GAMES
Outriders Worldslayer Revealed – Xbox Wire
Summary
- Sci-fi RPG shooter Outriders has revealed Outriders Worldslayer, significant new paid-for content that introduces a new campaign, new features, and a new endgame.
- Outriders is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows 10 PC, and with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.
- You can digitally upgrade to Outriders Worldslayer if you already have Outriders through Game Pass.
Outriders Worldslayer has just been revealed and we’ll soon be adding a host of cool new stuff to the original game — let’s take a look!
Firstly, the basics: Outriders Worldslayer introduces a brand-new campaign for you to play through. If you’re a hardened Outriders veteran, you’ll recall that the original endgame saw you running through multiple expeditions to seize control of drop pods. The landing of these drop pods was triggered by story events in the original campaign, and each drop pod strengthened humanity’s foothold on the planet Enoch.
However, Enoch was also host to a strange entity called the Anomaly. The Anomaly can be considered the main threat of the original game, as it continually evolved all living matter on the planet to counter the threat posed by humanity and the Outriders.
Your expeditions may have made humanity stronger, but in doing so the Anomaly too evolved to deal with you. At the start of the Outriders Worldslayer campaign, the Anomaly has begun to inflict blizzards, frost storms and flash freezes onto the planet, which puts almost everything on the planet in grave danger. To find a solution, the Outriders will need to travel to the furthest reaches of Enoch… while also dealing with a powerful new Altered called Ereshkigal.
The quest to save humanity from the Anomaly’s climate catastrophe will force your paths to cross with Ereshkigal’s multiple times and she becomes the main antagonist of Outriders Worldslayer. While the threat posed by the Anomaly has in the past allowed us to deliver a great story with a few twists and turns, we do know that players like to have a visible main antagonist to challenge them, so we’re quite excited to be able to introduce her. Standing alongside Ereshkigal to face the player is her own faction of humans on Enoch. Suffice to say, the road ahead won’t be easy…
However, this is also where Outriders Worldslayer’s newly introduced systems will really shine. This content has been developed with long term progression in mind and we believe that the newly introduced systems will deliver on that promise.
Worldslayer introduces Pax class trees, which are a separate class tree from the already extensive system players will be familiar with. Each class has its own Pax class tree, which are all roughly split into two intertwined branches. Unlocking points to invest into the PAX class tree requires you to progress through Worldslayer’s main campaign (and even beyond!). Each of the in-total-five available points will unlock upon completion of significant events in Worldslayer. It is worth mentioning that each node in the Pax tree is equivalent to the major nodes in the original class trees, so every choice you make in the Pax tree will be impactful to the performance of your Outrider…
Another new system introduced with Worldslayer is the Ascension system. While the max character level remains 30 in Worldslayer, Ascension allows you to add another 200 levels on top of that. Each time you level up you will earn a point that can be spent in the Ascension system in one of four categories, each of which have another five options. You could, for example, choose to max out your cooldown reduction using the Ascension system. Or, alternatively, you could boost your firepower while at the same time increasing your resistances. The decision is yours and no choice is permanent, thanks to the ever-present option to respec at any time. The idea behind Ascension is to make every play-session worthwhile, as you will constantly be getting stronger and stronger.
Finally, there is the newly introduced Apocalypse system. As a reminder, the difficulty in Outriders is set using “Tiers” systems, which allow each player to fine-tune the overall game to their preference. Higher Tiers mean higher difficulty but also improved rewards and the ability to equip higher level gear. Worldslayer introduces up to 40 Apocalypse Tiers, which may well pose some of the greatest challenges players will need to surmount in Worldslayer. At tier 40, your Max Gear Equip Level will be Level 75, which is the new level cap (25 levels higher than in the original Outriders).
Apocalypse Tiers don’t just mean increased difficulty though – they also enable drops for Apocalypse Gear. Have you ever wondered what Outriders might play like if each gear item had three, instead of just two mods on it? Well, Apocalypse Gear does just that. Playing on Apocalypse Tiers will allow any dropped Epic or Legendary gear item to have a chance to drop as an Apocalypse Gear variant and thus include that coveted third mod slot.
Outriders Worldslayer will introduce plenty of extra content, including a new endgame (we’ll share more on this later on) and a ton of new legendary gear items and sets. Make sure to check out the Outriders social channels for more details on anything that intrigued you here…
Outriders Worldslayer will release on June 30. Outriders will remain with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass a while longer but playing the new content will require you to upgrade to the Worldslayer version of the game. You can get a 10% discount when pre-ordering any Worldslayer version on the Xbox Store.
We hope you’re as excited as we are about Outriders Worldslayer, and we can’t wait to show you more of what’s in store for you! See you soon!
OUTRIDERS WORLDSLAYER
Square Enix
$59.99
$47.99
OUTRIDERS WORLDSLAYER is a brutal 1-3 player co-op looter shooter set in an original, dark sci-fi universe.
You’ll create your own Outrider from one of 4 powerful classes and journey across the diverse and deadly planet Enoch.
Begin with the original OUTRIDERS campaign or use the boost to jump straight into the Worldslayer campaign with a fully geared up level 30 Outrider.
Here you will face off against the most deadly Altered ever encountered – Ereshkigal, in humanity’s last fight for survival.
Beyond her even greater horrors exist in the ultimate endgame experience taking place in the ancient ruins of Tarya Gratar.
Combining aggressive gunplay with violent powers and an arsenal of increasingly twisted customisable weaponry and gear-sets, OUTRIDERS WORLDSLAYER offers countless hours of visceral gameplay from one of the finest shooter developers in the industry – People Can Fly.
A JOURNEY OF DEATH
Humanity’s hope for survival rests on your journey deep into the cradle of Enoch’s civilisation.
DYNAMIC 1-3 PLAYER CO-OP
Play solo or join up to 2 friends in drop-in drop-out co-op as you take on the horrors of a hyper-evolved planet in an apocalypse.
4 UNIQUE CLASSES
Create and customise your own Outrider and choose from 4 unique powerful classes each with its own deadly array of brutal abilities with Skill Trees and Pax Trees to further define your personal playstyle.
GUNS & GEAR
Customise and upgrade your Outrider(s) with countless combos of the most powerful Epic, Legendary and Apocalypse items with increasing damage potential. Gear can be modified with up to 3 mod slots allowing players to fully customise their loadout to match their playstyle. As well as a full and entirely free Transmog system across all items.
POWER
Adapt your abilities and skills across vast Class Skill Trees and Pax Trees for additional hybrid branch boosts. Challenge yourself against all Apocalypse Tiers with your burgeoning power and boost your Ascension Points of Brutality, Endurance, Prowess and Anomaly.
ENDGAME
Earn incredible loot as you dominate across endgame Expeditions or face new horrors in the ancient city of Tarya Gratar.
BOOST IN
Further develop your existing character(s) or use the new boost to roll a geared up level 30 Outrider, ready to jump start into the relentless action.
OUTRIDERS INCLUDED
The full experience of OUTRIDERS WORLDSLAYER includes the original OUTRIDERS game, with all the numerous quality of life improvements and Expedition content added since launch.
OUTRIDERS WORLDSLAYER UPGRADE
Square Enix
$39.99
$35.99
The WORLDSLAYER UPGRADE allows owners of OUTRIDERS to upgrade straight into the new WORLDSLAYER content.
Take your existing Outriders to new levels of power as you journey deeper into Enoch, or use the character boost to create a new level 30 Outrider geared up and ready to face off against the powerful Altered – Ereshkigal.
With new horrors to challenge you and new weapons, mods and gear to discover, you’ll be further developing your build through the new PAX hybrid branch class trees.
Survive the campaign and you’ll face even greater horrors in the Trials of Tarya Grata, the brand new endgame. Which partnered with Ascension Points offers a new long term progression system for the most committed players.
Finally, push hard through the new Apocalypse difficulty tiers, with each step up to level 40 increasing the chances of obtaining incredible Apocalypse gear and its game changing third mod slot.
OUTRIDERS WORLDSLAYER UPGRADE FEATURES
A JOURNEY OF DEATH
Humanity’s hope for survival rests on your journey deep into the cradle of Enoch’s civilisation.
DYNAMIC 1-3 PLAYER CO-OP
Continue to play solo or join up to 2 friends in drop-in drop-out co-op as you take on the horrors of a hyper evolving planet in an apocalypse.
4 UNIQUE CLASSES
Continue with your existing classes or create and customise your new Outriders. Choosing from 4 unique powerful classes each with its own deadly array of brutal abilities with Skill Trees and Pax Trees to further define your personal playstyle.
GUNS & GEAR
Customise and upgrade your Outrider(s) with all new and powerful Apocalypse items and mods. Apocalypse items have an additional 3rd mod slot to customise your loadout to match your playstyle. As well as a full and entirely free Transmog system across all items.
POWER
Adapt your abilities and skills in addition to the vast Class Skill Trees with new Pax Trees for hybrid branch boosts. Challenge yourself against all Apocalypse Tiers with your burgeoning power and boost your Ascension Points of Brutality, Endurance, Prowess and Anomaly.
ENDGAME
Earn incredible loot as you face new horrors in the vast endgame experience in the ancient city of Tarya Gratar.
BOOST IN
Further develop your existing character(s) or use the new boost to roll a geared up level 30 Outrider, ready to jump start into the relentless action.
OUTRIDERS
Square Enix Ltd
$39.99
$31.99
Xbox One X Enhanced
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
OUTRIDERS is a 1-3 player co-op RPG shooter set in an original, dark and desperate sci-fi universe.
As mankind bleeds out in the trenches of Enoch, you’ll create your own Outrider and embark on a journey across the hostile planet.
With rich storytelling spanning a diverse world, you’ll leave behind the slums and shanty towns of the First City and traverse forests, mountains and desert in the pursuit of a mysterious signal.
Combining intense gunplay with violent powers and an arsenal of increasingly twisted weaponry and gear-sets, OUTRIDERS offers countless hours of gameplay from one of the finest shooter developers in the industry – People Can Fly.
Game leverages Smart Delivery allowing access to both the Xbox One title and Xbox Series X|S title when available.
Online only, no offline modes
OUTRIDERS Demo
Square Enix
Take your first steps into a savage future in the OUTRIDERS Demo, and get a taste for the most aggressive RPG-Shooter in the genre.
With all four classes available, and the first four brutal abilities from each, you can assassinate your enemies as the Trickster, incinerate them as the Pyromancer, punish them up close as the Devastator, or at range as the mysterious Technomancer. Play single-player, or with up to two friends, as you experience the prologue and opening hours of OUTRIDERS.
NOTE: The OUTRIDERS Demo requires a free Square Enix Members account – allowing transfer of your progress, including your customized Outrider character, to the full game. Square Enix Members will also receive a free ‘Slick and Smooth’ in-game emote! The OUTRIDERS Demo also requires persistent online access.
Game leverages Smart Delivery allowing access to both the Xbox One title and Xbox Series X title when available.
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.
How to Market When Information is Dirt Cheap
Daily Search Forum Recap: September 2, 2024
Early Analysis & User Feedback
What Is Largest Contentful Paint: An Easy Explanation
Google Trends Subscriptions Quietly Canceled
Daily Search Forum Recap: September 3, 2024
Google August 2024 Core Update Impact Survey Results
Tento Launches as Exclusive Lending Partner for WooCommerce
How To Run A Live Youtube Show To An International Audience And Gain Traction
14+ Best Email Automation Tools For Your Business (Expert Pick)
-
SEO5 days agoHow to Market When Information is Dirt Cheap
-
SEARCHENGINES5 days ago
Daily Search Forum Recap: September 2, 2024
-
SEO3 days agoEarly Analysis & User Feedback
-
SEO5 days agoWhat Is Largest Contentful Paint: An Easy Explanation
-
SEO5 days agoGoogle Trends Subscriptions Quietly Canceled
-
SEARCHENGINES4 days ago
Daily Search Forum Recap: September 3, 2024
-
SEARCHENGINES6 days agoGoogle August 2024 Core Update Impact Survey Results
-
WORDPRESS7 days agoTento Launches as Exclusive Lending Partner for WooCommerce
You must be logged in to post a comment Login