Xbox One X
Well I caved and bought an Xbox One X which I told myself I wasn't going to buy since all first party Microsoft games come out on Windows so there really wasn't a need for it. Then two weeks ago they announced the new backwards compatibility games coming out and some with 4K enhancements and one special game was on the list.
So I bought an Xbox One X for backwards compatibility? Really???
That's the question I've been asking myself since I bought it. I did buy it from Toy's R Us during it's big going out of business sale. Which the sale is really a big lie. The ad says up to 30% off and I have yet to see anything that was marked that much off, mostly 10% and a few 15%. I saved $25.
Most of the time when you go back and play older games your memories of the game are always better then what the actual game really is. When you think about older games, somehow your mind puts a new coat of paint on the graphics and then when you do play it again, woof, it's tough to stomach.
So far the games I've tested with the new 4K enhancements work great and at least the graphics part does mesh with my memories of the game and it's just some of the mechanics that feel old.
Another reason I bought it was because the sequel to the game I was excited for isn't coming to PC anytime soon or maybe at all.
Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead never got a PC release and I've been wanting to play through it again since the sequel is coming out this year. It was backwards compatible on the regular Xbox One and when I tried it months ago it did look a bit better and ran smoother but it still felt like an older game.
The IT guys at Microsoft are geniuses and it's amazing what they have accomplished with the 4K emulation on the Xbox One X. Red Dead looks amazing, everything is crisp and clean and it almost looks like a game made in this generation. All the details that were in the game when it initially released, you can finally see and appreciate them.
The movement of the main character also feels better than before, this is maybe a placebo effect but the controls don't feel as sluggish as I remember them. There is some pop in when you are on your horse, but other than that everything runs great and it's a joy to be able to replay that game again.
SSX 3
This is an original Xbox game and it runs at 4K and it looks and plays great. I played a ton of this game when it originally came out and sliding down the mountain brought back a ton of memories. This and SSX Tricky are the best SSX games, they don't make these kind of game much anymore and when they do they aren't that great. Didn't know how much I missed DJ Automica.
Far Cry 5
Thoughts after playing 8 hours, so so. I've bought all the Far Cry games and enjoyed them, but only finished Far Cry and Far Cry 3. They made some small changes to the formula, but it still is the same game as the others.
I enjoy the game when I'm playing it, but nothing about it makes me think about the game once I'm done. The story was portrayed in the trailers as something special, but it's like all the others, over the top characters giving you monologues that are serious then you go on a mission to collect bull parts for the testes festival. The enemy AI is pretty bad and inconsistent so some fights are exciting while others are trivial. Also your AI companions could use a profanity filter.
