@MikeOrator Indeed; to cleave such articles from the site would be bad. Frankly, this type of important news content needs to be milked for all its worth.
@MrBook I completely understand and agree with you that this is an issue for people that can't connect for whatever reason.
The preservation thing I get - the idea that a game you've bought 10 years ago might not work because some kind of 3rd party server connection is switched off is unacceptable. This hasn't happened yet though - The Crew was always an online-only game and marketed as such, and I don't think 10 years is an unacceptable time to pull the plug.
But I don't really get the people that get annoyed purely out of principle, especially with owners of a current gen console that are online with it anyway.
It depends on the reason - If it's a one-time thing I'm not bothered, most games have a day 1 patch and the PS5 itself connects to the internet as soon as it's switched on.
However, if the internet is needed regularly for offline play, or for some kind of mandatory 3rd party service which prevents you from playing even if the game is patched and up to date then that's an issue.
@get2sammyb I really don't get why studios agree to these acquisitions. Financial security is the most common reason for independent developers sell their companies, but historically it hasn't shown to be the case. The big studio just gobbles up the IP and that's the end of it. Do the studios feel like they can't continue to operate successfully without being absorbed?
I hope the studio makes it through, as I loved the first game and don't have an Xbox, but I worry for the studios behind these big-budget titles that aren't aimed completely at the mainstream audience.
It seems if you're not either a 2-man indie dev getting a good return on a small investment, or a AAA studio getting a massive return on a massive investment, then you're on the publishers chopping block!
@nessisonett A big aspect of the game was transferring the feeling of discomfort through psychosis that the protagonist is going through to the player, so I guess they did a good job! Did you enjoy the film you used for your avatar? That sure has some sounds that make you uncomfortable.
@LordAinsley I found that by having districts and stories in Valhalla 'compartmentalised' it kept it from being too overwhelming as a whole. The 'exploration' mode or whatever it's called, that turns off the map icons, markers etc. also made it feel less of a typical Ubi collectathon/checklist.
I also really enjoyed the Viking lore. I think it makes a difference with how fatigued you get depending on how much the setting appeals to you. I thought the Graeco-Roman thing had been overdone in previous games, which is why I didn't play Odyssey.
I thought the story was good and finished the game with 200hrs invested, with a good mix of exploration, puzzles, story and combat that I didn't find repetitive.
FF7 is my favourite game of all time. I kind of enjoyed remake, but didn't particularly enjoy all the side quests.
As a middle-aged gamer with kids, I don't have the time to play as much these days. I was disappointed to hear that the level of fluff has increased for the sequel, so unfortunately it was removed from my wish list.
@jt887 I think you can backup PS5 saves onto a removable storage device. But agree I've always found it a bit stingy cloud saves/backups are a paid-for feature, I'm sure they could throw in 5/10 GB of storage per user.
Shame about all the fluff. I was reluctantly pushing through the last chapter's side quests on Remake as they were frankly crap. Shame there's so much more of it here.
I don't have much free time for games and I'd much prefer a 30hr game than a 100hr game for the sake of it.
@ShogunRok I'm currently 20 hours into my first playthrough. Should I be worried about the update breaking my current progress? There seems to be a history of major updates causing issues.
Comments 113
Re: Stellar Blade PS5 Quietly Adds Uncensored New Costumes in Controversy Aftermath
@MikeOrator Indeed; to cleave such articles from the site would be bad. Frankly, this type of important news content needs to be milked for all its worth.
Re: Indika (PS5) - A Bleak, Beautiful, Bewildering Rumination on Faith and Free Will
@Bentleyma Yes dire review, yet good summary and score. At this point I think they should just ditch scores entirely.
Re: Physical Version of Assassin's Creed Shadows Needs Online Connection for Installation
@MrBook I completely understand and agree with you that this is an issue for people that can't connect for whatever reason.
The preservation thing I get - the idea that a game you've bought 10 years ago might not work because some kind of 3rd party server connection is switched off is unacceptable. This hasn't happened yet though - The Crew was always an online-only game and marketed as such, and I don't think 10 years is an unacceptable time to pull the plug.
But I don't really get the people that get annoyed purely out of principle, especially with owners of a current gen console that are online with it anyway.
Re: Physical Version of Assassin's Creed Shadows Needs Online Connection for Installation
It depends on the reason - If it's a one-time thing I'm not bothered, most games have a day 1 patch and the PS5 itself connects to the internet as soon as it's switched on.
However, if the internet is needed regularly for offline play, or for some kind of mandatory 3rd party service which prevents you from playing even if the game is patched and up to date then that's an issue.
Re: More Xbox Layoffs Reportedly Inbound as Company Attempts to Cut Costs
@get2sammyb I really don't get why studios agree to these acquisitions. Financial security is the most common reason for independent developers sell their companies, but historically it hasn't shown to be the case. The big studio just gobbles up the IP and that's the end of it. Do the studios feel like they can't continue to operate successfully without being absorbed?
Re: Xbox Pondering PS5 Port of Ninja Theory's Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2
I hope the studio makes it through, as I loved the first game and don't have an Xbox, but I worry for the studios behind these big-budget titles that aren't aimed completely at the mainstream audience.
It seems if you're not either a 2-man indie dev getting a good return on a small investment, or a AAA studio getting a massive return on a massive investment, then you're on the publishers chopping block!
Re: Xbox Pondering PS5 Port of Ninja Theory's Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2
@nessisonett A big aspect of the game was transferring the feeling of discomfort through psychosis that the protagonist is going through to the player, so I guess they did a good job! Did you enjoy the film you used for your avatar? That sure has some sounds that make you uncomfortable.
Re: Rumour: Assassin's Creed Hexe Out in 2026, More Linear Than Open World
@LordAinsley I found that by having districts and stories in Valhalla 'compartmentalised' it kept it from being too overwhelming as a whole. The 'exploration' mode or whatever it's called, that turns off the map icons, markers etc. also made it feel less of a typical Ubi collectathon/checklist.
I also really enjoyed the Viking lore. I think it makes a difference with how fatigued you get depending on how much the setting appeals to you. I thought the Graeco-Roman thing had been overdone in previous games, which is why I didn't play Odyssey.
I thought the story was good and finished the game with 200hrs invested, with a good mix of exploration, puzzles, story and combat that I didn't find repetitive.
Re: Despite Hype, Analyst Says Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth 'Underperforming'
FF7 is my favourite game of all time. I kind of enjoyed remake, but didn't particularly enjoy all the side quests.
As a middle-aged gamer with kids, I don't have the time to play as much these days. I was disappointed to hear that the level of fluff has increased for the sequel, so unfortunately it was removed from my wish list.
Re: Devs Allegedly Pondering the Point of Sony's PS5 Pro Upgrade
I guess Sony have lots of free space in their warehouse for the PS5 Pro's to be stacked up next to the PS VR 2's!
Re: New PS5 Firmware Update Available to Download Now
@jt887 I think you can backup PS5 saves onto a removable storage device. But agree I've always found it a bit stingy cloud saves/backups are a paid-for feature, I'm sure they could throw in 5/10 GB of storage per user.
Re: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PS5) - Strong Sequel Seeks a New Direction
Shame about all the fluff. I was reluctantly pushing through the last chapter's side quests on Remake as they were frankly crap. Shame there's so much more of it here.
I don't have much free time for games and I'd much prefer a 30hr game than a 100hr game for the sake of it.
Re: Hands On: Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 Update Is an Outstanding, Game-Changing Overhaul
@ShogunRok I'm currently 20 hours into my first playthrough. Should I be worried about the update breaking my current progress? There seems to be a history of major updates causing issues.