I think fighting skeletons might be one of the most fundamental joys of video games. The more implausible its ambulation seems, the better, but I'm happy as long it clatters to the floor as a collection of distinct physics objects once I'm done.
15.01.2024 - 21:01 / eurogamer.net
Rebel Wolves — the studio formed by a number of ex-CD Projekt staff, including Witcher 3 game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz — has confirmed its first project will be dark fantasy RPG Dawnwalker, after the title was reported online toward the end of last year.
When Rebel Wolves announced its existence in 2022, the studio said its mission was to «evolve the cRPG genre by creating unforgettable stories and stirring deep emotions», confirming its first project would be a then-unnamed «AAA dark fantasy built inside the Unreal 5 engine».
Since then, official word on Rebel Wolves' debut game has been limited, although CEO Tomaszkiewicz — who also served as a secondary director on Cyberpunk 2077 while at CD Projekt — did tease it wouldn't «be as gigantic as The Witcher» but could well have a «greater» number of quests. In the same interview, he also suggested the project would be around the same size as the Witcher 3's Blood and Wine expansion.
While the studio's been pretty quiet in the time since, new claims around the game emerged toward the end of last year, when Twitter user Kurakasis — having unearthed various registered trademarks, domains, and other statements online — reported the project would likely be a single-player open-world RPG for PC and next-gen consoles known as Dawnwalker: Origins, the first title in a planned Dawnwalker saga.
And now Rebel Wolves has made the Dawnwalker name official. «Usually we don't comment on rumours,» it wrote on social media. «However, since we've heard something through the grapevine… Yes, we are working on Dawnwalker!». It's not clear what prompted the announcement — although it suggests a more extended official reveal for the project might be imminent — but the studio also shared a bit of concept art, featuring a sword-wielding warrior descending from the heavens on a plume of smoke, for the curious to scrutinise at the same time.
Alongside Tomaszkiewicz, Rebel Wolves counts former CD Projekt scribe Jakub Szamałek as its narrative director and main writer, with other team members including design director Daniel Sadowski, animation director Tamara Zawada, art director Bartłomiej Gaweł, CFO Michał Boryka, and studio head Robert Murzynowski — who have collectively worked on games such as Cyberpunk, Thronebreaker, Shadow Warrior 2, and The Witcher series.
I think fighting skeletons might be one of the most fundamental joys of video games. The more implausible its ambulation seems, the better, but I'm happy as long it clatters to the floor as a collection of distinct physics objects once I'm done.
I've played certain demos for longer than I have many full games, eking every last atom of enjoyment out of a single level or character, to the point that the final release felt like unnecessary bloat. I am already concerned the same might be true of Arco's demo, which is now available on Steam. You've hopefully read Katharine's breakdown of this "triptych of revenge stories set across the deserts, plains and forests of a fantastical, South American-style landscape". Well, now's your chance to get to grips with its nifty combat system, which is broken into turns with each turn's actions unfolding in real time.
In March, Capcom will release Dragon’s Dogma 2, the long-awaited sequel to its inventive 2012 action RPG. It’ll be the first mainline release in the open-world fantasy series in 12 years, and fans are eager to see what Capcom will bring to the table after a decade-plus of advancement in technical innovation and open-world game design.
Half Mermaid, led by Sam Barlow, is known for making video games using FMV, and they often require the player to sort through footage to solve mysteries. But for the studio's next projects, it seems the mystery will begin before the games are even announced – today, two Steam listings were posted on Half Mermaid's developer page, but most of their information is redacted.
Developer Rocksteady have detailed Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's initial post-launch plans, confirming The Joker will arrive as a playable character in a free content update accompanying the game's first «season».
Much like how when one thinks of Nintendo, the first developer that comes to mind is Shigeru Miyamoto, when I think of Capcom, the first developer I think of is Hideaki Itsuno. Over the course of his nearly 3 decade long career, Itsuno has worked entirely at Capcom as a planner, producer, consultant, and director for some of Capcoms biggest and best games. So of course, during our visit to Capcom in Osaka, we wanted to pick his brain on what he believes is special about Dragon's Dogma 2, the lessons he learned from the first game, and his overall vision for this sequel.
Tonight's Xbox Developer Direct brought an update on Avowed, Obsidian's first-person fantasy RPG. A new trailer provided a substantial look at combat, including pistols, dual-wielding swords and wands, as well as a slightly updated release window: this autumn.
Avowed, the fantasy roleplaying game from Outer Worlds studio Obsidian Entertainment, is due to hit Xbox and PC in the fall. This is a slight update from the game's original release window, which was just "2024." Specifically, Avowed will hit Xbox Series X/S, PC via Xbox and Steam, and it'll be available through Game Pass on day one.
For the record, we didn’t plan two stories about items you can get for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth to come in back-to-back days. Life decided to have a little fun with us, and we don’t mind. Yesterday, we discussed how Square Enix Reward Program members could get a special glitter globe featuring the Gold Saucer from the upcoming RPG. It was cute and adorable, and we’re sure some of you have already subscribed to the program so you can get it or are cashing in points to ensure you get it. But, if you’re looking for something a bit more “substantial,” then perhaps Amazon is where you go to get the game.
When it comes to video games, many who play them don’t just want the “memories” of playing them; they want items in the real world that’ll help them remember those memories in a different way. Pre-order items are a big deal in this respect, as people will pay out the nose to get unique items that can only be bought through these special deals. Square Enix decided to up the ante with the upcoming release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth by offering its Reward Members the chance to get a special glitter globe featuring the Gold Saucer from the upcoming title.
Rebel Wolves, the studio founded by a few of the CD Projekt folk behind The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, have officially titled their forthcoming dark fantasy RPG. That title is… Dawnwalker. They’ve also shared a new teaser image, which I think could depict one of two things: a) a vampiric or otherwise supernaturally-inclined hero flying through the air care of a Dishonored-style Blink teleport, sword raised and clawed fingers stretched towards an unseen foe against a blood-red backdrop. Or b) a man with his trousers aflame swinging through the window of a second floor spa while attempting to use his umbrella as a parachute, having received only half a pedicure before the building caught fire.
Halo has had a period of tumultuous recent years under the development umbrella of 343 Industries. The iconic Xbox franchise, that laid down the blueprint for first-person multiplayer shooters during its heyday, has faltered with recent releases. Halo Infinite, which came out in 2021, received critical acclaim at launch, but fans cooled off on the title as 343 scrambled to push out timely seasonal multiplayer updates to keep players hooked. While Halo Infinite saw a resurgence in player count when its season 5 content launched late last year, the game's unannounced battle royale mode has reportedly been cancelled.