GamingFan4Lyf

@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.

@HarmanSmith Love the name and Avatar! Killer7 is an absolute gem!

@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.

"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?!

@user0 Doubt that will get "fixed" since the game is meant to have the look of a film shot with a wide-angle lens.

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.

@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?

@Ricky-Spanish That's comparing apples to oranges, don't you think? I'd argue they are both great for different reasons.

@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.

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).

@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.

I forgot Disney owned The Jim Henson Company.

Sheesh, what doesn't Disney own at this point?!

@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!

"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.

@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?

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.

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.

I want Microsoft to reveal that my Series X is actually a Transformer that only comes to life when you input the Konami Code during boot up.

Hey...you asked for a "Dream Reveal" right?! 😅

@CutchuSlow What happens naturally with your body is that each ear picks up frequencies from soundwaves travelling to you which triggers a binaural response in your brain for you to understand position in 3D space.

So, binaural sound (much like Dolby Atmos for Headphones or 3D Audio on PS5) simulates how your ears are able to interpret sounds in a 3D space.

However, the difference comes in the recording.

Dolby Atmos and 3D Audio is generally recorded with a single microphone and added to 3D space by a computer. For speakers, it just comes out the proper channel and for headphones, an algorithm determines the proper frequencies to trigger the binaural response (to varying degrees of success).

When someone does a binaural recording, they basically have a dummy head with 2 microphones attached to the ears. Voices are then recorded in various locations around the head and at varying distances. Both microphones pick up the sounds. When it's played back via headphones, it triggers the binaural response because the microphones pick up the sounds from different directions just like your ears do. Think of it as a 1:1 translation of sound to ear.

Having it beamed directly into your ears via headphones is just more effective than having all that mixed by an engineer for surround sound.
The voices feel like they are "in your head" rather than coming from a speaker.

I had the same thought you did when I played the first game on PS4 in surround sound (because I have a really good setup). It was good, but I didn't understand the hype of the game.

I did a second playthrough on Xbox (via Game Pass) using headphones and it was like hearing a totally different game and I finally understood what people were talking about.

I can't believe how good this game looks! I played for about an hour, and it has got to be the most impressive real-time graphics I have ever seen! It looks borderline pre-rendered CG.

The fact it performs so well is also a huge plus! There were some slight hitches during the beginning of a couple of cutscenes, but I didn't notice any frame drops during actual gameplay.

I don't even notice the black bars (thanks mostly to the Active Array turning off backlighting on those particular parts of my TV, so it's pure black - I don't have an OLED, so it's the closest thing I have to achieving "True Black").

The audio design is even better than the first game. That intro sequence is extremely disorienting! The soundtrack is superb and really sets the tone.

Combat is incredibly "primal" and slow-paced, but it has a nice "punch" to it when blows are landed. I got incredibly nervous during a pivotal battle, but everything panned out to a satisfying end.

It's really a great experience so far.

@OrfeasDourvas I think it’s just that people want the spectacle of something like God of War, Bayonetta, (modern) Final Fantasy, or Spider-Man rather than the visceral and weighty type of fighting that Hellblade uses.

Senua has no flash or finesse with her combat style and people might see that as boring. It’s not fast like those other games. There are no combos to master or new moves to unlock.

I don’t think either focus is wrong, but in a world of flashy spectacle, something more arthouse and raw is always going to be divisive.

I really liked how the first game’s combat made you feel like almost as exhausted as Senua looked when it was all over. This game looks more intense than the first in that aspect.

I need to brush up on my Elden Ring skills again!

Can't wait!

Can't wait to dive in. I really enjoyed the first game despite it not being much of a game in the traditional sense, and, based on reviews, it sounds like I will enjoy this as well.

I couldn't care less.

I'd be interested to see how the revamped Neighborhood system works.

One thing I thought was odd that even a "Cleared" neighborhood was no different than a non-cleared neighborhood. It would have been cool if there were differences and even bonuses to actually freeing them (other than for game progression purposes).

Hopefully the developers manage to add some kind of Story Quest that unlocks access back to Redfall proper once you "finish" it.

Well, I guess you can't blame the controller itself for input lag.

High precision doesn't mean much when you still have Cloud Streaming latency to contend with.

Cool, I'll actually try a new Call of Duty game - something I haven't don't since...well...Modern Warfare 2 on X360.

Playing the campaign and deleting will make this a great value for me.

For those who play this game for the whole year would be better off buying it as it's cheaper than a year of Game Pass Ultimate.

Cool, I guess.

Honestly, I don’t see the appeal anymore.

I guess when you finally grow up, the whole edginess and living out the criminal fantasy all just seems so juvenile.

This will go over well with everyone, I'm sure.

Hope they're taking resumes from Tango.

@NEStalgia Even so, Microsoft's research in AI, Quantum Computing, Cloud Infrastructure, etc. etc. are all getting used by researchers to help tackle modern problems - including medical research, pharmaceuticals, and tackling even logistical issues and humanitarian necessities.

Sure, it's all for the sake of money, but it's still making a difference where it matters.

To me, I personally don't care if people make donations to causes for tax reduction purposes or invest in technology to better the world just to make more money, it's the fact it is happening at all that matters to me.

The world isn't going to change by poor people with great intentions. It's going to change by rich people clearing their conscience.

@K1LLEGAL Yeah, I am not sure who should be doing the talking now, though.

Sure, Phil is the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, but Sarah Bond is now the head of Xbox.

There are just too many [expletive] CEOs in Microsoft right now! LOL!

But yeah, there needs to be some old-school "behind closed doors" screaming matches going on at Redmond.

I have nothing against Satya. He's certainly moved Microsoft in positive directions (even if those positive directions are nothing more than opportunities to get more people rich), but he has got to let the Xbox people handle Xbox things.

Why even have an "Xbox Leadership" at this point if these decisions are just going to get dictated by Corporate?

@themightyant "Smart decision even if current performance is a bit iffy."

Not really sure Bethesda can do much else with performance in cities unless it wants to completely strip them of all but the "important" NPCs and leave them looking almost completely lifeless.

Though Digital Foundry did note that the supposed culling of city crowds in Performance Mode didn't seem to happen as crowd density looked the same.

Perhaps, in complete Bethesda fashion, there is a bug in the patch with regards to reducing crowd density in Performance Mode.

I do like this approach that Bethesda is taking with the Modes.

Sure, there might be a little too "PC-like" compared to Performance/Visuals Mode, but it does future-proof the game as Microsoft's next system will probably be able to run the Visuals Mode at 60+fps all the time.

I kind of hope this becomes a standard going forward if games continue to have different performance/visual profiles for games.

Plus, as a tech head, it provides a good benchmark of the hardware's capabilities with the game. Apparently, the game gets pretty high FPS in the Unlocked + 120 Mode when it's not CPU bound by cities.

@HonestHick I'm with you on this, brotha!

With the $1000+ dollars I spend on buying both Xbox and PlayStation, I could have bought a good gaming laptop to play Microsoft and Sony games at least console settings.
Plus, all the PC games I like from when I was a PC gamer back in the early 2000s.
Plus, emulation.

In the end, it really does feel like the better deal. Sure, I lose most of the purpose of my 4K TV as I'd be playing most games at like 1080p on a laptop, but the amount of games at my disposal is significantly higher.

I think if Microsoft doesn't manage to successfully make the "Xbox PC" for next generation, I will look into migrating to PC rather than clogging up my entertainment center with multiple consoles (well, except a Nintendo console, which I will always buy).

@Tasuki I used to love WoW back in the day. I stopped for a while after Burning Crusade. Then my account got hacked by gold farmers in my absence and was banned.

I had to like send my ID and a whole bunch of stuff to Blizzard to get my account back, but my main was deleted and I had a bunch of mule characters on my account with like no gear at all.

Isn’t it free to play until level 40 (with restrictions) or something, now?

I turned it on for about 10 minutes.

There was too much going on I didn't understand.

Uninstalled and never went back.

The problem with jumping into an MMO after so many years is that there never fells like there is a proper "introduction". You are thrown into all this built up lore and content that it's hard to really ease into the game.

And it never seems like anyone has any patience for new players and basically leave you to flounder.

I wonder why Xbox chose to make AutoHDR optional when used for backwards compatible titles, but is automatically used no matter what for Series X titles.

I am not necessarily complaining because I like AutoHDR, but, at the same time, it would be nice to at least disable it when AutoHDR is disabled for those who don't like it. It feels...sneaky as people are assuming the HDR is hand-crafted, but it's not because there is nothing telling you otherwise.

Psychonauts 2 uses it.
Alan Wake Remastered uses it.
Fallout 4 uses it.

I am sure there are probably more, but those are the 3 games that come to mind that use AutoHDR for Series X|S "native" games.

Visuals/60fps is the way to go!

Also glad AutoHDR has been re-enabled.

War never changes.

Can't wait for Still Wakes the Deep!

Here's what I see:

1 - Xbox consoles will be a total shift to PC architecture with a specialized "console UI" going forward - no more "closed" console. It will still be a defined hardware spec for PC developers to validate against, but won't require special console development kits or licenses. This will help with the "not worth porting to Xbox" problem as the PC versions will just work.

2 - Official Xbox 360 and OG Xbox emulators that can work on mobile, PC, and "console" for games that don't have PC versions (e.g. Blue Dragon).

3 - Figuring out how cloud saves for X360 and OG Xbox games can be converted or imported into applicable PC versions so that emulation isn't required for those games (probably pie in the sky ask there)

4 - Transferring entire digital library from across the generations to their PC versions (where applicable).

5 - Figuring out how to get OG Xbox, X360, X1, Series physical media working for PC versions of the games on their "console" with an external Blu-ray drive.

So basically, Xbox wants all the benefits people with PCs have had forever, but with the tricky part of figuring out how people won't lose progress with games that didn't use Xbox Anywhere (or came before it) or access to games they own that only exist on OG Xbox, X360, and X1.

@Weebleman "Either way, I hope they find it. Sony needs a MS firing on all cylinders and vice versa. If one or the other drops out of the race the only folks that will suffer in the long run is us gamers."

Absolutely. I want a strong gaming market, not a lopsided one (no matter what side has the significant upper hand).

"Expecting folks to drop a digital collection on a competitor, buy a new console and game just to play online for free simply won't be a choice most make. Some will, but if all their pals are on the console they own, chances are they won't."

I mean, the vast majority of console buyers are the casuals who are only playing COD, FIFA, Madden, Fortnite, etc., so platform is a non-issue - it's more of a habitual purchase. Only about 20% of console owners are the "core" audience. And even less of that are people who comment on these pages.

And with cross-platform play being the norm, now, it really doesn't matter if all their friends are on PlayStation and you are on Xbox - you can still play with them!

"They will simply pick up what's hot and their kids want."

Ditching online service fees could be that thing that makes Xbox "hot".

But this is all just playground banter anyways. Since we don't have any idea what strategy Microsoft has with everything going on, it's tough to even tell what would even help.

I do know that price hikes and studio closures isn't the answer.

Saving consumers ~$50/yr on average might be, though. Sure, Microsoft loses that ~$50/yr for those who already pay, but it might entice people to actually play online more, buy games with an online component, and/or buy MTX knowing that they don't have to pay for online anymore. Do away with Game Pass completely is less money out the door keeping Game Pass alive.

Imagine being able to buy a cheap Series S, pay $70 for the latest Call of Duty, and that's it! That could be a huge boost in sales - well, until Sony inevitably has to also do away with PS+ requirement to try to draw people back (if it can afford to do so).

@EvenStephen7 I think it would be the right 180, though and long overdue. Besides, it only seems right that the one who started it should be the one who ends it!

I also think Cloud Saves should be free on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles because..let's face it...just about everywhere under the sun has Cloud Data at no cost.

@HonestHick It would be a start in the right direction in rebuilding good will with the community.

As much as I have enjoyed the benefits of Game Pass, I can take it or leave it.

If Microsoft is realizing it can't grow Game Pass subscriptions and it can't afford to put all its first-party games on it as promised, then it's time to do away with it!

Price-hiking if Call of Duty drops on the service isn't the answer.

Most people who buy Call of Duty don't buy it for the campaign and move on (which is the real benefit to a Game Pass subscription), they buy it to play multiplayer for a whole year until the next one comes out.

It already costs less to buy the game outright (even with cost of Game Pass Core to play online) than to pay for a year of Game Puss Ultimate, so a price hike will do nothing more than make Game Pass Ultimate even less appealing to play Call of Duty.

Honestly, Microsoft would do best just to roll traditional Call of Duty multiplayer Modes/Maps into the Warzone and skip the annual COD releases.

Here is a bold idea. Do away with paid online all together!

How many people would move over to Xbox consoles and buy Xbox versions if they knew that they could play the latest Call of Duty WITHOUT the need for PS+ or Game Pass Core or any of that nonsense, but also don't need to buy an expensive and less-casual-friendly PC to get free online play?

@BacklogBrad Since I hate Bethesda RPGs, I'd rather Microsoft do anything BUT those types of games.

This is not what I expected with this merger. Some cuts due to redundancy with executives, accounting, etc., sure, but not cutting all this talent to focus on "tentpole" games.

I was hoping that by having a ton of studios with a wealth of IPs would mean some revitalization of forgotten games spread across those developers.

I thought it would mean that the "COD Factory" developers could perhaps work on passion projects for a change.

I hoped that things would be different under Microsoft as there was a time when developers were given a "longer leash" to work on projects.

Now, I worry about Ninja Theory if Hellblade II doesn't stick its landing.

I worry about Double Fine if their next game isn't well received (though I am sure if Microsoft closed that, Tim Schafer would just open another studio the next day and take his employees with him).

I worry that Perfect Dark will get canned because it's seeming to be too much of a hassle, now.

Is pressure on InXile with Clockwork Revolution?
Will Fable get canned?

It's just sad and I hope this reporting is wrong.

I don't even know how to even respond to everything going on with Team Green right now.

If it really is an issue about profitability, it's time to kill the program and go back to the Games With Gold model but with better selection of games every month.

This won't keep people around.