what came out in 2021? psychonauts 2, forza horizon 5 and halo infinite?
Microsoft's output is seriously disappointing this generation
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Maybe we just live in different worlds. This is what I've played from them this generation:
2020:
Minecraft Dungeons
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Gears Tactics
Battletoads
Tell Me Why
Flight Sim
Wasteland 3
2021:
Psychonauts 2
Age of Empires 4
Forza Horizon 5
Halo Infinite
2022:
As Dusk Falls
Grounded
Pentiment
2023 so far:
Hi-Fi Rush
Ghostwire Tokio
Skipped all other ones I have not tried. Also all Day 1 releases on Game Pass. Several of these are GOTY worthy.
2020:
Minecraft Dungeons
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Gears Tactics
Battletoads
Tell Me Why
Flight Sim
Wasteland 3
2021:
Psychonauts 2
Age of Empires 4
Forza Horizon 5
Halo Infinite
2022:
As Dusk Falls
Grounded
Pentiment
2023 so far:
Hi-Fi Rush
Ghostwire Tokio
Skipped all other ones I have not tried. Also all Day 1 releases on Game Pass. Several of these are GOTY worthy.
A lot of Pentiment mentions, and probably rightfully so! That game is excellent and ended up super high on my GOTY list!
But that is not why someone would spend $500 on a console. That's really where Xbox is struggling. Halo was supposed to be that, and it was… super delayed, unfinished at launch, and disappointing (to put it lightly).
Starfield could be the crown jewel they've been seeking though. It's literally why I bought a Series X. Fingers crossed (and toes!)
But that is not why someone would spend $500 on a console. That's really where Xbox is struggling. Halo was supposed to be that, and it was… super delayed, unfinished at launch, and disappointing (to put it lightly).
Starfield could be the crown jewel they've been seeking though. It's literally why I bought a Series X. Fingers crossed (and toes!)
This isn't console warrior shit. It's just my opinion.
I totally agree this assessment. I'm so tired of hearing year after year that the games are coming. They have not. And the ones that have… have been disappointing outside of a few gems here and there.
I haven't even turned on my Series X on in three months. I'm pretty much PS5 exclusive at this point. I've owned an Xbox every generation since the beginning and if by the end of this generation I do not start to see some serious high quality and consistent output I will be done.
I totally agree this assessment. I'm so tired of hearing year after year that the games are coming. They have not. And the ones that have… have been disappointing outside of a few gems here and there.
I haven't even turned on my Series X on in three months. I'm pretty much PS5 exclusive at this point. I've owned an Xbox every generation since the beginning and if by the end of this generation I do not start to see some serious high quality and consistent output I will be done.
Eh I think really only last year was disappointing with the delays. 2021 was great, this year will probably end up being good in the end, and anyone who expected anything of them before 2021 was just always going to be disappointed.
Like it sucks that they fucked up last gen so much and pretty much had to hard reset everything, but it is what it is.
Like it sucks that they fucked up last gen so much and pretty much had to hard reset everything, but it is what it is.
You will get Starfield, Hollow Knight Silksong, Diablo 4, Forza Motorsport, Redfall, and who knows how many other games, all "free" on Game Pass later this year. All this while already having received Hi Fi Rush, Ghostwire Tokyo, Wo Long, Atomic Heart etc...
Be happy.
Be happy.
OP
OP
It's also a matter of personal preference. On 2020, Ori and Flight Sim were amazing. 2021 was a great year I'll say that; should probably add a note to the OP. 2022 though? Nothing. None of those games appeal me or have a great critical/mass impact. 2023, HiFi was great but Ghostwire is on PS5 and runs worse.
Why do you care so much? You seemed more pressed than the actually ceo.
Just enjoy the games.
I accept a certain level of slow burn but gosh if 2022 didn't just feel more like said burn fizzling out entirely, my goty pentiment could only put in so much work.
Gotta wait for those fruits to grow I guess, fortunately for MS it's not exactly been a speedy transition into this gen across the board
Gotta wait for those fruits to grow I guess, fortunately for MS it's not exactly been a speedy transition into this gen across the board
Nah, they just need more mainstream games, last year was bad but it had gems like Pentiment and also, beefy big updates for service games should count too, FH5 expansions, Flight Sim updates, AoE dlc, Sea of Thieves Seasons, etc.
It's fair to say their games do not interest you, but to say stuff like there is nothing releasing and Phil should be fired is just silly.
It's fair to say their games do not interest you, but to say stuff like there is nothing releasing and Phil should be fired is just silly.
If you look at a list of MS published games 2022 was kind of dry, but 2020 and 2021 were full of MS titles. Their first party titles are 100% lacking but it's not like they can just release them when they are incomplete, and with the development times in AAA gaming getting very long then it's gonna be a few years til there's a consistent output.
But they did publish the game of the generation in 2020 - Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
As long as gamepass keeps getting interesting games I'll be happy in the short term, and with Forza and Starfield coming in the 2nd half of the year hopefully things start to pick up.
But they did publish the game of the generation in 2020 - Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
As long as gamepass keeps getting interesting games I'll be happy in the short term, and with Forza and Starfield coming in the 2nd half of the year hopefully things start to pick up.
I'm really having trouble remembering what those were? Are we counting Forza Horizon as one?
Tbh, I don't even think GamePass stands out that much anymore since Sony's middle tier is almost as good. Obviously the big differentiating factor between the services would be the MS exclusives but like the OP said they have either been non-existent, poor or not interesting to me personally so far.
Say what you want to say, man 🤣
Let's ignore Sackboy, Astro, MLB, Spider-Man, GT7, Ratchet and Clank and their whole VR initiative
I kind of agree, and while they will eventually produce stuff at a better clip, I'm beyond sick and tired of the "wait and see" mantra. I have a Series X and finished Pentiment (a brilliant game) via xCloud on my Steam Deck. I think it highlights that they're just not producing the blockbuster hits that showcase what this console should be all about. Then when the time comes, like with Redfall, they're stunning over the line with media goof after media goof. For a megacorp it all just feels a little amateur hour at times. While this doesn't matter from a games perspective, they're just insanely out of tune with what generates hype these days. Looking back, I almost wish they blew up the Xbox brand at the Series launch and rebranded to be more in line with their "everyone can play anywhere" talk. The Xbox name and colour scheme and general brand seems flat.
I definitely sympathize with some of those points but it really feels like Xbox are playing the long game because they need to and can afford to. One might argue it's the same long game Playstation played. They gave a number of studios a long time with large budgets to "get it right" and kind of sacrificed the end of the PS3 and beginning of PS4 era. They also didn't have the strongest competition at the time and could let projects like God of War sit unannounced and take their time.
Microsoft is definitely playing the same long game by giving a number of projects the time they need. Unfortunately, a lot of those projects were announced early because they needed to show they "had something" and presumably entice developers to work on those projects. A lot of the worry about Starfield and Redfall are based off of a different time with a different publishing model. It's clear Micorosft is putting their money where their mouth is and letting those games take their time. It's just happening in the public eye unlike a lot of Playstation games during "long game" they played.
Microsoft is definitely playing the same long game by giving a number of projects the time they need. Unfortunately, a lot of those projects were announced early because they needed to show they "had something" and presumably entice developers to work on those projects. A lot of the worry about Starfield and Redfall are based off of a different time with a different publishing model. It's clear Micorosft is putting their money where their mouth is and letting those games take their time. It's just happening in the public eye unlike a lot of Playstation games during "long game" they played.
i guess this is a YMMV thing, seems like just an okay year to me.
OP
OP
Yeah sorry, I have an actual life. I have no interest in console warring if that's what you are implying.
Yea it's all a matter of preference. :) I have loved their input the last several years.
Yes I'm counting it since everyone else did. Psyconauts, Halo and Deathloop also. So 4 GOTY contenders.
Given the sales decline being reported lately for the system, idek if its a saving grace
Being a fan of Xbox is like sitting around waiting a few years for your new car to be built. Once it's done it's gonna be great and you'll have some good memories.
But you're sitting out in the garage picking grass off your lawn while the neighbors are driving their Mario Karts or import cars up and down the road having a great time.
But you're sitting out in the garage picking grass off your lawn while the neighbors are driving their Mario Karts or import cars up and down the road having a great time.
Completely agree. I bought a Series X day one and I feel like I could've waited and bought one now and I still wouldn't have missed out on a thing. I actually have not turned on my Series X since like last summer and ended up cancelling my Game Pass sub because I just never use the thing. Halo Infinite was one of the most disappointing games I've played this gen and going forward I have no interest in any Halo games from 343.
I think Forza Horizon 5 has been the only Xbox game I've really enjoyed this gen. That game was definitely very impressive. I'm excited for Starfield but otherwise they've been so slow to put out exclusives that it's just been a huge letdown so far. They have a lot of games in the works but so much of it is essentially MIA without substantial updates despite being announced several years ago. I get that they're playing the long game and things take time but their output has for sure been lackluster so far. Hoping for the best, they have a lot of talented devs.
I think Forza Horizon 5 has been the only Xbox game I've really enjoyed this gen. That game was definitely very impressive. I'm excited for Starfield but otherwise they've been so slow to put out exclusives that it's just been a huge letdown so far. They have a lot of games in the works but so much of it is essentially MIA without substantial updates despite being announced several years ago. I get that they're playing the long game and things take time but their output has for sure been lackluster so far. Hoping for the best, they have a lot of talented devs.
Yes, MS had a lot of goty candidates that year.
The problem is that not all of those were exclusivse, and hell, 1 was a PS5 exclusive lol.
Game of the Year Tracker
We're tracking Game of the Year (GOTY) awards from around the world. Discover what media outlets and players voted as the best titles every year.
- It Takes Two - 86
- Media Outlets: 66 | Readers' Choice: 20
- Resident Evil Village - 60
- Media Outlets: 29 | Readers' Choice: 31
- Forza Horizon 5 - 54
- Media Outlets: 34 | Readers' Choice: 20
- Deathloop - 40
- Media Outlets: 34 | Readers' Choice: 6
- Metroid Dread - 36
- Media Outlets: 29 | Readers' Choice: 7
- Halo Infinite - 26
- Media Outlets: 20 | Readers' Choice: 6
- Returnal - 22
- Media Outlets: 19 | Readers' Choice: 3
- Psychonauts 2 - 19
- Media Outlets: 18 | Readers' Choice: 1
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - 19
- Media Outlets: 18 | Readers' Choice: 1
- Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - 14
- Media Outlets: 12 | Readers' Choice: 2
- Inscryption - 10
- Media Outlets: 9 | Readers' Choice: 1
The game that won IGN's Game of the Year? Yeah, why wouldn't you count it?
I dunno I really dont think its that bad. 2022 kind of sucked but 2021 was on of the best years Microsoft has had in a while/
I think a big part of my sentiment is that we are getting so many awesome non-Microsoft games launching into gamepass on almost a monthly basis. Those games almost feel like first party games and getting to play them day and date for no extra cost is a real game changer.
I play my Xbox daily in part of this but only play my PS5 when they drop a big release.
I also think another part of the sentiment you are feeling is they don't actually make a lot of these games exclusive. For example they published a lot of games in 2021 that were great and a bunch were multi-platform and 1 was exclusive to Playstation
I think a big part of my sentiment is that we are getting so many awesome non-Microsoft games launching into gamepass on almost a monthly basis. Those games almost feel like first party games and getting to play them day and date for no extra cost is a real game changer.
I play my Xbox daily in part of this but only play my PS5 when they drop a big release.
I also think another part of the sentiment you are feeling is they don't actually make a lot of these games exclusive. For example they published a lot of games in 2021 that were great and a bunch were multi-platform and 1 was exclusive to Playstation
I've enjoyed Psychonauts 2, Ori, Forza Horizon 5 and MS Flight Simulator on Steam. Pretty great games, all of them.
The Halo Infinite campaign was fairly weak, even though I didn't hate it. The gameplay mechanics were fine, the game was just way too bland in terms of scenery and story. I rate it mediocre.
But then again, I guess that isn't a whole lot over a few years. I'm just glad they put their games on Steam.
The Halo Infinite campaign was fairly weak, even though I didn't hate it. The gameplay mechanics were fine, the game was just way too bland in terms of scenery and story. I rate it mediocre.
But then again, I guess that isn't a whole lot over a few years. I'm just glad they put their games on Steam.
it has been weak, I agree. I spent a good long time saying "they've just made all these acquisitions, the games are coming", but these studios really need to get their ass in gear. Games like Hellblade 2, don't get be wrong I'm excited for it but why is it taking six years? Did I miss the memo where they said they were expanding Hellblade into some massive 25+ hour epic?
Game Pass is a fantastic value add, but just like Nintendo proves over and over, and once again Sony is proving now, nothing will never beat a strong slate of consistent high-quality exclusive games.
Game Pass is a fantastic value add, but just like Nintendo proves over and over, and once again Sony is proving now, nothing will never beat a strong slate of consistent high-quality exclusive games.
I have said before that Nintendo and Sony make them look like amateurs. They both have much less staff and is still releasing a decent amount of games (although Sony has been quiet this year thus far). Nintendo especially is churning out high quality games constantly. There is no reason why Microsoft can't do the same. I do have worries that they have trouble managing all those studios; Nintendo is lean and focused, Sony while not as lean have mostly been buying developers that they already have a strong relationship with, plus some support studios. Microsoft is large and maybe a bit unwieldy and as a result it feels like a bit everywhere. Obsidian is still doing great because they are obsidian, they have been together for along time, have a lot of projects, now they just have the budget to be able to pull those off. I worry about some of the others though.
2021 was great in the moment but I've really soured on it with Halo Infinite's all time worst post launch being well documented. The community has really turned on Forza Horizon 5 being a questionable follow up to 3 and 4, and the DLC over the past year and a half have been very underwhelming. Still a great game though IMO.
2022 has to be the biggest fumble I've seen. Sony had a quiet end of 2021 with Horizon getting delayed and no stock in stores, and it felt like there was real momentum for MS to gain some ground. And yet they haven't released a AAA first party game since Infinite
2022 has to be the biggest fumble I've seen. Sony had a quiet end of 2021 with Horizon getting delayed and no stock in stores, and it felt like there was real momentum for MS to gain some ground. And yet they haven't released a AAA first party game since Infinite
This gen?
It's every generation. It's Microsoft's 4th generation and it's still an average output overall, far from Sony and Nintendo. Their main selling point right now is Game Pass, which is amazing.
But I agree with you, they must do better as a publisher. It may change when all their new purchases are ready, but that's probably for the end of this gen at the earliest
It's every generation. It's Microsoft's 4th generation and it's still an average output overall, far from Sony and Nintendo. Their main selling point right now is Game Pass, which is amazing.
But I agree with you, they must do better as a publisher. It may change when all their new purchases are ready, but that's probably for the end of this gen at the earliest
Plenty of flawed arguments, but I did chuckle that you acknowledged that Microsoft released a GOTY contender this year and then crickets...compared to some other platform holders in 2023, that's pretty damn impressive.
XGS alone is pretty impressive. Add in Bethesda and ATVI, it's an unrivaled juggernaut. Give it some time.
XGS alone is pretty impressive. Add in Bethesda and ATVI, it's an unrivaled juggernaut. Give it some time.
Agreed, I used to be a massive Xbox fan, (bit too much maybe, ha) but since the end of the 360 era they always seem to be talking over me or to someone else. Guess not being American doesn't help but their priorities always seem at odds with what I want. Won't rehash kinect , TV TV or the other older stuff but this hyper focus on Game Pass doesn't do it for me at all. I don't care how games are monetised. "Cheap Games Here" isn't the door buster they think it is. Anyway, still subbed to ultimate but haven't turned on the Xbox in months.
I know we're always saying "just wait a little longer" but it REALLY feels like they must be on the cusp of some big shake up or announcement, maybe after the deal is finalized. It's the only thing that would explain their behaviour.
I know we're always saying "just wait a little longer" but it REALLY feels like they must be on the cusp of some big shake up or announcement, maybe after the deal is finalized. It's the only thing that would explain their behaviour.
Hard to argue with really. Game Pass is an amazing service and has done PR wonders for them but in term of actual first-party releases, yeaaaah not good.
All around, I agree.
I've been huge on Xbox IPs, and their potential for over a decade. I did love Halo Infinite, but also because of the promise of its future that now feels squandered. Other than my timid excitement for Starfield and the Forza Horizon franchise, I think I'm done with hyping Xbox and will just look ahead cautiously.
I've been huge on Xbox IPs, and their potential for over a decade. I did love Halo Infinite, but also because of the promise of its future that now feels squandered. Other than my timid excitement for Starfield and the Forza Horizon franchise, I think I'm done with hyping Xbox and will just look ahead cautiously.
These threads come from Xbox fans who aren't feeling it. They look at whatever sales thread, see PS5 sales up 5 billion percent and Xbox down 18 percent and go "yup" makes sense. Like, it's great that you enjoy all those games. But literally none of them past Infinite are the types that move systems. Not one. They just aren't. And the sales prove it. I think Game Pass is amazing. I think the Series X is the best console. I've been a bigger Xbox fan than any other system since 360 days, One hiccups and all. But the system itself, and now, with many years to prove it, subscription models don't move people. Games do. To varying degrees, all the games you mention are very good to great. They ain't moving people. That sentiment doesn't have to be felt by people that don't own the system alone. I feel it too. They need more. They need better, imo. I think they know that too.
LOL Sorry, I'm just playing around.
My Series S is my main system and I play it literally daily. Lol
No need to be so defensive. You made a thread in which you called out Xbox for being disappointing this generation. Of the 2 full years of this generation you completely omitted one of them. A year in which Xbox was publisher of the year. That deserves being called out, as several folks have done.
If you don't care for this just ask for the thread to be closed.
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