Xbox Game Pass is easily the best deal in gaming at this point and each month the subscription service only gets better with more games added to it and newer titles, as well as some day-one launches. March 2024 is no different.

• READ MORE: Microsoft releases limited edition ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ Xbox

This month we have a much-anticipated RPG finally coming to Game Pass, three day-one launches at the end of the month to keep you busy, and a game for everyone no matter what genre you are a fan of. Here is the full list.

Xbox Game Pass March 2024 Games

• Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – March 5, 2024 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Paw Patrol World – March 7, 2024 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• NBA 2K24 – March 11, 2024 (Console, Cloud)
• SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated – March 12, 2024 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Control Ultimate Edition – March 13, 2024 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• No More Heroes 3 – March 14, 2024 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Lightyear Frontier – March 19, 2024 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• MLB The Show 24 – March 19, 2024 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• The Quarry – March 20, 2024 (Console, Cloud)
• Evil West – March 21, 2024 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Terra Invicta – March 26, 2024 (PC)
• Diablo 4 – March 28, 2024 (Console, PC)
• Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged – March 28, 2024 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Open Roads – March 28, 2024 (Console, PC, Cloud)

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun

This balls-to-the-wall boomer shooter takes inspiration from classic DOOM titles to deliver a classic, nostalgia-driven FPS that you definitely will want to check out if you are a fan of the genre. It was a hit when it was released last year and it’s a great way to start the month’s lineup.

Paw Patrol World

If you have children then you are probably more familiar with Paw Patrol than any other franchise going right now. Paw Patrol World is a solid way to keep them busy when they are off school during a break, or just bored on the weekend looking for something to do.

NBA 2K24

This year’s entry in the long-running basketball series made a surprise release onto the service on March 11. However, it is set to disappear once again ahead of the next game’s release in September, so you better jump in before the end of August!

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated

The remake of the classic SpongeBob game was a massive success and a few years later we got a new game. But if you want a trip down memory lane and a great platformer, then you can’t overlook Battle For Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated.

Control Ultimate Edition

Remedy‘s critically acclaimed action game is making its return to Xbox Game Pass and this time it includes all the DLC. Whether you want to see how Jesse’s story is tied to Alan Wake’s in Control Ultimate Edition or explore the imposing Foundation area in The Oldest House, this enhanced version of the game is a great way to get a glimpse at what makes Remedy so beloved.

No More Heroes 3

Arriving on Xbox with a bang, Travis Touchdown raises his trusty beam katana once more to dash to the top of the Galactic Superhero Rankings and save the world once again in No More Heroes 3. Received positively, the action game will definitely be one to check out. We gave the game three stars in our review.

Lightyear Frontier

After a few delays, the charming survival-farming experience Lightyear Frontier will be entering Early Access this month. The game will grow and expand as it continues to be improved during early access and it is shaping up to be fantastic. We loved it a few years ago in our Lightyear Frontier preview from 2022.

MLB The Show 24

Another year means another MLB game. This year’s iteration, MLB The Show 24 expands everything players love while adding in a number of Diamond Dynasty updates, gameplay changes, and for the first time Women baseball players. Within Road To The Show you can create your own female player and rise to stardom with a unique storyline.

The Quarry

The team behind Until Dawn released The Quarry back in 2022 and it was met with solid reviews, offering another enjoyable horror slasher to play through. Now it is coming to Game Pass and you can play it for free with the service. Our full The Quarry review goes over what we thought of the game.

Evil West

Released back in late 2022, Evil West is a solid third-person action game from the team behind Shadow Warrior. While it doesn’t do anything surprising, it is a fantastic game to chill out and murder some demons too, alongside Diablo 4 this month. Our Evil West review gives you a good idea of what to expect.

Terra Invicta

Terra Invicta is an ambitious grand strategy game that has spent a long period of testing, support, and expansion in Early Access. Now it is landing on Game Pass for PC as it continues its odyssey in Early Access.

Diablo 4

Blizzard‘s critically acclaimed action RPG is finally making its way to Game Pass after Microsoft‘s acquisition of Activision Blizzard last year. Diablo 4 scored four stars in our review and has gone on to release several seasons, expanding the content available and enhancing its progression and customization.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 is barely half a year old but it is now on its way to Game Pass. The racing game builds upon everything the first title did with more diverse environments, new cars, new modes, and more!

Open Roads

After a much-delayed release, Gone Home developer’s Open Roads is finally releasing at the end of the month delivering a unique, artistic narrative-adventure starring Keri Russell and Kaitlyn Dever. In the game, you, Tess Devine, will embark on a road trip with your mother Opal to discover a cache of old notes and letters holding more secrets than you initially expected.

That covers everything you can expect from Xbox Game Pass this month. For even more on the service check out the current plan for Call of Duty games on Game Pass now that Microsoft owns Activision.

The post Every game coming to Xbox Game Pass in March 2024 appeared first on NME.

Xbox has announced a wave of new games coming to its Game Pass service this March, with Control Ultimate Edition leading the announcement.

• READ MORE: ‘Control: AWE’ review: a mind-bending victory lap for one of this generation’s best games

Xbox Game Pass is a subscription-based service that allows players to play games on PC, Xbox consoles and cloud. Over the next four weeks, Microsoft will be adding a number of new additions to the platform, including Control Ultimate Edition.

Originally released in 2020 and upgraded for next-gen consoles the following year, Control Ultimate Edition features the original 2019 version of Remedy’s action-adventure game alongside all the post-launch content.

Microsoft has also announced two new Day One releases coming to Game Pass this month – alien farming simulator Lightyear Frontier and baseball game MLB The Show 24.

The service will also include Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated and No More Heroes 3. Check out the full list of additions and when they’re due to arrive below.

Xbox Game Pass additions for March 2024

6 – Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
7- PAW Patrol World
12 – SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated
13 – Control Ultimate Edition
14 – No More Heroes 3
19 – Lightyear Frontier (Game Preview)
19 – MLB The Show 24

Leaving the service this month are Hardspace: Shipbreaker, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered and Shredders.

Control Ultimate Edition is the precursor to Remedy’s Alan Wake 2, with the studio recently confirming it wants to expand both franchises. “We now have two successful franchises: Control and Alan Wake, which are linked through the Remedy Connected Universe. Growing and expanding those franchises will be a key part of our future,“ said Remedy CEO Tero Virtala.

In 2022, Remedy confirmed it was working on a sequel to Control.

Earlier this week, Microsoft revealed a new limited edition SpongeBob SquarePants special edition of the Xbox Series X console.

In other news, Strange Scaffold, the studio behind neo-noir shooter El Paso, Everywhere, has confirmed details of their next project – a horror, fantasy kidnapping game called Life Eater.

The post ‘Control Ultimate Edition’ heads up March’s Xbox Game Pass additions appeared first on NME.

What’s the best thing about playing Xbox Series X|S games? Is it that you’re able to experience titles so cutting edge they hurt? That there’s so much choice at your fingertips? Or do you just enjoy lording it up over friends with dustier consoles?

• READ MORE: The best Xbox One games to play in 2022

Whatever the reason you’ll probably be wanting a big ol’ guide for what to play this year and why. This list of the best Xbox Series X|S games includes some of the best Xbox One games all right, but the difference here is that we’ve focused on games that showcase what this newest, fastest hardware can do. Each game is a good title in its own right, but we get that you want to show off the best visual experience as well as experience the best performance too.

Just bear in mind that the enhancements for the best Xbox Series X games and the best Xbox Series S do vary. Typically, the Xbox Series S focuses on 1080p at the highest FPS while the Xbox Series X manages to ramp up to 4K resolutions alongside high FPS.

Whichever console you’ve gone for, read on while we take a look at our comprehensive list of the best Xbox Series X|S games you can play right now.

What are the best Xbox Series X|S games?

Here’s our picks for the very best games to play on Xbox Series X|S, at a glance:

• Forza Horizon 5
• Halo Infinite
• Gears 5
• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
• Gears Tactics
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps
• Sea of Thieves
• Halo: The Master Chief Collection
• Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition
• Control Ultimate Edition
• Grounded
• Immortality

Forza Horizon 5

If you’ve ever wanted to truly test drive the Xbox Series X|S and feel exactly what’s going on under the hood, then hop into the driving seat for Forza Horizon 5, a game practically built to show what these machines can do.

For the latest chapter of the iconic racing sim, players find themselves in Mexico – which is thankfully nothing like the sepia-tinted Mexico of Hollywood thrillers, but rather one brimming with joyful colour and remarkably diverse landscapes and challenging terrain, where nothing is off limits and you can seemingly explore the open road forever. This is a love letter to Mexico in the most breakneck way possible.

The graphics and gameplay are as lightning fast as the cars themselves (Xbox Series X can play in 4K resolution at 60fps, while the Series S runs quality mode at between 1440p and 1080p), but truthfully it’s going to look great no matter which console you have. Not a single pixel has been wasted in the making of Forza Horizon 5.

Not that we should forget the last Forza Horizon game in a hurry. It too remains one of the finest games to play on Xbox Series X|S, even this successor has taken thing up a gear.

Halo Infinite

Oh boy, what is there left to say about Halo Infinite, which we dubbed the best AAA shooter of last year? Well, superficially at least, the world of Master Chief has never looked better. It feels right at home in 4K (upon release, Xbox Series S were locked in at 60FPS, while Xbox Series X owners got double the oomph at 120FPS) with a double whammy of finely-detailed open world beauty and improved combat.

It won’t take you long to get to grips with the game’s new bells and whistles, including one of the better done grapple hooks in any game ever. It’s the sort of little touch that has helped propel Halo Infinite to critical acclaim without ever losing sight of the originals. The multiplayer beta (available as a free download) is a ton of fun, but those who invest their time and money on the full game won’t be disappointed. It’s a fast and frantic shooter that’ll make you thankful its hero hasn’t hung up his helmet quite yet.

Gears 5

Another title with 4K resolution support, HDR, and a FPS boost up to 120 FPS, Gears 5 is the pinnacle of the Gears of War series. With more of an open-ended story than before, it takes place after the events of Gears of War 4 following Kait Diaz as she discovers the origins of the Locust and her complex family history.

While previous Gears of War games were exceptionally linear, Gears 5 lets you explore huge landscapes and it’s all the stronger for it. With the graphical enhancements of the latest consoles, it’s a great showcase of draw distances and what can be accomplished with powerful hardware. All while being an exceptional third-person shooter. Expect to get messy. Better yet, not only is this one of the best Xbox Series X|S Games, it’s also available on Xbox Game Pass.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Launched the same day as the Xbox Series X|S, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was always going to be a terrific showcase of what could be accomplished with better hardware. Set during Viking times, it’s quite the departure from past Assassin’s Creed games – but it’s just as captivating as any Egyptian or Greek odyssey you may have been on previously.

With a seemingly never-ending world to explore and a similarly never-ending series of quests and activities to partake in, you’ll still find time to marvel at every blade of grass and gaze at the mountains in the distance. Even on the Xbox Series S, it manages a resolution of 1440p (although it’s a shame there’s no ray-tracing support).

Expect to lose hundreds of hours here if you plan on completing every mission, assassinating every target, establishing a strong settlement, and seeing everything on offer. It’s fair to say this is one of the best Xbox Series X|S games out there for those fervent achievement hunters and completionists.

Gears Tactics

The Gears series has always been about making fast-paced decisions and rapidly offing anything with more teeth or muscles than you without really engaging your brain. That was until Gears Tactics launched. Arriving the same day as the latest Xbox consoles, it’s a prequel to the first game and a remarkably different beast from the series you may be used to. Played from a top-down perspective, it owes more to the likes of XCOM than the rest of the Gears franchise.

It takes a little bit of time to get used to, but it’s a solid example of the turn-based strategy genre, and additions like the option to remix campaign missions after one playthrough certainly endear you towards returning. Visually, it looks great and is a prime example of what the hardware can do, boasting 4K and 1440p support, along with HDR reminding you that you’ve basically got a PC in console form sitting in your living room.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

A change of pace from most games here, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is utterly gorgeous. That’s because it uses 4K to 6K supersampling on the Xbox Series X and manages up to 120 FPS on the beefed-up hardware, to boot. None of this would matter if it was a bad game, but it’s great – maybe one of the best Metroidvania titles of modern times. A 2D platform game with an emphasis on exploration and collecting items, it’s reminiscent of the Metroid series in that way which should appeal to veteran players and retro elitists alike. New abilities are unlocked at a steady pace, meaning there’s always a reason to come back for more, backtracking to earlier stages and seeing them from a different perspective.

There’s a pleasant story under the hood, too, with some typical indie quirkiness going on and some unexpected emotive gut-punches for good measure. Interesting level design, fantastic visuals, and an entertaining story. There’s not much more you could ask for, is there? This is one of the best Xbox Series X|S games right now – and we don’t think that’s liable to change any time soon, either.

Sea of Thieves

Taking some time to find its sea legs, Sea of Thieves won’t appeal to those looking for a tightly woven narrative. But if you simply want to feel liberated and able to explore the ocean to your heart’s content, this will work brilliantly, you scurvy dog. Best played alongside a group of friends, players take the role of pirates and are tasked with completing voyages, forming alliances and trading partnerships, or simply floating around to do whatever takes their fancy. Just beware the kraken.

Sea of Thieves has always looked gorgeous, even on the Xbox One, but it looks even better on the Xbox Series X|S. You’ll soon find yourself constantly taking screenshots, simply to gawp open-mouthed at beautiful sunsets and watery vistas. The game’s quirky style feels suitably cartoonish – but never too stylised for its own good – and that means there’s plenty of charm in this pirate simulator, too.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

In terms of sheer value, Halo: The Master Chief Collection is astonishing. Including Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, and Halo 4, there are hundreds of hours of content here to enjoy. It can almost be overwhelming for newcomers.

Previously upscaled for the Xbox One, it boasts even more graphical and gameplay improvements including the ability to run at 120 FPS in both single-player and multiplayer modes along with 4K resolution support on the Xbox Series X. And, of course, it’s a fantastic series in its own right, offering some of the finest first-person shooting you’ll find on the console, as well as a storyline full of fascinating lore. While the oldest game in the series might be nearly 20 years old now, its exceptional game design continues to age wonderfully and this game feels as fresh as ever.

Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition

Originally released in 2019, Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition is the souped-up version for the Xbox Series X|S, and remains one of the best-looking games on the format. With up to 4K resolution on Xbox Series X, the game still never manages to miss a beat achieving 60 FPS the whole time. Combined with its fast-paced combo-forming action – and its consistently foul mouth – it’s that kind of arcade-style gaming experience you could only dream of, once upon a time.

There’s a lot of depth to Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition’s combat and on higher difficulty levels, it can be tough, but it’s consistently rewarding too. Stylish action is everything here and once you get into the rhythm of things, you’ll feel suitably superior to mostly everyone. It’s simply a lot of fun to play and perfect, and you will simply never get tired of enemies bleeding out particle effects every time you slam your sword into them.

Control: Ultimate Edition

Control starts out a little slow, but if you love the often bizarre nature of Twin Peaks or The X-Files, it’s the perfect game to scratch that itch. Following the story of Jesse Faden as she explores a shadowy secret U.S. government agency and discovers some very sinister paranormal goings-on, it’s a third-person shooter that also has some puzzle elements woven into the experience, too.

Once the story gets under your skin, you’ll be hooked. But it also features a bevy of skills and abilities you can gain that make you feel like a superhero that will captivate you most. Certain elements of the game feel a little dated, but the sheer sense of power by the end means you’ll forgive it its flaws. And there’s this one setpiece right near the end that absolutely cements the game as one of the best Xbox Series X|S Games, too.

Grounded

Have you ever wanted to be smaller than an ant, fighting for your life as spiders, wasps and all manner of creepy crawlies hunt you? Me neither, but Grounded is a surprisingly great time. It was in Early Access for a a couple of years before finally releasing at the tail end of 2022. It seems all of that testing has really paid off, and Grounded is one of the best survival game experiences you can have in 2022.

You’ll start with nothing, and build your way up to ruler of the insect world, as you craft weapons, build shelters and take down powerful foes. It’s even great in co-op, which certainly takes the edge off of the horror aspects as you’re pursued by murderous bugs.

Immortality

And now for something a bit different. Immortality is an FMV game filled with mystery and intrigue. If you’re looking for a strong narrative that’s filled with twists and turns, looks no further. From our five-star review: “Immortality raises a new high bar on what’s possible with video and game mechanics. ”

There you have it, those are the best games you can play on Xbox Series X|S right now. To see what’s in store for the rest of 2022, visit our 10 games to look forward to page.

The post Best Xbox Series X|S games to play in 2022 appeared first on NME.

Amazon Prime Gaming is upping the ante for free games as part of a subscription service this November, as nine titles are redeemable if players are signed up for it. 

• READ MORE: Metroid Dread is cutting-edge in some ways, behind the times in others

All of the below titles are available from November 1 to December 1 (that means the offer starts next week).

• Dragon Age: Inquisition

• Control Ultimate Edition

• Rise Of The Tomb Raider

• Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos

• Liberated

• Puzzle Agent 2

• Demon Hunter 2

• Brakes Are For Losers

• Secret Files: Sam Peters

The top three AAA releases in this Prime Gaming lot are the ones most likely to be on everyone’s radar, but the short video embedded below shows off all the games in action, helping you decide if you want to give them a go.

These games thus come with an Amazon Prime account, or you can sign up for a 30-day trial and give the titles a try that way instead.

The Control: Ultimate Edition also comes with both DLCs, The Foundation and Awe, with the latter even including another Remedy character Alan Wake.

PlayStation Plus will also have six games available in November, with three of them being PSVR titles. Meaning you can get your hands on Knockout City past level 25 at no extra cost if you’re already subscribed.

If you want even more free games, the free title on the Epic Games Store has also been revealed for November, meaning there are a plethora of titles up for grabs next month.

In other news, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas VR has been announced, and it will be coming to the Oculus Quest 2. This reveal also comes incredibly quickly after the success of Resident Evil 4 VR on the Oculus Quest 2 as well.

The post Prime Gaming getting nine free games in November, including ‘Control’ appeared first on NME.

Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy is the next superhero-powered game to hit the shelves, following on from other Marvel-based successes like Marvel’s Avengers and Spider-Man: Miles Morales. A single-player narrative adventure developed by Eidos-Montréal, this new entry seeks to right the wrongs players outlined with the multiplayer-focused Avengers title… and it seems to be doing the trick so far!

• READ MORE: E3 2021 brought back game demos for good – here are some of the best you can play right now

The game follows the events of Star-Lord (who you may know better as Peter Quill) who charms, shoots, and blags his way through a selection of Guardians storylines. The game is going to be more of a ‘greatest hits’ of the ragtag cosmic crew, rather than focusing on one specific arc, but we feel that’s going to make for a better game overall. A sampler, in this case, is better than a one-course meal.

Square Enix revealed the new action title during a stream at E3 2021, showing over 20 minutes of gameplay and interviews related to the title. Rumours of the game’s existence had circulated for some time, although there weren’t any leaks prior to the event.

Here’s everything we know about Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy release date, platforms and price

Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy will launch on October 26, just in time for the holiday season.

Square Enix confirmed the game will launch on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch through cloud streaming.

Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy will cost £59.99 on current and last generation consoles. There are no pricing details for the Nintendo Switch version at the time of writing, but we will update this as soon as Square Enix announces the price.

The game will cost £49.99 on PC via Steam, which you can pre-order here.

Control Ultimate Edition Cloud Edition which launched on Nintendo Switch last year cost £34.99, so fans can likely expect a slightly reduced price on the platform.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy hands-on preview

The most important thing to take away from our Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy hands-on preview is the fact that the project has enough new content and fresh ideas to make the project feel markedly different from the cinematic universe series of films. Which is good, given you don’t just want to play a carbon copy of what James Gunn has been building on for the last few years.

“While Marvel’s Avengers is all about playing as your favourite hero, Guardians of The Galaxy sees you wrestling with leadership as Starlord Peter Quill although riffing entirely on the comics rather than anything seen in the films,” says our own Ali Shutler of the game.

“At times Guardians of the Galaxy is incredibly frustrating but it never feels impossible. It helps that the game looks beautiful, the characters have their own personalities, and this team of misfits actually has friction between one another. I think there’s a chance the banter between the Guardians might get annoying after a while but during my two-hour playtime, the sheen never wore off.”

Safe to say that the game left a good impression, then – and as you can see from the videos embedded in this page, there’s a good reason for it. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is set to be a pithy, fun game that leverages the ridiculous fun of the parent series to give players something that was missing from Marvel’s Avengers, perhaps because this most recent project doesn’t take itself all that seriously.

Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy trailers

Square Enix has released two official trailers for the game so far, including an official reveal trailer and an expanded gameplay trailer.

The official reveal trailer shows off the game’s story, introducing players to Peter Quill and the rest of the Guardians. The reveal also shows off the game’s combat, character dialogue and a number of alien environments, all set to the soundtrack of Bonnie Tyler’s I Need A Hero.

Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy’s gameplay trailer provides a deeper look at how the game will play. This trailer also features dialogue, planet exploration, combat and also a look at the narrative choices. It’s unclear how much these choices will affect the overarching narrative.

Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy gameplay and story

Players will follow a linear narrative-driven adventure in Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy. The story will center around the Guardians fixing a mess they started, one that could cause the destruction of the universe.

Gameplay is a mix of dialogue, exploration and combat as mentioned. Players will only control Star Lord throughout the game, but will influence the other characters through a narrative choice system. In the footage shown so far, players can affect small moments like choosing to throw Rocket over a ravine, or larger moments like choosing which Guardian to pretend to sell.

Combat is a mix of close-range and long-range attacks, featuring a combat system that looks somewhat similar to the Devil May Cry franchise. Throughout combat, the player will be able to control Gamora, Rocket, Drax and Groot, who all have their own special attacks.

Eidos-Montréal has also worked the narrative aspect of the title into the combat, as Star Lord can talk during combat to motivate the team.

Will Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy have DLC or microtransactions?

Unlike Square Enix’s other Marvel’s property, Guardians Of The Galaxy will not include any microtransactions or DLC.

Speaking ahead of the title’s E3 reveal, senior narrative designers Mary Demarle said: “There isn’t going to be any DLC for this game, there isn’t going to be any microtransactions,”

“That’s because, for us, it’s very important that on day one, when players get this game, they can have access to everything there is about this game and to experience it.” added Marle.

However, there will be several pre-order bonuses for the title, which includes additional costumes for the Guardians.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack

Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy movies are well-known for having eclectic soundtracks that feature popular 80s hits. Square Enix has confirmed the game will be no different, featuring artists such as Pat Benetar, Joan Jett, KISS, Rick Astley and Iron Maiden.

The extended gameplay trailer showed Peter Quill using his tape player during combat. By pressing L1 and R1 together, players can huddle up and cause more damage while licensed songs play in the background.

Is Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy a live-service game?

Unlike Marvel’s Avengers, Guardians Of The Galaxy is not a live-service game. Eidos-Montréal has been vocal about the game being a single-player only experience from start to finish.

Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy’s narrative director confirmed over the weekend (June 20) that players will have the option to remove copyrighted music during gameplay.

This is important to those players who intend to stream the game when it releases later this year. Copyrighted music can cause DMCA strikes against streamers, leading to temporary and permanent account closures.

The post ‘Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy’ release date, trailers, cast and everything we know appeared first on NME.

505 Games, publisher of Control, has conceded that the way it handled the next-gen upgrade for the game could have been better.

• READ MORE: Jake Solomon’s love of Ghost Rider is why we’re getting ‘Marvel’s Midnight Suns’

This comes from an interview with 505 Games president Neil Ralley over on GamesIndustry.biz, as players were required to buy the Control Ultimate Edition to get a generational upgrade.

“We learnt a lot from that,” says Ralley. “Did we as a publisher handle it in the best way and communicate it in the best way to the audience? Maybe not. But we did our best to satisfy consumers.”

“Moving forwards, we will be able to do this in a much better way and you’ll see that in the next examples that we’ve got with Ghostrunner at the end of September and Assetto Corsa in early 2022. I’m very confident that we’ll handle that in a much better way,” Ralley added.

The publisher was in hot water in August of last year when it announced in a blog post that only the Control Ultimate Edition would be eligible for the free upgrade to the Xbox Series X|S and PS5 versions of the game.

At the time 505 Games released a statement that claimed “blockers” were the reason for the lack of a free next-gen upgrade. “Every avenue we pursued, there was some form of blocker and those blockers meant that at least one group of players ended up being left out of the upgrade for various reasons,” explained the post.

In the GamesIndustry.biz interview Ralley offers no further detail as to the specifics of these “blockers”, but he does elaborate on how the company aims to avoid the issue in the future. “For Control, we made certain decisions restricting how we could perform Smart Delivery for the next-gen version of Control.

“They were the correct decisions at the time, but they created those blockers. We were unable to backtrack and reorganise how we were developing the Ultimate Edition for there to be a sensible and fair way to do Smart Delivery,” Ralley added.

In other news, a new Cyberpunk 2077 mod has added life insurance to the game, and players can sign up for it to make sure that they don’t have to restart a save when they die.

The post 505 Games admits it could have handled ‘Control’ next-gen upgrade better appeared first on NME.

Remedy Entertainment has reported a record breaking financial year in 2020, despite not launching any new games.

• READ MORE: Dear EA and BioWare, ‘Anthem’ deserves a second chance

According to the developer’s fiscal reports, revenue increased 29.8 per cent to £35.8million (€41.1million) for the year ending December 2020, which breaks the developer’s previous records.

The financial report explained that Control, released in August 2019, was the main reason for the success. The Ultimate Edition, which includes the main game and both expansions, was launched in August 2020 and contributed to the game’s continued success.

Remedy Entertainment CEO Tero Virtala said in a statement: “Control has also been selling well through new stores, platforms and subscription and streaming services. The next generation console versions of the game were developed during 2020 and released in early 2021 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S”

Highlighting November 2020 as a “record month for digital game copies sold”, Virtala concluded: “While we continue to support and take Control further, its development team is gradually shifting to work on a new Remedy game”.

The statement by Virtala also outlined Remedy’s plans for the next four years, which involves them creating “one major hit game” as well as three “successful, growing game brands” that they can foster into later hits.

Control: Ultimate Edition is currently available for subscribers of Sony’s PS Plus service for the month of February. Customers who subscribe to Game Pass are also able to get the game for both console and PC.

The next-generation versions of Control were released on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 on February 2, although publishers 505 Games were criticised for not offering free upgrades for owners of the original version.

The post Remedy Entertainment reports record profits in 2020 appeared first on NME.

Nintendo is set to introduce cloud gaming on the Switch with two third-party games.

• READ MORE: I love video games but I’m also terrible at them – does that matter?

The news was announced during today’s (October 28) Nintendo Direct Mini, which focused on third party games coming to the console. Both Control: Ultimate Edition – which is available to download today – and Hitman 3 were announced.

While cloud based gaming on the Nintendo Switch has been around in Japan for a while, this marks the first time for Western audiences. Both will require a “persistent high-speed internet connection to play the game”, according to the eShop store listing of Control: Ultimate Edition. To access each, a free launcher application can be downloaded from the eShop, which can also be used to test the quality of the service.

Check out the full announcement trailers below:

Agent 47 returns for the most important contracts of his career in HITMAN 3 – CLOUD VERSION, coming to #NintendoSwitch. https://t.co/31ikDpD99d pic.twitter.com/eRZpvBMMF4

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) October 28, 2020

Before players can stream a game, a five minute trial must be completed to test the strength of the connection and whether it will be able to stream the games appropriately. Once clarified as being up to speed, users can then purchase an Access Pass to play the game. If connections become unstable during games, the service will disconnect after a few minutes.

Nintendo joins numerous other providers who are also attempting the cloud gaming route. Amazon recently announced Luna, its own take on the cloud gaming service, which is also set to partner up with Ubisoft to bring a selection of the company’s games, such as Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and Watch Dogs: Legion.

Microsoft have also released their version of cloud gaming on Android devices, with over 150 playable titles available at launch. Amongst the line-up was critically acclaimed games, including Gears 5 and Devil May Cry V.

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Video game publisher 505 Games has released a statement explaining why only owners of the upcoming Ultimate Edition of Control will get free next-gen upgrades.

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505 Games took to its website to clarify its decision not to give owners of Control free upgrades to the enhanced PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions. It cited various challenges and “blockers” that have prevented the company from offering upgrades across all editions of the game.

“We quickly realised it was even more difficult to upgrade our current user base to next gen with full parity across platforms with our year-old game,” 505 Games explained. “Every avenue we pursued, there was some form of blocker and those blockers meant that at least one group of players ended up being left out of the upgrade for various reasons. As of today, we can’t offer an upgrade to everyone, and leaving any one group out feels unfair.”

However, the company noted that if a player owns Control, and any of its expansion packs or the season pass, on either the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, they will still be able to play it on next-gen systems “through backwards compatibility”.

505 Games also detailed its decision to release a Ultimate Edition of Control . It noted that the “objective” of the bundle was not a include new exclusive content, but to let new players find the complete game as “a single, easy-to-find product”. They added that the content across current- and next-gen versions of the game will be the same, aside from the ability to “take full advantage of the power and features provided by these new consoles”.

Control Ultimate Edition was announced last week (12 August), and will be released on August 27 for Steam and September 10 on the Epic Games Store, with a PS4 and Xbox One version available on the same day.

Control Ultimate Edition will include the base game, The Foundation expansion, the upcoming AWE (Altered World Event) expansion, The Expeditions end game mode, photo mode and all additional post-launch content that has been delivered with past updates.

The post 505 Games explains why its not offering next-gen upgrades for ‘Control’ appeared first on NME.