Review: Enshrouded (Early Access)
Developer – Keen Games GmbH Publisher – Keen Games GmbH Platforms – PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC (Reviewed) Review copy given by Developer Enshrouded is a breathtaking journey into the heart of Embervale, a once-majestic kingdom now shrouded in the lingering remnants of a pestilence unleashed by our ancestors’ greed for magical power. As Flameborn, the last ember of hope for a dying race, players are tasked with awakening, surviving, and reclaiming the lost beauty of this desolate realm. The game plunges players into a world where the corrupting fog, known as the Shroud, threatens to consume everything in its path. The Shroud is a result of a failed experiment by the ancient Emberlords, who tried to harness the power of the Emberstones, the source of all magic in Embervale. The Shroud corrupted the Emberstones, turning them into Fellstones, and unleashed a wave of destruction and decay across the land. The Shroud also twisted the minds and bodies of the living, creating monstrous hybrids and hostile factions. The Shroud is not only a physical threat, but also a psychological one, as it can manipulate the memories and emotions of those who venture too deep into its fog. Starting with nothing but the will to survive, players must scrape and scavenge through the ruined remnants of Embervale, fending off beasts and uncovering the secrets hidden in the depths. The game features a heart-pounding action combat system, with an emphasis on strategy and reflexes. Players can choose from a diverse range of fighting skills and powerful spells, creating a dynamic and engaging experience. The game challenges players to cleave through ravaging factions and formidable bosses like Scavenger, Vukah, and Fell creatures. Mastery of various weapon types is essential to withstand the relentless advance of the Shroud. The game goes beyond survival, inviting players to become architects of rebirth. The game features a voxel-based building system, which unleashes creative vision, enabling the construction of grand halls and architecture on an epic scale. Players can also craft legendary weapons and armor, using the advanced workshops that they unlock by building. The game showcases its commitment to making each piece of equipment feel unique, with different stats, effects, and appearances. The game also features a strategic aspect of building, where NPCs take refuge within the player’s walls, providing quests, services, and lore. The game also features a cooperative element, which is a standout feature. Players can join forces with friends in 16-player co-op gameplay, allowing for unique roles, complimentary skills, and memorable adventures. Together, players can raid, gather treasure, and face the Fell hordes that ravage the land, reinforcing the sense of camaraderie. The game also supports cross-play, enabling players to team up with friends across different platforms. The game also features a rich and immersive world, with vibrant fallen cultures and ancient myths. Players can embark on a journey through the biomes of Embervale, each with its own unique environment, wildlife, and secrets. Players can also unravel the ever-unfolding story beneath the ruins, within the fog, promising magic, ruin, hope, and redemption waiting to be discovered. The game features stunning visuals, atmospheric soundtracks, and voice acting, creating a captivating experience. To help you travel around the world of Enshrouded , you use Gliders , Gliders are one of the most useful and fun items in Enshrouded, as they allow you to soar through the air and explore the vast and beautiful world of Embervale. Gliders can help you travel faster, avoid enemies, reach new areas, and enjoy the scenery from a different perspective. However, gliders are not easy to obtain, and you will need to craft them from various materials and unlock them through quests. There are four types of gliders in Enshrouded, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The first type is the Basic Glider, which you can craft at a Workbench using Shroud Wood, Animal Fur, String, and Shroud Spores. The Basic Glider is the simplest and cheapest glider, but it also has the lowest durability and speed. You will need to enter the Shroud to gather some of the materials, so be careful of the dangers that lurk within. The second type is the Advanced Glider, which you can unlock by rescuing the Carpenter NPC and completing his quest that gives you Linen. The Advanced Glider is made from Shroud Wood, Linen, String, and Shroud Sack. The Advanced Glider is more durable and faster than the Basic Glider, and it also has a special feature: it can catch updrafts, which are gusts of wind that can lift you higher and farther. You can find updrafts near cliffs, waterfalls, and other places where the air is turbulent. The third type is the Extraordinary Glider, which you can unlock by completing another quest from the Carpenter that gives you Leather. The Extraordinary Glider is crafted from Shroud Wood, Leather, String, and Shroud Sack. The Extraordinary Glider is the most durable and fastest glider, and it also has another special feature: it can glide through the Shroud without taking damage. This means you can explore the Shrouded areas more safely and easily, and discover new secrets and treasures. The fourth and final type is the Ghost Glider, which you can unlock by completing a quest in the desert biome. The Ghost Glider is not crafted, but rather found as a reward. The Ghost Glider is the most mysterious and powerful glider, and it has a unique ability: it can make you invisible while gliding. This means you can avoid detection from enemies and sneak past them, or surprise them with a sudden attack. Gliding is one of the best ways to experience the world of Enshrouded, as it gives you a sense of freedom and adventure. You can glide over mountains, forests, lakes, and ruins, and admire the stunning visuals and atmospheric soundtracks. You can also glide to reach new locations, such as hidden caves, islands, and dungeons, and find new quests, loot, and secrets. Gliding is also useful
Enshrouded: Tips and tricks for quick traversing and Gliders Guide
Enshrouded is a game where you explore a mysterious world shrouded in fog. One of the ways to traverse this world is by using gliders, which are devices that allow you to glide through the air. There are four types of gliders in the game, each with different requirements and abilities. In this guide, I will show you how to obtain and use each glider. The Basic Glider The basic glider is the first glider you can get in the game. It is made of wood, fur, and string, and it allows you to glide for a short distance. To obtain the basic glider, you need to follow these steps: Head to the cinder vault and commune with the flame. The flame will give you a quest to find the shroud, but you don’t need to do it yet. Head outside and start collecting twigs and plants from the shrub-like area on the right-hand side. You will need these to craft the string later. Head left towards the cave and go down the stairs. Inside the cave, you will find some useful items, such as a torch and a knife. You will also encounter some enemies that drop spores when you kill them. Collect the spores, as you will need them to craft the fur later. Exit the cave and find some rams. Kill one of them and loot its fur. You will need this to craft the glider later. Head to the glowing area shown on your map. This is where you can set up your flame altar and workbench. You will need some stone to craft the altar, so I recommend crafting a pickaxe and an axe to mine stone and wood more easily. Once you have crafted your workbench, you will be able to find the glider recipe. You need 8 shrouded wood and 2 string to craft the glider. You already have the fur and the spores, so you just need to find the shrouded wood and make the string. Hit the ‘E’ key to see if you have the resources to make the string. You need 4 plants and 4 twigs to make one string. If you don’t have enough, go back and collect more. Speak to the flame again. It will remind you of the quest to find the shroud, but you still don’t need to do it yet. Head northwest towards the quest marker to find the shroud. You will enter a foggy area with some trees. These are the shrouded trees, and you need to collect 8 pieces of shrouded wood from them. Be careful, as there are some dangerous creatures in the fog. Once you have collected all the shrouded wood, you can quick travel back to your base by leaving the shroud. Head back to your workbench and craft your glider. Congratulations, you have obtained the basic glider! To use the basic glider, you need to equip it in your inventory and then press the ‘G’ key while in the air. You will start gliding and you can control your direction with the mouse. To stop gliding, press the ‘G’ key again or land on the ground. The basic glider has limited durability, so you need to repair it from time to time with more shrouded wood and string. The Advanced Glider The advanced glider is the second glider you can get in the game. It is made of linen, string, and fog sack, allowing you to glide for a longer distance and faster speed than the basic glider. To obtain the advanced glider, you need to unlock it via the carpenter, who is a friendly NPC that you can find in the Revelwoods. The Revelwoods is a new area that you can access after completing the flame’s quest to find the shroud. To obtain the advanced glider, you need to follow these steps: Complete the flame’s quest to find the shroud. You need to collect 10 pieces of shroud from the foggy area and bring them back to the flame. The flame will reward you with a map that shows the location of the Revelwoods. Travel to the Revelwoods by following the map. The Revelwoods is a forested area with more resources and enemies. You will also meet the huntress, who is another friendly NPC that will give you quests and teach you new skills. Find the carpenter in the Revelwoods. He is located in a wooden hut near a lake. He will offer you to craft the advanced glider for you, but you need to provide him with the materials. The materials the advanced glider needs are linen, string, and fog sack. You can find all of these in the Revelwoods, but you need to craft some of them with the right tools. Linen can be found in the Revelwoods as a plant that you can harvest. You can also craft it with the hand spindle, which is a tool that you can get from the huntress. To get the hand spindle, you need to follow the quest line of the huntress, which involves hunting animals, crafting weapons, and learning new skills. String can be found in the Revelwoods as a loot from some enemies, such as spiders and wolves. You can also craft it with the same method as the basic glider, using plants and twigs. Fog sack can be looted from spitting plants, which are enemies that spit fog at you. They can be found in the foggy areas of the Revelwoods, such as near the lake or the swamp. Once you have collected all the materials, bring them back to the carpenter and he will craft the advanced glider for you. Congratulations, you have obtained the advanced glider! To use the advanced glider, you need to equip it in your inventory and then press the ‘G’ key while in the air. You will start gliding and you can control your direction with the mouse. To stop gliding, press the ‘G’ key again or land
Ranking the Top 5 Esports Games Ever Released
Almost everyone enjoys competitive sports, whether as a participant or viewer. And the sheer number of sports means that there is something for everyone. While traditional sports like football, baseball, and basketball have dominated in popularity and viewership, a new sport is captivating the hearts of fans: eSports. The number of occasional eSports viewers and die-hard enthusiasts totaled around 400 million in 2019. Alongside those high numbers came millions of dollars in prize money and instant celebrity status for players. So, what is this new phenomenon in the gaming industry? Best New Zealand Casinos invites you to delve into the world of eSports as we explore its origins, intricacies, and the top 5 best eSports games ever released. Let’s get started! What is eSports? To understand eSports, we must start with general video gaming. In the past, people played for fun or to pass the time with friends. However, everything changed when people started playing to compete for prizes in organised tournaments. eSports, referring to electronic sports, is organised competitive gaming. It works like other traditional sports, where professional players or teams compete against each other for a price (usually monetary). The main difference between eSports and traditional sports is that the former involves players competing in video gaming, and the latter involves players playing physically. However, the players must have skills and develop strategies to trump the opponents in both scenarios. Apart from being a competitive sport, the huge viewership has turned it into a spectator sport. While it is unusual to think a person may want to watch another play video games, the experience is similar to enjoying watching the best players from traditional sports compete. A Short History of eSports The beginnings of esports can be traced back to the 1980s, the era of video gaming and arcade competitions. Its roots can be attributed to earlier competitions, such as Atari’s National Video Game Championships that happened in 1980 in Los Angeles. The tournament attracted 10,000 gamers and is known as the first official eSports event. As technology advanced and people could now communicate through the internet, they exploded with competitors from anywhere in the world could compete online. With that came a lot more interest from people and thus the high viewership. What are the Types of eSports Games? These are the types you’ll find in tournaments. Sports eSports incorporate traditional sports. These sports included football, baseball, and basketball. The players compete either in a simulation or arcade-like setup. The more famous in the category include FIFA and NBA2K. Racing This involves players competing in a video race with all types of vehicles. They come in arcade design, simulations, or a combination. Some well-known ones include Need for Speed. Fighting These types are classics in video gaming and involve players using punches, kicks, and other tools to fight in the game. Some popular names include Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. First Person Shooter (FPS) FPS involves players controlling a character, aiming to shoot other players before getting shot. Characters can also use other weapons apart from guns. Some well-known FPS include Call of Duty and Counter-Strike. Multiple Online Battle Arena (MOBA) MOBA types involve a team of multiple characters with different abilities and skills working to destroy another team. The players can improve their abilities and powers to help them as the game progresses. Examples include League of Legends and Dota 2. Real-time Strategy (RTS) Real-time strategy types involve players controlling an army with the purpose of being the dominant army on the map. They’ll construct buildings and fortresses and develop the military and weaponry from the scarce resources that all players want. In RTS, all players play simultaneously, unlike other types where the participants take turns building. Examples of popular RTS include Age of Empires and Total War. The Top 5 Best eSports Games Ever Released The popularity of eSports has given rise to many game releases annually. These promise to engage the players in entertainment and competition in various fields. However, some are classics and top the charts in numbers. Here are the five best eSports releases of all time. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive The Counter-Strike series has entertained gamers since 1999, and their latest release, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO), is living up to the hype. The game hit the shelves in August 2012 and has remained a fan favourite ever since. The game receives around 35 million players monthly, with millions playing anytime. CSGO fanatism comes from its straightforward concept that involves two teams in a kill-or-be-killed situation. Players in the teams take the roles of terrorists, and the other is a counter-terrorism unit. The terrorists kidnap civilians and strategically plant explosives, and it’s the other teams’ responsibility to diffuse the bombs and rescue hostages. The creator, Valve, has hosted CSGO championships since 2013. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Call of Duty is one of the most well-known gaming franchises in the world, and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare stamped its presence in the eSports market. COD 4 is based in wartorn Russia, where the president was recently assassinated. It is a multiplayer first-person shooter game with modern settings and rewards as you play. The multiplayer feature allowed the game to feature in several professional leagues worldwide. The game comes in PC and console versions. League of Legends (LOL) League of Legends, or LoL, stamped its presence in the market immediately after being released in 2009. The MOBA-style eSport game involves two teams of 5 each. Each player chooses from a pool of characters or champions with different abilities. They then team up to subdue the enemies and claim everything. LoL boosts around 115 million monthly players and is considered the most played eSports game. Riot Games developers have 12 professional sports international leagues and several other tier-two regional leagues worldwide, with winners taking home up to millions. Their international event in 2021 attracted 75 million viewers. Defense of Ancients 2 (DOTA 2) DOTA 2 can’t miss from the list of
Rumor: Sledgehammer Games will be the developer of Call of Duty 2027
Call of Duty leaks tend to always happen even years before its release these days with Call of Duty 2025 already reported to be a direct sequel to Black Ops 2 while 2024 is reported to be named ‘Black Ops: Gulf War‘. According to a new report from Insider Gaming, Sledgehammer Games is closing its main office in California to relocate to a smaller location. Employees at Sledgehammer will have to temporarily work from home until they find a new office in a similar spot. The outlet also reports that Sledgehammer Games will be the main developer for Call of Duty 2027 while Infinity Ward will be the lead for 2026. “It’s a move that comes at an interesting time for Sledgehammer Games, as it it was also announced during the Town Hall that the studio would be the main developer for Activision’s 2027 Call of Duty title. Infinity Ward will be heading Call of Duty 2026, understood to be in the Modern Warfare universe.” As always we have to take these rumors with a grain of salt, but Tom Henderson does have a good reputation when it comes to Call of Duty leaks. Sledgehammer Games just released Modern Warfare III which had mixed opinions with its short Campaign mode. Source: Insider Gaming
Review: The Last of Us Part II Remastered
Developer – Naughty Dog Publisher – Sony Interactive Entertainment Platforms – PlayStation 5 (reviewed) Review copy given by publisher One of the most divisive games to ever exist just got a shiny new remaster and an exclusive release on the PlayStation 5. Yup, it is none other than Naughty Dog’s sequel to their critically acclaimed The Last of Us, which follows protagonists Joel and Ellie across a post-apocalyptic America. It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 4 years since The Last of Us Part II was released, but now we have an overhauled version with improved visuals, smoother performance, and never-before-seen content. Yeah, it’s probably too soon to remaster a game that isn’t even that old, but what the heck, we’re already here aren’t we? This review isn’t going to touch much on the narrative aspects since that part of the game remains undisturbed. If you’re looking for an opinion on the narrative, there are plenty of reviews on the game from when it was originally released that you can refer to. But for me, The Last of Us Part II will always be an experience I hold dearly in my heart, as the game tells an emotionally charged story that challenges the status quo. It’s one about love, betrayal, and ultimately what it means to act on our emotions and be the main character in our own story. Alright, so what are the new features included in this re-release of The Last of Us Part II? The most notable one is probably the new roguelike mode named No Return, which has you picking a specific character with a unique loadout to push toward a culminating boss battle and survive. For example, Abby excels at melee attacks and even heals from them whereas Ellie can craft Molotovs from the get go. You’re limited to the aforementioned two to start off, but quickly unlock the ability to play as Joel, Tommy, Yara, Lev, and even Manny. To crank up the replayability factor tenfold, Naughty Dog has included tons of cosmetic and weapon skins to unlock for those completionists, along with online leaderboards and daily challenges. No Return presents character-specific challenges along with universal ones for you to complete before more new content is unveiled. You start a Standard Run by picking from 1 of 6 predetermined difficulty levels (yes, Grounded is still there) or choose to go on a Custom Run by customizing individual settings such as player health, enemy damage, and resource availability. Each run is divided into a branching tree of different nodes that each contains a different encounter type and modifier. Would you rather be hunted by Seraphites or launch an assault on the Infected? The choice is yours. The modifiers can vary between defeating waves of enemies or surviving until the clock runs out. Completing a run always ends with a recycled boss battle from the main game, such as a Bloater or the Rat King. I was really looking forward to new enemy types or bosses, and ultimately felt like this was a missed opportunity. The rest of the new content falls under the extras section, and it includes guitar free play, Lost Levels, concept art, behind-the-scenes videos, and director commentary. Lost Levels lets you explore 3 early development levels that were ultimately scrapped in the final product: Sewers, Jackson Party, and Boar Hunt. It’s a neat concept that I wish more games would incorporate, as it’s interesting to hear what the initial ideas were and understand why they were dropped. Those who enjoyed playing the guitar in the 2020 release of the game are sure to be delighted with the addition of free play, as now you can play the guitar at any time from the convenience of the main menu. The developers even included additional instruments such as the banjo, jazz guitar, and rock guitar! Pretty cool. To be frank, The Last of Us Part II Remastered is more of a Definitive Edition or Director’s Cut than remastered because the technical upgrades are undoubtedly minimal. The Last of Us Part II on PlayStation 4 already looked breathtaking when it came out 4 years ago. Playing the PS4 version of the game on PS5 through backward compatibility is already phenomenal, especially since Naughty Dog already added in a free 60fps patch a few years ago. Though the game boasts that the remastered edition has increased texture resolution, finer shadow quality, and better animation sampling rate, among other improvements, the regular consumer such as myself can’t really notice it. What I do notice and appreciate, though, is the unlocked framerate option on VRR-enabled televisions and full DualSense controller support. The frame rates don’t go quite as high as 120 fps as they might in some other unlocked games, but getting a solid 80-90 fps throughout is a treat nonetheless. The haptic feedback and adaptive triggers on the DualSense need no introduction and both are fully utilized here with the Remaster as it envelopes an extra layer of immersion during gameplay segments. Load times, on the other hand, aren’t the fastest, but a vast improvement compared to the PS4 version, which took over a minute to load from scratch. Here, it takes around 10 seconds to launch the game from the main menu, which is decent. Accessibility features have always been at the forefront of Naughty Dog’s previous titles, and it’s commendable to see even more added in this re-release. It now includes descriptive audio and speech to vibrations among the already generous suite of modifiers present in the base game. If this is your first foray into The Last of Us Part II, then the Remastered Edition is hands down the best way to experience it. It’s $50 if you’re looking at an entirely new purchase, or just $10 if you own the PS4 version of the game. Regardless, it’s a great reason to revisit a gaming masterpiece if you haven’t touched it again in the past 4 years. You even get another full
Sony CEO Hints At Gaming Beyond Console With PlayStation Still Its Core Focus
Over the past few years, the concept of PlayStation branching out beyond its own consoles to share its properties went from myth to a practiced reality. Using an approach that Microsoft has and continues to pioneer for nearly a decade now with Xbox, the same has slowly become normal for Sony’s gaming division as well. Even more, it appears that the platform is eyeing to break more boundaries with its PlayStation Plus service being the catalyst for full fledged support through other means. In that, it was revealed PlayStation Plus is being considered for compatibility on mobile devices as well as PC, an internal document reveals.. From a recent interview with Norges Bank Investment Management, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida shares this pursuit is very likely to materialize based off of his statement regarding the firm’s perspective on supporting more players into its domain. You can watch the segment in the video below: “In short It will be ubiquitous. Wherever there is computing, users will be able to play their favorite games seamlessly,” Yoshida offered in his response. “Gamer will be able to find a place to play in different spaces. While PlayStation will remain our core product. we will expand our gaming experiences to PC, mobile, and cloud.” He also offers his perspective on the subscription business model during the interview. “People usually play one game at a time. So all you can eat type of many games may not be so valuable compared with video streaming services. So we’ll have a kind of balanced or hybrid service on PlayStation Network: a subscription as well as pay-per-content.” Even more, PlayStation is already bundling entertainment with its subscriptions via Sony Pictures Core that went live last year. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you behind Yoshida’s statement on the future of PlayStation?
Until Dawn Reported To Be Facing PlayStation 5 & PC Releases
From developer Supermassive Games, the game studio as of late has remained occupied with new projects in the pipeline. The most popular currently is The Casting of Frank Stone – a standalone, story-driven title set within the Dead by Daylight universe. Additionally, there is also a slew of filed trademarks for another anthology of projects for The Dark Pictures series as well. Beyond that, chatter surrounding the team’s work revolves around its previous work, Until Dawn. After its launch back in 2015, the series did receive VR spin-offs with both Until Dawn: Rush of Blood & prequel The Impatient. Most recently, the game made some news with reports pointing to a PlayStation Productions film adaptation now in the works at Sony Pictures. To add to the recent spotlight, it is reported that Until Dawn is also facing a resurgence through the current PlayStation 5. Not only that, but a PC version of the title is also being pieced together as well. From leaker billbil-kun, it is indicated developer Nixxes Software is behind the new versions for Until Dawn. It is, however, unclarified if the project will be a remake or simply a remaster job. The leaker goes on to share that development has been underway for more than a year already. And, of course, is to include improvements to the game visually for the newer hardware. It is also safe to suggest that even enhanced performance features are also on the table for the near decade-old release. But, expectancy for the game’s release was not provided. This week, billbil-kun also went on record to share the official title for Death Stranding 2 ‘On The Beach’. Even more, it is pointed out a State of Play presentation is expected to take place in the coming weeks which would reveal more on the next Kojima Productions project. You can read the full report by heading here. What are you most interested for Until Dawn for PlayStation 5? Source: Dealabs
Microsoft Hones In On Indie-made Games With New ‘Indie Selects’ Program
The conversation surrounding Microsoft’s placement in the console space is no secret – it’s behind both Sony & Nintendo. And although the firm still continues to push forward in this uphill battle, it has proven to be the most-rewarding domain for independent developers. Previously, it was reported that the firm is giving She Dreams Elsewhere team Studio Zevere a full ride in anticipation for the game’s launch on Xbox Game Pass. In terms of the program it fosters – ID@Xbox – Microsoft has seen a massive wave in success on behalf of the initiative. In 2020, it was recorded that more than $1 billion is gross revenue was generated in behalf of the program. Additionally, 2023 marked the 10-year anniversary for ID@Xbox supporting more 3,000 titles since its inception. To further platform independent developers, Microsoft announced a new ‘Indie Selects’ program which continues the tradition to offer backing to smaller game studios through the Xbox Store. Indie Selects includes a curated, dedicated collection in the Xbox Store featuring indie games chosen by the ID@Xbox team – along with support on our social and community channels, and even right here on the Xbox Wire. In the Games section of the Xbox dash, we now have a permanent hub that showcases indie games we are passionate about. A new collection, featuring various channels and rotating themes, will go live every Wednesday. The first channel, which we’re calling simply “Featured Indies,” includes recent indie games that the ID@Xbox team recommends. These are games we’ve played and liked, and we feel positive indie game fans will enjoy too. Note that we’re not including titles that are in Game Pass here even if they’re fantastic, simply because they’re featured regularly in the Game Pass hub. Our second channel features a rotating selection of games that fit with a weekly theme. Looking for “Games to Play With Your Cat,” or “Games that Need a Laugh Track,” or “Games for Evil Villains”? You’ll find them here. We’re working on a bunch of different, fun ideas for themes right now to roll out over the coming months, and we’ll always take suggestions for new themes (or games to include in existing themes) from players through our social channels. Glenn Gregory, ID@Xbox Marketing Manager “Other channels will include themes to highlight games from around the world, games from new creators and voices, our ID@Xbox theme sales, and select games available for pre-order. Finally, we now have a channel to feature upcoming indie games that can be added to a gamer’s wishlist – one of our indie devs’ most highly requested features. “And now the best part: once a month – the last week of the month – we will showcase our choices for six titles to be designated our ID@Xbox “Indie Selects” of the month. The whole ID@Xbox team will vote to select their favorites and these are the six games that we feel confident you’ll love. These are games that we want to put our stamp of approval on. “Not only will the Indie Selects be featured in a special collection for that week, we’ll also release a monthly highlight reel on our social channels, and publish an Xbox Wire article to dig more deeply into which games were selected, and why we like them. In addition, the developers will receive a digital award featuring the Indie Selects logo that they can show off on their own channels.” Are you excited for the new Indie Selects program? Source: Xbox Wire
Cross-Play, PvP, And End Game Bosses Promised In Palworld Post-Launch Roadmap
When it was originally announced, the concept of a Pokémon-like title featuring cute creatures bearing arms appeared like a short-lived gimmick come its release. But as of its arrival in early 2024, it is showing to be a massive hit across both Xbox & PC. For only an Early Access release too, it was revealed more than 1 million in sales were made within its first 8 hours going live. Not only that, sales continued to climb throughout the week. It continued 3 million before two days was up and later on hit 5 million by the three-day mark. This number of growth certainly surprises many with the titan Pokémon already present with an entire legacy behind it already. On Steam, the game faces a record high concurrent player count which shows the popularity of Palworld too. On Wednesday, developer Pocketpair shared a roadmap for Palworld. With no date confirmed just yet, it does confirm that cross-play, PvP, and end game boss fights are included in the updates to roll out in post-launch. The most baffling about Palworld is that it has illustrated to potentially be a larger adversary to Pokémon than many have expected. From @BenjiSales on X, it is reported that Palworld does outsell 2022’s Pokémon Legends: Arceus with its first week of sales exceeding the Nintendo Switch game now by 500,000 units. Granted, its half the price and in Early Access, but should be recognized nonetheless. Of course, it is without a doubt to be a multiplatform release at some point. Currently, the game is only available of Xbox with no sign of PlayStation or Nintendo just yet. But for players currently enjoying Palworld, we definitely encourage you check our full piece on the entire roster of Pals thus far in-game. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you excited for the future of Palworld? Palworld is out now for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Sea Of Thieves Season 11 Reworks Voyages Bringing Streamline Adventures To All Pirates, Out Now
In 2023, Sea of Thieves made a triumph run so far reaching its five-year mark. To celebrate, the Season Nine update brought a lot of quality of life improvements to the game which further answered requests from the long-time players. Even more, the same year introduced another crossover – The Legend of Monkey Island. Stretched across multiple updates, it featured additional voyages and bounty to be uncovered. Additionally, Season Ten improved upon the guilds alongside ‘Skull of Siren Song’ voyages and introduced safer seas to the main game. So for players looking for a greater adventure or to simply enjoy the waters of the world, there is a place for that respectively. One eye-opening rumor recently is that Microsoft is considering a port for PlayStation, but, it has yet to be corroborated by any other reports as of yet. This week, Sea of Thieves continues its support with Season Eleven which introduces a new streamline approach to voyages which gets players right into the adventure. You can watch the trailer in the video below: “Season 11 aims to give you greater control over each play session and deliver desirable new rewards to mark your progress. With these changes to the traditional Voyage loop, the intention is to streamline your Sea of Thieves experience and ensure that each moment spent on the seas feels rewarding and exciting! “Season 11 introduces an overhaul to how you embark upon your adventures, letting you get into an action-packed pirating session more efficiently than ever before. With the ability to choose your next outing from the Quest Table and dive straight to your destination, you now have unprecedented freedom to explore everything the seas can offer…” What has you most interested in Season Eleven for Sea of Thieves? Sea of Thieves is out now for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Source: Rare
