Nightcrawler71

I completed it last year and enjoyed the game. I imagine it’s in an even better state now after several patches so recommended people giving it a go. It’s a bit of a downer though that after (potentially) 30 hours of play your save doesn’t carry over.

Pretty much the same it’s been for a few weeks now - AC Shadows and South of Midnight. I’m on chapter 11 on SoM so only a few chapters left, though have to admit that combat is feeling like a bit of a chore now. Hopefully I will still finish the game. I also bought Entropy survivors in the Xbox spring sale so will give that a go.

Mostly hopping between AC Shadows and South of Midnight. No idea how far I am into the story in ACS, just keep getting sidetracked and exploring the gorgeous world they’ve created. SoM is another gorgeous looking game. I’m in chapter 9 and really enjoying it. If I get time I will also try out Commandos origins.

I never played the first game, but having now played and loved Avowed, I need to play it before the sequel comes out!

I highly recommend people giving South of Midnight a go. I’ve been playing it in early access and am really enjoying it. I’ve had just 1 bug so far, where I had to quit the game and reload. The game looks stunning too, which makes it even more unbelievable there’s no photo mode - this game is crying out for one! Hopefully they will add it post-launch.

Don’t forget Oblivion 😉

Just started chapter 5, and so far really enjoying it. Playing on Series X, and it looks sooooo good, some absolutely stunning environments. It’s almost criminal that there’s no photo mode! The music is great, as is the voice cast. Gradually unlocking more and more traversal abilities, though combat is nothing special.

AC Shadows, which I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with. Love exploring Japan, and the combat is great, but then I look at the objectives board with countless people I have to kill and roll my eyes.
South of Midnight Really enjoying this so far. The game looks absolutely gorgeous, story is good, and the voice acting is excellent. I understand some criticisms about repetitive combat. The skill tree isn’t that big, so can imagine fighting potentially getting a little boring after several hours. We’ll see.
Also bought Hard reset redux this week in a sale (under £2!), which seems like a fun FPS.

My favourite game from Q1 of 2025 would be Avowed, really enjoyed that. Whether it’s my GOTY is unlikely as there are some big, big games still to come this year.

@FraserG sorry, saw his name at top of review so thought he’d be the one to ask. Thanks for the info re length of game.

@BenKerry how long would you say the game is? Also, are there any side quests, or just a main one?

The problem with Nintendo charging such a high price is that their games rarely come down in price after release, and even if they do it isn’t by much. At least with PlayStation and Xbox, games come down in price quite quickly.

PS5 and Series X games can sometimes get away with their £/$70 price tags because you can see on the screen where the money has gone. Switch 2 games will be more comparable to PS4 games, which I don’t personally think justifies the hefty price tag.

South of Midnight is probably the biggest highlight for me here.

Last weekend on here, I said that I was slowly warming to AC Shadows…well, now I love it! Great looking game, great combat, and lots of great skills to unlock. My weapons of choice right now are a legendary Tanto (“Igan Sunset”), and a legendary Kusarigama (“Death Whisperer”). The Kusarigama was a game changer for me - it’s so good for crowd control. I still haven’t even got to the point in the game yet where you can freely change between Naoe and Yasuke! I also love the seasons in the game, which helps keeps things fresh. Japan is so pretty in the snow 😍

I got bored and uninstalled it a few years ago. As someone who predominantly prefers single player games, FH5 didn’t really do much for me. Nice graphics though.

@Cherip-the-Ripper I think it was around 80 hours. It can be completed quicker, but I also did most side quests, and just generally took my time. The game is a lot of fun.

I finished it a few weeks ago and really enjoyed the game (9/10 from me) Unless they add NG+ though I have little reason to return to it.

@FraserG @Jase77 Ok, cheers 👍

Really looking forward to this game. Does it have a price yet?

What’s put me off trying it, it seems the game is free roam and multiplayer only. As far as I can tell there’s no races, championships etc. I don’t really do MP, and free roam could get boring quite quickly.

Assassin’s creed Shadows, of course. Ngl, the first few hours have been a little boring. Also, not sure what to make of the map. Admittedly I’ve only explored a small area so far, but you almost always seem to be following a road/path, making it feel like you’re just being funnelled from place to place. Hopefully the map will open up over time. Don’t even get me started on night time in the game, especially when it’s raining - I can’t hardly see a thing 😡 there should be an option to carry a torch to light the way. I’ve enjoyed almost every AC game though, so hopefully Shadows will grow on me.

Update. Well, after playing it most of this afternoon I can happily say the game is growing on me. I’m getting used to the map, and that there’s some areas which are simply impassable because of cliffs/trees, which means you have to read the map looking for paths/roads. I still think the brightness/contrast needs sorting out. It’s often too dark at night, and after adjusting the levels it means it’s too bright during the day. Still trying to find the sweet spot. I still think the opening few hours or so are a little boring, but yeah, I’m getting into it now 😀

I’m surprised no-one has yet mentioned Cyberpunk 2077, which would probably be my choice. CD Projekt Red created an amazing futuristic world to explore. Yes, the game had its issues at launch, but it has more than redeemed itself since. It’s also the only game this gen that I’ve played through twice.

@16BitHero wow, that’s pretty impressive. Now it’s on my radar!

What’s the UK price? A demo/trial would be nice, especially where a new IP is concerned, like this one.

At least IGN didn’t give it a 7 😂

These relatively new “tiers” to Gamepass now make it look like we’re getting more games than what we actually are. 6 titles in this list, but if you’re a ultimate subscriber then it’s actually only 4 🤷🏻‍♂️ rant over, I’ll probably only give Atomfall a go from this selection.

I didn’t even play it when it was on Gamepass 😂

Sony never have this issue, they just change the number 😂

Finishing things up in Avowed, before AC Shadows comes out next week. Not sure exactly how long I have left in Avowed, but I know I’m near the end (am in the “Garden” area). Also still playing Two point museum. Still in the campaign mode, and now have two museums open. For my second museum - they give you a choice of either supernatural or aquarium themed - I chose supernatural. I can see this is going to be a game I can dip in and out of for ages!

I’m right near the end of the game, but at least the talent points will come in handy for the final battle(s).

Microsoft have to do something different to Sony, so this makes sense. There’s often been games - usually indie titles - that either don’t come out on console, or take ages, so having more parity between PC releases and on Microsoft’s next console can only be a good thing. I’m definitely interested.

Only really playing 2 games right now. Avowed. Have clocked up around 70 hours (!) so far, and I’m now in which I believe is the game’s final main area - Galawain’s tusks. I love the variety of combat options in this game, though I’ve had my trusty unique axe - “Drawn in winter” - since quite early on. Am trying to finish the game before AC Shadows comes out.
Also playing Two point museum, which is great fun. It’s one of those games where you start a session and suddenly 3 hours have gone past 😂 expeditions are a nice addition to the series, and you always get that tiny dopamine hit when your expedition team return and you open a crate.

Let’s release it closer to GTA 6, what could possibly go wrong 👀

They’ve had enough time to polish it so have no doubt that it will still look great in performance mode.

I’m really enjoying it. Over 50 hours in, and am currently in the game’s third region - Shatterscarp. I’m exploring every nook and cranny (which is usually rewarded), and mixing it up between main and side quests. Even in performance mode the graphics are really nice too.

Still mostly playing Avowed. Have clocked up around 48 hours play, and am now in the third region - Shatterscarp. I’m pretty happy with my current build - on one loadout I have “exceptional grimoire of rime” and “Minoletta’s conduit” wand. On the other loadout I have “Drawn in winter” axe, and “tree of life” shield. Going to try and finish the game before/by AC Shadows comes out.

I hate to be that person, but the end of your article says “Two point campus heads to Xbox on March 4th, 2025”. Just saying 😉

@Medic_alert @LadyCharlie @Scrubchub Cheers guys 👍 will give it a go.

Do I need to understand Poker before playing this? Because I’ll be honest…I haven’t the foggiest idea how to play it!

Is it still a shadow drop if we know about it in advance? 😂

@Timppis good to know, thanks 👍

@Timppis one review I read said there’s a lot of reading in this game - is this right?

Still mostly playing Avowed. I’m around 25 hours in, and am now in the second area (Emerald Stair). On one loadout I have Grimoire/pistol, and on the other a giant sword (unique - “Philosopher’s riddle”). Really enjoying the game. If I get time will try out new Gamepass release Warhammer 40K Rogue trader.

Have downloaded it but not played it yet - can’t tear myself away from Avowed! Will hopefully give it a go over the weekend.

I’ve played around 18 hours since last Thursday and am thoroughly enjoying it. Combat is fun, and exploring every nook and cranny is often rewarded. I’m hovering between an 8 or 9, so gave it the benefit of the doubt and voted 9.

Have come close to buying Rogue trader a few times, so that’s a nice addition. Will give F1 24 a go, though from what I’ve heard the car handling is worse than F1 23.

I’m off work now until Tuesday, so plan on spending the next 3 days devouring Avowed! Fun combat and the game rewards exploration. Also love the fact that you’re not class-locked, so can mix’n’match weapons, and can even do the same in the skill and ability trees, letting you spend points in any of the fighter, ranger or wizard trees. The game also has a lot of quality of life touches, like sending anything in your inventory straight to your stash, no matter where you are, or being able to fast travel to any unlocked FT point, again, from no matter where you are. Great stuff.
Only other game I’ll be playing is Ender Magnolia, which though hard at times, is great fun. Have just unlocked the swim ability, so plenty of areas to return to now!

I reckon the next Xbox console will come out quite a bit before PS6. I think this is all connected to why Microsoft is now releasing games on PS5, to raise the profile of the Xbox brand. So when their next console comes out, even PlayStation users will be thinking “actually, Xbox has been releasing lots of good games, I may consider getting the new console, especially with all those day 1 titles on Gamepass”. Microsoft are playing the long game.

Still on the starting island, so haven’t got to Paradis yet. Enjoying the combat and exploring so far, and tbh these are the two main enjoyment factors for me in a game like this. I tried the game on quality mode, but it wasn’t smooth enough for me so switched to performance (which unfortunately requires you to reboot the game, so make sure you save first). It’s still too early to give a solid opinion, but early impressions are pretty good.