South Korean publisher KRAFTON is probably best known for titles such as PUBG and The Callisto Protocol. Recently, however, in an effort to bolster their gaming portfolio, they’ve turned heads by saving studio Tango Gameworks from being shut down by Microsoft. With that goal in mind—to expand on their offerings—KRAFTON has been hard at work on inZoi: a life simulation game developed using Unreal Engine 5 and boasting a variety of creative tools. If this brings The Sims to mind, you’d be encouraged to know that the inZoi team is well aware of the comparison, the overall goal for their virtual world being to combine Sims and SimCity and add some innovative features to boot.
Having spent 5 hours playing an early build of the game, I found that what they’re trying to do rightfully sounds too good to be true. With some more polish and work on tightening its elaborate systems, inZoi might just rise up to its lofty ambitions and carve a place for itself within the genre. Nevertheless, on start-up, inZoi begins with the explanation that the player is working as a “trainee god” for an in-game tech giant.
“For now, despite some frustrations, inZoi is largely an enjoyable experience.”
According to the tutorials, referred to in-universe as the “onboarding”, being a said trainee god involves creating Zoi, the game’s name for the inhabitants of its digital world, and ensuring that they have good relationships with others and the environment. Failure to do so would result in “a meeting with the CEO”.
With this warning in mind, I began work on my Zoi in earnest, trying my hardest to make the perfect digital version of myself. The final result, I think, looks more like YouTuber hasanabi than me, but that’s not the fault of the character creation tool, which is genuinely amazing. Beyond getting the basics right, inZoi’s character creator is mindful of the details. This might not sound like a big deal at first, but put together, these small choices make for a customisable experience that already makes inZoi stand out from the rest.
This dedication to the minutiae can also be seen when it comes down to the city-building element. Whereas not as elaborate as something like SimCity, I was pleasantly surprised by what inZoi allowed me to do. To give just an extreme example, I decided that the main park in town should have a high density of cats, pandas and…crocodiles. To my great disappointment, the crocodiles, from what I could tell, had no effect gameplay-wise as they were simply content meandering here and there. In any case, after maybe 3 hours of fine-tuning, it was finally time for some action.
What took me by immediate surprise when taking control of my Zoi was that I was able to maneuver him as if he were a character in a third-person action-adventure game. I still had to issue other commands with a click of the mouse, but still, this added to my immersion. This being said, inZoi was dropping frames left and right and continued to do so during my time with it despite running it on a decent PC.
Another issue was the overall game logic, as all the Zoi I encountered were often making inexplicable decisions. My Zoi, when left to his own devices, was obsessed with deep cleaning his house even though it was brand new and squeaky clean.
To test the AI further, I decided to see how easy interactions with other Zoi were and, to my amusement, I was able to get the character I created married to someone he had just met and spent the last half of an in-game day (or about ten real-life minutes) complimenting. Now, I’m not necessarily opposed to love at first sight, but the ease with which I made this happen reminded me of the OG Sims, which reflects a bit badly on inZoi.
“Whereas not as elaborate as something like SimCity, I was pleasantly surprised by what inZoi allowed me to do.”
For now, despite some frustrations, inZoi is largely an enjoyable experience. The team over at KRAFTON have a lot of work left, yes, but what I’ve played so far is encouraging. My hope for the game, which is set to release in Early Access later this year, is that the developers remain committed to seeing through their ambitious vision. Time will tell if that will indeed be what happens.
At gamescom 2024, Xbox has come to the event with many game announcements but they’ve also pulled the curtain back to reveal hardware additions to their lineup.
Xbox was given a big platform at gamescom 2024. This is considering Sony and Nintendo did not attend nor make any announcements at the event, and they’ve brought hardware updates to the showcase aside from their announced software on gamescom 2024 ONL. Big Xbox software announcements so far include Masters of Albion from Fable co-creator Peter Molyneux, the previously Xbox exclusive Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming to PS5, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 showcased new gameplay.
But that’s not all they have in store for fans in the coming months, as new hardware updates are coming for the Xbox Series console lineup. Xbox has also revealed notable accessibility innovations with a new adaptive controller lineup to make gaming more accessible for all gamers.
gamescom 2024 Xbox Series Hardware Lineup
The Xbox Series S now comes with 1TB of onboard memory in the original Robot White colourway. It will be made available in October 2024 for $349.99.
The Xbox Series X will be fashioned into a 1TB Digital Edition (as leaked earlier in the year) and will be the first time the Xbox Series X comes in Robot White. It will be available October 2024 for $449.99.
The last hardware upgrade is an Xbox Series X in a lucrative 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition and includes a matching Xbox Wireless controller with a Galaxy Black D-pad and Velocity Green back case. The new console will be available in October 2024 for $599.99.
gamescom 2024 Xbox Adaptive Controller Additions For Accessibility
The Xbox Adaptive Joystick is an affordable entry-level wired joystick designed to meet the needs of players with limited mobility, and to make things easier it can be used as a companion for the Xbox Adaptive Controller and other Xbox controllers. The Xbox Adaptive Joystick will be launching in early 2025 for $29.99.
Xbox Design Labs is allowing the use of 3D printable files for adaptive thumbstick toppers. The service is offered free of charge with Xbox Design Labs and it allows players to configure six different 3D printable thumbstick topper designs for the Xbox Adaptive Joystick, the Xbox Wireless Controller, or the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. Xbox Design Lab outputs the design files that players can 3D print or take to any 3D printing service. The 3D printable files for adaptive thumbstick toppers are available now with Xbox Design Lab.
The Designed for Xbox Proteus Controller has been unleashed by Xbox partners at ByoWave and revealed at Gamescom 2024. The Proteus is a modular adaptive kit that gives those with disabilities a more accessible way to play (similar to the PS5 Access Controller). The unique modular video game controller kit features ‘snap and play’ parts that connect together easily and the device comes with everything gamers require to play their favorite Xbox games on console and PC right out of the box. The ByoWave Proteus Controller is now available in select markets worldwide.
Lastly, Xbox showed the designed for Xbox Lite SE 2.4G Wireless Controller at Gamescom 2024. Another third-party controller by 8BitDo is a compact and lightweight controller designed for gamers with limited mobility, featuring low-resistance buttons and Hall Effect joysticks with greater sensitivity. The 8BitDo Lite SE 2.4G Wireless Controller is now available in select markets worldwide for $59.99.
That just about wraps the new hardware additions unveiled for Xbox at Gamescom 2024. Fans looking for more coverage on gamescom 2024 can see the rest of our coverage here. Fans looking for more info on everything Xbox can head to their official site.
Yesterday at Gamescom Opening Night Live, Peter Molyneux announced a new game, and today he confirmed that Masters of Albion will be set in the same world as Fable.
Gamescom ONL 2024 was filled with surprises and new announcements, probably none more surprising than the co-creator of the Fable franchise, Peter Molyneux, taking the stage to announce Masters of Albion. This new “open world god game” is being made by a small team of creators (including Mark Healy, Russell Shaw, and Iain Wright), with Molyneux himself scorning his past decision to move to mobile development, saying, “After messing around on mobile — what the hell was I doing? — I thought to myself, ‘I need to come home to PC and console,” after developing Godus with 22cans.
Molyneux’s return to PC and console development has been expanded on today in a new interview with IGN, suggesting the new title doesn’t just share a name with the world the Fable universe is set in. It is indeed the same world. Molyneux first explains the basic gameplay loop of Masters of Albion, saying, “We’ve got this very simple mechanic where by day everything’s peaceful, you can explore, you can plan, you can build, you can create,” with “And then by night, everything will attack everything you own” similar to Team17’s Gorn.
However, Molyneux then drops the bombshell that Masters of Albion and Fable are both set in Albion, clarifying with “But it’s not actually Fable 5 or anything like that,” with “But if you’ve played Fable, then definitely Masters of Albion will be familiar to you. One of the things that we have got, and we absolutely wanted a nail, was the humour. I think in the Fable games, it’s not so much about telling jokes, it’s more about giving you, the player, the ability to do ridiculous and funny things.” He refers to Albion as an old name for England and Wales, suggesting that no companies can copyright the name of a country.
It’s worth mentioning that Peter Molyneux has made promises regarding game development that have not come to fruition, like the social experimental game Curiosity, which was intended to let the winner be a god in his previous god title, as recorded by Eurogamer. The winner of Curiosity, Bryan Henderson, didn’t attain any winnings because Godus was not profitable, and being the god of the universe never happened as Molyneux suggested it would.
While Molyneux says Masters of Albion will be a hybrid between the Fable we knew and god games like Black&White, fans should temper their expectations until more is shown regarding this ambitious title.
Tchia takes us on a stunning tropical open world adventure where you play as a young, imaginative girl who can turn into animals and objects to explore. Tchia, our protagonist, is looking to...
Zhenzhong Yi, Studio Technical Director, HoYoverse
Summary
Genshin Impactis an open-world adventure game, which will be free-to-play for everyone on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Cloud Gaming with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership.
Starting November 20, Genshin Impact on Xbox will receive the same gameplay, cross-play, and cross-progression functions that other players experience.
Wishlist starts today, and Xbox Game Pass members can pre-install today and get in-game rewards with Game Pass Ultimate.
Editor’s Note (August 20): Updated post to clarify that an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership is required to play Genshin Impact with Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Get ready to start or continue your adventure in the vast magical world of Teyvat – Genshin Impact is coming to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Cloud Gaming with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership on November 20! First released in September 2020, Genshin Impact has been creating an evolving, open-world journey across consoles, PC, and mobile. During today’s gamescom Opening Night Live, we were proud to announce our arrival on Xbox this fall!
Starting today, Genshin Impact can now be added to your Xbox Wishlist, and, Xbox Game Pass members can further pre-install the game. For players with Game Pass Ultimate, in-game rewards will be available upon release (more details to be announced at a later date).
Discover a Diverse Fantasy World
In Genshin Impact, your story begins in a fantasy world called Teyvat. As a traveler from another world, you will embark on a journey to reunite with your long-lost sibling and unravel the mysteries of Teyvat, and yourself.
During your adventure, you will visit the seven major nations, each with diverse landscapes, history, people, creatures, mysteries, and gameplay. Starting from August 28, the sixth major nation, Natlan, will be introduced to the game. Roam the towering cliffs and flowing springs in the manner of Natlan’s dragons, and team up with local warriors to discover this Nation of War!
Master the Seven Elements
Teyvat is a fantasy world where the seven elements flow and converge. Elemental Reactions can be triggered by applying certain combinations of elemental effects on a target to deal extra damage or affect your surroundings.
Therefore, mastering the Seven Elements is the key to defeating powerful enemies, solving challenging puzzles, and reaching different destinations while you explore the world.
Meet New Companions
Different characters can be recruited to join your journey, each with unique abilities, personalities, combat styles, and elemental power. You can further discover their background stories as your journey progresses.
So far, over 80 playable characters can be chosen to build your party of four – and more will be joining in the future.
Travel Alone or Battle Together
While Genshin Impact provides immersive single-player storytelling, you can also team up with your friends. Cross-play and cross-progression functions are available for players on Xbox with PlayStation, PC, Android, iOS, and Epic Games Store. To welcome more players from different backgrounds, Genshin Impact now supports 15 Text languages and 4 Voice-Over languages.
Genshin Impact will be available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Cloud Gaming with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership starting November 20. We will share further information later, and we look forward to seeing you in the world of Teyvat!
Genshin Impact is an open-world adventure RPG. In the game, set forth on a journey across a fantasy world called Teyvat. In this vast world, you can explore seven nations, meet a diverse cast of characters with unique personalities and abilities, and fight powerful enemies together with them, all on the way during your quest to find your lost sibling. You can also wander freely, immersing yourself in a world filled with life, and let your sense of wonder lead you to uncover all of its mysteries… Until you are at long last reunited with your lost sibling and bear witness to the culmination of all things at the end of your journey.
At today’s gamescom Opening Night Live, fans were treated to a bevy of new game reveals and amazing trailers that gave a glimpse of what’s in store from Xbox. This included big news like the release date of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, gameplay from the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6campaign, and the announcement of early access starting soon for Towerborne. But that’s not all! Fans were also given more details on Diablo IV, Starfield: Shattered Space, and more!
With Opening Night Live 2024 complete, gamescom is officially underway, and Xbox will be on the ground floor with one of its most dramatic-looking booths ever – we can’t wait for you to see it! Not only will we have many of the games mentioned here on display, but many titles for both Xbox and Windows PC will be playable, like Ara: History Untold andAge of Mythology Retold, as well as games from our partners like Genshin Impact, Star Wars: Outlaws, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, giving you the chance to explore all the different ways you can play your favorite games across Cloud, Console, and PC.
Catch up on all of today’s news and reveals from Xbox below:
Age of Mythology: Retold Heads for Launch with Brand New Trailer
Coming September 4, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, or play it day one with Game Pass.
During Opening Night Live fans around the world were treated to a new Age of Mythology: Retold trailer. Focusing on Arkantos, the hero of the game’s 50+ campaign missions, we hear the voice of Athena, coaxing Arkantos to adventure. Showcasing stunning graphics and mythological magic, the trailer gives us another taste of how much players have to be excited about. The trailer also showed the bacchanal of chaos that comes in the final Wonder Age, a new addition to Retold.
Embark on a gaming journey of first-class offerings with the Age of Mythology: Retold Premium Edition. Curated to offer an elevated gaming experience at launch and beyond.
The Premium Edition includes the full game, up to 7-day advanced access, New Gods Pack: “Freyr”, Legacy Deity Portrait Pack, Expansion 1 (all-new Chinese pantheon expansion) and Expansion 2 (additional new pantheon). *
Standard Game: the complete Age of Mythology: Retold experience
Up to 7-day Advanced Access: Step into the divine realm before time itself with exclusive early unlock to the game available on Xbox, Steam and PC. *
New Gods Pack: “Freyr”: Age of Mythology: Retold Premium Edition adds Freyr to the Norse pantheon. Unleash the power of the Norse god of prosperity and fertility with the Freyr God Pack. The blessings of Freyr will elevate your reign to unprecedented heights.
Legacy Deity Portrait Pack: a nostalgic journey back to the origins of gaming greatness. Relive the glory days of gaming with this special pack, which offers players the option to use iconic deity portraits from the classic game that captivated audiences worldwide.
(2) Upcoming Expansions: Prepare to embark on new epic sagas yet untold with two yet to be revealed and highly anticipated upcoming expansions. *
Expansion 1: All-New Chinese pantheon expansion
Expansion 2: additional new pantheon expansion
Ara: History Untold Debuts Launch Trailer Ahead of September 24 Release
Windows PC, Steam, or play it day one with Game Pass.
Ara: History Untold helped kick off gamescom 2024 with the world premiere of its launch trailer at Opening Night Live. The trailer, featuring a combination of live action and gameplay, puts the player in focus, inviting you to explore, create, rule, and conquer in the world of your imagination. Ara: History Untold is an upcoming grand strategy game where you build a nation and lead your citizens throughout history as you compete head-to-head with rivals to prove you are the greatest ruler ever known. Create your own story of history when Ara: History Untold launches on September 24, 2024. Pre-order and pre-install today! It’s your world now.
Ara: History Untold Deluxe Edition Preorder Bundle
Build a nation and lead your people throughout history to the pinnacles of human achievement as you explore new lands, develop arts and culture, conduct diplomacy, and go head-to-head with your rivals to prove you are the greatest ruler ever known. It's Your World Now.
The Deluxe Edition Includes
• Ara: History Untold Base Game
• Exclusive Leader Collection – featuring five exclusive leaders not included in the base game including: Charlemagne, Genghis Khan, Yoo Gwan Soon, Hildegard and Boudicca.
• Modern Leader Skin Set – enhance five Ara: History Untold leaders (Elizabeth I, Genghis Khan, Nefertiti, Sappho and George Washington) with the Modern Leader Skin Set, featuring modern versions of their in-game costumes.
With your pre-order of the Deluxe Edition receive the Gilded Leader Skin Set.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Shows Off the Action-Packed “Most Wanted” Campaign Mission
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Steam, Battle.net, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, or play it day one with Game Pass
We got a look at highlights from one of Black Ops 6’s signature Campaign missions, “Most Wanted”, as Frank Woods’ team attempts to locate and retrieve legendary operative Russell Adler. Beginning with a covert infiltration of a political fundraiser (with a cameo from Governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton no less), we then see a descent into a CIA Black Site, and a bike riding escape sequence worthy of a classic action movie.
Along the way, we see how Campaign developer Raven is innovating – while this is a classic set piece-driven CoD mission, player choice is at the forefront. There are multiple options for how to get access to the Black Site, and you can choose to go loud or quiet as you infiltrate – it’s your mission. This is just a taste – we’ll learn much more about Black Ops 6 MultiplayerandZombies when the Call of Duty NEXT event kicks off on August 28, before Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches on October 25.
Never Fight Alone – Mercenaries are Coming to Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PC via Battle.net, Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
The first expansion for Diablo IV releases worldwide on October 8, and game director Brent Gibson took to the gamescom stage to introduce the Mercenaries – a new feature coming to Vessel of Hatred. Mercenaries are your companions in battle, who grow in strength and can be customized to support your playstyle. Each mercenary is unique in the role they serve, so no matter your class or build, you’ll find a mercenary that’s right for you!
The team also introduced the Dark Citadel, a new co-op PvE experience that will put everything you know about combat to the test through a gauntlet of cooperative puzzles and mechanics, as well as the Kurast Undercity – an intense new multistage, time-attack dungeon that gives you the control over the challenge as well as the loot you will find!
There’s a lot to uncover with these new upcoming features, as well as across the Diablo universe, so Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson, lead game designer Rex Dickson, systems designer Aislyn Hall, and Diablo Immortal’s executive producer Peiwen Yao will be joining us on the Xbox broadcast live at gamescom to share more about what’s to come.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Coming December 9, 2024
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, or play it day one on Game Pass
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Steam on December 9, 2024. Step into the shoes of the legendary archaeologist as he sets off on his latest global adventure. Play it on day one with Game Pass, or up to three days early by pre-ordering the Premium Edition, Premium Edition Upgrade, or Collector’s Edition.
The release date was revealed alongside a brand-new trailer. Get a new look at Indy’s journey around the world and the tools at his disposal as he faces off against sinister forces. From the whip and revolver to his trusty journal and camera, you’ll need everything he’s got to unravel the mystery of the Great Circle. Learn more here on Xbox Wire.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Digital Premium Edition
Pre-order now or Play on Game Pass* to receive The Last Crusade Pack with the Traveling Suit Outfit and Lion Tamer Whip, as seen in The Last Crusade.
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Live the adventure with the Premium Edition of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle!
INCLUDES:
• Base Game (digital code)
• Up to 3-Day Early Access**
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants Story DLC†
• Digital Artbook
• Temple of Doom Outfit
***
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.
YOU ARE INDIANA JONES
Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time.
A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS
Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces.
WHIP-CRACKING ACTION
Indiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery.
THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY
Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?
*Game Pass members get access to all pre-order content as long as Game Pass subscription is active.
**Actual play time depends on purchase date and applicable time zone differences, subject to possible outages.
†DLC availability to be provided at a later date.
Starfield’s Shattered Space Arrives on September 30, and the REV-8 Land Vehicle Is Available Today
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam.
To the people of the Settled Systems, House Va’ruun is a mystery. Some call them fanatics. Zealots, even. They are seen as violent aggressors. But there’s so much more to this secretive faction. In Shattered Space, the first major expansion for Starfield, you will visit the homeworld of House Va’ruun, hear their story, and make choices that will determine their future. Shattered Space launches on September 30.
In addition to the Shattered Space release date reveal, Opening Night Live also showed off the new REV-8 land vehicle that’s landing in Starfield in the latest update. The update goes live just a few short hours after Opening Night Live and will be available to all Starfield players. Just visit a ship technician and add the REV-8 module to your ship to start touring planets in a new way.
Starfield is the first new universe in over 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.
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Premium Edition includes:
– Starfield Base Game
– Shattered Space Story Expansion (upon release)
– 1,000 Creation Credits
– Constellation Skin Pack: Equinox Laser Rifle, Spacesuit, Helmet and Boost Pack
– Access to Starfield Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
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In the year 2330, humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. You will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of space in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
TELL YOUR STORY
In Starfield the most important story is the one you tell with your character. Start your journey by customizing your appearance and deciding your Background and Traits. Will you be an experienced explorer, a charming diplomat, a stealthy cyber runner, or something else entirely? The choice is yours. Decide who you will be and what you will become.
EXPLORE OUTER SPACE
Venture through the stars and explore more than 1000 planets. Navigate bustling cities, explore dangerous bases, and traverse wild landscapes. Meet and recruit a memorable cast of characters, join in the adventures of various factions, and embark on quests across the Settled Systems. A new story or experience is always waiting to be discovered.
CAPTAIN THE SHIP OF YOUR DREAMS
Pilot and command the ship of your dreams. Personalize the look of your ship, modify critical systems including weapons and shields, and assign crew members to provide unique bonuses. In deep space you will engage in high-stakes dogfights, encounter random missions, dock at star stations, and even board and commandeer enemy ships to add to your collection.
DISCOVER, COLLECT, BUILD
Explore planets and discover the fauna, flora, and resources needed to craft everything from medicine and food to equipment and weapons. Build outposts and hire a crew to passively extract materials and establish cargo links to transfer resources between them. Invest these raw materials into research projects to unlock unique crafting recipes.
LOCK AND LOAD
Space can be a dangerous place. A refined combat system gives you the tools to deal with any situation. Whether you prefer long-range rifles, laser weapons, or demolitions, each weapon type can be modified to complement your playstyle. Zero G environments add a chaotic spectacle to combat, while boost packs give players freedom to maneuver like never before.
Towerborne Announces Early Access Begins September 10
Early Access begins September 10 on Steam. Coming 2025 to Xbox Game Preview on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Game Pass.
Towerborne showcased a brand-new trailer during Opening Night Live that gave us a fresh look at its striking, vibrant world and crisp, action-packed gameplay. The latest game from Stoic (Banner Saga Trilogy), Towerborne seamlessly blends the best parts of side-scrolling brawlers and action RPGs to create a unique adventure where you take on the role of an Ace, a hero who must protect humanity’s last sanctuary from malevolent forces that lurk outside the tower walls.
The Belfry stands as a beacon of hope and safety amongst the ruins of humanity and the City of Numbers, with monsters lurking right outside the tower’s walls. You are an Ace, born anew from the spirit realm with the skills, the grit, and the determination to protect the people of the Belfry. With spirit companions fighting by your side, you are destined for battle.
Can you become the Ace humanity needs to survive? Find out in Towerborne, the newest action-adventure game created by Stoic, the studio that brought you the award-winning Banner Saga trilogy.
Adventure Together – Venture out of The Belfry solo or with up to three other Aces* to vanquish the looming terror that surrounds the tower. Either way, you won’t be alone. Aces can recruit Umbra companions to join them in battle, gaining access to enhanced skills and unique abilities tied to each spirit. After fighting your way through enemies, return to The Belfry to turn in quests, reforge gear, and more.
Brave the Wilds – Towerborne is designed with player choice in mind. Create your Ace with options to customize your looks, gear and weapons. Switch up your overall gameplay experience at any time by changing your danger level as you venture into the wilds. Find and wield powerful weapons with unique special moves from one of four styles: War Clubs, Gauntlets, Dual Daggers, and Swords & Shields. Mix and match to make your Ace your own!
Continue the Fight – With an evolving world map and seasonal content, your Ace will never run out of areas to explore and enemies to defeat. Seasons of Towerborne continue the story of The Belfry by introducing new enemies to battle, regions to discover, abilities to master, and lore to uncover (available as released).
*Online console multiplayer requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Game Pass Core (subscriptions sold separately).
The Worldsoul Saga begins August 26 with World of Warcraft: The War Within
PC via Battle.net
2024 is a year of anniversaries for the Warcraft universe, which is turning 30 in the same year. Hearthstone celebrates 10 years, Warcraft Rumble approaches one year, and of course, World of Warcraft… which turns 20 years old in November! Feel old yet?
World of Warcraft: The War Within launches globally on August 26 and is the first installment of The Worldsoul Saga—the most ambitious story arc in WoW history. With four new zones to explore, as well as ongoing gameplay and system updates to support players of all types, this is the perfect time to celebrate the last 20 years of WoW as Blizzard prepares for the next 20 years and beyond!
Overwatch 2 is also getting in on the celebrations, revealing their new in-game collaboration with World of Warcraft. In mid-September, skins featuring some of the most iconic World of Warcraft characters will be made available, including Widowmaker as Sylvanas Windrunner.
Keep an eye on the Warcraft X account for more information about how you can celebrate Warcraft’s anniversaries alongside Blizzard, and join the Xbox broadcast live from the show floor at gamescom where we’ll be speaking to senior game director Ion Hazzikostas and associate art director Tina Wang about all things World of Warcraft!
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle arrives on December 9, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Steam – or play it day one with Game Pass.
At gamescom, we saw extended gameplay, showing off puzzles, combat, iconic tools, and more.
We break down all the new details and mechanics seen in the new footage.
It’s official: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will arrive on December 9 – and I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot more of the game in action following its appearance at Opening Night Live.
Where Xbox Games Showcase brought us a look at a story-driven section set in the Himalayas, at gamescom, MachineGames introduced a lengthy look at almost pure moment-to-moment gameplay from the first-person adventure. The footage showed off multiple locations, the game’s more open, explorable areas, explanations of how your various tools work, combat, skills, and more. I even saw an extended sequence set outside (and beneath) the Great Sphinx of Giza, seeing how a main quest will play out.
There’s a lot to talk about, so let me break it down.
Puzzles
As you’d hope for from an Indiana Jones project, puzzles are the beating heart of the game – and there are a lot of them. In true Indy fashion, there are mysteriously locked chambers, complex ancient mechanisms, and ritualistic sequences of challenges to understand and solve.
In the Giza section of gameplay, I see multiple puzzles along the quest’s path: a stealth section to find a ransacked golden medallion stored in a Nazi base; unlocking a door that unexpectedly opens up a spike pit under Indy’s feet; and a climactic puzzle that draws on classic Indy moments by asking you to reflect multiple beams of light across a room to unlock a mysterious golden mask connected to the game’s central mystery.
In a separate section of gameplay, I see a puzzle that unfolds itself slowly – Indy has to pour a bottle of wine into a plinth set beneath an ancient statue, which simply reveals a clue. The player then spots a crack of light in a wall, uses a nearby hammer to smash it down, and discovers a whole new chamber, and uses the clue they received to unlock a whole new mechanism.
All of these require a mixture of observation, lateral thinking, and clever use of the tools you have at your disposal. Perhaps most excitingly, puzzles aren’t solely found on the main quest path. The game will hide extra puzzles along your way, waiting to be discovered, and with rewards for those who conquer them.
Exploration and Open Areas
While the game has a linear storyline, and more narrative-driven sequences, along the way you’ll come across more open areas – each of which will include side characters, hidden secrets, added rewards, and photo opportunities (more on that later).
In one sequence, I see Indy strolling around an Egyptian bazaar, passing through the crowds and finding a stall, which offers up a conversation with the owner. This seems to open up the opportunity for a side quest – although I’m only teased with the promise of the new artifact he’ll find as a result. These sections are packed with detail – both in the environments themselves, and in the promise of extra things to do. I see hidden passages unlocked by straightening paintings, scattered documents that add more context to the story, and more.
Game director Jerk Gustafsson confirmed that you’ll be able to revisit these areas once you’ve unlocked them, offering you the chance to continue the story, and return to find more at a later time.
Tools
Indy comes equipped with many tools at his disposal – at one point, I even see the player physically packing his suitcase – and MachineGames has been very smart about how each iconic bit of kit can be used in the context of gameplay:
The Whip – I’ll start with the most obvious. Indy’s iconic bullwhip is used constantly, and with multiple benefits. It’s a useful combat tool, of course, dragging onrushing Nazis in the thick of a fight. Outside of combat, it can be used to grab environmental objects and swing with, smash environmental objects (which can help with certain puzzles), or act as climbing rope.
The Camera – While less famous as a photographer, Indy packs a film camera in The Great Circle, and it can be used for multiple purposes. Taking pictures of your discoveries offers Adventure Points (more on that below), but it can also help Indy to suss out the mysteries surrounding him, offering pointers for puzzles, or deepening the story.
The Journal – Indy’s journal – packed with his research – appears through the film series, and you’ll use it much the same way. Documents you find, photos you take, discoveries you come across – all are noted and kept for reference in the journal. You’ll need to find physical maps in the world, which are then kept in the book for reference. It’s also a de facto hint system, with Indy’s own notes helping guide you should you need some assistance.
The Lighter – Small, but no less effective, is Indy’s trusty lighter. In the Giza section, I see it used to offer a speck of extra light in subterranean chambers, and then to light a bowl of oil to illuminate the environment even more. No doubt it’ll be used to ward off some snakes at some point…
The Rest – You’re not limited to what Indy brings along with him, either. Scattered around the world are many different tools. At one point, I see Indy pick up a spear and throw it into a wall, unlocking a new point to swing from. Breakable bottles can be used as a noisy distraction in stealth sections, and hammers can help swing the odds of a fight in your favor. Your resourcefulness will be just as useful as your actual resources, it seems.
Skills
One element we hadn’t heard much about before now are Indy’s unlockable skills. We’re promised dozens of skills to unlock – but it’s not through a traditional skill tree. Throughout the game, you’ll find Skill Books hidden in the world, each of which will open up the ability to unlock a new skill.
You’ll do that by earning (and spending) Adventure Points. These points are earned by making discoveries, taking photos, and… generally doing the kinds of things Indiana Jones would do. It’s a neat incentive for being more curious, more inventive, and more Indy-like.
At one point, I see Indy pick up a novel that teaches him “True Grit”, a skill that allows him to take a fatal blow in a fight, but – in classic Indy style – retrieve his hat, dust himself off, and fight back once more.
Disguises
MachineGames has shown how stealth will work in The Great Circle before, with staying undetected often more prudent a choice that rushing into a fight. What we hadn’t seen is another mechanic inspired by classic moments from the films – disguises. Throughout the game, you’ll have opportunities to change in to a new set of clothes in order to blend in and enter forbidden areas.
In the Giza sequence, Indy needs to make his way into the Nazi headquarters at an archaeological digsite, and dresses as one of the workers to do so. Entering a tent, he finds a group of enemies playing cards, and is immediately ordered to fetch them a drink. Playing the part helps him steal an artifact he needs. In another sequence set in the Vatican, Indy dresses as a priest – which will fool most, but not all of the people he passes, meaning keeping a close eye on those around you is crucial.
Combat
When stealth is no longer an option, Indy’s still able to handle himself in a fight. While the game isn’t centered on combat like MachineGames’ previous projects, you still have multiple ways to tackle any scrap you get into. The game’s UI is very light, offering true immersion in a fight, and making the most of the first-person viewpoint – this is heavy, thumping combat, reflective of the movies it comes from.
Melee is your first port of call – fistfighting is a mixture of punches, dodges, grabs, pushes, blocks and parries, with the aim of breaking down an enemy’s defences until you can deliver a custom finisher (some of which are very funny). For a little more control, you can use the whip to control the space a little more, or use environmental elements to finish off your foe quickly – it’s much easier to just push someone down a hole than beat them down.
For the fiercest fights, Indy can bring out his trusty revolver to finish off a threat quickly (although ammo seems to be limited). He can also retrieve enemy weapons as a temporary – you could prioritize taking down a machine gun-wielding Nazi first, in order to make light work of the rest of their squad.
Let the Adventure Begin
There’s so much more to discover about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, but this latest glimpse at gameplay shows quite how varied an adventure this will be. For me, even more exciting is in how much choice it seems I’ll have along the way – the opportunity to take my time, explore incredible places, and unlock secrets feels as much a part of being Indiana Jones as taking part in the wilder set-pieces. I’m very ready for this journey.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle arrives on December 9, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Steam – or play it day one with Game Pass.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Digital Premium Edition
Pre-order now or Play on Game Pass* to receive The Last Crusade Pack with the Traveling Suit Outfit and Lion Tamer Whip, as seen in The Last Crusade.
***
Live the adventure with the Premium Edition of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle!
INCLUDES:
• Base Game (digital code)
• Up to 3-Day Early Access**
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants Story DLC†
• Digital Artbook
• Temple of Doom Outfit
***
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.
YOU ARE INDIANA JONES
Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time.
A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS
Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces.
WHIP-CRACKING ACTION
Indiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery.
THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY
Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?
*Game Pass members get access to all pre-order content as long as Game Pass subscription is active.
**Actual play time depends on purchase date and applicable time zone differences, subject to possible outages.
†DLC availability to be provided at a later date.
From the moment you step into the colorful, enchanting world of Towerborne, it’s clear to see that having fun is the name of the game here. The approachability of the brawler-inspired combat system, the light-hearted dialogue between characters situated in the Belfry – Towerborne invites you to pick up a controller and revel in the world, regardless of how much time or experience you have., regardless of how much time or experience you have.
The better news is that there’s not too long to wait. Towerborne starts in Steam Early Access on September 10. For the furrowed-browed among you, don’t fret; Towerborne will have a phased release starting with Steam Early Access, Xbox Game Preview following, and a full free-to-play launch planned for 2025. Towerborne will also include cross-progression, so your progress will carry over to whichever platform you prefer to play on. Stoic is eager to have players help shape the future of Towerborne by becoming Founders through purchase of either the Silver or Gold Towerborne Founder’s Pack, offering early access to the game and exclusive perks like cosmetics, emotes, and monthly bonuses.
Stoic, known primarily as the maker of Banner Saga, is also more than ready for a change – Towerborne is a seismic and very welcome pivot from its flagship series, which Game Director Daniel McLaren jovially refers to as a “depression simulator.”
“There was some emotional exhaustion at the end of the last Banner Saga game,” McLaren says. “When you write and build something like that for so many years, there’s a huge weight on your shoulders. There was a very real moment where the team sat down and said: ‘I don’t think we can do another one’.”
“Wouldn’t it be great if we made a game that was completely the opposite of [Banner Saga], something fun that we can play on the couch with our friends and family?”
The vibrant, whimsical setting paired with simple but satisfying side-scrolling action makes Towerborne approachable for everyone. Towerborne is intentionally designed to be both accessible and rewarding at any skill level – while simultaneously delivering demanding challenges for those aiming to conquer the game’s toughest content. It doesn’t matter which way you play either – everybody receives the same rewards for taking part.
Choosing Early Access
Banner Saga began as a Kickstarter, and that constant communication with early backers was paramount to the direction that Stoic took with the game’s development.
“Stoic’s history has always been about interacting with our players, and Kickstarter is the promise of something,” McLaren says. “For Stoic, that worked out very well, and now we’re able to say hey, you don’t have to wait for us this time, we can give you a game right now.”
With Early Access, the studio can continue that tradition of building a game with consistent input from players invested in Towerborne‘s journey from the start. As a result, Xbox, PC, and Xbox Game Pass players will immediately feel the benefit of the refinement Towerborne will undergo during the Early Access period and beyond. When Towerborne enters Xbox Game Preview, it will open the floodgates to even more players across these platforms, allowing their feedback to further shape the game’s development.
“It starts with our Founders – players who’ve self-selected to get a first pass at helping us shape the full game,” says Trisha Stouffer, CEO and President of Stoic. “After Steam Early Access, with Xbox Game Preview next and eventually Free-to-Play with the full launch, the gates are thrown so wide for anyone to come in, which makes it harder to discern what is noise versus actionable feedback. So, our goal with Early Access is to position ourselves so the game is stable and feels great to play before we open up to a wider audience.”
Xbox is also wholeheartedly supportive of Stoic’s historic approach to Early Access and working with players directly from the start.
“We all have the same goal – to create a game that people love for a long time,” says Kristofor Mellroth, Executive Producer at Xbox Games Studios Publishing. “From the start, we knew our approach with Towerborne was going to be a little different. By being very targeted at the start and building up to bigger audiences, this allows the team to continue iterating and honing the most complex systems to make them the most fun they can be.”
Free To Play
While Towerborne’s Early Access and Xbox Game Preview periods will grant the team precious time and feedback to build the best release possible, making the full-game free for anyone felt important to Towerborne’s overarching goal of complete approachability.
“The Founder’s pack lets us do two main things: one is that we can slowly see where problems are and get attention onto those areas quickly,” McLaren explains. “The second thing, it invites a group of people that are really invested in the game, that believe in Stoic. They want to be a part of shaping the future of Towerborne.”
The Free-To-Play approach shone brightly through Banner Saga: Factions, a free-to-play spinoff of the main series released in 2013. The idea was to allow players to come in for free and experience the combat elements of Banner Saga ahead of its launch, and Stoic was thrilled with how the process allowed as many people as possible to come in and help shape the game.
“They were helping us building our combat and just making the game better in general, everyday we’d get feedback and do updates, I must have spent three hours a day just talking to the community,” say Arnie Jorgensen, Stoic co-founder. “We really missed that aspect after going back to working on a single player game, so we’re excited to bring it back.”
A Second Game
It’s fair to say that the currency a lot of modern games demand is your time above all else. While Towerborne’s enticing gameplay loop and limitless progression certainly allows you to spend as much time as you want in its world, Stoic, in a refreshing fashion, is pushing back on design elements that keep a player rooted to just one game. Towerborne can be your main game, but it can also be your second game that you can just jump into whenever the mood strikes, with minimal friction.
“You don’t have to invest hundreds of hours every month to keep up with everybody else,” Jorgensen says. “Play as much as you want to, go away and play other games, and then come back. It’s important to acknowledge that everyone plays games differently. You can play for five or ten minutes and still feel like you accomplished something great, or you can play for five hours.”
Stouffer adds: “It really is the manifestation of ‘just one more mission.”
A Living, Breathing Belfry
Towerborne is a living game – which means the team will continue to develop the story, add new content and build out its world for as long as they can. As you progress, the world will evolve with your character, and this approach lends itself seamlessly to crafting an expansive, immersive backdrop to the fun you’re having as a player.
“We have a freedom with an ongoing game that feels unattainable inside a single player experience,” McLaren says. “There’s this incredible worldbuilding going on, and if we want to add in new stories, new weapons or classes, we’re able to just focus solely on doing that and getting it into the game quickly.”
Getting that second perspective is also crucial when it comes to seeing what your game can do. Oftentimes, a new set of eyes can be a great asset in scoping for bugs, sparking new ideas, and making an entire team say: “why didn’t we think of that?”
“Players love to push the boundaries, and that’s part of the fun of it all,” Stouffer says. “You have an idea of what players are going to do, but you don’t truly know what will happen until you put it in people’s hands. Even the players who come in with the best intentions, they will do things where we say ‘oh, we didn’t know that could happen’. All bets are off.”
It’s not just technical feedback that Stoic wants to gather from early players either. Stoic has recognized its community’s eye for great storytelling and ideas, and considers players almost as co-developers in its journey to build Towerborne.
“We have ideas of where the story is going, but we’re totally willing to pivot if another idea comes from the community,” Jorgensen says. “We had that happen a lot with Banner Saga, where we’d see a great idea but it’s too late to add it into a single player game.”
“This is our opportunity to really build a game with the players again. We think our ideas are great and hope that players agree, but they are going to have awesome ideas too, and to me, that’s the coolest part about making Towerborne a living game.”
It’s Still Stoic
Stoic is cognizant of the fact that Towerborne is a big change from Banner Saga, and the studio is by no means finished with that series. However, the team made a very deliberate decision to create an exciting multiplayer experience that invites everyone to sit down and have a great time.
“Anyone that has been following Stoic for a long time knows we’re making the games that we want to make – that doesn’t mean we’re going to make the same game all the time,” Jorgensen says.
The commitment to fun is notably present throughout our conversation – the team itself is clearly enjoying building Towerborne and that enthusiasm will no doubt shine through the game.
“We know some people will need time to process the change, and that’s totally okay,” McLaren adds. “We’re still the same studio, we’re just applying that passion and focus in a different way, and recharging our creative juices.”
Towerborne begins Steam Early Access on September 10. To keep up to date with the game’s journey, check out the Towerborne website and join the official Discord community for more information about Early Access Founder’s Packs.
The Belfry stands as a beacon of hope and safety amongst the ruins of humanity and the City of Numbers, with monsters lurking right outside the tower’s walls. You are an Ace, born anew from the spirit realm with the skills, the grit, and the determination to protect the people of the Belfry. With spirit companions fighting by your side, you are destined for battle.
Can you become the Ace humanity needs to survive? Find out in Towerborne, the newest action-adventure game created by Stoic, the studio that brought you the award-winning Banner Saga trilogy.
Adventure Together – Venture out of The Belfry solo or with up to three other Aces* to vanquish the looming terror that surrounds the tower. Either way, you won’t be alone. Aces can recruit Umbra companions to join them in battle, gaining access to enhanced skills and unique abilities tied to each spirit. After fighting your way through enemies, return to The Belfry to turn in quests, reforge gear, and more.
Brave the Wilds – Towerborne is designed with player choice in mind. Create your Ace with options to customize your looks, gear and weapons. Switch up your overall gameplay experience at any time by changing your danger level as you venture into the wilds. Find and wield powerful weapons with unique special moves from one of four styles: War Clubs, Gauntlets, Dual Daggers, and Swords & Shields. Mix and match to make your Ace your own!
Continue the Fight – With an evolving world map and seasonal content, your Ace will never run out of areas to explore and enemies to defeat. Seasons of Towerborne continue the story of The Belfry by introducing new enemies to battle, regions to discover, abilities to master, and lore to uncover (available as released).
*Online console multiplayer requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Game Pass Core (subscriptions sold separately).
At the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this year, fans of 2002’s Age of Mythology came out of the woodwork in droves (us included) to express their excitement for the upcoming remake – Age of Mythology: Retold. The original game is now over 20 years old, and while it’s remained at the forefront of fans’ minds, it’s perhaps less remembered than the Age of Empires series from which it sprung.
Now, however, Retold is one of the most anticipated releases of the season – and that comes, in part, because developer World’s Edge is going beyond the expected, even for a full remake. This isn’t just the game that we all remember with a fresh coat of paint – it’s bringing brand new game modes, tweaks to classic units, and even brand-new playable factions down the road. Age of Mythology: Retold isn’t just for long-time fans, it’s an RTS for everyone.
Ahead of Gamescom, we had the chance to speak with Kristen Pirillo, Senior Game Designer at World’s Edge to uncover why the studio and its partners are poised to deliver a much-anticipated – and incredibly comprehensive – refresh of a classic that could otherwise have been destined to be remembered only by a select few.
While Age of Mythology has been left alone for over two decades, Pirillo shares that there’s a smaller, but deeply passionate community of players still actively invested in the game: “This interest sets Age of Mythology apart from a lot of other games. It may be the least talked about, but it also has the highest brainworm potential.
“The Age of Mythology crowd is just particularly passionate and incredibly inventive – it was just a matter of waiting for the right time, and using all of the learnings from other Age titles.”
Age of Mythology: Retold, at its heart, aims to be the game that these fans have been asking for – a faithful recreation of the original, with all the quality-of-life changes that modern development can offer. Retold called for an ambitious vision – the team really wanted to lean into the larger-than-life elements of huge mythological armies, monsters, and bombastic God Powers in a way that were previously limited by the tech of the time.
This is immediately evident in the game’s visual design, especially when comparing unit models from the original game to their shiny new versions in Retold. The art team had a strong vision of what the game should look like – epic proportions, atmospheric worlds, and of course, horrible monsters. Pirillo describes this process using the Argus as an example, an Atlantean monster unit.
“In Age of Mythology, it’s just a rough sphere with some tentacles, but in Retold, we can do so much more,” Pirillo shares. “Now it’s got a ton of eyeballs that all move independently, it slithers around, and it’s just kind of gross. But the idea is we want to amp everything up and really maximize the mythology.”
Aside from straightforward improvements, Retold also brings significant changes to the original – never clearer than in the use of God Powers. God Powers in the original game are extremely powerful abilities that can only be used once per battle, whether it’s to immediately nuke an enemy from existence or significantly boost your resources. The issue was that they were so powerful, that players often saved them up, and ended up never using them at all. In Retold, these powers are now reusable, more reminiscent of Ultimate abilities in a hero shooter, changing the stakes of a match while letting you indulge.
And the core to all of the team’s work, while it seems obvious, is that modern technology just allows you to have more of absolutely everything at one time. More units, more monsters, more God powers exploding across the map; Age of Mythology: Retold can support the carnage that players have always wanted to unleash.
“One change that is huge for me is the increased population cap, so you can have absolutely massive armies,” Pirillo adds. “These armies can be made up of lots of different types of units. Some armies can just be monsters, and that’s just not something that the original game could handle. Even if you don’t win, it’s extremely satisfying to watch.”
Approachable Changes
The benefit of 20 years of feedback from such an invested community is that changes can be made to accommodate every type of player for the better. For instance, in the original Age of Mythology, the Norse faction was considered to have a higher bar to entry, and this is something that the team wanted to tweak for Retold to make the faction more approachable for everyone.
“We’ve added more content within the base game for the Norse, new units and buildings, and a lot of the existing things have been rebalanced,” Pirillo says. “It’s also much less punishing if you make a mistake.”
There’s also a new God Pack coming with the premium edition of Age of Mythology: Retold – the Freyr God Pack, which will unlock a major God and several minor Gods, giving players even more avenues to get started with the Norse adventure.
“You’re not locked into one play style if you play as the Norse now,” Pirillo adds. “You’re not stuck just playing offensively or following one build order – there’s a lot more variability on how the match can go, and so many more branches of strategy.”
There’s also now a villager priority system, so if you’d prefer to not have to keep checking on the nitty gritty parts of economy management and focus entirely on the battles and the story, you can set that to run automatically. When Pirillo shares that Age of Mythology has been built with the community, it is meant quite literally. The team sifted through 20 years of feedback shared about the game, trawling old school internet forums to find common frustrations that could be tweaked, as well as creative suggestions from those early days of play that may not have been easily implemented back in 2002.
“Our designers really did their homework, and lots of them are fans of the original game too,” Pirillo says. “It feels like being Indiana Jones, going back to archaeological levels of the internet to find what was good or back then, and bringing it into Retold.”
Age of Mythology: Retold is set to be a welcome and well-planned homecoming for those long-time fans, but it’s also going to be a great starting point for those that have never played the original game too. What’s even better, is that the game will continue to evolve as long as there’s still exciting mythology to add, and as Pirillo notes, there’s about two millenniums worth of it to tap into.
“You don’t have to be good at RTS to enjoy the story,” Pirillo says. “You don’t have to be good at RTS to just enjoy the carnal satisfaction of building 25 huge Stag Beetles and storming through your friend’s town. It’s whimsical fun that anyone will enjoy.”
From the creators of the award-winning Age of Empires franchise, Age of Mythology: Retold goes beyond history to a mythical age where gods, monsters, and humans collide. Combining the best elements of the beloved Age of Mythology with modern real-time strategy design and visuals, Retold is an epic and innovative experience for old and new players alike. Secure your domain, command legendary monsters, and call upon the power of the gods to crush your enemies.
Will you become Mythic?
Call Upon the Gods
Choose your gods from the Greek, Norse, Egyptian, and Atlantean pantheons. Devastate your enemies by summoning powerful lightning storms, earth-shattering quakes, and even the famed Nidhogg dragon. Or call upon nourishing rains and protective Dryads to help your people grow & prosper.
Unleash the Monsters
Unleash Centaurs, Trolls, Mummies, and more. From bejeweled crocodiles who harness the power of the sun to the mighty one-eyed Cyclops, you will command diverse units inspired by the world’s great mythologies.
An Epic Mythological Universe
Embark on multiple campaigns spanning 50-missions that take you across a vast, mythical world: besiege the mighty walls of Troy, battle Giants in the frozen wastes of Midgard, and discover the mysteries of Osiris in the shifting sands of Egypt. Become a hero of myth—or even a god.
Better with Friends
Play with your friends, either head-to-head or against the advanced AI on dozens of randomly generated maps and scenarios for limitless re-playability. *
*Exclusive Premium benefits of 7 days Advanced Access and New Gods Pack available with Premium Edition and Premium Upgrade. New Gods Pack is a timed exclusive; may be available with future offers. Purchase the Premium Edition or the Premium Upgrade by August 27, 2024, for 7-days advanced access. Expansions 1 and 2 are available as released. See AgeofEmpires.com for details.
* Online console multiplayer requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Core (sold separately).
The release date for Unknown 9: Awakening has been announced.
During Gamescom Opening Night Live, developer Reflector Entertainment along with publisher Bandai Namco revealed Unknown 9: Awakening will release on 18th October. It will be available across PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC (Steam).
You can check out the live action trailer for Unknown 9: Awakening, which stars The Witcher's Anya Chalotra as the game's protagonist Haroona, below.
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 is done and dusted for another year, but it's certainly kicked off this year's Gamescom with a bang - and we've got all the news, trailers and announcements right here in one handy summary. Whether you missed the show itself or just want a handy reminder of everything announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live this year, read on below.
Of course, alongside the main show, this year's ONL also had a 30-minute pre-show that was stuffed with announcements as well, which we'll quickly run through here before getting into the detail of the main show announcements below. Here, we got new trailers for Dave the Diver's latest crossovers, spooky co-op adventure Begone Beast and construction sim Roadcraft, alongside Italian Soulslike Enotria: The Last Song, Cairn (that shouty, but lovely looking climbing game from Summer Game Fest), life sim Inzoi from PUBG publishers Krafton, as well as a Terry showcase for Street Fighter 6.
The opening to Firaxis' big Civilization 7 presentation is wonderfully on-brand: a quickfire history lesson from Ed Beach, lead designer, on the many historical layers of the City of London. Beach is one of the rare cases of a lead designer on Civilization staying in charge across multiple entries, having overseen Civ 6 before Civ 7, and who's worked on the series since long before that. A physicist turned game designer – Beach also worked on the launch of the Hubble telescope, a key part of the Civ 6 scientific victory – he's also a self-confessed history nerd. As quickly evidenced.
Stood in front of a room of eager press waiting to hear the first bit of real information about a new entry to the series, Beach instead opts to pull up a map of London, under Roman rule, sourced from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Pointing to the ancient town's strategic position on the river, he wonders aloud about how the Ludgate, in the settlement's western wall, might have acquired its name. "We're not sure what it's named for. We think it might be called Ludgate because there was a Welsh king who lived out that direction called King Lud."
Then, it's a progression into mediaeval times, with Beach pointing out a river previously outside the Ludgate and how it's now changed to be within the city boundary. "They've actually taken the Fleet River and sort of diverted it, to make a cool little moat around their mediaeval prison…" Then, a slide showing the factories and railway lines rapidly developed during the 19th century, the river-moat now fully built over, as Victorian Britain clamoured for more usable land. "It's not even visible anymore, because they needed to respect what was going on with the Industrial Revolution."
It's been two years since Mafia developer Hangar 13confirmed it was working on a new entry in its open-world crime series, and the time has finally come for it to be revealed to the world. It's called Mafia: The Old Country and is heading to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC next year.
While 2016's Mafia 3 shunted the series forward in time to the late 60s (the first two games spanned the 1930s, 40s, and 50s between them), The Old Country is going backward, presenting players with a "gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily."
"Fight to survive in this dangerous and unforgiving era," teases the scant bit of blurb accompanying today's teaser trailer, "with action brought to life by the authentic realism and rich storytelling that the critically acclaimed Mafia series is known for."
Bethesda's first big expansion to Starfield, Shattered Space, will launch for PC and Xbox Series X/S on 30th September.
We got a quick look at the upcoming addition tonight during Gamescom Opening Night Live, in a trailer that mostly focused on the REV-8 land vehicle included in August's free game update.
The first installment launches for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on 18th February 2025, with its concluding slice then a month later on 18th March.
Tonight also brings an initial look at gameplay from Don't Nod's latest teen adventure, which has a dual timeline split between 1995 and 2022, when its young protagonists are now adults - and dealing with the consequences of their/your actions.
To this day, I still hold Indy responsible for my penchant for hats. I have been enthralled by Indiana Jones ever since I was a little girl - but despite this deep affection, coming away from a hands-off preview of MachineGames' Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, I just can't let myself get overly excited about the upcoming release just yet.
While I'm still looking forward to playing another narrative-driven adventure game, with that fun 'afternoon popcorn flick' energy Great Circle undoubtedly has, my immediate reaction from this first extended demo is to worry this is all it will be, leaning just a little too heavily on fan nostalgia and a tried and tested formula, but without the innovation to truly set it apart from the rest. (And, given the game is currently set to release this year, I really hoped to see more gameplay than I did.)
The demo, which is also being shown at this year's Gamescom, begins with Indy entering a large room within the Sunsparker Chamber, a mysterious underground temple and one of "several well guarded secrets and hidden ruins" you can expect to discover. With the camera in first-person, our archaeologist - gamely brought to life by a still-recognisable Troy Baker - looks around the ancient room before gameplay switches to a cutscene. Indy approaches a statue set upon a plinth at the back of the room, in a scene immediately reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark - which is fitting, given the Great Circle is set between the events of this film and The Last Crusade.
By the time you read these words, Peter Molyneux will have taken to the Opening Night Live stage at Gamescom and formally announced his new project to the world. Masters of Albion marks Molyneux's return to the genre he is widely credited with creating. It ditches his studio 22cans' previous focus on mobile development to instead target consoles as well as PC. And it's being made with help from several of Molyneux's old colleagues at his previous studios - Lionhead, Bullfrog - whose design CVs, like Molyneux's own, include a litany of 90s and 2000s classics.
On paper, all of this should inspire a positive reception. But, sitting opposite Molyneux a week before today's announcement, in the quiet boardroom of his small Guildford development studio, the veteran video game designer is clearly nervous. Those 90s and 2000s hits are now a long time ago, and much, of course, has changed. It's been 12 years since 22cans was founded and Molyneux's Curiosity cube caught the headlines, for good and bad, and the subsequent decade has not gone smoothly - crowdfunding concerns with Godus, continued accusations of broken promises, a fractured relationship with the media, and, most recently, an odd foray chasing the NFT fad with a blockchain game unfortunately titled Legacy.
Molyneux, now 65, is visibly older, softly-spoken. Last year, on social media, he described his mental health as "fragile". As we sit down, he asks if I mind whether he vapes as we talk - a habit he tells me he's picked up due to stress. He's not been sleeping well, he says, due to the anxiety of talking to the press once again. At times, when we discuss what this new project means to him - what it potentially could still mean for the latter stages of his career - his voice slows, emotion rising. But, at others, when he's discussing game mechanics, or keen to tell me more than he's strictly allowed, his old enthusiasm shines through, at one point swinging back and forth like a child on his chair.
Developer Ustwo Games has revealed its widely acclaimed Escher-esque puzzler Monument Valley will return for a third outing on 10th December, and it'll be exclusively available to Netflix subscribers on Android and iOS devices.
Monument Valley 3 is described as protagonist Noor's "most extraordinary adventure yet", and it'll see players searching for a new source of power before the light of the world fades forever.
It promises "stunning new art styles and impossible landscapes", alongside "innovative mechanics and fresh ways to approach challenges". And one of its biggest new features comes in the form of sailing, with players able to roam the world - and solve some of its puzzles - by boat.
Tonight brings a first look at the next game in the legendary Batman: Arkham series - the upcoming entry coming to Meta Quest 3.
Batman: Arkham Shadow is a prequel story set before Rocksteady's Arkham Asylum, though after existing prequel entry Arkham Oranges.
In first-person, you'll be able to do many of the things you could in those entries - including boshing your enemies in the face with your fists, grappling across gaps and using various other bat-gadgets, plus switching on Detective Vision.
ARC Raiders - the free-to-play PvPvE extraction shooter from The Finals developer Embark Studios - has resurfaced following an extended period of retooling, and is now launching as a premium title for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5 next year.
If you're struggling to remember much about ARC Raiders, that might be because few details have been shared since its announcement back in 2021. It was originally set to release in 2022, but its launch has continued to slip since then - first into 2023 so Embark could focus on The Finals, and latterly while the studio continued to tinker with the title following a genre change.
But it turns out its switch from co-operative third-person shooter to PvPvE extraction shooter (its original form "wasn't really fun", Embark admitted during a recent press event) wasn't to be ARC Raiders' only notable change. It's now been re-announced as a $40 USD premium title, jettisoning its previous free-to-play form, albeit while still remaining a live-service game.
Civilization 7, the very long-awaited latest instalment in developer Firaxis' beloved 4X strategy series, finally has a release date and will be launching for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC on 11th February next year.
But that's not all! As well as providing a date for strategy fans to furiously circle in their 2025 calenders, Firaxis has shared a first look at Civilization 7 in action following June's moody, if ultimately rather uninformative, cinematic trailer. And today's gameplay debut reveals a new aesthetic somewhere between the vibrantly cartoony (and somewhat divise) artstyle of Civilization 6 and the more realistic approach of earlier titles in the series.
And there's more where that came from; Firaxis will be expanding on the features glimpsed in tonight's trailer as part of a 20-minute gameplay showcase set to air at 9.30pm BST/1.30pm PT on Twitch, shortly after Gamescom Opening Night Live is through. And you might also want to stick around Eurogamer, as we'll have plenty to say about Civilization 7 ourselves.
Those Xbox players among us who have been waiting to get their hands on open-world adventure RPG Genshin Impact, I have good news.
At this evening's Gamescom Opening Night Live, the team revealed Genshin Impact will be making its way to Xbox Series X/S and Game Pass on 20th November. It is available to wishlist now on the Microsoft Store.
It's been nearly four years since Tarsier Studios waved goodbye to Little Nightmares after being snapped up by Embracer Group, giving developer Supermassive a crack at the much-loved Bandai-Namco-owned horror series. So what's Tarsier been doing since then? Well, it turns out the studio hasn't quite shaken off its fascination with spooky kids in scary places, as one look at its latest project, the newly unveiled Reanimal, makes clear.
Reanimal's gloomy nightmare-fairytale aesthetic, its gangly-limbed monsters, and its two young protagonists - all evident in its announcement trailer - are unquestionably reminiscent of Tarsier's Little Nightmares series. And while that's certainly no bad thing given the studio's oft-brilliant work on those games, it's not entirely clear after a half-hour press briefing, just how substantial a departure - beyond two key features - Reanimal will be from what's come before.
Reanimal tells the story of an orphaned brother and sister trapped in hellish version of the island that used to be their home, as they embark on a quest to rescue their three friends. It's a violent world of gloomy forests and decimated buildings, where empty bags of skins hang from trees and hideous, animalistic creatures roam. It's also one that's aiming for a "darker and grittier" tone compared to Tarsier's previous horror games.
Dying Light developer Techland has shown off a new game in its zombie series that began life as a DLC for Dying Light 2 Stay Human.
Announced during Gamescom Opening Night Live, Dying Light: The Beast is a solo or four-player co-op experience pitched as a "tight" 18-hour ride through a fresh area of the franchise's world.
Dying Light protagonist Kyle Crane, once again voiced by Roger Craig Smith, returns here, a decade on. In-game, Crane has been in captivity, and experimented on. The upside? You have zombie DNA powers to unleash that beast on enemies.
We already knew it was coming, thanks to a post-credits teaser at the end of 2022's The Devil in Me, but developer Supermassive has now confirmed its sci-fi horror outing Directive 8020 will launch for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC next year.
Directive 8020 essentially takes one fist of Alien and another of The Thing then smushes them together, placing players aboard the colony ship Cassiopeia, where its crew must escape an alien organism capable of mimicking its prey.
"Earth is dying and humanity is running out of time," teases Supermassive. "12 light years from home, Tau Ceti f offers a small sliver of hope. When the colony ship Cassiopeia crash lands on the planet, its crew soon realise they are far from being alone... As they battle to survive, they are confronted with the hardest choice of all: to save themselves, they must risk the lives of everyone on Earth."
Borderlands 4 has been officially teased by Gearbox and 2K.
The game was revealed with a brief teaser during Gamescom Opening Night Live this evening. The teaser, which you can see below, begins with the firehawk symbol of Lilith, which she leaves on the moon, Elpis, at the end of Borderlands 3.
"In this next instalment of the definitive looter shooter, players will assume the role of a legendary Vault Hunter as they blast their way through hordes of enemies in search of new treasures to loot on an all-new planet," reads the official blurb.
Microsoft has confirmed the next batch of titles headed to Xbox Game Pass for the latter half of August: Atlas Fallen, Core Keeper, and Star Trucker.
Then there's that little known game called Call of Duty Black Ops 6. You'll be able to participate in the early access open beta when it kicks off for Xbox Game Pass subscribers on 30th August, 2024, with pre-downloading available from 28th August.
"Sure, it takes itself way too seriously and the loot chase can get monotonous, but everything outside of the monster-slaying is just an excuse to get right back to the monster-slaying. Or make the monster-slaying cooler with upgrades," we said in our Atlas Fallen review.
Sony is pulling Horizon Forbidden West from its PS Plus subscription service in the coming weeks.
The first-party Sony game is now listed under the 'Last Chance to Play' section on PS Plus, along with the likes of NieR Replicant, Marvel's Midnight Suns and Alien Isolation.
Paradox Interactive's streak of game delays continues with the news its Chinese-Room-developed Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is now targeting a release in the "first half of 2025", rather than its previously announced "late 2024" window.
In a post on its website, Paradox called the delay a "proactive decision" derived from its commitment earlier this year to deliver "high-quality games" to its players. "Though [Bloodlines 2] is in a good enough place that we could have maintained our planned release window," it wrote, "Paradox and The Chinese Room collaboratively decided to prioritise polish."
Paradox says the delay will "create a quality assurance buffer, giving more time between testing and launch, ensuring we release the game when it's ready." More specifically, The Chinese Room will use the time to expand Bloodlines 2's story, providing twice as many endings as its predecessor, and to "adjust certain areas" such as Fabien - the voice in its protagonist's head.
Hunt: Showdown 1896 - the huge new update that necessitated an engine upgrade and introduced all new UI - has just hit an all-new concurrent player peak of over 60,000.
Up until the 1896 update dropped on 15th August, the extraction shooter's simultaneous player record - set back in October 2023 - sat at a modest 42,000ish players.
Just when Geoff Keighley had started to fade from your memory, he comes rubber-banding back with a vengeance - snap! It's Gamescom week and it kicks off with Opening Night Live this evening from 7pm UK time (other Opening Night Live timings here). A pre-show with additional announcements will begin at 6.30pm UK. We'll be watching and reporting on it live, as always, right here, so you can either keep abreast of announcements while you do something else, or you can join in with your thoughtful and amusing comments. Please keep us company. Please.
Netflix has given us our best look yet at its upcoming animated series, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft.
The show is scheduled to make its debut on the streaming service this autumn, and features the vocal talents of the MCU's Hayley Atwell as Lara Croft. It's all set to take place after the events of the Tomb Raider Survivor trilogy, which comprised Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
"Following the events of the Survivor Trilogy, Lara Croft (voiced by Hayley Atwell) has abandoned her friends to embark on increasingly more perilous solo adventures," reads the official blurb. "But she must return home when a dangerous and powerful Chinese artefact is stolen from Croft Manor by a thief with an uncanny personal connection."
Nintendo's 135-year history will soon be brought to life inside the walls of a new purpose-built Nintendo Museum in Kyoto, Japan - and ahead of its opening on 2nd October, legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto has revealed some of its intriguing exhibits in a new video tour.
The Nintendo Museum has been built on the site of the factory where Nintendo originally made its Hanafuda cards, and which was later used for quality checks during the Famicom era. That building and its unremarkable carpark are no longer standing, however, now replaced by a shiny two-floor monument to Nintendo's history and a Mario-themed plaza.
Miyamoto's 13-minute tour begins on the second floor of the museum, where several huge curved glass displays - containing many of the products Nintendo has released since its founding in 1889 - can be found. This whole area is intended to chart the evolution of Nintendo's approach to entertainment, from its earlier non-video game products - including copy machines, baby strollers, RC cars, and pitching machines - into more familiar territory, beginning with 1977's early video game forays, the Color TV-Game 6 and Color TV-Game 15.
The Borderlands film adaptation will seemingly be available to watch digitally from the comfort of your home very soon.
While nothing has been officially announced by Lionsgate itself, multiple sources such The Hollywood Handle, DVD Release Dates, ScreenTime and When to Stream all have the Cate Blanchett-fronted film listed as being made available digitally from as soon as 30th August.
That's less than a month after its cinematic release, with the film only debuting on 9th August.
Dead Cells today has received its final major update, The End is Near, after seven years of development.
This will be the 35th update to the game, which has received a number of DLCs to expand gameplay and reference other popular games, from Castlevania to Hollow Knight.
The End is Near expands on the curse mechanic, with three new mobs, three new weapons, and three new mutations.
Destiny developer Bungie says it has addressed an issue where players have had their usernames changed by its "name moderation tool".
After "actively investigating" the issue for 24 hours, Bungie advised that while it had "identified the issue that was forcing a high number of Bungie name changes", it was "continuing to investigate" what happened and how "to address player accounts that were impacted".
Although Bungie acknowledged that a "high number of account names have been changed", the studio stopped short of confirming exactly how many players were affected.
"We've probably lost a billion dollars not having Fortnite on iOS the past four years," Sweeney said, in a briefing to press ahead of the Epic Games Store on mobile going live. "But what's the price of freedom?"
Kaitlyn Dever, the actress portraying Abby Anderson in the second season of HBO's The Last of Us adaptation, required extra security during filming for her own protection.
This comes from fellow castmate Isabel Merced, who is playing Dina in the show. Speaking with Josh Horowitz on Happy Sad Confused, Merced discussed the strong emotions the series can spark within some that have resulted in volatile reactions from so-called fans.
When Horowitz said he was concerned about Dever, and the toxicity she will likely receive "through proxy of being Abby", Merced stated there are "so many strange people" who "genuinely hate" the character. This is despite her being completely fictional. And, because of this, Dever was required to have extra security during the filming for the second season.
Call of Duty has become an absolute hard drive hog in recent years, with 2023's entry managing to consume over 200GB of storage in some cases. That all might be about to change, however, as Activision has announced major changes to the way it'll be handing installs with this year's Black Ops 6, promising "smaller and more customised downloads" as a result.
Activision shared the news in a post on its Call of Duty blog, explaining its optimisation work will begin with a revamp of "the experience formerly known as Call of Duty HQ". This revamp is set to roll out over the course of several updates ahead of Black Ops 6's October launch, and will promises to introduce a streamlined interface, direct access to games, more control over downloads, and expanded texture streaming technology to reduce file sizes.
A first update to reorganise game content arrives on 21st August. Then, following Black Ops 6's open beta on 30th August, a new user interface and other "remaining updates" are scheduled for mid-October. After these "larger initial updates", Activision says future Call of Duty downloads will decrease in size and existing files will take up less space on players' device.
Flame Fatales, the all-women and femmes charity speedrunning event from Games Done Quick, returns for another week-long programme of impressively swift gaming feats this weekend.
This year's Flame Fatales (which will be the event's fourth outing since its launch back in 2021) gets underway on Sunday, 16th August. More specifically, things kick off at 6:15pm BST, with a Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores 100% speedrun by RE_doc19.
Seven days - and more than 50 speedruns - later - this year's Femme Fatales comes to a close at 4:06am BST with a Super Mario Odyssey Talkatoo% speedrun by CheeseJay. In between, you can expect speedruns for the likes of Persona Dancing, Sonic CD, Broken Age, Stray, the Resident Evil 2 remake, Rez, and plenty more - as outlined in this year's full schedule.
For many, scaling Mount Everest has stood as the ultimate challenge of one's strength and endurance. An achievement of a lifetime. For long-time Doom players, however, there is an equivalent: NUTS.WAD. Legend has it that NUTS.WAD descended upon Doom players in the year 2001: a map from the future in which players are dropped into a single map with more than 10,000 enemies and a handful of power-ups. And now - for the first time ever - it's playable on a games console.
I'm half-joking, of course, but the ability to load in any Doom mod is just one great feature found in the latest version of Doom and Doom 2. Helmed by Nightdive in cooperation with id Software and Machine Games, this new version is worth looking at as it is the most feature rich, best-performing version of Doom on consoles. It's available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series consoles, Switch and even last-gen PS4 and Xbox hardware. The game was transitioned over to Nightdive's KEX engine and brings with it a vast array of enhancements - 120fps support on consoles, 16-player multiplayer including co-op, and a new soundtrack from the legendary Andrew Hulshult.
But it was the mod support that was my first destination and with it, the chance to see how Nightdive's work would cope with the NUTS.WAD challenge. This pushes beyond the limits of what Doom engine was intended to handle and now we can test it on console and the results are interesting. Before we go on, it's worth stressing that all current-gen machines can handle 4K gaming at 120fps - and yes, that includes Series S. The engine is optimised and fast - all the included content and every map I tested runs like greased lightning. I wanted to raise this caveat because the challenge of NUTS.WAD is so extreme and cruel that I don't want people to get the wrong idea. The fact that you can run NUTS.WAD at all is cause for celebration!
UPDATE 20/8/24: Well, there you go. Following last week's Deadline report, Amazon has officially unveiled Secret Level, a new "adult-animated anthology series featuring original stories set within the worlds of some of the most beloved video games".
It's a 15-episode series from the creators of Love, Death & Robots, and it'll feature stories inspired by Armored Core, Concord, Crossfire, Dungeons & Dragons, Exodus, Honor of Kings, Mega Man, New World: Aeternum, PAC-MAN, Sifu, Spelunky, The Outer Worlds, Unreal Tournament, Warhammer 40,000, and a variety of PlayStation Studios games.
And if that takes your fancy, you'll be wanting to circle 10th December on your calendar - which is when the series arrives on Prime Video - then check out its teaser trailer below.
Activision sure is dragging out its reveal of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Zombies mode. But if you're sucker for the undead stuff, there's more where last week's trailer and gameplay reveal came from, with developer Treyarch having now offered a tour of Zombies' Terminus map.
Terminus Island is one of two maps that'll be available at launch (the other being the West Virginian town of Liberty Falls), and Treyarch calls it "one of the largest round-based Zombies maps ever created". Black Ops 6's Zombies mode takes place in the early 90s - five years after the events of Black Ops Cold War's Zombies mode - and Terminus Island serves as a prison for some familiar Requiem faces. After their liberation early at the start of the story, players can explore the prison itself before moving out to investigate its tropical island surroundings.
There's a secret research facility specialising in "weird science" (in case you were wondering where the zombies might spring up from this time), as well as the ocean, and assorted smaller islands - all of which players will visit as part of Terminus' main quest. It's described as a "living world" full of scripted encounters, ranging from zombies smashing out of vats and prison guards still trying to control the undead threat, to less fortunate souls being chomped on.
Eli Roth's recent Borderlands film adaptation hasn't exactly had the best debut. Ahead of release, critics far and wide shared disparaging reviews of the adaptation, with phrases such as "disaster" and "lifeless, unfunny, and visually repulsive dud" being bandied about.
In fact, Borderlands has been such a misfire that now even filmmaker Uwe Boll - who previously directed that Alone in the Dark adaptation, which saw him nominated for not one but two 'Worst Director' awards (one of which he won) - is taking a swipe at it.
We now have a release date for the upcoming, current-gen version of slasher horror Until Dawn.
The game will arrive on both PC and PlayStation 5 this autumn, on 4th October. What better way to get yourself ready for the run up to halloween than doing your utmost to save that poor group of unsuspecting teens from the horrors of the night.
In addition to announcing a release date, the Until Dawn team has also shared a few details about how it has enhanced the game with changes to graphics, gameplay, story elements and "more". Before I get into all that, though, you can check out a new trailer for Until Dawn showing off some comparisons between the remaster and original below.
Among Us developer InnerSloth has announced a collaboration with Dungeons and Dragons web series Critical Role.
This collaboration means players can now bedeck their little space beans with a number of items worn by those intrepid members from Vox Machina, Mighty Nein, or Bells Hells. I am talking about Artagan's Incredible Brows Visor or the Dust of Deliciousness Nameplate, to name but two.
"Getting to work alongside the wonderful crew of the hit TTRPG show Critical Role to bring some of their magic to Among Us for Gilmore's Curious Cosmicube has been mind blowing," InnerSloth said. "Be sure to go to our in-game store and spend some Stars before the Cosmicube is gone."
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