Broosh

@Fiendish-Beaver Understandable, I usually co-op Fromsoft games on my first run, but subsequent playthroughs do more solo and try new builds and so on. Honestly the bland labyrinth-like stages in the first CV was saved by playing with a friend online for me, so if CV2 has better level design than the first game, that is pretty big on its own!

@Fiendish-Beaver Unfortunately one thing I really enjoyed about the first Code Vein was the online co-op, which isn't in this sequel 😞 I'll still play it eventually, but that omission delayed my purchase. That and apparently it really has no real plot connection to the first game (at least from what I've read about it)?

My opinions on the logos largely mirrors my experience with the consoles. Original - cool and a little mysterious, as I only played Xbox through a couple of friends that owned one. 360 - smooth and appealing, 360 was the first Xbox console I owned and a big part of my highschool years. One - flat paper, I got the Xbone late into its life to play Dead Rising 3 and Halo MCC, and the controller and UI felt like a step back. Series, a slight improvement to the Xbone, but mostly the same. The modern aero logo is a further improvement on top of that at least!

Simple and effective. I'm a big fan of the "aero" translucent design, and the fact it's green again and a reference to the original Xbox startup/logo. Keep it up!

This reminds me of the gold coins system Nintendo just abandoned! Neat! Monetary perks for engaging with the ecosystem is a plus.

When I used my own cash to buy a console at launch...DSi/DSi XL, New 3DS XL, Switch, Switch 2, and PS5. DS/3DS iterations always felt worth it due to the improvements on each model and the large library I ended up with. Switch felt worth it due to how much time Zelda and eventually Odyssey ate up. Switch 2 didn't feel that worth it until Air Riders. PS5 stopped feeling worth it after I beat Astro Bots Playroom and Demons Souls.

@Kraven That sums up my time with it as well, really. Back when I had a hard copy on 360.

Might finally jump on the Lords of Shadow games (already played the side-scroller). For those in the know, are the DLCs for each game worth it?

@BacklogBrad When using vehicles, I suppose? For all we know, they may add a skull that makes the game a third person shooter 🤣

@Balaam_ Me in shambles on the floor with electronic devices strewn about "What is an Xbox...?"

Very cool stuff, very nostalgic! Granted at the height of demo discs, I only had them for PS2. I didn't get any Xbox demos until I got a 360.

Come on, Tenchu Z! 😭 I also wouldn't be mad at Tenchu Return from Darkness, Jet Set Radio Future, Crazy Taxi 3, or Outrun 2...

The lack of ads and general layout here is beautiful. I'm a blades-faithful though, so I'm very biased 😉

@Markatron84 "Satisfied" is definitely one take, "defeated" would also qualify 🤣 I too made the correct decision and chose Black for Switch and Switch 2 theming. My god that white theme is BLINDING.

Neat! I'll probably stick with the blades but I'll give these a look. Props to Xbox keeping backgrounds alive, shame the other consoles can't follow suit (unless you count PlayStation's recent classic themes, originally a timed feature until the backlash).

I enjoyed my time with the first time despite its middling reviews, but a lot of that enjoyment came from the co-op experience with a friend. With 2 not having any multiplayer, I'll give it a pass until I clear a lot of backlog and there's a deep sale.

My first Xbox memory is when my sister's friend's brother showed me the first two levels of Halo CE and made me jealous of Xbox owners. Until then I didn't see the appeal of the console.

Screw it, I'll buy this AND a coffee. It reviewed well enough, easily worth the $2!

Update: Just played from start to finish. I had fun with it, such a goofy premise. And for the hell of it, I'll go after the remaining three achievements I missed.

The time slot certainly hurt their reception, but even if that wasn't the case I don't see this getting well received overall. When you drum up hype saying things like "ex-titanfall devs" then reveal something that looks like Paladins 2, you can't expect the warmest reception. The group I watched this with quickly went from bated breath to exacerbated sighs as the gameplay unfolded.

I will always cherish my 360 memories. Between the countless Halo sessions, party chats, customizable backgrounds/menus, ripping CDs, and passing the controller back and forth through the duration of Bioshock with my dad.

@abe_hikura It is generally very easy to load non-Steam libraries (like Epic or GOG for instance) on Steam Deck, so this would luckily be no different in that regard 🫡 Usually just a matter of downloading a third-party launcher, put in the other library's sign-in credentials once, and you're set.

I can only imagine scooters hardly ever get the phrase "seriously cool" associated with them, so scooter enthusiasts have a real winner on their hands here!

The only fault with this design is their refusal to bundle a rechargable battery pack. Otherwise it's great to have both options open.

Make a surprise announcement along the lines of "actually we lied, here's a bunch more backwards compatible titles coming to the digital store...".

She should consider giving Tyson her full and undivided attention.

@kevinm360 @Lup Glad to help! It's really buried in there, of course they don't tell you about the option outright 😒

Still have them disabled in the console settings (well it's swapped to a different button that isn't "A" anyways). When I select a game tile, I want to play it. If I wanted more information, there's ways to see that.

Well this certainly wouldn't be a franchise-saving release if true then. And I say that as someone who prefers the Halo campaigns to the PvP. You can't just axe half of an IPs audience on release and expect it to sell or review well 😬

Lost Planet 2 and Splinter Cell Conviction.

Oh the red ring...I have to give MS credit, even though my 360 was from eBay at the time, MS still replaced it for free when it got the ring around a year later. Sadly that console too got the Ring in a matter of months. That second replacement lasted me until I eventually sold the console (shortly after the launch of Halo 4 when my friends gave up on the franchise). These days my 360 slim is going strong 💪

Halo 3. Just everything about it, from the media blitz, the marketing (Citrus Cherry Game Fuel!), the midnight launch, the epic campaign, the armor customization, the competitive and casual multiplayer, sharing Forge content between friends. It was incredible, and it really brought me closer to friends I lived a good distance away from at the time.

Every time I see Sarah Bond I can't not think of her bs interview after Tango Gameworks was axed. Less of her would be a great start.

I still would like to see Leon turn up in some capacity, even if it's a surprise cameo at the end (like bizarro Chris in VII 😉). I agree with the reasoning though, if you want to crank up the scares, you can't use handsome Mr. One-Liner.

Whenever I chance upon a game store out in the wild, I occasionally consult the 360 back-compat Wikipedia chart to double check the included titles. That chart is also a solid reminder that almost every title included has some kind of visual or functional glitch, so the 360 isn't that decent for backwards compatibility 😆 Never owning an original Xbox though, it was the only option I had unfortunately.

@Lup Your pfp is too fitting here, I was literally about to mention how he still makes for a fun God of War sequence, then I saw your pic 😆

@dskatter Reminds me of when Netflix and Redbox killed Blockbuster, then Netflix killed Redbox, and now major retailers are ditching Blu-Rays and DVDs because subscription services are everywhere. The cycle repeats, and yet people are quick to blame the product and/or the development teams 🤔

I jumped back in with friends last night after a long break from Infinite and we had a blast! The remade Halo 3 maps are meticulously crafted and feel great to play all of these years later.

The pacing was great but the reveals weren't that exciting at all. The Game Freak game probably being the unexpected highlight. E from me. I'm officially sick of steampunk shooters.

Oh this is going through the Xbox App? Uninstalling right now, appreciate the heads-up!

It's a slight improvement, sure. But clearly we all wanted to use this to remove those GIANT tiles below the game ones 😑

@Browntrouser Adorable! I got Aussies myself 🐾

@Browntrouser You're definitely an animal, a frenchie by the looks of it! 😉 That yours?

Of course it kicks off with Feel Good Inc and Somebody Told Me. Really pulls you into the era this aired in. Is this sadness? Nostalgia? I'm feeling a lot of feelings right now 😭

@ElkinFencer10 Reminds me of what they pulled with GoldenEye for digital Rare Replay owners. Couldn't bother to patch the game to properly insert it, so make it some weird separate deal.

Awesome! I went from skeptical to supportive immediately 🤣

Loving it so far, they really knocked this out of the park with the little QOL improvements but retaining the jank. Can't speak for series performance since I'm playing via Steam.

@old-dad Would be good to know! I have a Retro Fighters controller for PS3 and sadly it has some weird issues with the analogue sensitivity, so if that issue doesn't exist with this model I'll consider it!

It's definitely very 360-like. My main concern is those triggers, the triggers on 360 have a very specific feel, and the Retro Fighters triggers look like they'll feel very different (almost more Xbox One in appearance) 😓

@redgrave0 Had to shout out your awesome pfp (and username for that matter)! I read the DMC novel several times over, and still have my original copy on the shelf🔥

I'm glad Tenchu Z was mentioned in one of those posts, it needs mentioned more. Please, Tenchu Z! 🥲