@abe_hikura I discovered the GameCube version a few years back on a hidden gems segment of a podcast. Bought it dead cheap and played it through. It’s a tremendous game and heads and shoulders about the vast majority of licensed games. It helps that Peter Jackson himself was heavily involved in the making of the game.
I had PS2 and GameCube during that generation but a friend had an Xbox, connected to his top of the line tv with surround sound. Halo was very impressive and it was clear to see its power over the PS2 in the graphics department. However, it didn’t make me want one at the time. I didn’t actually jump on the Xbox bandwagon until about 8 years later, with the 360 just as the One was about to be released. Been with them since and I am lucky enough to own all three consoles of the current Gen and my Xbox with its backward compatibility has by far the largest library.
@Banjo- I actually just thought of that after I’d posted. Seems a sensible choice, but would a remake of zero require a remake of the first game again?
Resident evil is at its best when it straddles the line between horror and camp. Too silly (RE 6) or too horror focused (RE 7) and I loose interest. The remakes of 1,2,3 and 4 manage it superbly, leaning away from some of the earlier ‘cheese’ (with plenty of their own).
I like the idea of a limited co-op experience, like I’m assuming the inevitable remake of 5 will do. What might be interesting is a co-op mode where you play through different maps at the same time and are able to contact each other regularly, trade items or leave them behind for the other player.
I had a surprising amount of fun with New Dawn. I really enjoyed FC 3,4,5,Blood Dragon as well. I have played 6 but it just feels ‘cheap’ in some way and a major step down from 5. However, the developers obsession with drugs and hallucinations across the games is very tired. Blood Dragon is by far my favourite.
Held out until 2018 and got a One S with two controllers and three games as a gift. It is a cracking system and I enjoyed loads of games: Resident Evil 2&3 remakes, Far Cry 5, Ori games, Dishonoured 2 and Death of the Outsider, Doom and Doom Eternal, the Wolfenstein series. I got a Series X two years ago, which to all intents and purposes is just a more capable version of the system. It’s a pity that the One S is just gathering dust on a shelf now. If I hadn’t upgraded I reckon it’d still be getting used alongside my Switch.
I’m happy I went for the Series X for the disc drive, as I’m finding physical games for peanuts (picked up 6 360 games a week or two ago for 50p each). Plus I’ve discovered the joys of sticking a CD on and turning in game music off to have my own soundtrack. Playing Mad Max, tearing round the desert to the sound of Synchronicity II by The Police is like my own post-apocalyptic GTA radio station!
During that generation I had both a PS2 and Gamecube. I honestly associated Microsoft with PCs, so wasn’t interested in an Xbox. Plus the price was too high. When I graduated and moved into my own flat I befriended another guy in the block, who had the ultimate Xbox set up: the top of the line flat screen tv (this was in 2004, so it was a real unit!) and 7.2(!) surround sound. We played through the first few levels of Halo, driving around in the Warthog. I still remember just standing still and looking up as the Halo itself stretched onto the heavens. It didn’t make me want an Xbox (I didn’t get involved until 2012 with the 360) but it is a very distinct memory. Before that I knew the family PC could do similar graphics, but now it was possible from a device connected to the TV…
£249 for an HD console, that can access hundreds of games for a few quid a month (or 30 odd a month for even less) is a great thing for students, people on a budget or as a kid’s console (with the added advantage of not losing/damaging physical discs for the latter group). Even without Gamepass the sales on the Microsoft store can offer some real bargains to keep. Even the closest competitor at the price (the Switch Lite, while a fantastic handheld, cannot compare in terms of gaming on a budget due to the ridiculous cost of Switch games (luckily me and my kids share our library of physical games so I can avoid buying multiple copies!)
I missed out on the OG Xbox, owning a PS2 and GameCube during that generation. I eventually got an XBOX 360 S in summer 2011, as a friend had one brand new that they’d won in a school raffle. They only wanted the Kinect for their existing 360, so I got the console for £80. It was my first foray into HD gaming and due to getting it later in its life games were very cheap and it kept me going for ages. Games with Gold allowed me to get games for pennies and I discovered some real gems that way. From there it was an Xbox One S in 2018 (again for a good price, with two controllers and 3 games, 2 of which I immediately traded in and got chunk of money back) and as of 2022 a Series X. The seamless transition between generations, upgrades to playing older games on newer hardware and the bonus of dvd/bluray/4K have kept me firmly in the Xbox camp. Nothing against Sony, but it just doesn’t make much sense to get a PS5 as well for a handful of exclusives. It’s a pity that there isn’t an equivalent of the Series S for the PlayStation, it would be an ideal companion machine (I’m guessing quite a few PS5 owners have a Series S as well to play exclusives at a much lower price).
Maybe I’m in the minority, but as an Xbox owner I don’t really care if Xbox games end up on other consoles. Sure, it would be nice if exclusives from other consoles ended up on Xbox but that’s never going to happen with Nintendo anyway and the handful of Sony exclusives are not going to keep me up at night.
Moving a game onto another system means more units sold, simple as that. They need the money, especially with the ridiculous budget of some games these days. It’s happened before; Resident Evil 4 was a GameCube exclusive, but the install base was so small that it went to PS2 very quickly. The remake of Resident Evil 1 was hurt and didn’t turn a profit exactly because it was stuck on a (very good) system that just wasn’t in enough households.
Why on Earth would anyone sell their system if there was a rumour that this would be the last console from a manufacturer? SEGA fans have been here before…
I have a mix of physical and digital. I prefer physical, especially if I can get them really cheap, which for Xbox One games is currently very easy. I can pick up great games for a few pounds, often far cheaper than the digital copy, even when it’s on sale. As someone who has been playing games since the late 80s I have really learnt to appreciate being able to still access the games I loved as a kid and play them today, often with my own kids. In an ideal world the same would happen with a game tied to a digital account, but I think it is quite naive to think that will be the case in the future. I don’t mind buying digital games for the convenience but I always do so on the knowledge that one day I won’t be able to access them. Yes, physical media can break (nothing lasts forever) but with proper care that can be put off for a very long time. I have Mega Drive Cartridges from over 30 years ago. Them and my original console are still going strong.
@Markatron84 yeah, in the book it seems pretty clear that the ‘wild’ raptors were not particularly agressive (they left Grant and Elle snoop around the nest without bothering them) whereas the ‘captive’ raptors were basically sociopaths (they attacked their own and went after humans despite easier prey being around). The fact that in the trailer for the game we see the freezer door opening and the sound of the raptor that was trapped in their by Tim means the last of the 3 raptors from the film seems to be alive. I wonder if they will re-write it so that that turns out to be the ‘big one’ that was the head raptor. Supposedly that is supposed to be the raptor that attacks Rexy and is killed in the last moments of the film. However, as the 3 raptors all looked identical in the film it would be an easy retcon. That particular raptor’s intelligence is stated in the film, so it would fit the ‘xeno’ role of this is like Alien Isolation. Fingers crossed…
@BacklogBrad you beat me to this comment. Alien Isolation but set in Jurassic Park. If they have as much attention to detail on this as in Isolation, along with the terror of being largely helpless at times it should be a cracker! Especially if they give the raptor similar ‘double AI’ like the Xeno from Isolation. (there should only be one left in the freezer if it accurately follows the film, unless they go with the breeding storyline from the novel).
I love my series X and have struck with Xbox since the Xbox 360 mainly for the convenience of having nearly all my games accessible each generation. That being said it is mainly 3rd party games that I have been enjoying (Resident Evil, Sonic and various indies). Gamepass Core is a real steal at the price I got it for for a year.
However, any notion of ‘beating’ Sony in sales is a pipe dream. The PS5 is sitting at about 42 million in sales, with the Xbox at about 21 million. Now both pale in comparison to the Switch and I don’t let sales figures influence my console choice (I supported the Wii U heavily for example). Sales are also based on region: Xbox is popular in the US, Canada, the UK and a bit in Europe. Sony are popular there and in Asia as well, which means they have access to a much bigger market (same as Nintendo). So Xbox is unlikely to ever match like for like sales. However, that doesn’t stop it being a cracking system. Now let’s get some more exclusives!
Nope, the disc drive is a massive benefit to me. Just like the PS2 back in the day was my main DVD player, the Series X allows me to watch DVDs and Blu Rays (and potentially 4K discs in the future) in fairly decent quality without having to spend money on an extra machine. I have a large DVD library and a growing Blu ray one now that prices have fallen enough to go for those that benefit from the upgrade. Coupled with Xbox One and 360 discs it’s essential for me. Plus the ability to to get HD versions of some original Xbox games too. Found Splinter Cell in a charity shop for 99p. Disc wasn’t in very good shape but putting it into the Series X and I got an HD upgrade for free. Can’t do any of that without a disc drive.
This game completely took over our multiplayer sessions back in 2000, largely replacing Goldeneye. The range of options and weapons, plus the inclusion of bots (which was mind blowing in a console fps on N64 back then) meant that it became a mainstay of Friday night gaming sessions for many years afterwards.
The 360 update was a fantastic way to revisit it, with better controls thanks to the twin sticks. Now being able to play it through the Series X makes it run even better. The only thing missing is my old crew of friends to play it. Would be a big difference playing split screen on a tv twice the size of the CRT tv we used to play on 23 years ago…
Dishonoured is a phenomenal game, from the world building and characters to the freedom of gameplay: blast everything in sight or sneak around assassinating everyone unseen to passing through entire levels like a non-lethal ghost; it’s got something for everyone. I remember getting it with Games with Gold on the 360 and I was blown away by the detail. I honestly thought it was a sequel to an old PC game, as there is so much lore and character to the world. I was impressed when I found out it was an original title. Furthermore, the optional DLC is just as good, playing as the antagonist in completely different levels, with different powers and abilities, that is about 2/3 the length of the entire core game. The sequel is excellent too and the Death of the Outsider is good fun but the original is one of my favourite games ever.
Played for a while yesterday after the update. The graphics have gone back to what they were on launch (for example the water effects before the lake when you are getting the fuel are noticeably improved, as is Leon’s face on close up). I’m running through a hardcore run at the moment (having rinsed assisted, standard and the Mercenaries) and even with the addition of the handcannon, sentinel and skull shaker in their base forms it is a stiff challenge!
My Series X is my main system (alongside the Switch) and my Xbox One S is now in the bedroom for lazy retro gaming in bed or for watching Blu Ray discs. Happy with the Series X, especially with games like Resident Evil 4 remake and the updates to games like RE2, RE3 and Doom Eternal..
As much as I loved the original games growing up and have great affection for them, the remakes leave them in the dust. I’ve just completed the remake of 4 and it is superb, as is the remake of 2. Being honest, I also prefer the remake of 3 to the original; after the tense remake of 2 with Mr X constantly following you, the remake of 3 was an enjoyable fast moving action sequel.
The remake of the first game set a high bar which the remakes of 2 and 4 have more than matched (with 3 being perfectly enjoyable). I remember how exciting it was getting it for GameCube as was playing through Zero. 5 is fun, 6 is fine on Xbox One (the 360 version was terrible). I’ve dabbled in 7 and 8 but the whole mould thing doesn’t interest me as much as the virus/ plagas do.
Just my opinion but the remakes of 1, 2 and 4 are the best in the series (and I like the remake of 3 regardless of the missing content; what it did it did well) with my personal order being remake 2, remake 4, remake 1 and then remake 3. The originals of all of these are classics, perfectly enjoyable but very much of their time.
It’s great. I’m in the castle at the moment and the tone is spot on. Plenty of callbacks to the original whilst still feeling fresh. I love the new stealth mechanic.
I’ve been saving up money off vouchers for months to put towards Resi 4. Now that I’ve played the demo (and was grinning ear to ear throughout) this will be the first game in a long time that I buy day one.
@Baler for me the real game breaker was when I could just keep spawning the aircraft with rockets and machine guns. Once I’d figured out how to use it the game got very easy, especially with the bounty hunting of certain enemies. Just keep at a distance, move about a bit to avoid enemy fire and blast away until nothing’s left!
@nomither6 I was PS2/GCN during that Gen so the whole Halo thing passed me by (aside from playing a bit on a friend’s Xbox.) As an outsider I got the impression that Halo 2 was universally loved upon release (I remember a giant statue of MC with twin submachine guns in a local video game store).
I didn’t play the series until starting in 2013 with the Anniversary edition of Halo CE, so I ended up playing the whole series over a very short period of time. As such the changes on later games just felt like a natural progression. Infinite (aside from the story) feels very much like an attempt to do a game which represents what they wanted to do way back in 2001 but with modern console power.
@nomither6 I don’t get the hate for 4, I liked that it was a different feeling game as after playing 1,2,3,ODST and Reach it updated the series after five quite similar feeling games.
Having played through all the games via Master Chief Collection one thing I can say is that they are fairly consistent. CE and Reach has the biggest impact but I’ve enjoyed all of them. I don’t understand the hate for Infinite, I really enjoyed it, even if the plot was a bit slow to get going. However, it clearly was all an attempt to get Chief and Cortana back as a team after the misstep of 5 (which I really enjoyed too).
Dead Island was of my first 360 games. It was a good zombie slaying romp, even if it never lived up to its potential. Just started to play the definitive edition on my Series X. I hope the sequel is step up, with a bit more gun play and more streamlined crafting system.
@Banjo- amen to that! That’s one of the reasons I’m so pleased that we got Goldeneye on Xbox. With Switch it will be gone in a few years but with Xbox it should last a lot longer, as long as they keep going with the idea that if you own it it’s tied to your Microsoft account ‘forever’.
@Banjo- I’m a long time gamer but I’m not particularly tech savvy, but modding the Wii following a guide online was ridiculously easy even for me!
Yes the best I can get out of it is RGB SCART/component but I run it through a CRT tv anyway, so the games look and run pretty authentically. I can’t run the Wii through my 4K tv but they again I wouldn’t want to.
I’m guessing at some point in the future I’ll do the same on my Wii U (or if I find a second hand one for a decent price) as then with the Wii U’s hdmi output I’m future proof for a while. Seeing that the best we are getting on Switch is apps that will one day be shut down Wii/Wii U modding is a pretty solid way forward to hang onto old games.
@Banjo- just a heads up: if you transferred your games from Wii to Wii U then you can re-download games, but only through the Wii shop app on the Wii menu on the Wii U. Your original Wii is now ‘blank’ and as the game licenses transferred to the Wii U you cannot re-download onto the Wii as well.
Personally I bought a cheap secondhand Wii to mod and very easily had access to all the Virtual Console and Wiiware I wanted (not risking nodding my Wii U as I don’t have a spare and even secondhand Wii Us can be pricy. Wii’s are very cheap).
@Benjamin yeah, I thought it would appear in the timeline in the collection. That being said, seeing a Goldeneye icon on my Xbox in 2023 is kind of mind blowing!
@Baler I agree with you. I still have my original cartridge and playing this port on my 4K TV with modern twin stick controls is far more fun in 2023 than through fuzzy composite cables on my N64 on my crt tv.
Would it have been nice to have a similar treatment that Perfect Dark got on 360? Sure, but when I sat down to play Goldeneye on Friday it was like ‘it’s Goldeneye, but with a clean image and better controls. Sorted.’ The fact I got it free as well (I have a digital copy of Rare Replay) and a just the cherry on top.
@Banjo- yup, took me a few attempts but I got there in the end. Just done water caverns and onto Cradle. My controller batteries are nearly gone too (too much Gears of War this week).
@Banjo- I’m on the penultimate level and haven’t noticed any slowdown or wobbles. There are some graphical issues that remain from the original, but they are a bit more noticeable now with the upscaling.
Now if only I could stop Natalya dying. I don’t remember it being this frustrating back in the 90s!
@hypnotoad you’re correct; it doesn’t hold up to modern games and yes, by modern standards it is indeed ancient. Yet it is still tremendous fun, the updated controls improve it over the N64 original and it plays at least as well as it ever did.
I started gaming in the 80s so was there at the dawn of FPS games (as I’m sure you were) and taken on its own merits it’s a decent experience.
I’m sure the nostalgia I have for it does factor into how much fun I’m having but if I’m brutally honest I was always more impressed with Perfect Dark back in the day.
It’s a matter of opinion of course, it was just my 2 cents. I’ve just seen a few negative comments that don’t seem to take into account the age of the game not the tweaks that have been made to make it accessible to a modern audience.
Ignore the naysayers; as a veteran of the original game from back in the day this version plays better than ever. The modern control scheme on the Xbox drags it kicking and screaming into the present. I’ve briefly tried the Switch version with the original control layout and it would clearly benefit from an actual N64 controller. The Xbox version played brilliantly with twin thumb sticks. Could they have improved the graphics like the excellent Perfect Dark update on 360? Sure but honestly Goldeneye doesn’t need it. Its graphics are part of its charm.
There have been some superb remakes in recent years, that capture the spirit of the original and push the games forward into the present day, along with a feeling of ‘this is how it looked in our heads back then’ e.g. Resident Evil 2. Goldeneye on Xbox looks exactly like it did (upscaled of course) but it now FEELS like it did back in the day, with a far better, much more accessible control scheme. Good game? Yes. Best shooter ever? Of course not. Still fun 26 years on? Definitely.
I got into Dead Space quite late, but have loved survival horror since RE2 back in the 90s. If this remake is anything like the remake of RE2 (which was largely the same but with enough tweaks that it was equally balanced between feeling familiar yet fresh at the same time) then this version of Drad Space will be very good.
Then redo Dead Space 3 without bloody micro transactions; such a disappointment after the first two that I quit about 20% into it!
Switch is likely to win due to parents buying consoles for kids; the whole ‘Nintendo is for kids’ nonsense aside it simply has the most recognisable IPs and the fact that no TV is required nor anything more complicated than a micro SD card in addition to a new Pokemon game all but assures. That being said, it’s now 5 years since those kids got a Switch and for those looking to upgrade to a next Gen system the Series S is a great deal, especially with Gamepass (and the fact that it also can access Netflix/Amazon/Disney +). I say this as a Series X owner and dad myself. Both my little ones have a Switch Lite and it is perfect for them. However, the Series S is a great machine for not much more than a Lite and less than a ‘full’ Switch. The PS5 is still hard to find and (like the Series X) is priced at a premium.
Blood Dragon is by far the better game, but I appreciated it more having played through 3 first. In terms of the full Far Cry open world I preferred New Dawn. 2 would be better if it actually had a stealth mechanic. 4&5 were enjoyable too. I’ve never given Primal much of a chance and have yet to play 6.
One thing that I’ve gotten tired of is the constant trippy drug themes. It was fun at first but I just find myself playing through those levels as quickly as possible to get back to the good stuff. What I loved about Blood Dragon (aside from the full on 80s vibe) was the complete lack of it taking itself seriously at all.
I recently got a Series X and am now saving for a descent 4K tv. I debated getting the Series S, but ultimately it came down to a couple of factors: firstly when I do finally upgrade my TV I will get the benefits of the Series X. Secondly the disc drive. If I got the Series S I would have had to keep my One S set up to play my disc games. Thirdly, physical games drop massively in price in general, so I can take advantage of those when they turn up. Finally the fact that it is also a 4K/Blu Ray player is another bonus on top. However, for the price (and if you have been mostly digital on Xbox since last generation) then the Series S is a good machine. I just wanted to get the best system available.
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Re: 20 Of The Best Backwards Compatible Games You Can Play On Xbox
@abe_hikura I discovered the GameCube version a few years back on a hidden gems segment of a podcast. Bought it dead cheap and played it through. It’s a tremendous game and heads and shoulders about the vast majority of licensed games. It helps that Peter Jackson himself was heavily involved in the making of the game.
Re: Talking Point: When Did You First Get Introduced To The World Of Xbox?
I had PS2 and GameCube during that generation but a friend had an Xbox, connected to his top of the line tv with surround sound. Halo was very impressive and it was clear to see its power over the PS2 in the graphics department. However, it didn’t make me want one at the time. I didn’t actually jump on the Xbox bandwagon until about 8 years later, with the 360 just as the One was about to be released. Been with them since and I am lucky enough to own all three consoles of the current Gen and my Xbox with its backward compatibility has by far the largest library.
Re: Reaction: Resident Evil 9 Should Stay Far Away From Flops Like Re:Verse
@Banjo- I actually just thought of that after I’d posted. Seems a sensible choice, but would a remake of zero require a remake of the first game again?
Re: Reaction: Resident Evil 9 Should Stay Far Away From Flops Like Re:Verse
Resident evil is at its best when it straddles the line between horror and camp. Too silly (RE 6) or too horror focused (RE 7) and I loose interest. The remakes of 1,2,3 and 4 manage it superbly, leaning away from some of the earlier ‘cheese’ (with plenty of their own).
I like the idea of a limited co-op experience, like I’m assuming the inevitable remake of 5 will do. What might be interesting is a co-op mode where you play through different maps at the same time and are able to contact each other regularly, trade items or leave them behind for the other player.
Re: Far Cry New Dawn Got A Mixed Reception, But It'll Be A Great Addition To Xbox Game Pass
I had a surprising amount of fun with New Dawn. I really enjoyed FC 3,4,5,Blood Dragon as well. I have played 6 but it just feels ‘cheap’ in some way and a major step down from 5. However, the developers obsession with drugs and hallucinations across the games is very tired. Blood Dragon is by far my favourite.
Re: Talking Point: Looking Back, What Are Your Fondest Memories Of The Xbox One Era?
Held out until 2018 and got a One S with two controllers and three games as a gift. It is a cracking system and I enjoyed loads of games: Resident Evil 2&3 remakes, Far Cry 5, Ori games, Dishonoured 2 and Death of the Outsider, Doom and Doom Eternal, the Wolfenstein series. I got a Series X two years ago, which to all intents and purposes is just a more capable version of the system. It’s a pity that the One S is just gathering dust on a shelf now. If I hadn’t upgraded I reckon it’d still be getting used alongside my Switch.
Re: Xbox Fan Shows Off White Digital Series X Ahead Of Upcoming Launch
I’m happy I went for the Series X for the disc drive, as I’m finding physical games for peanuts (picked up 6 360 games a week or two ago for 50p each). Plus I’ve discovered the joys of sticking a CD on and turning in game music off to have my own soundtrack. Playing Mad Max, tearing round the desert to the sound of Synchronicity II by The Police is like my own post-apocalyptic GTA radio station!
Re: Talking Point: What Are Your Fondest Memories Of The Original Xbox?
During that generation I had both a PS2 and Gamecube. I honestly associated Microsoft with PCs, so wasn’t interested in an Xbox. Plus the price was too high. When I graduated and moved into my own flat I befriended another guy in the block, who had the ultimate Xbox set up: the top of the line flat screen tv (this was in 2004, so it was a real unit!) and 7.2(!) surround sound. We played through the first few levels of Halo, driving around in the Warthog. I still remember just standing still and looking up as the Halo itself stretched onto the heavens. It didn’t make me want an Xbox (I didn’t get involved until 2012 with the 360) but it is a very distinct memory. Before that I knew the family PC could do similar graphics, but now it was possible from a device connected to the TV…
Re: Xbox Series X|S Sales 'Holding Close' To Xbox 360 In The US, Says Analyst
£249 for an HD console, that can access hundreds of games for a few quid a month (or 30 odd a month for even less) is a great thing for students, people on a budget or as a kid’s console (with the added advantage of not losing/damaging physical discs for the latter group). Even without Gamepass the sales on the Microsoft store can offer some real bargains to keep. Even the closest competitor at the price (the Switch Lite, while a fantastic handheld, cannot compare in terms of gaming on a budget due to the ridiculous cost of Switch games (luckily me and my kids share our library of physical games so I can avoid buying multiple copies!)
Re: Talking Point: What Convinced You To Pick Xbox In The First Place?
I missed out on the OG Xbox, owning a PS2 and GameCube during that generation. I eventually got an XBOX 360 S in summer 2011, as a friend had one brand new that they’d won in a school raffle. They only wanted the Kinect for their existing 360, so I got the console for £80. It was my first foray into HD gaming and due to getting it later in its life games were very cheap and it kept me going for ages. Games with Gold allowed me to get games for pennies and I discovered some real gems that way. From there it was an Xbox One S in 2018 (again for a good price, with two controllers and 3 games, 2 of which I immediately traded in and got chunk of money back) and as of 2022 a Series X. The seamless transition between generations, upgrades to playing older games on newer hardware and the bonus of dvd/bluray/4K have kept me firmly in the Xbox camp. Nothing against Sony, but it just doesn’t make much sense to get a PS5 as well for a handful of exclusives. It’s a pity that there isn’t an equivalent of the Series S for the PlayStation, it would be an ideal companion machine (I’m guessing quite a few PS5 owners have a Series S as well to play exclusives at a much lower price).
Re: Xbox Reportedly Has 'No Plans' To Stop Making Consoles
Maybe I’m in the minority, but as an Xbox owner I don’t really care if Xbox games end up on other consoles. Sure, it would be nice if exclusives from other consoles ended up on Xbox but that’s never going to happen with Nintendo anyway and the handful of Sony exclusives are not going to keep me up at night.
Moving a game onto another system means more units sold, simple as that. They need the money, especially with the ridiculous budget of some games these days. It’s happened before; Resident Evil 4 was a GameCube exclusive, but the install base was so small that it went to PS2 very quickly. The remake of Resident Evil 1 was hurt and didn’t turn a profit exactly because it was stuck on a (very good) system that just wasn’t in enough households.
Re: Xbox Fans Urged To Remain Calm As Emotions Run Wild On Social Media
Why on Earth would anyone sell their system if there was a rumour that this would be the last console from a manufacturer? SEGA fans have been here before…
Re: Poll: How Many Physical Xbox Games Do You Have In Your Collection?
I have a mix of physical and digital. I prefer physical, especially if I can get them really cheap, which for Xbox One games is currently very easy. I can pick up great games for a few pounds, often far cheaper than the digital copy, even when it’s on sale. As someone who has been playing games since the late 80s I have really learnt to appreciate being able to still access the games I loved as a kid and play them today, often with my own kids. In an ideal world the same would happen with a game tied to a digital account, but I think it is quite naive to think that will be the case in the future. I don’t mind buying digital games for the convenience but I always do so on the knowledge that one day I won’t be able to access them. Yes, physical media can break (nothing lasts forever) but with proper care that can be put off for a very long time. I have Mega Drive Cartridges from over 30 years ago. Them and my original console are still going strong.
Re: 'Jurassic Park: Survival' Makes Incredible First Impression In Debut Trailer
@Markatron84 yeah, in the book it seems pretty clear that the ‘wild’ raptors were not particularly agressive (they left Grant and Elle snoop around the nest without bothering them) whereas the ‘captive’ raptors were basically sociopaths (they attacked their own and went after humans despite easier prey being around). The fact that in the trailer for the game we see the freezer door opening and the sound of the raptor that was trapped in their by Tim means the last of the 3 raptors from the film seems to be alive. I wonder if they will re-write it so that that turns out to be the ‘big one’ that was the head raptor. Supposedly that is supposed to be the raptor that attacks Rexy and is killed in the last moments of the film. However, as the 3 raptors all looked identical in the film it would be an easy retcon. That particular raptor’s intelligence is stated in the film, so it would fit the ‘xeno’ role of this is like Alien Isolation. Fingers crossed…
Re: 'Jurassic Park: Survival' Makes Incredible First Impression In Debut Trailer
@BacklogBrad you beat me to this comment. Alien Isolation but set in Jurassic Park. If they have as much attention to detail on this as in Isolation, along with the terror of being largely helpless at times it should be a cracker! Especially if they give the raptor similar ‘double AI’ like the Xeno from Isolation. (there should only be one left in the freezer if it accurately follows the film, unless they go with the breeding storyline from the novel).
Re: Talking Point: Xbox Series X|S Has Been Out For Three Years, And It's Now Hitting Its Stride
I love my series X and have struck with Xbox since the Xbox 360 mainly for the convenience of having nearly all my games accessible each generation. That being said it is mainly 3rd party games that I have been enjoying (Resident Evil, Sonic and various indies). Gamepass Core is a real steal at the price I got it for for a year.
However, any notion of ‘beating’ Sony in sales is a pipe dream. The PS5 is sitting at about 42 million in sales, with the Xbox at about 21 million. Now both pale in comparison to the Switch and I don’t let sales figures influence my console choice (I supported the Wii U heavily for example). Sales are also based on region: Xbox is popular in the US, Canada, the UK and a bit in Europe. Sony are popular there and in Asia as well, which means they have access to a much bigger market (same as Nintendo). So Xbox is unlikely to ever match like for like sales. However, that doesn’t stop it being a cracking system. Now let’s get some more exclusives!
Re: Review: Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways - Ada Wong Returns In A Dynamite Slice Of DLC
@JH1022 they did, way back in 2002 on the GameCube. If you want that version remade then it would be a remake of a remake!
Re: Talking Point: Would You Be Interested In A Digital-Only Xbox Series X?
Nope, the disc drive is a massive benefit to me. Just like the PS2 back in the day was my main DVD player, the Series X allows me to watch DVDs and Blu Rays (and potentially 4K discs in the future) in fairly decent quality without having to spend money on an extra machine. I have a large DVD library and a growing Blu ray one now that prices have fallen enough to go for those that benefit from the upgrade. Coupled with Xbox One and 360 discs it’s essential for me. Plus the ability to to get HD versions of some original Xbox games too. Found Splinter Cell in a charity shop for 99p. Disc wasn’t in very good shape but putting it into the Series X and I got an HD upgrade for free. Can’t do any of that without a disc drive.
Re: Pure Xbox Game Club July 2023: Perfect Dark
@Markatron84 and we are all the better for it (aside from possibly our eyesight!)😂
Re: Pure Xbox Game Club July 2023: Perfect Dark
This game completely took over our multiplayer sessions back in 2000, largely replacing Goldeneye. The range of options and weapons, plus the inclusion of bots (which was mind blowing in a console fps on N64 back then) meant that it became a mainstay of Friday night gaming sessions for many years afterwards.
The 360 update was a fantastic way to revisit it, with better controls thanks to the twin sticks. Now being able to play it through the Series X makes it run even better. The only thing missing is my old crew of friends to play it. Would be a big difference playing split screen on a tv twice the size of the CRT tv we used to play on 23 years ago…
Re: Poll: Which Of These Is Your Favourite Arkane Title On Xbox Game Pass?
Dishonoured is a phenomenal game, from the world building and characters to the freedom of gameplay: blast everything in sight or sneak around assassinating everyone unseen to passing through entire levels like a non-lethal ghost; it’s got something for everyone. I remember getting it with Games with Gold on the 360 and I was blown away by the detail. I honestly thought it was a sequel to an old PC game, as there is so much lore and character to the world. I was impressed when I found out it was an original title. Furthermore, the optional DLC is just as good, playing as the antagonist in completely different levels, with different powers and abilities, that is about 2/3 the length of the entire core game. The sequel is excellent too and the Death of the Outsider is good fun but the original is one of my favourite games ever.
Re: Resident Evil 4 Update 1.05 Brings Improvements To Graphics & Gameplay On Xbox
Played for a while yesterday after the update. The graphics have gone back to what they were on launch (for example the water effects before the lake when you are getting the fuel are noticeably improved, as is Leon’s face on close up). I’m running through a hardcore run at the moment (having rinsed assisted, standard and the Mercenaries) and even with the addition of the handcannon, sentinel and skull shaker in their base forms it is a stiff challenge!
Re: Talking Point: Xbox One Users, What Do You Think Of The Console In 2023?
My Series X is my main system (alongside the Switch) and my Xbox One S is now in the bedroom for lazy retro gaming in bed or for watching Blu Ray discs. Happy with the Series X, especially with games like Resident Evil 4 remake and the updates to games like RE2, RE3 and Doom Eternal..
Re: Best Resident Evil Games Ranked - Which Mainline Entry Is Number One?
As much as I loved the original games growing up and have great affection for them, the remakes leave them in the dust. I’ve just completed the remake of 4 and it is superb, as is the remake of 2. Being honest, I also prefer the remake of 3 to the original; after the tense remake of 2 with Mr X constantly following you, the remake of 3 was an enjoyable fast moving action sequel.
The remake of the first game set a high bar which the remakes of 2 and 4 have more than matched (with 3 being perfectly enjoyable). I remember how exciting it was getting it for GameCube as was playing through Zero. 5 is fun, 6 is fine on Xbox One (the 360 version was terrible). I’ve dabbled in 7 and 8 but the whole mould thing doesn’t interest me as much as the virus/ plagas do.
Just my opinion but the remakes of 1, 2 and 4 are the best in the series (and I like the remake of 3 regardless of the missing content; what it did it did well) with my personal order being remake 2, remake 4, remake 1 and then remake 3. The originals of all of these are classics, perfectly enjoyable but very much of their time.
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of The Resident Evil 4 Remake So Far?
It’s great. I’m in the castle at the moment and the tone is spot on. Plenty of callbacks to the original whilst still feeling fresh. I love the new stealth mechanic.
Re: Review: Resident Evil 4 - Capcom's Stellar Remake Improves Upon Perfection
This was delivered today and is waiting for me at home. The demo was great.
To paraphrase Ben Stiler in Tropic Thunder:
‘Here we go again….again…’
Re: Review: Resident Evil 4 - Capcom's Stellar Remake Improves Upon Perfection
I’ve been saving up money off vouchers for months to put towards Resi 4. Now that I’ve played the demo (and was grinning ear to ear throughout) this will be the first game in a long time that I buy day one.
Re: Pick One: Which Is Your Favourite Halo Game?
@Baler for me the real game breaker was when I could just keep spawning the aircraft with rockets and machine guns. Once I’d figured out how to use it the game got very easy, especially with the bounty hunting of certain enemies. Just keep at a distance, move about a bit to avoid enemy fire and blast away until nothing’s left!
Re: Pick One: Which Is Your Favourite Halo Game?
@nomither6 I was PS2/GCN during that Gen so the whole Halo thing passed me by (aside from playing a bit on a friend’s Xbox.) As an outsider I got the impression that Halo 2 was universally loved upon release (I remember a giant statue of MC with twin submachine guns in a local video game store).
I didn’t play the series until starting in 2013 with the Anniversary edition of Halo CE, so I ended up playing the whole series over a very short period of time. As such the changes on later games just felt like a natural progression. Infinite (aside from the story) feels very much like an attempt to do a game which represents what they wanted to do way back in 2001 but with modern console power.
Re: Pick One: Which Is Your Favourite Halo Game?
@nomither6 I don’t get the hate for 4, I liked that it was a different feeling game as after playing 1,2,3,ODST and Reach it updated the series after five quite similar feeling games.
Re: Pick One: Which Is Your Favourite Halo Game?
Having played through all the games via Master Chief Collection one thing I can say is that they are fairly consistent. CE and Reach has the biggest impact but I’ve enjoyed all of them. I don’t understand the hate for Infinite, I really enjoyed it, even if the plot was a bit slow to get going. However, it clearly was all an attempt to get Chief and Cortana back as a team after the misstep of 5 (which I really enjoyed too).
Re: Dead Island 2 Extended Gameplay Revealed Ahead Of April Xbox Launch
@NoCode23 I tried Riptide on 360 but it ran really poorly. I’m hoping the definite edition will be better on my Series X.
Re: Dead Island 2 Extended Gameplay Revealed Ahead Of April Xbox Launch
Dead Island was of my first 360 games. It was a good zombie slaying romp, even if it never lived up to its potential. Just started to play the definitive edition on my Series X. I hope the sequel is step up, with a bit more gun play and more streamlined crafting system.
Re: Xbox 360 'May 2023' Closure Message Was An Error, Says Microsoft
@Banjo- amen to that! That’s one of the reasons I’m so pleased that we got Goldeneye on Xbox. With Switch it will be gone in a few years but with Xbox it should last a lot longer, as long as they keep going with the idea that if you own it it’s tied to your Microsoft account ‘forever’.
Re: Xbox 360 'May 2023' Closure Message Was An Error, Says Microsoft
@Banjo- I’m a long time gamer but I’m not particularly tech savvy, but modding the Wii following a guide online was ridiculously easy even for me!
Yes the best I can get out of it is RGB SCART/component but I run it through a CRT tv anyway, so the games look and run pretty authentically. I can’t run the Wii through my 4K tv but they again I wouldn’t want to.
I’m guessing at some point in the future I’ll do the same on my Wii U (or if I find a second hand one for a decent price) as then with the Wii U’s hdmi output I’m future proof for a while. Seeing that the best we are getting on Switch is apps that will one day be shut down Wii/Wii U modding is a pretty solid way forward to hang onto old games.
Re: Xbox 360 'May 2023' Closure Message Was An Error, Says Microsoft
@Banjo- just a heads up: if you transferred your games from Wii to Wii U then you can re-download games, but only through the Wii shop app on the Wii menu on the Wii U. Your original Wii is now ‘blank’ and as the game licenses transferred to the Wii U you cannot re-download onto the Wii as well.
Personally I bought a cheap secondhand Wii to mod and very easily had access to all the Virtual Console and Wiiware I wanted (not risking nodding my Wii U as I don’t have a spare and even secondhand Wii Us can be pricy. Wii’s are very cheap).
Re: GoldenEye 007 Dev Responds To Lack Of 60FPS And Online Multiplayer In Xbox Version
@TheRealPaperKut do you have a digital copy of Rare Replay? Goldeneye is a free download if you do.
Re: GoldenEye 007 Dev Responds To Lack Of 60FPS And Online Multiplayer In Xbox Version
@Benjamin yeah, I thought it would appear in the timeline in the collection. That being said, seeing a Goldeneye icon on my Xbox in 2023 is kind of mind blowing!
Re: GoldenEye 007 Dev Responds To Lack Of 60FPS And Online Multiplayer In Xbox Version
@Baler I agree with you. I still have my original cartridge and playing this port on my 4K TV with modern twin stick controls is far more fun in 2023 than through fuzzy composite cables on my N64 on my crt tv.
Would it have been nice to have a similar treatment that Perfect Dark got on 360? Sure, but when I sat down to play Goldeneye on Friday it was like ‘it’s Goldeneye, but with a clean image and better controls. Sorted.’ The fact I got it free as well (I have a digital copy of Rare Replay) and a just the cherry on top.
Re: Hands On: Our First Impressions Of GoldenEye 007 On Xbox Game Pass
Unlocked golden ppk on my first go on Cradle. Not bad for an old timer.
Re: Hands On: Our First Impressions Of GoldenEye 007 On Xbox Game Pass
@Banjo- yup, took me a few attempts but I got there in the end. Just done water caverns and onto Cradle. My controller batteries are nearly gone too (too much Gears of War this week).
Re: Hands On: Our First Impressions Of GoldenEye 007 On Xbox Game Pass
@Banjo- I’m on the penultimate level and haven’t noticed any slowdown or wobbles. There are some graphical issues that remain from the original, but they are a bit more noticeable now with the upscaling.
Now if only I could stop Natalya dying. I don’t remember it being this frustrating back in the 90s!
Re: Hands On: Our First Impressions Of GoldenEye 007 On Xbox Game Pass
@hypnotoad pretty sure the rose-tinted spectacles used to be better too!😁
Re: Hands On: Our First Impressions Of GoldenEye 007 On Xbox Game Pass
@hypnotoad you’re correct; it doesn’t hold up to modern games and yes, by modern standards it is indeed ancient. Yet it is still tremendous fun, the updated controls improve it over the N64 original and it plays at least as well as it ever did.
I started gaming in the 80s so was there at the dawn of FPS games (as I’m sure you were) and taken on its own merits it’s a decent experience.
I’m sure the nostalgia I have for it does factor into how much fun I’m having but if I’m brutally honest I was always more impressed with Perfect Dark back in the day.
It’s a matter of opinion of course, it was just my 2 cents. I’ve just seen a few negative comments that don’t seem to take into account the age of the game not the tweaks that have been made to make it accessible to a modern audience.
Re: Hands On: Our First Impressions Of GoldenEye 007 On Xbox Game Pass
Ignore the naysayers; as a veteran of the original game from back in the day this version plays better than ever. The modern control scheme on the Xbox drags it kicking and screaming into the present. I’ve briefly tried the Switch version with the original control layout and it would clearly benefit from an actual N64 controller. The Xbox version played brilliantly with twin thumb sticks. Could they have improved the graphics like the excellent Perfect Dark update on 360? Sure but honestly Goldeneye doesn’t need it. Its graphics are part of its charm.
There have been some superb remakes in recent years, that capture the spirit of the original and push the games forward into the present day, along with a feeling of ‘this is how it looked in our heads back then’ e.g. Resident Evil 2. Goldeneye on Xbox looks exactly like it did (upscaled of course) but it now FEELS like it did back in the day, with a far better, much more accessible control scheme. Good game? Yes. Best shooter ever? Of course not. Still fun 26 years on? Definitely.
Re: GoldenEye 007 Officially Arrives On Xbox Game Pass This Week
Looking forward to revisiting this classic. The HD version of Perfect Dark was a great update so this should be too.
Re: Dead Space Is 'A Purist's Remake' With 'Vastly Superior Visuals', Says IGN Preview
I got into Dead Space quite late, but have loved survival horror since RE2 back in the 90s. If this remake is anything like the remake of RE2 (which was largely the same but with enough tweaks that it was equally balanced between feeling familiar yet fresh at the same time) then this version of Drad Space will be very good.
Then redo Dead Space 3 without bloody micro transactions; such a disappointment after the first two that I quit about 20% into it!
Re: Xbox Series X|S Fighting To Become The Best-Selling UK Console Of 2022
Switch is likely to win due to parents buying consoles for kids; the whole ‘Nintendo is for kids’ nonsense aside it simply has the most recognisable IPs and the fact that no TV is required nor anything more complicated than a micro SD card in addition to a new Pokemon game all but assures. That being said, it’s now 5 years since those kids got a Switch and for those looking to upgrade to a next Gen system the Series S is a great deal, especially with Gamepass (and the fact that it also can access Netflix/Amazon/Disney +). I say this as a Series X owner and dad myself. Both my little ones have a Switch Lite and it is perfect for them. However, the Series S is a great machine for not much more than a Lite and less than a ‘full’ Switch. The PS5 is still hard to find and (like the Series X) is priced at a premium.
Re: Ubisoft Launched The Best Far Cry Ever 10 Years Ago This Week
Blood Dragon is by far the better game, but I appreciated it more having played through 3 first. In terms of the full Far Cry open world I preferred New Dawn. 2 would be better if it actually had a stealth mechanic. 4&5 were enjoyable too. I’ve never given Primal much of a chance and have yet to play 6.
One thing that I’ve gotten tired of is the constant trippy drug themes. It was fun at first but I just find myself playing through those levels as quickly as possible to get back to the good stuff. What I loved about Blood Dragon (aside from the full on 80s vibe) was the complete lack of it taking itself seriously at all.
Re: Microsoft Is Dropping The Price Of Xbox Series S For Black Friday 2022
I recently got a Series X and am now saving for a descent 4K tv. I debated getting the Series S, but ultimately it came down to a couple of factors: firstly when I do finally upgrade my TV I will get the benefits of the Series X. Secondly the disc drive. If I got the Series S I would have had to keep my One S set up to play my disc games. Thirdly, physical games drop massively in price in general, so I can take advantage of those when they turn up. Finally the fact that it is also a 4K/Blu Ray player is another bonus on top. However, for the price (and if you have been mostly digital on Xbox since last generation) then the Series S is a good machine. I just wanted to get the best system available.