition, I’m guessing that’s what this is - not Sony actively cleaning house. Keen to see what happens next at Bungie, and not just with Marathon.

@RoomWithaMoose Getting right to the heart of the matter, right there

I think if I tapped Pachter's forehead it would make a hollow sound btw.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day... I think 'analyst' is a strong word when it comes to this guy.

This review makes me so happy - what a great set of games from this dev.

@Ricky-Spanish You wish! 🤣🤣🤣

@Ricky-Spanish Ha - well I’m from the correct side of Manchester so even better 🤣

The Premier League's back so I'll be watching every game that's on and sneaking in some more Star Wars Outlaws in-between. Have a great weekend folks, whoever you support

Cracking on with Star Wars Outlaws - very early on but enjoying it so far. A couple of minor gripes with the control scheme and mechanics but they have absolute nailed the sound, look and feel of a good Star War.

Not enough blood - 3/10

Based on the review and comments, happy to wait for the inevitable £20-30 bundle of both games that will probably be a thing by the time Black Friday rolls around.

As of tonight I can play literally anything I want to and I imagine I'll be paralysed by choice; my son finally got his own PS5 with his 18th money and the monitor for it arrives today. Setting it all up in his room later, which means I now get the OG PS5 all to myself... finally! No longer restricted to the Portal and its cloud offerings, much as that's fun, or watching him score another platinum (he already has 45 to my 26, the young upstart).

Looking to finish off Veilguard - story and platinum - this weekend, after being distracted by game after game. The writing is so clumsy I get the criticism, but it's a really enjoyable romp with great combat and stunning environments. Recommended.

Away at the in-laws for the weekend so my Portal is a Balatro machine, and maybe something turn based - Sea of Stars is on sale and I started it when it was on Plus, so that could be a plan. Happy weekend all!

UPDATE So the in-laws upgraded their internet and I was able to play Death Stranding (and a bit of Arcade Paradise ) instead!

I did OK in terms of additional store credit out of Stars, so it's a shame it's going. However I was constantly penalised for buying new releases early, only to see a points-related campaign go live for new titles a couple of weeks after release. No doubt deliberate, and anti-consumer/early adopter.

I managed to get the Dualsense and the Edge last time around, the Dualsense has displaced my Spidey version as my go-to controller and I might grab another one. Shame the Pro will seemingly never resurface, as a true limited edition.

I've spent the day in a shaded room with all the windows open, watching the cricket, beers in hand. And now it's (almost) cool enough to think about gaming it's back to Dragon Age: The Veilguard and picking something new out of the backlog to go alongside it.

@MindfulGamer Thinking that it's only violent, gory games that have a potentially negative impact on readers' mental health demonstrates a surface level understanding of the human psyche. Strange comment mate.

@NathanKang That requires getting a PC, so I'll hold out for a PS5 version thanks.

Didn't Banishers just get added to one of the Plus tiers? Probably worth mentioning if so!

Rattling through the story in Dragon Age: The Veilguard as I 1) finally picked up Star Wars Outlaws in this weekend's PS Plus sale and 2) am being driven by serious FOMO from all the glowing reviews of Death Stranding 2 to finally complete the first one... so much to play!

Between the PS5 crashing every couple of hours (we think it's the stinking heat) and me picking up an amazing new car this morning, gaming will be limited this weekend - but I'll be back in Dragon Age: The Veilguard at some point and The Alters looks so tempting!

@Channel42 At least it sounds like it won’t take long and like you say, a good excuse to replay anyway!

Bumped into Mike Bithell during the pandemic and had a brief but lovely exchange about podcasts and video games outside the local Tesco, six feet apart. And for that reason alone I will support everything this man does. Also, he makes consistently interesting games.

Now I've scrolled past all the predictable dross from the same people on these forums I'd like to be one of the few to wish Bungie the absolute best of success in reworking this. Stick in a short but memorable single player campaign alongside taking on board all the feedback so far (solos and duos, balance more towards PvP etc.) and they have a solid chance.

@Channel42 Pretty sure there's only one missable and it's right at the start of the game, so a quick restart should do it?

Chipping away at Dragon Age: The Veilguard and, broadly speaking, still enjoying it. I'm finding the gear progression lacking and the dialogue does occasionally grate... but overall - very good so far.

I didn't spend all that time building up to a 148,000,000 damage one shot for Simon to come back... curse you Sandfall!

shakes fist at GOTY

It won't take long for it to be £50 on Amazon, at which point I'll be interested.

@graymamba I was out with a friend for beers yesterday and we spent a while debating getting back into The Division together - thanks for reminding me how good that game is.

With the Clair Obscur platinum finally in the bag (thanks for the optional boss tips @Kraven), anything is going to be a disappointment by comparison - so I figured it's the perfect time to start Dragon Age: The Veilguard! So far it's way better than I expected after all the negative commentary, and I can already see myself enjoying it through to conclusion.

AC Shadows on the back burner for now with 50 hours played, and Balatro on standby as always.

If it nails a similar vibe and pathos to Journey it will be well worth a play.

Can we just make it Clair Obscur again instead?

@Neither_scene Oh I know… I'm terrible at waiting.

It's a race against time to finally finish the original Death Stranding if I want to play DS2 at release, Clair Obscur definitely got in the way! No doubt I'll buy DS2 on launch day, regardless...

@Kraven Only managed two attempts today as life got in the way - good news is I’ve found a way to keep him almost permanently in break status using Monoco and Verso as a tag team. Can get him halfway through stage two just using them as the team. So it is only a matter of time! Apart from that party switch I am basically using your strategy 😉

@Kraven Thanks - plenty to go on there! I'm actually missing a Pictos you mentioned that I will go and get, other than that I'm set up very similarly. If I learn his longer combos I'm confident.

@Kraven Well it's been a long morning trying to beat him so any tips appreciated.

So close on the Expedition 33 platinum and I've absolutely rinsed all the content I've found.. it will be a sad time when it comes to an end. Then it's back to finish AC Shadows which will no doubt feel underwhelming by comparison.

@Splat If it's the optional boss I have left (just them and the grind to 99 to do) your comment doesn't fill me with hope!

I watched my son - who excels at Souls-like games - play through this at launch for the platinum and I loved what I saw but thought 'probably a bit tough for slow old me' and didn't play it myself. So I really welcome difficulty options and will give the game a go in the future.

As a D1 Beta>Final Shape 10 year Destiny veteran it's so sad to see Bungie's current plight; but the more I read the more it looks self-inflicted, by an out-of-touch core of veteran leaders. Sony will need to step in, it's only a matter of time - and I believe they will do, regardless of how Marathon ends up landing.

I've played plenty of excellent games this generation, but Returnal remains the only one that made me sit on the edge of my seat and think 'so this is what PS5 is all about'. An outstanding experience and I can't wait for Saros. Keep 'em coming, Housemarque!

I just finished the story in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 after putting off the last mission for a few days and it absolutely sticks the landing. GOTY, time for the platinum and NG+.

The ongoing support for this game continues to be excellent. Love to see it.