I don’t think GB realized HOW BIG a get this was on their stream.
That trailer was definitely the definition of blergh but I’m wondering if the devs of the F2P game are contracting Remedy for their ability to create tightly designed levels around a good mechanical gimmick and are just handing them a narrative to put in there, if Remedy is doing their best within some really cheesy military fiction to write their own story, or if they’re just turning out a clunker this time out because the tone of that trailer felt contrary to basically their entire portfolio.
I’m feeling good about what was presented for the most part. The fact that these games are all coming to Gamepass kinda took the pressure off from them having to “sell” the games to me. I’ll basically give everything a shot once they’re released, so just a quick teaser for them was all I needed. Definitely intrigued by Everwild and As Dusk Falls, and getting an August release date for Tell Me Why was a pleasant surprise. The two heavy hitters for the XSX launch, Forza 8 (EDIT: I guess this might not be launch?) and Halo Infinite, both looked solid and I can’t wait to play them, even if I’m waffling on actually getting a new box or playing them on my wimpy X1X. I dunno, I was satisfied, but I guess I’m in the ecosystem already. We’ll see how this plays to the undecideds.
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That’s the thing, isn’t it? None of those games necessarily “speak” to me, but if it’s all on Game Pass, it doesn’t matter because I’m going to be able to play all of them anyway
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I was only really interested in Avowed, but it was an okay showcase.
Halo: Infinite, as the gameplay trailer, didn’t really feel next-gen in the same way as, like, Ratchet and Clank timey-wimey whatever it was called. Which feels really weird to say.
I’m interested to see if the Outer Worlds DLC is any good; I was a bit disappointed with the base game, but this just seems like more of the same… I hope it is better, anyway.
Halo Infinite isn’t really supposed to be a next gen showpiece in the way Ratchet is, though. It’s more akin to Breath of the Wild, which is essentially a Wii U title prettied up for next gen. Frankly, I’m ok with that. Given Halo’s multiplayer nature (PVP and Co-op), I’d rather it target a wide breadth of platforms instead of constraining the player base to only those with the cash for a new system or high end PC. My friend with two kids and not a lot of disposable income was elated to know that he could play Infinite with me on his “ancient” X1 and only had to pay a Gamepass sub.
That’s not to say I’m against what Sony’s doing necessarily, but also Ratchet is not a launch title and it’s single player, so it has the runway to be “next-gen”.
I don’t really care about graphical fidelity (my favourite game this year is probably gonna be Ooblets, which I play on a laptop with the graphics on ‘Fastest’), and also I have no interest in either game so it’s just an observation, but it is hard not to compare the Sony and Microsoft showcases as exhibitions of the ‘next generation’. For which Sony, to me, did much better.
It’s always good that games are on both generations for a bit, for sure, especially when it’s a big enough series that Microsoft could sell consoles by limiting it to the new one. Gamepass is like the one thing that could convince me to buy an Xbox, too, it seems like a great service. But just looking at it as the main game they showed for their new generation of games…
I for one am very excited for PSO 2: A Realm Reborn
Edit: By all accounts I’ve seen, this PSO2 reveal is, in fact, SEGA’s equivalent of an ARR-style update/overhaul for the game. I’ve had a great time with it since the NA release, but it is plainly obvious just how much of an eight-year-old game it is. If this trailer is indicative of what the gameplay will look like going forward – and if the developers are also going to overhaul the less sexy elements that need a refresh (e.g. inventory management, onboarding, the UI as a whole) – then this could be one of the most exciting things announced today.
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I think this Polygon piece explains the Xbox strategy going forward really well:
Basically, the moving of more Series X units than PS5 is not their goal. Microsoft just wants you in their ecosystem in some way. It could be the Series X, or your PC, or your phone through xcloud, or even that crusty refurbished launch model Xbox One you can get at GameStop for $50. The point is that their strategy isn’t to push boxes by way of the Master Chief, but rather shotgun out a ton of different games in hopes a couple makes you interested in the ecosystem as a whole. It’s a different approach than what you’re seeing with the PS5, but in practical terms both consoles are going to have paltry launch lineups for a little while, just like basically any console launch in history. Microsoft just seems to be the first company to acknowledge that reality.
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I loved a lot of games by Image & Form, and “The Gunk” is such a great title.
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Yeah, I got it from like a conceptual perspective, I just don’t get it as a person who plays video games. It’s not really working for me, and I’m already ‘bought in’ insofar as I have a gaming PC. It made the tone of the whole showcase really lacklustre for me and most of my Twitter timeline, compared to Sony’s showcase. And I am way more interested in Avowed than I am any of the games Sony showed.
Maybe if they do a presentation at some point expanding the Windows-only version of Gamepass, or announce the digital-only Series X is, like, $150. I’m interested in Gamepass, though if Sony releases a competitor for it… But right now I just look at all that and think ‘idk, I bought that itchio bundle, I’m good until Avowed shows up on Steam/Epic’.
I’m The Person On The Waypoint Forum Who Loved The Outer Worlds so I’m very excited for more of it. I’m also super interested in Avowed.
And heck, Fable! That’s gonna be interesting.
Color me excited if only for those three reasons.
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I found the size of the PC Gamepass library to be comparable to the Xbox version, and this recent rundown from Techradar has the PC count at 150 games versus 200 on console, so the gap isn’t quite as big as you’d think. Plus, with Gears Tactics, Flight Simulator, and Age of Empires II DE releasing on PC first, in some ways it feels like PC is taking precedence over Xbox this year. Of course, personal preference being what it is, perhaps the breadth of the library may not appeal to you, but I recommend checking out what’s there.
Also, if you are leaning in a PlayStation direction for a sub service and have decent internet, I messed around PSNow on PC a little back in February and the service is actually really good. Good enough to stream Spider-Man at least.
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Last time I looked at the PC Gamepass it was super clunky, but maybe that’s just the Xbox software they use… but if they’ve expanded the library a bit, I might give it another look. 
And I’ll look into PS Now, too, thank you for suggesting it!
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I get Game Pass when it’s a dollar and play whatever interests me for that month, cancel and won’t think about it again until it goes on sale for a dollar. I’m not their target audience for any of this, which is fine. Sony wow’d me pretty good with their PS5 conference because a lot of what they showed was at least in-engine. A lot of Microsoft’s was just pre-rendered teaser, which doesn’t do much for me anymore.
I’m settling for getting a PS5 eventually. I’m at least more curious to see system-level stuff on that platform than I am with the Series X.
Oh and Microsoft needs to take another pass at their storefront. It’s poop from a butt.
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man, “we gave halo a grappling hook” is the most basic sequel concept you could go for lmao.
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Bionic Halomanndo
The biggest announcement for me was really in the pre-show:
Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima working with Square Enix of all studios to make a new 3D platformer that has a lot in common with NiGHTS into Dreams. Even the studio’s logo evokes Sonic Team’s logo.
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This is super cool, a spoiler FAQ for Tell Me Why that lays out concerns people may have with possible mishandling of LGBTQ themes:
I really hope stuff like this becomes the new norm in games. Why not allow people to spoil themselves if that makes it easier for them to access the work?
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I use it now and it’s decent. Not great, but S
serviceable at least.
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