16BitHero

I've been playing a lot more games outside of my usual genres in recent years - Disco Elysium, Baldurs Gate 3, Aliens Dark Descent, Wasteland 3 and also Frostpunk. Huh, seems to be an isometric pattern emerging here! All have been incredibly rich and rewarding experiences, so much so that I really don't shy away from any genre of single player games at this point. Really looking forward to this sequel and it's expansion on the societal aspect of the simulation.

Thank goodness, I just blindly paid $1 for The Crew 2. That's $1 that could have gone toward an $8 croissant here in NYC.

I've been waiting several iterations for GTA to have this song so I'm disappointed but fully agree with the musician in this case. The greed and obsession with profits of these companies knows no bounds and will undoubtedly spearhead the use of AI in all aspects of development.

@Markatron84 Freedom in the US means every man, woman, child, corporation etc for themselves. The economy overall may benefit somewhat but people are merely pawns. I'm grateful to work for an NYC city agency with a strong union. Coming from the UK, this and good health insurance are my top priorities over the job position itself even - that's a sad reality in the US which, because of this and other societal ills, actually finds itself anywhere between 22nd and 32nd on the human freedom index. Pretty ironic don't ya think!

I recently finished the magnificent Still Wakes the Deep. Short and sweet (especially if you're a fan of The Thing, Color Out of Space and Alien Isolation. It even has some Remedy influences.

Gamepass is now paused until November/December.

Currently going slowly through the beautiful GOW Ragnarok but I might take a relaxing Flight Sim journey to mix things up a bit.

So mimicking Hollywood and doing nothing original. I guess I'm really out of touch with what the majority of gamers want/expect.

I'm really unsure of their marketing strategies. I'm definitely not representative of every gamer demographic but after my initial outlay for the Series X, I've predominantly bought third party titles for PS5 and eventually when I could afford to build one recently, PC. I had Gamepass for two years as part of the Series X payment plan through which I enjoyed an incredible number of games from catching up on the Xbox One exclusives to indie gems. Since that elapsed I've subscribed only for a month or two at a time and crammed in some backlog and new titles. Microsoft aren't doing too well out of me these days and I can't help feeling this is similar for a lot of folks. Who are they trying to capture now Sony and Nintendo are so dominant and decent gaming PCs are more affordable than ever?

The next Xbox console cycle is certainly going to be the most interesting yet.

Edit: 'dominant in the console space', I understand Microsoft gaming is a behemoth.

@NEStalgia I'm very grateful to this 'game'. My wife was never a gamer. Hundreds of hours of Animal Crossing and Power Wash Simulator in particular have not only persuaded her that there are games for everyone but also gotten her to a dexterous level where we can happily play co-op games like Portal 2 and It Takes Two together. She recently 100% The Talos Principle 2 alone. I'm still hoping for a Baldurs Gate 3 playthrough someday!

I really used to enjoy this series since it's 360 heyday. I downloaded MW3 on Gamepass yesterday and deleted it less than an hour later. The mechanics are really the only thing COD has going for it in my opinion but I accept I'm also long past being in school or university now which is probably the main age demographic for these titles.

I do think there is and has been enormous potential for an excellent, maybe even co-op campaign but it's clearly always been an after thought for this cash cow, a bombastic yet short and shallow experience. There have been scores of better fps campaigns in the last decade.

If I can install multiplayer only and it's under 100GB (it should be less than 50GB to be honest) then I'll give it a go. Recent editions of multiplayer COD has been fun but the install sizes are out of control, talk about developers either lacking talent or respect for who pays their bills. Almost all other developers know how to compress files in arguably much larger games with better graphical fidelity etc than COD multiplayer.

Having grown up with the original Indiana Jones trilogy and also having played through the recent Wolfenstein games I am both very excited and also convinced that this will be the best Xbox exclusive since hmmm ever? Tough to beat the original Halo I suppose and some great Gears of War entries (not a big motor racing fan) but I think it'll be up there. I'm hoping for another Uncharted/Tomb Raider esque adventure but with enough to set it apart and be it's own future classic.

@Utena-mobile Being 'old' I didn't even think of this but you have a good point!

@PsBoxSwitchOwner I've lived in the US for 14 years and have never seen a single Xbox advertisement as far as I can remember. That said, I don't have cable TV and make a point of skipping or muting adverts on streaming platforms (have you seen American adverts? 🤮). PlayStation is very visible, especially when new exclusives come out, Holiday seasons begin or during things like Champions League Football broadcasts which are becoming ever more popular here like the Premier League. Xbox marketing or the lack thereof is truly baffling - everywhere.

I'll keep doing what I've been doing since the Series X came out - subscribe when games I want to play are on the service and unsubscribe when I'm caught up. I just paid $9.99 to play through Hellblade 2, Wasteland 3, Still Wakes the Deep, Botany Manor and some cat indie game. Incredible value! I'll re subscribe when Indiana Jones comes out and no doubt catch up on Stalker 2 and other titles too.

I love the Halo series but can't imagine a universe in which it would make a good TV show or film. Animated maybe but live action? I made it two episodes in.

Xbox specific (though these are/would be on PC too of course) would be:

Microsoft Flight Simulator
Halo MCC
Gears Collection (when is this coming?!)

The last few months have been thoroughly bewildering for Xbox fans. It doesn't necessarily come as a surprise that Microsoft are tweaking products and prices but the way in which they are going about it all is really poor form from a huge company. I think this is the new standard sadly, customer service and retention has gone out the window in recent decades as these capitalist behemoths realize they can essentially do as they please.

I'll continue to subscribe (PC Gamepass - I wish Ultimate was less costly as I still enjoy my Series X regularly) every once in a while when there are a few games I want to play but my particular thinking is that if there are games over 20/30 hours in length then I'll likely wait for a sale so I don't need to be subscribed for many months consecutively.

Us frustrated gamers out there need to take a stand but it's a double etched sword. Our dislike of Microsoft's practices vs enjoying Xbox and it's offerings. That's where we're at with pretty much every business nowadays.

It took years of saving but building a PC was the best gaming move I've made. We're not charged extra for multiplayer gaming, we're not (quite as) impacted by these price hikes and best of all, the Steam store has proper sales and price reductions. I'm saving a lot of money in the long run providing I have the willpower to not buy every game I'm interested in when it hits a sale.

I will say that Gamepass is still good value on console if there are games you want to play on the service. Compare it to say the higher tier of Netflix which mostly has mindless if not painfully average content compared to the best three or four video streaming services. It's all about the cost per hour of enjoyment for me. Going to sports events and live music has become unaffordable to most and I'd argue an awful waste of money compared to $20 a month for hundred's of games including new releases. It's all open to personal interpretation nonetheless.

Edit: you can also subscribe and unsubscribe at will which depending on your free time can be exceptional value if like me, you can occasionally cram in a few less lengthy games in a shorter span of time.

Oh yeah, favourite OG Xbox games - Halo, Rallisport Challenge 2, Project Gotham games, Tony Hawk 3, Doom 3 and Brothers in Arms.

Wreckfest is great fun for anyone nostalgic for the PS1 Destruction Derby games and the cherry on top is using a USB with the Destruction Derby 2 soundtrack instead of the base soundtrack. Streets of Rage 4 is a modern classic. Gamepass occasionally gets some cracking pick up and play indie games too. I do think PC/Steam gets more pick up and play type games nowadays.

@Berry-sXe They should have put it on the service before the world cup started last month!

My backlog has seen me have maybe four larger/longer games on the go simultaneously for the first time which isn't as bad as I thought providing I can keep up with characters and story in each. This weekend however I'm committing to one, Wasteland 3 on Gamepass. Another gem I somehow overlooked until I watched the SkillUp video and decided to give it a go. Recommended!

This is (a big part of) the future. I'm not sure what kind of deal is in place with Samsung but if the Gamepass app becomes more widely 'built in' or downloadable on most new TVs/Roku, Apple TV, then Xbox will really be available everywhere without the need for a console or PC. As noted above, this is all well and good if you have good speeds and preferably, ethernet available.

Lots of emotive and narrow minded comments here. If the game wasn't for you that's fine but remember to use 'imo'. Video games are most certainly an art form now and this is a very unique game with beautiful graphics and a rare take on mental illness. Yes it could be considered a walking simulator with rather basic combat but it's a narrative heavy game and it's executed brilliantly imo. I can tell you that from thousands of reviews on Steam, this experience meant something to a lot of people. I personally wouldn't have considered games like this a few years back but it's good to try something outside your regular genres, you never know what might appeal.

Yes it's lacked exclusives but as someone who didn't have an Xbox One, I've more than got my money's worth with Gamepass and backward compatibility being a real highlight this generation. It looks like we have a few great years ahead too going by recent showcases. There is a lot of negativity out there but as gamers, we've never had it better - just look at our backlogs, no matter what system you play on!

Just finished Hellblade 2, an overall fabulous experience, just the right length for a narrative focused game. Astonishing graphics even at 1440p. I've thoroughly enjoyed Senua's two games although I can safely say they won't be for everyone. The visuals have me excited for the next Witcher among other future titles.

Tomorrow I'll start Still Wakes the Deep while I'm on this quick narrative kick.

Lots of promising games but if you grew up with Indy then it's a no brainer plus Machine Games know what they're doing. I'm personally happy with the third/first person combination of gameplay.

@BAMozzy Yep, as a huge fan this is a little bit disappointing, I wish it had been a full remake. My backlog is far too big to spend time on remasters.

I'm still waiting for the Brothers in Arms series to go on sale. Also, slight tangent but now Capcom are going all out with their IPs, maybe we can get a whole new current gen Dead Rising? That series was pure goofy fun.

I don't think anything could top Witcher 3 for paid DLC but this could be up there.

There should be a BLOPS 6 multiplayer only option that could likely register 50-80GB max. I don't need the latest streaming assets for multiplayer. Or every recent COD in one app. Why is this too much to ask? I'll be skipping it yet again this year although I'm sure they'll do just fine without me.

@cburg It really is a golden age of gaming. It's bizarre how many people like to complain about reveal shows etc when we're all dealing with significant backlogs of excellent games.

There are much bigger, also great looking games out there that don't take up this insane amount of storage. I previously believed that the developers simply weren't talented enough to do otherwise but it must be a cynical publisher decision? Why?

I'm all caught up, objectively brilliant showcase. I'm not really into CGI only trailers but at least we have confirmation of the exciting games in development. I'll be happy with most arriving late 2024/into 2025 as the backlog continues to grow!

@EVIL-C I'm sure I'll give it a go at some point. I think the devs that truly respect our collective nostalgia for classic films will create an original game/story - I thoroughly enjoyed Alien Isolation, Aliens Dark Descent, Terminator Resistance and Robocop Rogue City. The Thing remaster feels like a little bit of a cash grab but when it goes on sale...

@Tyrant_T103 Just my opinion. I'm happy other folks enjoyed it. There have been some brilliant games in the genre since then, the Dead Space series and many others are clearly inspired by The Thing. If this remaster is popular enough then maybe we'll get another installment 🤞

Senua's Saga, Night Springs dlc for Alan Wake 2 and Asgards Wrath 2 for me (if I have time!).

As a huge fan of the film this is rather disappointing. The game was ok, nothing more. A total remake would have been a much better option. A remaster of an average game based on an incredible film many young gamers don't even know that well or at all is a curious decision to say the least.

@OldGamer999 I have way too many YouTube playlists of soundtrack's going back to Sega Megadrive and Super Nintendo - Banjo gets played the most though!

@OldGamer999 Yes please, I need that entire soundtrack stuck in my head again 24/7.. No seriously. 😉

I'll have to watch on demand later in the day after the India v Pakistan world cup game in New York. I think this Xbox showcase will surpass the last if some of the rumours materialize plus Microsoft Gaming needs to garner some good faith and excitement after a difficult period for it's image and integrity.

I'm getting more Control crossover vibes with that post. Can't wait!

@xMightyMatt14x All Fair points, I definitely enjoyed aspects of some recent COD campaigns - clean house in Modern Warfare was a standout mission for me. They just tend to be on the short side and emphasize choreographed action sequences over varied and challenging AI. I do love a good FPS campaign though, the recent Wolfenstein games are well worth your time, Doom and Doom Eternal, Titanfall 2, the Metro trilogy was really immersive.... I'm glad you're enjoying the COD back catalogue, I'm sure I'll dip in for a bit of nostalgia, particularly COD 2 and 3 (WW2) Gamepass is great for this.

@RetroMan71 Yes please! I'm waiting patiently for this to incorporate some sort of Flight Simulator style photogrammetry coupled with AI upscaling to provide true photo realistic versions of cities like London, NYC, Hong Kong etc. I'm sure it'll happen this generation or next.

The only big ActiBlizz shadow drop would be Modern Warfare 3 surely. How many people truly care about their back catalogue? It's not like their older games are contemporary classics. At the time sure but most haven't aged well unlike Nintendo and Sega classics. With our current backlogs owing to several years of brilliant game releases how many ActiBlizz games will folks put time into other than for a quick nostalgic kick? I'm honestly still astonished at the size of that acquisition. Their portfolio is pretty bland compared to Bethesda for example. COD must be a true behemoth.

Surely Microsoft, Sony et al must be keeping a close eye on the AI upscaling technology that Nvidia/AMD are pioneering. I don't think Microsoft should rush out new hardware without first ensuring it can take advantage of this tech whether on day one and/or through ongoing updates. If not people will no doubt continue to complain about the choice between frame rate and fidelity.

@BAMozzy I somehow missed the Xbox/Steam rumours. If this happens, it'll be the single biggest boost to Xbox I can imagine. A handheld and a high end console would be a great business move - if Steam and the Xbox store/Gamepass are all on there (I can't afford to upgrade my PC any year soon!).

Oh my gosh make a new game/IP already please Bungie.

@NEStalgia That's a different Avalanche studio I think. Could be wrong but I believe they are separate companies. Anyway, I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment. It's all opinions at the end of the day but as a Mad Max fan in general, I thoroughly enjoyed the game and finished most of the gameplay/quest elements. I'm envious of those that got to do it with fps boost on Xbox. I like recent Kojima games too but I don't want a Mad Max game by him.

Whatever happened to Contraband?!