@Kraven I hear you on that weird feeling toward games where they just aren’t clicking. I’ve had the same thing most of the year. When the year started though, I was thinking this was going to be the best year ever in gaming perhaps. Tekken 8, I enjoyed even more than Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1. Prince of Persia shocked me. After thinking it looked awful, I was sort of surprised by the response and then floored when I played it. Then I started Balatro on a trial and the creativity and simplicity of it impressed me so much that I bought it ten minutes into the trial. Then I started hitting a few indie flops while waiting for Rebirth and I was starting to question if I should maybe hold off buying new games for a bit, but then I sank into Rebirth in such a huge way. I was completely in awe of the game to the point where it felt like I could’ve cried by how much I loved the game. And then… the year stopped. For a long while. I still played games, sure, but I was playing Dave the Diver very casually as a side game against other games, but I gave up trying to find a main game and just finished Dave the Diver and it felt like there was nothing I really enjoyed playing. I played and beat several games for a while, but I was really critical of them. I was playing games that were considered good too. Dragon’s Dogma 2, Helldivers, Erdtree, etc. They didn’t feel great to play. The indies I were playing felt like I had to beat them because I bought them. It didn’t feel good.
Then the first wave of the Alan Wake DLC came out and I was like, “Whoa, I love this! Gaming is awesome again… oh, that was an hour and a half of gaming.” And my malaise lasted most of the rest of the year til Astro Bot knocked my socks off. And after that, much like you, I jumped to Silent Hill, and it just made me feel gross, and then Metaphor, which I kept falling asleep playing, so I went back into the malaise. Games weren’t hitting again. But then, you know what, this week has been picking up for me. I dropped Silent Hill and Metaphor last Saturday and swapped over to Banishers and honestly it sort of revitalized me. I had a hard time picking up the game. I preordered it and just couldn’t start it for whatever reason. It was never the right time, you know? I’m glad I waited because it’s what I want to play now. And then the wife and I play Life is Strange together every time one of those come out, and the new one might not be my favorite one so far, but it hits the spot, you know? And I picked up Mario Party Jamboree and the kids and I are loving it. So slump is officially over for me now. I’m going to resub to Gamepass when Stalker comes out and I’m feeling optimistic about games again. I’ve felt RPG burnout for most of the year, but now I’m sort of like maybe I should get Dragon Quest 3 for myself for Christmas because I know the game will hit me right too. It feels like a lot of people went through the slump this year for whatever reason, but glad to hear yours is over (as is mine)!
I dunno. I played the beta during the PS exclusive thing and I felt like the game ran rough when I tried it. Got to wonder if it runs any better elsewhere.
One of the 50% that has not… but I will when the Gamepass value skyrockets later this month and I’m caught up on everything else I want to play for the year. Life is Strange and Banishers, I’m looking at you. Not long now, I suppose.
Mass Effect 2. It’s just such a good slow burn of an RPG and it bridged the gap between two other solid, solid entries. Mass Effect is basically exactly what i wanted out of gaming around the time it released.
@K1LLEGAL You know, I try Like a Dragon every time, but since this one wasn’t on Gamepass for launch, I skipped it. The series just doesn’t click for me for whatever reason, and I really don’t know what people are getting at with Metaphor. The demo was sort of a slog to me. It wasn’t bad, but it kept making me tired, so I fell asleep playing it a few times and I just can’t justify buying a game where I fell asleep multiple times playing the demo. I’ve not yet picked up Sonic, but based on my experience with the original game, I should. I’d likely have three or four remakes in my list then, though one of them, I dunno if I’ll finish it. I’m not sure why but that Silent Hill remake is far more traumatizing than I remember. Lol. I’m trying, I’m trying!
For me right now:
1. Rebirth
2. Balatro
3. Astro Bot
4. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
5. Mario Party Jamboree
6. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
7. Animal Well
8. Tekken 8
9. Bo and the Path of the Teal Lotus
10. I go back and forth between Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Black Myth Wukong here, but realistically it doesn’t matter since neither one will end up in the final top 10
I’m playing Banishers and Silent Hill currently and Banishers feels like it’ll be in my list once I finish it. I’m really happy with it and sort of upset with myself I didn’t start it sooner. By quality, I know Silent Hill should make the list, but it really stresses me out to play it. I’ve yet to decide if I’ll get Dragon Age, but I’m leaning toward, if I buy anything else, it’ll be Dragon Quest or Sonic, which are both so safe to buy and definitely top 10 padding with my current list. Lol. I should be starting up Life is Strange this evening with the wife too, and, even with reviews being all over the place, I could see that one making the list too for our bias toward the series.
But back to Indy, even if it’s just an 8/10 tier game, I think my bias toward loving and being forgiving toward the franchise will have it above Mario Party at least!
@K1LLEGAL I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the case, actually. While everyone is compiling their GotY lists, Xbox has Stalker and Indy positioned almost as a “starting next year off with a bang.” It’s a questionable strategy, but we’ll see how it works. Realistically next year does look like the “next year Xbox is coming back” we’ve all been waiting for all generation. More than half of my 2025 games list is currently scheduled on Gamepass, which almost feels like an illusion, given how little I’ve played my Xbox this year. Mind you, it also feels like an illusion how few games are also on that list that are from Nintendo. After the last four years, that feels backwards, but I’m ok with that.
Honestly, I’d be shocked, absolutely shocked if Indy doesn’t crack my top 10 list this year, personally. I’m contemplating adding DLC to the list this year. I don’t typically do that, but my top 10 doesn’t feel right. Mario Party Jamboree is currently at #5. Just not right… (I’m playing, of course. I love Mario Party, but I am being serious that my top 10 feels off). Since Sony doesn’t seem interested in making Uncharted and few developers seem interested in make FPS action that isn’t cartoony, Indy looks to right some wrongs in the industry. I’ll hold off on my own list for Indy, at least, even if I know most of the critical community won’t!
This sounds so good! The thing that has baffled me and made me most concerned about this one has been the release date. Why on Earth would Xbox put their biggest game (and most likely nominated game) in ages out after GotY lists and all that jazz are already out. I mean, Stalker’s already cutting it close. Really weird to think that the two most obvious Xbox games this year might not get discussed in that format.
But, man, awards are just fluff, aren’t they? I can’t wait to play.
It wouldn’t be a Life is Strange game if the reviews weren’t literally all over the place. I remember avoiding LiS2 because of the reviews a couple years ago, but, man, what a mistake! I loved the game more than the first one.
Also, can’t wait for Lost Records too. If this one doesn’t hit, at least Don’t Nod is going back to the LiS formula too early next year.
I’ve gotta try the new Astro Bot level. I’m going to play some Mario Party Jamboree for sure and possibly Silent Hill 2 tonight since the wife will be out with a friend. We were originally going to play that one together, but she hated it and said it was boring and confusing early on, so together gaming waits for Life is Strange, I suppose. I dunno, I think it’s solid, if not blowing me away as much as I thought it would. I’ve got a lot of Trick or Treating in the meantime with the kids in two different neighborhoods this weekend. One today, one tomorrow.
And I’ll admit it, I’m more curious about Black Ops 6 than I’ve been for a CoD game in a long while. Maybe I will get Gamepass for it. I dunno. I’m waiting for more reviews still.
@WildConcept6 in my entire life, I’ve probably cumulatively made less than 1% of Satya’s pay this year and I’m in my mid-30’s! If the severance was 5-10% of Satya’s pay, we’d see a lot of really happy people that would have the ability to create their own businesses! It’s a novel idea, enabling people to have the potential to have the economic freedom to do whatever they want to do and have control over their destiny.
@Decimateh Hauntii so far is my Gamepass GotY, sort of underrated gem, a narrative puzzle shooter of sorts. The art direction is top notch, and the narrative is touching, even if the game that frames it is just sort of ok, and it’s a bit buggy. That said, I’d rate the game a 7/10, so I’m totally expecting Nine Sols to blow it out of the water, given what I know about it. 😂 I’m just glad Gamepass will finally have a good line-up next month. Can’t wait for Stalker and Indy reviews to hit, so I can know if I’m going to resub to GP again or just buy Nine Sols.
Move over Erdtree, this is the best DLC this year. I honestly think I’m going to put this DLC in my top 10 list this year, as short as it is. It just feels so darn right in so many ways.
@Decimateh I played it on PS5 and had no bugs or slow down. Of course, everyone has a different experience, but it worked just fine for me. Game felt smooth. The motion in the game is floaty, you should know, but it also feels intentional because the character feels like they’re flowing and dancing through their movements, but I can see where someone might not like that, even though I thought it was tasteful and thematic to the game. I’m looking forward to comparing this one to Nine Sols next month.
@InvaderFromSpace You know, I misread my Google earlier and thought the budget for the game was $15 million when that was revenue. I’m honestly surprised to see how high the actual budget was… Yikes. Got to wonder how much of that went to the poor marketing for the game. Never mind. You’re right. It probably wasn’t profitable. Should’ve been sold at a lower price point, but that budget is insane for a Metroidvania. You can’t even blame the developers on that. That’s total oversight by accounting to allot that much to a Metroidvania from a dormant IP at that price. I admit I was wrong. Yeah, Ubisoft is hemorrhaging money, looking at things in depth.
Highly recommend Bo Path of the Teal Lotus. The difficulty is sort of high and the game is better in the early portions, but the art and music are fantastic.
I’ve said it elsewhere, but, given the sales this game had early on, I would imagine it was likely a profitable game… unless Ubisoft was sort of out of control with spending somewhere on the game. I feel this team may have been axed more because Ubisoft is aiming to continue trying to continue with their ludicrously large titles to try to make more profit while their company is burning to the ground all around it. Realistically, if it was about pure profitability, we’d be hearing about how the Skull and Bones team was disbanded instead because, surely, that title lost more money. I suspect Ubisoft has a rough road ahead for itself. If AC Shadows doesn’t hit the strides the series is known for, Ubisoft may well be in dire straights, especially if the strikes continue. Realistically, it’s a shame it’s happening to Ubisoft since they certainly aren’t the worst of the behemoth publishers, though they do seem to be most oft criticized currently.
The biggest shame though is that The Lost Crown is genuinely one of the best titles Ubisoft has made. It’ll no doubt be on many GotY lists (I know it’ll securely be on mine, even knowing we’ve still got two months to go) and the decision to disband the team will no doubt make a skeptical public even more critical toward the publisher. It really seems that gamers have their pitchforks and torches at the ready for anything Ubisoft does and this will not help that narrative.
I know, for me, Ghost of Yotei caused me to cancel my AC Shadows preorder, but this news definitely lowers my anticipation further in that title as well
I started my digital library on Xbox and tried to support it until the Switch disrupted everything and became my go-to for a few years. This generation though, I’ve been buying most third party games on PS because they usually run better on there than my Switch. I sometimes double dip too if there’s a righteous sale!
I haven’t used my Xbox most of the year. It’s sort of a Gamepass machine now. I’m expecting to resub late November aster at least half a year being removed.
Whether it was a joke or not, Xbox execs need to learn how to read the room when they make comments. They have to know people will jump on these kinds of things.
@Bigmanfan I feel like the game honestly needed more time in the oven. Not from a technical point of view, per se, but from a basic how the game is framed point of view. If I would’ve made the game, I would’ve made the story more obvious for people unfamiliar with the source material. I could follow it because I know the story, but if I didn’t… honestly, it tells the same disjointed way that Sparking Zero explains Dragon Ball, which makes the cutscenes, as cool as they are, not make sense. And then I’d make difficulty options. I actually think the game might be more fun in an easy mode because you could soak in the diversity that the game does offer if that’s what you want to do. If it was a bit easier too, you wouldn’t notice which bosses are deliberately designed to kneecap you. I mean, I just remember back to the beginning of the game, and Wandering Wight was extremely punishing, but all the bosses around him followed a pattern and just took a bit of practice to learn. It didn’t make sense. It felt random and intentionally difficult because he was arbitrary in how he attacked. I noticed the same thing happens with random bosses as you progress and then some bosses that should be hard are cake walks. Wandering Wight should not have been harder than Black Bear Guai. It doesn’t feel like a skill thing, but unbalanced thing.
@Bigmanfan I agree 100%. It’s the definition of a good, but not great game. It has all the pieces to be great, but everything is so split all over the place. It’s also hard to the point of feeling repetitive at times because, I swear, the bosses are fixed to have you grind for a bit and then they suddenly get easier. The difficulty is inconsistent… and I dunno… it feels artificially difficult ant times. Not sure if anyone else felt that way. Theres also unnecessary backtracking. It’s not egregious, but it is unnecessary. It’s not really a Souls game, but more or less Souls inspired with a dash of Devil May Cry, sort of like how Stellar Blade was. I’d say it’s a bit better than Stellar Blade due to it feeling more distinctly like its own IP (Stellar Blade reminds me of other games, but better games, so it forces a comparison point by being similar to things like the superior Nier Automata, etc,. Wukong doesn’t have that issue) and level design. I may say Stellar Blade has better combat though. I’d say that they’re both 7/10 games, though I’d say Wukong teeters more at 7.5/10. Early on, I felt Wukong was an 8/10, but the further I went with it, the more noticeable some of the flaws in it get (and the more technical issues occur as well… hopefully there is less delay initially on Xbox than there was on PS5, as PC players did get the best version of the game).
Also, no idea how they’ll get this game working on the S without some serious chug and down res.
Game’s a 10/10, best game so far this generation for me. Stunning visuals and sound design. Level design is impressive. The characters, the writing, the ambition, the creativity… I could go on and on about it. I had a big, dumb smile on my face several times during my playthrough because it just made me happy.
This should be the weekend Silent Hill 2 begins. The plan is to knock out SH2 and the Alan Wake 2 DLC before Life is Strange comes out. Then after those ones, to finally go back to Banishers. That may well be the next two months of gaming for me (with some variance), but who knows?
I honestly thought the one in March was better. I’m not sure where the excitement is for this one. Alan Wake DLC was the only thing that I’m for sure buying out of the batch… well, the only thing I already bought too…
I didn’t particularly enjoy the demo, much like Atlus’s other games, sadly. I may watch the cutscenes on YouTube though. I like the art style and storytelling, so that’s where I’m at
The game is exceptional, if a bit obtuse. I highly recommend it, as it is a very unique experience. It’s definitely not for everyone. Even with its high review score, I can see it being too out there for many players, but, if it’s for you, it’s for you. For me, I got a bit lost in it, which made me a little frustrated because the game gives you no cues, but otherwise I have only positive things to say. The art, the sound design, the level design, it’s all impeccable and original.
In Remedy I trust, but, man, I dunno about FBC. They just had to use some generic sounding pop rock and highlight it in a way that is sort of off-putting to me personally, and I say that as a fan of everything remotely Remedyverse that’s out there. That said, Alan Wake 2 DLC will be probably completed by me day of release if it’s similar to the last one! Love Alan Wake 2. GotY last year. Outside that… well, the Bloober game looked interesting, but their quality is sort of all over the place, so I’m not at a point where I’d preorder anything they do yet. Legend of Baboo looked like it could be good or… not. But I’ll wishlist it while I wait to find out.
Animal Well is a solid indie title though. If you’ve not played it yet on another platform, at least it’s on Xbox now since it’s on everything else.
But, uh, Alan Wake 2 DLC was the highlight for me, and there wasn’t anything else that made me say, “Cool, can’t wait for that!” Given that, I’d say this was a C at best since it was otherwise pretty anodyne and harmless for me. At least there wasn’t anything bad, just a lot that does nothing for me.
With me having cancelled my AC Shadows preorder, maybe it’s getting close to time to rejoin the GP community after dropping the service for most of the year. Looking forward to seeing if Stalker and Indy hit for me.
@jesse_dylan The DLC was announced at last month’s State of Play to have an October release date. If that info was not for this showcase then when!? October’s half over already. Lol.
The whole acquisition is potentially the worst thing that’s happened to Xbox as a brand for me personally. We got years of light releases because Xbox felt like they were trying to prove they needed Activision, then we got layoffs like crazy, good studios shutting down, very few Activision titles to Gamepass, the price of Gamepass going up, etc etc. My opinion of Xbox has soured considerably in the time since the acquisition was announced, which is a shame because I sort of supported it previously.
Even though the game came out a while ago now, I’d jump back in for some solid DLC. There’s plenty of side quests I didn’t go back to, so I’d gladly do so.
While I’m not buying anything next week (outside mayyyybe Mario Party), I hope you guys are active with the reviews next week because I’m curious about a few of these. I’m ready for reading mode for some reviews!
I started the Metaphor Refantazio demo yesterday night finally, but after the intro, my wife was so tired we decided to put it off til we’re more awake. Maybe tonight?
Balatro’s a 95 on Metacritic for the Xbox version. Very few reviews that are Xbox specific though. In my opinion, that’s the best game on Xbox this year, for sure.
For some reason Erdtree really didn’t hit me like I wanted it to. Elden Ring was my GotY 2022, but Erdtree was just more Elden Ring to me. It didn’t knock my socks off… which is funny because my socks were knocked as I went back to the base game to clear off some side quests I didn’t previously do.
Prince of Persia is my favorite game out of this list by a wide margin. Rebirth is very likely my total GotY at this point, even if I’ve still got a few games to play yet to really crown it.
@Lrapsody I agree. I personally am trying to be interested in the game, but I can’t must up a feeling of liking the game at all from what I’ve seen, and it’s largely from thinking the character models look off to me, as well as just the overall style too. It just hits me with a very “looks, kids, it’s today’s gaming” type of template and I don’t enjoy it. I’ve liked the older games just fine, but I just don’t like what I’m seeing and probably won’t buy this game because of that.
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Re: All New Xbox Games Coming Out In November 2024
Absolutely stunning month for Gamepass. They sold me to sub again.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 2-3)
@Kraven I hear you on that weird feeling toward games where they just aren’t clicking. I’ve had the same thing most of the year. When the year started though, I was thinking this was going to be the best year ever in gaming perhaps. Tekken 8, I enjoyed even more than Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1. Prince of Persia shocked me. After thinking it looked awful, I was sort of surprised by the response and then floored when I played it. Then I started Balatro on a trial and the creativity and simplicity of it impressed me so much that I bought it ten minutes into the trial. Then I started hitting a few indie flops while waiting for Rebirth and I was starting to question if I should maybe hold off buying new games for a bit, but then I sank into Rebirth in such a huge way. I was completely in awe of the game to the point where it felt like I could’ve cried by how much I loved the game. And then… the year stopped. For a long while. I still played games, sure, but I was playing Dave the Diver very casually as a side game against other games, but I gave up trying to find a main game and just finished Dave the Diver and it felt like there was nothing I really enjoyed playing. I played and beat several games for a while, but I was really critical of them. I was playing games that were considered good too. Dragon’s Dogma 2, Helldivers, Erdtree, etc. They didn’t feel great to play. The indies I were playing felt like I had to beat them because I bought them. It didn’t feel good.
Then the first wave of the Alan Wake DLC came out and I was like, “Whoa, I love this! Gaming is awesome again… oh, that was an hour and a half of gaming.” And my malaise lasted most of the rest of the year til Astro Bot knocked my socks off. And after that, much like you, I jumped to Silent Hill, and it just made me feel gross, and then Metaphor, which I kept falling asleep playing, so I went back into the malaise. Games weren’t hitting again. But then, you know what, this week has been picking up for me. I dropped Silent Hill and Metaphor last Saturday and swapped over to Banishers and honestly it sort of revitalized me. I had a hard time picking up the game. I preordered it and just couldn’t start it for whatever reason. It was never the right time, you know? I’m glad I waited because it’s what I want to play now. And then the wife and I play Life is Strange together every time one of those come out, and the new one might not be my favorite one so far, but it hits the spot, you know? And I picked up Mario Party Jamboree and the kids and I are loving it. So slump is officially over for me now. I’m going to resub to Gamepass when Stalker comes out and I’m feeling optimistic about games again. I’ve felt RPG burnout for most of the year, but now I’m sort of like maybe I should get Dragon Quest 3 for myself for Christmas because I know the game will hit me right too. It feels like a lot of people went through the slump this year for whatever reason, but glad to hear yours is over (as is mine)!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 2-3)
Life is Strange: Double Exposure for sure and possibly Banishers too. I anticipate those will be my only games til I finish them both.
Re: Monster Hunter Wilds' Open Beta Is Off To A Monstrous Start
I dunno. I played the beta during the PS exclusive thing and I felt like the game ran rough when I tried it. Got to wonder if it runs any better elsewhere.
Re: Apparently, More Than 50% Of Xbox Series X|S Users In The US Played Black Ops 6 Near Launch
One of the 50% that has not… but I will when the Gamepass value skyrockets later this month and I’m caught up on everything else I want to play for the year. Life is Strange and Banishers, I’m looking at you. Not long now, I suppose.
Re: PlayStation's Wolverine Director Now Working On Perfect Dark For Xbox
Perfect Dark > Wolverine.
Re: Black Ops 6 Biggest Ever Call Of Duty Launch, According To Microsoft CEO
What a shocker. Quality matters for most things, Call of Duty included. 😉
Re: Pick One: Which Is Your Favourite BioWare Game On Xbox?
Mass Effect 2. It’s just such a good slow burn of an RPG and it bridged the gap between two other solid, solid entries. Mass Effect is basically exactly what i wanted out of gaming around the time it released.
Re: Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon In November 2024
Alright, alright, you got me. Gamepass is finally turning a corner again. This is the best line-up we’ve had in ages. I want them all!
Re: Hands On: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle - An Xbox Adventure Worth Its Weight In Gold
@K1LLEGAL You know, I try Like a Dragon every time, but since this one wasn’t on Gamepass for launch, I skipped it. The series just doesn’t click for me for whatever reason, and I really don’t know what people are getting at with Metaphor. The demo was sort of a slog to me. It wasn’t bad, but it kept making me tired, so I fell asleep playing it a few times and I just can’t justify buying a game where I fell asleep multiple times playing the demo. I’ve not yet picked up Sonic, but based on my experience with the original game, I should. I’d likely have three or four remakes in my list then, though one of them, I dunno if I’ll finish it. I’m not sure why but that Silent Hill remake is far more traumatizing than I remember. Lol. I’m trying, I’m trying!
For me right now:
1. Rebirth
2. Balatro
3. Astro Bot
4. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
5. Mario Party Jamboree
6. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
7. Animal Well
8. Tekken 8
9. Bo and the Path of the Teal Lotus
10. I go back and forth between Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Black Myth Wukong here, but realistically it doesn’t matter since neither one will end up in the final top 10
I’m playing Banishers and Silent Hill currently and Banishers feels like it’ll be in my list once I finish it. I’m really happy with it and sort of upset with myself I didn’t start it sooner. By quality, I know Silent Hill should make the list, but it really stresses me out to play it. I’ve yet to decide if I’ll get Dragon Age, but I’m leaning toward, if I buy anything else, it’ll be Dragon Quest or Sonic, which are both so safe to buy and definitely top 10 padding with my current list. Lol. I should be starting up Life is Strange this evening with the wife too, and, even with reviews being all over the place, I could see that one making the list too for our bias toward the series.
But back to Indy, even if it’s just an 8/10 tier game, I think my bias toward loving and being forgiving toward the franchise will have it above Mario Party at least!
Re: Hands On: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle - An Xbox Adventure Worth Its Weight In Gold
@K1LLEGAL I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the case, actually. While everyone is compiling their GotY lists, Xbox has Stalker and Indy positioned almost as a “starting next year off with a bang.” It’s a questionable strategy, but we’ll see how it works. Realistically next year does look like the “next year Xbox is coming back” we’ve all been waiting for all generation. More than half of my 2025 games list is currently scheduled on Gamepass, which almost feels like an illusion, given how little I’ve played my Xbox this year. Mind you, it also feels like an illusion how few games are also on that list that are from Nintendo. After the last four years, that feels backwards, but I’m ok with that.
Honestly, I’d be shocked, absolutely shocked if Indy doesn’t crack my top 10 list this year, personally. I’m contemplating adding DLC to the list this year. I don’t typically do that, but my top 10 doesn’t feel right. Mario Party Jamboree is currently at #5. Just not right… (I’m playing, of course. I love Mario Party, but I am being serious that my top 10 feels off). Since Sony doesn’t seem interested in making Uncharted and few developers seem interested in make FPS action that isn’t cartoony, Indy looks to right some wrongs in the industry. I’ll hold off on my own list for Indy, at least, even if I know most of the critical community won’t!
Re: Hands On: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle - An Xbox Adventure Worth Its Weight In Gold
This sounds so good! The thing that has baffled me and made me most concerned about this one has been the release date. Why on Earth would Xbox put their biggest game (and most likely nominated game) in ages out after GotY lists and all that jazz are already out. I mean, Stalker’s already cutting it close. Really weird to think that the two most obvious Xbox games this year might not get discussed in that format.
But, man, awards are just fluff, aren’t they? I can’t wait to play.
Re: Roundup: Here's What The Critics Think Of Life Is Strange: Double Exposure
It wouldn’t be a Life is Strange game if the reviews weren’t literally all over the place. I remember avoiding LiS2 because of the reviews a couple years ago, but, man, what a mistake! I loved the game more than the first one.
Also, can’t wait for Lost Records too. If this one doesn’t hit, at least Don’t Nod is going back to the LiS formula too early next year.
Re: These 30+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (October 28 - November 1)
After this week, it’s basically GotY season. Wish Indy and Stalker were a bit earlier in the year, but what can you do?
Really looking forward to Life is Strange!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 26-27)
I’ve gotta try the new Astro Bot level. I’m going to play some Mario Party Jamboree for sure and possibly Silent Hill 2 tonight since the wife will be out with a friend. We were originally going to play that one together, but she hated it and said it was boring and confusing early on, so together gaming waits for Life is Strange, I suppose. I dunno, I think it’s solid, if not blowing me away as much as I thought it would. I’ve got a lot of Trick or Treating in the meantime with the kids in two different neighborhoods this weekend. One today, one tomorrow.
And I’ll admit it, I’m more curious about Black Ops 6 than I’ve been for a CoD game in a long while. Maybe I will get Gamepass for it. I dunno. I’m waiting for more reviews still.
Re: Satya Nadella's Huge Pay Package Generates Headlines Following Recent Xbox Layoffs
@WildConcept6 in my entire life, I’ve probably cumulatively made less than 1% of Satya’s pay this year and I’m in my mid-30’s! If the severance was 5-10% of Satya’s pay, we’d see a lot of really happy people that would have the ability to create their own businesses! It’s a novel idea, enabling people to have the potential to have the economic freedom to do whatever they want to do and have control over their destiny.
Re: Satya Nadella's Huge Pay Package Generates Headlines Following Recent Xbox Layoffs
@WildConcept6 either which way, if Satya’s so well paid, I hope he gave generous severance packages for the thousands of people laid off!
Re: Satya Nadella's Huge Pay Package Generates Headlines Following Recent Xbox Layoffs
If they cut his salary, they might’ve been able to afford one of those studios that they cut.
Re: Xbox SEA Highlights 10+ New Indie Games Coming Out Of Southeast Asia
@Decimateh Hauntii so far is my Gamepass GotY, sort of underrated gem, a narrative puzzle shooter of sorts. The art direction is top notch, and the narrative is touching, even if the game that frames it is just sort of ok, and it’s a bit buggy. That said, I’d rate the game a 7/10, so I’m totally expecting Nine Sols to blow it out of the water, given what I know about it. 😂 I’m just glad Gamepass will finally have a good line-up next month. Can’t wait for Stalker and Indy reviews to hit, so I can know if I’m going to resub to GP again or just buy Nine Sols.
Re: Review: Alan Wake 2: The Lake House (Xbox) - Connecting The Dots To Control
Move over Erdtree, this is the best DLC this year. I honestly think I’m going to put this DLC in my top 10 list this year, as short as it is. It just feels so darn right in so many ways.
Re: Xbox SEA Highlights 10+ New Indie Games Coming Out Of Southeast Asia
@Decimateh I played it on PS5 and had no bugs or slow down. Of course, everyone has a different experience, but it worked just fine for me. Game felt smooth. The motion in the game is floaty, you should know, but it also feels intentional because the character feels like they’re flowing and dancing through their movements, but I can see where someone might not like that, even though I thought it was tasteful and thematic to the game. I’m looking forward to comparing this one to Nine Sols next month.
Re: Ubisoft's Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Team Officially Disbanded
@InvaderFromSpace You know, I misread my Google earlier and thought the budget for the game was $15 million when that was revenue. I’m honestly surprised to see how high the actual budget was… Yikes. Got to wonder how much of that went to the poor marketing for the game. Never mind. You’re right. It probably wasn’t profitable. Should’ve been sold at a lower price point, but that budget is insane for a Metroidvania. You can’t even blame the developers on that. That’s total oversight by accounting to allot that much to a Metroidvania from a dormant IP at that price. I admit I was wrong. Yeah, Ubisoft is hemorrhaging money, looking at things in depth.
Re: Xbox SEA Highlights 10+ New Indie Games Coming Out Of Southeast Asia
Highly recommend Bo Path of the Teal Lotus. The difficulty is sort of high and the game is better in the early portions, but the art and music are fantastic.
Re: Ubisoft's Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Team Reportedly 'Disbanded'
I’ve said it elsewhere, but, given the sales this game had early on, I would imagine it was likely a profitable game… unless Ubisoft was sort of out of control with spending somewhere on the game. I feel this team may have been axed more because Ubisoft is aiming to continue trying to continue with their ludicrously large titles to try to make more profit while their company is burning to the ground all around it. Realistically, if it was about pure profitability, we’d be hearing about how the Skull and Bones team was disbanded instead because, surely, that title lost more money. I suspect Ubisoft has a rough road ahead for itself. If AC Shadows doesn’t hit the strides the series is known for, Ubisoft may well be in dire straights, especially if the strikes continue. Realistically, it’s a shame it’s happening to Ubisoft since they certainly aren’t the worst of the behemoth publishers, though they do seem to be most oft criticized currently.
The biggest shame though is that The Lost Crown is genuinely one of the best titles Ubisoft has made. It’ll no doubt be on many GotY lists (I know it’ll securely be on mine, even knowing we’ve still got two months to go) and the decision to disband the team will no doubt make a skeptical public even more critical toward the publisher. It really seems that gamers have their pitchforks and torches at the ready for anything Ubisoft does and this will not help that narrative.
I know, for me, Ghost of Yotei caused me to cancel my AC Shadows preorder, but this news definitely lowers my anticipation further in that title as well
Re: Talking Point: Xbox & Nintendo Switch Owners, How Do You Split Your Third-Party Purchases?
I started my digital library on Xbox and tried to support it until the Switch disrupted everything and became my go-to for a few years. This generation though, I’ve been buying most third party games on PS because they usually run better on there than my Switch. I sometimes double dip too if there’s a righteous sale!
I haven’t used my Xbox most of the year. It’s sort of a Gamepass machine now. I’m expecting to resub late November aster at least half a year being removed.
Re: Bloober Team Says It's Done Making 'Sh**ty Games' As It Prepares For Cronos: The New Dawn
Honestly, it’s sort of low integrity to call their previous games crap when they had a hit by remaking someone else’s success.
Re: Xbox Exec Dismisses Rumour That He Doesn't Care About Banjo-Kazooie
Whether it was a joke or not, Xbox execs need to learn how to read the room when they make comments. They have to know people will jump on these kinds of things.
Re: Surprise! Black Myth: Wukong Has Been Rated For Xbox
@Bigmanfan I feel like the game honestly needed more time in the oven. Not from a technical point of view, per se, but from a basic how the game is framed point of view. If I would’ve made the game, I would’ve made the story more obvious for people unfamiliar with the source material. I could follow it because I know the story, but if I didn’t… honestly, it tells the same disjointed way that Sparking Zero explains Dragon Ball, which makes the cutscenes, as cool as they are, not make sense. And then I’d make difficulty options. I actually think the game might be more fun in an easy mode because you could soak in the diversity that the game does offer if that’s what you want to do. If it was a bit easier too, you wouldn’t notice which bosses are deliberately designed to kneecap you. I mean, I just remember back to the beginning of the game, and Wandering Wight was extremely punishing, but all the bosses around him followed a pattern and just took a bit of practice to learn. It didn’t make sense. It felt random and intentionally difficult because he was arbitrary in how he attacked. I noticed the same thing happens with random bosses as you progress and then some bosses that should be hard are cake walks. Wandering Wight should not have been harder than Black Bear Guai. It doesn’t feel like a skill thing, but unbalanced thing.
Re: Surprise! Black Myth: Wukong Has Been Rated For Xbox
@Bigmanfan I agree 100%. It’s the definition of a good, but not great game. It has all the pieces to be great, but everything is so split all over the place. It’s also hard to the point of feeling repetitive at times because, I swear, the bosses are fixed to have you grind for a bit and then they suddenly get easier. The difficulty is inconsistent… and I dunno… it feels artificially difficult ant times. Not sure if anyone else felt that way. Theres also unnecessary backtracking. It’s not egregious, but it is unnecessary. It’s not really a Souls game, but more or less Souls inspired with a dash of Devil May Cry, sort of like how Stellar Blade was. I’d say it’s a bit better than Stellar Blade due to it feeling more distinctly like its own IP (Stellar Blade reminds me of other games, but better games, so it forces a comparison point by being similar to things like the superior Nier Automata, etc,. Wukong doesn’t have that issue) and level design. I may say Stellar Blade has better combat though. I’d say that they’re both 7/10 games, though I’d say Wukong teeters more at 7.5/10. Early on, I felt Wukong was an 8/10, but the further I went with it, the more noticeable some of the flaws in it get (and the more technical issues occur as well… hopefully there is less delay initially on Xbox than there was on PS5, as PC players did get the best version of the game).
Also, no idea how they’ll get this game working on the S without some serious chug and down res.
Re: Poll: A Year Later, What Do You Think Of Alan Wake 2 Overall?
Game’s a 10/10, best game so far this generation for me. Stunning visuals and sound design. Level design is impressive. The characters, the writing, the ambition, the creativity… I could go on and on about it. I had a big, dumb smile on my face several times during my playthrough because it just made me happy.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 19-20)
This should be the weekend Silent Hill 2 begins. The plan is to knock out SH2 and the Alan Wake 2 DLC before Life is Strange comes out. Then after those ones, to finally go back to Banishers. That may well be the next two months of gaming for me (with some variance), but who knows?
Re: Poll: How Often Do You Take Advantage Of Crossplay On Xbox?
I try to avoid crossplay when I can in multiplayer to avoid PC based players.
Re: Xbox Is Getting A Lot Of Praise For This Week's Partner Preview Showcase
I honestly thought the one in March was better. I’m not sure where the excitement is for this one. Alan Wake DLC was the only thing that I’m for sure buying out of the batch… well, the only thing I already bought too…
Re: Xbox's Phil Spencer Is Clearly Loving Metaphor: ReFantazio Right Now
I didn’t particularly enjoy the demo, much like Atlus’s other games, sadly. I may watch the cutscenes on YouTube though. I like the art style and storytelling, so that’s where I’m at
Re: GOTY Contender 'Animal Well' Gets A Surprise Launch On Xbox Today
The game is exceptional, if a bit obtuse. I highly recommend it, as it is a very unique experience. It’s definitely not for everyone. Even with its high review score, I can see it being too out there for many players, but, if it’s for you, it’s for you. For me, I got a bit lost in it, which made me a little frustrated because the game gives you no cues, but otherwise I have only positive things to say. The art, the sound design, the level design, it’s all impeccable and original.
Re: Alan Wake 2's Lake House Expansion Floats Onto Xbox Series X|S Next Week
Highlight of the showcase by a wide margin for me.
Re: Poll: How Would You Grade Today's Xbox Partner Preview Event?
In Remedy I trust, but, man, I dunno about FBC. They just had to use some generic sounding pop rock and highlight it in a way that is sort of off-putting to me personally, and I say that as a fan of everything remotely Remedyverse that’s out there. That said, Alan Wake 2 DLC will be probably completed by me day of release if it’s similar to the last one! Love Alan Wake 2. GotY last year. Outside that… well, the Bloober game looked interesting, but their quality is sort of all over the place, so I’m not at a point where I’d preorder anything they do yet. Legend of Baboo looked like it could be good or… not. But I’ll wishlist it while I wait to find out.
Animal Well is a solid indie title though. If you’ve not played it yet on another platform, at least it’s on Xbox now since it’s on everything else.
But, uh, Alan Wake 2 DLC was the highlight for me, and there wasn’t anything else that made me say, “Cool, can’t wait for that!” Given that, I’d say this was a C at best since it was otherwise pretty anodyne and harmless for me. At least there wasn’t anything bad, just a lot that does nothing for me.
Re: Stalker 2's Final Previews Are Here, And It Sounds Like An Xbox Game Pass Treat
With me having cancelled my AC Shadows preorder, maybe it’s getting close to time to rejoin the GP community after dropping the service for most of the year. Looking forward to seeing if Stalker and Indy hit for me.
Re: Xbox To Host New 'Partner Preview' Showcase This Week
@Utena-mobile Yes, this. More on OD please.
Re: Xbox To Host New 'Partner Preview' Showcase This Week
@jesse_dylan The DLC was announced at last month’s State of Play to have an October release date. If that info was not for this showcase then when!? October’s half over already. Lol.
Re: Xbox To Host New 'Partner Preview' Showcase This Week
Realistically, I’m keeping my expectations so low that the only thing I expect is the release date for Alan Wake’s dlc and nothing else.
But man would that news make my day!
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Feel About Xbox's ActiBlizz Deal One Year On?
The whole acquisition is potentially the worst thing that’s happened to Xbox as a brand for me personally. We got years of light releases because Xbox felt like they were trying to prove they needed Activision, then we got layoffs like crazy, good studios shutting down, very few Activision titles to Gamepass, the price of Gamepass going up, etc etc. My opinion of Xbox has soured considerably in the time since the acquisition was announced, which is a shame because I sort of supported it previously.
Re: Hogwarts Legacy Isn't Finished Yet, New DLC Reportedly In The Works
Even though the game came out a while ago now, I’d jump back in for some solid DLC. There’s plenty of side quests I didn’t go back to, so I’d gladly do so.
Re: Six Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In November 2024 So Far
Whoa Nine Sols is Gamepass? Maybe I will sub again in December after all, once these are all released and Indy is imminent.
Re: These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (October 14-18)
While I’m not buying anything next week (outside mayyyybe Mario Party), I hope you guys are active with the reviews next week because I’m curious about a few of these. I’m ready for reading mode for some reviews!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 12-13)
Sparking Zero, for sure.
I started the Metaphor Refantazio demo yesterday night finally, but after the intro, my wife was so tired we decided to put it off til we’re more awake. Maybe tonight?
I’d like to start Silent Hill 2 as well.
Re: Xbox's 10 Top-Rated Games Of The Year Are Matching Very Closely To 2023
@FraserG Makes sense to me. It’s just sad to me because I genuinely love the game and think it deserves more credit for how genius it is.
Re: Xbox's 10 Top-Rated Games Of The Year Are Matching Very Closely To 2023
Balatro’s a 95 on Metacritic for the Xbox version. Very few reviews that are Xbox specific though. In my opinion, that’s the best game on Xbox this year, for sure.
For some reason Erdtree really didn’t hit me like I wanted it to. Elden Ring was my GotY 2022, but Erdtree was just more Elden Ring to me. It didn’t knock my socks off… which is funny because my socks were knocked as I went back to the base game to clear off some side quests I didn’t previously do.
Prince of Persia is my favorite game out of this list by a wide margin. Rebirth is very likely my total GotY at this point, even if I’ve still got a few games to play yet to really crown it.
Re: Poll: Which Of These Is Your Favourite 343 Industries Halo Game?
Single player: Infinite
Multiplayer: 4
Re: EA Reveals Info On All Six Difficulty Levels In Dragon Age: The Veilguard
@Lrapsody I agree. I personally am trying to be interested in the game, but I can’t must up a feeling of liking the game at all from what I’ve seen, and it’s largely from thinking the character models look off to me, as well as just the overall style too. It just hits me with a very “looks, kids, it’s today’s gaming” type of template and I don’t enjoy it. I’ve liked the older games just fine, but I just don’t like what I’m seeing and probably won’t buy this game because of that.