evan23

@FraserG Why is greedfall on this list?

Other than that, it should be easy to see what my vote is. I loved the Monkey Island games but I don't think a console is the best way to enjoy them.

KOTOR. I don't even need to think about it.

Black Flag is clearly my favorite but I also like Unity and Syndicate.

Unity was terrible at launch but it is a much better game now than it was then.

The sales numbers for PS5 and Xbox Series are fairly meaningless. They are selling 100% of what they produce instantly.

Xbox Series S leading sales doesn't mean more people wanted it. It means that that console is what Microsoft was able to produce the most of in the window they were measuring.

Yes, I did buy it and would have done so even if game pass didn't exist.

• My gaming time is limited
• I often replay games
• I don't only enjoy playing games, I enjoy collecting them
• I rarely find things on game pass I want to play. When I do, they often leave the service before I can finish them.

Game pass just isn't a match for my needs and doesn't even provide enough value for me to justify it's cost.

Game pass is a great value if you play through lots of games and move on. However, that isn't the only way to enjoy games.

The whole Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons naming thing is a mess.

Since the newer Harvest Moon games developed by Natsume have been pretty terrible I can't imagine too many people getting hyped over this.

Hopefully they find a way to turn things around with this new title.

Not the worst list I have ever seen from xbox gold. I'll take it.

Little Nightmares
Dead Rising
The King of Fighters XIII(360)
Breakdown(360)

Nothing. At this point I feel like all the sales are recycling the same games over and over again.

I think it is pretty good on the new consoles so they probably shouldn't pull it.

A warning on the product page might be warranted.

@Medic_Alert I agree 100%. VRR and overall polish and stability.

I would also add the completeness and effectiveness of BC support.

@Dijita I am with you. The d-pad is way too noisy. It is substantially louder than any of my xbox one d-pads.

It is loud enough that I find it distracts me from the game. I suppose if you only ever use headphones it would be less of a distraction.

@BAMozzy I agree. At least on the X360 side, I think everything they haven't added probably has licensing issues.

On the OG xbox side, I think the games have to be modified since the hardware was so specific. So you end up with overcome any licensing issues + availability of source code + a revenue stream that makes it worth the effort.

That being said, since it is a wishlist.....
XBOX:

• GTA III
• GTA III:Vice City
• Oddworld Munch's Oddysee
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  X360:
• Naruto, Rise of a Ninja

Game Pass seems to be a surprisingly polarizing topic. I think part of the reason some people dislike gp while others find it to be a tremendous value is that we all consume games in different ways.

If you are the type of player that plays through games going from one to the next as you finish each game or the type of player who likes to try lots of different games without committing, gp can represent a tremendous value.

On the other hand, if you are the type of player that likes to replay games or simply play through games slowly without pressure than gp is much less attractive.

I am squarely in the latter camp. I converted 3 years of gold to gp and have access to gp through 2023 but I rarely actually use it. For one thing, I rarely find games I am interested in there. A large volume of games doesn't always translate into something to play. When I do find something I want to play, it often leaves before I can finish it.

Is it worth the $1 I paid for it for 3 years? Yes, definitely. Would I pay $10-15/mo for it? No. It is a terrible value for me.

Lastly, I would just say that the discount you receive when a game exits gp isn't very compelling. It is almost always off the full price of the game and the sale prices of those games are generally much lower than that.

To be clear, I am not complaining. I think it is great for some people. I just don't see it as the ultimate form of gaming it is sometimes described as. If gaming starts to push towards a subscription-only model that would be deeply troubling for me.

I picked up a few things.

• Control - Ultimate Edition
• Far Cry Classic
• Sleeping Dogs - Definitive Edition
• The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

I wonder if it will be a free upgrade or require it to be repurchased.

It doesn't really matter what the total value of all the games on game pass are to me. I only care about two things:

• Are there things on game pass I actually want to play
• Am OK with the potential of not being able to play those games in the future if/when they leave game pass

I converted my gold to game pass and if I am being honest I rarely play game pass games. Of the total available games on game pass there are only a few I am interested in enough to play. Several of those I already own.

I think game pass is a cool option but, for me, it isn't as amazing as it is for some people. If it didn't exist, I wouldn't care much.

I think this issue is generally being over-reacted to. It is too early in the generation to make any real determinations about relative performance. The examples we have so far don't really show anything conclusive unless you want them to.

Most of them show some parts of the game running better on XSX and other parts running better on PS5. Fanboys for either console seem to jump in and only consider 1 part of that equation.

@Krzzystuff Unfortunately, it is increasingly normal for games to be shipped with numerous bugs. Some companies are more guilty of this than others and Ubisoft(AC:Valhalla and Watch Dogs Legion) is one of those companies.

However, having bugs so severe that they crash the console is not normal. Generally, a buggy game will fail to do something it should or have the game itself crash.

I would say what people are seeing from the latest CoD is concerning and not normal.

@NEStalgia We must play different games. For me, all of the BC games I have tried supported QR.

Game Pass isn't for everyone. Also, even though I have game pass, I still like games with gold. Once you get a GWG game you can play it whenever you want. With Game Pass, things come and go over time.

Also, as someone who routinely replays games I enjoy, I like having the in my library and being able to play them at my leisure.

If you are the type who plays a game and then moves on, game pass is a better option.

@themightyant I forgot about ALLM. One of the annoying things for me with ALLM is that it turns it on when you use a media app like netflix. While it isn't the end of the world, what the point of turning it on and off if you are going to turn it on when watching netflix.

Again, this is a minor complaint not a deal breaker.

@Dezzy70 What is HDR drop-out? I am not sure I have seen that on the X1X or the XSX.

The XSX has proven to be a fairly impressive machine from my perspective.

The complaints I have are mostly fairly minor:

• The HDMI-CEC implementation needs some work
• Black levels on UHD discs(fix already incoming)
• The d-pad on the new controller is a bit loud for me
• There is no way to see what is available for quick resume

Balanced against those minor issues is a great system that does most things really well.

That being said, I am not using it much compared to my PS5 at the moment. This for two main reasons:

• The PS5 feels like something new with a new UI and everything the dualsense brings
• There is much more new launch content that is holding my attention on the PS5

That being said, I am a huge fan of playing bc games so I suspect over time I will gravitate more in that direction but since this is the time of year when many new games launch I am less focused on bc right now.

Beyond Good & Evil HD is well worth $2.99 if you haven't played it yet.

@Richnj I think it feels like that in every generation. I mean, 4 of the 5 games you mentioned loving from 7th gen were sequels.

While there is no doubt that that there is more re-hashed IP in this generation than ever before but there are also a plenty of new things that came out of this generation. Although, many of those did not come to xbox. There is also just more games in total due to the emergence of so many indie game developers and the ease with which they can bring their games to consoles.

I know this will be unpopular but I was not a fan of the xbox 360. I bought one at launch and remember playing Kameo on it.

I ended up liking the PS3 a lot more in that generation.

By the time the generation ended I had 25+ games for the PS3 and only a handful for the xbox 360.

The only platform exclusives I think I even played in for the xbox 360 were Kameo, Fable II and Naruto Rise of a Ninja.

On the other hand, my son loved it. He had many games for it.

That being said, the hardware issues were some of the worst I can remember. I have had at least 4 xbox 360's fail. 3 with the RROD and 1 with a failed drive. The lack of HDMI on the launch units was also painful.

It isn't something I have any plans to use but I am glad they are working on compatibility.

@JoakimZ Not likely that there will be a native app anytime soon. Although it looks like they are working on a progressive web app like stadia is about to launch. It will be interesting to see how well that works.

@sib Isn't the same thing true for games with gold?

EDIT: I guess not based on the comment following this one

Given recent history my expectations are pretty low for getting anything decent here.

The most I think we can hope for is a good Xbox 360 game. Games with Gold is mostly depressing for me these days.

@Tasuki That would result in nobody having the consoles for ~6 months.

How would that be better than some people getting them now and others getting them as they become available?

Pushing the launch to post-holiday would probably not be the best move for either console maker.

@GamingFan4Lyf I think scalpers are worth complaining about, they suck. I just don't think they have any material impact on the overall demand.

I understand that people who can't get a console are frustrated. I would be too.

That being said, I don't really get all the rage at Microsoft(and Sony) for this. They are clearly making them as fast as they can. They want to sell as many as possible.

Also, I don't think, in this case, scalpers are increasing the overall demand by a substantial margin. They suck and it forces some people to pay an absurd premium with no value add but ultimately the scalpers products are being bought by gamers. If people weren't buying them, the scalpers would have no market.

@JON22 I am pretty sure buying online is the best way to experience the new console smell. You can get them faster that way than waiting for them to through distribution and sit on a store shelf someplace.

@AJDarkstar I agree with you, the xbox versions of gta III and gta III: vc were amazing. It is somewhat sad these titles aren't supported through bc.

Not only did they have high quality assets/visuals, they let you play your own music on the radio which was a pretty amazing feature at the time.

@DelSymbols I still have mine too. In fact, it is still connected.

I don't play it very often because there isn't really a great wireless controller solution for it.

I loved the original xbox. I know it wasn't hugely popular but it was my favorite console of that generation.

My favorite xbox games were probably Beyond Good and Evil, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Fable, GTA III: Vice City, GTA III, Munch's Oddysee, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, KOTOR and KOTOR 2

That being said, although I bought one fairly early on, I didn't play it often until the S controllers were released. The "Duke" was brutal on my small-ish hands.

My answer should be pretty obvious.

Black Flag is one of my favorite games of the xbox one/ps4 generation.

I haven't played rogue so I can't speak to that one.

I also like two of the less popular games Unity and Syndicate. I tried playing Unity when it first launched and it was terribly broken and not very fun. When I went back and played in on PS4 Pro much later it actually turned out to be a pretty good game.

I started Valhalla but it is way too soon for me to give it any kind of review.

To me the XSX isn't defined by a one or two killer new features but by the performance of the whole package.

• The near perfect situation surrounding backwards compatibility. I can't say I can think of any console that launched with as good a BC situation. Maybe the first gen PS3? I love playing older games so I have a bunch of consoles in my media cabinet and being able to safely remove the XOneX is great for me. I can't do the same with my PS4.
• Auto-HDR
• Load time improvements from the SSD and improved CPU performance
• An evolved and mostly improved controller
• Visuals on next-gen games
• Generally speaking, outside of some minor launch issues, it all "just works"

Things I am less of a fan of:

• The new d-pad, while it feels good is loud. I don't wear headphones and I find it distracting enough that it pulls me out of the game
• I wish they had held off releasing their UI refresh until the new system launched so it felt more "new"
• Just like everyone else, I would love more games with real next-gen visuals.

@themightyant Certainly very true with e-arc.

With the others, part of the problem is determining which TVs do what. Most of the manufactures don't actually publish which of the features outside of e-arc they support so finding a TV like that can be a needle in a haystack.

Further, even if you get information from an independent source, because the manufacturer hasn't published/promised the specs sometimes they change them without an official model refresh. So my TV might have certain features and your TV of the same model might not. Or worse, the functionality may be removed with a firmware update. It is a complete quagmire.

@themightyant Luckily, I haven't had any crashes yet. What is crashing for you?

I have seen some control issues in AC:Valhalla but I assumed those were bugs in the game. Hmm......

I agree with the lack of a wow factor. I am a little surprised Microsoft didn't time their UI updates with the release of the console. Not getting a new UI is a big part of what makes it feel so much the same for me.

Ori is not really the style of game I am most interested in right now but damn does it look nice on this console. Did you try the 6K@60 mode where it renders it at 6k and downscales it to 4K for display?

As a side note on HDMI 2.1, while gamers tend to equate it with 4K@120, there are actually a bunch of other beneficial parts to that. Some of these are specifically targeted at gaming as well.

VRR - It allows the TV to adjust its refresh rate to the frame rate output by the xbox. This should reduce or eliminate the tearing caused by frame rate drops. This one doesn't get enough press in my opinion.

ALLM - Allows the console to automatically move the TV in and out of game mode depending on if you are playing a game or watching media

e-ARC - Allows the TV to pass higher bandwidth audio back to a receiver or soundbar.

Now, would I advocate going and buying a new TV just to get those features? No.

However, if you are already planning on buying a new TV, I would definitely try to get one that supports hdmi 2.1. Especially if you are a gamer or audiophile.

@WillieFisterbut Nice! Probably the result of millions of people trying to download at the same time.

@jarvismp Other than the quick resume thing, I haven't seen any issues to speak of. When of the cleanest launches of a similar technology product I have seen.

The disc noise is momentary when you first insert a disc. I haven't seen any sustained issues with disc noise.

@themightyant I agree with the familiarity thing. While in some senses it is convenient that it is familiar, the lack of a new interface makes it feel like less of an upgrade than it is.

Auto-HDR isn't enabled for every game. It is pretty striking in some titles. Of course, you need the a combination of the right game and a TV which does a good job with HDR to be noticeable.

@jarvismp I have found this launch to be pretty smooth.

As for the network issue, you need to set the xbox as your home xbox or it thinks you are using someone else's xbox and requires a network connection. Of course, this limit doesn't apply to physical disks.

Describing it as "a console that has so much wrong with it, it is criminal!" certainly doesn't match my experience. It seems pretty clean with some minor issues they are working on.

I have been impressed so far.

@Thretosix Are any of those titles backwards compatible games? I am using a less expensive external SSD to store all those titles on.

In the testing DF did. For backwards compatible games the advantages of internal storage were minimal.

I am trying to hold off on upgrading internal storage as long as possible in the hope that price decreases and/or capacity increases.

@AJDarkstar Here is the official word from Microsoft:

"While Quick Resume is fully operational with thousands of titles, we are aware a select number of Optimized titles may be experiencing issues with this feature. To ensure the best possible experience for our fans, we’ve disabled the feature for these titles and are working as quickly as possible to fix this at the platform level."

@AJDarkstar I definitely had it work on some titles. I think it has only been disabled in certain games for which it is broken.

I very briefly played a bunch of back compat games. It worked in AC: Syndicate for example.

Conversely, it didn't work in Gears 5 or Borderlands 3.

@orionreplay I noticed the same thing quick resume wasn't working in most of the X/S optimized games I played.

That being said, I am not sure for my usage it is a must have feature. It is cool to play with but in practical usage I don't switch games that often.

@BlueOcean I have an LG C9 and setting 4K@120 didn't result in any signal drops for me. That being said, I doubt any of the games I was playing supported that.

I also had a firmware update come through the day before yesterday.

@Scenes Ouch. Must be regional. I am still seeing decent speeds.

@Medic_Alert Yeah, I don't at all understand Sony's communication strategy. They are clearly doing it on purpose, I just don't really understand why.

@antstephenson Generally, I like the ps4 UI better than the xb UI as well but you will get used it. There are some things that are better about it but the ads and general clutter are annoying to me.

That being said, the x360 UI is quite terrible so I think if that is your point of comparison you will come to like it sooner rather than later.