Core Keeper’s Creepiest, Crawliest Boss Stomps into the Sandbox Adventure

Core Keeper’s Creepiest, Crawliest Boss Stomps into the Sandbox Adventure

Core Keeper - Bags & Blasts Key Art

Explorers! Gear up for a supersized battle against the creepiest and crawliest bosses of them all: Nimzura, Queen of the Burrowed Sands, featured in Core Keeper’s new Bags & Blasts free content update. If you’ve yet to discover this underground epic, Core Keeper is a sandbox adventure game that you can play as a solo explorer, or together with friends in 2-8-player online co-op. Best of all it’s available now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass!

Nimruza – Queen of the Burrowed Sands

Before the rise of the Caveling empires, cicadas were a dominant species in the Underground. Their life cycles aligned with the natural order, earning them the title of “keepers of time.” However, as the Cavelings expanded, conflicts over territory escalated into a prolonged war. The cicada husks and ruined Caveling settlements that can be found across the underground are remnants of a struggle that nearly wiped out both sides.

At the centre of this conflict is Nimruza, a once towering cicada queen whose brood spanned the desert depths. That was until she was infected with a parasite that burrowed into her body, consuming her from within. Now driven by a dark, malevolent force, she is a formidable enemy in the latest Core Keeper update. Nimruza’s story in Core Keeper is one that expands the adventure and progresses the story of the Cicada-Caveling War.

But Nimruza is not just another boss fight. Her introduction marks a major turning point in Core Keeper’s world and the continuation of the game’s story. Her creation began with the idea of a massive cicada queen, a natural evolution of the cicada husks that you’ve come across during your adventures.

Designing Nimruza

Core Keeper Screenshot

The development team at Pugstorm spent a long time considering all the ways they could make Nimruza stand out from the other bosses in Core Keeper. The decision to design her as a corrupted force that has twisted into something unnatural and menacing is reflected in her attack patterns. You can expect a challenging battle with regimented, almost mechanical attacks designed to illustrate the loss of Nimruza’s natural instincts and transformation into a machine of evil.

Exploring the Oasis

Core Keeper Screenshot

In the Bags & Blasts free update, you will get to explore the Oasis, a brand-new sub-biome located in the Desert of Beginnings and take the battle to Nimruza in an attempt to quell this evil new force. Fend off cicada hordes, evade Nimruza’s crushing attacks, and avoid the devastating effects of dark energy to overcome this supersized insect in one of Core Keeper’s biggest boss fights yet.

While you’re in the Oasis, keep an eye out for the Drohmble, an adorable new camel-like creature that wanders the Oasis’s bountiful plains. Ranching these can uncover a valuable (but stinky) resource that’s useful for crafting brand new weaponry.

Explosive New Skills & Weapons

Core Keeper Screenshot

Wait, new weaponry?! Yep, you heard right! The Bags & Blasts update is all about bringing even more boom to Core Keeper, with the introduction of a brand-new Explosives skill tree that provides a blastingly powerful new way to play. Fend off enemies from afar with the introduction of Grenades, and discover brand-new bomb types, like the vacuum Void Bomb and multi-blast Blunder Bomb, to blast through cavern walls and create all new strategies to take down Core Keeper’s biggest threats.

Play it on Game Pass

Core Keeper Screenshot

It’s incredible to think that over 4 million players have already started their adventure in Core Keeper. Whether you’re a solo adventurer or you’ve been exploring the caverns together online, we’ve been blown away by the reaction the game has received – we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has played so far.

And if you haven’t started your adventure yet, or you’re excited to jump back in to take on Nimruza in this colossal new boss fight, don’t forget: Core Keeper is available right now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. See you in the underground!

Core Keeper

Fireshine Games


251


$19.99

$15.99
Xbox Game Pass

Awaken as an explorer in a long-forgotten cavern teeming with untold secrets.
In this award-winning, 1-8 player mining sandbox adventure, your choices shape an epic journey.
Harvest relics and resources, craft advanced tools, build your base, and explore a dynamically evolving world waiting to be unearthed.

Level up your skills, defeat legendary Titans, and unveil the power of the Core.
Grow your garden, fish in mysterious waters, master a vast array of recipes, raise and care for animals, encounter the Cavelings, and carve out your own unique world in an enchanting underground adventure.

Core Keeper

Fireshine Games


3

PC Game Pass

Awaken as an explorer in a long-forgotten cavern teeming with untold secrets.
In this award-winning, 1-8 player mining sandbox adventure, your choices shape an epic journey.
Harvest relics and resources, craft advanced tools, build your base, and explore a dynamically evolving world waiting to be unearthed.

Level up your skills, defeat legendary Titans, and unveil the power of the Core.
Grow your garden, fish in mysterious waters, master a vast array of recipes, raise and care for animals, encounter the Cavelings, and carve out your own unique world in an enchanting underground adventure.

The post Core Keeper’s Creepiest, Crawliest Boss Stomps into the Sandbox Adventure appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Share of the Week – Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

Last week, we asked you rewind back to the summer of 1995 and share moments from Lost Records: Bloom & Rage using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

call_me_xavii shares Swann, Autumn, Nora, and Kat crossing a forest log in the setting sun

treeblazah shares Autumn and Kat blowing out dandelions.

​​

Beat_Minerz shares Nora sitting on a picnic bench with a skateboard

sic.parvis.magna.sfd shares Kat with her concert makeup on

MrioMoreno5 shares a picture perfect moment of Swann’s cat gazing at a bird in the window

tlouphotographer shares a close up of Swann’s concert eye makeup

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME: Monster Hunter Wilds
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on March 12, 2025 

Next week, head out into the wilds with your Palico in tow. Capture rapturous moments in Monster Hunter Wilds using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Every Final Fantasy Game on the Nintendo Switch in 2025

For most of the 21st century, the Final Fantasy games were PlayStation exclusives. But when you have a series that’s consistently gotten new games for almost 40 years, you have to think about how younger generations will be able to play them. That, and, of course, thinking about your bottom line, has led every publisher to lean more and more into multiplatform releases. On top of PC ports, Square Enix has released a decent amount of remasters and special editions of the Final Fantasy series specifically for Nintendo’s handheld.

The Final Fantasy games hitting Switch isn’t entirely unprecedented. The connection between Final Fantasy and Nintendo dates back to the series’ infancy, when the first game debuted on Nintendo’s Famicom system in 1987. In fact, the first six mainline Final Fantasy games debuted on Nintendo platforms before Square Enix jumped to PlayStation as the series’ primary platform with Final Fantasy 7.

With Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth’s PC launch and a solid Magic: The Gathering expansion bringing Final Fantasy back into the spotlight in 2025, plenty of people are hoping to dive into the series for the first time. Below we’ve compiled a complete list of Final Fantasy games available on Switch, for those looking to discover or revisit the beloved JRPG series on Nintendo’s latest console.

How Many Final Fantasy Games Are Available on Switch?

There are 20 Final Fantasy games you can play on the Switch — 12 mainline games, one prequel, and seven spinoffs. These games have been split into two sections below: mainline games (ordered by original release date) and other games (ordered by Switch release date).

Every Mainline Final Fantasy Game on Switch

Final Fantasy 1–6 Pixel Remaster

The first six Final Fantasy games are all available on Switch as part of Square Enix’s Pixel Remaster collection. Each game has been overhauled with new graphics, rearranged soundtracks, updated UIs, and new galleries for players to explore the creatures, illustrations, and music from all six games. If you’re interested in diving into the original Final Fantasy experience, this is the best way to do it.

The Pixel Remasters are available individually ($12–18 USD/each) or as part of the six-game Final Fantasy I–VI bundle ($75 USD). If you’re looking at the games individually, I’d recommend FF6, as it has one of the more immersive storylines.

Final Fantasy 7

One of the series’ most beloved games, Final Fantasy VII, is also available on Switch. This is not a remastered version of the game but rather a port of the 1997 original with three extra features: a 3x speed mode, the ability to turn battle encounters off, and a battle enhancement mode to make encounters easier. While the newer remasters, Remake and Rebirth, introduce modern action RPG mechanics to Cloud Strife’s battle against Sephiroth, the Switch edition of FFVII is one of the best opportunities to experience what made the original PlayStation game so impactful.

Final Fantasy 8 Remastered

The series’ next entry is also available on Switch as Final Fantasy VIII Remastered. This updated version was released in 2019, 20 years after FF8 originally debuted on PlayStation. Additions to the remastered version include a 3x speed mode, the ability to turn off random encounters, and battle assist options to lessen the difficulty of combat.

Final Fantasy 9

Final Fantasy IX on Switch, like FFVII before it, is a port of the original RPG, which, despite not being quite as “famous” as Final Fantasy VII, is considered to have one of the best storylines in the series. The Switch version includes a few extras compared to the 2000 original, including high-speed and no-encounter modes, an autosave feature, and HD cutscenes and character models.

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is a bundle of Final Fantasy X and its sequel X-2 (the series’ first-ever direct sequel). The two games feature over 100 hours of RPG content, according to IGN sister site How Long to Beat, and include upgraded graphics and reworked audio (with the ability to switch back and forth between the new and original sounds).

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

Skipping the now-shuttered MMORPG Final Fantasy XI, the series’ next mainline game available on Switch is Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age. The Zodiac Age, a remaster of the 2006 original, features HD graphics and a re-recorded soundtrack, as well as the Zodiac Job System, an increased battle tempo, an optional high-speed mode, and autosave functionality.

Final Fantasy 15 Pocket Edition HD

Final Fantasy XIII and XIV: Online are not available on Switch, which brings us to Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition HD. It’s the latest mainline game available on the platform, as FFXVI is still only available on PS5 and PC.

Final Fantasy 15 Pocket Edition HD is an abridged version of the original game with cartoonish character models, simplified combat, a reduced skill tree, and fewer side quests. Pocket Edition HD does, however, retain the full FFXV story, boys on the road and all.

Other Final Fantasy Games on Switch

World of Final Fantasy Maxima (2018)

World of Final Fantasy Maxima, co-developed by Square Enix and prolific Japanese developer Tose, came to Switch with new content and the subtitle ‘Maxima’ two years after it was first released on PS4 and Vita. It’s an accessible RPG aimed at younger audiences that combines the series’ Active Time Battle system with the ability to capture Mirages (i.e., creatures) to use in battle.

Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! (2019)

Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! is a remastered version of the 2007 Wii game Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon. This Final Fantasy spinoff is a turn-based RPG with randomly generated dungeons and a buddy system that allows players to bring other creatures or characters along for the dungeon-crawling chaos.

Collection of Mana (2019)

This collection of three Mana games is on this list due to its inclusion of the 1991 Game Boy game Final Fantasy Adventure. Despite beginning as a Final Fantasy spinoff, the Mana series dropped those ties with the release of its second game, Secret of Mana, and has since remained an independent franchise.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition (2020)

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is an enhanced version of the 2004 RPG/dungeon crawler originally released for GameCube. Crystal Chronicles for Switch features a cute aesthetic, online co-op, and the addition of English voiceover for the first time. It’s a graphical improvement upon the original that also added new areas, monsters, weapons, and a higher-difficulty option.

Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend (2020)

Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend compiles three Game Boy games: Final Fantasy Legend I–III. We’ve included these games in service to creating a comprehensive list, though these are only Final Fantasy games in name; the SaGa games belong to an independent franchise of RPGs inspired by but not necessarily connected to Final Fantasy. The first three SaGa games were given the Final Fantasy name to capitalize on the brand recognition with western audiences.

The collection adds a high-speed mode and Switch-specific enhancements like adjustable screen magnification and the ability to play with your Switch oriented vertically (when in handheld mode, with Joy-Cons detached).

Crisis Core –Final Fantasy VII– Reunion (2022)

A prequel to Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core –Final Fantasy VII– Reunion is a remastered version of the 2007 PSP RPG. The game stars a young warrior named Zack Fair, whose connection to Cloud and FFVII is revealed throughout the story. Reunion features remastered graphics, new character and background models, fully voiced dialogue, a newly arranged soundtrack, and a refined battle system.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line (2023)

A rhythm game that celebrates the music of Final Fantasy, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line launched with 385 tracks from across the Final Fantasy series, though that has since grown to include music from other Square franchises for a total of 505 tracks. The Final Fantasy music pulls from 46 games, according to Squre, including FFI–XV. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line features over 100 characters and online multiplayer support for up to 8 players.

Chocobo GP (2023)

Chocobo GP is a Final Fantasy-themed kart racer developed by Arika (Tetris 99). While there are better kart racers available on Switch, Chocobo GP is a fun respite from the more involved RPGs that make up the majority of the Final Fantasy franchise. Like other kart racers, it features time challenges, tournament-style races, and options for multiplayer racing.

Upcoming Final Fantasy Games on Nintendo Switch

The most recent mainline Final Fantasy release is Final Fantasy XVI, which has yet to see any variant or equivalent release on Switch. We probably won’t see a new mainline FF game on PlayStation or Switch anytime soon, as Square Enix’s current focus is its three-part remake of Final Fantasy VII. Final Fantasy VII Remake was released on PS4 in 2020, followed by Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on PS5 in 2024, and both have since made their way to PC.

As some of the biggest Final Fantasy games of this generation, the big question is whether we’ll see either of these massive remakes on the Switch. While unlikely on the current Switch console, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth are rumored to be part of the Switch 2 launch, which we’ll be hearing more about at a Nintendo Direct in April.

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 review: an RTX 4070 Super with a DLSS 4 badge

I knew the RTX 5070 was tricking me. Parked next to the extravagant silliness of the two-grand RTX 5090, this £539 / $549 graphics card looked like a very agreeable deal, offering all the same DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation as its bigger, pricier brothers. Also, an upgrade to the RTX 4070 Super, a GPU that could handle 4K without looking too out of place in a premium 1080p rig. Tragically, though, the RTX 5070 breaks a sacred covenant, a mutual understanding between PC owners and parts makers that’s held strong for decades: if you buy a new version of a thing, it should be faster than the old version of that thing. Look past the MFG illusion, and far too often, it isn’t.

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Blades of Fire: The First Preview

When I sat down to play developer MercurySteam’s latest project, Blades of Fire, I expected something of a return to the studio’s Castlevania: Lords of Shadow games, updated with the modern stylings of God of War. An hour later I thought I was playing a Soulslike, albeit one where all the stats were in my weapons rather than an RPG character sheet. By the end of the three-hour hands-on session, I realised both of those observations were simultaneously true and false: this is a game that is unmistakably built on well-worn ground, but the unique arrangement of both its borrowed components and new ideas results in a fresh and interesting approach to the action-adventure genre.

While it’s not exactly a clone of Sony Santa Monica’s work, you’d be forgiven for assuming as much at first glance. With its dark fantasy world, heavy-hitting strikes, and third-person camera that stays close to the action, Blades of Fire has much in common with the Norse era of Kratos’ journey. There are certainly even more parallels that I could talk of: across a demo that took place during the game’s opening hours, I explored a twisty, treasure chest-laden map with the aid of a young companion who helped solve puzzles. Together we sought out a woman of the wilds who lived in a house mounted atop a giant creature. It can sometimes feel a bit too familiar, especially when you also factor in the many elements pilfered from FromSoftware’s library, including anvil-shaped checkpoints that, when rested at, both refill your limited health potions and respawn enemies.

All of this familiarity is filtered through a world that has an air of 1980s fantasy about it. You can imagine Conan the Barbarian easily blending in among its incredibly buff soldiers, while a bunch of orangutan-like enemies bouncing around on bamboo pogo sticks wouldn’t look out of place in Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. Even the story has a retro vibe; an evil queen has turned steel into stone, and it’s up to you – Aran de Lira, essentially a blacksmith demigod – to kill her and restore the world’s metal. Despite these old-school charms, though, at this stage I’m doubtful the story, characters, or writing will prove that compelling – it’s all incredibly video game-y, akin to the many forgotten stories of the Xbox 360 era.

Like many of those games of yore, Blades of Fire’s best accomplishments appear to be mechanical. It boasts a combat system rooted in directional attacks that makes use of every face button on the controller. On a PlayStation pad, tapping triangle aims for the head, cross goes for the torso, while square and circle swipe left and right respectively. Through careful reading of an enemy’s stance you can use these attacks to break through defences. A soldier holding up a blade to protect their face, for instance, can be overcome by aiming low and skewering through their gut. The impact is wonderfully squelchy, with thick trails of blood erupting from the wounds you inflict.

There are occasions when this system really shines. The demo’s first major boss, a slobbering troll, had a second health bar that could only be chipped away after dismembering the beast. The limb that’s lopped off is dictated by your angle of attack, so I could use my right-hand strike to detach its club-swinging left arm, quite literally disarming my foe. Even better: you can cut the troll’s entire face off, leaving it blind and aimlessly flailing until it can regrow its eyes and continue the fight.

Compared to most games, your weapons demand a huge amount of attention.

Interesting wrinkles like this can be found in many of the combat staples. Rather than automatically regenerate, your attack and dodge-fuelling stamina gauge must be manually restored by holding the block button. But despite these new ideas providing Blades of Fire’s combat with a distinctly different edge, the general tone of battle is undeniably Soulsian. Attack pattern recognition and slender dodge/block/parry windows are very much the name of the game here, and there’s the same sense of risk and reward – even if the punishment isn’t quite as severe. It’s enough to trick your brain into reaching for FromSoft muscle memory, but that sadly won’t save you here: the directional attack system demands a very different control map, the safety of blocking repositioned to the left trigger.

After rewiring my brain to remember that none of the face buttons can be used to dodge, things began to click. The unique approaches gradually took centre stage over the Souls of it all, and I soon found the combat to be refreshingly different. Core damage dealing is elevated by a smart weapon system that allows you to wield your bladed armaments with different stances, either slashing with the sharp edge or thrusting with the pointed tip. As with the directional system, you’ll need to assess your enemy (as well as some useful HUD prompts) to determine which method is most effective.

If the title didn’t give it away, your weapons are the very heart of Blades of Fire. And compared to most games, they demand a huge amount of attention. Edged weapons dull with repeated use, meaning each successive strike deals a minuscule less damage than the last. That all adds up over time, so you’ll need to use a sharpening stone to replenish your weapon’s blade. That, or switch to a different stance; the edge and the tip wear down independent of each other, which contributes to the sense that these are tangible items affected by your fighting style.

As with Monster Hunter, you’ll learn to make space to sharpen your sword mid-fight. But every weapon has a durability meter that continually depletes, no matter how well you care for it. When your weapon inevitably shatters, you can repair it at an anvil checkpoint. Or you can melt it down into its raw materials to begin crafting anew in what is undoubtedly Blades of Fire’s most significant and distinguishing innovation: the forge.

With your weapon design complete, you must then physically hammer out the metal on an anvil.

To say MercurySteam has created an extensive weapon crafting system is an understatement. Rather than find new armaments in the world, every weapon’s life begins here in the forge. It starts with the choice of a basic weapon template, which Aran sketches out on a chalkboard. From here you tweak and modify. For instance, when designing a spear, I adjusted both the length of the pole and the shape of the spearhead. Each decision is reflected in the weapon’s stats; a longer pole increases the spear’s range, while the shape of the head dictates if it’s more proficient at slashing or piercing. Different materials affect weight and that in turn changes the weapon’s demands on your stamina pool. All this lends the sense that you are genuinely crafting your weapon. You even get to name your creation.

Most crafting systems would end there. In Blades of Fire, this is only the halfway point. With your design complete, you must then physically hammer out the metal on an anvil. This is achieved via a remarkably involved minigame in which you control the length, force, and angle of every hammer strike. A curved line across the screen represents the ultimate ideal, and with each blow of the hammer you attempt to arrange a series of vertical bars, akin to a graphic equalizer, to match the shape of that curved line. Overworking the steel will result in a weaker weapon, so the aim is to recreate that line in as few strikes as possible. Your efforts are rewarded with a star rating; the more stars you attain, the more often you can repair your creation before it permanently breaks and is lost forever.

I really love the idea of the forge and how it introduces a skill element to what is typically a menu-driven system. But even after several sessions at the anvil, I found the minigame frustratingly obtuse. There didn’t seem to be a clear connection between the areas that I struck and the resulting shape of the metal. Hopefully some improvements, or simply a better tutorial, are implemented before launch – it would be a shame for Blades of Fire’s most interesting feature to be marred by irritation.

The idea at the heart of the forge is something that goes way beyond the boundaries of a three-hour demo session. MercurySteam wants you to feel deeply attached to the weapons you create and carry them with you for the duration of your journey – a journey the developer claims will be “no less than 60-70 hours.” As you explore the world and find new metals, you’ll be able to reforge your trusted swords, axes, hammers, and spears to enhance their properties, ensuring they’re always suitable for new and more difficult challenges. This relationship between you and your armaments is emphasised by the death system; upon defeat you drop the weapon you were using and respawn without it.

It’s another mechanic inspired by Dark Souls, but built on a different, arguably more meaningful bond: lost souls can always be replenished with more killing, but a brilliant sword you’ve built a connection with is irreplaceable. Luckily your dropped weapons will remain in the world permanently, so your only challenge is to find a way to recover what you lost. I look forward to seeing how this plays out over the entire campaign, and if any kind of backtracking will reunite you with weapons from a dozen hours ago that you can reforge and rekindle your relationship with.

It’s unsurprising to see MercurySteam adopt multiple ideas from Dark Souls and its siblings. That’s partly due to FromSoftware’s seemingly irreversible impact on action games, but also because Blades of Fire is something of a spiritual successor to Blade of Darkness: a relic of the early 2000s, it was developed by MercurySteam’s founding members and is considered (by its cult following, at least) to be a precursor to the Souls series. In many ways, those developers are simply picking up from where they left off, implementing the advancements made by other studios during their time away from the genre.

As I played, I could feel the gravitational pull of all of MercurySteam’s apparent influences – the brutal combat of this project’s decades-old predecessor, the innovations of FromSoft, and the world design of God of War. But as much as those ideas are clear to see, they fall short of defining the studio’s latest work. Rather than craft a Soulslike or a God of War-like, those firmly established systems have been reinterpreted as part of a larger canvas of ideas. Blades of Fire has a recipe of its own that successfully distances it from any of its obvious gaming touchstones.

I do have some misgivings – I’m unsure if this fairly generic dark fantasy world is up to the challenge of supporting a 60 hour adventure, and within three hours I’d fought the same gatekeeping miniboss three times, which makes me question the variety on offer. But the demonstrated depth of relationship between your forged blades and the foes you face has me totally intrigued. In a time when complex and, frankly, obtuse games like Elden Ring and Monster Hunter have become mainstream hits, I think Blades of Fire has the potential to contribute something fascinating to the scene.

Matt Purslow is IGN’s Senior Features Editor.

After two hours, open world shooter Atomfall is far more Far Cry than S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

I was towards the end of my Atomfall demo when it clicked for me – clicked like the gravelly report of a shell entering the breech of my rusty yet devastating shotgun. Guided by the deteriorated state of my weapons, and by James’ Gamescom write-up, I’d been trying to play Rebellion’s alt-Sixties open world FPS like S.T.A.L.K.E.R., hoarding my ammo and avoiding unnecessary bloodshed as I crept around an English woodland full of druids ranting about atomic fungus. I’d made it to the heart of the druid encampment – a National Trust castle of the kind that would typically be 30% wedding venue, 50% giftshop – only to reach a dead end in a banqueting hall. I had a key for a lock I couldn’t find. Perhaps it lay in a tent outside the castle, or in one of the surrounding caves?

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Monolith Soft Adds Final Fantasy Cutscene Artist To Its Ranks, So What’s It Cooking For Switch 2?

The future is bright(er).

If our hopes of some Monolith Soft Switch 2 goodness weren’t already high enough, today, they reached a new peak as we learned that the team has added a fresh cutscene director to its ranks with a pretty beefy portfolio to his name.

As brought to our attention by Stealth40K on BlueSky, the Nintendo-owned studio signed Daisuke Honda to its freelance staff late last year. One glance at the cutscene director’s LinkedIn page reveals names like Square Enix and NetEase games, having previously worked on the likes of Final Fantasy XVI, VII Remake, Kingdom Hearts III and Visions of Mana.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for March 10 to 14

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for March 10 to 14

Next Week on Xbox Hero Image

Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, the Xbox App on Windows 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!


Beyond the Ice Palace 2

PQube Ltd


$19.99

$17.99

Beyond the Ice Palace 2 – March 11
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Assume the mantle of the ‘Cursed King’ as you embark on a relentless journey of vengeance to reclaim your stolen throne. Traverse perilous lands fraught with danger as you hunt for the scattered fragments of celestial arrows, combining them to purge your curse and unlock your true power in this captivating action platformer.


Centum

Serenity Forge

$14.99

Centum – March 11
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

You’re a prisoner in a cell. You must escape. But is that really the goal? Centum appears to be a point-and-click adventure, but beneath the surface is something altogether different. Centum challenges traditional gaming conventions by weaving an intricate narrative where reality is as fluid as the mind of its narrator.


Chornobyl Liquidators

Frozen Way S.A.

Chornobyl Liquidators – March 11
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

This is not a fantastic tale of exploring the Zone. It’s a story about real people facing a real threat — the CNPP disaster. Invisible radiation, KGB, difficult moral choices… Do you have enough courage and strength to take on this challenge?


Wanderstop

Annapurna Interactive

Wanderstop – March 11
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

A narrative-centric cozy game about change and tea. Playing as a fallen fighter named Alta, you’ll manage a tea shop within a magical forest and tend to the customers who pass through. But Alta does not want to be here. And if she gets her way, the tea shop will be nothing but a brief and painful memory.


Xbox Play Anywhere

3D Don’t Die Mr. Robot

Eastasiasoft Limited

3D Don’t Die Mr. Robot – March 12
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

Take the role of Mr. Robot who has been trapped in a highly dangerous and rather fruity dimension called the Neon Dunjun. The only way to survive is to collect fruits which explode on contact, destroying any enemies in their blast radius, helping Mr. Robot to cheat death for a few more moments. Survive a fruity dimension of destruction in this fast-paced, arcade-style collect ’em up!


FATE: Reawakened

gamigo US Inc.

Fate: Reawakened – March 12
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Reexperience the iconic Fate series like never before! Revisit the quaint town of Grove and the realms beyond as you prepare to enter the Dungeon Gate once again! The award-winning Fate series has received a modern facelift while remaining true to the nostalgic dungeon crawler classic. Will you tempt fate on your journey to fame and fortune?


Legends Aligned

Afil Games

Legends Aligned – March 12
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

A puzzle game where strategy and organization meet in the enchanting world of RPG miniatures! Your challenge? Arrange each piece precisely within a dynamic grid, ensuring no space is wasted. Rotate, position, and fit miniatures of different classes and shapes into grids that grow in size as your journey progresses.


Raccoon is Hungry (Xbox Series X)

Synnergy Circle Games

Raccoon is Hungry – March 12
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

The second installment in the “Is Hungry” series. Follow the adventures of a gluttonous raccoon searching for food, but in the city, food isn’t as easy to find on the ground. To get a meal, the raccoon must search inside dumpsters for edible items such as apples, pizza slices, hamburgers, grapes, and more. But be careful — food isn’t the only thing hiding in the trash! What surprises await the curious raccoon?


Colorful Recolor

Acyntha

Colorful Recolor – March 13
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

A fast-paced puzzler with a kaleidoscopic collection of brain teasers. Play through 100 levels with engaging mechanics, striking biomes, 10+ distinct elements and an abundance of colors. Paint your way through this colorful world!


Destino Indomable

JanduSoft


$12.49

$9.99

Destino Indomable – March 13
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Lights, camera, action! In Destino Indomable, you’re the rising star cast as the lead in a telenovela! Dive into a wild visual novel inspired by the most dramatic Latin soap operas, complete with humor, drama, romance, and more!


Xbox Play Anywhere

ASMR Slicing

QubicGames S.A.


$4.99

$3.99

ASMR Slicing – March 14
Xbox Play Anywhere

Choose your favorite cutting tool no matter if it’s a playing card, flosser or just a simple kitchen knife. Just cut, cut, cut and experience those satisfying ASMR sounds! Slice a variety of colorful objects made of kinetic sand in the shapes of food, toys, buildings, everyday objects and ordinary cubes or blocks!


Dwerve

PM-Studios, Inc.

Dwerve – March 14
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

An epic action-adventure with tower defense combat! Dungeon crawl through a ruined kingdom, fending off hordes with turrets and traps! Punch them into pits! Pull them into spinblades!


ESCAPE SITE 13

Happy Player


$14.99

$11.99

Escape Site 13 – March 14
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Step into the role of investigator, tasked with exploring the recently unearthed structure known as Site 13. As you navigate its foreboding corridors, you will unearth forgotten documents that hold the key to its mysteries, solve ancient puzzles designed to protect its hidden truths, and unravel a labyrinthine history buried in the darkness for far too long.


Hyper Mirror Run

Ratalaika Games S.L.

Hyper Mirror Run – March 14
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Race head-to-head in the exciting world of Hyper Mirror Run. Compete locally against your friends or challenge an AI opponent. You can navigate through mirrored worlds, mastering precision jumps and wielding weapons to triumph over foes.


Sticky Business

Assemble Entertainment

Sticky Business – March 14
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Create, pack, and sell your own unique sticker creations! Experience the joy of running your own cozy small business where you create stickers, pack orders, and hear your customers’ stories. Combine dozens of elements to create your own collection and sell them to like-minded people.


WWE 2K25 Standard Edition

2K


274

$69.99

WWE 2K25 – March 14
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

WWE 2K25 brings you an unparalleled lineup of current Superstars, Legends, and Hall of Famers. The 300+ stacked roster spans multiple generations and features Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Undertaker, “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Jade Cargill, and more. And in a franchise first, step outside the ropes and onto The Island for an immersive, WWE-themed world filled with epic arenas, challenges, and live events. Pre-order now to get the Wyatt Sicks Pack. Plus, you’ll receive a digital copy of WWE 2K24 Standard Edition to play while you wait! Or grab WWE 2K25 Deadman Edition or The Bloodline Edition to start playing today!


The post Next Week on Xbox: New Games for March 10 to 14 appeared first on Xbox Wire.

I Went Mad and Killed Everyone in Atomfall

Join me on a violent journey through the English countryside, AKA: 90 minutes with Atomfall, the new survival-action game from Sniper Elite developer, Rebellion. I recently visited a pub in North London to have a pint and some hands-on playtime, and came away intrigued by Atomfall’s open-ended approach to mission design and eerie tone. I also may have lost my mind and decided to attack everyone I saw, including an old lady who likely didn’t deserve it, with a cricket bat. Let me explain why.

Every NPC in Atomfall can be killed, from the lowliest grunt to the most important quest-giver. As I sit down to start the demo, I decide that my mission is to test that design. I’ll admit that my approach is inelegant; barely two minutes into my exploration of this digital Cumbria, I clumsily activate a tripwire alarm that results in me having to end the lives of three alerted guards. I do so with the blunt face of a cricket bat, a hefty chunk of wood that’s Christened as my murder partner with a liberal splash of claret.

I later loot a bow and arrow, and being the glutton for archery in games that I am, I quickly equip it. Now I’m set for long and short-range encounters, and so can let Mr. Cricket Bat take a well-earned rest. Nearby, I spot a hulking wicker man, towering over me and waiting to be set alight. I’m not going near that. I’ve seen how that story ends. Sights like this nod to the folk horror undertones that serve as the bedrock for this region of Atomfall’s segmented world, which is made up of multiple “open zones”. It generates a convincingly uneasy atmosphere that only feeds into the larger mystery I’m trying to crack: what exactly happened here in this sleepy, now irradiated corner of England?

My thoughts about such a mystery are interrupted by a rabble of druids, who presumably have something to do with that wicker man. They prove the perfect range finders for my newly-acquired bow. One. Two. Three. They all fall down. “I’M ROBIN BLOODY HOOD”, my brain shouts to itself, before I snap out of it and back into my London pub surroundings. I haven’t had a drink yet, I promise. It’s only 10am.

The bow feels good to fire. But I’m more interested in Atomfall’s smart approach to stamina. A traditional depleting and regenerating bar is nowhere to be found, instead replaced by a heart rate monitor that increases the more you perform physically taxing actions. Sprinting for an extended period will push you well over 140 bpm, for example, making it harder for you to aim steadily and accurately if you suddenly have to stop and fight. Later, I find a Bow Mastery skill manual that unlocks a perk that negates the impact a heightened heartbeat has on drawing the bowstring back. It’s not exactly the most exciting perk, and a browse through the menus suggests Atomfall doesn’t boast the most complex skill tree suite. However, it does seem malleable enough to tailor your character’s skills to a gameplay style of your choosing if, for example, you’d prefer to specialise in stealth over gunplay.

With my only achievement so far being a bunch of dead druids, you may rightfully be wondering what my overall goal is here. And, to an extent, so was I. Aimless exploration of the Casterfall Woods region had yet to unearth anything significant, so I follow my only quest lead: a note pointing me in the direction of a herbalist, Mother Jago, who lives near an old mine. Along the way I spot allusions to the greater story at play, as a shimmering, oily swirl of blues and purples hovers over a power plant – the apparent cause of Britain’s descent into the post-apocalypse. Nearby, a phone box rings and a creepy voice warns me to stay out of the woods. It’s too late for that, but thanks for the call anyway.

The path is littered with similar small environmental story touches, such as an old boathouse rigged with an unsettling alarm system, the words “get lost” painted across it – a warning the nearby mound of skulls and bones seemingly didn’t heed. There’s an enjoyably uneasy vibe around every corner of Atomfall, with sleepy, leafy forests giving way to creepy zones of terror. Plenty of Fallout comparisons have been made ever since its reveal, but I think Stalker and its recent sequel is a far more apt touchstone, both in terms of tone and game design.

Reminds me of classic point-and-click adventures in the way you’re encouraged to explore every corner of conversation in search of a hint.

Following another druid massacre in which I butcher them and loot their garden center home for herbs (a quick-thyme event, if you will) I meet Mother Jago at her quaint allotment retreat. Dressed in a plum-coloured coat and animal skull and rose-laden hat, she resembles Angela Lansbury if she’d got big into black magic aromatherapy instead of crime solving. But my hopes that she could make Atomfall’s opaque mystery any clearer are immediately dashed – she gives only vague answers to my questions, despite exhausting every dialogue option as I dig for clues as to where to go next. This reminds me of classic point-and-click adventures in the way you’re encouraged to explore every corner of conversation in search of a hint. Eventually, a door is opened: Jago offers what she promises to be valuable information in exchange for the safe return of her herbalism book. A book that is, of course, not in a library, but held hostage at the druids’ fortified castle. So, with a new lead in my notebook, I traipse back across the map in search of recipes and the druid blood protecting it.

Atomfall’s freeform design means I’m able to approach from any angle, and so I decide to attack the castle from the side. As I make my way there I encounter a druid patrol near an abandoned petrol station. The surely soon-to-be-considered historic Battle of the Forecourt kicks off as I lob my only grenade into the middle of them. The enemy AI isn’t the most reactive, rarely darting for cover or really engaging in any evasive maneuvers, but the satisfying eruption of blood and bits of bone does alert a couple of archers from further down the road. I put a halt to their advance with a nail bomb and then proceed to slalom their arrows, quickly closing the distance so that I can snap one’s neck before getting my trusty bat out for another round of head-smashing. There’s definitely fun to be had playing around with these enemies, but from the small sample I’ve had so far, I wouldn’t go into Atomfall looking for top-tier combat. Instead, it seems wise to treat enemy encounters more like a fun sideshow to the main event of discovering the world’s secrets.

After sniping a couple of axe-wielding brutes I make it inside the castle’s outer walls. There I stumble across a locked hut. A note printed with a set of map coordinates pinned to its door suggests that the keys are far away to the southeast. Atomfall doesn’t believe in objective markers, instead leaving it up to you to study your map and place down markers on points of interest yourself. Could this locked hut be where the book is hidden? Do I need to go on a quest for this key? My hunch tells me no, and I instead walk up to the central keep’s big front doors.

Once inside, I find a few more druids to club, but no sign of the book. I hunt around its dank hallways, finding nothing but cloth and alcohol to craft healing bandages with. I spend a good ten minutes searching every corner, but no luck. It’s a further example of Atomfall’s obtuse approach to mission design. You won’t have your hand held here, and the book won’t glow gold with a big “pick me up” sign attached. While it can lead to moments of frustration, I find myself ultimately encouraged by Rebellion’s approach to make something that challenges the player and sticks stubbornly to its explorative, almost detective-like vision.

I find myself ultimately encouraged by Rebellion’s approach to make something that challenges the player.

So, with the book nowhere in sight, I decide to follow the paper trail and head to those map coordinates in search of the keys I previously read about. Perhaps this would unlock my path forward? The coordinates lead me into the den of a poison plant monster… thing that seems to boil my brain if I spend too long near it. Rifle bullets make minimal impact, and there’s little I can do to prevent my quick death. I reload my save and use my Skyrim bunny-hopping muscle memory to bypass the beast, leaping down a rock face to collect the keys from one of the creature’s earlier victims. I head back to the hut, where I find a shiny new perk point and a smattering of ammo. As you’ll no doubt be aware, none of these items resemble the herbalism book that I’m trying to find.

Forlorn and slightly lost, I venture under the castle and deep into its bowels, where the druids concoct their rituals and chemical-fuelled practices. I kill the High Priestess and about a dozen of her lackeys, find an SMG, a recipe for crafting poison bombs, and an atomic battery which seemingly opens up a whole new questline that I simply don’t have time to look into before my demo time runs out. Again, the observant among you will notice that none of these items are the book I’m looking for.

After my play session ends, I’m told the book was in the castle, just lying on a table I must have walked past several times. Before that revelation, though, I start to believe the book simply doesn’t exist. That it is a ruse. A lie. I decide to go back to the herbalist and see if she has anything to say for herself. She doesn’t, of course, because the book is real and the quest to acquire it is legitimate. But my own confusion manifests as fully buying into my character’s descent into violence, and so I kill her. She becomes one with her plants in the soil. Searching her body for some kind of hidden “truth”, I find a recipe for something that would appear to help combat the poison swamp monster I encountered earlier. It’s too late for that, but I assume this is the valuable information she was going to exchange her book for. We could have saved a lot of time here, it seems.

Not that you can shave a huge amount of time off Atomfall’s runtime. I’m told by the developers at Rebellion that you’d struggle to finish the story in “less than four or five hours”, and that most players will take around 25 hours. Quite what will happen within those 25 hours could be quite varied, though. I spoke to someone else at the demo session who went on an entirely different adventure to mine during their time playing, one that started with a crashed helicopter I never encountered and led to a whole new region filled with killer robots and mutants. It appears that even by just skimming the surface of Atomfall, there are many depths, secrets, and mysteries to be found.

Atomfall feels like a game that rewards you the more you indulge in its obfuscated quest design.

I do wonder if some of the objectives may be too obtuse for some, though. The lack of direction could certainly be offputting, but Atomfall feels like a game that rewards you the more you indulge in its obfuscated quest design. The blurred lines between the side and main objectives add a real peril to every action, with its malleable plot design encouraging each player to tell their own tale and find their own ending and explanation for what has happened here in the irradiated English countryside. I’ll still see the end of the story, despite killing off poor old Mother Jago, it may just be wildly different from yours.

But, that’s all that I have time to see today. For now, my hands bloodied from the undeserved demise of a herbalist and the warpath I’ve left behind, I decide to engage in full-British mode: take my cricket bat, head to the pub, and wait for this all to blow over.

Simon Cardy is a Senior Editorial Producer who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.

The sequel to Robocop: Rogue City sounds more like Dredd

RoboCop will be climbing an apartment tower full of slimebags in a standalone follow-up to his trudging but faithful 2023 shooter. Robocop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business is so over-named it looks like DLC, but is actually an independent sequel from the same developers, and directly follows the events of the recent criminal justice ’em up. It’ll see metal man Murphy going floor to floor as he and other Detroit city policefolk ascend a residential tower after “a group of highly trained mercenaries armed with cutting-edge weapons takes control of the building and turns it into their deadly fortress.” Wait… doesn’t this sound like another cyberpunk dystopia?

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