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Science fiction Zelda-like, XEL, coming to PC and consoles

3/9/2021

 
XEL

Developer Tiny Roar and publisher Assemble Entertainment are bringing their sci-fi adventure title, XEL, to PC and consoles next year.

by Liam Andrews
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@pass_controller

XEL is described as a “vibrant sci-fi Zelda-like”, blending colourful biomes and a futuristic setting with a top-down perspective, intricate puzzles, “mysterious dungeons”, and an explorable overworld connecting it all. Players must help Reid, the game’s amnesiac protagonist, solve the mystery of the world she crash landed on that’s “filled with secrets, puzzles, and a not-so-stable sense of time”.
Along the way, players will be able to meet “charming, enduring” characters and utilise a variety of upgradable weapons and items to take on “merciless robots and exotic wildlife”. Reid will even be able to manipulate space and time in order to reach new areas and solve puzzles.

Here’s an overview of the game’s key features:

  • ​​​Sci-fi Dungeon Diving: The world of XEL features a vast, extensive overworld and challenging, Zelda-like dungeons to explore.
  • A Deep Combat System: Become proficient at using a variety of attacks and combos, while dodging and parrying to tackle and take out foes.
  • Gadgets & Guns: Master and upgrade your weapons, shield and gadgets to smash your foes and open up new areas to explore.
  • Deep Lore and a Deeper Mystery: What exactly happened to this world, and who is responsible? Piece together a captivating story and dive into the legends behind the cryptic history.
  • Spacetime? Not a Problem: Unlock special abilities that allow Reid to bend the rules of space and time, granting her access to previously impassable areas and opening up new ways to defeat difficult enemies.

There’s no solid release date or platform info just yet, with XEL said to be coming to PC and consoles sometime in 2022.

What do you think of the game? Let us know below or in the forums.
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New Overcooked DLC celebrates the series’ fifth anniversary

10/8/2021

 
Overcooked!-All-You-Can-Eat-Birthday-Update

Ghost Town Games and Team 17 are celebrating the Overcooked! franchise’s fifth anniversary with a free content drop.

by Liam Andrews
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The Birthday Party update is coming to the Overcooked! All You Can Eat edition of the game, an upgraded bundle of the original Overcooked! and its sequel, Overcooked! 2, that includes all previously released DLC and also adds online multiplayer support for the original game’s levels. The update includes five new stages, a new tabby cat chef character, and a new tea recipe.
As seen in the trailer, the update also introduces a new switcheroo feature that sees players being transported across the kitchen if they wander into one of the portal-wielding playing cards.

​Anyone that wants to sample the game’s delectable gameplay can give Overcooked! All You Can Eat a try for free on Steam until tomorrow. Be sure to also check out our attempts to conquer the culinary chaos that is Overcooked! 2 in our Let’s Play.
Are you looking forward to the new update? Let us know below.
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New Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part Two trailer lands to mark today's launch

17/3/2021

 
Doom-Eternal-The-Ancient-Gods-Part-Two

Bethesda and id Software are celebrating the arrival of DOOM Eternal’s final piece of DLC – The Ancient Gods Part Two – with a new trailer.

by Liam Andrews
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The Ancient Gods Part Two brings an end to the Doom Slayer’s story that began with DOOM (2016) and continued with its sequel, DOOM Eternal. Players will once again be going up against the forces of Hell, though this time, they’ll be bringing their own army of Sentinel’s for a final showdown of “incredible scale.”
Part Two introduces new locations such as ancient Sentinel settlements, an overgrown Earth city that hides a “mysterious gateway” and the “cosmic wonders” of the World Spear.

​New enemy types will also be making an appearance, including the armoured Baron, the Stone Imp and a Screecher Zombie that’s said to empower nearby demons when it’s killed.

The Ancient Gods Part Two is out today, 18 March, on Xbox One, PS4, PC and Stadia. The expansion is available at no extra cost to those who own the DOOM Eternal Deluxe Edition or the Year One Pass, while it can also be bought as a standalone purchase.

Looking forward to the conclusion of the Doom Slayer’s story? Let us know below.
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TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge is a radical new beat ‘em up, dude

10/3/2021

 
Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Turtles-Shredder's-Revenge

Publisher Dotemu (Streets of Rage 4) and developer Tribute Games have announced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge for PC and consoles.

by Liam Andrews
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The side-scrolling beat ‘em up, which can be played solo or cooperatively with up to four players, takes a hefty dose of inspiration from classic TMNT games such as Turtles in Time. It’s said to boast “beautifully realised pixel art” while resurrecting the series’ retro 80s designs. The game features a variety of iconic TMNT locations, from the streets and sewers of NYC to the more fantastical setting of Dimension X.
While combat is said to have its foundations set in “classic brawling mechanics,” Michalangelo, Donatello, Leonardo and Raphael will each have their own unique skills and maneuvers. It also sounds like players will be able to utilise vehicles in some way.

​In addition to varying types of Foot Clan, players will be going up against baddies ranging from Triceraton Warriors and Rock Troops to the iconic Bebop, Rocksteady and Shredder.

Platform details and a TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge release date have yet to be announced, with the game only confirmed to be coming to PC (via Steam) and consoles right now.

What do you think of Shredder’s Revenge? Let us know below or in the forums.
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Co-op shooter Aliens: Fireteam coming to PlayStation, Xbox and PC this summer

3/3/2021

 
Aliens-Fireteam

California-based Cold Iron Studios have unveiled their debut title, Aliens: Fireteam, a cooperative third-person shooter set within the Alien universe.

by Liam Andrews
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@pass_controller

Aliens: Fireteam is set 23 years after the events of the original trilogy of films, and sees players taking on the role of a Colonial Marine as they battle against “terrifying Xenomorph threats.” The game supports co-op for up to three players but can also be experienced solo with a pair of AI teammates. Four “unique” and repayable campaigns will be available, each introducing “new storylines” that “evoke and expand upon the blockbuster films.”
There are five classes to choose from - Gunner, Demolisher, Technician, Doc and Recon – and more than 30 weapons available (including the iconic Pulse Rifle and Smart Gun) which can be further modified with attachments.

​An “innovative” perk system offers further refinement of playstyle by modifying and improving player abilities, while the game’s Challenge Card system is said to “offer a new experience with each playthrough” by altering the approach to each mission.

The game also features over 20 enemy types, including Weyland-Yutani Synthetic foes and “11 different Xenomorphs along the evolutionary scale from Facehuggers to Praetorians.” Each enemy type has its own methods to try and outsmart players.

There’s no solid release date just yet, though Aliens: Fireteam is targeting a summer 2021 release window for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5 and PC via Steam.

What do you think of the game? Let us know below.
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Moving Out ‘Movers In Paradise’ expansion out now on PC and consoles

25/2/2021

 
Moving-Out-Movers-In-Paradise

Team17, DevM Games and SMG Studio have released a new tropical-themed expansion for their couch co-op multiplayer game, ​Moving Out.

by Liam Andrews
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@pass_controller

Movers In Paradise sees players heading to the tropical setting of Packmore Island where they’ll be able to take on 14 new levels and 10 arcade levels. New gameplay mechanics have also been introduced, such as vines that reach out and tangle players, crabs that scuttle off with objects, and rising tides. The trailer below shows off some of the new obstacles awaiting movers.
The expansion features a new selection of suitably tropical-themed characters to use while tackling the game’s physics-based challenges, including Tooki the toucan, Coco the coconut, Clawdius the crab, and Gilly the fish.

​Also arriving alongside the paid expansion is a free Moving In update that’s coming to all platforms having first launched last month on Amazon Luna. The free update sees the base game’s levels reworked, with players having to unpack a removal van to place furniture and other household items in the correct locations as quickly as possible.

The Movers In Paradise expansion is available to download now on Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC for £5.99/€7.49/$7.49.

Will you be playing the new Moving Out content? Let us know below.
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Pirate-themed RPG King of Seas to be published by Team17

11/2/2021

 
King-of-Seas

Team17 are partnering with Italian indie developer 3DCoulds to help bring their pirate-themed action-RPG, King of Seas, to PC and consoles this spring.

by Liam Andrews
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@pass_controller

King of Seas tasks players with becoming king of the pirates in a world “filled with battles, lost islands and treasures.” The game features quests, procedurally generated locations and a dynamic world that “reacts to your every action” and adapts the difficulty to “give you a more challenging time.” From the looks of the trailer below, it seems players will be in command of a single vessel as they explore and battle.
King of Seas also features a branching skill tree, with over 20 skills to choose from, environmental hazards – such as rough seas and strong winds – that affect gameplay, and five types of ship that are all customisable through equipment and skills.

​The new partnership with Team17 will allow 3DCloud to work on “enhancing the gameplay” and also implement some quality-of-life features, such as a wider range of language support.

The King of Seas release date is this May, though no exact day has been specified just yet. It’s scheduled to release on PC, Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch with an RRP of £24.99 / €24.99 / $24.99 / $39.99AUS.

Let us know your thoughts on King of Seas below or over in the forums.
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Haven PS4 and Nintendo Switch versions coming next month

26/1/2021

 
Haven

The Game Bakers (Furi) have revealed a release date for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 editions of Haven, an adventure game about “love, freedom and rebellion.”

by Liam Andrews
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@pass_controller

Originally scheduled for a December release alongside the Xbox One and PC editions, the Switch and PS4 versions were delayed to early 2021 following disruptions caused by the pandemic. A member of the development team took to the game’s Steam page late last year to confirm that the studio - which is only made up of 14 people - ended up prioritising the next-gen versions of the game.
The commitment to making sure Haven was available day one on Xbox Game Pass (both on console and PC) also had to be treated as a “high priority,” according to The Game Bakers.

​In Haven, players control Yu and Kay, two runaway lovers that have escaped their home world and settled on a strange new planet. Players can explore their surroundings by gliding over the landscape as they search for resources and battle dangerous fauna in real-time strategic combat. Though it’s designed for solo play first and foremost, Haven also supports local co-op for two players.

Haven is out 4 February on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. It’s currently available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.
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Arcade shooter Redout: Space Assault out now for PC and consoles

22/1/2021

 
Redout-Space-Assault

34BigThings’ Redout: Space Assault, an arcade space shooter, launches today on Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC.

by Liam Andrews
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@pass_controller

A prequel to Redout (2016), a high-speed racing game inspired by the likes of Wipeout and F-Zero, Redout: Space Assault sees players leaving futuristic race tracks behind for space battles above Mars. The game is said to build upon the series’ “lightning-fast action” and “high-skill gameplay,” and features a “deep” single player career mode composed of unique missions.
It looks like Space Assault also takes a hefty dose of inspiration from a past classic, with the arcade-style gameplay and barrel rolls shown off in the trailer being very reminiscent of the early Star Fox games.

​Rather than an Arwing, however, players will be battling it out in a fully customisable “Super Orbital Recon Fighter,” utilising a wide variety of weapon upgrades to “outmanoeuvre, overpower and outclass” their opponents in dogfights.

Redout: Space Assault is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC with an RRP of £8.99/$9.99/€9.99. 

Let us know your thoughts on the series’ new direction below or in the forums.
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New Pokémon Snap gets spring release date

14/1/2021

 
New-Pokemon-Snap

Nintendo have shared more details on New Pokémon Snap, including a late April release date, in an all-new trailer.

by Liam Andrews
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@pass_controller

Said to be inspired by the original Pokémon Snap on Nintendo 64, New Pokémon Snap is an on-rails adventure in which players are tasked with photographing Pokémon in their natural habitats. Photos are then rated by a score system which takes into account how large the creatures appear, how they’re framed and whether or not they’re facing the camera. The best photos can then be used to fill out the Pokédex.
Players will be able to grab the attention of wild Pokémon by chucking out a fluffruit, which can also be used to try and draw the Pocket Monsters into various situations.

​New Pokémon Snap is set in a new area known as the Lental Region, which appears to be made up of a series of islands and archipelagos. Lental is also home to the rare Illumina phenomenon which causes certain plants and Pokémon to glow, and it’s up to you to find out what causes it.

More than 200 Pokémon will be available to photograph and can be spotted exhibiting a variety of behaviours. Some will move in groups or individually, and they can also be caught playing together or battling each other.

New Pokémon Snap is out 30 April exclusively on Nintendo Switch and has an RRP of £49.99 / $59.99.

Let us know your thoughts on the game below or in the forums.
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