During the Ubisoft Forward Conference, a new gameplay showcase for Star Wars Outlaws debuted.

The gameplay video follows emerging scoundrel Kay Vess on a mission to Tatooine to find an expert gunslinger and convince them to help her upgrade her skills with a blaster. In addition, a game overview trailer for Star Wars Outlaws premiered, providing a look into Kay and Nix’s past, the high-risk jobs they can take on, and the distinct locations they can explore in the open-world Star Wars game.

In the new gameplay video, Game Director Mathias Karlson breaks down one of Star Wars Outlaws’ expert quests. “One of your motivations for exploration is to find elusive experts scattered across the galaxy who will help Kay pick up new skills to survive in the underworld,” Karlson explains. In the video, Kay gathers intel about a gunslinger on Tatooine. As she travels through space from the asteroid field in Akiva’s orbit on her ship, the Trailblazer, we see her come to the aid of a Pyke Syndicate freighter under attack by pirate starfighters; the Pykes are grateful for her assistance, and Kay’s reputation with the syndicate grows and may open up further opportunities with them in the future.

Once on Tatooine, Kay enters a planet where most of the economy is under the control of a different syndicate: the Hutt Cartel. She explores Mos Eisley, the legendary hive of scum and villainy, in search of the gunslinger. Karlson says creating Mos Eisley was a highlight for the development team: “Recreating this iconic city is a dream come true for our team, allowing us to show parts of Mos Eisley you’ve never seen before.”

Kay’s intel leads to a Hutt Cartel storehouse located in the southern hills; unfortunately, she has a poor reputation with the Hutts. They won’t simply let her through the front door – she’ll need to infiltrate the area without triggering the alarm or risk getting into a confrontation. Kay succeeds and finds information on the location of the gunslinger, but now she needs to make her escape, leading her into a shootout before fleeing the scene. At the end of the video, Kay finally meets with the expert gunslinger, Sherriff Quint.

The latest trailer for Star Wars Outlaws details what makes Kay an original scoundrel, the underworld setting, and the galaxy of opportunity that awaits. Kay takes on high-risk, high-reward jobs to earn favour with the galaxy’s most notorious crime syndicates, including the cutthroat Pyke Syndicate, the crafty and cunning Crimson Dawn, amongst others. More of the locations Kay will explore are shown in detail, including the jungle world of Akiva, the ancient city of Kijimi, and the savannah moon of Toshara. There are flashbacks to Kay’s past growing up in Canto Bight, a memory of meeting Nix for the first time, and scenes of Kay hustling and thieving to survive.

Star Wars Outlaws launches on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC via Ubisoft Connect on August 30th, 2024, and can be played up to three days early starting August 27th, 2024 with a Ubisoft+ Premium subscription or by preordering the Gold Edition or Ultimate Edition.

The post NEW STAR WARS OUTLAWS GAMEPLAY TRAILER appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Stubbs The Zombie announced today that his debut game, Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse, is being resurrected once again.

It’s 1959 and the city of Punchbowl, PA, is a beacon of progress and ideal living. As Stubbs the Zombie, you’ll show the living that law and order are no match for a dead man on a mission. Your boyfriend’s back, Maggie, and Punchbowl is gonna be in trouble!

When asked whether it was a remake or remaster, Stubbs shouted into the microphone, “Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse is the greatest zombie game of all time. It will remain flawless and unchanged!”

“Today, I announce my return to Aspyr as CEO, President, Founder, and Community Manager. Any rumors that I have eaten brains (especially those at Aspyr) are falsehoods, fallacies, and obviously big fat lies,” said Stubbs The Zombie, asking to be referred to as Edward Stubblefield.

Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse returns to modern consoles with achievements and modernized controls.

Achieve great feats including:
● That didn’t age well: Complete the painfully slow, forced tutorial
● I make a Pee Pee: Soil the water supply with your finely aged urine
● Get lost: We know you did

“mmrRrr urrrR Rrrrrr GGgRRRr ggrR rAAaAA Rrrrrr rraaaaaA UuRRr grr rRAAAAAaaa GGRR rrraAA uuuRrRrR nuurg UURRr Rrrrrr ara RAA mMMrr ORrRRRR GGgRRRRRR orR nuurg AHHhh OOrR GgRR RrRaaaa RaaaA Gggg ggGgRR nuurg AHHHH Oorr ara rrAa mRr RaAa nuurg AAaHhH UurrRrRR gGRRrRRaraa mmmRrr UrrrRrRr!!,” said Maggie Monday, Head of Brain Consumption at Aspyr Media.

Originally released on the very first Xbox console in 2005 Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse will be released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam), and will be available through backwards compatibility on Xbox Series S|X and PlayStation 5, on March 16th, 2021.

Everyone that works on STG is a volunteer. If you like the site and its contents please think about donating. Even a small amount helps keep the servers running.

The post Be the Zombie. Kick Ass & Take Brains appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Team17 and Studio Koba have revealed the international games label is joining forces to publish the Spanish studio’s debut title, Narita Boy.

The side-scrolling mystical techno-tale, which will release this spring on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One – including on release day with Xbox Game Pass for PC and Console – is a heart-felt love story to the 1980s, featuring a narrative-driven adventure that takes players to a game inside a game, battling powerful bosses and overcoming puzzles in order to uncover the secrets of the Digital Kingdom and – ultimately – its creator.

Narita Boy puts players in the shoes of the eponymous digital warrior chosen to wield the Techno-Sword, a legendary weapon capable of defeating fearsome foes in melee or from afar as it instantly transforms into a shotgun or devastating laser beam.

By using this new weapon and with the help of the Motherboard, the spiritual leader of the Digital Kingdom, players will face corrupted enemies and hulking bosses to save the electronic synthwave world from the invading Stallions, a group of rogue code bent on forced rule and subjugation.

During the journey, players will also explore the memories of the creator that reveals his story, from his early years in Japan, to his creation of – and connection with – the Digital Kingdom.

Narita Boy came to the attention of Team17’s indie games label following Studio Koba’s successful Kickstarter campaign that saw over 5,000 people back the game, leading to it smashing stretch goals.

Everyone that works on STG is a volunteer. If you like the site and its contents please think about donating. Even a small amount helps keep the servers running.

The post Team17 Rewinds to the 1980s appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The next-generation consoles are out, and so are a new range of games that would not have been possible on the now-last generation of consoles.

A powerful demonstration is the new, Xbox Series exclusive (on consoles, anyway) horror-thriller, The Medium. Taking heavy inspiration from earlier titles from the studio, and from late 90s horror, The Medium pushes technical boundaries while staying on relatively safe grounds with its gameplay and story.

The Medium begins with protagonist Marianne finalising arrangements for her adoptive father Jack at their funeral parlour. After preparing him for burial, she enters what she calls the spirit world to send him off from a form of restless purgatory.

She is a medium, able to move between the physical and spirit world at will, helping souls finish up their time on earth. Marianne soon receives a mysterious call however, beckoning her to the abandoned state resort in the Polish countryside, Niwa. It is here that the game mostly takes place, and discovering the story of what happened and how it connects to Marianne is the mystery that you’re trying to solve.

This takes place mostly through linear exploration of the resort, picking up letters, items leftover, and by settling the anxious souls inhabiting the spirit world. The Medium isn’t a difficult game, with limited gates to your progression, and no real combat to speak of. Everything it does do, however, is in service of the story and developing an atmosphere of slow, creeping dread.

It is an upgrade, I feel, compared to previous titles from the developer such as Layers of Fear, which in comparison feels much more like “press forward to feel afraid.” Nevertheless, if you are looking for a Resident Evil style experience, The Medium isn’t going to satisfy that particular niche.

The Medium is a gorgeous game, and the Xbox Series consoles where I mainly played manage to hold up even under the intense load of rendering two highly-detailed scenes at the same time. While the apparent resolution isn’t the highest, each location is highly detailed, with careful attention paid to every environment, even those you run through quickly.

And this is where The Medium’s key trick comes into play. Given the power in the new consoles, The Medium is able to show two different scenes side by side. At times during the story, the game will split, with one side showing the “real” world and the other the “spirit”. Protagonist Marianne will run through both, and this setup will occasionally be used to make some interesting puzzles.

You may need to reach an item in the physical world that is only accessible in the spirit world, for example. I feel like there is potential for some more innovative uses of this mechanic though, and the game ended before I felt like it had been explored fully. Perhaps an opportunity for The Medium 2, perhaps.

One obvious bug though is the presence of unfortunately intrusive frame-pacing on both PC and Xbox Series consoles. Yes, it is running at 30FPS on consoles, and up to and above 60FPS on PC, but the frame-pacing issues are felt as judders and skips as you explore the world.

It didn’t seem to matter if the area was complex or not, the bad frame pacing seemed prevalent throughout my time with the game. I understand that the developers are aware of this issue however, and hopefully it can be fixed in a patch before too many people have to deal with it.

As one of Microsoft’s first big exclusives on the new consoles, it is fantastic to see this be a game that could only realistically be achieved with the additional grunt of the new machines. As a demonstration of what new gameplay opportunities increased technical specifications can open up, The Medium is a welcome addition to Xbox’s gaming library.

Even better, it is on Microsoft Game Pass, so there is a low-cost option to try it out, including on PC. As a game in it’s own right, The Medium is a creepy story that doesn’t overstay its welcome. In an era of bloated open-world AAA releases, the focus on telling one story is refreshing.

Even for players who usually shy away from horror titles, The Medium has much to offer.

The post The Medium (Xbox Series S | X, PC) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

In June 2017, Xbox launched Xbox Game Pass – with the goal of empowering gamers all over the world to discover their next favorite game. They also wanted to use Xbox Game Pass as a platform for developers to introduce their amazing games to millions of new people.

From the beginning, the service was built based on input from gamers who Xbox are always listening to their fan feedback. Xbox Game Pass offers a curated library of over 100 great games, available to download and play at full fidelity, for one low-monthly price. Since launch, they’ve continued to add more diverse titles to the library, including new games from Xbox Game Studios and ID@Xbox partners the same day they release.

Xbox gamer feedback directly contributes to the evolution of Xbox Game Pass and a top request shared from day one is to provide an option to get Xbox Game Pass and the most advanced multiplayer network, Xbox Live Gold, in a single membership.

Today, Xbox are excited to announce Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will include all of the benefits of Xbox Live Gold with Xbox Game Pass. That means the full Xbox Game Pass library of over 100 high quality games, and Xbox Live Gold online multiplayer, in one convenient membership for NZD$19.95 a month. With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, gamers will be able to play together on the most-advanced multiplayer network and discover their next favorite game.

Starting today, Xbox have invited a limited number of the Xbox Insider community members to join and test Xbox Game Pass Ultimate before it launches later this year in current Xbox Game Pass markets.

Xbox looks forward to your feedback and to bringing our members even more choice with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate this year and beyond.

The post Introducing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

At Xbox they are inspired by gamers, being at the core of everything that they do. So, today, they are excited to announce a new choice they are bringing to gamers – the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition.

Consumer appetite for digital content and experiences are stronger today than ever before. Gaming and technology have changed quite a bit since the first Xbox debuted in 2001. During this time, they’ve seen a digital transformation across gaming, music, TV and movies. And closer to home, the success of Xbox Game Pass, which gives members access to over 100 great games, is just another example of how consumers today have grown to expect great digital content. The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition was created for those who prefer to find and play their games digitally and are looking for the most affordable way to play Xbox games.

The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition comes bundled with three of the most compelling and popular games – Minecraft, Forza Horizon 3 and Sea of Thieves. These critically acclaimed titles are sure to offer something for everyone in the family to enjoy.

Those new players joining Xbox can get a head start on their digital collections and discover their next favorite game through Xbox Game Pass. If you haven’t tried Xbox Game Pass yet, the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition comes with a special offer to get started with access to over 100 great games, and with new games being added all the time there will always be something new to queue in your digital library. Cord cutters will enjoy watching 4K HDR entertainment with Netflix, Amazon and more, and thousands of Xbox One games are available from the Microsoft Store digitally.

The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition will be available at select retailers worldwide beginning May 7th, 2019, arriving in New Zealand later this year. More details on local availability and pricing in the coming weeks.

The post Announcing Xbox One S appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Microsoft have achieved the seemingly impossible.

Packing mid to high spec PC components in to an all entertainment console, the Xbox One X. And now, it’s here.

Releasing on the 7th of November, 2017 Xbox fans around the globe will be collecting their pre-orders as Xbox gaming goes in to the real 4K HDR gaming territory.

When the initial Xbox One released back in 2013 the battle began for visual eye candy and indepth play.

Only 4 years on and two Xbox One console versions (also the Xbox One S) the Xbox One X is indeed the world’s most powerful console right now.

A few weeks back STG received a console from Xbox NZ to Unbox and take for a test drive.

Slimmer than it’s predecessor, the size and girth of the X takes steed from the Xbox One S.

The ports are a no fuss, simplistic affair.

The front of the device sees the Bluetooth sync button next to a very handy placed USB 3.0 to the lower right with two more around the back. Two HDMI ports are also there, one naturally to plug directly in to your 4K TV and another as an input for your Cable or Satellite box – making the Xbox One X your one stop media centre.

The very pleasing aspect is that Microsoft have done away with the ‘brick’. The power transformer that was bigger than huge and for some gamers tended to play up or blow up over time.

Microsoft have also done away with all touch functionality on the console.

Again, as with the Xbox One S, the Power On and Bluray disc eject buttons are tactile (clickable).

As for accessories, well there’s not alot in the box, except for the cabling you need and a Xbox One controller, that is not rechargeable.

Xbox appear to be taking a step back from the Kinect days (which is sad really as I still feel that was not explored indepth by developers) with the new and tasty X being compatible with pretty much any Web Cam. True this does mean that you don’t have to shell out a small fortune on a proprietary camera, instead, grab a 4K or similar Logitech USB one and begin streaming and Twitching like a Boss. Instantly.

Inside the black matte finished console is the Scorpio processor (yep you may recall the Xbox One X’s codename).

The Scorpio engine can handle 6 teraflops of data processing at 326GB per second bandwidth. This is either on par or out rivals most gaming PC’s.

A triumphant 8GB’s of RAM will also ensure that there is no lag whether gaming on or offline or executing any other media. It also means that you can multitask real easy, especially with Xbox’s new customisable Dashboard released a month back where you can flip and switch around options without any need to actually ‘exit’ out of anything.

Also builtin is 1TB of storage. With the size of games now this gets gobbled up pretty quick, so make use of an external HDD via one of the USB ports to expand your gaming hoard.

The Xbox One X also has a supreme inner cooling much like a gaming RIG and it’s quiet. Super quiet.

The most favourable aspect for the Xbox for me was always the Instant On function. Console goes in to a hibernation mode until you are ready to play again. The original Xbox One has this function too – but over the years it tended to get more and more hit and miss. Over the last several months the Instant On tended to be like trying to start an old car on a cold morning and it was actually quicker to Power the console down and hope the game had auto-saved.

Naturally with the powerhouse that is the Xbox One X this is seamless and instant.

Audio is interesting however. Microsoft have partnered up with Dolby, and while you can opt to use the ‘Free’ Dolby Atmos, builtin is Dolby 5.1.

I’m hoping with an eventual update (if not restricted by hardware) this is updated to 7.1.

On release date there is a slew of 4K titles on offer, Forza 7, ReCore Definitive Edition, Quantum Break, Gears of War 4, Super Lucky’s Tale for the kids or bigger kids and from third parties, Assassin’s Creed Origins, Call of Duty: WWII, Middle Earth: Shadow of War, Madden 18 and Star Wars: Battlefront II.

The Halos have also had a 4K re-do-over; Halo Wars 2, Halo 3 and Halo 5.

This is really only to touch the surface of what goodness has had a visual overhaul and of course what is yet to come.

Playing Forza 7 on the Xbox One X is noticeably smoother, crisper and sharper. You will notice the difference if you have the driving simulator already for Xbox One and purchase an X to play it on on a 4K TV. If you do not own a 4K TV, not to worry – even still you’ll see and feel the noticeable difference in detail, response and command speed – but of course without 4K you’re not going to get the full experience.

The Xbox One X will work with your Xbox One controller (as mentioned the console comes with a Xbox One controller in the box) and most other accessories that you may already own.

It is also completely backwards compatible – this has always been a big plus for me aswell as the Microsoft Play Anywhere – meaning that first party titles (Microsoft published) will cross play from the Xbox One X to PC (Windows 10).

So, if you did not pre-order, is the Xbox One X worthy of running out and buying from the store if you already own an Xbox One or One S? Is it just a sooped up Xbox One?

Kinda yes, but mostly no.

It does take some design elements and UI from the Xbox One, but it is in no way the same or similar spec to any of its predecessors. As the march of 4K TV’s progresses and eventually we will begin seeing 5K screens as mandatory, also bearing in mind future video game releases and what juice they will need to run smoothly from basically now, yes you do need the X.

See it is an upgrade, or a completely new console. Either way there’s no denying the extraordinary power that gamers now have at the their fingertips, at a push of a button.

The Xbox One X is now.

Xbox One X Launch in New Zealand.

The post Xbox One X Console Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Late 2013 we gamers witnessed the battle of next-gen. With Xbox One and PlayStation 4 releasing with a short gap between them, each vying for our gamer hearts.

In August 2016 the already mighty Xbox One became even mightier with the release of the Xbox One S. Capable of 4K streaming, HDR (High Dynamic Range) delivering crisper, clearer and more indepth gameplay than we had ever experienced before (upscaling, sort of, to a 4K comparison).

The Xbox One also got a make over aesthetically, shearing it’s sleek black finish to a cool matte white – with Xbox One S controller to match. The goodness doesn’t stop there though. The frustration of every console gamer in this current generation of consoles has been digital storage limitations.

The Xbox One S goes (literally) one better than the PS4 Pro (which released 3 months after) and boasts 2TB of internal storage. The Xbox One has always been more digital storage friendly, allowing gamers to add an external hard drive (upto 2TB) in order to expand their gaming hoard. The Xbox One S is no different and still retains the functionality (this means that potentially you can have a 4TB Xbox One!).

Xbox NZ have been super awesome enough to send Shane the Gamer (StG) an Xbox One S. Upon receiving the enticingly boxed unit, we immediately started unpacking.

The contents inside the Xbox One S is simplistic. Xbox One S Console, Xbox One S matching controller, HDMI cable and power cord. Those of you that already have a Xbox One console will notice that the power brick is now gone (thankfully).

On the rear of the console there’s been a few changes. The USB sockets are now laid out together at the rear of the unit, with a third at the front to connect or charge your Xbox One S gamepad. Previously on the original Xbox One S one of the USB sockets resided on the left of the console. So the change in layout makes perfect sense. If you use a secondary TV Streaming unit this can be plugged directly into the console to create an all in one via the SAT/Cable HDMI cable. The HDMI supplied with the console naturally goes in to your (ideally) 4K capable TV.

But, there’s one thing missing… No socket to plug in your Kinect Camera. Microsoft have a solution for this, by way of an adaptor; Xbox One E Adaptor which releases in NZ & AUS on or around the 25th of November 2016. Using this adaptor will, unfortunately, take up one of your USB slots. Why has this been done? Yes there is a reason – to introduce Cortana. This further integrates the Xbox One S with Windows 10 on PC.

Once the HDMI is connected to your Tele and the console is powered up – you’re all set for some HDR Xbox One gaming.

Slightly smaller than the original console, measuring at 13.1 x 10.8 inches – the original Xbox One is a bit heftier at 17 x 14 x 5 inches, making the S around 40% smaller overall.

The buttons on the console have changed, the touch Eject Buttonis gone and is now a tactile one.

The Xbox One S will function (if not better) the same as it’s predecessor and is fully backwards compatible for any Xbox 360 title that is on the Xbox Live Store. It also, of course plays all Xbox One games.

Until we see Project Scorpio (Microsoft next gen console fully capable of 4K) the Xbox One S is the console to own if you are someone who uses your Xbox not only for gaming, but also to watch digital media.

If you are like me and give a depressed sigh everytime you have to uninstall a few games just to play one, the upgraded 2TB drive is a huge selling point.

The Xbox One S is totally designed to be an all in one for all digital media and saying that, with the ample storage, an uninterrupted gaming beast.

The S is certainly where Xbox gaming is at. For now…

The post Xbox One S Unboxing appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Last month, Xbox revealed a new member of the Xbox One family, the Xbox One S. And it has been recently announced to us at StG that the highly-anticipated 2TB Xbox One S launch edition will begin hitting shelves in New Zealand and other regions on August 2nd, 2016. That means that all pre-orders will arrive on August 2nd and, for those of you that haven’t yet, you can still pre-order a 2TB Xbox One S launch edition through microsoftstore.com and select retailers. Availability is limited and demand is high so you’ll want to check with your local retailer for more information and pre-order your console soon.

Xbox One S is the most compact Xbox yet, 40 percent smaller than the original Xbox One, and includes a built-in power supply. We also shifted one of the three USB ports and the pairing button to the front of the Xbox One S alongside the newly added IR blaster for increased accessibility.

Beyond the fresh new design, Xbox One S is the first and only console that allows you to watch Blu-ray movies and stream video in stunning 4K Ultra HD with High Dynamic Range (HDR). That means you’ll get to enjoy your favorite shows and movies in the clearest, most realistic video possible. With HDR support for video and gaming, Xbox One games like Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, and Scalebound will look even better thanks to a higher contrast ratio between lights and darks, bringing out the true visual depth of your favorite games.

Xbox One S also comes bundled with the new Xbox Wireless Controller featuring textured grip, improved Xbox Wireless signal and added Bluetooth support. The controller can be purchased as a standalone item. All Xbox One games, accessories and Xbox Live services will work with Xbox One S.

The 2TB launch edition Xbox One S will be available in limited quantities for NZ$649 on August 2nd, 2016 in New Zealand and the following regions: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and United States. Xbox One S will also be hitting store shelves for additional markets later this year.

With the biggest blockbuster lineup of games in Xbox history coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 this year, platform updates to help you stay connected with friends on Xbox Live with even more games across your favorite devices and more hardware options available, 2016 and beyond is looking to be an incredible time to be an Xbox gamer.

*Bluetooth capabilities require Windows 10 devices running the Windows Anniversary Update

The post Xbox One S Release Date Confirmed! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.