OM1993

Not a bad showcase. Outlaws and Shadows showed out and both are day 1 for me, and the content drop announcements for Rogue PoP and Lost Crown were great. They shouldn't have bothered with the Sands Of Time news or Anno turning up to say we'll be back properly next year 😐. I did expect a shock announcement, whether it was unveiling of the next Far Cry or BG&E2's return, but what we ended up getting was fine.

Passable show I'd give a C grade to.

Edit: I forgot about The Division 2 news which was actually pretty good to get as well!

Genuinely looks better every time you see it. At this point, it just needs to live up to its promises. Guaranteed hit if it does.

@somnambulance November is looking stacked as is tbh. Black Ops 6 would have been out 1 week by the time we get there, Metaphor and Undisputed early October, and then you have AC: Shadows and Microsoft Flight Sim 2024. Maybe they're approaching November with caution accounting for any releases that might end up landing that week. If it's clear, I reckon they'll be confident dropping it that week as planned. If not, then it'll probably get pushed back a couple weeks (26th November latest). December is something I expect they will leave completely open for Indy and Indy alone.

Nothing less than an A. Lack of dates for Indy and Avowed were bummers, but everything else that we got felt pitch perfect. 2025 games (Fable, Doom and South at Midnight) should be nailed on for the next Developer Direct early next year so no complaints there. Again, we pretty much got gameplay trailers for all the first party stuff following on from last years show (Perfect Dark in particular looked absolutely glorious!). Generally, all the third party stuff here looked quality. And for the first time personally, I've actually been sold on a COD game. Treyarch looks like they've cooked up something genuinely great with Black Ops 6.

This would have been a 10/10 if we had dates for Indy and Avowed, but this is otherwise an easy 9-9.5/10.

Goes to show last years trailer did show a true to life in game art style and gameplay 😂 This looked phenomenal! Sure to be a locked in Developer Direct showing in January and cannot wait to see more and hopefully an exact release window.

We are back, lads.

Am I the only one who got Cyberpunk 2077 vibes off this with a dash of Mirror's Edge??

The trailer was unreal. Considering this was a game said to be in dire straits not long ago, comparatively it actually looks stunning. No release window was expected, but my hype is now at an all time high with this.

@TheOfflineGamer it is technically an MMO though. Just saying

Happy to see this patch come to fruition, but so much sadder to have to say goodbye to Arkane Austin. They will be a huge loss to the gaming industry, and will be sorely missed.

So hyped and yet so worried for this. This looks precisely like the type of MMO I can get lost in (a sentence I have never said before), and its Test Drive. But I feel this game could live or die by it's ambition. Looks like the type of game where if it fails, it will be a cataclysmic disaster. I'm in on the concept though and pray it comes off for KT and Nacon. It will be a day 1 purchase. See you guys in Hong Kong!

@BowsersBuddy Mate, cannot wait for Saturday night. Should be a belter!

@BowsersBuddy I can imagine that's a huge dilemma tbh. For me, would be amazing if they could get Inoue in at some point. By far and away he's the best pound for pound fighter going.

And yes sorry, undisputed in the 4 belt era. I believe Inoue and Crawford are the only two male fighters to unify 4 belts in two weight classes, and Shields the only female.

@BowsersBuddy Yes I saw this! Glad Bivol is making his way into the game, and I plan on getting the WBC version.

No Inoue at launch though is a shocker. If you've got Shields and Crawford who are the only other 2 fighters in history to go undisputed in 2 different weight categories, Inoue has to be there too. But hopefully like you say we'll get more DLC additions as time goes by.

No Naoya Inoue at launch???!!!!!!!

Tbf roster apart from that is pretty solid. Suitably hyped for this.

Promise Mascot Agency game of the show, hands down. Need it ASAP!

@Seioni It won't be. Criteria for those four games were already out, and at least for pne year.

Copy pasting my comment from PS:

The RE Engine has clearly hit its limit now then. Up to now it has really only been used for contained, focused experiences like DMC 5 and all the RE games we've had out of it so far, this is an unprecedented game for it in terms of scope. No wonder they've had to begin development on RE Engine 2. Been a really good run, easily been one of the best in-house engines developed by any games developer. I can forgive the 30fps here because of this. I'm not going to deny myself the chance to play what I think will be 2024s GOTY.

Palworld, Tekken and IW have seriously dented my wallet this week 😁

@J_Mo_Money Nail on the head, agree with this.

PLEASE, please be Dino Crisis related! 🤞🤞

Although smart money without looking at anything is Monster Hunter. It's too soon for Resi. Can't imagine anything else is feasible.

@GamingFan4Lyf My little bro had audio cutting out completely within the first 2 minutes. Managed to sort though and hasn't reported any further audio issues since, although he has had various bugs and glitches, and framedrop when in combat. He is playing on XSS though, although all consoles are reportedly experiencing performance issues of some kind. He's loving the game though.

@GeeEssEff 2024 kicks off with Infinite Wealth and Tekken 8, both out on Jan 16th 😁

@OldGamer999 Their PC was not up to running the game with ray tracing enabled or some bollocks (they had a 10th Gen Intel processor, not specified which, and a 3080, which was said to only be good for 1080p 60fps at low RT settings) but they tried it anyway and had a stuttery, buggy experience 🙄 It affected the score.

@Romans12 Metro are notorious in the UK, them and Game Rant tend to lean on the more console war side of things if you get me. Strange though as Game Rants's sister site, Screen Rant, scored it a 5. Go figure. Deffo out in the minority though and the rest of reviews are glowing! I predicted yesterday it would land at 92 on OC based on that it earned a Ultimate GOTY nomination at Golden Joystick a few days back (even though review embargo hadn't even lifted) and that I felt it would be praised in a similar way to SM 2 (graphics and story earning immeasurable praise, enjoyable gameplay etc.), but it would trump SM 2 on innovation. I reckon I was dangerously close on all fronts! It's put itself into the GOTY mix which is awesome for Remedy! I also led my predictions to get me to pre order the deluxe last night. Unfortunately, I haven't played the first Alan Wake. My Remedy mad brother has urged me to go back and play that and American Nightmare first 😁

Was at 92% on OC, until Metro and Game Rant knocked it down to 88%. Immediately jumped back to 90% thanks to Shacknews, Hobby Consolas and PlayStation Universe.

Hype train is real!

@Romans12 You ain't seen Game Rant or Metro yet then.

@NintendoByNature I feel that pain tbh 😂😂😂

@NintendoByNature Both of them. Dead Space is brilliant!

@themightyant Been a vintage year, mate. Insane!

@all3forever 91% on Opencritic right now

Edit - 26th October, 15:03pm - 92% now. It had been 93% very briefly.

@themightyant Slipped up a bit there, thanks for the correct 👍

@all3forever Critic review embargo lifts at 2pm BST today. User scores on Metacritic are not available until tomorrow.

@Kaloudz Never knew he was in Doom but you're right! He's excellent as Dredd though!! The Raid is GOAT tier, be sure to watch The Raid 2 after you watch the first one mate 👍

@Kaloudz @Kaloudz I remember not being the biggest fan of the OG Judge Dredd (and shame, as I'm a huge Stallone fan) but Dredd 2012 was absolutely class, cannot recommend it highly enough to fans of action. Oddly enough had an extremely similar premise as The Raid 1 (which isn't far behind Die Hard in my all time greatest action flicks) which released 4 months before Dredd did, but it was still amazing. I would say give it a watch if you ever have the chance. As far as high octane, tense, 90 minute action films go, you'd be hard pressed to find better.

No brainer for me on day one. Picking it up for a fiver 🔥

@Kaloudz Really do feel Dredd is the great inevitable for Teyon. Makes too much sense given the track record. I feel like a Dredd FPS game that gives you a similar situation as the Karl Urban film with horror elements would work a treat.

The copy of Redfall I sold to my local CeX back in May for £40 was still there and available for £20. Just bought it back, I guess now is the time to give it a go 😁

@Kaloudz Welcome to the covert console wars, my friend 😂

Yep, just copped the Premium Upgrade.

You get Suda in at your showcase, and it's an instant 10/10. Simple as that!

This announcement made me scream. I heard rumours last week this project was dead in the water. But to not only see Suda and Swery here with the announcement that itis coming, but come through with the gameplay reveal, was unreal

Easily one of my most anticipated titles for next year.

@Lavalera I've not played many JRPGs, Persona 5 may be legit the only one I've played to date, but a great start as that was fantastic. But the beauty in the switch in style is I think one RGG knew to make at exactly the right time. It works in the context of Ichiban and how quintessentially Japanese Yakuza/LaD is - it's a marriage made in heaven as far as I can see. They've obviously kept the brawler style anyway for spinoffs (Judgment and Gaiden) but the mainline series definitely needed freshening up, and whilst I haven't played LaD, I accept the change with open arms. My brother always bangs on about how LaD is the best title in the series so far - I can believe it even as a Yakuza fanboy and someone whose favourite video game character of all time is Kiryu. I do intend to play LaD 7 before Infinite Wealth, I know for a fact I'm going to adore them.

@Lavalera Just out of curiosity, how did Like A Dragon compare to the Kiryu saga (0 - 6)? I've yet to jump into LaD (first ever purchase on XSX as the console launch exclusive, mad to think that's where the gen started!) but 0 - 6 are undoubtedly the best time I've ever had with one single games franchise. Haven't got my teeth into Ishin yet either!

@Lavalera GOATed studio and series, not many other game series and studios can offer up what LaD and RGG do. I might be fanboying too hard right now, but I don't care, I stand by this statement.

I will always pay for RGG titles, because RGG are a GOATed studio. But the Ishin, and Gaiden Day 1 Game Pass drops are insane! The value of GP based on those 2 gets alone has grown exponentially.

@somnambulance Agreed mate. I think a showing wih Overdose at the Xbox TGS event is THE perfect time. Here's hoping! 🤞

@somnambulance Rule out DS2 at SOP and Gamescom, and you would hope Kojima is turning up with Overdose at the Xbox TGS stream.

3 predictions, but only 1 of the 3 would actually happen at TGS:

• Final Fantasy XIV and announcement of an imminent release on Xbox (or something Square related)
• Overdose update
• Tango to announce The Evil Within 3

Would feel like a missed opportunity if they don't come up with any of these. Either way, cannot wait for next Friday!

Premium Upgrade coming through the post this afternoon, next few days will be dedicated solely to this.

@Kaloudz I feel equally excited and nervous, the nervousness coming from the possibility that certain politics could end up unfairly affecting scoring for it. I really hope this does not end up happening. Either way though I know where I'll be on Friday, and I know Starfield is going to absolutely slap! Hoping all of you guys enjoy it immensely too!!

@Dan1283 Crazy to think even with our lists combined it's barely scratching the surface with what's left to come before years end 😂