Ralizah

Glad Sony's death grip on this series is gone. I tend to prefer mainline SMT, but P5R fixes most of the problems I had with previous games in the series. Definitely one of the best JRPGs in recent years.

I get the sense Microsoft has been hesitant to associate with PlatinumGames since the fiasco with Scalebound, and I'm sure that hasn't helped strengthen their pre-existing relationship.

They seem to work really well with Nintendo, though.

If Microsoft was willing to put GP on its main competitor's platform, why do they still intend to not publish games like Starfield on PS5?

I really don't understand the approach here.

This is just getting stupid now. Sony has long relied on platform exclusive content in third party games to drive sales without anyone uttering a word. Hell, just look at that upcoming Hogwarts game! Gimping what the competition has access to through underhanded deals is how they've always remained on top.

They can't seriously expect Microsoft won't give preferential treatment to consumers who play the versions on their own hardware.

Apart from Star Fox Zero, they've done consistently good work with Nintendo, so I'm not inclined to lay the failure of Scalebound entirely at their feet.

But yeah, best to let this project rest.

I'd rather they follow Sony's lead and sell an optional disc drive that'll work with the Series S.

I don't need 4K, but I also don't want digital only. Give me a third option, MS!

@SplooshDmg I'm a tad salty that the screenshot functionality on the Xbox controller seems to be exclusive to Windows 11 so far. I'm not ready to upgrade my OS yet, but hitting a two key combination any time I want to take a screenshot is a bit of a pain.

GP PC is surely getting bigger over time. I'd heard the implementation was flawed at the beginning, but during my trial period, it seemed to work extremely well. I'll definitely sign up again at some point when I'm not constantly distracted by new releases on other platforms.

Can't wait to play this game at a cinematic 20fps on my increasingly aging PC!

Really curious to see what the Steam Deck performance is like as well.

My problem is that, by the time I know if I'll really like a game I'm unsure about, I'm far enough in that I won't want to switch platforms.

So if I started a game on Game Pass, I'd probably be inclined to continue playing it on Game Pass.

There are some games I'd just prefer on Switch, though, even if they went to Game Pass. Like Omori. Didn't even bother downloading that, since I know it's a game I'll want to play on my SWOLED. But I also have issues paying more than $30 for something that's freely available on another platform. So I end up just not playing it at all.

I guess, in that sense, it has sort of the opposite effect on me.

I really like what I've heard of Jack Black's Bowser. The teaser does a good job of establishing him as an intimidating presence as well.

Chris Pratt as Mario, though... not convinced, at all. Still seems like bad casting to me.

@mousieone Is the framerate locked? The previews I looked at said it dipped in some busy areas, like the PS4 version did. Although I could see it being more stable in general than that version of the game. The company that is porting this says it's targeting 720p/1080p, but I'm still... extremely skeptical about that. They said the same thing about The Outer Worlds, and that ended up being the usual 540p/720p split. tbh I'm expecting the same with NieR.

And looking at the footage, there's definitely some big cutbacks to texture resolution, shadow quality, foliage, lighting, etc.

But, y'know, it's still a very playable and moderately attractive version of NieR Automata on the Switch. A game people swore to me would be unworkable on the platform for the longest time. It continually impresses me how much juice developers manage to squeeze out of this particular lemon.

If it does end up being more stable on Switch, which would be hilarious, it wouldn't even be the first time that a Switch conversion upstaged the original PS4 release. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim on Switch is apparently lacking in the framerate stutters that cropped up in the original version of that game as well.

@Dusk_Actual Me too. It's why I didn't grab it on PC. Repetitive arcadey time wasters like this are best on portable consoles.

Woah Dave! on the Vita sort of occupied the same niche for me for years. As a quick in and out arcade game, it was addictive, but I'd have barely touched it if it required dedicated screen time, y'know?

I guess if it never gets ported, it'll be one more reason to eventually pick up a Steam Deck.

Still the Viva Pinata games.

@mousieone Sales aside, it also just makes sense to design around the weaker piece of hardware. It's the more inherently limited device. You can just scale up performance, visual settings, and resolution on the device with higher specs, after all.

Yeah, we also keep getting PS4 versions of games that were previously next-gen exclusive, or were supposed to be. And, I mean, there's a reason for that, right? Aside from Switch, which still has a lot of room to grow technologically, we're at the point now where there's very little that can't be done on modern hardware with a little bit of optimization.

Of course, console gamers are still stuck in this elitist generational headspace where cross-gen games must be somehow 'holding back' development on newer platforms, as if modern games aren't designed to work across a variety of specs on PC to begin with.

It's the same attitude with the Series S.

Also, like the new Soul Hackers 2 avatar, lol.

@Dezzy70 It's one of Microsoft's modern systems. Actually, tbh, it's probably the modern system of theirs that has sold the most at the moment, making it their primary hardware model. I should hope developers are giving Series S versions of games their full attention, and aren't just developing with the specs of the Series X in mind.

Not a fan, but it would work well visually alongside the PS5 and launch model SWOLED with the white joycons and dock.

@wiiware To be honest, this is probably the best anime they've produced since Kill La Kill back in 2013. Their output is really inconsistent. But I've watched four episodes so far, and this has been fantastic. Hope to see more quality work from Trigger in the future.

@NEStalgia

""why not just play FE instead?"

Vastly better level design in its maps, including some really well-integrated gimmicks.

More well-balanced combat.

Grounded political storyline that gets pretty gripping as the game progresses.

Branching story routes, post-game unlockable characters, post-game optional battles, it being very easy to skip previously viewed cutscenes, etc. make it a very replay-friendly experience.

I love Fire Emblem, but this scratches a different itch for me. Battles take longer, but you actually have to strategize and consider how you're going to tackle level objectives. Units aren't just barfed out on an open field.

@SplooshDmg Triangle Strategy is superb. Definitely my favorite of the Team Asano HD-2D series to date. It feels like a lost PS1 classic.

@mousieone I can't speak to anecdotes. Early impressions seem positive, and pre-release footage of the End of YoRHa edition looks solid as well.

https://youtu.be/IBVBPefUOLI?t=1989

@mousieone

https://www.thegamer.com/nier-automata-nintendo-switch-preview/

https://www.rpgsite.net/preview/13274-nier-automata-the-end-of-yorha-edition-is-one-of-the-most-impressive-nintendo-switch-ports-ive-played

You're misinformed. Early previews seem to be calling it one of the best ports on the system.

They're both new (for the player base) Platinum games featuring action combat releasing in October. One is also an open world RPG, sure, but it's still Platinum competing with itself.

@NEStalgia I mean... when were they supposed to release it? It's not launching near a comparable type of game from Nintendo. Nobody is going to not get this because Splatoon and Pokemon are releasing soon.

The worse timing is that NieR Automata is also releasing on Switch in October. And at a cheaper price point, to boot.

YES

This sort of thing is exactly what has been missing from Xbox for me.

@NEStalgia Astral Chain sold well, and despite taking a while, Bayo 3 seems to be shaping up nicely. If anything, their relationship with Nintendo could be stronger than ever at this point.

@Tharsman Honestly, after the ghastly PSP remake of Silver Star Story, I just hope Lunar is left alone. Even if a remaster preserved the story pacing and dungeon design of the PS1 original, it'd still probably lack Working Designs' charming localization.

@SplooshDmg Glad to hear you're enjoying XC2. It's flawed, but, all the same, I liked it considerably more than previous Xenoblade games. Torna and XC3 are arguably even better, so you have some good times ahead of you.

You have a really nice setup for your rig! I guess the benefit of splurging on a really powerful card is that you don't have to worry too much about tinkering with settings, right? Most games should be able to manage max settings with little issue.

For myself, I just find that most games I play don't require powerful hardware, so upgrading my PC further just feels a bit needless at the moment. And with how large my backlog of low spec games are, I don't really see that changing any time in the near future.

The lack of DQ ports on modern systems is annoying. It feels like Square-Enix keeps finding ways to re-release the first three and thoroughly ignores the existence of the popular middle games in the series. They need 'pixel remasters' of all the DQ games, frankly, instead of just doing an HD-2D version of the third game.

@SplooshDmg Yeah, as much as I loved it, I'm not in a massive rush to go through VC4 again. Still need to play the second and third games. Still need to play through a bunch of Atlus JRPGs. Still need to play that sequel to AI: The Somnium Files. Still need to play 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim and Sakura Wars. Still need to that Grandia HD collection I bought on sale. I have gobs of games in my backlog. Still need to check out those title updates for MHR: Sunbreak. Still need to see Triangle Strategy's Golden Route. Rain Code, Fire Emblem Engage, Pikmin 4, and Fatal Frame 4 will be releasing before too long. etc etc. I kind of envy those people who see the riches of modern gaming and decide they have absolutely nothing to play. I'd sure have a lot more expendable cash!

lol I upgraded the rest of the components in my rig back in 2020, but my GPU is still the ancient GTX 970 I got in 2015. More shockingly, it's still up to the task of running almost every game I want to play! Cyberpunk pushes it a bit harder than I like, but I believe that has a dynamic resolution option I can enable that'll make a higher framerate easier to hit.

Years ago, I felt like I needed a new card, but now I mostly want to replace it eventually because I don't know how many years it has left in it.

VPN isn't really necessary for old ROMs, IMO. Maybe for newer games. There is a non-zero chance of Sony banning your account for modifying the system, but it almost never seems to happen with Vita hackers and pirates.

@SplooshDmg By the time I got to the endgame, I'd played it for about 80 hours. I thought about doing absolutely everything, but I decided I'd probably want trophies to go along with that exertion and moved on to other games. Anyway, it gives me an excuse to revisit the game on another platform.

Heh, yeah. I mean, I won't say higher framerates don't feel better. They obviously do. But... I dunno, people get so hung up on the technical aspects of the medium that I think they forget to just chill out and enjoy playing games. I think it's fine to enjoy the "inferior" version of something. Do people really lose their mind when they have to watch a film on DVD instead of 4K Blu-Ray, I wonder?

A hacked Vita is amazing. Basically a full on retro gaming machine + access to all PSP games + being able to mod/patch the censorship out of specific games. And, like with the SWOLED, the screen looks amazing.

@mousieone At least we're talking about a JRPG.

@SplooshDmg I'm probably gonna repurchase it on Playstation at some point when the complete edition goes on sale again. Not only for the trophies, but also so I'll have access to the DLC, which obnoxiously never goes on sale on Switch.

I thought about grabbing it on Steam, but I realized I don't actually care about the framerate all that much. These games look and feel fine running at 30fps.

I really, really liked how they changed the side stories in this game compared to the original. It gave the game a... Fire Emblem-ish quality for me, and encouraged me to actually use the entire squad.

I actually have 2 and 3 ready to go on my Vita. Ever had the opportunity to play those?

Dragon Quest XI S
Final Fantasy VII
Lost Odyssey
(soon) Persona 5 Royal
Valkyria Chronicles 4

@SplooshDmg Bless you.

Valkyria Chronicles 4 is AMAZING. My favorite game of 2018, easily. It deserves more love.

Makes sense. If you're behind and fighting to regain market share, it doesn't make sense to make your product less affordable for the average consumer.

Also, the smaller profit margins on Xbox hardware aren't as big a deal to a company as wealthy as Microsoft is. It's a hit they can afford to take.

Also, ultimately, Game Pass is the product, not the hardware itself. If your goal is to bump up those subscription numbers, it doesn't make sense to throw up unnecessary roadblocks.

This is a calculated risk Sony is taking in regions where they think they can remain the home console market leader by default. You'll notice they didn't bump up the price in NA where the Xbox is actually competitive.

@mousieone Can't be worse than the original game's system. Which is a shame, because, setting aside the broken combat, the story and aesthetics are extremely charming.

Was so excited to finally try this when it was ported to PS4/Switch, but the combat system is genuinely one of the worst I've ever seen in an RPG. It actually killed my enjoyment of the game to the point where I stopped playing.

Hoping the sequel is less of a disappointment.

@SplooshDmg Out of interest, is there any difference between this version of Danganronpa V3 and the version that's on Steam?

@NEStalgia I've always found the idea of categorizing games, and especially assigning worth to them, based on how expensive they are to produce to be a bizarre concept.

Cool, but I'm all about 240p20 Switch port.

"it's an exclusive for PC and current-gen consoles"

That's the broadest application of the word "exclusive" I've ever seen.

Signalis looks really cool.

Also, P5R is an amazing game.

About time. Performance modes should almost always been an option, even if it ends up dropping the image quality to 720p or lower.

An overpriced remake that barely improves the game design of the original? No thanks.

Probably doesn't help that Gears 2 kind of killed my interest in the series. I vastly preferred the more restrained and atmospheric approach of the original.

Sounds like Energy Saver mode should be the default setting. The majority of people who own a modern Xbox aren't going to care enough to change the setting manually.

@Spaceman-Spiff Microsoft has every legal right to make Starfield exclusive. I just don't appreciate making games exclusive while simultaneously talking about wanting to expand access to games in the context of exclusivity concerns. It's clearly hypocritical.

And, to be clear, it's not like they need to snap up huge, established third-party publishers in order to have exclusive content, which I agree is crucial to competition and ecosystem viability. Nintendo doesn't. They commission third-parties to work on entries in dormant IPs and collaborate with others to aid their first-party workflow (sometimes both: K-T helped extensively with development of the last Fire Emblem game; they also develop ground-up musou titles based on Nintendo properties). They also dabble in timed exclusivity deals, of course, as all these companies do, but that's mostly for titles that aren't full multiplats or were designed with Switch in mind to begin with.

Anyway, my point is this: Microsoft talks one way and acts another, and I think they deserve to be called out on that.

@JON22 What does it matter that it's not an "established I.P.?" It's not even some homegrown new property under Microsoft. It was far enough along before the buy out that Sony tried to purchase exclusive access to it. It's a game that would have released on PS5, but now won't because of the acquisition.

Also, I'm curious to know if you'll move goal posts if the next Elder Scrolls, DOOM, Wolfenstein, etc. turn out to be exclusive as well. What will be the new excuse at that point?

"We want people to have more access to games, not less"

Which is why Starfield is hitting PS5, right?

This adorable cube design that uses discs but is less powerful than the Series X is what a LOT of us wanted from the Series S, I think. I'd probably already own one, tbh.

In general, I pre-order Nintendo games (since sales aren't worth waiting for, and because I tend to be more excited for those) and wait for everything else to fully depreciate in price over time.

Atlus JRPGs were on that first list with Nintendo stuff from 2014 - 2022. They had a good run for me.

This game was such a massive disappointment.

AI upscaling will be crucial for Series S and whatever Nintendo's next console is as time goes on.

@NEStalgia @Widey85 I'm discussing the long-term availability of games across various platforms, not what's immediately accessible on PS5 vs XSX. Timed exclusivity deals are obviously more impactful short term, while snatching up entire giant publishers and making the majority of new games they develop exclusive to your ecosystem is obviously humongously more impactful long term.

There were ways Microsoft could've countered Sony's deals without triggering an acquisition war that'll likely end up gutting the third-party sector of the industry over time. Things were already trending that way naturally.

One doesn't need to approve of Sony's tactics to see that Microsoft's impact on game availability industry-wide is going to be devastating.

I feel like there's a lot of hemming and hawing around apologia for industry consolidation in Microsoft's favor. If that's your preference, then just own it. But I don't appreciate Microsoft's attempts to gaslight the public about what's very clearly happening.

@Widey85 As long as Microsoft is able to snap up gigantic third-party publishers and make their catalogue mostly exclusive to PC and Xbox, they're obviously a much bigger threat to widespread game availability than Sony and their habit of locking down certain big releases with timed exclusivity deals.

Which is my issue. I'm not saying Microsoft should have to put games from companies they bought on rival platforms. But it's ridiculous to virtue signal to the press about how you think people on different platforms should all have access to games (as Spencer frequently has), and then lock up gigantic, financially successful third-party publishers in your own ecosystem.

No duh. The move toward multiplatform game development has continued unabated since seventh gen. Even series that long remained exclusives on Sony platforms are now on Xbox, PC, and Switch. Meanwhile, both Xbox and Sony are all in on PC game development.

The biggest obstacle toward a multiplatform future is honestly Microsoft at this point. If they really don't think games should be locked to specific platforms, then they should allow games from Bethesda and related studios onto Playstation.

Wait. WAIT. WAITWAITWAITWAIT.

The game is about a bunch of zoomers trying to pay off their student loans?!