Topic: The everything Xbox thread

I'm onto alan wake 2 now. Only played 30 or so minutes last night. It's getting rave reviews.

@NintendoByNature Looking forward to Alan Wake 2, but not enough to be there on day one.

@Magician I never played the first myself, but with all the praise this last week and reviewing the way it did, I had to try it. Plus I finished mario wonder a couple days ago so perfect timing with Halloween.

@gcunit Answering your question to me about starfield.

So first off it is a Bethesda Game. Which means a large, livable playable area that you can do whatever you want. That being said as Bethesda is trying to go for psuedo accuracy with planetary atmosphere and the only spacefaring life is human (I can argue intelligence for one particularly dangerous species) that if you are expecting No Man's Sky, you will be disappointed. Humans have not been spacefaring for long (only a few centuries and a very large fraction of the population died before leaving Earth...the game tells you why later...) and due to war and treaties, they have not built huge cities on each world. So if you want Skyrim in space that isn't what you are going to get. Instead, they pull more of the bootstrap survival from fallout (but without the same tone), which if you like to forge your own path then the game is for you.

Outposts is a huge system (and requires you to link a number of planets together) so if you like to build, resource manage, there is plenty of that. Combat works (I actually don't like shooters, so fallout and technically starfield are my least favorite Bethesda combat styles, but I really, really like the leveling up system (infinite by the way...it has a hard cap but good luck getting to it) as it feels like your character is "learning". It feels like they brought back inspiration from oblivion's system but you aren't jumping in place for 20 hours lol). I think the radiant points of interest are sufficient (I have not encountered them all) but I like to wander around and find loot (you aren't going to stumble on a lot of hand crafted content for cities...that is done on purpose and fits the lore...but some folks didn't enjoy that). Ship building is also big for some people (I am fine with just upgrading ships I get normally or buy).

Companions feel better than ever but if you play evil supposedly you won't have a good time. I play as morally good as I can within reason and there isn't an "evil faction" like the Dark Brotherhood...Ryujin is the closest but it is more thieves guild meets corporate espionage. I loved the Vanguard quest but do feel that the Vanguard and the Freestar are at their core similar (and aholes about it) and somebody described them as Space 'merica 1 and Space 'merica (I can't entirely disagree but do feel it is unfair to assess as such as it is a generic Earth culture and not really America specific beyond the the Freestar's pseudo cowboy theme (which beyond the hats and weapons isn't really much)).

There is a supernatural twist to the plot that makes for a new narrative for bethesda games (New Game plus is incorporated into this) but the repetition if you want to be a space deity is a lot (I left after my 6th playthrough...just waiting on DLC and I need another 8 playthroughs to get everything since I missed a few things during a playthrough or two). The companions have gotten more dialogue so if you like them you will like hanging out with them, but I suppose to accommodate that (and the twist) they shrunk the game to 4 main companions and a robot, but you have several lower tier (less dialogue and can die I think) companions in game.

I will say I liked some of the branches with faction quests and they felt a little longer than previous games but it is familiar if you have played Bethesda games. So imo if you like semi realistic space (within a Bethesda framework), and like the Bethesda game model, I highly recommend. Game is buggy but no where near the levels of prior Bethesda games (given the size of the games and variables I don't get as mad about this as some folks do) but if you are looking for a space opera (NMS, Mass Effect, Kotor) this will not satisfy you. If you have gamepass, give it a go...technically the start is "slow" (I don't think so but I have seen that complaint) so give it at least 10 hours before you try to settle on an opinion. It is a very good game...but not quite a great game. Like any Bethesda game though it can be lived in so the narrative is partly up to you.

@Ryu_Niiyama There's just something to be said when the tech in games like No Man's Sky and Starlink is so much more impressive than in Starfield, which was billed as a "true next-gen" experience but feels like it's stuck in the PS3 / Xbox 360 generation of platforms.

Bethesda's Creation Engine needs to go.

Matter of fact, it should've went...years ago.

@Magician Yeah seems a lot of people feel that way. I'm not one of them though. NMS was too much for me (to the point that it feels bloated or cluttered...impressive game though), If they cut the NG+ requirements in half (so you don't do as many temples) I am pretty much fine with Starfield as is (I can't think of anything that I need added to the game that the Creation Engine can't make...just may require mods.). I have yet to find a game that makes me feel the way Bethesda games do, so I don't really have any major complaints. Just waiting on DLC. So long as mods are a thing I will support the Creation Engine and any upgrades it gets. Some of the scripting mods show that it has a lot of versatility that Bethesda doesn't leverage (likely because QA hell). But Modders always squeeze every last drop from it. That being said the way starfield has hundreds of landable worlds (Granted they are partially randomly generated) is pretty next gen for bethesda.

That does remind me that I don't entirely like the zooming in on faces ala oblivion and found that to be a step back. Curious as to why the devs chose that.

@Ryu_Niiyama Can I let you in on a little secret? Please don't repeat this as my reputation as one of the toppermost gamers of the modern era could be on the line here... but Bethesda games and I are not that well acquainted.

I am yet to truly penetrate the outer skin of pretty much any Bethesda game. I've dipped my toe into Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3, Doom, Dishonored, but somehow yet to ever get to know any of them.

Thank you for detailing your experience of Starfield. Though, being honest, I'm not sure, having read your post, that I could summarise in 20 words or less what it is about the game that drew you in for c. 400 hours (I don't mean that as a slight against your post or the game, I just don't yet have a sense of whether its the freedom & exploration, resource management, questing etc. that you found particularly to your liking - not that you owe me that, obvs. 😄 ).

@gcunit Yeah sure, for me it's two things. I love the freedom and customization and role play of Bethesda games (even in this day and age a lot of games I find restrictive) but they aren't overwhelming survival game tedious. And Bethesda has really good environmental (and lore...soooo much lore) story telling. Like you wander into a cave to get a treasure and find out that some hedge mage has been using it as a lure to torture people. It isn't a quest...he just exists. You may find it...you may never find it. Each user's experience is somewhat/a lot different. You don't even have to do the main quest if you don't want to. You can drop in and out of the optional systems (outposts and ship building) if you want...or that can be your whole game. Bethesda games also don't put pressure on the player the way many collectahon items and quests do in open world games. After that I would say mods. Anything you feel is missing....somebody will likely have made for you.

For Starfield itself, it is A) Bethesda game, so freedom and role playing and I like to wander. B) Setting. I wanted a space game that was a little less fantastical (starfield has a twist, but honestly it can be ignored....just like everything else in a Bethesda game.) as scifi isn't naturally to my taste.

If you have the older Bethesda games (minus dishonored as that was published by bethesda not made by them) then I would suggest Skyrim for fantasy, Fallout 4 and New Vegas (made by two different devs) and then Starfield last. I like all the Bethesda games I have played (didn't play fallout 76 HAHA) but for newer folks, that is what I recommend. Dishonored is really good too though...don't sleep on Arcane's games.

I cheated but think I answered your question.

@Ryu_Niiyama Definitely more than 20 words 😋 but it was a great follow up answer, thank you.

My most likely 'in' to Bethesda is Skyrim by default as that's the only one on Switch, plus I own it and did make a start a few years back but... got distracted to other games early on.

Surprised and slightly disappointed we never got more Fallout on Switch after Fallout Shelter (not that I played much of that, but just allowed myself to think it was a precursor to a port or two).

I have bought Oblivion, Fallout 3 (started it, never even got out of the bunker before getting impatient with it), New Vegas (all Steam) and Fallout 4 (PS4) but unless I get tired of my Nintendo hardware (seems unlikely) I'm not sure I'll ever get to them unless they eventually port to Nintendo some day.

I'm sure I could like them, I tend to bond with most things that I spend time with. I need to get cracking on a proper play of Skyrim and use that as my launch pad to the others.

@gcunit I would say start with Skyrim since it is a complete game and a known quantity and you have it on a system you play lots. I do suggest you do the main quest your first play through before doing whatever you want. Just so you get the lay of the land. (And the powers) FUS RO DAH! After that try Fallout (any of them) to get used to gunplay as I am told FPS fans turn their nose up a bit.

@gcunit

Might still be on its way. We had that Fallout 3 Remastered leak back in September.

As for the main draw for Bethesda games, it's a The Goonies kind of situation. Going off on a random direction in the hope of discovering something cool and unique. Maybe it's treasure. Maybe it's better equipment. Maybe it's a well crafted dungeon with some interesting flavor text.

So, the new year is here. What do Xbox players have to look forward to in 2024? The top of my "most anticipated" would have to be S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2. Regarded as a series of the best immersive sims out there. And one that I have never played.

I'm more than curious. It's listed as a 2024 game, but I assume it'll slip into 2025.

I'm not even sure what's releasing on xbox this year. Is fable a 2024 game? P3 reload is coming to gamepass I believe, so that's cool. There's also a rumor of another develper direct happening this month, so hopefully we have that to fill in some details about the year.

@NintendoByNature So far for Xbox Game Studios games, the 2024 list is:

• Flight Simulator 2024
• Avowed
• Hellblade 2
• Fallout 4 (Series X|S version)
• Towerborne
• Ara History Untold (PC only)

But nothing has a more precise release window or date than "2024". So I'd say Developer Direct around the same time as last year shining a spotlight on the 1st half of 2024 is very likely.

@Grumblevolcano not much for me unfortunately, other than avowed. Maybe ill try fallout 4. If xbox can deliver another direct this month with a banger surprise release like they did with hi fi rush, I'll be a happy camper.

So, will Forza Horizon 2 - ten year anniversay editon (physical) work on Series X?

It's rather funny, I bought it on sale for $20 for my brother, christmas 2019, just before the pandemic. We finally opened the game last friday 😆, and we're quite pleased with how good it is on Xbox One. It's good AF! We've already played through Forza Horizon 3, 4, and 5, wanted more Horizon. (although the ten year anniversary car pack & Storm Island expansion will not download since Horizon 2 was removed from xbox game store circa 2019 or 2020. But it's still great! I actually, possibly like the Italy/France locale better than Horizon 4 and Horizon 5.

@WoomyNNYes Yes it will work on the Series X. I actually just played my copy a few days ago. Like you said the DLC is no longer available though.

How great is it that we just got robocop, and later this year we're getting Indiana Jones. It's like my childhood is coming back lol.

@NintendoByNature Now all need is a good Aliens game and another Ghostbusters game and it will be complete.

@Tasuki absolutely. I haven't played alien isolation yet, and I may not. I'm looking for more of a run and gun game if I'm playing alien.

That Ghostbusters game that's remastered on switch is actually pretty good. We just need a sequel of that.

We also got that tmnt Ronin game coming out at some point and hopefully that'll be a banger too.