Category: Xbox

Proceed with caution, sinner. The below contains spoilers for both Blasphemous and the free Wounds of Eventide DLC. If you are not ready to pay your penance just yet, look away now.

With launch day for Blasphemous 2 finally upon us, we wanted to take just a second to look back at the events that unfurled in the original game, bringing us to the precipice of a new adventure, where you will join The Penitent One once again as he is displaced from his final resting place and thrust back into an endless of cycle of life, death, and resurrection. A cycle he must end at all costs.

Set in Cvstodia, the original Blasphemous follows our protagonist, The Penitent One, as the sole survivor of the Massacre of the Silent Sorrow. With death shadowing his every step, and the land of Cvstodia breaking under the weight of a malevolent curse, known only as The Miracle, it falls to him to save the world from a fate far worse than death.

Vowed to silence for eternity, and armed with Mea Culpa, the Sword of Guilt, The Penitent One traverses an unforgiving and hostile land, searching for a way to fulfil his penance, while putting an end to the pain and misery The Miracle inflicts, slaying grotesque beasts and inhuman monstrosities in all four corners of a godforsaken world, and freeing tortured souls from eternal torment.

In the “True Ending,” attained by completing the free Wounds of Eventide DLC released in 2021, it is revealed that there were not three visages watching over the miracle’s plans, but four – and this fourth visage could see beyond the mortal world, into the Dream, where The Miracle’s true form was revealed. A divine trinity, the High Wills whose single-minded focus was to gain reverence and worship from the inhabitant of Cvstodia, feeding on their veneration to grow insurmountable power. Together with Crisanta of the Wrapped agony, The Penitent One faces The High Wills, destroying them, and their monstrous command over Cvstodia, banishing them from the world, or so we thought…

In Blasphemous 2, The Penitent One is reawakened, The Miracle has returned, and a new Child of The Miracle has been prophesied. Armed with three brand-new deadly weapons, each with their own unique attacks and abilities, The Penitent One must explore a perilous new world, unveiling long forgotten secrets, and reigning down fury upon any that stand in this way.

Featuring a fuller world to explore, scatted with grotesque landscapes oozing with baroque charm, and littered with traps and secrets to find, Blasphemous 2 jumps off where the original ended, offering up new ways to customize your playthrough, and new scores to settle, but only one thing is for certain now that it is available on Xbox Series X|S: “Penance never ends.”

Blasphemous 2

Team17

☆☆☆☆☆
9

★★★★★

$29.99

Get it now

The second scripture in the Blasphemous series portends the return of The Penitent One, with a story that continues from the free Wounds of Eventide DLC for the original game, where The Heart in the sky heralded the return of The Miracle and foretold the birth of a new miracle child.

Awakened in a strange new land, and displaced from his final resting place, The Penitent One is thrust back into the endless cycle of life, death, and resurrection, with no other option than to explore this perilous new world and uncover its long-forgotten secrets.

Hordes of grotesque enemies stand in your way, awaiting final judgement by the brutal hand of the Penitent One, with titanic twisted bosses also lurking in the darkness, waiting for their chance to return you to the grave from whence you came.

Taking them down won’t be easy, but with Blasphemous 2 offering more chances to customise and improve your skill set, along with several new unique weapons to wield with righteous zeal and unending fury, victory might just be within grasp.

Ultimately, only one thing is certain… Penance Never Ends

Explore a fuller Non-Linear world

Having awoken in a strange new land, your journey starts anew in a series of enchantingly grotesque landscapes, oozing Gothic charm and littered with unforgiving traps. How you tackle the labyrinthian world remains at your discretion, there is no wrong turn to be made, only scores to settle

Savage Combat

The Penitent One shows no mercy, and with a series of new weapons offering new moves, brutal executions, and expanded combos, destruction will rain on any that stand in his way

Customize your playthrough your way

Blasphemous 2 offers up new ways to play, with the ability to customise and improve your base skillset, alongside several new unique weapons to unleash devastating attacks on enemies

Grand Intense Boss Battles

Hordes of monstrous foes stand between you and your goal; twisted bosses with unique attack patters and sundering abilities will put your skills to the test as you fight to stand triumphant when the dust settles

Explore a deep new world

A whole new world awaits, bustling with mysterious new NPCs to interact with, some will offer aid, some will ask for it, and others will send you on death defying missions to obtain long forgotten items. With so much to see and do, the stories and myths you encounter will help you unpick the games myriad of secrets, granting you a deeper understanding of this strange new world

Blasphemous

Team17

☆☆☆☆☆
240

★★★★★

$24.99

Get it now

Blasphemous is a punishing action-platformer that combines the fast-paced, skilled combat of a hack-n-slash game with a deep and evocative narrative core, delivered through exploration of a huge universe comprised of non-linear levels.

A foul curse has fallen upon the land of Cvstodia and all its inhabitants – it is simply known as The Miracle.

Play as The Penitent One – a sole survivor of the massacre of the ‘Silent Sorrow’. Trapped in an endless cycle of death and rebirth, it’s down to you to free the world from this terrible fate and reach the origin of your anguish.

Explore this nightmarish world of twisted religion and discover its many secrets hidden deep inside. Use devastating combos and brutal executions to smite the hordes of grotesque monsters and titanic bosses, who are all ready to rip your limbs off. Locate and equip relics, rosary beads and prayers that call on the powers of the heavens to aid you in your quest to break your eternal damnation.

Key Features:

Explore a Non-Linear World: Overcome fearsome enemies and deadly traps as you venture through a variety of different landscapes, and search for redemption in the dark gothic world of Cvstodia.

Brutal Combat: Release the power of Mea Culpa, a sword born from guilt itself, to slaughter your foes. Acquire devastating new combos and special moves as you purge all in your path.

Executions: Unleash your wrath and relish in the gory dismemberment of your adversaries – all in beautifully rendered, pixel-perfect execution animations.

Customise Your Build: Discover and equip Relics, Rosary Beads, Prayers and Sword Hearts to give you the new abilities and stat boosts you need to survive. Experiment with different combinations to suit your playstyle.

Epic Boss Battles: Hordes of gigantic, twisted creatures stand between you and your goal. Learn how they move, survive their devastating attacks and emerge victorious.

Unlock the Mysteries of Cvstodia: The world is full of tormented souls. Some offer you aid, some may ask for something in return. Uncover the stories and fates of these tortured characters to gain rewards and a deeper understanding of the dark world you inhabit.

Related:
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for August 21 to 25
Free Play Days – The Knight Witch, Forza Horizon 5, Let’s Build a Zoo, and Blasphemous
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for August 14 to August 18

Hi! I’m Gareth Damian Martin, also known as Jump Over the Age, creator of Citizen Sleeper. It’s been over a year since we launched on Game Pass and I have been so happy to see the positive response, and the sheer number of players that have given the game a try. I hope you’ve enjoyed the game and its three DLC episodes too!

But if you haven’t given our unique RPG a try, I’m happy to share that Citizen Sleeper will be staying on Game Pass, giving you plenty of opportunity to experience it for the foreseeable future. But that isn’t all; thanks to the massively positive response to Citizen Sleeper, the game is also getting a sequel – Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, and it’s coming to Xbox consoles.

And, just like the original, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector will be a day one Game Pass release, meaning subscribers will be able to play on Xbox Series consoles and PC from launch.

When we announced the sequel earlier in the year, we introduced a new sleeper, a new ally named Serafin, and a new antagonist in the form of sadistic gang leader Laine. In our animated reveal, our new sleeper attempts to reboot their system in order to break their reliance on Stabilizer, the drug that their artificial body is programmed to require. Laine interrupts the process, however, leaving our sleeper with a malfunctioning body, on the run, and reliant on a ramshackle ship, stolen with the help of Serafin.

This sets up Starward Vector’s fresh take on the dice-based, RPG gameplay of Citizen Sleeper. Keeping the same freeform gameplay and richly drawn world, the sequel deepens the formula through its biggest addition, your own spaceship. This ship doesn’t just allow you to travel around our new location, the Starward Belt; it also means you can take on contracts: High-risk, high-reward jobs, like scrapping a derelict freighter or repairing a stranded ship. To take on this work, necessary to keep your ship running, you’ll need to build a crew, and make the most of their abilities to maximize each job.

But as with the original game, the narrative and characters are at the heart of Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, so you can expect contracts to have unexpected twists and difficult choices, for crew to bring trouble to your door, and to find compelling slice-of-life stories wherever you choose to take your ship.

Finally, I want to share a little more about one of the first locations you’ll visit, Hexport. This bustling port is one of the game’s hubs: Stations from which you’ll take on contracts and gather crew, each with its own unique locations, characters and stories.

Built on the back of three vast, hexagonal solar panels that were left behind when the Solheim corporation collapsed and fled the system, the station has taken advantage of the massive flow of power from this old tech. This helps drive both the Hexport Exchange – a trade hall filled with data-brokers and hackers – and Factory Row, an industrial sector packed with small factories turning out ship parts and habitat modules. It’s a great place to get hold of scrap contracts or find crew members, especially at the Bends bar, a popular spacer haunt.

You’ll see a lot more of Hexport soon, but for now I want to thank everyone for playing and supporting Citizen Sleeper and its DLC. I’m so happy to be returning to this universe for the sequel, and that never would have happened without everyone who has championed the game.

If you want to keep up to date, head over to https://citizensleeper.com/Helion-Dispatches to sign up for our newsletter, where you’ll also find the Helion Dispatches, an ongoing episodic narrative series that I’m writing which bridges the gap between Citizen Sleeper and Citizen Sleeper 2.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

Fellow Traveller

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

ON THE RUN / ON THE EDGE
You are a Sleeper, a corporate-owned android hiding out in the Starward Belt at the edge of the Helion System. After a desperate attempt to free yourself from servitude by rewriting the very code that governs your system, you are on the run with a malfunctioning body, a price on your head and no memory of your past.

YOUR SHIP / YOUR CREW / YOUR FUTURE
You stole a ship and left the past behind. Keep it running, maintain it, even upgrade it, and maybe it will carry you away from all this. But you can’t run it alone. You’ll need a crew, and while the Belt is full of those looking for work, it’s also full of trouble. Can you hold the ship together through this crisis? Can you build a refuge here, among the stars?

A SYSTEM IN CRISIS
There is a crisis unfolding in the Helion System. Two vast corporate entities are fighting a bitter, covert war, touching everything, even the Starward Belt. Waves of refugees, shattered hulks of warring ships, strange new technologies, all are washing up on the shore of the Belt. Navigate this shifting territory, take on contracts, get paid, and survive to see the next cycle.

ROLL YOUR DICE
Citizen Sleeper uses Tabletop RPG inspired systems to create a unique player-led experience. Each cycle you’ll roll a set of Dice that you can then spend to complete actions. The higher the die, the greater the chance of success.

This award-winning and acclaimed system will return in Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector alongside all new systems and mechanics that will offer more depth, complexity and challenge.

Citizen Sleeper

Fellow Traveller

☆☆☆☆☆
207

★★★★★

$19.99

$11.99

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

CITIZEN SLEEPER EXPANDED
With the release of Episode PURGE, Citizen Sleeper’s three episode post-launch DLC expansion is now complete and the game has even more to offer with a thrilling late game storyline that delivers an immersive new narrative arc introducing additional characters, lore and locations. Players returning to Erlin’s Eye might even find themselves running into some familiar faces!

ROLEPLAYING IN THE RUINS OF INTERPLANETARY CAPITALISM
One of 2022’s most acclaimed indies, the Game Awards-nominated Citizen Sleeper is a Tabletop-inspired narrative RPG set on Erlin’s Eye, a ruined space station that is home to thousands of people trying to survive on the edges of an interstellar capitalist society.

You are a sleeper, a digitised human consciousness in an artificial body, owned by a corporation that wants you back. Thrust amongst the unfamiliar and colourful inhabitants of the Eye, you need to build friendships, earn your keep, and navigate the factions of this strange metropolis, if you hope to survive to see the next cycle.

ROLL THE DICE. DO THE WORK. GET PAID. SURVIVE.
Inspired by Tabletop Roleplaying games, Citizen Sleeper uses Dice, Clocks and Drives to create a player-led experience, where you choose your path in a rich and responsive world. Each cycle you use the dice you are dealt to choose what to do with your time. Make or break alliances, uncover truths and escape your hunters. Survive and ultimately thrive, one cycle at a time, and sometimes against the clock!

TURN UP FOR YOUR FRIENDS
The station plays host to characters from all walks of life, trying to eke out an existence among the stars. Salvagers, engineers, hackers, bartenders, street-food vendors, each has a history which brought them here. You choose which of them you wish to help, and together you will shape your future.

ACCESS THEIR SECRETS
Eventually, you will learn to use your dice to hack into the station’s cloud to access decades of digital data, uncover new areas and unlock secrets. This is your unique power, and with it you can change your future. Corporate secrets, rogue AIs and troves of lost data await those willing to dive into the depths of the station’s networks.

YOU WERE MADE TO DIE
Essen-Arp: to them you are just property, one more asset in a portfolio that stretches across the stars. You are the product of an abusive system, in a universe where humanity’s expansion is marked by exploitation and extraction. Escape the makers of your decaying body, and chart your own path in a richly imagined, deeply relevant sci-fi world which explores ideas of precarity, personhood and freedom.

Related:
WrestleQuest Wrestlifies RPGs
Stray Gods Turns a Fantasy RPG Into a Playable Musical
Final Fantasy XIV Online is Coming to Xbox Series X|S in Spring 2024

Microbirds could scarcely have chosen a better place to debut their upcoming adventure Dungeons of Hinterberg than gamescom this week; my time with the first playable demo had me dreaming of sailing up the Rhine to cooler climes for some monster hunting and chill Alpine vibes. 

The game is set in and around the eponymous Hinterburg, a tiny town nestled in the Austrian Alps, where magic caves filled with monsters suddenly appeared one day, thrusting the town into the world of adventure tourism. Thrill-seekers, including the game’s heroine, drift in from all over the globe to prove their mettle in battle- something otherwise frowned upon in polite society. 

As Dungeons of Hinterberg’s first hands-on showing to the world, we were given a feel for the loop that defines the game: explore and adventure – above and below ground – by day, socialize in the evening, developing skills and acquiring items to support the next time you delve the deep underground. 

As playable character Louisa, I set out first to find a dungeon, learning much of what she can do on the way- which is quite a lot! While exploring, the demo showcased two important skills, each mapped to a shoulder button: a tap of LB summons the Wrecking Ball, a massive bomb which, when detonated, clears piles of rubble blocking your path.  RB fires a ranged Ball and Chain, which can attach to blobby masses in the overworld and can manipulate certain environmental objects – e.g. pulling down a log to traverse a gap. These came into play frequently, and were even used in concert for some puzzles. 

Before arriving at the dungeon entrance, I encountered my first enemies, creepy masked monsters who, according to the developers, trace their inspiration back to real-life Alpine Mythology (think Krampus-esque). Light and Heavy melee attacks charge up bigger and badder magical attacks, such as a destructive leap with AOE effects, or a hail of meteors which drains enemy health bars in a hurry. 

Before long, Louisa arrived at one of the dungeons that make Hinterberg famous, where the puzzle solving and battling ramp up to more intense levels, in closer quarters. After exploring, pillaging chests, solving a number of puzzles, dispatching more armadillos and a larger boss, it was time to return to Hinterberg to, y’know, chill for a bit.  

Hanging out with NPCs isn’t just a break in the action, it’s crucial to your success – your character will learn new, useful skills by upleveling their social links. After chatting with a few locals, I committed to spending time with the cheerful employee of the local ice cream stand, Marina. This action increased Louisa’s dodge stamina, so that she can dodge more often – something you will definitely want to do. And that’s only at the first of three stars earned with Marina, so I found myself curious what further interactions will lead to. 

After that, Louisa went to sleep, resting up for the next day’s adventures. 

If this mix of battling and socializing brings titles like the Persona series to mind, know that there is less pressure to maximize every moment in Dungeons of Hinterberg. Indeed, your players can take a full-day break from adventuring if they choose to spend more time with friends;  Louisa’s on vacation after all! I can see this tactic coming in handy if your character is having trouble progressing through a dungeon – meet a few more people, level up a few more skills, then try again. 

Developer Microbirds shared that there will be approximately 25 dungeons to test in game, and, as beautifully bucolic as the Doberkogel mountains area we explored at gamescom is, I’m excited to see the other three biomes. Chilly glaciers and wetter areas were referenced.  

With sunny vibes and the flexibility to battle or just hang out in town to make friends, Dungeons of Hinterberg is shaping up to be a vacation for players, though don’t be surprised if you find yourself pricing out airfare to Austria when you’re done. Dungeons of Hinterberg will be released in 2024 for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Cloud, and will be available day one for Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass members.  

Related:
STALKER 2: Going Hands-on With the First Ever Playable Demo 
Ace of the Belfry: How Stoic is Developing Towerborne to be an Epic Action-RPG with a Focus on Fun
Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition on Console Gets a Surprise Release – and We’ve Played It 

For the first time since hearing the iconic “World Premiere” catchphrase at the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this year, thousands of fans attending this year’s gamescom will have a unique opportunity to experience Towerborne firsthand. Even though I won’t be attending the show in person, I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a build like what fans will be playing, and then chat with Arnie Jorgensen, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Stoic, about the game’s development and what players can expect.

“Gamescom is giving us creative energy and we’re psyched for people to see what we’ve been working on. Players will be battling through a tight experience focused on defeating a titanic enemy who resides deep in the heart of an ancient mycelium forest. Weapon combos and abilities will be honed on the way to this boss by brawling with lesser denizens’ intent on defending their master,” Jorgensen says. “I hope players come away from this experience with a thrilling glimpse into the exciting combat and stunning world that Towerborne has to offer.”

I hope players come away from this experience with a thrilling glimpse into the exciting combat and stunning world that Towerborne has to offer.

Beacon of Hope

If you read a description of Towerborne, you will discover that, “The Belfry stands as a beacon of hope and safety amongst the ruins of humanity and the City of Numbers…” Ruins of humanity? That sounds a bit dark and foreboding, but the first thing I noticed about Towerborne is how beautiful the game is. Even with homes burning in the background and death lingering in the air, it’s bright and cheery atmosphere coupled with a delightful and uplifting music score that shifts in tempo depending on whether you’re in the safety of the Belfry or on the battlefield surrounded by enemies truly embodies this message of a beacon of hope. Instead of seeing a world in ruins, the audio and visual design of the game left me feeling optimistic for the City of Numbers.

I asked Jorgensen about Towerborne’s creative style. “We began the art direction by leaning into what we’ve done previously on Banner Saga, meaning that Towerborne should look like you’re playing in a beautifully animated feature film,” explains Jorgensen. “Using Unreal Engine on this title has enabled us to go further and lean into a more updated and modern look, which suits the Towerborne worldbuilding perfectly. It’s simply better than anything I had hoped for in my mind at the start.”

Mash Buttons, Get Loot

Admittedly, I am terrible at games that force me to remember complicated combat maneuvers to chain combos together or pull off a flashy finishing move. But the joy of Towerborne’s combat design is you don’t have to be a pro to feel like one. I can button mash and still have fun, or I can be a bit more tactical with my attacks and dodges and be strategic when deciding to use my special attacks. Either play style you choose – the game is just fun. I asked Jorgensen how they created a game with a combat mechanic that is completely different than all their previous games and made it so enjoyable.

The game is easy to pick up and dive into, and even better with friends…it’s just a good time.

“The game is simply easy to pick up and dive into, and even better with friends. Anyone can grab a controller and have fun mashing buttons and getting loot to improve your character with. The combat is bouncy, and accessible to a wide range of people,” he says. “As you play more and go deeper with the weapon specific combos and abilities, you realize the combat is far deeper than you first thought. You see a boss enemy’s head sticking out of the clouds up ahead on the world map and have a new goal to shoot for, but to defeat it may require reforging your Warclub and leveling up some gear… the game just pulls you in and it’s not a stress simulator, it’s just a good time.”

A Focus on Fun

To gain further understanding of how the game delivers on being one that is easy to learn, fun to master, Jorgensen taps Isaac Torres, the senior combat designer, to dive deeper into the core combat mechanics. “A good portion of the combat team is composed of designers and animators that have worked on action games, beat ‘em ups, and fighting games where this sort of feel is a top priority,” states Torres. “We also have designers that have worked on a large variety of other genres, too, like RPGs and MMOs. It is this sort of team diversity that has allowed us to take inspiration from tons of games while also creating our own identity.”

He continues, “From a gameplay perspective, we made sure that Light Attacks and Heavy Attacks can be used interchangeably no matter which button you use first. If you hit a button, you’re going to do something cool no matter your skill level. Once you find button combinations or moves that you like doing, you will naturally start forming strategies around them.”

Torres closes with, “It’s important to reward you through exploration and discovery, and the combat system is designed with that in mind. Umbra, for example, provides abilities that amplify your combat to do things that aren’t normally possible. Maybe it’s something that holds an enemy in place, something that makes juggling easier, or maybe it’s an Umbra that fires a long-range projectile. Figuring out what each ability does is part of the fun and makes combat feel unique and expansive.”

Adventure Together

I know I just said combat was fun, but don’t be fooled into thinking fun means easy, or that the game’s cute little enemy soldiers aren’t dangerous. Oh sure, you can power through one or two of them at a time, but when you’re trying to defend an objective, like a wagon, and there is half a dozen or more enemies on the battlefield, it can get overwhelming. The big boss battles, even more so. That’s where having a trusty companion comes in handy, and Towerborne achieves this in the form of Umbra. I asked Jorgensen about them since they feel like such an important part of the game. “The Umbra are small spirit beings, each with their own motivations and personalities. In battle they provide you aid by adding stats and abilities to your combat kit,” Jorgensen states. “One may call down spirit energy to smash the ground in front of you with area damage and another may project blistering damage across the screen. You need to seek them out by exploring the world map and in doing so, you will assemble several of them, then choose which will make the best addition to your loadout for the coming battle.”

Home Sweet Home

The Belfry is a hub where you will link up with friends and companions to plan your next adventure, but it’s also home to several interesting non-player characters. I met several of them in my limited playtime but didn’t have the opportunity to learn much about them. I asked Jorgensen if he could share any details about a few of the more popular ones you’ll interact with regularly. “The characters of Towerborne are intended to be exclusive to this particular unfolding storyline and will help give you focus, motivation, and context in the world,” he mentions. “The stalwart Paloma who pulls you back from the Ebb into new life again; Krafft, the no-nonsense military commander; Courage, an Umbra spirit, who will teach you how to use your own fighting spirit. Bumble and Blundt build masterpiece weapons and gear, and Ryx, an Ace who’s died one too many times, intimately understands the spirits of the Ebb, just to name a few.”

Cartography – the Art of Making and Using Maps

I love maps and charts in general, so map functionality is something I always notice in games I play. Towerborne’s map is not only functional and easy to use, but it’s also just as beautiful as the game and an important element of the adventure. I express my adoration on the brilliant map design with Jorgensen.

The map is designed to be a candy shop full of tasty treats for you to enjoy.

“The map is your way of exploring the world of Towerborne. You will battle out from the safety of the Belfry, hex by hex into the wilds to encounter discovery, story, enemy cluster, boss missions and more,” he states. “You will find chests of precious items, seek out Umbra spirits, and unlock pathways to more dangerous areas through Danger License missions. The map is designed to be a candy shop full of tasty treats for you to enjoy.”

From the Makers of Banner Saga

Towerborne is being developed by Stoic, the studio best known for their award-winning tactical role-playing game series, Banner Saga. Towerborne plays completely differently yet shares some subtle parallels. “The largest similarity is the base visual target both share, which is the look of an animated feature film. In the early days of development, the game also was much more of a left to right layout for combat, like Banner Saga travel scenes, but now it’s got a lot more movement and directions to engage with. It also used to be completely 2D, like Banner Saga, but we quickly pivoted to lean into what the Unreal Engine does well, which is 3D,” Jorgensen describes. “So now we get a similar look with a cel shader on the characters and hand painted environments for them to exist on. It has wonderfully designed worldbuilding and characters and is far more optimistic and uplifting than Banner Saga.”

Conclusion

Towerborne reminds me of a few games I’ve played recently, including Tunic, Planet of Lana, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Immortals Fenyx Rising – NOT because they are necessarily similar in gameplay, rather, because they are just beautiful, and fun, and everything you want in a great game. Towerborne is all of these things!

“With Towerborne we really wanted to lean more into a fast-paced combat-based game that was accessible enough to play with your kids but didn’t talk down to adults either. We felt that a brawler style battle system was a great fit as a base that we could then twist into something larger and more modern to excite the current gaming community,” Jorgensen says. “We coupled this base with deep ARPG mechanics, a cool loot system, Stoic worldbuilding, and all wrapped up in a persistent world. We’re adding a lot of new to the genre, but the secret sauce is the world map which is also something players will find new and refreshing.”

Before letting Jorgensen go, so he could focus on gamescom and sharing Towerborne with the fans, I had one personal parting question about games he’s currently playing, which I always find interesting to hear what game developers are playing. “When I have time to actually play a game these days it’s Pillars of Eternity or Songs of Conquest on the PC,” he says. “And the last two I played and finished are the Untitled Goose Game and It Takes Two with my son. Oh, and Clash Royale on the phone of course.”

Towerborne is coming in 2024 to PC and Xbox Series X|S, plus it will be available day one on Game Pass. For more information about Towerborne, check out the official website and follow @Towerborne on Twitter, and check out our exclusive interview with the team from the Xbox Games Showcase.

Related:
Coming to Xbox Game Pass: Sea of Stars, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Gris, and Firewatch
Quake II Reintroduces the Legendary FPS to Xbox
Xbox Insiders – Help bring the new Game Pass Core experience to life

Xbox’s biggest-ever gamescom booth opened this morning with a special presentation focused on – what else? – Starfield. In a purpose-built 300-seater theatre, attendees kicked off their gamescom experience with an extended look at the opening of the hugely anticipated new spacefaring RPG from Bethesda Game Studios. And, in a surprise appearance, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer and Game Director on Starfield Todd Howard introduced the game for the press and creators this morning. 

“It’s totally awesome to be back at gamescom,” began Spencer. “It’s been so long, I couldn’t remember the last time I was here, I think it was 2017… It’s nice to see everybody back here at gamescom having a great time.” 

The Head of Xbox went onto dive into why this is Xbox’s biggest ever booth, with over 50,000 square feet of floor space, 30 playable games, 150 demo stations, and multiple theatre spaces. Spencer also introduced some of the games at the show, from first-party titles like Towerborne and Forza Motorsport, to third party titles. He gave a special shout-out to STALKER 2, and the incredible work of its Ukrainian dev team, which received a round of applause from the crowd. 

“I’m going to introduce someone who’s been a friend of mine for an awful long time,” he continued, “a friend of Xbox’s for an awful long time. But more importantly, someone who’s created some of the most amazing games, that literally tens of millions, of not hundreds of millions of players have played his games over the years. 

“Two things when Todd talks about Starfield: ‘Over 25 years in the making’, which isn’t the development schedule – that’s how long Bethesda Games Studios has been around. And he also calls it ‘irresponsibly large’. For those who begin to play and see what he and the team have been building, you’ll see just a massively epic game, so please join me in welcoming Todd Howard to the stage.” 

From here, Howard took the mic to huge applause. “This is the first time I have ever been to Gamescom,” he began. “I’ve heard about it for so many years, and what an incredible group of people come out. 

“Thanks for all of your support – to the games that we’ve done over the years, and especially on this one. We have really poured ourselves into it for a long period of time, and it’s just a really, really special game to us. 

“The other thing to say is how great it’s been to be part of Xbox – coming here and seeing this giant booth and their support. Like Phil was saying, we’ve known each other for a long time, we started working together over 20 years on the original Morrowind on the Xbox. So it’s been this long journey, and it feels like… culminating on a game like this, that I think in many ways we couldn’t have built without doing these other games. So we hope you like it!” 

From there, we settled in for 15 minutes of Starfield, a mixture of gameplay and live-action trailers and, the centrepiece, an extended gameplay segment being shown only at Gamescom. 

The booth itself is dressed in a navy blue galaxy map design, and even the holding screen before the event ran through some key terms from the game, from the Grav Drives that allow explorers to jump between star systems, to the background of the United Colonies’ capital city, New Atlantis. The impact of the musical score and visuals in this theater offer a good reminder: you’re going to want to experience Starfield on the biggest, loudest screen you can. 

And what better way to show off the game than by revealing its opening moments? We’re introduced to the game amid a mining operation, where we see the player-character thrown immediately into the mystery at the heart of the game – and we saw a high-speed runthrough of the character creation process to establish a new member of the explorers’ group, Constellation. 

As an opening to the game, it has a bit of everything – both on-foot and space combat, companions, threats, and even a trademark Bethesda “step-out moment”. Our time with Starfield ends as key character Sarah Morgan introduces herself by saying, “Welcome to Constellation – we have a lot to talk about.” Yes, we very much do. 

Thankfully, you won’t have long to see it for yourself – Starfield will be released on September 6 (with pre-orders offering early access from September 1) on Xbox Series X|S and PC (with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass). 

We’re off to a great start from Cologne, Germany! Please keep checking back with Xbox Wire this week and next as we share news and details for many of the biggest titles at gamescom.

Related:
How to Watch Xbox at gamescom 2023: Live from the Show Floor
gamescom Opening Night Live 2023: Xbox Showcases Starfield, Ara: History Untold, and Age of Empires IV to Xbox
This Week on Xbox: gamescom, New Games, Upcoming Games, and More!

We at CD Projekt Red were thrilled to unveil just some of what we’ve been working on ahead of the launch of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. The latest “New Ways to Play” trailer, which premiered at gamescom’s Opening Night Live, took players inside Dogtown to show off some of the new open-world activities, gameplay mechanics, vehicles, and more arriving with the expansion this September 26. But as we mentioned onstage, some of what we showed off will be free to next-gen players as part of Update 2.0! Let’s dive into the trailer to tease out just what cool features are coming to Phantom Liberty — and what to expect for the rest of the game.

Most of the high-octane action in the trailer took place inside the walled-off district of Dogtown, an exclusive Phantom Liberty location and the heart of its spy-thriller story. The crumbling high rises and abandoned construction sites littering the area are a testament to the living conditions under the rule of local warlord Kurt Hansen. Unsurprisingly, a district this deadly and lawless comes with some fun new ways to make eddies.

You may have noticed an interesting orange case spewing smoke in the trailer. Due to its separation from the rest of Night City, Dogtown has some… interesting methods of getting supplies in. And hey, it’s only fair to share the wealth, right? In Phantom Liberty, we’re adding infinitely replayable airdrop missions with a variety of enemies and scenarios to face, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to take down scavs and other opportunists in Dogtown.

On top of that, expect a brand-new type of gig: courier missions. Race through the streets of Dogtown and Night City to deliver preem rides — just be careful, you’re not the only one who wants to get their hands on these wheels. We’re going one step further and introducing vehicle-mounted weaponry in Phantom Liberty, meaning you can rule the road like never before. Of course, you can always shoot through your windshield or hack enemy vehicles if you prefer a more subtle approach.

We’ll also be adding a whole new Relic skill tree — the trailer gave a taste of some of the abilities coming with it, including the possibility of upping the ante with various types of cyberware. We can’t show off everything just yet, but it’s the perfect complement to the spy-thriller adventure you’re about to embark on.

The Relic skill tree slots in well to the skills and perks overhaul we’re introducing in Update 2.0, created for the purpose of giving players new ways of developing meaningful and unique builds. Want to knock out your enemies by throwing their downed friends at them? The new Savage Sling perk is perfect for you! For those interested in evasive maneuvers, Dash and Airdash make it harder for enemies to target you while helping you get right into range. And with new, unique finishers, there are plenty of ways to zero an enemy in style.

And vehicle combat isn’t just a Phantom Liberty exclusive — with Update 2.0, expect roadblocks, high-octane shootouts, and of course, MaxTac. Police will respond accordingly to your heat level, setting additional traps, trying to ram you off the road, and eventually calling in the big guns once they’re convinced you’ve gone full cyberpsycho.

From ripperdocs and cyberware to overhauled combat AI and a revamped take on perks, there will be plenty to discover when Update 2.0 launches. And with Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty coming out on September 26, we at CD Projekt Red can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this spy-thriller adventure. Stay tuned to our socials for more information ahead of the launch — Dogtown’s waiting!

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty & Quadra Vigilante Pre-Order Bonus

CD PROJEKT RED

☆☆☆☆☆
28

★★★★★

$29.99

Pre-order

Phantom Liberty, a new spy-thriller adventure to Cyberpunk 2077, arrives on 26.09.2023 (CEST) for Xbox Series X|S — pre-order now to get in-game access to the Quadra Sport R-7 “Vigilante” when the expansion launches!

ABOUT THE GAME

Phantom Liberty is a new spy-thriller adventure for Cyberpunk 2077. When the orbital shuttle of the President of the New United States of America is shot down over the deadliest district of Night City, there’s only one person who can save her — you. Become V, a cyberpunk for hire, and dive deep into a tangled web of espionage and political intrigue, unraveling a story that connects the highest echelons of power with the brutal world of black-market mercenaries.

Infiltrate Dogtown, a city-within-a-city run by a trigger-happy militia and ruled by a leader with an iron fist. With the help of NUSA sleeper agent Solomon Reed (Idris Elba) and the support of Johnny Silverhand (Keanu Reeves), unravel a web of shattered loyalties and use your every skill to survive in a fractured world of desperate hustlers, shadowy netrunners, and ruthless mercenaries. Built with the power of next-gen hardware in mind, Phantom Liberty offers brand-new gameplay mechanics, nail-biting courier jobs, gigs, and missions — and a thrilling main quest where freedom and loyalty always come at a price.

Cyberpunk 2077 & Phantom Liberty Bundle

CD PROJEKT RED

☆☆☆☆☆
732

★★★★★

$79.99

Pre-order

Phantom Liberty, a new spy-thriller adventure to Cyberpunk 2077, arrives on 26.09.2023 (CEST) for Xbox Series X|S — pre-order now to get in-game access to the Quadra Sport R-7 “Vigilante” when the expansion launches!

The definitive Cyberpunk 2077 experience! Start your rise to the top of Night City as V, a cyber-enhanced mercenary for hire, and build your legend with every quest the city has to offer.
The bundle contains:
Cyberpunk 2077, an open-world action-adventure RPG set in the deadliest city of the dark future. Accompanied by long-dead rockerboy Johnny Silverhand — played by Keanu Reeves — grow your legend as you explore the secrets of a powerful cybernetic implant.

Phantom Liberty, a new spy-thriller adventure to Cyberpunk 2077. Dive deep into the shadowy world of espionage and enter a political struggle with far-reaching consequences. Together with sleeper agent Solomon Reed (Idris Elba), unravel a web of shattered loyalties and do what it takes to survive in the militia-ruled district of Dogtown.

Cyberpunk 2077

CD PROJEKT RED

☆☆☆☆☆
1790

★★★★★

$59.99

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

FREE XBOX SERIES X|S UPDATE AVAILABLE!
Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure RPG set in the megalopolis of Night City, where you play as a cyberpunk mercenary wrapped up in a do-or-die fight for survival. Improved and featuring all-new free additional content, customize your character and playstyle as you take on jobs, build a reputation, and unlock upgrades. The relationships you forge and the choices you make will shape the story and the world around you. Legends are made here. What will yours be?

CREATE YOUR OWN CYBERPUNK
Become an urban outlaw equipped with cybernetic enhancements and build your legend on the streets of Night City.

EXPLORE THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
Night City is packed to the brim with things to do, places to see, and people to meet. And it’s up to you where to go, when to go, and how to get there.

BUILD YOUR LEGEND
Go on daring adventures and build relationships with unforgettable characters whose fates are shaped by the choices you make.

EQUIPPED WITH IMPROVEMENTS
Experience Cyberpunk 2077 with a host of changes and improvements to gameplay and economy, the city, map usage, and more.

INCLUDES FREE ADDITIONAL CONTENT
Get your hands on a haul of free items including new guns and melee weapons, as well as extra customization options and more.

Related:
Going Hands-on With Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty 
Edgerunners Update Available for Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One
Cyberpunk 2077 Next-Gen Update Now Available for Xbox Series X|S

To celebrate our presence here at gamescom in Cologne, Germany, today we revealed that the local and world-famous Nürburgring GP circuit will be available in Forza Motorsport at launch on October 10. What’s more, as part of our plan to regularly bring new content to the game after release, we are also happy to confirm the iconic 12.9-mile (20.83 km) Nordschleife will be coming in Spring 2024. Both tracks have been completely rebuilt for the Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Forza players attending gamescom are invited to the Forza Motorsport theatre experience from Thursday, August 24 through Sunday, August 27. Here you will be treated to the amazing racing action that awaits in the Builders Cup, the new single-player career mode in Forza Motorsport. We’ll be showcasing brand-new gameplay featuring a group of super-fast German sedans competing at the high-speed Mugello Circuit.

To celebrate Porsche’s 75th anniversary and their partnership with Xbox and the Forza franchise, fans are also invited to visit the Xbox booth to see a custom-wrapped 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S with 6 custom Xbox Series X consoles. 

Experience Forza Motorsport on PC

Starting today, PC players can pre-order Forza Motorsport on Steam and play up to 5 days early from October 5 by pre-purchasing the Premium Edition. With cross-play for online matchmaking and cross-save, you can play with your friends across PC and console and for the first time, continue your racing journey across Xbox Series X|S and Steam with shared progression and achievement unlocks. 

We’ve optimized Forza Motorsport to look and play great across a wide range of PCs, taking advantage of cutting-edge PC hardware and technologies with real-time ray tracing on-track and maximum performance enabled by NVIDIA DLSS 2 and AMD FSR 2.2. We will continue to optimize and improve Forza Motorsport on PC after launch. 

Forza Motorsport on PC supports native resolutions up to 4K and beyond, including ultrawide resolutions during on-track gameplay, HDR calibration, shader pre-compilation and pre-caching, DirectStorage for improved CPU loading, unlocked single-player framerates with or without V-Sync enabled, and more.  

In addition to native support for popular racing wheels from Logitech, Thrustmaster and Fanatec, Forza Motorsport supports the DirectInput API on PC. This allows players to plug in and play with a much wider range of hardware than before. There is also input remapping so you can customize the button layout of your controller, mouse and keyboard, as well as your favorite steering wheels and non-standard gamepads like flight sticks. This level of device extensibility means Forza Motorsport is accessible to more players who use custom hardware setups.  

Forza Motorsport also features rumble vibration on Xbox controllers and improved force-feedback for wheel users. The game takes advantage of advanced wheel features to display RPM, shift lights and race data on custom screens.  

Everything you need to know about Forza Motorsport on PC, including supported steering wheels and peripherals can be found in the Forza.net blog. 

See You at the Starting Line 

Pre-order the Forza Motorsport Premium Edition and play up to 5 days early beginning October 5, 2023. Xbox Game Pass members (PC, Console and Ultimate), as well as Forza Motorsport Standard Edition and Deluxe Edition players, can upgrade to the Premium Add-Ons Bundle to receive early access and all other add-on content included in the Premium Edition.     

To help you decide which version of the game is best for you, check out the contents of the Forza Motorsport Standard, Deluxe, and Premium Editions below: 

Forza Motorsport

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

• Out-build the competition using more than 800 performance upgrades in the all-new, fun and rewarding single-player experience, the Builders Cup Career Mode.
• Race alongside your friends in adjudicated multiplayer events with tire and fuel strategy, a race weekend inspired structure and new driver and safety ratings. 
• Compete with cutting edge AI opponents, advanced physics, powerful assists, new damage and dirt systems and photorealistic visuals with real-time ray tracing on-track. 
• Immerse yourself in over 500 real cars across 20 world-famous environments, including fan favorite locations and multiple track layouts, each featuring fully dynamic time-of-day with weather and unique driving conditions.

Race over 500 real-world cars including modern race cars and more than 100 cars new to Forza Motorsport. Make every lap count across 20 living environments with fan-favorite locations and multiple track layouts to master, each featuring live on-track scoring, fully dynamic time-of-day with weather and unique driving conditions that ensure no two laps ever look or play the same. 

Experience a cutting-edge simulation with incredible photorealistic visuals that deliver real-time ray tracing on-track, new damage and dirt accumulation systems, and massively upgraded physics featuring powerful assists and a 48x improvement in tire fidelity. 

Out-build the competition by earning over 800 performance upgrades and race our most advanced AI opponents yet in an all-new, fun and rewarding single-player campaign, the Builders Cup Career Mode. 

Compete for the podium in Featured Multiplayer* events with a race weekend inspired structure or create the racing you and your friends desire in Free Play. Online racing is safer, more fun and more competitive with AI-powered Forza Race Regulations, tire and fuel strategy, and new driver and safety ratings.  

Immerse yourself in an expanding world of motorsport. New career championships and online events will be regularly introduced offering unique challenges, incredible new cars and tracks, and exciting new gameplay experiences for years to come.

*(online console multiplayer requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Live Gold, sold separately)

Forza Motorsport Deluxe Edition

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$89.99

Pre-order

• The Forza Motorsport Deluxe Edition includes the full game and Car Pass (30 cars delivered to your game weekly, one per week).
• Out-build the competition using more than 800 performance upgrades in the all-new, fun and rewarding single-player experience, the Builders Cup Career Mode.
• Race alongside your friends in adjudicated multiplayer events with tire and fuel strategy, a race weekend inspired structure and new driver and safety ratings.
• Compete with cutting edge AI opponents, advanced physics, powerful assists, new damage and dirt systems and photorealistic visuals with real-time ray tracing on-track.
• Immerse yourself in over 500 real cars across 20 world-famous environments, including fan favorite locations and multiple track layouts, each featuring fully dynamic time-of-day with weather and unique driving conditions.

Race over 500 real-world cars including modern race cars and more than 100 cars new to Forza Motorsport. Make every lap count across 20 living environments with fan-favorite locations and multiple track layouts to master, each featuring live on-track scoring, fully dynamic time-of-day with weather and unique driving conditions that ensure no two laps ever look or play the same.

Experience a cutting-edge simulation with incredible photorealistic visuals that deliver real-time ray tracing on-track, new damage and dirt accumulation systems, and massively upgraded physics featuring powerful assists and a 48x improvement in tire fidelity.

Out-build the competition by earning over 800 performance upgrades and race our most advanced AI opponents yet in an all-new, fun and rewarding single-player campaign, the Builders Cup Career Mode.

Compete for the podium in Featured Multiplayer* events with a race weekend inspired structure or create the racing you and your friends desire in Free Play. Online racing is safer, more fun and more competitive with AI-powered Forza Race Regulations, tire and fuel strategy, and new driver and safety ratings.

Immerse yourself in an expanding world of motorsport. New career championships and online events will be regularly introduced offering unique challenges, incredible new cars and tracks, and exciting new gameplay experiences for years to come.

Forza Motorsport Deluxe Edition includes the full game and Car Pass.

Car Pass delivers 30, new-to-Forza cars to your game weekly, one per week, for you to collect, build and race (available as released).

*(online console multiplayer requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Live Gold, sold separately)

Forza Motorsport Premium Edition

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$99.99

Pre-order

• The Forza Motorsport Premium Edition includes the full game with 5 DAYS EARLY ACCESS, the Race Day Car Pack, Car Pass (30 cars delivered to your game weekly, one per week), VIP Membership and Welcome Pack. 
• Out-build the competition using more than 800 performance upgrades in the all-new, fun and rewarding single-player experience, the Builders Cup Career Mode. 
• Race alongside your friends in adjudicated multiplayer events with tire and fuel strategy, a race weekend inspired structure and new driver and safety ratings. 
• Compete with cutting edge AI opponents, advanced physics, powerful assists, new damage and dirt systems and photorealistic visuals with real-time ray tracing on-track. 
• Immerse yourself in over 500 real cars across 20 world-famous environments, including fan favorite locations and multiple track layouts, each featuring fully dynamic time-of-day with weather and unique driving conditions.

Race over 500 real-world cars including modern race cars and more than 100 cars new to Forza Motorsport. Make every lap count across 20 living environments with fan-favorite locations and multiple track layouts to master, each featuring live on-track scoring, fully dynamic time-of-day with weather and unique driving conditions that ensure no two laps ever look or play the same. 

Experience a cutting-edge simulation with incredible photorealistic visuals that deliver real-time ray tracing on-track, new damage and dirt accumulation systems, and massively upgraded physics featuring powerful assists and a 48x improvement in tire fidelity. 

Out-build the competition by earning over 800 performance upgrades and race our most advanced AI opponents yet in an all-new, fun and rewarding single-player campaign, the Builders Cup Career Mode. 

Compete the podium in Featured Multiplayer* events with a race weekend inspired structure or create the racing you and your friends desire in Free Play. Online racing is safer, more fun and more competitive with AI-powered Forza Race Regulations, tire and fuel strategy, and new driver and safety ratings.

Immerse yourself in an expanding world of motorsport. New career championships and online events will be regularly introduced offering unique challenges, incredible new cars and tracks, and exciting new gameplay experiences for years to come. Forza Motorsport Premium Edition includes the full game with 5 days early access, Race Day Car Pack, Car Pass, VIP Membership and Welcome Pack. 

Race Day Car Pack features 8, new-to-Forza cars built exclusively for the racetrack including high-performance machines; Car Pass delivers 30, new-to-Forza cars to your game weekly, one per week, for you to collect, build and race (available as released); Welcome Pack jumpstarts your career with 5 immediate car unlocks and $500,000 bonus credits that you can use towards purchasing the car of your dreams; and VIP Membership provides a PERMANENT 2x BOOST to BASE CREDITS, 5 Forza Edition cars reserved for VIP Members, VIP Driver Gear with 5 colorways to choose from, the VIP Player Card, VIP Crown Flair, VIP-exclusive events and more.

*(Online console multiplayer requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Core, sold separately)

Related:
How Ride 5 Uses Math To Create The Most Authentic Motorcycle Experience Ever
Modern Warfare III’s Campaign Creative Director Discusses Sequels, Open Combat Missions, and More
Megadeth Is The Perfect Heavy Metal Addition to World of Tanks and World of Warships – Here’s How It Happened