Next Week on Xbox: New Games for March 27 to 31

Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!

Great New Games Spotlight 2023

Great New Games Spotlight has officially kicked off and we’re excited to bring you a ton of games every week for the next six weeks — more than 100+ new games will launch on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One between February 28 and April 10 – and if you spend $50 on eligible games and movies, you can receive 2,500 Microsoft Rewards points! Get more details here.

Runbeam Galactic Box Art

Runbeam Galactic – March 27
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Run, jump, and roll your way to a new high score as hazards and bonuses pop up all around the planet. Step into the shoes of RunBean, an astronaut who landed on a hazardous planet that tries its best to kill the intruder. Try to delay your inevitable fate by running around the diminutive 2D globe, jumping over spikes, sliding under killer platforms, collecting bonuses, and quickly reacting to sudden direction changes.

Chef Life Box Art

Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator – March 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Take the reins of your dream restaurant. Choose and customize dozens of kitchen components (cooking surfaces, food processors, ovens, etc.) to build your dream kitchen! Before firing up your burners, organize your team and manage your suppliers to obtain premium ingredients that would impress the most demanding of gourmets.

Kingdom Rush Frontiers Box Art

Kingdom Rush Frontiers – March 28
Xbox Play Anywhere

Bigger and badder than ever before, Kingdom Rush: Frontiers is a whole new level of the furiously fast, enchantingly charming gameplay that made the original title an award-winning hit. Command your troops through an epic (mis)adventure as you defend exotic lands from dragons, man-eating plants, and ghastly denizens of the underworld.

MLB The Show 23 Box Art

MLB The Show 23 – March 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Game Pass

Available on day one with Game Pass: MLB The Show 23 gets you closer than ever to living your baseball dreams on the diamond. Shock the game and own the show with your favorite players, your favorite rivalries, and all your favorite MLB moments. Want to hit the field early? Game Pass members can get four days early access starting today including additional in-game items with the purchase of the Early Access Bundle. Read more about the new updates and features coming to MLB The Show 23 here. Playable on Cloud and Console.

Sifu Box Art

Sifu – March 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

In Sifu, you will ponder the value of life and revenge as you hunt down your family’s assassins. One against all, you have no allies, countless enemies, and a mysterious amulet that brings you back to life every time you die. Yet, be warned. Your secret weapon comes with a hefty price to pay: aging and its consequences.

Dredge Box Art

Dredge – March 29
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Captain your fishing trawler to explore a collection of remote isles, and their surrounding depths, to see what lies below. Sell your catch to the locals and complete quests to learn more about each area’s troubled past. Outfit your boat with better equipment to trawl deep-sea trenches and navigate to far-off lands but keep an eye on the time. You might not like what finds you in the dark…

Lunark Box Art

Lunark – March 29
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Uncover the dark origin of humanity’s new home and the truth about yourself in this epic sci-fi adventure! Set on a distant planet ruled by a totalitarian regime, Lunark is a modern take on the 2D cinematic platformer genre of the ’90s. As Leo, a courier with unique abilities and a mysterious past, you’ll run, jump, hang, climb, roll, and shoot through gorgeously animated pixel-art environments ranging from a dystopian megalopolis to eerie caves to an alien forest.

Palindrome Syndrome Box Art

Palindrome Syndrome – March 29
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Palindrome Syndrome is an escape room sci-fi game that will test your deduction skills. Solve puzzles, decode secret codes, find hidden objects, and investigate the different rooms of the spaceship while you discover the events that led you there.

Saga of Sins Box Art

Saga of Sins – March 29
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

It’s time to atone for your sins! Saga of Sins is an action-adventure game featuring a mystical storyline and arcade gameplay where you’ll immerse yourself into a world of stained glass inspired by the Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch. Play as the righteous cleric Cecil — who can enter people’s minds by transforming into four unique demonic creatures such as a howling werewolf or a fierce gargoyle — to fight the seven deadly sins and free the plague infested village of Sinwell.

Tales of the Neonsea Box Art

Tales of the Neon Sea – March 29

Take on the role of Rex, veteran cop turned hard-boiled detective, as you investigate crime in a future cyberpunk world, where the magnificent sky city blots out the sun. In this retro-style, pixel-art adventure set in a fully realized cyberpunk cityscape, you’ll encounter innumerous items to investigate and a whole cast of interactive NPCs. You must analyze every detail and discover the truth that lurks behind the heavy mist to solve a strange murder that may be tied to a robot rebellion.

Aery Calm Mind 3 Box Art

Aery – Calm Mind 3 – March 30

An interactive game experience designed to relax your mind and soul. Jump into the role of a little bird, explore beautiful landscapes, and collect magical crystals that mark certain landscapes. Because there are no enemies or other dangers in this game, you will be able to lean back and enjoy the scenery and the sensation of flying. A great game to play for relaxing and calming down after an exhausting day.

Formula Retro Racing Box Art

Formula Retro Racing – World Tour – March 30

The second in the Formula Retro Racing series, retro-style arcade racing games influenced by the classic arcade racing games of the early ‘90s. Featuring fast and exciting gameplay, crisp low poly visuals, a retro soundtrack, and high-speed action. Do you have what it takes to master each racing line, hug every apex, and cross the checkered flag to victory?

Guns 'N Runs Box Art

Guns N’ Runs – March 30

A stylish action-platform and shooter game, containing super specials and dash mechanics at a fast-paced speed. Unlock hundreds of meticulous challenges and battle bosses. All of this with an immersive soundtrack and an individual narrative for each of the 8 characters!

Infinite Guitars Box Art

Infinite Guitars – March 30
Xbox Game Pass

Available on day one with Game Pass: The metal war machines have reawakened — and only your electric guitar can turn their technology against them! Gather up your party, tune up your favorite axe, and get ready to rock in Infinite Guitars, a rhythm RPG featuring vibrant anime-inspired art, adrenaline-fueled Mech battles, and a blazing original soundtrack. Playable on Cloud, Console, and PC.

The Last Worker – March 30
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

An immersive narrative adventure centered around a lone worker’s last stand in an increasingly automated world. A unique blend of work simulation and stealth strategic gameplay set in a lonely, oppressive but strangely beautiful environment, with characters designed by comics legend Mick McMahon. Featuring an all-star cast starring Jason Isaacs, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Clare-Hope Ashitey, David Hewlett, Zelda Williams, and Tommie Earl Jenkins.

Rally Rock Racing Box Art

Rally Rock ‘N Racing – March 30
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

Get ready to skid around at full speed with your family and friends! In Rally Rock ‘N Racing, you’ll enjoy a wide variety of natural environments, such as deserts, snow-covered mountains, and forests where you can show your skill at the wheel, competing against everyone to become the fastest.


Related:
Coming to Xbox Game Pass: MLB The Show 23 and Infinite Guitars
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for March 20 to 24
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for March 13 to 17

Sony Has Discounted the PS5 for The Very First Time

Sony has officially dropped the PS5 God of War Ragnarok Bundle down to just $509.99 at all retailers in the US, that’s a $50 discount from the list price of $559.99. This includes Amazon, PS Direct, Best Buy, Walmart, GameStop, and Target.

This is the first major discount we have seen since the PlayStation 5 launched over two years ago. A standard PS5 will cost you $500 at the moment, so with this discount you’re effectively only paying $10 for God of War Ragnarok on PS5. This is an absolute steal and well worth considering.

It wasn’t all that long ago that the PS5 was completely out of stock, with many gamers unable to secure the new consoles for almost two years. But, the tide seems to have turned, as PS5 consoles are now available 100% of the time, and fans are now even getting discounts on the console in 2023.

If you’re curious to see what other PlayStation items are worth picking up alongside the console, make sure to visit our gift guide for the best PlayStation and PS5 gifts to pick up this year. Alongside games, this guide also includes the PlayStation Pulse 3D wireless headset and the PS5’s DualSense controller.

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

Space-fantasy RPG Honkai: Star Rail comes to PlayStation soon

Hi, my name is Yang Yu. Today I am excited to share that Honkai: Star Rail, the forthcoming free-to-play space fantasy RPG, arrives on PlayStation soon. You play as the protagonist embarking on a trip aboard the Astral Express with distinctive passengers. As “The Trailblazer,” you are going to discover the realms of the universe and unearth secrets buried in legends.


Space-fantasy RPG Honkai: Star Rail comes to PlayStation soon

A science-fiction universe with elements of fantasy

Exploration is the core of every adventure. Honkai: Star Rail features an in-game world awaiting discovery with elements of myth blended into a space sci-fi story. In this universe, there are “Aeons,” incarnations of universal principles that can freely travel between infinite worlds, driven by their Primum Mobile — Basically, they are gods with formidable powers! The Aeons roaming the worlds uphold their own beliefs, hence various kinds of civilization thrive around every corner of the universe.

However, there is one Aeon named Destruction who considers the universe as a fallacy and civilization as cancer, casting seeds of ruin called Stellarons across the galaxy that leads to massive changes to ecosystems. As the protagonist, you are implanted with a Stellaron at the very beginning of the story. To drill down to the essence of the Stellaron, you bravely set sail for the galaxy, composing an interstellar melody filled with surprises and rewarding experiences.

Various worlds to explore

Honkai: Star Rail provides a vast universe abundant with distinctive cultures, landscapes, and scenery. It is full of rewards and secrets waiting to be explored.

You can experience the origin of the story in the Herta Space Station and then set sail to explore Jarilo-Ⅵ and the Xianzhou Luofu, two major destinations of your interstellar journey. Jarilo-Ⅵ has innumerable mysteries and dangers frozen beneath its snow caps awaiting further examination. The Xianzhou Luofu, the silkpunk flagship where inhabitants seem to have achieved immortality, foreshadows the upcoming expedition infused with Eastern fantasy.

A friendly heads-up: There are still plenty of uncharted territories to be seen. We are considering ways to propel our space fantasy into another dimension by including new in-game content. More details will be revealed in the future.

Choose your companions to face challenges

The space expedition, of course, will not always encounter hospitable inhabitants with their arms wide open to welcome your arrival. Different kinds of adversaries and hurdles need to be overcome, or your survival will be on a knife’s edge!

Fortunately, you are not alone. During the whirlwind trip of a star-chasing ride, players will meet new companions with distinctive capabilities. They are more than happy to weigh in, unleashing their powers during map exploration, puzzle investigation, and so on.

Additionally, our turn-based combat system is easy to pick up but hard to master, a perfect place to test your team-building skills and battle preparation. If you can strategically leverage each character’s skill sets masterfully, then they will all have their place to shine and reach their full potential to assist your mission.

Roaming the worlds and uncovering mysteries, Honkai: Star Rail offers a grand space journey full of twists, coincidences, and happiness. Building your four-person combat team from a wide range of playable characters, getting along with your companions, and leveraging their unique skills correspondingly to overcome challenges from every corner of the universe!

Honkai: Star Rail will launch on PlayStation in the near future. We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who is supporting Honkai: Star Rail. Thank you, Trailblazer, and we hope to talk to you again soon!

Sons Of The Forest’s newest update adds a demon boss and nerfs cat food

Sons Of The Forest? Perhaps you’ve become a self-sufficient blueberry empire, surviving off handfuls of fruit while cannibals knock at your door. Or maybe you’ve gone full Charlie Kelly, consuming tins of cat food found around the island. If so, it’s time for a diet cleanse. Sons Of The Forest’s newest patch adds a demon boss, a new cave system, and tons of other improvements. It’s also nerfing cat food, since it was overpowered and, well, are there actually any cats in the game?

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Deep Rock Galactic Legacy Edition is staying forever now

Deep Rock Galactic’s fifth anniversary, developer Ghost Ship took us back in time to the mystical land of 2018 and let us play Deep Rock Galactic Legacy, a version of the co-op shooter as it was back in 2018, before all of the updates. It was a fun, nostalgic way to let fans reminisce on the game’s infantile days. Ghost Ship had planned to remove Legacy today – March 23rd – but after fan feedback, they’ve decided to keep Legacy edition around indefinitely.

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Random: Mario Movie X Lush Collaboration Will 1-Up Your Bathing

Bath Bob-omb.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie advertising campaign is firing on all cylinders right now, and the latest partnership is an unlikely union between the plumber and vegan cosmetics brand Lush.

Shared on Nintendo Wire (via GoNintendo), Lush is launching a whole new range of bathing and cosmetic products today, inspired by Mario and his friends. This is to tie in with the Mario Movie’s release on 5th April — not long now!

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Resident Evil 4 remake: Steam Deck performance and best settings

Resident Evil 4 remake is a mostly cool runner on desktops, and good news if you’re recently picked up a certain handheld PC in the sales: its Steam Deck performance is alright too. Maybe not to the battery-sipping, framerate-abundant extent of the very best Steam Deck games, but with the right settings, nu-Resi 4 can keep its burlap sacked head well above 30fps even in its most visually demanding scenes.

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Resident Evil 4 Remake Mercenaries Mode Arrives Early Next Month

Resident Evil 4 Remake’s horde-style mode The Mercenaries will arrive on April 7, meaning folks will only have to tolerate a short, two-week wait for the fan favourite mode to arrive in-game. Capcom revealed the date at the conclusion of the fresh Resident Evil 4 Remake launch trailer it published today, which you can watch below.

At Sony’s first 2023 State of Play last month, Capcom confirmed that The Mercenaries would be coming as a free, post-release update – though April 7 may be pleasantly closer than some were expecting.

Resident Evil 4 Remake is available today and earned a 10 out of 10 in IGN’s review as “the series’ most relentlessly exciting adventure rebuilt, refined, and realised to the full extent of its enormous potential.”

For much, much more on Resident Evil 4 Remake be sure to check out our look back on how the original completely revolutionised the survival horror genre, plus our top 10 beginner tips for tackling this superb remake and why the iconic custom chainsaw controller Capcom crafted for the original is sadly not making a comeback this time around.

Luke is Games Editor at IGN’s Sydney office. You can chat to him on Twitter @MrLukeReilly.

The games of 2022, according to this year’s GDC and IGF Award winners

IGF Award ceremonies were really heartening stuff. Getting to see so many great developers have their games celebrated by their peers will always warm the old cockles, especially when we celebrated so many of them in our own RPS Advent Calendar at the end of last year. Well, I say ‘see’. In truth, I was tucked away backstage at this year’s IGF and GDC Awards, clutching my dictaphone with a single question in mind: if each winner had to give away their award to another game in their category, who would it be and why?

It’s an idea Brendan (RPS in peace) came up with back in the primordial mists of 2018, and it was so good I just had to knick it and do it again. It might be cruel to wrench these awards away so soon after receiving them, but it’s all in the name of spreading good vibes and extra shoutouts, I promise. So here are the games of the year 2022, according to the people who just won awards for games of the year 2022.

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