One of the more interesting things to come out of the Xbox leaks related to the Activision merger (and there was a ton of cool stuff) was Microsoft’s consideration of moving to Arm. It’s something that’s had my head spinning, especially with news cracking that Nvidia and AMD are serious about delivering ARM based processors. As someone who subscribes to Xbox Game Pass, the closure of the Activision Blizzard deal is nothing but good news for a consumer like me in the short to medium term. In fact, I’d call it good for most consumers on those terms. But I can’t help but feel like Microsoft played this case perfectly. They are disadvantaged globally, but the leaks from this case along with Xbox’s general investments make it clear that they, at the very least, have an idea as to how things could flip in the long term.
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Halo Infinite Season 5 looks great, but where’s the love for Big Team Battle?
Halo Infinite has been in an absolute groove ever since the December 2022 update, and it looks like 343 Industries has got plenty steam in them yet with Season 5: Reckoning. Whether its Pierre Hintze taking over or the usual drawn out wind up of live service games, Season 5 has again addressed why Infinite hasn’t felt like prior games.
Need for Speed Unbound: not the worst (Xbox Game Pass)
There’s nothing better than a racer that nails physics, presentation, and that itch to push further. I’ve mainly gotten that out of the Forza Horizon series in recent years, but have played a ton of Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo in the past. Of course you’ve also got your older series like Test Drive, Burnout, and one off titles that died way too soon like Driveclub. And that’s the kicker – it’s damn sad to see the genre flatten out as time goes on.
So when Need for Speed Unbound recently hit Xbox Game Pass I had to at least try it out. It kind of approaches the aspects I look for in a racing game but never really gets there (at least in the first few hours). But it’s scarce for new arcade racers and you can’t exactly be choosy.
Perpetual haze (The Division 2 screenshots)
It’s been months since I’ve played The Division 2 but it still stands as one of my favorite third-person shooters ever. The game is also stunning and I remember having a blast diving into the in-game photography.
You’ll eventually find yourself in a gameplay loop of repetition but The Division 2’s atmosphere and detailed setting make it so much easier to digest. The shots below (click for full resolution) really highlight the oppressive humidity you’ll find in the fictionalized Washington DC.
Halo Infinite finally hits its stride with Season 4: Infection
For as much hype as Halo Infinite generated on release, 343 has been in a state of perpetual catch up since. I couldn’t believe the way the development team had nailed it – mixing the old with the new – to bring the best Halo game since the Bungie years. And this is what hurt the most. Halo Infinite was (and is) an incredible game, but its lack of content has always been a reminder of ruined potential.
Forza Motorsport’s career mode looks matured (if a little sterile)
You’re either someone who lives for shaving off milliseconds on lap times in racer’s like Forza Motorsport, or you’re bored to tears by the thought of playing anything that approaches a simulator. It seems like most people fall into the second category these days, and Microsoft definitely read the room with their recent Xbox Showcase.
The DualShock 4 is now Elite (sorta)
Coming completely out of left field, Sony has announced today that an official Back Button attachment will be released for the DualShock 4 on January 23rd 2020.
An Xbox Cloud Box Possibly Inbound
Earlier today, Brad Sams broke news of a possible approach for Microsoft’s next gen console strategy. Lead by the good graces of those in the know, Brad outlined a strategy where Microsoft would not only release a traditional next gen box, but also a significantly cheaper system with an emphasis on streaming from the cloud, presumably Azure servers, as opposed to playing games locally.