ColonyShip-4: Survivors is a turn-based science fiction RPG where you must establish a base of operations on an alien planet and find a way home. The game will release onto Steam Early Access this June.

Instead of finding an uninhabited planet to survey and begin colonization on, CS4 experienced catastrophic system failure and crashed on a strange planet. Now crashed on an alien planet, you will have to secure a base of operations, search for crew, confront unknown enemies, and survive long enough to find a way home.

Current Features

• Turn-Based Tactical Action
• Open-world campaign
• RPG-style character progression
• Weapon and Equipment Research and Customization
• Multiple Endings
• Squad Chemistry
• Soldier Stress
• Soldier Conversations

Challenging Enemy AI

• Uses Cover
• Flanks
• Runs Away
• AI Battlefield Commander considers the whole battle when reacting to your actions

Planned Features

• MacOS/Linux support
• Multiple Controllable Races
• Varied Cast of Opponents
• Multiple Unique Factions
• Gene Modifications
• Moral and Ethical Impact to Decisions

A new update on Black Geyser: Couriers of Darkness. The video focuses on dialog and story aspects.

New gameplay video is live!

For this update, we want to address more specific dates relating to our delays, while at the same time giving our backers a much better idea of what to expect. For this gameplay video, we will be focusing on the dialogue and story aspects of Black Geyser, and the systems throughout the game by which players will be able to influence their surroundings while interacting with NPCs. All of the footage you will see in this video is part of the Black Geyser Backer Beta; backers who have pledged for a tier that includes this reward will be able to play through the same sequence of events that we choose in the video, as well as a lot of content before and after what you will see here. The options that go unselected are things our beta backers can choose in the Beta, as they are possible routes in the conversation and may lead to very different results than those you see in this quest. 

The Cult of Zoria quest presented here ties in directly to the main story quest of the game. Your character has been hired by a mysterious figure in Isilbright (the capital city of the kingdom of Isilmerald) to flush out the cult dedicated to the worship of Zoria, Demigoddess of Night. Strange things have been happening in the countryside west of Isilbright, along with the disappearances of important political and religious figures. It’s up to you to root out the truth and discover what the demigoddess’ recent resurgence of followers might mean. But in the course of your investigation you find other adventurers, sent before you to investigate the same happenings. Will you help them, or claim the glory for yourself alone? Can you discover what the cultists are up to before it’s too late?

Just as a reminder, for a short while longer our late backing is still available. If you are interested in what you see in this update and want to be a first-time backer, visit our Backer portal here. If you are an existing backer who has not yet pledged for a tier including the rewards which grant you access to our Backer Beta, you still have a chance to upgrade your pledge on BackerKit; follow the link in your email that we sent you after you first pledged to access our pledge manager, and update it to a higher tier if you want to join the beta!

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Current status

As discussed in our previous Kickstarter update, delays were expected due to the combination of external and internal causes. To be brief, we faced more unpredictable bugs than we assumed we would in our initial project plan. After fixing them, we decided to rewrite a part of our Unity-based game engine to make it more robust in order to reduce the risk of similar bugs in the future. This refactor is now complete. Other bugs were completely out of our control (for example, the Unity core engine and editor have their own issues as well, and we have very little influence on those). 

Additionally, for several months it looked like our negotiations with the investor who proposed a change in funding milestones might have finished at any moment, but talks only ended a few days ago – with success. The good news is that the game will have all the features that we originally planned for (as well as those promised due to successfully-reached Kickstarter stretch goals), but there will be a delay of 8-9 months in the release of the Backer Beta as well as in the launch of the finished game from the dates we originally planned. Therefore, the Backer Beta is expected to be accessible in November 2019, while the release of the game is expected to be ready by April 2020.

Our next Kickstarter update is planned at the end of June. Stay tuned!

Thanks Morrandir!

Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest was reviewed by IndieGameWebsite.

Characters each have their own progression of levels, gear, and abilities. Equipment and abilities can be customized and upgraded in-between missions. Gold buys you shiny new gear, whilst abilities are acquired as you level up. Upgrades may feel minor at first, but they make a big difference. There’s a satisfying power curve throughout the story, making you genuinely feel stronger and more capable the more you play.

Gems are the most important part of your customization, however. Gems earned during missions allow you to enhance abilities and equipment. They’re a finite resource, and each one is a valuable prize, so where you choose to slot them is critical. They’re also shared across your party, so you’ll want to be sure to spread them out evenly.

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

Shane Plays interviewed Matt Barton about RPGs and talked about their new book release Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games 2nd Edition.

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Shane and Matt Barton of Matt Chat celebrate the release of their book Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games 2nd Edition by, what else, talking CRPGs as they break down their favorite CRPGs, their biggest disappointments in the genre and their most anticipated upcoming game! Plus: when did Bioware first disappoint Shane, trolleys vs. buggies, how do you say renaissance, and Survivor: Westeros update. (Podcast version has extra content not included in radio broadcast)

Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls will release on Steam May 29th.

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An old-school challenge in a crisp and colorful package, Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls revitalizes the time-honored formula of the original dungeon crawler series with modernized visuals and sound.

Choose each of your six team members’ class, race, gender, and moral alignment, then delve into one of several dungeons near the central town hub. Advance with caution — monsters are vicious, deadly, and attack in packs. Plan each expedition carefully, stay focused on your objectives, and know when to retreat to the surface.

In between expeditions, chat with the locals, pick up new quests, pray for guidance at the temple, go bargain-hunting for new/rare equipment, and more. With patience, skill, and careful planning, your party will rise from a gang of paupers to a mighty force.
The magic torches are lit, the monsters are ravenous, and the kingdom is waiting for a new hero. Enter the world of Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls and experience a classic adventure reborn.

KEY FEATURES
Your Party, Your Way
Choose from eight classes and five races to build a six-person team with diverse but complimentary skill sets. Change their classes in mid-adventure to fit your needs, or focus on leveling up their primary class to earn bonus skills for the party’s benefit.

So Beautiful and So Dangerous
Tangle with a menagerie of over 100 distinctive monsters, from the traditional to the bizarre, all drawn by famed series illustrator Jun Suemi. The game also features character illustrations by renowned commercial artist Yuki Hayabusa.

Conquer the Dungeons
Every step through the underworld is fraught with danger, and one wrong move can end your adventure. But if you have the grit to withstand what the dungeons throw at you, both you and your party will gain enough experience to stroll through them like you own them.

Wizardry’s Rebirth on PC
The PC remaster of this classic originally released for PlayStation 3 features English and Japanese text with the original Japanese voiceovers, high-resolution graphics, and a brand new Turbo Mode to make exploring the game’s massive dungeons a breeze. All story DLC is included, and players can download the Growth Fruit DLC for free to give themselves a boost when creating characters.

Thanks Couchpotato!

PC Gamer reports that Phantom Brigade has a new combat system that lets you peer into the future.

The timeline is a neat system and extremely helpful for someone like me, who isn't great at strategy games because I lack the ability to really think ahead. It's also worth noting that being able to see into the future in Phantom Brigade is a prediction and not necessarily what will actually happen once bullets start flying. There's friendly fire and even collision turned on for your mechs, so it's possible they may damage each other or get in each others' way if you try to move them through the same space at the same time. Your mech isn't going to be able reach the end of its move action if he bonks directly into your other mech halfway through it.

[...]

Thanks henriquejr!

PC Gamer reports that Otherside Entertainment will self publish System Shock 3 if it has to.

OtherSide could, and will, publish the new System Shock itself if it has to, but Spector said doing so would be "a huge distraction," and require hiring new staff with expertise in the field. 

"The reality is, OtherSide is a company of developers who want to develop games," he said. "We don’t particularly want to be a publisher. [OtherSide founder] Paul Neurath and I have worked with publishers before, Origin self-published when I was there, and we don’t want to get into the market of distributing stuff."

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

The adventure J-RPG Death end re;Quest has been released:

Death end re;Quest

Story
Arata Mizunashi, a video game programmer, receives a notification from an email sent to him by Shina Ninomiya, a colleague of his who went missing nearly one year ago. Together, they worked to create World’s Odyssey (W.O.D.), an immersive virtual landscape powered by breathtaking, state-of-the-art technology. That is, until Shina's sudden disappearance put a swift halt to production. Arata discovers the startling revelation that Shina Ninomiya was stuck inside of “W.O.D.” the whole time. When Arata delves hurriedly back into the lines of code haunting his forsaken project, he realizes that his game is now ravaged by an infestation of bugs, and that Shina is its only active player.

Arata soon learns that a nefarious force prevents him from extracting Shina out of the game. Her only way out? She must complete the game to unlock the perfect ending—an outcome with a success rate of 1%. On their journey, they encounter a slew of NPC characters that blur perceptions of humanity and A.I.-technology, setting into a motion a thrilling narrative that calls into question the differences between the virtual world and ours.

Little do they know what horrors await them on both sides of the screen...

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Key Features
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction? – Jump between reality and in-game modes, as players will need to investigate in the real world view to solve the mysterious inner-workings of the World Odyssey, and switch to an in-game view mode to battle against glitched-out monsters. Choose options wisely, as your decision can change the game’s ending!

Turn-Based RPGs Flipped Upside Down – In this turn-based command battle system, you can roam freely and duke it out with fearsome monsters. During battle, players can change the game’s genre from a first-person shooter to even a fighting game!

You’re Buggin’ Out – While exploring, players will need to activate character-specific dungeon skills to access hard-to-reach areas and hidden treasures!

Follow the White Rabbit and Discover a Bug Infested World – In this hyper-realistic game world, players must help out Shina escape a game universe filled with infected bosses and mesmerizing environments!

CD Project Red promises in an interview with Kotaku to be more humane to the devs in crunch-time:

As Cyberpunk 2077 Development Intensifies, CD Projekt Red Pledges To Be 'More Humane' To Its Workers

Footage of the upcoming role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077 has blown away fans so far, but coupled with that hype is a burning question: Are workers at CD Projekt Red, the Polish studio behind the game, ruining their lives to make it? The developer best known for The Witcher series has cultivated a reputation for crunch—asking its employees to work nights and weekends for weeks or months at a time—but studio management now tells Kotaku they want to improve their work-life balance, even if they continue to feel that crunch is a necessity.

“We’re known—let me be humble for a moment here—we are known for treating gamers with respect,” said Marcin Iwiński, the company’s co-founder, in an interview with Kotaku this week. “This is what we’ve been working hard toward. And I actually would [like] for us to also be known for treating developers with respect.”
[...]

Thanks henriquejr!

The strategy RPG Talisman: Origins is out now:

Talisman: Origins

This new adaptation of the Talisman board game focuses on solo play as you adventure through many epic quests using the full rule-set of the Revised 4th Edition.

Experience the origins of historic events in the world of Talisman, such as the creation of the Crown of Command, the return of the dragons, the Ifrit war and the rise of the guilds.

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Take control of 12 Talisman characters, including the new Great Wizard exclusive to this game, as they battle to save the land from dragon invasions, double-crossing devils, mysterious guilds and more. OR, play as the bad guy! Bring on the dragon invasion! Destroy sacred chapels! Protect the dungeon from heroic invaders!

• Exciting stories set in the Talisman world
• 20 quests spread across 4 campaigns covering many dramatic events
• 100 Challenges to be completed
• Detailed interactive tutorial
• Achievements track your progress through the stories

The cyberpunk dungeon crawler, Congolomerate 451, will be available in Steam Early Access on the 23rd of May.

Conglomerate 451 Hacks Into Steam Early Access on May 23

 

Hack yourself, hack your enemies, hack the world. Get ready for first-person dungeon-crawling meets cyberpunk grime
 

Prague, Czech Republic, May 16th, 2019 -- Get ready to jack into a neon-bathed cyberpunk take on the classic, first-person dungeon crawler - Conglomerate 451 hacks into Steam Early Access on May 23, 2019! Available for PC, C451 embraces its grid-based RPG roots, offering a truly unique and striking take on one of gaming's most iconic genres.

Set in a city overrun with corrupt corporations, assemble a squad of cloned agents in a bid to restore order to sector 451. From altering your agents' DNA and installing ability-granting neural implants, to equipping them with powerful cyberlimbs and literally hacking the world around you mid-conflict, you'll need to take every advantage you can get. Not only will agents lost in battle lose all their previous progress, starting again as a fresh clone, but even basic wounds can have a lasting impact on your agents, evolving into permanent disadvantages.
 
Key Features:

• Classic dungeon crawling - Face your enemies in a cyberpunk take on classic, turn-based dungeon crawling gameplay by choosing the best strategy, taking advantage of their weak points and making the most out of your agents' skills
• Manage your resources - Make use of your own personal R&D department to research advanced technology, unlocking new features, powers and options for progression
• More than just body mods - In addition to upgrading weapon and armor proficiencies, augment your body with interchangeable cyber implants that completely change your agent's skills and utility
• Pain and Trauma system - Even the smallest wounds can have a lasting impact. By taking damage in combat, agents risk generating permanent Traumas that will follow them between missions
• Procedural cyber dungeons - Experience the dungeon crawling you love, mixed with future technology as you take on procedurally-generated dungeons and missions
• If you die in the game... - Each mission could be your last thanks to agent permadeath. Consider every move, because if an agent dies in battle, they will be lost forever
• Hack the world - Enter cyberspace mid-mission and hack your way ahead of the competition to get crucial intel and give yourself the advantage

 
Conglomerate 451 arrives on Steam Early Access on May 23, 2019, with a full launch planned for later this year.

A preview into what content patch #2 for Wolcen delivers, is now available and stes the following to be part of it:

Today we want to share with you some preview on Content Patch 2. As a reminder, CP2’s deadline is internally planned for July and will include:

[*]The new “Wrath of Sarisel” Cooperative Game mode: specific enemies designed to push cooperation between players.

[*]“World Modifiers”: add different mods in random dungeons, including monsters and reward spawns, increasing its challenge, but also increasing its rewards. (example:  All enemies of the dungeon are Specialists and Elites...)

[*]Player customization for male characters, including alternative skin colors, heads, beards, hairs and eyes.

[*]New active skills and new passive skills sections.

We have set the list for the new skills, and here is a preview of their concept:

Whirlwind

Requires Rage. Your character spins in the cursor’s direction and deals damage to everything in its path.

Bull’s eye

Requires Rage. This skill will allow you to mark creatures or spots around your character. Upon release, the marker targets the enemy's last placement, if the mark is on the ground the projectile will target its direction.

Turret

Requires Rage. Creates a turret that shoots projectiles. A quick tap creates an automatic turret that will shoot in the direction of the cursor at the moment of its creation. Maintaining the skill allows you to control the turret and use it as a channeled skill.

Charge

Requires Rage. Your character performs a charge in the cursor’s direction, bumping creatures on his way and dealing a bit of damage. When the target is reached, it deals AOE damage based on the distance traveled with it. 

Devastation

Requires Rage. This skill is a 3 steps attack. Your character performs a cleave that will grow and deal more and more damage at each blow. Upon reaching 3 attacks, the loop starts over.

We will develop more about these skills as we approach Content Patch 2. We want this patch to offer more options to warriors and ranged shooting archetypes since they have less variety than mages archetypes at the moment.

Next to that there is also more info on the current content patch 1, like the skill tree and a character wipe.

Steam has a Dungeons & Dragons sale until May 24th.

A new faction trailer for Spellforce 3: Soul Harvest. This one shows the Dark Elves.

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SpellForce 3: Soul Harvest will be available May 28th!

Do I think we're superior?
What a crude question. What we are is different.

You, you're an empire of moths, each flapping off on its own, searching for the light - we're hornets, part of a hive. Yes, on our own, you might match us; three of yours against three of ours, and we'll see how the dice fall.

A swarm, General, that's what we are: our Sleepers will bleed you for our Twisted feed off your blood... all the while our harvesters reap the souls of your fallen and our emissaries reanimate their hulls as our servants.

But above all: You serve yourself. We serve something greater.

Kingslayer Tactics has been announced.

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Kingslayer Tactics is a unique low fantasy game set in the chambers of European castles at the turn of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. You play as the Kingslayer called "The Raven".

In this interesting and mysterious renaissance world you will learn the tactics, strategy and adventure of a person dedicated to his goal. Sneaking through castle corridors and fighting with hordes of royal guards is not the only thing you need to do. Planning your next step and upgrading your weapons is equally as important.

Interesting and mysterious world

The game world is inspired by the European kingdoms and principalities, but the realities of the game are far from historical facts. The game takes the player on a journey through mysterious lands, set in an alternative version of the Renaissance Europe

The story

Enter a dark and mysterious story about “The Raven” and discover his secrets. Since the story about the Kingslayer was told for the first time in tavern, it is still floating around among european sorcerers.

Tactics, strategy and adventure

Kingslayer is a unique combination of tactics, strategy and adventure in one game. Top-down shooter mechanics mixed up with stealth gameplay elements and RPG features creates an interesting and addictive gameplay.

Unique gameplay features

1. Upgrade your weapon by replacing steel parts with unique elements made of precious metals.

2. Turn into a raven in order to avoid a deadly threat and get into hidden and protected chambers.

3. Explore the refined locations, wander around the world of the 12 Kingdoms in the form of a "Raven".

4. Collect important informations about your goals, learn about the game universe and obtain rare artefacts by completing artfully designed quests.

5. Learn the story about complicated character that combines the characteristics of a villain and a noble knight, but gives no pretext for clearly define his moral choice.

In an interview with PCGamesN Larian talk about how they love players to break their Divinity: Original Sin games.

“We factor in some amount of exploitation on the player’s part into the core balancing formulas,” Pechenin says. It’s almost as if they expect us to try and break the game. Many people manage to, of course, one infamous instance of which is the Divinity: Original Sin speedrunning technique which involves filling a chest with items and then lobbing it at the final boss for an insta-kill. This discovery shocked the team at Larian as much as it did the game’s community.

[...]

RPG Site has reviewed Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark:

Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark Review

There's been no shortage of different styles of tactical RPGs large and small in recent years. From Fire Emblem and XCOM to Banner Saga and Wargroove, strategy RPG fans have had a pick of the litter in many respects. One major exception to that premise is that Final Fantasy Tactics series, many of our first experiences with the genre, has been dormant since 2008's Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift. While that sadly doesn't seem to be changing any time soon, Fell Seal: Arbiters' Mark is a worthy tribute that wears its FFT-heavy inspiration on its sleeve.

[...]

Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark is an easy game to recommend for those that are nostalgic for the Final Fantasy Tactics games but also want to try something new over simply revisiting that series. A competent game in its own right, I enjoyed my time with Fell Seal, though it's not likely one I would revisit over many of its contemporaries simply due to how derivative it can feel at times. Still, its a solid experience that strategy RPG fans should be able to find some enjoyment out of for the same reasons that left many of us wanting more games of this style in the first place.

Score: 7/10

The May update for Assassin's Creed: Odyssey.

This Month in Assassin’s Creed – May 2019 Update

May brings an all-new Lost Tale of Greece, new items, updates, and more!

THE LOST TALES OF GREECE

ONE REALLY, REALLY BAD DAY

You receive a frigid welcome in a small village in Lokris as you discover that an imposter has been posing as you, tarnishing your good name. You will need to figure out who this person is, bring an end to their scheme, and clear your name.

To access all the Lost Tales of Greece, you will need to reach Chapter 5 in the main path of Assassin's Creed® Odyssey.

One Really, Really Bad Day will be available on May 14 and is free for all players.

Review the previously released Lost Tales of Greece in our April Monthly Update.

NEW ITEMS

HERAKLES CHARACTER PACK

Undaunted, you will overcome any challenge with your might and bring your foes down around you with the Herakles Character Pack. This pack contains a gear set, a mount, and an axe.

HYDRA NAVAL PACK

To be near the Hydra means your fate is sealed. To become the Hydra means you have control over fate itself. Take on the seas with the Hydra Naval Pack, which contains a ship design, a figurehead, and a crew theme.

HERAKLES

The Hydra Naval Pack will include Herakles to aid in your journey.

The Herakles Character Pack, Hydra Naval Pack, and Herakles will be available on May 21 in the store and at the Oikos of the Olympians.

UPDATE

We are excited to share that new improvements will be coming in May with the deployment of Title Update 10.

Some new improvements to look forward to include:

• Unique Legendary Lieutenants scale up with the player, increasing their perks over time.
• Anigmata Ostrakas now indicate their region.
• Items assigned on another loadout are now indicated with a visual hint.
• Reduced weekly contract objectives to make them simpler and faster to complete.

TU10 will be released in late May.

A post-apocalyptic sale this weekend on Steam see's a variety of games up to 75% off. This includes games like ELEX and Mutant Year Zero.

IndianNoob has reviewed Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest:

Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest Review (PC) - Against All Odds

Detailed Review

Well-made tactical RPGs are hard to come by these days. In fact, the last full-fledged tactical RPG I played after 2015’s Blackguards was Pathway and that didn’t go down so well. But when I learned that the creators of Legend of Grimrock that breathed new life into modern blobbers were making a new tactical RPG, I couldn’t be more excited. Their latest outing, called Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest is out on now Steam and your boy got to dabble a little more than 20 hours in the game. Is it good, is it bad and should you buy it? Well, read on below!

[...]

VERDICT
Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest is a challenging, satisfying and well-made tactical experience fully worth the price tag. The combat is excellent, there are a lot of skills to fiddle around with and the game keeps you on your toes at all times. Just don’t expect a fully fledged RPG with extensive customization. There are a few balancing issues and some frustrating mission structures that need fixing, but nothing a few patches and the promised mod support can’t fix.

Score: 7.7/10

Octopath Traveler is now available for pre-order on Steam.

OCTOPATH TRAVELER now available to pre-purchase

17 May @ 3:59am - L1keMike

If you’ve been patiently waiting for news on when you can pick up OCTOPATH TRAVELER on Steam, the answer is… right now.

The game is available to pre-purchase, ahead of its launch on June 7, 2019. Not only that, but anybody who gets the game now will also get a set of 11 exclusive wallpapers, featuring beautiful character art for the eight main heroes, and some of the stunning locations from the game.

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[...]

DSOGaming reports that Ubisoft has three unannounced games releasing before April 2020.

Ubisoft has shared a new slide for its FY19 Earnings in which the French company revealed that it has three unannounced games that will be revealed during its fiscal year 2020. What this basically means is that, alongside Ghost Recond Breakpoint, we should expect three new unannounced games to come out before April 2020.

[...]

Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor-Martyr now has a stand alone expansion called 'Prophecy'.

Announcing Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Prophecy

 

We are pleased to announce WARHAMMER 40,000: INQUISITOR – PROPHECY, a stand-alone expansion pack for Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr. It is a brand new action-RPG experience in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and although Inquisitor – Martyr is not required to play, the story is designed to fit both for new and for returning players.

 

KEY FEATURES

New Class: Play as a Tech-Adept Inquisitor. Summon and enhance units to help defeat enemies and complete investigations. This new summoner class comes with new unique abilities and mechanics, a unique skill-tree and various new melee and ranged builds.

New Campaign: The story of Inquisitor – Martyr continues in three new chapters, with one chapter solely focusing on the Tech-Adept, as its story slowly ties into the main plot.

New Environments: Players can discover huge monasteries, hazardous factories, unforgiving deserts and ruthless worlds engulfed by lava and volcanoes.

New Enemy Races: Inquisitor – Prophecy adds the Eldar and the Tyranids as new enemy races.

New Gameplay Mechanics: Inquisitor – Prophecy will be based on Inquisitor - Martyr’s 2.0 update, bringing the base game’s new level cap, redesigned loot-system and leveling, its new end-game, the co-op campaign mode, new items and a much faster, ARPG-focused gameplay to the stand-alone expansion as well.

Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Prophecy will be available on PC on May 28 for $24.99, while those who already own a copy of Inquisitor – Martyr receive -30% off of their purchase for a limited time.

Prophecy is scheduled to release together with Patch 2.0 which is a separate, free content update for Martyr.

We'll reveal more of this new title in the following weeks, so stay tuned, and be sure to check our Community Hub[neocoregames.com] often!

 Thanks Couchpotato!

PC Gamer talked to the developers of Druidstone about moving on from Legend of Grimrock and the new game's inspirations.

The Legend of Druidstone

For Druidstone to be born, The Legend of Gimrock had to die. Or at least be shelved for the time being.

"Grimrock 1 and 2 took over four years to make, and we poured our hearts and souls into those games," says Juho Salila, art director for Druidstone and the Grimrock series. "It would be a massive task to make Grimrock 3 and improve the game as Grimrock 2 improved Grimrock 1. We needed a break from that world." The team at Almost Human began to break up, with many developers moving on to other projects.

"At some point Petri [Häkkinen, designer and programmer on Druidstone and the Grimrock series] and I started talking about prototyping games just for fun," says Salila. "After doing several prototypes it got more serious and we started a new company [Ctrl Alt Ninja] to make Druidstone. We didn’t feel the pressure of doing another Grimrock game with the new company."

[...]

Thanks henriquejr!

Learn more about the hedonistic Toreador clan of Bloodlines 2:

Clan Introduction - Toreador - Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2

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Obsessed with beauty in all forms, there are those Toreador who would claim that their Clan only chooses the most accomplished artists of each generation - whether they wielded the brush, the pen, their voice, body or mind. It'd only be half a lie. Influencing the political, social, and cultural elite, the Toreador have been well entrenched within Seattle's power structure since its days as a pioneer settlement.

Thanks henriquejr!

The tactical turn-based RPG Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest has been released:

RPG Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest

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Evil is afoot in Menhir Forest. The druids, the caretakers of the woods, are troubled: their archdruid has disappeared under deeply suspicious circumstances, and a cancerous growth of purple cysts is spreading, carrying corruption and sickness wherever they appear. It takes a special kind of hero to save the day. Or maybe more than one.

Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest is a labor of love from the co-creators of the critically acclaimed Legend of Grimrock series. Druidstone is a tactical, single-player, turn-based roleplaying game, which combines the best qualities of modern RPGs with the elegance of tactical boardgames. Every action, every turn counts as you control your party of heroes through handcrafted, challenging missions with varying, and often surprising, objectives.

Set in a unique fantasy world, Druidstone is filled with ancient lush forests, standing stones, snow-topped mountains, deadly creatures and puzzle-ridden ruins. And somewhere in the middle of all of this, caught in the flow of events, are Aava, the archdruid's daughter, who must now shoulder his responsibilities, Leonhard, a warden with a mysterious past and a lethal destiny, and Oiko, the failed Red Priest who is living proof that one may be very smart without being particularly wise. Along the way, they meet companions and villains, whose unique personalities and abilities make every encounter memorable.

Key Features

• A tactical turn-based and tile-based battle system where every action and every turn counts.
• Upgrade the abilities of your heroes – your upgrade choices have a dramatic impact on the characters' capabilities!
• Obtain upgrade gems by completing missions and discovering hidden treasures.
• 35 challenging, hand-crafted missions with playtimes ranging from 15 minutes to 45 minutes.
• Solve devious non-combat puzzle levels to gain extra upgrade resources.
• Find lost shipments to gain access to the best gear in Steelface's Emporium of Curios.
• A gripping, fantastic story of love, death and responsibility centered around the main characters of Aava, Leonhard and Oiko.
• A unique fantasy setting that combines the best elements from western RPGs, JRPGs and tactical boardgames in unexpected ways.
• Play custom missions created by others, or make your own campaigns with the Druidstone Level Editor (available as a post-release update).
• Total playtime ranging from 15 to 20 hours.

Thanks henriquejr!

Exoplanet: First contact has been updated to version 0.32, of which the changelog can found here, like this on AI:

As you may know, Exoplanet is developing on our own custom built engine and still has a few legacy issues from old demos. If you ever play the game, you know that our AI system was pretty basic and limited for complex sequential actions. For example, we had an issue when some players managed to get rid of most of the Scalphunters in the cave on their own during the quest, ignoring other interesting possibilities it offers, not to mention that our hero is pretty weak in the very beginning of the game while Scalphunters being described as very tough to eliminate.

The thing is, this AI system is very old and has a great deal of restrictions, that’s why some time ago we decided to create a new one and transfer every character to it. It wasn’t an easy task and it is surely took a lot of time. Transfer of the protagonist alone took two months due to the fact that some parts of old NPC’s AI system was used for controlling Jack’s action as well, and this spaghetti code had to be resolved. But I am glad to report that we finally managed to finish this. From now on, our protagonist as well as all other characters and animals are working with the new system.

What does it mean? Now everyone has their own behavior tree which could be expanded as we like to create more immersive and complex things like daily schedules for NPCs, special attacks and different combat behavior for enemies and animals and much more. That’s another big task for us and we are going to release these updates gradually, over time.

Next to that their roadmap has been updated as well.

Some reviews for A Plague Tale: Innocence.

Wccftech 8.8/10

A Plague Tale: Innocence is definitely among the gaming surprises of 2019, exceeding expectations in the best possible ways. With its gripping tale, charming characters and solid gameplay mechanics, the game is a must-have for those who like single-player games with a strong focus on story and character development. Even if the tale does not take in you, A Plague Tale: Innocence still offers a solid third-person stealth experience that fans of the genre will surely appreciate.

RockPaperShotgun No Score

I’ve been very positive about A Plague Tale so far, and it is indeed a good game. After a couple of scenes you’ll notice the same corpse models being reused as rat set dressing, things like that, but those aren’t the sorts of things I care about. What does let A Plague Tale down is three boss fights that interrupt the flow of a game that otherwise seems to have a strong sense of what it is. The first is, I suppose, getting you to understand how to use your sling offensively. The second is, likewise, teaching you a new skill. I can allow these. But the third is just annoying. And, worse, funny! It ends up making the rats, who were previously such a malevolent presence, look silly. Come on, man.

GameWatcher 8/10

The scene of crossing a battlefield, with hundreds of lifeless bodies piled over each other, only to see a swarm of rats bursting out of a horse’s bloated corpse is just one of multiple sights that A Plague Tale: Innocence inevitably etches into your mind. Although its stealth and puzzle mechanics aren’t exactly fresh, having what’s, quite possibly, the most powerful representation of the Black Death in the medium, even if stylized, is reason enough to see Amicia and Hugo’s journey to its end.

Twinfinite 4.5/5

Of course, the game isn’t without its flaws. For all of the variety the gameplay provides in terms of dealing with enemies, its puzzles are all fairly easy and straight forward with few that require more than a passing glance to understand and solve.

There’s also the considerable gap between the quality of Amicia and Hugo’s story arc and characterization compared to the supporting cast’s.

OnlySP No Score

Asobo Studio has crafted an exceptionally dark atmosphere that brings the journey of its innocent characters to life. Both action and stealth-oriented players will find something to love in the mechanics despite their leading nature towards a particular playstyle. Those that love an immersive experience will be engrossed by the highly detailed, grim world. Some frustration with later levels may hinder the impact of the ending, but, regardless, A Plague Tale is a gorgeous game with endearing characters and smooth gameplay that showcases the potential of Asobo Studio.

VG24/7 No Score

There’s a lot lifted from other games in A Plague Tale, but somehow there’s nothing cynical about it. This is a full-hearted reach for the big time of AAA storytelling that succeeds in the most important departments, thanks to its sparkling polish and subtle characterisation. It’s one of a handful of games for which I could tell you the personality traits and motivations of not just the protagonists, but four or five secondary characters. Consider this review a carrier: Asobo Studio is a name that’s going to spread.

Player2 Score: A

Apart from that though there is very little to dislike about A Plague Tale. It is a game that excels in the areas of storytelling and atmosphere, has rock-solid gameplay, engaging puzzles and some exceptional voice work that brings it all to life. This is a game that burrows under your skin, seeps into your mind and won’t leave you until the final credits roll. Frankly, any adventure gamer out there shouldn’t hesitate to buy this game, it is wonderful.

Thanks Farflame!

PC Gamer reports that the Frostpunk setting could be used as the basis for an RPG.

GamesIndustry.biz spoke with Patryk Grzeszczuk, 11 bit’s director of marketing, about his company’s future plans for Frostpunk. Part of those plans is bringing Frostpunk to consoles, which the studio is working on now.

But further on down the road, Grzeszczuk says 11 bit is looking into exploring new genres, including RPGs. The studio has been gradually adding to Frostpunk’s backstory and lore as they’ve produced more DLC, and that process has resulted in a world rich enough to support a more narrative-leaning game.

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Strategy Shooter Void Bastards will release May 29th and will be available on Humble Bundle, Steam and XBOX One.

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A revolutionary new kind of strategy shooter from the development director of BioShock and System Shock 2. Can you lead the misfit prisoners of the Void Ark through the derelict spaceships and myriad dangers of the Sargasso Nebula? Will you make the right choices about what to do, where to go and when to fight? Master combat, manage ship controls, scavenge supplies, craft improvised tools and much more.

Void Bastards launches May 29, 2019 on PC & Xbox One.

A new update for Wasteland 3 demonstrates the character building process and announces an E3 presense.

Building Up the Ranger Force

Communications Wasteland

It’s been a while since our last update, and that’s because we’ve been hard at work on Wasteland 3, and getting a lot of the core pieces of the game in-place. As we’ve said before, the game is effectively playable from start to finish—but there’s still a megaton of work left to go. Sure, you can complete quests and navigate most of the areas, but this is the most time-intensive stretch of the project. We have the bones—the skeleton is there—but it’s filling it with all the sinew, cartilage, and guts that really make the Wasteland experience what it is. Things are really shaping up, but the most critical work is just getting started. We’ve been hiring and growing the company, as well as putting a lot of the new Microsoft development resources to good use, and that’s going to help us be able to make Wasteland 3 even bigger and better.

We’ll have development updates to share during E3, so look forward to our next update with more specifics then.

Face to Face in the Wasteland

As you saw in our Fig campaign launch trailer, Wasteland 3 is the first game in the series to feature a cinematic conversation system. It gets you up close and personal with the big story characters you’ll encounter in Colorado, and one of those is MacTavish. He’s a coarse, blustering mechanic in Colorado Springs, who wears a luchador mask because . . . well . . . you’ll have to wait and see.

In this update we wanted to share some of the process that’s going into bringing this character to life. First it starts with a character pitch or write-up, and from those largely text-based descriptions the artists work up concepts and shape studies to hone on in a final look and design for the character’s appearance and style. In an effort to not spoil too much we’ll skip ahead a bit to his final concept piece.

Once we have a concept done we’ll move on to a high-poly model like this one, which we’ll break down into the pieces that will help give it a high quality appearance in-game, but without requiring a super-computer to render. After that comes mocap, and then the voice recording we’ve done is married to that with final animations.

This is a look at his masked face model, which isn’t too far from what you’ll see in-game. We’ll have more to share on MacTavish in the future, as well as the creative process for bringing some of our other characters to life.

[...]

Twinfinite share their list of the 10 best post-apocalyptic games.

The Last Of Us

Naughty Dog are masters of emotional storytelling, and The Last of Us still, years later, represents the developer’s peak in terms of storytelling.

The world in The Last of Us is wracked by the devastating Cordyceps virus, turning humans and animals alike into horrendous zombie-like creatures that are sensitive to sound.

The Last of Us tells a very personal story about the life of Joel and Ellie, two survivors stuck in this horrible reality. It’s a fascinating study of human nature, as the two characters become co-dependent on each other, past what is healthy.

The Last of Us also does a great job at portraying the brutality of humanity in an apocalyptic setting.

Both the protagonists and villains blur the lines between good and evil, and create questions about what happens to morality in times like this.

Tokyo Jungle

Remember when we said post-apocalyptic games need to do something unique? Well, you can’t get much more unique than Tokyo Jungle. There are no humans left in this apocalypse, only animals, and that’s exactly who you play as.

You start out as a Pomeranian in the ruins of Tokyo, struggling to survive, and as you complete missions you’ll get the chance to play as even more animals. There’s a basic story to see in Tokyo Jungle, but the game is so ridiculous that it ends up being loads of fun, and it knows how ridiculous it is.

Based on which animal you’re playing you’ll face different challenges, like fighting Cat bosses as the Pomeranian, or taking on a tough Beagle when you play as a Hyena.

It’s absurd, but it’s one of the most wonderfully unique post-apocalyptic games out there.

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

Some new gameplay video for Code Vein.

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TheGG reports that the 'Storm Breaker' expansion is now available for Immortal Unchained.

Stockholm, Sweden – May 7, 2019: ​Toadman Interactive and Sold Out are pleased to announce that “​STORM BREAKER​”, the first major expansion for hardcore action RPG shooter “Immortal: Unchained“, ​is now available to download on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One X, and PC priced $14.99 / €14.99 / £12.99​.

The fall of Apexion was swift and brutal. The unstoppable hordes of Undead pierced the defenses of the outpost Storm Break and continued their relentless invasion. Eliminate the threat and discover the Sea of Scars, an all-new area of Immortal: Unchained.

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PC Gamer reports that The Council developer Big Bad Wolf is developing a Vampire: The Masquerade RPG, too:

Another Vampire: The Masquerade RPG is in development

A new Vampire: The Masquerade game is in the works, publisher Bigben revealed today. It accompanies the recent acquisition of the Werewolf adaptation, originally announced in 2017.

The new game doesn't have a name yet, but it will be a narrative RPG inspired by the rules of the tabletop version. The Council developer Big Bad Wolf is behind the adaptation, which seems like an excellent fit. The Council is an episodic narrative adventure full of occult plots, conspiracies, secret organisations and murder. It's Vampire: The Masquerade but without the fangs.
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Thanks henriquejr!