Get moving this weekend in Free Play Days. Session: Skate Sim (Game Preview), Moving Out and Embr are available this weekend for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play from Thursday, April 28 at 12:01 a.m. PDT until Sunday, May 1 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.
How to Start Playing
Find and install the games here on Xbox.com. Clicking through will send you to the Microsoft Store, where you must be signed in to see the option to install with your Xbox Live Gold membership. To download on console, click on the Subscriptions tab in the Xbox Store and enter the Gold member area to locate the Free Play Days collection on your Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S.
Keep the Fun Going
Purchase the game and other editions and continue playing while keeping your Gamerscore and earned achievements during the event! Please note discounts and percentages may vary by title and region.
Game Details
Session: Skate Sim (Game Preview)
Moving Out
Embr
Session: Skate Sim (Game Preview) Check out the largest update to Session: Skate Sim during Xbox Free Play Days. With an overhaul on the physics, it’s a brand new experience when you hop on the board. Session’s time in Xbox Game Preview has give the team a ton of feedback and allowed them to really focus on improving the game where it matters. They’ve upped the visuals, tweaked movement and animation, and there’s even more to come as they approach full release later this year.
After you’ve gotten a handle on the control scheme, you’ll be able to recreate tricks you wouldn’t have thought possible. The latest update includes two new maps: the legendary NYC Bronx skate spot, Jerome Avenue Banks, and FDR Park. So how about showing us what you can do and giving Session a try now!
Moving Out Become a certified moving expert this Free Play Days weekend in Moving Out. There’s no job too dangerous or strange for the Smooth Moves company in the colorful town of Packmore. Play solo in story mode or team up with friends who can help you figure out the best way to get that awkwardly-sized couch out the door. Use physics to lift, toss, and smash your way to the fastest moving times. Recruit colorful characters and grow your business in the ridiculously fun Moving Out.
Embr Incoming job alert… Embr is now available for Free Play Days! This is your chance to become the most über firefighter money can buy. Play online with up to 4 crew members or go solo and be called to 25 unique levels across 3 districts filled with traps, hazards, and escalating danger. It is your job to become the hero we always knew you were. Whether it’s saving people from a burning building, delivering tonight’s dinner or general handyman tasks – no job is too big or too small, for the right price… Break down doors, smash windows, fix electrical circuits, clear gas leaks, evade security systems, and do whatever you can to get the job done and get paid. Catch Embr in the Multiplayer Madness Sale for 60% off from May 03-09!
Don’t miss out on this exciting Free Play Days for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members! Learn more about Free Play Days here and stay tuned to Xbox Wire to find out about future Free Play Days and all the latest Xbox gaming news.
To celebrate that Halloween is only a short six months away, we have prepared an amazing collection of scary games to satisfy your thirst for horror and suspense. Whether you prefer to play as some of the most iconic horror characters or enjoy the suspense of ominous and engaging survival stories, we have put together over 65 of the scariest and most exciting horror titles for you and discounted them by up to 75%. Starting on April 22, go ahead, close your window blinds, and draw the curtains to get in the mood for this exciting and spooky collection discounted for a limited time.
The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series (50% off)Step into the world of Clementine, a young girl orphaned by the undead apocalypse, meet other survivors, explore locations, and make gruesome decisions in this game series of choice and consequence.
The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Seriescontains all four Seasons, 400 Days, and The Walking Dead: Michonne, which includes over 50 hours of gameplay across 23 unique episodes. With graphical enhancements, behind the scenes bonus features and faithful recreations of classic menus, this is the definitive way to experience Clementine’s journey and find out how her story ends.
Dead by Daylight (50% off)
Ever wished to play as one of the characters from your favorite horror movies? Dead by Daylightis a 1v4 multiplayer game that draws from all corners of the horror world from a powerful slasher to a terrifying paranormal entity.
Choose between playing an unstoppable Killer and one of four Survivors trying to evade a gruesome death. Each character has their own deep progression system and plenty of unlockables that can be customized to fit your personal strategy. Work together to escape, or stalk and sacrifice every Survivor.
Friday the 13th: The Game (75% off)
For the first time ever, you will have the opportunity to play as Jason Voorhees, the most famous killer in horror. Stalk your prey, ambush them whenever you see fit and strike fear in the hearts of so many hapless victims as you become the legend himself! Friday the 13th: The Game will include a variety of kills, new and familiar, that will help you set the tone for the Jason Voorhees that you want to be. You’ll even get to unlock various Jason incarnations from the movies!
Hello Neighbor (75% off)
Hello Neighbor is a stealth horror game about sneaking into your neighbor’s house to figure out what horrible secrets he’s hiding in the basement. You play against an advanced AI that learns from your every move. Really enjoying climbing through that backyard window? Expect a bear trap there. Sneaking through the front door? There’ll be cameras there soon. Trying to escape? The Neighbor will find a shortcut and catch you.
KILLING FLOOR 2 (75% off)
In Killing Floor 2, players descend into continental Europe after it has been overrun by horrific, murderous clones called Zeds that were created by rogue elements of the Horzine Corporation. The Zed outbreak caused by Horzine’s failed experiments has quickly spread with unstoppable momentum, paralyzing the European Union. Only a month ago, the first Zed outbreak from the original Killing Floor ripped through London; now the Zeds are everywhere. Civilization is in disarray, communication networks have failed, governments have collapsed, and military forces have been systematically eradicated. The people of Europe are now focused on self-preservation, the lucky few who survived having gone into hiding.
Zombie Army 4: Dead War (75% off)
Hitler’s hordes are back for more in this spine-chilling shooter from the makers of Sniper Elite 4! Abominable occult enemies, epic weapons and a harrowing new campaign for 1-4 players await in 1940s Europe, as you fight to save humankind from undead Armageddon!
The resistance have defeated Zombie Hitler and cast him into Hell – but the dead rise once again with greater hunger than before! Continue the alternate history of Zombie Army Trilogy in huge new levels, and uncover a sinister plan that takes the Survivor Brigade across Italy and beyond in Zombie Army 4: Dead War!
This is just a peak into the heart-pumping collection we have created for you. The sale will run until May 2nd, so hurry up before the collection is gone and face your fears… if you dare! To see the full Un-Halloween Horror Collection, check out the deals section on your console or visit Xbox.com.
Thompson Trophy-winning classic racing planes of the Golden Age of Air Racing, now available in the Microsoft Flight Simulator marketplace.
The Microsoft Flight Simulator team is excited to announce their latest release in the Famous Flyers series of aircraft, the Gee Bee Model Z and Model R-2 Super Sportster, single-engine, single-seat racing monoplanes designed and built by Granville Brothers Aircraft of the United States. The company (“Gee Bee” is a phonetic representation of the initials GB) produced a few different iterations of the design, notably the Model Z and the Model R-2. Each is one-of-a-kind, and each is regarded as a historic great of the Golden Age of Flight due to its unique looks and blazingly fast performance.
Urged on by early successes with their “Sportster” race aircraft of the late 1920s, the Granville Brothers created their first Super Sportster, the Model Z, to race at the Thompson Trophy pylon race at the National Air Races at Cleveland, Ohio, in 1931. The brothers, five in all, pushed the limits of aircraft technology at that time to squeeze every possible drop of speed out of their design, including one of the first uses of a wind tunnel. The result was a racing legend with a burly fuselage, straight main wing, traditional tail unit, and a cockpit located just forward of the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer, perhaps the Super Sportster’s most notable characteristic. Powered by a 9-cylinder Wasp Junior radial engine, the Model Z finished in first place at the 1931 Thompson Trophy and inspired the Granville Brothers to create even faster Super Sportsters.
The Model R-2, built for the 1932 National Air Races, was built based on the Model Z and looks virtually identical, the primary differences being that the R-2 has a slightly longer fuselage and wing. During the 1932 races, the R-2 placed fourth in the cross-country Bendix Trophy Race and fifth in the Thompson Trophy Race.
The Microsoft Flight Simulator versions of the Model Z and the R-2 have been carefully recreated by Carenado to mirror the visual and performance spirit of these Famous Flyers for sim users. They are available today as a bundle for PC and Xbox for $14.99, exclusively in the in-sim marketplace. Download now and prepare for an aerial speed experience unlike any other!
Microsoft Flight Simulator is the next generation of one of the most beloved simulation franchises. From light planes to wide-body jets, fly highly detailed and stunning aircraft in an incredibly realistic world. Create your flight plan and fly anywhere on the planet. Enjoy flying day or night and face realistic, challenging weather conditions.
With Season 2 locked and loaded for May 3rd, we want to
share a roadmap of what we’re planning to deliver during Season 2 and for the
rest of the year.
More than anything else, we want this roadmap to be accurate
and reliable. Some items and dates are certain, and these are clearly listed.
Others are marked as “targets” or “goals” and they will become more certain
over time. The roadmap’s timeframe will also expand as we announce longer-term
initiatives. In other words, this roadmap is an evolving document, and we’ll
let you know when we make changes to it.
With all that in mind, here’s the Halo Infinite roadmap for 2022:
Addressing issues negatively impacting player experience.
Completing Season 2 and delivering it as promised on May 3.
Continuing work on Campaign Co-op, Forge, and Season 3.
…with a “priority zero” of team health and getting ourselves into a sustainable development rhythm so that we can deliver great experiences to all of you while maintaining a healthy work/life balance.
We know we need to deliver more content and more features more quickly. Staying true to priority zero means that sometimes we need to slow down in order to stay healthy and move faster later. But we’re also aggressively looking at ways to accelerate.
For example, we want to get the Forge toolset into your hands sooner rather than later so that awesome community maps and modes can more rapidly make their way into the game. To make this happen, we’re targeting a Forge open beta later in Season 2. We’ve successfully had Forge in private flighting with a limited audience for some time, so we’ve decided to forgo a large-scale formal flighting program and go right to open beta. With this approach, we can get the core Forge tools out to everyone quicker while also remaining focused on our core priority of continuing to improve foundational aspects of Halo Infinite. Forge will persist from the open beta onwards, evolving and growing over time.
As we continue to improve and ramp up, please understand that all of us at 343 are fully committed to making Halo Infinite the best Halo experience ever. Indeed, the primary reason that we’re extending Season 2 is to give us time before shipping another Season to fully address “quality of life” improvements based on learnings from Season 1 as well as other data and feedback we’ve collected.
Quality of life (QoL) is shorthand for bug-fixes, new features and/or content to address issues negatively impacting player experience. We’ll be delivering QoL improvements as part of Season releases and as separate updates during Seasons.
Our player-facing term for QoL updates that land during Seasons is “Drop Pods.” And much like their ODST namesakes, these release vehicles are meant to drop in hot, just as soon as they’re ready. Our target is one Drop Pod every month, and you can expect Drop Pods to vary in scope and size. We’ll have more to share about what’s going into Season 2’s Drop Pods as soon as possible after Season 2 launch.
Speaking of which, Season 2 launch is now less than two weeks away, on May 3! If you haven’t already seen the previews for Season 2’s new maps and new modes, please have a look. During these preview videos, you’ll spy some of Season 2’s new armor customization options. And here are a few extra combinations to whet your appetite:
We’ll have a lot more to share about Season 2 including a deep dive into its Battle Pass rewards, events—including brand new “multiplayer narrative events” that place your personal Spartan in the center of an evolving Seasonal storyline—game modes, and much more during a community livestream scheduled for next Wednesday, April 27, at 1:00 PM PST on Twitch.tv/Halo and YouTube.com/Halo. We’ll also be discussing the roadmap in more detail during this livestream.
In summary: we are committed to delivering more content faster; we will accelerate while prioritizing team health; you can expect QoL improvements during Seasons via Drop Pods—and you can expect more regular roadmap updates as our plans snap into sharper focus.
On behalf of the entire Halo Infinite team, thank you for your passion and patience as we embark on the road ahead. We’re fired up to deliver what’s already on the roadmap as well as to deliver other content and experiences that we’re not ready to reveal just yet… but that we can’t wait for you to play.
Just after wrapping all sorts of certification tests and getting excited for the release of NeonLore, the usual sense of anxiety wave hit me: What if gamers don’t understand what we are trying to achieve here?
I would classify ourselves as real indie developers. Allow and excuse me to make a bit of pun here by adding the word “real”. We are not in financial debt to anyone and we are really a studio of less than ten working people during all times. And we have not received any external investment up to date, while we have released a dozen titles in the last three years.
Indie developers likes us have a different kind of anxiety when we launch a game: “Will the game sell enough to cover costs?” is usually replaced by a more tangled question:
“Will the gamers understand us”?
Nothing will happen to our indie studio if NeonLore financially tanks. We’ll continue to make and release indie projects. We have grown a thick enough skin to ignore most gaming journalists who look at our five-dollar-priced games using the same scope that they review 60-dollar priced games. What we usually need is a bit of inspiration to carry further and continue to take risks and try something different. Sure, running an indie game studio is a business and running a sustainable business is as draining as a boss-fight in a FPS game. However, getting encouragement as indie developers is the true support that we need. And this time, the inspiration for this article came to me when I read a recent interview with [email protected]’s director Chris Charla. He indicated how much value he gives to indie games by saying, “They don’t have to try to be everything to everyone.”
And yes, in that sense NeonLore is a small game. But in it has some big ideas, maybe it might turn into a whole different genre, maybe it won’t. We can’t know, we don’t want to know. As indie developers, we did what are supposed to do, we had to experiment within our limited resources.
NeonLore will be called just another walking simulator by some. To us, it experiments by incorporating audio books into the game, which we believe to be an interesting way to bring books to different audiences who normally wouldn’t meet with that kind of medium. Chris Charla continues in the same article: “Indie games are the most exciting content on the planet”, which inspired me to further elaborate about NeonLore, and what we are trying to establish as a genre by starting with this game : What if you wake up one day and your Xbox app notifies you that your favorite author’s latest audio book is ready to launch on your Xbox system in the form of an adventure game? Who wouldn’t not want to listen to Stephen’s King’s latest book while walking around locations inspired from that very novel, on the big screen, with glorious 4K textures around?
I would, as a gamer.
As a game developer whose background is in literature, this would be a dream-come-true and will open broad sub-ranges and alternatives in the socio-cultural space of video games. Mums and teachers complaining about teens not reading books? They are missing outmoded milestones of classical literature? Well, it would be great if they did really read the books, but as precursors in this medium, we can suggest an alternative : Let’s travel back in time to early 20th century New York City and let’s see the world through Nick Carraway’s eyes, and while walking around in such envrionments where we don’t have to worry about shooting zombies, we listen to Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, The Great Gatsby.
Let’s see if other gamers would agree with me or not: in NeonLore, hopefully you will enjoy listening to four different short-novels, written by four different sci-fi authors exclusively for this game, while enjoying cyber-punk themed vistas and a bit of puzzle-solving as well.
Finally, but not least, another big thank you to the Xbox team for supporting and encouraging indie developers with such risky projects. NeonLore is available today on Xbox!
NeonLore
Playstige Interactive
☆☆☆☆☆5
★★★★★
Neon-Lore is a first-person free form exploration game. You’ll meet interesting characters and discover what had happened to human race in the near future. As you will roam along the neon-soaked streets, you’ll discover what the world has become, how life goes on in a world of intriguing fusion of chaos and technological advancement. In Neon-Lore, you will solve puzzles and encounter with various characters and learn about their past life, dreams and fears…And get a chance to discover deeper about the social transformations that has impacted human life in the 21st century… Features: *Discover the world at your own pace.
*No failing or quests, you decide about how you explore the world.
*Beautiful, cyber-punk themed environments.
*Meet 40 different characters and learn about their backgrounds.
*Get access to 4 different audio books that contain 4 different cyber-punked themed novels, written exclusively for this game by sci-fi authors.
* Relaxing and exciting cyber-punk themed soundtrack.
Hello! I am Göksan, founder of NAISU, and the main developer
In Mokoko X, we want to resurrect the specific arcade genre while adding a modern touch. The game play is simple: capturing the bigger portion of the game screen by drawing lines. The graphical style of our game is a combination of retro-arcade/anime. We’ve made it colorful and lively as possible. In each level, you fight against absurd bosses who are a nuisance to our eight girls. All the bosses and girls have their own short stories and connections with each other.
Talking about the stories, I wrote all the short stories and inspired from my elementary school times’ imagination. So, you will probably find them quite absurd and childish from time to time. I want to give some examples of the short stories from which you will learn the answers to the following questions:
How do you stop a heartless but not soulless emperor?
Can someone be a gyroscope and a guard dog at the same time?-
Can ducks organize a Ponzi scheme?
Are there really demonic headphones in the world?
Why do lizardmen need a plastic toy for summoning their god?
How do you become a villain after revolting against the ant queen?
What do scientists want from Albert the wonderful sea creature?
The main reason you fight with these bosses is mainly to help out our lady characters. All the bosses have their special gang of minions as well. All the characters in the game are fully animated and voice overed both in English and Japanese.
There is also a main story of Mokoko which unlocks part by part after completing each lady/chapter. But I don’t want to spoil it here.
We also made sure that leaderboards are very active and heat up the competition for the top scores. People say the game is a bit hard, but so was the arcade age! But we are not merciless, there is an Easysetting. After you complete the story mode which has 32 levels, Arcade Mode unlocks, where you have to finish all the levels in sequence with a limited number of lives. We have a special leaderboard for this level. That’s the place where the most highly skilled players can show off their skills.
Lastly, I love this old genre and we are confident that we have done our best to be a worthy successor. I hope you feel the same. Good luck and have fun!
Mokoko X
NAISU
☆☆☆☆☆6
★★★★★
About
Mokoko X was inspired from the arcade games from 1980s and 1990s, a popular gaming style back in the time. Mokoko X looks to resurrect the soul of the arcade genre while adding a modern touch. There are 32 levels in Mokoko X; each level has its own unique boss and minions. The main goal is assisting the unlucky girls that need help from the weird bosses. This is sometimes passing a mobile game level, sometimes helping out with the insects in the kitchen. Gameplay
The main goal is conquering the bigger portion of the screen. While you are in your own area, you are safe from the enemies until your shield empties. You conquer new areas by drawing out of your area. Drawing, however, deactivates your shield and exposes you to danger. Your shield decreases constantly. If you do not conquer at a certain frequency, your shield will burn out and you will not be safe on your own areas as well.
There are 3 difficulties in the game. The difficulty affects enemies, your shield, and required conquered area percentage for the victory. Stories
Have you ever asked these questions to yourself:
How do you stop a heartless but not soulless emperor?
Can someone be a gyroscope and a guard dog at the same time?
Why do those ducks attack us?
Are there really demonic headphones in the world?
Why do lizardmen need a plastic toy for summoning their god?
How do you become a villain after revolting against the ant queen?
What do scientists want from Albert the wonderful sea creature? Well, Mokoko X answers all these questions and more! Here are some missions!
– Help out Iren with her arachnophobia and fight with the imaginary spider Mr.Fyodorov.
– Protect Issa’s house from getting pillaged by the ghost pirates stuck inside the anchors. They were not the bane of Seven Seas – the crew was killed in their first naval battle.
– Toru wished to be a mosquito to annoy people. A local witch heard him, and transformed him into a mosquito. Now he causes trouble to people every night. Fight against the weird enemies…
… and learn about their absurd stories!
It’s been more than two years since the release of Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York and almost one-and-a-half years since Vampire: The Masquerade – Shadows of New York premiered. As far as single-player, story-driven, self-contained games go, an obvious assumption to make is that once a title like that ships, the work is done and the project is complete, right? Well, not quite!
Vampire: The Masquerade and World of Darkness in general are properties beloved all around the world. The fan community spans the globe, and especially for games that rely on written content as much as Coteries and Shadows do, localization is extremely important. Back in late 2019 Draw Distance was just under 20 people strong (we’re somewhat bigger these days), and the team responsible for the standalone follow-up to Coteries, Shadows of New York, was roughly the same size. As you can imagine, when it comes to translations – which are crucial to let as many players as possible enjoy the stories we tell – outside help is needed.
And it’s not an altogether easy process, either! Not only does it require coordination between the core team and the translators, it also involves the license holder, who ensures that the game content is aligned to the brand, and takes care to keep each game consistent in terms of how setting-specific terms are used for each language. This takes the form of a huge glossary that answers nine out of ten questions, but some specific terms might have a history of being translated differently in the past, having fan-favorite terms that might or might not be reflected “officially” etc. – these need additional consulting with the license holder. Navigating all of that is no easy feat: it’s time consuming and requires the work of many people before a language update is released for the players to enjoy.
To date, Coteries of New York’s original English script has been translated and recently updated into Japanese, French, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Russian and German, while Shadows of New York enjoyed a French, Brazilian Portuguese and Russian translation – and we’re not done yet! In this way, our Vampire: The Masquerade games keep living on and being supported despite being “done” many months ago.
That’s not the only way in which our creative work becomes part of the World of Darkness story legacy, however. There is one important integration between our games and Vampire: The Masquerade. World of Darkness brand team announced that next official Vampire tabletop actual play stream, “New York by Night”, is inspired by both Coteries and Shadows. The chronicle, which will broadcast first on Twitch and then on YouTube later this year, features events and characters who appear in both Draw Distance games. Chronologically, this story starts after the events of Coteries, and proceeds in parallel with the events of Shadows of New York video game. The streaming chronicle outpaces the events of Shadows, but does not identify a particular ending of the game, allowing everyone to enjoy both. We’re very excited to be bringing this new dimension to World of Darkness transmedia storytelling.
Now is a great time to explore the dark and evermore immersive Vampire: the Masquerade universe on Xbox, since the [email protected] Un-Halloween Horror sale starts today!
Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York
Draw Distance S.A.
☆☆☆☆☆59
★★★★★
$19.99$3.99
Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York presents the conflict between two vampiric factions: the traditionalist Camarilla and the fiercely independent Anarchs. It’s a unique, atmospheric, single-player narrative experience, set in the rich universe of Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition. – Choose one of three pre-defined characters and play as a Ventrue, Toreador or Brujah
– Each playable character offers a selection of powers (Disciplines), different ethical approaches to certain issues, and unique dialogue lines – Character-oriented quests allow you to meet four unique NPCs: a Tremere sorcerer, a Nosferatu detective, a Gangrel of conflicted loyalties and a Malkavian multifoliate online personality with their own agendas. Win their hearts and minds and up to two of them will assist you in the finale
– Depending on your choice of the Clan you will be able to see the events from a distinct perspective. One playthrough is not enough to see all the game has to offer!
Get ready to relive ‘90s retro survival horror with Outbreak Contagious Memories], now available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One via Smart Delivery. Designed to be a spiritual successor to ‘90s gaming landmarks like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Alone in the Dark, you’re trapped in a city ravaged by the undead – can you make it out alive? Join Lydia in her desperate struggle to escape, either alone or with a friend in co-op. Continue reading for behind-the-scenes reveals and a lot more!
Spiritual Successor
The Outbreak series is all about reliving terrifying moments from the history of survival horror, and Outbreak: Contagious Memories drags you back to one of the most important eras. The game is designed to play like a narrative-focused tough-as-nails adventure straight from the ‘90s, including optional fixed camera views, strict inventory and resource management, shared item caches, limited consumable items to save, and much more. You can even optionally choose to play with old-school tank controls!
But, for those out there who may prefer a more modern interpretation of the greats, you can also choose between over-the-shoulder or first-person-shooter views with precision aiming and modern movement! This is also the first title in the Outbreak series to have full voice acting across the entire game, and it’s absolutely as cheesy as you’d expect!
Retro Technical Innovation
Imagine a late ‘90s 3D title married with the next-gen technology of 2022, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of where our nightmare is headed. Real-time reflections and shadows, dynamic gore that sticks to the environment, and much more meet high framerates and quick load times. The environments will capture you with their dark and moody corridors, alongside a vicious thunderstorm raging all around. It’s just you and your flashlight hoping to find respite in a world burning to the ground. Your enemies will be using every advantage they can find to kill you, leaping from the shadows and surprising you just when you feel the safest.
Outbreak: Contagious Memories is the most technically advanced title in the series, and makes full use of Xbox Series X|S to power all of these great effects while still supporting great framerates, even in optional two-player co-op splitscreen! But for those of you still waiting to upgrade, you’ll find the Xbox One and Xbox One X versions of the title are tailored towards those consoles, still featuring fast load times, snappy framerates, and more bells and whistles than you’d think!
Bonus Modes, Unlockables, and More!
This undead epidemic is brimming with everything you’d expect in ‘90s survival horror. Experience the story mode, complete with cheesy voice acting and over-the-top-gore, as you work with fellow survivors to escape a city collapsing around you. Once you’ve survived that nightmare, jump into the unlockable bonus mode, Operation: Rabid Wolf, a hardcore arcade experience inspired by classic Resident Evil bonus modes where you’ll blast your way through hordes of the undead across a wide cast of characters, each with their own loadouts, as you fight to rescue survivors strewn around the city. Finally, you’ll spend points you earn to unlock gameplay modifiers like damage resistance, unlimited ammo, explosive ammo, and other fun modes that need to be seen to believe.
All of the content in the game is playable either in solo or in two-player splitscreen co-op. In co-op, you and your partner are on equal footing – with your own inventories, weapons and limited amount of health. You’ll need to work together to outsmart the hordes, solve puzzles, share resources, and survive. If either of you dies, it’s game over, and you’ll be thrown back to your last save point, or even worse, the beginning of the game!
Passion Project
The entire Outbreak series is created by a solo indie developer dedicated to helping fellow fans of the genre travel back in time to the ‘90s. The series now has seven unique entries, starting from a 2D overhead adventure in the original Outbreak,to over-the-shoulder action in Outbreak: Epidemic], and even semi-procedurally generated rogue-like adventures in Outbreak: Endless Nightmares. Experience the series at a great price with the Outbreak Palladium Collection and Outbreak Gold Collection, all of which include Outbreak: Contagious Memories!
We’ll Meet Again
Thank you for reading and supporting the revival of classic survival horror. Dead Drop Studios has plenty more stories to share in the Outbreak universe, as well as some fun surprises ahead that you may not expect. Stay tuned as we battle further into 2022 for more news. And, don’t forget to pick up Outbreak: Contagious Memories, now available!
Outbreak: Contagious Memories
Dead Drop Studios LLC
☆☆☆☆☆4
★★★★★
Xbox One X Enhanced
Outbreak: Contagious Memories is a send-up to classic 90’s horror series like Resident Evil and Silent Hill where your survival will be determined by moment-to-moment decisions, what you decide to carry, and how good you are at spotting conveniently written notes. After being knocked unconscious, Lydia awakens in an abandoned warehouse as fellow survivors debate leaving her behind. Not one to play the helpless maiden, Lydia takes charge, forging a path through crafty environmental puzzles and hordes of the undead to figure out a way for her and her fellow survivors to escape the city. Resources are scarce, is it worth that extra bullet to take down a zombie? Or maybe you should take a risk and try to dodge it. You will have to think on your feet and decide how best to approach every situation. A bullet saved is a bullet earned, but medical supplies are hard to come by in undead uprisings. It’s a nightmare scenario, but you don’t have to go it alone, grab a friend and work together to escape the city in fully integrated co-op, and look at any scenario from the perspective that suits you with fully integrated 1st person, 3rd person, and fixed cameras. Escape the zombie outbreak your way! Still hungry for more? With plenty of unlockable bonus content like Operation: Rabid Wolf, work with your friends or compete against them, whether it’s fighting through the city to rescue survivors, or to beat the main game in record time with nothing but your fists. With plenty of additional content to unlock, one run won’t be enough to see everything Outbreak: Contagious Memories has to offer. Features: Classic survival horror mechanics. Inventory and resource management, conveniently written and placed notes, backtracking and puzzles. Full co-op integration, play through the full game solo or with a friend! Integrated camera control, choose between 1st person, 3rd person, and classic fixed camera. Hordes of undead, mutated beasts, and monsters with lots of extra teeth. Unlock Operation: Rabid Wolf, an arcade bonus game where you fight through the city alone or with a friend rescuing survivors. Plenty of unlockable bonus content and game modes. Voice acting that’s almost cheesy enough to put in a sandwich!
Take a closer look at the enemies and the world of Asterigos before you venture on your unforgettable and dangerous journey later this year.
Hello! My name is Cheng Hsien Lin, I’m the Game Director at Acme Gamestudio and today I’d like to tell you more about our game Asterigos: Curse of the Stars.
This is a fantasy third person action RPG inspired by Greek and Roman mythologies. You play as Hilda – a brave young warrior from the Northwind Legion who embarks on a journey to the great City of Aphes in order to save her lost father, whilst discovering the truth behind the city’s curse.
The way Hilda fights is entirely tied to her character progression, and it’s fully adjustable to let players decide on their own combat style. The talent system allows you to pick and expand the way you fight by choosing two out of six completely different weapons on the go and mix them as you wish. The gameplay elements are inspired by souls like games alongside a lighter, dynamic combat system, to create a fresh take on the modern action RPG genre, providing you with harmonious difficulty and exploration balance.
But let’s talk about everything in order!
Welcome to the City of Aphes
Your journey starts in the magnificent ancient City of Aphes. From the mist-covered bazaar streets to gloomy sewers and deep chasms full of glittering crystals, the landscapes of Aphes are breathtaking and full of danger. You will be able to learn more about the city and the world in general by collecting various notes, visiting places of interest, interacting with locals, and reading through Hilda’s journal, which she’ll update throughout her journey.
Each area of the city is truly unique and different, not only in visual style but also in the enemies that inhabit them. Be on your guard as you contemplate the majestic buildings around you!
Master your combat skills
As mentioned before, Asterigos: Curse of the Stars features a robust and dynamic combat system. Hilda can pick from a number of different types of weapons like sword and shield, dual blades, spear, war hammer, staff or even magic bracelets, and equip two of them at the time.
You can also swap any weapon to another one to better adjust your tactics and combat style on the go, making you completely unpredictable to your enemies!
Additionally you can improve each weapon and level up your special abilities. Experiment with your combat style and find what suits you best.
Meet your enemies
Let’s talk about enemies. The world of Asterigos is full of dangerous and unorthodox creatures. There are more than 60 different enemies that players can encounter on their journey. Some are easy to deal with, while others possess incredible powers that will not be so easy to handle.
Take this enemy. The acolytes transform into werewolves and as a consequence they completely change their behavior in combat. The long-range attacks are being replaced by close-range combat.
Take down the mighty bosses
Let’s talk about boss fights! You can expect to fight more than 20 powerful mythical bosses, each with its own unique battle mechanics. Think fast, pick the right weapons combination, learn the combat patterns and you will emerge victorious!
This giant crocodile is one of the many colossuses that Hilda needs to slain and overcome on her journey to the heart of the Aphes.
Dodge its lightning-fast attacks and strike with a combination of swift melee attacks and ranged shots. Don’t forget to block and heal, otherwise this giant will feast with some brave and young warrior!
While the development of Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is in full swing, and there’s still a lot that needs to be done, we’re happy to say that we’re partnering with tinyBuild who will be helping us to publish the game in the Autumn of 2022 on PC and Xbox!
We’ll be sharing more new news on the development of Asterigos: Curse of the Stars in future, so keep an eye out for more articles and videos, and we hope to see you in the City of Aphes!
Once the dream of becoming a game developer formed in my head, I didn’t let go until I attained it. The road leading to Sally Facewas long and challenging but it changed my life forever. This is a personal story of how I got where I am today.
The Origin and Inspirations
I grew up loving metal, video games, and cartoons of the 90s. These things were big artistic influences on me. I began drawing at a young age, with a strong interest in characters and storytelling. I also taught myself guitar when I was 16. Living in a haunted house was another big element that molded me. Plagued with horrible night terrors and strange encounters throughout my youth, I’ve always found myself drawn to darker subjects and the paranormal.
I didn’t really know what to do with all these interests of mine and it wasn’t until after high school that game development came up as an option. It was almost an immediate spark – making games was perfect for me. It involved everything I love: storytelling, art, music, creativity, interactive worlds…
Around 2007, during my college years, an odd dream I had inspired a creepy sketch. This drawing was the origin of Sally Face. Soon after, I had various rough sketches and ideas for a cartoon surrounding this character. I tried to get some friends together to animate it but that quickly fell apart. So the concept sat in my head for the next few years.
After college, I formed a small indie team with some friends, called Wither Studios. We worked on projects in our free time, after work hours. A couple years after releasing our first game and still struggling to make money, the team hit a rough patch. Arguing caused two of our members to leave. With an unsure fate, I decided to start my own side project. I had enough experience by then and needed the creative outlet.
In 2015, the concept for Sally Face came back to me and I thought it would work well as an adventure game instead of a cartoon. Keeping the gameplay simple was also important because I’m not a programmer. I needed to learn some new tools because of this. And that was the starting point of my solo endeavor as Portable Moose.
Sally Face, Episode One: Strange Neighbors was almost done but the next year or two would be the hardest of my life. I was suddenly laid off from my day job and having a hard time finding good work. Then began a separation with my ex-wife which led to moving back and forth and ultimately divorce. In the midst of this, a close loved one made multiple suicide attempts, which was traumatizing. I fell into a deep depression and couldn’t leave my apartment or even get out of bed. This halted production on the game for a couple months. Though, eventually, working on the game again really helped me pull myself out of the dark hole I was living in. It gave me something to pour myself into. It gave me something to be hopeful of.
Achieving the Dream
I originally released the game episodically on PC as I was making them. Episode One came out in 2016 and people were liking it. The game was now pulling in enough revenue for me to continue working full time on it. Sally Face continually grew a large cult following and is still growing strong. The fifth and final episode was released at the end of 2019 and then I began working on the console ports. I ended up hiring outside help for the ports; which besides for translations, was the first time other people have worked on the game besides myself. I crafted the story, the design, characters, artwork, music, all of it. This made it even more rewarding as the fan base grew and the amount of admiration they showed for my creation.
Keep Fighting the Darkness
Delve into the offbeat mystery today with Sally Face on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S!
Sally Face
Portable Moose
☆☆☆☆☆34
★★★★★
A DARK MYSTERY IS UNFOLDING…
Delve into an unsettling adventure following a boy with a prosthetic face, as he uses his handheld video game system to speak with the dead and learn their stories. After a string of mysterious murders, Sal and his three friends discover something truly sinister casting shadows over their small town.
