We aspire to create a future of gaming in a world that we want to play in. Earth Day is just around the corner, and it provides all of us with a special opportunity to reflect on how we can improve our impact on the planet. To celebrate this year, we’ve created an Xbox controller that features recovered plastics with one-third of it made from regrind and reclaimed materials.
Mixing post-consumer recycled resins with regrind consisting of previously molded colored parts creates custom, earth-tone colors with subtle variations, swirling, markings, and texturing – giving each Remix Special Edition controller its own look and feel.
Regrind is the process of mechanically recycling leftover Xbox One generation controller parts into a raw material that can be used to partially create new controllers – while maintaining durability and performance. Post-consumer recycled resins are incorporated from reclaimed materials like automotive headlight covers, plastic water jugs, and CDs.
By incorporating these regrind materials, post-consumer recycled resins, and including the Xbox Rechargeable Battery Pack – Xbox is exploring ways to use less new plastic and reduce waste. Our goal is to bring fans along with us on our journey towards greater sustainability across the Xbox product portfolio. Visit the new Xbox Sustainability Hub to learn more about our commitments and explore a collection of controllers that use less new plastics.
We drew inspiration from natural landscapes and the physical world around us when designing the Remix Special Edition controller. The various earth-tone colors create a patchwork effect , featuring bright pops of color that create a vibrant yet serene vibe. The bright green Xbox button, D-pad, and front case color are inspired by lichen found in the Pacific Northwest Forest. The bumpers, triggers, and side grip areas feature a topographic texture pattern, a nod to the earth’s dynamic landscape, while maintaining the tactility that our customers like.
The included Xbox Rechargeable Battery Pack lets you play without using disposable batteries. Recharge while you play or afterwards with a full charge for up to 4 hours, and up to 30 hours of battery life per charge. The bottom of the controller sports a 3.5mm stereo headset jack which can be used to plug in any compatible headset. Chat with your friends online or share some of your best gaming highlights, captured using the dedicated share button. Make the controller your own by customizing button mapping with the Xbox Accessories app for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10/11. Feel free to take your controller beyond the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, with Bluetooth technology that allows for wireless gaming on your PC and mobile devices.
The Xbox Wireless Controller – Remix Special Edition is available for preorder worldwide for $84.99 USD MSRP, and will be released on April 18. Check your local retailer for product availability in your region. For more product details, visit Xbox.com.
Recently, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to spend some three hours with the upcoming Star Wars Jedi: Survivor — the much-anticipated sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order — before its upcoming release date of April 28, 2023, for Xbox Series X|S.
Now, while I enjoyed the first game immensely, it was not without its faults. Its map design could be confusing (with no fast travel), combat difficulty felt inconsistent, and the reward factor for going off the beaten path would very often reward you with… a different colored poncho (yay?). These aren’t just my opinions – the developers at Respawn clearly felt the same, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Director Stig Asmussen spoke incredibly candidly to me about some of those very same shortcomings. As it turns out, many of the things fans like myself were looking for, and some of those criticisms, were aspects Respawn admits should have been there from the start. This time around, the developers are aiming improve on every single one.
“When you’re making a game, you really don’t know exactly what it is until it goes out into the wild,” explains Asmussen. “You can do as much focus testing as you want, but once millions of people are playing, it becomes a different story. It validates a lot of the things you thought, but it also confirms things and wondering that this was something we could brush up — one of those things was fast travel.”
Stig explained to me that the team had initially fought against features like this, wanting to stay true (to a fault) to the “Metroidvania” gameplay design it aimed for – seeing you return to previously explored areas, unlock new paths with new abilities, and make progress across multiple areas rather than follow a single path through the game. The challenge was that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order just wasn’t really designed around fast travel or built to have that type of feature in-place. But once the fan feedback came in, and once Respawn began to scope its sequel, a fast travel mechanic was part of those discussions on day one. You’ll be happy to know that moving through Jedi: Survivor’s levels feels far more intuitive, and rewarding as a result.
“You can do as much focus testing as you want, but once millions of people are playing, it becomes a different story.”
Another of the cornerstones from the original game that the team is expanding upon heavily is what the definition of a “hub world” is. In the first game, it was confined to the starship Mantis. You could talk to the crew, look at some of your collection, interact with some objects, but that was about it. Which is fine – it fit nicely within the narrower narrative scope of the original. But these hub worlds have now been given a significant expansion, as befits a much wider storyline.
In the portion of the game I played, Cal has taken up residence in Rambler’s Ranch, a small town located on the planet Koboh. Despite having to carry the weight as one of the last surviving Jedi, he also taken it upon himself to help the locals by improving their town piece by piece. This starts to give the upcoming game a veneer of a space western, building upon narratives that we’ve seen in Star Wars television shows like “The Book of Boba Fett” — Cal has, essentially, become a small-town sheriff who aims to clean up this small town and rid the area of those dang bandits. Drop that on top of the rich Star Wars universe and you’ve got something that just feels much more tangible and immersive to play around in. Oh, and you can also collect seeds, set a plot, and grow a garden in the middle of town (not kidding) — this now feels more like living Cal’s life than reliving a single story within it.
One of the highlights of the first game was the small cast of characters who joined Cal, and Rambler’s Ranch offers even more of that feeling – this town is full of locals who add color to the game world. There’s Mosey Cimmaron, who runs the town stables; Ashe Javi & DD-EC, a pair of DJs who play music at the local Cantina; MXNK-6, a fast-talking and humorous droid bartender; and Dom Dendra, the de facto mayor of Rambler’s Ranch who can sell you cosmetics.
On that note, this was another major area the team invested resources in to build upon what, unintentionally, did feel like a bit of an afterthought in the first game: while it was fun to collect various colors and parts for your own personal lightsaber, other areas of customization were lacking.
“Really, [customization] was kind of an afterthought in the first game, and it came in really late in development,” says Asmussun. “The first time we got the whole game together, we were playing it… but I’m not really getting rewarded. There were skins for BD-1, skins for the Mantis, but those were just skins. And I think people saw through that. But the one that we talked about, that I think we got right, was lightsaber customization. And people kind of responded to that. So that’s what we’re going to do — we gave all the customization features ‘the lightsaber treatment.’”
This is extremely evident in our time with the game, being able to not just swap colors but swap parts on BD-1, or to fully customize Cal’s facial features and hair, and a variety of unique-looking outfits. Practically everything has been given new options to make your take on Cal’s adventure feel personal. Of course, the lightsaber customization remains, which continues to look like a Star Wars fan’s dream to tinker with endlessly by swapping parts in and out as the mood suits.
“We gave all the customization features ‘the lightsaber treatment.’”
Finding your way through this world has also been improved, another area that Asmussun admits was a pain point in the original game. Thanks to valuable feedback from players, the redesigned map was added very early on in the iteration process to deliver something closer to what players wanted. While you shouldn’t expect this to be an open world – these are still crafter levels with choices and exploration built in – getting around them should be far smoother and more open to interpretation.
“There’s huge improvements in terms of clarity and of being able to add markers,” explains Asmussun. “BD-1 has binoculars now as well that allows you to scan the environment and drop beacon points. There’s just a lot more legibility in general regarding where you need to go next. Lots of lessons learned here and areas we wanted to improve upon.”
But amid all these improvements, Respawn also acknowledged the strengths of the first game. They were not going to break them or remake them; they were going to make them better and refine them. One of those pillars is Fallen Order’s excellent combat system, which offered an unexpectedly Soulslike spin on lightsaber combat and Force abilities. This returns, but with several new ideas grafted on to help build it out.
“One of the things we were not able to complete for the first game was Dual Wield,” explains Asmussen. “We had that as a late-game pick-up in Jedi: Fallen Order, and that was something that we wanted to have as a full stance, but we just kind of ran out of time, so it became this special instead. But there was a lot there. It was probably ready to roll within the first six weeks of working on Jedi Survivor.”
Cal appears to have lost none of his talents from the original adventure and in fact has a much clearer grasp on his Force and lightsaber abilities.
What becomes immediately clear as a fan of the original, is just how fluid the combat now feels. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s improved, other than everything feels significantly more responsive. Part of that, I imagine, is tied to the story — when we meet Cal in the upcoming game, it’s been some five years since the previous adventure, giving him plenty of time to brush up on his skillset. Also, there doesn’t appear to be any forced moments where you must unlearn what you have learned – Cal appears to have lost none of his talents from the original adventure and in fact has a much clearer grasp on his Force and lightsaber abilities. But that’s not to suggest there aren’t fresh combat tricks for players to learn. New this time will be the five “stances” that each have their own strengths to utilize to counteract with the variety of enemy types in the game.
These are Single, which is your standard lightsaber stance, a balance for offense and defense; Double-bladed, which is great to use for crowd control; Dual Wield, where Cal’s lightsaber splits into two, which is ideal for more aggressive playstyle; Crossguard, which is a powerful, deliberate stance that has Cal dealing massive damage (at the cost of long wind-up times); and Blaster, which has Cal dealing with long-range foes with… well… a blaster.
“It’s easily the biggest improvement [to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor], in that you can now carry five stances and they each have a unique personality,” details Asmussen. “There’s a kind of synergy that we have the way that we’re constructing the enemies in the game that some stances might be able to reveal exploits faster against some enemies than another one. But to be clear, you can take down any enemy with any stance.”
The challenge for Respawn is finding ways to balance what is essentially a “one-hit-kill” weapon like a lightsaber and continue to make it feel fun, especially now that Cal is so well-versed in both his growing abilities as a Jedi and as a master wielder of the weapon of a more civilized age.
“Oh, there’s also dismemberment in this game,” Asmussen underscores with a bit of a smile.
“We introduce a variety of different ways that enemies can block a lightsaber, and something we work with Lucasfilm on is what kind of technology can we bring to the combatants who are basically loaded up to take on a Jedi,” explains Asmussen. “What kind of Star Wars tech can we give to them? Whether it’s shields or electrified devices that can block a lightsaber. A lot of the enemies are one hit kills; you just need to find the opening. Most of them aren’t though.
“That’s always the challenge. How can we provide contextually the tools that can block a lightsaber but also weave into the narrative that these things have a reason to exist. It’s something we’re always trying to make sure we’re underscoring. Oh, there’s also dismemberment in this game,” Asmussen underscores with a bit of a smile. “Fans have been asking for that and we got the green light from Lucasfilm.”
There have also been several adjustments to really make you feel powerful. Force Push and Pull are still tied naturally to the controller’s Right and Left triggers respectively from the start, allowing you jump in right away and play with a myriad of new combat features that weave together powerful Force powers and cinematic-like lightsaber combat. Think of it as a combat sandbox: If you think you can Force Pull a Stormtrooper, hold him in the air while you ram your lightsaber through him, or parry blaster fire back on a variety of enemies while dashing back and forth, or manipulate them to attack their own colleagues… you can.
Presenting this in action during our event, one member from the team’s combat team took the controller and showcased the level of hurt one can unleash on enemies in the game once you become in tune with all of Cal’s abilities. We watched as he moved through each of the five stances, demonstrating the various ways in which you can approach and cut down enemies with the saber, or by using some end-level Force powers where you can group enemies together, slow down time, and charge your pistol to unleash a barrage of blaster fire.
Everything we’ve seen so far promises a bigger, better, more customizable adventure with Cal Kestis and BD-1
Everything we’ve seen so far promises a bigger, better, more customizable adventure with Cal Kestis and BD-1: responsive combat, engaging characters, and an ancient mystery that is just waiting to be solved. We can’t reveal too much more about the latter, as that would be delving into some spoiler territory, but we did get enough of a tease that once these credits roll, our mouths are going to be on the floor.
Thankfully we don’t have long to wait to dive in, as Star Wars Jedi: Survivoris launching in just a few short weeks from now on April 28, 2023, for Xbox Series X|S. If you’ve yet to experience the original game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, it’s available to play now for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S with Xbox Game Pass.
Pre-order* STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor™ Standard Edition to outfit Cal with the Obi-Wan Kenobi™ inspired “Jedi Survival” Cosmetic Pack:
• The “Hermit” Cosmetic
• The “Hermit” Lightsaber Set
• The “Combustion” Blaster Set
The story of Cal Kestis continues in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor™, a third person galaxy-spanning action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. This narratively-driven, single player title picks up five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order™ and follows Cal’s increasingly desperate fight as the galaxy descends further into darkness. Pushed to the edges of the galaxy by the Empire, Cal will find himself surrounded by threats new and familiar.
• Continue Cal’s Journey – No longer a Padawan, Cal has come into his own and grown into a powerful Jedi Knight. The Dark Times are closing in – with enemies new and familiar surrounding him, Cal will need to decide how far he’s willing to go to save those closest to him.
• Go Beyond Your Training – The cinematic combat system returns with additional Force abilities and new lightsaber fighting styles. Creatively leverage all these abilities and weapons to strategically take on an expanded host of enemies, sizing up strengths and weaknesses while cleverly utilizing your training to overcome your opponents and solve the mysteries that lay in your path.
• Explore an Untamed Galaxy – Discover new planets and familiar frontiers in the Star Wars galaxy, each with unique biomes, challenges, and enemies. Master new skills, equipment, and abilities that will augment the ways you explore, fight, and roam. With larger areas to explore and more to discover off the beaten path, players who adventure beyond the horizon will find hidden rewards.
Unlock exclusive cosmetic items inspired by Han Solo™ and Luke Skywalker™, as seen in STAR WARS: A New Hope, with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Deluxe Edition*.
• The “Galactic Hero” Cosmetic Pack
– The “Scoundrel” Cosmetic
– The “Rugged” BD-1 Cosmetic
– The “DL-44” Blaster Set
• The “New Hero” Cosmetic Pack
– The “Rebel Hero” Cosmetic
– The “BD-Astro” BD-1 Cosmetic
– The “Rebel Hero” Lightsaber Set
Plus also receive the Obi-Wan Kenobi™ inspired “Jedi Survival” Cosmetic Pack*:
• The “Hermit” Cosmetic
• The “Hermit” Lightsaber Set
• The “Combustion” Blaster Set
The story of Cal Kestis continues in STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor™, a galaxy-spanning third-person action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm Games. This narratively driven single-player adventure continues five years after the events of STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order™ and follows Cal’s increasingly desperate fight to protect the galaxy from descending into darkness.
• Continue Cal’s Journey – No longer a Padawan, Cal has come into his own and grown into a powerful Jedi Knight. The Dark Times are closing in – with enemies new and familiar surrounding him, Cal will need to decide how far he’s willing to go to save those closest to him.
• Go Beyond Your Training – The cinematic combat system from Jedi: Fallen Order returns with additional Force abilities and new lightsaber fighting styles. Combine all these abilities and weapons to find your distinct style and defeat enemies new and old.
• Explore an Untamed Galaxy – Discover new planets and revisit familiar frontiers in the Star Wars galaxy, each with unique biomes, challenges, and enemies. Master new skills, equipment, and abilities that will enhance the ways you explore, fight, and roam.
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
Great New Games Spotlight has officially kicked off and we’re excited to bring you a ton of games every week for the next six weeks — more than 100+ new games will launch on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One between February 28 and April 10 – and if you spend $50 on eligible games and movies, you can receive 2,500 Microsoft Rewards points! Get more details here.
You are the Custodian of the Chimera, a living experiment created as a last resort to save life on Earth. Enter a tactical battle for the planet’s most coveted resource and the key to your Chimera’s evolution: pure Genetic Material. Meet Your Maker is a post-apocalyptic first-person building-and-raiding game where every level is designed by players. Switch between roles as you mastermind devious maze-like Outposts filled with traps and guards, then gear up for methodical fast-paced combat raiding other players’ creations.
Embark on an epic, hand-animated, “ratoidvania” adventure, where your crew has been turned into rats by a pirate witch. Explore a rich, non-linear world, enjoy fun action platforming, face challenging bosses, and unlock unique abilities either by yourself or in local co-op.
A fast-paced 2D platformer with a focus on precision and fluidity, where you´re in control of a cute little Orange in a journey in an abstract world. Master jump, wall-jumping, wall-sliding, dashing and more as you leap from level to level, moving along, up and down the screen to put in your best possible performance in 75 challenging stages.
Immerse yourself in a thrilling and exciting adventure. Children have been missing for a long time in Lakewitch, and you’re destined to solve this creepy mystery. Who is the kidnapper? Where are the children disappearing to? How do you save them? Solve the puzzles and find the answers.
Play as Ludovik, a Seeker, sent to investigate a murder case in Babylon. When a state of emergency is suddenly declared, Ludovik finds himself in increasingly dangerous territory as he follows the murderer’s trail and unravels the mystery behind the Library’s sudden lockdown. Featuring a world full of vast jungles, abandoned temples, and plentiful cybernetic inhabitants to interact with, The Library of Babel promises both a thrilling adventure full of danger and intrigue, and a thoughtful, atmospheric tale of how we consider infinity.
Embark on this cute but frantic adventure spanning across an incredible world full of danger. Explore seven unique worlds overflowing with beautifully animated graphics and retro game nostalgia. Overcome various perils to save Bumballon’s magical kingdom and rescue the beautiful Princess Moon.
The tee is yours across 30 courses in EA Sports PGA Tour, designed in stunning quality with Frostbite so you can enjoy more of golf’s finer details than ever before. PGA Tour is also the exclusive home of the Majors, including the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open Championship, and The Open Championship. Powered by ShotLink, TrackMan, and Pure Strike, giving you golfer-specific tendencies with unique course dynamics and revolutionized ball behavior for the premier golf gameplay experience. Create and customize a golfer, develop your skill set with new Shot Types, gain deeper course knowledge as you play, and learn to attack every hole like a pro. Pre-order the EA Sports PGA Tour Deluxe Edition to start playing on April 4. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with EA Play can enjoy a trial of the game as well starting on April 4.
Grab your favourite pair of wool socks, Survivors – it’s time to explore the wild reaches of the Far Territory!
Today, Hinterland is excited to launch the new Tales From the Far Territory Survival Mode Expansion Pass on Xbox, featuring the first paid content for its popular survival game The Long Dark. This update includes two incredible content drops – Part One: Forsaken Airfield and Part Two: Signal Void.
Adventures in the Far Territory begin with Part One: Forsaken Airfield. Explore a brand-new Airfield region featuring a vast, frigid plain, an airport with hangars and a Control Tower, and new mysteries waiting to be explored. Watch out for Glimmer Fog and the new Insomnia Affliction, search for new Rifle Variants, and experience stunning new Survival music by Sascha Dikiciyan, composer of award-winning music for games including The Long Dark, The Division 2, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Mass Effect, and many more.
Part Two: Signal Void introduces the first “Tale”, offering Survival Mode players new objectives to follow while weaving in compelling narrative elements. Explore the Tale with new Transponder gameplay and use the Handheld Shortwave to pick up mysterious signals, leading to hidden caches, crash sites, and more. Signal Void also introduces three new clothing items – a Hockey Jersey, a leather Flight Jacket, and a matching Aviator Hat. You’ll find them scattered around Great Bear as you explore locations and search containers. Be alert, Survivors… you might even discover a few surprise items that can only be found using the Handheld Shortwave.
Tales From the Far Territory will continue to receive multiple updates over the span of the 12-month campaign, including new Regions, new Gameplay, all-new objective-based Tales, and more. Plus, each Part will also contain free updates for anyone who already owns Survival Edition.
For a sneak peek at your next survival adventure, check out the trailer for Tales from the Far Territory at the top of this post.
To start your journey into the Far Territory, and access great new content, visit the Xbox Storetoday!
The Long Dark is a thoughtful, exploration-survival experience that challenges solo players to think for themselves as they explore an expansive frozen wilderness. Monitor your Condition, search for life-saving supplies, and master survival skills like fire-building, maintaining your gear, hunting, fishing, and landmark-based navigation. There are no zombies — only you, the cold, and everything Mother Nature can throw at you.
Infinite Guitars is out today! Pick it up for Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, plus it’s included with Game Pass.
Developed by Nikko Nikko, Infinite Guitars is an anime-inspired rhythm role-playing game with a blazing original soundtrack.
Gather up a party, tune up your electric guitars, and get ready to battle the metal war machines!
In a world devastated by a war against colossal, monstrous Mechs, a scavenger named JJ searches through the scrap to survive. But humanity’s grim future looks even grimmer when the war machines start powering back up – and only JJ’s electric guitar can turn their technology against them in Infinite Guitars, out today on Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, plus it’s included with Game Pass!
Crafted by indie developer Nikko Nikko, Infinite Guitars is a creative fusion of founder Nikko Ronsayo and his collaborators’ passions – making music, playing guitar, getting lost in great RPGs, and animating rad anime-inspired fight sequences. Infinite Guitars grinds up these elements into a genre-melting game with personality, heart, and bombastic indie spirit.
Rhythm is everywhere in the world of Infinite Guitars. In battles, you strum, smash, and hold notes to try to achieve 100% perfect sync and max out your damage. (And hey, sometimes just smacking Mechs with your guitar real hard does the trick.) The Mechs are merciless, assaulting you even as you explore the overworld, so you’ll need to time dodges as you traverse the planet or to sneak in to trigger an over-the-top boss fight.
Luckily JJ doesn’t have to handle all of this solo. While JJ grew up a loner (and intended to scour the wasteland that way), JJ soon assembles a party of guitar heroes – fellow wastelanders with their own strengths and distinctive abilities – to help save the world. Together they can perform duets, amp up each other’s skills, and take their Mech-crushing skills to new levels.
Gold-hearted Sam spent childhood as a thief, but her compassion still shines through – now her scrap-crafted arms give new meaning to the term power chord. Kaylee once took down a Colossal-Type Mech solo as a kid, and ever since people have been singing her praises (but only Kaylee knows the real truth behind this rock legend). And reliable Ru carries the weight of the wasteland on her shoulders – but even the most rock-solid foundation can crack under a mountain of mechanized metal.
All of this metal-crushing rhythmic role-playing is set to the tune of a 100% original soundtrack that’ll have you amped up for more Mech-fighting, composed and performed by Nikko and a diverse crew of guest musicians.
So crank up the volume, and get ready for the ultimate showdown against the War Mechs in Infinite Guitars!
“In a world shredded by the devastating war against the Mechs, the remnants of humanity scavenge and fight to survive. Now, the metal war machines have reawakened—and only your electric guitar can turn their technology against them!
Gather up the party, tune up your favorite axe, and get ready to rock in Infinite Guitars, a genre-melting rhythm RPG featuring vibrant anime-inspired art, adrenaline-fueled Mech battles, and a blazing original soundtrack.
Role-playing rhythm
Amp up your skills and test your reflexes in rock duels that mix elements of turn-based role-playing, action, and rhythm games.
Electrifying anime-inspired adventure
Explore a stylish sci-fi world filled with Colossal-Type Mechs, guitar-wielding heroes, and over-the-top attacks.
Guitar-driven team battles
Perform metal-crushing solos and devastating duets as JJ, Sam, Kaylee, and Ru—a scrappy team of wastelanders with their own strengths and abilities.
Rage against the Mechs
Unleash the full force of your skills in epic boss battles that fuse electrifying anime-inspired action and hyperkinetic rock.
Explosive 100% original soundtrack
Crank up the volume to steel-shattering levels for the ultimate showdown against the War Mechs!”
Explore space or the world of Peaky Blinders this April with Games with Gold! On Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, start the month off by managing the perfect space home in Out of Space: Couch Edition, and then midmonth roam through a puzzle-adventure game based on the hit show in Peaky Blinders: Mastermind.
Xbox Live Gold members will have exclusive access to these games for a limited time as part of Games with Gold. So will Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members, who receive all the fantastic benefits of Gold plus access to hundreds of high-quality games with Xbox Game Pass.
There is no place like home, especially when you’re drifting through outer space. The challenge is that a deadly alien infestation has also settled in. It will take all your strategic skills to keep each newly generated spaceship house creating resources and recycling alien goo by automating tasks to help keep it clean and comfy. Play with friends to build a sustainable environment that you can all enjoy together.
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind
A plot is afoot to put the family out of business and it’s up to you to uncover it. Set prior to season one of the hit show, you can control six key members of the Shelby family, each with different strengths and weaknesses. If you need to bribe a cop, use Polly, but if you need to bust down a door or knock a few skulls, take control of Arthur. By using the right person at the right time and leveraging the game’s unique mechanics to move backwards or forwards through time, you can be the mastermind that puts everyone in sync to help unlock the puzzles.
Read more about our Games with Gold program here and stay tuned to Xbox Wire for all the latest news on Xbox. Like we said before, if you’re an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member, you get all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold, hundreds of high-quality games you can play on console, PC, and across devices from the cloud, and access to EA Play at no extra cost. New games are added all the time, so you’re never without something new to try when you’re looking to find your next favorite game. If you’re new, or if you’re an existing Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass for Console member, join or upgrade today.
You and your friends are about to move into a house in space, where you will have to deal with a deadly alien infestation and face the challenges of building a sustainable spaceship, all to make your new place feel as cozy as home!
COUCH FUN MEETS STRATEGY
Each match starts in a procedurally generated spaceship house that will demand your best planning and teamwork skills to become clean and comfy. You and your friends will need to generate resources, recycle trash and alien goo, buy and build new technologies, and take care of one another, if you ever want to call home the mess that you got into.
As a COUCH-FUN game, Out of Space has short matches and is easy for everyone to grab a controller and play. At the same time also as a STRATEGY game, it will require short and long-term decisions, expanding and conquering new rooms and building technology to automate tasks.
FEATURES
– Buy, build and place your new technology, while keeping your systems efficient and sustainable.
– Power up your spaceship by recycling alien goo and producing energy batteries.
– Harvest and take care of your fruitful gardens to keep everyone fed.
– Clean rooms with mops and water, while containing the deadly alien menace.
– Take a nap on your sofa, while your friends desperately claim for help.
– Automate cleaning and harvesting with the help of robots.
– Adopt Dogs, they will love you for it and help you in any way they can!
OTHER FUN STUFF
– Procedural spaceship generator: different challenge everytime you play.
– Missions to guide the player’s progression that never leave out what couch-fun is about.
– Unlock new content when completing achievements.
– Play single-player or local multiplayer
– No weapons of any kind. Take your mop and sweep your way out of danger.
Are you up for the challenge? Living with roommates was never easy, but now you’ll do it in outer space!
THE DEVS
Behold Studios is the studio behind Knights of Pen & Paper, Chroma Squad and Galaxy of Pen & Paper. With a big and strong fan base, we’re developing this game with the help of the community, openly sharing builds, milestones and carefully listening to feedback and improving the overall experience of the game.
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is a puzzle-adventure game, based on the multi-award-winning BBC and Netflix TV show.
Welcome to Birmingham, during the aftermath of the Great War. Set right before the events of Season One, Peaky Blinders: Mastermind lets you join the Shelby family’s criminal gang. Follow the rise of Tommy as he successfully uncovers a sinister plot to put the family out of business, proving himself worthy of being the true mastermind of the Peaky Blinders.
Mastermind refers to Tommy’s ability to plan complex scenarios in his head. As the player, you get to exercise this power by taking control of key members of the Shelby family including Tommy, Arthur, Polly and more. Become the Mastermind as you freely reset and rewind each character’s path in order to tune all of their actions for perfect coordination.
Achieve the highest mission rating by strategically utilising characters and stealth to solve increasingly complex puzzles with optimum timing.
Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure is here! Get the all-new expansion in the Forza Horizon 5 Premium Add-ons Bundle, Premium Edition, and Expansions Bundle.
Kick up massive dust trails in the rugged Sierra Nueva and explore six new biomes while driving 10 incredible new cars, including the all-electric 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum.
Xbox Game Pass players can supercharge their Forza Horizon 5 experience with the Premium Add-ons Bundle, discounted to $29.99 USD on the Microsoft Store until April 3.
The Premium Add-ons Bundle includes Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure, Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels, Car Pass, VIP and the Welcome Pack.
Today is an exciting day for all of us here at Playground Games as we bring you Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure. This is our second massive expansion for Forza Horizon 5, and it introduces players to the rugged Sierra Nueva, where you’ll get to drive purpose-built rally monsters in dirt, asphalt and challenging night races across miles of Horizon’s most thrilling routes.
Available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC on Windows and Steam, and Cloud Gaming (Beta), buckle up for a closer look at the driving expeditions that await in Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure.
Rally Around Sierra Nueva
To create a uniquely Horizon rally experience, we designed 38 miles (61km) of the most exciting driving roads ever in Forza Horizon full of unpredictable turns with steep inclines, blind crests and asphalt jumps. Pack some extra tires and keep those brakes handy, as massive sand trails kicked up by the vehicles ahead could stop you in your tracks! These dust plumes are physics-driven and result in the most complex weather effect in a Forza Horizon game.
To fully utilize its incredible roads and terrain, we’ve given Sierra Nueva the largest number of racing events of any Horizon expansion in an exciting new career, where you’ll get to join three rally teams and take on timed point-to-point Horizon Rally stages and traditional Horizon Races. Listen out for navigator callouts as your co-driver follows the action from the dynamic Horizon Rally Helicopter, which includes the dramatic night-time spotlight – essential for those low visibility routes!
Sierra Nueva also introduces several new biomes to explore including the town of Pueblo Artza, a huge Abandoned Quarry perfect for some Gymkhana action, epic deformable Sand Dunes, the tight and twisting Desert Gorge, rolling Green Hills, and an entirely smashable Palm Forest. You’ll even find the remote village of Cráteres Secos nestled into a breathtaking crater.
With its vast topography, rich vegetation, stunning vistas and an ideal mix of asphalt, dirt and rugged deformable sand roads, Sierra Nueva gives you and your friends the perfect playground to experience Horizon Rally in your favorite cars. Go out there and leave your mark in the mud!
Build A Rally Monster
To ensure players can create their ultimate rally monster before venturing out into the wilds of Sierra Nueva, the latest Forza Horizon 5 series update introduces new tuning features for all players. These include all-new rally parts and body kits, adjustable Tire Profile Size on select vehicles to fit massive wheel arches, and an anti-lag system that delivers more power to turbocharged engines while producing spectacular flame effects and fire-cracker audio. It looks and sounds amazing!
We’ve also added launch control as a new driving assist option so everyone can experience those perfect rally starts, which are made even better thanks to our friends at Epitaph Records, who are serving up 15 new punk songs on the airwaves to accompany your hard-rock rally adventures.
If you’re looking for a purpose-built rally monster, Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure features 10 stunning new cars including performance trucks like the all-electric 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum, off-road buggies such as the 1973 Hoonigan Volkswagen Baja Beetle Class 5/1600 ‘Scumbug’ and a rally legend that is the 2001 Ford #4 Ford Focus RS, which is also your starter car in the new rally career.
New cars and cosmetic items are unlocked by completing Reputation Challenges for each of the three rally teams. For more details on how this feature works and an overview of the new car unlocks, check out the Forza.net blog.
Start Your Engines
Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure is included in the Forza Horizon 5 Premium Add-ons Bundle, Premium Edition, and Expansions Bundle. If you have any of those, you’re already set and can start playing now. Just be sure to download both the latest Forza Horizon 5 game update and the Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure expansion from either the Microsoft Store or Steam.
For those of you who do not yet own Forza Horizon 5, all versions of the game are now 40% off the full price on the Microsoft Store and Steam.
Get started on your journey to Sierra Nueva by locating the Rally Adventure icon on the northwest coast of the game map. Once you see the Horizon Badlands drones, you’re in the right place. Complete the expedition and Sierra Nueva will be open for exploration. Players will have access to their full garage and can discover the new map and career in their favorite cars without any class restrictions.
Players who are brand-new to Forza Horizon 5 will unlock Sierra Nueva once they’ve completed the main game’s initial experience, which includes the first 15 minutes of gameplay.
Your Ultimate Horizon Adventure awaits! Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars. The Premium Edition includes the all-new expansion FORZA HORIZON 5 RALLY ADVENTURE coming March 29, Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels, VIP, Car Pass and the Welcome Pack.
GAME PASS MEMBERS get all the EXTRA CONTENT included with the Premium Edition at one low price! The Forza Horizon 5 Premium Add-Ons Bundle includes the all-new expansion FORZA HORIZON 5 RALLY ADVENTURE coming March 29, Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels, VIP, Car Pass and the Welcome Pack.
Upgrade your game to Premium today and you’ll be set to experience FORZA HORIZON 5 RALLY ADVENTURE, a new game expansion that challenges you to drive purpose-built rally monsters to conquer the rugged Sierra Nueva. This add-on requires Forza Horizon 5 (game sold separately).
Your FORZA HORIZON 5 RALLY ADVENTURE is here! Drive purpose-built rally monsters and conquer the rugged Sierra Nueva. Join three rally teams and attack Horizon’s most thrilling routes ever in Horizon Rally and Horizon Races. Feel the intensity of massive dust trails and deformable sand roads in 10 new cars and experience the bursting flames of anti-lag. Explore dramatic craters, an abandoned quarry and an entirely smashable palm forest.
FORZA HORIZON 5 RALLY ADVENTURE is included with the Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition, Expansions Bundle, and Premium Add-Ons Bundle. This add-on requires Forza Horizon 5 (game sold separately).
Your Ultimate Horizon Adventure awaits! Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars. The Deluxe Edition includes the full game and Car Pass.
Your Ultimate Horizon Adventure awaits! Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars.
Sifu arrives today on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S and, with the simultaneous arrival of the new Arena mode, it’s the perfect time to checkout this unique martial arts beat ‘em up. With high-skill action combat and a unique mechanic that sees your character age each time they’re killed, there’s nothing quite like it.
We took the opportunity to talk with Pierre Tarno, Executive Producer at Sloclap, the Parisian studio behind the game. He told us more about how Sifu came to be, its success… and its future.
How was Sifu born?
We owe the idea of the title to my partner, Jordan Layani, who practices kung fu and is a big martial arts movie enthusiast. We wanted to take inspiration from Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan movies, with this particular use of the environment, even if we can’t say that we kept this same action-comedy tone. Then, the title also tries to answer a philosophical question: is a single lifetime enough to master kung fu? This question led to the concept of the main character’s aging, which is what makes the game so original.
Did you think it was risky to lean on that genre, which is less popular nowadays than a few decades ago?
When you’re an independent studio, you can afford to take a few more risks. We didn’t do a market study to check which segment of gamers and fans of martial arts movies would be interested in our game… Instead, we started from the principle that for a game to work from a commercial standpoint, it has to be very good. And also, we were confident because in the end, this genre is not well represented in the video game landscape. Bare hands 3D beat ’em ups that also rely on the use of the environment are rare, so we knew that our game would find its audience. If we had decided to make an FPS, things would have been more complicated…
Your first title, Absolver, already featured a lot of hand-to-hand combat, is Sifu an heir to it?
With Absolver, we acquired a certain experience of action games: how the enemies clash during a fight, how to manage the distance between you and your opponents… But where Absolver focused on online multiplayer, Sifu is a purely single player game, and where Absolver shone in one-on-one, Sifu was really designed for you to be alone against everyone. So I would say that yes, we learned a lot from our first game, but there are also a lot of elements that we had to change, to reinvent.
From the very first trailers, Sifu got a lot of attention – what was your reaction?
It’s always nice to feel that a creative intention resonates with the public and it’s something very difficult, if not impossible to predict. So it was very reassuring; we felt that we were creating something that would appeal to a certain number of players, it was very motivating for the team.
And how did that play out once the game was available?
When it was released in 2022, the difficulty level of the title was perhaps too high, which could lead to some frustration. On the other hand, we also saw some people playing through the game like no one else in the studio is able to, like… players completing it without taking a single hit. That’s why in our first update we created the less difficult “Student” mode, but also added the “Master” level, a higher difficulty mode. Later, through other updates, we added gameplay modifiers that let you customize the experience, the Replay Editor that lets you make your own martial arts shorts, and now Arena Mode, which further enriches the game.
What can we expect in this new game mode?
It’s a mode independent of the storyline, which you can start after finishing the prologue, and that also serves as a tutorial. At launch, nine original arenas inspired by the campaign levels await you, in which you will have to complete challenges. Some of them are related to your performance, the age of the character. In total, five different types of challenge are available. It’s a way to rediscover the game mechanics in new environments, with new objectives and varied gameplay. If you like Sifu, I think you’ll enjoy the feeling of progression, of improving, of unlocking the next levels.
What can we expect and hope for from Sloclap in the future?
Another update is already planned for the Arena mode, with additional arenas, it will be released in a few months. At the same time, part of the team is already working on our third project and once we are done with Sifu, we will start the design phase for a fourth project.
A last word for our readers?
I just want to thank all the players who believed in Sifu, who supported us, who talked about us on social networks or with their friends and who became ambassadors of the game. We did it for you, thank you.
And it’s our turn to thank Pierre Tarno, for taking the time to answer our questions. Sifu is available now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Sifu lands on Xbox with a huge content update. The Arenas free expansion adds an entirely new game mode, featuring 9 dynamic locations and 45 challenges that will put your Kung Fu to the test! Gear up for spectacular combats, brutal opponents, and endless opportunities to refine your moves.
Is one life enough to have Kung Fu?
Whether you choose to play as a male or a female character, in Sifu, you will ponder that question on your path for revenge, hunting down your family’s assassins. One against all, you have no allies, countless enemies, and a mysterious amulet to bring you back to life every time you die. Yet, be warned! Your secret weapon comes with a hefty price to pay: aging and its consequences.
Learning by fire
Your enemies don’t wait their turn, and they don’t broadcast their intent. Dodge, parry, strike, use combos and be like water making its way through captivating environments. Learn how to master your art, whether by fighting through the underbelly of a nightclub, scrambling through a refined gallery to avoid getting surrounded, or vertically navigating a towering office building.
Adaptation is survival
Careful positioning and clever use of the environment to your advantage are key to your survival. Use everything at your disposal: throwable objects, makeshift weapons, windows, and ledges… The odds are stacked against you, and you will be offered no mercy.
Training never ends
Kung Fu is mastery through practice, a path for both the body and the mind. Learn from your errors, unlock unique skills, and find the strength to master the devastating techniques of Pak Mei Kung Fu.
