All-new PlayStation Plus: Premium / Deluxe | Extra | Essential

[drahkon]

1 minute ago, Julius said:

As a fellow sick person (stupid winter):

I'd rather say stupid people in planes Even a mask didn't help against the onslaught of sick older people and babies.

Anyways, this was a "conversation" about a shitty Star Wars game.

(get better soon, my man )

[Hero-of-Time]

4 hours ago, Julius said:

WHERE THE HELL IS THAT BATTLEFRONT II PORT ALREADY COME ON PEOPLE WAKE UP 

Speaking of Battlefront II, this year I was on a bit of a Star Wars kick and played through a bunch of SW games, one of which was the new Battlefront II.

I absolutely loved it. Its been a long time since I've played an online shooter but I seemed to manage just fine. 

I thought the campaign was very well done, as was the free epilogue DLC. I loved how it tied into the movies and it was great playing the part of the Empire for a change.

The online modes were a blast to play and I especially enjoyed the Starfighter Assault mode. I had read how fiddly the controls were for a lot of people but I didn't really have an issue with them.  I was also quite surprised just how active the online community was.

The trophies were a lot of fun to nab. A lot were from the campaign and the multiplayer ones encouraged you to try all the different modes and master a couple of them. The ranked based trophies were originally a nightmare but the game now has triple xp on Wednesdays and double xp on weekends. This means ranking up is pretty easy now.

Considering the train wreck the game was at launch, playing this years later seemed the way to do it. I had no real problems with it and the awful balancing and nickel and diming players were no longer a thing. It was easily my favourite SW game that I played this year.

[Julius]

3 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Speaking of Battlefront II, this year I was on a bit of a Star Wars kick and played through a bunch of SW games, one of which was the new Battlefront II.

Did...did you just transition from talking about Pandemic's Battlefront II to EA's Battlefront II in the same sentence?

3 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I thought the campaign was very well done, as was the free epilogue DLC. I loved how it tied into the movies and it was great playing the part of the Empire for a change.

I was and still am a bit ho-hum on the story in the game, to be honest, but I think part of that is down to me loving the original Battlefront II's campaign so much. That and the AI being stupid. 

Totally agree that it was awesome how they tied it into TLJ, especially when you remember that Resurrection dropped just mere days before the film. I really hope we see more of that moving forwards, not even just in Star Wars, but elsewhere too now that other big fictional universes or going to start dabbling in shared lore with their games (like the current plans for DC)

3 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

The online modes were a blast to play and I especially enjoyed the Starfighter Assault mode. I had read how fiddly the controls were for a lot of people but I didn't really have an issue with them.  I was also quite surprised just how active the online community was.

Yeah, campaign aside, there's so much fun to be had in the online multiplayer! I've dipped back in here and there over the years (most recently about a month or two ago, actually!) and I love how active the community is, how much DICE stuck with it to see 90% of their vision release (even if some of their key staff, like Dennis Brännwall, have since left ) because of all the outfits we ended up with, and just how much dumb fun it is. 

Having played Factions last year, it really gives me that vibe, similar to the original Battlefront II, where things get down to the wire in the last minute and it becomes a total bumrush and it's just plain old fun. Genuinely can't remember the last time I played online multiplayer which was unashamedly dumb fun! 

Glad to hear you enjoyed Starfighter Assault so much – I think I remember you picking Squadrons up but can't remember for the life of me how you got on with it? I wasn't the biggest fan (much prefer third-person dogfighting to first-!)

3 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

The ranked based trophies were originally a nightmare but the game now has triple xp on Wednesdays and double xp on weekends. This means ranking up is pretty easy now.

Checks trophies left

Welp, it's just combat and a rank grind. Guess I might dip in here and there over my Christmas break to finish the fight 

3 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Considering the train wreck the game was at launch, playing this years later seemed the way to do it. I had no real problems with it and the awful balancing and nickel and diming players were no longer a thing.

Absolutely – honestly, it's been more or less at this point since the regular updates stopped after TROS released back at the end of 2019. 

In a very weird way, I think the controversy did the game massive favours, in that it pulled the rug up from under EA specifically as a publisher and basically gave DICE free roam over executing on their vision, because EA simply weren't allowed to go back and plug the microtransactions stuff back in. And after a while, it did also just level the playing field as people looking to pay-to-win simply couldn't. 

3 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

It was easily my favourite SW game that I played this year.

...do I dare ask what other Star Wars games you've played this year? 

[Hero-of-Time]

9 hours ago, Julius said:

Having played Factions last year, it really gives me that vibe, similar to the original Battlefront II, where things get down to the wire in the last minute and it becomes a total bumrush and it's just plain old fun. Genuinely can't remember the last time I played online multiplayer which was unashamedly dumb fun! 

I loved this aspect of the game. Frantically trying to get to a hold point. Hamerring the button in order to spawn back on the map ( as it if helps ). Rushing to the objective only to get shot down as you near it. All of these things made for some very tense but hilarious matches.

9 hours ago, Julius said:

...do I dare ask what other Star Wars games you've played this year? 

I nabbed the platinum on both Jedi Survivor and Podracer on May the 4th.  

Super Star Wars was a nice nostalgia boost (loved the Super Trilogy when I was younger).
Pod Racer hasn't aged well at all.
Lego Star Wars: The Sky Walker Saga was fun but a MASSIVE grind.
Jedi Survivor was pretty meh and I was disgusted with the state the game launched in.

Edited December 8, 2023 by Hero-of-Time

[Hero-of-Time]

Good get, if true. Despite its hilariously awful dialogue, there's a cracking game underneath it all.

[drahkon]

I think I had a great time with the demo so I'm here for it.

If this doesn't turn out to be true then this day gets worse by the minute (my Steam Deck should've arrived by now but it seems the delivery has been delayed...)

[drahkon]

5 hours ago, drahkon said:

If this doesn't turn out to be true then this day gets worse by the minute (my Steam Deck should've arrived by now but it seems the delivery has been delayed...)

Steam Deck is back!

And games for December:

Quote

 

PS Extra:

• Grand Theft Auto V | PS4, PS5
• Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin | PS4, PS5
• Moto GP23 | PS4, PS5
• Metal: Hellsinger* | PS4, PS5
• Salt and Sacrifice | PS4, PS5
• Moonscars | PS4, PS5
• Mega Man 11 | PS4
• Gigabash | PS4, PS5
• Grime | PS4, PS5
• Tinykin | PS4, PS5
• Prodeus | PS4, PS5
• Shadowrun Returns | PS4, PS5
• Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director's Cut | PS4, PS5
• Shadowrun: Hong Kong – Extended Edition | PS4, PS5

PS Premium:

• Mega Man Legacy Collection | PS4
• Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 | PS4
• Thrillville | PS4, PS5
• Thrillville: Off the Rails | PS4, PS5
• Buzz Lightyear of Star Command | PS4, PS5

 

 

SHIT! Way too many games I want to play

[Hero-of-Time]

Sod all for me. Just bought Tinykin in a recent sale as well. Premium continues to disappoint.

[Jimbob]

If they want people renewing Premium, then they'll need to get more features and older games on.

If you've not played Tinykin, get on it.  Great Pikmin-esq game.

[drahkon]

2 hours ago, Jimbob said:

Great Pikmin-esq game

All I need to know to never play it

[drahkon]

Looking at the list again...I'm pretty excited.

Gonna give a few games a go:

• Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
• Metal: Hellsinger
• Salt and Sacrifice
• Moonscars
• Mega Man 11
• Prodeus

And yet, I bought FFXVI. My decision making (especially regarding money) hasn't been on top these last few weeks

[Hero-of-Time]

 

 

[Julius]

This month's PS+ update details:

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PS Extra:
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands – Next-Level Edition | PS4, PS5
Resident Evil 2 | PS4, PS5
Hardspace: Shipbreaker | PS5
LEGO City Undercover | PS4
Just Cause 3 | PS4
Session: Skate Sim | PS4, PS5
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun | PS4
Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong | PS4, PS5
Surviving the Aftermath | PS4

PS Premium:
Rally Cross | PS4, PS5
Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace | PS4, PS5
Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection | PS4
Legend of Mana | PS4
Secret of Mana | PS4

That looks like a pretty solid month to me!

Had been thinking about picking up RE2 recently as RE is a franchise I want to dive into for the first time this year (finally have my approach figured out ), but hey, guess I'll wait a little longer on picking it up physically and pick it up here instead.

LEGO City Undercover is one I know gets a lot of love and my brother adored it, but I've never found myself wanting to take a punt, but guess I don't have much of a choice now  Shadow Tactics has been on my wishlist forever, the Mana games I've always been curious about, and well, Star Wars is Star Wars and that SF 30th Anniversary might be a good way for me to just blaze through some SF story modes 

Additionally, some Crunchyroll benefits are on the way for Premium/Deluxe members:

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Additionally, we're pleased to share that select series from Crunchyroll will be available to PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe members via Sony Pictures Core in the following additional regions starting on January 15: Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe members have access to a curated catalog of 100 movies** to watch on demand from Sony Pictures Core and curated content from Crunchyroll will be included.

A win for anime 

Edited January 10 by Julius

[drahkon]

Wow...almost nothing for me

Tiny Tina's Wonderland might be nice in co-op but other than that...meh

[S.C.G]

Though I've recently bought a PS5, I'm glad that I won't be buying into the online memberships for it, or the Xbox consoles again any time soon.

NSO is justified, as I genuinely play the console online every week, and I play some of the games which get added, but PS Plus? There's nothing for me...

Even less with Xbox, as I don't want Games Pass, because I like physical games.

(even if they are glorified unlock keys for the content at this point, you can still sell them... well, until their value quickly depreciates... partly due to Games Pass)

[drahkon]

9 hours ago, S.C.G said:

Though I've recently bought a PS5, I'm glad that I won't be buying into the online memberships for it, or the Xbox consoles again any time soon.

NSO is justified, as I genuinely play the console online every week, and I play some of the games which get added, but PS Plus? There's nothing for me...

Yeah, these memberships truly only make sense if you actually play a lot on your console of choice. But then they usually are worth the money (unless you subbed to PS+ Premium ).

[Hero-of-Time]

9 hours ago, S.C.G said:

Though I've recently bought a PS5, I'm glad that I won't be buying into the online memberships for it, or the Xbox consoles again any time soon.

NSO is justified, as I genuinely play the console online every week, and I play some of the games which get added, but PS Plus? There's nothing for me...

Even less with Xbox, as I don't want Games Pass, because I like physical games.

(even if they are glorified unlock keys for the content at this point, you can still sell them... well, until their value quickly depreciates... partly due to Games Pass)

I subscribe to PS+ purely for the promise of PSOne games. Some of them have been locked behind the service. I did put a lot of time into PS+ games last year mainly due to my trophy hunting ways and playing games I would never buy...looking at you Peppa Pig (GOTY material) and Paw Patrol.  Most of the must have games on there I have already played or own myself.

My NSO subscription is very similar to PS+ in that I have it to play the classic games and because I can't buy them from the eShop, my hand is essentially forced to sign up in order to play them.

[Hero-of-Time]

Foamstars releasing on PS+. 

Can't see me bothering with it at all but apparently the game won over a lot of people at various gaming events last year.

[Dcubed]

 Might want to stay away from Foamstars if you value ethical game development...

[Hero-of-Time]

18 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

 Might want to stay away from Foamstars if you value ethical game development...

I think ethical values and game development went out the window a long time ago. I imagine there are very few games that are free from any kind of dodgy dealings, especially when it comes to the big publishers. 

We are certainly going to see more and more developers using AI when making games. It's essentially cheap labour for them. I can see a lot of redundancies in the gaming industry happening once it becomes commonplace.

[Hero-of-Time]

@drahkon is Rally Cross showing up as free for you? Still down as £7.99 for me.

[drahkon]

6 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

@drahkon is Rally Cross showing up as free for you? Still down as £7.99 for me.

On the web store it's not free.

On my PS5 it says "included in your PS+ sub" and I could choose "download" but nothing happens.
Edit: Now it keeps saying "something went wrong".

Edited January 17 by drahkon

[drahkon]

@Hero-of-Time And now it's downloading. No idea what the hell happened there.

[Hero-of-Time]

1 minute ago, drahkon said:

@Hero-of-Time And now it's downloading. No idea what the hell happened there.

Weird. I'll have to check when I get in. Last night it wasn't even part of the PS+ line up on the dashboard.  

[Hero-of-Time]

Turns out Rally Cross isn't part of the monthly games. It seems available for those who grabbed it back in the early days on PS+ when it was on the PS3 but not available for anyone else. A few people from different countries have reached out to the PS customer service and they've simply said it's not part of the collection.

So we have a Premium tier that is supposed to give out PSOne titles for free. This tier sometimes locks games behind it so you can't buy them outright but now we are heading down a path where PSOne games are hitting PSN but aren't going to be part of the paid service? Absolute joke. 

In other news, here are the games that are leaving next month.