I’m keen to buy the game, but I’ll wait for the official release to check its performance on PS5. I’m also holding out for the physical edition of RE:R to return to shelves so I can play that first. Another concern is that I absolutely love Mass Effect series and Fallout 4, and this game feels like a blend of the two—so I’m a bit worried it might end up being a big disappointment.
It looks like Square Enix may be trying to see whether Sony would finally consider acquiring their studios. Final Fantasy XVI looked incredible visually, but the pacing was among the weakest in the series. Splitting Final Fantasy VII Remake into three separate games also felt like obvious milking of the project, so the drop in sales over time was not surprising.
At the same time, Xbox appears to be testing whether spending more money could help them gain a foothold in the Japanese market, although I’m not convinced that strategy will work. Similar attempts in the past—such as investing heavily in titles like Tomb Raider—did not really achieve the impact they were hoping for.
Overall, Square Enix has made several questionable decisions. Issues with Forspoken were never properly addressed, and the studio behind it was shut down instead. There have also been ongoing problems with merchandising and timing—for example, the Final Fantasy XVI action figures were released far too late to capitalise on the game’s launch. Taken together, it is hard to see how they can continue moving forward successfully if these patterns continue.
@Rich33 Probably RE2R is an all-time favourite. RE3R was also heavily criticised by the community, often unfairly, so many people are interested in picking it up to experience what they might have missed. RE7 was skipped by quite a few players as well, mainly because the FPS wasn’t very popular among Resident Evil fans at the time. Meanwhile, RE4R and RE8 Gold are still relatively recent releases, and many newcomers to the franchise have only just played them.
I used to play the original game on PS2 when I was a student. However, it was really hard to control the camera, and the old DualShock was too clanky for something fast-paced. I will give a try to the demo and see how it's working, but I used to love the atmosphere and graphics.
If this console really ends up costing around $1.2K—as rumours suggest and considering it’s supposedly a high-end device not aimed at all players—then it will be almost impossible for it to rely on exclusive games. At that price point, the audience would simply be too limited.
However, if the system allows proper mod support, it could actually become my first Xbox alongside my PS5 (and eventually PS6).
By the way, I don’t believe the new Xbox boss is really focused on expanding Xbox hardware. It looks more like they’re trying to make the transition smoother as Microsoft shifts further toward becoming a major multi-platform publisher.
@NavalHistorian I agree that Sharma is still very new in the role, and it already feels like Microsoft is leaning heavily on AI in its messaging and strategy. In my view, a big part of the problem for Microsoft is the expectations coming from the market. They tried to reshape the games industry from something closer to progressive rock—fewer releases but highly creative—to something more like elevator music, focused on large-scale production and constant output. Their broader idea of turning gaming into something similar to Netflix clearly did not work from the beginning.
I have never owned an Xbox myself. I started gaming a long time ago, and when it comes to modern consoles my journey began with the PlayStation and has continued from the PS1 through to the PS5. That said, I still remember when the smaller Xbox team was producing games that many people genuinely envied. There was a time when they had strong, distinctive titles. At the moment, however, it feels like very little of real significance is happening with Xbox.
Overall, I agree with most of your points, particularly the suggestion that Nadella may ultimately move away from hardware in the coming years. That possibility seems even more meaningful if Steam Machine begin entering the market next year.
Gosh! What huge news! This is exactly what had been leaking over the past year. This new device is reportedly going to run PC games, but it raises an important question: why would developers release games on Steam for this platform if the Steam Machine is also entering the market?
It is also unclear how developers — or even Xbox itself — would generate revenue from Steam running on an Xbox device. From what I understand, Sharma seems to be continuing with ideas that were already circulating from the beginning, rather than introducing anything genuinely new at this stage.
I believe the next Horizon game, similar to Forbidden West, will be a launch title for the PS6. If this new online game wasn’t in development, I don’t think the next main Horizon entry would release until the next generation anyway.
There are also rumours suggesting Sony is working on a very powerful console, and if the handheld PS6 does come with a docking station (as some leaks claim), then the PS6 could work like the Xbox Series X, while the handheld would be closer to the Series S.
Because of that, I’m fairly confident Sony will hold back major titles like Horizon and Kojima’s next game for the next generation, to showcase the PS6 at maximum quality.
Fun fact: both games are being developed using the Decima engine.
I liked their choice. He should be darker, as Greek had olive skin, but as Kratos has a layer of ash on his skin, it will be easier to make Ryan Hurst look dark-toned but grey like him. Much better choice than Prime's Tomb Raider.
On the surface, Game Pass looks like a win for gamers. You get loads of titles at a fair price, and it feels like great value. But underneath, there’s a real problem. For developers, making games for Game Pass can feel like asking Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd to churn out elevator music. These are talented creators who should be recognised, celebrated, and rewarded for their work over the long term. Instead, some are reduced to taking a wage just to fill up the Game Pass library—and that’s a waste of talent and resources.
The truth is, Game Pass can’t keep its current quality forever if this continues. Good developers won’t stick around for “content factory” work. They’ll go where they can build something lasting, meaningful, and rewarding. As for Xbox’s new idea of selling its games on PlayStation? That’s not a strategy; it’s a bandaid. It might ease some short-term pressure, but it doesn’t fix the bigger issue.
Pretty sure I’m gonna grab this game. After The Last of Us Part II, I honestly felt like nothing else could compare—I just couldn’t get into anything for a while. That game was incredible. Then Ghost of Tsushima came out (had it preordered anyway), and playing it really pulled me back into gaming. With this one, I like that the gameplay feels familiar—smooth and fun like the first game—but still brings a few changes. Nothing too major, so I didn’t feel like I had to relearn everything or reset my expectations.
One thing I do miss is the katana stances. But I get it—the new character isn’t a samurai, so it makes sense they’ve got different weapons instead. Hopefully, we’ll be able to switch between them in-game and get some variety in how it feels to play.With this one, I liked that it is not far from the smooth and fun gameplay of the first game and feels familiar, but also it has some changes, not as much as I need to adobt to something that is not my expectations and past experience. What I liked to see again that is missing from this game is the katana stances, however it is understandable new charecter is not a samurai to use them and replaced by different weapons. Hope we can change the them while playing the game and have different feelings through the game.
Not just FF, but any other game won't be successful on the XBOX. If you have an Xbox and it's active, you have a Game Pass. Additionally, statistically, most of the players love to play shooter and online games on the platform. No one will buy a game like FF on this platform. Even Hellblade 2, one of the best visuals ever, could not make it on the platform.
Instead of TLOU3, I notice that a lot of people are talking about a new IP. Definitely ND will release another game between TLOU Online and TLOU3 if PS5 continues to be Sony's leading platform until 2027. After Sony and Microsoft discontinue this game, which is more miserable, and finish talking around Activision/Bellizard, I'm actually waiting for a new announcement this year.
Comments 15
Re: Xbox's Starfield Rockets to the Top of the PS5's Pre-Order Charts
I’m keen to buy the game, but I’ll wait for the official release to check its performance on PS5. I’m also holding out for the physical edition of RE:R to return to shelves so I can play that first.
Another concern is that I absolutely love Mass Effect series and Fallout 4, and this game feels like a blend of the two—so I’m a bit worried it might end up being a big disappointment.
Re: 'What the F*ck Are We Doing Here?': PS5 Fans Slam Square Enix for Sloppy Multiformat Strategy
It looks like Square Enix may be trying to see whether Sony would finally consider acquiring their studios. Final Fantasy XVI looked incredible visually, but the pacing was among the weakest in the series. Splitting Final Fantasy VII Remake into three separate games also felt like obvious milking of the project, so the drop in sales over time was not surprising.
At the same time, Xbox appears to be testing whether spending more money could help them gain a foothold in the Japanese market, although I’m not convinced that strategy will work. Similar attempts in the past—such as investing heavily in titles like Tomb Raider—did not really achieve the impact they were hoping for.
Overall, Square Enix has made several questionable decisions. Issues with Forspoken were never properly addressed, and the studio behind it was shut down instead. There have also been ongoing problems with merchandising and timing—for example, the Final Fantasy XVI action figures were released far too late to capitalise on the game’s launch. Taken together, it is hard to see how they can continue moving forward successfully if these patterns continue.
Re: The UK Has Gone Mad for Resident Evil After the Huge Success of Requiem on PS5
@Rich33 Probably RE2R is an all-time favourite. RE3R was also heavily criticised by the community, often unfairly, so many people are interested in picking it up to experience what they might have missed. RE7 was skipped by quite a few players as well, mainly because the FPS wasn’t very popular among Resident Evil fans at the time. Meanwhile, RE4R and RE8 Gold are still relatively recent releases, and many newcomers to the franchise have only just played them.
Re: Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake (PS5) - A Terrifying New Angle on a Survival Horror Classic
I used to play the original game on PS2 when I was a student. However, it was really hard to control the camera, and the old DualShock was too clanky for something fast-paced. I will give a try to the demo and see how it's working, but I used to love the atmosphere and graphics.
Re: 'Exclusives Are Absolutely Not Happening': Xbox Helix Will Share Library with PS6
If this console really ends up costing around $1.2K—as rumours suggest and considering it’s supposedly a high-end device not aimed at all players—then it will be almost impossible for it to rely on exclusive games. At that price point, the audience would simply be too limited.
However, if the system allows proper mod support, it could actually become my first Xbox alongside my PS5 (and eventually PS6).
By the way, I don’t believe the new Xbox boss is really focused on expanding Xbox hardware. It looks more like they’re trying to make the transition smoother as Microsoft shifts further toward becoming a major multi-platform publisher.
Re: PS6 Competitor from Xbox Revealed as Project Helix
@NavalHistorian
I agree that Sharma is still very new in the role, and it already feels like Microsoft is leaning heavily on AI in its messaging and strategy. In my view, a big part of the problem for Microsoft is the expectations coming from the market. They tried to reshape the games industry from something closer to progressive rock—fewer releases but highly creative—to something more like elevator music, focused on large-scale production and constant output. Their broader idea of turning gaming into something similar to Netflix clearly did not work from the beginning.
I have never owned an Xbox myself. I started gaming a long time ago, and when it comes to modern consoles my journey began with the PlayStation and has continued from the PS1 through to the PS5. That said, I still remember when the smaller Xbox team was producing games that many people genuinely envied. There was a time when they had strong, distinctive titles. At the moment, however, it feels like very little of real significance is happening with Xbox.
Overall, I agree with most of your points, particularly the suggestion that Nadella may ultimately move away from hardware in the coming years. That possibility seems even more meaningful if Steam Machine begin entering the market next year.
Re: Capcom's Pragmata Brings Its PS5 Release Date Forward by a Full Week
I'm in overlap area. 😅 But one week cannot do much for me
Re: PS6 Competitor from Xbox Revealed as Project Helix
Gosh! What huge news! This is exactly what had been leaking over the past year. This new device is reportedly going to run PC games, but it raises an important question: why would developers release games on Steam for this platform if the Steam Machine is also entering the market?
It is also unclear how developers — or even Xbox itself — would generate revenue from Steam running on an Xbox device. From what I understand, Sharma seems to be continuing with ideas that were already circulating from the beginning, rather than introducing anything genuinely new at this stage.
Re: Highguard Permanently Shuts Down on 12th March
Geoff killed this game with a silver bullet, right between the eyes.
Re: Horizon Hunters Gathering Is Guerrilla's Next Big PS5 Game, Horizon 3 Still Years Away
I believe the next Horizon game, similar to Forbidden West, will be a launch title for the PS6. If this new online game wasn’t in development, I don’t think the next main Horizon entry would release until the next generation anyway.
There are also rumours suggesting Sony is working on a very powerful console, and if the handheld PS6 does come with a docking station (as some leaks claim), then the PS6 could work like the Xbox Series X, while the handheld would be closer to the Series S.
Because of that, I’m fairly confident Sony will hold back major titles like Horizon and Kojima’s next game for the next generation, to showcase the PS6 at maximum quality.
Fun fact: both games are being developed using the Decima engine.
Re: Amazon's God of War TV Series Casts Its Kratos, Story Setup Revealed
I liked their choice. He should be darker, as Greek had olive skin, but as Kratos has a layer of ash on his skin, it will be easier to make Ryan Hurst look dark-toned but grey like him. Much better choice than Prime's Tomb Raider.
Re: Even More Ex-Xbox Executives Speak Out About 'Tension' of Game Pass
On the surface, Game Pass looks like a win for gamers. You get loads of titles at a fair price, and it feels like great value. But underneath, there’s a real problem. For developers, making games for Game Pass can feel like asking Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd to churn out elevator music. These are talented creators who should be recognised, celebrated, and rewarded for their work over the long term. Instead, some are reduced to taking a wage just to fill up the Game Pass library—and that’s a waste of talent and resources.
The truth is, Game Pass can’t keep its current quality forever if this continues. Good developers won’t stick around for “content factory” work. They’ll go where they can build something lasting, meaningful, and rewarding. As for Xbox’s new idea of selling its games on PlayStation? That’s not a strategy; it’s a bandaid. It might ease some short-term pressure, but it doesn’t fix the bigger issue.
Re: Poll: Are You Sold on Ghost of Yotei?
Pretty sure I’m gonna grab this game. After The Last of Us Part II, I honestly felt like nothing else could compare—I just couldn’t get into anything for a while. That game was incredible. Then Ghost of Tsushima came out (had it preordered anyway), and playing it really pulled me back into gaming.
With this one, I like that the gameplay feels familiar—smooth and fun like the first game—but still brings a few changes. Nothing too major, so I didn’t feel like I had to relearn everything or reset my expectations.
One thing I do miss is the katana stances. But I get it—the new character isn’t a samurai, so it makes sense they’ve got different weapons instead. Hopefully, we’ll be able to switch between them in-game and get some variety in how it feels to play.With this one, I liked that it is not far from the smooth and fun gameplay of the first game and feels familiar, but also it has some changes, not as much as I need to adobt to something that is not my expectations and past experience.
What I liked to see again that is missing from this game is the katana stances, however it is understandable new charecter is not a samurai to use them and replaced by different weapons. Hope we can change the them while playing the game and have different feelings through the game.
Re: Final Fantasy 16 May Have Underperformed on PS5, But It's Doing Terribly on Xbox
Not just FF, but any other game won't be successful on the XBOX. If you have an Xbox and it's active, you have a Game Pass. Additionally, statistically, most of the players love to play shooter and online games on the platform.
No one will buy a game like FF on this platform. Even Hellblade 2, one of the best visuals ever, could not make it on the platform.
Re: Rumour: The Last of Us 3 Is In Development at Naughty Dog
Instead of TLOU3, I notice that a lot of people are talking about a new IP. Definitely ND will release another game between TLOU Online and TLOU3 if PS5 continues to be Sony's leading platform until 2027. After Sony and Microsoft discontinue this game, which is more miserable, and finish talking around Activision/Bellizard, I'm actually waiting for a new announcement this year.