Microsoft has announced a long-anticipated feature for Xbox Cloud Gaming. Starting today, you'll be able to stream select games that you own on TVs and Meta Quest VR headsets, as well as supported browsers on phones, tablets and PCs in every country where Xbox Cloud Gaming is available. Microsoft plans to expand the feature to Xbox consoles and the Windows Xbox app next year.
You'll still need to be an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member to use this feature, but it means that you're no longer limited to streaming only the games that are on that service. The "stream your own game" option includes support for 50 titles at the outset, with more to be added later. You can stream the likes of Cyberpunk 2077, Stray, The Witcher 3, Balatro, Animal Well, NBA 2K25, Baldur’s Gate 3 and several Final Fantasy games. Just look for the "stream your own game" section on Cloud Gaming.
It seems likely that only digital game purchases are eligible and not physical copies. That would line up with Xbox inching toward an all-digital future. Engadget has contacted Xbox for clarification.
Not only is this a positive for players who want to access their games anywhere, it lets Xbox expand its cloud gaming offerings without having to necessarily pay third-party developers and publishers big bucks to get their projects on Game Pass proper. The stream your own game initiative also ties into Microsoft's new ad campaign about all kinds of devices being an Xbox when they are, in fact, not. It also comes a day after Sony started publicly testing a cloud gaming option on PlayStation Portal, a feature that the device should have had from the beginning.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/you-can-now-stream-some-xbox-games-you-own-but-you-still-need-game-pass-ultimate-181047095.html?src=rss
Square Enix is plunging deeper into the Final Fantasy 14 goldmine with a mobile spin-off. There's no release window for Final Fantasy 14Mobile as yet, but playtests will "soon" get underway in China, "followed by a global launch soon after."
Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida said in a video that developer Lightspeed Studios is working to "faithfully recreate the story, duties, battle content and other aspects of the original game." It seems that "duties" is a reference to the jobs system. A teaser trailer shows off the scope, grandeur and lived-in atmosphere of the mobile version of Eorzea, all set to typically absorbing music from FF14 sound director Masayoshi Soken.
It's not yet clear if there will be cross-progression with the PC and console version of Final Fantasy 14. While the mobile game is said to provide players with a "new adventure," the story bears at least some similarities to the original.
"You are beckoned by the Mothercrystal, carrying the light of hope to the world of Hydaelyn," according to the FF14 Mobile website. "Heed the Mothercrystal’s call, embrace your destiny as an adventurer, and confront the primals to deliver Eorzea from certain destruction." For what it's worth, a Mothercrystal trial was added to Final Fantasy 14 as part of the 2021 expansion, Endwalker, so the plot of the mobile game may not exactly follow the one from the original title.
Square Enix says you'll have a number of playable races to choose from. At the outset, there will be nine jobs, which you can switch between on the fly. You'll initially have access to 11 crafting and gathering classes, so you can be a miner, alchemist or, of course, a fisher.
Combat controls are being tuned for mobile devices. Outside of battles, you can customize your home and character, race chocobos, play the Triple Triad card game and enjoy seasonal events. You'll be able to play alongside friends and strangers, while there are more than 600 different weather patterns in the game.
Tencent's Lightspeed Studios is behind mobile hits like PUBG Mobile. Dragon's Dogma creator Hideaki Itsuno recently joined Lightspeed to head up a new studio.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/final-fantasy-14-mobile-is-on-the-way-171455003.html?src=rss
On December 12, The Game Awards will reveal some of the biggest upcoming games and honor the industry's achievements yet again. The day before it's set to take place, however, a Day of the Devs event will put a spotlight on indie developers and titles in a livestream that fans everywhere can watch online. This Game Awards Edition showcase will feature quite a lengthy list of developer partners, including Heart Machine, which is best known for 2D action role-playing game Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash, a 3D platformer set against a neon-colored landscape.
Panic, the developer behind Untitled Goose Game, will also participate in the event, along with Annapurna, a publisher whose games include What Remains of Edith Finch. There's also Riffraff Games that debuted its first title, Sleight of Hand, a "noir stealth sim" game about a former occult detective who must track down and defeat her former coven earlier this year. The event will showcase 19 indie titles in all and will feature seven world premieres, title reveals and release date announcements throughout. Indie games fans can watch it on the official Game Awards YouTube and Twitch channels on December 11, starting at 9AM PT/12PM ET.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/day-of-the-devs-livestream-will-showcase-indie-titles-a-day-before-the-game-awards-170002009.html?src=rss
Strinova is a third-person hero shooter coming out this week, and its recent closed beta functioned more like an open beta despite the label. Its anime art style caught my eye, so I decided to register and try it out. While this hero shooter had much in common with others in the genre, I thoroughly enjoyed the new mechanics it introduced.
This new third-person shooter from iDreamSky has elements players of Counter-Strike 2, Overwatch and Valorant will find familiar, such as game modes and Agent roles. However, the game sets itself apart by implementing a mechanic called “Stringify,” allowing Agents to turn from 3D into paper-thin 2D models.
Stringify allows Agents to avoid gunfire, climb up walls and even glide through the air, but they can’t shoot or use abilities while Stringified. This mechanic allows for possibilities like chambering sniper rifle rounds while minimizing one’s hitbox and traversing walls mid-gunfight. It was incredibly entertaining to move around like this, but it isn’t so over-the-top like how some Call of Duty games and Titanfall implement movement mechanics. Spamming glides or sprints won’t do much good.
Each Agent has unique abilities and primary weapons, while secondary weapons and grenades can be swapped out. You have many familiar roles like snipers, designated marksmen with semi-automatic rifles, mid-range assault units and close-quarters-focused brawlers armed with shotguns. The abilities range from defensive supports to lone-wolf offensive kits, though Strinova doesn’t encourage engaging groups of enemies alone due to a longer time to kill.
My favorite Agent from the open beta is Meredith (image below), a mid-range assault Agent who can glide in mid-air longer due to a time-slowing mechanic. Her gunplay feels almost inspired by Warframe’s Zephyr, who also has extended airtime. Meredith also has area denial abilities that apply debuffs, most significantly with her Ultimate Skill that drains HP temporarily while limiting vision.
Jeremy Gan for Engadget
Another standout is Audrey, whose ability turns her into a stationary turret and lets her fire her machine gun without recoil or reloading. However, you’ll want to watch out for overheating. She has a limited shield that blocks some incoming fire while aiming down the sights — but there’s a catch. Despite being a bullet hose, she’s vulnerable to a single sniper headshot, and a shotgun user can take her out quickly before she enters turret mode, which has a longer startup animation.
There were four game modes in the open beta: team deathmatch, team arena, escort, and demolition. Escort is similar to what Overwatch offers, which has an attacking team escorting a payload to the goal. Demolition is basically competitive Counter-Strike. Team deathmatch has five teams of three fighting each other, while team arena has a 7v7 format. In the last two game modes, Ultimate Skills are disabled.
Based on my experience, Strinova has a longer time to kill, which forces players to be more tactical, especially when everyone can use Stringify to move around. I was forced to ditch my highly aggressive playstyle and employ proper movement and peeking to ensure I survived gunfights. Since each Agent gets to turn 2D, glide and climb walls, there are plenty of ways to get the drop on opponents.
Jeremy Gan for Engadget
Strinova ran smoothly on my gaming laptop, reaching 120FPS easily and rarely dropping many frames. However, there was a glaring bug in which my A key was perceived as being held down. The only way to “fix” was to pause or unplug my keyboard. I usually had to perform the latter, and it was rather annoying to deal with, though hopefully it’s something that gets worked out by release.
I definitely enjoyed playing the Strinova open beta, and the game is set to come out on November 21. There are plenty of other cool things in the game, but the combat absolutely stands out. I don’t play that many hero shooters, but this one is like a diamond in the rough to me.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/strinovas-2d-stringify-mechanic-breathes-some-new-life-into-hero-shooters-140043155.html?src=rss
I can't stop staring at Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Whether I'm exploring the game's home base in the dream-like Fade, or a forest shimmering with golden leaves and wild magical energy, the game simply looks gorgeous. And, if you've got the graphical horsepower to see it, it also delivers some of the most sumptuous ray tracing I've ever seen. There's a level of polish across every aspect of the game, including its new action-oriented approach to combat, that's simply glorious to behold.
Veilguard continues the story of the decade-old Dragon Age Inquisition, which was most notable for the shocking ending of its DLC. It turned out that Solas, one of your more cantankerous companions, was actually an Elven god hellbent on destroying the Veil, a boundary he created to separate the real world from the spirit-filled Fade. Oh, and that's where he also trapped even more evil Elven gods. Solas considered himself a hero, but then again, so did Marvel's Thanos.
This time around, you play as Rook, a new recruit enlisted by series regular Varric to track down Solas before he tears down the Veil. That happens sooner than you'd think — your team finds him and stops his magical ritual in your first mission. But doing so unleashes two very pissed off Elven gods, who proceed to wreak havoc across Thedas.
BioWare wastes no time showing off its new aesthetic for Dragon Age. The game's characters are more stylized than in Inquisition, but I didn't mind the slight loss in realism. If anything, it makes this entry feel more distinct from previous Dragon Age titles. The sense of style carries over to every environment, as well. The Lighthouse, your base of operations, is a stunning series of medieval buildings floating in the middle of a dreamy, magical storm. I’d often find myself just staring off into the distance of the Fade, imagining what else lay beyond the horizon. That’s something I found myself doing in every new location, the detail in the world hints at thousands of untold stories.
BioWare
For a game that was rebooted several times, and suffered some notable turnover (including losing its original creative director, Mike Laidlaw), Dragon Age: The Veilguard is surprisingly well-constructed. And throughout my twenty hours with the game (so far), it’s that level of craft and quality I appreciate the most.
While the storyline isn't exactly groundbreaking, I haven't been able to put down Dragon Age: The Veilguard because it's such a joy to play. The new combat system is more action-oriented than before (think of the difference between Mass Effect 1 and 2), with counters and special moves reminiscent of the recent God of War. You can't directly control your companions, but you can have them deploy special abilities that can either aid you or attack your enemies. It's a well-balanced system that makes small encounters feel genuinely fun, and it allows for some epic boss fights (some of which have lasted nearly 10 minutes and left my controller a sweaty mess).
BioWare
As you level up, you can tweak your character to your liking with Veilgaurd's massive skill tree. I've honed my Rook to be a lightning-fast dual-sword wielding Rogue who isn't afraid to whip out her bow for the occasional headshot. (You can also choose from Warrior and Mage classes early on, which should be pretty self-explanatory.) Each skill tree has three specializations: Rogues, for example, can choose to be Veil Rangers (an archery emphasis), Saboteurs (specializing in traps and poison) or Duelists. Personally, I'm a sucker for the Duelist's double sword action.
Battles can get hectic, and thankfully Dragon Age: The Veilguard performs well enough to keep up. While playing on a PC powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X and NVIDIA RTX 4080 Super GPU, the game managed to stay well above 100fps while playing in 4K with DLSS, "Ultra" graphics and ray tracing settings. If you have the hardware to support it, this will likely become a new showpiece for the possibilities of ray tracing: Lighting from the sun and magical elements realistically hits characters and the environment, and shadows across the board look more natural.
BioWare
But I was also surprised to find that Veilguard was also still very playable on my Steam Deck, albeit with low graphics settings (definitely no ray tracing) and a basic 30-to-40fps. That's certainly not the ideal way to play, but it's helpful for dealing with side missions in bed, or on the go. Given how well it performs on a mere handheld, I'd bet the game would play well on low-end and mid-range GPUs, as well as consoles, without much of a sweat. (And if you want to revel in advanced ray tracing features from your couch, there's also support for the PlayStation 5 Pro.)
Beyond merely looking great, Veilguard kept me hooked because of BioWare’s attention to its characters. I enjoyed strolling through Docktown with Neve, who warmed up to my character (also a fellow Shadow Dragon) while discussing how much she loved her rundown neighborhood. I helped Davrin come to terms with his new role raising one of the last Griffons in the world, and I learned about the trauma behind Bella’s typically warm demeanor. As usual, you can romance any of your companions (how can you not love Neve?), and there’s still plenty of fun to be had trying to set up those relationships.
BioWare
I’ll admit, it simply felt good to pour some hours leading a group of ragtag do-gooders to save the world against relentless odds. That’s pretty much every RPG and adventure story, sure, but who can deny the pleasure of killing a few evil gods? (Bringing on the combined talents of composers Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe to score the game likely also made me a bit more emotional.)
After Baldur’s Gate 3 failed to grab me (I’ll get back to it, I swear!), I feared that Dragon Age: The Veilguard would be another letdown. But it turned out to be exactly the sort of spectacle I needed: It’s beautiful to behold, fun to play and I genuinely enjoyed the new batch of characters. It’s BioWare at its best – I’m just hoping they can do the same for the next Mass Effect.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dragon-age-the-veilguard-is-beautiful-in-every-way-193013807.html?src=rss
Remedy just announced that Control Ultimate Editionwill be released for Mac computers on February 12, 2025. The developer didn’t say which Macs would run the title, but it’s a safe bet that the game will only work on M-series computers.
Control Ultimate Edition contains the original game, post-launch patches and season pass expansions. It hasn’t been revealed if this version will include the updates for current-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
This information comes from the company’s Capital Markets Day, a meeting of investors. Remedy made some other announcements during the gathering, including that it’s still working on Control 2.
The game was first revealed back in 2022 and we haven’t heard much since that original announcement. The developer did note that the sequel would be an action RPG. This is interesting because the first Control had some RPG elements, with various weapon and ability upgrades, but I wouldn’t call it a full-fledged action RPG. Remedy owns the Control IP now, so it can do whatever it wants with the franchise.
The developer made an announcement that the original Control would be receiving a free update early next year. This update will unlock “some previously released content.” It also crowed that the critical darling Alan Wake 2 has sold more than 1.8 million units since launch. The sequel was Remedy’s fastest-selling game ever.
Finally, the developer offered some extremely vague plans to transform both Alan Wake and Control from “great games” to “world-class franchises” by 2030. We aren’t exactly sure what that means, but it likely points to an expanded pop culture footprint.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/control-ultimate-edition-comes-to-macs-on-february-12-181018677.html?src=rss
We know that there’s been a Squid Game-inspired video game in the works since July. Now, Netflix is announcing Squid Game: Unleashed and dropping a trailer on YouTube. The game will be available on Netflix starting December 17.
The multiplayer party royale (think Mario Party) will be available for everyone with a Netflix subscription, and you can pre-register now to get an exclusive skin when the game launches. The game’s cartoony art style may be eye-catching, but the gameplay will be violent. Fortunately, it’s not excessive, and there doesn’t seem to be any blood.
While Netflix has made mobile spinoff titles based on famous franchises or exclusive shows for years now, it did try to branch out into AAA games. Sadly, it shut down its AAA studio, Team Blue, last month. Whether the streaming giant still has ambitions for bigger games remains to be seen.
You can play Squid Game: Unleashed on Android and iOS after logging in with your Netflix account credentials. If you’re interested in more Netflix games, Monument Valley 3 is a great one. It’s a beautiful puzzle game and can be enjoyed without playing the previous two titles in the series.
We also have a list of our favorite Netflix games if these two aren’t enough. These include popular dungeon crawler roguelike Hades, GTA San Andreas and Terra Nil, a peaceful strategy game.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/squid-game-for-your-phone-arrives-on-december-17-170018220.html?src=rss
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is one of the most twisted, trippy, satisfying and deeply complex puzzle games to hit the market in years, and it's heading to a new platform. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes will debut on PlayStation 4 and PS5 on December 3, joining the game's existing versions on PC and Switch. PlayStation players, prepare yourselves for mind-bending riddles in a lonely hotel that exists outside of time.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes comes from Swedish indie studio Simogo, which previously made Device 6, Year Walk and Sayonara Wild Hearts. Simogo is helmed by its two co-founders, Simon Flesser and Magnus “Gordon” Gardebäck, though they collaborate with other creators on each new project. Lorelei is published by Annapurna Interactive.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes presents a dramatic mystery in a grayscale world shot through with red accents, glitching and bright like the player is watching everything play out on an old surveillance feed. Most of its puzzles require mind-numbing amounts of logic and deduction, though others are solvable by pure instinct, and both types are incredibly gratifying. At the same time, a current of quiet terror underpins every scene: The hotel grounds are filled with maze-faced phantoms, the remnants of unhinged artists, memories of death and ghostly children with owl faces. Simogo knows how to make a puzzle game that David Lynch would love.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is one of the most innovative titles of 2024, and it's nominated in the Best Independent Game category at this year's Game Awards, alongside Animal Well, Balatro, Neva and UFO 50. That's an absolutely stacked category and Lorelei certainly deserves to be there.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/lorelei-and-the-laser-eyes-makes-its-way-to-ps4-and-ps5-on-december-3-170013561.html?src=rss
Blizzard's first real-time strategy games had a profound impact on me as a young immigrant to Canada in 1994 and ’95. Warcraft: Orcs & Humans and Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness helped me learn how to read and write in English, and formed the basis for some of my oldest friendships in a brand-new country. Suffice to say, I have a lot of love for these old RTS games — maybe more than Blizzard itself.
So you can imagine my excitement at remaster rumors for Warcraft II and its expansion, Beyond the Dark Portal. When Blizzard aired its Warcraft Direct last week, not only were those rumors confirmed, but it announced that the original Warcraft would receive the same treatment, and both would be sold alongside Warcraft III: Reforged (itself a remaster) as part of a new battle chest. Of course, I immediately booted up Battle.net and bought the bundle.
I was just as quickly disappointed. Where to start? The most obvious place is the new hand-drawn graphics. Some fans have accused Blizzard of using AI to upscale the art in Warcraft and Warcraft II. I don’t think that’s what happened here, but what is clear is that the new assets don’t live up to the company’s usual quality.
The unit sprites are completely missing the charm of their original counterparts. They also don’t look properly proportioned, and many of them have new stilted animations. Additionally, the extensive use of black outlining makes everything look a bit too stark. At best, the remasters resemble poorly made mobile games.
Both games feature a toggle to switch between their original and remastered graphics seamlessly, but here again, Blizzard missed the mark. There’s a great YouTube video explaining the issue, but the short of it is the company didn't accurately represent the “tall pixels” that the original graphics were designed around, so every asset appear stretched horizontally.
Like every game from that era, Warcraft was designed to be played on a 4:3 CRT monitor. However, the original art assets were made to scale within a 320 x 200 frame, which is a 16:10 resolution. As a result, UI elements and units look taller in the 1994 release than in the remaster. GOG correctly accounted for this when it rereleased Warcraft and Warcraft II in 2019, and there’s no reason Blizzard couldn’t do the same in 2024. Without these nods to the game’s original visuals, Warcraft: Remastered just doesn’t look right.
What gameplay enhancements the remasters include are minimal, and while they’re all appreciated, Blizzard could and should have done more. In Warcraft, for instance, it’s now possible to select up to 12 units simultaneously, up from four, and bind buildings to hotkeys for more efficient macro play. Oh, and you can finally issue attack move commands, something you couldn’t do in the original release.
However, any features you might find in a modern RTS are notably missing. For example, neither game allows you to queue commands or tab between different types of units in a control group. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Blizzard took the same approach with StarCraft: Remastered. StarCraft: Brood War still had a sizable professional scene when Blizzard released its remaster. Had Blizzard touched the balance or mechanics of that game, it would have caused an outcry. By contrast, Warcraft II is essentially moribund, and would have greatly benefited from modernization. At the very least, Blizzard could have done a balance pass and added a ladder mode to give the game a chance to attract a new multiplayer fanbase.
Coming back from the dead is achievable for an old RTS. Age of Empires II managed to pull this trick off with flying colors: Since the release of its Definitive Edition in 2019, Microsoft’s genre-defining RTS has never been in a better place. A constant stream of support, including a substantial new expansion that was released just last week, has managed to grow the AoE2 community. At any time, there are as many a 30,000 people playing the Definitive Edition on Steam. If you ask me, that’s pretty great for a game that was originally released in 1999, and it shows what’s possible when a company cares and nurtures a beloved franchise. The fact Microsoft now owns Blizzard makes its treatment of Warcraft feel particularly unfair.
Most disappointing is the lack of bonus content. Contrast this with Half-Life 2’s free anniversary update, which Valve released just days after the Warcraft remasters. It includes three and a half hours of new commentary from Gabe Newell and the dev team. Valve also uploaded a two-hour documentary and announced a second edition of Raising the Bar, a behind-the-scenes look at Half-Life 2’s turbulent development. If Newell could take time away from his yachts to talk about Valve's most important game, surely Chris Metzen could have done the same for Warcraft. The people who were vital to Warcraft and Warcraft II’s development aren’t getting any younger — Blizzard should preserve their stories.
If there’s one thing I’m hopeful for, it’s that Blizzard will eventually do the right thing. As I mentioned, the bundle I bought also came with Warcraft III: Reforged. Last week it received a free patch that does a lot to fix the disastrous issues with that remaster, albeit four years late. With more work, I can see the Warcraft and Warcraft II remasters becoming essential. But as things stand, the studio has done the bare minimum to honor its own legacy.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/i-wish-blizzard-loved-warcraft-as-much-as-i-do-141524674.html?src=rss
Nintendo Switch players, you can get Life is Strange: Double Exposure on your console starting today. Square Enix says the game, which been available on the Xbox Series X|S, PC and PlayStation 5 since October 29, comes later than the other versions because it has been "meticulously ported" for the Switch. Its lighting system has been rebuilt and its assets have been optimized so that they'd perform well and run smoothly in both docked and handheld modes.
Double Exposure picks up from the events of the first game and revolves around the original Life is Strange protagonist Max Caulfield. Max is older in this newer installment and now has the power to shift between two different timelines. In Double Exposure, Max's best friend Safi was murdered and found dead in the snow. She then uses her powers to investigate Safi's murder, mainly to solve the crime in one timeline and to prevent it from happening in the other timeline where her friend remains alive.
The digital version of Life is Strange: Double Exposure will be available today, November 19, at 8am PST/11am EST. You can get the base version with the full game, the Deluxe Edition with two additional outfits for Max and the Ultimate Edition with five additional outfits (including a Final Fantasy VII outfit pack), as well as a cat companion for the protagonist. Square Enix will release a physical version on January 28, 2025, which is now also available for pre-order.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/life-is-strange-double-exposure-comes-to-nintendo-switch-today-130005279.html?src=rss