Yakuza 6 is lowest I've seen it yet at £17.75 with Plus, so will pick that up along with Nex Machina(finally!), likely also Forgotton Anne and Moonlighter, and possibly Axiom Verge as that's cross-buy. Haha, my PS+ runs out later this month and I'm not renewing it for a good while, so not too bothered anymore if sale stuff I've bought ends up in the next month's free games!
Everytime I see this headshot of Phil smiling like that then I imagine that beneath that black shirt, he's sitting there in his underpants posing for the cover of a sexy magazine aimed at the more mature, discerning audience 😂 I can't be the only one imagining that...
I wouldn't mind this if it was really just about censoring games with possible paedophilic aspects as that's a pretty gross thing to be into tbf, but I think this is really more about censoring games with female sexual content in general, because sexism (against women only though it seems) is still the hot topic du jour and western companies are generally rather afraid of being accused of this right now. I don't play these games, but I think that once this starts the censorship ball rolling then other areas may be next at some point down the line, and that may well be an area I end up caring about, but I guess only time will tell...so no need for me to get worked up about it just yet! 😉
Like so many others, it's KH3 for me - it's not perfect, but it's more than good enough for me (with the exception of the inclusion of that awful "Let It Go" song, but that's more of a subjective complaint 😄). Another plus for me - and my laziness - is that the plat in this KH actually seems unchallenging enough for me to bother to go for!
Sony exclusives were marketed really well last year so many PS4 gamers likely preordered them (I know I did with GoW and Spider-Cop! Also bought Detroit before the year was out) and PSN had so many sales, including good prices on Plus membership...haha, if I added up everything I spent on digital storefront sales in 2018, I'd probably have a heart attack! Hopefully Sony will deliver on the BC for PS5 like most of us expect them too, as I really don't want to have to buy a load of remasters/re-releases again! Was ok last time as I was upgrading from my main last gen console which was a 360, so the PS exclusive remasters I had mostly never played, but it would be annoying if I felt I had to buy stuff again from the same company next time (unless the graphical overhaul was significant that is).
I don't think this is a fair calculation - Metacritic needs a better system I reckon, or else to change the wording of the accolade from "best" to "most releases". I've no problem with Capcom and Sega rating so highly as I think Capcom can be a great publisher when it wants to be as they proved with MH:W, which I've noticed many of my PSN friends return to long after it released because of all the updates/added content; Sega likewise, but EA at #3 and Sony as far down as #6 after such a stellar year?! That's pretty funny.
Nothing I want as I already have Hitman Season 1 and MGS4, but that is a pretty decent line up and it will be great for more people to play the wonderful Hitman reboot, which will hopefully then boost sales figures for Hitman 2...need to buy that soon myself! Don't often play multiplayer, but I remember hearing a short while back that For Honor is way better since the myriad updates, so this freebie should boost the player base substantially.
I'm expecting both Death Stranding and Last of Us: Part II to release in the last half of this year (with Ghost of Tsushima coming next year), though I may just be being overly optimistic because I'm looking forward to them so much! Seriously though, how many more teaser dynamic themes are Naughty Dog gonna dangle in front of us before they announce a release window/date?! 😜
@get2sammyb Hahaha, can't speak for WCB, but whilst I knew you're part of the same company, the reporting style and tone here is very different to Eurogamer. I love this site for news, but in the past year or so I've mostly avoided going on the Eurogamer site for it (though I still prefer it for articles than a few others I can think of lol), so I mostly just go there now for walkthrough segments like with AC Odyssey, which tbf are generally pretty good. Pssst: this site's better, basically! 😉
I feel sorry for the poor devs, feeling they must please certain ideologically-driven factions of the modern games media (not here) when it's just not possible and believing the drivel they spout about the western audience by and large finding the overt sexiness offensive. I mean there is no global trend for toning down sexualisation in reality - just an incredibly vocal minority who've turned whining very loudly, morally policing anyone they deem morally inferior, and taking lots of offence into an Olympic-worthy competitive sport! They're so good that they make me want to join in the whining competition like I'm doing here! 😄 Anyway, the bouncy-booby option wasn't obligatory in DoA5 as far I remember, they're all supposed to be 18 or over, and they're giving the serious fighter fans less distracting clothing options now which is good, so short of dressing them all up as nuns I don't see what else they can do.
Hellblade would be fantastic, as then I wouldn't feel the need to buy it before the latest PSN sale ends. Would also love either Undertale, Inside, Shovel Knight, or Abzû as they're still on my list of shame...and would once again second the Nex Machina suggestion! 😛
November sale buy for me (along with an extra bright lightbulb for my cowardice), unless my brother impulse buys it at his local CEX before then that is. Never played the originals myself back in the day, but I did watch him and my annoyingly way-more-skilled-than-me friend play the originals to death.
So long as it's more interesting than the films, as I remember watching the first two of those on dvd back to back with my brother when I was young and feeling really bored. They made such a vague impression on me that all I remember about them was thinking how skinny Milla Jovovich was when she woke up with no clothes on in a lab at some point and stumbled out of there! I generally enjoy Netflix's original series a lot though, so would absolutely watch this.
On this occasion I think it's probably for the best, given that Ubisoft kind of made a rod for their own back in the first place when they actively went after the woke points by hyping up the romantic choice RPG elements so they could get that Twitter approval 😉 So long as it's just giving those who didn't like the ending other dialogue choices and the option to only get jiggy with it for procreation purposes, and not changing it across the board for those who were fine with it then I think a small patch is a good idea, as it would be a pity for such an amazing game to be remembered primarily for how much they angered many of the Twitterati. Feeling it necessary to change the trophy/cheevo name I find pretty funny though - it clearly wasn't meant in the way some have suggested 😂 But it makes sense to do so for the brand as it's not a hard thing to change, and they still want the good will so everyone will want to play/buy the rest of the DLC too.
The game certainly sounds interesting from the trailer - will put it on my watchlist for when reviews surface. Used to love strategy games growing up, but Theme Hospital/Park, Tropico, and the Tycoon games were my strategic limit as I sucked massively at the Populous games and Sim City (my brother made them look much easier!) The only ones I could play comfortably on PS though were the two Theme Parks, and even they were much better on PC tbf. Never been a better time to get back into strategy games on Playstation though - there seem to heve been a fair old few released in recent years and more in the near future!
Finally forced myself to go back after 7+ months for the final two trophies for the Ni No Kuni 2 plat - just got the skirmishes one so now grinding out levels as fast as possible so I can take on the final maze boss...I must really want that plat, as as much as I loved this game, these two trophies are patience testingly tedious! Tomorrow, will probably reward my patience with some Hat in Time and Wonder Boy platforming fun and a few bottles of Peroni 😛
Waiting till Feb to checkout basket, but definitely picking up Hellblade for £12.99 as I've been wanting that for ages! Might also pick up Outcast, Fe and AER. Will likely message my brother about Thronebreaker discount, as he's one of the many who got obsessed with playing every NPC at Gwent in Witcher 3.
@Neolit Very interesting (and long!) read - thanks. I find human psychology really interesting and think this chap speaks a lot of sense. Unfortunately relatively few of the folk who end up with power care about longterm consequences of stuff is the conclusion I long ago reached...probably why I'm a bit of a nihilist at heart! 😉 Haha anyhoo, back to the subject of games...
I think it depends on whether the game was advertised as an RPG where all your choices really matter. It was, but Ubisoft was naive at worst, as crafting RPGs where player choice has a real effect on the narrative/ending is hardly one of their company's USPs, and tbf then they did a pretty good job with that in the main game (except with romances, which going by the relevant dialogue all seemed to be written for laughs more than anything!) So I don't think Ubi has betrayed fans - just been naive with its advertising in an area that is pretty new to them, but ultimately I think they still deserve credit for trying to innovate in the base game (for a change re Ubi games! 😛), and maybe they'll learn that they should probably spend more time at the storyboard next time thinking things through when making RPGs, as in this age of rampant social media then the power of mob outrage is not to be taken lightly! 😂
VERY happy about this! Started playing Cold Steel 1 on my Vita last year, but when I heard that first two were coming to PS4 this year with dual audio and extra voice lines and as steelbook physicals then I decided to wait as I was loving it but wasn't too far into the game, so the third on its way to the West too is fantastic news! 😀
@ohnoitsjade Haha, must be - something just so satisfying about that trophy ping sound 😄 And thanks - well done on the Spyro plats btw...I've still got to make myself go back for the flying related trophies in the trilogy at some point soon, along with the NNK2 Skirmishes and final maze boss trophies which I've been putting off since last May! 😉
@DLB3 I'm probably a bit of a weirdo, but I played as Kassandra and got with most of the potential love interests (more so with the women because I generally found them more appealing), but I've also recently found the Gillette ad despicable enough to switch from longtime Venus use to Wilkinson's alternatives in future, because sexism is sexism, even when the target is men, and the ad is very sexist. Not outraged about AC Odyssey DLC though, as I think it's probably just Ubisoft being inexperienced with crafting proper RPGs and not thinking the story through from an RPG perspective fully (though I wouldn't criticise others being outraged about it in this case, as some folk get more into their role playing than others).
I think yes as the original studios have moved on with regards to many of the franchises listed, but I'd still have quality concerns, so I think Sony would have to be careful with who they gave the licences to. Would love to see another Sly Cooper or Jak and Daxter though. As for The Getaway, then I loved those in my childhood, but would rather see a decent remastered collection rather than a new entry.
Been thinking about preordering Vane while it's still 20% off with Plus. As an Until Dawn fan, I'm looking forward to Man of Medan. Interested in Control, but hoping it's closer to Alan Wake in style than to Quantum Break, and whilst I don't want to get too excited about Biomutant yet, I would love to see good reviews for it on release as it sounds interesting. Will likely play Moving Out with my brother when he visits as we love Overcooked. Aside from the under the radar additions other have mentioned in the comments, I'll add Ace Attorney Trilogy, Trails of Cold Steel remasters, and Our World is Ended.
@ohnoitsjade Haha, no worries - I have very little to do on the weekend at the mo, except to feed my cats, listen to some opera/classical/jazz music, and play my Vita, which is why my post was so long. I'm still in the early 40s on PS plats btw, so you're still far and away ahead of me! Totally random, but I'm a Jade in real life too! 😛
@ohnoitsjade Haha ok, easy plats... GrimFandango, Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle, Broken Sword 5, Wheels of Aurelia, Oceanhorn(bit like old Zelda), OdinSphere, and Rainbow Moon all have Vita versions (latter three are longer plats though). On the PS4 then Minit, Donut County, Crossing Souls, Owlboy, Oxenfree, Night in the Woods, Swords of Ditto, Gardens Between, Blackwood Crossing, and point and click games like Raven Remastered, Sherlock Holmes: Devil's Daughter, Inner World 1&2, Deponia 1&2, Kona, Randal's Monday, Demetrios, and Little Acre are all easy to remote play if you prefer (can do a blind then guided playthrough with many of these to get the most from them). Detroit's plat is pretty easy too I've read, though I've still to return to it myself to get the final few trophies. Remote (re)playing Danganronpa 1.2 Reload is an easy plat, so long as you love the games and have the time to do a completionist replay. God of War, HorizonZD, Assassin's Creed Origins/Odyssey, Tales of Berseria, I am Setsuna, and Dragon Quest XI are all relatively easy plats, but really time consuming too (though great fun!), so they're maybe not for January 😉 Also, Back to the Future has a plat on its PS4 edition and South Park games are easy plats (especially fun if you grew up watching that show!) If you enjoy platformers then Hat in Time, Psychonauts, Spyro Trilogy, Sonic Mania, Unravel, and Seasons After Fall are easy plats. Finally, Code: Realize Future Blessings has a very high plat rate (haha, both those games are in my basket right now as they're on sale). Sorry for superlong post btw...I need to get a social life again this year! 😉
Still on my January indie binge so currently playing Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Little Acre, and Deponia - I'm now trying to get some easy plats in at the start of the year so I can spend the next 6mths trying to clear my large backlog of time-consuming games! @ohnoitsjade I platted Burly Men at Sea on my Vita the other day and was so pleasantly surprised by it, as it turned out to be the most relaxing game I've ever played! Sometimes simplicity is just what you need Haha, it also reminded me to pick up some new visual novels in the Jan Vita sale before it ends next week 😉
@jdv95 Well said about MTX - those of us who moan about them do sound like stuck records, but if people don't push back against them then it gives these big greedy publishers (we all know which ones) licence to indefinitely go further with them - which they have done - and more and more so these days they degrade the quality of games because they're so often designed with the selling of MTX in mind, so I'll never feel bad for being a bit of whingebag regarding them 😛
Edit: btw, I'd be surprised if we got FF7 remake before 2025!
@ShogunRok Thanks for the reply PS4 has been the age of the remaster (as well as some of the best ever new PS exclusives), so here's hoping we get some more JRPG remasters on the system before PS5 comes out! either way, Vesperia is a definite buy for me come mid-Feb.
@johncalmc I'd recommend Berseria - the story is quite dark for a Tales game and I really liked the main character too. It's very cheap at the mo on various PS stores' January sales.
@ShogunRok Thanks for another great review. Definitely picking this up on PS4 next month, once I've gotten KH3 played (January's an indie binge month for me this year!) Any further word on the possible remasters/ports or the Xillia collection yet? Would love to see more Tales games either remastered or ported to PS4 (especially Symphonia).
Planning on returning to Odyssey once the season pass hits the £20 mark in a PSN sale and once all of it has been released. I played the base game for over 130hrs last year, so sort of need a 6mth break before I return to play the DLC, paid or otherwise (though I think it's great that Ubi are adding free stuff in the meantime).
Some great choices there! Myself, I'm most looking forward to The Outer Worlds, followed by Dreams, Judgment, Trails Of Cold Steel games, and Psychonauts 2, in that order. KH3 I have been looking forward to for ages, but that feels like it's coming out tomorrow, now that we're over the 2018 waiting hump, as it felt like 😛 Waiting for reviews/gameplay vids on both Days Gone and Sekiro to find out if they're something I would enjoy/be any good at, and the jury's still out for me on DMC5 until I find out which way Capcom has gone with the MTX system. Interested to hear more about Control soon too.
@get2sammyb I'm a bit worried about whether or not the physics of CTR will be replicated accurately for those of us who remember the original well. If it is then I will be very happy that I can relive my childhood in higher graphical quality once more, but if not then I have no doubt that this will sell very well indeed regardless.
I've had it down for a release somewhere between Oct this year and Feb next year, but that's just a layperson's estimate and hope may have been clouding my judgment a little there too! 😉 Either way, I think that we'll not get a release date announcement for it until 3-4mths before intended release.
January's not yet provided me with any miraculous willpower, so I might pick up Shining Resonance Refrain at £20 as it's near the top of my wishlist, though tbh I've not put the existing games in my latest basket through checkout yet! I have Sonic Mania, Steamworld Dig 2, AC: Rogue Remastered, Pillars of Eternity, and Digimon Story for Vita already waiting in there!
I've recently been sold on PSVR, so am almost definitely gonna be coming here to find the best deal on a bundle when Black Friday week rolls around again...better get saving soon for it I guess! Astrobot, Moss, and Tetris Effect will likely be at the top of my list, along with Blood and Truth, provided it turns out to be as good as the hype.
A majority of my games are digital, almost exclusively a result of the many PS store sales! I'll only buy a physical copy if it's a game that I absolutely loved, if a game is more heavily discounted than it has ever been on the PS store (which isn't all that often), or if it's something I really want on release, and even then I use an online only store, as UK's Game is usually nowhere near as competitive!
Hank was my favourite character, even though he wasn't playable, but I don't think it will be DLC for Detroit (even though I'd be excited if it was that). I'm hoping that it's an announcement that Sony's bought Quantic Dream and that they're starting work on a new project.
As it goes, the "some games sites talk down to their readers" thing is precisely why I stopped relying on (several) certain other gaming news sites a couple of years ago and came across PushSquare instead for news; the staff/community here are great! 😀 Anyway, it's very noticeable that it's not like the above quote here, so you're definitely succeeding in your goal. Happy New Year all and here's to a great 2019!
@JJ2 Interesting read - the link to the April article within this link suggests it must've been a slow news week as what I got from that can be summed up by "stating the obvious, vague on facts (because there were none to speak of), while simultaneously giving the impression of being detailed" ...don't wanna outright criticise an individual as it's not nice, but needless to say I definitely prefer this site - and to a lesser extent a couple of others - for my gaming news 😛
AC: Odyssey was robbed 😛 Haha, but to be fair then there have been so many stellar games this year (including on VR from what I've read and what my brother has shown me after recently getting PSVR) that even a top 20 list wouldn't be sufficient to satisfy every gamer as 2018 was a vintage year imo, and tastes vary so much, which is of course to be celebrated 😀 Of this list, I've played 7 of them and loved them, and Hollow Knight is sitting on my PS4 waiting patiently for me to finish some other indie titles on my list first. MHW isn't really for me, and I'll likely get around to playing SotC at some point.
Pleased Sony are swerving E3 this year and hoping for a PS Direct approach myself, as well as ideally a great PSX this year. I second what others have said here about thinking PS5 will be a Spring 2020 affair. I don't think Death Stranding is as far off as we all presumed and now I think it will launch in the latter half of this year on PS4, after suspect tweets from key people involved with the game this past month and what Kojima cryptically said in the latest issue of Famitsu. Also hoping to hear a lot more about Ghost of Tsushima this year too. Lastly, I think I will defo have to finally get PSVR in Nov this year if we get as many great VR releases as 2018 saw! @JJ2 Haha, JS of Kotaku maintains great sources, but that's literally the only complimentary thing I can think of to say about him.
So many hype moments this year that it's near impossible to choose one! I'd separate it into an awestruck and a hype moment though. Growing up during the PS one era, my ultimate awestruck moment would have to be how incredible Spyro looks now compared to the originals, yet how familiar the controls felt to me 20 odd years later. My ultimate hype moment was probably the recent announcement of Obsidian's The Outer Worlds, as I'm a big fan of their RPGs...though the possible Kojima teasing of Death Stranding coming far sooner than expected (as reported in the latest Famitsu) got in a last minute hype rush from me to round out 2018 😉
I think this buffoon just can't accept that E3 is becoming less and less relevant, so he bases his entire analysis upon it being the gaming centrepiece of every year for every gamer! I think Sony made a wise decision, unshackling themselves from E3, as we hardly want a repeat of the bizarre show they put on in 2018 😉 I'm expecting an excellent PSX this year instead, and like many have said, perhaps some Nintendo Direct style announcements.
Just picked up The Gardens Between in the latest sale as I came across a detailed YT review of it last week and it looked amazing, as well as just the right length for me - do love me a good puzzle game when in the mood Couldn't believe how under the radar that one flew when it released, so lovely to see it as #1 on your list! Gonna give Bendy a go as well later in 2019, just as soon it appears in a sale!
@Neolit The Gardens Between is included in both the US and European PS store sales at the mo.
Pretty sure that Miyazaki didn't feel he had to apologise - he's just a decent guy and didn't want his fans falsely getting their hopes up, because he clearly actually cares about his fans; more and more these days, I feel that others in the games industry at large could do with taking a leaf out of his book on the "respecting one's fanbase" front!
I played this game fairly recently and really enjoyed it, even replaying it again to keep everyone alive and get the "nicest" ending - easily my personal #6 of this year! Enjoyed it so much more than Heavy Rain, which had a good narrative, but its mechanics were so tedious throughout. With Detroit, I found out after a bit that it's better on casual difficulty, so played on that instead and just enjoyed the story...twice 😀
Still working my way through my substantial indie backlog and feel like I've not even made a dent in it yet as I didn't play as much over Christmas as I'd intended too (Iconoclasts on Vita and Owlboy on PS4...couldn't resist picking that one up in the current sale). Haha, think I'll likely be at my indie work through right up until KH3 releases!
Nice to see the excellent Dragon Quest and AC Odyssey getting some much deserved love After playing the latter for 130+hrs (+ will eventually play its dlc when the season pass is reduced enough for me next year), it became my favourite AC game, even overtaking the pirating ones which had formerly been my joint favourites. It does feel like Odyssey was a little overlooked compared to 2017's Origins (which I enjoyed nowhere near as much as this year's iteration), but I think that was the Ubisoft fatigue effect again as many had probably only just finished Origins when Odyssey released! The biennial model does seem to work better for them in terms of consumer enthusiasm. As forthe Yakuza series then I'm definitely gonna properly get into Zero in the next few months, as I've been meaning to play that for ages now!
Comments 237
Re: Big Games Score Big Discounts in Latest EU PlayStation Store Sale
Yakuza 6 is lowest I've seen it yet at £17.75 with Plus, so will pick that up along with Nex Machina(finally!), likely also Forgotton Anne and Moonlighter, and possibly Axiom Verge as that's cross-buy. Haha, my PS+ runs out later this month and I'm not renewing it for a good while, so not too bothered anymore if sale stuff I've bought ends up in the next month's free games!
Re: Microsoft Plans to Bring Xbox Live Support to All Other Platforms Except PlayStation
Everytime I see this headshot of Phil smiling like that then I imagine that beneath that black shirt, he's sitting there in his underpants posing for the cover of a sexy magazine aimed at the more mature, discerning audience 😂 I can't be the only one imagining that...
Re: Senran Kagura 7EVEN Impossible to Release After Sony Censorship Row
I wouldn't mind this if it was really just about censoring games with possible paedophilic aspects as that's a pretty gross thing to be into tbf, but I think this is really more about censoring games with female sexual content in general, because sexism (against women only though it seems) is still the hot topic du jour and western companies are generally rather afraid of being accused of this right now. I don't play these games, but I think that once this starts the censorship ball rolling then other areas may be next at some point down the line, and that may well be an area I end up caring about, but I guess only time will tell...so no need for me to get worked up about it just yet! 😉
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 257
Like so many others, it's KH3 for me - it's not perfect, but it's more than good enough for me (with the exception of the inclusion of that awful "Let It Go" song, but that's more of a subjective complaint 😄). Another plus for me - and my laziness - is that the plat in this KH actually seems unchallenging enough for me to bother to go for!
Re: PSN Alone Generated More Revenue Than the Entirety of Nintendo in 2018
Sony exclusives were marketed really well last year so many PS4 gamers likely preordered them (I know I did with GoW and Spider-Cop! Also bought Detroit before the year was out) and PSN had so many sales, including good prices on Plus membership...haha, if I added up everything I spent on digital storefront sales in 2018, I'd probably have a heart attack! Hopefully Sony will deliver on the BC for PS5 like most of us expect them too, as I really don't want to have to buy a load of remasters/re-releases again! Was ok last time as I was upgrading from my main last gen console which was a 360, so the PS exclusive remasters I had mostly never played, but it would be annoying if I felt I had to buy stuff again from the same company next time (unless the graphical overhaul was significant that is).
Re: Metacritic Dubs Capcom the Best Publisher of 2018
I don't think this is a fair calculation - Metacritic needs a better system I reckon, or else to change the wording of the accolade from "best" to "most releases". I've no problem with Capcom and Sega rating so highly as I think Capcom can be a great publisher when it wants to be as they proved with MH:W, which I've noticed many of my PSN friends return to long after it released because of all the updates/added content; Sega likewise, but EA at #3 and Sony as far down as #6 after such a stellar year?! That's pretty funny.
Re: PlayStation Plus February 2019 Games Announced
Nothing I want as I already have Hitman Season 1 and MGS4, but that is a pretty decent line up and it will be great for more people to play the wonderful Hitman reboot, which will hopefully then boost sales figures for Hitman 2...need to buy that soon myself! Don't often play multiplayer, but I remember hearing a short while back that For Honor is way better since the myriad updates, so this freebie should boost the player base substantially.
Re: The Last of Us: Part II Coming 'Very Soon' According to Composer
I'm expecting both Death Stranding and Last of Us: Part II to release in the last half of this year (with Ghost of Tsushima coming next year), though I may just be being overly optimistic because I'm looking forward to them so much! Seriously though, how many more teaser dynamic themes are Naughty Dog gonna dangle in front of us before they announce a release window/date?! 😜
Re: Dead or Alive 6 Can't Shed Hyper-Sexualisation Or Fans Will Leave
@get2sammyb Hahaha, can't speak for WCB, but whilst I knew you're part of the same company, the reporting style and tone here is very different to Eurogamer. I love this site for news, but in the past year or so I've mostly avoided going on the Eurogamer site for it (though I still prefer it for articles than a few others I can think of lol), so I mostly just go there now for walkthrough segments like with AC Odyssey, which tbf are generally pretty good. Pssst: this site's better, basically! 😉
Re: Dead or Alive 6 Can't Shed Hyper-Sexualisation Or Fans Will Leave
I feel sorry for the poor devs, feeling they must please certain ideologically-driven factions of the modern games media (not here) when it's just not possible and believing the drivel they spout about the western audience by and large finding the overt sexiness offensive. I mean there is no global trend for toning down sexualisation in reality - just an incredibly vocal minority who've turned whining very loudly, morally policing anyone they deem morally inferior, and taking lots of offence into an Olympic-worthy competitive sport! They're so good that they make me want to join in the whining competition like I'm doing here! 😄 Anyway, the bouncy-booby option wasn't obligatory in DoA5 as far I remember, they're all supposed to be 18 or over, and they're giving the serious fighter fans less distracting clothing options now which is good, so short of dressing them all up as nuns I don't see what else they can do.
Re: Talking Point: What Free February 2019 PS Plus Games Do You Want?
Hellblade would be fantastic, as then I wouldn't feel the need to buy it before the latest PSN sale ends. Would also love either Undertale, Inside, Shovel Knight, or Abzû as they're still on my list of shame...and would once again second the Nex Machina suggestion! 😛
Re: Poll: Did You Buy the Resident Evil 2 Remake?
November sale buy for me (along with an extra bright lightbulb for my cowardice), unless my brother impulse buys it at his local CEX before then that is. Never played the originals myself back in the day, but I did watch him and my annoyingly way-more-skilled-than-me friend play the originals to death.
Re: Netflix Is Reportedly Producing a Resident Evil TV Series
So long as it's more interesting than the films, as I remember watching the first two of those on dvd back to back with my brother when I was young and feeling really bored. They made such a vague impression on me that all I remember about them was thinking how skinny Milla Jovovich was when she woke up with no clothes on in a lab at some point and stumbled out of there! I generally enjoy Netflix's original series a lot though, so would absolutely watch this.
Re: Ubisoft Is Making Changes to Controversial Assassin's Creed Odyssey DLC Ending
On this occasion I think it's probably for the best, given that Ubisoft kind of made a rod for their own back in the first place when they actively went after the woke points by hyping up the romantic choice RPG elements so they could get that Twitter approval 😉 So long as it's just giving those who didn't like the ending other dialogue choices and the option to only get jiggy with it for procreation purposes, and not changing it across the board for those who were fine with it then I think a small patch is a good idea, as it would be a pity for such an amazing game to be remembered primarily for how much they angered many of the Twitterati. Feeling it necessary to change the trophy/cheevo name I find pretty funny though - it clearly wasn't meant in the way some have suggested 😂 But it makes sense to do so for the brand as it's not a hard thing to change, and they still want the good will so everyone will want to play/buy the rest of the DLC too.
Re: Stellaris Brings Sci-Fi Grand Strategy to PS4 in February
The game certainly sounds interesting from the trailer - will put it on my watchlist for when reviews surface. Used to love strategy games growing up, but Theme Hospital/Park, Tropico, and the Tycoon games were my strategic limit as I sucked massively at the Populous games and Sim City (my brother made them look much easier!) The only ones I could play comfortably on PS though were the two Theme Parks, and even they were much better on PC tbf. Never been a better time to get back into strategy games on Playstation though - there seem to heve been a fair old few released in recent years and more in the near future!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 255
Finally forced myself to go back after 7+ months for the final two trophies for the Ni No Kuni 2 plat - just got the skirmishes one so now grinding out levels as fast as possible so I can take on the final maze boss...I must really want that plat, as as much as I loved this game, these two trophies are patience testingly tedious! Tomorrow, will probably reward my patience with some Hat in Time and Wonder Boy platforming fun and a few bottles of Peroni 😛
Re: Games Under €20 Offer Replaces January Sale on EU PlayStation Store
Waiting till Feb to checkout basket, but definitely picking up Hellblade for £12.99 as I've been wanting that for ages! Might also pick up Outcast, Fe and AER. Will likely message my brother about Thronebreaker discount, as he's one of the many who got obsessed with playing every NPC at Gwent in Witcher 3.
Re: Poll: Do Developers Betray Fans When Player Choice Suddenly Doesn't Matter in an RPG?
@Neolit Very interesting (and long!) read - thanks. I find human psychology really interesting and think this chap speaks a lot of sense. Unfortunately relatively few of the folk who end up with power care about longterm consequences of stuff is the conclusion I long ago reached...probably why I'm a bit of a nihilist at heart! 😉 Haha anyhoo, back to the subject of games...
Re: Poll: Do Developers Betray Fans When Player Choice Suddenly Doesn't Matter in an RPG?
I think it depends on whether the game was advertised as an RPG where all your choices really matter. It was, but Ubisoft was naive at worst, as crafting RPGs where player choice has a real effect on the narrative/ending is hardly one of their company's USPs, and tbf then they did a pretty good job with that in the main game (except with romances, which going by the relevant dialogue all seemed to be written for laughs more than anything!) So I don't think Ubi has betrayed fans - just been naive with its advertising in an area that is pretty new to them, but ultimately I think they still deserve credit for trying to innovate in the base game (for a change re Ubi games! 😛), and maybe they'll learn that they should probably spend more time at the storyboard next time thinking things through when making RPGs, as in this age of rampant social media then the power of mob outrage is not to be taken lightly! 😂
Re: Trails of Cold Steel III Is Coming West on PS4 Later This Year
@Agramonte Thanks for the heads up!
Re: Trails of Cold Steel III Is Coming West on PS4 Later This Year
VERY happy about this! Started playing Cold Steel 1 on my Vita last year, but when I heard that first two were coming to PS4 this year with dual audio and extra voice lines and as steelbook physicals then I decided to wait as I was loving it but wasn't too far into the game, so the third on its way to the West too is fantastic news! 😀
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 254
@ohnoitsjade Haha, must be - something just so satisfying about that trophy ping sound 😄 And thanks - well done on the Spyro plats btw...I've still got to make myself go back for the flying related trophies in the trilogy at some point soon, along with the NNK2 Skirmishes and final maze boss trophies which I've been putting off since last May! 😉
Re: Ubisoft Apologises for Assassin's Creed Odyssey DLC Ending as Fan Backlash Continues
@DLB3 I'm probably a bit of a weirdo, but I played as Kassandra and got with most of the potential love interests (more so with the women because I generally found them more appealing), but I've also recently found the Gillette ad despicable enough to switch from longtime Venus use to Wilkinson's alternatives in future, because sexism is sexism, even when the target is men, and the ad is very sexist. Not outraged about AC Odyssey DLC though, as I think it's probably just Ubisoft being inexperienced with crafting proper RPGs and not thinking the story through from an RPG perspective fully (though I wouldn't criticise others being outraged about it in this case, as some folk get more into their role playing than others).
Re: Talking Point: Could Sony Lease Out Its Dormant Franchises?
I think yes as the original studios have moved on with regards to many of the franchises listed, but I'd still have quality concerns, so I think Sony would have to be careful with who they gave the licences to. Would love to see another Sly Cooper or Jak and Daxter though. As for The Getaway, then I loved those in my childhood, but would rather see a decent remastered collection rather than a new entry.
Re: Feature: 10 Under-the-Radar PS4 Games to Look Out for in 2019
Been thinking about preordering Vane while it's still 20% off with Plus. As an Until Dawn fan, I'm looking forward to Man of Medan. Interested in Control, but hoping it's closer to Alan Wake in style than to Quantum Break, and whilst I don't want to get too excited about Biomutant yet, I would love to see good reviews for it on release as it sounds interesting. Will likely play Moving Out with my brother when he visits as we love Overcooked. Aside from the under the radar additions other have mentioned in the comments, I'll add Ace Attorney Trilogy, Trails of Cold Steel remasters, and Our World is Ended.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 254
@ohnoitsjade Haha, no worries - I have very little to do on the weekend at the mo, except to feed my cats, listen to some opera/classical/jazz music, and play my Vita, which is why my post was so long. I'm still in the early 40s on PS plats btw, so you're still far and away ahead of me! Totally random, but I'm a Jade in real life too! 😛
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 254
@ohnoitsjade Haha ok, easy plats... GrimFandango, Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle, Broken Sword 5, Wheels of Aurelia, Oceanhorn(bit like old Zelda), OdinSphere, and Rainbow Moon all have Vita versions (latter three are longer plats though). On the PS4 then Minit, Donut County, Crossing Souls, Owlboy, Oxenfree, Night in the Woods, Swords of Ditto, Gardens Between, Blackwood Crossing, and point and click games like Raven Remastered, Sherlock Holmes: Devil's Daughter, Inner World 1&2, Deponia 1&2, Kona, Randal's Monday, Demetrios, and Little Acre are all easy to remote play if you prefer (can do a blind then guided playthrough with many of these to get the most from them). Detroit's plat is pretty easy too I've read, though I've still to return to it myself to get the final few trophies. Remote (re)playing Danganronpa 1.2 Reload is an easy plat, so long as you love the games and have the time to do a completionist replay. God of War, HorizonZD, Assassin's Creed Origins/Odyssey, Tales of Berseria, I am Setsuna, and Dragon Quest XI are all relatively easy plats, but really time consuming too (though great fun!), so they're maybe not for January 😉 Also, Back to the Future has a plat on its PS4 edition and South Park games are easy plats (especially fun if you grew up watching that show!) If you enjoy platformers then Hat in Time, Psychonauts, Spyro Trilogy, Sonic Mania, Unravel, and Seasons After Fall are easy plats. Finally, Code: Realize Future Blessings has a very high plat rate (haha, both those games are in my basket right now as they're on sale). Sorry for superlong post btw...I need to get a social life again this year! 😉
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 254
Still on my January indie binge so currently playing Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Little Acre, and Deponia - I'm now trying to get some easy plats in at the start of the year so I can spend the next 6mths trying to clear my large backlog of time-consuming games!
@ohnoitsjade I platted Burly Men at Sea on my Vita the other day and was so pleasantly surprised by it, as it turned out to be the most relaxing game I've ever played! Sometimes simplicity is just what you need Haha, it also reminded me to pick up some new visual novels in the Jan Vita sale before it ends next week 😉
Re: Poll: Push Square Staff and Community Predict PlayStation's 2019
@jdv95 Well said about MTX - those of us who moan about them do sound like stuck records, but if people don't push back against them then it gives these big greedy publishers (we all know which ones) licence to indefinitely go further with them - which they have done - and more and more so these days they degrade the quality of games because they're so often designed with the selling of MTX in mind, so I'll never feel bad for being a bit of whingebag regarding them 😛
Edit: btw, I'd be surprised if we got FF7 remake before 2025!
Re: Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition - Still One of the Very Best Tales Games
@ShogunRok Thanks for the reply PS4 has been the age of the remaster (as well as some of the best ever new PS exclusives), so here's hoping we get some more JRPG remasters on the system before PS5 comes out! either way, Vesperia is a definite buy for me come mid-Feb.
@johncalmc I'd recommend Berseria - the story is quite dark for a Tales game and I really liked the main character too. It's very cheap at the mo on various PS stores' January sales.
Re: Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition - Still One of the Very Best Tales Games
@ShogunRok Thanks for another great review. Definitely picking this up on PS4 next month, once I've gotten KH3 played (January's an indie binge month for me this year!) Any further word on the possible remasters/ports or the Xillia collection yet? Would love to see more Tales games either remastered or ported to PS4 (especially Symphonia).
Re: New Assassin's Creed Odyssey Quest 'The Daughters of Lalaia' Is Live
Planning on returning to Odyssey once the season pass hits the £20 mark in a PSN sale and once all of it has been released. I played the base game for over 130hrs last year, so sort of need a 6mth break before I return to play the DLC, paid or otherwise (though I think it's great that Ubi are adding free stuff in the meantime).
Re: Feature: Our Most Anticipated PS4 Games of 2019
Some great choices there! Myself, I'm most looking forward to The Outer Worlds, followed by Dreams, Judgment, Trails Of Cold Steel games, and Psychonauts 2, in that order. KH3 I have been looking forward to for ages, but that feels like it's coming out tomorrow, now that we're over the 2018 waiting hump, as it felt like 😛 Waiting for reviews/gameplay vids on both Days Gone and Sekiro to find out if they're something I would enjoy/be any good at, and the jury's still out for me on DMC5 until I find out which way Capcom has gone with the MTX system. Interested to hear more about Control soon too.
@get2sammyb I'm a bit worried about whether or not the physics of CTR will be replicated accurately for those of us who remember the original well. If it is then I will be very happy that I can relive my childhood in higher graphical quality once more, but if not then I have no doubt that this will sell very well indeed regardless.
Re: The Last of Us: Part II Release Date Speculation Intensifies
I've had it down for a release somewhere between Oct this year and Feb next year, but that's just a layperson's estimate and hope may have been clouding my judgment a little there too! 😉 Either way, I think that we'll not get a release date announcement for it until 3-4mths before intended release.
Re: EU PlayStation Store January Sale Expanded with Even More Games
January's not yet provided me with any miraculous willpower, so I might pick up Shining Resonance Refrain at £20 as it's near the top of my wishlist, though tbh I've not put the existing games in my latest basket through checkout yet! I have Sonic Mania, Steamworld Dig 2, AC: Rogue Remastered, Pillars of Eternity, and Digimon Story for Vita already waiting in there!
Re: Soapbox: Spending My Christmas with PlayStation VR
I've recently been sold on PSVR, so am almost definitely gonna be coming here to find the best deal on a bundle when Black Friday week rolls around again...better get saving soon for it I guess! Astrobot, Moss, and Tetris Effect will likely be at the top of my list, along with Blood and Truth, provided it turns out to be as good as the hype.
Re: UK Video Game Sales Are Now Dominated by Digital
A majority of my games are digital, almost exclusively a result of the many PS store sales! I'll only buy a physical copy if it's a game that I absolutely loved, if a game is more heavily discounted than it has ever been on the PS store (which isn't all that often), or if it's something I really want on release, and even then I use an online only store, as UK's Game is usually nowhere near as competitive!
Re: Detroit Developer Quantic Dream Teases Great News Soon
Hank was my favourite character, even though he wasn't playable, but I don't think it will be DLC for Detroit (even though I'd be excited if it was that). I'm hoping that it's an announcement that Sony's bought Quantic Dream and that they're starting work on a new project.
Re: Happy New Year from the Push Square Team
As it goes, the "some games sites talk down to their readers" thing is precisely why I stopped relying on (several) certain other gaming news sites a couple of years ago and came across PushSquare instead for news; the staff/community here are great! 😀 Anyway, it's very noticeable that it's not like the above quote here, so you're definitely succeeding in your goal. Happy New Year all and here's to a great 2019!
Re: Feature: What to Expect from PlayStation in 2019
@JJ2 Not saying that I'm not blaming him 😉 And haha, yes I agree that always questioning the press is indeed a wise stance, more and more so I reckon.
Re: Feature: What to Expect from PlayStation in 2019
@JJ2 Interesting read - the link to the April article within this link suggests it must've been a slow news week as what I got from that can be summed up by "stating the obvious, vague on facts (because there were none to speak of), while simultaneously giving the impression of being detailed" ...don't wanna outright criticise an individual as it's not nice, but needless to say I definitely prefer this site - and to a lesser extent a couple of others - for my gaming news 😛
Re: Game of the Year 2018: Our Top Ten Favourite PS4 Games of 2018
AC: Odyssey was robbed 😛 Haha, but to be fair then there have been so many stellar games this year (including on VR from what I've read and what my brother has shown me after recently getting PSVR) that even a top 20 list wouldn't be sufficient to satisfy every gamer as 2018 was a vintage year imo, and tastes vary so much, which is of course to be celebrated 😀 Of this list, I've played 7 of them and loved them, and Hollow Knight is sitting on my PS4 waiting patiently for me to finish some other indie titles on my list first. MHW isn't really for me, and I'll likely get around to playing SotC at some point.
Re: Feature: What to Expect from PlayStation in 2019
Pleased Sony are swerving E3 this year and hoping for a PS Direct approach myself, as well as ideally a great PSX this year. I second what others have said here about thinking PS5 will be a Spring 2020 affair. I don't think Death Stranding is as far off as we all presumed and now I think it will launch in the latter half of this year on PS4, after suspect tweets from key people involved with the game this past month and what Kojima cryptically said in the latest issue of Famitsu. Also hoping to hear a lot more about Ghost of Tsushima this year too. Lastly, I think I will defo have to finally get PSVR in Nov this year if we get as many great VR releases as 2018 saw!
@JJ2 Haha, JS of Kotaku maintains great sources, but that's literally the only complimentary thing I can think of to say about him.
Re: Feature: Our Most Hype PlayStation Moments of 2018
So many hype moments this year that it's near impossible to choose one! I'd separate it into an awestruck and a hype moment though. Growing up during the PS one era, my ultimate awestruck moment would have to be how incredible Spyro looks now compared to the originals, yet how familiar the controls felt to me 20 odd years later. My ultimate hype moment was probably the recent announcement of Obsidian's The Outer Worlds, as I'm a big fan of their RPGs...though the possible Kojima teasing of Death Stranding coming far sooner than expected (as reported in the latest Famitsu) got in a last minute hype rush from me to round out 2018 😉
Re: Sony Made a Bad Decision to Skip E3 2019, Says Pachter
I think this buffoon just can't accept that E3 is becoming less and less relevant, so he bases his entire analysis upon it being the gaming centrepiece of every year for every gamer! I think Sony made a wise decision, unshackling themselves from E3, as we hardly want a repeat of the bizarre show they put on in 2018 😉 I'm expecting an excellent PSX this year instead, and like many have said, perhaps some Nintendo Direct style announcements.
Re: Game of the Year 2018: Rebecca's Personal Picks
Just picked up The Gardens Between in the latest sale as I came across a detailed YT review of it last week and it looked amazing, as well as just the right length for me - do love me a good puzzle game when in the mood Couldn't believe how under the radar that one flew when it released, so lovely to see it as #1 on your list! Gonna give Bendy a go as well later in 2019, just as soon it appears in a sale!
@Neolit The Gardens Between is included in both the US and European PS store sales at the mo.
Re: Déraciné Easter Eggs Not Indicative of Bloodborne 2
Pretty sure that Miyazaki didn't feel he had to apologise - he's just a decent guy and didn't want his fans falsely getting their hopes up, because he clearly actually cares about his fans; more and more these days, I feel that others in the games industry at large could do with taking a leaf out of his book on the "respecting one's fanbase" front!
Re: Game of the Year 2018: #5 - Detroit: Become Human
I played this game fairly recently and really enjoyed it, even replaying it again to keep everyone alive and get the "nicest" ending - easily my personal #6 of this year! Enjoyed it so much more than Heavy Rain, which had a good narrative, but its mechanics were so tedious throughout. With Detroit, I found out after a bit that it's better on casual difficulty, so played on that instead and just enjoyed the story...twice 😀
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 252
Still working my way through my substantial indie backlog and feel like I've not even made a dent in it yet as I didn't play as much over Christmas as I'd intended too (Iconoclasts on Vita and Owlboy on PS4...couldn't resist picking that one up in the current sale). Haha, think I'll likely be at my indie work through right up until KH3 releases!
Re: Game of the Year 2018: Robert's Personal Picks
Nice to see the excellent Dragon Quest and AC Odyssey getting some much deserved love After playing the latter for 130+hrs (+ will eventually play its dlc when the season pass is reduced enough for me next year), it became my favourite AC game, even overtaking the pirating ones which had formerly been my joint favourites. It does feel like Odyssey was a little overlooked compared to 2017's Origins (which I enjoyed nowhere near as much as this year's iteration), but I think that was the Ubisoft fatigue effect again as many had probably only just finished Origins when Odyssey released! The biennial model does seem to work better for them in terms of consumer enthusiasm. As forthe Yakuza series then I'm definitely gonna properly get into Zero in the next few months, as I've been meaning to play that for ages now!