ShreddieMercury

Awesome. I had an Xbox and missed the Gamecube when it was out, and now all of those games are super expensive. I would love to play Eternal Darkness at some point.

Yeah! A pretty significant patch for the game went live yesterday. Grounded mode, tons of gameplay and visual modifiers, and gyro controls. I tried them out and it's awesome - just be sure to crank the sensitivity to 10 on both axis, I found it too slow on the default of 5. @Keyser_Soze I cannot get use to KB/M. I've tried to get a hang of that control scheme and it always makes me wish I was playing with a controller. I don't really play online stuff though, so I'm sure it's more of a necessity in those twitchy games.

The issue with gyro for me is that it's more about fine tuning the aim, so you're still using it in conjunction with the thumb stick. I prefer that to pure stick aiming, but it still falls short of pointer controls in my eyes. The Last of Us Part II just implemented gyro aiming with a patch, so I'm excited to try that. Since most controllers have this capability I don't know why it's not at least an option in most games.

This blows me away every time I see it.

After digging through some of the Wii catalogue, I've come to two realizations: this console has outrageously underrated software, and the Wii-mote is superior to any other console controller for shooters. I bought a Wii at launch and enjoyed my time with it, but it wasn't until I really started exploring its deep catalogue of games that I've come to have an appreciation for the pointer controls. It's crazy how much better it feels to aim in shooters and action games on Wii than it does on any other console. Gyro aiming is also great, but it's super rare and still nowhere near as precise as the control offered by the Wii-mote. Why did this style of control die with the Wii? Will it ever return?

I've never played Sunshine and would love a remaster. Supposedly it's coming in the form of a Super Mario All-Stars 2 package that was rumored for release this year, but I feel like it would have already been announced if that was the case.

I've been trying to pick up a few Wii games that I've had my eye on and am curious what resources, specifically online, that you all use to buy used and retro games and assess fair price. I've been checking out Pricecharting.com, and then comparing that with listings on eBay. Typically I try to go into my local used game shop, which is great, but they don't have everything on hand and with the pandemic I've been trying to avoid stores as much as possible, so I'm having to resort to the online marketplace.

I played a good chunk of RE4 when it came out for PS2, but for some reason or other didn't finish it. I mainly recall being so scared and surprised by the chainsaw guy the first time he killed me that I had to put the game down for several days. I believe I eventually made it to a castle, but I don't remember the details. Anyhow, I'm currently playing the Wii version and I'm surprised by how great it is. There is something about how the game is designed that makes everything extremely satisfying and fun. It's challenging, tense, and though the controls are definitely a step back from the recent remakes, they serve their purpose and are essential to how the game functions so I don't mind. Is this the best in the series? What are you thoughts on RE4 in general?

For me, both Microsoft and Sony have failed to demonstrate how these updgrades will actually produce exciting new game experiences. Both consoles seem to be primarily focused on visuals and improved loading times, which are great, but those factors alone don't really necessitate a purchase in my opinion. Unlike the Switch (and most Nintendo systems), which has a specific form factor that differentiates it from the last Nintendo console, the pitch here seems to be that you can play the same type of games you're already playing... but they'll look and sound better! There also doesn't seem to be a compelling launch title that could push people over the edge. If you're really into Halo, you can just play Infinite on the Xbox you have now, and on Sony's side you'll get some smaller launch experiments (the Resoguns and Knacks) and DLC for Spider-Man. None of that seems to be worth the asking price for a new console if you already have a PS4, Xbox or PC. I think that the race for higher frame rates and resolutions is ultimately a losing battle until we see creative ways to evolve the actual design of the games themselves. At this point, outside of a few boundary pushing indie games and the odd few incredible exclusives, we've been playing games that were templated 10-15 years ago, and I don't really care how good they look if it's the same experience over and over.

I really enjoyed my time with the game, but after closing Act 1 and then clearing the rest of the camps on the first island, I don't have much urge to continue. This is usually what happens to me with open world games. I may go back to it someday because I definitely enjoy the gameplay, but you start to see the seams very quickly and I started get burnt out. The story is fine, but definitely not compelling enough on its own to drive me through.

This is harder than I thought, but my top three are: 1. The Last of Us Part II 2. Shadow of the Colossus 3. Astro Bot Runners up: God of War, The Last Guardian, Tetris Effect, Until Dawn Astro Bot is incredible and one of the most fun and creative platformers in years. VR in general is a tough sell, and I barely use mine since it's cumbersome and isolating, but Astro Bot/Tetris Effect/Moss were worth the price of admission in my mind. Shadow of the Colossus is one of the best and most moving games ever made, and the PS4 remake is the definitive version. The Last of Us Part II is the most state-of-the-art video game I've ever played, and what it accomplished narratively and emotionally has boggled my mind.

This is a great game, and probably the best open-world style game on PS4 that I've played. While it does have a fairly standard open-world structure, I've found that the side quests and random encounters are more dynamic and fun than in similarly styled games. I definitely see the Breath of the Wild comparisons - even though it doesn't attempt the same emergent/systemic gameplay, it provides similar feelings of exploration and discovery, and it's incredible what a huge difference it makes to have no HUD and be guided purely by landmarks/wind/animals. A big part of why I couldn't stand Horizon was the HUD, which I still think is maybe the most intrusive that I've ever seen in a game. I also can't get enough of the setting - everything is beautiful and the music is fantastic.

This looks awesome. I really liked the first one, but never played 2. I just got the discounted double pack on PS4 so I'll play through them again soon.

I bought this and played a few hours, and so far it's really enjoyable. I think the criticisms about it being bland gameplay-wise aren't off-base - it's definitely a typical open-world game - but the setting and combat really elevate it and keep it engaging. It feels to me like a super-polished last gen game, if that makes sense. It has prestige visuals attached to AA everything else. Honestly the gamey-ness is a breath of fresh air compared to lots of Sony's other first party stuff. One thing is for sure though, it's far better than Horizon through the same number of hours in my experience.

I can't stop thinking about this game. After turning it over in my mind, I feel like this has to be the most accomplished and incredible narrative game ever released, and I don't think it's crazy to assume that it might end up as my favorite ever video game. The way the story is constructed, the performances, the amount of pure jaw-dropping set pieces and the incredibly dynamic gameplay all combined to make this feel so radically different and superior to most games I've played that I'm having trouble playing anything else. I know that it's doing a specific thing, and the world of games in general is incredibly diverse, but this feels like something from the future. As I browse the "discourse" around this game online, it's become abundantly clear that video games might just not be ready for something like this. The game is certainly flawed, but the criticism that I've read has either been laughably immature and clueless ("the writing is bad"/"feminism!"), or alternatively full of bizarre misreadings of the theme and narrative (Vice, Polygon). @Kal-El814 had a more succinct and accurate interpretation of the game's successes and failures in this thread than anything else I've seen online. I think it's emblematic of both the intellectual unraveling and tribalism of our culture, but also of where games are right now. I don't know why I expected this to be received (and thoughtfully criticized) as the ambitious and boundary pushing piece of art that it is when games are by and large filled to the brim with happy meal bullshit. This isn't a great comparison, but it's like if when film was invented, we got 30 straight years of nothing but Rob Schneider comedies and then out of nowhere came The Godfather. This game is not The Godfather, and there are loads of other games of this caliber, but the point is that "gamers" seemingly lack the ability to appropriately process something that doesn't spoon-feed exactly what they want and expect, and anything remotely challenging is met with confusion, disdain, and outright hatred. This might be an awful description of my thought process, but I was very moved by this game, and have since been continually stunned and appalled by the various reactions to it.

From what I can tell, the influence is felt in the various ways that you're guided to explore certain parts of the world, e.g. the wind direction, where animals go, etc. So it's seemingly more organic and dynamic than a quest marker or a way point arrow. What blows me away is how so many people still seem to misinterpret the defining aspects of BotW. In my view, what makes Zelda such a shock to the system in our current era of games is the fact that it's almost entirely focused on intrinsic rather than extrinsic rewards. You don't decide to climb a mountain because it has a stat-boosting piece of armor or a new sword, or because you were told to - the world is so intoxicating to explore that you climb the mountain because it feels adventurous to do so, and it satisfies a goal that you yourself created rather than one that the game told you was important. I really want Ghosts of Tsushima to be awesome, and it certainly seems to fill a niche, but it sure sounds like another checklisted chore simulator ala Assassins Creed or Horizon Zero Dawn.

Lol. I understand these things are subjective, but Zelda has wiped the floor with any and all "open-world" games, probably continuing into the near future.

It's really good. It's a highly atmospheric and very tight third-person shooter in the vein of Remedy's other games (Max Payne, Alan Wake, Quantum Break). It's potentially Remedy's best game, though I might ultimately give that to Max Payne 2 or Alan Wake. It has light metroidvania elements, and sees you exploring a vast, surreal government building that houses the government's supernatural investigations and experiments. Think a supernatural Max Payne mixed with the X-Files & Twin Peaks. It's catnip for a whole lot of people, including myself. Probably GOTY for me last year along with Outer Wilds.

2005 - Shadow of the Colossus & Resident Evil 4. That's also the year I bought a PS2 slim to play those games.

Yeah I'm gonna cave and get this as well. Sekiro wasn't for me, so I'm hoping that this scratches the historical Japan itch that I have within me at all times. Did you play on Survivor or Grounded? I'm thinking about playing through it again and trying to decide which difficulty I should go with. I beat it on Hard last time.

I just finished the game, and my criticism is minimal. The only true fault that I see with the narrative is due to the limitations of current game design, but certainly not with the characterization and honestly brilliant structure of the story. Not sure if any of this is really a spoiler, but I tagged it just in case. There is so much to say about this game, much of which has already been explored in this thread. Just, wow.

Have a great holiday weekend everyone!

The fan on my PS4 Pro kicks up sometimes but it's nowhere near the sound that my OG PS4 made.

I'm really trying to temper myself, and maybe it's just recency bias since I tend to get really excited about good games while I'm playing them, but for me this is easily a generational best, and far and away my favorite game on PS4.