I gave it a few hours yesterday. Personally, I couldn't call it 'back to it's best', but it's certainly a fun EDF game. It's hard to compare it to EDF 5 since they are such different games, but the latency and 'feedback' of Iron Rain certainly put a huge damper on my enjoyment levels. I can certainly recommend EDF5 at full price, but probably not this one. Some very cool/interesting additions though!
Maybe they are doing xbox live silver vs gold or something where Plus is free and Plus Plus would have the features of plus plus plus plus features and cost money like Plus does now... Plus it's all a rumor....combined that plus how little sense a plus plus would make, it's probably all plus sized nonsense.
@SirSondox They didn't make that part very clear. They just said Vita/PS3 isn't supported, but they don't mention if they are affected.
My guess would be they aren't and those games will still use the hidden/old name since it seems they are keeping it in the database. I'm not risking my large Vita/PS3 library on an assumption though.
DMC5 soundtrack is so good... unrelated, but a new Children of Bodom album dropped a couple weeks ago and makes for amazing gaming music. Pairs great with EDF5
I think I've bought BL2 like 4 times by now. I do have to say, I don't like BL2 as much as the other two. To me, it feels like there's just so much down time in 2 compared to others. The DLC in 2 is amazing though!
I think this originally came out at a weird time? Maybe it was around the Vita launch or something, but I know I didn't get to give it nearly enough time. I enjoyed the setting and new mechanics a lot, but I also remember playing Black Flag and thinking how much more fun it was than III.
Some people can't get past physical media still. I just don't see streaming being all that popular with the current market model of gaming. The market will need to change first (which is slowly moving to a subscription model anyways).
Otherwise, I could see it potentially being popular in a country a developed internet infrastructure, but not in the USA.
The demand for very high quality visuals will always be there anyways. Maybe not for console gaming, but PC gaming. A good comparison I'd throw out is cell phones vs proper cameras. Yes, many people think cell phone photos are good enough, but if you're used to modern DSLR/mirrorless cameras, the quality isn't even close.
@Matroska Network traffic is not affected by your DNS server provider after the initial 'request to download'. Once you are downloading the file, think of it as a pipe that's already been negotiated by the network providers. Unless you need a new pipe, you wouldn't need to check in with DNS.
The DNS server just converts readable names/FQDN into IP addresses and vise versa (www.pushsquare.com into 104.24.30.24).
Once you contact the download server and your DNS 'translates' the entry, the DNS is no longer used in the download unless your download server changes. Even still, we are talking seconds at a max for a DNS server to resolve. The primary function of using 1.1.1.1 on your PS4 is privacy. Secondary function would be faster initial loading of pages/features.
As @neolit mentioned in the last post: Any changes in real download speeds after updating your DNS would MOSTLY be from other variables. You can download the same 1gb file from the same PSN data center 10 times and get 10 completely different speeds. There's very little consistency within the PSN data centers.
@Matroska You should take those results with a grain of salt. For whatever reason, the PSN network test screen is all over the place no matter what.
Changing the DNS won't affect download speeds anyways. It only affects DNS returns which COULD have a minuscule effect on speed of the initial request to download. With normal/standard downloads, you aren't sending DNS queries when downloading files after your initial inquiry. . I still recommend everyone use 1.1.1.1 for privacy/security concerns. Plus, it's still one of if not the fastest DNS resolver out there. It will make your web browser feel snappier/faster, but it won't make your downloads any faster/slower really.
The pause/resume is usually just you connecting to a different data center. I don't think Sony does anything to load balance their connections, so sometimes you'll just connect to a 'slow' data center. I used to run a proxy server that would monitor the speeds of 3 different data centers and route my download traffic to the fastest (blacklisting the slow ones). Seems like overkill, but when I was getting 0.1MBps on my GIGABIT connection, it seemed pretty important.
Yes, personal network speeds/gear/setup is important, but the PSN services are so poorly setup in terms of optimal delivery. I can easily/consistently get 10-30MBps on Xbox/Steam, but I think my PSN downloads maxed out at maybe 10MBps, and that was VERY rare. Typically I get 1-2MBps on PSN downloads.... (note: speeds monitored via router. rest mode makes no difference for me most of the time, it's just luck of the draw getting a stable connection FROM the hosted data centers)
Realistically, I almost never played the PS3/Vita titles anyways. I would really like them to include something new though.... A PSVR game a month would be nice, but I can see why this isn't the most appealing since many consumers haven't bought into VR yet.
A free movie rental and/or PS Now game of the month would be neat.
I just want all this taken care of because I'm sick of hearing about it. There are times I wish more games had PC/PS4 crossplay, but that's about it for me.
If I had a guess, there's a license/money involved somewhere causing the issues. Technically, I'm sure it's as 'easy as flipping a switch'... after you paid for a license or something.
@Kiloman74 Trust me, I would LOVEEEE to be able to play my PS3 library on PS5, but from a tech prospective, I don't see how they'd emulate that cell architecture without adding an actual cell chip somewhere. Even high end PCs still can hardly run PS3 games via emulator. It's certainly possible Sony has some secret sauce to do it, but I'm skeptical. I mean just look at how terrible the PS1 classic was.
PS1 and PS2 are a lot easier to emulate due to a much more similar architecture. There's nothing remotely close to PS3 when it comes to actual hardware design. Even with the vastly superior processing power of a PS4 Pro, it's difficult to simulate the instruction sets of cell and costs a lot of overhead.
This is actually very topical with ARM and x86 architecture right now with mobile devices. Trying to get x86 applications to run on ARM requires either hours of optimization (re-writing applications in some situations) or a lot of overhead to convert from one to the other.
@stevenfins I would guess we will start seeing more games implement KB/mouse controls in the coming future. Both major consoles now support it, so it's just a matter of devs utilizing it. The native kb/mouse drivers for PS4 are pretty poor in my experience (FFXIV, lots of input delay and the mouse appears to be a vitalized mouse, not really 'native').
Thank you for the write up! I never played one of these games, but the idea of playing in VR just seems all too tempting. I'm glad to hear about free flight mode too!
Hey look, I'm in that first/last screenshot! (technically, that's from my wife, she plays on normal/hard)
I hate that song. It plays well, but I just don't like the flow of it all. Hard is ok, but on expert it feels messy. I'm all about Escape and Angel Voices.
Oh my gosh YES! These are the only games I still play on my PC from time to time. I always loved Serious Sam games but still haven't finished 3. I can't wait
I'd agree with Sony. The PS4 Pro was a great revision for those looking for a little extra. It didn't degrade the platform, only add to it. When you're trying to push a platform to last this long, it does make sense to do a mid generation update.
That said, I'd dare say I rather it be modular maybe. Not full gung ho PC gaming style, but it would be nice to be able to upgrade the CPU/GPU near mid generation without replacing the whole system. I wouldn't want to see a bunch of different SKU though... keep it simple like PS4 vs PS4 Pro. Two 'platforms' to manage/maintain.
I really hope 4k sticks around for a while rather than trying to push this silly '8k' idea. Some people already can't see the benefits of 1080 to 4k. Even fewer will see the difference between 4k and 8k. I'm worried it's 'buzzwordy' nature will make that the target on new displays rather than focusing on improving current technologies like HDR improvements and higher refresh rates with freesync.
I don't really see this appeasing anyone. I mean... look at the rest of that game and tell me if anyone will feel better now that you can't see a little underwear or.... soften some boobies (wth is this even)?
The release cycle was enough for me to take a hard pass on this one. I'll wait for it to be $8.99 in a few months. Also, I miss 'modern' Battlefield. I never liked old timey weapons or settings. aka, BF4 still best BF
That's a pretty bad way to put it. There's no industry standard for most things in gaming....
Just because it wasn't in the dev plan or budget doesn't mean it should be brushed under the rug as "a strange request'. Just admit it wasn't part of the project and that you'll consider it for future projects and move on.
That engine struggles with one player... I'm not sure how anyone was surprised at this. I'm sure even the devs knew it would be a pile of hot garbage, but I'm sure these decisions were above them.
As a gamer, the PlayStation platform feels better than ever to me. I don't really need to see the same 60 minute presentation showing 90% of games I already know about.
Times are just changing for news delivery in my opinion. All 3 platforms have had really weak 'conferences' this year. It's hard to shock and surprise when everything is announced immediately.
I have two complaints so far: 1. There's something about the framerate or motion blur that makes panning the camera feel really awful to me. It feels like the game is running in slow motion sometimes (could be an unstable framerate) 2. You can't remap controls. It's minor, but unless you use retro controls and move the camera with L1 and R1, jumping puzzles are a pain because you can't move the camera and jump at the same time. Normally, I'd map jump to L1 in games with a floating camera (or first person)
Game looks great otherwise. They did a fantastic job with the art work and animations. I'm very happy with this one.
Comments 1,749
Re: Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain - EDF Is Back to Its Best
I gave it a few hours yesterday. Personally, I couldn't call it 'back to it's best', but it's certainly a fun EDF game. It's hard to compare it to EDF 5 since they are such different games, but the latency and 'feedback' of Iron Rain certainly put a huge damper on my enjoyment levels. I can certainly recommend EDF5 at full price, but probably not this one. Some very cool/interesting additions though!
Re: Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain - EDF Is Back to Its Best
Can't wait to play this when I get home. I hit 64% on EDF5 last night, so I still have a lot of work left on that one..
Also just incase anyone was wondering, you can chant IRON RAIN just like EDF. Go ahead and try it
Re: PS5 Will Offer 'PS Plus Premium', Says Nonsensical Rumour
Maybe they are doing xbox live silver vs gold or something where Plus is free and Plus Plus would have the features of plus plus plus plus features and cost money like Plus does now... Plus it's all a rumor....combined that plus how little sense a plus plus would make, it's probably all plus sized nonsense.
Re: PSN Name Change Functionality Finally Launches Today and Tomorrow
@SirSondox They didn't make that part very clear. They just said Vita/PS3 isn't supported, but they don't mention if they are affected.
My guess would be they aren't and those games will still use the hidden/old name since it seems they are keeping it in the database. I'm not risking my large Vita/PS3 library on an assumption though.
Re: Feature: Best PS4 Music of March 2019
DMC5 soundtrack is so good... unrelated, but a new Children of Bodom album dropped a couple weeks ago and makes for amazing gaming music. Pairs great with EDF5
Re: Poll: Are You a Big Borderlands Fan, and Are You Hyped for Borderlands 3?
I think I've bought BL2 like 4 times by now. I do have to say, I don't like BL2 as much as the other two. To me, it feels like there's just so much down time in 2 compared to others. The DLC in 2 is amazing though!
Re: Game of the Month: Best PS4 Games of March 2019
DMC5 is just so amazing. I haven't tried any of the other 3 yet.
Re: Atlus Is Now Teasing Persona 5 S News Later This Month
@Flaming_Kaiser Eh, it's win/win. Either more people get to enjoy Persona or we get to witness another nintendi-meltdown
Re: Guide: New PS4 Games Releasing in April 2019
EDF! EDF! EDF! I do have my reservations about this one though.
Re: Atlus Is Now Teasing Persona 5 S News Later This Month
I remember how upset reddit was that R wasn't coming to Switch. I can only imagine how upset they will be if S isn't actually for Switch either.
Re: There Are Fake PS5 Controller Photographs Circulating
At least I could type my password in a room full of people with that.
Re: PS4 Firmware Update 6.51 Released, But It's Nothing Fancy
A+ article title. Didn't get my hopes up
Re: PS Plus April 2019 PS4 Games Announced
The Surge is really a very fun game. It's probably my favorite souls-like game (still haven't gotten around to Nioh though).
Still a little sad we only got 2 games and still no VR title. Sony had to see this negative feedback coming, right?
Re: Assassin's Creed III Remastered - Hearty Remaster Shows Off Series Milestone in a Flattering Light
I think this originally came out at a weird time? Maybe it was around the Vita launch or something, but I know I didn't get to give it nearly enough time. I enjoyed the setting and new mechanics a lot, but I also remember playing Black Flag and thinking how much more fun it was than III.
Re: Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition Announcement Is Inevitable Following ESRB Rating
VR mode and I'll buy
Re: Poll: Do You Think Google Stadia and Streaming Are the Future of Video Games?
Some people can't get past physical media still. I just don't see streaming being all that popular with the current market model of gaming. The market will need to change first (which is slowly moving to a subscription model anyways).
Otherwise, I could see it potentially being popular in a country a developed internet infrastructure, but not in the USA.
The demand for very high quality visuals will always be there anyways. Maybe not for console gaming, but PC gaming. A good comparison I'd throw out is cell phones vs proper cameras. Yes, many people think cell phone photos are good enough, but if you're used to modern DSLR/mirrorless cameras, the quality isn't even close.
Re: Borderlands 3 Announcement Teased for Gearbox's PAX East Panel
VR? I hope so. BL2 in vr is nuts
Re: Guide: How to Improve Slow PS4 Download Speeds
@Matroska Network traffic is not affected by your DNS server provider after the initial 'request to download'. Once you are downloading the file, think of it as a pipe that's already been negotiated by the network providers. Unless you need a new pipe, you wouldn't need to check in with DNS.
The DNS server just converts readable names/FQDN into IP addresses and vise versa (www.pushsquare.com into 104.24.30.24).
Once you contact the download server and your DNS 'translates' the entry, the DNS is no longer used in the download unless your download server changes. Even still, we are talking seconds at a max for a DNS server to resolve. The primary function of using 1.1.1.1 on your PS4 is privacy. Secondary function would be faster initial loading of pages/features.
As @neolit mentioned in the last post: Any changes in real download speeds after updating your DNS would MOSTLY be from other variables. You can download the same 1gb file from the same PSN data center 10 times and get 10 completely different speeds. There's very little consistency within the PSN data centers.
Re: Guide: How to Improve Slow PS4 Download Speeds
@Matroska You should take those results with a grain of salt. For whatever reason, the PSN network test screen is all over the place no matter what.
Changing the DNS won't affect download speeds anyways. It only affects DNS returns which COULD have a minuscule effect on speed of the initial request to download. With normal/standard downloads, you aren't sending DNS queries when downloading files after your initial inquiry. . I still recommend everyone use 1.1.1.1 for privacy/security concerns. Plus, it's still one of if not the fastest DNS resolver out there. It will make your web browser feel snappier/faster, but it won't make your downloads any faster/slower really.
Re: Guide: How to Improve Slow PS4 Download Speeds
The pause/resume is usually just you connecting to a different data center. I don't think Sony does anything to load balance their connections, so sometimes you'll just connect to a 'slow' data center. I used to run a proxy server that would monitor the speeds of 3 different data centers and route my download traffic to the fastest (blacklisting the slow ones). Seems like overkill, but when I was getting 0.1MBps on my GIGABIT connection, it seemed pretty important.
Yes, personal network speeds/gear/setup is important, but the PSN services are so poorly setup in terms of optimal delivery. I can easily/consistently get 10-30MBps on Xbox/Steam, but I think my PSN downloads maxed out at maybe 10MBps, and that was VERY rare. Typically I get 1-2MBps on PSN downloads.... (note: speeds monitored via router. rest mode makes no difference for me most of the time, it's just luck of the draw getting a stable connection FROM the hosted data centers)
Re: Borderlands 2 VR Gets PSVR Aim Controller Support with 2.0 Update
Well jeez, I know what I"m playing this weekend
...it's devil may cry 5, but maybe this too
Re: Talking Point: Would You Buy a Disc-Less PS4 Console?
I would buy a disc-less PS5, but for me to invest in a disc-less ps4, it would need to do something my Pro cannot?
I'm still hoping PS5 supports UHD blurays though.
Re: Poll: Do You Feel Ripped Off by PS Plus' Recent Changes?
Realistically, I almost never played the PS3/Vita titles anyways. I would really like them to include something new though.... A PSVR game a month would be nice, but I can see why this isn't the most appealing since many consumers haven't bought into VR yet.
A free movie rental and/or PS Now game of the month would be neat.
Re: Poll: Do You Think Sony Is Telling the Truth About Cross-Play?
I just want all this taken care of because I'm sick of hearing about it. There are times I wish more games had PC/PS4 crossplay, but that's about it for me.
If I had a guess, there's a license/money involved somewhere causing the issues. Technically, I'm sure it's as 'easy as flipping a switch'... after you paid for a license or something.
Re: Japanese Dead or Alive 6 Stream Axed After Things Got a Bit Too Sexually Suggestive
Maybe I'm mis-remembering, but I thought DOA6 was trying to get away from this image so that it could be taken more seriously as a fighting game?
Re: PS5 Backwards Compatibility Suggested by Sony Patent
@Kiloman74 Trust me, I would LOVEEEE to be able to play my PS3 library on PS5, but from a tech prospective, I don't see how they'd emulate that cell architecture without adding an actual cell chip somewhere. Even high end PCs still can hardly run PS3 games via emulator. It's certainly possible Sony has some secret sauce to do it, but I'm skeptical. I mean just look at how terrible the PS1 classic was.
PS1 and PS2 are a lot easier to emulate due to a much more similar architecture. There's nothing remotely close to PS3 when it comes to actual hardware design. Even with the vastly superior processing power of a PS4 Pro, it's difficult to simulate the instruction sets of cell and costs a lot of overhead.
This is actually very topical with ARM and x86 architecture right now with mobile devices. Trying to get x86 applications to run on ARM requires either hours of optimization (re-writing applications in some situations) or a lot of overhead to convert from one to the other.
Re: PS5 Backwards Compatibility Suggested by Sony Patent
I couldn't imagine it being able to run PS3 games, but that would sure be cool!
Re: Talking Point: What Free February 2019 PlayStation Plus Games Do You Want?
My guess is we'll get a game from a series that has a Q1 sequel/prequel release this year (The Division, DevilMayCry4, Resident Evil 6, etc)
Re: More 'Realistic' Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain Invades the West on PS4 in April
Remember EDF's pride!
Re: Stellaris Brings Sci-Fi Grand Strategy to PS4 in February
@stevenfins I would guess we will start seeing more games implement KB/mouse controls in the coming future. Both major consoles now support it, so it's just a matter of devs utilizing it. The native kb/mouse drivers for PS4 are pretty poor in my experience (FFXIV, lots of input delay and the mouse appears to be a vitalized mouse, not really 'native').
Re: Hands On: Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown in PSVR Passes with Flying Colours
Thank you for the write up! I never played one of these games, but the idea of playing in VR just seems all too tempting. I'm glad to hear about free flight mode too!
Re: Soapbox: Beat Saber Has Brought Serious Beef to Push Square Towers
@get2sammyb Sorry, I couldn't resist.
https://i.imgur.com/mCOlgzF.jpg
Re: Soapbox: Beat Saber Has Brought Serious Beef to Push Square Towers
Hey look, I'm in that first/last screenshot! (technically, that's from my wife, she plays on normal/hard)
I hate that song. It plays well, but I just don't like the flow of it all. Hard is ok, but on expert it feels messy. I'm all about Escape and Angel Voices.
Re: Serious Sam Collection Seemingly Screaming to PS4
Oh my gosh YES! These are the only games I still play on my PC from time to time. I always loved Serious Sam games but still haven't finished 3. I can't wait
Re: PS4 Pro Has Been a Good Example of Necessary Evolution, Says Sony
I'd agree with Sony. The PS4 Pro was a great revision for those looking for a little extra. It didn't degrade the platform, only add to it. When you're trying to push a platform to last this long, it does make sense to do a mid generation update.
That said, I'd dare say I rather it be modular maybe. Not full gung ho PC gaming style, but it would be nice to be able to upgrade the CPU/GPU near mid generation without replacing the whole system. I wouldn't want to see a bunch of different SKU though... keep it simple like PS4 vs PS4 Pro. Two 'platforms' to manage/maintain.
Re: Beat Saber - Guitar Hero Meets Star Wars
Easily my favorite PSVR game ever. Addictive and insane fun. I only wish it had more songs.....
Re: Feature: Best PS4 Music of November 2018
Beat Saber <3 (fluff text because I guess there's a minimum character limit now)
Re: Editorial: Fake PS5 News Will Be Rampant Over the Next 12 Months
It's crazy how PS5 is going to double as a panini press
Re: Sony Showed Gran Turismo Sport Running in 8K at 120 Frames-Per-Second
I really hope 4k sticks around for a while rather than trying to push this silly '8k' idea. Some people already can't see the benefits of 1080 to 4k. Even fewer will see the difference between 4k and 8k. I'm worried it's 'buzzwordy' nature will make that the target on new displays rather than focusing on improving current technologies like HDR improvements and higher refresh rates with freesync.
Re: Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight - Slick, Stylish, and Oh So Satisfying
I was never too impressed with the actual gameplay of these games, but DANG is everything else about them just amazing.
That said, I'm not sure I can go back to any rhythm game after Beat Saber...
Re: SEGA Shares Team Sonic Racing Music to Enjoy While You Wait for May 2019 Release
Thank you SEGA, very cool!
Re: Sony Censorship Policy Removes Crude Items from Dead or Alive Xtreme 3: Scarlet
I don't really see this appeasing anyone. I mean... look at the rest of that game and tell me if anyone will feel better now that you can't see a little underwear or.... soften some boobies (wth is this even)?
Seems like this will just upset both sides.
Re: Battlefield V - Multiplayer Mayhem Excuses Features Missing in Action
The release cycle was enough for me to take a hard pass on this one. I'll wait for it to be $8.99 in a few months. Also, I miss 'modern' Battlefield. I never liked old timey weapons or settings. aka, BF4 still best BF
Re: Lack of Subtitles in Spyro: Reignited Trilogy Is a Result of 'No Industry Standard'
That's a pretty bad way to put it. There's no industry standard for most things in gaming....
Just because it wasn't in the dev plan or budget doesn't mean it should be brushed under the rug as "a strange request'. Just admit it wasn't part of the project and that you'll consider it for future projects and move on.
Re: Fallout 76 - A Shockingly Bad Attempt at Multiplayer Survival
That engine struggles with one player... I'm not sure how anyone was surprised at this. I'm sure even the devs knew it would be a pile of hot garbage, but I'm sure these decisions were above them.
Re: Black Friday 2018: Sony's Cheap $199 PS4 Bundle Comes with 20% Off the PS Store
so if I already planned to spend $1,001 in the PSN (I wanted to be good at Destiny 2), I guess I might as well just get this PS4 bundle huh
Re: Astro C40 TR Is a Modular Pro Controller for PS4 Arriving Next Year
........I just want a DS4 with paddles at a reasonable price..... $200 for a controller is insane. You can get a PS4 for less
Re: Soapbox: Fans Think PlayStation's Losing Momentum, And Sony's to Blame
As a gamer, the PlayStation platform feels better than ever to me. I don't really need to see the same 60 minute presentation showing 90% of games I already know about.
Times are just changing for news delivery in my opinion. All 3 platforms have had really weak 'conferences' this year. It's hard to shock and surprise when everything is announced immediately.
Re: Subnautica Devs Confirm PS4 Release Date for Early December
Man I hope they add PSVR support. I'm not sure I'd want to play this without VR.
Re: Guide: Spyro: Reignited Trilogy FAQ - Everything You Need to Know
I have two complaints so far:
1. There's something about the framerate or motion blur that makes panning the camera feel really awful to me. It feels like the game is running in slow motion sometimes (could be an unstable framerate)
2. You can't remap controls. It's minor, but unless you use retro controls and move the camera with L1 and R1, jumping puzzles are a pain because you can't move the camera and jump at the same time. Normally, I'd map jump to L1 in games with a floating camera (or first person)
Game looks great otherwise. They did a fantastic job with the art work and animations. I'm very happy with this one.