Benjamin

Make sure you play it on a 360 with NO title updates if you want to hear the music! 360 classics version and all digital versions (Rare replay included) are bugged!

I'm considering picking up an OG Xbox and a handful of games. Loved the original console and the whole 360 experience. To me the Xbox experience is over. It was those consoles and those exclusive franchises.

Basically a way to get into other platform’s game libraries because Xbox is unable to create and sustain one of its own.

Played Stacking and Psychonauts 2. I have to say Stacking - it's so warm and charming.

Xbox and PS are in a tricky situation: new consoles have stopped offering superior experiences. They hit a plateau with the last generation.

I can't get behind anything that glamourises UK gang culture. I played the Getaway and watched the Guy Richie films in the 00s. Thousands of kids weren't emulating that. But in 2025, they roam in balaclavas, ready to mug strangers and stab each-other before their 15th birthdays. A steady influence of weed, drill and county-lines grooming has ruined so many areas of the UK.

Buying Destiny expansions is like buying new backgrounds for Tetris. It’s the same experience since launch and the usual differentiators of level design and story are so weak they may as well be non-existent.

@fbnaulin It was announced when Xbox was committed to cross-gen releases.

Fable cancellation coming in 3… 2… 1…

@fbnaulin It was announced for Xbox One…

I thought 2 was amazing but its ending was pretty final. It will be interesting to see how they continue the Rapture setting, if that’s what they’re shooting for.

I hope for these things:

Perfect Dark release date
New Rare and Double Fine games
An exciting new IP, we're still being drip fed Gears Halo and Fable....
and as always, signs of life for Banjo-Kazooie.

I'm playing Ocarina of Time, for the first time, in 2025. It has made clear what FromSoft games lack: gameplay variety and fresh new ideas throughout the journey. After six VERY similar gameplay experiences across DS, DS2, BB, DS3, ER, Sk I'd encourage anyone feeling SoulsBorne fatigue to give Ocarina a go.

Looks very UE5. A bit sterile, anachronistic UI. Reminds me of the Demon’s Souls remaster.

Hold me closer tiny Spenceeerrrr

The key creative forces behind Halo and the first Destiny are not involved with this game.

@sp00nard I don’t have a pc!

I would love a way to consolidate my PC and Xbox library. Is it silly to expect the Xbox handheld to play both libraries?

Nintendo's main audience is families and children, that audience doesn't want cutting edge tech.

They should call it Zune 2

10 more amazing games/franchises not listed here:

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts - Still a seriously impressive game in 2025.

Ninja Gaiden Black and 2 - These are considered the best versions of these games and are still unavailable to play anywhere else.

Splinter Cell series - The entire mainline series is playable on Xbox - you'll need discs for 2 and the "old gen" version of 4.

Call of Duty series - The true high points of the series are all available and (I believe) playable online.

Banjo Kazooie, Tooie and Perfect Dark Remasters. Far better than the versions available on Switch.

Elder Scrolls series: Morrowind and Oblivion - The strangest and the most charming worlds in the series.

Rainbow 6 Vegas series - Online is no longer present but the campaign and T Hunt modes still shine.

Halo 3, ODST, Reach - I still like booting these versions up for the menus and loading screens. So much identity in those elements which didn't make it over to the MCC.

Star Wars: Kotor 1/2, Republic Commando, Battlefront 1/2 - still some of the best Star Wars games out there.

Metal Gear Rising Revengence - Possibly Platinum Games' best effort and easily my favourite Metal Gear game (sorry)

@burntends I enjoyed it much more than Fallout 3 which I played at release. It's a proper role-playing game, I maxed out speech and smooth-talked my way through major parts of quests. The Fallout TV Show is a sequel of sorts to Fallout NV. I recommend giving that a watch.

Microsoft will make poor decisions and drive the franchise into further disrepair. It was best with Bungie, it at least had a creative direction with Halo 4 but it's clearly now on borrowed time.

Welp. OG Xbox and 360 were an amazing time but I'll be relieved when XB franchises appear on all platforms. Now, if we can get Rare Replay, PGR 1-4, and Gears ported over, I can pack up the 360.

Replayed the Bungie Halo games and put 40 hours into Fallout New Vegas. (And the same for Pokemon Shield!)

The Initiative - Perfect Dark

Would like a series x for back compat but I can’t justify the price at all.

@Stephan123 But you can spend it once, over and over again, without playing the things you’ve bought. Buying multiple things in a sale is rarely a money saver. Buying something for full price when motivated to play it leads to less purchases and more fulfilling game time.

Ignore the sales. Purchase games when you want to play them. Don’t stock up and don't buy something new if you have something unfinished. Games will be more fun for it.

My favourite memory is of refunding the console because there was nothing exclusive to play on it.

It would be great for XB1, 360 and OG XBOX era games. But there’s a lot that doesn’t come to Switch due to the power limitations and Xbox doesn’t have the first party games to make up for the third party games that won’t play on handheld.

I was a bit disappointed in how little the story progressed and the confusing nature of T Zane. (New guy or retcon?!?!) I preferred the Stephen King style the first game had. Dark but fun and somehow uplifting.

Doesn’t matter if there are no exclusive games. There will be a new Steam Deck, there will be a PS6. What will these new boxes offer?

DR is one of my favourites. If there’s still a load screen and it’ mostly the same game, I’d rather play the original and maybe check this one out on GamePass some time.

In 2009 I snagged an Xbox 360 Elite with Forza 3 and Halo ODST for £200.

In 2016 I snagged a PS4 Slim with Bloodborne and Ratchet & Clank for £200.

I am yet to upgrade because my £200 + 2 games rule is still what I’m happy with.

I’m going to mod a 360 and have at it.

Halo 3
Mirror’s Edge
Skyrim

It’s a shame but the original holds up perfectly for me, so have at it new guy!

Faaaantastic!

Is anyone else unable to make purchases on this store front? I can’t add a card or use my MS Account credit on either my 360 or the website.

Would love a smaller Series X with a disc drive.

Perfect Dark was easily the highlight of the show for me and I'm optimistic for Gears. Hellblade, Avowed and Indiana Jones this year is quite strong. That sort of consistency would be fantastic.

This looks awesome. Hope it’s in good shape when it releases and 2025 would be nice.

It should be on hiatus for a while. Further stories in the Halo world would be cool (spin offs mostly) but only if a new team appears that can replicate what Staten, Marty and co brought to Halo AND if they can wade through the debacle that is the current lore set up.

ODST and Reach did such a great job of fleshing out the franchise without lore altering events. Halo 4 was essentially an ending for MC and Cortana but weirdly reignited the same covenant vs marines dynamic. Similar to Mass Effect 2, they immediately wrote themselves into a corner.

Halo 4 should have seen Chief and Cortana land somewhere brand new and completely alien, with new factions and new allies. Spin off titles could’ve continued to explore the Halo events e.g. ODST and Reach.

An Arkane game experience.

@everynowandben thanks

For those who have played the original or the remake, how does it compare to Arkane’s Prey - a game I loved?

Very cool. However, if you use a 360, you’ll soon need to use emulation to access soon to be delisted games. May as well go for it now.

A great opening hour - especially with headphones.

Prey might be the best game of that generation, Redfall is one of the worst from the current generation. A strange track record for Arkane Austin. The founder left after making Prey so perhaps there is a leadership issue. Hopefully Lyon keeps things together.

Tango seemed like a talented studio. What’s the justification to keep Double Fine going but not the maker of Hi-Fi Rush?