STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R – Game Update Trailer – Nintendo Switch

STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R – Game Update Trailer – Nintendo Switch

STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R – Game Update Trailer – Nintendo Switch

STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R is available now on Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/star-ocean-the-second-story-r-switch/

There are now more reasons for you to play STAR OCEAN™ THE SECOND STORY R™ with the latest update to the game which includes a new difficulty mode, post-game Raid Enemies, new weapons, and more. Discover the definitive version of a classic but modernized JRPG that’s perfect for newcomers and long-time fans alike.

#STAROCEAN #NintendoSwitch

Visit Nintendo.com for more info: https://www.nintendo.com/us/

Subscribe for more Nintendo fun: https://goo.gl/HYYsot

Follow Nintendo of America
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NintendoAmerica
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nintendoamerica
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nintendo

Source: Nintendo YouTube






Indie Selects for March 2024: The ID@Xbox Team Serves Up Another Batch of Outstanding Indies

Indie Selects for March 2024: The ID@Xbox Team Serves Up Another Batch of Outstanding Indies

It’s been a month since our first round of Indie Selects were announced, and we’re back again with another great batch of games that we think you’ll love. As a reminder (or introduction if you’re new to this program), Indie Selects are chosen from recently launched Xbox games that the ID@Xbox team considers to be indie and that aren’t available with Game Pass. The whole team votes and the top six vote winners are our Indie Selects for the month.

The selects for March 2024 run the gamut from the return of an old favorite, a brilliant new take on a very old card game, and an intense horror experience. Here’s the list (in no particular order):

Balatro

Balatro Image Asset

It’s just video poker, right? You’d be forgiven for thinking that by just glancing at it, but you’d be very wrong. It takes the rather simplistic poker framework and reinvents it as a deep, engaging and utterly addictive roguelike. You start with a basic deck and play hands to beat a target number of chips for each round. But where it gets fun is unlocking bonus and special cards that make your choices much more complex and interesting. Leveling up “three of a kind” and playing it with a Spade bonus can make it more valuable than even a Royal Flush. And you can unlock new Jokers and other cards after each run to create new options for the next run. And…suddenly it’s 3:00 AM and you’re still playing.

Tomb Raider I – III Remastered Starring Lara Croft

Tomb Raider Remastered Image Asset

The first Tomb Raider came out in 1996 and took the gaming world by storm. It’s an absolute classic from start to finish. This remaster of the first three games is a love letter to the origins of the series, featuring all three original adventures, including the expansions and secret levels, improved graphics, and the choice to play with classic or modern controls. The classic “tank” controls might seem a bit alarming and strange to anybody under 35, but playing that way certainly took us back to our youth and thrill of tomb raiding with Lara.

As with many games from the ‘90s, they’re not considered particularly easy by modern standards, but finding your way through platforming-based puzzles and figuring out the best solutions is incredibly rewarding. Does a remaster compilation of games that were undeniably “triple A” back in their day count as “indie”? Great question. Who knows for sure. We decided that it counts since the developer behind the remaster, Aspyr, generally fits the bill. But instead of getting bogged down in that thought experiment, go play the games. You can thank me later.

The Outlast Trials

Outlast Trials Image Asset

The original Outlast and its sequel, Outlast 2, were terrifying first-person adventure survival games, where, with no way to defend yourself, you survived by hiding, sliding, creeping, crouching, and running through the levels, staying one step ahead of whoever was trying to kill you at that particular moment.

The Outlast Trials takes that formula and adds four player co-op, and radically over-the-top villains, who hunt you and buddies down in a series of outrageous death games. After each run you can upgrade your character through various class-based skill trees, before you and your friends jump back into the next terrifying experience. It can be as hysterically funny as it is terrifying, while the gameplay loop of surviving, solving puzzles, and finding an escape is incredibly compelling. The game can be played solo, but it’s much more fun if you can find some friends to brave the experience with you.

Rounds

Rounders Image Asset

Landfall created the delightfully wacky Totally Accurate Battle Simulator, and Stickfight, The Game. With Rounds, they’ve created probably the world’s first 1v1 roguelike combat game. At the start of the game, each player uses their noodle arms to select a card containing a power-up. You’re given a half dozen to choose from out of 65 or so overall. Powerups can let you shoot straighter, make bullets explode on impact, let your bullets push enemies back, or give you all kinds of other slight advantages.

Where it gets interesting is at the end of each, uh, round the loser gets to pick a new card with a new ability. And since abilities stack, by the end of each five-round game, you can create an overwhelmingly powerful custom build (assuming, of course, that you lose a lot). This mechanic turns an otherwise simple, level-based combat game into a sophisticated roguelike where each player can build their strengths against the other player’s weaknesses. The game is never the same from one round to the next.

Slave Zero X

Slave Zero X Image Asset

Slave Zero, a cult favorite 1999 Windows and Dreamcast game, cast the player as a giant, rampaging robot in a third person shooter. A quarter century later, Ziggurat brings us a prequel to that game, in a stylish 2.5D world. But unlike the original, Slave Zero X plays out as a brawler blended with the precise gameplay mechanics of a fighting game.

It’s the kind of game that can drive you to toss your controller through a window, but in the next breadth has you climbing through the window to retrieve it because you just can’t stop playing. The art and music are both fantastic and do a lot to help serve up the rich cyberpunk world. Hard? Yes. A bit unfair at times? Maybe. Rewarding, addictive and compelling? Absolutely.

Choice of Life: Middle Ages 2

Choice of Life: Middle Ages 2 Image Asset

Finally, this month we have something completely different. Choice of Life: Middle Ages 2 is a medieval choose-your-own-adventure experience, where you play your cards to direct your choices. Each decision you make leads to seemingly endless twists and turns. There are apparently over a thousand different events that you can encounter in the game, along with over 99 ways to do, but you’d have to go through many different playthroughs to find them all.

It’s a relaxing, casual experience that encourages you to play around with your choices to see where your kingdom will end up. At the end of the first playthrough (which might be very short, since death is constantly right around the corner) you’ll almost certainly find yourself wanting to jump in and see where else fate, and your decisions, will take you.

The post Indie Selects for March 2024: The ID@Xbox Team Serves Up Another Batch of Outstanding Indies appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Source: Xbox Blog






No Man’s Sky Orbital Update Introduces Space Station Overhaul, Ship Customization, and More

No Man’s Sky Orbital Update Introduces Space Station Overhaul, Ship Customization, and More

No Man's Sky Orbital Update Image Asset

No Man’s Sky Orbital Update Introduces Space Station Overhaul, Ship Customization, and More

Summary

  • No Man’s Sky free Orbital Update available to download today.
  • Space stations are now vast and varied in the all-new Orbital update for No Man’s Sky.
  • No Man’s Sky players on Xbox can now customize their starships.

Last month, all Xbox owners were able to try No Man’s Sky’s free Omega expedition whether they owned No Man’s Sky or not. We were thrilled to welcome so many new Travellers into our friendly community. This month, we’re excited to show all those new players what veteran players have come to expect by way of regular updates as we unveil the Orbital update, free for existing owners to download today.

Orbital focusses on an area of the game which has remained largely unchanged since No Man’s Sky launched on Xbox five years ago. It’s an aspect which every player encounters almost every time they embark on a new adventure – the ever-present space stations!

No Man's Sky Orbital Update Image Asset

Space stations have always been a vibrant and much-frequented feature of every No Man’s Sky star system and are a bustling destination for trade, equipment upgrades, missions, fast travel around the universe and endearing yourself to the locals.

The first thing to strike you about these news stations is their vastness. They loom ever larger upon your starship as you approach the docking entrance. Secondly, their procedurally-generated exteriors mean that you rarely encounter the same form twice. Upon initiating the docking sequence, the large, cavernous landing strip you traverse hints towards a much larger interior than previous, again with a wide variety of layouts.

No Man's Sky Orbital Update Image Asset

One of the new additions to the space station map which Travellers will no doubt race towards is the Ship Fabricator. For a while now, players have dreamed of the ability to create their own starships in their dream configuration. This new function enables you to combine parts of salvaged ships together in a near-limitless array of permutations to create brand new form factors. You may still need to scour the universe for that perfect S-Class though!

The envoys from the three universe guilds – Merchant, Mercenary, Explorer – frequent the new space stations and it’s always worth paying them a visit. Your standing with the guilds can be increased with donations of interesting artefacts from your travels, and a higher standing unlocks ever-higher gifts, cheap supplies and discounts, anything from free ammo and fuel to powerful equipment upgrades.

No Man's Sky Orbital Update Image Asset

Orbital also ushers in the concept of “Intervention Events” as part of freighter expeditions. Frigates that you have dispatched to the far-flung corners of the universe on lucrative missions can now call upon further instruction mid-voyage or even ask you to come to where they are to assist them in their objective.

As with all No Man’s Sky free updates, Orbital features a whole host of other additions and improvements, large and small. It is available to download from today, free for all existing Xbox and Game Pass owners. Our journey continues.

Xbox Live
Xbox Play Anywhere

No Man’s Sky

Hello Games


925


$59.99

$47.99
Xbox One X Enhanced
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass

No Man’s Sky comes complete with all 26 major updates up to and including Omega.

Inspired by the adventure and imagination that we love from classic science-fiction, No Man’s Sky presents you with a galaxy to explore, filled with unique planets and lifeforms, and constant danger and action.

In No Man’s Sky, every star is the light of a distant sun, each orbited by planets filled with life, and you can go to any of them you choose. Fly smoothly from deep space to planetary surfaces, with no loading screens, and no limits. In this infinite procedurally generated universe, you’ll discover places and creatures that no other players have seen before – and perhaps never will again.

Embark on an epic voyage
At the centre of the galaxy lies a irresistible pulse which draws you on a journey towards it to learn the true nature of the cosmos. But, facing hostile creatures and fierce pirates, you’ll know that death comes at a cost, and survival will be down to the choices you make over how you upgrade your ship, your weapon and suit.

Find your own destiny
Your voyage through No Man’s Sky is up to you. Will you be a fighter, preying on the weak and taking their riches, or taking out pirates for their bounties? Power is yours if you upgrade your ship for speed and weaponry.
Or a trader? Find rich resources on forgotten worlds and exploit them for the highest prices. Invest in more cargo space and you’ll reap huge rewards.
Or perhaps an explorer? Go beyond the known frontier and discover places and things that no one has ever seen before. Upgrade your engines to jump ever farther, and strengthen your suit for survival in toxic environments that would kill the unwary.

Share your journey
The galaxy is a living, breathing place. Trade convoys travel between stars, factions vie for territory, pirates hunt the unwary, and the police are ever watching. Every other player lives in the same galaxy, and you can choose to share your discoveries with them on a map that spans known space. Perhaps you will see the results of their actions as well as your own…

The post No Man’s Sky Orbital Update Introduces Space Station Overhaul, Ship Customization, and More appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Source: Xbox Blog






Latest No Man’s Sky update adds ship customisation, new Guild system, space station overhaul, and more

Latest No Man’s Sky update adds ship customisation, new Guild system, space station overhaul, and more

Hello, only last month we welcomed a huge number of new PlayStation Travellers to the No Man’s Sky universe with our free Omega expedition, which brought a ton of new content. It’s incredible to watch new folks getting to experience eight years of updates since launch.

Today March 27, we are releasing our 27th major update – Orbital – and this is a big one!

The Orbital update brings a complete overhaul to Space Stations. Until now these have been perhaps the only part of No Man’s Sky that wasn’t procedurally generated. Engine improvements have allowed us to create vast interior spaces and exterior spaces, with improved reflection and metallic surfaces.

Outside, Space Station exteriors are at a scale never seen before and are hugely varied.

Latest No Man’s Sky update adds ship customisation, new Guild system, space station overhaul, and more

Inside, Stations have been transformed, and are now vast, procedurally generated, and incredibly diverse. Featuring new shops, gameplay and activities, Stations are now uniquely customised based on system, race and locale.

Latest No Man’s Sky update adds ship customisation, new Guild system, space station overhaul, and more

Stations also contain perhaps our most requested feature of all time! A ship editor allows players to customise their ships and players can even create never-before-seen starship types.

We haven’t introduced customisation previously, because so many players love exploring to find the perfect ship already out there to purchase. In keeping with exploration, to customize their ship, travelers gather and trade parts for their ships as they explore, salvaging the best components from wrecks and ruins

Latest No Man’s Sky update adds ship customisation, new Guild system, space station overhaul, and more

We are also introducing a new Guild system, making joining Guilds and increasing reputation a much larger part of the game. Visit new Guild envoys on Space Stations to gain supplies and rare items, or make donations to increase your standing.

You can own a freighter and even build up a fleet of frigates in No Man’s Sky. Now you can send that frigate fleet on away missions where if they get into trouble, as frigate captain, you can perform daring rescues. Players can scramble your squadron of fighters, and warp to battles and engage your attackers.

The Orbital update adds ship customisation, transforms Space Stations inside and out, a new guild system, engine improvements, UI refresh and much more. It’s a huge update with several major features that have been on player’s wishlists for a long time. We have a lot more planned this year as our journey continues.

These and many more additions and quality of life improvements can be found when PlayStation players download the Orbital update to No Man’s Sky today.

Our journey continues.

Source: Playstation Blog






Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.44 brings 3 new cars, an extra Café Menu, 3 World Circuit Events, and more

Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.44 brings 3 new cars, an extra Café Menu, 3 World Circuit Events, and more

Gran Turismo players! Look forward to many new exciting updates this month including the return of the legendary Toyota GT-One (TS020) ‘99 to Gran Turismo! New GT Cafe Menu, 3 new World Circuits, and limited timed GT Auto Livery Editor will surely keep you racing this month. 

Update 1.44* for Gran Turismo 7 is available as of Wednesday, March 27 at 11:00pm PST / March 28 at 6:00am GMT / 3:00pm JST. Read on for more details.

*Internet connection and Gran Turismo 7 game required for update.


Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.44 brings 3 new cars, an extra Café Menu, 3 World Circuit Events, and more

3 new cars added this month

Audi R8 Coupé V10 plus ’16

(Can be purchased at Brand Central)

The 2nd generation of Audi’s road going sports car which shares the name of the Le Mans winning R8.

Originally a Le Mans Prototype race car, the name and technology from the ‘R8’ were carried over to create the R8 road car which debuted in 2006. The car was met with worldwide critical acclaim and a 2nd generation model was introduced in 2016. While this new model retains the key concepts behind the vehicle, it uses new versions of the lightweight Audi Space Frame made with lightweight materials, and their full-time 4WD ‘quattro’ system. 

While aesthetically like its predecessor in many ways, almost all of its exterior details are completely different. Following on from the previous model, the powerplant is a 5.2L naturally aspirated V10. However, even the new base model R8 produces 532.5 BHP, which is a 14.8 BHP improvement over its predecessor. The new line-up also features the high-performance ‘R8 V10 Plus’ model which tunes the same engine up to 601.6 BHP and adds a fixed rear wing and mechanical LSD as standard.

Lamborghini Urus ’18

(Can be purchased at Brand Central)

Lamborghini’s answer to the global SUV boom.

Introduced in 2018 in response to the global SUV boom, the Urus is a “Super SUV” from renowned super sportscar manufacturer Lamborghini. Styled with sharp lines and an edgy design similar to mid-ship models of the same generation of Lamborghinis, the car is based on a specially tuned version of the platform used on other full-size SUVs from the Volkswagen Group. Mounted at the front is a 4-litre twin-turbo V8, the first ever forced induction engine ever in a Lamborghini, producing 641 BHP and 86.68 kgfm. The drivetrain is a a full-time 4WD system with 40:60 distribution front to rear as default, which can be adjusted from 70:30 to 13:87 according to the situation. 

Additionally, the car features adaptive air suspension, rear-wheel steering and torque vectoring to deliver the type of handling and cornering performance befitting a super SUV. It also features optional driving modes for off-road and desert driving. It’s ability to accelerate from 0-62.1 mph in 3.6 seconds, 0-124.3 mph in 12.8 seconds and a top speed of 189.5 mph made it truly worthy of its title as the world’s fastest SUV on its debut.

Toyota GT-One (TS020) ’99

(Can be purchased from Legend Cars)

The Toyota endurance race car that achieved a class win at Le Mans in 1999.

In the early 1990s, Toyota set out to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its Group C TS010 racing car. Several unsuccessful years followed, but the company would return for the 1998 season with the Toyota GT-One (TS020). During its Group C racing days, Toyota developed its race cars almost exclusively within Japan. However, they would revamp their plans and entrust this project to the group in charge of their World Rally Championship activities, German-based TTE (Toyota Team Europe), to claim overall victory once again in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

The new Le Mans car, the GT-One, was designed by Andre De Cortanze, a racing car design genius with a brilliant track record in top motorsports races such as F1, Le Mans and WRC. De Cortanze designed the Peugeot 905B, the first Group C Peugeot car to claim victory at Le Mans in 1992 and 1993, and he incorporated the latest in F1 technology into the design of the GT-One Le Mans car. Its carbon-composite monocoque body was developed for aerodynamic performance, and it featured the same twin-turbocharged 3.6 L V8 developed during the company’s Group C days. The suspension had very long arms in both the front and rear, allowing for an ideal suspension geometry.

Café / Extra menus

The following Menu has been added to the Extra Menus section:

  • Extra Menu No. 37: Jaguar (Collector Level 41 and above)

Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.44 brings 3 new cars, an extra Café Menu, 3 World Circuit Events, and more

World Circuits (Event)

The following new events have been added to ‘World Circuits’:

  • European Clubman Cup 600 – Blue Moon Bay Speedway – Infield A Reverse
  • Schwarzwald League – High Speed Ring Reverse
  • World Touring Car 900 – 24 Heures du Mans race track

Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.44 brings 3 new cars, an extra Café Menu, 3 World Circuit Events, and more

GT Auto / Livery Editor

Official TV animation series Highspeed Étoile’ stickers available for a limited time.

For a limited time, 26 stickers including 8 title logos and 18 main character stickers themed on the Japanese TV anime “Highspeed Étoile” will be provided in the preset decals of the Livery Editor. (*) The original TV animation “Highspeed Étoile” depicting a world of motorsports in the near future is planned for broadcast in Japan starting April 2024. We will be updating information regarding the period of availability at a later date.

Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.44 brings 3 new cars, an extra Café Menu, 3 World Circuit Events, and more

Scapes

Fukushima has been added as a featured Curation in Scapes

Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.44 brings 3 new cars, an extra Café Menu, 3 World Circuit Events, and more

Source: Playstation Blog






Sophie Ellis-Bextor to perform half-time show to celebrate Red Roses return to Twickenham Stadium for Women’s Guinness Six Nations match

  • Sophie Ellis-Bextor will take to the stage at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday 20 April for the England (Red Roses) v Ireland Guinness Women’s Six Nations match
  • The British pop sensation will perform fan favourites at half-time, such as “Murder On The Dancefloor”, which is back in the charts for the first time in 20 years due to featuring in hit movie, Saltburn
  • The performance, co-funded by the RFU and O2, aims to draw in huge crowds as people get behind the Red Roses, the world’s number one ranked women’s team
  • Almost 60,000 fans attended the Red Roses’ Six Nations title decider with France in April last year with the Red Roses victorious and winning a record 18th Six Nations titles
  • Tickets for this unmissable event can be purchased here

British pop icon, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, will take to the stage at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday 20 April during the England (Red Roses) v Ireland Guinness Women’s Six Nations fixture.

Ellis-Bextor has achieved worldwide fame throughout her illustrious career and has recently experienced a return to the charts following the inclusion of her music in the BAFTA Nominated film, Saltburn (2023).

Having made her UK Official Chart debut in 2001, she has gone on to release six top 10 singles in the UK charts including fan favourites such as “Murder On The Dancefloor”, “Take Me Home” and “Mixed Up World”, achieving multi-platinum selling status.

The Guinness Women’s Six Nations match between the Red Roses and Ireland will take place at the Home of Rugby, Twickenham Stadium, after last year’s fixture between England and France saw almost 60,000 fans in attendance – the largest ever crowd for a women’s rugby match.

More than 30,000 tickets have already been sold for the fixture, with numbers set to rise for the chance to see the world’s top team in action. Ticket prices start from £20* for adults and £5 for children and include the unique performance from Sophie Ellis-Bextor as well as the opportunity to get behind England’s national women’s team.

O2, the RFU and Women’s Sport Trust launched a partnership in March 2023 to help close rugby’s gender awareness gap with one of its key objectives to fill Twickenham Stadium for a women’s rugby match by 2025.

O2, Principal Shirt sponsor of England Rugby, also pledged in its recent contract renewal to equal spend parity across its men and women’s marketing activity.

The Red Roses are the number one ranked women’s rugby team in the world having won the Six Nations a total of 18 times, including 16 Grand Slam wins and two World Cup victories.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor, said: “I can’t wait to perform at Twickenham Stadium as part of this incredible occasion and I’m hugely looking forward to getting the crowd dancing at half-time to show support for the brilliant Red Roses as they take on Ireland.”

Alex Teasdale, RFU Executive Director Women’s Game, said: “We’re really pleased to have the Red Roses back at Twickenham for their second standalone match. Having Sophie Ellis-Bextor perform, to an anticipated crowd of over 40,000, will add great half-time entertainment to the already amazing action on the pitch.  We’re sure the crowd will love her performance.”

Gareth Griffiths, Director, Partnerships and Sponsorship at Virgin Media O2, said: “The incredible Red Roses, the number one ranked women’s rugby team in the world, are back at Twickenham for a second year running. With such amazing talent on the pitch, as well as a half time performance by pop icon Sophie Ellis-Bextor, it has the makings of a fantastic day out for the family on what will be another momentous occasion for women’s rugby and women’s sport.”

For those looking to purchase a ticket for the Red Roses v Ireland match at Twickenham Stadium, O2 is offering Priority members an exclusive £5 discount (Category 1 ticket offer price of £25, usually £30). Customers can also enjoy even more match day perks on Priority, including 20% off at Twickenham Store. For more information, click here.

ENDS

* Category 3 ticket price

Notes to Editor

Ticket Category overview:

Sophie Ellis-Bextor to perform half-time show to celebrate Red Roses return to Twickenham Stadium for Women’s Guinness Six Nations match

The post Sophie Ellis-Bextor to perform half-time show to celebrate Red Roses return to Twickenham Stadium for Women’s Guinness Six Nations match appeared first on Virgin Media O2.

Source: O2 Blog