Shinnok789

Merry Christmas, everyone! 🎄

Got 2,5 weeks of free time (national free days mixted with vacation days in between).
So I'll be spending time with my family, and pepper gaming hours when possible.
Backlog is the main word, also new and old games, first play or replay.
POE 2, Indiana Jones, Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered, Star Wars Outlaws, Bloodborne, Star Craft 2, just to name a few...

Happy holidays everyone!
Spend, eat and drink judiciously, stay healthy, be positive, spend time with your loved ones, and enjoy yourselves!
Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and productive 2025!

Oh c'mon, cut the scripted BS crap already (Sony) !
All of the content shown in the video is either from older trailers (even the apparently "gameplay" ones), or from in-game cutscenes.
You want to show how the game looks on PS5 Pro?
Provide an actual gameplay video, not this carefully curated... shtuff.

I've finished the game 3 times already, twice on PS5 and once on PC.
It's an impressive graphical achievement indeed, hell I've saved a lot of landscape wallpapers from this game, it's that good looking.
But if you compare the actual game with what's shown in this video (and previously shown official trailers for that matter) it barely gets to 75-80% of the details shown in the official videos... you won't obtain the exact same level of quality during actual gameplay even on PC with everything cranked to max at 4k res and no DLSS/FSR... Get serious Sony and stop misleading ppl.

If it were any other dev, recycling bosses would have generated a lot of drama of social media.
But since it's From Software, this is "intriguing", and welcomed, innit?

Bring on the law suites!

Yeah, but being "Elden Ring" and "From Software", they'll get away easily with just a breezy verbal display, won't they?
No backlash, no social media drama, just business as usual.
If this would have been another title/dev, all hell would have been broken loose...

The fault lies in their own expectations.
Not like they didn't have Mario as an example for so many years.

Never underestimate family games, bub!
Not when it comes to appreciation and awards.
They have a good habit of swiping awards from epic AAA games when you least expect it.

If a secondary team at From Software was in charge of this "spinoff", i've got nothing against it.
But if this is what they (as a studio) are mainly concentrating on for the next year or so... it's very disappointing.
I get that they're trying to adapt the Souls formula to various game genre, but they should stop milking Elden Ring already... The main game was already the IP's peak, and it's DLC started pushing it slowly on a downward path. Any other iteration will only drag it further down...

Why would the reporter expect one of the "medium stratum" to know what the top hats are doing?
He may be the chief of his department, but that's still a few floors lower than the "decision making party" level.

This weekend it's gonna be a mix of Path of Exile 2, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered, a few hours of Indiana Jones and maybe throw in a few missions from Starcraft 2 Zerg campaign for good measure.
There's diversity in not having a preferred genre, and good games don't take sides... or prisoners (that last part may not be true though, considering they "capture" you for hours at a time, and before you realize it's already morning - but it's a prison of joy, since you loved every minute of it👍)
'Nuf rambling about - have a fun weekend everyone!

Astro bot

That's it.

Too late in my country, 02:30 AM...
I'll just catch up on the highlights next day, right here.

As long as it depends on a full game to actually run, a DLC should not be considered for GOTY.
If the devs want it to make it eligible they should make it stand-alone, for example like Miles Morales was to the main Spider-Man game.

I'm so excited, that I'm gonna sleep through it.
Literally, since in my country it's gonna be live at 02:30AM.

That would be: "Dodge"

As in "avoided buying it"

Highly recommended title!

Yeah, figured that one as soon as I red the first sentence of their post.
Understandable but "bummer" still...

You're missing a "Re" in your title there...

@djlard Heh, no stones to throw, I wish I've made an inspired choice like this with my first preorder ever...

Already preordered. Even though I wish they would have gone the full mile with proper Remakes, I'm really looking forward to replay them both (must be for the 7th or 8th time? Can't remember precisely).

I hope our contributions will show the devs there is still demand for this beloved IP, and they'll decide to further enrich the franchise with Remakes of the 2 Blood Omen games and LoK: Defiance.... maybe it will even inspire them to create new releases in this fabulous universe.

Finally, we are so close!
For an early access, the game looks amazing and offers quite a lot of content, solo and multiplayer!
Gives a much needed lesson to other competitors, innit?
( Blizzard, take notes! ).

@Ravix Make that 450$ - the ones that payed 451$-479$ can still buy some packs in the first game to make up the difference, while still paying less than 30$.

Yes, yes, I could order a nice dish of hot&spicy monster limbs, dipped in a mix of gut juices and splattered brains, no problem.

Not my cup of tea, either of them.
Moving on.

It may be a game, but the general Chinese knockoff of a known brand is nothing new....
Just remember shoes like Abidas, Daiads, Neke, Mike, or coffee shops like Sunbucks, or fast foods like Pizza Huh, KFG or consoles like X-Boy, Terminator, Game Child, Polystation etc.

Looking at that image - just imagine what would become of this game if it was ever released on PC, and get in the hands of the modding community.

Still 700$ / 800 Euros - still no, thanks.

Atreus spinoff announcement fits the bill...
It could also be a trip to the Nordic past, about Tyr and his travels to all of the 9 realms...
Or may be about a different area and pantheon... Persia, Egypt, Maya etc...
Or just about the OG trilogy remasters - in which Kratos was much different.

All in all it seems the "nordic" Kratos gets left behind for future new games.

Umm no.
Hell no.
Go big or go home.

I actually skipped PS1, going from a Sega Mega Drive straight to PC in 2000, and never looked at another console for about 6-7 years.

The only game that I played on a PS1 (through alternative means) was Mortal Kombat Trilogy . Really liked the series back then - and the PS1 version of Trilogy was the only one you could play at home instead of the arcades (there was a PC version but it had a ton of install problems).

I bought my first PS console in 2006-2007 - a PS2 Slim - specifically to play God Of War 1 and 2 - after seeing a few Youtube videos of them that left me positively stunned.
As a kid I was fascinated with the greek mythos, read the 2 books I had on the subject about 15 times each.
So years later, to see even a small bit of those legends in a couple of games, and very well designed ones at that (for those times) - was like a wish come true - I simply had to have them.

That was my first PS console, and I've had one of each generation ever since (heh actually, I still have the phat PS3, the PS4 Pro, on top of the OG disk PS5 ^__^ )

So I'll be waiting for the PS2 version of this poll if there's gonna be one - from there on in I'm gonna have more titles to vote on.

Cheers!

EDIT: Bonkers, i almost forgot. I want to give props to one severely overlooked and underrated game of the PS1 era:
In The Hunt
A very good scrolling shooter game that looks like Metal Slug with submarines, that even has a coop mode.
I highly recommend to anyone to give it try at least once.

Given so many similar experiences with other games and devs, was anyone expecting that every one of those bugs would be solved in 1 single patch?
To quote a bit of Kratos: "Keep your expectations low BOY, and you'll never be disappointed"

Sony is going to hold Bloodborne on ice until they can use it to boost console sales, pretty much like Demon's Souls was.
Those are the only 2 From Software made IP's they actually own.
By the same analogy, like Demon's Souls had never had a PC version (hey, they have to keep some exclusives exclusive, right?), there's a high probability Bloodborne won't either.

@torquex Other sites and YT channels also claim technical issues encountered during their reviews (Eurogamer, Gameranx, GmanLives etc), SkillUp are not alone in this regard.
It could be that the pre-launch build has the problems, but even if it does, those kind of bugs are not solvable in a short amount of time until launch, or even 3 months after.
I have it on game pass, I'll give it a go this weekend, and see what's what.

They're gonna fix it in 3 months?
Not so sure about that... From what i've seen in the videos the problems are quite severe... Given the time it took them to get to this broken build, I'd say they'll need at least 1 more year to fix everything up.

I was also expecting some words of wisdom to accompany the kick, like "........ off, perv!". Seems kind of incomplete without a properly voiced reply.

Fret not, Bloodborne will be brought back like Demon's Souls was, when Sony will consider it appropriate to boost console sales. I very much doubt there will ever be a PC port though...

Back to topic: it seems Kadokawa is considering it, which in other words leans towards this happening.

Already preordered it.
It seems preorder numbers are surpassing expectations, Embracer is rather pleased.
Good sign for the continuation of this epic IP's revival.
I hope they get Amy Hennig back on board and do a proper franchise reboot, starting with Kain and his transformation, adding more story, maybe even cover the interim time periods not included in the old games etc.
There is so much potential here, if only they give it a proper shot.

@LindyG I don't know what problems the RTX 4090 users encounter, but I finished Silent Hill 2 Remake on my RTX 3090 (4k rez, no RT, DLSS on Optimized, mix of high+max settings): encountered no graphical problems or crashes, the game ran at 55-60 FPS throughout the playthrough. It is less optimized compared to other games, no doubts there, but once the graphical settings properly chosen, the game looked very well and had no issues from start to finish.

The Premium Console experience: pay 700$ to become a beta tester for the next few months.
Sony was right: it truly is for the enthusiasts.

I don't really see this as good news...
During the last few years, Sony took quite a few questionable decisions, closed a handful of studios, they still cling to hunting that GAAS unicorn no matter the price, the PS5 exclusive portfolio is still lacking after 4 years, there is no clear roadmap for the PS5 future aside for a couple of new titles etc etc.
Speaking of Sony and From, should I add that Bloodborne is still abandoned, with no official plan to Re/Re it, make a PC port or a sequel, even if all of it's fans have been demanding them for years (and they're not just a few)?

If it's about a choice between who purchases it, Sony or Microsoft, I'd rather have Sony do it.
But given the above, It's still concerning...

@djlard Dark Souls 1 and 2 were already "Remastered".
Dark Souls 1 Remastered already exists since 2018.
Dark Souls 2 was Remastered in Scholar of the first Sin - didn't exactly receive a visual upgrade, but there you go...
To bring them out again would mean Re-Remaster, it won't happen... There are Mods for them on PC, that's the best they'll get.
Maybe Remakes will be done later on, but that's another Pandora's Box many devs are not willing to touch...

Finished all 3 Dark Souls games once, don't feel the pull to do so again, Remastered or not.
Bloodborne however: I'd buy it's Re/Re version anytime on any platform...

Here's a thought for future original AAA IP's.

Start with a ~10-12 hour lower budget game - a chance for new ideas to be explored at lower risk. Smaller length also means more time for overall polish.

If the title gets the right amount of attention, demand and profit, only then make a bigger budget sequel.
The second game will have the first one as a solid base to stand on (reduced risk), gamers would know what to expect, so they'll be more open to preorders and retail purchases.

If there are no shady BS tactics involved along the way, it would be a Win-Win for everyone.

Despite it's many nominations, Astro will win in only 1 category: GOTY

As for DLC and Seasons being considered to have a shot at the GOTY is just too weird...
I mean, each of them is actually derived from a game that launched at least 1 year before, game that most likely was also at least nominated if not even awarded that year. I know that some DLC's are so big and well realized, that they can rival fully fledged AAA games... But the reality remains, they are still just extensions of a full, previously launched, game.
Why don't they give them specific categories, with their own separate high awards?
Best Re/Re game, something like REGOTY (for remakes, remasters) and Best Content Add-on, something like CAOTY (DLC, Seasons etc) - those names sound silly, ofc, and the organizers are much more qualified to come up with better ones, but that's the gist of it.

The 700$ Premium experience!
Only for enthusiasts

Do you mean to tell me that after spending 700$ on this "Premium Console", it's buyers still have to wait for patches like The Rest Of Us? I'm positively flabbergasted!

A small step for units sold, a big leap for console pricing, a giant black hole for our future wallets...

Some dev's DLC's are bigger and better than other dev's full AAA games.
So there is a case that can be made for their inclusion.
Alas, the decision is made, the discussion is pointless.

As for the GOTY: it will go like this.
Presenting person shouting from the stage:

• Team ASOBI, do you want the GOTY award?
• Team ASOBI: Yes!
• Get up here and say "Thanks!"
• Thanks!
• Fine. Done. Let's eat!

P.S. A callback for Babylon 5 fans

In recent years Sony only knows how to continuously raise prices for it's products and services, and how to invest less and less in their quality...
PS+ as a whole, PS Store (des)organisation, Dual Sense battery life, PSVR2 portfolio, PS5 Pro - the 800 Euros "premium console" with 2 cheap pieces of plastic as a stand and no disk, the Bravia TV line that's double in price compared to the direct competition, the top of the line WF-1000XM5S ear buds that have a case made of the cheapest plastic they could find..... and the list can go on.