Played Splitgate again with the guys last night. This weekend I'm hoping to finish up Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and I also just discovered that the Xbox PC version of The Evil Within is basically a low-key remaster that includes the DLC, so I might dip into that if I have any extra time.
I really, really enjoyed that game. Possibly enough to say greatest of all time. Other possibilities in my opinion: Super Mario World, Tomb Raider (2013), Portal 2.
Played through Superliminal last night, and unfortunately its not very good. It does have a couple interesting ideas, but I would definitely not recommend it. The story and writing are awful, the mechanics don't iterate to perfection (not even close), the puzzles are very rarely interesting, performance is terrible, and overall its just not very fun to play.
Just started up Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and am mostly enjoying it so far. Hopefully its more interesting than Episode 1.
Nice, I always appreciate an FOV slider. What number do you all usually go with? I typically pull back to 100 unless it seems like performance is being impacted. Anything less than 75 feels a little claustrophobic to me.
@NotoriousWhiz This is about a $500 setup and its gigantic and unweildy - not even truly portable. Steamdeck has a much smaller screen, but yeah, I'd rather have that than this monstrosity. However, I'd still recommend saving up for a laptop. The higher cost is worth it for a much more versatile and overall better experience than what this setup provides.
Before Control UE (XSX) came out, I reached out to 505 and asked if my save would transfer from the standard version (XB1) so I could play the DLC with raytracing, they said yes, so I pre-ordered UE. They were wrong, saves do not transfer, I complained, and they eventually made it right with me. Not a great experience, but it turned out okay in the end. And by "okay" I actually mean "okay" as the solution was not ideal, but much more acceptable than the "sorry, too bad" response I got from them initially.
Probably just Cyberpunk 2077 this weekend. I'm pretty absorbed into the world right now, which is probably the best thing the game has going for it. I'm playing on PC, and seeing glitches/bugs here and there, but nothing outright gamebreaking - immersion breaking, yes, but I haven't experienced any crashing or anything like that - just graphical oddities, floating loot, unlootable loot, etc. The narrative in general is a mixed bag to be sure, but I'm enjoying it overall.
@Luigisghost669
3D Platformers
If you haven't played the classics, check out Banjo Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day.
JRPGs
If you like Paper Mario (64 and TTYD), definitely check out Bug Fables and/or Costume Quest 2 which are both really fun and feature action commands. Undertale is also excellent, especially if you are into EarthBound Octopath Traveler is very good as well.
I've never actually played them, but Dragon Quest Builders 2, Dragon Quest 11, and Yakuza Like A Dragon are all supposed to be great.
Couple others you might like: Katamari Damacy Reroll Ori 1 & 2
Xbox Series X: Splitgate, Quake, Doom Eternal, Bug Fables
PC: Cyberpunk 2077
I started chipping away at Quake 2 RTX a couple weeks ago, but I might try to finish the original before I go back to it since I have that now too. I played a bit of it last night, and was having some fun with it. So far the level design is a lot less complex compared to Q2, but the brevity of the missions makes the game feel even more fast paced.
Doom Eternal is very fun, but so intense I have to play other games in-between missions. Last week was Hades, but I've since beaten it (20th attempt). Also, I'm considering 1st time through "beating the game." Doing it 9 more times just to roll credits is ridiculous. The real "true ending" is that I'm moving on because I beat the game. This week it's Cyberpunk 2077 which I've only played for about an hour. It's fine so far. I'm playing the corpo route, and yeah, the narrative/storytelling is honestly pretty poor so far.
Played Splitgate with the guys last night, which was a total blast. Love all the different games modes.
Then finally I'm also chipping away at Bug Fables. It's decent, and very Paper Mario, but without the equivalent of all the cool paper mechanics, it ends up feeling a little basic and hollow - like that "special something" is missing.
@NEStalgia It'd be nice if they left it in the code or whatever so gyro would work if you have an adapter to use a compatible controller. Looks like the PS version also has gyro control.. Personally I think I might go that route to get best of both worlds.
@fabio1 Many of the Castlevania games aren't considered Metroidvanias, including Castlevania 64. While I agree that non-2D games aren't typically what comes to mind when the term Metroidvania is used, there are such things in existence, or at least, there are games that some people do consider to be 3D Metroidvanias. Examples include Metroid Prime, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Control, Darksiders 3, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Tried Hades for about an hour last night until my guys popped online and we got into the Back 4 Blood open beta. Pretty fun stuff, but a little anticlimactic. The card mechanic is alright I guess, but the game doesn't do anything super innovative or interesting to tweak the formula, which is fine overall since the main gameplay loop is still as fun as it ever was in L4D.
I'll play through another chapter of Doom Eternal before returning to Hades for the rest of whatever time I have this weekend. Not quite sure I'll stick with it, but I am enjoying it so far. What weapons are you all using? Outside of the sword, I tried the bow and was doing well until I got to one of those big crystals and was completely dominated, so yeah, I went back to the sword for now.
Also, I noticed Cruelty Squad is on sale on Steam - would anyone recommend it?
So far this year for indies on Game Pass I've played through Ori 2, Gris, the Medium, Donut County, Rain on Your Parade, Deliver Us the Moon, Ghost of a Tale, Prodeus, and I just reached the final boss in Cyber Shadow. I'm also maybe 20% of the way through Bug Fables. With the guys, we've checked out Second Extinction and the Ascent as well. Looking forward to Narita Boy and Backbone next, maybe Y2K, too. Saying that Game Pass is a great place to check out indies is an understatement.
It's ray-tracing appreciation week for me: Quake 2 RTX and Doom Eternal.
Not sure what the guys and I will get up to tonight. I'd like to try out The Ascent, but more likely we'll end up playing Sea of Thieves and Knockout City as per usual.
@james_games If you play a wide variety of online multiplayer games, and your friends also have Xbox, you and your buds end up saving a ton of money. If you play less than 3 single player games per year, then yeah, it's probably not worth it.
Doom Eternal is getting slightly easier as I'm gaining new abilities and customizing upgrades, but each chapter is so exhausting I have to actually take a breather between them. Don't get me wrong, it's fun as hell, just some of the kill room sections are so frantic and chaotic I end up literally on the edge of my seat, and I refuse to accept the sentinel armor or whatever I've been offered a couple times for dying too much, haha... I don't need that pity prize - thanks, but no thanks 😎 I'll beat this game by getting good. Also, The raytracing mode is really quite stunning.
I started Bioshock Infinite yesterday to play something a little less intense, and I'm not sure how I feel about it so far. I just got to Monument Island. I have to say, I am intrigued, and quite curious to see where they're going with this.
Bug Fables. Almost bought it several times - now I don't have to. Already played A Plague Tale or maybe I would've voted for that - such a great that isn't getting the full attention it deserves. Looking forward to checking out The Ascent as well.
@Tothington91 Hahaha yeah, it's just over the top dumb fun. Not all the jokes are landing, and the gameplay is honestly pretty sub-par, but I'm still having a blast with it. It's so all over the place too - I'm always anticipating what wacky mechanic or ridiculous one liner is coming next. If you haven't already, check out Shadows of the Damned and Shadow Warrior for similarly raunchy stupid fun.
This weekend is all about Doom Eternal and Duke Nukem Forever. Two pioneering franchises made modern (although I suppose DNF might actually be considered retro now). Both innovative in very different ways, one is an incredible achievement, and the other, not so much. It's time to rip and tear, and chew bubblegum. And I'm all out of... d*** jokes and chainsaw fuel.
@gollumb82 Uncharted is action adventure, while TR is an action RPG. They both have climbing, shooting, and puzzles. Only TR has crafting, upgrades, permanent inventory, meaningful backtracking, exploration for rewards that are more than simply collectibles, skill tree, shops, sub-missions, optional missions, fast travel, gear/equipment that alters stats, etc. They are only similar at the most very basic level.
Comments 832
Re: Rumour: Xbox Could Be Adding New Backwards Compatible Games This November
Dark Messiah
Darkwatch
Deus Ex Invisible War
Fatal Frame
Max Payne
Project Snowblind
Thief Deadly Shadows
Timesplitters
Urban Chaos Riot Response
Re: Visage Is Bringing Spooky Halloween Vibes To Xbox Game Pass This Week
Heck yes! Super excited to see this on Game Pass
Re: Review: Alan Wake Remastered - Remedy’s Cult Classic Still Holds Up
Can you start the DLC without playing the main game?
Re: Soapbox: Is Dishonored Basically A James Bond Game In Disguise?
I see very, very little in common between these two properties. No One Lives Forever and Perfect Dark are much more similar to Bond in my opinion.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 2-3)
Played Splitgate again with the guys last night. This weekend I'm hoping to finish up Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and I also just discovered that the Xbox PC version of The Evil Within is basically a low-key remaster that includes the DLC, so I might dip into that if I have any extra time.
Re: Phil Spencer Congratulates God Of War Director On ‘Best Game Of All Time’ Award
I really, really enjoyed that game. Possibly enough to say greatest of all time. Other possibilities in my opinion: Super Mario World, Tomb Raider (2013), Portal 2.
Re: Echo Generation Releases Day One With Xbox Game Pass This October
Great news! Game Pass strikes again! 👍👍
Re: Ghostrunner's Free Xbox Series X, Series S Upgrade Is Now Available
Awesome! This just jumped up my priorities list
Re: Chernobylite Brings Its Survival Horror RPG To Xbox, Out Now
Nice! I'll wait for Series X version though
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 25-26)
Deep into The Outer Worlds right now. Everything about it is good - nothing is bad, but nothing is great. Still, absolutely enjoying my time with it.
Re: Talking Point: What October 2021 Xbox Games With Gold Do You Want?
Hoping for a horror game like Infliction or Visage.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 18-19)
Played through Superliminal last night, and unfortunately its not very good. It does have a couple interesting ideas, but I would definitely not recommend it. The story and writing are awful, the mechanics don't iterate to perfection (not even close), the puzzles are very rarely interesting, performance is terrible, and overall its just not very fun to play.
Just started up Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and am mostly enjoying it so far. Hopefully its more interesting than Episode 1.
Re: Phil Spencer Celebrates Nintendo GameCube Anniversary By Sharing His Favourite GC Game
My top 3 are probably Fire Emblem PoR, Paper Mario TTYD, and Eternal Darkness SR. So many great games on that system.
Re: These 13 Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (September 15 - October 1)
Yes!! Superliminal! I knew holding out would pay off - Very excited to check that one out. Also Lemnis Gate looks like it could be fun.
Re: Pick One: Which Of These Is Your Favourite Dishonored Game?
Just started Dishonored a couple days ago, and am loving it so far!
Any word on or chance of Deathloop being on Game Pass for PC next week?
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 11-12)
Splitgate with the guys again last night. Had a blast playing a bunch of the more wacky Rumble modes.
Dishonored: Definitive Edition - Just finished the 2nd mission. This game is amazing so far. It's like if Thief and Bioshock had a baby.
Re: Deals: 175+ Games Included In This Week's Xbox Sales (September 7 - September 14)
If you're thinking about Bioshock, and have somehow put it off this long, do yourself a favor and just get it. It is amazing - even in 2021.
Re: It Looks Like Call Of Duty: Vanguard Is Getting An FOV Slider On Xbox
Nice, I always appreciate an FOV slider. What number do you all usually go with? I typically pull back to 100 unless it seems like performance is being impacted. Anything less than 75 feels a little claustrophobic to me.
Re: Video: Here's A Look At The Final 'xScreen' Design For Xbox Series S
@NotoriousWhiz This is about a $500 setup and its gigantic and unweildy - not even truly portable. Steamdeck has a much smaller screen, but yeah, I'd rather have that than this monstrosity. However, I'd still recommend saving up for a laptop. The higher cost is worth it for a much more versatile and overall better experience than what this setup provides.
Re: Video: Here's A Look At The Final 'xScreen' Design For Xbox Series S
Just save up for a laptop
Re: Hyperkin Is Bringing Back The Original Xbox Duke Controller
No wireless, no buy
Re: Poll: What's Your Most Anticipated Xbox Game For The Rest Of The Year?
Back 4 Blood and The Gunk
Re: 505 Games 'Learnt A Lot' From Control's Messy Xbox Series X|S Upgrade
Before Control UE (XSX) came out, I reached out to 505 and asked if my save would transfer from the standard version (XB1) so I could play the DLC with raytracing, they said yes, so I pre-ordered UE. They were wrong, saves do not transfer, I complained, and they eventually made it right with me. Not a great experience, but it turned out okay in the end. And by "okay" I actually mean "okay" as the solution was not ideal, but much more acceptable than the "sorry, too bad" response I got from them initially.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 4-5)
Nearing the end of Cyberpunk 2077 on PC. Did most of the deeper side quests at this point and am ready to cross the finish line.
Probably will play some Splitgate with the guys tonight. Frame it!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 28-29)
Probably just Cyberpunk 2077 this weekend. I'm pretty absorbed into the world right now, which is probably the best thing the game has going for it. I'm playing on PC, and seeing glitches/bugs here and there, but nothing outright gamebreaking - immersion breaking, yes, but I haven't experienced any crashing or anything like that - just graphical oddities, floating loot, unlootable loot, etc. The narrative in general is a mixed bag to be sure, but I'm enjoying it overall.
Re: Surprise, Little Nightmares 2's Xbox Series X And Series S Upgrade Is Now Available
Great! I'll pick it up at some point soonish
Re: Humble Games Is Bringing These Nine Indies To Xbox Game Pass At Launch
@Luigisghost669
3D Platformers
If you haven't played the classics, check out Banjo Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day.
JRPGs
If you like Paper Mario (64 and TTYD), definitely check out Bug Fables and/or Costume Quest 2 which are both really fun and feature action commands.
Undertale is also excellent, especially if you are into EarthBound
Octopath Traveler is very good as well.
I've never actually played them, but
Dragon Quest Builders 2, Dragon Quest 11, and Yakuza Like A Dragon are all supposed to be great.
Couple others you might like:
Katamari Damacy Reroll
Ori 1 & 2
Re: Humble Games Is Bringing These Nine Indies To Xbox Game Pass At Launch
@Luigisghost669 LOL What were you expecting? Luigi's Mansion 3? Cause... that's not going to happen..
What kind of games do you like and feel are missing? Take another/closer look, dude - there's a very wide variety of high quality games on GP.
Re: Talking Point: What September 2021 Xbox Games With Gold Do You Want?
Return of the Obra Dinn
Re: Video: YouTuber MVG Reveals His Role In Developing The Quake Remaster
Crazy to think the guy who coded a bunch of the emulators on the original Xbox went on to be a senior dev on a first-party Microsoft release.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 21-22)
Xbox Series X: Splitgate, Quake, Doom Eternal, Bug Fables
PC: Cyberpunk 2077
I started chipping away at Quake 2 RTX a couple weeks ago, but I might try to finish the original before I go back to it since I have that now too. I played a bit of it last night, and was having some fun with it. So far the level design is a lot less complex compared to Q2, but the brevity of the missions makes the game feel even more fast paced.
Doom Eternal is very fun, but so intense I have to play other games in-between missions. Last week was Hades, but I've since beaten it (20th attempt). Also, I'm considering 1st time through "beating the game." Doing it 9 more times just to roll credits is ridiculous. The real "true ending" is that I'm moving on because I beat the game. This week it's Cyberpunk 2077 which I've only played for about an hour. It's fine so far. I'm playing the corpo route, and yeah, the narrative/storytelling is honestly pretty poor so far.
Played Splitgate with the guys last night, which was a total blast. Love all the different games modes.
Then finally I'm also chipping away at Bug Fables. It's decent, and very Paper Mario, but without the equivalent of all the cool paper mechanics, it ends up feeling a little basic and hollow - like that "special something" is missing.
Re: The Quake Remaster Is Real, And It's Out Now On Xbox Game Pass
@NEStalgia It'd be nice if they left it in the code or whatever so gyro would work if you have an adapter to use a compatible controller. Looks like the PS version also has gyro control.. Personally I think I might go that route to get best of both worlds.
Re: The Quake Remaster Is Real, And It's Out Today On Xbox Game Pass
Does anyone know if this has gyro controls? It does on Switch so... I might buy it there instead if this version doesn't support that feature.
Re: Roundup: Here's What The Critics Are Saying About Recompile On Xbox Game Pass
@fabio1 Many of the Castlevania games aren't considered Metroidvanias, including Castlevania 64. While I agree that non-2D games aren't typically what comes to mind when the term Metroidvania is used, there are such things in existence, or at least, there are games that some people do consider to be 3D Metroidvanias. Examples include Metroid Prime, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Control, Darksiders 3, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Re: Three Classic Quake Games Have Been Added To Xbox Game Pass
@TuckNorris85 I bought it on Steam for the RTX mod. It's incredible. Not sure it'd work on this version.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 14-15)
Tried Hades for about an hour last night until my guys popped online and we got into the Back 4 Blood open beta. Pretty fun stuff, but a little anticlimactic. The card mechanic is alright I guess, but the game doesn't do anything super innovative or interesting to tweak the formula, which is fine overall since the main gameplay loop is still as fun as it ever was in L4D.
I'll play through another chapter of Doom Eternal before returning to Hades for the rest of whatever time I have this weekend. Not quite sure I'll stick with it, but I am enjoying it so far. What weapons are you all using? Outside of the sword, I tried the bow and was doing well until I got to one of those big crystals and was completely dominated, so yeah, I went back to the sword for now.
Also, I noticed Cruelty Squad is on sale on Steam - would anyone recommend it?
Re: Reaction: Xbox Game Pass Is A Gold Mine For Indies Right Now
So far this year for indies on Game Pass I've played through Ori 2, Gris, the Medium, Donut County, Rain on Your Parade, Deliver Us the Moon, Ghost of a Tale, Prodeus, and I just reached the final boss in Cyber Shadow. I'm also maybe 20% of the way through Bug Fables. With the guys, we've checked out Second Extinction and the Ascent as well. Looking forward to Narita Boy and Backbone next, maybe Y2K, too. Saying that Game Pass is a great place to check out indies is an understatement.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077 Still Has 'A Lot That Needs Changing' Seven Months Later, Claims Digital Foundry
@SplooshDmg Haha 😄 Thanks anyway for the thought
Re: Cyberpunk 2077 Still Has 'A Lot That Needs Changing' Seven Months Later, Claims Digital Foundry
Considering getting this for PC the next time it's on sale. If not for the game itself, then as a benchmark for my laptop.
Re: Xbox Is Getting An All-New 'Night Mode' Feature Very Soon
So glad to see this. I miss the days when controllers didn't have lights on them.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 7th)
It's ray-tracing appreciation week for me: Quake 2 RTX and Doom Eternal.
Not sure what the guys and I will get up to tonight. I'd like to try out The Ascent, but more likely we'll end up playing Sea of Thieves and Knockout City as per usual.
Re: Poll: How Many Xbox Controllers Do You Own?
1 Logitech Precision Wireless Xbox controller for the OG Xbox (amazing)
1 generic wired Xbox 360 controller (horrible)
1 Xbox One S controller (excellent)
1 Xbox Series X controller (very good)
Re: Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon & Leaving Soon In August 2021
@james_games If you play a wide variety of online multiplayer games, and your friends also have Xbox, you and your buds end up saving a ton of money. If you play less than 3 single player games per year, then yeah, it's probably not worth it.
Re: Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon & Leaving Soon In August 2021
Check out Ape Out if you enjoyed Hotline Miami and/or if you like fast paced action games that are incredibly stylish with brilliant music
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 31st)
Doom Eternal is getting slightly easier as I'm gaining new abilities and customizing upgrades, but each chapter is so exhausting I have to actually take a breather between them. Don't get me wrong, it's fun as hell, just some of the kill room sections are so frantic and chaotic I end up literally on the edge of my seat, and I refuse to accept the sentinel armor or whatever I've been offered a couple times for dying too much, haha... I don't need that pity prize - thanks, but no thanks 😎 I'll beat this game by getting good. Also, The raytracing mode is really quite stunning.
I started Bioshock Infinite yesterday to play something a little less intense, and I'm not sure how I feel about it so far. I just got to Monument Island. I have to say, I am intrigued, and quite curious to see where they're going with this.
Re: Poll: Which Was Your Favourite Xbox Game Pass Addition In July?
Bug Fables. Almost bought it several times - now I don't have to. Already played A Plague Tale or maybe I would've voted for that - such a great that isn't getting the full attention it deserves. Looking forward to checking out The Ascent as well.
Re: Poll: Are You Happy With August 2021's Xbox Games With Gold?
Dang, easily the best month of the year so far. I'm actually pretty impressed.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 24th)
@Tothington91 Hahaha yeah, it's just over the top dumb fun. Not all the jokes are landing, and the gameplay is honestly pretty sub-par, but I'm still having a blast with it. It's so all over the place too - I'm always anticipating what wacky mechanic or ridiculous one liner is coming next. If you haven't already, check out Shadows of the Damned and Shadow Warrior for similarly raunchy stupid fun.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 24th)
This weekend is all about Doom Eternal and Duke Nukem Forever. Two pioneering franchises made modern (although I suppose DNF might actually be considered retro now). Both innovative in very different ways, one is an incredible achievement, and the other, not so much. It's time to rip and tear, and chew bubblegum. And I'm all out of... d*** jokes and chainsaw fuel.
Re: Shadow Of The Tomb Raider Appears To Be Getting Optimised For Xbox Series X & Series S
@gollumb82 Uncharted is action adventure, while TR is an action RPG. They both have climbing, shooting, and puzzles. Only TR has crafting, upgrades, permanent inventory, meaningful backtracking, exploration for rewards that are more than simply collectibles, skill tree, shops, sub-missions, optional missions, fast travel, gear/equipment that alters stats, etc. They are only similar at the most very basic level.