TheMightyEthan

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning I really loved this game when the original came out, but this time I just thought it was fine. There was nothing wrong with it, per se, but I was definitely ready for it to be over. I'm not sure what the difference is, other than that it's aged, but I suspect it's actually more to do with outside circumstances. The first time I played it my wife was out of town for a week visiting family and I basically binged it all day every day when I wasn't at work, and also my expectations were low because I'd heard it wasn't great. This time, on the other hand, I was only getting to play a couple hours a day, and I have a big backlog that kept making me feel like I needed to move on. Neither of those things is really the game itself, but that's how it hit me. I don't think either of my impressions can really be separated out to figure out how much is the game and how much is life. As far as the game itself, it's definitely AA, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's old AA, so I think it feels worse in comparison to more modern games. Lots of aspects of the quest design and world feel outdated too, so overall it just doesn't hit the way it once did. 3/5

I'm surprised that's a separate game you need to buy and not just a mod for the original.

Even that small amount of shading really lends it a ton of depth compared to the un-shaded version though.

The PS5 version was on sale for $12, and even though I already have the PS4 version from PS+ it's only 30 fps and I've completely spoiled myself with 60 now...

Null element definitely sounds familiar, and since I only played the first two it must have been in them as well.

You're right, I really meant I learned there's an overarching lore between all of them, rather than just individual unconnected stories you're discovering.

TIL those games have lore. ?

Oh shit there's a 4? I've only done the first two but I loved both of them.

1 more pushes me to 400! Combination of the two.

399 now that I got two more this morning.

I think it's going to especially be a blow because most gamers don't follow the games news like us, so there's going to be a lot of people who boot it up on launch day to play with their friends, and that's how they're going to find out there's no coop.

397, I'm *so* close to getting to the next tier of silver. Also I got 3 more while my wife and I were watching a movie...

I think not being able to play with your friends is going to kill hype more than a delay would have. The multiplayer is apparently super good, so releasing that first may even have helped them build hype for the campaign.

I always forget this thread exists, I just got the platinum for Moss (#80) It's slightly possible I've gone a little overboard on getting platinums since I got my PS5...

How have they not learned their lesson? One of the biggest complaints about Halo 5 was the lack of local coop, so launching Infinite without coop at all is just baffling to me. If they couldn't have coop ready at launch they should have just delayed the game, or released multiplayer this year and delayed the campaign until coop is ready. No coop takes all the thunder out of the launch. Halo is getting together with your friends and blasting through the campaign.

Moss This is a cute little VR action platformer, and it's actually really good, if a little short. The sense of physicality you get from doing it in VR is really cool. The environments are gorgeous, the lighting is fantastic, and the animations are amazing, which all contributes to it feeling very real in a way most games don't. I'm really looking forward to the sequel. It has also reignited my interest in PSVR2 (aside on that in the PSVR thread). 5/5

I think the single-wire aspect of PSVR2, and the inside-out tracking, rather than outside-in, will be revelatory. No ridiculous numbers of wires, no making sure the camera is angled right and that you don't leave its view, just plug it in and go. I hadn't used my PSVR for several months because it was such a PITA to hook up. I wasn't leaving it hooked up because between the box and the camera it used both the USB ports on the back of the PS5, which meant I had to disconnect my external SSD and headphone dongle, and because the box doesn't support HDR pass-through, so if I left it connected I couldn't play other games in HDR. That meant every time I wanted to play VR I had to pull the PS5 out of the cabinet, disconnect the external, the dongle, and the HDMI, connect the PSVR box, camera, and HDMI, then reverse the process when I was done, so I just didn't do it. I finally found a cheap USB hub that will work with the Playstation Camera, and an HDMI switch that works in reverse (one input switched between two outputs), so now all I have to do is plug the headset into the box and hit a button on the switch and I'm all good to go, making me 1000x more likely to actually do it. sounds like PSVR2 solves all of those problems.

Yeah, it's the monkey king from Journey to the West, although I think this game is based on a different story about him.

Yeah, it does, but I don't think we know yet.

I hope that game turns out as good as it looks.

lol Jesus, you're on a roll. Clearing out the backlog?

Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island This is really just more Ghost of Tsushima, but that's perfect for me. The story is good, there's more side stuff to do, and it's more varied than the main game was. It's not going to dramatically change your opinion of the game though. 5/5

Goddamn, PSN sales are getting almost as good as Steam sales...

I actually realized after posting that that I hadn't tested it since I got my new router, and I actually do get a pretty strong signal in the bedroom now. Good enough to remote-play from the Playstation at least, which really what more do you need? The only place it's an issue now is in the master bathroom, but I think I'll survive somehow.

I've considered getting a powerline adapter to run back to the bedroom, where I get iffy signal sometimes. Glad to know it's working well.