Aniimo comes to the cloud

Pawprint Studio’s Aniimo has launched on NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW cloud-gaming service, giving players a way to stream the creature-catching adventure across supported devices. The game is a free-to-play, open-world role-playing experience set on the vibrant continent of Idyll.

NVIDIA describes Aniimo as an adventure in which every creature encountered can become a companion. Players catch Aniimo using Aniipods, then use Twine to take on a creature’s form. Those abilities can be used to solve puzzles, win battles and overcome other challenges across the world.

The game’s movement system is designed around exploration. Players can glide, dive and burrow through Idyll before returning to a personal recreational vehicle to develop a warm, interactive Homeland with their Aniimo companions.

Streaming avoids a large local download

GeForce NOW allows Aniimo to be streamed rather than installed locally, which NVIDIA says means players do not have to wait through the game’s 45GB download or make room for it on local storage. The title can be played on a Steam Deck, through the newly supported Firefox browser and on other supported devices.

NVIDIA notes that the service’s availability can vary as games are onboarded after their store releases and added throughout the week. The company is encouraging players to follow GeForce NOW channels and its weekly GFN Thursday updates for availability information.

007 First Light adds path tracing

The weekly GeForce NOW update also brings a path-tracing upgrade to 007 First Light. The game follows James Bond as a young recruit in MI6’s training program, with missions, vehicles and locations presented as part of a reimagined origin story.

According to NVIDIA, path tracing adds more detailed lighting, shadows and reflections to the game’s levels and set pieces. NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction is also being used to improve the fidelity, clarity and accuracy of those visual effects.

Ultimate members can stream 007 First Light with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance, up to 5K high dynamic range and cinematic-quality streaming. NVIDIA says DLSS 4.5 Super Resolution and Dynamic Frame Generation help increase frame rates and image quality for the service’s highest tier.

Active Matter and Outer Wilds join

Gaijin Network’s Active Matter is another new addition to the GeForce NOW library. The realistic military shooter is set in a fractured multiverse, where players take the role of an operative trapped in a time loop. Its activities include dangerous raids for loot and player-versus-player battles against opponents from other timelines.

The game also features physics-breaking anomalies and an extraction objective. Players must harvest active matter, collect loot and reach safety before a zone ceases to exist. NVIDIA says Ultimate members can stream each raid with RTX 5080-class performance, high frame rates, advanced graphics features and low latency across supported devices.

Annapurna Interactive’s Outer Wilds is joining the service as well. Players become the newest recruit of Outer Wilds Ventures and search a strange, changing solar system trapped in an endless time loop. The investigation involves tracing mysterious signals, deciphering alien writing and discovering hidden locations before environmental events destroy them.

This week’s release lineup

NVIDIA’s listed releases include Active Matter, which launched on Steam and Gaijin on Sept. 15; RuneScape: Dragonwilds, released on Xbox on Sept. 15 and available through Game Pass; Train Sim World 7, released on Steam on Sept. 15; and The Guild 1 Remake: Europa 1410, released on Steam on Sept. 17.

The company says the dates refer to releases on the respective stores, while GeForce NOW availability may differ as titles are added after launch. NVIDIA is also promoting a day pass for players who want to try its premium cloud-gaming service before choosing a membership. The cost of the day pass can be applied toward a first monthly membership, according to the company.

A limited-time sale is also available for the Deluxe Edition of 007 First Light. NVIDIA lists the Steam promotion as running from Sept. 15 through Sept. 29 and the Epic Games Store promotion as running from Sept. 3 through Sept. 18.

Sources

• NVIDIA BlogCute Critters Come to the Cloud: ‘Aniimo’ Launches on GeForce NOW