Julius

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!

Next Thursday at 21:00 BST... Mentioned it in the relevant thread, but also mentioning it here as seems like IGN might have a potential scoop (nothing planned for that day at all, their first of their Summer of Gaming event) and that other news/potential related interviews could follow.

June 4th! 21:00 BST! Here we go!

And so it begins! Probably won't put more than a few hours in today (working for the next few hours, then got some online play with some of the guys from work), but very much looking forward to playing through this for the first time, so you can guarantee I won't be doing much else this weekend! @Ganepark32 mine was also ordered from ShopTo (Royal Mail 48), came separately to my morning post weirdly enough. Hope yours turns up sooner rather than later!

The launch of The High Republic has been delayed until next year.

Anywho...I like to think that Horizon 2 is on the cards in that first year, if not necessarily at launch. @Dcubed, you mentioned the PC ports being worked on as perhaps being a reason for not seeing it anytime soon, but considering that only ports of Death Stranding and Horizon Zero Dawn are being worked on at this time (that we know of), I get the feeling that the Decima Engine perhaps is just much easier to port over to PC than other engines PlayStation's first parties work on. No doubt they worked heavily on Death Stranding to some degree just considering that they had to help Kojima Productions become accustomed to the engine at a bare minimum, but they seem a team both large and driven enough to have potentially turned around a sequel by November, over 3.5 years since Horizon launched. Of course it depends on exactly how cutting edge they're going, and what exactly they're doing differently this time around - the potential for flying atop robotic dinosaurs is potentially a massive undertaking - but that seems a reasonable timeframe to me, if not have it release by the end of the first year of the PS5 (4.5+ years after the original game launched). I agree with @Ronnie and have mentioned it myself a few times previously, and maybe it's my optimistic outlook with some things like this, but as I feel everyone has said: PlayStation has not announced a new first party AAA title since towards the end of 2017. I find it extremely hard to believe that they've been quiet this long to have nothing to talk about when they start ramping up the PS5 hype cycle - again, not expecting Spider-Man 2 or God of War II at launch, but I think it's very feasible that they're at least teased as sort of a signal of intent by Sony to players for them to invest: "we have more great games coming and sequels to those you already love, so feel safe buying a PS5" - and I think the last major title they unveiled was Ghost of Tsushima, back at Paris Games Week in October 2017? I don't think it's a coincidence that they're keeping quiet about PS5 and pushing that game and The Last of Us Part II so incredibly hard as a great way for the PS4 to bow out... ...because I do think that the PS4 bows out this winter. Hard. But only really when it comes to AAA first party offerings, and as you mentioned before, the reason why I find the idea of a Demon's Souls Remake particularly weird as a game to launch the PS5 is that it's a remake of a PS3 game which, to my knowledge at least (as someone who has not played the game, but has seen plenty of gameplay videos of From Software games), wouldn't do anything that couldn't run on a PS4. Jason Schreier mentioned it a while back on a podcast in passing, but third parties and Xbox seem to be the only ones focusing on cross-gen support (and Xbox being cross-gen and on PC I feel is shooting themselves in the foot when it comes to hardware sales). PlayStation have, I feel, been very clear with their messaging so far in that they want to still have clear generational gaps between consoles, the idea that the PS5 will do things that the PS4 just can't, and that's why I expect Horizon 2 to push the boundaries in some way with that potential flying mechanic, or how about the moment-to-moment physics calculations which have been mentioned a number of times regarding Spider-Man which would potentially have his momentum be used to more accurately calculate his swinging? And speaking of Spider-Man 2, considering how completely nuts that game sold, I imagine that PlayStation pushed for a sequel early on with Insomniac (and I mean, why wouldn't Insomniac be doing that anyways?), and had it not been for COVID, I don't think it would have been too crazy to have it released by the end of 2021 (now whether they would do that so early on into the life of the PS5 I suppose is the most questionable part). It will likely take place in New York again, the map will be updated, there will be a new story, a bunch of new mechanics and side activities, and the engine will likely be tweaked for better physics-based calculations...3 years to turn that around doesn't seem too crazy to me. Unless we're going somewhere else, they've got an incredibly solid foundation already. Definitely get the feeling that God of War II would take the longest considering that new realms means a lot of new world design, etc., just considering how drastically different the realms were to one another in the first game. I definitely feel like that's the biggest challenge and what will take the longest, though, because I was actually revisiting some of Cory Barlog's interviews and spoiler talks during his press visits after the last game released, and it's very, very clear that even if the game itself will take a while to develop, that pre-production was well underway, considering that he heavily hinted a number of times that Kratos' and Atreus' arcs and big story beats are already planned. But anyway, I digress, and this is the Xbox thread after all. Like I said before, I'm just not sure what pocket Xbox can fill, especially until they drop the cross-gen support on first party titles! As @Ronnie mentioned, their consoles are very well crafted and made with power in mind, but I struggle to see myself picking up a Series X for the foreseeable future unless there's an experience there that I can't have anywhere else - and considering that they're adamant about continuing One (X) and PC support, I'm not expecting to pick one up anytime soon, unfortunately. I'm in a weird position where I really want them to give me a strong reason to buy one other than playing the Halo games for the first time, but they haven't quite hit that note yet.

We already knew a lot of this before, mostly from Digital Foundry coverage, but still, a massive selling point for many which can't be overstated. This and the ramp up to next-gen that we're starting to see has actually got me thinking a lot about what could sell me on an Xbox Series X, and I'm not too sure what it could be, but I feel like there would be something. Never played the Halo games in any meaningful way outside of some co-op at a friends' house, so while I'm very interested in checking the series out, Infinite and the old games aren't enough of a pull for me. Used to love my time with Forza, but not a selling point for me, though I am very intrigued by the idea of a potential Fable game developed by Playground (as someone who hasn't played any of the previous games, and only has a very limited awareness about them). Nintendo provides me with nostalgic fun, even for series that I'm experiencing for the first time; PlayStation's first party, mostly third-person narrative driven games and strong support from a variety of Japanese publishers is plenty for me; I'm just not sure what gap Xbox can fill, but I really feel like there could be something which could sell me besides they're great handling of backwards compatibility and the myriad of other great initiatives going on. Fingers crossed that something catches my eye come the Xbox Game Studios showcase in July!

Starting my game music collection off on the right foot. Easily one of my favourite soundtracks, such a great revitalisation of many of the original tracks. You can bet I'm keeping that protective sleeve mainly because I had no idea the packaging was so...ornate. Includes some bonus tracks when compared with the standard version too, like the music found on the collectible music discs, which I loved.

It's weird for me to comment regarding the resolution situation, because I haven't noticed it particularly in any of the gameplay I've seen for the game, and none of the reviews that I scanned through really seemed to pick up on it, and I really think it looks stellar, so it kind of blows to read how disappointed you are by it @Dcubed. I find screen-tearing, frame rate dips, and texture pop-in much more noticeable (boy do we see a lot of that with modern Square-Enix games... anywhooo), but maybe I'll notice the resolution situation when I dock my Switch after putting the game in. I certainly know that the Switch menu can look rough at times. I've seen some go completely overboard elsewhere acting like it's the end of the world, but I think it's a reasonable complaint at the end of the day, and if this is a result of the game being turned around so fast, I would have much rather they took a little longer with it. Unless they somehow knew that they were going to be a tentpole release in a pretty quiet pocket for the Switch a couple of years out, I'm not really sure how they can justify potentially rushing it out - and that's as someone who hasn't played the game before, and cannot wait to dig into it. Hopefully I continue to let it go over my head and don't notice it so I can enjoy the game And yeah, noticed similar issues with the Switch regarding that difference in volume from game to game, @S.C.G. Normally wouldn't pay it much mind or pick up on it, but have definitely noticed that I'm reaching for the remote on the odd occasion when I do change game because I'm suddenly waking everyone up in the early hours, or straining to hear some music after midday. Wonder why that could be? Also...my copy of the game got dispatched today  would normally hope for it to arrive early, but given everything going on, I'll be just as happy to have it when I finish work on Friday. But please come before the start of the weekend. I'm in the mood for this adventure

The only visual comparison that matters

New and co-op gameplay demo coming June 24th.

Unfortunately I don't think we'll get a price either, just because I see them and Xbox getting caught in a silent, Cold War-like price-matching contest which could go on for a while. I want to say that we could get the release date, because it wouldn't have much bearing on their competition seeing as they're likely to be close to matching one another and we know they're likely launching the same month, but so much is in flux right now that it just seems like a bad idea to do so. Plus, without the price, there's no point in telling us that release date, because we won't be able to pre-order anyways. In terms of games, I feel like Horizon 2 is probably the most likely to be the game present of all the big first party studios, considering how much time has passed since Zero Dawn, and if we see Aloy flying on some of these robots and using climbing it will feel like we're being showed an experience which is next-gen, and not possibly on current systems. I'm in a weird spot with the rumoured Demon's Souls remake: would like it as a jumping in point for myself with From Software games, but I don't feel like it's necessarily a blockbuster title in the way that something like Breath of the Wild was at launch (not necessary I suppose, but definitely hasn't got the mass market appeal some other games could potentially have), and more importantly - again, correct me if I'm wrong as someone who hasn't played the game before - I'm having a hard time thinking about how a remake of a PS3 game could be shown to do something not thought possible on the PS4, hence why it is (presumably) a PS5 exclusive. I loved Bluepoint's work on 2018's Shadow of the Colossus, but yeah, just think it's potentially a weird move for them if it is true and is a launch title. Cautiously optimistic we could see a tease for God of War II or Spider-Man 2 at some point, even if we don't see either land until Q3 2021 at the earliest, just as a signal of intent to get fans to buy into the ecosystem. Japan Studio is a potential wildcard, and then I suppose it depends what third party publishers and development studios are doing, but Capcom have certainly liked showing things off exclusively for PlayStation before. That all being said, I think they just need one big first party game to hook people in, get people talking, and show off what the PS5 is capable of, and I'm having a tough time thinking what that could realistically be besides Horizon 2.

Oh yeah, for sure. Like Schreier and Grubb (who has been carrying the news torch for a June event since, like, March?) said, definitely could be subject to change with everything going on at the moment. I'll be very surprised if we don't see an event by the end of June, though. It's very different to the Switch and the quick turnaround there I suppose because, like it or not, PlayStation are being seen as competing for mindshare with Xbox (which, lets face it, they are). Fingers crossed for an event sooner rather than later! I'd find this hilarious to be honest

PS5 event next Wednesday? Schreier scooooops.

Another trailer because hyyyyyyype So excited!

The PS5 website has been updated for the first time in months... That potential June 4th event is looking a little more likely, especially given that IGN's Summer of Gaming is scheduled to kick off on the same day, and...they have absolutely nothing lined up for it? Curious. Soon™.

Reggie has a new podcast out as part of his work with the New York Videogames Critic Circle for the great cause of raising money for homeless students. Second episode included Phil Spencer as a guest. Great to hear Reggie so laid back and to hear some more about his time in games. Nice for Phil to be honest in the midst casual of settings about Series X still being on track with everything going on, having the manufacturing pipeline ready, etc.

Schedule for IGN's Summer of Gaming: It's happening...

Agree with everyone else here that this is a shame, but it doesn't matter too much to me. The game looks much better than the other versions from what we've seen, and honestly I'm just happy that I'll finally be able to play this game. A great art style seems to be holding things together. I think I'll be very happy with it. Admittedly a bit worried about how it might look on a larger screen, though. From the sound of things it could be down to Monolith Soft being given a tight schedule for the project (that previously mentioned 18 months or so to turn this around makes a lot more sense) and diverting resources and manpower to prioritise their new IP.

Finished Yakuza 3 yesterday. Is it the best Yakuza? Probably not. Is it more Yakuza? Hell yes it is. Great cast, fun world, plenty of awesome substories. It's held back by dated, slower, and somewhat clunky controls and mechanics when compared to newer entries in the series, but that's to be expected for a remaster of a game which is over a decade old. Still, looks great most of the time. Also has quite a few "huh, really doing that? okay" moments, so not the greatest of Yakuza stories. Well worth investing some time into if you're already a fan of the franchise, with some great highs and character moments, and it's probably the shortest of the Yakuza games I've played so far (I clocked in 17 hours with nearly half of the substories completed). Going to save my further thoughts for my next Gaming Diary entry, but had a great time with it. Can't wait to pick up next time with Yakuza 4.