Coming to Xbox Game Pass: Madden NFL 24, Tales of Arise, PlateUp!, and More

Megan Spurr, Community Lead, Xbox Game Pass

Hi, your local game slinger here, back to add more to your “to be played” collection! Maybe you want to simulate some football before the big game; simulate running from horrors, or simulate moving things a little to the left without having to actually organize your things… we have some games for you. Claim your Perks, check out some updates, and get ready to pre-install some games!

Available Today

Anuchard (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The kingdom of Anuchard has fallen. Generations after the collapse, its surviving descendants have chosen you to become The Bellwielder of the magical Audros Bell. Go forth, battle monsters, solve puzzles, and restore Anuchard to its former skyward glory!

Coming Soon

Train Sim World 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 7
Hit high speeds, roam free along the tracks and get creative with a host of new tools and features in Train Sim World 4. Design your own liveries, plan Scenarios and capture railfan shots with the new Photo Mode across three detailed routes in the UK, Austria and USA.

Madden NFL 24 (Console and PC) – February 8

Get ready to light it up in Madden NFL 24 with EA Play. PC Game Pass or Ultimate members can start your season on February 8, 2024, when it joins The Play List, and from then until March 8, you’ll also score an Ultimate Team Supercharge Pack.

Resident Evil 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 13

Jill Valentine is one of the last remaining people in Raccoon City to witness the atrocities Umbrella performed. To stop her, Umbrella unleashes their ultimate secret weapon; Nemesis! Playing as Jill, you must navigate through the chaotic, zombie infested streets of Raccoon City, stunningly re-built using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine. Solve puzzles, encounter other gruesome creatures and try to escape the relentless Nemesis in this reimagining of the 1999 classic!

A Little To The Left (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 14
A cozy puzzle game where every day messes become pleasing puzzle arrangements. Stack documents, sort postcards, and solve all kinds of puzzles across over 100 levels. But watch out for a playful cat who might stop by to swipe away all your hard work!

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 14
Returning to the Game Pass library, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is an exploration-focused, side-scroller action RPG packing all the best features you’ve come to know and love from the metroidvania genre into a single, content-packed game.

PlateUp! (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 15

Classic cooking action with permanent roguelite progression. Cook and serve your dishes, design and decorate your restaurants, and expand your culinary kingdom with unlocks, abilities and dishes in procedurally-generated layouts. Take on the challenge solo or hire up to 3 friends.

Return to Grace (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 20
A daring space archaeologist has just unearthed the ancient resting place of a long lost A.I. god known as Grace. Adventure with various fractured A.I. personalities as you uncover the great mystery of why she was shut down all those years ago in this first-person narrative adventure set in a visually stunning ‘60s retro sci-fi world.

ICYMI

MLB The Show 24 is Coming to Game Pass

Coming to Game Pass on day one, MLB The Show 24 announced Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr will be the cover athlete of the Standard Edition. The Deluxe Editions will pay tribute to the legends of Negro Leagues –– Xbox Game Pass members can upgrade with the Digital Deluxe Add-On to get bonus items and play 4 days early. Learn more here.

DLC / Game Updates

Sea of Thieves: Season 11 – Available now
New adventures are at your fingertips! Discover your next Voyage directly at your Quest Table, or choose a challenge that suits you and dive straight into the action. Gather fresh plunder for the Trading Companies as you rise to level 100 and beyond, earning new Distinctions and rich rewards.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks

Mighty Doom: Cacodemon Mini Slayer Cosmetic – Available now
Wear this Cacodemon cosmetic on your Mini Slayer to show those demons you mean business! Comes with an Xbox cosmetic for the BFG, Cacodemon cosmetic for the Heavy Cannon and more. Download Mighty Doom on mobile, and log into the game with your associated Microsoft account to claim your Perk. You will need to play through the tutorial at first launch.

F1 23: Champions Upgrade – Available now
Get the Champions Upgrade including 4 New My Team Racing Icons and more with your EA Play membership included with Game Pass Ultimate.

The Sims 4: Jungle Adventure Pack – Available now
Help celebrate The Sims 4’s 24th birthday with us! As a gift to you, enjoy the Jungle Adventure Game Pack with your EA Play membership included with Game Pass Ultimate.

Smite: Year 11 Starter Pack – Available now

Celebrate Year 11 of Smite in style! The Year 11 Starter Pack includes Anubis and his Voice Pack, as well as two skins for Anubis, Gravehound and Cosmic Power, and a 3 Day Account Booster.

Leaving February 15

The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon, so make sure to jump back in and take care of remaining Achievements before they leave. Remember to use your membership discount to save up to 20% to keep them in your library.

Galactic Civilizations III (PC)
Opus: Echo of Starsong (Cloud, Console, and PC)

For more updates, stay tuned here on Xbox Wire or keep an eye on our socials over at @Xbox on WhatsApp, @XboxGamePassPC on X, or @XboxGamePass on Instagram. Catch you next time!

The post Coming to Xbox Game Pass: Madden NFL 24, Tales of Arise, PlateUp!, and More appeared first on Xbox Wire.

MLB The Show 24 showcases Negro Leagues Collector’s Edition

Before radios, television sets, and the internet, physical newspapers were the primary source of news and information. Black newspapers and the Black press not only documented Negro Leagues history, in addition, the newspapers were also a source of pride in the black community. (You can learn more here)

Without these newspapers and the pioneering baseball writers, the Negro Leagues wouldn’t have survived. They preserved this often overlooked chapter of American and baseball history. This year’s collector’s edition theme is a tribute to those who helped give a voice to the voiceless.

MLB The Show 24 showcases Negro Leagues Collector’s Edition

San Diego Studio x Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

We are also excited to announce our continued partnership with The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. MLB The Show will donate $1 for every Negro Leagues Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition, and MVP edition sold in the US until 12/31/24 to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Donations will help the Museum continue its work, which is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of America. Visit www.nlbm.com to learn more. This purchase is not tax deductible.

The Negro Leagues Edition (Retailers in the US and Canada)

The Negro Leagues Edition is $124.99 USD/$164.99 CAD and is available at retailers in the US and Canada. Stock is limited, so be sure to get yours while supplies last.

Pre-order now at https://theshow.com/purchase/. Early access begins March 15, 2024.

The Negro Leagues Edition includes:

Full Game (Access to both PS4 and PS5*)
Limited Edition Physical Steelbook
Limited Edition New Era MLB The Show 9FIFTY
[4] Days Early Access – Begins March 15, 2024
Double Daily Login Rewards (For the life cycle of MLB The Show 24)
[1] Barrier Breakers Diamond Choice Pack
[1] Legend Diamond Choice Pack
[5] Gold Choice Packs
[1] Equipment Pack
[1] Cover Athlete Bat Skin
[20] The Show Packs
[20,000] Stubs for MLB The Show 24

This year’s limited edition New Era MLB The Show 9FIFTY hat and physical Steelbook are inspired by the newspapers and retro game posters of the 1930s and 1940s. Check out the pictures below.

Please note that The Negro Leagues Edition of MLB The Show 24 on PlayStation consoles includes a voucher code for the PS5 & PS4 versions of the game, the Digital Deluxe Edition content, as well as a physical Steelbook case and New Era hat.

Digital Deluxe Edition (Digital Platform Stores / PlayStation Store)

The Digital Deluxe Edition returns to the PlayStation Store for our digital fans. It is $99.99 USD/$129.99 CAD. For those of you who need packs, on packs, on packs, this is the edition for you.

The Digital Deluxe Edition includes:

Full Game (Access to both PS4 and PS5*)
[4] Days Early Access – Begins March 15, 2024
Double Daily Login Rewards (For the life cycle of MLB The Show 24)
[1] Barrier Breakers Diamond Choice Pack
[1] Legend Diamond Choice Pack
[5] Gold Choice Packs
[1] Equipment Pack
[1] Cover Athlete Bat Skin
[20] The Show Packs
[20,000] Stubs for MLB The Show 24
MVP Edition (Digital Platform Stores / PlayStation Store)

The MVP Edition returns for MLB The Show 24. For those of you looking for a head-start on your first pitch, the MVP edition is for you. The MVP Edition is $84.99 USD / $109.99 CAD (MSRP).

The MVP Edition includes:

Full Game (Access to both PS4 and PS5*)
[4] Days Early Access – Begins March 15, 2024
Double Daily Login Rewards (For the life cycle of MLB The Show 24)
[1] Barrier Breakers Diamond Choice Pack
[1] Equipment Pack
[1] Cover Athlete Bat Skin
[10] The Show Packs
[10,000] Stubs for MLB The Show 24

We are excited about MLB The Show 24, which will be released soon on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch consoles. Be sure to get your copy today, and gather your friends for a new class of Legends and new ways to play.

Pre-order now available for MLB The Show 24 at PS Store. Early access begins March 15, 2024.

For the latest updates about MLB The Show, check TheShow.com, sign up for The Scouting Report, and follow our X, Facebook, and Instagram accounts. Additional detailed information on MLB The Show 24, including an important update on year-to-year savings and more, can be found on our announcement FAQ here.

*Includes PS4 & PS5 voucher code (no disc included). An internet connection is required to redeem download code.

Microsoft Announces Xbox Game Pass Lineup for February 2024

While the world waits to find out the future of Xbox, Microsoft has announced the Game Pass lineup for February 2024.

Available today, February 6, is Anuchard (Cloud, Console, and PC). Here’s the official blurb: “The kingdom of Anuchard has fallen. Generations after the collapse, its surviving descendants have chosen you to become The Bellwielder of the magical Audros Bell. Go forth, battle monsters, solve puzzles, and restore Anuchard to its former skyward glory!”

Tomorrow, February 7, sees the addition of Dovetail Games’ Train Sim World 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC): “Hit high speeds, roam free along the tracks and get creative with a host of new tools and features in Train Sim World 4. Design your own liveries, plan Scenarios and capture railfan shots with the new Photo Mode across three detailed routes in the UK, Austria and USA.”

Then, on February 8, courtesy of EA Play comes Madden NFL 24 (Console and PC). PC Game Pass or Ultimate members get access to EA Sports’ football game, just in time for the Super Bowl. IGN’s Madden NFL 24 review returned a 6/10. We said: “New animations and improved AI make Madden NFL 24’s on-field action the best it’s ever been, but everything that happens off the field is a slog of dated modes and laggy menus that brings everything around it down.”

Moving on, February 13 sees the addition of the Resident Evil 3 remake (Cloud, Console, and PC). “Another stellar remake of a classic survival horror from Capcom. Keep em’ coming,” we said in our Resident Evil 3 review, which scored the game 9/10.

Two games on February 14: cozy puzzle game A Little To The Left (Cloud, Console, and PC), and side-scroller action RPG Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (Cloud, Console, and PC), which returns to Game Pass. “The wait was worth it,” we wrote in our Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night review. “Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a whole new castle to crash full of unexpected monsters and mysteries in the vein of classic Castlevania.”

February 15 sees PlateUp! (Cloud, Console, and PC) enter Game Pass. Here’s the description: “Classic cooking action with permanent roguelite progression. Cook and serve your dishes, design and decorate your restaurants, and expand your culinary kingdom with unlocks, abilities and dishes in procedurally-generated layouts. Take on the challenge solo or hire up to three friends.”

And finally, Return to Grace (Cloud, Console, and PC) hits Game Pass on February 20. “A daring space archaeologist has just unearthed the ancient resting place of a long lost A.I. god known as Grace,” reads the official blurb. “Adventure with various fractured A.I. personalities as you uncover the great mystery of why she was shut down all those years ago in this first-person narrative adventure set in a visually stunning ‘60s retro sci-fi world.”

Here are the games coming to Xbox Game Pass in February 2024:

Train Sim World 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 7
Madden NFL 24 (Console and PC) – February 8
Resident Evil 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 13
A Little To The Left (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 14
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 14
PlateUp! (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 15
Return to Grace (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 20

In its announcement, Microsoft said MLB The Show 24, due out March 19, is coming to Game Pass on day one.

Leaving Game Pass on February 15 are Galactic Civilizations III (PC), and Opus: Echo of Starsong (Cloud, Console, and PC).

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Bore Blasters and its mix of Vampire Survivors meets Dome Keeper is, dare I say it, a blast

Many a Survivors-like has come and gone over the last couple of years, but Bore Blasters might be the first one that’s really struck a chord with me. Or maybe that should be struck gold, as this mining roguelike is all about collecting little gem-like nuggets while boring deep underground for treasure and fending off all manner of flying eyeballs, bats and other unmentionable horrors with wings. I’ve been playing its Steam Next Fest demo this morning, and my initial impression is that it’s a little bit Dome Keeper, a little bit SteamWorld Dig, and very, very good. Even better, developers 8BitSkull have just announced it’s coming out in full next month.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales Drops to Just $20 for One Day Only at Best Buy

Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales is a great game, and well worth playing on the PS5 if you haven’t checked it out yet. It’s also a wonderfully cozy game, with a snowy winter theme, so I highly recommend playing it while sipping hot chocolate and under a nice blanket.

Best Buy has got the game down to just $19.99 in its latest deal of the day—which is a tremendous discount. The only caveat is that the deal will expire by the end of the day (February 6), so act now if you’re looking to take advantage of the deal. I’ll leave some handy links just below to save you some precious minutes searching for the deal as well.

Best Buy also has Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition down to just $39.99 as well. The Ultimate Edition also comes bundled with Spider-Man Remastered – which comes complete with all three DLC chapters from Marvel’s Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps as well – so you can get the full experience before swinging into the new story of Spider-Man 2. Both rarely go on sale for that low, so this is your best option to pick up these games.

Upon release, we gave both of these games a 9/10 in their reviews, stating that Spider-Man Remastered is “one of the best superhero games ever made” and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales “earns its spot as a fantastic follow-up”.

Are you still looking for more Valentine’s Day ideas? We’ve got complete guides for everyone, and even a specific guide for Valentine’s Day gifts for gamers right here on IGN. Otherwise, Amazon’s Buy 1 Get 1 50% sale is another great opportunity to buy gifts, as it includes loads of great video games, Blu-rays, books, board games, and more.

Plus, for more great gaming and tech deals right now, don’t overlook Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora for just $40 at Best Buy, Super Mario Bros. Wonder dropping down to just $49.99, or a 2023 Alienware Aurora RTX 4090 gaming PC for $3299.99 ($400 instant discount).

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Shapez 2’s Next Fest demo is the purest catnip for factory game lovers

According to Steam, I’ve spent about 2000 hours playing factory games. Terms like throughput, modularity, and automation are like dog-whistles to me, so when I heard that Shapez 2 was getting a demo for Steam Next Fest this month, I knew my weekend plans were instantly sorted. Well, here we are in the new week. I’ve finished the Shapez 2 demo twice and logged 10 hours into the game. I see conveyor belts of circles and squares behind my eyelids and the reward system of my brain has been well and truly hijacked. The only way I can continue to do my job effectively is by making my job be about Shapez 2. So here I am.

Silent Hill: The Short Message Passes 1 Million Downloads

Content Warning: The following article contains mentions of themes some readers may find distressing, including those of self-harm and suicide.

Silent Hill: The Short Message has surpassed one million downloads, publisher Konami has announced.

In a post on the Japanese Silent Hill X/Twitter account, Konami celebrated the milestone for the free-to-play Silent Hill spin-off. Confirmation The Short Message surpassed “over one million downloads” arrived in artwork depicting the creepy post-it notes appearing in the game.

The Short Message was revealed and released during Sony’s first PlayStation State of Play presentation of 2024 on January 31 and takes players to modern day Germany. Taking on the role of Anita, players explore a typically spooky house called The Villa from a first-person perspective, in what Konami described as an “experimental” taste of the wider Silent Hill franchise.

『SILENT HILL: The Short Message』
100万ダウンロードを突破しました。
プレイいただいた皆さまありがとうございます。
公式サイト：https://t.co/nbv0zTpl5P #SILENTHILL #SHTSM pic.twitter.com/aQKTTPURhU
— SILENT HILL (@silenthill_jp) February 6, 2024

Despite receiving a surprise release during the PlayStation showcase, The Short Message’s existence wasn’t very well hidden. Myriad leaks gave fans a good idea of the plot, gameplay, and visuals, including one from the Australian ratings board which confirmed what it described as “an exploration-based psychological horror game”.

Also outlined in the ratings board description, The Short Message includes “strong suicide themes” and “horror violence”, though we won’t disclose those scenes here for the sake of sensitivity and spoilers.

The Short Message’s themes also bring to mind images leaked in May 2022 that were allegedly from a Silent Hill game. Though they were quickly taken down, the images showed a young woman and a single house being viewed from a first-person perspective, which is now confirmed to be The Short Message.

Suicide: If you are having suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline in the U.S. is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255. A list of international suicide hotlines can be found here.

#Drive Rally blends WRC seriousness with arcade cheer

In 2021 I went through a bit of a rally phase with WRC 9, as I discovered the joys of watching people play rally games beautifully. And as much as I enjoyed my brief stints with those semi-realistic rally games, I’ve since longed for more of a blend between a rally-er and a colourful arcade jaunt. For those seeking a similar swinging-the-back-out experience, I’d recommend giving #Drive Rally‘s demo a go. It might not be as colourful as I’d like, but it’s got lovely, errr, dirt feel?

PS5 Update Improves DualSense Sounds, Adjusts Brightness of Power Indicator, and More

Sony has outlined a raft of new features and quality-of-life improvements for the PlayStation 5, out now in beta form and set to roll out for everyone in the coming months.

In a PlayStation Blog post, senior vice president of platform experience at Sony Interactive Entertainment Hideaki Nishino said the beta including these updates is limited to invited participants in the U.S., Canada, Japan, UK, Germany, and France, who’ll receive an email if chosen.

The update sees the DualSense controller get speaker audio enhancements, so it can produce higher volume sound which allows players to hear in-game sounds and voice chat audio more clearly, as well as improvements to the built-in microphone.

“The mic input quality on these controllers has been improved, courtesy of a new AI machine learning model,” Nishino said. “Background noise from button presses and game audio are suppressed, resulting in a better voice chat experience.”

Share screen interactions are also improved so players watching share screen in full screen mode can now use pointers and emoji reactions to interact with the host’s gameplay. “Viewers can move a pointer around, send a ping, or draw a line on the shared screen, allowing them to highlight certain objects or areas to guide the host player more accurately,” Nishino said.

Finally, players can now adjust the brightness of the PS5’s power indicator by going to Settings, System, Beep and Light, and then Brightness.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Echo Point Nova is an open world FPS with hoverboards, floating islands and sledgehammers

If you’ve been dreaming of a hyper-agile FPS set on the sky islands from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Echo Point Nova could be your jam. It casts you as a space pilot who crashlands on a floating archipelago planet during a research expedition. I’m not sure what you’re researching, exactly, but going by your character’s loadout, it’s the Science of Sick Moves.