Ralizah

Counterpoint: Sony knows how to put on an exciting show. It chose not to, for whatever reason, so people are expressing disappointment, and that's perfectly valid.

If you enjoyed it, that's fine. It's also fine to point out that it exists in the context of a wider web of marketing.

But this show, in my opinion, did a terrible job of speaking to people who haven't bought in to the ecosystem or who have but maintain concerns.

Sony doesn't need to be protected from criticism. The people running these events need to figure out how to not disappoint their base.

The original was a ton of fun. Everyone in my family had copies, and we all played together through the endgame and DLC. Will be grabbing for PC if it runs well on Deck, since I'm sure the Switch version will be... iffy.

Yeah, they really should've mentioned this in the SoP.

It's incredibly funny that Microsoft is mass-porting their catalogue to PS5, but Sony won't even allow a cameo of a long-dead PS franchise to appear in the Xbox version of a game.

Although tbh Sony should've been even more protectionist. If it actually kept its exclusive games, I'd already own a PS5, and probably have a PS+ sub of some sort.

@TruePlayStationGamer That would take actual effort.

They quite literally gave me another reason not to buy a PS5 lol

Really looking forward to play Stellar Blade <3

But yeah, that was dire. Sony's so lucky their direct competition is so incompetent.

Ooo, they should bundle this with the Astro Bot PS5 controller as well. That would be... incredibly tempting, I won't lie.

@Futureshark

"It also plans to make sure the game runs smoothly in ultra-mobile PC environments, such as the Steam Deck or the Asus ROG Ally."

Always encouraging. Should be even for people who don't own one, since it means they're putting the work in to make sure it runs great across a range of hardware.

That + a launch discount would really propel sales of the PC version at launch.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner Actually ran it this morning and it crashed lol

My computer exceeds the recommended specs, so I'm hopeful it'll be smooth enough when the time comes!

Cool beans. Didn't get the chance to try this out last time, so I'm interested to see how it runs on my PC (even though I know the launch improvements apparently won't be present in this build).

The original was atmospheric and had a bit of a horror tinge to it. Something that disappeared as the series went on.

Really hope the new game returns to that vibe.

The way it always should've been.

Fully expecting the tribalistic sort around here to start crying about this, though, as if this is anything other than a positive development.

I basically never buy Western games on release anymore, but if this reviews well and doesn't have any glaring tech issues, I'll be there day one on PC. It really, really stands out compared to its peers.

Regardless of what they say, it's obviously Tifa, for so many reasons.

AI can and should be used to reduce the workload when it comes to stuff like brainstorming ideas for the environments of these games. As an ASSISTIVE tool, generative AI can be fantastic.

Like any other major technology, it'll reshape the economy, jobs will be lost or transformed, and people will be reactively suspicious of the new. But AI is probably here to stay, and that inevitably will inform how major creative works like blockbuster films and video games are created as well.

I'll be buying in to support this very cool Western attempt at a JRPG-style game, although the release timing means it'll have to wait to be played until I'm done with Lunar.

April is looking to be an awesome month.

@Ainu20 That is interesting.

It makes you wonder if Horizon would have enjoyed a stronger night that year at TGA if BotW hadn't been on the ticket, for sure.

That said, if the winners tend to align with critical consensus, the evidence would still suggest Mario Odyssey would've taken it, considering how highly it scored. Which does make me wonder if BotW somehow soaked up the votes that would've otherwise gone to Odyssey, actually.

We'll never know, but it's interesting to think about.

I was surprised how decent the other AVGN platformers were, and this looks to continue that trend.

Very fun how many NES and Game Boy cartridges have been releasing the last few years, too.

@playstation1995 Like what?

Horizon Zero Awards?
Persona 5 was excellent, but too Japanese to really win the big award.
NieR: Automata was excellent, but couldn't even beat P5 for best RPG.

The big award that year was a competition between competing teams at Nintendo.

Currently the one game making me wish I had a PS5. I guess one of two if you count Astro's Playroom.

I don't know if I'd like it as much as Odyssey or Galaxy, but Team Asobi is doubtlessly one of the most creative teams in Sony's first-party roster, and I hope they keep creating amazing, Nintendo-inspired 3D platformers.

@playstation1995 Odyssey almost undoubtedly would've if Breath of the Wild hadn't launched in the same year, tbh. Nothing else in 2017 came close to being as celebrated as that particular one-two punch from Nintendo.

This is the problem with announcing games so early in development.

If it's more than two years out from a projected release, I don't want to hear about it.

I won't even pay $69.99 for a game on principle. At the base price, at least. Let alone this insanity.

Anyway, I still have yet to put more than a few hours into GTA V, so I don't see any reason to rush to the newest one when it comes out.

Honestly, if it manages to be comparable to the Series S, I'll be surprised. It won't come anywhere close to the big boy consoles. And it frankly doesn't need to.

There's nothing new or exciting about the concept now, so they'll be relying solely on the exclusive games to sell this thing. No wonder they delayed the launch to make sure their launch lineup was ready in time.

I mainly want to know price, launch games, and potential improvements to how Switch 1 games play.

@NorrinRadd God of War: Ragnarok, the PS4 game that runs on Steam Deck just fine? It would run perfectly well on Switch 2 lol.

Sounds like Happy Death Day, which I expect to be better than this.

Literally launches on my birthday. <3333

So excited to revisit these games!

Still curious how they plan to get this running well on Steam Deck.

@Vega37 "You seem to lie to yourself about playing games based upon where they start. Games are games wether you acknowledge it or not."

No idea what this means. Handhelds are simply more accessible for some people than others. In my case, it has nothing to do with 'lying to myself' or not acknowledging that 'games are games,' it's simply the case that untethered hardware allows for less psychological friction between myself and starting a game, since I know I'm not bound to one spot in the house the entire time.

@Octane @nessisonett Yeah, I think Sony pushes the mainline games hard with sales, bundles, marketing, etc. and does well with them that way. They're big budget games with mainstream appeal. But the IP itself isn't really ripe for expansion in the way they want it to be. There's not really room for an entire universe of Horizon products.

I mean, it'd be nice. I actually like Horizon. I even collected the comics. But there's just very little interest in it as a broader IP.

Truly the most emotional and least technical journey in that world to date.

Awesome. Missed the first one because I was away from my computer when it happened. Curious to see how it runs on my relatively modest rig.

Recall how poorly the Lego Horizon game apparently sold. Does anyone think a God of War or Mario or Zelda-themed lego game would sell poorly? I don't. I think that tweet about "mistaking sales for enthusiasm about the IP" is hitting on something.

That said, I also feel like the IP has attracted a particularly vocal hatedom online, and their opinions don't necessarily reflect the common consensus.

@Ultimapunch LOL Nintendo needs to push Mario games further down my throat. I'm so ready for a new 3D Mario game. I can only replay the old games so many times.

Modern electronics are designed to linger in a low-power state when not in use. It's 2025, not 2005.

Best classic DOOM game. Loved it.

Lunar Remastered Collection
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PC Port)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

I'm sure DOOM will be awesome, but I still need to play Eternal.

Atlus' output this year was nuts.

Absolute queens of the JRPG genre.

Persona 5 Royal resonated with me more overall, but I adored how this married the structure of Persona to a vibrant fantasy setting and really worked to balance the gameplay and difficulty to create something consistently satisfying to play.

@Vega37 Playing a home console just feels ritualistic, and like I'm preparing to invest time. Gotta sit in this one place and stay there as long as I'm playing.

Handhelds/hybrids are much more accessible, and resultantly, for me, there's less of a psychological barrier to starting up a game in the first place.

The split in opinion on Rebirth between this site's writers and the userbase is probably the biggest I've ever seen on this site.

Looking forward to experiencing it myself next year when it drops on PC.

Makes sense. Ease of Access is a big thing with portables. Having to sit in front of your console and TV feels like an entire thing, whereas just booting up a handheld for a quick gaming session often feels much more accessible.

My PC gaming habit has increased massively since getting a Steam Deck for this reason.

Also, with accessories like Portal, it makes sense to feel more invested in the ecosystem on a financial level as well.

Goes without saying, I think, that Final Fantasy XVII and 7-3 (lol) will be multiplats. Hopefully also DQXII. Sony's PS4-era lockdown of AAA Japanese content is pretty much entirely gone at this point.

If you have a big game and it's not on Steam at launch, you're missing the bus.

@nessisonett Depends entirely on the type of game. A multi-hundred million dollar epic like FF7 Rebirth? Stupid not to put that on as many modern platforms as possible.

Small projects or little indie titles that might stand to massively benefit from the increased visibility gained by access to first-party marketing and inclusion in big livesteam events like Nintendo Directs or State of Plays? Entirely different story.

Best list so far. All great picks, even if I'll probably never catch up with Yakuza.

Really tragic how ignored The Lost Crown was. A really strong metroidvania by one of my favorite 2D platformer development teams, and one of the few non-disappointing ubisoft titles this year.

@nessisonett Olivier being vaguely bi is fine. What I don't like is how much of a sex pest he comes off as, which is pretty typical for bi characters. Ugh.

Evo does sound better, but still, the combat was clunky, the level design was abysmal... I just really don't enjoy the gameplay aspects of those titles. The quartz system is also a pain, which is weird, because it feels like an evolution of FF7's materia and I liked that.

@RamboMike Hi, I'm not a fan of Jim Carrey's performance in these films. Not that the performance itself is bad, but Jim Carrey only ever plays Jim Carrey, so I feel like the casting did a disservice to the character.

Tifa, for sure. That sort of loyalty, devotion, and lifelong affection aren't really replaceable.

Ironically, despite her bombshell appearance, Tifa is very much the one you take home to mom.

@nessisonett Honestly, TitS 1 & 2 are already teetering on the edges of acceptability for me between Olivier and the creepy romantic subplot between the leads.

The gameplay is so darn slow and boring, though. Improving that HAS to improve the experience as a whole.

Glad I didn't buy it, lol.

NISA can't be happy about how this'll impact sales of Ys X.

Eh. This scenario has been explored to death at this point, and games like Persona 5 Strikers and Persona 2 EP have shown the concept works just fine with adults.

If anything, there's more power to people a bit later in life awakening to their sense of justice/true selves/etc.

The real explanation, I think, is that they are still intent on pandering to Japan's obsession with youth.

People are hungry for this structure to be explored in new ways. I think the rather triumphant success of Metaphor: ReFantazio demonstrates that as well.

Nothing comes close to Lunar Remastered Collection for me.

Although I'm also looking forward to Clair Obscure.

MH Wilds and the new DOOM look good, but I need to play their predecessors first.

A decline of only 3% in its eighth year seems wild to me. Makes me wonder how much gas Switch might have left in the tank if they cut the price after Switch 2 drops.

@nomither6 lol you're very confused

Switch outsold PS2 (in the U.S.) in 7-ish years vs the 13-ish years PS2 was on the market. With no price drops. With no killer multimedia functionality like the PS2's famous use case as a cheap DVD player.

Not all that my butt.