Xbox One owners will have access to TellTale Game’s episodic The Wolf Among Us (regularly $24.99 USD) from April 1 until the 30. On April 16, Sunset Overdrive (normally $29.99 USD) will become free of charge and remain that way until May 15.

For Xbox 360 owners, or Xbox One owners looking to take advantage of some backwards compatibility, the two free titles are not nearly as new, but are both fantastic titles. The first, free from April 1 until the 15, is Dead Space (regularly $14.99 USD). As Dead Space returns to its typical digital price, Saints Row IV (normally $34.99 USD) will take its place from April 16 through the 30.

Are you planning on downloading any of these free titles? Are there some which leave you feeling underwhelmed? Are you excited to play some of these games? Let us know in the comments below!

Editor’s thoughts: While Dead Space is roughly 8 years old at this point, anyone who has yet to play the title absolutely needs to take advantage of this offering. The other three games being offered were all released within the last three years, making this a more recent batch of free titles than recent months. The genres of these games also vary pretty significantly, meaning that everyone should see some appeal in at least one of the four titles. The Games With Gold program isn’t perfect, nor will it likely offer brand new AAA titles like many people unrealistically desire, but it continues to evolve and fine tune itself, offering wider ranges of titles and more recent ones as well.

The new series titled, Makers & Gamers, aims to showcase how games can have a substantial effect on players, and this series will allow these gamers to tell these stories to the makers of the game in each episode. The  first episode in this emotional series tackles one of the most critically acclaimed releases in recent history – Full Battle Rattle.

The Makers & Gamers: Journey episode was directed Jesse Moss, the filmmaker behind critically acclaimed documentaries as The Overnighters and Full Battle Rattle.

Editor’s Note: Gaming is a beautiful art form, and I too have been effected in emotional ways. Feel free to check out my emotional journey through The Unfinished Swan, a game that will always have a place in my heart.

The first video in this new series features producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who describes his experiences with the development of the original Resident Evil, Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 6. Kobayashi also describes some interesting facts from the development process, which include how players reacted to the horror in games, as well as the push to always improve the graphical fidelity of the series.

The Resident Evil series debuted on March 22, 1996 and Capcom has stated they will continue to celebrate the anniversary “over the next year” and that the “team is already hard at work to deliver some amazing new surprises.”

Video game news and reviews all year long.

Its latest title, Blast ‘Em Bunnies appears to be no exception to this, with the two man development team deciding to have a shot at the tower defense/ endless shooter genre. With the launch of Blast ‘Em Bunniesimminent, Analog Addiction had a chance to speak to one of the creative minds behind these games, Nnooo Creative Director and Founder Nic Watt.

“I first came up with an idea about looking around and shooting things and we wanted to include cute, colourful characters,” says Watt, speaking of how the premise for the game was formulated. “The first idea was a space defence shooter where you were some form of orbiting space station which could move in 360 degrees looking through its sights. I felt that shooting aliens in space might be a little too niche and alienating for some users so I tried to think of a character type that would appeal to all users.”

“This is where the ideas of bunnies came from. Once we had that, we started to think of all the cool things both the player could do in the form of crazy types of weapons (exploding, heat-seeking pepper bombs!), and enemies (burrowers, blockers, throatslitters for example)!”

My first experience with Blast ‘Em Bunnies was back in 2013, at the EB Games Expo in Sydney, Australia. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One had just been announced, and Blast ‘Em Bunnies was being used to showcase the gyroscope in the PlayStation 4 controller.

“At the EB Expo in 2013 we were showing an early build on PlayStation 4 and we actually hadn’t been approved for Xbox at that time,” reflected Watt. “We still had a lot to add in the form of different arenas, bunny skins and even weapon and enemy types. We also added refreshable missions which renew on completion and daily, as well as lots of medals to complete too.”

Blast ‘Em Bunnies will be a strictly single player experience. “There isn’t multiplayer as mainly it would have required online play. The game is designed to be a first person shooter and the gameplay we went for really suits single player,” comments Watt. “Multiplayer would be a very different mode and, on at least PSVita and Nintendo 3DS, would have had to support either local or online multiplayer. This was too big an undertaking and something we hadn’t done before so we decided to focus our efforts on making sure the single player was the best it could be.”

Nnooo has been focused on Blast ‘Em Bunnies for quite some time. It’s been a little over two years since I first saw Blast ‘Em Bunnies in action, and several factors have played a part in the long development time frame. Largely, Watt tells me, it was because of the number of platforms the game was being developed for.

“We were always planning on PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS and added PlayStation 4 when we received development approval. Xbox One we added when we got approval to develop. We mainly wanted to release on multiple devices to reach more people and make the game as successful as we can.”

“When we finally got Xbox One approval we decided we wanted to aim for a simultaneous release, so it took a fair bit of time adding all of the support for each platform’s idiosyncrasies.”

Not only is a simultaneous release on this many platforms something new for the small developer, it also made the quality assurance testing a much longer process. “Given that there are only 3 of us and we are supporting 4 platforms, it took a big chunk of time to get it all super polished and bug free. The EB Expo 2013 build had a lot of crashes and other issues we were quite skilled at hiding!”

Another challenge the team faced was utilising each platform’s unique features in the game. The PlayStation and 3DS versions of the game make use of each platform’s gyroscope as an alternative control method to move the gun turret, but the Xbox presented more of a challenge that could not be overcome.

“We would have loved to support Kinect but it is such a different user interface we were concerned about how well we could give the feeling of controlling a gun turret and how much code would be shared between [the different platforms].”

Having absolutely no knowledge of developing games for different platforms, I was intrigued as to which platform Watt preferred.

“I really enjoy making games full stop. I think Nintendo probably provide the most interesting hardware in terms of things you can do with it, but for me working on PSVita, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo 3DS is super exciting. It has been challenging trying to get the game working on such different hardware, particularly from the power of the PS4 and Xbox One down to the relatively lesser power of the Nintendo 3DS. Nevertheless, I think the game shines and has been tailored to work well on them all.”

“In terms of development ease I wouldn’t say any are much easier than the others, other than (because they are more recent) that the PS4 and Xbox One have got more modern tools and systems. Each generation the hardware manufacturers learn from the things they liked and disliked the generation before and make adjustments accordingly. With PS4 and Xbox One being the newest they have a lot more prior learnings to draw on.”

If you hadn’t picked it up by now, Nnooo has a development team of just two people. “The benefits are we can make the games we want, how we want and to the quality we want,” says Watt. “The challenges are we can only work so many hours and because we like to really polish our games they can end up taking a lot longer than we expect. Balancing the time, budget and quality is always very hard.”

It’s no secret that the current Australian government has not been very supportive of local video game development, but Screen Australia’s limited funding went a long way in helping the development of Nnooo’s latest title. “To be honest Blast ‘Em Bunnies would not have been completed without their support,” reflects Watt. “Screen NSW have been amazing, particularly given the tough times they have faced with their budgets being cut. They have really supported everything we have done and we are really glad they can still help out developers!”

Blast ‘Em Bunnies, the latest game from Nnooo, is available digitally this week for $4.99 USD (or regional equivalent). The PlayStation 4 and Vita versions of the game are available on March 8 in North America (March 9 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand). The Nintendo 3DS version launches on March 10 in the Americas, Europe and Australia and New Zealand, and the Xbox One version will be available on March 11 in the Americas, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Platform Played PlayStation 4

   Developer/Publisher Milestone S.r.l

Earlier this year I reviewed Ride, which was a motorcycle racing game developed by Milestone S.r.l. Ride was overall a disappointing experience and I believed motorcycle enthusiasts deserved something better, fortunately this is where MotoGP 15 comes in. Though MotoGP 15 is also developed by Milestone, it delivers a significant step up from the aforementioned release.

One of MotoGP 15‘s most impressive aspects is the amount of options it gives to the player. MotoGP 15 contains the full roster of official 2015 Moto GP Championship riders and bikes, but it also contains all the riders from Moto2, Moto3, and Moto GP 2 Stroke Champions. The roster is downright impressive and each bike category feels significantly different from the last. Moto3 offers a subdued experience due to the lack of power, while the Moto GP delivers a powerful roar as they rocket down the pit straight. The significant difference in each bike category offers plenty of options when choosing your perfect ride, but there are also plenty of options on the track.

MotoGP 15 allows players to alter almost every single aspect of a race, allowing you to create your perfect competition. Want to ease your way into MotoGP 15 to learn the ropes? Allow for auto braking. Want to re-enact an entire championship? Choose to experience the entire weekend at full race length. I loved having complete power over each race, and the astounding amount of options given to create that experience is greatly appreciated. The vast customisation options truly shine when playing online, but I shall get into that a little bit later.

MotoGP 15 begins with the creation of your custom rider, but sadly the options are limited. One of the biggest downsides of the custom creation is the lack of the ability to alter your riders face. Instead players must choose from a range of preset photographs. It’s certainly an odd procedure and it explains why your rider never takes off his helmet in pre-race celebrations. Aside from this the options are very thin. Almost everything you do in MotoGP 15 is awarded with experience, which will unlock new wearable items; though these items are merely colour swaps. Unless you truly want your rider’s personal items to match the team you’re riding for, there is almost no reason to alter these options once they are chosen.

Your created rider will mostly be used in Career Mode. This mode begins in the Moto3 category, as you win races and gain fans you will start to move to better teams and ultimately become Moto GP World Champion. As with most racing based Career Modes players will increase in popularity after each race, as well as being given the option to acquire sponsors and change teams. Though your overall popularity doesn’t seem to factor into anything at all, this makes the number simply a pointless figure. It would have been nice if there was something tying into your popularity, perhaps bonus cash from merchandise sales that could have culminated towards your GP credits total. GP credits are earned after each race and can be used to purchase bikes, though the selection is steeply priced and after three seasons I’ve barely been able to purchase six rides.

Moving through each racing category in Career Mode is greatly rewarding, as your victories and success determine how fast your rise to the pinnacle of racing will take. Each victory feels like another step to proving yourself worthy of the Moto GP category. Career Mode also allows improvements to each bike, in the form of data packs. These packs are earned from each race you complete and testing sessions. I loved the idea of earning more data packs from these testing sessions, which does a great job at replicating the process teams take to improve their bikes throughout the season. If you want to turn up the difficulty and continue your journey after becoming World Champion, you can, as Career Mode seems to have no end in sight.

MotoGP 15 delivers where it matters most, on the track. As I mentioned earlier each bike feels significantly different and the racing conditions will also alter the feel of each ride. I loved the feeling of your bike struggling as you power through a corner at breakneck speeds, and the audible grunt of the engine stressing as you push it to the very limit. Altering the physics of your ride will also alter the feel and sound of your bike. Unfortunately once again Milestone has implicated a sub par version of the Rewind system found in most racers. Like Ride the timer in-between use isn’t shown and if you don’t fix your mistake after one rewind, you must then suffer the consequences. Of course you don’t need to implicate the Rewind system at all, but the fact that Milestone once again has provided an odd version of the system is frustrating. Especially when facing AI of higher difficulty, these racers will push and shove in order to get to the top. Those able to master the lower difficulty will certainly have their metal challenged in these highly difficult settings.

Aside from Career Mode MotoGP 15 also offers the standard Grand Prix, Time Attack and single race modes. But the additional Beat the Time, MotoGP2 Stroke Events and Real Events 2014 modes add a considerable amount of challenge and gameplay. Beat the Time challenges players to use lower powered bikes in order to beat specific lap times, while 2 Stroke Events has players race as well known riders in fictional challenges. Real Events 2014 has players re-enact moments from the 2014 season, or alter the events. Real Events introduces each race with a small video from the actual real life race, but there is no voice over, or any form of further explanation. I think Real Events would have benefited from some form of voice over work introducing the challenge, or perhaps even throughout each challenge itself. This instead makes these modes feel like an afterthought, rather than an in-depth extra.

One of my small gripes with MotoGP 15 is the lack of commentary. Though there are lines of dialogue delivered after each race, these are repeated frequently and makes me wonder why so few lines were recorded. Like Ride the actual race itself is pure silence. There are no commentators giving their thoughts on the race and no pit crew voices. This may not matter to some, but as someone who loved officially lisenced racing games in the past for the excellent commentary track, MotoGP 15 refuses to go to the extra effort needed to provide it.

This goes double for the average visuals within MotoGP 15. Even at its visual best, MotoGP 15 looks like a crisp version of a last generation game, and even barely manages to visually outwit Ride. This doesn’t mean MotoGP 15 is horrible to look at, but it certainly doesn’t seem willing to go that extra mile to truly provide a beautiful looking racing game that bike fans deserve. Even post-race celebrations are hampered by the horrible character models Milestone has created. Sure your rider will never remove their helmet, but your pit crew will surround your rider in celebration. There was even a time when the entire pit crew consisted of one singular character model. It’s disappointing that MotoGP 15 is happy to rest on its laurels visually, instead of setting the bar, or at least gaining traction on the visuals delivered by its four wheeled counterparts.

As previously mentioned the customisable race options truly shine online. The options when creating your own lobby online are extensive, from choosing AI difficulty, race length, bike physics and more. If none of the lobbies online (which can be found with a simple search) tickle your fancy, simply create your perfect race and await your opponents. MotoGP 15‘s online component is impressively strong, which is mainly due to the great connection. This was easily one of the most stable online components I have experienced in a long while and it makes all the difference. Aside from the occasional frame rate dip, the experience is mostly perfect and it allows for some intense racing action against other players.

Whether you’re competing in single races, online championships that carry over between races, or competing in the new modes Sprint Season and Split Times, there is a lot to choose from. Sprint Season is basically MotoGP 15‘s version of FIFA‘s online championship mode. Players will have a certain amount of races to earn enough points to be promoted to the next tie, if you do not fulfill the requirements then you will be relegated. This mode adds bonus incentive to perform well against opponents, without directly making your opponents matter to your personal progress. Split Times on the other hands cuts each track into eight sectors, after an amount of time the player with the most won sectors is the winner. Though not many are currently playing this mode, Split Times added a new found level of intensity to each race, as you frantically push your bike to its maximum potential to split a few seconds off the clock.

MotoGP 15 isn’t without its flaws, from the thin rider customisation options, lacking visuals and the absence of any substantial commentary. MotoGP 15 is a substantial improvement from Ride and that is a great positive for two wheeled racing fans.

Racing is enjoyable and as difficult as you decide to make it due to the large racing customisation options, alongside the sturdy and genuinely intense online component. Milestone has delivered a serviceable two wheeled racer, despite some modes and options clearly lacking the extra effort needed to make them truly impressive.

If you are going to buy one two wheeled racer this year, do yourself a favour and avoid Ride, and instead enjoy MotoGP 15.

The Good

• Large selection of bikes that feel significantly different on the track.
• Customisable race options.
• Endless Career Mode.
• Stable and enjoyable multiplayer component.

The Bad

• Thin rider customisation.
• Average visual display.
• Modes lacking options and features.

The Score: 7.6

Lost Dimension tasks players to subdue the threat known as The End, as a special forces group known as S.E.A.L.E.D. This special force contains eleven physics with superhuman abilities, which can be used in combat and improved throughout the game. The End demands players eliminate members of their team along the way, which means players need to create allies and strong bonds with their team, in order to find a traitor amongst the team.

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Interestingly Lost Dimension features a traitor system, which randomly determines the traitor, meaning no two players will be faced with the same experience. This means there is no way to search online in order to to see who your traitor is, making each decision even more vital.

Lost Dimension will also release for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in North America on July 28, and Europe on August 28.

Ascendance will contain four new multiplayer maps, an OHM directed energy light machine gun/shotgun hybrid, an OHM Werewolf custom variant, a new Exo Grapple ability playlist that introduces the Exo Grapple ability to multiplayer, and the next installment in the Exo Zombies mode story. The new Exo Grapple playlist will allow players to reach strong strategic vantage points, or serve as a secondary weapon to take down enemy players; the playlist will be exclusive to Ascendance DLC maps.

The four multiplayer maps included in the Ascendance DLC map pack have been detailed below.

• Perplex: Get vertical in Sydney as you fight to dominate this five-story modular apartment complex. Take the high ground or blast through the close-quarters interior in this small to medium sized map. Adapt your strategy mid-match when construction drones shift apartment modules, creating new routes and cover positions.
• Site 244: An alien spacecraft has crash landed, spilling its mysterious cargo under the shadow of Mt. Rushmore, USA. This medium to large three-lane map allows for any style of gameplay, focusing combat through the space ship’s fuselage and around the debris-littered landscape. Use the map-based score-streak to crack open an alien spore and instantly enhance your perks and exo abilities.
• Climate: Fight your way through a futuristic man-made utopia in this lush, climate-controlled enclosure. In this small to medium sized circular map, land and water routes channel frenetic combat around the central island structure. Watch your step when the river water changes from an asset into a deadly bubbling obstacle.
• Chop Shop: Think fast as you make your way through the black market exoskeleton industrial complex and engage in fast-paced shootouts in this medium sized, symmetrical map. Activate the map-based score-streak to take control of an Advanced Repulsion Turret that radiates a deadly microwave EMP to help lock down key areas.

The next part in the Exo Zombies saga will feature new infected, as our band of Atlas employees fight on the outskirts of an Atlas facility with a new arsenal of traps and armaments.

Coming first to Xbox platforms, the Ascendance DLC map pack will release March 31 in North America and April 1 in Australia for AU$19.95, or as part of the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Season Pass. Xbox owners with the Season Pass now have access to the Ascendance DLC Pack bonus weapons. If history is any indication, Ascendance will release for other platforms sometimes in May; though no official release date has been revealed at this time.

Analog Addiction called Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare one of the “best Call of Duty in years”, and you can read the full review here.

MotoGP 15 will feature an enhanced career mode, allowing players to customise their rider with over 100 accessories to purchase, and their motorcycle with over 20 models across MotoGP, Motor2 and Moto3. Players will begin their career as a Wild Card and work their way through the best teams, as each performance on the track will help them earn sponsorship deals and new team offers.

Milestone s.r.l recently launched Ride, though Analog Addiction found the overall experience to be lacking with many technical issues.

MotoGP 15 will be available in June, 2015 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Windows PC.

Developer Dontnod Entertainment   Publisher Square Enix

Genre Point and Click Adventure   Platform Played On PC

Dontnod Entertainment’s episodic adventure game Life is Strange started off solid with an opening episode that proved to be unique and engaging. Despite some campy dialogue, the story was engaging, the characters relatable, and the relatively simple time travel mechanics unique. The end of Chrysalis left players asking questions and wanting more.

Enter Episode 2: Out of Time, which opens as Max Caulfield wakes up the day after discovering her power. Like the first episode, the beauty is in the details, which we see plenty of as the player walks her through her morning routine.

If the first episode’s focus was on Max, then this episode’s focus is on worldbuilding. Over the course of Out of Time, the player is given multiple opportunities to learn more about Chloe, the Prescotts who apparently own everything, and Arcadia Bay itself. This focus on characters and forces outside of our awkward, time traveling heroine makes the world of Life as Strange feel as real as the (often unpleasant) issues the game seeks to tackle. Consider it a sort of trigger warning when I tell you that this game looks at heavy real life issues spanning from drug use to sexual assault to depression and bullying.

The first observation that jumped out for me in this episode is that my choices from Chrysalis really did matter. I mentioned in my review of that episode that Max’s time travel doesn’t completely erase consequence, as you can only rewind so far back, and I found myself feeling that this time around so much so that I sat down and started a new save from the beginning, just to see how different choices would change things. Some consequences were different, some I have yet to encounter, but despite being a fairly linear game, Life is Strange offers a fairly high degree of replayability, even this early on. I’m interested to see how these choices will add up in future episodes.

The only misstep this episode makes is what feels like an attempt to remind itself that it is a video game. Max jumps through a few hoops in an attempt to prove her powers to Chloe, including a small memory puzzle that feels kind of unrelated to just about everything. I also found myself a little exasperated with the sequence in the junkyard where Max wanders around collecting bottles for Chloe to shoot. Both felt like moments that were interjected just to offer a puzzle or two, and (as of the end of the episode) did not feel particularly important to the story.

New limits to Max’s abilities also feel a bit clunky, as they only seem to be imposed when the story calls for intensified emotional impact. There is no meter that players can see, nor is there a real indication of her exhaustion. She experiences nosebleeds and even faints after extensive use of her power, but the more serious consequence, where she is rendered too drained to rewind at all, occurs at the climax of the episode. Choices made in both episodes lead up to a very dramatic conclusion that cannot be altered through the use of Max’s ability. The emotional impact is undeniable; Max is a “superhero” but when she really needs to be, she has to rely on herself as she was before she discovered her ability.

Overall, Life is Strange Episode 2: Out of Time carries with it the solid characterization and choice-based gameplay seen in the first episode, but stumbles a bit with the actual flow of the game. The focus on the mechanics themselves almost seems to take something away from the story, but the end of the episode will resonate with players and leave them wondering what happens next.

The Good

• Player’s choices have a real impact
• Small details add life and texture to the world
• Characters remain engaging and unique

The Bad

• Mechanics occasionally get in the way of the story
• Puzzle sequences

The Score: 8

The new Ascendance DLC Map Pack will contain four new maps, which include Perplex, an apartment complex in Sydney; Site 244, a large map underneath Mount Rushmore; Climate, a climate controlled enclosure; and Chop Shop, a black market exoskeleton industrial complex.

Alongside the new maps players will also receive the new OHM Multiplayer hybrid and weapon variant, a new Exo Grapple playlist exclusive to Ascendance DLC maps and Exo Zombies Infection, part two in the Exo Zombies adventure.

Coming first to Xbox platforms, the Ascendance DLC map pack will release March 31 in North America and April 1 in Australia. If history is any indication, Ascendance will release for other platforms sometimes in May; though no official release date has been revealed at this time.

Analog Addiction reviewed the original Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, calling it the “best Call of Duty in years”, and you can read the full review here.