@beltmenot Watching him play it… the graphics have started to age and so has the enemy AI, but it’s still beyond most modern games in scope and world building and just the pure freedom of playing it. I mean, Fallout 4 and Starfield didn’t even come close to it.
I hate to say it, but showing him how to play it for a few minutes made me sort of want to play it again. Lol.
I’m down for Oblivion or a Fallout remaster for sure.
My son discovered Skyrim on my 360 yesterday. Lol. It blew his mind, basically. Sort of crazy such an old game feels like so much more to a little one than most current games, but so it is…
@Divide_and_Wander Jeez, if it’s Wukong or FF, that’d be a huge disappointment for me. I didn’t even think that Xbox would do another “We’re late to the party, but get excited” announcement. It’d be on brand this generation, but, man… Say it ain’t so! I’m really hoping this is the year Xbox stands out by finally delivering with their first party studios!
@Divide_and_Wander I would love it to be a Silksong shadow drop. I’m on vacation the week after the Direct and I would 100% be down for that.
For what I think it really is, I get the suspicion that it’s probably something to do with Halo, though does Combat Evolved really need another remake? It sort of feels like the Halo series has backed itself into a corner and may rely on a remake to reboot the series, so it may have success again. Honestly, I know Battle Royales are a bit passé now, but Halo is the series I wanted to try that.
I have a feeling it’s a first party title and something that Xbox deems to be exciting enough to be a bigger showstopper than Doom. There’s not many things that can compete with that one with the Xbox fanbase. Having it be in a surprise location though… Contraband springs to mind, though is that one a show stopper? It’s based in exotic locales. Who knows? Most Xbox Game Studios are located in a similar area across the West Coast of North America, outside Rare and Mojang (and Playground, but we know they’re working on Fable). Could finally be Everwild. Would be really wild to find out Mojang has been cooking up something of more substance than a continuous stream of Minecraft updates or spin-off games. I don’t think it will be Perfect Dark. It has to be something that has been off the radar for a while or unannounced. Would be bizarre, given the mystery, for it to be Gears or Fable, as much as those are games in the tier to close out a showcase. I do think a new Banjo game would light the internet on fire more than anything else in a positive way, but everyone at Xbox had basically said it wasn’t being made at this point. Would be a huge surprise if that was all a smokescreen and why Everwild has taken forever, as Rare is busy with multiple projects.
But imagine if it’s Fallout… Now I’m delirious, my bad!
Imagine if it’s finally the Activision drop… I’d be disappointed, but a lot of people would be excited.
Get this, go in blind, and enjoy an hour of the best walking sim gameplay in ages… get hungry for more and know the prequel Platform 8 is surely not far behind, repeat.
I love these games. I put Platform 8 in my top 10 for last year. That one hour of playing was more memorable than most larger games I played last year.
I’m torn on whether to get this game or not. Realistically I’m interested, but the lack of release dates for other future games leaves me on the fence for this one. If Yotei didn’t get announced for 2025, I’d probably take the risk of preordering this one, in spite of all the Ubisoft news of late.
@PsBoxSwitchOwner Xbox and PS are basically digital boxes at this point, so I don’t feel either moves the needle for physical sales currently. Most people I know only buy physical Switch games and are digital across all other platforms, even when they have the disc drives to play games in the traditional way.
Also, Indiana Jones and CoD charted relatively well for physical releases for Xbox. Sony had the exclusivity for Rebirth, which ended up selling well enough, despite the usual press circus of Square saying it sold below expectations (as they all typically do). Helldivers was a smash hit and Astro Bot sold very well for its genre as well, with sales have a more positive trajectory than Rift Apart did at launch, which in itself was considered a successful game by Sony, and then went on to win a GotY ribbon from more than 100 publications. There were games on other platforms that made some dent on these platforms, but Switch is the physical console at this point and I think the console having a late generational year certainly shows in the decline of physical sales.
I hope all these predictions are wrong except the Starfield and Fable ones! I know the Gears one is likely though, even if I don’t like Gears. I hope we see Everwild in some capacity and honestly, if Phil leaves, he’ll be leaving with Xbox in a weird spot. It’d feel like continuing that sinking ship press spin even if next year otherwise has a good trajectory. Next year looks like the year the ship is steering into better waters, so I’d hope Phil at least leads to a better spot before being the scapegoat for the Xbox Dark Ages. It would be nice if Phil was there to see his vision finally succeed.
Basically, this is due to Nintendo having a tepid first party and exclusive line-up this year. Switch is the physical console. However, I know many people that didn’t buy anything on Switch this year at all. I myself only bought five physical games on Switch and that’s only because I’m a first party Stan. Lol. Sort of crazy that I even bought four of them because it doesn’t feel like I played my Switch much at all in 2024.
Anyway, the only game that I know anyone outside me bought on Switch is Mario Jamboree and Zelda. I also got Peach, DQ3, and Paper Mario myself (which I wasn’t going to buy, but I got it as a gift, and my son got Sonic x Shadows as a gift too, so maybe I can say I got six Switch physical games), but that’s it. The Switch either needs exclusives or more first party games to keep the physical market alive, sadly enough.
@OldGamer999 Depends on what games are your preference, but I agree. The depth of Xbox releases as are currently announced are super solid. Avowed, Doom, Fable, South of Midnight, and Outer Worlds 2 are ALL games I will play, which is quite fantastic to know I’d probably be able to just rely on Gamepass for the year if I was on just one platform… even if Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei, and Metroid Prime 4 are the biggest games for me this year. The Gamepass hits don’t stop there though. Silksong, Atomfall, Expedition 33, the list keeps going. 2025 is an insane year for Xbox. I’m quite happy that Xbox is finally hitting the type of year we used to get in the 360 era. I was planning on reducing my spend down to maybe 15 games this year and thanks to Gamepass, I think I’ll be able to resist the urge to over-purchase games and achieve that goal without feeling like I’m missing out on interesting games. In fact, I may be able to reduce that further, given that most games I’m anticipating this year are Gamepass… though the Switch 2 is the elephant in the room… and the lack of a concrete release schedule, of course.
No idea. Given the Gamepass current line-up, my Series S may actually compete against my PS5 for the first time and I’ve had them both since launch, but with Switch 2 looming, that may beat them both if it has a compelling launch line-up, and that’s an Xbox, right?
In 2024, my most played Xbox was my 360, weirdly enough though, in the year end stats.
I’d like to return to Indiana Jones on Xbox after a two weeks hiatus or so from it. I’d like to start Detective Pikachu 2 after just not playing it since launch… and I’m almost sure I’ll play Overcooked on PS5 as my wife randomly started to want to play this one, so we’ve been doing exactly that.
Lost Records and Split Fiction are the only games with release dates I’m for sure buying this year in the current release slate with nary a release date for the vast majority of things. I suppose I’d do AC Shadows as well if it releases well.
It’s been five years since Death Stranding, so, man, am I praying DS2 is soon, and that OD won’t be far off in the years. Kojima’s games are my favorites and I can’t wait for them. I don’t tend to buy Xbox games anymore because of Gamepass, but I’ll preorder OD when I can.
Banishers was unjustly snubbed from conversation this year when its script and characters and the performances are among the best gaming has ever seen.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure practically got zero exposure after critics were harsh on the game without understanding it. I’ve said it before, but we don’t have reviewers that dislike Souls games review Elden Ring, we don’t have reviewers that don’t like JRPGs review Persona, so why do we get that for Life is Strange?
And Nine Sols. While not technically underrated as it received a lot of praise, it’s just not being talked about, and that’s because it was sandwiched between other monster releases.
This was simultaneously the best and worst year Xbox has had. They finally had a solid line-up late this year with game releases after literal years of underdelivering, but they also laid off hundreds of people and closed good studios and then pivoted to basically saying they’re done with exclusives even though Indiana Jones proved that having a worthwhile exclusive can make a platform instantaneously more viable.
That said, I do think next year is finally the “Next year that Xbox will get it together.”
@RBRTMNZ It’s competitive between the two of them. They’re two of the best games this year. Xbox really pivoted into making Gamepass an excellent value right at the end of the year.
@WildConcept6 Making good games with a classic IP is literally Nintendo’s entire strategy and it’s working wonderfully for them. In fact, they continue to make new IP like Splatoon that do the trick. Honestly, Xbox has the IP. If they utilize it properly, they’ve certainly got the ability to rebound out of third place.
Guitar Hero 3 is the only game I completed on Xbox this year. I’m 3/4ths through Nine Sols and probably halfway through Indy though. I’ll finish them both for sure. Beat a lot more games on PS5. I didn’t beat any game on Switch in 2024 though! Yikes!
It’s no shock that Indy won it, though how crazy is it to see CoD at #2 after years… no… decades now… of being a game for casuals. Back on Indy though, it just goes to show how patchy the year was before Indy that it dominated so thoroughly. This has been the most divisive year in gaming I think I’ve ever experienced. It sure doesn’t feel like much has united the gamer-base this year across the platforms. Indy was like a breath of fresh air for being a game everyone seemed to like on Xbox (Xbox’s Astro Bot, basically).
@UndyingInsurgent95 Loved Banishers. Best performances in a game this year and definitely a contender for best new story and script. Definitely the most underrated game released this year, even if the gameplay is a little repetitive.
Out of this list, I definitely agree with Death Stranding, though I would consider it a 2019 game. I reinstalled Dragon’s Dogma 2 yesterday. Figured I’d try it again after dropping it around 25 hours in earlier this year. For me, there were three 10/10s this year though, and Balatro is the one on Xbox. Don’t sleep on it!
Not sure I’ll be doing much gaming this weekend. My wife was in a car accident two days ago, so, while she’s physically fine, she’s feeling emotional shock. I had plans to play games with friends, but cancelled. I suppose I’ll be playing Santa Claus Simulator Real Edition, if that counts. I would like to maybe try that Slitterhead demo, but realistically, maybe I’ll do a round or so of Puyo Puyo Tetris with the wife to help get her mind off the stress.
@sixrings I mean, he’s also not wrong about people having console libraries now, so software does keep people in an ecosystem, which is basically what I believe Gamepass started as: an alternate and large platform of rentals to compete against a likely smaller digital owned gaming library on a competing platform. Most people don’t have gaming libraries of digital content to compete with GP (I do lol)), so there is logic there. The misfire was in believing that the platform had a value proposition to beat purchasing games while offering Day 1 titles without there being many of them people actually wanted. The first window of opportunity to seize success has passed fo sure, and that’s why I believe Xbox was adamant about acquiring Activision, as much as the charade was frustrating to watch. Xbox, from a business perspective, is a stronger and more profitable brand, so it seems Xbox is attempting a second window to capitalize on the brand, this time with a software release strategy. I think the spin on Xbox will shift over the course of 2025, and I say this as someone that has been largely disappointed in Xbox for a generation and a half.
Hey now, everyone, don’t forget that it leaked that Valve will soon be joining the console space, so, if you’re not a PlayStation or PC gamer, it looks like there will be some viable console competition soon enough, regardless of what Xbox does.
It is ironic that Xbox made this pivot when they finally got it together with making software though. They wouldn’t have needed the rebrand if the last few years looked like next year.
Wouldn’t mind if it’s Perfect Dark since I never expected to play it next year anyway. They can delay Gears of War since I have no interest in it, but please keep the rest of 2025’s release schedule. Looking forward to Avowed, South of Midnight, Outer Worlds 2, Doom, and Fable (and I’m sure CoD). Imo, that’s the best looking line-up Xbox has had in over a decade.
I wonder if the delay for announcement was more due to development time taking longer on Xbox due to the now age old X/S parity development, and Sony said to the developers, “This launches for the holiday for at least PlayStation or else! Other platforms are secondary.”
Although, by most accounts Lego Horizon is a flop…
@K1LLEGAL Road 96 for sure is. It’s one of those games that Phil and Aaron were gushing about for being a great grab on Gamepass during its original run.
Road 96 is basically a perfect Gamepass game. It’s a 7/10-ish short narrative roguelike-ish. It’s really unique and memorable, but not exactly GotY tier, but it’s the type of game that’ll hit personal year end top 20 lists for people that enjoy it, for perspective. I love when games like this come to the service because it gives them a lot of exposure that they likely wouldn’t have otherwise. The game’s so quick that I wouldn’t sleep on it unless you’re averse to its politics. It’s definitely a political game. I’m a non-political person, myself, but I enjoyed it. It’s a roguelike in the choices you make rather than the gameplay you do, which is certainly different from most other games.
1. Balatro (custom answer) 2. Indiana Jones 3. Prince of Persia 4. Would be Nine Sols, but you can’t vote two custom answers, so instead 4th place goes to Banishers 5. Life is Strange
@K1LLEGAL honestly, this looks like the year Xbox finally completes the turn around. Xbox is making up for years of having a barren wasteland of a release schedule perhaps. Something I kept thinking at The Game Awards was, “What will I be playing in 2025?” Witcher, Ueda’s game, and Intergalactic were my favorite announcements, but I didn’t see 2025 tacked onto them. The answer I came back to is, “2025 is finally the year that I’ll be playing Gamepass.”
I’ll take this. We aren’t getting much of a road map anymore, so, provided there’s a release date, I’d like things to look forward to. I miss the old cycle of knowing games are coming rather than “this releases in three months, save your money quick.”
I honestly have no idea what to expect with TGA currently. The release slate is basically empty, even though we know some games are coming next year, but there’s no release dates for anything. As of right now, I hope there’s some surprises with concrete release dates, so I can hopefully plan out my purchases for next year.
Wasn’t this sort of hinted at in that South of Midnight documentary that came out last month, just without a concrete date? I’m excited for this one either way, one of my most anticipated games next year.
Going to try to blast through Nine Sols before Indy comes out, but let’s be real: Roller Coaster Tycoon Classic is out on the Switch and I’m there for that. I’ve still yet to beat Dragon Quest 3’s Remake as well. I did download Infinite Nikki and played a whopping 15 minutes of that so far. And there’s the shadow of Stalker 2 in the background as well, I suppose. Jeez, too many games in a short period of time, been a while since I had to juggle like this.
I’ll be dropping all other games for Indy next week though.
Largely, Game Pass was rough this year until Black Ops 6 launched. Hauntii and Kinutsugami were early favorites, but neither was a true hit. I’ve yet to play Still Wakes the Deep and I probably should jump on it, but I just don’t know if I will as I started it and the wife wasn’t interested… and then I just went on to other games. However…
Once Black Ops dropped, and I’m not even much a Black Ops player though I’ve dabbled, the lineup got considerably stronger. I’ve liked practically everything that released in November and Indy looks fantastic.
@dskatter I’m going to put DQ3 and Stalker 2 on hiatus, possibly Nine Sols, depending on if I get through it this weekend. I’m going to be trying. Game Pass has hit me hard the last three weeks. Glad I came back for the November line-up. Still can’t believe my most played game on Xbox this year was Guitar Hero 3!
Comments 2,245
Re: 'Unannounced' Bethesda Game Listed For Xbox & Other Major Platforms
@beltmenot Watching him play it… the graphics have started to age and so has the enemy AI, but it’s still beyond most modern games in scope and world building and just the pure freedom of playing it. I mean, Fallout 4 and Starfield didn’t even come close to it.
I hate to say it, but showing him how to play it for a few minutes made me sort of want to play it again. Lol.
Re: 'Unannounced' Bethesda Game Listed For Xbox & Other Major Platforms
I’m down for Oblivion or a Fallout remaster for sure.
My son discovered Skyrim on my 360 yesterday. Lol. It blew his mind, basically. Sort of crazy such an old game feels like so much more to a little one than most current games, but so it is…
Re: Speculating On Xbox's 'Surprise Brand-New Game' To Be Shown At Dev Direct
@Divide_and_Wander Jeez, if it’s Wukong or FF, that’d be a huge disappointment for me. I didn’t even think that Xbox would do another “We’re late to the party, but get excited” announcement. It’d be on brand this generation, but, man… Say it ain’t so! I’m really hoping this is the year Xbox stands out by finally delivering with their first party studios!
Re: Speculating On Xbox's 'Surprise Brand-New Game' To Be Shown At Dev Direct
@Divide_and_Wander I would love it to be a Silksong shadow drop. I’m on vacation the week after the Direct and I would 100% be down for that.
For what I think it really is, I get the suspicion that it’s probably something to do with Halo, though does Combat Evolved really need another remake? It sort of feels like the Halo series has backed itself into a corner and may rely on a remake to reboot the series, so it may have success again. Honestly, I know Battle Royales are a bit passé now, but Halo is the series I wanted to try that.
I have a feeling it’s a first party title and something that Xbox deems to be exciting enough to be a bigger showstopper than Doom. There’s not many things that can compete with that one with the Xbox fanbase. Having it be in a surprise location though… Contraband springs to mind, though is that one a show stopper? It’s based in exotic locales. Who knows? Most Xbox Game Studios are located in a similar area across the West Coast of North America, outside Rare and Mojang (and Playground, but we know they’re working on Fable). Could finally be Everwild. Would be really wild to find out Mojang has been cooking up something of more substance than a continuous stream of Minecraft updates or spin-off games. I don’t think it will be Perfect Dark. It has to be something that has been off the radar for a while or unannounced. Would be bizarre, given the mystery, for it to be Gears or Fable, as much as those are games in the tier to close out a showcase. I do think a new Banjo game would light the internet on fire more than anything else in a positive way, but everyone at Xbox had basically said it wasn’t being made at this point. Would be a huge surprise if that was all a smokescreen and why Everwild has taken forever, as Rare is busy with multiple projects.
But imagine if it’s Fallout… Now I’m delirious, my bad!
Imagine if it’s finally the Activision drop… I’d be disappointed, but a lot of people would be excited.
Re: Award-Winning $3.99 Game 'The Exit 8' Has Just Shadow Dropped On Xbox
Get this, go in blind, and enjoy an hour of the best walking sim gameplay in ages… get hungry for more and know the prequel Platform 8 is surely not far behind, repeat.
I love these games. I put Platform 8 in my top 10 for last year. That one hour of playing was more memorable than most larger games I played last year.
Re: Ubisoft Showcases Overhauled Assassin's Creed Shadows Gameplay Ahead Of Xbox Release
I’m torn on whether to get this game or not. Realistically I’m interested, but the lack of release dates for other future games leaves me on the fence for this one. If Yotei didn’t get announced for 2025, I’d probably take the risk of preordering this one, in spite of all the Ubisoft news of late.
Re: Physical Game Sales 'Collapsed' In The UK Last Year, Says New Report
@PsBoxSwitchOwner Xbox and PS are basically digital boxes at this point, so I don’t feel either moves the needle for physical sales currently. Most people I know only buy physical Switch games and are digital across all other platforms, even when they have the disc drives to play games in the traditional way.
Also, Indiana Jones and CoD charted relatively well for physical releases for Xbox. Sony had the exclusivity for Rebirth, which ended up selling well enough, despite the usual press circus of Square saying it sold below expectations (as they all typically do). Helldivers was a smash hit and Astro Bot sold very well for its genre as well, with sales have a more positive trajectory than Rift Apart did at launch, which in itself was considered a successful game by Sony, and then went on to win a GotY ribbon from more than 100 publications. There were games on other platforms that made some dent on these platforms, but Switch is the physical console at this point and I think the console having a late generational year certainly shows in the decline of physical sales.
Re: Xbox Predictions: What We Expect To See From Microsoft In 2025
I hope all these predictions are wrong except the Starfield and Fable ones! I know the Gears one is likely though, even if I don’t like Gears. I hope we see Everwild in some capacity and honestly, if Phil leaves, he’ll be leaving with Xbox in a weird spot. It’d feel like continuing that sinking ship press spin even if next year otherwise has a good trajectory. Next year looks like the year the ship is steering into better waters, so I’d hope Phil at least leads to a better spot before being the scapegoat for the Xbox Dark Ages. It would be nice if Phil was there to see his vision finally succeed.
Re: Physical Game Sales 'Collapsed' In The UK Last Year, Says New Report
Basically, this is due to Nintendo having a tepid first party and exclusive line-up this year. Switch is the physical console. However, I know many people that didn’t buy anything on Switch this year at all. I myself only bought five physical games on Switch and that’s only because I’m a first party Stan. Lol. Sort of crazy that I even bought four of them because it doesn’t feel like I played my Switch much at all in 2024.
Anyway, the only game that I know anyone outside me bought on Switch is Mario Jamboree and Zelda. I also got Peach, DQ3, and Paper Mario myself (which I wasn’t going to buy, but I got it as a gift, and my son got Sonic x Shadows as a gift too, so maybe I can say I got six Switch physical games), but that’s it. The Switch either needs exclusives or more first party games to keep the physical market alive, sadly enough.
Re: Next Xbox Console: Everything We Know So Far About Microsoft's Next-Gen System
Is this going to be the Xbox Dreamcast? Seems too soon for a next gen leap.
Re: Poll: Which 'Xbox' Devices Will You Spend The Most Time With In 2025?
@OldGamer999 Depends on what games are your preference, but I agree. The depth of Xbox releases as are currently announced are super solid. Avowed, Doom, Fable, South of Midnight, and Outer Worlds 2 are ALL games I will play, which is quite fantastic to know I’d probably be able to just rely on Gamepass for the year if I was on just one platform… even if Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei, and Metroid Prime 4 are the biggest games for me this year. The Gamepass hits don’t stop there though. Silksong, Atomfall, Expedition 33, the list keeps going. 2025 is an insane year for Xbox. I’m quite happy that Xbox is finally hitting the type of year we used to get in the 360 era. I was planning on reducing my spend down to maybe 15 games this year and thanks to Gamepass, I think I’ll be able to resist the urge to over-purchase games and achieve that goal without feeling like I’m missing out on interesting games. In fact, I may be able to reduce that further, given that most games I’m anticipating this year are Gamepass… though the Switch 2 is the elephant in the room… and the lack of a concrete release schedule, of course.
Re: Poll: Which 'Xbox' Devices Will You Spend The Most Time With In 2025?
No idea. Given the Gamepass current line-up, my Series S may actually compete against my PS5 for the first time and I’ve had them both since launch, but with Switch 2 looming, that may beat them both if it has a compelling launch line-up, and that’s an Xbox, right?
In 2024, my most played Xbox was my 360, weirdly enough though, in the year end stats.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 4-5)
I’d like to return to Indiana Jones on Xbox after a two weeks hiatus or so from it. I’d like to start Detective Pikachu 2 after just not playing it since launch… and I’m almost sure I’ll play Overcooked on PS5 as my wife randomly started to want to play this one, so we’ve been doing exactly that.
Re: Kojima's Xbox Game 'OD' Suffered Strike-Related Setbacks In 2024
@ZuneTattooGuy Yessir. I’m on PS5, Switch, and Xbox.
Re: Xbox Release Dates In 2025: A List Of New Games Coming Out This Year
Lost Records and Split Fiction are the only games with release dates I’m for sure buying this year in the current release slate with nary a release date for the vast majority of things. I suppose I’d do AC Shadows as well if it releases well.
Re: Kojima's Xbox Game 'OD' Suffered Strike-Related Setbacks In 2024
It’s been five years since Death Stranding, so, man, am I praying DS2 is soon, and that OD won’t be far off in the years. Kojima’s games are my favorites and I can’t wait for them. I don’t tend to buy Xbox games anymore because of Gamepass, but I’ll preorder OD when I can.
Re: Talking Point: Is 2025 The Year We See Everwild On Xbox?
Hopefully. I want to know what it actually is.
Re: Pick One: Which Xbox First-Party Game Are You Most Excited To Play This Year?
South of Midnight, but it’s the first year in a while that I can safely say all of them!
Re: Talking Point: Which Xbox Games Deserved More Love In 2024?
Banishers was unjustly snubbed from conversation this year when its script and characters and the performances are among the best gaming has ever seen.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure practically got zero exposure after critics were harsh on the game without understanding it. I’ve said it before, but we don’t have reviewers that dislike Souls games review Elden Ring, we don’t have reviewers that don’t like JRPGs review Persona, so why do we get that for Life is Strange?
And Nine Sols. While not technically underrated as it received a lot of praise, it’s just not being talked about, and that’s because it was sandwiched between other monster releases.
Re: Talking Point: Looking Back At A Turbulent But Productive Year For Xbox
This was simultaneously the best and worst year Xbox has had. They finally had a solid line-up late this year with game releases after literal years of underdelivering, but they also laid off hundreds of people and closed good studios and then pivoted to basically saying they’re done with exclusives even though Indiana Jones proved that having a worthwhile exclusive can make a platform instantaneously more viable.
That said, I do think next year is finally the “Next year that Xbox will get it together.”
Re: Pure Xbox's Top 10 Game Pass Titles Of 2024
@RBRTMNZ It’s competitive between the two of them. They’re two of the best games this year. Xbox really pivoted into making Gamepass an excellent value right at the end of the year.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 28-29)
Thank Goodness You’re Here, Neva, and Trombone Champions for me.
Re: Xbox Dominated The US Gaming Charts In Indiana Jones' Launch Week
@WildConcept6 Making good games with a classic IP is literally Nintendo’s entire strategy and it’s working wonderfully for them. In fact, they continue to make new IP like Splatoon that do the trick. Honestly, Xbox has the IP. If they utilize it properly, they’ve certainly got the ability to rebound out of third place.
Re: Pure Xbox's Top 10 Game Pass Titles Of 2024
@awp69 Fair enough, didn’t expect Nine Sols to qualify as a hidden gem this year
Re: Pure Xbox's Top 10 Game Pass Titles Of 2024
Nine Sols deserved better. How is it not even in the top 10 at all?
Re: Xbox Dominated The US Gaming Charts In Indiana Jones' Launch Week
It’s almost like being a great game can mean making great sales. 🤔
Re: Talking Point: Which Xbox Games Have You Managed To Finish This Year?
Guitar Hero 3 is the only game I completed on Xbox this year. I’m 3/4ths through Nine Sols and probably halfway through Indy though. I’ll finish them both for sure. Beat a lot more games on PS5. I didn’t beat any game on Switch in 2024 though! Yikes!
Re: Pure Xbox's Game Of The Year 2024
It’s no shock that Indy won it, though how crazy is it to see CoD at #2 after years… no… decades now… of being a game for casuals. Back on Indy though, it just goes to show how patchy the year was before Indy that it dominated so thoroughly. This has been the most divisive year in gaming I think I’ve ever experienced. It sure doesn’t feel like much has united the gamer-base this year across the platforms. Indy was like a breath of fresh air for being a game everyone seemed to like on Xbox (Xbox’s Astro Bot, basically).
Re: Four Xbox Games We've Given 'Outstanding' 10/10 Scores To In 2024
@UndyingInsurgent95 Loved Banishers. Best performances in a game this year and definitely a contender for best new story and script. Definitely the most underrated game released this year, even if the gameplay is a little repetitive.
Out of this list, I definitely agree with Death Stranding, though I would consider it a 2019 game. I reinstalled Dragon’s Dogma 2 yesterday. Figured I’d try it again after dropping it around 25 hours in earlier this year. For me, there were three 10/10s this year though, and Balatro is the one on Xbox. Don’t sleep on it!
Re: Poll: What Were The Best Xbox Game Pass Additions In 2024?
1. Indy
2. Nine Sols
3. Kunitsugami
4. Hauntii
5. Metal Slug
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 21-22)
Not sure I’ll be doing much gaming this weekend. My wife was in a car accident two days ago, so, while she’s physically fine, she’s feeling emotional shock. I had plans to play games with friends, but cancelled. I suppose I’ll be playing Santa Claus Simulator Real Edition, if that counts. I would like to maybe try that Slitterhead demo, but realistically, maybe I’ll do a round or so of Puyo Puyo Tetris with the wife to help get her mind off the stress.
Re: Talking Point: If Developer Direct Returns, Xbox Could Have A Killer 2025 Lineup
Xbox decided to release a full generation worth of games next year.
Re: Microsoft CEO: 'We Are Redefining What It Means To Be An Xbox Fan'
@sixrings I mean, he’s also not wrong about people having console libraries now, so software does keep people in an ecosystem, which is basically what I believe Gamepass started as: an alternate and large platform of rentals to compete against a likely smaller digital owned gaming library on a competing platform. Most people don’t have gaming libraries of digital content to compete with GP (I do lol)), so there is logic there. The misfire was in believing that the platform had a value proposition to beat purchasing games while offering Day 1 titles without there being many of them people actually wanted. The first window of opportunity to seize success has passed fo sure, and that’s why I believe Xbox was adamant about acquiring Activision, as much as the charade was frustrating to watch. Xbox, from a business perspective, is a stronger and more profitable brand, so it seems Xbox is attempting a second window to capitalize on the brand, this time with a software release strategy. I think the spin on Xbox will shift over the course of 2025, and I say this as someone that has been largely disappointed in Xbox for a generation and a half.
Re: Microsoft CEO: 'We Are Redefining What It Means To Be An Xbox Fan'
Hey now, everyone, don’t forget that it leaked that Valve will soon be joining the console space, so, if you’re not a PlayStation or PC gamer, it looks like there will be some viable console competition soon enough, regardless of what Xbox does.
It is ironic that Xbox made this pivot when they finally got it together with making software though. They wouldn’t have needed the rebrand if the last few years looked like next year.
Re: Xbox Has Reportedly Delayed 'A Big Game' Into 2026
Wouldn’t mind if it’s Perfect Dark since I never expected to play it next year anyway. They can delay Gears of War since I have no interest in it, but please keep the rest of 2025’s release schedule. Looking forward to Avowed, South of Midnight, Outer Worlds 2, Doom, and Fable (and I’m sure CoD). Imo, that’s the best looking line-up Xbox has had in over a decade.
Re: Here Are The Top 10 Xbox Games Of 2024 According To Metacritic
Balatro deserves that crown. Although… now that it’s mobile, I’m seriously struggling with addiction with it.
Re: Rumour: Sony's LEGO Horizon Adventures Could Be Coming To Xbox
@cragis0001 Could be that too. It didn’t exactly light the charts on fire when it launched.
Re: Rumour: Sony's LEGO Horizon Adventures Could Be Coming To Xbox
I wonder if the delay for announcement was more due to development time taking longer on Xbox due to the now age old X/S parity development, and Sony said to the developers, “This launches for the holiday for at least PlayStation or else! Other platforms are secondary.”
Although, by most accounts Lego Horizon is a flop…
Re: Five Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In January 2025 So Far
@K1LLEGAL Road 96 for sure is. It’s one of those games that Phil and Aaron were gushing about for being a great grab on Gamepass during its original run.
Road 96 is basically a perfect Gamepass game. It’s a 7/10-ish short narrative roguelike-ish. It’s really unique and memorable, but not exactly GotY tier, but it’s the type of game that’ll hit personal year end top 20 lists for people that enjoy it, for perspective. I love when games like this come to the service because it gives them a lot of exposure that they likely wouldn’t have otherwise. The game’s so quick that I wouldn’t sleep on it unless you’re averse to its politics. It’s definitely a political game. I’m a non-political person, myself, but I enjoyed it. It’s a roguelike in the choices you make rather than the gameplay you do, which is certainly different from most other games.
Re: Poll: What Is Your Xbox Game Of The Year For 2024?
1. Balatro (custom answer)
2. Indiana Jones
3. Prince of Persia
4. Would be Nine Sols, but you can’t vote two custom answers, so instead 4th place goes to Banishers
5. Life is Strange
Re: Xbox's The Outer Worlds 2 Resurfaces, Coming To Game Pass In 2025
@K1LLEGAL honestly, this looks like the year Xbox finally completes the turn around. Xbox is making up for years of having a barren wasteland of a release schedule perhaps. Something I kept thinking at The Game Awards was, “What will I be playing in 2025?” Witcher, Ueda’s game, and Intergalactic were my favorite announcements, but I didn’t see 2025 tacked onto them. The answer I came back to is, “2025 is finally the year that I’ll be playing Gamepass.”
Re: Journalist Cools Expectations After Teasing Two 'Holy S**t' Reveals For The Game Awards 2024
I’ll take this. We aren’t getting much of a road map anymore, so, provided there’s a release date, I’d like things to look forward to. I miss the old cycle of knowing games are coming rather than “this releases in three months, save your money quick.”
Re: Xbox May Limit Presence At The Game Awards Due To Early 2025 Event Plans
I honestly have no idea what to expect with TGA currently. The release slate is basically empty, even though we know some games are coming next year, but there’s no release dates for anything. As of right now, I hope there’s some surprises with concrete release dates, so I can hopefully plan out my purchases for next year.
Re: Three Call Of Duty Classics Could Be Heading To Xbox Game Pass Soon
Xbox and Activision are going to use their marketing budget on some vintages for TGA, perhaps.
Re: Xbox Might Be Preparing To Release Two First-Party Games In Early 2025
Wasn’t this sort of hinted at in that South of Midnight documentary that came out last month, just without a concrete date? I’m excited for this one either way, one of my most anticipated games next year.
Re: Talking Point: Are You Enjoying Indiana Jones And The Great Circle So Far?
I’ll be enjoying it as soon as the regular launch and am planning to promptly drop every other game I was playing
Re: Video: Indiana Jones Comparison Shows Difference Between Xbox Series X And S Versions
Overall, it looks pretty solid on the S. Happy with what I’m seeing.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 7-8)
Going to try to blast through Nine Sols before Indy comes out, but let’s be real: Roller Coaster Tycoon Classic is out on the Switch and I’m there for that. I’ve still yet to beat Dragon Quest 3’s Remake as well. I did download Infinite Nikki and played a whopping 15 minutes of that so far. And there’s the shadow of Stalker 2 in the background as well, I suppose. Jeez, too many games in a short period of time, been a while since I had to juggle like this.
I’ll be dropping all other games for Indy next week though.
Re: Talking Point: What Are Your Overall Thoughts On Xbox Game Pass In 2024?
Largely, Game Pass was rough this year until Black Ops 6 launched. Hauntii and Kinutsugami were early favorites, but neither was a true hit. I’ve yet to play Still Wakes the Deep and I probably should jump on it, but I just don’t know if I will as I started it and the wife wasn’t interested… and then I just went on to other games. However…
Once Black Ops dropped, and I’m not even much a Black Ops player though I’ve dabbled, the lineup got considerably stronger. I’ve liked practically everything that released in November and Indy looks fantastic.
Re: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Review Roundup: Here's What The Critics Think So Far
@dskatter I’m going to put DQ3 and Stalker 2 on hiatus, possibly Nine Sols, depending on if I get through it this weekend. I’m going to be trying. Game Pass has hit me hard the last three weeks. Glad I came back for the November line-up. Still can’t believe my most played game on Xbox this year was Guitar Hero 3!