In 2016, Japanese publisher Atlus formed Studio Zero, a development team made up of many of the people who have steered the Persona series since its breakout release in 2006. Now, nearly eight years after that announcement, the company has shared a first look at Metaphor: ReFantazio, the studio's first project. 

Many of the leading creatives who worked on Persona 5, including game director Katsura Hashino and composer Shoji Meguro, were involved in the creation of the game. Structurally, Metaphor: ReFantazio looks like it borrows more than a few elements from the Persona series. There's an overworld for players to explore, and the turn-based combat looks reminiscent of systems employed in past Shin Megami Tensei games, though everything takes place in a fantasy setting instead of a modern-day school. Persona fans will have to wait until next year to see what Hashino and company have been working on all these years. Metaphor: ReFantazio will be available on Xbox Series X/S and PC. 

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City planners and traffic mathematicians, rejoice: Cities Skylines II is due to come out on October 24th, 2023. It's heading to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. A new trailer shows off the updated visuals and mechanics of the sequel.

Developer Colossal Order shipped the original Cities Skylines 8 years ago, and it's since sold more than 12 million copies. There's a strong Twitch and YouTube community for the game, and some of the biggest personalities have been playing the sequel in beta and providing feedback to developers.

Pre-orders for Cities Skylines II are open today. Colossal Order revealed the new game in March, and it plans to showcase each of its features in detail, one per week, throughout the coming months.

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Major Hollywood stars are coming out to play during Summer Game Fest. After Nicolas Cage showed up at the opening keynote to discuss his role in Dead by Daylight, Keanu Reeves appeared at the Xbox Games Showcase to present the trailer for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.

Reeves reprises his role as Johnny Silverhand in the expansion, which includes another big name in the form of Idris Elba. Phantom Liberty sees Johnny and V undertaking "a dangerous spy mission," Reeves said, with Elba playing a secret agent. The expansion will take you to Dogtown, a new area of Night City, where you'll be tasked with rescuing the president of the New United States of America. "Expect a massive expansion. Twists, secrets and plenty of stuff to do," Reeves added.

The trailer features the voice of a new character who says they are aware of the ticking timebomb in V's head (no spoilers for those who haven't played the main game) and that they can save the protagonist's life. It seems that the price of salvation is extracting the commander in chief. 

Phantom Liberty is shaping up to be an intriguing continuation of Cyberpunk 2077's story. Let's hope the debut of the expansion goes much more smoothly than the debut of the original game. We'll find out when Phantom Liberty drops on September 26th. 

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Xbox Game Studios' Phil Spencer announced a new Xbox today at Summer Game Fest. The new console variant will provide 1TB of storage (double the previous amount) in a sleek “carbon black” colorway. As the company notes, its September 1st launch means it’s “just in time for Starfield,” the highly anticipated game that arrives on September 6th.

“Whether you’re looking to upgrade from your current console or are new to Xbox, the Xbox Series S – 1TB offers you another option within the Xbox family of devices,” Xbox said in a blog post. In addition, it says its carbon black color is “the same sleek, modern matte finish” as the Xbox Series X and Xbox Wireless Controller.

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Microsoft announced at Summer Game Fest today that the long-delayed Forza Motorsport will finally launch on October 10th. The eighth mainline entry in Turn 10 Studios’ series was initially penciled in for a spring release but was delayed this January until later in 2023.

The developer says Forza Motorsport will make the most of the latest Xbox and PC hardware, delivering the franchise’s most immersive experience to date. It will introduce 100 new vehicles among the more than 500 cars in the game’s lineup.

The racing title will launch on Xbox Series X / S, Xbox Game Pass and PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam. You can watch the full trailer below.

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Yakuza fans have a busy 2023 and 2024 ahead of them. In addition to Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Sega announced today it would release the next mainline entry in the series, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, in early 2024. The sequel picks up after the events of 2020's Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The trailer Sega shared on Saturday features protagonist Ichiban Kasuga, who finds himself naked on a Hawaiian beach with no recollection of how he got there. The usual hijinks ensue before Ichiban realizes what's going on and tries to shield himself. Sega previously announced it plans to release Like a Dragon:Infinite Wealth on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam.   

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It's been a while since our last look at Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, but Microsoft made sure to include it in the Xbox Games Showcase. The sequel finally has a release window too: it's coming to Xbox Series X/S and PC in 2024. Naturally, Game Pass subscribers will have access to it from the jump.

The latest trailer opens with Senua crawling through a narrow opening into a vast cave. It only takes a few seconds for things to become a little unsettling, thanks to eerie whispers and moving walls. The new clip of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, which is being built in Unreal Engine 5, is beautifully detailed, with light reflecting off of a pool of water and bouncing around the cave. For what it's worth, Microsoft says the footage was captured on an Xbox Series X. 

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We got our first glimpse at gameplay from the newest entry in the long-running Payday game series during the Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest Sunday. Starbreeze Studios may have assumed the franchise's helm from Overkill, but it looks like Payday 3 will deliver the same fraught and frenetic first person shooting that fans have come to expect. 

In the demo at Sunday's showcase, a familiar-looking quartet of gunmen sets about taking over and looting a neighborhood bank through the application of aggressive intimidation tactics, a variety of high tech gadgets and a whole lot of downrange fire. Gameplay mechanics like hostage-taking (which previously allowed robbers to trade in captured civilians after for taking too much damage and being "arrested") appear to still be very much a part of the new title. Payday 3 arrives on September 21st for Xbox X|S (and presumably other platforms as well). 

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Obsidian Entertainment is finally ready to show us a little more of Avowed, its forthcoming first-person fantasy RPG. At Xbox’s SGF showcase, we got to see a barrage of magical spells, battle dynamics, and all kinds of mythical beasts you’re likely to face. Interestingly, you'll be able to wield swords and guns in addition to magical incantations. Like previous Obsidian games, companions will feature heavily. According to Feargus Urquhart, Studio Head, your first companion will be Kai, a “Coastal Aumaua” and apparently one of the only friendly faces you’ll come across. 

The game is set in the same universe as the crowdfunded Pillars of Eternity, so expect to see more playful writing and storytelling. You’ll play as an envoy of Aedyr, investigating rumors of a plague. From there, it seemingly all goes further downhill. With the tagline of “Forge your destiny”, the trailer hints that you can choose to be a good or (very) bad guy. It looks like it may scratch that Elder Scrolls itch, until Elder Scrolls 6 finally shows itself. 

Avowed is set to launch in 2024.

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Indie studio Thunder Lotus announced a game today that invites you to “Face the Wrath of God.” 33 Immortals is the Spiritfarer developer’s new co-op action / roguelike that supports up to 33 players.

“Pick-up and raid, cooperate to survive hordes of monsters and rise above the Almighty,” the title’s description reads. The game’s trailer shows 33-player co-op rendered with an art style that reminds me of old Space Ghost cartoons (meant as a compliment). However, the somewhat retro appearance may have made it easier for Thunder Lotus to render 33 simultaneous co-op players along with enemies and its dungeon-crawling environment.

Thunder Lotus says 33 Immortals will be available on Game Pass (Xbox Series X / S) and the Epic Games Store in 2024. You can check out the reveal trailer below.

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