Well it’s finally here! PlayStation 4 Pro has arrived, and with it perhaps more questions than answers. Do you have the correct TV set-up to make the most of it? Why haven’t all the game patches arrived on day one? Can your eyes actually tell the difference between the games before and after their patch?
It’s an odd sort of console launch, as the PS4 Pro is, without question, the most powerful console ever made. Normally that would be accompanied a range of brand new titles, all of which aim to show off your new purchase, but there’s none of that for the Pro. Instead there’s has been a trickle of patches for a number of older games, as well as a few of the latest releases, but thus far none of them have really offered a compelling reason to upgrade.
Don’t get me wrong, Titanfall 2 looks great on a 4K TV with the extra oomph behind it, but it looked pretty darn good beforehand. Maybe next year we’ll see some serious differences, but thus far – whisper it – it’s a tiny bit disappointing, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt that on the first day of a console launch… I bet I’ll love it tomorrow though!
Along with Titanfall 2, I had a fairly enjoyable – but short – time with Robinson: The Journey which favours spectacle over compelling gameplay, and cribs far too much from Jurassic Park for its own good. Then it’s been a touch of Forza Horizon 3, a smidgen of Sword Art Online: Hollow Realisation and some of Eagle Flight which have been taking up my time.
Kris was first this week, and he’s been playing that there Uncharted 4, but feels like the puzzles are a little bit easier than in the past and that the gunplay isn’t really any different. It wasn’t all negative though, as the jeep sections are “cool”. And that’s that.
Our Steve has made a start on the huge undertaking that is Tyranny, as well as Doom, Letter Quest, Darkest Dungeon on Vita, and Mario Sticker Star, though it seems like all that gaming goodness has been tainted by this week’s electoral… stuff. For Miguel it’s probably a little closer to home, but he’s found time to finish off Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies, as well as playing a hell of a lot of Steins;Gate 0 and the forthcoming Watch Dogs 2 for an equally forthcoming review.
Aran dropped in and has been a very busy boy;
This week has been about Reus, Football Manager 17, and Dishonored 2. Reus was reviewed while D2 is being reviewed. Currently doing a season with Ebbsfleet to get them into the Vanarama National league. Promotion should be easy enough. Somehow got Brede Hangeland as my assistant manager.
Tried out Jackal Assault for PSVR which was an alright 5 minute space battle. Also watched Invasion in VR which was a nice little gem of an animation.
Wait, I also bought Dangerous Golf and Volume in the sale. I’m trying to beat Jim’s scores in the former.
Dave made it back from his amazing-looking holiday, and though he’s only mildly filled our social media feeds with pictures and videos of a wonderful trip while we’ve been experiencing hail and freezing temperatures, he’s squeezed in some Phoenix Wright: Spirit Of Justice while also playing [redacted] on his [redacted] where you have to catch [redacted] and thinks that it’s [redacted]. Eye opening.
Speaking of which, Jake has been working his way through an awful lot of Pokémon games. There’s been Pokémon Platinum, Pokémon Heart Gold, Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon Omega Ruby. He’s somewhat looking forward to Sun and Moon.
Last but by no means least is Stefan. He’s been turning on the PS4 Pro on the hour, every hour for the last week to see if new patches have appeared for various games – frustratingly, some of the launch day patches don’t seem to have. In addition to dipping in and out of all manner of Pro enabled games for our not quite PlayStation 4 Pro review – including playing through the Syria level of Rise of the Tomb Raider an unhealthy number of times – he’s also just been playing Titanfall 2 for fun, has enjoyed the first hour or so of The Little Acre – an lovely looking hand-drawn adventure game – and gave us a preview of Ubisoft’s Steep.
Now then, what have you played? Did you pick up a PS4 Pro?
MrYd
Mostly World of Final Fantasy again this week. I have achieved an ending. So now it’s on to assorted side quests, coliseum fights, collecting and evolving mirages, and the true ending.
20 hours or so for an ending, and I bet I’m looking at 2 or 3 times that for everything else.
Crazy_Del
Gears of War 4 Multiplayer to celebrate 10 years of Gears (awesome loot crates there!)
Battlefield 1 Multiplayer and got all the online trophies obtained now I can start the campaign after my Fifa 17 FUT Champions as I am now qualified for the FUT Champ so far 3 wins in a row with 37 games remaining. So fifa 17 is my main priority as the matches expires on Monday so need to try get as many wins as I can get with just 40 games well…. 37 matches now ^^
I am feeling confident hopine to reach Gold Rank if possible.
hornet1990
Between a holiday and extended coding sessions I’ve not been near my PS for a good few weeks or more; but I finally got back to it this week and completed the Battlefield 4 single player on hard. Not bad gameplay and pacing wise, but an underwhelming story with an unsatisfying and massively incomplete ending.
Also been playing the game of not pressing the Buy button on a Pro! I know it’s not a massive leap for me being stuck on 1080p as I am, and I’m still not sold on the whole mid gen update thing but reason seems to be going out of the window and I just want one!
Andrewww
Most of the week I played trying not to worry too much about some complete and utter *** being elected president elsewhere on this planet. I mostly failed at that.
Game-wise, I finished Here they lie on my PSVR twice. Quite odd, but with some good scares and ideas in it.
I quickly tried Trackmania VR demo, but was disappointed by the tracks and the missing stable in-car view.
Then I wasted 5 minutes with this CoD VR demo, which is buggy as hell, my PS4 got stuck at the opening screen. Does no one test that rubbish?
But then I finally played Until Dawn, which was easily the highlight of the week. Excellent game, great scares, story twists, and more. Highly enjoyable, very creepy, and I almost successfully (but unintentionally) managed to get everyone killed during my first playthrough… :o)
Now I have a second go, I love it..!
DividSmythe
After a few weeks of panicking about not being able to afford Ps4 Pro, I sold all my Xbox one stuff (now I’m regretting this) I comfortably afforded one. I spent the whole day yesterday installing games and updating the settings. After that I got sidetracked on getting the platinum out of My Name Is Mayo. Later on had an hour on Skyrim which is lovely. Today I had an hour or 2 on Eagle Flight which is nice and relaxing, so far. I’ve been fairly busy in other things this week to do too much else.
TSBonyman
A little more NMS, one more planet-stop on my journey towards the “platinum motherlode” and some Driveclub, testing out the new tracks.
Mostly though i played a chunk of RotTR, it started off okay and looks nice enough but i’m about halfway now and i’m feeling it less as i progress. When i picked it up i was looking forward to a story driven game which would engage me to the end, and i understood that the tombs were going to be more important but it’s not working out like that at all. I’m taking issue with many aspects of the game but the main ones are; the obstacle-courses disguised as environments, the unoriginal storyline and the fact that tomb-raiding has once again been relegated to being an optional part of the game – and it’s more challenging finding some of the tombs than actually solving them!
It’s not a terrible game as it stands – it’s just not what i want from a Tomb Raider game. I could stick it on the shelf and return to it another time but i’ll only lose €2 on what i paid for it if i trade it in soon.. And Dishonored 2 is beckoning so there’s a good chance of that happening..
tactical20
Agreed about Tomb Raider. Very disappointing.
wonkey-willy
i consider myself to be a bit of a titanfall veteran,but bloody hell the new one is on another level.
superb single player and absolutely manic multiplayer.
the new style is quite refreshing albeit a little daunting.
had a dip into cod but not really that impressed.
also picked up the division and the drake collection.
busy busy busy..
The Lone Steven
Clocked in 70 hours in total on FF7 so far. Refound my love of grinding! Ok, it is repetitive but it is rewarding in it’s own way and rather relaxing. Tis odd, I know but I can easily spend an hour or two just grinding away. There are three types of grinding I do. EXP(which happens anyway but this type is just with EXP at the main thing),AP(required to grow the Materia) and Limit Level(Tis just using and killing X amount t unlock each one). Unlocked level 3 for most. Only Vincent,Cid,Cait Sith remain with their level ones and I’ve only got Cid again. Taking my time and for the first time, I’m doing the Wutai(aka, SHE TURK MAH MATERIA) What? It’s a 20 year old game and there are bigger things often revealed by other folks. Made me realise how much I rely on Aeris for healing.
Tis going to be the last game of 2016. Maybe, complete before christmas. If that is the case, I’ll start FF8.
tactical20
I finished the few bits & pieces I hadn’t done in AC Syndicate and won a few random trophies. Now gone back to Arkham Knight to do the same ‘clean up’, although Watch Dogs 2 is very close now, so not sure if that’ll happen.
gaffers101
Completed Rise of the Tomb Raider, and now mopping up some odd trophies. Will do the same with Uncharted 4 this weekend.