Topic: The PlayStation Fan Thread

Has anyone played the Shantae games on PS4? I have a couple on Wii U, but they're currently on sale on PSN and the remote play with Vita has me tempted to double dip. I noticed that the metacritic score for the PS4 versions seems quite a bit lower than the Wii U versions, typically 75 vs 85. I thought maybe it's just because the PS4 review crowd aren't into 2D platformers as much, but it didn't seem to affect things like Rayman.

@Peach64 I'm fairly sure there's no technical difference, just different reviewers. Heck, it actually seemed like some of the Nintendo reviewers were kinder to Risky's Revenge DC and Half-Genie Hero than they maybe should've been, but that's just me.

EDIT:

Anyways, I made the mistake of watching some Nioh footage...and now I want it. Like, really badly. It looks way cooler than I saw in the early Alpha demoes, and it doesn't look nearly as creepy or depressing as Dark Souls & Bloodborne. I think I could really get into it, in fact.

Add to that, the fact that Mass Effect Andromeda might be a priority-buy for me, and now Persona 5 has some steep competition...

@Peach64 They play fine on PS4. I prefer the older games on 3DS, but if they're on sale there's no reason not to pick them up.

I'm confused...there's a new Psychonauts on its way, and yet I'm only now finding out about it? I mean, I don't follow gaming news as fervently as I used to, but I figured its fans would be crawling out of the woodwork in order to shout its existance from the rooftops-

Playstation VR-exclusive

Oh...well, at least they're offering free copies of the first game with pre-orders...

@CanisWolfred I knew it was a thing, didn't know it was PSVR exclusive though..

Resident Evil VII - 9/10

Positives:

• It is a genuine return to form, and is as close to the original three games that we'll get outside of the remakes. The Baker house is the star of the show, recalling a very welcome similarity to Resident Evil's Spencer Mansion.
• Although the sense of fear dissipates later in the game, the tension in the opening couple of hours is unbearable. Frantically running to the safe room(s) offered a sense of relief and dread in equal measure, knowing that you will soon have to go back out again.
• The story won't win any awards however, I was engrossed in the mystery of not only the Baker family, but how these once ordinary homely folks became the monsters that relentlessly stalk - and attack - you throughout the game.
• "Happy Birthday" video tape is absolutely superb. It's the only instance of a puzzle (room) that actually makes you stop and think, however brief it may well be.
• Visually, the game is brilliant. Resident Evil VII has a great photorealistic style similar to the P.T. demo and, outside of some odd lip-syncing, all the characters have a pleasingly wide range of facial expressions, especially Lucas!
• That moment when you finally find out who the old lady in the wheelchair is.
• Combat is satisfying; guns have a noticeable weight and recoil to them, while the enemies themselves are just tough enough to pose a threat. Strategic retreats are worthwhile, given that certain environmental layouts can be used to your gleefully devastating advantage ...

Negatives:

• ... and whilst the combat shines in the moment to moment gameplay, they begin to crumble apart during the boss encounters, mostly due to the unnecessarily confined 'arenas' that they are set in. Your second fight with Jack in the morgue is an example of how the combat fails to keep up with the pace of those scenarios.
• I was happy to see the occasional puzzle dotted around the Baker house however, they are not only easy to 'solve', but they are all very much the same - four or five different shadow plinths does not offer much in the way of variety nor is it an exercise in having your brain teased.
• Even playing on my PlayStation 4 Pro, the loading times when you first boot up your save file are surprisingly long winded. I died several times to almost every boss in the game and the waiting time from seeing 'You Are Dead' to taking control of Ethan again was an awfully long one.
• The ending was 'okay'. Quite forgettable in the grand scheme of things.

@Octane And since you asked, I played this round my friends on his PlayStation VR for about ten or eleven minutes.

I don't think I have nope'd out of something as quick as this, and this is coming from someone who has jumped out of an aeroplane at a shy over 13,000 feet.

It is not what you can see before you, it is the things you can hear that you cannot see. I find that really difficult to cope!

As it stands, even though the only other game I have played (and completed) this year was Gravity Rush 2, Resident Evil VII is my favourite game thus far.

The Re7 DLC kicked my butt. I still haven't managed to make it through the night in the horde mode thing. And Ethan must die really lives up to its name

@Peek-a-boo Oh hey, you're back! Glad to see people are enjoying RE7. I ''watched'' it and I liked what I've seen. I don't think I could ever manage to play it by myself though, let alone play it in VR.. *shudders

I've yet to play Gravity Rush 2, but I think I'll enjoy that game as well. Just mentally preparing myself for Horizon Zero Dawn and Zelda. Night in the Woods comes out next week as well, so I figured it's best to avoid anything else until I'm done with those two juggernauts.

@Peek-a-boo That review doesn't sound like a 9/10 to me, but okay. Either way, glad you liked it. I'm waiting on a GOTY edition or a significant price drop, though. Too many games to play this year.

Anyone playing NiOH right now? I'm only three missions in but I have to say I am enjoying it. I thought I'd be frustrated at the respawns but since my schedule is so limited (just moved, new jobs, building furniture, long commute and training/studying) I just toss the ps4 into rest mode when I die (or get annoyed) and come back later. Works well.

At first I felt the controls were dated, but it is more of a comfort thing. Once you learn how to mange your ki pulse effectively and switch through the stances the combat is very enjoyable. I do wish you didn't have to unlock some of the more basic moves though. But hey it's a minor gripe. The story so far is nonexistent, but I love feudal Japanese history and the Japanese mythos so I don't really care at this point (which is very rare for me...crap story usually means a return or I stop playing). The protagonist is a blonde haired, blue eyed cardboard cutout, but I'm hoping he has some weird backstory I haven't gotten to yet.

I was going to get For Honor but the persistent internet killed it for me. For instance I don't have internet currently...so yeah it would have been a coaster. Good thing I canceled my pre order when the news about the internet connection broke. Didn't get Steep either for the same reason.

@Ryu_Niiyama Not yet, but I plan on getting Nioh eventually. I really like the setting and the way it looks from what I've seen. I was a bit worried at first, considering the team's track record with Ninja Gaiden 3, so I didn't get the game at launch. However the reviews have been very positive so far, so I'm looking forward to it.

Normally I'd be all over Nioh, Yakuza, Resi, etc. but I'm already spending a ton on the Switch, and I'll likely be picking up big releases like MK8D and Splatoon at launch, so I'll just wait until they dip in price.

I'm definitely getting Persona 5, though. Nothing could keep me from that.

@Ralizah I am going on the same path as well! Persona 5 definitely looks like one of the best games ever!

@Ralizah I only opened Yakuza to get the business card holder. The game was quickly tossed on the backlog pile. I may take a break from 3 and play it but my Japanese copy is unopened so... ugh I need more free time.

@Dark-Luigi Definitely. The only real negative in the stellar Persona 4 was the terrible dungeon design, but the dungeon crawling in this one has been spiced up with demon negotiations, stealth, puzzles, etc. that make it look fantastically fun. We might be looking at the best console JRPG since Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne.

@Ryu_Niiyama I thought hard about picking up Yakuza 0 at launch, but decided that buying a game I had no intention of playing right away was a waste of money. I did that with FF Type-0 HD and still haven't played it to this day. The game is $20 now. Not doing that again!

@Ralizah Indeed! It seems that the combat looks simplified as well. If you ask me, this may be the greatest in the series! And they wear masks?! Sign me up! Anything that wears a mask is an absolute yes in my book!

@Ralizah I agree with you. I have culled a ton of preordered games for this year because I am starting to feel like I am burning money. I actually cancelled everything after Zelda this year so I can start playing my old games. One great thing about my move is I'll be living out of boxes until I finish building my furniture so I only have the WiiU and Ps4 hooked up. I am actually making a slow dent in my games. I am keeping an eye on the games I want so that when they hit the bargin bin I can get them but I am stopping the day one purchasing after Zelda. I couldn't pass up Nioh though.

@Octane Took a break from the internet for a month or so, what with the British and American politics making me think half the world is insane. I was spending a little bit too much time on here anyway; 'life is short' and all that.

Outside of the opening two hours, the game gradually loses its edge in terms of tension, because ammo becomes less sparse and the new weapon(s) you find later on packs a greater punch.

The 'molded' enemies also offer a surprisingly generous window of opportunity to strategically retreat and lure them to their doom - the 'doom' being the shotgun once you are able to claim it!

I like facing the fear of the unknown head-on.

@Ralizah To be fair, I listed, detailed and described more positives than negatives, with two of the four negatives being more on the nit-picky side of things (the loading times and the 'okay' ending respectively).

I could also say that my negative point regarding the combat during the bosses is partially down to my poor preparation beforehand and not 'reading' the fight properly.

The puzzles are tediously simple though, no doubt about that!

One of my favourite video game reviewers - Simon Parkin - shares a similar outlook to Resident Evil VII as I do, and he also preferred the original three Resident Evil's to the action-orientated 4, 5 and 6 too.

His review is worth reading: - https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/23/resident-e...

It's a great, great game. The best return-to-its-roots example yet.

Wait until Breath of the Wild in March! Seriously, though, it is wild how Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, and now The Legend of Zelda are all coming back within four months of each other with hugely ambitions entries that could be perceived as returns to form. Three very respected, very spun-off Japanese franchises coming off of relatively poorly received seventh gen entries. I think it bodes well that — so far — each has been better than the last

@Haru17 Totally agree. It seem like game development in Japan has finally woken up after a long hiatus!

I was just rummaging through some of my photos in Resident Evil VII last night, and it's certainly a looker.

https://abload.de/img/residentevil7biohazar74svj.png

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http://abload.de/img/residentevil7biohazarwcsty.png

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