The Top Racer series, known as Top Gear in North America, has earned its place in gaming lore with its arcade-inspired racing action and precise controls. Aquirus’ Horizon Chase series, built upon the foundation laid by Top Racer, has kept the spirit alive, prompting enthusiasts to wonder about a modernized rendition of the classic series. Finally, with the Top Racer Collection, this legendary franchise finds its way onto Xbox, marking its return outside of Evercade cartridges since its original 16-bit releases. Surprisingly overlooked for re-releases over the years, the series’ distinctively vibrant cover art still manages to captivate, standing out even among today’s gaming landscape.
Curve Games and RubberBandGames today launched a new main mission for Wobbly Life, an open-world physics-based game currently in Early Access on Steam. The game is also available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 & PS5. The Deep in the Sewers mission introduces a whole new sewer system for players to explore, filled with mysteries, monsters, and secrets to unravel!
Indie publisher 663 Games invites you to delve deeper into the stunning world of Realm of Ink with a New Maps Reveal Trailer showcased during The Mix+Kinda Funny Spring Game Showcase. Realm of Ink is an action roguelite developed by Leap Studio and Maple Leaf Studio releasing for PC via Steam and consoles in 2024.
Today’s Xbox Partner Preview included first peeks at brand new games, like The Sinking City 2 and Creatures of Ava, a release date reveal for Frostpunk 2 and Final Fantasy XIV Online, a detailed look at the upcoming Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, and even a shadow drop in the form of the entire original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Trilogy, which is available for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S today! Watch the full Xbox Partner Preview below.
The recent leak from the FTC v. Microsoft case not only unveiled the new disc-less Xbox Series X but also shed light on Microsoft’s long-term vision for 2028. In that timeframe, the company envisions achieving “full convergence” between its cloud gaming platform and physical hardware, with the ultimate goal of delivering “cloud hybrid games.”
Welcome to This Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature, I cover all the games coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
In July, Xbox announced it was working with Discord to streamline gamers’ audio experience so they can play with friends from all gaming communities on their Xbox. Now, Discord Voice is available on all Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles.
Today, I started and finished one of the shortest – and best – video games I’ve ever played: Gone Home. This game, developed by The Fullbright Company, is unlike most video games in that you won’t be leveling up, wielding a gun or jumping from platform to platform. Instead, you’ll find yourself wandering through a dimly lit house unraveling an emotionally stirring story about a young girl’s family. Set in 1995, the house is filled with VHS tapes, fanzines and records, as well as other vestiges of this time period.
In addition to the items strewn throughout the house, the story is told through answering machine messages, handwritten notes, photos, postcards, and countless other items you’d expect to find in a dwelling such as this. The bulk of the unpredictable story comes to life through the superb voice work of Sarah Grayson, who plays the role of Samantha Greenbriar. The smartly written script, along with Grayson’s excellent performance, make for a compelling narrative that keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what’s next.
Also worth noting is the wonderful score composed by Chris Remo. While a good portion of Gone Home includes records and cassettes featuring licensed music, Remo’s haunting score perfectly sets the tone for the game and enhances the dialogue at exactly the right moments. It’s the best video game soundtrack I’ve heard since Petri Alanko’s score for Alan Wake. I wholeheartedly suggest you pick up a copy of Remo’s original score here.
While it can be completed in two hours, Gone Home is an unconventional game that immerses the player in an unpredictable and thoroughly entertaining story that’s worth playing again. Even better, the game now features a commentary mode where, while playing the game, you can learn more about the creative process and all the hard work that went into constructing this masterpiece.
Gone Home is one of the best games of the year for two reasons: it tells a great story and it does so in a way that goes against the grain. If you’re a fan of video games, or great stories, I highly recommend you buy this game. It’s an unforgettable experience that shows how video games, when done right, can be unparalleled works of art.
I’ve been playing video games my entire life. I have fond memories of blowing dust out of NES cartridges and spending countless hours trying to beat Resident Evil 3 on my Playstation. Lately, with work and school, it’s been hard to play games other than the casual ones on my phone and tablet. To get back into serious gaming, I just bought one of the newly announced Alienware laptops this week: Alienware 14.
The new Alienware laptops are beautiful and powerful, and I’m very excited to get mine in July. Keep an open eye out for my video review of Alienware 14 later this summer.
