The holiday season is upon us once more. It’s a time for giving, merriment, joy, and maybe a little gaming! Whether you’re shopping for a loved one or treating yourself,  our Designed for Xbox partners’ products are the perfect choice.  

Need a new controller like the latest Razer Wolverine V3 Pro to enhance your gameplay over the winter break? Maybe an audio upgrade with the Arctic Gamebuds or the Corsair Virtuoso Max? Perhaps it’s the right moment to set up that simulation rig you’ve been dreaming of! Whatever your gaming needs, our Designed for Xbox Holiday Gift Guide has got you covered. You’ll find a variety of options in form factor, price range, and categories to take your gaming to the next level. 

As always, the Designed for Xbox team wishes you good health and a fantastic holiday season.

Ultimate Control

PowerA FUSION Pro Wireless Controller 

The PowerA FUSION Pro Wireless Controller for Xbox Series X|S with Lumectra is a game-changer you need to see to believe! With Lumectra Ghost RGB LED lighting, Quick-Twist Thumbsticks (patent pending) adjustable to three heights, and Hall Effect Modules for precision and reliability, this controller is packed with features. Enjoy low latency wireless, four mappable buttons, and up to 30 hours of battery life. Plus, it includes a magnetic charger, 10-foot USB-C cable, display stand, and protective case.  

The PowerA FUSION Pro Wireless Controller is available for purchase for $149.99 USD ERP. Visit PowerA for more information.  

PDP REALMz Minecraft – Diamond Print Wireless Controller 

Experience gaming like never before with the Minecraft Diamond Print REALMz Wireless Controller! Perfect for Minecraft fans, this one-of-a-kind controller features a collectible Steve figurine inside the grip and a cool diamond design. With a 30-foot wireless range, and up to 40 hours of play time, it’s built for marathon mining sessions. Take your gameplay to the next level with dual rumble motors, programmable buttons, customizable LED lighting and built-in volume controls. Plus, it includes an exclusive in-game digital code for the Minecraft Time Flies tee! 

The PDP REALMz Minecraft Wireless Controller is available today for $79.99 USD ERP. Visit PDP for more information.  

Razer Wolverine V3 Pro Wireless Esports Controller for Xbox & PC 

Elevate your gaming experience this holiday season with the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro Wireless Controller. Featuring Razer Mecha-Tactile Action Buttons and D-Pad for responsive, accurate control, this controller ensures you stay ahead of the competition. Customize your gameplay with six remappable multi-function buttons and trigger stops for rapid-fire accuracy. Enjoy seamless connectivity with both wired and wireless modes, and up to 30 hours of battery life. Complete with Chroma RGB lighting for a personalized touch. 

The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro Wireless Esports Controller is available for $199.99 USD ERP. Visit Razer for more information.  

MSI Force Pro Wireless S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Edition 

MSI and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl have joined forces to release the exclusive Force Pro Wireless S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Edition, a co-branded gaming controller that embodies the unique color scheme of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 universe. This controller, Designed for Xbox, supports Tri-mode connection, enabling 2.4GHz wireless connectivity to PC, 5.2 Bluetooth connection to Android devices, and a wired connection to Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. It features 3-level precise Hall effect triggers, 4 remappable rear buttons, and 4 vibration motors for immersive haptic feedback. Players can personalize their experience using the included accessories and MSI Center software, allowing for easy customization of the controller’s appearance and performance. Elevate your gaming setup and dive deeper into the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 with this exceptional collaboration! 

The MSI Force Pro Wireless Controller S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Edition is available for $139.99 USD ERP. Visit MSI for more information. 

GameSir T7 Wired Controller for Xbox 

The GameSir T7 stands out with its blend of affordability, durability, functionality, and striking design. It features anti-drift Hall Effect sticks and precision-tuned Hall Effect triggers, ensuring smooth and reliable gameplay for up to 5 million cycles. With four rumble motors, the T7 delivers immersive, lifelike feedback that brings every game to life. Its ergonomic design, matte-textured surface, and laser-textured grips guarantee comfort and control during extended sessions. With a unique color palette and subtle translucency, it offers a high-tech, premium look crafted for modern players. Quickly switch profiles on the fly to seamlessly transition between different games and gaming styles, making it the ideal companion for any player.

The GameSir T7 Wired Controller for Xbox is available in three eye-catching colors – Creamsicle White, Ruby Red, and Sapphire Blue – for $34.99 USD ERP. Visit GameSir for more information.  

Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot Smart Controller for PC & Xbox  

The Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot controller introduces unique rotating button/stick modules so players can easily switch from a traditional FPS layout to other configurations suited to fighting, racing, and other game types. It connects to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One as an advanced wired controller, and also works with PCs in wireless or wired mode, and with compatible Android 8.0+ smart TVs via Bluetooth. The Connected Command Display lets players easily check social notifications and customize the controller’s settings. With AntiDrift thumbsticks, adjustable triggers, four mappable buttons, and Pro-Aim Focus Mode, the Stealth Pivot’s got it all. Plus, the Turtle Beach Control Center 2 app lets players fine-tune everything from EQ presets to vibration feedback.  

The Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot is available for $129.99 USD ERP. Visit Turtle Beach for more information. 

Hyperkin DuchesS 

The Hyperkin DuchesS wired controller is a nostalgic replica of the original Xbox Controller S. It features hall effect sticks for high precision controls, impulse triggers for immersive feedback, a share button to showcase your epic moments, immersive vibration, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a 10 ft. detachable USB-C cable for low latency and fast responsive gaming. It’s compatible with Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10|11. The DuchesS offers a classic design, for modern gaming! 

The Hyperkin DuchesS controller is available in both Black and White for $49.99 USD ERP. Visit Hyperkin for more information.  

Audio Upgrades

SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds for Xbox 

The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are designed to give you an amazing gaming experience across multiple devices with crystal-clear sound and ultra-low latency 2.4GHz wireless, plus Bluetooth 5.3 for mobile. They feature Active Noise Cancellation to block out background noise, letting you focus entirely on your game. With over 100 audio presets, you can customize your sound to fit any game or mood. Stay gaming for up to 10 hours per use, with 3 full extra charges in the case. You can even charge them wirelessly for added convenience. With different sized ear tips to ensure the perfect fit for everyone, they’re super comfy for long gaming sessions and come with a built-in microphone for chatting with your squad.  

The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds for Xbox are available for $159.99 USD ERP. Visit SteelSeries for more information. 

Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Wireless Multiplatform Gaming Headset  

The Designed for Xbox Turtle Beach Stealth 500 redefines what an “entry-level” wireless headset is capable of. With the Stealth 500, players can connect to Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One over a lossless 2.4GHz wireless connection, then simply hit the QuickSwitch button to toggle and connect to Windows PCs, other consoles, and mobile gaming devices via Bluetooth 5.2. Precision-tuned, amplified 40mm drivers and extensive audio tuning via Turtle Beach’s Swarm II app deliver ultra-clear, customizable audio optimized for spatial sound, while a floating headband and memory foam cushions provide ultra-lightweight comfort. The Stealth 500 also lets players chat with ultra-clear voice accuracy through its omni-directional flip-to-mute microphone and has a whopping 40-hour battery life. 

Grab the Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Multiplatform Gaming Headset for $79.99 USD ERP. Visit Turtle Beach for more information.  

Corsair VIRTUOSO MAX for Xbox 

The VIRTUOSO MAX Wireless Gaming Headset for Xbox is designed to provide an exceptional audio experience. Equipped with 50mm Graphene drivers that deliver super clear and precise sound, this headset ensures you hear every detail in your games. Additionally, it includes a Dolby Atmos® for headphones license, which creates an immersive audio environment, making the game audio feel as if the action is happening all around you. The headset also features active noise cancellation, eliminating distractions and allowing for uninterrupted gameplay. With support for dual-wireless connectivity with your smartphone and up to 60 hours of battery life (with RGB off), the VIRTUOSO MAX ensures extended gaming sessions while maintaining connectivity to the outside world.  

The Corsair VIRTUOSO MAX Wireless Gaming Headset for Xbox is available for $329.99 USD ERP. Visit Corsair for more information.  

Logitech G ASTRO A50 (Gen 5) LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Headset + Base Station 

A50 (Gen 5) LIGHTSPEED Wireless + Base Station is made to play. With PLAYSYNC AUDIO, you can connect and quickly switch between multiple  gaming systems including Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC and more, all from a single button on the headset. PRO-G GRAPHENE audio drivers achieve unprecedented clarity and precision, critical for full immersion and in-game decision making. 24-bit LIGHTSPEED delivers the highest levels of wireless performance, and the 48 kHz high-res microphone provides broadcast quality sound for your voice. A50 LIGHTSPEED Wireless + Base Station is a breakthrough in design and engineering for the ultimate multi-platform console gaming experience. 

The Logitech G ASTRO A50 (Gen 5) LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Headset + Base Station is available for $299.99 USD ERP. Visit Logitech G  for more information.  

Adaptive Setups

ByoWave Proteus Controller 

The ByoWave Proteus Controller officially launched this year at gamescom 2024, and it is an absolute game changer. This modular controller lets you customize your gaming experience like never before. With a jaw-dropping 100 million different combinations, you can adjust the controller to fit your play style perfectly. Whether you like playing with one hand or two, prefer a vertical or horizontal layout, or want a wide or compact design, the Proteus Controller has got you covered. Plus, it’s super easy to snap together the pieces and save your favorite setups for different games. Compatible with Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows 10|11, it’s a perfect gift for players who want flexibility and fun. 

The ByoWave Proteus Controller is available for $299 USD ERP. Visit ByoWave for more information.  

8BitDo Lite SE 2.4G Wireless Controller for Xbox 

The 8BitDo Lite SE 2.4G Wireless Controller for Xbox is specifically designed for gamers with limited mobility playing on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows platforms. It features highly sensitive buttons and joysticks, ensuring ease of use and an enjoyable gaming experience. Additionally, it includes large, programmable Super Buttons that can be customized on-the-fly without any additional software. It also incorporates a 3.5mm audio jack and a non-slip mat to ensure stability during gameplay. With its lightweight design, compact form factor, and impressive battery life, this controller is ideal for gaming in various settings. 

The 8BitDo Lite SE 2.4G Wireless Controller for Xbox is available for $59.99 USD ERP. Visit 8BitDo for more information.  

Specialized Controls

Victrix Pro KO Leverless Fight Stick 

Knock out the competition with the fully customizable Victrix Pro KO Leverless Fight Stick for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. Ensure precise hits with reliable and hot-swappable Cherry MX Speed Silver RGB switches, ideal for clutch moments. Designed to fit your play style, the Victrix Pro KO includes customizable lighting, 16 moveable and mappable buttons, button organizers for easy transportation, plus a control bar for swift adjustments. For those who love to mod, you’ll appreciate the removable aluminum top plate allowing you to adjust button positions or change to your preferred switches. Elevate your gaming and compete at a professional level today. 

Pre-order the Victrix Pro KO Leverless Fight Stick now for $249.99 USD ERP and receive it in time for the holidays. Visit Turtle Beach for more information. 

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One Microsoft Flight Simulator Edition 

If you’re ready to awaken your inner pilot, the T.Flight Hotas One Microsoft Flight Simulator Edition is your ticket to the skies! Perfect for both Xbox Series X|S and PC, this joystick makes flying in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and other flight simulation games super easy. With its official Microsoft Flight Simulator license, it brings realistic flying sensations right into your living room. Adjust the resistance of your joystick and enjoy the detachable throttle just how you like for extra comfort. Plus, it’s plug-and-play, so you can start your flight adventure fun without any setup hassle. 

The Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One Microsoft Flight Simulator Edition is available for $99.99 USD ERP. Visit Thrustmaster for more information.  

MOZA R3 Racing Wheel and Pedals for Xbox 

The MOZA R3 Racing Wheel and Pedal Bundle for Xbox includes everything you need for an amazing racing experience—the R3 base with powerful 3.9 Nm direct drive power, ES steering wheel made for Xbox, and SR-P Lite pedals. It’s super easy to set up with plug-and-play functionality, so you can start racing right away on your Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or PC. The R3 base is sturdy, made from aluminum alloy, and has a smart cooling system to keep things running smoothly. The ES wheel is built to last with its sturdy grips and metal frame, and you can quickly swap wheels thanks to its clever design. The SR-P Lite pedals are super responsive, giving you precise control over your driving. Plus, with colorful lights and 22 programmable buttons, customizing your race has never been this fun.  

The MOZA R3 Racing Wheel and Pedals for Xbox are available for $399.99 USD ERP. Visit MOZA for more information.  

Level Up Your Setup

8BitDo Retro 87 Keyboard and Retro R8 Mouse 

The 8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard and Retro R8 Mouse – Xbox Edition are officially licensed Xbox peripherals that bring the nostalgia of the original Xbox console to modern PC setups. Inspired by the iconic Transparent Green Edition of the OG Xbox, these devices blend retro aesthetics with advanced functionality. The keyboard features an independent control panel, finely tuned crystal-green keycaps, programmable Super Buttons, and customizable RGB lighting. The mouse boasts a seamlessly integrated charging dock, programmable buttons, and ambidextrous support for left- and right-handed use. Together, they deliver a cohesive and stylish experience for PC gaming and productivity. 

Pre-order the 8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard for $119.99 USD ERP and the Retro R8 Mouse – Xbox Edition for $59.99 USD ERP. Visit 8BitDo for more information. 

WD_BLACK C50 2TB Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S 

With all the incredible game launches this year, your Xbox Series X|S game library is expanding rapidly!  The WD_BLACK C50 Storage Expansion Card for Xbox now offers up to 2TB* of additional space! Designed specifically for Xbox, this card has a superspeed NVMe SSD core, making your gaming experience smoother and faster. Thanks to the Xbox Velocity Architecture, the WD_BLACK C50 Storage Expansion Card for Xbox delivers blazing-fast performance similar to your console’s internal SSD. Plus, with Quick Resume support, you can jump between multiple games in no time. 

The WD_BLACK C50 2TB* Expansion Card for Xbox is available for $249.99 USD ERP. Visit Western Digital for more information.  

* 1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment. 

Hisense C2 Ultra TriChroma Laser Mini Projector Designed for Xbox 

The Hisense C2 Ultra projector is packed with premium gaming features like Auto Low Latency Mode and MEMC technology to give you super smooth gameplay. Play your favorite games with crystal-clear 4K UHD resolution and a 240-frame refresh rate on basically any flat surface around your house. It has a huge projection size range from 65 to 300 inches and can adjust to fit perfectly in any space. The integrated JBL speakers deliver booming audio that makes you feel like you’re gaming in a movie theater. Whether you’re a player or just love watching movies, the C2 Ultra is the ultimate gift for top-notch picture and sound quality. 

The Hisense C2 Ultra TriChroma Mini Projector for Xbox is now available for $2,499.99 USD ERP. Visit Hisense for more information.  

Just like this year, 2025 is shaping up to be another incredible for hardware with new and exciting products to help taking your gaming to the next level, stay tuned! From all of us at Designed for Xbox, have a great holiday and a happy New Year!  

Prepare to face Karkonos, the fearsome new Behemoth debuting in Dauntless on December 5 as part of the Dauntless: Awakening update.

This is the largest update ever to our monster-slaying, free-to-play action-RPG. Featuring revamped progression systems, powerful new weapons, and a new Behemoth, it’s a transformative leap forward. With fresh challenges and a community-informed development roadmap, Dauntless: Awakening sets the stage for an exciting future in the Shattered Isles.

And at the heart of all this lies our newest Behemoth, the fearsome Karkonos. This monstrous creation is the result of months of collaboration between the Dauntless team and its passionate community. Today, we’re peeling back the curtain to reveal how the newest addition to the Shattered Isles was brought to life, from initial concept to final in-game implementation. Along the way, you’ll see how community feedback helped shape Karkonos and why this Behemoth is a testament to the power of collaboration.

A Concept Born from Community

The origins of Karkonos trace back to a community design livestream, where Dauntless players and developers collaborated in real time to envision the next Behemoth. The session was a creative melting pot, with Slayers sharing their ideas for a creature that was both visually striking and deeply tied to the lore of the Shattered Isles. Some players pushed for a towering, alien-like monster with intricate details, while others suggested grounding the design in real-world inspirations for a sense of familiarity.

From these discussions, a bold and imaginative concept emerged. However, as developers delved deeper into the initial sketches, it became clear that the design felt “too alien-like” and disconnected from the world of Dauntless. Brent Barrett, lead designer on Karkonos, recalls the iterative process: “The community’s ideas gave us a phenomenal starting point for us to iterate on. We wanted Karkonos to feel like it truly belonged in the Shattered Isles.”

Feedback from the livestream continued to shape the Behemoth’s evolution. Players emphasized the importance of a creature that looked dangerous yet believable, inspiring the team to integrate real-world influences. Crab-like elements were introduced to anchor Karkonos visually, while its scorpion-inspired tail preserved its menacing edge. These design decisions balanced player creativity with the Dauntless aesthetic, resulting in a creature that feels both authentic and fresh.

This collaborative refinement process extended beyond visual design, laying the groundwork for a gameplay experience as dynamic and challenging as the Behemoth itself.

From Sketch to Savage: The Gameplay Experience

While Karkonos’ appearance sets the stage, its gameplay is where this Behemoth truly shines. The collaboration with the community extended into early playtests, where Slayers provided invaluable feedback on its mechanics.

Karkonos moves with a crab-like gait, forward and backward, but its attack patterns are anything but predictable. “Karkonos is mean,” Barrett says with a smile. “Its tail swipes and ground-shaking pincers have almost no tell, keeping players on edge. And it’s not just one-on-one, it threatens entire teams, forcing coordination and strategy.”

Key to the gameplay design was the balance of risk and reward. Moments of vulnerability, like when Karkonos pounds the ground with its pincers, offer skilled Slayers a chance to interrupt, but only if they act quickly and decisively. Community feedback fine-tuned these interactions, ensuring every encounter feels dynamic and rewarding.

A Challenge for All Slayers

Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned veteran, Karkonos offers something for everyone. For experienced players, it’s a punishing test of teamwork, adaptability, and precision. Its relentless attacks can target multiple players simultaneously, and its ability to Aether charge adds an unpredictable layer of intensity.

For newer Slayers, Karkonos provides an opportunity to sharpen your skills and experience the thrill of taking down a truly formidable foe. Environmental interactions, like avoiding falling debris or finding openings during Aether charges, ensure the fight remains engaging and accessible for all.

But the rewards are worth the effort. Slayers who conquer Karkonos can craft armor inspired by deep-sea diving suits, a nod to its undersea aesthetic. This set not only looks striking but offers the defensive advantages needed for future challenges.

The Future of Collaboration

The creation of Karkonos underscores the incredible potential of building Dauntless not just for players, but with players. Through live design streams, early playtests, and ongoing feedback, the community has left an enduring mark on the Shattered Isles.

And this is just the beginning. With Dauntless: Awakening heralding a new era, the team is committed to harnessing the passion and creativity of its players in even more meaningful ways, ensuring the voice of the community continues to drive the evolution of Dauntless.

Dauntless is back, stronger than ever, with more details about future collaborations on the horizon. Whether you’re a Slayer seeking your next great hunt or a creative mind ready to shape the Shattered Isles, your input will help define what’s next.

Join the conversation on our Discord to participate in these future collaborations.

Dauntless

Epic Games Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆
1388

★★★★★

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

As a Slayer, you are all that stands between your world and the Behemoths that seek to devour it. Take on boss-sized monsters, forge powerful weapons, and craft armour from the very creatures you slay — all in a massive, free-to-play online world.

It’s easy to forget that, over the course of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, we’ll spending the runtime of multiple films with the archaeologist adventurer. Not just that but, thanks to the game’s primarily first-person viewpoint, we’ll be quite literally inside Indy’s head.

It gave the game’s developer MachineGames a responsibility – not just representing the world and feel of the Indiana Jones movies faithfully, but also this character, who we already know so well.

As Design Director Jens Andersson puts it: “Of course, no-one is more iconic than Indiana Jones, so getting that right was paramount.” There’s so much to juggle here – from Indy’s tone of voice, to the way he reacts to situations, right down to how he moves, or uses his equipment. And, for the developers, that meant going to the source.

“Lucasfilm Games and Franchise was a great help here, providing a ton of insight on the character,” explains Andersson.

“The collaboration with the Lucasfilm Games team has been incredibly smooth,” adds Lead Narrative Designer, Tommy Tordsson Björk. “We’ve had an open channel with them throughout the project where we’ve sent finished drafts of scripts to them for feedback and getting their lore input on various aspects. This open and transparent working process has been very valuable for us.”

But, truly, this research was just the start.

Meeting Indy

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!

Get To Work

Isto Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Get To Work – December 2

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

This story is a metaphor for climbing the corporate ladder. Get To Work is a punishing, yet satisfying experience about a young man on a mission to conquer the corporate world… on rollerblades. Maneuver a slippery character with rollerblades on both his arms and feet, who only knows how to move fast.

Cricket: Jae’s Really Peculiar Game

PM Studios, Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Cricket: Jae’s Really Peculiar Game – December 3

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A hand-animated JRPG adventure that draws from genre classics. Join Jae as he goes on a journey with his best friends to try and fix the past in a story full of laughs, tears, and Elemelons. Engage in silly battles that involve timed hits, meter, and teamwork.

The Thaumaturge

11 bit studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$34.99

$27.99

Pre-order

The Thaumaturge – December 4

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

An isometric, story-rich RPG with a unique take on turn-based combat, character development features, and investigation mechanics, facing you with morally ambiguous choices – set in a world teeming with mysterious powers and strange ethereal beings called salutors.

Godsvivors

Afil Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Godsvivors – December 4

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Prepare to descend into the depths of the Underworld in Godsvivors! As a powerful god of Olympus, your mission is to challenge the ruler of the Underworld, Hades, and restore the balance of power. Battle through waves of demonic foes in this roguelite bullet-hell adventure, where every second counts. Godsvivors offers an action-packed journey through hell, blending fast-paced combat with a satisfying bullet-storm experience. Will you conquer the Underworld and emerge victorious?

Super Astro Cat

Synnergy Circle Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Super Astro Cat – December 4

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

After getting their home planet destroyed by a meteor, the cats’ only option was to flee on a spaceship and embark on a journey to find a new suitable planet to colonize and live. Super Astro Cat is a 2D pixel art shoot ‘n run with a jetpack mechanic. Choose wisely, as all their 9 lives are in your hands!

Boundland

SilenGames

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Boundland – December 4

A fun physics-based platform game where you navigate your multi-shaped character through lots of dark levels and scary boss fights.

Magical Backpack

Old School Vibes

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Magical Backpack – December 4

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Lara found a magical backpack that gives her the power to fly through the skies and collect Light stars scattered across an enchanted kingdom. Embark on this journey filled with exciting challenges, helping Lara overcome obstacles, capture each star, and advance through the levels.

FANTASIAN Neo Dimension

SQUARE ENIX

☆☆☆☆☆
2

★★★★★

$49.99

Pre-order

Fantasian Neo Dimension – December 5

The Father of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi, and renowned composer Nobuo Uematsu return to deliver an original RPG story. Mechteria—a deathly mechanical infection that robs humans of their emotions and lives—is slowly engulfing the world. The protagonist Leo awakens with only one memory left to him in a strange land abundant with machines. Using the Warp Device that was left behind, Leo must now embark on an interdimensional journey to reclaim his lost memories and save the world from the mechteria infection.

The Thing: Remastered

Nightdive Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

The Thing: Remastered – December 5

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

The 2002 third-person survival horror shooter that serves as a sequel to the genre-defining 1982 film is back, remastered by Nightdive Studios to bring this innovative blend of fast paced squad action meets survival horror to the modern era. Where the movie ended, the true terror begins.

Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop

Kasedo Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop – December 5

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Where most of his customers find meaning in pastimes like worshipping deranged space gods, feeding random crap to a sentient black hole, endlessly digging for The Treasure, or mentally enslaving donut shop workers, Wilbur lives a more humble life, fixing the galaxy’s ills one broken ship module at a time. Fix stuff, read stuff, upgrade stuff, talk about stuff, discover stuff, and do all that stuff again, but better.

Symphonia 𝄞

Headup Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Symphonia – December 5

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

In the realm of Symphonia, music acts as a source of life and energy. Embody a mysterious violinist, brought back to life in a declining world. Your violin and bow are both your instrument and a means of transport. Catapult yourself through the world, and complete levels by solving exciting platforming challenges while re-activating the machinery that brings life and energy back to this world.

DETECTIVE – The Motel

JanduSoft

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$12.49

$9.99

Pre-order

Detective: The Motel – December 5

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Grab a pencil and paper to write down what you need because no one is going to help you. You play the role of a detective who has been assigned a case. When you arrive at the crime scene, you find a hotel with several rooms. At that moment you will have to discover what has happened, but it will not be easy. You will have to be very attentive to your surroundings to find all the possible evidence. If you are a good detective you will find the truth that is hidden behind the walls of each of the rooms in “The Motel”.

Railroads Online

astragon Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Railroads Online – December 5

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Set in a huge open world reminiscent of the Americas during the golden age of steam trains, Railroads Online puts you in the role of a pioneer helping to shape the future of America. Build tracks, traverse vast landscapes in various steam locomotives, transport goods to earn money, and customize and buy new locomotives and equipment as you grow to become a railroad tycoon.

UFL Foundation

XTEN Limited

☆☆☆☆☆
16

★★★★★

$14.99

Get it now

UFL – December 5

A free-to-play football game that features real footballers with a rich metagame. UFL offers tons of unique content like various club kits, boots, gloves, balls, and stadiums. In UFL, you create your club from the ground up, assembling a team of real-world footballers customized to your liking. Compete with players worldwide, climb the ranks, and win championships!

Highway Police Simulator

Aerosoft GmbH

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Highway Police Simulator – December 5

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Dive into the action of American patrolling duty! Put on your uniform and step into the shoes of an American police officer with Highway Police Simulator. This game brings the heart-pounding action of the American Highway Patrol right to your fingertips. Immerse yourself in the unique challenges and serious police duties that officers face on a daily basis and truly feel what it’s like to patrol the highways while maintaining law and order.

Love Too Easily

H2 Interactive Co., Ltd.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Love Too Easily – December 5

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A memory of a sweet kiss from last night. A lost cell phone. Three suspects. Become the main character’s helper, make story choices, collect hints, and clear mini-games. A full-scale mystery romantic comedy interactive movie.

Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island

Whitethorn Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island – December 5

Xbox Play Anywhere / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

You’re Alex, a rookie backpacker taking a much needed break from modern life. Your trip is interrupted when you are suddenly shipwrecked on Ambrosia Island; a beautiful long-forgotten place of myth and sunshine. It’s home to the gods of Greek mythology. They’re real after all, even if they are having an identity crisis. Can you discover the secrets of Ambrosia Island in this sun-drenched ‘Friend Em Up’ adventure?

Overthrown (Game Preview)

Maximum Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Overthrown (Game Preview) – December 5

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

You play as a Monarch in possession of an ancient soul-stealing crown with magical abilities. With its power, establish a kingdom in a perilous wilderness and defend it from mutants and bandits roaming the land. Build, gather resources, farm the land and more to turn your fledgling realm into a commanding, self-sustaining kingdom. As your fame grows, more will flock to your banner – but so will those who have come to overthrow you, including your friends in up to six-player co-op.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Digital Premium Edition

Bethesda Softworks

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$99.99

Pre-order

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Early Access) – December 6

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Purchase the Premium or Collector’s Edition to secure up to three days of early access ahead of the game’s December 9 release date. Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and ‘The Last Crusade’. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones.

Marvel Rivals

NetEase Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Marvel Rivals – December 6

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

A superhero team-based PvP shooter. Assemble an all-star Marvel squad, devise countless strategies by combining powers to form unique Team-Up skills and fight in destructible, ever-changing battlefields across the continually evolving Marvel universe!

Path of Exile 2 Early Access Supporter Packs

Grinding Gear Games

☆☆☆☆☆
201

★★★★★

$29.99

Get it now

Path of Exile 2 – December 6

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

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.

Shadow Tactics: Aiko’s Choice

Daedalic Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99

$17.99

Pre-order

Shadow Tactics: Aiko’s Choice – December 6

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Set in Japan around the early Edo period, Aiko’s Choice is a stealth strategy game that takes place within the story of Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. This standalone expansion focuses on one of the main game’s protagonists: the kunoichi adept Aiko. She is a master of camouflage and distracts enemies disguised as a Geisha. Although Aiko was certain that she left her old life behind her, Aiko’s former sensei, the cunning spymaster Lady Chiyo, reappears from the shadows to challenge her. Together with her deadly companions she sets out to hunt down the ghosts of her past…

Lord of the Click 4

Desert Water Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Lord of the Click 4 – December 6

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Find incredible new challenges, amazing graphics and improved mechanics. As a great monarch, you will fight many new and dangerous enemies using your clicker skills. Every click on your screen summons powerful warriors, deals crushing blows to enemies and directs the magic of nature into battle. Get ready for exciting battles, strategic decisions and unforgettable adventures! The future of the kingdom depends only on your skill and determination. Are you ready to become a real hero and save the world?

JanKenUP!

Dolores Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

JanKenUP! – December 6

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

An exciting combat game that breaks with traditional schemes. Instead of the typical punches and combos, strategy boils down to three buttons: rock, paper, and scissors. Get ready for a cerebral challenge where your quick thinking and mental agility are key! Hop on the elevator of fun and prepare to act swiftly! Face all kinds of rivals and prove that you can outshine everyone in the arena. Become the undisputed champion!

Westild’s Law

Ratalaika Games S.L.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Westild’s Law – December 6

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Westild’s Law offers dynamic shootouts where you must cleverly use every element of your arsenal to achieve victory. Throw dynamite to clear your path or send enemies flying, you can throw your weapon at your enemies to stun them when ammo runs low and then take their weapons. Also when the situation gets critical, activate “ultra-sense”, slow-down time and enhance your abilities to showcase the true power of the hero.

Beat the Machine Rebooted

Sanguine Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$24.99

Pre-order

Beat the Machine: Rebooted – December 6

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Beat the Machine: Rebooted is a top down retro roguelike arcade shooter where you must defeat the virus T.O.M (Totally Overpowered Machine) that is invading Sector VIII. Play as Damon, the cocky cadet, willing to aid Sector VIII from total destruction. Guided by Logan, Syncopia and Pete, natives of Sector VIII, traverse across 25 levels corrupted by T.O.M’s virus brigade.

Endless Deaths

EpiXR Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$9.99

Pre-order

Xbox One X Enhanced

Endless Deaths – December 6

An intense top-down twin-stick shooter rogue-like game that plunges players into the heart of a zombie apocalypse. As a lone survivor, your mission is to navigate through procedurally generated levels filled with relentless zombie hordes, utilizing a diverse arsenal of weapons and character abilities to stay alive.

Taboo Trial

Happy Player

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Taboo Trial – December 6

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

In this 3D roguelike action game, you are a Valkyrie, choosing blessings from the Nordic gods to build your unique combat style. Go to complete the Taboo Trial guided by Loki. Unlock different Valkyries in Valhalla, each playable with distinct styles. Take up the weapons of the gods to challenge the “giants”, each weapon having a distinct combat style.

MasterChef: Learn to Cook!

QubicGames

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$11.99

$9.59

Pre-order

MasterChef: Learn to Cook! – December 6

Choose your ingredients, slice, prepare, plate and serve delicious dishes with style in fun mini-games! The MasterChef judges will evaluate your dish based on your performance and speed. Complete and unlock new recipes, challenges, and mini-games along your cooking journey!

Dog Man: Mission Impawsible

Mindscape

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Dog Man: Mission Impawsible – December 6

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Bringing the beloved book series to life, dive into this action-packed, humor-filled adventure. The key to the city has fallen into the hands of a supa bad guy, unlocking all the prison doors and releasing many evildoers. Help Dog Man and his friends chase down the supa bad guys in their most impawsible mission yet!

Embark on Dead by Daylight‘s new Chapter Doomed Course, which introduces a new Killer – The Houndmaster, and a new Survivor – Taurie Cain. Beyond the arrival of these characters, Doomed Course delves deeper into the dark and mysterious lore of Dead by Daylight, expanding on the connection between our world and The Entity’s Realms.

We’ve got you covered with a deep dive into each character’s backstory, detailing how one of the most brutal and merciless Killers and one of the morally darkest Survivors ultimately wound up in The Fog.

Merciless As The Sea

Before she became The Houndmaster, Portia Maye had a chance at an ordinary life. Warmed by her father’s love and fueled by the promise of adventure, her early years were largely spent at sea. Unfortunately, the course of her life was forever altered when the depraved pirate Mad Molak set upon her father’s vessel Nightsdream and slaughtered nearly all aboard.

Kept alive as a celestial navigator, Portia descended into darkness, allured by the siren’s song of cold revenge. It was there she altered the course of her life, steering her father’s ship into the dreaded Dragon’s Tooth and plunging her tormentors into the depths. By some stroke of fortune – or perhaps the opposite – she emerged as the lone survivor. That is, until she came across her loyal puppy Snug.

It’s interesting to consider that Portia, at one point in time, represented the quintessential survivor. Not only did she survive the harrowing slaughter of the Nightsdream massacre, but she also survived years marooned on the Dragon’s Tooth. Alas, every waking thought revolved around revenge, and her bloodlust burned hotter with each passing year.

It didn’t help that the Dragon’s Tooth, unbeknownst to Portia, was a Bleed – an otherworldly intersection between Realms. Think of Bleeds like melding colors on a palette, as elements from two dimensions converge into one.

“That’s the one thing about entering a Bleed,” explains Lead Narrative Director Jessi Thind. “If it doesn’t kill you, it drives you mad.”

Her descent into madness ran concurrent to her mastery of violence, culminating in a Killer whose merciless nature surpassed Molak himself. By the time she tracked him down and enacted her vengeance, her role in The Entity’s realm was long cemented.

Before long, the only remaining vestige of her humanity was tethered to Snug, her lone companion and relentless protector; their bond is expressed in The Houndmaster’s Power, which utilizes Snug’s ability to track and grab hold of Survivors.

For The Black Talon

Raised as a member of the Black Talon organization – a subsect of the nefarious Black Vale, Taurie Cain spent her life seeking to uncover The Entity’s secrets. Upon discovering a Bleed, Taurie’s parents ventured within to further their research. Unfortunately, tragedy struck, the worst of which was averted after Taurie entered the Bleed after them.

From that moment on, Taurie pledged her devotion to the malevolent cause, quickly rising through the Black Talon’s ranks. While some Survivors like Haddie Kaur and Elodie Rakoto have crossed paths with the Black Vale’s disciples, Taurie seemed to seek out the darkness, believing The Entity to be the key to transcending mortal existence.

“Having grown up as a member of the Black Talon, Taurie genuinely believes her actions to be for the betterment of humanity,” explains Thind. “However, as she rose through the ranks, things got darker and darker. Eventually, Taurie reached a point of no return and had to make a life-altering decision.”

Her journey led her to a pivotal moment. Tasked with the ritualistic killing of a man named Jordan Rois – stepbrother of Survivor Haddie Kaur and constant thorn in the Talon’s side – Taurie raised her knife for the plunging strike. And yet, she faltered. A crucial decision, and one of the last ones made before her arrival to The Fog.

It was there she would discover that everything she believed was true. Her jubilation quickly turned to horror when she realized that all her years of devotion had led to a perpetual cycle of pain and suffering. Though such a revelation might shatter a lesser will, Taurie remained steadfast in her belief that her true purpose has yet to be defined.

“Her devotion to the Vale may actually prove beneficial in The Fog, as she maintains belief everything is part of the plan,” continues Thind. “Taurie is determined to continue along the path until The Entity finally recognizes her as a disciple – a Killer.”

It raises an interesting question – why did The Entity bring Taurie into its Realm as a Survivor in the first place?

“For reasons yet to be understood, The Entity feeds on emotions,” explains Thind. “We can interpret that The Entity took Taurie for a reason, and perhaps it sensed a benefit to having one person who simply won’t get along with many of her fellow Survivors. Taurie doesn’t understand why she’s trapped with people who never believed in the first place, and that naturally builds resentment. There’s conflict there – anger, confusion, and mistrust – and that’s something The Entity would feed off.”

Despite whatever conflict may arise, Taurie will do what she must to thrive in her new environment. Her Perks emphasize quickly breaking away from teammates and drawing the Killer’s attention, gritting her teeth through pain and using it to her advantage.

It’s curious that Portia and Taurie both spent time in the Bleeds, with the latter proving largely unaffected. Perhaps under different circumstances, their roles within The Entity’s Realm might have been reversed. However, once a course is set, deviation is not an option – especially when the destination is shrouded in Fog…

Embark on Dead by Daylight’s Doomed Course, featuring The Houndmaster and Taurie Cain, available today in the Xbox Store.

Dead by Daylight

Behaviour Interactive Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆
2921

★★★★★

$29.99

$11.99

Get it now

Xbox Game Pass

Ever wished to play as one of the characters from your favorite horror movies? Dead by Daylight is a 1v4 multiplayer game that draws from all corners of the horror world from a powerful slasher to a terrifying paranormal entity.

Choose between playing an unstoppable Killer and one of 4 Survivors trying to evade a gruesome death. Each character has their own deep progression system and plenty of unlockables that can be customized to fit your personal strategy. Work together to escape, or stalk and sacrifice every Survivor.

This Edition of Dead by Daylight gives you access to a roster of 7 Killers (The Trapper, The Hillbilly, The Wraith, The Nurse, The Hag, The Huntress and The Doctor) and 9 Survivors (Meg Thomas, Claudette Morel, Jake Park, Dwight Fairfield, Ace Visconti, Nea Karlsson, Bill Overbeck, Feng Min and David King). It also includes two cosmetic add-ons packed with outfits for various characters.

In celebration of the upcoming release of The Party Never Ends, Juice WRLD’s highly anticipated final, posthumous album dropping on November 29, Xbox is partnering with Interscope, Grade A, and Life Free 999 to launch a custom in-game Island – “Juice WRLD: The Party Never Ends” – inspired by the artist. Fans can dive into this unique experience starting November 30, 2024. Please note: this is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Epic Games, Inc.

This Island features an epic tower-climbing race set amid stunning landscapes of lush mountains, serene lakes, and open fields. Along the way, players will be able to chill at Xbox Lounges, where they’ll hear a snippet of an unreleased Juice WRLD track alongside fan-favorite hits like “Lucid Dreams,” “Wishing Well,” and “Robbery.” Juice-related imagery and collectibles are woven throughout the experience, ensuring fans feel truly immersed in his world.

Xbox will also launch Juice WRLD-inspired Xbox Design Lab controllers, available to order starting today. These custom designs honor Juice WRLD’s bold style and love for gaming, giving fans a unique way to incorporate his influence into their gaming setups. You can order them here.

The celebration doesn’t stop there—on November 30, Xbox will host a live, in-person Fortnite tournament during the fourth annual and final Juice WRLD Day at Chicago’s United Center. Local students will compete in the custom Island finale, adding excitement to a day filled with an exclusive listening experience, surprise performances, and more. It’s a tribute fans won’t want to miss!

Before I played an early version of Crescent County, I didn’t know that an in-game version of a motorized, magical broomstick could feel right. But here I am, drawing wide arcs through the gently swaying grass of the Isle of Morah, identifying the perfect hillock to glide off from, and intuitively following paths of flowers to shortcuts across its open world. You’d think there’d no right way to depict something as bizarre as this, but as I feel a leyline-powered boost ignite the rumble of my controller, I start to think, “well, maybe.”

The debut game from Electric Saint – a two-person development team made up of Anna Hollinrake (Fall Guys) and Pavle Mihajlović (Erica) – Crescent County is part-open world exploration, part-dating game, part-gig economy delivery challenge, part-racer, part-life sim, and all-centered around that motorbroom experience. It’s ambitious, and with so many moving parts, you might expect it to have come together in pieces – but the real origin point was straightforward.

Hollinrake has been painting images of what she dubs “witch-tech” for years, building a following as people fall in love with the bright, curious worlds she creates in static form. Choosing to leave the world of AAA development behind, and contacting Mihajlović to create the tech, there was only one setting they wanted to bring to life together.

“The number one piece of feedback I get when I’m at conventions selling art based on this world, or on social media when I post images of it, is that people wish that they could live in the paintings I create,” she tells me. “I’m an art generalist for games and have worked along the whole art pipeline, but my specialty is infusing moreish worldbuilding into my work, from concepts to full 3D environments, that give a sense of place, with little story hints throughout. I really want to give people the opportunity to step into a lovingly crafted, painterly space that feels both joyful and a little melancholy and that, critically, they feel at home within.”

It means that Crescent County wasn’t built out of disparate mechanical ideas that the developers wanted to jam into one playspace – every choice has been made because it fits the theme. Even in the early form of the game I play, that comes across. As main character Lu, your motorbroom is key to everything you do – you arrive on the island and take part in a race, then become the island’s delivery courier. That job allows you to meet characters you can get to know (and romance), afford furniture for your apartment, and to customize your broom and go further, faster. In Crescent County’s world, motorbrooms aren’t a vehicle, they’re a culture.

“Motorbroom racing is an underground sport, practised by a small group of the coolest people you know,” says Hollinrake. “It’s very inspired by roller derby and the roller skating community (I’m an avid quad skater myself!), and we wanted to capture that punk, do-it-yourself attitude within motorbroom subculture.”

“In terms of racing though, it’s more about friends challenging each other in playful ways (like seeing who can get up the mountain first), than it is about big formal races with sponsors and crowds,” adds Mihajlović. “If you win, you can expect to learn some secrets about the island, or maybe get a hot tip on how to get a particular broom part, but you can also choose to lay back and spend some more quality time with a racer you have a crush on.”

That idea, that every activity can affect another, seems key to Crescent County. You’re building a life for Lu on the island – a race can lead to romance, a delivery job could net you new decorations, and even the house creation element (so often a side activity) can have effects on the wider game.

“We’re really interested in how we can take classic, cozy house decoration and make it push our story forward rather than being purely for aesthetics,” explains Hollinrake. “In that classic scouring-Facebook-Marketplace way, you can do jobs around the island for people who’ll pay you back with a couch they have in the shed and aren’t using. Inspired by our own experiences living in crappy house shares in our early twenties, we know how big of a difference each single piece of furniture can have on your social life or sense of place – you can’t have a dinner party without a dinner table, and getting your new friends around it lets you chat late into the night and deepen those relationships. Even if the spaghetti bolognese you made was terrible.”

It leads to what promises a very satisfying loop – the more you play, and the more you engage, the more opportunities await you. Again, building Crescent County as a living world rather than a sandbox, is the key. The game’s organized into days and nights that pass based on what you choose to do (you can deliver by day, and race by night), rather than through a linear cycle, which gives you an incentive to choose the interesting thing rather than the efficient thing.

“Each day brings a host of new opportunities to earn some cash, make your flat less sad, and learn more island drama,” says Mihajlović. “You’ll get to pick who you want to help that day – whether it’s because you want to know a particular bit of gossip, you want to get a specific broom upgrade, or because your friend Rava has promised you she’ll give you her unwanted and admittedly ugly couch if you help round up her wayward sheep. You can either plan out your route carefully, or take it a bit more casually and ride around and see what you get up to. At the end of the day you can take your weird couch home, pick where to place it, and invite your friends over for a movie night – who point out you don’t actually own a TV.”

All of this would be moot if the brooms themselves didn’t feel quite so good, and the Isle of Morah wasn’t quite so fascinating a location. That connection to Hollinrake’s art means that this world is a deeply interesting place – unfamiliar silhouettes clutter the horizon, and the sheer fun meant that I spent as much time simply going places than doing, well, Lu’s job. The final piece in the puzzle, then, is in creating a motorbroom that suits you.

“Broom customization is both about building a motorbroom that looks amazing and feels just like you, but it’s also in how you decide how you’re going to navigate the island,” says Mihajlović. “Whether you want to speed down the straights, cut across a field, or glide over a canyon, different broom setups will open different paths and playstyles. You can also put Sigil Stickers on your broom that give you weird and wonderful powers, like an offensive sideways phase shift that you can use to bump your rivals off the track, or a more forgiving 10 second rewind that lets you retake a corner if you didn’t get it quite right.”

The way the team is winding together mechanical and narrative benefits to the player isn’t just fascinating – it’s unusual. It’s the kind of thing that might have been hard to pitch at their previous studios, meaning self-publishing with ID@Xbox has been a boon:

“We’re huge fans of the ID@Xbox program – and before that Xbox Live Arcade,” says Mihajlović. “It birthed or enabled so many of the games that we love, and in a lot of ways the whole indie wave that got us into the games industry in the first place. I actually remember the first Summer of Arcade, and how exciting and validating it was as a teenager to see indie games on a console, so it’s incredible to now be a part of the program.”

With a two-person team, the game still has a way to go until release – and they’re not set on a release date just yet – but the early version I play makes abundantly clear how wild, weird, and ambitious Electric Saint is getting. Just like its motorbrooms, Crescent County might be unfamiliar, but it’s feeling just right already.

Crescent County is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. You can wishlist the game now.

Crescent County

Electric Saint

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Discover this beautiful open world racing on the back of your very own motorbroom. In Crescent County you play as Lu, as you move to the island under tense pretences, eager to start afresh. It’s a game about finding home in a brand-new witch-tech universe.

During the day you’re a motorbroom courier; delivering packages, herding sheep, and setting off fireworks. You find yourself building a life through helping the locals; getting to know their struggles, and their island home. Plan your day every morning by picking your jobs, and then zoom around the island getting things done! The better your broom is the more you can do, and the more of the gossip you uncover.

After you’ve made some change, head down to Bo’s workshop to upgrade your motobroom and make it your own! Replace parts to improve your broom’s handling, top speed, or gliding ability, and pop some Sigil Stickers on it to enable special powers such as Phase Shifting and Time Rewind.

At night, use your customised motorbroom to defeat your new friends in improvised races around the island. Discover shortcuts on ancient ley lines, and sprint through abandoned power stations in rebellious, secret races to win new broom parts.

Start in your cousin’s empty bedsit and collect furniture from the locals to scrap together a cosy new life for yourself on the island. The better your home is, the more activities you can do with your new friends. Can’t have a dinner party with a table, or a date without a couch!

Indiana Jones has a feeling. It’s not just in the more tangible elements – the stories, the hero, or the music – it’s also in the way it was filmed, the minutiae of choreography, and the tone. Those ineffable qualities are what have made this series so beloved, and so lasting. And that’s a very difficult thing to recreate in a video game.

It presented Indiana Jones and the Great Circle developer MachineGames with an extra challenge – not only did the team have to create a fantastic, modern-feeling game, but one that simultaneously captures the magic that swirls around the movies. It comes down to a question of balance: making a compelling game that still looks, feels, acts, and sounds like the movies it’s drawing inspiration from.

In speaking to developers across MachineGames, it’s fascinating to hear how that was achieved, mixing modern game design with traditional filmmaking techniques, all in service of creating something that hits the sweet spot MachineGames has been striving for.

Perhaps one of the best examples of the deep thinking applied comes out of a single scene – one you might even describe as incidental.

‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’ contains perhaps one of cinema’s best-known jokes. A crowd parts, and our hero is faced with a menacing swordsman, brandishing a scimitar. He chuckles darkly, passing his sword from hand to hand, before twirling it with expert precision – a show of how tough this fight will be. Indy grimaces, pulls out his revolver, and drops him with a single shot. What we thought was about to be a fight scene becomes a punchline. It’s perfect.

And it’s exactly the kind of scene that shouldn’t work in a video game. This is effectively the intro to a boss battle – this guy should have multiple attack patterns, three different health bars, the works. As it turns out, that very scene may have started as the challenge the team faced – but it became part of the solution:

“That scene is a very good example of type of humor that one can experience in the classic Indy movies – priceless!”, says Creative Director Axel Torvenius. “What we absolutely have been inspired by from that, and similar scenes, is that very humor. To have varied, engaging and rewarding combat encounters has been very important – but to make sure we spice them up with the Indy-humor has been equally important.”

Taken on a wider level, this tells us a lot about MachineGames’ approach – in almost every regard, the team has gone the extra mile to help capture the movies’ magic, even if they’re not an immediately natural fit for gaming, in a new form. And as you’ll see, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Matinée Idol

“Sitting as close as possible to the original look and feel of ’80s cinema was something we wanted to get right from the beginning,” explains Torvenius. “There was never an interest in reinventing the look or feel of Indiana Jones – the core ambition was always to make sure it really hit home in terms of having a style close to ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’.”

You might be surprised at just how deep that effort goes. The team scrutinized the early films, not just for their tone and writing, but for technical detail. What color palettes and film grading were used? Which kind of film stock was in the cameras? How did the original audio team record sound effects? What kind of stunt work was done? And from there, the hard work began – translating those original techniques into not just a modern context, but an entirely different medium.

Some of the stories here are fascinating. Torvenius explains that the team studied how the original film teams created their sets, and applied those rules to locations in the game:

“Obviously in games, the big challenge is that you can constantly peek behind the curtain and go ‘backstage’ – you can roam freely and break the composition. But there are many locations throughout the game where we know from which direction the player will come, or where they will exit and what type of scenery they will see. So we identified those early and pushed those further so we can set the scene more in certain places.”

For cutscenes, which are naturally more controlled, the team could go further: “Another big thing we did for this project was to have a Director of Photography on set for all the cinematic filming in the motion capture studio,” continues Torvenius. “We had the talented Kyle Klütz helping us and working in the mocap studio with this huge, heavy camera dolly rolling around to make sure we captured the right amount of velocity in pan, angular movement, composition and framing. Once we transfer this data into the cutscene shots in the game engine, it gives us a very solid start in terms of a camera work that feels reminiscent of the early Indiana Jones movies.”

Pitch Perfect

Sound is just as important as look for Indiana Jones, of course. From the iconic John Williams score, to the “feel” of its effects, to the iconic Wilhelm Scream (yes, it’s in the game), the soundscape of the movies is just as nostalgic as the look and story.

“The first thing we did was try to identify the core elements of that Indiana Jones sound,” says Audio Director, Pete Ward. “What did we have to nail to evoke the feeling of playing as Indy, in a cinematic way? We sat down as a team and watched all the Indy movies again, and we realized there were several things we absolutely had to get right – Indy’s voice likeness, the musical score, the whip, the revolver, and the punches. There were other things too, like the sound of the puzzles, and the fantastical elements, where we constantly referenced the original movies and [original Indiana Jones sound designer] Ben Burtt’s sound design.”

It led Ward’s team down some unexpected paths. The aim wasn’t to reuse sound effects directly from the game, but reproduce them as faithfully as possible to serve the game’s needs – which in some cases meant returning to techniques used by the original team more than 40 years ago.

“We did hundreds of hours of original recordings, using props like the whip, the fedora, the leather jacket, and lots of different shoe types on lots of different surfaces,” continues Ward. “For impacts in particular, we also used techniques originally used by Ben Burtt and his team, like beating up leather jackets with baseball bats. We also used practical effects where possible, like plucking metal springs with contact mics attached, to get some of that old-school vibe in our spectacular set pieces.”

The result is a game that sounds reminiscent of an ’80’s movie – it’s still naturalistic, but listen closely and you’ll find it comes across in a different way from most modern games.

The same went for the score – John Williams’ soundtracks are among the most recognizable in cinema history, but the aim was never simply to impersonate them. MachineGames brought in composer Gordy Haab to achieve that – a fitting choice given that he’s won awards for his work on multiple Star Wars games by drawing heavy inspiration from Williams, while making them his own.

 “Gordy was such a great composer to work with for this project – he really nailed the style and tone, and was able to emulate and seamlessly extend the original score where needed, while also creating entirely new themes for our story and characters that fit perfectly within the Indiana Jones universe,” enthuses Ward. “We were very careful about where and when we first hear certain themes as well – the Raider’s March is the iconic, instantly recognizable theme for Indiana Jones, and we wanted to incorporate it at the right moments, but also develop our own musical story with our own new themes.”

But the risk of creating new elements amid such an iconic score is that they’ll stick out –and again, MachineGames went the extra mile to ensure that this didn’t happen. Haab and Ward researched how the original soundtracks were recorded, and even recorded in the same studio, Abbey Road. Amazingly, they even found out that they’d created accidental connections to the original along the way:

“We even had a couple of session musicians who played on the original sessions for Raiders,” explains Ward. “It was a lovely moment when they came to the control room after the session was finished and told us that!”

Telling the Tale

But where look and sound allowed the team to look back at what had come before, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s story needed to be something entirely new, yet totally fitting for both the franchise – not to mention the game’s setting between ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and ‘Temple of Doom’. For Lead Narrative Designer Tommy Tordsson Björk, it required a different kind of research.

“Indiana Jones has an incredibly rich lore with movies, comic books, games and more that we could dig into and use in different ways, not only for immersing the player in     Indy’s world, but also to connect the different stories and characters. In this regard, our great working relationship with Lucasfilm Games helped us enormously.

“From there, a lot of our work when developing the worldbuilding has been devoted to researching the 1930s, and then filtering it through lens of what we call an ’Indy matinée adventure’ to make it feel both authentic and true to the story of this world.”

You’ll see that commitment not just to the Indy series itself, but for the time period in which it’s set, in the ways characters talk, the world around you, and even down to the era-appropriate spelling of Gizeh. MachineGames – and the connection of many of its developers, including Björk, to the acclaimed Starbreeze – means that the team has a lot of experience working with established franchises, from The Chronicles of Riddick to The Darkness, and it’s an experience that guided them in this new endeavour.

“The approach that we’ve had on all of our games is to make them as true to what made the originals so great. We don’t want to retread what has already been told, but instead move into new territory that evokes the same tone and spirit,” says Björk. “I think what the development of Indy has taught us is the importance of letting the character control the path of both the story and the gameplay, because this franchise is so much defined by Indy and who he is to an even greater extent than the previous games we’ve worked on.”

Playing With History

And that leads us to the final piece of the development puzzle – turning the history of a movie series into a playable experience. How do you capture the excitement of a tightly-edited, linear movie in an interactive experience, where every player will choose to do things slightly differently, and take their Indy in different directions?

Part of that is in returning to the movie making of it all, by grounding so much of what we play in real-life performance:

“We have done so much motion capture for this game! I think this is most motion capture and stunts we have ever done,” says Torvenius. “And some of the scenes we have in the game are quite wild from a stunt perspective. We shot a number of scenes at Goodbye Kansas in Stockholm, which has a ceiling height of almost 8 meters, just because some scenes required stunts to be performed from that height.

“We’ve been working with some very talented stuntmen and women throughout the production and together with our talent director Tom Keegan I dare to say we have some of the strongest action scenes from a MachineGames perspective yet. When it comes to capturing the look and feel of the stunts and action sequences in the early Indiana Jones movies, it has been a combined effort from various members within MG; obviously our Animation Director Henrik Håkansson and Cinematic Director Markus Söderqvist has an important part to play here for look and feel of animations. And then the audio work from Audio director Pete Ward and his department also plays an important part in making sure everything sounds true to the movie.”

But even the smallest elements have been scrutinized, like throwing a simple punch, for example:

“It has been very important to make sure the combat feels fun and rewarding and easy enough to get drawn into but then hard to master for the ones that likes to crank up the difficulty settings,” explains Torvenius. “We definitely wanted to capture the cinematic feel of the melee combat! Getting those heavy cinematic impact sounds in, having a good response from the spray of sweat and saliva as you punch someone in the face, interesting animations, and the behaviour of a hulking opponent coming towards you.”

This depth of thought is everywhere in the game. Puzzles have been designed with the spirit of whether they might feel right for the movies; locations given the buzz not just of real-life, but a film set; and even the ability to use almost any disposable item as both a distraction and a weapon is drawn from the comic spirit of the movies.

“One of the core ingredients in Indiana Jones is definitely humour. It is something we have worked hard with across every aspect of the game: environmental storytelling, script and VO, in cutscene and story beats, and it absolutely needs to be conveyed in the minute-to-minute gameplay, such as combat. And it is not only the tools you use but also a lot of hard work from the engineer and animation teams to make sure we have interesting, rewarding and fun take down animations. And on top of all of that you also need the best possible audio! And when that cocktail is shaken just the right amount, voilà – out comes something very delicious and fun!”

Which brings us all the way back round to that iconic scene with the swordsman. In a normal game, no, that scene might not make sense when translated to a video game context. But in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle? Well, MachineGames has put in the research, the work, and the commitment to ensure that, while you’re playing this game – from solving spectacular puzzles to near-slapstick combat – it’ll feel worthy of those classic movies.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle comes to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC (with Game Pass), or Steam on December 9. Premium and Collector’s Editions will offer 3 days of early access from December 6. 

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Digital Premium Edition

Bethesda Softworks

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$99.99

Pre-order

Pre-order now or Play on Game Pass* to receive The Last Crusade Pack with the Traveling Suit Outfit and Lion Tamer Whip, as seen in The Last Crusade.

***
Live the adventure with the Premium Edition of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle!

INCLUDES:
• Base Game (digital code)
• Up to 3-Day Early Access**
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants Story DLC†
• Digital Artbook
• Temple of Doom Outfit

***
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.

YOU ARE INDIANA JONES
Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time.

A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS
Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces.

WHIP-CRACKING ACTION
Indiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery.

THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY
Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

*Game Pass members get access to all pre-order content as long as Game Pass subscription is active.
**Actual play time depends on purchase date and applicable time zone differences, subject to possible outages.
†DLC availability to be provided at a later date.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Standard Edition

Bethesda Softworks

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

Pre-order now or Play on Game Pass* to receive The Last Crusade Pack with the Traveling Suit Outfit and Lion Tamer Whip, as seen in The Last Crusade.
***
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.

YOU ARE INDIANA JONES
Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time.

A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS
Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces.

WHIP-CRACKING ACTION
Indiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery.

THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY
Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

*Game Pass members get access to all pre-order content as long as Game Pass subscription is active.