Banjo-

Excellent! I'm curious about Keeper and I'll definitely play Ninja Gaiden 4. The Outer Worlds 2 is one many were waiting for and it finally came.

@TrollOfWar The two editions are available for pre-order now. They both are limited early purchase editions and include the original game. The only difference is the Square Enix Digital Content Viewer of the Digital Deluxe Edition. The prices are £40/€50/$40 for Standard and £55/€70/$60 for Digital Deluxe.

@TrollOfWar At least it's not fully priced at launch like the port of XVI. $34.79 or the regional equivalent is what I also expect to see on the Xbox sales

@TrollOfWar That Digital Deluxe Edition price that you linked is the same as the Digital Deluxe Edition on PS5 when it released or is it cheaper now?

@masofdas The alternatives are buying and selling physical Nintendo games which is what I usually do, wait for a good deal somewhere... It's not that I can't afford it, but I'm reluctant to spend so much on Nintendo these days, and it's not like everything they make are masterpieces, despite reviewers overrating their games, or that I don't have a backlog like everyone else... Besides, I'd rather play older Nintendo games because I consider them better, with very few exceptions. But yeah, paying a premium subscription to play the same games I already have and paying twice as much to play a Wii game on Switch compared to Wii U is insane... the outrage on NL is not surprising at all.

@masofdas Anything is an excellent deal compared to Nintendo's. They basically rip their fans off.

@masofdas You are not the only one using that number and yes, there are more realistic estimates. Thing is, Microsoft and Sony don't usually reveal sale numbers unless they have something to celebrate, and Microsoft in particular use numbers of players as they also include Game Pass players (that also pay to play the included games) like @themightyant points out.

I think it's fair to say Xbox sales are generally healthy reading clues provided by third-party publishers (financial reports, tweets, platform support...) and just not try to guess the exact number, unless the information comes from the publisher, because estimates differ massively one from another and, in that case, the calculation method is ridiculous. 😁

That said, instead of a fully priced shadow drop like XVI, they should do like they did on PC and offer a 30% discount for pre-orders when they release Rebirth and Remake on Xbox or anything to give it a boost and make up for the late release, as they also did when they released the Pixel Remaster bundle on Xbox.

@Mincey0 What I don't get is why some users on Push say that nobody would want to play it on Xbox now, when I think it's the opposite: when the three games are so close of each other and a bundle is on the horizon, paying and playing makes more sense than paying several times and playing chapters for eight years. But hey, it's the same people that claim that Final Fantasy XVI sold 22,000 copies on Xbox.

@DeadSpace @EvilSilentFrame @Todd_G I think we could continue the conversation here with such great insight. I'm writing there right now.

After beating the remaster of Mask of the Lunar Eclipse (again), I started a new Rayman Legends playthrough. I'm going to get 100% like on Wii U back then. Yes, I'm replaying games despite the backlog...

@VisitingComet1 I mean that it seems their intention after I, II, III, VII... 😉

@EvilSilentFrame Yes, I and III will likely come next. Remember the speculation... 😁

Chronologically, the first game (1986) should come before the third (1988). And then 6?

@VisitingComet1 It seem that they are remaking all the classic Dragon Quest games and that's great!

@EvilSilentFrame I hoped for the enhanced versions of I and II to be backwards compatible on Xbox One and Series X|S because I don't have an Xbox nor Xbox 360. I also replayed II on Wii, each time with more lenses unlocked and in a harder difficulty mode, in order to unlock everything and photograph all the ghosts. At the very least, you're going to get more endings, more ghosts and even access to new areas, if the Wii version is any indication.

@EvilSilentFrame Project Zero 2 Wii Edition, as it was named, was precisely my first experience with the series and I also loved it. I haven't played the original version (Fatal Frame II), but I think that you will also love the remake of that remake, despite the changes.

@Todd_G You are right! This Fatal Frame is a remake, but it's also some kind of reboot, with the Fatal Frame name (that I prefer) in all regions, the Japanese logo in the background and the new font. The remasters sold relatively well and I suppose that their reception motivated a bigger effort lead by Team Ninja. I also hope that it sells a lot!

@Todd_G I was referring to the digital deluxe editions of the remasters that are usually available for pre-order one month earlier, like any digital release.

@Todd_G Yes, the IP was always owned by Koei Tecmo and this was proved by trademark information that is public. Some Nintendo fans claim that Nintendo was the owner or co-owner, but that is false.

@DeadSpace Yes! The sound and the environments are carefully crafted. The game is eerily beautiful and slow-paced, yet immersive and captivating. The narrative is strong and cohesive, with a multitude of events interrelated and somehow believable. The remaster improves the frame rate and definition dramatically and I also prefer the new controls that make the battles more accessible and fun. The camera loading sounds and getting fatal frames are addictive!

This is biggest news than you think. Some people were expecting to play the complete trilogy on Xbox after another long period of timed exclusivity. Square Enix weren't joking about becoming fully multiplatform. It also seems to be Play Anywhere, judging by the "Xbox on PC" nomenclature.

@Questionable_Duck Exactly. Part of the exclusivity deals is not announcing the platforms that will get the game afterwards. It's been like that with every timed-exclusive Final Fantasy game. However, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Switch 2 version coming later like most third-party games, for technical reasons.

@EvilSilentFrame I also hope that it sells well and yes, this is a big one.

@Weebleman Pre-ordering the deluxe edition as soon as possible (1 month before release), whatever the extras are. 😂

@EvilSilentFrame In my opinion, the English voice acting is fine in Maiden of Black Water, but not so much in this trailer. I'm not sure if they just dubbed the trailer quickly or if these are the actresses they hired for the game. A third possibility, it won't be dubbed. I assume that the Japanese voices will be included in any case. We don't know much about this remake yet. These are cutscenes, but the camera will probably be over the shoulder. I guess that they will release a gameplay trailer soon, like they did before the last releases.

@EvilSilentFrame Indeed! I wonder if they are going to remake 1 and 3 on this engine. Hopefully. I'm curious about what engine it is.

@Questionable_Duck It's a fantastic change of pace. I don't think there's anything like it in the video games industry.

@Th3_Highlander Nice!

@ElkinFencer10 I got the physical edition of Maiden of Black Water for Wii U, that was not released in all regions but it was released here. As you know, it's a limited edition with some physical goodies, that I still keep inside the box. It was very difficult to pre-order and immediately sold out when it was released.

@ElkinFencer10 I edited my last comment to add that I also played the Wii version of Mask of the Lunar Eclipse. That's a very nice bundle you got then. I also was late to the party in 2012, and very happy to read other fans enjoying and supporting the series!

@Th3_Highlander Have a look at the Official Thread and you'll see that Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is the first one chronologically. Each game has a theme and links to other characters, but the games are self-contained, with each of them having a main story, a theme (water in Maiden of Black Water, moonlight in Mask of the Lunar Eclipse...) and independent stories that explain the motivations, personality and background of each character. I'd recommend newcomers to start with Maiden of Black Water or this new remake.

@HarmanSmith Thanks!

@ElkinFencer10 2 Wii Edition was the first I played and I loved it even though I was not expecting anything in particular. I used to think that the fifth was the weakest when I played it on Wii U, but when I played the remaster I really loved it, because I appreciated more the visuals (higher resolution and 60fps), the minor gameplay improvements and the story is as cohesive and the narrative as strong as in the other titles. How the themes are persistent yet subtle through every game is amazing. So, I became a fan of Maiden of Black Water on Xbox although, like you said, the second title is probably the best. The fourth is also better in its remastered form: frame rate, resolution, official translation, fixed glitches and better presentation. Actually, I beat it (again) a few days ago! The first time I played it was on Wii with the fan translation patch.

@ElkinFencer10 Koei Tecmo got all the rights back years ago. Nintendo had the publishing rights to the games you mentioned and also took part in the development of Mask of the Lunar Eclipse.

@Th3_Highlander Actually, they have skipped the third, for now. On modern platforms, they have released the remaster of Maiden of Black Water (fifth), then the remaster of Mask of the Lunar Eclipse (fourth) and now the remake of Crimson Butterfly (second).

@FraserG Please review it kindly, I need the other two as well! I love everybody today. ❤️

What? What? What? I can't believe this. This is the best news of the year for me! People really don't know what I'm feeling right now, I'll update the Official Thread.

I wonder what they'll do with III The Tormented, the title that they're skipping for now.

It's a well made port, but the video also explains that the Switch 2 version has lower resolution, lower frame rate, longer loading times, more basic geometry, lower quality textures and more noise than the Series S version. I suspect that the audio is heavily compressed, which is seldom discussed, but really annoyed me on certain Switch titles. The remarkable thing is that it's the first Switch 2 game to use hardware ray tracing and thus the lighting is generally good and not as taxing.

I'm collecting Final Fantasy games on Xbox since XV, which was very special because I played it on Xbox One X, on my first OLED TV (LG C9). Before that, I had played IV on DS, X/X-2 on PS4 and the original VII on Windows.

The Pixel Remaster bundle is awesome. I'm wondering if they will ever remaster IX (60% off at the moment). I played it a bit on Game Pass, but it looked awful, hyper-pixelated and blurry. I have also beaten others on Xbox: VIII, XIII and XIII-2 which look gorgeous on Series X. I need to play the third part, World of Final Fantasy Maxima, XII and maybe XIV if I have the time. Then, there's XVI and the VII trilogy on top of all that!

@sixrings it should be like that, but video games are regulated as if they were a new and expendable thing. I understand why some are obsessed with preserving them in one way or another.

@yeaman I think (and hope) that there will be a sequel with new story and environments.

Exactly what I expected... from Ben and, in a positive way, from the DLC of an awesome game, which, yeah, it's not a shooter.

I can guarantee that playing the other two games on Series X is a massive improvement over Nintendo Switch. More enjoyable, smoother, more beautiful and the chests are easier to find.

Good news. Not long ago, we weren't expecting anything from Konami and now they are making AAA games in the Metal Gear and Silent Hill series.

The Twin Snakes remake of 1 is awesome @Ricky-Spanish.

@Millionski Mental gymnastics when people actively dislike Xbox are common. Now that Xbox has more games than Sony, Game Pass is a resounding success and it's been proven that players do buy games on Xbox, what else can be said?

Both Microsoft and Sony are all about the business. Jim Ryan was not just a CEO, but a fanboy, but there are two new CEOs ruling Sony now, for a reason. They know earnings are higher porting to PC and Xbox and that 99.99% of the PS user base don't care about it. The "it's not profitable" is one of the weakest arguments that the haters use. No need to sell millions of copies to make a port profitable. Silent Hill 2 will, of course, come to Xbox and will sell very well, like the Final Fantasy games (the 22,000 copies sold report was false), Death Stranding, MLB The Show, Helldivers 2...

Besides, porting to Xbox is very easy when there is a Windows version and will not even be necessary when Xbox and PC use the same version of Windows and game builds. There are still some temporary exclusives this generation, but they are becoming more and more unusual. Every prominent third-party game will be multiplatform and both Microsoft and Sony have started porting games to each other. This is the reality.

@Millionski Of course, there will be more Sony games on Xbox. To talk nonsense and pedantry and throw absurd arguments like negatively extrapolate what topping the charts (twice, with two editions counted separately) means gives you an idea of the level of denial.

@NattyKing Nah, it's the beginning of the future of Xbox Anywhere, although there will more Xbox home consoles. Steam is great, but uses Windows, thus Microsoft can make Windows optimal for gaming, and more compatible with the games developed for PC. This is not just about Xbox handhelds, but it's literally the PC market, and the PC market has a brighter future than any console (as much as I love my Series X).

@Medic_alert I didn't say what you say I said, so it's incomprehensible the point you are trying to make and why would you try to prove others wrong based on your opinion or wrong perception.

I beat Yooka-Laylee 100%. It can't hold a candle to Banjo-Kazooie, but I'm willing to try the demo of the remaster, which I don't consider necessary if it only improves the graphics and adds skins. I'm not sure what else it does.

@Ricky-Spanish 😂

Estimates aside, seeing this game topping the official Xbox charts (despite some people suggesting this might mean 10 copies) and the significant increase in players reported by PC and PS users mean that we're going to see lots of Sony games on Xbox, indeed. They are following Microsoft. Nothing is off the table. 99.99% of PS owners don't care about and don't demand exclusivity.

In other words, this is just the beginning (I watched the video).

@Gabrie I wasn't sure about first person view in an action game and I was not that excited about the game before its release. I usually don't like first person camera in anything that is not a pure shooter. I don't like it in Resident Evil either, but in this game is perfectly fine. It's like everything was built with that in mind and the FOV is perfectly tuned.

They did an excellent job. It hooked me all the way through, got 100% and I'm looking forward to the expansion. It feels high-quality, immersive and rewarding.

@Ricky-Spanish I also need my coffee in the morning. 😁