Fiendish-Beaver

I agree, @Kaloudz, I actually think, with these scores, that 33 has more chance of eating into Oblivion, than the other way round. Initially, I think people will opt to play 33 first because it is a shorter game. In the end, I think if someone is interested in both 33 and Oblivion (such as myself) they will play both.

Personally, I'm going to play 33 first as it is bound to be a much shorter game. I would estimate that 33 will take me around 50 hours (according to IGN, they took 35 hours) at most, and that Oblivion, will take me close to 1000. So for me, it makes sense to get the shorter one out of the way first, particularly as we don't know how long 33 is staying on Game Pass. You wouldn't want to be 500 hours into Oblivion, and then have to swap to 33 in order to rush through it before it leaves the Service...

I get your point about Microsoft raking in money by going multi-platform, @HonestHick, & @Kaloudz, but you are missing a point here; so are Sony!

Let's put it this way, if it costs Microsoft £200 million to make a game, then they have to earn that money back, and then some, before they are making a profit. So, if we exclude taxes, etc. and say that a game costs £50 (because that makes the maths easy!), then Microsoft have to sell 4 million copies of a game. However, that only works if they are selling the game on a platform where they are taking 100% of the receipts from those 4 million sales.

So, if they are only getting 70% of the money, with a third of the sales on are on the PlayStation, and a third of the sales of are on Steam, then just to break even they have to sell 5.7 million units, which will account for £285 million in sales. So, let's just say that Microsoft do sell 5.7 million copies of the game, in terms of sheer profit, before taxes on those sales, then Sony will have made £42.5 million, Steam will have made £42.5 million, and Microsoft will have made absolutely nothing, all they would have done is cover the cost of making the game (and that's without having paid taxes). And, bear in mind, that the probabilities are that Microsoft will not sell a third of the games on the Xbox, and that Game Pass is not likely to make up the difference either, but we'll roll with it.

Thus, the reality is, that before Microsoft begin 'raking it in' in comparison to their competitors, they have to sell a ridiculous amount of games, and in the meantime, Sony and Steam are indeed raking it in because they have been gifted a huge amount of money for having done absolutely nothing. And, in the case of Sony, they will use that money not to make first-party games, but to pay for third-party exclusive deals that then keeps them off the likes of Xbox. So, in many ways, going third-party will end up hurting Xbox players even more than ever in the future...

I think Oblivion did release on the PS3, @NeutronBomb...

I hope the Fallout 3 rumours are true, @Kaloudz. I prefer Fallout to Elder Scrolls, and yet I still managed over 1000 hours in a single run in Skyrim, which was only beaten by 1100 hours for a single run in Fallout New Vegas.

I was working back when I played Fallout 3, and whilst I remember enjoying it, and I got every achievement in the game (except for finding all the iron bars, having missed one, somewhere or other), I barely remember the game now, so would be absolutely chuffed if the remaster does exist, which I think it does. According to the FTC documents, Fallout was due 2 years after Oblivion, so roll on 2027 for that then, and as I am now retired, I should have time to sink a lot more hours into it now than I did back when I first played it...

Understood. Thank you, @Kezelpaso. Enjoy your time with your review...

How long did your run of SoM take, @GoldenPants?

I only buy digitally these days, @Kaloudz, unless it is a Collector's Edition (which I then don't open anyway!). However, where I have the option not to download these extras, I always choose not to. I do seem to vaguely recall sitting down with sometimes huge maps trying to ensure that I went everywhere and discovered everything. I have a feeling I had one of those for one of the Fallout games. I actually have the official guide book for Oblivion, so I might just use that to ensure I experience everything...

I think I will actually invest in the upgrade because I like to have all the content, and my son advises me that there is also an extra mission too, which I would not want to miss out on. It's going to be a while before I play the game though as I have a heavy list of games to get through first. I'm currently right at the end of Metaphor: ReFantazio, but I also want to play through South of Midnight, Avowed, Expedition 33 and Days Gone Remastered before starting Oblivion.

I think with Avowed and Oblivion being similar in many ways, and with Metaphor perhaps having similarities to Expedition 33, that I shall play Avowed next, then Days Gone, then SoM, then lastly Expedition 33 before diving into a 1000 hour long campaign in Oblivion. So I would imagine that will mean that Bethesda have about a month to squash any bugs before I am ready to start it... 🤞

Absolutely right, @Kaloudz. Art books, director's commentaries, and even soundtracks, I just don't bother to install them...

Have you had a review copy for long, @Kezelpaso? Or are you only now starting work on your review?

Funny enough, @Ricky-Spanish, I have a feeling that I might have two or three of them! All sealed! Back when the 360 first came out, I used to buy 3 copies of each game that I bought, and then give them to my two boys on their birthdays or Christmas. Thing is, I used to buy so many games, that I literally had too many to give them at a time, and there were always other games that I thought they might enjoy more, thus I ended up with a heap of games that I never game them, and that I never sold or gave away. I have around 300 360 games myself, many of them still sealed, and then I probably have another 200 sealed duplicates! Sometimes, being a huge collector of games can come in useful. I dare say I have a few sealed 360 games that are worth a few pounds each. When I'm gone, my 3 kids will have the joys of selling them off, hopefully for a pretty penny.

And that's not all, either; I have a huge collection of sealed Collector's Editions, probably totalling over 100, ranging from 360 games, up to my most recent purchases of the likes of Indiana Jones, Assassin's Creed: Shadows, and soon Doom: The Dark Ages. I also have my Baldur's Gate 3 Collector's Edition, which alone still fetches around £800.

So long as my children take their time to sell everything at a good value, they will likely fetch well over £10,000 to share between them... 😊

Not sure whether you are aware, everyone, but they are currently streaming gameplay too as part of an after reveal show...

Never played it before, even though I still own the game still sealed on a 360 disc (with all the DLC). Having watched the presentation, I cannot wait to dive in. It looks incredible. All I have to do* is prepare myself to losing another 1000 hours of my life with a single playthrough (as I did with Skyrim)...

*Oh, and finish Metaphor: ReFantazio, Days Gone Remastered, South of Midnight and Expedition 33. Not much then... 🤪

So, I was under the impression that Halo: Infinite was a reboot, are they rebooting it yet again, and if so, what could that possibly entail?

I see you did as I suggested, and brought this article back, @Kezelpaso (see comment 22)..! I'm always around to offer great advice... 😂

That looks awesome. I would possibly even consider buying it, particularly so because I wanted to buy the Collector's Edition of the game, but they sold out before I had chance. Oh, well, means it'll be the first game that I play on the Game Pass this year (and I don't recall playing anything on the Service last year either!)...

I think they look nice, @Ricky-Spanish. Or at least the Doom one certainly does. However, there is no way that I am buying one. Even if it was £15 or £20, I just don't want to waste money on it, mostly because I cannot even see my console that well because it is in a unit under my television. Besides, I have plenty of other things that I waste my money on... 😂

This is the sort of thing you keep hold of unless really short of cash and with no other way of obtaining a bit of money. In a couple of decades time, it will be worth much, much more than right now...

Yeah, I just read that back, and realised I didn't type what I was thinking, @Valhura! 🤪 What I meant was that the sequel (Eternal) was not up to the standards of the Reboot... 😂

Doom Eternal was not up to the same standards as the Reboot, was all about movement at full speed, whilst shooting everything on the fly @Ricky-Spanish. It was good, but not great, in my opinion. I bought the top edition of the game, and never went back to play the two DLC expansions that they released, that came with that edition, because I simply couldn't muster the enthusiasm to do so...

Really looking forward to this, and hoping it is up to the standards of the Reboot but better than Eternal, which was, for me, simply too frantic with too much platforming involved. Dark Ages looks far more like the type of Doom I will enjoy.

I have the Collector's Edition, and both the Elite and Standard Limited Edition controllers on pre-order, so to say that I am a fan of Doom is an understatement. I cannot wait to get by grubby mitts on it...

I really hope that this is more of a remake than a simple remaster. I've seen people talking about some of the dialogue, quests etc. as being not great, but also those same people saying that they add to nostalgia of the game. However, if, like me, you have never played the game, nostalgia counts for nought. Therefore, if a quest is poor, or the voice acting isn't up to the standards you would hope for by todays standards, then I really hope they have sorted it so that they are no longer below standard. By all means, have the ability to revert back to previous audio, or graphics (though I never understand why people would want to do that, beyond being able to see how much the game has been improved), but the default setting should be that everything is better than it was when the game first released...

I'm with you, @Valhura. I played both Mutant and Gears Tactics, and very much enjoyed them. I'm a huge Gears of War fan, yet despite that, I would still rather have an XCOM 3 than I would Gears Tactics 2 as neither that game, nor Mutant have the same depth as XCOM does.

If you have a PC, then XCOM Chimera Squad is a good game too. Not up to the standards of 1 & 2, and not as long, but still very enjoyable...

XCOM is one of my favourite franchises, and I love any game that offers a similar style. I like Star Wars (not love, but like), so I'm hoping that Star Wars meets XCOM is a great match. Thus, if it's as good as Gears Tactics, I'll be more than happy...

I've hit the 120 hour mark now, @theduckofdeath, and I have just received 3 bounties, a couple of quests, and the 3 trials. I have 30 days left, and no idea whether that is long enough before the grand finale...

I have the Collector's Edition (with the statuette) on pre-order, @Kezelpaso, does that grant me early access too...?

Is it 3 player only, or can it be played as a duo or (my preference) solo, @Kezelpaso...?

Have either of the two people you know, actually held an Xbox controller, @Titntin...? If they do, I'm sure they will both change their opinion... 😂

Oh, yes, @HonestHick! I keep forgetting about the Lancer. It's in a box in the loft, so it's a case of out of sight, out of mind. I'm hoping to decorate my front room this year, and if I do, I'll be framing my canvas, getting my Lancer out, and mounting them both! 😂

Not only have I bought the Elite 2 controller, @HonestHick, but I also bought the standard one too. And HonestHick is right, @Titntin, the Xbox controller is far superior to that offered by Sony. I rarely play on my PS5, but when I do, it takes me a while to get used to the thumbstick positions, and if I am ever required to do a QTE, I invariable fail because Sony put the X in the wrong place... 🤪😂

That's very kind of you, @BAMozzy. Thank you...

Oops! Didn't read the first question properly, and so clicked mega excited for Oblivion, when in fact that probably sits around an 8. 🤪

Hey ho! I am very excited for Fallout 3 as I absolutely loved that game when it first released.

Kind of odd that I more excited for a game that I have played over a game that I haven't (Oblivion). Excited for both, but Fallout is one of all time favourite franchises...

Frustratingly, I am being offer Deluxe versions of games that I already own in the JUST FOR YOU offers, but the one Deluxe version I would want to buy (Star Wars: Outlaws) they are only offering me the base version of. Then I would need to fork out even more to upgrade the game, which then makes the offer pretty worthless...

Most of the JUST FOR YOU offers that are showing for me, I already own, @Kaloudz. I mean, no shirt Sherlock! You think I might want that game...? 😂

I'm really annoyed with myself at having missed these, @BAMozzy. I have the Collectors Editions (unopened) for Gears of War 3, Gears 4 and Gears 5 (which wasn't available in this Country, and so I had to import it from the US).

I also have 2 of the limited edition Drone busts. They only made 500 of them, and they are all numbered. I have one on display, and the other has never been opened.

I also bought the Gears of War 3 Xbox 360 console, and the GoW4 one as well. Plus I have a huge (and I mean ridiculous!) canvas poster from GoW3. It's something like 5 feet by 3 feet. Stupidly big. And of course the obligatory GoW3 blanket, and even the Gears of War Board games, which has never been opened. Plus all the books.

I have more too, but my memory fails me at this point.

What I don't have though, is the Elite controller... 🤬

Wait! What, @BAMozzy??? There is a Gears Elite controller? Is that for 4 or 5, and is it a Elite 1 or 2? I'm a huge Gears of War fan, and collector, and I never knew they did an Elite controller.

I did manage to get the Doom Elite 2 in the end too...

Edit: Damn! I've just had a look on eBay, and there's one that's described as new having been used for £333.12. Man, I'm tempted... 😂

That's the hope, @FraserG. I wonder what the Easter egg is...? 🤔

Read my comment at 26, @Millionski, as an explanation as to why Larian are quite within their rights to only offer a 20% discount for their game. For the past 2 years, they have pushed out huge updates to the game, that any other developer would have put out as paid DLC and expansion packs. Would you rather a 30 or 40% discount for the base game, and then have to pay extra for each of the updates that offered a great deal of additional content?

I'm absolutely fine with the business model that Larian operate in which you buy the game upon release (at full price) and then get a huge amount of free content for a couple of years thereafter...

Seeing the unboxing, has given me a better look at the standard controller, and now I am left wondering whether I should pre-order one of these too (I have already pre-ordered the Elite 2 controller).

The question I have is if there is an Easter egg for the standard controller, is there one for the Elite 2 controller as well? Would love it to be some sort of DLC; a weapon skin or armour skin, something similar...

Two things I would say about Baldur's Gate 3, @UndyingInsurgent95;

1. It is a game that is worth much more than its original, full asking price. I have played it for over 3000 hours, and absolutely love it. It is far better value than most games, and is much better than all of the rest out there by some margin.

2. I get that you think that 20% off isn't much of a discount, but please factor in that in the past 2 years, Larian have released 8 free updates. Many of these updates have introduced a whole host of new things into the game, including new classes and subclasses, an entire several hour long epilogue, and much, much more. Most developers would have charged a fair whack for people to have access to these updates. Not Larian though! Larian are regarded as the best developer out there for a reason, and that is because they treat their community with respect. Thus, instead of buying a base game, and then having to buy a number of DLC packs to get the complete game, Larian are providing you with the full game at one set cost. It is worth it, I absolutely promise you. Buy it, you will not regret it...

I think the £75 one is pretty ugly, @Titntin, although I am not particularly fond of the colour green anyway, which probably doesn't help. I've just pre-ordered the Elite 2 version, which looks much better (red being one of my favourite colours!), and in fact it reminds me of the old Gears of War Controllers that came with the 360 Collector's Console, and also the one that came with the Xbox One X Gears of War 4 console (both of which, you will not be surprised to hear, I bought). Indeed, I still use my 360 Gears of War controller when I go to my neighbours house for a gaming night...

Will do, @FraserG! I'm sure it will look awesome positioned next to the Doom: The Dark Ages Collector's Edition model that I have also on pre-order! I'm absolutely chuffed that you managed to point me in the right direction for the controller...😊👍

I'm still getting an Access Denied message on both my PC and my mobile, @FraserG, as is my son. However, I think I may just love you! When you mentioned your console, I tried it there, and it worked! Thus, I have one Elite controller pre-ordered, and I am very grateful for you helping this old codger... 😊

I enjoyed before the ashes too, @Jenkinss, and I'd love a sequel to it...

I don't know what's going on with the Store; my son has also tried to order it, on his account, and he got the same error message as myself. I'll be mighty annoyed if it sells out before I have chance to obtain one...

It's not working on my mobile either, @FraserG. I'm getting the same response...! 😭

Thank you, @FraserG. I'll try it on my mobile. Can you buy it directly off the Xbox console perchance?

Thank you, @HonestHick. I am trying to buy the Elite controller, but the website won't let me. I don't know whether the problem lies with me or the website.

As for the Gears controller, as you know, I'll be all over that, and will happily get the Gears Elite 3 controller when that becomes available when they release E-Day in 2026 along side the Prime...

I cannot seem to get the Microsoft website to work properly, @FraserG. I'm getting an 'Access Denied' on this server message when I attempt to go to my basket. Is there anywhere else that I can purchase the Elite controller that you know of, please?

Cannot wait for this. Love me some Dead Space, and this seems to offer that in spades. It also reminds me a bit of Returnal and Remnant 2, both of which I very much enjoy. I'll be pre-ordering this. Hopefully there will be some sort of Collector's Edition that comes complete with a figurine/statuette...