Xbox Series X - Games Showcase 5pm

[ImmaculateClump]

more first-party, single-player big-budget adventures that really push the tech

You come across as someone who's been gaming all their life and is pretty savvy and knowledgable about niche genres, but you're still falling for the AAA racket?
Do you genuinely want more of those? You genuinely enjoy those games? Didn't you get bored of all that like 10 years ago like most other gamers your age?
Is chatting around the water cooler on gaming forums part of the appeal of those?
I prefer talking to myself at my desk about super xyx (yeah, I saw that was coming soon, about time. I'm looking forward to it as well, toaplan boys for life. Do you want a cuddle? Yes please).

There are so many great games out there right now catering to all tastes, I don't know why anyone would queue up yearly for that thin gruel.
Did everyone cheer when the halo shaped chunk of sludge went by on the conveyor belt?
I wouldn't watch one of these things if you paid me. I probably would, to be fair.
"Big budget", "really push the tech". What? Why? Just play something fun.

[Malcy]

Just looked at the list of games. Think the PS5 is going to be what I go for at this point. GTA5, Stray & Oddworld to look forward to but nothing here. Maybe the one from the Life Is Strange creators.

I like the idea of getting the best version of the game that Xbox is doing though.

[Chedney Honks]

You come across as someone who's been gaming all their life and is pretty savvy and knowledgable about niche genres, but you're still falling for the AAA racket?

The short answer is that I enjoy a lot of different types of games for what they are, and I enjoy different games in different ways. I'm not 'falling for' anything, I'm open-minded to the range of what gaming can offer and I find something I really enjoy in most genres. I'm not going to turn round and say that you're missing out or limiting yourself to maintain some stance, I trust that you play what you like and I know you'll give different things a try. Same here.

My favourites this year are Groove Coaster, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Missile Dancer, 51 Worldwide Games, Mr Driller DrillLand, Raiden Fighters Jet and The Last of Us 2. All different, all fantastic gameplay for me in their own ways. The Last of Us 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake are also technically really exciting and offer things I've never experienced before with a game. I'm currently replaying Dark Souls on the Switch, with PS3 textures and 30fps. It feels a bit grittier than the PS4 remaster.

I'm sure I've given the analogy previously, but it's like music and audio gear. I really love listening to music and I would happily enjoy it through a phone speaker. At the same time, I love listening to audio gear and getting more of a kind of nerd technical enjoyment. Sometimes, it's brilliant when they combine but it's not at all necessary. My favourite music tends to be a bit messy, shite production and the emotional side is far more important. That's largely the same with games, but I do really enjoy seeing technical progress. Having started with the Acorn and Atari 2600, I still find games exciting. I'm far from shamed by the question, 'Why aren't you bored of that yet?' The other night, my mate told me with zero irony that all music has been shit since Terrorvision. God love him. That's not me.

There are certain genres I'm more drawn to and which I get more from, but having gone through a process of 'distilling' gaming down into a kind of fun per minute judgement - basically my months and months of playing nothing but Cave last year - I gradually missed being engrossed in a game world/atmosphere and missed casual Splatoon/Mario Kart online and missed a good interactive story and missed online GT Sport and missed fighting games and puzzle games and rhythm games and so on. It's not just about mechanics and the feedback from pushing buttons. I slogged through some mechanical aspects of Red Dead Redemption 2 but ultimately, it was a fucking beautiful game, amazing music, fantastic characters and a story that really moved me and stayed with me for weeks. The only time Ikaruga nearly made me cry is when I smashed two fucking pads, fractured my hand and nearly put my foot through the telly.

For the avoidance of doubt, yes, I think most games are boring shite and AAA are usually the most boring cookie cutter shite of all, but that's not universally true. In my experience, there's brilliant stuff to be found everywhere if you keep all the doors open, and I've also now learned that I enjoy gaming the most when I play a wide variety.

[popcorn]

I generally gravitate to AAA stuff too, because it's where most of the meaty linear narrative games are, even though I only end up enjoying about... one every three years. It's overwhelmingly pap, but the indie world is no less stuffed with cliche at this point (arty puzzle platformer about depression etc).

[Bazooka]

I generally gravitate to AAA stuff too, because it's where most of the meaty linear narrative games are, even though I only end up enjoying about... one every three years. It's overwhelmingly pap, but the indie world is no less stuffed with cliche at this point (arty puzzle platformer about depression etc).

Or oh another metroidvania with more pixelated 8bit style than before.

[mobias]

Just looked at the list of games. Think the PS5 is going to be what I go for at this point. GTA5, Stray & Oddworld to look forward to but nothing here. Maybe the one from the Life Is Strange creators.

I like the idea of getting the best version of the game that Xbox is doing though.

PS5 for me too. Already got a decent gaming PC so I've got my bases covered. However I doubt I'll get a PS5 at launch unless Sony announce some killer launch title for it.

[H-O-W-L]

Halo Infinite looks shit. I'm a big fan of the original three Halos and was hoping it would be a worthy sequel. Shite. Shite.

[mobias]

Intersting article here https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/xboxs-games-showcase-was-its-strangest-show-yet/

[ImmaculateClump]

Writing off an entire platform isn't exactly keeping your doors open.
I don't buy any of that. I think you just have poor taste in games.
There. I said it.
That roguelite platform shooter you were bigging up recently is the worst, most generic, cynical hack job I've seen in a long time. It's a mockery of all the superior games it lifts from.
It's dull, pedestrian, badly designed mulch and you're holding it up as a jewel in the crown just because it got a pigging switch release.

You wrote Stardew valley off as retirement home grot and then fell in love with the new animal crossing.
What?
Ikaruga is utter garbage.
You bought slay the spire and uninstalled it almost immediately.
You didn't even try curious expedition!
That jumper I gave you for christmas, I haven't seen it since.
I'm using broad brush strokes to make a point, but AAA is where gaming goes to die. I genuinely can't remember the last big budget game I played that I didn't find insulting in every way.

a good interactive story

Where? It's all amateur comic book tier drivel.

The idea that people would be cynical enough to not watch a microsoft conference filled with gameplay-free trailers for the weakest idiot pacifying shite the industry has to offer for any reason other than it's clearly not for them is ludicrous.
Yeah, mario kart 8 was great.

[Kelvin]

Bosto, did you steal this kid's lunch money or something?

[Thursday]

Wouldn't rule out it also being Bosto.

[Kelvin]

Wouldn't rule out it also being Bosto.

Laughed out loud at this. God, I hope so.

I bin bosto'd

[popcorn]

Or oh another metroidvania with more pixelated 8bit style than before.

I'm quite hyped about that N64 speedboat game that's coming out, very original. I hope it will shake things up.

[ImmaculateClump]

Bosto is the only poster on this comedy forum who plays himself 100% straight. Stop treating him like a clown.

edit: Oh, shit, big news if true, honky chonks! - https://gonintendo.com/stories/365632-bullet-hell-shmup-crimzon-clover-world-explosion-rated-for-swit

[popcorn]

edit buuug

[Chedney Honks]

I don't buy any of that.

If you don't respect that I mean what I say, there's nothing to discuss.

We enjoy different things for the most part.

[wooders1978]

Thought the senuas sacrifice fellas opening bit was weird - "over 3.5 million people played senuas sacrifice" - so we've decided to slash that by half by going Xbox exclusive??

Other than that everything else looked crap, so I'll not be moving away from PlayStation

[Bazooka]

I'm quite hyped about that N64 speedboat game that's coming out, very original. I hope it will shake things up.

It's going to be a giant killer, an industry changer, genreless.

[ImmaculateClump]

If you don't respect that I mean what I say, there's nothing to discuss.

We enjoy different things for the most part.

Shurrup! I'm the only one here who didn't think you were doing a bit!
Aye, we like different things, we're different people.

Of course I respect you, I didn't think you were lying when you were saying that you've never been depressed and that's why all your doors are flung wide to all the wonderful new experiences gaming might offer.
I was just pointing out that some of your closed doors have been painted shut since you hung them.

I wasn't saying that you were lying, I was just saying that maybe you were kidding yourself with some of your reasoning.

If you genuinely enjoy "a good interactive story" and get something out of those big story driven games, then that's good enough for me. I believe you and I don't think any less of you. Like you say, you're lowering your expectations and enjoying it on it's own level.

I did tell you "never go full shmup", last year. Don't tell me that I didn't warn you :D

[Chedney Honks]

They didn't think I was doing a bit by saying I like a range of games.

They thought your response was me doing a bit.

I'm not interested in having the PC conversation again but I hope you play whatever you like and I'll do exactly the same.

[beanheadmcginty]

Imagine getting something out of a story. What sort of monster enjoys a story?

[ImmaculateClump]

Sorry man, I thought you'd enjoy a little dance.
I like stories, but I know I'm not gonna get a good one from a game so I go elsewhere, that's all I meant by that.
Sorry everyone. Don't tease the court jester. Noted. I didn't judge that one very well.

I hope you play whatever you like and I'll do exactly the same.

Aaw, ring thrown back in my face and everything. Alright, man.

[Chedney Honks]

No worries. Let's move on.

Just gonna call my neighbour's son and tell him his mum's dead.

Catch you round, lads.

[ImmaculateClump]

Sorry man, all my fault.
Not the mum thing.
I'm misjudging lots of stuff online at the minute, not making the effort or overreaching for branches that aren't even there. Might take a little break.
Love 'ou

[Sheffield Wednesday]

Real talk, we were just pointing in different directions a bit on this one. It's no big deal. I was being straight down the line for once and you were expecting a bit of rough and tumble. Just the way it goes sometimes. I'm not feeling especially playful.

I've been struggling ever since my favourite third person open world AAA interactive story developer Ubisoft got cancelled.

(🤣🤣🤣)

[ImmaculateClump]

All cool. I'm not feeling myself either.

Don't worry, you've still got breath of the wild 2 to look forward to :D

[Blue Jam]

Could someone please explain the appeal of Animal Crossing to me? Ta.

[Kelvin]

Could someone please explain the appeal of Animal Crossing to me? Ta.

There's a thread here:

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,78834.0.html

The question got asked in there a few times, I think. But in short, it's a very chilled, charming game with a creative side; a bit like The Sims, or children playing with toys. You pursue simple loops - fishing, chopping down trees, catching bugs, etc - to obtain money, materials, clothes and objects, which you then use to cultivate an island to your theme/personality. Unlike other farming games, the appeal is less in the time management and routine and more in the meta game of building out your distinct creative vision for the island. Bosto used to say it was like playing Sylvanian families, and he's basically right.