The Final Fantasy Remaster has been released (Part 2 and 3 as well, the parts 4-6 will follow):

Final Fantasy

The original FINAL FANTASY comes to life with completely new graphics and audio as a 2D pixel remaster!

A remodeled 2D take on the first game in the world-renowned FINAL FANTASY series! Enjoy the timeless story told through charming retro graphics. All the magic of the original, with improved ease of play.

Earth, fire, water, wind... The light that once shone within the four Crystals was lost. Darkness covered the land, until the only hope for humanity rested in legends past. Become the Warriors of Light and embark on your own journey to restore power to the Crystals and save the world.

Switch between classes to improve your characters. Traverse the wide world with your airship and other vessels. Return to the game that started it all.

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KEY FEATURES:

• Universally updated 2D pixel graphics, including the iconic FINAL FANTASY character pixel designs created by Kazuko Shibuya, the original artist and current collaborator.
• Beautifully rearranged soundtrack in a faithful FINAL FANTASY style, overseen by original composer Nobuo Uematsu.
• Improved gameplay, including modernized UI, auto-battle options, and more!
• Dive into the world of the game with supplemental extras like the bestiary, illustration gallery, and music player.

*This remaster is based on the original "FINAL FANTASY" game released in 1987. Features and/or content may differ from previously rereleased versions of the game.

The former mod The Forgotten City has been released today:

The Forgotten City is now available to buy and download!

The Forgotten City is finally here, and we couldn't be more excited for you to play it, and see why IGN scored it a 9 out of 10 [link to The Forgotten City Review] and called it "Amazing."

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Before you dive in, here are some things you should know:

The Forgotten City was made by a core team of three hard-working devs. It may have started out as a mod for an action RPG, but like the mod, this game is in a totally different genre. It’s a mystery adventure game, which rewards thoughtful conversation, exploration, and puzzle-solving. Combat is a small – and entirely optional – part of the game. If you don’t go into this expecting a Triple-A action RPG, you’ll have a much better time!

We’ve taken great care to create a game world with historically authentic ancient Roman art, architecture, costumes, and customs, with the help of two extraordinary historical consultants: Dr. Philip Matyszak (who has a D.Phil from Oxford and teaches at Cambridge) and Dr. Sophie Hay (who has 20 years experience excavating the ruins of Pompeii). We hope you have fun exploring!

Finally, we strongly encourage you to keep playing until you reach the canon ending (Ending 4). You’ll be glad you did!

We've polished the game as much as we can, but some bugs are inevitable on Day 1. So, if you experience any issues, please head over to the Discussions / Bug Reports & Fixes section, and we'll do our best to help you!

Most importantly, we hope you have fun! :-)

The Modern Storyteller team

The survival RPG Chernobylite has been released today on Steam and GOG:

SURVIVE

Ally or compete with other stalkers of the Chernobyl zone to survive. Remember that life is fragile, and it’s your decisions that determine the fate of your companions. You can spend as long as you need preparing, however, be aware that your story is still being written. Every passing moment, your chances of success are dwindling: comrades are dying, supplies are running out, or an unexpected patrol could discover you. And on top of all this, supernatural dangers are arising around you in mysterious patterns. Each day brings new challenges with the ever-increasing severity of your current situation. Plan your strategy carefully if you want to survive.

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EXPERIENCE

Maintain your resolve and keep your wits about you – the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is not what it once was. No one can foresee the horrors that may have befallen your beloved.

• Explore the beautiful and horrifyingly accurate 3D-scanned recreation of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
• Collaborate or compete with other stalkers of the Zone, but whatever you do, never fully trust them. Remember – everybody has a hidden agenda. Always.
• Face and survive the natural and supernatural threats.
• Immerse yourself in the thrilling non-linear science-fiction horror story.
• Make good use of your character’s physics and chemistry knowledge to craft your equipment and manage your supplies.
• Fight against the savage creatures pouring from the alternate reality.
• Investigate and collect data with a set of sophisticated environment and substance analyzing tools.

Rock Paper Shotgun checked out the upcoming Chernobylite:

Chernobylite review: hardly horror, but still a strong survival roguelite

More tense than outright horror, but Chernobylite is still a solid RPG with interesting base-building, management and survival elements that balance nicely to form a fun roguelite loop.

After reading Matt Cox's (RPS in peace) early access review of Chernobylite, I was less scared about the mutant nasties I'd be facing in this horror-y survival RPG and more concerned with how janky it might be. Had the devs over at The Farm 51 smoothed things out for the game's final release? Well, I can safely say that they've polished up the game into quite the pleasant surprise. There's a compelling mystery here that you'll unravel through a mix of base-building, team management, and stealthy survival, and it all fits together to form a roguelite loop that'll actually have you itching to venture back out into radiation-town.

[...]

I won't spoil any of those climatic moments, but Chernobylite's a genuinely good time, folks. The ease of the crafting and the management side of things might lack depth for some, but it does give you a constant sense of satisfaction as you bring goodies back to base and watch it grow. Similarly, the simplicity of its party management ensures balancing their needs doesn't detract from the fun roguelite loop it's got going on. The Chernobyl wilderness might be distinctly "bad vibes" here, but Chernobylite the game gets a big, irradiated thumbs up.

WolfEye Studios (developer of Weird West) will host an Q&A session on July 29 with several other developers:

Tune in for the first Weird West Developer Stream with host @lucyjamesgames, Creative Director @rafcolantonio, Lead Systems Designer @GaGzZzYT and music from @weirdwolvesband & @GL33kler.
What questions do you have for the Q&A?

July 29th at 8pm CEST
http://twitch.tv/wolfeyestudios

Thanks Redglyph!

The RPG Sourecerous has been released:

Sorcerous

Sorcerous is a dark fantasy mystery that’s not afraid to break the rules of what a caster is supposed to be. Starring Andraste, the arcane knight, Blaze, the berserker, Lupa, the druid, Nix, the witch and Stormy, the sorceress. Five apprentice mages dripping with style and arcane power and they’ll need every spell, incantation and dirty trick to cut through a grimoire’s worth of monsters and unravel the conspiracy of dark powers and ancient magic that threatens the city they call home. Over the course of your adventure, you’ll explore foreboding forests, decaying ruins, and grimy city streets solving sinister puzzles and completing Sorcerous’ over sixty master crafted quests, each designed with twists, turns, thrills and chills. So, watch out! But the rewards are well worth it. Oddities and artifacts, trinkets, and charms, will unlock new depths of arcane power to unleash on whatever gets in your way. So, if you’re sick of the spectacled dork every play it your way RPG decides is the mage, pick up Sorcerous and dive into a world of dark magic, insidious mystery, and wicked humor.

Features

14+ hours of game play: Get lost for hours exploring the dark corners and forgotten depths of the ancient city of Lethe, meet new party members, engage in thought provoking conversations, fight lurking horrors and discover strange mysteries.

More than 60 hand-crafted quests: Quests are the driving force of storytelling, a mysterious clue, an overheard conversation, a seemingly simple side job will send you down a rabbit hole of dynamic game play, dangerous combat, cunning puzzles and intriguing ideas.

Customize your party: Strategy is key to overcoming the many enemies that will try to put an end to your adventure, but the new abilities and augmentations unlocked by your ever-expanding arcane arsenal of artifacts, foci, and magical tools will open new avenues of attack and weaknesses to exploit.

Hundreds of items: The city of Lethe is overflowing with curios, oddities and curiosities, some are valuable, others will help you build a better party, still others can be used to take down powerful foes, but all are rich in the lore and story of Sorcerous.

An engaging mysterious plot: Some things are meant to go together: movies and popcorn, alcohol and poor life choices, and stories and RPGs. Sorcerous takes advantage of every opportunity to tell its story, from the broad strokes of cut scenes and exposition to the small details of item descriptions and sound effects.

Wicked cool art: Art impacts every aspect of a game. The environments are a careful mix of gothic, diesel punk and anime. The enemies are a darkly refreshing take on traditional dungeon dwellers, like goblins, ghosts and skeletons. Finally, the leading ladies are cool and stylish in menu images and cut scenes.

Voice acting: No matter how well written, a text box can’t convey the tone and nuance of voice an actor can. Creating a compelling fantasy world relies on the strength of characters and voice acting takes it to a whole ‘nother level!

Exciting secrets to discover: When exploring the world of Sorcerous, you’ll find treasures, challenges, quests and items hidden away, just waiting to be uncovered.

Four highly detailed regions to explore: As detailed as they are sprawling, the places you’ll go following a trail of clues are dripping with dark fantasy atmosphere and full of things to discover and enemies to fight.

Tense strategic battles: You’ll face enemies in Sorcerous inspired by classic fantasy RPGs of the past, reimagined into cunning dangerous foes and rendered with maniacal detail. You’ve never fought rats and goblins like these before! Know your enemy and know yourself. Understanding strengths and weaknesses, party composition and equipment are your keys to victory. 

Screenrant checked out Death's Door:

Death’s Door Review: A Gorgeous Action RPG About Death

Death's Door is a gorgeous and responsive action-adventure with a best-in-class soundtrack, and an easy recommendation 

For the diminutive crow at the center of Acid Nerve’s Death’s Door, reaping pesky souls and delivering them to the afterlife is all in a day’s work. As coworkers busy themselves at desks or loiter about in the mostly monochrome and dream-like Hall of Doors, the unnamed protagonist is off scouring nearby lands for the souls who got away. In a preview of the Devolver Digital-published Death’s Door last month, it impressed with its cozy environments, snappy combat, and generous attention to detail, and the finished game follows suit with those first impressions. Death's Door is a beautiful, refined, and digestible action-adventure with particularly stunning visual and audio design.

[...]

If Death’s Door is not mentioned in a list of the year’s best indies, it will only be due to its finer focus and lack of complexity or significant depth, which also speaks to the game's utter lack of bloat. Those who are looking for the cavernous biomes of Hollow Knight or the lore-rich epistolatory storytelling in a Souls game may feel shorted by the 10 or so breezy hours on offer here, but Death’s Door is a precisely engineered and immersive adventure which will fully satisfy anyone seeking that exact experience. Isometric action RPGs are a dime a dozen, but rarely are they polished to such a brilliant sheen.

Score: 4.5/5

Batora: Lost Haven can be described as a hack 'n slash game in a science fiction setting.

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We've partnered with Stormind games to bring colourful and mesmerising RPG hack and slash, Batora: Lost Haven to PC and consoles in 2022.

It begins with our lead protagonist Avril who used to be a regular 16-year-old girl, until a mysterious event devastated the Earth and she lost everything. Now Avril is the only one who can attempt to save her planet, using the physical and mental powers that she has been gifted with! Throughout her cosmic journey, Avril will begin to learn there is a thin line between good and evil and it is up to her to decide whom to believe: her choices will determine the destiny of the universe.

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Combat, puzzle-solving, and a peek at fearsome bosses take the spotlight in this trailer for Batora: Lost Haven, as showcased during Guerrilla Collective 2021 on Day 2.

In Batora: Lost Haven, the physical and mental balance of a naive and reckless girl who lost everything is the only weapon to save the Earth from oblivion. Jump on a journey across colorful and mesmerizing planets in this fast-paced adventure where your conscience will carry the weight of your decisions.

Batora: Lost Haven is headed to PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Thanks Farflame!

Archquest is described as a classic CRPG that mixes a retro aesthetic, immersive first-person exploration, and tactical turn-based third-person combat based on tabletop RPG rules. Check out the first development log here.

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Unfortunately, it was too late to submit a demo for the Steam Next Fest, but the good news is that the alpha demo for Archquest is done and now available.

This demo features character creation, exploration of a two-level dungeon, and a turn-based tactical combat system.

Get it now on itch.io and send your feedback on the community page.

[...]

Development Log #1

Let’s take some time to talk about the rules in Archquest– namely the PF2 RPG rules which Archquest is based on. You are probably already familiar with the OGL 3.5 SRD rules or PF1 rules. While PF1 was an incremental update to 3.5 that fixed some perceived problems of that ruleset, PF2 goes much further to distinguish itself from its predecessors. Here are some of the most important changes from the perspective of a video game-

Action Economy– Instead of having move actions, attack actions, full-round actions, and other manners of actions, Archquest has a simple and easy system where you get three actions to do with you’d like with. Moving is an action, and attacking is an action. Some actions use more than one action, while most spells take two actions. Some spells allow you to spend a variable amount of actions of the spell, with greater effects the more points you put into it. Some spells, like Haste, give you more actions. In many ways, this could be considered an Action Point system, and when I first read about it, Divinity: Original Sin 2 immediately came to mind. If you like systems like that, you’ll feel at home in Archquest.

Scaling–Instead of having Base Attack Bonus(BAB) and a chart for saving throw advancement, almost everything you can do is based on Proficiency. If you are at least Trained in a given ability, you get to add a bonus based on proficiency level, plus your level to the roll or DC. This applies to attack rolls, saving throws, skills, and AC. This means that the system scales very well into higher levels, and should be easier to balance at all levels.

Feats–You may remember the mountains of Archetypes and Alternative Class Features in PF1. This will no longer be a thing, as most class abilities now have to be taken in the form of class feats. This allows you to customize your class considerably. There are a few class feats that can be taken by different classes, but most are unique to a specific class. There are still General Feats to be taken, but the pickings are much slimmer there now.

There are many other differences. I should point out that while Archquest is based on the rules of PF2, it will not be the same. The most obvious one being the “race as a class” system, which allows me to constrain the scope of the project while also maintaining an old-school vibe. One idea I thought would be interesting is experimenting with a full-blown action point system, where the number of AP you have is higher, and depends on your ability score, and different weapons cost different amounts of AP. Think Fallout meets D&D.

The game is still in the early stages of development of this game, so any feedback would be welcome.

Thanks Farflame!

DSOGaming reports on upcoming update 1.3.0 for Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

Ubisoft has announced that Title Update 1.3.0 for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will release tomorrow, July 27th, and revealed its full patch notes.

This upcoming patch will be 20GB for the owners of the base game. For those owning the Season Pass, however, it will weigh around 31GB.

Title Update 1.3.0 will add support for The Siege of Paris. It will also add the Sigrblot Festival; a new time-limited event from July 29-August 19. Moreover, it will add a Level Scaling option. By using this setting, gamers will be able to adjust NPC levels to their liking.

[...]

The Forgotten City will be released soon, IGN tells it's story:

Skyrim Mod to Standalone Game

Rome wasn't built in a day. But Forgotten City's devs virtually rebuilt it in nine years.

Nick Pearce has spent the last four-and-a-half years working 80-hour weeks on The Forgotten City, so it's not the strangest thing to hear that, at one point, he began hallucinating about being in a Mario game.

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"When you start an indie game studio you're constantly running out of runway," Pearce said when asked if there was a moment during the game’s development that he felt like throwing in the towel.

"It feels like one of those subterranean levels in Super Mario Bros. where you're running along a row of bricks, and they're disintegrating under your feet, so you just keep running forward and jumping into the unknown, all the while knowing that you have exactly zero lives left, because if you fall, it's over."

Pearce hasn't fallen yet, though. And neither have his collaborators in the tiny three-person studio known as Modern Storyteller. Their first game, The Forgotten City is a time loop mystery set in ancient Rome based on Pearce's incredibly successful Skyrim mod of the same name, and it’s all but finished for a launch later this month on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Reaching this point has been quite the journey, one that began around a decade ago when Pearce first started working on the mod in his spare time. He estimates he devoted about ten hours a week, every week for three years, to the mod. Transitioning to full-time development has enabled Pearce and the Modern Storyteller team to rebuild The Forgotten City from the ground up, using the Unreal Engine and overhauling every aspect of the original creation. As the project wraps, Pearce is quick to acknowledge it's remarkable he hasn't taken a tumble and lost that last life given the level of crunch he's willingly put himself through.

"I've spent the last four-and-a-half years working 80 hour weeks with no real holiday, which I guess is about nine years worth of work," he said, notably without giving the impression that he is boasting about it.

[...]

Thanks Henriquejr!

Henriquejr spotted that ATOM RPG got a German translation:

ATOM RPG: Now in Deutsch! + Patch 1.180

Hello friends!
It's time for another minor update of the game, which may prove very significant for those of you who patiently waited for the unofficial German language translation of the game.
Thanks to our amazing fan translation team we can finally release the first version of the translation publicly. We hope it is to your liking, but if you find any issues please share your feedback here: [CLICK]

Other changes this update brings are:

• Loading times optimization;
• Memory usage optimization;
• Small controller problems fixed;

Thank you for being with us and let there be ATOM!

Hell Fire RPGs checked out Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin:

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin - Review [RPG of the Year Contender?] (Switch, PC)

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The Adventure-RPG Death's Door has been released:

Death's Door

Reaping souls of the dead and punching a clock might get monotonous but it's honest work for a Crow. The job gets lively when your assigned soul is stolen and you must track down a desperate thief to a realm untouched by death - where creatures grow far past their expiry and overflow with greed and power.

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Talon Sharp Combat: Utilize melee weapons, arrows and magic to overcome a fantastic array of beasts and demigods. Mistakes are punished and victory is rewarded. Gain an edge by customizing your character stats and mastering the abilities and upgrades you obtain.

A Beautifully Bleak World: Venture beyond the Doors and explore a land full of twisted inhabitants and countless secrets, bringing hope to the weird and wonderful characters you’ll meet along the way.

A Dark Mystery to Unravel: Track down and defeat colossal tyrants with stories and motivations of their own. Experience a somber yet darkly comedic tale, uncovering the truths behind the flow of souls, the role of the Crows and the origin of the Doors.

Monomyth will be on Kickstarter July 27th according to this announcement.

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MONOMYTH is an immersive, first-person dungeon crawling RPG in the vein of Ultima Underworld, Arx Fatalis, and the King’s Field series.

Coming soon to Kickstarter! (including a Demo)

Kickstarter:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/836367155/monomyth

[...]

Greetings, dungeon-crawling enthusiasts!

Today I bring you some great news:

Monomyth will be coming to Kickstarter on the 27th of July, 2021, at 7 pm CET / 1 pm EST.

As a part of this Kickstarter campaign, you will be able to try a demo of Monomyth yourself! In this demo you will travel to the Serpent's Bastion, an outpost of Lysandria, and a bulwark against the many dangers that lurk in the wastelands surrounding the ancient fortress.

[...]

RPGFan reviewed past/present/future time-travel RPG Chris Tales:

Cris Tales Video Review

 

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Cris Tales has captivated patient fans for a while now with its stunning design and interesting approach to combat and gameplay. Now that it's out, Zach took the time to explore this timeless world to see if it holds up. Check out the review to hear his thoughts!

Mortismal Gaming checked out the Enhanced Edition of Baldur's Gate 1:

Baldur's Gate 1 Enhanced Edition: Review After 100%

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DSOGaming reports on a Prey like game in development called Vigilance 2099.

In 2019, we informed you about a new indie game that is heavily inspired by Blade Runner and the cancelled PREY 2 game, Vigilance 2099. And today, we are happy to report that NasNakarus has released a brand new gameplay video for it.

Vigilance 2099 will be using Unreal Engine 4 and will have both bounty hunting and parkour elements. The game also promises to have both third-person and first-person camera viewpoints.

This latest prototype video shows a flying vehicle and a chasing sequence. It also shows some of the game’s combat mechanics, as well as a hacking ability.

[...]

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A new official trailer for King's Bounty II featuring Katharine.

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We are pleased to reveal the second of three playable characters in King’s Bounty II — Katharine, a human mage who prefers the power of word, intrigue, and magic rather than open confrontation with the enemy.

Katharine comes from a long line of noble Rigern counts, the rulers of the rugged mountain region of Nostria. She spent more than 50 years away from Nostria, roaming the dragon ruins and the remains of ancient Antis, looking for arcane knowledge and magic. However, when Katharine stops receiving the taxes she needs to fund her expeditions and mystical research she discovers that her nephew, Maurice, has taken over her county. Outraged by this, she heads to the Universal Assembly in order to demand the return of her power from the King...

King's Bounty II will be launching on August 24th, 2021 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Vagrus: The Riven Realms got a new patch:

A New Build is OUT - Patch 0.7.00 - Codename: The Famous and the Furtive

Hey Folks,

with so many of you well over the hundred hours mark in the game, it was high time for us to add the opportunity to actually win it. The first winning condition we have implemented is the Renown victory. The other two, Wealth and Knowledge will become available in the 1.0 release later this year.

No worries, though, meeting the winning condition and actually retiring with your vagrus are two separate things. Even after you are able to win the game, you can decide to continue playing and trigger the victory screen later in the associated in-game Event, essentially postponing the victory (and the game's end).

[...]

Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector is a tactics/strategy game that has been released on Steam to very positive reviews.

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Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector is a fast-paced turn-based strategy game set in the grimdark universe of the 41st Millenium. Pick your force, develop your army, field mighty heroes and fight for victory using superior strategy, awesome abilities, and devastating weaponry.

Age of Crimson Dawn

Experience an epic twenty mission single-player campaign that explores the aftermath of the Devastation of Baal. Help Sergeant Carleon and his allies purge the Tyranid infestation on Baal Secundus, and preserve the honour of the noble Blood Angels.

Skirmish Mode

Fight across the surface of Baal on maps of your choosing and select either the Blood Angels or the Tyranids in the Skirmish mode. Completely customize your army list by picking your units, heroes and their loadouts.

Forge Your Armies

Command iconic units like the Sanguinary Priest, the Librarian Dreadnought, and the Hive Tyrant to annihilate your foes. Use over 60 abilities and 50 weapons to orchestrate your opponent’s bloody demise.

Build Momentum

Each faction has a unique Momentum system that can result in a Surged unit. Units that Surge are able to string together superhuman chains of actions, or use the opportunity to further upgrade their abilities.

Call In Air Support

Use Command Points to call in faction-specific air support abilities. The Blood Angels Stormraven can obliterate xenos with a missile barrage, or deep strike a unit of veteran Assault Marines behind enemy lines. Meanwhile, the Tyranid Harpy can devastate the enemy defenses with its Sonic Screech, or scatter the battlefield with its deadly Spore Mines.

Face Your Friends On The Battlefield

With live and asynchronous multiplayer, and hotseat modes available, there’s no excuse not to take your friends to war.

Delphyq is a tactics/strategy game currently in development. You can check out the Steam page here. Additionally the developers have an AMA (ask me anything) on reddit that answers a few questions.

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Delphyq is a Real-time Strategy & Tactics game that puts you in the seat of a Mastermind, requiring you to analyze the current situation, evaluate the available resources, choose the missions, plan the attack and execute the plan.

Take control of an elite combat squadron known as the Operatives and bring an end to the tyrannical corporate armistice known as The Balance.

REAL TACTICS IN REAL TIME:

In Delphyq, combat does not happen in turns. The enemy won’t wait until you’re done firing. That’s why the game provides you access to a robust waypoint and command system which allows you to perform real life military tactics and maneuvers, like Slice The Pie, Flanking, Suppressive Fire, and more.

TAKE COVER:

The battlefield is an ally to the mindful. Delphyq’s Dynamic Cover System guarantees that nearby cover is always available wherever units may be, allowing you to keep your Operatives alive as they take down the enemy, one area at a time.

BE THE MASTERMIND:

Analyze. Plan. Execute. Plan from the top and work your way to the bottom with Delphyq’s engaging Overworld and Corkboard with the Intel planning system.

WE DON’T PLAY WITH DICE:

There’s no such thing as luck in Delphyq. Every hit, miss, victory and defeat are all dictated by your strategy, not a random number generator.

NOTHING IS WHAT IT SEEMS:

Intrigue and plot twists abound! Follow the story of the ragtag militant team - Operatives, as they commit to the daunting task of taking down the corrupt corporation called 'The Balance'. Witness as the story unfolds with one revelation after another, all culminating into an unexpected conclusion.

HIGHLIGHTS

Delphyq is a real time tactics game, one that puts you in the role of a mastermind in command of an elite group of combatants known as the Operatives. Every move, every decision, every action and reaction you make will influence and decide the outcome of each encounter you will face along the way.

One thing that separates Delphyq from the rest of the strategy and tactics crowd is the way it simulates real combat. Delphyq is not a turn-based game; despite it having a pause mechanic, combat is still handled in real-time. The game’s waypoints, look direction and dynamic cover systems open doors for intense, strategic and memorable encounters. Advanced functions such as GoCodes and Operative skills provide access to deeper tactical maneuvers to deal with the game’s extremely intelligent utility-based AI enemies.

Each AI unit functions in conjunction with its environment; depending on the situation, it will also try to coordinate with other AI in the field, and will attempt to flank the Operatives and/or engage them through the use of cover.

The game’s Permadeath feature reinforces mastery, putting more weight in every decision made throughout the course of the game. Mastery of the game’s systems is an essential element in fulfilling the mastermind role. 

Henriquejr spotted Wartales Q&A #2 about combat:

Wartales Q&A #2: Combat in Wartales

Attention Mercenaries!

Welcome to the second of our weekly Q&A's with the wartales development team!

This week, Quentin, our Lead Game Designer/Producer gives us an insight into the easy to learn but hard to master combat system of Wartales, providing more information about how best to approach every fight, how your choice of weapons and units will be pivotal in your fights and why you'll need to thoroughly prepare for every confrontation that awaits you in wartales.

Read on to find out more...

What makes the fighting system in Wartales stand out from other turn based strategy games?

"We wanted to offer the player a combat system that is quick to learn but whose richness and depth unfold over the course of your playtime. Since the management component is one of the main aspects of the game, it was essential to link it to the combat system. In short, there are two layers of combat mastery; The first is simply winning the battle. The second is winning the battle efficiently, i.e., with as few wounds and armor repairs as possible.

Of course, winning a battle under catastrophic circumstances can be very resource intensive and can negatively impact the player's progress and economic expansion. Thus, the basis of a healthy economy is a good mastery of the combat system.

Wartales is not just a matter of fighting a skirmish to the death, we wanted to make a large variety of fights available to the player: you will be offered different combat objectives such as reaching a point in a given time, defending an area for a certain period of time, escorting a VIP, burning rats nests, fighting in arenas, attacking merchant caravans, assassinating a champion...

We designed a combat system that is malleable and adaptable to all of these requirements. The variety of objectives, encounters and game rules go hand in hand with the procedural generation of the battle area: this guarantees quality gameplay and replayability. The player must then deal with the battlefield, which is directly linked to the environment in which the fight was initiated (in the world) and procedurally generated according to the rules that govern these locations: is it a forest dotted with trees and tree trunks which archers can hide behind? A swamp in which the mud and mire make it difficult to get around? A mountain in the middle of a snowstorm that makes visibility almost impossible? The variety of combat environments and their procedural generation guarantees that the player will fight in a constantly renewed space and, by extension, always experience a different battle."

Why did we choose this particular combat style?

"Wartales’ combat system was designed to meet two requirements: the first being to distinguish itself from traditional tactical games by offering a more organic and faster system to learn and play. To do this, we removed certain mechanics such as the chance to hit and replaced them with a system of engagement that is simple to understand but whose mastery will make the difference between a perfectly executed fight and a mass grave.

[...]

Purpleblob gives her first impression of Valheim, a survival single/coop RPG in Early Access:

Impression: Our journey through Valheim – entry #1

Helga woke up to a sound of coals burning from the brazier above her, enjoying the warmth washing over her as the dawn light started to stream into their room.

It was an ordinary day and there were a lots of chores to be done. Helga and Kell quickly split their chores – Kell headed off to the nearby forest to chop down trees to make coals and smelt the ores mined the other day. After tending to boars in the pen, Helga proceeded to harvest turnips and carrots, then made her way to beehive grove to check if the bees are happy.

It was a peaceful day.

…until two trolls showed up with a club in their hand and proceeded on cleaving Kell and Helga’s house in half.

Welcome to Valheim.

RIP our training rock, smashed into pieces by stupid trolls *shakes fist* – we still miss you

Our journey began as Hugin, the (un)friendly crow, dropped us – Helga and Kell – onto Valheim, a fearsome land full of our God Odin’s enemies. We were destined to survive and defeat these creatures in order to prove our worth to our God.

…unfortunately, I disappointed Odin on my first day in Valheim by getting killed by a group of boars. Oops!

Scared and lost, Kell and I huddled up to a small campfire we had built for the night – unable to sleep without a shelter and a bed.

Next day, we desperately searched for a good place to settle – somewhere relatively flat, with plenty of resources but far away from too much danger. We found a spot in meadows where we could reach forest within a few minutes of stroll and with a beautiful view of a snowy mountain nearby.

Delighted, we quickly threw up a small house, just big enough to place two beds, a workstation and a campfire to keep us warm. By the time we were done with construction of our first home, it was already well into a night. Exhausted, I was eager to hit the bed but something was concerning Kell. I asked in an annoyed tone – “why aren’t you coming to bed?” Kell spat out a thick cough in response.

Something was wrong. 

[...]

Thanks Redglyph!

IGN reports on a Q1 earnings report question about Beyond Good & Evil 2 which confirms it is still being worked on and also suggests it will be quite some time before release.

The prequel/sequel to the 2003 title got a rare mention today in Ubisoft's Q1 earnings, with Ubisoft simply listing it as part of its plans for "expanding premium offering over the coming years." This went almost entirely unremarked upon during the subsequent earnings call, until a Jefferies spokesperson asked to be permitted a "final fanboy question," asking if the mention of the game meant it might be appearing over the horizon, maybe for fiscal 2024."That's a good try, Ken," replied CFO Frederick Duguet. "We've progressed well with Beyond Good & Evil 2, but it's too early to tell you at this stage."

[...]

Amplitude Studios has announced on their forums that Denuvo will be removed for HUMANKIND on launch.

Hi everyone,

Thank you for all your feedback on this, we have been following along and having internal discussions before getting back to you. Based on data from our trial during the Closed Beta, we have decided not to include Denuvo in Humankind at launch.

 First, let me explain the reasoning behind our initial decision including Denuvo – We work really hard and pour our hearts into these games we make, and pirating really does affect our ability to keep creating games with you guys. 

We’ve been working on this game for more than 4 years now and personally it’s been my dream project for 25 years. We’ve been one of the most wishlisted games on Steam this year, so we know we’re going to be targeted by pirates, more so than any of our previous games. If Denuvo can hold off a cracked version, even just for a few days, that can already really help us to protect our launch.

That being said, our priority is always the best possible experience for the players who buy our games and support us. Denuvo should never impact player performance, and we don’t want to sacrifice quality for you guys. 

We believe that it’s possible with the right integration, which is what we wanted to test during the Closed Beta. However, we found that the way it was currently integrated was not good enough, and it’s not something we can fix before release. So, we are taking it out. 

I hope this answers your questions. Thank you as always for your support, and we can’t wait to see you all at launch (and beyond!)

 - Romain, CCO & Studio Head

Xbox talked to the Neon Giant team about their game The Ascent.

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Go in-depth with the Neon Giant team on their new ARPG title The Ascent. Neon Giant co-founders Arcade Berg, and Tor Frick, along with Alexander Litvinov Fominski (Lead World Designer) breakdown the game's world design, combat, player interactions, and more.

MrMattyPlays presents his top 5 RPGs of July 2021:

The Top 5 NEW RPGs Of July 2021

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The next big continent Inazuma is available in Genshin Impact - Kamisato Ayaka is one of the main characters:

Collected Miscellany - Kamisato Ayaka: Snowdance Heron

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People only see the graceful dance of a snow heron, but little do they know what lies beneath this elegance: Ayaka's meticulous training. The heart of the sword, the essence of tea, and the soul of chess are like Kamisato Ayaka's heart, which has undergone trials and tribulations and remained steadfast.

The latest update for Encased announces a release in September and shows some new trailers.

Hello, Dark Crystal Games is here again! Today we want to share what's been happening with Encased over the past few months and when you can explore the wastelands of the Dome from start to finish.

Summer Game Fest

Prime Matter, a subsidiary of Koch Media, as well as our publisher, presented a new video at Summer Game Fest.

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Do you like it? Can't wait to join one of the Wings and complete the Encased story?

Right now our team is polishing the game, adding new content and fixing bugs to make your playthrough truly exciting.

Preview Trailer

Our team has also released a preview trailer of the game in which you can hear the new voice-over from the game, see new locations and more.

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Please note that Encased will be released this September. 

Your wait is almost over. See you under the Dome, dear employees!

Henriquejr spotted an Q&A session for Gloomhaven:

GLOOMHAVEN | Q&A LIVE SESSION - 5 JULY 2021

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The J-RPG Cris Tales has been released today:

 Cris Tales

Experience Past, Present, and Future simultaneously in this gorgeous, indie love letter to classic JRPGs.
Cris Tales is a gorgeous, indie love letter to classic JRPGs with a new perspective. Peer into the past, act in the present, and watch as your choices dynamically change the future -- all on one screen as you play! Join the newly awakened Time Mage Crisbell and her fantastical companions on their journey across a dark, fairytale world facing a grim future.

Crisbell must embark across Crystallis and the four Kingdoms in a bid to stop the powerful Time Empress and rewrite the future of the world and all those living in it. Along the way, she’ll meet and recruit powerful allies with their own unique stories and skills like Matias the Frog and Willhelm the Child Mage.

As she explores the world and meets her unique companions, Crisbell will have to make choices with far-reaching consequences for the people she meets – consequences that will impact the world you’ll experience in real-time throughout your journey. Each companion will be invaluable as you face these choices and the myriad enemies who stand in your way. Will you buffet them with attacks, or discover creative ways to use Crisbell’s time powers to alter the reality of each fight?

Beautifully hand-drawn 2D art is animated frame by frame to bring the branching pasts and futures of each region, enemy, and NPC to life across more than 20 hours of gameplay. Experience a unique combination of branching stories, innovative combat, and classic RPG excitement in Cris Tales’ exciting and unforgettable exploration of how our actions echo through time.

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Key Features

A Love Letter to Classic JRPGs – Inspired by timeless JRPGs like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Valkyrie Profile, and modern classics like Bravely Default and Persona 5, meet and recruit a unique cast of teammates, challenge myriad enemies, and make your way through an expansive world.

Experience the Past, Present, and Future Simultaneously – Peer into and learn from the past, decide on actions in the present, and alter the course of the future in ways that will reshape the world dynamically depending on the choices you make.

Master Strategic Turn-Based Combat – Warp your enemies into the past or future, synchronize attacks for enhanced group abilities, and master the timing of attack and defense to go beyond your party’s limits in combat.

Uncover a Fascinating Story & Characters – The Empress’ plot to destroy the world is complex and layered. Use your wits and recruit powerful allies throughout the world to uncover and undo her multi-faceted web and make your way to the True Ending of this enchanting tale.

Discover a Beautiful World – Climb aboard an airship or boat and traverse this handcrafted, dark fairytale world. From the shining kingdom of Crystallis to the slums of Saint Clarity, discover each unique location and shape its future. 

Redglyph spotted an upcoming dev-stream for Solasta: Crown of the Magister, with info about Kickstarter rewards:

We'll be hosting a small Dev Stream on Tuesday 27th starting at 9 am PDT / 11 am EDT / 6 pm CEST for about 2 hours, where we'll discuss the game, the update and also talk a bit about the future (a bright one, worry not). We're also taking the opportunity to give our Kickstarter Backers an update on everything that has to do with their rewards - especially their physical ones!