Steelkrill Studio, creators of the popular horror games The Backrooms 1998, Trenches, and The Voidness—which just left Early Access yesterday—has announced its next title: Rotten Flesh. Steelkrill's previous titles are known for their uniquely creepy art-style, and it looks like Rotten Flesh will be no different ??as it features PSX-style graphics and gamep?lay.

ROY!

Rotten Flesh is an immersive cosmic h??orror survival game where the player has just lost their dog Roy. While trying to find Roy, players will have t??o shout "ROY!" in their microphone. As you venture deep into the sewers to search for Roy, calling for him will cause him to bark if he's nearby...but Roy isn't the only creature in the tunnels of the sewers who can respond to your calls. According to the release, players can opt to toggle off the microphone input and instead switch to voice acting where players can push a button to call for Roy, but the microphone input is recommended.

I have to admit, it sounds like a pretty interesting concept, and utilizing the microphone can definitely setup some eerie moments, especially if something other than Roy responds to you calling out. It's great they've made the microphone input optional. But in a game like this, I feel like it will really enhance the expe??rience.

In terms of the rest of the gameplay, it looks like players will be tasked with solving puzzles, hi?ding and stealthing past enemies, and managing their inventory as they find supplies, upgrades and health packs to survive the depths of the sewers.

Rotten Flesh does not yet have a release date, but can be wishlisted on Steam.

The post Horror game developer Steelkrill?? announces PSX-style cosmic horror game Rotten Flesh appeared first on Destructoid.

Following our recent preview of Frostpunk 2, 11 bit studios also gave us a roughly 40-minute look at some gameplay from the upcoming sci-fi adventure title The Alters. I have to admit that I knew very little about The Alters beforehand. I remembered the announcement trailer from over a year ago. But while intriguing, that trailer gave no indication of what sort of game The Alters would be. Following the presentation, I certainly have some more questions. But I also know The Alters looks lik??e a creative and interesting title that's right up my alley.

Into the Jan-known

The premise of The Alters is definitely a peculiar one. A simple worker, Jan—pronounced "Yahn"—finds himself stranded and alone after crash-landing on a distant planet. Unfortunately ?for Jan, the planet is in orbit of a massive sun that showers the planet with radiation. In an act of desperation, Jan harnesses the power of a crystal on the planet that allows him to create alternate versions of himself.

These alternate versions are aptly dubbed Alters. Each Alter follows the premise that the?y are a version of Jan who made completely different choices in his life. So while the original Jan is a simple worker, his Alters can be chefs, doctors, or even scientists. Not only do they each have their own unique lifestyle, they all have their own personality and emotions as well. They are sentient beings, with their own goals, fears, and feelings on the current situation.

Of course, Jan and all of the Alters want to survive. So they will have to collectively work together to figure out a way to escape the harsh planet they are stranded on. In the meantime, they have the shelter of a ma??ssive ever-moving mobile base which has been visible in both trailers so f?ar.

A Jan-canny dilemma

In terms of gameplay, The Alters i??s a base-building survival game where players will have to utilize their Alters to explore their surroundings, gather resources, construct outposts, and more all to ensure the survival of Jan and his Alters. But players w??ill also have to manage the relationships and well-being of their Alters. Not only is each version of Jan useful for its sheer manpower, but each one has its own distinct skill sets.

In the pre??sentation we saw, one of?? the Alters complained about a strange and abnormal sensation in their hand. However, even though Jan assured the Alter they would get it checked out, events kept occurring that preoccupied his time. In the end, the Alter ended up taking matters into his own hands—quite literally—and dismembered his own limb. It seemed like a stark reminder that the feelings of the Alters matter. They are each their own self, not to just be used as an asset.

From both a narrative and gameplay perspective, The Alters looks very intriguing. By the end of the presentation, I wanted to know more. And with past outings like Frostpunk and This War of Mine, I can only ?imagine ?the adventure that awaits Jan and his Alters.

The Alters is coming to PC and current-generation conso???les in 2024.

The post The Alters Preview �What Jan go wrong? appeared first on Destructoid.

The best classic adventures you can have without going outside (and one honorary modern inclusion)

Many claim that poi?nt & click adventures died on the l??????????????????????????ast day of the previous century, but is that really true? Adventure games show signs of life with many fresh new releases every year, so perhaps it's time to celebrate the genre's glorious origins as well as the best current carriers of the torch.

[caption id="attachment_388537" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by 3909 LLC[/caption]

Honorable Mention: Return of the Obra Dinn (2018)

While Return of the Obra Dinn isn't a classic point & click adventure from the olden days, it's a game about pointing at and clicking stuff that became an instant classic. It deserves a spot here. Obra Dinn merges the perspective of Myst with the mystery of Broken Sword and imbues it all with ?movement and mechanics that make it into a completely new thing.

Instead of tasking players with resolving a mystery that'll save the world, Obra Dinn just asks?? players to find out whatever the hell happened to the missing crew of the titular ship. It's a lot of people, so players might predict they're up for a repetitive challenge, but there are always twists and turns that keep the narrative fresh. You should play this one whether you're a classic adventure game veteran or a new gamer.

Strengths: A gorgeous?? and completely unique take on detective stories.

Weaknesses: The visual style can cause dizziness ??in rare cases.

[caption id="attachment_388534" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Cyan[/caption]

09. Myst (1993)

Myst changed the world back in '93 by doing away with forcing players to guide a poor character all over the map in search of hidden items. This adventure puts players in first-person perspective, an iconic choice that greatly impacted not just player immersion but storytelling in general. The people behind the Half-Life series cite Myst as a great inspiration for Valve's storytelling.

Its puzzles have been redone ?to death by many other games, so the experience as a whole won??'t feel brand new for many, but we still recommend experiencing it to anyone who cares about video games. It'll make a lot of things clear.

Strengths: It remains an invaluable pi??ece of video game history that inspired more than just the point & click adventure ge?nre.

Weaknesses: It only gains replay value about once in a decade when yo?u've forgotten the solution to its puzzles or when you want to show off to your friends how quickly you can finish i??t.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uudul4IRZTg

08. Broken Sword: Shadow Of The Templars / Circle Of Blood (1996)

Who'll ever fo?rget an intro where a killer clown blows up a peaceful Parisian bistro? The reason why it will forever stay in the minds of whoever saw it back in the day might have to do with the innate scariness o??f clowns, yeah, but also because of the game's art direction. How many games that are nearly 30 years old remain beautiful to this day? Well, this one does. Don't find it pretty enough? No problem! You can even play its equally awesome remaster.

An intriguing plot (yes, there's more to the killer clown than meets the eye), a great duo of main characters, and a beautiful collection of puzzles exist within Broken Sword. This is Revolution Software's third point & click adventure, after Lure Of The Temptress and Beneath A Steel Sky, and definitely its best. The series would keep its gorgeous art style for the sequel, The Smoking Mirror, but would go for different looks in every single one of its sequels. We still like those and any adventure gaming enthusiast should check them out, but this is prime Broken Sword.

Strengths: Beautiful artwork and clever puzzles that demonstr?ated the classic point & click adventure genre at ??the height of its power.

Weaknesses: Everyone is pretty tired o??f having a cu??lt of Templars as the villains by now, but they felt pretty fresh for the time.

[caption id="attachment_388535" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by LucasArts[/caption]

07. Monkey Island 2: Lechuck’s Revenge (1991)

People often associate classic point & click games with serious puzzle-solving, but the genre can get hilarious sometimes. LucasArts dominated when it come to comedy in adventure games, and Monkey Island 2 is one of their best works. Do you still find Captain Jack Sparrow funny? Well, the Monkey Island series of games inspired the Pirates of the Caribbean films, and guess what.

Unlike the series of films that begins to suck right at the beginning of the first sequel, Monkey Island only ever gets better in its second game. One thing we need to say, however, is that the ori??ginal's control and interaction scheme might feel outdated by now. Luckily, you can easily overcome that problem?? by getting the game's much-upgraded special edition from 2010 instead.

If that doesn't sound fresh enough for you, then don't worry. Just get 2022's Return to Monkey Island, which also owns.

Strengths: Clever puzzles that are also fun. An endearing cast of characters. This series is the reason we have Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. We're guessing that the only reason why the only re?ason Jack Sparrow is more popular than Guybrush Threepwood is that the latter's name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.

Weaknesses: It's also the reason we have the remaining Pirates Of The Caribbean films.

[caption id="attachment_388536" align="alignnone" width="1199"] Image by Sierra[/caption]

06. The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery (Gabriel Knight 2, 1995)

Most people scoff at the thought of Full Motion Video-based games. They can either play the original Gabriel Knight, a classic-looking point & click adventure game that could very well be on this ??list, or, just give the?? superior sequel a chance.

We'd like to believe that the reason FMV games failed is that most of them looked goofy, like Night Trap, or because both looked and played goofy, like Sewer Shark. Gabriel Knight 2 was none of those things. We're talking about a hi??gh-production value gothic horror tale that deserves a place among the greats.

We sure hope history vindicates this visual style as bangers such as Her Story and Immortality have been casting a whole new ??spotlight onto the genre.

Strengths: By far the best full-motion?? video game in existence. Also, are we c??razy it is that the best video game cover art of all time?

Weaknesses: full-motion video gameplay isn't for everyone, but?? you shoul?d give it a shot!

[caption id="attachment_388539" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by LucasArts[/caption]

05. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (1992)

We're sorry to break it to the people who still haven't read the reviews of Indiana Jones and The Dial Of Destiny, but they all amount to something like "maybe they should've seen the signs and kept quiet after Crystal Skull". Not to worry, though, as Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is right here for any fan who feels like they haven't had their fill of Indiana Jones in a while.

Yes, movie-to-game adaptations tend to suck, ??but this isn't that. This is an entirely original adventure featuring the titular archaeologist that features everything you'd want �exploration and awesome puzzles �and none of the foils of the later sequels.

Strengths: It takes on average 10 hours to beat. That's a longer and more fun time with Indiana Jones than we'll get from all of the Raiders Of The Lost Ark sequels combined.

Weaknesses: LucasArt's environmental interaction HUD might feel pretty dated by today's standards. Unlike most other Luc??asArts classics, this one is still to receive the remaster treatment.

[caption id="attachment_388540" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Annapurna Interactive[/caption]

04. Kentucky Route Zero (2013)

Some works of art benefit a lot from looking like they could've come from any point in time. We don't know whether the developers of Kentucky Route Zero were going for a my?steriously timeless aesthetic, but the fina?l result greatly elevates their work.

Though it came out in 2013, over a decade after the "death of all adventure games", the only thing separating the look and feel of KRZ and some of the best point & click titles in history are some very welcomed quality-of-life improvements. The only less-than-stellar aspect of KRZ was the fact that we?? had to wait a long while to complete it (the episodic release model was not one of the good things it added to the genre), but that's over. You can and should just buy the whole thing right now and embark on one of the best journeys in the history of video games.

Strengths: A one-of-a-kind n??arrative experience that you won't forget.

Weaknesses: It might feel too modern at first, but it sure does belong with? the g??reats of old.

[caption id="attachment_388542" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by LucasArts[/caption]

03. Day of the Tentacle (1993)

Day of the Tentacle is the sequel of sorts to the also awesome Maniac Mansion. It follows a team of three different characters as ?they attempt to prevent a tentacle —yes, just a sentient octopus-less tentacle �from taking o?ver the world

When people think of hilarious adventure games, chances are they'll be talking about a game from LucasArts. Many consider the Monkey Island series to be the funniest of the bunch, but we actually rank it at number three. That's how funny we think Day of the Tentacle is. Though it doesn't star a main character as famous as Guybrush Threepwood, one shouldn't underestimate its main cast and v??illain.

The most important aspect of all, however, is how most of its puzzles are very well crafted and never feel boring. In fact, despite all of the witty writing, most of the game's hilar?ity comes from the game's puzzles th??emselves.

Strengths: Some of the cleverest and funniest puzz?les of all time??.

Weaknesses: It features the same-old Scumm HUD as other Lucasarts games. If that turns you off, then consider playing? the awesome remaster with revamped interactions.

[caption id="attachment_388543" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Funcom[/caption]

02. The Longest Journey (1999)

The great point & click war of the '90s saw mostly Revolution, Sierra, and LucasArts fighting for the crown. It's kind of weird that a latecomer from a newbie Norwegian company managed to mostly outdo them all. The Longest Journey seems to have taken all the important notes from the adventure game playbook and still managed to come up with one of the most original and engrossing experiences of all time. While most of its ??puzzles are very good (and one is very bad), what makes this one shine is its beautiful story, world-building, and voice acting.

Whereas Broken Sword showed how well you could do with hand-drawn artwork and Gabriel Knight 2 showed us the unexpected beauty of FMV gameplay, The Longest Journey showed us the peak of gorgeous pre-rendered 3d art. It might not enjoy as much popularity as the other g?ames on this list outside of genre aficionados, but this is easily a contender for the top spot.

Strengths: This is the classic?? p??oint & click adventure genre's swansong.

Weaknesses: It features one? of the dumbest puzzles in video game history, but everything else is solid gold, ??so we just can't complain.

[caption id="attachment_388544" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Lucasarts[/caption]

01. Grim Fandango (1998)

At the time of its release, Grim Fandango got almost as many glowing reviews as it got copies sold. Don't misread that. Pretty much every review that the game got was highly positive, it's just that there aren't enough critics out there buying games to make a release commercially successful. Grim Fandango deserves all the praise and deserved?? huge commercial success as well.

Tim Schafer's masterpie?ce combines both old and (then) new elements of classic adventure games and took players on likely the most hilariously unforgettable journey in the history of video games.

Some purists will say it's not technically a point & click game because of its 3d environment interaction system. Still, a lot of people already wanted the point & click sty??le of LucasArts games to evolve back then, so.

Strengths: Likel?y the funniest game of all time. The art direction and soundtra?ck also rule.

Weaknesses: As with even the best adventure gamers, there are alway?s these one or two puzzles that fail to measure up to the rest.

The post Best classic point & click adventure games, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

This town ain't crisp enough for the both of us

[Update: Devolver Digital has announced that a Nintendo Switch port fo Weird West: Definitive Edition is in the wor??ks. A rel?ease date was not announced.]

//twitter.com/devolverdigital/status/1660658264311226368????s=20

Devolver Digital has announced that its fantasy gunslingin' adventure Weird West is to receive a "Definitive Edition" release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X platforms next week, bringing Wolfeye Studios' strange frontier of cowboys and monsters to the ninth generation of gaming??.

Released in the spring of 2022, Weird West is an anthology title that tells the story of five distinct characters, each forced to face a bizarre and twisted version of America's formative period. Utilizing a top-down perspective and with a heavy emphasis on exploration, combat, and environmental interaction, Weird West was prais?ed for its pulp??y writing, creepy character design, and interesting world, though some of its action and technical elements gave critics pause.

//www.yo??utube.com/watch?v=0NS3lzv0Nw4&ab_channel=DevolverDigital

Weird West: Definitive Edition will see the game launch on modern platforms, boasting new 4K resolution options and?? running at 60 FPS. Hopefully, with these visual upgrades and the power of Gen 9, some of the game's stiffer creases will be ironed out. Here's hoping, as Weird West is certainly charming in its own peculiar way, and any fans of alternate realities, old-school horror comics, or twin-stick action would do well to test the murky waters of Wolfeye's adventure.

Weird West: Definitive Edition launches May 8 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series ?X. It is already available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One in its standa??rd form. Devolver has not yet confirmed a free upgrade option.

The post (Update) Weird West: Definitive Edition a??lso headed to Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Hyrulin' the Box

Game marketing has sure changed in the post-internet world. And while we can be grateful for the abandonment of those weird "lad's mag" years, there's definitely something of a yearning for the well (and not-so-well)-conceived commercials of the 1980s and 1990s. This was a time when context was absolutely necessary, whe??re no answers or? information could be found via a quick wander through the information superhighway.

The commercial had to do all the selling. No live streams, no banner ads, no YouTube previ?ews, and no E3 visits for Johnny? Public. You have 30 seconds to tell people to spend $50. Make them count.

Fortunately for Nintendo's premier fantasy franchise, The Legend of Zelda, its universe and characters exemplified magic, mystery, excitement, and adventure. Marketers had a literal universe of brave heroes, beautiful prin??cesses, vicious monsters, grim castles?, and haunted woods at their disposal, advertising Link's newest adventure to eager youth �pockets bursting with dollar bills, due to the fact that the only subscription anybody had back then was a subscription to Nintendo Power.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches on Nintendo Switch later this week, riding on the crest of a commercial that, according to social media, left some fans literally crying with emotion. For sure, there is an art to making a modern game trailer, especially with a release as epic as TOTK. But still, one cannot help but wistfully recollect those carefree Saturday mornings, when a show that you remember being better than it actually was would eventually cut to commercial �And it was in this arena that The Big N would do its very?? best to compel you and your friends to the Land of Hyrule...

...Armed, ?more often than not, with the power of Rap.

//www.youtube.com/watc??h?v=AGZv30buf-U&ab_channel=RadUniver?se

The Legend of Zelda (US, 1986)

With the flash dominance of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Nintendo quickly established a series of ads that were mostly based around the players themselves, huddled together in the lounge to enjoy a bout of Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! or to break R.O.B. with an accidental trip. With the launch of The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo once again chose not to focus on the game, but on two "Video Game Fans", including one that has stepped straight out of garbage 1984 flick Revenge of the Nerds.

In order to remind you how cool game fans are, the duo start an abominable rap, not only giving school bullies validation in the hatred of gaming culture but also consigning The Legend of Zelda to a bizarre pattern of hip-hop-related advertising. Beatboxing like The Fat Boys inclu?ded. Still, fair play for reaching out and crossing that Nerd-Jock divide.

??//www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxICMGKuT1s&ab_channel=VGLegacy

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (JPN, 1987)

This delightful commercial sees a young girl excitedly run into her Grandma's (?) video game store and declare her love for Link's second adventure. The back of the store then parts, revealing Hyrule itself await??ing adventure. Adorably, the child becomes Link, while Grandma becomes Impa. The gender themes here are interesting, as this represents one of the first instances of Link's androgynous nature, which often sees him portrayed by women and girls in marketing, fanart, and cosplay.

The commercial ends with Zelda and Impa impl?oring us never to give up, while the Famicom disk system asks us to "Go as Far?? as We Can". More consoles should offer life-affirming lessons.

//www.youtube.co??m/?watch?v=nYF6r-RluJg&ab_channel=M1nt

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (US, 1993)

Were you down wi' Zelda from the very start? Because this lad was, and he's telling us all about it in this commercial for one of the finest releases (as well as the most played) in the entire series, LoZ: Link's Awakening. It's?? 1993, and everyone has a Game Boy. Everyone. Mine had pink and blac?k fur glued to it. I had a lot of growing up to do.

Anyway, even folks who had never touched a Zelda title in their life dove into Link's amnesia-fueled handheld adventure, while this commercial continues Nintendo's desire to push Zelda away from its unfair "nerdy role-playing game" reputati??on and into something altogether cooler. The irony is, video game fans didn't care, we were already d-d-down with the inhabitants of Hyrule.

"Creeping through with an overhead view" is going to be the title of my autobiogra?phy.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoZwW9??rh6cY&ab_c?hannel=ZeldaDensetsu

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (US/UK, 2013)

This ad for Nintendo 3DS release A Link Between Worlds might have screened in 2013, but it most certainly features the "Put the kid in the action" mentality of the '80s/'90s advertising. In the short TV spot, we see a kid who kind of looks like dollar store Frankie Muniz navigate a Zelda-style dungeon, utilizing A Link Between Worlds' ingenious wall-merging abilities in order to conquer an array of obstacles, before ultimately escaping the dungeon and c?apturing the fated Master Sword.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_jdw?Tkb9xY&ab_channel=VHSVideovault

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (UK, 1993)

British comedian Rik Mayall grew out of the alternative comedy scene in the 1980s �an entire comedic movement mostly established as a full-throated assault against the Tory government and its "Iron Lady" leader. Mayall became one of the most successful stars of the scene, appearing in shows such as The Young Ones, Yes, Prime Minister, and Bottom, while Americans might know him best in the titular role of the 1991 film Drop Dead Fred.

When the SNES hit it big in the UK, Mayall starred in a series of commercials for many Nintendo releases, including Star Fox, Street Fighter II, Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing, and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. This short spot sees him sending up his more successful modern image and features little of the actual game itself. It was a very successful ad, intrinsically linked with the game by British Zelda fans. Notabl?y, the ads reflect a time when Nintendo was chiller about its image. The idea of them giving up their biggest franchis??es to ads this dopey, and celebrities this subversive, is wild.

Mayall would pass a?way suddenly in 2014, leaving behind? a legacy of riotous work.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=krwkNZtM5Sc&ab_chann?el=NintenderoMasked

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (US, 2009)

The beautifully composed ad sees a young man taking his regular subway commute, with a journey that becomes not only a commercial for the hit Nintendo DS release LoZ: Spirit Tracks, but is also a wonderful metaphor for the magic and mystery of The Legend of Zelda itself, which has the ability to pull its fans out of the humdrum cycle of everyday life and deposit them into an amazing and engaging world. An escape from the woes of the nine-to-five, the frustrations of modern living, and the often-drab commitment to routine. An enjoyable transposing of reality a??s old as gaming i??tself.

The visual marrying of themes here works splendidly, from the use of a train for, obviously, Spirit Tracks, to the mobile nature of playing the Nintendo DS itself, with a metropolitan horror aesthetic giving way to the colorful splendor of The World of Hyrule. Commercials such as these represent something of a last hurrah for the medium, soon to be?? replaced by the far more commonplace "Gameplay Trailer".

As such, it's good that so many of the ad makers saw th??at their respective franchises went out ?on a high.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYsge?AmsNHc&ab_channel=83Chrisaaron

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (JPN, 1998)

Actor and singer Kyoko Fukada plays LoZ: Ocarina of Time and makes reactive noises.

There's your ad. I'm okay with it.

//www.?y??outube.com/watch?v=L2Eo9dh3xgQ&ab_channel=Carnivol

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (JPN, 1993)

We welcome back the art of Rad Rappin', only now with added puppetry, as Nintendo Japan chose to market Link's Awakening with this very cute, very fun piece that features marionette v?ersions of Link, Marin, Tarin, The Owl, and The Skeleton Knight, regaling you with the backstory of just how our boy washed up on Koholint Island.? A bouncy chorus leads us into our obligatory rhyme-spittin' breakdown, ending on a shot of the island and its mysterious Wind Fish Egg.

This would not be the last appearance of puppetry in The Legend of Zelda marketing. Be sure to check out this insanely cute short for The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords. Proof, if proof be need be, that puppets make every gaming franchise better, no matter how horrific the source material.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=09wBn4ux3N0&am?p;ab_channel=ZeldaUniverse

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (US, 2011)

I'm sure that everyone reading this piece remembers Robin Williams, and I'm sure that you're also aware that the comedian and actor named his daughter Zelda, after no less than the princess herself. In 2011, Nintendo would work with the father and daughter on several commercials, which included ads for LoZ: Skyward Sword, LoZ: Four Swords, and LoZ: Ocarina of Time 3D, and see the duo enjoying the new titles, while occasionally offering insights on their relationship with gaming in general and The Legend of Zelda

Of course, this series of commercials have gathered a whole new emotional weight following Robin's sad passing in 2014, a reminder of the quieter real-life nature of a personality who built a career on manic performances and wild, character-based comedic roles. Zelda Williams works in the entertainment industry as a writer, voice actor, and philanthropist, occasionally having fun with her namesake via public appearances at The Legend of Zelda concerts, and cosplaying L??ink for Halloween in 2019??.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=m??2TBHppHX1o&ab_channel=ZeldaUniverse

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (JPN, 1991)

We have to go out on the highest of highs, and whether you've seen it a thousand times before, or you're seeing it for the very first time, there's no denying the unbridled joy and unabashed wholesomeness of the Japanese commercial for LoZ: A Link to the Past. Backed by the ultra-catchy beat of Japanese rap group Scha Dara Parr, t?he one-minute spot sees a full cast of costumed characters bust out a funkadelic dance routine, set against the backdrop of a cutely theatrical dungeon set.

Our hero Link, once again played by a woman, fends off several memorable enemies from the game, before rescuing the beautiful (and black-haired) Princ?ess Zelda. This is just the beginning of the duo's troubles, as they are then besieged by a giant puppet of the evil Ganon. Don't sweat it, a handy two-step will see pig boy outta town. GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!

It's just so much fun, everyone looks great, the translated lyrics are amusing, the track is a real earworm, and the dancing is awesome. It's a real celebration of Link, Zelda, Ganon, and Hyrule itself. I don't know why Nintendo hasn't dug the master out for the HD treatment... Maybe it no longer exists. As I said at the top of the piece, the physical creativity that went into commercials such as this is sorely missed in a post-internet world, but at least that very same technology has allowed us to archive it �in all of its glory �for generations of Zelda fans.

I wonder if Nintendo still has that Ganon puppet?

The post Let’s flashback to some of the greatest Legend of Zelda TV ads appeared first on Destructoid.

This is my island in the sun

The ultra-charming island adventure title Tchia has surpassed one million sales since its initial release last month �This accomplishment was proudly announced by publisher Kepl?er Interactive and developer Awaceb just six weeks on fro?m the title's release on PlayStation and PC platforms.

The sunny funny RPG puts the player in the role of the titular adventurer, who must explore a tropical island while searching for the whereabouts of her missing father. Blessed with the ability of "soul-jumping", Tchia is able to leap into the bodies of other sentient and inanimate beings, using the speed, agility, and abilities of these creatures and items in order to navigate? the world and overcome its obstacles. Tchia is also "armed" with a magical ukelele, which she can use to alter the game world, summoning animals, changing the time of day and weather, and affecting the landscape itself.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBhlx??XbcyC4&ab_?channel=Awaceb

With its unique concepts, cartoonish and expressive visuals, and overall wholesome vibe, Tchia won over critics and fans, receiving mostly positive response from both. Already available to purchase in digital form, Maximum Games has announced that it will be releasing a physical edition on PS4 and PS5 on July 18, which should be readily available online and from high street retailers, which will no doubt add to Tchia impressive sales record. It's?? a fine success story for a humble and heartfelt release, and the title itself is well w?orth checking out for a lazy weekend of fun in the sun.

Tchia is available now on PlayStatio??n and PC (via Epic Games Store.)

The post Tchia hits one ??million sales, physical edition coming i??n July appeared first on Destructoid.

The bots are not chatty

Last week, Square Enix announced a remastered version of a classic adventure game, The Portopia Serial Murder Case, that would ?be a showcase for its AI tech. The tech preview is out now, and well, it's not going over well.

For context, The Portopia Serial Murder Case is a classic adventure game from the '80s, authored by Dragon Quest's Yuji Horii. This actually marks its first of??ficial release in the west, years later, and it's got a new visual style and layout to go with it.

Much like the original Portopia, this new version is also a text-parser adventure. This means you type commands in, or speak them using Speech-to-Text in the new version, to investigate and explore. The 2023 Portopia uses the framing of you (the boss) ordering around Yasu, a junio?r detective. He apparently needs a more hands-on approach for murders.

The AI tech preview part of this comes through NLP, or Natural Language Processing. I wrote a bit about this around the announcement of Square Enix's preview, but basically, it means reading and understanding casual language, then issuing the correct response. In essence, it's something that many text adventure games have done for a while, from Zork up through Facade.

This new version would use Natural Language Understanding (NLU) to help the detective understand the player's instructions. Originally, there were even plans to generate natural replies for situations where the system did not have a preordained answer. This was scrapped, though, as Square Enix was concerned about the risk of the AI gener?ating unethical replies.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=V79jja9qvto

So, ultimately, it's a remade version of Portopia with more nat?ural language tools under the hood and Sp?eech-to-Text capability. How's it being received? Not very well.

Talk to me, Yasu

At the time of this writing, the Square Enix AI Tech Preview of The Portopia Serial Murder Case sits at a Very Negative rating on Steam, with only 10% of users leaving posit?ive reviews. Most of them found frustration with the actual AI partner, describing situations in which Yasu simply gets stuck in response loops.

Not one to simply read the reviews, I decided to venture into the AI adventure myself. Things started off okay. A few text bubbles gave me some context, and I soon met Yasu, my partner on the case. Our relationship was fine, at first. I asked him a few basic questions, asked after local suspects. In a few cases, I had to revise something I said. But as long as I asked the most straightforward questions, in a v??ery robotic manner, I got some info.

Then we went to the crime scene.

Here, I found myself trapped in loops as I asked very basic questions of Yasu. I can understand some difficulty with questions like "was the murder weapon found at the scene," though that should still be pretty answerable. Others, like "did the victim live alone," could not seem to garner any info??rmation.

[caption id="attachment_375180" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Taking notes

Her??e's where I hit another major snag. For one, there is a list of important topics: suspects, locations, and object?s. But there isn't really a "journal" or any other record of what's been said. Pen-and-paper seems like a necessity to remember anything but the most surface-level details.

It also feels like the NLU Visualizer, a tool Square shows in their promo images on Steam, would help with clarifying and narrowing in my inquiries. Problem is, I use a numpad-less, tiny keyboard that does not have the button Square has assigned to it. There's no key rebinding, either. So aside from assigning a specific system shortcut for the rarely-used "Pause" key, I was out of luck. From the sounds of it??, it doesn't seem like the NLU would have helped a ton anyways.

[caption id="attachment_374799" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Yasu doesn't provide much help either. Every time I shook him like a magic 8-ball, trying to elicit an answer to my inquiries, I'd get f?requent "Hmmm" or "We should focus on the task at hand" responses. Putting aside a need for oddly specific phrasing in a tech preview meant to highlight natural language un?derstanding, there's very little guidance to inform you how to better shape your answers.

The Steam community forums has threads aggregating the right phrasings to get certain pieces of info. But at that point, we've circled back around to the original text-parser problem we were trying to address. My attempts at casual language rarely worked, and even specific inquiries about information I knew Yasu had didn't' c?lick if I didn't ask about them in the right way. Eventually, I found that "ask aro??und" is the best way to get a push in the right direction. But that's something I only would've learned from other players.

A new case

On top of that, this just isn't a very impressive remaster. I've cited past projects like Famicom Detective Club that have paid a fairly loving tribute to their original works. By comparison, Portopia feels less lively or captivating. The mystery can never be interesting, because I'm t??oo busy trying to solve my phrasing to get overly invested in the unfolding drama.

Characters don't have a lot of life to them, backgrounds are fine, and its eerily quiet in a wa?y that doesn't feel intentionally creepy. At the very least, this is free. And if you're deadly curious, you can have some fun trying to get Yasu to tell you where he found ?a knife. As a tech preview, it's still got some wrinkles to iron out. And as a localized version of a classic, it hasn't left a strong impression on many people.

The post Square Enix’s AI tech preview of Portopia is off to a very rough start appeared first on Destructoid.

The Portopia Serial Murder Case returns with some extra functionality

Square Enix is showcasing some possibilities for AI tech, and it's using an old classic to do so. The Portopia Serial Murder Case is getting a PC remaster on April 23 with its AI Tech Pr??eview, with brand-new Natural Language Process??ing tech.

Artificial intelligence use in games has quickly become a hot-button topic, and for good reason. The rise of systems that generate text, images, or anything else has open a bit of a Pandora's Box in terms of original sourcing, ethics, and specifically for games, how something gets made.

I'm starting here because, well, Square Enix has a history with new tech trends. So when I first saw "AI Tech Preview" appended to a re-release of 1983's The Portopia Serial Murder Case, I was skeptical. And I still am. But I'??m now, at least, a little bit curious too.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6r3hEEJs_0

Machine learning

The AI tech Square is using aligns with Natural Language Processing, or NLP. In a very basic sense, think of it as a machine learning to understand language in a more conversational setting. Us?ing deep learning and large text data sets, a system could start to understand complex text input, and generate responses.

The Portopia Serial Murder Case includes some of this in the tech preview releasing on April 23. Namely, NLU—Natural Language Understanding—is used to help computers understand natural language. Think of old adventure games that used text input, like Zork. Sometimes, you might have to get specific wi??th your wording or phrasing to do the thing you'd want to do.

The goal of Portopia is to smooth some of that out. Rather than a di?rect adventure, you're directing a detective around, conducting the investigation with them. You can see in this screenshot how the NLU interprets various responses, ??and then presents a response.

[caption id="attachment_374799" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

While that's NLU, NLG—Natural Language Generation—is a different story. This is where the idea of chatbots and the like come in; rather than delivering a set response, this is where the AI generates a reply. On the Steam store page, Square Enix says this feature was omitted from the AI tech preview of The Portopia Serial Murder Case because there was a risk of the AI generating "unethical replies." Which, yeah, that can still happen sometimes. Square says it might reintroduce this function, "as soon as our research succeeds in creating an envi??ronment in which players can enjoy the experience with peace of mind."

This has been explored before, perhaps most notably in games like 2005's Facade. It's interesting to see it incorporated here, to stand in for your stan??dard text adventure parser that usually uses a set numbe??r of verbs.

Talk to me

Additionally, there's an extra feature added too: Speech-to-Text. This tech, in Portopia, will let players use their own voice rather than the keyboard. It needs a CUDA-capable GPU and a large amount of VRAM for a "satisfactory experience," but it's an interesting addition. It reminds me of the fun, messy times I had with games like Tom Clancy's EndWar. Remember EndWar? What a wild thing.

On top of all that, it's also a full-on remaster of a Sharp X1 game from 1983, authored by Dragon Quest's own Yuji Horii. For comparison, here's the PC-88 version (via MobyGames):

[caption id="attachment_374776" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via MobyGames[/caption]

And here's the new version:

[caption id="attachment_374778" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Granted, this is also the first time Portopia has seen an English release. There's understandably a bit of tension around that, especially seeing it remastered as a tech preview rather than a direct adaptation, like Famicom Detective Club.

So I'm of two minds on this. On one hand, I think the tech is fascinating, and less egregious than I was worried it would be. On the other hand, seeing a classic adventure game get a re-release is a big deal. Having it tied into the tech preview would, for anyone who wanted to experience Portopia in its more-intended form, rub them the wrong way. For something that's a notable piece of Square Enix's history, it makes this all a bit fraught. It will be free to play, ??so I'll probably check it out either way.

The Square Enix AI tech preview for The Portopia Serial Murder Case goes live on April 23 for PC via Steam.

The post Square Enix is using a classic adventure game for an AI ??tech preview appeared first on Destructoid.

Spirits of the radio

A spooky summertime adventure is in store for July. Night School Studio's Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is scheduled to launch on July 12, 2023.

The follow-up to 2016's Oxenfree sees protagonist Riley Poverly return to her hometown in Camena. As a newly hired research assistant, she's investigating the ??local phenomena that's been interfering with electronics and radios. Her job is to set up radio transmitters around certain areas and report the data. Should be easy, right?

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7AJBSII0Q8

Well, get a cult and some spirits involved, and you've got a long night ahead. Much like the first Oxenfree, choices will shape your story and future, as you deal with the strange oddities creating all these disturbances. As shown in a trailer during today's Nintendo Indie World Sho??wcase?, things may not always go as planned.

All the outs in free

Oxenfree II sees Night School returning to the spooky 2016 adventure, following 2019's partying romp through the underworld in Afterparty and a few other projects.

Meanwhile, it's also Night School's newest project under Netflix, as the studio was acquired by the streaming giant in 2021. It's nice to see that the a?cquisition didn't cancel the studio's pla??ns for a sequel at the time.

It's exciting to see Oxenfree II get a date locked in, and to have it during the summer too. Sure, the original was released in January 2016, but it's a distinctly "summer" game to me. It's about a bunch of angsty, worrying teens on their final summer vacation, and absolutely worth your time ??ahead of the sequel's launch. And with a July launch, the se??quel is also thankfully avoiding the traffic jam of games in June.

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals ??hits Nintendo Switch, PlaySta??tion 4, PS5, PC via Steam, and the Netflix platform on July 12, 2023.

The post Oxenfree II: Lost Signa??ls tunes into some oth?erworldly mysteries this July appeared first on Destructoid.

A good scissoring (demon)

Solo-developer Wegenbartho-Games has launched a Kickstarter for their murder mystery adventure, The Murder Hotel. T?he campaign runs until May 3, 2023 and is seeking â‚?,500.

This is kind of hilarious. The Murder Hotel is a murder mystery, but rather than figure out the murderer, I guess you already know: It’s some sciss??or-wielding demon. The demon won’t let you leave unless you pin their murders on the various guests. Like, they didn’t actually do it, but you have ?to come up with a super-plausible theory that “proves�that they did. So, you’re just deliberately accusing innocent people.

[caption id="attachment_373827" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Wegenbartho-Games[/caption]

You need to convince a demon council, so maybe there won’t be any real repercussions for these people you accuse. I choose to believe they’re just going to be suc?ked down into Hell. I’m feeling really malicious, so I want to just creatively screw some digital people over.

Beyond the concept being delectable, the campaign is pretty ??informative on where the project is and what planning has been done. It’s enough information to build confidence and outline all the plans.

The downside is that the plan is for The Murder Hotel to launch in December 2024. That’s a reasonable development period, but I want it now. There are stretch goals for more l??anguages and another to have actual voice-over. I hate when people talk to me, so that’s not a must-have feat??ure for me.

The Murder Hotel is slated for release on Switch and PC. The Kickstarter campaign?? runs until May 3, 2023 and is ?projected to release in December 2024.

The post The Murder Hotel, a mystery g?ame ?where you pin the blame, launches Kickstarter appeared first on Destructoid.

Enter the Abyss

Epic Games has revealed the next two titles that it will be offering up to all Epic Games Store users free of charge next week �And it looks like deep sea diving and mythic adventure is the name of the game, with the arrival of E-Line Media's Beyond Blue and Upper One Games' cutesy platformer Never Alone.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOAWBCXpo6k&a??b_channel=Bey?ondBlue

Released on PC and consoles in the spring of 2020, Beyond Blue is an informative undersea adventure, inspired by the critically acclaimed BBC series The Blue Planet. As deep-sea researcher Mirai, the player will explore the fathoms of the deepest oceans, investigating the flora and fauna that dwells within this fascinating and sometimes alien universe. On release, Beyond Blue was praised by critics for its immersive atmosphere and heavenly vibes, though some were disappointed with its lack of activity and somewhat empty world. You can check out Jordan Devore's thoughts on the game right here.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM_80zVzwpI

Developed by Upper One Games and released way back in 2014, Never Alone is a wholesome puzzle platformer that is also an adaptation of the legendary Iñupi?at tale of "Kunuuksaayuka". The story concerns the odyssey of a young Iñupiat girl, Nuna, and her arctic fox companion as they attempt to identify the source of a strange blizzard that has engulfed their community.

Synergizing the abilities of the two characters, players must negotiate the world, dodging hazards and traversing the environment, while pressing ever closer to the truth about the strange snowstorm. Never Alone received divis?ive reviews, with many praising the title's attra?ctive art style and informative and historical nature, while others complained about the game's controls and general mechanics.

Beyond Blue and Never Alone will be available to download from Epic Games Store from April 20 until April 27. Until then, players still have the opportunity to bag current freebies Mordhau and Second Extinction before their removal on Wednesday.

The post Beyond Blue and Never Alone are next week’s Epic Games Store freebies appeared first on Destructoid.

Sing with me, sing for the year

Musical role-playing adventure Stray Gods is charting a course for l?aunch. The vocal venture will kick off on A??ugust 3 for PC.

The debut game from Summerfall Studios, Stray Gods is a story about Grace, who gets caught up in the life and drama of Greek gods after she's made the prime suspect in the death of Calliope. In the process, she comes into some new powers, and will have the opportunity to discover the truth. Maybe she can even?? find some romance on the side?

This quest for truth, answers, and heavenly connections plays out in interactive musical form. Characters break out into song, and the player gets to make ch??oices about the tone of Grace's responses, potentially shifting the overall tenor and direction of the song.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=coQQ-K8Iwi8

The voice of the gods

It's a pretty fascinating system, with former Dragon Age writer David Gaider penning the script. And alongside an interesting premise and narrative framing, there's also a host of voice talent signed on. Here's a rundown of the voice actors working on Stray Gods:

• Laura Bailey as Grace
• Troy Baker as Apollo
• Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Persephone
• Janina Gavankar as Freddie
• Khary Payton as Pan
• Abubakar Salim as Eros
• Felicia Day as Athena
• Rahul Kohli as Minotaur
• Allegra Clark as Hecate
• Merle Dandridge as Aphrodite
• Erika Ishii as Hermes
• Ashley Johnson as Calliope
• Lauren "Lolo" Spencer as Venus
• Anjali Bhimani as Medusa
• Kimberly Brooks as Oracle
• Anthony Rapp as Orpheus

Throw in Austin Wintory as ??composer, alongside musicians Scott Edgar, Steven Gates, Simon Hall of Tripod, and Jess Cerro (Montaigne), and it's a lot o?f talent.

Honestly, I am very curious to see how an interactive musical like this would shake out. These branching paths intrigue me, as does the Greek pantheon theming around a murder mystery. We'll see how Summerfall's debut Stray Gods comes together on August 3.

The post Stray Gods,?? a roleplaying musical with a lot of voice talent, arrives in Aug??ust appeared first on Destructoid.

Where's Tik-Tok when you need him?

Marvelous news for fantasy fans, as THQ Nordic has announced a new chapter in the beloved adventure series, Trine �Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy is currently in the works at s?tudio Frozenbyte, and is expected to launch this summer on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms.

The new sequel will reunite heroes Amadeus the Wizard, Zoya the Thief, and Pontius the Knight, as the trio embarks upon a brand new quest that will see them take on the migh??t of the fearsome Clockwork Army. With the mythical powers �not to? mention their reputations �at stake, the brave heroes will sally forth against the metallic battalions of the ruthless Lady Sunni, utilizing each of their unique skills to traverse the land, defeat a multitude of enemies, and bring peace to the land of Trine once more.

You can check out a new trailer for the fun-looking adven?ture be?low.

//www.youtube.com?/watch?v??=y6PpsZhxz_Q&ab_channel=PlayStation

Trine 5 will feature all of the 2.5D platforming action that has become the series trademark, while offering up a lavish new realm to explore, exciting new combat mechanics, an army of new ?villains and boss characters, customizable outfits, adaptive difficulty, four-player co-op gameplay, and much more in what THQ Nordic is calling the biggest, the most expansive, and most feature-packed entry in the Trine series to date.

The trailer is suitably delightful, spotlighting a colorful and whimsical kingdom, cool-looking character abilities, and a typically spirited sense of adventure. With all of these new features on deck, it's looking like Trine 5 could prove to be a real treat for series fans. We'll be sure to bring you all of the info as it pertains to the new sequel? as we near launch day.

Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy launche??s this summer on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Swi?tch.

The post Trine 5: A Clock??work Conspiracy coming this summer appeared first on Destructoid.

New platform, same great taste

As someone who spent much of the late 2000s deep in the RPG Maker community, I can’t believe how far the engine has come. RPG Maker is typically associated with low-quality Final Fantasy knockoffs, but funny enough, it’s the non-RPGs that became breakout hits. To The Moon set the stage for narrative RPG Maker games that are worth both time and money, and Laura Shigihara’s Rakuen follows in that proud tradition. Given Sh??igihara's involvement with the former project, this shouldn't come as a surprise.

Of course, this is old news by now. Rakuen originally released in 2017 to critical acclaim from fans and critics alike. Sporting an Overwhelmingly Positive consensus on Steam, words like “beautiful�and “masterpiece�typically describe this title in reviews. Now, nearly six years later, Rakuen is receiving a second wind with a Nintendo Switch port. Labeled Deluxe Edition, it combines the entirety of Rakuen with a couple of animated shorts and the brand-new game Mr. Saitou. The good news is that Rakuen is fantastic, and I was happy to finally experience this wonderful story. ?As for the new features that make this a “Delux?e Edition,�well�they certainly exist.

[caption id="attachment_369547" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Rakuen Deluxe Edition (PC, Nintendo Switch [reviewed])
Developer: Laura Shigihara
Publisher: Morizora Studios
Release: March 23rd, 2023 (Deluxe Edition)
MSRP: $24.99

Rakuen is a simple adventure game about a boy in a hospital called Boy. Textboxes literally address him as Boy, so I’m not being too cheeky here. The name Rakuen is derived from Boy’s favorite book, which his mother (referred to strictly as Mom) frequently reads to him. Shortly after the introductory sequence, Mom insists that the world inside of Rakuen is re??al, and they journey from?? the walls of the hospital to the fantasy realm for themselves.

It’s here that the core plot is laid out: Boy has a wish that only the forest guardian inside the book can grant. However, in order for the guardian to grant this wish, Boy must help the other residents of the hospital with their own pe?rsonal traumas and heartaches. Conveniently, these characters exist in both the real world and the fantasy land that Boy and ??Mom explore. This allows the game to explore gravely serious subjects through a childlike perspective that helps soften the cold reality at the center of the story.

Rakuen deliberately blurs the line between imagination and reality, and it’s up to the player to determine where one realm ends and the other begins. The main plot takes a backseat for most of the adventure, with subtle clues scattered beneath the episodic stories that point towards how the tale will ultimately end. This approach serves Rakuen well overall. It’s not terribly difficult to figure out plot threads well before they happen, but the major story arcs of the game are told well enough to still hit hard even if you know they're coming. Make no mistake; Rakuen is a tearjerker. This is a game bes??t played by someone ready to cry throughout its duration, even if the journey between those big?? emotional moments doesn't always hit.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVwxS5IBUYw

Everything, everywhere, not all at once

If I had to describe the tone of Rakuen in one word, it would be “yes.�/p>

The narrative freely oscillates between quirky humor, heartfelt drama, and even horror when necessary. My biggest misgiving with Rakuen is that its comedy is only okay most of the time. There are so many gags that just land weakly, often using Boy’s shocked face as a punchline over an actual joke. Don’t get me wrong, I love quirky humor as much as anyone. But many of Rakuen's lighter moments last a few lines too long and lack direction, as if Shigihara is riffing off the top of her head for filler to b??reak up the drama.

Fortunately, there are bits that genuinely charm me and get a laugh. There’s a section involving a tea party that has some fantastic v?isual gags, bolstered by sharper writing that spends less time meandering around its jokes. As much as I enjoyed this section, it makes the com?edy that came before it seem all the more aimless in comparison.

Conversely, the dramatic beats at the center of the episodic story arcs in Rakuen are universally great. Not only are the characters lovable and sympathetic, but their conflicts portray real-world trauma with devastating precision. As somebody who spent the majority of the COVID-19 pandemic caring for a person with a condition mirroring one found in the game, I needed a minute to get through his story's ending because of how true to life it was. Every tale in Rakuen is treated with respect and impeccable attention to detail, and the filler comedy becomes more infrequent as the plot progresses.? I only wish the script received another round of polish to push it closer to this level of quality throughout its duration.

[caption id="attachment_369548" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Oh right, it’s a game

I’ve focused on writing until now because that’s overwhelmingly the main draw of Rakuen. It?’s luckily fun to play too, if not a bit inconsistent.

For the first five hours, Rakuen does an admirable job of breaking up its plot arcs with adventure game elements. There’s a decent amount to explore with light secrets to uncover, which adds a great sense of progression. Boy and Mom will often find themselves in puzzle-based dungeons that are both fun on their own merits and award key items to unlock new areas. If you stretched the comparison paper thin, you might say it's a bit like a Zelda game.

There are a few obstacles that, for lack of a better term, feel very RPG Maker. These include hostile NPCs with predictable movement patterns and block-pushing puzzles, both of which are easy-to-code conflicts that inevitably pop up in any title made with the engine. This luckily won't mean anything to the vast majority of players, but anyone who has played many RPG Maker games will find these bits grating.

At its best, Rakuen does a great job weaving its level design into its already strong narrative. There’s one particular area involving a bear family (trust me, it makes sense in the game) that especially stands out. The puzzles are engaging, and the exploration subtly builds up the story like a good mystery. Unfortunately, shortly after this moment, Rakuen just…kind of gives up on gameplay. Puzzles are almost completely dropped as plot threads appear in rapid succession, largely forgoing this cohesion?? of gameplay and story that was just hitting its stride. I strongly got the impression that Shigihara just wanted the project to be done already after a certain point, though fortunately the significant story moments never drop in quality.

This leads to some bizarre pacing issues. Early plots feel like they drag at times, and the later plots go by too fast. This isn't a major issue, it??'s just jarring to watch how fast the back half of the story resolves.

[caption id="attachment_369549" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Hey, wanna listen to some tunes?

If there’s one element of Rakuen that is consistently excellent, it’s the music.

You can tell Laura Shigihara put all her heart and soul into the soundtrack. There aren’t any energetic bangers necessarily, but each track seamlessly enhances Rakuen’s atmosphere. The songs in the fantasy world evoke classic SNES RPGs, driving home feelings of whimsy to encourage exploration. When the game wants to be tense, the music puts in overtime to create more unease than the relatively basic 2D graphics ever could. Rakuen’s several vocal tracks especially deserve accolades, a?s they're universally poignant and lead to some of the game’s most powerful moments. I could frankly summarize the gam??e by saying when Shigihara and friends start singing, I start crying.

Shigihara has generously uploaded the entire soundtrack to YouTube, but I recommend experiencing these tracks in context as much as possible. The music is tied deeply to the story, similar to "The Ballad of the Wind Fish" in Link's Awakening. I don't mean to downplay the clear effort put into the visual presentation, as there is some genuinely nice eye candy ?here. But to experience the best parts of this game, I highly recommend playing this one with headphones.

[caption id="attachment_369550" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

And now, a Mr. Saitou review

From the outside looking in, Rakuen may only look like a piece of the content available in Rakuen Deluxe Edition. The package also includes Mr. Saitou, which Shigihara herself calls "The next installment in the Rakuen universe."  I wrote some early impressions on Mr. Saitou during the February 2023 Steam Next Fest, so chec??k those out here if you’d like ?a more detailed overview of the game. Unfortunately, for anyone who anticipated Mr. Saitou as a proper sequel to Rakuen, I hate to say you're going to be disappointed.

To kick off with a positive, I love how Mr. Saitou focuses on its core characters. Boy and Mom spend most of Rakuen as passive observers and feature little development outside of the game's beginning and end. Conversely, the titular Mr. Saitou and his eventual companion Brandon take center stage in their respective adventure. The dynamic between the two is incredibly wholesome and fits the atmosphere of Rakuen to a tee.

Unfortunately, Mr. Saitou otherwise forgoes the strengths of Rakuen and instead doubles down on quirky humor. Credit where credit’s due, there are more visual gags here that land better than the average Rakuen joke. There are also punchlines that veer into painfully unfunny territory. Look, I can shrug off a bad joke or a terribly out-of-date reference. Lord knows I've made plenty of those myself. The problem is that Mr. Saitou never hits any heartfelt highs that made Rakuen so special. You'll find an emotional hook buried here, but it's almost treated like an afterthought by the game's conclusion. I'm okay with Mr. Saitou going in a different direction than Rakuen, it just doesn't stick the landing.

[caption id="attachment_369551" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

New game nonplussed

Exacerbating Mr. Saitou’s issues is its rudimentary gameplay. Rakuen didn’t have a consistent stream of winners in its puzzle design, but there was at least a mix of decent brainteasers and basic challenges. Mr. Saitou, on the other hand, is only basic challenges. You got your standard RPG Maker block-pushing puzzles, and you have a running gimmick of math puzzles that Mr. Saitou absolutely runs into the ground. Also, there’s weirdly a lot of mandatory backtracking throughout the game. The slow walking speed in Rakuen was already problematic, but the sections in Mr. Saitou tha?t literally consist of carrying things from poin??t A to point B exacerbate the issue.

To be clear, I don’t think Mr. Saitou is unpleasant to play. It just doesn’t live up to the tone set by its predecessor or its own trailer. Even after searching every nook and cranny, Mr. Saitou took me less than two hours to finish. It’s not underwhelming because it’s short, it’s underwhelming because there’s so little to it. While I did enjoy seeing the quirky fantasy characters of Rakuen appear again, these were never the main draw of the original. That said, if Rakuen was your favorite game of the past six years, I suppose Mr. Saitou is good enough as a novelty.

I will say that Mr. Saitou works okay as a supplemental experience. There are genuine visual spectacles here, including one very fun sequence that I imagine will get a ton of hits on YouTube. With how heavy and heart-wrenching Rakuen is, Mr. Saitou offers a wholesome story to cool down with after your journey’s end. Its presence doesn’t make Rakuen Deluxe Edition worse, but you ??aren’t missing much by skipping it.

[caption id="attachment_369552" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Racking up features

Eagle-eyed fans may take umbrage with Rakuen referred to as an RPG Maker game. One of the major changes in this release is the new engine that allows the game to even run on the Switch. Since this is my first time with Rakuen, I can’t tell you specifically what has or hasn’t changed. However, having had experience with RPG Maker XP, I can say Deluxe Edition still feels like an RPG Maker game. Th?e menus and performance all perfectly mirror the engine, for bet?ter or for worse. I’m sure this change is significant for the game’s development, but it doesn’t notably impact the end product.

The only other major addition to cover in Deluxe Edition are a few animated shorts called Farmer in the Sky. Much like Mr. Saitou, these are merely fine. I can appreciate the novelty of seeing the characters rendered in 3D, but the shorts themselves feel like pilots for something that never took off. They’re decently cute, and I'd imagine a young child could really enjoy these. Not that I’d want to devastate a young child with a heavy game like Rakuen, but I would??n't take parenting advice from a game? review.

Fortunately, Rakuen on its own justifies the Deluxe Edition. Though a bit uneven, its best moments are spectacular enough to warrant a recommendation for anyone in need of a good cry or two. I do wish Mr. Saitou reached the same emotional heights, but it’s serviceable if viewed strictly as a bonus. That said, if you wanted to save money and get vanilla Rakuen on PC, I wouldn’t stop you.

_{[This review was based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher. Dale North, former Editor-in-Chief of Destructoid, was involved in the creation of Rakuen. The author has never worked directly with Dale. As always, no relationships were factored into this article.]}

The post Review: Rakuen Deluxe Edition appeared first on Destructoid.

Desert Island Miss

Epic Games has revealed the next title that it will be offering up to its customers free of charge over on the Epic Games Store �A delightful choice this time around, users will be able to pick up Raw Fury's period piece adventure Call of the Sea from March 9, for the grand price of Nothing.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=w39ml-My7q??M&ab_channel=Xbox

Developed by Out of the Blue and released in December 2020, Call of the Sea is a narrative-driven, first-person puzzle adventure, set against th?e fashion-forward backdrop of the 1930s. Players pick up the role of Norah Everhart, who ventures into a mysterious, uncharted island in the South Pacific in order to locate her husband Harry, who has vanished while on an expedition to uncover a life-changing new?? medicine.

As Norah explores the island, she will meet a party of strangers �friendly or otherwise �solve puzzles, negotiate traps, and piece together the mysteries of the island, its inhabitants, and the fate of her beloved. With luscious, classic? comic artwork, a heartfelt narrative, and some pretty durn tricky, (borderline obtuse), puzzles, Call of the Sea is well worth a look for any puzzle adventure, and? could prove to be a fine way to while away a coming weekend or two.

Oh, and be sure to check out our own CJ Andriessen's review.

Call of the Sea will be available to download from Epic Games Store from March 9 until March 16. Until then, players still have the opportunity to bag current freebie Rise of Industry, before its removal on Wednesday.

The post The charming Call of the Sea is next week’s Epic Games Store freebie appeared first on Destructoid.

For the motherland

Before I get into this Review in Progress, I should probably discuss the elephant in the room. Atomic Heart is the debut title from developer Mundfish, who, in recent weeks, has come under pressure to be more transparent over its ties to Russia. According to a Eurogamer article, which goes into far more detail on the matter than I will here, Mundfish's investor is the Russian firm GEM Capital, which is run by Anatoliy Paliy, who used to work for the state-owned Gazprom. The developer bills itself as?? a multinational developer with team members in 10 different countries, including Poland, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates. However, the original development team was based in Russia, and Russian-state media has referred to the studio as Russian in reports on the game.

Without more concrete answers from the developer on its ties with Russia, it's all still kind of up in the air. What we do know for sure is composer Mick Gordon, best known for his work on games like Killer Instinct and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, has donated his fee from the game to Red Cross Australia's Ukraine Crisis Appeal. I'm not going to lecture anyone on whether they ?should buy this game or not, as there are plenty of people online who are ready to do that. But, I will say, maybe take a peek at that Eurogamer piece before dropping $60 on something that, so far, feels like?? it's better suited for a rental than a purchase.

[caption id="attachment_364167" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Atomic Heart (PC, PS4, PS5 [reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Mundfish
Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Released: February 21, 2023
MSRP: $69.99 ($59.99 on Steam)

Atomic Heart takes place in an alternate version of the Soviet Union in 1955. The country has experienced a tremendous amount of growth and prosperity thanks to its discovery of Polymer, a substance that paved the way for the advanced robotics that have allowed the nation to flourish. You play as Major P-3, a hardscrabble sort of guy who descends from the city in the clouds to Facility 3826 on a top-secret mission. A terrible atrocity has taken place in this wide-open facility that serves as the birthplace of the Soviet's robotics empire. Blood stains the streets, and robots that were once considered peaceful are now killing everyone in their path. With the impending launch of the neural network known as the "Kollectiv" that'll allow people to control robots with their minds, P-3 is dispatched to the facility to find the source of the tra??gedy before word leaks out.

And these robots are not willing to go down without a fight. As I do with all games I review for Destructoid, I started my time with Atomic Heart on the "normal" difficulty, thinking that it wouldn't cause me too much trouble. But I quickly realized these robots are built Tonka tough when I emptied a clip into a mustachioed humanoid bot only for it to still come after me like it was the fucking T-1000. It went down with a c??ouple of whacks from my?? fire axe, and it was then I knew I couldn't just run and gun my way through place. I would have to be more methodical about it, switching between P-3's firearms, melee weapons, and assorted glove skills.

Nestled snuggly on his left hand is CHAR-les, a highly adaptive talking glove that can shoot lightning from his hand while dropping some exposition. As you slaughter robots and other creatures ??at Facility 3826, you'll collect Polymer and other ingredients you can use to upgrade P-3's arsenal. With Polymer, you can unlock new skills for CHAR-les, including an electrical shock attack, a freeze attack, and a Polymer shield that protects you from damage. You can also use Polymer ??to improve P-3's basic abilities, and I highly suggest you unlock his faster movement speed and double dodge as soon as you can.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=WplTw-DSGYc

You'll need tho?se skills unlocked because this game ain't playing around. Even on "normal," I constantly found myself surrounded and in unwinnable situations. Part of the problem is these robots are awfully light on their feet, and it can be difficult to hear them creeping up behind you. It doesn't take that many hits from them to completely drain your health bar, and when you get three or four robots all attacking you at once, you can be finished off in seconds. The other problem is, as I said above, these robots often require a lot of damage before they're put down. On the one hand, that can make for some exhilarating fights for survival. On the other hand, in the early hours at least, you can see these encounters quickly drain you of all your ammunition, leaving you with less-than-ideal first-person melee combat.

Unfortunately, most of the fights I've encountered so far �includ??ing the several bosses I've faced —haven't really reached a level I'd call "exhilarating." Most of them have been pretty rote in their execution, and they become more pedestrian as I continue to upgrade my arsenal. So far, the game's best strategy has been to swarm me with several enemies at once. In the early hours, that was pretty effective as I had several encounters where all I could do is shock, dodge, and swing as I didn't bring enough ammo to get any use out of my guns. But now that I've unlocked so many skills and upgrades, the game is going to need to think of a new trick if it wants to keep me feeling challenged.

It also needs to start doing a bit more with its story. Right now, it's all pretty elementary, with P-3 caught in the middle of a mystery where he doesn't completely know who he can trust. Nothing too unpredictable has happened yet, and the game is starting to foreshadow some pretty obvious twists. For anyone who watched a trailer for this game and thought it was nothing more than "Soviet Bioshock," that's pretty much all it's been so far, right down to the audio logs and some of the game's chosen settings. There is still plenty of time for Atomic Heart to forge its own path, one that doesn't immediate??ly draw comparisons to Ken Levine's cre??ations, and I'll let you know if it does in the full review.

[caption id="attachment_364166" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Before I wrap up, I want to touch on the dialog and voice acting. I've been playing in English for most of the game, and it's been less than stellar. Nobody seems to have a Russian accent, P-3 talks like he's living in our modern era and not in 1955, when the game takes place, and it's clear the developers are trying to make his catchphrase �"Crispy Critters" �a "thing." There is a Russian voice-over option, which is how I think th??is game should be played.

However, Atomic Heart's dialog is conversation and banter heavy, with P-3 and CHAR-les pretty much talking throughout the adventure. In English, it's easy to follow along. When I switch to Russian, I have to rely on the way-too-small subtitles that will be ignored if they're chatting it up while I'm in the heat of battle. That's not to say that every word they say is gold, but a lot of important exposition has reared its h?ead while I was busy dodging robot lasers.

I'm going to try not to miss any more conversations as I continue to work my way toward the heart of Atomic Heart. Ten hours in, I still don't know where I stand with it. It's big and beautifu?l with plenty of potential. And there is something quite captivating about this version of the Soviet Union that Mundfish has created. All that said, the gameplay hasn't yet shown itself to be anything more than a standard shooter, and the story has a long way to go to get out from under the shadow of the franchise it so clearly wants to replicate.

_{[This review in progress is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review in Progress: Atomic Heart appeared first on Destructoid.

Freerun, Sweetheart, Freerun

Our choices are, at best, half-chance. Each and every day the luckiest among us are afforded multiple opportuniti?es to go left, right, straight ahead, or staying right where I am, thank you very much. And with ??each of these choices, we walk on new paths. And while we never really truly know whether we stepped the right way at the litany of crossroads we've reached, we hope that our sixth sense at best and blind luck at worse will see us through to our goals. We're grateful to have the half-chance.

For Frey Holland, there has been no half-chance. Abandoned as a newborn beneath the Manhattan tunnel that bears her name, shuffled through a litany of foster homes, and with her teen years soundtracked by a cacophony of howling winds and blaring sirens, Frey rolled the dice at birth and it most assuredly came up snake eyes. And now, on the eve of her 21st birthday, she finds herself facing the gavel of a judge once again, taking the fall for the latest ??in a series of ill-advised car thefts.

But tomorrow will be different... Frey has been stashing away what little money she can beg, borrow, or steal. And tomorrow, accompanied by her faithful feline/best friend Homer, Frey is getting out of Hell's Kitchen. She has the cash, she has the cat, and she has �for the first time in her young life �a plan, a purpose, a choice. Just one more night in her bleak, miserable apartment, and Frey can get the fresh start �the first start �that she's always dreamed of.

Tomorrow will be different...

Forspoken (PS5 [reviewed], PC)
Developer: Luminous Productions
Publisher: Square Enix
Released: January 24, 2023
MSRP: $69.99

Following an extended period of development and a series of infamous and ill-judged marketing mishaps, Square Enix Forspoken is finally ready to unleash its tale of arcane worlds, mythic legends, and personal responsibility upon a tentative audience �many of whom are already viewing the title with trepidation. Forspoken depicts the odyssey of the aforementioned Frey, pluc??ked from downtown Manhattan and thrust into the ancient kingdom of Athia, which is smothered by a destructive and all-consuming force which Fr?ey monikers "The Break".

Athia has its o??wn defenders: Four powerful matriarchs of love and war known as "The Tantas", but The Break has severely affected these guardians, twisting their minds and loyalties and turning Athia's own founders into its very destroyers. With the kingdom on the brink of total collapse, and what remains of the people holed up in the ramshackle city of Cipal, it turns to Frey �unaffected by The Break as an outsider �to go forth into the corrupted world and learn of its truth.

For our reluctant "hero", however, this momentous and unwanted journey is her only path bac??k home, back to Homer, and back to? what semblance of a life she has.

Aiding Frey in her quest is a mysterious vambrace, "Cuff", whom is the key to Frey's initial arrival in Athia, Cuff aids Frey in her journey by providing a litany of magical abilities, w??hile also boosting her strength and movement. Unfortunately for Frey, Cuff has something of an acerbic and dry personality, which clashes hard with Frey's own pessimism and eternal frustrations, forming the central chemistry for the duo's journey into the unknown. It's gonna be a long trip for the original odd cuffle.

//www.youtube.com?/watch?v=l06UY??JftnPc&ab_channel=SquareEnix

Frey-de Cats

As demo players will be aware, Forspoken is an open-world adventure framed almost identically in the vein of Ubisoft titles such as Assassin's Creed, Watch_Dogs, and Far Cry. While it's considered somewhat vulgar to make direct comparisons from one game to another in any review, the open-world template used by Forspoken is so snug to the veteran Ubisoft mold, that such compar?ison is inescapable.

Forspoken drops our protagonist into an enormous, distinctly segmented open world, before showering them with a plethora of objective markers, offering labyrinths to conquer, Belfreys (Radio Towers) to locate, treasure chests to unearth, photo opportunities to snap, fonts of wisdom to be found, and Flashbacks (challenges) to be completed. In addition to her main questline, Frey can accept side-quests, (or "Diversions"), from the people of Athia, which expand the universe's massive scope and deep sense of lore.

This design methodology in itself, hangs over Forspoken as something of an albatross, hampering its very potential by marrying it to an aging format. While Forspoken's world is undoubtedly fun to traverse, (thanks wholly to Frey's magical parkour abilities), the "Riddler Trophy" approach feels out-of-step with the possibilities provided by the title's story, characters, themes, and combat. Perhaps the one true unique activity lies in the finding and befriending of a party of magical feline familiars, tha??t will then visit Frey at refuges dotted throughout Athia.

To be clear, this isn't to say that Forspoken's open-world template is inherently bad. Anyone looking for an open-world checklist, packed out with boxes to tick and checklists to complete, is going to have a suitably great time with Forspoken. But the elements of Luminous' title that do shine through are frustratingly ju??xtaposed with a model that feels anachronistic, especially given the powerful, ninth-generation technology a?t play and the rare "blank canvas" provided by a fresh, new IP.

Go with 'The Flow'

Frey and Cuff make quite the combative duo, both metaphorically and literally. Frey is given an initial skill tree of ranged magic, divided into Attack and Support abilities. As she progresses through Athia, this library of spells opens up, transforming Frey into an abracadabra powerhouse. Forspoken's "crowd-control" combat sees Frey synergizing her attacks and sup??port magic with her acrobatic abilities to main??tain the edge on battalions mutated enemies �earning additional rewards for style and finesse.

It has to be said that, initially, the combat is pretty boring, and the player will be hard-pushed to feel engaged in the early going. As the story progresses, however, Frey will unlock hugely different magical powers, allowing her to blend elemental attacks, sword-play, and good, old, fashioned Kung-Fucking-??Fu. Once Frey has access to different magics, combat becomes a riot �an enjoyably devastating mix of melee, ranged, and environmental attacks, interchangeable on the fly and punctuated by her trademark acrobatics.

It's baffling that the decision was made to lock away further magical styles until a full third into the story. Forspoken's action truly comes into its own once our hero is given a range of styles?? to play with, but the player has to tread a fair few miles into the story before they can build a bespoke combat style that brings the battle to life. Synergizing "The Flow" with Frey's full range of abilities can be poetry in motion. In addition, a fun mechanic sees Frey learn?? and apply mythical nail designs in order to further boost her potential. That's never worked for me in real life, but I'm for sure going to try it out.

Tanta-stic

After a brilliant and genuinely moving opening, Frey's early hours in Athia are a little humdrum, although the inevitable fish-out-of-water humor is very welcome, recalling the fun of Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness. Much like the combat, Forspoken's true motivations don't really get into gear until ??our girl meets the Tantas themselves. It is here that the drama, (and destruction), step up, tasking Frey and her companions to face up to their true responsibilities.

The heart of Forspoken lies in its characters. It's refreshing to play as a flawed, frustrated and understandably reluctant hero, and actor Ella Balinska gives a tremendous performance as the girl who has spent her whole life fucking up only to find herself suddenly asked to save a magic civilization. Frey's coarseness, (perhaps the most foul-mouthed game character since 50 Cent in Blood on the Sand) is utterly magnetic; her anger and strength attractive; and her heart and ?vulnerability warming. We understand her, even if she's yet to understand herself. She's a great protagonist.

She's also funny as fuck, her comedic self-defense nature and even 'That Line' perfectly apt when delivered in given context.

In fact, all of Forspoken's leads are uniformly on point. As Cuff, Jonathan Cake understands that his character lacks physical presence, and thus uses amazing vocal nuance to ensure that every single beat hits, whether being sardonic, or inspiring, comforting, and even on the rare occasion he dares show his bearer some actual respect. The Tantas themselves are outstanding in visual design, character, a?nd performance �Tanta Cinta is the relatively chill one, while Tanta Sila has absolutely had enough of your shit. Tanta Olas holds? mastery of the world's desires and Tanta Prav may actually give you nightmares.

Of note, the Tanta's graphics card-bothering showdowns are visually spectacular, forming undeniable highlights of the?? entire adventure... Better check those PC specifications, Jack.

As with almost every element of Forspoken, unfortunately, you take the rough with the smooth, and while the lead characters are magnificently portrayed, the NPCs of Athia are, frankly, terrible. You'll have Frey, her friend Auden (Monica Barbaro), and "archivist" Johandy (Keala Settle) having an expressive conversation, and then some random character model will run in like "FRESHEN YER DRINK, GUV'NOR?". As Forspoken is set in a medieval world, law dictates that the player will be bombarded with Guy Ritchie accents, children played by adults, and kip??pers for breakfast, Aunt Helga?

An exposition sequence recreating an Athian massacre is straight ruined by these unintentionally comedic extras, who might as well be depicting The Three Stooges as they and their families burn.

Overall, Forspoken's tale is an entertaining one, with a few interesting twists and several highly memorable conversations and encounters. The ball is fumbled toward the goal line, with an interminable chapter of exposi?tion that goes on far too long �seriously killing the momentum as we head into our finale. ?Fortunately, though, the climax is suitably grand, with an epic and highly cinematic final battle that truly, genuinely, feels like the player is fighting A God.

As an old white man*, (*to be determined), it certainly may not be my place to speak on this, but it is a thought that I do want to address, as I believe it hangs over the title: There is a wish that Forspoken would have been bolder with its themes, truly embracing Frey's background, her personal challenges, and spotlighting how the dangers and ceilings that face African-American women transition throughout the ages �with both society and the state itself consistently, actively, placing high hurdles in pathways to happi??ness, success, even basic security.

Frey's life has started on the back foot, sure, but it feels as if she is against a system that will forever prevent her from attaining her goals, especially when compared to those of another race, gender, and/or position of privilege. In fact, the only reason she doesn't end up in jail at the outset of the story is via the leniency of an African-American judge�who likely understands the myriad challenges that the modern world will stack against Frey. But for all of Forspoken's emotional dialogue, no one is willing to openly reference or even metaphorically portray what these challenges are, or why Frey's struggle to reach the second rung of life, in almost any environment, is intrinsically linked to her status. It will tip-toe around them in the very loosest possible sense, but then swiftly back away before engagement.

To a much lesser degree, this adherence to "toeing the line" is also depicted in the character of Auden, a woman Athian resident who, as the story progresses, seems to clearly fall in love with Frey. Both the vocal and motion capture performance of Auden frequently flaunts this possibility, but just enough doubt remains sown to allow n??ervous PR folk the safety net of "No, no, no.??.. They're just Gal Pals!"

Forspoken feels like a game that �from both a narrative and gameplay standpoint �plays it safe when it has the opportunity to be dangerous. And while Balinska and the splendid lead cast have the talent, ability, and nuance to give life to a potentially bold, aggressive, and genre-shattering storytelling, (to hell with the naysayers that would decry such direction). Forspoken's writing, intentionally or by request, shies away from said risk, ultimately delivering what is a solid story, but feels as if it never wants to truly engage with the core context and themes surrounding the turmoil of its brillian?t hero.

Girl, Interrupted

With Forspoken, Luminous Productions has delivered a perfectly fine action RPG that will ??absolutely tick the boxes for those who love the hour-eating engagement of the open-world grind. There's an overwhelming sense that Frey, Cuff, The Tantas, and Athia itself deserve so much more than this aging world of checkpoints and radio towers, and the strength of the hard-working cast, on occasion, s?mashes through these tropes by sheer force of will. Ultimately, the battle between new-school and old-school design reaches a stalemate, resulting in an acceptable adventure that leaves promise on the table.

Given the opportunity to dare, Forspoken chooses to play it incredibly safe, with muddled pacing? and strict adherence to both narrative and gameplay tropes holding it back from reaching its groundbreaking potential. Regardless, its dazzling visuals, charismatic leads, memorable boss battles, and energetic and varied combat will reward the more patient player with a solid, spellbinding adventure... And, for everybody else, there are?? magical cats.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Forspoken appeared first on Destructoid.

Face your Fears

We are just two weeks out from the launch of Square Enix' fantasy adventure Forspoken, and the publisher is ramping up its marketing drive with an evocative new cinematic trailer, spotlighting our? hero, Frey, and the challenges that she faces in both this world and the next.

In the short cinematic, we see Frey on the run in two distinctly different scenarios, one in the avenues and alleyways of New York City, and then in the jungles and desert plains of the mysterious nation of Athia. Regardless of the terrain, the threat, and the motivation, Frey's goal remains the same: Survival. And, ultimately, when her back is against the wall, she will?? have no option but face her pursuers, and turn the hunters into the hunted.

//www.y?outube.com??/watch?v=N6goMdDb4UQ&ab_channel=SquareEnix

Forspoken is an open-world fantasy adventure developed by Luminous Productions. While its protagonist is intriguing, its world lush and vibrant, and its ??visual effects sharp and dazzling, the incoming release is struggling to light the hype fires as its publisher might have hoped. It has, admittedly, become incredibly t?rendy to rag on this game, but I'm personally willing to give the game the benefit of the doubt, for now.

Still, optimism will only carry a title so far, and the truth will out soon enough when Forspoken finally makes it into the hands of the players.

Forspoken launches January 24 on PS5 and PC. Check out Chris Carter's thoughts on the demo here.

The post It’s a tale of two fates in this dramatic trailer for Forspoken appeared first on Destructoid.

A picturesque new story is on the way from the OPUS team

Developer SIGONO has been making some waves with its narrative adventures, and now the team has announced its next project. OPUS: Prism Peak is a new game from SIGONO, and it's taking a look through a came??ra lens for its?? story.

SIGONO has developed several different narrative adventures under the OPUS banner, stretching back to 2016's OPUS: The Day We Found Earth. The Taiwanese studio found some breakout success with 2021's OPUS: Echo of Starsong, which received both audience critical acclaim, and found its way to the Switch with the Full Bloom Edition.

With OPUS: Prism Peak, the studio seems like its looking towards the camera for a new perspective. With the tagline "Capture the moment, then l??earn to let go," it certainly seems poised for some powerful emotions.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdMesmRJRNQ

According to its Steam page, OPUS: Prism Peak is an adventure where choices will lead to diverging endings, as you play a photographer lost in an ethereal realm. You'll have to use your camera to uncover mysteries ?and find a way home through all of it.

The camera eye

Not much more information has been shared just yet, but the premise alone is very intriguing. The camera has become a cool way of viewing video game worlds, whether on the arcade-like railways of Pokemon Snap or snapping shots of the final days in Umurangi Generation.

With a team like SIGONO behind it, OPUS: Prism Peak could be another one to watch in the realm of camera-based adventure. Hopefully we'll hear more about this project soon. Meanwhile, that leaves plenty of time to check out the other OPUS games.

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PC port pushes fantasy RPG into the gold

Square Enix has proudly announced that its tactical fantasy adventure Triangle Strategy has sold over one million copies. The Artdink-developed RPG launched on Nintendo Switch last spring, and recently received a sales boost thanks to? the release of a PC por?t in October.

A turn-based tactical affair, Triangle Strategy is one of the more recent offerings from RPG veteran Tomoyo Asano, producer of such gems as Octopath Traveler and the Bravely Default franchise. The story concerns the wa??r-torn continent of Nozelia, as three countries continue a violent conflict that has raged for some three decades. The player guides noble protagonist Serenoa Wolffort as they, (and their compatriots) attempt to negotiate the machinations of a world at war.

To celebrate the sales milestone, Square Enix has a??nnounced a limited-time 40% off sale for the PC edition, now live on Steam. So if you're yet to get involved in the power and politics of Triangle Strategy, now presents an opportunity for you to get into the thick of the action for almost half of the retail price! While the Nintendo Switch release is also mentioned in the tweet as being part of the discount, the eShop is currently listing this edition at full price.

//twitter.com/TRST_PR/status/1605474401847193601?s=20&t=1ydJLa6Hu5?5QJy??dhonIf3w

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Prepare those twitchy thumbs

If, like my good self, you found yourself enraptured by the fantastic 2018 platformer Celeste, then you'll be Extremely OK with this brand new trailer for Earthblade, which premiered as a part of yesterday evening's Game Award f?est??ivities.

Dripping with simplistic style, as only Team Celeste know how, Earthblade will follow the adventures ??of Nevoa, Child of Fate, as they return to what remains of a ruined Earth in what lo??oks to be another pixelated tale packed with challenges on a physical and emotional scale. According to EXOK, Earthblade will feature seamless exploration, engaging combat, and "countless mysteries", as Nevoa explores the world, meets friend and foe, and overcomes numerous obstacles in their search for answers.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=wafFds3Ppb0

From this conceptual trailer, it seems that Earthblade will feature a more typical open-world adventure experience akin to something like Team Cherry's Hollow Knight. But the recognizable charm and style of EXOK Games are readily apparent here. From the ethereal music and forlorn atmosphere to its intriguing character design �detailed in such simplicity �and the heavy le??anings toward multi-directional world traversal and the satisfaction of the journey itself. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this one, and fans of the strange and fantastical would do well to do the same.

Earthblade is currently in development for PC. It is scheduled to launc??h sometime in 2024.

The post Earthbla??de is the mythic new adventure from Celeste developer appeared first on Destructoid.

Peeling the Layers

Onion Games' game director Yoshiro Kimura has revealed that the indie studio's next release will launch at some point in 2023. The tidbit was dropped in a??n interview rolled out this past weekend to subscri?bers of "The Secret Onion Cellar" newsletter.

Little has been revealed about the new release since its initial announcement back in 2020. We do know that the mysterious release is a sandbox RPG that will no doubt feature the stylized visuals and thought-provoking narratives synonymous with Onion Games hits such as 1997's Moon: Remix RPG Adventure and 2018's mournful shmup Black Bird. Also, according to Kimura, "child?ren" will form the central theme of the new adventure.

In an additional letter to the fans, as printed by Gematsu. Kimura candidly speaks of the stress and turbulence of being an indie studio, detailing some of the psychological and physical pressures of working under budget and within limitations, while being completely unsure as to whether your release will ultimately hit it big on release. Kimura notes that it is also a very expensive process, that can take its t??oll on the expenses you have aside for basic living and other day-to-day costs.

"Indie g??ame developers are basically bizarre creatures that are constantly running, laughing, and playing chess, all while bleeding profusely," concludes Kimura, ?in a typically colorful and visceral statement, before signing off delightfully as "Your Indie Game Making Uncle".

Black Bird is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo Switch, and is well worth your time.

Onion Games' new sandbox RPG due out in 2023 [Gematsu]

The post Onion Games’ untitled sandbox RPG will launch in 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

The shallowest 'Deep Dive' ever

One of the first big releases of 2023 will be Square Enix' dimension-hopping adventure Forspoken, which arrives on PC and console platforms in Januar??y of the new year �Developer Luminous Productions has released a new video sp?otlighting the many quests, allies, mysteries, and distractions that await young hero Frey's journey into the magically-infused world of Athia.

The amusingly titled "Deep Dive" video, (running just short of four minutes), focuses on the many adventurous aspects of Forspoken that are both directly entwined with the game's central narrative or appear as fun little extras and/or mini-games. The video starts off with Athia's magnificent Monume?nts which, once freed of corruption by Frey, will offer up stat-boosting skills and abilities for future encounters.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlFjVhNKZgk

We are then introduced to Flashback?s �optional encounters that allow Frey to travel into Athia's past and learn more about the world-tearing incident known as "The Break". While stepping through time, Frey may also pick up some additional XP, mana, and other rewards that cannot be found elsewhere. And speaking of magic, the Spellcraft Challenges will allow players to boost their mythic arts via the completion of in-game challenges, putting a little more pixie dust in Frey's fated cuff. In addition, Frey can earn boosts at certain taverns and inns via a mystical dice-style device known as "Partha".

While Athia is fairly desolate in the aftermath of The Break, Frey is certainly not alone. Befriending the local children, Frey can help assuage their fears and show them the beauty of the land by photographing certain areas of the open world and gifting these pictures to the local youth. Additionally, while Frey might be missing her own moggy, Homer, she can find and adopt feline friends known as "Tanta's Familiars" �Maybe she can even find these cute & magical stray??s a new home!

Forspoken has gotten off to a rough start due to some frankly foolish PR speak and a trailer that led to memeriffic mocking, but I think that underneath the wrongfooting lies a potentially solid fantasy adventure. It will be interesting to see if the new IP, which admittedly has gotten off to something of a tough start from a marketing standp??oint, will turn out to be a really neat and compelling early hit of the dawning year.

Forspoken launches January 24 on PS5 and PC.

The post Behold the mysteries (and ??flying cats) that await in ?Forspoken appeared first on Destructoid.

Likens release to 'a global playtest'

Morio Kishimoto, designer and game director at Sonic Team, has suggested that the recent release Sonic Frontiers still has much room for improvement, noting that the developer will conti?nue to work on the title now it is out ??in the hands of players worldwide.

In a pretty candid tweet posted Friday, (and translated by VGC), Kishimoto admitted that the new sequel features "areas where we are not quite there yet", and said that the development?? team would be taking player feedback seriously, "like a global playtest". Kishimoto ??notes that he envisions Sonic Frontiers becoming one of the series' most important titles, ultimately shaping the future of the long-running franchise.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuTcBAkyNL4

Launching November 8 on PC and consoles, Sonic Frontiers has, like most of The Blue Blur's games, been a divisive title, running the gauntlet of high an??d low scores from both critics and players. While many have praised the high-speed sequel's visuals and mechanical overhaul, the title has been criticized by some?? for its combat, "boring" environments, and bizarre juxtaposition of colorful, cartoonish characters with somber, monolithic enemies.

Regardless, Sonic Frontiers has seen launch success. Over on the Steam platform, some 19,181 concurrent players were recorded at the game's launch, beating the previous series record �held by 2017's excellent throwback Sonic Mania. Whether Sonic Frontiers has the staying power to become the iconic release ??envisioned by Kishimoto remains to be seen, but this early admission that the title still has some? way to go before developers will be pleased with the product does not go down smooth .

Sonic Frontiers is available now on PlayStation, PC, ??Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

The post Sonic Frontiers director says team is examining feedba??ck appeared first on Destructoid.

A historical whodunnit

Real history is an interesting setting for games to use. Pulling in actual world events to tell a tale can be tricky, but Pentiment does it in stride.

Pentiment is a passion project from a small team of developers within Obsidian. It’s set in the tiny town of Tassing in Bavaria, in the early 16th century. It’s a town with clear div??ides between the peasants and their fields, the townspeople’s crafted goods, and the do?uble monastery looming just down the lane.

Every villager, sister, an??d monk in Tassing has a story. Each family has branches t??hat grow out and interlock. It might seem too small a place to keep a secret. But as protagonist Andreas Maler soon discovers, those appearances are deceiving.

It’s a combination of history and detail, alongside a fantastic commitment to art direction, that give Pentiment a true sense of place. It’s a role-playing adventure that fills its houses with details to disco?ver, and difficult choices to make. Because someone has been murdered, and it’s on both Andreas, and you, to figu?re it out.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjIfxeNhrj4

Pentiment (PC [reviewed], Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One)
Developer: Obsidian
Publisher: Microsoft
Released: November 15, 2022
MSRP: $19.99

When in Tassing

The story starts with Andreas waking up in the town of Tassing on a normal day. He’s a journeyman artist taking up residency in the local Kiersau Abbe??y. He works on commission for the brothers there, at the abbey’s scriptorium, while gradually putting together his masterpiece. Once it’s finished, he can hea??d off to Nuremburg, where a workshop, wife, and future await.

Most of Pentiment is played in a point-and-click adventure fashion. The player, as Andreas, can ??walk around town and interact with the locals. It’s dialogue-driven, though a few puzzles and minigames pop up here and there. None of them were particularly difficult, and mostly served a narrative p?urpose; whether it’s snapping sticks for kindling or solving a code, nothing seemed too dense or felt like a fail-state.

Rather, the drive is towards learning. Part of this is gaining info from characters. At first, it’s just getting to know?? your neighbor. And later, after some events have transpired and a body is discovered, it’s about learning what your neighbors might be hiding.

Comparisons to games like Disco Elysium are easy to make. There isn’t as much role-playing here though, at least in a hard dice-rolling sense. At the beginning, you get to select some origin story information for Andreas. If you’re like mine, you can make your Maler a medical school dropout who liked getting into fis??tfights. Or you can have him be a learned theologian, or dip into the occult. Different areas he’s traveled to can influence what languages and customs are familiar to him.

These don’t really block off access in any way, but do offer options for extrapolation. Sometimes, that means an extra dialogue choice, and even in one case, an alternative puzzle solution. Most of the time, it added flavor to the experience. My Andreas had a histo??ry before arriving in Tassing, and it affected his stay in many small ways.

In Paradisum

An average slice of Pentiment, once t??he discovery period has begun, will see Andreas running around the town and inquiring with locals. These usually eat up time, and that time is precious. Doing some favors for someone might get them to open up to you. But it might also put you in a disadvantageous pos?ition with others.

One early example puts Andreas between a rock and a hard place. He can? help someone with their housework, but also assist in some mild blasphemy in the process. While this might ??endear him to them and get them to open up about why they intensely dislike another character, it might also put you out of favor with the local reverend and the abbey. 

Pentiment is full of choices, big and small. And they’re rarely easy, too. I had to abandon any hope of a “golden route�fairly early, as that doesn’t seem like the goal here. Instead, Pentiment centers much more on how you decide to spend your time, what you do with it, and how that affects the people around Andreas. Several decisions I made weighed on me until the credits rolled, and Pentiment? doesn’t pull punches in dealing w??ith both the short and long-term consequences of your actions.

The world at your door

Being historical fiction, Pentiment is also deeply steeped in its lore. It’s a major part of Pentiment’s up-front appeal, and the team at Obsidian went into incredible detail making sure Tassing fee??ls like it takes place in the right area and era.

The divides in wealth fester over time, as do long-held grudges between the church and those old enough to still cherish Pagan practices. Dialogues about an upstart named Martin Luther, different translations of classic texts, and the power dynamics of the town place Pentiment squarely within its time period. An in-game glossary helps keep everything in context too,? if you need a refresher.

The art direction emphasizes this as well. All of Pentiment is displayed in a gorgeous, classic illustrative style. But my favorite touch is the way conversations are displayed. Every character’s dialogue is shown as different types of communication, whether flourishing script or simple? lettering, to even a stamp-and-press type-set for the local printer.

Everyone has their own assigned type, and they will even change as Andreas learns certain details about someone’s background or education. Typos will be made and fixed on the fly, letters stenciled and colored in, and holy phrases left for the end, as they require differently colored ink. It’s a wonderful detail that never got old through my roughly 20 hours with Pentiment. Though if the fonts prove? difficult to read, there’s a wealth of accessibility option?s to fine-tune them.

Long-buried secrets

All of this layers up an incredible historical foundation and sense of place, which Pentiment then wields to tell an honest, emotional story. The murd??er mystery is an initial draw, but Andreas�own issues, and the woes of the townsfolk, are also key components. Characters like Sisters Matilda and Illuminata, Brother Piero, Otto, Claus, and more are intensely memorable, with storylines that deeply resonated ??with me.

Without giving too much away, the story of Pentiment shows how decisions and choices play out over a period of time. And how, over the years, both internal and external strife put pressure on those living in Tassing in different ways. No town lives in isolation, and Pentiment shows how issues that seem far from your door are much closer than ??you’d think.

Because of this, the writing and story of Pentiment are an absolute highlight, and some of m??????????????????????????y favorite beats of the year. The world and its inhabitants grow and suffer, and deal with so much over the course of time that you become endeared to them. There’s some really poignant discussions and writing on faith, belief, power, laws, and rig?hts. My screenshots folder is littered with snippets that made me stop and pause for a moment, whether for a thoughtful reprieve or an emotional gut-punch.

Danse Macabre

Where Pentiment sometimes struggles is getting exact info to the player, and communicating time investment for certain leads. Often, cha??racters will let you know if a certain action is going to eat up a segment of your day. But looking into other leads, or diving into some side tasks, won’t eat up a segment of your day.

When the clock is ticking and Andreas is up against a deadline, this can lead to some indecision. Locating everything is another matter, too. While the in-game glossary holds maps, character info, and even lead?s, it doesn’t tell you where certain characters are. During some parts, I’d just find myself running circles around town, trying to find a specific person and determine whether talking to them was going to be a quick chat for some extra info, or cost me a chunk of my day.

Mouse and keyboard can feel finicky, especially when trying to click on a glossary term within a choice. It was sometimes a careful dance between looking into a term and making a choice, and I had to jump back out and in to undo some decisions I didn’t mean to make. Pentiment also uses just an auto-save feature, meaning that if you’re not careful, you can lock yourself into certain choices. That’s nice to prevent save-scumming, which felt a bit antithetical to the story’s focus, but less so whe??n you’re just trying to roll back an accidental selection. They’re small frustrations, but one’s I did run into more than a couple times.

Tangible history

As I think about my time with Pentiment, I keep going back to one moment. One frequent gameplay section has you choose who Andreas shares a meal with for the day. These moments offer a chance to gain some insight into certain?? famili??es. Understanding their dynamic can inform your investigation, or just sate a curiosity.

Through much of my early time, I ate with peasant families. As conversation proceeds, you make a selectio??n of which food item to eat. In one case, the family puts more in front of you than themselves. It shows a bit of character, in that moment, as you’re given a tangible feeling of both their struggles and perseverance in spite of them. They maintain hospitality, even in the face of tightening taxes and pressure.

Then I ate with the abbot, who tried to tell me about his own hardships, in front of a lavish spread. And Pentiment asked me how I felt about the church’s role ??in the current struggle. Boy, did I have opinions.

Pentiment is a compelling narrative adventure that pushes you to make decisions, and then see how those consequences play out. But it also has a dedication to showing how the people, as much as the town and ??ongoing intrigue, have to live with everything that goes down. It’s a murder mystery, but it’s also a decades-spanning story ?about people trying to make a life in a little town called Tassing. It’s gorgeous, crafted, and will certainly fit the bill for anyone seeking some historical intrigue with a complex but earnest heart inside.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Pentiment appeared first on Destructoid.

PlayStation and Xbox owners can return to this classic series

The return of a classic adventure series is sailing for new ports next week. Return to Monkey Island ?arrives on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 on November 8.

While it originally launched for just PC and Switch, owners of newer consoles will also be able to finally return to the Monkey Island series. Additionally, Return to Monkey Island will be on Xbox Game Pass, for console alongside PC and cloud.

You can see the trailer for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions here:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHYhubDqWCY

Return to Monkey Island first released in September for PC and Switch, and it seemed like it turned out pretty good. The story continues the journey of Guybrush Threepwood, as a new and dramatic series of events takes pla??ce on Mêlée Island.

Heading home

As Zoey wrote for us in the initial review, Return to Monkey Island is a follow-up to the series that's got a good amount of callbacks and references. For Monkey Island fans who haven't got around to it yet though, the new platforms?? provide a chance to finally check it out. And hey, Game Pass makes it easy to see if this kind of adventure is your cup of tea.

Return to Monkey Island joins a pretty stellar lineup of Game Pass games this month, too. Obisidian's historical murder-mystery Pentiment is also due up on the Pass. As is Somerville, the extraterrestrial thriller. And if you really just need to lose hours watching bats and skeletons explode, Vampire Survivors is on-deck too.

Return to Monkey Island hits PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 8.

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Take the Leap

Publisher Raw Fury, in association with developer Shedworks, has announced that the critically acclaimed sci-fi adventure Sable will be coming to PS5 next month, followi?ng on from i??ts previous release on Xbox and PC platforms in the fall of 2021.

Sable, for those yet to have experienced it, is an ethereal adventure game set within the isolated desert lands of The Midden. Players guide a mysterious protag?onist as they venture across the plains and dunes astride a futuristic hoverbike, searching lonely caves, crumbling ruins, and encountering forgotten nomadic civilizations while on a search for their own identity.

You can check out Sable's fascinating worl??d and evocative visual style in the trailer ??below.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0dPJN1Y8hM

Upon release, the title was praised for its enigmatic and open narrative, as well as its striking visuals and beautiful score, composed by artist Japanese Breakfast. The PS5 edition will feature the game in its entirety, with further opti??mization for the DualSense' Haptic Feedback technology. In addition, the PS5 version will feature a new fishing mini-game, allowing the player to gather rare breeds of finned wonderment to display in an in-game aquarium. As we all know, it isn't a real game without fishing.

Sable will launch on PS5 November 29. It is avail??able right now on PC and Xbox platforms.

The post Sable brings its mesmerizing adv??enture to PS5 in Nove??mber appeared first on Destructoid.

An adventure classic is being remade from the ground up

Cyan is remaking another one of its classics, this time in Riven. The studio has announced it is developing a Riven remake from the ground up.

Riven, or Riven: The Sequel to Myst, will be getting a full, modern remake. Cyan's already produced a remake for Myst, and it seems like this will be a similar undertakin??g.

In an FAQ online, Cyan addresses the basics. Yes, this is a remake from the ground up, not a remaster. The new Riven remake will also be fully traversable in 3D.

No details on platforms or dates have been announced yet. But this will be a new game, so expect to buy a new product, rather than get it for free if you already have the classic Riven.

As to?? why Cyan is doing this now, and after 25 years? Here's thei??r explanation:

"Riven is one of the most highly regarded games in Cyan’s history. We didn’t want to approach it lightly or frivolo??usly. Cyan is a small indie studio. We wanted to make sure we could take on such a difficult, costly and complicated en??deavor �and do it well."

//twitt??er??.com/cyanworlds/status/1587065601339424770

Remaking the sequel to Myst

There was also a fan project in the works, the Starry Expanse Project, to remake Riven. Alongside news of the remake, Cyan confirms that project has been ceased development. The Starry Expanse team continues to exist, independent from Cyan, though the two teams collaborated early on to kickstart the official remake development, according to Cyan's letter. One member of the Starry Expanse team?? has also been? hired by Cyan.

"So for the first time publicly, we are happy to report that our effort to remake Riven officially here at Cyan is alive and well, and it was helped by the Starry Expanse team’s years of effort, enabling us to begin the huge task of rebuilding Riven from scratch," said Cyan. "With a very focused development team here at Cyan, Riven is well on its way to being reborn!"

The post Riven, the sequel to Myst, is getting a remake appeared first on Destructoid.

This narrative adventure arrives before the year's out

Somerville has locked in a launch date, and it's surprisin??gly soon. The sci-fi adventure is set to hit on November 15, for Xbox consoles and PC.

Developer Jumpship dropped the release date in a new trailer today, confirming its November launch. Somerville is set to arrive on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, and is also coming to Xbox Game Pass.

This narrative thriller follows a family caught up in the immediate repercussions of an extraterrestrial? conflict. As explosions and mysterious visitors descend, it looks like the player will be trying to keep their family whole as they escape.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb0jh956VVU

We've been seeing teasers for Somerville for quite a while now. The IP is created by Chris Olsen and built in collaboration w?ith former Playdead CEO and co-founder Dino Patti.

So yes, it has some of that Inside energy. Both side-scrolling action and tense?? sequences look to be in store here.

Out of this world

It's a bit of a surprise, to suddenly see a date on Somerville. But it's a very welcome one. Somerville has looked pretty striking in its appearances over the ??years at various showcases.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcjnHHxHV3o

This also bolsters out the Game Pass library, which is pretty nice. While I like being able to access just about every Halo and Fallout under the sun, the bonus of Game Pass has been seeing projects like these get a solid bump. Immortality and Signalis both hit the service at launch, and Obsidian's upcoming historical RPG adventure Pentiment is also currently set for November.

November is looking like a good time to settle it for a weekend in Somerville.

The post Sci-fi thriller Somerville arrives in November appeared first on Destructoid.

Of Rats and Resilience

Asked about "horror games", a genre that has come into its own over the past two decades, many players will distinctly think of the visceral, the grotesque, and? the physically unfathomable.  These terrors can arrive in the form of mushroom-headed mutants, giant, overhead spiders, or hideous, skinless, black-eyed zombies, ready to pop up directly into your PoV with a ghastly scream in what we have coined the "jump scare".

Boo.

But, even within scenarios set outside of our own sphere of time or reality, horror can strike much closer to home.  It can be presented in its purest form, via themes of grief, regret, responsibility, and, scariest of all, the loss of one's own capabilities, focus, and mind.  I've never encountered a mushroom-headed mutant, but I've been completely terrified at the thought of a loved one in peril, or concerned that I won't deliver in a desperate hour of need.  More candidly, I frequently feel abject fear about my own ability to be who I want to be, or even the person that I need to be.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a horror game, no doubt.  But its teeming, skin-crawling swarm of black rats only represents its horror in a physical and fantastical form.  Who we are, our inescapable fates, the fragility of our lives, the untold damage we can do to ourselves and others, and the irreversibility of said damage �this is also horror.  And it is the horror that faces Amicia and Hugo de Rune.  A horror so relatable, so tangible, so real, that it can reach out thro??ugh the screen and grab hold of us, cutting deeper than any sackcloth-wearing, chainsaw-wielding madman.

A Plague Tale: Requiem (PS5 [reviewed], PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox Game Pass)
Developer: Asobo Studio
Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Released: October 18, 2022
MSRP: $59.99

A Plague Tale: Requiem is the sequel to the cult 2019 sleeper hit A Plague Tale: Innocence, produced by French developer Asobo Studio.  As an untested IP, not boosted by the billion-dollar cogs of the marketing machine, Innocence had to fight to make something of a name for itself, despite being well-regarded by critics and beloved by an ardent fanbase.  As a stealth title with a heavy emphasis on narrative progression, patient gameplay, and extensive dialogue, Innocence struggled to find its audience against similar cinematic adventures.  Sat against the Molotov cocktails and box-cutter zombie stabbings of its brethren, Innocence's flower-collecting side-quest wasn't real??ly pulling in the masses.

And it's a damn shame, becau?se it wa?s a pretty special release.

In creating the sequel �a sequel that was never guaranteed to get the go ahead �Asobo Studio has chosen to stick to what originally brought it to the dance.  For better and for worse. A Plague Tale: Requiem chooses not to stray far from what made its predecessor a low-key classic. Instead, the studio has merely tweaked some of the gameplay elements, while focusing on boosting the scope, scale, and narrative power of its world and story �also harnessing modern-day tech ?to further polish the franchise's celebrated, stunning environments.

And thus, rather than attempting to win over everybody, A Plague Tale: Requiem instead has chosen to double down for somebody.  In d??oing so, Asobo Studio has created what can be considered a flawed but very enthralling mini-masterpiece.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK9vYJ1g2WE

Light their way, When the darkness surrounds them,

Following on from the events of Innocence, Requiem sees Amicia and Hugo de Rune attempt to rebuild happier lives in the aftermath of their tragic odyssey through the province of Guyenne.  With life looking up for the first time in months, the de Rune offspring are moving into a beautiful new province, away from the oppression of The Inquisition and the terrifying black rat plague known as "The Bite". Unfortunately, these youngsters soo??n discover that, no matter how far they travel, their fate is inescapable.  A chance encounter with ultraviolence reawakens Hugo's dormant bloodline, "La Prima Macula", bringing with it a million piercing eyes and a billion razor-sharp teeth.

Their new life in ruins, and riddled with guilt and despair, Amicia is convinced that the answer to stopping this endless nightmare lies in a mythical island, envisioned by her brother in a series of strange dreams. With death nipping at their heels, thousands of ??innocent bodies behind them, and myriad armies, doomsday cults, and vengeful victims?? out for their blood, the duo is forced back onto the road �searching for a place, a cure, or simply an answer that may not even exist.

Requiem is a story about duty, family, friendship, and destiny. Its sharply written and utterly compelling chronicle is set against the backdrop of the encroaching rat army, but places its focus squarely on our heroes, their allies, and their enemies. From young Hugo's despair at a world that forever disappoints him, to Amicia's increasingly declining mental and physical health, Requiem is abo??ut the frayed bonds of hope, as two broken youngsters search for stitches to repair seemingly irreparable lives.

Give them love, Let it shine around them,

It behooves me to speak at great length about the narrative because, as previously mentioned, A Plague Tale: Requiem does not do a whole lot to reinvent its gameplay. Still a stealth adventure at heart, Requiem consists of ??lengthy, (but arresting), walk-and-talk sequences, perforated with frequent forays into crawling through long grasses, throwing pots, starting fires, and, when the best-laid plans of... rats and... women... come crashing down, fighting for ??????????????????????????your life with the aid of a slingshot and a selection of alchemic ammunition.

While some new elements are introduced, little has advanced in Requiem's gameplay from its predecessor. A veritable feast of cart pushing, lever-pulling, and stick-burning lies ahead. Hell, even Amicia's hilarious habit of bolting every door behind her is still present and correct.  There are some new abilities, alchemic items??, and weapons introduced, while a new counter-attack feature always offers our girl a "second chance" upon dis??covery.  This helps a little with the frustration of getting caught in the act.

The clunky "Stay and Come" Hugo mechanic is gone entirely, with the young lad developing some... worrying abilities himself as the story progresses. In addition, the stealth sections are a little more open-ended than they once were, typically offering more than one route to the objective. A neat feature sees Amicia's skill tree auto-fill based upon playstyle, with respective rewards for going in quiet as mice or all crossbows blazing. Still, for the most part, anyone who has played Innocence knows what to expect here: walk and talk, stealth, action setpiece, an??d plenty of hidden flowers (and feathers) to c?ollect.

While this sounds like very "safe" design, (and it is), Requiem??'s calling lies in its surrou?nding elements. Literally.

Keep them safe, keep them warm

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a gorgeous game. While Innocence already pushed console limits in regard to environment and visual effects, Asobo Studio has harnessed modern tech to produce some of the most beautiful and absorbing towns, meadows, beaches, and vistas experienced in gaming. The flora and fauna of Requiem's world, a??long with its bustling town fairs, ramshackle villages, and ornate monasteries are dazzling, equally juxtaposed by the skin-itching misery of its sewers, slums, swa?mps, and endless mounds of viscera that our protagonists will be forced to wade through.

Adding further to its world are some fantastic weather effects and a highly realistic audio package that certainly deserves to win awards. From the dynamically adaptive and deeply affecting score of returning composer Olivier Deriviere, to a smorgasbord of authentic and seamlessly integrated sound effects, Requiem sounds every bit as goo??d as it looks.  Its paradise islands, cheerful marketplaces, storm-ridden seas, and bleak, war-torn fields balance its majestic audio/?visuals to create a "lived-in" world �as warm and attractive as it can be completely cold and repellent.

Give them shelter from the storm

Clearly aware that its stealth-based gameplay is somewhat on the rote, even repetitive side, Requiem goes all-out to present a story, world, and cast of characters that truly embrace the players and their emotional resonance. Requiem's tale runs a gamut of themes focusing on unspeakable tragedy and how it affects the individual, the family, the fanatical, the religious, and all those who fall in the cracks between. As one might expect, it's a rough ride, with events getting almost unbearably oppressive as the second act progresses, (though the ?arrival of some likable new characte??rs brings relief).

Amicia de Rune still holds fort as one of the great unsung heroes of gaming's modern age. The elder de Rune's struggle is depicted at great cost to the player's heartstrings.  Amicia's declining mental health, loss of self-identity, and abandonment of her stolen teenage years form a core theme of Requiem's underlying narrative. In the (highly recommended) French voice track, Amicia is once again brought to life by actor Charlotte McBurney, who gives a stunning, nigh-on flawless performan?ce as the young woman forced to abandon all that she is, and to take up arms, to endure, and even to kill, by the terrible hand dealt her bloodline. Tru??e character strength. Depicted and performed with passion and conviction.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a legitimate cinematic epic �a deliberately paced odyssey that expresses its heavy emotional arc at its own speed.  Several hours longer than its predecessor, Requiem is confident in its story and asks that the player allow themselves to sink into the adventure without paying too much attention to their watch. In Requiem, we are not here to run (??at least not always) and the game will reward the patient with engaging conversation and resonant dialogue.

Bless the beasts and children

It's difficult to score a game that does little in the advancement of gameplay, instead choosing to put all of its chips in its visuals, sound design, world layout, characters, and narrative. Ultimately, Asobo Studio has created a fantastic, rewarding sequel for fans of A Plague Tale: Innocence that will, just like that release, l?ikely turn off those who prefer their third-p?erson adventures with a little more machine gun.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a stealth game through and through, and the gameplay carries with it all of the exact same perils and pitfalls of repetition that come with the now-aging genre.  This element, much like Innocence, may dissuade fence-sitters from parting with their hard-earned $60 (though Requiem is available on Xbox Game Pass). However, as an example of video games as a cinematic storytelling medium, it is fair to call Requiem a bar setter, capably delivering a solid and emotive journey.  A Plague Tale fans �their ??passion and loyalty rewarded �will be captivated.

Choosing not to reinvent the wheel in regards to its by-the-numbers stealth gameplay, A Plague Tale: Requiem instead goes above and beyond to present greatness in its overall package, delivering an enthralling story, magnetic characters, tense action setpieces, and stunning visuals that rank among the generation's finest. It won't bewitch everyone, but for devoted fans of rats and resilience, A Plague Tale: Requiem absolutely delivers.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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