TimeDelayedGamer

@Globo Cheers mate!

I started playing Planet of Lana 2 the other day and will be finishing that up today. I played the original last year and the sequel is great fun, with more inventive puzzles and a better sense of atmosphere.

Then, I may or may not be turning the big 5-0 in the very near future (yikes) and to celebrate I will be starting Alan Wake 2 on my new PS5 and Trails in the Sky the 3rd on Steam Deck. I've taken a much needed couple of weeks off work to rest up a bit and the anticipation of getting stuck into those two games is palpable. Remedy and Falcom are two of my all-time favourite developers and I'm honestly not sure which game I'm more excited about playing.

Have a great weekend everyone.

@Hugoku And which system would you recommend I play those games on?

It's disingenuous to compare exclusive games to those monster franchises you mention (all of which are multi-platform). Absolutely nothing compares to the sales and player base of those games. 4 million sales for most products would be considered a massive success.

It's really not hard to see why exclusive games are a positive for a system. Do you think the success of The Last of Us TV show was harmful to Playstation console sales, for example?

Also, if you want to see the power of brand exclusivity, just look at Nintendo.

@MisterMonster Yes, and what's your point? Selling consoles as cheaply as possible, and having quality games exclusive to the console, among other strategies, all have the same aim - to coax consumers onto your gaming ecosystem instead of someone else's.

If console exclusivity doesn't matter, then please explain the continued success of Nintendo, who guard their franchises jealously for a reason.

@Dyd87xz Okay, but I think to an extent you're comparing apples to oranges there. Just because exclusive games sell less well than juggernauts like GTA5 or Fortnite doesn't mean they aren't a factor when people are choosing a system to purchase.

If you had a choice between a system with 'all the usual games' on but few exclusives, or a system with 'all the usual games' plus some high-quality exclusives only on that system, which one are you more likely to go for?

That's certainly not the only factor, but it's in there. There's a reason the term 'system-seller' came about for big games.

To put it another way, why are Playstation gamers happy that Xbox seem to be bringing all their exclusives to PS5? Answer: because now we don't have to buy another system to play them.

Exclusive games sell systems. It's no-brainer to me.

@iPaud Barry Wheeler responded, "Rock n roll, baby!", or words to that effect 😁

Just got up to the 'rock concert' sequence. Still one of my favourite moments in gaming 🎸

@Czar_Khastik "Content not viewable in your region"

Damn you, UK Online Safety Act.

This weekend I'm playing one of my favourite games of all time - Alan Wake. I've played it many times, and every single time it has me on the edge of my seat. It's so packed with atmosphere that I find even just the action of running around and shining your torch on the scenery to be incredibly tactile and satisfying. I love everything about it, (deliberately) hokey storytelling and all.

I'm giving it another run through in preparation for playing the sequel, which I'm hoping to start on my shiny new PS5 next weekend 😃

On the side, hopefully will be playing some Patapon this weekend as well.

Have a good one, folks.

So 80s it hurts... and I'm totally up for it 😁

This weekend I'm playing Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. Having not long played War for Cybertron, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I couldn't resist moving straight onto Fall, which I'd heard is even better. And it absolutely is.

War for Cybertron was a relatively straightforward shooter, while Fall really mixes things up in unexpected ways. The whole thing is a massive power fantasy for any Transformers fan and I love it.

Have a great weekend, fellow Push Squarians.

This weekend I shall be continuing with Transformers: War for Cybertron. Second playthrough, and still having an absolute blast with it. I'm tempted to launch straight into Fall of Cybertron after this, as I've heard that's even better.

Also still playing Patapon in my spare moments.

Have a great weekend.

So no 180 for Xbox then. If she's committing to the same path for the company, then I guess she's doing a 360? Not sure if that's ironic or appropriate 🤔

Anyway, I think I'm developing a serious allergy to corporate management-speak this week. There's only so much disingenuous BS my mind can take.

@Northern_munkey None needed, he's slimy enough already! 😂

Sony desperately need some serious competition to wake them up and shake them up. At the moment they are complacent, beyond arrogant, and their decision-making is baffling.

Steam seems to be about the best hope we have for that competition at the moment.

Speechless. Just... speechless.

Sony seem to have totally lost the plot this generation.

One of my favourite developers and fantastic to see them doing so well. Keep doing your thing and stay true to yourselves, Falcom.

Well, we all know Kratos got his anger issues from his father...

I finally finished with Red Dead Redemption last weekend. What an incredible game. That ending... at first I wondered where they were going with the story, but when the conclusion finally came, it hit hard. I think it's going to stay with me for a long time.

After completing the epic RDR, I decided that I wanted a good old-fashioned linear blast to cleanse my palate. I plumped for Transformers: War for Cybertron... and it's just what Ratchet, er, I mean the doctor, ordered. An absolute blast (both figuratively and literally).

As a child of the 80s, Transformers is one of the fondest things from my formative years, so I've been playing through the campaign with a big stupid grin on my face the whole time. Playing as Megatron facing off against Omega Supreme? My inner child did a back flip 😃

I'm almost finished with the campaign now but I'll be launching straight back in again this weekend to play as some of the other characters. It's just a ton of fun. I might even see if I can persuade my daughter to play the campaign co-op with me... though it's probably not really her thing.

Also continuing to play Patapon in my spare moments when I'm not fragging Cybertronians.

Have a great weekend, carbon-based units.

I look forward to seeing how they iterate on the strengths of the first one 🤨

No change for me this weekend. Almost finished with Red Dead Redemption, and continuing to play Patapon on my PSP. I'd forgotten how much fun Patapon is, even if it is a bit of a grind-fest at times.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Just shared this with my 14 year old daughter. She loved the first one (as did I), so this is an easy addition to the ol' wishlist. It looks brilliant.

More Red Dead Redemption for me this weekend. Exploring Blackwater and environs now and getting close to the end of my adventure. It's such a great game I'll be sorry to finish it. Will hopefully squeeze in some Patapon as well.

Happy gaming folks.

@Buizel Was that the trailer that was an absolute swear-fest? I remember seeing that. It was a bizarre change of tone from the original.

That was when I lost interest in the sequel. It felt like the development team wanted to make a GTA game or something and were forced to make Beyond Good and Evil 2 instead.

... And this is why it's important to teach your kids how to delay gratification, folks. Yeesh.

I tried playing Code Veronica X on my PS2 a few years ago and bounced off it because I just couldn't cope with the horrendous tank controls anymore. A remake will be most welcome - here's hoping not too much is lost in the translation.

Continuing to live the life of John Marston in Red Dead Redemption this weekend, and also drumming my army to victory in Patapon.

Also, I finished Ys 1 & 2 Chronicles at the beginning of the week, and for anyone who is interested, permit me to wax lyrical for a moment: I was expecting it to be a little primitive compared to later entries, and for Ys 1 that's certainly true of the boss battles, but taken as a package it's just a brilliant Ys adventure. Ys 2 especially is essentially a fully-fledged 2D Ys game. All the basic elements are there - the sense of discovery, exploring maze-like environments, the addictive gameplay, and the standing around for 30 seconds at a time waiting for your health to regenerate (lol). It really went beyond my expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

More Red Dead Redemption and Ys 1 & 2 Chronicles for me this weekend.

I'm onto Ys 2 now and the design has improved significantly from the first one - much better boss battles, for one thing, and more options in general gameplay thanks to the addition of magic. The two games work really well together as a single package. The lovely 2D visuals and gorgeous soundtrack don't hurt either.

Enjoy your weekend guys and gals.

It was back to work for me this week, so back to my normal limited gaming time. This weekend I will be continuing with Red Dead Redemption. Just reached Mexico and still loving it - it made me chuckle that right after you complete the dangerous crossing, the bridge to Mexico is miraculously fixed 😁

Also continuing with Ys 1 & 2 Chronicles. Still on the first game as I've neglected it a bit this week, but hoping to make some progress today. It's great, but some of the bosses are frustrating for all the wrong reasons. That amazing soundtrack carries a lot, though.

Have a great weekend, folks.

Well, my PS5 New Year resolution is to actually buy a PS5... somewhat surreally for me, it's my 50th birthday in March, so I think that will be my present to myself... then I'll have even more of a ridiculous backlog to get to at some point 😂 Like it's not big enough already!

For anyone interested, my first port of call upon purchase will be Alan Wake 2. Non-negotiable. The first one is one of my favourite games ever and I'm itching to play the sequel. After that... well, there's quite a selection of excellent games to choose from, isn't there?

@PuppetMaster Oath in Felghana is the game that kicked off my Falcom habit. It's just so good.

Happy New Year, fellow Push Squarians! This weekend I will be hunkering down indoors to avoid the snowstorm currently hitting the North East of Scotland, and while doing so I will be continuing to play: -

• Red Dead Redemption. What a game. It really feels like you're inhabiting the life of John Marston, and every in-game day yields something memorable. I'm impressed with how organic the open world feels. Heck, just riding around in the wilds, listening to the hooves of your mount and taking in the scenery can be downright zen-like.
• Ys 1 & 2 Chronicles. I'm not sure what I expected from this, but I did not expect this title to go so hard. I'm a few hours in now, and that magic Falcom fairy dust is in full effect - fantastic music, charming story and characters, fun gameplay (once you get used to bumping into enemies in order to attack them), and a perfectly paced gameplay loop of discovery. Yep, I'm hooked.

Have a great weekend, folks.

Ha, is it the weekend already? I'm deep in the Christmas time vortex and have lost track.

So this weekend I will be playing: -

• Red Dead Redemption. I'm a few hours in and can already tell this is going to be one of those games were I lose track of time (like, even more so) playing it. It really nails that Western aesthetic. You can almost feel the dust in the back of your throat.
• Ys 1 & 2 Chronicles. I love the Ys series but have yet to play this, so looking forward to giving it a go, though I imagine the 'headbutt' buttonless combat is going to take some getting used to.

Hard to believe 2025 is almost at an end. For anyone who cares, here are my top three of the games I've played for the first time this year. These games were all extremely close in my estimation, though they are all very different to each other (and yes, I've cheated a bit with a joint third place): -

• Joint third place: Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. The best puzzle game I've played since The Witness. Amazing game.
• Joint third place: The Messenger - pure 2D platforming joy, a real love letter to 8-bit and 16-bit gaming. Technical and challenging, but also fair and fun. The sense of humour and the wacky story are the icing on the cake.
• Second place: Deus Ex Human Revolution. Vividly memorable, with a fantastic soundtrack and art design. I think this is a game that will stay with me for a long time.
• First place: The Last of Us Part 2. Just a tour de force from Naughty Dog. Everything is there - amazing visuals and setting, ambitious story, tense gameplay. The Last of Us always had something of the Western about it and the story of revenge wreaking havoc on the lives of those involved fits that influence perfectly.

Honourable mentions: -

• Trails in the Sky First and Second Chapter: cosy, charming and comforting gaming with a story and world that really draws you in.
• Owlboy: equally cosy and charming, and surprisingly epic at times, with some of the best pixel art design I've ever seen.

Whatever you're playing this weekend, enjoy - here's to 2026 when it comes.

@Czar_Khastik I've beaten all the Uncharted games and love them all, but you know, despite the fact it's not as cinematically impressive as the other entries, Drake's Fortune might well be my favourite. There's just something really special about it. Enjoy!

@kyleforrester87 Where's Big Boss's Santa hat this year? 🤔

My eldest daughter is now home from uni for Christmas, and I'll mainly be spending time with my two girls this weekend, as well as some last-minute festive preparations. However, if I manage to fit in any gaming time I will be playing Owlboy, and I also have some wildly ambitious notions about starting Red Dead Redemption after that.

Have a great weekend!

That article tagline is a thing of beauty 👌

@PuppetMaster Thank you kindly, you enjoy your weekend too 🍻 I'm a few hours into Owlboy now and having a blast - it's great!

@Czar_Khastik I'm lucky enough to own a PS3 physical copy that I bought at the time of release. I've played it through many times and I can't praise it enough. The art direction is fantastic (it still looks great today), the music is inspired, the story and setting is a ton of fun, and the gameplay is there too. There's so many secrets and little details crammed into it that I generally discover something new every time I play. It's also got a fun co-op mode that is great to play with the kids.

Definitely give it a go if you get the chance (without having to sell your house to get a copy).

Having returned to the amazing Puppeteer last weekend, I then followed that up with a playthrough of another game I love to return to round Christmastime - the poetic, beautiful Journey. Now this weekend I have decided to try Owlboy. Just started it yesterday, and so far it seems the perfect choice for some cosy winter gaming.

Easily on my list of favourite games ever - it elevated the idea of the maze puzzle to art. So many vivid memories from this game are burned into my mind forever. Even just wandering around the island and noticing little clever details hidden in the scenery - like one whole section of the island, when viewed from the boat, looks like a woman lying on her side, for example. It really challenged your perceptions.

Beating that final timed challenge was incredibly satisfying. But perhaps even more satisfying was getting the true ending and discovering that my early guess about the nature of the island was correct. Wonderful game.

Having finished with Creaks, which is an excellent game with little hints of Abe's Oddyssee and Braid in the puzzle design, this weekend I will be continuing in a 2D platformer vein by playing Puppeteer. It's a game I often return to close to Christmas, as there's something just so Christmassy about it - it's pretty much the videogame equivalent of a pantomime (oh no it isn't!... sorry). It's also so brim full of inventiveness, charm, and little things to discover that it has a ton of replayability . An indie soul placed in an AAA quality production.

Have a great weekend folks.

Having finished with Vagrant Story (fun, compulsive game, but flawed by modern standards - could really benefit from a remake with some QoL improvements), I'm going to be playing Creaks this weekend. I've had my eye on Amanita Design ever since I played Machinarium ages ago - their quirky, playful and arty games really hit the spot for me. Like kids' storybooks brought to life.

@Jrs1 R-Type Delta is one of my all-time favourite games. One of the best shmups ever made. And the soundtrack is just👌

More Vagrant Story for me this weekend. This game is the very definition of a game that is more than the sum of its parts. I'm hopelessly addicted to it. Please send help. I was not expecting to become this obsessed with a creaky PS1 game.

Speaking of creaky, also hoping to play Creaks at some point, if I ever pull myself away from VS.

Have a good one, folks.

@PuppetMaster Cheers for the advice. Slowly getting to grips with the mechanics and really loving it. Just wish there was a menu shortcut to switch weapons - going into the full menu to do it each time gets a bit tedious.

I'm still working my way through Vagrant Story. It's systems are convoluted and impenetrable; it's pacing is slow and either ponderous or methodical depending on your point of view; it treats the player almost with disdain in how little tutorial it gives on its mechanics. By all rights I should have bounced off this (I have so. many. games in my backlog), yet I can't leave it alone. I sit down meaning to just play for an hour and then find myself still there 3 hours later having lost track of time because I've been so engrossed. There's some magic ingredient in the game that is just plain addictive. It reminds me a lot of a tabletop board game. So that's what I'll be playing this weekend!

I also bought the Creaks/Machinarium bundle in the sale. I played Machinarium years ago on my PC and it's still one of the best point and clicks I've ever played. Looking forward to playing Creaks when I can tear myself away from VS.

Have a great weekend folks.

Having finished with Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (utterly fantastic game), I'm moving onto something completely different this weekend and giving PS1 classic Vagrant Story a spin. I've heard the gameplay systems are pretty convoluted and in-depth. I've got a week off work this week so hopefully I'll have the time (and the energy) to get into it and enjoy it. I'm already impressed by the art style which is amazing by PS1 standards.

@Czar_Khastik #lifegoals 😂

Continuing with Lorelei and the Laser Eyes this weekend. I'm at about 80% completion now. This has been one of my personal standouts of the year for me, it's just soooooo good. And best played knowing as little about it as possible going in.

My eldest daughter is also playing Lorelei at the moment so there's a bit of friendly competition going on as to who will solve it all first. She's in the lead at the moment, but she did get a head-start on me 😅

Have a great weekend, fellow gamers.