It’s a new month, which means a new set of games arriving on Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service. The arrivals begin today with stompy, old school shooter Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, and will continue before the advent of spring with the mechs-and-plants craft ’em up Lightyear Frontier and telekinetic adventure Control Ultimate Edition, among others.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Dragon’s Dogma 2. I have Dark Arisen in my Steam library and a paltry 70 minutes of gametime that is likely going to increase in the coming weeks. But while I may be inexperienced compared to those already aware of Dogma’s greatness, I can safely say that my preview session broke my hype meter. I cannot wait to play more. After being dropped into a random save that started me in the middle of a town with the Mystic Spearhead Vocation, I wasn’t really sure of where to go. But that was the beauty of this demo. Dragon’s Dogma 2 organically gave me plenty of options for what to do next, and there’s no wrong answer. I was almost immediately greeted by a traveler asking me to find their Jadeite Orb, because if it wasn’t found, his master could have him killed. Morris, a shopkeeper, told me that his grandson Rodge had gone missing and a villager informed him he was dragged off by wolves. When I started talking to people in town, I met Folkes, who told me about a town north of Venworth that was overrun with fell beasts. All of these options were there to pursue in addition to the main storyline.
And while I was probably supposed to do the main quest, I decided to go it alone, jumping on an ox cart to the next town to see what else I could discover.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 really clicked with me because you need to constantly be on your toes. There are moments of downtime when you can just enjoy the vista or pose with a random Ogre you’ve defeated. But more often than not I was organically finding combat encounters and secrets that I wanted to investigate more. And that amazing loop was consistent as I made my journey back.
Over the course of 80 minutes I fought a Griffin that flew me into the air and dropped me to my death. I discovered the untimely fate of Rodge was affected by the fact that I decided to run off exploring the wilderness – a completely different outcome than what Mitchell encountered in his IGN First playthrough a couple months ago. I took on an Ogre that was protecting a treasure chest my Pawn had led me to. I turned down new Pawns that I met who wanted to become a part of my crew. I was ambushed by a group of bandits making camp. And all of this happened organically while I explored just a small sliver of a massive map.
Even though I was probably supposed to do the main quest, Dragon’s Dogma 2 had just provided me with a wealth of entertainment that I didn’t want to walk away from while wandering around accomplishing… nothing even related to a quest. Sorry Rodge.
The Mystic Spearhand Vocation was interesting, but as it was my first time playing Dragon’s Dogma 2 I wasn’t able to showcase all of the abilities. Still, the focus of the provided build was clearly all about the spear and your character’s ability to teleport to foes and deliver devastating blows. The recent Vocation trailer also teased a wealth of exciting options, like the ability to teleport directly on top of enemies before plunging your spear into their back, and an ability that teleports between status-afflicted foes to deliver a crushing blow. Getting to see what was possible just makes me want to go back and play even more.
And if this isn’t to your liking, Dragon’s Dogma 2 has other Vocations available. They include the Fighter, Archer, Mage, Thief, Warrior, Sorcerer, Mystic Spearhand, Magik Archer, Warfarer and Trickster that we previewed as part of our IGN First coverage. You are free to switch between each of these on the fly by simply talking to a vendor, and taking a peek at the options available makes it clear that each has a lot more depth than expected. The second Vocation I had the chance to try was the Magik Archer. Diving into the combat options, the sheer amount of choices at your disposal is incredibly exciting. My Archer had nine Weapon Skills to choose from with Flamefang Arrow, Ricochet Hunter, Frosthunter Bolt and Recovery arrow selected. Flamefang Arrow, at least in the build I played, seems incredibly overpowered. If each Vocation has this amount of customization it’ll be a lot of fun to discover the strengths of each.
When the time came to jump over and play this second Vocation, I began by being ambushed at a tavern in town, only to make quick work of my opponent by stunlocking them with Ricochet Hunter and Frosthunter Bolt. It was an incredibly powerful combination – so powerful that the Griffen we encountered later never stood a chance. Flamefang Arrow and my powerful Pawns simply devastated everything with ease.
While the gameplay was amazing and I can’t wait to get back to play more, there was one concern I’ve seen the community curious about: the uncapped framerate on console. When looking at this it should be noted that I’m playing a version which Capcom clearly states is “still in development, and is not equivalent to the final product.” But in this build on PlayStation 5, Dragon’s Dogma 2 was averaging around 31 frames per second with dips during heavy moments of action while playing with the PS5 set to output at 4K. I did not get to test at lower base revolutions or VRR during my time to see if that had a positive impact on performance however, if I had one hope, it would be that Capcom added more options in the framerate department including, at minimum a capped 30 frames per second mode.
That said, the gameplay was so fun that it was hard to walk away focused on anything other than my genuine excitement to play more.
My demo ended in the dead of night trying to help a character navigate the spirits, Zombies, and monsters waiting for me in the darkness. But after playing almost two and a half hours, there’s no denying that Dragon’s Dogma 2 had me hooked. I cannot wait to play more on March 22nd.
Meta keep emailing me to tell me my Oculus account is going to be deleted on March 29th. It’s only today, seeing other people talking about it, that it occurs to me: this is not personal. Meta is perhaps going to delete your Oculus account on March 29th as well, if you have one.
You’ve got until that date to migrate your account, and if you don’t you’ll lose all your purchases.
Dual-screen dreams.
We are still receiving top-notch releases by the bucketload on Switch, but as the console enters the latter phase of its lifespan, we are well and truly in remake & remaster territory. The Wii U barrel has quickly run dry (though some remain that we’d like to see make the jump to the hybrid) and recent years have seen Nintendo turn to the DS and 3DS catalogue for inspiration — and gosh has it proved useful so far!
Last year brought us the likes of Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes and Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection and 2024 has already served up Another Code: Recollection, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy and Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!, with Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, The Legend of Legacy HD: Remastered and more (probably) still yet to come.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox Update Preview releasing to the Omega ring today.
It’s important we note that some updates made to these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox consoles. We will continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal or behind the scenes, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device.
Details can be found below!
Note: This update may not occur automatically before it has already become mandatory. You can always find the most current update as soon as it is available by opening the Guide > Profile & system > Settings > System > Updates.
Remember: Newly enrolled users in this ring are not guaranteed to receive all early updates, but they’ll receive the update prior to the GA release. Additionally, a small subset of users may remain on their current GA build once they enroll until the next system update becomes mandatory for the public. Visit the Xbox Insider Program FAQ to learn more.
Thanks to all the great feedback Xbox Insiders provide and the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented with this build:
Accessibility
Capture & Share
Games
My Games & Apps
System
While known issues may have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes, they are not being ignored! However, it may take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. If you experience any of these issues, we ask that you please follow any guidance provided and file feedback with Report a Problem.
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As always, be sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of any issues you encounter. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.
If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please visit the community subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help with your concerns.
When posting to the subreddit, please look through the most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to existing threads with the same issue before posting a new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Also, don’t forget to use “Report a Problem” before posting – the information shared in both places helps us understand your issue better.
Thank you to every Xbox Insider in the subreddit today and welcome to the community if you’re just joining us! We love that it has become such a friendly and community-driven hub of conversation and support.
For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox Update Preview ring!
The post Xbox Insider Release Notes – Omega (2403.240229-2200) appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Warner Bros. Games wants to further invest in live service even after Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League failed to impress.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and President of Streaming and Games J.B. Perrette spoke about the company’s strategy during a recent Morgan Stanley event. He acknowledges the success of projects like the single-player Hogwarts Legacy, which managed to be last year’s best-selling game in the U.S., but says the business of AAA console releases can be “volatile.”
“That’s a great business when you have a hit like (Hogwarts Legacy). It makes the year look amazing,” Perrette said. “Unfortunately, we also have disappointments — we just released Suicide Squad this quarter, which was not as strong. It just makes it very volatile.”
He explains that Warner Bros. is looking at its four major franchises — Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and DC — and is hoping to expand in the mobile and multiplatform free-to-play space. It will take some time for Warner Bros.’ efforts to come to fruition, with Perrette estimating we’ll see the impact between 2025 and 2027. He does say, though, that the company will release more mobile free-to-play titles later this year.
“Within the studio segment, we’re doubling down on games as an area where we think there is a lot more growth opportunity that we can tap into with the IP that we have and some of the capabilities on the studio side, where we’re uniquely positioned as both a publisher and a developer of games,” he says.
This pivot will see the company emphasizing its live-service offerings, too. Perrette is interested, for example, in creating an ongoing project set in the world of Harry Potter.
“Rather than just launching a one-and-done console game, how do we develop a game around, for example, Hogwarts Legacy or Harry Potter, that is a live service where people can live and work and build and play in that world on an ongoing basis?” he said.
It’s a strategy that will see Warner Bros. leaning on its billion-dollar IP in a way that is meant to create consistent revenue streams. The goal is to create “meaningful growth” in games “over the next couple of years.”
Meanwhile, many already view the company’s Suicide Squad game as a live-service project even though its developer, Rocksteady Games, seems uninterested in using that label. As for the Harry Potter universe, Warner Bros. has been clear that it wants to create more adventures in that universe, including a Quidditch game.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
The original Final Fantasy 7 Remake offered one of the most ambitious packages of minigames that the series had ever seen at the time, and with the second installment of the FF7 Remake saga, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth goes even further. Featuring an even wider selection of minigames, many of the game’s side-activities reimagine much of the original minigames while also adding entirely new ones that flesh out the characters and world in some surprising ways.
After playing the entirety of what FF7 Rebirth has to offer, we’ve got a thorough ranking of the massive sequel’s selection of minigames based on how enjoyable they are to dive into. For this ranking of Rebirth’s many minigames, we’re focusing on activities and sequences that take players outside the usual encounter and into something more unique. So, while battle arenas and open-world activities are enjoyable, we’ve decided to focus on the unique events that put you in more unusual situations.
So, with that, here’s our definitive ranking of FF7’s best minigames.
Chocobos are the party’s greatest asset in the open world, and Rebirth makes you work for your brightly colored companion. As one of the earliest minigames you’ll encounter, Cloud has to sneak up and tame a wild Chocobo hiding out in each region. This activity involves a stealth puzzle sequence where you create distractions in order sneak up on the roaming big bird to tame them. While it’s a quirky sequence, it often feels more like a hurdle to overcome for each region, and you’ll likely have forgotten about it as you move on with your Chocobo and explore.
One neat distraction to find in the seaside resort of Costa Del Sol is Pirate’s Rampage, a carnival shooter where you fire an airgun at moving targets to rack up a high score. It’s a charming activity with many cute references to pirates and other Final Fantasy monsters, and the two levels offer some solid challenges. While it is a bit of a one-note activity, it’s a decent distraction for those looking to sharpen their reflexes and earn some unlockable items.
As one of Rebirth’s brand new Gold Saucer minigames, Galactic Saviors is a Star Fox-style space shooter where you and the captain of the Space Rangers (the Final Fantasy VII universe’s take on Buzz Lightyear) fight against alien invaders in deep space. Playing Galactic Saviors is a snappy and fun time with solid shooter and flight controls — and it even lets you barrel roll to evade enemy fire. But much like a Disneyland attraction, it reaches its conclusion fairly quickly. This is a minigame that I wish had more depth to it, and it is quite forgiving with its difficulty, but it’s a solid addition to the Gold Saucer’s plethora of activities — and you also get a neat accessory for going for the high score.
This minigame puts Red XIII as the key player of an activity that’s essentially a more over-the-top take on soccer. Found in Costa Del Sol, Run Wild features two game types – one focusing on four teams vying for the top spot and another that tasks Red XIII with getting balls into goals while avoiding obstacles. Run Wild can often feel exciting, and cutting loose with Red XIII is quite fun. However, it can also be challenging to keep up with the action as the minigame throws a lot of obstacles and adversaries at you, which makes it somewhat of a drag to get through on multiple attempts.
The Toad status ailment has been the bane of many Final Fantasy players, but Rebirth has some fun with the Toad form by turning it into one of its most bizarre minigames. Found in Junon, this minigame sees Cloud and the party willingly turn themselves into toads to compete in Fall Guys-style obstacle courses, where the toad that lasts the longest wins. Though it is a fairly limited activity, it’s a clever attempt at turning an always annoying status effect into a humorous activity, and it’s pretty fun to see an up-close look at each party member in toad form.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth revitalizes the original game’s most notorious Gold Saucer minigame, and it’s now in a more exciting state that you can finally see its conclusion. 3D Brawler has you engage in a Punch Out-style fighting game where you must read an opponent’s combat style to dodge their attacks and strike back to come out on top.
Unlike the original minigame, which was primarily based on luck and featured an invisible final opponent that was quite actually unbeatable no matter how hard you tried, the remade 3D Brawler is a more robust activity that gives you the means to beat down every opponent you face. At its best, it’s a fun, bite-sized fighting game, but it can sometimes feel a bit unforgiving due to the more elaborate control scheme and some difficulty in reading an opponent’s tells. Still, this minigame is a neat tribute to classic FFVII that redeems its most unfair minigame.
The Moogles are a mainstay of the Final Fantasy series, and Rebirth tasks you with ensuring that the few cutesy Moogles out in the world stay together. In the Moogle Mischief minigame, Cloud has to round up mischievous Mooglets and bring them back to the safety of the Mog house in each region. It’s like herding sheep back to a safe spot, except the sheep will cast magic spells, toss bombs at you, and taunt you at every misstep along the way.
It’s an incredibly quirky minigame that can be equally hilarious and frustrating with how fast the Moogles can get the best of you. The final stages of these minigames are chaotic as you scramble to round up every Mooglet you can before time runs out, and you may end up viewing the Moogles very differently by game’s end. All in all, it’s an amusing minigame that shows off the more devious side of the Moogles.
The original Fort Condor minigame from 1997 was an odd but sophisticated tactics game well-loved by fans. It saw an upgraded take in the INTERmission DLC for Remake, and Rebirth continues with INTERmission’s revitalized Fort Condor but adds more of a Hero spin on the tower-defense style action.
It remains an enjoyable bite-sized strategy game, and getting the best of enemy units with careful planning is satisfying to see play out. It’s also a lot of fun to see Cloud and crew as Hero units, which adds some spice to the flow of each match. However, Fort Condor has sudden and frustrating difficulty spikes that often encourage brute force tactics instead of carefully planning to win. Still, there’s much fun with seeing Cloud, Barrett, and Tifa beat up units in their early 3D styles once again.
In keeping with the Remake saga’s focus on spectacle, the original Dolphin riding minigame from FFVII is now an extended activity focusing on sneaking past Shinra security and entertaining the children of Junon’s undercity. The revised gameplay of the Dolphin Show minigame is akin to the classic Wave Race 64, where you must maneuver past specific directional buoys, make sweet jumps, and reach the finish line as fast as possible. While it doesn’t change much on extended play, it offers a surprisingly refreshing and more dynamic take on the original’s one-note minigame – and adds a lot of charm in the process.
The Cactuars are back in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and they now have an entire sidequest and minigame that showcases them as the series’ most bizarre foes. Cactuar Crush focuses on Yuffie and Aerith using their combat skills to take down as many Cactuars as possible, and you’ll need to use careful timing of moves and specific elemental strikes to overcome the prickly baddies. Trying to complete this minigame at first felt like a major hassle, especially with how many Cactuars are thrown at you. But once I found a flow and learned each character’s best skills, I found great fun with dishing out pain to the Cactuars – including the rare Giant variants. It can be a good time for players looking to take out the Cactuars en masse, but it’ll require some patience to succeed.
The famous motorcycle minigame where Cloud battles Shinra forces make a return in Rebirth, and it’s now a more gamified experience that feels in keeping with the Gold Saucer. In G-Bike, Cloud has to maintain momentum and speed as he builds up energy to take down Shinra goons while speeding across Midgar’s highway. G-Bike is faster and, honestly, more exciting than Remake’s take on the minigame. While it doesn’t have additional tracks and sequences to try out, the base game is still a good time to cut loose on the highway with Cloud once again.
The Gym Workout minigames in Remake were playful send-ups to gym culture, and they’re back in Rebirth. While 2020’s Remake focused on squats and pull-ups, Rebirth sees Tifa again face off against arrogant gym rats in a “Crunch-Off!” Like in Remake, you have to land timed button presses and outpace your opponent, and the longer the match goes, the harder it gets to keep your flow in performing crunches. It can be easy to lose momentum, which can quickly ruin a run, but finding a flow is easy, and you’ll rise up the ranks rapidly. It’s also got some truly A+ commentary from gym patrons who are very invested in their workouts.
The Desert Rush minigame sees Cloud again in a solo brawl against a plethora of durable boxes. Like Remake’s box-breaking activity and Kingdom Hearts’ barrel-busting minigames, you’ll need to bust open large boxes within a time limit. The real twist with Desert Rush is that Cloud must maneuver through an obstacle course as he breaks each box, some of which require additional energy to destroy. It was a surprisingly thrilling minigame that prioritized which boxes to break into to cut a path forward to the finish. I wish there were more courses, but Desert Rush and the additional hard mode are a good time, and seeing Cloud engage in a Kingdom Hearts-style minigame was amusing on its own.
Another minigame focusing on strategy is Gears and Gambits, the most sophisticated tactics minigame in Rebirth. Paying homage to Final Fantasy XII’s gambit system, you can program tactical commands and prompts for your robot units to overcome various foes and bosses. What makes Gears and Gambits such a neat twist on the tactics is the range of customization you have for your units, and once you acquire new gambits and learn the best strategies, you can unleash some clever load-outs that will cut down the opposition.
The infamous Shinra Parade from FFVII is back, and it’s now an even more ambitious sequence with significant stakes. Like the Honeybee Inn dance sequence from FFVII Remake, you’ll need to correctly time button prompts to maintain poise in a competition against other Shinra Infantry to earn positive approval. The focus on keeping a flow is the key to this minigame, and seeing it play out as such a spectacle was a real highlight of the opening chapters of Rebirth. It’s an exciting and memorable sequence, and seeing Cloud and the others play their parts and stick with the routine made for a slick event.
As one of the late-game minigames, Loveless sees the party join an interactive play where they perform the roles of heroes and villains in a musical experience. As something of an extended quick-time-event sequence in the vein of Shenmue and even Dragon’s Lair, Loveless is essentially an interactive cutscene inspired by the tone of a classic swords and sorcery adventure. While this may seem like an unusual minigame, Loveless works well because it showcases the party in a different light – making them appear as more classic-style Final Fantasy characters.
With some options for choice-driven sequences where you choose some alternate outcomes, you get to see an entertaining, emotionally charged sequence that culminates in a heartfelt musical number showcasing the bond the party has. Even as a standalone minigame, it is one of the highlights of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and a cathartic moment for Cloud and friends.
As one of the most memorable minigames of classic FFVII, Rebirth brings back Chocobo Racing in top form, and it’s one of the game’s best side activities. Though it’s unlocked relatively late into the game, the wait is worth it. Chocobo Racing is a payoff for all the time invested in acquiring mounts in different regions and helping out a young Chocobo trainer. Chocobo Racing features racing gameplay similar to Mario Kart, focusing on mastering your track, learning the turns, and taking advantage of powerups and boosts to come out on top.
Moreover, all the Chocobo cosmetic items purchased previously now function as selectable perks, letting you customize and tune your mount’s performance. It’s such a laid-back yet still thrilling racing mode. With the number of variations of each track increasing as you move up the ranks, it’s a satisfying and fleshed-out side activity that showcases the fun of Chocobo Racing — and it’s easily the best iteration that Final Fantasy has seen yet.
Minigames focusing on playing instruments have been more common in games these days, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth now has its own musical minigame that lets Cloud and Tifa unwind with some time on the piano. Featuring a robust set of options for how you want to play, such as letting you adjust to minor and monotone keys, it’s a well-crafted take minigame that showcases some of the game’s tender moments. This minigame truly shines with the free play option, letting you practice and test your skills. So far, players are already taking to it well with some covers of classic songs like Dr. Dre’s Still D.R.E. and the Metal Gear Solid theme.
As it turns out, the minigame you’ll experience first in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the absolute best. Compared to FFVIII’s Triple Triad and FFIX’s Tetra Master, Queen’s Blood is the most approachable card game to ever grace a Final Fantasy game and the most rewarding one to invest time in. Battling other Queen’s Blood players throughout each region will see Cloud move up the ranks and become an elite card player, with some critical battles giving strong Yu-Gi-Oh energy for its reverence of the cards battles.
It’s a charming activity, bolstered by a bumping jazz-inspired soundtrack that keeps the energy up in every game. You’ll constantly find characters in towns up for a game, many of whom can easily beat you down with a superior deck. I never found much long-term enjoyment from other FF card games, but what makes Queen’s Blood so engaging and endearing is that it’s a minigame about the joys of playing a trading card game, and the community that invests their time in making the game into something more.
And that’s our complete ranking of the many minigames in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Which one stood out for you? Let us know in the comments about your favorites, and for more on Square-Enix’s massive RPG, check out our guides on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Alessandro Fillari is a freelance writer for IGN.
Wahoo!
Mario Day is almost upon us (10th March – MAR10, get it??) and Nintendo is wasting no time with getting the celebrations underway. Those who want to make the most of the calendar event of the year can now pick up a 14-day Nintendo Switch Online trial for free.
This offer will be sticking around until 18th March at 6am GMT / 5am CET / 1am ET / 11:59pm (17th March) PT and grants you access to all of the features of a standard Nintendo Switch Online subscription. As well as getting involved in online play, you will also be able to hit up the entire NES, SNES and Game Boy NSO libraries.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
A Treacherous Visual Novel Set in Italy about Friendship, Desire, and Grief.I’m thrilled to announce the release of Mediterranea Inferno on Xbox Series S|X, a mature visual novel set against the backdrop of the Italian south. My name is Lorenzo Redaelli, also known as Eyeguys, a multimedia artist from Milan, and I’ve made this game to offer a glimpse into Italy that goes beyond the usual clichés. Together with the team at Santa Ragione, we’ve worked to create a narrative that draws from personal experiences and cultural reflections, aiming to present a story that resonates with both its authenticity and depth.
In the game, you join Claudio, Andrea, and Mida in their travels as they try to recover from the collective trauma of the 2020 pandemic. These three young men in their early 20s reconnect after two years of forced isolation, hoping to rekindle their friendship. As you pick their daily activities, you’ll discover their darkest fears and obsessions, and, as the reality of their failed expectations emerge, so does their hunger for revenge and retribution.
Drawing on my personal experiences, the inspiration for Mediterranea Inferno comes from the summers I spent in Southern Italy, particularly in Martina Franca, Puglia. These visits, retracing my mother’s childhood, were filled with family traditions and rituals that shaped my view of the region. From spending time at my great-uncle’s countryside home to enjoying meals with Aunt Maria and participating in local festivities, these experiences offered a mix of comfort and monotony, highlighting the dual nature of familiar rituals. There’s a bittersweetness in being distanced from friends during summertime and an acute awareness of the passage of time, reflected in the aging eyes of our relatives year after year.
In terms of art direction, the visual style of the game is influenced by Italian horror cinema, with references to directors like Dario Argento, Mario Bava, and Lucio Fulci, incorporating vivid neon colors and exaggerated dark themes. Additionally, the photography of Luigi Ghirri, particularly his work on Puglia, has been a significant inspiration, bringing a metaphysical quality to the game’s environments. This blend of horror elements, illustration, and photographic realism aims to create a nostalgic yet unsettling visual experience.
Through the game’s characters, I tried to capture the concept of boredom as a status symbol, inspired by the films of Luca Guadagnino. They represent privileged Milanese youth, reflecting on the contradictions and challenges of life beyond bourgeois confines. This exploration is intertwined with Italy’s rich religious iconography, drawing from the influence of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s films and the omnipresence of Catholic imagery in Italian culture. The game incorporates these elements to delve into the complex relationship us Italians have with our cultural and religious heritage.
Mediterranea Inferno’s objective is to blend personal memories and critical reflections on our society. Through this game, I hope to contribute to the broader discourse on game narrative and continue the tradition of Italian creativity. I can’t wait for you to play it, Mediterranea Inferno is available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S starting today!
Santa Ragione
Three young men in their early 20s reconnect after two years of forced isolation, hoping to rekindle their friendship; an exceptional bond that made the trio truly special! A mythological force well beyond the sum of its parts! Or so they think…
As you pick their activities for the day, you’ll discover their darkest fears, their obsessions, and, as the reality of their failed expectations becomes apparent, their thirst for revenge and retribution.
A lazy afternoon by the pool, a lustful night at the club, or even a morbid visit to the local cemetery: you’ll decide how to spend this summer vacation, but wherever you go, something or someone will be waiting, offering an additional, forbidden trip through the arcane inner spaces of conscience.
Eat the Fruit of Mirages and fight for your endless summer!
The post The Critically Acclaimed Mediterranea Inferno is Now Available on Xbox Series S|X appeared first on Xbox Wire.
The spirit of competition in Destiny 2 is alive and well with today’s launch of the Guardian Games All-Stars 2024 event. The annual competitive event pits Warlocks, Hunters, and Titans against one another to try and take the top step of the Guardian class podium. Last year, Titans took the win, their second in Guardian Games history, and this year’s event features new twists to spice up the competition. Additionally, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen expansion is available today as a PlayStation Plus Monthly Game and we dive deeper into the rad new Skimmer vehicle.
A new scoring system will be in place to keep everyone on their toes, including new Diamond-tier Medallions (the most valuable offered yet; earning these will help your class’s standings in a significant way, so these Medallions are limited to three per week). In addition, Guardians will be able to earn daily glow effects that come from a variety of sources, including individual achievement (such as being the “best in Tower” Guardian or showing your performance in modes like Supremacy or Competitive Nightfalls) as well as group achievements (like being part of that day’s winning class).
Focus Activities are new limited-time boosts to Guardian Games activities that will grant bonus Medallions for the winning class. These events will only be open for a few hours each day, and you’ll be able to earn rewards packages by completing them; in fact, the class that dominates a particular Focus Activity will also earn a special champions rewards package that will earn your class a bunch of Medallions for the day’s competition.
By taking part in Guardian Games events, every player can also unlock sweet rewards, including new Legendary weapons such as Hullabaloo (a new Compressed Wave Frame Heavy Grenade Launcher), a new Exotic Ghost shell, and even a new form of transportation: the Skimmer.
Perhaps the most exciting reward coming for Guardian Games All-Stars, the Skimmer is the first new vehicle option offered in Destiny since the Sparrow, and it’s available to all Guardians at no additional cost (simply pick it up from Eva Levante in the Tower after completing the first Guardian Games All-Stars quest and banking your first Medallion). All players will be able to use the Skimmer during Guardian Games All-Stars, and Guardians who complete a one-step quest during the event will be able to keep the Skimmer permanently once the Games have ended.
A sci-fi take on skateboarding and snowboarding, the Skimmer is a bold new expression of Guardian mobility in Destiny 2, allowing players to perform sweet tricks and sick grinds on their way to their next destination.
“The very beginning of the Skimmer’s development started with a simple question: What is the Guardian version of a Cloud Strider’s skyboard?” said Bungie senior design lead Ben Wommack. “Imagine a Guardian saw a Cloud Strider zipping around in the air and thought, ‘Yeah, that’s neat, but how about this!’ and pulled out something that’s cooler, more stylish, and most importantly, fun to use.”
“We wanted to make sure that we were not doing just a different Sparrow skin with a Guardian standing on top but something that really fulfills new fantasies,” said Bungie staff technical animator Matt Kelly. “The original Sparrow was a blend of a jet ski and a superbike. For the Skimmer, we took inspiration from surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding, strapped some boosters on it, and blended that up with some space magic.
“In the time between original Destiny and now, player movement abilities when traversing spaces on foot has dramatically changed and expanded, and the gameplay space has held up well. This allowed us to be comfortable pushing the edges of what we could do by adding new verbs into vehicles as well.”
Skimmers are just as zippy as their Sparrow counterparts, and they are capable of a host of new tricks and grinds that will make travel time even more fun. Guardians will be able to pull off four base tricks that map to the emote buttons: a tre flip, a Tamedog, a 360 grab, and a 360 spin where the Guardian leaves the board. There are also four grinds: a 5-0, a boardslide, a backside darkslide, and a crooked nosegrind. In addition, the dev team has also added a variety of grounded turn dodges inspired by carving while surfing as well as some air dodges with grab spins to avoid obstacles (or slam into an unlucky enemy that gets in your way). Finally, there’s a vehicle jump ability that will launch your Guardian into the air, complete with a nice ollie grab as a finishing touch.
“We are lucky enough that we have a massive group of excited skaters, snowboarders, and surfers who were extremely excited about pointing out their favorite boarders and tricks to implement,” said Kelly.
“We also had a bunch of animators who were able to dive in and really put the polish on some amazing and difficult-to-animate moves. Inspiration was everywhere.”
One final thought to whet your Skimmer appetite. During development, Bungie testers found some creative uses for Skimmers when combined with Strand’s grapple ability. Bungie test engineer Thomas Duda explains:
“Without any design specifically going towards this interaction, we discovered during a playtest that players can grapple the hoverboard while another player is using it. A player with Strand grapple can hook on and get pulled along with the grind, and they’ll be taken wherever the grinding player steers. If you’re in a firefight that’s not going too well, a friend can glide over you, and you can skyhook your way out of there, like the scene in The Dark Knight where Batman extracts from the high rise in Hong Kong.”
As if competing for the glory of your chosen Guardian class isn’t enough, we also have an additional incentive for Guardians who want to embody the spirit of the Guardian Games All-Stars event. Players who complete the Gold Event Challenge by March 26, 2024, at 9:59 AM PT, will earn the Bungie Rewards offer to purchase a physical 2024 Guardian Games All-Stars Medal through the Bungie Store.
PlayStation Plus members, the threat of the Lucent Hive continues to loom, and we’re putting the call out to you all. Starting today, and for a limited time, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen is available to all PlayStation Plus members as a Monthly Game at no additional charge. Now is your chance to own one of the greatest chapters in Destiny history, as you take on Savathûn herself in a desperate bid to take back the Light. Experience the thrilling campaign from the start, explore The Witch Queen’s mysterious Throne World, and test your skills against Legendary mode. All of that and more, and it’s yours to keep once you download it.
If you’re a PlayStation Plus owner new to Destiny 2 or looking for the ideal time to jump back in, don’t miss out on this opportunity to experience one of the best adventures Destiny 2 has to offer. Head over to the PlayStation Store, grab The Witch Queen expansion, and prepare for the fight ahead.
