Wētā Workshop and Private Division have officially announced a new title, , coming later this year. This is the first collaboration by developer Wētā Workshop, known for its work on the special effects in film series, and Private Division, the prolific publisher of indie games ranging from and to and.
Although little but the broadest details are available about, it's finally possible to get a first look at its gameplay. And most importantly, it has a release window, so players who want to return to Hobbiton can clear their schedules in preparation. Here's everything to know about game so far.
is scheduled for release in the second half of 2024, although just what month and day isn't yet clear. Even though the existence of a game developed by Wētā Workshop was teased back in August 2022, little was known about the game until just recently. Its title, along with a couple of pieces of concept art, were revealed in a brief teaser in September 2023. The release date and first gameplay details premiered in the announcement trailer seen above.
will be available on most current-gen platforms, including the Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam. There's no word on a release for previous-gen consoles like PS4 or Xbox One yet, so it looks like players on those platforms will need to upgrade for.
takes place in the universe — specifically in the town of Bywater. Players have free rein over the town, a land of rolling hills, babbling brooks, and lush greenery. However, unlike other games, is set in a time of peace. There are no grand adventures, all-powerful rings, or raging battles. Much like the life Bilbo Baggins envisions for himself, is lighthearted, idyllic, and relaxing. It's the first game of its kind in the franchise, and could explore a very different period in The Shire's history.
Although Bywater is distinguished from Hobbiton in the novels and most adaptations, the film version of fuses the two towns for brevity's sake.
In short, is a cozy game in which players take on the role of happy Hobbits. There are shades of to it, but the closest comparison might be — there doesn't appear to be any combat at all. Instead, not unlike the resource-gathering gameplay of , activities focus on collection and crafting. Players can customize their avatars and their Hobbit holes, building furniture to create inviting interiors. They'll gather ingredients by fishing, foraging, or gardening, and use their kitchens to whip up hearty meals that'll impress the neighbors.
will also have a relationship system similar to most other cozy games. Players can do odd jobs for their neighbors, invite them over to break bread, or give them gifts to raise their affinity over time. It's unknown just how far
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's 1.11.33 update is now live, and it brings one of the most highly requested features to the game. This is the biggest update to the game since launch. That's drawn some criticism, as updates have been slow to come. However, announcements this week suggest that Bethesda hasn't forgotten about: the DLC finally has a release window, and for the first time since release, it seems like there's a concrete roadmap for moving forward.
Batman: Arkham Shadow has been announced as a Meta Quest 3 exclusive title launching sometime in 2024. Word comes directly from Meta itself via its official blog. This will be the first entry in the Arkham series since Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham VR in 2016 for the PSVR. A full reveal is planned for the June 7 Summer Game Fest showcase.
The third and final part of the trilogy could have a different final boss than the first two. and make sweeping changes to the original story, making them collectively more of an alternate retelling than a one-for-one remake. That can be both positive and negative. On one hand, it's nice to be able to explore different facets of the universe, tying in characters added to the compilation since the original game's release. On the other hand, things can get a little repetitive, especially when it comes to 's side quests.
The Xbox Games Showcase is Microsoft's premier annual vehicle for the announcement of new first-party games, and according to Xbox Wire, it'll be streaming live on June 9th, 2024. As such, it often includes many of the year's biggest reveals, and this year is expected to be no different. The Xbox Games Showcase will probably include a lot of surprises, be they first looks at entirely new titles or updates on DLC.
A new Batman: Arkham was just announced, but it’s not what you’d expect. Titled Batman: Arkham Shadow, it’s a VR title made exclusively for the Meta Quest 3.
A new report has revealed launch timings for Xbox games throughout the rest of 2024, spilling the beans on when to expect everything from the next Call of Duty to Indiana Jones.
Microsoft unveiled the batch of games coming to Xbox Game Pass throughout the first half of May. It’s a smaller group of only four games, but all of them are neat additions to Microsoft’s subscription service. Here’s the full roster of games coming to Xbox Game Pass between May 2 and May 14.
There's a secret way to kill the most hated character, despite their technical immortality. Most characters, even some of the deadliest bosses, are mortal in . But there's one particular villain who, despite the player's best efforts to get rid of them, keeps popping back up to ruin their life. They greatly overstay their welcome, and then some. There's even a mechanic that technically prevents them from taking damage, even if it doesn't specifically preclude them from dying.
Choosing one strange course of action near the end of reveals a treasure trove of hidden lore, but doesn't explain it to the fullest extent. Taking place in the Forgotten Realms setting for, incorporates 40 years of lore. For the most part, it's a complete story in and of itself — most central concepts in the story are well explained through dialogue. However, it still exists in the context of millennia of Faerûnian history, and occasionally touches on a more arcane piece of background.
A long-standing mystery finally has a satisfactory solution — but it wasn't answered by. 's massive, game-changing DLC resolved many secrets, answering a number of lingering questions about people, places, and things otherwise unexplained. But it couldn't turn over every stone. The setting still retains a lot of mystique. Whether someone at CD Projekt Red is saving these secrets for the sequel to , or no one's come up with a good answer yet, varies from case to case.
2024 is set to be another fantastic year for video games. For example, Nintendo is releasing a brand-new Princess Peach game; Dragon's Dogma is finally getting a sequel; the next part of the acclaimed Final Fantasy 7 remake is coming out;Star Wars is getting another major release; and that just scratches the surface. We should expect many more 2024 video game release dates as more presentations happen, like the next State of Play, Nintendo Direct, and all the other online streams.
Stellar Blade for PlayStation 5; SAND LAND for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, and PC; Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC; and SaGa Emerald Beyond for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, iOS, and Android are the highlights of this week’s Japanese video game releases.