Well, I forgot to write on this yesterday, but so far I’ve played Absolum, which I love to start, Kuukiyomi 4, which my son stole from me and proceeded to play as rudely as possible, a few rounds of Hades 2, which I’m starting to progress in now (and I agree with everyone that prefers the first game, basically, because the second one may have better gameplay but a less compelling storyline), and Super Mario Galaxy 2… because my son was having trouble with bosses.
Hopefully I get a chance to play Yotei as well! Pokemon is coming out next week and, after a relatively easy year to stay ahead of games, I’m sinking now! A good problem to have, huh?
Across all platforms right now:
1. Death Stranding 2
2. Hollow Knight: Silksong
3. Donkey Kong Bananza
4. To a T
5. Blue Prince
6. Ghost of Yotei (its position isn’t finalized yet)
7. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo
8. Hades 2 (its position isn’t finalized yet)
9. Mario Kart World
10. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Xbox Only:
1. Silksong
2. To a T
3. Blue Prince
4. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yo-Yo
5. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
6. Shinobi Rise of Vengeance
7. Assassin’s Creed Shadows
8. Lego Voyagers
9. South of Midnight
10. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Assembling an Xbox only list, you sort of realize how much has skipped the platform this year. I could’ve gone either way with E33 or Doom, but I picked E33 for the #10 spot because it felt right.
In my current gaming list that’s released, I’ve yet to play Absolum and I’m not far enough in Silent Hill F to even be aware if it’ll be a top 10 game for me. Split Fiction’s the only game I’ve backlogged, and I’d like to say I’d put the game in my top 10, but I just don’t know. My experience with it hasn’t been fun since my wife didn’t seem to enjoy it.
In games of the future, I’ve still got Katamari, Pokemon, and Metroid Prime on the docket. Mina the Hollower and Witchbrook if they make it this year. I’m contemplating Keeper and Outer Worlds 2, but since I’m out on Gamepass, I’m waiting to see reviews.
@themightyant @FraserG @Kezelpaso I’m definitely expecting that announcement at the 25th Anniversary too, but I totally agree that 2030 sounds better. In this economic climate, with how slow it takes for games to be made (and how much slower I’m sure it will take next generation), and all the generational overlap this generation, I totally think this generation probably should last a little longer than last. I’m sort of hoping there’s something new about the next generation outside of the “MORE POWER” mentality too.
Oof, sounds like that one might be the most tone deaf launch in history if this is all true… I can’t imagine this one having success at launch with that kind of price.
@AverageJoseph I can get that argument, but when I think about Obsidian myself, I sort of thought Avowed was a disappointment and I don’t really like Grounded. No matter what Double Fine does, I’m still interested. I’d say New Vegas tops Psychonauts 2, but that’s a long time ago.
@SeaDaVie Couldn’t say it better myself. You’ve hit the nail on the head. Xbox said absolutely nothing of substance with this. We still know nothing and Xbox is hoping people take their statement at speculatively value rather than face value. I would guess Phil’s not saying much these days because he tends to express things when he talks and Microsoft doesn’t want anything between the lines, especially when they want to have the ability to manipulate any information they may provide at a later date.
That said though, I do think a new console in 2026 would be disastrous for Xbox unless it’s focusing on something alternative to visual fidelity, as is typical of iterative console leaps. If Xbox is trying to pull a Nintendo where they’re pivoting a different way, that’s the only way I could see a next gen console making sense so quickly. If any generation made sense to slow down on when to make a generational leap, it’s this one… unless that leap is diagonal in some way rather than forward.
@DippleHonk It’s an 83 on OpenCritic. There’s literally dozens of games that have a higher overall critical score than Sonic Crossworlds.
Can’t place the anti-Sonic badge on me. Lol. Sonic Frontiers was one of my favorite games of 2022 even if people were panning it left and right and I even loved the virtual novel murder mystery game Team Sonic did a couple years ago. I’m definitely sympathetic to Sonic getting more love. I’m not surprised it’s up there because it’s Sonic, but because it’s not exactly been a hot topic game and also because it didn’t even outsell Mario Kart World its first week in sales.
And I mean, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn’t nominated over it? What? Come on now… I’m basically the biggest detractor of E33 here and even I’ll admit that game should be nominated for GotY.
Ghost of Yotei, Silent Hill F, Lego Voyagers, and Hades 2. I suspect I’ll play all four of them in some capacity.
So far, I’ve yet to start Silent Hill F, so it’s hard to comment on it, but Lego Voyagers seems like it’s pretty underrated. My son and I have had fun with it to start. Meanwhile, I’m still making opinions of Hades 2 and Ghost. To start, they both feel like sequels that don’t quite hit like the first games in their series, but that could just be because it’s early in both of them for me. I am sort of surprised by how similar AC Shadows’s seed plot is to Yotei too. Even though Atsu’s a very different character and the way the stories are told are different, it’s sort of interesting that the revenge narrative was put down in two massive games this year like that.
Sonic Racing Crossworlds nominated for Console Game of the Year? Get out of here.
It’s too soon for GotY. October is stacked.
I hope Xbox wins for the Minecraft movie, and I suppose we can say Xbox for that OD trailer. I liked most of the first party games, but they’ve nearly uniformly been 7/10s across the board for me, nothing GotY worthy. There’s some truly baffling choices in this list.
@Weebleman Very grim indeed. The bizarrely political looking buyout of EA, this weird new studio from Ubisoft/Tencent, and now a Gamepass price hike all in a week. The industry is in such a different place than it was even five years ago and it’s truly concerning the direction we’re heading with it.
@Weebleman Just remember how Hi-Fi Rush was a huge success until it wasn’t and Tango got closed or how Phil said Xbox wouldn’t be porting games to other consoles, and then it was “just four,” and then it was day and date releases. Xbox has been talking outside of both sides of its mouth for years. They don’t give us concrete data for a reason. And now Phil doesn’t even play damage control, which might make things even worse.
That would be pro-consumer, but let’s be real: this doesn’t support the symbiotic business plans of Xbox, EA, Ubisoft, and Epic Games, so that’s almost certainly a no-go that this would happen. The greediest publishers got together over lunch for this one.
I am hoping Xbox sees a massive decline in subscribers for their 50% price spike. At this point, Xbox needs to see financial consequences for their anti-consumer decisions. I truly hope Xbox isn’t going to sucker casuals into signing up for a month on a recurring plan just to surprise the lot of them with a $10 a month price increase they didn’t know about, but that seems like their plan.
I cancelled last night. My sub’s up in 9 days and that’s it. I will most likely no longer play The Outer Worlds 2 or Ninja Gaiden 4. I’d like to say I’ll still be playing Keeper, but frankly… I don’t know. I think I may be out on Xbox unless the platform holder walks back from this decision.
It’s about time Phil Spencer, Matt Booty, and Sarah Bond stop hiding too, and actually get back in front of the PR machine. They’ve been ghosts all of 2025.
Ironically, I had just resubbed last month for my son for his birthday. Now, less than a month after that, I get to tell him, “Sorry, bud, we’re done.” I shouldn’t have caved and resubbed after those studio closures. Unless Xbox makes changes following this to backtrack, I’m not even going to buy Xbox related games.
I miss the glory days of Halo. I mean, in the now distant past, if you had an Xbox, you were probably playing Halo in-between everything else you played, regardless of what you were playing, and it felt like that was everyone in the 360 days.
Given that 2026 is looking… sparse… it’d be a great time to bring Halo back to the forefront. I’d still love to see a Battle Royale mode with Halo gameplay.
I’m really rusty nowadays with Halo gunplay, but that’s one game I’d want to be good at again. I remember my squad being able to dominate. We’d go through a solid 3-4 hour session without a single loss in the Halo 4 era when we were all in our prime. Can’t remember a multiplayer game that felt more fun.
More Silksong and that will remain my game until it is completed. I may try Hades 2 out because I’m deeply curious about it or watch my son play Henry Halfhead too. I did pick up Lego Voyagers as well, so that’s possible. With Silksong and Hades being such massive indie hits that basically dropped from nowhere, is it weird that I’m like jeez Mina the Hollower, I knew your release date first, so let’s complete the trinity a little sooner please?
I’ll be picking up Ghost of Yotei and Mario Galaxy 2 next week, so I’m basically at a point where my gaming is planned and stacked for maybe the next 4, 5 months. Should I get Silent Hill F too?
@andrewsqual That State of Play was abysmal. Xbox has had good showcases before, but usually they’re the January ones. They’re not E3 one last year or the year before it was very solid, but yeah, both showcases were dire. Both Xbox and PlayStation feel pretty dead to me right now. I can’t think of anything on either console with a solid release window I want next year if it isn’t made by Capcom.
This one and the State of Play were both Es for me. If I didn’t love the last Nintendo Direct, I’d be questioning if I like video games anymore based on those two showcases.
Well, I was hoping the Xbox showcase would top the State of Play, but… no… I was hoping with its Winter 2025 release window, Witchbrook might at least pop up, but not even that. I suspect that one’s not launching this year, at this point. There wasn’t much here for me this year.
At least we got an OD trailer in the Kojima showcase.
Based on the first game, I’m not suspecting this one to leap over Silksong for Game of the Month for me, but jeez, what a pair of indie games to release in succession. And then Mina the Hollower next month too… Absolutely loaded period of time for game releases.
Glad we’re finally getting a bunch of games that’ll be making Expedition 33 sweat. It’ll be great to see indies dominating the GotY scene for once.
Looking forward to most of these, and since I’m on vacation and in the States, I’ll sleep through most of them and simply have to wake up to the updates and watch if I deem there’s entertainment value in it. A little later in the year than typical but I’ll be spending the remainder of my gaming budget for the year by week’s end. I’m just basically seeing if anything disrupts my current plan before putting down the money and finally deciding where I’ll invest my time through the remainder of 2025 (and apparently Ghost of Yotei’s review embargo is 9/25, which coincides nicely with Xbox’s Showcase).
I won’t be buying everything under the sun as October is frankly too stacked, but I will be having quite a full gaming schedule, even if there’s no further surprises. Mario Galaxy’s announcement complicated things enough as is, but I’m curious where I’ll decide to spend by end of week, as I basically allot myself $100 a month.
I mean, it’s sort of obvious. This year has pushed more solid games than any other year. There was a point in time earlier in the year where 80% of my top 10 list was GPU titles. It’s dropped to just Silksong and Blue Prince now, but if I went to a top 20 list, I’d wager about 40-50% of this year’s list for me would be GPU titles, which is frankly insane value for the service this year. And October is insanely stacked for the service… Plus, we’ve still theoretically got Witchbrook launching by the end of the year (fingers crossed we see that one on Thursday with a release date). I’m conflicted about utilizing the service due to some of MS’s labor practices of late, but it’s hard not to argue 2025 has been an improvement on 2024, which was previously the best year for the service all generation by a landslide.
I am waiting to read the reviews. I’m close to sold, but I dunno. Silent Hill 2’s remake actually made me wonder if I’d overrated SH2 all these years. It was still good, just not as good as I remembered it. And that free Silent Hill game that came out was terrible! F looks like the type of game I want out of the series though. It’s just not confirmed yet.
I didn’t get much time to play games this week, soooo… when I finally do play something, it’ll be fighting The Last Judge in Silksong at some point and hopefully entering the Citadel.
Since it’s so early in my time zone and I’m on vacation, I’ll look at my phone when I wake up and will probably see all the updates I need to. If it was a work week for me, I’d have had it playing on the commute.
@WildConcept6 @WildConcept6 I don’t quite agree with that narrative about Tango. I mean, these big companies in gaming are all multinational companies, and we’re in an age where you can FaceTime/Zoom/MS Teams someone and get a good meeting going. Hi-Fi Rush just wasn’t the hit Microsoft said it was, but the critical feedback was so positive that they just went with that. I truly feel that Shinji Mikami leaving was the reason they shuttered the studio. I like Gamepass, but I do think Hi-Fi and Tango were victims of it, as the shadow drop probably spiked the player count, only for it to drop off quickly. Personally, I’m hoping to buy Hi-Fi Rush again on Switch 2 if it ever gets ported. It’s definitely a contender for the best first party Xbox game this generation, with only Psychonauts 2 as competition (and Indiana Jones as a single notch below). Another weird thing with the game too is that I remember Hi-Fi having considerable buzz and a lot of people talking about it and playing it that I knew, so perhaps my circle clouds my own vision there? I compare that with like Hellblade 2, for instance, and that game felt like a critical and social dud, so I wonder what Ninja Theory is doing that Tango didn’t. Again, in the Gamepass era, we don’t have sales to directly look at, and even so, digital sales are typically gated communities where we can’t truly analyze much either because the companies won’t let us. I understand MS is a business, but to close a studio a year after their game generated such positive buzz about the brand seems sort of wild. I dunno.
It made sense that Arkane Austin got shuttered, even though Redfall definitely failed due to poor management. There’s enough developer statements for us to know that game wasn’t the game the studio wanted to make, the team had terrible retention due to this, and they sort of slapped it together, and yet Microsoft somehow thought the reviews would end up in the mid-80’s on Metacritic somehow. That’s a game that has all the telltale signs of something you cancel and utilize the talent elsewhere on games they can clearly do better and want to make and you’ll probably have something successful like their other games, but, no, they ran that project into the ground and no one was surprised it was bad, except Xbox.
For me, I think this whole narrative of games getting bigger is an excuse by executives because they can’t manage things as well as executives could in previous generations. It’s a more money with less product type of scenario, pure capitalism. When I think of things like Everwild getting cancelled, I think it should’ve happened 5 years ago and MS should’ve shifted staff to other projects rather than mass layoffs like they have been doing. Plain and simple, the poor optics on Xbox has been what has removed Xbox from the hardware discussion and into the third party software publishing discussion. It just doesn’t feel like Xbox values accountability, or else the management staff that has failed wouldn’t continue to get promotions over the course of the generation and management bonuses wouldn’t continue to increase. Some of these bonuses are large enough to basically fund a AA project, you know?
@AverageJoseph @Stoned_Patrol The way I see it, if Perfect Dark was in such dire straights, why did Xbox advertise it at not-E3 the year before it was cancelled, year 7 of the development cycle? Everyone knew development was rocky on the game, but less than a year before it was cancelled, all of a sudden, it was being reported, “No, development is actually going great for Perfect Dark!” It’s just goofy. If things were that bad for it, they should’ve pulled the plug far earlier.
It’s not necessarily a problem with them deciding to use their resources more effectively, it’s the narrative they give the public that’s the problem. There’s ways to discuss a game failing to hit expectations or development milestones in a way that’s far more realistic than the way MS does things now. I can’t trust what they have on the release docket unless there’s a firm date at this point. For all we know, Fable could get cancelled, you know? We don’t really know THAT much about it.
I’ve been saying it for years now, but it does sort of feel like Xbox management doesn’t actively manage their projects. They just sort of let them go. And I get the vibe they just aren’t paying attention or they don’t know their own developers enough to know what’s going on. Their PR tends to create backlash because they give unreliable messaging. As much as I like Gamepass, I get the vibe that they don’t quite know if a game is a success if it’s on the service either, which is totally understandable since sales is a lot easier to decode than a player base sustained over any period of time, especially for single player titles.
@WildConcept6 @Markatron84 Perhaps, but, by all accounts, Hi-Fi Rush was hitting all metrics and Xbox was proud of it and Tango… until they weren’t. I dunno. I get that Everwild and Perfect Dark had issues, and I suppose we’ll never know how things truly were, but, I mean, if it were that bad, where was management to help course correct? You can’t tell me they didn’t get anywhere with 8 years of development, you know?
@theduckofdeath I wouldn’t say I’m indicting the gameplay, just commenting on how the gameplay isn’t nearly as innovative as others have said. Again, I did like the game for the most part. The gameplay was actually my favorite part.
With regards to the Writers faction, it’s mentioned, sure, but we know nothing about them, who they are, what is this grander conflict. I understand that the game is a smaller budget, but that doesn’t mean that they didn’t throw a huge plot development out there with very little exposition to it. For me, I felt like, “Why even introduce this other mysterious, unknown faction when you’re resolving the family drama as the final character arc if you’re not going to explain the conflict with said faction much?” I felt the end was really flat, personally. Reminded me a lot of the ending in Horizon Forbidden West, where it sort of felt like the ending was designed to say, “There will be a sequel.”
I dunno. I felt like the story of the game was a little bit predictable and it never culminated to a big wow moment for me. There’s a gauzy, somber feel to the game that I don’t quite love. I love my Sad Dad style of games, but this one leaned a little too far into that for me. The world of the game never truly felt believable to me and perhaps that is my disconnect.
I’m still having a hard time with this one and Everwild getting cancelled. It truly does make one worry about the future of studios under the MS banner if they aren’t selling. Really hoping Double Fine stays safe
@WildConcept6 I agree. This year has really looked like E33’s year, based on the online discourse, but Silksong has, to me, fortunately disrupted that in the way I was hoping Donkey Kong or Death Stranding would have. With E33 though, I don’t know any person that I know personally that’s played through it that has been enamored with it at the beginning, only to loose steam with it, you know? I remember a friend of mine and I discussing it and we were both discussing it lightly before we were both relieved that we agreed it was a 7/10 because of how people react toward the game online. It’s a funny game in that way.
This year isn’t an Elden Ring vs Ragnarok type of year for GotY. It’s such a niche and diverse year, so I’m sure GotY will be tense and heated more than any previous year. Keighley is certainly doing something right where many of us are thinking about GotY early into the year.
@theduckofdeath Again, I liked E33, but I thought the last couple hours of the game were sort of a mess in that it cheapened the entire journey of the game to introduce an antagonist faction that they don’t even show in any capacity. After all the over-the-top melodrama, the game goes full on nihilist or detachment fantasy, depending on how you choose to end the game. And again, the whole thing is a farce anyway because the game acknowledges the futility of its fiction, so win or lose, it doesn’t actually matter anyway as things conclude in finality.
Personally, I feel that similar themes were explored more effectively in other games, such as Xenoblade Chronicles. I do prefer the gameplay to XBC, but even so, the gameplay is a distinct riff on the Mario and Luigi series. I feel that E33 is basically a hodgepodge of influences and a meta-commentary on game development in 2025 in a way. A little Final Fantasy here, a little Souls there, some Ubisoft… nevermind that!
It’s interesting, sure, but I wouldn’t say I ever grew attached to the characters or had a lot of fun playing it. It’s a technical showcase for a new studio, most certainly, as they did a good job with the visuals, voice talent, and music. However, much of the discussion about the game has been in comparing it to other IP rather than how unique it is as its own IP, and, for that reason, I don’t understand the GotY hype train for it.
Again, I like the game, but I feel it’s been the front-runner for most of the year and has grown such incredible hype not for what it brings, but by the lack in the industry elsewhere, if that makes sense.
I think there’s zero chance Donkey Kong gets GotY, as Keighley rarely rewards Nintendo for their brilliance. Personally, I like Bananza far more than I like E33, but the game certainly doesn’t have the following or critical hype to compete against E33 right now, nor does my personal pick Death Stranding 2. They get nominations, but not wins. This year is likely E33 vs Silksong vs potentially Hades 2 and Ghost of Yotei. I’m curious if Silent Hill, The Outer Worlds, Metroid Prime, or Mina the Hollower will make an impact. They all have the potential to get nominations, but I’m not sure any of those four have the reputation online that E33, Silksong, Hades, or Ghost has.
Hope Silksong takes home GotY this year. Death Stranding 2 is my personal favorite, but the cultural impact of Silksong and its immaculate gameplay deserves so much praise. It’s time a genuine small indie team snags the win.
Weird to see that I’ve played everything in both top 10 lists, minus Pirate Yakuza.
And as far as GotY goes, I really hope the Expedition 33 wave is over. I liked the game, I thought it was good, but I don’t know if I’ve ever felt a game I actually enjoyed has been more overrated. The endless gushing about the game earlier in the year made me wonder if I played the same game everyone else did. I didn’t like KCD2, but I understood where its supporters had a point with it. But with E33, I really don’t get it.
Would love to see Xbox pour some money into getting the licensing sorted on Guitar Hero or getting Warcraft/Starcraft on consoles, but I don’t expect it these days.
Comments 2,327
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 11-12)
Well, I forgot to write on this yesterday, but so far I’ve played Absolum, which I love to start, Kuukiyomi 4, which my son stole from me and proceeded to play as rudely as possible, a few rounds of Hades 2, which I’m starting to progress in now (and I agree with everyone that prefers the first game, basically, because the second one may have better gameplay but a less compelling storyline), and Super Mario Galaxy 2… because my son was having trouble with bosses.
Hopefully I get a chance to play Yotei as well! Pokemon is coming out next week and, after a relatively easy year to stay ahead of games, I’m sinking now! A good problem to have, huh?
Re: Talking Point: As We Approach GOTY Season, What's Your Pick As Things Stand?
Across all platforms right now:
1. Death Stranding 2
2. Hollow Knight: Silksong
3. Donkey Kong Bananza
4. To a T
5. Blue Prince
6. Ghost of Yotei (its position isn’t finalized yet)
7. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo
8. Hades 2 (its position isn’t finalized yet)
9. Mario Kart World
10. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Xbox Only:
1. Silksong
2. To a T
3. Blue Prince
4. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yo-Yo
5. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
6. Shinobi Rise of Vengeance
7. Assassin’s Creed Shadows
8. Lego Voyagers
9. South of Midnight
10. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Assembling an Xbox only list, you sort of realize how much has skipped the platform this year. I could’ve gone either way with E33 or Doom, but I picked E33 for the #10 spot because it felt right.
In my current gaming list that’s released, I’ve yet to play Absolum and I’m not far enough in Silent Hill F to even be aware if it’ll be a top 10 game for me. Split Fiction’s the only game I’ve backlogged, and I’d like to say I’d put the game in my top 10, but I just don’t know. My experience with it hasn’t been fun since my wife didn’t seem to enjoy it.
In games of the future, I’ve still got Katamari, Pokemon, and Metroid Prime on the docket. Mina the Hollower and Witchbrook if they make it this year. I’m contemplating Keeper and Outer Worlds 2, but since I’m out on Gamepass, I’m waiting to see reviews.
Re: New Rumours Suggest PS6 & Next-Gen Xbox Could Both Release In 2027
@themightyant @FraserG @Kezelpaso I’m definitely expecting that announcement at the 25th Anniversary too, but I totally agree that 2030 sounds better. In this economic climate, with how slow it takes for games to be made (and how much slower I’m sure it will take next generation), and all the generational overlap this generation, I totally think this generation probably should last a little longer than last. I’m sort of hoping there’s something new about the next generation outside of the “MORE POWER” mentality too.
Re: New Rumours Suggest PS6 & Next-Gen Xbox Could Both Release In 2027
I honestly sort of hope not. I just don’t feel jazzed to buy a new console so soon, as it feels like this generation is finally just starting.
Re: Xbox 'Magnus' Leak Suggests Next Console Will Be Powerful, Expensive & Maybe A Hybrid Device
Oof, sounds like that one might be the most tone deaf launch in history if this is all true… I can’t imagine this one having success at launch with that kind of price.
Re: Pick One: Which Is Your Favourite Double Fine Game On Xbox?
@AverageJoseph I can get that argument, but when I think about Obsidian myself, I sort of thought Avowed was a disappointment and I don’t really like Grounded. No matter what Double Fine does, I’m still interested. I’d say New Vegas tops Psychonauts 2, but that’s a long time ago.
Re: Pick One: Which Is Your Favourite Double Fine Game On Xbox?
It’s got to be Psychonauts 2, but truthfully most games they make are really solid. They may potentially be Xbox’s best studio right now.
Re: Xbox Issues Statement Denying Rumour That Next-Gen Console Could Be Cancelled
@SeaDaVie Couldn’t say it better myself. You’ve hit the nail on the head. Xbox said absolutely nothing of substance with this. We still know nothing and Xbox is hoping people take their statement at speculatively value rather than face value. I would guess Phil’s not saying much these days because he tends to express things when he talks and Microsoft doesn’t want anything between the lines, especially when they want to have the ability to manipulate any information they may provide at a later date.
That said though, I do think a new console in 2026 would be disastrous for Xbox unless it’s focusing on something alternative to visual fidelity, as is typical of iterative console leaps. If Xbox is trying to pull a Nintendo where they’re pivoting a different way, that’s the only way I could see a next gen console making sense so quickly. If any generation made sense to slow down on when to make a generational leap, it’s this one… unless that leap is diagonal in some way rather than forward.
Re: Multiple Xbox Games Temporarily Delisted Due To Security Issue With The Unity Engine
@Simu001 So that’s how Phil lost the weight so fast!?
I kid, I kid…
Re: Xbox Game Studios Titles Up For Several Awards At Golden Joysticks 2025
@DippleHonk It’s an 83 on OpenCritic. There’s literally dozens of games that have a higher overall critical score than Sonic Crossworlds.
Can’t place the anti-Sonic badge on me. Lol. Sonic Frontiers was one of my favorite games of 2022 even if people were panning it left and right and I even loved the virtual novel murder mystery game Team Sonic did a couple years ago. I’m definitely sympathetic to Sonic getting more love. I’m not surprised it’s up there because it’s Sonic, but because it’s not exactly been a hot topic game and also because it didn’t even outsell Mario Kart World its first week in sales.
And I mean, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn’t nominated over it? What? Come on now… I’m basically the biggest detractor of E33 here and even I’ll admit that game should be nominated for GotY.
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Feel About Ubisoft+ Classics Being Added To Game Pass Ultimate?
I’m only interested in Day 1 releases basically. Having more old games that I’ve already owned for a while does nothing of value for me.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 4-5)
Ghost of Yotei, Silent Hill F, Lego Voyagers, and Hades 2. I suspect I’ll play all four of them in some capacity.
So far, I’ve yet to start Silent Hill F, so it’s hard to comment on it, but Lego Voyagers seems like it’s pretty underrated. My son and I have had fun with it to start. Meanwhile, I’m still making opinions of Hades 2 and Ghost. To start, they both feel like sequels that don’t quite hit like the first games in their series, but that could just be because it’s early in both of them for me. I am sort of surprised by how similar AC Shadows’s seed plot is to Yotei too. Even though Atsu’s a very different character and the way the stories are told are different, it’s sort of interesting that the revenge narrative was put down in two massive games this year like that.
Re: Xbox Game Studios Titles Up For Several Awards At Golden Joysticks 2025
Sonic Racing Crossworlds nominated for Console Game of the Year? Get out of here.
It’s too soon for GotY. October is stacked.
I hope Xbox wins for the Minecraft movie, and I suppose we can say Xbox for that OD trailer. I liked most of the first party games, but they’ve nearly uniformly been 7/10s across the board for me, nothing GotY worthy. There’s some truly baffling choices in this list.
Re: Xbox Fan Shares Their Concept For A Game Pass 'Select' Plan With Optional Add-Ons
@Weebleman I’ll bet the Saudi team will have an average played score of 99
Re: Xbox Fan Shares Their Concept For A Game Pass 'Select' Plan With Optional Add-Ons
@Weebleman Very grim indeed. The bizarrely political looking buyout of EA, this weird new studio from Ubisoft/Tencent, and now a Gamepass price hike all in a week. The industry is in such a different place than it was even five years ago and it’s truly concerning the direction we’re heading with it.
Re: Xbox Fan Shares Their Concept For A Game Pass 'Select' Plan With Optional Add-Ons
@Weebleman Just remember how Hi-Fi Rush was a huge success until it wasn’t and Tango got closed or how Phil said Xbox wouldn’t be porting games to other consoles, and then it was “just four,” and then it was day and date releases. Xbox has been talking outside of both sides of its mouth for years. They don’t give us concrete data for a reason. And now Phil doesn’t even play damage control, which might make things even worse.
Re: Xbox Fan Shares Their Concept For A Game Pass 'Select' Plan With Optional Add-Ons
That would be pro-consumer, but let’s be real: this doesn’t support the symbiotic business plans of Xbox, EA, Ubisoft, and Epic Games, so that’s almost certainly a no-go that this would happen. The greediest publishers got together over lunch for this one.
Re: Xbox Users Seeing Game Pass Dashboard Ad That Mentions Price Hike & New Benefits
Benefits? I’d call the changes detriments.
I am hoping Xbox sees a massive decline in subscribers for their 50% price spike. At this point, Xbox needs to see financial consequences for their anti-consumer decisions. I truly hope Xbox isn’t going to sucker casuals into signing up for a month on a recurring plan just to surprise the lot of them with a $10 a month price increase they didn’t know about, but that seems like their plan.
Re: Poll: What Are Your Plans For Xbox Game Pass After This Week's News?
I cancelled last night. My sub’s up in 9 days and that’s it. I will most likely no longer play The Outer Worlds 2 or Ninja Gaiden 4. I’d like to say I’ll still be playing Keeper, but frankly… I don’t know. I think I may be out on Xbox unless the platform holder walks back from this decision.
It’s about time Phil Spencer, Matt Booty, and Sarah Bond stop hiding too, and actually get back in front of the PR machine. They’ve been ghosts all of 2025.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Premium May Be The Best-Value Tier Right Now, With Almost 50 Games Added
Ironically, I had just resubbed last month for my son for his birthday. Now, less than a month after that, I get to tell him, “Sorry, bud, we’re done.” I shouldn’t have caved and resubbed after those studio closures. Unless Xbox makes changes following this to backtrack, I’m not even going to buy Xbox related games.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Is Getting A Major Overhaul With New Names, Games & Price Changes
Well, I guess I’m done with Gamepass for good now and not looking back. That price basically rationalizes purchasing games over using the service.
Re: Halo Studios Will Talk More About Future Projects At World Championship Next Month
I miss the glory days of Halo. I mean, in the now distant past, if you had an Xbox, you were probably playing Halo in-between everything else you played, regardless of what you were playing, and it felt like that was everyone in the 360 days.
Given that 2026 is looking… sparse… it’d be a great time to bring Halo back to the forefront. I’d still love to see a Battle Royale mode with Halo gameplay.
I’m really rusty nowadays with Halo gunplay, but that’s one game I’d want to be good at again. I remember my squad being able to dominate. We’d go through a solid 3-4 hour session without a single loss in the Halo 4 era when we were all in our prime. Can’t remember a multiplayer game that felt more fun.
Re: All New Games Coming To Xbox In October 2025
October is so beyond stacked for me…
Ball x Pit, Keeper, and Outer Worlds on Xbox.
Ghost of Yotei on PS5.
Pokémon, Katamari, and Mina the Hollower on Switch 2 (plus Mario Galaxy 2).
The release schedule was so thin for chunks of the year, but October’s like, “Nah, we’ve got half a year’s worth of games in one month. Have fun!”
The crazy thing is that there’s more games I could want too…
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 27-28)
More Silksong and that will remain my game until it is completed. I may try Hades 2 out because I’m deeply curious about it or watch my son play Henry Halfhead too. I did pick up Lego Voyagers as well, so that’s possible. With Silksong and Hades being such massive indie hits that basically dropped from nowhere, is it weird that I’m like jeez Mina the Hollower, I knew your release date first, so let’s complete the trinity a little sooner please?
I’ll be picking up Ghost of Yotei and Mario Galaxy 2 next week, so I’m basically at a point where my gaming is planned and stacked for maybe the next 4, 5 months. Should I get Silent Hill F too?
Re: Here's A Look At The Updated Xbox Game Studios Roadmap From September 2025
OD and Fable are basically what I’m looking forward to. Hope we see some release dates for those soon.
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From September 2025's State Of Play
@andrewsqual That State of Play was abysmal. Xbox has had good showcases before, but usually they’re the January ones. They’re not E3 one last year or the year before it was very solid, but yeah, both showcases were dire. Both Xbox and PlayStation feel pretty dead to me right now. I can’t think of anything on either console with a solid release window I want next year if it isn’t made by Capcom.
Re: Poll: How Would You Grade Xbox's Tokyo Game Show 2025 Event?
This one and the State of Play were both Es for me. If I didn’t love the last Nintendo Direct, I’d be questioning if I like video games anymore based on those two showcases.
Re: Roundup: All The Reveals From The Xbox Showcase At Tokyo Game Show 2025
Well, I was hoping the Xbox showcase would top the State of Play, but… no… I was hoping with its Winter 2025 release window, Witchbrook might at least pop up, but not even that. I suspect that one’s not launching this year, at this point. There wasn’t much here for me this year.
At least we got an OD trailer in the Kojima showcase.
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From September 2025's State Of Play
I really hope the Xbox showcase is better than that one
Re: Hades 2 Becomes 2025's Highest-Rated New Game Ahead Of Eventual Xbox Release
Based on the first game, I’m not suspecting this one to leap over Silksong for Game of the Month for me, but jeez, what a pair of indie games to release in succession. And then Mina the Hollower next month too… Absolutely loaded period of time for game releases.
Glad we’re finally getting a bunch of games that’ll be making Expedition 33 sweat. It’ll be great to see indies dominating the GotY scene for once.
Re: Xbox Leadership Looks Genuinely Thrilled To Be Working With Kojima Productions On OD
Looks like it has the potential to be the best Xbox Games Studios game yet, honestly.
Re: Seven Xbox-Related Showcases To Look Out For At Tokyo Game Show 2025
Looking forward to most of these, and since I’m on vacation and in the States, I’ll sleep through most of them and simply have to wake up to the updates and watch if I deem there’s entertainment value in it. A little later in the year than typical but I’ll be spending the remainder of my gaming budget for the year by week’s end. I’m just basically seeing if anything disrupts my current plan before putting down the money and finally deciding where I’ll invest my time through the remainder of 2025 (and apparently Ghost of Yotei’s review embargo is 9/25, which coincides nicely with Xbox’s Showcase).
I won’t be buying everything under the sun as October is frankly too stacked, but I will be having quite a full gaming schedule, even if there’s no further surprises. Mario Galaxy’s announcement complicated things enough as is, but I’m curious where I’ll decide to spend by end of week, as I basically allot myself $100 a month.
Re: Microsoft Has Made Its 'Largest Investment' In Xbox Game Pass Ever This Year
I mean, it’s sort of obvious. This year has pushed more solid games than any other year. There was a point in time earlier in the year where 80% of my top 10 list was GPU titles. It’s dropped to just Silksong and Blue Prince now, but if I went to a top 20 list, I’d wager about 40-50% of this year’s list for me would be GPU titles, which is frankly insane value for the service this year. And October is insanely stacked for the service… Plus, we’ve still theoretically got Witchbrook launching by the end of the year (fingers crossed we see that one on Thursday with a release date). I’m conflicted about utilizing the service due to some of MS’s labor practices of late, but it’s hard not to argue 2025 has been an improvement on 2024, which was previously the best year for the service all generation by a landslide.
Re: Poll: Are You Buying Silent Hill F Next Week?
@Vipor007 It reminded me of both of them too, but sort of as a pale imitation of them.
Re: Poll: Are You Buying Silent Hill F Next Week?
I am waiting to read the reviews. I’m close to sold, but I dunno. Silent Hill 2’s remake actually made me wonder if I’d overrated SH2 all these years. It was still good, just not as good as I remembered it. And that free Silent Hill game that came out was terrible! F looks like the type of game I want out of the series though. It’s just not confirmed yet.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 20-21)
I didn’t get much time to play games this week, soooo… when I finally do play something, it’ll be fighting The Last Judge in Silksong at some point and hopefully entering the Citadel.
Re: Talking Point: What Are Your Plans For Tokyo Game Show Next Week?
Since it’s so early in my time zone and I’m on vacation, I’ll look at my phone when I wake up and will probably see all the updates I need to. If it was a work week for me, I’d have had it playing on the commute.
Re: Perfect Dark Studio Head Issues Final Statement As He Leaves Team Xbox
@WildConcept6 @WildConcept6 I don’t quite agree with that narrative about Tango. I mean, these big companies in gaming are all multinational companies, and we’re in an age where you can FaceTime/Zoom/MS Teams someone and get a good meeting going. Hi-Fi Rush just wasn’t the hit Microsoft said it was, but the critical feedback was so positive that they just went with that. I truly feel that Shinji Mikami leaving was the reason they shuttered the studio. I like Gamepass, but I do think Hi-Fi and Tango were victims of it, as the shadow drop probably spiked the player count, only for it to drop off quickly. Personally, I’m hoping to buy Hi-Fi Rush again on Switch 2 if it ever gets ported. It’s definitely a contender for the best first party Xbox game this generation, with only Psychonauts 2 as competition (and Indiana Jones as a single notch below). Another weird thing with the game too is that I remember Hi-Fi having considerable buzz and a lot of people talking about it and playing it that I knew, so perhaps my circle clouds my own vision there? I compare that with like Hellblade 2, for instance, and that game felt like a critical and social dud, so I wonder what Ninja Theory is doing that Tango didn’t. Again, in the Gamepass era, we don’t have sales to directly look at, and even so, digital sales are typically gated communities where we can’t truly analyze much either because the companies won’t let us. I understand MS is a business, but to close a studio a year after their game generated such positive buzz about the brand seems sort of wild. I dunno.
It made sense that Arkane Austin got shuttered, even though Redfall definitely failed due to poor management. There’s enough developer statements for us to know that game wasn’t the game the studio wanted to make, the team had terrible retention due to this, and they sort of slapped it together, and yet Microsoft somehow thought the reviews would end up in the mid-80’s on Metacritic somehow. That’s a game that has all the telltale signs of something you cancel and utilize the talent elsewhere on games they can clearly do better and want to make and you’ll probably have something successful like their other games, but, no, they ran that project into the ground and no one was surprised it was bad, except Xbox.
For me, I think this whole narrative of games getting bigger is an excuse by executives because they can’t manage things as well as executives could in previous generations. It’s a more money with less product type of scenario, pure capitalism. When I think of things like Everwild getting cancelled, I think it should’ve happened 5 years ago and MS should’ve shifted staff to other projects rather than mass layoffs like they have been doing. Plain and simple, the poor optics on Xbox has been what has removed Xbox from the hardware discussion and into the third party software publishing discussion. It just doesn’t feel like Xbox values accountability, or else the management staff that has failed wouldn’t continue to get promotions over the course of the generation and management bonuses wouldn’t continue to increase. Some of these bonuses are large enough to basically fund a AA project, you know?
Re: Perfect Dark Studio Head Issues Final Statement As He Leaves Team Xbox
@AverageJoseph @Stoned_Patrol The way I see it, if Perfect Dark was in such dire straights, why did Xbox advertise it at not-E3 the year before it was cancelled, year 7 of the development cycle? Everyone knew development was rocky on the game, but less than a year before it was cancelled, all of a sudden, it was being reported, “No, development is actually going great for Perfect Dark!” It’s just goofy. If things were that bad for it, they should’ve pulled the plug far earlier.
It’s not necessarily a problem with them deciding to use their resources more effectively, it’s the narrative they give the public that’s the problem. There’s ways to discuss a game failing to hit expectations or development milestones in a way that’s far more realistic than the way MS does things now. I can’t trust what they have on the release docket unless there’s a firm date at this point. For all we know, Fable could get cancelled, you know? We don’t really know THAT much about it.
I’ve been saying it for years now, but it does sort of feel like Xbox management doesn’t actively manage their projects. They just sort of let them go. And I get the vibe they just aren’t paying attention or they don’t know their own developers enough to know what’s going on. Their PR tends to create backlash because they give unreliable messaging. As much as I like Gamepass, I get the vibe that they don’t quite know if a game is a success if it’s on the service either, which is totally understandable since sales is a lot easier to decode than a player base sustained over any period of time, especially for single player titles.
Re: Battlefield 6 Keeps Xbox & PlayStation Players Together Even With Crossplay Switched Off
Finally, someone understands why some of us turn off crossplay!
Re: Perfect Dark Studio Head Issues Final Statement As He Leaves Team Xbox
@WildConcept6 @Markatron84 Perhaps, but, by all accounts, Hi-Fi Rush was hitting all metrics and Xbox was proud of it and Tango… until they weren’t. I dunno. I get that Everwild and Perfect Dark had issues, and I suppose we’ll never know how things truly were, but, I mean, if it were that bad, where was management to help course correct? You can’t tell me they didn’t get anywhere with 8 years of development, you know?
Re: After Silksong, These Are The Top 10 Highest-Rated Games Of 2025 So Far
@theduckofdeath I wouldn’t say I’m indicting the gameplay, just commenting on how the gameplay isn’t nearly as innovative as others have said. Again, I did like the game for the most part. The gameplay was actually my favorite part.
With regards to the Writers faction, it’s mentioned, sure, but we know nothing about them, who they are, what is this grander conflict. I understand that the game is a smaller budget, but that doesn’t mean that they didn’t throw a huge plot development out there with very little exposition to it. For me, I felt like, “Why even introduce this other mysterious, unknown faction when you’re resolving the family drama as the final character arc if you’re not going to explain the conflict with said faction much?” I felt the end was really flat, personally. Reminded me a lot of the ending in Horizon Forbidden West, where it sort of felt like the ending was designed to say, “There will be a sequel.”
I dunno. I felt like the story of the game was a little bit predictable and it never culminated to a big wow moment for me. There’s a gauzy, somber feel to the game that I don’t quite love. I love my Sad Dad style of games, but this one leaned a little too far into that for me. The world of the game never truly felt believable to me and perhaps that is my disconnect.
Re: Perfect Dark Studio Head Issues Final Statement As He Leaves Team Xbox
I’m still having a hard time with this one and Everwild getting cancelled. It truly does make one worry about the future of studios under the MS banner if they aren’t selling. Really hoping Double Fine stays safe
Re: Rumour: Journalist Suggests GTA 6 Release Date Could Be Delayed To October 2026
That’s ok, spring 2026 already looks pretty solid after that recent Nintendo Direct. I’m sure the Fable team is hoping this is BS though.
Re: Six Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In October 2025 So Far
Could be the single best month of drops on Gamepass that we’ve ever seen. Going to try all of these games at least! Hope one of them is a hit for me.
October feels like it has 90% of this year’s release schedule jammed into it.
Re: After Silksong, These Are The Top 10 Highest-Rated Games Of 2025 So Far
@WildConcept6 I agree. This year has really looked like E33’s year, based on the online discourse, but Silksong has, to me, fortunately disrupted that in the way I was hoping Donkey Kong or Death Stranding would have. With E33 though, I don’t know any person that I know personally that’s played through it that has been enamored with it at the beginning, only to loose steam with it, you know? I remember a friend of mine and I discussing it and we were both discussing it lightly before we were both relieved that we agreed it was a 7/10 because of how people react toward the game online. It’s a funny game in that way.
This year isn’t an Elden Ring vs Ragnarok type of year for GotY. It’s such a niche and diverse year, so I’m sure GotY will be tense and heated more than any previous year. Keighley is certainly doing something right where many of us are thinking about GotY early into the year.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 13-14)
Silksong, Silksong, and Silksong.
Re: After Silksong, These Are The Top 10 Highest-Rated Games Of 2025 So Far
@theduckofdeath Again, I liked E33, but I thought the last couple hours of the game were sort of a mess in that it cheapened the entire journey of the game to introduce an antagonist faction that they don’t even show in any capacity. After all the over-the-top melodrama, the game goes full on nihilist or detachment fantasy, depending on how you choose to end the game. And again, the whole thing is a farce anyway because the game acknowledges the futility of its fiction, so win or lose, it doesn’t actually matter anyway as things conclude in finality.
Personally, I feel that similar themes were explored more effectively in other games, such as Xenoblade Chronicles. I do prefer the gameplay to XBC, but even so, the gameplay is a distinct riff on the Mario and Luigi series. I feel that E33 is basically a hodgepodge of influences and a meta-commentary on game development in 2025 in a way. A little Final Fantasy here, a little Souls there, some Ubisoft… nevermind that!
It’s interesting, sure, but I wouldn’t say I ever grew attached to the characters or had a lot of fun playing it. It’s a technical showcase for a new studio, most certainly, as they did a good job with the visuals, voice talent, and music. However, much of the discussion about the game has been in comparing it to other IP rather than how unique it is as its own IP, and, for that reason, I don’t understand the GotY hype train for it.
Again, I like the game, but I feel it’s been the front-runner for most of the year and has grown such incredible hype not for what it brings, but by the lack in the industry elsewhere, if that makes sense.
I think there’s zero chance Donkey Kong gets GotY, as Keighley rarely rewards Nintendo for their brilliance. Personally, I like Bananza far more than I like E33, but the game certainly doesn’t have the following or critical hype to compete against E33 right now, nor does my personal pick Death Stranding 2. They get nominations, but not wins. This year is likely E33 vs Silksong vs potentially Hades 2 and Ghost of Yotei. I’m curious if Silent Hill, The Outer Worlds, Metroid Prime, or Mina the Hollower will make an impact. They all have the potential to get nominations, but I’m not sure any of those four have the reputation online that E33, Silksong, Hades, or Ghost has.
Re: After Silksong, These Are The Top 10 Highest-Rated Games Of 2025 So Far
Hope Silksong takes home GotY this year. Death Stranding 2 is my personal favorite, but the cultural impact of Silksong and its immaculate gameplay deserves so much praise. It’s time a genuine small indie team snags the win.
Weird to see that I’ve played everything in both top 10 lists, minus Pirate Yakuza.
And as far as GotY goes, I really hope the Expedition 33 wave is over. I liked the game, I thought it was good, but I don’t know if I’ve ever felt a game I actually enjoyed has been more overrated. The endless gushing about the game earlier in the year made me wonder if I played the same game everyone else did. I didn’t like KCD2, but I understood where its supporters had a point with it. But with E33, I really don’t get it.
Re: Xbox Fans Are Again Talking About All The Microsoft Games Missing From Game Pass
Would love to see Xbox pour some money into getting the licensing sorted on Guitar Hero or getting Warcraft/Starcraft on consoles, but I don’t expect it these days.