I am not in favour of putting the original game into the new RE engine. Dino Crisis, or Puzzle Crisis as it should be known, is NOT a fun game to revisit. It needs significant work to make it even remotely appealing today. Nostalgia will shift units. Reviews will hate it. New players will pass on it.
I think it's reasonable for people to be annoyed about this. Horizon is one of the big success stories for Sony in recent years. It's one of the franchises that helped shift PS5 hardware. It genuinely looks like a bit of a betrayal.
And that's coming from someone that hasn't played any Horizon games, doesn't play any LEGO games and owns both a Switch and a PS5!
When you consider these things likely cost a couple of quid to make, and the fact Sony's support has been so poor for PSVR2... I honestly find it a bit shocking they are selling these for so much. I think they should sell them at cost as a good will gesture!
@LordOfTurnips Normally I would warmly agree with this statement, but unfortunately Horizon Chase 2 is really not worth picking up. The first game was brilliant- real Top Gear on the SNES vibes, particularly the soundtrack.
This second game is just poor by comparison. They've not built on the first game at all. Honestly seems to me that the dev didn't enjoy making this game one bit. The first game, and the Senna DLC were crafted from love- you can see it.
This second game... no love there at all. Feels like they were forced to do it. So I'd recommend waiting for PS+.
7/10 is generous. Seriously. This and Sports Story were the biggest let-downs last year. Sad times.
G Police is a great game! I remember playing it on my mate's PS1 on launch weekend. I also loved Urban Strike from a few years before on the Mega Drive (was on SNES and Game Gear too).
They should bring out a modern release. Desert Strike was legit one of the best Mega Drive games ever released.
1. FF7 Rebirth wasn't good enough. That one is pretty simple. SE should have spoken to fans more and done more research because they clearly didn't and it shows. They did their own thing, and failed in almost every area.
FF16 is more complex I think, although I personally still stand by the fact SE have ruined the series with their crappy gameplay mechanics.
1. PS5 launch was a disaster and there is still knock on effects from it to this day.
2. There isn't enough top tier quality "I cannot miss this" games to drive install base. Games sell games. They are all "played that before, oh it looks marginally nicer, meh I'll pass". There are exceptions, but too few.
3. The whole industry is weaker with Microsoft struggling. Nintendo doesn't fill the void. Yes it sounds weird, but it's true - even with Sony exclusive games. A healthy market is one with competitors all working together to build value in the market. Microsoft's drop off has definitely impacted Sony - they have not mopped up the difference, not even close.
Not really sure this data is very useful? I mean, I'm happy with my PS5 because it was all about FF7 Remake for me.
So on paper, I'm happy.
But am I satisfied with Sony's output? Not at all. I don't think 3rd party has stole the show either. It's reflected in the fact I'm spending more money right now on frigging Game Gear games than I am PS5 games. Money on the table that Sony, apparently, don't want. OK, fine by me.
@naruball I'd agree with you on this, but for the fact they went ahead with PS VR2. Sony have clearly backed the wrong horse, but it was also so easily avoided that I honestly can't believe some heads haven't rolled over it!
I love my Portal but the fact Sony didn't back it (low stock, low functionality, low build quality, low features) has alarm bells sounding in my head for their future hardware.
I can't think of any logical reason why they wouldn't go all-in on a handheld in 2023. Do Sony not have a research department? Do Sony not see the success of Switch? Do the Sony Exec's, shareholders and funders kids' not all own a Switch?
There's being cautious and then there's being incompetent.
Then you throw into the mix PS VR... over budget, overstock, lack of demand. You honestly wouldn't believe it if you hadn't seen it for yourself. How on earth do Sony operate this way?
(Side note: and how are Microsoft STILL so far behind even despite this?!)
Oh, and even if Sony NOW go all-in on a handheld... well a round of applause for ripping off your core audience with the Portal in the meantime? It's bonkers. Seriously, is it any wonder the industry is struggling right now?
We, the consumers, have done our bit. We buy the expensive hardware, we buy more games than we can even play. What has the industry achieved in the past 5 years or so?
And yes, Nintendo are a success story of sorts... but they're a decade behind and benefit from the previous Sony/Microsoft groundwork - in a hardware sense anyway.
@bighal yes, it is my opinion but it's hardly an extreme view is it? It boils down to the fact GT made a terrible first impression and is still paying the price to this very day. Plenty dived back in and found a better game waiting for them, but for me, I say abandon this already and get the next one right from the start.
@Kidfunkadelic83 I'm not saying there isn't something there for some - clearly you got more out of it than I did - but the content isn't good enough. Those menu books are bite size and actually, when you consider how simple they are, they dry up very quickly too.
The game's an absolute disaster in my eyes. I do look back fondly on the first race at Monza - that was great - but too much of the rest of the game isn't good enough. And that's before we even get into the car buying and microtransactions.
Clearly some have enjoyed it. Plenty more have long since abandoned - and that's my point really. Maybe there is enough content in the game now? Extra driving tests is news to me incidentally(!) - but why wasn't it there before? Not good enough.
Yes, I know it's free so how could I possibly moan about it?! But here goes anyway... I've played the game, I found it lacking content and frankly these bitesize updates are 1. Nowhere near good enough and 2. Nowhere near soon enough.
The game isn't even installed on my PS5 anymore... and as tempting as doing that download again is...
They need to move on. Stack this dev time onto the next game already, and make sure you do a good job this time.
I think this really sums up this generation of gaming perfectly.
Do we want a decent Star Wars game or not? If this IS a decent Star Wars game... then why would we not want to pay a fair price for it?
Or is the issue simply that no-one believes Ubisoft has made a decent Star Wars game?
I'd happily pay twice the price for half the games if every one of those games exceeded my expectations. But alas, PS5 era is, bar a few exceptions, the generation of massive let downs and frankly crap games. Even Spiderman that everyone got so excited about ended up playing exactly like the previous game.
Higher priced games is fine with me IF the quality is there. The problem is we've seen prices jump up but the games haven't improved. Studios are just using it to cover existing costs to maintain profits.
I don't agree with that and that is not sustainable. PS5 is by far the most underwhelming console generation there has ever been. Thank god we had Switch and Steam Deck to distract us from the shortcomings of the home consoles.
(And don't think I'm just hitting on Sony. Xbox are just so far behind it's not worth mentioning them.)
GTA 6 is pretty much it now. I don't think they'll charge higher for the game though. They'll milk the online again. Joy.
Nope, people were just baffled about the lack of features. And I still am.
Switch has been around long enough for the blueprint to be copied... Sony elected for this silly halfway house product like they thought there was a risk?
Meanwhile... they go full on with overproduction of PSVR2. Honestly, I know we're PS fan boys on here but how many mistakes will the Sony board continue to make before we see some changes? It's embarrassing at this point.
Incidentally, the only people surprised are those without children!! Anyone from the 80s will know full well why a portable pick up and play device is going to be seen as a god send. And Sony have massively underestimated the impact on software sales from the generation that simply can't play as frequently.
Portal, unsurprisingly since Switch has done it for nearly a decade, finds the gaps in time to fit play in. I've played my PS5 at least 10 times as much since Portal released, and I'm not alone!
Yet, Sony back the PSVR2 horse...? It's poor from Sony. Anyone, and I mean anyone, would know which of those two horses should be given the resources. Utterly ridiculous!
I like the action figure, but the packaging is rough! As if someone at SEGA signed off using a cropped piece of original game keyart as the packaging? There's a punk's leg across the front and it looks poor...?!
SEGA still skipping those lessons in franchise management!
Everyone bangs on about the lack of content not justifying the price tag, and I get it, but for me it's the fact this "cutting edge technology" looks like something from the 80s.
VR is going nowhere as long as the tech is such a cumbersome, heavy and unnatural mess.
Wearable technology was supposed to be everywhere by now, but the whole thing has stalled. I don't even see everyone with a smartwatch, let alone other wearable technology.
PS5 Pro was inevitable and clearly not a coincidence to be hearing about it soon after GTA 6 finally revealed itself.
The necessity of it will only be known in time... but like many others have pointed out already, I have no faith at all that there will be more than ONE game that actually makes the PS5 Pro necessary and achieve its ability.
So I guess Sony and Rockstar are asking us... is GTA 6 worth circa £800 to play? I'm thinking no since you'll be able to do it for circa £500 on PS6 within 4 years (you'd think).
And the comments implying this about affordability... sod off! Most of us on here are in our 30s and 40s. It's not simply about the cost like we're all teenagers scraping together pocket money.
I'd be a lot more excited for a PS5 Pro if there was more than one game that would actually benefit from it.
All I've played on PS5 so far are games that seem to have their wings clipped in their scope and execution. No amount of power will resolve that... it's genuinely a bit of an impasse.
The only exception, you'd think (and it does remain to be seen, but you'd bet your house on it wouldn't you...) is of course GTA VI.
Who is going to buy a Pro for one game...? Hrmm well for GTA... it wouldn't surprise me.
As for everything else... load times going from 3 seconds to 2 seconds doesn't excite me. Poorly executed design made to look a little better but ultimately still flawed doesn't excite me. Not enough to drop circa. 500 anyway.
It'll be interesting to see how the digital has performed... I buy digital as a general preference now, but NOT on certain "big" games where I actually choose a physical so I have something tangible to mark the occasion.
I've bought FF7 Remake and Rebirth on physical as a result.
As for the game itself... it's exactly what you would expect from what is one of the greatest games ever made. The challenge ge SE had is that the original FF7 had such a wild mix of elements that made it great that it was always going to be difficult for them to do it justice.
One example is the excellent soundtrack. SE have done well with the new Soundtrack (although why shouldn't they, the original was a masterpiece and already done for them!) yet... there are still missteps in the game. Mount Corel is a good example - I love that they've done extra music, I like the tune they've created for this area, but it sticks out as it doesn't fit the rest of the soundtrack or the game. It actually sounds like it samples an 80s pop song.
So it's a strange one for me... you may call it nit picking, and I guess technically it is, but this is FF7... SE knew it was going to be nit picked. My only disappointment is that they don't seem to have cared about that.
Imagine if SE had instead gone in search of tunes from the original game that didn't make the final cut? There must be dozens of them that have never seen the light of day...
@Andy22385 I'll scratch this one down as a generational difference...!
Incidentally, I'm not saying they should have done everything (or indeed anything) on my shopping list. I'm merely highlighting that after just 6 completed chapters I have a long list of things that could improve it. How can a development team spending years really suggest this is the best implementation? It feels rushed and last minute if anything.
@Kiefer-Sutherland the mechanics of the game are good, yes. What enjoyment is there to be had from a game you cannot lose though? That's a very hollow victory.
It's also not very final fantasy is it? The entire history of the franchise is full of examples where rare items are difficult to obtain and can even be missed in their entirety.
So yes, the mechanic is good... but the whole thing falls down by the poor execution.
I'm only on Chapter 7 of Rebirth, so perhaps I'm jumping the gun here... but how exactly is this card game acclaimed?
I thought it was executed really badly for the following reasons:
You win a specific card when you beat a player.
you lose nothing if you lose.
you can replay the player an infinite number of times until you win.
Sorry... if someone could tell me a good card game where you ALWAYS win? And this is "acclaimed"? Do me a favour.
The game itself is good. It's the implementation that fails on every single level.
you buy cards from shops... but hardly ever.
you can't find rare cards in the wild.
you can't play anyone you like! It's literally predefined opponents with predefined rewards.
Acclaimed?! Am I missing something here?!
They built all these huge locations to explore and NOT a single person at SE stopped for a second and thought...
Hrmmm we could hide a rare card here!
Or... we could make this random hiker NPC on Mount Corel give them a game?!
Acclaimed. What a joke. They had something good and they well and truly botched it.
What about adding an item acquisition mechanic?! So I'm not having to go around Morphing enemies for things I need (and my team killing stuff before I get the chance).
@Nyne11Tyme I pre-ordered the soundtrack from the SE website. Genuinely more excited for that to arrive next month than I am playing the game. It's comfortably the greatest gaming soundtrack of all time. Nothing comes close.
I think it's an 8 for me. I've put in nearly 30 hours, but I'm only nearing the end of Chapter 6.
There are a few things that have really stood out so far.
1. Chadley is ruining the game. I can't believe they included him in Chapter 5 too. It's like a bad joke. He's a rubbish character that has been heavily overused. He has more dialogue in the game than the main characters. It's one thing to have him destroy all the region exploration with his pop up chit chats every 5 minutes, but putting him in the actual story? That's a shockingly bad decision. Imagine if SE spent 10% of the time on Chadley and then put some proper hours developing the actual characters in the game more. You can spot it a mile off... sometimes Barett has something to say that's spot on and delivered perfectly - I smile - but then another time he will say something completely out of character and in a stupid way.
2. The world exploration is really poor... but it does look nice. None of it makes much sense. The lore is weak, which is frustrating because FF7 has an amazing world. In fact, FF7 is so good and so popular you'd think SE could have found someone that can actually write properly for them and add some amazing depth to the lore. But no... we have all sorts of nonsensical nonsense clearly written by devs that cannot write. Some of it is good. Not enough of it though.
3. Inconsistency. Kalm versus Costa del Sol pretty much sums this one up. It's like they forgot to go back and add some stuff.
4. The game looks absolutely fine. I actually can't believe people moaned about this when there's plenty else that is genuinely poor!
5. Junon is excellent and Costa Del Sol is very good too.
Cosmo Canyon and Gold Saucer are still to come and I'm confident those will be great too.
I think it's a shame that they haven't hit many highs with the extra storylines and lore. There is so much untapped potential.
@Andy22385 the original game did have a lot of great content crammed into it though? Think of all the minigames - way ahead of its time too. A lot of the summon materia had fun and challenging exploration before getting them - I'm thinking Phoenix and Alexandra - KOTR maybe went too far... but what a reward that was for all the labour!
I'm on Chapter 4 now, nearing 16 hours and just finished Junon area research in full. Actually a much better region on the whole - enjoyed it more. But still a few things that just leave me questioning the development of the game... Who signed off that Summon materia is just handed to you by Chadley? Who went to all the effort of putting a hooting flying bird in the game to locate something that is already marked on my map... do I really need the bird to locate? The Cache areas are much better - you find them by chance. Even the Chocobo stops have huge help in locating them. Just seems silly to me. We have all the areas to explore, and we have all the NPCs but all are being used in a very average way.
Oh and after 16 hours now... Chadley is the single worst thing in the game. I particularly despise his interactions with the characters. It's frankly interfering with the lore. The amount of dialogue he has is more than any other character!
So look, you're right... the game is great. I've sunk 16 hours in and counting plus 40 in Remake. So yes. Its really just the attention to detail for me. I'm genuinely sad that SE didn't strive for better. I guess maybe they did but this is all the team could manage? I mean, a game can only ever be as good as the individuals making it afterall.
@Andy22385 it's not about optional. You're talking to someone that not only maxed out every character in the original game, but did it in the hideously complex way that gave them all maxed out stats.
The issue is that SE have cut corners. Kalm is a perfect example of it. They've built this large town, packed it full of a few hundred NPCs and then done absolutely nothing with it. That's just plain stupid! Why waste all that time putting all these people in that do nothing? Houses that you can't go inside? Even the card game they made such a deal about... you can't even play the NPCs at the game bar what was it, 4 people?
That makes no sense.
Also, they make this big deal about leaving Kalm and going on an adventure. 20 minutes and a trip to a farm later I'm going back to Kalm.
This may seem like small things, but it's not good enough. This should have been picked up and they should have done better.
It's a remake of one of the best games ever made. I'm not accepting what is clearly a botch job.
Hrmm seems pretty sensible to me. I love FF7, but the last third or so of the game is definitely the weakest. The story pretty much goes off the rails, the locations are less interesting, the game gives you a lot of (albeit optional) backtracking, and even the soundtrack dips in form.
So yes, moving a few interesting elements into the final game does make sense.
The big question for me is whether the third game can pull everything together, including the previous locations which we'll need to revisit, and actually deliver the full FF7 experience OR will it just be part 3... and that's my biggest concern.
Part 3 can save the game, but will SE choose to do it right? Or are they going to cut corners all over the place like they have with Rebirth?
WB have some very good developers and some very good IP. I really don't think it's unhinged for them to want to roll the dice again. A live service game set within the Wizarding World clearly has enormous potential.
I'd argue they got their game IP the wrong way around. DC should be the single player experience and Harry Potter the live action, but I can understand why they went the way they did. The DC franchise needs the momentum more.
Also, how many amazing games exist today off the back of mass failure beforehand? Or are we suggesting you need to hit the jackpot first time or just give up?!
I think it's summed up perfectly by "I'll wait for a sale" and "ahhh my backlog is huge".
1. Economy is challenging both to make games and to buy games. More people are thinking twice before laying down 60 quid. Publishers and developers are taking less risks due to the high stakes.
2. Creativity is at a real low point. Where are the absolute must have day one games?
3. Saturation of games. We all joke about backlogs... but actually, it's not really a joke is it? We have dozens of games to play, so again, where is the urgency to support a new release?
The funny thing? As individuals we are spending more than we have ever spent on gaming. The industry is worth more than ever before. Why the problems then? It's diversified. We spend our money in 20-30 quid packages across many, many more developers versus historically 50-60 with fewer.
That is the rise of digital. The resurgence of indies. The "wait for a sale" "onto my backlog you go" mentality.
@Elitepatriot so far(!) there are two things that Rebirth has visualised for me that my own imagination failed to even consider when playing the original game back in 97.
1. Red XIII riding a Chocobo. 2. Barret managing to climb walls one handed.
@Elitepatriot From a nostalgia point of view it remains a great experience. I love the soundtrack - there's some great new tracks sitting alongside new versions of the entire OST. I really enjoyed the opening Chapter too - it was really nice to go deeper into the Nibelheim section.
I know there will be plenty of upcoming chapters that also hit the mark - Costa Del Sol, Cosmo Canyon and Gold Saucer will surely deliver the goods. Kalm is way off the mark though. Junon remains to be seen...
@DennisReynolds no, I was aware the world map would be limited. My issue is that after just 3 chapters I have a Junon area that is a copy and paste of Grasslands area. That's got nothing to do with Ubisoft design it's bone idleness from SE and instantly kills the game dead. After just 3 chapters I now know SE have decided not to do the best job they possibly can, they've decided to cut all the corners.
Also don't get me started on Kalm! They made this huge location and put 3 quests in it?! And i say quests... 1 is literally taking a screenshot! Are they serious?
And to be clear on where the bar has been set... this is not just another Ubisoft open world game. It's a remake of one of the greatest games ever made. SE have dropped the ball all over the place with this project.
@Korra Yes, Final Fantasy Chadley. I decided to do all the stuff in the Grasslands before beyond the swamp and seriously, Chadley must have popped up more than 50 times.
There's plenty I'm enjoying with it, but the game is well off the pace overall.
I'm only on Chapter 3 but it's already clear to me that Rebirth is disappointing.
The World is not open enough. It's annoying to navigate around. It's boring to explore. It's painting by numbers and it's just plain lazy. SE have actually really annoyed me. Remake was handled well, within the confines of Midgar. It was manageable.
Rebirth is like SE got scared of the scale of the game and decided to wrap the whole thing in chains.
It's yet another game that suffers from BotW syndrome too. The exploration is terrible. It's frustrating to move around the map. The whole thing is messy.
I'm hopeful they make amends with later iconic locations... but so not impressed by Kalm. It all felt wrong. Grasslands were depressing to explore. Frigging Chadley pops up on that monitor way too much. He's literally the lead character in dialogue for me so far. I'm aware 3 chapters is very early in the game, but first impressions and all that... it's a really poor effort that lacks all the charm that Remake managed to include.
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Re: War Thunder Dev Apologises After Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster Imagery Surfaces
They clearly used AI for the key art. I wonder what other corners have been cut in the game to avoid paying talent?
Re: Over 1,600 Must-Play PS5, PS4 Games Discounted on PS Store
"Over 1600 must-play". Just think about that statement for a minute.
If you played nothing else but these, it would take you 5 years to spend a day (8 hours) with each game.
Surely it's your job to narrow down the extreme amount to a more manageable "must-play" list?! 1600 is lunacy!
Re: Across Its Vaunted IP, Capcom Fans Crave Dino Crisis Above All Else
I'm all for a new Dino Crisis game.
I am not in favour of putting the original game into the new RE engine. Dino Crisis, or Puzzle Crisis as it should be known, is NOT a fun game to revisit. It needs significant work to make it even remotely appealing today. Nostalgia will shift units. Reviews will hate it. New players will pass on it.
We need new Dino Crisis.
Re: Preview: Astro Bot on PS5 Could Be the Best 3D Platformer This Side of Nintendo
Hrmm I'm still not convinced... I'll need to see more of this one.
Re: Some PlayStation Fans Are Losing Their Minds Over LEGO Horizon Being on Switch
I think it's reasonable for people to be annoyed about this. Horizon is one of the big success stories for Sony in recent years. It's one of the franchises that helped shift PS5 hardware. It genuinely looks like a bit of a betrayal.
And that's coming from someone that hasn't played any Horizon games, doesn't play any LEGO games and owns both a Switch and a PS5!
Re: PSVR2's PC Adapter Available on 7th August, Costs $60
When you consider these things likely cost a couple of quid to make, and the fact Sony's support has been so poor for PSVR2... I honestly find it a bit shocking they are selling these for so much. I think they should sell them at cost as a good will gesture!
Re: Mini Review: Horizon Chase 2 (PS5) - Around the World in 80 Revs
@LordOfTurnips Normally I would warmly agree with this statement, but unfortunately Horizon Chase 2 is really not worth picking up. The first game was brilliant- real Top Gear on the SNES vibes, particularly the soundtrack.
This second game is just poor by comparison. They've not built on the first game at all. Honestly seems to me that the dev didn't enjoy making this game one bit. The first game, and the Senna DLC were crafted from love- you can see it.
This second game... no love there at all. Feels like they were forced to do it. So I'd recommend waiting for PS+.
7/10 is generous. Seriously. This and Sports Story were the biggest let-downs last year. Sad times.
Re: Team Ninja Reveals Rise of the Ronin's Links to Nioh, Ninja Gaiden
Just started playing Ninja Gaiden on the Game Gear! Good times.
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows Reveal Trailer Is Already the Most Disliked in Series History
Hahaha sorry but criticising a videogame for a lack of historical accuracy is one of the funniest things I've read on here for a while!
How dare a dev have any creative freedom on their game lol
Oh and... let's list all the historically accurate videogames that exist AND are fun. I'll go first.
Hrmm.........
Re: A Lot of PS4 Owners Have Yet to Upgrade to PS5
@DennisReynolds Yep, it actually suggests the issue isn't the games (although GTA6 absolutely will have a huge impact).
The worry is that Xbox sales are way lower too... so either people are content with just a Switch or the industry has lost a lot of players.
Re: A Lot of PS4 Owners Have Yet to Upgrade to PS5
@DennisReynolds I agree, although there's a difference between an exclusive and a system seller, of course.
GTA6 will be the turning point.
Re: Iconic PS1 Sci-Fi Flight Sim G-Police Coming to PS5, PS4 with PS Plus Premium
G Police is a great game! I remember playing it on my mate's PS1 on launch weekend. I also loved Urban Strike from a few years before on the Mega Drive (was on SNES and Game Gear too).
They should bring out a modern release. Desert Strike was legit one of the best Mega Drive games ever released.
Re: Final Fantasy 16, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Fail to Meet Expectations on PS5
1. FF7 Rebirth wasn't good enough. That one is pretty simple. SE should have spoken to fans more and done more research because they clearly didn't and it shows. They did their own thing, and failed in almost every area.
FF16 is more complex I think, although I personally still stand by the fact SE have ruined the series with their crappy gameplay mechanics.
1. PS5 launch was a disaster and there is still knock on effects from it to this day.
2. There isn't enough top tier quality "I cannot miss this" games to drive install base. Games sell games. They are all "played that before, oh it looks marginally nicer, meh I'll pass". There are exceptions, but too few.
3. The whole industry is weaker with Microsoft struggling. Nintendo doesn't fill the void. Yes it sounds weird, but it's true - even with Sony exclusive games. A healthy market is one with competitors all working together to build value in the market. Microsoft's drop off has definitely impacted Sony - they have not mopped up the difference, not even close.
Re: PS5 Fans Mostly Happy with Sony's Third-Party Deals, But PlayStation Studios Need to Step Up
Not really sure this data is very useful? I mean, I'm happy with my PS5 because it was all about FF7 Remake for me.
So on paper, I'm happy.
But am I satisfied with Sony's output? Not at all. I don't think 3rd party has stole the show either. It's reflected in the fact I'm spending more money right now on frigging Game Gear games than I am PS5 games. Money on the table that Sony, apparently, don't want. OK, fine by me.
Re: Sony Sings PS Portal's Praises with Accolades Trailer
@naruball I'd agree with you on this, but for the fact they went ahead with PS VR2. Sony have clearly backed the wrong horse, but it was also so easily avoided that I honestly can't believe some heads haven't rolled over it!
Re: Sony Sings PS Portal's Praises with Accolades Trailer
I love my Portal but the fact Sony didn't back it (low stock, low functionality, low build quality, low features) has alarm bells sounding in my head for their future hardware.
I can't think of any logical reason why they wouldn't go all-in on a handheld in 2023. Do Sony not have a research department? Do Sony not see the success of Switch? Do the Sony Exec's, shareholders and funders kids' not all own a Switch?
There's being cautious and then there's being incompetent.
Then you throw into the mix PS VR... over budget, overstock, lack of demand. You honestly wouldn't believe it if you hadn't seen it for yourself. How on earth do Sony operate this way?
(Side note: and how are Microsoft STILL so far behind even despite this?!)
Oh, and even if Sony NOW go all-in on a handheld... well a round of applause for ripping off your core audience with the Portal in the meantime? It's bonkers. Seriously, is it any wonder the industry is struggling right now?
We, the consumers, have done our bit. We buy the expensive hardware, we buy more games than we can even play. What has the industry achieved in the past 5 years or so?
And yes, Nintendo are a success story of sorts... but they're a decade behind and benefit from the previous Sony/Microsoft groundwork - in a hardware sense anyway.
Re: The Star Wars Force Will Be Strong with Fortnite This May 4th
Wake me up once these tie-ins with Fortnite are seen as lame.
Surely by the time Star Wars does it we are nearly there...
Re: Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.46 Adds New Exclusive Car to PS5, PS4 Racer
@bighal yes, it is my opinion but it's hardly an extreme view is it? It boils down to the fact GT made a terrible first impression and is still paying the price to this very day. Plenty dived back in and found a better game waiting for them, but for me, I say abandon this already and get the next one right from the start.
Re: Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.46 Adds New Exclusive Car to PS5, PS4 Racer
@Kidfunkadelic83 I'm not saying there isn't something there for some - clearly you got more out of it than I did - but the content isn't good enough. Those menu books are bite size and actually, when you consider how simple they are, they dry up very quickly too.
The game's an absolute disaster in my eyes. I do look back fondly on the first race at Monza - that was great - but too much of the rest of the game isn't good enough. And that's before we even get into the car buying and microtransactions.
Clearly some have enjoyed it. Plenty more have long since abandoned - and that's my point really. Maybe there is enough content in the game now? Extra driving tests is news to me incidentally(!) - but why wasn't it there before? Not good enough.
Re: Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.46 Adds New Exclusive Car to PS5, PS4 Racer
Yes, I know it's free so how could I possibly moan about it?! But here goes anyway... I've played the game, I found it lacking content and frankly these bitesize updates are 1. Nowhere near good enough and 2. Nowhere near soon enough.
The game isn't even installed on my PS5 anymore... and as tempting as doing that download again is...
They need to move on. Stack this dev time onto the next game already, and make sure you do a good job this time.
Re: Ubisoft Responds to Star Wars Outlaws Exclusive Jabba the Hutt Boondoggle
I think this really sums up this generation of gaming perfectly.
Do we want a decent Star Wars game or not? If this IS a decent Star Wars game... then why would we not want to pay a fair price for it?
Or is the issue simply that no-one believes Ubisoft has made a decent Star Wars game?
I'd happily pay twice the price for half the games if every one of those games exceeded my expectations. But alas, PS5 era is, bar a few exceptions, the generation of massive let downs and frankly crap games. Even Spiderman that everyone got so excited about ended up playing exactly like the previous game.
Re: Rockstar's GTA+ Membership Putting Its Price Up
@naruball Yes... because Rockstar are the greedy corporate. How about Meta? Google? Apple? Amazon? Samsung? Tesco? BP?
Do I need to go on? It's business and we have all signed up to all of it in our droves!
Re: Rockstar's GTA+ Membership Putting Its Price Up
Everyone: how dare they charge more.
Also Everyone: ahh sorry to hear you're losing your job.
Re: $70 Games Are Just a Phase, Believes Saber Interactive CEO
Higher priced games is fine with me IF the quality is there. The problem is we've seen prices jump up but the games haven't improved. Studios are just using it to cover existing costs to maintain profits.
I don't agree with that and that is not sustainable. PS5 is by far the most underwhelming console generation there has ever been. Thank god we had Switch and Steam Deck to distract us from the shortcomings of the home consoles.
(And don't think I'm just hitting on Sony. Xbox are just so far behind it's not worth mentioning them.)
GTA 6 is pretty much it now. I don't think they'll charge higher for the game though. They'll milk the online again. Joy.
Re: Sony Beta Testing Intriguing New Feature in PS App on Mobile
I've wanted in-game maps on my mobile phone for the best part of a decade.
And still we wait.
Seriously. This generation is the worst for innovation and creativity. The industry desperately needs some new faces.
Re: Handmade PS5 Game Harold Halibut Is Out Next Month
The first I've seen or heard of this game, and I've stopped the trailer halfway as I don't want any spoilers!
Looks great but the voice work and script is most impressive. Intrigued.
Re: Rise of the Ronin (PS5) - A Safe, Outdated Open World Game
Ouch! Gameplay is King though, and it sounds like they absolutely nailed that.
Re: PS Portal Is Proving Everyone's Predictions Wrong
Nope, people were just baffled about the lack of features. And I still am.
Switch has been around long enough for the blueprint to be copied... Sony elected for this silly halfway house product like they thought there was a risk?
Meanwhile... they go full on with overproduction of PSVR2. Honestly, I know we're PS fan boys on here but how many mistakes will the Sony board continue to make before we see some changes? It's embarrassing at this point.
Incidentally, the only people surprised are those without children!! Anyone from the 80s will know full well why a portable pick up and play device is going to be seen as a god send. And Sony have massively underestimated the impact on software sales from the generation that simply can't play as frequently.
Portal, unsurprisingly since Switch has done it for nearly a decade, finds the gaps in time to fit play in. I've played my PS5 at least 10 times as much since Portal released, and I'm not alone!
Yet, Sony back the PSVR2 horse...? It's poor from Sony. Anyone, and I mean anyone, would know which of those two horses should be given the resources. Utterly ridiculous!
Re: Random: You'll Probably Want This Streets of Rage Action Figure
I like the action figure, but the packaging is rough! As if someone at SEGA signed off using a cropped piece of original game keyart as the packaging? There's a punk's leg across the front and it looks poor...?!
SEGA still skipping those lessons in franchise management!
Re: Sony Allegedly Pausing PSVR2 Production Due to Surplus of Unsold Stock
Everyone bangs on about the lack of content not justifying the price tag, and I get it, but for me it's the fact this "cutting edge technology" looks like something from the 80s.
VR is going nowhere as long as the tech is such a cumbersome, heavy and unnatural mess.
Wearable technology was supposed to be everywhere by now, but the whole thing has stalled. I don't even see everyone with a smartwatch, let alone other wearable technology.
It will come... but it won't be Sony.
Re: PS5 Pro's Rumoured Spectral Super Resolution Tech Could Be Transformative
PS5 Pro was inevitable and clearly not a coincidence to be hearing about it soon after GTA 6 finally revealed itself.
The necessity of it will only be known in time... but like many others have pointed out already, I have no faith at all that there will be more than ONE game that actually makes the PS5 Pro necessary and achieve its ability.
So I guess Sony and Rockstar are asking us... is GTA 6 worth circa £800 to play? I'm thinking no since you'll be able to do it for circa £500 on PS6 within 4 years (you'd think).
And the comments implying this about affordability... sod off! Most of us on here are in our 30s and 40s. It's not simply about the cost like we're all teenagers scraping together pocket money.
Re: Rumour: PS5 Pro Is Up to Three Times Faster Than PS5 as Specs Surface
I'd be a lot more excited for a PS5 Pro if there was more than one game that would actually benefit from it.
All I've played on PS5 so far are games that seem to have their wings clipped in their scope and execution. No amount of power will resolve that... it's genuinely a bit of an impasse.
The only exception, you'd think (and it does remain to be seen, but you'd bet your house on it wouldn't you...) is of course GTA VI.
Who is going to buy a Pro for one game...? Hrmm well for GTA... it wouldn't surprise me.
As for everything else... load times going from 3 seconds to 2 seconds doesn't excite me. Poorly executed design made to look a little better but ultimately still flawed doesn't excite me. Not enough to drop circa. 500 anyway.
Re: Japan Sales Charts: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth PS5 Sales Slip 91% at Retail
It'll be interesting to see how the digital has performed... I buy digital as a general preference now, but NOT on certain "big" games where I actually choose a physical so I have something tangible to mark the occasion.
I've bought FF7 Remake and Rebirth on physical as a result.
As for the game itself... it's exactly what you would expect from what is one of the greatest games ever made. The challenge ge SE had is that the original FF7 had such a wild mix of elements that made it great that it was always going to be difficult for them to do it justice.
One example is the excellent soundtrack. SE have done well with the new Soundtrack (although why shouldn't they, the original was a masterpiece and already done for them!) yet... there are still missteps in the game. Mount Corel is a good example - I love that they've done extra music, I like the tune they've created for this area, but it sticks out as it doesn't fit the rest of the soundtrack or the game. It actually sounds like it samples an 80s pop song.
So it's a strange one for me... you may call it nit picking, and I guess technically it is, but this is FF7... SE knew it was going to be nit picked. My only disappointment is that they don't seem to have cared about that.
Imagine if SE had instead gone in search of tunes from the original game that didn't make the final cut? There must be dozens of them that have never seen the light of day...
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Acclaimed CCG Queen's Blood Could Get Expanded
@Andy22385 I'll scratch this one down as a generational difference...!
Incidentally, I'm not saying they should have done everything (or indeed anything) on my shopping list. I'm merely highlighting that after just 6 completed chapters I have a long list of things that could improve it. How can a development team spending years really suggest this is the best implementation? It feels rushed and last minute if anything.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Acclaimed CCG Queen's Blood Could Get Expanded
@Kiefer-Sutherland the mechanics of the game are good, yes. What enjoyment is there to be had from a game you cannot lose though? That's a very hollow victory.
It's also not very final fantasy is it? The entire history of the franchise is full of examples where rare items are difficult to obtain and can even be missed in their entirety.
So yes, the mechanic is good... but the whole thing falls down by the poor execution.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Acclaimed CCG Queen's Blood Could Get Expanded
I'm only on Chapter 7 of Rebirth, so perhaps I'm jumping the gun here... but how exactly is this card game acclaimed?
I thought it was executed really badly for the following reasons:
Sorry... if someone could tell me a good card game where you ALWAYS win? And this is "acclaimed"? Do me a favour.
The game itself is good. It's the implementation that fails on every single level.
Acclaimed?! Am I missing something here?!
They built all these huge locations to explore and NOT a single person at SE stopped for a second and thought...
Hrmmm we could hide a rare card here!
Or... we could make this random hiker NPC on Mount Corel give them a game?!
Acclaimed. What a joke. They had something good and they well and truly botched it.
What about adding an item acquisition mechanic?! So I'm not having to go around Morphing enemies for things I need (and my team killing stuff before I get the chance).
Literally anything would make this better!!
Re: Fortnite Fans Can't Believe the Price of the New LEGO Buildings in the PS5, PS4 Item Shop
Fortnite will always have a large audience and generate a decent turnover - but this is a sure sign that it has peaked and is dropping off.
Re: Best Final Fantasy Games
Position 1 and 2 both a score of 9.0 so why is 7 ranked 1st and 6 2nd? Is there another factor in the ranking, or should they actually be joint 1st?!
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
@Nyne11Tyme I pre-ordered the soundtrack from the SE website. Genuinely more excited for that to arrive next month than I am playing the game. It's comfortably the greatest gaming soundtrack of all time. Nothing comes close.
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
I think it's an 8 for me. I've put in nearly 30 hours, but I'm only nearing the end of Chapter 6.
There are a few things that have really stood out so far.
1. Chadley is ruining the game. I can't believe they included him in Chapter 5 too. It's like a bad joke. He's a rubbish character that has been heavily overused. He has more dialogue in the game than the main characters. It's one thing to have him destroy all the region exploration with his pop up chit chats every 5 minutes, but putting him in the actual story? That's a shockingly bad decision. Imagine if SE spent 10% of the time on Chadley and then put some proper hours developing the actual characters in the game more. You can spot it a mile off... sometimes Barett has something to say that's spot on and delivered perfectly - I smile - but then another time he will say something completely out of character and in a stupid way.
2. The world exploration is really poor... but it does look nice. None of it makes much sense. The lore is weak, which is frustrating because FF7 has an amazing world. In fact, FF7 is so good and so popular you'd think SE could have found someone that can actually write properly for them and add some amazing depth to the lore. But no... we have all sorts of nonsensical nonsense clearly written by devs that cannot write. Some of it is good. Not enough of it though.
3. Inconsistency. Kalm versus Costa del Sol pretty much sums this one up. It's like they forgot to go back and add some stuff.
4. The game looks absolutely fine. I actually can't believe people moaned about this when there's plenty else that is genuinely poor!
5. Junon is excellent and Costa Del Sol is very good too.
Cosmo Canyon and Gold Saucer are still to come and I'm confident those will be great too.
I think it's a shame that they haven't hit many highs with the extra storylines and lore. There is so much untapped potential.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Falls Short of Remake's Launch Sales in UK
@Andy22385 the original game did have a lot of great content crammed into it though? Think of all the minigames - way ahead of its time too. A lot of the summon materia had fun and challenging exploration before getting them - I'm thinking Phoenix and Alexandra - KOTR maybe went too far... but what a reward that was for all the labour!
I'm on Chapter 4 now, nearing 16 hours and just finished Junon area research in full. Actually a much better region on the whole - enjoyed it more. But still a few things that just leave me questioning the development of the game... Who signed off that Summon materia is just handed to you by Chadley? Who went to all the effort of putting a hooting flying bird in the game to locate something that is already marked on my map... do I really need the bird to locate? The Cache areas are much better - you find them by chance. Even the Chocobo stops have huge help in locating them. Just seems silly to me. We have all the areas to explore, and we have all the NPCs but all are being used in a very average way.
Oh and after 16 hours now... Chadley is the single worst thing in the game. I particularly despise his interactions with the characters. It's frankly interfering with the lore. The amount of dialogue he has is more than any other character!
So look, you're right... the game is great. I've sunk 16 hours in and counting plus 40 in Remake. So yes. Its really just the attention to detail for me. I'm genuinely sad that SE didn't strive for better. I guess maybe they did but this is all the team could manage? I mean, a game can only ever be as good as the individuals making it afterall.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Falls Short of Remake's Launch Sales in UK
@Andy22385 it's not about optional. You're talking to someone that not only maxed out every character in the original game, but did it in the hideously complex way that gave them all maxed out stats.
The issue is that SE have cut corners. Kalm is a perfect example of it. They've built this large town, packed it full of a few hundred NPCs and then done absolutely nothing with it. That's just plain stupid! Why waste all that time putting all these people in that do nothing? Houses that you can't go inside? Even the card game they made such a deal about... you can't even play the NPCs at the game bar what was it, 4 people?
That makes no sense.
Also, they make this big deal about leaving Kalm and going on an adventure. 20 minutes and a trip to a farm later I'm going back to Kalm.
This may seem like small things, but it's not good enough. This should have been picked up and they should have done better.
It's a remake of one of the best games ever made. I'm not accepting what is clearly a botch job.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Director Already Teasing What Comes Next
Hrmm seems pretty sensible to me. I love FF7, but the last third or so of the game is definitely the weakest. The story pretty much goes off the rails, the locations are less interesting, the game gives you a lot of (albeit optional) backtracking, and even the soundtrack dips in form.
So yes, moving a few interesting elements into the final game does make sense.
The big question for me is whether the third game can pull everything together, including the previous locations which we'll need to revisit, and actually deliver the full FF7 experience OR will it just be part 3... and that's my biggest concern.
Part 3 can save the game, but will SE choose to do it right? Or are they going to cut corners all over the place like they have with Rebirth?
Re: Warner Bros' Reaction to Suicide Squad Flop Will Make You Question Your Sanity
WB have some very good developers and some very good IP. I really don't think it's unhinged for them to want to roll the dice again. A live service game set within the Wizarding World clearly has enormous potential.
I'd argue they got their game IP the wrong way around. DC should be the single player experience and Harry Potter the live action, but I can understand why they went the way they did. The DC franchise needs the momentum more.
Also, how many amazing games exist today off the back of mass failure beforehand? Or are we suggesting you need to hit the jackpot first time or just give up?!
Re: Reaction: What Is Happening to the Video Games Industry and Why Are There So Many Layoffs?
I think it's summed up perfectly by "I'll wait for a sale" and "ahhh my backlog is huge".
1. Economy is challenging both to make games and to buy games. More people are thinking twice before laying down 60 quid. Publishers and developers are taking less risks due to the high stakes.
2. Creativity is at a real low point. Where are the absolute must have day one games?
3. Saturation of games. We all joke about backlogs... but actually, it's not really a joke is it? We have dozens of games to play, so again, where is the urgency to support a new release?
The funny thing? As individuals we are spending more than we have ever spent on gaming. The industry is worth more than ever before. Why the problems then? It's diversified. We spend our money in 20-30 quid packages across many, many more developers versus historically 50-60 with fewer.
That is the rise of digital. The resurgence of indies. The "wait for a sale" "onto my backlog you go" mentality.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Falls Short of Remake's Launch Sales in UK
@Elitepatriot so far(!) there are two things that Rebirth has visualised for me that my own imagination failed to even consider when playing the original game back in 97.
1. Red XIII riding a Chocobo.
2. Barret managing to climb walls one handed.
Looking forward to more...!
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Falls Short of Remake's Launch Sales in UK
@Elitepatriot From a nostalgia point of view it remains a great experience. I love the soundtrack - there's some great new tracks sitting alongside new versions of the entire OST. I really enjoyed the opening Chapter too - it was really nice to go deeper into the Nibelheim section.
I know there will be plenty of upcoming chapters that also hit the mark - Costa Del Sol, Cosmo Canyon and Gold Saucer will surely deliver the goods. Kalm is way off the mark though. Junon remains to be seen...
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Falls Short of Remake's Launch Sales in UK
@DennisReynolds no, I was aware the world map would be limited. My issue is that after just 3 chapters I have a Junon area that is a copy and paste of Grasslands area. That's got nothing to do with Ubisoft design it's bone idleness from SE and instantly kills the game dead. After just 3 chapters I now know SE have decided not to do the best job they possibly can, they've decided to cut all the corners.
Also don't get me started on Kalm! They made this huge location and put 3 quests in it?! And i say quests... 1 is literally taking a screenshot! Are they serious?
And to be clear on where the bar has been set... this is not just another Ubisoft open world game. It's a remake of one of the greatest games ever made. SE have dropped the ball all over the place with this project.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Falls Short of Remake's Launch Sales in UK
@Korra Yes, Final Fantasy Chadley. I decided to do all the stuff in the Grasslands before beyond the swamp and seriously, Chadley must have popped up more than 50 times.
There's plenty I'm enjoying with it, but the game is well off the pace overall.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Falls Short of Remake's Launch Sales in UK
I'm only on Chapter 3 but it's already clear to me that Rebirth is disappointing.
The World is not open enough. It's annoying to navigate around. It's boring to explore. It's painting by numbers and it's just plain lazy. SE have actually really annoyed me. Remake was handled well, within the confines of Midgar. It was manageable.
Rebirth is like SE got scared of the scale of the game and decided to wrap the whole thing in chains.
It's yet another game that suffers from BotW syndrome too. The exploration is terrible. It's frustrating to move around the map. The whole thing is messy.
I'm hopeful they make amends with later iconic locations... but so not impressed by Kalm. It all felt wrong. Grasslands were depressing to explore. Frigging Chadley pops up on that monitor way too much. He's literally the lead character in dialogue for me so far. I'm aware 3 chapters is very early in the game, but first impressions and all that... it's a really poor effort that lacks all the charm that Remake managed to include.