Palworld creator Pocketpair has acknowledged it is "overwhelmingly short" of developers to help the viral hit maintain momentum.

In a tweet posted to the company's Japanese-language X/Twitter account, the studio said it "still has a lot to do" and is looking for "people in all positions" who have experience in "any type of engine". Specifically, however, Pocketpair would like to talk to devs with expertise in project planning and engineering.

"At Palworld, we still have a lot to do, but we are overwhelmingly short of people to join us!" the studio said, as translated by PC Gamer. "We are looking for people for all positions, but we are especially looking for planning and engineers!

Read more

View the full article

Few video game companies have the instant name recognition of Blizzard Entertainment. The studio is responsible for some of the biggest PC game franchises of all time, including Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo. However, sexual misconduct scandals and a series of rocky game launches have tarnished the company's reputation in recent years. If you've ever wanted to know the full story, veteran games journalist Jason Schreier chronicles the company's 33-year-long history in his upcoming book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment.

Play Nice features interviews with over 300 current and former Blizzard team members from every era of the company, starting from its earliest years creating lesser-known console games and the golden eras of Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo in the '90s and 2000s, to its merger with Activision in 2008 and recent acquisition by Microsoft. The book's title is a reference to one of the company's core corporate values "Play Nice; Play Fair."

Play Nice will release on October 8. You can preorder the hardcover edition for $30 at Amazon. Preordering now locks you in for Amazon's preorder price guarantee, meaning you'll only be charged the lowest price and don't have to pay until your order ships. The book isn't discounted yet, but most books wind up dropping in price at Amazon ahead of their publication dates. It's also available in a $15 Kindle edition.

Schreier has covered video games for outlets like Kotaku and Bloomberg since 2011, and Play Nice is his third book investigating the industry. His first book, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, covered the development stories of popular titles like Stardew Valley and Dragon Age: Inquisition; and his second book, Press Reset, details the working conditions and labor issues rampant in game development. While both books are worth reading, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is one of several books on video game history that are part of Amazon's buy one, get one 50% off promotion. Some other notable works in the sale include Lost In Cult's A Handheld History, Ask Iwata, edited by Hobonichi, and The Game Console 2.0 by Evan Amos.

View the full article

Audible is one of the most popular audiobook and podcast platforms on the planet, giving you access to many thousands of pieces of content directly through your smartphone. The service typically costs $14.95/month, but right now new subscribers to the Premium Plus tier can check it out for three months without dropping a dime. This effectively allows you to pick up three premium audiobooks for free--and they'll be yours to keep, even after you cancel the service.

Each month, Audible Premium Plus members are given a credit that can be redeemed for a free audiobook or other piece of content that isn't normally included in the Audible library. This means you'll generate three credits throughout the three-month trial, letting you add three audiobooks to your library for free. To sign up for the deal, head over to the official Amazon's Audible hub.

To get all three books, you'll need to let it run for, well, all three months. You'll lose any unused credits upon canceling, so make sure you've earned and redeemed all your credits before opting out.

If you don't want to be on the hook for $14.95, be sure to cancel before the full trial ends, as it'll auto-renew once the trial expires. Whether you decide to pay for the service or cancel, the three audiobooks you purchased will remain yours to keep. And if you like the service but think 15 bucks per month is steep, the Audible Plus tier is available for $7.95 per month. Audible Plus members gain access to the full Audible library, but they don't get one free book from the extended collection each month.

Audible is available on iOS, Android, select Fire tablets, Sonos devices, computers, and plenty of other electronics, making this a great way to dive into the world of audiobooks without dropping a dime. To reiterate: This current deal is only for new members--so if you're an existing or lapsed member who has used a free trial in the past, you won't be able to cash in on the offer.

Need help figuring out what to purchase with your free credits? Amazon's bestseller lists for sci-fi and fantasy or mystery and thriller genres is a good place to start.

View the full article

The Xbox ecosystem could be turned upside down if recent reports are to be revealed and, naturally, fans of Microsoft's gaming business have much to say about this. The responses to reports that the company is thinking about releasing its Xbox-exclusive games on PlayStation has elicited everything from reasoned discussion to outright rage.

At this point, it's difficult to cut through the noise and consider all the perspectives, mostly because of the immediate and overwhelming reaction on social media platforms. So, on this episode of Spot On, Lucy and Tamoor break down everything that happened and discuss what it all means. They talk through the reports indicating Microsoft's drastic shift in business, as well as what it stands to gain and lose and the reaction from the Xbox fanbase.

Spot On is a weekly news show airing Fridays in which GameSpot's managing editor Tamoor Hussain and senior producer Lucy James talk about the latest news in games. Given the highly dynamic and never-ending news cycle of the massive video game industry, there's always something to talk about but, unlike most other news shows, Spot On will dive deep into a single topic as opposed to recapping all the news. Spot On airs each Friday.

View the full article

Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox Update Preview releasing to the Alpha ring today.

It’s important we note that some updates made to these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox consoles. We will continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal or behind the scenes, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device.

Details can be found below!

System Update Details

• OS Version: XB_FLT_2403ZN\25398.3775.240207-2200
• Available: 2 p.m. PT – February 9, 2024
• Mandatory: 3 a.m. PT – February 10, 2024

Fixes Included

Thanks to all the great feedback Xbox Insiders provide and the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented with this build:

Apps

• Fixes to address an issue where Microsoft Edge would close unexpectedly.

Games

• Fixes to address unexpected graphical issues with some titles.
• Fixed an issue where changing the language in a game would not always download the new language as expected.

System

• Fixes to address unexpected errors navigating to home or opening the guide, or the console remaining on the boot-up animation longer than expected.
  • Note: If you’re still having trouble, restart your console from the Power Center or the guide. If the issue persists, reset your console with the ‘keep my games & apps’ option. Learn more about these options here:
    • How to restart or power cycle your Xbox console
    • How to reset your Xbox console to factory defaults
• Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.
  • Note: Users participating in Preview may see “odd” text across the console. To learn more visit: What’s This? Learn More About Pseudo-Loc in Preview.

Known Issues

While known issues may have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes, they are not being ignored! However, it may take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. If you experience any of these issues, we ask that you please follow any guidance provided and file feedback with Report a Problem.

Audio

• We have received reports of users experiencing intermittent issues with audio across the dashboard, games, and apps. If you have experienced issues, be sure you have the latest firmware updates for your TV and other equipment. If you’re unsure, you may need to contact the manufacturer for assistance.
  • Note: If you continue to experience issues after applying the latest firmware updates, please submit feedback via Report a Problem immediately with the “Reproduce with advanced diagnostics” option, then select the category “Console experiences” and “Console Audio Output Issues”. Be sure to include as much information as possible:
    • When did the issue start?
    • Did you lose audio just in the game/app or system audio as well?
    • Does changing the audio format resolve the issue? If yes, what was the format before and after?
    • Does rebooting resolve the issue?
    • What does your setup include? Equipment, layout, etc.
    • And any additional information you can provide to reproduce the problem.

Networking

• We are investigating reports of an issue where the console may not connect to their network as expected on boot. If you experience this, be sure to report the issue via Report a Problem as soon as you’re able.
  • Workaround: Wait a minute for the connection to establish. If your console still hasn’t connected, restart your Xbox from the Power Center or the guide. Learn more here: How to restart or power cycle your Xbox console.

As always, be sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of any issues you encounter. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.

If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please visit the community subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help with your concerns.

When posting to the subreddit, please look through the most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to existing threads with the same issue before posting a new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Also, don’t forget to use “Report a Problem” before posting – the information shared in both places helps us understand your issue better.

Thank you to every Xbox Insider in the subreddit today and welcome to the community if you’re just joining us! We love that it has become such a friendly and community-driven hub of conversation and support.

For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox Update Preview ring!

The post Xbox Insider Release Notes – Alpha (2403.240207-2200) appeared first on Xbox Wire.

View the full article

Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox Update Preview releasing to the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring today.

It’s important we note that some updates made to these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox consoles. We will continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal or behind the scenes, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device.

Details can be found below!

System Update Details

• OS Version: XB_FLT_2408GE\26052.1505.240206-2200
• Available: 2 p.m. PT – February 9, 2024
• Mandatory: 3 a.m. PT – February 10, 2024

Fixes Included

Thanks to all the great feedback Xbox Insiders provide and the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented with this build:

System

• Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.
  • Note: Users participating in Preview may see “odd” text across the console. To learn more visit: What’s This? Learn More About Pseudo-Loc in Preview.

Known Issues

While known issues may have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes, they are not being ignored! However, it may take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. If you experience any of these issues, we ask that you please follow any guidance provided and file feedback with Report a Problem.

Audio

• We have received reports of users experiencing intermittent issues with audio across the dashboard, games, and apps. If you have experienced issues, be sure you have the latest firmware updates for your TV and other equipment. If you’re unsure, you may need to contact the manufacturer for assistance.
  • Note: If you continue to experience issues after applying the latest firmware updates, please submit feedback via Report a Problem immediately with the “Reproduce with advanced diagnostics” option, then select the category “Console experiences” and “Console Audio Output Issues”. Be sure to include as much information as possible:
    • When did the issue start?
    • Did you lose audio just in the game/app or system audio as well?
    • Does changing the audio format resolve the issue? If yes, what was the format before and after?
    • Does rebooting resolve the issue?
    • What does your setup include? Equipment, layout, etc.
    • And any additional information you can provide to reproduce the problem.

Games

• We are aware of certain titles experiencing unexpected graphical issues, and a fix is coming in a subsequent update.

Networking

• We are investigating reports of an issue where the console may not connect to their network as expected on boot. If you experience this, be sure to report the issue via Report a Problem as soon as you’re able.
  • Workaround: Wait a minute for the connection to establish. If your console still hasn’t connected, restart your Xbox from the Power Center or the guide. Learn more here: How to restart or power cycle your Xbox console.

System

• We are aware some users have experienced unexpected errors navigating to Home or opening the guide, or the console remaining on the boot-up animation longer than expected. A fix is coming in a subsequent update.
  • Workaround: Restart your console from the Power Center or the guide. If the issue persists, reset your console with the ‘keep my games & apps’ option. Learn more about these options here:
    • How to restart or power cycle your Xbox console
    • How to reset your Xbox console to factory defaults

As always, be sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of any issues you encounter. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.

If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please visit the community subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help with your concerns.

When posting to the subreddit, please look through the most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to existing threads with the same issue before posting a new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Also, don’t forget to use “Report a Problem” before posting – the information shared in both places helps us understand your issue better.

Thank you to every Xbox Insider in the subreddit today and welcome to the community if you’re just joining us! We love that it has become such a friendly and community-driven hub of conversation and support.

For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox Update Preview ring!

The post Xbox Insider Release Notes – Alpha Skip-Ahead (2408.240206-2200) appeared first on Xbox Wire.

View the full article

Diablo 4's most powerful Uber Unique items will soon be craftable come the game's next update.

Uber Uniques are the rarest items in Diablo 4, and for good reason; they are absurdly strong. While extremely rare, Uber Unique technically can drop just about anywhere players acquire endgame loot, but Blizzard recently took steps to make Uber Uniques a little more obtainable after some players questioned whether they even existed. In Season of Blood, Blizzard added the ability target farm Uber Uniques from a new endgame boss, Uber Duriel.

But farming up the materials to take on Uber Duriel over and over currently takes a good chunk of time and effort, and the rewards aren't always worth it. As Blizzard states in the official patch notes for the upcoming update 1.3.2, obtaining an Uber Unique should be a game-changing moment, but that feeling can turn to disappointment and "lessen that feeling of triumph" when a duplicate Uber Unique or one that isn't desirable for a given build drops, making all that time and effort essentially worthless.

That will soon change. Last week Blizzard advised players to hold onto their unwanted Uber Uniques, and now we know why. Update 1.3.2, scheduled to arrive on February 13 for all platforms, will introduce Uber Unique crafting to the Alchemist, giving players more control over RNG than ever before. Players will be able to salvage unwanted Uber Uniques and gain a new resource, Resplendent Sparks, five of which can be used to craft a specific Uber Unique of their choice. Additionally, the drop rate for Uber Uniques outside of Uber Duriel will go up across the board, giving a wider range of players the chance of seeing some of Diablo 4's best items.

It's a smart change that makes finding additional Uber Uniques worthwhile. Prior to the update, unwanted Uber Uniques simply sat in most players' stashes accumulating dust because many couldn't bring themselves to sell such a rare item for gold, a resource that largely becomes meaningless at higher levels once players have nearly perfected their characters.

Diablo 4 Season 3 is currently in full swing. Initially, players didn't seem thrilled with the season's new trap-filled Vault dungeons and robotic companion, but recent updates have significantly buffed the Seneschal Construct so that it can wipe out waves of enemies all on its own. The first expansion for Diablo 4, Vessel of Hatred, is scheduled to arrive in late 2024.

View the full article

Developers Ludosity and Fair Play Labs announced today that Mr. Krabs from SpongeBob SquarePants will join the Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 roster next week. The Bikini Bottom resident joins his neighbors SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Mecha Plankton, who were all part of the platform fighter's launch roster.

Mr. Krabs arrives on February 15 as the first character included in the Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Season Pass. That pass costs $25 and grants you access to four additional characters – Mr. Krabs from SpongeBob SquarePants, Zuko and Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Rocksteady from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – throughout 2024, as well as "The Quickster" outfit for SpongeBob. 

Get ready, Mr. Krabs drops on 2.15!#NASB2 pic.twitter.com/p3RQmhxYKZ

— Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl (@NickBrawlGame) February 9, 2024

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 arrived on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on November 7, 2023. For more on the platform fighter, check out our review here.

View the full article

Helldivers 2 developers Arrowhead have released an official statement about the game's usage of anti-cheat software, clarifying why the co-op game needs it and what the anti-cheat actually does. The specific anti-cheat used, namely GameGuard, is kernel-level or rootkit anti-cheat software, prompting the community to raise concerns about the program's privacy and security.

In a post on Steam, technical director Peter Lindgren claimed that GameGuard will not remain on the users PC when Helldivers 2 is uninstalled nor will it collect any personally identifiable information. A Q&A following the statement added that GameGuard does not interfere with game performance or create special security concerns.

As for why the game needs anti-cheat, Lindgren claim that Arrowhead has seen negative outcomes towards play from cheating in prior projects. For example, some cheats in Helldivers 1, which "effectively" did not have anti-cheat, affected non-cheaters as well as cheaters by effectively completing the entire game's progression system in one go. Additionally, Helldivers 2 has the galactic war, a metagame for all players that each individual match contributes to. A widespread cheat could negatively impact player experience across the userbase.

The response on Reddit and Steam was mostly negative, with forum users disputing the claims that GameGuard was safe to use and private, as well as urging the developers to switch to a different anti-cheat. Players also wondering if the anti-cheat would prevent or complicate a fully Steam Deck compatible version. Helldivers 2 has had a successful launch, with over 80,000 on Steam and PlayStation's biggest PC release so far, though the game has also faced technical issues. A hotfix for crashing issues on PC and matchmaking problems is on the way.

View the full article

There are dozens of outposts and settlements you can visit throughout Skull and Bones, but few are more important than the Sacred Tree. Not only is the Sacred Tree outpost the gateway to different parts of the map, making fast travel easier, but it also holds a couple of exclusive resources.

You can learn of the Sacred Tree outpost in a couple of ways, but eventually, you'll need to visit it if you want to progress further in Skull and Bones. Below, you can see the exact location of the Sacred Tree outpost as well as what resources you're able to find there.

Sacred Tree location in Skull and Bones

To reach the Sacred Tree, you have to navigate some tight rivers in the central part of the map. More specifically you have to travel down the canal due west of Sainte-Anne. Directly across the sea from Sainte-Anne, you'll find the entrance to a canal that leads further west past various islands and settlements.

Keep traveling down this canal until you reach a fork. You need to head south at this fork and not north, otherwise you'll end up in an entirely different region of the map. Once you head south at the fork, sail until you hit "Rova Hill," which is on the right side of the canal if you look at your map, but it'll be on the left if you're sailing south. Right by the Rova Hill text on the map is where you'll find the Sacred Tree outpost.

It's fairly hard to miss, as the outpost features a massive autumnal tree in the center of it. The tree extends higher and further than any other tree around it, so once you see it, head toward the shore to disembark.

You'll get off your ship near the base of the tree, and you can head up to the top of it to find a Pirate's Bonfire. By "throwing powder" at the bonfire, you give your crew a boost of stamina regeneration for 30 minutes.

Once you've made it to the Sacred Tree outpost, explore the surrounding areas and you'll eventually be able to find various blueprints for your ship, weapons, and ship furniture. However, to earn those rewards, you'll have to complete contracts for the inhabitants of the Sacred Tree. Those inhabitants are the Fara people, so look out for Fara Warriors to start contracts at the outpost.

View the full article

Hideo Kojima dropped a bombshell at the end of January, announcing that - alongside development of Death Stranding 2 - he would also be returning to the action-espionage genre that put him on the map with the Metal Gear series, in the form of Physint for PlayStation 5. And now, in a new episode of his HideoTube web series, the designer has explained how a period of sickness and surgery - and thoughts of his own mortality - convinced him to 'change his priorities' and do something fans had been asking him to do for years.

During the hour-long episode (thanks GameSpot), Kojima explained how, after departing Konami and establishing his independent Kojima Productions studio, he "wanted to do something new with my own IP" and "challenge myself", leading to Death Stranding. "Then, to create a franchise," he continued, "I made Death Stranding 2. And I wanted to do something even newer, so I started working on OD. And since then, there have been a lot of new ideas."

However, Kojima revealed that during those eight years, "Every day on social media, from users all around the world, people have been asking me to create another Metal Gear and stuff like that." But it wasn't until he became ill in 2020, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, that those requests began to take on a more significant meaning.

Read more

View the full article

Helldivers 2 is the latest Sony-published game to release on PC, and it's doing big numbers, becoming the most popular PlayStation title on Steam by peak concurrent player count.

The Starship Troopers-inspired co-op shooter is currently riding high at a concurrent player peak of 81,840, putting it ahead of the 73,529 peak concurrent players of Sony's PC release of God of War (2018) back in January 2022, according to SteamDB. Helldivers 2's peak concurrent players are also higher than that of Insomniac's Spider-Man, which peaked at 66,436 players shortly after its PC launch in August 2022.

Helldivers 2 has been the best-selling game on Steam by revenue since it launched, and it is as of writing the 16th most-played-game on Steam by concurrent player count, where it is currently ahead of games like Warframe and indie-sensation Lethal Company. Unlike other PlayStation ports for PC, Helldivers 2 launched on both PS5 and Steam at the same time. Helldivers 2 is also multiplayer focused, whereas other PlayStation games ported to PC like Days Gone, God of War, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, Spider-Man, and Horizon Zero Dawn have all been single-player games.

The success of Helldivers 2 has been a double-edged sword for developer Arrowhead Game Studios, who in a post on the official Helldivers 2 Discord stated the team was in "crisis mode" looking to address various technical issues like crashes and broken matchmaking. The game has received multiple updates since launch to address those issues, which appears to have pushed the average user review score for Helldivers 2 from "Mixed" shortly after launch to "Mostly Positive" as of writing.

Helldivers 2 supports cross-play between players on PS5 and PC, and Arrowhead has promised free content updates for the shooter that will introduce new threats and challenges for players to overcome.

View the full article

Love is in the air with Pokemon Sleep's first Valentine's Day event. For one week, Pokemon Sleep will celebrate Valentine's Day with new recipes, higher encounter rates of specific Pokemon, increased chances for catching shiny Pokemon, and limited-time missions with rewards.

Pokemon Sleep's Valentine's Day event will be a week-long in-game event that will be available to all players in all of the game's sleeping areas. Snorlax's dishes for the week are to be pinned as desserts/drinks and the two new recipes are to coincide with the sweetly soft nature of the theme. The strength of the dishes will be multiplied throughout the week, with Sunday's tasty dishes having a 4.5x strength multiplier.

The Pokemon that will appear more often during the event are Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Slowpoke, Pinsir, Jigglypuff, and Absol; these will be helpful in gathering ingredients for desserts/drinks for the event. These specific Pokemon will also have a higher rate of encounter for their shiny versions. By completing limited-time missions, you can earn 10 Poke Biscuits to aid in catching those shiny versions with ease. For more information on the game's Valentine's Day event, you can check out the official Pokemon Sleep page.

The Valentine's Day event goes live on February 12 at 4 AM until February 19 at 4 AM local time. Be sure to check out our Pokemon Sleep Recipes List, which has been updated with Lapis Lakeside's recipes to get caught up before the two new desserts/drinks recipes drop.

View the full article

• Promenade is a brand new and ambitious collectathon coming to Xbox consoles.
• Download the Promenade demo and try four different gameplay sequences.
• Play as Nemo as he goes on a beautiful coming-of-age adventure.

Promenade is coming to Xbox Series S|X and Xbox One on February 23. And we at Red Art Games are so excited that we wanted to give everybody the opportunity to try out the game before it comes out. That’s why we put together a playable demo that give players a taste of what we believe makes Promenade so good.  That demo is available right now! But before we get into the demo’s content, let us tell you a bit more about Promenade.

In Promenade, you play as Nemo, a kid who finds himself dropped into a world that is as mysterious as it is colorful. Luckily for him, he won’t have to make his way through this magical place alone. When things look like they couldn’t get any worse for him, a cute, and very skilled, octopus swoops in to save the day.  Joined by his new cephalopod sidekick, Nemo is tasked with the mission to repair the Great Elevator whose cogs have been scattered all around the world by a scary character. Why did that mean looking guy break everything you ask? You will have to play Promenade to find out!

What we can tell you is that to put the all important elevator back in working condition, the brave duo will have to go on a life-changing trip across a mysterious world full of challenges, puzzle, races and funny looking creatures. In order to collect the 180 cogs needed to fully repair the elevator, Nemo and the octopus will have to face many challenges. But it will be worth it in the end.

Promenade is a charming 2D Collectathon full of gameplay ideas and memorable scenes. Its story, told through environmental storytelling, is one of growth. Throughout his journey, Nemo will learn to overcome his fears and self doubt. Promenade’s creators were inspired by numerous and varied pieces of work such as  “Alice in Wonderland” ,  “Little Nemo”  – after which the protagonist too his name –  “Adventure Time” ,  “Peter Pan” ,   “Gravity Falls”  and   “Over the Garden Wall” . And even though it is a 2D game, Promenade has also been inspired by 3D gaming classics such as Banjo-Kazooie and Spyro the Dragon. The game’s creators worked tirelessly to reinvent as a 2D title a genre that is closely associated with 3D games.

In the Promenade demo, players get the opportunity to try out four different gameplay sequences, as many times as they like. We carefully selected those sections of the game as we believe that they show what Promenade has to offer without spoiling the latter levels. The first sequence, called ”Cavern of Awakening” starts off with the opening cutscene and leads into the tutorial level. When they reach the end of the level, players have a good grasp of the game’s controls.

The second sequence, “Sandy Stroll”, is Promenade’s first full level. On this sunny level, players will get to pick ups some of the game’s very first cogs. Some are easy to spot, others are well hidden… Sandy Stroll gives players an idea of the various types of situations they will find themselves in during Nemo’s journey.

The third sequence, titled “Slinghops”, is a trial-type level. The trials are skills-based levels and tend to be the most difficult levels of Promenade. Once they’ve managed to get to the end of trial levels, players can do it all over again. But this time, with a time limit…

The fourth and final sequence, “Masked Demon’s Lair”, leads to a boss fight. In order to complete their cogs collection, and gain access to some very special mini-games, Nemo and his companion will have to face a collection of bosses. Each boss fight is different and the heroic duo will have to use their skills and reflexes to defeat them.

While Promenade’s creators developed it with speedrunners and fans of challenging games in mind, more casual players will also be able their time with Nemo and his octopus friend. It is  possible, and absolutely fine, to focus on less difficult cogs to get to Promenade’s ending. That being said, players who manage to collect all 180 cogs will get to see something truly special…

Promenade invites players to find out on their own what makes each part of the world and object unique. In Holy Cap’s debut title, trying things can lead to surprising results. But as we said previously, don’t let its pastel graphics and funny looking characters fool you. Promenade has been carefully crafted with experienced players and completionists in mind. Achievement hunters who want to get the 1,000 GS on Promenade will have their hands full for a while. We can promise you that!

Ported to Xbox consoles by Red Art Studios, Promenade is coming to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on February 23. Its playable demo is available now.

Promenade – Demo

Red Art Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Oh no! The Great Elevator has been broken and its cogs have been scattered all around the world! Travel the world with your poulp using a dynamic moveset to find all the cogs! Interact with colorful characters and solve puzzles! Explore dungeons and face the bosses that dwell there! Use different objects and their properties to your advantage! Collect the lost cogs, repair the Great Elevator and unlock new levels in this collectathon directly inspired by 3D platformers!

The post Promenade Showcases its Gameplay in a Brand New Demo appeared first on Xbox Wire.

View the full article

It's a Friday, and as is tradition in Destiny 2, Xur has arrived with a fresh stock of arms and armor. There are still several months to go before The Final Shape arrives, but if you're planning for that final showdown against The Witness, there's no harm in paying a visit to the Agent of the Nine. Here's where you can find Xur this weekend and what he has for sale.

This week you can find Xur in the EDZ, in the Winding Cove area. For his weapon, Xur is offering The Queenbreaker. Hunters can pick up The Sixth Coyote chest armor; Titans can grab the Mk. 44 Stand Asides leg armor; and Warlocks can buy the Contraverse Hold gauntlets.

Xur Location

Spawn in at the Winding Cove transmat zone, then hop on your sparrow and go north. Take the collapsed overpass on the left and look for a cave near the bend in the road. Follow the tunnel through the cliff face to reach a higher ridge where a Fallen dropship has crashed; you'll find Xur waiting there.

Xur Exotic and Legendary Items

• Exotic Engram - 97 Legendary Shards
• The Queenbreaker - 29 Legendary Shards
• Mk. 44 Stand Asides - 23 Legendary Shards
• The Sixth Coyote - 23 Legendary Shards
• Contraverse Hold- 23 Legendary Shards
• Hawkmoon - 200 Legendary Shards, 125,000 Glimmer, 1 Ascendant Shard, 1 Exotic Cipher
• Xenology quest - Free
• Legendary weapons and armor - 50 Legendary Shards, 1,000 Glimmer

Xur is present every weekend in Destiny 2, starting with the daily reset at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET each Friday. His exact location is always a mystery when he first arrives, as he is not listed on the map, and for novice players, he can be easy to miss. However, there are a set number of locations where he takes up residence, including the Tower Hangar area, on Nessus in Watcher's Grave, and in the Winding Cove area of the EDZ.

View the full article

The brilliant Baldur's Gate 3 will let you lock lips with your love interest better than ever before as part of its big Patch 6 update, due next week.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, your hero's affection for their romance option now includes more realistic smooching and a soft forehead kiss, as seen in a brief clip you can see below.

But that's not all, of course. Patch 6 also includes new idle animations for your party while in camp, plus new Legendary Actions if you're brave enough to tackle Baldur's Gate 3's Honour Mode.

Read more

View the full article

Baldur's Gate 3 may have won Game Of The Year (both at The Game Awards and here at GameSpot), but that doesn't mean developer Larian Studios is finished refining its award-winning RPG. Ever the perfectionists, Larian devs recently announced that an upcoming patch will improve one of the game's many romance features: kissing.

Larian has taken the game's more amorous moments seriously from the beginning, with Patch 5 including a fix that "improved the lip contact when kissing Minthara in the endgame for large male humans and female dragonborns." So what do players have to look forward to when locking lips after the upcoming patch?

Unfortunately, it's hard to say--the tweet announcing the patch only mentioned "improved smooches," but it's hard to imagine what that might mean given the fact that this is far from the first time Larian has put the aforementioned smooches under the microscope. Over the past few months, the studio addressed issues that caused players with short characters to have trouble kissing their in-game beaus, and devs recently fixed an Astarion-specific bug that saw the vampire spawn grab the player-character by the hips and proceed to passionately smooch the air just above their head. The issue first arose after Astarion and the other companions were each given new, unique kissing animations, so it's hard to imagine what other kissing-related improvements Larian has in store for players.

The patch itself is described by Larian as "a hefty one," and will also include new idling animations for companions at camp, new Legendary actions for those brave enough to take on the game's challenging Honor Mode, and "plenty" of bug fixes. The latest updates patch notes have not yet been released, but according to the studio, Patch 6 will be out sometime next week--just in time for Valentine's Day.

View the full article

New sales data suggests that the PlayStation 5 may have outsold the Xbox Series X|S by roughly a 2:1 margin. While it was common knowledge that Sony was outpacing Xbox in terms of console sale, this gives a stronger picture of how the two manufacturers compare.

According to a slidedeck from Take-Two games, there have been 77 million Gen 9 console sales, as of December 31, 2023. Microsoft does not currently release console sales data, but in November 2023 PS5 hit 50 million units sold. That would put Xbox Series X|S sales at just under 27 million, depending on exactly how December shook out. It's worth noting here that every Xbox console was sold at a loss, as of 2022. It is currently unknown if that is still the case. PlayStation 5, for example, no longer sells at a loss.

This information colors a recent report, which claimed that Xbox first-party games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Starfield could be coming to PS5. Titles like Halo Infinite and Avowed have not been mentioned in the rumors. In response, Xbox boss Phil Spencer announced that there will be an update on Xbox's future plans next week. Microsoft also recently laid off 10,000 employees, about 1,900 of which are coming from the company's video game division.

Despite the rumors, there's no indication that Xbox plans to move away from manufacturing consoles, although it's strategy for years now has increasingly centered around things like Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said on a recent earning call thatXbox games going multiplatform would likely not have a big impact on the industry at large. For the quarter that ended on December 31, 2023, Xbox posted a big boost in sales, thanks to the Activision Blizzard deal. The sales totaled $7.11 billion. Overall revenue increased, but console sales only went up by 3% during the holiday season. Xbox took an operating loss of $440 million in the quarter.

View the full article

Developers Evil Empire and Motion Twin have announced that update 35 for Dead Cells, called "The End is Near," will be the last one that adds new content, bringing an end to five years of post-launch support.

The decision to end the journey was made in order to prevent future updates from feeling derivative. "Our commitment to avoiding the 'more of the same' trap and keeping Dead Cells fresh and original has led us to this point," Motion Twin explained in a statement. "As we've seen with other long-running series, it's crucial not to overextend and risk diminishing the unique charm that makes Dead Cells special to us all."

The team will continue to work on the game to iron out bugs and improve on quality-of-life issues. However, the developers are still excited to explore the world of Dead Cells outside of the original game and will provide updates about the animated series and board game.

While The End is Near is still in development, one of its main features is the expansion of the Curse mechanic, which causes any amount of damage to immediately kill the player. For example, going through a cursed biome will cause all items dropped to be 1 gear level higher.

Dead Cells was first released in 2018 and has received numerous free updates and several paid expansions, including the Queen of the Sea, Fatal Falls, and the Bad Seed. The most memorable Dead Cells expansion is its collaboration with the Castlevania franchise, with Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania.

In GameSpot's Dead Cells review, we said, "Dead Cells is a phenomenal effort to blend together some very disparate genres into a tight, cohesive whole. It's one of the better examples of how to remix ideas without losing their individual strengths."

View the full article

Xbox Insider Program 10th Anniversary Hub

The post Xbox Insider Program 10th Anniversary Hub appeared first on Xbox Wire.

View the full article

The Fortnite Driftboard has been unvaulted for the TMNT Cowabunga event, so you can once again move around the island with style on a hoverboard, now sporting Ooze-like green hues. You'll need to locate one to complete one of the Cowabunga Quests which vaguely dictates that you "do an impossibly difficult trick on a Driftboard." In this guide, we'll explain what that means and where to find a Driftboard so you can get this done and keep leveling up your Cowabunga Pass.

Do an impossibly difficult trick on a Driftboard in Fortnite

The Driftboard doesn't have a guaranteed spawn location, unfortunately, so your best bet is to look for one in a named location where loot is more abundant. You can't miss the new neon green lights glowing from it.

Once you have one, the "impossibly difficult trick" is a bit overstated. It's unclear whether you need to clear a certain trick score threshold or simply do a flip, but since a backflip (or frontflip) doubles the score of a successfully landed trick, performing a flip is the easiest way to complete this challenge.

In simplest terms:

• Find a Driftboard
• Ride toward a cliffside or a hill, holding the jump button (A/X/Spacebar)
• Release as you jump off the edge, then hold the left stick down to perform a backflip
• If you land the trick, you'll finish the quest

That's it! One not-so-impossible backflip is all you need to do to earn the related Ooze. File this under 'things that make you say "Cowabunga!'"

View the full article

Grab your dueling pistols and dust off those adventurin’ boots, ‘cause Lara Croft is back, baby!

Get ready to embark on a journey down memory lane as the iconic Lara Croft makes her triumphant return in this lovingly remastered collection of the first three classic Tomb Raider games. The launch of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered brings these adventures to a new generation of gamers, featuring enhanced visuals, polished gameplay, previously exclusive expansions, and a surge of nostalgia to boot.

“Don’t you think you’ve seen enough?”

This time around, you’ll be able to share your globetrotting adventures with your friends thanks to the new “Photo Mode” feature.

Classic exploration meets modern creativity and every snapshot gives you a chance to tell YOUR story through daring escapades and unparalleled adventure. While you embark on legendary expeditions with Lara, capture your own moments of discovery and triumph.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to staging your shot exactly how you want it!

Find the Shot

There’s a myriad of breathtaking locations to choose from, be it lush jungles, intricately crafted temples or deep in the depths. Inspiration could strike in any of these areas, so be sure to pay attention to your surroundings to find the perfect setting.

Choose an Outfit, Equip a Weapon

Now the frame is in place, make sure you look the part. Cycle through Lara’s classic outfits, from her iconic adventuring get up to the striking black catsuit. Then, scroll through her arsenal to find the coolest loadout – it could be an MP5, a harpoon gun, or Lara’s trademark pistols.

Pick an Expression, and Pose!

Action is key to Lara’s adventures, and photo mode gives you the option to capture her in a range of scenarios. Alter her expression to fit the mood, and adjust her post – she could be aiming at a fearsome foe, leaping across a cavernous drop or simply sitting and enjoying the view.

Voila! Now you can share with your friends!

For all my completionists, the detachable camera works great for sneaking panoramic views of familiar levels:

But what about those hard-to-find secrets?

Whether you’re having trouble finding your way through a puzzle, or have no clue where that last secret may be hiding, this is a great new way to explore! The detachable camera will surely be a welcome addition to your arsenal.

So, what are you waiting for? Awaken your sense of adventure when Tomb Raider I-III Remastered launches on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, February 14.

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft

Aspyr

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$29.99 $26.99

Pre-order

Discover Lara Croft’s Original Adventures, Lovingly Restored Play the Original Three Tomb Raider Adventures: For the first time ever, play the complete experience with all expansions and secret levels on modern platforms in this definitive collection. Included Game Titles Tomb Raider I + Unfinished Business Tomb Raider II + Golden Mask Tomb Raider III + The Lost Artifact Solve Ancient Mysteries: Uncover treasures of the ancient world by solving puzzles and unraveling mysteries lost to the ravages of time. Globe-trotting Adventure: Follow Lara Croft around the world and face off against deadly foes and dangerous myths. Lovingly Restored: Experience the classics boasting upgraded graphics, with the option to switch to the original polygon look at any time.

The post Explore the World Through Lara’s Lens with Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Photo Mode appeared first on Xbox Wire.

View the full article

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has commented on GTA VI's major trailer leak. He told IGN that it was "disappointing" for the developers, but ultimately it did not hurt the game or the company.

"It's amazing when the trailer announcement is huge news, and then we were very gratified when the trailer broke the internet...so we couldn't be happier or more excited," Zelnick said.

The GTA VI trailer was supposed to debut December 5 at 9 AM ET, but a less-than-HD version leaked the night prior on social media. Rockstar Games responded by releasing the trailer in full that evening.

The GTA VI trailer ended up breaking video records and dominating online discussions for some time, as fans pored over the trailer in search of clues. The trailer featured the Tom Petty song "Love is a Long Road," and that song saw a massive surge in streams.

GTA VI is set for release in 2025 across PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. A PC launch could come sometime later, but nothing is confirmed at this stage. Recently, Take-Two signaled that GTA VI might be releasing a little later than previously expected.

The game is set in the state of Leonida, which is a stand-in for Florida. GTA VI will include a big metropolitan area known as Vice City (AKA Miami), as well as surrounding areas featuring waterways filled with alligators, flamingoes, sharks, and more.

Keep checking back with GameSpot for more on GTA VI in the time ahead.

View the full article

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is one of the most popular entries in the series, earning it a manga spinoff that ran from 2016 to 2022. VIZ Media is now preparing to launch The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Complete Box Set, which gives you an easy way to catch up on all 11 volumes. The massive collection doesn't launch until September 24, but preorders are currently discounted by 10% at Amazon--making it smart to reserve a copy ahead of time.

The Twilight Princess manga was written and illustrated by Akira Himekawa, a pen name for A. Honda and S. Nagano. Prior to writing the Twilight Princess series, the pair created a bunch of other adventures adapted from popular games in the Zelda series. You can save on those Zelda manga at Amazon, too.

Both of the lists below contain the same stories, but the Legendary editions have higher-quality paper and covers--and just overall have a more premium look. The Legendary edition box set, which is on sale for $80, comes with all five Legendary edition books (two volumes per book) and comes with a collectible treasure chest box and exclusive poster. Alternatively, you can buy the books individually for $15 to $20 each.

Meanwhile, there are 10 standard editions sold separately and a box set compiling all of them that is on sale for $70.

The Legend of Zelda: Legendary Edition Manga

• The Legend of Zelda: Legendary Edition Box Set -- $80 ($125)
• Ocarina of Time Legendary Edition -- $15 ($20)
• Oracle of Seasons + Ages Legendary Edition -- $15 ($20)
• Majora's Mask + A Link to the Past Legendary Edition -- $18
• The Minish Cap + Phantom Hourglass Legendary Edition -- $20
• Four Swords Legendary Edition -- $20

The Legend of Zelda Manga

• The Legend of Zelda Complete Box Set -- $70 ($105)
• Ocarina of Time Vol. 1 -- $10 ($12)
• Ocarina of Time Vol. 2 -- $11 ($12)
• Majora's Mask Vol. 3 -- $10 ($12)
• Oracle of Seasons Vol. 4 -- $10
• Oracle of Ages Vol. 5 -- $8.50 ($10)
• Four Swords Vol. 6 -- $9.75 ($12)
• Four Swords Part 2 Vol. 7 -- $10
• A Link to the Past Vol 9 -- $10
• Phantom Hourglass Vol. 10 -- $8.50 ($10)

If you're not sure if you want to own a whole box set of Twilight Princess manga, you could always check out a couple of the individual volumes first. Here are links to each of the 11 volumes on Amazon. Each volume is available in paperback and Kindle ebook formats. Some of the paperback volumes are out of stock, but you can at least get the first few in paperback format to see if you like the series and want the box set.

• Twilight Princess Vol. 1
• Twilight Princess Vol. 2
• Twilight Princess Vol. 3
• Twilight Princess Vol. 4
• Twilight Princess Vol. 5
• Twilight Princess Vol. 6
• Twilight Princess Vol. 7
• Twilight Princess Vol. 8
• Twilight Princess Vol. 9
• Twilight Princess Vol. 10
• Twilight Princess Vol. 11

View the full article

Dead Cells was developed and released by Motion Twin in 2018, and in an atypical move in the world of game development, members of that team branched off to form Evil Empire, which in turn supported Dead Cells with new content for many years. Arguably its biggest and most notable expansion was the Return to Castlevania DLC, which added all kinds of Castlevania content to the game.

The developer announced this morning, however, that it is officially time to move on. You can see the developer's full statement below.

After 5 years of service, we're hanging up the Dead Cells coat. We're extremely proud of our work on countless updates & DLC, but now it's time for something shiny and new, or maybe more than one thing More on that very soon...
Read our full statement below #deadcells https://t.co/CqbNvNXGu1 pic.twitter.com/RAz8OL1SCC

— Evil Empire (@Studio_Evil) February 9, 2024

Along with issuing apologies for any broken controllers related to the Derelict Distillery addition, Evil Empire also shared its appreciation for being able to add so much to Dead Cells. It also wrote, "The good news is that out Dead Cells team have been unleashed to pump their talent into our secret projects, and we'll be revealing what their crazy minds have been coming up with very soon!" while also wishing luck to Motion Twin's next announced project, Windblown, and teasing perhaps more than one project.

For more on Evil Empire, you can read Game Informer's impressions of the Dead Cells: Return to Castelvania DLC.

View the full article