Most Recent Platinum

[Hoopdahoopla]

APRIL ROUNDUP

 

#100 - Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom: ReHydrated (PS4) (36.36%)

 

#101 - Batman (PS4) (60.46%)

 

#102 - Dead Rising 2: Off the Record (PS4) (3.51%)

 

#103 - Resident Evil 5 - (PS4) (21.49%)

[percy547389126yv]

#1,195 PS5 version of Mr. Hibbl

[MidnightDragon]

#81

A Street Cat's Tale

 

In this fun and easy game, you play as a stray kitten whose mom was taken away by humans and now has to survive. You have to watch your health and what you eat, but it's super easy. You get 12 days, then you see the ending and start again. Your house carries over between playthroughs, so you don't have to rebuild it every time. Your actions and who you befriend determines the endings. The days go by pretty fast, so you do need to be efficient. I admit, I wasn't the most efficient, so if you are, you should finish in 3-4 hours. It was definitely a very fun and cute little game that I enjoyed.  

[percy547389126yv]

#1,196 PS5 version of Ultra Mission

[Yukiko Miyamoto]

#231 Ultra mission (PS5 version)

 

 

 

Difficulty: 2/10

Enjoyment: 8.5/10

Estimated time: 30 minutes (Skill base)

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by gamercris066

[randotrophy]

Spongebob Battle For Bikini Bottom

 

Neptune's Spatula 

Plat #5

Enjoyment 7/10

Difficulty 2/10

 

Had a blast getting this with my son now he wants to go for minecraft so I guess that is whats next lol

[Teh_Zombz]

After dipping in and out of this for a year or so i finally got my Rogue Legacy platinum!

 

 

Definitely my hardest plat so far, hopefully the 2nd one comes to PS in the future!

[Jake-TheGreat97]

#106 Horizon Forbidden West

 

I played this when it first came out, but I finally got around to getting the platinum. Similar to the first game I think this game is much better if you go for the platinum. I did find this game to be quicker to platinum than the first game. The first game took me around 55 hours while this took me a little over 40. Overall I really liked this game, although I thought the first game ended stronger. The final level/boss felt really anticlimactic compared to the first game, but that's just me.   

[Welsh_Bush]

First time poster in this chat.

I just got plat #98 for mgsv the phantom pain.

But then I also got an auto pop for fall guys. (Didn't realise that was a thing). Was trying to help ny mate boost 5 wins in a row.

 

Not sure if #99 counts I'll let tu community decide that one.

 

Have a great say everyone.

 

PS for future posts (ideally #100) where do people get the plat images from?

[ChiefMichigan]

#131 Can You Escape? (PS4)

 

Nearly didn't get it because of the trophies starting to bug out. Thankfully, they started working again when I deleted the save and started from scratch. 

[Nelson_]

 #357 - Tokushu Houdoubu

 

 

[Kal-El457]

 

Lego Skywalker Saga. This is a terrible experience of a game...i wouldn't recommend it. Game has been out for weeks and still has no patches, lots of bugs and other glitches. Trophies are all grind and no substance. This was intended to be my first ever lego game but I played Lego DC Super Villains first. The story is fun and the game has some good humor but that all wears off after u finish the 9 episodes. Avoid this game if you don't wanna spend 50+ hrs collecting and doing repetitive and boring fetch quests.

[Nauticus87]

#600 - Velocity 2x

 

At 1.44% this is my third rarest platinum. Fun game, no idea why I dropped it seven years ago. When you finally pull off a perfect run it's an exhilarating thrill. Took me 10 hours, 2 of which was on level 47.

[InsomniWrench]

  #67 - Towaga: Among Shadows: Played the mobile version of this game years ago and enjoyed it, this version was a fun time killer too.

  #68 - Chorus: I was looking for a game similar to Everspace after really enjoying that game and this was a perfect fit. Similar to Everspace but much bigger.

 #69 - InnerSpace: This is one I regretted buying but I'd already earned a trophy in it so I powered through to finish it, it was pretty short but not very enjoyable I thought.

 

  #70 & #71 - Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout (OR & EU)

 

 

"Ultimate Fall Guy"

 

Oh Fall Guys, I've had so much fun and frustration with this game lol. It's up there with Star Trek Online as a platinum I'm most proud of, I didn't think I'd ever get it, at least not before the original became unobtainable, but I got lucky. And good luck to anyone still trying to get the original version's plat!

Edited May 1, 2022 by InsomniWrench

[PooPooBlast]

#172 Devil May Cry V

(The Alpha, the Omega)

 

Boy what a journey that was. Never thought that I'd have this much fun doing 7 playthroughs for a single game. Despite the levels being the same, each playthrough had a slightly different layer of complexity added to it which made them somewhat fresh. That plus you get to hone your skills for the true tests which are beating the game on Dante Must Die difficulty and better yet, Hell and Hell mode! The latter involves you beating the game at hard difficulty while having 1 HP ONLY (i.e you die in one shot)!!

 

Now I'm absolutely terrible with hardcore modes like these but I felt that the challenge was just good enough for me to see the light at the tunnel. I didn't feel like it was too cheap as you have tons of ways that you can dispose of your enemies. Basically you gotta get good... 

 

DMC V took me 2 months and 1 week to complete. T'was a long ride. However, I can boil it down to three things so as to what kept me motivated . 

 

1) The beautiful hack and slash gameplay *Chef's kiss*. 

2) Having a really strong challenge that is not unfair but doable if you practice hard enough.

3) The FRIGGIN' AMAZING SOUNDTRACK. The source of my motivation! My top 3 in that order:

Spoiler

1) 

 

2) 

 

 

3) 

 

 

With all that said, moving on to the next game! Until then

Edited May 1, 2022 by PooPooBlast

[Yukiko Miyamoto]

#232 Habroxia 2 (PS5 version)

 

 

 

 

 

[Brainswashed]

Dragon Ball FighterZ 

Difficult : 4/10 ranked match player

Fun : 10/10 it’s my childhood 

Time : 6 days & 10 hr total up 34 hr with glitch zeni 20 million 

 

Everything is easy expect combo 200 if you don’t have the DLC you need all characters 10/10 finish if you have the DLC you can do combo in each character like 8 or 7 and up / you need get S rank in Arcade mode with first course is easy I didn’t know there is glitch for zeni so i am farming zeni on hardcore story there is video explain up 127K in 2 min & 20 second I did 1 million with 5 million without glitch then back again farming and do glitch to get 20 million zeni annoying trophy / the ranked match trophy need you Power 530,000 In ranked match total that how i got plat with 

[percy547389126yv]

#1,197 PS4 version of Dandy & Randy DX

[AlchemistWer]

 Platinum #105

Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars

[Guest]

TERA #494 western and #495 asian

[Kishnabe]

 Platinum #555: Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed (PS4)

 

 

Played this back in 2015 on the Vita (29th Platinum back then). Still enjoyable. Tempted to get the PS3 stack. 

 

They should make a new Akiba game, Beat one does not count. Original got remastered, not as good as this one.

Spoiler

 

Difficulty: 2/10 

Enjoyment: 7/10

Time: 20 hours

[rjkclarke]

Platinum #350

NieR: Replicant (PS4)

 

 

The Final Verse
Congratulations! Thank you for playing!

 

 

At the tail end of 2011, I played the Gestalt version of NieR, it was my fifth platinum, and a game that I fell almost instantly in love with (if it is possible for that with a game haha). Fast forward almost ten and a half years, three hundred and forty odd  platinum’s later, and I got to play a completely different version of that story, and I am so sad that it’s come to an end, but equally happy to have been able to experience both versions of this absolutely brilliant story. I think somehow, my top two favourite games of all time, also now happen to be two distinctly different versions of the same story.

 

If you’re reading this in my checklist thread, then you might have heard me mention once or twice that the Gestalt version of NieR, the western release of the original NieR on PS3 is probably my favourite game of all time.

 

One of the very first things I did when I got into Nier’s village was stand next to Devola whilst she was sat at the fountain singing Song of the Ancients (my favourite version of the song too). It was then that I instantly knew that I’d made the right decision, and that this is exactly where I wanted to be!

 

 

I’m a little worried objectivity might go flying out the window with this one. What I’ll do instead, is focus on some of the differences between the two versions, and how distinctly different they actually feel, and the sort of time I had with the game.  After all, I have already reviewed the original Gestalt version of NieR (you can jump to the link I’ve left and read about it there if you wish to) in the past, and I don’t want this to read too much like a re-do of that.

 

So without further ado, let’s get into this a little bit, I’m sure I’ll re-cover a few bits of old ground without meaning to, but I’ll try and keep it to a minimum.

 

Released in April of 2021, NieR: Replicant is an ActionRPG/JRPG, and essentially a remaster of the Japan exclusive version of NieR. You take the role of Nier (or whatever you choose to call him) as you journey across the various lands, fighting hordes of shades, as you fight to save your beloved sister Yonah. I’m fully aware this is the most basic of descriptions, but if you read further on, you’ll see why I’ve deliberately kept it brief. I’d hate to spoil this wonderful experience for anyone, so needs must, on keeping a story synopsis brief.  

 

Without getting too deeply into spoiler territory here – there is just something about the story of NieR that has always appealed to me on a fundamental level. There have been so many times over the last decade or so that I have been at a loss for words regarding how absolutely disgusting we can behave as humans on occasion, and I’m sure that isn’t going to change any time soon, however much I wish it would.

 

How does that relate to NieR? Well the thing is, NieR manages to be a shining example of both the best aspects of humanity and the absolute worst, in almost equal measure, and it’s an element of the story that I have always, and will always love. It’s incredibly powerful, and deals with a post apocalyptic world in a way that very few intellectual properties decide to lean into as heavily as perhaps they could. In a way I don’t think it’s unlike humanity might react if an incurable disease ravaged the planet, so I’ve always liked that aspect of how real some parts of it fell, despite also being very unreal.

 

It’s such a brilliant example of how – in the darkest of times, at our most desperate, and the most impossible feeling situations – that we cling desperately to those that we love. In a way everything in NieR, every raw piece of emotion, every action taken, seems so hypersensitive and so amplified, because every individual left in the world is clinging onto something, or someone. There is a lot of power behind that. When confronted with why Facade (this place will be very familiar if you’ve played Automata but not this one) has so many rules you’re met with the response “Rules do not exist to bind you. They exist so you may know your freedoms." I’ve always thought that is such a beautiful sentiment for the world NieR exists within, in fact it almost perfectly encapsulates what I love about it, that you have to find the positives where you can, and however you can. They are there, just every now and then you need something to remind you of that.

 

In that same vein, once you understand the whole story (one that I’d feel criminal for spoiling) some of the actions all of the characters take are shocking, and they lean into something a video game can capture far better than a film ever could, and that is making the player feel guilty for their actions. The protagonist’s sheer one-track mind takes you on a fascinating adventure. I can’t promise you’ll like him all of the time. Yet you can fully understand them too, why he acts the way he does, even if you completely disagree with the course of action.  It’s one of the hardest aspects to get your head around, but it is a true testament to Yoko Taro’s ability to tell a compelling story, that you still always want to find out more.

 

The entire universe that NieR resides within, is one that whilst being quite bleak in places, if you’re one of those people who tries to see the best in everything (as I try to) you’ll almost certainly find something within that really speaks to you. Between both the Gestalt and Replicant versions I have played this story well into double figures, and there hasn’t been a single time when I’ve not had an extreme emotional reaction to it. Finding yourself with a big wet face and then immediately being thrust straight into a boss fight is such a strange experience – yet one that you can’t forget easily. Frantically trying to wipe tears out of your eyes, and then compose yourself for a boss fight, only for something in the boss fight dialogue to throat punch you in the feelings once again, then make you laugh five seconds later is bizarre but I absolutely loved it.  

 

As I mentioned, I’ve easily played the story of this game in some form, more than ten times at this point, and there are moments that still feel like they are reaching straight into my chest and pulling my beating heart out sometimes. What I love even more about this version though – is that some of those moments feel completely different now, to the point where I could happily just choose a version of the game to play, and still find myself absolutely transfixed by what’s going on, because they really do feel that different.

I’m using the word love a whole lot, but it really is the only appropriate one to use. The fact that I can say I have distinctive moments from both the PS3 version and the PS4 version that I love for markedly different reasons, is one of the strongest arguments I can make for why you should play both versions if you get a chance to.

 

Just trust me on this one – NieR’s story is absolutely fantastic, I could write reams and reams about the specifics of it, but why would I, when you could all experience that for yourselves. If you’re a particularly empathic person, like I am, then be prepared for the game to put you through the emotional wringer. I wouldn’t have it any other way though; I’ve cried tears of happiness and sadness in almost equal measure over certain elements of both games. The characters, the world, the places, the music, the twists and the turns all contribute towards such a special experience if you choose to embrace it.  

 

I guess that sounded a bit too much like a conclusion above, I didn’t mean it too. Ahem, anyway, where was I? I’ve made mention a few times now – that this is essentially the same story as the Gestalt version, told slightly differently. What I wasn’t quite so prepared for, was how different it feels. For those who aren’t aware of the difference between the two versions – the largest and most noticeable one is the protagonist. Nier (or Geraldine Jimbobson, you can name him whatever you like after all, but most people go with Nier) in the PS3 Gestalt version, he is a Father, and in this PS4 version he is an older Brother. I wasn’t quite prepared for how much that seemingly small context change makes, in genuinely making certain aspects of the game feel entirely different, but I’ll get into that aspect a bit more the further I go in.

 

In the same way that Life is Strange: Before the Storm so brilliantly directly leans into dramatic irony, this is also exactly how repeat playthroughs of NieR feel. You know what’s coming, so those emotionally weighty moments resonate that much more, or if you’ve played the other version, you know what’s coming but it’ll resonate with you in a slightly different way. Hearing Kaine’s angry dialogue about her “mutant body” really caught me off guard when I replayed the first part, when you know almost everything there is to know about the character, that bit can really sting.

It’s a fascinating thing, and it’s one I had a lot of fun with chatting with one of my best friends as I was playing it, as he and I were discussing many of the differences and how they really do feel different. This version, NieR: Replicant, was a particularly strange example of that, as I knew what the next story beat was going to be, but I didn’t quite know how different the context change to this version would make that feel. 

 

I think the change from Father to Brother, was one of the areas I was most curious about. I’m not a Father (when/if I ever become one, perhaps the Gestalt version will sting even harder) but I am a Brother, so I know all too well how that incredibly strong need to protect your sister can feel. I’ll be honest here – I was a little concerned I’d end up preferring this version of Nier, over the Father version from Gestalt. As it turns out I don’t, I still prefer the Father version – BUT, and this is a big one, hence the capitals. I really love the Brother version of the character too. They might essentially have the same character traits, the same personality, the same beliefs and the same bull-headedness, but they feel poles apart in some areas.

 

One of the most noticeable differences between the two versions of the protagonist is the time jump – for those that are unaware, NieR: Replicant (and Gestalt) is split into two separate parts, with a five year time jump between the two parts. Personally, I think Replicant handles this a smidgeon better than Gestalt does. For one very important reason, you start Replicant as a sixteen year old boy – so the time jump feels far more significant, weightier even, when that five year time skip happens. In Gestalt’s case, you look the exact same, but with what looks like underpants over your face.

Don’t get me wrong, those reading in my checklist, you know I love those facepants, but seeing that natural change from boy to man, and how the older version of the Brother makes his entrance, it does a far better job of conveying the passage of time.

There are stark differences between the younger and older version of Brother Nier. When he’s a boy, he’s optimistic bright, idealistic and wants to think the best of everyone, seeing him as an adult in the games second half explores that change in a very fascinating way.

 

I can see why the characters in the world they inhabit gravitate towards both versions of Nier and stand shoulder to shoulder with him. Yet this game had me re-evaluating and pondering why the characters would get behind each specific version. Without sounding too enamoured, my hat goes off to Yoko Taro, for both versions of the character feeling as worthy as the other.

 

I’m so glad they do as well – otherwise I feel the game would feel far too much like just re-treading the same ground. It wouldn’t if you hadn’t played the other version of course, but it was a genuine concern for me that I’d just feel like I was doing the same thing. Something I’m a little worried about for this review, I’ve covered the characters themselves quite extensively in my original review, and whilst they’re mostly the same here, they certainly aren’t identical.  I’m only going to go into the distinct differences in this version.

 

This could very well be my brain playing a few tricks on me – but I thought in this version, Nier as a character gels better with some characters than he did in the Gestalt version. In that same vein, there are characters he gels better with as the Father version, I know you’re all probably sick of hearing it, but I think it’s fascinating how that works. A lot of it is down to the line delivery by the voice actors I think, but it adds a whole lot to individual scenes.

 

I think from a design perspective Replicant, is actually an improvement over Gestalt. At least when it comes to some of the characters costume and appearance designs. One of the prevailing features of the NieR universe, is that the characters act as if they live in a world where only black and white exists, I don’t literally mean from a colour palette point of view – more that the characters themselves seem to think they live in a world of absolutes, whereas as players we know that isn’t the case. I really appreciate how Nier’s costume palette particularly focuses on blacks, whites and greys as a prominent feature, it feels deliberate, and it’s something I particularly liked. Especially the way the younger version of the character, a less troubled soul wears much lighter clothing.  

 

I actually said that one of the weakest areas of NieR: Gestalt is the graphical fidelity; it was a little ropey even for the time.  Thankfully this is no longer the case here. This remaster is fantastic, I’ve seen bits and pieces of the original Replicant, and they have done an absolutely tremendous job with this one of cleaning it up, for it to look as beautiful as it possibly can. There are even tiny details that I only noticed in this version of the game, which I never noticed before. For example, I never paid attention to the fact that the younger brother from the Junk Heap has a robotic arm, as in the older version it sort of blended into the scenery – I wish I had noticed that before, because that adds such an ironic little wrinkle to his character.

 

Kaine seems to have had a slight redesign, as she looks visibly quite different in this version, but not in a bad way. I think it’s one of those situations where you’ll like it or you won’t, and that’ll only depend on whether you’ve played the other version. If you’re completely new to the series I don’t think it’ll make a difference – that will just be how Kaine is for you.   

She looks far more like the Androids in NieR: Automata and as they’re specifically designed in-universe to look like her I really don’t have a problem with that. She does look closer to the original concept art for Kaine, so you can argue this is exactly how Yoko Taro always envisioned the character would look, too.

 

In that same vein, Emil has had a very slight re-design too. He’s less “horrific” to look at now. Not that he ever was particularly, but his appearance is a core part of his character, as was how grotesque he perceived himself.  So I’m really undecided on whether the change is a good one or not, it's fairly subtle anyway, it's just small things but noticeable things, like he doesn't have dark circles around his eyes here. I certainly think the new design captures what he looks like in NieR: Automata a little better, and from what I understand from reading various pieces online, Yoko Taro made a deliberate effort to try and make the connections to Automata seem more apparent.

 

Now, I might surprise anyone still reading here, but now I need to discuss something I really didn’t get on with. It must be said though – I need to give some context.  If you haven’t read the review I linked (it isn’t a necessity) then it’s basically time to say, that Seafront is one of, if not my favourite location in the game, I love the peaceful tranquillity that it has, that sets it apart from almost any area in the game. It also has to be said, that this will only be relevant if you’ve played the Gestalt version of NieR, as the section I’m about to discuss isn’t in that version, this section is completely new to the PS4 version of Replicant. So don’t be panicked by what I’m about to go into, as if you’re just planning to play the PS4 version this will just be a natural part of the game for you, and almost certainly isn't something that would impede your experience.

 

To say that I didn’t like the new section in Seafront is a bit unfair, because I did, I just didn’t think it was particularly noteworthy. The real problem I had is that I didn’t think it fit in tonally with this game. The whole subplot with Louise and the Postman felt like something from NieR:Automata, to me it just felt like an out of place inclusion. There is quite a gulf of difference between the tone of Replicant and Automata, so it felt like a strange choice.

It definitely isn’t bad in any sense of the word; I just didn’t feel it fit. I also think the absolute downpour of loading screens you have to sit through on repeat playthroughs did get a little much. Even with the added revelations that the B, C and D ending playthroughs afford you, I still don’t think it particularly hit the highs that I think it could have. It’s partly my own fault for expecting it to go one very Yoko Taro direction, which it just didn’t go in, and it felt like a wasted opportunity. Still, it was nice to see Seafront expanded a little bit, so I at least appreciated the effort, I just didn’t love the new inclusion the way that I wanted to.  

 

The new inclusion that really does work, is the new ending branch that is exclusive to this version. It's something that we've all been able to read about for a long time, had we wanted to. However, the fact it's included in the game and it's playable is absolutely fantastic, it was the last thing that I ever did in the game, and it really did feel like my "final reward" so to speak. I'm dancing around some very vague territory because it's incredibly spoiler heavy, but I absolutely enjoyed how well it links to Automata. It also got me wanting to play a game that I know we'll probably never get, but a guy can dream I suppose.

 

Without fawning over it too much – NieR:Replicant’s soundtrack is fantastic, there was a deliberate intent by composer Keiichi Okabe to keep the feel of the soundtrack relatively the same, but to just enhance it enough that you’d notice the addition, whilst losing none of the feeling it previously had, and I must say that was done to absolutely brilliant effect in this game.

 

Something I must mention though – that I forgot to mention in my review of NieR:Gestalt is just how unsettling the music in Emil’s mansion is. It is absolutely genius and it reminds me so much of Mantis’ Hymn from the original Metal Gear Solid, but with haunting vocals over the top. That Mantis Hymn piece of music scared me so much as a child I didn’t want to go into the dark upstairs part of my house (that’ll teach me for playing that before I’m old enough).  The music in Emil’s Mansion builds atmosphere and tension so incredibly well. There is an incredible amount of detail in the sound design in this game. When and where to use specific pieces of music are always important, it’s very deliberate and every single thing seems to have been done with a very clear purpose in mind.

 

I’ve described Emiko Evans vocal range as haunting and ethereal in the past, yet what she brings to Emil’s Mansion, is startlingly creepy. It is absolutely fantastic, and has become one of my favourite pieces of music in the entire game, the thing is I can’t listen to it for too long because it reminds me of that Resident Evil, Spencer Mansion inspired interior of Emil’s Mansion, all of the horrible things that take place there both before and during the events of the story and it just makes me feel uneasy. I think it’s absolutely brilliant that a piece of music can do that though. So if I was giving out points, that’d be getting a full house.

 

Something I was genuinely apprehensive about going into NieR: Replicant was the voice acting. Jamieson Price gives one of my favourite voice performances in any game ever, as the Father version of Nier. He has such range and versatility in that role; he exemplifies the light and the dark aspects of that version of the character so well. The torment, the pain, the internal anguish and the bitterness and anger, all whilst trying to unwaveringly stay strong for his rag-tag group of friends that have become his family. His three words of “DON’T LOOK BACK” when you revisit The Aerie in part two have stayed with me for years and years.

 

Luckily for me, that apprehension (as it often seems to be with me) was not needed. Ray Chase is incredibly good as Adult Brother Nier, he’s very different to Jamieson Price, but I really like that. That scene in the Aerie is less impactful for me in this version, but I could think of plenty of other moments that are more impactful in this version, that weren’t in the Gestalt version (another absolute positive). So, earlier I said I had to frantically wipe tears out of my eyes in the middle of a boss fight right? Well in this game, that was your fault Ray Chase – in the fight in Shadowlords castle with Two People (I won’t say who, if you've played it you know) his absolutely distraught and defeated voice as he exclaims “I don’t want to fight her” never failed to hit me incredibly hard in the old emotions, only for Laura Bailey to make me laugh five seconds later with one of Kaine’s lines. What an absolute rollercoaster of emotions this game can take you on, but it’s one I didn’t want to get off in a hurry I can tell you that much.   

 

I mentioned earlier how I thought the change in context, adds a different dynamic to Niers relationship with certain characters, and I think that’s very much the case with Nier’s relationship with The King of Facade. I think they’re far more believable as friends in Replicant. To that same point, I always preferred Devola in the Gestalt version, but in this version I preferred Popola as she seemed to have a more genuine relationship with Nier. I’m not saying that is definitively the case, just how I felt about it, and perceived it.

His relationship with Emil also has a slightly different twist in this game. I’m also incredibly pleased that when re-recording dialogue for this game they rewrote a line or two of Emil’s dialogue to make something about his character explicit (for us as the audience at least), instead of just the odd vague allusion and implication. They don’t make a big deal about it (nor should they have done,) they just weave it naturally into a scene or two I won’t say what it is, but I’m so glad they did it.

 

It’s easy to make jokes about Laura Bailey voice acting in practically everything – but then when you hear her in NieR: Replicant you can absolutely see why she is never, and probably will never, be short of work. In the years between recording for Kaine the first time and re-recording years later she has not lost a step, she still has such a brilliant grasp on the character, and as expected gives an absolute powerhouse performance here.

 

Small little things like the re-recording of dialogue go an incredibly long way to making this feel like such a unique experience. Laim O’Brien does a wonderful job as Grimoire Weiss again, but he delivers some lines with a whole lot more gravitas than he had before (he had plenty already) but he really makes that dusty old flying talking book come to life, and when it has as few animations as it does, that is a truly astounding job. He’s a little warmer as a character in this version, and I really enjoyed that ever-so-slightly different take on the character.  

 

So then, to the gameplay, we’re almost at the final stretch! Quite simply this is the biggest improvement of the lot. I have an incredibly high tolerance – no, love, for some janky gameplay. The Gestalt version of NieR took that to a whole other level almost, yet there was something incredibly playable and satisfying about it at the same time.  Replicant takes that buttery smooth gameplay from NieR: Automata and without sounding deprecating towards Replicant’s combat, regresses it to a point that feels wholly appropriate and in keeping with what the core feel of what the original version was like. As if, what we see in Automata is a natural evolution of this, it’s another fine example of Yoko Taro weaving the series into a slightly more connected tapestry and I love that. On a side not, I’d personally love it if they could find a way to do something similar with Drakengard 3, as more finessed gameplay would do that game wonders.

 

One of my favourite elements to the combat was the weightiness that the weapons had, if a sword is listed as very heavy or even ultra heavy, you can bet money on the fact it will feel slow and lumbering, but absolutely smash some shades to smithereens (try saying that after having your front teeth knocked out).  Yet a Spear or a Dagger listed as very light is just as viable as those quick successive movements will slice the enemies up like ribbons. It’s a system that does reward experimentation. You could go and find the most powerful weapons and use those, but I’d definitely recommend having a bit of experimentation and giving many a go at some point if you can.

 

Like in any RPG NieR: Replicant has quite a substantial amount of side-quests involved in it. A lot of them add an incredibly rich amount of flavour to the experience, yet does a terrific job of world building in the process too. I loved Replicant so much that I didn’t want the experience to end, so I did every single quest that was available in the game (you only have to do less than 50% for trophy purposes) it added probably a good fifteen hours onto my playtime, but it felt so worth it! Especially as Replicant contains voiced dialogue for practically every character, so it really does add a lot.

Admittedly some of the quests are very obtuse and ultimately feel pointless, but that was the intention. Some of them let you piece together some really interesting parts of the story though, which add some further revelations to characters. Like an implied link between a character from Seafront and the Junk Heap that you’d never ever expect to be there. Yet those quests, pointless or otherwise, makes those fleeting special moments the game gives you on occasion from some of the quests feel all the more impactful, really helping you understand why the characters have such a deep affection for one another, when it would seem that – about all they have left in the world are each other.

 

The trophies are a little bit laborious in places, the legendary flower trophy has you changing your PS4 Timezone to two different Samoan ones (no really, I’m not joking) if you want to get it as quick as possible. I’m not telling you how to play your games, you do you, but I see a lot of guides saying do the Speedrun trophy first, but I personally wouldn’t recommend it. You miss out a lot by skipping all of Young Nier’s sections. I just made a backup save after the prologue and reloaded that later on, at least that way you can happily watch all of the cutscenes in part one even if you don’t lean into doing side-quests.  The item crafting can be a little grind heavy, but you don’t have to upgrade every single weapon like I did, Replicant really does streamline the item gathering experience too, compared to the Gestalt version, so it is a real improvement.

 

Obviously I recommend this one; there isn’t even any point in me putting down the rhetorical question I’ve been throwing out at almost every review for the past year. I think everyone should play at least one of version of this story in their gaming lives. I will always love it (almost turned into Whitney Houston for a moment).

I loved my time with this game so much, which is why (amongst other reasons) it’s taken me quite a while to get this review written, and why it’s so long (sorry about that). I just didn’t want to say goodbye to the game just yet. I even spent a good forty minutes at least after I'd gotten the platinum just reading all the weapon stories in the game, just so that I could spend that tiny fraction time in that wonderful game world, that I love so much. I’ve never been more crestfallen after finishing a game, and for me this or the Gestalt version would absolutely be a desert island game for me.  I’m glad one of the few times I’ve gone out of my way to make a game a milestone it was one that I ended up loving as much as this.

Edited May 2, 2022 by rjkclarke

[Infected Elite]

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands PS5 - Platinum #144 

 

Bunker Mastered

Unlock all Trophies

 

Not a fan of the game, there was so many bugs and glitches. Nothing that annoyed me more than random freezing which thankfully got patched later on. But i also noticed sometimes my controller wouldn't have haptic when shooting. I had to reload the game. 

 

Chaos chambers were extremely repetitive. Very few enemy designs as well, DLC was garbage as well. I'd much rather get it over with and thankfully did. 

 

Fuck Gearbox. Hopefully these idiots take their time with Borderlands 4 and it's 5+ years away or they just abandon looters and try something else. This is way too much of the same.

 

Enjoyment: 2/10

Plat difficulty: 3/10 depending on builds

Recommend: No

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by Infected Elite

[Conor]

 #119- DARKSIDERS WARMASTERED EDITION

 BFA  

Unlocked EVERYTHING!

 

Enjoyment: 8/10

Difficulty: 3/10

Time: 6 days, 1 hour, 7 minutes / 30 hours

Rarity: 3.8% Ultra Rare (PSN) / 19.57% Rare (PSNProfiles)

Challenge:  The True Horseman- COMPLETE the game on APOCALYPTIC difficulty

 

I greatly enjoyed the original release of Darksiders on PS3 (played it on Xbox 360 at first, of course) and am glad that the franchise is continuing after despairing of its future following THQ's dissolution. Now thanks to THQNordic, we have remasters of the first two Darksiders games as well as a third game and most recently a prequel in Darksiders Genesis. I am now working towards playing those latter two games but I have one more game to play, being the remastered version of Darksiders II. This came first however and I just had to dive in again and see what improvements were made. As it turns out, not a whole lot beyond a resolution bump and 60fps gameplay. 

Honestly, War is a very slow and clunky character so upped frame rate in this case didn't make it feel particularly better than the initial release but it does look nicer. Otherwise we have the same old game with no new gameplay elements or content. But the game was so good and fun that it didn't really need any more additions. I enjoy the story, art style and especially Liam O'Brien's voice work as War and I hope he comes back for a proper conclusion to the series.

Not a whole lot more to say, the game wasn't all that difficult on the highest difficulty setting and there wasn't too much grinding beyond an hour or two building up the weapons but that wasn't too tedious with a podcast or two playing in the background. 

I'll be getting around to Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition soon enough, I had some other priorities but it will probably be in the next three games I play.

[percy547389126yv]

#1,198 PS5 version of Dandy & Randy DX