MaccaMUFC

@Kaloudz There sure is! It was back in October last year, you commented asking if there’s any zombies in the background as you couldn’t see any (there isn’t). I said I’d preferred the one in the thumbnail with the billboard as I have a thing for picturesque images with sunsets/sunrises, if that was available I’d of still had that background set to this day.

I’ve stopped buying games day one at full price a long time ago and as good as this looks I’m just going to rent it but I will most likely buy it in a sale if it’s as good as it looks. I’m really looking forward to it and hope it sells and reviews well.

@Kaloudz There is a State of Decay 2 dynamic background in which you’ve commented on but if you mean the original SoD then I don’t see that ever happening, maybe we will for the third one.

I prefer the Dead Space dynamic background, that’s my favourite right now. Not much goes on at all apart from stars glowing but it looks smart.

The only way I can see MS getting this deal over the line is by making a huge concession to not only keep CoD multi platform indefinitely but to also keep it off Game Pass indefinitely too.

Sales like these can bog off. See what I did there? BOGOF, bog off? Yeah Peter Kay’s got nothing on me 😌

I’ve got 15 “just for you” deals, quite a few of them are ultimate/complete editions which are massive savings but I’m hesitant to buy any incase Ubi+ joins Game Pass Ultimate which I’m always subscribed to every month all year round.

I’ve already mentioned this on PushSquare but I’m playing this on Series X and it looks absolutely terrible, looks more like an early Xbox One game. It has muddy low res textures and it just doesn’t look good at any point in the game even with performance mode off. I’ve seen remasters that look better than this “remake”. So glad I’m only renting it as I wouldn’t be happy paying money for it in it’s current state.

Any idea if The Last of Us will eventually release as a boxset in dvd format? I’d rather watch it that way as I don’t have Sky and don’t want to watch it on NOW TV. I also hope HBO don’t renew their deal with Sky in 2025 as that’s the reason why UK and Europe don’t have HBO Max but surely at $15.99 a month, HBO stand to make a lot more money in subscriptions if they released the HBO Max app in Europe?

The new price hikes, especially on first party Xbox games, just makes Game Pass Ultimate a much more attractive option. Even if GPU does receive a price hike of its own, which I think would go up to £15.99 from £10.99, it would still be amazing value.

@Hexamex-Tex TLoU can be a slow paced game for some but it’s all about the characters and story. I loved it and I’ve just recently finished part 2 which imo was even better but they are going to be nothing like The Day Before.

@InfamousOrange To be fair they did at least show some gameplay in that trailer but we do need more details.

It looks good but I’m not expecting it to have ray tracing on Series X, even if it did it would most likely be running at 30fps, I would rather 60fps without RT. I can see me buying this one day but you just know it’s going to be one of those games that needs at least a years worth of patches before it’s in a better state. Also we need more info like how big the open-world is, weapons, how many players can join you, do you need to eat and drink to stay alive (I hope not though).

And IO thought it was a great idea to release this news just after the Hitman 3 sale ended on Xbox? Wow. PlayStation owners still have the Deluxe Edition on sale for £26.24 so lucky them. I already own Hitman 1 & 2 but would of liked to own Hitman 3 one day, I didn’t want to buy it in the sale it was just in because I’ve already completed it when it first came out when I rented it and also I wanted to keep my money/reward points for new games that are coming out this year. Hope this World of Assassination will be around £20 in the sale one day.

@Trmn8r Hellblade 2 is definitely coming to Game Pass day one. I’m sure Fraser will correct it. I’d like to know if Pragmata is coming to Game Pass though?

I only buy games these days that are in a sale or digital only and if both are not on Game Pass. It has also definitely changed my buying habits even further since I’ve been using Boomerang Rentals, so GP actually acts as my second rental service, PS Plus Extra will be my third tomorrow!

You’ve got to wonder though, if so many people subscribe to the likes of Game Pass and PS Plus thus them buying even less games then what does that mean for the future if a lot less people are buying them because of these subscription services? Sales are going to go right down so less money to fund a sequel or new IPs.

@trev666 It depends on which type of ray tracing features are being used, in a game like Cyberpunk 2077 which just uses ray traced local shadows, it’s not worth sacrificing 60fps for imo. The Witcher 3 though uses ray traced ambient occlusion and global illumination which are the best ray tracing features as it makes a massive difference to the visuals and surroundings in-game. I’d still choose performance mode because even though it looks great it still tanks the performance and I’ve been spoiled with 60fps since the Xbox One X.

@FraserG I did try out the trial as soon as it became available and I really enjoyed it, I could see the improvements over 22 and it does seem a lot more realistic, I appreciate the little things like when slide tackling it leaves a mark on the pitch. I think EA should add dynamic weather in EA Sports FC which can affect the gameplay as the match goes on.

I only dabble in Online Seasons for a few matches a day hence why I asked is it worth it. Me doubting myself is already telling. If I played UT and Career then I think it’s a no brainer but I may just get Cyberpunk 2077 and save the rest of my MS reward points for Hogwarts Legacy.

@FraserG This trick worked for me on Series X, thanks for sharing the tip. I’m currently playing Fifa 22 on Game Pass and I only play the Online Seasons, I don’t touch Ultimate Team, Career mode etc so do you think this is still worth it for that alone or am I better off waiting for FIFA 23 to be added to Game Pass around June next year?

I downloaded this latest patch last night and I’ve still got issues like audio cutting out, subtitles sometimes not appearing and the gun not talking when I interact with something/somebody. I’m having these issues on Series X. I’m hoping the next patch will solve these before I go back to it.

It’s clear from the review that the reviewer is just not into this kind of game, which begs the question, why would they review this game if they know it’s just not going to click with them? Just try it on Game Pass for yourself to see that this is in no way a 4/10 game. Sick of the gun talking? You can actually turn it off or choose for it to talk less frequently. If your into Rick & Morty then your going to love this.

I’m so glad I only played the opening a few years ago so I can play through the game properly for the first time while looking and running it’s absolute best on Series X.

Which graphic modes are people going to play through with? I’d love to play it in 30fps ray tracing mode but I’ve been so accustomed to 60fps that I just find it hard to play games in 30fps these days. I’m even struggling to get through A Plague Tale Requiem that’s forcing me to play through at 30fps.

I’ve never liked Souls-like games and I definitely couldn’t get on with Elden Ring but surprisingly I have been enjoying Demon’s Souls on PS5 which shocked me considering it’s not my kind of game usually.

All the more reason to sub to Game Pass when these first party exclusives hit the service day and date, I’m expecting Game Pass to increase from £10.99 to £15.99 a month and I’m fine with that given the amount of games on the way in 2023 and beyond.

Makes sense, who is even playing Medal of Honor these days? I loved them back in the day with Frontline being my favourite.

I bought this when it came out. It’s a great game but very tactical and hardcore, one bullet is all it takes to bring you or an enemy down. Think Hell Let Loose but set in Middle East with modern weapons and equipment/vechicles without the huge open maps.

As others have said it’s just businesses re-evaluating their departments and workforce roles, it’s common practice. I wouldn’t be surprised though if businesses around the globe are making redundancies due to Covid. If employees were working from home or off sick for a certain period of time, it might of made the companies realise that they were not missed and thus no longer needed. I’ve certainly heard of that happening.

I’d of much preferred the picture with the billboard to be the dynamic background, it looks better than the one with the plane. Plus you can’t even see the plane with all the tiles in the way, they need to do something with the tiles like make them a lot smaller or have an option of removing them. Personally I’d rather they just show the background without anything else when idle for a moment. Ah well I’ll just stick to the Halo Infinite background.

60fps is the expected standard for these current gen consoles but 30fps is perfectly fine for certain genres, it just depends how well it’s optimised. I’ve played different games at 30fps and some are very choppy but others look like it’s running very smooth with no stutter.

It is absolutely mental that EA are changing £70 for this remake. Yes it looks so much better but when you can play the original, which still holds up well to this day imo, right now on Game Pass/EA Play for the price of nothing then there’s no justification for that price. I certainly can’t justify even spending all my Microsoft Reward points on this, I’d much rather get Hogwarts Legacy the following month.

@Stnkygrngo No the PGR series are not playable on One/Series X, it’s quite criminal really considering they were Microsoft’s flagship racing series at the time, much like Forza is nowadays. It should of been one of the games that got made BC.

I rented this and completed it to 100% but I have to say that I thought it was the worst in the series. That’s not to say that I thought it was a bad game because I obviously enjoyed it enough to finish it and do/see everything the game offered but it’s nothing like the others in the series at all.

Basically the reboot was a fail and if they don’t know which direction to take the series in after this then they should either take another go with Johnny Gat and co with the usual wacky gameplay the Saints Row games are known for or just let the series die.

The Series S is a great console, two of my kids each have one. But I have to agree with @uptownsoul that as this generation goes on, next-gen only games are going to get more and more demanding which the Series S will eventually struggle to run them. When that eventuality happens, devs can only downscale their games so much to run on the Series S until the devs say they have no choice but to skip development on Series S altogether. I doubt that would happen but we can’t say it never will for sure.

I think Microsoft should of just released a digital-only Series X like Sony did with the PS5 but can understand why they went with the Series S, it’s proved massively popular among consumers with it’s low price and the fact it’s still a next-gen console along with Series X and PS5.

I’m a Häagen-Dazs lover myself but I don’t mind trying some of the wacky flavours that Ben & Jerry’s bring out. The US certainly get the best and most variety of flavours, where as us in the UK have to settle with a select few.

@Stnkygrngo I’ve been meaning to try Chunky Monkey, when I eventually do I’ll take up your advice for adding chocolate sauce 👍🏻

There’s been so many negative decisions with the game since release but now there’s a team/studio restructure underway, hopefully things will be changing for the better for the future of Halo.

Now that I’m done with the campaign, Halo Infinite can get in the bin and I’ll just download The Master Chief Collection again if I ever fancy playing Halo.

I don’t understand why this got so much hate, I really enjoyed it and it was obvious it was only introducing the characters and their relationships with each other, all while it was building up to the Halo ring itself which is where they will be heading in S2 hence why they are filming in Iceland with the lush green lands, rock formations and waterfalls which the Halo ring in Combat Evolved is known for.

Also those of you who didn’t bother to watch S1 to the end, if you did then you’d of known that the Master Chief we know from the games is now in control of Pablo Schreiber’s character, John 117. Can’t wait for S2!

@clvr Nope your completely wrong about me, I can appreciate games like Immortality, I’ve enjoyed other games in it’s genre like The Bunker, Late Shift and She Sees Red. It’s just that I’ve never enjoyed any of Sam Barlow’s games, I find them very boring and it doesn’t help that your left to figure out how to progress which can be off putting for most. So there you have it, I’m not just into games that have driving, shooting etc I enjoy a broad range of genres but not strategy card games, anime and Sam Barlow’s games to name a few.

@clvr I can understand if you and others are really into the point and click FMV type of games like The Bunker, Telling Lies, Her Story etc but if you were to put a poll to the casual gamer, I’d bet 99% would rather play Saints Row. With Immortality your very restricted gameplay wise, it’s even a stretch calling it a game, as you said it’s more of a “arthouse experimental narrative experience”. And your right I can’t compare both games as they are both very different but please don’t kid yourself saying Immortality is more fun than Saints Row, which is actually a proper game with proper gameplay where your in complete control to do pretty much anything like driving, shooting etc.

I very rarely buy games day one but I’ve got reward points to spend. The thing is I don’t know whether to spend it all on this or Dead Island 2. I may wait for reviews for both games and miss out on the pre-order packs. I’ll rent either one which I don’t buy but I want to spend my reward points on the game I want to own most.

My youngest would want me to buy Dead Island 2 as he loved the first game but I do think Hogwarts Legacy will be the more quality and polished game but will it be more fun to play than Dead Island 2? More reason to wait till both have released and see how they review.

I had zero clue on what was going on or what I was supposed to be doing but it’s not great when it doesn’t even explain what’s what. I really don’t understand all the high score reviews it’s been getting across the board, it’s being made out to be GOTY so far which is absolutely bonkers to me as I’m having so much more fun with Saints Row, there’s many more thing to see and do in that game compared to Immortality which scored 10/10 on here but Saints Row got 4/10? Like I said absolutely bonkers 🤯

I’m not surprised Phil doesn’t game for longer with him being a CEO at Microsoft, I bet it would be more if it weren’t for him being so busy with the responsibilities that goes with the job role.

When I’m in a daily routine with the kids at school, I’d say I game for about 48 hours a week. It’s more when they off on school holidays seeing as I don’t need to go to bed early but it all depends if we’re having days out, doing activities etc, then it’s less.

I think I know what I’m spending my rewards points on. This looks great, I just hope the map is large enough for me to spend hours exploring.

Why is there five modes on Series X? The game should be capable of running at 4K 60fps anyway, if not just two modes would suffice with fidelity and performance. The Series X is powerful enough, this is just down to the devs.

Oh wow I wasn’t expecting this to get lower than a 6. The review makes out that it’s absolutely awful. My rental copy should arrive tomorrow, I was always renting this regardless of how it reviewed as I was never paying £59.99 for it. I recently bought Saints Row The Third Remastered which as been optimised really well on Series X, it looks and runs fantastic.

I’m currently playing through Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD and I’m hoping to finish it before Saints Row releases on Tuesday.

@fabisputza007 @gollumb82 The first two Max Payne games are getting a remake but they will most likely be a while off till they are released, I’d guess end of 2023 or first half of 2024.

@gollumb82 Forza Horizon is different to Gran Turismo. Comparing GT to Forza Motorsport would be a more fair comparison.

I voted Project Gotham Racing, I’ve missed that series and I’m totally burnt out with Forza Horizon. I’d seriously roll my eyes if another Horizon is announced.

What’s everybody’s take on the Halo tv series? I’ve watched all 9 episodes and I really enjoyed it. It was slow going by building up to the discovery of the Halo ring but I already can’t wait for season 2 when they’ll surely be landing on the Halo ring itself with all the Forerunner structures and lush lands, rivers, waterfalls etc.

The Third is the best of the bunch imo, especially the Remastered one, which I just bought in a recent sale. It looks so good on Series X.

I think this poll should make a comeback soon after the reboot has released to see if it’s the best one yet or the worse, I can’t see this being in the middle.

I’ve only played the Xbox 360 reboot and despite it being viewed as mediocre by the majority, I thought it was decent. I’m looking forward to this trilogy remake though, it looks fantastic. Definitely a day one buy for me.

@Would_you_kindly I’m sure I read somewhere awhile back that when Activision acquired Bizzare Creations (the devs behind PGR) that they in turn owned the rights to the series. But I’ve just quickly googled who currently owns the rights and it’s always been Microsoft. Which makes me think, why did they not make any of the games backward compatible? I imagine most likely because of licensing issues and MS didn’t continue the series due to focusing on Forza. This discovery makes me think a new PGR is a no brainer, now so many of us are looking to move on from Forza Horizon.

I’m not sure if I would benefit from this. I currently game share with one of my kids, while the other can’t. So I’m paying £21.98 a month for two GPU subscriptions. If the family plan is less than £21.98 then I may take it up, more for convenience of paying for just one subscription if nothing else.

I’d love to see Microsoft go back to PGR and would love to see them make all three games backward compatible when/if the Activision deal goes through, seeing as they currently own the rights to the IP.

I’ve honestly had enough of Forza Horizon, I’m more looking forward to the new Motorsport and now would like to see a different take on an arcade racer to replace Horizon.