Xbox Game Pass Core has been announced by Microsoft as a replacement for the most basic tier of Xbox Live Gold membership, which will be happening on September 14th.

Xbox Live Gold has been around for about 20 years now, but with Xbox Game Pass Core you will get a collection of over 25 games for the cost of £6.99 a month, or £49.99 per year. If you’re a current XBLG member, you don’t actually need to do anything if you’re happy with the service going forwards, as it’ll automatically update at launch to reflect the new membership name and status.

Here’s the list of games that will be part of Xbox Game Pass Core. Note that the Xbox team says there will be new titles added two to three times a year.

• Among Us
• Descenders
• Dishonored 2
• Doom Eternal
• Fable Anniversary
• Fallout 4
• Fallout 76
• Forza Horizon 4
• Gears 5
• Grounded
• Halo 5: Guardians
• Halo Wars 2
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
• Human Fall Flat
• Inside
• Ori & The Will of the Wisps
• Psychonauts 2
• State of Decay 2
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited

There are four plans, total, as per the image below.

Jerret West, CVP, Gaming Marketing explained on the official blog post, and said: “Thank you to everyone who has been with us since the early days, joined along the way with friends, and now with us in Xbox Game Pass. I’m proud and humbled by the stories we hear about online teammates becoming real-life friends after years playing, or even marriages whose initial spark was ignited in a pre-match lobby. We can’t wait to hear more from the community when it launches on September 14, and we’ll see you online!”.

Here’s some quick bullet points for you:

• On September 14, Xbox Live Gold members will automatically become Game Pass Core members, with no change in pricing, and have immediate access to a new library of over 25 high-quality games.
• Member deals & discounts will also be part of Game Pass Core.
• Games with Gold will come to an end on September 1.
• Players can continue to access any Xbox One games they previously redeemed through Games with Gold if they remain a Game Pass Core or Game Pass Ultimate member.
• Regardless of subscription status, any Xbox 360 titles redeemed via Games with Gold in the past will be kept in a player’s library.

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Xbox has today announced a new platform-wide, reactive voice reporting feature to Xbox Insiders that starts this week. The new feature will give players the option to capture and report inappropriate in-game voice chats, meaning Xbox is ramping up its safety features with the innovative feature.

The reactive voice reporting feature for Xbox allows players to capture 60-second video clips of an in-game voice incident which they believe violates the Community Standards, then submit it as evidence to the Xbox Safety Team for review. This will then be evaluating to see if a policy violation has taken place. The whole process minimises disruption to play, as the clip stays on a player’s console for 24 online hours.

This means a player can hold off reporting until after their session or until they’re ready. Of course, it can still be sent immediately, but the option provides flexibility. Xbox will also send a report to the player who haven’t sent a grievance within the 24-hour period. If the choice is made not to report, the clip will be erased from the console immediately.

“As a woman online, I often find myself staying silent in online multiplayer to avoid abuse and harassment,” said CamicaziBoss, an Xbox Ambassador. “I am excited for features like this that can help give people like me their voices back. Nobody should miss out on interaction with their fellow gamers because they are afraid to speak.”

The feature was built following on from extensive research and feedback from the player community. It will first be issued to Xbox Insiders before going out to the console player base in English-language speaking markets like the US, Great Britain, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. Xbox is also testing and exploring additional languages.

The reactive voice reporting feature is detailed in much more detail on the Xbox Wire blog, which you can read here.

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A brand new carbon black Xbox Series S was announced during the Xbox Games Showcase, releasing September 1 for $349 RRP. Releasing just in time for Starfield, the swanky new console will offer an alternative to the previously released white version. An in-depth look at the new console has been made available on Xbox Wire, providing more details about what players can expect.

Senior marketing manager Bree Adams said the following about the new console:

Meet the new Carbon Black Series S with 1TB of storage. Whether you’re looking to upgrade from your current console or are new to Xbox, the Xbox Series S – 1TB offers you another option within the Xbox family of devices. The bold Carbon Black color is the same sleek, modern matte finish as Xbox Series X and the Xbox Wireless Controller.  This console features the same next-gen speed and performance of our 512GB Series S, now with double the storage so you can download even more of your favorite games to your console where they’ll be ready to play when you are. Plus, you’ll make the most of every gaming minute with features like Quick Resume, lightning-fast load times, and gameplay of up to 120 FPS – all powered by Xbox Velocity Architecture.

We’ve played many games on the Xbox Series S and it’s a fantastic console that might not be as powerful as the X, however, it’s a fantastic alternative and well worth investing in for players on somewhat of a budget. To coincide with the announcement of the carbon black Xbox Series S, a reveal trailer was shown off and you can watch it below:

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Microsoft has announced a new friend referral program for its flagship service, Game Pass, with a view to getting friends playing together.

Rasmus Mortensen, Senior Marketing Manager, Xbox said that “We know that gaming is best with friends, so today, we’re introducing the Xbox Game Pass Friend Referral offer, which lets Ultimate and PC members give up to five friends a free 14-day PC Game Pass trial. Invited friends must be new to Game Pass to redeem the free trial”.

So this means essentially if you have a subscription to the service already, you can gift a two week trial to your friends, simply by going to the service Home Screen and finding the friend referral invitations button which says “Give PC Game Pass”.

At the moment, Xbox is keen to stress that there are benefits aside the day one releases for first party titles (Forza Horizon 5, or released today: Redfall), such as XP boosts and champions in Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, and Legends of Runeterra. Of course it also includes EA Play meaning you can trial most brand new EA titles for ten hours, or for a set period before buying them.

Mortensen added “The free trial comes with all the benefits… including new titles from Xbox Game Studios on day one, an EA Play membership, and you can check out the biggest PC and mobile games on PC from Riot Games.

This also means that starting today, you can share PC Game Pass with more friends and jump right into Redfall on day one. For new members checking out the service, the best place to get started is with the Xbox app on PC. With the Xbox app you can browse games, play PC titles, and connect and chat with friends on devices”.

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Microsoft has promised to show off the “ultra-limited handcrafted tartan-covered” Xbox Controller as part of the Tartan exhibition opening on April 1st, which has also inspired a full fashion collection created by Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers.

It’s already been a very busy week Xbox Controller wise, as we’ve just had the announcement of the red and blue colours Elite Series 2s, and even an officially licensed Thrustmaster made Forza Horizon 5 Xbox Controller. And, on top of that, this isn’t even the only “wearable” gaming news today, as we’ve also had the announcement of a Death Stranding clothing line. Phew!

The controller was originally revealed nearly a year ago, via the video you can see below:

Anyway, the V&A Dundee’s Tartan Exhibition is running until January 2024, and presents a radical new look at a globally recognised design and brings together many different voices from around the world”, says Xbox. The press release explains that “more than 300 objects illustrate tartan’s universal and enduring appeal with examples of fashion, architecture, graphic and product design, photography, furniture, glass and ceramics, film, performance and art”, and of course, that includes Xbox, who’ve partnered with Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers (as mentioned above) as well as weavers, Lochcarron.

This design is an innovative example of weaving, using only single green, white and black threads to create a digital pixelated effect for the tartan sett which echoes the internationally famous shades used for the Xbox console, controllers, and logo since its inception.

Following Xbox’s first collaboration with Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers in 2022, which produced the ultra-limited handmade controller, the partnership has expanded to include the official Xbox tartan through an Xbox Tartan Edit. It features a range of fashion, lifestyle, home accessories and limited made-to-order kilts, trews and waistcoats are all available exclusively at Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers website.

Gordon Nicolson, Lead Product Developer & Tartan Designer explained: “I was honoured to be asked to design a tartan for such an iconic brand, the tartan was technically challenging as it required a very small sett so that it could be seen on the controller.”

Graeme Boyd, Xbox EMEA Social Media Marketing Manager added, ”

“We are so pleased that we can continue to celebrate Scotland’s heritage in a fun, authentic way with our official tartan. It was awesome to see the positive response last year when welaunched the tartan, so we thought it made perfect sense to continue the relationship with GNK and create more products that our audience will love. It’s been thrilling to see the fashion collection take shape and see the controller feature in the V&A Dundee’s Tartan exhibition. We can’t wait to see what fans think of the collab.”

Microsoft said that fans should keep an eye on the official UK Twitter account “for a chance to get their hands on the ultra-limited Xbox controller”.

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Microsoft has today announced the release date of the Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core in two new red and blue colour schemes for its Xbox consoles. The series started off with the original white controller last year, and the new colour additions not only look great but they also deliver key performance-focused benefits. With a whole host of benefits, they’re a definite purchase for players who want to get the best out of their Xbox consoles.

The new, vibrant red and blue color schemes of the core version of Xbox Elite Series 2 are sure to make a statement amongst your friends while delivering key performance-focused benefits. Turn on a dime with adjustable tension thumbsticks where inches are the difference. Make split seconds count with hair trigger locks and stay on target with wrap-around rubberized grips. Enjoy limitless customization with exclusive button mapping options to find your groove. Perfect your game day prep with assignable custom profiles so you can dominate regardless of playbook or sport.

There’s plenty more details regarding the new red and blue Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core colours in an official Xbox Wire blog post. Players will be able to adjust specific settings for the controllers via the Xbox Accessories App, such as the colour of the Xbox button light, while offering up to 40 hours of rechargeable battery life across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. The Elite Wireless Controllers have adjustable-tension thumbsticks, shorter hair trigger locks, wrap-around rubberised grip, and re-engineered components, making one of the best controllers on the market.

According to the official Xbox store, players will be able to buy them for £124.99 when they release on April 11, 2023, and both controllers can be pre-ordered now. While not cheap, they’re sure to last players for some time, and are a good investment for the future.

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A new update is coming to Xbox Series X|S that’ll automatically implement an energy saving shut down update, making it the first carbon aware console. Detailed yesterday in an Xbox Wire blog post, this one-time update to the power settings will reduce power consumption while the console is off, however, it won’t affect the ability to receive overnight updates to the system, games, or apps, as well as having no impact on performance or gameplay.

The new update will use 20x less power than the Sleep power option, becoming the most sustainable power option for the Xbox. It is part of Microsoft’s goal to become a carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste company by 2030. Xbox is rethinking how it designs, builds, distributes and uses its products, as well as considering how to create opportunities for gamers across the world to make decisions that can reduce environmental impact while gaming.

Gamers who use shutdown as a power option and have their consoles configured to support automatic updates will also get an update making their console carbon aware. Essentially, it’ll reduce the carbon footprint of their console by optimising updates and download times to when it can use the most renewable energy in their local power grid. When two consoles switch to an energy saving shutdown, it’ll be the carbon equivalent of one tree planted and grown for a decade, based on an average of Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles on shutdown for 20 hours per day for a year.

It is currently only available to Xbox Insiders at present, but the carbon aware update will roll out to all players soon. Some additional points to the update are as follows:

• Improved sustainability with “Active Hours” and Sleep. Another energy setting update that will start to roll out to Xbox Insiders today is the new “Active hours” setting. For those that select the “sleep” power option, you can now adjust your console’s active hours. Your Xbox will boot quickly and will be available for remote wake during your selected active hours.
• Xbox is continuing to explore options for all players to reduce their environmental footprint. Xbox One consoles will begin to see new power mode options, including shutdown (energy saving) as early as today. Xbox One consoles will be flighting multiple options in order to test and inform players. This effort is to provide Xbox One console players an opportunity to provide feedback on their experience.

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In case you missed the news with all the Nintendo Direct and State of Play stuff, Microsoft has announced that Discord Voice, a faster and more streamlined way to chat with friends via voice channels on Xbox consoles, is now live. Back in July, they said they were looking at ways to streamline audio experiences on their consoles, so that friends across multiple gaming communities can all play and chat together.

Announced on an official blog post by Eric Voreis, Principal Product Manager, Player Experience Platforms, gave more details. “With this update, you can now chat with anyone on Discord via voice channels or group calls directly from your console, making it easy to connect with friends across mobile, Xbox, and PC. This means that you will be able to see who is in the call and speaking while you are playing on your console. You’ll also be able to adjust the sound and switch between Discord Voice and Xbox game chat while you play all your favorite games.”

In order to get started with Xbox Discord Voice, players need to visit the Discord mobile app and link their Discord account to their Xbox. If an Xbox account was linked before today, it’ll need doing again for it to work. Once completed, players will be able to join any voice channel, or call and transfer the audio channel to their Xbox.

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During the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, it was announced that Hideo Kojima and Xbox Game Studios are working together on a mystery project. Although no details were revealed about what the game might be, Kojima appeared via pre-recorded video to talk about harnessing the power of Microsoft’s cutting-edge technology.

Kojima did say it was a completely new game, and was something he’d always wanted to make. At this point, there are no clues as to what he’s talking about, but he intends to make use of the console’s cloud technology. Along with Kojima Productions, Xbox will look to help Kojima follow-up on the popularity of Death Stranding with their own title, but with no release date or an ounce of information, we may be guessing for a very long time.

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It may have taken a while to get here, but Season 2 of Halo Infinite has arrived. Launching on May 3, Halo Infinite Season 2 Lone Wolves brings a new battle pass, new multiplayer maps, fresh cosmetics, a new seasonal story and more.

First of all, there are two brand new maps to get stuck into. Catalyst is set in a cavernous Forerunner structure, and features a network of bridges, waterfalls, and catwalks. Breaker, on the other hand, is Halo Infinite’s first Big Team Battle Map, and is set in an open-air map set in a huge, dust-blown salvage yard.

In addition to the new maps, a slew of additional modes bring old and new thrills to Halo Infinite Lone Wolves.

King of the Hill makes a return, bringing one of Halo’s classic multiplayer modes up to date. All you need to do is hold the zones – easy, right? Land Grab is similar, and sees both teams war for control of three zones. Once all three are captured, new zones will open up until one team has 11 points and wins. This mode will become available during the Fracture: Entrenched event and remain live throughout Season 2.

Finally, Last Spartan Standing will give 12 Spartans 5 lives each and a pre-made Loadout. As each player runs out of lives, they’ll be eliminated until only the Lone Wolf remains. This mode will arrive during the Interference Event.

The Event itself is one of two multiplayer story events that will span several months. It will follow the events of Season 1, and introduce two new heroes to stand alongside Commander Agryna. Veteran Spartans Dinh and Eklund will be working with your customised multiplayer character against the Banished (and your character will even appear in the story cutscenes). Interference has launched alongside Season 2, while Alpha Pack will launch later during the Season.

Following on from Fracture: Tenrai in Season 1, Fracture: Entrenched will run for six weeks and allow players the chance to earn rewards from the Event Pass. In addition to this, the Season 2 Premium Battle Pass will deliver 100 tiers of rewards, including 1000 Halo Credits to spend in the store on whatever you choose.

Interestingly, Season 2 will feature multiple concurrent Season Passes. Provided you have the Premium Battle Pass, you’ll be able to continue unlocking anything you missed in Season 1 all the way through Season 2. You’ll be able to switch between passes to scoop up all the rewards. Even if you don’t have the Premium Pass, the free offerings have almost doubled in Season 2 from 26 to 46.

Some of the new cosmetics in Season 2 are pretty cool, too, with core sets like the Rakshasa pictured below.

Halo Infinite is available on Windows PC and Xbox. The multiplayer component is free-to-play.

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Microsoft has announced that starting now Xbox Cloud Gaming is available to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with Windows 10 PCs and Apple phones and tablets, via browser, across 22 countries. Ultimate members can go to Xbox.com/play to start over 100 games from the Xbox Game Pass library.

Additionally, improvements are being made to the cloud gaming experience. It has also been announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming is now powered by custom Xbox Series X hardware.  This will enable more gamers to experience faster load times, improved frame rates, and a new generation of gaming.

You can read more about the announcement here.

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Microsoft has announced Xbox Academy.  This is in partnership with BAFTA award-winning Rare, creators of Sea of Thieves, and the upcoming Everwild.

Xbox Academy is designed to inspire the next generation of games creators, and to give them an insight into games industry careers. The event will be a part of Microsoft’s Work Experience Week, May 10-13, aimed at year 9 and 10 pupils in schools across the UK.

The first live-streamed Xbox Academy session will feature four representatives from Rare. Each will discuss their roles and offer insights into games industry career paths.  They will discuss areas including production, design, engineering and quality assurance. East London Arts and Music will also provide an academic context to entering the world of games development.

A further session will feature the team at Into Games delivering insights and practical advice on how young people can set about finding a rewarding career in the games industry.

Craig Duncan, Studio Head, Rare had this to say:

We’re so excited that our Rare team is going to be delivering a session for the Xbox Academy.  The future is so bright for games and we’re passionate about helping educate and inspire the next generation of games professionals, giving them insights to help them choose a career within our industry.

Microsoft’s Work Experience Week will offer students in years 9 and 10 valuable insights into working life at Microsoft.  Attendees will have the chance to hear from senior executives and their inspiring career stories.

Xbox Academy takes place on May 10, 2021.  Find out more information here.

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Today on Xbox wire, the new Xbox Wireless Headset was announced for next month. For top quality audio and chat performance you can get yourself a high end product for £89.99 on March 16th.

“When we were designing Xbox Series X|S, we wanted to ensure that games feel true-to-life, load incredibly fast, and sound as if you were dropped in the middle of the action. We embraced spatial sound processing by including custom audio hardware to offload audio processing from the CPU, dramatically improving the accessibility, quality, and performance of these experiences. Having a high-quality set of headphones at an affordable price for your new console or existing Xbox One will help you feel immersed, react faster to the action, and connect further with your gaming worlds.

With each new generation of our Xbox accessories, we’ve raised the bar for innovation by focusing on performance, stand-out features, quality, and accessibility to deliver immersive experiences across console, PC, and mobile devices. We are excited to build on this legacy with the latest accessory to join the family: the new Xbox Wireless Headset.

The Xbox Wireless Headset delivers best-in-class audio and chat performance, outstanding design and comfort, and unique experiences that are tailored for each gamer. We are also looking forward to bringing more value to the headset category with innovations not previously found in this price range.”

With a couple of weeks getting deep into Project Winter, I understand the need for a good headset. If you’re lucky enough to have a new Series X/S, now might be a good time to take your audio to the next level.

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Announced via the official Xbox blog, the next round of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in early February have been revealed, including Jurassic Park Evolution. There’s a great mix set to arrive over the coming fortnight across all three platforms, allowing you to experience the power of Xbox however you want. The games coming soon are as follows:

• Ghost of a Tale (PC) – February 4
• Project Winter (Android, Console, PC) – February 4
• The Falconeer (Android, Console, PC) – February 4
• Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age (Console, PC) – February 11
• Jurassic World Evolution (Android, Console) – February 11
• Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones (Android, Console) – February 11
• Wolfenstein: Youngblood (Android) – February 11

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During the NVIDIA GeForce RTX: Game on Showcase event, Bloober Team revealed they’ll be implementing real-time ray tracing support for The Medium. It will utilise the full potential of Unreal Engine 4, alongside Microsoft DirectX Raytracing and NVIDIA DLSS technology at launch.

This will provide The Medium with incredible visuals for their most graphically ambitious game to date, making the dark worlds of the psychological horror even creepier. It’s not long now until the game releases at the end of January, and these details only heighten our excitement for it.

You can watch the new RTX ON trailer showcasing the latest NVIDIA technology in action for The Medium below:

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In an official Xbox blog post, Microsoft has revealed the newest member of the Xbox Series X|S controller family, the Pulse Red. According to Navin Kumar, Director of Product Marketing at Microsoft, it has a “vivid, fiery-red topcase and crisp, white backcase.” If you’ve been waiting for a sexy new controller, this might just be the one you want. It features “matte black triggers, bumpers, and hybrid D-pad reduce slip against sweaty fingers and thumbs for greater control, while a textured dot pattern on the triggers and bumpers to keep your grip locked in. Dynamic Latency Input delivers controller inputs more frequently to your Xbox Series X|S for a more responsive gaming experience and seemingly instantaneous action.”

It is due for release on February 9, and is set to retail at £64.99. Here’s some images of it being held by someone. Nice.

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To coincide with Black Friday, Microsoft has dropped its prices on several Xbox games and accessories, as well as announcing offers on Xbox products from a wide range of partner retailers. Whether you’re looking for some notable deals on exclusive games or in the market for a new controller, now is a great time to purchase. For more about the Xbox Black Friday details visit the Microsoft UK News Centre here.

The gaming offers outlined below are available at all participating UK and Ireland retailers starting November 2, 2020 through December 2, 2020:

Save up to 75% off on first-party Xbox games

• Minecraft Dungeons Hero Edition – 33% off
• Forza Horizon 4 (standard edition) – 67% off
• Gears 5 (standard edition) – 75% off
• Rare Replay – 75% off
• Halo Wars 2 – 75% off
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – 75% off
• Gears Tactics – 50% off
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps – 50% off
• Bleeding Edge – 50% off
• Forza Motorsport 7 – 50% off
• Sea of Thieves Anniversary Edition – 50% off + Parrot Starter Bundle
• PUBG – 50% off
• Crackdown 3 – 50% off

Save up to £10 / €10 on Xbox controllers

• Xbox Series X|S Wireless Controller in Black, White, Blue – save £8/€8
• Xbox One Wireless Controllers – save £10/€10

Get Sea of Thieves “Parrot Starter Bundle” for free with a three-month Xbox Game Pass for PC subscription ERP £23.99/€29.99

Get £20 off ERP for the Xbox One S (available November 22, 2020 – December 31, 2020)

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The next generation is finally open us with the release of the Xbox Series X, so we thought we’d round up all our coverage of Microsoft’s console so far to celebrate the launch. It’s an exciting time to be a gamer. Not only do we have a brand new console, but there are new games to try out on the technically impressive beast. Below you’ll find our reviews for the console as well as reviews for Yakuza: Like a Dragon, The Falconeer, DIRT 5, and Gears Tactics, just so you know what else you’ll be able to play on Day One. We’ve also ended with a little video from the official Xbox Series X launch. Enjoy!

Xbox Series X review – “The future is bright”

“Xbox Series X is a powerhouse, a beast, and any number of adjectives you like to throw at it. No, it’s not exciting, but it’s the closest to PC gaming you’ll get for the money. The future is bright for Xbox, that’s for sure, and I can’t wait to see the true next-gen power revealed when the games are made specifically for this monster of a console.”

Adam reviewed the Xbox Series X, and whilst the UI isn’t much of a step away from the Xbox One, there is still a lot to be impressed about. As soon as more games come out specifically for the Xbox Series X, players are truly going to see what it is capable of, but so far, games like Gears 5 and DOOM Eternal look and run so smooth it’s a great sign of things to come.

The review covers the new controller (we didn’t know the big X button was called the Nexus button!), Quick Resume, UI, load times, and how the games perform, so it’s well worth giving it a read. Although we haven’t got to try out the Xbox Series S, we’ll have one soon, so if you’re keen to know how it performs let us know, and we’ll answer all your questions.

Gears Tactics review – “One of the most satisfyingly playable games of the last few years”

“Gears Tactics does an incredible job of mixing loud, brash action with strategy and caution, to deliver one of the most satisfyingly playable games of the last few years. Everything about it oozes confidence, from the story and mission design to the fast-paced, flashy combat. This is more than just another tactics game, and far, far beyond a re-skinned XCOM. It’s Gears of War all the way through to its Emulsion-soaked core, and arguably sets the bar for the genre going forwards. Yes, it’s big and brash and loud at times, but it’s also deep, intelligent and balanced, with all the heart and passion we’ve come to expect from a Gears game.”

Mick was a huge fan of Gears Tactics when it released earlier this year in April, and it’s clear to see why. It offers a huge campaign with tons of customisation for you and your teammates, and some fast-paced, energetic combat. As good as the gameplay is, there’s still that heart that exists within the Gears franchise, and with some damn good visuals, this is the perfect game to check out on launch day.

The Falconeer review – “An intricate tale worth exploring”

“The Falconeer is a beautiful game that offers a necessary freedom and escape that is much needed right now. The missions do tend to stick to a specific formula, but the story of The Great Ursee and those that populate it is an intricate tale worth exploring. Flying is a dream, and even though combat can be a tad difficult, the rewards of taking out a fleet of enemies far outweigh the frustrations. Finally, the way the game looks is breath-taking. By pressing the left stick, you can remove your health and stamina bars from the HUD as well as the mini-map, giving you a perfect view of the stunning seascape. From orange sunsets to the eerie depths of The Maw, The Falconeer looks utterly sublime.”

It’s always great to see huge studios embrace indie games, and to have The Falconeer feature as a launch game for the Xbox Series X is a massive deal. Tomas Sala has made something unique, beautiful, and engrossing. The story offers plenty of depth, with many strands of adventure, and aerial gameplay that gets the blood pumping as much as it allows you to be at peace with the waters below.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon review – “A phenomenal entry into the Yakuza franchise”

“I instantly fell in love with Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Whilst the amount of time spent watching and not playing might put some players off, it does eventually open up and let you explore what the game has to offer. There are plenty of opportunities to fight, and so many mini-games and side missions that you’ll never find yourself stuck for something to do. The story is excellent, and the characters who populate it all have an important role to play. Ichiban is such an interesting character, and whilst I was unsure how I might feel being someone other than Kiryu, Ryu Ga Gotoku has introduced an equally compelling protagonist into its crazy and chaotic world of the Yakuza franchise.”

I don’t think I’ll ever find the right words to express what the Yakuza series means to me. Every new entry finds a way to improve upon the last whilst bringing a story so good only Ryu Ga Gotoku can tell. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is about as perfect as the series can get. The same impressive open world still exists, but the gameplay is completely different. The JRPG elements work so well that it’s astounding they’ve never tried it before. I’d be happy if it stays like this forever.

Dirt 5 review – “An excellent rally racer”

“DIRT 5 is an excellent racer with tons of race modes that allow you to experiment with all the cars you have at your finger tips. The Career is fun and challenging, and the sense of progression is satisfying. Some of the modes are tough to get to grips with, and I wasn’t a fan of Sprint, but there’s so much more that it never felt like I was stuck for a good time. DIRT 5’s online mode promises to be yet another great addition to the game, but at present we haven’t been able to try it out. As soon as players are populating the servers we intend to dive back in and give you the lowdown on how the Vampire mode works, because who doesn’t want to evade a vampire car? With some great presentation and a banging soundtrack, DIRT 5 is an excellent step up from the last entry in the series, and I can’t wait to dive in to the online modes.”

If you are looking for something that doesn’t include birds, monsters, or JRPGs, DIRT 5 is one of the finest racing games of the last few years. Adam has played it on the Xbox Series X and thinks it looks amazing (check out our recent podcast to find out more), but it’s the gameplay that stands out. It’s easy to get to grips with but difficult to master. Some of the courses require a lot of skill to get around, and when the weather and track conditions are against you, it takes everything you have to pull a victory out of the bag.

Celebrating the launch

We hope you enjoy your first few days playing the Xbox Series X as much as we have and are excited that it has finally launched. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should check out what Xbox did to celebrate the Xbox Series X launch. In a six-hour livestream to celebrate the Xbox Series X launch, hosts from Xbox On showcased some of the games that would be playable today on the brand new console.

Featuring a 12 ft high 4K state of the art installation, the future of the Xbox was celebrated with a stunning light show, multiple cameras employed to give the effect of shimmering transparency, and a dramatic binaural soundtrack.

“Gaming has the power to inspire, to connect and entertain us, and this next generation of gaming is coming at a time when play is more important than ever,” said Phil Spencer, executive vice-president of Gaming at Microsoft. “There are three billion people who play games across the globe; our vision is to make gaming great for every player on every device for every generation in every location around the world. The launch of Xbox Series X and Series S marks a moment for us to celebrate the power of play together.”

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The next generation of consoles is very nearly upon us and with pre-orders of the new Xbox Series X and Series S going live very soon, Microsoft has announced another major acquisition to it’s roster of studios – ZeniMax Media and game publisher Bethesda Softworks.

ZeniMax and Bethesda are one of the largest, most critically acclaimed, privately held game developers and publishers in the world employing a group of 2,300 people worldwide. The studios included are Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios. The various teams are responsible for some of the biggest franchises in gaming including The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, DOOM, Dishonored, Prey, Quake, Starfield and many, many more.

The announcement will come as a big surprise, but Bethesda has been an early supporter of Xbox Game Pass and future games will be coming to Xbox Game Pass for console and PC.

“Gaming is the most expansive category in the entertainment industry, as people everywhere turn to gaming to connect, socialize and play with their friends,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “Quality differentiated content is the engine behind the growth and value of Xbox Game Pass—from Minecraft to Flight Simulator. As a proven game developer and publisher, Bethesda has seen success across every category of games, and together, we will further our ambition to empower the more than three billion gamers worldwide.”

“This is an awesome time to be an Xbox fan. In the last 10 days alone, we’ve released details on our two new consoles which go on pre-order tomorrow, launched cloud gaming in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and now we’re making another investment in the most critical part of our strategy: the games,” said Phil Spencer, executive vice president, Gaming at Microsoft. “Generations of gamers have been captivated by the renowned franchises in the Bethesda portfolio and will continue to be so for years to come as part of Xbox.”

Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media was founded in 1999 by Chairman and CEO Robert A. Altman; Bethesda’s structure and leadership will remain in place.

“This is a thrilling day for this company, our employees, and our fans. We have enjoyed a close partnership with Microsoft for decades, and this deal is a natural progression of those years working together,” said Altman. “The big winners today are our fans. We are continuing to develop our slate of AAA games, but now with Microsoft’s scale and entire Game Stack, our games can only get better.”

Microsoft has agreed to acquire ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion in cash and is expected to close in the second half of fiscal year 2021.

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At the unusual time of 8:13 am this morning, Microsoft has announced the Xbox Series S console and pricing. At an incredibly reasonable $299/£249 for the adorable little white box, consumers will have access to an all digital next gen console. The Series S is promising to the smallest Xbox console to date, so although details are sparse right now we at least know that this isn’t going to be a PS5 behemoth of a box.

Due to the unquestionable success of GamePass, it’s likely that the lack of physical disc compatibility won’t be a sticking point for many gamers. We have no word from Xbox on the technical specifications of the lower end next gen console (although this has been promised soon) so we’ll have to see if 4K or 120 FPS are going to be an option for the new little box.

It is incredibly likely that the Xbox Series S will be the lowest cost of all next gen consoles, especially if all of the rumoured financing options mean that you’ll be able to subscribe to GamePass and get a new console for one reasonable monthly fee.

Although the timing of the Xbox Series S console and pricing announcement seems odd, there is a potential reason for this early morning announcement. Late last night there were some considerable leaks about the pricing of Xbox’s next gen offerings, which it seems rather likely influenced this decision.

Regardless of why it happened, it was very exciting to wake up to our first next generation pricing news. With a low cost that’s hard to resist, we may see a large number of Sony fans snatching up a Series S just to be able to sign up to GamePass. Hopefully we’ll soon get more information about the pricing of the other next gen offerings.

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Microsoft and 343 Industries have made the difficult decision to push the release of Halo Infinite until 2021, citing many reasons for its delay. In an official post on Halo’s Twitter account, Chris Lee, the Studio Head on Halo Infinite, said, “the decision to shift our release is the result of multiple factors that have contributed to development challenges, including the ongoing COVID-related impacts affecting us all this year.”

He also mentions all the hard work that 343 has put in, but “it is not sustainable for the well-being of our team or the overall success of the game to ship it this holiday.” The Xbox Series X is still scheduled to release this fall, however, it will be without one of the biggest draws that was intended to release around the same time. For as long as Xbox has been a thing, so has Halo.

Halo Infinite Development Update pic.twitter.com/TFZvXhRN9f

— Halo (@Halo) August 11, 2020

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If you haven’t been online in a few days then you might not have seen the leaked tidbit concerning the Xbox Series S Controller.

According to a couple of twitter pages, tweeted:

there is picture and video proof of the controller in the wild.

Die Verpackung des neuen Xbox Controller in weiß wurde gestern Nacht geleaked. Zudem wird wohl Lockhart "Xbox Series S" heißen.https://t.co/BTUmMgyM0H pic.twitter.com/XCfD5lKF2h

— Hype Your Games (@HypeYourGames) August 10, 2020

Another Xbox Series X | S controller has been found in the wild. Both this controller and the one in the Verge article are located in Chicago. If you are in the Chicago area, check your local classifieds, OfferUp, see if you can find more. Source:https://t.co/PmCiWamXdL pic.twitter.com/2elRvErmka

— r/SeriesXbox Reddit (@RSeriesxbox) August 10, 2020

No doubt this will have been announced at some point but here it is in all its glory. The chat seems to have stemmed from a forum thread on the Restera website. Although, having looked through it, any references to tweets seem to have been removed. Hasn’t stopped the ongoing comments though.

On the plus side, if this does turn out to be true, it seems to confirm that another version of the next-gen Xbox Series X console is on the way. Looking at the back of the Xbox Series S Controller box it does say “For Xbox Series X|S”.

There is no official announcement from Microsoft at the time of writing so we will need to wait and see what they have to say, if anything, about these leaks. Until then we will just need to keep looking at the pictures and video.

The post Xbox Series S Controller leaked? appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

Ahead of next week’s Xbox Series X stream, Xbox head Phil Spencer has announced that cloud gaming (so far known as Project xCloud) will be made available to members of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, from September.

In an Xbox Wire blog post, “Big Phil” says that “more than 100 Xbox Game Pass titles” will be available to play on mobile devices, via the cloud, at no extra charge for those with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

Xbox has also made a series of commitments as players transition to the next generation of consoles. Expect better community support, welcoming more creators of different backgrounds for more diverse content on the Xbox platform. This also means a potential reduction in hate speech and toxicity, as technology develops.

Alongside this, Phil Spencer also doubled down on the commitment to bring all first party titles to both Xbox Series X and Xbox One for “the next few years,” as well as promoting more cross-play across formats and console generations. He confirmed that those titles will also still release day-and-date on Xbox Game Pass.

Finally, he once again reiterated the introduction of “Smart Delivery” that will allow select titles to be bought on Xbox One and upgraded, at no extra cost, to Xbox Series X.

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One of the worst things going into a new generation of consoles is having to buy a game twice. Microsoft have been vocal about wanting to prevent this if you buy a Series X, and on Xbox Wire today Cross Gen purchasing on Xbox with Smart Delivery was explained.

“One of the most exciting of the technologies we’re introducing with Xbox Series X is Smart Delivery, which will ensure that you always play the best version of the games you own for your console, across generations. This technology is available for all developers, and all Xbox Game Studios titles that are Optimized for Xbox Series X, including Halo Infinite, will support Smart Delivery.

But what does that mean for you, the player? Well, it means that if you purchase the Xbox One version of a supported title, we will deliver the best version of it to your Xbox One, as usual. If you decide to jump into the next generation with Xbox Series X, we will automatically provide the Xbox Series X version of the game at no additional cost when it becomes available. You won’t need to do anything in terms of choosing a version to download. We’ll take care of all of that. And it’s not just limited to games that you purchase digitally; physical discs of Xbox games can also support Smart Delivery if the developer or publisher decides to implement it.”

More details of how Smart Delivery will work is available at the Xbox Wire post here. The fact that you’ll never need to buy an Xbox Studios game twice is great news, and incredibly consumer friendly. Although I don’t expect every publisher to jump on this opportunity, any that do (and that includes CD Project Red with Cyberpunk 2033) will get a lot of respect from me. Microsoft’s consumer friendly approach continues to impress leading into the new generation.

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In case you missed the announcement, there has been a load of new info released about the Xbox Series X. It contains some finer details you may have wanted to know since the consoles announcement. Enough of the small talk, let’s get into the details.

Next Gen Custom Processor

The Xbox Series X will be using their own custom designed processor, leveraging AMD’s Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures. Processing power will be getting a boost and will have four times that of the Xbox One. Developers will be able to make use of 12 TFLOPS of GPU performance, which comes in at double that of the Xbox One X.

Variable Rate Shading

The patented VRS for Xbox Series X will more efficiently utilise the capabilities of the console. This means that instead of the GPU concentrating on every pixel on screen, individual effects will be prioritised on specific characters and environmental objects. This aims to provide more stable frame rates and higher resolution.

DirectX Raytracing

Thanks to DirectX Raytracing, there will be more realistic environments. True to life lighting, accurate reflections and realistic acoustics in real time is what this aims to deliver.

SSD Storage

The next gen SSD will be a part of the Xbox Series X which means nearly everything should be faster. Game worlds will be larger and load instantly and things like fast travel will mean fast.

Quick Resume

The Quick Resume feature aims to let you continue multiple games from a suspended state almost immediately. In doing this you can pick up from where you left off without needing to sit though any loading screens.

Dynamic Latency Input (DLI)

The latency in the Xbox Wireless Controller has also been looked at. Using the consoles higher bandwidth means that latency between input and what happens on screen is more precise and responsive.

HDMI 2.1 Innovation

Microsoft has partnered with the HDMI forum and TV manufacturers to help with features like Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR).

This means that ALLM allows the Xbox One and Xbox Series X to automatically adjust the connected display to its lowest latency mode. VRR syncs the display’s refresh rate which means no tearing of the visuals.

120 fps support

Just as it sounds. The Xbox Series X supports up to 120 fps, allowing developers to go beyond the standard 60 fps.

Four Gens of gaming

Microsoft will continue with their commitment to compatibility. This means that existing Xbox One games, including backward compatible Xbox 360 and original Xbox games, will be available to play on the Xbox Series X. They will also look and play better on the Series X. Xbox Games Pass games will also be included. All games will have steadier framerates, faster loading times and improved resolution and visual fidelity.

Smart Delivery

Microsoft has also committed to using Smart Delivery on all exclusive Xbox Game Studios titles. The aim for Smart Delivery is that you’ll buy a game once and, whether you’re playing it on the Xbox One or Series X, you will be playing the right version of that game. The technology will be available to developers to use on games that release on Xbox One first, then make their way to the Series X.

Xbox Game Pass

Game Pass will still include games from past gens but will also include current gen games. First party games will continue to be included on Game Pass at launch, e.g. Halo Infinite.

Microsoft is intending on releasing more Xbox Series X info in the coming months. Presumably at the upcoming E3.

The post Microsoft release some Xbox Series X details appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

Microsoft has announced that the Xbox Console Streaming preview has been expanded to Xbox Insiders in all Xbox One-supported countries.

The Xbox Console Streaming feature allows you to play your Xbox one on your mobile device. The service has been in preview in the US and UK for Xbox Insiders since October 2019. It allows gamers to play their own and installed Xbox One games, including Xbox Game Pass titles on any Android phone or tablet, streamed directly from their console.

Starting from today the service is being expanded to include Xbox Insiders in all Xbox One countries.

You will need to opt in via the Xbox Insider app, as well as have a mobile device running Android 6 or higher with Bluetooth 4.0.

For more detailed information you can check out the official Xbox Wire announcement here.

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I always find it immensely hard to rank the games from a given year. I review so many in a 12-month period and I play even more, and I can absolutely fall in love with a game which the critic in me will only score a 5 or 6 out of 10. It’s not helped by 2019 being such a strange and uneven year both in and out of the games industry. It has been a year of crushing disappointments (and I don’t mean the election), from Anthem‘s distressing launch to Ghost Recon’s upsetting fall from grace – but it has also been a year of utter triumphs. Capcom, for instance, has singlehandedly taken the greater industry to school this year, in my humble opinion, but it doesn’t stop there.

Because 2019 has, for me, been a year of surprises, as I’ve branched out and tried genres I didn’t think I’d enjoy or had walked away from years ago. I’ve been playing strategy games and side-scrolling platformers galore, and my library has been much richer for it. Looking back on 2019 as someone who has played somewhere in the region of 60 new games, it feels almost like an insurmountable task to rank them, but there are stand-outs; there are games that have utterly blown me away this year, and a lot of them have been complete and total surprises. And that’s why I love doing what I do and being part of the Godisageek family: surprises. The things you don’t see coming. We don’t know what 2020 will bring, in games or in life, but I know that no matter what, I’ll be surprised and surprised again in the next 12 months.

But I digress, folks. Here are my top picks for 2019.

Honorable Mentions

Black Future ’88: Life can be incredibly stressful at times, and now and then you just need a little catharsis. Black Future ’88 doesn’t ask for much in return for the therapy it offers: 18 minutes is all it wants, 18 minutes of your time in return for some bright, loud, frenetic fun, and it’s a price I paid over and over again.

Daemon X Machina: I wasn’t expecting much from this Switch-exclusive mech shooter when it was announced, but I was wrong. It’s bonkers and brilliant. Swooping through the clouds unloading a barrage of rockets and missiles, before slamming into the ground to continue the fight on foot and scavenge the wreckage of your fallen enemies builds into an addictive gameplay loop helped along by some truly weird writing and a cool, if uneven, story.

Children of Morta: This is one I think many will overlook, but it’s a unique RPG so crammed full of cool new ideas and emotional moments that it deserves to be played. An isometric hack ‘n’ slasher following the adventures of a family of heroes, Children of Morta is beautiful and, more importantly, different to anything else released this year.

Code Vein: This almost, almost, made it into my Top 10, because it’s absolutely one of the best “Soulslikes” released in recent years. Vampires and ghouls and blood beads and hats, oh my, the hats… It was on my radar from minute-one, and was well worth the wait when it finally launched.

10. Resident Evil 2 Remake

This is how you remake a beloved game. No ifs, no buts – this is how it is done and woe betide any remake in the future that doesn’t at least aim for this bar. While we’re all chomping at the bit for the Final Fantasy 7 remake next year, we’ve known about it for ages, been waiting for what feels like years and years. But the Resi 2 remake was almost a stealth release. We got some images, a trailer, a release date, and boom, it was here, and by all the zombies in Raccoon City, is it a bloody incredible achievement? The addition of Mr X as a recurring, indomitable threat is pure genius, and along with the pace and flow, the improved voice work and visuals, the way it brings the entire game into the 21st century without compromising a single thing that made the original so superb, it’s an absolute masterclass in how to produce a remake.

9. My Friend Pedro

This was one of those surprises I mentioned. It came almost out of nowhere, and I’ll admit to not thinking much of the initial reveal – but, wow. I spent several days straight doing nothing but chasing high scores and improved times in My Friend Pedro. The story of a possibly unhinged hitman and his talking banana, the titular Pedro, its mix of insane gunplay, off-the-wall ragdoll physics and pulsing music is utterly intoxicating. Ricocheting bullets, hopping on skateboards, jumping, bouncing, somersaulting and swinging through veritable assault courses of obstacles and enemies is ridiculously fun, even if it is ultimately over too quickly.

8. Devil May Cry 5

Another lesson from Capcom here, not only in how to bring an ageing franchise into the modern era, but also in how to take back your franchise from a team that were doing it justice anyway (I will always defend Ninja Theory’s DmC), and how to introduce a new character to an existing line-up and have him feel not only utterly unique but also 100% part of the universe. Dante and Nero were already established badasses, but new guy V is a wonderful addition to the line-up who brings something utterly new and fresh to the ball. DMC5 is a fantastic action game: it’s slick and gorgeous and beautifully balanced, and begs to be played.

7. Control

I am a huge, huge Alan Wake fan, but when I reviewed Quantum Break I realised I was more a fan of the worlds Remedy builds than the actual gameplay that takes place in them – that was until I played Control. Jesse Faden’s story is endlessly entertaining, inventive, and exciting. It features some incredible writing, more imagination than many games could fit into double the run-time, and showcases some of the most interesting set-pieces I’ve ever played through. Say the word “Ashtray” to anyone who’s played it and you’ll see what I mean. There were some issues at launch, many of which have been patched out, but Control is one of those rare games that wasn’t held back by it, the glitchy nature of its own in-game universe serving to camouflage many of its shortcomings to produce a hugely enjoyable adventure.

6. Darksiders Genesis

Again, I wasn’t expecting big things here. If pressed after the release of Darksiders 3, I’d have opined that the franchise had breathed its last. I thought Genesis would be little but a death rattle. Well, damn me if I wasn’t utterly wrong again. Not very good at this, am I? Anyway, Genesis turned out to be absolutely brilliant. It’s almost the most fun I had in 2019 with any single game, and was the perfect title to break in my new gaming PC. Genesis almost feels like the first game from a different viewpoint, mixing melee and ranged combat, screen-filling special attacks, more baroque posturing than a Vampire: The Masquerade convention, and one hell of a score. Well played, Mr. Madureira, well played.

5. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Well, knock me down, as my dear old nan would say. EA, the corporation often associated with destroying the very image of the “Star Wars videogame”, not only published one of the best Star Wars games of recent years, but they also did it with no mictrotransactions, loot boxes, surprise mechanics, premium currencies or a bloody roadmap. EA did that. Electronic Arts. Honestly. Look it up. But the credit for Fallen Order is not EA’s alone. Respawn, hot off the success of Apex Legends and still allegedly salty over EA’s treatment of Titanfall 2, came out of the stalls swinging. There was no way they were settling for an also-ran here; they needed a hit and they damn well earned it. Yes, it had its issues in some areas, but as a pure Star Wars adventure it’s utterly fantastic, and further proof that Cameron Monaghan is destined for greatness.

4.The Outer Worlds

As a huge fan of Bethesda and Obsidian’s Fallout trilogy (that is Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Fallout 4) the prospect of The Outer Worlds, a space-faring homage to that series, had me enthralled from the first announcement. My faith, it transpired, was well-placed. In a year where it seemed that Bethesda couldn’t get a hand up off the ground, Obsidian inadvertently stuck the boot in by releasing The Outer Worlds, a game that had many similarities to the Fallout games but very few of their faults. Polished and well-written, well-paced and focused, it’s a sci-fi adventure that packs in a huge amount of content without overstaying its welcome.

3. Gears 5

Where do I even start with Gears 5? Ditching the “of War” suffix, the sixth foray into the war-torn world of the CoG and the Locust sees The Coalition (having taken over after the original trilogy ended) finally proving they have what we knew they had all along: the ability to make this franchise truly their own. The potential was there with the mostly excellent Gears of War 4, despite a few bumps along the way, but with Gears 5 The Coalition have truly found their stride. While next year’s Gears Tactics is set to breathe new life into the series, Gears 5 proves beyond any measure of doubt that the franchise isn’t done with yet. Weaved through every scene of bombastic, balls-out action is a gossamer thread of heartfelt emotion, and for me it’s this glowing thread of humanity that elevates the Gears franchise above its peers – the risk taken to sow the seeds of empathy into the boot-trampled sod of macho posturing and growling gunfire is something that feels unique to the series.

2. A Plague Tale: Innocence

Imagine a relatively small studio having the stones to enter the grand stage in the same year as Control, The Division 2, Gears 5, Death Stranding, without a storefront, without a Season Pass, no multiplayer, no guns, and a game that lives and dies on the strength of its characters and gameplay rather than marketing, controversy, or the power of its brand. Imagine a relatively small studio doing that and still managing to produce one of the best experiences of the year. I told you 2019 was a year of surprises and few games embody that like A Plague Tale: Innocence. Powerful, beautiful, compelling, absorbing – and totally, utterly, unexpected.

1. Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

Okay, this is not a fresh release, that much I’ll admit. But talk to anyone who has spent considerable time in Capcom’s thrilling new world and they’ll all tell you the same thing: Iceborne adds so much content and changes so many base mechanics that it may as well be Monster Hunter World 2. Without a doubt, Monster Hunter World is one of the finest games of this generation, and Iceborne doesn’t just add to it; it transforms it in a myriad of subtle ways. Capcom have done it again, once more schooling other developers on how to support a game post-launch with piles of free content, patches and improvements, and a huge, game-changing expansion that doesn’t charge the Earth. Indeed, Capcom have supported World like a live service game minus all the MTX bollocks from day one. Yes, you can buy content, but you have to actually leave the game to do so. There’s no storefront, and if you want to you can play the entire game offline and solo and still reach the endgame – and survive it. That’s almost unheard of in this day and age.

Iceborne has been the one game this year that has simply captivated me. I thought I was done with World; I had moved on to other things. But with Iceborne, Capcom reinvigorated me in a way that only a fresh new game can. So yes, I may be cheating a little here, but for me this is the greatest single release of 2019 – and anyway, it’s my list, dammit.

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Hot off the heels of the official name being released for the new Xbox console, Phil Spencer took to the stage at the Game Awards to announce that Ninja Theory will be releasing the sequel to Hellblade, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, for the Xbox Series X. The trailer features all in-game footage, and looks absolutely incredible. Have a watch below:

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The Game Awards 2019 have kept the big announcements coming, and Microsoft has chosen to unveil the official name for their new console. Officially titled Xbox Series X, the brand new Microsoft console is coming in the winter of 2020, and a new trailer to accompany the announcement can be found below:

If you want to know more information about the announcement, you can read about it on Microsoft’s official blog post.

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September is here, but we’re calling it August-2 as the games just won’t stop. Adam Cook has played and reviewed Gears 5 and loves it, but doesn’t love them dropping the “of War”. Meanwhile, Adam Carroll has a very strange experience with The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan. We’ve also played some Daemon X Machina on Switch, but Chris has been mostly playing NBA 2K20, which he really digs.

This week’s Listener Correspondence is about Jesus and miracles, Death Stranding, MetaCritic, what we’d play if we weren’t reviewing, and, well, we get a bit self-indulgent towards the end talking about our proudest GodisaGeek.com moments. Hit us up every week with new daft questions (and serious ones, too) and we’ll answer them! Seriously, maybe you want to know the weirdest thing Adam Carroll has ever eaten, or what team Chris plays as in NBA 2K20? You can’t un-ask these things! You can ping us across all social media platforms – seriously, ask, we won’t bite!

Click here to download the MP3 version.

We’re on Spotify now, by the way, so you can even listen there!

Follow Us!

While we have you, you can hear this podcast early on Patreon for as little as $1 a month. That’s less than £1. Yep, around a tenner a year for early access (including our vlogs, podcast, etc) and we even do code giveaways there. We also host a Patreon-Exclusive Discord server where, honestly, we’re just currently sharing Super Mario Maker 2 levels. Come join us!

Is there a particular game you want us to talk about, by the way? You can email us at podcast@godisageek.com or Tweet us via @GodisaGeek. Just drop us a line, even if it’s about food, or just how much you love us, your favourite gaming podcast. Follow the team on Twitter: Adam Cook is @JebusF, Adam Carrol is @AdamZoax, and Chris is @FirstAvenger83. You can also like us on Facebook, our page is here. Finally, follow us on Podbean, here.

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While everyone has been getting hyped for the E3 announcements that always accompany this dry period in game releases, I have been quietly dipping my toe into some of the titles that Game Pass has to offer. The Xbox subscription service is already pretty great, with the opportunity to play all first party Xbox games, as well as some pretty big name third party games such as Alien Isolation, Tomb Raider, Monster Hunter World and many others; however I have been focusing my time a little more on some of the ID@Xbox and smaller indie titles.

Usually the summer drought of games gives me a much needed opportunity to make some headway into my ever increasing backlog, but because I’m a mad bastard and a glutton for punishment I have instead jumped feet first into Game Pass. Here are some quick thoughts on what I have found so far.

GRAVEYARD KEEPER
Lazy Bear Games / tinyBuild

Graveyard Keeper was recommended to me by a “friend” who messaged me a while back via the Xbox Companion App (Smartglass was a way better name Microsoft – what are you playing at?). I say friend because whoever recommends this game is clearly some kind of sadist!

To be fair to my pal, he thought I might enjoy it because it seems quite like Stardew Valley and, on the face of it, first impressions certainly seem to confirm that, if Stardew demanded that you drain dead bodies of their fluids and bury them, that is.

Graveyard Keeper is a management sim wherein you prepare bodies for burial, but also harvest their “meat” for goodness knows what purposes. There is also a bit of a mystery associated with it, with a magical portal that needs reactivating and some shady characters lurking about, including a talking donkey and the disembodied head of the previous keeper.

My main issue with Graveyard Keeper is that everything seems awfully obtuse, nothing is really explained to you and to compound things you can only interact with certain key figures on specific days of the week which makes everything a bit of a relentless grind. It’s not bad though, I may well be poking my head back in to see whether my graveyard is becoming overgrown or not.

WARGROOVE
Chucklefish

Whereas Graveyard Keeper was recommended to me because it seemed similar to Stardew Valley, I downloaded Wargroove because of Chucklefish which published Stardew. Look, I like Stardew Valley! OK?

Wargroove is a turn-based tactical game, and I am going to be perfectly honest, turn-based games have never really appealed to me. I am actually unsure why this as, as I do tend to like tactical-based things, but I was immediately drawn to the visual style with all its lovely pixelated characters.

One thing I really like about Wargroove is that instead of controlling a party of particular individuals, you instead utilise squadrons of disposable units each with their own strengths and weaknesses – the archer unit for example can be extremely powerful, but you will need to position it in a suitable place away from the immediate combat and be aware that the damage is limited if they fire while moving.

My main criticism is that a lot of the missions can take quite a while to beat, and losing right at the end of a forty-minute battle can be a little demoralising, however, there are some great difficulty parameters that you can set which alter the damage you do, how much money you make etc., which allows you to customise the difficulty to a certain degree.

HEADLANDER
Double Fine Productions / Adult Swim Games

I’ll admit I downloaded this on a whim as it was part of the ID@Xbox qualifying games that formed part of the May rewards programme on Xbox. Headlander is a Metroidvania style game where you play as a disembodied head in a “groovy” 70s-inspired science fiction dystopia where humans have, for some inexplicable reason, chosen to abandon their fleshy bodies and instead implanted their consciousness into robotic bodies.

You (as a rocket powered head) zoom around the map vacuuming heads off bodies so that you can utilise them for opening doors and shooting at the various enemies controlled by the nefarious Methusalah, a rogue AI intent on not allowing you to recover your lost memories… or something.

It really shouldn’t work, but it’s great fun. I knew I was hooked in within the first five minutes as a cut-scene depicting your escape from the location you woke up in shows that you are the piloting head of a space-craft that looks suspiciously like a penis. Plus, it has an achievement called “Probing the Pleasureport”.

What can I say? I am but a simple woman, easily amused.

OUTER WILDS
Mobius Digital / Annapurna Interactive

I don’t really know how to describe Outer Wilds, but I do think I’m a teensy bit in love with it. The best description I can give is that it is an open-world adventure game where repetition is the greatest reward.

Essentially Outer Wilds is set around a 22-minute time loop. You play a character who is part of your home planet’s space exploration programme, but unbeknownst to you and your fellow inhabitants of Timber Heath your planet’s sun is about to go super-nova. If you die or manage to survive long enough to see the sun blow up you are reset, but maintain all the progress and knowledge earned from previous runs.

Outer Wilds is part exploration, part mystery game as you explore the different planets within your solar system for clues as to what went before and potentially how you can stop your seemingly inevitable fate. Its a beautiful game, both in its visual style but also in its use of death as a game mechanic, and how inevitable and meaningful each one can be.

Play it, I think it will feature heavily in game of the year discussions.

The post Four super interesting indies on Xbox Game Pass right now appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

As soon as Keanu Reeves stepped on stage to announce the Cyberpunk 2077 release date, I knew the Microsoft Briefing would at least roll gently downhill from there. And it did, in all fairness, as no amount of Gears of War and Terminator crossovers or indie trailers (despite some being amazing) could top.

But it was towards the end of the conference when we were introduced to a trailer featuring a jump-suited astronaut working feverishly to contain some kind of breech, that my interest piqued. I actually thought it was a new Aliens game, maybe even a new Dead Space. The tone was dark, ominous, as the astronaut fell to the ground and then appeared to age while playing a holographic message from his wife and daughter (signifying how long he’d been floating) that pulled at the heartstrings and made me think of games like Prey and Alien: Isolation.

And then came the distress call, designated as “friendly”. The astronaut, half-mad with grief after being alone so long, ran up to the cockpit, wiping freezing condensation off the screen to reveal not a ship, but Microsoft’s most enduringly iconic hero. My goosebumps had goosebumps. At that moment I was a teenager again, saving humanity from an ancient cosmic threat. It was a CGI trailer with no gameplay, but absolutely sizzling with the Halo atmosphere that I felt was missing during the bombastic Guardians reveal years ago.

Okay, it wasn’t the Halo 2 intro. It didn’t have the Master Chief surfing a massive bomb through a galactic firefight. But once again, our boy has come in from the cold. And the thing that really got me? What this character embodies now. As the engineer rigs his Mjolnir armour up to what amounts to a set of jump leads and shocks him back to consciousness, the Chief doesn’t ask for a sit down or a cup of coffee, doesn’t take five minutes to fret over his missing AI who, quite possibly, he’s going to have to destroy at some point.

He grabs a gun, seals the engineer in the cockpit, and heads right back into the breech. He says no more than 8 words in the whole trailer, but it’s all he needs. I’ve never come to the Halo games for the story. The books, spin offs, comics, yes. The lore is deep and rich and interesting. But the main series has always felt curiously detached from the greater lore, never more so than in Halo 5: Guardians, which required extensively knowledge of the extended universe just to make sense, and wound up feeling soulless, hollow and pretentious as a result.

I’m not suggesting Infinite is going to change all of that, and in fact the subtitle “Infinite” suggests even more scope and scale than we’ve seen before. But that trailer, muted, intimate, deliberately restrained, did more to capture the quintessential feel of Halo than the whole of Guardians’ campaign did. Not counting Reach (which I will argue was underrated until my final breath), the Halo franchise has always, always been about the Master Chief and Cortana. And it has lost something since Halo 3. The chemistry between the Spartan and his onboard AI is sorely missing; the band of heroes element that was present before Miranda Keyes and Sergeant Johnson were unceremoniously killed off; the sense of one soldier standing against the storm no matter the cost… Halo 4 and Guardians undid some of this groundwork, in my opinion, and while both are competent, enjoyable games, neither sparkled with the same Halo magic.

Will Infinite? Who knows? We know very little at this point. We know the Master Chief has no Cortana to guide him. We know she’s an immensely powerful God allegory with AI rampancy at this point, and so it’s going to take something monumental to recapture the spark they had and I’m praying that that’s the way it plays out – that they do recapture some of that old magic, somehow.

Because for the first time in a while, I really felt something while watching that trailer. I felt transported back. I felt young and hopeful again. And excited. I’m excited to see where this story is going. We’ve got a long time to wait, but something tells me the ride will be worth it in the end.

The post Why the new Halo: Infinite trailer gave me all the feels appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

TT Games’ brand new LEGO game was announced during the Microsoft E3 conference, and it looks awesome. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will be a brand new game comprised of all nine Star Wars movies, including the upcoming Rise of Skywalker. The game is set to release in 2020.

You can watch the announce trailer below:

The post LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga announced appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

During Microsoft’s E3 conference, a brand new trailer was released, as well as a release date. The game is expected hit hit PC, Xbox One, and PS4 in Spring 2020.

Fans have been crying out for a sequel to Techland’s award-winning zombie open world game, and thankfully we have an idea when the game is coming. You can watch the incredible new trailer below:

The post New trailer for Dying Light 2 and release window announced appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

After months of speculation, Microsoft’s next console, Project Scarlett, will be releasing in the holiday season 2020. Not only that, but it’ll be releasing with the brand new Halo game, Infinite.

The console is being worked on by the same team that’s built the previous consoles. Boasting incredible processing power which includes “the latest Zen 2 and Navi processor” from AMD, a revolutionary new SSD system, and up to 120 frames-per-second. Phil Spencer also stated Project Scarlett will utilise Project xCloud – a platform that allows Xbox players the ability to play on the go.

There was also stunning footage from Halo: Infinite which is set to release when the new console does.

The post Microsoft reveal new console Project Scarlett, coming Q4 2020 appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

Xbox Gamepass Ultimate has finally got a price. It is available now for $14.99, but will be available for $1 straight away.

The Gamepass for PC was also featured and will feature plenty of games, including Prey, Gears 5, and Wolfenstein II: New Colossus, with the open beta starting now.

The post Xbox Gamepass Ultimate price announced appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

Our guide to the Sea of Thieves Tall Tales concludes below with Part Four.

TALL TALE #9: SHORES OF GOLD

To begin this Tall Tale you will need to head over to Morrow’s Peak outpost in Devil’s Roar and speak with Grace the only person (apparently) to have been to the the shores of gold. There are ten journals to find in this tale, luckily they are all located on one island called Tribute Peak, but you will have to get there first… All journals are written by Briggsy.

JOURNAL #1: I FORGOT TO STOP
This is located near the southern beach at the shipwreck of the sloop. You will need to head into the back end of the wreck and the journal is resting on the ground.

Tribute Peak Location 1

Tribute Peak – First Journal Location

The text reads:

Well this is embarrassing. I’m normally a dab hand behind the wheel, and I don’t make a habit of wrecking my ship halfway up the beach. Still, what matters is that I made it here. Another first for Captain Briggsy! I should plant a flag, but all I have is these journals. I’m kind of disappointed that the shores aren’t really made of gold, but at least I won’t go blind once the sun comes up. The Shroud doesn’t seem to cover the island, just… wrap around it, I guess. That means it’s safe to explore, and exploring I shall go!

JOURNAL #2: LET’S NOT MENTION THIS
Tribute Peak is an enormous island. To locate this second journal you will need to head up the central path that leads towards the “compass” room. As you climb higher, and before the bridge you will see a ship mast with a tattered sail wedged between the rocks high above, just before this on the left is a stack of crates and the journal is resting between them.

Tribute Peak Location 2

Tribute Peak – Second Journal Location

The text reads:

Bah! Looks like I’m not the first to make it here after all. This stuff doesn’t look ancient, just old, and I’m sure it was made by pirates. I guess the island slips out of the Devil’s Shroud from time to time, and that’s when others came? Maybe even Ramsey got here in the end. Well, no point in sulking. I’m here now, and I bet I can find something they missed. A memento, to help remember this place. And when I tell this story, maybe I’ll conveniently forget to mention this little discovery. We’ll make it our secret, okay?

JOURNAL #3: DREAMS
Once you reach the compass room, go to your right and you will find the journal there inside a crate.

Tribute Peak 3

Tribute Peak – Third Journal Location

The text reads:

It’s still night, but I just woke up sweating. My first really bad dream in years. Maybe if I write it out, I can sleep. I was back in the tavern at Golden Sands, on the night Ramsey called parley. Trying to open on of those sealed chests. I couldn’t pick the lock. Couldn’t force it. Then suddenly, there’s the key in my hand. I smirk and throw open the lid… Nothing there. Seriously. Nothing, like looking into a chasm. A bottomless pit in a box. And suddenly, I feel hands on my back, shoving me! I think it’s one of Ramsey’s men, and now I’m inside the chest, falling – screaming out as the lid snaps shut overhead… Then I woke up. Ugh.

JOURNAL #4: NO SHORTCUTS!
On the western side of the island you will find a passageway lined with huge statues. Off to the left of those statues is a temple-like area with a number of switches you can stand on. There are some steps leading down into the ground blocked off by a cave in. The journal is located at the bottom of those steps.

Tribute Peak 4

Tribute Peak – Fourth Journal Location

The text reads:

This is a weird place. It looks like someone used powder kegs to blow their way down into whatever lies below this island. Maybe they managed it somehow, maybe not. Either way, the tunnel they left behind collapsed a long time ago. There has to be another way down. Ancient civilisations love putting secret passages in stuff. It’s a well-known fact! Ask anyone. Whatever it takes, I’m going to get down there. I want to see every last inch of this place before I leave!

JOURNAL #5: CLIMBING MASTERCLASS
This one is difficult to find as it is located on the arm of one of the statues and you will need to use a cannon to fire yourself onto it. The correct statue is the second one in on the right if you are looking towards the compass room, or the third one up on the left if you are working your way back from the entrance to the tomb.

Tribute Peak 5

Tribute Peak – Fifth Journal Location

The text reads:

You know how some people are good climbers? Well, I am a GREAT climber. That’s why I left this book up here, as proof. Well… I say “climb”. I actually used a cannon from the wreck of my sloop. But if you’re reading this, you must’ve had the same idea. This place has some amazing views, and I want to see them all! I do wish I had someone to talk to though… I hope you’re okay out there, Sudds.

The next five journals are all located inside the tomb once you have solved the various riddles to open it.

JOURNAL #6: WHY ARE YOU HERE?
Once you open the Gold Hoarder door with the coin you will see some crates on your left. The journal is inside one of those.

Tribute Peak 6

Tribute Peak – Sixth Journal Location

The text reads:

I am very much creeped out right now, not that I’d ever admit it to anyone. I finally made it on top of the throne and inside. I hadn’t gone far before I spotted a chest. One of the sealed ones people sometimes sell to the Gold Hoarders, but… open. It looked just like the one from my dream. Like, exactly the same. It sounds stupid but I didn’t dare go near it in case I fell in. As if I needed more clues, I spotted the Gold Hoarder emblem on a door, too. So. They’ve been here before. But why?

JOURNAL #7: WHERE THE GOLD GOES 
You will need to make your way down the stairwell. At the bottom you will see a mermaid statue, follow the right hand side round and the journal is resting on a rock near some glowing mushrooms

Tribute Peak 7

Tribute Peak – Seventh Journal Location

The text reads:

I don’t like Trading Companies. There were none when I first came to the Sea of Thieves, young and cocky as I was. I don’t blame people for working with the Gold Hoarders though. If you’ve found a chest you can’t open, why NOT take it to them? Well… Maybe because we should have been asking ourselves what they do with the treasure afterwards, when we’ve walked away. I think it comes here. I think it ALL comes here. That’s why this place is called Shores of Gold.

JOURNAL #8: I ONLY WANTED ONE
You will need to get past the balance beam section of the tomb, and before you move onto the next area check the crates on the left hand side.

Tribute Peak – Eighth Journal Location

The text reads:

I’ve made a huge mistake. I only wanted a little thing. Just a keepsake, something to prove I’ve been here. Just one little trinket from a treasure pile. I don’t feel sick, or cursed. I feel great! And that’s bad, because I haven’t slept or eaten in days. There’s a different kind of feeling inside me now, though. I don’t like it. I don’t understand it. But I know it’s getting stronger.

JOURNAL #9: ANSWERS
One of the trap rooms has a number of spikes in it as well as three levers. The ninth journal is in this room resting between some rubble on a wooden platform. You will need to use one of the torches to climb up there.

Tribute Peak 9

Tribute Peak – Ninth Journal Location

The text reads:

He was waiting for me, just as I expected. I thought he’d attack, but he seemed to understand. He says I can’t go back. I’ll be an outcast. A target. I know he’s right. If I agree to serve, he’ll share a cure one day. He’s probably lying. But what choice do I have? Briggsy died on this island, and I’m all that’s left.

JOURNAL #10: A LAST ACT OF FREE WILL
From the previous trap room head up the path and you will find a raised platform on the right hand side. The journal is resting on a crate up there.

Tribute Peak 10

Tribute Peak – Tenth Journal Location

The text reads:

I was commanded to destroy the relic. He doesn’t want pirates reaching here unexpectedly, when he might be sleeping. I have disobeyed. If there really is a cure for… what I am, now… I might need the Shroudbreaker to find it. One day. Instead, I’ll hide the gems that seem to focus it’s power. I know plenty of old places to keep them safe from fleshy fingers. The Shroudbreaker can go back to sleep in its vault to recharge. And I’ll start gathering treasures for him, as ordered. I’ll be a slave. I’ll be a villain. I’ll be a monster. At least now I know what the feeling inside of me is. Shame.

Part One: The Shroudbreaker and The Cursed Rogue

Part Two: The Legendary Storyteller and Stars of a Thief

Part Three: Wild Rose and The Art of the Trickster

Part Four: Fate of the Morningstar and Revenge of the Morningstar

The post Sea of Thieves Tall Tales Journal Locations Guide: Part Five appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

Our guide to the Sea of Thieves Tall Tales continues below with Part Three.

Part One: The Shroudbreaker and The Cursed Rogue

Part Two: The Legendary Storyteller and Stars of a Thief

TALL TALE #5: WILD ROSE

This tale is picked up from Madame Olive, the representative for the Order of Souls based at Sanctuary Outpost. These are the journals of the young lovers that Madame Olive has asked you to locate.

JOURNAL #1: I WANT TO FIGHT! BY ROSE
This first journal is located on Rapier Cay next to some barrels in the middle of the island.

Rapier Cay

Rapier Cay – Journal Location

The text reads:

She was following us again all day. I could see her sails on the horizon. Just out of reach of the cannons. COWARD. I knew I wanted this life. Ever since I fell from my parents’ sloop as a nipper and got saved by Captain Briggsy herself! She looked me up and down and said I was going to be the sort of pirate who never let danger scare her away. And thanks to her I never have. But they all say it’s still too dangerous to take on Rooke. I guess to keep George happy I will just keep writing my feelings down instead of wasting all our ammo. Ugh. I wish things were simple again like they were back at Cannon Cove...

JOURNAL #2: HE WILL GET HIMSELF KILLED! BY ROSE
This second journal can be found on Cannon Cove under a barrel next to the campfire in the small bay of the island.

Cannon Cove

Cannon Cove – Journal Location

The text reads:

So we’re at Cannon Cove and there’s just gold sat there like a big dumb trap for idiots. Guess who runs rights up to it and gets jumped by an enemy crew lying in wait? YUP! I had to fight all four of them myself. Lucky I had Georges sword and mine also. I was angry though so it was an easy fight. He never realised it was him I was mad at. Let’s see if we can make it to Lone Cove without me strangling him. I say it’s 50 – 50.

JOURNAL #3: I THINK I LOVE HER, BY GEORGE
You’ll find this journal at Lone Cove on the eastern side of the large rock in the middle of the island.

Lone Cove

Lone Cove – Journal Location

The text reads:

We have stopped to rest on our way to the Lagoon of Whispers, but the only whisper I can hear is echoes of the question. Asked so plainly, the shock of it has completely dulled my senses, and I’m still no closer to the answer. It’s like that game where children pull petals off flowers one at a time. She loves me, she loves me not. Although it’s more like… I love her, I love her not, I love her… I love her… I… Oh dear.

JOURNAL #4: A KISS AND A MISS, BY GEORGE
Head to the Lagoon of Whispers on the eastern side of the island to find this journal sitting on a barrel.

Lagoon of Whispers

Lagoon of Whispers – Journal Location

The text reads:

Only the Captain’s Cabin affords any measure of privacy on a galleon such as ours. I knew that if I were to act, it would have to be while we returned aboard our rowboat. I leaned closer. Rose tilted her head, quizzically. With my heart in my mouth, I moved nearer still… My oar struck a sandbar just then. We touched! Or rather, collided. Rose’s forehead; my (now rather bloody) nose. I am dismayed, but not defeated. Once Quickshot is returned to the soil and we reach Sailor’s Bounty, I shall try my luck again…

JOURNAL #5: HE PROPOSED! BY ROSE
The final journal for this Tall Tale can be found on one of the small Northern islands that make up Sailor’s Bounty. It is next to a pile of barrels.

Sailor’s Bounty

Sailor’s Bounty – Journal Location

The text reads:

Today has been one of the best day of my life and one of the funniest too. My sides still hurt! George had been thinking (too much) about how to propose to me. Where to take me and how to stand and what to say. Too bad he forgot to look where he was walking! He turned and said “Rose will you marry aaargh!” He fell into a tree and got stuck upside-down swinging all day! Until we chopped it down anyway. Ha ha ha! Laughing again. But of course I said yes anyway. As if I could refuse my George after all of that!

TALL TALE #6: THE ART OF THE TRICKSTER

To pick up this tale you will have to locate Salty, the skeletal parrot from the Cursed Sails expansion. He is no longer located in the secret workshop on Wanderer’s Refuge, instead you will need to head to Plunder Valley and you will find him there near the wrecked ship next to a campfire on the eastern side of the island. These journals are all about the Trap maker.

JOURNAL #1: THE PERFECT TRAP
This journal is on Plunder Valley in the cavern. You can find it resting on the central rock inside the cave.

Plunder Valley

Plunder Valley – Journal Location

The text reads:

Even while being forced to work against my will – and don’t think I don’t know which bird-brain is responsible – I still have my pride. As the greatest Trapmaker the Sea of Thieves has ever seen, I must devise something brilliant to protect an equally brilliant treasure. How, then, shall I prove the effectiveness of my creation? Why, by using a few greedy, grog-addled gold-diggers as guinea-pigs! I shall begin my experiments upon Discovery Ridge. A few barrels packed with gewgaws should entice pirates into my game…

JOURNAL #2: BAIT & SWITCH
As the journal on Plunder Valley suggests, you will need to head to Discovery Ridge. The Journal is located up high on the north western side of the canyon resting on a barrel near the one of the Trapmaker’s white marks.

Discovery Ridge

Discovery Ridge – Journal Location

The text reads:

My first test relied on the curiosity of the participant. First, I primed the location with some supplies that might attract a passer-by. Next, a simple wooden lever was placed by the barrels. When utilised, it would strike a flint and so ignite a hidden powder-keg. I had rather assumed natural whimsy would see the lever pulled once spotted, and tucked myself away to observe what came next. The first pirate to arrive promptly wrenched my lever from its housing and absconded with it. “Nice hat stand”, I heard him remark. Subterfuge bests psychology when dealing with such avaricious crooks. I shall return to my workshop, and to the drawing board…

JOURNAL #3: MAKING MY POINT
The last three journals are all located in the Trapmaker’s workshop, which can be found on Sailor’s Bounty. The first of the three is resting underneath the workshop desk.

Trapmaker’s Workshop – Sailor’s Bounty

Trapmaker’s Workshop – Journal Location #1

The text reads:

Recently, I’ve been testing different kinds of blades to see which are the most useful for ‘deterring’ intruders. I’ve had some success with sword traps, as they look fearsome and have an excellent range. They’re expensive to make, of course. Saw traps use shorter, duller metal blades, and are definitely useful in confined spaces. Still, they lack a certain style… Or should I go back to the tried-and-tested “wall o’ stakes”? Though primitive, you can’t argue with the classics. Decisions, decisions…

JOURNAL #4: WE WANT PLATES
The next Journal on the list can be found next to the Anvil in the workshop.

Trapmaker’s Workshop – Journal Location #2

The text reads:

Some experimentation with weight and counterweights have allowed me to devise a new trigger, as well as protection for my workshop. Even working with wood, for metal is precious and in short supply, I can use the weight of any intruder to spring a nearby trap. As sensitive as these devices are, it is nearly impossible to disguise them entirely. Thus, they are best deployed in darker areas. Unfortunately, I have been unable to completely muffle the noise made by the mechanism when someone blunders onto it. A cunning criminal with sharp ears might, I suppose, get enough warning to save their own skin. Regardless, I am making progress…

JOURNAL #5: A WORTHY OPPONENT
The final journal for this Tall Tale can be found lying underneath the Trapmaker’s bed.

Trapmaker’s Workshop – Journal Location #3

The text reads:

The more time I spend with Briggsy, the more I wonder if all pirates are ultimately fated to be consumed by their own greed. Is the endless pursuit of gold and glitter, in and of itself, the greatest trap of all? As an experiment, I have decided to leave a trail that will lead to the very treasure I have been commanded to protect. They’ll be devious clues, of course. Ones that goad, deliberately mislead and test the mettle of those who read them. One last game, then, winner takes all. Is there someone out there on the Sea of Thieves worthy of the stone? We shall see…

The post Sea of Thieves Tall Tales Journal Locations Guide: Part Three appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

Microsoft is today launching the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition console today online and in selected retailers. The console will embrace disc-free gaming and will retail for £199.99 – so £50 cheaper than the RRP of the Xbox One S, but also comes with Sea of Thieves, Minecraft and Forza Horizon 3 included for that price.

Your digital library of games is saved on the cloud and is available on the go. You can also pre-download new titles and have them ready to play straight away on release. When coupled with Xbox Game Pass – a feature we’re a big fan of here at GodisaGeek – you can have access to a whole host of titles, and stream in 4K from the likes of Netflix and Amazon.

The post The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition launches today appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

343 Industries today confirmed that Halo: The Master Chief Collection will have cross-platform progression. Courtesy of a tweet from Brian Jarrard, Community Director at 343 Industries, it was revealed that progress in the games, including your stats and unlocks will be transferable between console and PC.

See the tweet in question below:

Progression, unlocks, stats, etc.. will carry over between PC/console. In terms of playing together crossplatform, currently not planned for launch but it's something the team is accounting for and will evaluate over time.

— Brian Jarrard (@ske7ch) May 2, 2019

Currently the collection is only available on Xbox One, but is planned to launch on Microsoft Windows via Steam at some point this year. As and when it does, you can be assured that any progression you’ve made will transfer. Jarrard also confirmed that cross-play between the two platforms will not be ready for the PC launch, but is still being evaluated by the team, and so may arrive at some point later.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is out now on Xbox One and will be coming to PC later this year.

The post Halo: The Master Chief Collection has confirmed cross-progression appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

Xbox have announced their new tourism campaign called Visit Xbox, a campaign that celebrates virtual travel and taking in some of the breathtaking scenery that you can come across in gaming beyond the traditional ways you’re used to.

The campaign showcases Xbox One X Enhnaced games which have have been updated and encourages you to take a wee wander about and enjoy the scenery. A virtual stop and smell the roses.

There’s more details over at Visit Xbox showing off some of the Xbox teams favourite destinations. There’s also a trailer for you to have a nosey at.

The post Discover the worlds of gaming with Visit Xbox appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

It is all doom and gloom in the UK at the moment and to add insult to injury it seems that the cost of an Xbox Live subscription is due to increase later this year.

The news comes as several users on Reddit report receiving a message notifying them that the price of a Gold subscription will increase from £39.99 to £49.99 effective from 7 August.

The text reads:

“As of May 08, the 12-month subscription fee for Xbox Live Gold is increasing from £39.99 to £49.99 to address changing market conditions. All current subscribers will keep their current subscription fee for 90 days. You will be charged the new price effective August 7, 2019 unless you choose to cancel your subscription before the next scheduled payment. For more information: https://support.xbox.com.”

The price increase now brings the cost of the subscription in line with Sony’s PlayStation Network Plus.

The price change will only come into force with new subscriptions on or after 7 August, so it may be worth extending your subscription now.

The post Microsoft announces price increase for UK Gold subscribers from August. appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

Bohemia Interactive and Microsoft have announced that DayZ is finally launching on Xbox One later this month.

DayZ has been in preview for seven months of early access development, but with a major game update scheduled for launch date the title is making its way onto the platform as a fully released game.

To celebrate this announcement, Bohemia Interactive premiered a cinematic CGI trailer that presents one of the examples of the various stories DayZ can offer.

Bohemia Interactive has given thanks to the “massive help of the Xbox Game Preview community”, which has helped shape the game over the past months, and the launch day patch is intended to improve controls, better inventory interactions and general stability and performance improvements. To ensure a fresh start for everyone all existing player characters and server persistence data from the Game Preview will be wiped.

DayZ is expected to continue post-launch development with free platform updates scheduled throughout 2019.

DayZ is due for full launch on 27 March, and up until that date will be available for the Game Preview price of $39.99 / £31.99 / 39.99EURO. After launch it will rise to $49.99 / £41.99 / 49.99EURO. A PlayStation 4 release is expected later this year.

The post DayZ gets full Xbox One release date leaving Game Preview at the end of March. appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

Microsoft has today announced the addition of 13 new ID@Xbox titles ahead of the Game Developers Conference (GDC), which will go ahead later this month in San Francisco.

All 13 titles are expected to be featured alongside a total of 30 games at the Microsoft booth at GDC.

You can read the full announcement via the Xbox Wire.

All 13 titles are:

• Afterparty (Night School Studio) – Xbox Game Pass
• Beholder 2 (E-Home Entertainment/Alawar Premium Limited) – Announced Today for Xbox One
• Boomerang Fu (Cranky Watermelon Pty Ltd) – Announced Today for Xbox One & Windows 10
• Buildings Have Feelings Too (Merge Games Ltd/Black Staff Games)
• Cake Bash (High Tea Frog) – Xbox One X Enhanced
• Cat Quest II (PQube/The Gentlebros)
• CrossCode (Deck13 Interactive/Radical Fish Games) – Announced Today for Xbox One, Xbox One X Enhanced
• Dead End Job (Headup GmbH/Ant Workshop) – Xbox One X Enhanced
• Dead Static Drive (Fanclub) – Announced Today for Xbox One, Xbox One X Enhanced
• Devil’s Hunt (1C Publishing EU/Layopi Games) – Xbox One X Enhanced
• Door Kickers: Action Squad (Killhouse Games/PixelShard) – Announced Today for Xbox One
• Family Man (No More Robots/Broken Bear Games)
• Hunt: Showdown (Crytek) – Xbox One X Enhanced
• HyperDot (GLITCH/Tribe Games) – Announced Today for Xbox One & Windows 10, Xbox Play Anywhere
• Lonely Mountains: Downhill (Thunderful/Megagon Industries) – Xbox One X Enhanced
• Minion Masters (BetaDwarf) – Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox One X Enhanced
• Mowin’ & Throwin’ (House Pixel Games) – Announced Today for Xbox One
• Operencia: The Stolen Sun (Zen Studios) – Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox One X Enhanced
• Raji: An Ancient Epic (SUPER.com/Nodding Head Games) – Xbox One X Enhanced
• Silver Chains (Headup GmbH/Cracked Heads) – Xbox One X Enhanced
• Sparklite (Merge Games Ltd/RedBlue Games)
• StarCrossed (Whitethorn Digital/Contigo Games Inc.) – Announced Today for Xbox One
• Stela (SkyBox Labs) – Announced Today for Xbox One & Windows 10, Xbox One X Enhanced
• The Forgotten City (Modern Storyteller) – Announced Today for Xbox One, Xbox One X Enhanced
• The Sojourn (Iceberg Interactive/Shifting Tides) – Xbox One X Enhanced
• Totem Teller (Grinning Pickle) – Announced Today for Xbox One, Xbox One X Enhanced
• UnderMine (Thorium Entertainment) – Announced Today for Xbox One & Windows 10
• Unrailed! (Daedalic Entertainment/Indoor Astronaut) – Announced Today for Xbox One & Windows 10
• Void Bastards (Humble Bundle/Blue Manchu) – Xbox Game Pass
• Xenosis: Alien Infection (NerdRage Studios) – Xbox One X Enhanced

The post Microsoft announces 13 new titles for ID@Xbox ahead of GDC. appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

Probably the most surprising announcement of the Nintendo Direct is that the critically acclaimed Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is coming to Switch.

Yes, developer Ninja Theory is now owned by Microsoft, but of course that didn’t stop Minecraft from coming to Nintendo consoles. Hellblade is a stunning game from an audio and visual standpoint, and here it is going to be, on the Switch. Will wonders never cease?

The game’s due out in Spring this year.

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When I was younger, this console malarkey was a lot simpler. Back then, which console I had was largely down to which ones my parents decided I was allowed. Presumably that decision was based on cost, and which one would least likely degenerate their darling child into a rebellious outcast within five minutes of play. My desires and knowledge on the subject were largely ignored until I was older. Nowadays they trust me that this boxy-looking-thing on my Amazon wishlist is worth buying for me, and I know they’ll probably never truly understand what a Nintendo Switch is.

This all started in Christmas 1992, when they – sorry, I mean Father Christmas – brought a shiny new SNES into the house. I still remember opening it and being so excited to try out Street Fighter II, which came with it. Unbeknown to me and my brother at the time, my dad had already un-boxed the console and taken if for a test-drive so he already knew all the moves, the wily fox. It was a magical time, but one that would set me on the path of fanboyhood and therefore single-console ownership for the best part of twenty years. Only Nintendo machines followed, through the years of the Nintendo 64 and the mighty GameCube.

But the introduction of the Wii changed me. Not least because for once I couldn’t say the name of my console of choice without sniggering like a child, but also because for the first time a Nintendo machine wasn’t directly competing with Sony and Microsoft; it was vying for attention as a second console in most people’s homes. The vast majority of my friends at the time had plumped for a PS3, and so I followed and picked up Sony’s machine – and that was that. What followed were future purchases of a WiiU and Nintendo Switch, as well as a PS4, mainly out of habit but also because of my friendship group and the games that were on offer.

And if I’m honest this is how I thought it would stay. I’d always subscribed to the theory that I’d never have time for more than two consoles, and while I knew this meant I was missing out on some highly regarded franchises in Halo, Gears of War and Forza, I’d kind of made my peace with the fact that you’re never going to get to play all the games. I simply couldn’t justify paying for a console and games that I might never get the chance to devote time to and play through properly, and with a little one on the way, I couldn’t afford to be frivolous with money.

Then, a little over 18 months ago Microsoft announced Game Pass, a subscription service unashamedly dubbed “Netflix for video games” and I’ll be honest even back then the move annoyed me. Mainly because as a Nintendo fan, and one with a long connection to their back-catalogue, I’d always believed this is the direction they should go. I’m still convinced they would make a killing from such an idea instead of limited Virtual Console offerings or sub-standard NES games packaged with the Switch Online service. And now, not only was a competitor doing it, but it was the one competitor I didn’t buy into. Yet.

What made Game Pass ever more intriguing though, was Microsoft’s willingness to not simply flood it with older titles. Being self-aware enough to acknowledge that its relative infancy in the console market compared to Sony and Nintendo would make their back catalogue look small by comparison, they made the (in my opinion) shrewd move of including new titles in the scheme also. It made my ears prick up when it was announced because it seemed like such a good deal, and one that could see you test out newer titles as well as some classic games too for a relatively low financial output.

I did a thing!

After all these years I’ve finally taken the plunge and bought a Microsoft console! Now the proud one of all three current gen consoles! Bring on Game Pass! #GamersUnite pic.twitter.com/PGMPqcZ6s9

— Chris Hyde (@ChrisHyde83) January 6, 2019

And then I became one with this website, fully embracing GodisaGeek. First as a regular consumer, then as a contributor, and that served to bring into focus for me just what opportunities lay ahead with Microsoft and Game Pass. And it wasn’t just because that around these parts Microsoft’s machine gets a fair crack of the whip, although it certainly was refreshing in a period where Sony’s dominance with the PS4 continually made headlines, and the popular rise of the Nintendo Switch. But as well as that, it was also a willingness to demonstrate just how much fun could be had through the unscripted streams of games like Forza Horizon 4 and Sea of Thieves that really opened my eyes. I realised I was pointlessly preventing myself from joining in the fun, and the financial barrier I’d put in place previously had been blown out of the water by Game Pass, meaning there really only was one way for this story to end.

So, I took the plunge, and for the first time in my gaming life I own a Microsoft console, in the form of a lovely white Xbox One S. Not the best on the market, I’m well aware, but certainly enough for me to dip my toe in the vast pond of Microsoft titles that have eluded me for up to a decade and a half. And so far my experience has been great. Not least the reception from other gamers when I shared my fairly innocuous news on social media. The response was incredibly warm and friendly from people far and wide who welcomed me into what felt like the Microsoft family. Even those who I’d never interacted with were wishing me well, and recommending me titles to snap up on Game Pass.

That list of titles, as it turns out, is a very long one, and I’m under no illusions that this decision just makes my pile of shame backlog even worse than it already was. And until someone can lend me a spare time machine I know there will be ultimately some that go by the wayside. But the point is I now have the full breadth of console choice, and it feels great to know all options are on the table for my enjoyment. I’ve since become part of the site’s streams – and we have many more planned for the future – and I’m thrilled to be able to enjoy those experiences as well as those available on my Switch and PS4. And to be honest, Game Pass did that, because it created a credible, affordable service that was really too good to turn down, and all the early signs point to it being the right decision. So all that’s left to do is raise a glass to this console generation – and look forward to the great games to come in the future, whichever console they’re on!

The post Thanks to Xbox Game Pass, I finally bought a Microsoft console appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

Xbox has revealed two brand new Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 bundles.

First up is the Xbox One X “Tom Clancy’s The Division 2” bundle which features a standard Xbox One X console with a 1TB hard drive, an Xbox Wireless Controller, a full game download of the game which has been enhanced for Xbox One X, a free one month trial of Xbox Game Pass and 1 month of Xbox Live Gold. The bundle is priced at £449.99 GBP.

The second bundle is for the Xbox One S which features a standard Xbox One S console with a 1TB hard drive, an Xbox Wireless Controller, a full download of the game, one month Xbox Games Pass and one month Xbox Live Gold, priced at £249.99 GBP.

Both bundles will be available online and at select retailers in the UK starting from 15 March, 2019.,

You can find out more information about The Division 2 and the upcoming Beta here.

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With the demo behind us and the full release flying toward us like an excited Iron Man, Microsoft has announced that EA’s Anthem will get its very own Xbox One S bundle, ready for launch day.

Including a 1TB Xbox One S console and an Anthem: Legion of Dawn Edition download code, the bundle also includes one month of Xbox Live Gold, one month of Game Pass and even one month of EA Access. It’s basically a complete starter pack for Anthem.

The 1TB Xbox One S Anthem bundle releases at select UK retailers from February 22nd, with Anthem itself releasing the same day on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

The post Anthem Xbox One S Bundle Announced appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

Most people love cross-platform gaming, especially in the wake of Fortnite’s massive success, but it looks like Microsoft may be going one step further as it is reportedly looking at bringing some form of Xbox Live to other platforms, including Nintendo Switch.

This is all coming about due to Microsoft’s plans for GDC 2019, as it plans to detail a new SDK that will enable developers to “connect players across platforms.”

“Xbox Live is one of the largest, most engaged gaming communities on the planet with decades of experience providing managed game services to developers that save you time and unlock all of the social and engagement features that players love.

Now Xbox Live is about to get MUCH bigger. Xbox Live is expanding from 400M gaming devices and a reach to over 68M active players to over 2B devices with the release of our new cross-platform XDK.

Get a first look at the SDK to enable game developers to connect players between iOS, Android, and Switch in addition to Xbox and any game in the Microsoft Store on Windows PCs.”

This could potentially be a game-changer, especially following Minecraft’s massive cross-platform initiative, so we’ll keep you updated on any developments when GDC 2019 takes place from March 18th.

Thanks Screenrant.

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