I thought it was really good despite Starfield not being my cup of tea and Redfall being a disaster.
Hi-Fi Rush was an amazing. Minecraft Legends was surprisingly good. Age of Empires IV on console is great. The new Forza MotorSport is great too, despite some annoyances. Plus Halo Infinite’s online got great updates.
All good stuff. B for me, could’ve been an A if Starfield wasn’t as disappointing.
I’ve been quite enjoying Ubisoft’s titles recently. Mario + Rabbids was great last year, The Crew Motorfest is a perfect stop-gap game before we inevitably get Horizon 5, and Avatar is really fun so far and has amazing visuals. Plus, I’m stoked for Star Wars Outlaws next year.
I might just have to give Assassin’s Creed Mirage a chance sometime soon.
I could see them making a collection with the original trilogy + Judgement for this year, while also enhancing Gears 4 for Series S|X. Then announce Gears 6 for 2025.
The Game Awards for me. I just wasn’t interested in a whole lot from the Game Showcase and what did interest me, we saw very little of. For example, Star Wars Outlaws looks awesome but Ubisoft’s event showed over 10 minutes of actual gameplay while Xbox’s Showcase gave us a trailer with little to show.
The Game Awards surprised me with a lot of new announcements for games I am very excited for now.
This is fine to me… as long as a new Halo game is being worked on. I assume there is since they announced they’d be switching to Unreal Engine 5 back in January or so.
Halo Infinite went from being a joke to probably one of the best online shooters. Some great free cosmetics, a ton of modes added, new maps… all good stuff.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is such an amazing game. I just wish it got Series X enhanced. But it still looks nice at 4K/30 or 1080p/60 with its One X enhancement.
Damn, good final month of the year. Baulder’s Gate 3, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and SteamWorld Build. A quality end to a quality year, for me at least.
I think the max I had at one time was $35 worth of points. I usually use them on games when they go on sale or on DLC.
However I just cashed out my $35 to get the Stellar Shift controller and I traded in two of my old controllers at GameStop for $45. Love the new controller and now I have $45 credit for games next year.
Any word on why GRID is leaving Gamepass/EA Play? Are online servers going down for that one too or did some licensing contract end? Is the game getting delisted?
I can find a ton of articles why the Battlefield games are leaving through a Google search but nothing about GRID.
For me it was Forza MotorSport 5. That said, I didn’t get my XBOX One until around September 2014. I think Assassins Creed IV I enjoyed a bit more but I played that on my Wii U a couple months after release, so I didn’t have an XBOX yet.
@somnambulance MCC launched in 2014, a year after the XBOX One launched (at least here in the States). It was bundled with a lot of systems though so it kind of seems like it was a launch title if you didn’t get one during the first 6 months or so.
Thanks for the heads up. I have 2K22 for Switch and although I haven’t played it in a while, I’ll go update the rosters soon to ensure it feels somewhat up-to-date in case I want to play through another season. I’m sure someone has made a 2023-2024 custom roster.
Looks like there are some good deals there. I’ll take a look at the full sale on my XBOX when I’m home tonight! I have about $30 in Microsoft Rewards to spend.
It was a solid year but Hi-Fi Rush was the only real standout for me. Starfield and Forza are both great but not as good as previous games by their devs. Redfall was a joke at release but I heard is alright now. Age of Empires 4 coming to XBOX was nice and is a great game. Minecraft Legends is good as well.
Overall, not bad. Good games, just a bit underwhelming in some fronts.
I’ll probably have to buy the DLC but I would love to go back and play World at War Zombies. I have a lot of fun memories playing those original maps with my friends and brothers growing up.
I’m still just rocking the Halo Infinite box art dynamic background. No other dynamic background has really caught my eye, but I appreciate them giving us more.
Forza wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped it would be but I still think it was my favorite game of the month. Granted, I haven’t gotten around to Dead Space yet.
I’m enjoying my time with the new Forza (through GamePass) but I wouldn’t have paid anymore than $40 for it. It actually kinda feels like a downgrade to MotorSport 7 it a lot of ways.
Persona 5 hurts. I was planning to play through it this winter. Guess I’ll just get it whenever it’s on sale and I have the rewards points to get it for free. Too many other games in my backlog to get it for any other reason.
Seems like it’s good but nothing crazy. Honestly, there are too many games trying to be “soulslikes” that none of them really interest me at all. I still have Monster Hunter World and Rise, plus Elden Ring in my backlog… that’s more than enough haha
@RentedPanda This. A new game but with all the old titles on GamePass. Not sure how likely that would be due to licensing with the songs but it would be amazing to see.
This might sound dumb but how do you access this stuff? Does the game show you when you load in?
I remember when the Anniversary Event released and I opened up the game and saw legit nothing. I was playing one of the expansions at that time so I didn’t go out of my way to look out for it tho.
Haven’t played it yet but I’ll give it a go soon. Despite the poor reception, the gameplay I’ve seen looks kinda fun. The 60fps and other fixes seem like a good reason to finally jump in and try it.
Awesome. I’ll be playing this after work and the gym. Looking forward to it… it’s been my most anticipated game on XBOX this year. I loved MotorSport 7 so I hope this reboot was worth the 6 year wait.
Gonna be real, the multiplayer is insanely good. I’ve been playing it a bit recently and it’s come so far since launch. More modes, a proper level-up system, forge, more free cosmetics… plus the game just looks and feels great.
Yes, it should’ve launched like this. But I mean… it’s a fun game now and I’m enjoying it. Looking forward to this new season. The content looks pretty good.
If you’re really into the ship building and side-missions, then I can see how some people will get more mileage. But for me, it was a pretty good space game but not much else.
The only reason I'm interested in this whole thing is to see if Microsoft will have them prioritize other titles like Crash, Spyro, and Tony Hawk... and maybe bring back original-style Guitar Hero???
Oh, and also see what games they decide to bring to gamepass. If MW3 hits gamepass... Microsoft is going to have a huge step on Sony. Plus, I'm interested in playing the remade maps in MW3 but I refuse to pay anymore than $30ish for a new CoD.
I’ll give it a go if I’m not doing anything. I miss these days of the original MW2 maps. I like CoD but they’ve been too greedy with the battle passes, micro-transactions, and ads.
I’d be kinda surprised if it doesn’t come within the next month or so. They could’ve just been working on both and prioritized the PS5 version cause money.
8 is still a great score and judging by the rest of the review, it seems like the problem is the content, which will be fixed over the next couple of months as they add new maps, cars, and events to go along with them.
But yeah… I hate how so many games these days adopt this live-service approach. This feels like a weird mix between a AAA game and a live service game. I’m super looking forward to it, regardless. I love me some Forza MotorSport.
That said, I still HATE the always online requirement, even for the single-player campaign mode. GT Sport servers are going down and since saving is tied to the servers in GT Sport, that game essentially become a demo. I’m worried this’ll suffer a similar fate once the next MotorSport title gets announced.
Comments 502
Re: Talking Point: Do You Think We'll See Another Forza Horizon Game Anytime Soon?
Gonna guess holiday 2024 and Fable in holiday 2025. But who knows.
Re: In The End, Are You Happy With Xbox's First-Party Lineup For 2023?
I thought it was really good despite Starfield not being my cup of tea and Redfall being a disaster.
Hi-Fi Rush was an amazing. Minecraft Legends was surprisingly good. Age of Empires IV on console is great. The new Forza MotorSport is great too, despite some annoyances. Plus Halo Infinite’s online got great updates.
All good stuff. B for me, could’ve been an A if Starfield wasn’t as disappointing.
Re: Feature: Pure Xbox's Game Of The Year 2023
I didn’t enjoy Starfield as much as others so I’d personally move that down the list. But otherwise I think this ranking worked out great.
Happy holidays!
Re: These Five Games Are Finally Making Us Consider Ubisoft Plus On Xbox
I’ve been quite enjoying Ubisoft’s titles recently. Mario + Rabbids was great last year, The Crew Motorfest is a perfect stop-gap game before we inevitably get Horizon 5, and Avatar is really fun so far and has amazing visuals. Plus, I’m stoked for Star Wars Outlaws next year.
I might just have to give Assassin’s Creed Mirage a chance sometime soon.
Re: Poll: What Is Your Xbox Game Of The Year For 2023?
I shall vote in this poll once I play through Avatar, or at least as much as I can by Tuesday night lol.
Re: Years Later, Some People Still Believe Xbox Is Working On A 'Gears Collection'
I could see them making a collection with the original trilogy + Judgement for this year, while also enhancing Gears 4 for Series S|X. Then announce Gears 6 for 2025.
That would be one hell of an announcement lol.
Re: Talking Point: Have You Been Playing Next-Gen 'Showcase' Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora?
My copy is coming in the mail tomorrow. I got it from QVC for $40 and will be playing it this weekend. Looking forward to it!
Re: Review: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - Ubisoft Delivers A Kid-Friendly But Bland Na'vi Adventure That Needed A Stronger Narrative
Critic reviewed are mixed but just about everyone I see online or know says it’s amazing. My copy comes in a couple days.
Re: Pick One: What Was Your Favourite Gaming Showcase Of This Year?
The Game Awards for me. I just wasn’t interested in a whole lot from the Game Showcase and what did interest me, we saw very little of. For example, Star Wars Outlaws looks awesome but Ubisoft’s event showed over 10 minutes of actual gameplay while Xbox’s Showcase gave us a trailer with little to show.
The Game Awards surprised me with a lot of new announcements for games I am very excited for now.
Re: 343 Has 'Nothing In Active Development' For Halo Infinite Single-Player
This is fine to me… as long as a new Halo game is being worked on. I assume there is since they announced they’d be switching to Unreal Engine 5 back in January or so.
Re: Poll: How Would You Grade The Game Awards 2023?
I went in expecting nothing. I didn’t watch it but just now caught up on the articles and trailers… And now there are 8 games I’m excited for:
Jurassic Park: Survival, Monster Hunter Wilds, Exodus, Marvel’s Blade, World of Goo 2, Crazy Taxi, Shinobi, and Jet Set Radio.
Easy A for me.
Re: 'Jurassic Park: Survival' Makes Incredible First Impression In Debut Trailer
Looks promising. I feel like this will be something for 2025 but I’d love to see it come out next year (only in a complete state, of course).
Re: Talking Point: Which Xbox Game Deserves The 'Best Ongoing Support' Award For 2023?
Halo Infinite went from being a joke to probably one of the best online shooters. Some great free cosmetics, a ton of modes added, new maps… all good stuff.
Re: Four Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (December 5)
Petition to get Tomb Raider Definitive Edition and Rise of the Tomb Raider Series X enhanced lol
For real, they are crazy good games. Might be time for a replay.
Re: EA Has Discounted Some Massive Games By 90% On Xbox This Week
Incredible deals if you don’t have GamePass!
Re: Microsoft Rep Issues Statement In Response To MS Rewards Concerns
That was the most PR response I’ve ever read. Blindly ignoring what people are upset about and giving the most vague response back lol
Re: These 10 Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (December 1-14)
Rise of the Tomb Raider is such an amazing game. I just wish it got Series X enhanced. But it still looks nice at 4K/30 or 1080p/60 with its One X enhancement.
Re: The Biggest Xbox Games To Look Forward To In December 2023
Damn, good final month of the year. Baulder’s Gate 3, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and SteamWorld Build. A quality end to a quality year, for me at least.
Re: Talking Point: Will Fallout 4's Next-Gen Upgrade Be Delayed Into 2024?
I’ve been waiting to play Fallout 4 for this update. I also have a big backlog of games so that’s another reason 😂
Regardless, I’m guessing it’ll release sometime in Spring of next year. They seem to have most of their eggs in Starfield at the moment.
Re: Talking Point: How Many Microsoft Rewards Points Do You Have Right Now?
I think the max I had at one time was $35 worth of points. I usually use them on games when they go on sale or on DLC.
However I just cashed out my $35 to get the Stellar Shift controller and I traded in two of my old controllers at GameStop for $45. Love the new controller and now I have $45 credit for games next year.
Re: Review: SteamWorld Build - Thunderful Drops A Stellar Steampunk Adventure Onto Xbox Game Pass
Damn, I might have to give this game a go. Good review!
Re: Reminder: Xbox Game Pass Is Losing Seven Games This Week (November 30)
Any word on why GRID is leaving Gamepass/EA Play? Are online servers going down for that one too or did some licensing contract end? Is the game getting delisted?
I can find a ton of articles why the Battlefield games are leaving through a Google search but nothing about GRID.
Re: Pick One: Which Of These Xbox One Launch Titles Is Your Favourite?
For me it was Forza MotorSport 5. That said, I didn’t get my XBOX One until around September 2014. I think Assassins Creed IV I enjoyed a bit more but I played that on my Wii U a couple months after release, so I didn’t have an XBOX yet.
Re: Pick One: Which Of These Xbox One Launch Titles Is Your Favourite?
@somnambulance MCC launched in 2014, a year after the XBOX One launched (at least here in the States). It was bundled with a lot of systems though so it kind of seems like it was a launch title if you didn’t get one during the first 6 months or so.
Re: These 10+ Xbox Games Are Shutting Their Servers This December
Thanks for the heads up. I have 2K22 for Switch and although I haven’t played it in a while, I’ll go update the rosters soon to ensure it feels somewhat up-to-date in case I want to play through another season. I’m sure someone has made a 2023-2024 custom roster.
Re: Deals: Xbox Black Friday Sale 2023 Now Live, 1000+ Games Discounted
Looks like there are some good deals there. I’ll take a look at the full sale on my XBOX when I’m home tonight! I have about $30 in Microsoft Rewards to spend.
Thanks for the heads up!
Re: Talking Point: Overall, How Successful Has 2023 Been For Xbox?
I was between a B and a C. Ended up picking B.
It was a solid year but Hi-Fi Rush was the only real standout for me. Starfield and Forza are both great but not as good as previous games by their devs. Redfall was a joke at release but I heard is alright now. Age of Empires 4 coming to XBOX was nice and is a great game. Minecraft Legends is good as well.
Overall, not bad. Good games, just a bit underwhelming in some fronts.
Re: Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox Release Date To Be Revealed At TGA 2023
I’m in no rush. The game looks great but I have some more games I want to tackle before I dedicate an insane amount of time into this title.
Hopefully a physical copy is released for consoles by the time I want to play it.
Re: Reaction: Looking Back, Xbox Has Had Some Strange GOTY Omissions Over The Years
Forza Horizon 5 got robbed of a GOTY nominee in 2021. Halo could’ve also made it if it didn’t ship with its multiplayer underbaked.
Otherwise… I don’t think they’ve been robbed much since 2016 or so.
Re: Poll: Which Call Of Duty Title Will You Be Most Excited To Play On Xbox Game Pass?
I’ll probably have to buy the DLC but I would love to go back and play World at War Zombies. I have a lot of fun memories playing those original maps with my friends and brothers growing up.
Re: Xbox Celebrates New Series X Wraps With Free Dynamic Backgrounds
I’m still just rocking the Halo Infinite box art dynamic background. No other dynamic background has really caught my eye, but I appreciate them giving us more.
Re: Pick One: What Was Your Favourite Xbox Game Pass Game In October 2023?
Forza wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped it would be but I still think it was my favorite game of the month. Granted, I haven’t gotten around to Dead Space yet.
Re: Reaction: Forza Motorsport Should Be Feeling The Pressure After New Gran Turismo 7 Update
I’m enjoying my time with the new Forza (through GamePass) but I wouldn’t have paid anymore than $40 for it. It actually kinda feels like a downgrade to MotorSport 7 it a lot of ways.
Re: These Nine Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (November 2-14)
Sweet, I’ll check out Wild Hearts sometime this winter.
Re: Five Games Will Leave Xbox Game Pass In Late October 2023
Persona 5 hurts. I was planning to play through it this winter. Guess I’ll just get it whenever it’s on sale and I have the rewards points to get it for free. Too many other games in my backlog to get it for any other reason.
Re: Forza Horizon 5's 'Day Of The Dead' Update Now Live On Xbox Game Pass
@Wiiiiiiii Awesome, thanks!
Re: Roundup: Here's What The Critics Are Saying About Lords Of The Fallen
Seems like it’s good but nothing crazy. Honestly, there are too many games trying to be “soulslikes” that none of them really interest me at all. I still have Monster Hunter World and Rise, plus Elden Ring in my backlog… that’s more than enough haha
Re: Activision CEO Namedrops Guitar Hero While Discussing Xbox Takeover's 'Unlimited Potential'
@RentedPanda This. A new game but with all the old titles on GamePass. Not sure how likely that would be due to licensing with the songs but it would be amazing to see.
Re: Forza Horizon 5's 'Day Of The Dead' Update Now Live On Xbox Game Pass
This might sound dumb but how do you access this stuff? Does the game show you when you load in?
I remember when the Anniversary Event released and I opened up the game and saw legit nothing. I was playing one of the expansions at that time so I didn’t go out of my way to look out for it tho.
Re: Forza Motorsport Fan Bemoans The 'Non Stop Criticism' From The Game's Reddit Community
I’ve only played an hour so far but it was really fun. Handling feels great, visuals look great, the career mode and car progression seem fun so far.
I’m enjoying it lol
Re: Video: Redfall's 60FPS Update Tested Across Xbox Series X And Xbox Series S
Haven’t played it yet but I’ll give it a go soon. Despite the poor reception, the gameplay I’ve seen looks kinda fun. The 60fps and other fixes seem like a good reason to finally jump in and try it.
Re: Forza Motorsport Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (October 10)
Awesome. I’ll be playing this after work and the gym. Looking forward to it… it’s been my most anticipated game on XBOX this year. I loved MotorSport 7 so I hope this reboot was worth the 6 year wait.
Re: Halo Infinite Season 5 Brings Firefight Back To The Series
Gonna be real, the multiplayer is insanely good. I’ve been playing it a bit recently and it’s come so far since launch. More modes, a proper level-up system, forge, more free cosmetics… plus the game just looks and feels great.
Yes, it should’ve launched like this. But I mean… it’s a fun game now and I’m enjoying it. Looking forward to this new season. The content looks pretty good.
Re: Talking Point: One Month On From Launch, How Are You Feeling About Starfield?
It’s good. Not amazing. I’d say it’s a 7.5.
If you’re really into the ship building and side-missions, then I can see how some people will get more mileage. But for me, it was a pretty good space game but not much else.
Re: After Almost Two Years, Next Week Could Be The Finale For Xbox's ActiBlizz Takeover
The only reason I'm interested in this whole thing is to see if Microsoft will have them prioritize other titles like Crash, Spyro, and Tony Hawk... and maybe bring back original-style Guitar Hero???
Oh, and also see what games they decide to bring to gamepass. If MW3 hits gamepass... Microsoft is going to have a huge step on Sony. Plus, I'm interested in playing the remade maps in MW3 but I refuse to pay anymore than $30ish for a new CoD.
Re: Well, The Forza Motorsport Vs. Gran Turismo 7 Comparisons Are Already Rolling In
Both look great. Both play great. Both are great options if you want a fun racing game.
Re: Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Beta Dates & Release Times - When Is It Coming To Xbox?
I’ll give it a go if I’m not doing anything. I miss these days of the original MW2 maps. I like CoD but they’ve been too greedy with the battle passes, micro-transactions, and ads.
Re: Red Dead Redemption Gets 60FPS Patch On PS5, Xbox Version Remains 30FPS
I’d be kinda surprised if it doesn’t come within the next month or so. They could’ve just been working on both and prioritized the PS5 version cause money.
Re: Review: Assassin's Creed Mirage - A Super Slick Return To The Series' Stealth Roots
Yikes!
(Sarcasm)
Re: Review: Forza Motorsport - The Next Generation Of Racing Is Here
8 is still a great score and judging by the rest of the review, it seems like the problem is the content, which will be fixed over the next couple of months as they add new maps, cars, and events to go along with them.
But yeah… I hate how so many games these days adopt this live-service approach. This feels like a weird mix between a AAA game and a live service game. I’m super looking forward to it, regardless. I love me some Forza MotorSport.
That said, I still HATE the always online requirement, even for the single-player campaign mode. GT Sport servers are going down and since saving is tied to the servers in GT Sport, that game essentially become a demo. I’m worried this’ll suffer a similar fate once the next MotorSport title gets announced.