I think people underestimate how much can change from generation to generation. Sometimes it's a positive reset (GCN to Wii, Wii U to Switch, OG Xbox to 360, PS3 to PS4) and sometimes it's a negative reset (SNES to N64 to GCN, Wii to Wii U, DS to 3DS, PS2 to PS3, PSP to Vita, 360 to XB1). And I'm just talking about sales, not the quality of the hardware or library. Success one gen doesn't guarantee the same success the next.
It's easy to say 'well, this is how things are now, so that's how it will continue the next gen' but history has shown us otherwise across all 3 first parties. Every new console launch can be a brand new start, for better or worse. Momentum doesn't always carry forward.
I think of it like sports. Just because a team wins a championship one year, doesn't mean they'll do it again the next. And a team in the middle of the pack one season making the right moves can be a contender the next season. Every season is a different animal. Every console gen is a different beast. I'm staying positive about the future of Xbox.
If Xbox can continue to deliver big exciting games on a consistent basis like they seem to be doing these days, I think they'll do much better with the next system. Especially if they can differentiate themselves enough from PlayStation. Right now XSX is basically a PS5 with less games. If the next Xbox has a consistently killer lineup available day 1 on GP and has more PC-like features while STILL being accessible like a console, I think that will sway a lot of people.
Ultimately, I wish success for all 3 console manufacturers and I truly believe the next gen might be the first time all 3 will be firing on all cylinders while each forging their own unique path.
I think it will (as always) come down to a steady stream of big games. They've been killing it with GP these last few months (Black Ops 6, Stalker 2, Indiana Jones, Avowed) and the next few months are also looking good (South of Midnight, Clair Obscur, Doom Dark Ages, Tony Hawk 3+4, Ninja Gaiden 4). If they can just keep doing this moving forward, I think the next Xbox will do really well no matter what kind of features the hardware has
For the love of god DO NOT shadow drop a new IP no one has seen before like they did with Hi-Fi Rush. That game deserved some runway to build up hype but instead it was dropped unceremoniously into the marketplace without a life jacket. I'm not saying Hi-Fi Rush would've gone on to sell 10 million but it could've made a bigger commercial splash than it did. Shadow drops work for things people are already excited for. So if they do shadow drop a game, it better be a known quantity. Or at least from a familiar franchise. Just, don't send a new IP out to die because you wanted a cool moment on your direct showcase.
I don't know how likely any of these would be but they'd get me excited:
1. A Crash/Spyro/Banjo kart racer. They've got all these family-friendly mascot franchises, why not leverage them all? Hell, throw in Psychonauts and Viva Piñata and it'd be a blast! Get Sumo Digital behind it since they made all those Sonic Racing games that were really good.
2. A Blizzard crossover fighter. What if they made a VS fighter a la Marvel vs Capcom featuring WarCraft, StarCraft, Diablo and Overwatch characters? The roster alone would sell the game. Get someone like Arc System Works on it and you've got an Evo headliner.
3. Guitar Hero but (good) live service. If a new Guitar Hero were free-to-play and could be played entirely on a controller, that'd be pretty cool. That way, people who want to buy a plastic guitar can while everyone else can enjoy a more traditional rhythm game. And people can just buy the songs they like instead of '80 new songs but I only play 6 of them!' which was my experience with past GH and Rock Band games. Maybe have a rotation of free songs available to everyone. And maybe even provide a subscription (higher Game Pass tier?) that gives you access to all songs. And besides, Microsoft has the money to license all that music
It's a miracle this game exists at all considering the circumstances. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. A lot more so than the typical AAA launch woes at least.
I love character creators. The deeper the better. Especially if it's for an RPG where I'm much more invested in the story and see my character as a big part of that. No matter what though, it makes me feel like this is MY character versus 'here's generic stock bald dude #4, now go save the world.' If I'm gonna be staring at this character model for dozens of hours, then let it be someone I find cool/attractive looking.
@GuyinPA75 I feel similarly. Maybe I'm just ignorant of how the mod scene works but do developers of other games help modders with their projects? Fallout London looks great but how is this different from any other mod affected by the last update?
When they said 3D, I thought they were going with a behind the back camera and I was intrigued. But this looks like old-school Double Dragon with 3D graphics. Which I'm also down for. Just keep making them and I'll be there. River City too.
Normally, I'd grit my teeth with this kind of price hike if Microsoft actually delivered big games on a consistent basis. But they don't so what am I paying for exactly? The occasionally interesting indie game? Sure. Perpetual access to Bethesda games? I already bought the ones I wanted. Call of Duty? That's not it for me. So I don't know anymore.
I don't think Ubisoft understands what people loved about the original game as evidenced by the trailers/builds they've shown in the years since the sequel was announced (cuss monkey?). We just want a bigger single-player Zelda-like game starring Jade continuing the same story that ended on a cliffhanger.
It's infuriating like how Nintendo keeps trying to 'innovate' on every new Star Fox game. Like we just want a better Star Fox 64 without the control scheme gimmicks. That first gameplay snippet from 2006(?) that showed Jade parkouring over rooftops was the closest Ubisoft has been to delivering a fan-pleasing sequel. Everything else? I don't know what game they think they're making that they're okay with slapping Beyond Good and Evil 2 on the box.
Blizzard Albany is once again Vicarious Visions and they're working on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 HD, a brand new Crash Bandicoot, and a new Skylanders game that doesn't involve using figurines.
Is CS2 even a game you would want to play on a controller? Don't get me wrong, I love playing shooters with a controller, but this series always seemed to require absolute precision aiming. More than most other online shooters.
@Grumblevolcano Backlash means nothing to Nintendo (and I love Nintendo!) and they have always done whatever they wanted to regardless of how it might upset fans.
No, neither Microsoft or Sony should release these mid-cycle upgrades. The previous gen refreshes made sense because the PS4 and XB1 were slightly underwhelming spec-wise to begin with. PS5 and XSX haven't even begun to scratch the surface on what's possible. And at the rate things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if cross-gen releases are still common by the time a PS5 Pro does release.
Outside of EA games, I'm not going to wait for a game to come to GP if I'm not certain it ever will. I still buy games like normal. GP is just a bonus on top of my usual purchasing habits.
Indie games on the other hand are a different story. So many of them debut on GP and many of them eventually find their way there that I do buy indie games less on Xbox. I still use GP as a way to see if I want to buy that same game on Switch.
It'd be nice to see some underrepresented (as far as gaming) locations. Zimbabwe, Malaysia, someplace different with bustling city areas and scenic off roads and coasts. I mean look at FH5, it's the most positive representation of Mexico I've seen in a video game and helped expand my image of it beyond Cancun, Day of the Dead, etc. Japan is beautiful, yes, but there's a lot of world out there worth exploring imo.
I would love for Skylanders to come back. Minus the whole figurines part. That got expensive real quick. But the games themselves were really fun Diablo-lite games with tons of replayability. My family definitely enjoyed this series. Plus it would be cool to see the Banjo, Crash and Viva Pinata characters show up too after this whole Activision deal. Having an accessible, family-friendly co-op series on Game Pass would be sweet.
@leathco Seriously $300 would be perfect. It's a price that would get people thinking 'if I just pay $100 more I can get twice the memory!' But now it's pay twice as much to get twice as much.
I don't know, a lot harsh criticism of Sony's current output I don't think is justified. Say what you will about the quality of the games or the depth of their design, Sony exclusives generate a conversation because they're all character-focused. When people talk about about PlayStation exclusives, they're talking about Aloy, Joel and Ellie, Miles Morales and Peter Parker, Ratchet and Clank, Nathan Drake.
How well-written any of these characters are can be debated. But the fact the average player can put a face on these games goes a long way. Microsoft's lineup seems to float between masked heroes (Master Chief, Doom Guy), blank-slates (your created hero in Bethesda, Obsidian, and Fable games) or no character at all (Forza, Flight Simulator). It's a harder sell to the casual consumer. It's part of why Marvel movies have all their heroes unmasked. Even a blank slate with a unique design can do wonders (Nintendo's roster of beloved mascots).
It's not just the amount of money Sony puts into these 'AAAA' exclusives, it's the money put behind a marketable face. It's what has me intrigued about the upcoming Perfect Dark game on Xbox Series. I have a distinct memory of Joanna Dark from the N64 classic that stays with me to this day and I can't wait to see how she is reinterpreted for a modern audience.
Again, I'm not debating the depth of these characters but I am highlighting the importance of their looks and their voices. I can't tell you how many 'Boy!' jokes I've heard referencing God of War or how incredibly cosplayable Aloy is (WWE wrestlers wearing her costume to pay-per-view matches!) or how goofy fun it is to see Ratchet and Clank crack wise.
Don't get me wrong, I really love my Series X (lucky enough to have one too) and look forward to their future lineup. Raz and the Psychonauts are a good start. More please. And I'm confident the talent behind the various Xbox studios can not only create a slate of characters that can give Xbox equal footing to Sony and Nintendo, but they'll assuredly inject some deep mechanics and design behind those faces. That is something I definitely want to see from Microsoft.
"Goalkeepers, too, have received a lot of attention. They're a little bizarre now, acting like supermen and women when you get up close, heroically diving to prevent almost certain goals, while sometimes also failing to react appropriately and strangely watching the ball go past them when they should be diving to make a save." I don't know seems pretty accurate to me.
I love multiplayer cosmetics but I never understood the appeal of Halo's implementation of them. And I loved Halo 1, 2 and Reach! But Halo cosmetics always felt like infinite (I know) variations on the same Spartan design. A bunch of Not-Master Chiefs running around each map. Yes, these new designs are ridiculous but I'll take ridiculous over slightly different shoulder plates and uglier visors on the helmets.
Really, they should make a third branch of Forza that's a love letter to arcade racers.
Throw in some Burnout, San Francisco Rush, Cruis'n, Ridge Racer, OutRun, Crazy Taxi, Need for Speed, Split/Second, Blur, Midnight Club, FlatOut, Midtown Madness, Smugglers Run, Spy Hunter, etc etc all inside a gorgeous 60 FPS 4K RTX wrapper.
Make sure there are big jumps, bigger crashes, minigames, track editor, crash mode, road rage, tag, king of the hill, eliminator, cops vs robbers, heists, stunt mode and a ridiculously cheesy story mode with the best-looking FMV ever filmed.
Call it Forza Funsplosion just to drive home the point. Take my money goddammit!
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge HD shadow drop with cross play between Xbox and PC users. Wow, I just set myself up for some serious disappointment.
It's a huge win for publishers since what better way to promote your next big game than to make the earlier games in a series available on Game Pass? I can only imagine how much Yakuza: Like A Dragon benefitted from having all the other Yakuza games on the service.
I see more than a few people argue that weak mechanics in one area of a game does not ruin the overall experience. I agree with that. I've enjoyed plenty of flawed games by managing to gloss over the crusty bits.
However, that does not mean those flaws can be as easily overlooked by everyone. And even if flawed mechanics can somehow be justified by in-game reasons (i.e. the characters are ordinary people so of course the gunplay is wonky, or something something realism) that doesn't excuse the fact that it's there like that.
If a game has gunplay. The guns should feel good regardless of how much time is actually spent shooting. Same thing goes for platforming, driving, etc. If the mechanics exist in the game, it should be good. Not good within the context of the story, just good. You can make a combat sequence feel desperate in addition to making the shooting smooth and intuitive.
I feel like gaming more than any other medium has its audience defending a work's flaws instead of taking into account criticism. At best we get 'well, the flaws add to the charm!' with me facepalming right after.
PES licensed Napoli but Serie A is still with FIFA? How does that work? I would think licensing a league would provide access to all the teams within. I guess I'm just used to team rosters based in American leagues (NFL, NBA) being pretty static year to year.
Comments 105
Re: Nightdive Studios Wants To Bring Xbox 360 Games Back From The Dead
Bullet Witch
Re: Xbox Series X|S Sales Now Trailing Almost 20% Behind Xbox One In The US
I think people underestimate how much can change from generation to generation. Sometimes it's a positive reset (GCN to Wii, Wii U to Switch, OG Xbox to 360, PS3 to PS4) and sometimes it's a negative reset (SNES to N64 to GCN, Wii to Wii U, DS to 3DS, PS2 to PS3, PSP to Vita, 360 to XB1). And I'm just talking about sales, not the quality of the hardware or library. Success one gen doesn't guarantee the same success the next.
It's easy to say 'well, this is how things are now, so that's how it will continue the next gen' but history has shown us otherwise across all 3 first parties. Every new console launch can be a brand new start, for better or worse. Momentum doesn't always carry forward.
I think of it like sports. Just because a team wins a championship one year, doesn't mean they'll do it again the next. And a team in the middle of the pack one season making the right moves can be a contender the next season. Every season is a different animal. Every console gen is a different beast. I'm staying positive about the future of Xbox.
If Xbox can continue to deliver big exciting games on a consistent basis like they seem to be doing these days, I think they'll do much better with the next system. Especially if they can differentiate themselves enough from PlayStation. Right now XSX is basically a PS5 with less games. If the next Xbox has a consistently killer lineup available day 1 on GP and has more PC-like features while STILL being accessible like a console, I think that will sway a lot of people.
Ultimately, I wish success for all 3 console manufacturers and I truly believe the next gen might be the first time all 3 will be firing on all cylinders while each forging their own unique path.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Microsoft Call The '2027' Xbox Console & Handheld?
Xbox Gamecast
Re: Microsoft Has Reportedly Discussed Acquiring IP From Ubisoft
Nintendo should buy Beyond Good & Evil and make the straightforward Zelda-like sequel it should have always been. Oh and Rayman too. Cuz platformers
Re: Report: Xbox Series X Successor Will Be 'Closer To Windows Than Ever'
I think it will (as always) come down to a steady stream of big games. They've been killing it with GP these last few months (Black Ops 6, Stalker 2, Indiana Jones, Avowed) and the next few months are also looking good (South of Midnight, Clair Obscur, Doom Dark Ages, Tony Hawk 3+4, Ninja Gaiden 4). If they can just keep doing this moving forward, I think the next Xbox will do really well no matter what kind of features the hardware has
Re: Talking Point: Which Xbox Games Would You Love To See Relisted This Year?
Outrun 2 / OutRun 2006 / OutRun Online HD. I just want this gem of a game officially playable on modern hardware. Come on Sega, make it happen!
Re: Xbox & Activision Seemingly Set To Release New Tony Hawk Remaster
Downhill Jam here we go!
Re: Talking Point: Are You Hoping For Another 'Shadow Drop' At Xbox Developer Direct 2025?
For the love of god DO NOT shadow drop a new IP no one has seen before like they did with Hi-Fi Rush. That game deserved some runway to build up hype but instead it was dropped unceremoniously into the marketplace without a life jacket. I'm not saying Hi-Fi Rush would've gone on to sell 10 million but it could've made a bigger commercial splash than it did. Shadow drops work for things people are already excited for. So if they do shadow drop a game, it better be a known quantity. Or at least from a familiar franchise. Just, don't send a new IP out to die because you wanted a cool moment on your direct showcase.
Re: Microsoft Has Announced More Layoffs In Its Gaming Division, Says New Report
And around and around we go. It never ends.
Re: Soapbox: I Can't Wait To See What Xbox Does With Activision This Year
I don't know how likely any of these would be but they'd get me excited:
1. A Crash/Spyro/Banjo kart racer. They've got all these family-friendly mascot franchises, why not leverage them all? Hell, throw in Psychonauts and Viva Piñata and it'd be a blast! Get Sumo Digital behind it since they made all those Sonic Racing games that were really good.
2. A Blizzard crossover fighter. What if they made a VS fighter a la Marvel vs Capcom featuring WarCraft, StarCraft, Diablo and Overwatch characters? The roster alone would sell the game. Get someone like Arc System Works on it and you've got an Evo headliner.
3. Guitar Hero but (good) live service. If a new Guitar Hero were free-to-play and could be played entirely on a controller, that'd be pretty cool. That way, people who want to buy a plastic guitar can while everyone else can enjoy a more traditional rhythm game. And people can just buy the songs they like instead of '80 new songs but I only play 6 of them!' which was my experience with past GH and Rock Band games. Maybe have a rotation of free songs available to everyone. And maybe even provide a subscription (higher Game Pass tier?) that gives you access to all songs. And besides, Microsoft has the money to license all that music
Re: Soapbox: I Can't Wait To See What Xbox Does With Activision This Year
@Nic-Noc20th-C Yeah! I loved Skylanders, they were great Diablo-likes with fun couch co-op
Re: Ex-Bethesda Dev 'Surprised' At The Amount Of Load Screens In Starfield
Purkeypile is a great Pokémon name.
Re: GSC Game World 'Absolutely Committed' To Fixing Issues In Stalker 2 On Xbox
It's a miracle this game exists at all considering the circumstances. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. A lot more so than the typical AAA launch woes at least.
Re: Reaction: Like It Or Not, Xbox Has Gone Full Throttle On Multiplatform
Just give me an Xbox handheld that feels like an Xbox controller, a nice OLED screen and Game Pass (downloaded, not streaming!) and I'm all in
Re: Talking Point: How Much Do You Care About 'Creation' Features In Your Xbox Games?
I love character creators. The deeper the better. Especially if it's for an RPG where I'm much more invested in the story and see my character as a big part of that. No matter what though, it makes me feel like this is MY character versus 'here's generic stock bald dude #4, now go save the world.' If I'm gonna be staring at this character model for dozens of hours, then let it be someone I find cool/attractive looking.
Re: Fallout: London Dev Wants Bethesda's Help To Create An Xbox Version
@GuyinPA75 I feel similarly. Maybe I'm just ignorant of how the mod scene works but do developers of other games help modders with their projects? Fallout London looks great but how is this different from any other mod affected by the last update?
Re: 'Double Dragon' Is Officially Getting A 3D Revival On Xbox In 2025
When they said 3D, I thought they were going with a behind the back camera and I was intrigued. But this looks like old-school Double Dragon with 3D graphics. Which I'm also down for. Just keep making them and I'll be there. River City too.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Gets Price Increases And New 'Standard' Subscription Tier
Normally, I'd grit my teeth with this kind of price hike if Microsoft actually delivered big games on a consistent basis. But they don't so what am I paying for exactly? The occasionally interesting indie game? Sure. Perpetual access to Bethesda games? I already bought the ones I wanted. Call of Duty? That's not it for me. So I don't know anymore.
Re: Talking Point: Are You Still Interested In Beyond Good & Evil 2 From Ubisoft?
I don't think Ubisoft understands what people loved about the original game as evidenced by the trailers/builds they've shown in the years since the sequel was announced (cuss monkey?). We just want a bigger single-player Zelda-like game starring Jade continuing the same story that ended on a cliffhanger.
It's infuriating like how Nintendo keeps trying to 'innovate' on every new Star Fox game. Like we just want a better Star Fox 64 without the control scheme gimmicks. That first gameplay snippet from 2006(?) that showed Jade parkouring over rooftops was the closest Ubisoft has been to delivering a fan-pleasing sequel. Everything else? I don't know what game they think they're making that they're okay with slapping Beyond Good and Evil 2 on the box.
Re: Talking Point: What Dream Reveal Would You Like To See At The Xbox Games Showcase 2024?
Blizzard Albany is once again Vicarious Visions and they're working on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 HD, a brand new Crash Bandicoot, and a new Skylanders game that doesn't involve using figurines.
Re: Riot Fans Don't Seem To Like The Name Of Its New Fighting Game
They could have called it anything else and still got the point across.
Legends Tag Battle
Runeterra 2VS
League x Tag
Like anything else that encompasses LoL and 2v2 fighter.
Re: Xbox Reveals 'Sunkissed Vibes' Official Controller To Launch This Month
Hot controller summer all the way. I'm feeling that color scheme.
Re: Redfall Will Only Run At 30FPS When It Launches On Xbox Series X And S
@AlwaysPlaying Ok that was funny as hell 😂.
Re: Valve Announces Counter-Strike 2, But No Sign Of An Xbox Release Yet
Is CS2 even a game you would want to play on a controller? Don't get me wrong, I love playing shooters with a controller, but this series always seemed to require absolute precision aiming. More than most other online shooters.
Re: Rumour: Multiple 'Shin Megami Tensei' Games Coming To Xbox (And Maybe Game Pass)
@Grumblevolcano Backlash means nothing to Nintendo (and I love Nintendo!) and they have always done whatever they wanted to regardless of how it might upset fans.
Re: Reaction: Should Xbox Produce A Mid-Gen Upgrade If Sony Launches 'PS5 Pro'?
No, neither Microsoft or Sony should release these mid-cycle upgrades. The previous gen refreshes made sense because the PS4 and XB1 were slightly underwhelming spec-wise to begin with. PS5 and XSX haven't even begun to scratch the surface on what's possible. And at the rate things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if cross-gen releases are still common by the time a PS5 Pro does release.
Re: Talking Point: Do You Buy Less Third-Party Titles Because Of Xbox Game Pass?
Outside of EA games, I'm not going to wait for a game to come to GP if I'm not certain it ever will. I still buy games like normal. GP is just a bonus on top of my usual purchasing habits.
Indie games on the other hand are a different story. So many of them debut on GP and many of them eventually find their way there that I do buy indie games less on Xbox. I still use GP as a way to see if I want to buy that same game on Switch.
Re: Talking Point: What's The Most Underrated Xbox Game Of 2022?
Citizen Sleeper. Best written game I've ever played.
Re: Ubisoft Is Looking For People To Play Skull & Bones Early
Yeah that link is PC only I know my notebook can't run that.
Re: Forza Fans Won't Give Up On Japan As The Next Horizon Location
It'd be nice to see some underrepresented (as far as gaming) locations. Zimbabwe, Malaysia, someplace different with bustling city areas and scenic off roads and coasts. I mean look at FH5, it's the most positive representation of Mexico I've seen in a video game and helped expand my image of it beyond Cancun, Day of the Dead, etc. Japan is beautiful, yes, but there's a lot of world out there worth exploring imo.
Re: Activision CEO Wants Guitar Hero & Skylanders To Return On Xbox
I would love for Skylanders to come back. Minus the whole figurines part. That got expensive real quick. But the games themselves were really fun Diablo-lite games with tons of replayability. My family definitely enjoyed this series. Plus it would be cool to see the Banjo, Crash and Viva Pinata characters show up too after this whole Activision deal. Having an accessible, family-friendly co-op series on Game Pass would be sweet.
Re: Random: Phil Spencer Is Hitting The Slopes This Winter With His Xbox Snowboard
Man, what if this is an elaborate Amped 4 tease?
Re: Xbox Reveals New 512GB & 2TB Seagate Expansion Cards For Xbox Series X|S
@leathco Seriously $300 would be perfect. It's a price that would get people thinking 'if I just pay $100 more I can get twice the memory!' But now it's pay twice as much to get twice as much.
Re: Xbox Exec Admits PlayStation Has Been 'Out In Front' With 'A Certain Kind Of Game'
I don't know, a lot harsh criticism of Sony's current output I don't think is justified. Say what you will about the quality of the games or the depth of their design, Sony exclusives generate a conversation because they're all character-focused. When people talk about about PlayStation exclusives, they're talking about Aloy, Joel and Ellie, Miles Morales and Peter Parker, Ratchet and Clank, Nathan Drake.
How well-written any of these characters are can be debated. But the fact the average player can put a face on these games goes a long way. Microsoft's lineup seems to float between masked heroes (Master Chief, Doom Guy), blank-slates (your created hero in Bethesda, Obsidian, and Fable games) or no character at all (Forza, Flight Simulator). It's a harder sell to the casual consumer. It's part of why Marvel movies have all their heroes unmasked. Even a blank slate with a unique design can do wonders (Nintendo's roster of beloved mascots).
It's not just the amount of money Sony puts into these 'AAAA' exclusives, it's the money put behind a marketable face. It's what has me intrigued about the upcoming Perfect Dark game on Xbox Series. I have a distinct memory of Joanna Dark from the N64 classic that stays with me to this day and I can't wait to see how she is reinterpreted for a modern audience.
Again, I'm not debating the depth of these characters but I am highlighting the importance of their looks and their voices. I can't tell you how many 'Boy!' jokes I've heard referencing God of War or how incredibly cosplayable Aloy is (WWE wrestlers wearing her costume to pay-per-view matches!) or how goofy fun it is to see Ratchet and Clank crack wise.
Don't get me wrong, I really love my Series X (lucky enough to have one too) and look forward to their future lineup. Raz and the Psychonauts are a good start. More please. And I'm confident the talent behind the various Xbox studios can not only create a slate of characters that can give Xbox equal footing to Sony and Nintendo, but they'll assuredly inject some deep mechanics and design behind those faces. That is something I definitely want to see from Microsoft.
Re: Back 4 Blood Players Have A Major Concern With Its Solo Campaign
@Deadcow this is true. Yeah this sucks.
Re: Back 4 Blood Players Have A Major Concern With Its Solo Campaign
Idk this always seemed as multiplayer-focused as L4D1 and 2. Did people enjoy playing with the AI in those games' single player?
Re: Review: FIFA 22 (XSX) - FIFA's Best Outing On The Pitch In Years
"Goalkeepers, too, have received a lot of attention. They're a little bizarre now, acting like supermen and women when you get up close, heroically diving to prevent almost certain goals, while sometimes also failing to react appropriately and strangely watching the ball go past them when they should be diving to make a save." I don't know seems pretty accurate to me.
Re: Halo's MCC Adds New 'Mythic' Armour Sets To Season 8, And Not Everyone Is Happy
@SplooshDmg Amen!
Re: Halo's MCC Adds New 'Mythic' Armour Sets To Season 8, And Not Everyone Is Happy
I love multiplayer cosmetics but I never understood the appeal of Halo's implementation of them. And I loved Halo 1, 2 and Reach! But Halo cosmetics always felt like infinite (I know) variations on the same Spartan design. A bunch of Not-Master Chiefs running around each map. Yes, these new designs are ridiculous but I'll take ridiculous over slightly different shoulder plates and uglier visors on the helmets.
Re: Halo's MCC Adds New 'Mythic' Armour Sets To Season 8, And Not Everyone Is Happy
@Xiovanni I guess tastes can vary wildly too. I can't stand Attack of the Clones or Revenge of the Sith but I genuinely loved The Last Jedi.
Re: Free-To-Play Racer Asphalt 9: Legends Is Now Available On Xbox
FINALLY!!! I've got 750+ hours on the Switch. Now I can play in 4k and with analogue triggers? YES!!
Re: Surprise! Sam & Max: Save The World Remastered Is Now Available On Xbox
Wait, it wasn't on Xbox before? This is good news then!
Re: FIFA 22's Cover Star Is Kylian Mbappé, Full Reveal This Weekend
@BionicDodo that last penalty kick was painful to watch smh
Re: Soapbox: Forza Horizon 5 Is Going To Need To Lean Into The Series' Absurdity To Impress Me
Really, they should make a third branch of Forza that's a love letter to arcade racers.
Throw in some Burnout, San Francisco Rush, Cruis'n, Ridge Racer, OutRun, Crazy Taxi, Need for Speed, Split/Second, Blur, Midnight Club, FlatOut, Midtown Madness, Smugglers Run, Spy Hunter, etc etc all inside a gorgeous 60 FPS 4K RTX wrapper.
Make sure there are big jumps, bigger crashes, minigames, track editor, crash mode, road rage, tag, king of the hill, eliminator, cops vs robbers, heists, stunt mode and a ridiculously cheesy story mode with the best-looking FMV ever filmed.
Call it Forza Funsplosion just to drive home the point. Take my money goddammit!
Re: Xbox Game Pass Has Some Kind Of Surprise In Store For Us This Sunday
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge HD shadow drop with cross play between Xbox and PC users. Wow, I just set myself up for some serious disappointment.
Re: Microsoft Marketing Exec: Xbox Game Pass Is A 'Real Win-Win Model'
It's a huge win for publishers since what better way to promote your next big game than to make the earlier games in a series available on Game Pass? I can only imagine how much Yakuza: Like A Dragon benefitted from having all the other Yakuza games on the service.
Re: These 15 Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (May 18-27)
MechWarrior 5? Dope.
Re: Limited Run Games Is Now An Official Xbox Partner
Voodoo Vince HD complete with collectible Voodoo doll, please.
Re: Oops, Xbox's Confidential Review Of The Last Of Us 2 Just Leaked
I see more than a few people argue that weak mechanics in one area of a game does not ruin the overall experience. I agree with that. I've enjoyed plenty of flawed games by managing to gloss over the crusty bits.
However, that does not mean those flaws can be as easily overlooked by everyone. And even if flawed mechanics can somehow be justified by in-game reasons (i.e. the characters are ordinary people so of course the gunplay is wonky, or something something realism) that doesn't excuse the fact that it's there like that.
If a game has gunplay. The guns should feel good regardless of how much time is actually spent shooting. Same thing goes for platforming, driving, etc. If the mechanics exist in the game, it should be good. Not good within the context of the story, just good. You can make a combat sequence feel desperate in addition to making the shooting smooth and intuitive.
I feel like gaming more than any other medium has its audience defending a work's flaws instead of taking into account criticism. At best we get 'well, the flaws add to the charm!' with me facepalming right after.
Re: Konami Is Making Italian Side Napoli Exclusive To Pro Evolution Soccer
PES licensed Napoli but Serie A is still with FIFA? How does that work? I would think licensing a league would provide access to all the teams within. I guess I'm just used to team rosters based in American leagues (NFL, NBA) being pretty static year to year.