Topics

16

Modern Video Games / Assassin's Creed Blowout

« on: September 11, 2022, 08:38:48 am »

Ubisoft had a belated E3 presentation they called UbiForward yesterday that was a celebration of 15 years of Assassin's Creed. They showed off not just the next Assassin's Creed game but a plethora of upcoming Assassin's Creed games. It was a bit nuts. I'm sure you can find the 90 minute presentation online somewhere if you want to watch but I figure I would break down all the new AC games that will be coming and I doubt I'm alone when I say I can sum it up in one word... Oversaturation.

Here's the breakdown:

AC Mirage (best in show IMO)
 - Play as Basim from AC Valhalla.
 - Takes place 10-15 years before AC Valhalla.
 - Takes place in Bagdad.
 - Sounds like it may play like the original AC games (a good thing)
 - Last Cross Gen AC (Playstation, Xbox, PC)
 - $50 -- Releases in 2023 sometime
 - Preorder snags you an extra DLC mission
 - I added the PS5 version of this to VG Collect's database for wish lists.

AC Codename Red (runner up)
 - Takes the series to Japan
 - PS5, XSeries, PC only (from what I understand)
 - Part of the AC Infinity platform (still unclear what Infinity is)
 -- Might have multiplayer via Infinity? 
 - Open world like Origins - Valhalla

AC Codename Hexe
 - Really unknown what this is. Maybe a cross of AC and Witcher?
 - Part of the AC Infinity platform
 -- Might have multiplayer via Infinity?
 - Assumed PS5, XSeries and PC

AC Codename Jade
 - Mobile game with focus on touch control (insert vomit emoji)
 - Takes place in ancient China.

AC Netflix Mobile Game
 - You read that right. Netflix... exclusive... mobile game.
 -- Insert vomit emoji
 - Nothing really known about this beyond vomit inducing info above.

AC Netflix live-action TV series announced. Nothing shown.

AC Valhalla Last DLC Revealed

I was honestly hoping for a remake of the first game, but there's a rumor that may happen via DLC to Mirage. Now... I've been a fan of the AC series from the first through Syndicate. From Origins on, it's been a bit of a slog where I've had to force myself to beat the games. I still haven't beat Valhalla's main story as I just can't get into it after having it since PS5's launch.

I'm interested in Mirage but won't buy it if it plays like the last couple. I'm interested in Codename Red's setting but will probably just stick with Ghost of Tsushima as it's confirmed to play like the last couple. Time will tell.

What are your thoughts?

17

General / Shadowbox Project Completed -- My Gaming Wall of Fame.

« on: June 12, 2022, 03:53:32 pm »

My Shadowbox Project is officially completed. I've shown it off occasionally, but thought it would be nice to have everything in one place.

Each of these boxes took anywhere from 25-60 hours to complete with each one getting a bit more complex. Each box represents a favorite game or series of mine for the specified generation.

NES - Ninja Turtles
Genesis - Jurassic Park
PS1 - Resident Evil
DC - Shenmue (I counted this as an in-between gen but know it's part of the PS2 gen)
PS2 - Tomb Raider
PS3 - Uncharted
PS4 - Mass Effect (for me) and Destiny (for my brother)

Every box has a complete copy of one of the games, a timeline of the series, a scene from at least one of the games, and a push button speaker that cycles through songs from the series.

I completed the Mass Effect box just yesterday and I have to say that it's one of my favorites with the layering. I even left a spot on the timeline for when the new Mass Effect releases sometime in the next decade. Like with the Tomb Raider box, I bent my rule a bit as I wasn't horribly impressed with many new IPs during the PS4 gen. At least, not with games that were new IPs and have multiple sequels. It takes forever to make games anymore.

Runner up for the PS2 gen was Prince of Persia but I felt that Tomb Raider deserved it more with my personal history. Runner up for the PS4 gen was either Ghost of Tsushima or Witcher 3 but there's only one game for Ghost and I never got to play the first two Witcher games.

Photos are below to enjoy, but before you scroll, I'm wondering if you had to pick a single game or series for each gen you've been a gamer, what would your wall of fame look like?

18

General / 3rd Party Amazon Oddity

« on: April 11, 2022, 09:59:31 am »

I had Deliver Us the Moon (PS4) that was supposed to arrive from a third party Amazon seller this week. Oddly, instead, I got a notification of a refund... after it was stated to have shipped almost two weeks ago. I had contacted Amazon and the only note they had was that it was out of stock from that seller. When I had ordered it though, it showed as having a handful in stock... and yes... had showed as shipped a couple days later.

After the PS5 announcement occurred shortly after my purchase, I was planning on returning it anyway in favor of the PS5 physical release... so no skin off my nose, but I thought this circumstance to be a bit odd.

Has this happened to anyone else?

19

Modern Video Games / What Would It Take? -- Disappointment in Modern Gaming

« on: February 26, 2022, 09:59:06 am »

As I'm sure with most here... I've been a gamer for decades. I've always enjoyed good single player games and co-op games. Then when narrative driven games cropped up more during the PS1 era... I was hooked. Now though... it's a different era. An era of Games as a Service (GaaS)... perpetually online with never ending micro-transactions.

Sure, there are some good story-driven games that are still releasing but they are more few and far between than they used to be and there's less excitement for a generation of gaming than I've ever had before. I've had my PS5 since launch and I really am not excited about anything exclusive on it... a first for a Playstation. I know what to expect from Horizon 2 and GoW2... they'll be continuations of good games and be good in their own right. I don't find them exciting though.

That brings me to "what is it going to take to get me excited"? There are three games announced that have my attention currently. Yes... three games for the foreseeable future that give me the slightest bit of excitement.
 - Ninja Turtles Shredder's Revenge
 - Instinction
 - Mass Effect 5

That's what the entire industry has to offer in modern gaming that gives me any excitement. That means that until more is announced that makes me raise an eyebrow... this new generation (over a year old now) of gaming is absolutely the worst regardless that we have the hardware to pull off amazing games.

So what would it take to get me excited again? What would it take for me to see this nosedive of the industry pull up back to levels I've seen in previous gens?

 - Warhawk reboot -- They need to bring back PS3's Warhawk in a big way. While it would undoubtedly be pushed as a GaaS given it's online only background, they should include a campaign that can be played solo or with a buddy. That would mean once the servers are shut down, you still have an adventure to play. Even better... you can disregard any micro transactions they would throw at this thing and just enjoy the campaign. Keep the WW2 aesthetic. Keep the option of motion controls while flying the Warhawks (only time you'll EVER see me say that about motion controls).

 - Ninja Turtles; Dark and Gritty -- Have a dark and gritty single player and co-op narrative driven Ninja Turtles game. Reduce the kid aspect significantly. Have gore and violence. Different perspectives on the story depending on which Turtle you play as.

 - Uncharted continuation -- There's so many avenues they could take on this and frankly, the globe trotting, treasure seeking games don't come around often.

 - Twisted Metal reboot -- This one is actually rumored at the moment. Could be interesting to see what they come up with but again, I see this one being perverted into a GaaS. We'll see what happens but if they keep to what the second and Black had to offer while expanding on those... this could be phenomenal.

The above would be a start. I honestly don't see most of those happening as the industry views GaaS as a way to squeeze every ounce of cash from gamers... and many gamers love it. I think that the best that gaming has to offer is behind us and that's actually pretty depressing.

20

Modern Video Games / New Unreal Engine 5 Matrix Demo Inbound -- Preload on PS5 Now

« on: December 06, 2021, 11:39:40 am »

We're finally getting a real taste of what the new Unreal Engine is capable of and you can preload it now on your PS5. Just go to your PSN app or on your console's store and do a search for "Matrix" to get started on the download.

The Matrix Awakens is apparently going to be available to interact(?) with this Friday after the Game Awards and it will demo exactly what the new engine is capable of. Of course, it's also a plug for the new movie coming out but regardless on if you enjoy the Matrix movies, the detail in this demo has me excited for the future of the PS5 and gaming in the coming years that use this engine.

Initially I was going to post a photo of just Neo's face from the trailer, but the image was such a high resolution and the only one I could find, that it was ... well... too large. So I've posted the link to the short teaser only. Still... amazing. Take a look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyNhq_1qnDo

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2021/12/demo-unreal-engine-5-in-the-matrix-awakens-available-to-pre-load-now-on-ps5

21

Off Topic / Uncharted Movie Trailer

« on: October 21, 2021, 10:56:20 am »

Uncharted is my favorite game series. I was skeptical when it was announced they were doing a movie. I was even more skeptical when Holland was cast as Drake. Then even more when Wahlberg was cast as Sully. Then the heavy delays. It was one thing after the next compounding my skepticism that this movie would even be released. Well... now there's a trailer.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZOnOfc83Q0

The trailer gives me a very small glimmer of hope. I expect it'll be the worst Uncharted released but will still be enjoyable as a B rated film. Time to reign in expectations on this one. It probably won't be the worst game to movie adaptation (looking at you MK Annihilation), but it won't be the best (oddly... Sonic of all things?). I expect a 2 hour action romp with Hollywood flare as they try their best to mimic the game's adventure and falling short... but it's also hard to emulate an 8-15 hour game into 2 hours.

I expect a good time. We'll see how it compares to something similar... the Indiana Jones, National Treasure and Tomb Raider movies. Time will tell how this does. Apparently it releases February 18th next year.

What are your thoughts?

22

General / Tomb Raider Ascension 2013 Project - Survival Horror

« on: October 21, 2021, 09:26:16 am »

As part of the 25th Anniversary of the series, some very early gameplay and concept art/music was released for fans to view.

Now... I recall seeing some of this art back around 2011 or so when it was still being developed. It raised an eyebrow of concern as the creatures in it looked like they were from the wrong genre as Tomb Raider. Now, for all I knew it was a boss of some sort. Tomb Raider has had supernatural monsters in the past that you had to go up against so it was nothing new. That's what I chalked it up as. Next I knew, the Tomb Raider game from 2013 that we got came out and there were no actual monsters pre-se... at least not those that were shown.



Fast forward and yesterday, some gameplay and more info was released on Youtube among other places. You can see the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-er1Nytu1M

After watching the footage this morning and seeing how far into the survival horror genre that they were planning on taking the series, I can say with full certainty that had they gone this direction with the series, that I would have stopped buying the games.

There are too many survival horror games these days and frankly, it's a genre that I was falling out of around the time they were developing this version of the 2013 game. For most, Tomb Raider has been about the adventure and the mystery. Finding a T-Rex in the first two games was startling but not survival horror. Fighting a mutated spider guy at the end of the third game was a bit creepy but not survival horror. Even Angel of Darkness which had some darker elements was not survival horror. That's because Tomb Raider was never meant to be survival horror. It's an adventure.

I am very glad that they ended up going the direction they did with the series because I got to enjoy some great games these last 8 years... yeah... the reboot has been around that long. Feel old yet? I do.

Anyway, what are your thoughts on the Tomb Raider that might have been? Would you have preferred that over what we got? Are you a fan of survival horror in general?

23

General / Remasters and Ports - A Good Thing?

« on: October 02, 2021, 08:42:34 am »

** Preemptive Clarification ** - This topic is not about remakes like RE2 Remake or FF7 Remake.

Looking through my collection of PS4 games, it occurred to me that there was a significant number of ports and "remasters" from previous gens. Sure, the PS3/360 gen had it's share of "HD" ports. Then the PS4/X1 gen had a mass influx of remasters. Many on the various forums were complaining non-stop about it but we also got plenty of new content as well.

First off, I'm wondering what your thoughts are? Many on here are collectors and probably still have their older systems with their favorite games on those system. Hell, I still have some of my retro systems as well. That said, what are your thoughts on all the HD ports, remasters, and now Director's Cuts we're seeing releasing throughout the last decade or so? Is it a good thing?

For me, I sold off some of my older systems like my PS3, Gamecube and Dreamcast. There were quite a few games I absolutely loved on those systems and I regretted selling them at times. Then the ports and remasters started releasing on my PS4 and I was able to reclaim many of them.... maybe too many?

 - Burnout Paradise Remastered
 - Corpse Killer 25th Anniversary
 - Disney Afternoon Collection
 - Full Throttle Remastered
 - Heavy Rain / Beyond 2 Souls Collection
 - The Last of Us Remastered
 - Mass Effect Legendary Edition
 - NFS Hot Pursuit Remastered
 - Resident Evil 4, 5, 6, Origins Collection
 - Shenmue Collection
 - Tomb Raider Definitive Edition
 - Uncharted Collection

I guess I used ports and remasters as a way to consolidate my favorites into one collection. I still have some that I'd love to get in HD like the PS1 and PS2 era Tomb Raider games... though it seems Square has no intention of celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the series. I also still have PS2 versions of Dreamcast games on my wish list as I still have my PS2. Time will tell how many games continue to get ported... seems Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy are next up for PS5 and PC... but at least there's a silver lining to them.

24

General / Months with Too Many Releases?

« on: August 24, 2021, 05:54:24 pm »

I was taking a look at next month and for the first time that I can remember, there is a game coming out every week of the month that I'm wanting. I've never seen that many games release in one month or even in a three month time span with that many games that I've wanted.

 - Week 1 - F.I.S.T.
 - Week 2 - Cruis'n Blast
 - Week 3 - Kena Bridge of Spirits
 - Week 4 - Hot Wheels Unleashed

That's a busy month, but then, every fall leading up to the holiday shopping rush has had many games dropped for the season. I can recall previous years where there were a couple games that I had to choose from and then let one go until it dropped in price. That kind of predicament has happened often actually. 

What was one of the busiest gaming months for releases for you? Was there a month where you felt there was simply too much coming out and you didn't have time for it?

25

Modern Video Games / Gamescom 2021 Aug 25th - 27th

« on: August 23, 2021, 09:49:10 am »

Just a couple days away, Gamescom's opening starts at 10:30 PST / 1:30 EST. I believe Jeff Knightly is hosting it and he's been busy leaking some expectations about the opening... including an update on the new Ninja Turtles game that I've been hoping to hear more about.

Playstation is once again nowhere to be found so it's going to be up to third parties to bring any excitement to the PS4/5 userbase. Seriously.... what the hell is Sony doing aside from destroying their PR?

Meanwhile, Xbox is kicking things off a bit early.... Xbox Stream – Tuesday, August 24 at 10am - 12pm PT.

Nintendo is also absent at the moment but they've been showing off games pretty regularly.

I'm not sure what to expect so other than the Ninja Turtles update already confirmed, I'll expect nothing and then be happy if something I'm interested in is shown. Best case scenario for me is that Shenmue 4 is announced as in development. Worst case scenario as I'm expecting nothing... I get an update on the Ninja Turtles game only. This makes Gamescom a win/win for me.

What are you hoping for?

26

Modern Video Games / PS5 is FINALLY getting Internal SSD Expansion!

« on: July 29, 2021, 09:03:50 am »

When PS4 (yes PS4) launched with a 500GB HDD, I questioned if it would be enough space back in 2013. It was not. I upgrade to a 1TB pretty quick as it was easy enough to do myself. That still wasn't enough, so I bought a 4TB external. Finally... it felt like the glorious days prior to the PS3/360 era. After the initial install, I didn't have to worry about space anymore or the time to reinstall. It was simply done. Pop a game in and play. Fantastic.

Then the PS5 was announced as having only 650GB (roughly) of usable internal SSD space... in 2020. Gross. Just.... gross. With that horrible information announced, Sony decided to throw in a light at the end of the tunnel stating that internal SSD upgrades would be available and that it's easier to access than even on PS4. Ok... sure.

Nearly a year later... Sony is finally moving forward with the ability to install SSD upgrades into the PS5 starting with their next beta of the OS. There's even a new support page detailing how to install an SSD. You can see some of the images in the link below:

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2021/07/sony_rolling_out_ps5_internal_ssd_access_in_next_beta_update

Playstation specific support page:

https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/hardware/ps5-install-m2-ssd/

Of course, there's a catch. You can't just add in any SSD you want.... "To meet the requirements of the PS5 hardware, the M.2 SSD must use the "PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD" interface and have a capacity of at least 250GB. The largest internal SSD you'll be able to install is a 4TB one. It also must meet a certain form factor and have a sequential read speed of 5,500MB/s or faster." - PushSquare.

Sony confirmed that the Seagate FireCuda 530 series of SSDs are compatible with PS5. These released last month, I believe, and are not cheap by any margin. In US dollars, the 500GB is $150, 1TB is $255, 2TB is $515 and the 4TB runs $1000. Those are the versions that come with heatinks. Those without heatsinks are available but are basically the same cost, and with gaming, heatsinks are going to be best.

As for me... there aren't many PS5 specific games piling up for me at the moment so I have the time afforded to me to wait for price drops. I'll be getting that 4TB model with the heatsink installed eventually... but not for even half the current asking price. I'm patient.

What are your plans on upgrading your PS5's internal SSD space? Is the prepackaged 650GB enough for you?

27

Modern Video Games / Has Modern Gaming Stagnated?

« on: July 11, 2021, 09:54:29 am »

Don't get me wrong, there are always fun games in the works, but it seems that the focus over the last few years has been first person horror. Before that it was first person military shooters. Aside from FPS games, there's a large focus on games as a service and/or online only last man standing type games.

While my favorite type of games, third person narrative driven games, are still being made, it takes forever to get these released due to the amount of work that has to be done on them. Not only building the worlds and having good writing and character development but then the polish work. While I generally am really excited to play these stories, it feels like my excitement has really fallen off the scale as so many were announced super early and then when playing them, they often fail to meet the hype. There are incredible games like Ghost of Tsushima (I count it as one of the best of the PS4 gen) and then there are fails like the last few Assassin's Creed games that I would have to force myself to complete. The greats seem few and far between.

My hype for modern gaming in general is at an all time low. I don't know if I'm alone on this or not, but I find myself going back to older games to replay those far more than looking forward to anything coming out.

What are your thoughts?

28

Modern Video Games / Playstation State of Play July 8th 2021

« on: July 08, 2021, 09:32:24 am »

Not the blow out presentation many of us Playstation fans were hoping for, but it's better than a stick in the eye. Sony went ahead and set the expectations pretty low for this as the emphasis is on Deathloop.... a game I have no interest in. That said, there will be some third party/indie stuff sprinkled in as well. With the low expectations set, the best realistic info I see coming out of this is info on Ninja Turtles Shredder's Return announced for PS4/5 with a release date. That's the best case scenario I'm expecting.

Link to the Playstation Youtube page to watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8hWEhS7iw0

Here's the times for the show depending on where you're at:
 - North America: 2pm PDT / 3pm MDT / 4pm CDT / 5pm EDT
 - UK/Ire: 10pm BST
 - Europe: 11pm CEST / 12am EEST
 - Asia/Oceania: 6am JST / 5am AWST / 7am AEST

What are your hopes?

29

Off Topic / Netflix Resident Evil Live-Action Series

« on: June 11, 2021, 01:38:03 pm »

Link first:
https://www.gameinformer.com/e3-2021/2021/06/11/live-action-resident-evil-movie-reboot-cast-revealed-including-lance-reddick-as

So Netflix has announced the main cast of their live-action RE show as Lance Reddick (great actor), Ella Balinska, Tamara Smart, Siena Agudong, Adeline Rudolph and Paola Nunez.

It's stated that main characters Chris and Claire Redfield as well as Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine will be in the show. Then Wesker will be played by Lance Reddick.... which makes ZERO sense as he doesn't look ANYTHING like Wesker. Then they show the main cast, but no one that could play Chris Redfield or Leon Kennedy as the rest shown are all female; unless that's what Netflix is going for now.

Now, before my opinion is seen as ugly given today's heavy political pile of crap that we're always under.... I'm one who enjoys keeping as close to original everything as possible. Take the newer 2018 Ninja Turtles cartoon as an example. They had Raph being the leader of the Turtles when it should be and always has been Leo. I was actually pissed over that.

I think had Netflix decided to make a Resident Evil spin off story and not cast any of these people in well known character slots that I'd be far more excited than I am at this point. Again, I think Lance is a great actor, but as Wesker? Not a great match.

What are your thoughts?

30

Modern Video Games / Abandoned - PS5

« on: June 02, 2021, 09:47:08 am »

Ok... Looking at the graphics of the environment alone on this, it looks fantastic. Once we see more games being specific to the new gen systems, the graphic differences will be very apparent. I know I'll be very happy with PS5 alone for the new gen.

Now, aside from environmental graphics, you can see at the very end of the trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL9pGRdCjNc) a hand holding a gun and the hand.... doesn't look great but it's still early. The trailer goes on to explain the premise which has promise. Apparently you play the role of a disengaged cult member willing to fight back to save their own skin.



Here's the problem I have. It's a first person survival horror game. Another.... first person survival horror game. I've had a problem with the first person genre being overdone when it comes to military shooters back during the PS3/360 days. Now it seems first person will be overdone with survival horror.

I'm kind of over it. I believe this is one of the reasons that I feel new IPs have nothing new to offer me and why I gravitate to existing IPs. Abandoned does look graphically phenomenal though.