If you have heard good things about the many Disney published games for Windows Phone but have never downloaded them, today's your lucky day. A number of the games are currently free to download for Windows Phone and Windows 8.

The Windows Store listings all show that this is a temporary promotion but that it will last at least another 13 days, so that's plenty of time to grab these games before they revert back to their normal prices.

• Disney Solitaire - Windows Phone and Windows 8
• Where's My Water? - Windows Phone and Windows 8
• Where's My Perry? - Windows Phone and Windows 8
• Where's My Mickey? - Windows Phone and Windows 8
• Wreck-It Ralph - Windows Phone and Windows 8
• Toy Story: Smash It - Windows Phone and Windows 8
• Monsters University - Windows phone and Windows 8
• WMW? XYY - Windows Phone and Windows 8

Does this change in pricing make you want to jump in and download these games for your Windows Phone or Windows 8 device?

Thanks to Rushab Chopra for the tip!

The highly anticipated sci-fi co-op first person shooter Evolve will offer Xbox One gamers the first chance to test the beta version before it is released later this year, along with the first access to the game's future DLC content. The game comes from developer Turtle Rock Studios, which came up with the original Left 4 Dead game before the IP was acquired by Valve. Likeft Left 4 Dead, Evolve involves four players working together, but instead of a flood of zombies, the hunters in this sci-fi themed game are trying to kill one alien monster, which is also controlled by a player.

The game itself will be published for 2K Games on October 21 and will also be released for Sony's PlayStation 4 console, as well as Windows PCs.

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft first announced Sunset Overdrive as an Xbox One exclusive a year ago at E3 2013. Today, the game's developer Insomniac Games revealed more information about the colorful open world action game, including word of a new online multiplayer mode called Chaos Squad, during Microsoft's E3 2014 briefing.

Chaos Squad will support up to eight players, all working cooperatively to fight off enemies and complete challenges. The main single player campaign will feature the player fighting humans who have mutated by drinking too much of the fictional soft drink Overcharge Delirium XT in the near future world of Sunset City. The game's new trailer even shows a Windows Phone device in the game.

Microsoft also finally announced a release date for Sunsent Overdive. It will be coming out October 28, again as an Xbox One exclusive.

Source: Microsoft

Fable Legends is the latest game in the long running Xbox Fable fantasy series from developer Lionhead, and today during Microsoft's E3 2014 media event it was revealed that the new game will get a multiplayer beta before launching exclusively on the Xbox One console later in 2014.

While previous Fable games concentrated on campaign themed role playing, Fable Legends will be a four player co-op game that can only be played online, as players take on typical roles such as the ranged shooter, the mage and more. More importantly, the game will support a fifth player which will be a villain character that the other four players will have to defeat.

There's no specific date for when the multiplayer beta test will begin, and there's also no word on when the final version will be released.

Source; Microsoft

Square Enix used Microsoft's E3 2014 press event today to officially announce Rise of the Tomb Raider, the next game in the long running Tomb Raider action-adventure game series starring Lara Croft.

The announcement didn't give much information on the game, but it did show Lara undergoing what appeared to be a therapy session, most likely due to the events she encountered in the 2012 Tomb Raider reboot. The trailer also showed her exploring some caves and firing her bow at enemies. Rise of the Tomb Raider won't be out for a while; it's due for release in the holiday time period of 2015.

Source: Microsoft

One of the most acclaimed games for the Xbox 360, Crackdown, is getting a new installment on Microsoft's Xbox One console. The company used its E3 2014 press event to announce the new open world game, which will apparently also be called Crackdown.

The announcement trailer doesn't show any real gameplay footage, but it looks like it does continue the over-the-top superhero action from the previous installments, combined with a cel-shaded comic book art style. Players will be taking control of agents in a futuristic city once again and this time it looks like they will be able to destroy entire building in this open gameplay world.

The announcement didn't reveal a release date for the new game, but it will have David Jones, who helped to create the original 2007 Crackdown Xbox 360 game at the now defunct Realtime Worlds, back in charge of the new title working with his new company Cloudgine.

Source: Microsoft

In a bit of a surprise, not one but two new Tomb Raider games were announced today as part or the overall E3 2014 festivites. In addition to Rise of the Tomb Raider that's due out in late 2015, publisher Square Enix has announced Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, which will be coming to the Xbox One, PC and PlayStation 4 consoles.

The game is a follow up to Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, which was first released in 2010. Like that game, Temple of Osiris is a top down action-adventure game but unlike Guardian of Light, which supported just two players in its co-op campaign, the new game supports four player co-op. In addition to Lara, players can control a new character that's a competing "tomb raider" along with the wife and son of Osiris.

Square Enix has not announced a release date or price point for Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, but it sounds like it will be a downloadable title rather than a retail game.

Source: Game Trailers

Following Microsoft's great Media Briefing this morning, Electronic Arts put on a press conference of its own. EA did a fine job with their conference last year, the highlight of which for me was the announcement of Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare for Xbox consoles. Could this year's announcements hope to compete with that?

The 2014 presentation was handled by Andrew Wilson, Electronic Arts CEO. Disappointingly we didn't get to hear from fan-favorite Peter Moore this year. But we did learn about a ton of incredible games, including Star Wars Battlefront, Dragon Age Inquisition, a new Mass Effect, The Sims 4, Mirror's Edge 2, Battlefield Hardline, and more. Full Impressions after the break!

Star Wars Battlefront by DICE

EA chose to start strong by teasing the new Star Wars Battlefront game. Battlefront is multiplayer-centric series that was hugely popular during the Playstation 2 and original Xbox era. After LucasArts cancelled Star Wars Battlefront 3 mid-development, it seemed that the series would disappear forever… Until EA acquired the Star Wars license and rescued the series following LucasArts' closure.

The teaser video revealed very little information about the new Battlefront (which will not have a 3 in its title). We saw the staff of DICE visiting the Star Wars archives in order to photograph (and scan?) photos and models from the films. Hoth (the setting of The Empire Strikes Back) will be one of the game's main locations, naturally. The important thing is that DICE has tons of experience with its own Battlefield series of large-scale multiplayer shooters, so the team's skillset transfers perfectly to Star Wars Battlefront.

Dragon Age Inquisition by Bioware

First teased at last year's press conference, we finally got an idea of what the third Dragon Age will play like. But first EA teased us more with a trailer that showed various glimpses of the game's fantasy world. Highlights included a green beam of energy descending from the clouds, a third-person view of a character navigating a city, and a dragon.

Players will create their own main character in Inquisition, one whose past and motivations are shrouded in mystery. Presumably you'll fill in the blanks as you play the game and make choices that affect the story.

The main character will be accompanied by a team as with past games. Some of its members include a bearded Gray Warden, a female elfish archer, a brawny Kunari mercenary who fights with a giant hammer, and a dark-skinned female mage. Each of these teammates will have his or her own unique backstory to discover as the game progresses.

Inquisition's combat debuted via actual gameplay footage. Players can choose between two combat systems: action and tactical. Action looked very exciting, with the team working together to take down a dragon. The behind-the-back camera switched between various party members, seemingly at the player's will. We didn't get much of a look at tactical mode, but it utilizes an overhead perspective and pauses between turns like in traditional RPGs.

More from Bioware: Mass Effect, new IP

Bioware (which includes the proper Montreal studio as well as EA's Austin studio) is also hard at work on two more games: a new Mass Effect, and a brand-new IP. Nothing was revealed about the new Mass Effect other than plans to feature new places, characters, and regions of space.

As for the new IP, we glimpsed a fantasy world with day, night, and weather cycles – and that's it. I'm sure EA will reveal more later this year or at E3 next year.

New IP by Criterion

Criterion is the UK-based studio that created the Burnout series of racing games as well as developing some Need for Speed titles. Although the studio doesn't have a new Burnout in the works, the game it's working on actually looks much more exciting. It doesn't have a name though!

The new game will still feature lots of driving…. Just not so many cars. Instead, players will get to drive or pilot an unrivaled array of vehicles, including helicopters, boats, jetskis, ATVs, wingsuits, parachutes, and snowmobiles! And the whole game will take place in the first-person perspective – possibly without the option to switch to a third-person view.

Presumably we'll get to crash some of those vehicles as well. But the game is still very early in development (as evidenced by the lack of title), so specific details are still scarce. This will be Criterion's largest title ever – let's hope the fun matches the increase in scope!

Mirror's Edge 2 by DICE

Like Dragon Age, our first tease of Mirror's Edge 2 came during last year's press conference. The new video introduction focused on the design of Faith, the same protagonist from the first game. She dresses in black and white and has minimal dabs of color as accents. And she is a runner, someone who uses parkour to deliver information while evading the oppressive governmental authorities.

After talking Faith up a bit, DICE shared some lovely prototype footage from the game. Unlike the Windows Phone game, Mirror's Edge 2 takes place in a first-person perspective. Faith will run, jump, and slide across rooftops, scaffolding, and zip-lines as she crosses levels that feature multiple routes. She also engages in melee combat, punching and kicking the evil police who would thwart her mission.

Being that Mirror's Edge 2 is still in the prototype stage, we shouldn't expect it until 2015.

Battlefield Hardline by Visceral

It looks like EA plans to make Battlefield an annualized series, just like its biggest competitor Call of Duty. Since DICE is busy with Star Wars Battlefront and Mirror's Edge 2, the development duties go to Visceral Games (formerly EA Redwood Shores) – makers of the Dead Space series.

Hardline is a major departure from the traditional military settings of the Battlefield series. The new focus is the war on the streets between cops and criminals. That means new worlds, weapons, and ways to play. Players will be able to play on either side and engage in both a campaign and large-scale multiplayer matches. The campaign will be more cinematic than other FPS titles, playing out like a televised crime drama.

EA showed footage from a 32-player game of Heist, a new multiplayer mode. Despite being multiplayer, the Heist started out with a conversation between cops being news footage of a major heist in progress. It looked cool and seemed to build off of Titanfall's story-based multiplayer concepts.

Once the game starts, the criminal side of the game must collect a package and escape with it while the cops try to stop them. The two sides will fight it out on foot as well as utilizing vehicles, a staple of the series. We saw player-controller police cars, Armored Personnel Carriers, bikes, and helicopters. The destructible environments that featured so heavily in Battlefield 4 return, with a crane or similar structure crashing through a building and causing major havoc on the battlefield.

When the footage focused on the criminals, we caught side of the bad guys fighting off cops with baseball bats, sawed off shotguns, and other appropriate armaments. The crooks escaped from a skyscraper via zipline to another rooftop where their helicopter anxiously awaited. Although the bad team managed to take off in their chopper, the match didn't end there. The cops shot them down and we saw the fall from one of the crooks' perspectives.

Battlefield Hardline is due out on Xbox One, 360, PC, and Playstation systems on October 21. Hopefully it won't suffer from persistent technical issues like Battlefield 4. To that end, EA announced that a closed beta for the game starts today. Bad news for Xbox enthusiasts: the beta is only for PC and Playstation 4! To sign up, head to battlefield.com/hardline/beta.

And more

Electronic Arts also showed The Sims 4 (pictured) and a MOBA called Dawngate for PC, plus several sports games: EA Sports UFC (which looks great), NHL 15, EA Sports PGA Tour, Madden NFL 15, and FIFA 15. Check out our EA Sports write-up for more details!

Overall, the conference was quite impressive despite a woeful lack of plants and zombies. Andrew Wilson repeatedly stressed the corporation's desire to listen to players and react to their feedback. "Tell us what you think. We embrace the honest and open dialogue," he intoned. Hopefully EA makes good on that mantra and continues to deliver player-pleasing titles throughout the next year and beyond.

In the flood of Microsoft's E3 2014 announcements, the company has also quietly launched a new way for players to provide feedback on their Xbox One consoles through a new UserVoice page.

Microsoft has been using UserVoice to gather opinions from the general public about some other products, including most recently the Xbox Music app for Windows Phone 8.1. Today's launch of the UserVoice Xbox Feedback site continues that trend. According to Microsoft:

Xbox Feedback is the most effective place for your ideas, suggestions, and feedback to be seen by the teams that create Xbox products and services. This site allows you to suggest a new feature, enhancements to an existing feature, or to vote on ideas that others have submitted.

The page has a number of categories that Xbox One fans can user to write in their suggestions, including forums for apps, live TV, memberships and, yes, even Kinect. The site will be updated when Microsoft announces or releases any Xbox One updates based on feedback from users?

What do you think about Microsoft opening up yet another avenue to get feedback from the Xbox One fanbase?

Source: Xbox UserVoice

Electronic Arts announced a bevy of core games during its E3 press conference earlier today – check out our full write-up. But EA's sports franchises are just as popular as their core franchises. And EA Sports UFC will have a great deal of crossover appeal thanks to its impressive one-on-one fighting gameplay and amazingly lifelike graphics.

Although EA publishes games based on a variety of sports, the driving theme among all of their sports titles (especially the yearly entries to the core series) was emotion. New-gen consoles like the Xbox One will allow each game's characters to express greater emotion than ever before. These extra-emotive characters will populate FIFA 15, Madden NFL 15, NHL 15, and EA Sports PGA Tour. Full impressions after the break!

EA Sports UFC by EA Canada

With THQ - the former publisher of UFC games having gone out of business, Electronic Arts is now gearing up to release its first UFC title. UFC of course stands for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the largest mixed-martial arts competitive organization in the world. If you want to see a Judo fighter battling against a Karate practitioner live or on television, it's probably going to be a UFC match.

To launch the new UFC game franchise, EA has made the unusual move of licensing deceased martial arts master Bruce Lee's likeness for the game. This creates a whole new type of uncanny valley – Lee died well before the UFC even existed, and couldn't have consented to appearing in the game. But his family gives the go-ahead, and the rest of us have to make peace with that.

During the press conference, EA showed off an in-game fight between Bruce Lee and Jon Jones, a living UFC light heavyweight champion. You couldn't help noticing the incredible likeness of both fighters. EA Sports UFC is exclusive to Xbox One and Playstation 4, so the character models can feature more detail than ever before. It really is amazing, seeing a virtual Bruce Lee darting about the game's ring. The character models even show the damage they take from round to round.

The combat looked fluid and quite brutal. During one especially cool move, Lee jumped off the wall of the fight cage and jump kicked poor Jones. We also glimpsed Jones knocking Lee to the ground as he attempted a submission. The submission controls will be an interesting and unique aspect of EA UFC – hopefully they're not too hard to master. Of course the Dragon escaped from Jones' hold and won the fight. A cinematic instant replay followed.

We won't have to wait long to find out how EA Sports UFC stacks up to previous UFC games – this oen arrives on Xbox One and Playstation 4 on June 17th.

NHL 15 by EA Canada

What does the new ice hockey game have to offer? Well, every player on the ice now has realistic physics and can display emotions. The first in-game footage of the new NHL looked extremely sharp, although you never know whether early footage of EA's Sports games are genuine or not.

I was surprised that EA didn't discuss modes or new game play features; all we heard about was physics and emotions. We'll have to wait until later this year to find out whether the actual game differs much from last year's iteration.

EA Sports PGA Tour by EA Tiburon

Golfing fans have wondered how EA would handle its golfing franchise after severing ties with Tiger Woods, popular womanizer and sports personality, last year. Well folks, the show must go on! Hence the series returns this year as EA Sports PGA Tour. That's a fitting title, considering the series actually started out as PGA Tour Golf in 1990.

The new PGA Tour utilizes DICE's Frostbite 3 Engine, the same tech that powers Battlefield 4 and Hardline as well as Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare. Not only does it look fantastic, but players will supposedly be able to explore every inch of a course as well. "Golf without limits," EA calls it.

If you're like me and enjoy golf games but find them too aesthetically boring, PGA Tour has you covered. The new game will feature not only real courses but also "Extreme fantasy courses." How extreme are we talking about? We saw a course that takes place on a beach. In the water were battleships from Battlefield 4! Players can even knock balls over the battleships. That's zany and right up my alley.

EA Sports PGA Tour will arrive on Xbox One and Playstation 4 in Spring 2015.

Madden NFL 15

Another year, another Madden football game. The series traditionally evolves via small steps, with a new feature or two coming along in each new sequel.

This year's innovations revolve primarily around the defensive game. New camera angles make reading the offense and attacking them easier. Defenders have more control now; they can push opponents in multiple directions as needed. The tackles have been redesigned for more consistent results, with a tackle cone helping to aim.

Remember EA plans to make its sports characters more touchy feely this year? The players in Madden have hundreds of new emotions and reactions. These reactions will replace old scripted scenes, which seems to imply that the new ones are somehow not scripted. And new reaction cameras that are directed by real NFL director will capture those player emotions for all the world to see and feel.

Madden NFL 15 is playable at E3, which pretty much means the footage we saw at the press conference is the for real deal. And football fans will get to play it when it arrives on Xbox One, 360, and Playstation consoles on August 26.

EA Sports FIFA 15

Of all the sports games highlighted during EA's press conference, FIFA 15 seems to be the most emotional. Well, the players will be crazy emotional. EA promises that we'll "feel the emotion of football like never before." Football/soccer is quite an emotional game outside of the US. That emotion causes hooligans to riot and beat each other up. Awful stuff, but it would be darkly amusing to see captured in a video game. But I don't think EA and FIFA want to go quite that far in their games.

Anyway, FIFA 15's players (not the fans) will have what EA calls emotional intelligence. Each dude on the field has his own memory during the match and will show emotion based on the match's context. So they act happy when things go well and fall down dejectedly when the other side scores a goal. Like Madden, these reactions seem to be less scripted in nature than they were in past games.

The new game also features a "living pitch," meaning that the field itself is less static than before. The turf shows footprints and even tears as soccer dudes run around on it, and things can actually get dirty. Both the ball and the goal frame have realistic physics – the frame will shake when impacted by a ball. Presumably these effects will be more prominent on the newer consoles, if they are even present on older ones.

FIFA 15 comes to Xbox One, 360, and Playstation consoles in both regular and "Ultimate Editions" on September 23.

The wait is finally over, as Rockstar has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto V will be making its way to the Xbox One and PC (in addition to the PlayStation 4) this fall.

In a press release, the game developer indicated that the game on the Xbox One will feature "across-the-board graphical and technical improvements to deliver a stunning new level of detail," which include "increased draw distances, finer texture details, denser traffic, and enhanced resolutions."

In addition, the PC version of the game will feature a video editor "designed for advanced movie-making."Rockstar has announced that users will be able to transfer their Grand Theft Auto Online characters and story progression from current-gen consoles to the Xbox One or PC (or the PlayStation 4). All content and gameplay from the launch of the Grand Theft Auto Online that include vehicles, weapons, player customisations will be available in the next-gen version of the game.

Check out the official trailer for the game below:

Rockstar doesn't have an official launch date for the game yet, but has stated that pre-orders will begin from later today. Are you guys excited about Grand Theft Auto V making its way to the PC and the Xbox One?

Source: Rockstar Games

Last week, Disney released yet another game for Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 devices - Words of Wonder. The game is word search game that has a match three game ( Maleficent Free Fall, Frozen Free Fall, etc.) feel about it.

The game has you following the Disney character Watson the Owl as he fights the grey curse that is erasing the color from his storybook. You use the power of words to unlock bonus items and restore the color to the book.

Words of Wonder is a simple, yet challenging for players of all ages and a nice addition to the Disney Windows 8/Windows Phone gaming collection.

Words of Wonder's Layout

With Words of Wonder is available for both Window Phone 8 and Windows 8, we are going to approach things a little different by looking at the Windows 8 version for this review. Both versions or the game are virtually identical, so it's not a very radical departure.

The layout is simple and straightforward with the game centered on the storybook map. The game's storybook has sixteen chapters that contain over seventy levels of play. The first few levels will have Watson the Owl guide you through game play and as new gaming features become available, Watson will appear to walk you through the new features.

At the top of the storybook map you have the gear cog the will drop down the settings menu (sound/music on or off, help section, exit the map) with your energy and gold levels displayed next to the settings cog. Energy is used to access each level and is replenished as you successfully complete a level, with time or you can convert gold into energy. Gold is used to unlock additional maps, buy boosts and re-charge your energy levels. You begin the game with 25 gold bars and can add more to your inventory through In-App Purchases.

As long as you complete the levels on the first try, your energy level shouldn't be an issue in that you seem to earn back the energy you use to play the level, when you complete it. However, if you fail a level then you will see your energy levels drop. If you don't want to fool with IAP, energy levels will increase over time.

Words of Wonder Game Play

Game play follows suit with Words of Wonder's simple layout. You are presented with a playing board filled with lettered tiles. You are tasked with created words by tracing adjacent letters (vertically, horizontally or diagonally). Words have to be at least three letters long and as you create a word, the tiles are removed from the playing board, with new letters falling from the top of the board.

Each level has a goal to reach in a set number of moves or before time runs out. The goals range from collecting a number of letter tiles, removing all the tiles stained with ink, dropping items off the bottom of the game board and more. Boosts become available that will aid you in your quest such as adding bonus moves or shuffle the tiles around.

The game screen for Words of Wonder has your statistics displayed across the top of the screen that includes your move count or timer, a progress bar charting your objective, a display of any boosts available. Your score is displayed at the bottom of the screen and as you create words, a banner will appear spelling the word out as you connect the letters.The game board rest center screen and comes in a variety of shapes and styles.

Once you've reached your goal, Watson will appear to launch a Word Burst, which will award you bonus points (much like the Free Fall portion of Disney's match-three games). Each level has a target score to reach and the closer you get, the more stars you are awarded. Levels can be re-played to better your score and increase your cumulative star count.

Overall Impression

The more I played Words of Wonder the more the game grew on me. The limitation on the number of moves you have to complete your goal requires a little strategy and when you're racing the clock, it calls for a quick eye and hand. Words of Wonder may come across as too easy of a game for some and I have to admit the first handful of levels are a little on the easy side. However, if you are a little patient the game picks up in challenge around level ten.

The Windows Phone 8 version plays just like the Windows 8 version, you just have a smaller screen to play from. The challenge does seem to pick up a little quicker with the Windows Phone 8 version though.

While you do have in-app purchase opportunities, you can live without them. Boost become available as you progress through the levels. You may have to sit the game aside for a little while so your energy can replenish but that only gives the game life a little more longevity. Still, I would have liked to have seen a way to earn gold during game play to avoid the in-app purchases completely.

All in all, Words of Wonder is a fun, casual game that is a good choice for those times you need a little help passing the time. The game is appealing for all ages and I can see it being a fun game for the younger crowd that can double as a spelling lesson of sorts. I can Words of Wonder coming in handy at the restaurant while waiting on a table or sitting poolside. Words of Wonder is a puzzle game well worth checking out from both platforms.

• Words of Wonder - Windows Phone 8 - Free - Store Link
• Words of Wonder - Windows 8 - Free - Store Link

It's a game that was first promised way back in 2008 and today publisher Bethesda Softworks finally released a teaser trailer for DOOM, the highly anticipated reboot of the long running sci-fi first person shooter franchise.

The trailer itself has all the hallmarks of previous DOOM games; it's dark, it's got brooding music, and it shows glimpses of biomechanical creatures before the full, if brief, reveal of this game's version of the Cyberdemon, the first boss from the original DOOM game, first released in 1993.

Developer id Software is once again in charge of making the new DOOM and Bethesda is promising a bigger reveal of the game in mid-July during QuakeCon 2014. That's the free LAN party that's held every year by id in Dallas, Texas. There's no release date for the new game but people who buy Wolfenstein: The New Order (out now for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, PS3 and PS4) will be invited to play in the beta test of DOOM when it is launched.

Source: Bethesda Softworks

Payday 2, a hugely popular bank heist game for PC and consoles is here at E3 showing off their upcoming downloadable content, but arguably the biggest news they have to offer is for Xbox fans. Players on PC have been awash with new content on an ongoing basis, while console players have had to look on enviously, playing with the core game launched last summer. The wait is nearly over, as Overkill Games has announced that Armored Transport and the two Gage Weapon Pack add-ons will be available individually or as a discounted bundle. These packs combined will vastly increase the variety of weapons available to console players and offer new levels to master.

For those that haven't checked it out (and you totally should), Payday 2 is a cooperative first-person shooter where you and your buddies can get into all sorts of crime. This includes framing politicians by planting cocaine in their residence, taking hostages, hauling bags stuffed with gold bars to your getaway van, and getting into good old-fashioned firefights with SWAT teams. There's an extensive levelling up and weapon customization system, not to mention a whole range of creepy masks to wear while heisting. Though there's plenty of fast-paced action, Payday 2 places a ton of value on teamwork and stealth. Every level has randomized elements, ensuring that no two play-throughs are the same.

The new DLC for consoles is great news, but there are no specifics on timing or pricing just yet. It would be great to see other recent DLC packs come to Xbox as well, like the sniper pack and the recently-launched Shadow Heist, but we'll take what we can get. How many of you guys have played Payday 2 on console? Have you been getting frustrated by the lack of updates. Any PC players?

Source: Overkill

Joe Belfiore took to Twitter this morning to reveal some details about upcoming updates to Windows Phone 8.1 and certain high profile apps, including Subway Surfers. The news for this popular title is the highly anticipated 512MB RAM support for more affordable hardware with less memory than premium counterparts.

Improvements are currently in development and we can expect to see an update released soon that will contain changes to enable 512MB support, according to Belfiore's tweet stating that "512MB SS coming". We can't see what else SS could stand for, other than Subway Surfers, and we know just how badly everyone wants it added.

Subway Surfers was recently refreshed with Tokyo as the latest area to be added in. For the time being, everything in Subway Surfers has to be enjoyed on a Windows Phone with at least 1GB of RAM, but hopefully that'll soon change now that we know support is planned.

Source: Twitter (@JoeBelfiore); thanks, Rushab, for the tip!

If you are a Halo fan and own an Xbox One, the holiday season of 2014 will be very merry indeed. Microsoft has confirmed that the beta test for the Xbox One exclusive first person shooter Halo 5: Guardians will officially begin on December 27.

The beta will last for about three weeks, according to Microsoft's 343 Industries leader Bonnie Ross, and will end January 17, 2015. Specifics about what content will be included in the beta have yet to be announced, although we would think that some kind of multiplayer gameplay modes would be involved. The full version of Halo 5: Guardians will be released later in 2015.

The only way to access the Halo 5: Guardians beta test, at least at the moment, is by purchasing Halo: The Master Chief Collection for the Xbox One. It's due for release on November 11 and it will contain all of the content of Halo 1, 2, 3 and 4. It will also have the graphically enhanced version of Halo: Anniversary, previously released for the Xbox 360, and the all new Halo 2: Anniversary which will get its own visual improvements.

We are also still learning more about the new Halo game collection. 343 Industries Franchise Development Director Frank O'Connor has confirmed that Forge Mode, which allowed players to create new structures inside empty multiplayer maps in Halo 3 and 4, will be a part of the Master Chief Collection. It will also support saved films in Halo 3 and 4 as well, and will be added for the first time to Halo 2.

Microsoft is still discussing how they will allow players to store and share screenshots, videos and Forge creations from the new Halo collection, although O'Connor did state, "We're going to have it. It's just a matter of deciding where it goes. We're still evaluating."

Source: Joystiq

E3 has been a hectic week of new console game announcements, both retail and downloadable. With so many ID@Xbox games just announced for the Xbox One, it's easy to miss that a new indie game actually came out this week! 1001 Spikes is a retro-style platformer from Japanese developer 8bits Fanatics and publisher Nicalis. I guarantee fans of Spelunky, platforming, and local multiplayer will absolutely eat it up.

Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 picked up a new downloadable platformer of its own. Blood of the Werewolf from Scientifically Proven and publisher Midnight City/Majesco is a single-player platformer featuring classic movie monsters. It carries a value price of $6.99, making it one of the most affordable XBLA releases in quite some time.

Head past the break for impressions of both titles, including exclusive screenshots and hands-on video of 1001 Spikes!

1001 Spikes

Back in March, Microsoft announced a batch of 25 ID@Xbox games coming to Xbox One – including 1001 Spikes. Now 1001 Spikes has launched, giving Super Time Force a serious run for its money as the best indie title for the Xbox One so far.

1001 Spikes (full title: Aban Hawkins and the 1001 Spikes) stars a pulp-style adventurer on a quest to liberate a fabled treasure from a deadly temple. The game is a love letter to the platformers of yore, coming to life entirely through beautiful retro pixel art and uber-catchy chiptunes. It really looks and feels like an NES game, only much larger in scale and with some excellent multiplayer.

Old games were harder than most newer games, and that applies to 1001 Spikes as well. Each level is filled with traps that will kill Aban instantly if he's not careful. Unlike Spelunky though, the levels are hand-crafted instead of procedurally generated. When you take a hit, you can learn from it and avoid the pitfall on your next attempt. And you have 1001 lives with which to beat the campaign, so the game feels challenging but fair.

In addition to 2-player local co-op in the campaign, 1001 Spikes also offers three arcade modes for up to 4 local players. Only one starts out unlocked, and it even features a lengthy (and fantastic) cinematic intro, just like the main campaign. Players choose from four characters (including a Halo Spartan, a Castlevania-style hunter, and a Ghosts n' Goblins-style knight) and battle through 19 single-screen competitive stages. You respawn right when you die, making arcade mode a blast even for less skilled players.

1001 Spikes is one of those games that doesn't push the Xbox One hardware in any way. But unlike Nutjitsu, it's beautiful and unique looking and packs tons and tons of modes, content, and characters to unlock. We'll share more details in our upcoming review! Also, you need a US account to download the game for now.

• 1001 Spikes – Xbox One – 236 MB – $14.99 – Xbox Store Link

Blood of the Werewolf

Like 1001 Spikes, Blood of the Werewolf is a challenging action platformer. It's a lot less pretty though, with a middling art style and a camera that seems zoomed out too far for a 2.5D game.

Looks aside, Blood of the Werewolf has a real Castlevania vibe – now that I can appreciate. Players take on the role of Selena, a lady werewolf who must rescue her child from monsters after her husband is murdered. She'll journey across 10 story levels and battle more than 30 types of monsters along the way. And she switches back and forth between werewolf and human forms depending on the in-game moon, a very cool mechanic.

Besides the main Story mode, Blood of the Werewolf offers its fair share of extra stuff to do. A brand-new for 360 Endless Challenge mode provides procedurally-generated levels that up the difficulty considerably. Players can also engage in Master Challenges, developer-approved challenge levels.

I haven't actually played Blood of the Werewolf, but it looks fun and the price is right for the production values on offer. Let us know if you try it!

• Blood of the Werewolf – Xbox 360 – 1.75 GB - $6.99 – Xbox Store Link

Some of the Xbox games announced at E3 this week are a fair ways off – whether they're due this fall like the Halo: Master Chief Collection, or coming in 2015 or beyond as with Crackdown 3. But other games we see on the show floor will be arriving much sooner; the awesomely retro platformer 1001 Spikes not only graced the show but actually launched this week. We also caught wind of an impressive game that's due out at the end of the month: Sniper Elite III from UK-based Rebellion and publisher 505 Games.

Sniper Elite III: Afrika is the latest in what many consider the best series of sniper-focused games on the market. The new game will feature the same combination of sniping and stealth gameplay that has been so addictive in previous titles, disturbingly realistic bullet impact animations and physics, co-op and competitive multiplayer modes, and a World War II setting – all the things we expect from Sniper Elite. Most excitingly, Sniper Elite III is coming to both Xbox One and Xbox 360 (in addition to PC and Playstation systems), which means our Xbox Ones are about to get their first taste of tactical sniping action.

Familiar War, new location

The Sniper Elite games have always taken place during World War II. Although that war is a bit played out videogame-wise, it makes sense because of how much the Sniper Elite games celebrate their sniping kills. When you make a successful shot, the camera zooms in and shows the bullet passing through your foe in gory detail, often with an X-ray view for added emphasis. Nazis are the perfect enemy for such brutal killification since we don't usually feel too much empathy for them.

The new campaign takes place in North Africa, which is actually a fresh setting for World War II-era games. Players will take on the role of series hero Karl Fairburne as he battles Germany's infamous Afrika Corps. Allied intelligence indicates that the Nazis are developing a super weapon that could turn the tide of the war, making it imperative for Karl and his allies to stop them.

Traversing the African environments and war-torn cities won't feel like just another FPS experience because Sniper Elite III mostly sticks to a third-person perspective. Players will need to remain stealthy and evade enemy forces as they forage for supplies and climb to opportune sniping positions. The actual sniping does of course switch to a first-person scoped view, with the option of holding your breath for increased steadiness.

Multiplayer sniping aplenty

In addition to full campaign co-op for two online players (sadly this series has never offered split-screen), Sniper Elite III will include several unique multiplayer modes. For fans of cooperative multiplayer like me, Overwatch and Survival should be exciting. Overwatch puts one player in the role of spotter while the other completes objectives and does most of the killing. Survival is like a horde mode, as your team tries to stay alive against an endless enemy onslaught.

Competitive gamers will find plenty to keep them busy as well. Five separate modes will cover both team and every-man-for-himself bases. In the Distance King challenges, players try to score kills from as far away as possible – something you wouldn't find in other shooter series. And several dedicated No-Cross maps force players to fight entirely by sniping, as they won't be able to traverse to the other side on foot. Whatever modes you play, you'll earn XP and gain levels for the kills you acquire, with bonuses for stylish kills.

Sniping soon!

Sniper Elite III is due out on June 27 in Europe and July 1 in North America. Preorder to receive an exclusive mission called "Hunt the Grey Wolf." The mission takes place during 1943 and allows players to snipe at one of history's worthiest targets: Hitler himself. Not historically accurate, but plenty of fun!

• Sniper Elite III – Xbox One – $49.99 – Amazon Link
• Sniper Elite III Collector's Edition – Xbox One – $69.99 – Amazon Link
• Sniper Elite III – Xbox 360 – $39.99 – Amazon Link

We're still trying to take in the full range of ID@Xbox titles that Microsoft and third-parties showcased during E3 this week. The Xbox 360 has an impressive library of downloadable games already, but the Xbox One will surpass that library sooner rather than later once the games start releasing on a steadier schedule.

It's not only indie developers that have exciting downloadable Xbox One titles in the works. Even giants like Ubisoft have gotten in the fray. Ubisoft actually pushed Valiant Hearts: the Great War during their press conference and on the show floor, a sure sign of faith in the gorgeous World War I-era adventure. Valiant Hearts launches on Xbox One and Xbox 360 later this month. And a little farther off, Tetris Ultimate will arrive on both Xbox One and 360 in late summer. Check out both games' trailers after the break!

Valiant Hearts

First announced at the beginning of May, Valiant Hearts is described as both a puzzle adventure game and an animated comic book adventure. The gameplay involves plenty of character interaction, stealth, and puzzle solving.

Adventure games often feature a strong focus on story and setting, and Valiant Hearts is no different. The game takes place during the first World War, a time period we don't see in that many games. The beautiful cartoon art style really brings locations like Reims and Montfaucon and historical battles such as the Battle of the Marne and Battle of the Somme to life – all in a totally fresh way. We can thank the UbiArt framework, which powers other beautiful games Rayman Origins and Child of Light as well, for that.

Valiant Hearts promises to be an emotional game. Players will control several distinctive characters who are embroiled within the war's trenches, including soldiers and even a nurse. All are tied together by not just their personal stories, but also a faithful canine companion. The dog proves to be an essential part of gameplay, with his sense of smell and small size helping the heroes solve puzzles and stay out of harm's way.

Will any of them come through unscathed, though? The excellent E3 trailer implies that some or all of the team won't survive the war. But Ubisoft promises a touching and comical adventure, so perhaps there is some hope for the story's characters after all. We'll find out when the game arrives on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, and Playstation consoles on June 25.

Tetris Ultimate

Alright, so the announcement of a new Tetris game is a bit less exciting than a fresh adventure title like Valiant Hearts. But Tetris Ultimate is Ubisoft's first stab at Tetris, having recently acquired the license after Electronic Arts let it go. And the Xbox One still needs puzzle games like Tetris, so this will fill that hole in the lineup nicely.

Tetris Ultimate features six modes:

• Marathon: The traditional game of Tetris in which players try to reach level 15 and score as many points as they can along the way. In my day, this was all the Tetris we needed!
• Endless: The level counter goes all the way up to 30 somehow, which should be insanely fast since level 15 is already too much for many mere mortals. And you can keep clearing lines for as long as you survive.
• Ultra: A three-minute timed challenge. Tetris Blitz fans should appreciate this mode, as that game lasts for short one-minute stretches.
• Sprint: Clear 40 lines as fast as you can.
• Battle: Compete against opponents in head-to-head battles.
• Power-Up Battle: Up the ante as you battle other players using all-new power-ups. Carousel causes the opponent's Well to move left after each move; Let it Rain drops garbage blocks; and Buzz Saw clears lines from your own field. I've been a fan of power-ups in Tetris ever since the Tetrinet days on PC.

Ultimate also has some cool new social features that should appeal to today's super-social and always-connected audiences. The game's social feeds will alert players to new in-game events and share their friends' scores. There will be traditional leaderboards as well, but it's always good to share friendly details outside of the leaderboards too.

Much like Forza 5, Tetris Ultimate also captures each player's play style and creates an AI version of it. Friends can then compete against each other asynchronously, which (I believe) is a first for Tetris games. And of course, the game supports local and online multiplayer for up to four players.

Tetris Ultimate is due for Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Playstation consoles sometime this summer. The PC version will follow in the fall.

Unroll Me - unblock the slots is a puzzle game for Windows Phone 8 that has you solving a puzzle, which in turn creates a path for a white ball to travel safely to the finish point in the gaming levels. The game can be rather challenging in that you need to stay one step ahead of the rolling ball as you solve the puzzle or you'll see the white ball crash and burn, ending your hopes of completing the puzzle level.

The game has had a decent amount of success of on iOS and Android platforms and in playing Unroll me for the past few days, it should do well on the Windows Phone platform.

Game Layout

Unroll Me - unblock the slots' layout is uncomplicated with a main menu offering up five gaming modes, an option to mute the sounds, remove the ads and restore your purchases (should you switch devices). Removing the ads will cost you $1.99 through an in-app purchase.

All totaled, Unroll Me has 120 puzzle levels that are spread out through the five gaming modes that include:

• Beginner
• Medium
• Hard
• Extreme
• Multi-ball 4x4

The gaming screen has your current level and best moves score displayed across the top of the screen, your gaming board in the center with menu, freeze and speed up buttons running across the bottom of the screen.

Game Play

The object of the game is to shuffle the puzzle pieces around to create a path for the white ball to travel on, ultimately reaching the finish point (the red square). While the object sounds simple, you only have a few seconds to start solving the puzzle before the white ball begins to roll. To save you a few seconds to get the path built, you can tap the freeze button to stop the ball in its track for a few seconds.

Puzzle pieces can be moved while the ball is traveling across the piece and should you ever need to give the ball a little boost in speed, just tap and hold the speed up button.

Your score is based on the number of moves it takes you to create a path to the finish point. If your ball hits a dead end or falls off a puzzle tile, you fail the level.

Overall Impression

Unroll Me isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea but as far as puzzle games go, it's a good one. You have the element of solving the puzzle to create a path for the ball to travel on and the urgency to complete your task as the ball rolls forward. Graphics are good, game play challenging and overall Unroll Me - unblock the slots comes across as a fun, entertaining Windows Phone game.

There really isn't anything detrimental about the game. Unroll Me ran smoothly, puzzle pieces shifted without issue and the only thing I could see being added that would help the game is possibly an online leaderboard for bragging rights. Regardless, Unroll Me - unblock the slots is a well rounded puzzle game and a fine addition to the Windows Phone gaming library. It is a nice option to consider when you need a little help passing the time.

• Unroll Me - unblock the slots - Windows Phone 8 - Free - Store Link