The post This Week on Xbox: Tokyo Game Show Reveals, Octopath Traveler II, Lies of P, and More  appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox Update Preview coming to the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring. It’s important we note that some updates made in these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox consoles.

We continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device. Details can be found below!

Thanks to the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this build:

My Games & Apps

System

We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. These items aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution.

Audio

Keyboard Button Mapping for Xbox Controllers

Manage Queue

Networking

Upload your Captures to OneDrive

Make sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of your issue. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.

If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please reach out to the community subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help with your concerns.

When posting to the subreddit, please look through most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to threads with the same issue before posting a brand new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Don’t forget to use “Report a problem” before posting—the information shared in both places helps us understand your issue better.

Thank you to every Xbox Insider in the subreddit today. We love that it has become such a friendly and community-driven hub of conversation and support.

For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox Update Preview ring!

The post Xbox Insider Release Notes – Alpha Skip-Ahead (2408.230920-2000) appeared first on Xbox Wire.

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!

EpiXR Games

Horror Tale 2: Samantha – September 25

Start a scary adventure and be the first to solve all the mysteries of this horror game. Who is the kidnapper, and why is he doing it? Where are the children disappearing to, and how to save them? You can solve all the puzzles and find out the answers…if you don’t get scared!

CD PROJEKT RED

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – September 26
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Phantom Liberty is a new spy-thriller adventure for Cyberpunk 2077. When the orbital shuttle of the President of the New United States of America is shot down over the deadliest district of Night City, there’s only one person who can save her — you. Become V, a cyberpunk for hire, and dive deep into a tangled web of espionage and political intrigue, unraveling a story that connects the highest echelons of power with the brutal world of black-market mercenaries.

Strange Scaffold

El Paso, Elsewhere – September 26
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A supernatural neo-noir third-person shooter. Hunt werewolves, fallen angels, and other creatures in a vivid slow motion love letter to action classics. Fight your way through a reality-shifting motel, floor by bloody floor, and save the victims of Dracula, lord of the vampires.

Natsume Inc.

Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos – September 26
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Explore the Amazing World of Anthos! Farm all around Anthos using Doc’s new and improved Expando-Farm. Easily move from place to place and farm everywhere from snowy mountains to beautiful beaches!

Modus Games

Paleo Pines – September 26
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Welcome to Paleo Pines, a charming island known for its friendly dinosaurs, quirky townsfolk, and mysterious past. Set out with your dino companion, Lucky, to uncover the island’s secrets and discover new dinos. Together you’ll grow crops, assist local villagers, befriend adorable dinosaurs, and unearth the island’s lost history to build your cozy dino sanctuary.

Klabater

Terraformers – September 26
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Terraformers is an expansive turn-based colony builder and resource management game with roguelike elements. Explore the Red Planet, develop spectacular cities, spread life and terraform the planet with ambitious projects.

Dovetail Games

Train Sim World 4 – September 26

Experience immense velocity and express unrivalled creativity with Train Sim World 4! Learn the basics of operating a range of traction in the Training Center, before taking to the rails of the real world on the East Coast Main Line with the LNER Azuma, Antelope Valley Line with the Metrolink F125 and S-Bahn Vorarlberg with the ÖBB 4024.

SOEDESCO

Truck Driver: The American Dream – September 26
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Get your life back on track by stepping into your father’s shoes to become a famous and well-respected truck driver. However, this new path doesn’t come without its hardships, as the road to becoming a successful truck driver might be a hard and lonely one.

Eastasiasoft Limited

Betomis – September 27
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Enter the tricky pixel art dungeons of Betomis, where you’ll need to carefully observe and explore your surroundings to escape! Betomis is a retro 2D action platformer where each chamber of the sprawling dungeon is a single screen of environmental puzzling.

Ravenage Games

The Crackpet Show: Happy Tree Friends Edition – September 27
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Happy Tree Friends are back! Embrace the legendary cruelty and humor of the iconic cartoon as you play your favorite characters in The Crackpet Show: Happy Tree Friends Edition! Get ready to unleash chaos, earn fame, and have a blast!

ChiliDog Interactive

Lord of the Click: Interstellar Wars – September 27

Lord of the Click: Interstellar Wars takes the endless conflict of good, evil and arthritis to a whole new cosmic level! Fight aliens and mutants, colonize new planets, reach for the stars, and all this under the measured and lulling creak of your joints.

mc2games

Tested on Humans: Escape Room – September 27
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

An escape room in a dark setting that will test your skills. Solve puzzles, decode secret codes, find hidden objects, and investigate the different rooms of the research center while you discover the events that led you there.

DANGEN ENTERTAINMENT

Abomi Nation – September 28
Xbox Play Anywhere

A roguelike monster-taming RPG where every playthrough will create a new version of Abomi Nation and provide a unique world with different Abomis for you to find. Explore your universe, watch your Abomis bond, and battle it out as your adventure unfolds in a way totally unique to you.

Feardemic

Afterdream – September 28

Get lost in a lucid dream, bending the lines between reality and fiction. Navigate the obscure residence populated by ghosts and collect items to solve puzzles as you move further through its intriguing story.

QUByte Interactive

Chipmonk! – September 28

A retro-inspired beat ’em up starring chipmunk warriors. The gluttonous gray squirrel has stolen all the land’s food stores, threatening the forest’s inhabitants with starvation. Embark on a perilous journey as a chipmunk martial arts master — Grey, Cheeks, or Red — as you battle a multitude of foes in a heroic attempt to recover the stolen food.

Clockwork Origins

CyberTD – September 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

Mutant viruses have invaded cyberspace and are threatening to destroy it. It’s up to you to take on these waves of viruses and defend the core in a way that prevents any of them from reaching it. But there’s no need to fret — you’ll have countless upgrades and a split-personality killer drone to (more or less) help you out!

BlitWorks Games

Everhood: Eternity Edition – September 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Welcome to an inexpressible world filled with a deep story, humor, amusing musical battles and strange, delightful encounters. This is the best console version of the adventure RPG indie hit, including 16 exclusive new musical battles composed by some of the most renowned artists in the indie scene and designed by members of the community.

SQUARE ENIX

Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai – September 28

With a new crisis facing the world, Dai makes a promise to his mentor, encounters new friends, and slowly learns about his own inescapable fate… This is the beginning of Dai’s adventure, and his quest to become a true hero! The legendary “Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai” manga and anime arrives as an exhilarating action RPG. Re-live the events of the anime in Infinity Strash as you take charge of Dai and the Disciples of Avan in their battle against the Dark Army!

Fulqrum Publishing

Forgive Me Father – September 28

Forgive Me Father is a dark, old-school horror FPS set in a comic book style world inspired by the novels of H.P. Lovecraft. As the only sane person in a world consumed by madness, can you last long enough to find answers and relief?

Raw Fury

Pizza Possum – September 28

Life is good when you are a possum. You can eat all you want, and there is no one who can stop you. Well, except for all the guard dogs patrolling the village you’re in. So, what are you waiting for? Time to eat! Engage in adorable arcade-style hide-and-seek action and wreak havoc as an irresistible possum.

BBG Entertainment GmbH

Shark! Shark! – September 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

Inspired by the legendary Shark! Shark! game released for the Intellivision home console in 1982, this reimagined version for up to four players offers you a modern gameplay, fantastic graphics, great sounds, lots of levels and many underwater characters.

Kwalee

Wildmender – September 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Explore the vast desert, alone or with friends. Collect plants and bring them back to your garden to thrive. Craft new tools and use them to shape the earth, and channel water to your plants. Delve into the mysteries of a fallen civilization and discover their magic. Befriend animals, spirits, and seek out the gods to help you defend the land from the vicious wraiths who seek to corrupt it. It’s up to you to save the world, one seed at a time.

Annapurna Interactive

Cocoon – September 29
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Available on day one with Game Pass! From Jeppe Carlsen, the lead gameplay designer of Limbo and Inside – Cocoon takes you on an adventure across worlds within worlds. Master world-leaping mechanics to unravel a cosmic mystery. Playable on Cloud, Console and PC.

Electronic Arts

EA Sports FC 24 (Standard Edition) – September 29
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

EA Sports FC 24 is a new era for The World’s Game: 19,000+ fully licensed players, 700+ teams, and 30+ leagues playing together in the most authentic football experience ever created. Feel closer to the game with three cutting-edge technologies powering unparalleled realism in every match and the enhanced Frostbite Engine delivers lifelike detail, bringing a new level of immersion to each match. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and EA Play members can enjoy a 10% discount on all things EA FC 24 and play a 10-hour free trial starting September 22.

©RedDeerGames

Deflector – September 29

Deflector is a hack-n-slasher where you will experience dynamic gameplay with an unlimited and unique combo system. Test your reflex and don’t let your guard down because enemies will have no mercy. Jump into the future, select your loadout, and save the world!

Snow Day Software

Indoor Kickball – September 29

A fast-paced, 1v1 game of kickball played where your parents wouldn’t let you. Destroy the living room, kitchen, bedroom, basement, and many other rooms of the house with a chaotic game of kickball.

Ratalaika Games S.L.

Love Kuesuto – September 29
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Take on the role of an old man whose life is flashing before his eyes. As you awaken, the goddess Aphrodite guides you through four game boards full of romantic trauma and relationship dilemmas. Be careful with your choices because God and The Devil are watching.

New Blood Interactive, Apogee Entertainment, Nightdive Studios

Rise of the Triad Ludicrous Edition – September 29
Xbox One X Enhanced

Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition, the definitive release of the cult classic FPS by original developer and publisher Apogee Entertainment, the maniacal minds at New Blood Interactive, and the gaming treasure hunters at Nightdive Studios.

8floor ltd

Royal Roads 2 – September 29

Embark on an incredible journey through different countries in a world filled with ancient monuments and mysterious artifacts. Many various tasks, 50 game levels, intriguing plot, and a magical world await.

Revulo Games

Super Box Delivery: Beyond the Horizon – September 29

Get ready to hop into the driver’s seat and embark on an epic journey like no other in Super Box Delivery: Beyond the Horizon! Enter a vibrant cartoon world full of whimsical cars and charming customizations.         

Outright Games Ltd.

PAW Patrol World – September 29
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

Explore the world of PAW Patrol like never before, in a 3D action adventure where anything is PAWsible. Play as your favorite pups, drive their vehicles and save the day by taking on fun rescues and missions. It’s the ultimate PAW Patrol playtime!

The post Next Week on Xbox: New Games for September 25 to 29 appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Summary 

_______________________________ 

Earlier this month, we announced the no annual fee Xbox Mastercard in partnership with Barclays. Beginning today, we are thrilled to share that Xbox Insiders 18 years and older who reside in the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii can start applying for the Xbox Mastercard. With the Xbox Mastercard credit card, players can earn card points with everyday purchases to redeem on games and add-ons at xbox.com.

How to apply

The Xbox Mastercard will be made available to Xbox Insiders on a rolling basis throughout this fall. Look for the Xbox Mastercard Preview in the Xbox Insider Hub app on your Xbox or Windows PC.

To get started on an Xbox console: 

How to join Xbox Insiders

If you would like to join the Xbox Insider Program, you can get started by downloading the Xbox Insider Hub app on your Xbox or Windows PC. For more information, visit the Xbox Insider Program. 

With the Xbox Mastercard, players can earn card points for every $1 spent on purchases including:

Xbox & Microsoft – Earn 5X card points on eligible products at the Microsoft Store.

Streaming Services – Earn 3X card points on eligible streaming services, such as Netflix® and Disney+®.

Dining Delivery Services – Earn 3X card points on eligible dining delivery services, such as Grubhub® and DoorDash®.

Everyday purchases – Earn 1X card points on all other everyday purchases.

You can read more about the Xbox Mastercard’s additional benefits, such as a bonus of 5,000 card points (a $50 value) after your first purchase, and more here.

For more information on earning and redeeming card points or card benefits, visit our Terms and Conditions.

We look forward to hearing feedback and we’ll continue to find new ways to deliver value to the Xbox community!

The post The Xbox Mastercard Is Available Today! A New Way to Earn More Value for Gaming appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Experience the joys and challenges of modern agriculture, survive the zombie apocalypse with your friends, or unleash your fighting skills with Free Play Days! Farming Simulator 22, State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition and Tekken 7 are available this weekend for Xbox Game Pass Core and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play from Thursday September 21 at 12:01 a.m. PDT until Sunday, September 24 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.

Game Pass Core will give players access to our advanced multiplayer network, a select collection of over 25 games to play with friends around the world, and exclusive member deals! Read more about Game Pass Core at Xbox Wire.

Find and install the games on each of the individual game details page on Xbox.com. Clicking through will send you to the Microsoft Store, where you must be signed in to see the option to install with your Xbox Game Pass Core or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. To download on console, click on the Subscriptions tab in the Xbox Store and navigate down to the Free Play Days collection on your Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

Purchase the game and other editions at a limited time discount and continue playing while keeping your Gamerscore and achievements earned during the event! Please note that discounts and percentages may vary by title and region.

GIANTS Software GmbH

Enjoy a huge variety of farming operations focusing on agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry in three diverse American and European environments. Now with the exciting addition of seasonal cycles and production chains! Operate more than 400 authentic machines and experience the relaxed farming fun. Join cooperative farming with your friends, or even challenge them in competitive game modes! Benefit from a discount of up to 20% for a limited time and let the good times grow.

Xbox Game Studios

State of Decay 2 is an open-world survival-fantasy game set just after the zombie apocalypse. Your small community of survivors seeks to rebuild a corner of civilization, and you get to make all the decisions about how that happens: who to recruit to your team, where to settle your community, how to upgrade your base, how to complete missions, and much more. And make sure to keep an eye out for Curveballs, our brand new in-game events that create exciting changes to missions, your home base, and the wider world.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

The best fights are personal in Tekken 7! With over 30 characters, you’ll be sure to find the fighter to suit your style. All the attitude, showmanship, and competitiveness of the arcades are resurrected for this supreme gaming experience. Play Tekken 7 during Free Play Days and be sure to also check out Tekken 8, the upcoming title in the Tekken Franchise!

Don’t miss out on this exciting Free Play Days for Xbox Game Pass Core and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members! Learn more about Free Play Days here and stay tuned to Xbox Wire to find out about future Free Play Days and all the latest Xbox gaming news. 

The post Free Play Days – Farming Simulator 22, State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition, and Tekken 7 appeared first on Xbox Wire.

The US government is soon to begin awarding up to $52 billion in subsidies for domestic semiconductor manufacturing. The funding is a part of the CHIPS and Science Act that President Joe Biden signed into law in August 2022. But before the funds are given, the US Commerce Department is introducing rules to ensure beneficiaries of the funding don't spend it elsewhere, and it particularly doesn't want it feeding back to China.

According to a report by Reuters, the proposal seeks to prevent recipients of funding from funneling money into 'countries of concern' such as Russia and China. A company with a global reach could theoretically engage in research or development of sensitive semiconductors in countries the US does not want to be sharing with.

The measures seek to restrict sensitive technologies from falling into the wrong hands. This includes quantum computing and AI technology, radiation hardened chips and communications equipment that could be used for things like missiles and drones.

The proposals prohibit recipients of funding from expanding semiconductor manufacturing capacity in certain countries for as long as 10 years.

Best CPU for gaming: The top chips from Intel and AMD
Best gaming motherboard: The right boards
Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits
Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game ahead of the rest

"We have to be absolutely vigilant that not a penny of this helps China to get ahead of us," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told Congress last week.

The US Government sees semiconductor manufacturing as an arms race and it wants to keep its closely held secrets out of the hands of its adversaries.

The ultimate goal of the CHIPS Act is to restore American technological leadership. Not just for commercial reasons, but for broader strategic reasons including reduced reliance on manufacturing in Asia and the protection of critical supply chains.

It's not all cloak and dagger stuff. The semiconductor shortages experienced during the Covid years showed that production bottlenecks can be devastating. From a gaming perspective, consoles were all but unavailable, GPU supply was far exceeded by demand, and even DDR5 memory was ridiculously priced at the time of its launch due to a shortage of power management chips. 

Diversified global chip making capacity should remove bottlenecks and help to prevent these types of shortages from happening again.

Did You Know Gaming? has come a long way. Once a blog full of Facebook-tier image macros about questionable videogame trivia, now it's a YouTube empire with a focus on videogame history and preservation. DYKG's latest project involved the resurrection of a lost Pokémon browser game called Pokémon 2000 Adventure, which has now been uploaded to the Internet Archive.

Originally created as a tie-in for the second Pokémon movie, Pokémon 2000 Adventure was the work of Cyberworld, a company making browser-based 3D environments as promotional tools—letting users wander around in first-person recreations of scenes from movies, comics, and so on. Hired by Warner Bros. to help market Pokémon: The Movie 2000, Cyberworld went above and beyond, making a fondly remembered though short-lived game where you chose from three teams of Pokémon with different abilities you could use to solve puzzles across three explorable islands.

With its 3D world populated with 2D sprites, Pokémon 2000 Adventure resembled late-90s shooters. It was a real and actual videogame, and that turned out to be its downfall. After racking up around a million downloads over the course of a month, it was shut down by Nintendo.

As Eddie Ruminski, a programmer at Cyberworld who worked on Pokémon 2000 Adventure, explained in DYKG's video, "Nintendo freaked and they immediately hit us with a cease and desist." Having expected a modest interactive webtour rather than a videogame, Nintendo was concerned about brand confusion between Cyberworld's creation and the official product. "It was the greatest compliment," Ruminski said. "Via cease and desist, saying, 'Sorry, what you made was too much like a good videogame.'"

Thanks to Ruminski providing the files and archivists rufus10 and DoomTay getting them working, Pokémon 2000 Adventure is playable again today. You can download it from the Internet Archive in a package that also includes design docs and storyboards, as well as the raw files and demos of other Cyberworld games. If you played it at the time, I imagine firing up Pokémon 2000 Adventure today will be a potent hit of nostalgia—a Proustian rush only with Moltres and Articuno instead of madeleine cake.

Though none of the monster trainers on PC have taken off in quite the same way as Pokémon, the series has found a home on our platform of choice thanks to emulation and randomizers, which add to their replayability, and then there's the whole history of weird bootleg Pokemon games on PC. 

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty once again returns us to one of life's great questions: when should I play the expansion pack? The super spy adventure comes a whopping three years after the original game's release, but can be unlocked fairly early into Cyberpunk 2077's main quest.

For my Cyberpunk: 2077 Phantom Liberty review, I tore through the DLC on an old save I had at Cyberpunk's endgame. I still loved it, but I'd recommend making a new character, taking your time, and weaving Phantom Liberty into the original main quest. Cyberpunk 2.0's new character building and loot is worth experiencing fresh, and Phantom Liberty is better paced as another pillar of the main quest as opposed to some kind of post-game episode.

Everybody's abuzz with how good the base game's 2.0 update is, and it's not just hype⁠—this really is the time to play Cyberpunk 2077. Cyberware is more central to character building now, and CD Projekt defied all my expectations in how good of an RPG system it managed to wring out of 2077's original mess of piddly perks.

It's the RPG I always wanted it to be, and that's worth making a new character from scratch for. Now that I've finished my review, that's just what I plan on doing⁠—once I can decide between making a sneaky hacker, future cowboy gunslinger, or just yet another cyborg ninja.

When I reviewed Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, I felt like the expansion was slightly off in how it was situated. Everything was largely relegated to Dogtown, but I could come and go as I pleased. It also felt strange that it didn't directly involve some of the strongest characters from the main story, particularly the romance interests.

That might be a question of expectation though: three years on, I anticipated a high-level coda to the main story, a standalone farewell to Night City like The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine. Initiated earlier in the game, though, and Phantom Liberty slots in pretty well with the other main quests, which similarly don't see a ton of character overlap between their various strands⁠—Takemura never really weighs in on what's going on with Judy and Evelyn, for example.

I still loved Phantom Liberty when I played it all in one go as a post-game sendoff, but I don't think it fits best there. I recommend approaching it less as a discrete expansion, and more as an extra pillar to the main quest, one with plenty of built-in downtime for pursuing side missions in Dogtown or other stories in Night City proper.

2023 games: Upcoming releases
Best PC games: All-time favorites
Free PC games: Freebie fest
Best FPSes: Finest gunplay

On an average day about a dozen new games are released on Steam. And while we think that's a good thing, it can be understandably hard to keep up with. Potentially exciting gems are sure to be lost in the deluge of new things to play unless you sort through every single game that is released on Steam. So that’s exactly what we’ve done. If nothing catches your fancy this week, we've gathered the best PC games you can play right now and a running list of the 2023 games that are launching this year. 

Steam‌ ‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ September 21
Developer:‌ Studio Supersoft

Another cute life sim that looks a heckuva lot like Stardew Valley. The all-important novelty here is that it also has creature collecting like Pokémon, in addition to card-centric battles between them. Indeed, the RPG component seems just as big—if not bigger—than the usual cosy life sim rhythm of building a house, nurturing a farm, and talking to charming local NPCs. The world is massive (100 islands, though I don't know how big they are) and can be traversed via hot air balloon, broom or glider. If other "life sims" are a little too passive for you, and you long for some stiffer dungeon crawling challenges, Moonstone Island could be the answer.

Steam‌ ‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ September 20
Developer:‌ Recreate Games

Here's a party game about cute animals beating the shit out of each other. Cutely! It's a series of mini-games that borrows heavily from the physics comedy of Human: Fall Flat and Gang Beasts, with a format reminiscent of Fall Guys. There are PvP and cooperative modes, and all are supported both online and locally. The latter option—playing on a couch with friends—is clearly the best option here. I just wish the trailers focused more on cats. Dogs get all the attention and frankly I'm sick of it.

Steam‌ ‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ September 22
Developers:‌ Revolution Industry

Here's a big tactical RPG about building a fleet of airships and dominating the skies, both in a mercantile sense and a violent one. In the wake of a gnarly steampunk "sky war", three powerful states are locked in a tense truce, forcing most soldiers to become the steampunk equivalent of sailors (or pirates). As a captain, it's your job to found a trading company and to ensure its success, but things, naturally, become more complicated than that. Expect shady politicking, difficult decisions, and lots of tricky airborne tactical combat.

Steam‌ ‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ September 23
Developer:‌ Dionic Software

After a period in Early Access, this sci-fi city builder and management sim is now feature complete. The objective is to build and nurture an "extrasolar efficiency utopia", but to do that you'll need resources, so extracting the right ones is a key part of the early game. Gradually, attention moves to logistics and production chains, but you'll also be managing the health and happiness of astronaut settlers and their families. After all, settling a desert planet was never going to be easy, and part of the appeal of InfraSpace is taking some of the problem solving from other, more grounded management sims, and putting them somewhere unreal. Factorio and Transport Tycoon fans should also take note.

Steam‌ ‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ September 21
Developer:‌ SpoocleMacBoogle

From the creator of the eminently creepy i live under your house comes an analog horror combining point and click adventure with first-person exploration. The plot description on Steam is deliberately vague, but I can gather this: the game takes place in a mysterious "subterranean structure" that has played host to some macabre deep state operation. You've got to go in there, find evidence of what happened, and then report back to the mysterious entity you're working for. The art style borrows from the PS1-era, of course, but the incorporation of found footage elements is a winner, and the general mood is one of creeping dread.

During a recent panel at Ocala Comic Con in Florida, Cameron Monaghan, who plays Cal Kestis in the Star Wars: Jedi videogames, confirmed that a third one is in the works. At the end of the panel, near the 43-minute mark in a fan-recorded video, Monaghan said, "We're working on the third, we're in the process of doing that right now. So that's a big undertaking and it's been some conversations so far, but hopefully when all things are said and done we'll be able to go in and make something really cool for you guys again."

This was recorded on September 16, just days after it was reported Stig Asmussen, who directed the Jedi games, was leaving Respawn Entertainment. Asmussen previously said he envisioned the Jedi games as a series from the start, telling IGN, "I always wanted to see this as a trilogy." There is a certain precedent in the market for Star Wars trilogies, but though EA confirmed his departure it has yet to announce his replacement, saying only that, "Veteran Respawn leaders will be stepping up to guide the team".

Another interesting thing brought up in the panel came up when Monaghan and fellow guest Tina Ivlev, who plays Nightsister Merrin, were asked about the weirdest thing they had to do in performance capture. 

"You can't kiss, because you have cameras that are getting facial capture," Monaghan said. "It's not just for kissing, it's anything that would cover your face. So eating for example, or drinking. If you're drinking from a cup, you have to put it next to your head," he said, while he and Ivlev both mimed the act. "Or down here and they'll move your hand in front of your face after the fact. So you have to imagine the process, and it's so weird. Same with kissing somebody. The only thing more vulnerable than having to do a weird romantic kissing scene with a bunch of people watching you is having to pretend to kiss a ghost."

"It's super weird," Ivlev added. "You're kissing next to each other's face, so you're making out with the air and you're like, 'Please don't look at me, this is awkward'."

"I hadn't done that since I was 11 years old," Monaghan concluded.

Giant statues broadcasting a mysterious code, monks telling me to open my throat chakra, an ominous symbol added to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and now: a laptop displaying ancient Slavic text dropped into a middle of a landfill and a Johnny Silverhand-themed Wolfenstein 3D clone that unlocks a secret server farm. This is a side of Cyberpunk 2077 I never knew existed, FF:06:B5.

the FF:06:B5 subreddit and Kotaku both have in-depth breakdowns of this saga, but the basic facts from before Cyberpunk's big 2.0 update are as follows: there's a handful of large, stylized statues scattered across Cyberpunk 2077's world map, some of whom have a readout with the code FF:06:B5 on their base. Monks near one of the statues warn that players' "throat chakra is blocked," and that they should "activate the meridians on the roof of [their] mouth."

Disconcerting stuff, and it's spawned years of investigation and theory crafting by fans. CDPR's only added more fuel to the fire, like the inclusion of mini versions of the offending statue (complete with code) in some of the 1.5 update's new player apartments. In response to a question about FF:06:B5 from his Twitch chat in 2021, Cyberpunk 2077 quest director Paweł Sasko stated: "Of course there's a meaning [to the code]... Some things need to be difficult to uncover."

Over on the nearly 23k-member FF:06:B5 subreddit, digital gumshoes turned to everything from numerology to Cyberpunk lore to reading coded messages from characters tapping their fingers to try and make sense of it all. If it isn't apparent already, for every legit FF:06:B5 clue, there's been a ton of Pepe Silvia-style conspiracy digressions, and that's all part of the charm.

On the legit side, last year Witcher 3-focused YouTuber xLetalis discovered an FF:06:B5 easter egg added to the game in its next gen update. Behind a portal in a remote bastion, the YouTuber found an ouroboros symbol with the equivalent to the letters FF, VQ, and B2 written across the top in Glagolitic script, the oldest known Slavic alphabet, and the main one used by CDPR for the Witcher series' in-game text.

Below is an in-game screenshot of the symbol taken by FaultyDrive on the FF:06:B5 subreddit.  Lest that seem like a tenuous connection, FF:06:B5 is a hex code for a vibrant magenta color similar to (if not exactly the one used in) the triangle at the center of the symbol. Mother of god.

This post from Til_W on the FF:06:B5 subreddit outlines all the new clues found in update 2.0 so far. Players can now find a number of in-game messages between "TyRo/\/\aNtA" and "Polyhistor" regarding the code and what it means, marking the second explicit in-game appearance of the code aside from the statues. 

One of Tyro's last messages mentions striking out with just his laptop, which is presumably the one added in 2.0 that you can now find in Night City's eastern landfill. The laptop shows off that same ouroboros symbol from The Witcher 3, as well as a grid of Glagolitic script, possibly a key or otherwise related to the symbol in The Witcher 3.

Fellow traveler Tyro mentions being floored by a vision of the FF:06:B5 code in a videogame "over 60 years old." While likely partially a sly reference to The Witcher 3 (whose 2015 release is over 60 years in the past from 2077), it actually seems to be referring to Arasaka Tower 3D, a new arcade cabinet secretly added by the 2.0 update. It lets you play a Wolfenstein 3D-style demake of Johnny Silverhand's assault on Arasaka Tower depicted in the original game, and can only be found at an abandoned church in the farthest reaches of 2077's game world.

The church seems to be Polyhistor's hideout, judging by his personal computer with messages to Tyro and other hackers being located there, and it also contains a collection of ominous, giant server towers. Arasaka Tower 3D itself not only contains another one of those damn statues hidden in its third level, it also has a secret "-10" maze level, completion of which unlocks keypads on the server mainframes back in the church. Oh, and the lowest score on the game's leaderboard, held by Polyhistor? FF06B5. God damn it.

And that's as far as anyone's gotten with legitimate means. A group of players seems to have datamined the codes to the servers and proceeded to a next step in the quest, but the story is still far from over. The lead moderator of the FF:06:B5 subreddit, leprotravel, claims to be in contact with CDPR developers who disapprove of these methods: "[The video] could not escape the eyes of the CDPR devs. Today we had long negotiations about the possibility of posting a detailed guide dedicated to the methods used by dataminers…

"...However, we received a refusal from the CDPR team. But in a very friendly way, since they appreciate the diligence of players in discovering secrets in their games, regardless of the methods they use."

The video with the datamined solution can be found on the main Cyberpunk subreddit, but in addition to the developer disavowal, it doesn't exactly tie a bow on everything just yet (though what they find is very cool and weird, if cryptic). The full purpose and use of the Glagolitic laptop is yet to be discovered, and there are likely even more secrets to be found in Phantom Liberty when it releases tomorrow. We're fully in schoolyard Triforce rumor, NieR Automata secret church territory here, and I can't wait to see how it all shakes out.

There's a change in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 so small players might not have noticed it, simply swapping the model used for one background NPC in the corpo prologue. Players did notice it, however, because some of them believe the original model was intended to be an Elon Musk cameo.

According to a recent biography of the world's wealthiest person by Walter Isaacson, Musk showed up to CD Projekt's office while wielding a 200-year-old gun to demand a cameo in Cyberpunk 2077. That doesn't mean they actually put him in there, though.

When one Twitter user posted before-and-after screenshots with the lament, "Oh my god they removed the Elon Musk cameo from the Corpo opening in Cyberpunk 2077", senior quest designer Patrick K. Mills couldn't help but comment. "That wasn't Elon musk, it looks nothing like him", he wrote. "Who came up with this nonsense?"

Mills didn't deny that Musk swung through the studio's building with an antique firearm begging to be digitized, saying, "I wasn't there, I don't know." He did restate that the NPC in question is definitely not Musk, however, saying, "even if that's true, that doesn't mean this random japanese guy is supposed to be him."

As for the bigger changes made in Cyberpunk 2077 version 2.0, here are the full patch notes, here's how the revamped police force works, and here are all the overhauled skill trees. 

There's a long tradition of connections between Dungeons & Dragons and the videogames based on it. Pool of Radiance, the 1998 videogame that kicked off the Gold Box series, was also released as a pen-and-paper adventure called Ruins of Adventure in the same year. More recently, Baldur's Gate 3 incorporated parts of the adventure Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus—if you want to know more about why there are so many tiefling refugees fleeing Elturel, that book has your answer. (Wyll's dad shows up in it too.)

The next D&D supplement is Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse, and it includes at least a few things players of 1999's Planescape: Torment will recognize. For starters, one piece of official artwork shows the Smoldering Corpse Bar, which either still has Ignus the burning wizard on display or has found a replacement for him.

What's more, the supplement's adventure book, Turn of Fortune's Wheel, opens with a familiar scene. "You wake up in the mortuary," senior game designer F. Wesley Schneider said in a first look video. "I'm sorry to say that you've died. Morte, the snarky floating skull, greets you and you realize that there's a mystery. Your memories are fractured and every time that you come back from the dead, you come back a little different."

While it doesn't sound like Morte will remain your companion throughout the adventure like he did in Torment, the rest of the plot will explore similar themes. "Fans of the Planescape: Torment videogame will see all sorts of nods to that story in the circumstances of the way the adventure begins," senior game designer Justice Arman said in a deep dive, "but also through the core mechanic that is happening throughout."

Due to what they're calling a "multiversal glitch", your PCs find themselves able to return from the dead, like a certain amnesiac Nameless One. The next time a character dies in Turn of Fortune's Wheel, they have the opportunity to come back different, perhaps as another class. Death is essentially a respec, with each player having the opportunity to craft three incarnations of their character and switch between them.

Morte also shows up as the host of the bestiary, which is called Morte's Planar Parade. If it's anything like the Spelljammer bestiary, Boo's Astral Menagerie, it'll be a minor cameo, but it's nice he gets to show his face (such as it is) in the actual adventure as well. The third book in the set, and the one I'm most excited for, is a background book called Sigil and the Outlands, focused on the city at the centre of the multiverse. Here's hoping it's more detailed than the background part of the Spelljammer set, which felt a bit bare.

Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse will be out on October 17. Planescape: Torment is available in its snazzy enhanced edition on Steam and GOG. 

A new trailer from Gamera Games came out of Tokyo Game Show this week, showing off a new look at combat gameplay in Youthcat Studio's interstellar factory-builder and giving a release date: December 2023 will be when the Rise of the Dark Fog update releases for free to all owners of Dyson Sphere Program. A second, longer trailer also released goes more in-depth with gameplay footage of the Icarus robot defending its factory from attack.

The trailer shows off features like different types of turrets, expansion to new worlds, planetary defense shields, attacking Dark Fog-held worlds, Dark Fog spcae stations, automatic rebuilding via drone, and more.

A variety of enemies have also been revealed. The Dark Fog will both deploy swarming units to planetary surfaces, apparently in several airborne varieties requiring different strategies to defeat, and launch fleets of ships from its space hives to bombard your factories with lasers from orbit. Defending against those will require planetary defense shields, which can be built and expanded until they cover entire worlds.

It's actually kind of exciting as someone who was initially skeptical about adding a real-time strategy element to Dyson Sphere Program, a game I mostly enjoyed because of the sprawling connection of logistics it let me create. The auto-rebuild is pretty high on my list of things I'd need to enjoy it at all.

"Even if defenses fail and multiple production lines are destroyed, you don't have to panic about losing facilities they’ve spent a lot of time building. They can simply upgrade the "Auto-Rebuild" technology. Provided they have sufficient items, drones will automatically reconstruct the destroyed buildings, which will gradually return to normal operating conditions after reconstruction," says Youthcat Studio in their update.

For a deeper look into the combat you can check out the longer gameplay video, which has some really cheesy narration dialogue that can be hard to stomach, but does show off specific systems in action like Gauss, Implosion, and Laser defense turrets.

That also shows of "supernova" mode, which is apparently an activated buff that speeds up the power of your defensive towers to fend off particularly potent waves of enemies. The developers describe it as a "large-scale fireworks display."

You can see both trailers and read the announcement for Dyson Sphere Program's Rise of the Dark Fog update on Steam.

The Steam version of legendary simulation game Dwarf Fortress has a vital new patch out updating the graphical edition to work on ye olde Linux, a most dorky operation system for that most dorky of games. It was a delayed release, mostly because primary developer Tarn Adams just got over a bout with covid.

Per Kitfox games, "this patch has some needed updates, like the ability to look at old alerts, ammo that works when uniforms are changed, and soldiers that don't hoard rotten food in their rooms."

Two of those are particular bugbears of the Steam release, as for whatever reason soldiers just really wanted to leave their work rations on the floor in their rooms, where they'd promptly rot. The other's a blessing for those Dwarf Fortress architects who'd really like to make use of marksdwarves—some strange bug was keeping them from properly picking up ammunition when assigned a custom kit. A real problem, after all, since making sure your soldiers are wearing the right armor for their job instead of just whatever they pick up is important stuff. They'll be working in the near future on getting the full, in-depth ammunition control system working in the new UI, so you can be sure your soldiers only practice with shoddy bone bolts and fight with the proper steel ones.

It also just wouldn't be a Dwarf Fortress update without some of those extremely funny, strange out of context patch notes that just shine. We've got a doozy of one this time, which I honestly love: "Made creatures more able to get out of trees." Normally this is not a problem. Imagine you just want out of a tree, well, you can just fall right out of that tree. Staying in the tree is in fact, generally speaking, the harder task than getting out of it.

The other big fix here is important stuff, as it was discovered by Dwarf Fortress' to be a related cause of big slowdowns by that second programmer they hired.

"Optimized relationship lookup for socializing dwarves" is a very small-sounding thing, but it turns out a lot of CPU cycles were getting spent on Dwarves trying to figure out if every person they said hello to while passing in the fortress hall was somehow, in the most byzantine ways, related to them—crawling family trees of procedural history in the process.

With Linux handled we're going full-on for adventure mode—Dwarf Fortress' world spanning roguelike exploration RPG arm. 

"The main work will be on adventure mode. There should be more to show there soon as we get the site travel images in place and get the character running around the world again. Putnam has been working on some interface changes that should allow us to more support the keyboard/mouse interface options as we go, which I know is concerning for some people. It has taken longer than we expected to get the ball rolling generally on adventure mode, but the time ahead is clear now and we're optimistic it'll go smoothly," they say.

You can find Dwarf Fortress on Steam.

PlatinumGames has announced that Hideki Kamiya, director of games like Bayonetta, is leaving the developer next month.

Earlier today, PlatinumGames shared a statement on Twitter that Hideki Kamiya will be leaving the studio in October. "We regret to announce that Hideki Kamiya will be leaving PlatinumGames on October 12, 2023," reads the statement. "We are truly grateful for his creative ideas, leadership, and contribution to the growth of PlatinumGames from our start-up to this very day. We believe that he will continue to succeed in his future endeavours as a game creator. We are looking forward to seeing the game industry grow into a better place with him in it. We wish him all the best for the future!"

Outside of being a key lead on numerous PlatinumGame titles, where he directed games like Bayonetta and The Wonderful 101, he was also one of the four founders of the studio, as well as the current vice president. Kamiya shared a brief statement on Twitter himself, where he wrote "This came after a lot of consideration based on my own beliefs. and was by no means an easy decision to make. However, I feel this outcome is for the best. I will continue to create in my Hideki Kamiya way. I hope you'll keep your eyes peeled."

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With Marvel's Spider-Man 2 due out next month, Peter Parker's voice actor Yuri Lowenthal thinks you should "get over" the character's face change.

When the remastered version of Marvel's Spider-Man was announced, along with it came the reveal that Peter Parker would be receiving a new face model. It was a bit of a controversial change, in part because some felt that the new face looked a bit too young compared to the previous one. The change went ahead of course, and the new model is obviously being used for the upcoming sequel. And in a recent interview with ComicBook.com, Lowenthal shared his feelings on the change and the reaction to it.

"The performance was the same for me. I got over it as soon as they said 'Hey, we wanna make this change so that the facial animation is better,'" Lowenthal said. "I said 'I'm all in!' I don't care if he looks like a goblin, if my performance is better, then I'm in. I'm kind of tired of talking about it to be honest, because I think everything that needs to be said has been said.

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In a recent interview, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth leads Tetsuya Nomura and Yoshinori Kitase shared their feelings on the term JRPG, both having different perspectives on it.

Earlier this year, Final Fantasy 14 and 16 producer Naoki Yoshida spoke about the term JRPG, and how he doesn't like it as when it first started to be used it felt like it was "a discriminatory term." It's an understandable point of contention, as while the genre is quite popular now, go back a couple of decades you'd find plenty of people being rude about the games just because they were Japanese. Now, in a new interview with The Guardian, Nomura, creative director of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Kitase, producer on the game, have shared their thoughts on the term.

Quite notably, Nomura expressed distaste for the term, whereas Kitase wasn't as put off by it. "I'm not too keen on it," Nomura said. "Certainly, when we started doing interviews for the games that I started making, no one used that term – they just called them RPGs. And then at some point – I can’t remember exactly when – people started referring to them as JRPGs. And I’m not really sure what the intent behind that is. It just always felt a bit off to me, and a bit weird. I never really understood it – or why it’s needed."

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Sea of Thieves is adding in a new mode as part of its tenth season that should make players who like to play by themselves quite happy.

Like any online game, Sea of Thieves is no stranger to griefers. It's a game about being a pirate, so there are some who take the role a bit too seriously, making sailing around the Sea of Thieves a not completely enjoyable experience. Season 10 is kicking off in October, releasing over multiple instalments, and as detailed in a recent Xbox Wire blog post, a new mode is being added in: Safe Seas.

"Safer Seas is intended to offer a gentler introduction to Sea of Thieves for new players, as well as providing a quieter map for existing players looking to pursue their own solo adventures," the blog post describes. "If you’re hoping to get some peaceful fishing done, or complete a few Tall Tales without interference, Safer Seas is the perfect choice. All applicable Commendations can be progressed in this game mode, so there’s a lot to work towards without needing to keep an eye on the horizon for enemy players."

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Originally released on the Game Boy Advance, Kirby and The Amazing Mirror is making its way to Nintendo Switch Online next week.

If you're a Nintendo Switch Online and Expansion Pack subscriber, you'll be happy to hear that from September 29 you'll be able to play what is arguably one of the best Kirby games. Kirby and The Amazing Mirror first launched on the Game Boy Advance almost 20 years ago in 2004, and like previous entries in the series it featured four-player co-op. The good news about its addition to Nintendo Switch Online is that like other games on the service, online multiplayer is being added meaning you can still play through the game with friends without having to worry about using any link cables. That's right, younger readers, you had to physically connect your consoles to play together in 2004.

You'll also be able to play the game in local co-op too, but obviously you'll have to fight over who gets pink Kirby. On top of that, there are a selection of mini games - sorry, "subgames," - that you can compete in against your friends. My personal favourite from my childhood was Crackity Hack, which literally just involved smashing a rock to cause a shockwave that tears the ground open slightly. Some real good game feel in that one.

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The list of games leaving PlayStation Plus in October 2023 has surfaced, and there are 16 in total.

September is getting long in the tooth, so you don't have much time left to download the following games before they are pulled from the service.

Some are rather high-profile gets, like Yakuza 3-5, Far Cry4 and Far Cry 5, Inside, Limbo, and The Medium, for starters.

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With the latest update to Game Pass live, it means that older releases must make way for the new ones, and seven games are leaving the service soon.

This month, you have until September 30 to download and play the following games until they are pulled:

Beacon Pines (Cloud, Console, and PC) Despot’s Game (Cloud, Console, and PC) Last Call BBS (PC) Moonscars (Cloud, Console, and PC) Outriders (Cloud, Console, and PC) Prodeus (Cloud, Console, and PC) Weird West (Cloud, Console, and PC)

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There are a lot of ways that Starfield disappointed players. All the companions are squares, we can agree on that, right? None of them will let you indulge in your criminal side. The promise of ‘space piracy’ ended up being nothing more than some quest scaffolding for running around and harassing some ships. The space exploration was paper-thin; mainly completed through menus, not flying your ship around. Planets are dead, empty, mostly devoid of life or any intrigue. Starfield, for many, is a letdown.

So what alternatives do you have if you want to get out and see the breadth and depth of space? We all know about No Man’s Sky and its (wholly unexpected) redemption arc. We all know about Outer Wilds and its introspective, philosophical melancholia. We all know about Kerbal Space Program and its devotion to mathematical purity. But what about EVE Online? It’s 20 years old, now, and still going strong. And it was always built to represent one of the purest sci-fi fantasies out there.

From the earliest days of EVE, when Hilmar Veigar Pétursson and the kernels of CCP Games set out to create a virtual universe where freedom, consequence, and autonomy where the key focus points, the game has represented one of the most interesting experiments in the gaming world. At Eve Fanfest 23, I have seen actual people get elected into an in-game government, players whoop and holler at spreadsheets, and a literal Space Pope bless a passerby that was nearly in tears at the interaction. This game is serious.

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Larian Studios has released patch 3 for Baldur's Gate 3 and it's a doozy.

Patch 3 not only fixes several things, it also brings the full release to Mac and allows you to change your character's appearance in-game via the Magic Mirror.

For Mac users, as with the PC release in August, saves made in previous versions are not compatible with the full release. To prepare for the full version of the game and minimize potential compatibility issues, Mac users should fully uninstall the game and remove any mods before installing the latest version.

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“This is a marathon, not a sprint.” That might as well be the motto of CCP Games from what I’ve seen in my time at EVE Fanfest 2023. The term has come up in a documentary about the development of prize pig, EVE Online, in presentations about all the other projects the studio is working on, and – most commonly – when referring to the rollout of the newly-announced EVE Vanguard.

EVE Vanguard, per Snorri Árnason (game director at CCP), is “an age-old dream CCP has been wanting to realise.” The developer tried to do this with Dust 514, the sort-of MMOFPS PS3 game that CCP and Sony worked together on, way back in 2013. But that shut down less than three years later, citing low player counts. Since then, Project Nova and Project Legion were concocted to fill this EVE-sized, FPS-shaped hole. Neither released.

So, Vanguard. Árnason enthuses that this is CCP’s chance to finally “create a meaningful FPS experience” in the EVE universe. And from what I’ve seen so far, well, I think it has a chance to succeed. The first thing that’ll strike you about it are those absurd visuals. It’s not all smoke and mirrors, this; I saw it run, in real-time, as an actual game. It looks that good. Unreal Engine 5.2 does a lot of heavy lifting, and seeing Vanguard in action makes me even more excited about the future of the engine.

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EA FC 24 is now available through Early Access and also through the pre-order package of the new title, those who want the Standard Edition will have to wait until 29 September 2023.

With TOTW 1 currently out, we now move our attention over to TOTW 2 after an exciting weekend of matches this Team of the Week looks insane!

With hattricks and hattricks of assists, this weekend was full of inform players, let's take a look at who could make the next TOTW.

Team of the Week 1 was a great introduction to inform players, with fantastic players such as Salah and Lewandowski it definitely got people excited!

Team of the Week 2 will be released in EA FC 24 on 27 September 2023 at 6:00 PM.

So who deserves an upgrade this week? Here are our predictions!

After scoring three goals and assisting two in Bayern Munich's 7-0 win against VfL Bochum, Harry Kane is most certainly going to be included in this TOTW. He is currently 90 rated in EA FC 24 meaning he will get a +1 upgrade to 91 rated.

A goal and an assist for Cancelo in Barcelona's 5-0 win against Real Betis makes him a strong candidate for the latest TOTW. Currently, Cancelo is 86-rated meaning he could either get a +1 or +2 upgrade in EA FC 24.

Two goals in the North London Derby could secure Son's spot in TOTW 2, he would potentially be one of the best cards yet with fans being reminded of his iconic FIFA 17 POTM card at the start of the game.

In a 4-3 win over Al-Ahli, Ronaldo scored two goals to help secure the win for his team. Could this be the first biggest TOTW card coming from the Saudi Pro League in FC 24?

In a 2-1 win over Al Fateh, Kante got a goal and an assist making him crucial to help his team secure all three points.

Walker had a top-class performance v Nottingham Forrest helping a 10-man Manchester City side secure a clean sheet in a 2-0 win. With an assist to add to his clean sheet, Walker could potentially make it to TOTW 2.

With two goals in his 4-0 win over Marseille, Ramos is a strong contender for this next Team of the Week. At 80-rated, he could get a +2 or even a +3 upgrade to his card!

In a massive 8-0 win over Sheffield United, Trippier managed 3 assists making it a certainty that he makes this TOTW. Currently rated 85 overall we expect him to receive an 87-rated IF card on Wednesday!

For more of the latest EA FC 24 content, be sure to 'BOOKMARK' RealSport101.

EA FC 24 might be in early access but for the lucky players that already got their hands on the game, they'll be able to complete the Akpom Squad Foundation SBC.

As the name implies, Squad Foundations are great cards to start your Ultimate Team journey, being good enough to lead your team early on as you're on the hunt for even stronger cards.

If you're interested in more SBCs, we got plenty of guides already! We recommend you check the Kevin De Bruyne Flashback SBC, the James Maddison POTM SBC, and The Reds SBC. They are all relatively easy and can net you amazing rewards as you complete them.

So with that said, here's everything you need to know about the Chuba Akpom Squad Foundations SBC, including the cheapest solutions, stat cards, and more.

Start Date: Sunday, 24 September.

Expiry Date: Monday, 23 October.

You will need to submit two squads to unlock the Chuba Akpom Squad Foundations card, with the requirements as follows:

England SBC

Reward: 1 Small Electrum Players pack.

86-Rated Squad SBC

Reward: 1 Jumbo Gold pack.

Estimated cost: 75,000 coins

Check our solutions for each Chuba Akpom Squad Foundation SBC.

England SBC

86-Rated Squad SBC

This is just one of many solutions that can be found by using the easySBC AI. To get your own solution, go try it out at easysbc.io.

So there you have it! For more Ultimate Team and EA FC 24 content, check out the Mad Ready promo hub we got prepared for you. If you're in the mood to try out Career Mode, then don't miss out on the best CAMs for you to sign!

This year, EA Sports brought some interesting innovations, one of which is related to the king of all modes, Ultimate Team. In this article you'll learn the best Centre Backs for Evolutions in EA FC 24.

Thanks to the Evolutions feature, you can now upgrade your favourite players and play with them for a whole year. If you are interested in this, then keep reading!

But before that, make sure to take a look at our guide on how to use Controlled Sprint in EA FC 24. On top of that, you can also read our article on how to do a bicycle kick in EA FC 24.

EA FC 24 Evolutions is a major innovation to the Ultimate Team mode, allowing to upgrade and improve the characteristics of specific players who meet the objectives of Evolutions. The result of Evolutions is a significant improvement in statistics, skill and overall player ratings. This will bring a new feel to the already familiar mode that players have been waiting for.

Players that are eligible for EA FC 24 Evolutions must fit the following criteria:

Shooting: Max 78, Pace: Max 81, Overall: Max 78, Weak Foot: Max 4 star skills.

There will be multiple objectives throughout the year meaning that these requirements will change as FC 24 progresses.

In our option, the following players are the top 5 players who are the best centre backs to use for evolutions.

The young player of SM Caen Brahim Traoré is an ideal option for collecting Ligue 1. If all objectives are met, this bronze player will get an 83 overall and will be a real danger to forwards. His Defending score will reach 81, and his Physics will reach 86.

Ruby Mace is a young CB who plays for Manchester City in the Barclays Women's Super League. Although her opponents may have strong forwards in their attack, she will be able to hold them back if she upgrades to a total of 84. Her main stats are Defence 82 and Physics 83. Despite being a female, she will be the best evolution defender in the women’s Premier League.

Serie A player Nikola Milenković, who plays for Fiorentina, will be a wall in front of the opponents. Standing at 195cm tall, this player can increase his rating to 82 and will be the best in Serie A. His indicators are impressive, for example, Physics 89 and Defending 82.

Atletico Madrid women's star Merle Barth is a slippery player who will cause strikers problems. By upgrading her card to 82, she will be able to pass as well as defend better than most CBs. Her Passing is 79 and her Physics is as high as 86. The young German defender will be strong in defence.

Young star Erik Majetschak plays for FC Erzgebirge Aue. If the German centre-back is upgraded to a rating of 84, he will be a very balanced player. Literally, four of his main indicators will be above 80.

So there you have it! For more Ultimate Team and EA FC 24 content, check out the Mad Ready promo hub we got prepared for you. If you're in the mood to try out Career Mode, then don't miss out on the best CAMs for you to sign!

Clubs is a mode that has captured the hearts of many players competing for the title of best player in a particular position. Defence plays an important role on the football pitch, so this article will tell you about the best CB build in EA FC 24 Clubs.

To ensure that you are at your best while defending your goal providing cover for the rest of your team, let's take a look at what a professional virtual player needs.

By the way, if you are looking for more content, then be sure to check out our article on how to unlock PlayStyles and PlayStyles+ in EA FC 24 Clubs. Also, we've got a guide on how to change commentators in EA FC 24, feel free to check it out!

The central defender must be a wall to prevent the opposite team from getting close to the goal. Physical attributes come first when creating a player's profile, so let's take a look at what a central defender should look like in EA FC 24 Clubs:

It is very essential that you can push the opponent away in certain moments, but at the same time remain mobile and agile. The centre-back should be moderately tall and light to be able to run to the ball when needed. Let's take a look at the parameters that we recommend when creating a centre-back:

To be a wall in front of your team's gate, you shouldn't just improve your defence and physics, although this is also essential. A centre-back must be able to pass, receive the ball, and run fast to intercept counter-attacks in time. Let's take a look at what attributes you should spend points on in the skill tree to become a solid centre-back in Clubs mode:

This attribute is in the Pace subcategory, and it affects how fast you can run. We recommend that you level up this branch first if you have Quick Step PlayStyle enabled, but we'll talk about that later.

These two traits directly affect your ball control, which is important not only for centre-backs, but for players in any position. They are located in the Dribbling category, and you should definitely spend at least a few skill points on these characteristics.

This is one of the most important attributes of a true defender. It is included in the Defending subcategory, and this ability to intercept the ball should be a priority because it will ensure the destruction of the opponent's attack.

Standing Tackle can stop an attacker running towards you, or take the ball away from someone trying to hold it. Def Awareness affects how quickly a defender can return to his position if he is outside the area he is supposed to be defending.

These two attributes are in the Physical category and directly affect your player's stamina and jumping ability. By improving your player's jumping ability, he will be better at picking out balls that come over the top and will be more effective with headers during corners close to the opponent's goal. Stamina affects how quickly your player tires, so please keep in mind these attributes, as they are critical for a centre-back.

There are a total of 34 PlayStyles that you can upgrade to PlayStyles+, but let's focus on the ones that are most needed for a centre-back in EA FC 24:

As we mentioned when discussing the Sprint Speed attribute, this PlayStyle allows you to accelerate much faster. Use this style to run towards your opponent instantly.

Power Header allows you to make much better use of your head when competing in the air. This PlayStyle will make your headers more powerful and accurate, which will affect your effectiveness during corners or simply passing on top.

As soon as you activate this PlayStyle, you will immediately feel how much more effective your centre-back is at blocking shots that are flying into the goal. This is a must-have for any defender in EA FC 24.

The last PlayStyle is Bruiser. Thanks to it, your rolls will be much more powerful, so much so that your opponent will no longer look in your direction.

So there you have it! For more Ultimate Team and EA FC 24 content, check out the Mad Ready promo hub we got prepared for you. If you're in the mood to try out Career Mode, then don't miss out on the best CAMs for you to sign!

EA FC 24 has already captured the hearts of millions of players around the world, and the game modes it offers are truly exciting, including the well-known Pro Clubs. So next, we will tell you the best winger build for EA FC 24 clubs.

Creating the perfect winger can be tricky, especially at the beginning of the game when the skills available to you are limited. The updated Clubs mode has undergone major changes with the new systems, making it even more interesting to develop your character. Let's move on to the build.

But before that, if you want to read more guides, feel free to take a look at our article on how to change commentators in EA FC 24. On top of that, here we have a guide on how to do a Power Shot in EA FC 24, make sure to check it out!

The winger plays a vital role in the structure and effectiveness of the attack, creating chances and opening the enemy defense when required. To become a reliable and effective winger, you must ensure that your player has the right comprehensive build. Let's take a look at the best physical attributes of a winger in EA FC 24:

To become the best winger online, you need to combine physical strength and agility to be able to join and complete attacks instantly. Let's move on to building your professional virtual player:

Now that we've looked at the physical attributes, let's look at the sub-categories that you need to prioritize. These are the attributes where you have to spend your skill points to create the best winger:

Acceleration and Sprint Speed are extremely important attributes for any winger. With high values in this sub-category, you will be able to run onto the ball at lightning speed and outrun defenders who can only breathe down your neck. It is high speed that affects your effectiveness on the wing.

Players positioned on the wings are crucial for effective passes into the six-yard box. It is stats such as Crossing and Vision that will ensure your maximum efficiency in assisting the main forwards. Don't spend all your skill points on this skill, though, as other skills such as dribbling are also important.

This subcategory gives you the ability to get around your opponent and control the ball without unnecessary losses. Attributes such as ball control, balance, and agility, combined with 4–5 stars on skill moves, will turn a player into a second Pelé or Messi. This will allow the player to literally glue the ball to his feet and prevent unnecessary losses.

High marks in the Finishing, Shot Power, and Long Shots attributes will ensure that the player can maximize his performance even in the most difficult moments. These attributes affect how many and what kind of goals you will score, so you should level them up first.

You have to decide which PlayStyles to give your player. Each PlayStyle has a significant effect, giving the player unique talents and creating a special style. Let's take a look at which PlayStyles you should primarily use to make your winger as effective as possible on the virtual pitch in Club mode:

This shot can be considered a real art. In addition to being a gorgeous shot, it is also very effective, especially from the edges of the pitch or as close to the goal as possible. It is important to time the shot because it requires a little preparation.

Using this perk, the ball literally sticks to your player. You have a much lower chance of losing it at the first opportunity. Perfect control will allow you to effectively start your movement toward the enemy's goal.

This PlayStyle will allow you to gain even more speed during a controlled sprint. Also, the player uses wider turns under the drive with greater accuracy.

It increases your effectiveness for long-range shots. If you already have Finesse Shot activated, combined with the 5-star Weak Foot, you will become a goal-scoring machine that can do it from any distance.

And that's it! We'll have plenty of more EA FC 24 Pro Clubs content for you to enjoy.

The evolution of the FIFA franchise has finally arrived, although in early access. Sadly, for those that were looking to enjoy the EA FC 24 PC version, a lot of players have reportedly ran into a frustrating bug that restricts them from connecting to online servers specifically in EA FC 24, despite being able to connect to other EA titles seamlessly.

This issue, which was first reported by users via the official EA FC subreddit, has been causing uproar within the EA FC community. Even more concerning is the fact that, as of now, there is no permanent fix in sight.

Players have reached out to EA and their support, but the response has been slow and inadequate. Surprisingly, there has been no official mention of this problem on EA's Twitter, adding to the players' frustration.

As mentioned, there is no actual fix for this issue. The only temporary solution currently available is for players to pay extra on Steam for an EA Play subscription, which grants them a 10-hour trial of the game they've already purchased.

In addition to connectivity problems, players have reported various in-game bugs, including missing textures, such as crowd models and alternate uniforms. Some areas display missing text or code remnants, especially in team training strategies menus. There are also reports of unusual header animations where the ball doesn't connect properly with the player's head.

Considering the game is in early access, it'll remain to be seen if once EA FC 24 goes out to all players on 29 September, these issues will become more prevalent forcing the developers to take matters into their own hands.

If you haven't had any issues while playing and want more Ultimate Team and EA FC 24 content, check out the Mad Ready promo hub we got prepared for you. If you're in the mood to try out Career Mode, then don't miss out on the best CAMs for you to sign!

Speculation surrounding Valorant Agent 24 is at an all-time high. At the beginning of the year, Riot confirmed we'd be getting three new Agents throughout 2023, with the third and final one remaining a complete mystery until very recently.

We knew that an Initiator and a Sentinel would be released, these ended up being Gekko and Deadlock. The final Agent's role was not revealed, although we can speculate regarding what will it end up being.

Let's tell you everything we know about Valorant Agent 24 below, including release date, leaks, and more.

We don't know the exact release date for Agent 24 in Valorant. We do know it'll have to come out before the end of the year as Riot promised, leaving them with a solid few months for them to do so.

For context, Gekko was released with patch 6.04 in March, while Deadlock was released with patch 7.00 just this past June. Following this logic, we may see Agent 24 around mid to late October, or possibly early November.

The most recent leaks have come from ValorLeaks, revealing the codename under which the Agent is being developed - Architect. Usually, this rarely correlates to what the character will play like but it's fun to speculate regardless.

Another rumour popped up before ValorLeaks revealed the codename of Agent 24 stating that the character would have some sort of bulletproof ability. A rather OP-sounding one considering this is a tactical shooter, right?

It's safe to assume that Agent 24 will be a Duelist based on prior Agent releases. For one, the last Duelist added to the game was Neon in January 2022. Second, all other roles have gotten at least one Agent released in that timeframe (two Initiators, one Controller, and one Sentinel).

Naturally, as we have more information, we'll be updating this article accordingly. In the meantime, check out our updated Agent tier list to help you pick up a main!

At the beginning of the year, Riot Games promised a total of three new Agents in Valorant. With two already out, we finally got leaks regarding the third and final one, codename Architect.

We previously had some speculation regarding Agent 24, including the fact that they could have a bulletproof ability of some kind. However, thanks to the incredibly reliable ValorLeaks, we got our first piece of actual news regarding the future of Valorant's ever-expanding cast of playable characters.

If the information comes from ValorLeaks, rest assured it's going to be 99% solid. This time, he brought us the codename utilised for the Agent: Architect.

We know Valorant devs said at the beginning of the year that they would release three Agents during 2023. An Initiator, who turned out to be Gekko, a Sentinel, which was Deadlock, and a third and final one with their role yet to be revealed.

While we can still call this speculation, it's all but certain that Agent 24 is a Duelist. The last Agent that fit this category was Neon, released all the way back in January 2022, furthermore, prior to the release of Gekko earlier this year, Riot launched Harbor, a Controller.

Of course, only time will tell and as we get closer to the end of the year, we'll for sure know exactly who is Agent 24 and what role will he play in Valorant, both in terms of gameplay and story-wise.

If Architect does end up being a Duelist, it will become only the third one added post-launch, following Neon and Yoru. It would elevate the number of Duelists available to seven, making it the role with the most representatives, followed by Initiators (six). Sentinels and Controllers would remain on five Agents.

So there you have it! Are you excited for a new Agent in Valorant? For more content, check out the current Episode 7 Act 2 map rotation.

EA FC 24 has arrived via early access, with fans able to enjoy the latest changes to Career Mode or start their Ultimate Team journey where they can already complete some interesting SBCs like the De Bruyne Flashback. Still, some players are wondering - will David de Gea be in EA FC 24?

David de Gea's relative fall from grace is a tragic one. He spent 12 seasons at Manchester United after being poached by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011 following an impressive string of performances for Atletico de Madrid between 2009 and 2011.

Now, at the relatively young age of 32 (for a goalkeeper, at least) David de Gea is a free agent, with the Red Devils disposing of his services due to inconsistent performances over the past few seasons with some errors that were borderline amateur, let alone for someone that represented one of the most important clubs in Europe.

Whether is to stuff his card in an SBC in Ultimate Team or poach him as a decent free agent for a mid-table team in Career Mode, you might be wondering if David de Gea has somehow made it into EA FC 24.

Sadly as things stand, de Gea is nowhere to be seen in the game, being completely absent from both Ultimate and Career Mode.

Hard to say really since free agents have always been a thing in previous FIFA titles. It's surprising to see de Gea miss out this time. EA FC 24 is missing players such as Marco Verratti or Luis Suarez, who have transferred to leagues that are not licensed by EA Sports for instance, but these are completely different cases.

Perhaps to avoid an issue if de Gea goes the same route they've decided to exclude him completely.

Him turning up in some far-flung corner of the world - with obvious cash incentives - looks increasingly unlikely though, with recent reports stating that David de Gea is happy to hang up his gloves if he doesn't find a "major club" where he is guaranteed to be the no.1. The type of options only open to a man that has spent 11 years between the sticks for Man United, earning a reported 350K a week.

Regardless of his exclusion, you'll still be able to find top-talent in the goalkeeping department in EA FC 24 and of course, the best Spanish players are all part of the game as well.

Chiori is an Inazuman designer residing in Fontaine, set to be released during the Genshin Impact Fontaine cycle. According to Kirara's voice line, Chiori personally tailored the clothes she currently wears and runs a fashion label within Fontaine.

Out of the 18 new characters scheduled for release during Fontaine’s cycle, Chiori has yet to make her in-game debut. However, fans are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to play as her, thanks to her unique design and background. Here's everything we know about Chiori and her involvement in the Fontaine storyline.

Given Fontaine's status as a hub for art and culture, fashion and design play a significant role in its social fabric.

Chiori is a famous fashion designer from Inazuma who is currently running a fashion label in Fontaine, called Chioriya Boutique, located in Court of Fontaine: Quartier Narbonnais.

She is also one of the regular customers of the Komaniya Express. After an encounter while delivering a package to her, Chiori personally tailored Kirara's current outfit, as she was dissatisfied with her previous appearance. This led to increased recognition of her store as more people inquired about the outfit.

Her attire, adorned with a floral design, seamlessly melds traditional Japanese style with a modern Western influence. She maintains a sophisticated updo with a kanzashi (Japanese hairpin). Although she appears to be wearing a kimono, the short cutoff gives it the appearance of a frock. Additionally, she wears corsage gloves on both wrists and wears thigh-high lace-top socks, complemented by an intricate poppy-esque centrepiece on her back.

All the current voicelines about Chiori from various characters shed light on her no-nonsense approach to fashion, and commend her strong work ethic, even though she can be quite intense. She maintains an exceptionally high standard for her work and considers it a success only when both she and her customers are satisfied.

You can find below the existing voice lines about Chori from Kirara, Lyney, and Lynette.

Earlier leaks have revealed that Chori will debut as an Electro character. A recent leak from Randialosleaker suggests that this Inazuman designer will be a 5-star character.

Although Chiori has technically made her appearance in-game through hints dropped by existing characters, HoYoverse has yet to reveal her official in-game release date.

Chiori is expected to make her first appearance sometime during the Fontaine cycle, but players may not be able to recruit her as a playable unit until after Version 4.3. Credible leaks suggest that Furina and Charlotte will be the only new characters on Version 4.2 banners, while Version 4.3 banners will feature Navia and Chevreuse.

That's all we have on Chori for now. Feel free to check out our guides on other upcoming Fontaine characters like Navia, Clorinde, Sigewinne, and Chevreuse.

As always, it’s important to keep in mind that leaked information can be subject to change and should be taken with a grain of salt. However, all the information above comes from credible leakers who have maintained an impressive track record of accurate predictions regarding the game's development.

Interested in learning more about Fontaine and the Genshin Impact Version 4.1 update? Dive right into our 4.1 Livestream summary, and our guide on all the much-needed QoL changes coming to Version 4.1. Discover all that you need to know about the 18 new Fontaine characters.

On top of that, the 4.2 banners have been leaked! Get ahead of the curve and start planning your Primogem savings for your favourite Fontainian characters with our Fontaine character banner schedule here.

Hideki Kamiya, who directed Resident Evil 2 and was the chief creator of Devil May Cry, has announced his surprise departure from PlatinumGames effective October 12.

Confirmation comes from a statement issued by Platinum as well as a brief statement published to Kamiya’s Twitter account. In his statement, the 52-year-old said: “This came after a lot of consideration based on my own beliefs, and was by no means an easy decision to make.

“However, I feel this outcome is for the best. I will continue to create in my Hideki Kamiya way. I hope you'll keep your eyes peeled.” The statement suggests Kamiya plans to continue working in video game development.

However, I feel this outcome is for the best.
I will continue to create in my Hideki Kamiya way.
I hope you'll keep your eyes peeled.
(2/2)

Kamiya, who founded Platinum in 2006, is perhaps best known for his work at Capcom, where he directed a raft of influential games, including Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, and, while at Clover, Okami and Viewtiful Joe. At Platinum, Kamiya directed Bayonetta, The Wonderful 101, the canceled Scalebound, and was working on a brand new, self-published game codenamed Project G.G.

pic.twitter.com/GHiSugPF42

In a December 2022 interview with IGN, Kamiya said Project G.G. was “going to be so big that you won't even be able to compare The Wonderful 101: Remastered and Sol Cresta to it. Because of that, we need to become a company with publishing capabilities on that level, not just development power”.

Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

When it was released eleven years ago, Dragon’s Dogma stood out as a bold open-world action-RPG that didn’t conform to any pre-existing mold for the genre. From its one-of-a-kind Pawn mechanic that encouraged you to frequently swap out AI controlled companions from a network populated by creations from other players to its action centric combat that had you climbing all over giant monsters in order to specifically target weak points and bring them down to size, there’s nothing quite like it. Even to this day.

My big takeaway after playing an hour of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is that Capcom is doubling down on everything that made Dragon’s Dogma so unique, with a big focus on refining and polishing those elements to a shine. And in that regard, they’re succeeding. Pawns do everything that they did in the first game, but their contributions to both combat and navigation are more immediately noticeable. Melee combat feels more impactful and weighty, and exploration through its now seamless open world feels equal parts rewarding and dangerous. That said, after an hour of killing the usual Dragon’s Dogma rogue’s gallery of goblins, cyclops, saurians, harpies, bandits, and attempting occasional Griffin, I couldn’t help but wish that I experienced something that truly felt new in this sequel.

My demo began right outside the human kingdom of Vermund and gave me free reign to go wherever I wanted. I had a handful of quests that I could follow, with my Pawns already set with knowledge of those quests, meaning I could simply let them lead the way and not have to deal with constantly bringing up the map and making sure I was still on course. Pawns having experience and knowledge of quests is not new to Dragon’s Dogma, and occasionally they would lead you through some tricky-to-follow paths, but here in Dragon’s Dogma 2 it was far more reliable. A simple press of left on the D-Pad to issue a help command while out of combat was enough for my Pawn to understand that I was looking for a trail to follow, and thus they would grab my attention and start leading the way once I started running towards them.

The coolest interaction that I experienced with a Pawn was after having cleared a cave of bandits, I noticed a treasure chest on a platform that was well out of reach. By issuing the help command, though, I noticed that my fighter Pawn moved herself closer to the platform, and then kneeled down like she was waiting to give me a boost. Sure enough, when I ran over, she launched me up with the Springboard skill, and I was able to collect a rare Ferrystone.

Combat is largely identical to how it was in the original Dragon’s Dogma: you’ve got a button for weak attacks, a button for heavy attacks, and then by holding down the left bumper, you’ve got a series of four skills that you can equip for a variety of attacks and spells. One of the big differences this time around is that the right bumper is now tied to your Vocation Action, which as the name implies, is an action unique to your vocation. For fighters, their vocation action is to raise their shield and guard against enemy attacks; for thieves, they’ve got a quick dodge called Swift Step; and for archers they’re able to directly aim with a Steady Shot.

New to combat is a hit-stop effect that occurs when an enemy you’re attacking is low on life, indicating that they’re open to an execution by hitting them with a strong attack. It’s a light touch, but it goes a long way in making combat feel much more brutal and impactful. It’s worth noting that, like the original game, there’s no melee lock-on mechanic and no dodge roll, unless it's tied to your Vocation. It’s a bold choice, and I have a feeling that not everyone will like it, but it does lend a very particular feel to Dragon’s Dogma 2’s combat. It’s much less about split-second reflexes and fierce aggression, and much more about careful positioning, awareness of where enemies are, relying on your pawns for support, and knowledge of how to exploit enemy weaknesses.

I got to restart the demo several times in the hour or so I got to play, and the thing that really impressed me was how different each successive run felt. One time I walked down the same beaten path I traversed in a previous session and suddenly got attacked by a Griffin. In another I followed a quest down to a riverbank and got to fight against a handful of Saurians that I never saw anywhere else. And in another, I was guided by my pawn to a cave full of surprisingly tough bandits guarding a bunch of treasure and valuable materials, and me and my party got absolutely wrecked. I ended up having to load up an earlier save, but this encounter excited me because even though I was being guided by a Pawn, the exploration still felt organic, and it made me well aware that the world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 was one full of danger and riches in equal measure, which is the heart of great exploration in video games.

All that said though, there definitely was a sense of deja vu while playing through this demo. The skills I used as both a fighter and a thief were almost identical to the early game skills from the first Dragon’s Dogma, I didn’t fight a single new enemy type, nor did I fight any of those enemies in a way that was much different from how I’d fight them in the original game. If there’s one comfort that I can have as a fan of Dragon’s Dogma, it’s that Dragon’s Dogma 2 will offer up more of what I loved about that first game, and that many of those minor elements have been improved upon. I couldn’t help but wish that I walked away from my demo a little more excited about something new about the sequel, though.

Mitchell Saltzman is an editorial producer at IGN. You can find him on twitter @JurassicRabbit

At first glance Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior appears to be a stylish but somewhat straightforward isometric hack ‘n’ slash in the vein of Hades, but after having some hands-on time with it at Tokyo Game Show it’s clear that there’s considerably more to it. While rewinding time has become a common function in everything from platformers to racing sims over the years, Lysfanga implements its time manipulation in a surprisingly interesting way - allowing you to basically record yourself completing a series of attacks, rewind, and then fight alongside a time-shifted duplicate of yourself who serves as a sort of deadly instant replay of your previous run.

Thus each and every enemy encounter in Lysfanga quickly blossoms into an all-out attack of the clones. As you enter each arena the action is paused for a moment, allowing you to pan the camera around the environment and plot your most efficient path of attack, a bit like at the beginning of each scrap in Mario + Rabbids. Since you’re on a 10-second timer for each version of yourself, maximizing the number of enemies that each clone can take down and shortening the distance between targets with smart uses of the boost button is essential if you want to clear each zone in the fastest total time and score the maximum number of points.

Initial battles are appropriately basic as Lysfanga eases you into its tactical, time-shifting gameplay loop. My first few fights were structurally similar, with each arena branching out in three main directions, and it was just a manner of using one version of myself to clear out the handful of beastmen to the right, then using my second clone to tackle the enemy-filled corridor to the left, before finally deploying the third iteration of my avatar to tear through the remaining nasties in the center of the arena.

However, new enemy types and environmental obstacles were soon introduced that elevated each fight from being a simple test of how quickly I could deliver strings of combos with Lysfanga’s two-button melee system, into more of a complex strategic puzzle that I was forced to solve. Hulking enemy types toting massive shields swiveled to face me no matter which direction I struck from, meaning I had to use my first clone to attack them head-on so that they served as a distraction when I rewound time and attacked them from the rear with my second clone.

Elsewhere there were twin enemy types joined together by a tether of energy, allowing one to revive the other if it suffered any damage. Thus I had to attack one on my first assault, and then time my attack on its twin during my second run so that I could wear their health bars down simultaneously and knock them over. One-way paths, door switches, and even explosive flying bats that could be carefully knocked into crowds of enemies to take them all out in one blow were just some of the other variables I had to contend with as I tried to both thin the hordes in each arena and shave precious seconds off the clock.

It’s clear that Lysfanga’s time-shifting gameplay continues to scale in complexity and challenge. Although in the first half of my hands-on I was limited to up to four clones in the series of early game combat arenas I was faced with, in the second half I was dropped into a late-game boss fight where I was able to unleash up to 10 slash-happy doppelgangers at the same time, which made for an incredibly frantic spectacle. The boss was a towering beast on all fours capable of inflicting devastating one-shot deaths, and while the attacks of my initial clones only knocked tiny fractions of its health bar off each strike, by the time I had the full complement of decuplets hacking and slashing in concert the cumulative effect eventually enabled me to bring the beast to its knees. When I finally felled the monster after three truly intense waves of battle, I felt like giving myself a pat on the back 10 times over.

Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior is being published by Quantic Dream under its relatively new Spotlight publishing label, and it presents the strongest evidence yet that the French creator of Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human isn’t content to just deal in the sorts of cinematic, story-driven adventures that it’s built its reputation upon when it comes to the indie side of its business. Lysfanga certainly does feature a narrative involving goddesses and returning ancient evils, and I’m keen to see where it leads, but it’s clear that its innovative, incremental dungeon crawling is what could really distinguish it from the pack. Expected to launch on PC in early 2024, Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior seems like one to watch - or indeed re-watch.

Tristan Ogilvie is a Senior Video Editor at IGN AU. If he could turn back time he probably wouldn't have had that one beer too many last night.

Announced earlier this year, Bandai Namco's Sand Land looks to translate a cult Japanese comic into an open-world adventure. Playing it on the floor of Tokyo Game Show, I came away intrigued about the characters and story, but less thrilled about actually playing the full game.

Sand Land debuted in the year 2000 as a short-lived tale of a demon prince exploring a desolate wilderness – hence the title. Created by Akira Toriyama, a manga artist of major renown for his Dragonball series as well as his contributions to many games such as Dragon Quest, Sand Land remained a print-only phenomenon until 2023. A feature-length film debuted this summer, with this game serving as the next multimedia tie-in.

The demo opens on a strong note, with graphics that lean into its manga origins. All the characters look like they've wandered onto the screen straight from the page, with thick line art giving everyone sharp features. The characters all have personality, especially the protagonist, Beelzebub. He may look like an anime version of Hot Stuff the Little Devil (kids, ask your grandparents) but from minute one he's looking for adventure and action.

With Beelzebub and his two elderly companions driving across the desert, the first challenge thrown at the player is a set piece where our leads catch the attention of a massive dragon. Beelzebub drives towards the camera as the dragon gives chase; a distance readout at the top of the screen counts down until they reach safety. I found it tough to predict where the dragon would burrow up and attack, but the vehicle is sturdy enough to survive multiple hits. I think the only strategy is to keep winding back and forth to prevent the dragon from getting a fix on your heading.

Once they escape, Beelzebub and his pals arrive in a "village" that is all but deserted. The team has a quick chat before deciding to seek a more populous area, and the game places a handy visual marker on the HUD. With that, I took off across the desert again, following a clear path of tire tracks towards my goal. We drove past some wandering dinosaurs—a staple of Toriyama's works—and a few bandits who showed passing interest in our truck before giving up when I ignored their grenades.

As we approached the set destination, one of Beelzebub's companions pointed out a large mark painted on a mountainside, identifying it as a pirate icon. Befitting a cocky hero, Beelzebub took the news with excitement, proclaiming he'd beat them all up. His friends exercised caution, but it proved to be a moot point as Sand Land automatically dragged our heroes straight into the pirate's trap. A line of spikes popped all four truck tires, forcing Beelzebub to dismount and fight hand-to-hand.

I would describe the action in Sand Land as boilerplate: Beelzebub can punch enemies with light attacks or wind up to deliver a powerful blow. You can hold down the button to charge the heavy attack or tap it mid-combo to trigger a kick that sends opponents up into the air, giving Beelzebub time to land even more hits before they come crashing down. There's a short-range dodge move to avoid enemy strikes and a lock-on command to keep the camera fixed on one threat at a time. A meter fills over time to unlock super attacks, but I can't vouch for their usefulness. The one time I triggered it, despite having an enemy in my line of sight, they seemed unfazed.

Fighting the pirates proved to be as easy as Beelzebub said; I think I only took one hit even as the gang had me surrounded. Much like the protagonists, I thought the pirates looked like fun characters that I would welcome learning more about. They seem like barbarians from Fist of the North Star, and I do enjoy a silly recurring foe that poses no threat to the hero but steadfastly continues to attack him.

What happened next truly surprised me though: After less than 10 minutes of gameplay, the demo came to an abrupt end. I knew Sand Land had only been announced over the summer, but I had expected a more thorough cross-section of the world. I glanced at other demo players and it occurred to me that I might have made a mistake. Open-world games live or die based on what lies off the beaten path. I had followed the game's instructions precisely and rushed straight to the finish line. Clearly I had to come back for a second excursion into the desert.

I returned to the Bandai Namco booth for another chance, somehow fairing worse at the chase sequence this time but still making it safely to the dried-up village. Instead of triggering the quest to mosey onwards, I ran around and tried talking to the few people I could find. They all reacted with extreme shock, assuming that Beelzebub wanted to eat their souls. Beelzebub scoffed every time; he must be used to humans freaking out around him. I should add that all these conversations were fully animated and voiced, adding to the comedy of the poor panicked folks who thought their lives were in danger.

When I finally did move on, I ignored the quest marker and the primary path to drive freely around the desert. I found a cave with three storage chests inside, though I don't know the significance of the items they contained—it didn't seem to be money or treasure. I also found a gem deposit in a rocky wall that produced resources when smashed, although a similar-looking boulder nearby didn't yield any pickups even though it clearly reacted to fisticuffs.

I tried fighting the dinosaurs who put up a larger fight than the pirates but nevertheless couldn't handle Beelzebub's blows. The bandits were even less formidable, but they offered a finer prize in their armored tank. This time around I noticed that Beelzebub specifically said out loud, "We should beat up those guys and steal their tank," so the game was trying to give me a hint that ignoring enemies wasn't the best solution.

Once in the tank, I gained access to a powerful cannon and a heavy machine gun. These weapons made short work of ordinary enemies, as a single shell took out dinosaurs in one blast and sent bandits running for the hills, literally. However, I soon found that exploring the desert in an armored vehicle led me to encounter much stronger beasts, such as a bigger version of the dinosaurs I had so easily defeated earlier. These bruisers shrugged off direct artillery fire and charged forward to smash the tank while I struggled to reload.

Again, the demo cut me off long before the timer set by the Bandai Namco staff chimed. Such is the nature of playing at a big event like TGS, sadly. Still, my second playthrough justified my curiosity, proving that the demo did indeed offer more than a leisurely desert drive and a single fight. I left the booth wondering how many elements could change. If I managed to take the tank into the pirate's trap, would their spike strip have still incapacitated my ride? Or would a different cutscene play, allowing me to shoot the pirates without the need for melee combat?

The real question going forward is how well the developers will fill this open world with memorable locations, characters, and loot. I don't know the Sand Land story so I have no expectations for how it might be adapted, but I've played plenty of games that rely on exploration and discovery to deliver a satisfying experience. We're less than six months removed from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's launch, a game I played for almost 200 hours before finally wrapping the main story. I could have played for twice as long, too, had I sought to complete every sidequest.

Obviously I cannot expect a TGS demo to compare to a game Nintendo devoted years of time and an untold budget to perfecting, but I can say that Sand Land has a long way to go before I'd consider giving it another look. Bandai Namco has yet to announce a release date, so perhaps the developers will have the resources they need to turn this literal sandbox into a figurative one. At present, the driving, combat, and exploration don't entice me to dig any deeper.

Hello, IGN reviewers in training. Welcome to another week of community reviews, in which we give you the opportunity to score your favorite (or not-so-favorite) games that are based on a specific theme. Our previous theme was space, which you can check out here. This week we’re bringing it back to Earth by showcasing a Playlist featuring some of Earth’s mightiest heroes.

With this week’s theme being superheroes, and with all the recent news about Spider-Man 2, it is a great time to see how you rank some of the previous Spider-Man games and/or those starring other popular superheroes. So head to the page for your favorite games and leave your reviews to help them get the attention they deserve. We've compiled a playlist featuring 50 of the biggest superhero games, including Spider-Man, Batman, the X-Men, and other franchises to get you started – but feel free to leave a review for any of your favorites we may have missed. All you have to do is head to a game's page and click the Rate Game button to get started.

For those of you who missed the rollout of Community Reviews, you can check it out here. Remember, the biggest and best games, based on user review scores, will make the leaderboard showcasing what the IGN audience believes to be the best games of all time. So here is your chance to tell the world why you think a game you've played is the greatest – or worst – thing ever (or maybe somewhere in between). You can sign up for an IGN account to unlock the ability to create custom playlists, write user reviews, and more by clicking the Register button in the lower left of the page anywhere on IGN.

Konami has unveiled new information about the expected resolution and framerates of the three games in its upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1. But fans aren't happy with what they're seeing, particularly regarding Metal Gear Solid being locked to 30fps across all consoles.

The table above was shared on an official Konami website for the collection earlier today, and most notably has Metal Gear Solid locked to 30fps across all platforms. Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3, on the other hand, both run at 60fps on everything but Nintendo Switch. What's more, all the games are stuck at 1080p resolution on everything (except the Switch's handheld mode, which doesn't support it) and never make it to 4K.

As fans are pointing out, these limitations feel incredibly frustrating given the age of the games, as well as the fact that HD versions of MGS2 and MGS3 were released years ago for PS3 and Xbox 360 and ran at 60fps just fine. What's more, Konami previously told multiple outlets (including us) that "the collection" would target 60fps on everything but the Switch - which feels misleading given the now-published chart.

We'll have to see just how acceptable all this ends up looking when the collection launches October 24. We did play a Switch preview last month, though our previewer reported experiencing "significant slowdown" in MGS2 and 3 at the time as well as other technical blips.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

The pile of squid ink spaghetti, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week's reset. If you're looking to get you some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further.

Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he's got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians.

We've rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP.

Xûr's location can be found at The Tower on September 22 through September 26. To reach him, travel to the landing point at The Courtyard and make your way to the Hangar. Hang a left when entering the hangar and you'll come face-to-face with space Amazon.com.

Exotic Engram

Cerberus+1 - Exotic Auto Rifle

ST0MP-EE5 - Exotic Hunter Boots

Armamentarium - Exotic Titan Chest Armor

Phoenix Protocol - Exotic Warlock Chest Armor

Warlocks definitely got the most interesting Exotic roll this week, with a low Mobility/Recovery and extremely high Resilience roll with nice stat totals to boot. The others range from mid to bad, so probably stay away from those.

Also, Cerberus +1 is always worth a laugh.

Hawkmoon - Exotic Hand Cannon

Hawkmoon's roll this week is just alright. Grab it if you need it, but I gotta assume a better one is right around the corner.

Timeline's Vertex - Fusion Rifle

Fire and Forget - Linear Fusion Rifle

Jian 7 Rifle - Pulse Rifle

Piece of Mind - Pulse Rifle

Sojourner's Tale - Shotgun

Blood Feud - Submachine Gun

Temptation's Hook - Sword

My picks this week are Fire and Forget with Headstone and High-Impact Reserves, for a fairly spicy DPS machine, and the Jian 7 Rifle with Firmly Planted and Rampage, making it ideal for crouching somewhere to pick off enemies from afar.

For Warlocks, Xûr is selling the Wild Hunt set which includes:

Wild Hunt Gauntlets

Wild Hunt Chest Armor

Wild Hunt Helmet

Wild Hunt Leg Armor

Wild Hunt Bond

Warlocks have an absolutely fantastic roll on their boots, with a stat total of 67, super low Mobility, and high Recovery, you should definitely get these.

For Titans, Xûr is selling the Wild Hunt set which includes:

Wild Hunt Gauntlets

Wild Hunt Chest Armor

Wild Hunt Helmet

Wild Hunt Leg Armor

Wild Hunt Mark

Titans have been graced with some absolutely stellar armor pieces this week, the best of which are the gauntlets and the boots, but honestly all of these could easily have a place in your collection. Amazing!

For Hunters, Xûr is selling the Wild Hunt set which includes:

Wild Hunt Gauntlets

Wild Hunt Chest Armor

Wild Hunt Helmet

Wild Hunt Leg Armor

Wild Hunt Cloak

Somehow, Hunters might actually have the best armor this week with a roll on their boots that practically brings a tear to my eye. You could honestly buy this whole set and wind up with a pretty darn good armor set overall. Wild!

That's a wrap on Xûr for this week, Guardians! What do you think of Season of the Witch so far? Let us know in the comments! For more on Destiny, check out our review of Destiny 2: Lightfall and read about how Sony's purchase of Bungie fits into its larger plans.

Travis Northup is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @TieGuyTravis and read his games coverage here.

The leaked news of Microsoft’s plan for a slim version of the Xbox Series X is not surprising – the Xbox 360 had not one but two slim versions, and the Xbox One got the significantly smaller Xbox One S, while Sony has released smaller versions of every PlayStation so far up through the PS4. But what is shocking, at least if the plan hasn’t changed, as Phil Spencer suggested some of it has in his acknowledgement of the embarrassing spillage of Microsoft’s hardware roadmap, is that the “Brooklin” (as the skinnier Series X is codenamed) doesn’t have a Blu-ray drive.

This begs the question: is the Series X that’s on store shelves and in my gaming room right now the last Xbox console that will ever include an optical drive – since the Gen10 Xbox due out in 2028 would likely follow suit and drop the disc drive? And if so, what does that mean for the future of how we buy and play games?

First, it means that Microsoft would be pulling out of retail almost entirely. Sure, they’d still love to have shelf space at the Targets and Best Buys of the world to sell the consoles themselves, but that’d be it – except for maybe a spot on the gift card rack to sell Microsoft Store gift cards. This likely wouldn’t be the bold, disruptive, and risky move it would’ve been even five years ago, though, as consumers of all goods continue to do more and more of their shopping online for the things they want and need. Shopping malls are rapidly emptying out and going extinct (which, as someone who grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s thinking malls were the coolest places ever – Foot Locker! Babbage’s! The food court! The arcade! – saddens me a bit).

On a similar note, a mainstay of the video game retail ecosystem, GameStop, might finally go extinct. The company has been on a downward spiral for years as gamers have naturally been shifting to more and more online purchases, but Xbox going all-digital could push them over the edge of bankruptcy – especially if PlayStation follows suit. Sure, Nintendo likely won’t be walking away from physical media anytime soon, but can GameStop survive on Nintendo cartridges alone? I wouldn’t bet on it.

If Sony ends up sticking with Blu-ray for the duration of this console generation and particularly the next one (and it is perhaps a bit more incentivized to do so, since it owns the Blu-ray standard), it makes Microsoft’s move that much bolder. But it wouldn’t be the first time Microsoft made a big bet on where the future was headed. In 2001, Microsoft put ethernet ports on every single original Xbox console, intending to launch a broadband-only online gaming subscription service a year later, at a time when 56k dial-up modems were still the most common vehicle for internet connectivity, and subscription services were anything but normal – particularly in the video game space. That bet paid off handsomely, as Xbox Live became the best place to play games online – not just on consoles but arguably compared to a PC as well, which had its share of dial-up players, nor was a chat headset standard equipment for every player.

A later big bet – bundling the Kinect motion controller in with every single Xbox One – didn’t work, but the point is that Microsoft’s gaming division has never shied away from risks. In fact, that same Xbox One tried to go always-online before infamously backtracking on its 24-hour online check-in policy before launch.

And so the question is: is the console market now ready to go all-digital? After all, PC gaming has been there for years, and it’s thriving. I would argue that it is. The all-digital Xbox Series S has been a hit, outselling its more powerful (and, yes, more expensive) disc-drive-including sibling. Xbox Game Pass, the all-digital Netflix of gaming, has over 25 million subscribers. For gamers who still prefer to buy games on discs, either due to preference or internet bandwidth limitations, Microsoft can easily sell an external Blu-ray drive that connects to the Brooklin through its front-facing USB-C port.

Regardless of where Microsoft goes, the next five years of console gaming are going to be mighty interesting.

EVE Online has featured several of the biggest PvP battles in gaming history, but it only lets you fly one ship at a time. Set in the same universe but from a very different perspective, EVE Galaxy Conquest is a multiplayer 4X strategy game that puts you in command of your own outpost and an entire fleet.

The factions and warships should be familiar to EVE fans, but you'll be able to command large numbers of them without having to yell at a bunch of mercenaries over discord to stick to the freaking plan.

In typical 4X fashion, a foray into a contested star sector will begin with a humble stronghold surrounded by unexplored space which can be captured, exploited for resources, and fought over. Galaxy Conquest is PvP-centric, with the ability to form alliances with and backstab other players to reach the center of the map and take on a difficult final challenge. This will involve exploring, mining resources, building and upgrading fleets, and navigating player-driven politics in a similar vein to the MMO.

Galaxy Conquest has a seasonal structure, with each season representing a fresh start with new mechanics and ships available. Each season will be a few months long. Some progression will be account-wide, but unlike in EVE Online where dominating an area of space might require endless vigilance, jumping in at the beginning of a season will allow you to stake your own claim without decades of entrenched politics to work around. We'll also be running into some major NPCs from the EVE universe, many of whom have never been given a canonical look before now.

EVE Galaxy Conquest will be soft launching on Android and iOS later this year. CCP Shanghai has not announced any plans for a PC version so far, but they didn't rule it out as a possibility. Likewise, we didn't learn anything for sure about the monetization other than it will be similar to other free-to-play mobile strategy games.

His name may quite literally be the title of the game, but Alan Wake is not the only main character in Remedy Entertainment’s upcoming survival horror. The ‘2’ in Alan Wake 2 doesn’t just point to its sequel nature, but also to the duality that runs through the entire game. Two protagonists. Two perspectives. Two worlds. And two approaches to gameplay.

“Obviously we're making a sequel and we knew that Alan was going to be a big part of it,” says Kyle Rowley, Alan Wake 2’s game director. “But we also knew that we wanted to have a different perspective for the players who are maybe not familiar with Alan Wake 1.”

The second perspective is that of Saga Anderson, an FBI agent investigating a ritual murder. For September’s IGN First we spoke to two developers at Remedy to learn how they created different experiences for both Alan and Saga, how they developed two unique spins on the core survival horror gameplay, and how swapping between the two leads affects the way Alan Wake 2’s story unfolds.

Saga’s case brings her to Bright Falls, the small town America setting of the original Alan Wake. “She's here with her partner, Alex Casey, trying to solve this increasingly impossible seeming series of mysteries,” explains Molly Maloney, principle narrative designer on Alan Wake 2. “She's a really complex person, and I think as you go deeper into the game, you get to see more and more sides of her.”

While Saga is the story’s new character, it's through her that you’ll experience the setting of the original game, along with all its Twin Peaks-inspired oddities. “Saga obviously exists in our world, so it's a more grounded reality, but it's still Remedy's take on the Pacific Northwest, which means it's a little quirky, a little interesting, a little weird,” Maloney says. “So I'd say overall the vibe of her side of the story is, it's sinister, it's moving through exploration, plotting, and methodically trying to solve these pieces. But also at the same time it’s interspersed with these profound moments of really weird, disturbing, exciting, supernatural combat.”

“The first game was very much focused on combat,” Rowley notes. “Here we wanted to hook into that idea of being an FBI agent, a profiler, someone who's investigating ritual serial killings. And that leads into gameplay of exploring the world, finding clues, talking to people, having this kind of case board where you're piecing everything together.”

It’s not exactly L.A. Noire, but Alan Wake 2’s slower, more exploratory gameplay is significantly different to the approach of its predecessor. A similar radical switch-up can be found in Alan’s side of the story, too. While Saga investigates murders in the real world, our titular hero fights for survival in The Dark Place, a realm of nightmares that manifests itself as a noir-like rendition of New York City. Wake has been trapped there since the conclusion of the original game, released back in 2010.

“Well, as you can imagine, somebody who's spent 13 years inhabiting the Dark Place being stalked by malevolent forces definitely has a bit of, I hesitate to say paranoia, but it's earned paranoia,” explains Maloney. “So his spaces, his side of the story definitely has a lot more of that tone.”

“Unlike Saga's side of the story, the Dark Place does not obey the rules of reality that you would expect,” she adds. “And so it's a kind of place that shifts and changes in unexpected ways that are designed to keep both Alan and the player on edge.”

The Dark Place doesn’t just shift and change; Alan himself can alter the world around him. This comes to life through environmental puzzles, such as dead ends that can be reshaped into explorable routes.

This shifting of reality is conducted in The Writer’s Room. Upon a chalkboard that exists only within Alan’s head, you can use moments of inspiration discovered throughout the world to craft new ‘stories’. These stories translate into The Dark Place and reshape the space around you. Find the right inspiration and you can unlock new pathways and secrets, which in turn push Alan’s story forward.

Saga also has a mechanic that only exists within her head. It's called The Mind Place, and at the center of it is the Case Board. Here you can arrange clues and evidence that you’ve found in the real world into lines of investigation. Connecting clues unlocks new mission objectives, which in turn pushes Saga’s investigation forward.

“It's tricky because ultimately we're creating one holistic game, Alan Wake 2,” says Rowley. “And we were quite aware that we did not want players when they were switching between the characters to feel like they have to relearn the game all over again.”

“The actual game mechanics the player has to utilize are kind of the same across both characters,” he continues. “The context and the worlds and the situations they're in are very different, so we definitely wanted to make sure that they had their own unique twist on that same core experience. Saga has her Mind Place and the Case Board. Alan has his Writer's Room and the Plot Board. So they're the same, but there was a difference.”

Remedy has applied this ‘same, but different’ approach to each protagonist’s combat experience, too. “For Saga, we're more leaning on the anticipation of the encounter,” Rowley says. “We have less combat in this game compared to the first game by quite a lot, but we didn't want it to feel like there's no danger at any moment. So we play on the player's expectations.”

“For Wake, the core combat loop is the same,” he continues. “I still need to use my flashlight, I still need to burn away the darkness. But we're a bit more focused on the idea of paranoia and not being able to trust what's real. So we have enemies that are kind of shadowy. You're not sure, some of them will fade away and then not attack you, but some of them will attack you.

“[We’re] trying to create different types of emotional responses from the player, but utilizing the same kind of core gameplay loops that we've established.”

In many games with multiple main characters, the perspective switches at specific moments that have been pre-planned by the developers. Remedy has rejected this approach. Instead, Alan Wake 2 will allow you to switch between Saga and Alan’s perspectives as you wish. You could alternate between characters each chapter, or play Saga’s side of the story to completion and then swap to Alan. This means you could witness the events of the game in a very different order to another player, something Remedy has had to meticulously plan for.

“With two protagonists, it felt like a really great opportunity to jump between the two,” says Maloney. “But when it came to structuring that story, [...] it required a lot of iteration to make sure it was really satisfying, not just two stories you jump between.”

When playing as Saga, events you witness can act as responses to things you’ve already seen as Alan, or foreshadow moments you’ve yet to experience in The Dark Place. To make sure all this plays out as intended, you can only swap perspective at specific points in the story.

“There was a version where you could actually switch between the characters a lot more freely and a lot earlier,” reveals Maloney. But what seemed good on paper failed in practice. Remedy eventually scrapped the free swapping and replaced it with Break Rooms; locations throughout the world that offer players the choice of continuing as their current character or switching to the other perspective.

“As we started standing up the material and looking at it, we realised that for the story to make sense, there are linchpin moments that you need to have to tie it together,” Maloney explains. “Alan needs his arc, of course, Saga needs her arc, and then the two of them together also need an arc. And that arc needs to be flexible depending on the order. That's an impossible challenge to do simultaneously, at least for me.

“So we focused on one at a time. Let's make sure Alan feels good, let's make sure Saga feels good. Now let's start looking at how you can jump and where it feels right to jump. And that work allowed us to identify those linchpin moments. And that's where you started to see the break rooms appearing.

“By identifying those moments, we made sure that you could never switch in a place where you would miss a critical piece of information for that to make sense,” she explains.

Switching between these dual perspectives adds texture to Alan Wake 2. But it also grants player agency when it comes to navigating tension and fear.

“We wanted to go, ‘Okay, this sequence that you're playing as Saga, maybe it's a bit too intense,’” says Rowley. “You [can] just go hop and play as Alan where he's exploring the streets or whatever and vice versa. So giving the player a bit of agency over how they want to play through this game so we're not hand-holding them through the whole thing.”

Across both Alan and Saga’s sides of the story, Remedy has used different approaches to the same core mechanics to create two bespoke experiences. The two combine to make the whole that is Alan Wake 2; a single story made up of two distinct experiences.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.

Over the weekend, Capcom revealed the Japanese price points for both upcoming iOS and iPadOS ports of Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 4 Remake , in addition to confirming the release date for Resident Evil Village. Since then, pre-orders have gone live for Resident Evil 4 Remake confirming the DLC arriving alongside the game, and also the download size and other details for the upcoming Apple port of the horror masterpiece. Resident Evil 4 Remake debuted on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam earlier this year, and it recently had its expansion Resident Evil 4 Separate Ways arrive on the same platforms. Read my Steam Deck review of Resident Evil 4 Remake here. You can watch Resident Evil 4 Remake gameplay from TGS 2023 at around 15:00 into the video below:

The video presentation above confirms that the free Mercenaries DLC and Separate Ways are in the works for Apple platforms. Resident Evil 4 Remake requires iOS 17 and later with A17 Pro chip or later on iPhone (just iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max right now), iPadOS 17 with an M1 chip or later on the iPad, and macOS 13.0 with an M1 chip or later on the Mac side. On Mac, the download size is 19.3GB on the App Store, but the iOS download size is around 700MB. If these numbers are not placeholder, the iOS version will likely have the full game download after you buy the in app purchase.

Speaking of in app purchases, since pre-orders are now live here, the price point for the game unlock and DLC have been revealed. The full Resident Evil 4 Remake game unlock is $59.99 with the extra DLC pack (to upgrade to Deluxe) costing $19.99. Don’t let the weapon upgrade tickets fool you into thinking this is new because those DLC sets are also on PC and consoles. A price point for Separate Ways is likely $9.99, though the in app purchase is not listed on the App Store right now. The current date on the store page is a placeholder. Pre-orders for the iOS and iPadOS version of Resident Evil Village are not live as of this writing. Will you be trying out Resident Evil 4 Remake on Apple devices later this year?

After a 3 week hiatus The TouchArcade Show returns with another action-packed episode! Well, maybe not so much “action-packed" as it is “packed with talk about the iPhone 15 Pro". Eli, being in a time zone 3 hours ahead of me, as well as being smart enough to convince his UPS guy to allow him to meet up at his first delivery spot in order to grab his package early, already had his iPhone 15 Pro Max early this morning. However, due to it taking AGES to transfer from his old phone, he didn’t get to actually use the darn thing in time for us to talk about it on the show. Me? My phone came well after we wrapped up and is still sitting in its box until I can finish writing… this… sentence. Done! iPhone here I come!

Don’t forget to shoot us emails with any questions, feedback, or anything else relevant or irrelevant to podcast@toucharcade.com. We read ’em all, and love decoding messages written entirely in emoji. As always, you can listen to us with the links below… And if you like what you hear, please subscribe and/or drop us a review in iTunes. Much appreciated!

As a companion to this audio podcast, we also do a video version of the same show that is exclusive to Patreon which allows you to see us playing the games we’re talking about. Backers can view the most recent video episodes of the TouchArcade show by clicking here. Be sure you’re logged in to see the latest content. For everyone else who is curious, you can check out our public patreon posts to see older episodes of the video podcast. If you like what you see, consider becoming a TouchArcade Patreon backer.

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 22nd, 2023. I’ve had a good night’s sleep, and though my body aches down to the last bit of sinew and meat, I’m at least thinking straight again. We’ve got a lot to look at today. A little bit of news. A couple of reviews from our pal Mikhail. A bunch of new releases of wildly varying quality. Some sales. Let’s get to it, because it’s a big fellow!

‘Kirby & the Amazing Mirror’ to Be Added to Nintendo Switch Online Next Week

I was wondering if we’d be seeing any further additions to the Nintendo Switch Online retro game catalog this month after the, er, interesting selection a couple of weeks back. The answer is yes, as Nintendo announced today that the Game Boy Advance Metroivania-ish Kirby & the Amazing Mirror will be added to the service for Expansion Pack subscribers next week on September 29th. This is a rather interesting one as it allowed four people to play together cooperatively via link cables, and that feature will be working here as well through the app’s local wireless and online multiplayer option. I’ve never been a huge fan of this one, but if I can play it with others online I could see reevaluating my stance on it. I guess I’ll find out next week!

Solar Ash, just like Bugsnax, was one of the indie games I was most excited to check out when it was revealed for PS5. I ended up buying it at launch when it released on PS5, and enjoying it quite a bit despite some technical issues. That was back in 2021. It then released on Steam last year, and now has hit Xbox and Nintendo Switch platforms. The sci-fi adventure platformer from the developers of Hyper Light Drifter on Switch is the first portable version I’ve played, and I’m impressed with the port despite the cutbacks.

When a developer that has made a game I love announces a new game, I usually try and avoid watching too much from the new project to go in and get surprised. With Solar Ash, I just watched one trailer to see its aesthetic, and held off on anything else until getting the game on PS5. I won’t lie, I was confused initially when I played it for a bit. Solar Ash felt like it was trying to do too many things with inspirations from Shadow of the Colossus, Journey, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and platformers. Its striking aesthetic is a highlight, but the gameplay might not click for all, but I got it. The asking price might put some off as well, which is why I wish Solar Ash had a demo. It is a risky game to release, and one that resonated with me enough to the point I gifted it to a friend on PC soon after it hit Steam.

Solar Ash on PS5 had some performance issues when I played it around launch, but nothing too bad. On Switch, the frame rate target is lower, and there have been noticeable visual cutbacks. The good news is that the aesthetic is still preserved here, albeit with more pop in and shimmering. I wouldn’t play Solar Ash‘s Switch version docked, but for portable play, it is a good version of the game. If you want to play on your TV or monitor and own another platform, grab Solar Ash there. Having tested it on Xbox Series X as well through Xbox Game Pass, that port is really great if you have the option.

If you skipped on Solar Ash back in 2021 or 2022, the Switch version is a fine way to experience it. The game itself remains the same, albeit with a good handheld conversion for Switch. While Solar Ash isn’t as amazing as Hyper Light Drifter, Heart Machine fans will find a lot to love here despite the visual cutbacks. Now we just need a physical release. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

It is always a good day when Experience Inc. releases a new dungeon RPG in the West. I’ve loved the developer’s output since the PS Vita days, and we’ve even seen its hardcore DRPGs like Stranger of Sword City hit Switch in a bundle release. When Experience Inc. announced Mon-Yu: Defeat Monsters And Gain Strong Weapons And Armor. You May Be Defeated, But Don’t Give Up. Become Stronger. I Believe There Will Be A Day When The Heroes Defeat The Devil King. in Japan, I was curious, but thought I should wait for a potential localization. It got a random fire sale in Japan on the eShop and I actually bought it back then and played for a few hours. It was a fair bit easier compared to other turn-based DRPGs, but had interesting systems.

Fast forward to this month, Mon-Yu: Defeat Monsters And Gain Strong Weapons And Armor. You May Be Defeated, But Don’t Give Up. Become Stronger. I Believe There Will Be A Day When The Heroes Defeat The Devil King. (yes the full name again) (*Shaun’s note: Mikhail wanted to abbreviate the title but I am a chaos gremlin and insisted on using the full one every single time) is available in the West on Switch, PC, and PS5 bringing its multiple classes, weapons, customization, many varied portraits, and three different playstyle options to English speaking audiences. Having played it on Switch and Steam Deck, it ended up feeling lacking despite doing a lot right.

Mon-Yu: Defeat Monsters And Gain Strong Weapons And Armor. You May Be Defeated, But Don’t Give Up. Become Stronger. I Believe There Will Be A Day When The Heroes Defeat The Devil King. is a first-person DRPG that has you moving on a grid-based map taking on various enemies with your customized party. I found it weird how levels seem to matter very little here, but that’s what makes this feel different with its larger focus on gear and quality of drops.

Experience Inc’s games are usually challenging, and Mon-Yu: Defeat Monsters And Gain Strong Weapons And Armor. You May Be Defeated, But Don’t Give Up. Become Stronger. I Believe There Will Be A Day When The Heroes Defeat The Devil King. isn’t a walk in the park despite its difficulty options. You also see a slight boost to HP and MP on death as a part of the game’s roguelite element. But there are some features that make it a game that might be easier for newcomers like the ability to save anywhere and the aforementioned difficulty options.

The biggest issue that holds Mon-Yu: Defeat Monsters And Gain Strong Weapons And Armor. You May Be Defeated, But Don’t Give Up. Become Stronger. I Believe There Will Be A Day When The Heroes Defeat The Devil King. back is its onboarding for newcomers. If you’ve already played a party-based first-person DRPG or a game from Experience Inc before, you will fit in here well and might even enjoy the mechanics a lot for how differently the developer approached some things here, but newcomers will need to spend time in the tutorial menus or learn by experience. (no pun intended)

Mon-Yu: Defeat Monsters And Gain Strong Weapons And Armor. You May Be Defeated, But Don’t Give Up. Become Stronger. I Believe There Will Be A Day When The Heroes Defeat The Devil King. is Experience Inc’s weakest DRPG on Switch, but it still is worth checking out if you’ve played the developer’s other releases and want more. I just wish the in-game mechanics were better explained for newcomers, and that the systems were a bit more polished to make the game hit the quality I expect from Experience Inc. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Looks like Game Mill has another license under its belt. Avatar The Last Airbender: Quest for Balance offers up eighteen chapters taking you on adventure based on the original series. Aang and his friends explore various locations from the show, solve puzzles, and attempt to master the elements. You can actually play through the entire game in co-op if you like, with support for two players via local and online multiplayer. Screenshots look good, but you never know how well these licensed games will turn out when it’s time to play.

More Bud! More Terence! More slaps! And a whole lot more beans! Given how localized the fame of Bud Spencer and Terence Hill is, the original Slaps and Beans was a surprisingly popular game. It was certainly an unusual take on the genre, and it paid proper homage to its source material. Now we have a sequel, and if nothing else it looks like it’s bringing the same kind of action and silliness that the first game offered. I’ll have a review of this one soon, so do look forward to that.

Oh, another nifty looking point-and-click adventure game. I’ll definitely try this one out and bring you a review soon. A thief ends up with more than he bargained for when the target of his latest robbery turns out to be a witch. He’s sent to a parallel world called Whateverland, and his only way back home involves teaming up with an extremely annoying ghost named Nick. A good premise and the art style seems interesting, so fingers crossed it turns out to get all the other bits right.

We’ve had games trying to recreate the feeling of martial arts epics going all the way back to the likes of Karateka, to varying degrees of success. Shuyan Saga tries to provide story via a visual novel-style set-up while also bringing in the action of real-time combat. There are two different combat systems here. One is for when you are taking on crowds, while the other is for one-on-one fights. That’s a lot of bite to try to chew on, and opinions on how well this game manages it seem to vary. Well, follow your heart.

Silly Venarabbit! Venatrix is not for kids! I’d call this the “Resident Evil we have at home", but more than anything it seems to be the “Alone in the Dark we have at home". Visually it seems decent enough, and the two different characters having their own stories helps add some extra value to the game. Still, the previous games from this publisher don’t fill me with much confidence that this game isn’t going to get dragged down by a bunch of annoying flaws. That’s just a hunch, though. This might turn out to be a great game, for all I know.

Now here’s a game TurboGrafx-16 owners might remember quite well. Originally released in the West back in 1992 under the name Shockman, this is actually the second game in the series. It follows Ratalaika’s release of the first game several months back, and there are a lot of familiar things about it. A similar wrapper, some art and manual scans, the usual shaders and such. You can play the original Japanese game, the old Shockman localization, or a brand-new localization under the above title. This is a much better game than the first, and I suspect that will be reflected in its score when I review it.

We might be assembling the Avengers of middling licensed games on Switch today. Here’s Outright Games with a Rainbow High game, and it fits the usual template. Choose your favorite character, explore the locations associated with the brand, and complete some simple puzzles and/or mini-games. I don’t know anything about Rainbow High and I’m not going to pretend this is aimed at a middle-aged guy like me, so I’ll leave it here and let you decide if it’s right for you or yours.

Wow, yes. We’re very close to the bingo here, with only Microids missing. Here’s Merge Games with a Cry Babies game, and it fits the usual template. Choose your favorite character, explore the locations associated with the brand, and complete some simple puzzles and/or mini-games. I don’t know anything about Cry Babies and I’m not going to pretend this is aimed at a middle-aged guy like me, so I’ll leave it here and let you decide if it’s right for you or yours. Yes, I copy and pasted that. I might keep it handy for future use.

Edia has another package of vintage Telenet games for your consideration. There are two Genesis/Mega Drive games here, the outstanding horizontal shooter Gaiares and the also-great top-down multi-directional shooter Granada. There are also two TurboGrafx-CD games here, a pair of vertical shooters called Avenger and Psychic Storm. In my opinion they’re decent but not great, and I think we’re getting past the novelty of seeing TurboGrafx games appearing in these sets. Anyway, you’re basically paying eleven bucks and change per title here, which I think is a fair deal if you enjoy all four of them. This could be a better deal, but it is what it is.

Here’s the inevitable fandisk for Taisho X Alice, doing the usual things these fandisks do. Which is to say, you get to see alternate viewpoints, side stories, “what-ifs", and so on from the universe of the original game. With that being the case, you should absolutely not play this until you’ve played the original Taisho X Alice. If you did and enjoyed it, here are more goodies to dig into.

Here’s a no-frills farming game at a no-frills price, and that might be something you want today. You can play alone or with a friend, but either way you’re mainly going to be focusing on planting, growing, and harvesting various crops. There are some mini-games to play, too. Don’t expect too much more than that.

You’ve got forty levels set across ten locations, three different characters with their own abilities, and a mermaid castle to rebuild. I guess the first game did well enough to call for this sequel, which meant the castle had to be broken again. Does this mean that buying this game might lead to the mermaid’s castle getting destroyed yet again? The power we wield is one we must not take lightly, friends.

Construction Machine Simulator 2023: Hard Truck Work Job ($12.99)

Galaxy Battle ($4.99)

Crimson Song – Yuri Visual Novel ($1.99)

Tough Law ($2.99)

(North American eShop, US Prices)

It’s never been cheaper to get the full Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak experience, and I’d certainly recommend it if you haven’t picked it up yet. The Mega Man Battle Network collections are at new low prices, and the Klonoa 1/2 collection is also at a bonkers low price. Check that list, and make sure to hit the weekend outbox on your way out the door too.

Select New Games on Sale

Bokura ($3.84 from $5.49 until 9/25)
Disney Speedstorm ($19.49 from $29.99 until 9/27)
NeverAwake ($19.99 from $24.99 until 9/27)
Filmechanism ($11.99 from $19.99 until 9/27)
Murderous Muses ($9.79 from $13.99 until 9/28)
Flowing Lights ($2.49 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Mega Man Battle Network Collection ($39.99 from $59.99 until 9/30)
Mega Man Battle Network Collection Vol. 1 ($29.99 from $39.99 until 9/30)
Mega Man Battle Network Collection Vol. 2 ($29.99 from $39.99 until 9/30)
Monster Hunter Rise ($15.99 from $39.99 until 9/30)
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak ($23.99 from $39.99 until 9/30)
Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak ($29.99 from $59.99 until 9/30)
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen ($4.99 from $29.99 until 9/30)
Resident Evil 4 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/30)
Phoenix Wright AA Trilogy ($9.99 from $29.99 until 9/30)

Mega Man 11 ($9.99 from $29.99 until 9/30)
JellyCar Worlds ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/2)
Fuga: Melodies of Steel ($23.99 from $39.99 until 10/2)
Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 ($35.99 from $39.99 until 10/2)
JoJo’s Bizarre Adv.: All-Star Battle R ($24.99 from $49.99 until 10/2)
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 ($4.99 from $49.99 until 10/2)
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series ($15.99 from $39.99 until 10/2)
Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythm Festival ($24.99 from $49.99 until 10/2)
The Answer is 42 ($1.99 from $2.99 until 10/5)
Chaos Galaxy ($14.99 from $19.99 until 10/6)
Magic Exposure: Yuri Visual Novel ($3.49 from $4.99 until 10/6)
Project Nightmares Case 36 ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/6)
Dragon Fury ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/6)
Book Quest ($2.79 from $6.99 until 10/6)

RPG Time: The Legend of Wright ($11.99 from $29.99 until 10/6)
Blow & Fly ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/6)
Papetura ($6.99 from $9.99 until 10/6)
Remorse: The List ($11.99 from $19.99 until 10/6)
Perseverence: Complete Edition ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/6)
Nightmare Reaper ($23.99 from $29.99 until 10/6)
Burnhouse Lane ($14.99 from $19.99 until 10/6)
DARQ Ultimate Edition ($12.49 from $24.99 until 10/6)
Buddy Simulator 1984 ($5.99 from $9.99 until 10/6)
Into the Dark ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/6)
Super Toy Cars Offroad ($5.99 from $19.99 until 10/10)
Islanders ($2.24 from $4.99 until 10/12)
Bramble: The Mountain King ($20.09 from $29.99 until 10/12)
Stray Cat Doors2 ($3.99 from $7.20 until 10/12)
Baseball Club ($3.99 from $9.99 until 10/12)
Ruku’s Heart Balloon ($7.69 from $10.99 until 10/12)
PHOGS! ($11.24 from $24.99 until 10/12)
The Last Hero of Nostalgia ($18.74 from $24.99 until 10/12)
The Last Hero of Nostalgia DE ($22.49 from $29.99 until 10/12)
Castle on the Coast ($2.99 from $14.99 until 10/12)
Effie ($3.99 from $19.99 until 10/12)

Sales Ending This Weekend

Alice Sisters ($2.39 from $5.99 until 9/23)
Armed 7 DX ($2.79 from $6.99 until 9/23)
Chef Life: A Restaurant Sim ($19.99 from $39.99 until 9/23)
Finding Teddy 2: DE ($3.99 from $9.99 until 9/23)
Gigantic Army ($3.59 from $8.99 until 9/23)
Guns N’ Runs ($4.79 from $11.99 until 9/23)
Guns of Mercy Rangers Edition ($3.59 from $8.99 until 9/23)
Harmony: The Fall of Reverie ($12.49 from $24.99 until 9/23)
Little Misfortune ($5.99 from $19.99 until 9/23)
RiMS Racing: EM Deluxe Edition ($11.99 from $59.99 until 9/23)
RiMS Racing: JM Deluxe Edition ($11.99 from $59.99 until 9/23)
Roguebook: Deluxe Edition ($6.99 from $34.99 until 9/23)

Satazius NEXT ($2.79 from $6.99 until 9/23)
Street Power Soccer ($2.99 from $29.99 until 9/23)
Train Life: Orient Express Edition ($15.99 from $39.99 until 9/23)
TT Isle of Man RotE 3 ($29.99 from $49.99 until 9/23)
V-Rally 4 ($4.99 from $49.99 until 9/23)
Verdict Guilty ($3.59 from $8.99 until 9/23)
Wolflame ($2.79 from $6.99 until 9/23)
WRC 8 Deluxe Edition ($5.99 from $59.99 until 9/23)
WRC Generations ($15.99 from $39.99 until 9/23)
1997 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/24)
Dungeon and Puzzles ($2.49 from $9.99 until 9/24)
Flutter Away ($10.39 from $12.99 until 9/24)

That’s all for today and this week, friends. We’ll be back next week with more new games, more sales, a lot of reviews, and some news. Now that my body and spirit are on the mend, I have to get started on the second half of the Tokyo Game Show experience: writing all of this stuff up. Wish me luck. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!

Square Enix usually has one of the bigger, more attention-grabbing booths at the Tokyo Game Show, and this year was no different in that sense. The line-ups to play pretty much anything there were among the lengthiest of the show, and there were constant crowds gathered around all sides. What is interesting is that this year it had a slightly thinner line-up than usual, focusing on the latest games for its biggest brands. While that could have included mobile, Square Enix was mainly pushing its upcoming console releases more than anything else. But when you’ve got that kind of ammo, why not use it?

Depending on your angle of approach, you would either run smack into Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest – The Adventure of Dai or Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The former is on the cusp of release, hitting Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam on September 28th. We’ll likely have coverage of the game for you on either Switch or Steam once it’s out, but it’s certainly shaping up to be an enjoyable action-RPG. The latter… well, it doesn’t really fit TouchArcade’s jurisdiction, but Final Fantasy VII Rebirth looks absolutely incredible and I imagine everyone at TouchArcade Towers is looking forward to its release next February.

As for games coming to mobile, the big one is SaGa Emerald Beyond, the latest chapter in the long-running series and one that looks to be following in the footsteps of Scarlet Grace. That game will be hitting iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4/5 in 2024. Square Enix had a spiffy new trailer for the game that debuted at the show, but we’ll have to wait a while longer before we can get our hands on the game itself. I’m really excited for this one because I thought Scarlet Grace was absolutely brilliant.

Outside of that, the only things mobile-wise that Square Enix was promoting were the on-going War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, which apparently has a Final Fantasy VIII collaboration going on, and the Japan-only Elements With Emotion. Even outside of mobile, Square Enix didn’t have a ton of other things. Dragon Quest Monsters 3, Star Ocean: The Second Story R, PowerWash Simulator, and of course Final Fantasy XIV were all part of the publisher’s promotional materials and sizzle reels.

Oddly absent was much mention at all of Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis, which recently launched on mobile. I suppose it’s in that awkward zone where there hasn’t been enough time since it came out for any major new updates, but enough time that it’s probably not worth devoting much time to promoting its initial launch. I wish it wasn’t so money-hungry, because there are a lot of things I like about it otherwise. Sadly that particular ingredient has a way of spoiling even the finest of soups. Well, that’s nothing to do with Tokyo Game Show.

The tradition of spectacle of Square Enix’s Tokyo Game Show booths certainly continued at the 2023 show, even if the publisher seemed to be relying more on a few key titles as opposed to the wide spread it has offered up in previous years. The booming theme song of Dragon Quest is a virtual constant at the Tokyo Game Show, and I’ve come to consider it part of the event’s soundtrack. Well, if you’re going to get by on only a handful of titles, there are worse things to bring to TGS than Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.

At TGS 2023, HoYoverse had a big presence with new trailers for the usual suspects, but I didn’t expect a big announcement for Honkai Impact 3rd (Free). Before getting to that, Zenless Zone Zero is also confirmed for “consoles" in addition to PC and mobile platforms and we had a new trailer for Honkai Star Rail for the PS5 date and new update. Today’s Honkai Impact 3rd announcement is Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2 which is a major overhaul of the game planned for February 2024. This update will bring in a new story that is accessible to newcomers and old players, upgraded combat, new partners, cultures, and more. Watch the lengthy new Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2 announcement trailer below:

As shown in the video above, this overhaul and update aim to make the game more welcoming to new players and enhance the overall experience. Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2 will also take place on Mars. Ahead of this major overhaul, if you’d like to check it out, you can download Honkai Impact 3rd on the App Store for iOS here and Google Play for Android here. Check out our forum thread for Honkai Impact 3rd here. Check out the official website here. Have you been playing Honkai Impact 3rd or HoYoverse’s other games on mobile?

I’ve been covering Marie’s upcoming release from Hidden Variable in Skullgirls Mobile (Free) for a while now across the announcement, gameplay videos, and release month announcement. Skullgirls Mobile version 6.0 update and Marie will both launch on September 26th as has been revealed by the official Skullgirls Mobile Twitter account today. Alongside today’s news, there have been a few more Skullgirls Mobile gameplay videos for Marie posted. You can watch them below:

If you’ve not played it yet, Skullgirls Mobile is available for free on iOS and Android right now. Skullgirls 2nd Encore is available on PC and all consoles including Xbox through its most recent release. The Steam Deck version remains my favorite out of all platforms, but I do play it on Switch and Xbox when I feel like it. I assume we will get full patch notes and balance adjustments for Skullgirls Mobile version 6.0 closer to its launch or after maintenance ends. What do you think of today’s announcement and the many new Marie character trailers we’ve had?

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 21st, 2023. I got back from the Tokyo Game Show at 8 PM, got to the office here at 9:30 PM, and it is presently 11:30 PM. I’ve done what I can today, and I hope you enjoy it. Let’s get to it!

I don’t know, friends. Sometimes I think Taito could be a little more careful about who it rents its IP out to. Anyway, Microids. It doesn’t have the worst possible track record, but it doesn’t have a good one either. This was originally a VR game, and it got decidedly middling scores in that incarnation. Take out the VR and you’re left with a really shoddy-looking gallery shooter that somehow manages to be as simple as the thirty-six year old game that inspired it without being nearly as fun. Would I spend thirty bucks on this? No. No, I would not. But if you want to, I will not stop you.

If you’ve ever played a shoot-em-up and found yourself wishing the main character would never, ever shut up, you might be in luck. This is a cute yet challenging side-scrolling shooter and it’s actually pretty good. It’s been out for a while in Japan, but this version not only translates everything but also includes the paid DLC at no additional cost. The main character does indeed talk a lot, but you can turn her off in the options if you’re tired of hearing her. I’ll have a full review of this as soon as I can manage it.

I refuse to abridge that title, at least right here. Look at that. Glorious. At any rate, this is a dungeon crawler RPG from Experience, the folks behind things like Demon Gaze and Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi. This is a developer that knows its way around this genre well, so there’s a certain level of quality to be expected. There are eight different classes to choose from when building your party, and your goal is to defeat the Devil Kings and conquer the Dragon King’s Tower. There are some roguelite elements here, as the title alludes to. Our pal Mikhail wasn’t super thrilled with it, but you can read his thoughts in his review when it’s posted tomorrow.

This is the second Switch release from this publisher, and it follows very much in the pattern of the first. You’ll need to be online to play this one since it draws from real satellite images for its maps. It features more than ten thousand real airports you can take off from, and you can explore the whole world. Sure, it’s the “McDonalds we have at home" version of Microsoft Flight Simulator, but I know a lot of people enjoyed the previous release from Airror Studio and they’ll likely enjoy this one as well.

An amusing action-RPG that uses the set-up of you being an ex-final boss who has fallen on hard times and is trying to regain their former glory. It is absolutely trying way too hard to be funny, but if you give it some time to get over itself it’s not a bad little game. Not terribly original, but what is these days? I wouldn’t call it a must-have or anything but if you like the premise and are willing to be patient with the game long enough for it to get its hooks into you, I think you’ll have a decent enough time with it.

This week’s Arcade Archives game is one that I’m mainly familiar with via its Super NES release. Strike Gunner S.T.G. isn’t a terribly great shoot-em-up, but for whatever reason I rented that SNES cart a lot. Anyway, this is an Athena game, originally released in arcades in 1991. In addition to the basic upgradable shot, you can also choose from one of ten different sub-weapons. It’s a really bland affair in virtually every regard, so unless you have some kind of special nostalgia for it like I do, I would advise giving it a pass.

This follow-up takes the action to a shopping mall, where a mascot hunts the streamers as they try to find a way to escape. You control all three of them, as they are each located in a different spot and need to work together to accomplish their goals. If you enjoyed the first game, you’ll probably like this one. If you haven’t played it, you’re probably better off starting there and then swinging back around for this one.

A tactical roguelite RPG… from Atari? Wow. Atari, out here making games again. This represents another step in the restoration of the company, in my opinion. We’ve seen some great reissues, enhanced versions of classics, smaller originals, and now something not only a bit more substantial but also kind of out of Atari’s usual wheelhouse. After an apocalypse, a small band of survivors is trying to reach the fabled Sanctuary. Use your heroes and their skills to defeat your foes both undead and living, encounter more than fifty events, collect more than seventy items, and see if you can earn some permanent upgrades to carry with you into the next run in case you fail. I’m hoping to review this one soon, but we’ll have to see how things go.

This is a 3D platformer whose main character kind of freaks me out. It’s a hand, complete with a watch. It looks too real and moves like Thing, and I do not care for how it skitters about. Anyway, more than fifty levels stand between you and your friend Arm, which was apparently stolen by the Feet? I think you’ll have to reach the ending to get any real answers to these questions. I’ll be doing a review of this one to let you know my thoughts on it, but there is a demo available if you want to give it a spin in the meantime. It’s certainly unusual, I’ll give it that.

Well, here’s another Fragment’s Note visual novel. The protagonist lost his family in a plane crash, and he’s still struggling with the trauma from it. His step-sister is doing her best to help him, and now another girl is on the scene who looks just like his deceased older sister. Seems like enough drama already, but then a mechanical god comes stomping in to really mess things up. The usual advice applies here. I wouldn’t jump into this without playing the other games in the series, but if you have played those and liked them then there is no reason not to grab this one as well.

This is a tactical roguelite with a rather unusual theme to it. If you enjoyed Into the Breach and are looking for something vaguely similar to it, you’ll want to look into this one for sure. You’ll lead warriors who have been blessed by Egyptian gods as they battle against the invading Romans. Each character has their own skills and you’ll have to determine when and where to use them. You’ll also have to consider when to make use of the Miracles of the Gods. A surprisingly cool game. It’s easy to see why so many people have nice things to say about it on other platforms.

A minimalistic turn-based roguelite with a monster-catching component, Evolings aims to cut the fat while giving you all the tasty meat of building a team of weird creatures and battling through various challenges. It certainly has a distinctive look and I’ll admit there is a certain appeal to this kind of structure. The price is right, too. Unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to play this one yet so I can’t really comment on how well it does the thing it’s doing. We’ll have to see how it plays out.

This adventure game is set in Taiwan during World War 2, when it was under control of Imperial Japan. American bombing raids leave many residents dead and the remaining ones in a struggle to pick up the pieces. The protagonist of this game, Sayako, is suffering from amnesia after being injured during a raid. She has to make her way through the burned-out city and try to survive while piecing her memories back together. There are various puzzles to solve along the way. This is a perspective we don’t hear much from in gaming. It’s the point of view of a people caught between the battles of two superpowers at war, and it’s not a pretty one. I’m not sure how well this game is able to grip the concepts it’s reaching for, but the attempt is interesting on its own.

Mindscape is putting out a 3D collectathon platformer now? Well, okay. A dragon apparently steals all the mail from the post office in order to get its claws on some golden letters, and your team of mail carriers has to get it back and deliver it properly. There are three different worlds to explore, and you can even pull in a friend for some splitscreen two-player action. There are four playable characters, each with their own skills, and you’ll need to swap between them if you want to recover every letter. It looks okay, but for thirty bucks I think it needs to be better than okay. I’ll investigate this one a bit more and let you know if I find it to be anything particularly special.

This is apparently the start of a new line of remakes from City Connection under the “Final" branding. As you can see, this one tackles Exerion. It’s a shoot-em-up released in 1983 and is most famous for its unusual perspective. I don’t think it’s really all that well-known in the West, but that’s fine. I think this looks pretty good for what it is, but this is definitely a crowded genre on Switch and I’m not sure Final Exerion has the necessary zing to stand out for those who don’t have any particular attachment to the brand.

A visual novel about two travelers who are making their way across the desert in search of special flowers that grow only in the Fields of Oblivion. Who are these travelers? What is their relationship? Why do they seek the flowers? Find out by playing this short story. I think the visual design on this one is pretty interesting, so it might be worth the punt if you’re in the mood for an evening of entertainment.

A dwarf has been banished from his underground home for his radical ideas about living above ground, which strikes me as punishing him with free cake or something. Anyway, he decides to start his own dwarf colony above ground for other weird dwarfs to live in, and you have to help him. It’s a bit of RPG, a bit of crafting, and a bit of a simulation game. It certainly has a following on Steam, even if its review scores aren’t as high as some games. Everyone loves dwarfs. Maybe you will too.

If you want to play Fall Guys but weirder and worse, here’s your game for today. It’s got an upfront price, has a bunch of IAP, but does come with all tracks unlocked, the BattlePass Season 1 Premium path unlocked, and an offline mode. Online play is still here for up to sixty players at once. Do what you will with it.

This one makes its way over from mobile, and the best way to describe it is like a cross between Overwatch and Clash Royale. You can play alone or hop online and enjoy some multiplayer for up to four players. This is a fairly well-liked game in the mobile scene, but you don’t have to take my word for it. The game is free to try out, and if you like it you can then decide if you’d prefer to be shaken down for “diamonds" or more characters. Or both!

An unusual mix of tower defense and shoot-em-up, Kind Heart Defenders seems to do what it sets out to do for the price. I find the shooting part a bit slow and dull and I’m not a big tower defense fan, which suggests to me that I’m probably not the target audience for this one. Perhaps you will feel differently. It certainly seems to have its fans on other platforms.

A quirky little game where you control the limbs of a puppet and try to help it complete various challenges. When you’re not moving a limb time slows down to a crawl, allowing you to pull off the fancy moves you’ll need to keep the puppet safe. If you’re after something off the beaten path that doesn’t cost too much today, you might want to consider this game.

An absolute, unadultered, pure rage game. And you don’t have the necessary keys to do what its title suggest, so be careful if you choose to buy it and be ultra-careful if you choose to play it. It’s basically a troll game, but it seems to be well-regarded within such circles.

I see a new Thalamus game, I buy it. It’s just that simple. I recommend you do the same, provided you enjoy that old-school hoo-haa action like I do.

Magic Donut Adventure: Line Match 3 Puzzle ($9.99)

Sugar Tanks ($9.99)

Retro Kart Rush ($4.99)

Samurai – Japan Warrior Fighter ($11.99)

Haunted Zombie Slaughter ($14.99)

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Sorry, I’m to make the new sales list today. We’ll catch up tomorrow. Enjoy the outgoing sales, at least.

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Friday, September 22nd

Breakneck City ($2.99 from $9.99 until 9/22)
Feeble Light ($3.49 from $4.99 until 9/22)
Gastro Force ($5.59 from $6.99 until 9/22)
John Wick Hex ($2.99 from $19.99 until 9/22)
Live by the Sword: Tactics ($2.24 from $14.99 until 9/22)
Monster Train First Class ($9.99 from $29.99 until 9/22)
Onion Assault ($3.19 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Pretty Girls Mahjong Solitaire ($2.49 from $4.99 until 9/22)
Suicide Guy: The Lost Dreams ($5.59 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Terra Flame ($15.99 from $19.99 until 9/22)
Until the Last Plane ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/22)
X-Force Under Attack ($2.00 from $10.00 until 9/22)
Xposed Switched ($1.99 from $9.99 until 9/22)

That’s all for today, friends. I’m going to cut this short because I’m exhausted. We’ll be back tomorrow with the usual business. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!

SEGA recently released Samba de Amigo: Party-To-Go () on Apple Arcade and Samba de Amigo: Party Central on Nintendo Switch worldwide as the first new entries in the series in ages. Read our review of the Apple Arcade game here and Nintendo Switch game here. Following both of those launches, I had a chance to talk to the legendary Shun Nakamura from SEGA about Samba de Amigo, reviving the series, other SEGA franchises he hopes to bring back, song choices, future plans, motion controls, his favorite coffee, what he’s playing right now, and a lot more.

TouchArcade: Firstly, a belated Happy Birthday to you.

Shun Nakamura: Thank you. I turned 51. Usually in Japan, people will work until 60, so for now, I’d like to do the best I can within the 9 years so that I have no regrets.

TA: Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you’ve been doing recently at SEGA.

SN: Yes, so recently, as you may be aware, I have been actively working to bring back Samba de Amigo to this modern era. Even at this age, regarding new hardware, I was reminded again of how new and fun it was to have it in my hands, and how fascinating it is to think of making something new. As a creator, I’ve been mainly focused on developing Samba, but other than that, my department has been busy working on a lot of titles planned to be released, such as Sonic Superstars and the Sonic Frontiers update.

TA: The Samba de Amigo series has been around for over two decades. What led to it getting a revival across Apple Arcade, Switch, and VR?

SN: A big factor is that it has been common in the industry as of late to bring back previous IPs. With that in mind, when the Nintendo Switch hardware was explained to me for the first time, I thought we may be able to develop a new Samba if there are two Joy-Con included on the Switch. At first, we tried making a different title that had a unique twist, but it ended up not making it to release. Even then, I wanted to challenge myself to try again, and so this trend in the industry was a big reason why Samba has gotten a revival. With that in mind, with the appeal of all these other platforms, such as the ease of use with Apple Arcade, and the immersive feeling of VR, I thought both were appropriate to spread the casual side of Samba, so we’ve made the decision to develop it as multiplatform title while focusing on each platform’s strengths.

TA: How did you approach resurrecting Samba de Amigo for the modern era?

SN: Bringing back older IPs can be very difficult, because if it stays the same as it was in the past, we won’t attract new users, and if we make everything new, it may not be appealing to the original game’s fans. Taking this, we took the method to keep the base of the concept the same, but modernizing it. This title has the concept, “silly and fun.” Even if the generation may have changed, the appeal of the concept itself doesn’t change. In the past, we had places like arcades where people were able to have fun around others, so I questioned where people would do that now. To me, it would be places like TikTok or social media. There is a common connection there where you would play music and have so much fun dancing while everyone watches. With that, I revived the new Samba that kept the same core “silly fun” concept of the original, and then implemented that modern TikTok culture where people can have fun with music and movement into the game.

TA: While the Switch version is getting paid DLC, Apple Arcade likely will see new content through updates. Tell us a little bit about how the songs were chosen for Samba de Amigo Party-To-Go.

SN: Yes, regarding Apple Arcade, songs will be added through updates, so please look forward to it!

We also discussed a lot on how we could modernize the music along with the game. We received a lot of feedback during the Dreamcast days that people wanted to play with songs that are not only from the Latin music genre. Back in the day, we used to only develop for the arcades in Japan, so we weren’t thinking about branching out to the overseas market at the time. This time, as we worked on modernizing the game, we chose songs that a lot of the users from around the world would be able to enjoy. Also, it was extremely difficult to choose the songs from the perspective of someone living in Japan, especially regarding current Western trends. We now had overseas staff, and a Western advisor helped choose the songs, and left it in their hands to make the final list. In addition, what us on the dev side thought was important was whether our concept would fit with that given song. Some tracks with a good rhythm may have this upbeat tempo that continues forever, but has no intonations in between, which we felt was key to having a dynamic and enjoyable experience. To that end, we chose our song candidates for the game based on if people would be able to let loose and feel the “silly fun” of Samba.

TA: How was it translating the traditional motion control gameplay to touch controllers?

SN: Even in the previous Dreamcast version, there were more users that enjoyed using the controller, so I already had a feeling that it was going to be fun even if it wasn’t with motion controls. Regarding the touch controllers, I made a title in the past called Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure for Nintendo 3DS and I put a Samba minigame inside of it. That game was played via touch – it also worked pretty well, and players had fun with it. Touch controllers also don’t have that random “wing it” aspect that motion controls tend to have, so I thought that users would still have plenty of fun. Therefore, in this case, I had no concerns in translating it over. However, aspects such as body movements and finger movements do differ with the motion controls compared to touch, so the “fun” people find in the game can differ as well. Either way, I’d be thrilled if players could give both a try.

TA: Will Samba de Amigo on Apple Arcade get motion controller support with Joy-Cons in the future since iOS devices now support Joy-Cons?

SN: The game does support Joy-Con controllers, but the buttons on the Joy-Con are different from those found on other controllers. Therefore, those who want to use them will need to adjust the button mapping through their iPhone settings, so that works. But while with other games, it is simply a matter of changing the controls, this game puts a lot of emphasis on specific buttons and their positions in relation to what’s happening on the screen, so players will need to keep this in mind when making those adjustments.

As for motion controls, due to the complexity involved with what I just went over, we do not plan to support that at this time.

TA: A lot of classic SEGA songs from prior games aren’t included in Samba de Amigo Party-To-Go. Are there plans to bring Samba de Janeiro to the game? It felt like the theme song for the series.

SN: As I shared in a previous answer, we are planning on adding a variety of songs through future updates to the game. Various things are still currently under consideration, so I would ask to please look forward to what we have planned!

TA: Sega has a rich history of music across its own games, and also Atlus titles. Will any of those songs be added to Samba de Amigo Party-To-Go?

SN: Likewise, we have received a lot of feedback. We hope that this title reaches more people, and from there, we’d like to add even more songs.

TA: What are your thoughts on the current state of rhythm games today?

SN: In the department that I’m part of, there is a Music Team that makes a very popular arcade game in Japan called “maimai”. We were able to ask for their advice and have them involved in the development as well. In the classic rhythm games, there are video games like this, and additionally, Sega has a mobile title called “Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage!”. We think that these games both deliver both the deepness and the variety, thus reaching more users.

I feel like there are a lot of games that are closer to that feeling of playing a live instrument, and you are just making these very predetermined or predictable moves while playing. I personally want to leave those types of games for others to make and instead create something that has the charm of something that lets players think outside of the box but still has that important appeal of a video game, like Samba.

TA: What is your favorite game that you’ve worked on across all the years?

SN: I mentioned it before, but there is a game called Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure that I love and is a game I feel like we could have done more with. It combines music and gameplay, linking both of those elements together instead of just standard gameplay, and there’s also a storyline on top of that. There are some parts that weren’t quite there, but it’s definitely a title I love.

TA: If you could, which SEGA franchise would you bring back today that you haven’t had a chance to so far.

SN: The Sonic series, which I continue to work on, is supported by a vast amount of fans and has multiple games to its name. So, in terms of games that I’ve had a deep involvement with and do not have a sequel, one would be Billy Hatcher, and the other, again, would have to be Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure. I have a lot of ideas I want to try out now for both games so I’m hoping I will have an opportunity, just like with Samba.

TA: What have you been playing recently?

SN: I played Pikmin 4 recently. It’s a game I’ve loved since the first game so I’m personally happy that this game reached a lot of people with this 4th installment. The GameCube had a lot of great games. Billy Hatcher’s a great game as well by the way! Haha

TA: What is your favorite kind of coffee if you have one?

SN: I just absolutely love my café lattes and I drink over 3 cups a day. It’s a great stress reliever to have when I’m overworked so I can’t imagine a world without it.

We’d like to thank Shun Nakamura and Apple for their time here.

Each and every day new mobile games are hitting the App Store, and so each week we put together a big old list of all the best new releases of the past seven days. Back in the day the App Store would showcase the same games for a week, and then refresh those features each Thursday. Because of that developers got into the habit of releasing their games throughout Wednesday or very early Thursday in order to hopefully get one of those coveted features spots. Nowadays the App Store refreshes constantly, so the need for everyone to release all on the same day has diminished. Still, we’ve kept our weekly Wednesday night format as for years that’s the time people knew to check TouchArcade for the list of new games. And so without further ado please check out the full list of this week’s new games below, and let us know in the comments section which games you’ll be picking up!

Bottle Flip 360 (Free)

iTunes Description

Join the global Bottle Flip Challenge in Bottle Flip 360. Real-time multiplayer matches, achievements, leaderboards, realistic graphics, and physics. Throw, flip, land!

Introducing the ultimate test of skill, precision, and patience – Bottle Flip 360! Dive into a realistic 3D world where you can challenge yourself, your friends, and players globally in the bottle flipping.

Forum Thread: Bottle Flip 360 (by Gamesoul Studio)

DERE Vengeance (Free)

iTunes Description

Unleash your fears in a fourth-wall-breaking platformer that will leave you questioning allegiances… and reality itself.

SINISTER PIXEL ART WORLD
Let the hauntingly atmospheric soundtrack and meticulously designed pixel art engulf you in paranormal encounters, impossible glitches, psychological horror, and the nostalgia of classic side-scrolling games.

Forum Thread: DERE Vengeance (by AppSir/Darius Immanuel Guerrero)

Devil’s Mansion (Free)

iTunes Description

“Devil’s Mansion" is a game designed and produced by the Taiwan R&D team, which will take you into a fantasy haunted house full of relaxation and fun. Here, you will no longer be just an ordinary devil, but the “devil who doesn’t want to be a devil but opens a haunted house to make a living" who decided to open a haunted house to attract tourists!

Forum Thread: Devil’s Mansion (PinBall) (by AVECTOR TECH CO., LTD.)

DINO 3D (Free)

iTunes Description

Unleash endless offline fun with dino 3D – no wifi required! no wifi games

Get ready to embark on a thrilling prehistoric adventure like never before in DINO 3D!

This exciting video game takes the beloved classic offline game to a whole new dimension, bringing the endless runner experience into the immersive world of 3D.

Forum Thread: DINO 3D (by Benfont)

Dragonheir: Silent Gods (Free)

iTunes Description

Dragonheir: Silent Gods is an open-world high-fantasy RPG that puts you in control of over 200 heroes. In the multiversal adventure, you’ll experience strategic combat like never before, where every move counts and every decision could be the difference between victory and defeat.
With rolling dice and seasonal multiversal content, Dragonheir keeps things fresh and exciting, offering endless possibilities for adventure and exploration.

Forum Thread: Dragonheir: Silent Gods (by Nuverse Games)

Five A Side Football 2024 ($1.99)

iTunes Description

The world’s fastest, most fun five-a-side management game is back! In Five A Side Football 2024 you can take control of comedy versions of your favourite team or cast your mind back to a time before the Premier League and take on a retro challenge. Whether you’re chasing the league trophy with a team of superstars, attempting to turn a mid-table squad into champions, or saving a struggling bunch from relegation; the fate of your team and your job is in your hands!

Forum Thread: Five A Side Football 2024 (by Swipe Studios)

Flip It (Free)

iTunes Description

Flip it is the most challenging block puzzle out there. It’s not only important how you arrange the pieces, you also need to make sure that you’re arranging them in right order, because sometimes a piece can get blocked by the other piece.

Try to solve all 50 levels. And if you somehow manage to solve them, try solving them faster in speedrun mode. Compete on leaderboards!

Forum Thread: Flip It (by Nikola Jovanovic)

Ghost Detective (Free)

iTunes Description

You’re a detective who’s been killed on the job. Now as a ghost, your mission is clear: Find hidden objects and solve puzzles to catch your own murderer.

Experience a new hidden object murder mystery crime game set in haunted New Orleans — where life’s never boring and dying can get downright complicated.

Forum Thread: Ghost Detective (by Wooga)

Jumper’s Quest (Free)

iTunes Description

Jump into a world full of unique obstacles that will test you both mentally and physically. Your quick thinking and reflexes will be put to the test as you decipher puzzles and navigate through each level with finesse.

Encounter a diverse array of enemies, each with their own unique challenges that you must conquer. Intuitive one-touch controls empower you to effortlessly jump through the levels in record time.

Forum Thread: Jumper’s Quest (by Halfbrick)

Retro Bowl College (Free)

iTunes Description

The official spin-off of the smash hit RETRO BOWL takes you back to the old-school. If you thought managing a Pro Team was a challenge – you’ve seen nothing yet!

Make a name for yourself as a winning Head Coach for one of 250 College teams. Manage tight budgets and encourage your hotheaded young players to keep their eye on the ball when they’re surrounded by the temptations and distractions of College life. Can you tell the difference between the next Pro Football superstar and the party animal who doesn’t know when to quit? Can you foster their talents and help them make the Draft? Can you turn your school into the greatest Football College of all time?

Forum Thread: Retro Bowl College (by New Star Games)

Sky Islands (Free)

iTunes Description

Switch between 2D and 3D! Sky Islands is a charming platformer game where you embark on a captivating journey through a fantastic sky realm. Inspired by the beloved FEZ game, prepare to shift between the 2D and 3D dimensions to collect hidden stars and clear all the levels.

Forum Thread: Sky Islands (by Neutronized)

Starship Danger! (Free)

iTunes Description

Enjoy Endless Cosmic Challenge in “Starship Danger!"
“Starship Danger!" offers a straightforward and captivating space adventure. Take control of your starship and face a continuous loop of cosmic trials. Your mission: Survive as long as you can against asteroids, space debris, and enemy ships.

Forum Thread: Starship Danger! (by Sean Gilbert)

Thunder Ray ($8.99)

iTunes Description

Step into the ring and experience the adrenaline-pumping action of our retro arcade boxing game, but with a modern twist! Get ready to throw jabs, hooks, and uppercuts as you face off against a roster of colorful and eccentric opponents. The game features meticulously crafted HD animations, bringing each character to life with stunning detail and fluid movements.

Forum Thread: Thunder Ray (by Purple Tree Studios)

Tyrant’s Blessing ($4.99)

iTunes Description

The Tyrant landed in Tyberia bearing promises of a paradise, without war, without suffering… and without death. All Tyberians had to do in order to enter his paradise was to simply die at the hands of his Dead Army. The war was over before it even began, with thousands perishing in the Tyrant’s wake, only to be brought into his fold as undying thralls, bound by magic. The few living warriors left are scattered across the remnants of their homeland, tirelessly looking for a way to turn the tables on the tyrannical Tyrant. Lead a great Uprising, defeat the Dead Army, and drive the monstrous overlord back into the depths of the sea from whence he came.

Forum Thread: Tyrant’s Blessing (by Mercury Game Studio)

Venice Bridges ($4.99)

iTunes Description

Venice is under attack by malicious Plague Doctors and you have been chosen to come to its rescue.

Plunge into the world of Venice Bridges, a 3D puzzle adventure game where the beauty of Venice meets hardship and destruction.

Save Venice by luring the Plague Doctors and their squad to their demise, and solve puzzles to restore Venice to its glory.

Forum Thread: Venice Bridges (by naïve studios AB)

Who Let The Chickens Out? (Free)

iTunes Description

Welcome to “Who Let the Chickens Out?" a fun and challenging game that puts a unique spin on solving a feathery neighbor problem! Embark on a hilarious adventure where you’ll use your skills and precision to deal with pesky chickens. It’s time to turn those annoying cluckers into delicious chicken leg pieces!

Forum Thread: Who Let The Chickens Out? (by Vikas Pawar)

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 20th, 2023. In today’s article, I cover the couple of new releases of the day, plus the lists of new and expiring sales. Otherwise, I’ve handed it over to our pal Mikhail for some news and a couple of full-sized reviews covering recent releases Gloomhaven and AK-xolotl. I’m gearing up for the Tokyo Game Show tomorrow, so that’s pretty much the lot for today. Enjoy!

Following the recently-released new trailer for Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story, Riot Forge has announced that it will launch on Nintendo Switch and PC platforms from November 1st with pre-orders now live. As with prior Riot Forge games, this one will have a digital release and a physical collector’s edition. The former is priced at $29.99 while the latter is $99.99. Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story is a story-driven adventure game set in the League of Legends universe developed by Tequila Works. It features Nunu and Willump trying to uncover the secrets in Freljord.

In addition to the Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story release date, Riot Forge announced Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story in development from Lazy Bear Games. Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story is set in Bandle City. More details will be revealed later, but you can watch the full reveal trailer above. I’m looking forward to playing both games even though I don’t actually play League of Legends. Riot Forge has been really great so far.

A friend of mine who is into many board games kept telling me about how I’d love Gloomhaven. I looked into it, and was interested when I watched some gameplay from the Steam version. I know that wasn’t what my friend was hoping to come out of his recommendation for the actual baord game, but just like Wingspan, if I ended up liking the digital version a lot, I would consider the physical board game. Gloomhaven‘s digital version through Twin Sails Interactive has now launched on all consoles, and I’ve been playing it on both PS5 and Nintendo Switch for review.

Gloomhaven is challenging, and it makes no attempt to hide that. Once you get through the tutorial (I highly recommend not skipping this) to understand the interface with a controller, and game flow, and get used to the challenge. As a dungeon crawler focused experience, the classes, your decisions during movement and combat, gear, and more matter a lot. I shouldn’t be, but I was surprised at how much depth Gloomhaven has. I also ended up liking the aesthetic quite a bit as I played more.

I’m not going to waste time explaining the mechanics of Gloomhaven here, but I was surprised by how much I got into it despite the less than ideal transition to a controller. This really would’ve benefited from touchscreen support. Interface issues aside, Gloomhaven is packed with a ton of quality and challenging content. Right from the get go, you’re given a lot of tools to work with, and honestly I feel like a fool for thinking the price tag might be too much when it was up for pre-order on console. Once it gets patched up a bit and sees any more DLC arrive, it really deserves a physical console release.

I’ve not played Gloomhaven on PC yet, but having now played it over the last week or so on both PS5 and Nintendo Switch, there are some big technical differences between both versions, but given how complex and demanding the game is based on the PS5 version, I think the Switch port is fine, but a bit disappointing in one area. On PS5, you can choose between 4K 30fps and 1440p 60fps in the display options before starting a game. On Switch, there is no such option. The Switch version targets 30fps and a much lower resolution with visual cutbacks as expected, but the real annoyance is the long load times compared to the PS5 version. Both platforms have similar control issues, and you will need to get used to the controls on both. I hope the controller interface can be improved over time. It is serviceable, but sometimes feels annoying. Check out the comparison image below showing the PS5 version (1440p) on the left against the Switch version (docked) on the right.

One highlight of this new release is cross platform play. I could join a game on my PS5 through my Switch almost instantly after beginning a campaign save on PS5 and opening the multiplayer. Typing the invite code on Switch got me into the same campaign after a bit of loading. I wish there was cross progression, but I understand why games like this don’t offer it. I had access to the Gloomhaven – Jaws of the Lion DLC as well, but didn’t have enough time to test it out properly for this review. I’ll likely cover it in a separate review since it is included in the Gold Edition or sold as DLC for the lower-priced edition.

With games like this, I know the launch is likely going to be the start of support, and I’d love to see touchscreen controls added into it at some point. I wouldn’t use those on my Switch Lite, but would definitely prefer touch to simulate a mouse on my OLED model over Joy-Cons.

Right now, I like Gloomhaven‘s digital console release a lot despite the few issues, but would not recommend it on Switch if you have access to another platform. It isn’t terrible on Switch, but the cutbacks to visuals, longer load times, and interface issues are exacerbated in the Switch release. Maybe some of this can be improved with patches, but right now it isn’t good enough to be the sole way you experience Gloomhaven. This is a fine additive release to an existing version of Gloomhaven you play so you have an option to also play it on the go until we get an iPad version. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

AK-xolotl is a game I didn’t even know about until recently, and I’ve been blown away by many aspects of it in my time playing it on Steam Deck. I spent a good amount of time with the PC version while waiting for Nintendo Switch review code, and was hoping the port would be good. I was curious to see how it controls on Switch as well, and whether it was a good version of the top-down roguelike shooter with its cutesy aesthetic.

After spending about half an hour with the game after getting it on Steam, it felt like AK-xolotl was a nice mix of Nuclear Throne and Enter the Gungeon. Both of those games have huge fan bases and excel in their own ways, but I never found myself hooked to them like I was in other games like Spelunky, Rogue Legacy, or Risk of Rain. AK-xolotl does something with its gameplay loop that had me booting it up quite often over the last week outside of the dedicated sessions I played it for.

In its current state, I love AK-xolotl’s gunplay, movement, boss design, and aesthetic, but I feel like the balance and unlock pace could be improved. The latter in particular is far too slow initially. It feels a bit like an early access game thanks to its issues right now. Speaking of early access, the developers promised that the launch “is just the beginning" in a Steam news post. Post-launch, the game will get new rooms, bosses, limited-time Axolotls, new biomes, and more. With all that announced and the current state of the game, the asking price isn’t bad, but it might be worth waiting a bit before jumping in given the crowded release period.

AK-xolotl has a very catchy soundtrack and punchy sound effects. Given the cutesy aesthetic and pixel art, the audio direction almost feels jarring, but it all comes together well. One aspect I want to highlight is the accessibility for aiming. You can toggle different aim assist levels which is great for a game like this. I also immediately disabled screen shake as I do in every game.

Having played AK-xolotl on both Switch and Steam Deck, the former has some judder issues with its lower frame rate target, but it isn’t too bad. I enjoyed my time with it on the Switch in handheld, and the colors pop on the OLED screen. It definitely shines on the Steam Deck right now, but I hope future patches can improve the Switch performance.

AK-xolotl blends aspects of Nuclear Throne and Enter the Gungeon together with its own charm to be something that has a lot of potential, but it feels a bit lacking in its current state when it comes to balance. It is a lot of fun despite that, but I think it will be a lot better once some of its updates hit. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

A short horror adventure that revolves around a lost children’s animation called Amanda the Adventurer. You’re checking out the attic of your aunt’s house and come across some VHS tapes with a show you’ve never heard of before. Watching it, you’re surprised when the characters start talking to you. It seems odd at first, but things escalate from there. This one has had some buzz on other platforms, and you’ll find out how we feel about it here on Switch when either me (the coward) or our pal Mikhail (the brave) review it soon.

The original game wasn’t very original itself, being just another one of those games where you’re using mirrors to reflect beams of light until they hit a desired target. This sequel isn’t changing things any, just offering up fifty more puzzles to solve. I kind of enjoy these puzzles, and I’m sure others do too. Might be worth a fiver if you’re in that particular boat.

(North American eShop, US Prices)

If you’re into Star Wars or Power Rangers, today’s a good one for you. I’ll also direct fans of platforming to both Polyroll and Panic Porcupine, two decent Sonic-inspired affairs that are quite fun. Over in the outbox, the main thing that I’ll mention is Horizon Chase Turbo. It’s affordable and a blast to play, and unlike the Switch port of its sequel, it runs well. Seriously, no idea what happened with Horizon Chase 2. Dreadful port. Anyway, check those lists.

Select New Games on Sale

Stones Keeper ($10.59 from $19.99 until 9/26)
Star Wars Episode 1 Racer ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/27)
Star Wars The Force Unleashed ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/27)
Star Wars Jedi Outcast ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/27)
Star Wars Jedi Academy ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/27)
Star Wars Republic Commando ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/27)
Star Wars KotOR ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/27)
Star Wars KotOR II ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/27)
Star Wars Heritage Pack 2023 ($31.99 from $79.99 until 9/27)
Stubbs the Zombie ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/27)
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/30)
Power Rangers: BftG Super Edition ($24.99 from $49.99 until 9/30)
WW2: Bunker Simulator ($11.24 from $14.99 until 10/9)
Polyroll ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/9)
Panic Porcupine ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/9)
Ancient Islands ($4.99 from $12.49 until 10/9)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Thursday, September 21st

A Tale For Anna ($6.59 from $10.99 until 9/21)
Astalon: Tears of the Earth ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/21)
Chronicles of Albian TMC ($3.59 from $11.99 until 9/21)
Clutter 12: It’s About Time ($4.49 from $14.99 until 9/21)
Crypt of the NecroDancer ($3.99 from $19.99 until 9/21)
Escape Game Fort Boyard ($5.99 from $19.99 until 9/21)
Faircroft’s Antiques: Mountaineer’s Legacy ($1.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Finding America: The Heartland ($2.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
First Time in Paris ($1.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
First Time in Rome ($3.59 from $11.99 until 9/21)
GUNGUNGUN ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/21)
Horizon Chase Turbo ($3.99 from $19.99 until 9/21)
I Love Finding Birds ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/21)
I Love Finding More Pups ($1.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Kargast ($3.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)

Match Ventures ($3.59 from $11.99 until 9/21)
Mercenaries Saga Chronicles ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/21)
Miles & Kilo ($1.99 from $7.99 until 9/21)
Montgomery Fox & TCotDN ($4.49 from $14.99 until 9/21)
Montgomery Fox & TCotMB ($4.49 from $14.99 until 9/21)
Montgomery Fox & TRoVD ($4.49 from $14.99 until 9/21)
Mortal Shell: Complete ($2.99 from $29.99 until 9/21)
Octo Curse ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Oddworld Soulstorm ($24.99 from $49.99 until 9/21)
Package Inc ($2.49 from $4.99 until 9/21)
Puzzle Vacations: Ireland ($3.59 from $11.99 until 9/21)
Shadows of Adam ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/21)
The Lost and the Wicked ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Vengeful Heart ($1.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Vision Soft Reset ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Volley Pals ($4.21 from $6.49 until 9/21)

That’s all for today, friends. As I’ve mentioned many times, I’ll be at the Tokyo Game Show tomorrow gathering info and such for all of you. I’m going to try to have an article of some kind SwitchArcade-wise, but the schedule has twenty-two games on it already so I’m not sure I’ll be able to pull my usual. I’ll do my best, at least. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday, and as always, thanks for reading!

"I will continue to create in my Hideki Kamiya way".

PlatinumGames has announced that Hideki Kamiya, its co-founder and vice-president, is leaving the company.

The announcement on X confirmed that Kamiya's departure date will be October 12th, 2023. Hideki Kamiya has been a significant figure within PlatinumGames since its formation in 2007, directing major releases such as Bayonetta, The Wonderful 101, and Sol Cresta, while acting in supporting roles for other internal projects.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Issue #4 - September 2023.

Welcome back to the Nintendo Life Mailbox. You hear that? That's the sound of 2024 creeping up on you as we plough into the last week of September.

Yes, we're back (slightly later than planned — hey, last week turned into a busy one!) with another selection of your correspondence for our monthly letters page feature.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Deep breath.

It's time to witness a clash of the covers as we dive into another edition of Box Art Brawl.

Before we hop into the ring with this week's competition, however, let's quickly recap what happened last time. It was a match-up against two different pieces of cover art for the GBA's Mario vs. Donkey Kong — which had been playing on our mind ever since the remaster was announced for Switch — and boy, was it a one-sided affair. The North American/European box art walked away with a staggering 86% of the vote, leaving the colourful Japanese edition with the remaining 16%.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Here's how the Switch version compares.

Hideo Kojima's legendary series Metal Gear Solid returns as a collection release this October on all platforms including the Nintendo Switch, and as part of this Konami has now shared a table on the official game page detailing the resolution and frame rate per platform.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Launching the same date as the eShop version.

Earlier this week, Capcom confirmed the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy would be launching on the Nintendo Switch early next year on 25th January 2024.

Now, in an update, it's been confirmed a physical release is coming to Japan and other Asia regions on the same date. The good news is that you can pre-order it from websites like Playasia and it will include language support for "English, Japanese, French, German, Korean + Traditional & Simplified Chinese".

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Spending time with Samus.

It's the weekend! That means it's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy some games.

Before we do so, however, let's take a look back at what's been going on this week. One of the biggest stories was actually in relation to the massive leak suffered by Xbox in which Phil Spencer expressed a rather blunt desire to acquire Nintendo. Good luck with that, Phil.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Update: The third season pass character is Battle Mage.

Update #2 :

The third Season Pass character Battle Mage has now been revealed. This fighter is set to join the roster this December. Below is a brief teaser:

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

"Thank you for giving us hard feedback".

It only took just over a week for Unity to make changes to its brand new Runtime Fee policy, but that's exactly what it has done.

Announcing the changes in an open letter published today on the Unity Blog (shared on social media), the revamped model includes some pretty sweeping changes from the initial policy. Unity Create lead Marc Whitten started the letter off with an apology, acknowledging that "We should have spoken with more of you and we should have incorporated more of your feedback" before making last week's announcement.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Autographs, engravings, and more.

Being one of the most recognisable and influential figures in gaming, it should come as no surprise that Masahiro Sakurai has managed to accumulate a number of extremely rare collectibles over the years.

In his latest YouTube 'Grab Bag' video, the legendary game designer has taken a bit of a different approach to his usual content, opting to showcase some of the most rare antiques in his collection; items that simply would never become available to the general public thanks to their unique features.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Chill out, man.

We have taken a look at the YouTube channel Macho Nacho Productions a few times on Nintendo Life (remember the world's smallest GameCube and the 'thicc boi SP'?), but we were particularly interested in the channel's latest video, which saw a Switch OLED get converted into a dedicated home console, and run a lot cooler in the process.

In the video (above), Tito from Macho Nacho showcased the TVii Switch Re-Shell Mod (working title), created by a modder called Set. This build converts a standard Switch into a dedicated home console, removing the chance for handheld play, but letting the system run much cooler in the process. The casing even works on Switch consoles without a working display — making handheld play impossible from the get-go.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

The post This Week on Xbox: Tokyo Game Show Reveals, Octopath Traveler II, Lies of P, and More  appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox Update Preview coming to the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring. It’s important we note that some updates made in these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox consoles.

We continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device. Details can be found below!

Thanks to the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this build:

My Games & Apps

System

We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. These items aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution.

Audio

Keyboard Button Mapping for Xbox Controllers

Manage Queue

Networking

Upload your Captures to OneDrive

Make sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of your issue. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.

If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please reach out to the community subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help with your concerns.

When posting to the subreddit, please look through most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to threads with the same issue before posting a brand new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Don’t forget to use “Report a problem” before posting—the information shared in both places helps us understand your issue better.

Thank you to every Xbox Insider in the subreddit today. We love that it has become such a friendly and community-driven hub of conversation and support.

For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox Update Preview ring!

The post Xbox Insider Release Notes – Alpha Skip-Ahead (2408.230920-2000) appeared first on Xbox Wire.

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!

EpiXR Games

Horror Tale 2: Samantha – September 25

Start a scary adventure and be the first to solve all the mysteries of this horror game. Who is the kidnapper, and why is he doing it? Where are the children disappearing to, and how to save them? You can solve all the puzzles and find out the answers…if you don’t get scared!

CD PROJEKT RED

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – September 26
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Phantom Liberty is a new spy-thriller adventure for Cyberpunk 2077. When the orbital shuttle of the President of the New United States of America is shot down over the deadliest district of Night City, there’s only one person who can save her — you. Become V, a cyberpunk for hire, and dive deep into a tangled web of espionage and political intrigue, unraveling a story that connects the highest echelons of power with the brutal world of black-market mercenaries.

Strange Scaffold

El Paso, Elsewhere – September 26
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A supernatural neo-noir third-person shooter. Hunt werewolves, fallen angels, and other creatures in a vivid slow motion love letter to action classics. Fight your way through a reality-shifting motel, floor by bloody floor, and save the victims of Dracula, lord of the vampires.

Natsume Inc.

Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos – September 26
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Explore the Amazing World of Anthos! Farm all around Anthos using Doc’s new and improved Expando-Farm. Easily move from place to place and farm everywhere from snowy mountains to beautiful beaches!

Modus Games

Paleo Pines – September 26
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Welcome to Paleo Pines, a charming island known for its friendly dinosaurs, quirky townsfolk, and mysterious past. Set out with your dino companion, Lucky, to uncover the island’s secrets and discover new dinos. Together you’ll grow crops, assist local villagers, befriend adorable dinosaurs, and unearth the island’s lost history to build your cozy dino sanctuary.

Klabater

Terraformers – September 26
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Terraformers is an expansive turn-based colony builder and resource management game with roguelike elements. Explore the Red Planet, develop spectacular cities, spread life and terraform the planet with ambitious projects.

Dovetail Games

Train Sim World 4 – September 26

Experience immense velocity and express unrivalled creativity with Train Sim World 4! Learn the basics of operating a range of traction in the Training Center, before taking to the rails of the real world on the East Coast Main Line with the LNER Azuma, Antelope Valley Line with the Metrolink F125 and S-Bahn Vorarlberg with the ÖBB 4024.

SOEDESCO

Truck Driver: The American Dream – September 26
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Get your life back on track by stepping into your father’s shoes to become a famous and well-respected truck driver. However, this new path doesn’t come without its hardships, as the road to becoming a successful truck driver might be a hard and lonely one.

Eastasiasoft Limited

Betomis – September 27
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Enter the tricky pixel art dungeons of Betomis, where you’ll need to carefully observe and explore your surroundings to escape! Betomis is a retro 2D action platformer where each chamber of the sprawling dungeon is a single screen of environmental puzzling.

Ravenage Games

The Crackpet Show: Happy Tree Friends Edition – September 27
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Happy Tree Friends are back! Embrace the legendary cruelty and humor of the iconic cartoon as you play your favorite characters in The Crackpet Show: Happy Tree Friends Edition! Get ready to unleash chaos, earn fame, and have a blast!

ChiliDog Interactive

Lord of the Click: Interstellar Wars – September 27

Lord of the Click: Interstellar Wars takes the endless conflict of good, evil and arthritis to a whole new cosmic level! Fight aliens and mutants, colonize new planets, reach for the stars, and all this under the measured and lulling creak of your joints.

mc2games

Tested on Humans: Escape Room – September 27
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

An escape room in a dark setting that will test your skills. Solve puzzles, decode secret codes, find hidden objects, and investigate the different rooms of the research center while you discover the events that led you there.

DANGEN ENTERTAINMENT

Abomi Nation – September 28
Xbox Play Anywhere

A roguelike monster-taming RPG where every playthrough will create a new version of Abomi Nation and provide a unique world with different Abomis for you to find. Explore your universe, watch your Abomis bond, and battle it out as your adventure unfolds in a way totally unique to you.

Feardemic

Afterdream – September 28

Get lost in a lucid dream, bending the lines between reality and fiction. Navigate the obscure residence populated by ghosts and collect items to solve puzzles as you move further through its intriguing story.

QUByte Interactive

Chipmonk! – September 28

A retro-inspired beat ’em up starring chipmunk warriors. The gluttonous gray squirrel has stolen all the land’s food stores, threatening the forest’s inhabitants with starvation. Embark on a perilous journey as a chipmunk martial arts master — Grey, Cheeks, or Red — as you battle a multitude of foes in a heroic attempt to recover the stolen food.

Clockwork Origins

CyberTD – September 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

Mutant viruses have invaded cyberspace and are threatening to destroy it. It’s up to you to take on these waves of viruses and defend the core in a way that prevents any of them from reaching it. But there’s no need to fret — you’ll have countless upgrades and a split-personality killer drone to (more or less) help you out!

BlitWorks Games

Everhood: Eternity Edition – September 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Welcome to an inexpressible world filled with a deep story, humor, amusing musical battles and strange, delightful encounters. This is the best console version of the adventure RPG indie hit, including 16 exclusive new musical battles composed by some of the most renowned artists in the indie scene and designed by members of the community.

SQUARE ENIX

Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai – September 28

With a new crisis facing the world, Dai makes a promise to his mentor, encounters new friends, and slowly learns about his own inescapable fate… This is the beginning of Dai’s adventure, and his quest to become a true hero! The legendary “Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai” manga and anime arrives as an exhilarating action RPG. Re-live the events of the anime in Infinity Strash as you take charge of Dai and the Disciples of Avan in their battle against the Dark Army!

Fulqrum Publishing

Forgive Me Father – September 28

Forgive Me Father is a dark, old-school horror FPS set in a comic book style world inspired by the novels of H.P. Lovecraft. As the only sane person in a world consumed by madness, can you last long enough to find answers and relief?

Raw Fury

Pizza Possum – September 28

Life is good when you are a possum. You can eat all you want, and there is no one who can stop you. Well, except for all the guard dogs patrolling the village you’re in. So, what are you waiting for? Time to eat! Engage in adorable arcade-style hide-and-seek action and wreak havoc as an irresistible possum.

BBG Entertainment GmbH

Shark! Shark! – September 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

Inspired by the legendary Shark! Shark! game released for the Intellivision home console in 1982, this reimagined version for up to four players offers you a modern gameplay, fantastic graphics, great sounds, lots of levels and many underwater characters.

Kwalee

Wildmender – September 28
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Explore the vast desert, alone or with friends. Collect plants and bring them back to your garden to thrive. Craft new tools and use them to shape the earth, and channel water to your plants. Delve into the mysteries of a fallen civilization and discover their magic. Befriend animals, spirits, and seek out the gods to help you defend the land from the vicious wraiths who seek to corrupt it. It’s up to you to save the world, one seed at a time.

Annapurna Interactive

Cocoon – September 29
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Available on day one with Game Pass! From Jeppe Carlsen, the lead gameplay designer of Limbo and Inside – Cocoon takes you on an adventure across worlds within worlds. Master world-leaping mechanics to unravel a cosmic mystery. Playable on Cloud, Console and PC.

Electronic Arts

EA Sports FC 24 (Standard Edition) – September 29
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

EA Sports FC 24 is a new era for The World’s Game: 19,000+ fully licensed players, 700+ teams, and 30+ leagues playing together in the most authentic football experience ever created. Feel closer to the game with three cutting-edge technologies powering unparalleled realism in every match and the enhanced Frostbite Engine delivers lifelike detail, bringing a new level of immersion to each match. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and EA Play members can enjoy a 10% discount on all things EA FC 24 and play a 10-hour free trial starting September 22.

©RedDeerGames

Deflector – September 29

Deflector is a hack-n-slasher where you will experience dynamic gameplay with an unlimited and unique combo system. Test your reflex and don’t let your guard down because enemies will have no mercy. Jump into the future, select your loadout, and save the world!

Snow Day Software

Indoor Kickball – September 29

A fast-paced, 1v1 game of kickball played where your parents wouldn’t let you. Destroy the living room, kitchen, bedroom, basement, and many other rooms of the house with a chaotic game of kickball.

Ratalaika Games S.L.

Love Kuesuto – September 29
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Take on the role of an old man whose life is flashing before his eyes. As you awaken, the goddess Aphrodite guides you through four game boards full of romantic trauma and relationship dilemmas. Be careful with your choices because God and The Devil are watching.

New Blood Interactive, Apogee Entertainment, Nightdive Studios

Rise of the Triad Ludicrous Edition – September 29
Xbox One X Enhanced

Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition, the definitive release of the cult classic FPS by original developer and publisher Apogee Entertainment, the maniacal minds at New Blood Interactive, and the gaming treasure hunters at Nightdive Studios.

8floor ltd

Royal Roads 2 – September 29

Embark on an incredible journey through different countries in a world filled with ancient monuments and mysterious artifacts. Many various tasks, 50 game levels, intriguing plot, and a magical world await.

Revulo Games

Super Box Delivery: Beyond the Horizon – September 29

Get ready to hop into the driver’s seat and embark on an epic journey like no other in Super Box Delivery: Beyond the Horizon! Enter a vibrant cartoon world full of whimsical cars and charming customizations.         

Outright Games Ltd.

PAW Patrol World – September 29
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

Explore the world of PAW Patrol like never before, in a 3D action adventure where anything is PAWsible. Play as your favorite pups, drive their vehicles and save the day by taking on fun rescues and missions. It’s the ultimate PAW Patrol playtime!

The post Next Week on Xbox: New Games for September 25 to 29 appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Summary 

_______________________________ 

Earlier this month, we announced the no annual fee Xbox Mastercard in partnership with Barclays. Beginning today, we are thrilled to share that Xbox Insiders 18 years and older who reside in the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii can start applying for the Xbox Mastercard. With the Xbox Mastercard credit card, players can earn card points with everyday purchases to redeem on games and add-ons at xbox.com.

How to apply

The Xbox Mastercard will be made available to Xbox Insiders on a rolling basis throughout this fall. Look for the Xbox Mastercard Preview in the Xbox Insider Hub app on your Xbox or Windows PC.

To get started on an Xbox console: 

How to join Xbox Insiders

If you would like to join the Xbox Insider Program, you can get started by downloading the Xbox Insider Hub app on your Xbox or Windows PC. For more information, visit the Xbox Insider Program. 

With the Xbox Mastercard, players can earn card points for every $1 spent on purchases including:

Xbox & Microsoft – Earn 5X card points on eligible products at the Microsoft Store.

Streaming Services – Earn 3X card points on eligible streaming services, such as Netflix® and Disney+®.

Dining Delivery Services – Earn 3X card points on eligible dining delivery services, such as Grubhub® and DoorDash®.

Everyday purchases – Earn 1X card points on all other everyday purchases.

You can read more about the Xbox Mastercard’s additional benefits, such as a bonus of 5,000 card points (a $50 value) after your first purchase, and more here.

For more information on earning and redeeming card points or card benefits, visit our Terms and Conditions.

We look forward to hearing feedback and we’ll continue to find new ways to deliver value to the Xbox community!

The post The Xbox Mastercard Is Available Today! A New Way to Earn More Value for Gaming appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Experience the joys and challenges of modern agriculture, survive the zombie apocalypse with your friends, or unleash your fighting skills with Free Play Days! Farming Simulator 22, State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition and Tekken 7 are available this weekend for Xbox Game Pass Core and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play from Thursday September 21 at 12:01 a.m. PDT until Sunday, September 24 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.

Game Pass Core will give players access to our advanced multiplayer network, a select collection of over 25 games to play with friends around the world, and exclusive member deals! Read more about Game Pass Core at Xbox Wire.

Find and install the games on each of the individual game details page on Xbox.com. Clicking through will send you to the Microsoft Store, where you must be signed in to see the option to install with your Xbox Game Pass Core or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. To download on console, click on the Subscriptions tab in the Xbox Store and navigate down to the Free Play Days collection on your Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

Purchase the game and other editions at a limited time discount and continue playing while keeping your Gamerscore and achievements earned during the event! Please note that discounts and percentages may vary by title and region.

GIANTS Software GmbH

Enjoy a huge variety of farming operations focusing on agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry in three diverse American and European environments. Now with the exciting addition of seasonal cycles and production chains! Operate more than 400 authentic machines and experience the relaxed farming fun. Join cooperative farming with your friends, or even challenge them in competitive game modes! Benefit from a discount of up to 20% for a limited time and let the good times grow.

Xbox Game Studios

State of Decay 2 is an open-world survival-fantasy game set just after the zombie apocalypse. Your small community of survivors seeks to rebuild a corner of civilization, and you get to make all the decisions about how that happens: who to recruit to your team, where to settle your community, how to upgrade your base, how to complete missions, and much more. And make sure to keep an eye out for Curveballs, our brand new in-game events that create exciting changes to missions, your home base, and the wider world.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

The best fights are personal in Tekken 7! With over 30 characters, you’ll be sure to find the fighter to suit your style. All the attitude, showmanship, and competitiveness of the arcades are resurrected for this supreme gaming experience. Play Tekken 7 during Free Play Days and be sure to also check out Tekken 8, the upcoming title in the Tekken Franchise!

Don’t miss out on this exciting Free Play Days for Xbox Game Pass Core and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members! Learn more about Free Play Days here and stay tuned to Xbox Wire to find out about future Free Play Days and all the latest Xbox gaming news. 

The post Free Play Days – Farming Simulator 22, State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition, and Tekken 7 appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Last week, we asked you share which companions make your heart sing in Baldur’s Gate 3 using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights: 

BosrelsHotTakes shares Shadowheart with a glowing weapon at night

i3ecci_ shares Lae’zel wearing clown makeup

4mllr shares a portrait of Karlach smiling

blackcatvp shares Astarion giving some side-eye

x___stardust_gaming___x shares a player’s hero character petting Scratch the dog

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

THEME:  Moonlight

SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on September 27, 2023

Next week, we’re basking in the moonlight. Share moonlight moments from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Yes, you’ll be able to play as Sephiroth. As part of a new gameplay trailer earlier this year, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth confirmed a key scene from the original would feature in this, the second entry in a three-game project of the seminal PS1 classic. In 1997, that moment – a younger, revenge-driven Tifa facing off against Sephiroth – formed part of an extended playable flashback. Back then, the SOLDIER legend was but an NPC in your party. In last week’s State of Play, a new trailer revealed not only would that flashback be present in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth in some capacity, but an accompanying interview confirmed the One-Winged Angel will be DualSense ready. And now, thanks to a new hands-on with a preview build of the game, we know what playing as Sephiroth will feel like.

That build is actually a two-part demo. The first half is a combat-heavy but story-driven section charts Cloud and Sephiroth’s mission to the mountainous Nibelheim and is around 20 minutes in length. The second part – Cloud and company’s post-Midgar adventure taking them across a sweeping valley sat in the shadow of Junon – is of similar length, if you head straight to the marked destination on the HUD. Play time could be and is extended due to the area’s expansive world and side activities that beckon: Chocobo chicks to follow, Chocobo farms visit to customize your newly-acquired mount, beasts to thrash with one eye on optional objectives. (It’s also an area rendered in such stunning detail, that I lose time just panning the in-game camera around to admire my surroundings.)

The demo as a whole is curated for attendees at this week’s Tokyo Game Show. As such additional tutorials are built-in to explain mechanics and new additions, to refresh or familiarize players depending on whether they’re returning from Final Fantasy VII Remake or not. We managed to get an early look ahead of the showfloor opening, and here’s what we discovered.

The mountain of Nibelheim was rich in collectable, equipable Materia, the demo egging me on to change my setup frequently to test the new types. Examples included Magnify Materia, increasing the number of enemies struck by an attack-type Materia if Magnify was slotted in alongside them. Fun yet potentially powerful was the  ‘Spare Change’ Materia, with my attack strength based on how much Gil I’d cast (toss?) at an enemy. 

Kickass Angel: The Nibelheim flashback pairs Sephiroth with a younger Cloud, the latter’s inexperience serving as a window for players to receive world-building exposition from both his comrade and Tifa (pre-Avalanche and accompanying the visiting Shinra military as a local guide). In the original game, the Masamune wielder played NPC in your party, commanding instant respect with his four-digit long stack of HP and ability to one-shot most enemies with a single swipe of his sword. In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, you’ve the choice to direct or control him. That aspect of the battle system will be similar to Final Fantasy VII Remake players (use DualSense triggers to issue commands to allies, D-Pad left or right to switch character). He’s no longer a one-strike man, but still boasts some spectacular takedown skills that constantly catches the eye (fun note: while his and Cloud’s HP stats are comparable in FFVII Rebirth, Sephiroth’s HP is still in the four digit range). Alongside some stylish and unique Abilities he’s able to deploy during fights, he can also team up with Cloud to execute one of FFVII Rebirth’s flashy new features: Synergy moves (more in those in a moment). Sadly this demo sequence is all-too brief, but the embellished combat and story moments from the original leaves me in a similar awe of Sephiroth as it did back in the day.

The Nibelheim portion of the demo had me slowly ascend the mountainside, with narrow paths and cliff face climbs. Panning the camera as I explored revealed glowing Materia, suggesting optional routes I hadn’t spotted. Rest Stops allowed recovery of HP and MP. At one point a dangerous build up of Mako gas blanketed the lobby area of an elevator, triggering a lockdown, forcing me to cleanse the area with a nearby purifier unit before the lift reactivated.

Synergy Skills and Abilities: These let two characters in your active party join forces for a powerful attack during combat. They’ve been developed with each member’s fight style and strengths in mind, meaning there’s unique Synergies for every pairing – another reason to continually mix up your active party while exploring. Some Synergies are AOE, others directional. You’ll discover which ones can be deployed immediately, which need a wind up before unleashing. All require you to weigh up and measure enemy (and sometimes friendly) placements correctly to ensure these strikes land. Synergies come in two flavors: Skills and Abilities, each getting a subsection of the command menu (slow time to a crawl with a press of X to enter Tactical Mode and cycle through combat options to strategize your party’s next moves).  

Your entire group – even those not actively in your party – mount up on Chocobos and follow your lead as you explore. Yes, that includes Red XIII. And yes, it looks as wonderfully absurd as you’d imagine.

Junon: As mentioned, the second section of the demo granted (almost) free exploration of a rugged stretch of land between the Mythril Mine and Junon. Certain sections were closed off for the demo, but still there lay a generous section of terrain for me to guide my Chocobo-riding party around. This area in particular really reinforced the game’s visual splendor, Square Enix making its rendering of the towering Junon and the surrounding landscape wallpaper-worthy. Similar to the first luscious in-game pans of Midgar in Final Fantasy VII Remake, I’m dazzled by what was once best presented in cutting edge CG cutscenes in the 90s is now outstripped by an in-game model. That includes Under Junon, a township built under the feet of Junon and which I have fond memories visiting the first time, and who’s next-gen expansion retains the original’s vibe but better captures the contrasting scale of it and the colossus towering above.

The Open Wilds of Junon hide many secrets, some of which can be sniffed out by your Chocobo, others requiring you to aid Chocobo chicks. Help a chick reactivate a Chocobo stop and you’ll earn a Golden Plume, which can be cashed in at a nearby Chocobo farm to unlock cosmetics for your bird mount.

A stowaway ninja, a dolphin and a boss fight: Under Junon is designed as the end destination of the second demo, but the demo’s climax plays out in an epic battle by the shoreline nearby. The serpentine monster from the original returns as the area’s boss battle, though the reason for its attack is a little different this time round. In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth it’s the introduction (and rescue) of Yuffie Kisaragi (who players last encountered in Final Fantasy VII Remake EPISODE INTERmission) as she sails landward that sets up the reimagined clash between seaborn threat and Avalanche’s finest.

The demo concludes with a cutscene that’s so audacious yet so consciously tongue-in-cheek that it earns my second big laugh of the session, a section of which you can watch below (although a dolphin-assisted Cloud attack still places second to the sight of Red XIII riding a Chocobo for my favorite moment of the hands-on).

The two-part demo is a captivating slice of what we can expect come February 29. With new embellishments to the combat system, the visual splendor of a reimagined world beyond Midgar already on display thanks to the power of PS5 and particularly juicy moments teased in this second act of the game’s story, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is looking very promising indeed.

SEGA is pleased to announce that Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be releasing on January 26, 2024. Pre-order for the PlayStation® Store will start at a later date.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a dramatic RPG that depicts the series’ most compelling tale to date. Two beloved characters take the spotlight as dual protagonists in this adventure—Ichiban Kasuga, who has hit rock bottom once again, and Kazuma Kiryu, who faces one final battle as he enters his twilight years.

Experience one-of-a-kind combat with dynamic, fast-paced RPG battles where the battlefield becomes your weapon, and anything goes. With a plethora of new jobs, more in-depth customization, and plenty of ways to develop your characters, build the strongest party possible. 

Meet new characters brought to life by a highly acclaimed cast!

Shinichi Tsutsumi, Ken Yasuda, Ryo Narita, Satoru Iguchi, Kiichi Nakai, and Hiroki Hasegawa will be part of the principal cast for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Look forward to captivating performances from these talented actors!

Character Profiles

Explore Yokohama’s IsezakiIjincho and the series’ first overseas region, Hawaii!  Encounter new faces, create new bonds, and enjoy minigames in these immense and vibrant environments.

Product Information:

A new month means a fresh selection of games joining the PlayStation Game Catalog. All the titles will be playable from Tuesday, September 19. Let’s dive in.

Fight back against dreadful enemies with a visceral, uniquely customizable blend of swordplay and powerful magic in this enthralling action RPG, a one-of-a-kind prequel to the critically-acclaimed masterpiece NieR: Automata. In a distant, apocalyptic future, humanity is on the brink of extinction, threatened by strange beasts and a deadly black scrawl disease. Follow a brother’s quest to save his sister Yonah – his only blood relative – who has fallen ill to the Black Scrawl. Uncover the truth behind the world of NieR as you journey alongside an unlikely group of allies through a ruined world, plagued by sickness and monstrous horrors.

Vanillaware, the storytellers behind Odin Sphere and Dragon’s Crown, craft a sci-fi mystery epic spanning thirteen intertwining stories in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. Uncover the truth and delve into a 2D side scrolling adventure featuring gorgeous art and environments. Then, battle the kaiju in fast-paced, top-down combat. Customize the Sentinels with an arsenal of mechsuit weaponry, and fight to defend humanity.

Originally created by legendary game designer Sid Meier, Civilization is a turn-based strategy game in which you attempt to build an empire to stand the test of time. Explore a new land, research technology, conquer your enemies, and go head-to-head with history’s most renowned leaders as you attempt to build the greatest civilization the world has ever known.

Square Enix and Tri-Ace present an action-packed science-fiction RPG, packing in a lavish, story-driven space opera, innovative traversal mechanics, and fast-paced combat. While it’s the sixth entry into the franchise, it works as a standalone adventure, with the entire narrative from start to finish contained within the game. Pick from two main characters at the game’s start and recruit various allies, all with their own distinct personalities and combat styles. All are playable, and you can switch between them seamlessly, both in and out of combat.

Take on the role of Raven, Contract Sniper Assassin, as he embarks on a new series of contracts in a lawless region in a dramatic single-player campaign. Tasked with a seemingly impossible task, your mission is to topple an insidious criminal syndicate and bring them to justice. Experience high-pressure tactical combat, deep inside enemy territory. Equipped with all-new equipment, each highly replayable contract can be completed in a variety of ways. Replay the mission with a different approach to complete all objectives, ready to spend your earnings on improved gadgets and weaponry.

Experience the world of Erion as it hurtles towards the end of days as warring kingdoms clash for control in this 2D action RPG. Take control of the magnificently hand-rendered characters in the enchanted realm of Erion, filled with mythical beasts and gargantuan monsters. Five character plots intertwine with each chapter centering on a unique protagonist and their struggles. Choose Refined Mode to play the game with more scenes, new monsters, and an updated battle system. Or, revisit Classic Mode to experience the 2007 version of the game with updated graphics.

Unpacking is a zen game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Part block-fitting puzzle, part home decoration, you are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life you’re unpacking. Over the course of eight house moves, you are given a chance to experience a sense of intimacy with a character you never see and a story you’re never told.

Surprise and delight crowds as you build the coaster park of your dreams and manage a truly living world with unparalleled attention to detail. Whatever your skill level, bring your ideas to life. Take advantage of Blueprints to quickly place over 700 pre-made objects, including coasters, facilities and scenery; build from the ground up with detailed piece-by-piece construction; or transform the ground itself with terrain-altering tools. Looking for inspiration? Discover the Frontier Workshop and harness the world’s best designs in your expanding empire. Download coasters, scenery, buildings, and entire parks, or grow a following by uploading your own creations.

In This War Of Mine, you do not play as an elite soldier, rather as a group of civilians trying to survive in a besieged city; struggling with a lack of food, medicine and constant danger from snipers and hostile scavengers. During the day you need to focus on maintaining your hideout: crafting, trading and taking care of your survivors. At night, take one of your civilians on a mission to scavenge for items that will help you stay alive.

The  action-packed series returns with epic battles, customisable gear, gigantic bosses and explosive multiplayer action. Play locally or online for up to four players, picking from 4 outrageous characters, each with their own weird style and colorful attitude and build over 100 weapons and augment your character with bionic body parts earned in-mission.

Tails Noir is a post-noir narrative adventure. Become raccoon private eye Howard Lotor and explore dystopian Vancouver inhabited by animals as you uncover a deeply personal story of change and transformation. Make meaningful connections with a diverse cast of characters in pursuit of truth, shape and express your identity through dialogue choices and explore and experience both downtrodden and flourishing districts of a strange, yet familiar version of Vancouver.

Immerse yourself in a story-driven adventure full of emotion, suspense and surreal surprises. It is 1934, in the far reaches of the South Pacific. Norah has crossed the ocean following the trail of her missing husband’s expedition and finds herself on a lush island paradise – a nameless, forgotten place, dotted with the remnants of a lost civilization, fantastic sights… and occult mysteries. Investigate the clues left by a previous voyage, piece together what happened, and solve a variety of clever puzzles.

Step into the boots of the dead man William Mason (voiced by Ron Perlman) and descend into the grim and gritty world of Purgatory in this fast-paced cover shooter which combines the fluidity of twin-stick controls and tactical cover usage. Put your skills to the test – Dodge behind cover as you try to outgun your enemies in the unknown procedurally generated hunting grounds.

The epic sci-fi RPG saga makes its triumphant return with this fifth instalment in the series. The Pangalactic Federation is nearing the fulfilment of its mission to bring peace and order to the galaxy.However, the embers of conflict begin to stir once again, six thousand light years from Earth on the planet of Faykreed, as a mysterious young girl is found amongst the wreckage of a downed spacecraft.

From 16-bit RPG, to PSP remake, and now a PS4 HD remaster – find out how the illustrious sci-fi RPG series began in this enhanced reimagining of the very first title. .

Regardless if magic or steel is your fancy, this 2D action RPG offers a variety of ranged and close combat options for this classic, side scrolling, beat ‘em up. Band together, or journey solo, as one of six playable classes and explore a winding dungeon with new adventures at every turn.

Unlocking new powers is something the developers of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 have in common with their web-slinging protagonists. Insomniac Games is unleashing the power of PlayStation 5 in the upcoming sequel with two playable Super Heroes wielding new abilities, a gallery of menacing Super Villains, a city nearly doubled in size, and a host of other immersive enhancements.

I recently had a chance to play through several hours of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and was on the lookout for examples of the PS5’s power at work. Let’s swing into a few exciting examples:

The preview opens with Peter in his new BlackSuit facing off against Kraven amidst church rafters. A massive bell tolls, sending impactful, reverberating ripples through the DualSense controller haptics. The resonant haptic sensation sells the bell’s disruptive effect on the twitching Black Suit. Cutscenes with the massive stampeding Lizard are also accented by intense haptic pulses, emulating the nerve-jangling might of the mutating Super Villain.

One moment early in the preview tasks Peter with helping Harry Osborn align a particle collider’s beam emitters. A brief minigame appears when Spider-Man webs the emitters. I enjoyed carefully pressing the adaptive triggers with asymmetrical levels of pressure and watching on-screen prompts to correctly lock them into place. It’s a satisfying, novel example of the triggers’ accuracy and tactile feedback.

Web Wings give players a new option to soar over the city. The power of PS5 allows Marvel’s New York City to load in faster than previous titles. This translates to speedier movement through the city, including boosting along wind tunnel routes at impressive speeds using the new Web Wings. Spidey’s tried-and-true web-swinging is also faster and feels as joyful as ever. Weaving together the traditional web-swinging with the new Web Wings gliding created  an empowering and buttery smooth way to traverse the city.

Facial performances unite with enhanced character model detail to deliver new levels of expression. For example, a heart-to-heart between Miles and Rio wordlessly showcases the concern and love his mother holds for him – it’s all in the eyes. Realistic levels of ocular detail heighten expression, like visible capillaries, moistened eyelids, minute eye movements, and nuanced lighting. Emotionally intense scenes benefit from the upgraded facial enhancements as well. Just take one look at Kraven’s expressive face as he battles against Spidey, his eyes wide and piercing as his face contorts in intense cunning…

Players have two Spideys at their fingertips in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and swapping between them is a snap. The game zooms far above to a bird’s eye view of Marvel’s New York City when switching between the two Heroes, then zooms back in on the newly selected Spider-Man elsewhere in the city. It’s a seamless and muscular demonstration of the PS5’s ultra-fast SSD.

Speaking of, Insomniac is upping the realism of their character models with simulated musculature. This subtle enhancement makes character movement look more natural to the eye, similar to the improvements in facial capture. For example, you’ll see arm muscles bulge or stretch beneath the Super Heroes’ skin-tight suits or the jaw muscles of Lizard flex convincingly when bellowing a roar.

Spider-Man’s turf extends beyond Manhattan to include Brooklyn and Queens in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. In previous Marvel’s Spider-Man games, these areas weren’t accessible and were simply low-poly representations of the wider city. The sequel’s doubled map size is possible in part due to the PS5, as is the game’s ability to render the sprawling metropolis at a greater distance. Standing atop a Manhattan skyscraper you can clearly see the shapes and colors of Brooklyn’s traversable skyline. 

Both Performance and Fidelity modes feature Ray Tracing in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 thanks to the title launching exclusively on PS5. The effect is immediately apparent when swinging or gliding across the water. One beautiful moment involved traversing over the East River with the setting sun casting a warm glow over the water, including the reflection of the Brooklyn skyline and a splash of hazy red from one of its large neon signs.

Spider-Man is nothing without a city to protect, and Marvel’s New York is livelier than ever. New York pedestrians are represented by a more diverse array of body types, and enter and exit buildings. They drive down streets in vehicles that display the subtle, authentic bobbing motion of automotive suspension systems. In past Marvel’s Spider-Man titles, players could peep into building windows for a glimpse at decorated interiors – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 heightens the detail with actual occupants. These small details help build a rich city backdrop that feels alive.

Insomniac’s audio team implements 3D audio in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 with impressive attention to detail. The immersive effects are omnipresent, but two specific sequences stood out to me. A massive bell tolls during a sequence where a Black Suit-clad Peter squares off with Kraven in a church. The resonant frequency of the bell hits with a convincing punch. Another other moment is more gameplay focused, with the player crawling after Lizard through New York’s sewers. The claustrophobic sequence is heightened by a 360-degree range of sounds, including creaky pipes, crumbling rubble, and the occasional skittering of Lizard himself.

These are just a few colorful examples of how Insomniac’s stunner of a sequel is shaping up to take full advantage of PS5. Discover the full scope for yourself when Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 hits PS5 on October 20.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: New Story Trailer 

First Look: PS5 Console – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Limited Edition Bundle

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 arrives only on PS5 October 20, Collector’s & Digital Deluxe Editions detailed

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gameplay revealed

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 prequel comic announced for Free Comic Book Day

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Wolverine revealed

Earlier this year, we shared our vision for generative artificial intelligence (AI) on Roblox and the intuitive new tools that will enable every user to become a creator. As these tools evolve rapidly across the industry, I wanted to provide some updates on the progress we’ve made, the road that’s still ahead to democratize generative AI creation, and why we think generative AI is a critical element for where Roblox is going. 

Advances in generative AI and large language models (LLMs) present an incredible opportunity to unlock the future of immersive experiences by enabling easier, faster creation while maintaining safety and without requiring massive compute resources. Further, advances in AI models that are multimodal, meaning they are trained with multiple types of content—such as images, code, text, 3D models, and audio—open the door for new advances in creation tools. These same models are beginning to also produce multimodal outputs, such as a model that can create a text output, as well as some visuals that complement the text. We see these AI breakthroughs as an enormous opportunity to simultaneously increase efficiency for more experienced creators and to enable even more people to bring great ideas to life on Roblox. At this year’s Roblox Developers Conference (RDC), we announced several new tools that will bring generative AI into Roblox Studio and beyond to help anyone on Roblox scale faster, iterate more quickly, and augment their skills to create even better content. 

Roblox has always provided creators with the tools, services, and support they need to build immersive 3D experiences. At the same time, we’ve seen our creators begin to use third-party generative and conversational AI to help them create. While they are useful to help reduce the creator’s workload, these off-the-shelf versions were not designed for end-to-end Roblox workflows or trained on Roblox code, slang, and lingo. That means creators face significant additional work to use these versions to create content for Roblox. We have been working on ways to bring the value of these tools into Roblox Studio, and at RDC we shared an early example of Assistant.

Assistant is our conversational AI that enables creators of all skill levels to spend significantly less time on the mundane, repetitive tasks involved in creating and more time on high-value activities, like narrative, game-play, and experience design. Roblox is uniquely positioned to build this conversational AI model for immersive 3D worlds, thanks to our access to a large set of public 3D models to train on, our ability to integrate a model with our platform APIs, and our growing suite of innovative AI solutions. Creators will be able to use natural language text prompts to create scenes, edit 3D models, and apply interactive behaviors to objects. Assistant will support the three phases of creation: learning, coding, and building:

Working with Assistant will be collaborative, interactive, and iterative, enabling creators to provide feedback and have Assistant work to provide the right solution. It will be like having an expert creator as a partner that you can bounce ideas off of and try out ideas until you get it right.

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To make Assistant the best partner it can be, we made another announcement at RDC: We invited developers to opt in to contribute their anonymized Luau script data. This script data will help make our AI tools, like Code Assist and Assistant, significantly better at suggesting and creating more efficient code, giving back to the Roblox developers who use them. Further, if developers opt to share beyond Roblox, their script data will be added to a data set made available to third parties to train their AI chat tools to be better at suggesting Luau code, giving back to Luau developers everywhere.

To be clear, through comprehensive user research and transparent conversations with top developers, we’ve designed this to be opt-in and will help ensure that all participants understand and consent to what the program entails. As a thank you to those who choose to participate in sharing script data with Roblox, we will grant access to the more powerful versions of Assistant and Code Assist that are powered by this community-trained model. Those who haven’t opted-in will continue to have access to our existing version of Assistant and Code Assist.

Ultimately, we want each of our 65.5 million daily users to have an avatar that truly represents them and expresses who they are. We recently released the ability for our UGC Program members to create and sell both avatar bodies and standalone heads. Today, that process requires access to Studio or our UGC Program, a fairly high level of skill, and multiple days of work to enable facial expression, body movement, 3D rigging, etc. This makes avatars time-consuming to create and has, to date, limited the number of options available. We want to go even further.

To enable everyone on Roblox to have a personalized, expressive avatar, we need to make avatars very easy to generate and customize. At RDC, we announced a new tool we’re releasing in 2024 that will enable easy creation of a custom avatar from an image or from several images. With this tool, any creator with access to Studio or our UGC program will be able to upload an image, have an avatar created for them, and then modify it as they like. Longer term, we intend to also make this available directly within experiences on Roblox.

To make this possible, we are training AI models on Roblox’s avatar schema and a set of Roblox-owned 3D avatar models. One approach leverages research for generating 3D stylized avatars from 2D images. We are also looking at using pre-trained text-to-image diffusion models to augment limited 3D training data with 2D generative techniques, and using a generative adversarial network (GAN)-based 3D generation network for training. Finally, we are working on using ControlNet to layer in predefined poses to guide the resulting multi-view images of the avatars. 

This process produces a 3D mesh for the avatar. Next, we leverage 3D semantic segmentation research, trained on 3D avatar poses, to take that 3D mesh and adjust it to add appropriate facial features, caging, rigging, and textures, in essence, making the static 3D mesh into a Roblox avatar. Finally, a mesh-editing tool allows users to morph and adjust the model to make it look more like the version they are imagining. And all of this happens fast—within minutes—generating a new avatar that can be imported into Roblox and used in an experience.

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AI for us isn’t just about creation, it’s also a much more efficient system for ensuring a diverse, safe, and civil community, at scale. As we begin to roll out new voice features, including voice chat and Roblox Connect, the new calling as your avatar feature, and APIs announced at RDC, we face a new challenge—moderating spoken language in real time. The current industry standard for this is a process known as Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), which essentially takes an audio file, transcribes it to convert it into text, then analyzes the text to look for inappropriate language, keywords, etc. 

This works well for companies using it at a smaller scale, but as we explored using this same ASR process to moderate voice communication, we quickly realized that it’s difficult and inefficient at our scale. This approach also loses incredibly valuable information that’s encoded in a speaker’s volume and tone of voice, as well as the broader context of the conversation. Of the millions of minutes of conversation we’d have to transcribe every day, across different languages, only a very small percentage would even possibly sound like something inappropriate. And as we continue to scale, that system would require more and more compute power to keep up. So we took a closer look at how we could do this more efficiently, by building a pipeline that goes directly from the live audio to labeling content to indicate whether it violates our policies or not.

Ultimately, we were able to build an in-house custom voice-detection system by using ASR to classify our in-house voice data sets, then use that classified voice data to train the system. More specifically, to train this new system, we begin with audio and create a transcript. We then run the transcript through our Roblox text filter system to classify the audio. This text filter system is great at detecting policy-violating language on Roblox since we’ve been optimizing this same filter system for years on Roblox-specific slang, abbreviations, and lingo. At the end of these layers of training, we have a model that’s capable of detecting policy violations directly from audio in real time.

While this system does have the ability to detect specific keywords such as profanity, policy violations are rarely just one word. One word can often seem problematic in one context and just fine in a different context. Essentially, these types of violations involve what you’re saying, how you’re saying it, and the context in which the statements are made.

To get better at understanding context, we leverage the native power of a transformer-based architecture, which is very good at sequence summarization. It can take a sequence of data, like an audio stream, and summarize it for you. This architecture enables us to preserve a longer audio sequence so we can detect not only words but also context and intonations. Once all of these elements come together, we have a final system where the input is audio and the output is a classification—violates policy or doesn’t. This system can detect keywords and policy-violating phrases, but also tone, sentiment, and other context that’s important to determine intent. This new system, which detects policy-violating speech directly from audio, is significantly more compute efficient than a traditional ASR system, which will make it much easier to scale as we continue to reimagine how people come together.

We also needed a new way to warn those on our voice communication tools of the potential consequences of this type of language. With this innovative detection system at our disposal, we are now experimenting with ways to affect online behavior to maintain a safe environment. We know people sometimes violate our policies unintentionally and we want to understand if an occasional reminder might help prevent further offenses. To help with this, we are experimenting with real-time user feedback through notifications. If the system detects that you’ve said something that violates our policies some number of times, we’ll display a pop-up notification on your screen informing you that your language violates our policies and directs you to our policies for more information.

Voice stream notifications are just one element of the moderation system, however. We also look at behavioral patterns on the platform, as well as complaints from others on Roblox, to drive our overall moderation decisions. The aggregate of these signals could result in stronger consequences, including having access to audio features revoked, or for more serious infractions, being banned from the platform entirely. Keeping our community safe and civil is critical as these advances in multimodal AI models, generative AI, and LLMs come together to enable incredible new tools and capabilities for creators. 

We believe that providing creators with these tools will both lower the barrier to entry for less experienced creators and free more experienced creators from the more tedious tasks of this process. This will allow them to spend more time on the inventive aspects of fine-tuning and ideating. Our goal with all of this is to enable everyone, everywhere to bring their ideas to life and to vastly increase the diversity of avatars, items, and experiences available on Roblox. We are also sharing information and tools to help protect new creations. 

We’re already imagining amazing possibilities: Say someone is able to create an avatar doppelganger directly from a photo, they could then customize their avatar to make them taller or render them in anime style. Or they could build an experience by asking Assistant to add cars, buildings, and scenery, set lighting or wind conditions, or change the terrain. From there, they could iterate to refine things just by typing back and forth with Assistant. We know the reality of what people create with these tools, as they become available, will go well beyond what we can even imagine.

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