I honestly think more companies should consider this approach if they aren't prepared to go all in on making the open world top tier (which is incredibly hard and costly to do)
That being said, I still hope they revive the Mafia 3 open world approach one more time, but eliminate some of the exhasuting elements. Mafia 3 was enjoyable and the location was great, but the gameplay didn't always work with it. The districts and the drive 50 miles to pick up a very slow truck and then drive that very slow truck all the way back again whilst being shot at side quests were not good at all.
But a smaller more manageable city that can contain a really interesting Mafia story... Something like Las Vegas from the 40's and in to the 50's 🤔
Looks good (possibly day one once i've seen more) but I'm craving a full on open world Mafia: Las Vegas game even more now 🙈
When they price it like that, is it because it's linear, short, or because it's more of a spin-off style game? I can't remember if they said they were working on a couple of games at once and this is just the first part of a planned few years of releases too
Battlefield was probably the only online shooter where teamwork felt genuinely good and roles mattered, and the physics were also quite decent, or something about it was just more weighty and meaningful than CoD somehow 🤷♂️
A much more dynamic open world. And in turn that will mean side quests and activities are also better because everything will be designed to make sense, function and fit into the game world.
Open world games are a dime a dozen these days, but it takes real effort and understanding to make an actually good open world.
GoT is a great game, but it is not a very good open world game, despite it being a beautiful world that they designed. And if the world is similar to the one in GoT (but bigger) without any improvements to the world and how everything fits together, then I'll just have to take better content and storylines to make up for any shortfalls in that specific area, as it's still going to be a really good game even if they go the same route as last time.
As some mentioned RDR2 in relation to HORSE!!! I will also state that The Ghost series and the themes are far more suited to a slow and methodical game like RDR2, and eliminating extra gamey elements and replacing them with some more realism is one sure fire way to make it live and breathe and have the game affect the player on a much deeper level. If I can sprint around hoovering up bamboo and teleporting horses all over the shop, am I really getting in to the spirit of the tale being told? Or am I simply popcorn/comfort food gaming like I would be in a Ubisoft title, just with a more serious tone and better combat?
The dynamic world, people and wildlife with what they achieved in RDR2 shoved into a city and with x years of advanced tech is going to be insane. It's literally all I'm looking forward to it for at this point 😅
Can I lure the gators and big cats towards unsuspecting "influencers"? I sure hope so 😁
Big 3/only 3. Opinions are somewhat divided on the history of Xbox and their limited franchises (before they decided to buy every publisher under the sun and create a dangerous monopoly) 😛
@Lysterao how did Sony achieve that? And how did MS achieve that? Are there perhaps differences between providing something people want and cultivating a user base for 30 years... and buying 2 of the biggest publishers in the world that own multiple franchises with huge followings? 🤔 If Xbox didn't exist at all, a bunch of third party publishers would still be selling these games on PS and PS wouldn't own a monopoly on publishing in any way. But as of now, one company owns all these games being published and it is starting to clearly dominate the charts.
They have bought their way to a monopoly in the span of a few years, and you can see why the deals were scrutinised. It wasn't as obvious when it was mostly kept to Game Pass, but these figures will be generating much interest from FTC types now that they are selling games everywhere.
And filtering all gaming money to one company that has proven it sucks at managing a gaming division seems a little risky for the future of games 🤦♂️ if they f*** it up from here on out, MS won't care about games, only margins.
Getting in to the flow of the game a bit more now, and it's the usual AC comfort food, but dressed up a bit nicer. But I have to say it feels like I've assassinated the entirety of Japan at this point, and there's still 125,000 more targets on the board 😅
Maybe it's overkill on that element, and if they really want to make it an RPG (I'm playing in canon mode because it is not an RPG its an action game) they should add more legit story based side quests rather than an infinite number of assassinations 🤔 still, decent enough fun as usual
@Unlucky13 ah, I thought Elder Scrolls was first person, and the third person was just a later add on/mod.
I agree about TW3 combat, I never understand the criticism as you can tailor it to a playstyle quite nicely, and it suited me with the path I chose with signs to just create opportunities and the rest of the time prancing about like some kind of Mutant Jedi with a guard up style, blocks, parries and ripostes for men, and dodges, elemental signs and oils for monsters.
As @puddinggirl says, @Unlucky13 you might want to try Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It isn't fantasy, but it is very much in the same family as TW3 and Elder Scrolls in terms of RPG goodness. If they were people, you would swear they were related 😁
KCD I always liken to The Witcher without witcher senses (or monsters)
Amen. It is quite mad. I also had to make myself push through after initially I just flat-out sucked at the game, I also got stuck in a cave with wraiths whilst hunting armour that I didn't really know why I was still trying to get, and then I got stuck in a cave with broken gear and nothing to fix it and no way out other than reverting to an old save, which annoyed me. I ended up having no idea how I could ever carry on with such an expansive game, with so much to keep on top of as a newbie, as it was clear I was playing it wrong and making it worse for myself and I just couldn't stick to it 😅 I had maybe a year away from the game at that point, and only the fact that RDR2 made me realise I need to play more legit 10/10 games is what made me go back to this, and I ended up bloody loving it, and by the time I finished Blood & Wine I was completely changed as a gamer and I very much no longer sucked at RPG's 😁 and The Witcher as a whole had me hooked, but we don't mention Netflix, no, we do not mention that...
@CrispyMango92 aha. Yeah, no cats allowed as a personal preference, so that's not an issue 🫡 Just the thought of bringing some more things together in a neater and larger display area in future as I expand into other items was on my mind.
as this is where other collectors and all kind of brigands and strange sorts gather to post any items, collections, news of new releases etc. It's not massively populated at the moment, but if either of you have some stuff to share it'd be cool to see.
@CrispyMango92 cheers. I think if I do go for it I'll end up wall mounting a smaller unit more of a landscape style maybe 2 shelves. Still not totally sure on that though, as I'm not completely against having things on regular shelves/cabinets rather than behind glass.
I tend to go for things that are either historical or at least realistic looking in style, and not overly gamey in terms of colour pallete either, so having an open display kind of suits that anyway. But I also dislike dust, so that would be one positive for glass casing 😅
@Shepherd_Tallon just the one at the moment, single handed, knights templar style. But I'm very much desiring a Japanese Katana/Tanto combo for a horizontal display, and maybe some more medieval styles to make a 3 sword vertical hanging display.
Ideas still up in the air, but I can see it working quite nicely.
@Shepherd_Tallon I imagine it's especially hard for Japanese swords as there is a lot going on, and each element can have its own design flair, be it engravings, carvings, painted elements, inlay etc.
Have you had, or do you have any swords at the moment, Japanese or otherwise?
@Shepherd_Tallon noice! Purpose built gaming palace? 😁
I'm going to try and find some nice (and hopefully still legal) replica swords to go with the Tsuba. I'm really liking the white Tsuka & Saya on black robes look I'm rocking in AC Shadows lately and if I can find something similar IRL it would probably pair with the white mask nicely for a display of some kind.
@Shepherd_Tallon aha, yes. I doubt I'll wait as it feels like I'll need to be playing the game by late autumn (if it doesn't get delayed)
Couldn't resist it for the mask tbh. I was going to see what kind of authentic gear can be had instead of the CE, but found a lack of options in the UK for masks etc. Also, I'm not fully certain on the new laws that cover "ninja swords" here, as that seems like a very random categorisation, but that's a whole other issue if one were to want a japanese sword display (which one does) 😅
@Ryu_Niiyama how do you display your things? (you may have already posted in the Gaming Tat thread, so I'll check) I'm starting to think I need a case rather than just having stuff out open on cabinets, but haven't decided on what kind of case would work. Wall mounted, floor standing etc.
@GirlVersusGame I was just joking about that, but it highlights just how many really great games that will probably actually be better in many ways than GTA 6 there are. It would never affect their sales though, and they could release it at any moment and sell 20 million in a day with zero marketing for "GTA online 2" alone.
I agree with the sentiment that Digital Deluxe editions very rarely make actual sense unless they offer some story DLC, as finding and collecting items is part of the in-game activities anyway so if you have the best looking thing to start it negates a part of the game people enjoy. I tend to ignore any cosmetic or item bonuses until I'm well into a game either way. That being said, when I got Baldur's Gate 3 Deluxe it was purely to support how enthusiastic the devs seemed during all the pre-release footage, and the bonus cape and lute got a tonne of use until I could find legit capes in-game so 🤷♂️😅 it's almost like DDE's are exclusively a way to tip a company for making games you want, so that is a good enough justification. Logically you don't really get much, but as long as people know what they are doing and are aware going in (not expecting story DLC), all is good
a 5 year old console, if we want some more perspective 😬
A 5 year old console and a slightly bigger SSD vs the brand new(ish) Pro that also has a 2tb SSD and a fair amount of upgrades over the X.
Or a 5 year old, much worse console (S) vs the digital PS5 Slim that was already half a gen up from it to start with.
These are the things that should drive Sony to refrain from any increases themselves. They know they are about to ship a tonne of consoles on this alone, and selling the absolute max potential units should drive them for the rest of the year. Especially as PS has some pretty big games coming out soon, and then GTA which might be bringing those PS4 hangers on up to the current gen too.
From a PS perspective they should absolutely resist the urge to follow suit. Will they, who knows 😬 maybe we should expect the Sony increases prices article tomorrow 😂
I'd probably suggest they work on the updates using some kind of computer with specific developer software rather than in an oven, but each to their own. Hope people can taste the difference.
@Matroska yeah, it is genuinely interesting. In a very specific and nerdy way, I suppose 😅
It has a lot of red flags that say it shouldn't sell nearly as well, maybe not even a quarter as well, and that the games that can already be played elsewhere aren't a draw to the casual gamer. But then Apple and Samsung exist and manage to get people to buy the same new social media scroller, I mean, phone, every year, so 🤷♂️
At the moment it feels like the target audience is people that want a handheld that is not also a PC, but are still hardcore gamers. And absolute Nintendo diehards which is a given.
I just don't want to be super negative and say it's a pretty pointless console that will only have any value about 4 years in when there are enough genuinely impressive Nintendo IP's that are only available on the new hardware 😅 so I'm trying to spin it kind of positively as well, kind of 😜
@DennisReynolds yeah, I'm sure a lot of people will buy it and not regret spending £600/700 for the Switch 2 and a couple of games. But a lot of people might 😅 unless they realise beforehand that their Switch won't in fact melt on Switch 2 release day so put off buying a 2 for now as their current handheld is suffice for Animal Crossing etc etc.
I don't have a horse in the race, either way. I'm just interested to see how it goes, what games do well, and the reasons people end up choosing to play Cyberpunk and Elden Ring on a Nintendo. Or the reasons people choose to not buy it day one. All that stuff is just weirdly fascinating for some reason 😅
It's all in good sport though, people are crazy enough to buy them, I'm probably crazy enough to buy one if they trick me into another Legend of Zelda game. But it feels like a much more enthusiast focused product this time, which isn't usually their M.O, because of the IP's and style of games they make.
For anyone that ends up having waited 3 years to spend their many, many pounds to play it on a brand new (last gen 😜) Switch 2. All I'll say is, you could have spent less of those many, many pounds on a PS5, played Elden Ring and some other games, then sold the PS5 and Elden Ring to fund buying a Switch 2 to play your Switch 2 exclusives in the future when they come out.
For me, third party on Switch should only really kick in once a big bunch of millions of people already own the console and it is established. But it won't, because people are weird and will only just realise they now want to play a game that they could have easily already played years ago on many other available to devices, but must now get it on the Switch 2 that they will have to buy... just because 😅
Hogwarts releasing to Switch one and their massive user base = Monumental. Elden Ring releasing on Switch 2 - should not make a lick of difference... but it will. It really will.
And Elden Ring and Cyberpunk will suddenly have this new wave of players who could have already played it... but only after this completely seperate new console (that is equally or even more expensive) that they don't yet own releases and they have bought it. Which should be totally different to a game releasing on something you already own getting a new wave of interest ala Hogwarts to Switch, Xbox games to the current gen PS etc.
It's psychologically very interesting to me how these new ports of games you can currently play on available consoles and PC's anyway do on a brand new bit of hardware as these kind of weird new launch titles, against those being released to a massive user base that simply didn't have access to them until the devs went back to support the console they already owned.
It's fascinating. (Kind of 😂) and logic says it should be a bit of a disaster launching a console with games that people have been able to play for 3 or more years. But it won't be 😅
Design the map around the quests and design the quests around the map. This is all that matters. If everything fits and it's seamless there should be no issues. But in the first game, every so often, it felt like the map was just a big open gap between markers and there was nothing really pulling you to certain parts other than some really basic collect/sidequests/base clearances, that didn't really suit the narrative pace of the main story. And if you wanted to wander off, it was only really to look at stuff, rather than find a lot of interesting things to do.
Open worlds are damn tough to make work and be made to feel both real and fun to explore. And in a way I was hoping for just more narrative driven action from SP, with a beautiful world being used to help tell that story in a slightly more efficient way than GoT. (Tightening up side content to flow a little more with the direction you are taking for the main objectives. Adding real rewards to the player for exploring via moments and content scattered around a little more) and then they wouldn't have to worry about whether the open world is an all-time open world or a passable one that still contains a great narrative and beauty, because it wasn't really a proper open world game to start with and it didn't really matter, it was a story that was taking place in a location that happened to let you ride around in it and fight all the carbon copy packs of mongol invaders who were also mindlessly wandering around in the game world 😅
But if they are really going bigger, they are going to have to add a lot to it and really tweak the formula hard from the first game to be more like a true open-world RPG like a KCD2, for example.
Clair Obscur has finally reached top 5 digital in the UK, which ain't half bad as it's on Game Pass digitally.
Oblivion is still #1 and isn't budging though! That must have had a massive UK launch on PS regardless of its availability on Game Pass too. It's numbers must be legit £££
And what, 6 million+ people chose pretty intense RPG's this week alone? Pretty cool to see.
@GirlVersusGame I would say that is about as far from casual as you could go with a casual game 😂 but it is very cool, nonetheless.
Casual gaming can be summed up like this:
"Shoooty, shooty, shoot. I like to shoot things"
"Miney crafty craft, I like to craft things"
"Sporty, sporty, sport. I like to sport things"
"Yerrr a Wizard, Harry. Ooh, a game I'll play that"
"GTAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ARRRRRRGHH IT'S THE ONLY GAME THAT MATTERS"
but, yes. Minecraft can be "casual"
I'd also say, after your updated comment about law enforcement, maybe don't take a drone if you do want to study the airport, because the UK police sometimes do have guns and some of them may be casual gamers and like to shooty, shooty shoot things 😬😬 seriously though, don't take a drone anywhere near an airport
Did the Nintendo kids party games always cost more than Sony games? I have no point of reference for something like WiiSports vs Uncharted: Drake's Fortune pricing, for example 🤷♂️
PS Store UK has Oblivion #1 and Clair Obscur #11 in paid games today, so it probably is affecting their release a little bit :/ you'd hope it breaks the top 3 or 5 by tomorrow for a new game that's reviewed well.
Few more articles from Push to give it a boost, you say 🤔
@Titntin I find the shadow or bush that I'm hidden in to be enough of an indication as to whether I'm hidden in a shadow or bush without any extra visual overlays tbh, but it is what it is 😅 a toggle off would make the game look so much nicer when in stealth, that's for sure.
I get what you mean. It's is a visual annoyance in a beautiful game to have the glowing player character and also the glowing enemies, to an extent. An option to toggle off would be welcome.
Trying to load AC Shadows and accidentally clicking on Crusader Kings 3 so I can King the heck out of Bohemia, with Prague, Kuttenberg and the surrounding lands 100 of years ahead of development, even though my latest King is an absolute military beast, rather than a competent steward like all of his predecessors.
Buuuuuut...
Old Genghis Khan is only just over yonder, so I assume it's a big game over waiting to happen 😬
I swear, I only closed my eyes for a minute and he's right there 😂 Please God, and your beautifully well placed mountains, protect us all.
Come to think of it, I can actually form an Allience with the Holy Roman Emperor and perhaps use him as fodder, and wouldn't you know it, I am second in line to the Empire due to voting for myself anyway (👍) hmm, maybe we can do this and come out of it even better off 🤔
I'd also love the chance to duel the Khan, but not sure if it's possible. Because he actually likes and respects me, and isn't a rival.
Got to give a shout out to all those people that managed to write their comments whilst staring at the back of their own heads because they can only cope with third-person experiences 🍻
@CVCubbington here's one for you. I legitimately thought the Xbox reveal made it look weird and janky and something seemed off with it (so I know what you mean) But when I played it last year it was great. Well made, interesting, well designed, it allows you to use your own brain for parts of it, has solid gameplay, crunchy comabt and most of all it was fun. I think it just looked weird on YouTube for some reason, or they did a bad job of capturing video for it, that, plus being led by MS marketing doesn't help.
Oh, and if you like the first three movies anyway, it's literally a game made for you.
Don't get me wrong, I love the games. But if I never have to fight 'SMG guy and bazooka dude' or platform between the same two spots 23 times in a row before it goes the right way ever again, I'd be fine with that.
It's an arcade game dressed up to hide the fact it is an arcade game. The dressing is really good though. The set pieces, the characters, the story, the adventure all that is great. But it's still a pretty basic clunky arcade shooter game where you'll be greeted with a new contained level of gun-dudes to clear over and over again as you f*** about going from cover to cover 😛 even the weapon pick ups are like an arcade game temporary power up.
They hide it well, though. They do. But at times it's frustrating as all hell and super arcadey.
EA is always trying to get me to beta test their games and they are the biggest scammers of them all 😉
It's good to highlight this though, not everyone cares or knows how far games are into development as most people are casuals who just know roughly that beta testing is a thing and the Witcher 4 is a thing. It could easily catch these people out as there are a lot of Witcher fans.
@PerpetualBoredom Uncharted is absolutely clunky as all hell, you can get stuck platforming over and over again in such a tedious way, and it not a very good cover shooter or whatever the combat is classed as. It is also pretty trite being based on waves of random enemies coming at you like an arcade game with pistol guy, bazooka guy, Sniper guy, machine gun guy and turret guy. But it is still an all time great game series
@ShogunRok was it better or worse than Gothic in that regard? Both would be my first time playing them, if Gothic ever comes out. Both will be UE5 Remake-sters (?) 😅
I'd have interest in both, but if they are godawful to play it might be tough to appreciate them
Comments 2,133
Re: Mafia: The Old Country Ditches Open World for Linear, Story-Based Gameplay on PS5
I honestly think more companies should consider this approach if they aren't prepared to go all in on making the open world top tier (which is incredibly hard and costly to do)
That being said, I still hope they revive the Mafia 3 open world approach one more time, but eliminate some of the exhasuting elements. Mafia 3 was enjoyable and the location was great, but the gameplay didn't always work with it. The districts and the drive 50 miles to pick up a very slow truck and then drive that very slow truck all the way back again whilst being shot at side quests were not good at all.
But a smaller more manageable city that can contain a really interesting Mafia story... Something like Las Vegas from the 40's and in to the 50's 🤔
Re: Mafia: The Old Country Looks Glorious in Gameplay Trailer, PS5 Release Date Confirmed
Looks good (possibly day one once i've seen more) but I'm craving a full on open world Mafia: Las Vegas game even more now 🙈
When they price it like that, is it because it's linear, short, or because it's more of a spin-off style game? I can't remember if they said they were working on a couple of games at once and this is just the first part of a planned few years of releases too
Re: Good Guy EA Resists Temptation to Raise PS5 Game Prices to $80
Oh, wow! Thanks, EA, you're so kind and humble. A real examlple of philanthropy in these trying times.
Re: Random: GTA 6's Jason and Lucia Have a Fake PS5 in Their Apartment
@get2sammyb
Pre release easter egg spoilers? Phil is going to be Phil Jr or Phil III, and he is totally going to get his arm blown off in a side quest 😅
Re: EA to Properly Reveal New Battlefield Game This Summer
Battlefield was probably the only online shooter where teamwork felt genuinely good and roles mattered, and the physics were also quite decent, or something about it was just more weighty and meaningful than CoD somehow 🤷♂️
Re: Talking Point: What Should Ghost of Yotei's Biggest PS5 Improvements Be?
A much more dynamic open world. And in turn that will mean side quests and activities are also better because everything will be designed to make sense, function and fit into the game world.
Open world games are a dime a dozen these days, but it takes real effort and understanding to make an actually good open world.
GoT is a great game, but it is not a very good open world game, despite it being a beautiful world that they designed. And if the world is similar to the one in GoT (but bigger) without any improvements to the world and how everything fits together, then I'll just have to take better content and storylines to make up for any shortfalls in that specific area, as it's still going to be a really good game even if they go the same route as last time.
As some mentioned RDR2 in relation to HORSE!!! I will also state that The Ghost series and the themes are far more suited to a slow and methodical game like RDR2, and eliminating extra gamey elements and replacing them with some more realism is one sure fire way to make it live and breathe and have the game affect the player on a much deeper level. If I can sprint around hoovering up bamboo and teleporting horses all over the shop, am I really getting in to the spirit of the tale being told? Or am I simply popcorn/comfort food gaming like I would be in a Ubisoft title, just with a more serious tone and better combat?
Re: Gallery: New GTA 6 Screenshots Look Utterly Outstanding
The dynamic world, people and wildlife with what they achieved in RDR2 shoved into a city and with x years of advanced tech is going to be insane. It's literally all I'm looking forward to it for at this point 😅
Can I lure the gators and big cats towards unsuspecting "influencers"? I sure hope so 😁
Re: Rumour: Six Years of Assassin's Creed RPGs, Remakes, Multiplayer Games Planned at Ubisoft
@ShogunRok I wholeheartedly support Push Square putting "RPG" in quotations from now on when referring to Assassin's Creed games 🫡
Re: Halo the Final PS5 Holdout of Xbox's Historic Big Three
Big 3/only 3. Opinions are somewhat divided on the history of Xbox and their limited franchises (before they decided to buy every publisher under the sun and create a dangerous monopoly) 😛
Re: PS Store Sales Charts: The Top Three Best-Selling Games on PS5 Are from Microsoft
@Lysterao how did Sony achieve that? And how did MS achieve that? Are there perhaps differences between providing something people want and cultivating a user base for 30 years... and buying 2 of the biggest publishers in the world that own multiple franchises with huge followings? 🤔 If Xbox didn't exist at all, a bunch of third party publishers would still be selling these games on PS and PS wouldn't own a monopoly on publishing in any way. But as of now, one company owns all these games being published and it is starting to clearly dominate the charts.
They have bought their way to a monopoly in the span of a few years, and you can see why the deals were scrutinised. It wasn't as obvious when it was mostly kept to Game Pass, but these figures will be generating much interest from FTC types now that they are selling games everywhere.
And filtering all gaming money to one company that has proven it sucks at managing a gaming division seems a little risky for the future of games 🤦♂️ if they f*** it up from here on out, MS won't care about games, only margins.
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows Patch 1.0.4 Incoming on PS5, Adds Story, Character Codex, More
Getting in to the flow of the game a bit more now, and it's the usual AC comfort food, but dressed up a bit nicer. But I have to say it feels like I've assassinated the entirety of Japan at this point, and there's still 125,000 more targets on the board 😅
Maybe it's overkill on that element, and if they really want to make it an RPG (I'm playing in canon mode because it is not an RPG its an action game) they should add more legit story based side quests rather than an infinite number of assassinations 🤔 still, decent enough fun as usual
Re: The Witcher 3 Turns 10 This Month, CD Projekt Red Wants to 'Celebrate Together'
@Unlucky13 ah, I thought Elder Scrolls was first person, and the third person was just a later add on/mod.
I agree about TW3 combat, I never understand the criticism as you can tailor it to a playstyle quite nicely, and it suited me with the path I chose with signs to just create opportunities and the rest of the time prancing about like some kind of Mutant Jedi with a guard up style, blocks, parries and ripostes for men, and dodges, elemental signs and oils for monsters.
Re: The Witcher 3 Turns 10 This Month, CD Projekt Red Wants to 'Celebrate Together'
As @puddinggirl says, @Unlucky13 you might want to try Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It isn't fantasy, but it is very much in the same family as TW3 and Elder Scrolls in terms of RPG goodness. If they were people, you would swear they were related 😁
KCD I always liken to The Witcher without witcher senses (or monsters)
Re: The Witcher 3 Turns 10 This Month, CD Projekt Red Wants to 'Celebrate Together'
@AhmadSumadi @Atreus97
Amen. It is quite mad. I also had to make myself push through after initially I just flat-out sucked at the game, I also got stuck in a cave with wraiths whilst hunting armour that I didn't really know why I was still trying to get, and then I got stuck in a cave with broken gear and nothing to fix it and no way out other than reverting to an old save, which annoyed me. I ended up having no idea how I could ever carry on with such an expansive game, with so much to keep on top of as a newbie, as it was clear I was playing it wrong and making it worse for myself and I just couldn't stick to it 😅 I had maybe a year away from the game at that point, and only the fact that RDR2 made me realise I need to play more legit 10/10 games is what made me go back to this, and I ended up bloody loving it, and by the time I finished Blood & Wine I was completely changed as a gamer and I very much no longer sucked at RPG's 😁 and The Witcher as a whole had me hooked, but we don't mention Netflix, no, we do not mention that...
Re: Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Tops 3 Million Sales in Three Months
3 million sales? Are you yanking my Pizzle?
Can't wait for the first DLC this month as I already miss playing this game 😅
And to anyone who is playing Oblivion. Play this game next, if you haven't played it yet
Re: Ghost of Yotei PS5 Pre-Orders Go Live for Digital, Physical Copies
@CrispyMango92 aha. Yeah, no cats allowed as a personal preference, so that's not an issue 🫡 Just the thought of bringing some more things together in a neater and larger display area in future as I expand into other items was on my mind.
I'll point you both towards this thread btw:
https://www.pushsquare.com/forums/ps_general_discussion/gaming_tat
as this is where other collectors and all kind of brigands and strange sorts gather to post any items, collections, news of new releases etc. It's not massively populated at the moment, but if either of you have some stuff to share it'd be cool to see.
@Shepherd_Tallon
Re: Ghost of Yotei PS5 Pre-Orders Go Live for Digital, Physical Copies
@CrispyMango92 cheers. I think if I do go for it I'll end up wall mounting a smaller unit more of a landscape style maybe 2 shelves. Still not totally sure on that though, as I'm not completely against having things on regular shelves/cabinets rather than behind glass.
I tend to go for things that are either historical or at least realistic looking in style, and not overly gamey in terms of colour pallete either, so having an open display kind of suits that anyway. But I also dislike dust, so that would be one positive for glass casing 😅
Re: Ghost of Yotei PS5 Pre-Orders Go Live for Digital, Physical Copies
@Shepherd_Tallon just the one at the moment, single handed, knights templar style. But I'm very much desiring a Japanese Katana/Tanto combo for a horizontal display, and maybe some more medieval styles to make a 3 sword vertical hanging display.
Ideas still up in the air, but I can see it working quite nicely.
Re: Ghost of Yotei PS5 Pre-Orders Go Live for Digital, Physical Copies
@Shepherd_Tallon I imagine it's especially hard for Japanese swords as there is a lot going on, and each element can have its own design flair, be it engravings, carvings, painted elements, inlay etc.
Have you had, or do you have any swords at the moment, Japanese or otherwise?
Re: Ghost of Yotei PS5 Pre-Orders Go Live for Digital, Physical Copies
@Shepherd_Tallon noice! Purpose built gaming palace? 😁
I'm going to try and find some nice (and hopefully still legal) replica swords to go with the Tsuba. I'm really liking the white Tsuka & Saya on black robes look I'm rocking in AC Shadows lately and if I can find something similar IRL it would probably pair with the white mask nicely for a display of some kind.
Re: Ghost of Yotei PS5 Pre-Orders Go Live for Digital, Physical Copies
@Shepherd_Tallon aha, yes. I doubt I'll wait as it feels like I'll need to be playing the game by late autumn (if it doesn't get delayed)
Couldn't resist it for the mask tbh. I was going to see what kind of authentic gear can be had instead of the CE, but found a lack of options in the UK for masks etc. Also, I'm not fully certain on the new laws that cover "ninja swords" here, as that seems like a very random categorisation, but that's a whole other issue if one were to want a japanese sword display (which one does) 😅
Re: Ghost of Yotei PS5 Pre-Orders Go Live for Digital, Physical Copies
@Ryu_Niiyama how do you display your things? (you may have already posted in the Gaming Tat thread, so I'll check) I'm starting to think I need a case rather than just having stuff out open on cabinets, but haven't decided on what kind of case would work. Wall mounted, floor standing etc.
Re: GTA 6 Delayed to 2026, Out on 26th May 2026
@GirlVersusGame I was just joking about that, but it highlights just how many really great games that will probably actually be better in many ways than GTA 6 there are. It would never affect their sales though, and they could release it at any moment and sell 20 million in a day with zero marketing for "GTA online 2" alone.
Re: GTA 6 Delayed to 2026, Out on 26th May 2026
@8bit4Life yes, I'm sure they will struggle to make any money on console releases alone 😅
Re: GTA 6 Delayed to 2026, Out on 26th May 2026
Let's be real. Rockstar fears releasing in the same year as:
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
Split Fiction
Clair Obsur: Expedition 33
ES IV: Oblivion
Death Stranding 2
Mafia: The Old Country
Ghost Of Yotei
...
Re: GTA 6 Delayed to 2026, Out on 26th May 2026
Who's going to snap up that Holiday 2025 slot now? Everyone releasing spring/summer/autumn 2025 😅
I half expect Ghost and some other games to suddenly delay releases!
Crimson Desert could be a scramble to get that out by Nov/Dec, that seems like a game that wouldn't otherwise be ready until may 2026.
Wolverine 2027 🙈
Re: Ghost of Yotei PS5 Pre-Orders Go Live for Digital, Physical Copies
@Blauwe_Chimay but handy for those with digital only consoles 😁
Re: Ghost of Yotei PS5 Pre-Orders Go Live for Digital, Physical Copies
Collector's Edition ordered.
I agree with the sentiment that Digital Deluxe editions very rarely make actual sense unless they offer some story DLC, as finding and collecting items is part of the in-game activities anyway so if you have the best looking thing to start it negates a part of the game people enjoy. I tend to ignore any cosmetic or item bonuses until I'm well into a game either way. That being said, when I got Baldur's Gate 3 Deluxe it was purely to support how enthusiastic the devs seemed during all the pre-release footage, and the bonus cape and lute got a tonne of use until I could find legit capes in-game so 🤷♂️😅 it's almost like DDE's are exclusively a way to tip a company for making games you want, so that is a good enough justification. Logically you don't really get much, but as long as people know what they are doing and are aware going in (not expecting story DLC), all is good
Re: PS5 Pro Is No Longer the Most Expensive Console You Can Buy
a 5 year old console, if we want some more perspective 😬
A 5 year old console and a slightly bigger SSD vs the brand new(ish) Pro that also has a 2tb SSD and a fair amount of upgrades over the X.
Or a 5 year old, much worse console (S) vs the digital PS5 Slim that was already half a gen up from it to start with.
These are the things that should drive Sony to refrain from any increases themselves. They know they are about to ship a tonne of consoles on this alone, and selling the absolute max potential units should drive them for the rest of the year. Especially as PS has some pretty big games coming out soon, and then GTA which might be bringing those PS4 hangers on up to the current gen too.
From a PS perspective they should absolutely resist the urge to follow suit. Will they, who knows 😬 maybe we should expect the Sony increases prices article tomorrow 😂
Re: EA Confirms Heavy Layoffs, Titanfall Game Cancelled
Ah, yes. "made select changes to effectively align teams"
Shut the f*** up, EA Spokesperson 😂
Can't they just fire all the people that write these statements and announce bad news in shockingly bad ways 🤦♂️
Re: Oblivion Remastered Updates in the Oven, Bethesda Wants Your Feedback for Improvements
I'd probably suggest they work on the updates using some kind of computer with specific developer software rather than in an oven, but each to their own. Hope people can taste the difference.
Re: Elden Ring Sells 30 Million Units, and It's Still Not Done Yet
@Matroska yeah, it is genuinely interesting. In a very specific and nerdy way, I suppose 😅
It has a lot of red flags that say it shouldn't sell nearly as well, maybe not even a quarter as well, and that the games that can already be played elsewhere aren't a draw to the casual gamer. But then Apple and Samsung exist and manage to get people to buy the same new social media scroller, I mean, phone, every year, so 🤷♂️
At the moment it feels like the target audience is people that want a handheld that is not also a PC, but are still hardcore gamers. And absolute Nintendo diehards which is a given.
I just don't want to be super negative and say it's a pretty pointless console that will only have any value about 4 years in when there are enough genuinely impressive Nintendo IP's that are only available on the new hardware 😅 so I'm trying to spin it kind of positively as well, kind of 😜
@DennisReynolds yeah, I'm sure a lot of people will buy it and not regret spending £600/700 for the Switch 2 and a couple of games. But a lot of people might 😅 unless they realise beforehand that their Switch won't in fact melt on Switch 2 release day so put off buying a 2 for now as their current handheld is suffice for Animal Crossing etc etc.
I don't have a horse in the race, either way. I'm just interested to see how it goes, what games do well, and the reasons people end up choosing to play Cyberpunk and Elden Ring on a Nintendo. Or the reasons people choose to not buy it day one. All that stuff is just weirdly fascinating for some reason 😅
It's all in good sport though, people are crazy enough to buy them, I'm probably crazy enough to buy one if they trick me into another Legend of Zelda game. But it feels like a much more enthusiast focused product this time, which isn't usually their M.O, because of the IP's and style of games they make.
Re: Elden Ring Sells 30 Million Units, and It's Still Not Done Yet
For anyone that ends up having waited 3 years to spend their many, many pounds to play it on a brand new (last gen 😜) Switch 2. All I'll say is, you could have spent less of those many, many pounds on a PS5, played Elden Ring and some other games, then sold the PS5 and Elden Ring to fund buying a Switch 2 to play your Switch 2 exclusives in the future when they come out.
For me, third party on Switch should only really kick in once a big bunch of millions of people already own the console and it is established. But it won't, because people are weird and will only just realise they now want to play a game that they could have easily already played years ago on many other available to devices, but must now get it on the Switch 2 that they will have to buy... just because 😅
Hogwarts releasing to Switch one and their massive user base = Monumental. Elden Ring releasing on Switch 2 - should not make a lick of difference... but it will. It really will.
And Elden Ring and Cyberpunk will suddenly have this new wave of players who could have already played it... but only after this completely seperate new console (that is equally or even more expensive) that they don't yet own releases and they have bought it. Which should be totally different to a game releasing on something you already own getting a new wave of interest ala Hogwarts to Switch, Xbox games to the current gen PS etc.
It's psychologically very interesting to me how these new ports of games you can currently play on available consoles and PC's anyway do on a brand new bit of hardware as these kind of weird new launch titles, against those being released to a massive user base that simply didn't have access to them until the devs went back to support the console they already owned.
It's fascinating. (Kind of 😂) and logic says it should be a bit of a disaster launching a console with games that people have been able to play for 3 or more years. But it won't be 😅
Re: Ghost of Yotei Has the 'Biggest Map' and 'Greatest Freedom' of Any Sucker Punch Game
Design the map around the quests and design the quests around the map. This is all that matters. If everything fits and it's seamless there should be no issues. But in the first game, every so often, it felt like the map was just a big open gap between markers and there was nothing really pulling you to certain parts other than some really basic collect/sidequests/base clearances, that didn't really suit the narrative pace of the main story. And if you wanted to wander off, it was only really to look at stuff, rather than find a lot of interesting things to do.
Open worlds are damn tough to make work and be made to feel both real and fun to explore. And in a way I was hoping for just more narrative driven action from SP, with a beautiful world being used to help tell that story in a slightly more efficient way than GoT. (Tightening up side content to flow a little more with the direction you are taking for the main objectives. Adding real rewards to the player for exploring via moments and content scattered around a little more) and then they wouldn't have to worry about whether the open world is an all-time open world or a passable one that still contains a great narrative and beauty, because it wasn't really a proper open world game to start with and it didn't really matter, it was a story that was taking place in a location that happened to let you ride around in it and fight all the carbon copy packs of mongol invaders who were also mindlessly wandering around in the game world 😅
But if they are really going bigger, they are going to have to add a lot to it and really tweak the formula hard from the first game to be more like a true open-world RPG like a KCD2, for example.
Re: UK Sales Charts: Expedition 33 Debuts in Second Place, Almost All Sales for PS5 Version
Clair Obscur has finally reached top 5 digital in the UK, which ain't half bad as it's on Game Pass digitally.
Oblivion is still #1 and isn't budging though! That must have had a massive UK launch on PS regardless of its availability on Game Pass too. It's numbers must be legit £££
And what, 6 million+ people chose pretty intense RPG's this week alone? Pretty cool to see.
@GirlVersusGame I would say that is about as far from casual as you could go with a casual game 😂 but it is very cool, nonetheless.
Casual gaming can be summed up like this:
"Shoooty, shooty, shoot. I like to shoot things"
"Miney crafty craft, I like to craft things"
"Sporty, sporty, sport. I like to sport things"
"Yerrr a Wizard, Harry. Ooh, a game I'll play that"
"GTAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ARRRRRRGHH IT'S THE ONLY GAME THAT MATTERS"
but, yes. Minecraft can be "casual"
I'd also say, after your updated comment about law enforcement, maybe don't take a drone if you do want to study the airport, because the UK police sometimes do have guns and some of them may be casual gamers and like to shooty, shooty shoot things 😬😬 seriously though, don't take a drone anywhere near an airport
Re: Ghost of Yotei's PS5 Price Provokes Fresh Switch 2 Fury
Did the Nintendo kids party games always cost more than Sony games? I have no point of reference for something like WiiSports vs Uncharted: Drake's Fortune pricing, for example 🤷♂️
Re: Oblivion Remastered Tops 4 Million Players in Just a Few Days
Been #1 on the UK PS Store all week, which is hard for any game that isn't GTA/Fifa/CoD to do, so it seems like it's selling like hot cakes!
I'm so tempted, but I need to get on with AC Shadows. And KCD2 has already fulfilled my RPG needs for the year so far.
Re: Bethesda Shows Solidarity with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 After Oblivion Remastered Launch
PS Store UK has Oblivion #1 and Clair Obscur #11 in paid games today, so it probably is affecting their release a little bit :/ you'd hope it breaks the top 3 or 5 by tomorrow for a new game that's reviewed well.
Few more articles from Push to give it a boost, you say 🤔
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows Update and DLC Roadmap Will Be Revealed Next Week
@Titntin I find the shadow or bush that I'm hidden in to be enough of an indication as to whether I'm hidden in a shadow or bush without any extra visual overlays tbh, but it is what it is 😅 a toggle off would make the game look so much nicer when in stealth, that's for sure.
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows Update and DLC Roadmap Will Be Revealed Next Week
@Titntin @SystemAddict
I get what you mean. It's is a visual annoyance in a beautiful game to have the glowing player character and also the glowing enemies, to an extent. An option to toggle off would be welcome.
Re: Ghost of Yotei Gets PS5 Release Date, Trailer, Pre-Order Details
The perfect date for it. Autumn gaming sorted!
I wonder if Sony had contact with Rockstar during some PSSR implementation sessions and now know loosely when GTA is dropping.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 577
Trying to load AC Shadows and accidentally clicking on Crusader Kings 3 so I can King the heck out of Bohemia, with Prague, Kuttenberg and the surrounding lands 100 of years ahead of development, even though my latest King is an absolute military beast, rather than a competent steward like all of his predecessors.
Buuuuuut...
Old Genghis Khan is only just over yonder, so I assume it's a big game over waiting to happen 😬
I swear, I only closed my eyes for a minute and he's right there 😂 Please God, and your beautifully well placed mountains, protect us all.
Come to think of it, I can actually form an Allience with the Holy Roman Emperor and perhaps use him as fodder, and wouldn't you know it, I am second in line to the Empire due to voting for myself anyway (👍) hmm, maybe we can do this and come out of it even better off 🤔
I'd also love the chance to duel the Khan, but not sure if it's possible. Because he actually likes and respects me, and isn't a rival.
Re: Poll: Are You Playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5?
Got to give a shout out to all those people that managed to write their comments whilst staring at the back of their own heads because they can only cope with third-person experiences 🍻
Re: Poll: Are You Playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5?
@CVCubbington eeesh that's rough. The whole console just started to fry?
But on the brightside, now you get to snag a shiny new Pro 🍻
Re: Poll: Are You Playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5?
@CVCubbington here's one for you. I legitimately thought the Xbox reveal made it look weird and janky and something seemed off with it (so I know what you mean) But when I played it last year it was great. Well made, interesting, well designed, it allows you to use your own brain for parts of it, has solid gameplay, crunchy comabt and most of all it was fun. I think it just looked weird on YouTube for some reason, or they did a bad job of capturing video for it, that, plus being led by MS marketing doesn't help.
Oh, and if you like the first three movies anyway, it's literally a game made for you.
Re: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PS5) - Globe-Trotting Adventure Just Got Even Better on PS5
@Residentsteven @Residentsteven
Something, something rose tinted goggles 😉
Don't get me wrong, I love the games. But if I never have to fight 'SMG guy and bazooka dude' or platform between the same two spots 23 times in a row before it goes the right way ever again, I'd be fine with that.
It's an arcade game dressed up to hide the fact it is an arcade game. The dressing is really good though. The set pieces, the characters, the story, the adventure all that is great. But it's still a pretty basic clunky arcade shooter game where you'll be greeted with a new contained level of gun-dudes to clear over and over again as you f*** about going from cover to cover 😛 even the weapon pick ups are like an arcade game temporary power up.
They hide it well, though. They do. But at times it's frustrating as all hell and super arcadey.
Re: The Witcher 4 Dev Warns Against Beta Test Scam
EA is always trying to get me to beta test their games and they are the biggest scammers of them all 😉
It's good to highlight this though, not everyone cares or knows how far games are into development as most people are casuals who just know roughly that beta testing is a thing and the Witcher 4 is a thing. It could easily catch these people out as there are a lot of Witcher fans.
Re: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PS5) - Globe-Trotting Adventure Just Got Even Better on PS5
@PerpetualBoredom Uncharted is absolutely clunky as all hell, you can get stuck platforming over and over again in such a tedious way, and it not a very good cover shooter or whatever the combat is classed as. It is also pretty trite being based on waves of random enemies coming at you like an arcade game with pistol guy, bazooka guy, Sniper guy, machine gun guy and turret guy. But it is still an all time great game series
Re: Oblivion PS5 Remaster Is Real as New Screenshots Leak
@ShogunRok was it better or worse than Gothic in that regard? Both would be my first time playing them, if Gothic ever comes out. Both will be UE5 Remake-sters (?) 😅
I'd have interest in both, but if they are godawful to play it might be tough to appreciate them
Re: Oblivion PS5 Remaster Is Real as New Screenshots Leak
John Scrolls-Oblivion is going to get a seriously sore arm if he's still intent on holding his sword out in front of himself all day