I just get on my Xbox, go to the game page and there a little drop-down box. You can select “Buy as a Gift”, and it brings up a window that you can select a Gamertag from your Friends list. I’ve done it several times as gifts for my brother- Astroneer, No Man’s Sky, etc.
EDITED TO ADD: Yeah, I just looked around and it’s different through the (mobile) website and even through the Android Xbox App. The former does make you use an email, and the latter had no Gift option at all. Just use the box (if that’s possible)!
I’m still debating whether or not to spend the last 16.50 in my xbox wallet on Dead Cells. There’s absolutely no reason to get it now. I have games coming out of my backlog pores, there’s no way to even get to all the games I bought in this sale in 2019, let alone 2020. But there is one reason: The Quarterlies. If I want to check it out before we vote next month for our favorite games of 2018, now is the time to get it and try it out to see if it should be in my top 5 for the year or not.
Normally I’d tell a person with a big backlog to hold off, but because Dead Cells is much deserving of any and all positive recognition in terms of awards, I do find myself suggesting that you give it a shot.
That being said, I don’t own a PS4, so I won’t be making a completely informed decision when I leave the likes of God of War and Spider-Man off my list, because we can’t play EVERYTHING.
Sweet. That’s the push I needed. I’ll buy it tonight and try it out.
On PS4 games: I do like Sony’s first party efforts a lot, but I always get their games 1.5 to 2 years after release, so I never end up voting for them. It’s just that those 2 years don’t make the games look any worse, and the cost me a fifth of what they cost at launch. Sony games get such deep discounts 2 years later, it’s great.
Wow, Dead Cells is amazing. At first I was learning how to use a sword and a bow, and how to jump, and suddenly it was 3 deaths and 2 hours later, and I had to be pushed off the TV. Good Lord, this game is addictive.
The only portions I don’t like are when they suddenly have lots of spikes and platforms to jump in a precise manner. Suddenly I have Spelunky flashbacks. That stuff shouldn’t be in this game. But most of the time, this game is aces.
So, following up on this. I did see that @kerzain played it and didn’t like it. Wondering if anyone else did?
At the time it came out, I have it a whirl, too. And it didn’t leave much of an impression. Everyone said it was a Souls-like, and while I could see it a little in the controls and mechanics, it just didn’t have that dangerous feel. The levels were a bit more open, for one. And the initial enemies were just kind of fantasy homeless people- not really the best start, honestly. And then I got distracted by the other bunch of Game Pass games and left off.
I started playing again today. As you get into it, it does get more and more Souls-like. The big thing that the game changes, though, is that it’s mostly completely co-op- but the game dodges and hides it. You’re always on a quest for someone- you’re rebuilding civilisation, and slowly collecting people as citizens for your town. And they send you on quests… but when you leave town they accompany you. A lot of the time, your partner is controlled by AI. They’re mostly competent. You can usually exploit them to make the combat easier, by killing enemies that are focusing on them.
Sometimes, though, it’s another live player- they’re playing, same as you- but they see themselves as the main hero and you as the sidekick. Kind of a neat little system. You never see who they are or their Gamertag or anything, and I have no idea if mics work. And if he goes tearing off in another direction, well, he shows back up shortly, probably controlled by AI again.
I know there’s options to try to keep a group with a player- it generate some sort of code and you only play with people on your code. I don’t know the details, haven’t tried it yet. I might try with my brother in the near future.
The system is admittedly pretty janky. But earlier I was playing, and was heading toward a quest market on my map. Right when I got there, there was my companion- and it became obvious that it was a human. Turns out, the marker wasn’t the end of the quest (like every one in the game to that point) it was the beginning, really- the entrance to a dungeon. So we went in. Had an awesome, harrowing journey down into the depths, and it did go deep. Ultimately died (I think in the final room?) but eh, you can’t win 'em all on your first try. It was one of the most fun game experiences I’ve had playing with someone else in a while, and it was all done in the background, behind the scenes.
There are other things to like about the game. The mythos they’ve created. The weird, painterly art style. Lots of things could use some more and better explanation. I’m having fun with it.
Ashen: Very Dark Souls-y by the feel of the combat so far.
Celeste: Wow, how cute, and they force you pretty early on to commit some pretty amazing jumps. I’m liking it so far.
Below: It’s a long movie? Is this a video game version of Koyaanisqatsi? No wait, I’m finally in control, but it’s been so long, I’ll try the actual gameplay tomorrow.
Kind of random, but I got a message from Xbox yesterday giving me a free month of Game Pass for preordering The Division 2.
Also worth pointing out - there’s a sale on THQ Nordic games on Xbox this week, and I found it notable because it also had a couple of original Xbox games, Destroy All Humans and Full Spectrum Warrior, both available for under $3 US. Those are two pretty good games.
This is it, I imagine. They got what they wanted- people trying the original who never would have bought it (it’s been on sale enough times they would have by now if they were going to). Hopefully those people got hooked on the gameplay and are primed for the sequel. They lost nothing and hopefully gained some full-price sales.
