The post The Ultimate All-Out Warfare Experience: Battlefield 6 Is Available Today on Xbox Series X|S appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Author: Game Infliction
Share of the Week: Ghost of Yōtei
Share of the Week is back, and ready to ride into the world of Ghost of Yōtei. You shared your best moments using #PSshare #PSBlog, here are this week’s highlights:
YouSpoonyBardd shares an orange sunset sky facing Mount Yōtei with leaves falling around Atsu.
tulippooh3 shares Atsu leaning down and smiling at a fox.
GeekNamedMike shares Atsu unleashing the Onryō howl in black and white.
kcssrlnd shares Atsu running across a fallen tree trunk with Mount Yōtei in the background.
ForgottenJasmin shares Atsu strumming her shamisen in a field of white lilies.
CarrotsCaptures shares Atsu framed by the setting sun striking with her yari
Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?
THEME: Ghost of Yōtei – Atsu
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on October 15, 2025
Next week, we focus the lens on the Onryō herself. Share portraits of Atsu in Ghost of Yōtei using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
Battlefield 6 Launched Just Hours Ago and Players Have Already Recreated Call of Duty Map Shipment in Portal
Battlefield 6 launched mere hours ago, and someone has already managed to recreate the iconic Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare map, Shipment, in its Portal mode.
After years of waiting, leaks, and hype, EA and Battlefield Studios launched Battlefield 6 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S today, October 10. Its promise of a back-to-basics approach for the series has attracted a lot of attention, especially in the Call of Duty community.
Battlefield 6 players can hop into the community tab on the main menu and play on the close-quarters map for themselves right now by simply searching “Shipment” in the Search Experiences or Browse Servers tab. It’s chaotic, noisy, cramped, and constantly riddled with bullets or, in other words, exactly the same as it is in Call of Duty. There are even some Shipment 24/7 servers already live for those looking to dive headfirst into the action.
The most popular result already features more than one hundred likes and sends their thanks to X/Twitter user PR officer at Deep Worlds, Matavatar, who is responsible for bringing Shipment in Battlefield 6 to life. They began posting their progress just yesterday, teasing work on a recreation of another Call of Duty map, Killhouse, as well as a map that could feature a Star Wars Star Destroyer.
With Black Ops 7 a little more than one month out from its November 14 release date, Call of Duty and Battlefield are scrapping to win over the hearts and minds of shooter fans. Now, the Battlefield 6 Portal mode is already seeing fans use their creativity to bridge the gap between the two.
https://t.co/IalNbtfAuY pic.twitter.com/3M9KhhspPF
— Matavatar (@Matavatar) October 9, 2025
Portal is a Halo 3 Forge-like game mode introduced in Battlefield 2042 that allows players to build their own maps and modes. It’s mostly been used to recreate and remix fan-favorite experiences from across Battlefield’s long history, but Battlefield 6 removes many of the restrictions, encouraging imaginative fans to even bring maps from other franchises. Classic Call of Duty map, Shipment, seems to be the first to make waves.
We’ll have to wait and see what other wacky fan-made maps will come to the Battlefield 6 Portal mode. Matavatar, at least, has already teased they’re interested in bringing more classic FPS maps – including Firing Range, Nuketown, Ziba Tower, Metro, and more – to Battlefield 6.
Battlefield 6 has been out for just a few hours and has already seen its queue system reach numbers up to more than 300,000 players, though it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to actually start playing. For more, you can read up on IGN’s Battlefield 6 multiplayer review in progress and our campaign review. You can also check out what kind of post-launch updates EA and BF Studios have prepared for the future.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
The evil ghost lorry in Truckful’s demo nearly ate me and the lady who did a headstand in my bed
Drive faster, she screams as a cacophony of meepy noises, it’s coming! I know, headstand lady, I know, comes my response from behind the wheel. We’d be safe if I hadn’t botched one of the switchbacks and gently skidded into a low wall. I’d best put my foot down if I want to escape the demo of mysterious delivery driver Truckful without finding out what happens when a little truck is swallowed by a bigger truck.
Backyard Sports Leads Discuss Completing the Retro Collection, the Animated Special Wrapping Production, and More
During its panel at New York Comic Con, Playground Productions not only looked back on the return and relaunch of the beloved Backyard Sports video games, but it also announced it will be completing its Backyard Sports retro collection with Backyard Basketball ’01 and Backyard Hockey ’02 in mid-November, that there are high scores and events coming to Backyard Baseball ’92, and it shared a few new details for the series’ upcoming animated special.
To learn more, IGN had the chance to speak to Playground Productions CEO Linday Barnett and Chief Product Officer Chris Waters about the past and future of this fan-favorite franchise, and we began by chatting about what makes these games so special.
“We think it works because the games have always been character-first, comedy-forward, and accessible,” Waters said. “These games weren’t, ‘Hey, let’s make the most incredibly realistic simulation,’ they were, ‘let’s recreate the experience of what it felt like to go out and pick up a bat and a ball, grab whatever friends you had around whether they’re athletic or not, and go out and play baseball and see what madness ensues.’ That madness transcends time and transcends technology.”
Backyard Sports’ Retro Library Will Be Complete in Mid-November, New Features Headed to Backyard Baseball ’97
Whether you are new to the franchise or returning to it, you’ll be happy to know that the Backyard Sports retro library will be complete when Backyard Basketball ’02 and Backyard Hockey ’02 are released on Steam in mid-November. Oh, and did we mention both will be free to download and keep?
These games, alongside Baseball ’97, Baseball ’01, Football ’99, Soccer ’98, will also be part of the Backyard Sports Retro Bundle, which will be available for $26 – a 40% savings from buying all the games individually. Players will even be able to ‘Complete the Set’ and only pay for the games you don’t have yet at the cheaper price.
Furthermore, the Backyard Soccer ’98 and Backyard Basketball ’02 mobile versions will be free on iOS and Android when that Steam retro bundle goes live later next month.
Speaking of mobile, Backyard Baseball ’97 is getting a new gamification feature in collaboration with Lucra. Fans can now compete against each other in week-long and month-long events like Home Run Competitions or Most Strikeouts.
Global high scores will be tracked in real-time, and the new feature will be free for fans and even includes a chance to win tickets to the 2025 World Series, a Pablo Sanchez trading card, and more. This feature will begin on iOS to start, and players will need to opt-iin and provide some personal information.
“What we want to do is allow that community to grow and for players to be able to engage with each other,” Waters said of the new gamification features. “And again, without the source code, we can’t make these games, but by adding a tournament layer onto them, we’re sort of creating a backdoor co-op mode.”
Fun fact, Playground Productions did not get the source code for most of these games when they acquired the rights, so the team had to hack the old CD-ROMs and rebuilt the games themselves.
“We thought those games were just dead,” Barrnett told us. “And it was an incredible feat that Mega Kat Studios was able to do, which is reverse engineer and hack the CD-ROMs to make them playable. The thing that we didn’t know in all of this, however, was that we’d be able to make the games even better and we were able to remove certain bugs that existed in the original games and add leaderboards and add competitions and just make them playable on systems that didn’t even exist back then, like Nintendo Switch.”
The Future of Backyard Sports Includes an Animated Special That Just Finished Production
We then shifted our talk to the future. While the team wasn’t ready to reveal anything about future games, they did confirm that Backyard Sports officially wrapped production on their new animated special that builds upon the brand’s beloved IP and characters.
This special is being produced by Lighthouse Studios, which is known for its work on Bob’s Burgers and Rick & Morty, and it will feature an “all-star cast” that will be announced in early November. As for when you can see it, the special will be released at Dave & Buster’s in early 2026 and direct to consumer shortly after.
“What makes Backyard Sports special is the characters,” Waters said. “For us, the opportunity to take your favorite characters and bring them to life in a new way was a no-brainer as we’ve already said this is a multi-platform franchise we want to go beyond games. We all loved how beautiful the animation was in the games and how much love and care they put in, and it made you love and understand the characters and made you want to pick a certain character. So, we are really, really humbled to be able to extend that into more animation.
“This special was our way of establishing a tone, establishing a look, and really putting our flag down to say, Backyard is a multi-platform franchise. You’re going to be able to experience it in lots of different ways. I can’t wait until we can say more, but I can promise you that I’ve got a 20-year history in animation and we have pulled out all the stops to make something that captures the tone and magic and comedy of this world.”
With Backyard Sports, the team wants these games and multimedia projects to showcase just how fun sports can be and for this new generation to enjoy all of this alongside those that grew up with them.
“Streamers have picked these games up and people aren’t watching them because they’re amazing video game players,” Waters said. “They’re watching them because they’re bringing these kids to life through their own lens. It reminds you of what it was like to play baseball the first time you picked up a glove and a bat and a ball and you were just playing for fun. I think that’s been the big thing for why this really is a timeless and classic franchise.”
“It is celebrating all of the different characters in your backyard and all their strengths and maybe even some of the weaknesses,” Barnett added. “You laugh and you get through everything together. You play together and you might win, you might lose, but you always had fun doing it. And unfortunately, a lot of sports, not just sports video games, but also just sports in general aren’t really like that anymore.”
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.
MindsEye devs accuse studio execs of “disastrously” mishandling redundancies and enforcing “unbearable” crunch
Following the inauspicious launch of MindsEye and subsequent layoffs at developers Build A Rocket Boy, 93 current and former staff at the studio have signed an open letter demanding an apology, while accusing Build A Rocket Boy’s senior leadership of having “consistently mishandled the redundancy process” and mandating “unbearable levels of overtime” around the game’s launch.
Review: Shujinkou (Switch) – Words Whup Sticks & Stones In This Innovative Dungeon Crawler
School is in session.
In all the world, few things are as powerful as language. We use it to communicate all our hopes and fears and inner thoughts to each other. Words have a power all their own, which is why Shujinkou struck me as such an interesting concept; a JRPG that aims to teach players the fundamentals of Japanese. While I applaud the ambition behind that lofty goal, the Switch port of Rice’s dungeon-crawling-focused RPG held some technical missteps that keep it from truly shining.
Like many JRPG fans who don’t speak Japanese, I’ve always had an ambition to learn. After two years of lessons, I could count myself as conversational; I was able to make my way around Japan on multiple trips without embarrassing myself, but couldn’t call myself anywhere near fluent. Shujinkou doesn’t seem like it is going to help anyone reach fluency — the lack of voice acting so you can hear the words and symbols you are learning prevents that — but the aim here is to hammer home the basics, and that is something the game does remarkably well.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for October 13 to 17
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox on PC, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
Keeper
Xbox Game Studios
Keeper – October 17
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
From Lee Petty and Double Fine Productions, Keeper is a beautiful and surreal otherworldly adventure, and a story told without words. On an island in a long-lost sea, a forgotten lighthouse stands dormant in the shadow of a distant mountain peak. As withering tendrils spread and coalesce, it awakens. Taken with a mysterious sense of purpose and joined by a spirited seabird, it embarks upon a heartening tale of unlikely companionship, an odyssey of mystifying metamorphosis, and an unexpected journey towards the center of the island, into realms beyond understanding.
NASCAR 25
iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations, LLC
$59.99
NASCAR 25 – October 14
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
With a physics model tuned by the experts, and based on real world feedback from actual NASCAR drivers and race teams, you’ll be immersed in the sights and sounds of race day like never before. From Quick Race, Championship, Multiplayer, or Career, the combinations of tracks, cars, and experiences will keep you coming back for more. Work your way from your backyard shop in ARCA Menards series all the way through a multi-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion in Career Mode and show the world what you’re made of. It’s the NASCAR game you’ve been waiting and asking for! Welcome to NASCAR 25! Pre-Order and receive 5,000 Career Bonus Dollars, 3 Cover Driver Paint Schemes, and 500 Career Rep Points.
BALL x PIT
Devolver Digital
Ball x Pit – October 15
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
Ball x Pit is a fast-paced fantasy roguelite where heroes must find the balls to plunge deeper into a seemingly bottomless pit of monsters. Develop arcane ammunition and resources in pursuit of treasure, recruiting additional heroes to aid you in your perilous quest.
Ember Knights : Heroes of the Nexus Edition
Twin Sails Interactive
Ember Knights: Heroes of the Nexus Edition – October 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
In this fast-paced action rogue-lite, play as Ember Knights, the last spark of hope of a universe in turmoil. Praxis, the mad sorcerer, has syphoned the life out of the Ember Tree and fled through the Prime Worlds spreading corruption in his path. In solo or co-op (up to 4 players), use powerful weapons and skills to hack and slash deadly hordes, defeat epic bosses, free the decaying Prime Worlds and restore energy to the Ember Tree!
Decision: Red Daze
Nordcurrent Labs
Decision: Red Daze – October 14
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
The Dust Bowl, once a “thriving” society of corrupt politicians, rich property barons and everyday people who work for them “100% willingly,” has been overtaken by a mysterious phenomenon only known by survivors as the Red Daze. As the illness takes hold of the survivors and turns them into crazed and EXTREMELY dangerous mutated creatures, the world’s governments are running around like headless chickens. It falls to the few who remain to fend off the monsters in hopes of finding a way to eradicate the Red Daze once and for all.
Paint Path (Xbox Series)
Afil Games
Paint Path – October 14
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
In Paint Path, every step is a brushstroke. This pixel-art puzzle puts you in control of a walking canvas that must cross hexagonal maps to reach the right painters. The atmosphere is charming and relaxing, with sound design tied to each painting action, creating a cozy and artistic experience.
Captain Tideborne and the Siren’s Call
Synnergy Circle Games
Captain Tideborne and the Siren’s Call – October 15
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
In this retro-inspired 2D platformer with pixel art charm, you’ll join Melissa Tideborne—a bold pirate chasing a childhood memory and the mystery of mermaids. Explore a sunken dungeon filled with deadly traps, lurking creatures and hidden treasures. Your stamina is always draining—every step, swim and second counts. Will Melissa find the mermaid at the end of the dungeon, or will the siren’s call become her last lullaby?
DETECTIVE – The Test
JanduSoft
$9.69
$7.75
Detective – The Test – October 15
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
Do you have what it takes to be a great detective? In Detective – The Test, you will face three intriguing cases where only your observation skills and logical thinking will lead you to the truth. Explore crime scenes, analyze the connections between the people involved, and answer key questions: Who is the victim? Who is the culprit? When did the crime take place? There are no easy clues or shortcuts, only you and your deduction skills. Take notes, connect the dots, and uncover the truth in three distinct locations.
Kotenok
Eastasiasoft Limited
Kotenok – October 15
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
Pounce with precision as a pixel art kitty in retro platforming style! Play as a lost kitten in a dangerous forest! Master tight platforming controls, sprint, pounce, and double-jump through 50 tricky stages filled with spikes, enemies, and clever puzzles. Explore vibrant pixel-art worlds, bounce on mushrooms, outsmart foes, and hunt for hidden collectibles. Can you guide this frisky feline home? A charming love letter to classic platformers!
One Military Camp
Abylight Studios
One Military Camp – October 15
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
An evil maniac has conquered all territories in the region, except one. The world’s last hope resides in an old military camp located in this peaceful land. Bring it back to its former glory, to recruit and train a brave group of fighters to push back the evil forces. Face the challenge of building a military camp, keeping an eye on the resources and logistics. Place the buildings efficiently, hire the staff that will keep everything running and set up the training courses. Build defenses, because the enemy will send spies and drones to try to sabotage your camp.
Rabbiman Adventures
Israchem LTD
Rabbiman Adventures – October 15
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Ready for a true adventure? Imagine you’re traveling through time and space, where there’s always something new and amazing waiting for you. There are colorful locations, hidden routes, devious villains, magical items, and exciting puzzles to solve at each level. Your wits and ingenuity will be your best allies in unravelling the mysteries of this magical world and reaching the end.
STARBITES
IKINAGAMES
Starbites – October 15
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Starbites is a story-driven RPG where you meet various companions and strengthen your partner mecha while adventuring on the devastated planet Bitter in the aftermath of the space war. You will become the debris collector Lukida in Delight City, collecting spaceship parts and relics, and embark on an adventure with the laid-back and kind drinker Gwen-Dol and the calm engineer Badger, who supports the Lukida and Gwen-Dol duo. Will Lukida reach the truth at the end of the universe?
Blood West
New Blood Interactive
Blood West – October 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere
Weird West legends meet eldritch horror in Blood West, an immersive stealth FPS. Become the Undead Gunslinger, doomed to roam the barren lands until he manages to purge their curse, freeing his soul. 3 varied scenarios, perk-based character progression, and 20+ hours of gameplay await you!
Bumblebee – Spooky Nights
EpiXR Games
$11.99
Bumblebee – Spooky Nights – October 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X
On your quest to find a beautiful new home you will discover distant places, friendly animals, and amazing and dangerous habitats. You are a tiny bee in a giant environment and move continuously forward. You are free to fly wherever you want and explore the level to your heart’s desire. After you have played around a little and enjoyed the sensation of flying, you start to discover the nearby areas and hidden secrets.
The Cabin Factory
Feardemic
The Cabin Factory – October 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Welcome to The Cabin Factory! You’re now a newly hired Cabin Inspector – congratulations! Your job is simple: inspect the cabins and determine whether or not they are haunted. Step into the anomaly-hunting experience, inspired by liminal spaces and psychological horror walking simulators,
Cookie’s Trails (Xbox Series)
Afil Games
Cookie’s Trails – October 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Cookie’s Trails is a cozy tactical puzzle set in a post-apocalyptic world with a sweet twist. The player guides a friendly hamster survivor through zombie-filled trails, collecting baseball bats and medical kits to safely reach the camp. Combining strategy, charm, and a unique atmosphere, Cookie’s Trails is the perfect choice for fans of challenging and personality-filled puzzles.
Deathless. The Hero Quest
Fulqrum Publishing Ltd.
Deathless: The Hero Quest – October 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
In Deathless, elements of a collectible card game, roguelike, and turn-based strategy combine seamlessly. Build a unique deck of cards, discover unusual relics, and defeat legendary bosses. Embark on the journey of each of the four heroes, unravel a web of intrigue, and protect the beautiful world of Belosvet.
The Elf on the Shelf®: Christmas Heroes
Outright Games Ltd.
$39.99
The Elf on the Shelf: Christmas Heroes – October 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
Do you believe in Christmas magic? You’ll need every bit to help Santa save Christmas! Dash, swing, and leap through training to become an “official Scout Elf!” Pick your most festive outfit and spread cheer as you explore every room, dodge obstacles, and add sparkle to each corner of the home. This season, pledge to make things merry and bright. Are you ready to be a Christmas Hero?
Infinos
PIXELHEART
$4.99
$3.99
Infinos is a pixel art side-scrolling shoot ’em up that pays tribute to the golden age of arcade shooters while offering fast-paced, modern gameplay. Take control of the Fauria, a powerful one-of-a-kind fighter ship, and face an overwhelming alien invasion threatening to destroy your entire civilization.
Infinos 2
PIXELHEART
$4.99
$3.99
Infinos 2 is a 2D horizontal shoot ’em up crafted as a loving tribute to the golden age of Japanese arcade classics. Pixel-perfect art, relentless action and tight, accessible mechanics combine to deliver an experience that’s instantly engaging yet rewards mastery. Each level unfolds a unique setting, fresh enemies and bosses with intricate attack patterns.
KAKU – Ancient Seal
Microids
$29.99
Kaku – Ancient Seal – October 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Play as Kaku, a lonely young boy living in the snowy mountains, suddenly thrust into a legendary adventure by a forgotten prophecy. Guided by this ancient prophecy and accompanied by Piggy, your loyal and surprisingly helpful flying pig, Kaku is the only one who can restore balance to the world. Explore forgotten continents, brave the challenges of the Ruins, face titanic foes, and uncover the mysteries of the Creator Saga in a journey as epic as it is personal.
Sokobear Winter
Bad Minions, Little Giant
Sokobear Winter – October 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Adjust the temperature and relax in the spa! Sokobear Winter is a relaxing puzzle game with 40 cozy levels to warm up your day! Push the logs into the correct spots to raise the spa’s temperature to perfection. But beware: blocks of ice block your path and must be broken before you can move forward. Challenge yourself to complete each stage with the fewest moves and in the shortest time possible.
Adrenaline Rampage
Games Harbor
$14.99
Adrenaline Rampage – October 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Adrenaline Rampage is a platformer roguelite set in a dark, sci-fi world where you play as a soldier with up to 5 weapons to fight techno-zombies. Choose characters and skills to rush through the space city, kill ugly bosses and survive.
AQUADREAM
YUME GAME STUDIO
AquaDream is a cozy underwater adventure that blends puzzle-solving with exploration. Players control a small anglerfish, navigating the depths of a mysterious ocean. Each world introduces new mechanics, gradually increasing the challenge while maintaining an immersive, dreamlike atmosphere. With its beautiful pixel art, intuitive gameplay, and a rewarding sense of discovery, AquaDream offers an experience that is both relaxing and engaging—perfect for players who enjoy exploring and taking on cleverly designed levels.
Ball Blast
QubicGames S.A.
Ball Blast – October 17
Xbox Play Anywhere
A wild rain of bouncing rocks crashes down – move fast, blast faster! Every rock has a number – hit it that many times and boom! It splits into two rocks with half the number and double the speed, turning the field into fast-moving chaos! Play solo or with a friend for double firepower. Beat hundreds of levels, survive endless waves, and climb the world leaderboard!
Bit ESC
Essssam
Break free from the system as Bit in this action/adventure platformer where you and set out to escape from the tyrannic OS. Gaining your freedom, though, might not be as clear-cut as it seems…
Blaster Force 3000
Ratalaika Games S.L.
Blaster Force 3000 – October 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Dive into retro FPS action where every level brings a new challenge! Battle relentless aliens in dark cellars, ancient castle halls, and the vastness of space. You’ll need to adapt to the environment and enemies on the fly. Explore hidden areas, rack up as many points as possible, and put your reflexes and aiming skills to the test!
Frobbutt 3D
Sweet Bread Games
Frobbut 3D is a 3D platformer about a goofy frog finally departing from his home to explore the land! Run, jump, flip and bounce across 5 big open levels searching every nook and cranny for valuable gems! Be creative with your movement abilities to reach the highest mountains and traverse the most dangerous paths to collect every treasure you can find.
Kamikaze Lassplanes
Crunching Koalas
Kamikaze Lassplanes – October 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Kamikaze Lassplanes is a brand new mix of Visual Novel and SHMUP with crucial story-branching decisions that lead to different gameplay and story outcomes, both for war, romance, and the protagonists’ fate. Meet and fall for Alba Trossé and Hannah Brandenburg, charismatic Lassplanes who transform into deadly war planes you pilot. Face the Imperial fleet together in challenging arcade shoot-’em-up encounters and discover the secret behind their mysterious origin.
Lumo 2
Numskull Games
Lumo 2 – October 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
The isometric icon is back in the sequel to 2016’s arcade-adventure hit, Lumo. Experience a brand-new adventure of shifting dimensions and new perspectives, with gameplay that never stops evolving. Rewind the cassette and fall head over heels into a love letter to the trailblazing days of early ‘80s & ‘90s British videogames. Hunt for collectibles, and vault through portals – some even flip the script, morphing into wild genre twists that’ll keep you on your toes.
Ping Pong Up
Super Power Up Games
$6.99
$5.59
Ping Pong Up – October 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
Feel the tension of the big match breaking through the screen. In Ping Pong Up, your reflexes and precision will be the key to success. Play face to face with up to 4 friends or against the AI.
Racing Champions
Revulo Games
Experience the rush of motorsport in a unique blend of simulation and arcade racing, crafted with passion by true racing enthusiasts. With gameplay that’s easy to jump into, but rewards precision and mastery, this game invites you to chase that flawless lap again and again. Test your skills against a range of AI difficulties in single-player mode, or bring the competition home with local multiplayer to race head-to-head with friends.
Space Elite Force – Reloaded
Rising Moon Games
Space Elite Force – Reloaded – October 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
Gear up for an intergalactic thrill ride! Space Elite Force is a frenzied space-shooter packed with weapon customization and epic boss battles. Take command of your ship and fight for the survival of humanity!
Super Hero Demolition
Entity3 Limited
Super Hero Demolition – October 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
Suit up and wreck everything in your path in Super Hero Demolition—an explosive, pixel-packed game where destruction is just the beginning. You’re a super-powered wrecking machine on a mission to smash everything down to the last pixel. Run out of energy and your run ends. You’ll start over—but with all your upgrades intact. Smash harder, last longer, and earn faster every time you play.
Tiny Arctic Hero
Desert Water Games
Tiny Arctic Hero – October 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Tiny Arctic Hero is a cozy sokoban puzzle game about a clever little penguin who was taken by mysterious aliens to participate in their logic experiments. Solve puzzles, outsmart the alien tech and guide this brave Arctic Hero back home!
The post Next Week on Xbox: New Games for October 13 to 17 appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Genshin Impact Version Luna II: new UGC system Miliastra Wonderland launches Oct 22
Greetings, Travelers! We’re delighted to meet you once again as Genshin Impact Version Luna II, Song of the Welkin Moon: Reprise — “An Elegy for Faded Moonlight,” will be launching on October 22. The story in Nod-Krai grows ever more intense as another clash with the formidable enemy, “Rächer of Solnari,” looms on the horizon. To confront this threat, you will join forces with the Fatui Harbingers and other unexpected allies. Among them, the new 5-star character Nefer steps into the fray, unlocking new strategic possibilities for Lunar-Bloom reactions. Furthermore, this update heralds the long-awaited debut of Miliastra Wonderland! This brand-new UGC (User-Generated Content) system allows you to explore hundreds of imaginative stages created by other players. You can also personalize your very own Manekin or Manekina with distinctive styles.
New power rising against the Sinner
Back in Nod-Krai, the path ahead remains uncertain, overshadowed by the looming threat of “Rächer of Solnari,” Rerir — one of the Five Sinners. The newest Archon Quest in Version Luna II delves deeper into the secrets of this formidable foe, with support arriving from both trusted companions and unexpected allies. The powerful Fatui Harbingers, Arlecchino and Sandrone, will lend their strength to the fight against Rerir. Meanwhile, Nefer, the head of the Curatorium of Secrets, may hold the key to uncovering the truth behind the enemy’s dark obsession. And just when the battle reaches its most perilous moment, our long-awaited old friend, Varka, makes a timely return, poised to turn the tide.
Meanwhile, The Damselette awaits in the Silvermoon Hall, ready to share more of her stories. In Version Luna II, Traveler can spend more time with this mysterious maiden. In return for your companionship, she will grant you the Ascendant Gleam state — a blessing from the Moon Goddess to aid you in combat. As a final token of her grace, fulfilling her request will also reward you with an exclusive namecard.
The lady to know all hearts
Beyond the unfolding storyline, the new 5-star character Nefer debuts as a Dendro Catalyst wielder. As the head of the Curatorium of Secrets, she navigates a web of hidden knowledge with ease, possessing an uncanny ability to sense when even the most reserved individuals are guarding secrets. The intelligence she unearths with her unique talent can even be exchanged at the Adventurers’ Guild for a collection of quirky anecdotes.
In combat, this elegant and sharp-eyed lady takes increased Lunar-Bloom DMG. By consuming Verdant Dew, Nefer can execute her special Charged Attack, Phantasm Performance, which summons a shade of herself to fight alongside her, dealing Lunar-Bloom DMG. When buffed by the Moonsign: Ascendant Gleam state, her Elemental Skill transforms all Dendro Cores into Seeds of Deceit. Nefer can then draw in these special resources to empower both her Charged Attacks and her Elemental Burst, the latter of which deals AoE Dendro DMG.
Version Luna II’s Event Wishes will feature new and returning characters in two phases: the first half marks the debut of Nefer alongside the return of Furina, followed by the reruns of Arlecchino and Zhongli in the second half.
More fun awaits in the event stories of Version Luna II. Traveler will reunite with Nefer and old friends on a journey to the long-lost remains of Sumeru, where mysterious occurrences await. By completing the event, you can earn the chance to invite Collei for free, as well as enjoy a variety of mini-games and rewards.
The world of creativity – Miliastra Wonderland
Making its grand debut in Version Luna II is Miliastra Wonderland, Genshin Impact’s brand-new UGC system, available on PlayStation 5 for PlayStation players. This whimsical realm springs from the mysterious Witch Octavia. With the special landscape orb Venti gave you earlier as your key, you’ll enter Miliastra Wonderland by awakening Manekins, avatars that act as projections of your will.
Once you complete Act I of the Archon Quest Prologue, “The Outlander Who Caught the Wind,” you’ll unlock access to Miliastra Wonderland. It can then be entered anytime via the Paimon Menu or the quick-access button in the top-right corner.
This is where the real fun begins: customizing your very own Manekin/Manekina. Freely adjust everything from clothing and hairstyles to facial features and accessories, tailoring their look to your inspiration. The best part? These customizations aren’t limited to Miliastra Wonderland. Your Manekin/Manekina can stroll through the world of Teyvat wearing your unique creations, turning your entire adventure into a personal showcase of style.
After crafting your perfect look, step into the social heart of Miliastra Wonderland: the bustling Lobby. It’s a place buzzing with Manekins chatting, exchanging invites, and heading off to diverse stages. Explore the Popular Miliastra Wonderland tab to see what the community is raving about, browse All Wonderlands to find your favorites, or dive straight into hundreds of imaginative stages from management sims and party games to PvP battles and adventure challenges.
To make your first steps even more rewarding, Version Luna II offers a wealth of bonuses through login events and in-game activities. These include exclusive outfits, lobby templates, and resources to obtain outfit blueprints (known as Catalogs), among other rewards.
And that wraps up our preview for Version Luna II. With Miliastra Wonderland opening its gates and the battles of Nod-Krai calling for unity, this update celebrates creativity, courage, and discovery. We can’t wait to see the worlds you explore, the style you embrace, and the memories you create with friends. Until then, Travelers — happy journeys, and we’ll see you in Teyvat and beyond!
So, Does Bubsy 4D Scatch an Itch or Choke on a Hairball? We Played it to Find Out
Let’s get one thing out of the way: I hate Bubsy. Not Bubsy 4D, the interesting, vibrant game I’m actually previewing here, but rather Bubsy himself, the mangy, atrocious feline, a poisonous product of a cynical age of mascot marketing. Born in a dark hour when it seemed practically every video game company tied their fortunes to some clone of a clone of a Sonic sidekick, Bubsy has a well-deserved reputation as a D-tier cash-in character better left forgotten.
Fortunately, I have much more positive things to say about what I’ve seen of Bubsy 4D, a brand-new reconstruction of the furball’s tainted legacy that, while far from perfect, distinctively improves on Bubsy’s dubious past in almost every way. During a little over an hour with the Bubsy Steam demo, I found a great deal worth exploring… as well as some less encouraging signs.
It’s true: there are quite a lot of things to like about Bubsy 4D. It’s a colorful game with some cute creative accouterments scattered around the thematic worlds, like the knitted doily highways in the thread-and-needle themed opening stages. Voice work is solid (even if the script is a bit uneven) and my preview build was mostly glitch-free. The movement mechanics are fairly solid, outside of a little camera frustration on very long jumps to some small targets.
The tutorial area is concise and useful, a rare enough combination in games, teaching valuable skills with minimal exposition. Bubsy’s jump mechanics are logical but take a little getting used to – with various kinds of combinable jumps tied to a face button and both triggers – and it’s nice to be able to practice getting around with minimal risk or consequences before moving into the main campaign. Not that dying is that much of an issue… checkpoints (represented by litter boxes) are fairly generous, and even if he dies, Bubsy rarely respawns all that far from where he last fell.
And the obnoxious little cat gets around pretty well. Bubsy’s main strength is his airborne mobility. He can jump, double jump, leap forward and gently descend like a parachute, and pounce ahead to cover great horizontal distances… or do them all at the same time. Bubsy can also inflate himself into a ball to roll along hills and half-pipes, building momentum to execute even longer jumps. He can pounce on certain sheer surfaces and scramble up them, or claw at special points to gain mid-air distance boosts. He’s very capable of getting around, so much so that he can occasionally get ahead of the camera when stringing his pounce onto the end of a combo.
That pounce doubles as Bubsy’s primary attack, although in truth I found very few threats in Bubsy worth attacking. The demo stages are populated with plenty of steep jumps and acrobatic challenges, but there are very, very few enemies wandering about, and those that are present are braindead and quite easily dispatched. Platformers with few enemies aren’t unheard of (Portal, Super Meat Boy, and Thomas Was Alone come to mind) but it was still a little odd how remarkably vacant the colorful platforming environments felt without the usual crowds of Goombas, Koopas, or Giant Enemy Crabs. And while Bubsy’s level layouts are clean and competent, none of them approach the more subtle complexity of the classic platformers listed above.
And that’s my biggest question about where the full version of Bubsy 4D will ultimately land. The demo stages struggle somewhat in the fundamental level design, not in terms of the aesthetic production, but in the layouts themselves. The worlds, while adequately themed, are not especially well laid out. Most are obvious main paths with clearly-visible spokes and isolated islands. Scattered around the spokes are the most valuable collectables, while along the main path are myriad yarn-balls hovering in space. The results are mid-sized, explorable levels which should encourage curiosity and discovery… but often fail to do so.
The problem is not in the overall method, but its glaringly obvious lack of refinement. It is, in a sense, a return to the PlayStation 1-era world design of many mascot platformers, or perhaps more accurately, the kitchen-sink, haphazard-style popularized by many C64 and Amiga platform games, including classics like the Turrican series. Wherever the inspiration comes from, it doesn’t quite work yet here. The goals of each small section of a level feel repetitive, with the layout either too obvious or the goals not challenging enough. You can tell where you should probably go next, which is a good thing, but it’s often so obvious that the sense of discovery really suffers. There are a metric ton of collectables to seek out, but they’re rarely concealed in interesting ways or blocked by compelling challenges. And the lack of enemies greatly reduces the layered threats that might otherwise enhance the nuance and challenge.
Jumping between towers and collecting baubles is as old as video games, but what separates the mediocre from the classic is the refinement that takes place in implementing these rote mechanics into practice. After playing Astrobot and Donkey Kong Bananza within the past year, I can say that Bubsy 4D’s level design feels unfinished by comparison. The play areas, while visually interesting, are unpolished in their dynamic interactions. Leaping between obstacles and avoiding spikes feels clean, fair, and competent, but rarely feels exhilarating. There’s just enough openness to the worlds to obviously require tremendous testing and refinement on the part of the developers when designing obstacles that can be approached from multiple available angles and elevations, yet it’s painfully obvious this testing process has not come near final fruition. It’s not bad at all, it’s just not nearly as good as you know it could be. Within a few minutes of getting into Bubsy 4D, you realize you’ve done most of this before, but much better… and that’s not a feeling you want a video game to give you.
Fortunately, these are problems that can be addressed with time and attention on the part of the developers. This is a preview of a work in progress, not a review of a finished product, and there’s a lot of room yet for vast improvement before release next year. The potential is certainly there… Bubsy’s MASSIVE horizontal mobility is a great deal of fun in practice, and if the environments continue to be tightened up to match the cat’s core abilities, the team at Fabraz could be on to something really fun.
I do have one specific complaint about a design choice that doesn’t work so well: the demo’s only mandatory timed challenge, a racing romp across some steep blind hills and a bridge that pretty much demands memorization to be successfully completed. I had hoped that in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Twenty-Five we might have moved beyond cramming an unskippable, fairly unintuitive, timed obstacle race into the golden path through a level, yet here we are with Bubsy 4D. These were not fun in the PlayStation 1 era, and 30 years later they are unforgivable sins.
Elsewhere, Bubsy purchases additional abilities from a central hub store run by his annoying niece and nephew, trading collectables for power-ups. My favorite of these was a Wile E. Coyote-inspired power that allowed me to float above empty space for a second like a Looney Tunes cartoon character who’s just run off a cliff, a flavorful and genuinely useful inclusion. It was thematically appropriate and adorable.
Finally, on the audio front, Bubsy 4D’s sample scores ranged from unremarkable to droning. The theme music for the first three stages started with an innocuous quality, but after a few loops became grating. I can only qualify the sound as something that began its life as elevator music that was then run through an N64 nostalgia filter and digitizer, and what came out the other side did little to add to the platforming experience. Maybe that one is just me and others might enjoy it more.
Voice work, on the other hand, is solid, and the script has a lot of nods to the mascot-platformer era. Bubsy maintains a heightened self-awareness throughout his new journey. He’s openly unenthusiastic about his latest quest for the golden fleece. He’s older, tired, and kind of over it all, and the comments that reflect that sense of 40-something exhaustion mostly work. The occasional sarcastic quips and poop jokes seem obligatory nods to the era that birthed Bubsy, but nothing I heard was laugh-out-loud funny. I did not like Bubsy’s family and cohorts, who sort of came across as worse iterations of Sonic’s terrible friends or DK’s annoying extended catalog of characters.
Overall, Bubsy 4D is, thus far, a bright, interesting template for a 3D platformer. Whether it will grow to fulfill its full potential before release is difficult to predict. The obvious care of the developers in treating the character with some reflection, even a possible wisp of dignity, works in 4D’s favor. Hopefully the final product will capitalize on the strong start evident in this demo.
Jared Petty likes writing about how wonderful and silly video games are. You can find him at Bluesky as @pettycommajared and Threads as @pettycommajared.