TheArt

Elden Ring has no Photo Mode yet I have about 800MB worth of screenshots no videos. Funny because the games with actual Photo Modes, I don't take too many screenshots. Ghost of Tsushima's art style looks really good and it's looking to look even extremely better in Yotei.

@Shepherd_Tallon And now I picked a horrible path fighting Emma and Ishin - feeling almost impossible, my first run path was easier. I don't think From's games ever burn me out tho, they're just so nice to pick up and play anytime.

@Shepherd_Tallon Haha Yeah I remember you saying you bounced off Metaphor, it was getting tiring a bit for me too with that typical Atlus text. I managed to beat it this year though, when I've been playing from launch day sigh. Woah bravo on Sekiro! I still haven't finished it on my 2nd run after meeting sword saint on my first and my saves getting corrupted.

@Shepherd_Tallon You still haven't finished Sekiro and Metaphor though. 🤣

This makes sense. The unlocking of uncountable number of characters in Genshin Impact ruined it for me. You couldn't relate to any character cause you were just going keep on switching to the next new character. In the end everything kind of felt meaningless, like what am I playing for...

I'm even more surprised the folk I thought only cared about money haven't released an Xbox Series X X.

@LogicStrikesAgain Well said. I've been a PC gamer before and I'm convinced PC is never going to win over console, ever.

Only if cars could bounce off walls and objects IRL like GT, there would've been less to zero crashes.

Mm it's only like 11 reviews though.

@EfYI Yep so overwhelming didn't know where to start from, matter of fact the entire game can be overwhelming tbh but I love it!

All I know is Kingdom Come Deliverance is one of my favourite series right now. Playing both back to back. Got to Kuttenberg in KCD2 felt so overwhelming like reaching Baldur's Gate for the first time in BG3. Feels like they are the only games closest to RDR2.

Not really hyped for this all because of the lack of immersive mechanics in GoT, but it seems they've added some in GoY - like camping. I can never understand how there can't be a feature to rest and skip time in any open world, then that game has no business being open world if it's just fighting nonstop from point to point - it should be linear. I'll preorder if the reviews are extremely high, else I'll just stick the only 2025 open world game that has the type of immersion I want - KCDII.

Switched it on this morning just to like "heat up the engine" a bit after a while of no usage and saw the update.

@nomither6 Like you I'm not seeing any reason to keep the PS4 anymore when every PS4 game is looking and playing better on the 5 so that inferior comment...naah especially when the PS4 couldn't play PS3 games. I never felt overwhelmed with so much to play on the 4 but just the BC along with new games feels so overwhelming on the 5. If it's games you're talking about like none from ND or R* so far, then that's not the console's fault.

@Logonogo Yea I think KCD2 is a real challenger, played both but I feel because KCD2 being quite hardcore with a bit of a steep learning curve so some people don't want to bother.

Sat with a priest at a tavern hoping he'd tell about a confession from a criminal but he won't budge. It was late so had to sleep in some attic at the tavern, could hear echoes of people drinking and chatting downstairs. The next step was to seek advice from my lord across town, on the way met this stubborn soon to be lord who asked to go party at a bathhouse. Graphics got sharper from the effects of alcohol, woke up hungry had to get some soup from the next tavern - this is Kingdom Come Deliverance, and it's £4.99. And all that is made even better in KCDII. Going to be playing these 2 for a long time.

Raw graphics: Horizon Forbidden West. I mean it was Digital Foundry's best graphics of 2022. BG3 also looks really good!

Art Direction: Elden Ring.

PC- First devs can't really be relied upon to deliver a seamless experience on console. If your game is multiplat, start with console, CDPR learnt this the hard way and now developing Witcher 4 on console first.

Kingdom Come Deliverance at £4.99 is a steal!

Nah got the more expensive N64 instead from my Dad, later I felt I wanted The PS1 seeing games like RE, MGS, TR and Tekken, never got it. At least game changers like GoldenEye 64, Zelda Ocarina of Time, Mario64, DK64 & Mario Party didn't make me regret. After that it was straight to the PS2 no thinking twice - one of the best ever.

I remember how most readers on here were vocal about Old Country being linear a good thing yet see the votes pfft. I'm still enjoying the Mafia Trilogy especially the openess of 2&3.

@Max_the_German "Look at the 2025 GotM list, always the standard AAA stuff. Even a Silksong will have no chance against a Silent Hill f in September."

I mean let's not downplay the efforts of AAA devs, they could just as easily make indie games if they wanted to. And then what, the market is flooded with indies and just a few AAA, naah.

Here I am with a PS5 disc version and yet to buy a single PS5 disc. I ony have 4 physical PS4 games right now.

Wow the KCD1 is really good, heard it was buggy at launch that's why it was under most people's radar. Just love that sketch look of the Inventory and of course the whole immersion. I'll be playing alongside KCD2. Will continue my ACValhalla playthrough which I still haven't finished in over a billion years 😁. Plus some ER, EAWRC.

I see Daniel Vavra of Kingdom Come Deliverance was involved in Mafia 1 & 2. Got a feeling if he was still involved, he wouldn't have greenlit this linear Old Country. You wanna do linear at least make it look like 007 Firstlight. 😁

Low-key that's one of the reasons GTA6 is still delaying. They want as many consoles in homes as possible so they can break records on sales. I mean that's why there are a lot of crossgen games.

@Ravix I've always tried to play GTA V or RDR2 in first person but it's quite hard to stay in that perspective cause the 3rd person is just so good.

Got KCD for that attractive $5.99 just so I can understand where KCD2 is coming from. Such immersive lovely games. Plus some EAWRC and continuing my 4th run of Elden Ring.

@Flaming_Kaiser I think is Battlefield 6 shaking them up and not consumers.

It's coming up, it's coming up, it's dare!

This might just be the first free to play I'll download in a long while. Played the heck out of Skate. back in the day. It was a bit hardcore trying to pull off the moves but as satisfying as beating a FromSoft enemy when you were successful.

The game doesn't look like some graphical showcase or fast paced with a lot of things going on simultaneously yet it's struggling. Well I guess the studio is inexperienced, they'd have to take notes from Guerrilla.

Beat Clair Obscur after taking my sweet time and exploring almost everywhere, was quite overpowered the final fight was a walk in a park. Such an adorable, unique game overall. Missing the lovely music, weird enemies, everything already. Still on KCD2, one of the most immersive games out there but whose idea was with the lock picking design - too hardcore but a lovely game nonetheless. Playing Burning Shores, HFW is just too gorgeous and plays like a dream. Plus some EAWRC also, been a while what with all these RPGs I keep piling up.

@Kidfunkadelic83 @Czar_Khastik Yes yes correct! Thanks guys.

Great. I might just try it out. This is confusing me with some other series that looks like this, except it's strategy with tanks or something, can't remember the name...

£29.99 getting its own anime, cool. Sekiro is a unique game tho.

@LifeGirl Don't think I've seen anyone complaining about lack of trophies unless you're talking to the article's author.

@Ricky-Spanish Missing those weird enemies already, plus the fantastic music and so much swag during battle.

Yeah a shame Kepler isn't sharing data for Clairrr. What a game, beat it yesterday after taking my sweetest time. It's really not just some FF or Persona, it's just SO different.

I always thought Snake sounded like someone who was on a chokehold being forced to talk.

Seems FF12 is to 19.99 as Sekiro is to 29.99. They ain't budging.

I stopped checking for this when they announced the linear approach, because playing through the Trilogy, their combat is fine but not the greatest, I knew it would be hard to top story focused linear devs like ND - these guys have years of experience in this field. Mafia's strong point was about the "only old school GTA with old school cars” available with some realistic details you don't even find in GTA - like brake lights staying on when you stop or tyres staying turned in the direction you left them when parked. I expected them to build on that strong point, instead you throw that out and go against critically acclaimed linear games that would be hard to top.

Edit: Well maybe that's why it's not called Mafia 4, this just some spinoff.

Still on the ever so immersive, side quest interesting, well written KCDII. The so stylish Clairrr Obscurrr - taking on the difficult optional bosses. Plus the outstanding HFW, trying to take on The Enduring.

This was always looking like a 70s on MC type game. You go linear and think you can beat the likes of TLOU, Uncharted or RE4... pfft. I was looking forward to them building on their open world yet they decide to go backwards. We have a not too popular dev like Warhorse daring to create something as close to RDR2 with KCD2. And Hangar13 who's been around for some time making this look like their first ever game.

Still Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, the immersion is incredible. I like how the combat isn't just straight forward hack and slash and go, the enemy has an equal chance just as you. The world is just beautiful, don't really think I've talked about a game's map being lovely, this is one of them along with the entire menu and UI. It has all the mechanics needed for a realistic open world. Can't stop playing.

Watched some gameplay vids, melee animations didn't look smooth...hmph...if you're going oh so linear and not reaching TLOU2 gameplay level then I dunno...

If this is true, I called this soon as Xbox started putting their games on PS. I predicted it's a move by Xbox to make PS look bad keeping their games exclusive and lure them to follow suit.

@B0udoir Yep some QoL mechanics just ruins games. I liked the tracking in World and was disappointed I could just find my target monster just by looking at the map in Rise. And in other games, things like items being sent automatically to your stash is just unrealistic. Fast Travel I still find somewhat questionable. QoL overall sometimes makes things cheap I feel.

This was my most anticipated game for early 2025 yet I've gone on to spend my money on Clair Obscur & KCD2. After MHWorld set the bar at 90 MC, Wilds being at 88 right now makes it a "ooh I can wait a bit", 88 is far from a bad score and I know I'll definitely get it one day and enjoy it immensely. But Capcom doing this drip feeding and releasing the usual "massive expansion" later is making critics treat it like some live service game that would keep growing.

KCD is just so so immersive. This is how you do open worlds.

Yeah right. More like Bethesda is the biggest publisher on any platform. I remember looking at my physical PS4 games and seeing a lot of Bethesdas - from Dishonored 1, 2, DoTO, Prey, Fallout 4, Skyrim, Doom 2016...and then all of a sudden someone wants to claim all the glory. Bethesda would still have a lot of games with or without MS.

I'm on the final battle but really want to explore the continent and get all powerful items, however I've been sidetracked by another masterpiece - KCD2. No rush to the credits rolling on gems like these.