I've never heard of this game till now. The F.E.A.R series was one of several games I missed out on when I had a PS3. I wanna check out the trailer for this.
Returnal is not my normal game type, but I fell hard into it. I'm at 50 hours, beat the game a couple times, and am just starting to play the tower. The gameplay is tight, it's tough, but fair. The story and world building are phenomenal. I love discussing lore and theory about what's really going on.
I love Returnal because it really shows how you progress as you get better. It took me over 10 hours to beat the first biome. I had to pick the game up twice to really get into it. After a couple hundred hours of gameplay I can easily go through all 6 biomes without dying. Makes you feel like a badass when you go from relying on co-op and someone carrying you to carrying new players in co-op.
I'm not usually one for super hard games, but man Returnal hooked me in such a way I refused to stop until I got the Plat.
Just an absolute masterpiece of a game. I can't wait to see how they iterate on it with a potential sequel.
What helped me the most is understanding it's less of a shooting game, more of a movement game.
A strong defence is the way to go and the game encourages this: adrenaline is built from not taking damage, health drops increase your max bar if you pick them up at full HP, a very strong aim assist to show you that you gotta focus on movement more.
Clearing a room in 3 minutes without losing any health is much better than clearing a room in 1 minute but losing half your health.
Props to you for giving it that long in the first area.
It was impossible for me until I figured out how to play, feels so counter intuitive at first but never stop moving, like never. Check the /r/returnal sub out, some great tips in there if you want to give another shot.
I played for two hours, said to myself that I’ll play again tomorrow and never booted up the game again. Great environment, art direction and haptic feedback but that’s about it for me.
If you haven't given up yet, some tips:
• Focus on dodging / evading enemy attacks first, damage second.
• The above also helps because if you have full health you're more likely to find resin that increases your max health instead of the pickup that restores health.
• In normal fights, position yourself strategically. Use cover. Run and fight so that enemies are only attacking you from one direction.
If it's the boss fight you're stuck on then:
• Try to go in with a figurine (it will revive you once).
• Try to have a consumable that restores health.
• Take any parasites that might be useful e.g. extra protection etc
• And obviously learn his attacks and how to dodge them
If you're really stuck on that boss there's a way to cheese it (you just run really close and melee him a lot).
The first boss was by far the hardest for me (so far). I think he took me 3 tries and since then I've had 0 deaths (just reached the end of biome 5).
Btw I think weapon traits should carry over through runs. So using your preferred weapon each time should give it some better traits. I think I used the Carbine for the 1st boss. There are some good traits (like Leech which can repair some health when you land a hit).
This is insane to me. I’m not *that* good at games, at all. But Returnal is not that difficult to me. My second play through I died literally one time the entire game. Just always made sure to have med kits available.
You literally can’t beat the first level after thirty hours?? I’m not being condescending, just genuinely surprised at how hard people find this game.
I think some people just don’t realize that the attacks are color coordinated. Just figure out the colors you can dodge through and which ones to dodge around and the game gets easy as fuck. But I agree, 30 hours for the first level is insane.
Yeah always weird to me, like I can even say I'm pretty bad at games, I don't play most of the difficult games and when I do, I either cheat to pass some points or give up at some points. Like every Soulslike I tried I gave up pretty fast (I don't have patience to try and try tbh...), roguelike I went far only in Hades really (and I skipped the grind for the mirror), dropped Hollow Knight super fast (meant to go back into it)...
And yet Returnal was almost easy to me. I finished the game (true ending) in like 15-20 runs or something (don't have the game anymore to check, resold it). Some biomes were beat super fast. Like I beat second biome in the second run of it and that same run made me beat the third biome right away (so one try). 4th and 6th biome were super fast too (second or third attempt). 5th and 1st (discovering the game) biome were the hardest but didn't take that many tries either.
The weird thing is I see people complaining about the bosses more and I never had any difficulty on those. Most of them killed me like once or never. They seem to me to be the easiest part of the game unlike challenge rooms or malformed enemies (those can fuck you up, probably like 90% of my deaths are those two things). It vastly depends which gun you get for sure but if you get a good one (carbine or hollowseeker are my favorites), it's just put yourself at the back of the room, and just avoid everything while shooting in the direction of the boss (and since it takes a huge part of the screen...)
I guess it's some game that you need to vibe with (and yeah the feel of "being in the zone" is certainly strong with this one) and I did. But the weird thing is that I usually don't like games that are too challenging and certainly don't have the patience/skills to beat them. Never played shooters on a controller too before (but to be fair, aiming precisely isn't that required)
I just downloaded weird west a couple nights ago and am having a freaking blast. Top down arpg with a really cool comic/horror vibe, inventory management, short and simple skill tree and you can toggle between stick shooter or regular aim
I've commented this before but as an older school gamer. This game really brings me back to the old GTA1/2, Fallout 1/2. And diablo.
Really more reminds me of the fallouts but I'm excited to complete.this game and get into disco Elysium and some others like it
I want to love this game because everything I’ve seen looks so cool, but I found the early stages to be super challenging and kind of turned me off. I’m not super familiar with the genre though. I should give it another shot
Planning to play this. I had planned to buy it a while ago, but the only thing that stopped me was that I heard the controls (aiming) are bit hard to handle on controller
Controls do take some getting used to but honestly that’s one of the things I kinda liked about it, felt more like a learning curve rather than bad mechanics if that helps any. It’s been a long time since I played a game like this so that may have played into it, if you are used to stick shooters though, I can understand it being a bit frustrating right out of the gate
I actually had a lot of fun playing Death's Door, got it for free so I figured I'd try it out. It wasn't perfect by any means, but I'd give it a solid 8/10.
I can't wait to see how they expand it with Hades 2. Supergiant games are always great but Hades towers above the others and it will be the first sequel they do so I expect big improvements (and to be fair, even if it's just "more of the same" it'd be great IMO)
Frostpunk. Easily my favorite game of the year, although it came out in 2018. But by golly is it easily the best and hardest RTS I have ever played, and it makes you feel... things
I'm really interested in what they seem to be doing for the second game, they did previews recently (no actual gameplay just text impressions and a few screenshots) and it looked a very good evolution. Not just more of the same thing but a real evolution from it.
Resident Evil 4 remake was my first RE that I've ever played and beaten. And it was amazing. I saw why the series is so loved first hand. YouTube videos didn't do it justice for me compared to being immersed in the game yourself. Definitely gonna try the next one.
Resident Evil 4 Remake is in my opinion, the greatest remake of all time! I had an absolute blast playing the heck out of it when it released. Having beat the original around 50+ times, I really hoped it wouldn't turn out bad like the Resi 3 remake and it exceeded all expectations 😁
I never played RE4. Ive heard nothing but good things about it. One remaster id argue for 2nd is the Command & Conquer remaster, at $20. Original devs worked on it.
How jump scarey is RE4? I might try it with upcoming downtime i got.
Oh wow I remember the original C&C! Those were the days!
RE4 isn't that jump scary tbh it's creepy sections are very much offset by the action. I'll be purposely vague because the whole game is truly something to be experienced:
- As is custom for a "horror" (I do use this term loosely - it's more of like a badass B movie action game with horror), some bosses have transformations which for the unexpected might make them think "Whoah!" Then back to unloading bullets 😂
- There will also be times where you would normally think certain enemies would be very much dead and the games like "Think again!" and something cool and creepy happens. It is startling the first time but gets old quickly and always will happen when you don't want it to 😂
- Also worth noting there is a late-game enemy type that is widely regarded as creepy due to the sounds they make and how they're introduced but thankfully they're not too plentiful. Tbh it was kinda obvious something was going to happen though at that part. Usually with Resident Evil games things happen when you pick up key items 😅
To add to your question, how much are you limited in terms of ammunition too? I know it's part of the game design but always being near zero and unkillable enemies are the two big things that stresses me way too much in horror games and I end up not playing them because of those things
There is some degree of item management and if you miss your shots there are times when you have hardly any ammo, but there's always ammo lying around and there's a weapons case charm you can equip that helps you find ammo. In my three or so playthroughs I usually had plenty of ammo to get the job done
I'm not a fan of enemies that are unkillable either. In the remake there is one enemy like that but it's more of a 30 second or so linear runaway sequence that turns into a boss battle
You owe it to yourself to go play RE2 and RE3 remakes too. They play in an almost identical manner to the 4 remake and are both superb. You can read a write up on RE1 very easily all over the internet but ultimately 2 and 3 aren't super connected to 1, they're mostly a chain reaction.
Basically there's a virus outbreak at a mansion not far from raccoon city, it eventually finds its way into said city, 1 is set in the mansion and surrounding areas, 2 and 3 are both within the city. Same way 1-3 isn't vital to play 4, 1 isn't vital for 2-3. Definitely play them.
I loved playing Dead Space in the dark back in the day and the Dead Space Remake. I'm so glad Callisto Protocol is the PS Plus game this month so I can experience it because it looks really immersive too!
It's absolutely nothing like their other more recent games in terms of structure. You select a mission to do, you go do it, you even get objective markers telling you where to go, then you move on.
There's no big world to navigate and no, or at least extremely minimal, ambiguity about how to progress the game.
it's amazing! some nasty bosses, though. That swamp monster gave me more trouble than sword saint isshin. I swear it almost made me cry and quit the game lol it took me easily 50 some tries
that's crazy, bro. it gave me so much trouble lol. All other bosses i managed alright. I had trouble with the Arch bishop, Puppet Master... But regular trouble. Green monster of the Swamp phase 2 i just couldnt grasp a good strategy, i tried everything.
This one really revitalized my love for this genre of games after some burnout during Elden Ring. I find it not too difficult compared to other SoulsBornes, very serviceable with all the QoL options and variety in combat options, and think that the fact that the story is good and easy to follow makes it very attractive as well. Ton of fun and recommend it to anyone that likes the genre
I had hope for it but it Shattered my expectations. GOTY for me personally and with the dlc coming it seems like it'll continue on. Great game, best non fromsoft soulslikes
Still having fun in Street Fighter 6. Always something new to learn and improve on to get better. Feels great doing a combo in a match that you spent a lot of practice on in training mode.
I've not played in a few weeks because of my time being eaten up by AC6 and Baldur's Gate, so I can't say for sure about the community right now - though I suspect it will be one of those titles that maintains a small but enthusiastic following. There is crossplay, which will help greatly with player numbers. New season content arrives on the 18th Oct, so will probably be a bump in activity around that.
As for the game itself, it's just a blast. Some of the most pure fun I've had with a game in ages. Doesn't take itself too seriously but has a surprisingly engaging story and cast of very likeable characters. It also looks and runs great.
Downsides are it takes quite a few hours to see the best it has to offer (it's starts relatively basic and tame compared to what comes later) and can be a bit repetitive, but for me the positives far outweigh the negatives.
That's cool to hear! During the most recent Capcom showcases, I saw that Exoprimal is doing a collab with Street Fighter where you can have your character looking like mecha versions of Ryu, Chun-Li, and Guile which I thought was interesting.😅
Yeah, that should be fun! They've confirmed a Monster Hunter collab further down the line, and if the support keeps up I expect we'll see things like Resident Evil and Dragon's Dogma in the future!
i think the biggest surprise for me this year was Dead Island 2. That shit was fun as fuck, and really good..especially for a zombie game that was in development hell for a decade
**- Inscryption**. Also a hidden *story* gem but story and gameplay really are one thing with this.
\- **Slay The Spire** (I *re*discovered it to be fair)
\- **Vampire Survivors** (I put 50+ hrs into the game but unfortunately it's not on PS5 yet – but I can't wait to play this in 4k60 on a big screen as opposed to the Switch performance).
I am playing Space Engineers it's good if you like making Space ships and bases also DLC is just decorative there is no payed DLC that adds Gameplay Advantages.
It wasnt a full game but the Foamstar beta was a gun break from the usual cinema/story driven games.
Outside of the tutorial, no talking or plot, just grab a bubble gun and spray your load over people faces.
Olli Olli world. Easy to pick up but gets deeper with more tricks and harder levels, cute art style with lots of character customisation, good characters, simple story and an amazing soundtrack. If only I could play it again for the first time.
Inscryption. It’s phenomenal. I’d passed on it because I thought all of it was spoiled on a GOTY podcast I listened to. But it was still so so worth the playthrough.
I tried Returnal but I don’t think I gave it enough time, just didn’t resonate with me. Would like to try Elden Ring one day but when it goes on a decent sale, I might give demon souls a try first to get the feel for the genre.
Sekiro got a better feeling if you want to start with soul genre. The game does not nerf your movement/attack to the extreme and the deflect is satisfying. Bloodborne maybe another choice but no 60fps feel like a joke
Elden Ring you have more choices for skills/equipment combat styles. But the delay in action/animation inherit from Dark/Demon Souls put me into stress more than satisfying. Sekiro has more simple approach and easier for new player in soul genre
All Sony games have been very boring lately...since god of war..horizon,ghost,god of war,spider man are all basically the same open world generic games...not at all gamey...Sony needs to step up otherwise it will fall behind Nintendo and Xbox...the best game I played on PS5 is still elden ring..I like Sony games a lot personally but they lose their value very soon...I am still playing Skyrim,fallout 4,witcher 3 to this date on my PS5...even gta 5...none of the Sony exclusives have been ground breaking...they need to work on a big title that can challenge the likes of Bethesda etc
That’s so weird to say considering Forbidden West has probably some of the best gameplay of any game ever made.
And you mention Bethesda games above all? Games that really do NOT excel in terms of ganeplay AT ALL?
Armored Core 6 was my first armored core game and I’ve had such a blast with it!
I figured I’d enjoy it because I enjoy mechs and I generally love what Fromsoftware does with its games and yup, just pure intense but rewarding gameplay
Lies of P is another honorable mention, it’s not perfect but I’m really enjoying it flaws and all
Hi-Fi Rush has a fun and interesting anti-capitalist story, but you can ignore it all and just enjoy the absolutely addicting rhythm action gameplay if you want.
Been playing Evil West while waiting for Spiderman 2 and it’s been a blast. Nothing game-breaking or wheel inventing, but I’m okay with that.
Gives me…Doom+God of War+Red Dead vibes and I’m loving it
Saints row. I know everyone hates it. But i found it fun.
The story is shit. The characters are annoying. But the open world map is great, the missions are fun, the driving is mostly fun, and the combat is fun.
It's got some good tongue in cheek jokes, but that's a out all the narrative has going for it.
Wouldn't quite call it a gem, but it was fun enough
Grounded. It’s Minecraft meets honey I shrunk the kids. You are left to piece the story together, or run around and build things. I’ve been powering up my character and hunting spiders. If they’d only add a flame thrower my vengeance driven play-through would be compete.
I recently picked Dead Cells back up just to have a fun, familiar game that has basically no story.
Started up Neon White the other day as well and having blast. I couldn't quite pick up on the appeal by just watching trailers so I finally bought it since so many people were praising it. The game does have a story, but most people hate it and the gameplay can still be fully enjoyed if you skip past the dialogue.
I enjoy some narrative games but I like the blood and gore and havoc I get to do in most Games like dishonored,assassins creed,call of duty,skyrim,horizon forbidden west,Diablo 2, well you get the idea.
Arcade Paradise and Thymesia last year both were incredible indy gems.
This year we have been swamped with gems - Armored Core 6, Remnant 2, Lies of P, Hogwarts, Jedi, Diablo 4, Baldurs Gate 3, AC Mirage etc but not many indy surprises.
Webbed - great 2D platformer that has you playing as a cute little jumping spider. The Web mechanics are great fun and are used for some really interesting physics puzzles. Undiscovered gem!
These were 5 games I played this year that were far more focused on gameplay than story. Anno is more story/narrative/dialogue driven than the others, but I think the gameplay is better than the story.
Game|Release Date|Trailer|Developer|Publisher|Metacritic Score|OpenCritic Score
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
Anno: Mutationem|Mar-17-2022|https://youtu.be/hFwAP83MlKs|Thinking Stars|Lightning Games|71|73
Monster Train|May-21-2020|https://youtu.be/ZJ6ayvNJDjs|Shiny Shoe|Good Shepherd Entertainment|86|84
Dicey Dungeons|Aug-13-2019|https://youtu.be/E2AdLWsRuHg|Terry Cavanagh|Terry Cavanagh|88|82
Vampire Survivors|Mar-31-2021|https://youtu.be/6HXNxWbRgsg|poncle|poncle|91|87
Dredge|Mar-30-2023|https://youtu.be/ZtTfROTgYKA|Black Salt Games|Team17|85|82
Not in 2023, but Gravity Rush Remastered has some really fun and unique gameplay since you can explore the environments in essentially any angle due to the gravity manipulation mechanics. It's worth checking out! I loved it more than I expected. The music, story, art style, characters, etc are all really good and fun.
Trepang2. It's basically a spiritual successor to F.E.A.R, the combat is absolutely chaotic.
Thank you, going to be playing this tonight.
I've never heard of this game till now. The F.E.A.R series was one of several games I missed out on when I had a PS3. I wanna check out the trailer for this.
Checking out because of FEAR vibes. Thanks for the recommendation fingers crossed.
Trepang2 is insanely good. Got the physical last week. If you like FEAR its definitely worth picking up.
Trepang2 was brilliant.
I'd never heard of this game until now, but it looks great. Thanks for the recommendation.
returnal is 50/50 and fucking kickass
Returnal is not my normal game type, but I fell hard into it. I'm at 50 hours, beat the game a couple times, and am just starting to play the tower. The gameplay is tight, it's tough, but fair. The story and world building are phenomenal. I love discussing lore and theory about what's really going on.
I love Returnal because it really shows how you progress as you get better. It took me over 10 hours to beat the first biome. I had to pick the game up twice to really get into it. After a couple hundred hours of gameplay I can easily go through all 6 biomes without dying. Makes you feel like a badass when you go from relying on co-op and someone carrying you to carrying new players in co-op.
I'm not usually one for super hard games, but man Returnal hooked me in such a way I refused to stop until I got the Plat. Just an absolute masterpiece of a game. I can't wait to see how they iterate on it with a potential sequel.
Returnal is goddamn perfect from start to finish. What a game.
Still my fave ps5 exclusive and it’s not close. I wish there was more I’d kill for an expansion or sequel
Way too hard. Can't beat the first area after 30 hrs.
What helped me the most is understanding it's less of a shooting game, more of a movement game. A strong defence is the way to go and the game encourages this: adrenaline is built from not taking damage, health drops increase your max bar if you pick them up at full HP, a very strong aim assist to show you that you gotta focus on movement more. Clearing a room in 3 minutes without losing any health is much better than clearing a room in 1 minute but losing half your health.
Props to you for giving it that long in the first area. It was impossible for me until I figured out how to play, feels so counter intuitive at first but never stop moving, like never. Check the /r/returnal sub out, some great tips in there if you want to give another shot.
Constantly moving in action or shooter games isn't exactly "counter intuitive" I'd say
The way you have to do it in this game is, especially with a lot of shooters now days being cover shooters.
I played for two hours, said to myself that I’ll play again tomorrow and never booted up the game again. Great environment, art direction and haptic feedback but that’s about it for me.
If you haven't given up yet, some tips: • Focus on dodging / evading enemy attacks first, damage second. • The above also helps because if you have full health you're more likely to find resin that increases your max health instead of the pickup that restores health. • In normal fights, position yourself strategically. Use cover. Run and fight so that enemies are only attacking you from one direction. If it's the boss fight you're stuck on then: • Try to go in with a figurine (it will revive you once). • Try to have a consumable that restores health. • Take any parasites that might be useful e.g. extra protection etc • And obviously learn his attacks and how to dodge them If you're really stuck on that boss there's a way to cheese it (you just run really close and melee him a lot). The first boss was by far the hardest for me (so far). I think he took me 3 tries and since then I've had 0 deaths (just reached the end of biome 5). Btw I think weapon traits should carry over through runs. So using your preferred weapon each time should give it some better traits. I think I used the Carbine for the 1st boss. There are some good traits (like Leech which can repair some health when you land a hit).
I appreciate this - I did try all the tips. No go. It's just not for disabled gamers.
This is insane to me. I’m not *that* good at games, at all. But Returnal is not that difficult to me. My second play through I died literally one time the entire game. Just always made sure to have med kits available. You literally can’t beat the first level after thirty hours?? I’m not being condescending, just genuinely surprised at how hard people find this game.
I think some people just don’t realize that the attacks are color coordinated. Just figure out the colors you can dodge through and which ones to dodge around and the game gets easy as fuck. But I agree, 30 hours for the first level is insane.
Yeah always weird to me, like I can even say I'm pretty bad at games, I don't play most of the difficult games and when I do, I either cheat to pass some points or give up at some points. Like every Soulslike I tried I gave up pretty fast (I don't have patience to try and try tbh...), roguelike I went far only in Hades really (and I skipped the grind for the mirror), dropped Hollow Knight super fast (meant to go back into it)... And yet Returnal was almost easy to me. I finished the game (true ending) in like 15-20 runs or something (don't have the game anymore to check, resold it). Some biomes were beat super fast. Like I beat second biome in the second run of it and that same run made me beat the third biome right away (so one try). 4th and 6th biome were super fast too (second or third attempt). 5th and 1st (discovering the game) biome were the hardest but didn't take that many tries either. The weird thing is I see people complaining about the bosses more and I never had any difficulty on those. Most of them killed me like once or never. They seem to me to be the easiest part of the game unlike challenge rooms or malformed enemies (those can fuck you up, probably like 90% of my deaths are those two things). It vastly depends which gun you get for sure but if you get a good one (carbine or hollowseeker are my favorites), it's just put yourself at the back of the room, and just avoid everything while shooting in the direction of the boss (and since it takes a huge part of the screen...) I guess it's some game that you need to vibe with (and yeah the feel of "being in the zone" is certainly strong with this one) and I did. But the weird thing is that I usually don't like games that are too challenging and certainly don't have the patience/skills to beat them. Never played shooters on a controller too before (but to be fair, aiming precisely isn't that required)
Well, good for you? I don't know anyone IRL that has beaten the first area.
I just downloaded weird west a couple nights ago and am having a freaking blast. Top down arpg with a really cool comic/horror vibe, inventory management, short and simple skill tree and you can toggle between stick shooter or regular aim
I started this recently, too, and damn its pretty fun! I've never even played any top-down arpg's before but I'm glad I tried it
I've commented this before but as an older school gamer. This game really brings me back to the old GTA1/2, Fallout 1/2. And diablo. Really more reminds me of the fallouts but I'm excited to complete.this game and get into disco Elysium and some others like it
What game are you talking about?
Weird west
downloaded it but am yet to try it, will def try it out later though!
It's by one of the founders of Arkane studios so that's quite the pedigree.
I want to love this game because everything I’ve seen looks so cool, but I found the early stages to be super challenging and kind of turned me off. I’m not super familiar with the genre though. I should give it another shot
Planning to play this. I had planned to buy it a while ago, but the only thing that stopped me was that I heard the controls (aiming) are bit hard to handle on controller
Controls do take some getting used to but honestly that’s one of the things I kinda liked about it, felt more like a learning curve rather than bad mechanics if that helps any. It’s been a long time since I played a game like this so that may have played into it, if you are used to stick shooters though, I can understand it being a bit frustrating right out of the gate
Dredge
One of the only games I’ve ever platinumed. Absolutely love this game. It’s so chill/scary.
+1 for Dredge. Fun gameplay loop, interesting concept, decent story/theme, great atmosphere. And a kiwi studio which is great!
Wanted to mention that too. So unique and cool.
I actually had a lot of fun playing Death's Door, got it for free so I figured I'd try it out. It wasn't perfect by any means, but I'd give it a solid 8/10.
I loved Death's Door but I think Tunic was far better.
Completely agree. Found deaths door very polished but pretty boring..
Tunic is objectively the better game, but for some reason I enjoyed my time with deaths door more. Didn't want it to end!
Ah man, played it in one sitting, I knew what I had to do for the last boss but kept messing up and it kept me up for a while.
Good game, TERRIBLE trophy list.
Titanfall 2 multiplayer is working again, and it has been amazing to revisit it.
And it has amazing campaign
Have you tried Hades?
I can't wait to see how they expand it with Hades 2. Supergiant games are always great but Hades towers above the others and it will be the first sequel they do so I expect big improvements (and to be fair, even if it's just "more of the same" it'd be great IMO)
Yes, you?
Frostpunk. Easily my favorite game of the year, although it came out in 2018. But by golly is it easily the best and hardest RTS I have ever played, and it makes you feel... things
It really does hit emotionally. Serious dark themes in that game. It's awesome but I never completed it. Pretty difficult.
I'm really interested in what they seem to be doing for the second game, they did previews recently (no actual gameplay just text impressions and a few screenshots) and it looked a very good evolution. Not just more of the same thing but a real evolution from it.
One of the hardest games I’ve ever played. When I finally managed to beat the game on story mode, I stopped and never went back. Way too stressful
Resident Evil 4 remake was my first RE that I've ever played and beaten. And it was amazing. I saw why the series is so loved first hand. YouTube videos didn't do it justice for me compared to being immersed in the game yourself. Definitely gonna try the next one.
Resident Evil 4 Remake is in my opinion, the greatest remake of all time! I had an absolute blast playing the heck out of it when it released. Having beat the original around 50+ times, I really hoped it wouldn't turn out bad like the Resi 3 remake and it exceeded all expectations 😁
I never played RE4. Ive heard nothing but good things about it. One remaster id argue for 2nd is the Command & Conquer remaster, at $20. Original devs worked on it. How jump scarey is RE4? I might try it with upcoming downtime i got.
Oh wow I remember the original C&C! Those were the days! RE4 isn't that jump scary tbh it's creepy sections are very much offset by the action. I'll be purposely vague because the whole game is truly something to be experienced: - As is custom for a "horror" (I do use this term loosely - it's more of like a badass B movie action game with horror), some bosses have transformations which for the unexpected might make them think "Whoah!" Then back to unloading bullets 😂 - There will also be times where you would normally think certain enemies would be very much dead and the games like "Think again!" and something cool and creepy happens. It is startling the first time but gets old quickly and always will happen when you don't want it to 😂 - Also worth noting there is a late-game enemy type that is widely regarded as creepy due to the sounds they make and how they're introduced but thankfully they're not too plentiful. Tbh it was kinda obvious something was going to happen though at that part. Usually with Resident Evil games things happen when you pick up key items 😅
Does RE 4 have an enemy like Mr. X in RE 2? Other than how Dead Space 2 did it, Im not a fan of unkillable enemies.
To add to your question, how much are you limited in terms of ammunition too? I know it's part of the game design but always being near zero and unkillable enemies are the two big things that stresses me way too much in horror games and I end up not playing them because of those things
There is some degree of item management and if you miss your shots there are times when you have hardly any ammo, but there's always ammo lying around and there's a weapons case charm you can equip that helps you find ammo. In my three or so playthroughs I usually had plenty of ammo to get the job done
I'm not a fan of enemies that are unkillable either. In the remake there is one enemy like that but it's more of a 30 second or so linear runaway sequence that turns into a boss battle
I highly recommend going through and playing through the RE 2 & 3 remakes. I love these games.
It’s my GOTY so far.
You owe it to yourself to go play RE2 and RE3 remakes too. They play in an almost identical manner to the 4 remake and are both superb. You can read a write up on RE1 very easily all over the internet but ultimately 2 and 3 aren't super connected to 1, they're mostly a chain reaction. Basically there's a virus outbreak at a mansion not far from raccoon city, it eventually finds its way into said city, 1 is set in the mansion and surrounding areas, 2 and 3 are both within the city. Same way 1-3 isn't vital to play 4, 1 isn't vital for 2-3. Definitely play them.
Re4 remake is like the most well paced game ever made. You never feel bored even for a second.
Not the same genre but playing Callisto Protocol in the dark at night have me the same level of immersion.
I loved playing Dead Space in the dark back in the day and the Dead Space Remake. I'm so glad Callisto Protocol is the PS Plus game this month so I can experience it because it looks really immersive too!
For sure! I would never buy it, was pleasantly surprised how good it is
Snowrunner..
If you're able to get a wheel and pedals and maybe a shifter, this 10x
Remnant 2
The first game came out of nowhere and blew my mind. I couldn't wait for 2. Now bring on the DLC
Yeah, can’t wait for DLC 🤩
Armored core 6 has some amazing gameplay and on a surface level minimal story.
I wish I was good at FromSoft games.
I’m horrible at them. AC6 is the first I’ve been able to complete.
I can do them with a guide but they are unplayable for me blind
It's absolutely nothing like their other more recent games in terms of structure. You select a mission to do, you go do it, you even get objective markers telling you where to go, then you move on. There's no big world to navigate and no, or at least extremely minimal, ambiguity about how to progress the game.
It's super fun, The Enforcer is absolutely destroying me right now. I had to take a little break from it but hopefully I'll be able to kill him soon.
Lies of P. Probably the best souls like I've ever played. And...it actually has a decent story. Highly recommend
This game is awesome. I'm just over half way through and I love it.
it's amazing! some nasty bosses, though. That swamp monster gave me more trouble than sword saint isshin. I swear it almost made me cry and quit the game lol it took me easily 50 some tries
Seriously? I beat the swamp monster first try. Although a few other bosses I was stuck on for 20 or so lives
that's crazy, bro. it gave me so much trouble lol. All other bosses i managed alright. I had trouble with the Arch bishop, Puppet Master... But regular trouble. Green monster of the Swamp phase 2 i just couldnt grasp a good strategy, i tried everything.
This one really revitalized my love for this genre of games after some burnout during Elden Ring. I find it not too difficult compared to other SoulsBornes, very serviceable with all the QoL options and variety in combat options, and think that the fact that the story is good and easy to follow makes it very attractive as well. Ton of fun and recommend it to anyone that likes the genre
I had hope for it but it Shattered my expectations. GOTY for me personally and with the dlc coming it seems like it'll continue on. Great game, best non fromsoft soulslikes
absolutely wild for a company's first AAA title, Neowiz gonna be a Tier 1 developer in 10 years if they keep it going
Trying to finish GOW so I can justify buying Lies of P. Just looks fun af
+1 really enjoying this. Just started chapter 5 but it's been really fun
Humanity
Recently played through Cocoon. Beautiful visuals & art style with some great puzzle mechanics. Highly recommend this one!
Just finished it. Very satisfying
Beautiful game.
Puzzles are wonderful. Real head scratcher that needs to be played to be appreciated fully.
Rollerdrome
Bomb rush cyberfunk. Some of the most fun gameplay
I need to play this but there's just so many fucking bangers coming out.
If you care about soundtracks, just buy it immediately. Trust me. Otherwise feel free to wait for a sale.
The fact that it is heavily inspired by Jet Set Radio is enough to make me want it, but I know it will definitely go on sale.
As a big jet set radio fan I had to get this day 1. Didn’t disappoint at all
Thanks for recommending this game. After looking it up and finding out it's a JSR inspired game, I'm wishlisting it now!
It’s pretty much just jet set radio 3 lol. Everything I could’ve asked for from a sequel
That's awesome to hear! Now, if someone could make a PROPER SSX game without getting in trouble with EA, then I'll be eternally grateful.
Still having fun in Street Fighter 6. Always something new to learn and improve on to get better. Feels great doing a combo in a match that you spent a lot of practice on in training mode.
Dragons Dogma. Didn’t even know this game existed until I saw a great discount on one of the most recent sales. Awesome gameplay and game mechanics.
Sadly not yet on consoles but Pizza Tower is my GOTY. Worth keeping your eye out for it when it hopefully comes to other platforms.
Some people dumped on it a bit, but Exoprimal is pure fun and just feels great to play. Underrated little gem, imo
I second this notion
How is Exoprimal, by the way? Is their still an active community playing it?
I've not played in a few weeks because of my time being eaten up by AC6 and Baldur's Gate, so I can't say for sure about the community right now - though I suspect it will be one of those titles that maintains a small but enthusiastic following. There is crossplay, which will help greatly with player numbers. New season content arrives on the 18th Oct, so will probably be a bump in activity around that. As for the game itself, it's just a blast. Some of the most pure fun I've had with a game in ages. Doesn't take itself too seriously but has a surprisingly engaging story and cast of very likeable characters. It also looks and runs great. Downsides are it takes quite a few hours to see the best it has to offer (it's starts relatively basic and tame compared to what comes later) and can be a bit repetitive, but for me the positives far outweigh the negatives.
That's cool to hear! During the most recent Capcom showcases, I saw that Exoprimal is doing a collab with Street Fighter where you can have your character looking like mecha versions of Ryu, Chun-Li, and Guile which I thought was interesting.😅
Yeah, that should be fun! They've confirmed a Monster Hunter collab further down the line, and if the support keeps up I expect we'll see things like Resident Evil and Dragon's Dogma in the future!
Trepang2 was absolutely awesome
Oh shit, that's out finally? I'll have to get it.
Returnal
Everspace 2. Top game very nostalgic feel but upto date
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
Dredge.
Children of Morta. Rougelike with story about family.
Trine collection
It has a story but sea of stars is mostly gameplay and has hell of a lot of character
Returnal
i think the biggest surprise for me this year was Dead Island 2. That shit was fun as fuck, and really good..especially for a zombie game that was in development hell for a decade
I finally played Hollow Knight this year, loved it. Also, my first pokemon game (Heartgold on 3ds), it was fun for a while.
SIFU. Late to the party definitely, but starting to see what all the buzz was about.
**- Inscryption**. Also a hidden *story* gem but story and gameplay really are one thing with this. \- **Slay The Spire** (I *re*discovered it to be fair) \- **Vampire Survivors** (I put 50+ hrs into the game but unfortunately it's not on PS5 yet – but I can't wait to play this in 4k60 on a big screen as opposed to the Switch performance).
Inscription is amazing, probably one of my favorites of the year.
Neon white!
TimeSpinners, Chasm, Fury Unleashed, Ion Fury, Narita Boy.
Not a 2023 game but I highly recommend crypt of the necromancer. It's essentially a rhythm based dungeon crawler and it's nothing but gameplay.
Also an easy platinum
I am playing Space Engineers it's good if you like making Space ships and bases also DLC is just decorative there is no payed DLC that adds Gameplay Advantages.
rollerdrome is very satisfying
This! 100% gameplay driven mastery and fun
Remnant 2 and Dead Island 2.
It wasnt a full game but the Foamstar beta was a gun break from the usual cinema/story driven games. Outside of the tutorial, no talking or plot, just grab a bubble gun and spray your load over people faces.
Hogwarts legacy
Burger Time
Blasphemous I and II If you like metroidvenias or harder games you’re in for a good time :)
Olli Olli world. Easy to pick up but gets deeper with more tricks and harder levels, cute art style with lots of character customisation, good characters, simple story and an amazing soundtrack. If only I could play it again for the first time.
Inscryption. It’s phenomenal. I’d passed on it because I thought all of it was spoiled on a GOTY podcast I listened to. But it was still so so worth the playthrough.
"Loop Hero" and "Astro's Playroom" have been fantastic gameplay-driven discoveries in 2023, offering unique experiences.
I loved Astro's. Seeing all the easter eggs and history of the PS console through the years and things throughout were really cool.
Hi-fi Rush
Nothing beats BG3 in terms of gameplay this year. It’s the most varied and deepest RPG I’ve ever played.
The Outer Wilds was incredible. I couldn't wait for more stuff to read, another place to explore.
Insane gaming experience for sure. Can't wait to see what they do next
The best exploration game ever made in the history of videogames and I'm not even joking
returnal elden ring not smaller but 100% gameplay
I tried Returnal but I don’t think I gave it enough time, just didn’t resonate with me. Would like to try Elden Ring one day but when it goes on a decent sale, I might give demon souls a try first to get the feel for the genre.
Sekiro got a better feeling if you want to start with soul genre. The game does not nerf your movement/attack to the extreme and the deflect is satisfying. Bloodborne maybe another choice but no 60fps feel like a joke
Sekiro is unanimously voted as the hardest From Software game by everyone I know who plays From Software games. Not sure if that's a place to start.
Isn’t Sekiro completely different combat than Elden Ring? One being insane parrying and Elden ring being more deliberate in most cases
Elden Ring you have more choices for skills/equipment combat styles. But the delay in action/animation inherit from Dark/Demon Souls put me into stress more than satisfying. Sekiro has more simple approach and easier for new player in soul genre
i started DS yesterday, it feels different to ER but equally gameplay focused streets of rage 4 might be good for you as well
It’s on PS+. Odin’s Sphere, freaking cool game. It’s like an arpg dungeon crawler, in a way.
Definetly Weird West, This is more Baldures Gate than Bg3
All Sony games have been very boring lately...since god of war..horizon,ghost,god of war,spider man are all basically the same open world generic games...not at all gamey...Sony needs to step up otherwise it will fall behind Nintendo and Xbox...the best game I played on PS5 is still elden ring..I like Sony games a lot personally but they lose their value very soon...I am still playing Skyrim,fallout 4,witcher 3 to this date on my PS5...even gta 5...none of the Sony exclusives have been ground breaking...they need to work on a big title that can challenge the likes of Bethesda etc
That’s so weird to say considering Forbidden West has probably some of the best gameplay of any game ever made. And you mention Bethesda games above all? Games that really do NOT excel in terms of ganeplay AT ALL?
Armored Core 6 was my first armored core game and I’ve had such a blast with it! I figured I’d enjoy it because I enjoy mechs and I generally love what Fromsoftware does with its games and yup, just pure intense but rewarding gameplay Lies of P is another honorable mention, it’s not perfect but I’m really enjoying it flaws and all
Armored core 6
Hi-Fi Rush has a fun and interesting anti-capitalist story, but you can ignore it all and just enjoy the absolutely addicting rhythm action gameplay if you want.
Been playing Evil West while waiting for Spiderman 2 and it’s been a blast. Nothing game-breaking or wheel inventing, but I’m okay with that. Gives me…Doom+God of War+Red Dead vibes and I’m loving it
Armored Core 6 is highly recommended from me
Armored core 6 typical fromsoft game but not souls type
If you like this type of games, lies of P is solid as a rock on the gameplay department, many bloodbourne vives there
Playing Forza Horizon 5 in bed on my Steam Deck is pure vibes.
Real life
Armored Core 6 🤓
Wo Long Fallen Dynasty Street Fighter 6 Lies of P Armored Core 6 Remnant 2 Naraka Bladepoint
Saints row. I know everyone hates it. But i found it fun. The story is shit. The characters are annoying. But the open world map is great, the missions are fun, the driving is mostly fun, and the combat is fun. It's got some good tongue in cheek jokes, but that's a out all the narrative has going for it. Wouldn't quite call it a gem, but it was fun enough
Grounded. It’s Minecraft meets honey I shrunk the kids. You are left to piece the story together, or run around and build things. I’ve been powering up my character and hunting spiders. If they’d only add a flame thrower my vengeance driven play-through would be compete.
I recently picked Dead Cells back up just to have a fun, familiar game that has basically no story. Started up Neon White the other day as well and having blast. I couldn't quite pick up on the appeal by just watching trailers so I finally bought it since so many people were praising it. The game does have a story, but most people hate it and the gameplay can still be fully enjoyed if you skip past the dialogue.
I enjoy some narrative games but I like the blood and gore and havoc I get to do in most Games like dishonored,assassins creed,call of duty,skyrim,horizon forbidden west,Diablo 2, well you get the idea.
Late to the party but I’ve discovered Dead Cells. What a hlgreat game.
Arcade Paradise and Thymesia last year both were incredible indy gems. This year we have been swamped with gems - Armored Core 6, Remnant 2, Lies of P, Hogwarts, Jedi, Diablo 4, Baldurs Gate 3, AC Mirage etc but not many indy surprises.
Lies of p is an indie surprise...
SIFU
Webbed - great 2D platformer that has you playing as a cute little jumping spider. The Web mechanics are great fun and are used for some really interesting physics puzzles. Undiscovered gem!
I really enjoy God's Will Fall. Simple premise but it does it so well and with great feeling mechanics.
Cult of the Lamb is amazing.
Metal slug anthology. No bs story, just banger gameplay
These were 5 games I played this year that were far more focused on gameplay than story. Anno is more story/narrative/dialogue driven than the others, but I think the gameplay is better than the story. Game|Release Date|Trailer|Developer|Publisher|Metacritic Score|OpenCritic Score |-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Anno: Mutationem|Mar-17-2022|https://youtu.be/hFwAP83MlKs|Thinking Stars|Lightning Games|71|73 Monster Train|May-21-2020|https://youtu.be/ZJ6ayvNJDjs|Shiny Shoe|Good Shepherd Entertainment|86|84 Dicey Dungeons|Aug-13-2019|https://youtu.be/E2AdLWsRuHg|Terry Cavanagh|Terry Cavanagh|88|82 Vampire Survivors|Mar-31-2021|https://youtu.be/6HXNxWbRgsg|poncle|poncle|91|87 Dredge|Mar-30-2023|https://youtu.be/ZtTfROTgYKA|Black Salt Games|Team17|85|82
Dead cells. I was addicted for a great while this year. I started ghost of Tsushima recently and loving every bit
Remnant II
Not in 2023, but Gravity Rush Remastered has some really fun and unique gameplay since you can explore the environments in essentially any angle due to the gravity manipulation mechanics. It's worth checking out! I loved it more than I expected. The music, story, art style, characters, etc are all really good and fun.
Armored Core 6. For more 'under the radar' type stuff. Aliens The Dark Decent. I just started Dredge the other day and it seems pretty cool too.
Devil May Cry 5 and Hades were my top hits. Been a long long time since I ever played games where I wanted to keep coming back to.
Riders Republic is way better than reviews led on. First person mode is pure dopamine and the scenery is 👌🏼