astro911

@gollumb82 Cheers mate! That's a great set of games to start again with. There are so many gems in the PS3 catalogue waiting to be played, but like you it's a matter of finding the time to play them!

I’m on a huge PS3 binge and neglecting the PS4/5 at the moment. Just finished the original Dead Island tonight! Have the DLC and Riptide ahead of me now before the sequel lands in Feb next year. Over the moon that it’s still coming out! Have bought the Definitive edition on the PS4 in the recent sale but don’t know when I’ll get round to it haha.

I read Army of Two servers are closing down next month so I want to try out the online for 40th Day and Devil’s Cartel while I have the chance. My backlog on my PS3 is huge and the order in which I play games had largely been dictated by announcements that the servers for certain games are being switched off!

@Atreus97 Couldn't agree more! Recently upgraded my PS Plus subscription to try out Returnal. Wow, playing this with the Dualsense and Pulse headphones really makes me feel that the next gen has arrived. Absolutely loving it!

I have also just started playing Driver: San Francisco and Ghost Recon: Future Soldier on the PS3. They have been sitting in my backlog of shame but Ubisoft's announcement about closing the online servers has given me the impetus to try them out. Have been pleasantly surprised by both of them so far and look forward to playing them more.

Was this the title that has been in development for years and was originally being made for the Vita?

@Mezzer I'm nearly 38 and I've gone through patches where I don't feel like playing much and nothing seems to grab me. I think as we get older and gain more experience things feel far less "new" and more of the same, hence it takes a lot more to grab and hold our attention. So it's completely understandable that things have felt more and more repetitive to you over the past few years. Personally speaking I feel that I have far more unique experiences waiting for me in my huge backlog compared to new releases on any platform despite the better framerates, particle effects, graphics and load times etc.

The good thing is you have other things in your life including work, family and the outdoors to keep you grounded and give you balance. But I'm sure something will eventually come along that piques your interest and helps ignite the fire to play games again. For me recently it was Astro's Playroom and now I'm really looking forward to Stray later this month for something novel and different!

@Luigia Cheers! I often forget and have to remind myself.

@Luigia Yeah it was an absolute blast and as you say a fantastic showcase for the Dualsense! Astrobot is a adorable and I’m looking forward to Team Asobi’s next project.

I was playing TMNT on my friend’s Series X via Gamepass so I plan to pick it up on PlayStation and replay once it goes on sale.

Started Ghostrunner tonight from my PS Plus backlog of PS5 games. I’m really loving the setting but I think this game is going to make me rage quit haha. I just don’t have the patience anymore for so much trial and error. I play games to have fun, not to get frustrated. 😂 Definitely feels like one of those games that favours a mouse and keyboard setup.

It’s been an eventful weekend so far! On Friday the adaptive triggers in my Dualsense went bust after just a week and a half of owning my PS5

I took it into the store and they replaced it with the galactic purple model. Hopefully I will be okay moving forward but it was a bit of a shock considering I’ve never had a problem with any of my DS3 or DS4 controllers.

Finished the lovely puzzle game Expand (great soundtrack, too!) and got the platinum on Astro’s Playroom yesterday afternoon. Last night I played some TMNT for the first time at my mate’s place - they’ve done a fantastic job with that game! Brought back so many memories of playing TMNT on the Super Nintendo all those years ago…

My weekend has been spent navigating my way around my new PS5! I unexpectedly got my hands on it earlier this week when one of my local stores managed to get four of them packaged with H:FW on pre-order and I just happened to walk in at the right time.

I wasn't planning on getting a PS5 for another year or two due to being content with my Pro but I decided to bite the bullet while I can still make a decent sum selling off my OG PS4 on eBay which had been my secondary unit in the other room.

So far I'm very impressed with the Dualsense controller. It definitely feels premium and I'm loving the haptic feedback. Astro's Playroom has been an absolute joy to play and a real nostalgia trip! The short load times are also most welcome. Missing the quick menu, themes and folders from the PS4, though!

I was up until late last night playing 4v4 in Rocket League with my mates. Just like old times! I have also been making my way through the indie game Liberated which has a lot of charm with it's comic book style but needed more time in the oven to improve the gameplay.

On the PS3 I have been playing Shadows of the Damned. I'm a big fan of Suda51 and really enjoying this! Just about to start Act 5 so not too long to go now...

I really do miss the scale and spectacle of a big show like E3. I'm very grateful that I managed to go to Tokyo Game Show four years in a row when I lived in Japan. Watching a presentation stream is efficient and economical in the digital age but nothing beats people coming together and enjoying a special moment. Watching a live stream with a popular streamer and other fans making comments helps but is still no substitute for the real thing.

I appreciate what Keighley does for the industry and for organising these shows but I can't warm to him as a personality and really wish there were more people involved in presenting these kind of big events.

@gollumb82 Thanks mate! I was exactly the same as you when I played the original back in 2013 - I could barely put it down and part of me felt empty when it was all over. Up until then I don't think a game had ever had such an emotional impact on me.
To be honest I'm a bit of a wimp and usually avoid games with jump scares or horror like the plague! However, the human drama and gameplay in this series is just so engaging that I can't help but feel compelled to play and push through. Naughty Dog truly are on another level and I'm so grateful that this sequel exists. Can't wait for the TV series and will gladly buy the remake of the first game in a heartbeat if the rumours are indeed true!

Currently addicted to The Last of Us Part II having just completed the remaster of the original. I'm now playing as Abby. What a game!

Hopefully we will see a release date for Stray considering it was meant to come out earlier this year.

Interesting to see the physical copy of Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong still hasn't gone on sale in the US when it released earlier this month...

9/15, and that's including a couple of guesses. :/

@Storytime7 I did the same thing last week! I finished the game nine years ago on my friend's PS3 while housesitting for him but wanted to complete the remaster on my PSN account. Started it back in 2018 but stopped halfway through. Reinstalled the game and before I knew it I was hooked again! Looking forward to playing the DLC for the first time before finally moving on to Part II.

Finished Vampire The Masquerade: Swansong this weekend. I initially had buyer's remorse for pre-ordering but the characters grew on me and I became more invested in the story as it progressed. I'm looking forward to going back to approach some of the scenarios from different angles and mop up some more of the trophies!

@gollumb82 I'm not into battle royale games at all but the VtM franchise and setting in Prague has really piqued my interest!

@gollumb82
No worries! The New York visual novels really got me interested in the franchise which is why I decided to take the plunge on the Primogen edition of Swansong. Definitely worth waiting for 30% off or more before jumping in. Like you I'm also keeping my fingers crossed for Bloodlines 2! I'm actually somewhat tempted to upgrade my Pro to a PS5 just to play Bloodhunt haha...

@gollumb82 I recently finished Cotories and Shadows of New York. I enjoyed my time with both of them and they convinced me to pre-order Swansong, which I'm currently playing through. Given the price tag I paid I was initially pretty disappointed due to the quality of graphics, poor lip synching, considerable jank and feeling overwhelmed by the mechanics the game throws at you from the get-go. However, I've warmed to the game as I've made my way through the story and think Pushsquare's 7/10 rating is a fair one.

@Ken_Kaniff
Absolutely. I appreciate HQ wanting to control the narrative where possible but Jim Ryan comes across as a dinosaur and completely out of touch when it comes to communication in the 21st century. Revealing information through interviews with magazines when you have a plethora of social media platforms to share your message? I still love PlayStation but it feels so corporate and rigid these days under Ryan's leadership. I miss the feel-good vibes of the PS3-Vita-PS4 era.

Just in an Uber on the way home from playing Outbreak Origins at Zero Latency VR! Had a great time with my mates! On PS4 I recently finished Vampire: The Masquerade Corteries of New York. Now starting the expansion Shadows of New York. Will hopefully finish it before Swansong comes out next Thursday.

I actually got a PS5 in July last year but sold it to my brother a few days later as he wanted it more. I couldn't justify the purchase at the time as my PS4 Pro with a 2TB SSD was, and remains, sufficient for my needs. The games look good enough and the longer load times and lower FPS compared to the PS5 don't bother me. I also play a lot more indie games these days which don't demand next-gen hardware. Recently finished Trek to Yomi and The Ascent and both looked great on the Pro. I also love my themes and folders, not to mention the option of remote play with my Vita. I'm just too comfortable at the moment.

Once there are more improvements to the PS5's OS, as well as more enticing games like Returnal that scream "next gen" to me I will pick one up again. I anticipate this will be in the next 12-18 months as they become more readily available.

@sanderson72 Only the one time - you input the new password provided by Sony for the device and check the box to remember the new password. At least, that’s how it’s been working for me on my PS3 and Vita.

@BadPlayerOne I agree, I’m taking this as a win, or at least a stay of execution on the storefronts on both devices. If they were closing them soon I don’t think Sony would have bothered to take this step.

Sony is a business, not a charity. Why on earth would they sacrifice millions of dollars in profits by putting new AAA titles on a subscription service when they can sell them at $70 a pop at retail and on their digital store? Sony’s big hitters will no doubt come to their subscription service eventually but only after actual sales really start to dry up… anyone who thinks they are inclined (or in a position) to give up a fortune in revenue like Microsoft to garner good will and subscribers needs a reality check in my opinion…

Just finished this on ronin difficulty. Absolutely loved it! The atmosphere and sound effects were fantastic. Didn’t find issues with combat that some people seem to be complaining about. It was deeper than I anticipated and many of the enemies had to be approached differently in order to get through them efficiently. I also liked the collectibles telling me more about Japanese mythology and folklore. If you have any interest in samurai, Japanese history and culture I recommend this game! Think the launch price is also very fair. Really don’t understand people’s expectations towards indie devs sometimes.

Currently on the 5th chapter of Trek to Yomi! Absolutely loving it. Do yourself a favour and play it with headphones on! Also getting towards the end of The Ascent. It’s not perfect but it I’m addicted and it’s my game of 2022 so far. If you’re a fan of Ruiner I definitely recommend picking it up. Might try to fit in some Rocket League with my mates, too.

I liked GOW but I did not love it. I did not enjoy the default control layout and there were times I found myself bored travelling throughout the game despite being able to appreciate some absolutely gorgeous landscapes. The game had a really strong opening and then gradually fizzled out for me. Something just didn’t click and the kid annoyed the crap out of me. To be honest I was relieved it finished when it did and have never felt compelled to go back to it. Ragnarok looks like a very solid sequel but I won’t be in a hurry to play it.

The Japanese servers for Grand Kingdom shut down on Monday so I have been participating in as many online wars as possible before they’re gone.

Wow, really fascinating to see so many negative reactions. For me that was one of the best State of Plays I have ever seen…

Got Dragon’s Crown Pro on my Japanese account for this month. Well pleased!