>Including a "Rewards Notes" service.

>It's been a while since we last talked about Microsoft Rewards here at Pure Xbox, and that's because it hasn't really changed all that much since plans were announced to supposedly overhaul the service earlier this year.

>However, we've got a couple of new features on the way! The first of these is called "Rewards Notes", and it'll serve as a destination on console, PC and mobile where Xbox can share details about what's changing with Microsoft Rewards.

>Darkest Dungeon II, the turn-based RPG from developers Red Hook Studios is coming to both Xbox Series consoles and Xbox One, at the same time it launches on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. July 15th.

>Get out of here Stalker.

>The story of Stalker 2 is well known at this point. Finally, after delays, a cancellation, and a re-reveal in 2018, the cult classic PC game was set to get a true sequel in 2022, before the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced the Kyiv-based GSC Game World to relocate much of the studio to Prague. And yet, despite all of the hardships, Stalker 2 is almost here, and it’s looking incredibly impressive.

>For context, we had some 'hands on' time with Stalker 2 at Gamescom 2023, and things weren’t looking too good. The game looked rough, the demo was buggy, and it felt a bit aimless overall. Given everything going on, it was totally understandable that things weren’t exactly shaping up, but the fact still remained that it seemed like a long road was ahead for the game, which made its then-2023 release date a bit of a worry with the fear that it would release in a subpar state.

>It's no secret that 2024 has been a bit of a wild time to be an Xbox fan. We started out the year with rumours and speculation leading to a special business update podcast, while the last few months have brought numerous PS5 ports and studio closures over at Microsoft. However, this month's showcase was an absolute banger, and it definitely feels like we've been back on track a little bit since the event.

>So, we wanted to check in with the Pure Xbox faithful on how you're all feeling about Xbox right now. If you were concerned leading up to the Xbox Games Showcase, have your fears now been squashed? Or do you still have questions about Microsoft Gaming and its future in leading the Xbox brand?

>Ubisoft is working on multiple Assassin’s Creed remakes, according to CEO Yves Guillemot.

>The publisher’s head spoke about its flagship series’ future in an interview published on the Ubisoft website. When asked if the company will continue to offer a variety of experiences from the franchise, Guillemot told players to get excited for “some remakes.” It’s not clear just how many remakes there will be or which Assassin’s Creed stories they will cover.

>“Firstly, players can be excited about some remakes,” Guillemot said, “which will allow us to revisit some of the games we've created in the past and modernize them; there are worlds in some of our older Assassin's Creed games that are still extremely rich.”

>He continued: “Secondly, to answer your question, there will be plenty of experience variety. The goal is to have Assassin’s Creed games come out more regularly, but not for it to be the same experience every year. There are a lot of good things to come, including Assassin’s Creed Hexe, which we’ve announced, which is going to be a very different game from Assassin’s Creed Shadows. We’re going to surprise people, I think.”

>One remake contender that fans may already have their eyes on is 2013’s Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. Last year, Kotaku reported that Ubisoft Singapore was heavily involved in the development of a reimagining of the fourth mainline Assassin’s Creed game. Now, more than a decade old, the pirate-themed action-stealth game remains a favorite among longtime enjoyers of the franchise, though the company hasn't gone as far as to confirm that a remake for this specific title is in the works.

>Ubisoft has never released a full-on Assassin’s Creed remake before, but the series has a lot of options to pull from. The original Assassin's Creed launched in 2007 and was followed by the Ezio trilogy, which includes Assassin’s Creed 2, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. The company reexamined Ezio's three-arc story with a remaster bundle called The Ezio Collection in 2016.

>Ubisoft is turning back the clock to reexamine Assassin’s Creed’s past, but its future holds a lot in store, too. Assassin’s Creed Shadows will transport fans to Japan when it releases its dual-protagonist story this November. In 2022, the publisher also revealed a project known as Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe. There company will also eventually release Assassin’s Creed Infinity, a platform that is said to connect other experiences from the franchise under one umbrella.

>Capcom has released another update for Dragon's Dogma 2 across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

>While the majority of adjustments have been made across all devices, the team has also added some console specific updates with this patch. It has now added the option for those on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S to change graphics settings to high or low, as well as the option to turn 120Hz output on or off.

>Capcom said turning graphics settings down to low on consoles should improve Dragon's Dogma 2's frame rates, adding: "Further frame rate improvements are planned for future updates as well."

>Developer Arctic Hazard has announced Norse, an upcoming turn-based tactics game set in Norway in the age of Vikings. It promises an "historically authentic" world where you embark on a quest for vengeance while building settlements, managing communities, forging alliances, and fighting tactical battles. Norse is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

>As part of the character creation process for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, players will have to select both a class for their player-controlled Rook and a faction. After customizing much of your Rook's body, including things like a Qunari's horn type and material, for example, with the hundreds of options available in Veilguard, it will be time to pick said class.

>There are three classes to choose from: Rogue, Mage, and Warrior. As the names suggest, each features a unique combat system and plays differently as a result. Though you’ll be performing things like light and heavy attacks using the same buttons, what those attacks do varies based on your class. For example, a sword-and-shield Warrior can hip-fire or aim their shield to throw it like Captain America, whereas a Mage can use that same button to throw out magical ranged attacks – read more about the combat of Veilguard in Game Informer's exclusive feature here. Plus, as you spec out these classes and unlock their individual specializations, the differences will only grow even more stark.

>The Rogue has access to three specializations. The Duelist is the fastest of the three, with two blades for rapid strikes; the Saboteur uses tricks and traps; and the Veil Ranger is purely range, sniping enemies from afar with a bow. The Mage can utilize necromancy with the Death Caller specialization; Evokers wield fire, ice, and lightning; and the Spellblade uses magic-infused melee attacks. The Warrior can become a Reaper, which uses night blades to steal life and risk death to gain unnatural abilities; a Slayer, a simple but strong two-handed weapons expert; or the Champion, a tactical defense fighter. While these specializations don't matter upfront – you class into them via the skill trees you progress through the game – it's nice to see the potential of each class before you choose it.

>Dragon Age: The Veilguard Dreadwolf Game Informer Cover Story For the penultimate step of the character creator, at least during the demo BioWare shows me, players select a faction. The Grey Wardens return, joined by other returning favorites and new additions like the Antivan Crows, the Mourn Watch, the Shadow Dragons, the pirate-themed Lords of Fortune, which is what I chose in my demo for the current Game Informer cover story, and the Veil Jumpers.

>Each faction has unique casual wear, which is worn in specific cutscenes when the character isn't donning armor, and three unique traits. The Lords of Fortune, for example, gain additional reputation with this particular faction, have increased damage versus mercenaries, and perform takedowns on enemies with slightly less effort. Veilguard game director Corinne Busche says this faction selection, which ties into your character's backstory, determines who your Rook was before, how they met Varric, why they travel with Varric instead of their faction, and more.

>"The message of The Veilguard is you're not saving the world on your own – you need your companions, but you also need these factions, these other groups in the world," creative director John Epler tells me. "You help them, they help you now."

>He says BioWare wanted to avoid the trope of needing to gather 200 random resources or objects before helping you save the world. Instead, the team aimed to create factions that want to help you but have realistic challenges and problems in front of them so that narratively, it makes sense why you help them in return for their help when the time comes.

>"Gameplay-wise – each of our classes has a specialization, and each of them is tied to a faction," Epler continues. "But beyond that, each faction has a [companion] as well as [people we're calling agents, ancillarily] who exist as the faces of these factions. We didn't want to just say, 'Here's the Grey Wardens, go deal with them.' We wanted characters within that faction who are sympathetic, who you can see and become the face of the faction, so that even if there are moments where the faction as a whole may be on the outs with you, these characters are still with you; they've still got your back."

>If you want to make changes to your character's physical appearance, you can do that with the Mirror of Transformation, found in the main Veilguard hub, The Lighthouse. However, class, lineage, and identity are locked in and cannot be changed after you select them in the game's character creator.

>Dragon Age creator and BioWare veteran Mark Darrah has discussed some of the reasons why big-budget games seemingly take so long to make - and why some projects are announced so long before they're ready to release.

>Darrah, a veteran of BioWare back to the original Baldur's Gate, previously headed the Dragon Age franchise and returned to work on the upcoming entry Dragon Age: The Veilguard as a consultant.

>Speaking via his YouTube channel, Darrah provides some interesting insight on the topic of big-budget game development. And, while he avoids namechecking any of BioWare's games directly, it's not difficult to read between the lines at certain points as to how this wisdom relates to the company he's spent most of his career at.

>Capcom's slapstick zombie series Dead Rising is being reanimated, with a Deluxe Remaster version of the 2006 original launching for unspecified platforms at an unspecified release date.

>Created created by Keiji Inafune of Mega Man fame, Dead Rising's first outing took the basic premise of George A. Romero's horror movie classic Dawn of the Dead - which is to say, zombies in a mall - and gave it a fresh spin with a ludicrous anything-goes approach to weaponary and undead hordes appearing in absolute multitudes.

>Players - as photojournalist Frank West - were given three in-game days to investigate Colorado's sprawling, zombie-infested Willamette Parkview Mall, the idea being to solve a series of cases before a helicopter picked them up on the final day. There's more to it than that, but it's probably best remembered for the fact pretty much anything found in the mall could be used as a weapon - and if you've never seen a man bash his way through a zombie horde with a mailbox, wearing nothing but his underpants and a Lego head, can you really say you've lived?

>Looking for some cheap Xbox games in this week's Xbox sales (June 18-25)?

>As usual, there are lots of games in the 90% (and even 95%) range at the moment, including some big titles such as Mortal Kombat 11, Injustice 2, LEGO DC Super-Villains and multiple Sherlock Holmes adventures!

>Embracer reportedly killed a Red Faction: Guerrilla sequel.

>That's according to Rock Paper Shotgun, which reported this week that several former Fishlabs developers have confirmed that when Embracer killed off dozens of studios and projects after an investment deal collapsed, it also killed off a Red Faction sequel, too.

>Described as a "safe sequel" "with a familiar emphasis on wrecking buildings", the development team was keen to develop original creator Volition's blueprint with "open-ended play experience" more in keeping with immersive sims, such as Arkane Austin's Dishonored. It's thought the game would have been set a century after the events of Guerrilla, featuring new and reimagined locations. As the female protagonist, players would have led an underground revolution, forging alliances and factions along the way.

I don't think I've seen a single good thing about these guys lol.

>Well, we just got our brand-new Xbox Game Pass roundup for the back half of June, and there's one big surprise included in the form of Robin Hood: Sherwood Builders. This is a PC Action RPG that was previously unannounced for consoles, and now it's confirmed for an Xbox Series X|S release this month - on Game Pass no less!

>This recent Robin Hood release has gotten a 'Mostly Positive' reception on Steam so far, and it's described as "an action-adventure RPG with base-building elements". Here's more information on the June 27th Xbox Game Pass title:

>A bunch of Crime Boss: Rockay City DLC is now free on Xbox

Can be found here

>Stifle your screams — A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead comes to Xbox Series X|S this year video A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead steps away from the films' plotline and focuses on a young woman attempting to survive the horrifying creatures prowling the now-silent world. Struggling with her inner fears and interpersonal family conflicts, she needs to scavenge tools and use her wits to overcome the many obstacles in her way — while being silent as a mouse.

>It's a single-player first-person horror adventure game, tasking you with exploring the environment to survive its many dangers, which includes those keen-eared monsters. Survival means you'll need to run, hide, and distract the creatures if you don't want to become chow.

>With Saber in the development seat, I have high hopes we could be in for a great time with A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, which sounds similar in premise to Alien: Isolation. As the creatures here hunt by sound, it'd be great if we could get a similar optional microphone feature to Isolation's, which allowed the game to pick up the sounds you make when playing, forcing you to remain as quiet as possible in your room. Saber hasn't mentioned anything like that just yet, however, so we'll likely need to wait until closer to the time to find out if there are any similar features.

>From Software's expansion for Elden Ring offers an entire new game's worth of content, all of which is exceptionally executed. Shadow of the Erdtree takes players to the Land of Shadow, a place that has been hidden away, where the laws of the venerated Golden Order that governs The Lands Between were written in blood, and that has been forgotten and left to fester. Battling through the Land of Shadow's numerous castles, caves, and crypts delivers exactly what you want from a From Software game and what mad

They give it a 10/10

>If you're at all familiar with the Dragon Age series, you likely already know BioWare has experimented quite a lot with its gameplay. From Dragon Age: Origins' real-time strategy RPG approach to Dragon Age II's mostly-set-within-one-city action experience to Dragon Age: Inquisition's strategy-action mix, BioWare hasn't quite defined the franchise's combat. However, a through-line is apparent from Origins to Inquisition: BioWare seemingly wants this franchise to be action but has attempted to shift to that without abandoning its longtime fans.

>With Dragon Age: The Veilguard, BioWare has completed its transition from strategy to real-time action, but thanks to an optional tactical pause-and-play combat wheel that harkens back to the series' origins, I feel it's found a great (battle)ground for Dragon Age combat. Of course, it's hard to tell how Veilguard's action will hold up over what is sure to be a dozens-of-hours-long RPG, but if what I've seen so far is any indication, the studio is on to something.

>A Shift In Strategy "I think the first thing to keep in mind is that combat [...] in the franchise has been an evolution," game director Corinne Busche tells me within BioWare's Edmonton office. "Every single entry reimagines what combat is like and I would say our goal was to make sure we had a system that allowed players to feel like they actually were able to step into the world of Thedas. They're not a player observing from afar – they are inside of this world. Being this authentic world that's brought to life, the combat system needs to support that, so you are in control of every single action, every block, every dodge, every swing of your sword."

>Busche says players complete every swing in real-time, with particular attention paid to animation swing-through and canceling. On the topic of canceling, I watch Busche "bookmark" combos with a quick dash. With this mechanic, players can pause a combo's status with a dash to safety and continue the combo where they left off afterward. Alongside the dash, there's a parry for some classes, the ability to charge moves, and a revamped healing system that allows players to quickly use potions by pressing right on the d-pad.

>Busche says each character will play the same in a way, regardless of class, in that you execute light and heavy attacks with the same buttons, use abilities with the same buttons, and interact with the combo wheel in the same way. During my demo at one point, we use a sword-and-shield Warrior Qunari that hip-fires and aims their shield to throw it like Captain America while hammering down big damage with a sword. Pressing the same buttons as a mage might throw out magical ranged attacks instead of a shield.

>Abilities, like a Spartan-like kick from a Warrior or a Mage's firewall that deals continuous damage, add to the player's repertoire of combat options. Warriors can parry incoming attacks, staggering enemies in the process. Rogues have a larger parry window, and Mages can't parry at all but instead throw up a shield that blocks all incoming damage so long as they have the mana to sustain the shield.

>"That is just the baseline that allows us to get that level of immersion of, 'I'm actually in this world; I'm a part of it,'" Busche says. "But again, the abilities, the strategy, linking my companions' abilities together to perform devastating combos, that is really where the depth and the complexity comes into play."

>Abilities And The Skill Tree Warrior Rook Skill Tree This extends to companions, who, at your choosing, bring three abilities (of their five total) into combat, executed either with quick select buttons or the pause-and-play combat wheel. Every time you rank up a companion's Relationship Level, you unlock a skill point to spend specifically on that companion – this is how you unlock new combat abilities.

>Though companion skill trees pale in comparison to Rook's expansive tree, which features passive abilities, combat abilities, and more, as well as paths to three unique class specializations, there's still some customization here.

>You can find the skill tree for Rook and companions within Veilguard's start or pause menu. This menu contains pages for Veilguard's map, journal, character sheets, and a library for lore information, too. Here, you can cross-compare equipment and equip new gear for Rook and companions, build weapon loadouts, and customize your abilities and builds via the aforementioned skill tree, which looks relatively easy to understand.

> !

>Large circle: Class

>Diamonds: Abilities

>Medium circle: Major Passives and Ability Upgrades

>Small hexagon: Traits

>Small circle: Minor Passives and Stat Boosts

>You won't find minutiae here, "just real numbers," Busche says. In other words, a new unlocked trait might increase damage by 25% against armor, but that's as in-depth as the numbers get. Passive abilities unlock jump attacks and guarantee critical hit opportunities, while abilities add moves like firewall and spartan kicks to your arsenal. As you spec out this skill tree, which is 100% bespoke to each class, you'll work closer to unlocking a specialization (which doesn't take reaching the max level of 50). Every class has three specializations, each with a unique ultimate ability. Busche says BioWare's philosophy with the skill tree is "about changing the way you play, not the statistical minutiae."

>Companions In Combat If you completely ignore companions in combat, they will attack targets, use abilities, and defeat enemies all on their own. "[Companions] are their own people, "Busche says. "They have their own behaviors, they have their own autonomy on the battlefield, they'll pick their own targets. As their plots progress, they'll learn how to use their abilities more competently, and it really feels like you're fighting alongside these realized characters in battle."

>Speaking to companion synergy, Busche adds, "I see all the abilities Harding has, and I see everything that Bellara is capable of. And sometimes, I'm using vulnerabilities synergistically. Maybe I'm pausing or slowing time with Bellara so that I can unleash devastating attacks with Harding, knocking down the enemy, and then me, as Rook, I'm rushing in and capitalizing on this setup they've created for me. It is a game about creating this organic sense of teamwork."

>Busche says there are more explicit synergies, with intentional combos where specific companions can play off each other, and you can queue up their abilities to do just that. That’s what the pause-and-play combat wheel is for in Veilguard.

>In this screen, which pauses the camera and pulls up a flashy combat wheel that highlights you and your companions' skills, you can choose abilities, queue them up, and strategize with synergies and combos the game recognizes, all while targeting specific enemies. Select what you want and release the wheel to watch your selections play out.

>Putting It All Together During a mission within Arlathan Forest after Veilguard's prologue, Busche utilizes Veilguard's dual-loadout mechanic. As Rook, you can create two weapon loadouts for quick switch-ups mid-combat. As a mage Rook, she uses magical attacks to add three stacks of arcane build-up to make an Arcane Bomb on a Sentinel, a mechanical set of armor possessed by a demon. If you hit the Sentinel's Arcane Bomb with a heavy attack, the enemy will take devastating damage. Once the Sentinel has an Arcane Bomb on it, Busche begins charging a heavy attack on her magical staff, then switches to magical daggers in Rook's second loadout, accessed with a quick tap of down on the d-pad to unleash some quick light attacks, then back to the staff to finish charging its attack. She then unleashes the heavy attack, and the Arcane Bomb explodes in a liquidy whirl of green magic.

>"I've seen [Veilguard's combat] refined over time [and] I love it," BioWare general manager Gary McKay tells me. "I love that balance of real-time fluid action, but also the ability to have the depth in the RPG, not just in terms of pause-and-play, but the depth in terms of how you bring your companions into the battlefield. What are you going to do with their skill points? What's the loadout you're going to use? Everything is about bringing Rook to the center of the battlefield, and I love it."

>Former Dragon Age executive producer and Veilguard consultant Mark Darrah feels Veilguard is the first game where the combat is legitimately fun. "What I see in Veilguard is a game that finally bridges the gap," he says. "Uncharitably, previous Dragon Age games got to the realm of 'combat wasn't too bad.' In this game, the combat's actually fun, but it does keep that thread that's always been there. You have the focus on Rook, on your character, but still have that control and character coming into the combat experience from the other people in your party."

>I get the sense from watching Busche play several hours of Veilguard that BioWare has designed a combat system that relies heavily on players extracting what they want out of it. If you want to button mash and use abilities freely when their cooldowns expire, you can probably progress fine (although on the game's easier difficulties). But if you want to strategize your combos, take advantage of elemental vulnerabilities, and min-max companions and Rook loadouts, you can do that, too, and I think you'll find Veilguard rewards that with a more enriching experience.

>EA's top execs earned $60m in the fiscal year 2024, despite the company laying off hundreds of employees.

>In particular CEO Andrew Wilson earned just under half that number himself - $25.6m - and was praised for executing on "key strategic and operating objectives".

>Those objectives include reorganising the business into EA Entertainment and EA Sports; "optimising our portfolio, investments and resources in support of our strategic priorities and growth initiatives" as part of a restructuring plan; progressing the company's "long-term strategy plan focused on driving durable growth, strong cash flow and stockholder returns"; and overseeing a "year of continued employee satisfaction scores above industry benchmarks", which included "record high talent retention".

Absolutely fucked.

>Pieces Interactive, the developer behind the recent Alone in the Dark reboot, has been shut down by Embracer.

>The developer's website now reads "thanks for playing with us" and the dates 2007-2024. "Our last release was the reimagining of Alone in the Dark," it concludes (thanks IGN).

>Embracer acquired Pieces in 2017 after working on a number of Titan Quest projects. The Swedish conglomerate has closed a number of developers over the past year, resulting in layoffs.

Dick's.