Veritas7Ax

Didn’t the creator not like having to add trophies? That might explain some of the “attitude” toward the player for lack of a better expression.

I’ve still not played this game. It’s on my list for “all time indies”. I might get to it eventually.

@OptimusPrime1

Correct! I pointed this out in the other article (I guess the comments didn't get merged), but yeah, Standard Edition for Forza was $30 in September. Black Friday and now this sale, it has not hit that price again.

I shoulda jumped on it. That said, I kinda wanted the Premium, which is following a similar pattern ($49.99 in Sept, $59.99 on sale since), so the temptation is still there to wait out a better deal lol

Technically Armored Core VI is at an all-time low digitally, previous lowest price was $35.99, but this is still not low enough for me to bother. I might finally cave and get the disc, but we'll see. I'd prefer digital.

Also for those interested, Forza is not an all-time low at the moment. After being $29.99 in September, the standard edition has been $35.99 the last two sales. Similar pattern for the Premium. So if you're being extra frugal this holiday season like me, might want to keep that in mind.

@doctommaso

I started doing some very surface level research and it seems that there is a slight balance between dark, violent moments and depressing themes, etc., and some humorous, punctuated moments. This is for Divinity 2. Supposedly the first one is more lighthearted.

I think for me, seeing some gameplay (with cutscenes) will be a big deciding factor. Again, I don't need a game to be sunshine and rainbows, and immersion into a bleaker world isn't necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes you need to be in the right mood for it, ya know?

I'm eager to give BG3 a try and I would be curious to try Larian's other works as well. I know nothing about Divinity but I might check out Divinity 2.

The trailer for this game makes me unsure of what to expect. It was a bit gross for lack of a better word lol. I'm not sure what I was supposed to get from it, but is the world of Divinity a very nihilistic, downer kind of place? If so, it might not be the game for me. I don't need color-coded heroes vs villains kind of morality + narrative in all my games, I can definitely appreciate dark themes, and dark moments, but a game where the world and its people suck and enjoy seeing people burn to death might not be my immediate cup of tea.

Just started this game and it's a joy. Fun concept and the soundtrack is really grasping me.

@Oram77

Definitely a big fan of more demos. Sad that they've become a bit more rare over time.

A little bit disappointing from a trophy hunter's perspective but I still plan to check it out. It was fun and the nostalgia is real, so I can't pass it up.

Platinum #121 for me and was my second TellTale game. It was here the format really clicked for me, and I sought it out more. Excited to play Dispatch soon!

But yeah, great game and added bonus of being attached to a world I already have some love for.

SMH, Capcom so lazy and cheap they are trying to outsource free game dev labor from fans now!

Jk, jk. I think that's a pretty cool idea. I have zero artistic skill so I have nothing to offer here, but I look forward to seeing the winner.

@Bob_Tempura

Oh that's awesome! Kindred spirits. Hmm, perhaps I should check out Burnout 2 then. I started with 3 so never experienced anything before it.

But yeah, still holding out some slim hope. Some day. Thankfully I still have a working PS2 slim.

As weird as this whole thing was, I am slightly intrigued. The gameplay saved it for me, but I still need to see more.

She seemed a little bit tipsy I think lol. But that's pretty cool and I might check it out.

I'll play this, but my dream of a Burnout 3/Revenge remaster or new Burnout (in the STYLE of those--not Paradise) keeps slipping further away.

Damn this trailer was grotesque lol. I'm kind of intrigued but never played Divinity before.

Eight wins means it broke the record set by TLOU 2 right? Really exciting!

Edit: Nine, I can count, I promise

@Oram77

I need to see the latest installment in the Keighley-Kojima bromance! I never miss an episode!

(/s if not obvious)

Guess we'll see if anything actually gets announced, but that would be pretty cool if they did something with that. I think it's a great game, and in some ways better than KOTOR 1, but when I got older and replayed it, it was definitely noticeable that things were "off". Heck, I had the Prima Games Guide for the game, and even that guide had incorrect boss names/designs because they were altered in the final version of the game.

Now I'm motivated! I'm a huge DMC fan so any news there would be killer.

Would be cautiously excited to see it re-announced as it were. But due to the change of hands, wouldn't be surprised if it's still a few years away.

Edit: also, since this could mean the title is possibly back from the dead, is a good alternate sub-header "Revanant"?

@KidRisky

I'm in the same boat as you. I just could not do that trophy of doing the final challenge which was a timed thing. I had to rely on that exploit as well.

I also looked up a small handful of puzzles when I got super stumped, but overall I'd say I did like 75% of it. So yeah, a little controversial for me already on the second edition of this installment! But I'm still enjoying it, keep it coming!

Speaking on the game itself, I enjoyed it a lot but found myself a bit frustrated and impatient at times (hence looking up a few solutions). I think I like puzzle games, but I could never for the life of me figure out the "boundaries" and the "rules" of The Witness. It seemed to be about figuring out patterns in the area, or environmental clues, or etc. Sometimes it was easy, other times, I was stumped. I was looking all over the place, sometimes crazy far away from the puzzle pedestal, trying to find something "out of place" in the most mundane things. I just didn't know how far the game needed me to search for the clues, and that's when I got impatient. "There are five tiles here, but one is cracked. Is that the clue?" Or "is the other half of this pattern in the tree branches? If so, is it these branches, or the ones way over there?"

So yeah, I had a mixed time, but still a beautiful game overall.

@ChesterAdams125

You do realize that things exist between extremes right? It's not just two minute speeches or 10 minute speeches and nothing in between, right? For the passionate creators who put years of their lives into a project, to get passive-aggressively played off the stage and have a "wrap it up" sign in their view after only talking for, in some cases 3-4 minutes was absolutely insulting.

So no, I don't care about "droning", I just want to hear some really amazing people tell some heartfelt, passionate stories for more than two minutes without being told no.

@RoomWithaMoose

Oh for sure, and it's that nuance that's important to bear in mind, that, like you said, this isn't the Oscars, budget differences, sponsor differences, etc. However, I do think some of the issues like the one I highlighted could be mitigated slightly by maybe trying to budget time more appropriately (sponsors, advertisers, etc. willing!) Not easy, I'm sure but yeah.

And at the end of the day, I'm half having a laugh, half pointing out what I and many others thought were bad optics. That social media post of the stage cue sign saying "Please wrap it up" toward the speakers is just burned into my brain.

The Game Awards: we love to celebrate our creators. Look at these inspiring people speaking!

Also the Game Awards: get the FU*K off the stage, you’re talking too much!

Very cool coincidence as I just finished the first game, the special edition release from LRG. As my first time playing the game ever, it was really enjoyable and surprisingly in-depth for a PS1 game.

Definitely gonna keep an eye on this.

"A character [dies] in the middle of the game [...] the character who replaces them is really a carbon copy, and they get all your stuff, and you can continue without a hitch.

Dart: LAVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITZ

Ok, but seriously, LoD is in my top-2 favorite games of all time, so call me biased, but I think it IS as good as you remember, Mark. I've probably played it like two dozen or more times over the years. Seeing it get trophies was a dream come true.

I would love a remake or surprise sequel, but I know it's wishful thinking.

@Briarback

Thanks man! You can totally get there, you sound like a pretty dedicated gamer yourself, and you remind me of my buddy in some ways, especially splitting time with PlayStation and Xbox like he does sometimes.

I also get "stuck" with some games, for good reasons, usually lol. Just enjoying them for a while, Borderlands, Destiny, etc. Just fun to enjoy games too and not always get lost in trophy hunting. But... hunting is also fun hahaha.

And lastly, I'm proud to say I have no shovelware on my profile haha. There are a handful of autopops in there, like maybe 5-6 total, but otherwise it's all legit stuff. Closest and "cheapest" game I've ever done was Inksplosion, and that at least had some nuance and small strategy to it. It wasn't just a "hit x to get 10 gold trophies" game. Was like 30+ min plat.

That sounds fantastic. Marathoning the series in 2022 was peak gaming for me. Especially when I got to the current trilogy, I was just having a blast. Love the methodical and thoughtful nature of each level, and approach.

If it is Diablo 4, I think the only thing that puzzles me is wasn't the game really badly received at launch and the months following? Maybe it's kind of leveled off since then, but doesn't seem like the game that would normally call for this kind of PR thing.

I like the format! Informative, especially since it gives me insight into a game I’ve not played. I’ve been trophy hunting for a long, long time. Unsurprisingly then, my first platinum was Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune on PS3.

And now years later I have just hit 500 with Ghost of Yotei.

I don't even need to weigh in on the AI aspect. I think this game lost me during its announcement when they said it was PvEvP. Ew, other people.

Glad that purchasing at least guarantees I can still play it. I bought the collection a while back and still need to finish Yakuza 0.

This is how people used to feel (and still do) about Capcom. It's basically been an inside joke/meme.

"You gonna get the new Street Fighter?"

"No, I'll just wait for the Hyper Ultra Turbo Remix Classic Rush Edition"

@AK4tywill

Dude, same. As I noted earlier, it was literally in my cart last night. My wife and I were talking gift exchange and I held off for the time being. So clutch lol.

Saved by the announcement! I literally had Lego Horizon in my cart. Was waiting, and waiting, and waiting for it to get a good digital sale and it was never budging below $40 so I was like "screw it, $20 for a disc is hard to pass up" so I almost pulled the trigger.

Also interested in Neon White, so that's cool.

"No question about it. I am ready to get hurt again." ~Michael Scott

I like the concept. Definitely will take a look at this, sounds fun!

Still need time to pore over all the deals, but I did notice the sales for Forza are not at their lowest price.

Forza Horizon standard - BF price $38.99 / All-time low $29.99
Forza Horizon Premium - BF price $64.99 / All-time low $49.99

Maybe I'm being too demanding of a BF sale, but to not even match the previous low price feels like a trap to get people to jump on a vague BF "deal" when it's not even the best deal.

Other than that, I do see a few good deals here and there that I might jump on.

If Agent 47 has to impersonate a rapper and do a rap battle, I’m unironically here for it lol.

@Oram77

Yep, just popped the Plat 4 days ago. Time to turn my Homura back around.

I say this every year because I’ve gotten burned a few times, but friendly advice is to be aware another sale will almost certainly kick off a day or two before BF ends on the PSN store. I’ve had several times where I bought a game, then the deluxe edition of that game went on sale for just $5 more a few days later. Pretty frustrating.

So please be aware of that, in case there’s a game with extra content you really want (sometimes some of that stuff is junk, but you never know). Sony seems to usually pull the sale page just before the sale ends, but the prices will still be live as the new page/sale is implemented.

I wanted to try Surviving Mars, so that's a bummer. Maybe I'll pick up the Relaunched version if it goes on sale in the future.

Looks like I got to eat a little crow on this one, I admit. I was pretty darn sure Yotei would make the nomination list. Didn't think KCD2 would make the cut over it, so I was wrong there.

That's awesome, happy for them. I am hoping to contribute soon and pick it up. Just got so many other games on my plate still.

AI is, sadly, not going anywhere, any time soon, so I think as these issues keep coming up, regulation will most likely come into play. Labor/creator issues are obviously very tightly entangled with this, and that might be the tipping point as that friction increases. It might also be some huge misinformation campaign that does it.

reads the comments

Ok wild to hear the thought that Ghost of Yotei won't get a nomination. It's unlikely to win GOTY, yes, but a nomination at the very least, I'd wager money on that. I guess anything is possible, but that would be a shock to me.

Anyway, like others, I expect E33 to get a lot of love here. Think it has a pretty strong shot for GOTY but you never know. Hope it happens but we'll see. Hope Hades 2 gets one of the lesser awards as well.

@BusyOlf

While we're at it, bring over Portal 1 also, with trophies!

The PS4 version didn't have the MP trophies, right? Hoping this will be the same.

This is definitely one I've got my eye on. Looks promising.

Ah, Pacific Drive is the "I bought this game a few months ago on a nice sale and it's in my backlog now" game of the month for me. To be fair, I had a nice streak of checks notes .... one month since the last time this happened!

Joking aside, this seems like a solid lineup of additions. Definitely will check a couple of these out like Talos.