PS5

[kingcarr21]

7 hours ago, Legend_in_blue said:

Just finished another quality hour doing random 'what's in that direction?' type of stuff.  Completed the cave mission and have the javelin.

 

Immersion in an open world game.  Total immersion in Horizion.  Such a massive change for the better from hold R2, run and parkour over everything and anything, aimlessly mash R1 on all enemy sponges in Valhalla.  

 

Guerilla Games nail the open world in this so far for me.  Absolutely nailed it.  Much care and attention to detail.  Soundtrack superb in game goes hand in hand with whatever you're doing at the time.  Specific ways to parkour adds to the immersion and stuff doesn't become a mindless chore like in Valhalla.  On hard difficulty the balance is just about right, quite tactical with taking down machines, again no mashing aimlessly like in countless Ubisoft games.

 

Side quests have weight, meaning, indoor areas have been thought through.  The list goes on and on.  

 

Roughly 7 hours in and no sign of leaving the first area of the main map either.  I'll continue to take my time.  

 

Superb game, a must have on PS5.   

Ive also just done the quest which gives me the javelin. Im about to go to the Embassy. Im looking forward to getting my teeth into Machine Strike. An interesting board game that im sure ill put many hours into  

 

Im really enjoying it so far. Im on Normal mode and even then i find myself having to really plan my attacks. Cant go Valhalla mode and button mash my way through fights.

 

I wanted to play Zero Dawn again before this came out but Mass Effect scuppered that idea. A quick youtube vid to refresh the memory helped out.

 

Climbing around the towers in the first part of the map really give you an incredible view of the world map. Stunning game

[kingcarr21]

Also i think the part of the game ive been impressed with the most is the facial expressions of NPC's. Emotions come through in their facial features. Very impressive. Midulf (the cook in Chainscrape) you could just tell he was a nice guy but soft as shit  Reminded me of the colleague in an office that always ends up making the brews  

[glenny_fox]

1 hour ago, kingcarr21 said:

Also i think the part of the game ive been impressed with the most is the facial expressions of NPC's. Emotions come through in their facial features. Very impressive. Midulf (the cook in Chainscrape) you could just tell he was a nice guy but soft as shit  Reminded me of the colleague in an office that always ends up making the brews  

the face expressions have amazed me so far. think it's probably the most impressive aspect graphics wise. I'm literally at the same point as you having just got the javelin.

 

definitely getting more to grips with the game, and so far loving it.

[moore_94]

10 hours in and finally done the Embassy!

 

Cleared up everything I possibly can in The Daunt, just those places left where I need other tools to be able to go further

 

Level 11, a good amount of my weapons and my main outfit fully upgraded

 

So far for my skills upgrades I have gone: Warrior - 9, Trapper - 1, Hunter - 7, Survivor - 6, Infiltrator - 6, Machine Master - 1

 

Never was much for using traps or riding machines in the first game haha

 

I guess now I really get to start exploring The Forbidden West!

Edited 21 February 2022 by moore_94

[Legend_in_blue]

1 hour ago, moore_94 said:

10 hours in and finally done the Embassy!

 

Cleared up everything I possibly can in The Daunt, just those places left where I need other tools to be able to go further

 

Level 11, a good amount of my weapons and my main outfit fully upgraded

 

So far for my skills upgrades I have gone: Warrior - 9, Trapper - 1, Hunter - 7, Survivor - 6, Infiltrator - 6, Machine Master - 1

 

Never was much for using traps or riding machines in the first game haha

 

I guess now I really get to start exploring The Forbidden West!

Good stuff.  I've done 7.5 hours and am just about to head to the embassy.  I've picked up that stealth valor ability early on which renders you invisible for a period of time.  Tried it, pretty cool, took out all machines on the way up to the tower on that stormbird side mission without a single one spotting me at all.

 

I now sit back and listen to the menu soundtrack once before starting and finishing each game session as well 

 

There's no room for complacency on hard difficulty.  Been taken out a few times already.  Need a rope caster.  My go to weapon on the previous game.

[kingcarr21]

So im a little further into the game. The Embassy was mental. 

 

I was going to avoid upgrading the machine mastery skill tree but the further i get in the more i think being able to override a machine for it to fight by your side is a big help. I imagine a hard playthrough you would certainly need this skill to survive. Im using the survivor Valor at the moment. I try to focus on one skill tree but then find myself wanting too many skills from all the other trees  

 

Im running some side missions along with the main story. Just completed the main quest Deaths door. Things are getting very interesting now.

[moore_94]

 

[MrSpaM]

Elden ring has got an average critic score of 98% on metacritic

 

Think it's safe to say it is going to be game of the year

[Legend_in_blue]

2 hours ago, MrSpaM said:

Elden ring has got an average critic score of 98% on metacritic

 

Think it's safe to say it is going to be game of the year

I'm not convinced it is worthy of such a high score.  If it had been a PS exclusive, it wouldn't have reached a 97/98 score imo.

[moore_94]

Been a while but I actually think I want to try out all of these!

 

 

[Zear0]

1 hour ago, moore_94 said:

Been a while but I actually think I want to try out all of these!

 

 

Ghostrunner is brilliant, highly recommend that.  Nice cross of running/jumping puzzles and reasonably tricky boss fitghts.

[Carl the Llama]

2 hours ago, Legend_in_blue said:

I'm not convinced it is worthy of such a high score.  If it had been a PS exclusive, it wouldn't have reached a 97/98 score imo.

Bloodborne has a 92 average on there and that's a PS exclusive still to this day.  I would expect the average to drop a little bit once the full release has happened and more reviews roll in but it's still a FromSoft title, more importantly one in the Soulsborne vein, and those always review well.  Looking at FromSoft's developer page on Metacritic all games they've released of that ilk starting with Demon's Souls have a critic average of 89 or higher, incidentally Bloodborne's score of 92 is actually the highest one prior to Elden Ring so I really don't think it has anything to do with lack of exclusivity.  Game critics just seem to really like the games that FromSoft release. 

 

If this really is the best iteration yet of that genre-defining brand of game then I suppose it makes sense that it would be reviewing as a solid mid-to-high 90s game.  My take away from the unanimity amongst the early critics is that FS have handled the transition to a true open world well as that's probably the biggest question that was hanging over the project and consequently what the early reviews will have been putting under the microscope the most.  I think.  I haven't actually read any.  Just 2 days to go until we can sink our teeth into it and see what it's really like.

[kingcarr21]

Back to Horizon. I am level 22 after playing 22 hours. Getting right into the meat of the main story and it is fast becoming an even crazier story than Zero Dawn. Still really impressed with it. I have found a couple of times where the game does glitch slightly but only to the point where i laugh. It so far has no way affected game play. I'm loving the fact you cant just melee your way through the game even on normal mode. You wanna take down some big ass machines you better have traps and the right elemental arrows to hand. I neglected levelling up the traps skill tree, in most games there is always a skill that you think, meh, don't need that. In this though i feel like i need to upgrade every skill tree at the same time. Making spending those precious points really time consuming in deciding what to go for.

 

Also i am a Machine Strike master  

[Carl the Llama]

 

*Runs to the safehouse*

[Legend_in_blue]

Those of you not on hard difficulty with FW, I'd go hard difficulty.  

 

Cleared all side quests leading up to the signal mission and no doubt another chat with Sylens.  Completed the first scavenger hunt mission also.  Just taking my time but am now lvl 13 when the mains are lvl 10.  Will break off from the sides for a bit.  

 

The Faro wrecks scattering the land are pretty cool, as is the perfect headshot from a great distance 

 

Still no bugs for me at all other than falling through scenery behind a waterfall and no way out.  Happened in the original around Mother's Cradle.  Simple fix, 5 seconds later back in the game.  Load times are crazy fast.

[kingcarr21]

6 hours ago, Legend_in_blue said:

Those of you not on hard difficulty with FW, I'd go hard difficulty.  

 

Cleared all side quests leading up to the signal mission and no doubt another chat with Sylens.  Completed the first scavenger hunt mission also.  Just taking my time but am now lvl 13 when the mains are lvl 10.  Will break off from the sides for a bit.  

 

The Faro wrecks scattering the land are pretty cool, as is the perfect headshot from a great distance 

 

Still no bugs for me at all other than falling through scenery behind a waterfall and no way out.  Happened in the original around Mother's Cradle.  Simple fix, 5 seconds later back in the game.  Load times are crazy fast.

I was contemplating moving up to Hard difficulty. But honestly these types of games im not really bothered about difficulty. I just want to enjoy the story. If i love a game so much once i complete it then i try the hardest difficulty.

 

Im dying plenty of times on normal mode  

[kingcarr21]

Here's me thinking I'm flying through my skill tree I'll be overpowered soon. Nope, meeting some new machines that are going through my healing potions like nothing. The difficulty curve in this game is quite impressive. It's certainly providing me with a worthy challenge just on normal mode. I'm actually looking forward to trying this game on the hardest difficulty once I complete it. 

[Legend_in_blue]

7 hours ago, kingcarr21 said:

Here's me thinking I'm flying through my skill tree I'll be overpowered soon. Nope, meeting some new machines that are going through my healing potions like nothing. The difficulty curve in this game is quite impressive. It's certainly providing me with a worthy challenge just on normal mode. I'm actually looking forward to trying this game on the hardest difficulty once I complete it. 

Just finished Deaths Door.

 

Having read a lot into the lore of ZD, I kind of guessed the first twist in the plot from the various theories flying around pre launch.  I'm eager for more to see where it goes.  

 

I'm back in The Daunt though now clearing the red crystal secret areas 

 

I was tempted to go for the thunderjaw close to the tiny settlement where you end up but still don't have a fire bow so chickened out!

[Legend_in_blue]

So I've just done the cauldron (or machine repair plant?) as part of reaching Plainsong.  On hard difficulty it took some doing actually getting to the cauldron (3 attempts) and then almost had me once I first entered.  Putting in Hephaestus corrupted machines so early on is harsh.  A little tricky at the end of the cauldron also and just scraped through.  These weapons do not appear to pack too much of a punch compared to ZD or maybe it's the difficulty level.  My tactics for taking down machines are not as effective as they were in ZD, I'm having to adjust.  The gameplay is still as fun and as frantic as it always was.  Now at base and the story is going as I expected, no surprises.  I'll clear a few sides to the east before heading out further west for the subroutines.  

[kingcarr21]

9 hours ago, Legend_in_blue said:

So I've just done the cauldron (or machine repair plant?) as part of reaching Plainsong.  On hard difficulty it took some doing actually getting to the cauldron (3 attempts) and then almost had me once I first entered.  Putting in Hephaestus corrupted machines so early on is harsh.  A little tricky at the end of the cauldron also and just scraped through.  These weapons do not appear to pack too much of a punch compared to ZD or maybe it's the difficulty level.  My tactics for taking down machines are not as effective as they were in ZD, I'm having to adjust.  The gameplay is still as fun and as frantic as it always was.  Now at base and the story is going as I expected, no surprises.  I'll clear a few sides to the east before heading out further west for the subroutines.  

Now ive read no lore in the game, so im only going off of a ZD youtube vid as a memory refresher. So the story i havent a clue how it proceeds. 

 

Ive got Poseidon but i havent returned it to Base yet. I am just going around unlocking the map and doing side quests. I cant put this game down. Im going away for a couple of nights on work business so ill give it a good blast in hotel room. 

 

Ive got myself a couple of very impressive weapons. i have a sharpshot bow that does 334 Tear damage. This weapon and using Braceshot ability (i think thats the name) on the biggest machine does HUGE damage. Then with shredders and melee finish off smaller machines. I love the fact i can take a bunch of machines anyway i decide. If i want to be stealthy then i can ruin them with traps. If im bored and want a brawl i go with the above brace shot tactic.

 

Either way i am still loving this game, over 30 hours into it and no where near the end. 

 

What valor abilities are you using? I have tried a couple but honestly i just stick to the healing one if i am brawling or the one that gives more damage to traps.

[MrSpaM]

Can confirm Elden Ring is incredible

 

Put 25 hours into it this weekend, and I've sat at work all day just thinking about playing the game again

[Dahnsouff]

19 minutes ago, MrSpaM said:

Can confirm Elden Ring is incredible

 

Put 25 hours into it this weekend, and I've sat at work all day just thinking about playing the game again

Was determined to not like this game and only bought it on nag pressure from son, but epic fail, its bloody marvellous   

[Legend_in_blue]

On 28/02/2022 at 09:36, kingcarr21 said:

Now ive read no lore in the game, so im only going off of a ZD youtube vid as a memory refresher. So the story i havent a clue how it proceeds. 

 

Ive got Poseidon but i havent returned it to Base yet. I am just going around unlocking the map and doing side quests. I cant put this game down. Im going away for a couple of nights on work business so ill give it a good blast in hotel room. 

 

Ive got myself a couple of very impressive weapons. i have a sharpshot bow that does 334 Tear damage. This weapon and using Braceshot ability (i think thats the name) on the biggest machine does HUGE damage. Then with shredders and melee finish off smaller machines. I love the fact i can take a bunch of machines anyway i decide. If i want to be stealthy then i can ruin them with traps. If im bored and want a brawl i go with the above brace shot tactic.

 

Either way i am still loving this game, over 30 hours into it and no where near the end. 

 

What valor abilities are you using? I have tried a couple but honestly i just stick to the healing one if i am brawling or the one that gives more damage to traps.

 

I am roughly 15 hours.  So far only ramping up the stealth valor ability, putting most points into that tree.  The majority of the time I can sneak about and it's not a problem.  However, yesterday I did a side mission (supposedly lvl 10, I'm currently lvl 17)  involving the cultist base and absolutely took a hammering at the end against the ravager and the guy with the heavy automatic weapon firing off in the background.  Took me at least 5 tries on hard, very difficult, ran plain out of all health options by the end.  I think my bows are underpowered, still all green items, no blues as yet.  The ravager is weak against acid but still took an age to get into a weak state to take it out.  The guy with the big gun I blasted headshots at him, no problems

 

It's offering a different challenge to the original for sure.  There appears to be no tearblast arrows, that was a tactic I used all the time in the previous game, then spamming fire arrows and ropecaster for tougher enemies.  However, the ropecaster feels underpowered, couldn't keep the ravager still for any time at all

 

I'm enjoying the challenge for sure though, just taking my time with it.  

[BroughtonFox]

Finally got hold of a PS5, I think it’s time to upgrade my TV. Either that or buy a new monitor for it. Anyone got any good recommendations which is best for the PS5?

[Legend_in_blue]

1 hour ago, BroughtonFox said:

Finally got hold of a PS5, I think it’s time to upgrade my TV. Either that or buy a new monitor for it. Anyone got any good recommendations which is best for the PS5?

I have an Asus 4k monitor.  You can find similar to it here:

 

TUF Gaming VG289Q1A - Review｜Monitors｜ASUS United Kingdom

 

Top quality for under £400 which you will not find in a TV for under £1500.  The only obvious drawback being the screen size in comparison to a TV, but then it's a cheap way to do 4k.