Couchpotato's Random RPG News

[Couchpotato]

My Elephant in the Room: An 'Old World' Postmortem

In this GDC 2022 session, Mohawk Games' Soren Johnson shares how Mohawk sought to reinvigorate the historical 4X genre by reducing thematic scope and removing rote decisions to make room for procedural characters and narrative.

Matt Chat Plays Dwarf Fortress

Dwarf Fortress started off as a freeware game back in 2002, but now the developers are millionaires with a tremendously successful product on their hands. What makes it special? Well, check out my video and see for yourself! It isn't for everybody, but if you're the sort who likes in-depth gameplay mechanics and attention to detail, you're going to LOVE this game.

Branching Path: Josh Torres’s Top 10 Games of 2022 - RPGSite

Enough about me though. Good taste in video games is what you’re here for. I don’t know if you’ll find it.

I’m only human though and did not get to every single video game I wanted to. The three games I really wanted to get to this year, but didn’t have time to, were Pentiment, Signalis, and Harvestella. I’ve heard amazing things about each of them, but life has gotten very strange for me recently so I had to focus my efforts elsewhere.

Another oddity that I deliberately did not put on my list is The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero. It finally received an official western release this year, but I’ve already played its original release on the PSP many, many years ago. I do plan to get around to playing this release though - just not right now.

Let's Roast RPGs For Absolutely God-awful Names - PCGamer

My job demands constant generation of headlines, so I get it: Coming up with titles for things is hard. But is it really as hard as the RPG genre makes it seem? Compared to all the other genres, RPG titles tend to, well, suck.

To prove the point, I developed a foolproof, objective method for critiquing the names of RPGs: the NameRanx™ system. I am following the example of my dear friend's "Girlfriend's Dad" test for rating beers. If your romantic partner's father asked you your favorite beer, would you be embarrassed to say the name out loud? Could you hold your head high and say "Guinness" or "Bell's Two Hearted," or would you have to sheepishly mumble something like "Old Bastard Brewing's Epic Bacon Coffee Cookie Porter (it's their winter seasonal)?"

GOG.COM - Year in Review

The end of the year and the beginning of the new one, is a very special time that allows us to take a moment to look back, and sum up everything that has happened. Those reflections are crucial in gaining more knowledge, celebrating our successes, and growing in pursuit of providing you with the very best experience while using both GOG and GOG GALAXY.

Having said that, 2022 was a year full of excitement, great new ideas, overcoming challenges, as well as finding and implementing new improvements and initiatives. And today, when we are looking back at this year, we are happy, proud and grateful.

Happy, because we’ve managed to achieve goals that we’ve set for ourselves and for our community. Proud, because when facing challenges, we ended up better than we were before. And grateful, for you – our community and fellow gaming enthusiasts, because, simply, you’re the best.

Cygnus Enterprises Interview - RPGamer

Cygnus Enterprises is an isometric action RPG with a strategic base-building sim elements developed by Team Miaozi, currently avalaible now in Early Access on Steam. We had the chance to ask the Creative Director Eva Jobse and the Lead Designer Oleksandr Pankov for Cygnus Enterprises some questions about the game and future content development plans.

 

[Stingray]

Let's Roast RPGs For Absolutely God-awful Names - PCGamer

Was glad to see that one of the "Tales" games made their list among the worst names ever, even if it wasn't "Tales of Arise" which is one of the biggest crimes against English ever. I cringe every time I see that name go by in a forum thread or news post.

 

[JDR13]

Was glad to see that one of the "Tales" games made their list among the worst names ever, even if it wasn't "Tales of Arise" which is one of the biggest crimes against English ever. I cringe every time I see that name go by in a forum thread or news post.

Well, the games themselves aren't very good either imo.

 

[Stingray]

I wouldn't know, but I have no problem believing it.

 

[Couchpotato]

Dying Light 2 Stay Human — End of the Year Wrap Up

You are a wanderer with the power to change the fate of The City. But your exceptional abilities come at a price. Haunted by memories you cannot decipher, you set out to learn the truth… and find yourself in a combat zone. Hone your skills, as to defeat your enemies and make allies, you’ll need both fists and wits. Unravel the dark secrets behind the wielders of power, choose sides and decide your destiny. But wherever your actions take you, there's one thing you can never forget — stay human.

SpellForce: Conquest of Eo Gameplay (PC)

SpellForce: Conquest of Eo pc gameplay preview (no commentary).

Starfield is the biggest Xbox Exclusive in a Decade - VGC

For an entire generation, it has felt like Xbox has been waiting to have big games in a row to kickstart its first party.

2023 is when that changes. Starfield is an “I booked the week off work” RPG. A huge, boundless epic that will absolutely control the gaming space for weeks. This will be the game during the month of release.

New Dragon’s Dogma 2 News Could Be Coming Soon - Exputer

Hideaki Itsuno is currently immersed in the game's production, and hopes to give players some info as soon as possible.

Elden Ring shows how to make brilliant open-world games - PCGamesn

I hope that in the next five or so years, we get an open-world game as monumentally important as Elden Ring, which understands why it was as good as it was before bettering it in every way. Realistically, it will take that long for someone to usurp it from its lofty throne.

 

[Couchpotato]

2023 Could Be The The Elder Scrolls Online's Best Year Yet - TheGamer

The one thing that screams out to me from all these blog posts and updates is that Zenimax is still passionate about ESO’s future, and after years of feedback, it’s taking on community concerns to make 2023 not only a return to form, but the biggest leap in its history since 2015’s huge overhaul and rebrand with Tamriel Unlimited.

RPG Maker Unite details Custom Expansions - Gematsu

Gotcha Gotcha Games has released new information and screenshots for RPG Maker Unite introducing the role-playing game creation tool’s custom expansions.

Horizon Forbidden West Alpha Build has been Leaked - DSO

While we won’t be sharing any links to the leaked alpha build, I’m pretty sure that most will be able to find it. This alpha build comes with a Debug Menu Unlock Code that can be unpacked with PKGEditor. Thus, modders/hackers can take a look and archive, collect and examine the game’s alpha content.

In theory, this alpha build should be playable on a jailbroken PS4. However, and for PC gamers, I don’t believe this is THAT interesting. After all, there is currently no way to play it on PC.

Unfortunately, there is no video of this leaked build (or a video comparison between it and the final/retail version).

 

[Couchpotato]

Robbing from the rich in Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord - PCGamer

There's an ancient, established tradition of folk tales featuring outlaw heroes. In Britain we have Hereward the Wake and Robin Hood. The US has Davy Crockett and Wyatt Earp. And in China there's an entire genre of writing, called Youxia (literally 'wandering vigilante'), devoted to tales about men who travel the land writing wrongs and protecting the weak. But is it possible to live this way in Mount & Blade 2? To eschew the feudal trappings of land and power in favour of a life spent living on the road, fighting injustice? Yes. To roam the forests, waiting to strike out against the rich, lazy, and powerful? Also yes, but to a lesser extent. And only after a lot of preparation.

The Darkening of Tristram Returns January 3, 2023 - Blizzard

Diablo’s anniversary is right around the corner, along with the Darkening of Tristram event! Whether you’re a series veteran craving nostalgia, or a newcomer hungry for your first taste of the franchise’s past, this annual loving homage to the earliest days of Diablo is for you. Read on for more, including a closer look at the anniversary dungeon and its unique rewards.

PC Gamer runner up Game of the Year is Marvel's Midnight Suns

https://twitter.com/x/status/1608485546665418766

 

[Alrik Fassbauer]

Let's Roast RPGs For Absolutely God-awful Names - PCGamer

I like that.

But, in my opinion, especial asian developers manage to make absolutely awful English language names/titles.

 

[Couchpotato]

Spiderweb - Geneforge 2 - Infestation remake from Spiderweb Software

Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spiderwebsoftware/geneforge-2-infestation

rpgcodex.net

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim gets a new fully voiced massive quest mod

Modder 'Elizabeth Jackson Hall' has released a new fully voiced huge quest mod for both the LE and the SE of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

www.dsogaming.com

Now that’s what I call PC games news 2022!

PC games news never stops, so here’s our rundown of some of the best snippets 2022 had to offer; from Elden Ring to Plague Tale, Midnight Suns to High on Life

www.pcgamesn.com

Microsoft says three future Bethesda games will be PC, Xbox exclusive

In a statement on the Activision Blizzard merger, Microsoft says three future Bethesda games, perhaps Starfield, Redfall, and Elder Scrolls 6, will be exclusive

www.pcgamesn.com

 

[kborom]

Happy New Year Couch!

 

[Couchpotato]

Fallout: London - 4th Quarter 2022 Progress Video

Fallout: London is a DLC-sized mod for Bethesda’s Fallout 4. As a continuation of the base game, the mod will allow the player to visit the previously unexplored post-apocalyptic environment of London, As a divergence from previous official titles in the series, Fallout: London is not set in America. Visiting a totally new setting allows for us to explore totally new cultures which have not homogenized with their American counterparts. It also allows us to explore pre-war European history, and the effects the Resource Wars had on the class structured society of pre-war Britain. Welcome to our 2nd Quarter 2022 video update, we would like to thank you for your continued support and hope you enjoy what you see.

RPG Site Best of 2022 Awards

RPG Site Best of 2022 Awards - our picks for the best of the year | RPG Site

After multiple hours of deliberations, one title stood above the rest..just barely.

www.rpgsite.net

RPG Site Best of 2022 Awards: Readers' Choice in Detail | RPG Site

We picked our favorites of 2022, but so have you! Here's what you picked as the best RPGs of 2022.

www.rpgsite.net

RPG Site's Most Anticipated RPGs of 2023 | RPG Site

The RPGs we're most interested in seeing in 2023.

www.rpgsite.net

HardcoreDroid Best Phone RPG Games

Best Android RPGs 2023 - Hardcore Droid

Want to start the new year off with an epic RPG? Then check out our list of the best Android RPGs 2023.

www.hardcoredroid.com

Best iPhone RPGs 2024 - Hardcore iOS

Start the year right by checking out our list of the Best iPhone RPGs.

hardcoreios.com

 

[Couchpotato]

Path of Exile A 2022 Retrospective - Grinding Gear Games

It's hard to believe that we've already made it to the end of 2022! As we start to welcome in the new year, we wanted to take a moment to look back on the year that was.

Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms Saying Goodbye to 2022 - Steam

As the year comes to a close, we wanted to take a moment to say thank you to our amazing community and players. Your support and enthusiasm for Alaloth has been a constant source of motivation for us, and we are so grateful for your passion. 2022 has been a very though year for us as a team.

Atomic Heart Final Q&A Part I - Wccftech

With less than two months remaining before gamers get their hands on the title, we were able to interview Mundfish founder and Game Director Robert Bagratuni for our fourth and final Atomic Heart Q&A. Today, we're publishing the first part entirely focused on the game's development process and what will come out after launch; later this week, we'll post the second half on all of the cutting-edge tech supported by the game.

How Hard Sci-Fi Seems to Be Influencing Starfield - Gamerant

Starfield is hopefully around the corner with a release date for the first half of 2023, and excitement continues to grow among players. Set in the future some 300 years, Starfield will undoubtedly embrace core sci-fi elements in its narrative and gameplay, featuring hundreds of star systems and over a thousand planets to explore. While this opens the door for thrilling adventures, many hope Bethesda will utilize hard sci-fi for the game's mechanics.

 

[JFarrell71]

I went looking to see about this new quest mod for Skyrim, and bizarrely it's listed on the Nexus under gameplay mods, even though it doesn't afaik change gameplay at all. Just a heads up if anyone looks for it.

 

[Couchpotato]

Thanks but hey the file size is almost 400Mb so yeah it's not a massive quest mod.

Anyway I don't get paid to Q&A news.

 

[SpoonFULL]

The RPG site and articles on best of 2022 listed by Couch should be renamed to JRPG Site!

 

[Couchpotato]

The RPG site and articles on best of 2022 listed by Couch should be renamed to JRPG Site!

Psst...they are a JRPG site so yeah not surprised but your comment has merit.

 

[Couchpotato]

Pawsecuted A NEO Scavenger Clone - Steam

A brutal, slightly absurd tactical survival RPG. Play a rabbit escaping a koala-run convict camp in a procedurally generated, post-human apocalyptic world. Battle emus and hire kangaroo mercenaries. Scavenge supplies, gather and trade materials, recruit followers and rebuild society.

10 minutes of new Wo Long: Fallen Dynsasty Gameplay

Check out 10 minutes of exclusive new gameplay from Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, the upcoming soulsborne action-RPG from Team Ninja (makers of Nioh and Ninja Gaiden) as our month of exclusive IGN First coverage kicks off. Wo Long will be released on March 3 for Xbox platforms (including Xbox Game Pass on day one), PlayStation platforms, and PC.

Solasta: Crown of the Magister - To Another Year of Adventures

Hey there folks!The Tactical Adventures team wishes you all a happy 2023! Here's to another year of adventures at your side. And for those who are curious... Keep an eye out, we've got interesting stuff coming up!

Publishers Should be Thanking Modders - PCGamer

Deus Ex is a game stuffed with essential dialogue—political philosophy from Ion Storm firebrand Sheldon Pacotti, and lifesaving advice from your big brother Paul Denton. And so a rendering bug that skipped the last four or five words of every line proved practically game-breaking when I booted up the classic shooter-RPG for another playthrough on its 20th anniversary.

• "Some say concentrated power leads to abuse, but I believe that if an institution has a solid foundation it can survive the narrow aspirations of—"
• "It's only a matter of time before someone clever and ambitious figures out that the tools of dictatorship have been ready-made by—"
• "A nonlethal takedown is always the most silent way to—"

A quick google brought me to a Steam forum thread, where veterans recommended editing .ini files in the bowels of the game to solve the problem. It all looked a little gnarly. "Or," read one reply, "you could just use kenties launcher".

 

[Couchpotato]

Wizards of the Coast Cancels Five Video Game Projects - Comicbook

Bloomberg specifically cites independent studios Otherside Entertainment and Hidden Path Entertainment as being impacted by these cancellations. Hidden Path was working on a Dungeons & Dragons video game, with job postings made for the game as late as September 2022, while Otherside Entertainment was also reportedly working on a Dungeons & Dragons game. Less than fifteen employees of Wizards of the Coast will also lose their job, but Bloomberg states that all will be given the opportunity to apply for other positions within the company.

QA staff at ZeniMax Studios unanimously votes to unionize - Gamedeveloper

Almost a full month after announcing its formation, a "supermajority" of over 300 QA workers across Bethesda and its parent company ZeniMax Studios have unanimously voted to unionize.

This new union marks the first to be formed under Microsoft, which acquired Bethesda and ZeniMax back in 2020. And the Communications Workers of America added that it also exists as the largest union in the western game industry.

Atlus teasing "multiple games in development" - RPGSite

In 2023, in addition to our plans to release our remasters of Persona 4: Golden and Persona 3: Portable, we have several unannounced titles currently in the midst of development. We hope you can look forward to when we can formally announce them!

Fable 4 Rebooted Rumor was Debunked - Gamespot

Following rumors that Fable 4's current build was scrapped and restarted from the ground up in the Unreal game development engine, journalist Jez Corden debunked the claims on Twitter. Corden tweeted, "Hard confirmed that this is total lies" in response to the tweet containing the rumors. Head of Gamesintustry.biz Christopher Dring also chimed in to say the claims aren't true.

Starfield Confirmed for First Half 2023 - VGC

Bethesda has reiterated it intends to release Xbox console exclusive Starfield during the first half of the year. The statement was made on a newly-launched support site for the Todd Howard RPG (spotted by the StarfieldBeyond Twitter), which went live at the start of this month. “Starfield arrives exclusively on Xbox Series X|S and PC in the first half of 2023,” it states. Starfield will also release for PC and cloud streaming.

 

[Couchpotato]

Obsidian Studio News

What to Expect from Obsidian Entertainment in 2023

Obsidian Entertainment fans should have a lot to look forward to in the new year, like Grounded updates and news on the studio's upcoming games.

gamerant.com

Xbox Exclusive Hellblade 2 & Avowed Rumored Release Date Revealed

The rumored release date for both Xbox Game Studios' Hellblade 2 and Avowed have been revealed, based on the latest information.

twistedvoxel.com

Avowed Development Rebooted To Focus On Features That Matter

The reason why the development of Avowed was reportedly rebooted was because Obsidian wanted to focus on features that matter the most.

twistedvoxel.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/y6jzlc

 

[largh]

Starfield Confirmed for First Half 2023 - VGC

Was I too negative with this one? I was so convinced it would release in November 2023 that I did not even consider the possibility it could release before July. If the release schedules keep, first half and summer of 2023 will be crammed with big releases (Hogwart's legacy, Starfield, Diablo 4, Baldur's gate 3 at least)...