Tomb Raider on Stadia

Cloud Gaming - My First Impressions

My title is a bit of a lie as I have played some Onlive (Anyone remember that?) and PlayStation Now but not since it was in BETA as I've not really had any need to use it. What I'm really talking about regards to first impressions is XCloud from Microsoft and Stadia from Google.

A few weeks ago I got an invite into the XCloud BETA programme, which allows me on an Android device play around 50 games via the cloud all linked to my Xbox Account.

Meaning I can continue where I left off with Forza Horizon 4 and earn achievements, play with friends like I would using my Xbox One X.

First time using XCloud was on my phone, which to be honest was not the best as I found the screen to be just too small with only really Bloodstained giving me a decent experience.

To improve this I bought a Samsung 10" Tablet and got one of those cases that double as a stand, this was a game-changer as I could see what was going on.

Which is all well and good but how do the games run on it, you ask. Well, that's a mixed bag as I've played Bloodstained, Yoku's Island and even Killer Instinct a game with any lag makes a difference perfectly.

Those are all single-player, multiplayer is a different story as I found Halo 5 borderline unplayable, Gears 5 just playable and Sea of Thieves whilst playing as part of a two-man crew to be fine with a tad hit to the resolution. I'm thinking this may improve over time when out of BETA along with servers closer to home as when you go on the Xbox Dashboard via XCloud the time is Pacific Standard Time.

XCloud isn't the only new cloud-based gaming in town as Stadia recently launched and I have to say I've heard mixed things on it. If you go by social media it's rubbish then my mate EoFGiz who's bought a premiere pack (his thoughts here) be rather positive on the service.

I've not bought anything to use Stadia, I managed to get a Buddy Pass from someone who had a spare code on Twitter. This gives me access to the service on mobile (I think it's just Pixels, which I have) or via Google Chrome and currently four games.

As my experience hasn't been great on mobile with XCloud, I've only used Stadia via the browser option. At the moment I can play four games with my buddy pass or buy more if I wish but at the moment I'm sticking with what I've got available to me.

 The first game I played was Samurai Shodown as a fighter, any lag could be a real issue but nope was flawless. I then tried Tomb Raider which I was really impressed with, then came Destiny 2 which has sort been the marque title for Stadia with the community on the service gathering around the game.

Destiny 2 even though much better than Halo 5 and Gears 5 in terms of playability, was still not the best experience. Which leaves me to believe Single Player is fine on these services and Multiplayer isn't, of course, there are caveats like XCloud is in BETA and the centre is likely in the states, is it my internet speed (Stadia test I should be able to get 4K HDR though), would Stadia work better via a Chromcast (people do tell me this is the best way to play) and more.

Then there are other issues like prices of games on Stadia but that's whole different subject to can I play a game via the cloud from either of these services, yeah sort of.

Xbox Game Pass February 2019 - Tomb Raider, The Walking Dead, Batman

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (February 7) – Xbox One X Enhanced
The climactic finale to Lara Croft’s origin story has arrived on Xbox Game Pass. A dangerous and mysterious organization known as Trinity sends Lara on a thrilling action-adventure through deadly jungles, treacherous underwater caves, and the most challenging tombs in the game’s history. To survive, she’ll have to become one with the jungle, use the environment to strike her foes quickly and quietly, sow fear in their ranks, and discover what it really means to be the Tomb Raider.

The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (February 7)
Play as Lee Everett, a man with a criminal past given a chance at redemption — protecting a young girl named Clementine during a zombie apocalypse. Explore stunning comic book style environments, solve puzzles, fight the undead, build relationships, and do whatever you can to keep your humanity in a world gone to hell. Every choice is on the clock, every mistake will be your own, and the consequences carry across the entire five episode series.

Pumped BMX Pro (February 7)
Jump on the pedals and hit the ramps in this momentum-based trickathon. Pumped BMX Pro features more levels than ever, each with their own set of challenges for you to smash. Choose one of the pre-designed bikes; or ride to the editor to create your own custom bike before smashing the global leaderboards and your friend's scores.

de Blob (February 14)
Become a master of colour in the 3D platformer de Blob. Equal parts amorphous blob of paint, struggling artist, revolutionary, and juvenile delinquent, de Blob’s goal is to replace the drab, lifeless grey colouring that the I.N.K.T. Corporation has imposed on Chroma City and its inhabitants. Flip, bounce, and smash your way past a diabolical array of hot plates, electric shocks, and ink turrets. Compete to control Chroma City solo or with up to four players via split-screen across eight unique and challenging multiplayer modes.

Batman: Return to Arkham (February 21) – Xbox One X Enhanced
Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, the first two games in the iconic Batman Arkham series, are coming to Xbox Game Pass in this comprehensive compilation that includes the definitive edition of each game, complete with all post-launch downloadable content. In Batman: Arkham Asylum, a journey into the depths of Gotham City’s high-security psychiatric hospital and battle supervillain inmates who have taken over the Asylum. Then go soaring into Arkham City, a super-prison built to contain Gotham’s worst criminals in Batman: Arkham City, one of the most critically-acclaimed games of all time.

Crackdown 3 (February 15) – Xbox Play Anywhere Title / Xbox One X Enhanced
A throwback with all the ingredients that made the series a fan favourite. Over-the-top and crazy antics will have you stopping crime as a super-powered agent of justice in a comic book inspired playground of mayhem and destruction, either solo or co-op with a friend via Xbox Live. Then hop online and get in on in the Wrecking Zone, where unprecedented destruction meets amped-up action. Level the entire battlefield with fully-destructible arenas, take out competitors by bringing down bridges and soar through the air with a series of jet jumps and flying fists. Don’t let little things like walls and buildings stop you from going exactly where you want to go. It’s 5v5 mayhem across three maps and two modes. Arrives February 15 with Xbox Game Pass and globally on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC as an Xbox Play Anywhere title.

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Best Games on Xbox Game Pass

To be honest, I don't have the most original of ideas, someone will talk about their favourite RPG's which will get me thinking what are my favourites and I'll go write a blog post or do a video on them.

This past week, a friend on twitter brought up that she was looking at getting an Xbox One S which led to replies from a few people, including myself, bringing up the great value you can get from an Xbox One S due to its price and the services on offer such as Backwards Compatibility and Game Pass.

I've done a few videos on Backwards Compatibility which you can find on the blog but never on Game Pass.

Game Pass has some great games on it but as I know my friend has never owned an Xbox console, which got me thinking what are the best games on the service and is this good for someone new to the ecosystem.

With rumours of a fourth entry, using Game Pass you can go back to Albion to play the three main games including the Xbox 360 HD Anniversary version of the first which might still be the best Fable out of the three.

FH4 shows the incredible value of Game Pass, it's one of the best games of the year and is available just to play with a sub to the service. I'm not even the biggest racing fan but FH4 gameplay just rewards you for playing, that you can come 6th in a race and still feel you've progressed.

Much like Fable, with a fifth mainline game upcoming Game Pass allows someone to go back and experience this great series, also both the 360 and Remaster of the first are playable through Game Pass.

With the recent addition of Halo Master Chief Collection to Game Pass, and Halo 5 on it as well this brings all five mainline games to the service and not only that but the excellent Halo Wars and its sequel are also playable.

I only played this one recently due to it being on Game Pass, I don't know if I ever would have if it wasn't on service. And it's decent 3rd person action game with a neat idea due to the blend of gameplay and live action. 

Yep I mean the studio Rare as if you're new to Xbox you might want to check out some familiar faces with Banjo-Kazooie and what Rare has been up to after becoming an Xbox First Party Studio, not everything has been good or on Game Pass but with likes of the three Banjo-Kazooie games, Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo, Sea of Thieves and Viva Pinata there's bound to be something for someone.

All the games on here are Xbox games and shows what Xbox is all about but like I said at the start, Game Pass does have some big third party games on service and Rise of the Tomb Raider is one of the best plus if you've got an Xbox One X then you're in for a real treat.

RotTR also showed me some great things about Xbox One as I played RotTR on release and since sold it. One day I decide to download it via Game Pass and my game save from my old Xbox One S was right there on my One X due to the automatic cloud saves and being in Game Pass I get a discount on DLC, that I decided to continue Lara's adventure.

This is the most criminally overlooked game on Xbox One, it's just a fantastic action platformer, which you should be playing.

A great 3D platformer which would have felt right at home during the late 90s / early 2000's, that is well worth a look.

Game Pass might allow us to play Xbox One first party games on the day of release, go back to some classic games and big 3rd party games but it also allows us to checkout some great indies which we may have never played if it wasn't for the service.

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Games of September 2018 - FIFA - Tomb Raider - NHL

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Raid some classic Tombs before Shadow releases in September

Today it was announced that more games are coming to backwards compatibility in the form of two Tomb Raider games just in time for the upcoming Shadow of the Tomb Raider on Xbox One

 

You can get your Xbox codes here