Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown‘s first story DLC got a two-second trailer during Ubisoft Forward on Monday, confirming its name and its coming release this September. Here’s a more specific release date that’ll matter more to some of you: The Lost Crown itself will come to Steam on August 8th.
Hands-on impressions of over a dozen games.
Summer Game Fest is over for another year, and it was a pretty jam-packed event. There are still plenty of stuff to come out of the show over the coming weeks, but what did we get up to while we were in Downtown Los Angeles for a week?
Well, we’ll spare you the details of the refreshing drinks and poolside antics — it wasn’t really that glamourous — but we’re ready to talk about most of the games we played.
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Have you ever admired a sports car that cuts through the wind?
Grand Prix Story, available for pre-order today, is a simulation game that puts you in the role of a race team owner and manager. Modify your car, train your staff, build a powerful team, and aim for the Grand Prix.
When you hear it’s a racing game, you might think that it requires control skills. This game is a little different in that you don’t control the steering wheel during the race. The steering wheel of the car is held by the racer you have trained.
We love simulation games, so we decided to leave control of the car to the characters and let the players focus on managing their team. Once your car is ready, enter the race, and let’s keep an eye on them.
Even if you are not in control of the car yourself, you will feel the excitement of the race as it unfolds. While cheering on your team, observe the cars in action and analyze them for the next race.
And that’s not the only appeal of a racing game where players don’t drive. If you increase the size of your team, you can run two cars at the same time.
Racers on your team may compete against each other for the championship and it’s going to be hard to decide which one to root for.
To win a race, the driver’s technique is of course necessary, but the mechanic’s ability is also important. If you secure talented people, research the car, and improve the parts, the performance of the car will increase dramatically, and you will be able to show off your car’s overwhelming acceleration and brilliant curves that will overwhelm those around you.
Your management skills, such as contracting sponsors and raising funds, will determine the fate of your team.
Aim for the best racing team in the world!
Grand Prix Story is available on Xbox for preorder today. Get ready to get your team in gear!
Kairosoft
Try your hand at managing an auto racing team!
Become the boss of your own team, training drivers and acquiring sponsors before conquering the Grand Prix!
Develop new vehicles and parts, and customize them any way you like! Do you have what it takes to make it to the winner’s circle?
No knowledge of motorsports is required to play!
The post Grand Prix Story is Now Available on Xbox – Create your Own Strongest Team appeared first on Xbox Wire.
When it’s time to unplug, shut off the TV and reduce screen time, board games always have your back when it comes to scratching that lingering escapist itch and drive to continue playing. Luckily, there exist countless board game tie-ins to some of the most popular video games around, and we’ve collected some of our favorites here. Whether you’re looking for a long-term campaign or a quick to setup party game, these board games will let you continue living in these worlds when you need a break from technology.
Fresh off the release of Amazon’s Fallout series, now is the perfect time to explore the Wasteland right at your own kitchen table. To start, you’ll choose from various scenarios which will determine the map setup. Similar to the beloved open-world RPGs by Bethesda, tabletop players will uncover the map, build upon numerous skills, fight irradiated enemies, interact with different factions, and complete quests, all while battling for influence over the Wasteland. Very immersive and detail-oriented, this game is great for long-term sessions.
Probably the one video game on this list most deserving of a board game tie-in, Slay the Spire takes after its digital roots by having players take on the role of one of the provided heroes and go on a Roguelike deck-building climb through the Spire. Like the video game, players will choose from a number of different rooms each with their own characteristics that will affect their game; encounters, where you’ll fight regular enemies, elites, where you’ll fight even stronger ones, events, campfires, treasure, the merchant, and finally the boss. By the nature of Roguelikes, Slay the Spire is sure to give players hours of enjoyment as they try different characters, builds, and items each time.
The Bloodborne board game sees players take on the role of Hunter as they fight to vanquish the evil stirring within Yharnam. As a campaign board game, Bloodborne offers players endless replay value, as no two sessions should be too alike with its modular map tiles. Featuring hundreds of various cards, tokens, and game pieces, this macabre adventure will test players’ skill and decision making as they uncover the secret to the unyielding plague and fight to stop it. Immersion is at the forefront here, and the game’s highly detailed miniatures ensure that you truly feel in their shoes.
The success of the Resident Evil 2 tabletop adaptation paved the way for Steamforged Games to create similar experiences covering both the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis’ stories. However, much like the video games, Resident Evil 2 is arguably its best entry. Faithful to the source material, the game has players work cooperatively as they take control of either Leon S. Kennedy or Claire Redfield as they fight their way through hordes of zombies to make their escape in multiple available scenarios. Collect weapons, healing items, and keys as you navigate the environment, evade the undead, and solve puzzles. You can even use the iconic ink ribbons and typewriters to affect your sessions!
From Buffalo Games, the arcade classic makes its triumphant tabletop return. Enjoyed in both cooperative or competitive modes, the player in control of Pac-Man aims to navigate the maze, chow down on pellets, and collect fruit while the players controlling the ghosts do their best to avoid or catch Pac-Man. Played on four metal tiles that make up the game board, it requires some initial assembly and setup, but repeat games are quick and easy to get started. The electronic Pac-Man figure even makes his iconic “waka waka” sound!
Also made by Buffalo Games, Tetris is a competitive head-to-head game where players maneuver, rotate, and drop their tetriminos to get the highest score. Just like the video game, the next up piece is on full display, represented by a card, so players can plan their strategy accordingly. You earn points by completing lines, matching pieces to symbols on their tower, and completing specific achievements. Quick setup and play time makes this a great pick for parties and younger players.
Originally envisioned as content for the original Dark Souls board game Kickstarter campaign, the Tomb of Giants core set is a standalone adventure that’s great for newer players, and got its namesake from the infamous location familiar to players of the video games. Each player starts the game by choosing a class and gear, then starts navigating the catacombs, taking on skeleton archers, or resting at the bonfire. Actions are limited, so choose wisely. This game is very faithful to its source material, with its punishing combat and RPG elements that shine from the level up system. Tomb of Giants also features new playable characters and over a hundred new cards, all compatible with existing Dark Souls board game products.
Much like its digital counterpart, Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game is an extremely fast-paced cooperative game where the object is to take out all the bosses using dice-heavy mechanics to deal damage. Setup is a breeze, as the structure of the boss deck never changes. The game begins with each player picking one of the four available characters: Cuphead, Mugman, Ms. Chalice, or Elder Kettle, and is then played through multiple rounds consisting of five phases, where players will set up their attacks and take on the boss. Rounds are timed, so pick your dice rolls carefully! Cuphead sports high replay value in that you can reup to beat your score and upgrade your abilities that carry over to future runs. See our Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game review for more info.
Dying of dysentery has never been so fun. In this quick to setup and play card game, players work together to make it to Oregon without perishing. Sessions are relatively quick, as you will die hard and fast from the various Calamity cards waiting to spell your doom. Oddly challenging and very luck based, you win by making it to the end of the Trail by playing fifty trail cards. One downside is that if a player dies on the first turn (which is more common than you’d think), they have to sit out that entire session until the party either wins or all die. Regardless, it’s a great recreation of the source material and is sure to steal a few laughs.
For deeper dives into specific board games, check out our Aeon’s End buying guide, as well as our surprisingly huge buing guide for Carcassonne, one of the earlier board games to bring serious gaming depth to the populace.
The latest Helldivers 2 patch is memorably titled 01.000.400, but for my money, it’s hovering on the brink of being one of your gold-varnished “X.0” updates of note. It adds a fair few mechanics and makes various substantial adjustments to Arrowhead and Sony’s liberty-humping, cheerily xenocidal squad shooter.
Shin Megami Tensei! Monster Hunter! Sorcerian!
The latest Nintendo Download update for North America has arrived, and it’s bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region. As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy!
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (Atlus, 14th Jun) – Forge your path through a post-apocalyptic world in this definitive version of Shin Megami Tensei V. Two complete story paths await, including a brand-new storyline with new locations and demons, where your choices will determine the fate of all existence. Navigate conflicting and tragic moral decisions and confront a dramatic tale of revenge or explore the original Shin Megami Tensei V saga. Which path will you choose? – Read our Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance review
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In the past I’ve described Phantom Blade Zero, the foetid and frantic new action-RPG from Chinese studio S-Game, as a Soulslike, and more specifically a Sekirolike. I must now hang my head and await the executioner’s ludicrously oversized hammer, for while Phantom Blade Zero’s ambience and layouts owe something to From’s work, the moment-to-moment has just as much in common with older hack-and-slash games such as Ninja Gaiden. I played a bit of it at Summer Game Fest this week, and while I’m not rushing out to preorder (I never am, in fairness), I think it could be a good ‘un.
World of Warcraft’s The War Within expansion got a release date during the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 – coming to PC via Battle.net on August 26, this expansion will be the first part of a trilogy of expansions known as The Worldsoul Saga, diving deep into the mythology of World of Warcraft.
To celebrate, Official Xbox Podcast host Malik Prince teamed up with World of Warcraft community manager and WoWCast host Bethany Stout to interview World of Warcraft Executive Producer Holly Longdale and Game Director Ion Hazzikostas, finding out more about this expansion, and why now is a perfect moment to jump into the game for the very first time. You can watch the entire interview below, or read on for all the key details.
Of course, it’s something new to see World of Warcraft on an Xbox podcast. “We’re just super excited to be part of Xbox now, coming from Blizzard,” said Longdale. “And we’re representing a PC game, World of Warcraft, so we’re super excited to be here, and we want to share with all the Xbox fans that we’re here to stay. We’ve been around for 20 [years] – we’re not your dad’s game, we’re not your mom’s game – and we’re going to be around for 20 more at least. We want to invite everybody into this incredible experience.”
Part of that invitation comes with the game’s free trial, allowing you to explore the world and level up all the way to level 20. But there’s a new option to do so with the Welcome to Azeroth bundle. Including everything players need to begin their adventure in Azeroth, this offers the current expansion, Dragonflight, a level 60 character boost, and 60 days of game time for $24.99 USD.
That bundle has been carefully-chosen to help you get ready for the upcoming expansion: “We’ve really done a lot over the last 20 years to ensure that 20 years of content is not 20 years of obstacles that you have to overcome to get to the latest, coolest thing,” said Hazzikostas. “When War Within comes out, Dragonflight, the current expansion, will be what you play through to level up and jump right into War Within. That will give you the power, give you an understanding of the mechanics, you’ll have a dragon companion that you’ll earn very early on […] and it’s also going to prepare you story-wise for what The War Within is going to bring.”
It all makes The War Within a great marker for when to start playing WoW – as the beginning of a brand-new, three-expansion saga, this is a new story that even seasoned veterans will be discovering for the first time. And that story is already being told ahead of the expansion’s August 26 launch:
“In the lead-up to War Within, there’s already stuff going on in World of Warcraft at this very minute,” said Hazzikostas. “Xal’atath – the villain that you saw at the end of that [Xbox Games Showcase] cinematic – has emerged into the world, and her tendrils are branching throughout Azeroth, weaving dark plans that are going to threaten us. It’s exciting to have that build-up to that launch moment.”
When it does kick off, The War Within will introduce brand new zones to explore: leading players under the surface of Azeroth into Dwarven caverns, taking them to the beautiful Hallowfall Canyon (with airship travel to get around), and into Azj-Kahet, the home of one of World of Warcraft’s most powerful civilizations, the Nerubian Empire. Incidentally, Nerubians are an intelligent race of arachnids – and The War Within will offer an arachnophobia option to replace their models with (friendlier-looking) crabs.
We’ll also get a new feature called Warbands, which will allow players to switch between multiple characters without having to replay swathes of the expansion. Delves will offer a new dungeon experience, allowing for smaller, shorter dungeon crawls, even for solo players. For bigger dungeons, which often require you to play with others, The War Within will offer AI characters for those who can’t play with a party.
The War Within is doubly special for Blizzard, as it marks the 20th anniversary of World of Warcraft, and it’s an opportunity to look at how different kinds of players approach the game, and build something for all of them: “This is a huge year for World of Warcraft in general,” said Hazzikostas. “It’s really humbling to reflect upon my own relationship with the game, but really just to look back at the journey that we’ve taken as a development team with our community. We’re a game that has grown and evolved as our community has.
“I think not everyone has that time to spare these days – we’re all busy, we all have a lot of responsibilities, but we want to maintain a relationship, or build a new one, with this world that’s been special for so many people. [It’s] evolved over the years to keep that depth for those who want to seek it, but [we’re] making sure that there’s a wide range of levels of commitment and relationship you can have with the game and still have an epic, fulfilling experience.”
“What you saw [in the Xbox Games Showcase] cinematic was a celebration of the past 20 years, and the journey of our story over the past 20 years,” said Longdale. If you want to join in those celebrations – whether you’re a committed player, someone looking to return, or a total newcomer – now’s the time.
The post World of Warcraft: The War Within Is Coming – Why Now Is the Time to Play for the First Time appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Back in 2018, Monster Hunter World’s immediate success propelled the game, and the Monster Hunter franchise, into the global spotlight. Its lush maps, deep combat, and memorable monsters helped it become one of Capcom’s most successful projects ever. Today, millions of players now eagerly await 2025’s follow-up, Monster Hunter Wilds.
New footage from State of Play and Summer Game Fest has given players lots to dissect, from new monsters and abilities to harsh, dynamic weather. But a recent hands-off presentation during Summer Game Fest allowed me to see live gameplay, and crucially how the game’s new features impact the experience.
In just those 30 minutes of demo gameplay, I saw several things that got me stoked for Wilds. The new map is much more detailed, particularly regarding verticality. Some maps in World were pretty dense and could overlap or even turn back on themselves. Perfect for a monster’s den, but sometimes confusing for players. This time around, between the map and new UI elements that tell you which direction the target monster is (and how far away they are), it’s much easier to keep track of your targets.
The target monster was the Doshaguma, new to Monster Hunter Wilds. In Wilds, players can select a monster on their map and begin a quest by engaging that monster in combat out in the field (Capcom did not confirm other ways players can begin quests, or other quest types in the game). Upon that first hit, an incredible piece of music swells to usher in the quest with full orchestral might and a driving, dramatic sense of conflict. As the hunt goes on, the sand leviathan Balahara appears with a deep pit that pulled Doshaguma down. They brawl in a classic Turf War scrap, with smaller monsters scurrying all around. Chaotic and intense, and about to escalate even further.
Not long into the battle, an imposing wall of dust and sand forms on the horizon. It soon blankets the area with a blue/black darkness, illuminated by stray lightning strikes. These weather events change which monsters may appear on the map, including a mysterious new Apex creature that fires lightning right out of its head.
Immediately following the demo, I was able to speak with the game’s leadership trio for more on what I just saw: Series Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, Director Yuya Tokuda, and Art Director/Executive Director Kaname Fujioka.
PlayStation Blog: Monster Hunter World was a huge success when it launched in 2018. How did its unprecedented success inform your approach to Monster Hunter Wilds?
Ryozo Tsujimoto: What we did for World, both the base game and the expansion, really impacted Monster Hunter Wilds. Our approach to keeping players continuously interested in World helped us learn what players wanted to see in the future. That doesn’t just mean things we wanted to improve within the game, but also how we release information to players, and how to ease them into the game as well.
Speaking of easing players into the game, Monster Hunter Wilds features a lot of quality-of-life improvements. For example, the map seemed much more detailed and useful to navigate. Things like tracking quests and monsters, where items are located, and the great sense of verticality to the map. Any other new things that returning players could look forward to?
Yuya Tokuda: You’ve picked up on how much easier it is now to get to monsters, and finding monsters on the map. We received feedback that they were kind of difficult to get to sometimes, especially in maps that are very vertical where you have lots of different geographical elements. And, with the introduction of the Seikret, it’s easier for players to figure out where to go, and where to find monsters on the field.
In terms of things we improved on, one example is that it’s much easier now to select items. We really put an eye to giving more options for players with different kinds of item preferences, because selecting and navigating through items was something that can be difficult in the moment of a hunt. But hopefully, by giving players more options and more customization, we’ve improved this experience for returning players.
The phrase “living breathing ecosystem” was used to describe Monster Hunter World. The maps were large and full of life, you could get monsters tangled in vines, creatures would interact with each other, and so on. How are you expanding on that idea, and make it feel even bigger and more interactive?
Kaname Fujioka: We’re focusing on designing monster herd behaviors that are really tuned to each environment and their ecology. So, we want to have well designed, detailed monster behavior as they move in these larger packs. How the player interacts with them during their hunt is our first little step there toward enhancing the livable, beautiful environment.
I noticed in the demo, the hunter used both the Great Sword and Heavy Bowgun. So you’re able to take two weapons into a quest now. Previously a player would have to commit to a weapon, take it into a quest, that’s your weapon. How did this change come about for Wilds?
Yuya Tokuda: One of the big things about Wilds is that the environments themselves are so much more dynamic and adaptable. Things are changing so often, and even the monsters that are available to hunt can change moment to moment. It was important for us to give players the ability to adapt to that, and switch their own kind of playstyles. So they can carry different weapons, or the same weapons but with different elements for those kinds of situations. We’re really designing the game around allowing players to adapt to the environment.
Focus Mode and wounds are new for Wilds. Can you talk a bit about how these work, and how / when a player might want to engage with these systems?
Yuya Tokuda: So, you don’t need to be in Focus Mode to create wounds. Attacking the monster naturally causes damage or wounds to happen. As long as you’re attacking the wounds, you’ll be doing more damage to the monster.
Entering Focus Mode does highlight monster wounds so you can target them a lot easier, and there are special attacks you can perform in Focus Mode that do more damage to wounds. But, Focus Mode isn’t really just for targeting wounds.
A cursor that appears on the screen allows you to aim your attacks and also to aim your other moves like guarding and blocking attacks. The real merit of Focus Mode is to help players in their positioning and their distancing from monsters, so that even players who are maybe not as experienced with action games, or games similar to Monster Hunter, have an easier time honing in their attacks.
To wrap, if you could say anything to Monster Hunter World players who were really into it, but maybe they fell off years ago and they’re curious about Wilds, what would that be?
Ryozo Tsujimoto: We’re really just trying to make an amazing game for everyone. We hope Wilds is going to be the experience that tops anything before in the Monster Hunter series, and really gaming in general.
Yuya Tokuda: For players that didn’t gel with the action [of World], we’re planning a really thorough support system for players to learn about the game and play it from start to finish. We’re hoping that allows players to experience the best that Wilds has to offer.
The hunt begins when Monster Hunter Wilds comes to PS5 next year.
Discord integration on PS5 is about to improve, as Sony announced today that it is rolling out an update allowing PS5 users to join a Discord call directly on their console.
Sony and Discord announced PS5 integration for the app last year, but before today’s announcement, users who wanted to join a Discord call from their PS5 had to manually transfer the call to their console via the Discord app on a mobile device or computer. This new update now streamlines the process, requiring just your PS5 rather than two devices.
You’ll soon be able to join Discord voice chats directly from your PS5 console 🎧 The update is gradually rolling out over the coming weeks, starting in Japan/Asia: https://t.co/kcJtWAYOLB pic.twitter.com/KGOFSauZvH
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) June 13, 2024
A new PlayStation Blog post notes that the update will “gradually roll out over the coming weeks,” with Japan/Asia PS5 owners getting access to the features first, and Europe, Australia/New Zealand, the Middle East, and the Americas to receive the update in that order.
Beyond PS5 integration, Discord has also partnered with Microsoft to offer Discord in various ways on Xbox gaming hardware. The partnership first started in 2022. More recently, in August 2023, Microsoft announced that the partnership expanded to allow Xbox users to stream Xbox games directly to Discord.
Discord enhancing the PS5 experience comes less than a month after the company announced it wanted to pivot its focus from being the all-purpose messaging app to doubling down on its gaming-centric roots, whether it is players using it as a form of communication or developers leveraging the app as an supplemental communication tool with players.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
