Schlagwort: Age of Mythology: Retold

Coming Soon to Game Pass: Watch Dogs: Legion, EA Sports F1 24, and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
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For those of you that have been exploring the Living Lands in Avowed, thank you for taking a break to check out the latest Game Pass news! We have some exciting new reveals and exclusive Perks to tease your install buttons. Also, mark your calendars and check out the ID@Xbox Showcase during IGN Fan Fest 2025 on Monday, February 24 at 10am PT for even more Game Pass announcements. Let’s get to the games!

Available Today

Avowed (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – February 18
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Available on day one! Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment. Check out Xbox Wire for Starting Tips to Help You on Your Adventure in the Living Lands.

Coming Soon

EA Sports F1 24 (Cloud, Console, and PC) EA Play – February 20
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Join the grid and chase podium glory with unlimited access to EA Sports F1 24, coming soon to The Play List. Members can master every turn and feel at one with the car with Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), PC Game Pass, or Game Pass Ultimate via EA Play. Plus, score in-game rewards including 5,000 XP monthly.

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – February 20
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is an isometric RPG by Owlcat Games, set in the grim darkness of the 41st millennium. As a powerful Rogue Trader, you command a starship, assemble a crew, and explore the Imperium, making fateful decisions in tactical, turn-based combat.

Watch Dogs: Legion (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 25
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard

Explore a massive urban open world featuring London’s many iconic landmarks and fun side activities where you can recruit (and play as) anyone. Everyone you see has a unique backstory, personality, and skill set for unique situations. Team up with your friends to complete new four-player co-op missions and PvP matches online.

In Case You Missed It

Ryse: Son of Rome Available with Cloud Gaming
Game Pass Ultimate

Jump back in this immersive action-adventure story of struggle, brutality, and heroism with Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta). Amidst the chaos of the late Roman Empire, become soldier Marius Titus and embark on a perilous campaign to avenge the death of your family and defend the honor of Rome. In Gladiator Mode, step into the Colosseum and fight for the glory, spectacle, and entertainment of the crowds.

DLC / Game Updates

Sea of Thieves: Season 15 – Starting February 20

Sea of Thieves is more exciting than ever as new life abounds across the waves. Set forth on new Voyages for The Hunter’s Call, grapple with wild boars and deadly sea monsters, master using hunting spears and more, with new features to enjoy each month.

Ark Survival Ascended: Astraeos DLC – Available Now
Game Pass members save 10%! Embark on your next epic odyssey within the world of Ark with Astraeos! Explore and immerse yourself in an elysian land of colossal proportions, steeped in Greek mythology. At over 260km², this massive new map is overflowing with stunning scenery, ancient ruins, and sacred temples. Face off against powerful new bosses, alpha dino variants with enhanced loot, and a fearsome miniboss lurking in mysterious caves.

Forza Motorsport: Update 17 – Available Now
Update 17 celebrates cars that are fun, compact, and performant. Race four new-to-Motorsport cars: 2023 Toyota Camry TRD, 2022 Hyundai i20N, 2022 Toyota GR86, and 2021 Hyundai #98 Elantra TCR. Get the 2021 Toyota Yaris GR and 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5N in the Challenge Hub.

Age of Mythology: Retold – Immortal Pillars Expansion – March 4
Game Pass members can save 10% on their pre-order of Immortal Pillars, the highly anticipated first expansion for Age of Mythology: Retold. Harness the power of ancient Chinese mythology and discover a world where gods, monsters, and legends collide in an epic new chapter of mythical strategy.

Game Pass Ultimate Perks

Find all these Perks and more in the Game Pass section on your console, Xbox mobile app, or Xbox app on Windows PC to find new in-game content, consumables, and offers included with your Game Pass Ultimate membership.

Madden NFL 25: EA Play Supercharge Pack – Available Now
Madden NFL 25 is now on The Play List. Get your Ultimate Team ready for the gridiron with the Supercharge Pack.

Minecraft: 1 Month Marketplace Pass – Available Now
Get access to the Marketplace Pass for 1 month! Discover 150+ pieces of content including worlds, skin packs, add-ons and more refreshed monthly. This Perk requires a payment instrument to redeem. Terms apply.

Monster Hunter Now: MH Now Bundle – Available Now
Claim 2 Ultra Hunting Tickets, 2 Paintballs, 2 Potions, a Wander Orb, and a Tigrex crafting material for weapons and armor. This Perk content requires Monster Hunter Now (mobile) to use. Valid only for iOS and Android versions of the game.

MultiVersus: MVP Pack 5 – Available Now
The MultiVersus MVP Pack offers in-game content to further customize and boost your play for Game Pass Ultimate members. MVP Pack 5 includes a Rare Banner – Bun Power and a Legendary Taunt – Treat Break.

Naruto 4-Movie Collection: Free movies – Available Now (US Only)
Claim four Anime classic movies including Naruto Shippuden The Movie: Blood Prison, Naruto Road to Ninja, Naruto The Last, and Boruto: The Naruto Movie. More Naruto titles are on sale during Anime month. Available in the US only.

Leaving February 28

The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon. Whether there are loose ends to tie up or you still want to try these out, this is your call to jump back in. Remember to use your membership discount to save up to 20% on your purchase to keep it in your library.
- F1 22 (Console and PC) EA Play
- Gris (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Maneater (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- PAW Patrol World (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Space Engineers (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Wo Long Fallen Dynasty (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Yakuza 3 Remastered (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Yakuza 4 Remastered (Cloud, Console, and PC)
We’re adding more games over time to the ‘Stream your own game’ collection for Game Pass Ultimate members. Go to Xbox.com/Play to see the list of available cloud playable games to stream on supported devices if you own them.

As always you can tune into Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox on social for a reminder when these “coming soon” announcements turn into “play today.” Otherwise we’ll be back here to talk more games soon. Cheers!

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18/02/2025
Age of Mythology: Retold − Neues Gameplay, neue Grafik und Göttliche Zauber

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Letzte Woche hatte Age of Mythology: Retold einen Auftritt beim Xbox Games Showcase 2024, wo zum ersten Mal In-Game-Material gezeigt und der 4. September 2024 als Veröffentlichungstermin bekannt gegeben wurde. Im Rahmen der Super Strategy-Episode des Official Xbox Podcast haben sich die Moderator*innen Malik Prince und Jenn Panattoni mit Emma Bridle und Earnest Yuen von World’s Edge zusammengesetzt, um einen Einblick in die spannende, moderne Neuauflage des Strategieklassikers aus dem Jahr 2002 zu geben.

Sieh Dir hier den vollständigen Podcast an:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi6WEWn51H4?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

Für alle, die Age of Mythology noch nicht kennen: Retold ist eine Nacherzählung des Originaltitels, einem Echtzeitstrategiespiel, in dem Menschen neben Monstern sowie Göttern und Göttinnen leben und kämpfen. „Es ist eine fantastische, magische, chaotische Welt, die Du kontrollieren kannst“, sagt Bridle.

Während des Trailers konnten wir einen ersten Blick auf eine der Kampagnenmissionen werfen, die im ägyptischen Pantheon spielt. In der Rolle von Amanra ist es Dein Hauptziel, die Festung Migdol zu zerstören. Dafür musst Du eine Armee aufstellen. Hier sehen wir Amanra, wie sie Einheiten aus den umliegenden Tempeln sammelt, aber es sind nicht die typischen Soldat*innen, die Schwert und Bogen schwingen. Wir sehen Einheiten von Monstern, die direkt von der ägyptischen Mythologie inspiriert sind: Petsuchos (oder „Laser Crocodiles“, wie Bridle sie scherzhaft nennt) sind große, mit Juwelen besetzte Krokodile, die aus der Ferne verheerende Sonnenstrahlen auf ihre Feinde abfeuern und das, was Yuen „Kaiju Scarabs“ nennt, die Strukturen aus der Nähe beschädigen.

Theoretisch würde man erwarten, dass ein riesiges Krokodil mit einem Scharfschützengewehr jeden kleinen Menschen, den es mit einem Schwert angreift, besiegt. Aber Age of Mythology ist fein ausbalanciert, um sicherzustellen, dass Menschen, Monster sowie Götter und Göttinnen die gleichen Chancen haben, zu gewinnen. Laut Yuen gibt es ein Fähigkeitsdreieck: Die mythologischen Einheiten sind oft erfolgreich gegen menschliche Einheiten, während die Einheiten der Held*innen besonders gut gegen mythologische Feind*innen geeignet sind.

„Als Spieler*in musst Du wirklich darüber nachdenken, wo Du Deine Einheiten platzierst, während Du Dich durch die Levels bewegst“, fügt Yuen hinzu.

Die Kulisse dieser Action ist in ein wunderschönes Umgebungsdesign gehüllt, das zum Setting passt. Bridle erklärt, dass jedes Pantheon (so heißen die spielbaren Fraktionen) sein eigenes Biotop und seine eigene Architektur hat − goldener Sand und helle, kantige Gebäude schmücken die ägyptische Kampagne, während Schnee die Berge und strohgedeckten Hütten des nordischen Settings bedeckt. Es ist ein Spiel mit magischen Elementen, aber alles sieht so aus und fühlt sich so authentisch an wie die Zeit, in der Dein Pantheon spielt.

Bridle fügt hinzu, dass die gesamte Grafik des Originalspiels komplett überarbeitet wurde, um eine moderne, fantastisch aussehende Neuauflage des Originaltitels zu schaffen. Während des Podcasts wurde dies anhand von Bildern und Animationen gezeigt, die Age of Mythology von 2002 mit der neuen Version vergleichen. Ein Screenshot aus einer der Kampagnenmissionen wird mit unglaublichen Details zum Leben erweckt, und Bridle fügt hinzu, dass „die ganze Welt neu gestaltet wurde.“ Dazu gehörten auch die Originalmodelle für zwei Held*innen, Arkantos und Athena, die jetzt beide sehr detailreich und realistisch wirken. Und auch der atlantische Titan ist jetzt mit lodernden Lava-Adern zwischen glühendem Gestein dargestellt − im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes ein „Glow-up“ für die Kreatur, fügt Bridle hinzu.

„Wenn wir diese Einheiten vergleichen, sehen wir mehr Schärfe. Du kannst die Partikeleffekte sehen, sie werden wirklich lebendiger“, sagt Bridle.

Eines der Hauptziele von Age of Mythology: Retold ist es, den bereits beeindruckenden Standard zu übertreffen, den die letzte „Definitive Edition“ von Age of Empires gesetzt hat. „Das Ziel der Definitive Editions ist es, das großartige Spiel zu erschaffen, an das sich die Leute erinnern, aber nicht unbedingt so, wie es wirklich war“, erklärt Yuen.

„Mit Age of Mythology: Retold gehen wir noch einen Schritt weiter und fügen dem Spiel neue Features und Mechaniken hinzu. Es geht nicht nur um die Erhaltung, sondern wir haben jetzt auch die Technologie, um diesem Konzept gerecht zu werden.“

Yuen erklärt, dass die Zauber der Götter und Göttinnen jetzt wiederaufladbar sind, d.h. sie können während eines Spiels mehrmals verwendet werden. Im ursprünglichen Age of Mythology konnten die meisten Zauber der Götter und Göttinnen nur einmal verwendet werden, aber Yuen erklärt, warum das für Retold nicht optimal war.

„Weil man die Zauber der Götter und Göttinnen nur einmal einsetzen konnte, versuchten die Spieler*innen, sie für den richtigen Moment aufzusparen. Aber oft war das Spiel vorbei, bevor sie sie überhaupt einsetzen konnten“, erklärt Yuen. „Die Zauber der Götter und Göttinnen sind das Coolste, was man im Spiel machen kann, also haben wir sie so gestaltet, dass man sie mehrmals einsetzen und dabei strategisch vorgehen kann.“

Noch besser: Age of Mythology: Retold enthält ein zusätzliches Zeitalter am Ende des Spiels − das Wunderzeitalter. In diesem Zeitalter sind die Zauber der Götter und Göttinnen günstiger, so dass die Option, sie noch mehr zu nutzen, während dieses Zeitalters im Spiel verfügbar ist. „Es ist das reinste Chaos“, fügt Bridle hinzu. „Du kannst einfach alles benutzen, was Du hast, und das macht so viel Spaß.“

Im Podcast sprechen die beiden noch über viele andere Themen, z. B. wie man als neue*r Spieler*in in Retold einsteigt und wie die langjährige Fangemeinde von Age of Mythology und Age of Empires zur Entwicklung der neuen Spiele beigetragen hat. Unbedingt reinhören!

Age of Mythology: Retold erscheint am 4. September und ist direkt für PC, Xbox Series X|S und im Game Pass erhältlich.

Website: LINK

12/06/2024
Age of Mythology: Retold – Explore New Gameplay, Graphics and God Powers With the Official Xbox Podcast

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Last weekend, Age of Mythology: Retold made an appearance at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024, revealing in-game footage for the very first time, as well as a launch date of September 4, 2024. As part of the Official Xbox Podcast’s deep-dive series, hosts Malik Prince and Jenn Panattoni sat down with Emma Bridle and Earnest Yuen from World’s Edge to share some insight into this exciting, modern reimaging of the 2002 strategy classic.

Watch the full podcast below – the Age of Mythology: Retold section begins at 25:40:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi6WEWn51H4?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

For those unfamiliar, Age of Mythology: Retold is a faithful retelling of the original title, a real-time strategy game where humans live and fight alongside monsters and gods. “It’s a fantastical, magical, chaotic world that you get to control,” says Bridle.

During the trailer, we got a first look at one of the campaign missions, set in the Egyptian Pantheon (the name for the playable factions). Playing as Amanra, your primary goal is to destroy the Migdol Stronghold, and to do that, you’ll need to amass an army. Here, we see Amanra collecting units from temples scattered around the surroundings, but they’re not your typical sword and bow wielding soldiers. We see units of monsters that are directly inspired by Egyptian mythology – Petsuchos (or ‘laser crocs as Bridle jovially refers to them), large, bejeweled crocodiles that fire devastating long-range beams of sunlight at their enemies, as well as what Yuen calls “Kaiju Scarabs,” dealing close-range damage to structures.

Theoretically, you’d expect a humongous crocodile with a radiant sniper to outwit any little human charging at it with a sword, but Age of Mythology is finely balanced to ensure humans, monsters and gods all share an equal shot at victory. According to Yuen, there’s a triangle of ability – the mythological units are often very good against human units, but then you have the Hero units, which are especially good against mythological enemies.

“As a player, it really makes you think about where to place your units as you move through the levels,” Yuen adds.

The backdrop of this action is also draped in gorgeous environmental design that matches the setting. Bridle explains that each Pantheon (the name given to playable factions) has its own distinct biome and architecture – golden sands and light, angular buildings grace the Egyptian campaign, while a blanket of snow settles on the mountains and thatched huts of the Norse setting. This is a game that weaves in elements of magic, but everything looks and feels authentic to the period your Pantheon is playing in.

Bridle adds that all of the original game’s art has been completely remade, in line with creating this modern, fantastic looking recreation of the original title. During the podcast, this was showcased with images and animations comparing 2002’s Age of Mythology to the upcoming Retold. A screenshot from one of the campaign missions comes to life in incredible detail, and Bridle adds that “the whole world has been redone.” This included seeing original models for two Heroes, Arkantos and Athena, both now super-refined and realistic, and the Atlantean Titan, now with blazing lava veins woven between scorching rock – quite literally a “glow-up” for the creature, Bridle adds.

“When we compare these units, they’re showing more definition, you can see the particle effects, they’re really coming to life more,” Bridle says.

One core goal for Age of Mythology: Retold is that it’s going beyond the already impressive blueprint set by the recent ‘Definitive Edition’ Age of Empires titles. “The goal for the Definitive Editions is to build the awesome game that people remember in your head, but not necessarily how it really was,” Yuen explains.

“With Age of Mythology: Retold, we’re going beyond that to add new features and mechanics to the game. It’s not just about preservation, we also now have the technology to do this concept the justice it deserves.”

Yuen details one new feature coming to the game, which is that God Powers are now rechargeable, meaning that they can be used multiple times during a game. In the original Age of Mythology, most of the God Powers could only be used once, but Yuen shares insight on why that might not have been the optimal approach for Retold.

“Because you could only use that God Power once, people would try to save it for the right moment, but what actually ends up happening is that the match would end before they get to use it,” Yuen explains. “God Powers are the coolest thing you can do in the game, so we’re making it so they can be used multiple times, and you can think about how to do it strategically.”

Even better, Age of Mythology: Retold includes an additional age at the end of the game – the Wonder age. Here, God Powers are cheaper to use, so the option to use them even more is available during this in-game period. “It’s just chaos,” Bridle adds. “You can just unleash everything you’ve got, and it’s so much fun.”

The pair delved into loads more topics in the podcast, including where to get started in Retold as a brand-new player, and how Age of Mythology and Age of Empires’ long-running fanbases have been instrumental to the development of new entries. Be sure to check it out!

Age of Mythology: Retold launches on September 4, and is available day one across PC, Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass.

Website: LINK

12/06/2024