Schlagwort: Galacticare

  • Coming to Game Pass: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Immortals of Aveum, Lords of the Fallen, and More

    Coming to Game Pass: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Immortals of Aveum, Lords of the Fallen, and More

    Reading Time: 6 minutes

    Grab your controllers and keyboards, because we have another round of games coming soon! Most importantly though, grab your headphones – Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II launches next week. While sharing is caring, this is one you’re going to want to listen to yourself for the full experience. Now let’s get to all the games!

    Available Today

    Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (Cloud, Console, and PC)
    The critically acclaimed and award-winning classic is returning to the Game Pass library! Guide two brothers on an epic fairy tale journey from visionary Swedish film director Josef Fares and developer Starbreeze Studios. Solve puzzles, explore the varied locations, and fight boss battles while controlling one brother with each thumb stick.

    Coming Soon

    Chants of Sennaar (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 15
    In this award-winning puzzle adventure game, play as the Traveler whose quest is to reunite the Peoples of the Tower. Observe, listen, and decipher ancient languages in a fascinating universe inspired by the Myth of Babel.

    EA Sports NHL 24 (Cloud) EA Play – May 16
    EA Sports NHL 24 will be available with Xbox Cloud Gaming soon via EA Play! Feel the intensity of hockey with all new gameplay features that dial up the pressure, physicality, and control of authentic on-ice action.

    Immortals of Aveum (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) EA Play – May 16
    Immortals of Aveum is coming to The Play List! Summon your power with PC Game Pass and Ultimate via EA Play in this single-player, first-person magic shooter. Unleash an arsenal of spells as Jak, who joins an elite order of battlemages to save a world on the edge of abyss.

    Immortals Hero Image

    Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – May 21
    Available on day one with Game Pass! The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without. Pre-install now to get ready to play on day one.

    Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Key Art

    Galacticare (Cloud, PC, Xbox Series X|S) – May 23
    Available on day one with Game Pass! You are the Director of Galacticare, an interstellar healthcare company and quasi-voluntary savior of the Galaxy (for cash.) Build hospitals and recruit staff to satisfy the whims of various alien species and cure their bizarre illnesses Save the (literal) Galaxy in story mode, or head into sandbox to design the hospital of your dreams.

    Hauntii (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 23
    Available on day one with Game Pass! Play as a brave yet naive little ghost, Hauntii, and set off on a quest guided by enigmatic Eternians. Possess, solve puzzles, and shape your fate in this captivating adventure. The game’s hand-crafted art style blends line art and animation with a striking palette, creating a visually captivating experience. Coupled with the dynamic soundtrack, it enhances the immersive exploration of mysterious landscapes.

    Moving Out 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 28
    Are you ready to become an all-star F.A.R.T? That’s a Furniture Arrangement & Relocation Technician in the world of Moving Out 2. Working solo, or with up to three friends, slip into your uniform and help the residents of Packmore, and beyond, to pack up and ship out!

    Humanity (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 30
    Become a Shiba Inu and help reconstruct humankind in the acclaimed action-puzzle game Humanity. Drop commands to guide a mindless human horde to the goal through 90 increasingly challenging handcrafted story mode stages. Then, choose from thousands of user-made puzzles expanding on the breadth of mechanics, or design your own and share it with the community.

    Lords of the Fallen (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – May 30
    A vast world awaits in the all-new, dark fantasy action-RPG, Lords of the Fallen. As one of the fabled Dark Crusaders, embark on an epic quest to overthrow Adyr, the demon God. Learn more about how Lords of the Fallen goes rogue(like) with its recent ‘Master of Fate’ update on Xbox Wire.

    Firework (PC) – June 4
    An accidental fire at a funeral forces the police to re-investigate the closed case of a massacre. You will play as a rookie police officer who participates in the re-investigation by chance. As the investigation goes deeper, the past of the victims gradually emerges and the case becomes more bewildering.

    Rolling Hills (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 4
    Available on day one with Game Pass! Serve up sushi as a robot chef in Rolling Hills, a life sim about running your own restaurant in a cozy village. Make new friends, purchase ingredients, enhance your shop, and improve the lives of your neighbors as you perfect your craft!

    DLC / Game Updates

    Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns – Available now
    Game Pass members save 10% off their purchase! Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns sees the smash hit roguelike join forces with Konami’s iconic Contra series, adding tons of guns and other weapons (we’re talking 22, including evolutions!), 11 new characters, a huge map, and a soundtrack that combines classic Contra tracks with Vampire Survivors covers.

    Minecraft 15 Year Anniversary – Starting May 15
    Minecraft is celebrating 15 years of gripping adventures and mind-blowing creations! Whether you’ve been crafting since alpha or joined somewhere along the way, you’ve left your mark on every block. Watch out for upcoming announcements from Minecraft!

    Starfield Update – May 15
    Starfield’s largest update since launch is coming on May 15! The May Update includes more detailed surface maps; new gameplay difficulty options and display settings; new features for ship customization and more! Learn more on Bethesda.net.

    Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

    Minecraft: 500 Minecoins – Starting  May 15
    Claim 500 Minecoins! Spend them on epic adventure maps, skins, add-ons, and more imaginative content, all crafted by creators and available on Minecraft Marketplace. What will your next adventure be?

    Naraka: Bladepoint – Available Now
    Claim exclusive Xbox headgear, new season treasures, legendary skin trial bundle and more in the new Perks Bundle! Get a kick start in the new season with the help of experience boost cards! This Perk content requires Naraka: Bladepoint to use.

    Leaving May 31

    The following games are leaving soon, so be sure to jump back in and tie up and loose ends or grab some extra achievements before they leave! You can also save up to 20% off your purchase to keep them in your library and keep the fun going.

    • Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Cloud, Console, and PC)
    • Farworld Pioneers (Cloud, Console, and PC)
    • JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle (Cloud, Console, and PC)
    • Pac-man Museum Plus (Cloud, Console, and PC)
    • Little Witch in the Woods (Cloud, Console, and PC)
    • Railway Empire II (Cloud, Console, and PC)

    That’s the list for now, but you can always keep an eye on Xbox, Game Pass, and PC Game Pass for reminders on when all of these are available to play. Also, don’t forget to block your calendar for the Xbox Games Showcase followed by [REDACTED] Direct June 9 – we’ll have even more news for you then. Talk soon!

       

    Website: LINK

  • Galacticare Exclusive Hands On: A Delightfully Witty Management Sim That Puts Narrative First

    Galacticare Exclusive Hands On: A Delightfully Witty Management Sim That Puts Narrative First

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    There is often no greater time sink than a good management simulator, and when they come as witty and delightful as Galacticare, it’s even harder to put them down. Galacticare is a bizarre and brilliant strategy game where you’re tasked with the running of an interstellar health company, managing hospitals, discovering weird, alien ailments, and finding ways to cure them. Xbox Wire was fortunate enough to get our hands-on a never-before-seen level, and speak with Galacticare Creative Director Josh Bishop about the makings of this wacky adventure. 

    Bishop tells us that crafting a hospital game was developer Brightrock Games’ vision from the outset, but they wanted to build more than a management simulator. The team wanted to push the boundaries of the genre’s mechanics, while putting a fun, unique narrative at the forefront of the experience. 

    “The backdrop that gave us the most freedom to explore was the choice to set the game in space,” Bishop says. “Being able to create a whole galaxy with eccentric alien species, unusual diseases and out of this world technology would not have been possible without a setting of this kind.”

    The space setting also makes way for this cast of quirky, non-human characters to engage in similarly wacky stories, which was important for the team. This shines through in Galacticare‘s clever dialogue; the recurring characters are a cast to get to know, not just an aimless NPC to prop up the gameplay. 

    “Often with simulator games, narrative is secondary. For us, it was one of our primary goals: to give the game, the world, a story that the player will remember,” Bishop says.

    Often with simulator games, narrative is secondary.
    For us, it was one of our primary goals.

    “As the main character, we want you to feel a part of this episodic journey through the stars. The dialogue is a huge part of crafting that with our players, immersing themselves in a colourful galaxy that they play one of the most significant parts in.”

    We got a taste of this during our playthrough of Many Me, the sixth level of Galacticare‘s story mode. Here your job is to organise and treat clones of a single character, the villainous geneticist Dr Ohdious. The plot twist? This is not a hospital, it’s a prison, built to house Dr Ohdious and his many illegal clones. Due to security issues, you’ll need to create more clones to help cure the inmates, rather than hiring outside talent for the jobs at hand.

    “Dr Ohdious, the consultant for this level, was actually one of the first consultants we designed, knowing that we wanted to create a level focused solely around him,” Bishop tells us. “His maverick approach to cloning gave us a vehicle to twist the gameplay into a unique experience mechanically and narratively for players: clone your own doctors.”

    Fortunately, Dr. Ohdious has seen fit to share his knowledge of cloning with us, at least. This level also opens up the Cerebral Rehab, alongside the ability to clone your staff, or wipe the minds of existing employees, so they can re-train in whatever discipline you need. I get very attached to my subjects, to the ability to sculpt them to my precise (and often chaotic) needs was an extremely welcome change to Galacticare‘s formula. 

    Many Me isn’t alone in being a unique gameplay experience, either. Bishop tells us that many of the levels in Galacticare alter the core gameplay in various ways, which will keep you on your toes, and stop you from following the same pattern when you enter a brand new scenario.

    Dr Ohdious is one of Galacticare‘s Consultants – one-of-a-kind doctors that can be unlocked as you progress through the story, and will remain on hand for recruitment in future levels. Each Consultant comes with their own unique personality and story, as well as their own abilities, which makes them both useful and memorable as you progress.

    “Consultants play a vital component in guiding you through interesting gameplay choices and moment-to-moment decision making,” Bishop adds. “In a genre where choices can sometimes start narrowing once you’ve committed to a path – they aim to give flexibility and support.”

    Many Me is just one of the extremely fun scenarios that Galacticare places you in, and I can’t wait to get fully stuck in to this zany universe. Scrub up for a truly out of this world experience when Galacticare launches on Xbox Series X|S later this year. 

    Website: LINK

  • 3 Indie-Spiele, die ihr unbedingt im Auge behalten solltet

    3 Indie-Spiele, die ihr unbedingt im Auge behalten solltet

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    Ein besonders kreatives Puzzlespiel, mit Hellboy Dämonen vermöbeln und eine humorvolle Alien-Krankenhaussimulation: Wir stellen euch gleich drei ganz unterschiedliche Indie-Spiele vor, die uns mit spannenden Spielmechaniken begeistert haben und direkt auf unserer Wunschliste gelandet sind.

    The Plucky Squire

    3 Indie-Spiele, die ihr unbedingt im Auge behalten solltet

    Jonathan Biddle und James Turner, die beiden Entwickler des 2019 gegründeten Indie-Studios All Possible Futures, arbeiten mit The Plucky Squire an einem Genremix, der durch viele kreative Ideen und eine charmante Umsetzung beeindruckt. Schon die Story ist etwas ganz Besonderes: Der titelgebende mutige Knappe” (so könnte man The Plucky Squire übersetzen) Jot und seine Freunde Violet und Trash erleben auf den Seiten eines mit Buntstiften gezeichneten Kinderbuchs Abenteuer.

    Dabei wird nicht nur mit dem Schwert auf putzige Gegner geschlagen, sondern es müssen Puzzles auf ungewöhnliche Weise gelöst werden. Ein Beispiel: Ein großes Monster versperrt euch den Weg, was auch mit den Worten „Ein großes Monster“ beschrieben wird. Lauft ihr jetzt zu einem „kleinen Monster“, schnappt euch einfach das Adjektiv und ersetzt „groß” durch „klein”, schrumpft der Gegner und ihr könnt ihn besiegen. Seine Kreativität entfaltet das Spiel erst richtig, wenn 2D- mit 3D-Welten verbunden werden. Seht ihr eine Spirale auf den Seiten, könnt ihr die Märchenbuchwelt verlassen und in die aufwändig gestaltete 3D-Welt eines Kinderzimmers eintauchen.

    Auch hier gilt es, Sprungpassagen zu meistern und Rätsel zu lösen, die meist zurück ins Buch führen, um dort Hindernisse aus dem Weg zu räumen. Ihr steht vor einer verschlossenen Tür und der Schlüssel ist unerreichbar? Kein Problem, ein Umweg über die „echte“ Welt wird euch den Türöffner schon bringen. Ihr braucht Pfeil und Bogen, um fliegende Monsterchen zu besiegen? Die Waffe findet ihr bei einer Elfe auf einer Sammelkarte im Kinderzimmer. Springt einfach in die Karte rein und liefert euch einen rundenbasierten Kampf. Gewinnt ihr, gehört die Ausrüstung euch. The Plucky Squire erscheint 2024 und verspricht abwechslungsreiche Rätsel und eine Geschichte mit viel Charme und Humor.

    The Plucky Squire zur Wunschliste hinzufügen

    Hellboy Web of Wyrd

    3 Indie-Spiele, die ihr unbedingt im Auge behalten solltet

    Bereits am 4. Oktober erscheint das Roguelike Beat ’em up Hellboy Web of Wyrd des britischen Studios Upstream Arcade. In Zusammenarbeit mit Dark Horse Comics und Hellboy-Schöpfer Mike Mignola wird eine brandneue Geschichte erzählt, die den schlagkräftigen Teufel in die Tiefen des „Wyrd“ führt, um einen vermissten Agenten der B.U.A.P. (Behörde zur Untersuchung und Abwehr paranormaler Erscheinungen) zu finden. Keine leichte Aufgabe, denn in den Arealen einer fremden Dimension erwarten euren rothäutigen Helden jede Menge Monster und Dämonen, die es zu besiegen gilt.

    Besonders gelungen ist der authentische Zeichenstil, der jederzeit das Gefühl vermittelt, sich mitten in einem Hellboy-Comic zu befinden. Das Kampfsystem, die Entwickler nennen ihr Spiel auch Dämonen-Brawler, besteht aus Nah- und Fernkampfangriffen, bei denen ihr mit Hellboys überdimensionaler Faust zuschlagt oder auch seine ikonische Handfeuerwaffe einsetzt, sowie dem rechtzeitigen Ausweichen und Blocken. Wenn ihr nicht gerade mit den Ausgeburten der Hölle kämpft, unterhaltet ihr euch mit euren Teamkameraden, verbessert eure Ausrüstung und bereitet euch so auf den nächsten Einsatz vor.

    Hellboy Web of Wyrd zur Wunschliste hinzufügen

    Galacticare

    3 Indie-Spiele, die ihr unbedingt im Auge behalten solltet

    Wie das Gesundheitswesen im 23. Jahrhundert aussehen könnte, liegt in euren Händen. Zumindest teilweise, denn die futuristische Krankenhaussimulation Galacticare hat zwar nicht viel mit der Realität zu tun, bietet aber unzählige Features, mit denen Simulations- und Mikromanagement-Fans experimentieren können, und jede Menge schrägen Humor. Es geht nicht darum, normale Menschen zu behandeln, sondern um das körperliche Wohlbefinden verschiedener außerirdischer Rassen. In der Kampagne, die wie eine Science-Fiction-Soap aufgebaut ist, bekommt ihr Aufträge und sollt ein intergalaktisches Krankenhaus mit modernster Technik ausstatten, Personal rekrutieren und natürlich immer darauf achten, dass es profitabel arbeitet.

    Wenn ihr witzige Simulationen mit verrückten Charakteren wie Two Point Hospital oder Two Point Campus gerne spielt, dann wird euch Galacticare des britischen Studios Brightrock Games viele Stunden an den Bildschirm fesseln, um kleine lila Männchen von Parasiten zu befreien oder in den Eingeweiden planetengroßer Außerirdischer nach den Ursachen für deren Krankheit zu forschen. Vergesst aber nicht: Wenn ihr die Bewohner der Galaxis retten wollt, braucht ihr die besten Ärzte, die modernste Technik und immer eine volle 5-Sterne-Bewertung von den überlebenden Patienten.

    Galacticare zur Wunschliste hinzufügen

    Website: LINK