Playstation 4

Gaming Update

Posted on 30/04/2018 Written by gospvg

I'm still gaming, since my last post I've completed The Division (the claptrap boys PMG game that has taken us an age to complete), Assassins Creed Origins (an excellent return to form for the ubisoft series), Telltale Batman (the telltale engine is really showing its age lots of technical issues & crashes but hey it's Batman) & Dragonball Z Dokkan Battle (I had completed the main campaign & started to focus on the events to upgrade my deck but my ipad decided to die on me & unfortunately there is no cloud save feature with DBZ & I have lost my progress. Lesson learnt I will not play any iOS game that does not have a proper save feature be it local or icloud).

I have just completed Mad Max this weekend which was good fun, I really enjoyed the bleak open world with the convoy missions being a particular favourite. Next is Ni No Kuni 2 where I have played a few hours, gone is the turned based combat in favour of a more free-roaming affair. It is gorgeous in 4K with it's Ghibli inspired art style.

Until the next update enjoy your gaming.

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: completed, Mad Max, Ni No Kuni, Playstation 4

52 Games in a year

Posted on 02/01/2018 Written by gospvg

I spent way too much time last year enjoying films instead of playing video games, I am going to try and reverse that this year by playing more video games in fact I am going to try for 52!

This is going to be almost impossible looking at the number of completed games in previous years. 2017 (13), 2016 (22) & 2015 (17) but I am up for the challenge.

I've started with Battlefield 1 (Campaign mode) enjoying the war stories. The tank & plane missions were good fun but the game also shows the horrific side of war. Surprisingly I also watched Dunkirk yesterday (can't totally give up on watching films just limiting them to 1 or 2 a week).

On my list so far I have Prey, Flower (which I have never completed), Wolfenstein 2 & Abzu.
DLC content does not count it will have to be a full game.

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: 52 Games, Battlefield 1, Playstation 4

2017 Review inc Game of the Year

Posted on 02/01/2018 Written by gospvg

It has been a pretty bad year for gaming with only 14 games completed (excluding DLC)

Lego Star Wars - The Force Awakens (PS4)
Destiny - Rise of Iron DLC (PS4)
Tiny Rails (iOS)
World of Final Fantasy (PS4)
Tiny Troopers (PS4)
Costume Quest 2 (PS4)
Firewatch (PS4)
Titanfall 2 (PS4)
Letter Quest Remastered (PS4)
Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4)
Steamworld Dig (PS4)
Ghost Recon Wildlands (PS4)
Destiny 2 (PS4)
Lego Avengers (PS4)
Uncharted Lost Legacy (PS4)

It has been very difficult to find any time for gaming & it does not help when that time is wasted playing broken games like XCOM2 or games that just go on forever & I got bored of playing them like Persona 5.

I purchased a PSVR unit in June and have played various smaller games & experiences which are not on the completed list. PSVR has been a breath of fresh air & I am utterly amazed at the technology & experiences it can deliver.

From the list above Firewatch, TitanFall 2, Horizon Zero Dawn & Ghost Recon Wildlands have been the most enjoyable experiences this year but it is Horizon Zero Dawn which I have enjoyed the most this year. Aloy's adventures in a post apocalyptic world overrun with robotic creatures is a pleasure to explore & the combat is challenging with a range of various weapons that you need to switch out depending on your foe.

I have enough on the shelf already for 2018 but it is Red Dead Redemption 2 & Dragon Quest 8 that I am most looking forward to playing.

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: Game of the Year, Horizon Zero Dawn, Playstation 4

Lego Avengers (PS4) – Completed

Posted on 18/12/2017 Written by gospvg

Apart from the Lego games there really is little much else to play in local co-op with the children. There needs to be an easy way to swap characters with the other player instead of one dropping out so the other player can switch.

I fully expect these Lego games to go on forever next on the list is Ninjago or Jurassic World I think?

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: completed, Playstation 4

Destiny 2 (PS4) – Completed

Posted on 09/10/2017 Written by gospvg

Main campaign completed, story is much better this time round & has some enjoyable moments.

Now the grind begins !

I've not played Persona 5 for a few weeks need to get back to it otherwise I will forget what I am doing!

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: completed, Destiny, Playstation 4

Monthly Update – It’s E3 season

Posted on 01/06/2017 Written by gospvg

Looking forward to the E3 conferences even though I only have a PS4 I'm still interested in what Microsoft & Nintendo have to show. I can't see my buying an Xbox One or Scorpio but I am interested in the new Mario game for the Switch.

Red Dead Redemption 2 getting delayed is a bit disappointing but on the flip side it gives me time to complete more games this year. Hoping to see more on Ni No Kuni 2, Borderlands 3 & Dragon Quest XI.

Enjoyed the Destiny 2 reveal can't wait to get stuck into that game come September. I enjoyed Shadow of Mordor but the sequel is out late August and too close to Destiny 2 so will have to pass on that for release. Pick up maybe at xmas sales or next year if a GOTY edition is released.

Not quite sure what else is due out later this year that I might be purchasing maybe the new Assassins Creed game? They have had a year off so hopefully will have revisited the game with a more fresher look. I do wan to purchase Mass Effect but not until I have finished off what is on the shelf.

I completed Horizon Zero Dawn which has been a brilliant experience, one of the best games I have played on the PS4. The open world was a joy to explore, the combat was satisfying, tough in places but you have a lot of tools and weapons at your disposal once upgraded to take on even the mighty T-Rex.

Spent a few hours playing Steamworld Dig, last boss fight was a three-stage affair in which if you died you were back at stage one. After an hour of trying I gave up on it but have still marked it as complete.

Ghost Recon Wildlands is my summer game I'm playing with the boys, it is good fun much better than The Division & Bolivia is huge !!

I picked up Prey to add to the shelf, I was getting Deus Ex/Bioshock vibes from it. So that is Final Fantasy XV, Persona 5, X Com 2, Abzu, Prey & Star Ocean on the shelf to play including a stack load of PS+ giveaways I've not touched.

On iOS nothing new just the usual games, until next month keep on gaming.

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: completed, Horizon Zero Dawn, Playstation 4, steamworld dig

Monthly Update – Completing Games

Posted on 03/05/2017 Written by gospvg

I was not distracted by Destiny, in fact I did not play it at all over the Easter break. Firstly an update on Watch_Dogs 2, I like to play video games using the soundbar plugged into the TV & not a headset, Watch_Dogs 2 has a lot of adult language which made it very difficult to play with the kids around so I decided to scrap it in favour of the following, I completed Tiny Troopers & it's DLC before moving onto Costume Quest 2 which continues the fun gameplay from the first game & adds new costumes to enjoy.

Firewatch was next on the list, another walking simulator game but with a very good story & nice visuals to enjoy. Much better than the last walking simulator game I played Welcome to the Rapture.

Next it was some mech action with TitanFall 2. I have not played a FPS campaign for a long time & with the added bonus of a mech it was great fun to enjoy.

Brilliant level design, especially the time travel level & a nice short concise campaign.

I also finished off Letter Quest Remastered which is perfect for those short periods of time to complete a level or two.

My current game then is Horizon Zero Dawn, it is an open world adventure set in a future where humans have regressed back to tribal factions & robotic creatures roam the land.

The game reminds a bit of the recent Lara Croft games in gameplay due to the main weapon being a ow & arrow, campfires being your save points & hunting animals for skins but the setting & visuals are completely different & stunning. Especially in 4K, this is the most beautiful game I have played thus far on the PS4.

The robotic creatures are unique in each type having their own attack style & weakness. You have various weapons to use to your advantage, the tripcaster is my current favourite which you can use to lay tripwires for the creatures to walk through & shock, blast or catch fire.

I've played quite a bit of the game currently level 20, the main plot is about Aloy finding out why she was outcast from the tribe at birth? Who is her mother? What happened to the land to cause the creatures to roam? & lots more questions which the game slowly drip feeds you the answers.

There are various different tribes in the game, all having their own agenda which make the game more interesting, I am very impressed with the game thus far, this is on the same level as The Witcher 3 yes potential Game of the year material!

Nothing new on iOS, the usual & I'm back playing Disc Drivin hoping a sequel is announced soon, a tease by developer may have hinted something.

I purchased Star Ocean & Persona 5 to add to the shelf which includes XCom 2, Final Fantasy XV & Abzu. E3 next month so we should find out what titles are coming out for the remainder of this year, Red Dead Redemption 2 please!

Until next month, keep on gaming!

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: completed, Costume Quest, firewatch, Letter Quest, Playstation 4, TitanFall 2

Monthly Update – Household Chores

Posted on 03/04/2017 Written by gospvg

I played an April Fools on UGVM (facebook group) saying I have given up gaming, it's never going to happen but I may have some weekends like the one just gone where I do not get time to play the PS4 but mobile gaming will always give me a few minutes of fun.

It's a welcome return to Capitals which has finally been fixed, I was getting constant crashes when starting a new game.

Managed to get the Baby Dragon up to Lvl 5 in Clash Royale but still hovering around the 2750 trophy mark.

Tiny Rails has had another update with a Mexico & Central America area unlocked.

Ran out of pokeballs so had to do quite a bit of pokestop visits to top-up & I managed to catch a Vulpix which was loitering outside my house yesterday. With the time change & sunny days I expect quite a few trips to the local park with the kids to catch Pokemon.

The usual Carcassonne & Lost Cities complete the mobile gaming. Not touched the iPad much for gaming so have not gotten any further in Crashlands.

Good news on the PS4 front, I managed to finish off World of Final Fantasy, in the end I was way too over-leveled for the last boss fight & it was a breeze.

I've started going through the PS+ collection of games to enjoy some of the smaller titles on offer & have started with Tiny Troopers which is a top-down action shooter, you can level up the soldiers by completing missions but if they die in combat you either lose them or have to use medals to revive. It is a simple game & nothing too difficult but I like the character style & it's fun.

I did not purchase Mass Effect Andromeda in the end, the poor reviews put me off, the game obviously needs some more months to fix the various issues but was obviously rushed to release. I will wait on that & pick up later in the year.

Persona 5 is another game I want to enjoy but not purchasing anything at the moment, need to play what I already have on the shelf. I could not go from one JRPG to another so Final Fantasy 15 will have to wait, Abbas is playing XCOM2.

So I went back to have a quick look at my sell pile & decided to give Watch_Dogs 2 a try, gave myself an hour & to my surprise it was very enjoyable, you get to access to some new toys like a RC Car & Drone. There are lot's of side quests including taking selfies to go along with the beefier main missions. There is a lot of profanity in the game which is far too excessive but I enjoy the challenge of the main missions & trying to complete them by stealth.

I'm hoping with the Easter break to play quite a bit of this if I don't get distracted by Destiny of course!

Destiny 2 has been announced & I have pre-ordered the digital edition, September 8th Day 1 !

On that note, until next month keep on gaming.

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: Capitals, completed, Destiny, Playstation 4, Tiny Rails, Tiny Troopers, Watch_Dogs, World of Final Fantasy

Destiny – For Reference

Posted on 29/03/2017 Written by gospvg

The Age of Triumph has been released & the quest to get 400 light begins. The image above is for my reference & anyone else who is still addicted.

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: Destiny, Playstation 4

Monthly Update – Time

Posted on 02/03/2017 Written by gospvg

.. or lack of it.

I can't stick to a weekly update on this blog so I'm going to try for a monthly update instead. Uploading gameplay videos to youtube seems easier than writing for this blog at the moment!

I'm still playing World of Final Fantasy when I can, near the end of the game now. Just got to focus on leveling up my group to tackle the last boss fight.

The Cogna Missions in the game were very frustrating with silly mini games you had to complete in order to advance. Whoever had this idea needs to be fired!

I've collected some good mirages now especially Gilgamesh who is very strong.

Will hopefully get some time during March to complete the game.

What else have I been playing? Back on Destiny again the game I can never stop playing it seems, this time playing with the boys to help them complete the Rise of Iron content & reach that max light level.

The Division & Elder Scrolls Online are the UGVM PMG games of choice both enjoyable & equally frustrating in their own unique ways.

A hardware upgrade to the PS4 Pro so I can get those extra few frames per second in glorious 1080p (I've not upgraded the TV just yet to enjoy 4K).

The usual post Christmas clearout of games I have no time to play has resulted in much fewer games on the shelf now with only Final Fantasy XV, Lego Marvel Avengers, XCom2, Firewatch & Abzu to play. I won't be buying anything new (famous last words) until I have completed those, Mass Effect Andromeda can wait.

Mobile gaming is still the usual Clash Royale, I got up to the dizzy heights of 2877 trophies nearly on the border of arena 10 before coming back down to rest on 2755. Lost Cities & Carcassonne are still played in small doses along with the odd turn of Pokemon Go.

Tiny Rails has had an European update so I am back on the train driving across Europe to purchase stations, carry cargo & passengers. Also still enjoying Reigns currently in the year 1553 with my longest term being 67 years with Gerald the Writer.

Played a little bit of Crashlands on the iPad but in truth if I have any free time for gaming I tend to be on the PS4.

Until next month, keep on gaming.

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: Clash Royale, Crashlands, Destiny, iOS, Playstation 4, Reigns, Tiny Rails, World of Final Fantasy