We aspire to create a future of gaming in a world that we want to play in. Earth Day is just around the corner, and it provides all of us with a special opportunity to reflect on how we can improve our impact on the planet. To celebrate this year, we’ve created an Xbox controller that features recovered plastics with one-third of it made from regrind and reclaimed materials.
Mixing post-consumer recycled resins with regrind consisting of previously molded colored parts creates custom, earth-tone colors with subtle variations, swirling, markings, and texturing – giving each Remix Special Edition controller its own look and feel.
Regrind is the process of mechanically recycling leftover Xbox One generation controller parts into a raw material that can be used to partially create new controllers – while maintaining durability and performance. Post-consumer recycled resins are incorporated from reclaimed materials like automotive headlight covers, plastic water jugs, and CDs.
By incorporating these regrind materials, post-consumer recycled resins, and including the Xbox Rechargeable Battery Pack – Xbox is exploring ways to use less new plastic and reduce waste. Our goal is to bring fans along with us on our journey towards greater sustainability across the Xbox product portfolio. Visit the new Xbox Sustainability Hub to learn more about our commitments and explore a collection of controllers that use less new plastics.
We drew inspiration from natural landscapes and the physical world around us when designing the Remix Special Edition controller. The various earth-tone colors create a patchwork effect , featuring bright pops of color that create a vibrant yet serene vibe. The bright green Xbox button, D-pad, and front case color are inspired by lichen found in the Pacific Northwest Forest. The bumpers, triggers, and side grip areas feature a topographic texture pattern, a nod to the earth’s dynamic landscape, while maintaining the tactility that our customers like.
The included Xbox Rechargeable Battery Pack lets you play without using disposable batteries. Recharge while you play or afterwards with a full charge for up to 4 hours, and up to 30 hours of battery life per charge. The bottom of the controller sports a 3.5mm stereo headset jack which can be used to plug in any compatible headset. Chat with your friends online or share some of your best gaming highlights, captured using the dedicated share button. Make the controller your own by customizing button mapping with the Xbox Accessories app for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10/11. Feel free to take your controller beyond the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, with Bluetooth technology that allows for wireless gaming on your PC and mobile devices.
The Xbox Wireless Controller – Remix Special Edition is available for preorder worldwide for $84.99 USD MSRP, and will be released on April 18. Check your local retailer for product availability in your region. For more product details, visit Xbox.com.
Protect humanity, defeat Piglins, confront the supernatural, and take to the ice – all coming soon and playable from the comfort of your gaming setups! (And if you want to stay comfy in your gaming chair, just use the Game Pass mobile app to pre-install the games to your console or PC). Let’s get to the games!
Available Today
Loop Hero (Console and PC) The Lich has thrown the world into a timeless loop and plunged its inhabitants into never ending chaos. Wield an expanding deck of mystical cards to place enemies, buildings, and terrain along each unique expedition loop for the brave hero.
Coming Soon
Iron Brigade (Cloud and Console) – April 6 Join The Mobile Trench Brigade and protect humanity from the evil Monovision menace in this Tower Defense Shooter from Tim Schafer’s Double Fine Productions. Use a combination of mobile firepower and stationary defenses to turn the tide of war in our favor.
Ghostwire: Tokyo (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 12 Tokyo is overrun by deadly supernatural forces as a dangerous occultist causes the city’s population to vanish in an instant. Join forces with a powerful spectral entity on their quest for vengeance and master a powerful arsenal of abilities to unravel the dark truth behind the disappearance as you face the unknown in Ghostwire: Tokyo on April 12, including the new Spider’s Thread update.
NHL 23 (Console) EA Play – April 13 Game Pass Ultimate members can experience breakthrough hockey on April 13 in EA Sports NHL 23 via EA Play. It’s time to grab your friends, hit the ice, and make history. Experience the most connected Chel yet with the addition of women’s players in Ultimate Team and cross-platform matchmaking.
Minecraft Legends (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 18 Available on day one with Game Pass: The piglins are threatening to consume the Overworld. Are you the hero this gentle land needs? Explore lush biomes to make alliances with new friends and familiar mobs, then face the piglins in epic battles. But be warned – they always fight back.
In Case You Missed It
Goat Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available now Making a return to the Game Pass library, Goat Simulator is all about causing as much destruction as you possibly can as a goat. Destroy things with style, such as doing a backflip while headbutting a bucket through a window, and you’ll earn even more points!
DLC / Game Updates
EA Sports PGA Tour Early Access Trial with EA Play – Available now Game Pass Ultimate and EA Play members can now enjoy a VIP experience with EA Sports PGA Tour, featuring Pure Strike gameplay and ShotLink powered by CDW. Members can access a 10-hour early trial before the game’s launch, recurring in-game rewards, and a 10% discount on EA digital content. EA Sports PGA Tour is the only place to experience the world’s most exclusive golf courses and exclusive home to the Majors, such as the Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open Championship.
Jurassic World Evolution 2: Feathered Species Pack – Available now Game Pass members can save up to 10%! Expand your Jurassic World with the incredible Jurassic World Evolution 2: Feathered Species Pack. Featuring three land-dwelling dinosaurs and one flying reptile, these four new eye-catching prehistoric species all exhibit magnificent plumage, ranging from dense coverings to fine coats.
Everspace 2 – Full Release (PC) – April 6 Step into the pilot seat in this fast-paced single-player space shooter where brutal challenges stand between you and epic loot. Embark on a sci-fi adventure where massive, handcrafted areas are packed with secrets, puzzles, and perils! Level up, craft, and loot better gear to survive on the edge of space.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
2 Months of Peacock Premium Plus – Available now Ultimate members can now claim their first two months of Peacock Premium Plus! Stream new movies from theaters, hit shows, buzzworthy originals, live sports, news, and more on Peacock. Offer valid for US members only. Terms and conditions apply.
Xbox Game Pass Quests
Save the day, save the world! April Game Pass Quests give you lots of opportunities to earn points by being the hero in this month’s theme. There are also a few Quests to celebrate Earth Day and the achievement Quest is now daily. Redeem your completed Quests for points on your console in the Game Pass section, PC, or on the Xbox Game Pass mobile app.
For Honor: Marching Fire Edition (250 points – Ultimate only): Get 3 Honorable Kill Count or 3 Kill Count
Marvel’s Avengers (5 points): Play
Earn an Achievement in any Game Pass Game (50 points)
Leaving April 15
The following games are leaving the library soon, so be sure to show them some love before they go! Remember to use your membership discount to save up to 20% if you would like to keep them in your library.
Life is Strange: True Colors (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Moonglow Bay (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Panzer Corps II (PC)
Rainbow Six Extraction (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Long Dark (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Riftbreaker (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Keep tuned here for more games coming, or @XboxGamePassPC and @XboxGamePass for updates when you can play them right now! See you back here soon!
Recently, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to spend some three hours with the upcoming Star Wars Jedi: Survivor — the much-anticipated sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order — before its upcoming release date of April 28, 2023, for Xbox Series X|S.
Now, while I enjoyed the first game immensely, it was not without its faults. Its map design could be confusing (with no fast travel), combat difficulty felt inconsistent, and the reward factor for going off the beaten path would very often reward you with… a different colored poncho (yay?). These aren’t just my opinions – the developers at Respawn clearly felt the same, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Director Stig Asmussen spoke incredibly candidly to me about some of those very same shortcomings. As it turns out, many of the things fans like myself were looking for, and some of those criticisms, were aspects Respawn admits should have been there from the start. This time around, the developers are aiming improve on every single one.
“When you’re making a game, you really don’t know exactly what it is until it goes out into the wild,” explains Asmussen. “You can do as much focus testing as you want, but once millions of people are playing, it becomes a different story. It validates a lot of the things you thought, but it also confirms things and wondering that this was something we could brush up — one of those things was fast travel.”
Stig explained to me that the team had initially fought against features like this, wanting to stay true (to a fault) to the “Metroidvania” gameplay design it aimed for – seeing you return to previously explored areas, unlock new paths with new abilities, and make progress across multiple areas rather than follow a single path through the game. The challenge was that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order just wasn’t really designed around fast travel or built to have that type of feature in-place. But once the fan feedback came in, and once Respawn began to scope its sequel, a fast travel mechanic was part of those discussions on day one. You’ll be happy to know that moving through Jedi: Survivor’s levels feels far more intuitive, and rewarding as a result.
“You can do as much focus testing as you want, but once millions of people are playing, it becomes a different story.”
Another of the cornerstones from the original game that the team is expanding upon heavily is what the definition of a “hub world” is. In the first game, it was confined to the starship Mantis. You could talk to the crew, look at some of your collection, interact with some objects, but that was about it. Which is fine – it fit nicely within the narrower narrative scope of the original. But these hub worlds have now been given a significant expansion, as befits a much wider storyline.
In the portion of the game I played, Cal has taken up residence in Rambler’s Ranch, a small town located on the planet Koboh. Despite having to carry the weight as one of the last surviving Jedi, he also taken it upon himself to help the locals by improving their town piece by piece. This starts to give the upcoming game a veneer of a space western, building upon narratives that we’ve seen in Star Wars television shows like “The Book of Boba Fett” — Cal has, essentially, become a small-town sheriff who aims to clean up this small town and rid the area of those dang bandits. Drop that on top of the rich Star Wars universe and you’ve got something that just feels much more tangible and immersive to play around in. Oh, and you can also collect seeds, set a plot, and grow a garden in the middle of town (not kidding) — this now feels more like living Cal’s life than reliving a single story within it.
One of the highlights of the first game was the small cast of characters who joined Cal, and Rambler’s Ranch offers even more of that feeling – this town is full of locals who add color to the game world. There’s Mosey Cimmaron, who runs the town stables; Ashe Javi & DD-EC, a pair of DJs who play music at the local Cantina; MXNK-6, a fast-talking and humorous droid bartender; and Dom Dendra, the de facto mayor of Rambler’s Ranch who can sell you cosmetics.
On that note, this was another major area the team invested resources in to build upon what, unintentionally, did feel like a bit of an afterthought in the first game: while it was fun to collect various colors and parts for your own personal lightsaber, other areas of customization were lacking.
“Really, [customization] was kind of an afterthought in the first game, and it came in really late in development,” says Asmussun. “The first time we got the whole game together, we were playing it… but I’m not really getting rewarded. There were skins for BD-1, skins for the Mantis, but those were just skins. And I think people saw through that. But the one that we talked about, that I think we got right, was lightsaber customization. And people kind of responded to that. So that’s what we’re going to do — we gave all the customization features ‘the lightsaber treatment.’”
This is extremely evident in our time with the game, being able to not just swap colors but swap parts on BD-1, or to fully customize Cal’s facial features and hair, and a variety of unique-looking costumes. Practically everything has been given new options to make your take on Cal’s adventure feel personal. Of course, the lightsaber customization remains, which continues to look like a Star Wars fan’s dream to tinker with endlessly by swapping parts in and out as the mood suits.
“We gave all the customization features ‘the lightsaber treatment.’”
Finding your way through this world has also been improved, another area that Asmussun admits was a pain point in the original game. Thanks to valuable feedback from players, the redesigned map was added very early on in the iteration process to deliver something closer to what players wanted. While you shouldn’t expect this to be an open world – these are still crafter levels with choices and exploration built in – getting around them should be far smoother and more open to interpretation.
“There’s huge improvements in terms of clarity and of being able to add markers,” explains Asmussun. “BD-1 has binoculars now as well that allows you to scan the environment and drop beacon points. There’s just a lot more legibility in general regarding where you need to go next. Lots of lessons learned here and areas we wanted to improve upon.”
But amid all these improvements, Respawn also acknowledged the strengths of the first game. They were not going to break them or remake them; they were going to make them better and refine them. One of those pillars is Fallen Order’s excellent combat system, which offered an unexpectedly Soulslike spin on lightsaber combat and Force abilities. This returns, but with several new ideas grafted on to help build it out.
“One of the things we were not able to complete for the first game was Dual Wield,” explains Asmussen. “We had that as a late-game pick-up in Jedi: Fallen Order, and that was something that we wanted to have as a full stance, but we just kind of ran out of time, so it became this special instead. But there was a lot there. It was probably ready to roll within the first six weeks of working on Jedi Survivor.”
Cal appears to have lost none of his talents from the original adventure and in fact has a much clearer grasp on his Force and lightsaber abilities.
What becomes immediately clear as a fan of the original, is just how fluid the combat now feels. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s improved, other than everything feels significantly more responsive. Part of that, I imagine, is tied to the story — when we meet Cal in the upcoming game, it’s been some five years since the previous adventure, giving him plenty of time to brush up on his skillset. Also, there doesn’t appear to be any forced moments where you must unlearn what you have learned – Cal appears to have lost none of his talents from the original adventure and in fact has a much clearer grasp on his Force and lightsaber abilities. But that’s not to suggest there aren’t fresh combat tricks for players to learn. New this time will be the five “stances” that each have their own strengths to utilize to counteract with the variety of enemy types in the game.
These are Single, which is your standard lightsaber stance, a balance for offense and defense; Double-bladed, which is great to use for crowd control; Dual Wield, where Cal’s lightsaber splits into two, which is ideal for more aggressive playstyle; Crossguard, which is a powerful, deliberate stance that has Cal dealing massive damage (at the cost of long wind-up times); and Blaster, which has Cal dealing with long-range foes with… well… a blaster.
“It’s easily the biggest improvement [to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor], in that you can now carry five stances and they each have a unique personality,” details Asmussen. “There’s a kind of synergy that we have the way that we’re constructing the enemies in the game that some stances might be able to reveal exploits faster against some enemies than another one. But to be clear, you can take down any enemy with any stance.”
The challenge for Respawn is finding ways to balance what is essentially a “one-hit-kill” weapon like a lightsaber and continue to make it feel fun, especially now that Cal is so well-versed in both his growing abilities as a Jedi and as a master wielder of the weapon of a more civilized age.
“Oh, there’s also dismemberment in this game,” Asmussen underscores with a bit of a smile.
“We introduce a variety of different ways that enemies can block a lightsaber, and something we work with Lucasfilm on is what kind of technology can we bring to the combatants who are basically loaded up to take on a Jedi,” explains Asmussen. “What kind of Star Wars tech can we give to them? Whether it’s shields or electrified devices that can block a lightsaber. A lot of the enemies are one hit kills; you just need to find the opening. Most of them aren’t though.
“That’s always the challenge. How can we provide contextually the tools that can block a lightsaber but also weave into the narrative that these things have a reason to exist. It’s something we’re always trying to make sure we’re underscoring. Oh, there’s also dismemberment in this game,” Asmussen underscores with a bit of a smile. “Fans have been asking for that and we got the green light from Lucasfilm.”
There have also been several adjustments to really make you feel powerful. Force Push and Pull are still tied naturally to the controller’s Right and Left triggers respectively from the start, allowing you jump in right away and play with a myriad of new combat features that weave together powerful Force powers and cinematic-like lightsaber combat. Think of it as a combat sandbox: If you think you can Force Pull a Stormtrooper, hold him in the air while you ram your lightsaber through him, or parry blaster fire back on a variety of enemies while dashing back and forth, or manipulate them to attack their own colleagues… you can.
Presenting this in action during our event, one member from the team’s combat team took the controller and showcased the level of hurt one can unleash on enemies in the game once you become in tune with all of Cal’s abilities. We watched as he moved through each of the five stances, demonstrating the various ways in which you can approach and cut down enemies with the saber, or by using some end-level Force powers where you can group enemies together, slow down time, and charge your pistol to unleash a barrage of blaster fire.
Everything we’ve seen so far promises a bigger, better, more customizable adventure with Cal Kestis and BD-1
Everything we’ve seen so far promises a bigger, better, more customizable adventure with Cal Kestis and BD-1: responsive combat, engaging characters, and an ancient mystery that is just waiting to be solved. We can’t reveal too much more about the latter, as that would be delving into some spoiler territory, but we did get enough of a tease that once these credits roll, our mouths are going to be on the floor.
Thankfully we don’t have long to wait to dive in, as Star Wars Jedi: Survivoris launching in just a few short weeks from now on April 28, 2023, for Xbox Series X|S. If you’ve yet to experience the original game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, it’s available to play now for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S with Xbox Game Pass.
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!
Great New Games Spotlight has officially kicked off and we’re excited to bring you a ton of games every week for the next six weeks — more than 100+ new games will launch on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One between February 28 and April 10 – and if you spend $50 on eligible games and movies, you can receive 2,500 Microsoft Rewards points! Get more details here.
You are the Custodian of the Chimera, a living experiment created as a last resort to save life on Earth. Enter a tactical battle for the planet’s most coveted resource and the key to your Chimera’s evolution: pure Genetic Material. Meet Your Maker is a post-apocalyptic first-person building-and-raiding game where every level is designed by players. Switch between roles as you mastermind devious maze-like Outposts filled with traps and guards, then gear up for methodical fast-paced combat raiding other players’ creations.
Embark on an epic, hand-animated, “ratoidvania” adventure, where your crew has been turned into rats by a pirate witch. Explore a rich, non-linear world, enjoy fun action platforming, face challenging bosses, and unlock unique abilities either by yourself or in local co-op.
A fast-paced 2D platformer with a focus on precision and fluidity, where you´re in control of a cute little Orange in a journey in an abstract world. Master jump, wall-jumping, wall-sliding, dashing and more as you leap from level to level, moving along, up and down the screen to put in your best possible performance in 75 challenging stages.
Immerse yourself in a thrilling and exciting adventure. Children have been missing for a long time in Lakewitch, and you’re destined to solve this creepy mystery. Who is the kidnapper? Where are the children disappearing to? How do you save them? Solve the puzzles and find the answers.
Play as Ludovik, a Seeker, sent to investigate a murder case in Babylon. When a state of emergency is suddenly declared, Ludovik finds himself in increasingly dangerous territory as he follows the murderer’s trail and unravels the mystery behind the Library’s sudden lockdown. Featuring a world full of vast jungles, abandoned temples, and plentiful cybernetic inhabitants to interact with, The Library of Babel promises both a thrilling adventure full of danger and intrigue, and a thoughtful, atmospheric tale of how we consider infinity.
Embark on this cute but frantic adventure spanning across an incredible world full of danger. Explore seven unique worlds overflowing with beautifully animated graphics and retro game nostalgia. Overcome various perils to save Bumballon’s magical kingdom and rescue the beautiful Princess Moon.
The tee is yours across 30 courses in EA Sports PGA Tour, designed in stunning quality with Frostbite so you can enjoy more of golf’s finer details than ever before. PGA Tour is also the exclusive home of the Majors, including the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open Championship, and The Open Championship. Powered by ShotLink, TrackMan, and Pure Strike, giving you golfer-specific tendencies with unique course dynamics and revolutionized ball behavior for the premier golf gameplay experience. 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. Pre-order the EA Sports PGA Tour Deluxe Edition to start playing on April 4. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with EA Play can enjoy a trial of the game as well starting on April 4.
Dearest Survivors, we’re hot off our five nominations at last night’s BAFTA Awards, and past me writing this is very hopeful we won (*Editor’s note: Vampire Survivors won two BAFTAs, including best game). Regardless, we’re here today with a lot of good news and just a pinch of bad news.
Which would you like first? The bad news? Great!
We regret to inform you that we’re going to turn your 100% complete save file into a regular old save file once more. We know. We’re sorry.
Thankfully, we’re also here with some very good news to ease the pain. Our second DLC is just a couple of weeks away. We hope you enjoyed your journey to aid the Moonspell Clan in the alps of Japan in our first DLC, because we’re about to send you back to school in the upcoming Tides of the Foscari expansion, launching on April 13.
A Quest Through an Enchanted Wood
In Tides of the Foscari, our story takes us to the rolling hills and wooded lands of Western Europe. We were heavily influenced by fairy tales and folklore, which whisper warnings to not step too close to foreboding woods.
The Great Forest is home to all manner of magical beasts, spellcasters, demi-humans, spirits, demons, angels, and the kinds of things you might not want to meet when your lantern flickers out. Here, the barrier between worlds is perilously thin, but there are those who traverse the woods to reach what lies at its center: The Foscari Academy.
You wouldn’t think that parents of the world’s elite would be eager to send their progeny into danger just to get an education, but The Foscari Academy is no mere school. Here, the next generation of warriors, scholars, and leaders learn what it takes to be masters of their crafts.
The Academy’s enormous facade tells a tale of generations, with each era putting its own mark on the sprawling building. The different architectural styles of the ages, taking influence from cultures across the world has created a hodgepodge that is curious and unique, but also a bit disconcerting to the senses.
The Academy, like many traditional schools of Western Europe, is divided into houses. The Azure Tower molds hedge witches and novice mages into formidable sorcerers and warlocks. Here, those skilled in the arcane, along with non-magical folk, can learn natural sciences and the art of diplomacy. The Azure Tower touts the world’s most powerful witches and wizards and its most skilled healers and academics as its alumni.
The Crimson Anvil turns brute strength into finely tuned masters of warfare. But even those who don’t have the might (or the intestinal fortitude) for battle have much to learn here. Engineering, architecture, demolition, and blacksmithing are all the purview of the Crimson Anvil.
And finally, the Amber Sickle, is the house of the quiet professions. These noble pursuits include accounting and agriculture, animal husbandry and archery. But if you pay close enough attention, you may catch a glimpse of a student practicing spycraft in training for a career in espionage. There is little fame for students of the Amber Sickle, but their work is felt worldwide, nonetheless.
There’s so much more to Tides of the Foscari, and some of you don’t have to wait to play it. We’ve sneakily set up our machines at WASD in London this weekend with the new DLC. In fact, some of you may have played it yesterday without even realizing it. We did warn you that we’re rascals!
If you are coming to the event, be sure to swing by to try your hand at the expansion, take one of the new characters for a spin, and start planning your builds for later this month.
And if you can’t join us at WASD, know that Death is limbering up to meet you at the 30-minute mark. Thankfully, at The Foscari Academy, you’ll learn a few new tricks to help beat back the monsters. The DLC includes:
8 new and characters
13 new weapons
1 stage
7 music tracks
20 new achievements to re-earn your 100% save
Less Than The Cost of An Ivy League Education
Going to university is expensive, but here at Poncle, we’re giving you a scholarship. Tides of the Foscari is a mere $1.99 (see below for equivalent pricing in your region). The base Vampire Survivors game is still available on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and you can pick up both Tides of the Foscari and our first DLC, Legacy of the Moonspell, for a song.
Get ready, Survivors. You’ve got a couple of weeks left to hold your 100% game save close until we add more achievements to the pile. We’ll see you on April 13!
Vampire Survivors
Poncle
☆☆☆☆☆306
★★★★★
$4.99$3.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Vampire Survivors is a time survival game with minimalistic gameplay and roguelite elements. There’s no place where to hide, all you can do is try to survive a cursed night and get as much gold as possible for the next survivor, before Death inevitably puts an end to your struggles.
Grab your favourite pair of wool socks, Survivors – it’s time to explore the wild reaches of the Far Territory!
Today, Hinterland is excited to launch the new Tales From the Far Territory Survival Mode Expansion Pass on Xbox, featuring the first paid content for its popular survival game The Long Dark. This update includes two incredible content drops – Part One: Forsaken Airfield and Part Two: Signal Void.
Adventures in the Far Territory begin with Part One: Forsaken Airfield. Explore a brand-new Airfield region featuring a vast, frigid plain, an airport with hangars and a Control Tower, and new mysteries waiting to be explored. Watch out for Glimmer Fog and the new Insomnia Affliction, search for new Rifle Variants, and experience stunning new Survival music by Sascha Dikiciyan, composer of award-winning music for games including The Long Dark, The Division 2, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Mass Effect, and many more.
Part Two: Signal Void introduces the first “Tale”, offering Survival Mode players new objectives to follow while weaving in compelling narrative elements. Explore the Tale with new Transponder gameplay and use the Handheld Shortwave to pick up mysterious signals, leading to hidden caches, crash sites, and more. Signal Void also introduces three new clothing items – a Hockey Jersey, a leather Flight Jacket, and a matching Aviator Hat. You’ll find them scattered around Great Bear as you explore locations and search containers. Be alert, Survivors… you might even discover a few surprise items that can only be found using the Handheld Shortwave.
Tales From the Far Territory will continue to receive multiple updates over the span of the 12-month campaign, including new Regions, new Gameplay, all-new objective-based Tales, and more. Plus, each Part will also contain free updates for anyone who already owns Survival Edition.
For a sneak peek at your next survival adventure, check out the trailer for Tales from the Far Territory at the top of this post.
To start your journey into the Far Territory, and access great new content, visit the Xbox Storetoday!
The Long Dark
Hinterland Studio Inc
☆☆☆☆☆2
★★★★★
PC Game Pass
The Long Dark is a thoughtful, exploration-survival experience that challenges solo players to think for themselves as they explore an expansive frozen wilderness. Monitor your Condition, search for life-saving supplies, and master survival skills like fire-building, maintaining your gear, hunting, fishing, and landmark-based navigation. There are no zombies — only you, the cold, and everything Mother Nature can throw at you.
Expand your park with beautifully feathered dinosaurs and reptiles
Read our deep dive into four awe-inspiring new prehistoric species
Pack launches March 30 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
The park of your dreams is about to get even bigger and more diverse with the Jurassic World Evolution 2: Feathered Species Pack. Containing four incredible feathered species in total, you’ll bring a whole new dimension to your park by showcasing these stunning dinosaurs and reptiles, from nimble flying species to land-roaming meat-eaters. Let’s dive deeper into the Feathered Species Pack.
We’re paying tribute to a mix of species that rank as firm favorites, both amongst the community and with everyone here at Frontier Developments. The Yutyrannus and Deinocheirus were especially high in all of the wish lists that our amazing Community Team put together for us to review, whilst the smaller Jeholpterus and Sinosauropteryx resonated really well with our concept, character and animation teams.
In the Jurassic World Dominion blockbuster film, we finally got to see feathered species brought dramatically to life. I wanted our next dinosaur-focused pack to champion species like this. Science is continually evolving our knowledge of extinct lifeforms, and over the last few decades, we’ve learned a tremendous amount about what they could have looked like. This means we’re ensuring every species in the Jurassic World Evolution franchise is as authentic as possible, and it’s great to use this knowledge in order to bring four more exciting and beautiful species to players in this pack.
The pack is a great mix of sizes and types, going from a large ornithomimosaurid and a medium theropod to some of our smallest species yet with the Sinosauropteryx and Jehelopterus. No matter your preferences, the sheer diversity of the species in this pack means there’s something for everyone.
Yutyrannus, The ‘Feathered Tyrant’
Meet the Yutyrannus, one of the largest known feathered dinosaurs to eat meat. The Yutyrannus is covered in a light yet dense coat to provide insulation when the temperature drops, which keeps it warm in colder conditions. I’m especially thrilled with how this looks in the game – try getting a close-up shot using the in-game camera! The name Yutyrannus translates as ‘feathered tyrant’, and it has truly earned that name, being the most fearsome inclusion in this pack.
Jeholopterus, rare and airborne
Next, my personal favourite, the Jeholopterus. Palaeontologists have found only one specimen of this incredibly rare reptile so far, but as luck would have it, it was incredibly well preserved, giving us a fascinating insight into its looks and behavior. As the smallest airborne species in the entire game, the Jeholopterus is an impressively quick and nimble pterosaur, able to dart through the air with beguiling ease and agility. I love its look, sort of a cross between a bat, a bird, and a flying squirrel.
Deinocheirus, omnivore with the hump
Then there’s the Deinocheirus, a highly requested community favorite. One look at this distinctive plant-forager and you can see why. With its duck-like bill and broad hump on its back, this is one of the largest ornithomimosaurs ever discovered, with arms longer than those of any bipedal dinosaur. This is also our first omnivore to eat from both paleobotany trees and from fish feeders, giving you multiple ways to ensure its dietary needs are met.
Sinosauropteryx, pocket-sized but powerful
Onto the Sinosauropteryx, a species at the opposite end of the spectrum to the Deinocheirus and the smallest in our pack. It’s a diminutive, meat-eating dinosaur covered with delicate, hair-like feathers and waving a striped tail. Working together to hunt in groups means the Sinosauropteryx is able to overcome any size disadvantages, making it a formidable species in spite of its stature. It’s also a landmark in the field of feathered dinosaur research. Its fossilized remains were the first to suggest the existence of feathered dinosaurs, and hinted towards their potential for coloration.
By continually researching and comparing how equivalent sized modern day birds look and move with their feathers, we’re able to refine our art processes and pipelines to ensure that our species look as realistic as possible. I’m immensely proud of how we’ve managed to capture these four amazing prehistoric species, and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on them.
It’s been really exciting to bring such unique species to life, and expand on the astounding amount of dinosaurs and reptiles that are currently in the game. Use them to evolve your park even further when the Jurassic World Evolution 2: Feathered Species Pack launches for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on 30 March.
Jurassic World Evolution 2: Feathered Species Pack
Frontier Developments
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
Expand your Jurassic World with the incredible Jurassic World Evolution 2: Feathered Species Pack. Featuring three land-dwelling dinosaurs and one flying reptile, these four new eye-catching prehistoric species all exhibit magnificent plumage, ranging from dense coverings to fine coats. Evolve your park like never before and give your guests an experience they won’t forget with these captivating feathered additions. This pack features: · Yutyrannus has a name that translates as ‘feathered tyrant’ due to it being one of the largest known feathered dinosaurs to eat meat. It has a striking nasal crest used for display purposes, and a light yet dense coat to provide insulation when the temperature drops. · Jeholopterus is an impressively quick and nimble flying reptile, and the smallest airborne species in the entire game. Palaeontologists have found only one specimen to date, but it ranks among the best preserved of any pterosaur, giving us a fascinating insight into its looks and behaviour. · Deinocheirus is one of the largest ornithomimosaurs ever discovered, with arms longer than those of any bipedal dinosaur. This distinctive prehistoric species, with its duck-like bill and broad hump on its back, cuts an intimidating figure, despite foraging exclusively on plants. · Sinosauropteryx, a small, meat-eating dinosaur covered with delicate, hair-like feathers and waving a striped tail. Sinosauropteryx works together to hunt in packs. It was discovered in 1996, and its ancient remains were the first to not only suggest the existence of feathered dinosaurs, but hint at their potential to have colouration.
Infinite Guitars is out today! Pick it up for Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, plus it’s included with Game Pass.
Developed by Nikko Nikko, Infinite Guitars is an anime-inspired rhythm role-playing game with a blazing original soundtrack.
Gather up a party, tune up your electric guitars, and get ready to battle the metal war machines!
In a world devastated by a war against colossal, monstrous Mechs, a scavenger named JJ searches through the scrap to survive. But humanity’s grim future looks even grimmer when the war machines start powering back up – and only JJ’s electric guitar can turn their technology against them in Infinite Guitars, out today on Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, plus it’s included with Game Pass!
Crafted by indie developer Nikko Nikko, Infinite Guitars is a creative fusion of founder Nikko Ronsayo and his collaborators’ passions – making music, playing guitar, getting lost in great RPGs, and animating rad anime-inspired fight sequences. Infinite Guitars grinds up these elements into a genre-melting game with personality, heart, and bombastic indie spirit.
Rhythm is everywhere in the world of Infinite Guitars. In battles, you strum, smash, and hold notes to try to achieve 100% perfect sync and max out your damage. (And hey, sometimes just smacking Mechs with your guitar real hard does the trick.) The Mechs are merciless, assaulting you even as you explore the overworld, so you’ll need to time dodges as you traverse the planet or to sneak in to trigger an over-the-top boss fight.
Luckily JJ doesn’t have to handle all of this solo. While JJ grew up a loner (and intended to scour the wasteland that way), JJ soon assembles a party of guitar heroes – fellow wastelanders with their own strengths and distinctive abilities – to help save the world. Together they can perform duets, amp up each other’s skills, and take their Mech-crushing skills to new levels.
Gold-hearted Sam spent childhood as a thief, but her compassion still shines through – now her scrap-crafted arms give new meaning to the term power chord. Kaylee once took down a Colossal-Type Mech solo as a kid, and ever since people have been singing her praises (but only Kaylee knows the real truth behind this rock legend). And reliable Ru carries the weight of the wasteland on her shoulders – but even the most rock-solid foundation can crack under a mountain of mechanized metal.
All of this metal-crushing rhythmic role-playing is set to the tune of a 100% original soundtrack that’ll have you amped up for more Mech-fighting, composed and performed by Nikko and a diverse crew of guest musicians.
So crank up the volume, and get ready for the ultimate showdown against the War Mechs in Infinite Guitars!
Infinite Guitars
Humble Games
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
„In a world shredded by the devastating war against the Mechs, the remnants of humanity scavenge and fight to survive. Now, the metal war machines have reawakened—and only your electric guitar can turn their technology against them! Gather up the party, tune up your favorite axe, and get ready to rock in Infinite Guitars, a genre-melting rhythm RPG featuring vibrant anime-inspired art, adrenaline-fueled Mech battles, and a blazing original soundtrack. Role-playing rhythm
Amp up your skills and test your reflexes in rock duels that mix elements of turn-based role-playing, action, and rhythm games. Electrifying anime-inspired adventure
Explore a stylish sci-fi world filled with Colossal-Type Mechs, guitar-wielding heroes, and over-the-top attacks. Guitar-driven team battles
Perform metal-crushing solos and devastating duets as JJ, Sam, Kaylee, and Ru—a scrappy team of wastelanders with their own strengths and abilities. Rage against the Mechs
Unleash the full force of your skills in epic boss battles that fuse electrifying anime-inspired action and hyperkinetic rock. Explosive 100% original soundtrack
Crank up the volume to steel-shattering levels for the ultimate showdown against the War Mechs!“
Fight fires, explore an alien world, go on an adventure of a lifetime, or relive history – this weekend’s Free Play Days offers a unique collection of titles to try! Embr, Journey to the Savage Planet: Employee of the Month Edition, Indivisible, and Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition are available this weekend for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play from Thursday, March 30 at 12:01 a.m. PDT until Sunday, April 2 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
Embr
Journey to the Savage Planet: Employee of the Month Edition
Indivisible
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
Embr
Fight fires for fun and profit in this unpredictable and frantic multiplayer game. Team up with friends, take on daily challenges, and climb to the top of the corporate firefighting ladder. There’s more than one way to become a hero!
Journey to the Savage Planet: Employee of the Month Edition
Journey to the Savage Planet is an upbeat action-packed first-person adventure and exploration game set on a vibrant and dangerous alien world. As an employee of Kindred Aerospace, the 4th best interstellar exploration company, your goal is to map and explore your new home planet and catalog its wildlife. Unfortunately, Kindred is big on goals and short on resources. You’ll need to survive long enough to gather the fuel needed to get home and uncover the mystery of AR-Y 26.
Indivisible
Play as the fearless and headstrong Ajna as she begins the adventure of a lifetime and discovers her own hidden cosmic powers. Indivisible features a cast of colorful characters, full voice acting, hand drawn animation, and a unique turn-based combat system. Ajna’s story is an epic adventure that ranges from the tiny village of Ashwat to cities across the world and finally to the unfathomable reaches of the cosmos. It’s an adventure that is not to be missed!
Age of Empires II: Definitve Edition
For years, we’ve battled armies and conquered history. Now it’s time for the next evolution. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is now available across Xbox platforms. Enjoy a new way to play one of the most beloved strategy games on console including optimizations for playing with a controller and new tutorials to get you into the fun quickly.
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.
Pre-order from participating retailers worldwide for $559 USD starting today.
Diablo IV for Xbox Series X|S & Xbox One, and the Light-Bearer Mount with Caparison of Faith Mount Armor for Diablo IV are included in the Xbox Series X – Diablo IV Bundle.
Blizzard just wrapped up two beta weekends with Diablo IV, and excitement is high as the game nears worldwide launch on June 6th. If you’re one of those players who can’t wait to get your hands on the full game, we’re excited to announce the Xbox Series X – Diablo IV Bundle. This bundle includes an Xbox Series X and wireless controller, Diablo IV for Xbox Series X|S & Xbox One, and the Light-Bearer Mount with Caparison of Faith Mount Armor for Diablo IV. Starting today, you can pre order the Xbox Series X – Diablo IV Bundle for $559 USD (estimated retail price), and the bundle will launch worldwide with Diablo IV on June 6.
Included in the Xbox Series X – Diablo IV bundle
Diablo IV: Experience the ultimate next-gen action RPG with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or go rogue through an expansive End Game and shared world where players will meet in towns to trade, team up to battle World Bosses, or descend into PvP zones to test their skills against other players.
In-game item: Light-Bearer Mount with Caparison of Faith Mount Armor for Diablo IV is included with the bundle and will be available when you unlock mounts in-game. This item requires a Battle.net account.
Bonus in-game items: For fans who love other games from Blizzard, the bundle also includes Inarius Wings & Inarius Murloc Pet for Diablo III for console and PC, Amalgam of Rage Mount for World of Warcraft on PC, Umber Winged Darkness Cosmetics Set for Diablo Immortal on mobile. These games are sold separately from the Diablo IV bundle and require a Battle.net account.
Power your battles with the fastest, most powerful Xbox ever
Xbox Series X is powered by the Xbox Velocity Architecture including a custom 1TB SDD, so you can spend more time slaying ceaseless demons and less time waiting. Lightning fast load times mean your console is ready for battle when you are. And, with Diablo IV running at 60 frames per second in 4K, you can forge your path through the corrupt lands of Sanctuary with sharper characters, brighter worlds, and buttery smooth gameplay. When all hell breaks loose, be ready to retake besieged towns and delve into nightmarish dungeons with 12 teraflops of raw graphic processing power in your arsenal.
Join the endless battle between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells, and fight for the fate of Sanctuary on the fastest, most powerful Xbox ever. Pre-order the Xbox Series X – Diablo IV Bundle from Microsoft Store and participating retailers worldwide today.
Explore space or the world of Peaky Blinders this April with Games with Gold! On Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, start the month off by managing the perfect space home in Out of Space: Couch Edition, and then midmonth roam through a puzzle-adventure game based on the hit show in Peaky Blinders: Mastermind.
Xbox Live Gold members will have exclusive access to these games for a limited time as part of Games with Gold. So will Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members, who receive all the fantastic benefits of Gold plus access to hundreds of high-quality games with Xbox Game Pass.
Out of Space: Couch Edition
There is no place like home, especially when you’re drifting through outer space. The challenge is that a deadly alien infestation has also settled in. It will take all your strategic skills to keep each newly generated spaceship house creating resources and recycling alien goo by automating tasks to help keep it clean and comfy. Play with friends to build a sustainable environment that you can all enjoy together.
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind
A plot is afoot to put the family out of business and it’s up to you to uncover it. Set prior to season one of the hit show, you can control six key members of the Shelby family, each with different strengths and weaknesses. If you need to bribe a cop, use Polly, but if you need to bust down a door or knock a few skulls, take control of Arthur. By using the right person at the right time and leveraging the game’s unique mechanics to move backwards or forwards through time, you can be the mastermind that puts everyone in sync to help unlock the puzzles.
Read more about our Games with Gold program here and stay tuned to Xbox Wire for all the latest news on Xbox. Like we said before, if you’re an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member, you get all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold, hundreds of high-quality games you can play on console, PC, and across devices from the cloud, and access to EA Play at no extra cost. New games are added all the time, so you’re never without something new to try when you’re looking to find your next favorite game. If you’re new, or if you’re an existing Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass for Console member, join or upgrade today.
Out of Space: Couch Edition
Plug In Digital
☆☆☆☆☆22
★★★★★
You and your friends are about to move into a house in space, where you will have to deal with a deadly alien infestation and face the challenges of building a sustainable spaceship, all to make your new place feel as cozy as home! COUCH FUN MEETS STRATEGY
Each match starts in a procedurally generated spaceship house that will demand your best planning and teamwork skills to become clean and comfy. You and your friends will need to generate resources, recycle trash and alien goo, buy and build new technologies, and take care of one another, if you ever want to call home the mess that you got into. As a COUCH-FUN game, Out of Space has short matches and is easy for everyone to grab a controller and play. At the same time also as a STRATEGY game, it will require short and long-term decisions, expanding and conquering new rooms and building technology to automate tasks. FEATURES
– Buy, build and place your new technology, while keeping your systems efficient and sustainable.
– Power up your spaceship by recycling alien goo and producing energy batteries.
– Harvest and take care of your fruitful gardens to keep everyone fed.
– Clean rooms with mops and water, while containing the deadly alien menace.
– Take a nap on your sofa, while your friends desperately claim for help.
– Automate cleaning and harvesting with the help of robots.
– Adopt Dogs, they will love you for it and help you in any way they can! OTHER FUN STUFF
– Procedural spaceship generator: different challenge everytime you play.
– Missions to guide the player’s progression that never leave out what couch-fun is about.
– Unlock new content when completing achievements.
– Play single-player or local multiplayer
– No weapons of any kind. Take your mop and sweep your way out of danger. Are you up for the challenge? Living with roommates was never easy, but now you’ll do it in outer space! THE DEVS
Behold Studios is the studio behind Knights of Pen & Paper, Chroma Squad and Galaxy of Pen & Paper. With a big and strong fan base, we’re developing this game with the help of the community, openly sharing builds, milestones and carefully listening to feedback and improving the overall experience of the game.
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind
Curve Digital
☆☆☆☆☆20
★★★★★
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is a puzzle-adventure game, based on the multi-award-winning BBC and Netflix TV show. Welcome to Birmingham, during the aftermath of the Great War. Set right before the events of Season One, Peaky Blinders: Mastermind lets you join the Shelby family’s criminal gang. Follow the rise of Tommy as he successfully uncovers a sinister plot to put the family out of business, proving himself worthy of being the true mastermind of the Peaky Blinders. Mastermind refers to Tommy’s ability to plan complex scenarios in his head. As the player, you get to exercise this power by taking control of key members of the Shelby family including Tommy, Arthur, Polly and more. Become the Mastermind as you freely reset and rewind each character’s path in order to tune all of their actions for perfect coordination. Achieve the highest mission rating by strategically utilising characters and stealth to solve increasingly complex puzzles with optimum timing.
The official MotoGP videogame with riders and tracks from the 2023 season for the MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3, and MotoE classes.
Unpredictable and immersive: everything can happen with Dynamic Weather and Flag-to-Flag races.
Make crucial decisions and face the toughest rivals to become champion in the renewed career mode.
We are witnessing quite a unique moment in the history of MotoGP with a variety of teams and riders engaged in a championship battle over the past seasons. Last year particularly proved how fast things can change as the season goes by with the incredible comeback by Bagnaia and Ducati.
When we designed MotoGP 23, we wanted our community to experience the same thrills we watch on TV. With this goal in mind, we had to come up with some significant changes from the previous chapters.
One of the aspects that will most amaze the fans of the series – even the most hardcore ones – is the new career mode, designed to let players build their own journey to becoming a two-wheel legend. For the first time, turning points will affect career paths based on the performance achieved and the decisions made by each player. For instance, the results obtained in the debut season – which will include only a handful of races in the final part of a Moto3 championship – will determine whether players can immediately access the Moto2 or even the MotoGP championship, speeding up the progression through classes. However, finding a contract will not be easy, as each team will only have two spots and players will have to compete with the official riders to take their place. Proving to be the best rider on the team will then be crucial during the winter tests, granting the possibility to influence the development of the bike in the way that best suits your riding style. Thus, rivalries will be a key factor in making the career path unique for each player; however, these will not be confined to the track.
Nowadays, social networks are becoming more and more important when it comes to sports, and that’s another aspect we included in the game for the first time. MotoGP 23 will feature a social network where players can interact with riders, teams, and manufacturers. Just like in real life, this will be the place to make friends but also to provoke rivals, as the behavior of the AI during races will be different depending on how players interact on the social network.
Changes in MotoGP 23 go beyond pure design, as two brand-new features will bring the simulation to a whole new level of realism. Strongly requested by the community, Dynamic Weather might quickly turn a dry race into a wet mayhem, leaving space for players’ skills and flair for strategy. Indeed, when a race is declared a Flag-to-Flag race, they will have the opportunity to return to the pit-lane and switch bikes if they think that’s the right choice. We also worked on the AI behavior: now, each rider has a unique personality and riding style, which will be coherent with the real-life one. For instance, dueling with Marc Marquez will be riskier, as he will be more aggressive than the average.
When it comes to gameplay, approachability remains one of the pillars of the game. A new neural aid system for brakes, acceleration, and handling will deliver a modular gaming experience in order to help rookies while also offering an engaging experience to expert players. Newcomers will also benefit from dedicated training sessions in the MotoGP Academy, which was extremely appreciated last year.
MotoGP 23 will also offer more ways to race in multiplayer. For the first time, cross-play will allow challenging other players regardless of the platform and console generation, whereas with Ranked Races players of the same level can compete within the same event and accumulate a score to climb the global rankings. Of course, the 2-player local split-screen is back to have fun with friends side by side on the couch.
Finally, with the helmet, sticker, racing number, and butt patch graphic editors players can show off their style making their journey into MotoGP even more unique.
MotoGP 23 will be available on June 8, 2023, on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. Check out the official website for more information.
Creators and gamers in search of updating their PCs have new options with the lineups Lenovo recently released that aim to deliver performance, versatility and mobility in portable designs.
Lenovo’s PCs come with Windows 11, which introduced a major update at the end of February. One of the biggest additions is a typable Windows search box that brings the new AI-powered Bing front and center. The update also includes improved touch experiences, full screen widgets, quick access to the Windows 365 app and new AI features in Start. Additionally, Windows announced a preview of Phone Link for iOS which is currently available to Windows Insiders and available to all Windows users in the coming months.
The flagship Yoga Pro 9i (available in 16-inch and 14.5-inch screen sizes) comes with up to 13th Gen Intel Core mobile processors, an NVIDIA RTX 4070 graphics solution and an upgraded version of Lenovo X Power. These are hardware and software features that work together to provide a smoother creative experience, such as video editing apps running faster with speedier previews, renderings and exports. This means more time making videos and less time spent waiting for those results. There’s also been significant increases in thermal capacity since the previous generation of the PC, which delivers faster graphic, video or 3D rendering while maintaining a cool and quiet experience. A new mini LED PureSight display is also available for sharper and more realistic visuals and color accuracy. Built with 50% post-consumer recycled plastic in the keyboard and 50% recycled aluminum in the bottom cover, these PCs are shipped in packaging cushion containing 90% recycled plastic.
The 16-inch Yoga Pro 9i (pictured above) will start at $1799.99, while the 14-inch version will start at $1699.99. Both are expected to be available in North America starting in May.
Yoga Slim 7
At just 0.5 inches, Yoga Slim 7 is easy to carry around and work on in tight spaces. A newly designed keyboard and larger touchpad make working more comfortable and efficient, while the latest generation AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors and a higher capacity 70Whr battery help power whatever tasks need tackling. Level up with a Rapid Charge option to recharge for three more hours of use in just 15 minutes. The 14.5-inch up to 3K PureSight OLED display, which includes TÜV Hardware Blue Light Eyesafe Certification, and six speakers with two back-to-back subwoofers make hours-long workstreams, meetings and downtime entertainment easier on the eyes and ears.
The Yoga Slim 7 will start at 1499 € inc. VAT and is expected to be available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa starting in June.
Find out more about the Yoga series and see the press release for more information on these new releases.
For gamers, Lenovo Legion’s newest Slim series laptops can help them achieve gaming goals, as well as work ones. This newest iteration of the series is also the first to include the Lenovo Artificial Intelligence (LA) family of chips, onboard physical AI chips that power Lenovo AI Engine+, dynamically adjusting the Lenovo Legion ColdFront 5.0 thermals to optimize cooling on the fly to maintain maximum output with minimal noise. These laptops are designed to meet the multi-faceted needs of gamers, with an SD slot, rapid charging battery technology, Windows 11 and three free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate*.
Lenovo Legion Slim 7i
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7i is available with up to a 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900H processor, up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (115W) graphics and up to 32GB of 5600MHz DDR5 RAM that bring virtual worlds to crisp, vibrant life on the 16-inch 16:10 Lenovo PureSight gaming display. Those who value speedy response times in their gaming sessions will appreciate up to a WQXGA 240Hz VRR 500nit panel, while creators who require the highest resolutions and color gamut for their workflows will value a 3.2K 165Hz VRR 430nit with 100% DCI-P3 panel and Lenovo PureSight gaming display options. The Legion Slim 7i will start at $1769.99 and is expected to be available in April.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is a new addition to the Legion portfolio. Available with a 16-inch screen as well as an upcoming 14-inch screen with OLED panel to be released later in the year, all Lenovo Legion Slim 5i laptops are available with up to a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700H processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. Legion ColdFront 5.0 keeps gaming sessions cool and quiet while helping to prevent throttling, with its larger hybrid copper heat pipes and fins, phase change thermal compound, increased air intakes and exhaust, as well as a turbocharged 12V dual liquid polymer fan system. An up to 80Wh battery can deliver up to eight hours of battery life and supports Super Rapid Charge so you can be out and about for the day without the charging brick. The 16-inch Legion Slim 5i will start at $1349.99 and is expected to be available in April.
Lenovo also revealed a new lineup of PCs for beginning gamers: the LOQ sub-brand of gaming laptops and towers. The LOQ 15IRH8 laptop has many similarities to its Legion siblings, including Windows 11 pre-installed, three free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and the Lenovo LA AI Chip, which powers Lenovo AI Engine+. Users can configure it with 13th Gen Intel Core processors (available starting in April) or AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPU (available starting in May). Every LOQ gaming laptop supports up to NVDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPUs. It starts at $899.99.
Head over to Lenovo StoryHub to find out more about this and other LOQ PCs.
*Xbox Game Pass Ultimate not available in all regions. Learn more about supported regions at https://www.xbox.com/regions.
Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure is here! Get the all-new expansion in the Forza Horizon 5 Premium Add-ons Bundle, Premium Edition, and Expansions Bundle.
Kick up massive dust trails in the rugged Sierra Nueva and explore six new biomes while driving 10 incredible new cars, including the all-electric 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum.
Xbox Game Pass players can supercharge their Forza Horizon 5 experience with the Premium Add-ons Bundle, discounted to $29.99 USD on the Microsoft Store until April 3.
The Premium Add-ons Bundle includes Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure, Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels, Car Pass, VIP and the Welcome Pack.
Today is an exciting day for all of us here at Playground Games as we bring you Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure. This is our second massive expansion for Forza Horizon 5, and it introduces players to the rugged Sierra Nueva, where you’ll get to drive purpose-built rally monsters in dirt, asphalt and challenging night races across miles of Horizon’s most thrilling routes.
Available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC on Windows and Steam, and Cloud Gaming (Beta), buckle up for a closer look at the driving expeditions that await in Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure.
Rally Around Sierra Nueva
To create a uniquely Horizon rally experience, we designed 38 miles (61km) of the most exciting driving roads ever in Forza Horizon full of unpredictable turns with steep inclines, blind crests and asphalt jumps. Pack some extra tires and keep those brakes handy, as massive sand trails kicked up by the vehicles ahead could stop you in your tracks! These dust plumes are physics-driven and result in the most complex weather effect in a Forza Horizon game.
To fully utilize its incredible roads and terrain, we’ve given Sierra Nueva the largest number of racing events of any Horizon expansion in an exciting new career, where you’ll get to join three rally teams and take on timed point-to-point Horizon Rally stages and traditional Horizon Races. Listen out for navigator callouts as your co-driver follows the action from the dynamic Horizon Rally Helicopter, which includes the dramatic night-time spotlight – essential for those low visibility routes!
Sierra Nueva also introduces several new biomes to explore including the town of Pueblo Artza, a huge Abandoned Quarry perfect for some Gymkhana action, epic deformable Sand Dunes, the tight and twisting Desert Gorge, rolling Green Hills, and an entirely smashable Palm Forest. You’ll even find the remote village of Cráteres Secos nestled into a breathtaking crater.
With its vast topography, rich vegetation, stunning vistas and an ideal mix of asphalt, dirt and rugged deformable sand roads, Sierra Nueva gives you and your friends the perfect playground to experience Horizon Rally in your favorite cars. Go out there and leave your mark in the mud!
Build A Rally Monster
To ensure players can create their ultimate rally monster before venturing out into the wilds of Sierra Nueva, the latest Forza Horizon 5 series update introduces new tuning features for all players. These include all-new rally parts and body kits, adjustable Tire Profile Size on select vehicles to fit massive wheel arches, and an anti-lag system that delivers more power to turbocharged engines while producing spectacular flame effects and fire-cracker audio. It looks and sounds amazing!
We’ve also added launch control as a new driving assist option so everyone can experience those perfect rally starts, which are made even better thanks to our friends at Epitaph Records, who are serving up 15 new punk songs on the airwaves to accompany your hard-rock rally adventures.
If you’re looking for a purpose-built rally monster, Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure features 10 stunning new cars including performance trucks like the all-electric 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum, off-road buggies such as the 1973 Hoonigan Volkswagen Baja Beetle Class 5/1600 ‘Scumbug’ and a rally legend that is the 2001 Ford #4 Ford Focus RS, which is also your starter car in the new rally career.
New cars and cosmetic items are unlocked by completing Reputation Challenges for each of the three rally teams. For more details on how this feature works and an overview of the new car unlocks, check out the Forza.net blog.
Start Your Engines
Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure is included in the Forza Horizon 5 Premium Add-ons Bundle, Premium Edition, and Expansions Bundle. If you have any of those, you’re already set and can start playing now. Just be sure to download both the latest Forza Horizon 5 game update and the Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure expansion from either the Microsoft Store or Steam.
For those of you who do not yet own Forza Horizon 5, all versions of the game are now 40% off the full price on the Microsoft Store and Steam.
Get started on your journey to Sierra Nueva by locating the Rally Adventure icon on the northwest coast of the game map. Once you see the Horizon Badlands drones, you’re in the right place. Complete the expedition and Sierra Nueva will be open for exploration. Players will have access to their full garage and can discover the new map and career in their favorite cars without any class restrictions.
Players who are brand-new to Forza Horizon 5 will unlock Sierra Nueva once they’ve completed the main game’s initial experience, which includes the first 15 minutes of gameplay.
Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition
Xbox Game Studios
☆☆☆☆☆1440
★★★★★
$99.99$59.99
Your Ultimate Horizon Adventure awaits! Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars. The Premium Edition includes the all-new expansion FORZA HORIZON 5 RALLY ADVENTURE coming March 29, Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels, VIP, Car Pass and the Welcome Pack.
Forza Horizon 5 Premium Add-Ons Bundle
Xbox Game Studios
☆☆☆☆☆743
★★★★★
$49.99$29.99
GAME PASS MEMBERS get all the EXTRA CONTENT included with the Premium Edition at one low price! The Forza Horizon 5 Premium Add-Ons Bundle includes the all-new expansion FORZA HORIZON 5 RALLY ADVENTURE coming March 29, Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels, VIP, Car Pass and the Welcome Pack. Upgrade your game to Premium today and you’ll be set to experience FORZA HORIZON 5 RALLY ADVENTURE, a new game expansion that challenges you to drive purpose-built rally monsters to conquer the rugged Sierra Nueva. This add-on requires Forza Horizon 5 (game sold separately).
Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure
Xbox Game Studios
☆☆☆☆☆59
★★★★★
$19.99$17.99
Your FORZA HORIZON 5 RALLY ADVENTURE is here! Drive purpose-built rally monsters and conquer the rugged Sierra Nueva. Join three rally teams and attack Horizon’s most thrilling routes ever in Horizon Rally and Horizon Races. Feel the intensity of massive dust trails and deformable sand roads in 10 new cars and experience the bursting flames of anti-lag. Explore dramatic craters, an abandoned quarry and an entirely smashable palm forest. FORZA HORIZON 5 RALLY ADVENTURE is included with the Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition, Expansions Bundle, and Premium Add-Ons Bundle. This add-on requires Forza Horizon 5 (game sold separately).
Forza Horizon 5 Deluxe Edition
Xbox Game Studios
☆☆☆☆☆3839
★★★★★
$79.99$47.99
INCLUDES CAR PASS Your Ultimate Horizon Adventure awaits! Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars. The Deluxe Edition includes the full game and Car Pass.
Forza Horizon 5 Standard Edition
Xbox Game Studios
☆☆☆☆☆926
★★★★★
$59.99$35.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Your Ultimate Horizon Adventure awaits! Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars.
Sifu arrives today on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S and, with the simultaneous arrival of the new Arena mode, it’s the perfect time to checkout this unique martial arts beat ‘em up. With high-skill action combat and a unique mechanic that sees your character age each time they’re killed, there’s nothing quite like it.
We took the opportunity to talk with Pierre Tarno, Executive Producer at Sloclap, the Parisian studio behind the game. He told us more about how Sifu came to be, its success… and its future.
How was Sifu born?
We owe the idea of the title to my partner, Jordan Layani, who practices kung fu and is a big martial arts movie enthusiast. We wanted to take inspiration from Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan movies, with this particular use of the environment, even if we can’t say that we kept this same action-comedy tone. Then, the title also tries to answer a philosophical question: is a single lifetime enough to master kung fu? This question led to the concept of the main character’s aging, which is what makes the game so original.
Did you think it was risky to lean on that genre, which is less popular nowadays than a few decades ago?
When you’re an independent studio, you can afford to take a few more risks. We didn’t do a market study to check which segment of gamers and fans of martial arts movies would be interested in our game… Instead, we started from the principle that for a game to work from a commercial standpoint, it has to be very good. And also, we were confident because in the end, this genre is not well represented in the video game landscape. Bare hands 3D beat ’em ups that also rely on the use of the environment are rare, so we knew that our game would find its audience. If we had decided to make an FPS, things would have been more complicated…
Your first title, Absolver, already featured a lot of hand-to-hand combat, is Sifu an heir to it?
With Absolver, we acquired a certain experience of action games: how the enemies clash during a fight, how to manage the distance between you and your opponents… But where Absolver focused on online multiplayer, Sifu is a purely single player game, and where Absolver shone in one-on-one, Sifu was really designed for you to be alone against everyone. So I would say that yes, we learned a lot from our first game, but there are also a lot of elements that we had to change, to reinvent.
From the very first trailers, Sifu got a lot of attention – what was your reaction?
It’s always nice to feel that a creative intention resonates with the public and it’s something very difficult, if not impossible to predict. So it was very reassuring; we felt that we were creating something that would appeal to a certain number of players, it was very motivating for the team.
And how did that play out once the game was available?
When it was released in 2022, the difficulty level of the title was perhaps too high, which could lead to some frustration. On the other hand, we also saw some people playing through the game like no one else in the studio is able to, like… players completing it without taking a single hit. That’s why in our first update we created the less difficult “Student” mode, but also added the “Master” level, a higher difficulty mode. Later, through other updates, we added gameplay modifiers that let you customize the experience, the Replay Editor that lets you make your own martial arts shorts, and now Arena Mode, which further enriches the game.
What can we expect in this new game mode?
It’s a mode independent of the storyline, which you can start after finishing the prologue, and that also serves as a tutorial. At launch, nine original arenas inspired by the campaign levels await you, in which you will have to complete challenges. Some of them are related to your performance, the age of the character. In total, five different types of challenge are available. It’s a way to rediscover the game mechanics in new environments, with new objectives and varied gameplay. If you like Sifu, I think you’ll enjoy the feeling of progression, of improving, of unlocking the next levels.
What can we expect and hope for from Sloclap in the future?
Another update is already planned for the Arena mode, with additional arenas, it will be released in a few months. At the same time, part of the team is already working on our third project and once we are done with Sifu, we will start the design phase for a fourth project.
A last word for our readers?
I just want to thank all the players who believed in Sifu, who supported us, who talked about us on social networks or with their friends and who became ambassadors of the game. We did it for you, thank you.
And it’s our turn to thank Pierre Tarno, for taking the time to answer our questions. Sifu is available now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Sifu
Sloclap, Kepler Interactive
☆☆☆☆☆47
★★★★★
Sifu lands on Xbox with a huge content update. The Arenas free expansion adds an entirely new game mode, featuring 9 dynamic locations and 45 challenges that will put your Kung Fu to the test! Gear up for spectacular combats, brutal opponents, and endless opportunities to refine your moves. Is one life enough to have Kung Fu?
Whether you choose to play as a male or a female character, in Sifu, you will ponder that question on your path for revenge, hunting down your family’s assassins. One against all, you have no allies, countless enemies, and a mysterious amulet to bring you back to life every time you die. Yet, be warned! Your secret weapon comes with a hefty price to pay: aging and its consequences. Learning by fire Your enemies don’t wait their turn, and they don’t broadcast their intent. Dodge, parry, strike, use combos and be like water making its way through captivating environments. Learn how to master your art, whether by fighting through the underbelly of a nightclub, scrambling through a refined gallery to avoid getting surrounded, or vertically navigating a towering office building. Adaptation is survival
Careful positioning and clever use of the environment to your advantage are key to your survival. Use everything at your disposal: throwable objects, makeshift weapons, windows, and ledges… The odds are stacked against you, and you will be offered no mercy. Training never ends
Kung Fu is mastery through practice, a path for both the body and the mind. Learn from your errors, unlock unique skills, and find the strength to master the devastating techniques of Pak Mei Kung Fu.
The Dream of the Beast DLC is available today for Metal: Hellsinger.
It includes two new songs, a new weapon, and three powerful outfits.
The demonic voices of Cristina Scabbia and Will Ramos will melt your brain, but that’s good!
Metal: Hellsingerburns brightest when the music is blasting and demons are dying, which is all the time. This is a game where you wield weapons of infernal design to annihilate demonic hordes to the beat of a multi-award winning heavy metal score.
Today, the Dream of the Beast DLC adds two new voices to the already sizzling lineup of artists. Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil and Will Ramos from Lorna Shore join the likes of Serj Tankian, Alissa White-Gluz, Matt Heafy, Randy Blythe, Dennis Lyxzén, and more.
Accompanying today’s DLC we have a free update which adds the Song Selector feature, letting you choose which song to slay to for every level.
Screams and Dreams
After seeing the love for Metal: Hellsinger’s original music, by critics, awards, and players, we knew we had to add more. It’s always daunting to expand on something that people really like. After all, you’re here to make the Hells fear the beat, so gods be damned, that beat better be good. But with Two Feathers, composers of the original soundtrack, writing both new songs, we were confident.
It may sound a little mad, but both new songs were written specifically for Cristina Scabbia and Will Ramos in mind, before they had actually agreed to be in the game. It was definitely a gamble, and our nails took a hit in the weeks before the answers came in, but it paid off.
In the end, everything came together and both songs, Leviathan (Ramos) and Dream of the Beast (Scabbia), are absolute showstoppers that exude insane amounts of energy. Ramos and Scabbia are masters of their art and we’re incredibly proud to have worked with them.
The beauty of adding new music (and the Song Selector) to the game is that it unlocks so much variety. Since the gameplay is tied so closely to the music and its rhythm, playing to a new song entirely changes the flow and feel of each level.
Tools of the Conductor
In addition to the new songs, Dream of the Beast adds a new weapon and three powerful outfits that come with gameplay modifiers. Our goal with this DLC is to please both aspiring and seasoned headbangers. The mosh pit welcomes all.
The Red Right Hand is a multi-barrel machine gun and amalgam of both heaven and hell. A severed hand rests at the base of the barrels, itching to load bullets into them. The unique variable firing pattern – two heavy triple shots into deadly rapid-fire tremolo – will dial your brain to a new, faster, game flow.
The three outfits let you channel the look of your inner demon, while also providing gameplay modifiers to your choosing. Depending on your choice, you can gain shields or heal over time when picking up fury boosts, or increase your max ammo capacity with successful quick reloads.
We can’t wait to see you all tear through the Hells with the power of Scabbia and Ramos rattling your bones. We hope you lose yourselves in the intersection between music and gameplay. Dream of the Beast is available for purchase now on Xbox Series X|S.
Metal: Hellsinger – Dream of the Beast
Funcom
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
$3.99$3.59
Dream of the Beast raises hell to new heights of mayhem thanks to two new songs, a new weapon, and three outfits that affect gameplay. Slay to the explosive tracks performed by Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil and Will Ramos from Lorna Shore. Put the fear of the beat into the denizens of hell with the new machine gun weapon and look like a true demon rock star using one of three outfits. The Dream of the Beast DLC contains: Two New Songs (selected before each level) • Dream of the Beast, performed by Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil). • Leviathan, performed by Will Ramos (Lorna Shore). New Weapon: The Red Right Hand • Parts from heaven and hell fused together into an impossible weapon. • Fire in rhythmic bursts that vary in length. • Unleash an unrelenting hail of bullets with your ultimate. Three Outfits With Passive Effects • Dark Devotee – Picking up a fury boost also grants a one-off shield from the next attack you receive. • Morning Star – Picking up a fury boost also slowly replenishes your health. • Angel Eyes – Quick Reloading increases a weapon’s max ammo up to a new max. The effect lasts until you switch weapons.
Metal: Hellsinger (Xbox Series X|S & PC)
Funcom
☆☆☆☆☆171
★★★★★
$39.99$31.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Demo available now! Search for it on the store. Part human, part demon, and obsessed with vengeance. Become The Unknown, and fight through the fiercest domains of Hell. Destroy the demon hordes and their leaders to set yourself up for an epic showdown with The Red Judge herself. Every legend has a song. And yours is one of metal, vengeance, and destruction. Slay to the beat
Metal: Hellsinger is a rhythm FPS, where your ability to shoot on the beat will enhance your gameplay experience. The more in sync you are with the rhythm, the more intense the music will become and the more destruction you will cause. Demonic arsenal
Defeat the demon hordes with a skull-clad blade or a wide range of murderous guns. Each weapon has its own ultimate ability, such as Murder of Crows or The Big Goodbye. Epic story and Challenge Mode
Play through an epic storyline, narrated by award-winning actor Troy Baker. Unlock special challenges and conquer the realms of Torment to become more powerful in the stages and get a leg up on the leaderboards. Fight through fire, ice, metal and madness
Although commonly known as Hell, The Infernal Planes is in reality a union of a thousand Hells, all of which are terrifying and diabolical in their own way. In order to dethrone The Red Judge, you must fight your way through the fiercest corners, from the icy world of Voke to the maddening world of Stygia. From the Lead Designer of Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Metal: Hellsinger is created by an experienced FPS team at The Outsiders and is the passion project of David Goldfarb, Game Director on Payday 2 and Lead Designer on Battlefield 3 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Original metal soundtrack
Every track has been created specifically for the game by composer duo Two Feathers, with vocals by metal icons such as Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Randy Blythe (Lamb of God), Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), and many more! DMCA and Copyright Information:
We fully own the songs as they are specifically written, produced and performed for the game. For content creators, we have done everything from our side to make sure strikes won’t happen.
The first thing you need to know about Endless Dungeon is that it is not your standard roguelite. There are familiar components in how you play, but this isometric sci-fi shooter requires you to strategize your defence just as boldly as your offense. I found out exactly why in a recent hands-on with the upcoming game.
Endless Dungeon is a follow-up to 2014’s Dungeon of the Endless, but it is described to us as a “spiritual successor” rather than an all-out sequel. It looks and plays a lot differently, with a more vibrant 3D aesthetic and a new control system for players. The first game unfolds primarily in a turn-based style, whereas Endless Dungeon puts you in direct control of your characters’ movements and attacks. But that change is only part of what makes Endless Dungeon a fascinating new experiment in the genre.
The core dungeon loop is still present in Endless Dungeon; your character is dropped on an abandoned space station, and the only way to escape is to escort your Crystal_bot to The Core. While we’re unsure what is in The Core, we do know that’s absolutely imperative to reach it unscathed. Unfortunately, there are waves upon waves of monsters in between you and The Core, and it’s up to you to take them out while, crucially, making sure your fragile robot companion remains safe. That constant back-and-forth is what marks this game out as different from its peers. Endless Dungeon is a dance between blasting forward to discover as much loot as possible, while making sure your defenses are top notch and capable of protecting your Crystal_bot, research stations, and — if you’re playing with a group — fellow teammates.
Endless Dungeon stands out from the roguelite crowd because your defenses require forethought and proactivity; you’ll need to be prepared for threats before they even arrive. A room full of bugs will benefit from a deftly placed flamethrower, or a swarm of robots can be kept in check with electrical EMP blaster turret. However, you’ll need to research how to build these, and make you have enough resources to dedicate to it before the waves begin. All of this makes this the rare roguelite in which skill isn’t just about the moment-to-moment combat, but in learning how enemies work, and countering them.
You’ll progress through the station room by room in classic roguelite fashion, clearing the area while hunting for resources that’ll aid you in your journey. This can be offense inventory such as devastating elemental guns; it can be revelatory, in the form of new lore; or you can add upgrades to the turrets than can be placed as defenses in any area you’ve previously been to during your current run.
Your team’s resources are also shared, so if components are scarce, you’ll have to collaborate on what to spend it on. Perhaps the decision to push on into another room will turn into a fatal mistake if your resources are misplaced – collaboration is truly a necessity, and sticking together can sometimes be more important than progressing.
It’s this blend of tower defense, tactical gameplay and roguelite that makes Endless Dungeon feel unique. The primary objective is to blast your way through the station room by room, while mowing through the hordes along the way, while crafting a safe path to escort the Crystal bot out of the area and into the next one. Some rooms contain monster spawners, and the more you unlock, the more overwhelming these waves will become. Even opening doors requires strategy; if you enter a new room that’s too close to your Crystal bot, it might allow swarms to reach and chew it apart faster. If you’re unlucky, you’ll trigger a rare, deadlier wave with much tougher enemies. This is an extremely rare occurrence, (although we encountered this on our third wave, making for some extra chaos).
Once your character dies (and they will) you’ll be transported back to a hub world known as The Saloon, which is oozing with space western appeal. Creative Director Jean-Maxime Moris tells us that this area draws inspiration from the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars’ Cantina scenes to create a space that attracts a humdrum of oddballs.
Here, you can switch up your character’s look, grab a drink at the bar that will give you a selection of enhancements, or check out the library to read up on the monsters you’ve encountered. While you don’t necessarily need prior knowledge of this world to jump into Endless Dungeon, existing fans will also find connections to previous instalments in this loosely connected universe. And, of course, the more you know about your enemies, the better equipped you’ll be to take them down, and help your team survive just that little bit longer in the next run.
It’s all the more motivation to get stuck back into another round, and if our playtime was anything to by, there will be many, many more rounds of Endless Dungeon when it launches May 18.
ENDLESS™ Dungeon
Amplitude STUDIOS
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
Pre-Order ENDLESS™ Dungeon now and get your hands (or tentacles) on exclusive content! – Standard Game
– ‚Pioneer Elite‘ Skin Pack (3 hero skins, 4 weapon skins, 1 Crystal Bot Skin) (Early Adopter Bonus) WE GOT TURRETS AND WE GOT GUNS You’re stranded on an abandoned space station chock-full of monsters and mysteries. To get out you’ll have to reach The Core, but you can’t do that without your crystal bot. That scuttling critter is your key to surviving the procedurally generated rooms of this space ruin. Sadly, it’s also a fragile soul, and every monster in the place wants a piece of it. You’re going to have to think quick, plan well, place your turrets, and then… fireworks! Bugs, bots and blobs will stop at nothing to turn you and that crystal into dust and debris. With a large choice of weapons and turrets, the right gear will be the difference between life and death. RIDE SOLO OR GIDDY UP WITH FRIENDS You can face the horrors of the Station riding solo, or squad up and run the gauntlet in 3 player co-op. Once you’ve got your posse, plan your moves. Pick their weapons from a wide choice ranging from flamethrowers to poison snipers. When you’re set, enter the Station to take on a character’s quest, take a stab at escaping, or just go loco on the locals. You’ll likely die trying, but hey, that’s the way it goes in this space dungeon! ASSEMBLE YOUR RECKLESS SQUAD Prepare to meet a cast of colorful heroes all gunning for the same goal: to get the hell out! Each brings their own cards to the table. There’s tanky Bunker who’ll soak up damage, fiery Blaze who loves to blow stuff up, or maybe Shroom who’ll heal her squadmates with her „unusual“ incense. Select your heroes to build the team that works for you. As you get to know them, you’ll learn that they all have their own particular motivations and secrets… MONSTERS, DANGERS, SECRETS AND TREASURES, OH MY! Escaping means overcoming all the dangers of the Station. Yup, all of them. Deadly robots, merciless monsters, loot, and giant beasts await you at every corner. The deeper you delve into this scrap heap, the more you’ll discover its tragic history. Why does the Station reel in any ship that flies too close? Why do you come back every time you kick the bucket? No matter how familiar you are with the ENDLESS™ Universe, the Station has more stories to tell. THE MORE DYIN‘, THE MORE GROWIN‘ Hate to break it to you, this won’t be easy and you might die… a lot. But that’s okay, because every time you do, you get reloaded back into the Saloon. Think of it as your center of operations (and beverages), where you can upgrade your heroes and weapons, unlock new paths to The Core, chat with the locals, listen to tunes, and drink boosting (and delicious) libations. Then, jump back into the Station and try to get out — again.
At many gaming industry events, high-profile, AAA games tend to garner most of the airtime and ensuing discussion. The Game Developers Conference is different – it’s an event where indies have traditionally stepped into the limelight; indeed multiple showcases were fully populated by upcoming independent titles this year.
At GDC 2023 we’ve been celebrating 10 years of [email protected] with a Preview event showcase featuring a number of titles coming to Xbox consoles and PC this year, showcasing the diversity of genres and styles in independent games. Here’s a look at a few we got to spend some time with.
Botany Manor
The debut title from UK-based Balloon Studios nestles comfortably in the burgeoning “Cozy Games” category; my time with this plant-based puzzler was undoubtedly the chillest experience of the conference. Here’s how it works:
I stepped into a fogged-up greenhouse, and planted a seed which germinated, but would not grow further. Finding clues to the plant’s native land and temperature preferences around the room, I learned to place the plant pot in front of a heat source at the exact right intensity to heat the soil. The plant obliged my efforts by blooming dramatically, clearing out smog in the greenhouse and allowing progress to the next area. The next plant was a bit more complicated; I needed to replicate its favored stormy conditions by mixing chemicals and placing the sprout in front of an old-timey flash camera.
The more plants you grow, the more puzzles you solve, the further you go. Fans of puzzlers like The Witness and Escape Academy will feel right at home… only cozier.
My time with this plant-based puzzler was undoubtedly the chillest experience of the conference.
Laure De Mey, creative director at Balloon Studios, promises the final game will be much more open-ended than the linear demo – if a player gets stumped on one plant, they can pursue clues to others across the sprawling manor, returning once they’ve hit on a revelation.
De Mey explained how the plants grow into the story: “When people see weeds, they pull them out, because they didn’t put them there. These weeds are forgotten flora, and the main character is also a bit forgotten.”
Botany Manor is part of the just-announced Developer Acceleration Program, and Balloon Studios plans on a release this year. We won’t forget it.
Another studio’s first title, Planet of Lana comes from Wishfully Studios, a gaming offshoot of Sweden-based artist and animation group Fully Studios – and that artistic influence shows.
This cinematic puzzle adventure is stunningly animated; evident not just in the movement of main playable character Lana and feline-esque alien companion Mui, but throughout the mysterious world of Novo. Throughout the showcase, I found myself gazing at the gently swaying branches of Planet of Lana‘s lush swamp level – but this isn’t just something you look at, and fortunately the gameplay holds up its end of the package.
Lana and Mui work together in symbiosis, using their unique strengths to help each other overcome obstacles and enemies as Lana aims to rescue her sister, kidnapped by robots who have besieged the peaceful planet.
Tom Davis of publisher Thunderful said the game was as “if Studio Ghibli made Inside.”
The demo started off simply; players guide Lana towards a raft to help the hydrophobic Mui cross a bog (even alien cats hate baths, apparently). But this isn’t a one-sided escort mission: hold RT to point and direct Mui to places that Lana can’t get to, like up a high ledge where it can release a vine for Lana to climb. Mui can also interact with the world in unusual ways to allow Lana passage through routes blocked by alien creatures. While it wasn’t part of the demo, I was told puzzle solving extends to combat, as the pair use the environment to defeat enemies and survive, as opposed to direct conflict.
Tom Davis of publisher Thunderful said the game was as “if Studio Ghibli made Inside.” I was also reminded at times of Ori and the Will of the Wisps… if any of those references made you perk up, you’ll want to keep an eye out for Planet of Lana, which it comes to Xbox consoles and PC with Game Pass this spring.
Lamplighters League
From new studios readying their first games for launch to veteran teams prepping their latest creation: Harebrained Schemes, makers of BattleTech and recent Shadowrun Trilogypresented the first playable experience of Lamplighters League, announced earlier this month.
Lamplighters League is “a globetrotting adventure” set in a stylized take of the 1930s. Initial vibes are very “Indiana Jones meets XCOM“, though after playing for an hour I believe the closer comparison is the excellent Mutant Year Zero. Players control their party from above in a real time “Infiltration mode,” going over or through obstacles via class-specific abilities. Often outnumbered, there’s an emphasis on staying stealthy; you can see how much noise you’re making while moving and interacting.
Lamplighters League is “a globetrotting adventure” set in a stylized take of the 1930s. Initial vibes are very “Indiana Jones meets XCOM“.
Once detected, the action pauses and proceeds as a turn-based battle until the skirmish is through. Each character has a signature ability which can be used once per mission, and these can be game changers. “Sneak”, for instance drops a decoy and becomes invisible, which helped reestablish strategic positioning after I was clumsily detected in an open area.
After combat, which can range from a small fray to a pitched battle, the game reverts to Infiltration mode; and levels may feature several different battle sequences. The flexibility in choosing when or even if to engage enemies, paired with the not-often-seen setting make Lamplighters League a must-play for strategy fans when it lands day one with Game Pass for Xbox Series X|S and PC this year.
Venba
Also coming to console and PC with Game Pass this year is Venba, a cooking/puzzle game where players experience the lives of an Indian couple who immigrate to Canada via interactive, stylized food prep.
Each of Venba‘s levels places us a little later in the characters’ lives, with a new recipe to make. Our demo had us prepare idli, a savory rice cake from South India. After reading the recipe, I arranged batter on special plates and set them to steaming… spilling batter everywhere. I should’ve read the recipe more closely! Next time, I placed towels over the plate first, and rotated the trays to allow more even steaming. These came out perfectly, and then I learned more about the couple, and their decision to stay in Canada.
Venba’s art is inspired by cartoons like “Dexter’s Laboratory” and “Powerpuff Girls,” but more serious.
“A lot of stories about immigrants focus on the kids, but we wanted to talk about the parents,” explained Sam Elkana, lead artist at developer Visai games. “They really sacrifice so much, so we wanted to tell the story from Venba’s perspective.”
With art inspired by cartoons like “Dexter’s Laboratory” and “Powerpuff Girls,” but more serious, Venba will bake a place in your plans this summer.
Live now on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, The Elder Scrolls Online: Scribes of Fate is now available via ESO Plus membership or for purchase from the in-game Crown Store. This all-new dungeon DLC features two challenging new dungeons, Bal Sunnar and Scrivener’s Hall, that kick off the events of the Shadow Over Morrowind adventure and the upcoming Necrom chapter.
The Psijic Order needs your help! Investigate the origins of a mysterious temporal anomaly emanating from the House Telvanni township of Bal Sunnar and venture through time itself to shut it down. Be warned, the mages and sorcerers of House Telvanni are quick to protect their secrets and don’t suffer interlopers lightly.
Scrivener’s Hall
For centuries, the Scribes of Mora had dedicated themselves to the recording of knowledge, both within Tamriel and other, more mysterious realms. However, the upstart Valinna has seized control over this formerly benign cult and threatens to lead them down a dangerous path. Team up with ousted leader Keshargo to confront Valinna’s followers and reclaim the mantle of leadership before the Scribes are forever doomed.
Knowledge Is Power
Both four-player PvE dungeons challenge you and your allies with new boss battles, monsters to overcome, and long-hidden secrets to uncover. In addition, each dungeon has its own quest and storyline that sets the stage for the Shadow Over Morrowind adventure and the events of the upcoming Necrom chapter. Finally, should you brave Bal Sunnar and Scrivener’s Hall, you’ll be able to claim new rewards specific to these two dungeons, including new item and monster sets, unique collectibles, and more.
Are you ready to dive deep into the mysteries of House Telvanni and the Scribes of Mora? Two exciting new dungeons await Tamriel’s intrepid adventurers, complete with their own stories, challenges, and rewards. The Elder Scrolls Online: Scribes of Fate is now live on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles — good luck!
The Elder Scrolls Online Deluxe Collection: Necrom
Bethesda Softworks
☆☆☆☆☆133
★★★★★
$79.99$63.99
Begin a unique adventure filled with the unparalleled storytelling and deep lore of The Elder Scrolls. Journey to Tamriel – a living, breathing, fantasy universe of magnitude, where your choices shape your experience. Battle, loot, craft, steal or role-play as an archer, mage, merchant, scholar or warrior. Play solo or with friends and combine equipment and abilities to suit your own play style. No game subscription required – buy once, play anytime. What truths are best left hidden? Discover Necrom and the forbidden secrets of Apocrypha. From the Telvanni Peninsula in Eastern Morrowind to the cosmic realms of the Prince of Fate – fight to uphold reality and unlock the runic power of a new Class – the Arcanist! PRE-PURCHASE Pre-purchase the Elder Scrolls Online Deluxe Collection: Necrom now to start your adventure immediately within the game (base game or previous Chapter zones), get instant access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed & Pony* pair, plus more items when Necrom launches – as listed below. *Spore Pony pet only available with pre-purchases until 4/18/2023. Unlock instantly:
• Sadrith Mora Steed & Pony* pair Get the following at launch:
• Sadrith Mora Formal Attire costume
• Apocryphal Bookwyrm pet
• x1 Unfeathered crate
• x3 Treasure maps
• x2 Experience scrolls (+100% for 1 hour) COLLECTION The Elder Scrolls Online Deluxe Collection: Necrom is like „8-games-in-one“ and best for adventurers who wish to access the Deluxe items, plus all major Chapter zones, biomes and quest arcs from across Tamriel. The Deluxe Collection: Necrom includes the base game, Necrom, Deluxe items and all previous Chapters, as below. • Necrom (NEW for 2023)
• High Isle
• Blackwood
• Greymoor • Elsweyr • Summerset
• Morrowind
• Base game NECROM** UNLOCK THE NEW CLASS – Become empowered by the secrets of Apocrypha and the forbidden knowledge of Hermaeus Mora. The Arcanist is a powerful new Class capable of destructive, restorative, or defensive magic by channelling the arcane, ancient runes, and lost tomes of power. ALL-NEW ZONES – Explore the Telvanni Peninsula, home of colossal mushrooms, arcane magic, rocky spires and the capital city of Necrom, additionally, behold the forbidden books of the endless library of Apocrypha. A COSMIC STORY – The Prince of Fate holds secrets too dangerous for mortals or Daedra to comprehend. Now hidden yet turbulent powers threaten Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Apocrypha and if the Daedric Prince’s secret is uncovered, it could unravel all of reality. NEW WARDEN AND ARCANIST CLASS COMPANIONS – Two new allies seek grand quests and glory! Unlock the Arcanist-power-wielding Redguard and Argonian Warden Companions to battle by your side and keep you company on your journey across Tamriel. **Available when Necrom launches. DELUXE In addition, those who buy the Deluxe Collection: Necrom will receive the Deluxe in-game items when Necrom launches: • All past Chapter Collector’s Edition / Deluxe items†
• Hermitage Servitor mount
• Cipher’s Eye Pocket Watcher pet
• Dark Lady’s Headrest memento
• Knowledge Eater Armor outfit style
• Leaning / Sitting / Standing Scholar emotes †Does not include past Chapter pre-order / pre-purchase in-game items.
The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Necrom
Bethesda Softworks
☆☆☆☆☆133
★★★★★
$59.99$47.99
Begin a unique adventure filled with the unparalleled storytelling and deep lore of The Elder Scrolls. Journey to Tamriel – a living, breathing, fantasy universe of magnitude, where your choices shape your experience. Battle, loot, craft, steal or role-play as an archer, mage, merchant, scholar or warrior. Play solo or with friends and combine equipment and abilities to suit your own play style. No game subscription required – buy once, play anytime. What truths are best left hidden? Discover Necrom and the forbidden secrets of Apocrypha. From the Telvanni Peninsula in Eastern Morrowind to the cosmic realms of the Prince of Fate – fight to uphold reality and unlock the runic power of a new Class – the Arcanist! PRE-PURCHASE Pre-purchase the Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Necrom now to start your adventure immediately within the game (base game or previous Chapter zones), get instant access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed & Pony* pair, plus more items when Necrom launches – as listed below. *Spore Pony pet only available with pre-purchases until 4/18/2023. Unlock instantly:
• Sadrith Mora Steed & Pony* pair Get the following at launch:
• Sadrith Mora Formal Attire costume
• Apocryphal Bookwyrm pet
• x1 Unfeathered crate
• x3 Treasure maps
• x2 Experience scrolls (+100% for 1 hour) COLLECTION The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Necrom is like „8-games-in-one“ and best for adventurers who wish to access all major Chapter zones, biomes and quest arcs from across Tamriel. The Collection: Necrom includes the base game, Necrom and all previous Chapters, as below. • Necrom (NEW for 2023)
• High Isle
• Blackwood
• Greymoor • Elsweyr • Summerset
• Morrowind
• Base game NECROM** UNLOCK THE NEW CLASS – Become empowered by the secrets of Apocrypha and the forbidden knowledge of Hermaeus Mora. The Arcanist is a powerful new Class capable of destructive, restorative, or defensive magic by channelling the arcane, ancient runes, and lost tomes of power. ALL-NEW ZONES – Explore the Telvanni Peninsula, home of colossal mushrooms, arcane magic, rocky spires and the capital city of Necrom, additionally, behold the forbidden books of the endless library of Apocrypha. A COSMIC STORY – The Prince of Fate holds secrets too dangerous for mortals or Daedra to comprehend. Now hidden yet turbulent powers threaten Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Apocrypha and if the Daedric Prince’s secret is uncovered, it could unravel all of reality. NEW WARDEN AND ARCANIST CLASS COMPANIONS – Two new allies seek grand quests and glory! Unlock the Arcanist-power-wielding Redguard and Argonian Warden Companions to battle by your side and keep you company on your journey across Tamriel. **Available when Necrom launches.
The Elder Scrolls Online Deluxe Upgrade: Necrom
Bethesda Softworks
☆☆☆☆☆1
★★★★★
$49.99$44.99
What truths are best left hidden? Discover Necrom and the forbidden secrets of Apocrypha. From the Telvanni Peninsula in Eastern Morrowind to the cosmic realms of the Prince of Fate – fight to uphold reality and unlock the runic power of a new Class – the Arcanist! The Elder Scrolls Online Deluxe Upgrade: Necrom requires The Elder Scrolls Online Standard Edtition (base game) to play. PRE-PURCHASE Pre-purchase The Elder Scrolls Online Deluxe Upgrade: Necrom now to get instant access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed & Pony* pair, plus more items when Necrom launches, as listed below. *Spore Pony pet only available with pre-purchases until 4/18/2023. Unlock instantly:
• Sadrith Mora Steed & Pony* pair Get the following at launch:
• Sadrith Mora Formal Attire costume
• Apocryphal Bookwyrm pet
• x1 Unfeathered crate
• x3 Treasure maps
• x2 Experience scrolls (+100% for 1 hour) NECROM** UNLOCK THE NEW CLASS – Become empowered by the secrets of Apocrypha and the forbidden knowledge of Hermaeus Mora. The Arcanist is a powerful new Class capable of destructive, restorative, or defensive magic by channelling the arcane, ancient runes, and lost tomes of power. ALL-NEW ZONES – Explore the Telvanni Peninsula, home of colossal mushrooms, arcane magic, rocky spires and the capital city of Necrom, additionally, behold the forbidden books of the endless library of Apocrypha. A COSMIC STORY – The Prince of Fate holds secrets too dangerous for mortals or Daedra to comprehend. Now hidden yet turbulent powers threaten Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Apocrypha and if the Daedric Prince’s secret is uncovered, it could unravel all of reality. NEW WARDEN AND ARCANIST CLASS COMPANIONS – Two new allies seek grand quests and glory! Unlock the Arcanist-power-wielding Redguard and Argonian Warden Companions to battle by your side and keep you company on your journey across Tamriel. **Available when Necrom launches. DELUXE In addition, those who buy the Deluxe Upgrade: Necrom will receive the Deluxe in-game items when Necrom launches: • Hermitage Servitor mount
• Cipher’s Eye Pocket Watcher pet
• Dark Lady’s Headrest memento
• Knowledge Eater Armor outfit style
• Leaning / Sitting / Standing Scholar emotes Requires The Elder Scrolls Online, sold separately.
The Elder Scrolls Online Upgrade: Necrom
Bethesda Softworks
☆☆☆☆☆1
★★★★★
$39.99$35.99
What truths are best left hidden? Discover Necrom and the forbidden secrets of Apocrypha. From the Telvanni Peninsula in Eastern Morrowind to the cosmic realms of the Prince of Fate – fight to uphold reality and unlock the runic power of a new Class – the Arcanist! The Elder Scrolls Online Upgrade: Necrom requires The Elder Scrolls Online Standard Edition (base game) to play. PRE-PURCHASE Pre-purchase the Elder Scrolls Online Upgrade: Necrom now to get instant access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed & Pony* pair, plus more items when Necrom launches, as listed below. *Spore Pony pet only available with pre-purchases until 4/18/2023. Unlock instantly:
• Sadrith Mora Steed & Pony* pair Get the following at launch:
• Sadrith Mora Formal Attire costume
• Apocryphal Bookwyrm pet
• x1 Unfeathered crate
• x3 Treasure maps
• x2 Experience scrolls (+100% for 1 hour) NECROM** UNLOCK THE NEW CLASS – Become empowered by the secrets of Apocrypha and the forbidden knowledge of Hermaeus Mora. The Arcanist is a powerful new Class capable of destructive, restorative, or defensive magic by channelling the arcane, ancient runes, and lost tomes of power. ALL-NEW ZONES – Explore the Telvanni Peninsula, home of colossal mushrooms, arcane magic, rocky spires and the capital city of Necrom, additionally, behold the forbidden books of the endless library of Apocrypha. A COSMIC STORY – The Prince of Fate holds secrets too dangerous for mortals or Daedra to comprehend. Now hidden yet turbulent powers threaten Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Apocrypha and if the Daedric Prince’s secret is uncovered, it could unravel all of reality. NEW WARDEN AND ARCANIST CLASS COMPANIONS – Two new allies seek grand quests and glory! Unlock the Arcanist-power-wielding Redguard and Argonian Warden Companions to battle by your side and keep you company on your journey across Tamriel. **Available when Necrom launches.
Requires The Elder Scrolls Online, sold separately.
Introducing the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core, now in red and blue. We expanded the core version of the Xbox Elite Series 2 lineup to give gamers more options to play like a pro. Play in style with just the components you need to unleash your best game.
The new, vibrant red and blue color schemes of the core version of Xbox Elite Series 2 are sure to make a statement amongst your friends while delivering key performance-focused benefits. Turn on a dime with adjustable tension thumbsticks where inches are the difference. Make split seconds count with hair trigger locks and stay on target with wrap-around rubberized grips. Enjoy limitless customization with exclusive button mapping options to find your groove. Perfect your game day prep with assignable custom profiles so you can dominate regardless of playbook or sport.
Custom profiles can be set up through the Xbox Accessories App, where you can adjust other settings like the color the Xbox button lights up with on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC devices. Use Xbox Wireless, Bluetooth®, or the included USB-C cable to play across your Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and mobile. Stay in the game with up to 40 hours of rechargeable battery life and refined components built to last1. For added peace of mind, Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers come with Microsoft’s 1-year limited warranty2.
The best part is that Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers are designed to be fully customizable, so you can play with a specific setup that works best for you. Add even more customization to the core version of Xbox Elite Series 2 with the Complete Component Pack (sold separately) for $59.99 USD MSRP. Tailor the controller to your preferred gaming style with interchangeable thumbsticks, paddle shapes, and D-pad. Includes a carrying case, charging dock, and USB-C cable. Add an extra splash of color with Xbox Design Lab, where you can personalize component packs for Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers to match your style.
Your voyage begins at first light. The sun ascends as you sail out, its sparkling reflection dancing on the gentle waves of the bay. Plentiful shoals of fish can be seen through the glassy surface as you peer into the water below. It’s a fine day for fishing. And the townsfolk are hungry.
Dredge opens with the above sequence, putting you behind the wheel of your boat within the first minute of gameplay. The scene is picturesque. Our glossy, stylized water ripples against islands with their trees swaying in the wind. Soon, sparse piano keys will join the cries of the seagulls overhead.
You’d be forgiven for thinking you’re in a happy place.
The sun sets sharply at six o’clock, and the fog descends soon after. Any anglers still left out on the water better have good lights, or they’ll never make it back to safe harbor.
Cosmic Horror Fishing
Dredge initially presents itself as a fishing game, and the premise is deliberately simple: catch fish, sell fish, upgrade your equipment. You’ll want to invest in your boat, as it’ll allow you to equip faster engines, better rods, and store more fish – all in a grid-based inventory that grows with your vessel. Money might seem important, but arguably your most vital resource is time. As you sail around, a day-night cycle is in motion, and it’s something to behold.
While you’re more likely to catch valuable, corrupted specimens in the dark, eldritch encounters are also more frequent – particularly in deeper water. You’ll also come across larger, hostile creatures which can be outsmarted (via abilities) or outmaneuvered (via a sufficiently upgraded vessel) rather than outgunned. Dilapidated towns you come across are home to peculiar residents with even stranger requests.
We try to twist every feature that might feel familiar into something unexpected, so that right from the start, you’ll sense that something sinister lurks under the surface. It’s no accident that the name ‘Dredge’ is adjacent to “dread” – we’ve infused every aspect of the game with an unsettling atmosphere. In this article, I’ll delve into the ways we’ve achieved this, and touch on how each element contributes to the overall experience.
A Harsh Aesthetic
The visuals of the game will immediately feel familiar to fans of typically joyous adventure and exploration games – and that’s where our subterfuge begins. What may appear to be very low-poly models are deceptively detailed, with jagged edges and shapes carved to accentuate false shadows. A dark and dreary color tone underpins the world, offsetting any warmth from the sun’s bright colors. It’s crucial to visually remind players that something unexpected could happen at any moment, even if everything seems calm right now.
We added angular edges to the portraits of characters – reminiscent of paint applied by palette knife – leaving harsh patterns on their faces and sleeves to match their already prickly dialogue. This same geometry is reflected in the clouds; normally light and fluffy things, here we made them sharp, and they shift between broken shapes.
This world doesn’t want you here. It wasn’t made for you. But you’ll explore it all the same.
The weather can be as unpredictable as the people you meet. Overcast days can turn into thunderous storms, causing high waves to slow your return to port. On that note, civilization itself is scarce and often dilapidated. It only makes sense that the others in this world are suffering as much as you, and have been for many years. This bleak and unforgiving landscape only adds to the feeling of isolation and despair that permeates the game.
When you drop your line to catch some fish, we pull the camera up above your boat, showing you the dark depths below. As we do this, we conveniently eliminate your peripheral vision. You’re focused on fishing, after all. At night, we bring the oppressive fog down around you, leaving you with nothing but a small circle of vision to navigate rocks and other hazards. The shapes you see through that fog might be imagined or real – I’m not sure which is worse.
This world doesn’t want you here. It wasn’t made for you. But you’ll explore it all the same.
No Wasted Words
In the world of Dredge, people are efficient and practical. As a result, we made sure their spoken dialogue reflects this utilitarian mindset. Each line tries to achieve at least two of the following goals:
Give you an instruction.
Add to the story of the world.
Carry a sinister, suspicious or strange tone.
Despite the importance of dialogue in Dredge, we understand the value of brevity, and don’t want to keep you from the gameplay for too long. To avoid overwhelming you, most conversations are optional and can be skipped if you want. The world itself should do most of the talking, and the people in it aren’t so keen on gossip anyway. These characters don’t have names, either – they have roles, like “The Fishmonger”, and “The Mayor”. You wouldn’t want to get too familiar with them. They’re not your friends.
The atmosphere bleeds into item descriptions too, particularly in the fish. Strange, corrupt specimens you haul aboard might give you an insight to where they came from, and why.
Our storytelling doesn’t stop at the borders of the game itself, of course. The achievement descriptions and OST music track titles add a different perspective or give names to things which were unknowable or unspeakable inside the game itself.
Blending Genres
Juxtaposition is one of my favorite words to use when describing Dredge. The juxtaposition of ‘cosmic horror’ and ‘fishing’ genres is one of the things players love about it. We combined a lot of features, mechanics and concepts that wouldn’t normally exist together in the same game. We set out to create something fresh, unexpected, and unpredictable – and what better way to evoke the sense of cosmic horror than by diving into the unknown?
DREDGE – Digital Deluxe Edition
Team17
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
The ultimate pack for your impending voyage. The DREDGE Deluxe Edition includes everything you’ll need to weather the seas and trawl the deep for sinister secrets. Includes: DREDGE Blackstone Key in-game item
Custom Rod (Pre-Purchase only)
DREDGE
Team17
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
Pre-Purchase DREDGE to receive the Custom Rod! Give yourself an advantage with this improved starting rod. You’ll start the game with this stylish piece of equipment, decorated with the company colors of its creator. But it’s not all just looks. Unlike other equipment you might find in DREDGE, this rod is in reasonable condition and should allow you to get the edge on other anglers – for a while at least. This grants access to the following item: Custom Rod
This rod replaces the normal starting rod when beginning a new save. It can catch fish more effectively than some other rods of its size. Captain your fishing trawler to explore a collection of remote isles, and their surrounding depths, to see what lies below. Sell your catch to the locals and complete quests to learn more about each area’s troubled past. Outfit your boat with better equipment to trawl deep-sea trenches and navigate to far-off lands but keep an eye on the time. You might not like what finds you in the dark… Game Features ● Unravel a Mystery: Captain your fishing trawler across a collection of remote islands, each with its own inhabitants to meet, wildlife to discover, and stories to unearth ● Dredge the Depths: Scour the sea for hidden treasures and complete quests to gain access to strange new abilities ● Study Your Craft: Research special equipment and upgrade your boat’s capabilities to gain access to rare fish and valuable deep-sea curios ● Fish to Survive: Sell your discoveries to the locals to learn more about each area, and upgrade your boat to reach even more secluded locations ● Fight the Unfathomable: Strengthen your mind and use your abilities to survive trips out on the water after dark
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!
Great New Games Spotlight has officially kicked off and we’re excited to bring you a ton of games every week for the next six weeks — more than 100+ new games will launch on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One between February 28 and April 10 – and if you spend $50 on eligible games and movies, you can receive 2,500 Microsoft Rewards points! Get more details here.
Run, jump, and roll your way to a new high score as hazards and bonuses pop up all around the planet. Step into the shoes of RunBean, an astronaut who landed on a hazardous planet that tries its best to kill the intruder. Try to delay your inevitable fate by running around the diminutive 2D globe, jumping over spikes, sliding under killer platforms, collecting bonuses, and quickly reacting to sudden direction changes.
Take the reins of your dream restaurant. Choose and customize dozens of kitchen components (cooking surfaces, food processors, ovens, etc.) to build your dream kitchen! Before firing up your burners, organize your team and manage your suppliers to obtain premium ingredients that would impress the most demanding of gourmets.
Bigger and badder than ever before, Kingdom Rush: Frontiers is a whole new level of the furiously fast, enchantingly charming gameplay that made the original title an award-winning hit. Command your troops through an epic (mis)adventure as you defend exotic lands from dragons, man-eating plants, and ghastly denizens of the underworld.
Available on day one with Game Pass: MLB The Show 23 gets you closer than ever to living your baseball dreams on the diamond. Shock the game and own the show with your favorite players, your favorite rivalries, and all your favorite MLB moments. Want to hit the field early? Game Pass members can get four days early access starting today including additional in-game items with the purchase of the Early Access Bundle. Read more about the new updates and features coming to MLB The Show 23here. Playable on Cloud and Console.
Sifu – March 28 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
In Sifu, you will ponder the value of life and revenge as you hunt down your family’s assassins. One against all, you have no allies, countless enemies, and a mysterious amulet that brings you back to life every time you die. Yet, be warned. Your secret weapon comes with a hefty price to pay: aging and its consequences.
Captain your fishing trawler to explore a collection of remote isles, and their surrounding depths, to see what lies below. Sell your catch to the locals and complete quests to learn more about each area’s troubled past. Outfit your boat with better equipment to trawl deep-sea trenches and navigate to far-off lands but keep an eye on the time. You might not like what finds you in the dark…
Uncover the dark origin of humanity’s new home and the truth about yourself in this epic sci-fi adventure! Set on a distant planet ruled by a totalitarian regime, Lunark is a modern take on the 2D cinematic platformer genre of the ’90s. As Leo, a courier with unique abilities and a mysterious past, you’ll run, jump, hang, climb, roll, and shoot through gorgeously animated pixel-art environments ranging from a dystopian megalopolis to eerie caves to an alien forest.
Palindrome Syndrome is an escape room sci-fi game that will test your deduction skills. Solve puzzles, decode secret codes, find hidden objects, and investigate the different rooms of the spaceship while you discover the events that led you there.
It’s time to atone for your sins! Saga of Sins is an action-adventure game featuring a mystical storyline and arcade gameplay where you’ll immerse yourself into a world of stained glass inspired by the Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch. Play as the righteous cleric Cecil — who can enter people’s minds by transforming into four unique demonic creatures such as a howling werewolf or a fierce gargoyle — to fight the seven deadly sins and free the plague infested village of Sinwell.
Take on the role of Rex, veteran cop turned hard-boiled detective, as you investigate crime in a future cyberpunk world, where the magnificent sky city blots out the sun. In this retro-style, pixel-art adventure set in a fully realized cyberpunk cityscape, you’ll encounter innumerous items to investigate and a whole cast of interactive NPCs. You must analyze every detail and discover the truth that lurks behind the heavy mist to solve a strange murder that may be tied to a robot rebellion.
An interactive game experience designed to relax your mind and soul. Jump into the role of a little bird, explore beautiful landscapes, and collect magical crystals that mark certain landscapes. Because there are no enemies or other dangers in this game, you will be able to lean back and enjoy the scenery and the sensation of flying. A great game to play for relaxing and calming down after an exhausting day.
The second in the Formula Retro Racing series, retro-style arcade racing games influenced by the classic arcade racing games of the early ‘90s. Featuring fast and exciting gameplay, crisp low poly visuals, a retro soundtrack, and high-speed action. Do you have what it takes to master each racing line, hug every apex, and cross the checkered flag to victory?
A stylish action-platform and shooter game, containing super specials and dash mechanics at a fast-paced speed. Unlock hundreds of meticulous challenges and battle bosses. All of this with an immersive soundtrack and an individual narrative for each of the 8 characters!
Infinite Guitars – March 30 Xbox Game Pass
Available on day one with Game Pass: The metal war machines have reawakened — and only your electric guitar can turn their technology against them! Gather up your party, tune up your favorite axe, and get ready to rock in Infinite Guitars, a rhythm RPG featuring vibrant anime-inspired art, adrenaline-fueled Mech battles, and a blazing original soundtrack. Playable on Cloud, Console, and PC.
An immersive narrative adventure centered around a lone worker’s last stand in an increasingly automated world. A unique blend of work simulation and stealth strategic gameplay set in a lonely, oppressive but strangely beautiful environment, with characters designed by comics legend Mick McMahon. Featuring an all-star cast starring Jason Isaacs, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Clare-Hope Ashitey, David Hewlett, Zelda Williams, and Tommie Earl Jenkins.
Get ready to skid around at full speed with your family and friends! In Rally Rock ‘N Racing, you’ll enjoy a wide variety of natural environments, such as deserts, snow-covered mountains, and forests where you can show your skill at the wheel, competing against everyone to become the fastest.
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