Next Week on Xbox: New Games for February 26 to March 1

Next Week on Xbox Hero

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for February 26 to March 1

This is Next Week on Xbox! This weekly feature shows you all the games that are coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! You can find more information about these upcoming games below and click on their profiles for more details (release dates subject to change). Let’s get started!


Xbox Live

Bio Inc. Redemption

Klabater

Bio Inc. Redemption – February 27
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A complex biomedical simulator in which you make life or death decisions. Create the ultimate illness to infect and torment your victim or play as the head of a medical team and hopefully find a cure to save your patient. Will you be the plague or preserve humanity?


Xbox Live

TRUDOGRAD

ATENT GAMES LLC

Trudograd – February 27

Trudograd is a standalone story expansion to Atom RPG. Explore a vast open world, containing 40+ hours of gameplay and 45+ populated locations. Your goal is to travel to a giant post-apocalyptic metropolis that withstood the tests of nuclear obliteration and social collapse. There you must find what is thought to be humanity’s last hope in fending off the menace from outer space!


Xbox Live

BROADSWORD: WARLORD EDITION

Hoplite Research LLC

$29.99

Broadsword: Warlord Edition – February 28

Experience turn-based strategy gameplay as players move from mission to mission in the Middle Ages. Command one of five different armies: the English, The French, the Spanish, the Poles or the Hapsburgs. Lead different types of units into battle , and control special hero units such as Henry III, Joan of Arc, Wladylaw I of Poland, and Peter of Castile, among others whose special ‘hero’ powers can affect the entire battlefield.


Xbox Live

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake

505 Games

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake – February 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Hailed by critics when it was originally released, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is back! Faithful to the gameplay and touching story from 2013, guide two brothers on an epic fairy tale filled with discovery, loss, adventure, and mystery. With their father suffering from a deadly illness, two brothers must bravely set out to find the “Water of Life,” the one cure that can save him.


Xbox Live

Cook, Serve, Delicious!

Vertigo Gaming Inc.

Cook, Serve, Delicious! – February 28

A deceptively easy game to learn but incredibly challenging to master as you progress from owning a rundown zero-star café into a five-star world famous restaurant. Manage your restaurant as you balance out your menu with thirty foods and hundreds of recipes, compete in cooking television shows and mysterious tournaments, and upgrade your equipment while battling robbers, impatient customers, and lots more!


Xbox Live

Dead End City

Eastasiasoft Limited

Dead End City – February 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Blast your way through post-apocalyptic wastelands in retro shoot’em up style! Dead End City is a post-apocalyptic vertical shooter. You drive a heavily armed car called a Chariot into the wastelands to rescue your loved ones from Scorpio, a gang that has conquered what little is left of humanity. Relive the thrill of ’90s arcade classics in top-down shoot ’em up style!


Xbox Live

STAR WARS™: Dark Forces Remaster

Nightdive Studios

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster – February 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Brought to life by the team at Nightdive Studios, and fully remastered through its proprietary KEX engine, in the first Star Wars FPS video game, players assume the role of Kyle Katarn, a defector of the Galactic Empire turned mercenary for hire. Katarn joins the Rebel Alliance’s covert operations division tasked with infiltrating the Galactic Empire, where he discovers the secret Dark Trooper Project. New and returning players will enjoy upgraded gameplay, high-resolution textures, enhanced lighting and rendering, and support for gamepads.


Xbox Live

Pecaminosa – A Deadly Hand

2Awesome Partners


$9.99

$7.99

Pecaminosa – A Deadly Hand – February 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Blending the charm of pixel art and the mechanics of an action RPG, with the atmosphere of film noir, you have not seen and played anything like Pecaminosa – A Deadly Hand. Interrogate suspects, explore a city dominated by crime and sin, and never hesitate to use your fists and guns. These are hard times in a very tough city.


Xbox Live

Tamarak Trail

Versus Evil, LLC

$14.99

Tamarak Trail – February 29
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

In this deck-building roguelike, you’ll use a customizable dice set as you battle through randomly generated trails – full of loot, mysteries, and danger to protect inhabitants from the evil that has corrupted the trail. As a member of the Sturgeon Lodge: a secret society tasked with defeating a malevolent presence that has corrupted Tamarak Trail, it is your job to bring peace to all inhabitants.


Xbox Live

Welcome to ParadiZe Pre-order

Nacon

$39.99

Welcome to ParadiZe – February 29

Do you want your very own zombie companion? A faithful friend that protects you from its peers and accompanies you on all your adventures? At ParadiZe, we make it happen! Here, the zombies do all the dirty work. In this action-RPG with co-op capability, ingenious survivors are testing a technology that can be used to control the zombies that have overrun the world. Once hacked, they become invaluable allies, even though they are not that smart and sometimes rather unstable. It’s not all rosy in ParadiZe, but if you’re reasonably clever and handy, maybe you’ll manage to survive…


Xbox Live

PopSlinger

Artax Games

$12.49

PopSlinger – February 29
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Join Ria Carbon along with the former PopSlinger heroine Gin in a whimsical adventure to save their planet from the otherworldly forces using their magical soda-powered guns, while grooving to a funky and dynamic original soundtrack that reacts to your performance.


Xbox Live

Match Village

QUByte Interactive

Match Village – February 29

A minimalist puzzle and strategy experience about combining buildings to build villages on beautiful, procedurally generated islands. Combine buildings to create your villages and cities on endless islands scattered around the world and enjoy relaxing atmosphere – no resource management or armies, just focus on building.


Xbox Live

Eldgear

KEMCO

Eldgear – February 29
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A tactical strategy RPG set in a fantasy world. In the vast unexplored land of Argenia, where hundreds of nations are crowded together, a new era is about to begin, leaving behind the medieval era and entering the era of magical civilization. In turn-based battles, you can choose your own strategy, whether you dash alone like lightning, or advance steadily like the earth. Immersive and enjoyable pixel animations take place to enhance the battle experience.


Xbox Live

Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions

SHUEISHA GAMES Inc.

$24.99

Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions – March 1

Become Captain Velvet Meteor and help Damien conquer his fears in a tactical adventure enjoyable for players of all ages and skill levels. Damien’s life is flipped upside-down when his family moves him to Japan. A shy boy, he copes with his newfound loneliness with the power of his infinite imagination and creates an imaginary hero named “Captain Velvet Meteor”.


Xbox Live

Dynacat

Replayne

Dynacat – March 1
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Dynacat’s home has been invaded by an army of robots who are draining energy from the land and storing it in the form of magic crystals. Follow Dynacat on an adventure to fight back against the robots and protect the land from withering. A fast-paced 3D platforming game with an isometric perspective – speed through stages by using platforms, springs and other stage elements to overcome obstacles. If you’re going fast enough you can even run on walls!


Xbox Live

The Mobius Machine

Madruga Works

$24.99

The Mobius Machine – March 1
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

A classic 2D adventure game with detailed 3D visuals. Explore an interconnected world filled with brutal lifeforms and malfunctioning machines. Find your way through abandoned facilities and perilous environments, on the surface and in the depths of this remote alien planet. Choose your own path and explore a complex open world, discovering it in your own way.


Xbox Live

Ufouria: The Saga 2

Red Art Games

Ufouria: The Saga 2 – March 1
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

In this family-friendly platformer sequel, rampage through the fluffy feltwork arts-and-crafts recreation of the world of Ufouria, with your trusty crew from the original game in this exploration-based action side-scroller. Of course, newcomers to Ufouria are welcome too!


Xbox Live

M.A.D. Cows

Cascadia Games LLC

$4.99

M.A.D. Cows – March 1
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Militant. Armed. Domestic. Cows! An exciting, retro, action-platform game. Mow down aliens. Buy better guns. Rescue cows, dogs, raccoons, and more. For centuries, the aliens mutilated cattle with little to no consequence. Finally, the cows had enough. They organized. They trained. Now they are ready… for their revenge!


Xbox Live

One More Dungeon 2

Ratalaika Games S.L.

One More Dungeon 2 – March 1
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A dungeon crawler roguelite in a fantasy setting. As a nameless adventure seeker, you venture into an ancient dungeon full of secrets, traps, and hostile creatures. You wake up in the ruins of an ancient fortress, held captive by giant sentient snails. Use a wide arsenal of magic staves, melee weapons, and forbidden artifacts to fight your way through the crowds of enemies and make it out alive!


Xbox Live

Frontier Pilot Simulator

RAZAR s.r.o.

Frontier Pilot Simulator – March 1
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Embark on a thrilling journey as a Frontier Pilot in this immersive sci-fi cargo sim, where dynamic missions, seamless trading, and a vast alien world await your exploration. Take command of customizable and upgradeable VTOL craft, navigate challenging weather conditions, and push your piloting skills to the limits.


Xbox Live
Xbox Play Anywhere

Colorful Boi

Webnetic s. r. o.

Colorful Boi – March 1

Xbox Play Anywhere

Prepare for an adrenaline-fueled journey like no other! This captivating platformer boasts 63 levels of intense gameplay, filled with treacherous traps. Colorful Boi will push your skills to the limit and deliver an unforgettable gaming experience. Are you ready to conquer all the challenges and become the ultimate platforming champion?

The post Next Week on Xbox: New Games for February 26 to March 1 appeared first on Xbox Wire.

IGN UK Podcast 737: Buster Swordin’ Makes Me Feel Good

Cardy, Matt, and Dale have all finished Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and had a bloody good time playing it, too. Find out why, as well as why Dune: Part Two is a fantastic sequel and film you should see ON THE BIGGEST SCREEN POSSIBLE. Plus, there’s also time to try and explain how the new poker-based roguelike Balatro is taking over lives.

What’s the scariest kids TV show? What’s the best KitKat? Get in touch at ign_ukfeedback@ign.com.

IGN UK Podcast 737: Buster Swordin’ Makes Me Feel Good

Avatar: The Last Airbender Star Thought He Was Auditioning for James Cameron’s Avatar

Avatar: The Last Airbender star Ken Leung thought he was auditioning for a role in James Cameron’s Avatar instead of that of Commander Zhao on the Netflix series.

Speaking to Deadline, Leung admitted he hadn’t heard of the beloved animated series before he was awarded the role and laughed that, when he was told the role was for Avatar, he thought he’d “be blue”.

“I didn’t know the original at all,” Leung said. “Maybe it’s an age thing but I didn’t know about it. First of all, the audition, you couldn’t tell it was for Avatar, it was kind of disguised as a different project. And when I first heard it was for Avatar I thought I was gonna be blue.”

Leung said this served him well, however, as he didn’t have the pressure of knowing the original portrayal of Zhao and therefore could let his version of the character flourish.

“Looking back, I kind of love that I came in blank,” he said. “Because when you have ideas you can kind of corrupt a pure process. You come in blank, things will come into it that will inform your playing of it in a way that it might not if you came in with preconceived ideas or plans. So I was grateful for that.”

The Netflix adaptation premiered on February 22 and also stars Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kiawentiio Tarbell as Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka, Dallas Liu as Zuko, and Paul Sun-Hyungas as Uncle Iroh.

In our 7/10 review, IGN said: “The live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series enriches the original story with meaningful new material, but its breakneck pacing, exposition-heavy dialogue, and hit-or-miss effects aren’t precisely in balance.”

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Out now in early access, The Tribe Must Survive is Frostpunk for people who love being afraid of the dark

Yesterday I was off sick with a fever and, as I often do when I’m laid up ill, immediately set out to consume the most nihilistic and depressing entertainment media I could find. On the film front, I watched Session 9, in which some men hired to remove asbestos from a collapsing 19th century asylum do not have a very nice time. On the game front, I played The Tribe Must Survive, a colony management sim from Walking Tree Games GmbH and Starbreeze Publishing, which is now available in early access.

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Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Isn’t Out Yet But Fans Are Already Obsessing Over Tifa

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth may not be available until February 29 but fans are already obsessing over Tifa’s appearance in the game.

A clip of the remade Costa Del Sol section of Final Fantasy 7 has gone viral, with Tifa trending alongside Aerith. The clip shows the party at the beach, with Cloud seemingly taken aback by Tifa and Aerith’s swimsuits.

The internet has already grown obsessed over it, with one post from X/Twitter user @Genki_JPN having clocked 1.6 million views by itself.

Tifa’s popularity isn’t anything new, of course, but the fact she’s trending over Aerith upon the release of a game that already has fans fiercely debating the latter’s fate is telling. Tifa was trending in January too, when fans called for her to be added to Tekken 8 so much that Tekken boss Katsuhiro Harada had to address it.

“We all know she is attractive and I understand that,” Harada said in a post on X/Twitter. “But as yet we have not decided anything about guest characters etc.”

The Costa Del Sol section of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is just one of several cities players can explore. Unlike the first game, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, the sequel takes place throughout a large portion of the world and also includes the likes of Gold Saucer and Junon. The latter can be explored in the recently updated demo too.

In our 9/10 review of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, IGN said: “Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth impressively builds off of what Remake set in motion, both as a best-in-class action-RPG full of exciting challenges and an awe-inspiring recreation of a world that has meant so much to so many for so long.”

Those looking to see how long it takes to get through the epic can also check out IGN’s How Long Is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth? guide.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Nightingale to add offline mode “as soon as feasible”, as devs say they “misjudged” player demand for it

After launching Nightingale into early access on Tuesday, developers Inflexion Games (led by former BioWare CEO Aaryn Flynn) have quickly realised a big miscalculation: lots of players want an offline mode. The gaslamp fantasy survival game requires you be online even if you want to play by yourself, which dovetailed poorly with server issues at launch to frustrate folks. Inflexion say that early in development they needed to make a choice between focusing on co-op or offline first, and now think they made the wrong call. They plan to remedy this, but it’s not yet clear when they’ll actually add an offline mode.

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‘Runner2’ Leaps To Switch Next Week, Complete With Charles Martinet

He did a Runner.

Charles Martinet may have hung up his cap as the voice of Mario, but next week you’ll get to hear his dulcet tones in a new Switch release. On 29th February, the snappily named BIT.TRIP Presents: Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien is making the leap from Wii U to Switch (see what we did there?) with Martinet’s narration present and correct.

The acclaimed rhythm-based runner from Bit.Trip series originators Gaijin Games — now Choice Provisions — launched on Wii U and other platforms back in 2013, with the sequel Runner3 arriving on Switch in 2018.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Helldivers 2 Patch 1.000.12 Raises Server Cap to 700,000 Concurrents as Dev Braces Itself for the Weekend

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has raised the game’s server cap to a whopping 700,000 concurrent users as it braces itself for another weekend of massive player numbers.

Helldivers 2 is a smash hit following its explosive launch across PC via Steam and PlayStation 5, but the co-op focused third-person shooter has suffered from significant issues as server capacity is hit time and time again.

Arrowhead has released a number of patches in a bid to combat the problem, including raising the server cap to 500,000 concurrent users, and indeed this week released a major update (Helldivers 2 patch 1.000.11) targeted at sorting out the most egregious issues. But now, Arrowhead has upped the server cap yet again as it prepares for another influx of players over the weekend.

Helldivers 2 patch 1.000.12 raises the server cap, and fixes an issue where some players would get stuck in cinematics for an extended period of time. In a tweet, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt said the developer had updated the server cap to an incredible 700,000, but warned: “Unfortunately, we expect the CCU to reach that level.” Still, Pilestedt predicted “wait times will be much more bearable.”

In another tweet, Pilestedt insisted that this new server cap is “above what we have been able to support”, and that Arrowhead is “actively monitoring the situation.”

Helldivers 2 is Sony’s biggest PC game launch of all time, with a peak concurrent player figure of 457,649 on Steam. Helldivers 2’s success has even sparked renewed interest in Starship Troopers, the film from which it draws quite a bit of inspiration.

Arrowhead and the Helldivers 2 community will be hoping the servers are able to hold the line going into the weekend, when most expect that peak concurrent record on Steam to fall by the wayside, potentially multiple times.

Arrowhead is still working on a number of issues with Helldivers 2. Here’s the list:

  • No text is present for the Requisitions and Social Menu on the Player HUD
  • PS5 players may encounter error code 10003001 on the login screen
  • Login rate limiting when many are logging in at the same time
  • Players can become disconnected during play
  • Rewards and other progress may be delayed or not attributed
  • Various UI issues may appear when the game interacts with servers
  • Pick-up of certain objects in-game may cause characters to freeze in place for an extended period of time
  • Some games would not be joinable by others for a short period of time during heavy load
  • Other unknown behaviors may occur
  • Japanese VO is missing from intro cutscene and Ship TV
  • Armor values for light/medium/heavy armor do not currently function as intended

If you’re playing, be sure to check out IGN’s Helldivers 2 guide.

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.

Some Elden Ring devs had “concerns” about its open world style, which the DLC will make “denser and richer”

From Software president Hidetaka Miyazaki has acknowledged that members of the Dark Souls studio had misgivings about Elden Ring‘s shift to a full-blown open world format, while qualifying that Elden Ring’s vision for an open world was never “traditional”. Rather, Elden Ring is an “open world” game in the same way that Dark Souls is a “hard” game, Miyazaki feels. Confused? Well, this is the godfather of the notoriously unforthcoming Souls series we’re talking about. I’ve never interviewed the guy, but I suspect he composes his responses using the game’s soapstone messaging system.

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Get Intel’s legendary Optane 905P 1.5TB SSD at a discount in the US

Intel’s Optane drives are legendary in PC tech circles, offering random performance and low latency that remains unmatched amongst PCIe 3.0 drives. This Intel Optane 905P drive is the biggest they ever made at 1.5TB, and now it’s reduced to $380 when you use code SYADP2Z384 at Newegg.

For systems that accept PCIe 4.0 or PCIe 5.0 drives, I’d recommend sticking with our usual gaming SSD recommendations, but for PCIe 3.0 systems this is a fascinating option that emphasises random performance against sequential speeds. I recorded some of the very fastest game load times with this drive when I tested it against other PCIe 3.0 options, and its random write speeds are competitive even with later generation PCIe 4.0 alternatives.

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