GamingFan4Lyf

After an hour of playing on PC, I didn't notice any bugs or performance issues (aside from framerate taking a hit when in a city).

Now, I know this game is probably huge, so an hour doesn't mean much. But, so far, not a buggy mess, yet!

@Balaam_ Well, that's 100K sales right there. Not a bad start, right?!

@Fishmasterflex96 Microsoft has no control over this game. It is not the publisher. It only had a Game Pass and time exclusivity agreement (and I assume a marketing agreement).

Sure, Microsoft has been a cheerleader for the developer, but the decision to release is up to the publisher...who is also the developer. If the game passes all the proper certification checks for release on Xbox, then there is nothing it can really do to force a delay.

For all we know, the game is already fixed and these reviews aren't based on the patched product. Both this site and Eurogamer are withholding reviews to see if this latest patch irons out a lot the issues - there could be more but these are the only sites I frequent.

A game that was developed with literal war outside their windows and then essentially having to live like refugees in other countries just to have the some semblance of a playable game has some bugs?! Who would have thought?!

I get it, people are tired of games releasing in buggy states. In this case, I think we need to give a little grace and I hope people support the game regardless as the developers went through literal hell to get this out - especially since, judging by the actual text of the lower-scored reviews, the game is fantastic...just buggy.

One could say "delay", but I think the developer probably reached a breaking point to delay even further after delaying...how many times now?

@FraserG Oooooh...I guess I missed that part (probably helps to read the whole article and not just the chart). These Tiers are going to be confusing going forward.

Little Kitty, Big City

I had no idea this left Game Pass.

It was a cute game to play with my daughter.

@Ilyn Of course they would, and it would probably force Sony to change its strategy and we'd probably be having this same conversation with the name's reversed.

Neither one are angels.

All of this, though, is going to crumble and the "age of exclusivity" will end. Either because gaming is just too expensive to hoard to one platform (as Square Enix are now seeing) or because a platform exclusivity is getting too big and regulatory boards start to dig in (like we are seeing with Apple).

If Sony acquires FromSoftware, you can bet the games will never reach Xbox ever again. PC, sure. Switch 2 if it's a viable platform to run whatever future games FS makes. But Sony will definitely single out Xbox from releases because that's Sony's strategy.

Bungie was a very different acquisition because Sony's hope was to continue milking that live service cow across all platforms.

The biggest problem is that people praise Sony for putting its platform first - but people need to be careful what they wish for when Sony chokes competition out completely and runs circles around its customers because it can.

Microsoft may be one of the biggest publishers in the world now, but it's not restricting others to be the only publisher in the world.

@Ilyn I'd play WoW again if it was part of my GPU subscription.

Sometimes good help is all people need.

I put in a report once for The Darkness having red pixels all over the screen when running on my Series X. I used the e-mail option for sending a bug report to engineers.

Nothing. Not a thing. No reply, nothing. I checked up on the bug report myself to find out they couldn't reproduce it and closed the bug.

No response telling me I may need to send my Series X in for repairs. No further investigation. Nothing.

I am sure The Darkness running on Series X isn't a high priority effort, but a follow-up would have been nice.

It was the only game that did this strange "red pixel" thing. So I am not exactly sure what was happening. I got rid of my Series X, so it's a non-issue now.

@Ilyn That's interesting that you can do that. I haven't played WoW since like 2007.

@MeanBeanEgg I know I prefer it - though I have a ton of free games spread across Epic and GOG as well.

I also bought a few oldies off GOG.

Steam gets the most attention.
Epic Games takes second because I have a TON of free games from them
GOG is 3rd.

I have GPU until like 2026 or so, so I will definitely be using it for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Indiana Jones, and Avowed in the near future.

@MeanBeanEgg People don't like Microsoft Store versions of games on PC.

Perhaps it's another alternative that isn't Microsoft Store, but one where Microsoft still gets 100% of the revenue.

@gollumb82 I'm not saying Microsoft doesn't have a future in cloud gaming or taking this route, I'm just saying Microsoft really needs to step up its cloud gaming technologically if it really wants to put xCloud at the forefront - because it's lagging behind in both image quality and input latency (when one would think Microsoft, of all the companies, would be the leader in Cloud as much as Microsoft has invested).

@gollumb82 Perhaps in overall infrastructure (Microsoft has Azure servers everywhere these days), but Sony seems to have the better streaming tech as it can do 4K/HDR while xCloud still seems to be stuck at 1080p.

Nvidia is killing it in the streaming department, though. GeForce Now is darn-near "local" at this point. It can 4K HDR/240 with incredibly low input lag.

Microsoft is supposed to be the leader in cloud, but, the way I see it, it's 3rd in the Cloud gaming department from a technical perspective.

Hopefully this new marketing will help push Microsoft's cloud tech further than the others because it's a pretty big gamble to do this and not have the more advanced tech to back it up!

@OldGamer999 I have such a love-hate relationship with this game.

At times it feels really epic and special, but then the time in between those special moments isn’t nearly as satisfying and I just lose interest and move on to something else for a while.

I am glad it was a freebie with the Nvidia card that came in my prebuilt gaming PC.

@Fiendish-Beaver Gosh, if only there was a studio under Microsoft's umbrella that also knows how to make Fallout games.... 🤔

Looking forward to playing this!

Nice that the developers are providing the option to remove the stop-motion during gameplay for those who are bothered by it. I will be keeping it on.

@themightyant "It feels so wrong, like a bad b-movie clone."

LOL!

I kind of agree with you. The default character kind of feels like the "canon" character the developers wanted you to play.

I am with you on the whole YouTube video weirdness. I'll get Soulsborne videos pop up on my Facebook feed with this crazy purple...something...with weird makeup and funny shape. Drives me nuts!

I go with the default.

I mean, how much does it really matter what the avatar looks like when it's loaded up with armor and is seen from behind 95% of the time (or is first person and you don't see the character at all)?!

I don't care about in-game cosmetic/design features, either.

It's going to be extremely AI driven. Plain and simple.

Chasing native resolutions and native framerates is becoming a pointless effort thanks to advances in AI technology.

The RTX series of GPUs have been a game-changer for PCs. And switching from console-only to an RTX-driven PC is like entering an entirely different generation of gaming.

I play Cyberpunk 2077 completely maxed out with full path-tracing enabled at 1440p output resolution and get anywhere from 75 - 90fps with amazing controller response using a 4070 Super.

However, the native resolution is like 800p (I think I am using DLSS Balanced) and the native framerate is probably in 40s/50s (frame gen doesn't necessarily double framerate, by the way). I am sure I could get very similar results at 4K output (but I'd have to use a more aggressive DLSS setting if I wanted to keep things maxed out).

Thanks to Reflex, the game also feels like I am playing at a higher framerate. Now, I play PC games with a controller, so perhaps keyboard/mouse doesn't feel as responsive, but that doesn't matter much for a console.

Sure, I could turn off path tracing and RT if I wanted and get much higher FPS, but if I can get the best visuals running comfortably over 60fps (even if I have to rely on AI to achieve it), that's the choice I'll make.

Bottom line, AI can make even modest hardware punch well above its weight. So even if Microsoft were to double the power of the Series X, having powerful AI capabilities could "triple" the power of the next console.

But Microsoft's problem isn't power. It needs to do something new to differentiate itself from Sony. Simply playing the power game isn't enough, anymore.

People are pretty much locked into Sony's ecosystem now - they've built up way too much to "start over" on another console. So whatever Microsoft is trying to do, it needs to be able to stand alone as a great secondary machine as well as a primary machine.

The one thing that I really loved about the Series X was the significantly improved load times - even for X1 games.

I think I was in the middle of a playthrough of the last-gen version of Control at the time I got the console (Series X|S upgrade hadn't released yet), and it was like a whole new game as the load times upon load, fast travel, death, etc. just felt so long on X1X but were mere seconds on the new hardware.

When you only have a short window of time to play games, spending 1/4 of that in load screens really kills the mood. So, it was fantastic getting those fast load times.

The other fond memory I had was booting up the console some days to find a game got a Series X|S upgrade thanks to Smart Delivery - even without warning.

The Series X was my primary console with the PS5 and Switch being for exclusives-only, so Smart Delivery was fantastic for ensuring I had the best version of the game possible when I booted up my console.

Good times!

Judas for me. The rest I have zero interest in buying.

@HarmanSmith Yes, thanks

I hope Xbox players support the game.

People call it a walking simulator or mailman simulator, but, to, me it felt very much like MGS V gameplay wise; but rather than trying to plan your way through areas with enemy soldiers, you're trying to find the safest, yet, fastest route without either getting attacked by "bandits" (I honestly don't remember the name of the humans who attack porters) or dealing with BTs.

It's equal parts Zen and equal parts stealth, mixed with a little travel planning. Plus, story is pretty bonkers.

Really looking forward to this one! It looks absolutely bonkers and I am all for it.

@InterceptorAlpha Yeah, pre-Xbox 360/PS3 generation was when we had the Expansion Packs - but it was more a PC thing. Consoles games were totally "as is".

But it's not as if people expected them - nor where they planned. It was just that developer wanted to add more as a fun bonus.

Then DLC became a thing....

@InterceptorAlpha @Ryu_Niiyama Your exchange just shows just how much game expectations and habits have changed over the years.

Getting an expansion back in the day felt like a really great bonus that no one expected, but happily enjoyed. No one felt like DLC was predatory or even that a game was purposefully sold as "incomplete" in order to milk DLC.

Now if a game doesn't get DLC, it's perceived as some kind of indication things aren't going well for a game/developer.

It's like people can't even comprehend a developer making a complete experience out of the gate, anymore.

NOTE: I am not saying either of you are wrong. This is purely observational of the exchange between you two and my own commentary on modern gaming.

@gipsojo I got rid of my Series X a couple months after I got my PC. I still keep the PS5 around for now. But after I finished Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I shut down my PS5 for the long haul.

With Sony continuing to shorten the time between PS5 and PC releases, the PS5 may go too. I want to see how Sony handles Ghost of Yotei from a PC perspective, first, before making a decision.

But, yeah, my Series X was my primary console this whole generation (and my PS5 was for exclusives). In 2023, I played 1 game on my PS5 (God of War Ragnarok). The rest was dedicated to Xbox.

2024 has been a lot more PS5-centric just due to getting a lot of PS5 games for Christmas last year.

Makes sense since within the last few weeks I believe was reported that Xbox is like 75% digital or something?!

I can't find the article for the exact number, but it was pretty high compared to Switch and PlayStation.

This is such a niche release to begin with that the bean counters figured it would probably lose money making physical Xbox versions given the digital focus.

@shoeses In those people's defense, at the time of this initial release, there was an advantage for people on Xbox - if they already owned the game, it was already playable for them for a while. If someone didn't own the game, it was super cheap compared to the release on PS5/Switch (especially since physical copies still work).

Plus, the rerelease was 4K/30 at first - which the Xbox Series X could already accomplish.

Also, the existence of the backwards compatible version on Xbox probably factored into Rockstar's decision to not release this game again on Xbox.

But...Rockstar updated the game to have a 60 fps version on PlayStation. Then a PC release comes with 60 fps (and higher) and Xbox is still left in the cold.

I am so looking forward to this! I will be playing on PC.

"It’s not up to us but to Sony and Phil to duke out...."

Something tells me Phil wouldn't be the problem in that scenario.

Since my PS5 is essentially a paperweight for an indefinite amount of time, I should really give this game a whirl on PC using the DualSense controller - I had no idea this game even supported it on PC.

This is interesting. Is this for just Xbox or is this an Xbox and PlayStation thing?

I just don't see the PlayStation crowd paying for this because the system already lets your create a personal spatial audio profile for free.

Honestly, I don't see Xbox people paying for it either if they already paid for Dolby Atmos for Headphones - even though Xbox doesn't let you personalize your spatial audio.

Like @NeutronBomb, I also found that Movie Mode "works" better than Game Mode for Dolby Atmos for Headphones (by working I mean being able to differentiate the direction of the sound) - I use the Detailed EQ setting.

Prior to getting a PC and getting rid of my Series X, I would have told you that I got all my third-party games on Xbox (over Switch).

But, now, I everything I play is on PC - except for Nintendo exclusives. I will be holding off buying Sony exclusives to see if they make it to PC.

@tslog Gosh, you must really be bent out of shape that you don't play as Zelda in a vast majority of The Legend of Zelda titles.

@OldGamer999 Alan Wake 2 balances things out pretty well between action and exploration.

It doesn't ever reach the levels of the original Alan Wake where, like in the last few stages, you are just taking out wave after wave of enemies (except for one exception I won't spoil).

Alan Wake 2 also handles collectibles very well. Doing those Side Cases actually offer benefits to your character rather than being there for the sake of a trophy/achievement: there are actual character upgrades in this one and in order to get those upgrades you have to explore.

I thought there was a lot of good stuff there. I was so glad to get the Lake House release date - I can't wait!

Plus, my Steam Wishlist increased in size yesterday. I will even give FBC a whirl when it releases on Game Pass (I assume PC will be included in that).

Cronos: The New Dawn, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, Mouse P.I., and Eternal Strands were all standout titles for me to keep an eye out for.

I always love how advertising people make it seem like any game with voice communications is so orderly and precise.

No one talks like that in multiplayer games - even co-op!

This one has my interest piqued.

@Ricky-Spanish This was a Partner Showcase.

While I agree it's taking forever for ABK Games to hit Game Pass, this presentation focused entirely on third-party games.

@Medic_alert Remedy said a while ago that a multi-player game based in the Control setting was in the works.

On topic: I really enjoyed this presentation. Lots of great games coming down the line. I'll definitely Wishlist some games on Steam.

Can't wait!

I am on my third playthrough of the game - only this time on PC with all the bells & whistles enabled.

@Dangerdude From my understanding of this game, the cities and towns are only issue and that the game runs very well outside of town.

I guess those couple hundred Mhz difference between the Series S and Series X in the CPU is enough to cause a 10fps difference in the Performance Mode.

Interesting that Capcom didn't choose to lower the render resolution for Performance Mode on Series S to like 1080p or something.

Unless it looked really bad upscaled from 1080p.

I hope these "gamers" didn't make a dime.

I hope the "settlement" was basically, "We [Microsoft] will bury you in millions of dollars in litigation unless you drop it."

While I was initially supportive of the acquisition (albeit from a selfish angle hoping that a lot of Blizzard IP - especially the older Diablo games - would drop on Game Pass PC), I think it ended up being a terrible decision.

People would worry that it would completely decimate the games industry. But, in the end, it seems to be the downfall of the Xbox console market.

Xbox Division seemed to have a certain level of autonomy. Now that "Big Daddy Corporate" has its eyes on the Division, it's solely become a Corporate Machine rather than something that was more fun.

I mean...sure...all these game divisions are part of a corporation to make money...but Xbox feels hollow now.

And I am still waiting for all Blizzard IP on Game Pass PC.

@FatGuyInLilCoat I am not exactly sure “Well, we’ll skip Xbox because even people who have both consoles would just prefer to buy it on PlayStation” is a sound business consideration.

There are too many assumptions there with a considerably high margin of error.

@16BitHero People act like the probably 30+ million Series consoles out there are "nothing". Sure, it's not selling like PlayStation, but it's still a considerable amount of players to appeal to.

This isn't a Wii U situation where it barely broke 13 million sales.