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Games with Gold freebie #IDARB (rick)rolls out early
PSA: An eight-player Xbox One sports-platformer that can summon a pixelated Rick Astley is available right now, and it's free to download for Xbox Live Gold members. I know it's hard to believe, dear reader, but it's not like I'd tell a lie and hurt you. #IDARB interweaves Twitch chat and Twitter hashtag integration with retro side-scrolling multiplayer and a big dose of humor, and it really seems quite nuts. As Joystiq's Danny Cowan describes in his preview, the gameplay is reminiscent of old-school multiplayer classics like NBA Jam, but there are a multitude of crazy twists and turns on tops. Things like arenas filling up with water, everyone turning into clowns and Twitch spectators being able to rickroll you. Despite releasing ahead of its original February window, #IDARB is next month's Games with Gold freebie for Xbox One. It'll stay free for Gold members throughout the month, after which it'll return to its regular price of $15/£12.
Xbox Games with Gold in Feb: IDARB, Brothers, Sniper Elite V2
Heartstrings-tugger Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is one of three Games with Gold freebies for Xbox Live Gold subscribers next month. On Xbox 360 you can grab the Joystiq Top 10 of 2013 puzzle-platformer for zero centage between February 1-14. Then, after taking a deep breath, you can grab Sniper Elite V2 between February 15-28. As revealed last month, #IDARB's pixelated sportsball madness is also free through February for Gold members. The Xbox One eight-player side-scroller has a regular launch price of $15.
The Simpsons skin pack embiggens Minecraft
Minecraft, for one, welcomes its new Microsoft overlords by offering The Simpsons content for Xboxen. The skin pack based on the immortal TV show arrives on Xbox One and 360 in late February, with an asking price of $2. Also, don't take our opening line too seriously; Microsoft says players should "stay tuned" for more about the DLC on other platforms. The pack features the Simpsons family as pixelated above, along with 19 characters from Springfield Elementary. Here's hoping it includes Ralph and Super Nintendo Chalmers - yes, we just wanted to write "Super Nintendo Chalmers." Of course, this isn't the first time Minecraft and The Simpsons have merged into one, uber-popular super-being. Check below the break to refresh your memory.
Avoid a wild hunt for Witcher 2, grab it via Games with Gold now
Just a quick reminder: The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - Enhanced Edition is available now as a freebie for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, thanks to the Games with Gold program. As long as you're a Gold member you can download the dark fantasy RPG at no extra cost, and it's yours to keep even if your Gold subscription runs out. Don't forget, you have until January 31 to grab The Witcher 2 while it's hot and, more importantly, free. The Enhanced Edition of Witcher 2 features the slew of content added to the original PC game, and it's a complete enough way to get bewitchin' ahead of one of 2015's major new releases, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Geralt of Rivia's third game hits Xbox One, PS4 and PC on May 19. For more on The Witcher 2 of Xbox 360, check out Ludwig of Joystiq's deja review. [Image: Sony]
Claire goes back to work in Resident Evil Revelations 2 opening
It's hard to imagine why Claire Redfield of Capcom's Resident Evil universe would put anything other than "I saved you from becoming zombie food" on her resume, but we suppose that's a pretty good attribute when you work for a human rights organization that unravels the schemes of/cleans up the damage made by terrorists using bio-weapons. Unfortunately, being such a high-profile figure also makes you a target, as evidenced by the opening scene of Resident Evil Revelations 2, which you can watch after the break. Historically, Claire has fared well against both helicopters and men with guns, but age catches up to all of us it seems, and the lady Redfield is unable to save her place of business from attack. Community Manager Brelston writes on the Capcom Unity blog that after this scene, Claire and company wake up on a prison island with "little information, no weapons and no clear way home." Well, at least our heroine will be in familiar circumstances when Resident Evil Revelations 2 begins its episodic tale on February 17, 2015.
PSA: SSX free for Gold members on Xbox 360
It's tricky to rock a pun, to rock a pun with SSX. It's tricky. It's tricky, tricky, tricky, tricky. So we didn't. EA Canada's 2012 reboot of the trick-crazy snowboarding series is free right now via Games with Gold. That means Xbox 360 owners with Gold memberships can download the game at no extra cost, and that's for keeps - it doesn't matter if your Gold subscription runs out. SSX will stay free on Games with Gold until the end of the month.
Xbox One gets cozy with Threes and Limbo this week
Xbox One welcomes all moods on December 5 with Limbo and Threes, the next two ID@Xbox entries. Microsoft gifted early Xbox One adopters with Playdead's monochrome misadventure last month, but everyone can purchase the platformer starting Friday. As for numeric puzzler Threes, you can flirt with its figures on the big screen for $7, also on Friday. Limbo is dark, disturbing and more than a bit hostile, but it still earned the full five stars in our 2010 review. If you're after something perkier, Threes combines an esoteric brand of tile-matching with the jazzy, bubbly atmosphere of a lounge party. That may sound like a bizarre mixture, so it's worth reading our Portabliss column to see just why it intoxicated us.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 out just after Jill Valentine's Day
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 reveals some but not all when its first episode launches on February 17, 2015 for PS4 and PS3 in North America. The debut of the four-part series hits Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Steam the following day, as well as the PlayStation Store in Europe and other EMEA territories. The series concludes on March 10 and 11. If you missed the memo on the transition into episodic content, Capcom's sequel spans four weekly episodes priced $6 each (£5/6 euros). In addition to Raid mode content, each episode includes two "playable scenarios" across two campaigns. One campaign is for Claire Redfield and Moira Burton as previously announced, and the other for Moira's pop Barry and new character Natalia Korda. We already suspected a Barry sandwich was on the menu, but you can see his confirmed return in a shiny new trailer below the break.
Tales from the Borderlands rollin', rollin', rollin' out today
The first episode of Telltale's Tales from the Borderlands hits Steam across the globe later today, as well as PS4 and PS3 in North America. Next up are the Xbox One and Xbox 360, with worldwide releases due tomorrow, November 26, and December 3 respectively. Last but not least, PS owners in Europe also join the episodic party on December 3. As for prices, on PlayStations and Xboxen each individual episode is $5. On PSN there's the option to purchase all five episodes in a $20 season pass, while on Xbox Live you can get Episodes 2-5 in a $15 season pass upgrade. On Steam the asking price for the season is $25, which you can bring down to $22.49 with a pre-purchase. Finally, Telltale's previously said the first episode should hit iOS and Android before the end of the year. To see the launch trailer in action, move 'em on and head 'em out past the break. Also, that title is not referencing Limp Bizkit - you guys are just the Durst.
Explore Alaska Native stories with Never Alone's ice climbers
In a week stuffed with all-guns-blazing, triple-A new releases, something like Never Alone is a distinct anomaly. Out now on PS4, Xbox One and PC, it combines challenging puzzle-platforming with a story infused with Iñupiat folklore that comes direct from the source. Co-developers Upper One Games and E-Line Media collaborated with "nearly 40 members" of the Alaska Native community, including elders and storytellers, and the project was funded by the Cook Inlet Tribal Council to ensure its cultural authenticity. The end result is a 2D platformer in which an Iñupiat girl and an Arctic fox struggle against an immense, eternal blizzard as they climb and clamber together through the harsh Alaskan landscape.
Titanfall orders IMC Rising DLC onto Xbox 360 next week
Xbox 360 owners of Titanfall have been left waiting for the metal gear of "IMC Rising," but they can get their revengeance next week when the third and final piece of season pass DLC arrives on October 21. Pilots can buy in for $10 or get it as part of the $25 season pass. IMC Rising, which came to Xbox One and PC last month, includes three extra maps in the form of Backwater, Zone 18 and Sand Trap. Backwater is a mix of open fields, underground grain storage facilities (there's an experience grain joke in there somewhere) and railways up above. Zone 18, meanwhile, is a robotics facility full of passageways to sneak along and rooftops to drop onto. Finally, Sand Trap is a mix of big open areas and tiny little wall-gaps perfect for wall-running and wall-flailing-and-falling-to-your-doom. [Image: EA]
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare set for an October bloodfest
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare should be out on Xbox 360 ready for some Halloween knight-time fun, at least according to a new trailer and Xbox Marketplace listing. Going by the listing, Torn Banner's multiplayer close-combat chaos is available to download on October 28, while a new Xbox-published trailer pins the date as October 29. Who to believe, hmm? In any case, the trailer's narrator proclaims the game's out "this October." Also, chances are October 28 is accurate given it's a Tuesday, the traditional day of the week for new releases on Xbox. Nonetheless, we've reached out to publisher Activision to clarify which date is correct, and to see if the date - whichever one it may be - also applies to the upcoming PS3 version. [Update: A PS3 trailer also pins the date for October 28] By the by, you can check out the trailer's curious take on chivalry below the break.
Axis all areas - Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions out next month
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions plots a course for PS4, PS3 and PC via Steam on November 25, with Xbox One and Xbox 360 launches scheduled for the following day. Activision announced the dates this week, pinning a $15 asking price across all platforms. The surprise return of one the last generation's defining twin-stick shooter series is helmed by Lucid Games, a company comprised of former staff from the defunct original Geometry Wars studio, Bizarre Creations. As the name implies, a major new element in the GW3: Dimensions are the 3D visuals and environments, though in his PAX Prime preview Joystiq's Mike Suszek said fans can expect more of the frantic, chaotic action they're used to. While Mike only got hands-on time with the single-player, Dimensions also features co-operative and competitive multiplayer modes, including face-offs between two teams of four players. [Image: Activision-Blizzard]
Deadly Premonition designer's D4 out on Xbox One tomorrow
Surprise! D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die, the cel-shaded mystery game from Deadly Premonition designer Hidetaka "Swery65" Suehiro, debuts on Xbox One tomorrow, September 19. The $15 downloadable marks the start of D4's episodic series, and Suehiro told Eurogamer it includes the prologue, first and second episodes. Later episodes are due at an undisclosed date. If you've played 2010 psychological horror Deadly Premonition, you'll know some of what to expect from D4. Just as Suehiro's cult hit riffed on the surrealism of Twin Peaks, D4 looks to bring its own batch of weird to the party. You play as David Young, a detective who's lost his memory following the unsolved murder of his wife. However, the amnesic gumshoe has a special power up his sleeve: the ability to travel back to the past by touching certain objects. Check out the launch trailer below the break.
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare dashing onto consoles
The knightly carnage of Chivalry: Medieval Warfare is coming to PS3 and Xbox 360 later this year, with Activision on publishing duties. Torn Banner's melee-heavy multiplayer game is set for the consoles' digital storefronts, but prices and release dates are yet to be announced. Chivalry: Medieval Warfare passed two million units sold in July 2014, which isn't bad for a game that started life as a Half-Life 2 total conversion mod. Back in 2007, Age of Chivalry thrust pikes, clubs and bows into the hands of its Middle Ages warriors, and its first-person, close-combat multiplayer proved a hit. Realizing it was onto a winner, Torn Banner Studios followed it up with the Unreal Engine-based Chivalry: Medieval Warfare which, following a successful $86,000 Kickstarter campaign, made its debut on Steam in 2012. The two consoles may not be the only platforms welcoming the game in the near future, with Torn Banner seemingly teasing Mac and Linux ports "soon." That or penguin paladin DLC. Also, head below the break for a rather brutal new trailer.
FIFA 15 demo starts rolling out today
Like Lionel Messi or an overexcited baby, FIFA 15 is dribbling all over the place this week thanks to the arrival of its demo. Xbox Live Gold members can already take out EA's sim for a kickabout on Xbox One and Xbox 360 (free members can join in starting September 16) and it's also confirmed to be hitting PC later today. Going by PSN tradition, the demo should reach digital stores on PS4 and PS3 later today too. As ever, Euro PS owners have to wait until tomorrow. The demo itself lets up to two players trial with eight club teams, including Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, Boca Juniors, Napoli and Paris St. Germain. It also features a FIFA Ultimate Team demo for those who dream of dream teams.
Under Defeat HD hits Xbox 360 stateside after two years AWOL
So this is a bit of an odd one. Back in late 2012/early 2013, Under Defeat HD came to PS3 and Xbox 360 in Japan and Europe. In North America, Rising Star released the remaster of G.rev's Dreamcast and arcade helicopter shoot-em-up exclusively for PS3. Why? Well, we could speculate, but the answer's unknown. Then this week, around two years later and out of the blue, Under Defeat HD finally hit Xbox 360s stateside via Games on Demand. Despite being a vertical shoot-em-up, Under Defeat is ideally suited for HD widescreen life, as former Managing Editor JC Fletcher explained back in 2012. That HD "New Order" mode - which sadly doesn't have anything to do bizarre love triangles or blue Mondays - is part of the new Xbox 360 version, which is available now to download for $20.
Minecraft PS4 fails certification as August creeps to a close
It's looking unlikely Minecraft will meets its August release window on PS4 after it failed Sony's certification tests. So it's back to the fixing board for 4J Studios, and the team will have to re-submit the game for certification before it can be released. 4J's been busy fixing issues and squishing bugs throughout the month, and not just in the PS4 version but in the upcoming Xbox One and Vita releases too. We've reached out to the studio to confirm a delay, and whether that'll affect just the PS4 version or other platforms too. All three ports are currently due for release this month.
Microsoft abruptly removes Ascend: Hand of Kul from Xbox 360
Free-to-play action-RPG Ascend: Hand of Kul is no longer available on the Xbox 360 after Microsoft discontinued it this week, apparently without informing developer Signal Studios beforehand. In what's seemingly less a case of "So long, farewell" and more Jazzy Jeff leaving the Fresh Prince's house, Signal Studios said the news only surfaced when the team was investigating player troubles from the weekend. "We are deeply saddened by this decision and the impact it has on our community," Signal Studios said on its site while urging players towards the Steam version released in May. The studio didn't note what Microsoft's reasoning was behind the decision, and when we approached the publisher a spokesperson told us Microsoft had "no further comment."
PSA: Battleblock Theater now available on Games with Gold
Made by the creators of Castle Crashers, Battleblock Theater was a game that caught our attention last year. The multiplayer puzzle-platformer/brawler combined great things like evil cats, a snarky and sinister narrator, and the opportunity to kill friends over and over. If you didn't experience it last year and you're an Xbox Live Gold member, you can rectify that by acquiring Battleblock Theater at no extra cost. The game's just replaced Gotham City Impostors on Xbox's Games with Gold program, and so it'll stay free to Gold members until the end of the month. To grab it, head on over to the Xbox Games Store.
