Pretty simple discussion, Sony is launching Rachet at £70 in june, from what we have seen its has improved visuals featuring more object density and better lighting, textures effects etc. The gameplay is not to different to prior rachet games with the main activity being shooting, with some set pieces and vehicle combat. It looks good but theres no doubt that the new visuals are playing a big part of the initial impressions.
Now I haven’t seen much of PN2, but from looking at this 5min gameplay video im more interested in it compared to rachet, the level design looks more creative in the way the levels shift from different perspectives and the sheer wackiness of the environments just looks more interesting.
If these two games launch closly together, does it highlight that the new gen difference is not that transformational? To me rachet does not really show how the new gen improves games apart from graphics.
Also psychonauts 2 is free with gamepass and rachet is £70, despite psychonauts 2 being on the PS4, imo Microsofts option is loads better, rachet is simply not better then psychonauts 2 to justify its £70 price tag and the new generation.
I will add that im excited to play both these games, this thread is not about scoring points in a console war, but its about discussing the two different strategies, there pros and cons and how the market will react.
Will Psychonauts be a full-price game? Then I don’t see the difference in business strategy. But I definitely agree with the overall take on game design. R&C is fairly simple with a lot of the appeal stemming from the graphics and presentation whereas psychonauts is a more creative platformer. Critics wise I expect psychonauts to grab the better scores. Saleswise R&C will probably fair better with the large playstation crowd looking forward to that title. I was never interested in R&C since their gameplay wise not more complex then a Lego game but Insomniac is really up there with their tech.
That makes the conversation even more interesting because if rift apart has a substantialy bigger budget, because in terms of quality as a game based on what Ive seen bigger budget does not = better game.
I dont how much psychonauts will be, but we do know Psychonauts will be available with gamepass and rift apart is £70 which is the key point of the topic.
Ive Noticed impressions of psychonauts 2 to be pretty good.
The people trashing psychonauts 2 because rachet has better graphics are just fanboys, delete them.
While I believe that Psychonauts 2 will be a great game from a great development studio, I personally have zero interest in the game and even if I did, based on what I have seen, the other game (Rift Apart) impresses me a hell of a lot more. Plus, they’ve shown me more. Melee combat, shooting, grappling hook, using animals as vehicles which I find hilarious, air combat, exploration, some info on a few characters, a general idea and premise as well as it looking absolutely stunning and seamlessly going from one world to another with no actual loading screens, holy crap!!!
Price wise, to be perfectly honest, for me it all comes down to if im hyped to play the game and if that’s a yes, it’s day one. I don’t care if the price is a $10 monthly rental on Game Pass, a $40 budget AA title or a $70 AAA title. If I want to play it, im doing so day one. Not months or years later. Just no. But everyone should do what they feel is best for themselves.
Strange comparison: AAA vs indie almost cut down before MS acquisition, tps vs platformer, mass market targeted vs niche, premium priced vs budget/game pass, etc…there is really no similarity outside the camera angle maybe.
Aside from graphics is rachet really better? I mean that section in psychonauts 2 where you are going down that corridor and it changes perspective then to 2.5d platformer is more creative then anything we have seen from rachet.
Lol, rachet is a platformer too and how is PN2 an indie? Its made by 65ppl over like 5yrs, its obviously surpassed its initial Kickstarter budget of $3 million
But those other differences only make the comparison even more interesting because despite rachet being more expensive, it does not look the better game.
Its sad that flashier graphics = better game for a lot of people.
And in a lot if cases better graphics do make a game better, but with the difference between psychonauts 2 I don’t think they do. For the genre, the point of diminishing returns has gotton to the point where it does not make a significant difference to the quality of the game.
The game was an indie before MS acquisition, but it has not become an AAA, at best it has AA production values. Ratchet is much more tps than platformer in the latest games and considering what has been showed about the last one, I think platforming elements will be very few, in contrast to Psychonauts which is almost only a platform.
I never spoke about graphics, I also don’t value them over gameplay.
You may think its a strange comparison, but ive yet to hear from you why a rift apart is the better game.
They arey both similer style of games yes rachet has shooting but its still a tps platformer with a cartoony artstyle.
I mean if you dont want to compare them, then fine, why bother posting in the thread?
I think they are two massively different games in scope alone, and while console war kids will face them off against each other (because reasons…) I don’t think it’s particularly fair.
I think R&C:RA will be a slick, gorgeous iteration on the standard R&C formula with some “next gen” bells and whistles, and P2 will be an imaginative, quirky game for fans of the original.
What is it you’re looking to compare here?
P2 will do great on Game Pass, but I don’t expect much more than that.
R&C will do great on PS5.
And I guess that’s it? Like, I’m fine having a conversation, but you’ve not made a clear case about how these games are related to any particular business strategy at all.
(As an aside, please mind your tone in response to others - I think some have been more blunt/less verbose than me in responding to this thread, try not to take it personally.)
Thats interesting.
With prior generations the difference in visuals was pronounced enough to have a genuine impack to most gamers, but so far from what ive seen from this new gen Im not convinced the new visuals are the reason people are so hyped. I think its more people being susceptible to clever marketing and the desire for somthing new and different. I honestly think if the rift part was cross gen and the PS5 version was just higher framerate and resolution the mainstream would react all that differently. We have to remember a lot of videogame internet talk is not representative of the larger mainstream market, just look at the crazy success of the switch which has had with its 2016 mobile tech.
This argument is not limited to sony exclusives but any next gen exclusives may run in to similer issues, but the gaming audience does seem pretty willing to just go along with this less dramatic generational leap, so I maybe wrong.
I actually think it would make sense to compare Psychonauts 2 to… I Psychonauts 2 if you want to compare business strategies and outcomes.
Obviously this won’t be possible because we’ll never have the information to do it, but the game will be available on both Xbox and PS. On Xbox, it will be part of Game Pass, while it obviously won’t on PS. We don’t know how much it will cost on PS (or Xbox so far as I’m aware) yet, unless that has come out recently, but I’d expect the price to be the same on both stores. It truly would be interesting if it was 70 on PS to “fit in” but I doubt it.
Anyway, if you really want a way to compare results based on a business strategy, that’s probably the best one - comparing it to itself. Obviously there are still other variables at play, but it gets closest to being the same.
Edit: and this still might not work, forgot this may be a ps4 only thing. Oh well.
