Julius

Looks like an inFamous First Light/ Uncharted: The Lost Legacy situation.

Right, off to watch the pre-show for Bosman's PS5 take and then the main event itself. That hour long Knack 3 presentation. See you all in a couple of hours!

First things first that GIF made me laugh I totally forgot about that when going through my rundown, but yeah, you're right, unless plans have changed that's going to be it's own thing! I felt like that might have been planned for around Halloween or the PS5 launch when that was originally announced as being delayed and separated from the story, but my gut instinct is that it's probably been delayed further, so Probably Not turning up here? If it hasn't been delayed further and they still try to get it to launch this year, I honestly still don't see them showing it off here. We're only 8 days from the release of TLOU2 (!), so if Naughty Dog have either this or a new IP to potentially share some details on or announce, I think it'll be best saved for now. That might be at odds with having a PS5 event like this just a week before release, but I'm sure that at least at ND, they just want all eyes and focus on TLOU2. Especially given the outrage over some of the leaks, and that reviews drop tomorrow. A weird one to be honest.

My only experience with Alex Kidd is in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. That snot-nosed punk can eat dirt

Been thinking about the event a lot, and really excited for it. Wanted to parse through some of my thoughts on games and mostly major developers that may or may not turn up on here to turn the conversation towards software. I'm going to stay away from covering games already announced for the current generation (i.e. Babylon's Fall), and if I do think a game will be present, it doesn't necessarily mean I think a release this year or anything like that - just commenting on how likely I think it is that it'll turn up here. I've got a few categories I'll split my conversation points into: Seemingly Inevitable - of course they're going to turn up, are you crazy? Distinct Possibility - I think it's a coin toss in a lot of ways, but I'm leaning towards it happening more than not. Just A Tease - what it says on the can. Maybe a couple of seconds of footage at a push. More about the announcement of the game than a true first look at the game. Probably Not - yeah, I don't think so. Let's start with third parties. Let's start with Capcom. And let's start with Resident Evil 8, the presence of which at this event to me is Seemingly Inevitable - in the past few years as I've become more and more interested in games and followed the industry more closely, Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil 2 (2019) and Resident Evil 3 (2020) have all been revealed at a PlayStation event (E3 2016, E3 2018, and December 2019's State of Play, respectively) and I don't see any reason why Capcom wouldn't be gearing up to have a game of this size at this event to be released in the first year of the PS5. And we know their estimates for this Financial Year that there seems to be a lot in the works. From some of their other biggest franchises, are we going to see Street Fighter VI or a Monster Hunter World II here? Probably Not. Street Fighter V recently had a new season announced which honestly could take them through until this time next year, and the Iceborne expansion for Monster Hunter World was only released back in September of last year on consoles and in January on PC's. While both are inevitable, I think they're still a good ways off. Elsewhere there's the potential for Dragon's Dogma II, but unless someone is leading that other than Itsuno, I just don't see it being turned around so quickly after Devil May Cry V released early last year, so that's a Probably Not from me too. But I do think that Capcom will have at least one other card up their sleeve which they might show here, and that will either be in the form of a remake of a game from, or a new game for, the Dino Crisis or Onimusha franchises. Considering that I think they've very likely got horror covered with RE8, I'm going to say that there's a Distinct Possibility that Onimusha will be the one that reveals itself after the Warlords remaster was released at the start of last year, so we're Probably Not going to see Dino Crisis just yet. And thank goodness, because that game terrified me as a child. Moving on from Capcom, I feel like we should talk about Konami, who have been making some weird moves to seemingly get back into the industry seemingly after a few years of hitting the gambling scene hard with their licensed pachinko machines, such as with the continued ports of older games and very recently publishing Skelattack. It's been heavily rumoured that Silent Hill could return in a collaboration to reboot the franchise between PlayStation and Konami over the last year or so, and where there's smoke, I think there's bound to be fire. Whether that necessarily means that we see the game today though I'm not so sure, I think it depends a lot actually on what's going on with RE8. I know that they deal with different types of horror, so if RE8 is a first-person game and this is third-person, then I think we could see both, but if they're going to be of a similar ilk I feel like both PlayStation and Konami would play it smart and hold off from today's event. So I'm going to say that it's a Distinct Possibility and largely depends on what that game is going to play like more than anything else. How about a Metal Gear Solid Remake in the FOX Engine? We wish, but yeah, Probably Not one step at a time for this Konami redemption arc! I think the next base we should hit is Square Enix, and boy is this one always tough to predict. I think there's a Distinct Possibility that Final Fantasy XVI is shown here, even if not directed by Naoki Yoshida (as I had researched into and hoped would be the case previously). We know Square loves revealing things way too soon, but what greater showcase could Square honestly offer? The last of XV's DLC was released last year and that game was released way back towards the end of 2016. I know we've had Final Fantasy VII Remake since, but honestly, I don't see them holding off on XVI given the potential for diminishing returns for the Final Fantasy VII Remake project (that's just the case with most franchises honestly, and doesn't speak at all to my confidence in them to put out a great product) and how long that game might be released from now. I've only played VII, VII, and VII Remake from the franchise so far, and honestly, I think a steampunk or more traditional JRPG setting would be a great counter to VII Remake's gritty cyberpunk world. But if it is here, it's probably Just A Tease. Speaking of which, are we going to see Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 2 here? Probably Not, given that game was only released a couple of months ago and is still some 9 months or so away from releasing on other platforms. But you know I'd love for it to be. Another major title I think Square Enix likely has in the works at this point is a new Tomb Raider title (Shadow was 2018, right? So that seems about right), but I feel like this is much more likely to be at an Xbox event given their recent marketing history together, so Probably Not. Same for seeing the next Dragon Quest title here, unfortunately. Feel like that's a reveal for next year at the earliest. EDIT: Forgot to mention the Luminous Productions project! Seeing as I think XVI is turning up here, I don't think S-E will want to divert our attention from that at all with what Luminous have been up to, so I'm going to say Probably Not. Bringing it over to the west, let's talk Activision. Unless they're going crazy and have a publishing deal with someone much like they did with Sekiro last year, I think the only thing Seemingly Inevitable from them here is the reveal of this year's Call of Duty. That one's been written in the starts for the last hundred years I reckon, so not exactly pushing the boat out with that. What I am going to suggest as a Distinct Possibility though is the reveal of a new Crash or Spyro game, given their recent PS1 trilogy remakes and strong ties to the PlayStation brand it seems a good fit and a colourful platformer would likely stand out quite well in this crowd. Given the Crash trilogy was remade first and it feels like it's the one that's been teased more, and potentially has a stronger and larger fan base (?), I'm going to lean towards a new Crash game being revealed over Spyro here. Not much else from Activision in my mind, unless there's a new IP in the works? Everyone's favourite video game company, Electronic Arts, I think could actually be a no-show tonight. The rumoured starfighter-oriented Star Wars game, Project Maverick, is Probably Not turning up here seeing as EA Play is just next week, unless there's a VR component, but I don't see that being pushed at a PS5 event anyways. Normally I'd say that an EA Sports title showing up here is Seemingly Inevitable, but given the delay in sports seasons due to coronavirus, inevitably pushing back the start of many the next sports seasons and also kit reveals, I think they're Probably Not showing up here either. Maybe a Mass Effect remake or remaster? But I just don't it. So Probably Not. The last major third party I want to cover is WB Interactive. Boy do I not know what to make of their plans at the moment. Months of teasing a new Batman title only to tell fans they came to that conclusion themselves and to just be patient, to the leaked footage of that Harry Potter game in some shady closet in a shopping complex...is just bizarre. And according to practically everyone, they had plans for their first E3 event this year. After years of teasing the new Batman game it should be Seemingly Inevitable that it turns up tonight, but given just how mixed their messaging has been, I'm going to put it down to a Distinct Possibility. It should be there tonight, because in all honesty, I don't think there's going to be a bigger gaming event than this for the next year, and they'd be silly to not turn up. The Harry Potter title I feel is Probably Not going to be showing up tonight, and honestly that's just a gut feeling based on how weird it is that we even know about that game. To briefly comment on other third parties, the presence of Godfall which is being published by Gearbox is Seemingly Inevitable, given its reveal back at The Game Awards last year. Bethesda seem to have lost their grasp on project announcements a few years ago and I think the stuff from ID Software is in desperate need of an engine overhaul, so I don't expect them to turn up, nor do I expect Ubisoft, seeing as I feel like a lot of their projects have already been announced, and even if there was something new to announce, they have their own event next month. Maybe Watch Dogs: Legion, but I'm going to say Probably Not. I don't expect SEGA to turn up here considering the New Game Plus Expo is two weeks away, which they've confirmed they'll be attending, and Yakuza: Like A Dragon is on its way to the west at the start of next gen. That being said, they do take on a lot of projects at once, so maybe Ryu Ga Gotoku will have something to show at that event? On the independent studios side of things, with the recent chatter around Housemarque, I think their new title being here is Seemingly Inevitable too. Death Stranding released just last year and is gearing up for a PC release, so Kojima Productions is Probably Not going to be turning up tonight. Fumito Ueda has been working on a new game which was prototyped back in 2018, and just a few months ago Epic Games announced they were backing the project, so that game is Probably Not turning up because I really don't think it's as far as along as we might have hoped. But I do think there is a Distinct Possibility of Playdead's next game being here, considering that they haven't released a game since INSIDE in 2016. Onto what I think is the most exciting side of things now: the first (and second?) party titles. First game to talk about is the heavily rumoured Demon's Souls Remake by Bluepoint Games, which at this point we've been beat over the head so much with that it is Seemingly Inevitable. A motorsport showpiece feels like a mainstay for showcasing a console's capabilities, and especially given the recent rumours, I feel like Gran Tursimo 7 is also Seemingly Inevitable. Insomniac taking a break from Spidey with a new Ratchet & Clank title seems like it would be a smart move, and considering that there was a 2 year gap between the last R&C and Spider-Man, I think it's a Distinct Possibility that the new title is shown off tonight. Sony Santa Monica expanded last year but we're Probably Not going to see a potential new IP from them here if that was the main reason for the expansion, and Bend just released Day Gone last year so I don't think they're turning up to the party either, and Naughty Dog has apparently been sending people over to Sony San Diego for a potential new IP, which if true might see them here showing something off other than MLB The Show (and again, sports delays, etc., mean we might not see that here either). Japan Studio's ASOBI team seems focused on VR, and recently so has Japan Studio proper, but Project Siren hasn't released a game since Gravity Rush 2 in 2017, so I wouldn't be surprised if they showed up here. As for the "big three" potential first party games to have sequels revealed here - a sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War II, and Spider-Man 2 - I think at least one of them is Seemingly Inevitable to turn up tonight just because of how much attention they would get, and I think that will be Horizon. Simply put, Guerrilla had the greatest lead time between them, Insomniac, and SSM, and it would be an excellent way to show off the capabilities of the PS5. I think Spider-Man 2 could turn up, but as Just A Tease. God of War II? Probably Not, but I would be elated if it did. As for the console itself, I think we could see Just A Tease of it - silhouette, close-ups, all in a dark room and maybe with a smoke machine running - but price is Probably Not being announced here. My gut feeling is that the console reveal and price announcement could end up closing out the end of Summer Game Fest at Gamescom. Hmm. And that's my rundown. That was a little long, but I'm definitely hyped! Look forward to discussing the event with you all later!

Oh man, I loved Persona 5 and even though I've already paid for Persona 4 Golden on Vita, I haven't played it yet, and would much rather play it on a TV not sure if they'd show it here though? Imagine Atlus would potentially save them for the New Game Plus Expo on the 23rd. I've been putting money aside for an £850 budget by the time November rolls around. Been putting a bit here and there into a savings pot the last few months - remember doing similar when I got a PS2 when I was younger! I've based my budget on hopefully a maximum RRP for the console of £599, a maximum of three AAA games at £60 (doubt I'll pick up three games at launch, but worst case I only pick up one or two and the extra goes towards some accessories or something), and an extra DualSense at £70 (though I could see that being slightly more). Doubt we're getting price or pre-orders later though, but fingers crossed for that to come soon. It's a really weird situation where I feel like more eyes will be on the PS5 tomorrow as a result of people staying in the last few months than might have otherwise been the case, and I feel like that will be the same case when pre-orders do go live, but at the same time, a lot of people watching are unfortunately either going to be out of work or on furlough (which is a really risky position too) and the world economy isn't doing great. I doubt it'll happen given PlayStation have got much better with their messaging since, but now certainly isn't the time for a gaffe akin to "you'll work two jobs to buy the PS3". I feel like this is exactly why Sony would be wise to follow the pay monthly context route for the PS5 that @Ike and @Dcubed have mentioned before, even if not necessarily at launch (given that stock will sell regardless). It just gives more people the opportunity to buy in as an alternative to the usual lump sum deal, which is going to be even less affordable to most than it would normally be.

Interview and localised gameplay from IGN's Summer of Gaming:

Hunting Huber, Kyle's parting gift to the Allies! First episode already up for Patrons!

I really want the price announced tomorrow just so that pre-orders can be made. Not looking forward to dragging that out as long as possible in the slightest. August or thereabouts just seems too long a wait for this sort of thing. I've been putting money aside the last few months for my PS5 pre-order, and based my amount to save purely on a £599 maximum price, so I'm prepared for this potential outcome. That being said, I still think that £499 is the sweet spot for the PS5 launch price. Hadn't really thought about the potential for two SKU's at launch based on the 825GB storage figure that got thrown around in Cerny's presentation, but if there is a version available with greater storage at launch, I'll gladly jump on that. Regardless of price, it'll sell out day one. I'm more interested in how the price is handled moving forwards considering everything that's going on, and will go on in the next few years with the world economy. If there's any ounce of truth in this and we do get two SKU's (does that mean the 2TB version would be 1.65TB..?), I think that means the 825GB model is £499 and the model with greater storage space is £599. I imagine they'll very be careful with how it's stated if that is the case, such as... With a special emphasis on the entry level model and price. They can get away with it that way in my opinion considering the difference would just be to do with SSD space. Again, this is total conjecture if there's only going to be one SKU and this isn't true! With regards to prices, again, I think £499 is the magic number for the 825GB PS5. For Xbox, I think they're going to get as close as they reasonably can with Series X (£549 at a stretch, maybe £599 if not? I don't see the point in price matching if there's going to be a lower priced model at launch...) and if Lockhart is indeed on its way, try to completely take out PS5 with a pretty drastic difference (something like £399). Excited to see how it all plays out. Curious if we're going to see a bit of a price bump in RRP for games, and also to see what the price of that DualSense is. £70?

The PS5 event betting special from EZA was a blast Some of those odds on longshots need fixing though. Reveals of Dragon's Dogma II at 10/1 and Final Fantasy XVI at 55/1?! Also, absolutely cannot wait for this. Feels like maybe it should've been put out a little earlier all things considered, but hey, I'm just happy we've got more Kyle on camera. Been rewatching Bosman at Home lately, a great time.

Just had an hour's long argument with my mother over being given an eviction notice a month ago in the middle of all of this. Turns out neither of us did our homework and so I had to awkwardly bring to her attention just that as part of the Coronavirus Act introduced in late March, eviction notice periods have been extended from four weeks to three months. Of course I'm now "going that route" hate the cesspool of mixed messages, guilt tripping and broken promises that my relationship with my parents has become. Mother is a textbook narcissist, dad is a textbook enabler, and I've been threatened with being kicked out since around the time I started high school some 10 years ago. I would love to have had any of our verbal rent agreements written down from earlier this year, but being naive after years of flying past dozens if not hundreds of red flags has certainly come around and bit me in the behind there. What a mess. I'm 21 and very lucky to be working at the moment. Having to work from my bedroom is a living nightmare though, and the job is borderline torture (helping people with their finances on the phone for Big Bank™ - looking into joining the union sums up my experience so far), even if I'm praised for doing a good job. Literally only staying due to my home predicament and because I've luckily made some great friends on my team, otherwise I would gladly quit (in no way a desire of mine to progress in this field). Offered to move out with my sister as she is only 18 and wasn't able to land a job after leaving college last summer before COVID-19 struck, hopefully it'll make things a bit easier, but considering how messed up we both feel as a result of living in this family for so long, I'm definitely worried that it's going to put a great strain on our relationship. I hope it all works out. Meanwhile we are going to be leaving behind my 13 year old brother, which I am not comfortable with in the slightest. Considering that my dad attacked me a year ago (my dumb butt didn't report it), and that he and my younger brother can certainly get heated even now, I'm scared for what might happen when me and my sister do move out. I don't want to paint this picture that I'm perfect in all of this, because I know I'm far from it. Since finishing high school I think I've regressed into this frustrated person who, based on past success, has stupidly high expectations for themselves - and only themselves. That frustration turns up in places I know it shouldn't, and I have a lot of terrible habits I've learned from a childhood which never got physically abusive, but certainly got emotionally abusive. I need to get help, but I think deep down I'm scared to. And I know it's weird to call high school "success", but I was objectively healthier, happier, and had a sense of direction when I finished in summer 2015 (yikes, it's already been 5 years...). I was your stereotypical mixed race (English and Filipino for those wondering) kid who took a shine to academics, was stupidly shy, and felt like he had to carry the burden of everyone's expectations and worries on his shoulders. By the time I left high school I was finally starting to grow out of my shell after doing bodyweight exercises and running every day for months. That summer was great. But throw in a hellish landscape at home, the weight of my own and everyone else's expectations, and a practically virtual-only best friend throughout high school who had far more than she deserved on her plate - and whose load I foolishly tried to carry singlehandedly - and I don't think it's too surprising that when things started to slip, there was a massive landslide. I barely speak to my friends from high school now, definitely been treated differently since I fell off the path due to everything flaring up at once in my first year at college. There are two friends I still meet up with once or twice a year for long conversations, friends from early on in primary school, but one of them has become this extremely sexually frustrated guy who somehow brushes me the wrong way now, and the other confessed to me last time I saw him that he's always hated me a little because his mom used to argue with him over him not being as naturally tuned to academic stuff as I was. That hurt a lot. I cut ties with that virtual-only best friend years ago, selfishly. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat to make sure she never took her life, but boy oh boy would I have some choice words for the younger me and the younger her. I have another friend I was really close to in high school, but I haven't seen her or talked to her for a few years now. I always think I should reach out, but I'm honestly too embarrassed of where I am to do that. Which is seriously stupid, but that's where I'm at. I had a slight stutter when I was much younger and was really shy, and even though the stutter is long gone and I've grown more confident, anxiety is still very much a pain in my side, probably even more so now than when I was a little kid. I'm working my way through self-help books (definitely going to need to look into therapy once I'm out of this house), and actually took a test in one the other day (from Feeling Good) which reckons I'm extremely depressed. I weirdly wasn't surprised. In case anyone's worried at this point, I'm not suicidal, but yeah. This is where I'm at I guess. I've done a lot of venting, sorry if you read through all of this. Escapism has become a great place for me to run away to in the middle of all of this - video games and, as I've said before, this place, have been the rock for me to return to almost every day - but I can't wait to finally leave my childhood home, get the help I need, and start paving a new path for myself. I'm just so utterly exhausted and completely lost. I hope I can find my direction soon.

Now officially confirmed for 21:00 BST this Thursday. Let's get this hype train back on the tracks! UPDATE: And an update from Sid Shuman, Senior Director of SIE Content Communications taken from the PlayStation Blog... Excited for what they've got in store for us, and very much looking forward to them showcasing some of their 3D audio work.

Just checking in at over 40 hours, think I'm pretty much at the very end of Chapter 12. Probably completed 90% of the quests so far, think I'll backtrack a little tomorrow for those I need to go back and complete (the majority of which I'm pretty sure are just checking in with the quest giver). Not much to add to my previous thoughts outside of story progression honestly, and the story is clearly about to begin ascending towards the end (even if I imagine that's some 20 hours or so away based on the pacing and story direction so far, wouldn't be surprised if there's a spanner thrown in the works somewhere though), so I'd rather just wait and see. But suffice to say that I love these characters and world, and have had a blast with the story (clichés and all), as much as I was having in the opening 10 hours or so. Still avoided listening directly to the OST so far to save spoiling any of it for myself, and I am still getting floored over and over again by the variety and sound of the soundtrack. One or two tracks play so many times in cutscenes, and you think it would get tiring seeing as one is very clearly the track for cutscenes with hype and the other for cutscenes with sadness, but no, it just works perfectly every time. Goosebumps from an amazing track driving you during a big battle is awesome. I won't be surprised in the slightest when all is said and done if this ends up among my very favourite video game soundtracks. And yeah I'm over 40 hours in and the scale of the world is still bowling me over, and I'm still taking screenshots of it all like a madman. This game needs a Photo Mode update because the Party Gauge not disappearing when I hide all of the other things in the HUD is annoying, as is every reason that I mentioned for this game needing a Photo Mode that I mentioned before. I think @drahkon touched on the resolution of the game, and while I sincerely have to agree that oftentimes it just doesn't look like a game that belongs on the Switch at all - along with muddy textures and texture pop-in, and frame rate issues (again, almost criminally not cleaned up in cutscenes) - I just can't hold a grudge against this game when it comes to the appearance of it all, because of the sheer scale on which I've seen achieved throughout so far. It's not an excuse and I hope things are patched moving forwards, but man, this is a great world with pleasant vibes and an interesting story to escape to during these crazy times.

...next Friday Unless you're much more excited for the reviews than I would anticipate

EA Play delayed until June 18th... Wonder if PS5 event could potentially be around/before then, seeing as a certain title was so heavily rumoured to show up from EA at that event first. And because it would be odd to not have that event before reveals that aren't set to take place at the PS5 event start trickling out. Not going to get into the politics of it at all - purely because I think it's clear where I imagine everyone N-Europe stands on everything going on at the moment - but from a gaming industry perspective, I'm very curious on your opinions: do you guys think these delays are long enough, or that we'll see these events will potentially be delayed further? Is it hubris, and perhaps insensitive, on the part of EA to announce a delay that honestly isn't too far off in the future? Does it perhaps send the wrong message that they're confident that things will have calmed down by that point? Would a PlayStation approach of waiting to see what happens before going ahead with such plans potentially be better?

Well, this makes for an interesting turn of events combined with the launch of Skelattack a few days ago. Slowly creeping their way back in..? Imagine this move is in part a result of their business now being so heavily focused on casinos...which is a poor gamble in a Covid-19 world. Very interesting.

Glad you're enjoying it! Yeah that foliage pop-in is nothing to sneeze at, but if the limitation (at least during initial development for the Wii) in the way of realising these massive areas was the foliage, then I don't really mind. That being said I'm not sure if that limitation would still be as much a problem as this Switch remaster some 10 years later would make it seem... I don't feel like Chain Attacks sour the experience at all, but I'm over 25 hours in now and have only felt like it's really added to one or two particular boss battles not too long after it was introduced. In other battles...not so much. I had to count Not sure why there isn't a count here like in other games, seems like it would just be a decent QoL improvement. That and a Photo Mode. The scope of this game and some of the location design is mesmerising at times, so having to zoom the camera in, angle it so that I don't see the Monado on Shulk's back, and manually hide the HUD in Display Settings, take my screenshot, and then head back into Display Settings to manually display them all after is a bit of a pain. Not a big problem, but it would be nice if they updated it. Also, with regards to tips... I feel like most have been covered, but with regards to grinding as someone who appreciates a good grind: the best way I think to gain experience, money, and explore in this game, is honestly through accepting and completing every side quest you can (or reasonably want to). In a lot of cases you get much more experience and money completing quests when compared with just battling monsters, and it helps to structure the exploration of these massive areas as you follow the quest markers around, and you might find you come up against Unique Monsters which you might not have otherwise found, or they might take you into stretches of the map that you wouldn't have otherwise explored. Following on from that, like @S.C.G touched on above, is how exploration in this game is great in that you're rewarded with EXP for finding new locations and landmarks, and a boatload of experience points when you find a Secret Area. It's a feedback loop which I'm really appreciating the design of, because it feeds into a natural loop for a JRPG (exploring and grinding) but on a pretty massive scale, and I'm surprised that (so far) I've found it to be as successful as I have. The only issue I've come up a little is being overlevelled in this game isn't as enjoyable as being at the same level when compared with enemies. I've been following the above feedback loop and found myself 2-4 levels above nearby enemies, and I'm putting nearly as much thought or getting as much out of battles as I feel I was earlier in the game. And it's different I feel to most other JRPG's I've found myself overlevelled in in that in those games I felt like I was more powerful than my enemy with the numbers on screen, but unless you're visiting areas where there is a substantial difference in level, the power gap isn't nearly as noticeable as it might be in other games, and it's this weird middle ground. Boss fights and Unique Monsters are still something I'm having fun with, though. Other advice would be to not be afraid of running away from monsters you're underlevelled to take on or you feel you're getting destroyed by. One of the pop-ups early on in the game describe it as a valid tactic, and honestly, it really is. I've been doing my best to read the warnings when multiple enemies much higher in level than myself that aren't Unique Monsters turn up, and just earmarked those areas for exploration at a later time, and it's giving me something to look forward to if/when I return to those areas. Oh, and don't forget to invest in your Arts and try to buy Intermediate Arts Manuals where you can - this raises the level cap on Arts you purchase a manual for from 4 to 7. Most of the ones I've found so far have been in shops in settlements (the last tab in the store menu). Looking forward to reading more of your thoughts!

Dynamic Tifa theme is now finally available in Europe on the PS Store, for free.

IGN's Summer of Gaming delayed until June 8th: Cyberpunk 2077 showcase delayed until until June 25th:

I'm glad. Some things are simply much more important than video games. Would it have been a nice distraction from the mess the world is in right now? Up until the last week or so I would have said yes, definitely. But right now, I don't really want there to be distractions if it means the limelight isn't exactly where it needs to be. From a business perspective, no-one wants to be the brand that premiered a new console and games amidst all of this, so it makes sense from that perspective too. I guess the next question naturally is where this thing could land next, because I'm not sure if things simmer down to a point where PlayStation premiere this thing next Thursday for example. And then they have The Last of Us Part II reviews coming out next Friday before launching the game the following Friday, so if we don't see it early next week (which seems very unlikely), I think this thing has realistically been delayed by at least three weeks. Going to be an interesting thread to follow these next few weeks, I imagine. The potential for PS5 game and hardware leaks have just increased exponentially, seeing as so many big studios might have been gearing up for the event. Look forward to whenever we see it, either way. I'm happy to wait.

Despite the game arriving on Friday, didn't start playing until yesterday afternoon. I'm now a bit over 16 hours in, if I recall about halfway through Chapter 7. I think that makes it pretty clear which side I'm going to be landing on, at least in my experience so far. The first few hours of the game I had a really hard time getting into it, honestly. I genuinely started questioning whether I was in the mood for a long haul JPRG at this time, and even questioned if I had perhaps made a mistake picking the game up, despite looking forward to it for so long. Those opening first few hours, especially that first hour in particular, are, honestly, almost overwhelming: a LOT of tutorials to read through; massive areas to explore (but almost dizzyingly so); quest markers absolutely everywhere; people of interest (green dots) to speak to, again, everywhere. It's a lot to take in. But a short smattering of story (and honestly, outside some exposition dumps, not too much going on outside of that one big thing that happens) later, and adjusting to the size of Colony 9 and the areas around it...and it all just clicks. I've completed 86 quests (including story quests) so far, admittedly missing a couple of timed ones (I've honestly just been following what I feel from moment to moment - that's mostly been exploring and doing side quests when and where possible, but there have been times where I've raced through an area too, knowing there are likely more side quests awaiting), but the way that quests and exploration is handled in this game is something I have come to quickly love. Experience for finding a new area. A treasure trove of experience for finding a secret area. A map which is simple to read (if a little confusing in terms of bridging levels at times), more than happy to lead you to directly to the next area to critical path the story, but is filled with exclamation marks to boot once you've stocked up on quests. You might not remember which quest you're taking that monster down or picking up that item for, but it's the perfect way to guide your wider exploration of the world and level up. It hasn't felt like grinding once so far. The feedback loop of arrive at new settlement > talk to the locals, take on a load of side quests > explore the area and tackle a load of side quests, raking in items, EXP, materials, etc., is honestly one of the best I've encountered from the perspective of making you want to explore. I don't need these items, and I don't need this EXP, but it's on the way/just slightly off the beaten path, so I might as well check it out, and I would be grinding in a JRPG anyways. The UI is simple to navigate, and not having to make my way back to complete all of the side quests and being able to be told that I've completed them mid-fight is such a simple but respectful thing to do. That's without mentioning the generous checkpoints pushing you to explore, or how there aren't any traditional healing items (at least that I've come across yet) but instead your health regenerates insanely quick while exploring after a battle, and battles feel like they're in their own vacuum, like when a protagonist in an anime recovers from a fight in one episode to be back at it again against someone else in the next. And then there's jumping (or rather, falling a lot of the time!) and taking fall damage which quickly recovers, but balances out the adventuring of the world with the fact that this is a JRPG. The overwhelming amount of stuff to do and see, including the timed quests, actually has me going back on my typical JRPG approach of interacting with everyone and everything; I don't feel like the game is designed in a way which necessitates it. Having green dots for important NPC's to add to the affinity chart lowers my expectations in a way for conversations with NPC's who aren't designated them, which allows me to lower my expectations for the times that I do talk to them, and just enjoy the flavour they add to the world by being there and from what they say instead. Timed quests and doing some of the Colony 6 stuff I'm sure I'll do as I remember it and when I have the chance, but because there's so much going on anyways and I feel like I've somewhat resigned the typical JRPG approach of doing and seeing everything, I'm having a much more relaxed time. I think that approach has its time and place, for sure, but right now, in this game, I don't think it's necessary or that the game is trying to make you follow that, and I'm enjoying it all the more because of that. The sheer scale of the world that you can physically explore and the designated "zones" can be overwhelming, but they've also left me in total awe going "wow, wow, wow" like five different times. The first time was (this is very early, but there's an image and I wouldn't want to spoil this view for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, and mention some locations by name)... I've played my fair share of games now, but wow, the scale and design of this game's world has just left me in awe at so many points so far in a way I didn't even feel with Breath of the Wild. Even with those low resolutions being tossed around, I can't stop zooming the camera in to take photos of the environment once I've hidden the HUD - seriously, why isn't there a photo mode?! Anyway, there's a verticality to this game, as a JRPG, that I just haven't experienced before. I cannot wait to see what else there is to see! Also, quick shout outs to the monster triggers (sight, sound, and being attacked) and the amazing variety in uncapped monster levels. Makes the world that much more natural to explore when you know LV. 90 monsters line your path: you probably shouldn't be going that way just yet. In addition, I absolutely adore this soundtrack. I won't be looking up the OST to name tracks until I'm down with the game to save being spoiled, but seriously, the music combined with the scale and drama of some of these battles gives me chills. I love it. And after those first few hours, once combat starts to click, it really does fall into place. Only real down side I've seen so far to it is, similar to Final Fantasy VII Remake when using a Limit Break, if an animation for the use of an Art is broken and you are staggered out of it or a status ailment is induced and, well, you've spent that Art. The problem I suppose is that it is almost impossible to predict that an enemy is about to inflict that on you mid-animation. I'll likely talk about my thoughts on the battles and their mechanics a bit more next time. But speaking of problems I have with the game, I do think there are a few technical hiccups that I've started picking up on. Nothing too crazy, but figure I'll mention them now and hopefully not have to mention them again in a future post: texture pop-in/sharpening in cutscenes and even in the Party menu (think it's much more forgiveable in the abundance of the open world); frame rate dips - most noticeable of mine so far have weirdly been happening in cutscenes; clipping - weapons and hair going through costumes (and even the floor!) in cutscenes can be tough to not be distracted by; and a few instances where the music is as loud as the conversation in some cutscenes. Finally, a few things I want to quickly note about some story stuff so far (very brief, but please don't respond and confirm/deny! More just for my own reference so I can look back and laugh ): Anyways, those are my thoughts so far. In short, I'm very much enjoying it. Look forward to chipping away at it this week every night after work!

I mean, assuming it's launching around Thanksgiving they've got another 6 months, so that seems like plenty of time? Though I do feel it is crazy how long they've dripped things out over to this point though, I listened to an old EZA podcast from last April, and completely forgot that it was so long ago since we first heard the first bits of news about the console through those WIRED articles! They mention a lot about the focus on games, and considering how Xbox mostly showed off gameplay in their event earlier this month and were still met with backlash (mainly for their meagre offering, but still), I'll be surprised if we end up with more CG teasers than actual gameplay. And, to be clear, I will no doubt be just as potentially annoyed as you if that does happen. Real-time stuff like the first Death Stranding trailer to tease that God of War sequel might be the "worst" I imagine it potentially getting for first party stuff at least. I'm hopeful. Yeah, I'm half hoping Final Fantasy XVI turns up. I've loved my two adventures with the franchise so far, and have many more left to go! Totally going to go off on a ranger about XVI here so... I know they've got Final Fantasy VII Remake to work on, but I just don't see them focusing solely on that as their main Final Fantasy project as others elsewhere on the internet have suggested - it just isn't feasible. It's too big a franchise for Square Enix to not be pushing it every chance they get. I've actually been reading quite a bit into Square Enix's reshuffling of their divisions which took place last year over the last few days, and even though I do feel like a first look at XVI would potentially be CGI (though I think it will do a much better job than previous trailers I've seen of theirs at hinting at general gameplay and mechanics), I think there's the potential for the game to be much further along than a CGI trailer would initially suggest, especially if Yoshida is at the helm with Unit III. This is from last year: Having read a bit into how Yoshida and his team helped turn around XIV with A Realm Reborn, and with how widely praised that game is by both fans and critics alike, he's clearly a fan favourite who people want to helm the next mainline Final Fantasy game. He and his team normally focus on MMORPG's, sure, but switching his focus to give him a chance with a mainline single player game and/or a journey which involves online GaaS elements besides that (i.e. online character creation, partying up, etc.) seems realistic given how XIV has been received. The only other scenario I imagine here is that this is all in reference to XVII (I just can't see them taking him off mainline Final Fantasy in the near future), which would potentially be a new MMORPG launching in 4-5 years' time (not sure if S-E would hedge a bet on another MMORPG at that time though; even with how lucrative XIV being turned around has been for them, there are clearly safer options), which would mean XVI is much further along than we think. Personally, I think that's unlikely and he and his team are leading XVI, with Unit I and Kitase continuing of course with Final Fantasy VII Remake and other massive AAA titles (i.e. Kingdom Hearts). For anyone curious, Unit II focuses mainly on Dragon Quest, NieR, and Bravely games, as well as I think some arcade stuff too (?), and Unit IV is responsible for Mana, ports, remasters, and mobile games. Which brings me to my next point: I don't think we ever got confirmation of which Unit that Luminous Productions were allocated to, but we do know they actively started developing something last year after pre-production in 2018, and we know that they were refocused as a studio that same year to focus on making games when Tabata left and that cool $33 million dollar loss was included in their September 2018 financial report. So I wonder if we could also see something from them instead of, or perhaps in addition, to a potential XVI reveal? Considering that only the controller was teased in the announcement video for next week's event, I don't think we'll be seeing the console here, and if that's the case, them I imagine likely not the price or launch date either. PlayStation and Xbox seem happy to wait each other out on those two key pieces on information for now, it seems. And again, I'll be very, very surprised if we don't see games planned for release in the first year running in real-time at this event. And I'll be out annoyed if that does happen, from a fan perspective and also as someone interested in the industry: it will show they've learned nothing at all from some of Xbox's missteps a couple of weeks ago. That's why I don't think we have to worry: we know exactly how reactionary PlayStation can be when it comes to things like this. I'm honestly still very surprised that Xbox have potentially offered this first real round between these consoles - knowing full well that they're the underdog and even if they do have massive first party games to surprise us with come July - up to them on a silver platter like this. Really excited for the event (let's be honest: as I am for almost all of these events!) and can't wait to see what PlayStation brings to the table, because I'm hungry for it!

Crazy thought: could that background sound be the start-up sound? Anyway, an interview with Jim Ryan over at gamesindustry.biz again pushes that PS5 is coming this year, and mentions that work on their launch line-up hasn't been too greatly impacted (though like Phil Spencer, reiterates a knock-on effect could be seen in 2021 and 2022), and interestingly talks about the value of games not necessarily meaning the lowest price. Wonder if this means they're set on a price now that they've noticed Xbox playing the waiting game too? Also very clearly reiterates (as he did on the PlayStation blog, and has been said a while back) PlayStation's stance on having clearly defined generations. Well worth a read.

From the PlayStation blog, posted by Jim Ryan: A bit more than an hour - AN HOUR - with a focus on games that "show off the hardware" - choice and fighting words not totally sure from the wording, but reads like some third parties might be present too? Feel like they would have just outright said PlayStation Studios otherwise, and not talk so vaguely. My excitement cannot be contained It was noticed earlier this morning that the EU and US blogs were merged, but I didn't think it could be taken as confirmation of news coming today! Clearly, this was why!