Here are two new trailers for the upcoming Gacha RPG King Arthur: Legends Rise:

King Arthur: Legends Rise | Official Cinematic Trailer

King Arthur: Legends Rise | Official Gameplay Feature Trailer

The retro RPG Magic and Machines has been released:

Magic and Machines

A retro fantasy RPG with turn-based battles, puzzles, and six unique characters.

Journey into the world of Magic and Machines with six unique party members on a quest to uncover the mystery behind a decaying world. Discover new areas, find the legendary items, solve puzzles to unlock secret buffs, and master the turn-based battle system with its Overload mechanic. It's perfect for players who grew up with turn-based RPGs and are looking for a new adventure, and also accessible for new players as it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Inspired by games such as Chrono Trigger, Golden Sun, and Octopath Traveler, the game is a nod to those influences of the past and present. At the same time it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The game simplifies many RPG elements such as progression or equipment setups. There’s enough mechanics so players will strategize but not enough that they’ll need to reference a wiki to optimize. It’s also quite easy to pick up and put down and is perfect in short bursts or a longer sit down.

"I wanted to create a game that would appeal to fans of nostalgic turn-based RPGs that may have busy lives, but also could be picked up by someone who's new to the genre.”

Story
In a small quiet town a little accident leads to a dramatic chain of events. Years later, monsters run rampant, the world is slowly eroding, and the Sacred Stones are disappearing one by one. Initially, two childhood friends journey out of their small town to find a missing colony, but they uncover an even larger crisis as they cross paths with a colorful cast of characters. Form your party of three from six characters, explore and discover secrets, uncover hidden bosses and their legendary items, and use strategy to defeat your foes.

Gameplay
Turn-based battle system with an Overload mechanic. This mechanic lets you supercharge a move after you've used it twice. It can make attacks stronger, effects last a turn longer, and heals surpass your max health. Sometimes you may want to save it and sometimes you may want to use it right away.

In the Overworld, some characters can alter the terrain of the world with their elemental abilities. Use their powers to find new areas and solve puzzles. You never know what you'll find!

Characters
Blaer - Fire adept that's good all around.
Zmrzlina - Ice mage with strong magic.
Alda - Water mage with the best heals.
Toka - Earth adept that bolsters defenses.
Mphepo - Air adept that's the fastest.
Dian - Plasma mage that's an offensive powerhouse.

The Steam page for Dragon's Dogma 2 is now available with the release date still unknown and the system requirements not yet revealed.

Set forth on your grand adventure, Arisen!

Dragon’s Dogma is a single player, narrative driven action-RPG series that challenges the players to choose their own experience – from the appearance of their Arisen, their vocation, their party, how to approach different situations and more. Now, in this long-awaited sequel, the deep, explorable fantasy world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 awaits.

On your journey, you’ll be joined by Pawns, mysterious otherworldly beings, in an adventure so unique you will feel as if accompanied by other players while on your own adventure.

All of these elements are elevated further through physics technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and the latest in graphics, to create a truly immersive fantasy world in Dragon’s Dogma 2.

*Supported languages will be updated at a later date. 

The action RPG Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will be released on November 8:

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

There is a mysterious container ship located in Osaka Bay. At its center is a cage where your fighting skills will be put to the test. You might be the strongest so far, but three new legendary yakuza fighters just entered the arena! Can you leave the cage victorious?

ERASE YOUR PAST TO PROTECT YOUR FUTURE
Once a legendary yakuza, Kazuma Kiryu faked his own death and abandoned his name for the sake of protecting his family. Now, he is thrust into conflict by a mysterious figure attempting to drive him out of hiding.

Under the codename “Joryu,” Kiryu embarks on a gripping action narrative with bone-shattering combat in vibrant locations filled with exciting characters and activities.

ULTIMATE COMBAT WITH TWO HIGH-IMPACT FIGHTING STYLES

Dynamically switch between the Yakuza and Agent fighting styles in visceral melee combat.

With the Yakuza style, strike fear into enemies by unleashing wildly aggressive moves powered by Kiryu’s unparalleled strength and flair.

Or up the ante with the Agent style by delivering blows with absolute speed and precision, while using an array of high-tech gadgets like electrified bind wires to stun enemies then send them flying.

Strategically adapt to the situation and leverage both styles to dominate and destroy hordes of enemies.

ENDLESS ENTERTAINMENT

Whether you're brawling in the secret Battle arena, singing a new karaoke song, enjoying a drink at the live-action cabaret club, or racing in the pocket circuit, the world offers a variety of immersive experiences.

An intriguing informant named Akame also provides thrilling sub-missions, drawing you into an epic showdown that unfolds the more you explore and enjoy Sotenbori and Yokohama.

Thanks Couchpotato!

Take a look at the upcoming Dragon Dawn Content Pack:

Age of Wonders 4 | Dragon Dawn Content Pack First Look — Coming June 20th

Thanks Couchpotato!

Couchpotato spotted the upcoming party-based RPG Grifford Academy:

Grifford Academy

“Where spirits live, and shadows gnaw, lies the path to the mind's door.”

In this heartwarming and empowering coming-of-age RPG, explore the young minds of a group of ragtag friends as they uncover magic, mayhem, monsters, and find themselves along the way.

Decide Who The Characters Become
Join Erika, Viva, Cap as they fall into the mystical book of Caldria and explore the dynamic world filled with menacing creatures and otherworldly discoveries. How they defeat sinister enemies and the decisions you make about the personality flaws they possess, play a critical role as to who the characters become.

As memories and stories of life in Grifford Academy are revealed you get to decide: Will Erika become a better leader by listening to her friends? Will Viva transform from self-doubt to self-trust? Will Cap muster up the courage to stay in Caldria and help Erika find her missing brother? And will these three high school misfits gain confidence in who they are while successfully saving their missing friends, trapped within the ominous world of Caldria?

Combat Menacing Monsters
Immerse yourself in the rich narrative, while battling dark forces in strategic turn-based combat, and rescuing friends who need your help. After thoughtfully selecting your items and weapons from the shop, increase your skills and level up your combat effectiveness.

As you join Viva, Erika, and Cap in battle lost friends will be rescued and unnerving memories of Grifford academy will be brought to light. Can you help Erika save her friends and put an end to evil within the book of Caldria?

Immerse Yourself In An Ominous, Striking World with Rich Strategy
With plenty of strategic depth and striking visuals, Grifford Academy is an uplifting adventure about feeling lost, the impact and importance of friendship, and the powerful journey to self-empowerment and self-discovery.

Features:

• A rich, compelling coming-of-age story about three complicated and relatable teenagers where they learn to nurture and value one another’s strengths
• Play an active role in how the character’s personalities grow and evolve as the game progresses
• An RPG created with accessibility in mind; no steep learning curve and intuitive combat system
• Equal emphasis on memorable story and characters as well as satisfying combat and store experience
• A family-friendly, compact game experience
• A dynamic soundtrack with original tracks from Pearl Yim, Kiat from Syndicate and IMBA

The turn-based Strategy RPG Dark Deity 2 has been announced:

Dark Deity 2

Dark Deity is back! A quarter of a century has passed, as Irving and the Eternal Order carefully rebuilt Verroa to protect it against a future war. Their efforts will be put to the test far too soon as a new threat looms on the horizon. The neighboring Holy Asverellian Empire needs new lands to grow, and the fractious, fragile Verroa seems ripe for the taking. All that stands in its way is the Order and twenty scrappy heroes-to-be.

Take command of the Eternal Delegation, led by Irving’s descendants. Gwyn and Riordian will have to navigate the treacherous politics of Verroa, and weave a web of alliances to turn the tide of the coming war. Your decisions will determine the shape of these alliances and define your army. Coupled with the help of a giant pool of customizations, no two playthroughs will ever feel the same.

Put simply, Dark Deity 2 is about playing your way, all the way.

Strategize and Prevail
Turn-based tactical combat is at the heart of Dark Deity 2. Your 20 heroes have access to 45 branching classes, each with its own powerful abilities, passive effects, and its own tactical niche…

…that’s until you start experimenting with skills, abilities, and gear that can completely change the way a unit performs in the field and upend your tactics in a good way..

Heroes will bond as they fight seemingly impossible odds. Hardship forges the strongest bonds…but can also destroy friendships and wreak havoc. Will you be able to walk the line between the two?

Make Your Decisions Wisely
A desperate defense against an overwhelming foe. A land in the grasp of war fever, panic, and factional strife. A traitor around every corner. To have a chance at winning the war, you’ll need to make some difficult choices.

Verroa is torn apart by factions, and many of these factions are fractured in turn. Decide who to support and who to throw to the wolves - but weigh each option carefully. After all, your choices may drastically change the coming battles…

Every choice can fundamentally change the way you play the game. No two playthroughs are the same and what goes right in one game can go terribly wrong in the other.

Twist the threads of Destiny
No playthroughs are going to be the same, but you can push Dark Deity 2 even further. Inspired by roguelites, we created the Twisted Destiny mode, allowing you to play through a shortened version of the campaign, featuring a randomized team on every playthrough, a host of new levels and modified existing ones, and unlock rewards for future playthroughs - which can completely change the way you play them!

Thanks Couchpotato!

The first DLC for Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga has been revealed:

First DLC reveal!

If you missed it during the Guerilla Collective showcase, we have officially revealed the first DLC: Symphony of War: Legends

This DLC will include major content for Symphony of War, including new chapters added to the main story, new artifacts, traits, classes, characters, game modes, and more!

Thank you for your interest, support, and feedback as we continue to make Symphony of War all it deserves to be!

Sincerely,

- Phil

Thanks Couchpotato!

A demo for Lies Of P is available this June:

Lies of P Demo Announcement

Hello, it’s the Lies of P team!

We would like to share our deepest gratitude to all of our fans who have supported us and endured patiently. It is our delight to announce the Demo of Lies of P!

We hope the Demo would be an enjoyable experience for all who have waited for so long.

Along with our Demo announcement, also check out our brand-new trailer.

For more details on the Lies of P Demo, we have prepared some key notes below.

Available dates for the Demo
The Demo version of Lies of P will be playable only for a limited time from June 8 ~ 26.
So do not hesitate or you might lose the opportunity!

Contents of the Demo
The Demo version of Lies of P will feature the first two chapters of the full game.
Any progress made in the Demo version will not carry over to the full-release version.

[...]

The Loadout thinks that the game will be the best Souls-like game of 2023.

Thanks Couchpotato!

TechRadar reports on Night Dive Studios CEO Stephen Kick's thoughts on a potential prequel using XCOM like mechanics set in the System Shock universe.

The System Shock remake may be out now, but that doesn't mean developer Nightdive Studios is done with the IP.

There's a System Shock 2 remaster coming soon after all, but there might be more. Nightdive CEO and System Shock remake director, Stephen Kick, spoke to TRG in an interview about the development of the game. Towards the end of the conversation, Kick revealed that the team may have plans for the franchise going forward, but not necessarily jumping right into a remake of System Shock 2.

"There's been a lot of discussions about what it is we want to do next," Kick says in our interview, "whether that be a full on remake of System Shock 2 or if we want to let the Enhanced Edition breathe on its own for a bit. 

"But we've talked about exploring the System Shock universe in different genres. Maybe an XCOM-like that takes place before the events of System Shock 1, where you're the resistance on Citadel Station, fighting SHODAN’s cyborgs and machines. Personally, I think that would be really cool. To kind of experience it from a different angle."

[...]

@Wccftech The Summer Games Fest has brought news from Larian about Baldur's Gate 3.

At Summer Game Fest 2023, Larian Studios revealed that award-winning actor Jason Isaacs (known primarily as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, although he was also featured in many other high-profile films and TV shows like Mass and Star Trek: Discovery) will play one of the main antagonists in Baldur's Gate 3.

[...]

A demo of Broken Roads is available for download. It's a 5.5 GB download:

Broken Roads Demo Available Now

We’re excited to announce that the Broken Roads demo is available now for you to download!

In this demo, you’ll play as the Hired Gun, one of the four origin stories available in the full game. As the Hired Gun, you’ll have unique attributes and starting skills, as well as a certain reputation around the world, which will affect how people you meet along the way will interact with you.

Get a taste of Broken Roads’ turn-based combat, Moral Compass system, and gorgeous hand-drawn visuals as you explore a post-apocalyptic Western Australia and meet its inhabitants, each with their own individual stories and motives.

Before you hop into the demo, a quick note about localization. Although the full version of the game will support Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, and Spanish (Latin America) at launch, this demo is available in English only for now. We hope to have a localized version available very soon!

Thanks Redglyph!

Tim talks about the biggest influences on Fallout:

The Biggest Influences On Fallout

Mortismal Gaming reviewed Diablo 4:

Diablo 4 - The Review

Slippy looks back at the dungeon crawler Stonekeep:

Stonekeep Review

The tactical RPG Kingsblood will be released on June 21:

Kingsblood

Kingsblood blends tactical autobattler mechanics and dungeon crawling in a mercenary RPG with a fully voiced campaign.

Join the fight against a tyrannical monarchy in a grimdark world of political intrigue and injustice. Assemble a powerful guild of unique followers, send them on dangerous missions, while building your guild hall. Master the art of party composition and unlock the true potential of your warriors as you fight battles and dungeons in your quest for justice.

Explore a Medieval Fantasy World
Unlock a network of allied cities to enable trade, access new quests or just listen to the rumors in the local tavern.

Assemble your Fellowship
Encounter and acquire various characters with unique special abilities and synergies. Strategically employ them in battles and manage their motivation.

Venture into Dungeons
Explore the depths of creepy caves filled with traps, enemies, and treasures. Will you dare to challenge even the toughest enemies that lurk in the deep?

Prepare for Combat
Exploit the enemy's elemental weaknesses by skillfully positioning your troops before the autosimulated battle begins.

What Kingsblood offers:

• Story-heavy campaign in a dark fantasy world
• 50 unlockable characters
• Character progression
• Endless dungeons, quests & items
• Autosimulated combat
• Synergy effects based on party composition
• Base building
• Crafting weapons and brewing potions

What Kingsblood does not offer:

• High-end graphics
• Hectic and reactive gameplay
• Multi-player

About the Developers

Our indie team of three friends, united by a passion for gaming, is bringing their dream to life.

Lost Pilgrims Studio shared more details on the next Vagrus expansion, Sunfire and Moonshadow:

Expansion Devlog 1 - The Geography of the Bronze Desert

Learn more about our upcoming Vagrus expansion: Sunfire and Moonshadow.

Hey everyone,

With the announcement of Vagrus’s first expansion behind us, we thought that it’d be a good idea to create a short series of devlogs about certain frequently appearing topics regarding Sunfire and Moonshadow. The first of these – the one you’re reading – is about the region itself and its boundaries, with some lore tidbits sprinkled in. So, let’s get to it!

How Does it Measure Up?

Let’s not beat around the bush. The playable area of the expansion has the following borders:
- The Brown Mountains in the west and northwest
- The coast of the Northsea in the north
- The River Lethe in the east
- Voldano’s Shield, the Dead Forest, and the River Umbra in the south and southeast

Of these, some might deserve a short explanation, though we would not want to give away too much too early. The reason for not being able to travel past the Brown Mountains to the north is that the only traversable pass, the Pass of Glory, is kept open only for Imperial legions that are traveling to the frontlines past the continent and back. The lands beyond are either uninhabited or under martial law, so no free commerce is allowed anyway. Then there’s the Dead Forest, an accursed place where simply getting too close to the ailing trees can kill you, but nobody risks going in too deep. Moreover, beyond the forest and the mountain range called Voldano’s Shield lies the Plains of Agony – an ineffable, corrupted, nightmarish wasteland that none have returned from since its formation following the Calamity. And while you could theoretically pass over the Rivers Lethe and Umbra, each of these respective crossings are blocked for different reasons; these you will have to discover yourself.

And so you would have roughly the area below, which is more than a third but less than half of the original playable area of Vagrus’s open-world campaign.

The large majority of that playable area is the Bronze Desert with the foothills and coast surrounding it but down south travelers can descend into twilight made manifest as they reach the benighted Land of Shadows. Last but not least, there is the city of Kabur, Jewel of the North, a rich and diverse metropolis the likes of which can rarely be found in the Riven Realms.

What is the New Region Like?

The Bronze Desert is one of the largest contiguous deserts of a continent notorious for its arid wastelands. That said, it is markedly different from the dry badlands you have already come across in the game. For one, its natives, the Bandul, and their culture, is unique and cannot be found elsewhere on the continent. Then, there are the Tarkians – lots of them – who are not native but have certainly made a home away from home for their people. Imperials round out the list of the most prominent inhabitants, and as ever, their industrious and warlike ways have left their mark on the Bronze Desert. Even now, their war rages in the far north, and their legions are constantly on the march to and fro the frontlines. The three factions we’re adding to the already imposing list of potential allies mirrors these three people in intricate ways (more on them in the next devlog post).

They say that the region was already a desert long before the Calamity and it is true. For that reason, the people, creatures, and phenomena native to the Bronze Desert are much more in tune with the nature of this wind-beaten, sun-scorched realm. And so it would be potentially fatal ignorance to believe that the Bronze Desert is an empty, lifeless place. The many oases, outposts, and oil fields are teeming with nomadic wanderers and traveling opportunists alike, while the deep desert and the cold wasteland nights are stalked by many a strange creature.

And yet, the Bronze Desert is not the only realm of the expansion. As an almost anathema to its sun-drenched, coppery sands and blazing skies, the Land of Shadows is a dark, oppressive, benighted land that has been cursed into eternal twilight by the Calamity’s ruinous fallout. Even though few dare tread these forsaken plans and twilit forests, opportunities such as lumbering and mining draw enough interest to turn this region into a frontier – an extremely dangerous one at that. If the allegedly living shadows and life-draining trees weren’t enough, now a strange skittering echoes through the mountains to the west which brings dire portents to anyone trying to make it in this land of darkness.

So How Does One Get There?

A fair question, considering that hawk-eyed vagri such as you might have already noticed that the region outlined above does not have a direct border with the one in the base game. At this time, we can only say that it will be a unique, never-before-seen method of travel that we have spent a lot of time and love developing, and which – the dark gods willing – will be able to serve as a gateway to future content. For now, however, we shan’t give more away; instead, we hope that when you get to see it, it’ll be as exciting to explore and use as it was creating it.

That concludes our first devlogs on the expansion Sunfire and Moonshadow. In the upcoming weeks, we’ll have more of these posts on certain aspects of what we’ve been brewing up. Until then, stay tuned, stay vigilant, and conquer the wasteland!

The Lost Pilgrims Team

Thanks Redglyph!

Businesswire reports that Diablo 4 ist the fastest-selling Blizzard game of all time.

Recently Rod Fergusson revealed that two expansions are already in the works.

Thanks for the info, Couchpotato!

Couchpotato spotted the June update for Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2:

Bloodlines 2: Update June 2023

Dear Bloodlines fans,

It’s been quite a while between updates while we’ve had our heads down working on the game. We remain just as dedicated to delivering a great Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines game as we were when we announced, and are looking forward to showing you more in September this year.

We acknowledge it was a long time ago that many of you pre-ordered Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. As development continues, we will be updating the game’s editions and bonus content, and we want to provide the best value to those of you who supported us via digital pre-order after all this time. We are thus offering refunds to anyone who has pre-ordered any edition of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. As part of this process, we are proactively refunding all pre-orders of physical products, including the Collector’s Edition. The digital versions of the First Blood Edition, Unsanctioned Edition and Blood Moon Edition remain, but can be refunded if you choose.

We’re excited to show you more and hope to have all of you with us in September when we reveal more. We know you are eager to see how the game is coming along so we’ve put together a fresh batch of screenshots to share with you.

For more information about refunds and how to submit your request, please visit our FAQ.

Until then,
The Bloodlines Team

Bluesnews reports that four old SSI titles are available again on Steam and GOG:

Trailers:

• Veil of Darkness
• Star General
• The Summoning
• Dark Legions

Thanks Couchpotato!

A demo for Legends of Amberland II: The Song of Trees is now available on Steam.

Green Dragon CVR tells the story how the development of Redfall affected Arkane:

How Redfall Destroyed Arkane

It has become public knowledge that 70% of Arkane’s staff (who “weren’t interested in developing a multiplayer game”) departed during Redfall’s development. Join Alex & Mike for an awe-inspiring and tragic exploration of how Zenimax & Arkane leadership destroyed a world-class studio responsible for numerous masterpieces. 

Thanks Couchpotato!

Couchpotato spotted another trailer for Remnant 2:

Remnant 2 - The World of Remnant: Ward 13 & The Labyrinth

A new demo is coming!

Get your first look at the cyberpunk future of 2231 in our new demo for Steam Next Fest.

Knights, we're excited to announce Cyber Knights: Flashpoint will be included in the upcoming Steam Next Fest, an online demo festival running June 19th - 26th.

This will be the first new demo we've offered for the game in over a year, and it's the first big milestone on our road to release later in 2023. 🎉 All of the game-shaping feedback our alpha players have given us, all of the new design & UX work to make this our best-looking game yet, and several features even our alpha players haven't seen yet are all waiting for you to try.

The demo will offer:

• Your first big heist to pull off! Find out how our turn-based squad tactics plays. See if you have the skills to use creative stealth, a variety of weapons, and the turn order itself to accomplish objectives in each map and get your crew out alive.
• Six squad members in your roster; each brings a unique set of talents to your crew. In the full game you'll have opportunities to recruit new members, as well as access to multi-classing, extensive skill trees, weapon modding, cybernetics - everything you need to build out the perfect squads for your playstyle and the needs of the jobs you're taking on.
• A glimpse of your main character's origins as a Cyber Knight. These elites of our dark future's underworld are rare and highly sought after. Knights have capabilities no one else in this world does -- but it comes at a cost.
  A first look at your safehouse; in the full game you'll have access to base-building features to expand this underground hideout, providing more opportunities to upgrade your team and expand your capabilities to take on bigger jobs as you make a name for yourself.
• A preview of the choices you'll need to make in this shadowy world of mercenaries, secrets, and cyberpunks. How far will you go for a chance at a better life? What are you willing to risk for the extra credits or knowledge that could make a big difference for your crew? Who will you stay loyal to? Who can you trust?

[...]

Thanks Henriquejr!

Tim Cain tells the story of his first game for Interplay:

Making of Bard's Tale Construction Set (1991)

The Iluminus studio presents the combat of the action RPG Elengard: Ascension:

Basic Combat Mechanics | Elengard: Ascension - Upcoming RPG under development

Diablo 4 has been released:

Diablo IV | Gameplay Launch Trailer

Diablo IV | Launch Live Action Trailer

Diablo IV | Story Launch Trailer

Henriquejr spotted a review for the Etrian Odyssey dungeon crawlers on PC Gamer:

Handheld gaming's greatest dungeon crawlers manage to hold their own on PC

The Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection finds the balance between the old and new, and looks great doing it.

Seeing the Etrian Odyssey trilogy, first released on the Nintendo DS in 2007, 2008, and 2010, show up on Steam felt like a dream come true for a dungeon crawler fan like me. But then I started to worry. These games were not just exclusive to Nintendo's dual screen handheld: they were designed with the DS's unique multi-display touchscreen features firmly in mind. How could that possibly translate to PC?

[...]

Etrian Odyssey is so unmistakably its own thing, with its own beautiful style, that as legendary or foundational as the likes of Wizardry or The Bard's Tale or Legend of Grimrock are, the only dungeon crawlers like the Etrian Odyssey trilogy are other Etrian Odyssey games. They capture the idea of an enthralling freeform trek into the beautiful unknown, every step mixed with terror, wonder, and the consequences of our own character-building decisions and mapmaking skills. Our Steam libraries are better for having access to them, and this new smooth, unified experience feels as loving and respectful as a lavish Criterion Collection re-release of your favourite movie.

Etrian Odyssey's PC remakes feel less like ports and much more like a long overdue coming home party.

Jagged Alliance 3 can now be pre-ordered on Steam and GOG with a -20% discount, 'no skins attached':

Hire Your Mercs Now: Jagged Alliance 3 Pre-order Is Live!

Ah, pre-order! You, yes you, getting the marvelous opportunity to throw your hard-earned cash at publishers and developers before the game is even unleashed upon the world! But why on earth would you do that, you ask? Because obviously there's something special in store for you: the glorious promise of shiny items, consumables or cosmetics for your soon-to-be gaming extravaganza!

Except... Not with Jagged Alliance 3. Sorry to burst your pixelated bubble, but we didn't hop on the costume-making bandwagon for our badass Mercs. No sir, no fancy frills here. And just when you thought it couldn't get any better, guess what? We won't dangle the tempting carrot of some days of Early Access in front of you, nor will we tease you with ludicrous horse armor. Oh, no! We're cutting straight to the chase and saving you from any horsing around... because there are no horses either. And we are also passing on any kind of pass here.

But hey, don't lose faith just yet, brave gaming warrior! If you dare to put your trust in us and the mighty developers of Jagged Alliance 3, if you're brave enough to take that pre-order plunge, we've actually got something for you:

You'll be rewarded with a 20% discount! That's right, amigo, we're slashing a cool 20% off the regular price for our digital pre-order.

That's it. No skins attached.

Thanks Redglyph!

The action adventure Kromlech has been announced for 2024:

Kromlech - Official Live-Action Announcement Trailer

Thanks Couchpotato!

Couchpotato spotted changelog #6 for Zoria: Age of Shattering:

Skinning NPCs. Monthly Changelog #6

We're excited to share the latest update for Zoria: Age of Shattering. Our tiny team has been working non-stop to bring changes and improvements to sweeten your experience. This month we'd like to share what's new regarding NPCs design, new armor, leveling up, localization support, and added content!

So, let's dive right in and see what's new 😁

Technical Enhancements

This month we focused on localization support to prepare Zoria for implementing different languages as the development progresses. We want to make the game more accessible and not meant for English speakers only. Localization is always a complicated topic in game dev, and it's especially laborious and time-consuming in RPG games, where there's plenty of text. We'll keep you updated on that 😉 In the meantime, which languages would you like Zoria to be in? Let us know in the comments below!

We've made some changes to the levels at which you gain abilities. You'll be able to access more powerful abilities faster, making gameplay even more fun and engaging.

We've also been working on a major update to our in-house character creator, which we use for NPCs and game characters. This update will allow us to create far more diverse characters than initially planned, making the game world feel even more alive and immersive. We might add some of these changes to the Player Character Creator as well.

[...]

C4G checked out five local co-op/split screen Action Adventures and RPGs:

I Played 5 Local Co-op/Split Screen Action Adventures and RPGs

Thanks Couchpotato!

Indigo Gaming looks back at the development of Diablo 3:

Diablo III: A Cautionary Tale | 12 Years of Development Hell

As the “final word” on how Diablo III’s long and arduous journey from Blizzard North’s Diablo II successor to what it is now, Diablo III: A Cautionary Tale explores the story, reasoning, interviews, BlizzCon presentations, articles and deliberation surrounding the most anticipated PC sequel ever made. 

Diablo III quickly became the fastest-selling PC game of all time - success only outshone by its diabolical release. Bugs, login errors, changed or removed features, an axed Player Versus Player mode, wildly revamped progression systems, and broken itemization plagued a game that received nothing but praise in reviews before its release.

Did you love the game, hate it, or had ambiguous feelings around it? This video attempts to uncover why, and in excruciating detail, the development of this anticipated sequel turned out the way it did.

00:00 Introduction
04:12 2008, Announcement
18:58 2009-2011, Development Hell
48:59 2012, Cancellations, Major Changes
1:02:28 Launch
1:23:58 Post-Launch Problems/Patches
1:39:55 Lessons Learned

Thanks Couchpotato!

Couchpotato spotted this on PC Gamer:

Witcher 3 director and Cyberpunk producer launch a new studio: 'After working for years in an increasingly conservative industry, we’re ready to make bold, impactful projects'

A team of CD Projekt veterans including Witcher 3 co-director Mateusz Kanik, producer Jędrzej Mróz, and Cyberpunk 2077 senior producer Marcin Jefimow, have launched a new studio called Blank that is currently working on "a character-driven game set in an apocalypse, with a twist or two."

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"After working for years in an increasingly conservative industry, we’re ready to make bold, impactful projects that share our unique creativity and values," Kanik said. "Where the industry champions a dictatorship of the creative individual, we want to give ownership to the team. Where the industry leans on crunch culture, we prefer work-life balance. Where the industry says bigger is better, we’re setting our sights on highly polished games with a focus on emotion, story, and craftsmanship."

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