Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Watch The History of Xbox in Power On: The Story of Xbox Docuseries

The other day as I was flipping through the Xbox marketplace I discovered a free docuseries called Power On: The Story of Xbox. I decided to watch the first couple minutes and have since binged the whole 6 part show. Power On is a Microsoft created retrospective that goes back to the early roots of the original Xbox all the way to the launch of the Xbox Series X and highlights the ups and downs. From the early craze of Halo to the Red Ring of Death it's all here in it's docu-glory. Often company created documentaries don't showcase the whole story this seems to be a pretty even handed look at the successes and failures of the Xbox platform including the very rocky... Read All

Moon Knight Official Trailer Series Premiers 3/30 on Disney+

There's an official trailer for Moon Knight. It premiers on 3/30 on Disney+.

I really don't know anything about Moon Knight that I haven't learned from watching New Rockstars on YouTube. Erik Voss has a good video reacting to this trailer and he gives us an introduction to the Moon Knight vigilante. You can watch that video here: https://youtu.be/6XvTE2PYsaI

Marc Spector aka "Moon Knight" suffers from dissociative identity disorder. He has multiple personalities and he doesn't know what he's done once the switch occurs.

I did some quick Google searches to learn more about him and share it with you.

Supernatural abilities: "Over his years as Moon Knight, Spector has also... Read All

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 01/18/2022 at 05:17pm

Trailer looks awesome. Could be the best Marvel Disney+ show if the trailer is good at capturing its overall mood.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/19/2022 at 12:05am

I'm really impressed with Oscar Isaac. He's clearly a great actor, clearly a different character in every movie I've seen him in. I can think of other actors who are pretty much the same in every movie, yet they're famous (and I still like them).

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 02/14/2022 at 07:33am

Super Bowl TV Spot: https://youtu.be/KM3Yx-5Ymiw

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 03/31/2022 at 04:12am

Moon Knight is now playing! The first few minutes were a serious "WTF?" scene. I still have know idea why he's doing what he's doing, but I guess that's how cult leaders operate. I found an old but new-to-me song that I relate to all too well and it isn't the one by Wham. I like this so far, but I'm probably strongly biased with my MCU obsession.

Let me know what you think about it!

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 03/31/2022 at 06:02pm

Loved it. My wife, Joi, is getting tired of me yelling Moon Knight like a crazy man though. :)

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 03/31/2022 at 06:36pm

These actors with their non-native accents are amazing!!!! I'm just referring to our star here, but it applies to other actors, too. I mentioned this in my Far Cry 6 post.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 04/06/2022 at 09:53pm

I'm loving this!

BTW there is a QR code in each episode. To save you time, here's the link it points you to where you can read this week's free Moon Knight comic: https://www.marvel.com/moonknightcomics

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Take A Drive In Forza Horizon 4

Before I picked up the XBox Series X I heard from nearly everyone that's owned an XBox that Forza Horizon 4 is the game to get. During Black Friday Forza Horizon 4 was on sale including all the DLC for a handful of bucks and I pressed the gas on that purchase and haven't let up on the pedal since.

I've played a lot of driving games and unless we are talking about Mario Kart, I'm not typically a fan of any. All told the art of racing around a track isn't that much fun to me unless we can throw banana peels and red shells at each other. I drive a lot more than I'd like in real life so one way to make that fun is to make is unlike any driving experience I have and Mario... Read All Before I picked up the XBox Series X I heard from nearly everyone that's owned an XBox that Forza Horizon 4 is the game to get. During Black Friday Forza Horizon 4 was on sale including all the DLC for a handful of bucks and I pressed the gas on that purchase and haven't let up on the pedal since.

I've played a lot of driving games and unless we are talking about Mario Kart, I'm not typically a fan of any. All told the art of racing around a track isn't that much fun to me unless we can throw banana peels and red shells at each other. I drive a lot more than I'd like in real life so one way to make that fun is to make is unlike any driving experience I have and Mario Kart delivers on that.

I have no experience with any prior Forza Horizon games but the series feels like they've mashed up the joyful exploration of Skyrim with a racing game you can ignore when you want. I first downloaded the demo for Forza Horizon 4 and it may be one of the best demos I've ever played. It starts you out driving through some epic parts of Forza as the game takes you through the different seasons. From there you can drive around the open world but you can't save anything and if you want to replay the demo you need to start driving through all of the seasons again. All told this does mean you can replay the demo but if you want to save your progress, you need to buy the game. That said, when I picked up the actual game I played Forza the way I start out a Skyrim or Fallout game... I just drove around for a long time to just explore.

So Much To See, So Little Time

Have a few minutes and you want to play a game but don't want to do anything that requires a ton of focus? Drive over a purple flower field in Forza or do doughnuts in someones lawn. Want to see something epic? Drive to the top of a rock quarry and launch off the top going 120 miles an hour straight to the bottom. Want to finally take your hand at a proper race? Go for it. The best part of Forza Horizon 4 is the game let's you do what you want and I never really felt like it was trying to get me to do the racing game part. But after a few months of doing nothing particular in the game but drive around I decided to progress through the game because I wanted to unlock more cars than the first one. To be able to finally unlock the game and all the DLC and such I had to unlock autumn and after a handful of other races and then all at once, the entire game and it's options opened up.

Forza Is a Game You Can Play With Kids

I love shooty shoot games but I can't play any of those games with my five year old. Forza Horizon 4 is one of those incredible games that I can not only play with him around but he can actually play too. He loves driving around and crashing into things and we just opened up some Lego DLC which he loves to drive around in. It's nice having a game he can play and doesn't get frustrated playing and frankly, I think a lot of games would do well to implement more sandbox modes that just enable you to play without any timers or twitch controls needed. At least, if more games did that my five year old would be happy.

The Forza Series Is An XBox Must Play

If you have an XBox it would be a crime to not at least try the Forza Horizon 4 demo. Microsoft is putting it's raft of games on PC and if you didn't have an XBox you could still pickup Forza Horizon 4 on PC through Steam. In a game landscape with a ton of shooters it's nice to get a game that doesn't have any homicidal agenda and just wants you to have fun driving and crashing cars.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/18/2022 at 07:08am

I'm familiar with it, well as much as "it's an open-world racing game." You mentioned Skyrim, which points exactly to what confuses me about the game. How can it be an open-world Skyrim-like racing game? It doesn't compute. I think I'd have to just see it for myself. If you want to elaborate, I'd be happy to see what you have to say about it.

I'm not really into racing games, but Mario Kart is fun. Another racing game that I absolutely love is the Wipeout series. I like being able to use weapons to get ahead.

It's great to have a game you can play w/ your 5 year old.

Hm, I don't see a demo link on Steam, but I may have overlooked it. What surprises me though is that Forza Horizon 4 is the exact same price as Forza Horizon 5.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 01/18/2022 at 05:15pm

I picked up 5. It is a lot of fun, but boy do I suck at driving.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/18/2022 at 06:48pm

> How can it be an open-world Skyrim-like racing game? It doesn't compute. I think I'd have to just see it for myself. If you want to elaborate, I'd be happy to see what you have to say about it.

What I mean is that instead of the game making you play race after race after race you can just drive wherever you want in the open world AND partake in races, stunts or other stuff if you want to much like Skyrim or Fallout.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/18/2022 at 06:51pm

> I picked up 5. It is a lot of fun, but boy do I suck at driving.

I’ve gotten better over time.

That said, from a quick search it looks like the Forza 5 map is bigger and by most accounting a better game than 4. That said, happy to start with 4 and then make my way to 5 when it and all the DLC is pretty cheap.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/18/2022 at 06:52pm

I wonder if Forza or Microsoft Flight Simulator might meet up at some point? They seem like similar kinds of games.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/18/2022 at 06:52pm

METAVERSE

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/18/2022 at 09:40pm

>What I mean is that instead of the game making you play race after race after race you can just drive wherever you want in the open world AND partake in races, stunts or other stuff if you want to much like Skyrim or Fallout.

Your initial description of it pretty much matches what I've known, but never fully understood about it. That actually sounds like a cool, relaxing game. I just never really looked for info about the game, but it was included in videos I watched or articles I read about good open-world games and I didn't understand how this was on that list.

Some of the cars are very sexy and the landscape looks really cool, too. Are you playing in 4K?

How's the music?

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 01/19/2022 at 03:20am

I am playing 5 in 4k. Music is great!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/19/2022 at 05:01am

Awesome. I just plugged into the world of 1440p with a new monitor, but I'm now waiting for it's replacement since I found an issue w/ it. Are you playing w/ HDR? I'm just learning about it.

Do they have original music tracks or popular ones?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/20/2022 at 06:30pm

I’m playing in 4K as well, the game is incredible.

Music is on point too. I turned it to music mode which features less car sounds and more of the soundtrack.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/20/2022 at 08:50pm

Nice!

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 01/21/2022 at 06:14pm

Playing in Dolby Vision, I think.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/22/2022 at 02:24am

So Dolby HDR, too?! I just jumped into HDR myself w/ my new monitor. It seemed to make other things look shitty, but the HDR movie I saw looked great. Now I'm sticking w/ SDR unless something specifically says.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/25/2022 at 06:55pm

I’ve had Horizon 4 for ages but hadn’t played it a ton. I grabbed 5 when it came out and played the hell out of it, still do the weekly seasonal challenges and such, but I’ve also gotten back into 4. I’ve gotten into star levels on both (when you hit level 199 you wrap around to 1 with a star, then level 299 you wrap around to level 1 with 2 stars, and so on).

There is just SO much content in 4 and it’s all amazing. The only complaint I have is that the end of the Lego Island DLC is a massive grind fest if you want to build all the different things you can and unlock the final race.

I had basically been ignoring some speed zones and all drift zones because I didn’t enjoy them, but I love them now, I am looking forward to going back to FH5 to do those now.

The music is varied and each station has its own groove. I’ve started listening to some bands because I discovered them on a Forza station. I tend to play the pop station in FH5 because it has Dua Lipa’s Levitating which is a flawless pop gem.

I am a #ForeverPhysical kinda guy but I bought these on the MS store because you can buy once and play on console and PC. I love the 4k HDR 60+ fps on my PC for tricky challenges but I also like lounging on the couch for the more relaxing stuff. They both look fab on Xbox One X though I’m sure Jon’s series X makes it look way better :)

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/25/2022 at 07:50pm

> I am a #ForeverPhysical kinda guy but I bought these on the MS store because you can buy once and play on console and PC. I love the 4k HDR 60+ fps on my PC for tricky challenges but I also like lounging on the couch for the more relaxing stuff. They both look fab on Xbox One X though I’m sure Jon’s series X makes it look way better :)

Agreed. I love physical but having it on XBox and PC is a huge benefit.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/25/2022 at 10:30pm

Damn, Travis you're dong 60+FPS at 4K?! I thought even the best RTX cards had trouble w/ that. I'm running 1440p now.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/25/2022 at 11:05pm

I usually do not get that performance in 4k in any other modern games, but these games are either far more lightweight than they seem or they’re hella optimized.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/25/2022 at 11:34pm

Very cool! You guys make these Forza games sound interesting. Thanks for elaborating and sharing your experiences, I greatly appreciate it!

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Donate & Watch Awesome Games Done Quick 2021

The Awesome Games Done Quick 2022 charity speedrun event is going strong right now and you should absolutely watch it! While you are there consider a donation to The Prevent Cancer Foundation! So far today there have been some incredible runs of Mega Man 2, Deathloop, Donkey Kong Country 2 & Deaths Door and up next an Oracle of Seasons Speedrun!

Peep the schedule for upcoming runs to watch: https://gamesdonequick.com/schedule

Halo Infinite Multiplayer: Quick Thoughts

Halo Infinite released last month but the Multiplayer has been available in beta for quite a while now and even though I don't play a lot of brand new games, since Infinite multiplayer is free I decided to give it a try. If I had to sum of my thoughts on the Halo Infinite multiplayer in three words I guess I'd say "embarrassment of riches." Basically we get one of the best Halo multiplayer experiences and it costs nothing at all. Does it have a battle pass progression system where after buying it and playing the game a lot you unlock cosmetic rewards much like Fotnite? Yep. Do you need to do any of that? Nope, not at all. The best part is that even if you're not great... Read All

Zelda Game & Watch: Save Your Rupees For This Incredible Hyrulian Value!

For Christmas this year I got myself the Legend of Zelda Game & Watch. The Zelda Game & Watch features The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link and Link's Awakening alongside a classic watch game and a few other fun modes. The big draw of the Zelda Game & Watch to me was the fact that it included the original Gameboy version of Link's Awakening. I'd have preferred the DX color version, but the original Gameboy version is classic and well worth replaying. I've been playing Link's Awakening on the Game & Watch and just acquired the third instrument. The small system feels good in my hands and the controls feel quite natural. Since I'm playing the... Read All For Christmas this year I got myself the Legend of Zelda Game & Watch. The Zelda Game & Watch features The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link and Link's Awakening alongside a classic watch game and a few other fun modes. The big draw of the Zelda Game & Watch to me was the fact that it included the original Gameboy version of Link's Awakening. I'd have preferred the DX color version, but the original Gameboy version is classic and well worth replaying. I've been playing Link's Awakening on the Game & Watch and just acquired the third instrument. The small system feels good in my hands and the controls feel quite natural. Since I'm playing the Gameboy game everything feels good in the hand as I have a lot of memory playing this on the classic Gameboy. All told the classic Gameboy was much bigger in the hand but the screen wasn't too big so it feels pretty natural. My only minor complaint is that due to the screen size the original Link's Awakening is stretched to fit the screen by default. Nintendo has a setting to have the game play in the proper orientation but it's an odd default selection.

I plan on completing Link's Awakening on the Game & Watch and heading back to The Legend of Zelda and completing it again too. I've never completed The Adventures of Link and wonder if I'll finally do it on the Game & Watch?

Compared to the Mario Game & Watch this is an incredible value and with the rising prices of retro games even more so. If you had a thought to want to come back and play these games and don't have a great way to do it do yourself a favor and get the Zelda Game & Watch. Afterward check out the three article series Nintendo created on all the secrets they've stuffed the Zelda Game & Watch with. Some of these were included in the original games and some are completely new to the Watch system.

Regional Game Differences: https://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/2021/game-and-watch-the-legend-of-zelda-secret-series-part-1/

Saving the World in 12 Hours? Mysteries of the Playable Clock: https://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/2021/game-and-watch-the-legend-of-zelda-secret-series-part-2/

Secret Button Commands: https://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/2021/game-and-watch-the-legend-of-zelda-secret-series-part-3/

Happy New Year!

Wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! Wherever this years end finds you I hope 2022 treats you well! As a fun bonus I've included a best of games list from Digital Foundry's own John Linneman to kick off a discussion of games you played this year that top your list. Also if there are any games coming out next year you are interested in?

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/01/2022 at 09:47pm

>Also if there are any games coming out next year you are interested in?

Actually, no. I read gaming news every day, but it's difficult to think of a single game I'm aware of that I'm interested in. I don't know if Diablo IV is coming this new year, but it's the only think I can think of. Ark has a new map in the summer, so that's something, too.

What about you?

Travis Admin wrote on 01/02/2022 at 04:06am

Horizon Forbidden West and God of War Ragnarok top my list of 2022. Thus far anyway. Breath of the Wild 2 tops my list if it actually comes out in 2022 but I’m slightly skeptical based on what we’ve seen so far, which is very little. Still hoping it does.

Other than that, Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League are looking great. I’ve loved all the Gotham games and these seem like extensions of that kind of gameplay, with a lot of new additions.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 01/02/2022 at 05:51am

Star Citizen

Travis Admin wrote on 01/02/2022 at 07:06am

I was about to say, “wait that’s been out a while Will”

But I searched it out and no it never had an official release yet has it? Have you played the early access stuff?

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 01/02/2022 at 08:46am

I have not. 2022 has to be the year!

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/03/2022 at 03:14am

The only game I can think of that isn’t out yet I might get is the advance wars remake. A New Super Mario Bros game would be neat but I could just replay NSMBWUD.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 01/03/2022 at 03:23pm

Oh Advanced Wars! I want to play that. Maybe Elden Ring and TMNT Shredder’s Revenge.

My backlog is so huge that it is hard to get super excited about new releases. I am down with anything single player Marvel or Star Wars and Zelda. Not sure anything in those categories are being released this year.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/03/2022 at 06:05pm

Right, Shredders Revenge that’s one I’ll get day one.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/03/2022 at 09:10pm

I read an article last night about George R. R. Martin's involvement in writing the world of Elden Ring. I don't know much of anything about the game though.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 01/05/2022 at 05:53pm

Elden Ring sounds like a Dark Souls type of game. Looks creepy and fun.

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Happy Presents Day!

Happy Presents Day everyone! Hopefully the legendary holiday presents mythical elf human hybrid brought you everything you wanted. Regardless, you can get the recent Bethesda game Prey for free today on the Epic Game store on PC RIGHT NOW!

https://mobile.twitter.com/videogamedeals/status/1474772051089051654

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 12/27/2021 at 06:10am

Control is available today.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 12/28/2021 at 06:35pm

I picked up a ton of games from Epic store this holiday. Not sure if I'll play any of them, but I have them so... yay!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 12/28/2021 at 08:04pm

I'd like to get FFVII Remake and the Kingdom Hearts games from there, but money. LOL

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 12/30/2021 at 10:19pm

https://kotaku.com/the-tomb-raider-reboot-trilogy-is-currently-free-on-pc-1848286866

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 12/30/2021 at 10:42pm

Thanks! I haven't played these games (nor any we've mentioned in this post, heck I haven't really played many games I've claimed). There's someone on YouTube who uses one of these games for benchmarking.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 12/31/2021 at 07:21pm

"There's someone on YouTube who uses one of these games for benchmarking. "

Wow. This is our lives now. Can't play all the games, but see how well they could run on our PC's.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 12/31/2021 at 09:45pm

So I guess...if you want to find out how good your PC is play Tomb Raider. If you want to find out how bad your PC is play Ark. 😆

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Horde Mode for the Holidays With Quake!

I noticed a new update to the Quake remaster in the gaming press and word of a new multiplayer Horde mode. This a popular mode in Unreal Tournament and other shooters and it seemed like a great fit for Quake. Recently I picked up the Quake remaster on the Series X and felt Horde mode was worth a try and friends… let me say Quake Horde mode is superb. If you were waiting to try the Quake remaster this is the time to give it a shot because just playing this with bots is well worth it. I’m excited to have friends over to try split screen at some point too.

“Experience the all-new Horde Mode and Add-ons for Quake, free to all players. Grab your guns and drop into Horde... Read All

The Analogue Pocket Is Out And It Looks Incredible!

The Analogue Pocket is out now and seems to be getting universally high praise. Pretty impressive considering they have a slate of updates coming to the system next year. I thought Valve’s Steam Deck would launch sooner but I’m happy to see Analogue beat them to the Holiday rush. Originally I wasn’t going to pick this up but the retro community reviews are so glowing I wonder?