As far as Team Xbox is concerned, the road ahead is crucial and they announced that they will have a huge presence at Gamescom (also referred to as gamescom) this month in Germany. A huge presence in the sense that they will showcase first-party games as well as games from their strategic partners. The two major Xbox-exclusive games Starfieldand Forza Motorsport (2023) will each have theatrical showcases there in Germany.
To find out more, posted below are selected excerpts from the Xbox.com announcement. Some parts in boldface…
Xbox Booth – We’ll have over 30 titles in the booth awaiting eager players, spread across over 150 gaming stations, amazing photo ops and experiences, and a specially constructed 300-seater theatre.
Attendees will be able to check out exclusive theatre presentations from Bethesda Game Studios’ highly anticipated Starfield, as well as upcoming Xbox Game Studios releases Forza Motorsport from the developers at Turn 10 Studios, and Ara: History Untold from the team at Oxide Games. Towerborne, the newest adventure from the developers at Stoic and unveiled at the Xbox Showcase, will be hands-on for the first time and we’ll have the latest content coming to The Elder Scrolls Online and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Over 25 titles from our third-party partners and ID@Xbox friends will be playable on the booth. This includes the world debuts of GSC Game World’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2, Overkill Software and Starbreeze Studios’ Payday 3, DontNod’s recently announced Jusant, FromSoftware’s ARMORED CORE VI: Fires of Rubicon, Recreate Games’ Party Animals, CD PROJEKT RED’s Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Spotlight by Quantic Dream’s Under the Waves, Sega Atlus‘ Persona 5 Tactica and many more.
Attendees can also come and help us celebrate 10 years of ID@Xbox and experience a diverse range of ID@Xbox titles for hands-on, including Paradox’s Lamplighter’s League, Thunderful’s SteamWorld Build, Amplifier’s Lightyear Frontier, and lots more. Whatever you’re into, the Xbox booth will have something for you. For the full list of titles playable on the Xbox booth visit here.
And make sure you don’t miss out on the PC Game Pass Challenge! This adventure offers participants a fun opportunity to win thousands of exciting prizes including PC Game Pass memberships, OMEN gaming laptops, HyperX headsets, and NVIDIA GeForce NOW Ultimate memberships. Get ready to discover your next favorite PC games with PC Game Pass and reach new possibilities to game however, wherever you want.
Xbox remains committed to the belief that gaming should be safe, inclusive, and accessible for all. We’re ensuring that all areas of the booth are wheelchair accessible and Xbox Adaptive Controllers will be available on request, as well as select demo stations with adjustable height desks. We will also have multiple American Sign Language (ASL) and German Sign Language (DGS) interpreters and “Here to Help” staff to assist players of all abilities. Additionally, we’ll have sensory aids and a quiet room for anyone who needs them.
You will be able to find us at Hall 8 of the Koelnmesse, North entrance. See below for the consumer show opening times:
Thursday, August 24 – 10:00am – 8:00pm CEST
Friday, August 25 – 10:00am – 8:00pm CEST
Saturday, August 26 – 9:00am – 8:00 pm CEST
Sunday, August 27 – 9:00am – 8:00pm CEST
Xbox @ gamescom 2023: Live From The Showfloor – No matter where you are in the world, we will bring gamescom 2023 to you, with three days of approx. 3 hour live streams direct from the Xbox booth.
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, join Team Xbox and friends for a series of streams taking a deeper dive into some of the highly-anticipated games at gamescom 2023, with gameplay, developer chats and community segments to give you a flavour of the show.
Whether you join us for every stream, or just dip in for the latest on your most anticipated titles, we’re looking forward to connecting with fans across the globe and showing off some of the amazing games coming to Xbox.
Keep an eye on Xbox Social channels for the full content schedule in the days leading up to gamescom.
The live English-language broadcast from Xbox’s gamescom booth will be available in German, Castilian Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish and Latin America Spanish along with ASL and English Audio Descriptions. You can catch the Xbox Booth @gamescom Live Stream on regional Xbox channels on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and elsewhere.
Xbox Social Media Coverage – For all the latest updates on Xbox at gamescom this year, stay tuned to the @Xbox X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and YouTube social channels, and the @XboxDACH Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,TikTok and YouTube social channels. We’re using #Xboxgamescom as our event hashtag.
To those who have been anticipating Starfield‘s worldwide release on September 6, 2023, expect to see a wave of videos and promos for the sci-fi epic RPG happen immediately with Gamescom no matter how the theatrical showcase of it will turn out. While Forza Motorsport (2023) will have its own increase of pre-release promotions and gameplay emphasis heading towards its October 10 launch, the Gamescom theatrical presentations could create new and exciting buzz for Xbox-exclusive games Ara: History Untold and Towerborne.
Xbox-exclusive Starfield is set for September 6, 2023 worlwide release.
Forza Motorsport (2023) will be released on October 10 exclusively on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC.
As for the other games part of Xbox at the convention, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl could surprise and delight gamers with its latest updates and, hopefully, a release date. The game is bound for Xbox Game Pass (XGP) and here is hoping it will deliver the exciting stuff for gamers who have been anticipating it.
ARMORED CORE VI: Fires of Rubicon, Jusant and Persona 5 Tactica could each attract their own audiences at the convention.
Watch out for Xbox at Gamescom this month.
In concluding this post, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your enjoyment.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1995 and explore a part of the Marvel 2099 comics universe through a tale of the Spider-Man 2099 franchise.
As some of you may already be aware, the protagonist Miguel O’Hara got his Spider-Man 2099 costume in Mexico during the Day of the Dead festival he attended. If you are wondering if there was any comic book published that showed the futuristic Spidey on location in Mexico for the mentioned festival, there definitely is such a tale printed.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Spider-Man 2099 #32, published in 1995 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Peter David and drawn by Roger Robinson.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins during the middle of the night in Mexico City. At a graveyard, the night watchman catches a man digging up one of the graves and tells him that what was done was obscene. The grave digger then hits the watchman with his shovel.
Elsewhere a lady practicing sorcery sees the image of Spider-Man and she is told that he will be her ally on a mission.
At another location in Mexico, the Day of the Dead festival occurs attracting a huge crowd of attendees and bystanders. Several people wore costumes that not only reflected the dead but also of evil figures and idols.
Inside a hotel room, Miguel O’Hara watches the festival from the window and on bed near him is a naked Xina covered by a blanket. It turns out Miguel did not sleep with her but alone on the couch. As far as he is concerned, there is no romance between him and her. While Miguel focuses on the festival below, Xina nakedly stands up and enters the bathroom.
Just outside the hotel room window, Miguel sees his brother Gabriel on the very next hotel room window…
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Something sinister inside.
To make things clear, this story marks Miguel’s return to Mexico and his first as Spider-Man. As typical with this 1990s monthly series, Peter David crafted a story that focused on its concept while literally planting seeds for future stories. What is notable about this tale is that Spider-Man will not only get involved in an unexpected mission with some destined to be with him, his personality gets tested again in his civilian identity as he unexpectedly encounters his brother Gabriel and the two most notable ladies – Xina and Dana – are present with them. The presence of the two ladies is significant given what happened in later issues of this monthly series (click here and here).
More on this particular story, the tone really turned dark which is deliberately done by the creators as the Day of the Dead is featured here. Apart from the dark atmosphere established by the festival, this story has elements of evil such as sorcery, the worship of evil entities, idolatry committed and rituals of the wicked performed. It should be noted that even in a predominantly Catholic nation like Mexico, there are still lots of sinners, wickedness and demonic elements present. Very clearly, the sci-fi tone of this monthly series was completely replaced with the supernatural of the evil type. Along the way, a Mexican character is introduced and he even got a good share of the spotlight.
Given the shift to the supernatural, the story was executed with the build-up of tension and the next issue in mind. Spider-Man 2099 fans will still have character moments of Miguel, Gabriel, Xina and Dana to enjoy. That being said, if you are anticipating to see superhero spectacle, there is not much to find here.
Conclusion
A tremendous coincidence to have the O’Hara brothers together in Mexico.
Spider-Man 2099 #32 (1995) can best be described as a build-up issue with the planned pay-offs set to happen afterwards. To the credit of the creators, having a different tone and a totally new location for Spider-Man to be in made this comic book standout somewhat compared to all the previous issues published in terms of aesthetics. The best way to enjoy this comic book is to set your expectations low, don’t anticipate superhero action and focus on the further development of the futuristic Spider-Man and the supporting characters involved.
Overall, Spider-Man 2099 #32 (1995) is satisfactory.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from watching the movie Cloak & Dagger (1984) and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back my readers, fellow movie buffs and 20th century pop culture enthusiasts! Decades ago, I got to watch the movie Cloak & Dagger when it was first released on home video. As time passed by, I got to replay it on cable TV and DVD. I have yet to see its 4K Blu-ray disc version (note: you can order it here) Starring Henry Thomas (the star of Steven Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial) and Dabney Coleman, Cloak & Dagger was one of those American movies that did not succeed in movie theaters but found its audience on home video, cable TV and free TV.
The 1984 movie was released at a time when video games gradually made its way into motion pictures in varied ways just before Nintendo started reshaping video gaming. Back then, I was very young and already got into playing games on console and at the arcade which helped me relate with the video game elements of Cloak & Dagger. In case you are wondering, the filmmakers and Atari, Inc. itself collaborated together. There may be some among you who never saw this 1980s flick and some of you may be wondering what is significant about Cloak & Dagger and why is it the topic of this retro movie review.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Cloak & Dagger (1984) directed by Richard Franklin and written by Tom Holland and Nancy Dowd inspired by the short story “The Boy Cried Murder” written by Cornell Woolrich. This movie is the 4th cinematic adaptation of the said short story.
The movie poster of Cloak & Dagger (1984)
Early story
The story begins with Jack Flack (Dabney Coleman) overcoming Soviet guards to enter a place to retrieve top secret documents from incoming people. It turns out that Jack Flack is nothing more than a fictional character imagined by a young boy named Davey (Henry Thomas) who keeps on immersing himself with flights of fantasies, loves playing games and believes that real life is filled with enough opportunities and places to play. In the presence of game store owner Morris (William Forsythe) and his little blonde neighbor Kim (Christina Nigra), Davey boasts a lot about Jack Flack as if he was a real-life hero and even talks to him as his imaginary companion that no one else could see nor hear. Inspired by the said character and the world of espionage he always imagined, the boy carries with him a black water pistol for a “gun” and a softball for a “grenade”.
Morris then sends Davey and Kim out to do a real assignment – an errand to travel within the city going to a certain company and retrieve something for him. Afterwards, the two commuted and entered a building which Davey does with his fantasy of espionage and infiltration burning in his mind. Leaving Kim on the ground floor, he climbs up the stairs until he reaches a certain window and sees something sinister going on in the next level as reflected on one of the windows outside.
Suddenly a door opens near him and a wounded man slowly hands him an Atari 5200 cartridge titled Cloak & Dagger, tells him to bring it to the FBI, and mentions “one million three hundred twenty nine.”
The door near them suddenly opens with two armed men emerging. Right in the presence of Davey, they opened fire at the wounded man who fell down to his death. Davey just became the witness of an actual murder and becomes the target of the two gunmen…
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Henry Thomas and Christina Nigra as Davey and Kim respectively.
To get to straight to the point, I can declare that this movie is very clearly a spy thriller designed to engage both children and adults. It took the key concept of the short story “The Boy Cried Murder” and implemented it into its very own tale that happens to be set during Ronald Reagan’s America (the 1980s) with elements of video games, espionage and even murder mixed together.
The story told through Davey was crafted to be entertaining while keeping viewers in suspense as to how the overly imaginative young boy would deal with real-life danger and consequences as he became the target of murderous men who would not stop at all. Davey is clearly in danger for much of the movie and you will get to sympathize with him and wish he should stop being obsessed with fantasy so he could overcome the trials that were happening. This is, indeed, a well structure and nicely directed work by Richard Franklin who seem to be inspired by past works of Alfred Hitchcock (note: Franklin directed the sequel to Hitchcock’s classic Psycho).
As mentioned earlier, this movie was made to engage both children and adults. Cloak & Dagger is not exactly a wholesome viewing experience as its presentation has always been quite intense because of on-screen violence that was executed carfully. There are guns, shooting and even killing in this flick which proved to be integral to the overall presentation and clearly added to the thrill factor. You will get to see getting Davey shot at by the armed henchmen (Eloy Casados and Tim Rossovich) who clearly do not give a damn of shooting a minor as they are so focused on their mission. Looking at the henchmen in this film, I can imagine them as traitorous Americans conspiring with their nation’s foreign enemies such as the Soviets, the Iranians and the Palestinians. Along the way, there is the clear villain named Rice (Michael Murphy) who has this subtle touch of evil as well as a good amount of sleaziness in him. While the violence is intense, it does not necessarily push this film into rated R territory.
Michael Murphy as the sleazy villain who is willing to kill Davey even though he is a minor.
The two henchmen about to commit murder in the presence of Davey. There is evil visible in their faces.
Henry Thomas really shines as the protagonist here. While Davey here shares a few elements with E.T.’s Elliot – struggling to move forward with the absence of one parent and adjusting his life with what he perceives to be the best ways possible – he truly dramatizes how weird and wild he could be living his life with a very loose grip on reality. For him, local society in San Antonio, Texas, provides him a huge playground for his spy game and he sure distracts people as he walks by them talking to his imaginary friend Jack Flack. Still, there are key parts of the story in which Henry Thomas convincingly dramatizes Davey who feels lonely inside as he misses his late mother and is unable to spend quality time with his father. Thomas also acted with intensity in the scene in which he makes a trade with the villain and also during his last face-off with him in the 2nd half of the film. Henry Thomas really was a good youth actor and his performance here is often overshadowed by his role in Spielberg’s E.T.
Dabney Coleman on the other hand plays both Jack Flack and Davey’s father Hal. Coleman is quite versatile playing different characters here. As Jack Flack, he fits in excellently into Davey’s uncontrolled belief of espionage as he gives him advise which were taken seriously leading into danger. Of course, advising Davey does not really mean the fictional spy cares for him on a personal level and you will eventually Flack’s true value before the film ends. Flack’s final moments could inspire you to re-examine the true meaning of heroism. As Hal, Coleman convincingly plays the father who has been so busy working in the Air Force as an air traffic controller, he has been unable to spend quality time with his son and the recent death of his wife really took its toll on their family. Compared to Jack Flack, Hal is indeed caring towards his son but his hectic work schedule prevents him from bonding closely with him. Coleman delivered a fine performance during the scene when Hal explains to Davey what real-world heroism is and that not all heroes just shoot bad guys. There definitely are helpful values on parenting within Hal.
Henry Thomas and Dabney Coleman are really convincing as son and father.
Thomas and Coleman artistically have really fine chemistry together as the father and son (Hal and Davey) and as the wannabe adventurer spending lots of time with his action hero (Davey and Jack Flack). Considering Davey’s obsession with fantasy and the attention he pays so much to Jack Flack, he was practically living with idolatry and foolishness. If you observe closely, Davey is very lively with Flack and not so lively with his father.
Even though this movie is fictional, it still dramatizes that parenting will never be easy. That being said, this should inspire parents and also incoming parents to prepare themselves on nurturing their children and ensure they help them understand the differences between reality and fantasy.
Video game elements
Screenshot from the Cloak & Dagger arcade game. This game can be played nowadays through Antstream Arcade on Xbox consoles.
To make things very clear, Cloak & Dagger (1984) is not an adaptation of the electronic game that was released the same year. Rather it has the Cloak & Dagger game as a key plot element in the form of an Atari 5200 game cartridge (referred to as a “tape”) which the movie dramatizes to be real.
As a kid, I got to play arcade and console games a lot. As such, seeing Davey play the Cloak & Dagger game on his Atari 5200 as well as gameplay footage was a very entertaining viewing experience for me the first time I ever saw this movie. It was a scene I personally related with.
In real life, however, the Cloak & Dagger game from Atari, Inc. was released only in the arcades as the efforts to create a port for the Atari 5200 never got fulfilled. That being said, it was through very clever film editing that video footage of the arcade version were inserted into the scene in which Davey played the Cloak & Dagger cartridge on his console in the presence of his father. To clarify things, the Atari 5200 was a commercial failure in real life and it seems that making a console version of the arcade game did not make business sense to Atari, Inc. at all.
If you want to play the Cloak & Dagger arcade game in your home right now, you will need an Xbox console and Antstream Arcade ($30 for 1-year subscription, $80 for lifetime pass). Cloak & Dagger is just one of over a thousand games available through Antstream Arcade and you can learn more by clicking here and here.
Conclusion
Henry Thomas as an armed Davey.
I have seen Cloak & Dagger (1984) many times throughout my life from childhood and to adulthood. I can clearly say that this 1980s movie is still really good to watch as its appeal to both children and adults remains strong and intact. It is a medium-paced spy thriller that not only follows a young boy who witnesses and murder and gets into danger (note: even his neighbor gets involved) but also dramatizes (in entertaining ways) how dangerous situations can get when you are living with uncontrolled personal fantasy and interacting with a heroic friend who does not really exist. Considering the time this movie was released, I am delighted to tell you cautious readers that there definitely is no wokeness nor were there any traces of political correctness that got in the way of its presentation. Going back to the parenting aspect of this film, it is made clear that children need their parents for moral support and there is absolutely no way that games, fictional heroes and geek culture could ever be good alternatives. Like the adults, children should never lose their grip on reality and should be taught that uncontrolled fantasy can lead to real-life danger. Very clearly, director Richard Franklin and the crew did a fine job telling a solid story and emphasizing the main characters while also providing suspense, action and thrills.
Considering all the mixed elements it has, Cloak & Dagger (1984) can be engaging towards parents, their children, fans of espionage and people who love video games. Finally, I should state that the City of San Antonio in the Lone Star State of Texas is indeed a great location for filmmaking and viewing.
For the newcomers reading this, over the past years a notable number of Square Enix games were released without versions on Xbox consoles. It is already out in the open that Sony had been signing deals with game publishers and developers to exclude Xbox consoles and Xbox Game Pass so that the PlayStation platforms will gain the competitive edge (click here and here). This seems evident in Square Enix’s announcement of Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection coming to multiple platforms except Xbox.
Going to what happened this past weekend, almost out of nowhere Xbox chief Phil Spencer appeared alongside Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu and Square Enix video game producer Naoki Yoshida (AKA Yoshi-P) on stage during a Las Vegas event and symbolically confirmed the renewal of their business relationship. Adding credibility to the renewal was the announcement of Final Fantasy XIV for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the Tweet from Xbox chief Phil Spencer himself…
Out of nowhere, today, Square Enix was joined on stage by Microsoft Gaming CEO and Xbox lead Phil Spencer to reveal that Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn is finally coming to Xbox consoles in 2024.
Final Fantasy 14 is one of the best MMORPGs on the market, and one of the only credible alternatives to World of Warcraft, an MMO that Microsoft is poised to soon own with the Activision-Blizzard deal likely going through. FF14 has brought some serious competition to WoW in recent years, forcing Blizzard to up its game. It seems Square Enix isn’t taking that lying down either, announcing its own fresh expansion coming next summer, dubbed Dawntrail.
Additionally, incoming Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu had some warm things to say about Xbox that fans will no doubt be eager to hear (via Nova_Crystallis). Kiryu praised Phil Spencer for his “support” in bringing Final Fantasy 14 to Xbox. I believe Microsoft had to revert some of its long-standing Windows store policies around third-party content delivery networks in order to help get FF14 onto Xbox, and Spencer was naturally likely instrumental in getting that policy change through. Surprisingly, Kiryu also said that “with today’s announcement, and wherever possible, we are planning to bring our games to Xbox.”
“First off, I have thank you Phil-san for making the Xbox version of FF14 a reality. This is a project that would not have been possible without Spencer’s support. Please give him the biggest round of applause. As CEO of Square Enix, we want to continue to deliver fabulous games to fans across the globe. We want to welcome the Xbox community as well. Starting with today’s announcement and whenever possible we are planning to bring our games to Xbox for players to enjoy. Final Fantasy XIV is only going to get bigger and better. So I hope Xbox players give it a try.” – Takashi Kiryu, Square Enix CEO
Xbox lead Phil Spencer also emphasized that he looks forward to “building” on the relationship that brought Final Fantasy 14 to Xbox, and wants to partner with Square Enix on future games as well.
Indeed the renewal of ties between Xbox and Square Enix is a very positive breakthrough that will benefit not only the many millions of Xbox gamers (including those using Windows PC) worldwide but for video gaming as a whole. While Square Enix still has contracts signed with PlayStation still in effect, they and Team Xbox can collaborate on other available games for Xbox release. Whatever feelings you have towards the company behind the Final Fantasy games, this development opens the possibilities of releasing Legend of Mana games and a potential remaster of Xenogears on Xbox platforms. There is also the potential that Team Xbox can sign new deals with the Japanese titan to release more of its games on Xbox Game Pass (XGP).
While Final Fantasy XIV Online’s Xbox launch is still some time away, Xbox gamers have a lot to enjoy along the way with exclusives such as Starfield and Forza Motorsport (2023). Looking at the Xbox ecosystem as a whole, the renewed Xbox-Square Enix ties means more games from the Japanese titan will be released in the near future. Square Enix’s RPGs – both modern and classic – will add weight to Xbox as the ecosystem for RPG fans. That being said, I encourage you Xbox gamers to watch out for SE’s future releases. Also you might want to try the existing Square Enix RPGs still available on the Xbox store such as Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition.
Final Fantasy XIV Online on Xbox
To gain a deeper understanding of the Final Fantasy XIV Online announcement, posted below is the excerpt from the Xbox.com article. Some parts in boldface…
After much anticipation, it’s finally confirmed – critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV Online is officially coming to Xbox Series X|S.
First announced at the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest 2023 in Las Vegas by FFXIV Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida and CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer, let’s break down the announcement and reveal and what it means for Xbox gamers now that one of gaming’s most welcoming communities is set to get even bigger!
What is Final Fantasy XIV Online? – Firstly, if you’re not familiar with Final Fantasy XIV Online, as the name would suggest, it’s the fourteenth mainline game in the highly esteemed Final Fantasy series. As with all mainline numbered Final Fantasy games however, each entry is a standalone game that doesn’t require any previous experience with the franchise. If you’ve never played a Final Fantasy game before, FFXIV is the perfect place to jump in!
FFXIV takes place in the world of Hydaelyn – a vibrant planet blessed by the Light of the Crystal. Amid azure seas, encompassing the westernmost of the Three Great Continents, there lies a realm embraced by gods and forged by heroes. Her name — Eorzea. It is here that your tale begins to unfold. Beckoned by the Mothercrystal — the source of all life — you must embark upon a quest to deliver the land from an eternity of Darkness.
As an online massively multiplayer role-playing game, FFXIV offers a realm where you and 27 million adventurers worldwide can embark on epic quests together. Filled with bustling cities, towering forests, and deadly deserts, FFXIV’s constantly updated, and ever-engaging world takes you to the far reaches of the land and beyond, with a captivating and ongoing story. But it isn’t just about defeating massive monsters with your personalized Warrior of Light. You can also gather materials and craft items, enjoy series staples including Chocobos, Moogles, and Airships, enjoy a day of mini-games and mahjong at the Gold Saucer, and even buy a house.
Your adventure, played your way! – If all this sounds a bit overwhelming, never fear! Though initially designed to be played online with others, FFXIV includes a feature called the Duty Support system that enables tackling content with a party of NPC allies as opposed to other players. In fact, by the time the open beta launches it’ll be possible to complete all the main story dungeons from A Realm Reborn through Endwalker solo, enabling you to comfortably experience the stories of Eorzea on their own.
When can I play it…and what have I heard about a Free Trial? – Final Fantasy XIV Online is set to launch in open beta on Xbox Series X|S as part of the Patch 6.5x series, which means you can expect it very soon indeed! Alongside 4K support on Xbox Series X, both consoles will enjoy fast loading times, making sure your time in Eorzea looks and plays great.
Additionally, you may have seen some copypasta lurking around the internet pertaining to a certain free trial… well, rest assured, the Final Fantasy XIV Online Expanded Free Trial will indeed be coming to Xbox Series X|S, meaning you too will be able to enjoy the entirety of A Realm Reborn as well as the award-winning Heavensward and Stormblood expansions up to level 70 with no restrictions on playtime!
In concluding this post, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your enjoyment.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1995 to revisit one of the many tales of Malibu Comics’ Ultraverse through the Freex monthly series.
In my previous review, the Freex encountered someone very deadly (note: Rafferty who also encountered The Strangers) and out of nowhere one of their members got killed as he made his move to protect someone’s life.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Freex #16 published in 1995 by Malibu Comics with a story written by Gerard Jones and drawn by Klebs de Moura e Silva.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins at midnight when Ruby arrives at a sorrowful gathering composed of Contrary, her academic students, the Night Man, the Old Man and the remaining members of Freex. They are all mourning over the dead body of Michael. Just after Old Man declared that everyone should move on and let Michael (Plug) rest, Contrary (now an established member of UltraForce) stated that her academy will keep him in the company of others like him at their Mt. Shasta Citadel headquarters as the dead Freex member does not have any known surviving family members.
The loss of Michael then begins to take its toll on Angela/Sweetface as she cries and states that there is nothing left to live for. Suddenly, something appears to the Freex…an angel-like figure who tells Angela to end the pain and join the only one who still cares for her. Valerie and Lewis try to help Angela resist the one who spoke…
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The Old Man becomes the target of Freex.
What is obvious to me here is that this comic book is all about the consequences of the death of original Freex team member Michael and how his death impacted specific teammates who had really grown close with him. The plot in this comic book is pretty light as this was clearly written to have strong character dramatization and development.
While there were indeed a whole lot of characters who appeared here, this comic book highlights Sweetface as the one most affected by the sudden death of Michael. That being said, any dedicated Freex fan who seriously followed the series right from the start will be able to relate with Sweetface’s emotions and even feel her deep feelings with Michael. Incidentally, this paves the way for her to interact more with Lewis who also got impacted by the death of their teammate. As the story went on, there were key developments here that strongly symbolized that Freex will take a serious change of direction focusing more on team survival and avenging Michael while severing ties with the Old Man. Clearly the creative team were building up something for the team who at this point have been on a very long and painful journey as nomads.
All throughout, the script really is detailed, richly layered and engaging. Apart from Freex, Night Man, Contrary and her students, and other characters had their fair share of the spotlight strongly symbolizing the current state of the Ultraverse at the time.
Conclusion
Even as she is mourning over the death of Michael, Angela suddenly sees a mesmerizing vision in front of the others.
Freex #16 (1995) is indeed a solid comic book to read. The strong writing is its strongest feature and it really delivered the compelling stuff that will resonate most with the long-time Freex fans. The dramatization of the effects of Michael’s death really is strong and the new change of direction for the surviving Freex was implemented really smoothly. The lack of a good-versus-evil element was no problem at all here. By the end of the comic book, I became eager to find out what would happen next to Freex.
If you are long-time gamer who misses the many fun games from them past, then you will delighted to know that you can play over one thousand retro games on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One with the Antstream Arcade service which is now available for $29.99 annual subscription and $79.99 lifetime pass.
For the newcomers reading this, Antstream Arcade is the grand gaming arcade with over 1,300 classic games from the 1980s to the 2000s that were released across varied platforms such as the video arcade, Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the PlayStation One to name a few. Antstream Arcade on Xbox platforms just made the global Xbox ecosystem even more exciting to those who love playing multiple types of games. Posted below is the official Xbox launch trailer of Antstream Arcade!
To gain a deeper understanding of Antstream Arcade on Xbox, posted below is an excerpt from the Xbox.com article. Some parts in boldface…
We’re excited to share that Antstream Arcade, a cross-platform streaming platform focusing on retro games, is now available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, bringing its current library of over 1,300 retro games to Xbox consoles. Jump in today and play classics like Mortal Kombat, Pac-Man, Asteroids, and Earthworm Jim from your couch. Experience classic PS1 and Nintendo games such as Loaded, Indiana Jones Greatest Adventures, and Super Star Wars with your Xbox controller in hand. With Antstream Arcade you can experience these games today, fully optimized, and ready to go at the push of a button. Simply create an account, sign in, and start playing!
The Importance of Game Curation to Antstream – When the company was formed in 2013, one of the key motivations behind the product was preservation. There are decades of incredible games which are no longer available legally. Sure, many of these titles can be downloaded and played with emulators and ROMs but that experience is uncomfortable. The configuration of Emulators and ROMs is a technological barrier for many gamers.
Antstream’s easy ‘pick up and play’ mechanic makes these games accessible to everyone. In my position as Customer Support manager, I’ve had emails from six-year-old kids telling me that they’ve had a blast playing Double Dragon. Another recent email was from a 72-year-old who needed help completing Dizzy. Antstream is incredibly easy to use.
“Many of us grew up playing these games, so the ability to stream them on Xbox consoles and share these experiences with our friends and family is incredible,” said Sarah Bond, CVP of game creator experience and ecosystem at Microsoft. “We’re pleased that with Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub’s technology benefits and Azure cloud services we can help enable Antstream to reach more players.”
Coming back to the preservation aspect. It’s painful to see games lost to time. Antstream is a fantastic platform for people to experience games that they have never played before. Also, to find and discover games that were cancelled or not released. We are crafting a catalogue of titles which raise awareness of gaming history and keep the spirit of their creators alive.
This has been recognized by TIGA, Antstream has won an award for games curation.
New’ Retro Games on the Platform – A unique aspect to Antstream’s approach to game curation is how we support independent developers who are continuing to release games on retro platforms. For example, Turbo Tomato is an Amiga game released last year. It has become hugely popular thanks to Antstream. We also include these in our challenges and tournaments.
Challenges and Tournaments – Antstream is also creating longer lasting appeal with classic games with our unique challenge system. These titles are back-engineered to create a competitive system which allows you to experience these well-loved titles in new ways. These are ‘game modes’ such as ‘one-life challenges’ that extend the life of these titles and create new interest in the community.
In the past 12 months, we have introduced a new mode called Giant Slayer. This is centered around our growing community. One person sets up a challenge and then is presented to the community. They must try and beat the challenger for kudos and precious gems. Giant Slayer challenges are created by the players for other players. This keeps our community constantly engaged and involved in the product in a greater way than other streaming services.
We also feature tournaments. Here you can pit your high scores and feats against others in games like Dig Dug, Marble Madness, Double Dragon and Mortal Kombat. Scoring highly in these contests payout gems that you can spend on other games or for entering future tournaments.
The ‘power’ of Antstream – Speaking to Microsoft Game Dev Blog about how Azure powered Antstream, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Antstream Arcade Steve Cottam shared, “Microsoft was the right technical ally for us because it has a high density of servers globally, which was how we knew we could scale our service. By connecting gameplay to a nearby Azure virtual machine, we make sure that the time between a player pressing a controller button and something appearing on their screen is less than 50 milliseconds.”
In addition, there is this very in-depth video that answers a lot of questions about Antstream Arcade posted below for you all…
Having Antstream Arcade on Xbox is very appealing to me personally. I still have some fondness of games I played long ago on the arcades such as Elevator Action Returns, Star Wars, Defender, Robotron: 2084, BurgerTime, Cloak & Dagger, Fighter’s History, Double Dragon, Space Invaders and Asteroids plus so many others I cannot just write down here. Not only that, Antstream Arcade is also an opportunity for me to play many, many other games I never got to play such as Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures (SNES), Metal Dragon (MSX), and more.
As mentioned in the Xbox.com article, it was indeed a great move for Microsoft to be the definitive technical ally for the Antstream Arcade developers not only because of the established global servers available but also because the retro gaming service fits right in with the Xbox ecosystem of games and the global userbase of millions.
The Cloak & Dagger arcade game that had a severely limited release decades ago has gotten more available for millions of users via Antstream Arcade on Xbox.
The arcade hit Elevator Action Returns.
The Super NES version of Zombies Ate My Neighbors.
Star Wars arcade game.
Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures on SNES.
One of these days, I will avail of Antstream Arcade to make the gaming experience on my Xbox Series X even more in-depth. It will be a matter of timing, cost, the number of games updated and how the Antstream Arcade developers will be able to fix whatever bugs they will encounter as the service has just launched. If you are already availing of the retro games service and you encountered technical glitches, you better report to the developers online.
To see what games to expect to Antstream Arcade, check out Pure Xbox’s very long list by clicking here.
In concluding this post, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your enjoyment.
Among the many games shown, Team Xbox formally announced an improved version of the Xbox Series S console – a carbon black Xbox Series S loaded with 1 Terabyte SSD all set for commercial release on September 1, 2023 with a price tag of $349.99. This machine is also referred to as Xbox Series S – 1TB.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the official Xbox.com announcement. Some parts in boldface…
Meet the new Carbon Black Series S with 1TB of storage. 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. The bold Carbon Black color is the same sleek, modern matte finish as Xbox Series X and the Xbox Wireless Controller. This console features the same next-gen speed and performance of our 512GB Series S, now with double the storage so you can download even more of your favorite games to your console where they’ll be ready to play when you are. Plus, you’ll make the most of every gaming minute with features like Quick Resume, lightning-fast load times, and gameplay of up to 120 FPS – all powered by Xbox Velocity Architecture.
Better Together – Xbox Series S pairs seamlessly with all our fan-favorite Xbox accessories. You can also add an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription (membership sold separately) so you can play new games built natively for Xbox Series S and X like Starfield and Forza Motorsport on day one. Plus with games added all the time, there’s always something new to play.
Available Worldwide September 1 – Launching September 1 (just in time for Starfield), pre-orders for Xbox Series S – 1TB start today at xbox.com or microsoftstore.com for $349.99 ERP. We’ll be adding more retailers and regions in the weeks to come.
Now watch the official Team Xbox YouTube video below…
If you ask me, I don’t intend to buy the Xbox Series S – 1TB as I already own an Xbox Series X console which is the more expensive machine as it is a premium product. Still, there is no denying that the Xbox Series S – 1TB and its older (soon to be phased out) predecessor strongly appeal to gamers who have limited amounts of money to buy new game consoles, as well as gamers who don’t care much about 4K resolution gaming and movie viewing at home.
Xbox Series S – 1TB release on September 1 is very strategic as the epic Bethesda-developed Xbox-exclusive sci-fi RPG Starfield will be released just days after. A little over a month later, the Xbox-exclusive Forza Motorsport (2023) will be released. Sometime in 2024, the Obsidian-developed Xbox-exclusive fantasy RPG Avowedwill be released. I would not be surprised to see the Xbox Series S – 1TB sell a lot (note: first-time gamers as well as owners of the old Xbox One consoles and even those with Xbox Series S consoles will be more likely customers) before those Xbox exclusives get released and eventually more new subscribers to Xbox Game Pass (XGP) (note: I encourage you to subscribe) will be realized. There will also be a lot of other new games, game compilations and remastered games that will be released in the 4th quarter this year.
Watch out for Xbox Series S – 1TB on September 1, 2023.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1993 to take a close look at the second issue of the second Venom comic book mini-series Venom: Funeral Pyre.
In my previous review, the Punisher and Venom encountered each other for the first time ever and along the way Gray – who is secretly a journalist with a mission – struggles to maintain his composure and his sanity as he finds himself in the middle of a very violent gang war in Oakland, California. The more time Gray spends time with the crime gang he joined, the tougher the situation becomes for him.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Venom: Funeral Pyre #2, published in 1993 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Carl Potts and drawn by the late Tom Lyle.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins with Gray and his gang companions riding a car approaching a group of people on the street. The gang leader pressures Gray to use his weapon to kill them. Gray is deeply worried not only because he has to prove his worth to the gang by killing other, but also because the rescue attempt he was waiting for had not yet happened.
Meanwhile, Venom finds himself trapped on the doorway of a building with the metal gate locked and with rays of microwave from the Punisher’s van radiating him painfully. As the Punisher leaves them behind, Venom manages to use the symbiote to reach into the van and smash the control panel inside which disabled the microwave rays.
Immediately, he recovers and breaks out to continue his mission: to rescue Gray…
Quality
The murderous Venom actually helped the Punisher.
When it comes to the storytelling, there are some improvements that made this comic book more readable than issue #1. For one thing, the exposition has been reduced which allowed the pace of the story to move faster. Most of the exposition here has been limited to Gray who at this stage of the mini-series was clearly bound to become the central object of the Funeral Pyre concept. Another thing is that the story’s structure here is simpler and easier to follow as Venom and Punisher moved on their own struggles separately before predictably getting together again.
While the mini-series has clearly been a tale of a city gang war – with a pretentious and unwilling gang member who expected to be rescued before things become too chaotic – that happened to pull the Punisher and Venom in for different reasons, Carl Potts added some elements that would resonate with Marvel Comics fans who are familiar with HYDRA and the Super Soldier aspects of the Marvel Comics universe history. Not only that, there is a science fiction-inspired setting near the end of the story that added variety to the in-story environment.
Like the first issue, this one is packed with a good amount of action scenes and that means Punisher and Venom fans have a lot of stuff to enjoy. Tom Lyle really is good with showcasing the respective spectacle of the vigilante and the symbiote-wearing murderer, and when he has the two together, his visual creativity intensifies.
Conclusion
Grey shooting blindly at the targets while riding the car of the gangsters he joined.
Venom: Funeral Pyre #2 (1993) is clearly an improved reading experience over issue #1 mainly because of the reduced information dump, the simpler plot structure and the creative showcase of Venom and the Punisher. While Gray remains uninteresting, his late-stage transformation turned out to be somewhat surprising and it was only near the end of this comic book that the Funeral Pyre concept became clear.
Overall, Venom: Funeral Pyre #2 (1993) is satisfactory.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back fellow geeks, pop culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Way back in 1982, the horror comedy anthology film Creepshow was released in cinemas and it gave moviegoers a fun time getting scared as it featured well-made short stories written by Stephen King and directed by George Romero. The two creators were strongly influenced by the 1950s horror comic books of EC Comics when they made the movie. Very recently, Creepshow was released on 4K Blu-ray loaded with lots of extras for fans and moviegoers to enjoy. The said 4K Blu-ray release can be ordered online now.
I myself first saw Creepshow on home video sometime in 1983 and got to replay it occasionally on cable TV and DVD. Strangely enough, it was only a few years ago when I first learned that there was indeed a comic book adaptation of the movie that was also released the same year it hit cinemas.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Stepehen King’s Creepshow published in 1982 by Plum with stories written by Stephen King and drawn by Bernie Wrightson (with Michele Wrightson). The cover was illustrated by the late EC Comics legend Jack Kamen.
The cover.
Early stories
Father’s Day – Sylvia Grantham, her nephew Richard, niece Cass and Hank (husband of Cass) enjoy time together at the Grantham estate anticipating the arrival of Bedelia for the annual family dinner. It is an open secret within the family that Bedelia killed her late father Nathan Grantham who was so overbearing to her as she became responsible on nursing him full-time.
Bedelia apart from her relatives in Father’s Day.
The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verril – A lonely farmer named Jordy witnesses the unexpected arrival of a meteorite from out space which landed violently on his farm. After realizing what it is, he touches it without any protection and gets his fingers burned. Considering the rarity of the object, Jordy begins to imagine making a lot money by bringing it to the local college.
A page of the story of Jordy and the meteor.
The Crate – In the basement level of Amberson Hall (science building of Horlicks University), a janitor accidentally finds a very old wooden crate located right under the staircase. The writings “Ship to Horlicks University via Julia Carpenter – Arctic Expedition – June 19, 1834” were marked on the crate. Meanwhile a faculty party is taking place across town. During the party, the mild-mannered college professor Henry Northrup experiences embarrassment as his unhinged wife Wilma (note: referred to as Billie) talks way too much in front of professor Dexter Stanley and many others. Henry reveals to Dexter that he has grown to hate his wife. Suddenly, someone tells Dexter that a telephone call for him is waiting. It was the janitor who made the call.
Henry, wife Wilma (AKA Bilie), the janitor and Dexter Stanley in The Crate.
Something to Tide You Over – At a beach, Harry Wentworth could do nothing but remain helplessly immobile as his entire body and neck have been buried under the sand by Richard. It turns out that Harry has been having an affair with Becky, Richard’s wife. The helpless Harry expressed that he and Becky were really in love with each other. For his part, Richard has something else to show to him and he certainly has some things prepared.
Richard and Harry in Something to Tide You Over.
They’re Creeping Up on You – A wealthy and cruel businessman named Upson Pratt is alone in his well-lighted apartment. He has been suffering from mysophobia and has been living in isolation and only communicates with others using the telephone and other electronic methods. Slowly but surely, cockroaches begin to multiply in his apartment.
Upson Pratt and the cockroaches in They’re Creeping Up on You.
Quality
Starting with the storytelling with emphasis on how the comic creators selected content from the movie and translated it all into illustrated literature format with a little over sixty pages to work with, I can say that this comic book is pretty much a faithful adaptation of the film’s five short stories (note: the cinematic prologue and epilogue were never adapted). For each short story, it is clear that sufficient details from each cinematic tale were adapted and the overall concepts, acts and characterizations were pretty much maintained. This is a credible piece of illustrated literature work as each tale is not only readable but also engaging and entertaining complete with shock moments. Take note that Stephen King not only wrote all these tales for the movie, there were two tales that were previously published in literary format before Creepshow was even made. Whoever participated in the editing process behind the production of this comic book deserves commendations.
While the writing used in adapting the film’s concepts and characters turned out good, it is clearly obvious that certain cinematic elements could not be translated here. Remember how frantic and scared Dexter Stanley (played by the late Fritz Weaver) was in the movie after he witnessed the janitor got killed by the monster? Those cinematic emotions never made it in illustrated literary format here.
The artworks by Bernie Wrightson are pretty good to look at. Similar to the writing, the visuals here were made to recapture the look of the movie not in a shot-for-shot manner but with the artist’s own approach on how such scenes should be presented. That being said, I should state that the comic book panels that appeared in the movie’s transition scenes (example: still live action image slowly turning into illustrated comic book form) are NOT here at all.
You will instead see Wrightson’s own visual interpretation of the scenes from the movie and the artworks were inspired a bit by the 1950s horror comics of EC Comics and ultimately were more in line with the contemporary approach of drawing comic book art of the 1980s. The gory scenes from the movie made it in this comic book. When it comes to drawing monsters or the undead, the art result was uneven. While Wrightson’s art of the monster in The Crate was really scary to look at (in accordance to how it appeared cinematically), the work on the walking dead in Something to Tide You Over looked much less scary compared to those in the film.
While Wrightson clearly did not prioritize recapturing the likenesses of the actors to illustrate their respective characters, there were a few shots in which professor Henry Northrup somewhat looked like the late Hal Holbrook, and the illustrated Bedelia resembled the late Viveca Lindfors.
Conclusion
The best way to describe Stephen King’s Creepshow (1982) is this…it is indeed a very solid adaptation of the movie and its five short stories. While it was clear that not all the dialogue and other types of content of the movie could ever fit in this comic book, the creators did a very credible job of adapting Creepshow’s core elements and succeeded in making what they had solidly presented for readers to enjoy. Each short story from the movie turned out to be cohesive and enjoyable for reading.
When it comes to really enjoying this graphic novel, I personally would recommend you readers to watch the Creepshow movie first before reading. The film is the complete package of entertainment showcasing the combined works of Stephen King and director George Romero, while this comic book is ultimately the companion piece for those who enjoyed the movie as well as EC Comics’s horror comic books of the 1950s.
Overall, Stephen King’s Creepshow (1982) is highly recommended!
Recently as Team Xbox announced the July 2023 lineup of games added on the Xbox Game Pass (XGP) subscription service, the inclusion of the massive best-selling open-world game Grand Theft Auto V (GTAV) turned out to be the biggest surprise of them all.
Franklin traveling on waves. This entire sequence ran smoothly at 60FPS with ray tracing enabled.
To be very clear, this is not GTAV’s first time to be in XGP. In fact, it was made available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers in limited time periods in 2020 and 2021. In my case, since I bought my Xbox Series X console and subscribed to XGP in late-2021, this is my first time to play GTAV on the service and the first time in years for me to replay the game since the Xbox One version. Oh yes, I first played GTAV on Xbox 360 way back in 2013.
What makes GTAV’s newest return to the service significant is that it includes the most updated versions of the game optimized specifically for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. This means that the next-generation console graphical enhancements include the Fidelity Mode, the Performance Mode and the Performance RT Mode, and only the Xbox Series X is capable of those three. Refer to the details below sourced from GINX.TV
GTA 5 Fidelity Mode – The highest visual quality possible and targets 30 fps. PS5 and Xbox Series X supports native 4k resolution in this mode with Ray Tracing enabled. Xbox Series S supports upscaled 4K resolution.
GTA 5 Performance Mode – Performance Mode in targets 60 fps for the most responsive, smoothest gameplay experience yet on PS5 and Xbox Series X, with an upscaled 4K resolution. Xbox Series S, on the other hand, supports a resolution of 1080p in Performance Mode targetting 60 fps.
GTA 5 Performance RT Mode – The Performance Ray Tracing Mode is only available for PS5 and Xbox Series X, and is not supported on the Series S console. This is a hybrid between the Performance and Fidelity modes. It targets 60 fps with Ray Tracing enabled, with an upscaled 4K resolution to boot.
This huge crash happened during one of the scores in the game. Captured on Performance RT Mode.
That being said, I started playing Grand Theft Auto V on my Xbox Series X via XGP with the Performance Mode setting for the graphics followed many hours later with the Performance RT (ray tracing) Mode.
As such, I am enjoying replaying the game with super smooth 60 frames-per-second (60FPS) and I can say it made the single-player gameplay experience more fun and engaging to do. Since I enjoy the 60FPS frame rate a lot, I will play the game with the Fidelity Mode some time later.
With Starfieldand Forza Motorsport (2023) launching on Xbox Game Pass this September and October respectively, playing GTAV on the service with the Xbox Series X console is strongly recommended. That being said, there is no telling how long with Rockstar’s game remain on XGP. If you are already an XGP subscriber with an Xbox Series X console and you love open-world games, then you should avail of Grand Theft Auto V while it is still available. Xbox Series S-owning XGP subscribers can still enjoy 60FPS gaming with the Rockstar game.
Go and play Grand Theft Auto V on your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console while it is still available on XGP.
In concluding this post, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your enjoyment.
Author Carlo Carrasco 