One of the most highly rated titles that's come from Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios publishing in recent is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the 2024 narrative-driven action-adventure game from MachineGames that stars the beloved archaeologist-turned-action hero. The game was a big success for the developer and Xbox, as it received a strong critical reception and drew in millions of players across Xbox, PC, and Xbox Game Pass.

It later came to PS5 in April 2025 and got a well-received DLC in September, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version now scheduled to arrive on May 12. But once the game heads to that platform, what's next for the studio? It's something fans have been wondering for a while now, with many guessing that MachinesGames' next project will be a new Wolfenstein game.

It's a reasonable assumption, given that entries in the gory alternate history World War 2 FPS franchise are what the developer is best known for, and that there hasn't been a new mainline release since 2019's Wolfenstein: Youngblood. Interestingly, though, a new GamesIndustry.biz interview with studio director Jerk Gustafsson reveals it may be something else entirely — though MachineGames will return to the series at some point.

"Our intention has always been to go back to Wolfenstein. We wanted to finish the trilogy. And when we do that, that is something that I don't want to comment on," he noted. "It can be now, it can be later, but we're not done with it. That's what I can say."

Gustafsson went on to note that the positive reception of the studio's work with Indiana Jones was exciting, as it tried something new that ultimately paid off. Thus, the developer is "looking more to see what we can do to innovate and expand" in the genre of "first-person, story-driven titles" like Wolfenstein it's been making since its founding.

Regardless of whether MachineGames' next title is the rumored "Wolfenstein 3" or not, though, what matters most to Gustafsson is that the team is motivated and happy to work on the project. "I think that's the most important part for me, because the team needs to be excited and passionate about the work we do, otherwise we won't be able to deliver a good result," he explained.

He also acknowledged that the studio has to "justify the business side" of whatever its next project is to Xbox and Microsoft, and show that it will ultimately be profitable and successful. Working under the firm, though, has overall been positive in his view, with support work done by MachineGames on id Software's 2025 shooter DOOM: The Dark Ages giving its employees valuable insight on another developer's creative process.

"Often we hear, 'Oh, it would be amazing to be independent,' but it's actually quite nice to be part of a bigger organization in that regard," he said. The team is also inspired to work hard and create something high quality by being part of Xbox's publishing label, because "We can't be worst in class."

All in all, per Gustafsson's comments, it seems an exciting time for MachineGames. Though the studio isn't growing in the traditional sense — Gustafsson says "I like the idea of keeping it as lean as possible," and leans on partner studios when the developer's less-than-200 team members are stretched thin — it's just opened a new office in Sundsvall several hours north of its Uppsala, Sweden headquarters for the employees that live in that area.

That's part of an initiative to encourage working in the office rather than remotely at home, "because we know that we are a lot more efficient and a lot more collaborative in general when we're actually in the office together. It is an improvement in how we operate."

What's your opinion of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the Wolfenstein games, and other MachineGames projects? Do you want the studio to make Wolfenstein 3, or try something new again? Let me know in the comments.

While Xbox and Bethesda Softworks' MachineGames has recently returned from a visit to the world of Indiana Jones, the developer still hopes to revisit its brutal alternate-history Wolfenstein series with a third game.

That's per MachineGames studio head Jerk Gustafsson, who discussed the hopes to see a Wolfenstein 3 during a Noclip documentary discussing the team's work on the rebooted series.

"We have always seen this as a trilogy. That journey for BJ, even during those first weeks at id [Software] when we mapped out New Order, we still had the plan for at least that character, what would happen in the second one, what would happen in the third one," Gustafsson says.

"I think that's important to say because, at least I hope we're not done with Wolfenstein yet. We have a story to tell."

This documentary is part two of a three-part series, with the first entry focusing on the studio's origins and the upcoming (at the time I'm writing this) third portion shining a light on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

MachineGames launched Wolfenstein: The New Order in 2014, reimagining the Wolfenstein series with a gripping plot and an introspective BJ Blazkowicz. The story continued with 2017's Wolfenstein: The New Colossus.

In 2019, the team launched a spinoff, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, which was co-developed with Arkane Lyon. Since then, Wolfenstein has lain dormant, but if Gustafsson's comments are any indication, players can still hold out hope for more in the future.

In 2024, MachineGames released Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, with Todd Howard from the team's brethren at Bethesda Game Studios serving as executive producer on the project.

MachineGames also frequently collaborates with id Software, sharing feedback and technical expertise on the proprietary id Tech engine. For Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, MachineGames opted to develop a fork of id Tech 7 called Motor, which introduced features like ray-traced lighting.

More Wolfenstein please, in games and TV

Naturally, this news is sweet music to my ears. I love the Wolfenstein reboots, and they have some truly phenomenal writing, with lines that still stick with me years later. Plus, reimagining BJ's story as a Jewish resistance fighter against a Nazi regime meant a lot to see.

I won't spoil it if you somehow still haven't played it (what are you doing, go play it) but Wolfenstein 2 in particular has some fierce and tender emotional moments.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was fantastic (it was my GOTY 2024 and I gave it high marks in my review, and I'm currently playing the recently-launched DLC expansion, The Order of Giants), so while I'm cautious about having such a wonderful studio perpetually caught up in work on licensed properties, I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel there.

I've also talked about how much I'd like to see Quake return with a new game, perhaps as a co-developed title between MachineGames and id Software.

Even with all of that, the possibility of Wolfenstein 3 is special. I really, really hope a trilogy pans out and we get one last adventure with BJ killing Nazis.

It would also coincide nicely with the report that a Wolfenstein TV series is in the works. While not official yet, the series is reportedly in development at Amazon MGM Studios, with Jonah Nolan and Lisa Joy of Kilter Films attached to produce.

This is part of the same team that's been behind the hugely successful Fallout TV series. The show garnered over one hundred million viewers as of last October, and a second season is set to premiere on December 17.

Bethesda Softworks and MachineGames' alternate-history Wolfenstein franchise is returning, but not with a new game from the Xbox first-party teams.

That's according to a report from Variety, which wrote on Friday that a Wolfenstein TV series is in development at Amazon MGM Studios for Prime Video. According to Variety, very little is known at this time, with the plot being kept a closely guarded secret. The logline, however, is extraordinarily pointed:

“The story of killing Nazis is evergreen.”

The creative team behind this project includes a fair number of veterans from the Fallout TV series on Prime Video, with Jonah Nolan and Lisa Joy from Kilter Films executive producing the project.

Bethesda Softworks' James Altman is also producing, as is Jerk Gustafsson of MachineGames. Finally, Patrick Somerville is attached as the creator, writer, executive producer, and showrunner on the project.

MachineGames led development on the recent Wolfenstein games, launching Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, and Wolfenstein: The New Colossus in 2014, 2015, and 2017, respectively.

The developers teamed up with sister studio Arkane Lyon for Wolfenstein: Youngblood, which launched in 2019.

These Wolfenstein stories follow an alternate history in which Nazi Germany won World War 2, subjugating much of the world and unleashing atrocities on minorities.

Multiple game adaptations are headed to Prime Video

Last year's Fallout TV series was a smash hit, garnering critical acclaim and quickly becoming one of the most-watched TV series on Prime Video. The adaptation continues the story of the Fallout role-playing game series, headed up by Bethesda Game Studios.

Ahead of the show's second season premiere in December 2025, it's already been renewed for a third season.

Outside of Fallout, Amazon MGM Studios is also working with PlayStation's Sony Santa Monica on a God of War series, with a Mass Effect TV series also in development with BioWare attached.

Another Wolfenstein game would be great to see, huh?

While MachineGames is perhaps still best-known for its work on Wolfenstein, the studio more recently launched Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a story for the iconic adventurer that's set right before the events of The Last Crusade.

With this studio now reportedly working on a Wolfenstein TV series, it'll be interesting to see if Indiana Jones gets another game, or if Wolfenstein is next on the docket.

It's also worth noting that MachineGames opened a second studio in Sweden in 2024, though this team is still staffing up.

Personally, I've loved the Wolfenstein games as well as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, so I'm open to both options.

That said, the Xbox teams saw the increased engagement in the Fallout series when that TV series premiered, and I can't help but wonder if they are exploring options to have a newer Wolfenstein game ready sometime around this TV Series.

No matter what, it'll likely be a bit before we learn more, but I'm intrigued and excited. There are a lot of things you can do with a hatchet and a Nazi. I'll be interested in those possibilities on TV or in a new game.

If you're looking for something to play right now and you enjoy first-person shooter (FPS) games, you'll be happy to learn that one of the best single-player ones from the 2010s is currently free on Xbox consoles and Windows PC with an Amazon Prime membership.

That game is Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, the 2015 prequel to 2014's The New Order that brought the beloved Wolfenstein series — one of the first and most influential shooter franchises — into the modern age. While it retails for $20 normally, it's available to play forever for free on Prime Gaming from now until April 21, 2025 (a full month at the time of writing) for those subscribed to Amazon Prime.

I never ended up playing The Old Blood — I was mainly getting my shooter fix from Halo, Battlefield, and Team Fortress 2 back in 2015 — but I did eventually check out The New Order, and had an absolute blast with MachineGames' reboot. In hindsight, I really should have kept going with The Old Blood, but at least now I can thanks to this offer. If the game is as fun as The New Order, I'll probably get around to trying Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, too (I haven't heard the best things about the 2019 co-op focused Youngblood, though).

For the unaware, Wolfenstein is set in an alternate reality in which Nazi Germany, bolstered by futuristic technological advancements, ended up defeating the Allies in World War II and established a worldwide empire. The New Order follows protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz as he rebels against the regime in 1960, but The Old Blood takes place at the end of the war in 1946 and shows what happens before the Allies' ultimate downfall.

Like most of the other Wolfenstein games, The Old Blood has accrued countless positive reviews over the years, with fans lauding its intense shooter combat, stealth mechanics, and its gritty dieselpunk style that's become iconic at this point. Reviewers and players alike are generally more critical of the story and narrative, but most agree that it's at least serviceable and is an effective vehicle for the action-packed 6-8 hour adventure it sends you on.

All in all, it's a great game to nab for free if you have Amazon Prime, and arguably one of the best Xbox games and best PC games for FPS fans. Some other noteworthy games being offered right now include Mortal Shell, Mafia II: Definitive Edition, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, BioShock 2 Remastered, The Talos Principle, and others, so be sure to have a look through Prime Gaming's list.

• DEAL: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 1-month memberships are just $13.99 at CDKeys, giving you access to Microsoft's service for a steep discount

If you don't have it, something worth noting is that you can still take advantage of Prime Gaming offers with the 30-day free Prime trial Amazon offers to its customers. You'll have to subscribe for $14.99/month if you've used that trial up previously, but doing so might be worth it since Prime gives you free two-day, one-day, or even same-day shipping for millions of items on Amazon's digital storefront, exclusive deals, and access to services like Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Reading, and the aforementioned Prime Gaming.

Note that all the modern Wolfenstein games — including The Old Blood — are also available through Xbox Game Pass, which is Microsoft's buffet-style gaming service. If you don't have Prime but do have Game Pass, you can jump in on Xbox and PC that way. The Old Blood is also just $4.19 at CDKeys, too, so keep that in mind if all you want is the game and aren't interested in a membership with either program.

What you need to know

• Quake 4, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Wolfenstein 3D, and other classic Bethesda and id Software titles have hit PC Game Pass.
• Additionally, several games have arrived on the Microsoft Store, including the free-to-play Quake Champions and games from the Heretic and Hexen series.
• The news coincides with the start of QuakeCon 2022, which is being livestreamed on Bethesda's Twitch channel and will feature presentations on various Bethesda games.

Publisher Bethesda Softworks and developer id Software have announced that several classic Bethesda and id Softworks PC games are being made available to PC Game Pass subscribers. These include Quake 4, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and Wolfenstein 3D, as well as An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire and The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard.

Additionally, several games have also been added to the Microsoft Store. The Elder Scrolls: Arena and The Elder Scrolls Daggerfall — the first two games in the award-winning RPG franchise — are now available for free on the platform, as is 2017's free-to-play multiplayer arena shooter Quake Champions. Heretic: Serpent Riders, Hexen: Beyond Heretic, and Hexen: Deathkings are also now on the Microsoft Store as well, though they're not free-to-play.

Note that while you don't need PC Game Pass to play Quake Champions, subscribers to the service can instantly unlock all of the game's playable Champion characters with a Game Pass perk. This will no doubt be valuable for players that would prefer to skip the grind that's normally necessary to access all of the game's playable characters.

This news coincides with QuakeCon 2022, which is being streamed exclusively on Bethesda's Twitch channel. In addition to plenty of Quake-related discussions and content, the show will also feature several presentations for other Bethesda and id Software games, including Redfall, Fallout 76, The Elder Scrolls: Online, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and more.

PC Game Pass subscriptions are available for $10/month, though you can try out your first month with the service for just $1. Once you're a member, you can download and install games through the Xbox app on Windows.

What you need to know

• Xbox Game Pass is a monthly game subscription service from Microsoft.
• Final Fantasy XV and more titles are joining Xbox Game Pass on Xbox One soon.
• The service seems to be focusing on "AAA" blockbusters now.
• You can purchase an Xbox Game Pass subscription through Amazon.

Updated February 6, 2020: A game called ScourgeBringer has been added to Xbox Game Pass on PC.

Recently, Children of Morta hit Xbox Game Pass on Xbox One and PC. While there was a lot of confusion because there wasn't an official announcement, it was still available to download if you were a subscriber. Turns out, Children of Morta wasn't the only game being added to Xbox Game Pass. Today, Microsoft announced that even more titles are coming to Xbox Game Pass on Xbox One.

Xbox Game Pass on Xbox One is getting Death Squared, Final Fantasy XV, and Wolfenstein: Youngblood. You can read about the titles below that were revealed on Xbox Wire.

Death Squared

The game should join Xbox Game Pass on February 13.

Final Fantasy XV

The game should join Xbox Game Pass on February 6.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

The game should join Xbox Game Pass on February 6.

Apart from the titles listed above, ScourgeBringer just joined Xbox Game Pass on PC. Even though the title is in Xbox Game Preview, be sure to check it out to give feedback. It's unclear if it's going to stay in Xbox Game Pass for PC after launch.

Which titles are you interested in out of these three? Let us know. We would definitely recommend checking out Final Fantasy XV and Wolfenstein: Youngblood.

Xbox

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• What is Xbox Game Pass?
• Best 4K TVs for Xbox Series X and S
• Must-buy Xbox One Headsets
• Our Favorite Xbox One Wireless Headsets
• Best Upcoming Xbox Games for 2021
• Xbox One X vs. Xbox Series S

Wolfenstein: Youngblood hasn't proven itself popular with reviews, both from users and critics. The "experimental" co-operative gameplay typifies contemporary Bethesda, which seems ever-increasingly interested in service type games, crammed with in-game currency and shoe-horned multiplayer. I'm sad to say that Youngblood genuinely feels like a betrayal of the modern Wolfenstein franchise, with exceptionally weak co-op execution, in a similar fashion to Fallout 76.

Youngblood's saving grace is its price point, which at $30, complete with a "friend-plays-free" trial model, can provide some fleeting fun while you wait for this fall's heavy hitters. Let's have a look at the good and the bad of Youngblood.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood: The Good

The best thing about Wolfenstein: Youngblood is, that at least occasionally, it still feels like Wolfenstein. Machine Games and Arkane Studios used the exact same engine, same gameplay, same guns, same mechanics, and same enemies as Wolfenstein II.

Ultimately, if you enjoyed blasting Nazis in Wolfenstein and Wolfenstein II, you're probably going to enjoy blasting Nazis in Wolfenstein: Youngblood. The gunplay remains tight and satisfying, with sci-fi shotguns that can rip enemies into chunks of fascist viscera, and plenty of options for stealth play. On top, Wolfenstein: Youngblood has some new active abilities, thanks to the twin protagonists' power armor, which grants things like temporary invisibility, or boosts to health and armor. When Wolfenstein: Youngblood's combat is firing on all cylinders, it's as thrilling as ever.

Youngblood also, for the first time, allows you to experience the carnage with a friend. You can host games to play with randoms online, or join on a friend. An added bonus of owning Youngblood is, that your friend doesn't need to purchase the game either, which adds plenty of value.

Visually, Youngblood is as impressive and fluid as previous titles, with dynamic 4K resolution on Xbox One X and a buttery smooth 60 FPS. The musical score is also excellent, if limited, with all the crazy sci-fi sound treatment of the previous titles.

Youngblood bakes in some deeper progressionary elements, including levels, talent unlocks, and weapon upgrades. You can kit out your weapons with different attachments to suit the situation, which, if you enjoy that sort of thing, makes its structure a bit more rewarding. The level design is also very good, with many winding paths and different options for infiltration, or frontal assault, promoting different styles of play. The problem is, some of these elements unravel very quickly due to (many, many) failings in other areas.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood: The bad

Wolfenstein: Youngblood just feels like an unfinished, under-iterated game, where intersecting systems either feel clunky, or simply don't work. Structurally, Youngblood feels like it wants to be some kind of loot shooter, complete with a central hub with aggressively basic mission objectives, sending you on repetitive assassination or fetch missions to the same areas over, and over, and over.

The first and second times I traversed an area to complete a side objective, I was still having fun, but by the eighth time, I just wanted the experience to end.

Youngblood tries to keep things fresh with "raid" missions that offer a bit more depth and vague story beats, mostly delivered via radio. Despite starting strong, with a classic Wolfenstein wide-linear mission and those stylish cinematic cutscenes, the quality dips very sharply afterwards, with repetition not far behind it.

It's set almost 20 years after the events of Wolfenstein II, and puts you in the powered mech-boots of BJ Blazkowicz twin daughters. The sibling rivalry between the pair could have been a good opportunity for some deeper story crafting, but instead, Wolfenstein: Youngblood plays down the darkness of its global fascist sci-fi dystopia with childish silliness. It would be less offensive if it wasn't directly core to the franchise's timeline, affecting future games. Without spoiling, Youngblood takes an axe to Machine Games' usual penchant for quality world building, which is a shame.

Wolfenstein always had plenty of dark humor, but it always felt like a side dish rather than the main event, keeping you grounded in the grim reality of its world. Youngblood lacks self-awareness in this case, with the girls' half a dozen lines of cringy pseudo-sibling banter squawking repeatedly hour after hour, while you drudge through the same areas hour after hour, fighting the same enemies over and over.

Silly dialogue, meet silly A.I.

Speaking of enemies, Wolfenstein: Youngblood's attempt to be a loot shooter soft RPG also feels poorly implemented. As you grow in levels and abilities, so too do your enemies. Instead of becoming deadlier, they just seem to get spongier to fight as time goes by, which unravels the very essence of Wolfenstein's frenetic gunplay. The game asks you to use specific weapons to counter specific types of armor. However, if you don't have any ammo for that particular weapon at any given time, because the enemies are so bullet-absorbant, it cuts off the flow at the knees.

I've also died a-plenty due to shoddy team mate AI, throwing grenades at me. The UI has also locked up a few times, also causing me to die. The game also lacks a checkpointing system for missions, so if you lose your three revivals per mission due to a bug, it can be extremely frustrating. Make sure you're playing with a human comrade if you do fancy giving Youngblood a try.

Should you buy Wolfenstein: Youngblood?

Ultimately, Wolfenstein: Youngblood feels more like the product of a shareholder meeting, where non-gamers pushed this idea of turning Wolfenstein into a quasi service-type loot shooter, only without loot. The intersecting gameplay systems fight each other for dominance over the flow of the game, creating a confused experience whose saving grace can only be found in that $30 price point, complete with free access for a friend. The price feels more like an apology than anything else, though.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood feels under-developed in a few ways, but it can provide some fleeting fun when played with a friend, at least while you wait for this fall's bigger — most likely better — titles.

Wolfenstein is back with a cooperative twist as B.J. Blazkowicz disappears and his twin daughters take up the Nazi-hunting mantle as they journey to Nazi-occupied Paris to rescue him. Youngblood is different than its predecessors in a few ways, not just that it focuses on co-op. We have some tips to help you get started and begin your reign of terror.

There are a limited amount of shared lives between Jess and Soph

Wolfenstein: Youngblood may be a co-op game, but you can also play it offline by yourself. Despite this, you'll always have a companion (whichever sister you aren't playing as) whether another player is controlling them or the AI. Because of this, you'll need to keep track of your Shared Lives.

Shared Lives are split between both characters. If either of you get knocked down and bleed out, this will cost a Shared Life. If all of your Shared Lives run out and you both die, you'll be placed back at the beginning of the level.

You can keep track of your Shared Lives by the icons surrounding your sister's portrait on the right side of the screen. Should one of you be downed, you'll want to help the other up, this way you aren't losing a Shared Life. It's similar to Borderland's Second Wind mechanic, except another player needs to revive you and it cannot be done by yourself. These can also be collected through Shared Life crates.

Revive your teammate as soon as possible.

Enemies have levels, don't expect to insta-kill everyone in stealth

Every enemy you see has a number next to their health bar denoting what level they are. The higher the level, the harder they are to kill. There are cases where you will not be able to insta-kill enemies, even in stealth, because you are much lower leveled than they are. You need to pick and choose your battles wisely. Luckily, there are abilities to help mitigate this issue somewhat.

Get the Supersoldat Hunter ability

Under your Muscle skill tree, you'll see an ability called 'Supersoldat Hunter.' Get this as soon as you are able to afford it after you've leveled up a couple of times. It enables silent takedowns on Supersoldaten, which are stronger Nazis that usually require a bit more firepower to kill.

Related to that, you can also throw melee weapons to silently take down enemies from afar. You do this by clicking the right thumbstick. It should be noted that you will not be able to throw your melee weapon right when you begin the game because it is your only one. You'll need to find extra throwable weapons before you can do this.

Certain enemies have different types of shields that can be depleted faster with corresponding ammo types

You'll notice that more powerful enemies have white blocks next to their health bars. These are their shields. Depending on what type of shield they have (hard or soft), you'll need to use corresponding ammo types to tear through them quicker. You can find which ammo type is better suited for a particular enemy by checking which icons it has next to it in your weapon wheel or at the bottom right corner of your screen. They will either be slimmer white rectangles or larger white squares.

Ammunition is pretty abundant, so don't waste your early skill points on abilities that boost your chances of finding it

You're able to purchase abilities that improve your chances of looting ammo off of corpses, but this is an unnecessary skill in the opening hours. Ammo is abundant through most levels (at least on Normal difficulty). You should find more than enough ammo off of bodies and in lockers without needing to resort to boosting your chances. And once you unlock the catacombs base later in the game, you can refill your ammo there. Don't waste your skill points on it.

Always be on the lookout for silver coins, life crates, and floppy disks

I touched on the Shared Life crates previously, always be on the lookout if you've lost one or more and are on your last life. Other items you should look for are silver coins and floppy disks. Silver coins are the in-game currency that you'll use to upgrade your weapons, another thing you'll want to do early and often. Floppy disks have door codes on them that can unlock secret areas of the map, which usually have a treat or two for those who can find it.

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Talon PDP Xbox media remote ($20 at Amazon)

The Talon PDP Xbox media remote is great for watching shows on your console.

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What you need to know

• Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a first-person shooter which launched today.
• The game takes place many years after the events of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.
• Your goal is to go around and shoot as many Nazis as possible, of course.
• You can purchase it for $30 on the Microsoft Store.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is the sequel to Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. The game takes place decades after the events of the first game and follows B. J. Blazkowicz twins. Their father has gone missing and it's up to them to find him.

Taking place in France, the game has you take up arms against the Nazis once again, killing them down in some insanely violent ways. Luckily, Wolfenstein: Youngblood features online co-op so you can team up with a friend.

You can purchase Wolfenstein: Youngblood for $30 on Amazon or the Microsoft Store right now. The game is Xbox One X Enhanced and runs at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second on the system. In order to preserve frame rate, the title employs dynamic resolution. However, you have the option to turn it off if you want crystal-clear image quality.

There's a $40 Deluxe Edition available as well which contains numerous cosmetic items. You can buy additional skins through microtransactions.

Excellent and affordable Xbox accessories

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PowerA Play & Charge Kit for Xbox One ($15 at Amazon)

This charging kit keeps your Xbox One wireless controllers juiced up, and it offers batteries for two controllers. At just $15, this is hands-down our favorite budget charging companion.

ElecGear 4 Port USB Xbox One S Hub ($19 at Amazon)

This brilliant little USB splitter hub attaches perfectly to the side of your Xbox One S console. It's ideal for use with chargers, controllers, headsets, and more.

Controller Gear stand ($13 at Amazon)

Proudly display your Xbox gamepads with this stylish and functional stand. The licensed design is minimalist and black, and it has a hidden storage compartment, making the price of $13 a real steal.

What you need to know

• Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a first-person shooter which should launch this week.
• The game takes place many years after the events of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.
• The launch trailer focuses on the crazy action.
• You can preorder it for $30 on the Microsoft Store.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is an upcoming co-op first-person shooter from MachineGames. The team successfully rebooted the Wolfenstein franchise and managed to tell powerful stories through Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. The studio's new game seems to take a similar approach, even though it's a little lighthearted in terms of dialogue.

The game launches on Friday, but publisher Bethesda just dropped the game's launch trailer. Aside from the quick recap at the start, the majority of the footage focuses on the shooting mechanics. Wolfenstein: Youngblood is filled with a lot of action, and you'll be killed thousands of Nazis along the way.

Unlike Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Wolfenstein: Youngblood is more of a continuation of the "AAA" game. That's why you can get it for $30 instead of $60. Luckily, it's supposed to have the biggest campaign in a Wolfenstein game to date.

Xbox accessories you'll love

Every one of these quality accessories is guaranteed to enhance your Xbox experience.

PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox One ($20 at Amazon)

PowerA's take on the Xbox One controller is an attractive pickup for budget-conscious gamers that nails all the basics.

Talon PDP Xbox media remote ($20 at Amazon)

The Talon PDP Xbox media remote is great for watching shows on your console.

Xbox One S vertical stand ($10 at Amazon)

Stand your console upright with this accessory.

What you need to know

• Wolfenstein: Youngblood got a new trailer at Bethesda's E3 2019 press conference.
• The trailer offers another look at the Blazkowicz twins and the Nazi-killing journey they embark on.
• Wolfenstein: Youngblood is set for release on July 26, and it's available to preorder now for $25.

We're quickly approaching Wolfenstein: Youngblood's July 26 release, and Bethesda hit the stage at E3 2019 to show off some more gameplay footage ahead of launch. The latest trailer for the upcoming game gives us another look at the monumental task the Blazkowicz twins will face: finding their father.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood takes place in the 1980s, and it finds the Blazkowicz twins embarking on a search for their father, previous Wolfenstein protagonis B.J. Blazkowicz. Taking place in France, the game has you take up arms against the Nazis once again, taking them down in some insanely violent ways. In Youngblood, you'll also be able to team up with a friend and play the game co-op.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is set for launch on July 26. You can currently preorder the game now for $25 at Amazon (normally $30).

A few months ago, Bethesda announced Wolfenstein: Youngblood to gamers around the world. The game is set in the distant future where B.J. Blazkowicz has gone missing and it's up to you to find him. Luckily, you have help this time around. According to the publisher, "Wolfenstein: Youngblood is the series' first modern co-op game," and is going to release on July 26 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

The past two Wolfenstein games — in the alternate universe timeline — feature linear levels, but Wolfenstein: Youngblood aims to change that. It's being co-developed by Arkane Studios, the team behind titles like Dishonored and Prey. According to an interview compiled by WCCFtech in the Official PlayStation Magazine, Wolfenstein: Youngblood will feature "open-ended" levels like Dishonored. Executive Producer Jerk Gustafsson said the following when speaking with the outlet.

It's great to see that Wolfenstein: Youngblood will feature open levels. The ability to explore large environments enhances immersion because you feel like you're part of this world. Hopefully the story will also stand out despite its "lighter" nature.

Are you interested in the game? Let us know. Keep in mind that Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a smaller game that Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. This is why it starts at $30 instead of $60 like a standard "AAA" title.

Excellent and affordable Xbox accessories

Up your Xbox experience with one (or all) of these budget accessories, all of which are approved by the gamers of Windows Central.

PowerA Play & Charge Kit for Xbox One ($15 at Amazon)

This charging kit keeps your Xbox One wireless controllers juiced up, and it offers batteries for two controllers. At just $15, this is hands-down our favorite budget charging companion.

ElecGear 4 Port USB Xbox One S Hub ($19 at Amazon)

This brilliant little USB splitter hub attaches perfectly to the side of your Xbox One S console. It's ideal for use with chargers, controllers, headsets, and more.

Controller Gear stand ($13 at Amazon)

Proudly display your Xbox gamepads with this stylish and functional stand. The licensed design is minimalist and black, and it has a hidden storage compartment, making the price of $13 a real steal.

Many months ago, Bethesda announced Wolfenstein: Youngblood. Wolfenstein: Youngblood is set in the distant future where B.J. Blazkowicz has gone missing and it's up to you to find him. Luckily, you have help this time around and won't have to wait too long. Wolfenstein: Youngblood, the series' first modern co-op game, is going to release on July 26 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood has been available on Amazon for quite some time, but it's now up on the Microsoft Store as a digital preorder. Those who preorder the game will receive additional cosmetic bonuses through the Wolfenstein: Youngblood Legacy Pack. Legacy Pack owners will gear up with some of B.J. Blazkowicz's most iconic outfits and weapons from the Wolfenstein franchise.

Standard Edition

The Standard Edition only comes with the base game, and doesn't include the "Buddy Pass" so your friends will have to buy the title to play it with you.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood - Standard Edition costs $30.

• See at Amazon
• See at Microsoft Store

Deluxe Edition

The Deluxe Edition includes the Buddy Pass, allowing you and a friend to play the entire game together, even if they don't own the game themselves. The Deluxe Edition also comes with a suite of cool cosmetic bonuses, including the Cyborg Skin Pack, providing the sisters with sleek and intimidating titanium alloy versions of their power suits, guns, combat knives, and hatchets.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood - Deluxe Edition costs $40.

• See at Amazon
• See at Microsoft Store

Wolfenstein: Youngblood also features Xbox One X enhancements. According to the Microsoft Store listing, the renders at 4K resolution on the console. Just like Wolfenstein: The New Colossus, the title probably uses a dynamic resolution to maintain 60 frames per second gameplay.

Dishonored 2 and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus are both critically-acclaimed experiences, but they failed to break records when it came to sales. Due to this, many gamers thought that a sequel to Dishonored 2, or another chapter in the Wolfenstein saga, might've been put on hold.

In an interview between Metro GameCentral and Pete Hines, Bethesda's Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Communications, provided some answers. When Hines was asked about Wolfenstein III and the rumors that it was shelved, he said, "Absolutely we're making a Wolfenstein III. MachineGames said on stage that they're taking a break from the larger story to do Wolfenstein: Youngblood. But we all have to see how that ends."

His response to whether there would be another Dishonored game was even clearer. Hines stated the following.

Hopefully this should put the rumors to rest. It's clear that the games won't be out for a number of years. Hopefully by that time Bethesda will figure out ways for them to appeal to more gamers.

Keep an eye on WindowsCentral.com/Gaming for all the latest in Xbox and Windows 10 gaming, accessories, news, and reviews!

Following on from my demonstration at Gamescom 2017, I've been lucky enough to play through the first full two hours of Wolfenstein II's campaign, and I can't wait to blast, slice, and stab my way through the rest of the story – but not until I've told you about it.

If Wolfenstein II maintains this level of quality throughout its entirety, it could prove itself to be shooter of the year.

• See at Microsoft Store
• See at Amazon

Wolfenstein 2: A story that's brutal from the first minute

Wolfenstein II is the sequel to 2014's sleeper hit, Wolfenstein: The New Order. Machine Games and Bethesda rebooted the classic franchise to near-universal praise, bringing deep story telling into Wolfenstein's signature brand of ultra-violence. It seems as though The New Colossus continues that wonderful tradition, blending thoughtful story telling and teeth-clenching action that makes the franchise such a legendary staple of the genre.

During the game's opening, it quickly recaps the events of the first game for those who haven't played (but seriously, go play it. Following the events of the first game, William "B.J." Blazkowicz is seen being hauled on a stretcher, violently mauled by an explosion towards the end of The New Order. Right from the get go, Wolfenstein II pulls no punches whatsoever.

B.J. drifts in and out of consciousness, expecting to die. During these scenes, we get a glimpse of Blazkowicz' childhood and back story, which is immediately some of the most shocking scenes I've endured in a game. I don't want to spoil the impact of some of these sequences, but it's not often you will encounter video game characters as hateable as the ones depicted early on in Wolfenstein II.

Wolfenstein II forces you to relive the decision from the beginning of The New Order, too, as the timeline you choose will continue to affect the story. B.J., of course, was forced by the previous game's central evil to choose which of his companions would die. The survivor continues the fight in Wolfenstein II, changing the tone of conversations, and even events, throughout the game.

B.J. spends five months writhing in a hospital bed, with wounds and injuries that should have killed him. Frau Engel, now General Engel, launches an attack upon the resistance U-boat stolen from the first game. And you're thrown into the first level with nothing but a machine pistol, and a wheelchair.

Non-stop Nazi slaughter bloodbath

The New Colossus salivates at every opportunity to remind you what makes Wolfenstein so viciously satisfying. Machine Games presents its violence like a grand all-you-can-eat buffet of spectacular environmental traps, insane retro-futuristic weaponry and all-new contextual melee kills.

The first levels are littered with microwave fields which can be toggled on and off at will. Just be careful you don't step in them, you will be turned inside out and vaporized in a shower of sparks and blood. Some of Wolfenstein II's particle and lighting effects are stunning, sending molten metal and armor bouncing across the floor, and some of the game's new weaponry makes exceptional use of this tech.

The Lasergewehr and Laserkraftwerk join a menagerie of deadly devices B.J. can use to melt and murder Nazis. The Lasergewehr emits a screeching beam of red plasma that scorches cover, armor, and flesh, turning Nazis into fleshy piles of detritus. The Laserkraftwerk almost feels like an homage to Unreal Tournament's Instagib rifle, which is a portmanteau for Instant Giblets in reference to instant-kill weapons from the likes of UT99 and Quake. The Laserkraftwerk emits a jet of searing light that vaporizes Nazis in a cloud of gore, and it's simply sublime.

Of course, B.J.'s regular ensemble of deadly instruments returns for the party too, from shotguns, assault rifles, and more, but as exemplified by the Laserkraftwerk, they're joined by some new toys.

In what appears to be an evolution of the melee combat from The New Order and Wolfenstein's standalone DLC, The Old Blood (which you should also play, B.J. can now loot axes from around the game's facilities and locations. He always keeps one with him, to smash open crates and chop Nazi limbs off in close-quarters take down moves, but additional ones can be used as throwing weapons for silent take downs.

Wolfenstein II allows you to approach combat very similarly to the first game. Exploring locations not only reveals hidden caches of health packs, armor, and ammo, but also collectible items and world-building paraphernalia, including diaries and letters.

You can gain insight into the warped philosophies of the Reich, as they reconcile their fervid nationalism with foreign American culture. You can also use stealth and exploration to gain the upper hand in combat, sneaking behind enemy patrols, taking out commanders, and setting up traps. Regardless of the approach I've taken, so far, it's been nothing short of non-stop blood-drenched fun.

Early signs are overwhelmingly positive

The early signs for Wolfenstein II are incredibly positive. The combat is tight, the visuals are stunning and well-optimized for smooth 60 FPS on Xbox One, and if the opening sequences are any indication, the story seems as though it could be an even wilder emotional rollercoaster than the first.

Is it possible they've front-loaded the game with all of its best moments? I highly doubt it given Machine Games' track record, but stay tuned for our full review later this week.

Wolfenstein II launches on Xbox One, PS4, and PC on October 27, 2017. It will also enjoy visual enhancements on the Xbox One X.

• See at Microsoft Store
• See at Amazon

Machine Games' eye-watering follow-up to 2014's Wolfenstein: The New Order launches on October 27, 2017 for Xbox One and Windows PC. The original rebooted the classic series widely credited with kick-starting the entire first-person shooter (FPS) genre.

Wolfenstein revolves around an alternate timeline where the Nazis won World War 2 leveraging superior technology and, sometimes, occult artifacts. The only thing standing in their way is B.J. Blazkowicz, an American soldier with an unprecedented affinity for high-octane Nazi slaughter.

While previous entries in the series have been primarily action-oriented, Wolfenstein: The New Order had a surprisingly deep, and touching story, with strong characters, fairly open level designs, and stealth mechanics. In my play session with Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus at Gamescom 2017, I discovered that Machine Games appear to have dialed all of the previous game's best features up to 11.

Visual and Setting Making HDR essential

I have an Xbox One S and a HDR-capable set, but never really felt HDR was particularly exciting until I went eyes-on with Wolfenstein II, that is. I played Wolfenstein II at 4K resolution, 60 FPS, on a HDR monitor running on PC. I was told the experience was indicative of what we can expect on the Xbox One X when it launches this November.

I don't think anyone is going to be disappointed with the way Wolfenstein II looks, regardless of platform. The art direction is resoundingly well-executed, but also meticulous in finer details. One part of my demo took place in that now-infamous Roswell level from one of the game's recent trailers. Parade confetti littered the air, splitting the HDR bloom to vivid effect. NPCs chatted away, giving the level a sense of depth and world-building typically reserved for story-driven adventure games. America has been overthrown by the Nazi regime, and the Roswell citizens accepted their occupation with fear and forced jubilation, as Ku Klux Klansmen mingled freely in public.

Wolfenstein II's world is familiar, twisted by the lens of sickening Nazi ideology. Nazi officers parade the streets, berating citizens for their weak attempts at German pronunciation, and American culture in general. The relatively small slice I got to play through was dripping in commentary, both blatant and subtle. For all the Nazi rhetoric about cultural purity, a jaunt through some Wehrmacht barracks reveal a hypocritical love for American food and entertainment. Beyond the cutscenes and cinematics, there's plenty of narratives presented through the game's design, for those willing to look.

For all its visual prowess, Wolfenstein II is about Nazi slaughter, and no games really do it better than this franchise.

Peeling the armor from a hulking Nazi mechanical monstrosity to reveal the mutated human inside is a satisfyingly grotesque experience. Pumping Nazi's full of lead with their own experimental weapons feels as great as ever, and the whole experience was elevated by some incredible HDR features.

I've never really cared for HDR, until now. This game felt designed for it. Lazer weapons at 1000 nits of brightness simply look breath taking, and the environment is designed to complement. Shredding through an enemy with a gigantic heavy laser rips through metallic objects sometimes, sending thousands of HDR sparks onto every surface, giving the game a real sense of 3-dimensional depth. Truly, to really get the best from this game, you're going to need an HDR screen and a capable system.

Wolfenstein II simply looks stunning, with authenticity and intensity pushed to the extremes with 4K resolution, 60 frames-per-second fluidity, and eye-watering HDR. But how does it play?

Gameplay Axe-slinging absurdity

Wolfenstein: The New Order was particularly surprising for its eclectic cast of memorable villains and relatable characters, and many of them return in Wolfenstein II. Frau Engel returns from the previous game, scarred by events in the first. The cinematography in Wolfenstein II remains impressive. Engels was introduced with her face purposefully obscured by objects and camera angles, to emphasize the impact of her previous encounter with B.J. Blazkowicz.

Even in the brief hour I had with the game, the absurd, but relatable characters conjured memories of Metal Gear Solid, where Hideo Kojima's own brand of character delivery remains one of the franchise's most powerful aspects. So many video games get villains wrong, but Frau Engel remains as terrifying and psychotic as the previous game, with a particularly ravenous lust to kill B.J. and his comrades. B.J.'s having none of it, though.

Wolfenstein II gives you a huge arsenal of deadly weaponry to leverage against the new Reich, with many returning staples, often inspired by real WW2 weaponry. You have standard assault rifles and powerful shotguns, with the option to dual wield if you need to take down more powerful foes. Bethesda gave me hands-on with missions that took place in both Roswell, New Mexico, and aboard a stolen sea vessel, used by B.J. and his comrades as a base. Both demonstrations gave me a rewarding amount of variety to play with, even if the full game will have much more.

B.J. comes equipped with a couple of throwing tomahawk axes, which provide DOOM-like contextual melee kills and opportunities for silent, stealth takedowns. Wolfenstein II isn't a full-blown stealth game, but eliminating as many enemies as possible before all hell breaks loose certainly doesn't hurt. All of these kills come with gruesomely satisfying conclusions; sever Nazi limbs with reckless abandon.

Beyond Wolfenstein II's core gameplay, it seems as though Machine Games are keen to inject lots of unique mechanics into the mix. The first level I played aboard the sea vessel, B.J. was confined to a wheelchair, having woken up in a hospital bed with grave injuries. Indeed, B.J.'s health was permanently cut, down to 50, from 100 in the previous title. To make up for it, B.J. ends up with cybernetic enhancements, using the Nazi's own tech against them.

Wheeling yourself around the ship is debilitating and shines a spotlight on B.J.'s tortured body. The controls all feel familiar, with leaning mechanics and dual-wielding as mentioned, with the responsiveness and fluidity you expect of a Wolfenstein game. Albeit, in this level, handicapped by B.J.'s physical condition.

Thankfully, in this level, the ship had been outfitted with microwave wall booby traps, which B.J. could turn on and off at will, luring Nazis to their deaths. As you might expect, the results of walking through one of these microwave fields are pretty spectacular, raining gore like a jam-filled piñata. Glorious.

The game is filled with all sorts of new enemies. The leap in time led to a leap in technology for the Nazi occupation. All sorts of mechanized horrors, mutated beasts, and, of course, cyborg hounds hunt for B.J.'s neck. But, he's not alone.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus seems set for greatness

A rebellion is growing in Nazi occupied America, and it's up to B.J. or "Terror Billy" as the propagandists deem him, to inspire and lead the revolution against global tyranny.

Wolfenstein II in 4K HDR looks truly stunning, and since moving back to the HD Wolfenstein: The New Order on Xbox One, the difference is unmistakable, and quite remarkable. If Wolfenstein II looks anything like my PC demo on Xbox One X, it should be a truly awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping showcase for 4K and HDR.

It looks as though Machine Games might have done it again, raising expectations of what a first-person shooter can truly be. We'll only have to wait until October 27, 2017 to find out.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus launches on October 27, 2017 for Xbox One and PC.

• See at Amazon
• See at Xbox Store
• See at GMG (Steam PC)

Bethesda has now revealed what we can expect from Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus' DLC content, as well as the season pass. In all, Bethesda plans to ship 4 new story chapters that will see players filling the shoes of a trio of new characters.

Collectively called Wolfenstein II: The Freedom Chronicles, the DLC will kick off with what Bethesda is calling Episode Zero. In it, you'll be introduced to the three freedom fighters that you'll play as through the other three DLC packs to follow. Those include:

• The Adventures of Gunslinger Joe – As former professional quarterback Joseph Stallion, smash through Nazi hordes from the ruins of Chicago to the vastness of space!
• The Diaries of Agent Silent Death – As ex-OSS agent and assassin Jessica Valiant, infiltrate Nazi bunkers in California and discover the secrets of Operation San Andreas!
• The Amazing Deeds of Captain Wilkins – As the US Army's renowned hero Captain Gerald Wilkins, embark on a mission to Nazi-controlled Alaska to dismantle Operation Black Sun!

All of this content will be included as part of the game's season pass, which will be available for $24.99. Additionally, Episode Zero will be available for free for anyone who preorders Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. There's no release timeline available for the content just yet, but Bethesda says it will have more information, including gameplay details, soon.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is set to launch on October 27, and it's available for preorder now for $59.99. The game once again sees you filling the shoes of BJ Blazkowicz as you fight for freedom in Nazi-occupied America.

Preorder at Amazon

Bethesda has outed a new trailer for Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. And while this one isn't packed full of the action and gunplay the series is known for, it does ratchet up the tension over four minutes and a strawberry milkshake. Check it out below:

The diner scene was a small part of the original announce trailer for the game at E3, but this is a neat longer look at what feels like will be a memorable part of the game. Just look at how tasty that strawberry milkshake is!

Milkshakes aside, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus will take the fight to Nazi-occupied America following the events of the game's predecessor, Wolfenstein: The New Order. Taking place in 1961, the game will see protagonist BJ Blazkowicz teaming up with a resistance group to take down the Nazi regime and lead a "second American Revolution."

The game will also be Xbox One X Enhanced, sporting support for 4K resolution.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is set for an October 27 release on Xbox One and you can preorder it now for $59.96.

Preorder at Amazon

During its E3 2017 presentation this evening, Bethesda ventured back into the world of Wolfenstein with the latest title in the series, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Throughout the reveal trailer, we get a look at the game's new setting in Nazi-controlled America, where the seeds of a budding resistance are being sown. Check it out below:

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus picks things back up picks things back up with BJ Blazkowicz, the eternal face of the franchise, years after his assassination of General Deathshead in 2014's Wolfenstein: The New Order.

The New Colossus will take you on a romp across the Unites States, battling the Nazi regime in a variety of locations such as Roswell, New Orleans, and New York. Powering the visuals is the id Tech 6 engine, which is the same tech behind the stellar-looking DOOM from 2016.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is due for release on October 27 on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Preorder at Amazon

This week's Deals with Gold promotion includes discounts on Forza Horizon 2, The Elder Scrolls Online, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood and other titles for the Xbox One. Several Xbox 360 games are heavily discounted in the spotlight sale as well.

Xbox One:

• Forza Horizon 2 and Forza Motorsport 5 Bundle - $71.49 - Xbox One Store
• Forza Motorsport 5 Car Pass - $19.99 - Xbox One Store
• Infinity Runner - $3.49 - Xbox One Store
• TEMBO THE BADASS ELEPHANT - $13.49 - Xbox One Store
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited Premium Edition - $76.37 - Xbox One Store
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited Imperial Edition - $53.59 - Xbox One Store
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited - $40.19 - Xbox One Store
• The Evil Within Season Pass - $13.39 - Xbox One Store
• Wolfenstein: The Old Blood - $14.99 - Xbox One Store
• DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin - $35.99 - Xbox One Store
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse - $40.19 - Xbox One Store
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse + Season Pass - $56.94 - Xbox One Store

Xbox 360:

• Max Payne 3 - $4.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• L.A. Noire - $7.49 - Xbox 360 Store
• Red Dead Redemption - $7.49 - Xbox 360 Store
• Midnight Club: LA - $3.74 - Xbox 360 Store
• Bully Scholarship Edition - $3.74 - Xbox 360 Store
• Forza Horizon - $9.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• Forza Horizon Season Pass - $4.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• Evil Within Season Pass - $13.39 - Xbox 360 Store
• Doom - $2.49 - Xbox 360 Store
• Doom II - $2.49 - Xbox 360 Store
• Quake Arena Arcade - $2.49 - Xbox 360 Store
• Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall - $4.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches - $4.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage - $2.49 - Xbox 360 Store
• Fallout 3: Broken Steel - $2.49 - Xbox 360 Store
• Fallout: New Vegas – Gun Runners Arsenal - $1.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• Call of Duty: Black Ops - First Strike - $11.24 - Xbox 360 Store
• Call of Duty: Black Ops - Escalation - $11.24 - Xbox 360 Store
• Call of Duty: Black Ops - Annihilation - $11.24 - Xbox 360 Store
• Call of Duty: Black Ops - Rezurrection - $11.24 - Xbox 360 Store
• Ace Combat – Assault Horizon - $4.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• Armored Core – Verdict Day - $6.79 - Xbox 360 Store
• Beautiful Katamari - $4.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• Dark Souls II - $19.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• Digimon All-Star Rumble - $17.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse (DBX) - $33.49 - Xbox 360 Store
• Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z - $17.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection - $9.89 - Xbox 360 Store
• Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi - $9.89 - Xbox 360 Store
• Enslaved - $3.74 - Xbox 360 Store
• Eternal Sonata - $5.09 - Xbox 360 Store
• Galaga Legions DX - $3.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• MotoGP 14 - $13.59 - Xbox 360 Store
• MXGP - $13.59 - Xbox 360 Store
• Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja STORM Revolution - $24.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX+ - $3.39 - Xbox 360 Store
• PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures - $4.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures 2 - $19.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• PAC-MAN Museum - $4.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• Ridge Racer Unbounded - $3.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• Soulcalibur II HD Online - $4.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• Soulcalibur V - $3.74 - Xbox 360 Store
• Star Trek - $7.49 - Xbox 360 Store
• Tales of Vesperia - $3.74 - Xbox 360 Store
• Tekken Tag Tournament 2 - $4.99 - Xbox 360 Store
• Xevious - $2.99 - Xbox 360 Store

Anything strike your fancy this week?

Source: Major Nelson

Last week was a dry week as far as retail Xbox game releases. But both Xbox One and 360 got the phenomenal downloadable puzzle/shooter Super Time Force, so nobody should have complained too much. All of you FPS guys need to step out of your comfort zone and give it a try – you won’t be disappointed. Oh, but First-Person Shooter fans do have reason to celebrate this week. ..

Wolfenstein: The New Order from Bethesda and Machine Head Games has finally arrived on the Xbox One and 360! The latest entry in the series that basically started the FPS genre (yes, it preceded Doom and even Call of Duty!) is a single-player tour-de-force. And Xbox 360 gamers have a more lighthearted downloadable game to play now - Max: the Curse of Brotherhood. Read on for details and exclusive Wolfenstein screenshots!

Wolfenstein: The New Order

I really wanted to capture a video of the opening moments of The New Order, but I experienced some audio issues when using my capture box so we’ll just rely on screenshots and text. Like they did in the old days!

The New Order starts out during a decisive battle of World War II. The Allies are making one final push against the Axis stronghold. Somehow the Nazis have managed to spread and conquer Europe at an unimaginable rate. If our heroes can’t stop the mysterious Nazi leader known as Deathshead, the war will end with Nazis ruling the world.

 The setting unfolds organically as series star William “B.J.” Blazkowicz wakes up in the cockpit of an airplane taking part in the Deathshead run. As the player, you’ll have to put out a fire and unload some cargo in order to keep your plane in the air. You’ll then hop into the cockpit in order to fight off some extremely unusual Nazi fighters – planes so advanced, they shouldn’t exist during that era.

Having shot down their attackers, B.J. and his pilot are soon forced to abandon their plane by jumping onto the wing of another one! This sequence is intense, but also a tad frustrating. You have to make a running jump for the ally plane’s door and reach it without getting blown away by the wind. The jump took me several tries to get right, each preceding attempt ending in death. But you respawn right before the jump if you fail, so it’s not as frustrating as it could be.

Even having boarded the friendly plane successfully, the new plane soon goes down. B.J. awakens in the water, where many of his fellow soldiers are floating dead. He escapes onto the beach only to be chased by a man-sized mechanical panther! This robot is one of the advanced pieces of technology that has allowed the Nazis to nearly win the war. Players will have to sneak around the panther and find a turret from which to blast it. B.J. then finds a gun and joins his surviving teammates in the fight…

But that’s only the beginning. The Axis does win the War in the game’s alternate history. Players will have the choice of saving the lives of two different characters early in the game. Each choice provides a unique game experience and story changes, doubling the replay value.

The New Order also features a cool perk system in which completing specific actions unlocks gameplay bonuses, hidden collectibles that will unlock a new mode or two, and five different difficulty levels. The only thing you won’t find is a multiplayer mode, as this is a story-heavy single-player affair. Fans of the Wolfenstein series and FPS campaigns won’t be disappointed.

• Wolfenstein: The New Order – Xbox One – 47 GB – $59.99 – Amazon Link – Xbox.com Link
• Wolfenstein: The New Order – Xbox 360 –? GB – $59.99 – Amazon Link

Max: the Curse of Brotherhood

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is the sequel to Windows Phone 7 launch title Max and the Magic Marker. It also happens to be exclusive to Xbox One, 360, and PC. The Xbox 360 version was scheduled to release last month, but it got pushed back until today.

Initially The Curse of Brotherhood plays just like any other 2D platformer. Max can run, jump, crawl under spaces and climb ladders and ropes. Before long, Max meets a mysterious old woman who imbues his marker with magical powers. Armed with the marker, Max can affect the game world and solve puzzles.

The Curse of Brotherhood is an excellent platformer. It looks beautiful and the puzzles are actually fun instead of annoying. The Xbox 360 version reportedly runs at a slightly lower frame rate and resolution than its Xbox One predecessor, but retains the same gorgeous look and creative gameplay. Platforming fans won’t want to miss it.

• Max: The Curse of Brotherhood – Xbox 360 – 2 GB – $14.99 – Xbox.com Link
• Max: The Curse of Brotherhood – Xbox One – 3 GB – $14.99 – Xbox.com Link

Next Week: Watchdogs

Only one Xbox console game is scheduled to debut next week, but it’s a big one: Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs!

The game stars Aiden Pearce, a hacker who steals and sells information in a futuristic version of Chicago. Hacking plays a large role in Watch Dogs, with players able to control street lights, bridges, steam pipes, and many other environmental objects via hacking.

Although Watch Dogs carries a substantial single-player experience, early impressions indicate that multiplayer is the game’s stand-out feature. Several unique modes are included, most notably one in which another player is trying to kill you within the open-world setting. The catch? You can’t tell the other player from the NPCs, creating a tense and exciting cat-and-mouse dynamic.

Watch Dogs arrives on May 27 in the US.

• Watch Dogs – Xbox One – ? GB – $59.99 – Amazon Link
• Watch Dogs – Xbox 360 – ? GB – $59.99 – Amazon Link

May is a very back-loaded month for Xbox One and 360 releases. Coming up on May 20 we have the highly-anticipated Wolfenstein: The New Order from Bethesda, followed by Watch Dogs from Ubisoft on May 27 – certainly the highest profile games the One and 360 will see for months. That doesn’t mean gamers have to go without new releases this week and next, though!

Today the Xbox 360 finally gets Peggle 2 from Electronic Arts and PopCap, a timed exclusive that we formerly went crazy over on Xbox One. The One will have its own new downloadable game tomorrow, when Wahoo Studio’s Nutjistsu makes the trip from Windows 8. And Friday sees the retail release of Focus Home Interactive’s Bound by Flame on Xbox 360 (and Playstation 4 but not Xbox One, sadly). Head past the break for more details on this month’s console releases!

Peggle 2

After debuting on Xbox One last December, Peggle 2 is now available for previous-gen Xbox owners! It remains a timed exclusive to Microsoft consoles. Wouldn’t a Windows Phone version be grand though?

Peggle is a deceptively simple game. Each level consists of an assortment of colored pegs and bricks for players to destroy by firing balls at them. Blue pegs just give points, purple pegs add to your score multiplier, green pegs activate your character’s special power, and all orange pegs (they look red) must be cleared to finish the level.

Peggle 2 includes a number of improvements over the original, most notably proper widescreen support with all-new HD visuals and highly animated characters. It’s a beautiful game on both the ‘bone and 360. The campaign structure is much improved as well, with optional goals for each level and challenge levels that you’ll actually feel like completing.

The Peggle games are great in single-player, but things get really fun with friends. Luckily, Peggle 2 sports offline and online co-op multiplayer, as well as online versus gameplay. Check out our original review and expanded multiplayer impressions for the full skinny.

• Peggle 2 – Xbox 360 – 884 MB – $11.99 – Xbox Store Link
• Peggle 2 – Xbox One – 1.69 GB - $11.99 – Xbox Store Link

Nutjitsu

From the makers of Fusion: Sentient and A World of Keflings comes this classic arcade-style maze game. Players take on the role of a ninja squirrel who must rescue his clan’s acorns from the evil kitsune samurai.

Each level contains a main filled with samurai guards that the ninja must sneak past. Objectives vary but usually involve picking up as many acorns as possible. As you play through a level, more and tougher enemies start to appear, making it tougher for the ninja to go undetected. Even if he does get caught, he’ll still earn XP that contributes to his overall rank.

The ID@Xbox program allows games of all shapes and sizes to be self-published on Xbox One, including ports of phone and tablet games. Having originally launched on Windows 8 and RT, Nutjitsu will be the second tablet game to make the trip (Halo: Spartan Assault was the first). It’s also the second indie game for the One, following Strike Suit Zero.

Nutjitsu also happens to be the cheapest downloadable Xbox One game, with a launch price of $6.49. The original was free to play, so hopefully Wahoo has rebalanced the console version to cut down on grinding. We’ll find out when Nutjitsu arrives on Xbox One this Thursday.

• Nutjitsu – Xbox One – ? MB – $6.49 – Xbox Store Link (coming soon)
• Nutjitsu – Windows 8 and RT – 249 MB – Free – Store Link

Bound by Flame

Coming from French developer Spiders, Bound by Flame is a fantasy-themed action-RPG along the lines of Dragon Age and The Witcher series. Players control a character who has been possessed by a flame demon, giving him the power of fire. Depending on the choices the player makes during the storyline, the hero will either retain his humanity or give in and become more monstrous and evil.

Although Bound by Flame plays like other third-person RPGs, its focus is more on story than exploration. Players will travel through different hubs as they complete missions and advance the narrative. If you’re looking for a shorter RPG experience, this might just do the trick. And the price is quite fair given the game’s smaller scale – just forty bucks at launch. Bound by Flame arrives on Xbox 360 and Sony platforms this Friday.

• Bound by Flame – Xbox 360 – ? MB – $39.99 – Amazon Link

Later this month

Super Time Force (Xbox One and 360)

The third ID@Xbox release for Xbox One will be Super Time Force from Capy Games, makers of Superbrothers: Sword and Sorcery EP on mobile and the upcoming Below for Xbox One.

Super Time Force is a very promising 2D run-and-gun shooter. Like Superbrothers, this one features a striking retro pixel art style that sets it apart from pretty much any other game in the genre. Although Super Time Force is only a single-player game, it features a unique time rewind mechanic in which players can rewind a level and then fight alongside past versions of themselves.

Capy’s first Xbox One and Xbox 360 release will debut next week on Wednesday, May 14.

Wolfenstein: The New Order (Xbox One and 360)

We first previewed Wolfenstein: The New Order at E3 last year. At last, the game’s release approaches! The latest entry in the long-running Wolfenstein series will launch on May 20 in North America, Europe, and Australia.

Bethesda recently announced the installation requirements for The New Order so that Wolfenstein fans can prepare their hard drives for its arrival. The Xbox 360 version ships on four discs, the first of which carries a mandatory install of 8 GB. The Xbox One version comes on a single Blu-ray with a 47 GB installation.

The New Order is really big for a single-player first-person shooter, but that’s actually good news. Players can expect a big emphasis on the game’s story, which takes in an alternate 1960s in which the Nazis won World War II. The story scenes I’ve witnessed so far are well-directed and extremely intriguing. And with the 360 version clocking in at nearly the same size as the massive Xbox One game, previous-gen gamers shouldn’t miss out too much as far as graphics and sound go.

Preorders of Wolfenstein: The New Order include future access to the new DOOM beta. Note that the beta will only be available on Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC. Preorder at Amazon to get a $10 credit too. Why not use our referral links?

• Wolfenstein: The New Order – Xbox One – ? GB – $59.99 – Amazon Link
• Wolfenstein: The New Order – Xbox 360 – 47 GB – $59.99 – Amazon Link

Watch Dogs

Last but not least is the open-world action-adventure game Watch Dogs from Ubisoft Montreal. The game stars Aiden Pearce, a hacker who steals and sells information in a futuristic version of Chicago. Hacking plays a large role in Watch Dogs, with players able to control street lights, bridges, steam pipes, and many other environmental objects via hacking.

Although Watch Dogs carries a substantial single-player experience, early impressions indicate that multiplayer is the game’s stand-out feature. Several unique modes are included, most notably one in which another player is trying to kill you within the open-world setting. The catch? You can’t tell the other player from the NPCs, creating a tense and exciting cat-and-mouse dynamic.

Watch Dogs arrives on May 27 in the US.

• Watch Dogs – Xbox One – ? GB – $59.99 – Amazon Link
• Watch Dogs – Xbox 360 – ? GB – $59.99 – Amazon Link

We’re still pumped for this week’s new Xbox One releases (Rayman Legends and Strider), but that doesn’t mean more Xbox game news isn’t welcome. Always look to the future, right?

That future will be brighter in May. Bethesda has officially announced that Wolfenstein: The New Order will debut on Xbox One, 360, and other consoles on May 20 in North America and May 23 in Europe. As if the impending return of Wolfenstein wasn’t news enough, preorders of The New Order will also include beta access to the new Doom!

Wolfenstein: The New Order

The New Order is an all-new entry in the long-running Wolfsentein series of first-person shooters. This one takes place in an alternate 1960s timeline in which the Nazis won World War II using mysterious advanced technology. This game is an entirely single-player, story-based affair – refreshing in today’s multiplayer-focused FPS world.

I played The New Order at E3 and came away impressed. Check out my impressions if you’re interested.

Doom Beta Details

Doom is the current title of Doom 4, the latest game in id Software’s venerable first-person shooter series. We don’t know much about the new Doom yet, although the title implies it will be a reboot. Doom 3 was already a remake of the first Doom game, so the series is no stranger to starting fresh.

Codes to join the Doom beta will be included on an insert inside preorder copies of Wolfenstein: The New Order. That distribution system is similar to the “Day One Editions” Microsoft produced for several Xbox One launch titles. If you didn’t preorder, you were unlikely to find a Day One Edition in stores.

Players will redeem the Doom beta code from the beta website. Once the beta goes live, they will then receive instructions for downloading it via email. Actual platform specifics of the beta – such as which consoles will have access to it – have not been revealed, nor has the timeline for it. Doom still has no solid release date, so the publisher has plenty of time to announce those things down the line.

More details at Wolfenstein.com/doom.

More from Bethesda

Wolfenstein (and presumably Doom) aren’t the only games Bethesda has in the works for Xbox One. The Elder Scrolls Online will launch on Microsoft’s next-gen console in June, shortly after the PC version’s April 4th release. The Elder Scrolls Online will also be available in an Imperial Edition that includes a statue, book, and special in-game content for $99.99.

Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami’s new horror game The Evil Within (pictured above) has just received a release date as well. It will come to Xbox One and 360 on August 26 in America and August 29 in Europe. The Evil Within stars a cop who becomes trapped in a nightmarish and otherworldly asylum. With a focus on true horror, it will likely be the scariest game the Xbox One sees for a long while. We’ll have more to say about The Evil Within in the months to come.

Related: Our full DOOM Eternal Xbox One review

Yesterday we previewed Bethesda’s The Evil Within, a gruesomely atmospheric survival horror game coming to Xbox One and Xbox 360 in 2014. As it turns out, publishing giant Bethesda has two more titles in store for the Xbox One. In the fourth quarter of this year they’ll release Wolfenstein: The New Order for both the One and Xbox 360. Then in spring 2014 the eagerly anticipated The Elder Scrolls Online comes along.

We saw and played both games at E3 2013 last week. I can safely say that fans of each series will NOT be disappointed with either installment. Read on for previews and the latest trailers!

Wolfenstein: The New Order for Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC

The latest game in the venerable Wolfenstein series (widely credited as the PC game that popularized the first-person shooter genre) comes from Swedish developer Machine Games. The studio was founded by former members of Starbreeze Studios, makers of the Xbox 360 hit Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena.

The development pedigree shows because this latest Wolfenstein looks and plays great. Xbox 360 veterans might remember that 360 launch FPS Quake IV suffered from a poor frame rate and generally underwhelming visuals. Not so with The New Order. It runs on the id Tech 5 Engine first used in Rage. The 360 version that we played runs perfectly smoothly, so the Xbox One game should perform even better.

Wolfenstein games don’t generally follow a strict chronology; most take place in their own little World War II universes. The New Order jumps ahead to a fictional 1960s era in which the Nazis won the war with the aid of mysteriously advanced technology, conquering the entire world. Series protagonist William “B.J.” Blazkowicz awakens from a coma into this nightmarish setting and joins the resistance.

Trains, robots, and laser guns

Early in the game, B.J. and his partner Anya go undercover as passengers on a train filled with Nazi soldiers. While fetching coffee for Anya, B.J. catches the notice of Frau Engel, a high-ranking officer and one of the game’s primary antagonists. She calls him over and he has no choice but to comply thanks to the ceiling-high mech standing at the end of the car (“Don’t worry; he’s not dangerous” she claims).

A tense scene follows in which Frau Engel tests B.J. to determine whether he is a Jew. She places a gun just out of arm’s reach on the table and begins showing him pairs of photographs. The player must select which picture he or she prefers out of each set – supposedly, this will reveal whether B.J. is a member of the Nazi’s most hated race. But once B.J. chooses the final picture, Engel discards them and reveals the real test was whether he’d reach for the gun or not. The woman radiates playful sadism.

Flashing ahead to a run-and-gun sequence later in the game, a train (the same one B.J. and Frau Engel shared?) has crashed along a bridge over the sea. B.J. must climb down through an upheaved train car. When he can’t squeeze through a gap, he changes to a gun whose secondary fire can cut through certain obstacles and makes a man-sized hole to pass through. Soon he crossed a portion of the ruined bridge where Nazi soldiers and their impossible mechanical creatures will soon detect and attack him.

The use of various guns’ alternate firing mechanisms to solve light puzzles and reach new areas is a new mechanic that adds a bit of depth to the traditional fast-paced shooting. Make no mistake though, even with an unsettling new world and highly original story, The New Order still feels very much like a Wolfenstein game. The series has always had little sci-fi touches such as The New Order’s cat-like Nazi robots that keep it from being just another WWII shooting franchise.

Titanfall and Battlefield 4 will obviously be the multiplayer FPS games to beat when the Xbox One launches at the end of the year. But Wolfenstein: The New Order will provide an extensive single-player alternative for series fans and less competitive gamers.

The Elder Scrolls Online for Xbox One and PC

Wolfenstein and The Evil Within are both single-player games, but Bethesda does have one whopper of a multiplayer game in store for us as well. Just as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion served as the first RPG for the Xbox 360, The Elder Scrolls Online will be the first MMORPG for the Xbox One! Considering that Square Enix’s MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV is Playstation 4/PC exclusive, Xbox gamers should be thankful that THIS game won’t pass us by.

The Elder Scrolls Online (TESO) takes place a thousand years before Skyrim, just before the coming of Tiber Septim, the first Emperor of Tamriel. While three alliances vie for supremacy over the Imperial City, a Daedric Prince named Molag Bal marshals his own conquering forces. The Daedra are godlike supernatural beings from the realm of Oblivion, and evil ones like Molag Bal pose a major threat to the entire world.

Previous Elder Scrolls games have always been massive open world RPGs; TESO marks the first multiplayer game in the series. You’ll start out by choosing one of nine races ranging from different kinds of humans to catlike Khajits and even Orcs. Each species belongs to one of the three main factions, so your choice of race determines which side you’ll join as well. After making your choice, you’ll customize your appearance and abilities as with any Elder Scrolls game.

Adventuring with friends

If your MMO experience is limited to aging games like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XI, you’ll be amazed by how much more vibrant and dynamic TESO is. Of course you’ll run around cities populated by NPCs and other players, taking in bits of story and accepting traditional RPG quests. The cities are just as expansive and beautiful as in previous Elder Scrolls games, and series fans will love visiting famous locations like Daggerfall once again.

Outside of the cities, you’re free to roam, hunt animals and monsters, and deal with any random NPCs and players you might meet. The demo we played only offered a third-person view as opposed to the series’ traditional first-person perspective, but Bethesda says the first-person view will be ready soon as well. Even in third-person, combat feels as fast and action-packed as in Oblivion and Skyrim. This won’t be a plodding RPG at all.

In other MMORPGs, playing with your friends can be a huge ordeal due to the existence of multiple servers. Players from one server can’t just interact with another. You have to switch servers, usually paying a fee in the process. Instead of many separate servers, everyone plays on the same Megaserver in TESO. You’ll automatically be matched up with friends, guild mates, and people you’ve encountered before with a minimum of hassle. Note that each platform gets its own separate server, so Xbox One players won’t be interacting with PC or Playstation 4 adventurers.

Sign up for an epic beta

Bethesda has yet to announce The Elder Scrolls Online’s payment model, so we can’t say whether the game will require a monthly fee or not. After the massive failure of EA’s Star Wars: The Old Republic, let’s hope not. As long as TESO is monetized wisely, Elder Scrolls fans will flock to it in droves next year.

You might not need to wait till next year to play it though! Sign up for the beta right now at ElderScrollsOnline.com and indicate which platforms you’d like to play it on (I chose PC and Xbox One) and you might just gain early access to the online world of Tamriel.

E3 is fast upon us, as the year’s largest and most important gaming expo kicks off next week. This is the time for console gaming leaks. And this year it also happens to be a week for big announcements, perhaps because some publishers fear news of their games would be lost in the wave of news that strikes during E3 itself.

If you have an Xbox 360 or Xbox One, I dare you not to be excited by the games we’re about to discuss… I’m talking about a new (old) Fable game, the first game from original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare creators Respawn Entertainment, and one very big PC port: Diablo III! Read on for that news and more.

Fable Anniversary for Xbox 360

The original Fable was a huge hit on the first Xbox console, the system we definitely can’t call Xbox 1 anymore. British developer Lionhead Studio’s action-RPG oozed with charm and humor and also filled a much underserved niche on the RPG-starved first Xbox in 2004.

Fable allowed players to choose between good and evil actions. Not only did this choice affect the story, it even changed the character’s appearance. Players could even choose to marry NPCs. One year later, a retail expansion called Fable: The Lost Chapters came along, boasting lots of new content like quests, enemies, and items.

Some say that the first Fable was the only truly excellent game in the series, with Xbox 360 sequels Fable 2 and 3, as well as spin-offs Fable Heroes and Fable: The Journey (and perhaps even Fable Coin Golf for Windows Phone 7!) failing to meet the original’s lofty standards. Those crotchety players will be happy to know that the original Fable will receive a high-definition Xbox 360 remake this fall, not unlike 2011’s Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition.

Fable Anniversary will include the full first game as well as The Lost Chapters. Microsoft and Lionhead also promise new lighting, textures, animations, and a host of other graphical improvements. It will even have leaderboards for the first time ever.

It’s a shame that Fable Anniversary won’t also be released for Xbox One, but it definitely gives 360 gamers a long and much loved game to look forward to in the fourth quarter of this year.

Diablo III for Xbox 360

When Sony and Blizzard announced that Diablo III would be coming to Playstation 4 during that console’s reveal event, many of us feared that the venerable action-RPG series would never make its way to Xbox platforms. Thankfully, that has proven not to be the case, as Activision Blizzard just announced that Diablo III will appear on Xbox 360 on September 3rd – in addition to Playstation 3 and (shortly thereafter) 4. Xbox One remains conspicuously absent from that list, but at least 360 gamers will be able to get in on the loot seeking action!

The long-awaited third Diablo title first appeared on PC in May 2012. It received a somewhat mixed reception, especially due to an ill-advised real-world auction system. It also faced stiff competition against Torchlight II and other contemporaries. On consoles however there are precious few Diablo-like games. XBLA has the first Torchlight but it’s a much smaller, single-player affair.

The 360 version of Diablo III will include the content that’s been added to the PC game since launch, so it won’t feel anemic by comparison. It also includes a revamped UI and new camera angles to make the game feel at home on a console. Most excitingly, it will add four-player local co-op! Sitting around the TV and playing with a friend/significant other or three should be a great way to pass a few evenings. And Blizzard even promises that multiple local players will be able to join in online games, so it won’t be hard at all to fill out a team of four.

Diablo III will retail for $59.99 when it launches on September 3^rd. Preordering it will get you an exclusive helmet that boosts XP gain. Now let’s hope an Xbox One version comes along too, even if Playstation 4 gets it first.

Titanfall for Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC

The story of how the creators of gaming juggernaut Call of Duty: Modern Warfare split off from Activision-owned Infinity Ward in order to create their own studio is the stuff of gaming legend. If you’re not familiar with those events, stop what you’re doing and do a web search on it right now. To make a long story short, several members of the Modern Warfare team felt shrifted after Modern Warfare 2 released and so they went off to form their own studio: Respawn Entertainment.

We’ve heard little from Respawn since then. But Game Informer magazine has just leaked a huge bombshell: Respawn’s first game Titanfall will be exclusive to Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC! That’s right, the spiritual successor to Modern Warfare will not be coming to Playstation 3 or 4. Consider that one huge feather in the Xbox One’s cap, to say nothing of its little brother the 360.

We don’t have too many details about Titanfall just yet, but it will be a futuristic first-person shooter. You weren’t expecting an RTS, were you? Humans characters will have the ability to pilot huge mechs called Titans. But the game will be balanced in such a way that other humans can effectively combat those mechs.

One potentially cool or uncool aspect of Titanfall is that it will require an online connection to play. The primary reason for that is the Xbox One’s ability to offload processing tasks to the cloud. This will apparently allow the game to have more advanced physics and graphical effects than the Xbox One could handle on its own. Considering that easily 90% of Call of Duty players buy the game for its online mode, I doubt the online requirement will prove much of a deterrent for this particular game.

We’re bound to hear more about Titanfall during Microsoft’s E3 media briefing on Monday, so stay tuned!

Source: Game Informer via NeoGAF and Kotaku

Fantasia: Music Evolved for Xbox 360 and Xbox One

Given the critical praise of Harmonix’s Dance Central series and its motion controls, many gamers thought that Dance Central 4 as a Kinect title would be a foregone conclusion. It turns out that the studio famous for its music games will instead follow up Dance Central 3 with a licensed Disney game called Fantasia: Music Evolved.

Yes, this is a new motion-controlled music game based on Disney’s animated Fantasia films. Players will take on the role of the new Sorcerer’s Apprentice (please don’t remind me of that tepid movie!) as he conducts music within a magical world. The brilliantly colorful graphics are 3D instead of 2D, while the music consists of licensed songs from Queen (yes!), Bruno Mars, and other artists.

Fantasia: Music Evolved might seem like an odd license and a difficult concept to grasp at this point in time. However, we know that Harmonix KNOWS music and it KNOWS motion controls. The Xbox One version of Fantasia will likely have the most accurate full-body controls that Harmonix has ever produced, and that thrills this Dance Central fan to the core.

Wolfenstein: The New Order for Xbox 360 and Xbox One

Bethesda, publisher of such games as Skyrim and Doom 3: BFG Edition is currently hard at work on the latest installment in the venerable Wolfenstein series. Yes, this one was announced a few weeks back but we've got a fresh trailer to share with you now.

Rather than a direct sequel, The New Order spins the story off into an alternate universe in which the Nazis won World War II and took over America. Series protagonist B.J. Blaskowicz returns as the only man capable of stopping the sci-fi Nazi menace.

The New Order will be a single-player game, a fact which could disappoint fans of the phenomenal original Xbox entry Return to Castle Wolfenstein. But the world needs an alternate history game about fighting techno Nazis even more than it needs yet another multiplayer game. We’ll do our best to get some hands-on footage of Wolfenstein: The New Order at E3 next week!