{"id":330256,"date":"2022-06-15T16:00:43","date_gmt":"2022-06-15T21:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/?p=330256"},"modified":"2022-06-15T11:55:44","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T16:55:44","slug":"most-anticipated-narrative-games-shown-not-e3-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/most-anticipated-narrative-games-shown-not-e3-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"My most anticipated narrative games shown at not-E3 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"
So, that’s another year of summer game announcements on the book. There are a few more streams<\/a> on the horizon, but for now, we’ve gotten a taste of just about all of the upcoming games we can handle. Developers threw what felt like an endless stream of new titles<\/a> at us, and while a lot of the space horror games kind of blurred together after a while, there were plenty of titles that stuck out to me as games I’d be looking forward to the most. Naturally, most of them are narrative games, and so for my sake and yours, I decided to compile a list of what I think are the best-looking narrative games that were highlighted these past few days\/weeks.<\/p> Keep in mind that some of these don’t advertise the story being the central mechanic or the main focus of the game, but the narrative looked intriguing enough that it’s one of the features that drew me to it the most. Whatever, it’s my list and I’ll do what I want.<\/p> <\/iframe><\/p> This one kind of came out of nowhere, and it was one of the most pleasant surprises of the weekend for me. Based on the influential 1964 hard sci-fi novel of the same name, The Invincible<\/i> follows a scientist named Yasna as she attempts to piece together what happened to a lost crew on a hostile alien planet. The premise alone doesn’t sound like anything to write home about, but the trailer sent a chill down my spine.<\/p> I consider myself a pretty voracious reader, so hearing that we’re getting a game based on a novel definitely makes my ears perk up. The trailer had a slow-paced sense of dread that really works, and while I haven’t read The Invincible<\/i>, I imagine it captures the feeling of the novel quite well. I just finished reading the first book in the Southern Reach <\/i>trilogy, Annihilation<\/i>, and I think the trailer we saw captured a similar sense of awe mixed with horror.<\/p> Like I said, I had never heard of The Invincible<\/i> before I saw the gameplay trailer during the PC Gaming Showcase, but now it might just be the one game I’m looking forward to the most.<\/p> <\/iframe><\/p> This is one of the games I was fortunate enough to play a preview<\/a> of for the Tribeca Games Fest this weekend, and I am pleased to report that it’s everything I want from an Oxenfree <\/i>sequel, considering the first one is one of my favorite narrative games of all time. It’s got the same spooky flair and atmosphere you’d expect from the series, but one of the things I’m most excited about is seeing the series move away from a cast of teenagers to a protagonist in her 30s.<\/p> The new player character Riley is returning home and dealing with her past after being away for a long while, which I think is a cool direction to move in after the first game was about high schoolers trying to figure out their places in the world. I’ve done a lot of growing up myself since I played the first Oxenfree<\/i>, so having each game relate to me at different parts in my life is a pretty cool thing. I’m looking forward to the creepy, sentimental rollercoaster ride that Oxenfree II: Lost Signals<\/i> is likely to be.<\/p> <\/iframe><\/p> I’m not gonna lie \u2014 I love The Truman Show<\/i>. When I saw that there was a game on the horizon inspired by the film, I knew it was going to be right up my alley, and it turns out, it very much is. American Arcadia<\/i> is another game I got to preview<\/a> for Tribeca, and it exceeded the expectations I had going in. Not only does it look absolutely stunning with its colorful-retro-future-70s aesthetic, but it has a ton to offer by way of gameplay.<\/p> It’s part 2.5D sidescrolling platformer, part puzzle game, part first-person stealth game \u2014 and while I was worried that it had too much going on, it all fit together surprisingly well to create an experience I’ve never quite seen before. Sure, any individual element of American Arcadia<\/i> isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel, but it’s the final product that I think is going to blow me away. As far as narrative games goes, it ticks all the boxes for me so far.<\/p> <\/iframe><\/p> The Invincible <\/em>\u2014 Annihilation<\/em> meets Firewatch<\/em><\/h3>
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals <\/em>\u2014 a return to an old favorite<\/h3>
American Arcadia \u2014 The Truman Show<\/em> with a twist<\/h3>
Immortality \u2014 <\/em>FMV is yet again revolutionizing narrative games<\/h3>