A few days ago I sat in on a presentation for Lightyear Frontier, a 3D farming and crafting game set on a remote planet at the edge of the galaxy. In fact in the presentation the game was referred to as a "farmadventure", which isn't a portmanteau and you only have to go another centimetere along to get farmventure, which is just about a portmanteau and, furthermore, is fun to say.
Developers Frame Break are keen to emphasise how chilled out Lightyear Frontier is: it's very peaceful, and there's no death (a "survival game without survival"). It's all about ecology and being one with nature. This does, at times, feel slightly at odds with the other eye-catching thing about Lightyear Frontier, which is a bloody massive tractor mech stomping about everywhere.
]]>The collective JRPG fandom did a little squee and cartwheeled when Persona 5 Royal and Persona 3 Portable were announced for PC at Sunday’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase. There was no word on whether either game would make their way to Steam like Persona 4 Golden, though. Well, never fear, because developers Atlus say both games will be coming to Valve’s storefront, as Eurogamer report. In case you missed the trailer, here it is below.
]]>Starfield is the next big new game from Bethesda Game Studios, and it's a pretty big deal because they haven't made something that isn't a Fallout game or an Elder Scrolls game in like... ever. So everyone was pretty excited to see what this new space RPG holds at the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase stream this weekend. And, sure enough, we actually got a pretty big eyeful of it.
Now, keep in mind that this game is set in outer space, the vast expanse and wonders of which we cannot ken. You could do any cool, awe-inspiring thing you want with space. Crystal waterfalls that flow backwards into the sky. Aurora borealis-like lights but so low down they whip along at ground level. Deserts of hot-pink dust sprouting deep blue rock spires. Destiny 2 has some cool planets, for example. Imagine my confusion, then, when the footage of Bethesda's brand new IP made it look like they've accidentally done Fallout or Elder Scrolls again.
]]>We finally glimpsed our first look at some in-game footage from interstellar RPG Starfield at yesterday’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, and it had the feel of a less retro Fallout 4. Everyone knows that the true heart of any RPG is the character creation screen though. It’s just science. Speaking of which, Starfield’s character creation menus are modelling themselves on some real-life science, namely molecular biology. That’s cool, I think.
]]>Cocoon is an insectoid puzzle adventure that’s being developed by Jeppe Carlsen, the lead gameplay designer of Playdead’s Inside and Limbo. The game was announced at today’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, and its worlds-within-worlds reality hopping system has already blown my mind a little. Check it out for yourself in the trailer below.
]]>I had just kind of assumed that if you sail a ship in Sea Of Thieves you're a captain, you know? I know it doesn't give anyone that title, but I figured whoever was hosting the game just kind of was it. But it turns out I am a FOOL and that nobody was a captain at all. All that is going to change when Season Seven of the MMO pirate 'em up arrives next month, as confirmed in a jaunty song at the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase. Players are getting a whole raft of "Captaincy features" - and these include being able to name your ship and customise the interior.
]]>Obsidian have announced that their co-op garden survival game Grounded will burst forth from early access into a full 1.0 release like a seed in your backyard this September. A story campaign playable in co-op or solo will explain how Grounded’s kids were shrunk by a mad scientist, and probably persuade me to finally give it a go. Watch out for colossal bugs in the trailer below.
]]>Were you hoping to hear something about Avowed or The Outer Worlds 2 tonight? Well, Obsidian have announced manuscriptacular medieval murder-mystery adventure Pentiment at today’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase instead. This one at least has a firm-ish release date of November attached, though, and looks very pretty. Catch yourself up with the reveal by watching the trailer below.
]]>Fairytale action-adventure Ravenlok was revealed at today’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, hailing from Echo Generation devs Cococucumber. Ravenlok is clearly channelling Alice In Wonderland a fair bit, and Cococucumber do refer to it as a “fairytale reimagining”. It’s due out sometime in 2023. Watch the mushroom-laden trailer below.
]]>We all remember 2019's A Plague Tale: Innocence, the inspiration for the famous phrase "rat's entertainment!" that you still hear shouted in music halls up and down the country. The blend of action-adventure, stealth and seething hordes of rats is getting a sequel later this year, taking our miserable medieval tots Amicia and Hugo to the south of France for A Plague Tale: Requiem. In a gameplay trailer shown at the Xthesda showcase tonight we saw that Amicia is struggling with whether or not she should kill the heck out of soldiers, or try to stealth on by.
]]>More footage of online survival sequel ARK 2 was shown off at today’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, and we got to see another glimpse at the bizarre sight of Vin Diesel riding a dinosaur. Who does he think he is, Chris Pratt? Gawp in awe at the Unreal Engine 5 trailer below and try not to remember Babylon A.D. or any of the pants Riddick movies, I dare you.
]]>It must be a relief to ActiBlizz to have some good Diablo 4 news, given how everyone on Earth is ragging on Diablo Immortal 24/8 (when we are not open-mouthed at the stream of terrible news about the company, from numerous allegations of harrassment, misconduct and discrimination, to the company advising shareholders to not approve a proposal to report on harassment and discrimination). But at the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase tonight they were able to share that Diablo 4 is coming out next year for some much anticipated ARPG antics. Why, that's the Diablo game people keep saying they want!
Plus, the Necromancer is confirmed as the fifth playable class. There's a moody trailer that tries to make being a Necromancer sound twisted and dangerous and a hard path to walk, but it mostly makes it sound like Necromancers are cool badasses with loads of skeleton best friends.
]]>The next expansion for open-world racer Forza Horizon 5 will once again feature the gravity-defying stunts and tracks of the Hot Wheels toys. The expansion launches on July 19th and it’s the second such DLC, following on from similar orange loop-de-loops made for Forza Horizon 3. Buckle up and try not to chuck when you watch the trailer below.
]]>Gothic puzzle platformer The Last Case Of Benedict Fox was announced at today’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, but it’s bringing a demon along for the ride. Set in Boston, Massachusetts in 1925, The Last Case Of Benedict Fox follows, you guessed it, self-appointed detective Benedict Fox as he searches through a dodgy mansion. Watch the suitably moody trailer below.
]]>After many delays, Overwatch 2 has a release date. Blizzard's sequel will launch on October 4th - and it'll have a new free-to-play model when it does.
]]>Peaceful farming sims are always in, really, and Lightyear Frontier is a) in space and b) has a mighty morphin' tractor mech. Digging up a gameplay trailer at today’s Xthesda Games Showcase, Lightyear Frontier is taking farming to the final frontier in Spring 2023 - but that frontier includes Game Pass on day one. This planet may be on the edge of the galaxy, but it has good wifi.
]]>If you’re a fan of the comedy stylings of Rick And Morty and its co-creator Justin Roiland then you’ll probably be all over the wacky sci-fi shooter High On Life. The game was announced at today’s Xbox & Bethesda Showcase, and it seems Roiland is voicing its main character. Feel free to chuckle at the trailer below.
]]>It was on the cards, and tonight at the XBox & Bethesda Showcase we indeed got a look at some vampire slaying in Redfall. Arkane's spooky co-op FPS has been on my most anticipated list for a while, especially because I was hoping the studio would put their signature weird twist on things. Judging by the big guns and big abilities you have at your disposal, they have - and the vampires should be watching their be-caped backs. Never thought I'd see the day when someone made being a vampire hunter look cooler than being a vamp, but we might be getting there.
]]>Here's a thing: Riot's games are coming to Game Pass, including League Of Legends, Valorant and Legends Of Runeterra. Those are free-to-play games, which means what you'll really getting for your subscription is access to some of the bits that would normally be locked behind real money or the grind. In League Of Legends, for example, a Game Pass subscription will unlock all 160+ of the MOBA's champions.
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