The video game thread.

mca47 said:

Picked up a PS Portal over the weekend.  It now has the ability to cloud stream hundreds (eventually a couple thousand) games.  Don't even need to connect it to your PS5!  Hell, you don't even need a PS5 now.
I had almost, next to zero interest in the portal before.  It being able to play cloud games...damn near perfectly...game changer!  Bought it the second the reviews started coming in for the cloud streaming.

I’ve probably played around 40-50 matches in Arc Raiders (usually average around 15 minutes each).  I’ve only been attacked by other players twice in solo play.  95% of the players have been cool, but I’ve stuck to the first map to get my bearings on the game.  I’m playing on the PS5 and the mic in the controller seems to work OK for communicating with other players to let them know I won’t open fire … I’m not a fan of wearing headphones so it is a nice option that you can toggle on/off.  The attacks from other players came on advanced maps that had to be unlocked.  So far the game has been a blast

!!! Jason P’s Game Of The Year !!!

Arc Raiders: A retro scifi game …. Check!   Loot Gathering … check!  Extraction shooter … hmm!  But it all works.  Beside Fallout 76, this is the most time I’ve spent in an online shooter.  Most human players are cool to start.  The game has a lot of depth and the $40 price tag is awesome.  Maps are large.  I have almost 100 hours in it already.

Runner Up

Stellar Blade:  A game that focuses on being a fun game.  This isn’t even a genre I usually play, but the controls are tight.  I would have named this game of the year if Arc Raiders didn’t steal the crown

Induction to the Jason P’s Top Ten Video Games of All-Time

Gran Turismo 7: After 3 years of being in my top game of the year consideration. I think it is time to put this in my Top 10 Games of All Time.  The recent DLC adds great single player racing against a tight field instead of the standard GT mode of having to have a super powerful car to make up the ½ lap start the leader gets.  If you like racing games remotely, you need to play this.

Honorary Mentions:

Battlefield 6: Seems solid, but Arc Raiders took my attention.

Tekken 8:  I think Street Fighter is the easier game to get into, but Tekken 8 is one of the best looking PS5 games period.  And it is a solid fighter that is fun to play.  The story is bonkers even for fighting game standards

Street Fighter 6: This is a great fighting game and the modern controls are awesome and allow someone like me that have problems inputting a long button command chain just to pull off a hadouken.  It is a great intro to fighters for younger players as well.  I love the art style.

MLB The Show 25: My addition continues

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion:  A faithful remaster (still has all the bugs!) of a game in my Top 5 of all time was a great surprise and the $50 price was nice.  Just don’t lose track of Joffrey …

Biggest Disappointment

Nintendo (Bad Mario!)

o   Switch 1.3: I should have got a Steam Deck.  

This system is the equivalent of a PS4 Pro, although it appears most 3rd party game ports are not running well.  1st party games don’t have legs.

o   Game Key Cards:  A piece of plastic with no game data.  You shall own nothing once Nintendo shuts down their servers in the future.  I think we got a 3 day notice with the 3DS and Wii U server shutdowns in the past.  But if you don’t have game cards with the game actually on it, the Switch 1.3 memory will fill up after 2-3 third party games.

o   Greed: $80 and higher games.  Overpriced peripherals. 

o   Using the patent office to claim they own game building mechanics so they can sue or have lawyers beat down smaller studios.

RIP Microsoft Xbox.  It had the potential to give Sony a run, but unfortunately the studio was run by fools.  The big acquisitions such as Activision and Bethesda have me concerned about the future of each company