For Ninja Theory, the idea to continue Senua’s journey was never in doubt. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a complete story in itself; but the studio knew it had more stories to tell. Studio Head Dom Matthews tells us that the team wanted to leave a door open for Senua, but the path to creating a follow-up was initially unclear while the studio remained independent. Now, as part of Xbox Game Studios, it’s quite a different story. This sequel feels larger than life; every single element has been refined, from its hyper-realistic environments, haunting audio design, to its stunning performance-captured combat.
Embarking on a New Quest
“We have a fantastic building; our performance capture stage, new technologies and techniques, but all of that exists to pursue the same goal,” Matthews tells us. “That goal is to create an experience that allows players to suspend their disbelief and immerse themselves fully in this world.”
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II follows swiftly after the final events of the first game, where Senua says goodbye to her lover Dillion for the final time. From here, she’s to embark on a new quest, to ensure that no one ever meets the same fate as Dillion again. Senua is stronger, fiercer, and – while she’s still ailed by her psychosis – she’s come to understand how it manifests, and how its grown to be an important part of her.
“She’s come to a place of acceptance of two things,” Matthews tells us. “One is her experience of psychosis and unique view of the world, and the other is that she can’t bring Dillion back. So here, we find a Senua that has found determination, and a way to turn her agonizing grief into positive action, so that Dillion’s death wasn’t for nothing.”
Dustborn is the new narrative driven action-adventure game developed by Red Thread Games and published under the label Spotlight by Quantic Dream.
Coming to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on August 20
The game’s Art Director, Christoffer Grav, gives an exclusive interview on the game’s unique graphic novel art style
Dustborn is a new narrative title coming to Xbox later this year, an explosive adventure in which a group of misfits with superhuman powers attempt to cross a dystopian America to deliver a mysterious package. As the Art Director at the studio Red Thread Games, Christoffer Grav has played a key role in shaping Dustborn, not only its memorable characters and dialogue, but the unique aesthetic of its world is also at the heart of the game’s experience.
Imagined by the game’s Creative Director Ragnar Tørnquist, Dustborn initially took on a dark tone, before evolving to focus on the interpersonal connections between lead character Pax and her crew: “The art direction was initially a bit more gloomy and pessimistic – it was not cell-shaded or in a comic book style,” admits Grav.
However, as the story became lighter and more focused on human connections, Dustborn began to “look more positive with bright colors, a cleaner look, and a colorful palette” according to Grav. “I wanted to go in that direction because it’s my own style as an illustrator, very comic book influenced. I wanted to do something that felt super close to me. I basically wanted to bring my 2D style to the 3D space.”
A product of the 80s and their pop aesthetics, Grav brought a vibrant tone to Dustborn, inspired by past influences, “I’m a nerd for Disney, always have been. And I was this huge comic geek when I was younger; while growing up in Norway, my grandfather used to collect French and Belgian comics, like Asterix and Tintin.”
Grav’s mood board also featured many artworks from the French comic book legend Moebius, which he discovered through his grandfather’s comic collection. As he grew older, he also took inspiration from American creators: “There were not many comics imported to Norway when I was a kid, but eventually we got an official translation of [Todd McFarlane’s] Spawn, it was one of the first American comics to be sold in grocery stores, and it just blew my mind! The art, the story, I quickly tried to emulate that style.”
As more American comics made their way to Oslo, Grav devoured them, “I started collecting comics like Gen 13, Witchblade… So, it’s nice to take inspiration from so many different works with Dustborn. Of course, today many games are inspired by comics, but I hope my work will stand out for the way it mixes influences from both America and Europe, with their clear lines.”
The game’s comic inspired aesthetics accentuate the subversive side of Dustborn, which takes place in a dystopian Justice-driven ‘Divided States of America’, filled with dystopian propaganda. It was a playground for an artist educated as a graphic designer: “Of course I took inspiration from past world conflicts and dictatorships, but it’s more something looming in the background. There’s no big bad guy in Dustborn, it’s more about the people and the way they interact with each other. That’s why Justice officers have a smile on their face: the State wants them to be seen as a positive force. They even have a mascot! With Dustborn, I’ve really put a variety of influences across all mediums, from anime, to movies, series, books, comics, through many decades that inspired me,” explains Grav.
Finally, the crew. Pax and the members of her found family each bring their unique contribution to the table, with their complementary powers, identities, strong points of view and yes, flaws. Humans, after all. To achieve its narrative and artistic goals, Dustborn brought together a diverse group of writers and voice actors, and the team is committed to including a wide range of perspectives in the game.
“Representation is super important to me; growing up as a gay person, there was nothing on TV or in entertainment that reflected my experience,” explained Grav. “As a queer kid, I went through hard times at school and, seeing the direction the world is heading today with LGBTQ+ and other fundamental rights still at risk, I think it’s even more important to focus on representation, especially in video games.”
When working on Dustborn, Grav and his teammates would often challenge each other to bring more perspectives to the experience while ensuring they were authentically representing the game’s characters. They wanted to create a game that portrays the diversity of the world we live in, with a variety of genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, appearances, attitudes – a game that would have made younger Grav feel included. Before ending, he shared his hope that “people will see themselves in these characters or be inspired by them.” Quite an achievement for the kid who dreamt of seeing himself in comic books, games and beyond.
Dustborn arrives on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on August 20.
From the moment you set eyes on it, it’s clear that Harold Halibut is a particularly intricate labor of love. A narrative adventure set under the sea, the game places you in the squeaky shoes of its titular protagonist Harold, a lab assistant working aboard an underwater spaceship.
As Harold, you’ll bimble around the confines of the (admittedly, quite large) spaceship, cleverly separated into different districts by the game’s water tube system, which essentially fires humans through little pipes to their destinations. Along the way, you’ll encounter a quirky cast of characters, all busy with their existences but ready to involve Harold in their wacky goings-on, whether it’s looking for a lost pet bird or helping the local shopkeeper win back his wife’s love. The characters spread around Harold Halibut are written brilliantly and bursting with a quintessentially British humor.
The premise of Harold Halibut is equally as fascinating. Without giving too much away, Harold descends from a small colony of explorers that ventured out to find a new planet to inhabit. The ship ended up stranded underwater, and generations of humans have managed to survive and thrive there. As you progress, Harold starts to uncover stories about the history of humanity, the fate of Earth, and the people he’s surrounded by, all while proving to himself that he’s capable of bigger things.
The delightful writing is encased in Harold Halibut‘s most obvious quirk – the game is physically made out of clay, every asset you see in game is handcrafted and then digitally scanned into the game, which is an utterly incredible process. This method makes Harold Halibut feel pleasantly retro, harking back to 90s point-and-click adventure games like The Neverhood, but with a slick, modern feel.
Harold Halibut‘s stunning retro-futuristic aesthetic is also complimented by some incredible audio design; every interaction, conversation or environmental noise comes with a satisfying crunch that makes you feel like you’re really in the room with Harold. The pairing of the sound and handmade visuals together gives Harold Halibut a super unique visceral joy, making even an empty corridor or quiet room feel immersive and interesting.
You’ll visit most of the game’s environments and speak to its cast of characters repeatedly to uncover their stories, but stopping to explore these gorgeous environments never feels like a chore. The game is filled with lovely little puzzles and mini-games too, which adds a pleasing level of interactivity to the walking and talking you’ll do each in-game day. Harold Halibut wants you to pay attention to the little things, its quirky set dressing, subtle, silly jokes, and the thought that has gone into those things is truly rewarding.
I only spent a few hours with Harold, but I’m already enthralled with where the narrative is going, and what weird and wonderful creatures I’m going to encounter on Harold’s journey to resdicover Earth. Harold Halibut is shaping up to be an incredibly special game, and one I can’t wait to play more of.
Harold Halibut is set to launch on Xbox Series X|S and via Game Pass on April 16.
Critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV Online is now available on Xbox Series X|S
Until April 19, players who purchase the full game will receive a variety of fun and useful in-game items including an item to boost experience gained
Previous open beta players and new players alike are invited to enjoy the Free Trial, which includes A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, and Stormblood with no restrictions on play time. Any progress made during the open beta will of course carry over
We’re excited to announce that the full release of the critically acclaimed MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV Online, has launched today on Xbox Series X|S! Players will have plenty of content to enjoy before its newest expansion, Dawntrail, arrives this summer! The full release also lifts the restrictions present in the open beta.
Even better news is that, until April 19, players who pick up the game for Xbox Series X|S will be able to receive Early Purchase Bonuses to help them on their adventures, and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to receive the Starter Edition through their Perks, giving them complete access to three games in one for free!
Final Fantasy XIV Online has so much to offer in terms of customization and playable content! Learn more about the eight starting classes and their three starting locations that you can take into consideration when creating your very own Warrior of Light.
Creating Your Own Warrior of Light
Creating your character is the first step in your new adventure! Choose the new ‘you’ without worry, as all the race and gender options are equal. And don’t fret on choices at the start too much, as all are possible to change later!
During character creation, you will select a starting class that you can level into iconic Final Fantasy series jobs. There are eight starting classes to choose from, and many more to level and master as you progress. Not just battle-focused classes and jobs, but also classes related to crafting and gathering.
Don’t fret if you want to try more than one, as you can play all the available classes and jobs on a single character. You simply need to change your main hand weapon or tool and voila!
Choose Your Role
There are three roles that the various battle-focused classes and jobs fall under: Tanks, Healers, and DPS (which itself has different types).
Tanks – High in HP and trained in defense, a tank serves as the party’s shield. Skilled at keeping a foe’s attention and bearing the brunt of enemy attacks.
Healers – Healers use restorative arts to mend wounded companions. They can also help to mitigate damage, remove detrimental effects, and even bring fallen allies back to life.
DPSTypes
Melee DPS are close-range attackers. Focused on combos and careful positioning to inflict the maximum amount of damage. Physical ranged DPS attack foes from a distance. They excel at inflicting sustained damage, and also provide support for companions. Magical ranged DPS attack foes using a variety of arcane arts. Movement is restricted by casting times, but they excel at inflicting high burst damage.
Starting Locations
Your character’s starting class will not only determine your initial play style, but also where you begin your journey; in one of three beautiful city-states:
Ul’dah
Limsa Lominsa
Gridania
Gridania – In the eastern reaches of the Aldenard landmass, home to vast, dense woodlands and coursing rivers, lies the forest nation of Gridania. The cityscape is a mosaic of labyrinthine waterways and great wooden structures, so gracefully constructed they seem a part of the surrounding environment.
Limsa Lominsa – On the southern coast of the island of Vylbrand, under the shadow of ancient cliffs worn by the relentless onslaught of the Rhotano Sea, lies the marine city-state of Limsa Lominsa. Said to be blessed by the goddess of navigation, Llymlaen, the city is spread out over countless tiny islands, each connected by sturdy bridges of iron and wood construction, earning her the name the “Navigator’s Veil” from traveling bards who have witnessed the city’s beauty from afar.
Ul’dah – The bustling commercial hub of Ul’dah sits amid the desolate desert landscape of southern Aldenard. The city is organized strategically around the dome-shaped citadel at its center. Its towering fortifications and protective outer walls are visible for malms in all directions, and serve as a stark deterrent to would-be besiegers.
Below are where the eight starting classes begin and how they evolve into iconic Final Fantasy jobs:
Role
Starting Class
Evolved Job
Starting Location
Tank
Gladiator
Paladin
Ul’dah
Tank
Marauder
Warrior
Limsa Lominsa
Healer
Conjurer
White Mage
Gridania
Healer/DPS
Arcanist
Scholar (Healer) or Summoner (DPS)
Limsa Lominsa
DPS
Pugilist
Monk
Ul’dah
DPS
Lancer
Dragoon
Gridania
DPS
Archer
Bard
Gridania
DPS
Thaumaturge
Black Mage
Ul’dah
Of course, your adventures will extend far beyond these starting city-states and early class choices. You’ll be able to venture into a wide variety of new locations and learn a multitude of battle-focused jobs, as well as more easygoing crafting and gathering classes throughout your time in Eorzea.
Players are welcome to experience all that Final Fantasy XIV has to offer on the Xbox Series X|S today!
Dip your toes in with the Starter Edition which includes A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, and Stormblood—the equivalent of three full Final Fantasy titles! Then, once you’re ready, you can purchase the Endwalker expansion which also includes Shadowbringers, further expanding the breadth of content available! Or dive headfirst into the full offering with the Complete Edition, which includes the three Starter Edition titles and the two most recent expansions: Shadowbringers and Endwalker.
For players who are looking for even more information on how to start the game, check out our Starter Guide series. The seven-part video series offers early tips and tricks for new players to get the most out of their adventures in Eorzea. The series follows the journey of new player Kaz and his mentor Mayra, who guides him through his first steps in FFXIV. You can check out the whole series in a playlist here!
Previous open beta players and new players alike are invited to enjoy the Free Trial, which includes A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, and Stormblood with no restrictions on play time and progress carrying over from the open beta. Note that there are in-game restrictions associated with the Free Trial, but these can be lifted by upgrading to the full game.
Please note that by registering the Starter Edition or Complete Edition to your account, will no longer be eligible for the Free Trial and a paid subscription will be required to play. (New accounts starting with the Starter Edition or the Complete Edition will receive a 30-day free play period. The 30-day free play period can be applied once to each platform on a single service account, so cross platform users can also enjoy this benefit.) Additionally, a subscription to both FFXIV and Xbox Game Pass (Core or Ultimate) is required to play.
We look forward to welcoming you to Eorzea!
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online – Complete Collector’s Edition – Early Purchase Bonus
SQUARE ENIX
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
The Complete Collector’s Edition is perfect for new players as it includes the base game and all expansions through Endwalker – all in one comprehensive package! Purchase by 04-20-2024 (10:00 UTC) to receive the following bonus items!
• Palom Minion
• Menphina’s Earring (including 30% EXP bonus up to level 80) These items will be delivered in-game via the Moogle Delivery Service. Minions are vanity pets that do not have any effect on a player’s attributes. The Earring grants a 30% increase in EXP gained by defeating enemies when worn, equippable only by Disciples of War or Magic classes and jobs. Service accounts that already claimed pre-order bonus items for FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker are not eligible for the Early Purchase Bonus items. This edition also includes all Collector’s Edition in-game bonus items:
-Endwalker
• Arion Mount
• Wind-up Porom Minion
• Death Scythe -Shadowbringers
• Grani Mount
• Wind-up Fran Minion
• Revolver Gunbreaker Weapon -Stormblood
• Syldra Mount
• Wind-up Bartz Minion
• Chicken Knife Red Mage Weapon -Heavensward
• Flying Griffin Mount
• Dark Knight Cecil-themed Baron Helm
• Wind-up Kain
• Phial of Fantasia, an item that grants you a single opportunity to edit your character’s appearance. -A Realm Reborn
• Fat Chocobo Mount
• Coeurl Mount
• Wind-up Moogle Minion
• Baby Behemoth Minion
• Behemoth Barding
• Helm of Light This Edition also includes a 30-day free play period* IMPORTANT:
• *The 30-day free play period included with purchase can only be applied once to each platform on a single service account.
•All editions of the game require user registration. All editions of the game other than the Free Trial require an active paid subscription to play.
•Age restrictions and other terms and conditions apply. Please refer to the User Agreement (https://sqex.to/ffxiv_agreement) and Square Enix Account Terms of Use (https://sqex.to/ffxiv_terms) for the terms and conditions of registration and service. Please visit the FINAL FANTASY XIV website at https://www.finalfantasyxiv.com/ for additional information.
• An active Xbox Game Pass Core or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate plan is required to play this product.
Xbox is your home for free-to-play action! Dive into the week-long celebration of the amazing free-to-play games on Xbox from March 19 to March 25 in Free-To-Play Frenzy to explore new worlds, embark on epic quests, battle with millions of other players online and enjoy great discounts and special Perks* offers. Whether you want to battle royale with your friends, explore distant galaxies, or unleash your creativity, there’s a free-to-play game that suits your mood and style on Xbox.
Enhance your gameplay with great discounts and special Perks offers*. Xbox’s Free-to-Play Frenzy Sale is here with up to 65% off add-ons on some of your favorites such as Brawlhalla – All Legends Pack, Puzzle Quest 3 – Adventurer’s Goldenfire Pack, War Thunder – F4EJ Phantom IIADTW Pack. Hurry, discounts end March 25!
Immerse yourself in new adventures during Xbox Free-To-Play Frenzy as you discover new games and modes that will keep you entertained for hours. Join the fight in Call of Duty: Warzone, the free-to-play battle royale mode of the blockbuster franchise. Create, explore, and conquer in Roblox, the online platform that lets you create and play millions of games made by users around the world. Dive into Warframe, the sci-fi action RPG that lets you become a space ninja joining other players in co-op missions across the solar system.
Revisit favorite journeys for some familiar fun in your favorite free-to-play games on Xbox to enjoy fresh content, updates, and events. Experience the new Season of the Wish in Destiny 2, the free-to-play sci-fi shooter that offers new challenges and rewards. Transport to a vast sci-fi fantasy world in Phantasy Star Online 2 to embark on quests, explore planets, and fight enemies with other players.
From racing to role-playing, from adventure to simulation, you can find a game that matches your interests and imagination. Your imagination is the only boundary in The Finals; build your contestant with a wild combination of looks, abilities, accessories, and gadgets in the fast-paced, high-stakes game fight for fame to surprise your opponents in the arena to win the hearts of viewers.
Explore Free To Play Perks
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can claim exclusive Perks for a variety of games, including Smite, Warframe, DC Universe Online, Hawked, Vigor, and Super Animal Royale. These Perks may include bonus loot, skins, and more to enhance your gameplay experience. Check the Perks gallery on your Xbox console or the Xbox app for details, or read the descriptions below to learn about specific offers for these games.
Smite Unlock true power with the Smite Netherbeasts Perk. This Perk contains the Gods Chaac, Cernunnos, and Cerberus, as well as their voice packs and emotes. Plus enjoy a 3-Day Account Booster!
Warframe Enhance your Arsenal with valuable amenities like an Orokin Reactor and Orokin Catalyst, 3 Day Affinity and Credit Boosters, and more. Plus, bolster your look with the impressive Excalibur Immortal Skin!
Vigor Become a harbinger of deadly news in the unforgiving Outlands. Gear up, grab the Airdrop, and prove that you can deliver!
DC Universe Online Outshine and out style both friends and foes with this Tenth Metal Chroma Set to seriously level up your wardrobe game! Base game for DC Universe Online included with this Perk.
Hawked Plunder Pack #1 contains: – Radioactive Outfit – Green Wyvern Hoverboard – Noxious Weapon Pattern. These items are purely cosmetic and do not offer a competitive advantage.
Super Animal Royale Take your animal apparel to the next level with the Super Animal Royale – Spring Perks Pack. Claw your way to the top of the food chain in style with this exclusive set of cosmetics.
Ready for endless fun? Xbox Free-To-Play Frenzy is your chance to discover the world of free-to-play on Xbox. Whether you want to immerse yourself in new adventures, revisit favorite journeys, or create your own stories, you can find a game that matches your mood. So grab your controller, press play, and get lost in the adventures of Free-To-Play Frenzy on Xbox.
*Perks offers vary by region and game. Check the Perks gallery on your Xbox console or the Xbox app for details.
Create a sustainable exofarm on a mysterious new world, filled with mysteries to uncover
Join up to three friends online and work together to clean up the planet by taking care of the environment
Lightyear Frontier launches into Early Access for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and via Game Pass March 19
Explore a strange new planet, pilot and customize your very own mech suit and work with up to three friends online to clean up and create a sustainable environment in Lightyear Frontier, out in Early Access March 19 on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and via Game Pass.
Take a new direction in the farming-sim genre, as Lightyear Frontier sends players beyond the stars to a beautiful planet, where the goal is not to destroy or conquer but to nurture and cultivate a homestead for you and your friends. Embark in your mech and live in harmony with the world’s wondrous nature, as you help restore the planet to its natural beauty.
Find The Mech, Save The World
Where many games invite players to alien worlds to battle waves of monsters or save the universe from an intergalactic threat, Lightyear Frontier brings fresh ideas to the table. Instead of embarking on a path of destruction, players will work to help cultivate this forgotten land, managing their relationship with the ecosystem as they create a sustainable, healthy environment for themselves and all the wildlife that roams the planet.
Pollution has taken over the world, causing environmental hazards and challenges for players to overcome. With your trusty mech, it’s up to you and up to three of your friends to clean up the hazards that have soiled this world. Use your hose tool to power wash devastating pollution or equip your trusty hose to clean up noxious weeds to unlock new areas and uncover the past of this world.
By restoring regions of the planet, the landscape will blossom with vegetation, as once barren locations return to life with grass, plants and wildlife. Players can explore these beautiful new vistas to secure new materials and build the farmstead of their dreams, giving you an extra incentive to bring the planet back to its former glory.
Work Together, Live Together
All this work can be tough for one exofarmer, which is why Lightyear Frontier allows up to four players to explore together online, with full cross play. Journey out with your friends to help manage your relationship with the ecosystem and create a sustainable, living space for not only you but the plants and wildlife that inhabit each region.
Using the materials you find, create the dream exofarm for you and your friends, as you each pilot your very own customisable mech to help build a fully-fledged, retro-futuristic farm space. As you all gather new materials, you can perform as a team to build your living space further and unlock new upgrades to help in your journey of saving the planet.
Work together to cultivate and harvest crops, or even assign daily duties on your farm as a group to help jobs pass with ease. Have one player plant new seeds whilst the other waters crops, and even send the rest of your team out on expeditions to excavate new resources to aid in your mission to create a sustainable world.
Give Back What You Take
While other farming simulation games will have you take from the world and not give back, Lightyear Frontier promotes keeping the world nurtured and alive. As you harvest resources from the land to aid your journey be sure to keep replenishing the supply to ensure the planet can remain self-sufficient.
For every tree you cut down, help nurture the planet by replanting what you’ve taken. You can even plant trees much closer to your farmstead to make future gatherings easier for your group. There are many unique interactions to uncover, including feeding animals to help replenish supplies faster, such as aluminium deposits to help build you and your friend’s farm.
With the peculiar pollution overtaking regions of the planet, you can also use the additional mech power of your friends to quickly hose down purple goo damaging the environment and achieve your goal together of reforming the planet. Lightyear Frontier not only works as a solo experience of keeping the planet green but is even better when you tackle the adventure together with your friends.
The Journey Is Just Beginning
The Early Access release of Lightyear Frontier on Xbox Series X|S and PC is only the beginning. As development continues toward the game’s full launch, new updates, unfurling mysteries and ways to interact with the world will keep you coming back for more. Nurturing the planet is only the first step in your journey, with many new adventures on the horizon.
This game is a work in progress. It may or may not change over time or release as a final product. Purchase only if you are comfortable with the current state of the unfinished game. Start your interstellar homestead in this peaceful open-world farming adventure!
Build your sustainable exofarm, grow alien crops, customize your mech, and explore a new world full of mystery with up to three friends! RELAX ON A PEACEFUL WORLD
Live the quiet life as you take in the sights and sounds of your new home. Enjoy a low-stress, combat-free experience without the need to manage things like thirst and hunger. Just focus on farming, exploration, and discovery! Relax to a chill, atmospheric cosmic country soundtrack PILOT AND UPGRADE YOUR MECH
Farm, build, and explore in a customizable mech! Choose from an array of tools, unlock new upgrades, and personalize your mech with an assortment of paint choices and mech parts. TAKE CARE OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT
Carefully manage your relationship with the ecosystem, restoring the surrounding regions by cleaning up the mysterious pollution, clearing out invasive weeds, and mitigating the effects of hazards. Plant new trees to replace the ones you harvest, and ensure a sustainable homestead! PLANT, GROW, HARVEST
Get your new life started by sowing a diverse harvest! Collect seeds of numerous plants as you explore the planet, growing them into fully-fledged harvests. Care for your fields by watering them consistently while enhancing their growth with fertilizer. Trade the harvested crops for credits or turn them into materials for buildings and upgrades. CREATE YOUR NEW HOME
Create the exofarm of your dreams as you turn resources into buildings! Grow your presence as you expand your homestead from basic structures to a fully-fledged, retro-futuristic farm. Make your place your own with alternative color palettes and decorations. EXPLORE A PLANET WITH A PAST
Venture out into the wilderness to discover this new world’s ancient secrets. Team up with your friendly scanner satellite to decipher clues spread across the planet’s varied environments and uncover lost knowledge. FARM AND EXPLORE ALONE OR AS A GROUP
While your mech can handle anything the world throws at you, feel free to invite up to three friends to join you on this journey of settling and exploration! Pool your resources to create the perfect exofarm, and share the rewarding feeling of a good harvest with your pals!
The futuristic worlds of Overwatch 2 and Cowboy Bebop come together in a brand-new collaboration that fans are sure to love. When you log into Overwatch 2 on Xbox Series X|S, you’ll be able to hunt down bounties with the effortlessly cool Cassidy as Spike Spiegel, Ashe as Faye Valentine, along with more favorites from the Cowboy Bebop series.
We asked concept artists Danna Lee and Allison Yu what it was like to design the unique skins for Spike Cassidy and Faye Ashe, and help bring the world of Cowboy Bebop into Overwatch 2.
How exciting was it to create a new skin based on Cowboy Bebop?
Danna Lee: I was extremely thrilled. As a fan of Cowboy Bebop and someone who loves Spike, it was an honor to have worked on this project. I really appealed to my team that I wanted to work on a Cowboy Bebop skin because it’s my favorite anime. So, after rewatching all the episodes and the movie, I delved into the work. I already loved the series, but rewatching it after a long time got me even more excited. I remember applauding after finishing every episode.
Allison Yu: I’m a huge fan of the golden age retro anime, and that includes the beloved Cowboy Bebop series. After I heard that we would be working on this collab, I asked to work on Ashe Faye Skin immediately. Faye is such a cool character who is voiced by my favorite Japanese voice actor and her personality fits Ashe so well. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to combine the looks of Faye and Ashe.
What inspiration from the anime did you bring into the skins?
Danna Lee: I aimed to replicate Spike’s outfit as faithfully as possible. I referred to the final episode for his coat. For his gadgets, I designed each of them to evoke a retro feel from that era of anime, and his weapon was inspired by Spike’s Swordfish 2. To understand Spike’s characteristics better, I analyzed and documented every scene he appeared in. I even scrutinized the retro art style in the backgrounds down to every second.
Allison Yu: Faye’s hairstyle and her personality fit Ashe very well overall. The tricky part of this skin is what kind of change we could make for B.O.B. Since Faye doesn’t usually have someone with her in the way that B.O.B. looks out for Ashe, we needed to figure out what could be the best fit for that role. After discussing it, I thought it would be really cool if we could turn her ship, the Red Tail, into B.O.B.
What challenges did you encounter when bringing the worlds of Cowboy Bebop and Overwatch 2 together?
Danna Lee: It was challenging to strike a balance between maintaining Spike’s essence and infusing Overwatch’s style. Spike’s outfit is undeniably chic and cool, but directly translating it into the game would make it overly simple. There were also clipping issues during rigging and adjusting elements that couldn’t be implemented in-game and addressing that was tough, but with the collaboration of the tech and modeling teams, we managed to pull it off.
Allison Yu: As mentioned, designing B.O.B. was the most challenging part of this skin. The ideation of making B.O.B. into a ship was really abstract at first and we went back and forth a few times with my lead. Should we keep his shirt and pants to make him more like B.O.B. or should we just lean into the ship form? Ultimately, we decided to make his shape mimic the Red Tail ship as close as possible, making B.O.B. much more round and organic, and taking away the clothes to make this skin truly unique.
I want to shout out to my art lead, Daryl Tan, for helping me along the way while working on this skin. He took a lot of time giving feedback as we tried to figure out the solution for B.O.B.
What is your favorite episode or scene from the anime?
Danna Lee: I particularly love episodes that delve into the characters’ pasts. I have a fondness for Faye Valentine’s backstory. I remember shedding tears as I watched it. It was heart-wrenching to see her family home, where she lived with her loved ones, and her room where she lay down, slowly regaining her memories. Imagining how painful it must have been for her to gradually recall her memories deeply resonated with me. The realization that she’s the only surviving human from her time was chilling and poignant.
Allison Yu: My favorite is Episode 9, “Jamming with Edward,” and that is when Edward shows up and joins the team, which suddenly makes the show more energetic, and I always enjoy how she acts funny with Ein.
Are there any fun details about the skins players should look out for?
Danna Lee: The hat worn by Spike Cassidy is Andy Von De Oniyate’s hat. There’s an episode where the two engage in a cowboy showdown, and in the end, Andy places his hat on Spike. I incorporated this detail into the skin. The key hanging from Cassidy’s waist is the key to Swordfish 2. I thought adding this key, which is used to pilot the Swordfish, would be a fun element. I worked on these details with the hope that fans and players would appreciate the attention to detail. It was immensely enjoyable to consider these aspects while working on the skin.
Allison Wu: I worked on adding different items of Faye from different episodes, including the sunglasses she wears in Episode 3, “Honky Tonk Woman,” and the earrings in Episode 5, “Ballad of Fallen Angels.” Also, we paid a lot of attention to B.O.B. as the Red Tail, matching the smallest details from the actual ship in his air vent shape, head, and color choices.
The Overwatch 2 x Cowboy Bebop Collab event is live now through March 25. You can purchase the new Legendary skins for Spike Cassidy, Faye Ashe, Edward Sombra, and Jet Mauga from the Overwatch 2 shop, and log onto Overwatch 2 on Xbox X|S and complete engaging new challenges to claim bounties of new rewards, including the Ein Wrecking Ball Legendary Skin.
Overwatch® 2: Complete Hero Collection
Blizzard Entertainment Inc.
☆☆☆☆☆1532
★★★★★
$19.99
New to Overwatch 2? Unlock the full game experience with the Overwatch 2: Complete Hero Collection! This bundle includes: – Instant access to all legacy Overwatch heroes – Instant access to 7 Overwatch 2 heroes, including Mauga!
– 3 legacy Epic Overwatch skins
– 3 legacy Legendary Overwatch skins
– 1,000 Overwatch Coins With your Overwatch Coins, you can purchase the Premium Battle Pass (sold seperately) or in-game cosmetic items from the Shop or Hero Gallery to customize your heroes. Owners of the Premium Battle Pass can also use Overwatch Coins to unlock Tiers and instantly access Legendary and Mythic content.
“The Nürburgring was built in 1927 with extraordinary length through the middle of the Eifel forests. It remains the longest permanent race track to this day. Even back then, the racing drivers who came to the Nürburgring knew what an incredibly special and challenging track the Nürburgring actually is,” explains Alexander, quoting Rudolf Caracciola, who won the first car race on the Nürburgring and described his experience as follows:
“When we came to the newly opened Nürburgring in 1927, we opened our eyes. We had never experienced anything like it. There was a road in the middle of the Eifel mountains, a closed loop with almost 180 bends spread over 22 kilometers. It was a track with gradients that were a sharp blow to the engine, but also with unspeakably beautiful views far across the country, of valleys and villages.”
On the one hand, it is the almost 100-year history that still inspires awe and respect among motorsport enthusiasts and professional racing drivers alike: 1000-kilometer races, fatal accidents, unforgettable Formula 1 races, new records and impressive performances by the best drivers in the world. Record-breaking world champion Michael Schuhmacher made such a lasting impression that an entire corner was named after him. When Niki Lauda’s Ferrari went up in flames on the Nordschleife in 1976, the entire motorsport world held its breath.
In addition to the history, it is the track itself that accounts for the legend of the Nordschleife: the unique layout, the dynamics, the differences in altitude and the unique atmosphere. If you want to complete a lap, you have to tackle over 70 corners and 300 meters of elevation gain. An experience that demands everything from the driver and is now possible in Forza Motorsport.
In Forza Motorsport, players will discover what makes this circuit an adrenaline-filled crucible, one which pushes professionals, manufacturers, cars – and now, finally, Forza fans – to their limits. YouTuber and racing expert rAii has already put the track through its paces in countless racing games, including the new Forza Motorsport, and shared his thoughts on the presentation with Xbox Wire DACH: “It just feels like the Nordschleife that you know. That’s the most important thing.”
Hello Xbox fans! Our co-op sandbox survival game Wizard With a Gun unloads an expanded arsenal of new content today in Bounty of Guns, our newest free update! There’s a crate-load of fresh, awesome stuff in Bounty of Guns, including new enemies, events and fashionable furniture for your refuge in the Tower, but, as the name suggests, there’s one new feature in particular that wizards who love weapons will really get a kick out of.
Lucrative new Bounties offer you the chance to gain special rewards from an assortment of more than 50 firearms, and we’ve picked out five of our favourites to help kickstart your collection.
Fidrow Cultbuster
Favoured for its steady output, larger magazine size, and stronger bullets, the Fidrow Cultbuster is a great way to keep your enemies hiding behind cover. The Cultbuster has been banned on the plains after the Cult of Iron Massacre six years ago, but the contraband wand has found its way on the Shatter in the hands of those same cultists.
Odden’s Pointer
Odden Hammerite is a mechanist craftswoman from the eastern plains whose guns are recognizable from their brutalist designs. She’s a supplier of the Gladwell family, who value the added power the guns generate by charging up shots. Together, her line of guns is known as Odden’s Fist.
Vitriol
The Cult of Lead has developed numerous weapons to better spread poison and corruption. Vitriol is one of their most successful experimental weapons yet. Each shot adds an additional poison dose to its bullet, making it the ideal companion to lethal finisher spells!
Malediction
Draco Scarpath is renowned for his extraordinarily powerful gunmancy. The downside to his obsidian-infused wands is that every shot drains the life from their wielder’s body. The more powerful the gun, the higher a toll it takes. Most wizards stay far away from his cursed weapons… except those who prize power above all else.
Blightspreader
Since discovering the Infinite Well in the Tower, Orion has spent years trying to cleanse its poison. His idea for the Blightspreader came originally as a way to deliver antidotes faster than the Well’s rate of decay, but now his gun too has been corrupted. Orion has infused the minigun with the Well’s poison and wields it as a weapon against those who would attack Hilda and her Riders.
We hope you enjoy racking up Bounties, getting to grips with your new toys, and putting your Gun Racks to good use. Good luck, gunslingers! You’re gonna need it…
Wizard With a Gun is out now for Xbox Series X|S. The Bounty of Guns update arrives for free today.
There is often no greater time sink than a good management simulator, and when they come as witty and delightful as Galacticare, it’s even harder to put them down. Galacticare is a bizarre and brilliant strategy game where you’re tasked with the running of an interstellar health company, managing hospitals, discovering weird, alien ailments, and finding ways to cure them. Xbox Wire was fortunate enough to get our hands-on a never-before-seen level, and speak with Galacticare Creative Director Josh Bishop about the makings of this wacky adventure.
Bishop tells us that crafting a hospital game was developer Brightrock Games’ vision from the outset, but they wanted to build more than a management simulator. The team wanted to push the boundaries of the genre’s mechanics, while putting a fun, unique narrative at the forefront of the experience.
“The backdrop that gave us the most freedom to explore was the choice to set the game in space,” Bishop says. “Being able to create a whole galaxy with eccentric alien species, unusual diseases and out of this world technology would not have been possible without a setting of this kind.”
The space setting also makes way for this cast of quirky, non-human characters to engage in similarly wacky stories, which was important for the team. This shines through in Galacticare‘s clever dialogue; the recurring characters are a cast to get to know, not just an aimless NPC to prop up the gameplay.
“Often with simulator games, narrative is secondary. For us, it was one of our primary goals: to give the game, the world, a story that the player will remember,” Bishop says.
Often with simulator games, narrative is secondary. For us, it was one of our primary goals.
“As the main character, we want you to feel a part of this episodic journey through the stars. The dialogue is a huge part of crafting that with our players, immersing themselves in a colourful galaxy that they play one of the most significant parts in.”
We got a taste of this during our playthrough of Many Me, the sixth level of Galacticare‘s story mode. Here your job is to organise and treat clones of a single character, the villainous geneticist Dr Ohdious. The plot twist? This is not a hospital, it’s a prison, built to house Dr Ohdious and his many illegal clones. Due to security issues, you’ll need to create more clones to help cure the inmates, rather than hiring outside talent for the jobs at hand.
“Dr Ohdious, the consultant for this level, was actually one of the first consultants we designed, knowing that we wanted to create a level focused solely around him,” Bishop tells us. “His maverick approach to cloning gave us a vehicle to twist the gameplay into a unique experience mechanically and narratively for players: clone your own doctors.”
Fortunately, Dr. Ohdious has seen fit to share his knowledge of cloning with us, at least. This level also opens up the Cerebral Rehab, alongside the ability to clone your staff, or wipe the minds of existing employees, so they can re-train in whatever discipline you need. I get very attached to my subjects, to the ability to sculpt them to my precise (and often chaotic) needs was an extremely welcome change to Galacticare‘s formula.
Many Me isn’t alone in being a unique gameplay experience, either. Bishop tells us that many of the levels in Galacticare alter the core gameplay in various ways, which will keep you on your toes, and stop you from following the same pattern when you enter a brand new scenario.
Dr Ohdious is one of Galacticare‘s Consultants – one-of-a-kind doctors that can be unlocked as you progress through the story, and will remain on hand for recruitment in future levels. Each Consultant comes with their own unique personality and story, as well as their own abilities, which makes them both useful and memorable as you progress.
“Consultants play a vital component in guiding you through interesting gameplay choices and moment-to-moment decision making,” Bishop adds. “In a genre where choices can sometimes start narrowing once you’ve committed to a path – they aim to give flexibility and support.”
Many Me is just one of the extremely fun scenarios that Galacticare places you in, and I can’t wait to get fully stuck in to this zany universe. Scrub up for a truly out of this world experience when Galacticare launches on Xbox Series X|S later this year.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess will release day one with Game Pass as well as on Xbox Series X|S and Windows in 2024.
Check out all the latest gameplay on the newest Capcom game set in a Japanese-inspired universe, all revealed during the Xbox Partner Preview
Hear directly from Director Shuichi Kawata as well!
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a highly unique, Japanese-inspired single-player game that blends multiple genres to create an action-packed adventure unlike any other! First revealed in June last year during Xbox Games Showcase 2023, this new title from Capcom will release day one with Game Pass, as well as on Xbox Series X|S and Windows in 2024.
The story begins when the legendary Mt. Kafuku is covered by an evil defilement and the 12 masks, including their special powers, are stolen. Our protagonist, Soh, must work together with Yoshiro, the Maiden with divine powers, to purge and cleanse the villages of the defilement.
The masks worn by Soh and the villagers each feature a different divine power, and these powers are the key to protecting Yoshiro. As you cleanse additional villages from their evil defilement, you’ll recover more masks and work together with the various villagers that each mask unlocks to bring Mt. Kafuku back to its original beauty.
Strategic Actions with Dancing Swords and Commands
The game combines the exhilarating action of “dancing swords” with the strategic element of deciding which villagers will join you on your journey to cleanse each village. The cycle of preparing for battle during the day and protecting the Maiden and the village from evil spirits of the mountains (“The Seethe”) at night is critical to Soh’s success. Let’s look at the gameplay during both day and night.
During the day, explore the village, purge defilements, and rescue villagers so they can join you in battle. Repair contraptions to give you an advantage against The Seethe’s attacks at night.
The rescued villagers will fight alongside Soh – but the decision on which power to grant to each villager is up to you. Different masks will grant different powers that help some villagers excel at close-range attacks, while others can heal your crew. Think strategically about which villagers you enlist and where to station them ahead of battle. For example, those with superior melee attacks on the front lines, with long-range attackers in the rear. Use the terrain to your advantage, prepare your positions, and get ready for epic battle once the moon begins to rise.
Each village features the recognizable Torii gates, and ultimate success is decided upon whether Yoshiro, the divine Maiden, can successfully pass through those gates before she faces defeat at the hands of The Seethe. But watch out! Each Torii gate is connected to an evil universe, providing an entrance for The Seethe. Guide Yoshiro to the Torii gates to purge the defilement and save the village.
How to use time wisely before sunset is crucial. In addition to time management, players must strategize for their battle at night. The players’ strategies alongside resource and time management skills are put to the test.
Nightfall brings a distinct blend of intense action and real-time strategy. Protect the Maiden from the oncoming threat of The Seethe by commanding your enlisted villagers while simultaneously doing battle, facing off against The Seethe with Soh’s unique dance-like sword attacks.
In the trailer, you also got your first look at “Kagura” – traditional “dances” derived from the Shinto religion in Japan that has been passed down from generation to generation to purify the defiled. Both Yoshiro and Soh perform Kagura in their own notable ways.
We have named this unique action, in which the player purges the defilement by “dancing,” the “Dancing Sword Action.”
Need to change strategies on the fly? Each villager can be reassigned new roles and repositioned throughout the village any time at night. Protect Yoshiro by making critical calls and decisions in this ever-changing environment.
The Seethe: Evil Spirits Called Upon by the Defilement
The Seethe take many different demonic shapes and forms, with various attacks and abilities. Each enemy is inspired by various Japanese yokai – a catchall word for all manner of ghosts, shapeshifters, demons, monsters, and more – and historic folklore. The Seethe, designed carefully by the director, offers an inside look at the dark aesthetic that immerses Soh and the villagers throughout each night’s battle.
And if The Seethe aren’t enough, the latest gameplay trailer revealed the even more powerful “Festering Seethe.” Catch this intense battle against the Festering Seethe!
Hear From Director Shuichi Kawata
“I hope you enjoyed the new trailer for Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess! It’s been a while since the title was announced last year, but I hope the new gameplay you just watched was worth the wait. After releasing Shinsekai: Into the Depths four years ago, we’re ready to open a new chapter for players around the world to enjoy.
This game features a very distinct blend of action and strategy genres and takes strong inspiration from various elements of Japanese culture. With all of that, we’re excited (and maybe a little nervous…in a good way!) to have everyone experience this game.
We are currently in the final stages of development, and the team is working hard to be able to deliver the best experience this game can offer, so we hope you look forward to it.”
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess will Launch in 2024
The Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass features extended story content Episode Aigis -The Answer, new costumes, and more
General Producer, Kazuhisa Wada, shares his excitement and details of each content drop
Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass will be available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users for free as part of the Perks program
Get ready to dive deeper into the world of Persona 3 Reload with the newly announced Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass, featuring new costumes, background music tracks, and an extended story content scenario Episode Aigis -The Answer-.
This major DLC pack follows the recent successes and achievements of Persona 3 Reload, which became the fastest selling ATLUS title in history, topping 1 million sales within its first week of release. This stunning remake is highly rated amongst critics and players alike, currently holding an 88 on Metacritic.
Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass is coming on March 12 to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC and will be available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users for free as part of the Perks program. Check out the full announce trailer from the Partner Preview and get more insights from the team at ATLUS below.
The Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass includes Episode Aigis -The Answer-, the beloved final chapter of Persona 3, now remade with cutting-edge graphics, modernized quality-of-life features and all the upgrades that came with Persona 3 Reload.
After unravelling the mysteries of the Dark Hour, fighting epic battles through Tartarus, and all the unforgettable events of Persona 3 Reload, the S.E.E.S. members find themselves trapped in a never-ending March 31st. Your journey will take you through the Abyss of Time as you now play as Aigis, a human-like android with the power of Persona. Undertake new challenges, and uncover the cause of this strange fate and the truth of what happened on that day…
“Persona 3 Reload would not be complete without Episode Aigis –The Answer-,” says General Producer Kazuhisa Wada. “The epilogue is sure to satisfy both those who have played the original Persona 3 FES and those who are just starting out.” He continues, “The Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass will be available on March 12th. Episode Aigis -The Answer-, the third and final DLC wave, will be available in September. We hope you enjoy the first and second DLC waves as you wait for Episode Aigis -The Answer-. “
Players can get the Expansion Pass starting on March 12 to gain immediate access to the Persona 5 Royal EX BGM Set and Persona 4 Golden EX BGM Set when exploring and battling in dungeons, featuring fan-favorite tracks from previous Persona titles:
“Life Will Change”
“Beneath the Mask”
“Kichijoji 199X”
“Gentle Madman”
“I believe”
“Keeper of Lust”
“Blooming Villain”
“Victory”
“Backside of the TV”
“Game”
“Junes Theme”
“Heaven”
“Long Way”
“Revelations: Mitsuo”
“The Almighty”
“Results”
In May, you’ll be able to unlock the Velvet Costume & BGM Set, which features Velvet Room themed costumes for all playable characters and exhilarating remixed tracks to further customize your dungeon experience:
“Electronica In Velvet Room (“P4D” ver.)”
“Battle Hymn of the Soul (t.komine REMIX “AT 1st” P3D-EDIT ver.)”
“Battle Hymn of the Soul (Daisuke Asakura Remix)”
“Battle Hymn of the Soul -USH ver.-”
“Dance Hymn of the Soul (Disco In Velvet Room)”
Finally, in September, the final chapter of Persona 3 Reload arrives with the release of Episode Aigis -The Answer-, the final piece of the Expansion Pass.
The entire team would like to thank everyone who has been playing and enjoying Persona 3 Reload and can’t wait for the world to experience the conclusion to this dark and provocative tale.
Stay tuned to ATLUS social channels for more details on this Expansion Pass and Episode Aigis -The Answer-, coming soon!
“As for the detective work, it’s still there but now through a revamped system that makes it all optional. Players can now choose to investigate clues, knowing that in return they may get info that helps them progress differently. For example, engaging in some additional sleuthing may yield information on how to weaken a formidable boss or help you discover an alternate route that you had no idea about. You could, of course, progress without this knowledge, but it will be potentially easier or more engrossing to do so based on info you’ve deduced.”
It’s a major shift, and clearly one that Frogwares has put a great deal of thought into – but it’s also been a passion project that’s had to be created slowly, through some incredibly difficult real-life circumstances, given the studio’s roots in Ukraine.
“We’ve never shared this before, but we were in the early stages of pre-production on The Sinking City 2 when the war broke out in Ukraine in February 2022,” says Oganesyan. “This forced us to put all that work indefinitely on hold. Now that we know what we are capable of handling, have adapted to the situation as best as we can, and taken all the measures to ensure the stable workflow of our studio, we felt it was time to start up The Sinking City 2 again.”
Unknown 9: Awakening debuts exciting new trailer, a fierce heroine, gameplay, and a Summer 2024 release
Step into protagonist Haroona’s shoes, tap into an alternate dimension, and use its potent energy to take down those who stand in your way.
Learn what the Reflector Entertainment team has been up to since the game’s teaser trailer won gamescom’s Best Announcement award in 2020
It’s been three-and-a-half years since Reflector Entertainment and Bandai Namco Europe unveiled Unknown 9: Awakening with a teaser trailer at gamescom 2020. Well, we’re back and ready to share the fruits of our labor with the world!
Today, we are thrilled to unveil Unknown 9: Awakening’s Announcement Trailer, which reveals our tough-as-nails protagonist Haroona, a first look at the gameplay, and a Summer 2024 release.
We’d love to get you up to speed on the game, share what we’ve been up to behind the scenes, and explain why you should join the quest to uncover humanity’s best-kept secrets, so let’s dive in!
The third-person action-adventure title centers on Haroona, a truth seeker with a troubled past whose connection to a shadowy dimension known as the Fold has blessed her with powerful abilities.
The last time the world caught a glimpse of the game’s heroine, she was just a child left to fend for herself on the streets of Chamiri, India, unsure of what to make of her unearthly gifts. Fast-forward to today, and Haroona is all grown up. She’s embraced her unique talents and continues to learn the ways of the Fold.
You’ll step into Haroona’s shoes following a life-changing loss. At first, revenge is all you’re after, but the Unknown 9 universe has other plans. Before you know it, in addition to seeking vengeance, you find yourself on a globetrotting journey, uncovering powerful hidden knowledge. This puts you on a collision course with the Ascendants, a breakaway faction of a secret society known as the Leap Year Society. Founded by the brilliant and ruthless Vincent Lichter, Unknown 9: Awakening’s main antagonist, this dangerous splinter group intends to use the Fold in ways that could jeopardize the future of humankind.
The question is, can you shut down this elusive organization’s master plan before it’s too late?
Building a Narrative Universe
From Reflector’s induction into the Bandai Namco Group to the trials and tribulations of creating a brand-new IP, all while finding our footing in a pandemic and then a post-pandemic workplace landscape, it’s safe to say it’s been quite the ride!
However, the last few years haven’t just been about making process and workflow adjustments. We ideated, fine-tuned our storytelling approach, and explored different mechanics and combinations to build distinctive gameplay experiences.
When it was all said and done, we didn’t just develop a video game. We built an elaborate story-driven universe for you to immerse yourself in!
The Unknown 9: Awakening video game is a gateway to the larger narrative world of Unknown 9, a universe encompassing a set of interconnected stories told across different media formats. The game’s lore seeps into every tale set within this world.
To ensure you flow seamlessly from one story to the next, our development and narrative teams dedicated much time to ironing out specific details and features to get the overarching story and its resulting experience just right.
While we’re excited to reveal the entirety of this experience to you, we’re easing you into the world of Unknown 9 one step at a time, starting with our first video game.
Harness the Powers of the Fold
Your quest begins this summer. The moment you take on the role of Haroona, you have carte blanche to tap into her impressive talents by channeling the Fold’s energy into the world.
Haroona, portrayed by actress Anya Chalotra, is fierce, quick-witted, and wields powerful skills—what those in the Unknown 9 universe call Umbric abilities. By harnessing the Fold’s potent energy, Haroona manipulates people, objects, and weapons from any distance. At the flick of a wrist, she obliterates whatever stands in her path, and her capacity to shield oncoming fire is nothing short of impressive. But what makes her a uniquely formidable force is that she can step into any of her foes, leveraging their size, skill, and weaponry to defeat whoever she’s up against.
Our design and development teams zeroed in on this unique combination of skills, devising a set of gameplay mechanics that give you complete control of your combat strategy. The resulting experience lets you choose how you take down your enemies. Whether this means sticking to stealth mode, engaging in full combat, channelling the Fold’s energy to wield Umbric abilities, or using a combination of them all is up to you to decide.
Truthfully, we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of Haroona’s true potential, the power of the Fold, and the secrets this dimension harbors. Stay tuned for additional revelations about the mysterious world of Unknown 9: Awakening, which comes out on Xbox X|S and Xbox One in the summer of 2024.
Calling all Aces to tune in to the very first Towerborne Twitch stream!
Join Stoic Studio Chief Executive Officer Trisha Stouffer, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Arnie Jorgensen, and Game Director Daniel McLaren as they kick off the broadcast with a casual conversation diving into the game design of Towerborne, the game’s unique and beautiful art direction, and anecdotes of personal experiences across many years of game development. The Stoic team will also talk about Towerborne’s community reception since the game’s announcement at last year’s Xbox Games Showcase, and the gameplay reveal at Gamescom 2023. The stream will be hosted by Community Strategist RAIBOT01, to dig into the origins of Towerborne and the development transition from the highly acclaimed Banner Saga trilogy.
Viewers will also have a chance to participate and ask questions via Twitch chat. Even better, there will be a unique giveaway during the broadcast!
Make sure you join the Towerborne Insider Program if you are interested in playing the game before it comes out later this year. The Towerborne Insider Program gives randomly selected participants access to preview builds for the purpose of helping to shape the future of Towerborne. Be the Ace humanity needs – become a Towerborne Insider today!
After attracting over 1 million players during Game Preview, Hugecalf Studios are proud to announce Turbo Golf Racing will be launching into 1.0 on April 4! Before then, you can download Turbo Golf Racing’s Game Preview on Xbox Game Pass for Xbox Series S|X and Xbox One, or PC Game Pass for Windows Store.
If Turbo Golf Racing is new to you, let me explain: picture yourself playing golf, but instead of the conventional club, you’re using a turbo-charged car to putt the ball. Throw in 7 other players vying to achieve the quickest time (in race mode) or the fewest shots (in golf mode) – not to mention a variety of Power Cores that change your car’s abilities – and you have a recipe for a very different game of golf.
Since launching into Game Preview, we’ve added new Power Cores to the beloved race mode, including Sticky, a core that allows you to attach your ball to your car, and Grapple Hook, a core that tows your car towards your ball, totaling 18 unique Power Cores to date. This has resulted in over 130 possible unique core combinations, including my personal favorite, Magnet and Hyper Glider, which increases my speed while gliding and enables me to pull the ball towards my car with the press of a button.
Frost Beam, Air Strike and Boost Canister have also been added since Game Preview launch. The 3 new pick-ups in race mode have allowed for more ways to sabotage or take the lead on opponents.
Three seasons of content have flown by, including the Aztec and Space seasons, which featured themed cosmetics, fresh biomes, and innovative mechanics. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed utilizing water features to propel my ball closer to the hole, and there’s something truly thrilling about a shot that is rescued from going out of bounds by a shift in gravity on the course.
For those players seeking a more traditional golf experience, 1v1 golf mode was introduced. This new mode allowed players to unwind and focus on accuracy over speed, because victory is awarded to the player who putted in the fewest shots. Though this mode was previously limited to 2 players – more on that later…
Being part of Game Preview meant that many community-requested features were added, including missions, timed events, leaderboards, ranked mode, bots, custom games, tutorial improvements, core balances and many more. All in all, Turbo Golf Racing now features 5 Game Modes, 18 Power Cores, 5 Pick-Ups, 75 Levels, 5 Biomes and over 400 cosmetics. So what can players expect for 1.0?
April 4 will mark the start of Season 4, a Launch Party themed season with 40 new rewards! Pump up the jam or act a clown with the new Bassline and Jester car bodies. Other goodies include party shades, musical boosters, pork pie wheels, and my go-to party hat wheels.
I mentioned earlier golf mode was limited to 2 players, well not anymore! With the launch of 1.0, Turbo Golf Racing will include a new 8-player golf mode. Players will be able to enjoy their favorite mode with more of their friends. Instead of the consecutive turn-taking that occurs in 1v1 golf, players will take their shots simultaneously, competing to sink their ball in the fewest shots.
What’s more, 10 new levels will be added to the roster, and Urban, Wild and Industrial biomes have been revamped with thrilling new themes! Players will also notice new night levels, garage loadouts, a new core, shop items and so much more.
I’m excited to see you all on the starting line, mark April 4 in your calendar, let’s get this party started! Turbo Golf Racing is available in Game Preview on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.
Turbo Golf Racing (Game Preview)
Secret Mode
☆☆☆☆☆250
★★★★★
$9.99$7.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Free Trial
This game is a work in progress. It may or may not change over time or release as a final product. Purchase only if you are comfortable with the current state of the unfinished game. 1v1 Golf Showdown
Step into the ultimate 1v1 showdown, where precision triumphs over speed, and victory is achieved by fewest shots. Scope out the course with the exclusive aerial camera, and hit your ball further than before with the combined power dash mechanic. Put your golfing skills to the test in casual or custom games! 8 Player Online Race
Take on up to seven other competitors in a Grand-Prix style competition. Boost, dash and glide to be the first to get your ball into the hole. Hit the boost pads to charge past your rivals, take shortcuts to outwit them and utilise pick ups to stop them in their tracks. Time Trials
Race against the clock to earn stars and unlock new courses! Compare your best time on each course against those of your friends, or secure your place on the global leaderboards! Power Cores and Pick Ups
Control the way you play by equipping unique Power Cores to suit your playstyle. Hit your ball with more power, spin, or bounciness, whilst using powerful abilities to grapple onto, freeze or stick to your ball. Customisation
Stand out from the crowd in your personalised vehicle. Enjoy over 1 trillion different combinations with customisable car bodies, balls, wheels, spoilers, shields, paints and boosters! Traverse The Courses
Use your wings, wheels and wit to navigate the terrain, taking advantage of boost pads and boost rings, while avoiding rough, bunkers and trees! Journey through unique biomes, including ancient Aztec temples, gravity defying space courses and industrial wastelands! Full details on the latest status of the game, how you can give feedback and report issues can be found at [https://turbogolf.racing/].
We brought you our annual Nacon Connect broadcast last night, and you know what that means – new game announcements, trailers for our upcoming games, a little ’80s nostalgia, and of course, something related to Test Drive Unlimited.
Personally, I think we ticked all those boxes, but I’ll leave that up to you to decide. So, grab your Nacon Connect bingo cards and let’s dive into some of last night’s announcements. Also, some of our best games from last year are on sale, with savings on last year’s breakout hit Robocop: Rogue City, Gangs of Sherwood, and more. So, head to the end of the article for a full list!
Terminator: Survivors
In Terminator: Survivors – which we showed off for the first time – you play a survivor in an open world set after Judgment Day where, alone or in co-op, you scavenge resources to build a base of operations for mankind. But you’re not alone. Skynet’s machines will hunt you relentlessly and rival human factions will fight for the same resources you desperately need.
Defy the machines and build the resistance in Terminator: Survivors, coming to Xbox Series X|S.
Dragonkin
The four kingdoms have been pushed to the brink, small enclaves desperately fighting for survival. But the winds of change have started to blow, and those who have done the unthinkable – to partake of a Dragon’s blood – have been given the power to change the world. These mutants have teamed up with some of humanity’s strongest heroes, forming an unlikely alliance as they take on the draconic forces.
We announced Dragonkin last night during the Nacon Connect. This top-down ARPG lets you select between 4 character classes, each with their own abilities and skills. It’s a flashy hack ’n’ slash playable solo or in co-op with up to 4 players.
Claim back your world from the dragons when Dragonkin comes to Xbox Series X|S in 2025.
Endurance Mostorsport Series
When it comes to the ultimate challenge in track racing, there’s nothing more challenging than endurance racing. Marathon multi-class races that involve multiple drivers put extreme strain on vehicles, where everything and anything can happen. Success is a perfect collaboration between drivers, mechanics and engineers.
We wanted to showcase that duality in Endurance Motorsport Series, where you’ll manage both driving and supporting from the pits. Drive licensed cars from major manufacturers, whether Hypercar, LMP2 or GT on famous circuits from across the world in Endurance Motorsport Series, coming to Xbox Series X|S.
GreedFall 2
The next instalment of GreedFall is open to everyone, regardless of whether you’re a newcomer or an expert.
Set 3 years before the events of GreedFall, you are forcibly taken to the continent of Gacane, abducted from the island waters you called home. In these strange lands, factions vie for control across a continent ravaged by war and scarred by the Malichor Plague. Regain your freedom, recruit allies, and – whether via diplomacy, cunning, or combat – put an end to one man’s ambition for conquest, protecting your home in the process.
Turn off your CRT, grab some supplies, assemble your buddies, and set off for Paradize! Buddies didn’t survive the outbreak? Don’t worry! With the patented Zombot technology, you’ll have a veritable army of new workers friends to help you build your base, craft gear, and fight off the zombie hordes hungering for your delicious human flesh.
This quirky twin-stick, hack and slash, crafting/survival action-RPG, is out now, playable solo or with up to 4 friends in co-op. Hop into Welcome to Paradize, available on Xbox Series X|S.
When you hear the words ‘Hong Kong’, what comes to mind? No doubt a city of sprawling skyscrapers, neon lights, food or maybe the people. Let’s get away from all that for just a minute, as the latest trailer for Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown takes us off-road, exploring mountain peaks, lakes, fishing villages and beaches that run alongside the South China Sea.
It’s this variety that is part of the reason that we chose Hong Kong Island as the location for the return of Test Drive Unlimited, and we’re excited to see players explore over 600km of roads (and off-roads) when Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown comes to Xbox Series X|S.
In other news from the Nacon Connect, there was a new gameplay trailer for Crown Wars: The Black Prince (arriving on March 7), a new gameplay trailer for upcoming twisted fairy tale roguelike Ravenswatch and the return of the Tour De France series for a new season later this year.
And if that’s not enough Nacon, we’ve got a few games on sale, including Robocop: Rogue City – Alex Murphy Edition at 30% off, 50% off psychological WW1 horror game Ad Infinitum, and more!
Science isn’t just done in laboratories. Some studies require the presence of experts in the field, or at least the collection of data in remote locations. And being able to transport all these elements that are essential for research to progress, it’s sometimes necessary to brave the traps and dangers of nature. To do this, as an explorer and skilled driver, you will have to travel to the remote forests of the Carpathians or the rocky hills of Arizona in the upcoming Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game, launching March 4, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
Getting behind the wheel of nimble scouts as well as larger, more powerful trucks, you’ll have to tackle the deepest forests and steepest slopes. But don’t expect to triumph without proper preparation — here’s how to make your way through the wilderness.
Select the Best Gadgets
Like Indiana Jones, who never set off on an adventure without his trademark whip, it’s very important to take something with you to deal with any situation. Here are just a few:
Winch: Indispensable for getting out of most difficult situations. You can cling to a tree to get out of the mud or climb slopes that are a little too steep or use a portable anchor to abseil down cliffs and save time.
Echo Sounder: Sometimes, lakes or rivers are deeper than expected and become traps that will drown your engine. To avoid this problem, use the Echo Sounder, which displays the depth of the surrounding water.
Drone: The perfect gadget to scout surroundings from the sky to detect some dangers and define the best path to follow. A good companion also for detecting equipment and goods caches in the wild.
But tools and gadgets are not your only support in organizing an expedition. The human aspect is equally important as well.
Hire a Balanced Team
Even if you’re alone at the wheel of your scout or your truck, you have a whole team at your side to help you on your adventures, like a bunch of specialists whose skills can give you some advantages in conquering wilderness.
Mechanics offer reduced fuel consumption or truck damages, Logisticians increase the range of binocular or repair parts number, and Jaegers allow the player to discover shortcuts. So you need to choose carefully before setting off to maximize your chances of success. Every one of them can be a mission savior, so don’t hesitate to use these adventurers. Of course, they are not all available in the beginning of your explorations and you have to finish certain missions to gain them.
Manage Your Vehicles
Your collection of scouts and trucks also plays a major role in emerging victorious from an expedition. Buy new vehicles with the money earned in successful missions and customize them to face every situation. Of course, you can change their colors and add some decoration in order to be the best-looking vehicle in the surrounding areas, but there are not any win or lose modifiers.
On the other hand, every piece of equipment has its significance, and you must select your scout or truck equipment strategically. Add a snorkel to cross the deepest rivers without drowning your engine, equip a roof rack to carry more fuel and repair parts, or upgrade your engine to increase the power of your vehicle or decrease its fuel consumption.
Organize Your Base Camp
Finally, setting up your base camp is an excellent way of adapting to possible changes and events happening during a mission. An extra truck may be needed, or you may run out of new wheels or spare parts.
Adding a dedicated base module in exchange for a certain sum of money (e.g. Gas Station, Tow Truck, or Repair Station) gives you access to these needs. It’s up to you to gauge the situation and use one or several of these solutions. Every choice is an adventure, every departure, an expedition.
Now that you know what to expect from an exploration and how to prepare for it, pack your bag and pre-order Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game today on the Xbox Store for exclusive content and get ready to roll out on your adventure starting March 5, 2024, on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
Expeditions: A MudRunner Game
Focus Entertainment
☆☆☆☆☆30
★★★★★
Embark on ever-rewarding scientific expeditions as you adapt to nature’s challenges and unravel the mysteries of uncharted lands. Venture into the vast wilderness of arid deserts and rugged forests to the steepest mountains, brimming with hidden treasures and forgotten ruins. Lead research missions as you drive a variety of all-terrain vehicles through treacherous paths, using advanced technologies and high-tech tools to overcome obstacles. Build and manage your base and equip your vehicles with essential gadgets like drones or scanners to ensure your success in the wild. Hire a team of top-notch experts to improve your skills in the field, unlocking new possibilities for exploration. ● Experience a new take on the most advanced physics-based, off-road adventure from the creators of MudRunner and SnowRunner.
● Plan your itinerary wisely by flying over the landscapes with your reconnaissance drone, use your metal detector and camera drone to locate caches of valuable equipment.
● Chart through extreme landscapes with your vehicle’s arsenal of cutting-edge gadgets, like planting anchors to ascend difficult slopes or activating echo sounders to probe water depth.
● Manage your camp by building research structures and hiring experts to unlock new skills and possibilities during your expeditions.
Last month, we announced the Indie Selects program, through which the ID@Xbox team highlights recent indie faves with our weekly “Featured Indies,” along with great older titles showcased via rotating themes.
The program culminates in our monthly “Indie Selects,” where we choose six games from the month’s featured indies to be the team’s picks for the month. We don’t like to say “best,” as there are undoubtedly going to be some amazing games that don’t end up getting chosen, but these are the ones that the whole team has voted on and that come out on top. With Indie Selects, we want to shine a spotlight on games you might not otherwise see – and you’ll get an incredible selection of new, revolutionary, or just downright strange games to play every month.
The criteria is relatively simple: we look at games we consider to be Indies that have recently launched on Xbox, and the whole team votes. The top six vote-winners are our Indie Selects for the month. (Note that we are not including Game Pass games in this program, as they get tons of exposure through the Game Pass channels).
With that explained, I’m incredibly excited to announce the Indie Selects for February, which include everything from a spirited lil gator, to an incredibly deep puzzle game, to a wizard whose chosen weapon is a firearm. These are all games that the team feels confident you’re going to love. Here they are, in our own words (and in no particular order):
Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator is, you guessed it, a cozy gardening simulator. It’s a game about planting flowers, enjoying their growth and decorating the garden to your heart’s content. It all comes with a deep focus on non-punishing gameplay, a light story, and a stunning, anime inspired art style. But under that delightful exterior, you might be surprised at how much thought and processing power has gone into the simulation itself.
At Stillalive Studios, we take pride in our expertise in simulation games and their underlying technology. As we started fleshing out the idea of a gardening game, we realized it would be easy enough to create the basic simulation – some of our studio have quantum physics degrees. But the challenge we set ourselves was this – could we create a gardening game that hid all the simulation complexity under a coziness as pleasant as a cup of warm tea on a cold winter’s eve?
Our Producer is a Florist
It all starts with Kay, our producer. She’s the one that manages the Garden Life project at Stillalive. Kay knows a lot about flowers, as she was a florist in her past professional life. Putting together flower arrangements for festivities and weddings, Kay won prestigious Gold and Silver medals at the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show in London. This knowledge had to be put to good use in a cozy gardening game. With her on the team, we had one of the puzzle pieces down – next, we needed to conquer the tech itself.
Why Does Garden Life Need a Lot of Tech, Anyway?
Computers are not very good at randomness: the little quirks and irregularities that make nature so diverse and interesting. When artists create 3D models, the computer is always going to recreate those models exactly. We couldn’t imagine anything less cozy than a garden full of identical flowers, like a legion of Stormtroopers growing in lockstep. And this is where our tech department set out to find ways of breaking these patterns – adding randomness and quirks back into the cold determinism of computer processors.
Flowers often only play a background role in games. But in a gardening game, flowers are front and center. They need to look stunning. One of our design goals was therefore to make every flower look unique. So unique that a full garden of flowers would look natural, as in real life. No copies. No Stormtroopers. No tricks.
This Is Where Our Sim Background Shines
Every flower model in Garden Life is generated on-the-fly. This is our recipe:
The flower starts on the ground, where the first stem segment is generated and grows.
When the segment is finished, a new segment is spawned.
The growth direction for the new segment gets a kick in a random direction so the stem does not grow in a straight line.
At every new segment and depending on the flower, there is a random chance that a leaf grows out of the stem, or that the stem splits into two segments.
The more segments the plant spawns, the bigger the chance to produce the final flower at the top, finishing the growth process.
Depending on the flower type, the top gets another kick in a random direction for good measure.
This simple recipe allows for so much variation and produces organic, beautiful-looking flower beds. Every flower has leaves at different places. Some stems are shorter, some longer, with random variations in growth direction here and there.
To realize the variety of flowers we have in the game, every specimen has a slight variation of this recipe. How big and long are the stem segments? How straight, interwoven? How many segments can there be, determining the total height of a plant. And while sunflowers grow very tall and have one stem, Hellebores grow in small bunches, and Roses go all-in on the bushy, entangled structure.
As mentioned above, computers are not very good at coping with randomness. While there are tricks to make hundreds of identical models run smoothly, it was a long and winding road to optimize performance for on-the-fly generated 3D geometry. We’re very happy with the outcome! Together with our anime-inspired art style, Garden Life simply looks gorgeous and promises many hours of relaxing gameplay.
Garden Life is out today for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator
Nacon
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
$39.99
Using appropriate gardening techniques and your creativity, bring an abandoned plot back to life, and experience the joy and peace that cultivating your own garden brings. • ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES – In Garden Life, there’s no miracle solution: your plants will only flourish with dedication, the right tools and appropriate gardening techniques! • DESIGN THE GARDEN OF YOUR DREAMS – Using the grid free placement, sow the seeds of your choice and use decorative elements to bring your designs to life. Through the procedural growth simulation technology developed specifically for Garden Life, every plant is unique and adapts to their environment. • NURTURE YOUR GARDEN – Take care of your seedlings by identifying their individual care requirements; water, fertilize, and clip your plants to maintain their natural beauty and nurture them to health. • DISCOVER DIFFERENT VARIETIES – Unlock your creativity by breeding beautiful variations and discover the full potential of each plant. • MEET COLOURFUL CHARACTERS – Help your friendly neighbours by fulfilling their gardening requests and receive rewards such as new plant varieties, tools, and decorations. • RELAX – After a busy day, unwind and experience the calming ambiance of your garden in a soothing world with relaxing sights and sounds.
Combat delivers the most intense first-person experience possible, with plenty of weapons and tactical options to hammer your way through the zombie horde. Whether you’re slicing, smashing, or ripping, you can feel every moment of dismemberment.
This month marks the second anniversary of the launch of Dying Light 2 Stay Human. As this is a massive milestone, we’re celebrating all month long. Kicking it all off was the Year of the Dragon activity, but that was just the start. Now, we’re ready to bring out the big guns in more ways than one with our first major update of 2024: the Firearms Update. We’re certain this’ll please fans as it brings with it something they’ve been asking for, for a while now: guns!
However, before we get into the nitty-gritty of what to expect from the new update, we’ve got some huge news: we’re making the ‘Bloody Ties’ DLC free for anyone who already owns the game! To get it, go to the Xbox Store and claim it. But newcomers won’t be left out either: we’re launching a new version of the game, Reloaded Edition, which will allow new players full access to the DLC once claimed, too! Now, let’s get into the update!
Firearms Update: Fully Loaded
As the name suggests, the biggest part – and arguably the most important to our players – of the update is the addition of firearms. Until now, Villedor had been a gun-free zone, with the closest you’d get to a gun being the Boomstick or an auto-firing crossbow, but neither packed the punch of a real one. Now, players will be able to get their hands on four different types of firearm: pistols, shotguns, rifles and SMGs. And players won’t have to wait long to get their hands on them, as all Pilgrims who’ve completed the prologue will find the ‘Harran Pistol’ in their stash until March 7.
But there’s a lot more to the update than just firearms. We’re also introducing Survivor Missions, which will offer a new type of challenge to players. While playable solo, these missions are intended for co-op as they will test all of your skills, especially the Elite ones. The initial set of Survivor Missions has dropped alongside the update, with more being added on February 29 and March 7.
On the topic of missions, there are some new postings on the bulletin boards of Villedor. Take them on to help out the citizens and get rewarded! And, of course, there are more in-game items for players to earn, this time with the addition of 50 more Legend Levels and a brand-new reward: the Doppelganger Legend outfit.
Additionally, the radio waves are saying a couple of familiar faces from the original Dying Light are making their way to The City. Tolga and Fatin will be arriving on February 29, and from what we’ve heard they’ll be needing your assistance. We guess, even in the future, it’s cool to be fashionably late.
Outside the game, players can find more bounties to take on at Pilgrim Outpost that are specifically designed for Community Maps. And carrying on from that, some of our best creators have already been hard at work on a collection of new maps which make the most of the newly-added firearms.
Keep the Celebrations Going
As we mentioned earlier, this month marks our 2nd anniversary and there’s plenty more reason to celebrate with Anniversary Bounties. For the next few weeks, there will be three sets of four missions (each week unlocks a new set) for players to complete to earn some awesome throwback items from the original Dying Light and the 2019 E3 trailer: the Scorpio, the Nocturnal Tribal Machete and the Acolyte outfit.
However, there’s no reason to panic as if you aren’t able to start right away, you’ll be able to complete Week 1’s bounties in Week 2 or 3 (and Week 2’s bounties in Week 3), so there’s plenty of time for you to nab your rewards! Additionally, the majority of the bounties will focus on the update’s new additions, so you can fully experience them! These special bounties are activated on Pilgrim Outpost, where you can also find out more about the entire activity.
Here’s to Many More
Pilgrims, as we are celebrating this milestone, we’d also like to thank you for your continued support for a game we put blood, sweat, tears and UV Shroomz into. Without you, we wouldn’t be here, so from all of us here at Techland, a massive thank you! We hope you enjoy the first update of 2024. Enough talk; get out there and fill the infected with lead. Party hats optional.
Upgrade your experience with Smart Delivery. Buy the game once to both play it on Xbox One and get its optimized version for Xbox Series X | S It’s been 20 years since the events of the original game. The virus won, and humanity is slowly dying. You play as Aiden Caldwell, a wandering Pilgrim who delivers goods, brings news, and connects the few remaining survivor settlements in barren lands devastated by the zombie virus. However, your true goal is to find your little sister Mia, who you left behind as a kid to escape Dr. Waltz’s torturous experiments. Haunted by the past, you eventually make the decision to confront it when you learn that Mia may still be alive in Villedor — the last city standing on Earth. You quickly find yourself in a settlement torn by conflict. You’ll need to engage in creative and gory combat, so hone your skills to defeat hordes of zombies and make allies. Roam the city, free run across Villedor’s buildings and rooftops in search of loot in remote areas, and be wary of the night. With every sunset, monsters take control of the streets. A WORLD AFTER THE APOCALYPSE
Fifteen years ago, humanity was devastated by the Fall — a catastrophic event that would change the world forever. With the Harran virus spreading around the globe, people quickly found out that all hope for tomorrow is lost. By 2036, only a few settlements remain, and humanity is slowly dying, making way for the new species out there — a horde of relentless zombies. DAY’S FOR THE LIVING, NIGHT’S FOR THE DEAD
Welcome to Villedor, one of the last bastions of humanity. During the day, survivors still try to have a life here and find a false sense of normalcy. Relationships are formed, dreams are dreamed, and life carries on. On the surface, everything seems… fine. Until sunset, that is. With the last ray of light dying out, other, more dreadful, dwellers of The City crawl out of their gloomy interiors, taking over the streets. If you are not vigilant and stay out too long in the dark, you may never return. YOU HAVE TO MOVE TO SURVIVE
Not all fights can be won. Sometimes it’s best to run and, thankfully, you have the skills for it. Parkour lets you escape when odds are not in your favor. Jump from rooftop to rooftop, swing across the cityscape, ride ziplines, and much more. Whatever you do, experience a unique sense of freedom as you free run across Villedor’s buildings and rooftops in search of loot or while running away from the dangers of the night. GET BRUTAL AND BE CREATIVE ABOUT IT
In a world as dangerous as this one, only the strongest survive. Whether you prefer to smash, slice or dismember those who stand in your way, you have to be creative about it to make it through. And who says you need weapons? Utilize the entirety of your parkour moveset to get the jump on your enemies. Learn the ways of combat and parkour to feel the crunch of skulls and slices of flesh as you swing weapons or use your moves to fend off any forms of danger. And let’s not forget that Villedor has weapons that put the most advanced post-apocalyptic armories to shame. FOUR PILGRIMS ARE BETTER THAN ONE
Surviving in Villedor is easier with friends. Team up with up to 3 other players and increase your chances out there. Unravel the story together, take on Pilgrim Outpost challenges, or simply wreak havoc on the city streets.
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