Splattercatgaming checked out the tactical RPG Dustwind: Resistance:

Post Apocalyptic Wasteland Strategy RPG - Dustwind Resistance

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The dungeon crawler Legends of Amberland III: The Crimson Tower has been announced:

Legends of Amberland III: The Crimson Tower

Legends of Amberland III: The Crimson Tower is a classic western RPG inspired by the games from the 90s like Might & Magic, Wizardry, Ultima, the Gold Box series and others. Using the classic first-person perspective, over grid movement, turn-based system to travel in an open world with fast travel options and a quick combat.

You lead a party of 7 adventurers, manually assembled or pre-made, on an epic adventure to fight the evil which lurks in Amberland. It's light, fairy tale, epic, heroic and slightly humorous. It does not take tons of hours to complete or require an endless grind to progress. Basically, it's a love letter from the 90s, the golden era of RPGs.

Notable features:

• First person perspective, 90 degree rotation, over grid movement (like in the 90s).
• Turn-based (both combat and exploration).
• Party-based (7 heroes, either predefined or manually assembled upon new game).
• Fast paced combat, especially blazing fast against much weaker enemies.
• Quick travel to reduce backtracking.
• Easy inventory management with separate personal equipment encumbrance system and an infinite magic bag of carrying for items not equipped at the moment.
• Open world with a big overworld to explore.
• Quests (including both main storyline quests and side quests).
• Rich world lore (spanning between all games of the series, but no knowledge of prior games required).

Technicalities:
The game was designed to look and feel like one of the old games while working flawlessly on modern machines, especially on very high resolutions. It has very low hardware requirements and should run on even very old machines.

About the relation to other games in the series:
The Legends of Amberland titles can be played in any order you wish. They share the same world and lore (historical events) but each has a separate and self-contained story. There might be some mild references to events in the previous titles of the series, but more like a flavor, so it does not hinder the ability to play those in any order.

WolfheartFPS checked out Of Ash and Steel:

First Look Of Ash and Steel Gameplay (Open-World Indie RPG)

Splattercatgaming checked out Archaelund:

This Hidden Gem Open World RPG Just Got a HUGE Overhaul - Archaelund

Mortismal Gaming checked out Horizon Forbidden West:

Horizon Forbidden West - First Impressions

Like every week the RPG Crawler sums up the CRPG news:

CRPG News Roundup 7 12 2025

Games Industry reports that Lords of the Fallen surpassed 5.5 Million players.

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Couchpotato spotted a new development update for Dragonkin: The Banished:

Loot Filter & Death Recap and more...

Hello Dragon hunters,

There is tons of new content throughout the Tracker update, and this past month showed off some you can expect this summer:

• New Class:  The Tracker
• New Biome: Erde-nòr
• New Skills: For each class
• New City feature: The Draconic Atlas
• New Endgame feature: The Draconic Tarot
• That said, there's more to come, and we haven't shared everything yet.

In today’s post, we want to talk a bit about the Quality of Life improvements we’ve been working on over the past few weeks, including some that have been highly requested since the start of Early Access.

Let's take a look!

[...]

Learn more about the character Satoru:

Travellers of the Road - Satoru

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Patch 1.06a for Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon has been released. Here's a list of changes.

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Learn more about War Sails:

Greetings Warriors of Calradia!

Our “Setting Sail” dev blog revealed the expanded Calradia coming with War Sails as well as the new campaign gameplay mechanics — and your questions quickly followed. Below you’ll find answers to some of the most common ones since our last Q&A.

Got something else you’re curious about? Drop your questions below — we’ll be picking some for the next Q&A!

General

Is the new expanded/changed map from War Sails also in the base game, or do you have two different world maps?
There will be two separate world maps - the existing one for the base game and the new one for War Sails. The latter will contain changes relevant to naval gameplay and the new Nord faction discussed in our last blog.

Will bridges interrupt sailing on rivers?
No, bridges won’t disrupt your naval voyage.

How many towns and castles will the new Nord kingdom control?
Four towns and ten castles, though the exact number of castles may still change slightly as we balance the experience.

What food will the Nordic villages produce?
The harsh environment of the North makes it harder to produce surplus grain, leaving the Nords to rely more on fish. Several villages across the map also had their production changed to accommodate the new Warlus Ivory and Whale Oil trade goods, as well as to boost fish yields, bringing them on par with grain as another staple food source of Calradia. All of these will introduce new trade opportunities in combination with naval voyages.

What will happen to the islands between the Aserai and the Empire?
They will no longer be there in the War Sails map.

[...]

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Neverwinter Nights 2: EE (RPGWatch link) can be preordered on GOG with a loyalty discount for Neverwinter Nights 2 Complete owners.

Couchpotato spotted the main theme video of Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy:

Main Theme | Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy

The Turn Based Lovers present games of their favourite genre:

Top 10 Turn-Based RPGs and Strategy Games of July 2025

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Fextralife presents some action RPGs:

BEST ARPGs To Play NOW (Console & PC)

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Mortismal Gaming checked out Of Ash and Steel:

Check Out: Of Ash And Steel

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IGN checked out Of Ash and Steel and compares it to Piranha Bytes games:

Of Ash and Steel Is a Charmingly Old-School Fantasy Adventure

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The Turn Based Lovers list 20 tactical RPGs that are currently in development:

Top 20 Tactical RPGs Coming in 2025–2026 You Need on Your Wishlist

Let me show you some of the most promising TRPGs for 2025 and 2026

Today, I carved out some time to put together a list of 20 of the most intriguing tactical RPGs currently in development. Some are right around the corner, others are a bit further off, and a few still don’t have a solid release date.

Either way, it’s clear this is one of our favorite genres—titles with tactical combat, grid-based or otherwise, whether nestled in narrative-driven isometric RPGs or wrapped in roguelite frameworks.

Tactical RPGs are a wonderful challenge. Not only do you need to develop the stats and equipment of characters, devising the best builds for each encounter or creating specialized roles, but you also need to take positioning and timing into account.

There are plenty of big-name examples out there. Baldur’s Gate 3 is technically a tactical RPG, but there are also a ton of indie titles on the horizon that you may not have heard of. Let’s take a look at 20 upcoming TRPGs that are worth keeping an eye on.

[...]

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The J-RPG Varlet will be released on August 27:

VARLET - Announcement Trailer

To be a "leader" that guides others forward, or to be an uncompromising "ruler"...VARLET is a school life RPG where, through encounters with troubled boys and girls who are also searching for themselves, you begin to uncover a version of yourself you never knew existed.

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Learn more about the main characters of Norse: Oath of Blood:

Bloodlines & Betrayal - Part One

Last week we talked about the various artisans that will be helping you build your village in The Viking Artisans of Suthrvik - Part One and Part Two.

This week we are introducing to you some of NORSE: Oath of Blood’s main characters in this two part series - Bloodlines and Betrayal.

Bloodlines & Betrayal - Part One
Every saga is born of fire, a single flame that catches and consumes. In NORSE: Oath of Blood, that fire is betrayal. From the ashes of treachery rises a tale of ambition, honor, and vengeance. These are the warriors at the heart of it all.

Gunnar Grípsson

The son of Jarl Grípr, Gunnar is charismatic, headstrong, and born to lead. When his father is cut down by the very man sworn to protect him, Gunnar escapes with only his sister, Sigrid, and Arn Spear-Breaker at his side.

Gifted land, a boat, and a small crew by his uncle, Jarl Egil, Gunnar must carve out a new life, earning sword-fame with every enemy faced, with every battle won. Only with a thriving settlement and a warband at his back will he stand a chance of taking his revenge and reclaiming his birthright.

Sigrid Grípsdóttir

Gunnar’s twin, Sigrid, is iron-willed and sharp-tongued. More at home with a spear than a spindle, her parents gave up trying to tame her long ago. A jarl’s daughter is meant to marry for alliance, but Sigrid won’t be bartered like silver. 

She’s no man’s prize, and a match for any warrior who dares face her.

Arn Shield-Breaker

Once the personal bodyguard of Gunnar and Sigrid’s mother, Ragnihldr, Arn is a seasoned warrior and sharp-minded tactician. When betrayal tears their world apart, it is Arn who leads the twins to safety.

Fiercely loyal, he serves as mentor and shield, standing beside them as their strength—and their enemies—grow.

[...]

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Learn more about companion quests in GreedFall 2:

GreedFall 2 | Companion Quests

Greetings Carants! 

With the arrival of companion quests in the previous update, there's much to discuss. Today, we'd like to talk about some of aspects of this feature, including what to expect at full release.

As your companions travel alongside you and help push back the evil threatening the land, they will eventually approach you with a task at hand... 

After reaching a certain point in the story, you'll be able to approach your companions aboard the Constanzia and set off on their personal quests. These are a unique chance to aid your companions with their various problems and goals, all while getting to know them. Scour through different parts of the land, learn more about the world you inhabit, and unearth various secrets along the way as you accompany them.

You can, of course, also choose to ignore them and see where their stories go without lending them a helping hand. Will they be able to escape what haunts them without you, however? Only time will tell.

Romance is also an important aspect of the game. Many companions have the potential to be romanced ( a few politely declined when we asked if they’d be interested, so they aren’t romanceable ) and will be available regardless of the gender chosen at the start of the game.

Furthermore, unlike the previous installment, unique final scenes made with motion capture have been created to really seal the deal and make each romance feel more fulfilling.

"Yes, that's right. You'll need to kill a thousand boars to unlock my first friendship level."

Though the full versions will only become available at the game’s final release, each character will have a fleshed-out personal quest for you to discover. Perhaps you’ll gain a friend, foe, or love will blossom... in the end, it’s up to you, your choices, and how you wish to see their stories end!  

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Couchpotato spotted dev diary #26 for MENACE:

Dev Diary #26: Vehicle Defects

Despite having talked a lot about vehicles in the past, we never explained how their health, damage, or defects work. You will see that vehicles and infantry are handled very differently in the game in a lot of aspects:

Vehicle vs. Mechs
Before diving into the actual damage mechanics, we should take a step back and look at the different types of vehicles in the game. While there are various types within each category, the biggest difference lies between vehicles and walkers.

Vehicles include any machine that uses tracks, wheels, or similar to propel itself forward.

Mechs use any number, mainly two, of legs to traverse the battlefield.

Vehicles tend to be heavier and thus more resilient to enemy fire, while most mechs have the advantage of sporting two weapon slots that can carry additional firepower. Vehicles also have directional armour values, while mechs have the same armour facing all directions. Vehicles are usually much heavier armoured in the front, less so on the sides, and the least in the back.

Differences in Movement
Due to their strong inertia, vehicles are faster when moving in straight lines, especially when additionally taking advantage of roads. A vehicle on a straight road will move across a big portion of the map in one turn.

However, the big forward inertia and speed make it hard to take quick turns. Driving around corners or obstacles requires vehicles to slow down significantly to prevent losing control. In the game, turning a vehicle costs a substantial amount of action points, so good planning ahead is needed.

Ensuring the vehicle has a straight and obstacle-free path of approach is crucial to maximizing its speed.

While not reaching these high speeds, mechs or walkers have the advantage of being able to turn on the spot. They do not need to pay any additional AP to change their facing or direction; this makes them very manoeuvrable and flexible on the battlefield.

While vehicles excel at moving through open terrain, mechs or walkers are king in confined spaces like settlements. Vehicles can become bogged down very quickly when navigating narrow roads and alleys. Enemies can also quickly flank them and attack their flank or rear for maximum effect.

Mechs or walkers are highly maneuverable in settlements and move just like infantry units, allowing them to quickly change positions, face any emerging threat, and react swiftly to changes on the battlefield. They also do not have a weak spot, such as low rear armor.

[...]

Couchpotato spotted a new Age of Wonders 4 - Dev Diary:

Dev Diary #46 - Archon Prophecy: Tomes (Part 2)

Hello again! My name is Luis, senior designer at Triumph Studios, and as promised, this week I will be telling you about the Tome of the Revenant and the Tome of the Archon, which are new Tier 4 tomes in the Archon Prophecy expansion coming out on the 12th of August.

Tome of the Archon

The Tome of the Archon is a pure Order Tier 4 tome whose spells evoke Archonic magic of purity and rebirth. Through its power you will be able to field the mighty Titan and summon the ancient Astra to smite your enemies.

The Titan is an Archon Tier 4 Mythic of tremendous power and with the capability to redeem the souls of its enemies. Its Sunburst ability deals Fire and Radiant damage, burns and blinds in an area. Mend the Weak heals as a free action, with its effect doubled when cast on units close to death. 

Its Rite of Atonement ability makes it so that upon killing an enemy, their soul reforms and transforms into a Tier 1 Lesser Light Spirit, a new support elemental unit of Order affinity added in the free patch coming together with this expansion. If they survive until the end of battle you can purchase them for a mana cost as their Tier 3 evolved form, the Light Spirit.

The Titan is unlocked for draft in the city with the construction of the tome’s Archon Gate which serves as a Teleporter Special Province Improvement that grants high Stability to the city.

[...]

Persona5: The Phantom X Version 1.1 is live - you can play the second chapter of the main story now:

Persona X-Stream ver. 1. 1

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Learn more about Kloe:

Kloe Character Trailer - Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

Kloe Rinz reveals her kind hearted nature and close bond with the white falcon Sieg in this brand new Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter character trailer.

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The devs of The Expanse: Osiris Reborn explain Gamepressure that the game is not a Mass Effect clone.

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Rock Paper Shotgun checked out Space Scum:

Space Scum is a sci-fi strategy RPG take on Battle Brothers

With very emotive space rats

I did scan strategy RPG Space Scum's trailer a few times for the hint of a feature that didn't make me immediately think, ah yeah, that's just like Battle Brothers innit. This is a bit unfair of me. After all, your dudes sit on chess piece-like plinths in this one. That's innovation, right? Anyway, I like the art and the bloke from the trailer looks like he'd nut me if I dwelled on the comparison too long. With someone else's face. So, here's a trailer. There's also a Steam demo from next month, although you can sign up for a playtest now.

[...]

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Couchpotato spotted some previews for Of Ash and Steel - the closed playtest has started:

COG: Of Ash and Steel Preview

Wccftech: Of Ash and Steel Playtest Hands-On Preview – A Very Long Journey Ahead

RPGamer: Of Ash and Steel Impression

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences interviewed Lorien Testard, the composer for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33:

How the Music of Expedition 33 Became This Composer's FIRST Game Project | Game Maker's Notebook

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Mortismal Gaming reviewed the J-RPG Bloomtown: A Different Story:

Bloomtown: A Different Story - Review After 100%

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Couchpotato spotted two new trailers for Borderlands 4:

Borderlands 4 - Official Vex Gameplay Overview Trailer

Borderlands 4 - Official Vex 'Purple Friday' Character Story Trailer

Henriquejr spotted update 1.4.1 for Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader:

Massive post-release update 1.4.1 is live!

Lord Captains! We are back with a massive post-release update 1.4.1 for the Lex Imperialis expansion!

In it, we’ve addressed many of your common concerns - we allow you to recruit Solomorne earlier, add a lot of narrative adjustments, bring you new reactivity, new visuals, new items, fixing many technical issues and much more!

Note that consoles will take a bit more time to receive this update - it may be deployed there within 24 to 48 hours.

Highlights:

• By your numerous requests, Solomorne’s recruitment mission now begins much earlier, at the very beginning of Act II. He will also now properly address the Lord Captain before leaving for Footfall!
• Also by your numerous requests, helmeted portraits for the Arbitrator origin!
• Additional reactivity and NPC banter across the Lex Imperialis locations;
• Narrative adjustments and improvements for Lex Imperialis locations and characters;
• Many new beautiful visuals;
• New protocols for familiars and interaction of protocols with Convictions;
• Many new items;
• Fixes and clarifications for items and abilities;
• Fixes for crashes, softlocks, lags, desyncs and other reported issues;
• Localization fixes;
• And MUCH more!

[...]

Tim talks about user interfaces:

Inventory UI: Grid vs. List

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Couchpotato spotted dev update #14 for Solasta II:

Dev Update #14 - Summer Project Update (+ July Dev Stream)

It’s time to take a look at what we’re working on!

Praise the sun, adventurers!

Actually scratch that, it’s been getting a little TOO hot for comfort lately. Summer do be hitting hard, and we poor developers have not yet developed resistance to fire damage (oh how we wish we did). On a more serious note, today we’re returning to the roots of our Dev Updates - just like we did on Crown of the Magister, it’s time to take a look at what we’re working on!

Community Stream #10 Friday July 11th
For those of you who want to chat directly with us, July’s Community Stream is right around the corner! Join us this Friday to discuss everything Solasta II. We’ll notably be tackling the worries some shared about using the 2024 Ruleset before moving back to talking about the development of the game itself, so don’t hesitate to come talk to us if you still have questions about that topic! And as promised, we’ll be live both on YouTube and Twitch from now on.

[...]

Fextralife checked out Lost Soul Aside:

Lost Soul Aside GAMEPLAY Preview - SHOULD You Play it? DMC Meets Final Fantasy

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Mortismal Gaming checked out Oblivion Remastered again:

TES: Oblivion Remastered - Several Months & A Couple Updates Later

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Bobby Pashalidis of Console Creatures talks about his personal experience with Final Fantasy IX:

Final Fantasy 9’s Story Of Finding Your Place Helped Me At A Vulnerable Time

You don't need a reason to help people

In November 2000, I had no idea how much my life would change that year. I was on the cusp of high school, finally finding myself, and my life changed as I knew it. I had the best life a kid could ask for; my friends were incredible, I had a girl I liked, and the aughts were a time of discovering who I was meant to be.

For Christmas that year, my parents surprised me with the PSOne and a copy of Final Fantasy 9. I spent that winter break obsessed with Vivi, Steiner, Garnet, and Zidane. I would go to bed late, sneak downstairs at 3 AM to play some more, then go back to bed and wake up and play for hours. I didn’t know how much things would change in mere months, and Final Fantasy 9 was the only game that left me feeling connected to a previous life.

This holiday break would be the last one I would spend in my childhood home in the town I spent years exploring. Later that summer, I’d move away and leave behind everything I’d overcome for a new city as I began high school with no friends and no confidence. I had lost everything that I’d worked towards until that point, and having to rebuild my life was a challenge.

And that was one message that stuck with me: despite all my struggles facing a new environment and at a time I felt alone, I was able to overcome those challenges and become my best self. It is why I felt like Vivi was the perfect driving force for Final Fantasy 9. He often applied the lessons he learned to his life, and he gradually became more confident, more decisive, and even gained new friends to lean on when he needed them.

At the time, Final Fantasy 7 and 8 were the more mature, futuristic entries, and they are some of my favourite games in the series, but the return to the series’ roots in Final Fantasy 9 was a wise decision.

Final Fantasy 9’s Message Holds True Today
The cast stands out because most of the characters are relatable, especially after the previous two games, which were often more sombre. There is certainly something to be said about Cloud and Squall as characters, and while I do adore them, Zidane was wildly refreshing, as he was a lot more outgoing and optimistic from the outset. Then you’ve got Vivi, a cute little kid trying to find a place in the world and where he fits in. Dagger kept her nerve in the face of tragedy. Every character has a part to play, and each one adds something meaningful to the story.

[...]

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Windows Central talked with Owlcat about WH40K: Rogue Trader and their next game Dark Heresy:

Owlcat Games talks to us about about WH40K: Rogue Trader, the next game 'Dark Heresy' — and how the studio feels about working with Xbox Game Pass

Owlcat Games has risen to RPG royalty thanks to Pathfinder and Rogue Trader, what's next for one of gaming's most interesting studios?

[Picture: Dark Heresy sees you play as an Inquisitorial Acolyte as you investigate the machinations of Chaos and its threats to the Imperium. (Image credit: Owlcat Games)]

Last week, I rolled credits on Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, which at over 200 hours in I can honestly say is not only one of the best CRPGs I've ever played — it's simply one of the best video games I've played in general.

I went in with only the most basic surface-level knowledge of Warhammer 40K as a universe, and have, due to Rogue Trader, found myself now buying books, minifigs, and taking painting courses to fully immerse myself into the decades-long tradition.

[...]

To that end, we recently caught up with Owlcat Games' Antaoly Shestov, exec producer, and Andrey Tsvetkov, head of publishing, to learn more about WH40K Rogue Trader, the next game, Dark Heresy, and also learn more about the studio's approach to Game Pass.

Owlcat on its WH40K: Rogue Trader learnings

[Picture: Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader's latest expansion Lex Imperialis explores the Adeptus Arbites, which is essentially the Imperium's police force. (Image credit: Owlcat Games)]

In Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, you play as one of the Imperium's frontier explorers, whose ancient charge gives them some leeway to "bend" laws for the "good" of humanity. It's a broad canvas for exploring the WH40K universe, as the adventures you'll get up to as the Rogue Trader sees you touch various corners of the lore.

I found the game's approach to storytelling to be absolutely phenomenal, with player choice absolutely core to the experience. WH40K is as dark as they come as a universe, whose ultraviolence and dystopic bleakness has inspired generations of creators across gaming and other mediums.

I asked Executive Producer Anatoly Shestov if the next title, Dark Heresy, would share Rogue Trader's affinity for onboarding new players into the medium. "Absolutely," Shestov explains. "From the very first days, Rogue Trader was made with the main idea 'let's share with the world why we love Warhammer.' And we definitely will continue to."

Indeed, Rogue Trader was exemplary at explaining Warhammer 40K lore, going beyond even titles like Space Marine 2, allowing players to highlight key terms to learn added context.

[...]

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Couchpotato spotted update 1.2 for Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered:

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered - Update 1.2

In update 1.2 we’ve focused on various fixes for quests, gameplay, and performance. In addition, we’ve included several damage settings to allow you to fine tune your play experience. While 1.2 won’t roll out to all other platforms just yet, you will be able to experience this update on our Steam Beta later today.

See the full list of changes coming with 1.2 below:

[...]

Space Scum will get a demo in August:

Space Scum - Demo Coming August 2025

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