The Xbox Series S has always been the odd one out in this console generation. A smaller, cheaper, all-digital machine, it occupies a position the industry had not really tested at this scale before, and it has been argued about since the day it was revealed. Ever since the Xbox Series S made its debut nearly six years prior, individuals have been theorising that it could impede the sector and eventually become overly challenging to develop for in the later phases of the console lifecycle. The concern was never really about the console itself. It was about the idea of a fixed lower specification that every game must also run on, and what that might mean for ambition elsewhere. Now that the generation is drawing toward its later stages, that argument can finally be judged against reality rather than prediction. The picture is more complicated than either side expected. Some games have clearly been...
Read More
- Home
- One Column Standard
One Column Standard
The Call of Duty cycle has a rhythm to it, and we are right at the point where the first real signal arrives. The campaign for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is now officially accessible in early access for anyone who pre-ordered the game digitally, which means the earliest impressions are beginning to appear. Early access campaigns have become a familiar part of the modern release schedule. By opening the single-player portion ahead of the full launch, publishers give the most committed players something to do while building buzz before the multiplayer side goes live. It also means the first wave of reviews and impressions lands well before most people have their hands on the game. That creates an unusual situation for anyone trying to make a decision. The feedback arriving now comes from a specific group, and it reflects the experience of people who were invested enough to buy in advance. With...
Read More
Remasters of licensed games from the early 2000s have become a surprisingly reliable corner of the industry, and the latest candidate has surfaced in an unexpected way. Ahead of an expected reveal at the ID@Xbox Showcase next week, online detectives have uncovered an official Xbox Store page for Shrek 2 Remastered. Store pages are frequently how unannounced games leak. They appear early, often with placeholder details, and the fact that this one is live suggests an announcement is close rather than hypothetical. The listing states that the game is set to arrive on Xbox Series X and S. The page also discloses that it is in the works by Aspyr Media. Aspyr has become a familiar name in the remaster space, known for bringing older titles to modern hardware, which gives this project a degree of credibility beyond a simple store listing. For anyone who missed it the first time, Shrek 2 was a...
Read MoreAnother week is behind us, and this one has felt longer than most. It has seemed like one of the most prolonged periods in recent months, which makes the arrival of the weekend all the more welcome. Whatever the last few days threw at you, the next two are yours to spend however you like. As always, this is the spot to share those plans with the rest of the Pure Xbox community. The idea is simple: tell everyone what you are playing, why you have chosen it, and whether it is living up to expectations. The thread is less about recommendations and more about the shared ritual of comparing notes with people who care about the same hobby. There is plenty to occupy a weekend at the moment. If you pre-ordered Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 digitally, you may already be preparing early for the campaign, which is available ahead of the...
Read MoreOctober on Switch 2 was already looking crowded, and it has just become a little busier. Peak, the indie climbing game from Aggro Crab and Landfall Games, arrives on the console on 22 October, turning months of speculation into something concrete. The hints had been building for a while. Both studios had suggested that something was in the works without ever spelling out what it was. For anyone who has been hoping for a console version since the game reached PC last year, the confirmation is welcome news. Climbing games occupy a curious space. They take an activity that is slow and deliberate in real life and turn it into a test of planning, timing and nerve. The best examples make a route feel like a conversation: you read the wall, commit to a line, and then live with the consequences when the next hold is further away than it looked. That structure suits...
Read MoreSome games sell themselves on tension, others on comfort. The Witch’s Bakery belongs firmly in the second camp, and it makes no apology for that. This is a story-driven adventure simulation from French studio Sunny Lab, published by Silver Lining Interactive, and it has arrived on Switch 2 with a warm, gently pitched premise. The aroma of freshly baked bread is the image the game leads with, and it is a smart choice. Food is one of the quickest ways to make a fictional world feel inhabited. It implies routine, care and time, the sort of details that turn a setting into a place you might want to spend an evening in. Cosy games have grown into a genre of their own, and the label covers a wide range. Some are essentially management games with soft edges, while others are closer to visual novels with a few systems attached. The most successful examples tend...
Read More
