So, what're you playing?

[MisterNoisy]

Never buy Stardock games.

Bad experience with the new Star Control?

[koro]

Nah, but Brad Wardell is and has always been a huge piece of shit.

And he sued the Star Control creators earlier this year because he is and has always been a huge piece of shit.

Also Adam Baldwin is in the new Star Control because Brad Wardell is and has always been a huge piece of shit.

[MisterNoisy]

Nah, but Brad Wardell is and has always been a huge piece of shit.

And he sued the Star Control creators earlier this year because he is and has always been a huge piece of shit.

Also Adam Baldwin is in the new Star Control because Brad Wardell is and has always been a huge piece of shit.

I suppose this is not the time to mention that I already purchased it?  Seems like it'll be good times tomorrow based on what I'm hearing/reading.

[Rendakor]

Nah, but Brad Wardell is and has always been a huge piece of shit.

And he sued the Star Control creators earlier this year because he is and has always been a huge piece of shit.

Also Adam Baldwin is in the new Star Control because Brad Wardell is and has always been a huge piece of shit.

What's wrong with Adam Baldwin? He's not my favorite actor but I've liked him in the things I've seen him in (FMJ and Chuck mostly).

[Trippy]

He coined the hashtag #GamerGate and was one of those criticizing game journalism during that period. He’s also apparently very conservative, quitting Twitter over his perceived unfairness of banned conservative voices on Twitter, and an anti-vaxxer just because.

[HaemishM]

You remember the ultra Reagan worship Adam Baldwin's character had on Chuck? Yeah, that wasn't acting. He's seriously arch-right wing asshole style conservative.

[Ironwood]

He's a complete fucking douchebag, is what we're saying.

[Sky]

So GoW3. It's free, so I decided to try it because the new one looks cool despite the little kid aspect.

Definitely an old-school feel console game, and I don't mean that kindly. So much 'time this right or die' and rinse and repeat and the gameplay just isn't that fun (granted, I'm coming right off Spider-Man, which was a lot of fun). Linear as heck. Meh. And the voice acting is soooo clownish I'm actually laughing out loud for most of it. Hilariously bad. The fiancee said the protagonist dude sounded like Seth Rogan trying to be serious and angry and I can't shake that visual. And the 'story' is so lame, it's painful. Feels aimed directly at 14yr olds.

I get that the level design is pretty cool (if it weren't so linear), and starting out with some upside down nutty stuff was interesting.

So thoroughly not my cup of tea. At least playing it free on the PS thingy saved me a few bucks on the new one! I'll just stick to Madden and maybe Minecraft. I want to try a few more PS exclusives but now I'm hesitant to spend money because I forgot how much I dislike traditional console game design.

Other things I've been thinking: Uncharted, but it seems similar in basic design. Last of Us, shootery? I don't like aiming with thumbsticks. Also looks to annoyingly jam the story into the gameplay? The robot dinosaur one, maybe?

[HaemishM]

I haven't tried GOW3 yet (or played the others) but if you are thinking of Uncharted and don't like GOW, you probably won't like Uncharted. It's a fun 3rd person action game, kind of Tomb Raider-esque but thumbstick aiming will likely ruin it for you. I think it's fun myself.

[Mandella]

Last of Us is a really great story hampered by terrible console controls/design -- your level of enjoyment will depend on your sensitivity to such things. It's also (to me) a stressful game. Totally linear, it's just one nightmarish encounter after another, with no way to go running around off script. Great story and voice acting though, and I will go back and finish it one day.

Horizon: Zero Dawn except for story is just the opposite. Open world game that allows you to run around and explore and hunt and stuff if you just don't feel like hitting the next part of the story yet. UI/control design that felt really natural after a while (again, to me, and I'm a Mouse & Keyboard PC master racer at heart). And the story is one of the few that could actually be made into a hard science fiction novel.

Haven't tried Uncharted yet, but looking forward to playing Spiderman in a few months when I have some free time.

[Trippy]

I want to try a few more PS exclusives but now I'm hesitant to spend money because I forgot how much I dislike traditional console game design.

Other things I've been thinking: Uncharted, but it seems similar in basic design. Last of Us, shootery? I don't like aiming with thumbsticks. Also looks to annoyingly jam the story into the gameplay? The robot dinosaur one, maybe?

Unfortunately most of the big PS4/PS platform exclusives are LOLconsoleshooters of some form or another. If you want to get the most out of your shiny (literally) new Spider-Man PS4 Pro you'll want to at least tolerate thumbstick aiming.

The Destiny games are very good for practicing console shooter skills as they have the best feeling console shooter controls, IMO, and since it sounds like you have a PlayStation Plus subscription you may want to download Destiny 2 and give that a try if you want to work on those skills.

As for the major PS4/PS platform exclusives here are my thoughts:

* God of War - can kind of be played without doing too much thumbstick aiming but some will be required -- flying enemies you have to throw your axe at, timed axe throwing puzzles, etc., also axe throwing is "easy mode". Very tight in camera may be difficult to handle if not good with console controls (requires lots of flailing around to get enemies into view).

* Horizon Zero Dawn - there is melee combat but bow is primary weapon so lots of aiming. Does have a temporary slow-mo mode a la Max Payne which helps a little. Also has a stealth mechanic (hiding in bushes, grasses, etc.) so many bow shots can be aimed at your leisure.

* Uncharted series - 3rd person cover shooter (a la Gears of War) mixed with Tomb Raider-style climbing/traversal and puzzle solving. Excellent voice acting and cinematics (best in the business). Cover shooting bits are just "alright" and can be frustrating with how the game moves you in and out of cover (like most cover shooters). The 2nd was my favorite of the first three. Haven't played the 4th but will be now that I have some more free time.

* The Last of Us - 3rd person stealth cover shooter survival game. Will be very rough if you aren't good with console shooter controls as your health doesn't automatically regen like in some games so one slip up and you might as well restart from checkpoint. Didn't get that far in on PS3 version before I gave up on regular difficulty. Going to give it another try at some point on Remastered version on easiest difficult just so I can experience the full story.

* Bloodborne - a more aggressive take on the Souls game, encouraging constant attacks rather than the reactive-style of regular Souls series.

* Detroit: Become Human - basically a visual novel with stunning graphics, there's a demo in the store

* Infamous Second Son - feels a bit like Spider-Man (or vice versa) as you play a person with super-hero like powers in an open world cityscape (Seattle in this case). Unfortunately the protagonist is horribly unlikable and I didn't get very far even though I loved the first one on the PS3. The spin-off Infamous First Light looks to have a more appealing main character and I'll probably play that at some point.

* The Last Guardian - Team Ico game, haven't played yet, companion AI is apparently quite frustrating at times.

* Shadow Of The Colossus - Another Team Ico game, if you didn't play the original or want to play it again with updated/remade graphics.

* Persona 5 - very stylish, hate time limited games and never get far in these Persona games.

* Yakuza series - no longer exclusives but may be worth checking out if you like crime-world open world beat-em-ups.

* Gravity Rush/Gravity Rush 2 - LOL six-degrees-of-freedom shooter a la Decent (you are regularly fighting in the air with your view rotated to match). Probably want to avoid these, though they are very good games.

* Gran Turismo Sport - haven't played, cars more detailed than Forza but also many fewer of them in game, GT much more focused on the hardcore racing sim player than Forza.

* LittleBigPlanet 3 - platform puzzle game with unique realistic materials style. Can also make your own levels.

* Knack/Knack II - haven't played, heard they were kind of meh

[Sky]

Awesome, thanks guys!

(Yeah, it's BRIGHT RED   I love the garishness of it)

I'll probably go with Horizon, maybe Infamous...and just wait it out for RDR2. And try not to buy GTA V again. It's a convenient media box, I haven't fired up the pc since I got it (browsing and graphics stuff on the laptop).

[Ard]

Don't let trippy scare you away with the bow in Horizon.  The bow is not the only or main option, it's just the one they start you with.  It will actually cause you problems with the critters in the DLC if you haven't played around with the other options at all.  I primarily played with the sling (works like a grenade launcher in most games) and spear through the majority of the game.

Edit:  You might actually like dragon quest builders.  There used to be a demo, maybe go see if it's still there.

[Trippy]

The other ranged weapons still require thumbstick aiming though.

[HaemishM]

Gran Turismo Sport may not be as gear-head focused as earlier versions, but it is an absolutely outstanding driving game with a more sim bent than others. Presentation is gorgeous and they continue to add tons of free content.

[Khaldun]

Gonna try the Pathfinder game. Hope it doesn't suck.

[Ard]

Come back with a trip report on that please.  I don’t know anyone that bought it. Between it being a first time studio and them covering all 20 levels and kingdom building, I’m more than a bit skeptical.

[schild]

oh wow they made a pathfinder game

i'm sure Galdur's Bate will be fine

[Cyrrex]

Sky - All the Uncharted games are superb, albeit a little samey.  You can probably get that remastered pack of the first 3 for real cheap, and that is a ton of entertainment.  I seem to recall you have liked Tomb Raider games...this is in a similar vein, but IMO opinion better in every way.  Fantastic games, all of them.  If you don't want to deal with the shooty controls, there is at least one additional aiming mode you can enable that takes that annoying part out of the equation.  Having a PS4 and not at least trying these would be a bit crazy.  The series in total might also represent the best visual quality of games ever made (at least, relative to when they were made), and that's saying something.  Fantastic use of colors you never see in these types of games.

Last of Us - I am currently slowly playing the remastered version.  I played and beat the original back when it came out as well.  Yeah, the controls can be annoying, the game is linear, etc.  That said, the story more than makes up for it, and it's worth every minute spent.  This game (and Uncharted for that matter as well) is as much a top quality interactive movie as it is a game.  I prooooooooobably cried at some point.

I haven't played the new God of War, but those game are always fantastic, and I usually hate that kind of hack and slash.  No brainer.

[Jeff Kelly]

Uncharted and The Last of Us:

Uncharted 1 hasn't aged well. The gameplay in all four Uncharted games is very similar but it took Naughty Dog until Uncharted 2 to fine tune it. I can recommend the Uncharted Collection for PS4 which should be available cheap. Don't expect a finely tuned precise cover shooter though. The gameplay is adequate but it's really the set pieces and the Indiana Jones/Romancing the Stone type story that make it a good game. Which means that everything above normal difficulty is badly balanced and leans more to the frustrating rather than challenging side. Uncharted 4 is the best of the bunch but I wouldn't recommend it for newcomers to the series because it relies on you knowing at least some of the previous games' story beats.

The Last of Us has a great story and I'd also recommend the DLC. The gameplay is rather tedious though. Most people I know play it on easy difficulty when they replay it. It's not necessarily hard on higher difficulty settings, the stealth gameplay sections just become much more tedious and slow when you up the difficulty.

Both Uncharted and The Last of Us are the equivalents to a Hollywood blockbuster. Don't expect them to be either the Citizen Kane of game stories or ultra polished and crisp gameplay experiences. But what they do they do well.

Destiny/Destiny 2 are probably the best console shooters out there at the moment but I wouldn't recommend those games to anyone because it's basically "MMO-grind: The game" and even the people who regularly play Destiny seem to hate it.

Bloodborne is in my opinion the best "Soulsborne" game Fromsoft has made yet but you have to like those kinds of games

[Sky]

I haven't played the new God of War, but those game are always fantastic, and I usually hate that kind of hack and slash.  No brainer.

Thanks for adding this to position your bias, since I didn't like GoW3 other than the unintentional lulz from the voice acting/grimdarkness. I liked Tomb Raider: Underwear on the PC with the nvidia 3d glasses, but a lot of that was the 3d worked really well.

I loaded up Detroit and that's a pretty cool experience. I want to play the game, but I don't want to $60 play that game. Some of the prices of console games are insane, a hundred bucks for the deluxe version of RDR2? Hah.

I'll probably snag Horizon for $20, though.

[Jeff Kelly]

I usually don't heed the recommendation myself (I'm weak) but don't buy the download preorder versions from the PSN store, except when you absolutely need to play something at release. If you don't mind swapping discs the physical releases are usually $10 - $15 cheaper at release. If you like the comfort of download versions and you have the patience to wait you'll usually get them significantly cheaper during the different sale periods.

I got Horizon: Zero Dawn and Witcher 3 for €10 each (the GOTY editions with DLC) during this year's PSN summer sale and most games will eventually bundle preorder bonuses with their GOTY editions anyway later down the line.

[Selby]

I'll probably snag Horizon for $20, though.

Your old man colors are showing Sky. Don’t worry though, I’m in the same boat and dislike the games for similar reason - especially when the price tag is $60+ for a game I won’t be good at or enjoy much as a result. My 10 & 15 year old think I’m lame as a result.

[HaemishM]

The Playstation Store runs a sale every Tuesday and sometimes a different one on weekends. Don't buy most of these games at full price.

[Sky]

Thanks for the timing info. I got Madden on a decent sale on a weekend, but I didn't realize it was a rotating thing.

And yes, I'm an old man and you all are now, too  I gladly pay the markup to not have to mess around with discs, that's a value-add.

[Rasix]

Recent God of War is pretty much nothing like the previous entries. Combat is slower and more deliberate. There's more focus on defense and positioning. There's gear, load outs, and generally more meta options. The story is better: it's less edgy ragelord shit, and more of a father/son story and redemption arc for Kratos. The setting is great too. Really solid game, and I don't feel bad at all for paying full price.

Uncharted is great, but they're rarely worth full price due to not being very long. Gunplay in 2 is a vast improvement over 1. 3 was pretty good too. Haven't played 4 yet, but I will eventually.

I really liked Last of Us, but it is somewhat difficult in spots. There's a lot of focus on stealth. You really can't run and gun your way past the clickers and various other "zombies". I had a lot of fun playing it, and the story/execution has all of the Naughty Dog quality you'd expect. I don't remember gunplay being a particularly sore spot. I did manage to beat it on normal with my old man reflexes (less old then) and poor thumbstickin' skils. I may end up rebuying this on PS4 to replay before the sequel comes out. This game can invoke some strange feelings and really makes you question your path.

Persona 5 is amazing, but you need to have a high tolerance for anime and JRPGs. It's super Japanese. Haem did end up liking the series.

Since I have the Horizon disk laying around, I'll probably pop that in after I finish Spider-Man. RDR2 will be day 1 and all other gaming will be cast aside once it drops.  

Still enjoying Spider-Man although the goddamn pidgeons can go fly into a wind turbine.

[Trippy]

The Playstation Store runs a sale every Tuesday and sometimes a different one on weekends. Don't buy most of these games at full price.

Yes the PS Store has lots of sales -- regular weekly sales, "Flash" sales (shorter duration than regular), special event sales and PS+ sales (sales exclusive to PS+ members). Also PS+ members get an additional discount on many/most of the regular non-PS+ specific sale items. E.g. right now there are two special event sales (The Last of Us and THQ Nordic), a PS+ sale, and the regular sale.

And unlike Nintendo, Sony puts most of its exclusives, especially its first-party exclusives, on sale on a regular basis, even relatively new titles like Detroit which was just on sale for $35.

[Sky]

Still enjoying Spider-Man although the goddamn pidgeons can go fly into a wind turbine.

I haven't had much of an issue, though for a while it was annoying that every time I swung through an area with a pigeon, the game started the mini game. But that oddly stopped after a while.

I enjoy the gameplay and want to wrap up a few things and unlock some suits, but my overall interest is waning a bit because I blitzed through it on vacation. I can't seem to sustain combos enough for the 100-combo base challenge (even with the 'you can take some dmg and maintain combo count suit thing), and that oddly bothers me despite me not caring about 100%ing it.

Really an awesome game, though. Totally nailed the feel of the character.

[HaemishM]

Persona 5 is amazing, but you need to have a high tolerance for anime and JRPGs. It's super Japanese. Haem did end up liking the series.

I would have recommended it, because it truly is one of the best gaming experiences ever, but I'm pretty sure it's painfully Japanese nature would irk Sky within minutes. schild was talking about this on Discord - the only way to describe Persona games are that they are Persona games. They are just such a mish mash of so many things, many of them very Japanese, that they are almost like their own genre of game.

[Sky]

If it goes up on the free service, I'd definitely give it a whirl. I like to see what sets bars in different genres, because I believe cross-polination of ideas and systems is a good thing more often than not. GoW3, for instance, I can really see how people dig that and it brings some interesting level design and concept twists to the table despite being basically an old Mario game in new clothes.

But yeah, nah.

[Mandella]

So if I wanted to try one of the Persona series, where should I start? I *think* I'm okay with Japanese RPGs, at least the Japanese parts. Bad game is bad game and all that, but the particular cultural approach to things doesn't automatically turn me off.

[schild]

So if I wanted to try one of the Persona series, where should I start? I *think* I'm okay with Japanese RPGs, at least the Japanese parts. Bad game is bad game and all that, but the particular cultural approach to things doesn't automatically turn me off.

Break out the PS2 and get digital devil saga

Lol

Really any of the mainline ones

[schild]

GoW3, for instance, I can really see how people dig that and it brings some interesting level design and concept twists to the table despite being basically an old Mario game in new clothes.

what

[Rasix]

Heh, I never did end up playing GoW3. I didn't see the point of paying for a PS3 version when it came out. I got 1&2 in the bargain bin when I picked up my PS2, which was pretty late in its life cycle. In any case, try the new GoW when it goes on sale. It's a whole new game. Plus you can do easy mode QTEs. Plus, I'm partial to games that have a talking head in them.

I would have recommended it, because it truly is one of the best gaming experiences ever, but I'm pretty sure it's painfully Japanese nature would irk Sky within minutes. schild was talking about this on Discord - the only way to describe Persona games are that they are Persona games. They are just such a mish mash of so many things, many of them very Japanese, that they are almost like their own genre of game.

I remembering having this conversation with schild when PS3 was released. They've stayed remarkably close to the original feel of P3. I think when we were still doing awards, Persona 3 got the award for "Best Persona Game". Just a stylish, unique experience, and unlike P4 (IMO), P5 is just a straight up improvement on almost every single aspect. It's maybe a bit easier than the others, but unlike the others, this one seems to love punishing character's elemental weaknesses.

Anyhow, lots of good sale stuff for in between the exclusive releases. I'm not really aware of any landing after RDR2 at this point. I think the new From software game is in March 2019, and TLOU2 is sometime around then?

[Rasix]

So if I wanted to try one of the Persona series, where should I start? I *think* I'm okay with Japanese RPGs, at least the Japanese parts. Bad game is bad game and all that, but the particular cultural approach to things doesn't automatically turn me off.

Persona 3 FES if you have a PS2 laying around. P4 is good as well, but that will also require a PS2. P5 can be run on a PS3/PS4. All are fine to jump into and are stand alone stories. The main antagonist is different in all 3, and all 3 have slightly different takes on the other-world mechanic. If you have all qualifying systems I would start with 3, and you can go with 4 or 5 in any order really.  You could probably skip 4, but it's a neat take on the setting (rural town vs. city).

I never did get very far in any of the other SMT games.