@NEStalgia Part of the reason I got out of PC gaming around 2010 was because PC hardware was so expensive to "stay current".
But, unlike 2010, pretty much all games release on PC at some point now (well except all Nintendo published titles and only select Sony games - I doubt Astro Bot will ever release on PC).
I guess I am just stuck with doing the whole multi-console thing - unless Microsoft goes 100% third-party publisher by the end of the generation (in which case I will buy a PS6) or decides to make its next console 100% PC-based (in which case I will get that as I seriously doubt Sony would be able to block its games from running on said Xbox PC as that would give Sony power to essentially block a PC just because it says "Xbox" on the plastic - and I just don't see Valve, GOG, Epic letting Sony do that).
@NEStalgia "Honestly desktop 4090 probably won't carry you through NEXT generation either."
Yeah, that's my worry too.
But with things like Frame Gen, DLSS, etc. I wonder if something like a 4080 or 4090 - while not able to run "Ultra" settings on new games down the road, could get away with "Console settings" and still provide a decent experience longer than GPUs have before we had this technology.
My goal is to just play the games at the minimum "console quality" for a couple of generations. Maybe wait until the 50 series of Nvidia cards are released?
Plus, I am also looking at a broad spectrum of games. I can run emulation on a PC. Things like GOG provide older titles that I am also a fan of.
If I were to take the leap, I'd definitely look at the top-tier GPUs now - even if it's overkill - because mid-tier GPU, while cheaper, won't go the distance.
I am strongly mulling over selling off my Xbox Series X and PS5 and pulling the trigger on a good gaming laptop.
I am just worried about requirements for the next generation.
Would getting a laptop with an Nvidia 4080 (and DLSS, Ray-reconstruction, and Frame Generation, etc..) carry me both through this generation and through next generation?
Would the physical hardware even last that long (especially when most places say that gaming laptops really only have a 3 - 5 year lifespan)?
I really don't want to get back into building gaming desktops (as they have a longer shelf life) like I did in the early 2000s and I like the convenience of a laptop. But, I also don't want to have to spend thousands on a new machine every 3 - 5 years, either.
I am just growing tired of both Xbox and PlayStation's ecosystems (I just want the games, not the baggage that comes with it). I am also tired of having multiple consoles, cables, controllers, etc. in the house when a gaming laptop can pretty much cater to all my gaming needs (well, except current Nintendo hardware that I will always own).
While I certainly have appreciated the value of Game Pass Ultimate, I wouldn't be hurt if it just went away entirely. In fact, I'd love it if one of the Big Three took the biggest leap and just did away with all services and just existed based on great games for the hardware and marketplace sales - you know, like how PC storefronts rely on great games and marketplace sales.
No charge for online play
Free Cloud saves (well Microsoft already does this...)
@Kekelstvo The Callisto Protocol has four different difficulty settings.
The difficulty settings are:
Minimum Security: This setting is for players who prefer a story-based experience where the gameplay is an auxiliary due to the nerfs to enemies and the buffs to weapons.
Medium Security: This is the default setting where most players will be comfortable and is for people who have played a game or two like this before.
Maximum Security: This setting is for players who want a challenge and are prepared to face many challenges during their experience with the game.
Contagion: This is the hardest difficulty setting in the game.
Developer wanted to do a bulk game delay to work on Series S optimizations in an effort to keep release date the same across the board but was provided incentive to release on other platforms "on time" and delay only the Xbox version.
Just goes to show you what can happen when a developer is passionate about its project and still gets the support it needs to try to turn things around rather than simply calling it an "L" and close the studio....
@anoyonmus @InterceptorAlpha I guess. Just seems odd to put a whole bunch of arcade games using RE Engine in Arcade Stadium, but then use the old MT Framework for the Marvel Collection.
Couldn't Capcom have just used all Arcade Emulation work that was already done in RE Engine but with these Marvel games instead?!
I kind of understand the Monster Hunter Stories - probably super easy to port those since they were MT Framework on 3DS so just keep it in MT Framework where available.
My gripe is specifically with these retro collections where the Capcom Arcade boards across varying generations have already been emulated once in RE Engine in Stadium but then reverts to the MT Framework for another set of Arcade Games. Makes zero sense, to me!
Why in the heck would Capcom still use the outdated MT Framework for new releases (knowing full well Xbox doesn't support it anymore) - especially when the Capcom Arcade Stadium used RE Engine to power the emulation?!
If Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 have all been patched up to use the API for Micrsoft Store on PC, then I am sure these 3 games will hit Game Pass very soon.
You know what is curiously NOT on Game Pass PC?! Doom 2016. Doom Eternal is on Game Pass PC, but not Doom 2016. I wonder what's taking that so long.
Also, Heretic, Hexen, etc. haven't dropped on PC Game Pass either despite now owning both Raven Software AND Bethesda and those games also being available in the Microsoft Store on PC for a while.
@Banjo- I played all the way through Goldeneye 007 and it was a lot easier to "read" the game.
Perfect Dark was not.
When I say incoherent, I am talking about level and objective design. It was a mess.
Perhaps, if I had played it during its era it might have been better, but after years of modern game design "spoiling me", it felt more daunting than enjoyable.
I have no real affinity for Perfect Dark perhaps things that people may not like about this new game don't stand out as problems for me.
I skipped it during the N64 years and I recently gave it a try via Rare Replay and, to be honest, I didn't get the hype - it felt completely incoherent.
In the first mission, I wandered around the building killing bad guys looking for a way to progress only to find out I had to enter an elevator I had passed a bunch of times and could have finished it out a lot quicker than I did.
It all just felt like terrible game design.
But this reboot looked fantastic, and I can't wait to give it a go!
@BAMozzy The Coalition has a lot of ex-Epic employees working for them - which has led to a very close relationship with Epic itself (hence why they are consider Unreal Engine wizards). It's almost like having Epic working internally for Microsoft.
It's also why The Coalition was tapped to help optimize UE5 for both Series consoles AND DirectX (and was part of the team getting The Matrix Awakens demo working on Series X|S). So, it makes sense why they are the "go to" studio for everything UE5-related.
@AllStarGamer @Ricky-Spanish I mean, when you consider that the Digital Deluxe version of Alan Wake 2 costs $79.99 (when not on sale) and doesn't include a copy of Alan Wake Remastered....I'd say the physical edition is kind of a deal at $79.99 (since it has all the same stuff plus a free copy of Alan Wake Remastered).
I guess there is the argument that they could have released the "base game" at "base game price" for those that don't want the DLC.
It's that Limited Run Collectors Edition that's ridiculous.
@DennisReynolds Pretty sure corporate Microsoft would say “Cool, we’ll cut your salary.” And then close the studios anyways because it’s not enough savings.
@Gamer_X With the 1.00 version of most games being a broken mess and requiring a Day 1 Patch, even physical discs lose their purpose should digital storefronts shutdown entirely.
@Xbox_Dashboard I honestly think that is why the Series S is more popular the Series X: Microsoft seems to manufacture more Series S and were more readily available and people just "gave up" on trying to get a Series X.
I tried to get a Series X on...Black Friday...I believe(??) right after release and Game Stop had maybe...4 Series X and 10 Series S for purchase. I was 5th or 6th in line, so I left because everyone in front of me wanted Series X.
It still seems to be the case as I NEVER see Series X on store shelves, but I always see Series S.
@BAMozzy "By all accounts, it seems that Rocksteady aren't the same Studio anymore anyway."
You would be correct. Most left because of how this game was shoved down the studio's throat (and some poor upper management at Rocksteady - probably as a result of having this game shoved down the studio's throat).
Eurogamer had a good article on this on how Rocksteady was making a multiplayer puzzle solving game, was then shifted to do Suicide Squad as it would be better for the studio, and then was told to make it a live service game at a certain point in development.
Arkane Austin had the same sad tale with Redfall as ZeniMax was also "chasing trends" rather than letting the studio work its magic. I wish Microsoft had stepped in sooner (even Phil Spencer said Microsoft dropped the ball there). We saw what happened in the end.
I know publishers want to make money, but I feel like a publisher puts faith in a developer for what the developer is able to accomplish and once the publisher steps in and tells the developer what to do, things just fall apart.
Suits should only get involved if the developer is losing focus on a project it pitched to the publisher to prevent further delays and/or releasing a project with questionable quality, it should never tell the studio what to develop.
Microsoft is great at the part of not telling its developers what to develop, but terrible at letting projects get out of hand to the point of delays and/or questionable quality.
It had a really fun story, tense combat, and I found it had its own identity despite being compared to Dead Space and "lost points" with the public because it wasn't Dead Space. The Final Transmission DLC was fantastic!
My only complaint was that somehow my save file got lost of corrupted or something and I lost 4 hours of progress (though that may have been due to whatever system-level issues Xbox had at the system level for Cloud Synch that only came to the forefront due to Baldur's Gate 3 issues). I can't exactly blame the game or the developers for that though - it was just annoying.
I wonder why they chose a pirate theme exclusively for Xbox.
Is that a Sea of Thieves reference or something?
I never did get around to buying this for PlayStation; but since I generally prefer to use my Xbox for my games, looks like I will buy this version instead!
@BacklogBrad The water is definitely the weakest effect in the game. I guess I just give it a pass since it is essentially a giant water blob operating on physics rather than a canned animation.
I guess I just appreciate Ninja Theory's attempt to make water move realistically, even if it doesn't necessarily look great in every scenario.
I guess it makes sense to do an X1 version as Activision would be remiss to not release on PS4 where the "other half" of the PlayStation crowd still resides - and it would be pretty crappy of Microsoft to release on PS4 and not X1.
Though, I do wonder how this will affect PS5 sales as one of the biggest franchises will still be playable on PS4 and giving the annual COD/FIFA/Madden crowd another reason not to upgrade.
@BacklogBrad I see a lot of people complaining about the water.
While I certainly understand to a certain degree, you also have to keep in mind that the game is using an actual fluid simulation - not just some water body that was carefully animated to a specific look.
I just think the water is a little too animated for smaller water bodies as the ripples are crazy exaggerated when walking through them.
@Ricky-Spanish Well, I will say that The Witcher 3 does a very good job with side quests having actual weight in the story telling and ending. You may have had what is considered the "best" ending for the main characters, but the outcome of certain side quests (or just simply ignoring them all together) can leave the world in ruin.
Basically, The Witcher does a fantastic job of making side quests more like actual main plot.
However, the combat system in The Witcher 3 kind of sucks - I hated it. There also doesn't feel much in the way of character builds in The Witcher 3 (or, if there is, I totally lacked understanding of how that all worked).
Roach (the horse) is also an absolute idiot if you try to let him autorun without controller input - the horses in Breath of the Wild are significantly smarter in that aspect.
Side content in Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't hold much weight in the end. There are still multiple endings, but honestly, most of what happens at the end is directly tied to dialogue choices made during main story as well as decisions made once you initiate the "Point of no return" part of the game.
The combat is better in Cyberpunk (in my opinion).
Character building feels more robust in Cyberpunk2077 over The Witcher 3.
The thing is, do you like fantasy stories or sci-fi stories? Third-person hack n slash or first-person shooting/melee? Do you like more preset character type with slight tuning of attributes, or do you like more robust variance in your character to suit your playstyle?
This is the kind of stuff I want to see: collaboration among Microsoft's studios!
I hope the game releases in a polished state!
A shame it can't move up to 5.4, though, as that's where the performance gains will be seen with the addition of the asynchronous rendering pipeline (especially for midrange to low-end hardware).
@StonyKL Did you play the original? The puzzles are a tad quirky, but it's kind of part of her psychosis more than anything (or maybe just spilling over from her journey to a mystical land in the first game?).
I put "boss battle" in quotes simply because it's a longer battle than the others, a little more cinematic, and it ends the first "chapter" - I am trying to be as vague as possible here to avoid spoilers. Not exactly a "boss battle" in the traditional sense, but definitely more than fighting some of the smaller skirmishes to get there.
"I'm just jealous I can't feel the same with it."
But hey, at least you are actually giving it a solid go!
I respect someone's perspective who is actually trying and it's not "clicking" - that's more than people calling it trash and a waste of time based on a YouTube video or written review!
@StonyKL "Probably about half way I'd guess and nothing has really happened yet other than the odd one-to-one battle."
Within the first hour, Senua has had a few one-on-one battles, solved a simple puzzle, been laughed at, insulted, cut, almost drowned, freaked out by ghostly voices, fought a "boss battle", watched people get slaughtered, and had a mental breakdown or two.
I have only really had time to play about an hour of the game, but I have been really enjoying it!
While I understand people's arguments that the gameplay is lacking and that the whole thing is nothing but a tech demo - many saying they "watched a YouTube playthrough" and got bored - to sit and engage with it on your own terms on a 4K TV with HDR and headphones on just "feels" different.
To actively engage in the slower combat rather than watch it feels different.
To see all the fine-grain details of the game world that get lost in YouTube compression feels different.
To just be able to move around on your own also makes a difference.
I guess what I am trying to say is that sometimes one just needs to experience it for themself rather than watch someone play it in a compressed video.
Yes, story-telling takes the front seat here over in-depth gameplay. There is a lot of walking, puzzles aren't hard, and I wouldn't say combat is massively difficult (though, in my opinion, it does "feel" intense when you are actually doing it yourself). But every portion of the game has a purpose in telling the story Ninja Theory wanted to tell.
It's also fine if this kind of experience isn't for you - I get it. But the toxicity about it has been awful and unwarranted.
You can see this is a labor of love from the team and I appreciate all of their hard work in crafting this experience.
A Balance pass would be nice for people who do choose to go solo as sometimes it feels like certain encounters don't scale quite so well when you're alone.
Comments 2,062
Re: Reaction: Microsoft's Constant Tweaking Of Xbox Game Pass Is Becoming Exhausting
@NEStalgia Part of the reason I got out of PC gaming around 2010 was because PC hardware was so expensive to "stay current".
But, unlike 2010, pretty much all games release on PC at some point now (well except all Nintendo published titles and only select Sony games - I doubt Astro Bot will ever release on PC).
I guess I am just stuck with doing the whole multi-console thing - unless Microsoft goes 100% third-party publisher by the end of the generation (in which case I will buy a PS6) or decides to make its next console 100% PC-based (in which case I will get that as I seriously doubt Sony would be able to block its games from running on said Xbox PC as that would give Sony power to essentially block a PC just because it says "Xbox" on the plastic - and I just don't see Valve, GOG, Epic letting Sony do that).
Re: Reaction: Microsoft's Constant Tweaking Of Xbox Game Pass Is Becoming Exhausting
@NEStalgia "Honestly desktop 4090 probably won't carry you through NEXT generation either."
Yeah, that's my worry too.
But with things like Frame Gen, DLSS, etc. I wonder if something like a 4080 or 4090 - while not able to run "Ultra" settings on new games down the road, could get away with "Console settings" and still provide a decent experience longer than GPUs have before we had this technology.
My goal is to just play the games at the minimum "console quality" for a couple of generations. Maybe wait until the 50 series of Nvidia cards are released?
Plus, I am also looking at a broad spectrum of games. I can run emulation on a PC. Things like GOG provide older titles that I am also a fan of.
If I were to take the leap, I'd definitely look at the top-tier GPUs now - even if it's overkill - because mid-tier GPU, while cheaper, won't go the distance.
Re: Reaction: Microsoft's Constant Tweaking Of Xbox Game Pass Is Becoming Exhausting
I am strongly mulling over selling off my Xbox Series X and PS5 and pulling the trigger on a good gaming laptop.
I am just worried about requirements for the next generation.
Would getting a laptop with an Nvidia 4080 (and DLSS, Ray-reconstruction, and Frame Generation, etc..) carry me both through this generation and through next generation?
Would the physical hardware even last that long (especially when most places say that gaming laptops really only have a 3 - 5 year lifespan)?
I really don't want to get back into building gaming desktops (as they have a longer shelf life) like I did in the early 2000s and I like the convenience of a laptop. But, I also don't want to have to spend thousands on a new machine every 3 - 5 years, either.
I am just growing tired of both Xbox and PlayStation's ecosystems (I just want the games, not the baggage that comes with it). I am also tired of having multiple consoles, cables, controllers, etc. in the house when a gaming laptop can pretty much cater to all my gaming needs (well, except current Nintendo hardware that I will always own).
While I certainly have appreciated the value of Game Pass Ultimate, I wouldn't be hurt if it just went away entirely. In fact, I'd love it if one of the Big Three took the biggest leap and just did away with all services and just existed based on great games for the hardware and marketplace sales - you know, like how PC storefronts rely on great games and marketplace sales.
No charge for online play
Free Cloud saves (well Microsoft already does this...)
Re: Xbox Game Pass Gets Price Increases And New 'Standard' Subscription Tier
Good thing my Game Pass Ultimate is good until mid-2026.
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of The Callisto Protocol On Xbox Game Pass?
@Kekelstvo The Callisto Protocol has four different difficulty settings.
The difficulty settings are:
Minimum Security: This setting is for players who prefer a story-based experience where the gameplay is an auxiliary due to the nerfs to enemies and the buffs to weapons.
Medium Security: This is the default setting where most players will be comfortable and is for people who have played a game or two like this before.
Maximum Security: This setting is for players who want a challenge and are prepared to face many challenges during their experience with the game.
Contagion: This is the hardest difficulty setting in the game.
Re: Microsoft Makes Statement On The Xbox Delay For Black Myth: Wukong
My conspiracy theory:
Developer wanted to do a bulk game delay to work on Series S optimizations in an effort to keep release date the same across the board but was provided incentive to release on other platforms "on time" and delay only the Xbox version.
Re: Crime Boss: Rockay City Adds Free Xbox DLC Following 'Very Positive' Recent Reviews
Interesting.
Just goes to show you what can happen when a developer is passionate about its project and still gets the support it needs to try to turn things around rather than simply calling it an "L" and close the studio....
Re: Capcom's Old Game Engine Seemingly To Blame For Certain Releases Skipping Xbox
@anoyonmus @InterceptorAlpha I guess. Just seems odd to put a whole bunch of arcade games using RE Engine in Arcade Stadium, but then use the old MT Framework for the Marvel Collection.
Couldn't Capcom have just used all Arcade Emulation work that was already done in RE Engine but with these Marvel games instead?!
I kind of understand the Monster Hunter Stories - probably super easy to port those since they were MT Framework on 3DS so just keep it in MT Framework where available.
My gripe is specifically with these retro collections where the Capcom Arcade boards across varying generations have already been emulated once in RE Engine in Stadium but then reverts to the MT Framework for another set of Arcade Games. Makes zero sense, to me!
Re: Capcom's Old Game Engine Seemingly To Blame For Certain Releases Skipping Xbox
Why in the heck would Capcom still use the outdated MT Framework for new releases (knowing full well Xbox doesn't support it anymore) - especially when the Capcom Arcade Stadium used RE Engine to power the emulation?!
Re: Xbox's 2024 Showcase Was Great, But It Was Missing A Big ActiBlizz Announcement
If Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 have all been patched up to use the API for Micrsoft Store on PC, then I am sure these 3 games will hit Game Pass very soon.
You know what is curiously NOT on Game Pass PC?! Doom 2016. Doom Eternal is on Game Pass PC, but not Doom 2016. I wonder what's taking that so long.
Also, Heretic, Hexen, etc. haven't dropped on PC Game Pass either despite now owning both Raven Software AND Bethesda and those games also being available in the Microsoft Store on PC for a while.
Re: Joanna Dark Actor 'Crazy Excited' To Lead Xbox's Perfect Dark Reboot
@Fenbops Gotta love that 15fps goodness of the N64!
Re: Joanna Dark Actor 'Crazy Excited' To Lead Xbox's Perfect Dark Reboot
@Banjo- I played all the way through Goldeneye 007 and it was a lot easier to "read" the game.
Perfect Dark was not.
When I say incoherent, I am talking about level and objective design. It was a mess.
Perhaps, if I had played it during its era it might have been better, but after years of modern game design "spoiling me", it felt more daunting than enjoyable.
In other words, it aged like milk.
Re: Joanna Dark Actor 'Crazy Excited' To Lead Xbox's Perfect Dark Reboot
I have no real affinity for Perfect Dark perhaps things that people may not like about this new game don't stand out as problems for me.
I skipped it during the N64 years and I recently gave it a try via Rare Replay and, to be honest, I didn't get the hype - it felt completely incoherent.
In the first mission, I wandered around the building killing bad guys looking for a way to progress only to find out I had to enter an elevator I had passed a bunch of times and could have finished it out a lot quicker than I did.
It all just felt like terrible game design.
But this reboot looked fantastic, and I can't wait to give it a go!
Re: State Of Decay 3 Development Is Being Supported By Two Other Xbox Teams
@BAMozzy The Coalition has a lot of ex-Epic employees working for them - which has led to a very close relationship with Epic itself (hence why they are consider Unreal Engine wizards). It's almost like having Epic working internally for Microsoft.
It's also why The Coalition was tapped to help optimize UE5 for both Series consoles AND DirectX (and was part of the team getting The Matrix Awakens demo working on Series X|S). So, it makes sense why they are the "go to" studio for everything UE5-related.
Re: State Of Decay 3 Development Is Being Supported By Two Other Xbox Teams
Love to see it! Whatever gets games out at the highest quality (e.g. polished and performant) is something I support.
Re: Starfield Is Getting Review Bombed (Again)
Know a great way to send a message to Bethesda to stop doing this?
Don't pay for anything extra.
Re: Review: Alan Wake 2: Night Springs (Xbox) - Weird & Wonderful DLC That Oozes Remedy Style
@AllStarGamer @Ricky-Spanish I mean, when you consider that the Digital Deluxe version of Alan Wake 2 costs $79.99 (when not on sale) and doesn't include a copy of Alan Wake Remastered....I'd say the physical edition is kind of a deal at $79.99 (since it has all the same stuff plus a free copy of Alan Wake Remastered).
I guess there is the argument that they could have released the "base game" at "base game price" for those that don't want the DLC.
It's that Limited Run Collectors Edition that's ridiculous.
Re: Review: Alan Wake 2: Night Springs (Xbox) - Weird & Wonderful DLC That Oozes Remedy Style
"Alan Wake 2 sheriff who bares a striking resemblance to Quantum Break's Jack Joyce"
Are you just saying this tongue-in-cheek or are you not aware that both Jack Joyce and Sheriff Breaker are played by Shawn Ashmore?
Re: Phil Spencer On Recent Studio Closures: It's About Running A 'Sustainable Business'
@DennisReynolds Oh I completely agree on that! He put the Eye of Sauron on his entire department, no doubt.
All I am saying is that a pay decrease won’t do squat. Even stepping down wouldn’t do squat.
Those studios were probably doomed when the ink dried on the ABK deal as far as Microsoft corporate were concerned.
Re: Phil Spencer On Recent Studio Closures: It's About Running A 'Sustainable Business'
@DennisReynolds Pretty sure corporate Microsoft would say “Cool, we’ll cut your salary.” And then close the studios anyways because it’s not enough savings.
Re: Phil Spencer On Recent Studio Closures: It's About Running A 'Sustainable Business'
@DennisReynolds Even if cutting his salary saved 20 jobs, it wouldn’t save an entire studio.
Re: Phil Spencer On Recent Studio Closures: It's About Running A 'Sustainable Business'
@DennisReynolds A pay cut or quitting may save like...3 jobs not a whole studio.
Re: South Of Midnight Gets Gameplay Reveal, Coming To Xbox Game Pass In 2025
I quite enjoyed this one. Glad we could see gameplay.
I also like that stop-motion look of the cutscenes. Gives it a very distinctive syle.
Re: Today's SGF 2024 Showcase Gave Us Two New Game Pass Reveals
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess looks like it's going to be so much fun! It's nice to see experimentation still exists within AAA developers.
Re: Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Patch Makes Big Gameplay Changes On Xbox
@Gamer_X With the 1.00 version of most games being a broken mess and requiring a Day 1 Patch, even physical discs lose their purpose should digital storefronts shutdown entirely.
Re: Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin Tribute Appears In LA Ahead Of Summer Game Fest
1 part tribute, 2 parts throwing shade at the industry.
Re: Xbox 'Cross-Gen Face-Off' Shows The Benefits Of Series S Ownership
@Xbox_Dashboard I honestly think that is why the Series S is more popular the Series X: Microsoft seems to manufacture more Series S and were more readily available and people just "gave up" on trying to get a Series X.
I tried to get a Series X on...Black Friday...I believe(??) right after release and Game Stop had maybe...4 Series X and 10 Series S for purchase. I was 5th or 6th in line, so I left because everyone in front of me wanted Series X.
It still seems to be the case as I NEVER see Series X on store shelves, but I always see Series S.
Re: Report: Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League Lost $200 Million For Warner Bros
@BAMozzy "By all accounts, it seems that Rocksteady aren't the same Studio anymore anyway."
You would be correct. Most left because of how this game was shoved down the studio's throat (and some poor upper management at Rocksteady - probably as a result of having this game shoved down the studio's throat).
Eurogamer had a good article on this on how Rocksteady was making a multiplayer puzzle solving game, was then shifted to do Suicide Squad as it would be better for the studio, and then was told to make it a live service game at a certain point in development.
Arkane Austin had the same sad tale with Redfall as ZeniMax was also "chasing trends" rather than letting the studio work its magic. I wish Microsoft had stepped in sooner (even Phil Spencer said Microsoft dropped the ball there). We saw what happened in the end.
Re: Report: Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League Lost $200 Million For Warner Bros
I hate stories like these.
I know publishers want to make money, but I feel like a publisher puts faith in a developer for what the developer is able to accomplish and once the publisher steps in and tells the developer what to do, things just fall apart.
Suits should only get involved if the developer is losing focus on a project it pitched to the publisher to prevent further delays and/or releasing a project with questionable quality, it should never tell the studio what to develop.
Microsoft is great at the part of not telling its developers what to develop, but terrible at letting projects get out of hand to the point of delays and/or questionable quality.
Re: These Four Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (June 12-18)
I really liked The Callisto Protocol.
It had a really fun story, tense combat, and I found it had its own identity despite being compared to Dead Space and "lost points" with the public because it wasn't Dead Space. The Final Transmission DLC was fantastic!
My only complaint was that somehow my save file got lost of corrupted or something and I lost 4 hours of progress (though that may have been due to whatever system-level issues Xbox had at the system level for Cloud Synch that only came to the forefront due to Baldur's Gate 3 issues). I can't exactly blame the game or the developers for that though - it was just annoying.
I can not wait for Still Wakes the Deep!
Re: Former PlayStation Exclusive 'Kena: Bridge Of Spirts' Crosses Over To Xbox This August
I wonder why they chose a pirate theme exclusively for Xbox.
Is that a Sea of Thieves reference or something?
I never did get around to buying this for PlayStation; but since I generally prefer to use my Xbox for my games, looks like I will buy this version instead!
Re: Xbox Has Entered An Agreement To Publish The Next Game From Toys For Bob
@RIghteousNixon I was wondering that as well. Microsoft definitely seems to be picking up steam with courting third-party developers for games.
Right now, we have Kojima Productions, Toys for Bob, and potentially Hundred Star all doing games that will be funded and published by Microsoft.
I feel like there was another third-party studio confirmed to be doing something with Microsoft, but I could be wrong.
Re: Hellblade 2's First Xbox Update Now Available, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@BacklogBrad The water is definitely the weakest effect in the game. I guess I just give it a pass since it is essentially a giant water blob operating on physics rather than a canned animation.
I guess I just appreciate Ninja Theory's attempt to make water move realistically, even if it doesn't necessarily look great in every scenario.
Re: Microsoft Confirms That Black Ops 6 Won't Require A New Tier Of Xbox Game Pass
I guess it makes sense to do an X1 version as Activision would be remiss to not release on PS4 where the "other half" of the PlayStation crowd still resides - and it would be pretty crappy of Microsoft to release on PS4 and not X1.
Though, I do wonder how this will affect PS5 sales as one of the biggest franchises will still be playable on PS4 and giving the annual COD/FIFA/Madden crowd another reason not to upgrade.
Re: Hellblade 2's First Xbox Update Now Available, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@HarmanSmith Love the name and Avatar! Killer7 is an absolute gem!
Re: Hellblade 2's First Xbox Update Now Available, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@BacklogBrad I see a lot of people complaining about the water.
While I certainly understand to a certain degree, you also have to keep in mind that the game is using an actual fluid simulation - not just some water body that was carefully animated to a specific look.
I just think the water is a little too animated for smaller water bodies as the ripples are crazy exaggerated when walking through them.
Re: Hellblade 2's First Xbox Update Now Available, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
"Misaligned peach fuzz around Senua's neck and face has been corrected"
Talk about "attention to detail"!
I am guessing this was something found during photo mode?!
Re: Hellblade 2's First Xbox Update Now Available, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@user0 Doubt that will get "fixed" since the game is meant to have the look of a film shot with a wide-angle lens.
Re: Redfall's Final Update Is Now Live On Xbox & PC, Here Are The Patch Notes
I am sad to see this game go on without any more updates.
Sure, it wasn't perfect, but it had a lot of potential to be more had it received the proper support.
Re: Over A Decade Since Its First Teaser, Development Is Finally Finished On Cyberpunk 2077
@Ricky-Spanish Well, I will say that The Witcher 3 does a very good job with side quests having actual weight in the story telling and ending. You may have had what is considered the "best" ending for the main characters, but the outcome of certain side quests (or just simply ignoring them all together) can leave the world in ruin.
Basically, The Witcher does a fantastic job of making side quests more like actual main plot.
However, the combat system in The Witcher 3 kind of sucks - I hated it. There also doesn't feel much in the way of character builds in The Witcher 3 (or, if there is, I totally lacked understanding of how that all worked).
Roach (the horse) is also an absolute idiot if you try to let him autorun without controller input - the horses in Breath of the Wild are significantly smarter in that aspect.
Side content in Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't hold much weight in the end. There are still multiple endings, but honestly, most of what happens at the end is directly tied to dialogue choices made during main story as well as decisions made once you initiate the "Point of no return" part of the game.
The combat is better in Cyberpunk (in my opinion).
Character building feels more robust in Cyberpunk2077 over The Witcher 3.
The thing is, do you like fantasy stories or sci-fi stories? Third-person hack n slash or first-person shooting/melee? Do you like more preset character type with slight tuning of attributes, or do you like more robust variance in your character to suit your playstyle?
Re: Over A Decade Since Its First Teaser, Development Is Finally Finished On Cyberpunk 2077
@Ricky-Spanish That's comparing apples to oranges, don't you think? I'd argue they are both great for different reasons.
Re: Rumour: Rocksteady Founders Sign New Studio Game Deal With Xbox
@Kooky_Geezer It's actually cheaper to do a third-party deal than to keep a studio open.
That doesn't excuse or justify the closure of the studio, but I understand the logic.
Re: Avowed Seems To Be The Latest Xbox Game Getting Support From Gears Dev The Coalition
This is the kind of stuff I want to see: collaboration among Microsoft's studios!
I hope the game releases in a polished state!
A shame it can't move up to 5.4, though, as that's where the performance gains will be seen with the addition of the asynchronous rendering pipeline (especially for midrange to low-end hardware).
Re: Digital Foundry Analyses 'Next-Level Visuals' Found In Hellblade 2 On Xbox
@Dontasciime If you watch the video, it will tell you the resolution:
It renders in the 1296 - 1440p range, but with black bars comes to 962-1070p.
Re: Stop The Presses, Kermit The Frog Is Now Part Of Disney Speedstorm
I forgot Disney owned The Jim Henson Company.
Sheesh, what doesn't Disney own at this point?!
Re: Digital Foundry Analyses 'Next-Level Visuals' Found In Hellblade 2 On Xbox
@StonyKL Did you play the original? The puzzles are a tad quirky, but it's kind of part of her psychosis more than anything (or maybe just spilling over from her journey to a mystical land in the first game?).
I put "boss battle" in quotes simply because it's a longer battle than the others, a little more cinematic, and it ends the first "chapter" - I am trying to be as vague as possible here to avoid spoilers. Not exactly a "boss battle" in the traditional sense, but definitely more than fighting some of the smaller skirmishes to get there.
"I'm just jealous I can't feel the same with it."
But hey, at least you are actually giving it a solid go!
I respect someone's perspective who is actually trying and it's not "clicking" - that's more than people calling it trash and a waste of time based on a YouTube video or written review!
Re: XDefiant's First Xbox Update Announced, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
"Fixed an issue that was causing low framerates with some AMD GPUs"
Oh, so you sent everyone an Nvidia GPU?!
LOL! Sorry, I couldn't resist.
NOTE: I really don't care what GPU you have, I'm just having fun.
Re: Digital Foundry Analyses 'Next-Level Visuals' Found In Hellblade 2 On Xbox
@StonyKL "Probably about half way I'd guess and nothing has really happened yet other than the odd one-to-one battle."
Within the first hour, Senua has had a few one-on-one battles, solved a simple puzzle, been laughed at, insulted, cut, almost drowned, freaked out by ghostly voices, fought a "boss battle", watched people get slaughtered, and had a mental breakdown or two.
Are we playing the same game?
Re: Hellblade 2 Developer Ninja Theory Thanks Fans For 'Incredible Response'
I have only really had time to play about an hour of the game, but I have been really enjoying it!
While I understand people's arguments that the gameplay is lacking and that the whole thing is nothing but a tech demo - many saying they "watched a YouTube playthrough" and got bored - to sit and engage with it on your own terms on a 4K TV with HDR and headphones on just "feels" different.
To actively engage in the slower combat rather than watch it feels different.
To see all the fine-grain details of the game world that get lost in YouTube compression feels different.
To just be able to move around on your own also makes a difference.
I guess what I am trying to say is that sometimes one just needs to experience it for themself rather than watch someone play it in a compressed video.
Yes, story-telling takes the front seat here over in-depth gameplay. There is a lot of walking, puzzles aren't hard, and I wouldn't say combat is massively difficult (though, in my opinion, it does "feel" intense when you are actually doing it yourself). But every portion of the game has a purpose in telling the story Ninja Theory wanted to tell.
It's also fine if this kind of experience isn't for you - I get it. But the toxicity about it has been awful and unwarranted.
You can see this is a labor of love from the team and I appreciate all of their hard work in crafting this experience.
Re: Talking Point: Is There Anything Specific You Want To See In Redfall's Final Update?
Revamped cutscenes.
A Balance pass would be nice for people who do choose to go solo as sometimes it feels like certain encounters don't scale quite so well when you're alone.
Having the ability to return to Redfall proper.
Perhaps some new mission types for Neighborhoods.