Metal Gear Solid 2 was bad with the long cut scenes. Felt like I watched more then I played. Great game though.

I like the dialog, but I don't like the decision tree thing. Two lines of dialog, click an option, two lines of dialog, pick an option, etc. I'd gladly just sit there and listen to it all without the choices. I do read through it all, I never skip any.

I do enjoy the story on Horizon (the first one, anyway...haven't started the second). I just wish it wasn't so damn long.

There's an enemy in Far Cry 3 called a heavy. They wear riot gear and are pretty hard to kill,so I use a rocket launcher on the them. We definitely have a different style of play.
I'm terrible at video games,but I still enjoy them. I might pick up a PS5 once they become easier to find.

It isn't too bad if you don't do any of the side missions. I did everything I could (including DLC) in the game and logged in maybe 60 hours? I can't remember. I bet if I just stuck with the main story line, it would be a 30 hr playthrough. I didn't do everything in Ghost of Tsushima, and I probably logged about 40-50 hrs, and there was a ton of stuff that I missed. The one thing I didn't like about GoT was the collect-a-thon of armor skins, foxes, haikus etc. Horizon had a some of that too that I skipped, but it didn't seems as bad as GoT.

I really loved the combat in Horizon. Haven't started FW yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Too many games ATM lol.

I loved the story for HZD. The whole past/future thing was great to see as it unfolds. For FW I was a little meh on it until I hit the Zenith story line. Then I was like, ahhh shit, that's cool now we're getting somewhere. The other story arches with the background characters are hit or miss for me. While I don't skip the cut scene conversations, I do look at my phone while they go on lol. The others I definitely read them and click through faster then they can say the words. I'd rather none of them be cut scenes so I could get the story at my speed and not the games.

I’m only a couple of hours in but felt like things were dragging. Maybe I’ll give it some more time before I bail. The combat mechanics are cool for sure.

Just depends on your playstyle and whether you choose to do all of the side quests before you leave the zone or are ok with coming back later. If you just stick to the story, it goes pretty quick.

I am 96 hours into Elden Ring at this point and I think I am a little past half way…. Not complaining. Still loving it.

Days Gone is another excellent game.

Completely agree. Loved taking on the hordes, and I always got a kick out of the way Deke talked to himself during fights.

Anyone else get random emails re Grand Turismo 7?
3 congratulation emails on beating the game in 1 hour? W T F !

Does it ask you to buy credits? Haha.

I can say I was loving GT7, but them cutting credits earned in half is pretty ridiculous.

Does GT7 have micro-transactions?

It's flooded with them. I'm so glad that I decided to wait. It looks like I'll be waiting until Gran Turismo 7 hits bargain bin pricing before buying it.

I remember when graphic were nothing and gameplay was EVERYTHING!
Consumers are blinded by wank factor now even more than before.
This is why I still love retro gaming.

You talking board game era here? People have been excited about advances in graphics ever since there were graphics to get excited about!

My take is that things carry on pretty much as they always have in video games, as in TV, movies, books, music, and any other field of entertainment. 95% of what gets made is mediocre or worse. And what ends up selling well in any given year doesn't correlate that well with the 5% of stuff that's actually worthwhile. Not sure it's any worse today than it was in 1984.

Oof...i hate this. Pay full retail for a game, then pay more for other features within. No thanks. I won't ever support a game with micro-transactions.

With GT7...you don't have to buy credits...you can earn them obviously. There is this whole license thing you have to do, and race certain types of cars, and you earn credits to buy stuff, upgrade, etc... You also win cars as you play.

So I don't think it's quite as bad as other games with micro-transactions myself, but I can understand the hesitation. If you got a launch edition it comes with 100,000 credits and some cars, and if you get the classic edition or whatever it comes with 1mil I think.

If you have played it in the past, you would probably like this game as its pretty much the same, with way better graphics. If you don't like car racing games then you would hate it for sure.

GT7 is one of those games that gets crazy hate online by people that don't understand the genre. The micro transactions are tuned to their target audience. If you are the typical I play a game until the next big game comes out in a couple weeks you will not like the balance of the micro transactions. You will find it takes way too long to earn enough currency to get the best stuff. If you are the standard GT gear head car collecting lunatic that is going to play this game for a couple years, you will love that there is always going to be another holy grail to acquire. Every single item in GT will be available for free to its hard core fans. If you thought you were going to grind every car and mod in a couple of weeks prepare to open your wallet. I personally love watching the internet rage when you know the people that are raging have no understanding of Gran Turismo and are never going to play it anyway. They just planted their hate flag on it so this week they have something to be upset about. The car universe is suppose to have fat cats that dropped huge coin on the best cars and gear getting lapped by the weekend warriors that know every inch of the track driving a beater they put years of love into.

Agreed. I don’t really have a take. Won’t be buying credits. Didn’t buy the 25th anniversary edition when I realized the extra $20 was essentially for the credits.

Granted I haven’t put as much time in as I would like but I’m enjoying GT7. I’m not very good so I won’t be going through the game quickly. I’m still using the dual sense controller but looking hard at the Fanatec DD wheel. Also I hope it has good VR support once the psvr2 is released. Hopefully we can compete online or at least access to all of the single player content and not what little gt sport had.

The very definition of frustration: Loving Horizon Forbidden West, and sucking so bad I can barely kill a damn thing. I have no idea how you aim your arrows at glowing tiny areas of moving mech/animal things. Really annoying, but I love the game otherwise.

I'm finding the trick is to stay hidden and only confront the machines when you absolutely have to as part of the quest/task. Then when you have been able to upgrade your weapons / health / pouch etc you're in a much better place. It worked for me in ZD, hopefully it'll work in FW.

Another hint is to only try and tackle quests which are below or near your level, (it tells you the expected level of a quest in the quest menu) don't go rushing in to a mission which is too OP for you, pick off the lower side missions and tasks first.

I try to do most of the side missions, as they build up your stats and get you shards to spend on better equipment. I'll do everything eventually. HZD is the only game I've completed 100% on. Hitting that concentration button slows down time for a while to where you can easily hit your targets.

I haven't figured out the special attack moves that weapons have or any of the valor stuff. I'm not going to memorize 50 weapon combos. That wasn't in HZD and I'm finding it hard to learn the new options. I just fight the same way I did in HZD.

I did a side mission last night where you have to kill a Thunderjaw and Stormbird at the same time. I'm at level 35 or so, but that was still a tough one.

Yeah, it definitely forces you to take your time and finish side missions before going for the big stuff. Personally, I don't mind that, as I really enjoy exploring and seeing all the small details they packed into the game. I haven't totally decided how I feel about all the new ways to use weapons, or combos for melee. For the most part I'm just doing what I did for the first game and its been working. One complaint though, if you headshot a human opponent, they should be dead. Every time.

most every time. If its a helmeted or somehow masked head I can give them a break and say it was not terminal on the first shot.

Just do what I do, use a sharpshot bow, stealth, shoot, let the machine de-aggro and shoot again. Repeat until dead. You are indeed very weak at the beginning. Once you get past the quests that block you from going to the west 2/3 of the map, go straight to Thornmarsh and buy an epic sharpshot bow. My preference was the Glowblast. Leveraging the above method, go out and immediately get the parts you need to fully upgrade it.

Make sure to use your focus and turn purple the key parts. You can leverage that to identify weak spots to shoot, parts you need to remove with tear ammo, or parts that you need to avoid hitting to ensure they are intact to loot.

As mentioned, concentration is key. It'll help you slow down time enough to hit your mark. FW is different than HZD. As long as you release your arrow aimed at the correct spot, it'll count as a hit to that spot even if the target moves a little.

As far as skills I'm a big fan of the hunter tree to help with the above. I'm a fan of the Powershot skill maxed out as it is not timed and adds a bunch of damage to your shots when used. I would also get Focused Shot asap for increased zoom and slowing speed when aiming as well as increased damage and then Braced Shot. The latter instantly aggros machines but it's a great closer to end a fight with a lot of damage. Skip Double Notch as it's hot garbage. Unlike in HZD, the arrows fly wildly off target. In HZD it was an amazing way to triple your arrow damage but now unless your close 1 or both may not even hit the target.

I'm old and don't play FPS games, etc. so I'm not keen on trying to hit weakspots while the machines are spazzing out. It's hard enough to hit the right spots while they are just patting around in a circle...

I'm at the point of Horizon Forbidden West that the grind is getting to me. Maybe I am underpowered for the area I am in but it's just so tedious. I sneak up on whatever machine I need a piece from or need to destroy to progress and start with some stealth, quickly get impatient with how long it takes. Turn the battle into mayhem, machines seem to endless just wander in and the moment I finally see the Critical Hit indicator and I can finish this encounter, I get hit by god knows what from god knows where. What feels like an eternity of JKR (Just Keep Rolling) with no supplies I go to the nearest campfire only to be stuck in a battle. So then I wander around to find a machine stuck behind a rock that is two miles back where the fight started compared to where it ended. I had one completely stuck inside the terrain that I couldn't kill and had to reset. The warping gets to me as well, when the machines leap and just warp through time and space and no matter how far you dodge or move they just bend to hit you. Their projectiles are super bad for this as well. You get in sequences that they can't miss until they switch to a different attack. The rebel settlements that you can't find the last dude alive and your wandering around and getting hit by an arrow once a minute and its some guy on the other side of the map.

I can't say that I have had any of these problems you described. I haven't purposely upgraded any of my gear. If I go to the craft table and happen to have the parts needed I'll upgrade something, but I haven't set up any jobs to go find pieces to do so that I don't have. I pick up a lot of those medicine berries so I have a lot of health in reserve. No idea how far I am into the game, just that my level is mid 30s, and I've died maybe 5 times, excluding ones from falls or drowning. I played a ton of HZD though, so I feel pretty confident battling groups of 4-5 machines. I died a lot in HZD. HFW seems pretty easy so far for some reason.

For the missing guys in settlements, your focus should find them pretty easily if you're anywhere near them.

I'm not dying or finding it difficult. I just find it tedious and repetitive. I can't play it without this getting in my head.

Ouch. "The gameplay equivalent of Limp Bizkit" is not a ringing endorsement.

Has anyone played Evil Within 2? It's been out for years, but I just decided to give it a go. It's a pretty fun survival horror game!

I’m still playing it so it’s by no means bad. It just doesn’t feel like a top tier AAA game. It looks amazing and there is a tonne of shit to do. That being said the gameplay is just kinda mediocre. Maybe I played the original too recently and it just feels like another 50 hours of the same with visual upgrades.

I finally got my PS5 Friday. Man it was pure luck that I scored one in Walmarts last drop. But I did come out better than most guys. Only 4 attempts to buy one. So like 3 months of trying.

The platform is amazing, especially the controller! I've had a friends ps 4 for the last two years. And the latest game we been playing is Back 4 Blood. And the studio offers the PS5 upgrade for free no matter which copy you have. (Unheard of these days).

But I made an oath to myself to finally finish RD2 before I move on to something else. But the upgraded GTA5 looks great. And I have never finished that story either.

If you are into gorgeous but challenging gameplay with souls-like bosses, please check out Returnal. I nearly have it up due to the difficulty, however I am very happy I stuck with it. Definitely one of the most atmospheric games I’ve played.

I've finished it twice, It didn't feel as pressured as in the first one, probably because of the "open world" structure that allows to run away from zombies without taking any risk but still a very entertaining game with a good load of action.

I played the first one awhile back. Don't remember ever playing the second one, actually went to check if I have it, which I do not. Still have my PS3 though, maybe I'll check it out after FW. I love horror games. I still have the PS2 silent hill and resident evil games even though I haven't played them in years. The resident evil games for PS4 were great, even if they were short.

For reference, Evil Within 2 is for PS4.

Currently playing Lost Judgment: The Kaito Files (dlc) on the PS5. Enjoying it quite a bit.

My take on Elden Ring so far:
I like it overall, but it can be very frustrating. I either end up in a frivolous place with a boss that's easy, or a more important place with a boss that's impossible. I rarely feel evenly matched with bosses I encounter.

I think I'm far enough into it to say that Bloodborne is still my favorite. I always knew where to go and what to do, and felt appropriately up to the task most of the time.

Elden Ring feels like I just randomly end up in places with little or no direction for what I need to do. I love the open world, but I really feel like they could give more specific directions and more map markers for where you are supposed to go. A dude will summarize all the main target bosses for you, but he can't point them out on a map? I also lose track of quests very easily. It's almost like I would like to see Elden Ring with Witcher 3 map/quest tracking.

Is there anyone playing MLB 2022 The Show? I have never liked sports games. But I find it relaxing, playing through diamond dynasty. Against the CPU, the weekly missions, and moments.

It's a good break from the intensity of shooters I'm used to.

If anyone's interested my PS username is the same as my pinside handle. I find the online matches only last about three innings before the other player quits. And I'm terrible to begin with.

I like the Sniper Elite & Hitman series, so decided to buy Snipe Ghost Warrior 3.

Word of warning don't even consider it - I haven't ever played a game so buggy in my life, and that includes HS2 when some doofus decides to trigger secret mania.

I am always a behind in video games but I have to say Elden Ring is so good and so shit at the same time. I have been battling the last boss for hours if I have to watch that fade to white and mash skip one more time. The game is so vast and the amount of content is insane, easily one of the most impressive games I have ever played. They could have easily sold this as a trilogy of full priced titles and you would still gotten your monies worth. Then on the other hand the pleasure they get from just kicking their players in the balls over and over. Why are there so many things that are just such bullshit. The slow as shit animations that you are completely vulnerable and bosses that magically become invincible during certain animations. I just want to drink a potion not have a picnic while enemies, spam endless combo's of their most powerful attacks. I have never loved a game so much and wanted to throw the controller through my TV at the same time.

P.S. The performance of Elden Ring is so overblown, I think in all my hours I noticed slow down once. The way the media piled on I thought it was going to be like playing on Switch.

I finally lost a PS5 controller to drift after owning it with light usage on a 2 controller rotation since Christmas 2020.

I'm in a love/hate relationship with it, too.

I'm at the fire giant and haligtree. I surprised myself and beat the first boss at the haligtree in only a few tries.

My big dislike is the recycled bosses. I don't know if it's just my bad luck in the order I'm encountering then in, but it seems like I have a high rate of finding a duplicate boss that I just fought a couple bosses ago. The game could be cut down in size so that every boss is fought once and I would be fine with that.

Btw, I'm this far in and I have relatively little idea what is even going on in this game story-wise. I felt like I had the general gist of the other From Software souls games. This one I'm supposed to kill some demi-gods and become Elden Lord... Whatever that is. And there's a tree and another tree... And fingers and finger reader crones... And I don't know what's happening! I'm not even entirely sure why I'm in some kind of death loop where I keep coming back. That mechanism was explained decently well in the other games, though probably it makes the most sense in the context of Bloodborne.

Even with all of the gripes, ER is still probably my favorite game ever at this point. I am on my third playthrough already and still loving it and finding new areas and bosses. Trying new builds and combat styles is fun as well.

As far as the story goes, it is very obtuse at times, but if you are just relying on cutscenes and dialogue, you will miss a lot. I was able to pick up on that you were 'undead' because destined death was stolen by Ranni.

However, for most of the story I just watch videos from Vaatividya and Quelaag on YT for lore and story explanations, and I actually find that way more interesting. There will always be polarizing views on the way Fromsoft presents story and lore.

I've played some Elden Ring but have struggled to get into it. It's just too directionless and storiless for my tastes. I'm going to keep trying though.

Sure. I, for the most part, am in favor of the From Software method. I just feel like ER is making far less sense. In the other games I found enough context in dialog and events and felt like they weren't all that convoluted. This one is all over the place and I feel like I'm not getting any closer to unraveling even a bit of what's happening. Each new place I open up, each boss I defeat, brings me no closer to understanding.

I'm always throwing praise at Bloodborne, but I still think it did the best job at storytelling, and any extra bit you read about in an item or outside sources just enhances the experience, but it's a compelling story, and I was always excited to find out what's next.

I think the open world has a lot to do with it. If they try and focus it too much it might become too linear. Maybe it is just bad design. I don’t know. It worked ok for me.