Gamer83

I was a bit concerned about this one myself (haven't enjoyed the movies after Last Crusade and most of the IJ games are meh) but about halfway through, I have to put this up with my favorite games of this year and it might be my favorite on Series X overall. Great story, great performance by the cast, fun gameplay and from a first person perspective it's like you're participating in an Indy movie. It's not Uncharted or Tomb Raider, series that this IP inspired, but that's a good thing and I'd say I like it better than any of the TR games I've played (1-3, LAU and the reboot trilogy) as well as all the Uncharteds except 2.

Xbox Series X - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Downloading now. Not a hardcore fan of the IP but have enjoyed some of the movies. Game looks awesome.

Easily my least favorite Xbox console but I do have some fond memories. I got the system in August 2014, a $400 bundle that included a digital code for Madden. I got it to play Forza Horizon 2 and Sunset Overdrive and both games lived up to the hype. I also picked up Killer Instinct and Dead Rising 3 that year and had a blast with those. In 2015 it was Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, Tomb Raider and Forza Motorsport 6 and then in 2016, I really enjoyed Gears of War 4 and Recore. It slowed down after that but those 3 years were a decent stretch.

Best thing to happen that gen, however, was backwards compatibility, which was made even better with the arrival of Xbox Series X. It's a shame MS discontinued the program.

Software wise, still my favorite Xbox console. The best feature of XSX, imo, is the ability to play many of my favorite 360 games with enhancements.

@mac_da_man
Yeah, I was hoping to one day see the Xbox brand return to what it was in the original and, especially, 360 days, but the reality is that it's just not going to happen. Shame because the pressure MS put on Sony in the 7th gen led to one of the best time periods the gaming industry has seen.

They have to expand to other areas to keep making Xbox consoles... Shows how incompetent the leadership at Xbox really is.

Sounds like selling out to MS was a great idea.

Hardware wise, if done correctly, this might be the best path forward for Xbox.

The glory days of a Xbox, as a console brand anyway, are long gone. This should be the last bit of confirmation anybody needs. I don't think it's a good thing as it gives Sony entire reign over the high-end console market.

@SodaPop6548
I agree. But one thing I do appreciate about Xbox Series X is how much it improves some of my favorite original Xbox and Xbox 360 games with FPS boost (on top of the X1X enhancements some games have). Sonic Generations being one of the best examples, it was like getting a free remaster.

Haven't played the game in a few months, have to get back into it. Always get hooked when I do start playing.

Of that list I'd go...
1. Astro Bot
2. Tekken 8
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

I'd say Fable. I played 2 a lot and really enjoyed it but never got hooked by 1 and 3. When the new one comes out I'll try it on Game Pass but it won't be a big priority.

That choice at the end of 5 was still one of the dumbest freaking things I've seen a dev do. Like the game overall, but that part was stupid and unnecessary.

Xbox Series X - Sonic X Shadow Generations, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Switch - The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Since the original version of Sonic Generations, all the Sonic games I've bought, with the exception of Mania on Switch, have been for Xbox. Considered this on Switch but when there's an option for 60 fps (and it still having a nice resolution) vs. 30, for a Sonic outing, it's a no-brainer which system to choose.

I played it the day after via Game Pass. Ended up buying it to own outright, since the campaign (the part I care about) is great and I want to support good products. This is why I like GP, I use it as a 'try before you buy' type of deal. Did the same last year with Starfield and will also be trying the Indiana Jones games on GP first, going to try to remember to download it before launch day.

Never been much of a fan of online multiplayer but some Call of Duty campaigns are really good. Consensus seems to be this is one of the better campaigns, looking forward to giving it a go once it's done downloading.

Still have my 360 copy of the original Generations and it's installed on my Series X but I bought the remaster anyway, mainly for the Shadow content. I'd agree with some people here, though, if you're content with the original this isn't really worth it unless Shadow is among your favorite characters in the series.

I also think any XSX owner who hasn't played Generations and was interested in this for the remaster, it's best to try and hunt down a 360 copy because it plays and looks like a dream with the current hardware upgrades and doesn't have the moronic 'modern audience' changes.

Won't judge it because I haven't played it and have no interest to. I don't like a lot of the decisions that were made this game from the narrative perspective but also from the business side as well. A shame because the first is among my favorite games of all-time but in recent years I'm finding many continuations of IP I like just not being worth it overall.

@awp69
Fair point that I've seen mentioned elsewhere. Admittedly, I didn't think about that at first, especially given that Freedom Wars isn't exactly a big-name IP. It's not like if Horizon showed up on Xbox, even if only in Lego form, that'd be a huge deal.

Sometimes, as much as I don't like it, I can understand why this decision is made. If it's something to do with older engines, MS policies forcing parity between consoles or even if you're talking about a small dev/publisher with very limited resources which means difficult choices need to be made. However, Namco leaving out any platform for such a niche game is beyond stupid. It's not likely to do great on Xbox but it's not going to do huge numbers elsewhere either. Get the $ where you can.

@SuntannedDuck2
If you like Lollipop Chainsaw, look into Killer is Dead afterwards, it's available on Xbox through the backwards compatibility program. Like all Suda 51 games, it has its odd, somewhat janky gameplay quirks but still fun and has a great cast of characters/story. If you have a Switch, I'd definitely recommend No More Heroes 1-3, that's Grasshopper's best work, imo.

Xbox Series X - Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP (can't believe I didn't play this when it originally released, it's a game right up my alley)

Switch - The King of Fighters XIII: Global Match, SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy

PS5 - Stellar Blade, Astro Bot

@GeeEssEff
Heck yeah. I didn't own an original Xbox until summer 2004 but Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay was the game that made me go out and get one. I had an off day from work, bought the system and game and spent pretty much all day playing it. Of course, I also caught up on some gems that I missed like Dead or Alive 3 and Ninja Gaiden. And also had to buy Halo. That was a good summer.

Played through the first couple stages and other than the camera, at times, I don't really have any complaints. I appreciate that this remaster stayed as true to the original release as a modern-day remaster can and feel stupid for having not supported the game way back then. It's the typical, over the top, Suda 51 nonsense that I know and love.

Good review. I pre-ordered this and it's downloading to my Series X now. Looking forward to playing it when I get home from work tomorrow morning. I'm a big fan of all the Suda 51 games I've played (No More Heroes 1-3, Killer is Dead) so hopefully this is the same.

Wouldn't upgrade. The Series X, just like the base PS5, hasn't been used to its potential. 'Pro' consoles for this gen are beyond pointless.

Xbox has its own problems to worry about. The brand, right now, is at such a low point with consumers that it allows Sony to feel very comfortable charging the asinine price for the PS5 Pro. The high-end console market is in a bad place because both companies are doing dumb stuff.

I don't know who's to blame at this point... There isn't a native PS5 version of the game either, the PS4 version works via backwards compatibility, so it's obvious this is a problem with the tech Capcom uses but obviously other stuff is going on with MS' platform that isn't with Sony's. Could simply be sales but I've also read in the past that it has to do with some rules MS has in place.

Either way, it's a ridiculous problem that should've been solved by now.

It really is amazing how one bad press conference, 11 years ago, threw the Xbox brand off course and due to complete and total incompetence, it never got things back on track. Absolutely pathetic. Sony and Nintendo have both had failures to varying degrees but always bounce back. MS didn't even try.

Just like Starfield last year, this looks like a game I can get into but not completely sure, will definitely take advantage of the GP launch and buy it outright if it's a good time.

@RetroMan71
I mean, you might be able to say that about plenty of consoles. I'm not saying the naming has been good but it's not as bad as people make it out to be either. I do think Sony's simple number line for the home consoles works best but as mentioned by others, if MS copied that, it was going to look like Xbox was a generation behind. They were in trouble either way. Bottomline, if you're going to invest in something like a gaming system, which isn't cheap, look into things first.

It's really not that confusing. People surprise me with their stupidity sometimes.

I love games with the cyberpunk setting so I'll probably get this at some point.

Well, that's unfortunate.

I'd go with Halo 3, Super Street Fighter IV and Gears of War Ultimate Edition.

I just pre-ordered Sonic X Shadow Generations for the XSX. Main reason I still pre-order is I prefer physical and feel like if I don't try to get them early, especially on Xbox, I'll miss out. Only do it for games I know I want to play right away, though.

Fantastic game and it scared the scumbags at EA so much that eventhough sales of the Madden games weren't hurt, it had to buy exclusivity rights. Frankly, I'm even more disgusted by the NFL for allowing that to happen.

The First Descendant. Enjoying it so far but we'll see how the game well the game fares over the longterm.

Downloading The First Descendant now and will probably also download the PS5 version. Seems like a game that I can get into but if not, it's free, so not a big deal.

I still have some concerns in regards to how much longer MS will continue to support physical releases for video games and whether it will continue to produce Xbox consoles (I know Spencer and Bond have both said there will at least be a next-gen machine but plans seem to change constantly). As far as games, though, there's a lot of stuff coming from Xbox Studios that I want to play. Gears of War E-Day, Perfect Dark and DOOM: The Dark Ages, topping the list.

Dead Rising 3 is my favorite with the original being a close second. Didn't care much for 2 and had some fun with 4 but not as much as the other entries. I really enjoyed the characters and story in 3.

This is the only Forza Horizon game I never bought outright but I did play it on Game Pass and purchased the VIP Pass. Didn't expect that would eventually get a free copy of the full game but I'll happily take it. Nice gesture by MS.

I played the first one on PS3 and really enjoyed it, but the way the second has this 'on again, off again' thing happening with it, it's been difficult to get hyped. Frankly, I'm still not sure it will ever release, but if it does, and it's good, I'll buy it.

1. Gears of War: E-Day
2. DOOM: The Dark Ages
3. Perfect Dark
4. Indiana Jones

The game looked way better than I thought it would and I'm happy its first person because early reports I remember reading suggested it could be third. Still not 100% sold but the gameplay that was shown looked cool and from what can be gathered in that trailer, the story has potential. Voice acting was really good, which is a nice start.

@Scrubchub
I'd say if you want to play Perfect Dark now, get the Xbox version. Controls are much better. I tried playing it on Switch and was able to adapt but it's very annoying. Still a legitimately fun game on Xbox, though.

Mass Effect 2 Lair of the Shadow Broker