The characters you know and love from the Yakuza series head (way) back in time, but series vets will quickly find their footing.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! comes to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on February 21, 2023
The Yakuza series has never been one to sit still — players explore the vibrant, violent ’80s in Yakuza 0 all the way to the neon-hued present day in Yakuza Like a Dragon. While the series has consistently moved forward, the next (re-)release from Ryo Ga Gotoku Studios, Like a Dragon: Ishin! (heretofore shortened to “Ishin”), takes you back in time — by quite some margin — to the Japan of the 1860s.
The Bakumatsu era couldn’t be more different than flashy, modern day Kamurocho (the primary setting for most Yakuza/Judgement titles) — yet during a recent hands-on with the game, I found that for all that’s different, there is much in Ishin that a Yakuza vet will find familiar. Here’s what Ishin changes… and what it doesn’t:
Is that…?
There’s something very familiar about swordsman Sakamoto Ryoma. I didn’t recognize the name (though apparently, he was a real samurai), but the face is unmistakable. No, Kiryu, Majima, and other members of the Tojo clan didn’t hop into a DeLorean to play out their samurai fantasies — this is more of a “What…if?” situation where familiar faces and personalities are mapped onto a cast from different era of Japanese history.
This also means that everyone is back on the table: if you’ve enjoyed Yakuza 0 through Yakuza Like a Dragon, you’ll frequently be pointing at the screen, saying ‘is that ___?’ Even if said familiar face met their untimely end in a previous title — or you thought they were dead then it turns out they survived but then they die for real in a dramatic and meaningful scene (it happens in this universe!) — they may show up in Ishin under a new guise. Enjoy the deja vu!
Lights out
Taking place in the mid-19th century, you’d expect Ishin‘s setting of Kyo (as modern day Kyoto was known at the time) to have little in common with the bustling, brightly -lit Kamurocho of the Yakuza series. Despite vastly different architecture and technology, Ishin players will find Kyo to be similarly sized and, more importantly, just as densely packed with interactable locations as more familiar Yakuza locales. Ishin is very much an open world, replacing karaoke bars, hostess clubs, and beef bowl joints with blacksmiths, fish markets, and udon stalls. Despite the change of set dressing, many interactions are similar to the games taking place in modern-day Japan, as Ryoma builds up a rapport with various merchants and barkeeps. There’s even a (slightly anachronistic) Don Quijote for your shopping pleasure!
Act first, strategize later
If turn-based RPG Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the most recent (or only!) RGG title you’ve experienced, know that Ishin plays much more like the action-heavy Yakuza games as well as the recent Judgement titles. Even still, Ishin presents the largest departure we’ve yet seen from the action brawler; there’s significantly more emphasis on weapons, particularly swords — complete with crafting and upgrade elements — and a costarring role for firearms. While Yakuza games typically relegated guns to limited use, in Ishin you’ll immediately draw your katana and revolver at every provocation.
During my hands-on time, I gravitated to Ryoma’s Wild Dancer style, swinging a sword in wide, one-handed arcs and punctuating slashing combos with a revolver shot to good effect. Brawler fans are not left out, as Ryoma can holster and sheath his equipped weapons for a classic, unarmed scuffle. But why would you?
The swingin’ (18)60s
One of the hallmarks of the Yakuza franchise is how frequently it careens from intense drama to absurd moments; this probably shouldn’t work, but any fan will tell you that it absolutely does. So it’s a relief to see that Ishin keeps things weird, with Bakumatsu era mini-games and full-on sub-stories (the series; term for side quests) including chicken racing, cannons, highly infectious dance crazes, and all sorts of gambling and gaming. While karaoke may not have existed in the 1860s, make no mistake – there is absolutely a singing minigame, featuring voice actor Takaya Kuroda belting out period-specific tunes set to imagery of Ryoma violently ripping daikon radishes out of the garden. You… have to be there.
And indeed, you won’t have to wait much longer before you can be there. Like a Dragon: Ishin! comes to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S February 21, 2023.
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
A first-person tragicomic adventure that takes place inside a smartphone. As the update assistant, you hold the fate of the system in your hands. Will you counter the update and save the chatty operating system OS9 from deletion?
Blast your way through hordes of evil bots in procedurally generated environments in solo or 2-player co-op, upgrade your build as you progress, and defeat powerful bosses. Be ready to dive into the futuristic world of Roboquest and help mankind find the mysterious and long-forgotten Haven-City.
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is one of the most beloved strategy games ever made and is coming soon to Xbox consoles. Enjoy a new way to play this much-loved game on console including optimizations for playing with a controller and new tutorials to get you into the fun quickly. Available on Cloud and Console.
An ink-based strategy game straight from medieval manuscripts, where a rabbit’s bum can be deadlier than a dog’s sword. Take your turn in duels filled with unexpected tactical depth (and humor). Embark on an ever-changing journey, build your own bestiary, defeat medieval superstars and collect perks to unleash special powers. Available on Cloud, Console, and PC.
As an android mechanic, restore power to your spaceship after a pirate attack. Navigate five sectors, solve 30 levels, and use new arm-magnet and wrench mechanics to succeed in this unique sci-fi puzzle game.
Embark on a bizarre martial arts adventure as a Spanish ninja and his buddy chicken! Take the role of Spanish ninja Benito, his chicken pal Pepito and his sensei Paco as they embark on a bizarre adventure across the globe! Presented in a mix of 3D environments and 2D pixel art sprites, Albacete Warrior takes traditional side-scrolling beat ‘em up combat into a new dimension.
The sky is falling! Quickly run into the gap as the ceiling comes crashing down from above. If you make it in time the ceiling will rise again and then crash down again and again, each time with the gap in a random place. How long can you survive?
Rhythm Sprout is a handcrafted rhythm action with original music and a wacky story mode. Follow Sprout – the Chosen Onion – on his lightweight and self-aware adventure between music levels. Make funny dialogue interactions, full of silly jokes and pop culture references. Help the adorable inhabitants of the Vegetable Kingdom and face a charming cast of Sweet Villains on this memorable adventure.
Sequel to the award-winning Deliver Us The Moon, Deliver Us Mars is an atmospheric sci-fi adventure offering an immersive astronaut experience. Explore new frontiers on a suspense-fueled, high-stakes mission to recover the ARK colony ships stolen by the mysterious Outward.
Grab your Belt of Justice and your Tailormade Sewing Machine — we’ve got some fashion justice to dispense! Fashion Police Squad is a humorous retro FPS where you fight against fashion crime using attire enhancing weaponry. Clean the streets of socks in sandals and experience a single-player story full of fabulous characters, dazzling encounters, and fierce runway shows!
When Laura, a girl who has lost her memory, is being pursued by unknown soldiers, Grant jumps into action to protect her only to find out about the danger the world is in from the Forces of Darkness and sets off on an epic journey.
Get ready to feel the speed! In Speedway Racing, you will enjoy the fastest, most spectacular races at over 350 Km/h, avoiding multiple collisions against 20 rivals. There are several modes available, including Championship, Arcade, and 4-player multiplayer.
A gaming icon returns, complete with new Xbox features.
Enjoy a timeless classic back in action for the modern age.
Available now as part of Xbox Game Pass.
GoldenEye 007 took the world by storm when it originally launched in 1997, drawing console gamers into a thrilling tale of espionage, gadgets and explosive action as they led James Bond through one of his most celebrated missions. Today, GoldenEye 007 launches globally on Xbox Game Pass, allowing a new generation of gamers to experience this beloved classic and veteran players to enjoy Bond’s unforgettable adventure all over again.
In the game’s campaign mode, players are free to approach objectives as they see fit – using silenced weapons, setting traps and being sure to remain unseen, or choosing to charge headlong into danger and rely on their skill and nerve to make 007’s mission a success.
Harder difficulty settings add entirely new objectives to Bond’s dossier and require mastery of every exotic location to succeed, while game-altering cheats can be unlocked by spies who are speedy enough. Equally memorable is the local split-screen multiplayer mode, where players go head-to-head across a series of iconic arenas. Just remember it’s all in good fun…
GoldenEye 007 will be instantly familiar to anyone who played the original, with faces and places just as you remember them. And for its Xbox Game Pass debut, the game now offers modern control options (including support for dual analog sticks) and a consistent refresh rate, running at a native 16:9 resolution up to 4K Ultra HD (where supported). There’s also a full roster of Xbox achievements to strive for, some of which are sure to test the mettle of proficient 00 Agents.
Now available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S as part of Xbox Game Pass (and across multiple devices via Xbox Cloud Gaming), GoldenEye 007 joins a distinguished lineage of shooters spanning the whole history of gaming. As our way of saying thanks to Rare fans old and new, players who’ve purchased a digital copy of Rare Replay on their Xbox account (unfortunately physical copies don’t work in quite the same way) will also be able to download and enjoy GoldenEye 007 free of charge, with or without an Xbox Game Pass subscription.
As the studio behind the game’s original 1997 release, we’re thrilled to be able to bring the game to you again in a way that remains faithful while delivering a smooth HD experience. We hope you enjoy stepping back into this legendary world – 007 and his life-or-death mission are waiting for you!
GoldenEye 007
Rare Ltd
☆☆☆☆☆362
★★★★★
Xbox Game Pass
James Bond returns! More than 20 years after the classic that introduced a generation to stealth-based shooter gameplay first hit the shelves, GoldenEye is back to thrill players old and new. Beginning in the heavily guarded chemical weapons facility at the Byelomorye Dam, you’ll guide Bond on a global covert operation to stop the devastating power of the GoldenEye satellite from being unleashed upon the world. With 20 campaign missions to master at a range of difficulty levels, unlockable cheat modes and a truly classic split-screen multiplayer mode for up to four players, GoldenEye preserves all the action and excitement of the original game – while adding Xbox achievements and a raft of new features that enhance its timeless gameplay for the modern day. Whether you’re a veteran player or a rookie agent taking on this genre-defining mission for the first time, GoldenEye is a legendary gaming experience not to be missed.
Chaosmonger Studio from Estonia is proud to announce the release of its anti-hero Rufus, protagonist of Clunky Hero. Out now for Xbox.
“Monty Python” meets Hollow Knight!
Rufus is just a simple peasant. He works on a farm, is somewhat insolent and he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. An ordinary man, who one day has to become a hero to save his wife and his village from the Evil One, whose name shall stay unpronounced. His wife, Brunilde, is also not the classical attractive princess of video-games, in fact she is pretty much the opposite. But the love between the two is stronger than anything else and that’s why Rufus armed himself with broom and bucket (the first to be used as a weapon, the latter a helmet) to go and rescue her.
Yes, at the start of the game, the protagonist of Clunky Hero will fight foes simply using only a broom. But more crazy weapons will be available later on, like a very long banana or a frozen eel, as well as grotesque enhancement items and powerful, yet bizarre, special skills.
Despite the humoristic tone, which is also a parody of the fantasy RPG genre, Clunky Hero has a solid metroidvania gameplay, with nearly 50 levels, set in nine different areas. The exploration of the big maps is therefore a crucial aspect of the game, which will need special abilities, usually gained after defeating a tough boss. Absurd enemies and friendly NPCs fill the multitude of levels, created with detailed backgrounds. The colorful graphics are a mix of 3D and hand-drawn looking elements, while the game-mechanic is typical of an arcade side-scroller.
Arcade is also pretty much the game-style of the combats, which aims mostly to the fun quick slashing of many enemies, rather than having fewer elaborated fights. Bonus items can be bought from NPCs in the various shops scattered around, found inside hidden chests, or in the many, yet elusive, secret rooms.
Developer Nicola Piovesan says: “I wanted to create a truly fun game, not only in its bizarre elements and hilarious dialogues, but also in its playability. It’s a metroidvania game for everybody.”
Have fun with Clunky Hero, out today for Xbox at a very friendly price!
Clunky Hero
chaosmonger studio
☆☆☆☆☆9
★★★★★
$14.99$11.99
Clunky Hero is a story-driven, platformer metroidvania, with a touch of RPG, Hack’n’Slash and tons of humor. If you’d love a platformer game where you have a funny storyline, can talk with characters, solve side quests, find and buy items, change weapons and wearables, with great hand-drawn-looking backgrounds, presented in a very comical way, then Clunky Hero might be the game of your dreams! STORYLINE
In a village far, far away, a dull peasant named Rufus was living an ordinary life. The boss of the house was his wife, Brunilde, a boisterously smart and funny woman that you wouldn’t exactly call “pretty”. Life was nice and happy in the village, until one day, awakened by some magical mistake, the Evil One started to spread his minions around town, performing hideous acts against the people. The worst of which was the kidnapping of Brunilde. She was torn from Rufus’ hands and put in a prison at the Evil One’s castle. Transformed into a blondie duck-faced doll girl, she now spends all her time staring at herself in a small handheld mirror. Determined to win her back, Rufus made a helmet out of a bucket and picked a broom as a weapon. Everybody now calls him the CLUNKY HERO, but he might be the only hope to defeat the evil one that no one wants to call by name. Rufus is now on his journey to save his wife and the whole village!
Strayed Lights is an atmospheric action-adventure with fluid combat and an intricate world imbued with mystery. You are a tiny, growing light seeking transcendence.
Face giant creatures who went rogue, deformed by their emotions but yet feeling familiar, unravel the story of your newborn light on its mystical lifelong journey and explore wild nature and ruins while your inner demons try to hinder your progress.
The Main Themes and Story of Strayed Lights
Strayed Lights is a poetic and oneiric interpretation of the journey which is life stripped down to its most essential components. It is also an ode to resilience: you witness emotions in others that went too far, becoming destructive. And it is about facing those difficult battles but in hope of unravelling and soothing rather than destroying, while growing in the process.
We intentionally added no text or dialogues in the game, to let players come up with their own interpretations. Having this liberty of appropriation is fundamental for us to experience something memorable.
What We’re Most Excited for Players to Enjoy with Strayed Lights
We’re excited for players to discover and immerse themselves in the world we created, meet the characters we designed and enjoy the combat and the game as a whole. We are also interested in how you will interpret the story, events and message of the game through your own prism.
What Players can Expect from Strayed Lights
An innovative combat system, crafted to let the most players experience those moments of bliss, satisfying flow that comes from challenge. But also an intricate world and story based on emotions, to which everyone can relate and feel connected to. Overall, a singular experience and a sense of wonder.
What It was Like Developing Strayed Lights for Embers
An incredible experience, a long-lasting dream becoming a reality. We put our heart and soul into this first game and everyone at Embers is extremely proud of the outcome. We came up with unique processes and techniques to allow our small team to achieve this much content and quality in the tiny amount of time it took to create the game, overcoming challenges with people we love working with everyday. We hope this shows when Strayed Lights launches on Xbox this year!
Tycoon/management games are a well-loved genre that the public mostly associates with PC gaming, but does it have to be that way?
I strongly believe this genre has a place on consoles, and it all comes down to an optimized player experience. Revamped menus, enhanced UIs and refreshed gamepad controls are necessary to ensure the best experience possible — and that’s precisely what we tried to achieve (and hopefully succeeded!) with Startup Company Console Edition.
The never-before-seen game engine we adopted optimizes the user experience, especially considering its “menu heavy” game genre. As you progress in the game, the menus will adapt and provide you with the more meaningful actions first, minimizing the need to navigate through endless sub-menus. Additionally, we’ve adopted a radial menu setup for the Xbox version, so you’ll find navigating through the menus to be an intuitive and easy experience. Less hassle, more fun!
Are you convinced yet? Want to take over the corporate world? Start your journey as a CEO of a humble team and build your own empire!
Create and run your own website: from a tech-savvy gaming site, a trendy shopping site to a rising social media platform, the possibilities are endless. Transform your million-dollar idea into, well…a million dollars (and more) and disrupt industries.
You will have full control of your journey, so plan things wisely! Hire and train a competent team, while also maintaining their workplace happiness (some CEOs seem to forget this part, don’t let that be you!); Discover and try new marketing strategies (and how to best invest your hard earned profits); Oh, and of course, who doesn’t like a well decorated and inviting work space? Customize your offices and give them a personal touch (your employees and your eyes will thank you).
I hope this short introduction will entice you to give this game genre a try on Xbox, as I truly believe that there’s a lot of potential and creative ways to make these types of games work on consoles, allowing a bigger audience to be able to experience them. Gaming should be for everyone, everywhere! Enjoy Startup Company today on Xbox.
Startup Company Console Edition
2Awesome Partners
☆☆☆☆☆7
★★★★★
$12.99$11.69
Your company’s success depends on your ability to run and manage a website. You must develop and improve features while increasing hosting capacity and run marketing campaigns. The city offers you offices in all sizes and shapes. It’s up to you to select the most suitable. It’s your job to organize and decorate the office while keeping your employees happy. Your employees are a vital part of your success. As you grow, you must continue recruiting more people. Over time, your employees will start demanding more of you and the company. It’s your job to keep them happy, before your competitors send them a job offer they can’t reject! There’s no website without stable and reliable servers. As your website attracts more traffic, you’ll have to move from virtual servers to your own fully featured hosting center. The goal is obvious: become the biggest website in the industry. It’s up to you if you want to buy and merge your competitors or outrun them until they go out of business!
Hi Xbox fans, I’m Brjann Sigurgeirsson, the director of the SteamWorld Universe and Franchise. I’m happy to share some exciting news with you today, especially with all the SteamWorld fans out there. We have just announced the next instalment of the series and we’re jumping genres again! It’s called SteamWorld Buildand will be available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One in 2023!
Before I dig deeper into the latest entry in the series, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on its varied predecessors and how they have influenced what we are doing this year with SteamWorld Build. I’ve been with the series since the very beginning, all the way back in 2010 when SteamWorld Tower Defensewas released. With our debut SteamWorld title we put players in control of an army of steam-powered robots in a – well, you guessed it – tower defence-style gameplay.
With SteamWorld Dig, which came to Xbox One in 2015, the engine really started chugging. In that game, we combined elements of Spelunky, Boulder Dash, Dig Dug and Metroidvanias. This created a satisfying loop of exploration, mining, combat and upgrading that you all really got behind and helped make our small series into an indie superstar. Then we returned to that story with SteamWorld Dig 2in 2017, our attempt at a full blown metroidvania which you Xbox fans loved!
One of the reasons I wanted to briefly walk you through the genre-switching history of SteamWorld is to re-emphasize what SteamWorld is and how you can expect a continuation of this in SteamWorld Build later this year. SteamWorld is a universe that we’ve purposely cultivated to give us the creative freedom to take in any direction we want. With each genre we take on, we try to distil the gameplay down to its core essence, and then add our own unique twist to make it feel fresh again.
This leads us onto the game I know you’ve all been eagerly waiting to hear about: SteamWorld Build! We’re again taking SteamWorld in a whole new direction, fusing our beloved steam-fuelled robots with the city builder genre. In our upcoming game, you will not only build and manage a city above ground, but dig below as you mine for materials to manage and optimise your resource chains to ensure the city thrives. I’ve lost enough hours in this game already to tell you that the gameplay loop of this multi-level approach is incredibly rewarding!
To a degree, it’s a loop that builds on what we’ve done with the Dig games. You explore, mine, collect, and then return to the surface to build, upgrade and improve. In the case of SteamWorld Build, there are multiple mine levels to uncover and explore. While each depth yields more precious resources, there are also more dangers for you to deal with. Your guards are going to deal with giant bugs, creepy crawlies, and other living threats.
With all the different SteamWorld titles released in the past, we showed how we were able to give new players an accessible entry point to a complex genre without stripping away strategic richness for veterans of the series. That’s a key part of the SteamWorld formula and something we are doing again with SteamWorld Build. Built for console from the outset, we are inviting newcomers and genre-devotees alike to follow a story that leads the steambots down into dangerous depths and find ancient technology that may help them take off into space and escape earth before it completely collapses.
Having worked on the SteamWorld series from the very beginning, I’m really excited for this next step in the franchise and hope you will all join us on a journey that will see the SteamWorlduniverse expand in new and exciting directions. I’m looking forward to telling you more about SteamWorld Build, as well as the other SteamWorld titles we have in development, via the standard version of SteamWorld Telegraph, which will become a regular community show later this year.
Thank you for reading this Xbox Wire post. I’m happy to welcome back our fans, old and new, and we will see you later this year for the release on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. You can follow the game on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook.
Monster Hunter Rise is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11, and with Game Pass (including Cloud Gaming).
Why should you play Monster Hunter Rise? Here’s an introduction to the world, monsters, gear, and gameplay, plus a few helpful tips.
We also got Capcom producer Hiroyuki Minamitani to tell us what’s different about the Xbox and Windows PC versions.
The day has finally come! Monster Hunter Rise is out now for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11, and with Xbox Game Pass – with Xbox Cloud Gaming offered with a Game Pass subscription. Whether you’re an experienced hunter with hundreds of hours logged in the New World, or are checking out what the fuss is all about, welcome!
With Game Pass, Monster Hunter Rise has become accessible to even more players than before. We’ve been thrilled to see the excitement from everyone online, especially those who have never played a Monster Hunter game before. With that said, allow us over at Capcom to share a few things you should know!
How does Monster Hunter Rise differ on Xbox, Windows PC and Cloud Gaming?
As Monster Hunter Rise makes its debut on Xbox and Windows PC, it’s been tweaked and improved for those new platforms. Speaking to Xbox Wire Japan, Capcom Producer Hiroyuki Minamitani said, “the team didn’t really struggle with porting the game itself. The Xbox Series X offered great performance levels, and we only needed to harness it. Overall, the porting process was very smooth.”
Those ported Xbox and PC versions bring a ton of performance improvements to the game, including 4K resolution, high frame rates, spatial audio, and super-fast loading times, which makes Monster Hunter Rise look and feel even greater than before. Minamitani said that: “Loading into the field map after accepting a quest has never been faster, and took a mere few seconds when doing so, and that felt amazing.”
“With Xbox running the game at 4K resolution, you will be able to observe the game through a high-fidelity lens,” Minamitani added. “Weapon designs, background objects, and as well as the monster’s scales will look so much more in detail.”
Thanks to Xbox’s console, PC, and cloud ecosystem, you’ll also be able to play the same game on multiple devices, no matter where you are. “Monster Hunter Rise will be available on Xbox and Windows PCs, with crossplay and cross platform progression,” Minamitani explained. “This means you will get to join the hunt with many others using a variety of platforms from the get-go. The Xbox platform also offers flexible gameplay where you can play on your console at home and jump right back into the hunt on your laptop even when outside.”
The battles can even continue on mobile with the use of Cloud Gaming through an Xbox Game Pass subscription – and Capcom has accounted for how the game will look on a mobile screen: “We also have custom UIs prepared for gameplay on smartphones,” said Minamitani. “That means you will get to play Monster Hunter Rise with a new set of controls, as well as with optimization for gameplay on smartphones.”
Why Play Monster Hunter?
Fighting big monsters is fun.
We could leave it at that, but there’s a lot to the Monster Hunter experience that has helped it endure as a unique series for nearly 20 years.
At the heart of Monster Hunter is the feeling of overcoming a challenge with the skills you develop as a hunter. While Monster Hunter Rise isn’t a punishing game, the experience of learning your weapon, understanding a monster’s quirks and move set, and finally taking it down is core to the hunting journey.
While that feeling of personal progression is key, the progression that happens with your gear and hunting rank is a huge part of that. Each time you slay or capture a monster, you’ll earn new materials that allow you to craft stronger armor and weapons. You may also find yourself going back to hunt the same monster in a new locale or with different circumstances around the quest. Mastering a particular fight and getting better at it each time is a satisfying feeling!
As you keep improving your gear and improving your rank, new monsters will continually be introduced as well. At the start you’ll be battling threatening, but smaller monsters like the Great Izuchi. But over time you’ll progress to powerful threats like the familiar flying wyvern Rathalos, and the game’s flagship monster Magnamalo.
Hunting? Isn’t that a little mean?
In the Monster Hunter series, hunters aren’t simply hunting monsters for sport. The story of Monster Hunter Rise involves a calamity called The Rampage that took place fifty years ago. During this calamity, a huge pack of frenzied monsters attacked Kamura Village – the town the player and their friends call home – and nearly wiped it out. Hunting is a matter of survival for the people of Kamura!
Throughout the story of Monster Hunter Rise, you’ll take down monsters that threaten the peaceful village and encounter some powerful beasts that threaten the very balance of nature itself.
Choose Your Weapon!
At the start of your journey as a hunter you have immediate access to all 14 weapon types in the game – no need to unlock them over time. While this can feel a bit overwhelming, keep in mind that there’s no right or wrong way to choose one. Think of it like choosing a character in a fighting game. Each weapon has its own unique move set with unique mechanics, strength and weaknesses, and playstyle.
Want to bonk monsters on the head with a giant hammer? How about vaulting through the air and attacking foes with the greatest of each with the Insect Glaive? Like in a fighting game, sometimes choosing the one you think looks the coolest is a great place to start. Over time and with more hunts under your belt, you’ll feel yourself getting more and more proficient with your weapon of choice. Growing your skills and getting better as the game introduces tougher challenges is a great feeling and one of the best parts of the Monster Hunter experience.
If you played Monster Hunter World and Iceborne and perhaps didn’t click with a weapon there, give it a try again in Rise! Each weapon has seen adjustments and changes, plus the addition of Switch Skills. These are special moves specific to each weapon and can change up the feel of each weapon significantly.
A Few Words of Advice
If the above breakdown has you onboard, great! Here’s a few more essential tips to make your hunting life a bit smoother.
Don’t forget to eat
Grabbing a meal before every hunt is an essential step in Monster Hunter Rise. Before leaving for a hunt, take a seat and grab some Dango to eat at the canteen. At the start of your journey, you’ll start out with a decent selection of Dango to give you helpful buffs for your quest. Regardless of the buff or if the Dango effect is activated, you’ll get a big boost to your health and stamina. Every little bit counts!
Brew some potions!
Chugging a bunch of potions during a hunt is never something to be ashamed of, and is essential even for the most experienced hunters. Always be sure to stock up on Potions and Mega Potions before a hunt, with the latter being necessary to making sure your health is topped off. Mega Potions can be crafted by combining a standard potion with Honey, so be sure to grab some while traversing the map.
Before every hunt, double check to make sure you’re stocked back up. If you’re in the middle of a hunt, you can head back to camp to stock back up before heading out once more.
Speaking of camp, at the start of most hunts you’ll see a supply box stocked with a few helpful items, such as First-Aid Meds and EZ Rations. These items are useable only in the quest instance, so don’t be afraid to make good use of them! If you’re playing in multiplayer though, remember that the Supply Box is shared, so make sure to leave some for your fellow hunters.
Spiribirds Spotting
You might notice that at the start of a hunt, your health and stamina will fall short of the maximum. Before heading over to the monster’s location, collect a few of the flying Spiribirds around the locale. These buffs last for the duration of the hunt, with different colors imbuing bonuses to health, stamina, attack, and defense. These are a must for making sure you’re ready to take on the monster ahead!
Stay Sharp!
Keeping your weapon sharp is one of the most important factors in a successful hunt. If your weapon loses sharpness, it might bounce off a monster or deal significantly decreased damage. Use your whetstone to maintain the sharpness of your weapon, but do so from a safe distance or while riding your Palamute.
These are just a few helpful tips to get you started, but there’s plenty to learn while playing. At the end of the day, don’t worry about getting intimidated and focus on having fun and enjoying the journey ahead!
Here’s a Little Something…
For our new hunters out there, we’ve deployed a few helpful bonuses to get you started. The new Guild Cross armor series and Novice Talisman are great beginner equipment to give you a bit of help as you get a grip of the basics. “We’ll be launching a new armor set named the “Guild Cross” series,” explains Minamitani, “and it will give you an advantage during the early stages of the game with its high defense stats. The talisman also complements the Guild Cross series, and will help when gathering materials, as well as give you even more defensive stats.”
Also, thanks to the combined efforts of the global Monster Hunter community, we’re giving all new players on Xbox platforms and Windows 100 free Honey! You can never have enough of it as it’s crucial for crafting healing items like Mega Potions. Visit Senri the Mailman to claim it as part of Kamura Village Welcome Set 1, which includes some other helpful items as well.
On To The Hunt!
That about wraps it up for our quick intro the Monster Hunter Rise! It’s out now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11, and Xbox Game Pass. We can’t wait to welcome many new hunters to the fold! Remember to have fun and enjoy the ride!
Stay up to date with everything about Monster Hunter Rise with the official Monster HunterTwitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Monster Hunter Rise
CAPCOM CO., LTD.
☆☆☆☆☆4
★★★★★
Pre-order bonus – Palamute Retriever Costume layered armor – Palico Forest Cat Costume layered armor – Novice Talisman for some extra assistance in the early stages Rise to the challenge and join the hunt! In Monster Hunter Rise, the latest installment in the award-winning and top-selling Monster Hunter series, you’ll become a hunter, explore brand new maps and use a variety of weapons to take down fearsome monsters as part of an all-new storyline. Ferocious monsters with unique ecologies
Hunt down a plethora of monsters with distinct behaviors and deadly ferocity. From classic returning monsters to all-new creatures inspired by Japanese folklore, including the flagship wyvern Magnamalo, you’ll need to think on your feet and master their unique tendencies if you hope to reap any of the rewards! Choose your weapon and show your skills
Wield 14 different weapon types that offer unique gameplay styles, both up-close and from long range. Charge up and hit hard with the devastating Great Sword; dispatch monsters in style using the elegant Long Sword; become a deadly maelstrom of blades with the speedy Dual Blades; charge forth with the punishing Lance; or take aim from a distance with the Bow and Bowguns. These are just a few of the weapon types available in the game, meaning you’re sure to find the play style that suits you best. Hunt, gather and craft your way to the top of the food chain
Each monster you hunt will provide materials that allow you to craft new weapons and armor and upgrade your existing gear. Go back out on the field and hunt even fiercer monsters and earn even better rewards! You can change your weapon at any of the Equipment Boxes any time, so the possibilities are limitless! Hunt solo or team up to take monsters down
The Hunter Hub offers multiplayer quests where up to four players can team up to take on targets together. Difficulty scaling ensures that whether you go solo or hit the hunt as a full four-person squad, it’s always a fair fight. Enjoy an exciting new storyline set in Kamura Village
This serene locale is inhabited by a colorful cast of villagers who have long lived in fear of the Rampage – a catastrophic event where countless monsters attack the village all at once. 50 years after the last Rampage, you must work together with the villagers to face this trial. Experience new hunting actions with the Wirebug
Wirebugs are an integral part of your hunter’s toolkit. The special silk they shoot out can be used to zip up walls and across maps, and can even be used to pull off special attacks unique to each of the 14 weapon types in the game. Buddies are here to help The Palico Felyne friends you already know and love from previous Monster Hunter adventures are joined by the brand new Palamute Canyne companions! Wreak havoc by controlling monsters
Control raging monsters using Wyvern Riding and dish out massive damage to your targets! Fend off hordes of monsters in The Rampage
Protect Kamura Village from hordes of monsters in an all-new quest type! Prepare for monster hunting on a scale like never before! *This content is also available as part of one or more bundles. Please check your previous purchases to avoid duplication.
There’s no better way to celebrate the new year than with an EA Play membership, and there’s no better time to join than now. EA Play members get up to 40 hours or more of trials for some of the newest games from EA, like the thrilling Need for Speed Unbound.
In addition, members get unlimited access to top games like Battlefield 2042 and Grid Legends through The Play List, with the ability to play full versions of every game included.
This month, members can also use their 10% EA Play discount on 2023’s Dead Space, the sci-fi survival horror classic rebuilt from the ground-up to offer a deeper and more immersive experience and improvements to gameplay. Game Pass Ultimate members eagerly awaiting Motive’s remake can also get an EA Play Add-On Bundle Perk for the original 2008 Dead Space, giving them access to previously released DLC to help them better survive the horrors that await Isaac Clarke aboard the USG Ishimura.
There’s even more space content for EA Play members! From now through January 20, members on Xbox can catch up on Cal’s galaxy spanning adventures in STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order with the Deluxe Upgrade, offering a cosmetic skin for BD-1, an artbook and more.
The gifting never stops with EA Play, and this month’s member content and rewards include:
Battlefield 2042 Rare Earth Weapon Skin for M5A3 – Now to February 1
Apex Legends Arc of Gold Weapon Charm – January 17 to February 13
NHL 23 WOC Chel Heritage Set – Now to January 31
FIFA 23 FUT Hero Sami Al-Jaber Tifo Set – Now to January 31
FIFA 23 FUT Season 3 XP Boost – Now to February 3
FIFA 23 VOLTA Fantasy Winter Apparel and Coins – Now to February 3
FIFA 23 Pro Clubs Shogun Red and Gold Headband – Now to February 3
Madden NFL 23 MUT January Pack – Now to February 6
Madden NFL 23 The Yard January Vanity Set – Now to February 6
GRID Legends EA Play January Event – Now to January 30
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass PC members receive EA Play at no additional cost with their Game Pass subscription. Members enjoy great player benefits, including in-game challenges and rewards, unlocking special member-only content, trials of select brand-new titles, access to a collection of EA’s best-loved series and top titles, and 10% off purchases of Electronic Arts digital content.
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
In a village far, far away, a peasant named Rufus was living an ordinary life. Things were nice in the village, until one day, awakened by some magical mistake, the Evil One spread his minions around town, performing hideous acts against the people. Armed with a helmet made out of a bucket and a broom, Rufus will journey to save his wife and the whole village in this platformer adventure game.
When his two children randomly vanish throughout the night, it’s up to you to help Dean Hamilton bring them back home. As the mystery deepens, decisions will need to be made and it’s down to you to make the right ones. Who can you trust? Who’s doing this? What’s the significance of the impending solar eclipse? And what are those strange glowing lights in the sky?
Fight on forests, mountains, and wastelands, customizing your defensive strategy with different tower upgrades and specializations! Rain fire upon your enemies, summon reinforcements, command your troops, recruit elven warriors, and face legendary monsters on a quest to save the kingdom from the forces of darkness!
Simultaneously control a sword-wielding robot and a gunslinging space frog in Shoulders of Giants, an explosively colorful sci-fi roguelike. Play alone, with a friend, or as part of a four-person team, cutting through waves of enemies on a quest to rescue the galaxy!
Sissa is a very organized feline, and when she plays with her balls of wool, each needs to be pushed across the floor to the correct spot. Presented in cute and colorful 3D style, Sissa’s Path is a pushing puzzle game where you play as Sissa and move her toys around tiled floors.
Play Othello, Mahjong, Shogi, Igo, Hanafuda, Texas Hold’em, Chess, and Backgammon, all in this single package! Each game supports CPU opponents as well as achievements, a challenge mode, and more. You can also enjoy playing against other players in Othello, Igo, Shogi, Chess, and Backgammon by alternating between a single controller.
Explore the mysteries of an unknown land in Transiruby, a metroidvania where you explore the world as a cyborg protagonist named Siruby. A strange continent from a different dimension has suddenly appeared… and Siruby, a young cyborg traveling through space just happens to pass by. Taking her trusty AI partner Ne-com with her, she sets out to explore this unknown land.
A 3D puzzle game with a cute and colorful aesthetic that has Kitten Tom trying to clear his way home. Slide blocks from the terrain to create a path that leads the kitten from point A to point B. There are three keys in each scenario; the kitten must take all the keys to open the door that leads to the next path.
Your company’s success depends on your ability to run and manage a website. You must develop and improve features while increasing hosting capacity and run marketing campaigns. The goal is obvious: become the biggest website in the industry. It’s up to you if you want to buy and merge your competitors or outrun them until they go out of business!
Play as Arthurian immortals, Sir Lancelot Du Lac and Morgana Le Fey, on a thrilling quest to stop one of history’s most infamous murderers and save the city. Team up with Whitechapel local, Mary Jane Kelly, as you explore the capital’s underbelly, meet the intriguing characters who live there, and work with them to solve the crimes. But remember, every decision you make will influence their fates.
The sci-fi survival horror classic Dead Space returns for Xbox Series X|S, completely rebuilt from the ground up to offer a deeper and more immersive experience. This remake brings jaw-dropping visual fidelity, suspenseful atmospheric audio, and improvements to gameplay while staying faithful to the original game’s thrilling vision. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with EA Play can receive a 10% discount on the digital purchase of Dead Space from the Microsoft Store.
We want to share some great news with you. Starting from last Friday, January 13, you can play UnderDungeonon your Xbox consoles. We’re all ultra excited and happy about the release, so if you still haven’t heard of this title (how is this even possible?!), I’m here to save the day and tell you few words about what is interesting in this piece of indie, retro code, who are its creators and how it all started. Also a good question is why we chose Friday the 13th for the release date… Well, read on!
And by the way, nice to meet you, I’m Chris.
Simple Doesn’t Mean Simplistic
But what is this UnderDungeon anway, you ask? It’s a nifty, peculiar dungeon crawler and classic role-playing game in which the protagonist is Kimuto, a cute sword-wielding kitten, on the quest to face the harsh world of work in his first day of the new job. Sounds intriguing? Alright, how about the fact that it is a full retro experience with sharp 1-bit visuals and catchy music and sound effects? Not convinced yet? Okay, what if I told you that there’s tons of humor here, interesting chcaracters you can interact and chat with and gameplay twists taken from other genres (like… arcade and rythmic levels or even 3D sections)?
What do you think now, huh?!
I know what you thinking. What is that, the praise song of the game that looks like it was taken from GameBoy era? (That was rough) But let me tell you that UnderDungeon is a great example of a game that doesn’t seem to be anything special at first glance but it shines and glows when you give it a shot.
Besides, today, when dozens of new titles being released pretty much every day, it’s easy to skip something that may be really interesting and playable, especially if from the beginning it’s aimed at a specific audience. So that was the case here. Underdungeon at first seemed to us like a ‘just another retro miniature’ but then it captivated us that much so with pleasure, we decided to help its creators with the release.
Retro Souls Last Forever
The game is created by Josyan, solo indie developer who previously worked on games such as Zeroptian Invasion and Tamiku. He was also involved in working on the Alex Kidd in MW remake. He decided to team up with José Ramón “Bibiki” García, composer and sound designer, so that together they could create a project that is a great tribute to the retro classics (like The Legend of Zelda or Dragon Quest). Old gameplay formula meets modern and polished execution here, both in gameplay and audio and visuals so it’s a very good opportunity to enter old-school gaming pit.
While writing this article, I took the chance of asking Josyan himself for a brief comment on the game’s concept. Here’s what he told me:
“It’s actually a small experiment, when I started it was more like a blank sheet where I could put mechanics, jokes and moments that I liked. I also feel that it is a very personal project since it embodied many of my own ideas and messages. I’m inspired by all the classic grades dungeon crawlers, but the game has so many different mechanics and mini-games that I’d be lying if there wasn’t a lifetime of good gaming moments in there. I hope all those who enjoy searching for secrets beyond what the eyes can perceive will like the game and also the classic players of course!”.
Thus, your task will be to traverse dungeons and clear them of vicious monsters, fight big bosses, collect items or solve various puzzles. But this is only a small part of what has been prepared for you, as you can deduce from the text above. And here’s the hidden beauty of UnderDungeon, because under the guise of simple, little game, there are many surprises.
See You Underground!
UnderDungeonis available now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, so you can go on an adventure today. Power up your console, grab the sword and let it all begin! And as for this Friday the 13th… Kept you on your toes, huh? Well, I don’t want to spoil anyhing so… You have to discover it by yourself in the game, but we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game so don’t hesitate to share them with us.
Armed to the teeth This fantasy world let’s you fight in a variety of ways. Magical bubbles, a boomerang cannon or a classic longsword can go a long way in this foreign land. Every one of your weapons can be further upgraded to unlock their hidden potential. Interesting world Enjoy stylized 2D graphics, and mini games. Every character you meet has something interesting to say…maybe except for the ducks. Other then that, pay close attention to all of them. Hidden secrets Throughout the map, you’ll find secret areas with some very strange fellows. What could they be up to? There is only one way to find out.
Hey everyone! This is Ian from Drinkbox Studios on the first-year anniversary of Nobody Saves the World. It’s hard to believe so much time has passed already, and we’ve been blown away by the response to the game. To celebrate the occasion, we’ve released a free update – the Impossible Dungeon!
As you might expect, the update adds an infinitely-replayable dungeon called the Impossible Dungeon. What you might not expect is that it is part of a carnival run by the crass, moon-headed Jimmy Luna Jr. Inside the Impossible Dungeon tent lies an endless barrage of challenges that will push your skills and customizations to the limit.
The further you make it into the Impossible Dungeon the more difficult it becomes and the more carnival tickets you earn. Tickets are spent crafting pieces of a giant statue to commemorate your favourite forms. Go in solo or bring a friend with you to rack up tickets and build the ultimate statue!
There are other prizes to earn in the Infinite Dungeon, like the new Dino form. The Dino is a fun powerhouse that makes it easy to pick up and smash baddies, and its Evolution ability gives you an extra damage boost when you vary your attacks. Like all new forms, this adds even more moves to the game that can be mixed and matched to make the perfect build.
Finally, as of today, the game is exiting Microsoft Game Pass. On behalf of everyone at Drinkbox, I want to extend a HUGE thank-you to all who downloaded and played the game. Nobody Saves the World is currently on sale for 40% off, so it’s a great time to grab it if you aren’t ready for the fun to end.
One last time, thank you for playing Nobody Saves the World! We hope you have a blast with the Impossible Dungeon!
Nobody Saves the World
Drinkbox Studios
☆☆☆☆☆217
★★★★★
$24.99 $14.99
Xbox One X Enhanced
Transform from a featureless nobody into a SLUG, a GHOST, a DRAGON, and MORE in this new take on Action RPGs from the creators of Guacamelee! Complete quests to discover and swap between 15+ varied and distinct Forms. Mix and match abilities in unexpected ways to unlock and complete even MORE challenging quests. Explore a vast overworld – on your own or with a friend online – while clearing shape-shifting dungeons in an effort to stop The Calamity and SAVE THE WORLD!
The clock has struck midnight and your adventure awaits with today’s release of Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden for Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows PC. Both games support touch control with Xbox Cloud Gaming, helping unlock even more ways to enjoy the game.
From the Midnight Channel to the Dark Hour, two iconic Persona titles return for double the fun! We are thrilled for this release so soon after the incredible launch of Persona 5 Royal (also available on Xbox Game Pass), that truly fulfilled the promise of stealing our hearts this past October.
Now we get to take an emotional journey as we uncover the secrets within the hidden 25th hour in Persona 3 Portable or search for truth to unravel the murder mysteries in the rural town of Inaba in Persona 4 Golden. Or simply do both by picking up the Persona 3 Portable & Persona 4 Golden Bundle.
The first thing you may notice when you power up your game is the upgraded high-definition graphics featuring 60 FPS gameplay. These games have never looked better, and especially noticeable with Persona 3 Portable as it now more closely matches the visual quality of Persona 4 Golden. In addition, both games boast expanded language support with 9 text languages and 2 VO (English/Japanese) language options. And one that I’m happy to share is a convenient new Suspend Save functionality that helps smooth out your overall experience, letting you save where you want.
Many of our fans have found Persona 3 Portable as being the ideal entry point, especially how this game introduced the signature social playstyle and also helped reinvent the Persona series. This thought rings true even more now with the help of the elevated experience on your favorite Microsoft platform.
Check out some of the gameplay in this new Launch Trailer released today!
Find more details about both games here:
Persona 3 Portable
If I say there’s an hour “hidden” between one day and the next… would you believe me? This unknown time is the “Dark Hour.” Unfamiliar stillness swallows the city, people turn into eerie coffins, and otherworldly monsters called Shadows swarm. One night, the protagonist is attacked by these Shadows. When all hope seems lost, the power of the heart, their Persona, is awakened.
Persona 4 Golden
They say your soulmate will appear if you stare into a television set on a rainy night… This strange rumor slowly spreads through the rural town of Inaba, the protagonist’s new home, just as a chain of mysterious murders begin. As the protagonist and his teammates chase after the truth, they find themselves opening the door to another world.
Our very own Torie Winkler, Community Manager at Atlus West will be joining The Official Xbox Podcast tomorrow and chatting more about Persona and the excitement these games bring to the community. You won’t want to miss it when the episode drops tomorrow on your favorite podcast provider.
So that’s it for now – The entire team is super thankful for everyone that joined us for the 25th anniversary festivities as we finally get to cap it all off with the release of these remastered gems! Continue to get all the details from this release and from all your Atlus favorites by visiting us on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook and stay tuned here at Xbox Wire.
Persona 3 Portable & Persona 4 Golden Bundle
SEGA
☆☆☆☆☆181
★★★★★
From the Midnight Channel to the Dark Hour, two iconic Persona titles return! About Persona 3 Portable: Experience the iconic, critically acclaimed RPG that reinvented the Persona series, Persona 3 Portable, now newly remastered for modern platforms. Shortly after transferring to Gekkoukan High School, the protagonist encounters the „Dark Hour.“ Unfamiliar stillness swallows the city, people turn into eerie coffins, and otherworldly monsters called Shadows swarm. When they are attacked by one of these Shadows and all hope seemed lost, the power of the heart, their Persona is awakened. With this newfound power, they pursue the truth of the Dark Hour and face the destiny that awaits them. Key Features include:
-Enjoy Persona 3 Portable now with newly remastered graphics, improved smoothness in gameplay, and quality of life features including difficulty selection and quick save functionality
– Climb the looming tower of Tartarus, take down powerful Shadows, and investigate the mysteries of the Dark Hour
– Live through a full school year packed with daily events as you forge precious bonds with unforgettable characters
– Experience this dark, emotional journey through two distinct protagonists’ perspectives for twice the social possibilities -Choose between Japanese and English VO About Persona 4 Golden: The world-renowned Persona 4 Golden promises unforgettable adventures, meaningful bonds, and heartwarming experiences shared together with friends. They say your soulmate will appear if you stare into a television set on a rainy night… This strange rumor slowly spreads through the rural town of Inaba, the protagonist’s new home, just as a chain of mysterious murders begin. As the protagonist and his teammates chase after the truth, they find themselves opening the door to another world. Key Features include:
-Explore otherworldly dungeons, take down monstrous Shadows, and confront the darker sides of one’s self as you inch closer to the truth behind the serial murder cases
-Venture around the town of Inaba, partake in an eventful school year, meet kindred spirits, and forge invaluable bonds
-New quality of life features including improved graphics and smoothness, difficulty selection and quick save functionality
-Choose between Japanese and English VO
Some of the world’s most exclusive golf courses will appear in EA Sports PGA Tour, designed in stunning fidelity powered by the Frostbite engine.
EA Sports PGA Tour is the exclusive home of the Majors, including the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open Championship, and The Open.
I’ve never set foot on Augusta National Golf Course, but after seeing some of the Frostbite engine-powered tech on display in the upcoming EA Sports PGA Tour, I wouldn’t be surprised if start to catch a whiff of freshly cut grass in my living room when I sit down and start playing on Xbox Series X|S on March 24.
That’s the incredible level of authenticity that the teams at EA Orlando and EA Madrid are striving to achieve with PGA Tour. Not only are they aiming to usher in the return of an iconic video game sports franchise, one with lifelike accuracy from ball physics and club types, but they want to drive home the majesty of the game and what it’s like to step foot on some of the world’s most prestigious golf courses.
To bring these to life, the team gained exclusive access to these courses and sought advice from some of the foremost geologists to help map out each course with cutting edge photogrammetry, GPS mapping tech utilizing helicopters (with lasers!), airplanes, and drones. They also conducted ground mapping and on-site photography at every course to capture the most minute details. All of this results in a magnificent-looking game.
It will launch with some of the most iconic stops on the PGA Tour, like the Island Green at TPC Sawgrass, the crazy 16th party hole at Scottsdale, Arnold Palmer’s Bayhill, and each leg of the FedEx Cup. These are what the development team are referring to as the “30 Bucket List Courses” in the game.
“We even went to New Zealand to create Tara Iti, the number two course on Golf Digest’s list of the greatest courses in the world,” says Producer Ben Ramsour. “Also on our international list is Banff Springs set in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and the Evian Resort in France. Of course, we have the trifecta of the ultimate ‘Bucket List’ courses, like The Old Course at Saint Andrews, Pebble Beach Golf Links, and the legendary Augusta National Golf Club.”
Stop and Smell the Flowers
It was at this point during our first-look demo that we saw in-game captured footage showcasing the incredible level of detail that’s possible on Xbox Series X|S, featuring a lifelike shot of Founder’s Circle at Augusta and the beautiful azalea flowers that surround this iconic course.
“Augusta’s botanist team gave us access to their tree health software to ensure we properly place every tree and [piece of] vegetation that a player will see in our game,” mentions Ramsour, as he continues to show other detailed shots like ultra-realistic looking crowds that utilize Frostbite’s swarm crowd system, and the lone cypress that stands on the cliffs of Pebble Beach.
“Our use of photogrammetry was especially useful in capturing every nook and cranny of rock formations and foliage from the real thing. At The Country Club (featured in the film, ‘The Greatest Game Ever Played’), we used a low flying helicopter to map the course,” continues Ramsour. “The chopper was equipped with a laser designed to find gold mines and oil reserves; the LiDAR and photogrammetry data is 30 times more dense than publicly available data that other games and simulators use.”
All this visual fidelity isn’t just for show either. This data helps inform all other aspects of play, which means more realistic terrain, slopes, ball behavior, and surface dynamics, ensuring players can experience these iconic courses like never before.
Let’s Go Clubbing
EA Sports PGA Tour’s Pure Strike system is powered by ShotLink, the real-time scoring system that the PGA Tour uses, and TrackMan data, which calculates ball flight measurement and swing analysis. That means players will have all the tools they need to realistically attack every hole on every course the same way the pros do — a whole new level of golf simulation that’s never really been tackled before, again thanks to the power of Frostbite on Xbox Series X|S.
“One of the most impactful ways players will interact with Pure Strike is through shot types,” explains Gameplay Designer Craig Penner. “We’re introducing 20 different shot types so now every time you approach the ball, you don’t only choose your club, but also the type of shot you want to hit. Each shot type is unique per club and trajectory so under the hood there are over 1300 unique physics profiles that power these shot types. We develop them with ShotLink and TrackMan data, so that each shot produces ball speeds, launch angles, spin rates, and shots dispersions that you would expect in real life… allowing players to attack each course and each hole just like the pros you see on TV.”
Speaking of the pros, Ramsour was also excited to share some of the work put into modeling the professional golfers you’ll see in the game.
“Our characters look absolutely stunning! We leveraged character head and body scanning tech used for Hollywood movies; our scanning rig has over 130 cameras that take simultaneous pictures. We took shots in multiple poses so that we could see the unique way the muscle on the players’ faces and bodies move, so that each athlete moves authentically to how they do in real life when rendered in Frostbite’s animation engine. The pandemic made it challenging to scan, but we were lucky enough to be included as part of the PGA Tour’s bubble so we could scan our athletes.”
Return of the King
On top of everything we saw during our first-look demo, EA Sports PGA Tour is also launching with several other robust features to make it a truly compelling package, one that also includes the LPGA Tour’s five major championships, an overhauled Create-A-Player feature, competitive multiplayer modes, and more — it seems like EA Sports PGA Tour is primed to reclaim their crown as one of the best video game golf franchises.
Pre-order* EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR™ Deluxe Edition and receive: – EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR™
– 3-Day Early Access
– Exclusive Early Access to Augusta National
– THE PLAYERS Championship Gear
– The Grand Slam Gear Bundle (Gear items celebrating The Majors)
– Scotty Cameron Putter
– 1500 Premium PGA TOUR POINTS
– PGA TOUR XP Bundle
– Augusta National Amen Corner Gear The exclusive home of the Majors, EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR™ features Pure Strike for superior golf gameplay powered by ShotLink, and unrivaled access to the world’s most exclusive golf courses. Home of the Majors
EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR™ is the exclusive home of the Majors, including the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open Championship, and The Open Championship. Pure Strike powered by ShotLink
Powered by official PGA TOUR ShotLink and TrackMan data, Pure Strike provides unique golf swings with a fluid feel, and realistic outcomes on every golf shot. Pure Strike combines golfer-specific tendencies with unique Course Dynamics and revolutionized Ball Behavior for the premier golf gameplay experience. Your career, your way
As your golf game improves, so does your path to becoming a Major champion. Create and customize a golfer, develop your skill set with new Shot Types, gain deeper course knowledge as you play, and learn to attack every hole like a pro. The world’s most exclusive courses
The tee is yours at 30 courses, including some of the world’s most exclusive, designed in stunning quality with Frostbite™ so you can enjoy more of golf’s finer details than ever before. *Conditions & restrictions apply. See https://www.ea.com/pga-disclaimers for details.
EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR™
Electronic Arts
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
$69.99 $62.99
Pre-order* EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR™ and receive: – EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR™
– THE PLAYERS Championship Gear
– The Grand Slam Gear Bundle (Gear items celebrating The Majors)
– Scotty Cameron Putter The exclusive home of the Majors, EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR™ features Pure Strike for superior golf gameplay powered by ShotLink, and unrivaled access to the world’s most exclusive golf courses. Home of the Majors
EA SPORTS™ PGA TOUR™ is the exclusive home of the Majors, including the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open Championship, and The Open Championship. Pure Strike powered by ShotLink
Powered by official PGA TOUR ShotLink and TrackMan data, Pure Strike provides unique golf swings with a fluid feel, and realistic outcomes on every golf shot. Pure Strike combines golfer-specific tendencies with unique Course Dynamics and revolutionized Ball Behavior for the premier golf gameplay experience. Your career, your way
As your golf game improves, so does your path to becoming a Major champion. Create and customize a golfer, develop your skill set with new Shot Types, gain deeper course knowledge as you play, and learn to attack every hole like a pro. The world’s most exclusive courses
The tee is yours at 30 courses, including some of the world’s most exclusive, designed in stunning quality with Frostbite™ so you can enjoy more of golf’s finer details than ever before. *Conditions & restrictions apply. See https://www.ea.com/pga-disclaimers for details.
Get ready to loot and shoot or command your very own space crew this weekend during Free Play Days. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and Space Crew Legendary Edition are available this weekend for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play from Thursday, January 19 at 12:01 a.m. PDT until Sunday, January 22 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.
How to Start Playing
Find and install the games on each of the individual game details page on Xbox.com. Clicking through will send you to the Microsoft Store, where you must be signed in to see the option to install with your Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. To download on console, click on the Subscriptions tab in the Xbox Store and enter the Gold member area to locate the Free Play Days collection on your Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Keep the Fun Going
Purchase the game and other editions at a limited time discount and continue playing while keeping your Gamerscore and earned achievements during the event! Please note that discounts and percentages may vary by title and region.
Game Details
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
Space Crew: Legendary Edition
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
A world of whimsy, wonder, and high-powered weaponry awaits as the unpredictable Tiny Tina takes you along for the ride across her greatest campaign yet. Forge a highly customizable Fatemaker then embark on a quest to defeat the villainous Dragon Lord. Slay evildoers using a wildly diverse arsenal of guns, spells, and melee weapons, combined with the might of the Multiclass system that lets you harness the power of two unique classes! Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can also get 50% off all three editions of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands from now until January 23.
Space Crew: Legendary Edition
Time for your toughest mission yet! Recruit and train your crew to tackle the growing threat from alien and android armies as you defend Earth to become a Galactic Legend in Space Crew: Legendary Edition. All new content free to existing owners of Space Crew!
Don’t miss out on this exciting Free Play Days for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member! Learn more about Free Play Days here and stay tuned to Xbox Wire to find out about future Free Play Days and all the latest Xbox gaming news.
Ancient vistas lead to hidden truths in Sea of Thieves’ latest time-limited Adventure, live from January 19 to February 2.
Don the mask of the infamous Captain Briggsy, using her wisdom to navigate fragments of the past as you seek to cure a curse.
Sea of Thieves is available free for all players with Xbox Game Pass and across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11 and Steam.
The festive season has come and gone, but while pirates across the waves were busy celebrating Grogmanay, the Order of Souls were hard at work. Hoping to cure Tasha the tavern keeper of a skeletal curse that’s consuming her, Madame Olivia has now recovered memories of Captain Briggsy – the notorious rogue who once searched far and wide for the rumoured restorative that would free her from her own fleshless fate.
Memories of the Mask
Sea of Thieves’ previous Adventure, ‘The Rogue’s Legacy’, tasked pirates with recovering keepsakes hidden by Briggsy long ago, intended to train Tasha in pirate practices as she went about retrieving them (if you need to learn more about this quest, our latest Adventures Ahead article can fill in the blanks). Three of these gifts were successfully delivered to Madame Olivia at Plunder Outpost, but that was only the beginning of the story…
All too aware how dangerous it would be to place a Skeleton Lord’s spirit back into their waiting skull, Madame Olivia has accomplished an equally tricky task, imbuing Briggsy’s distinctive mask with the memories of its former owner. How close was Briggsy to locating the cure she so desperately sought? The only way to find out is for pirates to take up the mask, learn the truth from Briggsy herself and journey to The Wilds in her wake.
Star Power
Inquisitive crews will soon discover that Briggsy’s mask confers more than one advantage. Its jewelled eye is no mere gemstone; rather, it houses Ancient knowledge of secret starfields, each very different from the night sky to which pirates have become accustomed. When considered correctly, these constellations reveal a long-forgotten tale of duty and sacrifice that set Briggsy on her path to the cure, though all may not be quite as it seems…
Picking up the quest that Briggsy began so long ago is a considerable undertaking. Cunning and curiosity will be needed in equal measure if Tasha is to be saved, especially when The Wilds continue to bloom with strange, lush patches that suggest powerful forces are at work behind the scenes. To start your journey into ‘The Secret Wilds’, begin the Adventure by speaking with Larinna outside the tavern at any time between now and February 2.
Elsewhere on the waves, the Battle for the Sea of Thieves continues to rage between the Guardians of Fortune and the Servants of the Flame. The team at Rare have been hard at work improving the PvP matchmaking feature set based on player feedback, with the aim of allowing Faction crews to seek out combat much more swiftly. As detailed in the latest release notes, today’s content update not only delivers a new Adventure but includes a number of enhancements to these on-demand ship encounters, including same-Faction battles designed to boost the pool of viable opponents and get battle-hungry crews into the fray with a minimum of waiting.
Find Out More
For more information on the latest Sea of Thieves update, including full release notes, visit the Sea of Thieveswebsite. The update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players who have bought the game on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11 PC or via Steam, or players who have access to it with Xbox Game Pass. Simply download and install the latest Sea of Thieves update to get access.
New to Sea of Thieves? Find out about the latest free content updates on our What’s New page, get familiar with Who’s Who or pick up some gameplay tips from our Pirate Academy, which provides invaluable information on topics ranging from sailing to swordplay as you prepare for your maiden voyage. Learn more about Sea of Thieveshere, or join the ongoing adventure at www.seaofthieves.com where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!
Sea of Thieves
Microsoft Studios
☆☆☆☆☆986
★★★★★
$39.99 $31.99
Xbox One X Enhanced
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Live Gold membership required to play on Xbox One; sold separately. ========= About the game
Sea of Thieves offers the essential pirate experience, from sailing and fighting to exploring and looting – everything you need to live the pirate life and become a legend in your own right. With no set roles, you have complete freedom to approach the world, and other players, however you choose. Whether you’re voyaging as a group or sailing solo, you’re bound to encounter other crews in this shared world adventure – but will they be friends or foes, and how will you respond? A vast open world
Explore a vast open world filled with unspoiled islands, sunken ships and mysterious artefacts. Take on quests to hunt for lost treasure, seek out cursed Skeleton Captains or gather valuable cargo for the Trading Companies. Go hunting and fishing or choose from hundreds of optional goals and side-quests. Unforgettable stories
Play through the Tall Tales to experience Sea of Thieves’ unique take on a story-driven campaign. With 11 tales to play through across two epic storylines, these immersive and cinematic quests provide around 30 hours of the ultimate pirate fantasy. Become Legend On your journey to become a Pirate Legend you’ll amass loot, build a reputation and define a unique personal style with your hard-earned rewards. Adventurer. Explorer. Conqueror. What will your legend be? A game that’s always growing
With five major expansions and almost a year’s worth of monthly updates, Sea of Thieves is a service-based game that is continually growing and evolving. Check back each month to see what new content has been added.
Hi! This is Nils from Daedalic Entertainment, publisher of Children of Silentown, I’m here today to tell the tale of how this idea evolved into today’s game – as a full-fledged title by a small group of people in their off-hours from their full-time software development and YouTube content creation jobs. Originally developed as an animated short, Elf Games and Francesca from Luna2 Studio collaborated to bring the Children of Silentown into the interactive medium. The passion this team exudes is infectious, poured into the project slowly but steadily over the years. Take a look at the Making Of video below to hear directly from the team. Even Jack, the punk, cannot wait to share it with everyone! Meet him and the team in the Making Of video embedded at the top this post.
Piero, the programmer of the team, shares that “we at Elf Games used four years of our free time to make Children of Silentown. It is a game that some say is a hauntingly beautiful point-and-click adventure game, but see for yourselves. We are very proud of it. But we are not full-time developers: Elf Games instead develops video games after business hours, as their members are already busy with their software development company.”
Children of Silentown is certainly a point-and-click adventure, however the team wouldn’t say it’s a conventional one. Most traditional point-and-clicks focus on finding items and combining them at the right time. Elf Games took these elements of course, but also combined them with elements from other classic adventure games. For example, they took inspiration from OneShot and A Bird Story, specifically, the camera view that allows more exploration and the quest-like structure in some parts. Moreover, the game features song-based mechanics that link directly to the story. By using songs, the player unlocks situations and puzzles. Each of these songs is linked to a thematic minigame that creates variety in the gameplay.
The short version of how Children of Silentown came to be goes like this: In late 2018 Francesca, known as Fraffrog on YouTube, showed Fabiola and Piero an original short movie she created for her channel but never published. She asked them what they thought about it and delighted, they told her that it would be perfect for a video game.
Children of Silentown is a game about Lucy, a girl living in a town surrounded by a forest inhabited by monsters. From a concept as simple as that, the team tried to create a story that could live on many levels. They wanted to create a story where every bit could be an additional piece to the puzzle the player has, to help them unveil how the town and the forest came to be.
“Video games are a strong passion in which we feel we can bring together our skills and creativity. We have spent the past four years creating this project in our spare time, mostly on weekends, so development has been slow, but steady. It is not easy to dedicate yourself to such a long project, but we really believed we could make it real”, Francesca recollects.
This is how it started, and, like many projects, the original plan was to make a small, simple project. But things changed very quickly. After releasing a short demo, and being amazed by how well-received it was, we decided it was worthwhile to make it a bigger project, enough to truly bring to light the characters and the story of the world of Silentown.
It makes sense that the development of Children of Silentown would also be a bit unusual, as was its original conception. The team has worked diligently to not only meet our vision for the story, but grow the game into something bigger than we originally planned. Many people today have multiple jobs or hobbies they pour themselves into, this is the case with Children of Silentown, which we are so excited to share with the world. We hope you can all see what a labour of love it was and you all enjoy playing it as much as we enjoyed making it.
„Accompany Lucy and her friends in this grim, beautifully hand-drawn adventure game. Lucy is afraid of the forest, just like any other child: every night, the echoing roars rob her of her sleep. Not even her dreams are a safe place where she could play. People disappearing is nothing uncommon in the village, but this time, Lucy is old enough to investigate on her own. Or so she thinks. Children of Silentown is a point & click adventure game telling a mysterious and endearing story. Explore the town and its dangerous surroundings, meet its quirky inhabitants, solve puzzles and master minigames. Accompany Lucy on her adventure to get to the bottom of what is haunting the strange Silentown… if you dare.“
Keep your disposable android-body alive by automating everything. Automate farming, foraging, crafting and capturing – and even assimilate creatures into your production lines during your impossible mission to relight the world. But how did it come to be?
Oysters. Dirty, mud-covered oysters.
We’ve always been fascinated by how humans discover so many technological advancements from nature. I stumbled across a video of oysters filtering water.
In just five hours, a couple of oysters turn a completely filthy tank into something clean! In fact, they can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day. We had a discussion over lunch about if they could alter fresh water mussels to filter out bacteria, we could just ship them worldwide and have a living filtration system. (You can’t, by the way. Please don’t do this and expect not to get sick!)
While fleshing out details for Atrio: The Dark Wild, we knew we wanted an assembly line, but we thought, “what if instead of building everything out of metal, we incorporated living things?” You could capture living creatures, and have them do tasks machines can’t do – digest and produce other compounds the same way we can’t print spider-silk. Pushbacks will split lines for you, tornatoads will pluck plants on your behalf, mini-deer will process and poop out new materials, and bees will replant mushrooms.
With that, our tag line was born “Capture creatures, and add them to your assembly line”.
Keep your disposable android-body alive by automating everything. Automate farming, foraging, crafting and capturing – and even assimilate creatures into your production lines during your impossible mission to relight the world. FEATURES:
Hand Crafted Open World – Explore a beautiful and unique world, shaped by the contrast of sharp neon lights and darkness, while you fight to turn the lights back on.
Witty Story- Unravel the real reason that you’ve been sent to the surface in this witty narrative experience.
Unique Creatures – A roster of unexpected, half robot, half organic creatures wait for you on the surface.
Pooping Deer? – That’s right! Something as unusual as deer poop may be the key to your survival.
LA is a city known for its influential inhabitants: from silver screen stars to rock ‘n’ roll legends, they all seem to settle right here in Tinseltown. Fast forward to the zompocalypse, however, and most of the movers and shakers are no longer moving or shaking. Or, uh, breathing.
So, I hear you ask, who’s still kicking in HELL-A?
The Slayers
Dead Island 2features six playable slayers; here’s a little bit about four of them.
Jacob
This Brixton boy and former banker upped sticks and moved to LA to pursue a career as a Hollywood stuntman after the death of his beloved mum. Unflappable in the face of danger, Jacob brings a cool and collected attitude to every situation, no matter how hairy it is. An appreciator of the classics, you’ll often hear Jacob quoting Shakespeare as he rips through a horde of zombies. It’s safe to say this Brit is certainly making his mark on HELL-A!
Amy
An LA native and former Paralympian, Amy now competes at the highest level in the discipline of zombie-slaying. Years of honing her mental and physical abilities has left her with lightning-quick reflexes, iron focus, and a winner’s determination. A skilled and confident mistress of her own destiny, she’s accepted the situation in HELL-A and is even managing to bring a little positivity to proceedings as she takes on the undead across the city.
Dani
County Cork’s own rockabilly daughter. Dani originally made her way across the Pond to live and work in Boston. One icy cold winter later, she decided to relocate to the much warmer paradise of Los Angeles. She may not quite fit in with the influencers and pop stars residing in LA, but since landing in the city, she’s made herself a fixture of the local punk and alternative scenes, and found that joining a roller derby team was the perfect way to let out some pent-up aggression. The zombies won’t know what hit ‘em!
Ryan
This Fresno native’s success as a sexy-firefighter-o-gram and exotic dancer (call ‘The Big Hose’ – ask for Ryan) often sees him under the bright lights of LA. When he isn’t entertaining bachelorette parties by making his pecs dance, he’s devoted to his family. He has an especially close bond with his little brother, whom he raised for many years after their parents passed. Now that the city has gone to hell, his goal is to get back home to make sure his bro is safe. His lifelong pessimism has finally been justified, which is how he’s managing to take it all in stride with an eye-roll and desert-dry sense of humor.
Residents of HELL-A
And hey, while you’re touring HELL-A, keep an eye out! Certified celebrities have been spotted around the city. Former Hollywood leading man, Curtis Sinclair, is said to be still residing in his mansion in Beverly Hills. Apparently, he has enough single malt and cigars on hand to last two apocalypses. We’ve been informed that vlogger and internet prankster, Amanda Styles, has taken to documenting the current situation in HELL-A and is looking for volunteers — both alive and dead — to star in her videos. Jimmy Montana, Star of the long-running police procedural drama “The Badge” and notorious Hollywood-level diva, has been reported to be holing up in a hotel with a group of survivors somewhere in the city. And finally, former lead axeman for the iconic rock group “Gods n Whiskey”, Rikky Rex, is said to be sleeping off a hangover with his partner, Roxanne, after the couple hosted a rager of an evacuation party at their home in the Hollywood Hills.
See You in HELL-A
That’s a rundown of just a few of the faces you can expect to see in HELL-A come April 28th, 2023.
The much-loved zombie saga is back with a unique formula of horror, dark humor and over the top zombie-slaying, spanning an epic pulp adventure. Dead Island 2 is thrilling First-Person Action RPG, stylish, vibrant and flooded with zombie infection. Explore iconic, gore-drenched Los Angeles. Meet larger-than-life characters. Slay countless foes in exquisitely bloody detail. And evolve to become the ultimate Zombie Slayer! Pre-order now and get the Memories of Banoi pack, featuring two unique weapons, a special weapon perk and skill card. FEATURES Explore HELL-A – Dead Island 2 takes players across the most iconic locations of the City of Angels, now stained with horror, in an exciting pulp journey from the verdant suburbia of Beverly Hills to the quirky promenade of Venice Beach. Brutal Melee Sandbox – Combat delivers the most intense, visceral and gory first person experience possible, with plenty of weapons and tactical (and brutal) options to chew your way through the zombie horde. Whether you’re slicing, smashing, burning or ripping, we want you to truly feel it. Be the Ultimate Zombie Slayer – There are six characters to choose from, each with their own unique personality and dialogues. You can fully customize the abilities of each Slayer, with our brand-new skill system allowing you to re-spec instantly and try out the craziest builds. Zombie Infestation – Ready to experience the most advanced dismemberment system in games? Our LA is crawling with zombies that look and react realistically. These mutated wretches are the reanimated, rotten heart of Dead Island 2 with dozens of distinct zombie types, each with their own mutations, attacks and hundreds of visual LA-themed variants. Our monsters are relentless, challenging, and true Los Angelinos. Will you be able to survive? A Cinematic Co-op Adventure – As a proper RPG experience, Dead Island 2 offers plenty of exciting quests, a crazy cast of characters, and a thrilling pulp story, to truly immerse you in its twisted universe. Re-playability is guaranteed. Add an over-the-top co-op mode for up to three players, and you’ll stay in LA for a very long (and gory) trip.
DEAD ISLAND 2 DELUXE EDITION
Deep Silver
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
The Deluxe Edition includes the Xbox and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game, two premium character packs, featuring a unique costume and weapon, and the Golden Weapons Pack. Pre-order now and get the Memories of Banoi pack, with two weapons, a special weapon perk and skill card. The much-loved zombie saga is back with a unique formula of horror, dark humor and over the top zombie-slaying, spanning an epic pulp adventure. Dead Island 2 is thrilling First-Person Action RPG, stylish, vibrant and flooded with zombie infection. Explore iconic, gore-drenched Los Angeles. Meet larger-than-life characters. Slay countless foes in exquisitely bloody detail. And evolve to become the ultimate Zombie Slayer! FEATURES Explore HELL-A – Dead Island 2 takes players across the most iconic locations of the City of Angels, now stained with horror, in an exciting pulp journey from the verdant suburbia of Beverly Hills to the quirky promenade of Venice Beach. Brutal Melee Sandbox – Combat delivers the most intense, visceral and gory first person experience possible, with plenty of weapons and tactical (and brutal) options to chew your way through the zombie horde. Whether you’re slicing, smashing, burning or ripping, we want you to truly feel it. Be the Ultimate Zombie Slayer – There are six characters to choose from, each with their own unique personality and dialogues. You can fully customize the abilities of each Slayer, with our brand-new skill system allowing you to re-spec instantly and try out the craziest builds. Zombie Infestation – Ready to experience the most advanced dismemberment system in games? Our LA is crawling with zombies that look and react realistically. These mutated wretches are the reanimated, rotten heart of Dead Island 2 with dozens of distinct zombie types, each with their own mutations, attacks and hundreds of visual LA-themed variants. Our monsters are relentless, challenging, and true Los Angelinos. Will you be able to survive? A Cinematic Co-op Adventure – As a proper RPG experience, Dead Island 2 offers plenty of exciting quests, a crazy cast of characters, and a thrilling pulp story, to truly immerse you in its twisted universe. Re-playability is guaranteed. Add an over-the-top co-op mode for up to three players, and you’ll stay in LA for a very long (and gory) trip.
DEAD ISLAND 2 GOLD EDITION
Deep Silver
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
Dead Island 2 is thrilling First-Person Action RPG, stylish, vibrant and flooded with zombie infection. Explore iconic, gore-drenched Los Angeles. Meet larger-than-life characters. Slay countless foes in exquisitely bloody detail. And evolve to become the ultimate Zombie Slayer! The Gold Edition includes the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game, two premium character packs, Golden and Pulp Weapons Packs and Expansion Pass. The Expansion Pass gives access to two brand new chapters of the story coming after release. Pre-order now and get the Memories of Banoi Pack. FEATURES Explore HELL-A – Dead Island 2 takes players across the most iconic locations of the City of Angels, now stained with horror, in an exciting pulp journey from the verdant suburbia of Beverly Hills to the quirky promenade of Venice Beach. Brutal Melee Sandbox – Combat delivers the most intense, visceral and gory first person experience possible, with plenty of weapons and tactical (and brutal) options to chew your way through the zombie horde. Whether you’re slicing, smashing, burning or ripping, we want you to truly feel it. Be the Ultimate Zombie Slayer – There are six characters to choose from, each with their own unique personality and dialogues. You can fully customize the abilities of each Slayer, with our brand-new skill system allowing you to re-spec instantly and try out the craziest builds. Zombie Infestation – Ready to experience the most advanced dismemberment system in games? Our LA is crawling with zombies that look and react realistically. These mutated wretches are the reanimated, rotten heart of Dead Island 2 with dozens of distinct zombie types, each with their own mutations, attacks and hundreds of visual LA-themed variants. Our monsters are relentless, challenging, and true Los Angelinos. Will you be able to survive? A Cinematic Co-op Adventure – As a proper RPG experience, Dead Island 2 offers plenty of exciting quests, a crazy cast of characters, and a thrilling pulp story, to truly immerse you in its twisted universe. Re-playability is guaranteed. Add an over-the-top co-op mode for up to three players, and you’ll stay in LA for a very long (and gory) trip.
Pre-order Shoulders of Giants today on the Xbox Store, available January 26
After almost three years of development, we’re overjoyed to announce that Shoulders of Giants is now available for pre-order. The game will be released on January 26, 2023, on Xbox! Check out the newest trailer above featuring a mix of single-player and co-op mayhem.
One of the very first ideas we had when we started making Shoulders of Giants, was the silhouette of a smaller character riding on the back of a much bigger character. And then we thought, what if you could control both of these characters at once? How would that work? Would that be fun?
It took a lot of experimentation and prototyping to find the sweet spot, and an experience that felt fresh yet familiar. We thought, what if we split up types of combat between these characters, one character does all the melee, and is a big powerful mech? And the other character perched atop its back a small, nimble, gun wielding frog?
Once we found this combination, we knew we had found the core of the game. The next question we asked ourselves was, what type of world would these characters be in? What would their goal be in the game?
We have always been huge fans of science fiction, and knew we wanted a world where there was a dark force these heroes had to overcome, the classic theme of dark versus light. But how could we actually take this theme and create an interactive way for the player to experience it?
We imagined after an intense boss battle having the entire world transform from barren and dark, to vibrant, lush and full of life in a cinematic way. We experimented with real-time ways the player could do this, and found it to be fun and exciting and it became a pillar of the players abilities.
Speaking of abilities, the last core idea behind the game was that we wanted Shoulders of Giants to feel like a colorful playground with a huge arsenal of sci-fi gadgets and weapons for the player to explore and tinker with.
Players encounter weapons and abilities like a firework-shooting grenade launcher, a giant stomping shoe, a surfable shield, and much more. The core combat is all about experimenting with different combinations of equipment to find that amazing combo that keeps things feeling fresh and exciting.
While combat is the main gameplay pillar, we knew that we wanted a story for the game to take place in and for the characters and world to feel grounded too. The forces of entropy have taken over the universe, it is the players job to combat this dark force and to restore order and balance back to the universe.
As you beat more levels and save more worlds from the forces of entropy, you will build up your heat meter, allowing you to access increasingly difficult levels. As you pass certain heat thresholds, you will unlock special story boss encounters as you make your way to the final boss.
Along the way, you will acquire new weapons for both Froggie and the heroic Robot of the Galaxy as well as new pieces of armor, XP to spend on your skill tree, and dyes to further customize the look of your characters.
While you can customize your own frog and robot with dozens of cosmetics that are unlockable in-game, the four above can only be acquired as a bonus for pre-ordering the game:
This pre-order bonus includes four color sets, so you and up to three co-op friends can save the universe in style right from the start of the game.
Even better, the game is 20% off during this pre-order period. For more information, check out the game’s store page and official website, or join our discord.
Shoulders of Giants
Moving Pieces Interactive
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
$19.99$15.99
Simultaneously control a sword-wielding robot and a gunslinging space frog in Shoulders of Giants, an explosively colorful sci-fi roguelike. Play alone, with a friend, or as part of a four-person team, cutting through waves of enemies on a quest to rescue the galaxy! The forces of Entropy are spreading chaos through the stars, corrupting living planets and urging on the heat death of the universe. Led by the psychic Owl, one scrappy team of space survivors are fighting to restore the balance. A mysterious mech! A sharpshooting amphibian! Together they must cut through waves of enemies and restore light and life to the galaxy! Pre-order the game for access to limited-edition dye sets with special visual effects. Dazzle your friends!
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
As mankind faces the remnants of a mysterious artificial intelligence, it’s up to trainee pilot Aya and veteran ace Zarak to investigate the resurgent threat against free space. Along the way, these defenders of peace will need to confront their past and learn more about themselves before they can uncover the truth of their enemies.
A refreshing and highly re-playable bullet hell style shooter that pushes you to play dangerously. “Graze” past enemy bullets to charge your Graze Counter, then unleash it upon your enemies as a highly deadly attack! Ride the razor’s edge of life and death in this high-risk high-reward danger-oriented arcade style shooting game.
If I say, there’s an hour “hidden” between one day and the next… would you believe me? Master the power of the heart, Persona, and uncover the tragic truth of the Dark Hour. Experience the iconic, critically acclaimed RPG that reinvented the Persona series! Playable on Cloud, Console, and PC.
Experience a coming-of-age story that sets the protagonist and his friends on a journey kickstarted by a chain of serial murders. The world-renowned Persona 4 Golden promises unforgettable adventures, meaningful bonds, and heartwarming experiences shared together with friends. Playable on Cloud, Console, and PC.
A slice-of-life adventure game with beautiful pixel art set in the late ‘90s rural Indonesia that tells a story about overcoming anxiety, depression, and the relationship between a boy and a girl with supernatural powers. When a mysterious supernatural power is suddenly unleashed threatening their existence, they must explore and investigate their town to uncover hidden secrets, face the end of the world, and perhaps learn more about each other.
Raid and voyage in the Caribbean; engage in tactical naval battles; parley with pirate legends, and more in Tortuga – A Pirate’s Tale. Being a pirate is not your fault, but it is your responsibility! Take action to relieve the Spanish, Dutch, French, and English colonies from their burden of drowning in riches. But be wary! Unless you are sure you are the biggest fish in the sea, don’t venture out too early or too far from your trusted hometown port.
The critically acclaimed action-RPG series returns! Set in the Japanese folklore inspired land of Kamura, players will team up to battle fearsome monsters, craft a wide variety of gear and prevent the world from falling into calamity. Rise to the challenge and join the hunt! Playable on Cloud, Console, and PC.
As the OmegaBot, dodge metallic dangers, acquire powerful weapons, and blast your way through a ravaged world full of deadly machines. Avoid various traps and deadly obstacles by using your weapons and abilities. Make your way through metallic forests, ruins of futuristic cities, and other environments. Step away from the beaten path to find hidden secrets and maybe even new friends who will help you vanquish the curse that has stricken the land.
Welcome to 2023! Thank you for another bustling year of DC Universe Online on Xbox. Together we fought off Perpetua’s Dark Knights, stormed Neron’s Underworld with Black Adam, and Saved the Universe (literally, again).
Doesn’t ring a bell? Don’t worry. All our storyline content is delivered in free episodes, and you can still jump in right now.
Free Player and Member Gifts
By the way, right now is a very good time to head back to Gotham City and Metropolis because January 11 is the 12th anniversary of DC Universe Online.
To celebrate, all Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S players can claim an anniversary gift pack with over $75 worth of items through the end of January. You’ll get the new Batman Ally and CR333 Character Advance which will put your character at the right level to play our 42nd episode, Legion of Doom.
Even better, all our members will receive another gift with over $75 of additional rewards. The member gift includes the Teal Textured Polymer Chroma Pack, a box full of Artifact XP, Catalysts, and Seals, and 12 Stabilizers – one for every year of DC Universe Online.
Not yet a member? Become one today and claim these items by January 31, 2023.
Anniversary Event Returns
The Attack of the Anti-Monitor event returns this year with new items. We particularly recommend checking out the updated Fate’s Faith gear suit and the Source Wall-inspired base items and boss statues. Head over to Anti-Matter Metropolis to test your skills in the Speed Force Flux raid alongside The Flash and Professor Zoom. Will you be able to send the Anti-Monitor forward another year into the future?
We hope so, because 2023 is shaping up to bring in three new episodes, plus all-new allies, artifacts, an emotes system, and that’s just what we can share right now. Make sure to follow our social channels to stay up to date with everything headed your way.
Download and Play Free Today
DC Universe Online is free to play for all Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S players. All episodes are free to access for everyone, so you can play alongside your friends no matter the content. Once you start the game, choose your morality, mentor, and powers to use in battle. Then create and customize your unique character to begin your adventures in the iconic DC universe!
For additional content details and guides to get started in DCUO, please visit us at DCUniverseOnline.com.
DC Universe Online
Daybreak Game Company, LLC
☆☆☆☆☆780
★★★★★
DC Universe™ Online is now on Xbox One! Join thousands of other players in this Free-to-Play, massive online action game set in the popular DC Comics universe. Choose your side – Hero or Villain – and create your character to experience true action combat, as you fight alongside and against legendary characters such as Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Lex Luthor, and Circe. Jump in and explore the DC Universe; walk the darkened streets of Gotham City, investigate the mysteries of the futuristic cityscape of Metropolis, and travel to legendary locations such as Arkham Asylum and the Watchtower. The Xbox One version of DC Universe Online includes the following: – Xbox One Exclusive items: Powered-Up Character Emblem + Powered-Up Cape + Vapor Aura! Become a part of our thriving community at DCUniverseOnline.com! Please note the download is around 35GB and could take several hours, but it’s worth the wait! Bandwidth requirements may exceed 192 Kb.
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Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff ist erforderlich, um Nutzerprofile zu erstellen, um Werbung zu versenden oder um den Nutzer auf einer Website oder über mehrere Websites hinweg zu ähnlichen Marketingzwecken zu verfolgen.
