Rich33

@GamingGod
That is a system level upgrade to update previous versions of PSSR to the current version, so with the toggle on any game that includes PSSR in its early versions will be updated to the current (and superior) version.

For example, Hogwarts Legacy has not been updated since before PSSR2 existed, but it did include an earlier version of PSSR - with the toggle on, the game now runs with the (system updated) PSSR2.

Sadly, if the game (/mode) was/is not made using a/any version of PSSR, the toggle cannot just add it.

The only real use of the toggle is a 'just in case' the system updated PSSR exhibits issues - remarkably, I don't think there is a single game where this occurs to the extent you would want to go back to the version of PSSR included in the code.

@Andy22385
I haven't played that game, so can't comment on how close to 4k it looks, but you can see image quality begin declining when you get much below 1080 - though, at these lower resolutions PSSR becomes even more preferable (/essential) compared to other available upscalers which will be seriously struggling.

Capcom have been excellent with all their Pro enhancements this year (I did watch the DF review of Pragmata), and, aside from a couple of cases, since it's launch.
Very early on they had modes for RE games (4R & village) that looked slightly better than PS5 versions, but ran at approaching double the framerate; but this year (since the V2 of PSSR) they seem to have really started targeting Pro versions.

@Andy22385
I can tell when the pre upscale resolution used is very low, but by that point, using anything but PSSR is going to look like crap anyway.
There's certainly no need to even consider getting close to 4k (pre upscale) when using PSSR, and in some Pro enhancements the pre upscale res has actually been cut back a bit to save power to use elsewhere, when using PSSR.

At this stage (and following the update early in the year) the use of PSSR should be a given in all modes, for all games.
I just don't see a reason why you would not want to use it - it's excellent, makes a very big difference just on its own, and from what we know has only a small cost.
From everything we see/hear, it is also very easy to implement well.
Put a toggle in if necessary (default to on).

@Mr-Cage
Behaving nonchalantly, or uncaring, about other peoples livelihoods is always going to seem unpleasant and disrespectful of others, to some.

I'm not saying that you have to care (that is totally your perogative), and you do have a couple of good points, but empathy and caring are good human traits.

Over hiring, then firing, is still companies messing up peoples lives. Someone could leave company A and move to company B (for good reason), only to be let go because of company B's incompetence in over hiring. Company A has filled the space, Company B doesn't care, but that individual has just lost their job in an industry they love, as well as their means of putting food on the table. It's not always that easy to just find 'another' job, particularly in the same industry, and locally.

As I say, you do have some good points, but I'm not sure they need to be made on a subject like this. Particularly when a lot of people are (rightfully) fearful of job security these days.

(And I'm not saying bad workers shouldn't be let go, but job security for good workers is in a truly shameful place at the moment.)

All games should have a transmog mechanic at launch - preferably where you can change to the look of anything you have picked up, rather than what is currently in your inventory.

That said, this was an excellent game, and highly underrated by some. IMO easily better than GoT.

@Dange
I will have another look later - to be clear though, I am not saying your wrong - completely the opposite, I'm just wondering if they (Sony) are targeting these cashback offers to individuals as opposed to across everyone.

Just a guess, but I am wondering if these cashback deals are going to be offered on a person to person basis.
I looked up some of the games noted above (including MGS vol 2 as noted by @Dange ) and I can't see any similar deal.

@CielloArc
Actually, I assumed you were likely joking, hence why you used 'seppuku', and why I then used the literal 'ritual disembowlment'.
Sadly, as has just been shown, these are written comments and subtlety gets lost. However we do see far too many cases where people take things far too far these days.

@CielloArc
I think a live ritual disembowlment is just a bit excessive... its a game.

@Jacko11
I get exactly what @get2sammyb is saying about retail though (not online).

I live in a decent sized town in England, and we don't have a lot of the stores you mention.

Game is just a counter hidden at the back of a Sports Direct.
Argos is just a glorified collection point in Sainsbury's.
None of the supermarkets that I can think of stock games - just a few DVD's and Blu Rays.
And thats it for the stores you list.

I'm sure it varies from location to location, but the whole idea of going into a store and buying a game was gone years ago where I live.

Unsurprising really - I expect the game will sell very well across both disc and digital.
Just because discs are being phased out in over a years time, I don't expect people will stop buying them and move over to digital entirely, yet.

@JLSlone
Love the analogy!
Though I think some of those pigeons are inadvisedly attempting to tap dance.

@PuppetMaster
Lol - no, Onimusha doesn't have a fart mechanic!
It has a sparkly thing that guides you at your destination, every single time you activate your Oni sight (or whatever they call it here), whilst in the main area.
Hogwarts Legacy, for example, split these 2 mechanics up - Revelio was your extra sight on 1 command, your guide compass was on a 2nd command.

Onimusha also has pretty simple objectives a lot of the time, a fairly large amount of hand holding (including various repeating speech during battles), a somewhat limited number of enemy types, and its combat system relies on heavy use of a few mechanics.
I think that covers most of the criticisms leveled at Wolverine - though as I haven't completed it yet, I can't really speak as to game length, but it doesn't feel massive at this point.

Both games also have very good Technical presentation (fps performance and visuals), though I think Wolverine is the better from a visual point of view (by a way). You probably know I very much enjoy games strong in this area, and I have not been disappointed!

I just don't understand how SOME (particularly those who haven't played both games) bemoan Wolverine for certain flaws, when Onimusha has very similar flaws.
Though, sadly these days, it does seem the 'cool' thing to do to heavily criticise a Sony 1st party game for things others do as well.

That's not to say I am not enjoying Onimusha (I haven't played much of Wolverine at all, yet - just a quick look). I am REALLY enjoying my time with the game, and from everything I have read / heard from owners of Wolverine, the same can be said. 2 games that have similar flaws, which are both highly enjoyable, and very well made.

What I take with a 'dose of scepticism' is when someone says to treat a report with a 'dose of scepticism" without denying any part of it.

Sorry, but from my point of view, based on recent games, this isn't a great loss for Sony.

@PuppetMaster
I'm afraid to say that some people just want to dislike this game. Its not like it has reviewed badly - though it appears (from reports of those who have played it) that some 'reviews' have thoroughly exaggerated certain negatives.

The one thing that is becoming abundantly clear though is that the majority of people who have bought and played Wolverine are REALLY enjoying playing it.
(The second being that from a Technical point of view, it is objectively absolutely Top tier.)

I'm playing Onimusha at the moment, which I am really enjoying. But, I have seen most, if not all, of the negatives aimed at Wolverine, in Onimusha too at this point!

@nomither6
'Can I say ...' - Yes, you can (as long as it is within site rules), and I even said you may dislike it.
'Can we say ...' - This implies agreement, and you haven't stipulated who is agreeing with you, therefore it invites disagreement from those who may be included in the 'we'.

Also, "can we say the acclaim for spiderman 2 was forced and bandwagoning too?" is actually a proposition.
I will give you the google answer, because I cant be bothered further, as I am not here for a point scoring argument:
"Even though this sentence is phrased as a question, it functions as a rhetorical question that puts forward a specific claim: The acclaim for Spider-Man 2 was forced and the result of bandwagoning. Because this underlying claim can be argued, tested against evidence, and ultimately judged as true or false, the statement qualifies as a proposition."

@nomither6
Of course you can have your opinion - but you asked a question ie "Can we say", using the plural "we", and I (strongly) didn't agree.

"Sony’s latest superhero exclusive has been utterly eviscerated on social media"

I bet its the 'WORST THING EVER!!" lol
(Heavy sarcasm intended)

"While it’s not ever-present – as some bad actors would like you to believe"

Bad actors on Social Media / YouTube - Never! If the influencers say it, it must be there 200% of the time! Lol
(Heavy sarcasm also intended)

"the consumer response to the game has been much more positive than the critics"

Yep - 4.77 score on PS Store at the moment agrees with this.

It seems very much to me that people who have bought this game are very much enjoying it.

PS Store reviews sit at 4.77 /5 for Wolverine (37k reviews), against 4.69 (17k reviews) for the also recent, and higher critically scored Onimusha.

4.77 clearly shows those people playing it are enjoying it in the very large majority.

Any scoring system like this has its problems, and scores do tend to drop as review numbers increase (though both are recent and Wolverine has more reviews), but at least you know people scoring have actually bought the game (unless a game has been on PSPlus, then the score can be affected by the disingenuous).

(NB Credit to @naruball who mentioned about PS store scores on another article in the last day or so).

@Yorgen
I can't tell from what you have written if you are being sarcastic or not (hopefully you can tell from my various posts above that I am not, and genuinely feel that male to male romantic relationships are totally under represented in video games).

(If you are being sarcastic / non genuine, then I find your comment to be pretty sick (as in nauseating), which has no place here.)

If you are being genuine then I agree with you in the most part. Some have made the attempt, for example Insomniac themselves with Hailey (deaf) in Spiderman,.most notably SM2. I think one of the issues here is how you represent the disability well, and incorporate it into a game (a problem that just does not exist in the case of Male to male relationships). But, I do think developers could make more of an effort here, particularly in regards to non player characters.

@nomither6
"can we say the acclaim for spiderman 2 was forced and bandwagoning too?"
Not from my point of view - I thought SM2 was fantastic - in my top 5 games for this generation (probably 3=). You may dislike it, but others really loved the game.

@Kang81
If it helps, the DF review is on Youtube. There are Image quality issues on base PS5 too, but whether you find these significant will be to your own tastes.

@DanX666
I was responding to a point talking about scores (not sales) on PS Store (their comment was that people seem to be enjoying playing Wolverine).
When I checked earlier, Wolverine was scored higher than Onimusha despite nearly twice as many review scores (which I only noted as higher numbers of reviews often sees the score drop).

I'm sure both will do well sales wise (everything I have heard points to Wolverine selling more though).
I have bought both Onimusha and Wolverine, and until I have played both, any other games will have to sound very special to me to buy straight away. Otherwise, like Control Resonant here, I will add them to my wishlist and see what I fancy once I have a gap (though I suspect, having seen reviews including DF, that CR will end up not being bought in the end).
It sounds an odd complaint, but there are just too many games releasing in a short period.

Just skim watched the DF review for this game, and I would strongly recommend a watch if you don't have a Pro, prior to buying, to see if the significant image quality issues bother you.

@IamJT
(Wolverine very much appealed to me, so I have it ready to play once I finish Onimusha.)
I must admit that done right, side content also very much appeals to me, but only if it's worth my time (ignoring the reward) - I like side content that holds some interest, or has its own story etc.

@naruball
I didn't realise Wolverine was doing THAT well on the PS store - it's currently doing better than Onimusha, which I am enjoying, and with nearly double the reviews.
It can be a reasonable indicator, if only for the fact that biased people cannot add scores unless they purchase.

Add me to the list of might have a proper look at this game at a later date.
I'm still on my 1st playthrough of Onimusha, and Wolverine is top of the list after that.

@get2sammyb
"I didn’t see their booth in any of the halls, no. I assure you I triple-checked."
You missed the Xbox booth? It was in one of the toilets!
(Sorry, couldn't resist)

I don't have a massive problem with Gen AI for placeholders and the like, but Gen AI in finished games is completely abhorrent in my opinion.

It will make games bland and soulless, if not kept in check, and as far as I am concerned, its overuse / use for the wrong purposes is one of the biggest threats to the video game industry as a whole, and trivialises most of the others.

I dont care if games are released faster if they are Gen AI filled crap.

@Ainu20
I think that's part of their problem though - and this is coming from someone who has played a lot of their games.

They really need to slow down a bit and look at their quality.

They have never been known for top of the line visuals, but they need to improve in this area. Having played the Nioh 3 demo, I would never have bought the game, if not for PSSR2 being released, which does a LOT of 'heavy lifting'.
They have in the past been good on the performance side of things however, but RotR had some really rough sections, and Nioh3 was OK on Pro apart from a few limited sections which struggled, but a clear downgrade from Nioh2, and again I wouldn't have bought Nioh3 if I didn't have a Pro (having seen the data).

From a structure/ gameplay perspective I know they were trying something different with both games, and with Nioh3 I think it kind of worked. But more 'time in the oven' would have been beneficial, and again I felt like there was a downgrade from Nioh2.

The trouble is that I hear/read complaints like this all the time now, not to mention the complaints related to fatigue (whether fair or not), and I would have to think hard before buying another of their games.
There is reputational damage here, even within their fanbase to a degree.
The best thing, in my opinion, would be for them to slow down just a bit, knowing that a higher quality could lead to higher hype and sales.

@Reeneman
Yeah, another user above said they had confirmed this.
I have a bit of a problem with 2160p being stated if its post upscale, and 'target' 60fps - I mean you could state that and the reality is 720p upscaled to 4k, and barely going above 45fps.

The base PS5 output res of 1440p is also somewhat concerning - what on earth is the pre upscale res (obviously with no PSSR)?

I suppose we will see what the reality is when DF get their hands on it.

@twitchtvpat
Definitely too many games coming out in a shortish space of time! Though as I have no interest in GTA6, there will be the time to play those I really want to.

@twitchtvpat
If I 'allowed' myself to pause games, I would likely do the same - or get into the horrible indecision of having multiple games on the go, but not being able to decide what to play at any given time lol!

@OptimusPrime1
Oh, that sounds somewhat concerning if they are stating output resolutions - particularly for base PS5 performance mode at 1440p.

They should really state pre upscale res or you could get:
"2160p at target 60fps" when in fact it is found to be upscaled from 720p, and barely hits 45fps...

Reviews didn't put me off at all.
A couple of small negatives, but most of what I read / heard made me want to play it.

I read the review here, watched the DF review, then Pre-ordered.

(Going to finish Onimusha 1st though, because I don't like stopping a game to play another, but that's me)

Why "60fps target at 2160p" for the performance mode on Pro?

Pick a lower resolution and use PSSR to make up the difference, then use the saved GPU time to increase the visuals in other ways, or allow for >60fps with an uncap option for 120hz VRR TV's.
2160 is just unnecessary with PSSR in its current iteration.

Seems odd, and counter to what others are doing - Not to mention they could potentially achieve a better 60fps lock by lowering the resolution.

@ShadowRJ
I haven't played the 2nd game on your list, and don't recall a male/male relationship in The Last of Us (not saying your wrong - just it wasn't memorable to me).

I'm sure there are a couple of examples we have both missed/forgotten (or just not played), but it is so, so rare, particularly in regards main / key characters.
Even then, as I said before, sometimes its not overly well done. Other times, it's only hinted at, or maybe referenced briefly.
I think people in general believe that representation in games is far more common/prevalent than it truly is.

@Oldstalk
"Because you people are focusing exclusively on this."

Do you have a problem with male to male romantic representation?
The "you people" part, doesn't sound good.

By the time you 1st replied to me, I had made 1 comment regarding this subject matter, saying that games needed more - a comment which was a reply to something someone else said.
NB according to @LiamCroft , it seems that the comment I was replying to was incorrect anyway.

Before this, I had made 3 comments on this thread, completely unrelated (2 discussing a patch earlier today).

However, I still think that male to male romantic relationships are under represented in video games, and that this is important.
You say that "Video games are not damn movies." - yet they often can contain more plot than a 2hr movie.

@Oldstalk
So tell me, how does 1 exclude the other?

How does having male to male romantic representation in a game exclude "good game design that respect players time and intelligence"?

@ShadowRJ
There really aren't that many (male to male romantic relationships) at all that I can think of, and stereotyping can end up being an issue when they are included (for example the Homecoming side quest in SM2 - it was nice to see it included but tonally there was stereotyping, and Cyberpunk of course).

There are a few games where you can romance any character regardless of sex ie every character is essentially bi, but without labels.

It is a seriously under-represented area.

@belmont
"it seems like there are new tropes in the story tailored to the "modern audience" like romantic connections between male characters"

I hope so - this is needed in FAR more games.
(No sarcasm)

@TDHorizon
I had sort of discounted that in this games case, based on the DF review. Obviously, it could have been a slight tweak to performance, but nothing needing rushing out - the patch was less than half a Gb, hence my assuming it wasn't the normal Day 1 patch (the version advanced to 1.001.004).

NB the game already received a small additional patch this morning, but not sure what this contained (it certainly wasn't large enough to be the normal day 1 patch, which would typically have been before launch).

Gonna finish Onimusha before starting this game, but nothing I have seen in reviews makes me less excited to play this game.
A few welcome tweaks are always par for the course during launch week, but the fundamental engine seems to be working very well in this game.

@ShadowRJ
"Don’t underestimate the Switch 2, or Nintendo in general. They’re getting more and more third party games"

But, when PS6 comes out, will this (3rd party AAA games on Switch 2) still be the case for long? I suspect that once we are in the albeit long cross gen period, we will start to see 30fps far more regularly on base PS5 (40fps on Pro), whilst games are targeted more towards PS6 (with feature reduced PS5 versions due to adoption rates).

Switch 2 just wont be able to keep up with the hardware requirements and we will see the return of shoddy or no ports.

We already see devs pushing the PS5 hardware further than it should be pushed (as current hardware), now - but what will this look like once we enter cross gen?

The big unknown is the PS Handheld, but, and I am guessing a bit here, my gut instinct is that if a game can just run on it at 30fps, that will allow no down scaling possible for Switch 2.

This is all a bit of assumption, and I am not knocking Nintendo - just giving a (in my opinion very likely) possible situation.

@Simu001
Were you aware that they have added in an easier difficulty option? (Lies of P)

@LiamCroft
Thank you. That is a shame - its probably not that easy to add in a huge number (due to characters / source material / story etc), but it sort of felt like Insomniac were leaning into at least trying to include more boss fights, based on SM2, and I thought they may go further here.

@LiamCroft
Enjoyed your review - between this and the DF review (the key points of which you had already covered), I have pre-ordered.
Out of interest, and without giving too many spoilers, how frequent / common are boss fights?

The review here, coupled with the DF tech review I have just watched, are plenty proof for me - Day 1 purchase on Pre-order.

Review scores are a baseline only, to be used in conjunction with your own personal preferences.