Summary

Alaskan Road Truckers: Highway Edition is available now.
Alaskan Road Truckers: Highway Edition adds survival and management elements to the beloved trucking simulation genre.
Includes all DLC to date in one package.

I can drive a car, so surely I can drive a truck, right? The answer is yes, sort of. Alaskan Road Truckers: Highway Edition, available now Xbox Series X|S, is unlike any truck simulation I’ve played before, which is a good thing! I built a business in the frozen wilderness of Alaska and now I’m here to help all you aspiring trucking magnates to get a jump start on your careers.

How Many Truck Drivers Does It Take to Screw in a Lightbulb?

I love how involved you can get with your truck, and that means making sure you’re prepared for every eventuality! I’m changing light bulbs, batteries, air filters, wipers, you name it. You definitely do not want to be found without spare parts for these, as I found making sure you take the survival side seriously can be make or break for your business. (Bonus tip, look under the driver’s door for a storage with a radiator cover and tire chains from the start).

There’s No Place Like Truck

Your cab is your home, so it’s worth getting to know it and what you can do there. I had a little explore and I must say, it’s quite cozy. I took a nap, I made a meal with the radio on and I got to know the tools in there too. Knowing my way around the cab became vital on longer challenging winter drives, as it meant I was always prepared to act fast in an emergency. Taking a few minutes to know your cab means the difference between a successful job, or calling in an expensive rescue.

A Little DIY Never Hurt Anyone

Remember how we talked about keeping all those spare parts around? This is where they come in handy. I found fixing things myself meant not only did I save money compared to using the workshop, but I also gained precious experience points that in turn help me gain new skills. Every little bit helps as they say, and fixing your own truck is also incredibly satisfying.

Repair Kit, Repair kit, Wherefor art thou, Repair Kit?

Once you have your workshop ready to go, make sure you buy a repair kit. I foolishly didn’t on my first drive, broke something and saw the error of my ways. Learn from my mistakes, bring the repair kit.

Ready, Steady, Cook

Any good chef will tell you that having a good set of core ingredients is the key to a great meal. I found myself scouring shops for new ingredients to bring back to my HQ where I could use the kitchen to cook myself some great meals to take on the road. Ingredients like reindeer meat and king crab legs can only be used at HQ and gave me three meals at once. That’s huge value for your money as well, giving you another opportunity to collect some experience points.

Repeat After Me – Coffee is Not a Balanced Diet

I know I know, we all love drinking coffee, but everything in moderation! If you’re tired, an energy drink or a coffee is a great quick fix, but I found drinking more than two in a short span actually gave me negative effects (art imitates life). I saw the same thing happen with eating too many hot dogs (don’t judge me), so the lesson here is to eat junk food and drink coffee in moderation.

I’ve Seen the Light

Don’t underestimate how dark it can get when you’re in Alaskan winters. Always carry a flashlight (with some batteries) so you don’t get caught out. I found myself attaching trailers in the dark with the aid of my trusty flashlight as well as carrying out a repair or two.

Staycation or Vacation?

I love my truck, the freedom to rest anywhere on the road and deliver on my own schedule is fantastic. However, I sometimes wanted to have a little extra comfort and that’s where hotels came in. If I rested at a hotel, I’d get all my energy back compared to 75 percent in the truck. It makes sense, a full bed and room will always be better, but it’s nice to have options.

Whatever the Weather, Dress Appropriately

I don’t like being cold. I also don’t like being hot. I like being in a lovely tepid environment, and my character is no different. Stock up on jackets and warm drinks for winter, but ditch them when it comes to summer so you don’t overheat. Both aren’t good for you, and Alaskan seasons will challenge you to adapt.

Thanks for the Memories

I loved traveling around Alaska and like with any trip, one of the best ways to remember the sights was with a camera. An underrated feature for sure, I would recommend seeking out a store that is selling one. I had the best time snapping away as I went through the world of Alaskan Road Truckers: Highway Edition and built the most adorable collection of postcards back at my HQ (the experience points didn’t hurt either).

Alaskan Road Truckers: Highway Edition is available now on Xbox Series X|S and includes three DLC packs (Ice Road Truckers, Mother Truckers, Trucking Hell) in one package. I loved being able to explore a new twist on driving simulation, and having survival, driving and simulation in one game, what’s not to love?

Alaskan Road Truckers: Highway Edition

Green Man Gaming Publishing, Movie Games S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆
141

★★★★★

$29.04

Get it now

Step into the boots of an Alaskan Trucker!
Live the thrill of a new kind of driving simulator and risk it all in the challenge to become an Alaskan trucking legend. Balance the risk vs reward of taking perilous routes to save time, perform roadside repairs on your rig and brave the dangerous conditions on foot in challenging survival-based gameplay. Highway Edition includes all DLC released to date, adding new trucks and skins as well as the Ice Roads expansion.

Drive
– Travel the wilds of Alaska in a sprawling map as you battle a dynamic weather system
– Haul a range of cargo through the toughest conditions
– Gear up and prepare for the journey ahead, with truck maintenance, emergency repairs and other challenges to contend with

Survive
– Stranded and low on funds for roadside assistance? Leave the safety of your cab and fix your truck, if you can brave the wintery conditions
– Don’t just fuel your rig; contend with hunger, fatigue and body temperature to keep yourself healthy
– Battle the elements with mud slides, avalanches, fallen trees and blizzards
– Tackle three game modes; casual, standard and hardcore, for the most challenging experience

Thrive
– Make your mobile home your own – customise your truck and stand out from the crowd
– Build your reputation, manage your HQ and be the master of your own destiny

The post Alaskan Road Truckers: Highway Edition – Ten Tips for Success appeared first on Xbox Wire.

World of Tanks Metal Fest: How Motorhead’s Iconic Mascot Was Brought to Life By… A Puggle

Summary

Headbang with Motörhead and Rob Zombie as Metal Fest’s main acts
Learn how the developers worked on the new content, including a canine cameo
Get a preview of the tune-ups made to World of Tanks Modern Armor

World of Tanks Modern Armor: Metal Fest is back for 2024, with Motörhead and Rob Zombie as the main acts! New vehicles, Commanders, and more heavy-as-TOG-II content is ready to blast your eardrums as soon as you fire up World of Tanks Modern Armor.

Here, you’ll get insight from the developers themselves on the creation process, followed by a preview of what’s to come throughout the Heavy Metal season. If you thought the game was loud before…

This edition of Metal Fest brings two legendary acts whose integration was as epic as their legacy. According to Art Director Andy Dorizas, the team followed the bands’ lore to the letter to ensure that everything was both unique and loyal to the source material.

Starting with the tanks, you have the Thunder Chief Object 452K (Motörhead) and the Dragula T-55AGM (Rob Zombie). These are two collector’s tanks with unlockable discounts (more on that below) that play their associated songs when on display in the garage ꟷ “Ace of Spades” for the Thunder Chief and “Dragula” for the Dragula T-55AGM. The same will also happen with the band-specific Skins that will be released in special Metal Fest bundles.

New Commanders

Metal Fest also brings three new 3D Commanders to the fray. Who wouldn’t want to have Warpig, Lemmy Kilmister, and Rob Zombie as 3D Hero Commanders by their side?

Yep, you read that right. World of Tanks Modern Armor worked directly with Motörhead to create a true-to-life version of the band’s legendary frontman. The band was thrilled to be involved in integrating the Lemmy’s legacy into a video game – something that he really enjoyed

Bringing Warpig to life has an even wackier story. Audio Director Brendan Blewett says that when working with Motörhead, the band contributed several ideas around the voice design for the Warpig 3D Commander, based on Motorhead’s iconic mascot of the same name. They wanted a character that was a cross between a wild, free-wheeling-no-rules biker, and an English bulldog.

This will be the first time that fans and players hear Warpig’s voice, so it needed to feel authentic to the character and the band. Following the directions of Motörhead, Blewett recorded hours of his sister in-law’s puggle (Ollie) snorting and grunting, and mixed them together with a British voice actor’s lines to bring the band’s mascot to life as an imposing 3D Hero Commander.

As for the Rob Zombie Commander, the man himself picked the in-game 3D model he liked the most, according to Dorizas.

New Tanks

Once your lineup’s ready, stage dive into Metal Fest’s community event and Earn Challenge!

For this event, choose between Team Rob Zombie or Team Motörhead and earn points with the community toward team-specific rewards and discounts for both the Thunder Chief Object 452K (pictured) and the Dragula T-55AGM. If you side with Rob Zombie, you’ll earn the HMH AMX Modèle 58 as your final reward, and if you pick Motörhead, you’ll receive the HMH Huntsman Centurion. Both vehicles belong to the game’s legendary Heavy Metal Heroes roster.

Metal Fest is set to rock your socks off! With it, you can also expect new tank contracts, returning Metal Fest content from last year, and more! It’s a great build-up for the upcoming World War II Soviet line and new light tank of Brazilian origin for World War II mode.

Get ready to rock on Xbox this summer – World of Tanks Modern Armor: Metal Fest kicks off on July 30.

The post World of Tanks Metal Fest: How Motorhead’s Iconic Mascot Was Brought to Life By… A Puggle appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Sea of Thieves Blazes Into Season 13

The post Sea of Thieves Blazes Into Season 13 appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Path of Exile 2: More Fun, More Flexible, More Evil

Category: Games

July 24, 2024

Path of Exile 2: More Fun, More Flexible, More Evil

Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor

Summary

We go hands-on with a recent build of Path of Exile 2 and talk with Game Director Jonathan Rogers.
Unique for Xbox release will be a refined controller scheme, cross-platform progression, and couch co-op support.
Path of Exile 2 is currently planned for early access release in 2024.

Path of Exile 2’s character screen sets the mood early by featuring a variety of classes, each with a noose around their necks. Once I confirm my selection, the trap is sprung, and every neck is snapped save for mine as the rope gives way. My witch scurries away into the nearby brush and the adventure begins. The message is clear: this place is evil.

The original Path of Exile carved a path of innovation for the action role-playing genre when it was released on PC in 2013 (and in 2017 on Xbox). It was an instant classic that would go on to develop a fervent following, be hailed by critics, and establish a compelling new world to explore. Now, Grinding Gear Games is on the verge of sending us back to the world of Wraeclast with the upcoming Path of Exile 2. Originally planned as a massive expansion, PoE 2 has grown into its own beast with a slew of innovations while retaining what made the original so great to begin with — we got a feel for this recently during a hands-on session.

“For Path of Exile 2 we really want to make sure that we are keeping all the depth that PoE is known for, while removing a lot of unnecessary barriers that new players could easily stumble over. There were a lot of systems in PoE1 that added complexity without really adding any depth,” says Path of Exile 2 Game Director Jonathan Rogers.

“A great example was skill slots being tied to items in PoE1. Now your character just has skill slots for gems by default (more on this in a bit). In PoE2 we get to keep all the customization that itemized skills gave us, but without all the annoying details around having to change your items out whenever you want to try out a new skill combo. You can build your character with interesting combos between unique items, passive skills and abilities, but it should be a lot more accessible.”

The game is building not just on the mechanics of the original, but the story, too. Path of Exile 2 is set some 20 years after the events of the original game. Since the destruction of the first game’s big bad, the Beast, the world has been freed of its corruption and Wraeclast, your primary location from the original game, has been reclaimed; but that has created its own issues as well. The gods that were once kept in check by the Beast are now ravaging parts of the plagued continent, while others are controlled by tyrants seizing the opportunity for power. This is where you come in, as your character is dropped into a small area to the north called Ogham, where the land appears to be sickening once more. Again, it taps into the deliciously evil surroundings; dire and dread seem to be key tenants of Path of Exile 2’s world design.

Rogers details about what goes into building such an enticingly creepy world to explore within Path of Exile 2: “The first step of any world area design is working out what it was used for, and what kind of people were there — we need to make sure that this process starts with a dark fantasy theme and can mean designing cultures with “off” elements to them. This is true even for the cultures that are friendly to the player.

“From there we try to find references for some kind of look that we are after. Usually, we want to make sure that there is some kind of “creepy” element to the area to evoke. Even something as simple as a style of rock can produce uneasy feelings in players, but there are a lot of other details to achieving this. A great example is lighting. We try to light the game like a horror movie. That means having high contrast shadows, and not using too much ambient lighting. Even a bright area like a Jungle in daytime can appear ‘dark’ in tone if you give it a good amount of contrast.”

When I jumped in and started playing within this creepy hellscape during my hands-on session, I picked the Witch, whose skills like summoning minions and casting spells track to how I like to play most action-RPGs. What struck me immediately was how pleasingly fluid my character felt moving through the world, not to mention how well it mapped to the Xbox controller, especially with the analog sticks. It was like playing a twin-stick shooter, with the left analog stick controlling the witch, while right analog stick would attack in the direction I focused my spells. I also liked the level of control I had over my skeleton minions and how I could invest in having a variety of roles for them, like two warriors and two snipers, for example.

“The biggest improvement in my opinion is the combat feel,” says Rogers. “There are a large number of little details that go into improving combat, but it’s things like being able to move while using many abilities, special animations for getting into range, dodge rolling, and the ability to retarget during an attack that all come together to make combat feel much better.”

With so many character choices built in already, I asked Rogers what some of the factors the team takes into consideration to balance each of them in the game; what’s the mantra the team follows to ensure each class feels like a Path of Exile class?

“We have really tried to make sure that each class has unique mechanics and ideas, but at the end of the day the real purpose of each class is to deliver on a fantasy that players have. The design needs to make sure we are fulfilling that — if you pick a druid, you want to turn into a bear! Since Path of Exile doesn’t have class restrictions, you can go outside of that and do some really weird combinations. It’s not a question of balancing one class against another, it’s a matter of balancing every individual skill across the entire game with all the others. The reason that classes need to exist is to give you something to latch on to when you start the game to give you a template for how you might build your character, but you can branch out and do anything.”

During my brief hands-on time, I didn’t do much branching out or experimentation here – it was just a short 30-minute session. I was having too much fun spawning skeletons and casting spells to consider the wider implications of how to distribute skill points for my character — I can tinker with that another time when early access for Path of Exile 2 is projected to kick off later in 2024 – but it’s already clear just how flexible the game will be.

“Path of Exile is a game with a lot of skills, and for PoE2 specifically we want the focus to be around using a good variety of abilities in different ways,” Rogers explains. “This just means that we must be able to solve the problem of having a lot of different abilities easily accessible. At the same time, we have a lot of different character classes and build choices, and the best layout tended to be quite different depending on what you were doing.”

This feeds into the game’s new Skill Gem system that will allow you to take a skill and modify it with up to five additional support gems, rather than having abilities attached to these skills. With 9 skill slots on your character, and each skill having up to 5 supports, you can come up with all sorts of ideas.

“A classic example is Multiple Projectiles. Put it on the Sorceress spell Fireball and you get multiple Fireballs when you cast it. But when you put it on the Monk attack Falling Thunder, it will generate extra projectiles. We try to make it so that if the player thinks ‘Maybe this will work?’ then it should work.”

Also new for Path of Exile 2 will be its console support, with the Xbox version launching alongside the PC release. Rogers explained to me that one of the first things that was super important to the team was to make sure console was a first-class platform and would support cross-play, which in turn led to cross-progression support, as well as implementing couch co-op for the console version.

“We need to make sure that players on console feel like they are part of the same community, and I think that that was one issue that we had with PoE 1. It always felt separate. But we were also thinking about things that we can take advantage of on console platforms that are unique experiences to those platforms, and couch co-op is one of those,” says Rogers.

“You can technically play couch co-op on a PC of course, and I’m sure some people have their PCs hooked up in their living room, but really the experience of sitting on a couch with your friend is something that you get from consoles that you don’t usually get from PC play. It’s also something that I have just personally always enjoyed, and there was a lot of excitement in the studio about it too. We thought it would be a lot of fun, so we decided to go for it.”

By every measure, it seems Grinding Gear Games has found a way to outdo itself and is primed to deliver another compelling entry in their Path of Exile franchise. With the incredible level of character customization, a dark and sinister world that we’re just dying to explore further, and a slew of console friendly features, Path of Exile 2 is firmly on our radar to be a must-play in 2024.

Path of Exile 2

Grinding Gear Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Path of Exile 2 is a next generation free-to-play Action RPG created by Grinding Gear Games. Journey across the deadly continent of Wraeclast, meeting multiple immersive cultures while facing off against evil in many forms. Path of Exile 2 features twelve character classes, 240 Skill Gems, hundreds of equipment base types, a six-act campaign, more than a hundred unique boss fights, a deep endgame system and so much more. Play with your friends without losing any progress with couch co-op, cross-play and cross-progression on all available platforms.

The post Path of Exile 2: More Fun, More Flexible, More Evil appeared first on Xbox Wire.

From Snapshot to Eternity: How The Star Named Eos Transforms Photos into Puzzles

The Importance of Photography in the Game

In The Star Named Eos, photography is the core theme that drives the game’s story and experience. This idea was conceived even before developing our previous game, Behind the Frame, where we initially planned a 360-degree panoramic narrative centered on photography. Due to our limited development experience at the time, we focused on Behind the Frame first. After its success, we restarted the production of The Star Named Eos.

Photography is not just a part of the backstory; it is integral to the game’s mechanics and puzzle design, allowing you to experience the story and feel the emotions and memories behind each photo.

Creating the Photography Puzzle Experience

We always adhere to our game design principle of “finding the best way to tell a story to effectively convey it to players.” To deeply engage players, we first create a complete narrative experience and then decide on the supporting game mechanics. We use slightly challenging puzzles to draw you deeper into the story and unravel its mysteries. When designing each puzzle, we carefully consider its background and purpose, ensuring every element serves as a meaningful clue and ties into the story. This approach avoids unnecessary gameplay time extension and ensures each puzzle’s solution deepens your understanding and connection with the story.

Core Game Loop Design: Exploration from Old Photos to New Compositions

In The Star Named Eos, we designed a core game loop where you start with an old photo, go through exploration and puzzles, and ultimately take a new photo. This design is significant for recalling memories and the theme of discovering new things. Here are the steps:

1. Obtain Old Photos:

You obtain old photos by exploring specific scenes in the game. These photos serve as clues, guiding you to new scenes.

2. Find Similar Locations:

You search the environment for locations similar to those in the old photos. Visual aids like lighting and distinct objects help navigate players.

3. Find Similar New Objects:

After finding similar scenes, you search for objects resembling those in the old photos. These objects can be natural (trees, rocks) or man-made (furniture, statues).

4. Adjust Object Position/Composition and Take Photos:

You can adjust object positions according to the old photo’s composition, making them match. The game features a virtual camera that allows you to adjust the angle and focus, ultimately taking new photos with compositions matching the old photos.

This game loop design is not just about solving puzzles; it is an exploration of memories and history. you recreate past memories and discover new things, experiencing the unchanging emotions and values over time. This design allows players to resonate with real-life experiences of reminiscing and discovering new things.

Aesthetic Feedback of Camera: The Satisfaction of Taking Photos

In The Star Named Eos, taking photos is not just a simple action but an experience. Our programmers spent a lot of time ensuring that taking photos integrates naturally and smoothly into the story and game. To make you feel the satisfaction of capturing a scene, we optimized the photo-taking mechanism in several ways:

1. Virtual Camera System:

You to adjust the angle, focus, and composition freely, enabling precise frame capture .

2. Tactile Experience:

To simulate a realistic photo-taking experience, we included tactile feedback. For example, pressing the camera shutter causes a slight vibration and sound effect, enhancing the authenticity.

3. Instant Feedback:

The system immediately compares newly snapped and old photos and uses the character’s monologue to hint if the photo was taken correctly. If the photographed object is not part of the main puzzle, no monologue appears, preserving the joy of free exploration and photography.

These designs make photography an essential and enjoyable part of the game, allowing you to enjoy both the exploration and puzzle-solving process while experiencing the pleasure and accomplishment of taking photos.

Creating Memorable Scenes: Dramatic Light and Shadow

To achieve our aim of “dramatic light and shadow” in The Star Named Eos, we arranged strong main light sources in each scene, such as windows, lamps, or fires. These add drama and give objects varying lighting or shadow effects. This contrasts sharply with the full-light source design of Behind the Frame, offering a different visual experience. We invested significant time and effort to ensure each scene presents a unique and memorable light and shadow effect, enhancing the game’s emotional expression and story atmosphere.

Through the theme of photography, The Star Named Eos turns photos into a medium full of emotions and puzzles. From story conception and art style design to technical implementation, we have devoted great effort to every aspect, hoping to provide you with an unforgettable gaming journey. We look forward to each player finding their resonance in the game and feeling the story and emotions we aim to convey.

Meta: How the photography mechanic works, and how to use it to solve the puzzles in The Star Named Eos out now on Xbox.

The Star Named EOS

PLAYISM

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$14.99

$13.49

Get it now

The Star Named EOS is a story-rich puzzle adventure built around photography. Explore a beautiful hand-drawn world as you photograph some of the most precious yet fleeting moments in life. As you recreate photos from the past, you will slowly uncover the truth of a family mystery, and the love hidden within fragmented memories will eventually become clear.

The post From Snapshot to Eternity: How The Star Named Eos Transforms Photos into Puzzles appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Survival Horror Perfected: The Terrifying Solitude of Empty Shell

Summary

Discover the true essence of fear and isolation.
A unique roguelite horror experience – an indie masterpiece for true genre-lovers.
Crafted with stunning, atmospheric artistry.

Stepping into the World of Survival Horror Games

Survival horror games have captivated players for decades, combining intense gameplay with heart-pounding suspense. But what if we pushed the boundaries even further? Imagine being thrust into an eerie, industrial environment, filled with dark secrets and lurking dangers.

Now, picture this journey through the lens of a volunteer on a mysterious mission in an isolated Japanese facility. Welcome to Empty Shell, a game that redefines survival horror.

A Unique Roguelite Horror Experience

Empty Shell offers an innovative spin on the survival horror genre, blending the intense challenge of roguelite mechanics with an accessible top-down perspective. You won’t need any special controllers to dive into this nightmare; your regular Xbox controller will do just fine. But beware—surviving this harrowing journey demands sharp wits, quick reflexes, and an iron will.

What Makes an Outstanding Survival Horror Game

A top-tier survival horror game immerses players in a gripping atmosphere of fear and suspense. But beyond the chilling environment, the true essence lies in the gameplay’s unpredictability and the narrative’s depth.

Empty Shell excels in creating a constant feeling of dread and isolation. Each playthrough offers new challenges and mysteries, ensuring that no two experiences are alike. The game’s art style enhances this atmosphere, delivering a visually stunning and hauntingly immersive experience.

Unveiling the Mystery. Surviving the Nightmare

Every great horror story starts with an enigma. Empty Shell is no exception. In this game, you step into the shoes of volunteers who have signed up for a “recovery operation” without knowing the full details. As you navigate the dark, industrial complex, you’ll uncover fragments of the facility’s disturbing past and your own role in its secrets.

The journey begins in a desolate environment, filled with eerie sounds and sights. Each step you take deepens the mystery, pushing you to explore further and survive the horrors that await.

Expressing Fear with Style and Atmosphere

Creating a captivating survival horror experience isn’t just about the scares—it’s also about the art and atmosphere. Empty Shell boasts an exceptional visual style, making every corner of the industrial facility come to life with chilling detail.

Throughout your journey, you’ll encounter various environments and challenges that test your survival skills and immerse you in the game’s haunting world. The attention to detail in the art and design ensures that every moment is both terrifying and visually striking.

Embark on a Thrilling Journey of Survival and Mystery

Dive into the relentless and immersive world of Empty Shell, where every moment is filled with suspense, and every decision could be your last. Uncover the secrets of the facility, survive its horrors, and experience one of the most outstanding survival horror games ever crafted.

Play Empty Shell today and discover the true essence of fear and isolation.

EMPTY SHELL

Hyperstrange

☆☆☆☆☆
1

★★★★★

$15.99

$12.79

Get it now

EMPTY SHELL will throw you in a dark industrial environment, a secret facility on a Japanese island in the middle of nowhere. Each volunteer has signed a contract for a “recovery operation” without being privy to too many details.

They said the facility had been abandoned for decades, but once in place it was immediately apparent that something was wrong.
Discover the dark secrets of the facility’s years of operation, up until the accident that led to the extreme consequences you are involved in.

Every time you die, you will control a new volunteer sent to the place. Your starting equipment will be randomized and each level will be generated with a new layout.

Dark corridors and cold rooms. Abominable creatures and bloody fights. Puzzles to solve, equipment, logs and documents to recover await you in this roguelite survival horror.

The post Survival Horror Perfected: The Terrifying Solitude of Empty Shell appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Early sign ups for the New World: Aeternum – Closed Beta are available now!

We are excited to partner with Amazon Games and invite Xbox Insiders to sign up early for the New World: Aeternum – Closed Beta. The Closed Beta for this thrilling action RPG will begin July 25^th and will run until July 31^st! The Closed Beta will only be available for Xbox Insiders on Xbox Series X|S consoles and in the North America and Europe regions (full list of available regions below). Limited space is available so join now to secure your spot!

What is New World: Aeternum?

New World: Aeternum is an action RPG set on the supernatural island of Aeternum in the twilight of the Age of Exploration. As a shipwrecked explorer who washes ashore on the mysterious island, forge your destiny on an adventure filled with danger and opportunity.

There is a lot to discover on the island of Aeternum with endless opportunities to fight, forage, and forge. Play your way by fully customizing the look and abilities of your character with access to swords, guns, and sorcery. As a player that enjoys melee focused builds, I’ll be experimenting with swords but can’t wait to see other builds that everyone comes up with.

If you want to learn more, please visit the Official New World: Aeternum Website!

Playtest Times:

Start: Thursday July 25^th, 9:00 AM PT (4:00 PM GMT)

End: Wednesday July 31^st, 9:00 AM PT (4:00 PM GMT)

How to Participate:

Sign-in on your Xbox Series X|S console and launch the Xbox Insider Hub app (or install the Xbox Insider Hub from the Store first if necessary)
Navigate to Previews > New World: Aeternum
Select Join
Wait for the registration to complete and be directed to the Store and install New World: Aeternum Closed Beta

NOTE: New World: Aeternum – Closed Beta begins on July 25^th. Joining now secures your spot for the playtest and allows you to install the game early. On July 25^th, in game servers will open to allow you to play. You’ll also receive an Xbox Insider notification when the playtest begins.

NOTE: Limited space is available and offered first-come first-served.

NOTE: This playtest is only available on Xbox Series X|S consoles.

NOTE: This playtest is only available for Xbox Insiders in the regions below.

North America
- United States
- Canada
Europe
- Austria
- Belgium
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom

How to Provide Feedback:

If you experience any issues while playing New World: Aeternum – Closed Beta, don’t forget to use “Report a problem” so we can investigate:

Hold down the home button on your Xbox controller.
Select Report a problem.
Select the Games category and New World: Aeternum Closed Beta subcategory.
Fill out the form with the appropriate details to help our investigation.

Other resources:

For more information: follow us on X/Twitter at @XboxInsider and this blog for announcements and more. And feel free to interact with the community on the Xbox Insider SubReddit.

The post Early sign ups for the New World: Aeternum – Closed Beta are available now! appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Desktop Dungeons: Rewind is an Easy Game with No Edge Cases Whatsoever*

Salutations, wise and attractive Administrator.

I’m Jean-Luc, Community Manager for Desktop Dungeons: Rewind, here to give you some advice for kickstarting your kingdom and dungeon diving.

The Rundown

Desktop Dungeons: Rewind is a turn based roguelike where every move matters. Every dungeon has a boss (or several) that must be defeated to return to your kingdom with the spoils. Resources are limited, but everything is a resource.

Exploring darkness heals you and your enemies. The amount healed is based on the level of whatever is healing. This is your main way of regaining health and mana, so save it when possible!

The boss is the objective. You’ll need a lot of firepower to take them down, so be ready to spike as hard as possible through items, conversions, and level-ups while fighting them!

Your Kin and Class will change the way you play. Halflings will pump you full of potions, while Goblins can skyrocket your XP. Sorcerers sling spells, while Berserkers beat the shhh- will to live out of enemies.

Effective Dungeoneering

Alright, but how do we make the most out of our resources? Good question! Look at you go.

Fight higher level enemies. In video game, fight enemy to get XP. Yes, knowledge. Fight stronger enemy? Get stronger XP. Very yes! Simple. Enemies are limited, so getting the most out of them is important.

Convert items you no longer need. Converting an item or Glyph destroys it, but will give you Conversion Points! At a certain amount of conversion points, you’ll gain a bonus based on your Kin.

Leveling up is important. Not only for the long term goal of not being turned to paste by a particularly peeved Goat, but for the full health and mana restore it gives! Leveling up will also remove the Poison and Manaburn conditions.

Kingdom Cultivation

Well now that I have the bone of this voraciously violent Goblin, what am I to do with it? Sell it for money! What am I to do with money? A statue!* Or upgrading buildings.

New Classes! The basic classes can be unlocked in any order, but I’d recommend picking up the Sorcerer as your first tier 2 class. The devs didn’t know what they were doing with that one, it’s so broken*.

New Kin! Once rescued from Dungeons, you can build a settlement for new Kin to move into your kingdom and volunteer them for service in the realm. After all, you can’t spell “kingdom” without “gdom.” Wait…

Preparations! After upgrading the Guild, you can send your adventurers into dungeons with better gear. You’ll be paying for it, but it’s very worthwhile.

Small print

Okay, that’s all the broad stroke advice we have for you, Administrator. You’re a smart cookie* and you should now be ready to play Desktop Dungeons: Rewind. Here are some simple strategies to supplement your slaughter of innocent monsters:

When in doubt, do the puzzles! These brain teasers will explain some of the more advanced concepts of the game in a low stakes environment. What do these statuses mean? Strike order? Slowed? Salami*?

Check your Codex! Accessed from the pause menu, the Codex has all the information you need. Details about Kin, Classes, bosses, badges, anything you could need.

Complete the class challenges! Class challenges come with a lick of lore and are the perfect place to discover the strengths and weaknesses of a new class.

Keep an eye open for quests! These quests will help you upgrade your kingdom. From slaying soulsucking Vampires, to growing your banking capacity, to doing complicated tasks for a cat, the rewards are bountiful.

Keep going! The beginning of this game is fairly easy, but the difficulty ramps up and will require you to master new systems (we haven’t even talked about Gods or Popcorn in the article!) You’ll probably die and have to restart a dungeon at some point. This is the developer’s fault, not yours. Remember, play the damn puzzles!

That’s all I’ve got for you today! Best of luck out there in the realm of Desktop Dungeons: Rewind!

Lots of love from myself and the QCF Design team.

* Please note that anything with an asterisk has the potential to be a lie*.

Desktop Dungeons: Rewind

Prismatika

☆☆☆☆☆
6

★★★★★

$19.99

Get it now

Desktop Dungeons: Rewind is a modern remastering of Desktop Dungeons, the award-winning, bite-sized, tactical dungeon crawler. Now on XBox for the first time!

Founding a new kingdom isn’t easy: it takes cunning, manpower, and lots and lots of gold. How will you pay for the outrageously overpriced taverns and banks? Good thing these dungeons are full of rare creatures whose taxidermied remains are valuable on the black market!

Features:
● Embark on an adventure: Choose from a diverse cast of replaceable adventures. Explore bite-sized dungeons.
● Heal by exploring: Reveal hidden terrain to regain health and mana. But plan your route carefully or you’ll have nothing left to face the final enemy.
● Die. Rewind. And try again. New to DD:R, your death is no longer quite so inevitable. After death, you can replay a dungeon from an earlier point to try a different strategy.
● Build your kingdom: Trade monstrous trophies for gold and upgrade your settlement to attract the most skilled adventurers.
● Show your friends who’s boss: Daily online challenges.
● Discover everything that earned Desktop Dungeons a cult following: innovative game design, hundreds of hours of content, daily online challenges, the amazing soundtrack by Danny Baranowsky and Grant Kirkhope, including all the original DLC, and more!

The post Desktop Dungeons: Rewind is an Easy Game with No Edge Cases Whatsoever* appeared first on Xbox Wire.