mac_da_man

I was so curious about the game I had to try it, which meant playing about 30 min and I really liked it, seems like a game I will love. Will finish Shadows first, but cant wait to play more South of Midnight!

Everything being an Xbox means I’ll also get to play Nintendo games on my new Xbox handheld also known as the Switch 2 when I get one. Makes sense for Xbox as a publisher but not for Xbox as a console in the future. But thats a good thing imo.

I hope we get the older CoDs on gamepass, would be fun to play the campaigns again! but as stated above, they still sell copies so...

Mainly AC Shadows - and I really, really enjoy it! As been said, it looks amazing. The seasons are a fun addition as well. I've changed the settings so that quest markers arent added to the map automatically but I need to either use scouts or search myself, increasing the immersion. I prefer playing as Naoe, as Yasuke feels a bit to powerful but he has his uses sometimes, like storming a castle and wreaking havoc! I also really like to expand and build the hideout. I've spent some time making japanese gardens, very fun. Cant wait to play more!

Atomfall - I've played about an hour but it didnt really click for me. Might be because I just want to play Shadows instead, so I'll leave it for now but might go back to it in the future!

I’m a bit worried about the performance on the Series S but I’ll give it a try!

Great game, nice more people will get to play it. Interested in the Pro version, as I´ll likely double dip at some point and do a 100% playthrough!

Since it released I´ve taken every chance to play

Assassins Creed: Shadows - Im around 4 hours in and so far this is really good. First off it looks amazing on the Pro, been switching between 40 fps and 60 fps and Im settling on the balanced mode of 40 fps. Last night as I was climbing a tower there was a thunderstorm, and I ended up just sitting there enjoying the show. Very beautiful game. I also tuned the hud, removing health bars on enemies for example which makes it a lot more immersive. Gameplay and combat is great, combat is a lot better than I expected as playing as a ninja really means you need to be sneaky most o the time as open conflict against several opponents (they´ll come running from the noice) often ends with me dead. Exploration is fun, but its been done before as it’s an AC game. Cant wait to play more, I love these kinds of games and this one is very good on top of that so Im probnably looking at 60-100 hours of pure fun here 😊

@Master_Cthulhu70

Nice to see Outlaws get some love 🙂 enjoy Avowed as well, found it to be a good game 🙂

Dragon Age: The Veilguard - So I´ve practically only been playing Veilguard as there are games coming soon I want to play and didn’t want to be in the middle of this game. It’s a good looking game with a sense of being in a beautiful fantasy world, art direction is great, and combat is good enough and exploration, meaning finding hidden chests etc, is fun. I finished the story and got the “bad” ending since I focused on the main story and did little else. There are some things I wish were better though, the story could have been more “seamlessly” told and some of the dialogs (and topics in those) I wasn’t interested in felt forced on me. However, after having watched the other endings, I feel like the one I got made the most impact on me and sort of felt right given the game is about fighting really powerful gods. I mean how good can that end?

All in all I enjoyed the game more than I expected, and don’t regret not doing all the side stuff that would have given me a “good” ending and I don’t see myself going back and completing all the side quests and go for the platinum which I often do in games like this, I´ll just be satisfied with my playthrough and leave it at that as Im happy with the ending I got.

@Lup

Yes, thats always the best way to make sure the game is in the best state when playing but I’m very grateful for people playing at release so they can give feedback to the developers 🙂

That said I played and finished it and didnt have to many issues so it still worked out good with this game 🙂

I want this so bad, but I need to keep the hype level down until it gets confirmed and I get to see the improvements they've made. Love the game

Played since last week
Avowed - I’ve finished the main story and I feel done with the game. It was a fun game once I started playing it for what it is and not what I wanted it to be. Looks good, great world thats fun to explore but too shallow for it to be a great game imo.

Warhammer 40k Space Marines 2 - Cant stop playing 😅 I got the platinum earlier in the week but I’ll keep playing it now and then as its so awesome. For the Emperor!

Dragon Age Veilguard - Hadnt planned to play this now but since it dropped on PS Plus I decided to give it a shot! I’m enjoying a lot so far, they’ve created a beautiful world that feels magical and I like the gameplay. Its not perfect but better than I expected after all the ***** surrounding the game.

Really looking forward to this game, looks really great. Will play it on the PS5 pro though, not the Series S (obviously perhaps given the choice, had it been on game pass I would have given the S version a try)

Warhammer 40k - Space Marines 2 - I'm still having so much fun with this game. With there were more of everything with this game 🙂

Avowed - The game has grown on me. The solution to enjoying it more for me was that I stopped treating it as an AAA rpg (its to shallow and lacks that immersion and interactivity for that imo) and instead as an AA adventure game with fun exploration in a beautiful world and that works good. Mainly just doing the main quests with a bit of extra running around. Also lowered difficulty, dont want to have to grind for levels. So yeah, not a perfect game at all but enjoyable 🙂

It might be that VR always will be niche due to cost, a bit more effort when playing compared to just sitting relaxed in the sofa/chair, motion sickness etc but imo its a shame as some of the best experiences in gaming have been VR games for me. So from a business standpoint I understand them. But Halo, Forza etc would be awesome in VR.

A man can dream 🙂

"Happy with the sales" makes me really curious about what numbers we´re talking about.

Good they are happy regardless and great for them with the positive reception of the game

Warhammer 40k - space Marines 2 - still having so much fun with this games. Been playing some multiplayer and some of the operations, and I feel like I will keep playing this game for a long time. Might even go for the platinum 🙂

Avowed - I´ve managed to get maybe 6 hours in, and the game is growing on me despite some minor issues I have that might be something others dont really care about. The physics of the game is a bit all over the place which sadly my brain really registers and it brakes the immersion for me. Like, mugs are all breaking the laws of physics and cannot be moved whatever you do, grass doesnt catch on fire, NPCs are mostly (all?) standing still and also cant be hit with anything, unlimited arrows that dissapear after a few seconds, enemy weapons dissapear when they are defeated etc etc and Skyrim for example did all that a lot better 14 years ago. Its just something I expect in a first person RPG but that may be a non issue to some but its going to take some getting used to for me.
It does look pretty good though, and runs fairly well on the Series S. Exploration and movement feels really good, combat is ok and the story and side quests so far are ok. Im a big fan ot these kinds of games and I love exploring the world. Hoping the game keeps growing on me and I really should try and enjoy it for what it is, not what I want it to be 🙂

@dreadful

I would say that is a very unlikely scenario. But if so, I’ll get a new Xbox. Not for CoD though, but other former Xbox exclusives.

Xbox console sales declining, no exclusives and ”everything is an Xbox” at the same time means I’m very sceptical of getting a next gen Xbox. Dont see MS getting that one out by 2026 either given its just got greenlighted.

But; I hope Xbox stays relevant in the console space, we need competition and not Sony dominating. And for those wanting a next gen Xbox its great that its coming.

My thoughts, shortened down a bit because I dont have enough time

Xbox isnt doing well as a console. Thats a fact, given sales numbers. That means they cant keep first party games exclusive, as that doesnt generate enough income to cover the cost of development (and turn a profit) and given the fact that they are release on gamepass. Hence the move to publish games on other consoles, which secures more income.

That last part is good, it means Xbox can keep releasing games and us gamers get to play them on a console.

There will be consoles in the future, for a good while at least since there is a demand for it. Gaming on PC is much more of a hustle and streaming isnt yet good enough.

Peace!

@themightyant

Yes, we all accept things like backpacks being megasupersized etc and unlimited arrows makes it more convenient but, as I said when weapons disappear and objects disobeys the laws of physics it breaks the illusion hard and I guess we all have different leves of tolerance for it. Just hope I can ignore it going forward as it really seems like a great fun game with a nice world to explore. We´ll see, need more hours with it

@Medic_alert

Im still early on but there are def some things I already really like so I hope I get stuck as I love exploring and going off on side adventures but at the same time these things I mentioned brake the illusion so hard.. hoping I get used to it and just stop thinking about it

@Ricky-Spanish

You are probably right, it would require a lot more from the developers and the engine.

@RiverGenie

yeah, is not a sim and some things like unlimited arrows makies for less scavenging/crafting and makes it more casual fun but its just that my brain really registers these things as I really expect to be able to move a cup on a table and when I cant it just brakes the illusion so hard. But its something minor and hopefully it doesnt stop me from enjoying the game

Nice with fixes, hope they keep them coming!

I played for about an hour and a half last night on the Series S. It doesnt run perfect but good enough, and its a beautiful world theyve created.

However! I have some issues. Why are the clouds not moving? why are the physics so bad? I mean a cup on a table cant me moved at all? Where do the enemies weapons go when they die? why do I have unlimited arrows? Anyone else get these things stuck in their head, breaking immersion? Small things in whats so far a very fun game but other games had these things years and years ago.

Diving straight in tonight, really looking forward to it

Dont know if I would want to be an NPC in that game, the Adoring Fan comes to mind and all the very funny videos of him being abused it various ways

It makes sense and transparency is good, but it also needs some context as mentioned in previous comments. Like, are first party games releasing simultaneously on other platforms or will they be timed exclusives for Xbox?

I also wonder how they will market the next Xbox console in regards to all this. Best place to play Xbox games with gamepass is given but whats the extra incentive to get one when there are no exclusives. A new console is expensive and the return of investment even with gamepass will take a long time. It will be interesting.

Managed to get more playtime than normal this week, always nice 🤓

Sniper Elite Resistance - So, I got in a pickle after an autosave so decided to load an older save. Got in another similar situation with low health, being hunted and an autosave 😬 I realised I dont have the patience for this game as Im rushing to much. But I feel like I've shot enough Nazi balls off to happily drop it, at least for now!

Sayonara Wild Hearts - Having heard so much good about it I had to play it. And wow, what an experience! Its hard to explain what the game is, rytmn mixed with schmup with very cool graphics and a great soundtrack perhaps. Its also short, if you like great but different games I really recommend you give it a try 😀

Warhammer 40k Space Marines 2 - I wanted to play a game with a short enough campaign that I would be able to finish it before Avowed and there was a sale for this 🙂 Having played the trial I knew it was good but damn, I've really been enjoying this. It looks and plays really great and is just so much fun to play imo. I've finished the campaign but I need more! Thankfully theres operations and multiplayer 😀

@Steel76

Well *****, some of those things shown will break the immersion for sure, just hope I can ignore it as reviews are still favourable despite that. I’ll find out next week I guess…

Nice review, happy it got a good score (this is the second review Im reading with a similar score) and it sounds fun, looking forward to it Hope it runs well on the Series S, my only remaining concern...

@Sol4ris

I guess we can wait and see as it’ll probably end up on other consoles as well. Which means if the Xbox tax is a real thing it should have the lowest metacritic score on Xbox.

This and Blind Forest are awesome if very difficult games. Love them!

Without the Xbox tax maybe around 80 but with it probably higher, like 85-90.

But that ***** is just that, *****. I’ll be playing it for myself and form my own opinion!

Nice if we start getting older CoDs and this one is awesome. But why not MW1 first?

As a Series S owner Inwould love for more developers to use that as their base when developing if they can add enough bells and whistles and such for the more powerful consoles. Too many examples of games not optimized for the weaker consoles they’re released on.

Since last week I´ve mainly been playing

Life is Strange Double Exposure - I've managed to find the time to finish and platinum the game. Its a really good game imo, but I dont think its as good as the first Life is Strange or Before the Storm. Its more of a Hollywood story with a happy ending, which isnt bad in itself but the darker story and impact of the choices (especially the last one) in LiS felt more significant and emotional and theres no moment like that in Double Exposure which makes it a bit less good imo. Its also a new story with new powers but they still chose to go with Max as the lead character, which isnt necessary at all imo. The game is good enough to stand on its own. This all makes it sounds as I didnt enjoy the game but I really, really did and I look forward to more LiS in the future. Also looking forward to Lost Records 🙂

Sniper Elite Resistance - Playing in short bursts, still enjoying it!

Far Cry New Dawn - Had to try the 60 fps upgrade on the Series S, which is great and sort of made me want to play the game again. Hopefully I´ll get to play some co-op with my son but he and his friends have discovered how fun the Far Cry games are in co-op after finishing both 5 and 6 so I might not get the chance...

@Ilyn well people can do what they want with their money but yes, it seems like a bad idea from a consumer standpoint.

@K1LLEGAL Yeah, my thought was if you have GPU and dont buy the game but get the early access. If it never leaves GPU then that makes it a bit better.

Looking forward to the game!

Now about early access, so if you have GPU you need to pay for premium upgrade which doesnt get you the game just the early access and then you need to rent the game when ever you want to play it. What if its removed from GP? Seems really stupid imo, but people are free to do as they please

Great, hope it runs well on the Series S as well! Indy is a great example. If not, I might have to wait for it to release on PS5 or try and get some playtime on my sons series X. Playing badly optimized games in first person isnt ideal.

@fatpunkslim

You say Xbox wont port all their games as its a fact, but Phil said no red lines so we dont know to what extent Xbox will release their first party games on other consoles yet. They might or they might not. Their actions suggest they will, but time will tell and thats my point. Their strategy is not a full known fact yet.

@fatpunkslim

Thats only true if Xbox doesnt port all of their games to Playstation and/or Switch 2 in the future, in which case Xbox has no exclusives and Sony and Nintendo have all the exclusives. Doesnt mean Xbox wont have games though, and Gamepass will remain good value for many.

We’ll find out pretty soon, probably within months, what Microsoft intends I think.

Edit - and of course if Sony doesnt change strategy and start releasing first party games on Xbox

Good reminder to get back to this game, I played it at release day and enjoyed it but havent played since due to other games Im playing. For me this is a perfect game for those short 15 min sessions one might get here and there.

Played since last week

The Plague Tale Requiem - finished and platinumed. What a game, great story that had me hooked from start to finish, even though it was my second playthrough. Love it!

Life is Strange Double Exposure - its been on my wishlist and its on sale so decided to get it. I'm a bit torn. I'm enjoying it a lot, feels great to play a Life is Strange game again but I really wish they left Maxs (and Chloes) story where it was. It was a great end to it. This game is not at the same level as the first LiS or Before the storm, which are amazing imo, but its not a bad game in itself at all. Just wish they would've gone with new characters as it really doesnt add anything to have Max in it and the game would have been better for it imo.

Sniper Elite Resistance I've only played the first mission on my series S and enjoyed it. It looks a bit ***** though and its glitchy but its fun, more fun than I expected it would be as I dropped Sniper Elite 5 rather quick. We'll se how this one holds up for me but good start.

Eternal Strands - its on gamepass, so gave it 1-2 hours before giving up. Didnt like the combat among other things, and there are better games to spend my time with.

Have a great weekend 🙂

@SMJ

I think that will depend on install sizes for Xbox, Nintendo and Playstation in the future. It would be sweet though if all consoles played all games in the future but I think thats unlikely for a long time yet.

@Isolte Yes, we should. I might get a PC instead of a ps6 but its so easy with consoles though compared to PCs, so we’ll see…

We knew it was coming but its still wierd seeing one of the big three Xbox exclusive games being confirmed for Playstation.

Loved the game but 4 million seems a low number to me given its on game pass… its really good so hopefully it takes off and more players try it and then a strong release on Playstation so we get a sequel 🙂

Thats good news, Xbox as a big successful publisher is great and it might mean I can save money not needing to buy as many consoles in the future but still play those awesome Xbox games