Episode 622 – Pay and Celebrate with Us!

·1 hr 52 min·5 clips

Mark's daughter carries him through Halo CE, mocking his deaths while they bond over the remastered classic.

The episode opens with hosts Brun, Mark, and Rob introducing themselves and disclaiming any Microsoft affiliation. They share weekly gaming updates: Mark played Grounded, Hades, Halo CE with his daughter, 12 Minutes, and Aliens Fire Team Elite, offering detailed critiques of the latter's lip-syncing issues and chaotic gameplay. Bron discusses returning to Warzone and Apex, highlighting Warzone's pay-to-win mechanics where meta guns are locked behind purchases or extensive grinds. The hosts review The Ascent, the August 2021 Game Pass title, praising its visuals but criticizing its confusing menus, tedious travel systems, and overpowered weapons that make gear stats irrelevant. Listener voicemails include questions about Xbox background updates not working and childhood console desires, prompting nostalgic stories about LAN parties, Calico Vision, and Neo Geo. Gamescom 2021 announcements are covered, including Forza Horizon 5 gameplay, Xbox cloud gaming coming to consoles, and Destiny 2's Witch Queen expansion with a paid 30th anniversary pack featuring the Gjallarhorn. The episode concludes with reminders for reviews and community engagement.

As heard by us

A candid Game Pass chat weighs The Ascent's style and co-op appeal against its menus, power curve, and travel time.

This Xbox Life episode 622 frames The Ascent as a practical Game Pass question: how much appeal does it offer for the time it demands? Mark has played it, Rob has had no time for games, and the panel keeps circling that tradeoff.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want to hear whether The Ascent's beautiful world can survive a fight with its menus, travel, and mission backtracking.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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