Hogwarts was one of the best game surprises in years, charming and intense, beautiful and epic. Such a great fully-realized RPG. Burning Shores and Phantom Liberty brought me back into my fav games and caused me to double my playtime with each (and still going). Top tier DLC's for sure. Diablo 4...very fun, gorgeous graphics and stunning music and sound, been jumping back into it lately.
Honorable Mentions: I played Baulder's Gate 3 for about 25 hours, I need to get back onto it, I felt like I was not too good at it and the turned-based battles seemed slow. But such a well done game. Forspoken and Gotham Knights, forget what you've heard, these are fun games. Lego 2K Drive, not sure but did not grab me, been meaning to get back into it. Wayfinder, lots of fun, and art style is amazing, will return at some point. Ramping up in Coral Island, lots of promise with this cozy game. And as always, lots of Disney Dreamlight Valley, can't wait for the new update/DLC this week!
I do wish you could travel from anywhere to a fast travel point, or even have a nominal fee attached like in Horizon Forbidden West. It's a drag to have to get to a fast travel point before you can even fast travel. But I guess the current way is more realistic. Otherwise, excited for all the new update stuff! Game is in such great shape now
Disney Dreamlight Valley - Lots of fun as always and excited for all the new updates, best cozy game ever, especially going into Winter. Time to get all my holiday decorations up. Coral Island - Already 5 hours in, so much to do and love the art style. Some of the details in the interior buildings and landscapes are amazing. Not a lot of hand-holding so I have to dip into the web for a few things, but most is easy to figure out. I see me spending way too many hours with this game! Borderlands 3 - Hundreds of hours in and running Joey’s Villa level just never gets old. Cyberpunk 2077 - Addicted to Airdrops.
For anyone thinking about getting this amazing game, here is a pro tip: just play the campaign. When you do, you unlock all the base biomes, and then you unlock high-end seeds like Pumpkin, and then you are a DDV Millionaire. You can afford anything in Scrooge's large store, which rotates from THOUSANDS of cosmetics/items daily. So you don't need to spend real money and can focus on the metric ton of campaigns and side quests in the game. If you absolutely have to have micro-transactions, there is a tiny cosmetic store in the game, that offers 4 items which rotate every 5 days. There is a battle pass which can be ignored, or spend the $10 for the cosmetics included if they are worth it.
I have alway felt this is a great single player game with a ton of content. At 150 hours, I continue to feel zero pressure to buy anything, and I still have tons of quests yet to do, as well as my usual farming, fishing, building, mining, decorating, etc. I am completely not surprised they are not going free to play, it's just not what the game turned out to be. But you do have to really play the game to get that I think.
I also kept wondering when the iOS version was coming. Well now we know, the big news left out from above is that DDV is coming to Apple Arcade (iPhone/iPad), full game and expansion but with no micro transactions, no store, and no battle pass (!)
Anyway lots of cool stuff coming (like multiplayer) and the video was great...passionate player base + passionate developers is always an amazing mix.
Spending a lot of time with 2.0/Phantom Liberty. Love to wander...I am in the middle of one of the new side quests, then I come across a gig, work on that quick, then an airdrop flies in right where I am, head to that then notice a car pinging one street over, vehicle contract that needs to be done, all the while moving through the city and seeing many more gangs that need to be taken down a peg or two, oh and also chipping away at the main DLC story which is going in some cool directions. Fantastic game that looks stunning, highly recommended.
Horizon Forbidden West just hit level 70 and spending time clearing map and DLC, lots to do, so glad I got back into the game, such an amazing open world.
Cyberpunk 2077 first few missions of DLC have me really hooked. Game looks so much better with 2.0 and the city really feels "alive" now...hard to explain but between the new gorgeous visuals and all other changes its just so vibrant. New car combat giving me a lot of Borderlands vibes.
Excited to play this, and also excited I have avoided all videos on it so I come in fresh. Although I just started diving deep into Cyberpunk 2077 - Phantom Liberty, which seems amazing so far, so may have to wait a little.
Daughter is obsessed with it on her iPad., she’s 6. She’s been playing for a year and once in that time I got her a $25 gift card, she bought lotsa cool outfits (cosmetics are very cheap). That’s it. You can play almost everything for free. We spend a lot of time in Brookhaven (recommended) creating our own adventures. Playing on the PS5, big screen and surround sound, is probably gonna blow her mind…
Also keep in mind that Sony always has a Black Friday special with 25% off all levels. Wonder if they continue this year.
I had tried the Premium when it came out, but felt like I did not use it, so currently back down to Essential. It's mainly for cloud saves at this point, since they never allowed PS5 USB saves. Wish the cloud saves were not gated into the plan.
Been playing Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores and having a blast. I forgot how stunning this game is, loving the new weapons, locations and story beats while moving up the ghost levels and experimenting with more powerful builds.
Starting to ramp up my character in Wayfinder, queues to get in are now down to a few minutes. Very fun game which looks and sounds amazing. Looking forward to exploring more of this vibrant world and learning the ropes.
Is there no speaker? And who uses wired headphones in 2023?
I think $200 is a good price, although you seem to need the Pulse Explore ear buds which is another $200 for audio. Logitech G Cloud is $299, so it may be a tough sell.
Although I have my AirPods synced to my PS5 so maybe that would work if I was close enough.
Anyway..I would have paid the extra $50 for bluetooth. I can't believe they left it out.
Playing Diablo 4 but kind of winding down. I am 120 hours in, it's been fun, have a great build, learned a ton from Maxroll.gg, cleared things like Altars, Strongholds, Renown Map, finished campaign, dipped into many side quests, did some grinding for gear in certain dungeons. Problem now is I have little interest in starting a new character for seasons, redoing things, and starting from scratch. Also I find organically finding the cosmetics in the game are much better than the store or season. Yes the noise around the game is deafening, but I've been down the buff/nerf road before in games like Borderlands/Wonderlands. Devs focus on max time played, so if a build is too strong, they cut it down with an update, so you don't get overpowered and then bored. Although it's important to note, it really mostly affects high-end hardcore players, I have seen little impact on my build as a casual player. I'd recommend the game, it looks amazing, sound and music is stunning, and it's a lot of fun.
Jumped into Lego 2K Drive and Gotham Knights this past week. 2K Drive seems so fun with lots to do so far. They are opening up a user content shop this week (cars created by players) so interested to check that out.
Biggest surprise was Gotham Knights, what a charming and fun game. Only 5 hours in, but tooling around solving crimes as Batgirl is a blast. Considering it was $20 US with the current PSN sale, I feel like its a great deal. I highly recommend the add-on pack (also on sale for $7) because it provides new gear and a lot of resources for creating new weapons and suits, along with new color schemes.
Also there is good and bad 30fps implementation, this is excellent 30fps, I have no issues at all and I am a big "I can only do 60fps" person. I feel like it adds a bit to the noir style, it plays like a movie. Absolutely worth a 20 if you are on the fence.
"Redmond firm has obviously committed to ensuring the franchise remains multiformat for at least a decade"
So I know that MS offered to have COD on PS for 10 years, was the offer accepted? I might have missed this. I read that the COD license expires this year on PS, but this article states how COD will be on PS for the next 10 years...?
Anyway now PS can buy Ubisoft and invest in XDefiant and have their own COD
My top 3 this year so far would be Death Stranding (47 hours) since I completed it early this year. So memorable, visually dazzling, and really resonated with me for weeks after. Like many I almost gave up in the first few hours, but then it all started to click, and I was strapped in for one of my favorite gaming experiences ever.
Diablo 4 (70 hours so far, in the end game now), Blizzard has really built an amazing framework for a live service game where you get to play your way, excited to see the game advancing and improving for years to come.
And of course Hogwarts Legacy (120 hours) which has to be one of the best RPG games ever and easily my GOTY so far. Surprised to see it absent from the above picks.
@TJ81 Absolutely! VERY cozy! It's clear AC was the dev's Dreamlight inspiration and they improved and tweaked from there. Great game that is constantly updated. I recommend getting the Ultimate version because you get a ton of moonstones to purchase dream pass items, which is great if you do a lot of building, decorating, and outfits. Or you can bypass the pass and just get the $29 version. Then advance in the campaign until you get pumpkin seeds and you can grow them for millions and get any item in Scrooge's shop for free. Lots of fun!
Playing Diablo 4 about 55 hours in, finished campaign and almost to level 50 Sorcerer. Surprised at how many end game activities there are.
Currently into Whispers of the Dead, fun to do even level 1's and 3's, which are quick, and cashing in the points has provided some great gear/caches so far. Also getting more into Purveyor of Curiosities after getting a great legendary, since I keep getting Murmuring Obols and have plenty of keys, might as well spend them.
Also uncovering a lot of the map by riding around, so much left to explore. One downside is I stumbled into Fields of Hatred and had collected a lot of Seeds of Hatred, but could not figure out how to spend them. The game had not yet told me about converting at the alters, so I left the PVP zone and they were gone.
Pretty impressed with the game and especially the end game so far. End game has lots of stuff to do that is more casual as well as intense. Easy to pop in for 20 minutes, although it turns into 2 hours. Also transmog is amazing, finding a lot of great looks, which I feel my outfits are way better than the ones for sale.
Also playing more Disney Dreamlight, behind on quests so I am catching up on side quests and unlocking a few more characters. About 130 hours in, this game is so great, and a nice palette cleanser after Diablo.
So those are my two games this week...going between heaven and hell...
@Dusk_Actual there are certainly a lot of ways to build, and tons of great builds out there, and it’s not too pricey to respect at any time, so lots of options. It is an excellent game, i jumped in last night and 3 hours just zipped by…had a blast
@Marquez Good advice! If I had to start over, or a perhaps a tip for those just starting D4, I would just focus on the campaign. I am finding that doing a lot of side quests levels me up nicely but slows down the campaign with higher level enemies and extended boss fights. I will push onward!
Playing Diablo IV...level 30 after about 20 hours or so. Focused on campaign at first but recently more exploring and many side quests. The level scaling kinda nerfs the whole power fantasy, there is no way to go off and grind to level up and come back to a boss to beat it. Actually there is no real grinding, because if you advance levels, the game just advances all the enemies.
So you have to dive into the meta, but there are hundreds of builds out so it's hard to choose, not to mention Blizzard is nerfing and buffing all the time currently (to be expected this early in the game's life) so it's like a moving target. Also I am becoming less interested in the seasons, as I don't really feel like starting all over with a new character.
Otherwise, the game is definitely fun and addicting. Looks amazing and great cut scenes. The fact that it's an open world and you can go anywhere, and do the campaign in any order, is huge in terms of flexibility. I have an ice sorceress that (currently) is pretty powerful after finding a pretty tight build, but not sure I will play the game long term. Or maybe I will, kinda on the fence.
Part of me really just wants to pause it all and jump right into Final Fantasy XVI which I know I will be playing for weeks and having a blast
So I can get 25% off extending my plan. But after I do that, does the button change to "Buy Again" so I can add a year, with the same 25% discount? Is there any limit to stacking?
A few friends and I popped in the CD game to play one night, the week it was released in 1993. We were so entranced, we could not stop, going through the plot and puzzles we finished the game as the sun was just coming up the following AM, pulled an all-nighter. Great gaming memory and awesome classic game, and pretty much perfect for VR
@KilloWertz love Immortals Fenyx Rising..I need to revisit. I agree the puzzles got more and more complex the deeper into the game…I got sick of always having to go to YouTube. But everything else was pretty awesome.
Still having a blast with Hogwart's Legacy, 120 hours in, finished campaign + side quests and now working on (many) collectibles, several dozen more side quests, growing my beast collections, tuning my Fire and Ice build, and exploring places I have not reached yet.
About 7 hours into Forspoken, kind of the perfect dovetail transition from Hogwarts, lot of cool spells and lots to explore. Love the open world aspect with so much to do besides the campaign. Game throws a lot of techniques and spells at you in the early hours, I still need to perfect some of the moves and combos, but so far really surprised at how fun it is.
I hope they get the cross-save right this time. Like many, I downloaded Genshin Impact at launch on my PS, not realizing that when I did it would lock my save to just that platform and it would not be available anywhere else
Got the deluxe version in the PSN sale that just ended. Only a few hours in but having a blast! Real "Infamous" vibe, cool spells, funny dialog (Cuff reminds me of Bagley from Watch Dogs Legion), lots to do and collect, pretty happy so far. I think the hype was too much at launch, but I do think it's worth a shot. Looking forward to how the story will continue to unfold.
Just finished the main campaign for Hogwarts Legacy at 105 hours (thrilling ending I must say) and now diving back in to do more side quests, more exploration, collectibles and unlock more stuff. Whether I am cuddling/feeding my beasts or spinning around battling 15 enemies at once in spectacular fashion, this game is such a joy on so many levels and easily (so far) my GOTY.
Wondering what is next, probably Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores, been waiting for a reason to get back into this amazing game.
Also jumped back into Borderlands 3 this past week, the crunchy pop of aquiring those legendaries during battles never gets old, even after several hundred hours.
I'm in...I just want games that are native 4K and 60fps. Wasn't that the promise? I am still amazed at how many new games that are 60fps but have to drop down to 1080p or 1440p.
Are they increasing the level cap? Trying not to watch previews, but was curious, not sure if I've seen this discussed
Also..I did finish the campaign, amazing game, but I do like when DLC is slotted as side content in games (like you have to be at least level 12 or reach a certain point, etc) as opposed to having to complete the whole game. Many of the games I have played in recent years have done this. Also it gets people back into a game that they may not have finished.
Picked up the Horizon Zero Dawn set currently on sale this week in Fortnite, checking out the new season. Pretty fun to play as Aloy. Started playing Hogwarts Legacy and boy oh boy is this game charming. Graphics, music, acting, systems, all so top notch. So far having a very magical time.
@kcarnes9051 Agreed. I can totally see Sony following Apple’s “range” of products as opposed to just a one size fits all unit. There are like 5 iPads out now, one for every user and budget level.
Next year, be nice to see a $299 PS5 slim, $399 PS5 interchangeable, $499 PS5 full, $599 PS5 pro..cover as many bases as possible with multiple consumer entry points. Beginners to pros.
Having a product out for 7 years (going from underutilized early on to being behind in current specs in the final years) seems like a pretty dated and dusty roadmap plan compared to how the rest of the tech industry currently operates.
Sony has recently signaled a new aggressive dedication with the Playstation lineup, going all out, so I think there will be some upcoming changes to how we previously thought of "console generations".
Tightly crossing my fingers and hoping that a 60fps Far Cry New Dawn is also part of this celebration, that game looks stunning and would rock at the higher frame rate
Comments 481
Re: Poll: What Is Your PS5, PS4 Game of the Year 2023?
1. Hogwarts Legacy
2. Horizon Forbidden West + DLC
3. Cyberpunk 2077 + DLC
4. Diablo 4
Hogwarts was one of the best game surprises in years, charming and intense, beautiful and epic. Such a great fully-realized RPG. Burning Shores and Phantom Liberty brought me back into my fav games and caused me to double my playtime with each (and still going). Top tier DLC's for sure. Diablo 4...very fun, gorgeous graphics and stunning music and sound, been jumping back into it lately.
Honorable Mentions: I played Baulder's Gate 3 for about 25 hours, I need to get back onto it, I felt like I was not too good at it and the turned-based battles seemed slow. But such a well done game. Forspoken and Gotham Knights, forget what you've heard, these are fun games. Lego 2K Drive, not sure but did not grab me, been meaning to get back into it. Wayfinder, lots of fun, and art style is amazing, will return at some point. Ramping up in Coral Island, lots of promise with this cozy game. And as always, lots of Disney Dreamlight Valley, can't wait for the new update/DLC this week!
Re: Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.1 Adds Metro System, On-Person Radio, Car Races, and Much More
I do wish you could travel from anywhere to a fast travel point, or even have a nominal fee attached like in Horizon Forbidden West. It's a drag to have to get to a fast travel point before you can even fast travel. But I guess the current way is more realistic. Otherwise, excited for all the new update stuff! Game is in such great shape now
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 504
Disney Dreamlight Valley - Lots of fun as always and excited for all the new updates, best cozy game ever, especially going into Winter. Time to get all my holiday decorations up.
Coral Island - Already 5 hours in, so much to do and love the art style. Some of the details in the interior buildings and landscapes are amazing. Not a lot of hand-holding so I have to dip into the web for a few things, but most is easy to figure out. I see me spending way too many hours with this game!
Borderlands 3 - Hundreds of hours in and running Joey’s Villa level just never gets old.
Cyberpunk 2077 - Addicted to Airdrops.
Re: Unlock Free Disney Dreamlight Valley Content on PS5, PS4 As the Release's Future Is Revealed
For anyone thinking about getting this amazing game, here is a pro tip: just play the campaign. When you do, you unlock all the base biomes, and then you unlock high-end seeds like Pumpkin, and then you are a DDV Millionaire. You can afford anything in Scrooge's large store, which rotates from THOUSANDS of cosmetics/items daily. So you don't need to spend real money and can focus on the metric ton of campaigns and side quests in the game. If you absolutely have to have micro-transactions, there is a tiny cosmetic store in the game, that offers 4 items which rotate every 5 days. There is a battle pass which can be ignored, or spend the $10 for the cosmetics included if they are worth it.
I have alway felt this is a great single player game with a ton of content. At 150 hours, I continue to feel zero pressure to buy anything, and I still have tons of quests yet to do, as well as my usual farming, fishing, building, mining, decorating, etc. I am completely not surprised they are not going free to play, it's just not what the game turned out to be. But you do have to really play the game to get that I think.
I also kept wondering when the iOS version was coming. Well now we know, the big news left out from above is that DDV is coming to Apple Arcade (iPhone/iPad), full game and expansion but with no micro transactions, no store, and no battle pass (!)
Anyway lots of cool stuff coming (like multiplayer) and the video was great...passionate player base + passionate developers is always an amazing mix.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 2.02 Announced, Fixes Vehicle Mission Timers, Passive Perks, and More
Spending a lot of time with 2.0/Phantom Liberty. Love to wander...I am in the middle of one of the new side quests, then I come across a gig, work on that quick, then an airdrop flies in right where I am, head to that then notice a car pinging one street over, vehicle contract that needs to be done, all the while moving through the city and seeing many more gangs that need to be taken down a peg or two, oh and also chipping away at the main DLC story which is going in some cool directions. Fantastic game that looks stunning, highly recommended.
Re: PS5, PS4 Players Will 'Remain Welcome' As Xbox Closes $69 Billion Activision Blizzard Buyout
So Todd will be honest about Starfield now? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YMg4ehhCgU
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 497
Horizon Forbidden West just hit level 70 and spending time clearing map and DLC, lots to do, so glad I got back into the game, such an amazing open world.
Cyberpunk 2077 first few missions of DLC have me really hooked. Game looks so much better with 2.0 and the city really feels "alive" now...hard to explain but between the new gorgeous visuals and all other changes its just so vibrant. New car combat giving me a lot of Borderlands vibes.
Re: Assassin's Creed Is All About Stealth Again, as New Mirage Gameplay Shows
Excited to play this, and also excited I have avoided all videos on it so I come in fresh. Although I just started diving deep into Cyberpunk 2077 - Phantom Liberty, which seems amazing so far, so may have to wait a little.
Re: Honkai: Star Rail's PS5 Launch Update Brings Big Waifu Energy
Is it "safe" to preregister and still have cross play? I got burned on Genshin Impact by signing up for PS first.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (PS5) - Excellent Expansion Is Cyberpunk's Blood and Wine
@ShogunRok ahhh good to know, thanks for your great review!
Re: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (PS5) - Excellent Expansion Is Cyberpunk's Blood and Wine
@ShogunRok Can you jump between the new DLC setting and previous main game locations at any time?
Re: The Crew Motorfest (PS5) - Third Time's the Charm in This Vibrant, Varied Racer
Having a blast with the free trial, very impressive game and love the HDR/visuals
Re: Secret PS5 Firmware Update Feature Spotlights Your Wall of Shame
Division 2 - 278 hours
Fallout 4 - 247 hours
Borderlands 3 - 222 hours
Re: Roblox Finally Comes to PS5, PS4 This October
Daughter is obsessed with it on her iPad., she’s 6. She’s been playing for a year and once in that time I got her a $25 gift card, she bought lotsa cool outfits (cosmetics are very cheap). That’s it. You can play almost everything for free. We spend a lot of time in Brookhaven (recommended) creating our own adventures. Playing on the PS5, big screen and surround sound, is probably gonna blow her mind…
Re: PS Plus Essential, Extra, Premium Price Increases Announced by Sony
Also keep in mind that Sony always has a Black Friday special with 25% off all levels. Wonder if they continue this year.
I had tried the Premium when it came out, but felt like I did not use it, so currently back down to Essential. It's mainly for cloud saves at this point, since they never allowed PS5 USB saves. Wish the cloud saves were not gated into the plan.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 491
Been playing Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores and having a blast. I forgot how stunning this game is, loving the new weapons, locations and story beats while moving up the ghost levels and experimenting with more powerful builds.
Starting to ramp up my character in Wayfinder, queues to get in are now down to a few minutes. Very fun game which looks and sounds amazing. Looking forward to exploring more of this vibrant world and learning the ropes.
Re: PlayStation Portal Is Sony's PS5 Remote Play Handheld, Priced at $200 / £200
Is there no speaker? And who uses wired headphones in 2023?
I think $200 is a good price, although you seem to need the Pulse Explore ear buds which is another $200 for audio. Logitech G Cloud is $299, so it may be a tough sell.
Although I have my AirPods synced to my PS5 so maybe that would work if I was close enough.
Anyway..I would have paid the extra $50 for bluetooth. I can't believe they left it out.
Re: Rumour: Info on Immortals Fenyx Rising Sequel Will Make You Wish It Wasn't Cancelled
Sigh…hope it does come back at some point
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 487
Playing Diablo 4 but kind of winding down. I am 120 hours in, it's been fun, have a great build, learned a ton from Maxroll.gg, cleared things like Altars, Strongholds, Renown Map, finished campaign, dipped into many side quests, did some grinding for gear in certain dungeons. Problem now is I have little interest in starting a new character for seasons, redoing things, and starting from scratch. Also I find organically finding the cosmetics in the game are much better than the store or season. Yes the noise around the game is deafening, but I've been down the buff/nerf road before in games like Borderlands/Wonderlands. Devs focus on max time played, so if a build is too strong, they cut it down with an update, so you don't get overpowered and then bored. Although it's important to note, it really mostly affects high-end hardcore players, I have seen little impact on my build as a casual player. I'd recommend the game, it looks amazing, sound and music is stunning, and it's a lot of fun.
Jumped into Lego 2K Drive and Gotham Knights this past week. 2K Drive seems so fun with lots to do so far. They are opening up a user content shop this week (cars created by players) so interested to check that out.
Biggest surprise was Gotham Knights, what a charming and fun game. Only 5 hours in, but tooling around solving crimes as Batgirl is a blast. Considering it was $20 US with the current PSN sale, I feel like its a great deal. I highly recommend the add-on pack (also on sale for $7) because it provides new gear and a lot of resources for creating new weapons and suits, along with new color schemes.
Also there is good and bad 30fps implementation, this is excellent 30fps, I have no issues at all and I am a big "I can only do 60fps" person. I feel like it adds a bit to the noir style, it plays like a movie. Absolutely worth a 20 if you are on the fence.
Re: Rumour: Immortals Fenyx Rising Sequel Canned by Ubisoft
🙁
Re: Random: PlayStation Pasta Proves It's Fine to Play with Your Food
Well it looks like Microsoft will be buying Barilla
Re: Reaction: What Happens to PlayStation if Microsoft Buys Activision Blizzard?
"Redmond firm has obviously committed to ensuring the franchise remains multiformat for at least a decade"
So I know that MS offered to have COD on PS for 10 years, was the offer accepted? I might have missed this. I read that the COD license expires this year on PS, but this article states how COD will be on PS for the next 10 years...?
Anyway now PS can buy Ubisoft and invest in XDefiant and have their own COD
Re: Very Questionable Face Renders Are on the EA Sports FC Ultimate Edition Cover
I am from the US and know nothing about any of this, but I suddenly want to play as the "photo bomb" guy, top right
Re: Talking Point: What Are Your Favourite PS5, PS4 Games of 2023 So Far?
My top 3 this year so far would be Death Stranding (47 hours) since I completed it early this year. So memorable, visually dazzling, and really resonated with me for weeks after. Like many I almost gave up in the first few hours, but then it all started to click, and I was strapped in for one of my favorite gaming experiences ever.
Diablo 4 (70 hours so far, in the end game now), Blizzard has really built an amazing framework for a live service game where you get to play your way, excited to see the game advancing and improving for years to come.
And of course Hogwarts Legacy (120 hours) which has to be one of the best RPG games ever and easily my GOTY so far. Surprised to see it absent from the above picks.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 483
@Alexface please stick with Death Stranding, it’s amazing and a gaming memory I won’t soon forget
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 483
@TJ81 Absolutely! VERY cozy! It's clear AC was the dev's Dreamlight inspiration and they improved and tweaked from there. Great game that is constantly updated. I recommend getting the Ultimate version because you get a ton of moonstones to purchase dream pass items, which is great if you do a lot of building, decorating, and outfits. Or you can bypass the pass and just get the $29 version. Then advance in the campaign until you get pumpkin seeds and you can grow them for millions and get any item in Scrooge's shop for free. Lots of fun!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 483
Playing Diablo 4 about 55 hours in, finished campaign and almost to level 50 Sorcerer. Surprised at how many end game activities there are.
Currently into Whispers of the Dead, fun to do even level 1's and 3's, which are quick, and cashing in the points has provided some great gear/caches so far. Also getting more into Purveyor of Curiosities after getting a great legendary, since I keep getting Murmuring Obols and have plenty of keys, might as well spend them.
Also uncovering a lot of the map by riding around, so much left to explore. One downside is I stumbled into Fields of Hatred and had collected a lot of Seeds of Hatred, but could not figure out how to spend them. The game had not yet told me about converting at the alters, so I left the PVP zone and they were gone.
Pretty impressed with the game and especially the end game so far. End game has lots of stuff to do that is more casual as well as intense. Easy to pop in for 20 minutes, although it turns into 2 hours. Also transmog is amazing, finding a lot of great looks, which I feel my outfits are way better than the ones for sale.
Also playing more Disney Dreamlight, behind on quests so I am catching up on side quests and unlocking a few more characters. About 130 hours in, this game is so great, and a nice palette cleanser after Diablo.
So those are my two games this week...going between heaven and hell...
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 482
@Dusk_Actual there are certainly a lot of ways to build, and tons of great builds out there, and it’s not too pricey to respect at any time, so lots of options. It is an excellent game, i jumped in last night and 3 hours just zipped by…had a blast
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 482
@Marquez Good advice! If I had to start over, or a perhaps a tip for those just starting D4, I would just focus on the campaign. I am finding that doing a lot of side quests levels me up nicely but slows down the campaign with higher level enemies and extended boss fights. I will push onward!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 482
Playing Diablo IV...level 30 after about 20 hours or so. Focused on campaign at first but recently more exploring and many side quests. The level scaling kinda nerfs the whole power fantasy, there is no way to go off and grind to level up and come back to a boss to beat it. Actually there is no real grinding, because if you advance levels, the game just advances all the enemies.
So you have to dive into the meta, but there are hundreds of builds out so it's hard to choose, not to mention Blizzard is nerfing and buffing all the time currently (to be expected this early in the game's life) so it's like a moving target. Also I am becoming less interested in the seasons, as I don't really feel like starting all over with a new character.
Otherwise, the game is definitely fun and addicting. Looks amazing and great cut scenes. The fact that it's an open world and you can go anywhere, and do the campaign in any order, is huge in terms of flexibility. I have an ice sorceress that (currently) is pretty powerful after finding a pretty tight build, but not sure I will play the game long term. Or maybe I will, kinda on the fence.
Part of me really just wants to pause it all and jump right into Final Fantasy XVI which I know I will be playing for weeks and having a blast
Re: Feature: Summer Game Fest - What's It Like to Attend?
Awesome article, more like this please!
Re: Star Wars Outlaws Looks Legitimately Mind Blowing in Huge PS5 Gameplay Demo
This looks amazing I'm in
Re: Highly Stylised Racing RPG Resistor Looks Like a PS5 Winner
First of all, my word, what a well done game promo
Second...I now want this game!!
Re: PS Plus Subscriptions Discounted by 25% for a Limited Time
So I can get 25% off extending my plan. But after I do that, does the button change to "Buy Again" so I can add a year, with the same 25% discount? Is there any limit to stacking?
Re: Iconic 90s CD-ROM Sensation The 7th Guest Books Unexpected PSVR2 Revival
A few friends and I popped in the CD game to play one night, the week it was released in 1993. We were so entranced, we could not stop, going through the plot and puzzles we finished the game as the sun was just coming up the following AM, pulled an all-nighter. Great gaming memory and awesome classic game, and pretty much perfect for VR
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 478
@KilloWertz love Immortals Fenyx Rising..I need to revisit. I agree the puzzles got more and more complex the deeper into the game…I got sick of always having to go to YouTube. But everything else was pretty awesome.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 478
Still having a blast with Hogwart's Legacy, 120 hours in, finished campaign + side quests and now working on (many) collectibles, several dozen more side quests, growing my beast collections, tuning my Fire and Ice build, and exploring places I have not reached yet.
About 7 hours into Forspoken, kind of the perfect dovetail transition from Hogwarts, lot of cool spells and lots to explore. Love the open world aspect with so much to do besides the campaign. Game throws a lot of techniques and spells at you in the early hours, I still need to perfect some of the moves and combos, but so far really surprised at how fun it is.
Re: Last Minute Honkai: Star Rail Livestream Delay Leaves PS5, PS4 Fans on Tenterhooks
I hope they get the cross-save right this time. Like many, I downloaded Genshin Impact at launch on my PS, not realizing that when I did it would lock my save to just that platform and it would not be available anywhere else
Re: Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust (PS5) - Better Than the Main Game
Got the deluxe version in the PSN sale that just ended. Only a few hours in but having a blast! Real "Infamous" vibe, cool spells, funny dialog (Cuff reminds me of Bagley from Watch Dogs Legion), lots to do and collect, pretty happy so far. I think the hype was too much at launch, but I do think it's worth a shot. Looking forward to how the story will continue to unfold.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 476
Just finished the main campaign for Hogwarts Legacy at 105 hours (thrilling ending I must say) and now diving back in to do more side quests, more exploration, collectibles and unlock more stuff. Whether I am cuddling/feeding my beasts or spinning around battling 15 enemies at once in spectacular fashion, this game is such a joy on so many levels and easily (so far) my GOTY.
Wondering what is next, probably Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores, been waiting for a reason to get back into this amazing game.
Also jumped back into Borderlands 3 this past week, the crunchy pop of aquiring those legendaries during battles never gets old, even after several hundred hours.
Re: Horizon Burning Shores Is a Technical Masterclass on PS5, Says New Analysis
I am a fan of cloud gaming so I will play this next...
Re: Jack Black Calls for Red Dead Redemption Movie, Story 'Even Better Than The Last of Us'
If you have not seen his RDR2 video play-throughs over at JablinskiGames they are soooo entertaining - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL21Is2UmiCIOjWc2pHE_wvvyye6Y2dbA7
Re: Rumour: PS5 Pro Really Is Targeting 2024 Release Date
I'm in...I just want games that are native 4K and 60fps. Wasn't that the promise? I am still amazed at how many new games that are 60fps but have to drop down to 1080p or 1440p.
Re: PS5, PS4's Best Chance at a Mario Kart Rival Disney Speedstorm Flaunts Its Founders Packs
Gameloft knocked it out of the park with Dreamlight Valley, ultimate founder's pack purchase for me, I am hoping lightening will be striking twice
Re: You Must Beat Horizon Forbidden West to Play PS5 DLC Burning Shores
Are they increasing the level cap? Trying not to watch previews, but was curious, not sure if I've seen this discussed
Also..I did finish the campaign, amazing game, but I do like when DLC is slotted as side content in games (like you have to be at least level 12 or reach a certain point, etc) as opposed to having to complete the whole game. Many of the games I have played in recent years have done this. Also it gets people back into a game that they may not have finished.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 468
Picked up the Horizon Zero Dawn set currently on sale this week in Fortnite, checking out the new season. Pretty fun to play as Aloy. Started playing Hogwarts Legacy and boy oh boy is this game charming. Graphics, music, acting, systems, all so top notch. So far having a very magical time.
Re: Talking Point: Is 2024 Too Soon for PS5 Pro?
@kcarnes9051 Agreed. I can totally see Sony following Apple’s “range” of products as opposed to just a one size fits all unit. There are like 5 iPads out now, one for every user and budget level.
Next year, be nice to see a $299 PS5 slim, $399 PS5 interchangeable, $499 PS5 full, $599 PS5 pro..cover as many bases as possible with multiple consumer entry points. Beginners to pros.
Having a product out for 7 years (going from underutilized early on to being behind in current specs in the final years) seems like a pretty dated and dusty roadmap plan compared to how the rest of the tech industry currently operates.
Sony has recently signaled a new aggressive dedication with the Playstation lineup, going all out, so I think there will be some upcoming changes to how we previously thought of "console generations".
Re: Far Cry 5 Potentially Getting 60fps PS5 Patch on Fifth Anniversary
Tightly crossing my fingers and hoping that a 60fps Far Cry New Dawn is also part of this celebration, that game looks stunning and would rock at the higher frame rate
Re: Surprise! Forspoken and Other Square Enix Games Didn't Meet Sales Expectations
@Mikey856 It would be so cool to play the FFXIII games on current consoles..I hope it's on their roadmap!
Re: Surprise! Forspoken and Other Square Enix Games Didn't Meet Sales Expectations
@Uromastryx Lots to love..I also like that they were sequels..in a series that does not do sequels...