Hi Xbox fans, I’m Brjann Sigurgeirsson, the director of the SteamWorld Universe and Franchise. I’m happy to share some exciting news with you today, especially with all the SteamWorld fans out there. We have just announced the next instalment of the series and we’re jumping genres again! It’s called SteamWorld Buildand will be available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One in 2023!
Before I dig deeper into the latest entry in the series, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on its varied predecessors and how they have influenced what we are doing this year with SteamWorld Build. I’ve been with the series since the very beginning, all the way back in 2010 when SteamWorld Tower Defensewas released. With our debut SteamWorld title we put players in control of an army of steam-powered robots in a – well, you guessed it – tower defence-style gameplay.
With SteamWorld Dig, which came to Xbox One in 2015, the engine really started chugging. In that game, we combined elements of Spelunky, Boulder Dash, Dig Dug and Metroidvanias. This created a satisfying loop of exploration, mining, combat and upgrading that you all really got behind and helped make our small series into an indie superstar. Then we returned to that story with SteamWorld Dig 2in 2017, our attempt at a full blown metroidvania which you Xbox fans loved!
One of the reasons I wanted to briefly walk you through the genre-switching history of SteamWorld is to re-emphasize what SteamWorld is and how you can expect a continuation of this in SteamWorld Build later this year. SteamWorld is a universe that we’ve purposely cultivated to give us the creative freedom to take in any direction we want. With each genre we take on, we try to distil the gameplay down to its core essence, and then add our own unique twist to make it feel fresh again.
This leads us onto the game I know you’ve all been eagerly waiting to hear about: SteamWorld Build! We’re again taking SteamWorld in a whole new direction, fusing our beloved steam-fuelled robots with the city builder genre. In our upcoming game, you will not only build and manage a city above ground, but dig below as you mine for materials to manage and optimise your resource chains to ensure the city thrives. I’ve lost enough hours in this game already to tell you that the gameplay loop of this multi-level approach is incredibly rewarding!
To a degree, it’s a loop that builds on what we’ve done with the Dig games. You explore, mine, collect, and then return to the surface to build, upgrade and improve. In the case of SteamWorld Build, there are multiple mine levels to uncover and explore. While each depth yields more precious resources, there are also more dangers for you to deal with. Your guards are going to deal with giant bugs, creepy crawlies, and other living threats.
With all the different SteamWorld titles released in the past, we showed how we were able to give new players an accessible entry point to a complex genre without stripping away strategic richness for veterans of the series. That’s a key part of the SteamWorld formula and something we are doing again with SteamWorld Build. Built for console from the outset, we are inviting newcomers and genre-devotees alike to follow a story that leads the steambots down into dangerous depths and find ancient technology that may help them take off into space and escape earth before it completely collapses.
Having worked on the SteamWorld series from the very beginning, I’m really excited for this next step in the franchise and hope you will all join us on a journey that will see the SteamWorlduniverse expand in new and exciting directions. I’m looking forward to telling you more about SteamWorld Build, as well as the other SteamWorld titles we have in development, via the standard version of SteamWorld Telegraph, which will become a regular community show later this year.
Thank you for reading this Xbox Wire post. I’m happy to welcome back our fans, old and new, and we will see you later this year for the release on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. You can follow the game on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook.
By now you might already have your go-to Midnight Suns team for Tactical Missions, but have you considered the benefits that the katana-wielding, grenade-tossing, self-healing, chimichanga-loving mercenary Deadpool might bring to the battlefield? The first Marvel’s Midnight Suns DLC—The Good, the Bad, and the Undead—is now available on Xbox Series X|S, adding Deadpool to the Midnight Suns roster* along with a delicious Food Truck upgrade for the Abbey.
This DLC also introduces new story missions in which the Hunter comes to Deadpool’s aid after he fails to liberate a powerful artifact from Red Skull’s private collection and runs afoul of Hydra forces as well as some particularly bloodthirsty vampyres. Deadpool’s storyline is separate from the events of the main game, but once he joins the Midnight Suns you’re free to include him when assembling a team for any mission.
Deadpool’s ability to passively heal a percentage of his health each turn makes him a resilient fighter, while his unique En Fuego resource makes him more powerful any time he KOs an enemy. The benefits of having Deadpool park his Food Truck outside the Abbey go beyond the good eats: the new ability to discard a card in return for an additional move once per encounter can be a lifesaver!
The Good, the Bad, and the Undead, which is now available purchase separately, is the first of four DLC packs included in the Marvel’s Midnight SunsSeason Pass.
* The Good, the Bad, and the Undead is included with the Legendary Edition of Marvel’s Midnight Suns and is included as part of the Marvel’s Midnight Suns Season Pass. Also available for individual purchase. Base game required.
Customize the look of the Midnight Suns team and extend your adventure with the Marvel’s Midnight Suns Legendary Edition!
The Legendary Edition includes:
– Marvel’s Midnight Suns base game
– Marvel’s Midnight Suns Season Pass, which includes 23 premium skins available at launch and four post-launch DLC packs
The four playable post-launch DLC heroes included in the Season Pass are:
-Deadpool
-Venom
-Morbius
-Storm
Season Pass Premium Skins available at launch:
-Captain America (Future Soldier)
-Captain America (Captain of the Guard)
-Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell)
-Captain Marvel (Medieval Marvel)
-Magik (Phoenix Five)
-Magik (New Mutants)
-Nico Minoru (Sister Grimm)
-Nico Minoru (Shadow Witch)
-Wolverine (X-Force)
-Wolverine (Logan)
-Blade (Demon Hunter)
-Blade (Blade 1602)
-Iron Man (Iron Knight)
-Iron Man (Bleeding Edge)
-Ghost Rider (Spirit of Vengeance)
-Ghost Rider (Death Knight)
-Doctor Strange (Strange Future Supreme)
-Scarlet Witch (Boss Witch)
-Scarlet Witch (Fallen Scarlet Witch)
-Spider-Man (Symbiote Suit)
-Spider-Man (Demon Spider)
-Hulk (Fallen Hulk)
-Hulk (Maestro)
With the inclusion of the Season Pass, the Legendary Edition lets you keep the pressure on Hydra and the forces of Lilith, and expand your roster of Marvel heroes. This extra dose of vengeance includes four post-launch DLC packs, each introducing a new fully playable hero, new missions, new enemies, and more. The Season Pass also includes 23 Premium Skins at launch so you can customize the look of the Midnight Suns team.
Note: Premium skins must be used with the equivalent in-game character. Characters may require unlocking through gameplay. Post-launch Season Pass content and the premium skins will be automatically delivered in-game upon release. DLC release timing for post-launch DLC will be revealed at a future date. Terms apply.
Note: Premium skins must be used with the equivalent in-game character. Characters may require unlocking through gameplay. Premium skins will be automatically delivered in-game by 1 December 2022. Terms apply.
UNLEASH THE DARKER SIDE OF MARVEL
When the demonic Lilith and her fearsome horde unite with the evil armies of Hydra, it’s time to unleash Marvel’s dark side. As The Hunter, your mission is to lead an unlikely team of seasoned Super Heroes and dangerous supernatural warriors to victory. Can legends such as Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Blade put aside their differences in the face of a growing apocalyptic threat? If you’re going to save the world, you’ll have to forge alliances and lead the team into battle as the legendary Midnight Suns.
With an array of upgradeable characters and skills allowing you to build your own unique version of The Hunter, you will choose how to send Lilith’s army back to the underworld.
Minecraft Legends is a new game that brings an action-strategy experience to the Minecraft universe.
Minecraft Legends recontextualizes familiar mobs and tools and gives you new ways to use them.
We spoke to two Producers on the game to learn more ahead of launch on April 18
At first glance, Minecraft Legends may seem like a bold pivot in a new direction, but rest assured that this new strategy title still includes all of the familiar elements of the epochal survival title – you just might not notice right away. You can expect to see all of your favourite resources, mobs and tools, but in a brand-new strategy game setting – and even in a 4v4, PvP mode, which was introduced in today’s Developer_Direct showcase.
So what is Minecraft Legends? The new title, developed by Mojang Studios with partner Blackbird Interactive, offers a brand-new story campaign, and a fresh new PvP mode. Take on the campaign alone or with friends, or hop into a 4v4 match to take down the enemy team by destroying their base, while building your own. It sounds very different to the original Minecraft, but – if you’ll forgive the pun – it’s built out of many of the same blocks.
Of course, key to Minecraft is its procedurally generated maps, which offer up a unique experience every time you jump into a new game. Minecraft Legends is no different, generating new maps to conquer for each new battle. Traditionally, everyone is on the same side in a classic Minecraft server (or, at least, they should be), but in Minecraft Legends, the twist is that the map’s resources are competitive, and its terrain is key to how you progress — both must be used to triumph against the enemy team.
Speaking to Xbox Wire, Minecraft Legends Executive Producer Dennis Ries and Blackbird Interactive Producer Lee Pederson explain how Minecraft Legends uses randomly generated maps in both its campaign and multiplayer modes to shake up the traditional PvP experience:
“It’s not like your traditional multiplayer situation where you have a set few maps. Every time you go to play PvP, the strategy that you want to use to win could be different than it was the game before,” Ries says. “When we had the added this procedurally generated dynamic with the variety, it really started to feel like Minecraft. The chaotic fun really shone through and we wanted to embrace that chaos.”
Being Resource-full
When each multiplayer map is generated, resources that you can use in battle will appear in random areas, and some are more unique and useful than others. You’ll have to decide which strategy is best to take on the enemy team based on where you build your base, and the resources around it.
“Every game is a new scene, and there’s different environmental challenges,” Pederson explains. “So when building your base, you can take advantage of being on a mountaintop for example, or build a tower behind one to hide it. You’re going to have to really tune your strategy based on what the world is generating for you.”
Ries adds that this could be a Redstone strategy, a Diamond strategy , or an Iron strategy – each resource offers different units and upgrades to build, and which you happen to have can fundamentally alter how you gain an advantage over an enemy. You’ll need to change up how you proceed through the game based on what you can secure to get ahead in those early game moments.
“You just don’t know what’s going to happen, so with that, you might shift your strategy and go with say, a Redstone strategy because that’s what’s closest to you,” he adds.
Mob Rule(s)
It’s not just the environment that can provide resources either. Minecraft Legends features many familiar mobs, from the classic Creeper to the Nether-native Piglins, who will attack anyone that passes through their territory. They all carry important items, and they can be used to plot your win in a number of ways.
Some Minecraft enemies such as Skeletons and Zombies are also here but, this time, they’re on your side, and you can take advantage of their abilities too. Seasoned Minecraft players will have a sense of how all of these mobs will act (and attack), but will need to readjust to how useful they can be in this brand new context.
“Creepers are always going to explode, but now you have the ability to actually use a Creeper […] and pinpoint it to go in a certain direction,” Ries explains. “In PvP, the Piglins are an annoyance, but they’re necessary because they have items that you need to [use to] upgrade. On another hand, they can attack you, so while you’re off implementing your strategy, they can disrupt it if you’re not careful.”
While combat is at the forefront of Minecraft Legends, there’s a role for every kind of player, from planning huge sieges against the enemy or simply exploring the map. Ries adds that you may naturally gravitate towards a certain role in a team of four, and you can choose what to do based on your own personal preference, whether that’s swinging swords at enemies or hunting down a specific resource for your base.
All About That Base
As you might expect by this point, just like classic Minecraft, building things is a truly enormous part of your time spent in Minecraft Legends. Building up your base and ensuring it can withstand enemy attacks is just as important as besieging the enemy. Once you’ve built a basic structure, it’s time to get creative with ways to deter your attackers. Build additional walls that enemies must navigate through, place hidden traps, or set up mobs to keep your base safe. Be sure to lay down your upgrade tower in a good spot too, so your base can be upgraded to withstand even the heftiest assaults.
Setting up your base in Legends serves a new purpose, but it shares many of the components of classic Minecraft building. You need to collect wood, stone and other world resources to stack up walls, towers and gates block-by-block, and adventure for ores and hidden treasures that’ll help your team level up. The difference is you’ll need to craft with a little more thought into how your base functions, rather than how it looks in the sunset. Winning with a cool looking base is an obvious flex, though.
While there’s a lot of freedom in how you plan your battles (and your defences), Pederson adds that the PvP experience is designed to be approachable for new players, and you don’t need a grand strategy or a ton of experience to hop in. “Because the maps are procedurally generated, you don’t have people who have mastered a map who are then dominating newer players who are coming in,” she adds.
And this really is the crux of how Minecraft Legends can feel so akin to Minecraft, despite being part of a totally different genre. Like the original, Legends doesn’t just feature random elements – it builds its whole identity around them, rewarding players for working with what they’ve got, rather than doing the same thing every time.
Pederson puts it in very simple terms – terms that feel almost like a mantra for the game’s design as a whole: “Everyone is coming into a new experience each time.”
Minecraft Legends launches April 18 on Windows PC (day one with PC Game Pass), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One (day one with Xbox Game Pass), Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation, Steam, and Nintendo Switch.
Discover the mysteries of Minecraft Legends, a new action strategy game. Explore a gentle land of rich resources and lush biomes on the brink of destruction. The ravaging piglins have arrived, and it’s up to you to inspire your allies and lead them in strategic battles to save the Overworld!
Learn the story of Minecraft Legends and explore its new, yet familiar world, while experiencing the Minecraft Universe in an exciting new way in this new action strategy game.
Explore a beautiful land, both familiar and mysterious, full of diverse life, lush biomes, and rich resources needed to build your defenses and defeat the piglin invasion.
Inspire unexpected friends to form valuable alliances and lead them in strategic battles to protect their home. Take the fight to the piglins before their Nether corruption devours the Overworld!
Challenge your friends –or team-up with them – in exciting battles as you defend your village and lead your allies to defeat your opponents.
I’ll put it out there – as surprised as I was that Tango Gameworks had secretly made and released a new game, I was more surprised that it very quickly had me fighting a giant, cel-shaded robot to the beat of Nine Inch Nails’ ‘1,000,000’. Because Hi-Fi Rush is something practically unique: a rhythm-action game in the most literal sense — a classic action game driven by rhythm.
While the initial shock might be that it’s available to play on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC today (and free to those with an Xbox Game Pass or PC Game Pass subscription), the follow-up feeling will be surprise that this is a Tango Gameworks production. For a studio best known for its horror leanings – having created The Evil Within series and last year’s Ghostwire: Tokyo – this is a much warmer, funnier, weirder new game than we could ever have expected.
If you’re still trying to get your bearings, let me give you a rundown based on just the first hour of the game (so no spoilers here!):
Perfect Sound Forever
Think of this as a game-length concept album, telling the story of Chai – a wannabe rockstar who just wanted a sweet robotic arm from the Vandelay corporation – who gets caught up in a tech company conspiracy when his music player is accidentally embedded in his chest, and begins syncing the wider world up to his own personal playlist. He’s quickly deemed a defective model, and scheduled for violent decommission – and you’ll be guiding him through his escape.
Hi-Fi Rush is something like the ‘Baby Driver’ of video games. It’s not just a game set to music, but a game driven by it in every respect. Combos need to be hit in time to the music for the highest scores, enemies telegraph their attacks more with sound than animation, and platforming challenges rely on you being able to read the music as much as the environment. Hell, Chai’s idle animations see him finger-snapping along to whatever you happen to be listening to at the time.
All of this is driven by a guitar-heavy soundtrack worthy of the most well-curated dive bar jukebox. The bulk of levels are underpinned by music created by Tango Gameworks itself, shifting as you progress, and beautifully growing in tandem with your own combat prowess. The more damaging and in-rhythm your combos are, the more stems you’ll add to the track itself. Once you hit an S-level combo, the soundtrack will be in full force, driving you to keep fighting with finesse just to hear more of the song.
But hit a major story moment or a boss battle, and things kick into high-gear with the addition of licensed music. The opening of the game features an intro set to The Black Key’s ‘Lonely Boy’, and ends with a boss battle set to the aforementioned Nine Inch Nails cut. The feeling of driving some classic tracks by sheer force of your action game prowess is something to behold – and doing it through combat is a fresh new way to recreate the joy of the plastic instrument era of rhythm games. I cannot wait to find out what else the playlist has in store.
The Look of Love
As all great bands know, however, your sound is only part of the appeal, and Hi-Fi Rush has the looks to match its tracklist. This has the vibe of some lost ’90s Saturday morning cartoon, with an eye-searing neon color palette, thick lines, and over-the-top animations. Cutscenes are a treat, driven by some lovely facial animation tech that brings Chai to life, and instantly marks its cast of villainous bureaucrats as love-to-hate nemeses we’ll be butting heads (and metallic guitar-clubs) with over the course of the whole game. It backs up that look with a story tone as warm as its visuals – this is a comedy first and foremost, and it’s delivering visual gags from minute one.
All of that’s augmented by some lovely comic book-like touches that bring to mind ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ – onomatopoeic words pop up around you, major moments (delivering the final blow to a boss, for instance) are given a splash page-like redraw, and you can even see Ben Day dots making up some of the textures in the backgrounds of scenes.
Vandelay Technologies, the tech campus-turned-prison that makes up the game’s world, is a jagged, futuristic skyline set under perfect blue skies, and its twisting corridors are built to hide hidden collectibles, humorous lore drops and mountains of loot – all of which will come in handy once you reach your hideout hub base. This is where the game’s more traditional action chops (not a huge surprise, given Tango’s connection to legendary action designer Shinji Mikami) begin to show themselves, offering the ability to tweak your fighting style to your needs, and up those combo scores.
It’s that final point that has me truly excited to play more. Within the first hour, I already knew that Hi-Fi Rush’s unique premise would work for me, and that its looks had charmed me. But that promise that there’s so much more under the surface – the churning mechanical works of action game mechanics we’re more used to from the likes of Vanquish or Devil May Cry – is what I’ll want to dig into as I undoubtedly set this particular playable playlist on repeat.
Hi-Fi Rush is available today for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC. The game is free to download with an Xbox Game Pass or PC Game Pass subscription.
The Xbox app for Windows PC lets you discover and download new games with Game Pass, play console games on your Windows PC with cloud gaming, and chat with friends across PC, mobile, and Xbox console. Below you’ll find the latest updates and patch notes for the Xbox App on PC for January 2023 – this update is now available for download from the Store. Always be sure to keep your app up to date for the latest improvements and bug fixes. You can learn more about the Xbox App for PC here.
January release (2301.1001.5.0)
New UX
The installed games list in the sidebar now provides extra data such as pending invites and achievement completion percentage.
Enhanced made to the ‘Coming Soon to Game Pass’ module on the Game Pass page.
Added a new module to the rotation that showcases available EA Game Trials. You will sometimes see this module on Home, and you can always find the list through the dedicated EA Play hub in the app.
Bug Fixes
Adjusted the size and weight of some fonts on game pages for better readability.
Fixed an issue where install sizes were not present after recently installing a game.
Fixed a bug where some devices would fail to load content on the Game Pass tab.
Fixed a bug where your ‘Cloud Gaming Jump Back In’ list would infinitely load when on an ARM device.
Fixed certain scenarios that would leave you stranded, and need to restart the app.
Fixed several Vietnamese and Philippines localization issues.
Known Issues
While using the ‘Desert’ high contrast theme, the ‘guide button’ and ‘show stream menu’ icons in the upper left corner of remote play will disappear. Other high contrast themes do not exhibit this issue.
Groundbreaking gameplay brought to a new audience, with a few modern touches.
Available to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S players via Xbox Game Pass.
Back in September last year, it was announced that the Rare-developed ’90s smash GoldenEye 007 would be returning to consoles at last, for experienced players to enjoy all over again and a new generation to investigate for themselves.
Today we can announce a date for GoldenEye 007’s arrival on Xbox Game Pass, and you won’t have to wait long: the global launch date is January 27, 2023, just two days from now. In fact the rollout begins late on January 26 in some territories, becoming available to players all over the world by January 27.
The version of GoldenEye 007 set to appear on Xbox Game Pass is the classic game that made waves in 1997, based on the movie that introduced audiences to a thrilling new era of James Bond. It comes packed with objective-based stealth shooter gameplay and, of course, a legendary local multiplayer mode for split-screen showdowns with friends. It also offers a few key additions for a modern audience, including alternative control options, achievements to unlock and native 16:9 resolution up to 4K Ultra HD (where supported).
GoldenEye 007 will be available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S as part of Xbox Game Pass. Additionally, players who own a digital copy of Rare Replay, the 30-game compilation of Rare games made to celebrate the studio’s 30th anniversary, will be able to download and enjoy the game free of charge. Watch for it breaking cover on January 27!
Do you want to be the first to learn about some of the biggest titles coming soon to Xbox, PC and Xbox Game Pass? This Wednesday, the Developer_Direct will have all the details (and gameplay) you’ll need.
Presented together by Xbox and Bethesda, the Developer_Direct will share new, extended gameplay for Redfall, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends and The Elder Scrolls Online and provide all the latest news straight from the teams at Arkane Austin, Turn 10 Studios, Mojang Studios and ZeniMax Online Studios. Immediately following the Developer_Direct will be a full, standalone ESO Global Reveal Event, hosted by ZeniMax Online Studios.
When is the event? Wednesday, January 25, at 12 pm Pacific Time/3 pm Eastern Time/8 pm British Time
How do I watch? The Developer_Direct will be streamed live on the official Xbox and Bethesda channels, below:
The show will also be streamed out simultaneously on regional Xbox and Bethesda channels around the globe, as well as on Steam and China’s Bilibili.
Important note: the show will be streamed in 1080p at 60fps. For a more representative look at the visuals contained in the showcase, we recommend watching the 4K / 60fps rebroadcast of the showcase on the Xbox YouTube channel, which will be available after the conclusion of the premiere.
Is the event available in languages other than English? We will be providing subtitle support and/or audio dubbed translations in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Persian (Farsi), Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin America), Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukranian, and Vietnamese. We expect to have all languages available with the show’s live broadcast but it is possible that select languages may need to be added in the days following the broadcast if they have not finished translating.
The easiest way to find your preferred language is to check out your country’s Xbox page on Facebook or by viewing on the official Xbox YouTube channel and clicking the gear icon in the lower right corner.
Is the show going to be Accessible to those with low/no hearing or low/no vision? There will be a version of the show with Audio Descriptions (AD) in English on the Xbox YouTube channel, and American Sign Language (ASL) on Xbox’s YouTube channel and the new /XboxASL Twitch channel.
I’m not going to be able to watch, where can I find out what was announced? As announcements roll out during the broadcast, the Xbox Wire team will be publishing detailed blog posts containing key announcements right here on Xbox Wire (including localized versions in Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, LATAM Spanish, and Japanese).
Notes for co-streamers and creators: We at Xbox greatly appreciate any co-stream efforts and aim to ensure you have a smooth experience if you choose to do so.
However, due to forces beyond our control, we cannot guarantee that glitches or disruptions by bots and other automated software won’t interfere with your co-stream.
Video on Demand (VOD): For those planning to create full post-show breakdowns in the form of VOD coverage, we recommend you do not use any audio containing copyrighted music to avoid any action by automated bots, and to also consult the terms of service for your service provider.
Will there be an Extended Stream? The Elder Scrolls Online team will continue the livestream with a standalone Global Reveal Event immediately after the Developer_Direct. A standalone show for Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield is also in the works – we’ll have more to share soon.
We’ll see you at the Developer_Direct on January 25!
Monster Hunter Rise is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11, and with Game Pass (including Cloud Gaming).
Why should you play Monster Hunter Rise? Here’s an introduction to the world, monsters, gear, and gameplay, plus a few helpful tips.
We also got Capcom producer Hiroyuki Minamitani to tell us what’s different about the Xbox and Windows PC versions.
The day has finally come! Monster Hunter Rise is out now for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11, and with Xbox Game Pass – with Xbox Cloud Gaming offered with a Game Pass subscription. Whether you’re an experienced hunter with hundreds of hours logged in the New World, or are checking out what the fuss is all about, welcome!
With Game Pass, Monster Hunter Rise has become accessible to even more players than before. We’ve been thrilled to see the excitement from everyone online, especially those who have never played a Monster Hunter game before. With that said, allow us over at Capcom to share a few things you should know!
How does Monster Hunter Rise differ on Xbox, Windows PC and Cloud Gaming?
As Monster Hunter Rise makes its debut on Xbox and Windows PC, it’s been tweaked and improved for those new platforms. Speaking to Xbox Wire Japan, Capcom Producer Hiroyuki Minamitani said, “the team didn’t really struggle with porting the game itself. The Xbox Series X offered great performance levels, and we only needed to harness it. Overall, the porting process was very smooth.”
Those ported Xbox and PC versions bring a ton of performance improvements to the game, including 4K resolution, high frame rates, spatial audio, and super-fast loading times, which makes Monster Hunter Rise look and feel even greater than before. Minamitani said that: “Loading into the field map after accepting a quest has never been faster, and took a mere few seconds when doing so, and that felt amazing.”
“With Xbox running the game at 4K resolution, you will be able to observe the game through a high-fidelity lens,” Minamitani added. “Weapon designs, background objects, and as well as the monster’s scales will look so much more in detail.”
Thanks to Xbox’s console, PC, and cloud ecosystem, you’ll also be able to play the same game on multiple devices, no matter where you are. “Monster Hunter Rise will be available on Xbox and Windows PCs, with crossplay and cross platform progression,” Minamitani explained. “This means you will get to join the hunt with many others using a variety of platforms from the get-go. The Xbox platform also offers flexible gameplay where you can play on your console at home and jump right back into the hunt on your laptop even when outside.”
The battles can even continue on mobile with the use of Cloud Gaming through an Xbox Game Pass subscription – and Capcom has accounted for how the game will look on a mobile screen: “We also have custom UIs prepared for gameplay on smartphones,” said Minamitani. “That means you will get to play Monster Hunter Rise with a new set of controls, as well as with optimization for gameplay on smartphones.”
Why Play Monster Hunter?
Fighting big monsters is fun.
We could leave it at that, but there’s a lot to the Monster Hunter experience that has helped it endure as a unique series for nearly 20 years.
At the heart of Monster Hunter is the feeling of overcoming a challenge with the skills you develop as a hunter. While Monster Hunter Rise isn’t a punishing game, the experience of learning your weapon, understanding a monster’s quirks and move set, and finally taking it down is core to the hunting journey.
While that feeling of personal progression is key, the progression that happens with your gear and hunting rank is a huge part of that. Each time you slay or capture a monster, you’ll earn new materials that allow you to craft stronger armor and weapons. You may also find yourself going back to hunt the same monster in a new locale or with different circumstances around the quest. Mastering a particular fight and getting better at it each time is a satisfying feeling!
As you keep improving your gear and improving your rank, new monsters will continually be introduced as well. At the start you’ll be battling threatening, but smaller monsters like the Great Izuchi. But over time you’ll progress to powerful threats like the familiar flying wyvern Rathalos, and the game’s flagship monster Magnamalo.
Hunting? Isn’t that a little mean?
In the Monster Hunter series, hunters aren’t simply hunting monsters for sport. The story of Monster Hunter Rise involves a calamity called The Rampage that took place fifty years ago. During this calamity, a huge pack of frenzied monsters attacked Kamura Village – the town the player and their friends call home – and nearly wiped it out. Hunting is a matter of survival for the people of Kamura!
Throughout the story of Monster Hunter Rise, you’ll take down monsters that threaten the peaceful village and encounter some powerful beasts that threaten the very balance of nature itself.
Choose Your Weapon!
At the start of your journey as a hunter you have immediate access to all 14 weapon types in the game – no need to unlock them over time. While this can feel a bit overwhelming, keep in mind that there’s no right or wrong way to choose one. Think of it like choosing a character in a fighting game. Each weapon has its own unique move set with unique mechanics, strength and weaknesses, and playstyle.
Want to bonk monsters on the head with a giant hammer? How about vaulting through the air and attacking foes with the greatest of each with the Insect Glaive? Like in a fighting game, sometimes choosing the one you think looks the coolest is a great place to start. Over time and with more hunts under your belt, you’ll feel yourself getting more and more proficient with your weapon of choice. Growing your skills and getting better as the game introduces tougher challenges is a great feeling and one of the best parts of the Monster Hunter experience.
If you played Monster Hunter World and Iceborne and perhaps didn’t click with a weapon there, give it a try again in Rise! Each weapon has seen adjustments and changes, plus the addition of Switch Skills. These are special moves specific to each weapon and can change up the feel of each weapon significantly.
A Few Words of Advice
If the above breakdown has you onboard, great! Here’s a few more essential tips to make your hunting life a bit smoother.
Don’t forget to eat
Grabbing a meal before every hunt is an essential step in Monster Hunter Rise. Before leaving for a hunt, take a seat and grab some Dango to eat at the canteen. At the start of your journey, you’ll start out with a decent selection of Dango to give you helpful buffs for your quest. Regardless of the buff or if the Dango effect is activated, you’ll get a big boost to your health and stamina. Every little bit counts!
Brew some potions!
Chugging a bunch of potions during a hunt is never something to be ashamed of, and is essential even for the most experienced hunters. Always be sure to stock up on Potions and Mega Potions before a hunt, with the latter being necessary to making sure your health is topped off. Mega Potions can be crafted by combining a standard potion with Honey, so be sure to grab some while traversing the map.
Before every hunt, double check to make sure you’re stocked back up. If you’re in the middle of a hunt, you can head back to camp to stock back up before heading out once more.
Speaking of camp, at the start of most hunts you’ll see a supply box stocked with a few helpful items, such as First-Aid Meds and EZ Rations. These items are useable only in the quest instance, so don’t be afraid to make good use of them! If you’re playing in multiplayer though, remember that the Supply Box is shared, so make sure to leave some for your fellow hunters.
Spiribirds Spotting
You might notice that at the start of a hunt, your health and stamina will fall short of the maximum. Before heading over to the monster’s location, collect a few of the flying Spiribirds around the locale. These buffs last for the duration of the hunt, with different colors imbuing bonuses to health, stamina, attack, and defense. These are a must for making sure you’re ready to take on the monster ahead!
Stay Sharp!
Keeping your weapon sharp is one of the most important factors in a successful hunt. If your weapon loses sharpness, it might bounce off a monster or deal significantly decreased damage. Use your whetstone to maintain the sharpness of your weapon, but do so from a safe distance or while riding your Palamute.
These are just a few helpful tips to get you started, but there’s plenty to learn while playing. At the end of the day, don’t worry about getting intimidated and focus on having fun and enjoying the journey ahead!
Here’s a Little Something…
For our new hunters out there, we’ve deployed a few helpful bonuses to get you started. The new Guild Cross armor series and Novice Talisman are great beginner equipment to give you a bit of help as you get a grip of the basics. “We’ll be launching a new armor set named the “Guild Cross” series,” explains Minamitani, “and it will give you an advantage during the early stages of the game with its high defense stats. The talisman also complements the Guild Cross series, and will help when gathering materials, as well as give you even more defensive stats.”
Also, thanks to the combined efforts of the global Monster Hunter community, we’re giving all new players on Xbox platforms and Windows 100 free Honey! You can never have enough of it as it’s crucial for crafting healing items like Mega Potions. Visit Senri the Mailman to claim it as part of Kamura Village Welcome Set 1, which includes some other helpful items as well.
On To The Hunt!
That about wraps it up for our quick intro the Monster Hunter Rise! It’s out now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11, and Xbox Game Pass. We can’t wait to welcome many new hunters to the fold! Remember to have fun and enjoy the ride!
Stay up to date with everything about Monster Hunter Rise with the official Monster HunterTwitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Pre-order bonus
– Palamute Retriever Costume layered armor
– Palico Forest Cat Costume layered armor
– Novice Talisman for some extra assistance in the early stages
Rise to the challenge and join the hunt! In Monster Hunter Rise, the latest installment in the award-winning and top-selling Monster Hunter series, you’ll become a hunter, explore brand new maps and use a variety of weapons to take down fearsome monsters as part of an all-new storyline.
Ferocious monsters with unique ecologies
Hunt down a plethora of monsters with distinct behaviors and deadly ferocity. From classic returning monsters to all-new creatures inspired by Japanese folklore, including the flagship wyvern Magnamalo, you’ll need to think on your feet and master their unique tendencies if you hope to reap any of the rewards!
Choose your weapon and show your skills
Wield 14 different weapon types that offer unique gameplay styles, both up-close and from long range. Charge up and hit hard with the devastating Great Sword; dispatch monsters in style using the elegant Long Sword; become a deadly maelstrom of blades with the speedy Dual Blades; charge forth with the punishing Lance; or take aim from a distance with the Bow and Bowguns. These are just a few of the weapon types available in the game, meaning you’re sure to find the play style that suits you best.
Hunt, gather and craft your way to the top of the food chain
Each monster you hunt will provide materials that allow you to craft new weapons and armor and upgrade your existing gear. Go back out on the field and hunt even fiercer monsters and earn even better rewards! You can change your weapon at any of the Equipment Boxes any time, so the possibilities are limitless!
Hunt solo or team up to take monsters down
The Hunter Hub offers multiplayer quests where up to four players can team up to take on targets together. Difficulty scaling ensures that whether you go solo or hit the hunt as a full four-person squad, it’s always a fair fight.
Enjoy an exciting new storyline set in Kamura Village
This serene locale is inhabited by a colorful cast of villagers who have long lived in fear of the Rampage – a catastrophic event where countless monsters attack the village all at once. 50 years after the last Rampage, you must work together with the villagers to face this trial.
Experience new hunting actions with the Wirebug
Wirebugs are an integral part of your hunter’s toolkit. The special silk they shoot out can be used to zip up walls and across maps, and can even be used to pull off special attacks unique to each of the 14 weapon types in the game.
Buddies are here to help
The Palico Felyne friends you already know and love from previous Monster Hunter adventures are joined by the brand new Palamute Canyne companions!
Wreak havoc by controlling monsters
Control raging monsters using Wyvern Riding and dish out massive damage to your targets!
Fend off hordes of monsters in The Rampage
Protect Kamura Village from hordes of monsters in an all-new quest type! Prepare for monster hunting on a scale like never before!
*This content is also available as part of one or more bundles. Please check your previous purchases to avoid duplication.
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
In a village far, far away, a peasant named Rufus was living an ordinary life. Things were nice in the village, until one day, awakened by some magical mistake, the Evil One spread his minions around town, performing hideous acts against the people. Armed with a helmet made out of a bucket and a broom, Rufus will journey to save his wife and the whole village in this platformer adventure game.
When his two children randomly vanish throughout the night, it’s up to you to help Dean Hamilton bring them back home. As the mystery deepens, decisions will need to be made and it’s down to you to make the right ones. Who can you trust? Who’s doing this? What’s the significance of the impending solar eclipse? And what are those strange glowing lights in the sky?
Fight on forests, mountains, and wastelands, customizing your defensive strategy with different tower upgrades and specializations! Rain fire upon your enemies, summon reinforcements, command your troops, recruit elven warriors, and face legendary monsters on a quest to save the kingdom from the forces of darkness!
Simultaneously control a sword-wielding robot and a gunslinging space frog in Shoulders of Giants, an explosively colorful sci-fi roguelike. Play alone, with a friend, or as part of a four-person team, cutting through waves of enemies on a quest to rescue the galaxy!
Sissa is a very organized feline, and when she plays with her balls of wool, each needs to be pushed across the floor to the correct spot. Presented in cute and colorful 3D style, Sissa’s Path is a pushing puzzle game where you play as Sissa and move her toys around tiled floors.
Play Othello, Mahjong, Shogi, Igo, Hanafuda, Texas Hold’em, Chess, and Backgammon, all in this single package! Each game supports CPU opponents as well as achievements, a challenge mode, and more. You can also enjoy playing against other players in Othello, Igo, Shogi, Chess, and Backgammon by alternating between a single controller.
Explore the mysteries of an unknown land in Transiruby, a metroidvania where you explore the world as a cyborg protagonist named Siruby. A strange continent from a different dimension has suddenly appeared… and Siruby, a young cyborg traveling through space just happens to pass by. Taking her trusty AI partner Ne-com with her, she sets out to explore this unknown land.
A 3D puzzle game with a cute and colorful aesthetic that has Kitten Tom trying to clear his way home. Slide blocks from the terrain to create a path that leads the kitten from point A to point B. There are three keys in each scenario; the kitten must take all the keys to open the door that leads to the next path.
Your company’s success depends on your ability to run and manage a website. You must develop and improve features while increasing hosting capacity and run marketing campaigns. The goal is obvious: become the biggest website in the industry. It’s up to you if you want to buy and merge your competitors or outrun them until they go out of business!
Play as Arthurian immortals, Sir Lancelot Du Lac and Morgana Le Fey, on a thrilling quest to stop one of history’s most infamous murderers and save the city. Team up with Whitechapel local, Mary Jane Kelly, as you explore the capital’s underbelly, meet the intriguing characters who live there, and work with them to solve the crimes. But remember, every decision you make will influence their fates.
The sci-fi survival horror classic Dead Space returns for Xbox Series X|S, completely rebuilt from the ground up to offer a deeper and more immersive experience. This remake brings jaw-dropping visual fidelity, suspenseful atmospheric audio, and improvements to gameplay while staying faithful to the original game’s thrilling vision. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with EA Play can receive a 10% discount on the digital purchase of Dead Space from the Microsoft Store.
