Julius

...sought? As for the topic, though (a fun one I really don't think about too much – thanks @Glen-i!), it really depends on the game for me. Small, friend-based leaderboards, as others have mentioned, are super cool for smaller and more casual modes in games (license tests in Gran Turismo, training stuff in FIFA, etc.) as a bit of added incentive to hone your skills in particular ways without feeling like you're grinding it out so much? Whereas being able to swap between that and a global leaderboard for something a bit more competitive (for example, the speed running courses I got addicted to for a hot minute in Astro's Playroom) is nice to have, too. Struggle to think of any situation where I'd want the global leaderboard to be front and centre as the default, though, unless it was for a particular mode or event where you needed to rank in the top however-many for some sort of reward, to gauge where you are and how you're doing?

I've had full on fever dreams about this since the trailer dropped, and my take is pretty firmly that... While I agree with you and @Hero-of-Time in that I appreciate S-E doing the unexpected with this project and making some very bold decisions along the way, I do think having a remake project basically end up being a sequel project is a really interesting choice. On the one hand, it's awesome to reward longtime fans, as well as for those like me who weren't even born at the time of original VII's release but don't mind going back and playing older games (heck, I even watched AC and it was WILD). So much of the Remake project so far has clearly come from a place of love on S-E's side. However, it also potentially limits the future reach of the project, at least commercially? I have friends I could probably convince to play a PS4/PS5 remake of a PS1 game, but good luck convincing them to play a not-so-great looking and fairly clunky-controlling PS1 game to then move onto this remake-quel. I think the overwhelming majority of modern players don't care to go back to a PS1 game, in all honesty. In fact, just recently I had a friend ask me to fill him in on the details of VII as he'd started playing Remake, and I essentially just had to say "you'll be fine for most of it as it introduces everything like it's a remake...until suddenly it's not;" he ended up just looking up a video or two to catch him up lore-wise, and while I wouldn't say that's the best way to handle it if you haven't the played the original before going into Remake, the further away we get from original VII, the more likely I think that's going to become the reality for new fans looking to experience this story – at which point, I've got to ask, are the continued re-releases of the original 1997 game aimed at new fans to have them step into this story, or for old fans to revisit a cherished favourite? Either way, I think even if Remake had been a 1:1 project encapsulating the entire journey in one game, that the original VII would be safe and continue to be released, purely because this is Square Enix ($$$), one of their biggest landmark titles, and so much of that original staff is still around today. It's not a Bluepoint situation, I don't think, where we'll likely never see the original Shadow of the Colossus and Demon's Souls versions released again with native versions on new platforms, because they've effectively been replaced by their remakes. With all this in mind, unless Ever Crisis gets the touch-ups and fixes it needs to be a new and definitive way to play the original story, I genuinely wouldn't be shocked if VII got another remake project in the next 25 years to basically deliver on the idea and promise of remaking VII closer to 1:1 (with the tech and consoles to allow for it) and nothing more, especially if that long rumoured IX remake does come to fruition. Or - I don't know why this came to mind, and this is a random stab in the dark - I feel like there's a bit of a cute and fun workaround to throw in here to have included a "remake" (or just a way to experience the PS1 game in a modernised way) in the Remake project: how awesome would it be if the final game in the trilogy ends and it unlocks a VII Remastered? Basically what mods can achieve on PC: new models, updated backgrounds, etc., for the original top-down game. Kind of like how completing Dragon Quest XI in Japan gave players a chance to download the original Dragon Quest for free (first time it was available on a PlayStation platform in any form, too, which makes it especially nuts!). Will it happen? No. But would it be awesome and an especially classy way to cap off the VII Remake trilogy? Sleep-deprived me certainly thinks so

I am so crying at the end of Rebirth, aren't I? Been listening to the No Promises to Keep performance at the TGAs earlier this month a whole lot, song hits like a freaking freight train to the ol' blood-pumper. Uematsu finally giving VII a vocal, FMV-worthy love track akin to what VIII and IX got is so awesome, and Loren Allred's voice is simply divine love how the lyrics play off of Hollow from Remake, too! Just over two months to go. Will be shocked if Rebirth doesn't end next year as my favourite OST of 2024!

Oh yeah, to be clear, I love the idea of the series leaning into character action, and think they pull off the fun and flashiness of it here super well. Just would be infinitely better and more interesting with your typical weaknesses/resistances/etc., I feel maybe next time? It's a poor excuse, but I genuinely think that they're utilising remasters and remakes of the old games to say they've filled that hole in a weird way (the PS1 ports, VIII Remastered, Pixel Remasters, etc.). That IX remake we've heard whispers about for years now, along with Tactics, will surely - right? RIGHT?! - be stepping in any moment now to give us some turn-based goodness, even if it is in the form of a return vs a wholly new experience. I think the 50th anniversary in 2037 or XX, whichever arrives first, will be our next best bet at a main series game having some turn-based component. Hell, then again, I wouldn't be shocked if they tried to utilise ATB/turn-based flourishes along with the character action combat once the VII Remake project is wrapped up. I think this feeds into the issue with lack of weaknesses/resistances – it would make total sense if these battles lasted longer if those mechanics were included as a way to clue you in to change things up, but instead? Just mash awesome-looking attacks some more I love that I can hear this track without even playing the video. The diversity of the music is simply absurd Random aside: @Hero-of-Time think you'd love to check out some of the interviews Ben Starr (Clive's mo-cap and VA) has given once you beat the game, if you haven't already! Dude's awesome. But also: his first and favourite game in the franchise is VIII, and he loves X, too

Demo dropping on PS4 and PS5 in Jan: Also had a lot of gameplay drop in different spots on YouTube over the last few weeks: Not long to go now!

Been great following along with your thoughts the last few days @Hero-of-Time and @drahkon, definitely share a lot of the opinions you hold when it comes to this game! The highs are insane; Soken and the OST are insane; the set pieces and some of the boss fights are genuinely insane (and push the PS5 harder than anything I can think of to date, in the sense that it's trying to do so much and push the system); the combat is fun and flashy, and just generally bonkers. Active Time Lore, I will scream from the rooftops for years to come, needs to be in any and every modern 50+ hour RPG, starting with the Yakuza games. On the other hand, the game lacks the levity and fun in the way FF games so uniquely position themselves as being, and the lack of mini-games I think really speaks to that. The combat as well just lacks any real depth, and it's shocking that weaknesses and strategy just aren't really a thing here, and that the elements of Eikons aren't leaned into? It lacks a whole lot of RPGness and yeah, the open world ain't great (or the crafting) Genuinely makes me wonder if this was done purposely with the VII Remake project also going on, though. Look no further than the change in chocobo designs between the two games and I think it speaks volumes about the approach and what is and isn't being allowed in XVI (and, generally, that's some lightheartedness) when you see what is being allowed and pushed for in VII Remake. I loved Ragnarök to pieces but this setpiece and some others in XVI had me going "OHHHHHHH, so this is what people were talking about in terms of remembering scale/epic fights in the GoW games?" Just blew everything else out of the water. That music is SSS tier, too. Soken is a god. Yeah, the overwhelming majority of XVI folks worked on/will work on XIV at some point or another – it's CBU III that handled XVI. Totally agree on the MMO filler stuff, and you can see the MMO QoL stuff blend in elsewhere too with the little symbols thrown all over the damn place What I find most exciting is the scenario writer for XVI is one of the earlier writers from XIV (after ARR), so not the person who was delivering the goods story-wise which got XIV so many accolades. Would be very curious to see how CBU III's next mainline entry would do given the staff of some of the later XIV stuff?

To colon or not to colon..? We'll go without for now

Thanks! I actually managed to nab one on eBay at a slight mark-up to save myself the wait a couple of weeks ago, been back and forth with a cold too much in order to set it up, mind you

It really was after seeing that Ben didn't turn up in any way for the 200th and final episode of Frame Trap (it sounds like Brad asked, at least?) with it instead just being the same old we've got used to, I think that I'm pretty happy to have that 400th podcast episode be my personal jumping off point Haven't been too well lately so have been revisiting old Hall of Greats wrapped up in a duvet on the sofa, and man, what great, great times the HoGs were (until Kyle disappeared, at least). Very, very heavily recommend checking them out for some classic EZA goodness

Got to plug the 400th episode of the main Easy Allies Podcast after the news of them winding down and the conversations we've had here: Kyle and Jones turning up for this one with Huber in the host seat and it serving as a bit of a farewell to Brad (on the main podcast, at least) really drove home so much of what we've said on here over the last few days, and I think it's one of the best podcast episodes they've had in a very, very long time (no doubt added to by some tiredness-induced hilarity) I'm also fairly sure this is the longest podcast episode to date, getting firmly into prime Frame Trap minutes territory here, and quite possibly the first to be over 3 hours long? Anyways, some great stuff in here, and Huber surprised me at points with just how great a host he was! Including the smoothest, pro move transition I think this podcast has ever witnessed Their reactions to the TGAs with Jones in tow is also easily one of their best reaction videos in the last 18 months: All feels like a great way to say "goodbye and farewell", by going out with some of their better content after the return of some of their best members Still praying for Ben to turn up in that final Frame Trap ep, certainly not expecting it, but I think it would be a great way to wrap things up. One final thought: very curious to see how they handle their GOTY/awards discussion next month, don't think I've seen or heard anything about it, but with Brad leaving and then being down to 5 members, then considering Damiani is in another state and Don doesn't really take part...it'd just be a discussion between Huber, Blood and Isla? Maybe Brad turns up for it considering the work he's done this year and wanting to rubber stamp that final GOTY discussion, but still, seems like it'll be a strange one (if it happens)

*in the Xbox E3 voice* STREAMING SERVICE EXCLUSIVE Exclusive to Disney+. Nothing screams Disney like Kojima and Death Stranding, huh? Can't wait to see a Stitch skin on BB

The SegaSammy press release seems keen to call these new titles, as does the pdf on the same page, which goes on to break down in shareholder speak what their plans are. The official site for the Next Level initiative also labels these as being new games. They do say words like "reimagining"/"reimagined" once or twice, but, I mean, I think that just applies whenever an old IP shows back up years removed (it's also probably my least favourite buzzword to use when doing so, I think it's very lazy in it's ambiguity ) If these were old games only being revised with new graphics, a few days removed from the show now, I think we almost certainly would've had someone make a breakdown video of certain shots being 1:1 and so on.

Just a quick FYI, the PS5 seems to be having a bunch of download errors at the moment. I'd just deleted BG3 to make space for GTA V (I really need to get around to cleaning out my captures...), so, guess that's not getting installed and now I'm a BG3 down EDIT: seems to be resolved, so time to load up and drive around an airport some

From what I'm reading, it sounds like the DLCs take place between the point of no return and the game's finale. There's also this Famitsu article which goes into each bit of DLC a bit: the first DLC is ~3 hours long, focused on battle content and new abilities and accessories; the second DLC is ~10 hours long and much more story-focused, with the new boss we saw in the trailer and new powers. The article also suggests that the PC version of XVI will bundle the main game and DLC. Reading through the Square Enix press release for the DLC, it mentions something which seems to imply something pretty big, so I'll stick this in a spoiler tag... I think I'm going to hold off until the second part of the DLC is released before once again taking up arms as Clive, what with Echoes of the Fallen being so short, meaning I'll be back for The Rising Tide in...spring?! The year of the JRPG continues to bloom (and it hasn't even started yet!)

I'd say only jump ahead from the first game to 2 if you really want to play that particular game for the new and updated world map and traversal, and to immediately see the story from this game picked up and continued; if you're looking for the complete experience, though, especially seeing as Miles is one of the playable characters in 2 and his own game is about setting him up to step into his role in 2, I'd recommend playing it before 2. While the traversal isn't updated in the same way as it is in 2, there isn't nearly as much busywork as in the first game, with things like randomly spawning crimes now being able to be triggered from your phone in the game (so if you are 100%'ing it, no real need to wait around). The story and content is way, way leaner and shorter in Miles than in either game – something like 15 hours to 100%/Platinum, and probably half of that if you just crit path it. I also dread to imagine returning to that game after the jumps made with 2, in so many areas, but especially the speed of it's traversal. If you have any interest in the complete story (I mean, you're playing the DLC for the first game, so maybe?) or just playing Miles at any point in the future, I think before playing 2 is the right time to do so, because I do think it'll be a struggle to go back to after 2.

Buried in the PS Blog post were updated sales figures for the game: Insane stuff, and very much deserved

Yeah, I'm with @drahkon on this one. I do think there's a discussion point potentially about recency bias being a factor resulting in what felt like a blowout night from BG3 across the board (Actor, for example, I think could have gone to Ben Starr from XVI given the entire game is carried on his shoulders), and what might have happened if Zelda released in August/September and BG3 in May, but @Dcubed, it is one of the best reviewing games ever. I haven't talked to anyone who has played this game for less than 5 hours who hasn't rambled on about their time with the game. Screw it, I'm just going to quote myself from the events thread, because I've said it before. This is not to mention the commitment and support Larian have shown to the game and it's players since launch (and even before, in Early Access); the astounding VA throughout the game; the ludicrous number of choices you can make; the ability to play the game with friends (at all, let alone the fact that it works well!); the game's great score (I mean, it's no XVI, but it's still pretty damn good); and so on. I could go on and on and on about this game – and I've "only" finished Act I. Maybe I get to the end and hate how it shakes out? But even if that happens, I can appreciate so much of the game already that, yeah, it doesn't surprise me that it won – not because it's "bait" or "an obvious choice" or confirms to any weird metric or profile of game, but because it's a damn good video game, and has been recognised as such by fans and critics alike. I'm not going to quote you from past threads because I think it's both poor form and, well, I'm on my phone, but since when is BG3 a, what was it, Oscar bait 3D story-driven game? Or an open world Soulsborne title? I thought those were the formulas for GOTY success? I think it's incredibly reductive and disrespectful to the teams who worked on these games to keep trying to boil down what will and won't be nominated, and what will and won't win, to a formula, a genre, a select set of dimensions, or being developed or published by a certain company. Have you played BG3? Watched anything about it? I am 100% all for a game not being for you, and I do think that at the TGAs in particular, there's obviously a certain level of mass appeal involved in many nominations simply because it is an aggregate of so many different opinions, from industry journalists and fans alike. It's all in the execution, from the teams realising their vision, to how you are interpreting it. I don't mind if you didn't like BOTW, or Elden Ring, or God of War, or It Takes Two, or BG3, or any other GOTY winner, but if you could seriously and genuinely appreciate any of what they did and have accomplished, we wouldn't be talking about only games of a certain type being able to win the GOTY award. Because the conversation is a non-starter: these games are so diverse in their execution and goals that I think it's a genuine shame that you think only games of a certain type can win GOTY. It's funny, because in me saying we shouldn't be reductive, I do genuinely think that there is one actual defining component absolutely essential to winning GOTY (and so many other awards) at the TGAs: and that's to have a narrative around the production of your game. I don't mean a crafted narrative, mind you, but it can be as simple as being hard-working, or as complex as pushing for diversity, or as deep as telling a story about yourself or someone you care for, but ultimately the result is the same: the people walking up onto that stage to collect these awards are human, and with that comes all of the baggage that being a human brings. But we are humans, and the story of this baggage is often the story we tell – and relate to. The fact simply remains that not a single one of the games to ever - ever - win GOTY at TGAs wasn't a triumph in passion, collaboration, and dedication to the craft above all else. To suggest BG3 did so simply because it followed some flimsy set of rules on your end (that seemingly changes every year, by the way) is simply a sad conclusion to arrive at, from my perspective. So how about you go play BG3, and we'll have a conversation about that instead

This stuff was disgusting to me as I watched live, and very early on it quickly became apparent that they would be playing people off – I am surprised that they had the nerve to try to cut the GOTY speech short of all things, if only because it's presented at the death of the show? Anyways, they completely overcorrected after Christopher Judge's colossal speech last year (which, by the way, I was re-listening to the EZA podcast from last year following the TGAs and Kyle said people were running late which is why they were happy to let it run, so what gives, Keighley?). This was the first time in years where I've watched the TGAs somewhat spontaneously and without watching along with someone else like Easy Allies (you know, to blunt the drawn out nature of it all), and I was surprised by just how good it was this year; I hopped on probably 20 minutes or so into the show and spent what felt like 70% of it catching up (thanks, SEGA). In terms of new and exciting announcements I think there was very little dead air compared to previous years, I think there were only two major stretches of "urgh, ads", and I do think it generally flowed much better between the bigger reveals. I know the show and Keighley get a lot of stick for a lot of things - how it's about his ego, how it's not been about the awards for a while now (if it ever was) - but I do appreciate it being put on simply because it's a hard date in the gaming events calendar to look forward to as a source of potential new announcements. However, I think if you are going to call the show The Game Awards and go through the trouble of flying out some of the industry's biggest talents, not giving them a platform to have the opportunity to share their struggles or inspire the next generation of developers makes the thing a total waste. I think what's truly happened - perhaps evidenced most with the Industry Icon award getting axed, what, 5 years ago? - is that the show was positioned the way it was, as an end of year awards show, to pull in attention, hype, and discussion. Geoff used this as a platform to continue strengthening his ties throughout the industry to get more and bigger reveals and announcements - the dude is a total E3 slut; aren't we all? - but when the show found itself with all of the funding and reveals it could ever need...it was now permanently tacked onto the event being an awards show; the awards are secondary, at this point, but I genuinely don't think that this was always the case. He's got his winter E3 event to go with his summer E3 event, now, and I think this is the cost it came at: disrespecting just about everyone who isn't already a big name or isn't backing the show in some way. I mean, come on. Someone getting played off as they're diving into the important topic of diversity in voice acting and games? It is disgraceful, but I also think he's painted himself into a corner and now doesn't have much of a choice but to see the show through in its current form I'd been hearing way more than I'd personally like to about Fortnite in the build-up to the LEGO Fortnite release, but I'd totally just assumed this was a seasonal thing or some skins until I watched the trailer the other day...and it was actually LEGO Save the World/Valheim? Completely caught me by surprise! I think it gives them a weird marketing problem, because I would've paid much more attention and noticed much earlier that LEGO Fortnite isn't really Fortnite if it was called just about anything else, but at the same time, I think it just ties into their overall plan for their metaverse to be a hub of content, and I guess that also includes Rocket Racing (which, until now, I did totally think was it's own thing ) The world we live in is getting weird, guys

Hey, that game is long, and my group is unreliable at best! (we hopped on for 40 minutes last week, beat that spider which they'd totally forgot about, and I forced them to walk through that stupid door...just so we could say we've finished Act I, too )

See, you'd think so, but I just can't figure out for the life of me why you wouldn't stick the Xbox logo all over this thing if that is the case – I mean, they did it for Kojima's game, and they don't even own 1% of Koji-Pro, but they own all the % of Bethesda and Arkane! It's just really, really bizarre. Unless their thinking is to make everyone think it's multiplatform to drum up more hype before springing the trap and going "haha, got you! Come to the Xbox side! We still use AA batteries!", but surely not. Unless...

XVI – based on the trailer footage, I think I'd say it's probably not, as it spoils some party members and later moments in the game. Ragnarök DLC – spoils some things in the game and the PS Blog sets it up as being an epilogue to the main game, so skip this one too. For a second I thought it was a console reveal with how they weren't cutting away from the people on the couch, but then it was all BIM-BAM-BEM-BOM-BUM

Available now on Xbox Series X|S: Oh, and also won a little award or two at The Game Awards... Deserved

Some more details on the DLC courtesy of the PlayStation Blog: Basically, Buster Sword and Away (Orchestrion Roll) are the special items for getting Echoes of the Fallen or the full expansion pass, and as seen in the trailer: Leviathan, confirmed.

And to very few people's shock, there's the TGAs GOTY Loving the suit as ever, Swen