Three more games will be coming to Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s game subscription service for Xbox One, and they’re all fairly interesting. The Gardens Between, Mutant Year Zero, and Strange Brigade are all coming to the service. One of these is, in fact, already available, as The Gardens Between launched for Xbox One yesterday.

Mutant Year Zero will release on December 4th, bringing some post-apocalyptic XCOM-like action to the Xbox One. The main hook of the game is that various anthropomorphic animals can serve as your squad-mates. Mutant Year Zero will also be coming to PS4 and PC on the same day.

Strange Brigade has been available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC for a while. The co-op third person shooter hits Xbox Game Pass on December 6th. With the number of free updates it has received, there should be more than enough reason to check out Rebellion’s latest. Xbox Game Pass subscriptions cost $9.99 per month, though first time subscribers can join for just $1.

Rebellion’s Strange Brigade has received a smattering of new content, both free and paid. First off are The Thrice Damned Part 1: Isle of the Dead and American Aviatrix Character Expansion Pack, the former bringing a new campaign mission with dastardly reanimated skeletons to fight. Check out the trailer below.

The American Aviatrix Character Expansion Pack includes a new character armed with the Colbeck Wildfire SMG, Glacier Bomb, Hyde and Sons Pistol, and Infernal Firestorm. Both DLC packs can be purchased separately, but are also included with the $35 Season Pass.

For those interested in free content, there are two new Score Attack maps – The Towering Temple 2 and Cursed Village 2 – along with a new Horde map, Tunnels, available now. The latest patch also brings new subtitle options for changing visibility and scale, along with bug fixes, improvements to stability, and so on. More content will be coming to Strange Brigade in the coming months, including more free maps and campaign missions.

If you’re ready, then let’s get started!

GENERAL TIPS AND TRICKS

Use Traps Wisely

Before you use your traps in the game, first figure out where a good spot would be that could catch out multiple enemies. You should also place it so that your or your allies don’t get caught in your own traps as that is certainly a possibility in the game.

Collect Gems In Horde Mode

Horde mode is all about facing off against multiple waves of enemies trying to kill you. There will be gems in hidden crates and these can be used to upgrade your weapons. Find these and make use of them to make things easier for your team in this game mode.

Get Your Amulets Charged

Amulets in the game get charged as you kill more enemies. Once the amulet gets fully charged, you can make use of its special power to wipe out enemies coming up against you, so this is a great way to deal with multiple enemies.

Keep Practicing

If you find the game challenging at first, don’t worry. As you keep going through the same stage over and over, you’ll get to know how exactly it all works and you’ll be better equipped to deal with whatever challenges the game throws at you.

Spend Gold On Weapons

You will earn gold as you play the game and when you come across weapon chests is when you should spend this gold. If a chest costs more, then it will yield a more powerful weapon, so keep this in mind when you spend your gold. You can also upgrade your weapons at the Work Bench in the game.

Look For Collectibles And Other Secrets

Finding collectibles and secret rooms which can be found at the end each level will net you some great rewards so make sure you explore every area to try and find these.

PUZZLES GUIDE

In general if you are stuck in any area, just look for the red objects that are destructible. There are about seven different types of puzzles present in the game and you can find below the key to solving each of these different types.

Floor Symbols

Basically what you have to do for these puzzles is you have to walk on some pressure plates in the right sequence. The answers won’t always be nearby the plates, so when you spot some symbols on a wall anywhere, note them down immediately. Keep in mind that anyone walking on the plates will trigger them whether it’s an enemy or a friend.

Door Symbols

This is very similar to the Floor Symbol Puzzles. You basically have to shoot some symbols in the correct sequence in order to proceed. Earlier on, the symbols will nearby the door but later on, they will be far away so you will have to take a not of them when you come across them.

Energy Mirrors

For this kind of puzzle, the first thing you will need to do is find the reflective orb. To do this, look around and you’ll usually find them hidden by some foliage nearby. Sometimes they may even be blocked by some destructible objects. Once you’ve found the reflective orb, you just need to make the energy beam hit the right spot to get past this puzzle.

Pipes Puzzle

For this puzzle, you have to shoot panels to rotate pipes and your goal is to connect all of them from the start to the finish. Just shoot the panels to rotate the pipes as needed and that’s about it!

Time Trial

Before you begin this puzzle, clear the area of enemies because you’ll need all the time you can get. You start off by shooting an orb and once you do this, it will begin counting down like a clock. You will now have to find and stand on a glowing circle and then shoot the orb again to increase the time you have left. When you reach the last circle and are ready to take the last shot, shoot the secondary orb that will be present nearby the orb you were shooting all this while.

Shooting Orbs

For these puzzles, you will first have to use your amulet to activate the puzzle in the first place. You will now just have to shoot the glowing orbs to complete the puzzle. You don’t have to shoot the orbs in a particular order, but they can be difficult to find sometimes, especially later on in the game, so make sure you look around thoroughly.

Numerical Puzzle

You will know that you’ve come across this puzzle when shooting one orb causes all of the orbs to stop glowing. The way to complete this puzzle is to first notice what the tomb symbols are and to then count how many of these are present. You then just have to shoot the orb next to the corresponding number in the right order. FOr example, shoot the orb first which has only of the symbol next to it, then the orb with two of the symbols next to it, and so on.

ACHIEVEMENTS/TROPHIES GUIDE

You can find below the full list of achievements you can earn in the game.

Wonderful Things: Open the Sarcophagus Room in Harbin’s Dig Site (Secret)

One Simply Doesn’t Rush These Things: Annoy the Narrator

There’s no ‘I’ in Team…but there is a ‘me’: Complete a level with each of the first four Brigade members

This Is Becoming A Little Awkward: Exit a Sarcophagus 5 times without restarting

It’s not theft if you put it in a museum: Find a Relic

What have you got against pottery?: Destroy 100 pots

Nobody Likes a Show-Off: Chain 3 Amulet Attacks in a row

When is a door not a door?: Collect all the Canopic Jars

Queensberry Rules, ok?: Flatten 100 enemies with a melee attack

For Medicinal Purposes: Drink 6 health potions within a level without dying or restarting

Minted: Collect 10000 Gold from Chests

Not Out: Kill 501 Enemies

Master of the Mystical: Unlock/Find every kind of Amulet and Gem]

Purloined Letters: Complete the Main Diary Collection

To preserve the past is to save the future: Complete the Main Relic Collection

The Pharaoh’s Curse: Die 50 times

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Savant: Solve every kind of puzzle door across the game.

Stiff Upper Lip: Kill 20 enemies while on low health

Dangers Untold: Solve the Maze and open the door in Cutthroat Caverns (Secret)

Eye Say: Activate the Death Ray in the Great Pyramid level (Secret)

Pay the Piper: Open a Gold Door in Horde

Now that’s just not Cricket: Kill a teammate with any kind of trap

Everybody needs a Hobby: Rescue a teammate from a sarcophagus 10 times

Get down, Shep: Defeat the Guardian in The Towering Temple (Secret)

Save our souls: Destroy a Soul Cage

Capital shot: Kill 3 enemies with a single shot

Hydra’s teeth: Kill 100 skeletons

Smile, you Son of a B…: Shoot Seteki from Ammit’s Jaws

The trick is not minding that it hurts: Spend a total of 20 minute at the low health level

These are my fighting trousers: Melee kill 5 enemies in 30 seconds

Bully for you: Defeat The Champion in Hidden Valley (Secret)

The Mote out of thine eye: Complete the Beam Puzzle in Tunnels of Wadjet (Secret)

A secret door to another world?: Open the Hidden Relic Room in Forsaken City (Secret)

Evasive action: Get to Horde Wave 4 without taking any damage

I’m stuck with a valuable friend: Collect double the Gold of each of your teammates

Back from the mouth of hell: Complete the First Round in Horde

For King And Country: Banish Ammit and defeat Seteki without delivering the Coup de Grace

Master of the Armoury: Unlock all the weapons

7 League Boots: Travel for a little over 24 miles

HOW TO GET MORE SKILL POINTS

To unlock skill points in the game, you must find certain relics in the game. You can see in your journal the relics you currently have and the ones you don’t. Each of the relics are hidden in each one of the levels of the game’s campaign. Each set consists of four relics and once you get a full set, you will unlock an Amulet. Each time you get a new Skill Point, make sure you get a new Amulet and equip it. You can find below all of the different sets of Relics to find in the game.

• Relics of Power
• Relics of the Swarm
• Relics of Protection
• Relics of Seteki
• Relics of Eternity
• Relics of Wonder
• Relics of Enlightenment
• Relics of War

There are a lot of co-op third-person shooters out there in the market currently, so you might wonder what exactly sets Strange Brigade apart. Well, what immediately catches your attention in this game is its lighthearted take on the genre. This campy and fun game is perfect to enjoy with a few friends as you  take out hordes of mummies and solve puzzles in order to progress.

The story of the game is that the evil witch queen Seteki is causing trouble and it’s up to a group known as the Strange Brigade to try and stop her. You will slowly discover more of the game’s story as you explore of its world. The game features a colorful cast, each of whom have their own unique backstories and playstyles. Of course, the game can also be enjoyed in solo mode and if you have any difficulty  getting past any section, the following video walkthrough  will help you out.

Well, it wasn’t to everybody but Rebellion, who went about making this strange hybrid child of Indiana Jones, The Mummy – the Brendan Fraser ones. The good ones. Not the one with Tom Cruise – and Left 4 Dead a reality. Rebellion is probably best known for letting you murder the hell out of Nazis with supremely glorious, gruesome bullet physics in the Sniper Elite series and their take on the popular Alien vs. Predator franchise, but this kind of campy, pulpy co-op adventure, filled to overflowing with British humor, feels like the game the studio was made for.

"The cast looks like they sprang from the pages of a ’30s pulp novel. There’s Frank Fairburne, a former mercenary and ace shot who’s in it for the money; Professor Archimedes De Quincy, a fussy academic out for redemption; Nalangu Rushida, an African demon hunter; and Gracie Braithwaite, a factory worker and former boxer from Northern England."

Strange Brigade’s story is relatively simple. The aforementioned Egyptian witch-queen, Seteki, was so evil that, when she died, the ancient Egyptians put her at the bottom of a deep, deep hole, hoping that the world would forget about her (think Imhotep from The Mummy). Unfortunately, a meddling archaeologist digs her up. Like any good undead witch, Seteki brings her minions along for the ride, and then she’s off to destroy the world. Standing in her way is the Strange Brigade, a secret arm of the British Department of Antiquities, who are hoping to put her back in that hole.

The story doesn’t get much more complicated than that and is wonderfully unobtrusive. The only real cutscenes are black-and-white efforts that mimic old serials, complete with wonderfully British narrator that comments on what’s going on in real time, generally in hilarious fashion. The rest of the game’s storytelling occurs through traditional means like collectible journal entries, hidden treasures, and the ever present voice in your ear who provides mission objectives. You can read it if you want to – it maintains Strange Brigade’s light, fun, campy atmosphere fairly effortlessly – but it’s there as an option, not a requirement. You just wanna put together a team and turn some mummies to dust? Go for it.

The cast looks like they sprang from the pages of a ’30s pulp novel. There’s Frank Fairburne, a former mercenary and ace shot who’s in it for the money; Professor Archimedes De Quincy, a fussy academic out for redemption; Nalangu Rushida, an African demon hunter; and Gracie Braithwaite, a factory worker and former boxer from Northern England. They’re largely the same, but there are a few differences: Frank, for instance, can take more damage than anyone else and when he headshots an enemy, that enemy explodes. Nalangu, on the other hand, moves faster and has a vampiric strike. These differences are minor, in the grand scheme of things, but the larger ones (exploding headshots, vampiric strike, etc) make each character feel unique and actively reward you for a specific style of play that feeds into the character’s backstory. It’s a nice touch.

"The game’s combat is also impressive. Enemies are varied and numerous, and new enemies are constantly introduced, usually with a mini-cutscene and a bad pun explaining how they’d like to kill you."

After you choose who you’re going to roll with – after giving everyone a fair shake, I opted for Frank. Exploding headshots were too good to pass up – you have to choose how you’re going to play. Strange Brigade can be played solo or in co-op, and both work well. There are no AI teammates in solo mode, so you’re free to explore the game’s lush jungles, spooky tombs, and ancient cities at your leisure. It’s worth doing: Rebellion’s attention to environmental design are more than worth taking in. The levels are incredibly impressive, and many manage to toe the fine line between feeling like a level in a video game and a real place you could explore. That level of detail does have a downside, however. Environmental destruction is limited, usually involving little more than pottery and the odd destructible door, and there are invisible walls that keep you out of parts of the environment you feel like you should be able to explore. The levels work despite this, but it’s disappointing when everything else about the game’s level design is so good.

The game’s combat is also impressive. Enemies are varied and numerous, and new enemies are constantly introduced, usually with a mini-cutscene and a bad pun explaining how they’d like to kill you. The generic mummies with run right at you, hoping to claw your face off, but later enemies are more subtle. There are assassins that teleport around the environment with blazing speed, scorpions that burrow underground, swarms of bugs that overwhelm the screen, and armored enemies that toss projectiles and require accurate shots to take down. In large combat arenas, there can often be dozens of enemies on-screen at a time, so you’ll have to manage each enemy type while using your resources – ammo, explosives (which recharge on a timer), any special weapons you might have, the one potion you can carry at any given point – wisely.

While each character’s abilities mean they naturally gravitate towards a certain type of gun – Frank’s exploding headshots makes single shot rifles a natural fit, and Gracie’s melee focus means she probably wants a shotgun – there aren’t any limitations to who can equip what. Each character has a primary weapon and a sidearm, plus any special weapon you find throughout the level. The first two can be swapped at any supply cache throughout the level, and you can use the treasure you find as you play to buy better ones, which carry across to every character. Better still, the ammo packs scattered throughout the level will replenish any  weapon you choose, giving you the freedom to use what you want, when you want. Special weapons, however, must be purchased in the levels themselves. These weapons – an extraordinarily powerful blunderbuss or automatic rifle, for instance – deal tremendous damage, but you can’t get more ammo for them unless you buy a new one. Once they’re done, they’re done.

"Killing enemies will also charge up your amulet, which grants each character one of four specific powers. Frank, for instance, can punch enemies so hard they fly backwards and explode, while Professor De Quincy shoots bolts of energy at foes."

Killing enemies will also charge up your amulet, which grants each character one of four specific powers. Frank, for instance, can punch enemies so hard they fly backwards and explode, while Professor De Quincy shoots bolts of energy at foes. Some feel more useful than others, but most compliment the playstyles of their characters and add a lot to the game’s already fun combat. There’s also environmental taps that drop spiked logs, activate spinning blades, and unleash jets of fire on your enemies. Many of these can be activated multiple times after a short cooldown, but some can only be used once. Using them effectively is paramount when the game starts throwing large numbers of enemies at you, so you’ll have to lure enemies to them and position yourself just right to shoot them at the right time. They’re easily one of the best parts of Strange Brigade, and combat improves significantly when they’re involved.

Of course, it isn’t all shooting the undead. You’re also doing a lot of looting. In addition to the piles of coins and treasure chests lying around the level, Strange Brigade also features puzzles to solve. In general, they’re pretty simple. You might be asked to move shafts of light between crystals to open a door, connect a series of pipes, find and shoot a series of targets in a short time, play a memory game, or find the combination to a door elsewhere in the level. None of these are particularly hard, but they break allow the game to breathe and provide just enough challenge to remain engaging. This is good, since the game isn’t very forgiving. Mess one up three times, and that room, and the treasure inside, will be locked off until you replay the level.

Better still, there’s active reason to do them. In addition to the monetary rewards you find, which allow you to buy more guns, you’ll also find relics and gems. Completing a specific set of relics will reward you with skill points, which reward new amulet techniques. Gems, on the other hand, allow you to upgrade your weapons. Some might allow you to fire faster, while others will imbue your weapon with lifesteal or elemental abilities. These systems add to the feeling of discovery and mysticism Strange Brigade tries to convey while making the optional areas worth your time.

"Strange Brigade really shines in co-op and Rebellion makes things tricky by making sure the puzzles change, too. A puzzle that only required one person to step on marked tiles in solo mode will require more people in co-op, and there are more options in combat, as well, allowing you to set up in the environmental traps in ways a lone player simply can’t."

Strange Brigade really shines in co-op and Rebellion makes things tricky by making sure the puzzles change, too. A puzzle that only required one person to step on marked tiles in solo mode will require more people in co-op, and there are more options in combat, as well, allowing you to set up in the environmental traps in ways a lone player simply can’t. Loot also isn’t shared, so you’ll want to get puzzles done quickly to beat your friends to the goods. The campaign itself is a probably around 12 hours, depending on how you play, but there’s also a horde mode and a score attack mode if you want more monster-killing to do.

As good as parts of Strange Brigade are, however, it is still a fairly flawed game. The lack of environmental destruction and presence of invisible walls are very noticeable, and can detract from the game’s theming and level design. What’s worse, however, are the gameplay flaws. While it’s satisfying to blow a large group of mummies up with a stick of dynamite or get a series of perfect headshots, the game’s moment to moment gunplay often feels pretty weak. Weapons sound muted, which weakens the feedback loop, and the melee attack are clunky and inaccurate unless they’re tied to an amulet ability. There’s also the always disappointing decision to have boss fights that consist of waves of enemies that you need to kill in order to damage the boss itself, and while some might like the competitive aspect of not sharing money in co-op, it seems out of place considering the game is so built around teamwork. The worst flaw, however, is that the game has no local co-op. While I understand that local co-op is (unfortunately) becoming more rare and many view it as an outdated feature, Strange Brigade is at its best with other people, and it’s heartbreaking that there’s no option to play it on your couch with your friends. These aren’t gamebreaking flaws, as everything else about Strange Brigade works quite well, but they do detract from the game’s highs.

What will make or break your time with Strange Brigade is how well you jive with the game’s style and tone. Personally, I loved it. A lot of this is due to the narrator, who constantly quips about everything you do. He’ll cheer for you when you set off a huge explosion, or burst into a fit of alliteration when a new enemy appears. He even has a number of remarks for pausing the game. The characters aren’t any slouches in this regard, either, and this, paired with the game’s devotion to its setting, make Strange Brigade stand out in ways it probably otherwise wouldn’t. It’s a flawed game, yes, but also a damn good one, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to see the Strange Brigade again down the road, when some knucklehead opens yet another cursed tomb. 

This game was reviewed on the Xbox One.

"The setting spilled out of the main desire to make a game around something akin to the classic bandaged mummy monster that has become popularized in so many classic stories and movies"

The game features quite a unique setting with Egypt in the 1930s. What inspired you to use this setting?

It’s a fantasy version of Egypt and more broadly North Africa as seen through the lens of a pulpy serial adventure movie. The setting spilled out of the main desire to make a game around something akin to the classic bandaged mummy monster that has become popularized in so many classic stories and movies. It’s become a horror and thriller icon and we really wanted to create a game featuring it in a major way. The story and the characters of the Strange Brigade built up around this and took on a life of their own. Then the link to the old black and white matinee movies tied it all together and gave us the direction for our setting.

Although the game is focused on co-op gameplay, how viable and enjoyable would it be to experience the game as a solo player?

Like all of the co-op games we’ve made at Rebellion (and there are a few now), we gave the solo and co-op gameplay in Strange Brigade equal weight. It’s absolutely a game that we’ve designed to be played solo AND in co-op without compromising either. Singleplayer feels and plays differently in some respects but you’re not going to miss any of the content, it’s just a different vibe. I liken it to going on a haunted house ride at the fair; you’re laughing along when you go on it with friends but on your own, you can’t help but get a bit of a chill!

How does the campaign in the game work exactly? Is there a definite end or is it open-ended?

The levels unfold with a light narrative and come to a suitably thrilling conclusion but, we wouldn’t be being true to our source material if we didn’t throw a cliffhanger and a ‘To Be Continued’ in there! We’ve also put a lot of work into making the levels replayable. There’s a lot of stuff in them that I’m not expecting players to get or find on their first playthrough.

On a related note, what are the post-launch plans for the game?

We’ve recently revealed a trailer detailing exactly that. We’ve confirmed free monthly content is on the way, though we’ll go into more details about that nearer launch. We also have a season pass that offers significant amounts of content including a three-part mini-campaign, new characters, amulets powers, weapons, outfits and more. We’re talking in broad strokes for now and will be revealing our plans in more detail soon, but we want to make sure players know we’ve got substantial content on the way.

What is the progression system like?

We’ve gone for something more like a customization system than a conventional progression system. You’ll be able to unlock more powerful weapons and new amulet powers but for the most part you need to thoroughly explore each level to discover the items that’ll allow you to improve and tune your arsenal – and that includes the magic gems that add cool buffs to your guns like shock attacks, better headshots or even health draining.

"It doesn’t take itself very seriously at all and I think our players will see it as an antidote to more philosophical, po-faced, grimdark stuff"

There are many co-op shooters vying for players’ attention right now. What would you say sets apart Strange Brigade from its competition?

Strange Brigade is really set up to be played how you want to play it. You can settle in for an evening and go treasure hunting with your crew or spend 10 minutes blasting through an undead army or two. It doesn’t take itself very seriously at all and I think our players will see it as an antidote to more philosophical, po-faced, grimdark stuff.

Any chance of cross play between PS4 and Xbox One owners? That would be amazing if it happens.

Not at this time.

How challenging will the game be for players? Is there a fairly high skill ceiling to master the game, and will higher skill be rewarded in some way?

There are difficulty settings of course, and if you choose to play solo with the multiplayer settings switched on, it can get very intense. But I’d say it’s generally pretty accessible.

What is the frame rate and resolution of the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X versions?

The PlayStation 4 Pro offers 1440p rendering, larger draw distance, and improved screen space reflections compared to the regular PS4 version. We maintain 30 frames per seconds on consoles.

Xbox One X offers 1800p rendering, improved shadow resolution, larger draw distance, higher quality texture filtering, and improved screen space reflections relative to the Xbox One version.

Next gen is coming sooner or later. From a development perspective, what is your biggest expectation from the next PlayStation and next Xbox?

Wow, what a question. To be honest you’re asking the wrong person. As much as I love what we can do with the technology of the latest systems, I’d be happy making games on my old Commodore 64 if people would still pay for it!

Rebellion Entertainment has steadily been revealing new details about Strange Brigade, their upcoming co-op centric Left 4 Dead inspired shooter-action adventure hybrid. The game is set to release within just a few days, and with that date looming so close, developers Rebellion Entertainment. have released a brand new trailer for the game. Other than giving you a glimpse of gameplay (obviously) and Strange Brigade’s curiously unique setting, the trailer also introduces a new character.

First of all, the trailer portrays tge adventurers from the brigade go up against various mummies. You can also see the different characters making use of their special abilities in battle, and also some of the different weapons that you can find the game. The trailer then also introduces a new character called Winston Bey, who will be free for a limited time only. This character will be available for free to all those who pre-order the game, or buy the game  within 30 days of its release. We’re guessing that after this period, the character can be bought separately as DLC.

You can check out the new trailer below. Strange Brigade is set to release for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on August 28. For more info on the game, head over to our Strange Brigade wiki page.

Development

Strange Brigade is a game that places an emphasis on co-op gameplay between four players. As that description might imply, it is inspired by similar shooters in the past, such as Left 4 Dead, and Sniper Elite spinoff Zombie Army Trilogy, which was also developed by Rebellion Developments.

The game was originally announced in June 2017, roughly fourteen months before its eventual release date. Post launch DLC has also been planned, and will include new characters, weapons, and outfits. There will also be free monthly updates.

Story

Strange Brigade takes place in the 1930s in Egypt, and its an amalgamation of sorts of the game mechanics seen in the likes of Left 4 Dead, the adventure-cum-fantasy elements seen in properties like Indiana Jones and Uncharted. The style and tone of the game are very much inspired by 1930s and 1940s pulp adventure serial dramas, which can also be heard in its background narrations. The events that act as a backdrop for the narrative of Strange Brigade take place four thousand years ago in Saharan Africa, a region that was under the rule of Queen Seteki. Seteki was a harsh and tyrannical queen who indulged in barbaric practices and black practices due to her devotion to evil deities, as a result of which the people under her rule eventually rose up in mutiny.

The mutiny ultimately led to Queen Seteki being overthrown and then being locked away in a tomb, and all traces of her existence being erased from memory and history. Four thousand years later, in 1930s, leading an archeological expedition in Egypt, a man named Edgar Harbin discovers her tomb and accidentally sets her spirit free, which leads to all sorts of chaos. As a result, a group of Secret Service agents known as the Strange Brigade, who’re experts at tracking down and quashing supernatural threats, is tasked by the government to infiltrate Harbin’s expedition, with their ultimate goal being to bring down Seteki once and for all. The game’s campaign will see players playing in several locations and ruins.

Gameplay

Though Strange Brigade is playable solo, the primary way of playing the game is with friends, with the maximum number of players in a game being four. Similar to Left 4 Dead, the game throws players into a level and then tasks them with making their way through hordes upon hordes of enemies, with management of larger enemy crowds bring a fundamental mechanic of the experience. The enemies players come across range from mummies to large scorpions to undead creatures to even minotaur, with several of these obviously being harder to kill than others.

Strange Brigade hands players with several tools to do so, ranging from guns such as shotguns and rifles, to melee weapons. Four characters are included in the game at launch- Gracie Braithwaite, who is an engineer, Nalangu Rushida, the wayfinder, Frank Fairburne, a soldier, and Archimedes de Quincy, a scholar. Each of the four characters in Strange Brigade have their own different weapons and abilities, and each of these is also customizable. Additionally, four more characters will be added on as DLC after launch- the survivor Hachiro Shimizu, the treasure hunter Patrick “Bash” Conahan, the pilot Tessie Caldwell, and the demon hunter Anjali Khan.

Meanwhile, weapons also have upgrade slots which players can make use of to improve various aspects, and can be upgraded or switched on work benches found throughout the game’s levels. Additionally, you can also use gems to add additional and new effects to your weapons, such as fire bullets or bullets that replenish a little bit of your health with each hit. Each of the four characters are additionally also equipped with an amulet. These amulets can be charged up with souls that players consume from enemies they kill, and once an amulet is fully charged, the player can unleash a magical attack that does significantly more damage and can take out a larger number of enemies. Additionally, there was also be a scoring system that will give scores based on performances to each individual player.

Levels in Strange Brigade also feature several traps and environmental hazards, such as rotating blades, fire pits, exploding barrels, swinging axes, and more. While players obviously have to avoid these, they can also use these to their own advantage by luring enemies into traps and hazards to thin out hordes of enemies. In addition to its chaotic shooting action, Strange Brigade also has some light puzzle elements to break up the action. Tackling puzzles rewards players with relics, which can be used to unlock more of the aforementioned amulet powers. Additionally, the game also has  branching level designs, with open ended areas and branching paths that aim to encourage exploration and award players with collectibles and secrets. Levels also have treasure chests for players to find, which can hand out things like powerful prototype weapons, or gold coins which can be used to purchase better weapons and items.

Beyond its campaign, Strange Brigade also has two additional modes. The first of these is a traditional horde mode, which pits players against continuous waves of enemies which become increasingly more powerful and larger in terms of the number of enemies they include. Completing waves rewards players with money, which can be used between waves to buy better weapons, set up more traps, or unlock more surrounding areas that contain new items that can also be used during subsequent waves. The second additional mode is called Score Attack, which tasks players with making their way through levels from the campaign, but with the aim here being to attain the maximum number of points. To do so, players have to make the best of use of the weapons, abilities, traps, and environmental hazards the game provides them with.

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.

We’ve already been able to see quite a bit of what Strange Brigade is going to be like, and also what kind of model the developers want to use for the game. Now, Rebellion Entertainment has announced two new game modes that we didn’t know of before that will be available in the game at launch.

The first of the modes is a Horde mode, and as you would expect, it pits players against waves of enemies to fight against until your character dies. The other mode is quite interesting and seems like it will be a lot of fun. It’s called Score Attack, and the goal in this mode is to kill enemies quickly, which will then allow you to gain multipliers and thereby get greater scores. You will have to keep up the action in this mode if you want to win. All in all, it looks like there’s a lot to be excited for with this game.

Strange Brigade is set to release on August 28 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Dead Cells

When Dead Cells first entered Steam Early Access in 2017, it was described as a “rogue-like Metroidvania” with procedural generation. Being wary of “Metroidvania” and “procedural generation” is understandable especially when Thunder Lotus Games’ Sundered failed to really ignite many players’ interest.

Dead Cells is an altogether different beast though, one that’s undergone phenomenal changes throughout its development. Each area has its share of explorable nooks and rooms but it’s also possible to beeline to the next area quickly. Different abilities gained throughout playthroughs can help unlock secret rooms when playing afresh.

However, the combat is a big focus, combining block timing and dodging with build crafting for absurd damage stacking. The variety of weapons to utilize, Mutators and unlockable items are pretty exceptional as well, and the art style is just plain gorgeous. It may not be to everyone’s taste but Dead Cells is worth checking out when it releases on August 7^th for Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC and PS4.

Phantom Doctrine

Phantom Doctrine from CreativeForge Games isn’t your typical XCOM-style turn-based strategy title. It’s actually set during the Cold War and sees The Cabal, a mysterious organization, working to stop a conspiracy that could spell trouble for the world’s leaders. Along with carrying out secret missions, players can send undercover operatives who will have their own traps ready when needed.

Playing out in a 40 hour plus campaign, Phantom Doctrine allows for numerous tactical options like sneaking, silent takedowns, Overwatch modes in combat and even the ability to Breach. It’s also possible to bring in allies to help during battle, though keep in mind that your enemy can do the same thing (and even call in air support). Phantom Doctrine is out on August 14th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Overcooked 2

The sequel to everyone’s favourite cooking game…if they play solo, that is. Playing with friends and/or loved ones often resulted in chaos and going to bed angry. Overcooked 2 plans to ramp that up further, allowing teams of four players to handle ingredients, cook dishes and send them to hungry customers.

Bumping into someone else isn’t the only danger this time as levels can have portals and moving floors to impede progress. That may sound tame but stages will also have transitions where players move from hot air balloons to crash-landing into sushi kitchens. Passive aggressive jokes aside, it sounds like crazy fun. Overcooked 2 is out on August 7^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Madden NFL 19

EA Sports’ Madden series has its share of fans and detractors, especially given the ups and downs in quality over the years. Madden NFL 19 is still leaning hard on the realism with “real player motions” and it’s possible to take part in touchdown celebrations, a feature which was last seen in Madden NFL 09.

Other changes include 3 vs 3 match-ups for Ultimate Team Mode, a “Solo Battles” game mode, a reward system dependent on leaderboards and your success in daily challenges, and so on. If that weren’t enough, Longshot, last year’s story-driven campaign, will receive a continuation with more NFL events tying into the actual plot this time around.

Madden NFL 19 is out August 10th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

We Happy Few

Compulsion Games’ We Happy Few has spent a long time in development. From its promising Kickstarter in June 2015 to its publishing deal with Gearbox – which raised the price and irked supporters – to the studio’s eventual acquisition by Microsoft, the journey has been long and fraught with controversy. It’s finally out on August 10^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC but does this dystopian fantasy inspired by the likes of Brazil and George Orwell’s 1984 actually hold any merit?

We Happy Few takes place in an alternate history Great Britain where the citizens of Wellington Wells face contamination as a result of an experiment. In order to survive, something terrible is done and in order to suppress memories of the same, citizens take Joy, a drug that suppresses any and all anguish. Of course, as a result, authoritarian government rules, manipulating its citizens with Joy and ostracising those who stay off the pill.

Along with Arthur Hastings, who works as a censor for the government before going off the Joy, there are two additional characters: Sally Boyle, an experimental chemist who assisted the creator of Joy, and Ollie Starkey, an explosives expert who’s been off of Joy for a long time. It’s an interesting story but will its survival mechanics, rogue-like mechanics and procedurally generated environments hold player interest? We’ll find out in the coming week.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season – Episode 1

Telltale’s The Walking Dead series is where it all began for the developer. It’s the franchise that escalated the studio into mainstream popularity and success. Even with all the years of strife and development woes, The Walking Dead is still here if only for a little while longer. That’s because the first episode of The Walking Dead: The Final Season premieres on August 14^th for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch. Clementine’s journey, for better or worse, is finally coming to an end.

The first episode will see Clementine travelling with AJ, avoiding the undead. Along with taking choices from previous games into account, The Final Season will incorporate the same quick-time events that have defined the Telltale series. Given this is the last game utilizing the Telltale Tool engine, The Walking Dead: The Final Season has a lot to live up to.

World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth

If you’ve been following World of Warcraft for the past several weeks, then Blizzard’s recent squishing of stats has happened in a less than ideal fashion. The levelling process has become absurd. Enemies seemingly take forever to kill, even if you’re armed to the teeth. It’s kind of a mess, punctuated by the fact that Blizzard doesn’t know what is causing the problem.

That being said, how could any player not be excited about Battle for Azeroth? The Alliance and Horde are warring again, reflected in the game’s new 20 player PvE Warfronts and new allied races that can be recruited. Kul Tiras and Zandalar are available as new continents while a number of dungeons and a new raid are also en route. Artifact Weapons are going away but there’s the Heart of Azeroth which affects all specializations when upgraded.

Honestly, along with the increased level cap, PvP ruleset changes, island expeditions and so on, there’s quite a lot to go through. Hopefully, everything else about the game starts working before Battle for Azeroth launches on August 14^th.

F1 2018

The classic F1 racing series from Codemasters Birmingham returns for another lap with F1 2018. Developed on EGO Engine 4.0 and releasing on August 24th for a wide variety of platforms from PC, Xbox One and PS4 to iOS and Android, F1 2018 will follow the 2018 Formula One World Championship season.

That means 21 circuits, 20 drivers and 10 teams competing for supremacy. Along with an improved progression system, Codemasters also promises classic cars like the McLaren M23 and Ferrari 312T. Essentially, every classic car from F1 2017 will be returning and circuits like Circuit Paul Ricard will be featured. More free practice programs, the option to bank development points and much more are also coming. Suffice to say that if realistic F1 racing is your thing, then F1 2018 shouldn’t be missed.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2019

So Konami doesn’t have the UEFA license to fall back on this time around. That’s fine because Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 includes the Scottish Premiership and Russian Premier League as part of eight total leagues. Improved realism will be the name of the game with reworked lighting and sharper looking environments.

Fans can also look forward to a better negotiation and budget management system along with the International Champions Cup. Eleven new skill traits have also been added to allow for more unique play styles so expect to see individual player strengths have a stronger impact on games. Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 arrives on August 28^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC in North America while Europe gets it on August 30^th.

Yakuza Kiwami 2

If you’ve played any of the Yakuza games till now, then you don’t need me to sell you on Yakuza Kiwami 2. A remake of Yakuza 2 which originally launched on the PlayStation 2 in 2006, this is more of a follow-up to Yakuza Kiwami due to new gameplay features and the Dragon Engine’s revamped visuals. Kazuma Kiryu is back once again and must prevent a clan war from erupting. This time around though, it’s Dragon vs. Dragon as Kiryu battles Ryuji Goda, the “Dragon of Kansai”.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 features the same open-world environment spanning Kamurocho and Sotenbori with various side stories and improved combat. A number of new story elements have been added to help sort out the original release’s plot holes and there’s even an additional story scenario called “The Truth of Goro Majima”. In this, everyone’s favourite psychopath becomes a playable character and we explore how he left the Tojo Clan to form “Majima Construction”.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is out on August 28^th for PlayStation 4.

Monster Hunter World PC

Monster Hunter World has been an unprecedented success for Capcom, selling 8.3 million copies since launch and providing a solid foray for the series onto consoles. Ever since the game was announced, many of us waited with bated breath for news on the PC release. It’s finally coming on August 9^th, even if there are a few hiccups along the way.

Said hiccups include the lack of post-launch monsters like Deviljho, Lunastra and Behemoth. Furthermore, reports indicate that crashing is an issue that PC players are dealing with, though Capcom has promised a fix. That being said, Monster Hunter World on PC looks gorgeous. For new players, it offers a taste of the hunting gameplay that handheld players have been raving about for years. For current players, it means 1080p resolution and 60 FPS gameplay. Regardless, it’s worth checking out on PC.

Death’s Gambit

The Dark Souls aesthetic is strong with Death’s Gambit. The pixel-art style is gritty and brutal as players control a servant of Death who must investigate Siradon, battling various guardians along the way. Along with an enormous 2D world to explore, Death’s Gambit features numerous, towering bosses and seven playable classes along with more than 10 weapon types. To offer a further challenge, players can battle bosses again in Heroic Mode or embark on a New Game Plus playthrough.

While the non-linear exploration and punishing nature of the combat may evoke From Software’s best, Death’s Gambit is decidedly more of an action platformer. Execute enemies with finesse and speed or plan encounters carefully, choosing talents from a skill tree and doing your best to survive. Death’s Gambit is out on August 14^th for PS4 and PC.

Shenmue 1 and 2 HD

At this stage, Shenmue 1 and 2 don’t really need any introduction. Created by Yu Suzuki, the man behind Virtua Fighter, both games follow Ryo Hazuki on his quest to avenge his father’s murder. Travelling from Japan to Hong Kong, Ryo will confront various characters, both friendly and hostile, en route to finding the mysterious Lan Di.

Though it may not seem like much according to today’s standards, Shenmue was ground-breaking in its depiction of NPCs with schedules and a realistic world full of small details. Its usage of quick-time events was unparalleled at the time in the industry along with its stellar production values. The remastered ports of Shenmue 1 and 2 will feature improved visuals, new control options, better user interfaces and – at long last – an option between English and Japanese voices. They’re out on August 21^st for Xbox One, PC and PS4.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate

Imagine a Monster Hunter title where you can’t move while healing, Scoutflies don’t exist, the aesthetic is more heavily anime-like and gathering resources is a thing you have to go out and do. Doesn’t sound like much fun, right? Wrong. Despite not having a number of quality-of-life changes seen in Monster Hunter World, Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is still one of the most content-rich titles in the franchise. It’s also tons of fun.

As the “definitive” package for Monster Hunter Generations, Generations Ultimate packs over 60 large monsters to fight. That means tons of armour and weapons to craft and the beauty of Generations Ultimate is that you can pretty much use whatever you feel like. Hunting Arts and Styles imbue special abilities into each of the 14 weapon types, changing things up for veterans.

And of course, there are the Deviant Monsters, G-Rank quests and Charm farming to embrace. Did we mention playing as Felynes? Because that’s also a thing. Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate arrives on August 28^th for Nintendo Switch.

Strange Brigade

Better known for its Sniper Elite series, Rebellion Developments’ Strange Brigade is…different. As a co-op third-person shooter, players control the Strange Brigade, a cavalcade of Secret Service operatives who travel to Sahara Africa to take down Seteki the Witch Queen after an archaeologist accidentally releases her spirit.

Styled with 1930s aesthetics, mythical beings like mummies and minotaurs will oppose players. Each of the four playable characters offers different abilities and weapons along with an upgrade system for further killing potential. Traps, branching levels, puzzles and much more will be available during escapades, and it’s also possible to unlock Amulet Powers to even the odds.

Strange Brigade is out on August 28^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.