A Deep Dive into the Supernatural Threats and Secrets of New World: Aeternum

Timmy Palmieri, Editorial Content Manager, Amazon Games

Explore a cursed island plagued by mystery when New World: Aeternum comes to Xbox Series X|S on October 15. In search of rumored riches on the eternal isle of Aeternum, you shipwreck and are plunged into the depths of an immortal spiral. Its strange inhabitants pulled in by the winds of opportunity, or so you thought.

Learn the ways of the island’s increasingly savage, supernatural cycle and forge your story to uncover the truth lurking behind Aeternum’s perpetual conflicts in this thrilling action-RPG set during the twilight of the Age of Exploration.

Pursue Your Ambition

Conflict and bizarre happenings in Aeternum date back further than anyone can remember. But a loss of memory is only one of the many fates worse than death that you’ll encounter throughout your travels. Some give into the seductive whispers of power and turn into a mindless Corrupted, while others lose their sense of purpose and become a soulless Lost. Many even go mad after recovering from death after death.

Isabella is an intrepid explorer that ventured to the island in pursuit of Azoth, the source of magic in Aeternum. Possessed by the insatiable evil of the Corrupted, she now creeps ever closer to spreading the corruption’s ghastly influence beyond Aeternum. The coastal storms have grown worse, countless adventurers wash ashore daily, and an ominous presence lurks around every village. To stop her, you’ll need to successfully navigate the island’s restless terrain as well as different adversaries.

Forge Your Story

Your curious voyage starts with character creation. That customization then extends to outfits, weapons, tools, mounts, camp skins, and emotes. Solve every mystery surrounding Aeternum solo or with friends for a completely different experience. There are also Trade Skills like Cooking, Fishing, Musical Instruments, Crafting, and many more that grant various bonuses and further immerse you in your favorite aspects of the game. Need some extra coin for a house? Put on a musical performance and gather tips at the nearest settlement. Want more coin for your Company to buy matching Flail skins? Create your own furniture and sell it.

Companies are organized groups of adventurers that can team up for both competitive and cooperative activities. To join another player’s Company, you’ll first have to be in the same Faction. Early on, you’ll have the choice to join either the Marauders, the Syndicate, or the Covenant. All three Factions have unique values, colors, and philosophies, complete with their own quests and schemes. Maybe you’ll join the Marauders because you love the color green, the Syndicate because you share their passion for knowledge, or the Covenant because your friends did. This is your story, so there’s never a wrong choice.

Faction members can help you complete quests and fend off danger throughout Aeternum. Your fellow members might gift you gear for easier progression, take a few swings at powerful enemies, or revive you in chance encounters while traveling to their next destination. Lend a hand to help your Faction thrive.

Carve Your Destiny

Aeternum constantly changes at the hands of those in power. Whether you fight the Corrupted, the Lost, or another Faction, you can overcome any foe after stumbling across a mysterious box in your ship’s wreckage. To better ease you into the unique timing and positioning of every weapon, you’ll pick a character archetype at the start of your adventure. Each of the seven character archetypes includes two weapons and a few initial Trade Skill boosts, plus multiple skill trees with customizable abilities. Mix and match different options until you find the perfect combination for your playstyle:

Executioner: Great Axe and War Hammer
Musketeer: Rapier and Musket
Mystic: Void Gauntlet and Life Staff
Occultist: Fire Staff and Ice Gauntlet
Ranger: Spear and Bow
Soldier: Longsword with Shield and Hatchet
Swordbearer: Greatsword and Blunderbuss

Beyond the main story quest, there are many horrors of Aeternum for you to vanquish. Hunt a colossal Sandwurm in one of the game’s challenging Trials, unearth some of the island’s darkest secrets in Expeditions and banish otherworldly demons during seasonal events. As you piece together the lore around each bad omen, you’ll better understand the troubled history of the eternal isle. There’s always another threat skulking about Aeternum, not to mention numerous ways for you to personalize your approach.

We look forward to new ambitions, secrets, and threats coming to the eternal isle through future adventurers. What story will you bring to the island? New World: Aeternum is available for pre-order now. Check out the New World: Aeternum website for more information.

New World: Aeternum Standard Edition

Amazon Games

☆☆☆☆☆
1

★★★★★

$59.99

Pre-order

Pre-order now to get the following digital content:

• Azoth Stalker wolf mount

Experience a thrilling action RPG set on the supernatural island of Aeternum. As a shipwrecked explorer who washes ashore on the mysterious island, forge your destiny on an adventure filled with danger and opportunity.

Discover the island of Aeternum: Explore a massive, beautiful world and uncover the secret truth of the eternal island and its strange inhabitants. Endless opportunities to fight, forage, and forge await among the island’s wilderness and ruins.

Play your way: Play solo or use cross-platform play to team up with others, or compete head-to-head in a variety of PvP battles. Customize the look, skills, and abilities of your character, and experiment with different builds to suit your play style.

Swords, guns & sorcery: Control magical forces or wield deadly melee and ranged weapons. Timing and positioning are key to defeating enemies in combat. Use your skills to survive the island’s horrors and reap its valuable rewards.

Grow in power: Gather resources and refine them into working materials to craft powerful new potions, weapons and gear, and increase your power and skill in combat.

Summon your mount: Master horses, dire wolves, and lions, each with a unique look, dyeable equipment and a name you can set. Level up your Riding Trade Skill to earn upgrades like increased speeds, buffs and higher tier consumable food for your mount.

https://www.newworld.com/pre-order-bonus-terms-and-conditions

The post A Deep Dive into the Supernatural Threats and Secrets of New World: Aeternum appeared first on Xbox Wire.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road & Update 42 Now Live on Xbox

The post The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road & Update 42 Now Live on Xbox appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Call of Duty x Fallout Sees Task Force 141 Join the Vault Dwellers, Available June 20

The post Call of Duty x Fallout Sees Task Force 141 Join the Vault Dwellers, Available June 20 appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun: Breathing Retro Life into the Cast of Enemies

Category: Games

June 18, 2024

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun: Breathing Retro Life into the Cast of Enemies

Mark Chambers, Lead Artist, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is a fast-paced, retro-inspired FPS that comes with buckets of pixelated gore. Taking on the role of a Space Marine, players previously had the chance to blast their way through a variety of Warhammer 40,000 inspired environments, and now we’re thrilled to announce the next expansion to our boomer-shooter saga!

Boltgun: Forges of Corruption offers more enemies, more levels, and even more mayhem, so with that in mind, let’s take a closer look at everything that goes into crafting the perfect outlet for your righteous rage… the enemies!

Choosing the Best

The Warhammer 40,000 universe is full of incredible character art, and the team here at Auroch were spoilt for choice when it came to picking a cast of enemies. Using initial design requirements as a guide, the first step was to collect as much reference as we could. This helped to confirm things like size, colours, details, and even which weapons or items to include. Shots of real life miniatures made this task even easier, and the Games Workshop website proved to be extremely useful.

Shapes are Important

Once a good library of reference has been established, the process of creating a retro enemy sprite can begin. It starts with a conventional method you’d find in most other games, by modelling a 3d mesh. However, we pay special attention to the overall shapes of our characters, pushing things like heroic proportions and creating silhouettes that players can easily identify. In Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, enemies are shown from the front a majority of the time, so we always ensure the front view captures them in their best light.

Exaggerated Angles

In a similar way to how we model characters, things on the animation side tend to focus on exaggerated poses and frame timing that really sells the intent of an animation. In order to capture that ‘retro’ magic, we use minimal frames, so it’s important to pack all the visual information we want into a tiny, animated space. The impact point of a crushing punch can be held slightly longer, or the juddering of weapon’s rapid fire can be sped up into a chaotic blur. This level of single frame control is almost like working with stop motion.

Special FX

Once an enemy has been modeled, animated and rendered, we start working on the FX. This step adds dynamism and interactivity, and the way we use FX for enemy attacks are particularly important. Not only do they need to look amazing, but there’s a set of game mechanics that should be followed. Certain weapons fire at different speeds, projectiles have different trails, and explosions have different sizes. All enemy attacks in Boltgun come in three distinct types, magical Tzeentch, organic Nurgle or combustible human, and it’s important for players to be able to visually distinguish between them, using colours, shapes, and various other artistic techniques.

Blood and Guts

One of the cornerstones of Boltgun is its stylistic gore, and the most satisfying way of bringing our enemies to life is seeing the crimson mess that results when they expire. We’ve built a gore system in a way that enables players to effectively ‘paint’ sections of our levels with the red of previous battles, something that’s both awesome, and can be useful as a pathfinding tool. Lastly, each enemy comes complete with a set of custom body parts, or ‘gibs’ as we like to call them. These have a habit of bursting outwards when an enemy has been destroyed, offering just one more level of detail to the interactive package that is your typical Warhammer 40,000 : Boltgun enemy.

A Place to Call Home

Finally, what good would combining all the amazing elements above be without giving our enemies a proper place to live? We use visual theming to really set the scene. A sickly green haze suggests an area infested by Nurgle, where as the chaotic purple of the warp means the presence of Tzeentch is near. We also use decals to add extra detail to floors and walls, giving players the impression that they’re moving from one territory to the next. And lastly, a well thought-out prop library can really help with the storytelling aspect of a map.

As the game progresses, players may notice evidence of previous conflicts such as fortifications, military supplies, corpses, sacrificial shrines, and much more. Adding things like this helps to make the experience of encountering enemies in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun feel more alive and real.

So now you’ve been given an insight into some of the tips and tricks the team here at Auroch uses to create AI for players to blast away at or run screaming from. We’ve worked hard to customize the standard character art pipeline you’d see in most modern games, and produced a result we’re proud to say is one of the cornerstones of Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun’s unique retro aesthetic.

Unleash your mighty wrath in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun DLC: Forges of Corruption, out now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC for $5,99! For newcomers, a special edition containing the base game and the DLC is also available for $24,99. Enjoy Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC and Xbox Game Pass!

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun

Focus Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆
284

★★★★★

$21.99

$17.59

Get it now

Xbox Game Pass

Load up your Boltgun and plunge into battle headfirst! Experience a perfect blend of Warhammer 40,000, classic, frenetic FPS gameplay and the stylish visuals of your favourite 90’s retro shooters.

Play a battle-hardened Space Marine on a perilous mission across the galaxy, as they battle against the Chaos Space Marines and daemons of Chaos.

In glorious boomer shooter style, unleash your devastating Space Marine arsenal as you blast through an explosion of sprites, pixels and blood. Run, jump and charge across huge levels to shoot, shred and slice the worst heretics across the galaxy!

• Dive into a visceral combat experience, complete with viciously satisfying gunplay, high mobility and buckets of blood to reward your skills
• Dominate the battlefield with the awesome firepower and heavy metal of a Space Marine’s devastating arsenal
• Experience the ultimate homage to retro shooters, blending stylish visuals with fluid, modern FPS gameplay

The post Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun: Breathing Retro Life into the Cast of Enemies appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Forza Motorsport: Update 9 Brings Endurance Races, the Iconic Sebring Track, and More

The post Forza Motorsport: Update 9 Brings Endurance Races, the Iconic Sebring Track, and More appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: New Details Revealed on the Official Xbox Podcast

Category: Xbox Games Showcase

June 14, 2024

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: New Details Revealed on the Official Xbox Podcast

Joe Skrebels, Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle made a grand appearance at Xbox Games Showcase 2024 last weekend, showing off new gameplay, revealing new elements of the story, and treating us to an extended scene set in the Himalayas, as Indiana and new companion Gina attempt to recover a relic while avoid the clutches of colonel Viktor Gantz.

On a special episode of the Official Xbox Podcast, host Malik Prince got to talk more about the trailer and the wider game, joined by MachineGames’ Jerk Gustafsson, Game Director, and John Jennings, Production Director. If you want to watch the full interview, check it out below – or read on for the new details.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s development is in full swing, and what we’ve seen of the game promises a truly authentic Indiana Jones adventure – both in storyline and gameplay.

“The story kicks off when an ancient relic is stolen from the college where Indiana Jones works,” explained Gustafsson. “He’s determined to track down the thief, and he stumbles into this ancient conspiracy involving the theory of the Great Circle, as we call it. The Great Circle is a strange alignment of ancient sites around the globe, and a set of mysterious artifacts connect to it. But Indy isn’t the only one in search of answers. The enemy are scouring the world for these artifacts, believing that they hold some kind of power – and to stop them there’s only one thing he can do, and that is to find the artifacts first.”

This kicks us off on a classic globe-trotting adventure, beginning in the corridors of Indy’s beloved Marshall College, before taking in the Himalayas, the ancient jungle sites of Sukhothai in Thailand, the Vatican (an all-new location for an Indiana Jones project), the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, and more. It’s the kind of set-up you’d hope for from an Indiana Jones story, but it stemmed from a perhaps unexpected source:

“It actually started with an idea from [Bethesda Game Studios director and executive producer] Todd Howard,” said Gustafsson. “He had been thinking for years about creating a story around the concept of the Great Circle, so when we got this opportunity to work on an Indiana Jones game it felt like the perfect match.”

Of course, that idea was just the starting point, and the team at MachineGames has worked incredibly closely with Lucasfilm Games to ensure that their original adventure would feel faithful to movies it sits alongside.

“We spent countless hours just rewatching the films – especially the two movies that are closest to the game, which are Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Last Crusade,” said Gustafsson. “In addition, we have one of the best resources through our partnership with Lucasfilm Games, and working together with them on this project has been invaluable, just this cave of knowledge about the character, which has been fantastic.”

“It’s been great having access to writers, art directors from Lucasfilm, people who worked with the Indiana Jones property for decades,” continued Jennings. “Having their input – I mean, some of these people know everything that has ever been written about Indy – and having them to bounce ideas off, and get some of their own input has been hugely, hugely invaluable.”

That partnership came with perks for fans on the team, too: “We managed to get access into some of the Lucasfilm archives as well,” said Jennings, “which for Indy fans has been an absolute dream come true, to get access to some of these things that perhaps not so many people have seen.”

The research has been deep. Writers and artists on the team studied not just the films, but comics and books, not to mention had recreations of Indy’s costume created – including his iconic fedora, reproduced by the same hatmaker that created the original for Raiders of the Lost Ark. On the musical side, longtime Lucasfilm Games collaborator Gordy Haab (who recently won a Grammy for his work on the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor soundtrack) has been brought in to create a score John Williams would be proud of.

That authenticity extends to the characters involved, too. While most of the cast will be brand new faces for the franchise, the latest trailer showed us more of Indy’s friend, Marcus Brody: “Because we start the story in Marshall College it made sense to have Marcus there, to sort of ground it in the familiarity of Indy’s home base,” said Gustafsson – before going onto tease that we’ll see cameos from other classic characters along the way, too.

Of course, the most important element for authenticity was in getting Indy himself right, and the team found a perfect partner in renowned actor Troy Baker:

“It was maybe an unexpected choice at first, but from the moment we watched his audition tape we were just totally sold,” said Jennings. “He’s just a great actor. He’s put so much effort into the role as well – you can tell he’s just this huge, huge fan of Indiana Jones […] We’ve just been in a [voiceover] session recently with him, and he was improvising lines. You know, ‘Wouldn’t Indy say it a bit more like this?’ Or commenting on lines that we’ve written that we thought were subtle Easter Eggs just for the die-hard Indy fans, and he’ll pick up on it straight away.”

Baker’s performance doesn’t just extend to a great impression of Harrison Ford, either. “He’s not just a voiceover actor, he’s the full thing,” Jennings continued. “We do full performance capture: the body, the face, and the voice all recorded at the same time. And he’s got the physical acting nailed down as well. He does a really, really good job of capturing the character of Indy – specifically his character in the first few movies, the earlier ones, which is where our game is set of course. He just does it perfectly.”

This has been a new kind of development process for MachineGames, and that extends to the game itself. “It’s a little bit different, this game, for us, in many ways,” said Gustafsson. “We are very used to having heavy weapons, gun-blazing shooters – and this is a little bit different. We are making a proper adventure game here.”

While the team’s acclaimed Wolfenstein games were brutal, frenetic shooters, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle offers an experience more befitting of the world’s most famous archaeologist.

“He solves problems with his mind first and really relies on smarts, and not this excessive combat that we have seen or done before with the Wolfenstein games,” explained Gustafsson. “When you are playing the game, choosing the more authentic stealthy Indy route – or just some classic old fist-fighting – will be a benefit to the player more times than not, and also make for a very fun and challenging experience.”

In playing as Indy, we’re not rampaging through the world, but stopping to solve puzzles, and trying to avoid conflict when we can. The team wanted to avoid turning the character we know into a superhero.

“He is flawed, he makes mistakes, he stumbles, there is weight to his movement, and we have this gritty, pulpy edge to the action,” continued Gustafsson. “But at the same time he’s also rather athletic, he’s an excellent fighter, and he also has an enormous amount of luck as well – and at the same time he’s the best archaeologist in the world. So focusing on all of these things, in a way it makes the game feel in line with these classic matinee action-adventures that the movies were celebrating, something I think Indy himself also personifies in a way.”

To do that, the game will primarily be set in first-person – a perspective that MachineGames is very familiar with, a key way to help players feel like they’re truly walking in his shoes, and an exciting point of difference when looking at the wider action-adventure genre as a whole. In key moments, however, we will see the character in third-person, letting us live those filmic moments from the outside.

And speaking of filmic moments, the trailer ended with a callback to perhaps one of the most famous sequences in movie history – Indy’s rolling boulder escape. We had to ask how that made it into the game, and whether we’ll be able to play it. But Gustafsson wanted to keep some mystery before Indiana Jones and the Great Circle arrives:

“That’s unfortunately one of those things where I just have to say: ‘You’ll have to wait and see.’”

Play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle day one on Game Pass when it launches later this year on Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Bethesda Softworks

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark

and The Last Crusade

. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones

. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.

YOU ARE INDIANA JONES
Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time.

A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS
Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces.

WHIP-CRACKING ACTION
Indiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery .

THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY
Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

The post Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: New Details Revealed on the Official Xbox Podcast appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Single and Multiplayer Modes in Magical Drop VI – Out now on Xbox

Summary

Challenge your friends in an online match
Six different single-player modes
Unite the divided Magical Land

Prepare to be whisked away to a Magical Land of wonder in Magical Drop VI!

Reunite the Magical Land

Step into the shoes of the charming residents of the Magical Land. See the world through their eyes and experience the unique struggles and triumphs that come with inhabiting this extraordinary realm. The fate of this divided land rests in your hands. Can you unite the factions and restore harmony?

A Cast of Unforgettable Characters

On your quest, you’ll encounter a diverse cast of playable characters, each with their own distinct personalities and abilities. Befriend the valiant Justice and the wise World, whose unwavering determination will inspire you. But beware of those harboring ill intentions, such as the enigmatic Death and the power-hungry Empress. The path ahead won’t be easy, but with the right companions by your side, anything is possible!

Unveiling the Secrets of the Magical Land

The enchanting world of Magical Drop VI offers a wealth of ways to play. Dive deep into the rich lore of the Magical Land through the captivating Story Mode, where you’ll uncover the secrets of its history and inhabitants.

A Multitude of Game Modes Awaits

But the adventure doesn’t stop there! The game boasts a staggering six single-player modes, ensuring there’s something for every kind of player. Test your reflexes in the fast-paced Match Mode, where you’ll go head-to-head against opponents in exhilarating battles. Or put your strategic thinking to the test in the brain-bending Puzzle Mode.

Challenge Accepted

For those seeking an ultimate test of skill, the game offers grueling Survival and Path of Destiny modes that will push you to your limits. Can you survive endless waves of bubble attacks or navigate a treacherous path fraught with challenging minigames? The choice is yours!

Fortune Favors the Bold

Test your luck in the whimsical Room of Fortune! This unique feature allows you to take a daily peek into your destiny across four key areas: Health, Work, Love, and Money. Each category unlocks a special minigame, and your performance determines your final luck score. A score above 17 grants you the coveted Good Fortune status, influencing the rewards you receive in the in-game picture lottery. Remember, a little daily dose of fortune-telling never hurt anyone!

Become a Master of the Magical Land

Track your progress and accomplishments in the comprehensive Room of Records. This detailed log meticulously records your scores and performances across all game modes, giving you valuable insights into your strengths, weaknesses, and playing habits. Use this information to hone your skills and become a true master of the Magical Land!

Challenge Your Friends in a Multiplayer Mode

Duel your friends in a local multiplayer, or test your skill in an online competitive mode against players from all over the world!

Dive into Magical Drop VI today! Experience a captivating story, thrilling challenges, and a variety of game modes for every kind of player. Challenge your friends online or hone your skills in single-player. The fate of the Magical Land rests in your hands!

Magical Drop VI

Forever Entertainment S.A. / TA Publishing

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

The legendary Japanese Arcade game is back!

Choose your favorite character – will it be World, the Overseer of the Magical Land, the mighty Justice or the devious Black Pierrot? – and play in one of the numerous game modes available.
Solve diabolical puzzles or beat strong opponents in versus matches.
Play through an exciting adventure full of twists and turns, in Story or Path of Destiny modes.
Challenge your friends and the best players online.

The post Single and Multiplayer Modes in Magical Drop VI – Out now on Xbox appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for June 17 to 21

Category: Next Week on Xbox

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for June 17 to 21

Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! This weekly feature highlights all the games arriving soon on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass. Discover more about these forthcoming titles below and explore their profiles for additional information (note that release dates are subject to change). Let’s dive in!

Flock

Annapurna Interactive

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Flock – June 17

Flock is a multiplayer co-op game about the joy of flight and collecting adorable flying creatures with your friends. Soar through beautiful landscapes, seeking out rare and elusive creatures to add to your flock.

#Blud

Humble Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

#Blud – June 18

Save your friends, fight off the vampire apocalypse, and survive the horrors of freshman field hockey practice in #Blud, a delightfully zany animated dungeon crawler that blurs the line between action RPGs and hyperkinetic 90s cartoons.

HORROR TALES: The Beggar

JanduSoft

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$16.99

$13.59

Pre-order

Horror Tales: The Beggar – June 18
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Step into a riveting sci-fi journey that unfolds in the aftermath of a catastrophic event, where terror and science fiction intertwine amidst the ruins of a broken world. Immerse yourself in a dynamic fusion of space-time bending combats and earth-shattering puzzles.

Still Wakes the Deep

Secret Mode

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$34.99

Pre-order

Still Wakes the Deep – June 18
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere

Available on day one with Game Pass! From the award-winning developers at The Chinese Room comes a terrifying tale of isolation. You are trapped on an oil rig in the North Sea, running from an unknowable horror that has come aboard. With no escape and no way to fight back, all you can do is survive. Playable on Cloud, Console, and PC.

Grand Prix Story

Kairosoft

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$11.99

$10.79

Pre-order

Grand Prix Story – June 19
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

In this simulation game, you take control of a racing team where you’ll hire talented drivers, develop new vehicles, and enter Grand Prix races as you try to become the best in the world. 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?

Glyphs of Gitzan

Eastasiasoft Limited

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Glyphs of Gitzan – June 19
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A block-sliding puzzle adventure spanning 50 unique stages of increasing complexity. Take the role of a young explorer and navigate levels in top-down pixel art style, pushing stone pillars across tiled floors to align them with rows of glyphs. Can you unlock all the secrets of Gitzan?

Trust No One

Triomatica Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Trust No One – June 19

You’ll need to think outside more than just the box. In Trust No One, a point-and-click detective adventure, you play as a journalist who tries to unravel a web of secrets about a mysterious AI-company. Explore the nooks and alleyways of Kyiv to discover the identity of your informant.

Everafter Falls

Akupara Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Everafter Falls – June 20
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

You wake up to discover your previous life was nothing but a simulation. You’ve no memory of this place, your quaint animal neighbors, the refreshing wind and fragrant flowers, the little farm you had tucked away just outside town, none of it. Now you’ll need to farm, fish and fight your way back to prominence in the tiny, cozy town of Everafter Falls.

Primal Survivors

Afil Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Primal Survivors – June 20
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Are you prepared for the craziest adventure of all time? Meet Primal Survivors, a survival game filled with unique and bizarre creatures! It’s much more than just a game; it’s an unforgettable journey to the heart of survival. Venture forth now and discover what you’re capable of.

Windstorm: Start of a Great Friendship – Remastered

Mindscape

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Windstorm: Start of a Great Friendship – June 20
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Rediscover the breathtaking world of Windstorm. Delve into the fascinating story of Mika, a girl known as a horse whisperer, as she befriends the majestic black stallion called Windstorm – with fully updated graphics and a new photo mode!

Block Tower TD

Desert Water Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Block Tower TD – June 21
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Block Tower TD is a roguelike tower defense strategy game with interesting innovations. Build a world out of blocks, choose random upgrades to make every run unique.

Faces of Illusion: The Twin Phantoms (Xbox Version)

Artifex Mundi

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

Faces of Illusion: The Twin Phantoms – June 21
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox One X Enhanced

A young journalist witnesses the kidnapping of a theatre star, Beatrice Le Brun. The ambitious girl then undertakes her own investigation. As it turns out, the main suspect is one Charles Delacroix – a world-famous illusionist who mysteriously vanished some time ago. When the journalist and her young associate – Beatrice’s brother – follow the kidnapper, more and more of the truth about the abduction and a mysterious romance come to light.

ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree Premium Bundle Pre-Order

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$49.99

Pre-order

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree – June 21
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion features an all-new story set in the Land of Shadow imbued with mystery, perilous dungeons, and new enemies, weapons and equipment. Discover uncharted territories, face formidable adversaries, and revel in the satisfying triumph of victory. Dive into the riveting interplay of characters, where drama and intrigue intertwine, that create an immersive experience to savor and enjoy. Requires a copy of Elden Ring to play.

Hole io

QubicGames S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$4.99

$3.99

Pre-order

Hole io – June 21

Choose your favourite skin, eat, grow and stay alive. Compete in multiplayer mode with up to 4 players or eat it all by yourself. Grow by swallowing everything in front of you, whether it be garbage cans, fire hydrants or cars. Get large enough to consume even bigger objects or other players.

NightGhast

Playstige Interactive

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

NightGhast – June 21
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A first-person horror game about wicked witches and sinister widows. You’ve received an invitation from a widow named Mildred Bartgis, who resides in the countryside. She claims that her house became haunted after her divorce, that an entity by the name of ‘Schnabelperchten’ is angry with her because her house is never clean enough. Now you must search her house to determine whether it is genuinely haunted or not.

Pedra Crystal Caves

Tucasoft

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Pedra Crystal Caves – June 21

A ‘just one more go’ puzzle game where you must find all the key tiles which open the exit door to each cave. Find the special bonus tiles to earn Crystals which can be redeemed to upgrade your Pedra block. Gain temporary upgrades to your Pedra block by painting the upgrade tiles scattered throughout each cave. But it’s not all nice and easy – lurking in the caves are the ‘Meanies’ – Pushers, Growers and Stinger bad guys that are out to get you.

Pogo Stick Champion

Ratalaika Games S.L.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Pogo Stick Champion – June 21
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A 2D platformer game that pairs a relaxing aesthetic with challenging gameplay. Use a pogo stick to bounce your way through each level to reach the end of the stage while avoiding hard falls and pits. As the difficulty increases, you’ll encounter lasers, circular saws, spikes and other deadly obstacles, but don’t worry, all levels unlocked, so you won’t get stuck!

Times and Galaxy

Fellow Traveller

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Times & Galaxy – June 21
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Embark on an interplanetary adventure as the first robo reporter for the Times & Galaxy, the solar system’s most trusted holopaper. You’re just an intern, but if you can get the scoop, write great stories, and impress your colleagues, maybe you’ll get to keep your job!

The post Next Week on Xbox: New Games for June 17 to 21 appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Brutality and Stealth Are at the Heart of Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Category: Games

June 13, 2024

Brutality and Stealth Are at the Heart of Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor

Summary

We get our first look at how dramatically different the assassins Yasuke and Naoe will play like.
Picking between two radically different characters will be a key differentiator for Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set for release for Xbox Series X|S on November 15, 2024, and is available for pre-order now on the Xbox Store.

Choice has always been at the heart of the Assassin’s Creed series, giving you the freedom to complete your objectives any way you see fit. Now, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will expand upon this approach in an even more dramatic way, allowing you to pick which of the two new assassins, Naoe or Yasuke, that you’d like to utilize for your missions – and it’s a wild swing in either direction.

Shadows drops us into late 16th century Japan at a time of great internal turmoil in the region, which has allowed for corruption to seep into the various provinces. During a recent gameplay presentation ahead of UbiForward, we’re shown that this series of events has peaked Yasuke’s interest in the city of Fukuchiyama where a corrupt warlord has taken root.

As he walks into town, it’s like a giant has appeared. Villagers stand aside, bowing as both a term of respect and expression of awe — they’ve never seen anything quite like him before. It isn’t long until some of the warlord’s minions decide to measure up Yasuke’s abilities, which they quickly discover quickly is a tremendous mistake.

Wielding a massive Kanabo (a club-like weapon), Yasuke’s swings are punishing and skull crushing. Enemy swords are turned aside as these thugs are dispatched quick and bloody. Just to punctuate his skills, Yasuke switches to a Katana and just as efficiently cuts through more enemies until he reaches the base of the temple where his target resides. It’s here we’re shown the choice to either continue as the skilled samurai or switch over to the shinobi, Naoe – with whom stealth is placed at the forefront.

This is where Assassin’s Creed Shadows starts to feel a bit more familiar, as Naoe glides undetected across rooftops, utilizing Eagle Vision to spot enemy locations, silently dispatching foes with a Shuriken, and even piercing through a rice paper wall with a Katana to silence an unsuspecting enemy. She continues to quietly move through the medieval compound until she finds her target. He’s standing at the edge of a shallow pond, which is just deep enough for her to swim below the surface, breathing through a bamboo straw. She then swiftly emerges from the pond and stabs the warlord through the neck – and now it’s time to make an exit.

What was great here was seeing both elements of the familiar, open world approach to finding and eliminating your target, but also leaning in on how a ninja – with all their wonderful toys – can sneak into a compound, eliminate an enemy, and then swiftly escape.

We’re then guided through what an assassination looks like with the samurai Yasuke, who in this instance channels the Juggernaut from the X-men, crashing through doors and structures, slicing down guards, and easily dispatching his target with a swift stab to the gut. That isn’t to suggest that Naoe only must lean on stealth – she’s more than equipped to face guards head-on with her mix of agility and area of effect weapons like the Kusarigama (a chain-sickle) that keeps enemies at a distance, allowing her to methodically eliminate each enemy one at a time.

Beyond the combat, one element that I’m really interested to see how Assassin’s Creed Shadows handles will be the fact that we get to play as a historical figure for the first time as the Samurai, Yasuke. The fictional world of Assassin’s Creed has always been a stellar tale, from elaborate yarns that span everything from Templars to aliens, so seeing how they place him within this universe is going to be exciting to experience.

Finally getting to see Assassin’s Creed Shadows in action has only elevated my excitement for this entry in the series. From the dramatic choices in approach to targets, to its amazing feudal Japan setting, and stepping into the shoes of a historical figure, it has all the hallmarks to be another epic in the making for the team at Ubisoft.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set for release for Xbox Series X|S on November 15, 2024, and is available for pre-order now on the Xbox Store.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Ultimate Edition

Ubisoft

☆☆☆☆☆
29

★★★★★

$129.99

Pre-order

Pre-order now to get a bonus quest, Thrown to the Dogs.

The Assassin’s Creed Shadows Ultimate Edition includes:
– The base game.
– Up to three days of early access to the game.*
– The season pass including a bonus quest at launch and two upcoming expansions.
– The Ultimate Pack containing the Sekiryu Character Pack, Hideout Pack, and five skill points, as well as the Red Dragon filter in Photo mode.

Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny.

– Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
– Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character.
– Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
– Create a fully customizable hideout for your shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.

*Play the game up to three days before the official launch date. Exact dates and timings will be shared at a later date on assassinscreed.com.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gold Edition

Ubisoft

☆☆☆☆☆
29

★★★★★

$109.99

Pre-order

Pre-order now to get a bonus quest, Thrown to the Dogs.

The Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gold Edition includes:
– The base game.
– Up to three days of early access to the game.*
– The season pass including a bonus quest at launch and two upcoming expansions.

– Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
– Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character.
– Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
– Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.

*Play the game up to three days before the official launch date. Exact dates and timings will be shared at a later date on assassinscreed.com.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

UBISOFT

☆☆☆☆☆
29

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

Pre-order now to get a bonus quest, Thrown to the Dogs.

– Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
– Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character.
– Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
– Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.

The post Brutality and Stealth Are at the Heart of Assassin’s Creed Shadows appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Grand Prix Story is Now Available on Xbox – Create your Own Strongest Team

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!

Grand Prix Story

Kairosoft

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$11.99

$10.79

Pre-order

In this simulation game, you take control of a racing team.
Hire talented drivers, develop new vehicles, and enter Grand Prix races as you try to become the best in the world.

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.