So, we were absolutely in for the Demon’s Souls, Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Mafia remasters. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, Kingdoms of Amalur remasters – yeah, okay, we kind of liked the originals. Destroy All Humans! and Spongebob: Battle for Bikini Bottom: alright, it was starting to get silly. Asterisk & Obelisk XXL? Er, what? Asterisk & Obelisk XXL: Romastered is out now on Xbox One, PS4, Switch and PC via Steam.
Nothing against Asterisk & Obelisk XXL: it was a passing diversion and family-friendly fare. But it sits somewhere below Blinx the Cat and above Aero the Acrobat in the need for a remaster. We’re a little bemused that it’s managed to swig a potion and beef up for the latest generation of consoles, but we’re in some crazy remastery times. Anything can happen.
Let’s come at it with an open mind: if you’ve never played the OG game, it’s a 3D action platformer where you get to switch between Asterix and Obelisk (with a smidge of Dogmatix, if memory serves), as you plough through various regions of the Roman Empire, including Egypt, Greece and Rome. You’re chasing after your kidnapped village buddies, like Getafix and Panacea, and you’ll be winding up punches to wallop people high into the air, as you would hope from a Goscinny adaptation.
There’s some neat action asides in there too, as you turn into tornadoes to swallow up legions of Romans, and pepper phalanxes in a shooting range style minigame. Asterix & Obelisk does a decent job of mixing up the standard platforming with these sections, so you won’t necessarily get bored. There are four new game modes in the package too, layered on to the original.
While the Romaster (great name, by the way), seems to have done an okay job at beefing up the graphics, the real winner is the ability to switch to retro-graphics at the touch of a button. Fair play to developers OSome Studio, this is an impressive feat that will get love from the nostalgists among you.
Features include:
Rediscover the first XXL adventure of your favorite Gauls in this fully romastered version!
Toggle between Asterix & Obelix et travel accross various regions of the world such as Greece or Egypt to set free Impedimenta, Panacea, Getafix and the other villagers.
Fight all the Romans, pirates and Vikings who will stand in your way! Nothing can stop you with magic potion.
Cherry on the boar, 4 NEW GAME MODES are available: – Course mode for stunt lovers; – Countdown mode for speed freaks; – Extreme mode for the bravest Gauls.; – Retro mode to switch to the original graphics anytime!
Whether you remember the original or just fancy a breezy platformer, Asterix & Obelisk XXL: Romastered is out now on Xbox One and will cost you £33.49. It’s also out on PS4, Switch and PC via Steam.
Game Description:
Asterix and Obelix make an XXL comeback in a Romastered version full of Romans! The year is 50 B.C. Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well, not entirely… One small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders. And life is not easy for the Roman legionaries who garrison the fortified camps of Totorum, Aquarium, Laudanum and Compendium. Peace reigns in the small Armorican village, where the villagers go about their daily business. Our two heroes, Asterix and Obelix, hunt wild boar, the blacksmith and the fishmonger quarrel, and the village chief strolls around the village square atop his shield. After a fine day’s hunting, Asterix and Obelix return to find their village in flames, pillaged by the Romans! They set off to rescue their fellow villagers, accompanied by their faithful Dogmatix. Their journey will take them to Normandy, Greece Helvetia, Egypt and, finally, Rome, in order to save the villagers from the clutches of the emperor Caesar…
Since the early days of Fusion Frenzy, dedicated console users wait for the long-awaited sequels to come out. They’ve even transitioned to watching movies and music on their device by downloading additional apps like Blu-Ray and Spotify.
Still, the vast majority of Xbox enthusiasts are there for the games. In 2020, players awaited the third installment of mega-popular Resident Evil, the breathtaking design of Ori and the Will of the Wisps, strategy-heavy shooters like Gears Tactics, and Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077.
This past year has seen a variety of recent trends either pick up or decline in relationship to Xbox gaming. While microtransactions continue to frustrate console and mobile gamers alike, mini-games seem to be popular. Meanwhile, more and more adults are finding a genuine interest in Minecraft…
As more platforms take off, hoping to share in gaming’s market some $120 billion worth, from the rise of live streaming to Bytedance, let’s inspect what excited Xbox diehards in 2020.
Social Trends
As generations shift, so do trends surrounding video games. At the moment, around 25% of all gamers identify as Gen Xers, which means the video game warriors who grew up with the first iterations of franchises and consoles (like Madden or the Nintendo) will need a fresh start to be relevant to millennials, who now comprise 48% of gamers worldwide.
This means innovation like that seen with Cyberpunk 2077 (narrative and crossover appeal) and Ori and the Will of the Wisps (RPG in a richly designed fantasy setting) are likely to continue. Crossovers, like Keanu Reeves’ appearance in Cyberpunk 2077, are expected to gain steam in the realm of sports simulation games as well.
Currently, 83% of people living in the Middle East and Africa identify as gamers. As these gamers grow and pursue careers in video game design and development in hotspots like Turkey, Nigeria, and the Arab World, the games themselves will evolve to include storylines and structures that reflect African and Middle Eastern cultures.
Hidden Objects & Minigames
As aforementioned, mini-games are a major trend across console, PC, and mobile games. One major part of the mini-game (and micro-transaction) trend is casino mini-games. From GTA’s Casino Diamond Heist to Red Dead Redemption 2, casino-themed side quests are the rage.
However, given the popularity and availability of real-money sites like Otto Kasino that offer a full suite of games, the casino mini-game may be a short-lived trend for Xbox players. After all, anyone serious about gaming will not improve their skills simulating a vault break-in.
For the time being, mini-games will probably remain popular, though their affiliation with micro-transactions (especially in a mobile setting) is likely to decline. For Xbox diehards, this isn’t a problem.
Anyone looking for a break from their standard action knows to check the ‘New Games’ section. There, visual novels to lifestyle sims are available. Currently, hidden object games are gaining momentum with users interested in testing their attention to detail while dipping a toe into casual gaming.
Minecraft… For Adults
As the most popular video game in the world, more than a handful of adults have been onto Minecraft since its 2009 release. Since then, the game has gained an unstoppable following amongst young demographics.
To the average Xbox gamer, Minecraft may be regarded as a pop culture phenomenon, if not a nuisance for those dedicated to battering through games like Ninja Gaiden or Hunt: Showdown. Still, for better or for worse, Minecraft is here to stay, and it’s becoming popular amongst adults.
Described as a ‘cross between a Lego set and a fantasy adventure’, the game took off in 2020 due to an increase in time spent alone at home. Multi-player features meant that newcomers to video games could partner with friends remotely to tackle missions in a fun, lighthearted series.
Prior to Assassin’s Creed Origins releasing back in 2017, Ubisoft dropped a stunning pair of Limited Edition Assassin’s Creed Origins Yeezy sneakers. We guess they went down pretty well too, as here and now, on the verge of seeing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla releasing, Ubisoft are going down a similar route – teaming up for a new Capsule Collection with Reebok.
Ubisoft and Reebok – two names that are leaders in their own respective industries. And we guess that means that any partnership between the two will be of huge appeal to many. Throw in AC Valhalla, and there’s a massive draw, much like the collaboration between Ubisoft and GUNNAR Optiks.
Ubisoft and Reebok are set to bring the story of the highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed Valhalla to the hardened streets, allowing fans to show off their inner Viking attitude and engage with the story in a way they never could have imagined. The partnership centers around a capsule collection including trainers, apparel and accessories, all inspired by the Viking fantasy.
AC Valhalla follows the tale of Eivor, a fierce Viking raider raised on tales of battle and glory. And when it releases on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS4 and PS5 from November 10th, it’ll allow fans to join a captivating Viking experience as the game brings players to a beautiful and mysterious open world set against the brutal backdrop of England’s Dark Ages.
Just prior to that though and we’ll have access to a bespoke collection that is headlined by three footwear styles in exclusive colorways inspired by the northern lights:
Zig Kinetica: Inspired by the deep black of the Nordic night and the northern lights the Zig Kinetica x ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA is designed with a black moulded-mesh upper, built around its distinctive zigzag-shaped, energy-return sole in emerald sea. Nodding to the Viking Lifestyle, the model features the symbol for Synin, a raven that represents a major feature of Norse mythology, and helps key character Eivor on his journey.
Club C Revenge: Simple yet versatile, the Club C Revenge x ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA features a soft suede tan upper with emerald sea and black hits throughout. On the heel, the silhouette features a twin battle axe symbol, the epitome of Norse versatility and one of the most iconic Viking symbols.
Classic Leather Legacy: Coming with a cold grey upper and highlights in both emerald sea and emerald haze, the Classic Leather Legacy x ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA, a retro-running inspired lifestyle silhouette, is the perfect choice for those who don’t want to choose between the present and the past. The embossed raven symbol on the heel this detail speaks once more to the deep meaning of these creatures for the Vikings.
You’ll also be able to throw in a couple of hoodies, a cap and matching socks, with each piece featuring the custom ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA X REEBOK logo, as well as additional symbols such as ravens and axes, true to the Norse mythology.
Interested? You’ll find the collection available exclusively on Reebok.com from 7th November, and from 11th November at select retail stores. Will you be grabbing any of it?
When Lonely Mountains: Downhill rolled out onto the Xbox Store at the back end of 2019, we didn’t really know what to expect. But just five minutes after first taking the experience in, we were sold, with it delivering a rather wonderful two-wheeled experience that is unlike any other. Now though that experience expands, with the chance to go scuttling downhill in the Eldfjall Island DLC.
Available to purchase and download into your Lonely Mountains: Downhill base game this very minute, Eldfjall Island sees you taking a one-way ticket to a new volcanic area, one that just so happens to also come bearing gifts in the form of new downhill biking challenges, new outfits, new paint jobs and new accessories. The icing on the cake is the fact it also provides no less than four new trails for us to race down, aiming for leaderboard places on each and every one.
Priced at £5.49, Eldfjall Island for Lonely Mountains: Downhill should well be the most intense, most volcanic Lonely Mountains experience yet, with our downhill objectives threatened not just by the erupting volcano we are hurtling down, but the risk of thunderstorms along the way.
“We are excited to share our biggest and most versatile mountain so far!” Says Jan Budenik, developer at Megagon Industries.
Features include:
4 new trails with new challenges and resting spots await you
New special effects: ride through the thunderstorm or find your way down an erupting volcano.
Satisfy your inner viking and unlock unique outfits, helmets, and paint jobs
Upgrade your existing outfits with the new pro helmet
Complete your fashion style with new unlockable backpacks Make your name famous on the leaderboards
You can grab the Lonely Mountains: Downhill Eldfjall Island DLC from the Store of your choosing with Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC offerings all in place.
Further to that though and Thunderful Publishing and Megagon Industries have also pushed out a big free Daily Rides update. This will do as the name suggests, providing access to all new seasonal challenges and gifting a whole host of rewards in the process. The first season focuses on Halloween – dare you go ride?
DLC Description:
Pack your raincoat and bring your beloved bike to the volcanic island of Eldfjall – the largest Lonely Mountain yet.
The track listing for FUSER – the next evolution of interactive music games – has slowly dripped out over the weeks, but due to launch alongside the standard game is the FUSER VIP Edition, an edition of the game that will provide even more loops and licks. Today the team at Harmonix have revealed exactly what that VIP Edition will look like, with 25 more songs included in the DLC.
The base game of FUSER will release on Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC come November 10th 2020 with more than 100 songs available as part of the base game. But it is the VIP Edition which looks set to really push the limits, delivering a host more in terms of tunes.
Featuring top artists from around the globe, the FUSER VIP Edition includes the first 25 DLC songs available for FUSER, all of which will be available at launch on November 10th. Those songs will add more loops for players to create their own custom mixes, save and share as snapshots, enhance collaborative co-op mixes, or bring some extra personality to competitive multiplayer.
That list of the first 25 DLC tracks included in the FUSER VIP Edition are:
21 Savage “a lot”
Afrojack ft. Eva Simons “Take Over Control”
Alanis Morissette “Ironic”
Amerie “1 Thing”
Ava Max “Kings & Queens”
Bananarama “Venus”
The Cranberries “Linger”
DJ Snake, J. Balvin & Tyga “Loco Contigo”
Echo & The Bunnymen “Lips Like Sugar”
Erasure “A Little Respect”
Evanescence “Bring Me To Life”
Fetty Wap “Trap Queen”
French Montana ft. Swae Lee “Unforgettable”
Glen Campbell “Gentle On My Mind”
Ini Kamoze “Here Comes The Hotstepper (Heartical Mix)”
Justin Timberlake “Rock Your Body”
Kane Brown ft. Lauren Alaina “What Ifs”
Kelly Clarkson “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”
Mark Ronson ft. Miley Cyrus “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart”
Nicki Minaj “Starships”
Sean Paul “Get Busy”
Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em “Crank That (Soulja Boy)”
Tone-Loc “Funky Cold Medina”
Topic with A7S “Breaking Me”
Usher ft. Pitbull “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love”
Each of these DLC tracks will be available to purchase individually, with us looking at a price of $1.99 (or local equivilent) in place. If you’re liking what has been revealed though, then a purchase of the FUSER VIP Edition for £99.99/$99.99 should well be considered. The Xbox Store should sort Xbox games out on that front. Pre-order that – or the standard edition – and Harmonix will throw in three further tunes for you too – Dua Lipa “New Rules,” Khalid “Young Dumb & Broke” and The Killers “Mr. Brightside.”
We’ll be sure to remind you when FUSER rocks out onto Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC. Let us know if that VIP Edition is the one you’ll be looking to grab.
When Dovetail Games decided to make the jump from the original Train Sim World up to the fancier, faster, more full-on Train Sim World 2, they promised that those who purchased the multiple DLC pieces available first time around would be sorted via the Preserved Collection. Once more we see a host of those original downloadable content drops now make their way to Train Sim World 2, alongside a new route for good measure.
The Preserved Collection ensures that anyone who purchased any of the DLC pieces that arrived for the original Train Sim World 2 can take their content over to Train Sim World 2 without fuss nor bother.
Already we’ve seen a few pieces make the transition, but now a whole ton of extras have also arrived. In fact, there are six packs available for action, with an additional one – Hauptstrecke München – Augsberg – also in place. If you’re looking to race through Bavaria and experience the hustle and bustle of modern commuting, this new route will be for you.
Of course, if you didn’t ever own the original Train Sim World and have only found Train Sim World 2 rolling into your station now, then you can also pick up any of the Preserved Collection packs for yourself – it’s just you’ll have to pay for them, and they ain’t cheap.
Those wishing to enhance Train Sim World 2 on Xbox One, PS4 or PC with the latest content can do so by visiting their digital store of choice. For us that means paying a visit to the Xbox Store, where the following are now all available. Remember, they will be free to transfer if you previously owned them in Train Sim World, but if you are coming in new to the sequel, the asking prices come into play…
With multiple options available, and Train Sim World 2 already having provided a pretty damn great railway simulation – and now giving the chance to head to the Isle of Wight too – if you’re a railway fan, or are just looking for a new gaming experience, it’s certainly one to check out.
Let us know in the comments what you think of these latest Preserved Collection pieces. Where will you be heading first?
Life is a rollercoaster, isn’t it? We checked the Xbox Game Pass app last week to receive a message that GONNER was leaving the service, and had a weary sigh. It was a colourful, violent, hella good time, and we were going to have to part ways. Then lo! GONNER2 strides up to October, says hol’ up, and arrives completely free for anyone with Game Pass. Winner winner, chicken dinner! GONNER2 is out now on Xbox One to purchase as well as via Game Pass, Switch and PC via Steam.
If you haven’t played GONNER yet, this is a great point to hop on. There’s no arcing narrative or continued progression here, there’s just a rollicking good time, so playing GONNER is not a prerequisite.
GONNER2 seems like GONNER, but juiced up royally. This is still the procedurally generated, hyperactive platform-shooter with rogue-ish elements from before, but with the scale, speed, action and collectibles amped up. Upgrade yourself and festoon your body with guns and heads (Yes! More heads!), then take down some feisty looking enemies in acrobatic swoops.
The headline for GONNER2 is the introduction of up to four-player co-op. The original was crying out for this, being such a ridiculous and fun time, so it’s great to see it here. You’ll cooperatively clear the random levels, and it looks like we might be getting Castle Crasher-levels of joy from it.
Features:
Intense platformer shooter action
A bunch of heads, guns and upgrades that you can combine in a prodedural world
4 player local coop and PvP Death Match arena.
You can probably tell that we’re on board, but we were converts in the first place. The only thing to do is give it a whirl on Xbox Game Pass, and see if it does it for you too.
In GONNER2, our altruistic and unexpected hero Ikk is back! And this time Death needs his help. Her lair has been taken over by a mysterious presence and she needs Ikk to take it down. Journey your way through deep dark chaotic places with sparks of unimaginable colour and crazy bosses, all while trying to literally keep your head!! GONNER2 is a procedurally generated platformer with roguelike elements that will keep you on your toes – now with more added, colour and chaos!
It’s been a strange year and that was hammered home no more than when Konami did away with the usual annual update to their PES series to deliver the eFootball PES 2021 Season Update to players. But thankfully there is still some kind of normality to life with the usual data pack drops for the game. Data Pack 2.0 is now with us and not only does it deliver a host of new player faces and team kits, but Stevie G will also be making an appearance.
The first major post-launch update for PES 2021 sees the introduction of over 150 player face updates, more than 200 new kits and the biggy – the addition of Steven Gerrard as a Master League Manager. And it’s all available right now as a free download on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
So, Data Pack 2.0 brings the latest league, club and player data for numerous countries including those of Italy, Spain, Turkey, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil and China. In addition to that over 200 teams have received the latest real-world kit updates, with the likes of Belgium, England, France, Netherlands and Portugal just a small selection of the 24 National teams getting a wardrobe upgrade. But that’s not all and Arsenal, FC Barcelona, Celtic FC, Juventus, Manchester United and AS Roma will also be turning heads in their newly updated third kits.
Further to that, over 150 player faces have either been created or updated as part of the latest Data Pack. From Konami‘s official partner clubs, this includes Ansu Fati (FC Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), William Saliba (Arsenal), Albian Ajeti (Celtic FC) and Francisco Trincão (FC Barcelona), but you should expect to see some changes to more than 150 players in total.
For all the visual makeovers though, it’s the arrival of current Rangers FC manager Steven Gerrard as a Master League Manager which will get many excited. If you’re a Master League player, getting access to a legend of the game in managerial form will be something you shouldn’t ignore. You can throw in some new boots from the likes of NIKE, PUMA, UMBRO, MIZUNO and Joma too. But that’s not all and the unique “Full Celebration 3” drops for select Iconic Moment Series players too – you can trigger it by hitting L3 in-game after scoring.
Sitting alongside the arrival of Data Pack 2.0 and starting from today, PES 2021 will also see the release of new Iconic Moment Series players within various myClub campaigns, with more to follow next month:
October 22 – Ronaldinho (Iconic Match: 08/03/2005)
October 22 – Carles Puyol (Iconic Match: 19/01/2012)
October 22 – Deco (Iconic Match: 07/01/2006)
October 29 – Patrick Viera (Iconic Match: 15/05/2004)
October 29 – Sol Campbell (Iconic Match: 04/05/2002)
October 29 – Gilberto Silva (Iconic Match: 11/08/2002)
If you are an eFootball PES 2021 Season Update player, then you’ll find all of the above available in your game from today. Make sure you fire it up, hit the pitch and take it all in.
Prepare to venture into a sandbox experience that’s got puzzling moments, platforming elements and frenetic action. This is Supraland and it’s the latest 3D open-world, metroidvania style sandbox adventure on Xbox One via Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
Supraland invites you into its family-friendly, huge and interconnected world, where you’ll play as one of the red stick folk residing there. Whilst the ultimate aim is to secure an audience with the almighty Blue King in a bid to save the village, the preceding journey to achieve leaves you to explore at your own pace – it could take up to 25 hours. You’ll unlock useful abilities along the way, which must be combined in order to overcome the rather creative puzzles and uncover the mysterious secrets.
It’s not solely a puzzling predicament here though, with exploration a crucial element and there also a bit of action. As well as a variety of abilities, you’ll gain access to a wide range of weaponry to unleash on the onrushing hordes of creatures that you may stumble upon. These instances will really pick up the pace of proceedings, putting those first-person combat skills to the test.
If you’re ready to embark on the valiant quest proposed by Supraland, head over to the Xbox Store to own the experience for £16.74. Alternatively, Xbox Game Pass subscribers can download it at no additional cost and begin the adventure risk-free. Supraland is also available on the PS Store and Nintendo eShop, so you’re covered no matter which console you prefer!
Game Description:
Embark on a valiant quest to save your toy village in the hit first-person open-world puzzle platformer! Roam and explore a huge interconnected world. Unlock powerful new abilities and combine them to overcome imaginative puzzles or uncover shrouded secrets. Defeat charging hordes in fast, frenetic first-person combat as you battle your way towards an audience with the Blue King. Supraland is the ultimate “sandbox” adventure and offers players a fresh take on puzzles, exploration, and adventure! Game features: – 12–25 hours of open-world puzzle, action and platformer gameplay – A grand adventure in a tiny “sandbox”, with rewarding exploration gameplay and hundreds of secrets to discover – Discover exciting upgrades and unlock a wide range of game-changing weapons and abilities – Family-friendly visuals combined with countless crafty puzzles
UFC 4 is all about shaping your fight style and thanks to a host of new DLC packs the options available to you have just expanded massively. No matter whether you’re a newbie just starting out, think of yourself as a big of a gladiator of the octagon, or want to embrace rainbows and unicorns, you’re sorted.
Four new DLC packs have hit UFC 4 in all, and if we’re honest, they all provide something massively different, particularly from the standard base game that is in place.
The UFC 4 – Starter Bundle is the best place to start, mostly as it will only set you back £3.99. Should you wish to jump in with this pack, you’ll find a number of new goodies that will help you out on your UFC career, with some new gear for your fighter (a black Jean Shorts and two different Tank Tops), along with 500 sweet UFC Points and an exclusive Backyard Player Card Background.
Further to that is a more premium version – cleverly titled the Premium Starter Bundle. This is considerably more costly – £15.99 in fact – but it has been inspired by the legend of the Kumite, providing multiple options. In fact, if you’re serious about UFC 4, this is the pack for you, with all of the following included…
2200 UFC Points
x2 Gi Pants (Black & Green)
x2 Gi Top (Black & Green)
x1 Rope Gloves (Black w/ red trim)
Ninja Mask (Black)
Exclusive Kumite Player Card Background
Just as serious is the new Gladiator Vanity Bundle. This is priced at £3.99, and pretty much does as the name suggests, delivering gladiatorial traditions from the past to UFC 4. Expect to find a new Gladiator Helmet, Gladiator Shorts with a glorious black and gold trim, some red Rope Gloves and an Exclusive Gladator Player Card.
So all is good in the UFC 4 hood, but then things get a bit silly with the introduction of the Rainbows and Unicorns Vanity Bundle. Yep, rainbows and unicorns. This is again priced at £3.99 – and much like all the other packs, if you have an EA Play/Access subscription, you’ll find a 10% discount in place – but it is about as far removed from the other additions as you can imagine. Basically put though, if you like the sparkly, and think that unicorns are real, this is for you, with new shorts, shirts, player cars and more included. In fact, in the UFC 4 – Rainbows & Unicorns Vanity Bundle, you’ll find…
Animated Star Boxing Shorts (Purple)
Animated Star Long sleeve Shirt (Purple)
Star Gloves (Purple)
Animated Unicorn Board Shorts (Blue or Pink)
Animated Unicorn Short sleeve Shirt (Blue or Pink)
Exclusive Rainbows & Unicorns Player Card
So, how are you sorted with UFC 4 and the new DLC packs? Which ones will you be picking up? Let us know in the comments below.
When Truck Driver first rolled out onto Xbox One and PS4, it failed to really ignite the scene with a variety of bugs and glitches overriding the good interactions that it occasionally delivered. Since that release in 2019 though SOEDESCO have gone on the attack, patching and fixing to ensure that it becomes a game worthy of your time. The next step in that strategy is to drop in a damage system and new content. Both of which are available right now – for free.
Coming via the snazzily titled Truck Driver Hidden Places & Damage System DLC pack, SOEDESCO are ensuring that any and all potential truck drivers are sorted with a few new options. Free to download, as the name suggests, this pack provides a new damage system, along with no less than three hidden places for you to discover.
By ensuring the base game of Truck Driver is in your digital library and ready to go, and then heading to the digital store of your choice, the Hidden Places & Damage System DLC builds on the original game to ensure that you are driving safe.
The new damage system comes into play here, providing visual damage on both your truck, and the other vehicles that you hit. And whilst we’d hazard a guess to say that you won’t want to see this in action – after-all, dodging and swerving other vehicles should be at the forefront of your mind – at least when things do go wrong, you’ll now be aware of it. Oh, and whilst we’re at it, SOEDESCO are promising that there will be new vehicles to hit/dodge/enjoy too – five in all. You’re in for a treat with the likes of new minibuses and tow trucks frequenting the road.
Further to that though and the same content pack brings three new hidden places for you to check out. Accompanied by new achievements/trophies, these will come about via unknown roads, giving reason for exploration.
For free, if you’re a Truck Driver player then it’s a no-brainer to go and pick up this latest DLC pack for the game. Just head to your favoured store (Xbox Store right here) and grab it. We’re not sure it’s going to be a total game changer in terms of what it does do to Truck Driver, but any new enhancements are absolutely fine by us.
DLC Description:
About ‘Hidden Places & Damage System’ DLC Get ready to hit the road and discover hidden places and new vehicles. Drive safe though, since a new damage system shows visual damage on your truck and other vehicles at the point of impact. With three hidden places, you can search for unknown roads and unlock new achievements/trophies. You can also spot five brand-new vehicles in traffic, including a tow truck and minibus. So drive responsibly and go exploring!
A lot of Xbox owners often claim that they get the short end of the stick when it comes to Japanese RPGs, what with Final Fantasy XVI being penned as a PlayStation 5 title and Nintendo fans getting games like Xenoblade Chronicles. Still, Xbox owners did eventually get Kingdom Hearts and soon Dragon Quest, and all while a steady stream of indie Japanese RPGs arrived on the digital storefront to provide plenty of choices. Admittedly, these choices are usually less than stellar, with most of the release cycle dominated by the legendary KEMCO.
Here at TheXboxHub we (well, it’s usually just our one KEMCO man really) take pride in reviewing almost all of these titles, and to be honest most of them try to achieve beyond just the bare minimum; some of these, dare we say, are actually even decent. The same, however, just can’t be said for Tears of Avia by CooCooSqueaky Games. It is a surprisingly underwhelming release considering the otherwise solid track record of publisher PQube.
Most indie JRPG releases scrape by, doing the bare minimum; some manage to border on decent, but Tears of Avia largely underachieves even when attempting to do the absolute minimum. From the outset the production feels unfinished, and the uninspired character designs feel like they come out of a manga tutorial book (for beginners no less). There is some semblance of a theme and setting here, but it all feels like a mix-and-match of every fantasy stereotype and trope imaginable, thrown into a storyline that feels like the Groundhog Day of JRPG storytelling. It’s all so familiar that it’s difficult to really care.
There’s a case of generic characters when you get underway; each hero offering their respective campaign in an intertwined tale (not that it is ambitious). Once you pick a hero the game throws you into a tactical strategy RPG experience with little in the way of world-building or any real presentation of substance. There is some semblance of production values here, as at least it looked like they budged just enough for limited Japanese voice acting.
As a tactical strategy RPG there is some semblance of a functional game in Tears of Avia, but the combat system and the progression of battles offer very little engagement. Even navigating the battle menu using the Xbox controller can feel quite cumbersome. There are far better options on Xbox, even in strategy RPGs – in fact you are better off playing one of the Shining Force games in a Mega Drive collection if you’re after something with genuine strategic depth.
Visually, the game looks incomplete and dated – it just doesn’t offer or present anything to hold a player’s attention. The character models are weak and even the map design feels like a template placeholder that could have used far more development time. That’s the gist of it really: Tears of Avia feels like something which had only just begun development before someone decided to call it a day and release it.
Tears of Avia is largely built and paced around its battles, where the town segments are pointlessly dry and the story segments match, so much so that players will beg for these sequences to skim by. The combat segments are really the only portions of the game which feel like they went through some development time, as the rest of the gameplay portions come across like they were just slapped on to add superficial filler.
Tears of Avia on Xbox One is the very definition of an underachiever. It feels unfinished in almost every regard, and the combat is functional at best but offers nothing compelling in terms of gameplay variety or depth. There is a tactical turn-based RPG at the core, but nothing about it is designed to reel a player in or make them want to stick around. Tears of Avia will bring players tears of boredom even in its best moments. For publisher PQube, they’ve almost always been on the mark with their titles, but this time it feels like they got a little lazy with their quality curation.
It’s a bold move to release a dogfighting sim the week after STAR WARS: Squadrons. Sure, the themes are worlds (and universes) apart, but Red Wings: Aces of the Sky is giving itself a challenge by going up against a triple-A bogey. Good on All in! Games for staying on target and flipping EA the bird.
This is a WW1 dogfighter that centres on the Red Baron, Manfred Von Richthofen, who notched 80 aerial victories over the war. It’s not quite clear if you’re playing as him or alongside him throughout the Triple Alliance campaign, while another campaign clearly puts you on the Triple Entente side, setting him up as a boogeyman for you and your squadron. The campaigns flip through a motion comic every few missions to progress the story, while title cards pop up between missions, giving you an indication of exactly where in the war you are.
The missions themselves are short, pitched encounters, never more than ten minutes long and restricted to a single objective. Don’t expect the developing plot and scripted moments of Squadrons’ campaign; instead, you’ll routinely have three things to do: shoot down everything, fly through hoops in a Pilotwings-style, or drop bombs on targets while dodging aerial bombardment. There are variations within those categories – you might have to shoot down some blimps while waves of fighters attack, perhaps – but Red Wings never strays that far.
Complete the mission and you gain up to three stars, and those stars can be used to buy permanent benefits that’ll up your DPS, aerial maneuverability, and mission-specific buffs. These can be transferred between campaigns, so you might find yourself switching over to the other campaign to maximise your oomph. Keep progressing through the missions, and you will unlock new planes.
The flying is more towards the arcadey, Jedi Starfighter end than some of your more out-and-out sims. It reminded me a lot of Lylat Wars, strangely enough, with a single arena, multiple bogeys in the distance, and simple, one-touch maneuvers like a barrel roll, u-turn, calling backup, and – unusually – a pistol-shot from your cockpit, when you can one-hit a damaged enemy. It’s kind of bizarre, if we’re honest, to zoom in and headshot your opponent, and the game’s erratic in when it’ll let you do it. Too often, the prompt turned up milliseconds before the fighter exploded.
Outside of the campaigns, there’s multiplayer dogfighting to be had, as you can take on another local player in Time Battles, Score Battles and, the absolute highlight, Hide n’ Seek. This is the most fantastically bonkers thing in the whole game: you fly in a swarm of bot-planes and hope you don’t get spotted, like an aerial version of prop hunt. It’s nothing more than a novelty and won’t keep you playing, but definitely give it a shot. We’ve not played anything like it. There’s also a survival mode, which is as boring as most survival modes are: keep killing until you stop, then get your score added to a leaderboard. As a package, it’s pretty substantial. There’s a hangar full of stuff here, and the campaigns keep going for a fair old whack.
But, as the old game-reviewer adage goes, it’s better to try something new and fail, than try nothing new and bore everyone to sleep. Unfortunately, Red Wings: Aces of the Sky attempts to do very little new, and is as middle of the road (middle of the skyway?) as they come. It was a battle to keep the interest going.
The dogfighting is fine, don’t get us wrong. The plane is responsive, and there’s a subtle aim-assist to avoid wild misfiring. The accuracy of the period for planes has obviously been dialled up, as you can take down opponents from quite a distance. Sure, it could have benefited from some of the advances that games like Rebel Galaxy Outlaw have introduced, like lock-on targeting and tracking, but it does the basic stuff well, and the aforementioned maneuvers are enjoyably arcadey, if a bit too slow to replenish in the early game.
The problem is that the pattern of ‘search for a plane, get it in your sights and fire’ is the same from mission 1 to mission 20. Your opponents might gain the odd shield or sponge a bit more damage, but their AI largely remains the same (too often aiming themselves at you, kamikaze-like, which you’ll quickly get tired of). Leveling up doesn’t give you any new weapons or strategy; it just incrementally improves your ability to take down other planes. The same goes with the planes you unlock.
The parameters of your missions don’t change wildly either. You will either fight waves of fighters that are triggered by the AI, or waves of fighters that are triggered by you (blimps circle the battlefield, and destroying them will bring in enemy backup). The difference is miniscule, and nowhere near enough to generate strategy or variety. I found myself wanting something, anything, to turn up and disrupt things a wee bit. Chuck in a tank, zeppelin, mega-bomber, mechanised Kaiser, even a different landscape, a city perhaps. It occasionally rains or gets dark, but that’s the limit.
Sure, the squadron-fighting does occasionally give way to hoop obstacle courses and bombing missions, but they’re not exactly highlights. The hoops feel odd in a game that strictly adheres to the setting and hates breaking fourth walls (if you can break the fourth wall then give me some cool-ass planes to fight!), but they’re serviceable enough as gameplay goes. The plane is nimble, so I never felt frustrated by these sequences, but they don’t inspire.
The bombing, however, is mind-numbing. You move at a realistic trudge, and targets are often grouped in clusters. The problem is that you have three bombs per drop, and it’s impossible to clear all of the targets in that cluster. So round, round you go, like a super-tanker, looking to get another shot at that factory you missed. Aerial bombardment puffs around you, adding a bit of drama, but they’re pretty benign and can be dodged/ignored with ease. I let out a little groan whenever a bombing section popped up, as I knew I’d be circling the arena like I was looking for that last parking spot.
Then you multiply this by two, as the campaigns largely mirror each other. They’re both burdened with having to introduce a player to the game’s concepts (as a player can start the campaigns in either order), which is a huge, huge design mistake. It only rams the repetition down your throat even further, somewhere around the bile ducts. If you want to gain the unlocks that make the harder, later levels possible, you’re going to have to play through both campaigns, and they don’t deviate enough to make that anything but a chore.
A lot of the issues would have been resolved if the story felt it was progressing somewhere, or that there was a neat payoff waiting for you. But, bewilderingly, the story decides to focus on what it’s like to fight in a squadron with your chums. It’s faceless people talking about their missing partners back home, how the press keep badgering them, and what food they have to eat… honestly, the eyelids are getting heavy just writing about it. Anything would have been better: tell us what’s happening more broadly in the war; give us a sense that we’re progressing, pushing the front forward; even do some characterisation, so I can get to know my co-pilots. It doesn’t help that it’s written limply and with grammatical issues, and drab art makes everything – the writing, the voice-acting, the planes – feel like they are made out of cardboard.
Red Wings: Aces of the Sky on Xbox One is competent, workmanlike, and dull. So much about the chassis is well-made – the presentation, flying and arcadey maneuvers are immediate and satisfying – but the game does only one thing with them. You’ll be repeating much the same mission, with only the smallest changes of direction, and then you’ll have to do it all over again in the second, near-duplicate campaign. There’s a good WW1 fighter sim out there, and an even better one based on The Red Baron, but this isn’t it. His life was anything but boring; unfortunately, Red Wings: Aces of the Sky is anything but fun.
Admit it, you love a Pug. Whether it’s the cute little eyes or the small, pocketable, form factor, the world has gone mad for their charm. But what’s better than a Pug? How about a dimension swapping one? That’s exactly what we’re getting in Double Pug Switch.
Available to purchase and download right now on Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC and mobile devices, Double Pug Switch from The Polygon Loft is a weird alternate side-scrolling affair in which you join the life of Otis – a Pug. Your task? To save your master the Professor and his cat Whiskers from falling to the dark side. And whilst it may be easy to stop the human from doing something stupid, cats will be cats. Never. Trust. Cats.
Priced at £6.99, in Double Pug Switch you will be found working your way through multiple dimensions, hopping through time and space in order to save those who you dote on. A challenge awaits as you move Otis through no less than 32 different levels, collecting hats along the way. Yep, this is a Pug who rolls with style and with 40 unique head coverings to discover, and hidden coins that will allow you to purchase the rarest, there is likely to be plenty to involve yourself in. In fact, little Otis could well fast become one of the very greatest dogs found in gaming today.
Throw in the additional Whiskers of Wrath bonus dimension, and multiple power ups that will let Otis feel the force, and you’ve got a game that looks ripe for replayability.
Features include:
Dimension-Swapping Action Pug Platforming!
32 levels spread across 4 alternate dimensions
40 unique hats to unlock – Cowboy hat, welders mask, even a brain slug!
Become a pugillionaire by collecting gold coins to spend in the hat shop
Find the special purple coins hidden in each level to buy the rarest hats
Activate power ups to shrink, launch, bounce and accelerate the Pug through the level
Earn a purrfect score by running a level without failing once!
Includes challenging bonus dimension Whiskers of Wrath for the ultimate test of skill
If you wish to join Otis, just love Pugs or are looking for something cheap and cheerful to add into your gaming library, Double Pug Switch is looking likely to be one to consider. Our full review of the Xbox One version of the game will be along shortly to provide the relevant details, but for now get over to the digital store of your choice. We’ll point out the Xbox Store, but you should also be finding the game on PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC and mobile.
Game Description:
Take control of the Pug Otis, the loyal companion of the Professor! After an accident in the Professor’s lab involving the mischievous cat Whiskers and some Portal Fluids, Otis and Whiskers are sucked into an alternate dimension. Challenge yourself with side-scrolling alternative dimension switching mania requiring lightning quick reflexes to jump, hop, and dimension swap your way to victory. Hop, dimension swap and navigate your way through unique dimensions to chase down Whiskers and save him from his evil wrongdoings!
If you were an Xbox 360 owner a few years back, and a fan of gambling games, it was hard to find decent games. Gambling game developers have always favored the PC platform, and lately smartphone apps. Maybe it is easier to code for these platforms, or they figure the console versions could not pull in much revenue. Whatever the reason, there are few gambling games for the Xbox. But there are a few that caught the eye of Xbox game critics. If you have an Xbox, you could try these titles;
World Championship Poker 2: Howard Lederer
This game mimics the progression path of many poker players in real life. You start playing against low skilled poker players and progress up the ladder to play the masters including one modeled on the real-life poker champion Howard Lederer. The game’s rules are Texas Hold’em rules, playing against very intuitive AI players.
Four Kings Casino and Slots
This game’s developers did an excellent job of making the experience in the game as close as possible to being in a land-based casino. You will feel like you are a high roller in Caesars sportsbook. This game brings high detailed blackjack, bingo, slot and roulette games.
Choose an avatar and start playing with other players from around the world. You work your way to the top by playing tournaments in multiplayer games.
Social Club VR: Casino Nights
This game is based on a virtual casino offering Roulette, blackjack, and Texas Hold’em and other popular casino games. You connect to the casino, choose an avatar and start playing in any singles or multiplayer event of your choice. You can then customize your avatar’s look and select the tracks you want to hear as you play.
Super Blackjack Battle II Turbo
A good number of gamblers have exciting tales to tell. This game brings together 12 blackjack players each with a sinister past. You play as one of the characters. The game offers an exciting storyline with the pasts of different players being uncovered as the game develops.
The aim is to become the big dog by beating the ‘Godfather.’ You have to have good blackjack skills. The game does not have a training phase. Blackjack is easy to learn, but hard to become an excellent player. Nevertheless, the game’s twists and turns are good entertainment.
Prominence Poker
This game release was for both Xbox and PlayStation consoles. PC players could also access it on Steam. The setting is in a fictional city called Prominence. Prominence is no ordinary city, but one that is populated by shady characters, including gangsters and criminals.
Players try to get to the top of their game by beating the Mayor and holding the title. You can play in one-on-one matches against four other factions with the last being the Mayor. But you can also play in tournaments, daily challenges, and leaderboard challenges in multiplayer events. It is an excellent game. Unfortunately, it is a poker game only.
Pure Hold’em
This game was released for both Xbox and PS4. Game critics were very impressed by its graphics. You can play solo or in multiplayer games. You can also set up a tournament of 8 players.
Test Drive Unlimited 2: Casino Online
If you love the fast life of rolling dice and fast cars, this is the game for you. The game combines the best of both worlds by requiring you to build a bankroll to afford your expensive rides. You can [play video slots, Roulette, and poker among other casino games. You build up your bankroll to unlock levels with flashier rides as you go up the levels.
Do you love gambling games? Playing them on an Xbox may turn out to be the experience you have been missing. Start with any of these titles.
You may have heard about TechWars: Global Conflict from the time it has already spent on the PC, but now it’s making its mark on the Xbox One. Are you prepared for some free-to-play mech on mech action in a way that you’ve likely never seen before?
TechWars: Global Conflict is apparently the world’s first isometric PVP action game involving the direct control of mechs. To succeed in battles, you won’t merely need good reactions, but also an impeccable tactical awareness as well as the ability to use weapons skillfully, master the robots, and take into account the peculiarities of the landscape within each area. Once you’ve got to grips with it all, you’ll be well-equipped to destroy dozens and dozens of enemies.
The premise, based on a world that’s slipped into disarray and a law system ruled by force, you’ll become a pilot of one of two factions – the Russian ‘Dominion’ and the American ‘KATO’. This leads you to part in the battle for control over a number of locations and, depending on which faction you belong to, you’ll either be able to trigger devastating air strikes or protect yourself from danger for a limited time. There are also different classes available, including the nimble but vulnerable Scout; the mighty Stormtroopers that strike hard; the Destroyers, who are slow yet deliver heavy damage from range; and the indispensable Support class, possessing the ability to restore armour and supplies.
Key features of TechWars: Global Conflict:
Detailed and complex destructibility of mechs
Destructibility of all objects consisting of a material that can be destroyed (for example: concrete, brick, blocks of other building material)
Over 14 advanced mechs with unique characteristics. Each mech uses a unique technological skill
Over 100 upgradable weapons and items
Any combat unit can be improved in several ways to gain fantastic superiority. There is a separate modification system for all kinds of weapons. However, significantly improving some characteristics will cost you a weakening of others.
Up to 20 mechs can participate in a single battle at the same time
Shelters and terrain to gain advantage
Mechs behave realistically. For example, injury to the right hand makes it impossible for the robot to use a gun attached to it; if the left hand is injured, the robot will not be able to use short-range weapons on it.
Players can also interact with each other outside the battlefield – they can make friends, unite in clans or find deadly enemies.
Given that TechWars: Global Conflict is free-to-play, you’ve got nothing to lose by downloading it from the Xbox Store. Should you wish to spend money, there are a few optional extras including in-game currency, with 10,000 Platinum costing £24.99, and a 30-day Premium membership which is priced at £9.99.
Game Description:
TechWars: Global Conflict is the world’s first isometric mecha PVP-Action with direct control. Apart from the simple reaction speed, to win in every battle, you will need an impeccable sense of tactics and ability to skillfully use weapons, robots, and peculiarities of the landscape of the area. With these skills, you will be able to destroy dozens of enemies! The story component is based on an alternative history from Mikhail Vlad’s novels. According to the plot, the world slid into anarchy in 2050 and now there is only one law – the law of force that is based on cutting-edge technologies. Russian ‘Dominion’ and American ‘KATO’ used their armies of giant war robots to clash in an apocalyptic confrontation of supercorporations for control over the planet. The player will have to become a pilot of one of the factions and take part in the battle for control over a number of locations. The choice of a faction plays an important role. Each faction has its global technologies. The Dominion robots can cause devastating air strikes, while KATO mechanoids can protect themselves from damage for a few seconds. The advanced class system stimulates сlose cooperation between players. This system features the following: Scouts: they are vulnerable but very fast; they can quickly find weak spots in enemy defenses and report such to the allies. Stormtroopers: the main striking force on the battlefield; they are powerful and tough. Destroyers: slow but extremely dangerous at long-range combat. Support class: weak individually, but indispensable for a group due to the ability to restore armor and supplies. Each player can own several robots at once and use them depending on the game situation. The destruction physics of TechWars: Global Conflict was a special focus of developers. Almost all the objects on the map can be destroyed. Partial destruction of objects can be used tactically to create temporary shelters and enemy safe shooting zones. All this will be a pleasant addition to the main thing – destroy all enemies in sight. And by the way, as you’re there thinking, others are already catching fun!
It’s that time of the week where we find out the FIFA 21 Team of the Week (TOTW) once more. EA have picked the best players from those that have been performing to a high standard in the real world over the last seven days. Take a look at the official FIFA 21 Team of the Week #4, featuring Marcus Rashford who was involved in three of Manchester United’s goals against Newcastle. These are available in Ultimate Team packs for one week on FIFA 21 from 21st October at 6pm. Is there anyone here you’d fancy adding to your team?
Starting XI
GK: Ederson – Manchester City
RB: Alessandro Florenzi – Paris Saint-Germain
CB: Thomas Delaney – Borussia Dortmund
LB: Jordan Amavi – Olympique de Marseille
CM: Parejo – Villarreal CF
CAM: Daniel Olmo Carvajal – RB Leipzig
CAM: Thomas Müller – FC Bayern München
LM: Jonathan Bamba – LOSC Lille
CF: Memphis Depay – Olympique Lyonnais
ST: Timo Werner – Chelsea
ST: Marcus Rashford – Manchester United
Substitutes & Reserves
GK: Sergio Herrera – CA Osasuna
RWB: Joakim Mæhle – Genk
CB: Connor Goldson – Rangers FC
RM: Yaw Yeboah – Wisła Kraków
CM: Raphael Holzhauser – Beerschot
CAM: Mohammed Kudus – Ajax
RW: Jonathan Levi – IFK Norrköping
LW: Oyarzabal – Real Sociedad
ST: Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Milan
ST: Victor Osimhen – Napoli
ST: Youssef El Arabi – Olympiacos
ST: Mario Gavranovic – Dinamo Zagreb
So, what are your thoughts on the FIFA 21 Team of the Week #4? As if the regular version of Rashford wasn’t already a must-have, his TOTW card as a striker is going to be ridiculous to use, isn’t it? Be sure to get in touch via all of the usual means and let us know!
If you haven’t bought FIFA 21 yet, it’s available right now for Xbox One via the Xbox Store as well as other digital stores.
In tandem with Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 pre-orders going live for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, SEGA have unveiled a new trailer and fresh details about the game modes. So, who’s ready to be enlightened in regards to the Skill Battle and Online modes?
In Skill Battle mode, the emphasis is on creating teams of three from the available characters in either Puyo Puyo or Tetris gameplay settings, using their unique skills to create the ultimate lineup. Each character starts out with a single specialty and then learns more powerful skills the more you play with them. Selecting characters with complementary skills becomes a vitally important strategy for winning a Skill Battle match. During play, you’ll pop Puyos and clear Lines, sending Garbage Puyos and Blocks over to the other player’s board. When the Garbage falls, your opponent loses HP. If their HP hits 0, it’s time to celebrate because you win!!
Here’s a list of new Skill Battle features:
Character Skills: Leverage powerful character skills to change the landscape of any Skill Battle match, from recovering HP to changing the color of Puyos to erasing Lines, and more.
Level Up: Increase your character’s HP, MP, Attack, Defense, and Recovery by playing through the game’s Adventure mode.
Item Cards: Power up your team with Item Cards to improve your character stats, with exclusive offerings tied to the game’s Launch Edition.
As far as the online aspect is concerned, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 offers fun for all types of gamers to embrace. There’s the Leagues for veteran players to get stuck into and a Free Play mode for fun and casual gameplay. Building onto the Puzzle League foundations from the original Puyo Puyo Tetris, three additional Leagues have been added: Tetris League, Puyo Puyo League, and Skill Battle League. These Leagues provide a competitive space where you can match your strategy and talents against other pros, thus seeing how you rank amongst the world’s best. Free Play simply lets you play at a more casual pace with any ruleset and without the added pressure of rankings.
Check out the key online features:
Puzzle Leagues: Looking for a challenge? Puzzle League offers you specialized platforms for high-level competition: Puzzle League (free choice of Puyo Puyo or Tetris), Tetris League, Puyo Puyo League and Skill Battle League.
Free Play: Fans of a more casual experience will enjoy Puyo Puyo™ Tetris® 2’s Free Play online modes. Play with up to four players across Versus, Skill Battle, Swap, Fusion, Party and Big Bang modes, with customizable match settings. Create a room and invite your friends to play!
Challenge Rank: You can share and compare scores with players around the world for various Challenge Modes, including Endless Fever, Endless Puyo, Tiny Puyo, Sprint, Marathon, and Ultra. Leaderboards will let you show off your own top score and you’ll be able to take stock of the competition.
So, if Puyo Puyo Tetris looks too fun to miss out on, get those pre-orders in early for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, before its arrival on 8th November. By doing this, you’ll own the limited-time Launch Edition, which includes a pack of rare Item Cards for Skill Battle mode. Let us know if you end up buying it via the comments section below!
Behaviour Interactive’s 1v4 asymmetrical multiplayer horror Dead by Daylight continues to thrive, with regular updates helping it evolve. The latest patch has UNLEASHED a new entry into the Archives, bringing new memories, a new type of challenge and preparations for an upcoming in-game Halloween event.
Following on from Tome IV CONVICTION, the fifth Tome is titled UNLEASHED and allows you to unlock memories for The Hillbilly, Nea Karlsson and The Blight. The Blight’s story in particular is explored deeper as access is gained to the conclusion of the original “Hallowed Blight” event storyline from way back in 2018, as well as all past “Hallowed Blight” lore content.
And, for the first time since the inception of the Archives, a brand new Halloween-themed challenge type is being introduced and involves interacting with Pustula Plants. Once selected in the Auris Web, you will have to work with the plants in order to complete the challenge. Additionally, within the Tome, you can earn four progressively growing Pustula Plants Charms across the four levels. As a bonus, there’s 30% off the cost of Auric Cells on characters Adam Francis and The Clown between 21st – 28th October.
The in-game store welcomes a new and exciting collection called “Hallowed Curse” that includes an iconic set titled “Scorched Ghost Face”. From this Halloween-themed collection and available exclusively in the Rift is “The Ruffian” outfit for David King. You can also get your hands on two of these add-ons by partaking in the Rift: the community-inspired “Never Stop Slashing” outfit for the Legion is available through the Free track, while the “Unleashed Collection” can be obtained via the Premium track.
It’s worth noting that from now until 4th November, there’s a new Halloween in-game event called “The Eternal Blight”. This event features new Survivor and Killer add-ons including the very first universal Killer add-on. A dangerous chemical compound called the “Blight Serum” allows Killers to use the power “Blighted Rush” after hooking Survivors.
And finally, Dead by Daylight has received another major graphical update as part of this patch that is free for all platforms – Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC – with the five maps of the MacMillan Estate having been entirely overhauled. The dark and cold woods surrounding the mean machinery of the industrial estate is getting even gloomier. The atmosphere created with this environment is deeper and more immersive than ever before. So, fire up Dead by Daylight, download the update and check it out for yourself!
Fortnite fanatics pay careful attention because the Fortnitemares event has made its grand return on all platforms, running until 3rd November. The Fortnitemares 2020: Midas’ Revenge event brings a host of Challenges, a special shadowy reincarnation and a special concert featuring J Balvin.
In Midas’ Revenge, Shadow Midas has taken over The Authority with his reawakened Henchmen, so you must stop him before you turn into a Shadow yourself. After being eliminated in Solo, Duos, or Squads, prepare to haunt the living as you will return to battle as a Shadow for your shot at a Shadow Royale. Join your fellow Shadows and defeat the remaining survivors by using your new-found otherworldly abilities, such as possessing the body of vehicles.
Throughout the Fortnitemares 2020 event, vanquish a selection of new Challenges in order to unlock special in-game rewards. These include the Midas’ Shadow Wrap, Smash O’-Lantern Pickaxe, Bobo Back Bling, and more – allowing you to be Halloween-appropriate or stay looking scary all year-round.
Headlining this year’s Fortnitemares event, Colombian reggaeton superstar and four-time Latin GRAMMY winner J Balvin will awaken your spirit in the Afterlife Party — a special performance in Party Royale featuring Latin culture and reggaeton. It’ll even mark the debut of his brand new song featuring Sech. The party happens at the Main Stage in Party Royale on 31st October at 9pm ET (1am GMT on 1st November). You can catch rebroadcasts of J Balvin’s performance on November 1 at 1pm ET and 6pm ET (5pm GMT and 10pm GMT) via the Main Stage. You can also watch the premiere and rebroadcasts with your friends on the mobile phone chat app Houseparty!
Want to wear a costume for the party? A new nightlife take on a Fortnitemares favorite, the Party Trooper Outfit, is available in the Item Shop now through 1st November. As a souvenir of your journey into the netherworld, all Party Trooper owners who attend the Afterlife Party in Fortnite will unlock the exclusive J Balvin style. Leave a comment below and tell us whether you’ll be attending, or not!
Last week saw the release of a tremendously detailed Courtside Report focusing on the Movement and Contact aspects of NBA 2K21 on the next-generation. With its launch for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 edging closer, there’s one last Courtside Report to soak up and this time the areas in the spotlight are MyPLAYER and AI.
This third and final part of the next-gen gameplay Courtside Report series looks at what’s new for MyPLAYER characters and how the artificial intelligence in NBA 2K21 has changed. So, without further ado, let’s hear it directly from NBA 2K21 Game Director Mike Wang and discover what we can expect to experience in November for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.
Player Builds, Badges, & Takeover
The next-gen player builder is all about customization. We’ve taken in a lot of feedback from the community over the past few years as we’ve evolved the MyPLAYER building experience. One thing that we hear loud and clear from you is that you want more options. Here’s our response:
No More Pies: You no longer choose from preset skill breakdown pie charts for next gen. Instead, we’ve given you control over setting each individual rating to the cap that you prefer. Obviously, there are restrictions based on your vitals and you can’t max out everything, but there’s much more control to make the exact type of player you want to be.
Badges: Many favorites return, but most have undergone some significant functionality changes. There are also some new ones, some revived ones, and some removed ones. The badge point system and equipping process is similar to what you’ve grown accustomed to: perform well in the various categories (Finishing, Shooting, Playmaking, Defense/Rebounding) in any mode to earn badge points, and then apply those points to whatever badges you want within those related categories. Here are some of the new/returning badges and what they do:
Fearless Finisher – Boosts contact layups and decreases fatigue
Heat Seeker – Boosts takeover progress on inside shots
Highlight Film – Boosts teammate takeover progress on flashy dunks
Hook Specialist – Boosts hook shot ability
Revived Posterizer – Contact dunks!
Rise Up – Boosts ability to do standing dunks in traffic
Anti-Freeze – Harder to get cold and lose takeover meter progress
Blinders – Less affected by peripheral defenders when shooting jumpers
Circus Threes – Improved ability to hit pull-up and stepback 3’s
Fade Ace – Boosts all post fadeaways
Hot Shot – Increases takeover meter faster when knocking down jumpers
Deep Threes – Dame and Curry range 3 balls
Rhythm Shooter – Boosts shot %’s out of size-ups as well as 1-step pull-ups
Set Shooter – Shooting ability gets better the longer you set and wait before pulling
Sniper – Boosts the ability to hit shots when using Pro Stick aiming
Stop & Pop Three – for the JJ Redicks who want to pull-up for threes in transition
Bullet Passer – Gives you the ability to throw laser dots like LeBron
Relay Passer – Boosts the shooter on pass to assist situations
Special Delivery – Boosts takeover progress for the passer and receiver off a flashy pass assist
Ankle Braces – Makes it tougher for ball handlers to break your ankles
Clutch Defender – Boosts your defensive ratings in clutch moments
Hot Stopper – Boosts takeover meter for good defensive plays like steals, blocks, and good contests
Takeover: Takeover is the ability to get hot and take over games. It’s been a popular feature for the past couple years and we wanted to take it to the next level for next gen.
Instead of limiting players to eight general archetype-based takeovers, we’ve broken those eight into 24 more specific takeover abilities. In a way, you can think of them as unique badges that you can fire off when you get hot.
Advanced Gathers – Unlocks more effective spin, euro, hop step, cradle gathers
Finishing Moves – Able to absorb contact and finish at the rim
Easy Blowbys – Enhances ability for slashers to beat defenders off the dribble
Pull-Up Precision – Boosts well timed/aimed shots off the dribble
Anklebreaking Shots – More anklebreakers off of spin and stepback jumpers
Negative Impact – Reduces defensive impact against pull-ups and other skill shots
Limitless Range – Extends your shooting range out to the logos
Spot-Up Precision – Boosts well timed/aimed stationary jump shots
Team Ratings Boost – Playmakers boost their teammates’ offensive ratings
Team Takeover Boost – Boost your teammates’ takeover meter progress
Team Badge Boost – Boosts your teammates’ badges up a tier
Extreme Clamps – More stone wall and lost dribble body-up resolutions for locks
Perimeter Badge Drop – Knocks shooting badges down a tier when you get close
Enhanced Jump Shot Contests – Boosts your ability to contest jumpers
Stuff Blocks – Unlocks more swat, backboard pins, and grab blocks
Paint Intimidation – Boosts your ability to affect shots around the rim
Interior Badge Drop – Drops opposition’s scoring badges down a tier in the paint
Boxout Wall – Improves ability to seal off opponents for easy boards
See the Future – Shows where missed shots are going to end up
Glass Clearing Dimes – After rebounds, kick out passes boost your teammate’s shooting
Power Backdowns – Easier to push defenders around when posting up
Post Playmaking – Boost your teammates’ offensive abilities when passing out of post
Advanced Post Moves – Easier to beat defenders with post moves
Post Shot Daggers – Increased scoring ability with hooks, fades, shimmy shots, etc.
Last thing I wanted to mention about Takeover. We wanted to honor our late friend, Kobe Bryant, who we tragically lost way too early this year. When you’ve earned all your badge points, you will receive the Mamba Mentality badge which allows you to change your takeovers whenever you want. So just like Kobe, you can vary up how you choose to take over from one game to the next!
Next-Gen AI
Next-gen was an opportunity to reset on a lot of areas of gameplay. This was especially true when it came to artificial intelligence. Some of these items are immediately noticeable and some are more nuanced for the hardcore X’s and O’s hoop heads.
Defense
New switching logic update: Both on-ball and off-ball screen logic has been rewritten and the auto-switching logic was refined to reduce bad switching instances. So expect to see fewer cases of the AI calling for a switch without a screen and leaving a player open.
Adaptive Coaching Engine (ACE) now has the ability to recognize and adapt to different types of off-ball actions including: Flare screens, Down screens, Back screens, and Handoffs.
Improved logic for CPU defenders to get in position to take charges.
Several improvements to transition defense.
Overhauled the Hedge defensive system for better screen positioning and angle targeting.
The player can now call for help defense by holding L1/LB instead of just calling for a double team.
Improved logic for defenders in avoiding each other when moving around obstacles. This works hand-in-hand with the off-ball movement changes I detailed in last week’s blog.
Offense
Next Gen Game Planning: This is a great new feature that allows players and AI to have more specific game plans for their teams. The new system allows the AI to target a team’s best players. So for the Lakers, not only will they run pick & rolls, but you can have them run exclusively with LeBron and Anthony Davis. There’s a new game plan option in the pause menu. Here, players can select between 8 pre-selected game plans that they can access in game through the On-The-Fly-Coaching panel (OTFC). Each game plan has default options already set up for them, so the player can pick a single option and have all the important details for that game plan ready to go.
Double team counter intelligence: You’ll see the AI using less movement and create more spacing for shooters spotting up behind the three point line to punish excessive double teaming.
End of game logic: Improved the AI’s ability to time plays with the shot clock for buzzer beater situations.
Starters and Bench Favorite Plays: This year we expanded the favorite plays to allow players to set up one group of plays for their starting unit and another group of plays for the bench units.
Moved player-specific plays and player-specific ball screens back to the L1/LB button. This was something many people were requesting so they could get quick access to icon pick control again. Favorite plays are now mapped to the DPAD.
Play and freelance flow: As we have done every year, the play and freelance offensive flow has been greatly improved moving to next-gen. There are several actions that we just had a hard time getting to run smoothly in past 2K games, but thanks to the logic upgrades and vastly improved motion engine, everything flows extremely well in NBA 2K21 fornext gen.
Fixed AI players accidentally positioning themselves out of bounds.
New pick & roll spacing: New spacing code gives some of our pick & roll and isolation sets that extra adjustment on dribble penetration. It’s much more solid now but expect continued expansion on this module as the year goes along with our in-season play and AI updates.
We sincerely hope you enjoyed that incredible insight by the NBA 2K21 Game Director, Mike Wang. Don’t forget, NBA 2K21 launches on 10th November for Xbox Series X|S worldwide, before hitting PlayStation 5 on 12th November in the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, and 19th November in all other regions.
It’s been a few months since Wales Interactive hit the headlines with the super scary Maid of Sker – a game that you should be playing this Halloween. But next up in their quest to be the undisputed champions of the FMV scene is a game that is about as far removed from Sker as possible – Five Dates. Today we have confirmation of the release date along with a new trailer.
In Five Dates, finding love is a numbers game, as we join Vinny, a millennial from London who is on the hunt for a new date. Working as a completely live-action interactive rom-com, Five Dates was conceptualized, filmed and developed during lockdown, with the director, producer and developers behind The Complex at the helm.
Releasing on PC and Mac come November 17th 2020, with an Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch launch promised shortly after, in Five Dates we follow the life of Vinny as he joins a new dating app, swiping left, swiping right, and matching up with multiple females in the process. With five potential dates in hand, it is up to you to help Vinny explore their compatibility, their chemistry and their connection with one another all whilst lockdown and a lack of physical touch is prevalent.
Each of his potential dates will come with wildly different personalities, and it’ll be up to you to make the toughest of decisions, working through the unpredictable modern dating world in the hope that Vinny can find love. Just prepare for some pretty unexpected truths.
Relationship scores will be calculated depending on your actions, and with a host of varying scenarios and plenty of consequences, more than 10 concluding scenes have been promised by Wales Interactive. Throw in more than seven hours of filmed footage, and you’ve got your usual every day FMV, with a twist.
Richard Pring, Executive Producer/Co-Founder, Wales Interactive said: “During these trying times, we are really excited to be collaborating with Good Gate Media to bring a modern British rom-com to PC and consoles. Building on our extensive experience of interactive movies and video game development, we’re proud to be introducing FMV to a brand-new genre! We’re once again using our WIST scripting tool, bringing choice-based mechanics alongside our signature relationship-tracking system — this coupled with a diverse cast and top talent in acting, promises to be a unique and exciting experience for all to enjoy.”
John Giwa-Amu of Good Gate Media said: “Five Dates is the world’s first live action interactive rom-com aimed at Millennials and Gen-Z. The world needs a dose of warm and funny right now and we hope it’ll spark some new ideas for romance for those who play.”
If you fancy giving Five Dates a swipe on Steam, then November 17th is the date you are looking for. We’ll be sure to update this piece as and when that console drop is confirmed – Wales Interactive are promising it’ll be shortly after that PC release. Whilst you’re waiting though, go and give the trailer below a watch. Let us know what you think too. The comments section is down below.
The critically acclaimed bestseller in China, Banner of the Maid, has finally reached the shores of the Xbox One. It’s a JRPG with turn-based strategic gameplay and boasts a rather deep narrative full of fantastical elements. Interested? Then let’s find out more about Banner of the Maid!
Set in the 1790s, Banner of the Maid focuses on an alternate version of the French Revolution. First and foremost, it’s a compelling story comprised of intrigue, glory and fantasy. You see, the House of Bourbon is on the verge of collapse, and many different factions have begun to conspire against each other – everyone’s trying to take advantage of the current turmoil. The protagonist of this JRPG is a young officer named Pauline Bonaparte, who must lead her troops to victory, but also to tread carefully in these increasingly complicated political waters. She isn’t just a brilliant officer though, Pauline is also a Maid; one of the fabled women possessing mysterious powers capable of turning the tide of a battle.
You will have to complete different quests and challenges in order to establish your political connections, gather much-needed funds to improve your weaponry, and secure supplies. Make your alliances with extra care however, because your actions may gain you the favour of the very factions that are competing for power in Paris.
As for the gameplay itself, prepare to command the most iconic troops of the Revolution era through deep, turn-based strategy encounters that will put your tactical skills to the ultimate test. At your behest are the brave and sturdy Infantry soldiers to the power of the Artillery, the fast charges of the Cavalry and the cunning Skirmishers, among others. These battles will take place within a fascinating reimagination of the European battlegrounds of the time. To add an extra dimension to the conflict, the terrain and weather effects can be used to your advantage.
If you’re ready to turn the tide of the French Revolution alongside Napoleon’s little sister, march over to the Xbox Store where Banner of the Maid can be bought for £14.99. There’s also a bit of DLC available in the form of The Oriental Pirate (£4.29) and Miss Elisa’s Journal (FREE), which lengthens your play-time with five new challenges and five new stages, respectively. Now, go and claim victory!
Game Description:
Banner of the Maid is a mix of turn-based strategy and JRPG, set in an alternate French Revolution (late 18th to early 19th century) with fantasy elements and a unique anime art style. A bestseller in China and acclaimed by thousands of fans for its strong gameplay and deep narrative, the game come to the Western markets fully localized to English. Meet more than 30 fascinating characters; the Revolution is a time for heroes: brilliant political minds, valiant generals, secret agents of the Royal Family, and even musicians with extraordinary talents populate France in its time of need. Meet and befriend (or fight against) historical characters such as Napoleon, Robespierre, Murat, and many more. More than 30 characters with different backgrounds and skills are available for you to command. Train your commanders to improve their special abilities, but also talk to them to win their trust and understand their hearts, and you will be an unstoppable force on the battlefield!
It’s great to be a fan of American football these days, with more choice than ever before when deciding upon which game related to their favourite sport will suit them best. There’s already been the likes of Madden NFL 21 and Maximum Football 2020 releasing recently, but now Axis Football 2020 is ready to add another instalment of gridiron action to the Xbox One market.
Axis Football 2020 comes off the back of a rather disappointing outing last year, with Axis Football 2019 failing to produce enjoyable gameplay and lacking on the presentation front. Fortunately, this newest entry into the series promises to be massively improved in regards to the gameplay, including the likes of catches on the run, smarter line blocking and AI, and a whole lot more. Furthermore, it’s expected to feature animations during the action and will incorporate some new stadiums.
The real strength of the Axis Football games is the Franchise Mode and while it hasn’t dramatically changed this year, there are a couple of fresh start-up options which enable random rosters and unlimited funds to be put into place. Amongst the other additions are the inclusion of two-player Coach Mode locally – no online multiplayer though – and a stat tracking system for all football players’ careers within the league.
Should you hold the opinion that Axis Football 2020 is the American football offering for you, juke your way over to the Xbox Store and pay the required fee of £24.99. Do you reckon it’ll be able to outdo the competition this year? Get in touch and share your thoughts by leaving a comment below!
Game Description:
Axis Football 2020 features massive gameplay improvements, football gaming’s most complete Franchise Mode, and a slick new UI! New in Axis Football 2020: – Massively improved gameplay including catches on the run, smarter line blocking and AI, and much more! – Redesigned draft experience featuring a live draft view – New franchise startup options including random rosters and unlimited funds – Added career stat tracking for all players across the league – Added a local 2P Coach Mode – New animations – New stadiums Franchise Mode Features: – Player contracts – Trades – Injuries – Practice squads – Free agency – Retiring players – Weekly and yearly awards – Dynamic, tiered league structure with playoffs, promotions, and relegations – Unlimited seasons – 16 week seasons – Player progressions based on performance, age, potential, and playtime – End of season drafts – Season-long team stats – Individual league leader stats – Franchise stats – Depth chart control – Play, coach, spectate, or simulate matches – League and team schedule viewer – Spectate other matches Game Modes: – Player vs AI – Coach Mode (1P & 2P) – Spectator Mode – Local Player vs Player – Franchise Mode Other Game Features: – In-game uniform and player – 36 Teams – Stylized playbooks, featuring 2,000+ plays and 50+ formations – Hot routes, audibles, coaching strategies, shifts and more – Aimed or traditional icon passing – Jukes, spins, dives, and loads other player moves
