Well, that’s another week in the bag, and, judging by my PSN friends list, a very successful week for Bungie and Destiny 2. While Activision haven’t disclosed the actual sales figures, they’ve not only said that it’s their most successful launch, but that it’s also claimed the record for biggest first day sales on PSN and has over 1.2million concurrent players to boot. That’s pretty good, and judging by Tef’s extended coverage and review, it definitely is good. I played over the weekend but have since been playing other games for review, which has me sadly expecting my friend’s levels to vastly eclipse mine by now. However, unlike The Division I know I can still hop in with them lending a helping hand without it completely falling apart as an experience.
Besides Destiny 2 it’s been an Nintendo-heavy week as I’ve begun reviewing the Mini SNES Classic – which is adorably mini – as well as getting stuck into Pokken DX and taking a look at Rayman Legends Definitive Edition on the Switch. In fact, it’s the Switch’s festive line-up that has me most excited now for the rest of the year, even if Middle Earth: Shadow of War and Forza 7 have piqued my interest. I’m looking forward to getting hands on with them both at EGX (assuming I can cope with the queueing!).
Jim was super prompt this week telling me what he’d been playing;
This week was mostly spent playing through Uncharted 4. Twice. Wanting to grab that platinum (and clear some HDD space) I ran the game through on Crushing with no cheats before doing a 4.5 hour speedrun. Even after playing it so intensively I never got bored of the exploration or combat. It really is a masterpiece.
I also dabbled with some Sparc on PSVR as well as Dauntless on PC. Having recently splurged on a new gaming PC, I’ve found myself caught up in Total War: Warhammer. As someone who used to play the tabletop game as a kid, it’s a universe I’ve often longed to see fully realised in video game form.
While Kris is also heading to EGX next week, he’s been continuing to plow his time into Just Cause 3, though from the sounds of it he is past the dangerous obsession period! Jake might still be obsessed with Destiny 2, though he was very disappointed with the first raid which might have taken the shine off it a little. Tuffcub has also been on the Destiny 2 train/spaceship, although he found the time for reviewing Radial-G on PSVR and to become very confused by Hatoful Boyfriend.
Dave mostly had a Nintendo fuelled week as well;
This week I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Metroid: Samus Returns. It’s one of those games where there’s a hint of nostalgia but it’s an entirely new take on the lesser sequel. It’s now just under Metroid: Zero Mission in terms of quality rather than the “worst” Metroid game that isn’t Other M – which is a big leap forward.
As for other games, I’ve been beating Marvel vs Capcom Infinite’s story mode, played through arcade mode a few times too. There’s also Divinity: Original Sin 2, but that will have to wait.
Aran has been playing Destiny 2, Yakuza Kiwami and PES 18, where the servers finally came up so that he could finish his review.In Destiny 2 he’s been doing some co-op with a friend but is still far away from being ready for the Raid. Miguel has been locking his doors, closing his windows, and playing Senran Kagura Peach Beach Splash this week. He claims this is to “concentrate” but I think we all know it’s probably for a different reason. Like not wanting anyone to know that he’s playing it. Good job on telling me mate. He has also continue to waste his time with Fire Emblem Heroes, which seems to have lasted longer with him than anyone else I know!
Steve has been playing lots more Bulletstorm as much needed brain relief from helping his daughter with 11+ preparation. He’s also squeezed in a bit of Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze but his youngest was not up to co-op. Kids these days! He’s also working on Songbringer for review and has just picked up Monster Hunter: Stories too. Tef meanwhile has played Destiny – quite a lot.
What about you? What have you played?
MrYd
Random bits and pieces of all sorts of things, getting through a bit of the backlog.
And lots of Star Trek Bridge Crew again. Big difficulty spike makes Episode 4 harder than anything else, since you start out with a ship that is basically broken and have to survive for ages fixing it and running away (which causes more damage). Somehow got through that with me in engineering (a pointless role except in that 1 mission).
Which then just left the Kobayashi Maru mission. Which Star Trek fans will know is obviously impossible. And has a trophy for rescuing 120 people. While Klingons attack. And you can’t raise shields because you’re busy transporting people. And distracting enemy fire so the Kobayashi Maru doesn’t explode.
Somehow did it in the end (with 138 rescued) and a nice Platinum trophy popped up.
The game needs some DLC (which probably won’t happen). Still fun to play even if you’ve done everything because it generally seems to have friendly chatty people playing it who don’t always take it too seriously. Which is good on the original Enterprise, because that inevitably turns into a complete farce with people pressing random buttons and getting in a panic.
I’ve also been playing the “How did my settings change so system updates happen automatically? And why is that 4.74 update such a disaster?”
Seriously. Don’t install it. All my neatly organised games have escaped from their folders. 23 games I haven’t touched in ages suddenly started downloading updates. I can’t get back to the 5.0 beta. I’m missing some of the 5.0 features I’ve got used to (like the clock on the quick menu – kind of useful when you’re in VR mode and can’t see a real clock)
ron_mcphatty
Good tip, I’ve not played much on the PS4 recently so I’ll happily skip an update that’ll cause faff.
Just a bit of Mario Kart for me this week, over the weekend me and my family went to Wales with a friend and his lot, once the kids were in bed we fired up the Switch. Great machine for hols, I really hope Nintendo give us some classics to play 2-player.
Andrewww
I got this warning e-mail from Sony telling me not to install the update. But why they can’t make sure you’re not prompted to do so (or the system doesn’t auto-install) when you’re in the 5.0 beta is beyond me. Hope my system isn’t installing it right now…
MrYd
I’m fairly sure I had the auto-install options turned off, but the beta seems to have turned it on. With the massive problems that causes.
Should probably point out that so far it’s been people in the beta complaining, for good reasons. Version 4.74 of something should never be classed as newer than 5.0 (beta or otherwise). Looks like it checks dates rather than versions, and it’s just never come up before (no new final versions have appeared while a beta test is taking place). And it locks you out of installing the 5.0 beta (until 5.0beta6 appears)
But given it’s a complete mess for some (possibly not all) beta users, would you want to risk it whatever version you already have installed? It’s not like it’s a mandatory update or anything, and 5.0 should be along soon enough.
TSBonyman
Looks like i made a good choice. It downloaded for me but didn’t install automatically – and feeling apathy after the installation of multiple revisions of a beta that wasn’t very shiny to begin with , i was in no rush to install 4.74.
I do get the clock thing with VR, it’s normally so easy to just casually glance at a clock in the room but you can’t do that when you have the headset on, and there’s something slightly disconcerting about it, like you don’t feel quite in ‘sync’ with the real world. :)
MrYd
Yes, it’s easy to completely lose track of time in VR. Possibly because it could be bright and sunny, or the middle of the night, in a game while it’s damp and grey in the real world.
More games need to find some excuse for an ingame clock. I love the fact that your character in Farpoint is wearing a watch so you can tell the time. Need more of that sort of thing in VR games.
Andrewww
When I logged on just before, after the system was powered off completely, it automatically started to download this 4.7x version… Not sure whether it would have installed, but I was just quick enough to cancel and delete the download and put those settings to off. Thanks for the warning about that.
Crazy_Del
Played Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and got the Plat after grinding out the pointless Godfather criminal rating and the $10 mil was actually quite fun with Hunter heli during Vigilante Missions that got me over 100 missions done successfully.
Went back on old games and played Hunted The Demon’s Forge should get the Platinum in an hour.
And lastly the usual daily Friday the 13th Multiplayer sesh!
Crazy_Del
Hunted: The Demon’s Forge Platinum #323
Also forgot to mention that I have went back on to DeadNation and only 5 trophies away from the Platinum. So will get on that soon, maybe tonight…. well see
Andrewww
Elite Dangerous. Wow. Sleep deprived, but happy.
Tony Cawley
All about Destiny 2 here. Nothing at all except for that, as will be the case for the next few months I should imagine. As you were.
tactical20
Finished Jak & Daxter to 95%. Might try and get last couple of egg things to get the platinum, but will probs start playing Uncharted, which was the game I actually bought, ha!
Andrewww
As little as I care for the game itself as a gamer, being interested in the games market I’m slightly confused by very different news about Destiny 2.
Here, you praise what an excellent launch it had, elsewhere it’s reported sales numbers are almost 60% down compared to the first title (www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2017-09-11-destiny-2s-uk-sales-do-they-tell-us-anything).
As digital sales can hardly make up for these 60%, how can that be explained?
MrYd
Digital sales won’t make up all of the difference, although they’ll probably be much higher than they were 3 years ago for the first game.
And the first game launched on a Tuesday, while the sequel was a Wednesday. So an extra day of sales in that first week for the original game.
I doubt there’d be much in it after a couple of weeks if you counted physical and digital sales.
Either that or it’s Brexit ;)
Steelhead
A fairly varied week for me. I impulse bought The Binding of Isaac for Switch, despite my general dislike of roguelikes. I’ve not put much time into it yet but it seems to be a well crafted game, not sure if it will keep my attention for long.
Also played a bit of Fast RMX on Switch. Made a few attempts at a championship that’s had me stymied for a while. Unfortunately I seem to have hit a wall with this that I just can’t overcome. My left joy-con has now been sent off for repair, so I’m currently Switchless for up to two weeks.
Tried out the single player for World of Tanks. Half an evening there made it clear I wouldn’t stand a hope in hell if I dipped into multiplayer.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom however. I got back into the Gwent open beta where I at least tend to win more than I lose and I spent a fair while playing Hyperdimension Neptunia U which is probably one of the easiest games I’ve ever played once you figure out which of the characters break the game.
TSBonyman
Not a lot for me this week, some more No Mans Sky and Driveclub VR. I also played an hour or so of Child of LIght and while i love the hand-drawn art style, sadly the turn-based combat just isn’t my thing.
Eldave0
Destiny 2 was the main focus this week. Its not a perfect game by any means but its undeniably a great looter shooter.
Oh I also downloaded the Project Octopath Traveller demo. What a fantastic game that is shaping up to be.
wonkey-willy
ghost recon wild-lands for me..
i know it repetitive but i really quite like it..
and i had a quick dabble in dead by dawn….what a load of shite!!!!
aerobes
Wildlands has an ‘It’ factor deapite the obvious issues. Huge sequel potential!