MMO fans have been starved for new games over the past few years. The most played titles in the genre, FFXIV: A Realm Reborn and World of Warcraft, may as well have been released when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Still, MMO fans do hold on to some hope, as a handful of in-development MMOs seem to be making positive steps toward release. Of those, Pax Dei is one of the most promising.

A medieval age-inspired MMO running in UE5, Pax Dei is about to start its Alpha 2 test, showing off further development as they open servers to over 100,000 people. What can players expect from this newest look at Pax Dei? This article will ??go over the focuses of this Alpha test so that players can understand what the game has developed and where the game may be going as it gets closer and closer to release.

What Has Been Added to Pax Dei for the Alpha 2 Test?

Mainframe Industries, the developers of Pax Dei, have stated that the?re will be four ma?in focuses for the Alpha 2 test.

Crafting System Expansion

Pax Dei aims to have a wide and robust crafting catalog, with tons of materials to collect all over the open world. The previous Alpha had building mechanics and crafting mechanics in place, and while the building mechanics felt sound, the developers thought th??at there was much more to add to the crafting systems. There will be new crafting stations, crafting recipes, and materials to find in the Alpha 2 test. If you enjoy the skilling aspect of MMOs, keep your eyes on this test to see what may have been added this time.

Combat Revamp

Combat, especially enemy AI, was heavily reworked. Even for this test, the developers have stated that the combat is very much a work in progress. Still, they have been working on an improved targeting system and spell mechanics, as well as a whole host of under-the-hood numbers changes to many of their combat systems. While this version of combat may not be exactly what we see come launch, it should still be far enough along the developmental path that players can decide if they like the general idea of Pax Dei's combat.

World Enhancements

The world of Pax Dei has seen more work than almost any aspect of the game. The biomes of the game are filled with tons of real-life flora and fauna, with a ton of time and effort devoted both to how they look and how they fit in as part of the environment. While the developers specifically c??alled out biome transitions and cave exploration as main focuses, there are tons of general improvements to the overall quality of the game's visuals. Given that this will be one of the first large-scale UE5 MMOs we see, it makes sense that visuals would be a p??riority for the developers.

New PvP Zone

The final, and perhaps most exciting, addition to the Alpha 2 Test is a PvP zone located in the dead center of the map for players to explore. The center of the map will contain rare materials, forcing players to explore and fight over better crafting materials. The developers have stated that, similar to their PvE combat, this is very much a work in progress. Still, it will be good to get an id?ea of the developer's intentions with PvP, even if just on a baseline level.

This will be the first time players get to experience Pax Dei as a fully rounded MMO experience, with PvE, PvP, and crafting enabled. MMO fans have suffered in silence for y??ears now, but this test may yet give them hope. Ma??ybe there is a promising new MMO on the way. At the very least, the Alpha 2 test will give many their first glance at this possible bright future.

The post What to Expect in Pax Dei’s Alpha 2 Test appeared first on Destructoid.

I've been excited for Pax Dei since developer Mainframe Industries showed off t?he sandbox MMO earlier this year. As per the announcement back then, the MMORPG is preparing for an upcoming Alpha test starting on November 14. I had the o??pportunity to jump onto the tes??t server a few days early and get a feel of what it would be like to live in this medieval fantasy world.

A massive open world

Nicknamed "Home Valley", this Alpha test focuses primarily on the peaceful gameplay aspects of Pax Dei. Players can venture into one of four provinces each with 6 Heartlands valleys which are intended to be their own separate communities for players. In this test, players can create their character, choose which province and valley they want to start in, and then begin their life in Pax Dei.

After creating my character, I settled in the Kerys province in the valley called Dolavon. I immediately discovered I could pick up some resources off the ground, like stones and sticks. If you've played a survival game like Conan Exiles or ARK: Survival Ascended, it felt very similar. After crafting an axe, I was able to chop down a tree and upon picking up the logs unlocked a?? few recipes for buildings.

It took me a while to find the perfect spot I wanted to call home. I already knew my goal in Pax Dei was to carry out a long-time goal of mine: to be a blacksmith who rarely left his shop. Ever since my early days of delving into MMOs back in the early 2000s, I always thought it would be cool to play an MMO where you could just be a blacksmith, shopkeeper, or innkeeper, and be able to fully play that role while still making a difference in the game world. After speaking with the Mainframe Industries developers, it seems this is a big goal of Pax Dei: to give players the freedom to do whatever they want in this open-world medieval sandbox an?d feel like ??they have the tools to do so.

The Heartlands wasn't built in a day

Building in Pax Dei is also similar to that in survival games like Conan Exiles. Instead of using prefab structures, the developers opted to let players build how they wanted, piece by piece. You'll build the foundation, walls, and roofing of your buildings, then fill them with furn?iture, crafting stations, and other objects. Along the way, you have to gather resources to build each piece, as well as keep in mind integrity when trying to build vertically. If you want to make a multi-level structure, you have to ensure support beams and pillars are in place to support the weight.

There are a variety of gathering and crafting-focused skills already in Pax Dei,? with more to come later. Cooking, Alchemy, Armorsmithing, Weaponsmithing, Blacksmithing, Tailoring, and Leatherworking are just some of the ones I dabbled with before focusing entirely on Weaponsmithing and Blacksmithing.

At first, I was able to craft everything on my own. I'd head out and mine the Iron ores needed to bring back to my base and smelt them into I??ron Ingots using the ores as well as some charcoal I made from firing wood in a Charcoal Kiln. Each of these processes took some time, so in between I'd go back out and gather more resources or continue w?orking on the design of my house.

But later Weapons were a bit more in-depth to craft. I eventually required leather bindings and tailored cloth linens to form the hilt of the weapons. Instead of a single chunk of Iron being r??equired to forge the metals, I needed multiple pieces to all be brought together in crafting the weapon. It became easy to see why the community would be such a big part of this sandbox experience. Not only would I need to find others to sell my finished goods to, but I'd likely need to find suppliers of more intricately crafted leather and cloth goods for future weapons, not to mention potentially sourcing miners to gather the massive amount of ore required.

A bright starting point

Even though there is currently combat in Pax Dei, it's not a focus of the current playtest. You can travel to certain areas and fight enemies for some basic loot including gold coins. That's one of the more interesting aspects of Pax Dei. Everything in the game is player-created and player-driven. There are no vendors or quest givers in Pax Dei. Instead, each community will create its own economy based on the suppl??ies and demands of each valley.

With no vendors to buy your goods, gold coins are only those generated by killing enemies in the wild. As such, it will truly be up to players to decide the value of things as the game world evolves around them. The premise of a truly dynamic economic system is extremely appealing in the open-world sandbox that is Pax Dei, so ?I??'m looking forward to seeing how it shakes out.

PvP will also be a part of the experience at a later date, which can really change things up as well. While the valleys will always be peaceful environments, an area called the Wi?ldlands connects all six valleys in each providence. Eventually, players will be able to combat each other in this area, though Mainframe Industries isn't quite ready to reveal exactly how the PvP will work.

In its current state, the Pax Dei Alpha isn't going to be for everybody. If you're looking for a more traditional theme park MMO or a focus on fighting and combat, this isn't the right place to look. But if you want to get a taste of living life by focusing on a trade skill in a medieval fantasy world, Pax Dei feels like the perfect representation of just that. I'm excited to see the area around me in the Dolavon Valley as more people join the test and get access to the game. I'm even more excited to see where Pax Dei ultimately ends up as the Mainframe Indu??stries continues to work on the MMO. I believe in the vision they have for a truly sandbox MMO and will be there for the journey.

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BioWare's next big RPG is playable start-to-finish now

The next Dragon Age game has passed a big internal milestone. In a new blog, BioWare confirms Dragon Age: Dreadwolf has completed the Alpha milestone.

What this means, effectively, is that Dreadwolf is currently playable from start to finish. This doesn't mean the work's done qui?te yet, though.

In a new blog, BioWare general manager Gary McKay says the team is now looking at the narrative cohes??ion.

"We can take the story we’ve written and see if we’re expressing it well through the characters, dialogue, cinematics, and ultimately, the player’s journey," said McKay. "Now that we have th?e ability to do a complete playthrough, we can iterate and polish on the things that matter most to our fans."

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is heading to a few new locales. Notably, this includes ??one fans have heard about more than a few times: the Tevinter Imperium. Today's blog ?confirms players will visit Minrathous, the heart of the Tevinter empire.

McKay continues on to say that the Dreadwolf team wants to "continue being transparent" with fans about development, and keep people up-to-date. So far, the studio has released a few development updates this year. One slapped the official subtitle on Dreadwolf. And another teased some codex entries that are in store.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw3lrXlti-8

The Dreadwolf rises

The next installment of Dragon Age was first teased at The Game Awards in 2018. Since then, BioWare's been working on it, going through some big shifts in the process.

While we've seen some teases, we've still had yet to see a full look at what's in store for the Dragon Age universe. Hopefully, with such a big milestone passed, Bi?oWare will cast more light on the Dread Wolf??'s plans soon.

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Be careful downloading files from sources you don't know

Over the last few days, an early build of the upcoming Skate game managed to leak onto the internet. Electronic Arts and the Skate team issued a statement today, asking players to respect the ToS and be careful with what they're downloadi??ng??.

The skate. team recently re-emerged with a new trailer, titled "Still Working On It," showing off some pre-pre-alpha gameplay. But over the last week, reports of a leaked version have been cropping up across various forums.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2XddTE08rI

We've seen some of the footage, and it looks to be a playable version of the pre-pre-alpha, though still very much a work-in-progress. Users report that tricks and animations are in, and it actually has that Skate feel ??to it. But it's also, obvio?usly, extremely early.

EA published an update today addressing the ??leak. It also issues the old internet adage, of being careful what you download and ru??n on your computer.

We’re aware of an earlier version of the game that has been distributed without our authorization. This build is from September 2021 and was never intended for external use. While we understand you’re excited to get into the game, we encourage you to be careful when downloading files from unknown sources (and remind you of the potential consequences of breaking EA’s Terms of Servi?ce). The best way to get the chance to play is by signing up for skate. insider playtesting here as we continue to invite more and more players into the game throughout the year.

Watch where you land

It's a bit of a bummer, but it also seems like the openness from the Skate devs about the game they're making (and its current state) has helped set a good tone for the Skate leak. EA has been letting some of its games, like skate. and the Dead Space remake showcase early looks that are surprisingly transparent.

These looks into development aren't pristine, but they're highly informative and open about the development process. It feels like players are now a bit more accept?ing and understanding that early builds are not what the finished project will look like. The leak still tosses a wrench in things, but a more proper playtest is on the way too. At least for now, it's probably better to wait and not download a sketchy file from some forum. It's rarely a good idea to begin with.

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Be an insider to the world of the next Skate

The Skate team is back with a new update, in the form of some very early gameplay and sign-ups. Electronic Arts is letting fans sign-up to be in an early insider playtest for Skate.

In today's video, titled "Still Working On It," the Skate team shows off some "Pre-Pre-Pre-Alpha" gameplay of the new Skate. It's a neat behind-the-scenes look at just what goes into making something like Skate.

Even so, it looks like Skate is coming together quite well. And sign-ups are open if you'd like to see jus??t how well.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2XddTE08rI

An early look at Skate

Over on EA's website, the team is hosting sign-ups to be an early playtester for Skate. You can find the registration page here.

Any sharing or capturing of the early playtest is prohibited, and there isn't a roadmap for playtests just yet either.? The playtest is only available on PC via Origin as well. It will, however, grow to more platforms as testing expands.

So this isn't the usual open beta or way to get players in and poking at some final systems just ahead of launch. EA stresses that it's still "very early" in the development of Skate, and it wants early feedback to help shape the future of Skate.

The new Skate was unveiled during the 2020 EA Play Live stream, where its developers joked that fans "commented this into existence." While it hasn't been seen much since, the fervor for a new Skate certainly hasn't seemed to die down just yet. Hopefully the new entry can l??ive up to some titanic expectations.

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Running from May 19�7 on PC and consoles

Next week, fighting game fans will be able to call dibs on Batman, Tom & Jerry, and Shaggy, among other eclectic pop-culture characters. Warner Bros. Games is hosting a closed alpha test for MultiVersus, a w??orld-colliding platform fighter, from May 19�??7.

You can sign up now �just scroll to the bottom of this FAQ page and tap the "Closed Alpha Sign Up" button. That said, you'll need a WB Games account? to par??ticipate.

While MultiVersus has been playable before in a l?imited capacity, this is a chance to try the game on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, as well as PC. If you were in the prior (NDA'd) test on PC and want to play the cons?ole version, you'll need to re-register.

[caption id="attachment_321755" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Familiar faces with lots of stuff to collect.}[/caption]

If you're selected �not everyone will be! �you'll get an email on Tuesday, May 17. That's when the first wave will go out, though WB Games no?tes that "additional confirmation emails and codes may be distributed throughout the Closed Alpha period."

Everyone who makes the cut will be able to invite up to three friends, using the Beta Management menu. No need to tune into ??Twitch for a code drop. Not ??this time, anyway.

Cross-play and cross-gen are supported, and the MultiVersus alpha wil???l be available in the Americas, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, according to WB Games.

[caption id="attachment_321756" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{This game has Harley Quinn *and* rollback netcode.}[/caption]

Playable characters, maps, and modes

• Character roster: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Shaggy, Bugs Bunny, Arya Stark, Jake the Dog, Finn the Human, Steven Universe, Garnet, Tom & Jerry, and Reindog. "Please note, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Arya Stark, Steven Universe, and Garnet will be initially unavailable, but can all be unlocked over time through gameplay."
• Map selection: The Batcave, Tree Fort, Scooby’s Haunted Mansion, Trophy's E.D.G.E., Trophy’s E.D.G.E. 2, Classic 3 Platform, and Training Room.
• Game modes: 2 vs. 2 team-based cooperative mode, 1 vs. 1 matches, 4-player free-for-all, and The Lab (practice mode).

A few other housekeeping notes: stats won't carry forward, so don't get too hung up on wins and losses, and PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold are not required for the alpha.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XG3SEZ4nb4

It'll be at EVO, too

MultiVersus also has plans for EVO 2022, which will be back in ??Las Vegas from Augu?st 5�. At the event, WB Games will be hosting a 2v2 tournament with a $100K prize pool.

While I've avoided most of the fighting games that have tried to pull off the Smash Bros. formula with different IPs, I've gotta say, the sheer absurdity of some of these MultiVersus lineups is kind of calling my name. The game's free-to-pl??ay nature can? and probably will put me off long-term, but it's certainly an easy way to get a foot in the door.

My expectation is that Smash will continue to be the one true king, now and maybe forever. Everything else feels like an "all the brands are here!" novelty until proven otherwise, MultiVersus included. We'll see how long the honeymoon pe??riod lasts.

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Battle your way to Duriel

Diablo II's resurrection is close at hand, or at least, an alpha of it is. Blizzard is hosting a single-player-only technical alpha for Diablo II: Resurrected on PC this weekend.

A limited number of players who opted into the technical alpha will be chosen randomly to participate, and should receive emails about it soon. The alpha w??ill go live on Friday, April 9, at 7 a.m. PT, concluding on April 12 at 10 a.m. PT.

Three of the seven classes will be available in the alpha: Barbarian, Amazon, and Sorceress. Those who make it in will be able to play through the first two Acts, and there will be no level cap, so alpha players can grind as much as they'd like until the ??end of the weekend.

Though single-player is the focus, Blizzard says that a separate test focusing on multiplayer will be coming later t??his ye??ar.

Diablo II: Resurrected was announced earlier this year during BlizzCon 2021's online showcase. It's set to bring the classic dungeon-crawling action RPG to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, with cross-progression and the ability to keep your old saves. You can check out our interview with the developers for more on this resurrection, but hopefully, it can keep that Diablo magic alive—or at least set a more positive tone for Blizzard re-launche??s.

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Weekend Warriors

This weekend, PS4 players will get the exclusive opportunity to check out the next title in Activision's gazillion-dollar franchise, Call of Duty. A multiplayer alpha for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is now available to download from the PSN store for all PS4 u??sers, regardless of whether you have a PlayStation Pl??us account or not.

The alpha will go live today at 10:00 PT / 13:00 ET / 18:00 BST and will remain operational until the same time on Sunday. Weighing in at around 28GB, the alpha includes three six-on-six modes in the form of Team Deathmatch, Domination and, my personal favourite, Kill Confirmed. These modes will be playable on two all-new Black Ops Cold War maps: Miami and Satellite.

Also included in the alpha is a brand new mode, Combined Arms: Domination, a large-scale 12-on-12 battle that will lean heavily toward vehicular warfare, as players use a variety of tanks, snowmobiles, gunboats and other vessels in order to capture checkpoints on the wintry new maps Armada and? Crossroads.

Traditional Loadout and Scorestreak options will be available during the alpha, and all partaking players will unlock an exclusive Calling Card for use in Modern Warfare, Warzone, and Black Ops Cold War. Speaking of Warzone, anyone pre-ordering Black Ops Cold War will gain instant access to operator Frank Woods for immediate us?e in the battle royale title.

Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War launches November 13 on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series ??X.

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This jerk is gonna lower your property value

It might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think about successful video games, but tinyBuild's Hello Neighbor has been an absolute tour de force since its 2017 launch. It has 30 million downloads across its various platforms, which has allowed it to venture into spinoff games, young adult novels, comic books, and an animated series. It's the sort of franchise that does bonkers numbers on YouTube among young audiences who like watching Five Nights at Freddy's Let's Plays.

All that success is why tinyBuild recently threw another $15 million at Hello Neighbor, acquiring developer Dynamic Pixels and investing more into non-game projects. Inevitably, a proper numbered sequel, Hello Neighbor 2, was announced today.

Hello Neighbor 2 doesn't feature the same burly mustachioed creepshow from every other Hello Neighbor game, but rather a crow-like birdman. It's the same antagonist from the recently-revealed Hello Guest game which takes place in an abandoned theme park. However, it's unclear if that's even a real game or just an elaborate tease; the link in the trailer now redirects to the Hello Neighbor 2 Steam page.

The defining feature of Hello Neighbor 2 seems to be its open-world?? setting. The original more of less confined the player to the proximity of an increasingly-elaborate house. The sequel gives you free rein of the town of Raven Brooks as the bird creature stalks your every mo??ve.

If that sounds like your cup of tea, you can register for the alpha on the Hello Neighbor 2 site. It's only announced for PC and Xbox Series X right now, but that's likely to change. Given how much money the origi??nal made, the sequel is bound to spring up on every platform possible.

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New alpha starts March 11

It has been a long time since we last heard from Ubisoft's arcade-like three-on-three roller derby game Roller Champions. After a surprise reveal at E3 (that le??aked well ahead of time), Ubisoft launched an open alpha so that everyone could try it.

I wasn't exactly smitten by Roller Champions. While admittedly an amateur at the game -- everyone was, it had only be?en made available for a few weeks -- I couldn't help but wonder how high the skill ceiling could go. It's not necessarily fun when you play it poorly. Losing momentum and skating backward toward an empty track ha??ppened far too frequently. Is there enough depth here that it's worth putting in the hours to get truly skilled?

For its second round of testing Ubisoft is assuaging those concerns to some extent. There's a PC closed alpha taking place between March 11 and March 23. A new suite of moves have been added, including an extended tackle, an air tackle, a teammate-powered grapple boost, a grapple double jump, and a grapple double pump. Register here for a chance at being included.

Maybe this is the variation Roller Champions needs in order to impress on its second go-round. We'll find out soon enough. Meanwhile, Ubisoft says that Roller Champions is barreling ahead for a launch later this year on PC, PS4, Sw?itch, Xbox One, and mobile ??devices.

Roller Champions Closed Alpha Rolls Out March 11 [Ubisoft]

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It's a part of the preview program now

In the early days of Google, one of the search engine's most peculiar features was also one of its most resilient. A button called "I'm Feeling Lucky" sat to the right of the search button, daring users to bypass the results page and go straight into the top result. It stuck around for a long time, wh??ich is kind of incredible considering that this sort of bold one-click-and-done behavior hasn't really ever been how search engines usually function. Google axed I'm Feeling Lucky in 2010 after it cost them $110 million in missed-out ad revenue.

Xbox is testing out something similar, albeit with lower stakes. Reddit user Filthy_Firestarter (possibly a reference to the Prodigy song or the superior Jimmy Eat World cover) is in the Xbox One Alpha Skip-Ahead preview group, which has just been updated with a new dashboard featur?e. It's a "Surprise Me" button from within the "My Games" tab, meant to recommend? a random game that's installed.

Crucially, the button doesn't actually launch the random game. Instead, it merely suggests something to play via a pop-up window, leaving the user to re-roll the dice if they don't want to play that first game. It's a convenient option for those times when you just do?n't know what to play -- if it ever makes it out of the preview stage, that is.

New "Surprise Me/Random Game" icon in My Games & Apps (Skip-Ahe?ad) [reddit]

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Check out Gunfight Mode ahead of release

During today's gamescom Opening Night Live show, Infinity Ward revealed that they will be a PS4 exclusive open alpha for their upcoming military shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, confirming a recent leak that happened on the Pla??yStation Store?.

The alpha will be open to all players (even those without PlayStation Plus) and will take place for one weekend only. The alpha will be locked to 2v2 Gunfight multiplayer battles, taking place over five? maps, so better grab your best wingperson and get ready to riot.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare launches October 25 on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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This sounds familiar...

 We're beyond the pale and right back where we started. Years after a DayZ mod (well, technically an Arma II mod) kickstarted the battle royale craze, DayZ is getting an official battle royale mode.

DayZ developer Bohemia Interactive revealed that it will be one of the last to the battle royale fad after it was one of the first t??o the battle royale fad. It's called Survivor GameZ, and it functions like most other other takes on battle royale -- get to increasingly shrinking areas, try to find good gear along the way, be the last person standing. Survivor GameZ has a slightly different take in that the endgame revolves around interacting with some sort of objective marker to prevent taking damage from the environment.

Survivor GameZ isn't a new concept. It's a mode that was implemented back in 2012 for DayZ community tournaments. Bohemia Interactive occasionally held Survivor Game?Z for a few years, but quit in 2015. Now it's back, seemingly as a permanent game mode.

It all starts with a closed alpha that anyone can try to get into. Just request a key here. The only real requisite is that you own DayZ. Maybe you'll be on the cutting edge of the new popular battle royale game. However, something tells me this would be lucky to have a fraction of the popularity that PUBG has. Funny how things turn out sometimes.

Survivor GameZ [DayZ]

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Freed from this mortal coil

The Nioh 2 alpha has now come to an end. For about a week, a select few players jumped into a small demo of the upcoming sequel, provided they were lucky enough to get a code. Nioh was an important game to me, as it got me interested in the Souls formula of games fairly late, after I struggled to get on the original Dark Souls. I played and platinumed Bloodborne because I loved my experience in Nioh.

The good news is also the bad news: it's more Nioh. It's almost visually indistinguishable from the first Nioh and the basics of its combat are unchanged. As someone who rode the whole season pass and broke into W?ay of the Nioh difficulty, I still found a handful of new things to sink my teeth into, such as Yokai Force, as well as new attributes, and at least one new weapon. But even the highest profile addition, Yokai Shift, is essentially a rebalanced Living Weapon mode.

The new Yokai Force mechanic, where you can pick up enemy yokai soul cores Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow-style in order to use ?their attacks, is probably the biggest change in combat. If the Amrita Gauge to u??se Yokai Shift is your ultra meter, then the Yokai Force bar is literally your meter for EX special moves.

The Nioh 2 alpha only had the katana, odachi, spear, and the new dual hatchets present. Hopefully this really is an early alpha since the kusarigama, tonfas, ax, and dual swords were missing. The dual hatchets are similar to the dual swords with an abundance of skills that help it break ki bars, along with a gimmick of being able to throw them like a total madman. There aren't a lot of new skills for the returning weapons, so combat fits like a g??love for returning players.

The only other notable thing to change combat are ne?w dark realm areas in stages, where an entire slice of the level is covered in yokai realm, which strangles your ki gauge, but increases your Yokai Force meter gain. Those sections of the game, not to mention their respective bosses, can invoke dark realm during a rage state, and definitely offer more of a challenge to returning players, while ramping up your stress levels.

I'm definitely looking forward to playing Nioh 2, after falling off pretty hard from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and not knowing what to expect from upcoming Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima. Either way, the samurai trifecta is definitely heating up. How did you like the alpha? Did it whet your appetite for more Nioh? Or is more Nioh just not the taste you're looking for?

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The king has returned

We're home. Team Ninja has shared its first real gameplay footage for Nioh 2 ahead of E3 2019 and I can't properly express how stoked I am to go oni hunting again. I forgot just how fast and ruthless Nioh's combat can be when you aren't abusing Sloth Talismans. Actually, the sequel looks even faster.

You're going to need to watch this multiple times to soak everything in. Also, in case you forget (like I totally did until just this moment), Nioh 2 uses a character creator in place of former protagonist William. The thought of having to train w??ith him or otherwise skirmish frighte??ns me greatly.

Beyond the new trailer, Team Ninja has set the date for a very-limited-sounding Nioh 2 closed alpha on PS4. It's set to run from ??May 24 to June 2, and "some" users will be invited to share their feedback.

Some PS4 users are invited to take part in the Nioh 2 closed alpha to help gather feedback for the development. To ensure the team can manage the feedback, there are no plans to expand the alpha at the moment, but please keep an eye on our channels for more info in the future. pic.twitter.com/hS1l0rHLFa

— Team NINJA (@TeamNINJAStudio) May 22, 2019

Considering how helpful the original beta was in getting Nioh's name out there the fir??st time around, I'm hopeful the sequel won't just hold a single alpha test and pack things up until launch (whenever that ends up being). The series is obviously more of a known quantity at this ??point, but still. Balancing!

Either way, let's ?enjoy the com??pletely bonkers footage. I took a bunch of screengrabs.

Folks, you can s?ummon your own personal skeleton archer b?odyguards. Video games are good.

One of the biggest complaints about Nioh was that it lacked enough unique enemies to match the sheer breadth of stuff to do in the game. Eventually, you figured out how to deal with most threats and it just became a matter of ke??eping your cool and remembering the fundamentals as you gallivanted around Japan in search of better, shinier gear. I'm feeling hopeful that Team Ninja took notes. We'll soon see.

Team Ninja hasn't explicitly confirmed Nioh 2 for PC yet, but it's a safe assumption.

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No clownin' around, gang

Just take a key from our Closed Alpha Test giveaway for Steel Circus.

Ok well we're already behind on this, so not much time to dilly-dally. We've got 100 total Closed Alpha Test keys for Steel Circus, so just take one, already.

Ok so in the future the leaders of the galaxy meet once a year to do galactic governing. During this meeting, they also play Blit?zball with robots. There, that's all you need to know! Just watch the trailer above. Like I said, there's very little time.

Steel Circus is a competi?tive sports game/hero shooter (of goals lol) where you must score goals against your opponent. Think soccer mixed with a class shooter, with some rock, paper, scissors thrown in for good measure. You have a Striker who can use their mobility to score, an Enforcer who can use brute strength to disable other players, and a Specialist who can neutralize both using tactics and special moves. Checks and balances, man.

Anyway, this closed alpha is running for 24 hours, only. And we're about three hours into it. So just take a Steam key if this sounds cool. Use t?he widget below to claim one. Email me if you have any trouble.

The closed alpha runs 9 am PST on Feb 15 to 9 am ??PST on Feb 16. Our keys are first come, first served -- once they're gone, they're gone.

Steel Circus is slated for a 2019 launch.

The post Give?away: Take a Closed Alpha Test key for Steel Circus appeared first on Destructoid.

Fun with portals

Bend the laws of nature with this alpha key giveaway for Splitgate: Arena Warfare.

I don't know why no one has come up with this idea yet. And if they have, I haven't seen it so it doesn't count. But ma??n, a competitive shooter using portals?! It's genius!

Get in on the closed beta for Splitgate: Arena Warfare by taking a key!

This arena shooter lets players shoot at one another in imaginative, futuristic maps ??with a special twist: Players can shoot portals to enter one part of the map, and appear at another. Did you watch the trailer above? My head started spinning.

There's a closed alpha running this weekend, and you'r?e invited! This weekend's alpha run includes:

• Reimagined Maps -- Helix, Olympus, Outpost and Club Silo maps have been retooled to showcase the vibrant visual and user interface upgrades. The newest map, Club Silo, is a disco night club with long corridors that open to several multilevel atriums begging for swift portal movement and frenzied firefights
• Realistic Animation System -- Splitgate: Arena Warfare's animation techniques are designed to directly affect gameplay in several ways. Players can identify weapons according to model size and unique holding position. Character models will now realistically lean into turns, interact with the environment based on intuitive physics and even change direction differently depending on which foot is forward
• Precision Sound Identification System -- With the help of Los Angeles' Mad Monkey Audio, 1047 Games has enhanced Splitgate: Arena Warfare's sound system, taking full advantage of Unreal Engine's audio system to provide precise location detection for in-game sounds. Players will notice subtle changes to the pitch of specific sounds, differentiating enemy and friendly movement. Audio prioritization intelligently increases or muffles sounds based on importance to the player, such as louder enemy gunshots versus hushed friendly footsteps
• Character and Skin Customization -- The addition of customizable armor options, colors and weapon skins gives players even more ways to personalize their Splitgate: Arena Warfare experience
• Savage Rail Gun -- An all new Rail Gun is a devastating weapon for players, harkening back to classic arena shooters. A fully-charged shot can obliterate opponents in one hit
• Team SWAT -- Players can now compete head-to-head in Team SWAT game mode. Limited to only battle rifles and pistols, players should not expect armor to save them from extreme damage multipliers and headshot kills.

I think you're gonna dig it.

The alpha run starts Saturday, January 26 at 12:00 p.m. PST and ends Sunday, Ja??nuary 27 at 11:59 p.m. PST. To claim your Steam key, just use the widget below. That's it!

We have 200 Steam keys to give? away across our network, and once they're gone, they're gone. Note the alpha runtimes above.

Have fun, kiddos!

The post Giveaway: Take a Steam key for Splitgate: Arena Warfare’s alpha run appeared first on Destructoid.

Yoda in Agrabah has to be a meme

It's been a few years since Disney Infinity was cancelled. We heard a scant few details about what Infinity 4.0 might have entailed, but now we have a better idea of what Disney Interactive was shooting for. An anonymous source uploaded some alpha footage to Vimeo and it seems like the last hoorah from Infinity would have put Avengers: Infinity War to shame.

The game was set to be called Disney Infinity 4.0: Kingdoms and would have featured Aladdin teaming up with Yoda and Rocket Raccoon in Agrabah. The possibilities are endless, as other famous Disney characters are seen run??ning arou?nd Agrabah and kicking some ass. This truly would have been the crossover to end all crossovers.

Disney Infinity 4.0 Kingdoms - Pre??-Alpha UFG Footage from P Tologist on Vimeo.

While everything is a bit rough around the edges, I'm pretty impressed with the scope of the project. I can't knock the prior Disney Infinity games for limiting stages to singular franchises, but having all these different universes interact would have made for a far more dazzling title. It would have also given people more to do with certain figures since their usefulness was limited to the "??Toy Box" mode.

Disney is unlikely to ever pick the project back up, so we're just left with visions of what may have been. It's a r??eal shame the world will never get to see Donald Duck drop kicking Darth Vader.

Disney Infinity 4.0 was subtitled "Kingdoms"; Yoda wa?s to help Aladdin defeat Star Wars droids in Agrabah [ResetEra]

The post Alpha footage for Disney Infinity 4.0 surfaces appeared first on Destructoid.

Throw all your hands up

EA and BioWare have announced that the first closed alpha test for its third-person co-op game Anthem will be held next weekend. On December 8 and 9, select players will? be able to log on during specific time slots to try out BioWare's next big game. Anyone who is granted access will have to sign an NDA before playing, restricting them from ta??lking about or streaming the game online.

The main goal of the alpha is for BioWare to tweak the matchmaking system. While it will double as a chance for many to finally see if the game lives up to its hype, this is going to be? a very early build with a lot of issues that will be ironed out for release. There aren't any details on which portion of the game will be playable, but players will be able to pre-load the client before its scheduled runtime.

To sign up, you'll need to fill out a forum on EA's community page. Players with a subscription to EA Access or a pre-order for Anthem wil??l not be given priority access ??or be guaranteed a shot at this first closed alpha.

Anthem's first alpha test opens for registration [Polygon]

The post Anthem’s closed alpha will be held next week appeared first on Destructoid.

The best-laid plans...

If you're in the mood to take a chance on a strange, uneasy, and uneven but ultimately memorable experience, heads up: there's a public alpha build for Pathologic 2. It's an open-ended survival adventure about doing what little you can during an exhausting ?12-day stretch in a plague-ridden town.

The trailer gives off a sense of impending dread, but to put things more bluntly: "Prepare to suffer bugs and glitches, as befits an alpha, and then suffer without them, since?? such is the world ??of Pathologic."

As former Destructoid writer Zack Furniss excellently put it in his coverage of Pathologic 2 and its lead-in teaser Pathologic: The Marble Nest, "This is a game that allows you the space to fail, and will not pick you up and allow you to try again. You will make poor decisions and live with them. Did you trade your only gun for a loaf of bread so that you can r??e-double your efforts on finding the source of the plague the next day with a full belly? Good luck dealing with the panicked people who wish to harm you."

This alpha build includes access to the first three days for one of the characters, the Haruspex, so there's plenty to sink your teeth into. That said, if you'd rather watch instead of play at this juncture, publisher tinyBuild has uploaded a five-hour-long narrated playthrough over here. Godspeed.

Public Alpha Goes Live [Ice-Pick Lodge]

The post Pathologic 2’s meaty alpha build is worth a look appeared first on Destructoid.

DICE is testing the speed of player progression

Battlefield V players are getting another crack at the WWII shooter early next week. DICE is running? its second closed alpha on Tuesday, August 14 "for a limited time."

How do you get in? "Players eligible to participate in the Battlefield V have been pre-selected from the Battlefield player community and will receive invites to participate," according to the st?udio.

This second round of alpha testing will have the same maps, modes, weapons, ?and vehicles as last time?. That said, DICE is putting a microscope up to player progression. "We have made some changes that we think will better cater to players across all play styles and skill levels based on how fast players scored points, and how quickly they progressed through the ranks in the first Closed Alpha."

I'm happy to continue playing that same content, so this sounds like a plan. Some players, myself i?ncluded, had trouble joining squads in the last build. That problem shouldn't resurface.

Battlefield [Twitter]

The post The Battlefield V closed alpha returns next week appeared first on Destructoid.

I'll try not to walk into fires this time

I'm a couple of days removed from trying out Battlefield V, and no?w I can't help but wish I had spent more time with ??the closed alpha. Crawling around in the snow, patching up blown-out windows, going stupidly out of my way to revive squad mates whether they wanted the assist or not -- I miss it!

It sounds like we'll get another crack at the WWII shooter before long. In a message sent to alpha players, DICE said "The next test phase for Battlefield V will arrive in late summer – so stay tu?ned."

The wording here isn't the clearest, so whether this is referring to another alpha test or simply the beta remains to be seen. Based on the beta timing for Battlefield 1 relative to the game's launch date, I'd expect DICE to roll out the Battlefield V open beta in September or possibly even August.

[Via reddit]

The post Battlefield V’s next test phase is set for ‘late summer’ appeared first on Destructoid.

You're gonna want to squad up

My mind isn't completely made up yet, but after a couple hours with the Battlefield V closed alpha test, yeah, I'm feeling it. It was one thing to hear DICE talk about some of the big changes regarding squads, health and ammo, revives, and player movement. (If you missed the beat-by-beat breakdown, you can get up to speed right here.) It'???s another thing entirely to see how it all comes together for yourself.

Whereas Battlefield 1 was often a tense, thrilling, and distressingly immersive multiplayer experience for me (and I loved it for that reason), Battlefield V feels slightly lower-key. It's still booming, emergent chaos at times, but it's somehow less stressful. I'm still trying to put my finger on why that is. And, weirdly enough, it brings back fond memories of busting down buildings in Bad Company 2.

What I do know for certain is that I appreciate the way ammo and health have been retuned to better emphasize squad dynamics. If you aren't hitting up a resupply station or tagging along with a supply player, you're bound to run out of ammo. And since health doesn't fully regenerate like in prior games, you'll want to have a medic on standby as well. I found myself much more consciously picking and choosing when to enter firefights. The Battlefield games are at their best when you're one of many cogs in a well-oiled objective-playing machine, and that's even more true here in Battlefield V.

The other new talking point is the fortification feature, which will look like a gimmick at first (but it's great!). Every class can build fortifications like sandbag walls, foxholes?, and tank stoppers in pre-determined locations around the map as well as board up windows in buildings. I think it'll take the average player time to see the value in doing this, but once you've carved out a nice defensive nest for yourself in a key location where the enemy has to engage you on your terms, there's no going back.

That's my gut reaction after trying a single slice of Battlefield V in the? closed alpha, anyway. Despite some wonkiness and squads not always working correctly, this was an encouraging first impression.

If you'd like to see this stuff in action, I've captured some of my early matches on the Grand Operation Fall of Norway, which spans multiple in-game days. (It's like BF1's Operations but, uh, grander!) The skirmish starts with attackers dropping out of planes under the glow of the Northern Lights while defenders try to prevent them from planting explosives. The battle then picks back up in daylight with the offensive players working to capture sectors one by one befo?re their respawn tickets run out.

In the full game, Grand Operations will stretch on for more than two d?ays, and they can end in a tie-breaker in which teams clash one last time with no respawns and their ammo count dictated by how the previous days played out. It's a commitment to se??e everything through to the end, but time flies.

The post Battlefield V’s closed alpha is my kind of mayhem appeared first on Destructoid.

Back to The Front

EA has revealed details surrounding its first ever alpha test of the upcoming entry in the stories Battlefield series, Battlefield V. Lucky PC players will receive invitation to jump into the preliminary build, so that developer ??DICE can test out elements the game's online features.

Players will be able to wage war in Battlefield V's Conquest mode and its "Fall of Norway" campaign. Daily tasks and special assignments will be set live, with players selected from across the globe receiving invites to take part in the closed alpha's e?xplosive ??action.

In terms of ??information on when invitations are to be sen?t out, how many players are to be involved, as well as when the alpha ends, well, that seems to all be a bit up in the air. I suppose at this very early build stage, you have to play a lot of this stuff by ear. All those who participate will receive an exclusive in-game dog-tag to commemorate the occasion.

For those unlucky enough to not get in on the action, no doubt there will be further trials, alphas and betas in the lead-up to the game's official launch. For more information on today's alpha, check out the official site right here.

Battlefield V drops on PC, Xbox One and PS4 October 19.

The post Battlefield V close?d alpha trial kicks off ??on PC today appeared first on Destructoid.

BIRDIE!

"Tycoon" style games used to be all the rage in the late ‘90s. After Rollercoaster Tycoon proved the formula was popular, various knock-offs flooded the casual PC market and made it incredibly easy to pick up a tycoon game for your preferred hobby. I distinctly remember things like Ski Resort Tycoon and Airport Tycoon, but one of the better riffs that appealed to me was Sid Meier’s Sim Golf.

I had been introduced to the sport of golf from a friend of mine and seeing it combined with that particular gaming craze was too much to pass up. In true Sim fashion, the game let you create your own golfer and then set them out on a course hand made by you. I remember creating some devio??us courses, with lots of sand bunkers and stupidly placed ponds that would have caused even Arnold Palmer to curse a blue streak.

While tycoon games haven’t exactly disappeared over the years, their prominence has diminished. We’ve seen pseudo-come backs with Planet Coaster and Parkitect, but where is the "Golf Tycoon" title? Enter Boss Golf, a game currently in alpha that looks to recapture the glory that was Sim Golf for a new generation.

Most of the features I remember from Sim Golf are present, like laying down tiles to make your holes and some light terraforming tools. There are lightly-interactive characters walking around to test the holes with and you can even plant trees to your heart’s content. The game allows you to place multiple pins per hole, so you can have? different people teeing off at the same time, even provide a difficulty selector.

The graphics seem to be going for a voxel-style presentation and look pretty humorous. I get a Minecraft vibe from everything, but I just plain love the way that trees are rendered. This is almost like playing with creating a Golf course out of Lego (which I’m surprised to find isn’t really a thing). If you dig the building aspect inherit to the tycoon genre, Boss Golf should have you covered.

The only real downside, right now, is that a lot of the planned features aren’t really ??present. The alpha lets you plan out some holes, but controlling the in-game characters isn’t allowed. They can play each hole, but you aren’t given much input on how they do that. Currently, your holes all need to be?? assembled by a solitary worker, who took far too long to traverse my own eight-hole course.

The terraforming tools also lack adequate explanation and you can’t expand the size of your course, but I can’t be too hard on Boss Golf. For its alpha state, the simple act of ?laying out everything is executed very well. I’d like to see more customization with the various ground tiles (there is something weird going on with grass) and maybe get some building options (like a clubhouse), but I’m already sold on the idea of the game.

It will probably be some time before Boss Golf actually releases, but the game seems to be going in the right direction. I can’t tell you how starved I am for a decent golf title ever since EA Sports killed off the Tiger Woods series (Rory McIlroy PGA Tour doesn’t count. It sucked). While Boss Golf isn’t a traditional golf game, it pays homage to the sport in the same manner that Sim Golf did over 15 years ago.

If you're interested in the game, you can follow the development over at Bossgolf.blog. Updates have been steady and the game is on track for a 2018 release. Hopefully it hits the fairway?? in regulat??ion upon teeing off.

The post Boss Golf has all the charm of the ’90s ‘Tycoon’ games appeared first on Destructoid.

First come, first served

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is about to get more chaotic than it has ever been before. The two PUBG maps in rotation are both ??8x8 kilometers,?? and that has helped dictate the pace of matches. Now, PUBG Corp is going to experiment with dropping all 100 players on an island that's one-fourth that size.

Starting tonight, PUBG is running alpha tests for its new "Savage" map that's 4x4 km in size. The test period runs from A?pril 2 at 7pm Pacific to April 5 at 4am Pacific. If you want in, we got you covered.

We've stumbled across 500 alpha codes for the Savage map. To get one, just follow the link below. It's first come, first served so there's no use wai?ting around.

Click here for a PUBG alpha test key!

(We're using Godankey to automate the giveaw??ay. Godankey says it doesn't store your ema?il address after it sends your key.)

Our process is simple, but entering the key might be a little confusing. The alpha is open to anyone with a code -- regardless of whether or not they own PUBG. For some people, just entering the code under Steam's "Activate a product on Steam" (in the "Games" tab) will be enough to grant access to the experimental server. For others, you might need to go to a redemption site and link your Steam account.

Anyway, you're smart so I'm sure you'll figure it out. Go get y??ourself a chicken dinner and then dedicate?? it to your robot overlord.

The post We have 500 codes for the new PUBG 4×4 map alpha test appeared first on Destructoid.

We were moderately successful

Please allow me to crib the title from our most recent video and say that Hunt: Showdown is intense. Like, always intense. Like, you could shoot these surprisingly-harrowing zombies but mayb??e it's smarter to not fire your gun so you better hope you?? can outrun them.

As we learned at E3, Hunt has a three-stage loop to it. Find three clues in the environment, locate and kill whatever monster this summoned (in our case, a? big and nimble tarantula), and then banish it to hell and take the bounty. But, there's a critical fourth step: Escape with that bounty.

Even though Hunt seems largely about you and your pal against the horrors of the swamp, there are fo??ur other groups of players who want you dead. It's one and done, so getting other people out of the game increases your odds of taking off with the bounty. There's never a moment where you're at ease.

Crytek held a brief closed alpha yesterday, and this video is what we got out of it. [Update: Turns out this was actually early access to the alpha test. The proper alpha starts today and doesn't have an announced end date. You can sign up here to try to get in.] It ran a little rough at times, but it's legitimately beautiful. The visuals and sound design make Hunt&nb?sp;an immersive experience -- no matter how frustrating it can be. Join us in w?ading through what I call the Louisiana Fastball, because it's bayou.

Also, Jordan killed a horse. And he wanted to kill more. I think he's in the market f??or a horse snuffing simulator.    

The post We tried to send all of Hunt: Showdown’s monstrosities back to hell where they belong appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm super hopeful for this one

Crytek's bounty hunter monster shooter Hunt: Showdown seems to be flying under the radar, but it shouldn't be. I've got it filed in my brain under "This sounds so promising. Please let it turn out well."

Set in the Louisiana swamps, it's part PvP and part PvE, with up to ten players (solo or two-person teams) competing to track, stalk, and ba??nish monsters for cold hard cash.

"Once the [creature] was hunted, the true madness began," Nick wrote in his preview at E3. "As one teammate started the banishment (and claiming the bounty), a huge fiery spo?t opened up on the general map and alerted the other teams to the target." Players can kill each other to whittle down their competition prior to this point, or they can wait until the end to swoop in and steal the bounty.

If any of this sounds appealing, you should sign up for the Hunt: Showdown closed alpha.

Cretek will be randomly selecting testers on ?January 31 to put the "gameplay, balancing, and backend f??unctionality" through its paces and collect feedback. As the alpha progresses, the team plans to add "new weapons, equipment, traits, and ranks."

Further down the road, Hunt will release on Steam Early Access (were you expecting otherwise?).

On January 31, 2018, Hunt: Showdown will begin Clos??ed Alpha testing [Crytek]

The post ?Competitive monster shooter Hunt: Showdown starts?? its alpha this month appeared first on Destructoid.

'Expect something other than an arcade game'

Last year Resogun maker Housemarque revealed it was getting out of arcade game development, much to the disappointment (but also understanding) of fans. The studio cited "lackluster sales" for Nex Machina and an industry trend toward "multiplayer ??experiences ??with strong, robust communities."

"Our purpose as a company remains the same, however – to create enjoyable and memorable gaming experiences for players while simultaneously creating a great workplace that allows people to flourish both professionally and personally," Housemarque said at the time in a letter to fans.

As a progress update of sorts, the studio is seeking testers for "an unannounced project for PC."

"It is rather early in development but as the production moves forward we are going to need testers for it," reads a listing on the Nex Machina Steam page.?? "If you get accepted, you will receive an electronic non-disclosure agreement that you need to sign. After that you will receive more information about the project and its future tests. Expect something other than an arcad??e game."

I'm still bummed out about this whole turn of events, but I'm eager to see what's next for this team and wish these folks all the best with the new direction. They sure went out on a high note with Nex.

We are looking for game testers [Steam]

The post Housemarque is seeking testers for an unannounce?d PC game appeared first on Destructoid.

Alpha demo impressions

You know the feeling of popping bubble wrap? Stepping on an extra crunchy leaf in the fall? I've found that certain mechanics in games are comparable to those small tangible pleasures in life. Wall jumping in Super Metroid, flattening goombas in Mario, and jumping on several boxes in succession in Crash Bandicoot all feel damn good. Now imagine an entire game of those feelings. That's what Flynn: Son of Crimson sets out to accomplish.

Flynn is the first largescale game by Studio Thunderhorse. It's already making waves on Kickstarter, where it has until October 24 to reach its $40K goal. It doesn't look like it's going to have much trouble hitting that, but its stretch goals include console ports that would suit this charming throwback to the classics. I got the chance to play through the alpha demo, which gives a good taste of the va??ried combat, open-ended exploration, and gorgeous sprite art.

Flynn is designed with "game feel" in mind. Wikipedia describes the term as "the intangible, tactile sensation experienced when interacting with video games." The idea is that the base mechanics sho??uld feel satisfying even when everything else -- story, graphics, music, level design, etc. -- is removed.

Thunderhorse says on the Kickstarter page, "We’re strong believers that ‘game feel’ should be priority in any video game so we've been injecting as much juice as we can to make sure every hit packs a punch and feels extra tasty." Judging from the 30 minutes or so I got to play, they have succeeded. Every hit in Flynn feels like finding a ??$20 bill in your pocket? you didn't know you had.

Attacks come with audio and visual effects that give you the sensation of carving into your enemies. Each swing of your weapon is accompanied by a crimson smear that not only adds panache to your attack but also indicates its direction and power. The way your hits connect reminds me of the two Seiken Densetsu games I've played, Secret of Mana and Legend of Mana. Both games incorpor??ated similar satisfying effects.

You get four crimson weapons to play with -- blade, axe, claws, and bow -- suited for different enemies and styles of combat while also serving different utility purposes. The heavy axe lets you break enemies' shields and bust through weak walls. You can use the claws to unleash a flurry of quick attacks and drill through soft ground. Your bow can trigger traps and puzzles as well as dispatch enemies from a distance. If you pull your bow while jumping, you'll stay su??spended in the air for a couple of seconds to help steady your aim, which is yet another sweet, satisfying feeling.

You'll swi?tch between weapons in the middle of battle to adapt to en?emy attacks. Combat is fast-paced, and there's a cathartic rhythm to every movement and action. I'm amazed at how tight and fluid everything feels in the alpha build. Short length aside, it already seems like a finished game. A dodge-roll ability adds to the fluidity, helping you avoid attacks and make your way more quickly across substances that impede movement.

Flynn encourages non-linear progression throughout an expansive world. Some areas we??ren't opened to me until I got the weapon or tool I needed to access them -- and yeah, there's a grappling hook. The demo included a falling sequence where I had to move left and right to avoid debris. Following this, my faithful canine companion Dex came to my rescue, initiating another sequence where I was riding on his back and jumping over obstacles. Dex looks kind of like a beefier, grayish purple Okami and I want him IRL.

Flynn: Son of Crimson is fully 2D and a wonder to behold. The sprite art is absolutely beautiful, with a color palette reminiscent of Breath of the Wild if you replaced some of its blues with reds. The calming soundtrack, inspired by folk music, was a joy to listen to as I traveled through the areas the demo offered to show me. It took me to a few unique environments, culminating in an arena, which I as?sume is the Fighting Coliseum mentioned on the Kickstarter page. The coliseum gave me a good opportunity to try out all the different combat styles, swapping between weapons in fast succession, and it was?? a ton of fun.

Flynn: Son of Crimson is a pleasure to look at and play, an overall cathartic experience that I'll be keeping an eye on. The alpha demo gave a good feel for its aesthetics and gameplay. I didn't get a chance to delve into its story, play around with the alternate dimension, or find out why exactly everything important is red. What I did get to experience, t?hough, was solid enough to make me confident in the rest. 

Below is some info from the Kickstarter FAQ about the game's expected release. For more, head over to the Kickstarter page.

We have a rough estimate of early/mid 2019, but this all depends on how well our Kickstarter campaign goes. If we are successfully funded then the game will for sure be out a??round that time. We are about 1 year into development and most of our time has been establishing the core gameplay foundations and styles. We have a ton planned in terms ?of level design, bosses, progression etc. Over the last 12 months we’ve also been carefully designing every nook and cranny of the game, from what ability Flynn acquires from stage 4 to the color of Yombal’s fins.

The post Flynn: Son of Crimson is as cathartic as they co?me appeared first on Destructoid.