You can try a pair of strategy and sim games this weekend for free on Xbox platforms, as long as you’re an Xbox Live Gold or Game Pass Ultimate member. Stellaris and Cities: Skylines are free to play as part of Xbox’s Free Play Days promotion.
Stellaris is a sci-fi strategy game that has you expand your territory throughout the galaxy. Cities: Skylines is a management sim that has you building your own city layout and infrastructure to keep your citizens happy.
The free period lasts through Sunday, March 14 at 11:59 PM PT. To claim them, just find them on the Xbox marketplace and download for free. You can also click on the Subscriptions tab to navigate straight to the Free Play Days promotion. Free Play Days are similar to demo periods, but you get access to the full game during the trial period.
Both games are also available for a discount for Gold members in case you want to make them part of your permanent collection. Stellaris is 67% off for both the Standard and Deluxe edition, while Cities Skylines is 75% off for the standard, Mayor’s Edition, and the base game with the Surviving Mars bundle. You can check out those prices below. The sale period lasts through the Free Play Days.
Cardy and Joe are back to right the wrongs of last week’s conker debacle. They’re joined by Alex to talk about their new-found love of Loop Hero, Disney’s latest film Raya and the Last Dragon, plus talk about what an exciting week of TV we have ahead with the start of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and return of both Taskmaster and Line of Duty.
Alex has conjured up an Endless Search game based on this week’s purchase of Bethesda by Microsoft and there’s plenty of your feedback, including some wild guesses as to what the game of conkers actually is.
Remember, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, please do: [email protected].
Halo Infinite won’t feature some of the series’ past features, such as dual-wielding or playable Elites, but it will include a very new feature – you can knock enemies off of the edge of the Halo ring itself.
Developer 343 Industries held a fan Q&A, in which a number of questions were answered by members of the team. The most unexpected answer definitely came in the form of a response to whether enemies could be knocked off the new Zeta Halo setting.
“The answer is yes,” replied Troy Mashburn, gameplay director, who went on to offer an anecdote about just that: “I can tell you just recently I was playing in space, and I happened to be driving in with a Scorpion tank. I came around the corner and was face-to-face with a Wraith [tank], and just out of pure luck, pure coincidence, I managed to push the Wraith over the edge and just watched it slowly tilt back and just fall into the abyss, which was amazing, unexpected, and just such a cool moment that happened… So absolutely, you can push things off the edge. It’s going to be difficult, but if you manage to time it just right, you’re going to see it.”
As community manager John Junyszek made clear, this is a brand new idea for a Halo game, and feels in-line with its aspirations to be a more sandbox-y, open experience than previous games.
The answers also covered the facts that the game will have a day-night cycle (which affects the enemies you run into), dynamic weather, multiple biomes and sub-biomes, audio logs to discover, and cutscenes will reflect the equipment you’re carrying, and the time of day you’re in when they begin.
However, while Halo Infinite clearly brings a lot of new features, some older ones won’t be making a return. Dual-wielding weapons, for instance, has not made it in. Quinn Delhoyo, lead sandbox designer, explained why:
“That’s not on the cards right now… Whenever you set out to make a game the size of Halo Infinite there’s just so many things you can do. I think we have a very talented team where we can do anything, but we can’t do everything. So we wanted to really focus down on the gunplay, grenades, melee – and where we wanted to put that bet this time was on bringing equipment back.”
Delhoyo was also asked about another older feature – playable Elites, who were available in previous Halo campaigns and multiplayer modes. They also won’t make a return:
“Similar to the last answer, no we’re not currently planning on supporting Elites as a playable character – and the reason is that this is a Master Chief story, and a Spartan story, especially in multiplayer. We want to make sure that we focus on how Spartans battle against each other, and that it feels fair, and it’s competitive, it’s balanced. We love Elites – never say never, maybe we’ll see that one day – but right now the current plan is you’re going to be playing Spartans.”
For those interested in Infinite, it’s well worth watching the full Q&A – 343 has a lot to say about its upcoming Halo game, and it’s a great look into the design ideas behind the game, and how it’s improved since its infamous delay last year.
Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].
Netflix has released new key art for its Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness CG anime series and announced more details on the cast.
Nick Apostolides, who voiced Leon Kennedy in the RE2 Remake, is coming back to voice the character again, while Stephanie Panisello is also back as Claire Redfield.
As for the new teaser art, it shows Kennedy in a suit, wielding a pistol a looking very serious. Claire, meanwhile, is brandishing a flashlight as she peers into the distance. In the foreground, we see zombies shambling toward the White House, so you know things are going badly.
The story for Infinite Darkness takes place in 2006 when Kennedy is invited to the White House to investigate claims that someone has accessed “secret presidential files.” All hell breaks loose and Kennedy finds himself in a fight against the undead at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. At the same time, Claire is working a humanitarian job that leads to visit the White House to ask for money to build a welfare facility. Unfortunately for Claire, things only get worse for Claire.
Infinite Darkness will be shown off during Netflix’s AnimeJapan event later this year.
Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is bringing back the RE2 remake’s Nick Apostolides as Leon Kennedy and Stephanie Panisello as Claire Redfield. pic.twitter.com/qjIa13hfZc
A JPG file made by a digital artist known as Beeple sold for a record $69.3 million on Thursday at Christie’s auction house.
According to The New York Times, the artwork, a digital collage titled “Everydays — The First Five Thousand Days,” became the most expensive ever non-fungible token (an asset that uses blockchain technology to allow definitive ownership of digital commodities) when it went under the hammer this week, with the winning bidder using Ethereum cryptocurrency to pay for the file.
Despite being listed for $100 at the start of the two-week auction, the file received more than 180 bids in the final hour. The uptake in interest ultimately pushed the price up from under $30 million to over $60 million in the two-minute extension granted by the auction house. As a result, Beeple’s digital asset became the third-most-expensive piece of artwork to be sold by a living artist at auction.
Image credit: Mike Winkelmann/Beeple (via Christie’s)
The JPG file created by Beeple — real name Mike Winkelmann — was billed by the auction house as “a unique work in the history of digital art.” The collection consists of a colorful collage of images that the artist has posted online each day since 2007, resulting in 5,000 individual images from 5,000 different days (hence the name of the art piece).
“Artists have been using hardware and software to create artwork and distribute it on the internet for the last 20 plus years but there was never a real way to truly own and collect it,” Beeple said in a statement after the historic auction sale, per NPR. “I believe we are witnessing the beginning of the next chapter in art history, digital art.”
In related news, CNBC reported that Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is in the process of selling his first-ever tweet as a non-fungible token in a timed charity auction. As of Friday morning, the highest offer for the digital asset was $2.5 million, according to the listing. After the auction closes, Dorsey has said he will convert the funds to bitcoin and donate the proceeds to Give Directly’s Africa Response fund.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Adrift in space, a ship faces a terrifying crisis: Some of its members are no longer human, and plan to take over the vessel to offer it to an otherworldly being known only as the Gnos. To succeed, these beings–the Gnosia–must kill the other crew members, one by one, and deceive the others into thinking that innocent crew are the enemy. Trapped in a terrifying time loop that only you and another crew member are aware of, you must protect the ship from the threat of the Gnosia–or, as fate might dictate, eagerly destroy everything for your sinister overlord.
If you’re thinking that this concept sounds a lot like a certain multiplayer game that’s become extremely popular over the last year, you’re not wrong–the similarities in concept between Gnosia and Among Us are undeniable. But Gnosia, which released a few years back on the PS Vita and only recently came to Switch in English, takes that concept and puts a very different spin on it. By utilizing a visual novel-like presentation, RPG-like mechanics, a great cast of characters, and a multi-layered story, Gnosia presents you with a very different take on the social deduction game–one that, despite some stumbles, succeeds quite admirably.
When you begin Gnosia, you meet Setsu, an unassuming green-haired crewmember who briefs you on what’s going on. Besides yourself, Setsu is the only other person on board who is fully aware of what’s happening: that everyone on the ship is trapped in a horrifying time loop where one or more of the crew–including you–have been infected by the Gnosia. Unfortunately, Gnosia infection can’t be determined visually, so each day, the crew votes on someone to send to cold sleep until all Gnosia are eliminated. With each loop, things change dramatically: the crew members on board, the amount of Gnosia, and what roles everyone plays. And sometimes, completely unexpected things happen beyond the control of even the humans or the Gnosia. With Setsu as your aide–and sometimes Gnosia-infected enemy–you must figure out a way to escape from this eternal hell by looping as many times as it takes to solve the mystery.
Gnosia’s loop is a simple one. Each day, a vote is taken to send a member of the ship into cold sleep. During five rounds of arguing, crew members–yourself included–use varied debate tactics to both draw and deflect criticism to and from certain crew members. Knowing when to speak up and when to simply let others talk is important; being too much of a loudmouth can bring unwanted attention and suspicion, as can trying too hard to defend yourself and others. After five rounds of debate have passed, a vote is taken, and a crew member gets sent off to the freezer beds for the rest of the loop. Afterward, you can interact with the remaining crew, getting a sense of their feelings toward you and sometimes observing special event scenes that reveal more about their histories and motivations. But when the next ship warp comes, someone will be killed, and the process begins again until either the Gnosia are all put on ice or until the humans are outnumbered.
It’s rough going at first. For the first couple dozen loops, you’re going to get killed and sent to the freezer a lot, sometimes on day one. If you argue too much, you’ll be unceremoniously told to shut up. It’s a harsh learning experience, but one that pays off through both gameplay lessons learned and beneficial abilities gained. After each loop, no matter if you win or lose (by getting killed, put into cold sleep, or outnumbered), you earn EXP to level up various stats like charm, logic, charisma, intuition, stealth, and performance. After a good number of loops, you’ll have built up the stats and skills necessary to explore a wealth of new and fun ways to bicker amongst your peers.
Increasing these stats helps you out in various ways; high intuition can sometimes set off an alarm when someone is lying to you, while a strong charm stat can help keep you out of the crosshairs of suspicion by being generally affable. Increasing these stats also opens up new skills to use during debates, such as pressuring others to vote (or not vote) for a certain person, turning suspicion back on a person accusing you, or even pleading your innocence after you’ve been voted off–but several other crewmates have these skills, too, which turn the simple act of pointing fingers into an intense war of wits and words to try and win over your peers.
Paying attention to dialogue lets you catch on to contradictions and odd behavior–you’ll unfortunately see a lot of the same argument dialogue over the course of many loops, which you’ll want to skip, but mashing through could leave you missing an important point or a key opportunity to jump into the conversation. Few things are more satisfying than completely cornering a guilty party by pointing out their logical fallacies and leaving them utterly unable to retaliate–and few things are as painfully numbing as witnessing a detractor completely wreck your flimsy defense and watching every one of your crewmates lay into you while you’re unable to respond. And when your Hail Mary strategy of looking pathetic and emphatically pointing the finger at the quiet guy to take all of the heat off of yourself by some miracle actually works? You’ll want to give yourself the highest of high-fives.
Things get more complex when the game introduces more roles for the crew members (and the player) than simply “human” and “Gnosia.” Engineers can choose a character from the crew to analyze each night for signs of Gnosia infection, while Doctors can check if an already-frozen character is Gnosia. However, Gnosia can also falsely claim these roles to spread suspicion and disinformation. Two characters may have been on guard duty during the time of Gnosia infiltration, clearing them from the pool of suspicion. A Guardian Angel operates in secret and can protect one character from Gnosia attack each night–except themselves. The cultist AC Followers are human, but covertly work to benefit the Gnosia and can lie about their true intentions. The ultra-destructive Bugs, if left unfrozen or alive by loop’s end, will destroy the fabric of the universe no matter which side comes out victorious, resulting in a victory for nobody but themselves.
The roles you assume can have a dramatic effect on gameplay. You could play a big part in swaying the course of the game if you’ve got a special role–but by revealing yourself, you also put crosshairs on your forehead, making every debate and overnight warp far more nerve-wracking. If you’re playing as a Gnosia who is falsely claiming to be a Doctor or Engineer, you obviously want to get rid of the human who actually has that role–but killing them outright will expose you as a fraud, so you’re challenged to find a way to make them look like the faker. If you’re an AC Follower, you’re in for a real trial: you have to ensure a Gnosia victory while carefully avoiding being targeted by both Gnosia and the humans–no small feat, given that both sides are very, very suspicious of you–but pulling it off makes you feel like the most slimy, grimy chameleon in the universe. There are lots of factors at play at all times, and even though you’re playing against computer AI, you always feel like you’re up against a group of very astute individuals who will not hesitate to tear you apart at the slightest mistake, which is a delight.
While the social-deduction gameplay loop itself is great, what makes Gnosia truly unique is the way it weaves story and character development in with the ever-repeating cycles. When certain conditions are met during a loop, you’ll sometimes see an event scene that reveals more about a particular character. Everyone on the ship is eccentric in their own way, and throughout the gameplay cycles, you’ll learn more and more about these characters’ quirks: why Comet has what looks like a full-body tattoo, how resident goofball Shigemichi came to look like a stereotypical little gray alien, and why the cowboy-hat-wearing Jonas seems to not be entirely living in reality. Not only do these events make the characters more likable–it’s hard to hate this ragtag mess of charming weirdos thrown together by circumstance, even at their worst–the events also reveal key clues about the nature of the Gnosia and why everyone’s caught in this ever-looping hell. Plus, you can use information learned from these events to your advantage in later loops; if you know somebody is a bad liar, placing them in a situation where they’re forced to lie might be clutch in securing your victory.
But this element of Gnosia is also one of its biggest problems. In order to trigger key story events, conditions–such as one or more specific crew members staying alive for several days–must be met, and you’ll find the person you need to stick around getting killed off early (or, alternatively, someone you need to eliminate getting ignored). Even figuring out specific conditions to make events trigger can be a bit of a pain–though a handy “event search” that eventually unlocks in the setup screen helps somewhat, there are still elements of randomness needed to make important things happen that it can’t account for. Trial and error makes up a lot of Gnosia, and while the process does eventually reward you, it can be a little tedious to get to that point.
But even with its flaws, Gnosia remains a fascinating and engrossing experience. Its short gameplay loop makes for a unique presentation different from other visual novel and adventure games, and adds a hard-to-resist “just one more game!” quality that keeps you eager to find out what will happen on the next go-around. The varied roles and options also make each attempt a unique experience, and even when the game isn’t fully cooperative in giving you the event scenes you want to see, it’s still a fun time to try to eke out a victory over either the humans or the Gnosia–or possibly both. If you’re looking for a different spin on social deduction games, Gnosia is one time loop you’ll be eager to get sucked up in.
Bungie is making a number of adjustments to Stasis abilities in Destiny 2 with its March 16 update to the game, which should make players in the PvP-focused Crucible very happy (or very angry). A number of Stasis powers are getting nerfed, including the ubiquitous Shatterdive ability and the strength of the Duskfield grenade.
A preview of the changes are outlined in Destiny 2’s This Week at Bungie blog post, which outlines how Bungie is adjusting each of the three Stasis subclasses. The Hunter Shatterdive ability is losing its damage resistance, which should help players combat the extremely lethal move. The Warlock Stasis Super’s projectiles will now have better tracking, but the explosive power used to shatter Stasis crystals won’t deal as much damage. And Titans will no longer freeze nearby PvP opponents when they activate their Super abilities. There are a number of other changes in the blog post–they’re all listed below–but they’re generally only taking effect in PvP play; Stasis abilities are remaining mostly the same in PvE activities.
Stasis abilities have been dominant in the Crucible since the release of the Beyond Light expansion, much to the chagrin of many Destiny 2 players. There have been a lot of complaints about the new abilities, particularly Shatterdive, which allows Hunters to leap into the air and slam down, shattering nearby Stasis crystals. Those crystals are extremely deadly when they explode, and Shatterdive provided Hunters with a bunch of damage resistance when executing the move, making them nearly unkillable–and pushing players to center all their play around the ability.
Other complaints are being addressed as well, like the Duskfield grenade, which has a magnetic property that pulls players toward it. The magnetism is so powerful that Duskfield grenades are often used to yank players out of cover, leaving them defenseless, so Bungie is reducing the distance at which that magnetism is effective.
The March 16 update will also see a bunch of other tweaks and fixes as well as the release of Grandmaster-level Nightfall: The Ordeal activities. These top-level Nightfall Strikes are some of the toughest players can take on, and this season, they’re carrying new loot rewards. Grandmaster Nightfalls, will now have the chance of dropping Adept versions of the three Nightfall-only guns introduced in the Season of the Chosen. These guns have extra-high stats–Adept guns have so far only been available to players who go Flawless in the Trials of Osiris.
Grandmaster Nightfalls will require players to be a minimum Power level of 1325–which is 15 over the Power cap for gear, requiring some grinding for players to increase the Power of their Seasonal Artifact. But players will also be locked at 1325 for the activity; getting any higher than that won’t help in Grandmaster Nightfalls, which will have enemies clocking in at 1350 Power.
Finally, Bungie said in the blog post that the Trials of Osiris will return with the daily reset at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 12. The top-tier PvP mode has been disabled the last two weekends, thanks to an issue that allowed players to earn Flawless runs without actually fighting each other.
Check out the full patch notes preview below:
Destiny 2 Update Preview For March 16 Patch
Strikes
Fallen S.A.B.E.R.:
Fixed an issue where the strike Boss would not spawn until all players were alive and present.
Improved objective waypoint behavior.
Fixed some grammatical errors in player-directive text.
Fixed a bug where a fireteam member entering the area late could cause the Warsat falling visual effects again.
Fixed an issue where Zavala’s dialog in the first area could play multiple times.
Fixed a bug where a fallen energy shield could be seen sticking out of a wall.
Devil’s Lair:
Sepiks Prime now has a Boss health bar.
Fixed some floating environment objects.
Fixed an issue where some monster spawn points looked like accessible doorways to players.
Fixed an issue where an Overload Captain could spawn with the wrong name.
Fixed an issue where the Fallen Walker and Fallen Brigs could respawn after they were defeated.
Fixed an issue where physics was missing from a wall early in the strike, allowing players to get lost out of environment.
Armor
Fixed an issue with the Linear Actuators Exotic perk for the Titan Exotic Dunemarchers, which was not triggering properly. The perk now behaves as expected, triggering on each/subsequent melee strike after an appropriate amount of sprint time.
Font of Might no longer displays a generic “Damage Boost” string when its benefit is active.
Fixed a bug where the Mantle of Battle Harmony and Omnioculus Exotics were not displaying their flavor text.
Omioculus also no longer grants melee energy when making only yourself invisible under some circumstances.
Cuirass of the Falling Star no longer grants an Overshield when used with Supers other than Thundercrash.
Weapons
Fixed an issue where flavor text wasn’t appearing for several seasonal weapons.
Added rumble to the end of Dead Man’s Tale’s reload.
Adjusted Riskrunner perk VFX that were causing epileptic issues.
Reduced Arbalest’s aim assist, making it harder to hit headshots in Crucible.
Set the Frenzy and Cranial Spike perks to use the correct buff icons.
After a few weeks of development and playtests, we also have a round of Stasis balancing slated for March 23.
Stasis Tuning Preview For March 16 Patch
Hunter
Shatterdive
Removed damage resistance from Shatterdive.
Added a 4s cooldown between activations of Shatterdive.
Withering Blade
Decreased Withering Blade damage against players from 90 to 65 damage. PvE damage is unchanged.
Decreased Withering Blade slow stacks applied to players from 60 to 40 stacks. PvE slow stacks are unchanged.
Decreased the target acquisition range of Withering Blade after it impacts a player from 12m to 8m. Range after impacting PvE enemies is unchanged.
Titan
Glacial Quake
Removed AoE freeze against players on super cast. Will still freeze PvE enemies on cast.
Reduced damage resistance while in super from 60% to 50%.
Increased the energy cost of using Shiver Strike while in Glacial Quake from 3% to 7% Super energy.
Using the combo of a Shiver Strike into a Heavy slam attack will now cost the full Super energy of both the Shiver Strike and the slam (previously only costed energy for the slam).
Shiver Strike
Increased downwards velocity applied to Shiver Striking players when they are slowed to pull them out of the air more strongly.
Warlock
Winter’s Wrath
Improved tracking of Winter’s Wrath projectiles, now tracking strength decays from its max value over 10s instead of 2.2s.
Increased the size of the warlock super projectile’s proximity detonation radius 1.5m – 1.65m
The proximity detonation now starts at its largest and scales down to 40% over time.
Penumbral Blast
Decreased Penumbral Blast damage against players from 80 to 30 damage. PvE damage is unchanged.
Iceflare Bolts
Fixed a bug where Iceflare Bolts would continuously try to switch targets.
Increased target acquisition range of Iceflare Bolts by 33%.
Increased turning speed of Iceflare Bolts so they can more effectively hit nearby targets.
Chaos Reach
Decreased the amount of Super energy refunded when cancelling Chaos Reach early.
GENERAL
Duskfield Grenade
Reduced how strongly Duskfield Grenade pulls players inwards, effectively reducing the pull range from 9.5m to ~6m. PvE pull impulse is unchanged.
Reduced the slow stacks applied to players by the grenade detonation from 20 to 10 stacks. Detonation slow stacks are unchanged against PvE.
Reduced the slow stacks applied to players on each tick of the grenade from 10 to 5 stacks. Per-tick slow stacks are unchanged against PvE.
Adjusted the UI presentation of the “Slowed” status to display Slow stacks as X/100 instead of X/10, to increase readability when adding Slow stack amounts that are fewer than 10.
Stasis Crystals
Reduced crystal shatter damage against players from (85 max, 55min) to (55 max, 25 min). PvE damage is unchanged.
Whisper of Chains
Reduced Whisper of Chains damage resistance bonus while in Super from 25% to 5%. Damage resistance when not in Super is unchanged. This only affects damage from other Guardians.
Whisper of Torment
Fixed a bug where players could continuously proc Whisper of Torment while standing inside an opponent’s Barricade.
Stasis Fragment Quests
Significantly reduced objective completion values for all Crucible fragment quests.
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Since we’re only a few months into the Xbox Series X‘s life cycle, the number of games that truly feel next-gen are limited. That said, plenty of titles–including some of the best Xbox One exclusives–have received significant overhauls on Series X|S. If you’ve managed to secure an Xbox Series X or Series S, you’re probably looking for games that take advantage of the powerful new hardware. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the best games you can play on Xbox Series X|S so far (in alphabetical order).
Every game we’ve listed below (with the exception of one) is also available on Xbox One, but these are the titles we feel deserve your attention first thanks to enhancements that improve the overall experience. Most of the games we’ve chosen are available on Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription-based service that gives you access to hundreds of games in addition to other perks. Keep in mind that while the Series X boasts the best performance and visuals, the Series S also offers noticeable improvements and upscales to 4K.
Xbox Series X|S owners should also check out our roundups of the best Xbox One games and the best games on Xbox Game Pass, as every game on those lists is also playable on the new consoles. If you own other consoles, take a peek at our best PS5 games, best PS4 games, and best Nintendo Switch games guides too. And if you’re considering signing up for Xbox Game Pass on your new console, keep in mind new subscribers can get their first month of Ultimate for $1.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla offers a fitting conclusion to the current arc of the historical action franchise. Set in the ninth century, you play as a Viking named Eivor on an adventure across an absolutely stunning open world. Valhalla retains the role-playing game elements from the previous two AC games, but this time around, the mission design does a better job of letting you rely on your own personal approach. And for the first time in quite a while, Valhalla’s historical and present day stories intertwine in a meaningful way that gives the franchise a clearer path forward. On Series X, Valhalla is captivating and runs at 60fps in a dynamic 4K resolution.
When Control originally launched in 2019, it seemed to be too taxing for console hardware. The next-gen release of Control: Ultimate edition remedies these issues. On Xbox Series X, Control can run in 4K, and it retains a steady 60fps. Alternatively, you can enable a graphics mode (not available on Series S) that runs at 30fps with ray tracing. Either option looks great, especially when making use of Jesse’s powers. Control is a narrative-focused action game revolving around a mysterious government agency that investigates supernatural activity. With excellent and varied gameplay that feeds into the well-written tale, Control is one of the best action games in recent memory.
Destiny 2 originally launched in 2017, but as a live service multiplayer game, it’s never a bad time to jump into the sci-fi epic. Destiny 2 runs in 4K at 60fps on Xbox Series X and load times are drastically quicker, which is a big deal for a game that has a decent number of loading screens. Bungie has added a significant amount of content since launch, including four expansions. With multiple expansions still on the horizon over the next year or so, Destiny 2 will continue to offer new story content, optional missions, and raids. Destiny 2’s base campaign and first two expansions are free to play, and Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play the entire Destiny 2 experience, including the most recent expansion, Beyond Light. Destiny 2 is a ton of fun whether you’re playing solo, cooperatively with friends, or squaring off in arena battles at the Crucible.
Devil May Cry 5’s Special edition runs like a dream on Xbox Series X. You can tinker with the performance settings, which feature enhancements such as native 4K resolution, 120fps, and ray tracing. Capcom’s 2019 action game focuses almost entirely on its intricate and flashy combo system, so the heightened visual fidelity makes a big difference with the finer details of the action. The Special edition comes with the base campaign as well as the Vergil DLC and new modes that affect the speed and number of enemies on screen. Devil May Cry 5 doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel; instead, it’s simply a fantastically designed action game that never takes its foot off the gas.
Forza Horizon 4’s Xbox Series X update makes the best racing game that appeared on Xbox One even better. Resolution and framerate can make a big difference when it comes to immersion in a racing game. As such, the ability to run Forza Horizon 4 in 4K at 60fps brings you closer to the racing action, allowing you to see and feel speed changes while admiring the gorgeous scenery. Forza Horizon 4 is also just a spectacular racing game that is approachable enough for beginners and layered enough for serious racing fans. Forza Horizon 4’s dazzling and expansive open world is rife with exciting races and challenges, and you can check it out without buying via Xbox Game Pass.
Gears 5 is loaded with engaging third-person shooter content, including a more focused campaign, a suite of competitive multiplayer modes, and a pair of co-op variants. On Xbox Series X, Gears 5 has notable performance improvements across the board. It can run at 120fps in multiplayer, which makes the competitive action on screen move incredibly fluidly (if you have the proper display). There’s also a noticeable quickness when it comes to input response both when playing solo and in online multiplayer. Where the visual enhancements are most noteworthy are in the campaign during cutscenes and in some of the more open areas new to Gears 5. Gears 5 may be dated at this point, but it runs like a next-gen game on Series X|S. Like other first-party Xbox games on this list, Gears 5 is available on Game Pass.
Gears Tactics released on consoles alongside the launch of the Xbox Series X, so it’s unsurprising that it runs best on the new hardware. The turn-based strategy spin-off runs in 4K at 60fps on Series X, which makes the action on screen crisper and clearer. Gears Tactics features fast-paced tactical gameplay. While it’s definitely a departure from the mainline franchise, Gears Tactics still boasts many of the same design features and systems fans have come to expect. The lengthy campaign is filled with well-designed maps, and the overarching progression system and deep character customization make the experience all the more enriching. Gears Tactics translates extremely well to Xbox Series X, and it’s an approachable and exciting experience for newcomers in the tactical genre. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play Gears Tactics at no extra cost.
Given the prowess of IO Interactive’s first two entries in the World of Assaassination trilogy, it’s not really a surprise that Hitman 3 is an exceedingly good conclusion to Agent 47’s latest arc. That said, Hitman 3 expands on the foundation of its predecessors in some surprising ways. While there aren’t many maps at this time, Hitman 3 makes tremendous use of each one, giving players even more freedom to approach objectives as they see fit. New spins on the loop, including a delightful murder mystery level, make Hitman 3 feel fresh and inventive, too. In addition to tremendous level design and choice-driven gameplay, Hitman 3 does a better job of focusing on its story and the many lively NPCs that inhabit the sandbox-style levels. This is Hitman at its finest, though you should definitely play the entirety of the World of Assassination trilogy. You can also import the levels from Hitman and Hitman 2 and play them in one place with enhancements.
Already one of the best fighting games in recent memory, Mortal Kombat 11 is even more impressive on the powerful Xbox Series X hardware. Featuring 4K resolution and new visual flourishes, the gruesome action on screen is rendered in a ridiculous amount of detail. The base game already had an ample amount of content, including multiple single-player modes and competitive multiplayer. The Ultimate edition tosses in the Aftermath story expansion and Kombat packs including 12 additional fighters. Mortal Kombat 11 is one of those rare fighting games that balances solo and multiplayer content well, and it’s also the type of fighter that’s appealing to both casual players and die-hard fans alike.
No Man’s Sky, much like Sea of Thieves, has improved mightily since launch. Over the course of four-plus years, developer Hello Games has released steady and substantial updates that have brought the space exploration game closer to its original, ambitious vision. No Man’s Sky now features far more tangible activities, including base-building and even racing vehicles across tracks in multiplayer. No Man’s Sky’s next-gen update allows the game to run in 4K at 60fps. The performance enhancements also extend to lighting and shadows, which makes each of the randomly generated planets look even more detailed and alive. No Man’s Sky is on Xbox Game Pass, so subscribers should absolutely check it out to see if they enjoy its loop.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a gorgeous platformer from Moon Studios that truly benefits from the power of the Xbox Series X. The stirring sequel runs in 4K at 120fps and supports HDR. Since Ori and the Will of the Wisps is filled with evocative, colorful settings and fast-paced platforming sequences, the boost in performance makes the already stellar experience even better. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is more of an action-platformer than its predecessor and introduces a number of new moves to employ in combat against enemies both big and small. The sprawling map is deftly designed to force you to make full use of Ori’s expanded arsenal, which creates a more dynamic and satisfying adventure. If you haven’t played Ori and the Blind Forest, you should play that first to get the full emotional weight of the understated but profound tale. Both games are available in the Xbox Game Pass library.
Rainbow Six Siege is an undying beast in the first-person shooter genre. Though it released fairly early on in the last console cycle, it still has a dedicated and large user base. Rainbow Six Siege’s longevity can be attributed to Ubisoft’s steady drip of content, including new maps and a growing list of unique operators that have their own distinct playstyle. Siege also just has great bones thanks to precise gunplay and a deep tactical focus that makes each match incredibly exciting. On Series X, Siege has performance and resolution modes. The former supports 120fps in dynamic 4K, while the latter keeps the action at 60fps in native 4K. Rainbow Six Siege has a relatively steep learning curve, but you can check it out on Game Pass to see if it’s your kind of game. It’s one of the rare games that earned a 10/10 in our Rainbow Six Siege review.
Sea of Thieves has come a long way since launching in 2018. Rare has turned Sea of Thieves from a somewhat shallow pirate adventure into a swashbuckling success thanks to steady updates that have drastically overhauled the experience. Most importantly, Sea of Thieves now has an abundance of content, ranging from story missions to skeleton fleet hunts and much more. With better systems and more tangible rewards at stake, the core Sea of Thieves experience is more satisfying. On the next-gen consoles, Sea of Thieves runs at a smooth 60fps in 4K on Series X and in 1080p on Series S. The reduced load times on both consoles really help limit interruptions during your voyage, too. Sea of Thieves is well-worth diving into on Xbox Series X, and it’s available on Game Pass.
Tetris Effect: Connected is magical on Xbox Series X. With 4K resolution and up to 120 fps, the particle effects that are so integral to Tetris Effect’s presentation are even more detailed and stunning. Beyond the enhancements, Tetris Effect: Connected is just a delightfully inventive take on the best puzzle game ever made. It turns Tetris into an all-encompassing visual and audio experience thanks to an explosion of colors seen both in and outside the grid and the reactive tunes that will have you nodding along to the beat. In addition to an already great stable of modes, the Connected edition comes with great cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes to play locally or online. It’s a relaxing experience, and one that’s perfect to play for short spurts over the course of months (or even years). Tetris Effect: Connected is available in the Xbox Game Pass library.
The Medium is the only game on this list that’s an Xbox Series X|S console exclusive. Developed by Bloober Team, The Medium is a psychological horror game with innovative gameplay, a gripping story, and a chilling atmosphere. Unsurprisingly, you play as a medium named Marianne who is capable of seeing the spirit realm. The premise funnels into the gameplay, which forces you to solve puzzles by using both the real and spirit worlds. It’s an intriguing concept that works rather well. The Medium is also quite frightening thanks to an omnipresent villain and dread-inducing scenarios. Horror fans shouldn’t miss out on The Medium, which is available on Xbox Game Pass.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon released as a launch title for Xbox Series X with better performance, including options for native 4K or a solid 60fps at a slightly lower resolution, and these visual enhancements make Like a Dragon’s world more vibrant and detailed. Sega has never been afraid to take risks with the quirky and moving Yakuza franchise, and Like a Dragon takes the biggest risk in franchise history by moving away from beat-’em-up combat in favor of a turn-based RPG system. The change funnels in from the personality of the new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga. Ichiban’s mind often wanders, and he sees himself as a hero ripped out of Dragon Quest. This, in turn, shifts enemies into silly beings that are fought using an old-school turn-based system. Ichiban’s personality is infectious, and the party-based system leads to some of the best interpersonal moments in franchise history. Yakuza: Like a Dragon may play wildly differently than previous entries in the series, but it still has all of the heart and charm that have kept fans coming back for more.
It seems that Respawn’s Apex Legends is set to have a crossover with BioWare’s Mass Effect. Although neither developer Respawn nor EA, which publishes both games, have officially announced the event, the Xbox Series X dashboard currently shows an image of an N7 item that Apex Legends players can acquire.
The item is listed as a Game Pass perk, but attempting to redeem the offer just takes users to the perks page, where there is no mention of the Mass Effect reward. The promotion likely went live ahead of time. The item itself looks to be a weapon charm.
An image of the item was sent into GameSpot by a reader (thanks, David), and then confirmed by a staff member. You can see both images below.
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Apex Legends gun charms based on several EA games including Mass Effect and Plants Vs. Zombies were reportedly discovered in November, 2020 through datamining. However, these were believed to be rewards for subscribing to EA Play. An N7 charm like the one appearing on the Xbox dashboard has not previously been seen. GameSpot has contacted EA for more information.
Apex Legends’ latest event, Chaos Theory, recently kicked off. The big change is Caustic’s town takeover, which is replacing Kings Canyon’s Water Treatment, Heat Shields are also being added as a way to allow players to temporarily survive outside the ring, Bangalore, meanwhile, is getting an heirloom, and a new Ring Fury limited-time mode has temporarily replaced standard Trios and Duos.
On the Mass Effect front, EA and BioWare are set to release an updated version of the trilogy called Mass Effect: Legendary Edition on May 14. All three games in the core series–Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3–will be available in the package, along with over 40 pieces of downloadable content, including special weapon and armor packs, campaign expansions, and more. All of this will be playable in 4K with HDR. Here’s everything we know so far about the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.
Netflix has announced that Resident Evil 2 Remake actors Stephanie Panisello and Nick Apostolides will be returning to voice series stalwarts Claire Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy in the upcoming CGI-animated series Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness.
The news was confirmed alongside an initial synopsis of the series, which describes a reunion between the pair at The White House.
“In 2006, there were traces of improper access to secret Presidential files found in the White House’s network. American federal agent Leon S. Kennedy is among the group invited to the White House to investigate this incident, but when the lights suddenly go out, Leon and the SWAT team are forced to take down a horde of mysterious zombies.
Meanwhile, TerraSave staff member Claire Redfield encounters a mysterious image drawn by a youth in a country she visited, while providing support to refugees. Haunted by this drawing, which appears to be of a victim of viral infection, Claire starts her own investigation. The next morning, Claire visits the White House to request the construction of a welfare facility. There, she has a chance reunion with Leon and uses the opportunity to show him the boy’s drawing. Leon seems to realize some sort of connection between the zombie outbreak at the White House and the strange drawing, but he tells Claire that there is no relation and leaves.
In time, these two zombie outbreaks in distant countries lead to events that shake the nation to its very core.”
