GAMES
Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass: MLB The Show 22, Life Is Strange: True Colors, Chinatown Detective Agency, and More
I know you’re probably thinking about games and honestly, I’m right there with you. We’ve got a round-up of all of the games available today and coming soon, in addition to some surprise game drops you might have missed since our last announcement (check the ICYMI section!). Let’s jump in!
Available Today
Cricket 22 (Cloud and Console) [email protected]
Step on to the field for the most comprehensive cricket game ever! With more licenses, a narrative-driven career mode, and 4K visuals, Cricket 22 is a true next-generation sporting experience. All-new control options make the game more accessible to players of all skill levels, while Big Ant Studios’ authentic recreation of every aspect of the sport provides hundreds of hours of hyper-realistic cricket action for fans. Lead your team to glory, your way!
MLB The Show 22 (Cloud and Console)
Available on day one with Xbox Game Pass: Experience faster, deeper and more intense moment-to-moment match action on the field, with a variety of game modes for all you rookie players and returning seasoned vets. Every pitch. Every hit. Every win. Make your mark and Own The Show in MLB The Show 22.
Coming Soon
Chinatown Detective Agency (Cloud, Console, and PC) [email protected] – April 7
Available on day one with Game Pass: Chinatown Detective Agency is a cybernoir point and click adventure blending stunning retro design with innovative mechanics. Play as Amira Darma, an ex-cop who has just opened her own detective agency. Choose your clients, travel around the world and solve dangerous cases using real world research.
Dragon Age 2 (Cloud) EA Play – April 7
Experience the epic sequel to the critically acclaimed Dragon Age: Origins. You are one of the few who escaped the destruction of your home. Now, forced to fight for survival in an ever-changing world, you must gather the deadliest of allies, amass fame and fortune, and seal your place in history. This is the story of how the world changed forever. The legend of your Rise to Power begins soon with cloud gaming via EA Play.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare (Cloud) EA Play – April 7
Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare digs into the trenches with an explosive action experience. Blast zombies, plants and unique characters across a mind-blowing world and enjoy the depth of a traditional online shooter plus the refreshing humor of the Plants vs. Zombies universe, coming soon with cloud gaming via EA Play.
Star Wars: Squadrons (Cloud) EA Play – April 7
The New Republic fights for freedom. The Empire demands order. The Galactic Civil War is at a tipping point in a time where ace pilots on both sides could make all the difference. Master the art of starfighter combat in Star Wars: Squadrons with cloud gaming via EA Play.
Life Is Strange: True Colors (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 12
Life is Strange: True Colors, the award-winning entry in the acclaimed Life is Strange series, Alex Chen hides her curse: the psychic power of empathy, the ability to absorb the strong emotions of others. When her brother dies in a so-called accident, Alex must embrace her power to find the truth.
Panzer Corps 2 (PC) [email protected] – April 12
Panzer Corps 2 is the ultimate strategy game! Enjoy the time-proven gameplay formula which has been appreciated by millions of players over the years, brought to a whole new level of refinement up to the latest technical standards.
The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk (PC) [email protected] – April 12
Available now on Cloud and Console, and coming soon to PC Game Pass, step into the wacky heroic fantasy universe of the Dungeon of Naheulbeuk. Lead a team of unlikely and clumsy heroes in an epic and challenging tactical RPG. Live an adventure filled with humor, surprises and silly encounters.
Lost In Random (Cloud, Console, and PC) EA Play – April 14
Play the odds in Lost in Random, a gothic fairytale-inspired action-adventure where every citizen’s fate is determined by the roll of a dice. PC Game Pass & Ultimate members start their journey with EA Play on April 14.
In Case You Missed It
A Memoir Blue (Cloud, Console, and PC) [email protected] – Available now
A song from years ago triggers a flood of memories for champion swimmer Miriam. Embark on an evocative journey through her turbulent childhood and the complicated relationship she shared with her devoted mother.
Crusader Kings III (Cloud) [email protected] – Available now
Live the life of a medieval ruler in Paradox Development Studio’s award-winning strategy role-playing game, Crusader Kings III! Assume the leadership of a medieval noble family, increasing its power and reputation through the generations. As one ruler dies, they are replaced by an heir who may have very different abilities or interests, forcing you to adjust your long-term plans.
Kraken Academy!! (Cloud, Console, and PC) [email protected] – Available now
Make friends, free spirits and make sure that the world doesn’t end! Welcome to Kraken Academy, a technicolor fever dream that for legal reasons can only be described as “technically a school.” Join forces with a magical kraken to manipulate a time loop and save the world.
Paradise Killer (Cloud, Console, and PC) [email protected] – Available now
Paradise Island, a world outside reality. There’s been a murder that only “investigation freak” Lady Love Dies can solve. Gather evidence and interrogate suspects in this open world adventure. You can accuse anyone, but you’ll have to prove your case in trial. It’s up to you to decide who’s guilty.
Super Mega Baseball 3 (Cloud and PC) EA Play – Available now
Run up the score in a relaxed slugfest or push the limits of your reflexes in this refined baseball simulator that’s perfect for rookies and pros alike. The third entry in the series features all-new Franchise, Online Leagues and Practice modes, plus improved graphics and on-field additions!
Tunic (Cloud, Console, and PC) [email protected] – Available now
Explore a forgotten land filled with lost legends, ancient powers, and ferocious monsters in Tunic. Inspired by the challenge and mystery of retro action-adventure games, Tunic’s fierce combat will test your reflexes and its hidden secrets will test your wit. Find and collect in-game manual pages to uncover lost maps, hints, and unsolved riddles.
DLC / Updates
Anvil: Vault Breakers Season One – Available now
The first season of Anvil: Vault Breakers is finally here and available with Game Pass! With the new Season Challenge game mode, Breaker, relics, bosses, among others, this is an update you don’t want to miss. Learn more about Season One here!
Microsoft Flight Simulator: World Update VIII – Available now
Explore coastal nooks of the Mediterranean and Atlantic, the heights of the Pyrenees, and the legendary architecture of Lisbon and Madrid with World Update VIII: Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, and Andorra. This beautiful region has been enhanced with a variety of new, high resolution geographic improvements, including elevation data, photogrammetry, and aerial imagery.
Minecraft Preview is available now with PC Game Pass
Check out upcoming Minecraft features early with PC Game Pass! Minecraft Preview allows you to experience unreleased upcoming Minecraft features, fresh from the development team at Mojang Studios. Visit the Minecraft Preview FAQ to learn more.
Sea of Thieves: Legends Week – Available until April 11
Celebrate all things Pirate Legend in Sea of Thieves’ Legends Week event, running until April 11 with celebrations, in-game promotions and a sneak peek at the upcoming Legend of the Veil Voyage. Come together and raise a tankard to more than a million players who have now reached this milestone!
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Start watching and enjoy the Original Series “Halo” on us! Go claim your Perks now by heading to the Perks gallery on your Xbox console, Windows PC, or Xbox Game Pass mobile app.
Paramount+ : 30-day Free Trial – Available now
Stream the Paramount+ Original Series “Halo,” plus A Mountain of Entertainment when you redeem your 30-day free trial. Offer valid for new Paramount+ subscribers only. Terms apply.
Marvel Unlimited: 3 Month Free Trial – Available now
Experience the Marvel Universe and gain instant access to over 29,000+ digital comics. A world of comics awaits! Sign up today and read stories featuring the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and more! Offer valid for new Marvel Unlimited subscribers only. Terms apply.
Black Desert (Console): O’dyllita Special Gift Bundle – Available now
The new region O’dyllita is now live! Get the special gift bundle and unravel the secrets of O’dyllita! Now is the perfect time to embark on the epic adventure you’ve always imagined!
Apex Legends (Console): Endless Possibilities Weapon Charm – Available now
Show the competition what you’re made of with your new Endless Possibilities Weapon Charm, brought to you by EA Play! Equip this to your favorite weapon and battle for glory, fame, and fortune in style.
Leaving Soon
The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon, so grab your mobile device, hop on your console or get your keyboard and mouse warmed up to play these before they go. If you want to keep these games in your library, be sure to use your member discount to save up to 20% on games available to purchase!
Leaving April 15
- MLB The Show 21 (Cloud and Console)
- Rain On Your Parade (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- The Long Dark (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Pathway (PC)
Leaving April 18
- F1 2019 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
I think we can check “games” off the list for now, but of course I would recommend you follow us on Twitter at @XboxGamePassPC and @XboxGamePass for more updates. Stay tuned for more games later this month!
GAMES
This Week’s Deals with Gold and Spotlight Sale
GAMES
The German Empire Marches to Italy in a Free Expansion Today
We have a new expansion for our WW1 Italian Front FPS game Isonzo releasing today! It’s the first part of our Caporetto season of free expansions, and features a whole new faction with the arrival of the German Empire on the Italian Front, and brings a new map for the Offensive game mode. There will be two more releases in the Caporetto season, each one with a new map to ultimately link together into a three map Caporetto Offensive.
The German faction comes with more than ten new weapons, as well as historically accurate uniforms and equipment. This first Caporetto map sees you taking part in the early stages of the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, with German troops assaulting Italian positions on the road to Caporetto. Historically it was a military disaster for Italy which brought down the government – but maybe things can go differently with you on the battlefield?
The update sees new uniforms and equipment from the German Empire for Isonzo’s six classes: Rifleman, Assault, Engineer, Officer, Marksman and Mountaineer. For those who aren’t familiar with the game, each class has different weapon, gear and perk options that allow you to specialize your play style within the overall focus of the class. For instance, Marksmen are always sharpshooters, but a lot depends on your loadout. You could be a long-range sniper and observer identifying and eliminating high value targets with a scoped rifle, or you could equip body armor to take and hold a front line position with deadly accurate mid-range fire. Every class has choices to make in this regard.
In Isonzo’s signature Offensive game mode, one side must attack and break through multiple defensive lines. Thick layers of barbed wire, trenches, and whatever extra defenses the enemy engineers put together will stand in the way of a successful attack. Objectives can be taking and holding key points, or planting dynamite to sabotage enemy supply stashes or heavy artillery guns.
The new Caporetto map – the first of three in the season – is a huge battlefield based on the strategically important Monte Kolovrat. There are five defensive lines, where each line has two objectives for the attackers before they can advance further. While in the historical Battle of Caporetto both German and Austro-Hungarian forces were involved, in Isonzo we’ve chosen to focus on the German contribution, so the map recreates the stunning German advance from the town of Tolmein all the way to Kolovrat Ridge. It’s a damp, overcast day when the attack begins, and the attackers must first cut their way through lines of wire to break into a devastated town – including capturing a church defended by multiple heavy machine gun positions. Fortunately, in Isonzo there are many tactical options available to deal with such strong points: artillery barrages, smokescreens, snipers, rifle grenades, even poison gas. From there, it becomes a literal uphill battle for the German attackers as they begin to climb towards the peak of Kolovrat Ridge. They’ll need to sabotage bunkers and capture command posts while navigating rocky trenches and steep forested slopes. At the penultimate fourth defensive line there is a huge siege mortar to sabotage and a cluster of houses providing cover to the Italian defenders – then it’s one last climb to reach the final objective: Hill 1114. If the Germans can take it, the Italians will finally be the ones fighting uphill as their reinforcements stream in to try and counterattack.
Of course, things are no walk in the park for the defenders either – although it’s easier to maneuver when going downhill, and it’s much simpler for officers to deploy flares to call in support, the extensive trench lines can become a liability once the Germans get a foothold, providing cover as they advance. Some of the Italian defensive positions can be exposed against the sky, making it easy for German marksmen to pick off targets. Italian engineers should make good use of their construction abilities to put down additional sandbags and lay out extra wire to prevent German assault troops sneaking through the trees to flank trenches with their grenades or light machine guns.
As we mentioned before, historically the Battle of Caporetto was a disaster for the Italians. Appalling leadership led to poorly motivated and unprepared troops falling apart in the face of the combined Austro-Hungarian and German armies using cutting edge infiltration tactics. The Italian soldiers were not allowed to retreat until too late, and in the end hundreds of thousands would surrender. After Caporetto the top Italian general was fired and replaced by someone far more competent, who managed to turn the war around for the Italians. In Isonzo, it’s a more fair fight where both sides have an equal chance of winning, if they can use all the tactical options available better than their opponents.
The release will also bring other improvements to the game, including a prestige mode and higher level cap. Additionally, for those who want more options for visual customization of their character, the Royal Units DLC is releasing alongside the free expansion and contains uniforms from the German Kingdoms of Bavaria and Württemberg. Though part of the German Empire, these states had their own distinctive uniforms which we’ve carefully recreated with the same accuracy and attention to detail as with the other uniforms in the game.
The Battle for Caporetto Begins…
Isonzo is available right now on the Microsoft Store for Xbox, and the free Caporetto expansion is out today! Plenty of time to master the art of mountain warfare before the German Empire joins the action on the Italian Front. Follow us to get the latest development news as we add the finishing touches!
We’ll see you in the trenches!
Isonzo
BlackMill Games
$29.99
World War One expands to the mountains of the Italian Front – beautiful but deadly in equal measure. Inspired by the two year struggle for control of the Isonzo river valley and the Alps during World War One, Isonzo elevates the WW1 Games Series, figuratively and literally.
From the makers of Verdun and Tannenberg…
Take part in historical offensives from the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo to the Strafexpedition. Reflecting the course of the actual battles, as the attackers advance the fighting will shift through vastly different landscapes within a single offensive: from hillside fortresses to mountain trenches and fierce urban combat on city streets. Everything is recreated based on research and field trips, from sound effects and uniforms down to the houses, vineyards and trenches you’ll be fighting over.
The new Offensive game mode puts you right in the middle of key historical offensives on the Italian Front. Lead the charge across stunning Italian landscapes as you choose your path to victory – cut paths through barbed wire, flank your enemies by following mountain trails, or man a mortar to blast a way through. Shape a dynamic battlefield by laying sandbags and wire, placing ammo crates, deploying trench periscopes or sniper shields, and more.
Call in support with a unique historically accurate flare system: flare guns can mark targets for artillery or biplane flybys, or different colored flares can be used to guide your team. Once the big guns have softened up the enemy, finish the job at close quarters with an Arditi dagger or mountaineer’s pickaxe. Man heavy machine guns, mortars and even mountain guns for more direct fire support.
Choose from six classes based on historical combat roles and build your loadout from a selection of weapons, equipment and perks linked to that class, giving flexibility and variety while staying grounded in what real soldiers might have carried. You’ll be operating wire cutters, bandaging yourself and wounded teammates, and blowing the whistle to start an assault. One shot can kill and even lighter injuries can lead to quickly bleeding out.
Being an effective soldier in Isonzo is not just about being a good marksman. Mastering the terrain is also key – the mountain can be a friend or foe. Learn how to navigate well to maintain cover and surprise your enemies or support your allies.
Finally… watch out for the dreaded poison gas. You’ve never experienced WW1 action quite like this!
Isonzo key features include:
• MOUNTAIN WARFARE: Assaulting mountain fortifications, battling through ruined towns, and fording rivers are just a few of the challenges you’ll face as you fight your way through numerous enemy positions
• TACTICAL MULTIPLAYER FPS: Choose your role and loadout carefully to survive this high altitude combat – play a sniper to pick off the enemy engineers before they can cut your wire, use rifle grenades to clear enemy machine guns, and much more
• WORLD WAR ONE GAMEPLAY: Historical Offensive game mode based on real battles and focused on the unique challenges of Alpine warfare. Fight with 30+ WW1 weapons, poisonous gas attacks, and intense artillery barrages
• BUILD FOR VICTORY: Place your own wire, sandbags, trench periscopes, and more! Whether you’re digging in or on the attack, shaping the battlefield to your advantage will be key to victory
• FACES OF WAR: Make every class your own by picking from a variety of historically class-appropriate uniforms, accessories and headgear. As a finishing touch, you can even pick your mustache from several famous period-accurate styles!
• AUTHENTIC WW1 ATMOSPHERE: Accuracy in everything from maps and weaponry to music and the uniforms – fight for the Kingdom of Italy, the German Empire or the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy
MORE GAMES IN THE AUTHENTIC WW1 GAME SERIES
Immerse yourself in more WW1 action with our other standalone titles Tannenberg and Verdun. Experience trench warfare on the Western Front in Verdun, or maneuver for control of key sectors in Tannenberg on the Eastern Front. These authentic WW1 shooters let players choose from a range of squads from across the war, as they fight for control of the ever-changing frontlines.
GAMES
Transport Fever 2: Console Edition is Bringing the Full Transport Tycoon Experience to Xbox
Today, we proudly share a sneak peek into the development of Transport Fever 2: Console Edition, and how we managed to bring the full transport tycoon experience to Xbox.
Transport Fever is a very popular and highly rated transportation tycoon franchise on PC. Its latest entry, Transport Fever 2, delivers a level of size and detail never before seen in the genre. The goal of the game is to build a successful transportation company by constructing railroads, streets, water and air lines. Starting in the 19th century, the player connects towns and industries to transport both passengers and cargo. In addition to a customizable free game mode, there is also a fully-fledged campaign mode with challenging missions set in real-world transportation history.
After the huge success of Transport Fever 2 on PC, it was only logical to bring the experience to consoles as well. Not only that, but no efforts were spared to give the console community the full experience that made the game great on PC. In order to achieve this, the engineers at Urban Games had to pull some rabbits out of their engineers’ hats.
Always providing the freshest layer of paint
One of the most cherished features of Transport Fever 2 are its highly detailed vehicles. The game comes with more than 200 lovingly hand-modeled trains, ships, and airplanes, each sporting multiple 4k textures and normal maps.
On PC, it is easily affordable to have all the models and textures in memory whenever needed, as a typical rig has 16 GB of RAM and a GPU with a dedicated extra memory. Consoles, however, are built differently. They have a unified architecture with an overall smaller amount but ultra-fast memory. The key to make it work on consoles is texture streaming, which allows to clear textures of models that are not in view anymore. Moreover, this technology is used in Transport Fever 2 to constantly load textures at the highest affordable resolution to present the stars of the show, like the classic Class A 3/5 steam locomotive, in their best coat of paint at all times.
Keeping the ground like a console pro
A trademark of Transport Fever 2 are its huge maps. During development of the game, it was always paramount to provide a real sense of scale. The engine should allow for maps where a high-speed train, such as the famous Japanese Shinkansen, can really make use of its superior speed. So, a lot of effort was put into designing a highly effective terrain rendering pipeline that can handle maps of more than 120 sq miles of size with a detail resolution of almost 1 yard. Central to this is a dynamic terrain tessellation algorithm on the CPU that, while costing a bit of extra memory, makes sure the engine can render these maps on a wide variety of PCs.
Now, enter the world of consoles with their incredibly well-designed GPUs and graphic APIs. Here, the hardware can be leveraged very well for terrain rendering by making use of the GPU tessellation feature. This feature generates the render mesh for the terrain fully on the graphics card, saving valuable processing time for the complex economy and city growth simulations. While generating more triangles, the hardware approach still costs less memory overall due to its efficiency. So vast maps can be viewed from a bird’s view high up in the sky and seamlessly zoomed in down to individual rocks on a riverbank.
Inspiring the inner architect
Finally, let’s talk about constructions, a central and defining part of the Transport Fever 2 experience. Constructions are large assemblies that consist of dozens of assets, street segments, ground decals and terrain modifications. Think of structures like airports, train stations, docks, highway crossings, and many more. Anything that is needed to build a vast transportation empire.
For a smooth construction experience, it is key that the player really feels that he has precise control over the building placement. On PC, constructions are typically built using the mouse. As the average PC user is very well adjusted to this method of input, it is sufficiently performant to calculate the entire construction each frame and place it under the cursor. However, on consoles, the best way of building constructions is to have them always kept in the center of the screen and move the camera along the map for placement. And moving the camera needs to be as smooth as silk.
So, for the console release of Transport Fever 2, the construction preview pipeline was overhauled. All dynamic calculations are now performed in the background while a static preview of the structure and its underlying ground plan are shown. Not only are constructions now completely stable in terms of FPS, but they also give feedback to the player on what environment features the construction would tear down when built.
Let’s get tycooning on console
We are very excited to bring the Transport Fever franchise to consoles for the first time ever with the release of Transport Fever 2: Console Edition on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One in February 2023, and we hope you will enjoy it as much as we did developing it.
Google Search Volatility Still Heated After August Core Update Rollout
Daily Search Forum Recap: September 9, 2024
Mediavine Bans Publisher For Overuse Of AI-Generated Content
Daily Search Forum Recap: September 10, 2024
Expert Embedding Techniques for SEO Success
Roadmap Update – WordPress.com News
The Ultimate eCommerce Launch Checklist for WordPress
One $40 Payment Can Get You Lifetime Access to Microsoft Office Professional 2021
14 Tools for Creating and Selling Digital Products (Expert Pick)
Daily Search Forum Recap: September 11, 2024
-
SEARCHENGINES7 days agoGoogle Search Volatility Still Heated After August Core Update Rollout
-
SEARCHENGINES6 days ago
Daily Search Forum Recap: September 9, 2024
-
SEO7 days agoMediavine Bans Publisher For Overuse Of AI-Generated Content
-
SEARCHENGINES5 days ago
Daily Search Forum Recap: September 10, 2024
-
SEO5 days agoExpert Embedding Techniques for SEO Success
-
WORDPRESS5 days agoRoadmap Update – WordPress.com News
-
WORDPRESS6 days agoThe Ultimate eCommerce Launch Checklist for WordPress
-
AFFILIATE MARKETING7 days agoOne $40 Payment Can Get You Lifetime Access to Microsoft Office Professional 2021
You must be logged in to post a comment Login