Psychonauts is my top choice.

Also, Secret Weapons Over Normandy.

There really is no air-tight strategy for Microsoft here. They've tried it both ways with neither truly working, and I'm not convinced by the vague, "just make BETTER exclusives" angle. Their only option is to simply make Xbox the least controversial option and hope Sony continues to make mistakes.

The size is perfect for my nieces and nephews. Though the price might be a tad much for that same reason.

The SNES version of Toy Story 1 gaslit my 6 year-old self into believing that I was just bad at games. Promised Consort Radahn is child's play compared to fighting Buzz at the gas station!

@Titntin They're baby steps, but they'll need to do more if they expect more people to use it when Steam exists.

I'm not too fussed about it myself, but customization and personalization features are things that people value greatly. That should be a focus.

@Fiendish-Beaver No problem! The broken ones I saw were REALLY bad. Best to look it over while still with in that return/replacement window.

@Fiendish-Beaver There were a number of posts on the Gears reddit the other day showing damaged statues. You might want to look it over to be sure.

@Fiendish-Beaver How's the statue? Is it intact?

Here's a crazy idea: let's just scrap scores all together and actually read the reviews.

Reception has been pleasing so far. This is my most anticipated Gears of War game since 2. It's a shame I can't play it for a few more weeks.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner Exactly. They're competitors, sure. But they're not at each other's throats. While gamers are swarming on internet over which plastic box is better, these people are having lunch meetings together.

@luke88 Sorry, I spoke too soon. The OG version gets the remaster update, but only the Complete Edition is Play Anywhere.

I wonder if this means the eventual new expansion will be available for both or just the Complete Edition.

I was confused how this would work because before there were two distinct versions of the game. Now we have a clear picture:

• The update ONLY applies to the Complete Edition, NOT the original version.
  (CORRECTION: Both versions do in fact get the update, but only the Complete Edition is Play Anywhere).
• If you owned the original version, you are given the Complete Edition for free.

The good news is that you can transfer your OG version save to the Complete Edition. The bad news is that achievement progress does not carry over. You gotta start over.

@PartyMarty Ain't nothin' casual about Microsoft 3D Pinball: Space Cadet! I specifically remember dedicating hours towards beating my cousin's high scores on our grandparents' computer just so it would read that he has a limp you-know-what.

@Rimebreaker I remember Phil saying they were cooking something up that was supposedly more substantial, but it never got far. Asha probably went with this because it was highly requested and easier to implement.

But yeah, I would have liked a big refresh of the old system.

But where would Microsoft 3D Pinball: Space Cadet fall under?

@CallMeDuraSouka
Somewhere in the deserts of southern New Mexico, the shriveled, digitized hand of E.T. violently breaks through the surface...

@themightyant At this point, I don't know how much worse it can get for the franchise. You would have thought that establishing a studio designed specifically to make games for a particular IP would make them a treasured instrument. But 343's inability to safeguard Halo was a colossal failure.

I want the physical copy this time around, and the premium edition is digital only.

Besides, it's lucrative for me (and embarrassing for Microsoft) to have one of the biggest games of the season go on sale less than a week after it launches!

Warcraft continues to confuse me.

@Spider-Kev Probably because he has an active relationship with Microsoft. So it was easier to approach them first.

@RTGX No. I'm not done b'tching! 😛

Makes sense. Many who played Death Stranding 1 didn't return, and Kojima is penchant for over-indulgence. The exlusivity thing was probably the final straw.

I don't know what the state of this game is. I don't know if Sony is right to cut bait or if Microsoft pulled off the heist of the century.

I just know that this whole thing is weird, and that makes it kind of funny! 😀

@RTGX Officially, no. Until then, it's a matter of whether you trust Sony's judgment or Microsoft's.

@AverageGamer In that case, I should have said in a weird spot. But either way, this development gives Microsoft an out that allows them to save face.

@BacklogBrad I think so, too. If it were being made by anyone else, they'd have canned OD already. With Xbox's cloud ambitions in trouble, there's not much of a reason to invest in a cloud-centric game right now. Certainly not when Microsoft no longer has an appetite for weird experiments.

Them canceling a Kojima game just would look bad. But now they have another that is POSSIBLY more palatable, OD's days are numbered.

@BacklogBrad I'm betting it's the latter. Kojima's games are generally critical successes, so PHYSINT might be in a okay spot.

I'm certain that this is a cost cutting measure. DS2 was a commercial disappointment, and Sony as much as anyone else is in safe-bet mode.

Nevermind the console-wars stuff. Publishing of a game suddenly switching from one platform holder to another like this is unprecedented, and for a Kojimagame of all things. Might need some clarification on that but nonetheless, very interesting development indeed!

"Today We Are Canceling the Apocalypse"

Man, I really wish they made a sequel...

@oopsiezz so it's unofficially Smart Delivery? I'm cool with that.

The drama over the leaks is much more interesting than the game itself!

Not enough to say for sure, but I'm very pleased.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around Siege. You got 3 teams on the same map, but there's not much interaction. It's really just you and your 3 other squadmates while you have 8 other players running around doing their own thing. You can back them up from time to time, but there's no clear incentive to do so.

The concept is great. I just hope they make it more clear what it is you're supposed to be doing.

Versus on the other hand is certainly an improvement. I was never much of a fan of Gears' PvP just because matches always devolved into the boring mosh pit of shotgun, shotgun, shotgun.

Fortunately it appears that simply rushing in with the gnasher is no longer the viable brain-dead strategy it used to be. The shotgun is still very strong, but more situational. At least now if someone blasts me to pieces, it's my own fault for letting them get that close.

@Balaam_ I accept my incompletions with grace. But there's a few games I'd like to scrub because I once shared my account with my brother back in the day. Games like Madden and Hannah Montana: The Movie.

Yes.

My brother...

With how these will likely be spaced out, I'm more confident that Obsidian's Fallout will be closer in scope to The Outer Worlds.

Can we please manage our saves on external devices, already?

It makes about as much sense as the backwards compatibility program. An awesome gesture that'll give them some brownie points from the community, but it won't make line go up.

$350 in 2021 thanks to a combination of discounted gift cards and rewards points.

Then I sold my Xbox One X for around that amount.

@Jenkinss Unless Microsoft has finally mastered necromancy, I don't think the heroes can count on privateers to aid them in the final act 😛

@Titntin
I'm excited! I haven't looked forward to a Gears of War game this much since 2008.

Maybe it's me getting older, the diminishing returns on graphical fidelity, or some combination of the two. There's not much that can be done to impress me on a game's visuals unless they go for a very distinct artistic style.

What IS getting me hyped was the gameplay. I've been playing these games since my brother tricked me into getting an XBOX 360, and they've long needed a good shake up. I practically gave up on the series at Gears 5 when it looked like they were still playing it too safe.

What I saw here is WAY overdue. More organic and natural movements. Greater mobility. More dynamic environments. That sort of stuff is EXACTLY what I've been hoping for!