Which games that will/could likely come out this year are you guys planning on buying? Here's my own list Hogwarts Legacy - probably a Day One purchase Final Fantasy 16 - I've played every single mainline game that was a new release in the series, dating back 32 years. But still, the changes in the format are giving me pause. It might be the first time that I don't buy a FF game at launch, but I'll surely eventually play it. Octopath Traveler 2 - I played the first one on the Switch, and it was an interesting game. Essentially a SNES era Final Fantasy game in all but name. This one is supposed to be bigger and deeper. Star Wars: Jedi Survivor - the last game was very good, but also very short. Its beautiful and the controls are excellent, but its also not very deep. Absolutely going to play this one, but maybe not at full price. Assassins Creed Mirage - Its a mainline AC game, so I'm in. Wary about the change back to the old style and the apparent shorter content length. My Time at Sandrock - its predecessor, My Time at Portia, was a small game by a Chinese studio. It basically could have been a PS2 game in every respect - graphics, gameplay, UI, etc. However in spite of that, it was still fun, with a deep crafting system and an interesting relationship system with dozens of NPCs. I'm curious about this one, but its already more than a year late. Catan: Console Edition - I'll be honest, I bought the board game and can't really get a grip on how to play, lol. I figure that the video game version will teach me enough to teach others, and be a fun time on its own as well. I also plan to get Ratchet & Clank and God Of War Ragnarok on discount or vis PS+ this year as well.
I am same with you on FF16. Don't expect to get it at release, but I will almost certainly play it. I'm way behind on Assassins Creed games, but I am certainly interested in all of them. Go find Rodney Smith (Watch it Played on Youtube) to learn Catan @Unlucky 13 The only two games I know I will get and play at release are Diablo IV and Starfield. Very much looking forward to both. Otherwise, hope I can get myself to work on some backlog.
You fit in well with many in the diehard AC community, but I'm very much the opposite. When the original AC game came out, it was new and cool and took advantage of the hardware in the consoles in a way that few games had before. I enjoyed the first four games in the series a lot, especially in the way that they tied the modern day story to the time periods of the game and then to the precursor race with all of the secrets being revealed. But after the Ezio trilogy was completed, to me they really lost their way and became progressively less interesting and more empty. I for the life of me can't grasp why Black Flag remains so popular. The protagonist is a complete douchebag, and the game is mostly empty and repetitive. I honestly thought that the series had played itself out after Unity and Syndicate, and that was it. But then the reboot to the RPG style was just marvelous! Origins was wonderful, and then Odyssey became one of my favorite games of all time, period. Its spectacular, and to me a model of what I'd like more games to follow - proof that with today's hardware, games can be so much bigger and deeper than they ever have been before. So Mirage is more of a....wait and see thing for me. I'm curious, and I'm honestly compelled to play it to make sure that I know and see everything that a mainline AC game includes, but I'm really crossing my fingers that it isn't the pure direction that the series takes from here on out. And if it is, then I really hope that Ubisoft takes what they've accomplished with the three RPG games and makes a new, massive, offline, 3rd person RPG series like those, because that's my thing.
To me, the series ventured so far away from imbuing you with the feeling of being an assassin, and more in the territory of your routine action-RPG with the releases of Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla. I like those types of games too, as we've had discussions in the past, in here, about games like HZD, etc. But the way that some of the enemy encampments were laid out in Origins did not lend itself to stealthy gameplay. Honestly, being out in the wilderness in Origins was really boring. I was getting that fulfillment from games like Far Cry 3 and 4 (does it better), HZD, BotW, etc. There was a lot of copy+paste tasks just in different settings and a lot of emptiness and bloat and padding in between in the RPG reboot timeline. Definite Ubi-game burnout. At about the 60 hour mark in Origins, I honestly groaned that I had to take over another enemy ship/boat the same way I had done like 50 times before. I never played Black Flag. Once again, the whole sailing/fighting pirate ships didn't feel right in a game where you're supposed to be a stealthy assassin. It's funny you mentioned Unity because I enjoyed that one- I prefer the setting of a tightly packed, sprawling metropolis in a game where you're supposed to blend in. There's something gratifying about being a ghost when you're surrounded by a bunch of people. Unfortunately, I suffered from a lot of bugs in my playthrough. Syndicate I never played but I have a feeling I'd enjoy that one, outside of the stupid carriage driving. The whole putting down of a Japanese setting really rubbed me the wrong way, as well. Especially their reasoning- then they go and make games in Ancient Rome and Nordic settings (at the height of Thor and Vikings TV show). So a Japanese setting is played out but those aren't? FOH. All 3 of those games were clearly built for a service model, which I can't get down with in a single player experience. Borrring. So yeah, I'm excited for the direction of Mirage, and I have a feeling it will be just a separate path for us fans, while your type of game will still be in the overall IP plan.
I honestly always played the games in spite of the stealth and parquor aspects, and never because of them. I don't care as much about being an assassin as I do just enjoying myself, and I play all games in a very slow, deliberate manner regardless. Far Cry is never my thing because I don't play first person games, so that might as well just not exist for me. I certainly see plenty of people talk about burnout or open world fatigue, but I guess its just not something that effects me. Quite the opposite, I'm really feeling like there aren't nearly enough games being made in that style for me to enjoy. Right now, there isn't a single one likely to be released all of this year, if you assume that Hogwarts is more of a level based game.
No. Zero interest in it due to the extreme difficulty and the dark setting. I've struggled with "regular" games the last few years, needing to put them into easy mode, or even story mode, to make it through. That's just not what I want. For me, if I'm in the appropriate section of a game, wearing level appropriate gear, have a solid understanding of how I'm supposed to take on the enemies, and I'm not being super agressive or wandering off path into a zone where I don't belong, then I shouldn't ever find myself in a situation where I'm dying over and over and over because its too hard. When games are like they, they cease being fun for me, and I typically avoid ones that are known to be like that.
Gotcha. Setting is definitely bleak/dark/Gothic. Just wondering if it might be up your alley, but it doesn't seem like it. There could be an expansion this year, as it relates to the thread, so thought I'd bring it up.
Speaking of From Software, the new Armored Core is definitely on my radar for 2023. @Unlucky 13 I like Settlers of Catan, but I also used to play this board game called Scythe with my buddies. It was really fun. It's like Settlers of Catan with mechs and a little bit more intricacy.
I mean, this shouldn't happen in Elden Ring: "For me, if I'm in the appropriate section of a game, wearing level appropriate gear, have a solid understanding of how I'm supposed to take on the enemies, and I'm not being super agressive or wandering off path into a zone where I don't belong, then I shouldn't ever find myself in a situation where I'm dying over and over and over because its too hard" Understanding how to take on the enemies is the key to basically every fight, even if underleveled. I'm not saying it isn't hard, but I pretty much never felt "cheated" as it is usually me doing something I shouldn't or not understanding how an enemy/area will respond (or how to counter).
Blasphemy! Aside from hexes and resources I don't find them alike at all. Also if you haven't played Rise of Fenris (not sure if it's available in the digital game), I highly recommend it with a regular group.
For me individually, its almost certainly too much of a challenge. I got my butt kicked left, right and sideways in Horizon Forbidden West and God of War on normal mode, and had to scale it down just to survive. I've absolutely accepted that today's action games are going to be that way for me, and unless I play something that's turn based, I need the chance to overlevel and buy really great gear before I take on harder enemies or I'm going to get one-hit or two-hit stomped.
Spider-Man 2: First spider-man was one of the best games I have ever played. MM was really fun. Looking forward to seeing what they do with the second one. Baldur's Gate 3: I plan on buying it after it is done with early access. Looks to be a great Baldur's Gate upgrade. Starfield: Is it Skyrim in space? I am hoping so. One Military Camp: Looks like a fun indy where you build a crazy military camp like a Two Point Hospital. Jumplight Odyssey: I like the old school space anime graphics. I like builders. I like space Terra Nil: This game looks pretty. Plus seems like a fun game to rebuild the environment of planet after it was devastated by civilization. Goblin Stone: Another indy. Goblin builder. Try to breed goblins to take back the land. I like builders. Ara: History Untold: As a person who loves Civ-type games, I am interested in Microsoft's attempt to knock off Civ. Hexarchy - Historical Deck Building Strategy Royale: I backed this game on kickstarter. It is like a mini civ but with cards. I watched someone play a demo and it looked like a fun breezy game
When the lockdown first started and I was freaking out about Covid, My Time At Portia was the perfect game to play. It was interesting enough to take my mind off things and simple enough to not be stressful.
Its a crudely made game in a lot of ways. The controls are so bad that they're painful sometimes. But it has a lot of depth once you dig into it, and a charm of its own. I'm hopeful that Sandrock is a lot more polished technically, even if the graphics look to be the same level.
I'm very interested in Starfield, but as a Sony/Nintendo gamer, it'll have to wait. Once ES6 comes out, I might eventually get my first XBOX. We'll see what the state of gaming is at that point.
oh yea, I it is hard to even consider the game "good". However, it is a pleasurable game to play. And the story is fun.
I've never really enjoyed gaming on the PC at any point myself. And now my laptop is five years old, and new ones cost an arm and a leg, so it'll be console for me from here on out.
If it's any consolation, you can certainly overlevel in Elden Ring. There are certain builds, with just a minimal amount of online research, that are equivalent to moving the difficulty slider down. But there is definitely a pinch of survival/horror in it. That being said, it's the most accessible Souls-like that From Software has made. You also have access to co-op help for bosses and you can summon Spirit Ashes (they're almost like Pokemon). I watched a video the other day of someone that just healed their summons and they did all the boss-defeating. The depth in the amount of builds you can get out of the game is what keeps bringing me back. I made a strength-intelligence frost knight on my first playthrough. Now I'm playing a lightning pugilist for my 2nd playthrough and things are much easier because I'm so used to what all the enemies do.
I'm looking forward to Terra Nil. I had very much forgotten the name of it so thank you for the reminder. I'm definitely going to "unwind" a little bit before sessions of that one.
Undisputed on Steam. I've been waiting for a boxing game since Fight Night Champions. It has plenty of licensed boxers along with their fighting styles, movements, etc. Early access launches tomorrow actually. Gameplay looks rigid though, hope they smooth it out. The level of freedom when fighting seems staggering though.
I've been looking for a kind of mindless co-op game to play with my friends and Blue Protocol looks like it might fit the bill. Between Scarlet Nexus, Elden Ring, and Tales of Arise- I've played a lot of Bandai Namco over the past year or so.
That's why I didn't buy them. Played the trial of Arise. It's super button mashy. But party based rpgs are such a rare find anymore.