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This Week on Xbox: Fresh New Games, Updates, and Events

Welcome to the Hunt! An Intro to Monster Hunter Rise on Xbox and PC

Summary

Monster Hunter Rise is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11, and with Game Pass (including Cloud Gaming).
Why should you play Monster Hunter Rise? Here’s an introduction to the world, monsters, gear, and gameplay, plus a few helpful tips.
We also got Capcom producer Hiroyuki Minamitani to tell us what’s different about the Xbox and Windows PC versions.

The day has finally come! Monster Hunter Rise is out now for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11, and with Xbox Game Pass – with Xbox Cloud Gaming offered with a Game Pass subscription. Whether you’re an experienced hunter with hundreds of hours logged in the New World, or are checking out what the fuss is all about, welcome!

With Game Pass, Monster Hunter Rise has become accessible to even more players than before. We’ve been thrilled to see the excitement from everyone online, especially those who have never played a Monster Hunter game before. With that said, allow us over at Capcom to share a few things you should know!

How does Monster Hunter Rise differ on Xbox, Windows PC and Cloud Gaming?

As Monster Hunter Rise makes its debut on Xbox and Windows PC, it’s been tweaked and improved for those new platforms. Speaking to Xbox Wire Japan, Capcom Producer Hiroyuki Minamitani said, “the team didn’t really struggle with porting the game itself. The Xbox Series X offered great performance levels, and we only needed to harness it. Overall, the porting process was very smooth.”

Those ported Xbox and PC versions bring a ton of performance improvements to the game, including 4K resolution, high frame rates, spatial audio, and super-fast loading times, which makes Monster Hunter Rise look and feel even greater than before. Minamitani said that: “Loading into the field map after accepting a quest has never been faster, and took a mere few seconds when doing so, and that felt amazing.”

“With Xbox running the game at 4K resolution, you will be able to observe the game through a high-fidelity lens,” Minamitani added. “Weapon designs, background objects, and as well as the monster’s scales will look so much more in detail.”

Thanks to Xbox’s console, PC, and cloud ecosystem, you’ll also be able to play the same game on multiple devices, no matter where you are. “Monster Hunter Rise will be available on Xbox and Windows PCs, with crossplay and cross platform progression,” Minamitani explained. “This means you will get to join the hunt with many others using a variety of platforms from the get-go. The Xbox platform also offers flexible gameplay where you can play on your console at home and jump right back into the hunt on your laptop even when outside.”

The battles can even continue on mobile with the use of Cloud Gaming through an Xbox Game Pass subscription – and Capcom has accounted for how the game will look on a mobile screen: “We also have custom UIs prepared for gameplay on smartphones,” said Minamitani. “That means you will get to play Monster Hunter Rise with a new set of controls, as well as with optimization for gameplay on smartphones.”

Why Play Monster Hunter?

Fighting big monsters is fun.

We could leave it at that, but there’s a lot to the Monster Hunter experience that has helped it endure as a unique series for nearly 20 years.

At the heart of Monster Hunter is the feeling of overcoming a challenge with the skills you develop as a hunter. While Monster Hunter Rise isn’t a punishing game, the experience of learning your weapon, understanding a monster’s quirks and move set, and finally taking it down is core to the hunting journey.

While that feeling of personal progression is key, the progression that happens with your gear and hunting rank is a huge part of that. Each time you slay or capture a monster, you’ll earn new materials that allow you to craft stronger armor and weapons. You may also find yourself going back to hunt the same monster in a new locale or with different circumstances around the quest. Mastering a particular fight and getting better at it each time is a satisfying feeling!

As you keep improving your gear and improving your rank, new monsters will continually be introduced as well. At the start you’ll be battling threatening, but smaller monsters like the Great Izuchi. But over time you’ll progress to powerful threats like the familiar flying wyvern Rathalos, and the game’s flagship monster Magnamalo.

Hunting? Isn’t that a little mean?

In the Monster Hunter series, hunters aren’t simply hunting monsters for sport. The story of Monster Hunter Rise involves a calamity called The Rampage that took place fifty years ago. During this calamity, a huge pack of frenzied monsters attacked Kamura Village – the town the player and their friends call home – and nearly wiped it out. Hunting is a matter of survival for the people of Kamura!

Throughout the story of Monster Hunter Rise, you’ll take down monsters that threaten the peaceful village and encounter some powerful beasts that threaten the very balance of nature itself.

Choose Your Weapon!

At the start of your journey as a hunter you have immediate access to all 14 weapon types in the game – no need to unlock them over time. While this can feel a bit overwhelming, keep in mind that there’s no right or wrong way to choose one. Think of it like choosing a character in a fighting game. Each weapon has its own unique move set with unique mechanics, strength and weaknesses, and playstyle.

Want to bonk monsters on the head with a giant hammer? How about vaulting through the air and attacking foes with the greatest of each with the Insect Glaive? Like in a fighting game, sometimes choosing the one you think looks the coolest is a great place to start. Over time and with more hunts under your belt, you’ll feel yourself getting more and more proficient with your weapon of choice. Growing your skills and getting better as the game introduces tougher challenges is a great feeling and one of the best parts of the Monster Hunter experience.

If you played Monster Hunter World and Iceborne and perhaps didn’t click with a weapon there, give it a try again in Rise! Each weapon has seen adjustments and changes, plus the addition of Switch Skills. These are special moves specific to each weapon and can change up the feel of each weapon significantly.

A Few Words of Advice

If the above breakdown has you onboard, great! Here’s a few more essential tips to make your hunting life a bit smoother.

Don’t forget to eat

Grabbing a meal before every hunt is an essential step in Monster Hunter Rise. Before leaving for a hunt, take a seat and grab some Dango to eat at the canteen. At the start of your journey, you’ll start out with a decent selection of Dango to give you helpful buffs for your quest. Regardless of the buff or if the Dango effect is activated, you’ll get a big boost to your health and stamina. Every little bit counts!

Brew some potions!

Chugging a bunch of potions during a hunt is never something to be ashamed of, and is essential even for the most experienced hunters. Always be sure to stock up on Potions and Mega Potions before a hunt, with the latter being necessary to making sure your health is topped off. Mega Potions can be crafted by combining a standard potion with Honey, so be sure to grab some while traversing the map.

Before every hunt, double check to make sure you’re stocked back up. If you’re in the middle of a hunt, you can head back to camp to stock back up before heading out once more.

Speaking of camp, at the start of most hunts you’ll see a supply box stocked with a few helpful items, such as First-Aid Meds and EZ Rations. These items are useable only in the quest instance, so don’t be afraid to make good use of them! If you’re playing in multiplayer though, remember that the Supply Box is shared, so make sure to leave some for your fellow hunters.

Spiribirds Spotting

You might notice that at the start of a hunt, your health and stamina will fall short of the maximum. Before heading over to the monster’s location, collect a few of the flying Spiribirds around the locale. These buffs last for the duration of the hunt, with different colors imbuing bonuses to health, stamina, attack, and defense. These are a must for making sure you’re ready to take on the monster ahead!

Stay Sharp!

Keeping your weapon sharp is one of the most important factors in a successful hunt. If your weapon loses sharpness, it might bounce off a monster or deal significantly decreased damage. Use your whetstone to maintain the sharpness of your weapon, but do so from a safe distance or while riding your Palamute.

These are just a few helpful tips to get you started, but there’s plenty to learn while playing. At the end of the day, don’t worry about getting intimidated and focus on having fun and enjoying the journey ahead!

Here’s a Little Something…

For our new hunters out there, we’ve deployed a few helpful bonuses to get you started. The new Guild Cross armor series and Novice Talisman are great beginner equipment to give you a bit of help as you get a grip of the basics. “We’ll be launching a new armor set named the “Guild Cross” series,” explains Minamitani, “and it will give you an advantage during the early stages of the game with its high defense stats. The talisman also complements the Guild Cross series, and will help when gathering materials, as well as give you even more defensive stats.”

Also, thanks to the combined efforts of the global Monster Hunter community, we’re giving all new players on Xbox platforms and Windows 100 free Honey! You can never have enough of it as it’s crucial for crafting healing items like Mega Potions. Visit Senri the Mailman to claim it as part of Kamura Village Welcome Set 1, which includes some other helpful items as well.

On To The Hunt!

That about wraps it up for our quick intro the Monster Hunter Rise! It’s out now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11, and Xbox Game Pass. We can’t wait to welcome many new hunters to the fold! Remember to have fun and enjoy the ride!

Stay up to date with everything about Monster Hunter Rise with the official Monster Hunter Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Monster Hunter Rise

CAPCOM CO., LTD.

☆☆☆☆☆
4

★★★★★

Get it now

Pre-order bonus
– Palamute Retriever Costume layered armor
– Palico Forest Cat Costume layered armor
– Novice Talisman for some extra assistance in the early stages

Rise to the challenge and join the hunt! In Monster Hunter Rise, the latest installment in the award-winning and top-selling Monster Hunter series, you’ll become a hunter, explore brand new maps and use a variety of weapons to take down fearsome monsters as part of an all-new storyline.

Ferocious monsters with unique ecologies
Hunt down a plethora of monsters with distinct behaviors and deadly ferocity. From classic returning monsters to all-new creatures inspired by Japanese folklore, including the flagship wyvern Magnamalo, you’ll need to think on your feet and master their unique tendencies if you hope to reap any of the rewards!

Choose your weapon and show your skills
Wield 14 different weapon types that offer unique gameplay styles, both up-close and from long range. Charge up and hit hard with the devastating Great Sword; dispatch monsters in style using the elegant Long Sword; become a deadly maelstrom of blades with the speedy Dual Blades; charge forth with the punishing Lance; or take aim from a distance with the Bow and Bowguns. These are just a few of the weapon types available in the game, meaning you’re sure to find the play style that suits you best.

Hunt, gather and craft your way to the top of the food chain
Each monster you hunt will provide materials that allow you to craft new weapons and armor and upgrade your existing gear. Go back out on the field and hunt even fiercer monsters and earn even better rewards! You can change your weapon at any of the Equipment Boxes any time, so the possibilities are limitless!

Hunt solo or team up to take monsters down
The Hunter Hub offers multiplayer quests where up to four players can team up to take on targets together. Difficulty scaling ensures that whether you go solo or hit the hunt as a full four-person squad, it’s always a fair fight.

Enjoy an exciting new storyline set in Kamura Village
This serene locale is inhabited by a colorful cast of villagers who have long lived in fear of the Rampage – a catastrophic event where countless monsters attack the village all at once. 50 years after the last Rampage, you must work together with the villagers to face this trial.

Experience new hunting actions with the Wirebug
Wirebugs are an integral part of your hunter’s toolkit. The special silk they shoot out can be used to zip up walls and across maps, and can even be used to pull off special attacks unique to each of the 14 weapon types in the game.

Buddies are here to help
The Palico Felyne friends you already know and love from previous Monster Hunter adventures are joined by the brand new Palamute Canyne companions!

Wreak havoc by controlling monsters
Control raging monsters using Wyvern Riding and dish out massive damage to your targets!

Fend off hordes of monsters in The Rampage
Protect Kamura Village from hordes of monsters in an all-new quest type! Prepare for monster hunting on a scale like never before!

*This content is also available as part of one or more bundles. Please check your previous purchases to avoid duplication.

Next Week on Xbox – New Games for January 23 to 27

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!

Clunky Hero – January 25

In a village far, far away, a peasant named Rufus was living an ordinary life. Things were nice in the village, until one day, awakened by some magical mistake, the Evil One spread his minions around town, performing hideous acts against the people. Armed with a helmet made out of a bucket and a broom, Rufus will journey to save his wife and the whole village in this platformer adventure game.

The Dark Side of the Moon: An Interactive FMV Thriller – Box Art

The Dark Side of the Moon: An Interactive FMV Thriller – January 25

When his two children randomly vanish throughout the night, it’s up to you to help Dean Hamilton bring them back home. As the mystery deepens, decisions will need to be made and it’s down to you to make the right ones. Who can you trust? Who’s doing this? What’s the significance of the impending solar eclipse? And what are those strange glowing lights in the sky?

Kingdom Rush – January 25

Fight on forests, mountains, and wastelands, customizing your defensive strategy with different tower upgrades and specializations! Rain fire upon your enemies, summon reinforcements, command your troops, recruit elven warriors, and face legendary monsters on a quest to save the kingdom from the forces of darkness!

Shoulders of Giants – January 25 – Box Art

Shoulders of Giants – January 25 – Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Simultaneously control a sword-wielding robot and a gunslinging space frog in Shoulders of Giants, an explosively colorful sci-fi roguelike. Play alone, with a friend, or as part of a four-person team, cutting through waves of enemies on a quest to rescue the galaxy!

Sissa’s Path – January 25 – Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Sissa is a very organized feline, and when she plays with her balls of wool, each needs to be pushed across the floor to the correct spot. Presented in cute and colorful 3D style, Sissa’s Path is a pushing puzzle game where you play as Sissa and move her toys around tiled floors.

The Table Game Deluxe Pack – January 25

Play Othello, Mahjong, Shogi, Igo, Hanafuda, Texas Hold’em, Chess, and Backgammon, all in this single package! Each game supports CPU opponents as well as achievements, a challenge mode, and more. You can also enjoy playing against other players in Othello, Igo, Shogi, Chess, and Backgammon by alternating between a single controller.

Transiruby – January 25 – Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Explore the mysteries of an unknown land in Transiruby, a metroidvania where you explore the world as a cyborg protagonist named Siruby. A strange continent from a different dimension has suddenly appeared… and Siruby, a young cyborg traveling through space just happens to pass by. Taking her trusty AI partner Ne-com with her, she sets out to explore this unknown land.

Cat Slide Tiles – January 26

A 3D puzzle game with a cute and colorful aesthetic that has Kitten Tom trying to clear his way home. Slide blocks from the terrain to create a path that leads the kitten from point A to point B. There are three keys in each scenario; the kitten must take all the keys to open the door that leads to the next path.

Startup Company Console Edition – January 26 - Box Art

Startup Company Console Edition – January 26 – Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Your company’s success depends on your ability to run and manage a website. You must develop and improve features while increasing hosting capacity and run marketing campaigns. The goal is obvious: become the biggest website in the industry. It’s up to you if you want to buy and merge your competitors or outrun them until they go out of business!

Dance of Death: Du Lac and Fey - Box Art

Dance of Death: Du Lac and Fey – January 27

Play as Arthurian immortals, Sir Lancelot Du Lac and Morgana Le Fey, on a thrilling quest to stop one of history’s most infamous murderers and save the city. Team up with Whitechapel local, Mary Jane Kelly, as you explore the capital’s underbelly, meet the intriguing characters who live there, and work with them to solve the crimes. But remember, every decision you make will influence their fates.

Dead Space – January 27 – Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

The sci-fi survival horror classic Dead Space returns for Xbox Series X|S, completely rebuilt from the ground up to offer a deeper and more immersive experience. This remake brings jaw-dropping visual fidelity, suspenseful atmospheric audio, and improvements to gameplay while staying faithful to the original game’s thrilling vision. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with EA Play can receive a 10% discount on the digital purchase of Dead Space from the Microsoft Store.

UnderDungeon, the First Dungeon Crawler Starring Cats, is Out Now on Xbox

Hey, Xbox fans!

We want to share some great news with you. Starting from last Friday, January 13, you can play UnderDungeon on your Xbox consoles. We’re all ultra excited and happy about the release, so if you still haven’t heard of this title (how is this even possible?!), I’m here to save the day and tell you few words about what is interesting in this piece of indie, retro code, who are its creators and how it all started. Also a good question is why we chose Friday the 13th for the release date… Well, read on!
And by the way, nice to meet you, I’m Chris.

Simple Doesn’t Mean Simplistic

But what is this UnderDungeon anway, you ask? It’s a nifty, peculiar dungeon crawler and classic role-playing game in which the protagonist is Kimuto, a cute sword-wielding kitten, on the quest to face the harsh world of work in his first day of the new job. Sounds intriguing? Alright, how about the fact that it is a full retro experience with sharp 1-bit visuals and catchy music and sound effects? Not convinced yet? Okay, what if I told you that there’s tons of humor here, interesting chcaracters you can interact and chat with and gameplay twists taken from other genres (like… arcade and rythmic levels or even 3D sections)?
What do you think now, huh?!

I know what you thinking. What is that, the praise song of the game that looks like it was taken from GameBoy era? (That was rough) But let me tell you that UnderDungeon is a great example of a game that doesn’t seem to be anything special at first glance but it shines and glows when you give it a shot.

Besides, today, when dozens of new titles being released pretty much every day, it’s easy to skip something that may be really interesting and playable, especially if from the beginning it’s aimed at a specific audience. So that was the case here. Underdungeon at first seemed to us like a ‘just another retro miniature’ but then it captivated us that much so with pleasure, we decided to help its creators with the release.

Retro Souls Last Forever

The game is created by Josyan, solo indie developer who previously worked on games such as Zeroptian Invasion and Tamiku. He was also involved in working on the Alex Kidd in MW remake. He decided to team up with José Ramón “Bibiki” García, composer and sound designer, so that together they could create a project that is a great tribute to the retro classics (like The Legend of Zelda or Dragon Quest). Old gameplay formula meets modern and polished execution here, both in gameplay and audio and visuals so it’s a very good opportunity to enter old-school gaming pit.

While writing this article, I took the chance of asking Josyan himself for a brief comment on the game’s concept. Here’s what he told me:

“It’s actually a small experiment, when I started it was more like a blank sheet where I could put mechanics, jokes and moments that I liked. I also feel that it is a very personal project since it embodied many of my own ideas and messages. I’m inspired by all the classic grades dungeon crawlers, but the game has so many different mechanics and mini-games that I’d be lying if there wasn’t a lifetime of good gaming moments in there. I hope all those who enjoy searching for secrets beyond what the eyes can perceive will like the game and also the classic players of course!”.

Thus, your task will be to traverse dungeons and clear them of vicious monsters, fight big bosses, collect items or solve various puzzles. But this is only a small part of what has been prepared for you, as you can deduce from the text above. And here’s the hidden beauty of UnderDungeon, because under the guise of simple, little game, there are many surprises.

See You Underground!

UnderDungeon is available now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, so you can go on an adventure today. Power up your console, grab the sword and let it all begin! And as for this Friday the 13th… Kept you on your toes, huh? Well, I don’t want to spoil anyhing so… You have to discover it by yourself in the game, but we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game so don’t hesitate to share them with us.

Also don’t forget to visit our website www.reddeergames.com and socials!

See you!

UnderDungeon

©RedDeerGames

☆☆☆☆☆
3

★★★★★

$13.99

$11.19

Get it now

Armed to the teeth

This fantasy world let’s you fight in a variety of ways. Magical bubbles, a boomerang cannon or a classic longsword can go a long way in this foreign land. Every one of your weapons can be further upgraded to unlock their hidden potential.

Interesting world

Enjoy stylized 2D graphics, and mini games. Every character you meet has something interesting to say…maybe except for the ducks. Other then that, pay close attention to all of them.

Hidden secrets

Throughout the map, you’ll find secret areas with some very strange fellows. What could they be up to? There is only one way to find out.

Nobody Saves the World – Impossible Dungeon Free Update

Hey everyone! This is Ian from Drinkbox Studios on the first-year anniversary of Nobody Saves the World. It’s hard to believe so much time has passed already, and we’ve been blown away by the response to the game. To celebrate the occasion, we’ve released a free update – the Impossible Dungeon!

As you might expect, the update adds an infinitely-replayable dungeon called the Impossible Dungeon. What you might not expect is that it is part of a carnival run by the crass, moon-headed Jimmy Luna Jr. Inside the Impossible Dungeon tent lies an endless barrage of challenges that will push your skills and customizations to the limit.

The further you make it into the Impossible Dungeon the more difficult it becomes and the more carnival tickets you earn. Tickets are spent crafting pieces of a giant statue to commemorate your favourite forms. Go in solo or bring a friend with you to rack up tickets and build the ultimate statue!

There are other prizes to earn in the Infinite Dungeon, like the new Dino form. The Dino is a fun powerhouse that makes it easy to pick up and smash baddies, and its Evolution ability gives you an extra damage boost when you vary your attacks. Like all new forms, this adds even more moves to the game that can be mixed and matched to make the perfect build.

Finally, as of today, the game is exiting Microsoft Game Pass. On behalf of everyone at Drinkbox, I want to extend a HUGE thank-you to all who downloaded and played the game. Nobody Saves the World is currently on sale for 40% off, so it’s a great time to grab it if you aren’t ready for the fun to end.

One last time, thank you for playing Nobody Saves the World! We hope you have a blast with the Impossible Dungeon!

Nobody Saves the World

Drinkbox Studios

☆☆☆☆☆
217

★★★★★

$24.99

$14.99

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

Transform from a featureless nobody into a SLUG, a GHOST, a DRAGON, and MORE in this new take on Action RPGs from the creators of Guacamelee!

Complete quests to discover and swap between 15+ varied and distinct Forms. Mix and match abilities in unexpected ways to unlock and complete even MORE challenging quests. Explore a vast overworld – on your own or with a friend online – while clearing shape-shifting dungeons in an effort to stop The Calamity and SAVE THE WORLD!

Free Play Days – Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and Space Crew Legendary Edition

Get ready to loot and shoot or command your very own space crew this weekend during Free Play Days. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and Space Crew Legendary Edition are available this weekend for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play from Thursday, January 19 at 12:01 a.m. PDT until Sunday, January 22 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.

How to Start Playing

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

Keep the Fun Going

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

Game Details

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
- Standard Edition (~~$59.99 SRP~~) at 50% off: $29.99 (Free Play Days)
- Next-Level Edition (~~$69.99 SRP~~) at 50% off: $34.99
- Chaotic Great Edition (~~$89.99 SRP~~) at 50% off: $44.99
Space Crew: Legendary Edition
- Standard Edition (~~$24.99 SRP~~) at 80% off: $4.99 (Free Play Days)

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands

A world of whimsy, wonder, and high-powered weaponry awaits as the unpredictable Tiny Tina takes you along for the ride across her greatest campaign yet. Forge a highly customizable Fatemaker then embark on a quest to defeat the villainous Dragon Lord. Slay evildoers using a wildly diverse arsenal of guns, spells, and melee weapons, combined with the might of the Multiclass system that lets you harness the power of two unique classes! Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can also get 50% off all three editions of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands from now until January 23.

Space Crew: Legendary Edition

Time for your toughest mission yet! Recruit and train your crew to tackle the growing threat from alien and android armies as you defend Earth to become a Galactic Legend in Space Crew: Legendary Edition. All new content free to existing owners of Space Crew!

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

We Didn’t Quit Our Jobs to Make Children of Silentown

Hi! This is Nils from Daedalic Entertainment, publisher of Children of Silentown, I’m here today to tell the tale of how this idea evolved into today’s game – as a full-fledged title by a small group of people in their off-hours from their full-time software development and YouTube content creation jobs. Originally developed as an animated short, Elf Games and Francesca from Luna2 Studio collaborated to bring the Children of Silentown into the interactive medium. The passion this team exudes is infectious, poured into the project slowly but steadily over the years. Take a look at the Making Of video below to hear directly from the team. Even Jack, the punk, cannot wait to share it with everyone! Meet him and the team in the Making Of video embedded at the top this post.

Piero, the programmer of the team, shares that “we at Elf Games used four years of our free time to make Children of Silentown. It is a game that some say is a hauntingly beautiful point-and-click adventure game, but see for yourselves. We are very proud of it. But we are not full-time developers: Elf Games instead develops video games after business hours, as their members are already busy with their software development company.”

Children of Silentown is certainly a point-and-click adventure, however the team wouldn’t say it’s a conventional one. Most traditional point-and-clicks focus on finding items and combining them at the right time. Elf Games took these elements of course, but also combined them with elements from other classic adventure games. For example, they took inspiration from OneShot and A Bird Story, specifically, the camera view that allows more exploration and the quest-like structure in some parts. Moreover, the game features song-based mechanics that link directly to the story. By using songs, the player unlocks situations and puzzles. Each of these songs is linked to a thematic minigame that creates variety in the gameplay.

The short version of how Children of Silentown came to be goes like this: In late 2018 Francesca, known as Fraffrog on YouTube, showed Fabiola and Piero an original short movie she created for her channel but never published. She asked them what they thought about it and delighted, they told her that it would be perfect for a video game.

Children of Silentown is a game about Lucy, a girl living in a town surrounded by a forest inhabited by monsters. From a concept as simple as that, the team tried to create a story that could live on many levels. They wanted to create a story where every bit could be an additional piece to the puzzle the player has, to help them unveil how the town and the forest came to be.

“Video games are a strong passion in which we feel we can bring together our skills and creativity. We have spent the past four years creating this project in our spare time, mostly on weekends, so development has been slow, but steady. It is not easy to dedicate yourself to such a long project, but we really believed we could make it real”, Francesca recollects.

This is how it started, and, like many projects, the original plan was to make a small, simple project. But things changed very quickly. After releasing a short demo, and being amazed by how well-received it was, we decided it was worthwhile to make it a bigger project, enough to truly bring to light the characters and the story of the world of Silentown.

It makes sense that the development of Children of Silentown would also be a bit unusual, as was its original conception. The team has worked diligently to not only meet our vision for the story, but grow the game into something bigger than we originally planned. Many people today have multiple jobs or hobbies they pour themselves into, this is the case with Children of Silentown, which we are so excited to share with the world. We hope you can all see what a labour of love it was and you all enjoy playing it as much as we enjoyed making it.

Children of Silentown is available now for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S!

Children of Silentown

Daedalic Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆
1

★★★★★

$19.99

Get it now

“Accompany Lucy and her friends in this grim, beautifully hand-drawn adventure game.

Lucy is afraid of the forest, just like any other child: every night, the echoing roars rob her of her sleep. Not even her dreams are a safe place where she could play.

People disappearing is nothing uncommon in the village, but this time, Lucy is old enough to investigate on her own. Or so she thinks.

Children of Silentown is a point & click adventure game telling a mysterious and endearing story. Explore the town and its dangerous surroundings, meet its quirky inhabitants, solve puzzles and master minigames.

Accompany Lucy on her adventure to get to the bottom of what is haunting the strange Silentown… if you dare.”

How Mud-Covered Oysters inspired the Indie Automation Game, Atrio: The Dark Wild

Keep your disposable android-body alive by automating everything. Automate farming, foraging, crafting and capturing – and even assimilate creatures into your production lines during your impossible mission to relight the world. But how did it come to be?

Oysters. Dirty, mud-covered oysters.

We’ve always been fascinated by how humans discover so many technological advancements from nature. I stumbled across a video of oysters filtering water.

In just five hours, a couple of oysters turn a completely filthy tank into something clean! In fact, they can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day. We had a discussion over lunch about if they could alter fresh water mussels to filter out bacteria, we could just ship them worldwide and have a living filtration system. (You can’t, by the way. Please don’t do this and expect not to get sick!)

While fleshing out details for Atrio: The Dark Wild, we knew we wanted an assembly line, but we thought, “what if instead of building everything out of metal, we incorporated living things?” You could capture living creatures, and have them do tasks machines can’t do – digest and produce other compounds the same way we can’t print spider-silk. Pushbacks will split lines for you, tornatoads will pluck plants on your behalf, mini-deer will process and poop out new materials, and bees will replant mushrooms.

With that, our tag line was born “Capture creatures, and add them to your assembly line”.

Atrio: The Dark Wild is out now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S

Atrio: The Dark Wild

Isto Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆
10

★★★★★

$17.99

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

Free Trial

FEATURES:
Hand Crafted Open World – Explore a beautiful and unique world, shaped by the contrast of sharp neon lights and darkness, while you fight to turn the lights back on.
Witty Story- Unravel the real reason that you’ve been sent to the surface in this witty narrative experience.
Unique Creatures – A roster of unexpected, half robot, half organic creatures wait for you on the surface.
Pooping Deer? – That’s right! Something as unusual as deer poop may be the key to your survival.

Dead Island 2: Who’s Alive in HELL-A

LA is a city known for its influential inhabitants: from silver screen stars to rock ‘n’ roll legends, they all seem to settle right here in Tinseltown. Fast forward to the zompocalypse, however, and most of the movers and shakers are no longer moving or shaking. Or, uh, breathing.

So, I hear you ask, who’s still kicking in HELL-A?

The Slayers

Dead Island 2 features six playable slayers; here’s a little bit about four of them.

Jacob

This Brixton boy and former banker upped sticks and moved to LA to pursue a career as a Hollywood stuntman after the death of his beloved mum. Unflappable in the face of danger, Jacob brings a cool and collected attitude to every situation, no matter how hairy it is. An appreciator of the classics, you’ll often hear Jacob quoting Shakespeare as he rips through a horde of zombies. It’s safe to say this Brit is certainly making his mark on HELL-A!

Amy

An LA native and former Paralympian, Amy now competes at the highest level in the discipline of zombie-slaying. Years of honing her mental and physical abilities has left her with lightning-quick reflexes, iron focus, and a winner’s determination. A skilled and confident mistress of her own destiny, she’s accepted the situation in HELL-A and is even managing to bring a little positivity to proceedings as she takes on the undead across the city.

Dani

County Cork’s own rockabilly daughter. Dani originally made her way across the Pond to live and work in Boston. One icy cold winter later, she decided to relocate to the much warmer paradise of Los Angeles. She may not quite fit in with the influencers and pop stars residing in LA, but since landing in the city, she’s made herself a fixture of the local punk and alternative scenes, and found that joining a roller derby team was the perfect way to let out some pent-up aggression. The zombies won’t know what hit ‘em!

Ryan

This Fresno native’s success as a sexy-firefighter-o-gram and exotic dancer (call ‘The Big Hose’ – ask for Ryan) often sees him under the bright lights of LA. When he isn’t entertaining bachelorette parties by making his pecs dance, he’s devoted to his family. He has an especially close bond with his little brother, whom he raised for many years after their parents passed. Now that the city has gone to hell, his goal is to get back home to make sure his bro is safe. His lifelong pessimism has finally been justified, which is how he’s managing to take it all in stride with an eye-roll and desert-dry sense of humor.

Residents of HELL-A

And hey, while you’re touring HELL-A, keep an eye out! Certified celebrities have been spotted around the city. Former Hollywood leading man, Curtis Sinclair, is said to be still residing in his mansion in Beverly Hills. Apparently, he has enough single malt and cigars on hand to last two apocalypses. We’ve been informed that vlogger and internet prankster, Amanda Styles, has taken to documenting the current situation in HELL-A and is looking for volunteers — both alive and dead — to star in her videos. Jimmy Montana, Star of the long-running police procedural drama “The Badge” and notorious Hollywood-level diva, has been reported to be holing up in a hotel with a group of survivors somewhere in the city. And finally, former lead axeman for the iconic rock group “Gods n Whiskey”, Rikky Rex, is said to be sleeping off a hangover with his partner, Roxanne, after the couple hosted a rager of an evacuation party at their home in the Hollywood Hills.

See You in HELL-A

That’s a rundown of just a few of the faces you can expect to see in HELL-A come April 28th, 2023.

Head to the Dead Island 2 website for more information: https://deadisland.com/

Dead Island 2

Deep Silver

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

The much-loved zombie saga is back with a unique formula of horror, dark humor and over the top zombie-slaying, spanning an epic pulp adventure.

Dead Island 2 is thrilling First-Person Action RPG, stylish, vibrant and flooded with zombie infection. Explore iconic, gore-drenched Los Angeles. Meet larger-than-life characters. Slay countless foes in exquisitely bloody detail. And evolve to become the ultimate Zombie Slayer!

Pre-order now and get the Memories of Banoi pack, featuring two unique weapons, a special weapon perk and skill card.

FEATURES

Explore HELL-A – Dead Island 2 takes players across the most iconic locations of the City of Angels, now stained with horror, in an exciting pulp journey from the verdant suburbia of Beverly Hills to the quirky promenade of Venice Beach.

Brutal Melee Sandbox – Combat delivers the most intense, visceral and gory first person experience possible, with plenty of weapons and tactical (and brutal) options to chew your way through the zombie horde. Whether you’re slicing, smashing, burning or ripping, we want you to truly feel it.

Be the Ultimate Zombie Slayer – There are six characters to choose from, each with their own unique personality and dialogues. You can fully customize the abilities of each Slayer, with our brand-new skill system allowing you to re-spec instantly and try out the craziest builds.

Zombie Infestation – Ready to experience the most advanced dismemberment system in games? Our LA is crawling with zombies that look and react realistically. These mutated wretches are the reanimated, rotten heart of Dead Island 2 with dozens of distinct zombie types, each with their own mutations, attacks and hundreds of visual LA-themed variants. Our monsters are relentless, challenging, and true Los Angelinos. Will you be able to survive?

A Cinematic Co-op Adventure – As a proper RPG experience, Dead Island 2 offers plenty of exciting quests, a crazy cast of characters, and a thrilling pulp story, to truly immerse you in its twisted universe. Re-playability is guaranteed. Add an over-the-top co-op mode for up to three players, and you’ll stay in LA for a very long (and gory) trip.

DEAD ISLAND 2 DELUXE EDITION

Deep Silver

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$74.99

Pre-order

The Deluxe Edition includes the Xbox and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game, two premium character packs, featuring a unique costume and weapon, and the Golden Weapons Pack. Pre-order now and get the Memories of Banoi pack, with two weapons, a special weapon perk and skill card.

The much-loved zombie saga is back with a unique formula of horror, dark humor and over the top zombie-slaying, spanning an epic pulp adventure.

FEATURES

DEAD ISLAND 2 GOLD EDITION

Deep Silver

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$89.99

Pre-order

The Gold Edition includes the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game, two premium character packs, Golden and Pulp Weapons Packs and Expansion Pass.

The Expansion Pass gives access to two brand new chapters of the story coming after release. Pre-order now and get the Memories of Banoi Pack.

FEATURES

Creating the Sci-fi Roguelike Shoulders of Giants

**Pre-order Shoulders of Giants today on the Xbox Store, available January 26**

After almost three years of development, we’re overjoyed to announce that Shoulders of Giants is now available for pre-order. The game will be released on January 26, 2023, on Xbox! Check out the newest trailer above featuring a mix of single-player and co-op mayhem.

One of the very first ideas we had when we started making Shoulders of Giants, was the silhouette of a smaller character riding on the back of a much bigger character. And then we thought, what if you could control both of these characters at once? How would that work? Would that be fun?

It took a lot of experimentation and prototyping to find the sweet spot, and an experience that felt fresh yet familiar. We thought, what if we split up types of combat between these characters, one character does all the melee, and is a big powerful mech? And the other character perched atop its back a small, nimble, gun wielding frog?

Once we found this combination, we knew we had found the core of the game. The next question we asked ourselves was, what type of world would these characters be in? What would their goal be in the game?

We have always been huge fans of science fiction, and knew we wanted a world where there was a dark force these heroes had to overcome, the classic theme of dark versus light. But how could we actually take this theme and create an interactive way for the player to experience it?

We imagined after an intense boss battle having the entire world transform from barren and dark, to vibrant, lush and full of life in a cinematic way. We experimented with real-time ways the player could do this, and found it to be fun and exciting and it became a pillar of the players abilities.

Speaking of abilities, the last core idea behind the game was that we wanted Shoulders of Giants to feel like a colorful playground with a huge arsenal of sci-fi gadgets and weapons for the player to explore and tinker with.

Players encounter weapons and abilities like a firework-shooting grenade launcher, a giant stomping shoe, a surfable shield, and much more. The core combat is all about experimenting with different combinations of equipment to find that amazing combo that keeps things feeling fresh and exciting.

While combat is the main gameplay pillar, we knew that we wanted a story for the game to take place in and for the characters and world to feel grounded too. The forces of entropy have taken over the universe, it is the players job to combat this dark force and to restore order and balance back to the universe.

As you beat more levels and save more worlds from the forces of entropy, you will build up your heat meter, allowing you to access increasingly difficult levels. As you pass certain heat thresholds, you will unlock special story boss encounters as you make your way to the final boss.

Along the way, you will acquire new weapons for both Froggie and the heroic Robot of the Galaxy as well as new pieces of armor, XP to spend on your skill tree, and dyes to further customize the look of your characters.

While you can customize your own frog and robot with dozens of cosmetics that are unlockable in-game, the four above can only be acquired as a bonus for pre-ordering the game:

This pre-order bonus includes four color sets, so you and up to three co-op friends can save the universe in style right from the start of the game.

Even better, the game is 20% off during this pre-order period. For more information, check out the game’s store page and official website, or join our discord.

Shoulders of Giants

Moving Pieces Interactive

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99

$15.99

Pre-order

Simultaneously control a sword-wielding robot and a gunslinging space frog in Shoulders of Giants, an explosively colorful sci-fi roguelike. Play alone, with a friend, or as part of a four-person team, cutting through waves of enemies on a quest to rescue the galaxy!

The forces of Entropy are spreading chaos through the stars, corrupting living planets and urging on the heat death of the universe. Led by the psychic Owl, one scrappy team of space survivors are fighting to restore the balance. A mysterious mech! A sharpshooting amphibian! Together they must cut through waves of enemies and restore light and life to the galaxy!

Pre-order the game for access to limited-edition dye sets with special visual effects. Dazzle your friends!