Category: Xbox

This week’s Destiny 2 Showcase event featured a bevy of news for Bungie’s ongoing sci-fi action MMO, from new features coming to the game to the launch of a brand-new Season, as well as an in-depth look at the next expansion, Destiny 2: The Final Shape, arriving in February 2024. If you missed the event but want to check it out for yourself, here’s the replay. In the meantime, here are five exciting ways that Destiny 2 will be changing in the future that every Guardian will want to know about.

The Final Shape

The Witness has arrived and with it, the gears for Guardians’ epic confrontation have been set in motion. Indeed, The Final Shape expansion for Destiny 2 is the concluding chapter in the Light and Darkness saga, which has been ongoing since the launch of the original Destiny in 2014. Years of build-up and foreshadowing have led to this conflict and now, in The Final Shape, Destiny 2 players will take the fight directly to the Witness in a bid to foil its nefarious plans for the universe.

“[The Witness] sees a lack of purpose, no meaning [in the universe],” said Destiny 2 creative director James Tsai, during the Showcase event. “It wants to fix all of that. It’s trying to put the universe in this frozen perfection, where everything’s just exactly how it thinks it’s supposed to be. That is the Final Shape.”

To accomplish this, the Witness plans to use the Traveler’s Light to reshape the universe as it sees fit. In The Final Shape campaign, Guardians will follow the Witness into The Pale Heart—a brand-new destination in Destiny 2—where they will encounter a surreal world that is being reshaped both by the Witness itself and the memories of Guardians’ own experiences as well. Longtime players will notice numerous callbacks to Destiny moments of the past, such as the Tower from the original Destiny.

Alongside longtime Vanguard allies like Ikora Rey, Commander Zavala, and the returning Cayde-6 (once again voiced by actor Nathan Fillion), players will pursue the Witness through the campaign in preparation for the confrontation that will come during the raid that will be launching after The Final Shape’s release. Just how will the story end and the final conflict go down? Well, Guardian, you’ll have to experience that for yourself when The Final Shape unfolds, beginning on February 27, 2024.

All That Power

A Guardian’s Power level has been a long-standing metric for player progression in Destiny 2; a shorthand to help players understand one another’s experience level, as well as a key to accessing high-level challenging content in the game. As part of The Final Shape expansion, the Destiny team is looking to shake things up with Power, to make things easier to understand and to allow players to play together in more activities, regardless of Power levels.

With this revamped Power system, there will be a certain number of activities that will be Power fixed, meaning that players of different Power levels will be able to jump in and play. In addition, a new feature called Fireteam Power will allow players to bring along friends into any dungeon or raid in the game regardless of their Power level. With Fireteam Power, the player with the highest Power level in the event will automatically raise the Power level of their fellow fireteam members, giving access to some of Destiny’s most rewarding (and most challenging) content to more players than ever before. Certain events—such as Nightfall strikes and raids—will still utilize Power level requirements and will be the focus on the traditional Destiny Power climb that many players continue to enjoy.

Fireteam Finder

If the changes to Power are all about letting players of different skill and experience levels enjoy adventures together, the upcoming Fireteam Finder feature, coming in November 2023, will let Guardians find one another, connect, and team up easier than ever before and completely inside the game.

One of the key components to the Fireteam Finder feature, showed off during the Destiny 2 Showcase event, is the new tag system, which will let players assign themselves tags that will describe their play style and general gameplay preferences, as well as inclusion tags such as tags for colorblind or hearing-impaired players.

Once a Fireteam Finder listing goes live, players will be put into a lobby where they can chat with other others who are also looking for a group to play with. “We wanted to make it as convenient and as easy as possible for players to not just sit and stare at a screen for a long time while their listing actually fills up,” said Destiny 2 Social Systems Design Lead May Ling Tan.

Timeline Reflections

Available now for all Destiny 2 players, Timeline Reflections is a new feature that exists to help players catch up with Destiny’s long-running narrative. Timeline Reflections are designed to give a new player (or someone looking for a quick refresher) a rundown of some of the most important moments in recent Destiny history.

Three playable missions make up the core of the Timeline Reflections feature at launch, covering crucial moments from Destiny 2: Forsaken, Destiny 2: Beyond Light, and Destiny 2: The Witch Queen. These missions feature short jolts of gameplay plus cinematic summaries of these pivotal moments, allowing players to grasp the legendary status of Cayde-6, the compelling lure of Stasis, and the deadly ramifications of The Witch Queen’s Light-bearing minions, the Lucent Hive.

“We worked closely with the cinematics team to create a one-minute intro video for each mission to quickly contextualize why you were going there, as well as a one-minute outro video to reinforce the key narrative takeaways,” said Destiny 2 Design Lead Kevin O’Hara. “This meant the player didn’t have to play through the entire mission, just the juicy center to get a good flavor of exciting combat before moving on to the next one.

“Players who play these won’t be able say, ‘Now I know everything that happened over the last ten years,’” O’Hara said. “But they should be able to say, ‘I know who the Witness is, what it has been up to, and I’m ready to take it on!’”

Season of the Witch

If The Final Shape is part of Destiny 2’s near future, and Timeline Reflections are meant to help Guardians catch up with Destiny’s past, Season of the Witch is very much the present. The new Season, now in Destiny 2, finds Guardians fighting alongside and on behalf of their ally Eris Morn as they work to track down the Witness.

To kick off the Season, the Witch Queen’s Ghost, Immaru, presents Eris with a deal: Help Savathûn defeat her sister, the Hive god of war Xivu Arath, and she will provide the key needed to follow the Witness into what waits inside the Traveler. There begins an epic Season full of harnessing mysterious cosmic powers and thrilling adventures against the relentless Hive.

Season of the Witch will feature two new activities. The first, Altars of Summoning, is a three-person activity where players use Hive magic to summon multiple waves of challenging, high-density opponents, conquer them, claim their power, and tithe it to Eris Morn as she prepares for her showdown with Xivu Arath. Savathûn’s Spire is a three-person matchmade activity where players will journey into the Witch Queen’s spired reliquary, the mysterious tower where she conducted experiments when learning to wield the Light.

In both Seasonal activities, players will be able to use the Deck of Whispers, a mysterious deck of cards players can collect over the course of the Season. At the start of each activity, one card will be chosen at random from each player’s assembled deck, offering buffs for all players in the activity. The Deck of Whispers offers an arcane twist to the traditional Guardian progression system in Destiny 2 and will be a crucial part of buildcrafting throughout the Season.

When they aren’t building decks or facing down scores of Hive enemies, Guardians will also be able to take on the next reprised raid—Crota’s End—which will arrive on September 1. In Crota’s End, Guardians will confront the brother of Xivu Arath and Savathûn: the demi-god Crota. To celebrate the launch of this reprised raid, Bungie will be holding a World First race for Destiny players everywhere to compete to be the first fireteam to finish the raid.

A brand-new Season available now, quality of life features arriving in the near future, and a climactic confrontation ten years in the making coming on the horizon. Check out the Destiny 2 Showcase if you missed it live, and we’ll see you online, Guardians!

Destiny 2: The Final Shape + Annual Pass

Bungie

☆☆☆☆☆
8

★★★★★

$99.99

Pre-order

Pre-order now to instantly unlock the new Tessellation Exotic Fusion Rifle, Exotic Ghost Shell, emblem, and emote. 

Includes the new campaign, new destination, three new Supers, The Final Shape Dungeon Key, the new and instantly unlocked Tessellation Exotic Fusion Rifle, one Secret Stash delivered during each Episode, an Exotic Sparrow, and all three Episodes in the year of The Final Shape.

Campaign 
The Final Shape looms—a nightmarish calcification of reality into the Witness’s twisted design. Embark on a perilous journey into the heart of the Traveler, rally the Vanguard, and end the War of Light and Darkness.

New Supers 
Defeating the Witness will require untold power. Arc Hunters, Void Titans, and Solar Warlocks; master a new Super within your arsenal and confront oblivion. 

New Destination 
Adventure through an impossible landscape that bends time and space. Follow the Witness and behold what lies within the Traveler.  

105 GB hard drive storage space required as of November 10, 2020. Subject to change. Requires broadband internet. After November 10, 2020 see www.destinythegame.com/size-requirements for current requirements prior to purchase.

Destiny 2 may contain flashing patterns and images that may produce adverse effects for a small percentage of people sensitive to them.

Bungie, Inc. makes no guarantee regarding the availability of online play or features and may modify or discontinue online services with reasonable notice at any time. Using the software constitutes acceptance of the Destiny Software License Agreement available at www.bungie.net/sla.

© 2023 Bungie, Inc. All rights reserved. Destiny, the Destiny Logo, Bungie and the Bungie Logo are trademarks of Bungie, Inc. Published and distributed by Bungie, Inc.

Related:
Destiny 2: Season of the Deep is Available Now on Xbox
Taking Post-Release Seriously: Shoulders of Giants 1.2 Update out Now
Destiny 2: Guardian Games 2023 Is Here

As gamescom kicked off, I had the chance for a quick sit down with our boss while we both visited Cologne. Phil is glad to be back – and he doesn’t just mean at gamescom. 

“We’re back – in terms of the production, the game development and the cadence of the games that are coming out,” he tells me. “And it feels great to be at [events like gamescom], getting to show what the teams are working on.” 

There is a lot to see – especially as this is his first in-person gamescom appearance since 2017. He’s fresh from introducing never-before-seen Starfield gameplay alongside director Todd Howard, and visiting Xbox’s 50,000 square foot booth. If there’s a single word to describe the vibe in the room, ‘exhilarated’ captures it: 

“This is the biggest consumer game show that’s out there, [and it’s] been nice to see how gamescom has grown in importance. As a team, we looked at the opportunity: Starfield is coming out, Forza Motorsport’s following it, we have a lot of partners that wanted to have a presence, and we said, ‘Let’s go out, [have] 50,000 square feet for our booth.’ Make a statement: that Europe’s important; gaming is obviously important; and that we’re investing and we have a lot to show. I’m glad I got to come this year. And the response so far has been fantastic.” 

This also feels like an inflection point – after reaffirming a commitment to releasing a first-party game every quarter just two months ago, we are making that promise a reality: 

“As we look forward in 2023 and to 2024, we have a lot of confidence – and we have a lot of games coming. So not only Starfield and Forza Motorsport, which are obviously the two this fall, but I have to shout out that I love the drop of Age of Empires IV on console that we did at Opening Night Live – that’s a game I’m gonna play a ton of. But you know, Ara: History Untold is in the booth. Towerborne is in the booth. We’ve got games like Hellblade II and Avowed coming.” 

The Age of Empires IV moment is Xbox’s third surprise launch of the year, after Hi-Fi Rush and the enhanced Quake II, both announced at other events. I ask if that’s a case of wanting to save surprises for shows outside of our Summer Xbox Games Showcase – but the answer is more simple: 

“So we actually need multiple beats now, because not every game can have a 45 minute Starfield Direct as part of our Showcase. But we need to have time to actually give the creators the time to tell their story, and what they’re shooting for. For multiple moments around the year – from Directs to the Showcase to here at Gamescom – it’s going to be important that we make use of those.” 

Before we finish our chat, Phil is particularly keen to point out a personal favorite at the Xbox booth this year. Having been made amid the context of the conflict in Ukraine, STALKER 2 is playable at gamescom – a triumph in itself:  

“We’re at a big gaming show, I like to talk about video games, and then you go talk to that team in terms of what they’ve been through, and it makes the discussion about video games seem almost irrelevant,” says Spencer. “In terms of the life experience, what they’ve had to live through in Ukraine. So to spend a little bit of time with the team – hear where they’re at – are people safe? And not everybody is, or has been. And yet they’re here showing their game with pride.  

“That kind of transcends what video games are about – it’s awesome that we’re here as part of it. I want STALKER 2 to come out, I want it to be great, but more than any of that I want that team to be safe. And I think building their game has created a rallying point for them, among other things […] With a lot of horrible stuff going on around them, they’ve had this thing – it could have been a video game, it could have been anything – but they’ve had this video game to kind of give them a center. We’ve tried to be a helpful part of their process, but it’s all been about them, and that conviction that they have. Having a STALKER 2 section in the booth, having it playable, having some of the team here – that’s pretty special.” 

The lines to play STALKER 2 yesterday are testament to that fact. But the pleasure of having such a stacked line-up is that there’s something for everyone to try. Elsewhere on the booth, I’d point out the likes of the first ever playable build of action-RPG Towerborne – read our full preview on Xbox Wire – and the detailed overview to Ara: History Untold, a new take on grand strategy from many developers who worked on the Civilization series. And make sure to keep an eye on Don’t Nod’s Jusant, which blew me away with its complex, gorgeous climbing mechanics. 

Gamescom continues today – but if you’ve not been at the show, you don’t have to miss out. Check out everything we have during our three-day stream event. 

Related:
Ara History Untold at gamescom 2023: A New Era for Strategy  
Ace of the Belfry: How Stoic is Developing Towerborne to be an Epic Action-RPG with a Focus on Fun
Starfield at gamescom: Todd Howard and Phil Spencer Introduce Never-Before-Seen Gameplay 

Armored Core fans have been eagerly awaiting a new entry in the series for over a decade and that time is nearly here — Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon will be available tomorrow, Friday, August 25, for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S!

We’ve covered the game frequently for most of this past year, from going hands-on to getting a deep dive on the game’s high level of customization, and each time we’ve come away impressed by its striking visual design, fast-paced epic action, and incredibly challenging gameplay.

Which leads us into what we want to share with you here today, as many of you will soon get your first chance to jump behind controls of your very own Armored Core mech. There’s a lot to unpack as you journey across planet Rubicon, so we’ve highlighted a few key things we think will help you enjoy your time with AC6 in the early going.

Learning to Boost Before You Can Run

For starters, give yourself some time to adjust to playing an Armored Core game. Unlike most action games, AC6 takes place in a full 3D space requiring you to master a mix of both air and ground combat. This “omni-directional combat” can all feel a bit much at first and mastering this will take time, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t “click” for you immediately.

One of the most helpful things to get a handle on early is understanding how your Boosts work, as it can seem overwhelming looking over your controller layout and seeing the word ‘Boost’ listed four different times. So, here’s what each of them do and how they play in the game.

• Vertical Boost (holding A button) This is an extension of your Jump function where, instead of just tapping the button, you hold it down. Great to use to quickly get up to high places directly above you and a key component to be able to “fly” around your enemies.
• Quick Boosts (tapping the X button along with a directional movement) allow you to quickly dash out of the way of an attack in any direction, on both the ground and in the air. You can also string successive Quick Boosts together to quickly close a gap on an enemy. These movements will drain your EN (Energy) so you can only use this so many times before you must wait for your gauge to recharge. Depending on your mech configuration, you’ll achieve varying results of how far a Quick Boost will jump in these directions, and how quickly your EN gauge can recharge, so be sure to tweak your Booster setup in the Assembly to find your happy place.
• Assault Boost (clicking down on the Left Stick) is basically an afterburner that allows you to quickly close the gap on an enemy. It also feeds off your EN, which will determine how long you can use it for. You also look totally badass firing your weapons during an Assault Boost as you close in on an enemy – and it’s a must for melee-focused builds.
• Boost Movement (tap the B button) activates a gliding type of movement that doesn’t consume EN and allows you to quickly traverse the expansive levels in AC6. It’s also a very effective tool to use while attacking enemies. Since it doesn’t drain EN, you can use Boost Movement to strafe foes while firing upon them and making yourself harder to hit in the process. You can also achieve this Boost type by holding down Quick Boost and holding the direction to transition you into Boost Movement. Helpful if you have used some successive Quick Boosts and need to recharge your EN gauge mid-combat.

Don’t Skip the Tutorials

Yeah, you might think you’re the next best mech pilot on this side of the galaxy, but it doesn’t hurt to at least get a refresher on what it’s like to pilot an Armored Core. It’s highly recommended you follow the game’s guidance and complete the tutorial scenarios. There’s a reason why it’s luring you with new components to use in the Assembly for completing each scenario — the game knows you need this help. After finishing the game’s prologue, you’ll be drip-fed several Training missions – these are extremely useful primers in various systems, and even reward you with new parts for running through them.

One of the biggest things you’ll take away from the tutorials is just how agile your mech can be. This is a very nimble craft, even in the Tank configuration, and is not to be confused with other hulking mechs found in other giant robot video games. An Armored Core mech can rapidly move within a full 3D space and mastering this control scheme is going to be one of the biggest things you’ll come to grips with once you wrap up your final tutorial lesson and achieve a coveted Advanced Mercenary emblem.

You’ve Got Legs, Learn How to Use ‘Em

There are four leg variations for your Armored Core mech that come with various configurations, but they boil down to Bipedal, Reverse Joint, Tetrapod, and Tank. Bipedal is your “all-rounder” type that works in all conditions; Reverse Joint allows you to execute quick shifts from ground to air-based combat; Tetrapod can essentially turn you into a floating fortress, allowing you to hover for long periods of time; Tank allows you to dominate at ground-based warfare by equipping heavy weaponry without suffering a large recoil penalty for firing.

While having a ton of options is a blast, and we’ve only just scratched the surface on customization, we’ve found ourselves coming back often to a full “Balam Industries Melander” component frame – once you get into the Assembly, you’ll see the names of the parts listed as Head HD-011, Core BD-011, Arms AR-011, and Legs LG-011. Not only do you get style points for looking like a classic mech, it has a great balance of EN (Energy) and AP (Armor Points) that allows you to take a few hits, while also being nimble enough to avoid most heavy attacks. Things may change later in the game, but to help get your bearings and not be overwhelmed by choice, we recommend this build.

Save Data

In the AC Design section, you’re given a lot of customization options (and tons of awesome paint jobs). Once you find a configuration you like, make sure you utilize the AC Data section to save your configuration. You’re given over 100 save states to save a variety of configurations, as well as some pre-made builds depending on pre-order bonuses, and it won’t be long until you find yourself swapping configurations to find the best approach to whatever massive enemy the game throws at you. We’ve tackled three bosses so far and they each required a bit of mech tweaking to get by (and there are even tougher opponents on the way). Save yourself some time with the AC Data feature without having to dive back into the Assembly each time you need to part-swap.

Stay on Target

Until you’ve become an advanced player and feel completely at one within your Armored Core, it’s recommended you liberally use Target Lock on enemies (click Right Stick down). This will allow you to focus more on your movement while all your weapons are “locked in” on your enemy target. Later in the game you may find yourself wanting a bit more manual control, but until you get to that point, there ain’t nothing wrong with letting the game help you out a bit… because it will test you.

We hope this information helps to ease you into the exciting and challenging world of Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon. You can pick it up Friday, August 25, digitally on the Xbox Store for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S and it features support for Smart Delivery, ensuring you always play the best version of the game for your console, and Optimized for Xbox Series X|S with support for Ray Tracing or Prioritize Framerate features on Xbox Series X|S.

ARMORED CORE™ VI FIRES OF RUBICON™ – Deluxe Edition

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆
85

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

Pre-order now to receive the following bonus content:
MELANDER C3 G13 Special Customization “TENDERFOOT”
• MELANDER C3 parts set (early unlock)*
• Emblem (early unlock)*
• Exclusive AC Decal
* Early Unlock: The parts set and the emblem can also be obtained by progressing through the game.

The Deluxe Edition includes:
• Full game
• Exclusive Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
Allows players to view concept art and listen to in-game music.

Combining FromSoftware’s longstanding expertise in mech games with their signature action gameplay, ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON brings a brand-new action experience to the series.

Dynamic, Omni-directional Battles
Players will pilot their mech in fast-paced, omni-directional battles, taking advantage of massive stages and their mech’s mobility on land and in the air to ensure victory.

Customized Parts for Individual Battle Styles
Customize Armored Core parts to suit a large variety of playstyles. Selecting different parts not only changes the mech’s attacks, but also directly affects its movement and battle style, so each mission can be approached with a unique mech strategy.

Thrilling Boss Battles
Deploy a wide variety of offensive and defensive tactics at close and long range to take down powerful enemy bosses.

ARMORED CORE™ VI FIRES OF RUBICON™

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆
85

★★★★★

$59.99

Pre-order

Pre-order now to receive the following bonus content:
MELANDER C3 G13 Special Customization “TENDERFOOT”
• MELANDER C3 parts set (early unlock)*
• Emblem (early unlock)*
• Exclusive AC Decal
* Early Unlock: The parts set and the emblem can also be obtained by progressing through the game.

Combining FromSoftware’s longstanding expertise in mech games with their signature action gameplay, ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON brings a brand-new action experience to the series.

Dynamic, Omni-directional Battles
Players will pilot their mech in fast-paced, omni-directional battles, taking advantage of massive stages and their mech’s mobility on land and in the air to ensure victory.

Customized Parts for Individual Battle Styles
Customize Armored Core parts to suit a large variety of playstyles. Selecting different parts not only changes the mech’s attacks, but also directly affects its movement and battle style, so each mission can be approached with a unique mech strategy.

Thrilling Boss Battles
Deploy a wide variety of offensive and defensive tactics at close and long range to take down powerful enemy bosses.

Related:
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for August 21 to 25
Combining Might and Delight in Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon
Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon Brings Mech Remixing to a New Level of Scale

Proceed with caution, sinner. The below contains spoilers for both Blasphemous and the free Wounds of Eventide DLC. If you are not ready to pay your penance just yet, look away now.

With launch day for Blasphemous 2 finally upon us, we wanted to take just a second to look back at the events that unfurled in the original game, bringing us to the precipice of a new adventure, where you will join The Penitent One once again as he is displaced from his final resting place and thrust back into an endless of cycle of life, death, and resurrection. A cycle he must end at all costs.

Set in Cvstodia, the original Blasphemous follows our protagonist, The Penitent One, as the sole survivor of the Massacre of the Silent Sorrow. With death shadowing his every step, and the land of Cvstodia breaking under the weight of a malevolent curse, known only as The Miracle, it falls to him to save the world from a fate far worse than death.

Vowed to silence for eternity, and armed with Mea Culpa, the Sword of Guilt, The Penitent One traverses an unforgiving and hostile land, searching for a way to fulfil his penance, while putting an end to the pain and misery The Miracle inflicts, slaying grotesque beasts and inhuman monstrosities in all four corners of a godforsaken world, and freeing tortured souls from eternal torment.

In the “True Ending,” attained by completing the free Wounds of Eventide DLC released in 2021, it is revealed that there were not three visages watching over the miracle’s plans, but four – and this fourth visage could see beyond the mortal world, into the Dream, where The Miracle’s true form was revealed. A divine trinity, the High Wills whose single-minded focus was to gain reverence and worship from the inhabitant of Cvstodia, feeding on their veneration to grow insurmountable power. Together with Crisanta of the Wrapped agony, The Penitent One faces The High Wills, destroying them, and their monstrous command over Cvstodia, banishing them from the world, or so we thought…

In Blasphemous 2, The Penitent One is reawakened, The Miracle has returned, and a new Child of The Miracle has been prophesied. Armed with three brand-new deadly weapons, each with their own unique attacks and abilities, The Penitent One must explore a perilous new world, unveiling long forgotten secrets, and reigning down fury upon any that stand in this way.

Featuring a fuller world to explore, scatted with grotesque landscapes oozing with baroque charm, and littered with traps and secrets to find, Blasphemous 2 jumps off where the original ended, offering up new ways to customize your playthrough, and new scores to settle, but only one thing is for certain now that it is available on Xbox Series X|S: “Penance never ends.”

Blasphemous 2

Team17

☆☆☆☆☆
9

★★★★★

$29.99

Get it now

The second scripture in the Blasphemous series portends the return of The Penitent One, with a story that continues from the free Wounds of Eventide DLC for the original game, where The Heart in the sky heralded the return of The Miracle and foretold the birth of a new miracle child.

Awakened in a strange new land, and displaced from his final resting place, The Penitent One is thrust back into the endless cycle of life, death, and resurrection, with no other option than to explore this perilous new world and uncover its long-forgotten secrets.

Hordes of grotesque enemies stand in your way, awaiting final judgement by the brutal hand of the Penitent One, with titanic twisted bosses also lurking in the darkness, waiting for their chance to return you to the grave from whence you came.

Taking them down won’t be easy, but with Blasphemous 2 offering more chances to customise and improve your skill set, along with several new unique weapons to wield with righteous zeal and unending fury, victory might just be within grasp.

Ultimately, only one thing is certain… Penance Never Ends

Explore a fuller Non-Linear world

Having awoken in a strange new land, your journey starts anew in a series of enchantingly grotesque landscapes, oozing Gothic charm and littered with unforgiving traps. How you tackle the labyrinthian world remains at your discretion, there is no wrong turn to be made, only scores to settle

Savage Combat

The Penitent One shows no mercy, and with a series of new weapons offering new moves, brutal executions, and expanded combos, destruction will rain on any that stand in his way

Customize your playthrough your way

Blasphemous 2 offers up new ways to play, with the ability to customise and improve your base skillset, alongside several new unique weapons to unleash devastating attacks on enemies

Grand Intense Boss Battles

Hordes of monstrous foes stand between you and your goal; twisted bosses with unique attack patters and sundering abilities will put your skills to the test as you fight to stand triumphant when the dust settles

Explore a deep new world

A whole new world awaits, bustling with mysterious new NPCs to interact with, some will offer aid, some will ask for it, and others will send you on death defying missions to obtain long forgotten items. With so much to see and do, the stories and myths you encounter will help you unpick the games myriad of secrets, granting you a deeper understanding of this strange new world

Blasphemous

Team17

☆☆☆☆☆
240

★★★★★

$24.99

Get it now

Blasphemous is a punishing action-platformer that combines the fast-paced, skilled combat of a hack-n-slash game with a deep and evocative narrative core, delivered through exploration of a huge universe comprised of non-linear levels.

A foul curse has fallen upon the land of Cvstodia and all its inhabitants – it is simply known as The Miracle.

Play as The Penitent One – a sole survivor of the massacre of the ‘Silent Sorrow’. Trapped in an endless cycle of death and rebirth, it’s down to you to free the world from this terrible fate and reach the origin of your anguish.

Explore this nightmarish world of twisted religion and discover its many secrets hidden deep inside. Use devastating combos and brutal executions to smite the hordes of grotesque monsters and titanic bosses, who are all ready to rip your limbs off. Locate and equip relics, rosary beads and prayers that call on the powers of the heavens to aid you in your quest to break your eternal damnation.

Key Features:

Explore a Non-Linear World: Overcome fearsome enemies and deadly traps as you venture through a variety of different landscapes, and search for redemption in the dark gothic world of Cvstodia.

Brutal Combat: Release the power of Mea Culpa, a sword born from guilt itself, to slaughter your foes. Acquire devastating new combos and special moves as you purge all in your path.

Executions: Unleash your wrath and relish in the gory dismemberment of your adversaries – all in beautifully rendered, pixel-perfect execution animations.

Customise Your Build: Discover and equip Relics, Rosary Beads, Prayers and Sword Hearts to give you the new abilities and stat boosts you need to survive. Experiment with different combinations to suit your playstyle.

Epic Boss Battles: Hordes of gigantic, twisted creatures stand between you and your goal. Learn how they move, survive their devastating attacks and emerge victorious.

Unlock the Mysteries of Cvstodia: The world is full of tormented souls. Some offer you aid, some may ask for something in return. Uncover the stories and fates of these tortured characters to gain rewards and a deeper understanding of the dark world you inhabit.

Related:
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for August 21 to 25
Free Play Days – The Knight Witch, Forza Horizon 5, Let’s Build a Zoo, and Blasphemous
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for August 14 to August 18

Hi! I’m Gareth Damian Martin, also known as Jump Over the Age, creator of Citizen Sleeper. It’s been over a year since we launched on Game Pass and I have been so happy to see the positive response, and the sheer number of players that have given the game a try. I hope you’ve enjoyed the game and its three DLC episodes too!

But if you haven’t given our unique RPG a try, I’m happy to share that Citizen Sleeper will be staying on Game Pass, giving you plenty of opportunity to experience it for the foreseeable future. But that isn’t all; thanks to the massively positive response to Citizen Sleeper, the game is also getting a sequel – Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, and it’s coming to Xbox consoles.

And, just like the original, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector will be a day one Game Pass release, meaning subscribers will be able to play on Xbox Series consoles and PC from launch.

When we announced the sequel earlier in the year, we introduced a new sleeper, a new ally named Serafin, and a new antagonist in the form of sadistic gang leader Laine. In our animated reveal, our new sleeper attempts to reboot their system in order to break their reliance on Stabilizer, the drug that their artificial body is programmed to require. Laine interrupts the process, however, leaving our sleeper with a malfunctioning body, on the run, and reliant on a ramshackle ship, stolen with the help of Serafin.

This sets up Starward Vector’s fresh take on the dice-based, RPG gameplay of Citizen Sleeper. Keeping the same freeform gameplay and richly drawn world, the sequel deepens the formula through its biggest addition, your own spaceship. This ship doesn’t just allow you to travel around our new location, the Starward Belt; it also means you can take on contracts: High-risk, high-reward jobs, like scrapping a derelict freighter or repairing a stranded ship. To take on this work, necessary to keep your ship running, you’ll need to build a crew, and make the most of their abilities to maximize each job.

But as with the original game, the narrative and characters are at the heart of Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, so you can expect contracts to have unexpected twists and difficult choices, for crew to bring trouble to your door, and to find compelling slice-of-life stories wherever you choose to take your ship.

Finally, I want to share a little more about one of the first locations you’ll visit, Hexport. This bustling port is one of the game’s hubs: Stations from which you’ll take on contracts and gather crew, each with its own unique locations, characters and stories.

Built on the back of three vast, hexagonal solar panels that were left behind when the Solheim corporation collapsed and fled the system, the station has taken advantage of the massive flow of power from this old tech. This helps drive both the Hexport Exchange – a trade hall filled with data-brokers and hackers – and Factory Row, an industrial sector packed with small factories turning out ship parts and habitat modules. It’s a great place to get hold of scrap contracts or find crew members, especially at the Bends bar, a popular spacer haunt.

You’ll see a lot more of Hexport soon, but for now I want to thank everyone for playing and supporting Citizen Sleeper and its DLC. I’m so happy to be returning to this universe for the sequel, and that never would have happened without everyone who has championed the game.

If you want to keep up to date, head over to https://citizensleeper.com/Helion-Dispatches to sign up for our newsletter, where you’ll also find the Helion Dispatches, an ongoing episodic narrative series that I’m writing which bridges the gap between Citizen Sleeper and Citizen Sleeper 2.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

Fellow Traveller

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

ON THE RUN / ON THE EDGE
You are a Sleeper, a corporate-owned android hiding out in the Starward Belt at the edge of the Helion System. After a desperate attempt to free yourself from servitude by rewriting the very code that governs your system, you are on the run with a malfunctioning body, a price on your head and no memory of your past.

YOUR SHIP / YOUR CREW / YOUR FUTURE
You stole a ship and left the past behind. Keep it running, maintain it, even upgrade it, and maybe it will carry you away from all this. But you can’t run it alone. You’ll need a crew, and while the Belt is full of those looking for work, it’s also full of trouble. Can you hold the ship together through this crisis? Can you build a refuge here, among the stars?

A SYSTEM IN CRISIS
There is a crisis unfolding in the Helion System. Two vast corporate entities are fighting a bitter, covert war, touching everything, even the Starward Belt. Waves of refugees, shattered hulks of warring ships, strange new technologies, all are washing up on the shore of the Belt. Navigate this shifting territory, take on contracts, get paid, and survive to see the next cycle.

ROLL YOUR DICE
Citizen Sleeper uses Tabletop RPG inspired systems to create a unique player-led experience. Each cycle you’ll roll a set of Dice that you can then spend to complete actions. The higher the die, the greater the chance of success.

This award-winning and acclaimed system will return in Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector alongside all new systems and mechanics that will offer more depth, complexity and challenge.

Citizen Sleeper

Fellow Traveller

☆☆☆☆☆
207

★★★★★

$19.99

$11.99

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

CITIZEN SLEEPER EXPANDED
With the release of Episode PURGE, Citizen Sleeper’s three episode post-launch DLC expansion is now complete and the game has even more to offer with a thrilling late game storyline that delivers an immersive new narrative arc introducing additional characters, lore and locations. Players returning to Erlin’s Eye might even find themselves running into some familiar faces!

ROLEPLAYING IN THE RUINS OF INTERPLANETARY CAPITALISM
One of 2022’s most acclaimed indies, the Game Awards-nominated Citizen Sleeper is a Tabletop-inspired narrative RPG set on Erlin’s Eye, a ruined space station that is home to thousands of people trying to survive on the edges of an interstellar capitalist society.

You are a sleeper, a digitised human consciousness in an artificial body, owned by a corporation that wants you back. Thrust amongst the unfamiliar and colourful inhabitants of the Eye, you need to build friendships, earn your keep, and navigate the factions of this strange metropolis, if you hope to survive to see the next cycle.

ROLL THE DICE. DO THE WORK. GET PAID. SURVIVE.
Inspired by Tabletop Roleplaying games, Citizen Sleeper uses Dice, Clocks and Drives to create a player-led experience, where you choose your path in a rich and responsive world. Each cycle you use the dice you are dealt to choose what to do with your time. Make or break alliances, uncover truths and escape your hunters. Survive and ultimately thrive, one cycle at a time, and sometimes against the clock!

TURN UP FOR YOUR FRIENDS
The station plays host to characters from all walks of life, trying to eke out an existence among the stars. Salvagers, engineers, hackers, bartenders, street-food vendors, each has a history which brought them here. You choose which of them you wish to help, and together you will shape your future.

ACCESS THEIR SECRETS
Eventually, you will learn to use your dice to hack into the station’s cloud to access decades of digital data, uncover new areas and unlock secrets. This is your unique power, and with it you can change your future. Corporate secrets, rogue AIs and troves of lost data await those willing to dive into the depths of the station’s networks.

YOU WERE MADE TO DIE
Essen-Arp: to them you are just property, one more asset in a portfolio that stretches across the stars. You are the product of an abusive system, in a universe where humanity’s expansion is marked by exploitation and extraction. Escape the makers of your decaying body, and chart your own path in a richly imagined, deeply relevant sci-fi world which explores ideas of precarity, personhood and freedom.

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Microbirds could scarcely have chosen a better place to debut their upcoming adventure Dungeons of Hinterberg than gamescom this week; my time with the first playable demo had me dreaming of sailing up the Rhine to cooler climes for some monster hunting and chill Alpine vibes. 

The game is set in and around the eponymous Hinterburg, a tiny town nestled in the Austrian Alps, where magic caves filled with monsters suddenly appeared one day, thrusting the town into the world of adventure tourism. Thrill-seekers, including the game’s heroine, drift in from all over the globe to prove their mettle in battle- something otherwise frowned upon in polite society. 

As Dungeons of Hinterberg’s first hands-on showing to the world, we were given a feel for the loop that defines the game: explore and adventure – above and below ground – by day, socialize in the evening, developing skills and acquiring items to support the next time you delve the deep underground. 

As playable character Louisa, I set out first to find a dungeon, learning much of what she can do on the way- which is quite a lot! While exploring, the demo showcased two important skills, each mapped to a shoulder button: a tap of LB summons the Wrecking Ball, a massive bomb which, when detonated, clears piles of rubble blocking your path.  RB fires a ranged Ball and Chain, which can attach to blobby masses in the overworld and can manipulate certain environmental objects – e.g. pulling down a log to traverse a gap. These came into play frequently, and were even used in concert for some puzzles. 

Before arriving at the dungeon entrance, I encountered my first enemies, creepy masked monsters who, according to the developers, trace their inspiration back to real-life Alpine Mythology (think Krampus-esque). Light and Heavy melee attacks charge up bigger and badder magical attacks, such as a destructive leap with AOE effects, or a hail of meteors which drains enemy health bars in a hurry. 

Before long, Louisa arrived at one of the dungeons that make Hinterberg famous, where the puzzle solving and battling ramp up to more intense levels, in closer quarters. After exploring, pillaging chests, solving a number of puzzles, dispatching more armadillos and a larger boss, it was time to return to Hinterberg to, y’know, chill for a bit.  

Hanging out with NPCs isn’t just a break in the action, it’s crucial to your success – your character will learn new, useful skills by upleveling their social links. After chatting with a few locals, I committed to spending time with the cheerful employee of the local ice cream stand, Marina. This action increased Louisa’s dodge stamina, so that she can dodge more often – something you will definitely want to do. And that’s only at the first of three stars earned with Marina, so I found myself curious what further interactions will lead to. 

After that, Louisa went to sleep, resting up for the next day’s adventures. 

If this mix of battling and socializing brings titles like the Persona series to mind, know that there is less pressure to maximize every moment in Dungeons of Hinterberg. Indeed, your players can take a full-day break from adventuring if they choose to spend more time with friends;  Louisa’s on vacation after all! I can see this tactic coming in handy if your character is having trouble progressing through a dungeon – meet a few more people, level up a few more skills, then try again. 

Developer Microbirds shared that there will be approximately 25 dungeons to test in game, and, as beautifully bucolic as the Doberkogel mountains area we explored at gamescom is, I’m excited to see the other three biomes. Chilly glaciers and wetter areas were referenced.  

With sunny vibes and the flexibility to battle or just hang out in town to make friends, Dungeons of Hinterberg is shaping up to be a vacation for players, though don’t be surprised if you find yourself pricing out airfare to Austria when you’re done. Dungeons of Hinterberg will be released in 2024 for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Cloud, and will be available day one for Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass members.  

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