Hero-of-Time

Yeah, but it's not just PlayStation. Nintendo hasn't dropped the price of the Switch, nor has Microsoft with the Series X. I get why Nintendo won't because the thing is still selling but Microsoft are in dead last and could do with a boost. As I said, years ago a console would get a discount when it was near the end of its life or not selling well but that isn't the case anymore. Even when a console was doing well (PS2) they would make revisions of it a sell it at a lower price. I think it a lot of it comes down to what Killthenet and Dcubed said in that customers/younger generation have become conditioned to pay high prices for electronic goods. Paying £800-£1000 for a phone just seems bonkers to me. I begrudged spending £150 on a cheap Samsung phone 2 years ago and so the thought of spending a grand on one is just baffling to me.

I'm baffled why they keep raising prices on their PS goods. Don't components usually get cheaper as time goes on or is that just a thing of the past now? It's crazy how we don't really get cut price consoles at the end of a generation anymore.

Probably another port of The Last of Us

I'm guessing $599. The base model is still a high price and so I can see them charging a premium for this.

Bold move, if true.

Nah, that's not it.

Play some of the indies you've bought. Didn't you pick up Alwa's Awakening?

Mobile game.

Yeah, my thoughts are the same, @Julius. Gotta be DLC otherwise it's a huge missed opportunity for them. It would make some serious money if they go this route.

There's certainly some truth to that but its all killer, no filler. There are no real tedious tasks or wasting of players time. It's a 12 hour platinum but the game is so much fun and the trophy requirements very reasonable, it makes for a very fun and doable platinum for a lot of people.

Only 10 episodes in.

Still continuing with watching One Piece. Big fan of Zoro but I'm not liking Nami that much. Also, all of the special moves in this show have ridiculous names. Watching this makes me wanna play Skies of Arcadia again.

Warms my trophy hunting heart reading all the people who have earned or who are going for the platinum on this game. I imagine it will have a very high competition rate.

I doubt it. The game is made to be very accessible.

@Julius I was waiting for you to find that Bot. I knew you'd freak out. Good to see you manages to pass the level. Its the hardest one in the game and so you'll have no trouble with the others.

Do we know what's happening with that yet in terms of content? We were discussing it at work last week. I don't have Netflix but said I would be very tempted to subscribe once the WWE stuff hits, providing there is access to the classic stuff.

If it's the one I'm thinking of....the remixed theme. 😍

Now that the game is done, I sat and read TheGamer article about the game being a graveyard of Sony IP. I don't think this is the case at all. I mean, the majority of the Bots you find scattered around are from IP that Sony don't even own. The game isn't a celebration of Sony but rather the PlayStation brand and those 3rd parties and games that helped make what PlayStation is what it is. Yes, there are a lot of IP that have remained dormant over the years but just look how each of the studios have been able to pivot over the years. Naughty Dog were known for platformers but found a stupid amount of success with Uncharted and then again with The Last of Us. Same goes for Sucker Punch, who went from Sly Raccoon to Infamous and then Ghost of Tsushima. These studios should be applauded for showing for versatile they are. Instead of sticking to one thing, they have been able to expand the brand and create new IP every generation. Look, would I like to see the return of the Jak franchise? Sure, but from a business stand point there's no way it would sell as well as the next entry of The Last of Us and so you can see why it remains dormant. Not all IPs can stay relevant for all time and a lot of the time it requires the right timing and audience to make a return. Anyway, on to the game. Yeah, it's a masterpiece. Having played all the other Astro Bot games, this really doesn't come as a surprise to me. This game is just an extension of what came before it. The saving issue aside, there is a level of polish that you just don't see with a lot of games these days, just like the previous entries. You get the feeling that the team really care about the games they have put out. The game is essentially Sony's answer to Mario Galaxy, two of the best 3D platforming games ever made and this game is right up there with them both. Initially, I enjoyed Mario Odyssey but after another play through, as well as playing through Bowser's Fury, I wasn't pleased with the open world type areas. It's a concern of mine that Nintendo are heading that way with whatever the next Mario game is. This game doesn't suffer from that at all and instead gives you really tight platforming stages, just like Mario Galaxy did. So thankfully, I can get my fix here. As you play through the game you will be introduced to new mechanics or power ups. Again, like the Galaxy games, these are really fun to play around with and never over stay their welcome. The levels that use these things have been built around the power up and they never feel like they have just been shoehorned in. The special stages that you get to play through at the end of each world are something else. It's here where PlayStation fans loyalty will pay off because if they have been part of the ecosystem for a long time then they will appreciate what these stages are all about. There are also the hidden stages that appear on each of the maps and these act like the smaller, but challenging comet levels, from the Galaxy games. These can be tricky because, unlike Mario, Astro can only take a single hit. Plus, these levels don't feature checkpoints. There was one of these that was a fire based stage and featured a toy duck you use to cool the lava. Man, it was a toughie but it was stupidly satisfying to get through it. Collecting all of the little Bots in each of the levels does bring a healthy dose of nostalgia, especially as I've been a PS owner since the very beginning. Seeing various franchises making an appearance in this game makes you realise just how many companies were instrumental in making the PS brand a success. There were some deep cuts in there too, one of which I couldn't believe popped up. As Julius mentioned, collecting these and then viewing them is a little like the Smash Bros trophies. It also goes one further and puts them in the hub and allows for you to interact with them and it's here where it feels a little like Nintendo Land. Unlocking more of them will populate the hub area and give it a bit of life and energy. It's amazing what such a small team have been able to achieve in such a small amount of time, at least when you compare to what most development times are these days. Instead of chasing a trend or trying to create a massive world in order to keep player retention, Team Asobi have simply created a game where gameplay and fun comes first and then leave it up to the player to decide how much time to put into it. It's one of those games that reminds you why you enjoy the hobby in the first place and I understand exactly why it has been given the scores and high praise it has from every outlet. I imagine this will be a GOTY contender for most people who play it and it's certainly worthy of such an award. I do hope the game is a commercial success. It's a product that goes against everything that is wrong with the industry at the moment. Games have bloated team sizes, stupidly long development times and a lot are created first to suck out the time and money of the consumer and a fun experience second. It's simply not the case with Astro Bot.

I ended up getting this today. Picked it up after work from Argos and used my Nectar points so it only cost me £2.00. I've been on the game non stop since half 3 this afternoon.... I'm far too tired to give my detailed thoughts at the moment so this will have to do.

Is there no Argos or Smyths near you? You could just go buy a copy then return the one that eventually arrives.

I don't recall ever committing to such a thing.

PS5 Pro has been found in the 30th anniversary logo. Not hard to see once you know it's there. It's hiding in plain sight.

The Chyna documentary is currently on Amazon Prime. Just watched it and it was pretty good viewing, although it's tragic what happened to her. I didn't realise her fall from grace was so fast. I always loved her rivalries with Jericho and Jeff Jarrett.

Apparently at a strip bar.