16BitHero

Finally started my 9 1/2 week summer break so it's Clair Obscur Expedition 33 to kick things off. What a melancholy yet powerful premise - I can't think of a game with higher stakes, a brilliant way to suck you in.

Still ploughing through Asgards Wrath 2 and just bought Rockstar's The Warriors on PS5 (back compat) after being at Coney Island last night. I've heard it mostly holds up after all these years.

Happy gaming folks!

@Fiendish-Beaver I second this opinion. It's my favourite zombie genre game bar none. Great music, great atmosphere, great parkour and a decent enough story. Nighttime is truly amazing/terrifying!

a little odd maybe but surely it's a marketing ploy to raise awareness among the 21 million plus Quest owners that they can access all Gamepass games with that subscription. If they don't already own an Xbox or PC then it's an attractive prospect - I've tried it out (Quest 3) and providing you have half decent internet speeds, playing games like Indiana Jones, Doom, Flight Simulator, Clair Obscur, Forza, EAFC etc on a virtual cinema sized screen is pretty fun - plus no motion sickness.

30 people, heck, sometimes a single developer will make far better games that are hugely successful. No surprises here.

@Coletrain 6 of that initial list require a PC including two with sequels. I think the Quests standalone offerings are worthwhile for anyone without a PC looking to get into VR but I'd thoroughly recommend a 512gb headset as I'm constantly managing my meager 128gb. Maybe it'll reel you in someday!

@Coletrain this list is by know means exhaustive (doesn't include excellent fitness or musical instrument apps) or in a particular order and like I said, the motion sickness/accessibility will vary for different people.

Asgards Wrath 2
Batman Arkham Shadow
Half Life Alex
Lone Echo 1+2
Metro Awakening
Superhot VR
Pistol Whip VR
Moss 1+2
Trover Saves the Universe
The Room VR
Red Matter 1+2
Vertigo 1+2
Robinson The Journey
Walkabout Mini Golf
Resident Evil 4
I Expect You To Die 1-3
Eye of the Temple (personal favourite)
Assassin's Creed Nexus

With PC mods:

Cyberpunk 2077
Alien Isolation
RoboCop Rogue City
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Ready or Not

I think VR could and should be bigger but Meta is the only company really pushing the envelope from a marketing perspective. Nonetheless, I think it's here to stay and the headsets/glasses tech will only get better. For now it's been a great investment for a huge gaming nerd like me.

@Coletrain Ha I know what you mean re the Irish Sea. Choppy is an understatement! Don't write off VR altogether, I was unimpressed at first with a two week PSVR trial then got proper motion sickness with a two week PSVR 2 trial. I've now owned a Quest 3 for 18 months and between that and PCVR, I'm a convert. Almost all VR games now have excellent accessibility options so I use snap turning which has completely eliminated motion sickness for me, even with smooth locomotion and in relatively frantic games. I guess it's not a guarantee for everyone but some of the best experiences I've had in 40 years of gaming are in VR.

Finally the speculation can be (mostly) put to rest! If this new console does somehow integrate Steam - which isn't mentioned by name and still seems unlikely - then this console could capture the sizable market of dual PC/Console owners, especially if Sony continue to release exclusives on PC.

@Balaam_ 10/10 comment, people in the industry couldn't have articulated that any better.

@themightyant Forza needs to get rid of the nauseating career mode dialogue and general vibe that appears solely aimed at the younger Instagram generation. There are older serious petrol heads who want to play these games too. Also the rubber band AI which makes solo play a little less stimulating.

@Ricky-Spanish I think this trilogy of Doom titles is one of the most cathartic video game series in history. They sound great, look great and feel great to play. I love that ID decided to differentiate the mechanics in all three. There aren't many games that get the adrenaline flowing like Doom!

@Millionski I've followed this whole conversation and agree with you RE no proprietary Xbox next gen. It's a good business decision. Microsoft/Xbox Game studios is a huge profitable umbrella of devs and publishers now. The games will make MS money on PlayStation 6 and Switch 2 so partnering to facilitate a range of hybrid PCs makes more sense in my opinion. I don't think we're any closer to widespread streaming adoption with current Internet infrastructure. I'm sure Gamepass will undergo further changes to accommodate these, erm changes, but we're used to that by now. I was sad to see Sega get out of hardware back in the day but that's just business and gaming is in a better place than ever (minus predatory live service/micro transactions filled titles).

@Coletrain RE tying this feature to GPU - a great point that Microsoft should definitely reconsider!

When did the word announcement lose it's 'ment'?! This appears to be a common grammatical error in video game circles/YouTube videos in the past decade.

I can't see Xbox mentioning the next console at this event. There is still life in the Series X and Gamepass has been incredible this past year.

Mad Max has a special place in my heart. I really hope Avalanche have something special cooking as I don't think they've released anything since Rage 2 in 2019.

@themightyant good to know, I'll probably start this with my wife this weekend. We took a few notes/screenshots in Return of the Obra Dinn and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes but nothing too extensive. BP sounds right up our alley.

Most games retailing at $70 or $80 undoubtedly sell less on launch. Maybe overall revenue is made up by the price difference but unless it's a GTA 6 or big sports franchise where people want the latest rosters, I'm willing to bet most people wait for the frequent sales and discounts on offer nowadays. The fact that many games are either fixed or improved over several months of patches and quick fixes only increases the likelihood that many of us will be more patient than in the past.

Cyberpunk eventually became an all time classic in my opinion, especially for fans of the genre. I prefer the Fantasy of Witcher overall but I also love sci fi and am re reading Neuromancer before a second playthrough of C2077.

@Kezelpaso I was going to start Clair Obscur but my Gamepass is broken. Re-subbed by stacking 36 months of US advertised 12 month Core subs only to get a store region error when trying to upgrade to Ultimate. Microsoft haven't been helpful and getting a refund from the seller won't help with the region issue as my useless Core subscription is active. Any ideas folks? Maybe PX could do an article on this as it seems like a relatively common issue per Microsoft forums/Reddit.

Loving some of the comments on YouTube. Witcher 3 is an excellent example of the power of video games and the impact it can have on some folks lives.

@BAMozzy this comment should have been a mini article on PS and PX. Thumbs up.

I need to finish the Eternal DLC before I jump into Dark Ages but that's mostly because each of these games has different enough mechanics that it's actually difficult to simply jump between them. (I tried going back to Doom 2016 while playing Eternal but my brain couldn't handle it ha) Kudos to ID for making three different play styles and trusting gamers, especially Doom fans to be onboard with that decision. It's refreshing and I personally love how different each of them plays.

@Ricky-Spanish @Banjo- @Fiendish-Beaver @OldGamer999 @themightyant @HonestHick @somnambulance @Kaloudz @BAMozzy @nomither6

When I think of the great community here I usually zero in on your comments as they are almost always positive and optimistic no matter what is going on in the industry. And it's just good to have a proper discourse geek out around a hobby we all love that can provide much needed comfort and escapism.

I got mine when Flight Simulator landed and I didn't have a gaming PC. 24 months of GPU included was enough in itself to make it excellent value. I've only subscribed to GP for a few months here and there since when games I want to play come to the service and now I have a gaming PC I'm not on the Series X as frequently but it's an excellent console and I have a great library thanks to backward compatibility and crossbuy purchases on PC. If these large acquisitions had happened sooner this generation then I think Xbox would have been far more competitive in the hardware space. It'll be a shame if this is the last mainstream Xbox console cycle, less competition is never a good thing. Gamers have it better than ever nonetheless.

Thank you for using 'disappointment' rather than 'fuming' (PS). Not all gamers are entitled brats.

I've been gaming since the 80's. 10 years after release this is still my favourite game of all time. Great narrative, great characters, great quests, great voice acting, great music, great maps, just wonderful immersion. Plus best DLC ever made - better than most full games in the genre. It's magical if a little dated mechanically.

Only when consoles can affordably integrate AI upscaling and frame gen tech will we see the best looking games hit 60 fps and above. Hopefully next gen.

I appreciate Microsoft's effort here, this really should be the status quo on console moving forward. It can't be hard to build a good emulator for each or all previous platforms then include it in a future console OS. Whoever has the rights to older games will surely be happy it if they are still appreciated or even find new audiences for say $5 (and frequent sales a la Steam). As things stand it's very limited on console and can be persnickety on PC (with IP owners seeing no revenue/royalties).

I really hope this has a good single player component. It's about time a military shooter had a really good innovative campaign akin to Titanfall 2, Wolfenstein or Doom. COD has done nothing new for almost two decades at this point. Yes the mechanics are good but everything else is Michael Bay levels of stale.

If there's a decent 40fps quality mode I'll be tempted. Otherwise I'm waiting for the PC version. I mean, I'm going to try and wait....

I appreciated previous GTA games in terms of their cultural/satirical accuracy from having seen Hollywood films and a few brief trips to those real cities. After living in Florida for eight years I can safely say GTA 6 absolutely nails it all again. Please let PC be closer behind console release this time!

I'm now as curious as ever to see what hardware Microsoft dish up next generation. I got a PS5 shortly followed by Series X earlier this generation but until recently, it's mostly been remasters, remakes, backward compatible boosted games and only a handful of good exclusives. Yes there have been plenty of brilliant multi platform games but I became disillusioned enough to finally invest in a hand me down PC at the end of 2023 and upgraded this past weekend hoping it future proofs me for another 5-7 years. I think it's the way to go considering where consoles are at. If you really want a convenient small box under your TV then PlayStation 6 seems like the way to go. Microsoft are indeed becoming Sega albeit much much bigger.

Excellent news. The backlog is real. And neverending.

@CallMeDuraSouka ha fair enough. Considering the enormous fan base, I'm hoping the future of game development in India provides! In the meantime after 15 years in the US I'm finally appreciating the intricacies of Baseball. Each to their own.

Really fun with friends, a bit bland without, it's a basic Hades clone with good if simple gameplay and a very decent soundtrack.

The latest game didn't get a great reception and many Rally fans like me just stuck with Dirt 2.0

EA is really only going to invest in sports games with huge audiences and likely a large American audience as most of their revenue is there other than EA Sports FC. I've wanted a AAA Rugby and Cricket game for decades now but that ain't ever happening.

Lumping two of my recent comments together here but it's all relevant. Crazy times indeed.
Gaming will definitely become a more expensive hobby. The big picture is that wages/salaries simply don't keep up with inflation and the cost of living for 90% of us. It's a complex economic system but it's always skewed toward the wealthy because of the people in high levels of government. It's particularly stark in the US where corporate lobbyists have most politicians in their pocket. We're now seeing that on steroids and it affects everyone.

Gamepass will still be great value with a modest price hike but only if you have the free time to enjoy gaming which many adults don't. It's ultimately down to individual interpretation of the costs. For me, the future of gaming is looking like PC only as once you make that initial investment, you're good for a while and can upgrade here and there when you can afford to. More importantly the various storefronts offer much better value and frequent discounts and sales than MS or Sony. Patience is key though. If you're a day one gamer then it's going to be a very expensive hobby and Gamepass will be great value if it continues to be sustainable.

Gamepass will still be great value with a modest price hike but only if you have the free time to enjoy gaming which many adults don't. It's ultimately down to individual interpretation of the costs. For me, the future of gaming is looking like PC only as once you make that initial investment, you're good for a while and can upgrade here and there when you can afford to. More importantly the various storefronts offer much better value and frequent discounts and sales than MS or Sony. Patience is key though. If you're a day one gamer then it's going to be a very expensive hobby and Gamepass will be great value if it continues to be sustainable.

Gaming will definitely become a more expensive hobby. The big picture is that wages/salaries simply don't keep up with inflation and the cost of living for 90% of us. It's a complex economic system but it's always skewed toward the wealthy because of the people in high levels of government. It's particularly stark in the US where corporate lobbyists have most politicians in their pocket. We're now seeing that on steroids and it affects everyone.

I got Indy with Gamepass Ultimate but that expired soon after and I haven't re-subbed since (my existing backlog is way too big to add all the recent Gamepass goodies on top of them). I bought Indy through the Windows store to get cross play for Series X and PC. When I feel like a big screen it's Xbox, when I want sumptuous visuals and a high frame rate it's PC. Fab on both.

I think some MS published games will be day 1 multiplatform and some two months or so delayed but most will be day 1 everywhere eventually.

@Millionski cheers for the GPU info! I know my wife will love BP too having previously completed Lorelei and the laser eyes and Talos Principle 2 before me.

I'm sticking with CF 25. I got it because I lived in a big ACC town for eight years. Like EA Sports FC and Madden, I doubt the year on year tweaks are worth the extra outlay and I'm not invested in real players/names in American football. Maybe in 26/27!

I said it in a comment yesterday, I need to resub but don't know where to start. I can't help thinking the Xbox consoles would have seen much higher sales numbers if this had occurred early in the generation. The value vs competitors is really something at this point. Xbox is a publisher now though and that benefits all gamers.

This is surely the strongest few months Gamepass has ever had. I want to resub but no idea what to play first!

Outlaws is objectively a good game. Not great, not bad. Yes it has some standard open world genre fare but I'd argue most of what is here fits the Star Wars universe and in this case the player character very well. The graphics, music and overall feel of being in a Star Wars adventure are excellent. Ubisoft isn't for everyone and I've long since tired of most of their IPs but I'm glad EA isn't the only developer able to make Star Wars games now. It's refreshing to have one without Jedi as main characters. Outlaws was clearly made by people who are passionate about the universe. I got the same for $25 after all the various gameplay patches and it's a fun time and well worth it if you're a SW fan. Put it this way, I've been playing every genre of Star Wars game since the 80's and this ranks among the best imo.

@RegnumSolipsi believe!

This game is brilliant, I've been hammering it with friends on Steam. Everything an old school Rainbow Six and SWAT fan could ask for and by a relatively small studio too. Early bugs are mostly patched out, there is plenty of content and each mission is refreshingly well realized and detailed. It's not for the faint of heart in terms of subject matter so be warned. It's good in single player as you have four guys with you who you can control as a single team or two teams of two at any given time. Multiplayer with friends is where it's at though. It can be tense or hilarious and frequently both. Definitely a good move to finally bring it to consoles.

@Kaloudz I put about 26 hours into it but I'm sure it can be done faster.

I have it through Steam. If you enjoy PowerWash Simulator but could do with a voice acted narrative that fits the vibe then this is definitely worth checking out. Honest review here:

https://youtu.be/eW-x0y2lHak?si=r4_7icXatEpAmFDm

Indiana Jones is a dream come true for this 80's kid. Split Fiction has been brilliant fun for my wife and I. Batman Arkham Shadow is a close third - another gaming milestone for any Batman fan.