Do_The_Manta_Ray

It's a dumb, little thing, but you can actually go to where Cassandra usually hangs around in Skyhold and she'll ask you whether you'd allow her to continue adventuring with you while the priests sort out the details of her coronation. She'll still have all your gear. I am really not clear on why they opted to remove her from the party in the first place if her rejoining is such a simple, obfuscated task.

In terms of Solas, however, you're pretty much fucked as far as I know. Especially considering Rift Mages are by far the best CC class in the game.

On the other hand, crafting mage equipment is pretty easy, and if you're going for the big Dragons in the end-game, you'll probably be better off bringing Vivienne as a Knight Enchanter, so.. You should be fine.

Personally, I'd have nominated it for best music, best style and best story. And it isn't even my game of the year. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that we're talking about something that's even one step removed from opinions here. The guys all have their own take on what prize should go to which game, and with so many folks in the room, for everyone to settle and agree on a single game just isn't very likely to come to pass. And so we're basically talking about "The Compromise 2014" here.

It's also worth noting that they're going through a ton of categories. Some deserving games are going to slip through the cracks. Kentucky Route Zero is a perfect example of a game that deserved to be elevated, but which just wasn't, for no fair reason. It's a shame, but eh, what can you do? GoTY is more about fun than anything else. We probably shouldn't read into it too much.

As a matter of fact, it already is. Sort of. If you opt in on the Playstation Now service, you can rent it on your PS4, assuming you have access to one of 'em fine machines. Likely going to be your only option as I doubt that we're going to see another proper release of the game.

@COREVI You, sir, are a monster. A soulless husk. I have no other explanation for how you can't find it in yourself to love the immaculate wonder that is MGS4.

EDIT: Scratch that entire message. Should have read OP more carefully.

Unfortunately, it's been confirmed that there will be a new separate release of Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin on PC, as well as the current-gen consoles. None of these versions will be compatible with save-games, or even online-play, from the last-gen versions of the game, including the PC port as is. They have not released any statements on whether there'll be an option for established PC owners to upgrade for a lesser sum, but we will definitely have to pay for new graphics. What we will get, as well as Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 owners, is the new content, which consists of some new areas, new NPCs and overall gameplay fixes.

@thunderslash: You're right, it would make a lot more sense, but there's a pretty distinct difference between the kind of fixes available for DS 1 and DS 2. The graphical mods for DS 2 are simply sliders, retuned lightning, SweetFX, it's working with what's already there in an attempt at producing a look that's more pleasing. GEM is a good example. The kind of modding you're going to see for just about every game. DSFix on the other hand is a complete overhaul which actually disrupts the game's internal logic with it's API and forces it to work differently in order to run at a higher resolution, etc. But what it actually comes down to here is the reputation. Most people who play DS 2 on the PC probably didn't bother with any graphical mods because the game looks fine, and it works fine. DSFix on the other hand, a major overhaul to the way the game looked (comparative to the effect of this new release), was god damn necessary. It's infamous among DS fans at this juncture. It is basically on par with what they're doing now, only for free rather than retail price. Mind, this might all just boil down to there having been a mistake due to the recent changed to Dark Souls, but.. I doubt it.

As shitty as this is, it's their motive for doing so that really bothers me.

Dark Souls has been out for years on the PC by now, there is no reason they'd suddenly hop out of their wheelchairs and yell "MAKE THIS A LESSER VERSION THIS INSTANT!". DSFix has helped them get additional sales on the PC to be sure. They gain nothing from stabbing their established user-base in the back.

So, why the sudden change of policy? Well.. Namco's launching a preemptive strike in order to avoid an even greater backlash in a few months time. They're re-releasing Dark Souls 2 with a graphical update, which owners of the current PC version has to pay to upgrade to. Basically, DSFix did something for free that they're now going to charge money for (not announced if it'll be full price or not, but it's likely). They don't want that contrast floating about once the new DS2 version hits.

Jesus, what scum-like behaviour. It's important to distinguish Namco, the producer, and From Software, the developers here. I find it difficult to believe the latter would consent of this move.

Paging @patrickklepek: Please make sure people know about this dirty, dirty move on behalf of Bandai Namco.

@eskimo: It's fairly simple this time around. There are three shrines, each corresponding to a different DLC area. Once you purchase the DLCs, you'll receive an item in your inventory that has a hint as to where these shrines are located. (Spoilers for them who'd like to explore on their own) Two of these are next to major bosses of the game. Sunken Crown is in the room after the Rotten, next to the primeval bonfire. Iron Crown is in the room after the Old Iron King, again next to the primeval bonfire. And the final one, Ivory Crown, is in the Shrine of Winter, which is the locked door you pass on the way to Dranleic castle after having defeated the first big 4.

@drzing: Fortunately, all the new content from the "next-gen" version will be included in our already purchased editions. Gotta' pay up for those graphical updates however. By then, I think I'll just be playing Bloodborne anyhow.

I fucking adore 'em, personally. It's a very different kind of design than is seen throughout the most of DS 2, being far more reminiscent of Demons' Souls level design, but with the polish of DS 2 added ontop of it.

Everyone I've personally talked to is in the same group as I am, and think it's some of the best, if not the best, levels in the entire Souls franchise. As with a lot of other folks, I was initially somewhat disappointed by DS 2 as a whole, it felt a bit too easy and too unimaginative to me overall, but the DLC completely turned that perspective on it's head. It's a ton of inventive, lengthy content, and I'd kill for even more of it.

Mind, there are people who feel differently from me. When the DLC initially came out, a LOT of people were complaining about it being too hard, and being even more obtuse than as per usual. They're both valid arguments, it's just that those aspects actually appeal to certain people while they put others off. Way I see it, if a Souls game isn't hard or doesn't require time to figure out, it's not doing it's job.

Much like the game I found myself enjoying the most last year was the expansion to XCOM, the Dark Souls 2 DLC is really what made this year special in gaming for me.

If you decide to play a single one of 'em to try it out, I'd suggest you go for the Iron Crown DLC as it's probably the best overall. (Though I'm personally leaning towards Ivory Crown as my favourite) Should you decide to get all three, then start with Sunken Crown and play 'em in the order of release, as they get progressively harder. The Sunken Crown also has a really neat mechanic that involves hitting switches to drastically change and weaponize the environment, and that stuff is just worth seeing.

You could also go for an emulator option and simply play the game that way. It'll be stable, and representative of what the game was like when it originally came out. It's worth mentioning that it's a fan-fucking-tastic game, probably the best Final Fantasy made. (After Tactics) I've also found that it holds up pretty good. The art style lends itself to a kind of longevity that you couldn't get from the 3D iterations. Basically a gorgeous pixel-art game at this point.

@cusseta: Simply stated, no. You basically need to finish a character's arc in other to unlock this achievement, which involves doing their major personal quests, talking to 'em plenty and what not. The one exception to the rule would be Cassandra, who straight up starts referring to you as her damn friend. It takes a good while in order to reach this point, so unless you're at the very end of the game, I wouldn't worry about it.

The only indicator of progression within said arcs will be the tarot cards in your character select screen. They'll change after large personal events to basically better represent these characters' frame of mind. They're not really a reliable source, however, as some of 'em change multiple times and others just the one. What is cool, however, is that there are different versions for all characters depending on the decisions you help them make.

Make sure you finish the personal quests before doing the very last mission of the game, though, as while you can continue playing the game and doing side-quests afterwards, companion progression is shut down. If you're unsure whether you're at that point of the game, you're not. They make it pretty obvious.

Oh, and that damn thread title, man..

I will never understand these kind of complaints when there are multiple difficulty settings present. I'm not disagreeing that "normal" is, in fact, pretty easy, but that's always been the case with the MGS series. Not to downplay Drew's recent efforts if you've been following Metal Gear Scanlon, but that video-series is a perfect example of what I'm referring to.

If you're not just there for the story, you have to tune the difficulty up in this franchise. And that continues to be the case with Ground Zeroes. I realize I sound like something of an apologist here, but there's little I can do on that front as I think Hard mode makes for genuinely terrific game play. I also can't picture said mode being gated in the full release of Phantom Pain.