Now THIS is a special edition that I really like! So much cooler than the others so far. Then again it's pointless because this is just yet another one-off prize console like all the other actually cool looking special editions. Lame!
Personally I am not a fan of white consoles, they rarely seem to age well, yellowing over time seems to be all too common. It's partly why I went out and bought a black 1TB Series S while I still could pick one up new, I wanted to get the xScreen attachment and have an all-in-one travel Xbox and I think it just looks so much cleaner all black.
Well I guess they're finally making this more like the game it should have always been. What a mess it's been though, terrible launch and I am still not a fan of the always-online requirement. Yeah you can technically play it offline but in doing so you are basically playing a bare basics demo version of the game without any of the cars you bought and customized.
@Banjo- It's funny how they removed one of my comments, especially considering how I usually try to be mature and respecting but honest. I guess they really don't like me being critical of Hookshot and IGN around here.
But yeah, PJ has often been one of the critics here at Hookshot sites that I find myself usually disagreeing with. I mean that's just life, you won't always view things the same way as others, but I think it's wise to take note of people you often have polarizing views with so you know to not take them as an authority on how to view things. That's just the nature of media though, there is no true correct or wrong opinion.
@Dman10 Well honestly the critics are a joke these days for the most part. Too many of them have clear biases and agendas. I struggle to relate to most of them.
@Syndrome Pretty big difference in PJ's score vs the user score here as well. Honestly I usually find his reviews to be very polarizing at the least, he seems to be overly critical of a lot of Xbox related stuff for someone who writes for this site.
Everspace 2 is the kind of game where it could never really hold my interest, especially when I got games like No Man's Sky and Starfield that actually have planets I can land on and a lot more depth. I think the roguelike elements to the first game was what gave it it's own appeal, which is lost in this sequel. Still, it can be fun for some space combat as it's really focused on that.
Scorn was a really interesting looking game with a cool looking art style but I hated playing it. It's like they tried to make it look like it could have been a fun FPS when in reality it's just a really slow and morbid/depressing first person puzzle game.
With the F1 manager games it's like I really like F1, but I only really enjoy it as a game when I can race the cars.
@sixrings Racing games are notorious for getting delisted on digital storefronts due to licensing issues with all the car manufacturers. Hardly a situation exclusive to Microsoft. You can still play it today by picking up a physical copy if you never bought it anyways.
I still like going back to the game. A total classic. Looks great on the Series S with an xScreen. Forza was the reason I was such a fan of the Xbox One back in the day, there was nothing quite like it anywhere else, even the mainline forza games were in a league of their own that gen, as GT7 basically took the entire generation to release, and I now consider it to be more of a PS5 game than anything.
Yeah I have no real interest in a PS5 Pro, especially when I took a look at it's list of enhanced titles. There simply isn't enough in the way of new games pushing the boundaries to make me want a newer more expensive console right now.
@GamingSince84 Yup some people are simply always trying to fish for any excuse to hate on Xbox and it's like if you want to do that on some Playstation or generalized gaming site, whatever, but to be coming to Xbox sites and doing that, it's like do you really expect to not experience any pushback? They're the kind of people who are always looking for any excuse to start a fight only to cry foul when someone tells them to stop or go away.
@RBRTMNZ Uhh pretty sure Microsoft isn't a "white male" organization, there's no shortage of diversity in their workforce. Weird how you feel a need to single out people for their ethnicity and gender and make an issue out of that in the first place.
@GamingSince84 I find it funny how many Xbox haters can't help but to show up on Xbox fan sites and spew some nonsense. It's like why can't they just stick to their corners of the internet? Total blatant trolls that feed on toxic internet gossip.
@Jenkinss Well if you're buying games you still need to worry about a publisher's willingness to sell something. Lots of games have been delisted on Steam for example.
@Jenkinss What is the point of your comments? Capcom decides the availability of their games, as do all 3'rd party publishers. Take up your grievances with them. As for this game, the Xbox One version is still playable on Series consoles.
@IGN_Commenter Believe it or not the CD-i was even more expensive launching at $1,000. That said the 3DO and CD-i are famous for being sales disasters. At least the 3DO has some decent games though, but still, the price tags proved to be their undoing.
Honestly I wouldn't even bother right now given how few games we got that seem to demand that. I'm at the point where I would rather just invest in a gaming PC if I am going to be spending a lot more money like that on another game console that doesn't offer any sort of new platform for me. These existing consoles have been expensive enough for what they are as it is.
Still, $600 with a disc drive would be far more appealing than Sony's $700 console without one.
Keep in mind how the $700 price tag doesn't even include a disc drive or vertical stand. With those two items added, plus tax, it comes out to about $900. NINE HUNDERED US DOLLARS! Even more expensive for people in Europe apparently.
That's just ridiculous for a game console. Might as well just put that towards a gaming PC. The Series X seems to standout as having the best value right now. With the PS5 Pro you will need to count upon developers coming out with a new "Pro" mode update to take advantage of it for the games you like. Meanwhile if you got a gaming PC you can just instantly take advantage of the power it has with any game simply by adjusting the settings yourself.
I have no idea why anyone would bother with one of these, especially given how few games we got this gen that seem to truly push the existing consoles to the max.
Well if they add an offline mode I guess that won't make it a bad purchase, but we'll need to see it first. I have no idea why it took them so long to finally allow us to play our games offline, especially when the majority of their experience is single player anyways. I actually really like the concept for The Crew and it's sequel, better maps than Motorfest as well. A shame they couldn't come to their senses with the original, but I guess the company hitting hard times financially has made them reconsider their strategy. For a dollar though hard to go wrong here if you got any interest in racing/driving games.
@norwichred Yeah modern gaming has definitely become a real mess, between all the always-online requirements and the seemingly constant mega-patches that can sometimes be bigger than the entire install for a game, it's just a real pain in the butt sometimes to try and keep up with new games. I have also been going back to old 360 games lately and been finding it amazing how much more fun they can be. Back then games simply worked right off the disc and they just seemed to make them more enjoyable as well. You had a finished product right away and didn't have to worry about a need for constant updates or online services. That and I think the 360 really aged well, being made for early HDTV's they still look good on a modern 4K display.
I loved the TDU titles, still love to play them to this day, but I had my doubts about this one. First problem I have is the always-online requirement. That killed The Crew and I am pretty sure it's going to eventually result in a situation where the first two TDU titles will still be playable while this will one day not be.
Then there's simply the fact that this isn't made by the same people, and it's probably going to feel like a game that's cashing in on the reputation and fanbase for the first two games.
I mean what I really love about the first two games is how real the driving felt. Like the maps were basically a 1:1 representation of the real island locations, a mile of driving and distance was true to life, different locations spread out really took as long to drive as they probably would IRL. It's the only open world game I can think of like that. Playing The Crew really showed off the difference there, where everything is scaled differently and the distance between locations was nothing like it is IRL. I mean sure that was a compromise that needed to be made as they had basically the entire US as their map, but still, definitely took away from what I liked about TDU.
I always absolutely loved the concept of this game. Elder Scrolls and Fallout has always been my thing, and this is basically those games in space, and I love space games. Only problem was how rough it was at launch, but you know what was also rough at launch? Cyberpunk. Guess what, I also consider that to be one of the best games this gen. That's the thing about these games, and I think everyone forgets how rough Skyrim and Fallout 4 were when they launched as well. It took a while to become a game I would want to play regularly, but it appeals to my interests like nothing else right now.
Sadly I have given up on the new Forza Motorsport already, and not due to a lack of me giving it a chance. I downloaded it back when it launched, deleted it, then downloaded it again months later after it supposedly had some big game changing updates. Still disappointed, deleted it again. Now I'm just done, moving on and going back to Gran Turismo 7, Assetto Corsa Competizione, and Forza 7 for my track racing fixes.
I say this all as a massive Forza Motorsport fan since the series originally launched. The always-online nature of it is what really ruined it for me. Getting rid of the leveling requirement really helped me enjoy it some, but at the end of the day, not having access to any of my cars if the game is offline is what makes the whole thing feel like a waste of time and effort.
Comments 2,639
Re: Xbox Settles Lawsuit With 'Gamers' Who Tried To Sue Over Activision Blizzard Deal
@Kienda Lets band togther and sue em for it!
Re: Xbox Has Two 'Truck Simulator' Games In The UK Charts Right Now
I'm fine sticking with the American/Euro Truck Simulator games on Steam. Wish they would make their way to consoles though.
Re: Report: Xbox Will 'Refresh' Its Official Wireless Headset Later This Month
I got the anniversary edition of one of these for $50. Great deal.
Re: Bethesda Unveils Custom Indiana Jones Xbox Series X Console
Now THIS is a special edition that I really like! So much cooler than the others so far. Then again it's pointless because this is just yet another one-off prize console like all the other actually cool looking special editions. Lame!
Re: Xbox Fan Shows Off White Digital Series X Ahead Of Upcoming Launch
Personally I am not a fan of white consoles, they rarely seem to age well, yellowing over time seems to be all too common. It's partly why I went out and bought a black 1TB Series S while I still could pick one up new, I wanted to get the xScreen attachment and have an all-in-one travel Xbox and I think it just looks so much cleaner all black.
Re: Forza Motorsport Celebrates One Year Anniversary With Major Update
Well I guess they're finally making this more like the game it should have always been. What a mess it's been though, terrible launch and I am still not a fan of the always-online requirement. Yeah you can technically play it offline but in doing so you are basically playing a bare basics demo version of the game without any of the cars you bought and customized.
Re: Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered Is Real, Comes To Xbox In February 2025
So we're getting Tomb Raiders 4-6 remastered, but still no news on THPS 3-4.
Re: Xbox's Internet Browser Is So Good, It's Changed The Way I Watch TV
It's good for a game console browser but it's lacking extension support which ruins it's appeal for me.
Re: Reaction: Red Dead Redemption Definitely Deserves A 60FPS Update On Xbox
I would just like to see them keep supporting more FPS boost in general.
Re: Review: Undisputed (Xbox) - Finally, The Wait For A New Boxing Game Is Over
I definitely miss the Fight Night games, still a favorite 360 classic of mine.
Re: Poll: Did You End Up Buying The Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster For Xbox?
I already have this game on PS4 and they were calling it a remaster back then. I don't need a re-remaster.
Re: Review: The Patrick Star Game (Xbox) - SpongeBob's Best Character Deserved Better
I am shocked, shocked! Who could have guessed this would be a lame cash-in?
Re: 10 Great Games That Have Been Added To Xbox Play Anywhere In 2024
I figure LAD Infinite Wealth will show up on Gamepass, Yakuza games have been very consistent about showing up there.
Re: Review: Starfield Shattered Space (Xbox) - Bethesda Fumbles A Big Chance To Reignite Starfield's Thrusters
@Banjo- It's funny how they removed one of my comments, especially considering how I usually try to be mature and respecting but honest. I guess they really don't like me being critical of Hookshot and IGN around here.
But yeah, PJ has often been one of the critics here at Hookshot sites that I find myself usually disagreeing with. I mean that's just life, you won't always view things the same way as others, but I think it's wise to take note of people you often have polarizing views with so you know to not take them as an authority on how to view things. That's just the nature of media though, there is no true correct or wrong opinion.
Re: Here's What Players Are Saying About Starfield Shattered Space So Far
@Dman10 Well honestly the critics are a joke these days for the most part. Too many of them have clear biases and agendas. I struggle to relate to most of them.
Re: Review: Starfield Shattered Space (Xbox) - Bethesda Fumbles A Big Chance To Reignite Starfield's Thrusters
@Syndrome Pretty big difference in PJ's score vs the user score here as well. Honestly I usually find his reviews to be very polarizing at the least, he seems to be overly critical of a lot of Xbox related stuff for someone who writes for this site.
Re: Review: Starfield Shattered Space (Xbox) - Bethesda Fumbles A Big Chance To Reignite Starfield's Thrusters
Removed
Re: Review: Starfield Shattered Space (Xbox) - Bethesda Fumbles A Big Chance To Reignite Starfield's Thrusters
@Krazee5255 Yeah I heavily disagree with this review, which is nothing new for me considering the critic.
Re: This Week's Xbox Deals Include A First-Ever Sale For Antstream Arcade
I still have no real interest in streaming video games. I guess it works for some people, but not for me.
Re: Five Games Will Leave Xbox Game Pass In Early October 2024
Everspace 2 is the kind of game where it could never really hold my interest, especially when I got games like No Man's Sky and Starfield that actually have planets I can land on and a lot more depth. I think the roguelike elements to the first game was what gave it it's own appeal, which is lost in this sequel. Still, it can be fun for some space combat as it's really focused on that.
Scorn was a really interesting looking game with a cool looking art style but I hated playing it. It's like they tried to make it look like it could have been a fun FPS when in reality it's just a really slow and morbid/depressing first person puzzle game.
With the F1 manager games it's like I really like F1, but I only really enjoy it as a game when I can race the cars.
Re: Talking Point: What Is Your Download Speed On Xbox These Days?
My internet is usually crap so not so great, but it does average much faster than my PS5.
Re: Talking Point: Xbox's Forza Horizon 2 Changed The Open-World Racing Game 10 Years Ago
@sixrings Racing games are notorious for getting delisted on digital storefronts due to licensing issues with all the car manufacturers. Hardly a situation exclusive to Microsoft. You can still play it today by picking up a physical copy if you never bought it anyways.
Re: Talking Point: Xbox's Forza Horizon 2 Changed The Open-World Racing Game 10 Years Ago
I still like going back to the game. A total classic. Looks great on the Series S with an xScreen. Forza was the reason I was such a fan of the Xbox One back in the day, there was nothing quite like it anywhere else, even the mainline forza games were in a league of their own that gen, as GT7 basically took the entire generation to release, and I now consider it to be more of a PS5 game than anything.
Re: Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Dev 'Still Discussing' Compensation For Broken Launch
This game is a basically what's wrong with games today. Live services, forced always-online, broken launch, release it now fix it later mentality.
Re: Opinion: As The Dust Settles On PS5 Pro, I'm Still Glad Xbox Didn't Bother
Yeah I have no real interest in a PS5 Pro, especially when I took a look at it's list of enhanced titles. There simply isn't enough in the way of new games pushing the boundaries to make me want a newer more expensive console right now.
Re: Xbox Unveils New Transparent Controller Along With Six 'Design Lab' Variants
I love the design but I am still waiting on their new updated controllers.
Re: Xbox's Sarah Bond Initially 'Clashed' With Phil Spencer When Working Together
@GamingSince84 Yup some people are simply always trying to fish for any excuse to hate on Xbox and it's like if you want to do that on some Playstation or generalized gaming site, whatever, but to be coming to Xbox sites and doing that, it's like do you really expect to not experience any pushback? They're the kind of people who are always looking for any excuse to start a fight only to cry foul when someone tells them to stop or go away.
Re: Xbox's Sarah Bond Initially 'Clashed' With Phil Spencer When Working Together
@Titntin Way to try and turn this into some odd personal crusade. Blocking comments is the only way to deal with people as unhinged as you are.
Re: Xbox's Sarah Bond Initially 'Clashed' With Phil Spencer When Working Together
@RBRTMNZ Uhh pretty sure Microsoft isn't a "white male" organization, there's no shortage of diversity in their workforce. Weird how you feel a need to single out people for their ethnicity and gender and make an issue out of that in the first place.
Re: Xbox's Sarah Bond Initially 'Clashed' With Phil Spencer When Working Together
@GamingSince84 I find it funny how many Xbox haters can't help but to show up on Xbox fan sites and spew some nonsense. It's like why can't they just stick to their corners of the internet? Total blatant trolls that feed on toxic internet gossip.
Re: Review: Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (Xbox) - Capcom Classic Gets No-Frills Upgrade
@Jenkinss Well if you're buying games you still need to worry about a publisher's willingness to sell something. Lots of games have been delisted on Steam for example.
Re: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Will Have Drastically Lower Install Sizes
So are they ever going to release this in 24? We're running out of time for that to happen with no release date yet.
Re: Review: Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (Xbox) - Capcom Classic Gets No-Frills Upgrade
@Jenkinss Sounds like you're just trying to find an excuse to hate on it. It's still far better than any of the competition.
Re: Review: Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (Xbox) - Capcom Classic Gets No-Frills Upgrade
@Jenkinss What is the point of your comments? Capcom decides the availability of their games, as do all 3'rd party publishers. Take up your grievances with them. As for this game, the Xbox One version is still playable on Series consoles.
Re: Review: Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (Xbox) - Capcom Classic Gets No-Frills Upgrade
I see no point in buying this if I already have the PS4/One version.
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of Riders Republic On Xbox Game Pass So Far?
@Halucigens Yeah Steep did a much better job with skiing/snowboarding.
Re: Tony Hawk Confirms He's Working With Activision On 'Exciting' 25th Anniversary Plans
I think we all want to see the 3+4 remaster finally happen.
Re: Sony's PS5 Pro Seems Unlikely To Get An Xbox Equivalent This Holiday
@IGN_Commenter Believe it or not the CD-i was even more expensive launching at $1,000. That said the 3DO and CD-i are famous for being sales disasters. At least the 3DO has some decent games though, but still, the price tags proved to be their undoing.
Re: After Shutting Down The Crew, Ubisoft Will Add Offline Modes To Newer Entries
@Sveakungen Yeah I always preferred the original to The Crew 2, it just felt more authentic and focused.
Re: Poll: How Much Would You Pay For An Xbox Series X Pro?
Honestly I wouldn't even bother right now given how few games we got that seem to demand that. I'm at the point where I would rather just invest in a gaming PC if I am going to be spending a lot more money like that on another game console that doesn't offer any sort of new platform for me. These existing consoles have been expensive enough for what they are as it is.
Still, $600 with a disc drive would be far more appealing than Sony's $700 console without one.
Re: Reaction: PS5 Pro's Extortionate Price Justifies Xbox's Lack Of A New Console
Keep in mind how the $700 price tag doesn't even include a disc drive or vertical stand. With those two items added, plus tax, it comes out to about $900. NINE HUNDERED US DOLLARS! Even more expensive for people in Europe apparently.
That's just ridiculous for a game console. Might as well just put that towards a gaming PC. The Series X seems to standout as having the best value right now. With the PS5 Pro you will need to count upon developers coming out with a new "Pro" mode update to take advantage of it for the games you like. Meanwhile if you got a gaming PC you can just instantly take advantage of the power it has with any game simply by adjusting the settings yourself.
I have no idea why anyone would bother with one of these, especially given how few games we got this gen that seem to truly push the existing consoles to the max.
Re: The Crew 2 Is Discounted By A Ridiculous 98% On Xbox Right Now
Well if they add an offline mode I guess that won't make it a bad purchase, but we'll need to see it first. I have no idea why it took them so long to finally allow us to play our games offline, especially when the majority of their experience is single player anyways. I actually really like the concept for The Crew and it's sequel, better maps than Motorfest as well. A shame they couldn't come to their senses with the original, but I guess the company hitting hard times financially has made them reconsider their strategy. For a dollar though hard to go wrong here if you got any interest in racing/driving games.
Re: Review: Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown (Xbox) - An Open World Racer That Needed More Time To Shine
@norwichred Yeah modern gaming has definitely become a real mess, between all the always-online requirements and the seemingly constant mega-patches that can sometimes be bigger than the entire install for a game, it's just a real pain in the butt sometimes to try and keep up with new games. I have also been going back to old 360 games lately and been finding it amazing how much more fun they can be. Back then games simply worked right off the disc and they just seemed to make them more enjoyable as well. You had a finished product right away and didn't have to worry about a need for constant updates or online services. That and I think the 360 really aged well, being made for early HDTV's they still look good on a modern 4K display.
Re: Review: Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown (Xbox) - An Open World Racer That Needed More Time To Shine
I loved the TDU titles, still love to play them to this day, but I had my doubts about this one. First problem I have is the always-online requirement. That killed The Crew and I am pretty sure it's going to eventually result in a situation where the first two TDU titles will still be playable while this will one day not be.
Then there's simply the fact that this isn't made by the same people, and it's probably going to feel like a game that's cashing in on the reputation and fanbase for the first two games.
I mean what I really love about the first two games is how real the driving felt. Like the maps were basically a 1:1 representation of the real island locations, a mile of driving and distance was true to life, different locations spread out really took as long to drive as they probably would IRL. It's the only open world game I can think of like that. Playing The Crew really showed off the difference there, where everything is scaled differently and the distance between locations was nothing like it is IRL. I mean sure that was a compromise that needed to be made as they had basically the entire US as their map, but still, definitely took away from what I liked about TDU.
Re: It's Been 365 Days Since One Of The Biggest Releases Of The Xbox Series X|S Era
I always absolutely loved the concept of this game. Elder Scrolls and Fallout has always been my thing, and this is basically those games in space, and I love space games. Only problem was how rough it was at launch, but you know what was also rough at launch? Cyberpunk. Guess what, I also consider that to be one of the best games this gen. That's the thing about these games, and I think everyone forgets how rough Skyrim and Fallout 4 were when they launched as well. It took a while to become a game I would want to play regularly, but it appeals to my interests like nothing else right now.
Re: Review: Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions (Xbox) - An Enjoyable And Surprisingly In-Depth Sports Game
Forced internet connection is a deal breaker for me.
Re: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Socials Updated For 25th Anniversary
I was hoping Microsoft would revive THPS 3+4 after they bought Activision. It's one of the main reasons I was excited about the purchase.
Re: September's First Xbox Game Pass Addition Is Available Today (Sept. 3)
Star Trucker does sound interesting. Can live out a Cowboy Bebop fantasy.
Re: Here's What's Included In The Xbox August 2024 Update
@CERBERUS40000 Yeah Doom Eternal is another game that comes to mind where I would like to just download it without all the multiplayer bloat.
Re: Forza Insider Program Launched By Turn 10 To 'Drive The Future' Of The Series
Sadly I have given up on the new Forza Motorsport already, and not due to a lack of me giving it a chance. I downloaded it back when it launched, deleted it, then downloaded it again months later after it supposedly had some big game changing updates. Still disappointed, deleted it again. Now I'm just done, moving on and going back to Gran Turismo 7, Assetto Corsa Competizione, and Forza 7 for my track racing fixes.
I say this all as a massive Forza Motorsport fan since the series originally launched. The always-online nature of it is what really ruined it for me. Getting rid of the leveling requirement really helped me enjoy it some, but at the end of the day, not having access to any of my cars if the game is offline is what makes the whole thing feel like a waste of time and effort.