Comments 349

Re: All Games With Xbox Play Anywhere Support

HarmanSmith

@FraserG I don't know if I am missing it, but Hellblade II is on the program too and I don't see it on the list.

And hi there again guys, been out for some time now. This is the first post I write since my mom passed away on December 2024 😭😭. She was an avid gamer. In fact, she waited with me for the release of Hellbalde II on May 2024, we were one of the first to play it on release time...💔💔

Re: Talking Point: Xbox & Nintendo Switch Owners, How Do You Split Your Third-Party Purchases?

HarmanSmith

@Medic_alert I get you, it seems like you have described my gaming habits, haha!

On topic: I have decided to go now with the Play Anywhere feature, so I am always looking for deals on games which have that feature, so I can buy it only one time and I can play it on my XSX and my Ally.

And for third party, yeah, Xbox is my go to, specially for newer games.

The Switch has been for exclusives and some games on the NSO service.

Re: Ryse: Son Of Rome - The Story Behind This Classic Xbox One Launch Title

HarmanSmith

@Banjo- Glad to see you too, my friend!

Now that you mention it, I lost the chance to grab some good games on the Games with Gold program, like this one. And all because I played mostly on Team Blue prior to 2020. So, when I got back to Team Green, It was nice to see my old games I bought back on my 360 along with the chance to access all the cool exclusives I missed on the Xbox One era!

Re: Hitman Dev Hopes New James Bond Game Will Become A 'Big Trilogy'

HarmanSmith

@NEStalgia Yeah, I remember those first two Hitman games... bought Hitman 1 physical on PS4 (a nice steelbook edition, btw), and then came the mess with Hitman 2...

I'm glad I bought the complete trilogy when it released on XSX. By that point, part of the mess was fixed, at least. It's a shame that this publishing mess put some gamers off, because I think ioi, now as a publisher, have a great potential to deliver something superb and something well planned right from the beginning.

The only downside to this news is that we haven't seen the game yet...which may be good or bad, depending on who you ask. I hope when they finally reveal something, a release date won't be too far...

Re: Review: Metaphor: ReFantazio - Atlus Proves It's Still The King of JRPG-Land

HarmanSmith

@NEStalgia I know, I have been playing P5 on its Royal version recently (I've started the vanilla version two or three times: one when one friend lent me his copy, another one when I bought it, then I got sidetracked with another games, sold my copy when I sold my PS4, lol).

This time I bought it on the Xbox store on a sweet sale, and I'm playing it on my Series X/Ally. But I found some things intertwined on the main game, things I didn't recall being there on the original version, and I was like "shoot, what's this?". Not bad by any means, but a strange feeling nevertheless.

Maybe Sega and Atlus get their act together and start selling DLC, like they did recently with P3R.

But, you know...Sega always find a way to sabotage itself (jk!).

Re: 10 Great Games That Have Been Added To Xbox Play Anywhere In 2024

HarmanSmith

Just the article I was waiting for! Thank you, @FraserG!

The Play Anywhere program is one of the main reasons I'm sticking with Xbox this gen - my main consoles are now my XSX and my ROG Ally. It is a shame that MS isn't adding many games to his program. I guess it is difficult to convince publishers to sell only one license to play on PC and Console (some even sell the same game both on the Windows Store and the Xbox Store - like 505 Games with Control, without cloud saves).

@Elbow I totally get you - I was planning to buy Persona 5 Royal on Steam, but I saw this game is on the program, so I bought it on the Xbox Store - and it's really great to have the ability to play between console and a handheld PC (Sega seems to be very supportive of Play Anywhere). And yeah, it is totally bonkers that some XGS aren't on this program.

Re: Metaphor: ReFantazio's First Review Is Getting Everyone Hyped For The Full Release

HarmanSmith

@NEStalgia Man, I am in the same boat...last Atlus game I have beat is P5S. Yesterday I started P5R as I finally bought on Xbox (which is on the Play Anywhere program, so I can play it on my Ally too).

But I have SH2, SMTIV waiting on the backlog.

FWIW, I loved SMTV gameplay wise (even though the story was very 'meh' - played it on Switch, but must likely I will sell it to buy the Vengeance version on Xbox) so I'm curious about how it did not gel with you.

Re: Konami Unveils Huge Metal Gear Solid Collection Update With Improved Resolutions

HarmanSmith

@themightyant Totally agreed.

Back in the day, I remember I only had a handful of games to play on my PS2 (namely, Devil May Cry 1-3, San Andreas, MGS 2&3, Killzone, God of War 1&2, Killer7 and Silent Hill 2).

Between indies, digital distribution (making easier to get games which you can only import in the old days), freebies (like those of the Epic Store and Games With Gold), subscription services and more studios doing more games, I think I am provided for life with great games to play.

Re: Poll: How Much Would You Pay For An Xbox Series X Pro?

HarmanSmith

@MinervaX Exactly this.

I have posted many times how great the Play Anywhere feature is. And yes, it would be great if MS could lure more devs into this. It's great to pay only once for a game and play it on PC and console, with cross saves and all.

So, with that in mind and getting back to the topic at hand, I'm very happy with my Xbox Series X + Game Pass Ultimate + Asus Rog Ally combo, so no, I'm not in a hurry to get a "Pro" version of any console yet.

Re: Talking Point: What Improvements Would You Like To See Made To The Xbox Store?

HarmanSmith

@NEStalgia Yeah, Satya has a more robust collection of promises on IA than the total quantity of games that are available on the Windows Store on PC, which is dishearteningly disappointing.

We have talked previously about this, and I may sound like a broken record, but that Play Anywhere feature could have been a killer one. Pay for a game on the Xbox/Windows Store and play it across Xbox and PC. But most games released on Xbox aren't even on the Windows Store! Shame that nobody (publishers and even MS and/or Xbox itself) wanted to support this program.

By the way, on topic, it may be nice if the Xbox Store would display which games support the Play Anywhere in a clearer manner (I think some games that have the feature sometimes aren't tagged as such, but I haven't checked the store in a while). But given that nobody cares about Play Anywhere...

Re: Asus ROG Ally X Reviews Suggest It's The Best Xbox Handheld Yet

HarmanSmith

@NEStalgia I too have a non-Extreme Ally, and fortunately I bought it on sale earlier this year. So (or at least, I would like to think, 'cause I haven't checked the prices yet) this new upgrade will make the "vanilla" models of the Ally a little cheaper and make it a better value proposition for those still on the fence. Because, when the Ally does work as it should (and is not randomly crashing due to Windows), it is really a great device, all things considered.