Comments 45

Re: Mini Review: Tokyo Xtreme Racer (PS5) - Unapologetically Old School for Better and Worse

gamer153

@SyntaxParadox
This game is pure retro. No online connection, no other people. Just you and your console, and the Tokyo Expressway ad nauseum.

The game is grindy as hell. I quit. I didn’t get to the fourth stage of I don’t know how many.

But, it is retro fun. It really is just like playing it on the Dreamcast all over again. Sadly, this also applies to the graphics is several parts. The game broke horribly apart for me as soon as I unlocked the RX7 I wanted. The lifted headlights are square boxes.

Re: Opinion: Crimson Desert Could Be PS5 Game of the Year, or a Total Mess

gamer153

I am channelling my inner child, dating back to the seventies. My inner child remembers that every video game I play is compared (knowingly so) to Adventure.

I lived in my imagination some of my most amazing dragon fights and dungeon storming as a child, when my imagination was less restrained. I dreamed of having the opportunity to play it “better”, and this happened with wonderful titles like Elden Ring and Dragon’s Dogma 2. Pixels on the screen carry a certain magic that takes me to other places (mentally).

I look at this game, and I see Adventure, but for a newer generation. Adventure was a first of its kind, and extremely ambitious. This may not be a “first”, but it is a collation of many other “firsts” into a single bundle. They mashed up the Valtay Corporation and Borant Corporation dungeons for us, and presented them in a pretty package (so to speak, with mech-piloting and dragon-riding in the same game). THIS IS AWESOME!

I am being invited (by the developer’s marketing materials in their homepage) to play a character in a new world, with new possibilities. It is not an RPG, they say. It is an “experience”. This resonates with me, because I like to play games blind. I waste most of my coffee mornings trolling games sites waiting for my next big fix. And, fellow gamers, this promises to be a very long fix. Cheers to that!

I have not pre-ordered, but most probably that’s what I am going to do after I press “Reply”.

I wish the best for you, and may your gaming bring you joy.

Re: Crimson Desert PS5 Concern as Physical Copies Won't Run without Download

gamer153

@Dogbreath You don’t speak anything wrong, but seem to not consider the developers are alienating then entire player base who does not want (or can’t) be online all the time.

I have friends in some other countries, and I’ve made it a point to have a conversation with them about their internet situation. Some Latin American and European countries still rely on DSL (internet carried over phone lines) more than fiber optic and/or coax.

Personally, this change does not affect me, but I can’t turn a blind eye to what it represents for the “not so technically advanced” environments some players live in.

In essence, if you can’t dedicate your console to a fast, dedicated internet line for several hours, you won’t be able to play this game. Here in the urban USA I am sure this is not even in our radar screen, but for those who don’t have “good” internet access, they’re not going to play this. When you consider rural areas or people who depend on their phone as a hotspot for internet access, or people in countries with less infrastructure, this (mandatory GOOD internet connection to play) is a painful blow that can mean you won’t get the game.

Re: Crimson Desert PS5 Concern as Physical Copies Won't Run without Download

gamer153

I can’t read this article and not think: this release will be a Cluster Duck (like Perry the Platypus, they don’t do much).

I worked several years in carrier-class software development. The type Cox and Comcast install internally to operate their machines. The type that can’t have any failure while operating, because the cost of the outage that could happen is more than some small country's GDP. And, if there was one phrase we dreaded from Engineering and Product Management it was “it will be available at launch”.

In essence, it’s a promise that cashes in all trust points. If it works, you can continue to trust the person but they don’t earn any points for keeping their word. If it doesn’t there will be no second chance.

The phrase became a red flag for: crunch development, sacrificed or low quality testing, poor longevity and integration testing, and all result in a poor customer experience. In this case, we the players are the customers.

I’m very excited about this game because I love RPGs and this one promises to show up “the full potential of the PS5 Pro to date on an RPG”, so to speak (these are my words, not any from the Dev). At least, this is the unspoken Marketing Promise formed around this game, based on interviews and articles.

But, fellow gamers, after reading this article I recommend we curb our enthusiasm, and wait for the month 1 patch before making final judgments on whether to purchase or not. Just because it smells like a big risk at launch doesn’t mean they won’t pull it off. It just means that good results will be produced by chance, and not by careful planning and methodical execution.

I’m moving this game from my “get on week 1” to “wait and see”.

Re: Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Sees in the New Year with Major Sales Milestone

gamer153

To each his own.

I was looking for a new turn-based game and thanks to this article I made up my mind and bought it.

It is a trip down Nostalgia Boulevard, but the lack of updated controls and simple ‘quality of life’ (good UI and UX design) make the experience unnecessarily cumbersome on the player.

The number of user inputs required for any action is far too many, the graphics remain low-res, 8-bit doodles which feel like playing a C64 game on a 4K display emulating a C64 game screen…. Except the fonts. The fonts are the most HD, pure, true type fonts you can expect.

It’s probably a good story, but one can’t call this a ‘good’ game. The Ui and UX are too old, and not current gen updated. This results in too much no-fun time while you play it.

Re: Cyberpunk 2077 Now at a Staggering 35 Million Sales as Work on Sequel Continues to Ramp Up

gamer153

Back in 2020 I pre-ordered, and very quickly fell out of love and requested my refund. IIRC, it was the first time Sony issues mass-scale refunds for a game with disappointing quality.

Now, in 2025, I bought the game and DLC on sale. It turned out to be one of the most amazing RPG game experiences on the PS5 today, even with the dated graphics (1080P) and horrible console UI navigation and controls.

If anyone is thinking of a new to you RPG for the holidays, this one with the DLC is a great option.

I would pay hard cash for another DLC for this game, without a doubt.

Re: Huge Ghost of Yotei PS5 Patch Drops Next Week, Adds New Game+, Items, and More

gamer153

Why are all these things that sound ‘core’ not included in the original release?

I already finished the game, and sadly the trophies are not appealing to me to chase the Platinum.

Wish NG+ had been there a month ago.

And, new charms? Really?
They feel like bloatware at this point. So many I didn’t need or care for…
The game was already too easy with the charms. Especially the one that gives you a three-magic missile inta-kill attack.

Good to know other players are happy for these late deliveries.

Re: Preview: Rolling the Dice on PS5's Next Big Gacha, the Anime Open World RPG NTE

gamer153

@Max_the_German
Imitation is the best compliment you can receive, for it means it is being noticed and appreciated.

Have you considered taking these comparisons and feathers on GTA’s success hat, rather than being upset about them?

For all intents and purposes, GTA expanded the open world formula and many games followed suit. Even Cyberpunk 2077 has elements you could consider to be “GTA-lilke”. It’s just part of the games, and the experience. Why not enjoy them all?

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 595

gamer153

I got Cyber Punk + Phantom Liberty combo during the sale that happened a couple of weeks back. What convinced me was the fact that a week before the bundle went on sale, they (CDPR) released a PS5 update that improved graphics (VRR and all that).

Wow.

I can’t put the controller down because of how much fun I am having in Night City, role playing a Merc.

How I wish this game had been done a la No Man’s Sky and release a VR update. PSVR2, with it’s 4K capabilities, should have this game in it’s catalog.

It’s a great game, and with PSVR2 it would be revolutionary.

Re: Immense Elden Ring Success Makes Its DLC, Nightreign Top Sellers Too

gamer153

@Anya-chan
Thank you.

I understand your viewpoint now. Although, Helldivers really is one of the best examples (imho) of a Live Service: regular updates, bidirectional communication from Developer to Player Base, shared goals, collaboration-oriented tools…

So many things Nightreign doesn’t have, and thus why I struggle to see them as a real “live service”.

Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows Patch 1.0.7 Out Now on PS5, Adds New Game+, Increases Level Cap, More

gamer153

@Neverwild
Can’t agree more.
Reading this “news” is very frustrating to me, and I like to think I am not the only one that feels some of these features should have been there on day one.

PushSquare asks:
“Will you be diving back into Assassin's Creed Shadows with this update? Dare we ask if you'll be doing a New Game+ run?”.

I answer:
Hell no. I already completed the game and found it lacking to deserve a re-install, especially after reading base features (like changing the time of day) are just being added.

Ubisoft’s vision is definitely taking them in a direction where this loyal customer (until now) has permanently drifted apart.

Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows Update 1.0.5 Out Tomorrow, Full Patch Notes Revealed

gamer153

Back in the day when one purchased a video game on media (cartridge, diskettes, CD, DVD, BluRay) one was happy to know that the game received was done. It was a finished work, having passed through several layers of reviews, and they worked like a charm.

Buggy games became the stuff of horror stories, and great games launched people and studio into their fame and success.

I am really sad these days seem to be over.

Assassins Creed keeps on pushing “fixes” and new features in patches which only make me feel I finished two full playthroughs of an incomplete game.

These additions are just making me want less of any future Ubisoft game. Or, I will learn to not buy on release and wait for two or three months, so that I can get my desired “finished product” feeling, and be content.

Will I re-download for these additions, and play it again?

A vigorous “hell no!” would be the answer.

Re: Real Fans Will Find a Way to Buy $80 Games, Says Borderlands Boss

gamer153

@Oram77

Calling it tone deaf shows you are a kind person.
This is direct belligerence drawing a line: “if you don’t want to pay $80 for it, I’m not interested in conversation”.

Their minds are set, it seems.
We can now consider a fact games, sadly, are already on the $80 per unit production line.