Those look cool. Shame there's not much of a market for these any more. We'll see if Fortnite Festival sticks around.

More people out of work in an industry that's chewing people up. I think WB games won't last much longer. They've got a lot of value in their IP but not much in their actual game franchises.

I've only seen the trailer, but it looks like it'll be really interesting.

I got it on mobile, but couldn't get the hang of how it works. Maybe I'll have better luck on Xbox.

Some cool looking games in that showcase. I'll probably try out at least one or two.

They've thrown billions and billions behind this tech, and if it flops Microsoft will tank. So I'm not surprised they're pushing it into every possible place to find some use for it.

I've considered getting this in the sales a few times, but glad to see it on GP.

I'm finishing up Cyberpunk 2077 so maybe I can move over to another sci-fi near future open world game

Good to see more fixes. I only encountered one or two minor bugs on my playthrough which is par for any game.

The repair kit change is good as the way those worked was the opposite of all the other items in the game, and confused me the first time.

I never bother with these. Unless there's three games that you REALLY want it's best just to buy the one or two you want on sale. You might get better savings with this sale, but not if you buy a game you don't really want.

I hope it's a remaster of Tony Hawk: Ride. Along with an new board controller.

I'll have to try and play more Boltgun while I can. That's a really fun one. Warhammer 40K meets DOOM.

Moving multi-platform is good for Xbox as a publisher, but unless Sony and Nintendo do the same then it puts the hardware side at a disadvantage. There's no real difference between an Xbox and PlayStation console now.

So unless Microsoft can make the console itself a better choice through value for money then they'll be pushed out of the hardware game.

Interested to see what they do next. IJ was a big project for them so here's hoping they build off of that success. Another Wolfenstein game would be my desire, but if they have a good idea let them at it.

My only worry is if they get roped into doing a project they're not suitable for. Bioware and Arkane both had a reputation for story driven single player games, but got strongarmed into making online multiplayer shooters which flopped.

This sounds good. I played the Outer Worlds, and really liked it. In part due to what you mention in the opening section. It was an RPG that got to the point, and didn't try and waste time and space building a gigantic world you walk right past.

Compared to when I was a kid I've got more disposable income (though not all that much these days), but less free time. So I don't need one game to last me from my birthday to Christmas.

I'm thinking about two big RPGs from last year: Baldur's Gate 3 and Starfield; both are massive games. The former with the broad scope of a TTRPG brought into a game, and the second with over 1600 massive planets to explore and build on. I've not finished either of them as I just don't have the time.

I didn't even realise there was a remaster of MW2. I'd only heard about the first game where it was only bundled with a special edition of the newest title people didn't want because Activision resent their customers.

Glad to hear it! I tried Alan Wake, and couldn't get into it, but loved Control and eagerly await more info on the next instalment.

I'm not too sure about FBC as that's quite a departure from their usual fare. It seems to be a bigger studio doing their version of the couple of popular SCP games made by small devs on PC. So it could work out, but not my bag.

@SaintRasmus I looked up a list of games they worked on. There's a few I've not heard of, but God of War: Ragnarök, Spiderman 2, Crew: Motorfest, Tales of Zenzera, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla.. That's a DAMN good resume. Suicide Squad is the only one I see there that's a certified dud.

The previews I saw looked great. The visuals, style and story are definitely compelling. Though when it comes to the game mechanics that's something you have to play to know.

There's several games, Alan Wake for example, that I really love the presentation, but I had to stop playing as the actual gameplay didn't click.

I wonder how long this will last? The others don't have as stringent curation as it costs money at both ends. You need more people to do the vetting, and you lose out on sales of these slop games.

Is having a reputation for a well curated store front worth the cost when you're the ONLY storefront? If the Xbox store stunk you can't go elsewhere for games on Xbox. Same with the other platforms (Steam has a monopoly on PC).

At some point I fear this team at Microsoft will get cut way back, and the floodgates will open.

@Markatron84 I hate to see game companies go under as it's the people who actually make the games who are hurt the most not the people who made the bad decisions.

That said WB games is really bad at their job. They need to fold, sell off their studios, and then have WB just licence their IP (which is all WB have going for them) to other developers. WB NEEDS quick cash and cost savings. So my money is on this happening within a year or two unless the parent company's fortunes turn around.

I think a large and expensive Live Service game would be a great choice. The last one was just a warm up, and I'm sure if Warner Brothers double down with an even larger budget then they're bound to get it right this time!

Interesting. I've only got enough to buy one of them so I have to make my choice. I own all the LotR movies on Blu Ray, and the first Hobbit movie.

Is Youngblood actually Play Anywhere though? It's not marked as such on the Xbox store website. Usually when a game has that feature it's got a little logo that says it is just under the title.

Look at the page for Indiana Jones, and you'll see it says "Play Anywhere" https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle/9n8fq28z6qx3

and Youngblood on PC doesn't https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/Wolfenstein-Youngblood-PC/9PHFTS44F99K

If you filter games on the store by if they have Play Anywhere no Wolfenstein games show up. Even if you search the unofficial spreadsheet you link to in the article Youngblood doesn't appear.

Glad to see this. It's a really fun game, and with Cross Play that means I could play with some of my Playstation owning friends.

I'm happy to see them not focussing on exclusive games and walled gardens. Games should be on as many platforms as possible and allow for as free cross play as possible. the console makers should compete on price, features, and capability not exclusive titles that would run better on other platforms.

Great to see. Though I'm more looking forward to progress on cross platform multiplayer so I can play with friends on other platforms.

I haven't played a wrestling game in about 20 years. Are any of the recent ones worth getting second hand?

I think he makes a good point. While there's always games that try and push the technical envelope I'd say there's more focus now than ever to get games to run on lower spec and older tech. .

If they got rid of the parity requirements that'd really hurt the Series S gamers as rushed developers could drop features just to get the games out the door even if it would be possible.

Not a chance. I'll never pay extra to play a finished game a couple days early. The game is ready to play then release it that day simple as that.

Why should players be expected to pay extra because you pushed back the release by a week?

I played a few of the many Phantom Menace era games that came out, but not this one as I do recall reading middling reviews in the magazines (remember those?).

Why this was remade rather than the other Phantom Menace game, or some goofy fun like Star Wars: Demolition I have no idea. Is it a cult hit? Battlefront? Definitely. Podracer? Hell Yeah. Bounty Hunter? I guess? Power Battles?...

I hope they look into the problem with the Series X not being able to play many BD-100 4K movies. I fear that could be a hardware issue rather than a software issue though by cheaping out on the disc drive.

I enjoyed playing FC5 (and 6) when they came to Game Pass, and so I'll give this one a go as at least they're a fun diversion when you're not paying full price (plus all the "Gold" edition Ubisoft BS).

My Series X is about 90%, but that's because I'm regularly uninstalling stuff to make space for new games. I've got 2-3 games that are permanent fixtures, and the rest will be deleted as needed to make room for other stuff.

@bazchillin I don't have a PS5 so I can't attest to it's UHD playback, but the Series X is not a good 4K player. I've got several movies in my collection that won't play in my Xbox. It seems that if you have a BD-100 disc there's a good chance it won't work in an Xbox. It's not just my machine as lots of people seem to have this issue, and BD-100 discs are getting more common now.

I've bought a stand alone 4K player (which isn't cheap) so I can watch my 4K discs.

GTA 5 had earned more money than any other entertainment product (game, movie book, comic) in history. If they charge $100 + the paid extras they can shove it up themselves. If anything they'd be best to lower the price.

I'd like to see cloud gaming on Switch 2 so you can play your Xbox games on the go. It'll be more than powerful enough.

It's good to see more options for repairs available. They need to make their repair information and parts as widely spread to 3rd parties and not just authorised outlets.

The power savings are good too. I think the next gen should have more low power options for when you're streaming Netflix, etc. as an Xbox streaming video uses more power than a basic streaming stick, or a smart TV doing the same thing.

I got a notification saying 3 games were 100% off, but when I followed the notification there was nothing...

I've had good experiences streaming games on PC, Xbox, and on phones and tablets so the tech is there for sure, but just needs more consistent performance. Unfortunately if the wifi at your house is bad then there's nothing Microsoft can do about that so they'll always have issues.

I think a move to make all games that you own playable in the cloud will be important to drive the growth. Also something for people who own the game on disc and not digitally.

@RentedPanda It's not working for me. Maybe a regional thing, or only for some people?

https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/braid-anniversary-edition/bxr1fqzpcdmv

How do you access this sale? I'm looking at a few of the games mentioned here on Xbox.com and it doesn't mention any deals, or what's available.

Mario on Xbox confirmed.

I think Microsoft will announce they've already bought Nintendo and the long rumoured Xbox Handheld and Switch 2 are the same device.

It looks like an interesting game, and I might check it out after some reviews.

Just wait a year, and they can buy it for 50-75% off.

I think the "mini console" thing has come and gone. They needed to have done that for 20 years or earlier.

I'm not sure what'd be good to do. Maybe, as mentioned, a Rare Replay style thing with a collection of some of the real classics available digitally for cheap (say £9.99) that'd be also playable on cloud would work well.

Probably not too much effort to put together and would maybe snag some non Xbox owners to get it to play the games on their phones, laptops, etc.

I just got a £5 xbox voucher from MS rewards so maybe I could use it on this?

This is definitely a game I'm wanting to keep an eye on as the art style is so striking, but I'll be waiting for reviews for sure to see how it holds up to the other retro-style FPS games on the market.

I'm not surprised as there's so little advantage to physical games any more. Buying and selling second hand is all there is left.

Besides the odd second hand bargain I don't buy physical games any more as they're just shelf stuffers.

You don't have the game on the disc as all games have updates, and many some sort of online authentication requirement; you're more likely to physically lose or break a game disc than lose access to a digital store,; and you don't get access to features like Play Anywhere, Cloud streaming, etc.

The physical game ship has sailed because the product has been getting worse, and the alternative has been getting better.

That's a crazy amount of money. Can't Microsoft skip a year or two, and solve world hunger or something?

I may give this a whirl as I'm between games right now after finishing off Indiana Jones over the New Year.