PSN Weekly Deals - 8/27: PAX Indie Sale, DJ Hero/2/GH Sale, Spelunky $11.99, Pinballistik is Free!, and Machinarium Vita Free for PS+!

[FriskyTanuki]

Welcome to the best thread for all of the deals on games, add-ons, and other stuff in the PlayStation Store both on and off of PSN.

Index
Current Deals
Upcoming Deals & PlayStation Plus Schedule
Free Games
PlayStation Plus Preview
Persistent PlayStation Plus and Alternate Deals
Frequently Asked Questions
History of Free PlayStation Plus Games

Current Deals (Full Update Here) - Store Updates Every Tuesday, Usually Between 4-8 EST

Visit The Web PS Store Here

Key:
N - New This Week
X - Expires With Next Update
P - Permanent Price Drop
C - Cross Buy (Vita/PS3)
D - Demo or Full Game Trial Available

Pre-orders


Battlefield 4 - $59.99 - Ends 10/29 [customspoiler='Bonuses']China Rising Expansion & Exclusive Theme[/customspoiler]
Battlefield 4 - Premium - $49.99 - Ends 10/29
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse - $14.99 X [customspoiler='Bonuses']Original Genesis game, Avatars, & Exclusive Theme[/customspoiler]
Diablo III - $59.99 X [customspoiler='Bonuses']Infernal Helm DLC Pack & Exclusive Theme[/customspoiler]
FIFA 14 - $59.99 - Out 9/24 [customspoiler='Bonuses']24 FUT Gold Packs & Exclusive Theme[/customspoiler]

Grand Theft Auto V - $59.99 - Out 9/17 [customspoiler='Bonuses']75% Discount on a Rockstar PSN Title, Atomic Blimp, & Exclusive Theme[/customspoiler]

NHL 14 - $59.99 - Ends 9/10 D [customspoiler='Bonuses']24 HUT Gold Packs & Exclusive Theme[/customspoiler]
Rain - $14.99 - Ends 10/1 [customspoiler='Bonuses']Avatars, Dynamic and Static Themes, & Musical Montage[/customspoiler]
 
Bundles

Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon & Call of Juarez Gunslinger Bundle - $24.99 - 17% Off ND

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rainslick Precipice of Darkness Episode 1 & 2 Bundle - $7.49 - 50% Off NX

Pinballistik + DLC Bundle - $4.99 - 38% Off NP

Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype Complete Bundle - $5.99 - 54% Off - [customspoiler='Includes']Full Game + The Last Chapter Add-on[/customspoiler]

Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype + Soldner-X: Himmelssturmer Bundle - $6.99 - 53% Off - [customspoiler='Does Not Include']Last Chapter Add-on for X2[/customspoiler]

PS3

Amy - $1.99 - 33% Off
Closure - $7.49 - 50% Off NXD
Dragon Fantasy Book I - $4.99 - 50% Off NXC

Dyad - $7.49 - 50% Off NXD

flOw - $5.59


Flower - $6.99 D



Journey - $7.49 - 50% Off NXD

Limbo - $7.49 - 50% Off NXCD

Madden NFL 13 - $29.99 - 25% Off NP
Need for Speed: Most Wanted - $29.99 - 25% Off NPD
Pinballistik - Free NP
Retro City Rampage - $4.99 - 66% Off NXC
Retro/Grade - $4.99 - 50% Off - Compatible with Guitar Controller NXD
Skullgirls - $7.49 - 50% Off NXD
Tokyo Jungle - $7.49 - 50% Off NX
Soldner-X: Himmelssturmer - $3.99 - 50% Off



Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype - $4.99 - 50% Off
Wicked Monsters Blast! HD - $4.99 - 50% Off- Move Compatible
Zombie Tycoon II: Brainhov's Revenge - $4.99 - 50% Off NXC


 

PS2 Classics

Raiden III - $5.99 - 40% Off
Add-ons




DJ Hero - Jay-Z vs. Eminem Pack - $3.99 - 50% Off N
DJ Hero 2 - Hard Edge Mix Pack - $2.99 - 50% Off N
DJ Hero 2 - Ultra Mix Pack - $3.99 - 50% Off N

Dragon's Crown - Storyteller Voice Pack - Free X



Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock - Classic Rock Track Pack - $3.13 - 50% Off N
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock - Coldplay Track Pack - $3.13 - 50% Off N
Guitar Hero 5 - Avenged Sevenfold Track Pack - $2.75 - 50% Off N
Guitar Hero 5 - Rock 1 Track Pack - $5.49 - 50% Off N
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock - Linkin Park Track Pack - $5.99 - 50% Off N
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock - Rocky Horror Picture Show Track Pack - $2.75 - 50% Off N
Guitar Hero World Tour - Classic Rock Track Pack - $2.75 - 50% Off N
Guitar Hero World Tour - Queen Track Pack - $2.75 - 50% Off N
Rocksmith - "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen - $1.99 - 33% Off NX
Rocksmith - "Fat Bottomed Girls" by Queen - $1.99 - 33% Off NX
Rocksmith - "Godzilla" by Blue Oyster Cult - $1.99 - 33% Off NX
Rocksmith - "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar - $1.99 - 33% Off NX
Rocksmith - "Keep Yourself Alive" by Queen - $1.99 - 33% Off NX
Rocksmith - "Killer Queen" by Queen - $1.99 - 33% Off NX
Rocksmith - "My Sharona" by The Knack - $1.99 - 33% Off NX
Rocksmith - "Stone Cold Crazy" by Queen - $1.99 - 33% Off NX

Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype - The Last Chapter - $2.49 - 50% Off

 

PS1 Classics - All of these are compatible with PS3 and PSP unless otherwise noted. Check this thread for Vita compatibility.
N/A

 
Minis - All of these are compatible with PS3 and PSP unless otherwise noted. Check this thread for Vita compatibility.
1000 Tiny Claws - $1.75 - 50% Off
Blimp: The Flying Adventures - $1.49
Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess - $2.49 - 50% Off

Who's That Flying?! - $2.49 - 50% Off

 
PSP Games - Check this thread for Vita Compatibility
N/A
 

Vita Games

Dragon Fantasy Book I - $4.99 - 50% Off NXC

Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable - $19.99 - 50% Off N

Limbo - $7.49 - 50% Off NXCD

Need for Speed: Most Wanted - $19.99 - 33% Off NP

Retro City Rampage - $4.99 - 66% Off NXCD

Zombie Tycoon II: Brainhov's Revenge - $4.99 - 50% Off NXC
Vita Add-ons

Dragon's Crown - Storyteller Voice Pack - Free X
 
PlayStation Plus

PS3 Deals



Closure - $3.75 - 75% Off NXD
Dragon Fantasy Book I - $2.50 - 75% Off NXC

Dyad - $3.75 - 75% Off NXD




Grid 2 - $53.99 - 10% Off X



Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds Complete Collection - $19.99 - 20% Off - Move Compatible
Journey - $3.75 - 75% Off NXD

Limbo - $5.99 - 60% Off NXCD
Ms. Germinator - $7.99 - 20% Off XC
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rainslick Precipice of Darkness Episode 1 & 2 Bundle - $3.75 - 75% Off NX
Retro City Rampage - $3.74 - 75% Off NXC
Retro/Grade - $2.50 - 75% Off - Compatible with Guitar Controller NXD
Skullgirls - $3.75 - 75% Off NXD

Spelunky - $11.99 - 20% Off NXC
Tokyo Jungle - $3.75 - 75% Off NX
Wicked Monsters Blast! HD - $1.00 - 90% Off - Move Compatible
Zombie Tycoon II: Brainhov's Revenge - $2.50 - 75% Off NXC

Vita Deals

Dragon Fantasy Book I - $2.50 - 75% Off NXC
Draw Slasher - $3.00 - 50% Off N
Limbo - $5.99 - 60% Off NXCD
Ms. Germinator - $7.99 - 20% Off XC

Muramasa Rebirth - $20.99 - 30% Off X

Retro City Rampage - $3.74 - 75% Off NXCD

Zombie Tycoon II: Brainhov's Revenge - $2.50 - 75% Off NXC
 
Add-on Deals
Bit.Trip Presents…Runner2: Future Legend Of Rhythm Alien - Good Friends Character Pack - $2.39 - 20% Off
Subscriptions

Music Unlimited Premium One Year Subscription - $41.99

Free Games (Don't Argue About This, Please)

Bit.Trip Presents... Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien - 769 MB

Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower - PSP/Vita - 657 MB

Gravity Rush - Vita - 1.4 GB

Hitman: Absolution - 16.1 GB X - [customspoiler='Includes']Full Game, Deus Ex Disguise DLC, Deus Ex Zenith Handgun, and Discount on Sleeping Dogs[/customspoiler]

Jet Set Radio - 1.1 GB
Knytt Underground - PS3/Vita - 857 MB

LittleBigPlanet Karting - 7 GB

LittleBigPlanet Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves - Requires Move
Machinarium - 183 MB

Machinarium - Vita - 329 MB N

Metal Slug XX - PSP/Vita - 166 MB
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee - 1.2 GB
Pinball Arcade - PS3/Vita - 115 MB
Saints Row The Third - 7.2 GB - Free CheapyD Pack
Uncharted: Golden Abyss - Vita - 2.9 GB
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - 30 GB
Wipeout 2048 - Vita - 1.6 GB

XCOM: Enemy Unknown - 7.6 GB

Zen Pinball 2 - Star Wars Pinball - PS3/Vita - 783 MB N [customspoiler='Includes']Standalone Star Wars Pinball game[/customspoiler]

Themes
[customspoiler=PS+ Themes]Abstract Art - Dynamic
Assassin's Creed Revelations - Dynamic
Cuckoo - Dynamic
Daytona USA
Double Dragon Neon - Dynamic
Dragon - Dynamic
Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit - Dynamic
The House of the Dead III - Dynamic
The House of the Dead 4 - Dynamic
I Am Alive - Dynamic
Infamous Festival of Blood - Dynamic
Jet Set Radio - Dynamic
Leap Year - Dynamic
Mesh - Dynamic
Mexican Skulls - Dynamic
PlayStation Plus - Dynamic
Robot - Dynamic
Samurai - Dynamic
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 - Dynamic
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II - Dynamic
Stripe Shift Part 2 - Dynamic
Tales from Space: About a Blob
Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown - Dynamic[/customspoiler]

Avatars
[customspoiler=PS+ Avatars]Armageddon Riders (3)
Cool Cat
Daytona USA (5)
Dead Cloud
Double Dragon Neon (7)
Fat Princess (2)
God of War: Ascension
Green Hamster
Hell Yeah! (4)
The House of the Dead III (3)
The House of the Dead 4 (3)
Jet Set Radio (6)
LittleBigPlanet (2)
Mutant Skull
Pink Hamster
PlayStation B-boy (1, 2, 3)
Resident Evil 5
Section 8: Prejudice Bundle
Squirrel
Stick Up Kid
Street Fighter X Tekken
Street Fighter 2
Tank Commander
Top Dawg
Under Siege
Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown (20)[/customspoiler]

Feel free to provide feedback for ways to improve this thread. Thanks.

 

[FriskyTanuki]

Not that I am aware of. The only issue with it is that it would be very, very time consuming and tedious to get all the trophies, which I could see Velo complaining about . But I don't think there was any DLC for it. It is pretty easy to unlock levels but you have to earn some ridiculous amount of in-game currency (I forget what it is) to buy all the collectables - which is only necessary to get all the trophies.

But otherwise, yeah, $3.75 is a no-brainer price for anyone who likes Katamari. I found the control scheme a little lacking on the Vita - my hands were hurting after playing and I never felt like I had the control that I do with a regular PS2/PS3 controller.

I'd get Atelier Totori Plus if it was a little cheaper ($20 with Plus is still too much for me).

There's a bunch of free DLC for Touch My Katamari, though I forget what it actually adds.

I enjoyed it a ton as the first Katamari game I had played since Me & My Katamari on the PSP. It controlled as well as any other Katamari game, though the stretch mechanic was a bit weird.

 

[whitereflection]

I have the demos for Dead or Alive 5 Plus and Soul Sacrifice backed up. Are Vita demos like PSN demos where the full game is usually locked away? I.e., can I skip downloading these games and just unlock the full versions from the demos?

Does anyone know if Atelier Totori Plus removes the time constraints the series is infamous for?

 

[FriskyTanuki]

See, this is why people should have realized years ago when IGN started blatantly selling scores that you can't be blindly loyal to one site. These are businesses who have to find a way to make money in an increasingly competitive environment with a product that they're giving away for free. It's not journalism any more than chicken nuggets are chicken; both resemble something real and market themselves as genuine but are so heavily processed and reshaped that they're only the same in the name given to them.

Remember, all of these sites, and their writers, get benefits from these publishers. Whether it's review copies of games, advertising, swag, invitations to events, etc. these are all things that they get specifically because of what they do. When these publishers get angry with a site and want to make a point they don't pull their ads, they stop giving them preview access and inviting them to events because that hurts the site more than losing the ads.

There's a reason why you shouldn't follow sites, but the writers. Find the people whose voice and opinions similar to yours and follow them wherever they go.

 

[amusedtoe]

There's a reason why you shouldn't follow sites, but the writers. Find the people whose voice and opinions similar to yours and follow them wherever they go.

Exactly, that's what I was getting at. If you actually read reviews of games you have strong feelings on you quickly see who's take on games is valuable to you. What gets me though is when a game gets something like a 7.8 (which is pretty mediocre on most sites) but the review itself was glowing.

I have the demos for Dead or Alive 5 Plus and Soul Sacrifice backed up. Are Vita demos like PSN demos where the full game is usually locked away? I.e., can I skip downloading these games and just unlock the full versions from the demos?

Well according to the web store there's a 500MB difference in Soul Sacrifice, DOA5+ is the same size.

 

[FriskyTanuki]

Ducktales reviews have been rather polarizing. Some loving it and praising the great job WayForward did updating it but sticking true to the original, others bemoaning the archaic level design and difficulty.

I have no idea what to think. Guess I'll be making my decision tonight. I honestly didn't play a whole lot of Ducktales specifically as a kid, but I played plenty of other games of that ilk and consider myself a pretty big fan of the old "archaic" style that some of those games had.

People did the same thing for Double Dragon Neon and that game was a lot of fun and unexpectedly insane.

 

[Cool Calm Callico]

I really liked the way reviews were handled on Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine back in the day. Three or four editors would play the game then write their own short yet concise review, and then assign their own individual scores. Some reviewers I agreed with more then others but dissenting opinions always seemed to bring thoughtful counterpoints to the argument. I think game reviews are a mirror to the media climate we now live in for better or worse.

 

[PimpLimp]

Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition is coming to the Vita.

 

[amusedtoe]

Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition is coming to the Vita.

I would probably buy that for a five spot.

 

[Cleaner7]

There's a reason why you shouldn't follow sites, but the writers. Find the people whose voice and opinions similar to yours and follow them wherever they go.



This is the best advice when it comes to reviews. I always say this to friends.

Personally, I wish review scores were left out so people would have to read them and then decide without an emphasis on a score. When I talk to friends and family about a product I don't score it. Rather I give what was good, bad or notable. Reviews are basically the same but the score skews perception.

Like others mentioned, anything below an 8 is basically seen as bad. The scoring system needs to be thrown out with that mentality. A 5 is supposed to be average, 6 above average, 7 good, 8 great, 9 superb, etc., but most people don't go by that. Heck, someone mentioned earlier that a review was generally positive so they expected a 7-8 but it got a 5-6 and they didn't agree with that.

Maybe the 10 point scale is the problem. I like something like how Joystiq has a simplified 5 star system (1 avoid, 5 play), but even that gets distorted because when converted to Metacritic it ends up the same. A 3* is a 6/10 and 4* is a 8/10.

In the end, the system is here to stay. Find a review with a similar opinion to yours since it'll give you the best chance at finding games suited to your likes.

 

[slidecage]

why couldnt they told this last week  AHHHHHHHHHHH (just renew gamefly so more games to  backlog LOL)

game 1  Atelier Totori Plus - $19.59 - 51% Off           still  alittle high though  

anyone     know if its worth the 20 bucks   (doubt you  ever seee it cheaper)  but i heard it was very short)

touch my is tempting for  3.75  but i dont know if i  ever play it and could see this free  end of year  on PS+

WEEK  2

sadly nothing  can  get almost all of those at  cart prices  or cheaper on cart 

so  at least backlog wont be that bad 

 

[Calipup]

I'm probably going to skip this sale. I will wait for prices to get lower even if it takes 6 months. I have plenty of games to play on my PS3 and I just started on Persona 4 while I still have Rayman on deck. 15- is my buying point.

 

[Derextreme]

Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition is coming to the Vita.

"i'd buy that for a dollar"

seriously though, you just made my day! love me some duke

 

[waldo21212]

So, bringing this up late, but is Castle Crashers decent as a solo or couch co-op game?  I know I'm late to the punch on this game, but it looks pretty good, and I'm not sure if it's been cheaper on PS3.

Also, anyone know if the online still active for it?

 

[amusedtoe]

That's awesome. Please have multiplayer. Spent so much time on that game back in the day.

OK, that would be pretty sweet if it did.

So, bringing this up late, but is Castle Crashers decent as a solo or couch co-op game? I know I'm late to the punch on this game, but it looks pretty good, and I'm not sure if it's been cheaper on PS3.

Also, anyone know if the online still active for it?

I played it solo twice but it's a bajillion times better with even one other person.

 

[affa]

I go to the well with this alot, but I think a great example is the contrast between their MoH Warfighter and Black OPs 2 reviews: one reviewer thought the tried-and-true gameplay was great while the other was sick and tired of it. I think it would help alot if certain reviewers tackled certain genres.

MoH is a perfect example of a game that got needlessly wrecked by gaming media. From reading reviews, you'd think the game was an unplayable broken mess, but it was actually great fun. It got dinged for all the things CoD gets bonus points for. I mean, IGN gave it a 4/10! That's on par with some budget off-brand paintball game, when in fact it was a solid game in an industry where <8 is bad... and 4 means nuclear train wreck. And so you have to ask yourself -- is there any incentive for a mainstream gaming site to lambast a CoD competitor? And the answer, sadly, is yes.

Regarding various polygon comments:

if a site takes nearly a million dollars from a company they review, they cease to be trustworthy. i wouldn't trust reviews from a site funded by EA, or Ubisoft, etc, either. Or some Sony or Nintendo magazine. can the site/magazine still have fair/great reviews? Sure. But they tossed out integrity as soon as they cashed the check. That evidence is piling up doesn't help their case.

And yes, of course, it's not just numbers. Read the review, etc, etc. But numbers do matter, as evidenced by the storm that occurs everytime a game gets a 10 or a 5.

 

[io]

There's a bunch of free DLC for Touch My Katamari, though I forget what it actually adds.

I enjoyed it a ton as the first Katamari game I had played since Me & My Katamari on the PSP. It controlled as well as any other Katamari game, though the stretch mechanic was a bit weird.

If it is free it is not behind a paywall (which is what the original post had mentioned as a possible reason for not getting/liking the game). As for the control scheme I just mean it is really hard to use the tiny sticks on the Vita for controlling the Katamari vs a DS3 for example. You can play the game just fine - but for harder goals/levels the size of those analog sticks hampers you just enough to make it much harder to get 120's than it was in the PS3 version (which is probably the best of the bunch - would suggest you play that!).

 

[tylerh1701]

So, bringing this up late, but is Castle Crashers decent as a solo or couch co-op game? I know I'm late to the punch on this game, but it looks pretty good, and I'm not sure if it's been cheaper on PS3.

Also, anyone know if the online still active for it?

I thought it was rather lame solo. Couch co-op was a little bit better but it's still not my favorite game. I probably wouldn't recommend it for $7.50.

 

[gettinmoney662]

So, bringing this up late, but is Castle Crashers decent as a solo or couch co-op game? I know I'm late to the punch on this game, but it looks pretty good, and I'm not sure if it's been cheaper on PS3.

Also, anyone know if the online still active for it?

Castle Crashers is awesome, both solo and co-op, however online is probably dead by now.

 

[scaryice]

Like others mentioned, anything below an 8 is basically seen as bad. The scoring system needs to be thrown out with that mentality. A 5 is supposed to be average, 6 above average, 7 good, 8 great, 9 superb, etc., but most people don't go by that. Heck, someone mentioned earlier that a review was generally positive so they expected a 7-8 but it got a 5-6 and they didn't agree with that.

The reality is, a 5-6 is below average for a video game review score. I looked at IGN's PS3 review scores earlier this year for all physical releases. Average score was a 7.1 out of 10.

Based on all their reviews through 2/25, this is what their scores would look like translated. That is, assuming that there should be an equal number of games for each score (the top 1% with a 10.0, the next 1% with a 9.9, and so on)

Actual Translated
10.0 10.0
9.5 9.9
9.0 9.0
8.5 7.7
8.0 6.4
7.5 5.0
7.0 4.1
6.5 3.2
6.0 2.5
5.5 1.9
5.0 1.3
4.5 0.8
4.0 0.6
3.5 0.4
3.0 0.2
2.5 0.2
2.0 0.1
1.5 0.1

I would agree that a 1-5 system is better. 1-10 ratings systems annoy me for anything, not just games, because there's too many options.

 

[scaryice]

People did the same thing for Double Dragon Neon and that game was a lot of fun and unexpectedly insane.

Neon is a good game and should've gotten better reviews. Duck Tales, though...I'm sure it plays fine. If you've never played the original, it may be worth it. But I already own and enjoy the original Duck Tales on the NES, so I can't really justify spending the $15 on what is mostly a straight up remake. I wish they would've made a whole new game instead of just one new stage.

I really liked the way reviews were handled on Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine back in the day. Three or four editors would play the game then write their own short yet concise review, and then assign their own individual scores. Some reviewers I agreed with more then others but dissenting opinions always seemed to bring thoughtful counterpoints to the argument. I think game reviews are a mirror to the media climate we now live in for better or worse.

EGM's reviews were a cool format, but I've been going back and looking through the old issues recently. It seems like there was hardly ever any disagreement between the reviewers, and the tiny amount of space didn't really offer them much room to analyze anything. And in each issue, there's 20-30 reviews. So each person reviewed like a game per day, so you know they weren't spending a ton of time on each one.

Having multiple reviewers is a good idea, though. But any site/magazine that does that probably would have to review only a few games per month instead of everything.

 

[amusedtoe]

EGM's reviews were a cool format, but I've been going back and looking through the old issues recently. It seems like there was hardly ever any disagreement between the reviewers, and the tiny amount of space didn't really offer them much room to analyze anything. And in each issue, there's 20-30 reviews. So each person reviewed like a game per day, so you know they weren't spending a ton of time on each one.

Having multiple reviewers is a good idea, though. But any site/magazine that does that probably would have to review only a few games per month instead of everything.

Yeah, most were pretty inline but if you subscribed you knew who the people were that you agreed with and it provided a lot of insight.

There was someone else who tried a similar setup in a longer form internet setting a few years ago but I'm drawing a huge blank on who it was.

 

[FriskyTanuki]

There's a difference between having a 5/10 be your average/middle of the road score on a review scale and the average score of all reviews being around a 7.

 

[MrNinjaSquirrel]

There's a reason why you shouldn't follow sites, but the writers. Find the people whose voice and opinions similar to yours and follow them wherever they go.

100% agree (was actually typing a post saying this, but it got deleted ). For me a review is only relevant if I have a background on what games the reviewer enjoys. If they like/dislike the same sort of stuff I do, then it goes to reason that I will probably agree with their review. I have a handful of reviewers I like, and everyone else is mostly background noise to me. I may read them if there are no other options (such as with certain indie games), but I don't put a ton of stock into them unless they are unquestionable things such as bugs/glitches. I still find it crazy how worked up some people (not directed at anyone here) can get over someone's opinion, scores especially, but I suppose complaining about the complainers isn't really any better, so I try to just shrug it off as much as I can. As the saying goes "don't feed the trolls".

 

[Joker13z]

why couldnt they told this last week AHHHHHHHHHHH (just renew gamefly so more games to backlog LOL)

game 1 Atelier Totori Plus - $19.59 - 51% Off still alittle high though

anyone know if its worth the 20 bucks (doubt you ever seee it cheaper) but i heard it was very short)

touch my is tempting for 3.75 but i dont know if i ever play it and could see this free end of year on PS+

WEEK 2

sadly nothing can get almost all of those at cart prices or cheaper on cart

so at least backlog wont be that bad

Wow buddy...you just achieved a new low in post formatting. I mean come on now, black on gray font? *sighs and walks away*

 

[biledriver]

So, bringing this up late, but is Castle Crashers decent as a solo or couch co-op game? I know I'm late to the punch on this game, but it looks pretty good, and I'm not sure if it's been cheaper on PS3.

Also, anyone know if the online still active for it?

Solo can be boring after awhile but at first it's great. there are unlockable weapons, pets and characters to go after that keep you heading back. Once you have all those though, you will want people to play with. Couch co-op for Castle Crashers is really great in the old school four person arcade brawler sense. Highly recommend!

 

[tylerh1701]

Well it took about 2 minutes with the God Mode demo to know it's not for me.  Also proud of myself that I won't be buying the Sound Shapes DLC.  With the upcoming Vita sales I may splurge there, so it would be dumb for me to spend $2.45 on content I don't want just for the trophies.

Final debates this week come down to Rayman Origins for $5 (I'll probably pass since I have it on Vita, but I could see myself wanting to play it on the big screen again) and Ducktales.  Oh and I bought that Wicked Monsters HD game for a buck.  Looks interesting enough, and I like to support the $1 games that Sony does whenever I can.

 

[gettinmoney662]

I think reviews don't need all this extraneous bullshit. Just tell me if the game is worth playing or not. "The voice actor of one character is a little annoying and sometimes the music doesn't match the pacing of the game." Who gives a shit?

 

[Joker13z]

I think reviews don't need all this extraneous bullshit. Just tell me if the game is worth playing or not. "The voice actor of one character is a little annoying and sometimes the music doesn't match the pacing of the game." Who gives a shit?

I concur. I do not like people who give their shit to people either. It's very uncouth and just...shitty frankly.

 

[amusedtoe]

Well it took about 2 minutes with the God Mode demo to know it's not for me. Also proud of myself that I won't be buying the Sound Shapes DLC. With the upcoming Vita sales I may splurge there, so it would be dumb for me to spend $2.45 on content I don't want just for the trophies.

Yeah, as much as I like Sound Shapes and want to show them support I think that yet another big sale is forcing my hand to pass on the DLC. We don't even know if they'll decide to drop another big unannounced sale concurrently like the did with the summer blast and Atlus sales.

I think reviews don't need all this extraneous bullshit. Just tell me if the game is worth playing or not. "The voice actor of one character is a little annoying and sometimes the music doesn't match the pacing of the game." Who gives a shit?

Well it depends on the situation. Is this an annoying sound you hear for a few lines of dialogue one every couple of hours during a cutscene? Or is it an annoying voice that you hear several times a minute because it's a main/party character that's always on screen and anytime they do something have an annoying quip to make? The latter is entirely relevant because that can, in extreme cases, entirely ruin a game for some people.

 

[gettinmoney662]

You know those review summaries? That's all reviews should be. The score and up to three pros and cons. That should be all the info you need.

 

[Stellar Inertia]

Yeah, as much as I like Sound Shapes and want to show them support I think that yet another big sale is forcing my hand to pass on the DLC. We don't even know if they'll decide to drop another big unannounced sale concurrently like the did with the summer blast and Atlus sales.

Well it depends on the situation. Is this an annoying sound you hear for a few lines of dialogue one every couple of hours during a cutscene? Or is it an annoying voice that you hear several times a minute because it's a main/party character that's always on screen and anytime they do something have an annoying quip to make? The latter is entirely relevant because that can, in extreme cases, entirely ruin a game for some people.

I think its sad if you are passing on a game you are interested in because of a characters voice.

Regarding reviews, I never understood the point in them. If I am interested in a game I check out videos of gameplay or something, I dont care about some writers opinion. Most of the time I just check the game out myself.

 

[guardian_owl]

If the presence of the overly-sexualized female characters ruined the the experience for the reviewer, they are perfectly justified in scoring it down. Just as I would immediately dock a point off any movie that I saw if Dane Cook was in it, no matter the quality of the other elements of the film.

Don't have a vita yet, but I will go ahead and pick up touch my katamari at that price, I am sure I will get one eventually.

At worst, Ducktales is a 95% faithful adaption of 20+ year old, high quality (at the time) NES game, with a fresh coat of paint on top. For some people, that's not enough, I am fine erring on the side of archaic when doing an HD remake. What finally pushed me over the edge of purchasing it was reviews mentioning the option to play with original NES music soundtrack or old style POGO controls. There is also the option to tweak it and remove the modern crutch elements like the maps and treasure beacons via higher difficulty levels. One of the reviews was just being petty, start criticizing the theme song and I know you are grasping at straws at reasons to score down the game.

 

[iamsmart]

I think its sad if you are passing on a game you are interested in because of a characters voice.

You've never played Final Fantasy X, then.

One of the reviews was just being petty, start criticizing the theme song and I know you are grasping at straws at reasons to score down the game.

I know, that seems really petty...

I would immediately dock a point off any movie that I saw if Dane Cook was in it, no matter the quality of the other elements of the film.

...oh.

 

[rpg]

@Tyler

DuckTales no plat

19

1

 

[tylerh1701]

Yeah, just saw it right now.  No big surprise there.  Thanks.  

 

[dgwillia006]

Man, Sound Shapes was an easy double plat, I assumed it would be harder since I heard so many people bitching about Death Mode. Barely took like 6 hours. And for a music game, the music didn't really seem as good as I hoped, the only music I really liked was in the City worlds (I think the music was by Beck). Everything else just sounded bland

 

[Stellar Inertia]

Man, Sound Shapes was an easy double plat, I assumed it would be harder since I heard so many people bitching about Death Mode. Barely took like 6 hours. And for a music game, the music didn't really seem as good as I hoped, the only music I really liked was in the City worlds (I think the music was by Beck). Everything else just sounded bland

Same way I felt and yes death mode is no where near as hard as everyone made it out to be. Still an okay game.

 

[Prismatico]

Same way I felt and yes death mode is no where near as hard as everyone made it out to be. Still an okay game.

It's not so much that it's hard, but there's a bit of randomness to some of the levels on how things get laid out for you. So in essence not everyone's overall experience is going to be the same, even with comparing two people of equal skill level.

 

[affa]

I think its sad if you are passing on a game you are interested in because of a characters voice.

Regarding reviews, I never understood the point in them. If I am interested in a game I check out videos of gameplay or something, I dont care about some writers opinion. Most of the time I just check the game out myself.

not everyone got into gaming post-youtube, let alone post-internet. i remember looking forward to Scorpia's reviews in (now) ancient Computer Gaming World. That's back when most families didn't even have a computer.

I watch gameplay vids too, and that's useful in a broad way - as in, yes, i might like this, let me go read some reviews... because a good review will tell me about overall game balance, etc.

Of course, there are some very well narrated gameplay reviews that i like, but once again, you end up listening to 'some youtuber's opinion', to paraphrase you. That's why finding reviewers we generally agree with is important.

 

[specialist]

Man, Sound Shapes was an easy double plat, I assumed it would be harder since I heard so many people bitching about Death Mode. Barely took like 6 hours. And for a music game, the music didn't really seem as good as I hoped, the only music I really liked was in the City worlds (I think the music was by Beck). Everything else just sounded bland

I really only had trouble with one of the death levels. It does rely on some lucky note spawns, but it's all super doable.

I liked the Beck world except for the last part where everything was green. The music was ing TERRIBLE in that.

I'm having more fun with the level editor. I've got some really awesome stuff made.

 

[Stellar Inertia]

not everyone got into gaming post-youtube, let alone post-internet. i remember looking forward to Scorpia's reviews in (now) ancient Computer Gaming World. That's back when most families didn't even have a computer.

I watch gameplay vids too, and that's useful in a broad way - as in, yes, i might like this, let me go read some reviews... because a good review will tell me about overall game balance, etc.

Of course, there are some very well narrated gameplay reviews that i like, but once again, you end up listening to 'some youtuber's opinion', to paraphrase you. That's why finding reviewers we generally agree with is important.

I just watch how the game plays. I dont pay attention to a youtuber's opinion or commentary (or ANYONES for that matter). So you misunderstood me there. I also dont strictly use youtube as you implied. Best thing to do is play the demo and see for yourself, I prefer to form my own opinion on whether I want to play a game or not. I guess I should add that I demo most games on 360 since they put so many up, not sure if Sony does the same.

 

[amusedtoe]

I just watch how the game plays. I dont pay attention to a youtuber's opinion or commentary (or ANYONES for that matter). So you misunderstood me there. I also dont strictly use youtube as you implied. Best thing to do is play the demo and see for yourself, I prefer to form my own opinion on whether I want to play a game or not. I guess I should add that I demo most games on 360 since they put so many up, not sure if Sony does the same.

I bet you go see a lot of those really just awful movies with the really deceptive trailers.

 

[Spokker]

To be honest, I read reviews mostly to figure out what the game is, not the author's opinion about it. When it comes to actual opinions I read GameCritics, but they don't regularly post reviews of all games, just some games.

Gamespot's review of DuckTales did its job. It told me what the game is and completely sold me on it despite the 4.5 score. I pre-ordered the game on PSN after reading it.

 

[Kenshindono]

There was a huge Final Fantasy sale a bit back that had some PS1 Classics included. Currently Rayman 1 and 2 are on sale, and Wild Arms was given out free a while ago. They don't go on sale that often, but I would wait unless you are dying to play them now.

Damn too bad i missed the Final Fantasy sale. Its too bad, i wanted IX and maybe VII. When was WIld Arms free? I dont remember that at all. I guess i can wait, im just concerned some may get delisted at some point. I'm always leery especially about big licenced games. I know relatively recently people who bought Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles got screwed when it got delisted

What about the more niche games like i said? Vanguard Bandits, Saiyuki, Front mission, Rhapsody, stuff like that? Do they ever go on sale?

 

[Cleaner7]

I just watch how the game plays. I dont pay attention to a youtuber's opinion or commentary (or ANYONES for that matter). So you misunderstood me there. I also dont strictly use youtube as you implied. Best thing to do is play the demo and see for yourself, I prefer to form my own opinion on whether I want to play a game or not. I guess I should add that I demo most games on 360 since they put so many up, not sure if Sony does the same.



I play whatever demos/trials are out like you mentioned and always find it curious when others don't when the option is available. But demos can be deceptive too or not a good representation of the overall product and that's why I like (spoiler free) reviews. Then I decide what's right for me.

The only time I've ever regretted playing a demo was for the original Bioshock. It was technically a new IP (I never played System Shock) and though I loved the previews I wanted to try it for myself before committing to buying the LE. I loved the demo, but wish I could have savored the wonderful intro to the game as a whole. When I played the retail copy I was sad I couldn't re-experience it for the first time. Maybe that's just a compliment to how much I loved it

Previously I would consume every game (and movie) trailer and many previews before playing (or watching) the final product. For the last year or so I've been trying to go into movies and games with the least amount of info needed to determine my interest. I've been enjoying that immensely. The sense of wonder and surprise when going into games like Mass Effect 3, Bioshock Infinite and The Last of Us relatively blind has been extremely rewarding.

 

[Lemstar]

Damn too bad i missed the Final Fantasy sale. Its too bad, i wanted IX and maybe VII. When was WIld Arms free? I dont remember that at all.

March

 

[whitereflection]

not everyone got into gaming post-youtube, let alone post-internet. i remember looking forward to Scorpia's reviews in (now) ancient Computer Gaming World. That's back when most families didn't even have a computer.

I watch gameplay vids too, and that's useful in a broad way - as in, yes, i might like this, let me go read some reviews... because a good review will tell me about overall game balance, etc.

Of course, there are some very well narrated gameplay reviews that i like, but once again, you end up listening to 'some youtuber's opinion', to paraphrase you. That's why finding reviewers we generally agree with is important.

I can't believe someone mentioned Scorpia and Computer Gaming World. I really miss that magazine. I'm also surprised that I'll have to tell my kids one day that there was even such a thing as video game magazines. I subscribe to all the ones currently available to help stave off the reaper, but all of them will be gone one day except maybe Game Informer.

 

[JMusic]

If the presence of the overly-sexualized female characters ruined the the experience for the reviewer, they are perfectly justified in scoring it down. Just as I would immediately dock a point off any movie that I saw if Dane Cook was in it, no matter the quality of the other elements of the film.

Waiting... just wouldn't have been the same without Dane Cook. I can't think of any other actor better qualified to play a character obviously modeled on Dane Cook...

 

[wrencrest]

Man you guys are ing old!    I loved EGM.  Ah the days before the internet.  The excitement of getting a new mag in the mail with all those pretty pictures!  It is nice to have all the info at your fingertips now, but we miss something...

I know my daughter is excited to play Ducktales tonight. I am excited too. 

 

[radioactivez0r]

Didn't realize there was a demo for Silent Hill: BoM, will check that out as I've been interested in that game since release. Curious about Muramasa, but dammit if I don't already have a Wii copy and a functional Dolphin setup (so really, would it look better on the Vita at that point?).  I've mostly been playing PS+ games on my Vita anyway, I wouldn't mind owning a bit more.