Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature, we cover all the new games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC as well as upcoming Xbox Game Pass and soon-to-be released ID@Xbox games! You can get more details on these games below and click their profiles for pre-order details […]
Ubisoft has announced a release date for its upcoming strategy reboot, The Settlers. The series will officially return later this year on March 17, 2022, exclusively for PC. A closed beta is also due to take place on January 20, 2022. Available to pre-order directly via the Ubisoft Store (or through the Epic Games Store) there won’t be a Steam release at launch. The Settlers will offer two versions including a standard edition and a deluxe edition which includes the base game and various add-ons such as the Royal themed item and tile sets as well as a digital artbook and soundtrack. Upon its release date, The Settlers will be making a long-awaited comeback after many years. The series is almost three decades old now, its previous two outings – The Settlers 7 and The Settlers Online – having launched in 2010. Alongside Age of Empires, The Settlers is a name that definitely evokes a nostalgia for RTS games during the 90s and early 00s. Ubisoft is looking to revamp the formula for a modern audience while also staying true to its DNA. Here’s an overview of what to expect: A NEW START The Settlers combines a fresh take on the popular gameplay mechanics of the series with a new spin. It offers a deep infrastructure and economy gameplay, used to create and employ armies, to ultimately defeat opponents. VARIOUS GAME MODES Various online multiplayer modes with up to 8 players offer thrilling skirmish battles against other players or AI for long-lasting fun. A story driven campaign will immerse the players into the world of The Settlers, while new players can learn the basic mechanics in a separate tutorial. A WORLD TO CONQUER 3 playable, distinctive factions – the Elari, the Maru and the Jorn – can be found in The Settlers. Each with a unique look and play style. At the heart of every match is gaining resources and building up your economy to recruit new settlers and a directly controllable, winning army. Research upgrades for your army and strengthen them by recruiting support and siege units. STATE-OF-THE-ART GRAPHICS Never before has The Settlers been so lively and rich in details. Powered by Ubisoft’s proprietary Snowdrop engine, The Settlers sets a new visual benchmark in the build-up real-time strategy genre. Player will have to adapt their playstyle to explore the Landmarks and their special rewards or new biomes and their challenges. Source: Press Release
Amplitude Studios has revealed the first DLC expansion for their historical 4X grand strategy game Humankind. When it releases on 20th January, Culture of Africa will grow the game with six new cultures taken from the different eras of African history. African cultures were obviously included within the base game’s selection of 60 – you had Ghanaians, Nubians, Zulu and others showing up to represent – but there’s so much rich history in the African continent which was, after all, where Homo Sapiens emerged from. It’s fitting that Africa gets to provide inspiration for the first DLC pack. Six new cultures will be added, with one for each era in the game, while there will also be new natural and built wonders, independent people and 15 new narrative events. The six new cultures are: Era 1 – Bantu (Expansionist) The Bantu expansion is a postulated series of major migrations of an original Ntu-speaking group from Central- West-Africa across much of sub-Saharan Africa. Pick this culture if you want to grab a lot of land fast and early! Era 2 – Garamantes (Agrarian) The Garamantes emerged as a major regional power in the mid-second century AD. Their growth and expansion rested on a complex and extensive qanat irrigation system (known as foggaras in Berber), which supported a strong agricultural economy and large population. Pick this culture if you want to get food from arid Territories! Era 3 – Swahili (Merchant) The rise of the Swahili coast city-states can be largely attributed to the region’s extensive participation in a trade network that spanned the Indian Ocean. Pick this culture if you have lots of coasts and want to take advantage of them! Era 4 – Maasai (Agrarian) A fierce pastoralist people with a Nilotic (rather than Bantu or Swahili) language. For the Maasai, achieving warrior status meant single-handedly killing a lion with a spear. Pick this culture if you want to optimize your growth rate! Era 5 – Ethiopians (Militarist) During the Scramble for Africa, Ethiopia and Liberia were the only two nations that preserved their sovereignty from long-term colonization by a European colonial power. By weaving the natural cliffs and ledges into the creation of their fortresses, Ethiopia was able to fend off most colonial forces. Pick this culture if you’d like to quickly catch up on military and science! Era 6 – Nigerians (Agrarian) Nigeria unites a wide variety of cultures under the rule of one state. The variety of its terrain and the abundance of its hydraulic resources offer it significant agricultural possibilities and make it one of West Africa’s foremost producers. Pick this culture to increase your oil deposits and agricultural workforce! The five new wonders include: Mount Kilimanjaro, Victoria Falls, Zuma Rock, Lake Natron and Great Mosque of Djenné. The expansion is now available for pre-order, with purchases through 20th January coming with a 10% discount. We loved the base game of Humankind, giving us an alternative to Civilization for an all-encompassing 4X grand strategy game. In our Humankind review, Jason said: “HUMANKIND is as deep as you could possibly want from a 4X strategy game, but the constant addition of new things to think about never feels overwhelming because everything’s explained so well, and often with a good bit of humour too. It’s an excellent game, and if you’ve never delved into the 4X genre before, this might be your best chance to do so.” Source: press release
