antstephenson

I'm only a short way in, but here are my thoughts so far...

I understand why the PureXbox reviewer found the constant chat (and the nature of it) annoying.
But... you can reduce the amount of chat in the settings.

As for the (lack of) difficulty and the gunplay...
Well, it's not for everybody.
It's definitely an easygoing, casual, chillout, shooter (does seem designed for stoners!)... not for hardcore CoD enthusiasts.
That will be good for some and not for others.

Haven't run into any glitches or performance issues yet.

Not an amazing game so far, but ok-ish... will give it a bit more time to see if I stick with it or ditch it.

@NEStalgia
Ah well, it's a shame... feels like this game might be a missed opportunity to make something great... the initial teaser looked so promising.

Ooof, that's a brutal review!

As a child of the 70s, I was brought up on lowbrow toilet humour (the Carry On films, Benny Hill etc), so it might not grate on me as much as it did the reviewer.

Shame the game also appears to have technical issues.

However... will give it a try, as and when time allows, and will judge for myself.

Seems a shame it's not hitting the spot for a lot of people, given it's the closest we are getting to a high profile, and brand new, gamepass game this Christmas.

C'mon Phil... we need some high quality original content... it's been a while!

@RetroMan71

I was the same.
But... When they announced the Zero Build mode I tried it again. It's now probably the game I play the most... awesome fun. Give it another go... just be sure to select Zero Build mode.

Sorry (not sorry) about NOT joining in the negativity here... the multiplayer is great and has been a lot of fun.
I'm not saying it's perfect... we'd all like a lot more content (and some would like better cosmetics)... but the core MP gameplay really works well and is thoroughly entertaining.

Gave it a try...
Felt better than when I tried the awful beta, but still not for me, so uninstalled.
Glad they improved it for the people that enjoy that kinda thing though 👍

Was hoping the 2tb expansion card would get a price drop here in the UK. But, no

@Dimitris_Sf

Yep, looks of games out there and I am fortunate to be pretty busy with gamepass (as I mentioned in my comment above).
My point was more relating to big exclusive games, which would drive Xbox sales.
Personally, I have found Forza Horizon 5 a bit disappointing.
Halo Infinite is ok.
But, I feel Xbox should be in a position to have a big game every Christmas to drive sales of their hardware... and this year it just ain't there.

Looking forward to Motorsport and Redfall.

Will give Starfield a try, but not sure it'll be my thing.

This Christmas is a massive miss for Xbox though... no big game to promote to drive Christmas sales of Xbox over PS. You should always have a big game to bundle in over the Christmas period.

Also... this generation, the marketing for Xbox in the UK has been almost invisible. The marketing department needs to put more money and effort in to bridge the gap to PS.

I'm ok though... I moved back to Xbox after skipping a generation (I tried PS4 instead of Xbox One), so catching up on older games, plus gamepass fodder, plus Halo Infinite has kept me busy.
But... desperately need some new, big, good games to come out.
This generation has GREAT hardware, but the games have either been absent, late or (in some cases... Forza Horizon 5) underwhelming.

Note 1:
Despite all the comments above, I don't think Phil has created a Mastodon account because of any political difference with Twitter/Musk. I think he is creating it because of the risk of Twitter collapsing (what with them now only having a fraction of the staff etc).

Note 2:
Reading the above comments, PureXbox is in danger of turning into a political dumpster fire, which is really horrible. It used to be one of the few corners of the internet where I could (mostly) come for enjoyment and to escape the horrors of the divided political stances that are currently making the world such a ***** miserable place to exist in.
Ugh! Let's not ruin a good thing, eh!

I can recommend checking out Lake before it goes... an unexpected pleasure... nice game to chill out to.

Whilst Flight Sim is a niche game, I think the poll shows it is broadly appreciated as a quality product (as opposed to the mixed reactions towards more mainstream games, such as Halo and Forza).

Bugger... I have just started playing Art Of Rally again... a very nice, chill game... gonna have to buy it.

I noticed it, but it didn't bother me too much.
But, I'm a Firestick owner, so I'm used to having a hot mess of adverts showing you what the platform owner wants you to engage with (rather than showing you what you actually want to engage with).

Big Xbox/Microsoft fan, but laying people off while fighting for the right to spaff 70bn on CoD (ok, all ActBlizz) doesn't look good or feel right.

@Tasuki

xCocks

@Cherip-the-Ripper

I've always believed Dewey is a sociopath in the making 😂

The "how do you do fellow kids" meme pops into my head

@Techno92LFC
It's called being a teenager... they are often incredibly smart, yet also do the dumbest ***** imaginable (speaking from personal memory 😆).

@sjbsixpack
Yep, I agree the PS5 looks so much better in black.
I still prefer the Series X design personally, but the PS5 in black looks a bit more tasteful than the standard white version (especially in a media unit with a bunch of other black boxes!).

@Kaloudz
Yeah, not a fan of PS5 aesthetic... Too big, too router-ish for me.
But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that, so I'm happy if other people are liking it.
I had the Xbox 360... Loved it as a machine, but not so much the looks... always thought it looked like a Dell optiplex PC of the time... https://images.app.goo.gl/6SV3Ptq8zBQz17iS9
TBH, I can't really think of a console I've admired for its looks.... the OG playstation looked kinda cool for the time I suppose.

@Kaloudz

Yep, Series S looks cute (and your red dot version idea is a good one).

When the X was first unveiled, I thought "wow, that looks incredibly boring".... however, I actually love how it disappears into my media unit instead of being a bit of an eyesore.

I appreciate that PS made an effort with their design to do something that stands out and is desirable... but the reality of having that thing during in my living room... just NO!
Sort of thing I would have loved in my bedroom as a teenager... but doesn't suit a middle aged man's living room 😆

Forget Battlefield, forget CoD... just give us a kick ass team shooter in the Titanfall/Apex Legends universe.

Not quite as bad as the Firestick UI, but getting there!
Actually, I think Xbox could learn something from some of the better TV service UI out there... the one on Disney+ is quite decent (just would need ability to pin games added to make a nice UI for Xbox).

How to improve Battlefield... just make Titanfall 3 and call it Battlefield

@IronMan30
P2 is a giant leap from the original Portal... You're gonna have so much fun 👍

@IronMan30
You lucky boy... You'll have a whale of a time... Portal 2 is an all time great.

@awp69
Good to hear there's been some improvements... might re-download sometime and give it a second look 👍

@pip_muzz
Was SO disappointed with Grid Legends... there's a great game buried in the somewhere; but...
Whilst I was initially enthusiastic about the game, more and more I encountered frame rate drops that were so bad they were game breaking (and that was on Series X).
If they've fixed that, then there is definitely some fun to be had with the game.
If you've got a gamepass sub, then you've got nothing to lose by trying it... but I was pretty ticked off at getting my fingers burned by buying it at full price and getting a game which was sometimes unplayable... a lesson learned!

Nice option for those that want it (not for me... I've never really connected with Ubi's content).
But... needs to be cheaper to succeed.
I'm guessing that there'll be a deal where gamepass ultimate subscribers can get it a bit cheaper.

So, next year Starfield, Redfall, Forza Motorsport... not too bad... but I have a feeling people will still be wanting more AAA (personally, I don't mind quality games of any budget/size... I'm happy with a bunch of great Indies).
However, I am concerned that people have built Starfield up too much... I just have a hunch there's gonna be a lot of bitching and disappointment when it drops (gamers love to complain, right? 😉).
MS will need to up their game and get studios delivering quality product at a regular cadence.
I think most people have been pretty understanding about covid related delays, but now I think gamers want to see a solid roadmap on which MS can deliver.
But, hey... I'm happy, I've got a backlog 😆

Honestly, if they just remade Blops 1 and 2 with enhanced graphics, I would jump on it, rather than the horrible recent iterations of CoD.

I honestly feel AB need to slow the pace of the game back down a bit (yeah, it's nice have a fast and frantic map in the mix, but you shouldn't be getting blasted within 5 seconds of spawning on ALL the maps).

TBH, as this will have been in development for a while, I am guessing they won't have had time to react to the negative feedback from Vanguard and address it in the new game.

Maybe the next CoD after this one will get things back on track. Maybe.

I wonder whether MS are buying Activision at the wrong time... a bit like when NewsCorp bought MySpace.

CoD feels like it has been going downhill for a long time... or maybe I'm just an old git who is wishing everything was like it was in the old days 😆
Seriously though... the original MW1 and 2 and the original BLOPS 1 and 2 still feel far more enjoyable than any of the recent iterations.

Halo
Splitgate
Rocket League
Apex Legends
Fortnite (zero build mode... try it, it's great!)
Fall Guys

... all getting a lot of my time.

Just don't get on with Warzone... pretty much done with CoD... but hoping MS can rescue it.

Will have to check out Multiversus... Hadn't heard of it, but it seems to be getting a lot of love.

A new game mixing elements of Blur and Split Second would be great... are you listening Phil?
And bring back PGR while you're at it 🙂

Not only do I prefer the FH4 map, but I feel the race courses are better designed in 4 as well... they feel a bit more exciting and memorable than most of the courses in 5 (with a couple of exceptions).

Got months and months of enjoyment out of 4, but 5 felt dead within a couple of weeks.

Even my wife, who doesn't really play, noticed 5 seemed lifeless compared to 4 (and she's Mexican, so was looking forward to 5!).

Sometimes... though mostly use Firestick.

For some reason the All4 and ITV Hub apps don't allow live streaming on Xbox (only catch up), but do allow live streaming on their Firestick versions.

If it wasn't for odd quirks like that, I could ditch the Firestick and just get a media remote for the Xbox.

Yep, I've been saying it for ages... we need a city street racer that sits between the handling models of FHorizon and FMotorsport... PGR would be it.

Though I reckon Xbox might want to stick with Forza branding, so I think Forza Metro would suit nicely 👍

Ugh... 12gb game update followed by 11gb for the dlc.
Will have to wait until tomorrow.
First world problems etc, but a bit irritating... I'm sure MS could find a better way to manage this.

I went Xbox > Xbox 360 > PS4 > XSX

Xbox One launch was a shambles and I felt Halo and Gears had lost their way a bit.

Plus I wanted to try Last Of Us and Little Big Planet.

The PS4 was fine, but I can't say the exclusive games grabbed me.... Not saying they were bad, but just not for me.

When this gen came around, the Xbox Series X looked better aesthetically them the PS5, I was starting to miss Halo and Gears, plus I wanted to try Forza Horizon 4 which I had missed out on.
Add on to that the value proposition of gamepass and the potential of xcloud, it was a simple choice.

Have been happy with my choice... something about Xbox just feels a bit less clinical/commercial than the PS experience... though I can't really out my finger on why.

The PS4 was decent enough and I'm sure the PS5 owners will be happy with their choice too.
Never really got the tribal warfare between some gamers (on both sides of the console divide)... seems daft.

@TheSilverFalcon

I get a weird thing in F1 2021... Fan is silent during racing... but during the post race interview the fan kicks in REALLY loud.
Zero fan noise in other games (though I haven't tried the tennis game yet).

@Nightcrawler71

Played a lot of CMs F1 2021... It's great, so looking forward to 2022 game (even if it is more of the same).

But CMs Grid Legends... So disappointing... Some races ok, but some have frame rate drops that are so bad it breaks the game... a missed opportunity, there's potentially a great game in there somewhere.

CMs Dirt 5 was decent (if shallow) fun for a while.

So... I would say CM do good, bad and average... hoping they can nail consistency in their future output 👍

High On Life for me.

Found Forza 7 a snooze, but will definitely be giving Motorsport a chance.

Got a horrible feeling that people may be setting expectations too high for Starfield, leading to inevitable disappointment... would be happy to be wrong about this though.

Already on it... This is the only game my wife and I both miss from back when we had a PS4.
A stupid amount of fun and has you screaming at the screen when you make a mistake.
A great game to put on when you have guests over 👍

@Richnj

Yeah, I hear ya.
When gaming in a private match with a friend we give each other a hell of a lot of abuse... and it's fun 😆 and that's cool, coz we have a friendship and an understanding (and we know where to draw the line).

But public matches with really angry kids using racist/sexist/homophobic language... ugh!
Even worse when it's adults who should know better.

I know some people will say "use the mute button" (which I did/do), but the onus should be on players to behave in an appropriate manner.
I actually don't mind a bit of friendly trashing in a public game... just as long as everybody is cool with it, it's good natured and there's nothing hateful being said.

@themightyant

Whilst I loved playing games in 360 era, the in game chat was horrible toxic.
Have to say, I really don't seem to notice it at all these days... but that might be because I don't play CoD anymore.
Or maybe the annoying 13 year olds who used to scream down their mics have moved on to other games like Fortnite or FIFA.
Toxicity is still alive and well in gaming forums though... some are better than others.
I like PureXbox, as it has a LOT of decent folk (but there's always the odd few trolls and knuckledraggers).

@Baler
Thinking more back to the Xbox 360 days (seems much less frequent now on Xbox... don't know about on PC), when there was a huge amount of abuse in the gamer chat (particularly in games like CoD)... so many times I had to mute/report a-holes using racist and/or homophobic language (or sending abuse in the text chat)... Not everyone enjoys that kind of environment.

@BartoxTharglod

Yeah, marketing is a part of it.
Xbox (original) did feel like a bit of a dudebro brand and messaging was "of its time"... not offensive or anything, but... I always pictured the stereotypical xboxer to be like the a-holes in the first Harold and Kumar film, who were bullies who thought everything they did was "extreeeeeme!" (Even though I was an OG Xboxer myself)
Also, the games... it's brand was built on Halo (then Gears as well), which reinforced a male/macho brand for playing macho games. Yeah, there were other games out there, but it was definitely viewed as a Halo/Gears box by many in the first 2 gens.

I think under Phil's watch, the messaging has softened significantly... playing down the competition with PS and throwing cold water on the fanboy console wars nonsense.
Halo and Gears are still big IPs, but I think there's a willingness to push a broader selection of games and you'll often hear Phil and Sarah talking up quirky indie games.

So, yeah... the changes are subtle... not as big as Xbox make out and not as big as the anti-wokers seem to be freaking out about.

Gaming can be an intimidating arena for some (even the generally wonderful and friendly PureXbox site has a few members who I would rather not encounter in the flesh)... so any effort by Xbox to shift the gaming culture to being a more friendly and welcoming environment is welcome.

Everything's fine, we can all continue to enjoy our games 👍

@Krzzystuff

Yep, it looks fun doesn't it?!
I was honestly surprised more people weren't talking about it after the showcase... I think it got drowned out in the conversation by Forza and Starfield.
Could use more fun games (I think there's more than enough dark and gritty stuff out there for now 🙂).

It's a shame about Stadia, as I understand the tech works reasonably well.

However... completely unsurprising that it was pretty much DOA.
Business/subscription model was unclear.
Market not yet ready for 100 per cent streaming.
Poor (i.e. lack of) marketing.
Tough competition from existing gaming ecosystems.
Lack of faith in Google providing long-term support... their history of half-heartedly launching products, only to quick ditch them is legendary.

Would be good to have another player in the market, but Google just don't seem to get what it takes.

Amazon's support for Luna also seems half-hearted, at best.