Picked up a PS5 from my buddy recently. I skipped out on the PS4 so I am looking forward to going through that catalog while I wait for more PS5 proper games. I have Returnal and love it so far and I will be getting Ratchet and Clank at some point.

As for PS4 games I am starting with Spider-Man and then moving on to Horizon and God of War.

Finished the Spiderman Remastered Story today. I really liked it but didn't love love it. It felt like AC: Odyssey in a Spiderman skin, which is a good thing as AC Odyssey is one of my favorite games ever. I am just not a huge Spiderman fan in general and prefer the setting of ancient Greece to NYC. That said, I am looking forward to playing Miles Morales, but I will come back to it later.

I did start the PS4 Ratchet and Clank and I am really enjoying it a lot. Also still plugging away at Returnal.

I am selling Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate and FIFA 21 NXT LVL Edition if anybody is interested in them or working a trade. DLC codes are unclaimed and still good.

$90 for both shipped in the US.

Interested in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart or FFVII Remake Intergrade in trade. Both MK and FIFA for 1 of these.

Any other Nioh 2 fans out there? I tried it on PSNow and have fallen for it. I never gave the series a look as the theme never grabbed me, but I was very wrong. Excellent presentation and the combat is a more fun souls like. I really should have finished Demons Souls before starting this one. The combat is so much better and the story isn’t as bland. The PS5 update is very good as well.

Yup I am the same. I haven’t beaten the tower night yet. If the combat was a little more refined I would enjoy it more. It just seems the timing doesn’t make sense to my brain. Nioh 2 it just clicked for me and a lot of people say it is harder than souls games. I don’t think so at all.

I started God of War, while I am enjoying it, it is way more linear than I thought it would be. The combat is fine but nothing super exciting. It’s is very pretty tho.

I really like returnal a lot but I am going to wait on the save game patch to play it more as I have had 3 very frustrating crashes deep into runs.

Um…what?!

I love open world games as well as linear games. For some reason GOW hasn’t grabbed me yet. The combat might have a lot to do with it right now. I am heavy into Monster Hunter Rise and Nioh 2 right now, which are a lot more engaging combat wise. Not saying I don’t like it. Just not as much as I thought I would.

I will complete the game. I like the game, just not as interesting gameplay wise as I was anticipating I guess. I am about 7-8 hours in so far. Monster Hunter is a game full of boss fights and that is why I enjoy it I think. It has a good gameplay loop for me. It isn't for everybody.

Some people love Nintendo for what they are and I am one of them. Mario Odyssey, Breath of the Wild, Mario Maker 2 etc are some of my favorite games ever. They can make the same kind of games forever and I will be happy b/c they are the kind of games I enjoy. I get what you are saying and they fill a need for a lot of people. They don't have to compete with Sony or MS and I don't think they should try. They are doing fine.

That is where I tried them. They are not for me but I can see how they have a following.

That is the one thing I did like about the one I played. It had a serious story but didn’t make it feel like it had to be that dire for every part of the game. Some parts are genuinely hilarious.

Finished the story on God of War. It was a good ride didn’t realize the final battle was the final battle at the time. Felt like there should have been more but we will get that in the next one. Loved the story and the look of the game tho. The endgame realms weren’t really that interesting for someone that isn’t going to mess with NG+ I feel.

Ratchet and Clank is next.

Just finished my first playthrough of Demon's Souls. It is my first 'soulsborne' experience and it was a great one. First of all it is the most visually immersive game I have ever played and the art direction was incredible. I liked the story even though it wasn't really in your face like most games these days. It is a sad story that lets you kind of decide how it ends. Took me a while to get a hang of things but I loved it. Will definitely be playing through it again. I know it has its flaws with gimmicky bosses and what not, but the overall experience was so fun. Look forward to playing more in the genre.

Yeah I am going to hold out for the rumored Bloodborne remaster. I know everybody played the original at 30 FPS but I tried and it just bugged me too much. DS3 and Sekeiro are 60 fps at least. I am going to finish Nioh 2 before hopping into another soulsborne tho. Hard to go back to that 30 fps life unless it is the Switch.

A second controller. Battery life isn’t great in them. I really like the 3D pulse headphones. They sound good and work great with the PS5.

As for games, same as what Fatpanda said. If you missed the PS4 there are a ton of great games already included with PS+ to keep you busy for months. As for PS5 exclusives, Ratchet and Clank and Demons Souls are both incredible imo. Returnal is awesome but not for everybody. Do your research on that one first. Spider-Man Remastered is worth buying if you haven’t played it. It comes with one of the Miles Morales editions.

Different types of games for all types of people. Just like pinball machines

I don't really consider it wasted time if I enjoyed it. I enjoy getting better at stuff and 'figuring' it out. The difficulty makes games like Demon's Souls and Returnal rewarding and fun for some of us and annoying for others.

I mean, this is the essence of soulslikes, just every enemy needs to be figured out

I would be buying it for PS5 if I didn’t have a Series S already and it will be on Gamepass. I have about 50 hours on PC and Switch. Such a great game. Too bad no cross save tho on Xbox or ps5.

The effects are subtle in Demons souls but nothing to showcase. Returnal and Ratchet and Clank utilize the dualsense features well. I will say I picked up a Series S recently and the Xbox controller feels like a toy compared to the dualsense. I also find the Xbox controller uncomfortable after an hour or so.

Finished up Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart. All in all, it was very good. Incredible looking game and I liked the story and new characters a lot. It was ultimately a bit short but chasing platinum should pad that a bit. For comparison the PS4 RnC clocked in at about 11 hours for me to complete the story. This game was 7 hours. While appreciate the shortness due to my backlog, I was left wanting a bit more.

On to FFVII Remake

Playing Hades again on gamepass. I have been playing since early access so a lot of the early game is a bit different now with added assets and VO. They have added so much and it is such an incredible game. All time great and happy more people are getting to experience it. Hades and Dead Cells are two games I can see playing for years to come. They are my go to games if I only have 30 min or an hour to play.

I get that criticism but I am still very happy with it. I wasn’t sad that it was short bc I felt ripped off, I was sad there wasn’t more because I loved it so much

Depends on what you like. Did you have a PS4? etc.

Quick ones: Demon's Souls (if you like Dark Souls), Spiderman Remastered/Miles Morales, God of War.

Pretty good showing today from Sony, even if stuff is a ways out. KotOR remake is intruiging.

Nice. Maneater and Firelurker are the hardest bosses to solo IMO. Maneater is probably a bit more dangerous b/c he can bop you off the bridge. Even if the bosses are a bit easy, Demon's Souls is still an amazing experience. I am almost done with Dark Souls Remastered and wow it has been incredible. I just wish it looked as good as Demon's Souls

I played on PC and never found an issue summoning help or being summoned until I reached the endgame. By then I didn't really need it. I think the only boss I actually got frustrated and resorted to summoning actual players for help was Quelaag. There is an NPC you can summon for O&S that really makes the fight pretty easy. If you can get a crystal weapon it helps a lot with them as well. I beat Dark Souls last night. Loved 95% of it. There were some annoying places and enemies, but it is an all time classic for sure. Will make my way through 2 and 3 as well.

So that Horizon Zero Dawn is pretty good

Yeah I was on a Dark Souls kick and needed a break before diving into DS3 again and decided to finally play Horizon. It took a bit for the combat to click, but I am really enjoying and I am enjoying the world and story more than I thought I would.

Yup. Just finished the base game today. Just need to finish the DLC stuff now. I liked it in almost every way more than I did God of War. Only thing it lacked was the transitions on cut scenes. They were jarring at times. Very much looking forward to the Forbidden West. Also playing on the PS5 made the game look amazing. 60fps rock solid. Hard to believe the game is almost 4 years old.

Haven't played it myself, but have heard nothing but good things about it. I will probably play it on PC someday though as I still can't do FPS with a controller. Funny enough 3rd person is fine. Go figure.

I was lucky enough to snag it when Sony was giving it away for free back last year maybe. I didn't even have a console at the time, but I claimed it knowing I was going to be getting a PS5 at some point. Glad I did.

About 40 to beat the main game with doing some of the side quests. Not a ton. If you don’t like these kinds of games not sure anybody will sway you. Spider-Man, Assassins Creed, HZD all have the same structure. I will say that the side missions in HZD seem a bit more meaningful and do have some bearing on the final battle.

I will try and go through and complete most of the rest of them now as I enjoy the world and the story so much. First game I have played where I actually took the time to read all of the found messages and history stuff.

The only thing I don’t like about the combat is not having the ability to lock on. With enemies that are jumping at you a lot it can be easy to lose them. Again I have been playing a lot of Dark Souls games lately so that might have something to do with it. I love the strategy of targeting parts and changing up ammo.

I haven't played Valhalla yet but I didn't feel that way about AC Odyssey, but I liked the world and Kassandra so much that I enjoyed just playing and going around clearing forts and what not. I didn't like all of the side quest stuff in Spiderman and just did the main story stuff for it as the rest didn't interest me. I think the appeal of the world and characters has a lot to do with it for me.

I tried to start with Bloodborne and had the same reaction. Demons Souls on PS5 was a better starting point for me. Levels are smaller and have a cool shortcut design and the enemies don’t mob you as bad as Bloodborne. It gave me a chance to get used to the combat and it finally clicked. Went from that to DS3 and liked it so decided to abandon that 10 hours on and play Dark Souls Remastered and Dark Souls 2. Have loved all of them so far and I think the “impossible” tag is misnomer and out there to make people that play it feel better about themselves or something.

If you can’t start with Demons souls I would go for DS Remastered. It isn’t very pretty and does show its age in a lot of places but really is a masterpiece, flaws and all.

I want to go back to Bloodborne now but I also want to wait on the nextgen patch or remaster that is rumored. Playing it at 30 fps is rough since everything else I play now is 60fps.

I am on the last mission of the DLC right now. I would like to plat it at some point, but too much other stuff to play right now

I am very much looking forward to the sequel though. Hopefully I have Elden Ring done before it comes out.

Someday I will get to GoT. Looks like my kind of game for sure.

Highly recommend Horizon. I loved it.

I preordered the Elden Ring Collectors Edition today. I am so excited for that one l, especially after the gameplay preview from this morning.

Yeah I hear you on the lock on thing. I finally got used to it, but it took a while. I still think it would have been better with it. Such a great game though. The DLC was great too.

I have been playing through the Uncharted Nathan Drake Collection. Those games hold up fairly well. They are repetitive, but still fun. I am about done with the 2nd game.

Play with a shield, and just block stuff, it helped me a lot starting out. Parrying isn’t too hard in DeS but takes some practice. Demons souls is all about finding shortcuts to open up so dying isn’t as punishing. It makes exploring a lot of fun in the game. Keep at it. Once it clicks you will be hooked. Also don’t be afraid to look up the level order. I was trying to play things sequentially and 1-2 was kicking my ass to the point of giving up, until I found out that going to 2-1 or 4-1 was a better option.

Picked up Deathloop in the sale. Pretty fun so far. My wife picked up GotG for me in the sale as well, but I have to wait until Xmas to open it :p

I tried to like Yakuza but couldn’t get into it. I like how goofy they can be tho.

I went ahead and started Deathloop because I know it isn’t a very long game. The overall design aesthetic is awesome and love just looking around at the world they created.

Deathloop feels more like Fallout than a fast paced FPS if that kind of thing matters. I am not a big FPS guy either but I like this one. I have been loving Halo Infinite and Lemnis Gate recently too so maybe I am more of a fan than I thought

Nice!

Anybody get any fun Playstation stuffs for Xmas? I made out pretty well with 5 games

Guardians of the Galaxy
Ghost of Tsushima Directors Cut
Sekiro Shadows Die Twice
Tales of Arise
Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen

I also picked up Dark Souls 2 for $10 in the sale online even though I have played it, I wanted all of the DS games on PS and it was the only one I was missing.

GotG is fantastic so far.

Nice, yeah I just played HZD for the first time a couple of months ago. I am very excited for Forbidden West. I have too much stuff to play before then though and also have to make the decision of to play FW first or Elden Ring

I am crazy impressed with GotG. I think i prefer this cast and stories to the movies…and I love the movies.

Demons Souls is the most approachable but also the most punishing imo. Just look up a guide for the world order to play. I assumed you were meant to go to 1-2 after 1-1. But in reality the other -1 worlds needed to really needed to be played first to get stronger. I did 1-1, 4-1, 2-1 etc.

HFW is amazing. Love the changes and is more challenging so far. I am about 25 hours in at this point. Gonna be hard to drop it for Elden Ring.

Yeah totally hiding it

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I don’t know. I think it worked pretty well. The anticipation was even higher not knowing for me. Now that the review are coming out I am even more hyped. There was a lot of gameplay from the network test available. Hours even. So it isn’t like you couldn’t find anything about it.

Excited to get started on it.

This is a big part of it. From is very conscious of this it seems.

I enjoyed Ghost of Tsushima for the most part. It is a beautiful game and the combat is pretty good. I did get kind of tired of fighting the same 5 human enemy types by the end though. I plan to revisit it again at some point and complete the side quests and Iki island. I keep meaning to try Legends as well as it seems a bit more interesting with the yokai and such. Which is what I really liked about Nioh.

I am really enjoying Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West. HFW is the best looking game I have ever seen by a large margin. I am liking everything about it at this point. After I gorge myself on Elden Ring I will be back on it.

I will say I am extremely disappointed in the performance of Elden Ring. Seems like it is an issue across all systems and not just PS5. It is pretty bad considering how good HFW looks and runs buttery smooth at all times. I know FromSoft isn't known for their technical prowess, but it is hard to stomach a AAA game in this age not running smooth. Especially given that graphically, it isn't that impressive. Artistically/aesthetically it is, one of the best I have seen, but technically, no.

It is a pity because it is a nearly perfect game for ME otherwise. Hopefully they can iron it out.

I would start with Demon’s Souls. It is a great gateway into the genre IMO. It is hard but the easiest of the souls games IMO and is the best looking PS5 game. Elden Ring is hard AF, not as pretty and absolutely doesn’t hold your hand with the open world stuff. That said it is an incredible open world game unlike any I have played. It is all about exploring and being rewarded for doing so…..and also getting your teeth kicked in on the regular

Don't be afraid to watch a guide or playthrough of the first area at least. I know people say 'don't spoil it!' and what not, but the game didn't click for me until I watched somebody else make it up to Phalanx. I had a lightbulb moment after that and everything fell into place. Also don't be afraid to summon help (after the first level that is).

Sekiro is pretty fast paced. Demon's Souls and Elden Ring's combat feels very similar. A little more dynamic in Elden Ring. The enemies are way more aggressive in ER as well.

I personally think Bloodborne was the hardest one from FromSoft I have played. Nioh 1 is super hard, harder than any of the souls games IMO. Nioh2 is actually a great place to start but not easy either. It is at least really pretty and has more of a coherent story and a bit faster paced. The PS5 upgrade looks great too. The Nioh games are my favorite soulslikes not from FromSoft.

I honestly think if you really want to try a 'soulslike' but don't want the punishing difficulty to turn you off, Jedi Fallen Order is a great place to start. It is challenging but not as bad as the souls games and has more of a 'movie' like story.

Elden Ring has consumed me. Have made it to Rodahn and he is a brick wall. Gonna be a tough one. 70 hours in tho with no end in sight and I am loving it. Just exploring the world is so much fun. Already thinking about my next play-through with a different build.

Demons Souls has the easiest bosses in the series imo. DS is all about opening shortcuts to make the run back shorter but still can be long in a few instances. Elden Ring has a lot of quality of like changes which are nice.

I agree about summoning tho. Elden Ring is the first game that I have summoned real person help on more than one occasion. Some of the bosses feel like they were designed to be played with more than one person. Not a bad thing, just feels a bit different.

There are some crazy summons later on. A lot to choose from and you can upgrade them.

I have a Xbox Series S and gamepass and I hardly touch it. Kind of a waste of money at this point as I am only playing my PS5. I will play my Series S a few times a month to play Halo with my brother in laws online. That is about it sadly. I do appreciate being able to check out games on gamepass but there have been very few to hold my attention. Couple that with the fact that I much prefer the feel of a PS controller to Xbox. I know I am probably in the minority there though.

Different tastes I guess. Horzion is one of the few series where I actually enjoy the dialogue the stories they tell.

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.

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 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.

All of that said. I do highly recommend the Vaatividya series in YT about ER lore. The story really is quite fascinating and his production value is off the charts.

For those of you with a Steam Deck, PS5 Local Remote play is awesome on it. I can't even tell I am not playing the game natively. Played a few hours of Elden Ring last night with no issues.

I have seen them on the shelves several times the last few weeks at Walmart and Target around here. Hope you can get one. Still love mine.

On a side note, don't sleep on Nioh 2, especially if you have PS+ as it is free this month. Outstanding game.

Yeah, I had a bit of a buffer playing DS3, Sekiro and Bloodborne after Elden Ring, so I got it out of my system Honestly tho, Nioh 2 is as good as any of those IMO.

That said, Team Ninja's next game Wo Long Fallen Dynasty comes out in March and is basically Chinese Nioh with jumping

I have been trying to get into RD2. I like it, but the pacing is so slow early on. Hasn't sunk its teeth into me yet. Nioh 2 kind of hijacked that one for me for the time being.

I bought my dad a copy of the first game for the 360 and honestly, the little bit I played of it I enjoyed a lot more than RD2 so far. I am going to borrow it when he is done with it I think.

Finished the main game for Nioh 2 last night. What a great game. It is really more of an action game than souls game. Feels way more like Ninja Gaiden games which makes sense since it is the same dev. Bought the DLC since it is on sale.

Def worth checking out if you have PS+

I would definitely recommend watching a youtube video of a person playing the first hour or so of the game. It's not going to spoil that much, but you will learn the ins and outs of how the combat is supposed to work in those games. The games really are worth it, and it took me a few false starts with Demon's Souls and Dark Souls before it clicked with me. Fromsoft games have since become my favorite games ever and I have replayed many of them. It wasn't until I watched MFpallytime on Youtube play the first level of Demon's Souls before I had the lightbulb moment. Glad I did.

I would recommend Odyssey over Valhalla myself. Much better game overall IMO.

I am not a big AC fan, but Odyssey was one of my favorite games ever. Make sure you play as Kassandra tho and not Alexios, she is a much better character.

Yeah, I need to try Mortal Shell again. Didn't really grab me the first time I tried it.

I just finished my third playthrough of Elden Ring tonight and honestly, this playthrough was the most fun so far. I did a Faith incantation build, which was very different from my first two runs both being melee (dex/strength). I have over 200 hours in the game now and I still found over a dozen areas I hadn't seen before in this run. Crazy.

The story is not in your face and you kind of have to work for it, but I am completely enamored with the lore and world. I have even been watching a lot of lore videos on YT and it is pretty incredible the amount of depth to the world and story. Every item, even down to the flowers you pick up have a specific meaning and purpose.

I need to make myself get in and play GoW:R, I like the game, but outside of the story the gameplay is so repetitive it is hard for me to keep my interest up. I am looking forward to the Horizon Forbidden West DLC coming out this spring.

I started playing Remnant: From the Ashes today as I got it free a while ago. I tried it when I first got it, but it didn't click. Saw a video recently and it got me interested again. I am glad I gave it another shot. It is a really solid game. PS5 update looks great too.

It is a weird hybrid of a game, kind of a mix of Dark Souls, God of War and Gears of War. Challenging combat, but not too hard. You don't lose all of your stuff like a traditional souls-like, The combat feels like Dark Souls with guns, in a good way. Also, the promo material does not do the game justice. Almost all of the screenshots and videos I have ever seen of the game use the first zone, which is an ugly post apocalyptic cityscape. The levels once you get out of that zone are stunning visually. It really surprised me how beautiful it was.

Anyways, it is a hidden gem for me. I am loving it after about 10 hours of play. Epic gave the game away on PC last year, so if you claim those games weekly, like I do, you probably have it in your library already.

VR racing is a new level of immersion. I used it on PC for sim racing for a couple of years. I have gone back to triple screens for now as it was just too expensive to chase performance with it. I am very keen to try PSVR2 and GT7 just for the fun of it though.

Yeah, took me about a month to build it up, but been fine ever since.

If my wheel and pedals were supported on PS5 I would buy a PSVR2 in a heartbeat for GT7 in VR.

I finally got around to finishing GoW:Ragnarok and overall, I really liked the game a lot in spite of the combat. It never did click with me, and I found myself dreading entering an arena as the combat was just annoying to me. That said, it was a hell of a story and quite a spectacle.

I also played and enjoyed the Horizon Forbidden West DLC. It actually got me more excited for the next game as I was pretty lukewarm after completing the main story campaign after release.

You might be the first person I have seen call the Horizon games ugly

To each their own. I find them stunning.

I am going to wait on Jedi Survivor until they get the performance issues worked out. I am using the time to clean up some backlog games. Hogwarts Legacy atm.

It def isn't like Elden Ring. I am liking it a lot so far, but you spend a lot of time watching cutscenes. Which is very similar to most FF games, at least recently, so keep that in mind. The story is very Game of Thrones so far but that isn't a bad thing. The combat in this one is more action based and I like it a lot, but it definitely isn't turn based oriented like the old games or even the newer ones. The last few games weren't turn based either, but they definitely still had a turn based feel to them, this one is closer to something like Devil May Cry, which makes sense since the combat designer worked on DMC.

There is a demo for it. Try it out, the progress carries over to the game if you buy it.

That is rad your library has games to check out. I wish ours did.

I need to get back to Like A Dragon. I liked what I played of it and have heard this one is even better. I am currently addicted to Snowrunner and can't stop playing it...

They know they are losing the hardware war and the exclusives for Sony have been a lot better than their own. I own a Series S and never play it. I only bought it because my brother in laws both have Xbox's and we play online sometimes. Then I realized I could just play any of the games on my PC and still play with them, so it became redundant. I would sell it, but it isn't worth anything.

There will always be people willing to buy Bathesda and Blizzard games, no matter the popular opinion. I am sure Starfield will sell great on Playstation even though it is a very medicore game.

That said, I do wish somebody else would step up. As much as I like Sony and like my PS5, Sony needs some competition. Nintendo is off in their own little world printing money, so they don't really count.

High on Life was a good one. There have been some exclusives that were worth playing, but none that were console exclusive that I couldn't play on my PC. I do like Game Pass though and will keep the PC version.

Finally picked up Armored Core VI. Game is a rush. Love it.

Highly recommend Helldivers 2 if you have a crew to play with.

I don't have a portal but I use my Steam Deck for the same purpose of remote play and it is great. I am sure the Portal is even better for that purpose.

Weird. I find the Steam deck extremely comfortable to use.

Horizon is a fantastic game. I have played it twice. Once on PS5 and again on the PC. Loved it both times.

YES PLEASE.

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Miyazaki said it would be around 30 hours, which means more like 60 in reality if his past comments are taken into account.

Yes, new area/map that isn't directly connected to the current map. Looks like it is going to be in a 'deathbed' dream kind of like the Lich Dragon Fortissax fight in the Deeproot Depths. He said the map is a bit larger than Limgrave but more densely packed. So yeah, should be a lot there.

Helldivers 2 is the most fun I have had with a coop game in a long, long time. Even playing solo with randos is a ton of fun. I don't use voice when playing with randos. If you do happen to have a couple of friends to play with, I am not sure there is a better game out there atm.

Na, the game is just pure co-op fun. You can try hard it if you want, but you can just play for fun too and it is a blast. Figuratively and literally.