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The best Xbox games in 2024: Zombies, vampires and… Cartman
Amazon
Xbox owners have plenty of great video games to enjoy right now. But if you’ve already been there, done that with your own collection of Xbox games, there’s good news: new games are coming down the pipeline, many in the next few months. They’re available to pre-order right now, so you’ll play them as soon as they hit store shelves.
These new releases, all of which are set to debut over the next few months, include huge names like “Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl” and “Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.” No matter whether you want a silly action game set in South Park (“South Park: Snow Day”) or a gritty racing game (“Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game”), there’s an option for every player. All you need is a controller, a great monitor and an Xbox console to enjoy them.
So kick back in a comfortable gaming chair, grab a gaming headset so you don’t miss a beat, and get ready to explore a brand new game.
What are the best Xbox games of 2024?
‘Skull and Bones’
Amazon
Release date: February 16, 2024 | Genre: Action-adventure | Rating: Mature
“Skull and Bones” takes you into the heart of the Indian Ocean during the golden age of piracy. You’ll navigate treacherous waters as a pirate captain seeking fortune and fame.
In this open-world naval game, you have the freedom to sail solo or team with other players to explore uncharted territories, hunt lucrative trade ships and engage in epic naval battles. Do it all, and you’ll amass wealth and infamy.Customize your ship, upgrade your arsenal and set out for more dangerous seas.
With stunning graphics and a vast, dynamic world, “Skull and Bones” challenges you to carve your legend across the waves. Whether you’re plundering alone or with an armada, your adventure will be filled with danger, excitement and opportunities for glory. And with this game, there are tons of those.
‘Alone in the Dark’
Amazon
Release date: March 20, 2024 | Genre: Survival horror | Rating: Mature
This version of “Alone in the Dark” reimagines the 1992 original and serves as a reboot for the series. Given the poor reception of the last few entries in the franchise, developer Pieces Interactive decided to take us back to where it all started.
Set against the eerie backdrop of Derceto Manor, a “home for the mentally fatigued,” you’ll take dual roles of Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood. Each character offers a unique storyline and challenges, forcing you to confront malevolent forces and unravel an unsettling mystery.
The game combines classic horror elements with modern gameplay mechanics, including puzzle-solving, exploration, and combat against otherworldly entities. As you delve deeper into the manor’s twisted history and its inhabitants’ fates, your choices will influence your journey’s outcome.
“Alone in the Dark” invites you to face your fears in an immersive experience that pays homage to its roots while charting new territory in the horror genre.
‘Dragon’s Dogma 2’
Amazon
Release date: March 22, 2024 | Genre: Action role-playing | Rating: TBA
In “Dragon’s Dogma 2,” you’ll embark on an epic journey, harnessing the power of the Arisen, to face off against formidable dragons and other mythical creatures.
The game introduces new classes and skills while modifying others, and it offers a richer customization experience. Your followers, known as Pawns, return. These AI companions will fight alongside you, adapt to your play style, and provide invaluable assistance as you navigate the game’s vast landscapes.
One of the biggest things the developers wanted to do was to make this game more immersive. So you’ll find many more ambient events and a map that’s five times larger than the original.
Fortunately, if you missed out on the first game, there’s no need to worry. This one welcomes longtime fans and newcomers alike as it takes place in a parallel world and concentrates on two new kingdoms, Vermund and Battahl.
So, when it comes out on March 22, you don’t have to worry about catching up with lore. You can just jump in and start playing.
‘Unicorn Overlord’
Amazon
Release date: March 8, 2024 | Genre: Tactical role-playing | Rating: Teen
Looking for a new strategy-centric adventure? This new Vanillaware title brings its signature gorgeous 2D art style to a fresh game blending strategic combat with open world exploration.
Fans know Vanillaware for their visually distinctive and innovative titles, namely “Odin Sphere” and “Dragon’s Crown.” “Unicorn Overlord” represents a bold new direction into the tactical RPG genre for the developer. Players can traverse the expansive world map freely, taking on compulsory and optional quests at their own pace.
When enemies appear, the game seamlessly shifts into turn-based combat. This dynamic blend of real-time exploration and strategic fighting creates an exciting gameplay balance. “Unicorn Overlord” also spices things up with a variety of tasks beyond just fighting and adventuring.
While staying true to Vanillaware’s esteemed art and style, “Unicorn Overlord” carves fresh ground with its tactical approach and engrossing story. Both loyal fans and newcomers seeking a visually stunning RPG have an exciting new adventure to look forward to when this ambitious game launches soon.
‘Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game’
Amazon
Release date: March 5, 2024 | Genre: Vehicle simulation | Rating: TBA
Fans of offroad driving should keep an eye on “Expeditions: A MudRunner Game.” Use a variety of all-terrain vehicles to scour deserts, forests, mountains and swamps in scientific expeditions.
You’ll need more than just a trusty 4×4, though.You’ll build a camp, which serves as your base of operations. Over time, you’ll to add new structures to your camp, and hire fresh experts to enhance your abilities.
In the field, you’ll gain access to recon drones that let you scout ahead and avoid getting stuck. That’s not all they can do, though. Metal-detector drones help locate valuable treasure caches ahead of time so you can plot the safest course.
All that is fun, of course, but it’s the physics that will keep you coming back for more. Your tires, suspensions, the weight of your vehicles, how much torque your engine and transmission generate, and the surface you’re driving on are all simulated in grand detail.
So don’t expect to just fly through rough ground. If you’re not careful, you’ll get stuck. Of course, that’s half the fun.
‘Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl’
Amazon
Release date: September 5, 2024 | Genre: Survival horror | Rating: TBA
In “Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl,” you are plunged into the heart of the Zone, a perilous, anomaly-filled area containing mutants, radiation, and mercenaries trying to make a quick buck. Sound terrifying? That’s because it is, as anyone who played through any of the other “Stalker” games will tell you.
Scrape your way up from the bottom of the ladder with nothing but broken weapons and scavenged armor. You’ll earn the equipment you need to travel to more dangerous areas, but you’ll never quite conquer the otherworldly wilderness.
You’ll navigate through dangerous zones, face off against hostile factions and creatures, and uncover the secrets that lie within the decimated remains of Chornobyl. Your choices will significantly impact the world around you and your journey’s path, offering a unique experience with every playthrough.
“Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl” challenges you to survive in a world where every decision counts and the line between right and wrong is as blurred as the reality you’re trying to escape.
‘Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2’
Amazon
Release date: Q4 2024 | Genre: Action role-playing | Rating: TBA
“Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2” thrusts you into the dark heart of Seattle, where you take the role of an elder vampire in the midst of a power vacuum in the city’s vampire court. Your survival hinges on navigating the politics of the vampire world. Oh, and totally serving as your own custom vampire character.
But even though you’re a brand-new character, you still need to keep up the long-existing masquerade — the conspiracy that keeps vampires hidden from mortals. While vampires are powerful, they’re still outnumbered by humans, who would hunt them down. You also have to balance this with your need to drink blood, which can lead to some sticky situations.
With a focus on deep role-playing elements, you’ll customize your vampire’s powers and navigate the delicate balance between maintaining your humanity and becoming a total monster. Just remember that there are still consequences to face, and you may end up dealing with them sooner rather than later.
‘South Park: Snow Day’
Amazon
Release date: March 26, 2024 | Genre: Action role-playing | Rating: TBA
Get ready for hilarious hijinks on the snowiest day of the year in South Park. In “South Park: Snow Day,” up to four players can team up as Cartman, Stan, Kyle and Kenny to save the world from…well, whatever threat Cartman deems worthy of their time on this particular snow day.
Like previous “South Park” games, one simple occasion is spun out into a fantasy-fueled adventure in the kids’ minds, as they traipse through the winter wonderland of South Park on a quest to save the day.
While it may not be as deep or expansive of an experience compared to titles like “South Park: The Fractured But Whole,” you can expect plenty of South Park’s signature raunchy, laugh-out-loud humor for adults.
For fans of the show, joining the foul-mouthed foursome on this over-the-top snow day quest is sure to provide awesome, not-safe-for-kids fun. With the town of South Park even something as simple as a snow day can become the adventure of a lifetime.
‘Welcome to ParadiZe’
Target
Release date: February 29. 2024 | Genre: Survival, action | Rating: Mature
In the zombie-ravaged land of ParadiZe, survivors have discovered an ingenious way to control undead hordes. These decaying former threats become obedient zombie companions, though their intelligence is limited and their loyalty not always guaranteed.
Scratch that. It never is.
As a newcomer to ParadiZe, you’ll encounter an array of colorful characters and mutant creatures amidst the unusual flora and fauna. Your loyal zombie sidekick can aid your exploration or fend off hostiles during this grand adventure. And it’ll probably try to eat you once or twice, too.
Craft your own story in this land where the zombies do your bidding. Go on thrilling expeditions or relax at your camp — the choice is yours. But tread carefully, as ParadiZe’s locals may not take kindly to your presence. Survive using your wits and go out on an unforgettable journey. Just don’t let yourself be deluded into thinking these zombies are your actual friends.
‘Sand Land’
Amazon
Release date: April 26, 2024 | Genre: Action role-playing | Rating: TBA
Enter the world of acclaimed artist Akira Toriyama in this nostalgic action-RPG based on an original manga story by the “Dragon Ball Z” creator. As the mystical hero Beelzebub, harness fantastical powers to lead a motley crew on an epic quest across the titular Sand Land. But traversing the desert won’t be easy. Bandits, ferocious beasts and a Royal Army all stand in your way.
Craft vehicles using salvaged parts you find along the way, and direct your desert fleet to access every corner of the landscape. Drive tanks, motorbikes and jumping bots that can handle the rocky terrain.
Make the city of Spino your home base as you take in downtrodden desert dwellers and watch the town flourish when new residents arrive. Take on their requests to unlock resources and prosper together.
It’s your job to take on the reshaping of the town of Spino and its people as you make your way through Sand Land. If you love Toriyama’s artwork and feel like going on an exotic adventure, this game is going to be right up your alley.
Is pre-ordering an Xbox game worth it?
Put simply, yes. When you pre-order a game, you guarantee yourself a copy on launch day before a title can sell out. Pre-ordering also often nets you exclusive bonuses and extras you can’t get otherwise. For popular new releases, it ensures you get to play ASAP.
What are the other benefits of pre-ordering an Xbox game?
Pre-ordering means you’ll be gaming on day one, without waiting for restocks if the first wave happened to sell out. You may also get the game digitally pre-loaded ahead of release. Limited special editions can be scarce, so pre-ordering is the only way to secure those collectibles. Overall, paying for your game ahead of time maximizes the time you can play and gives you a bit of exclusive access.
Does pre-ordering an Xbox game save money?
It can, but not always. Sometimes there are promotional discounts for pre-orders. But usually the price is the same as at launch. The real value comes from getting free bonus items, add-ons, or early access that you only get by pre-ordering. So you often get extra value by buying early, and it comes in the form of freebies.
How far in advance should I pre-order an Xbox game?
For popular games, pre-order as soon as sales open to guarantee your copy and extras, since supplies are limited. For standard editions, you can wait, but early pre-ordering optimizes the perks you might be able to get. As long as you order before launch day, you’ll be set. Even waiting until the last hours can work, if you like to cut it close. So you could feasibly wait up until the day before a game release and still lock in a pre-order.
CBS News
France’s President Emmanuel Macron tours cyclone-battered Mayotte, meets survivors pleading for help
Mamoudzou, Mayotte — France’s President Emmanuel Macron traveled Thursday to the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte to survey the devastation that Cyclone Chido wrought across the French territory as thousands of people tried to cope without bare essentials such as water or electricity.
“Mayotte is demolished,” an airport security agent told Macron as soon as he stepped off the plane.
The security agent, Assane Haloi, said her family members, including small children, are without water or electricity and have nowhere to go after the strongest cyclone in nearly a century ripped through the French territory of Mayotte off the coast of Africa on Saturday.
KWEZI/AFP/Getty
“There’s no roof, there’s nothing. No water, no food, no electricity. We can’t even shelter, we are all wet with our children covering ourselves with whatever we have so that we can sleep,” she said, asking for emergency aid.
Macron got a helicopter tour of the damage and was to spend Thursday night on the far-flung French territory. After flying over the destruction, he headed to the hospital in Mamoudzou, Mayotte’s capital, to meet medical staff and patients.
Wearing a traditional Mayotte scarf on his white shirt and tie, sleeves rolled to the elbows, the French president listened to people asking for help. A member of the medical staff told him some people hadn’t had a drink of water for 48 hours.
Some residents also expressed agony at not knowing about those who have died or are still missing, partly because of the Muslim practice of burying the dead within 24 hours.
LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP/Getty
“We’re dealing with open-air mass graves,” Mayotte lawmaker Estelle Youssoufa told reporters. “There are no rescuers, no one has come to recover the buried bodies.”
Some survivors and aid groups have described hasty burials and the stench of bodies.
Macron acknowledged that many who died hadn’t been reported. He said phone services will be repaired “in the coming days” so that people can report their missing loved ones.
French authorities have said at least 31 people died and more than 1,500 people were injured, more than 200 critically. But it’s feared hundreds or even thousands of people have died in total.
Abdou Houmadou, 27, said emergency aid was needed immediately, not Macron’s presence.
“Mr. President, what I’d like to tell you… is I think the spending you made from Paris to Mayotte would have been better spent to help the people,” he said.
Another resident, Ahamadi Mohammed, said Macron’s visit “is a good thing because he’ll be able to see by himself the damage.”
“I think that we’ll then get significant aid to try and get the island back on its feet,” the 58-year-old said.
LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP/Getty
Macron’s office said four tons of food and medical aid, as well as additional rescuers, were aboard the president’s flight. A navy ship was due to arrive in Mayotte on Thursday with another 180 tons of aid and equipment, according to the French military.
People living in a large slum on the outskirts of Mamoudzou were some of the hardest hit by the cyclone. Many lost their houses, some lost friends.
Nassirou Hamidouni sheltered in his house when the cyclone hit.
His neighbor was killed when his house collapsed on him and his six children. Hamidouni and others dug through the rubble to reach them.
The 28-year-old father of five is now trying to rebuild his own house, which was also destroyed.
He believes the death toll is much higher than what’s officially being reported, given the severity of what he lived through.
“It was very hard,” he said.
Mayotte, located in the Indian Ocean between mainland Africa’s east coast and northern Madagascar, is France’s poorest territory.
The cyclone devastated entire neighborhoods and many people ignored the warnings, thinking the storm wouldn’t be so extreme.
Mayotte has more than 320,000 residents according to the French government. Most are Muslim and French authorities have estimated another 100,000 migrants live there.
Mayotte is the only part of the Comoros archipelago that voted to remain a part of France in a 1974 referendum.
Over the last decade, the French territory has seen a massive influx of migrants from the neighboring islands – the independent nation of Comoros, which is one of the world’s poorest countries.
CBS News
Google Maps helps solve murder mystery by capturing moment a person put suspected corpse into car in Spain
Google Maps has guided Spanish investigators to resolve a year-long murder mystery by capturing the moment a person stowed a suspected corpse into a car.
Police in the northern region of Castile and Leon began their probe in November 2023 when someone reported the disappearance of a male relative.
Officers arrested a woman who was the missing male’s partner and another man who was her ex-partner in Soria province on November 12, police said in a statement on Wednesday.
Investigators then raided the suspects’ homes and inspected their vehicles but also stumbled on an unexpected lead in the search for further clues.
These were “images in a location application” where they “detected a vehicle that may have been used during the course of the crime,” the statement said.
Spanish media circulated pictures of a screenshot of Google Maps’ Street View from October 2024 showing a person dumping an object covered in a white shroud into a car trunk in the village of Tajueco. It was the first time in 15 years that the car had been to the town of Tajueco, the BBC reported.
The images contributed to resolving the case, though they were not “decisive,” police said.
Officials said another photo sequence shows the blurred silhouette of someone transporting a large white bundle in a wheelbarrow, the BBC reported.
The central government’s representative in Soria, Miguel Latorre, told public broadcaster RTVE the person “can presumably be” considered the culprit.
Police said a severely decomposed human torso believed to belong to the victim had been found this month in a cemetery in Soria province. El Pais daily reported that he was a 33-year-old Cuban.
A judge has ordered the suspects into custody and the investigation remains open.
This marks at least the second time that Google technology has helped crack a cold case. In 2019, the remains of a man missing for 22 years were finally found thanks to someone who zoomed in on his former Florida neighborhood with Google satellite images and noticed a car submerged in a lake.
CBS News
2 soldiers killed by landmine blast in Mexico day after 2 troops killed by booby trap in same region
A blast killed two Mexican soldiers in the second deadly incident this week involving an improvised landmine in a crime-plagued western state, authorities said Wednesday.
According to the El Universal newspaper, the soldiers were trying to deactivate the device when it exploded.
The blast happened late on Tuesday in Buenavista in Michoacan, the state prosecutor’s office said.
A military source who did not want to be named said that troops were looking for similar devices believed to have been planted in the area.
On Monday, a blast caused by another improvised landmine killed two Mexican soldiers and wounded five others in the same region. Before the explosion, the soldiers had discovered the dismembered bodies of three people, officials said.
The device was suspected to have been planted by members of a local criminal group waging a turf war with a bigger drug cartel, Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla said Tuesday.
Six other soldiers had been killed by similar improvised devices since late 2018, he said.
Mexico is plagued by widespread drug-related violence that has seen more than 450,000 people killed since the government deployed the army to combat trafficking in 2006, according to official figures.
In the only previous detailed report on cartel bomb attacks in August 2023, the defense department said at that time that a total of 42 soldiers, police and suspects were wounded by IEDs in the first seven and a half months of 2023, up from 16 in all of 2022.
Overall, 556 improvised explosive devices of all types – roadside, drone-carried and car bombs – were found in 2023, the army said in a news release last year.
4 to 7 inches expected
France’s President Emmanuel Macron tours cyclone-battered Mayotte, meets survivors pleading for help
Google Maps helps solve murder mystery by capturing moment a person put suspected corpse into car in Spain
4 to 7 inches expected
France’s President Emmanuel Macron tours cyclone-battered Mayotte, meets survivors pleading for help