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layers-of-fear-is-shaping-up-to-be-a-worthy-final-act-for-the-series Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Layers Of Fear is shaping up to be a worthy final act for the series

March 17, 2023RockPaperShotgun

Layers Of Fear — recently quietly renamed from its working title Layers Of Fears — is a game that requires a bit of explanation. It shares its title with the 2016 game of the same name, and is being overseen by original developers Bloober Team. But it’s neither a remake nor a reboot; although, in some ways, it’s both of those things. It’s more a “reimagining” of the whole Layers Of Fear series to date, as well as its apparent swansong. It incorporates ground-up remakes of the two-and-a-half existing games in the series in Unreal Engine 5, alongside a new…

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honkai:-star-rail-is-a-stylish-turn-based-jrpg,-with-very-similar-energy-to-genshin-impact Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Honkai: Star Rail is a stylish turn-based JRPG, with very similar energy to Genshin Impact

February 28, 2023RockPaperShotgun

Over the last few weeks I’ve spent a number of hours with Honkai: Star Rail‘s closed beta, and it certainly seems that MiHoYo’s upcoming free-to-play RPG is hoping to capture a similar audience to Genshin Impact’s. Star Rail’s turn-based battles and JRPG leanings might be a bit of a departure from Genshin’s open-world adventuring, but it’s definitely, 100%, without a doubt, anime as heck. Oh, and very gacha. There’s a lot of currencies. So many currencies. Still, I think it’s shaping up to be a decent time. Read more

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atomic-heart-may-be-a-beautiful-fps,-but-i-wish-it-had-a-silent-protagonist Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Atomic Heart may be a beautiful FPS, but I wish it had a silent protagonist

January 17, 2023RockPaperShotgun

I’ve played around four hours of soviet-punk FPS Atomic Heart, which took me from the story’s opening moments to plenty of the game’s earliest bits. The final hour or so was split into two parts, thanks to a lovely dev who time-skipped me forwards and into the game’s open world, before warping me through a gate and into an early boss’s lair. There was a lot to take in, from robo-gloves, to sex-dom vending machines, to grannies with bazookas. I went in with expectations that it might be a little like BioShock, all steely and serious in its delivery of…

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armello-devs-are-shooting-for-ftl-meets-rimworld-with-their-new-roguelite-colony-sim Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Armello devs are shooting for FTL meets Rimworld with their new roguelite colony sim

November 17, 2022RockPaperShotgun

Hot on the heels of their Solium Infernum announcement at the end of September, the studio behind strategy RPG Armello have announced another new game they’re working on during tonight’s PC Gaming Show Preview stream. It’s called Jumplight Odyssey (or “J-Lo” for short, as League Of Geeks studio director and co-founder Trent Kusters affectionately referred to it during an early preview presentation I attended last week), and it’s a starship roguelite colony sim that has big 70s anime vibes. Specifically, Star Blazers, the English adaptation of Leiji Matsumoto’s seminal Space Battleship Yamato, with which Jumplight shares a lot of its…

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tactics-ogre:-reborn-is-a-challenging-strategy-rpg-that-takes-no-prisoners Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Tactics Ogre: Reborn is a challenging strategy RPG that takes no prisoners

October 21, 2022RockPaperShotgun

There’s a particular battle in the first chapter of Tactics Ogre: Reborn that I’ve been banging my head against all week. It’s an uphill fort siege where you’re facing off against an evil necromancer who’s shooting down powerful, magical fireballs at you from above, alongside his never-ending army of undead skelly archers. The challenging terrain alone would be a test of anyone’s mettle in this tough, turn-based strategy game, especially when trying to parse all the different heights of its grid-based map. But having every enemy unit resurrect themselves after three turns unless you exorcise them with a single-use item…

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the-invincible-will-ask-much-of-the-audience,-but-the-rewards-could-be-well-worth-it VG247

The Invincible will ask much of the audience, but the rewards could be well worth it

October 6, 2022VG247

Adapting a landmark work of speculative fiction for the Fortnite age is as risky as space exploration itself. ^Stay tuned for 1080p gameplay and expanded impressions through your vidscreen: it’s futuristic! Headed up by Starward Industries, which is a super-group of devs who can list such esteemed projects as The Witcher 3, Dying Light, and Call of Juarez on their collective CV, The Invincible is an adventure game based on an acclaimed genre work by a celebrated Polish author which I haven’t read and neither have you. That’s where its similarities with The Witcher games start and end. The Invincible…

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cassette-beasts-is-monster-collecting-rpg-that’s-more-power-rangers-than-pokemon Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Cassette Beasts is monster-collecting RPG that’s more Power Rangers than Pokémon

September 30, 2022RockPaperShotgun

At this year’s Gamescom I got hands-on with Bytten Studio’s Cassette Beasts, an upcoming monster-taming open world RPG in the vein of Pokémon, which is far more interesting to me than the basic concept of Pokémon. That’s because you’re able to fuse together any monsters you ‘catch’, but moreso because it’s a monster collectathon where you become the monster, essentially fusing yourself with bomb dogs and hermit crabs with traffic cone-homes. I like the way the game does away with the overdone shonen story of wanting to become the very best there ever was, and instead puts the spotlight on…

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cult-strategy-game-solium-infernum-returns,-from-the-makers-of-armello Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Cult strategy game Solium Infernum returns, from the makers of Armello

September 22, 2022RockPaperShotgun

The RPS-beloved turn-based strategy game Solium Infernum is back from the dead. Announced earlier today on stage at EGX London 2022, Armello creators League Of Geeks will be resurrecting and reimagining the game in 2023. Originally released in 2009 by solo dev Vic Davis and his studio Cryptic Comet, Solium Infernum cast you as an Archfiend hoping to stake a claim for Satan’s empty throne. With a strong emphasis on political intrigue and Machiavellian backstabbing over taking things by force, this strategy game from hell was a firm RPS favourite back in the day, spawning an eight-part diary series of…

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lady-dimitrescu’s-castle-gets-a-jammy-new-makeover-in-resident-evil-village’s-shadows-of-rose-dlc Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Lady Dimitrescu’s castle gets a jammy new makeover in Resident Evil Village’s Shadows Of Rose DLC

September 17, 2022RockPaperShotgun

Castle Dimitrescu was one of the many highlights of Resident Evil Village, so it makes sense that Capcom are returning to it in the game’s upcoming DLC adventure, Shadows Of Rose. Set 16 years after the events of Village, this story expansion centres on Rose, the daughter of Village protagonist Ethan Winters, as she comes to terms with her emerging mold powers. She was just a teeny, tiny baby when her dad was fighting off the very tall vampire lady in the base game, but now she’s all grown up and wants to be rid of the supernatural spore abilities…

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american-arcadia-is-a-genre-flipping-cinematic-feast-from-the-call-of-the-sea-devs Rock,Paper,Shotgun

American Arcadia is a genre-flipping cinematic feast from the Call Of The Sea devs

September 12, 2022RockPaperShotgun

I did a lot of talking at Gamescom, whether that be to developers or muttering to myself deliriously as I typed stuff up in the evening. Talking to devs especially is a wonderful thing, especially when you’re playing their game and it resonates with you. But getting hands-on with an early portion of American Arcadia rendered me virtually silent, to the point where I had to apologise to the devs for being so quiet. And I wasn’t being rude; far from it! I was just so engrossed in the game’s mixture of side-scrolling platforming and first-person puzzling. Keep this under…

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kitsune:-the-journey-of-adashino-is-a-japanese-fantasy-world-of-yokai-and-mystery Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Kitsune: The Journey Of Adashino is a Japanese fantasy world of yokai and mystery

September 2, 2022RockPaperShotgun

As indie developers from Japan and around the world descended upon the former Japanese capital of Kyoto for Bitsummit 2022, some developers present at the event were showcasing their games a little closer to home. Having already been hyped up amongst Japanese games outlets for its unique visuals and inspirations from Japanese yokai and folk tales, Kitsune: The Journey Of Adashino was a rather hot ticket at the event, and with an English localisation and a release in 2023 or 2024 planned, it stands with the opportunity to shine a light on the Japanese indie gaming scene. While it may…

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system-shock-is-shaping-up-to-be-a-faithful-remake-of-the-sci-fi-classic Rock,Paper,Shotgun

System Shock is shaping up to be a faithful remake of the sci-fi classic

August 31, 2022RockPaperShotgun

Nightdive’s remake of 1994 classic System Shock hasn’t had the smoothest development run, first having some money issues in its Kickstarter a while back, then having to reboot itself with twenty-twenty-something release dates chucked out there more as hopeful concepts than assurances. Having gone hands-on with a short 20-minute-ish demo of the game at this year’s Gamescom, I can confirm that the remake is real and seems faithful to the original despite some heavy tinkers in the modernisation station. For nostalgic fans it should make for an exciting revisit to cyberspace, but I’m unsure whether it’ll land quite as well…

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saturnalia’s-neon-folk-survival-horror-will-stick-to-you-for-a-very-long-time Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Saturnalia’s neon-folk survival horror will stick to you for a very long time

August 31, 2022RockPaperShotgun

We’ve got a pretty good line in interesting folk traditions here at RPS. I grew up in a county where staying up all night at the stone circle to welcome the Summer Solstice was an annual tradition (later augmented by a woman wearing antlers offering a selection of downers and hallucinogens), and as a child I had an unnecessary encounter with the Salisbury Hob-Nob. For the past few years Alice0 has gone to the Burryman’s Parade, gracing us with pictures of that most wholesome gentleman. Rural traditions are fun if you’re part of them, but to outsiders they can be…

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sega’s-sci-fi-shooter-hyenas-has-left-me-with-more-questions-than-answers Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Sega’s sci-fi shooter Hyenas has left me with more questions than answers

August 30, 2022RockPaperShotgun

Of all the games I saw at this year’s Gamescom, sci-fi team-based shooter Hyenas easily claims the title of “Most Confusing Overall Experience”. Bouncing between appointments in this sea of booths and lanyards was jarring, but I’d eventually settle in after a few minutes of reconfiguring my brain to whatever presentation or control scheme was placed in front of me. Hyenas never gave me a chance. I sat in a 20-minute presentation of the game and tried my level best to understand SEGA’s stab at a live-service FPS. Instead, I exited the booth with whiplash… and a sense of curiosity….

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dead-island-2-is-a-surprisingly-polished-zombie-’em-up-that-sticks-to-the-script Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Dead Island 2 is a surprisingly polished zombie ’em up that sticks to the script

August 26, 2022RockPaperShotgun

Eight years ago Graham (who used to be to blame for all of this) got hands-on with Dead Island 2, back when the game was being developed by Yager, the folks behind Spec Ops: The Line. Since then, development changed hands like a baton at the Olympic relay; Yager left a year later, to be replaced by Sumo Digital, only for Sumo Digital to leave and be replaced by Dambuster Studios. Usain Bolt hasn’t expressed interest yet, but there’s time. So going into a 20-minute hands-on with the game in the year 2022, I was a bit apprehensive. What sort…

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