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Monster Hunter World: Iceborne beta kicks off today on PlayStation 4, Xbox One beta starts next week

30/8/2019

 
Monster-Hunter-World-Iceborne-Velkhana

Monster Hunter World’s Iceborne expansion is heading to consoles next week, but PlayStation 4 users can get another sneak peek ahead of its release with this weekend’s beta.

by Liam Andrews
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@pass_controller

The Iceborne beta once again contains the Great Jagras (Beginner), Banbaro (Intermediate) and Tigrex (Expert) quests found in the PS4-only beta that took place earlier in the summer, plus a new quest featuring the game’s mythical flagship monster, Velkhana, which is said to offer “a bone-chilling fight for even the fiercest of hunters."
There are 14 different weapons for players to test both in mission and in the training area, all of which are said to include new Iceborne features. Commendation packs containing helpful consumable items can be earned for use in the full version of Iceborne by completing each quest.

​The PS4 beta began today at 08:00 and runs till 07:59 BST Monday, 2 September.

An Xbox One beta follows immediately after, from 08:00 BST on Monday, 2 September to 07:59 BST Thursday, 5 September.

The Monster Hunter World base game is not required to participate in either of the betas.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is out 6 September on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, with a PC release to follow in January 2020.

Will you be giving the expansion a try ahead of its impending release? Let us know below or in the forums.
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New trailer for The Surge 2 showcases combat, pre-orders now live

29/8/2019

 
New trailer for The Surge 2 showcases combat, pre-orders now live - Pass the Controller

A new trailer for The Surge 2 has been unveiled, focusing on the brutal combat. Those who wish to hone their fighting skills can play the original (which got our seal of approval back in 2017) on Steam for free until 29 August. The Surge and all DLC can be purchased with a 75% discount until 30 August.

by Chris Brand
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@pass_controller

The Surge 2 takes place in Jericho City, a distopian sci-fi megacity which is currently under quarantine. You'll encounter, and be hunted by, several unfriendly factions that are fighting for dominance over the various districts, from religious cultists to nanomonstrosities.
Just like its predecessor, targeting specific body parts will allow you to slice off weapons and armour to upgrade your own exo-rig. A total of 80 weapons are available, from up close  punching gloves to longer range spears, complemented by "a directional parry system, dodge mechanics, drones, and a huge range of brutal execution moves."

Pre-orders are now live, in both Standard and Limited editions, and will unlock a new armour set, two new weapons, and other cosmetics and equipment. The Limited Edition also includes:

  • Lenticular exclusive cover
  • Exclusive 8-page comic book
  • Double poster with artwork and game map
  • 3 exclusive lithographs

The Surge 2 releases 24 September on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

What do think of the trailer? Let us know below or over in the forums.
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ENDED: LEGO Batman series giveaway

26/8/2019

 
LEGO Batman series Steam giveaway

Congratulations to this week’s giveaway winner, Petra L.

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by Sam Sant

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@SlamShotSam


Hold on to your capes, Bat-fans: the whole LEGO Batman trilogy is up for grabs on Steam in our giveaway this week!

​
Play as cute, miniature plastic models of the caped crusader and armfuls of his most famous friends and foes (including some from other DC Comics franchises) across three family friendly trips to Gotham City and beyond. LEGO Batman: The Videogame, LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, and LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham could all be yours to enjoy simply by registering entry via the Gleam widget below.

​If you're not randomly drawn as our winner and officially appointed Dark Knight, you can make like Robin and sidekick your way over to Steam where you can grab the original and its first sequel for £14.99, whilst the threequel will cost you £19.99. 

​Good luck!
LEGO Batman series giveaway
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New Game Pass titles announced for August

20/8/2019

 
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​Gamescom 2019 begun with a special edition of Inside Xbox, where it was announced that seven titles will join the Game Pass library this month, three of which are available now.

by Chris Brand
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@pass_controller

From today, those with Xbox Game Pass for PC can download Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, whilst Xbox players get Devil May Cry 5, alongside the spacefaring strategy game, Stellaris, with the latter coming to Game Pass for PC soon.

​Open world RPG,
Kingdom Come: Deliverance, will be available from 22 August on both platforms and PC owners can also look forward to offbeat twin-stick brawler, Ape Out.
The Bard's Tale Trilogy recently hit Game Pass and on 27 August you can continue the series, as The Bard’s Tale IV: Director’s Cut will be available for Xbox and PC.

And finally, 30 August will see the launch of Bloober Team's Blair Witch, a psychological horror title that "studies your reactions to danger and stress."
Let us know what you'll be playing this month in the comments below or over in the forums.
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ENDED: Sea of Thieves giveaway

19/8/2019

 
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‪Arr winner be Dean Garfield!

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by Sam Sant

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@SlamShotSam


Hopefully you've got your sea legs, as this week's giveaway winner will set sail for the high seas on Xbox One.

​Sea of Thieves
had a so-so launch back in early 2018, as you can probably tell from our review, but since then the team at RARE have been hard at work updating the game. Nowadays, it's a much more complete product, allowing players to dive into a shared online sea of possibilities. Whether you might team up with friends or go it alone,  your quest for treasure will take you to all four corners of the world; the only thing left to decide is if you should stick to honest work, or lay claim to ill-gotten gains through pillage and plunder.

If you wanna make like a pirate, enter via the Gleam widget below for chance to snatch some booty. Otherwise, you'll need to exchange gold coins equivalent to
£39.99 at port Xbox.

Good huntin', me hearties! 
Sea of Thieves giveaway
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Gamescom 2019 livestream schedule

16/8/2019

 
Gamescom 2019 livestream schedule - Pass the Controller

​The Gamescom festivities kick off next week and we're expecting to see lots of new trailers, gameplay and announcements along with the usual post-E3 updates over the course of the event. There are three livestreams in total, all taking place one after the other on Monday, 19 August. All times stated are in GMT.

by Chris Brand
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@pass_controller

Inside Xbox
 
At 5pm, a special edition of Inside Xbox will premiere Gears 5's Horde Mode, just ahead of the game's 10 September release.
Microsoft have teased "big news and reveals" on some of the biggest titles coming our way, such as Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, Wasteland 3, Empire of Sin, Greedfall, The Surge 2, Vigor, Metro Exodus and Blair Witch, as well as some info about what's coming to Xbox Game Pass and November's X019 showcase.
 
You can catch Inside Xbox at 5pm, via Mixer, Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. 
 
Stadia Connect
 
For those who don't want Google Stadia to crash and burn, Stadia Connect is said to be "all about the games" showing even more brand new trailers and going behind-the-scenes with some of their partners.
 
Google are keeping their cards close to their chest but the platform is already sporting a healthy lineup of launch titles, including Destiny 2, Metro Exodus, Mortal Kombat 11 and Wolfenstein: Youngblood. 
 
You can watch Stadia Connect at 6pm on YouTube.
 
Opening Night Live
 
The last of the big streams, and possibly the most anticipated, is Opening Night Live, hosted by The Game Awards' Geoff Keighley.
 
A number of big names are slated for the stream and we'll also hear from some independent studios. The confirmed list of appearances so far includes Death Stranding director, Hideo Kojima, and:
 
  • 2K
  • Activision
  • Bandai Namco Entertainment
  • Bungie
  • Capcom
  • Electronic Arts
  • Epic Games
  • Google Stadia
  • Koch Media/Deep Silver
  • Private Division
  • Sega
  • Square Enix
  • Sony Interactive Entertainment
  • THQ Nordic GmbH
  • Ubisoft
  • Xbox Game Studios
 
You can tune in to Mixer, Twitch or YouTube at 7pm to see them in action.
 
THQ Nordic
 
THQ Nordic have a packed week ahead of them, with livestreams starting at 10am Tuesday through Saturday. Those in attendance will get the chance to go hands-on with a handful of games, whilst the rest of us will have to make do with watching. We can look forward to seeing a previously unannounced title and more from the following:
 
  • Biomutant
  • Desperados III
  • Darksiders Genesis
  • Destroy All Humans!
  • SpongeBob Square Pants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated
  • Monkey King
  • Wreckfest
 
Check out this image for the full rundown and watch it live on Twitch, YouTube or Facebook.
 
Head to the forums or comment below to let us know if you'll be watching any of the livestreams and check out what we think will be the highlights of Gamescom 2019.
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Go hands-on with Codemasters’ GRID exclusively at Gamescom

15/8/2019

 
GRID-Codemasters

Codemasters’ (F1 2019, DiRT Rally 2.0) GRID reboot will be playable for the first time at Gamescom, which takes place in Cologne, Germany next week.

by Liam Andrews
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@pass_controller

Those attending the event can find a playable version of the fourth and latest entry in the iconic racing franchise over at the Deep Silver & Friends stand in Hall 9 and the Microsoft Xbox booth in Hall 8. Players will be able to compete against AI drivers with over 400 race personalities and experience the game’s nemesis system, which causes rival drivers to become more aggressive to the player following collisions.
“We are so excited to bring our vision for dynamic motorsport racing to the Gamescom community,” said GRID Game Director Chris Smith. “I truly look forward to seeing all the players having fun with GRID and creating their own racing stories, I hope to see you there.”

​GRID features a variety of cars and race types – including, point to point, circuit and street racing – all set across four continents. Havana was the latest Street Circuit to be announced for the game, which you can see in action in the video below.
GRID is out 11 October on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. A Google Stadia version will be available some time in November.

​Are you going to Gamescom? Looking forward to trying GRID? Let us know below or in the forums.​
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Transforming neon platformer Exception out now on PC, Xbox One, Switch and PS4

14/8/2019

 
Exception-Traxmaster-Software

Traxmaster Software’s neon-drenched, level-shifting 2.5D platformer, Exception, is now available on PC and consoles.

by Liam Andrews
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@pass_controller

The game, which draws inspiration from old arcade titles, sees players trying to rid a computer of a virus before it can fully crash the system by completing 120 timed, shapeshifting levels as quickly as possible. Players can either choose to face enemies head on or avoid confrontations with separate leaderboards catered towards the different playstyles.
All the action is set to a futuresynth soundtrack created by some of the genre’s top artists, including Waveshaper and Kalax.

​“After five years in development I am stoked to finally release Exception for everyone to enjoy,” said Will Traxler, Founder of Traxmaster Software. 

“The shifting environment in Exception offers players a new way to experience action platforming while the whole game aesthetic harkens back to arcade nostalgia.”

Exception is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC with an RRP of $14.99/€12.49/£10.99

Let us know what you think of the game below or over in the forums.​
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Puzzle platformer Minute of Islands coming to PC and consoles early next year

13/8/2019

 
Puzzle platformer Minute of Islands coming to PC and consoles early next year - Pass the Controller

Studio Fizbin, an independent team from Germany, are partnering with publisher Mixtvision to bring Minute of Islands to the masses.

by Chris Brand
Picture

@pass_controller

The narrative driven puzzler is set on a strange and beautiful archipelago which is polluted by deadly spores. Mysterious antennas, built during a time when Giants lived among men, have been keeping the islands safe but the machines are now failing.

Driven by the desire to save her friends and loved ones, Mo, an engineer, sets out on a quest to repair the antennas with her versatile Omni-Switch, a wand-like tool used for solving environmental puzzles. ​
Mo will discover the truth about herself, the islands and the Giants living below the surface, as she journeys across the "haunted islands of her homeworld and into the depths of her subconscious," in an "emotional, poetic story of self-exploration."

The colourful world is brought to life through a hand-drawn, comic book art style and deeply atmospheric soundtrack, with curious characters, intricate details and tiny discoveries littered across multiple unique islands.

Minute of Islands is due to release early 2020 on Xbox One, PS4, Switch and PC.

Like the sound of Minute of Islands? Let us know below or over in the forums.
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ENDED: Minecraft giveaway

12/8/2019

 
Minecraft Xbox One Edition giveaway - Pass the Controller

Congratulations to our Minecraft giveaway winner, Manuel Araña (@Manuel19003)!‬

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by Sam Sant

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@SlamShotSam


Endless possibilities await the winner of Minecraft on Xbox One in this week’s giveaway.

​
Microsoft and Mojang’s building title can be played as a creative pacifist or a battle-hardened survivalist, letting all players find something their speed in the procedural pixel sandbox. That’s why Minecraft has grown to be one of the most popular games in history, currently ranking second on the best-selling of all time list.

If you've somehow missed out on the craze, or maybe played elsewhere and now wanna get in on the action on Xbox One, enter via the Gleam widget below to be in with a chance of winning. Otherwise, you can download Minecraft on Xbox One for £16.74 from the Microsoft Store. Our partners at CD Keys also have copies for £12.99.

Good luck!
Minecraft giveaway
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