2023-06

For those in the market for an Xbox Series S with more storage, Microsoft has unveiled a 1-terabyte SSD model of the console that launches on September 1. This carbon black version of the slimmer Xbox boasts roughly double the storage of its original white counterpart. That also means it’s more expensive, retailing for a hundred bucks more at $349. As a reminder, the Xbox Series S is a digital-only console, meaning it lacks a disc drive. It's also weaker than the $500 Series X, but even this new version remains a decent budget option for those looking to enter the current generation of gaming.  What do you think of this new version of the Series S? Let us know in the comments. ...

The influence of the Persona games is in full evidence in the first real look at Metaphor: ReFantazio, the new new fantasy RPG on the way from Atlus. From overall visual styling to UI  and fonts, it’s clear that the team at Studio Zero is trying to borrow from that celebrated series. But make no mistake, this is a brand new game and universe. Fans of the surreal and surprising narrative beats of the Persona series will certainly find a lot to love, even as the new setting may be enough to invite new players into the mix. Metaphor: ReFantazio is set to release in 2024 for Xbox Series X/S and PC. ...

Cities: Skylines II has a release date, and it’s coming on October 24. A new trailer at today’s Xbox Games Showcase showed off some of the city-building gameplay, which, according to developer Colossal’s previous descriptions, features “a wealth of construction and customization options and advanced modding capabilities.” You can be the judge of that yourself in the video below.  Cities: Skylines II is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S (including Game Pass), and PC....

Today during the most recent Xbox Games Showcase, we got a first look at Still Wakes The Deep, the new game from The Chinese Room, developers of Everybody's Gone To The Rapture and Dear Esther.  Check out the announcement trailer below: According to a press release, Still Wakes The Deep puts you in the shoes of an "off-shore oil rig worker, fighting for his life through a vicious storm, perilous surroundings, and the dark, freezing North Sea waters." It's a narrative horror game, a genre The Chinese Room hasn't explored since 2013 with Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs....

Keanu Reeves appeared in the Xbox Games Showcase to introduce the new trailer for Cyberpunk 2077's new Phantom Liberty expansion, featuring Idris Elba. The trailer, expectedly, features Reeves'  Johnny Silverhand doing the thing he does in the main game, as well as Elba's character talking about the nature of politics in Cyberpunk's grey world. The trailer also shares lots of new gameplay footage and impressive new vehicles, action, and content. Phantom Liberty releases on September 26....

At today's Xbox Showcase, Blizzard announced that Overwatch 2: Invasion, a huge update to Overwatch 2, is coming on August 10. The update will bring the shooter's long-awaited story content, along with co-op events and a new mode, Flashpoint. Check out the full trailer below. Overwatch 2 was originally created to add this exact new content to the beloved hero shooter, but months went by without any updates on story or PvE game modes. Last month, the developers updated the community with the news that they wouldn't be able to deliver the content initially planned, specifically the Hero mode with dedicated talent trees. Overwatch: Invasion is the first wave of the content that remains. Overwatch 2 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC....

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the 8th entry in the series formerly known as Yakuza, got a new gameplay trailer and showed off a lot more than we bargained for. By that, we mean we got a very intimate look at Yakuza: Like A Dragon hero Ichiban Kasuga, who awakens on a beach seemingly with no idea as to how he got there. To make matters worse, he’s completely naked, a fact the shocked beachgoers waste no time bringing to his attention. Your guess is as good as ours as to what trouble the lovable ex-gang enforcer has gotten into this time.  Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is scheduled to launch in early 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It's Kiryu-focused prequel, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, was recently...

Today’s Xbox Showcase gave us a first meaningful look at Avowed, the upcoming fantasy RPG on the way from the team at Obsidian. The game is set in the universe established by the Pillars of Eternity, a world called Eora. However, unlike those prior games, this game is likely to draw more direct comparisons to titles like the Elder Scrolls games, or the gameplay perspective of Obsidian’s other successful franchise, The Outer Worlds. The new trailer shows an impressive series of first-person encounters in which we see the lead character wielding both medieval weaponry (and firearms!) along with a potent selection of spells to capture and destroy foes. The accompanying voiceover suggests that the story involves the lead character traveling to an area of Eora called the Living Lands – a part of the world established in the Pillars game...

Melina Juergens, who plays Senua in the Hellblade games, appeared during the Xbox Games Showcase to introduce new gameplay footage of the sequel. The gameplay footage showed Senua exploring a cave of some kind while dealing with her invasive inner voices. If you've played the original game, its oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere is familiar. Senua entered a pool in the cave while the walls shifted in a kaleidoscopic fashion. The footage was impressive in both visuals and performance. Unfortunately, no specific release date was offered, but it was given a 2024 release window....

After leaking earlier this week alongside the remake of Persona 3, the Persona 5 tactics game is now official. The Persona 5 tactics game, called Persona 5 Tactica, releases this year, on November 17. It appears to be a continuation of the stories from Persona 5 and Persona 5 Strikers and adds a new mysterious member to the crew, but with a new chibi art style and grid-based tactics gameplay. Persona 5 Tactica will also be available on Xbox Game Pass....