Raffles

@themcnoisy Inside is incredible. I enjoyed every minute of it. Intense, cinematic, intriguing, compelling - probably one of the most memorable games I've played.

@InfamousOrange Considering Gran Turismo 1 was the #1 best selling game on the PS1, and that in the many years since then every new Gran Turismo or Forza is a big deal, and even games like Assetto Corsa are some of the most played driving games on Steam, then yes

Not to mention Euro Truck Simulator 2 being one of the best popular driving games on Steam too.

I'm happy with my original SeriesX with disc drive etc, especially as this one is the same hardware, ie not a "pro".

However I sure do wish the existing SeriesX came with a USB-C port, kind of bizarre it doesn't for modern hardware.

I tried Crew Motorfest today, and tbh I was kind of stunned by how bad it is compared to Forza Horizon 4 and 5.

Beforehand I thought it was a bit weird how much of a Forza copycat it was, including the whole Motor"fest" theme. But thought oh well, I love driving games, it might be fun anyway.

But man, the physics are laughably bad, especially the "drifting" with just a fake rotation angle snapped on, and no semblance of actual car physics. The sense of speed is also terrible, Forza feels about twice as fast, and Forza is so far ahead in everything else it's not even funny - the world design, the visuals, the races, the road network, the upgrade system, the events, the AI, the animals, the offroading.

If you're going to do arcade handling, at least do it well and make it fast and snappy and precise like Outrun 2 or Ridge Racer, but this game feels so slow and imprecise and wallowy, yet still basic and arcadey with terrible fake drifting.

I played Forza Horizon 4 immediately afterwards and thought wow, now this is a proper driving game

It makes you realise how good Forza's physics are, perfect simcade. Accessible and fun, yet realistic enough with enough weight and inertia to feel like you're driving a car, and solid drift physics with countersteering.

I've only played 3 Besthesda games.

Bear in mind I'm more of an arcade gamer, I love fighting games and driving games, not RPGs. But I absolutely loved Morrowind and Fallout 3. Very engaging, and very unique for the time they were released.

But I tried Skyrim and kind of hated it. Whereas Morrowind and Fallout 3 seemed great and kind of next gen in their respective eras, Skyrim seemed so clunky and dated even around the time it was released.

My vote would be Morrowind then.

I am really looking forward to playing Starfield though, when I get a break from work

That is extremely good, probably better than I expected.

To put it in perspective - GTA 5 is the second best selling game ever, and Starfield is extremely close to GTA's all time peak of 364,000.

Please don't give it Need for Speed baby physics like the recent two Grids. The difference in physics between Autosport and the recent two Grids is staggering.

@Kaloudz I won't argue with that. Me personally, I don't really need a story in driving games or fighting games, I just love great physics/world design/mechanics.

But for those who like a solid story even in driving games, admittedly the better NFS games do cutscenes and story far better than Forza, which is an absolute cringefest especially FH5

This looks superb, I wish more FPS games were like this.

@Kaloudz But Forza Horizon is much better than Need for Speed, so they don't need to rival it

@Pranwell Good man, Forza Horizon 4 in particular is superb, one of the best driving games ever made. Everything about it is spot on.

@Gr81 Unsurprisingly he didn't respond to your post listing all the mediocre Sony exclusives

@nickwpearce

Tbh I haven't even played GT7, so I couldn't tell you how good it looks or plays in reality. And I do agree that physics in GT historically are a bit on the stiff and janky side, and IMHO not really that sim like. I think the Forza Series and Assetto Corsa both have significantly better physics.

But just from videos and screenshots of GT7 - even though it can look a bit clinical at times like all Gran Turismos - at its best it is a very attractive game, and at a glance can look strikingly real. As Forza Horizon 4 always did, especially at max settings.

Regarding this game, all I can say is visually it appears to be underwhelming. It should still be an excellent game though, I do fully expect the physics to be better than GT7.

What I really hope for is the drift physics to be legit, hopefully as close to Assetto Corsa as possible

@Sol4ris We'll see when it's released. I actually hope you're right, as I don't have a PS5, and I do have a SeriesX and GP.

But those screenshots above aren't exactly filling me with confidence, even factoring in the obvious quality of the captures and compression artifacts. Same for recent actual gameplay footage, ie not trailer footage.

FWIW I still think Forza Horizon 4 is the best looking racing game, better than GT7.

@Sol4ris I couldn't be any less of a Sony fanboy - I don't have a PS4 or PS5. The most recent Sony console I got was a PS3, and I much preferred my 360.

Not only that but I'm a huge fan of the SeriesX, and consider it kind of the ultimate home console.

This is a simple case of GT7 vs the new Forza Motorsport, and objectively I can see GT7 looks much better. Tbh it's literally the only game that makes buying a PS5 remotely tempting.

Again, I am really looking forward to playing the new FM and I hope it's legit, but visually the actual gameplay footage seems a bit underwhelming compared to the beauty shots and initial reveal footage.

@nickwpearce Sure, just like a PS3 game.

https://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/gran-turismo-7-ps5-4k-101-1030x579.jpeg

https://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/gran-turismo-7-ps5-4k-18-1030x579.jpeg

https://kotaku.com/gran-turismo-7-polyphony-digital-ps5-balance-rewards-up-1848766803

https://www.gran-turismo.com/images/c/i17oFyJlwnfmI.jpg

For reference, here is a PS3 game

https://www.gamereactor.eu/media/98/granturismo5_229829b.jpg

https://www.gamespot.com/a/uploads/original/917/9176928/2399655-gt6_screen1.jpg

@InterceptorAlpha Forget about the tachometer, it would at least be nice to have an in game wheel that turns more than 90 degrees

I have to echo other people's comments here, the initial reveal looked really good overall, but in retrospect it was a bit "bullshot"y.

Since then the actual in game footage looks a bit underwhelming. GT7 like all Gran Turismos can look a bit clinical, but at its best is an incredible looking game.

Hopefully this new Forza looks good enough at least, and crucially - has good physics and content.

@GamingFan4Lyf Agreed.

I still think the SeriesX represents amazing value for money, and especially closer to its launch when GPU prices were really high, it was widely recognised how much you were getting for your money.

But be that as it may, it's a £450 console, so yes expectations really do need to be firmly checked when comparing it to the capabilities of high gaming PCs costing £2000+.

It's perhaps a case of marketing blurb backfiring a bit, with many people who aren't tech experts, believing the console could and should be outputting 4k 120hz with raytracing

To be honest, I really like my SeriesX.

Yes it's true that there aren't many games that are exclusive, so the next gen wow factor is minimal, but I think it has enough to feel very next gen compared to the previous gen.

For starters, Microsoft Flight Sim and Plague Tale look excellent and "next gen" in their own ways, and Forza Horizon 4 and 5 running at 4k60 both look stunning and pretty next gen compared to anything the previous gen could produce.

For me personally I love the backwards compatibility and the resolution bump and FPS boost the SeriesX provides.

Even though I have a more powerful PC, the SeriesX very much feels next gen in its own way - the combination of backwards compatibility on steroids, quick resume, fast loading times, and just the overall convenience of a console makes it feel like a perfect gaming machine.

I particularly love playing everything from 360 classics to the Yakuza series, enhanced, as well us current titles performing brilliantly like Forza.

@Kezelpaso I'm also from the UK

And yeah it looks like I'll have to find a nice condition RR6 disc, I've been a bit spoiled by the digital age and never having to change disks. But RR6 is worth it

It is strange though isn't, that it's on the US Xbox store.

@Kezelpaso Same here. As a big fan of the 360, it is like a dream come true being able to play some of my favourite 360 games at 4k60 on the completely silent SeriesX

I just wish we could buy/play Ridge Racer 6 and Outrun 2

@EvenStephen7 I'm not sure I would consider Forza Horizon 4 and 5 as niche

Maybe I'm looking at it naively, but as a fan of Xbox/Microsoft I've been hoping the deal doesn't go through.

Considering the concessions that need to be made, and not even being able to make COD an immediate exclusive, it seems like almost 100 billion is massively overpaying for basically COD and Candy Crush.

It's not like COD is at its peak either, far from it. At the time the price seemed high, now given the proposed concessions, it seems absurdly high.

@Banjo- My thoughts exactly. Seems like such a bizarre choice for almost a billion, what are they expecting them to make, an Angry Birds sequel on console?

Even though Angry Birds was huge at one point, somewhat surprisingly it has been outlasted by quite a few other huge mobile games.

I love my SeriesX, I've said before I ultimately find it to be a better, more fun gaming machine than my gaming PC with 3070 (the interface, accessibility, quick resume etc). But I really hope this isn't a trend, more stuff being 30fps only.

It does seem to be a somewhat inevitable part of a console cycle, pushing graphical fidelity at the expense of framerate. I was hoping this generation would be different, the horsepower combined with the trend of having more choice (ie quality/performance modes).

If that does happen, I suppose I'll have to play most new games on PC.

@Rangers420

I agree it's mind boggling. It's akin to someone saying they can't tell the difference between 480p and 4k. The difference is that big to me.

EA Play by a country mile. Mass Effect LE and Titanfall 2 are better than everything Ubisoft has ever made, put together

@Banjo- I recently tried the XBLA version on my SteamDeck, and it's incredible. Basically just the Goldeneye remaster we've always wanted - very true to the source material, but with a slick coat of paint and 60fps. It's excellent, and exactly what should have been released on GamePass.

@Banjo- Agreed. lol at the idea of playing yet another generic "retro indie" as opposed to something as glorious as Super Mario World, Mario 64, or indeed Banjo Kazooie

@shoeses I'm not a Smash fan so wouldn't know how the Smash style games stack up, but on Mario Kart I agree 100%.

The only thing that comes vaguely close is Sonic and Sega all Stars Racing, and Sonic Racing Transformed. It seems most agree Team Sonic was a big step down. Why though? I can't recall exactly what it was that was nowhere near as good as the other two.

Mario Kart is just hard to beat though, everything about is perfect - the visuals, track design, handling, drifting, number of courses, weapons, etc etc.

@BrilliantBill @themightyant

John is my favourite by far. Seems like a nice likeable guy, and has a true appreciation for games and the tech behind them.

And tbh, the main reason is because he's a Ridge Racer fan I loved the retrospectives he did on RR and Gran Turismo.

If they reinvented the wheel and made the gameplay/structure/physics radically different, it wouldn't really be Forza Horizon would it? Might as well make a brand new game and call it something new.

If it was really grindy, it also wouldn't be Forza. Part of the fun of Forza is it is a bit more of a free for all, where can just bomb around in fast cars and do what you want, not spend hours and hours grinding in order to unlock the next car etc.

Japan would be the best location too. The combination of beautiful rural locations including Okinawa, as well as night time street racing in Tokyo, and classic touge battles on mountain passes would be hard to beat.

@KaijuKaiser Not remotely stupid. They are being pathetic and hypocritical.

Sony are first in line to snap up exclusives and handicap their competition, but when the shoe is on the other foot they start throwing their toys of the pram.

I say this as someone who absolutely loved the PS1 and PS2 and still do, but current gen Sony are making themselves quite hard to like/support.

@iplaygamesnstuff

The Switch can run very nice looking games like Mario Kart 8 and Mario Odyssey at 1080p60 and 900p60 respectively. Also a big open world game like BOTW at 900p30.

The trick is to target the hardware accordingly. Obviously if you throw a modern game at it with modern shaders and lighting setup, it's going to run like absolute ***** at about 480p tops.

The key thing is games are going to need to be developed from the ground up targeting the hardware, not just lazily ported with a few settings turned down. Even the recent Metroid Prime remaster is proof you can excellent results at 60fps no less, in the right hands. It just requires more work.

So I'm not sure it's going to hold things back exactly, as it's not as simple as making games with the Switch as there's no way it would be able to use the same current gen render pipeline and assets as an AAA Series X game.

It's more like the Switch version would need to be treated as an almost entirely different project, possibly even from a different dev team in tandem.

A bit like Forza Horizon 2 on the 360 and Xbox One.

Sony have come across as surprisingly pathetic in this whole ordeal. So much so it kind of puts me off supporting them in any way from now on.

@darkswabber I love the look of Yakuza : Like a Dragon even sans Kiryu, but it's honestly the turn based combat that turns me off, no pun intended.

Even in JRPGs that I like such as FF7 and Skies of Arcadia, I find turn based combat so unbelievably tedious.

I absolutely love the Yakuza series, but am kind of baffled that anyone would welcome turn based combat.

The deep beat 'em up combat of the Yakuza series is kind of what defines the gameplay, and makes it so fun and addictive.

Wow, I guess I'm not Ubisoft's biggest fan. On the whole list there's only one game I like - Far Cry 3. And what a game that is, to be fair.

Ryu Ga Gotoku is the best studio in the world now. Their games are just relentlessly good, so packed full of stuff, and better written and voice acted than anything else.

I'm looking forward to Ishin! Street Fighter 6 and Starfield. Oh and Forza Motorsport.

Actually looks pretty good yeah. Fight Night Champion is one of the first games I played on my Series X, and it's really good. Without a doubt the most recent good boxing game.

There is literally no reason at all this shouldn't be 60fps, as the original has an unlocked framerate and can be played at 60 emulated.

Absolutely bizarre. I was really looking forward to this, but I guess I'll just stick to playing it emulated.

@Titntin I still think it plays better and has more interesting missions and levels than 99% of first person shooters today. You just have to get used to the controls.

Goldeneye has stood the test of time almost as well as Mario 64 and OOT imo.

Burnout 3 is one of the best games ever. If nothing else, just remaster that.

I do find it bemusing that they keep "remastering" or at least re-releasing Burnout Paradise, even though it's not even close to the game Burnout 3 is.

Either it's more popular than I think, or it's simply that it was developed in the HD era, therefore porting it is simply very easy compared to Burnout 3.

FPS Boost is great, being able to retroactively enhance old console games is amazing, and puts the SeriesX closer to PC territory - but with the convenience of a console.

Seeing good 360 games running at 4k60 is kind of surreal. Your example looks great, but have you seen Sonic Generations?

My favourite things about the SeriesX are the combined convenience, power, and quietness of the fans. It's a great combo.

I have a PC with an RTX3070, which is better than a SeriesX, but the difference isn't huge. The main advantage is raytracing and the ability to play almost anything at 60fps+, ie games that are capped at 30 on the xbox.

Anyway the point is, I find myself playing games on the SeriesX far more than the PC, despite the PC being more powerful.

I forgot two major points - back combatibility and quick resume. They are two huge factors that go in favour of the SeriesX over PC. Being able to play good 360 games at 4k60 is amazing, so is quick resume to swap between games within seconds.

So to answer the question it would be - Power, convenience, quietness, back compatibility, and quick resume.

@Kaloudz Absolutely yeah, it's pretty much exactly what you just said. In the case of Project Cars, it does make sense tbh. If I were in charge of EA I would probably do the same thing.

As for Dirt? That would be horrendous if they canned Dirt. OK even if they are taking over WRC it kind of makes sense, as they would essentially be competing against themselves and simultaneously spreading themselves thin.

However even if Codies develops WRC, I can't imagine it ever being as good as the Dirt series, as ultimately they won't have as much freedom to make it as they see fit.

Also to put it simply, Dirt Rally 2 is better than every WRC game put together.

@Kaloudz Not remotely. Racing games are arguably doing better than ever, partly thanks to Forza Horizon 4 and 5 which were/are huge games.

It's more that Project Cars isn't necessary given their overall racing library of stuff that's pretty much hardcore sim like Dirt Rally, all the way too casual arcade style racers like Need For Speed. Project Cars occupied an awkward middle ground and the third one was not very well liked etc.

It's no surprise they stated they are more concentrating on open world experiences, again mainly because of Forza kind of setting the bar for open world racers and being quite so popular.

I just hope they keep the Dirt series, it's the best Rally series ever, by a country mile.

lol at "compression".

Yeah just your classic 70 times better compression.

@Solidchief Agreed. Burnout 3 is the best, and the crash mode is amazing, but even Burnout Revenge is much better than Burnout Paradise.

It's nuts that EA keep persisting in re-releasing Burnout Paradise but not the vastly superior Burnout 3 and Revenge.