Indeed Dirt 3 is the pinnacle of that series. Man I miss the Codemasters of that era, and earlier. I might play Dirt 3 again soon actually, great game.
I also haven't played AC Rally yet, but I want to, it looks superb. It's interesting how much better received it's been than AC Evo.
@RTGX Indeed Dirt Rally 2 is great. Definitely the gold standard for modern rally games.
I do admit I have a soft spot for Dirt 3. It's heavily simcade, but in a good way, very fun and convincing handling. Surprisingly good looks for its age too, and great performance.
I don't suppose you've played Assetto Corsa Rally have you?
@RTGX Ah interesting, thanks for the heads up, I had no idea you could buy Orta digitally. I'll get it for my SeriesX
How about Rallisport Challenge, have you played that at all recently? I wonder how that holds up. I wonder it looked really good, but I really loved the handling and physics of basically all the CMR games (before it became Dirt), and could never really get into any other Rally game apart from Sega Rally.
@RTGX Toshinden, Destruction Derby, and Rallisport Challenge, great blasts from the past from 2 consecutive eras
Destruction Derby is somewhat underrated. May not have the depth and content of some other games, but I find it amazing they managed to engineer solid body physics with that many cars, on the PS1 with its 33mhz processor
I had kind of forgotten about Rallisport Challenge tbh, but I remember it seemed great at the time. So did CMR3 was it? The first CMR on the PS2/Xbox? I do have fond memories of the original Xbox. Panzer Dragoon Orta was amazing too, still looks good to this day.
@RTGX I'm personally just as fond of the PS2 because it has some games I really love (Kaido Battle 2, Burnout 3, San Andreas, Katamari, Yakuza, and many more). And a much higher % of 60fps titles.
But as an era? I agree, no question. The PS1 era was so creative and exciting, so different to today, in the best ways. It was the start of the 3D era, and it felt new and exciting and special.
@Banjo- Interesting, I didn't know about that, the engagement. The PC tie in is definitely good, and should keep Xbox very relevant, I know I probably use my Xbox and PC equally. Of course the Helix being part of that relevance too in the future.
Indeed the PS1 had some incredible 3rd party titles, and arcade ports. Namco sure did some heavy lifting didn't they? Obviously the Tekken series as you mentioned alongside Ridge Racer, Rage Racer, R4 etc
@Banjo- Yes, indeed, you too, I remember we talked a few times around the start of the SeriesX era
I recall we were both pretty pumped about the SeriesX and looking forward to the generation, and tbh I still am. It's sad that Xbox has faltered this generation, as the machine is great, I'm still very fond it despite owning a gaming PC and lots of other machines. Quick Resume, Play Anywhere, amazing backwards compatibility etc etc, make it very unique.
Funny you mention Ridge Racer, that is one of my faves, unsurprisingly it was one of the games that really defined the PS1, I still boot it up semi regularly for nostalgia purposes
@RTGX @Banjo- You guys aren't kidding about PushSquare.
Like probably many of you, I loved the PS1 and PS2 eras, and I have a PS5, so naturally I started to peruse Push Square at some point. It didn't take long to tell myself to never visit that site again
The Xbox obsession and constantly slagging off Xbox is actually quite bizarre and disturbing, I haven't seen anything like it on any other site.
I didn't think it was possible for a gaming site to be more obnoxious than IGN, but somehow PushSquare managed this unlikely feat
Anyway, regarding the article at hand, despite not being a huge fan of the Gears series, this does look great, and a lot of fun. I'm glad it got such a good review, Xbox could do with the boost for sure.
@IllusiveMan I agree. I haven't seen it in motion yet, but from the stills I've seen it's clearly better than Insomniac's upscaler and FSR3. Which is very, very impressive for a first release of a temporal upscaler on a PS5 GPU. Performance is good too, considering.
I must admit, I did plan on buying GTA 6 on the SeriesX for Quick Resume etc, but this is kind of swaying me more towards PS5.
It doesn't add any input lag as it runs at the end of each frame, like post processing. It does obviously cost some of the GPU budget per frame, potentially quite a lot, depending on the GPU and the quality/resolution of the upscaling.
The reason Microsoft/Xbox don't do it, or haven't done it yet, is quite simply it's not the kind of thing you cobble together in a couple of weeks. The biggest spatial upscalers like DLSS, FSR, have been in development for years.
Seemingly PSSR has too, and the work they've done there can then be ported to the PS5's tensor-core-less GPU much faster than building one from scratch.
I guess it's not something that has been on Microsoft's radar, despite the huge AI push, and therefore they've been left behind a bit with upscaling.
Hopefully they have been working on something behind the scenes though, and do implement it, as the SeriesX's extra GPU cores/TFLOPS would certainly come in handy for a GPU without dedicated tensor cores, as per FSR, it essentially uses any spare GPU power it can to do the upscaling.
"1- I’ll guarantee you ain’t got enough room on your hard drives for the amount of discs I’ve got lol. So why you need to wait for a game to download I pop mine in and I’m off 👊 "
But pretty much every PS5 game needs to be installed to the SDD. So you'd need to go upstairs, come back down, put the disc in, wait for it to install, intstead of just clicking an icon on the SeriesX
The XBOX solution is better, in every way. The sooner you admit it, the better.
@HelloCraigo I'm a big fan of the first 2 games, and I think they're quite underrated. Well, they were well received and sold well enough right? But still, they don't seem to get talked about much, or received loads of accolades etc.
But I loved them. I much preferred them to God of War on the PS5 for example, even though that game is so much more hyped and highly regarded.
I have fond memories of the first game too, as I played that just a few days after getting my SeriesX.
Anyway, I was a bit apprehensive about this new one, as you noted it seems VERY different to the first 2, and I really like the original characters. But your good review did alleviate my concerns, and I'm now way more pumped for it
My SeriesX has gone from completely silent to near silent. Before I'd have to put my ear to the console to hear anything, kind of nuts for a machine as powerful as it is.
Now I can hear it within a few feet, but it's extremely quiet, and more of a whoosh of air than a horrible whine that some fans make.
It's still brilliant today. Fun gunplay, great level design, and a nice array of varied levels and gameplay. I just wish it was 60fps. The leaked 360 remaster is ultimately the best way to play Goldeneye today.
@FraserG I very much agree about Xbox Play Anywhere.
For me, Play Anywhere and Quick Resume are the best (and possibly most underrated) things about my SeriesX, and why I'm still a big fan despite all the goings on at Xbox/Microsoft.
I have a SteamDeck running Windows, a SeriesX, a powerful PC connected to a big screen upstairs in my office. And a gaming laptop.
Being able to load the same game/save on all 4 machines is superb, and why I'll always choose to get a game from the Xbox store if it's Play Anywhere, rather than Steam/PS5.
@Fiendish-Beaver The current rumours put the PS6 at about RTX 5080 level, which is the second best current Nvidia GPU. For perspective, it's about 3 times more powerful than the PS5 GPU.
It's a lot more powerful, and would undoubtedly be capable of better looking games or much better performance, however it is less than the jump from PS4 to PS5, which is close to a 6x performance jump. And admittedly, the better hardware/visuals get, the more we see a law of diminishing returns.
I agree with @JayJ I don't think a newer gen is needed right now. The current machines are extremely capable, the PS5 is capable of visuals like GT7 at 4k60, and the SeriesX stuff like FH4 at 4k60 or Microsoft Flight Sim. All incredible looking games.
I just wish more console devs would make 4k60 a target, rather than pushing lighting to levels that are slightly beyond the scope of the current hardware, resulting in hits to framerate/resolution.
I loved it the day I got it, and still do. I wish it had more exclusives etc, but hey
The combination of its turbocharged back compatibility - playing some old classics at 4k60 - along with being completely silent and having Quick Resume, make it very unique.
I have a PS5 and a powerful gaming PC, and I still really like the SeriesX, great piece of hardware.
I echo the sentiments of the first few posts. The SeriesX hardware is brilliant, and it got off to such a great start, the hardware was exciting, GamePass was exciting. It's sad what's happened to MS and the Xbox brand.
I have a PS5 too, and I like it mainly for GT7 and AstroBot, but it feels like a toy compared to the SeriesX. The SeriesX is so well built, and completely silent.
I also have a much more powerful PC, but the SeriesX is still very appealing to me due to the convenience and Quick Resume. It's also powerful enough for almost everything.
The SeriesX is a great console and brilliant piece of engineering, I just wish it received the management and games it deserves.
@NEStalgia The GT Omega sounds pretty good, heavy or not I like the fact it's foldable, but also you can add a chair if you want to make it basically like a PlaySeat
Thanks for the info about the wheels too, it's basically what I imagined actually, about DD.
The power doesn't seem like the attractive part, but the response times. For example I'm still rocking a humble G29, and tbh at max strength I consider it has plenty of power, enough to give a convincing feeling of feedback. The issues are more the latency and crunchiness of the gears, and the noise
So yes I can imagine DD being great in the immediacy of the feedback, especially as you said, subtle quick effects.
Even though Fanatec and Moza seem like the go to DD wheels in the simracing community, I like the look of the Logitech DD more because of compatibility tbh.
@themightyant Tbh I don't think Forza Horizon 4 is arcade at all, arcade is Outrun 2, Ridge Racer, Burnout.
Physics wise they are both firmly simcade, it's just that one has 100% sim styling, and one has more arcade styling and vibe.
So I do otherwise agree with you, they're just very different experiences, and both equally good imo. I think FH4 and GT7 are the racing games of the generation, and two of the best driving games of all time.
@NEStalgia OK that's interesting about the GT Omega, that has caught my eye before. Looks more practical than the huge PlaySeat, even if it's in my office rather than living room.
I might have to get one
So how much of an upgrade do you find the Logitech Pro compared to the Thrustmaster T300?
@NEStalgia Haha, sounds like quite a slick setup you've got there, with the swivel monitor n' all
And ha, that's exactly what I used to have, a little pocket size keyboard, I think a Rii. I now use a Logitech KB400, almost full size with trackpad etc, and just keep it on the TV stand or sofa.
And wow, sounds like you really went for it with your rig A 4090 plus bundles of extra kit too.
What wheel do you have and what seat do you have it attached to? I might get one of those PlaySeats.
You know, I was going to say the same thing about not having to upgrade for years. Yes, top spec Nvidia cards are extortionate these days, but the top cards tend to have tonnes of horsepower and stand the test of time.
Even the 1080ti from 2017 is very close in performance to the SeriesX and PS5, and can still play modern games. Albeit without DLSS obviously.
And the 2080ti that came out in 2018? That's as good as a PS5 Pro, which is absolutely nuts. That has really stood the test of time. Partly thanks to its massive 600gb/s of memory bandwidth.
So yes though it's expensive, with your 4090 at least you don't need to think about upgrading for a good few years, with its 82 TFLOPS, 1 tb/s of memory bandwith, and 24gb VRAM
Very interesting what you said about VR injections though, even the immense horsepower of the 4090 is not quite enough in some cases.
It makes sense though if you think about it. As obviously they are not games optimised for VR. And the scene has to be rendered once per eye, at a high resolution, AND a high framerate. With games that are ported to VR, various cutbacks and optimisations are made to make them more viable for normal hardware. As you said, with mods you're just brute forcing it.
@NEStalgia Ah I see, the reason I asked is a lot of people seem to have this old fashioned view of PC gaming whereby you have to connect it to a monitor via VGA or something
I'm more of a big screen gamer myself, so as well as consoles, I've actually had a PC connected to my living room TV for about a decade, with wireless controller. And a wireless keyboard for navigating Windows. Works perfectly, especially with the help of Playnite fullscreen, which gives a basic console esque frontend to select games etc.
A lot of what you say is true, PC gaming is as complex as you want it to be. If you just install Steam, buy some games, and install Playnite (or even just Steam big picture mode) it's closer than ever to a console experience
What CPU/GPU do you have btw, and are you generally happy with performance?
@Medic_alert Oh I see, OK that's fair enough. I agree, they don't really offer anything new, compared to some of Nintendo's machines, or of course VR like you said which is REALLY different.
I do like both of them though, they're certainly much faster and more refined than any other recent consoles.
Incidentally, I know I said the Xbox is exceptionally well engineered, and it is, but what you said is true - it's a weird situation in that the PS5 often outperforms it, despite the SeriesX having every spec advatange. 20% more TFLOPS, 25% more memory bandwidth, and even a slightly faster CPU.
I'm still not sure why it is exactly, it has to be developers prioritising the PS5 or Sony having developed a more efficient graphics API.
@Medic_alert Weird. I know you're not alone, others have cited issues with quick resume too.
I got my SeriesX in October 2021 and it's worked perfectly for me in everything apart from Judgment. Even 360 games like Fight Night work perfectly. Judgment simply doesn't get added to quick resume btw, rather than being glitchy.
I'm not sure if it's got better, or if I've just been lucky with almost everything I've played being very quick resume compatible.
Regarding your OG comment - I see. I was actually going to mention, there's another big innovation I like about the SeriesX, that I can't believe I forgot - and that's FPS boost and resolution boost. Retroactively enhancing 360 games is incredible, stuff like Sonic Generations going from 720p30 to 4k60 is like an automatic remaster. But that is the very definition of refining what is already there
And again a reason I generally choose SeriesX over PS5 for multiplatform games. Sleeping Dogs for example, is only 30fps on PS5, but 60fps on the SeriesX.
Quick Resume in its own low key way, does provide a new experience for me though, and feels next gen, being able to seamless switch between games within seconds at the exact point you were in. That is unique, and something that is not possible on any other platform.
So what is it about the PS5 that you feel is a new experience, the haptic triggers or?
@Medic_alert I wasn't arguing the quietness was innovative exactly, that was more just an example of it being exceptionally well engineered, and the quietest powerful machine I've experienced.
But I do honestly think Quick Resume is a better innovation than anything else this gen, and therefore really underrated.
It's more low key and less flashy than say, the PS5's controller innovations, but ultimately it's something I appreciate much more, and really does make it more appealing than the other platforms to me.
For example if my girlfriend is nagging me to go to bed, I can switch the machine off, then pick up exactly where I was a few days later (within seconds), even playing other games in between. That is incredible imo, and in its own backgroundy way, feels more next gen than anything the PS5 or PC offer. It's worked perfectly for me on every game I've tried it on apart from Judgment just recently. Which is a bit annoying, as again it's the main reason I bought it on the SeriesX rather than PC or PS5
The PS5 noise is a weird one, it seems there is a fan lottery, and coil whine is very common. Mine came with a Foxconn fan, that sounded like a UFO with this horrible high pitched wharbling sound. Extremely distracting and noisy, so I had to spend another £40 to replace it with an NMB fan. Thankfully it's much better, but still not as quiet as the SeriesX.
My SeriesX is quieter than my Switch and Dreamcast for example, pretty nuts for a machine of its power.
I love my SeriesX (and FH4, a lot), and wanted to love Forza Motorsport.
But man, though it has solid core physics and handling, everything else about it is so boring and ordinary and run of the mill. Nothing about it feels special or exciting or next gen. The progression and upgrade system is horrible too.
In fact, that was the game that prompted me to get a PS5 and GT7, and I wasn't disappointed.
I love GT7. In contrast, everything about it feels special and charming. There's so much to do, so many different modes and events, and a better variety of tracks. The visuals are great, the attention to detail is second to none, it's uniquely stylish and charming, and IMO the best Gran Turismo since GT1 by far.
@Medic_alert It might be on the conservative side, but it's exceptionally well engineered for a console, and the one innovation it does have is a big deal for me, and makes the SeriesX my #1 choice for multiplatforms, over a powerful PC and PS5.
It's extremely quiet, whisper quiet for starters, I can't even hear it unless I put my ear to the machine. In contrast, the PS5 sounded like a UFO until I replaced the fan, and even then the SeriesX is much quieter.
And the main thing is actually quick resume. It's unique, and innovative, and I find it very convenient to be able to switch between games and pick up exactly where I left off. Neither the PC or PS5 offer this, which is why the SeriesX is my go to machine.
I love quick resume. One of my favourite things about the SeriesX, vs PC, PS5, or well, any other console.
It always surprised me when I'd hear people complain or not like it, as it's worked perfectly for me in almost every game I've tried, even old 360 games etc.
In fact it was a real surprise and annoyance recently when I realised Judgment didn't use Quick Resume.
@Cakefish 5 to 10 watts is a bit too power starved
The Steam Deck is 15w by default, and I think 25w is a reasonable cap for a powerful handheld, as long as it has a big enough battery, and good cooling.
Even the Rog Ally X can't quite match the SeriesS performance it's true, even at 25w+. But it's close enough that I would expect a new APU to come out within a year or two that can match/beat the SeriesS performance at 25w or less.
If Microsoft are eager to join the handheld market next year, yeah it's unlikely they'll produce something with SeriesS performance given the currently available tech, especially factoring in cost.
But I'd expect the SteamDeck 2 to have SeriesS beating performance in a couple of years perhaps.
@NEStalgia That was my first thought too, and removing a gem like Nights seems especially weird.
Then I thought maybe it does mean a remaster is coming. But obviously, remasters aren't always perfect, some key aspects are changed from the original, not necessarily for the better.
@Kaloudz DD1 is good yes. FWIW it's not my genre of choice, but within the genre I think Dragon's Dogma is the best game I've played along with the Witcher 3. Witcher 3 seems to have a more solid story etc, but Dragon's Dogma has better combat and is just a pretty fun game.
@Kaloudz Ah I see what you mean. I didn't buy for a second it was for creative reasons in the realm of cinematic motion, ie "let's make our game 24fps like film"
But as far as maximising graphics over framerate for creative reasons because they're determined to create a certain look/style/scope? Then obviously that makes sense.
Such as some Playstation exclusives for example like GOW 2018 and The Last Guardian, they had to target 30fps to get the most out of the hardware to achieve a high end, cinematic look.
But in this case with DD2? I'm not seeing why it can't run at 60fps with more aggressive LODing, lower resolution etc, if the player doesn't mind a slight visual hit. It's not exactly groundbreaking visually, and the first game was so much more enjoyable at 60fps on PC.
Comments 218
Re: Review: Gears Of War: E-Day (Campaign) - A Monumental Triumph For Xbox, And My Game Of The Year
@RTGX Seems like we have quite similar taste
Indeed Dirt 3 is the pinnacle of that series. Man I miss the Codemasters of that era, and earlier. I might play Dirt 3 again soon actually, great game.
I also haven't played AC Rally yet, but I want to, it looks superb. It's interesting how much better received it's been than AC Evo.
Re: Review: Gears Of War: E-Day (Campaign) - A Monumental Triumph For Xbox, And My Game Of The Year
@RTGX Indeed Dirt Rally 2 is great. Definitely the gold standard for modern rally games.
I do admit I have a soft spot for Dirt 3. It's heavily simcade, but in a good way, very fun and convincing handling. Surprisingly good looks for its age too, and great performance.
I don't suppose you've played Assetto Corsa Rally have you?
Re: Review: Gears Of War: E-Day (Campaign) - A Monumental Triumph For Xbox, And My Game Of The Year
@Banjo- Thanks for the info, that is indeed that interesting and surprising
Re: Review: Gears Of War: E-Day (Campaign) - A Monumental Triumph For Xbox, And My Game Of The Year
@RTGX Ah interesting, thanks for the heads up, I had no idea you could buy Orta digitally. I'll get it for my SeriesX
How about Rallisport Challenge, have you played that at all recently? I wonder how that holds up. I wonder it looked really good, but I really loved the handling and physics of basically all the CMR games (before it became Dirt), and could never really get into any other Rally game apart from Sega Rally.
Re: Review: Gears Of War: E-Day (Campaign) - A Monumental Triumph For Xbox, And My Game Of The Year
@RTGX Toshinden, Destruction Derby, and Rallisport Challenge, great blasts from the past from 2 consecutive eras
Destruction Derby is somewhat underrated. May not have the depth and content of some other games, but I find it amazing they managed to engineer solid body physics with that many cars, on the PS1 with its 33mhz processor
I had kind of forgotten about Rallisport Challenge tbh, but I remember it seemed great at the time. So did CMR3 was it? The first CMR on the PS2/Xbox? I do have fond memories of the original Xbox. Panzer Dragoon Orta was amazing too, still looks good to this day.
Re: Review: Gears Of War: E-Day (Campaign) - A Monumental Triumph For Xbox, And My Game Of The Year
@RTGX I'm personally just as fond of the PS2 because it has some games I really love (Kaido Battle 2, Burnout 3, San Andreas, Katamari, Yakuza, and many more). And a much higher % of 60fps titles.
But as an era? I agree, no question. The PS1 era was so creative and exciting, so different to today, in the best ways. It was the start of the 3D era, and it felt new and exciting and special.
Re: Review: Gears Of War: E-Day (Campaign) - A Monumental Triumph For Xbox, And My Game Of The Year
@Banjo- Interesting, I didn't know about that, the engagement. The PC tie in is definitely good, and should keep Xbox very relevant, I know I probably use my Xbox and PC equally. Of course the Helix being part of that relevance too in the future.
Indeed the PS1 had some incredible 3rd party titles, and arcade ports. Namco sure did some heavy lifting didn't they? Obviously the Tekken series as you mentioned alongside Ridge Racer, Rage Racer, R4 etc
Re: Review: Gears Of War: E-Day (Campaign) - A Monumental Triumph For Xbox, And My Game Of The Year
@Banjo- Yes, indeed, you too, I remember we talked a few times around the start of the SeriesX era
I recall we were both pretty pumped about the SeriesX and looking forward to the generation, and tbh I still am. It's sad that Xbox has faltered this generation, as the machine is great, I'm still very fond it despite owning a gaming PC and lots of other machines. Quick Resume, Play Anywhere, amazing backwards compatibility etc etc, make it very unique.
Funny you mention Ridge Racer, that is one of my faves, unsurprisingly it was one of the games that really defined the PS1, I still boot it up semi regularly for nostalgia purposes
Re: Review: Gears Of War: E-Day (Campaign) - A Monumental Triumph For Xbox, And My Game Of The Year
@RTGX @Banjo- You guys aren't kidding about PushSquare.
Like probably many of you, I loved the PS1 and PS2 eras, and I have a PS5, so naturally I started to peruse Push Square at some point. It didn't take long to tell myself to never visit that site again
The Xbox obsession and constantly slagging off Xbox is actually quite bizarre and disturbing, I haven't seen anything like it on any other site.
I didn't think it was possible for a gaming site to be more obnoxious than IGN, but somehow PushSquare managed this unlikely feat
Anyway, regarding the article at hand, despite not being a huge fan of the Gears series, this does look great, and a lot of fun. I'm glad it got such a good review, Xbox could do with the boost for sure.
Re: PS5's New QSSR AI Upscaling Tech Should Make For Some Interesting Xbox Comparisons
@IllusiveMan I agree. I haven't seen it in motion yet, but from the stills I've seen it's clearly better than Insomniac's upscaler and FSR3. Which is very, very impressive for a first release of a temporal upscaler on a PS5 GPU. Performance is good too, considering.
I must admit, I did plan on buying GTA 6 on the SeriesX for Quick Resume etc, but this is kind of swaying me more towards PS5.
Re: PS5's New QSSR AI Upscaling Tech Should Make For Some Interesting Xbox Comparisons
@Sindayl @Sol4ris
It doesn't add any input lag as it runs at the end of each frame, like post processing. It does obviously cost some of the GPU budget per frame, potentially quite a lot, depending on the GPU and the quality/resolution of the upscaling.
The reason Microsoft/Xbox don't do it, or haven't done it yet, is quite simply it's not the kind of thing you cobble together in a couple of weeks. The biggest spatial upscalers like DLSS, FSR, have been in development for years.
Seemingly PSSR has too, and the work they've done there can then be ported to the PS5's tensor-core-less GPU much faster than building one from scratch.
I guess it's not something that has been on Microsoft's radar, despite the huge AI push, and therefore they've been left behind a bit with upscaling.
Hopefully they have been working on something behind the scenes though, and do implement it, as the SeriesX's extra GPU cores/TFLOPS would certainly come in handy for a GPU without dedicated tensor cores, as per FSR, it essentially uses any spare GPU power it can to do the upscaling.
Re: Xbox Disc To Digital Is Now Live For Everyone, But You May Need To Force It Through
@GamingGod
"1- I’ll guarantee you ain’t got enough room on your hard drives for the amount of discs I’ve got lol. So why you need to wait for a game to download I pop mine in and I’m off 👊 "
But pretty much every PS5 game needs to be installed to the SDD. So you'd need to go upstairs, come back down, put the disc in, wait for it to install, intstead of just clicking an icon on the SeriesX
The XBOX solution is better, in every way. The sooner you admit it, the better.
Re: Xbox Fans Begin Creating Disc To Digital Lists For Supported And Non-Supported Games
@Sindayl Exactly, Capcom is #1. The other 2 Japanese devs that are up there are Koei Tecmo and Konami.
Re: Xbox Fans Begin Creating Disc To Digital Lists For Supported And Non-Supported Games
@Sindayl The top 2 developers for games supported are Japanese.
Re: Review: Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy (Xbox) - A Fantastic Evolution Of Action, Stealth & Exploration
@HelloCraigo I'm a big fan of the first 2 games, and I think they're quite underrated. Well, they were well received and sold well enough right? But still, they don't seem to get talked about much, or received loads of accolades etc.
But I loved them. I much preferred them to God of War on the PS5 for example, even though that game is so much more hyped and highly regarded.
I have fond memories of the first game too, as I played that just a few days after getting my SeriesX.
Anyway, I was a bit apprehensive about this new one, as you noted it seems VERY different to the first 2, and I really like the original characters. But your good review did alleviate my concerns, and I'm now way more pumped for it
Cheers.
Re: Review: Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy (Xbox) - A Fantastic Evolution Of Action, Stealth & Exploration
Thanks for the review Craig, I'm looking forward to this more now
Re: Talking Point: How Much Noise Do Your Xbox Consoles Make After All These Years?
My SeriesX has gone from completely silent to near silent. Before I'd have to put my ear to the console to hear anything, kind of nuts for a machine as powerful as it is.
Now I can hear it within a few feet, but it's extremely quiet, and more of a whoosh of air than a horrible whine that some fans make.
Re: "The Catalogue Was Just Nowhere Near Good Enough" - Ori Creator Likens Xbox Game Pass To A "Slop Factory"
Ori is one of the worst games I've played on GamePass, ironically.
Re: Talking Point: How Well Do You Expect GTA 6 To Run On Xbox Series X|S?
@Briarback Well said.
Re: Xbox Issues Apology For Spamming Users With 'Braze' Test Messages
That's very brazen of them.
Re: Talking Point: Three Years Later, What Do You Think Of The GoldenEye 007 Port For Xbox?
It's still brilliant today. Fun gunplay, great level design, and a nice array of varied levels and gameplay. I just wish it was 60fps. The leaked 360 remaster is ultimately the best way to play Goldeneye today.
Re: Five Things I've Learned After Using The ROG Xbox Ally X For Eight Hours Per-Day
@FraserG I very much agree about Xbox Play Anywhere.
For me, Play Anywhere and Quick Resume are the best (and possibly most underrated) things about my SeriesX, and why I'm still a big fan despite all the goings on at Xbox/Microsoft.
I have a SteamDeck running Windows, a SeriesX, a powerful PC connected to a big screen upstairs in my office. And a gaming laptop.
Being able to load the same game/save on all 4 machines is superb, and why I'll always choose to get a game from the Xbox store if it's Play Anywhere, rather than Steam/PS5.
Re: 'This Blew Up Way Out Of Proportion' - JDM Dev Insists Forza Comment Was Just A Joke
@darylb24 Agreed.
Re: 'This Blew Up Way Out Of Proportion' - JDM Dev Insists Forza Comment Was Just A Joke
@Brigurugi Maybe one day you'll get good enough at drifting to enjoy driving games instead of party games with boats and planes
Re: Sony Exec Suggests PS5 Is Far From Finished, And It's Likely The Same For Xbox Series X|S
@Fiendish-Beaver The current rumours put the PS6 at about RTX 5080 level, which is the second best current Nvidia GPU. For perspective, it's about 3 times more powerful than the PS5 GPU.
It's a lot more powerful, and would undoubtedly be capable of better looking games or much better performance, however it is less than the jump from PS4 to PS5, which is close to a 6x performance jump. And admittedly, the better hardware/visuals get, the more we see a law of diminishing returns.
I agree with @JayJ I don't think a newer gen is needed right now. The current machines are extremely capable, the PS5 is capable of visuals like GT7 at 4k60, and the SeriesX stuff like FH4 at 4k60 or Microsoft Flight Sim. All incredible looking games.
I just wish more console devs would make 4k60 a target, rather than pushing lighting to levels that are slightly beyond the scope of the current hardware, resulting in hits to framerate/resolution.
Re: It's A Big Birthday For The Xbox Series X, So Let's Look Back At Our Review From 2020
The console itself is superb.
I loved it the day I got it, and still do. I wish it had more exclusives etc, but hey
The combination of its turbocharged back compatibility - playing some old classics at 4k60 - along with being completely silent and having Quick Resume, make it very unique.
I have a PS5 and a powerful gaming PC, and I still really like the SeriesX, great piece of hardware.
Re: Microsoft 'Wraps Up' Xbox Series X|S Era As Hardware Chief Teases What's Next
I echo the sentiments of the first few posts. The SeriesX hardware is brilliant, and it got off to such a great start, the hardware was exciting, GamePass was exciting. It's sad what's happened to MS and the Xbox brand.
I have a PS5 too, and I like it mainly for GT7 and AstroBot, but it feels like a toy compared to the SeriesX. The SeriesX is so well built, and completely silent.
I also have a much more powerful PC, but the SeriesX is still very appealing to me due to the convenience and Quick Resume. It's also powerful enough for almost everything.
The SeriesX is a great console and brilliant piece of engineering, I just wish it received the management and games it deserves.
Re: Xbox Introduces 'Stream Your Own Game' Feature With 50 Titles Supported At Launch
@NEStalgia The GT Omega sounds pretty good, heavy or not I like the fact it's foldable, but also you can add a chair if you want to make it basically like a PlaySeat
Thanks for the info about the wheels too, it's basically what I imagined actually, about DD.
The power doesn't seem like the attractive part, but the response times. For example I'm still rocking a humble G29, and tbh at max strength I consider it has plenty of power, enough to give a convincing feeling of feedback. The issues are more the latency and crunchiness of the gears, and the noise
So yes I can imagine DD being great in the immediacy of the feedback, especially as you said, subtle quick effects.
Even though Fanatec and Moza seem like the go to DD wheels in the simracing community, I like the look of the Logitech DD more because of compatibility tbh.
Re: Rumour: Forza Horizon 5 'Will Arrive' On PS5, Despite A Delay From Xbox
@themightyant Tbh I don't think Forza Horizon 4 is arcade at all, arcade is Outrun 2, Ridge Racer, Burnout.
Physics wise they are both firmly simcade, it's just that one has 100% sim styling, and one has more arcade styling and vibe.
So I do otherwise agree with you, they're just very different experiences, and both equally good imo. I think FH4 and GT7 are the racing games of the generation, and two of the best driving games of all time.
Re: Talking Point: What Other Xbox Games Do You Want Patched To 60FPS?
Yakuza Kiwami 2 for sure.
It would be possible to run at 1440p60, just like Yakuza LAD, Yakuza 6, and Judgment.
Re: Xbox Introduces 'Stream Your Own Game' Feature With 50 Titles Supported At Launch
@NEStalgia OK that's interesting about the GT Omega, that has caught my eye before. Looks more practical than the huge PlaySeat, even if it's in my office rather than living room.
I might have to get one
So how much of an upgrade do you find the Logitech Pro compared to the Thrustmaster T300?
Re: Xbox Introduces 'Stream Your Own Game' Feature With 50 Titles Supported At Launch
@NEStalgia Haha, sounds like quite a slick setup you've got there, with the swivel monitor n' all
And ha, that's exactly what I used to have, a little pocket size keyboard, I think a Rii. I now use a Logitech KB400, almost full size with trackpad etc, and just keep it on the TV stand or sofa.
And wow, sounds like you really went for it with your rig A 4090 plus bundles of extra kit too.
What wheel do you have and what seat do you have it attached to? I might get one of those PlaySeats.
You know, I was going to say the same thing about not having to upgrade for years. Yes, top spec Nvidia cards are extortionate these days, but the top cards tend to have tonnes of horsepower and stand the test of time.
Even the 1080ti from 2017 is very close in performance to the SeriesX and PS5, and can still play modern games. Albeit without DLSS obviously.
And the 2080ti that came out in 2018? That's as good as a PS5 Pro, which is absolutely nuts. That has really stood the test of time. Partly thanks to its massive 600gb/s of memory bandwidth.
So yes though it's expensive, with your 4090 at least you don't need to think about upgrading for a good few years, with its 82 TFLOPS, 1 tb/s of memory bandwith, and 24gb VRAM
Very interesting what you said about VR injections though, even the immense horsepower of the 4090 is not quite enough in some cases.
It makes sense though if you think about it. As obviously they are not games optimised for VR. And the scene has to be rendered once per eye, at a high resolution, AND a high framerate. With games that are ported to VR, various cutbacks and optimisations are made to make them more viable for normal hardware. As you said, with mods you're just brute forcing it.
Re: Xbox Introduces 'Stream Your Own Game' Feature With 50 Titles Supported At Launch
@NEStalgia Ah I see, the reason I asked is a lot of people seem to have this old fashioned view of PC gaming whereby you have to connect it to a monitor via VGA or something
I'm more of a big screen gamer myself, so as well as consoles, I've actually had a PC connected to my living room TV for about a decade, with wireless controller. And a wireless keyboard for navigating Windows. Works perfectly, especially with the help of Playnite fullscreen, which gives a basic console esque frontend to select games etc.
A lot of what you say is true, PC gaming is as complex as you want it to be. If you just install Steam, buy some games, and install Playnite (or even just Steam big picture mode) it's closer than ever to a console experience
What CPU/GPU do you have btw, and are you generally happy with performance?
Re: Xbox Introduces 'Stream Your Own Game' Feature With 50 Titles Supported At Launch
@NEStalgia How are you finding PC gaming in general? Do you have yours hooked up to a TV like a console?
Re: Xbox's Phil Spencer Knows How Annoying The Forza Horizon 4 Situation Is
@Nic-Noc20th-C I agree, I think Forza Horizon 4 is better in every way - the handling, the map, the music, the events, everything.
Re: Xbox Boss Provides Multiple Reasons Why A 'PS5 Pro' Competitor Isn't Necessary
@Medic_alert Oh I see, OK that's fair enough. I agree, they don't really offer anything new, compared to some of Nintendo's machines, or of course VR like you said which is REALLY different.
I do like both of them though, they're certainly much faster and more refined than any other recent consoles.
Incidentally, I know I said the Xbox is exceptionally well engineered, and it is, but what you said is true - it's a weird situation in that the PS5 often outperforms it, despite the SeriesX having every spec advatange. 20% more TFLOPS, 25% more memory bandwidth, and even a slightly faster CPU.
I'm still not sure why it is exactly, it has to be developers prioritising the PS5 or Sony having developed a more efficient graphics API.
Re: Xbox Boss Provides Multiple Reasons Why A 'PS5 Pro' Competitor Isn't Necessary
@Medic_alert Weird. I know you're not alone, others have cited issues with quick resume too.
I got my SeriesX in October 2021 and it's worked perfectly for me in everything apart from Judgment. Even 360 games like Fight Night work perfectly. Judgment simply doesn't get added to quick resume btw, rather than being glitchy.
I'm not sure if it's got better, or if I've just been lucky with almost everything I've played being very quick resume compatible.
Regarding your OG comment - I see. I was actually going to mention, there's another big innovation I like about the SeriesX, that I can't believe I forgot - and that's FPS boost and resolution boost. Retroactively enhancing 360 games is incredible, stuff like Sonic Generations going from 720p30 to 4k60 is like an automatic remaster. But that is the very definition of refining what is already there
And again a reason I generally choose SeriesX over PS5 for multiplatform games. Sleeping Dogs for example, is only 30fps on PS5, but 60fps on the SeriesX.
Quick Resume in its own low key way, does provide a new experience for me though, and feels next gen, being able to seamless switch between games within seconds at the exact point you were in. That is unique, and something that is not possible on any other platform.
So what is it about the PS5 that you feel is a new experience, the haptic triggers or?
Re: Xbox Boss Provides Multiple Reasons Why A 'PS5 Pro' Competitor Isn't Necessary
@Medic_alert I wasn't arguing the quietness was innovative exactly, that was more just an example of it being exceptionally well engineered, and the quietest powerful machine I've experienced.
But I do honestly think Quick Resume is a better innovation than anything else this gen, and therefore really underrated.
It's more low key and less flashy than say, the PS5's controller innovations, but ultimately it's something I appreciate much more, and really does make it more appealing than the other platforms to me.
For example if my girlfriend is nagging me to go to bed, I can switch the machine off, then pick up exactly where I was a few days later (within seconds), even playing other games in between. That is incredible imo, and in its own backgroundy way, feels more next gen than anything the PS5 or PC offer. It's worked perfectly for me on every game I've tried it on apart from Judgment just recently. Which is a bit annoying, as again it's the main reason I bought it on the SeriesX rather than PC or PS5
The PS5 noise is a weird one, it seems there is a fan lottery, and coil whine is very common. Mine came with a Foxconn fan, that sounded like a UFO with this horrible high pitched wharbling sound. Extremely distracting and noisy, so I had to spend another £40 to replace it with an NMB fan. Thankfully it's much better, but still not as quiet as the SeriesX.
My SeriesX is quieter than my Switch and Dreamcast for example, pretty nuts for a machine of its power.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 16-17)
@Darude84 100% agreed.
I love my SeriesX (and FH4, a lot), and wanted to love Forza Motorsport.
But man, though it has solid core physics and handling, everything else about it is so boring and ordinary and run of the mill. Nothing about it feels special or exciting or next gen. The progression and upgrade system is horrible too.
In fact, that was the game that prompted me to get a PS5 and GT7, and I wasn't disappointed.
I love GT7. In contrast, everything about it feels special and charming. There's so much to do, so many different modes and events, and a better variety of tracks. The visuals are great, the attention to detail is second to none, it's uniquely stylish and charming, and IMO the best Gran Turismo since GT1 by far.
Re: Xbox Boss Provides Multiple Reasons Why A 'PS5 Pro' Competitor Isn't Necessary
@Medic_alert It might be on the conservative side, but it's exceptionally well engineered for a console, and the one innovation it does have is a big deal for me, and makes the SeriesX my #1 choice for multiplatforms, over a powerful PC and PS5.
It's extremely quiet, whisper quiet for starters, I can't even hear it unless I put my ear to the machine. In contrast, the PS5 sounded like a UFO until I replaced the fan, and even then the SeriesX is much quieter.
And the main thing is actually quick resume. It's unique, and innovative, and I find it very convenient to be able to switch between games and pick up exactly where I left off. Neither the PC or PS5 offer this, which is why the SeriesX is my go to machine.
Re: Xbox Boss Says Everything Is On The Table When It Comes To PS5 Ports
Really strange this news has prompted comments saying they'll stop buying games on Xbox.
Why?
The SeriesX is a great machine, and this machine doesn't affect its ability to run games. It's still my preferred platform due to Quick Resume etc.
Re: PSA: Death Stranding Has A Major Quick Resume Bug On Xbox
@themightyant
I love quick resume. One of my favourite things about the SeriesX, vs PC, PS5, or well, any other console.
It always surprised me when I'd hear people complain or not like it, as it's worked perfectly for me in almost every game I've tried, even old 360 games etc.
In fact it was a real surprise and annoyance recently when I realised Judgment didn't use Quick Resume.
Re: Rumour: Xbox May Be Gearing Up To Reveal Handheld Device In 2025
@Cakefish 5 to 10 watts is a bit too power starved
The Steam Deck is 15w by default, and I think 25w is a reasonable cap for a powerful handheld, as long as it has a big enough battery, and good cooling.
Even the Rog Ally X can't quite match the SeriesS performance it's true, even at 25w+. But it's close enough that I would expect a new APU to come out within a year or two that can match/beat the SeriesS performance at 25w or less.
If Microsoft are eager to join the handheld market next year, yeah it's unlikely they'll produce something with SeriesS performance given the currently available tech, especially factoring in cost.
But I'd expect the SteamDeck 2 to have SeriesS beating performance in a couple of years perhaps.
Re: SEGA Delisting Multiple Xbox Games This December
@NEStalgia That was my first thought too, and removing a gem like Nights seems especially weird.
Then I thought maybe it does mean a remaster is coming. But obviously, remasters aren't always perfect, some key aspects are changed from the original, not necessarily for the better.
The originals should always be available.
Re: Hands On: Black Myth: Wukong Is A Transformative Action RPG
It looks great but I really hope it's not soulslike at all, and much more Action RPG, like say, Dragon's Dogma.
Re: Crazy Taxi Reboot Will Be A 'Triple-A' Title, Says SEGA Executive
@Reptilio Shenmue is pretty much the definition of an AAA game.
Also, almost every Yakuza ever mode is essentially an AAA title, just made more efficiently
Re: Dragon's Dogma 2 Seems To Be Targeting 30FPS On All Platforms
@Kaloudz Haha, make no mistake, it's quite different to W3. W3 is the bigger more polished game, better story etc.
But I think DD is a lot of fun, from what I played it was quite immersive and addictive and the best combat in the genre imo.
Re: Dragon's Dogma 2 Seems To Be Targeting 30FPS On All Platforms
@Kaloudz DD1 is good yes. FWIW it's not my genre of choice, but within the genre I think Dragon's Dogma is the best game I've played along with the Witcher 3. Witcher 3 seems to have a more solid story etc, but Dragon's Dogma has better combat and is just a pretty fun game.
Re: Dragon's Dogma 2 Seems To Be Targeting 30FPS On All Platforms
@Kaloudz Ah I see what you mean. I didn't buy for a second it was for creative reasons in the realm of cinematic motion, ie "let's make our game 24fps like film"
But as far as maximising graphics over framerate for creative reasons because they're determined to create a certain look/style/scope? Then obviously that makes sense.
Such as some Playstation exclusives for example like GOW 2018 and The Last Guardian, they had to target 30fps to get the most out of the hardware to achieve a high end, cinematic look.
But in this case with DD2? I'm not seeing why it can't run at 60fps with more aggressive LODing, lower resolution etc, if the player doesn't mind a slight visual hit. It's not exactly groundbreaking visually, and the first game was so much more enjoyable at 60fps on PC.
Re: Dragon's Dogma 2 Seems To Be Targeting 30FPS On All Platforms
@Kaloudz It's pretty much never for creative reasons
This game will run at 60fps or higher on PC, almost guaranteed.
Having said that, it is a bit disturbing they are listing 30fps even on the recommended specs, 4k30.
But capping at 30fps on PC seems to strictly be for legacy titles where the framerate was tied to the physics/logic. IE Shenmue, Okami etc.