IGN and Fextralife have reviewed Salt and Sacrifice:

Salt and Sacrifice Review

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Salt and Sacrifice Review: Is it Worth It? Should You Play it? Gameplay Impressions

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Mortismal Gaming checked out Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen:

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen - Review After 100%

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Discussing my experiences with Dragon's Dogma after a thorough run of the title!

Rozalin has reviewed Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising:

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising

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Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a fun, fast-paced 2.5D action RPG with town-upgrading elements, exploration, and more! It's developed by Suikoden series veterans Rabbit & Bear Studios and serves as a prequel to the upcoming JRPG Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.

SplatterCatGaming checked out the Strategy-RPG Songs of Conquest - the game was released as Early Access version today:

Songs of Conquest - Medieval Fantasy Sandbox Tactical RPG

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Songs of Conquest gameplay with Splat! Let's Play Songs of Conquest and check out the long awaited homage to the Might and Magic series. Armies, war, magic, and relics!

TheGamedawg checked out the recently released J-RPG Shadow Fate:

Let's Play Shadow Fate - Part 1

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The action RPG Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising will be released today:

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising

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Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising combines a thrilling adventure through ancient ruins with the tale of one town's rise from the ashes.

Drawn by lenses and other treasure in the nearby Runebarrows, our heroes learn that the town is struggling to rebuild after an earthquake and decide to help. Along the way, they'll resolve disputes between eager adventurers and wary locals who don’t think the Barrows should be disturbed. And they'll learn more about each other's reasons for seeking treasure, deepening their bonds in the process.

As you will learn, these Runebarrows hide a great secret that has fateful implications for one of the characters. What begins as a simple treasure hunt turns into a dark conspiracy that will shake the world and plant seeds that carry over into the main story of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.

The game will introduce a portion of Eiyuden Chronicle’s cast of characters in an original story with thrilling action and engaging town-upgrading elements.

There will be some perks for players that link the game with Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.

*The name of one character from the Eiyuden Chronicle franchise has been changed from JB to CJ.

The action RPG Salt and Sacrifice will be released today on Epic Games:

Salt and Sacrifice Launch Trailer - EGS

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As a Marked Inquisitor, you’ll journey through the western frontier: pursuing, hunting, and obliterating the Mages that roam the realm. Craft unique weapons and armor from the otherworldly flesh and bones of the Mages you destroy.

GamingBolt checked out Rogue Legacy 2:

Rogue Legacy 2 Review - The Final Verdict

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Rogue Legacy 2 may not be at the very apex of design like Hollow Knight or match its story and rogue-lite appeal. The difficulty, especially when exploring a new biome for the first time, may also prove irksome for some (though there are the House Rules for customizing enemy health, damage taken and much more if you want a more chilled out experience).

Overall though, it's a great combination of both genres, offering near-endless replay value, a compelling narrative to unearth, a gorgeous and clean aesthetic, and fun gameplay. As accessible as it is immensely complex, Rogue Legacy 2 is a stellar title that will keep you coming back for just one more quirky run.

The tactical RPG The Iron Oath got another patch:

Patch Notes 0.5.144

Hello mercenaries!

We've just pushed out a new update with a good mix of fixes and changes. Be sure to update your game! Repairing gear didn't make it into this update, but we have implemented it on our end - it just needs a bit more testing before we push it live with next week's patch.

Patch Notes for 0.5.144

Fixes

• Enemies can no longer use melee attacks while out of range of their target
• Lightning attacks will no longer critically strike wet targets (they only receive +50% damage)
• The Dreadknight's Pull of the Void ability now has a tooltip describing its effects (adjacent targets are Rooted)
• When zooming in on characters at the edge of the map, the camera will no longer glitch out trying to center them
• The Pyromania buff now expires properly
• Skeleton bone piles can no longer be feared
• The correct playtime is now displayed on files that have over 60 hours
• Fixed a rare crash that occurred when a House Skirmisher began combat on a certain tile in the marsh environment
• Duplicate quests will no longer spawn at the same time in cities
• If a character somehow gets onto an invalid hex at the start or end of their turn, they will be teleported to the nearest valid hex
• Certain quests were completing when entering the wrong city - this should hopefully be resolved now

Additions & Changes

• The turn order is now visible during the deployment phase
• You can now hold Tab to display all hexes on the field during deployment and combat
• Ultra wide support has been added
• Retina display support added for Mac
• You can now see the blue 'pips' that represent ability charges while camping, and also in the level up screen
• The Pyrolancer's Fuelled by Fire passive ability now has a status icon to indicate how much of a buff they are receiving
• Changed the goal for the Eradicate Voidspawn quest so it triggers a mission complete after beating the boss, instead of needing to clear every battle in the dungeon
• Completing a quest objective now adds 240 days to its expiration time, giving you plenty of time to return to your employer
• Added an option to disable screen shake effects
• The bottom edge of some combat areas are now treated like a wall, allowing you to push targets into it and trigger bonus damage
• You can now change your company's name in the history section of the management menu
• The price of resources (Wood, Iron, etc) have been changed across the board and are now more valuable
• Added a new Cloth resource, exported by the city of Athirton
• Adjusted the durability and cost of most gear in preparation for the upcoming repair mechanic

Balance

• Increased the Defense (+3) and Evasion (+2) stats of the Tower Shield
• Increased the fire terrain duration from the Pyrolancer's Wildfire ability to 8 turns (from 5)
• The Wildfire upgrades for duration now increase it by 2 (from 1)
• Changed the weighting of the 'Disorganized' time modifier so it can no longer trigger early on in a dungeon

Henriquejr spotted the upcoming games from indie publisher Hooded Horse:

Hooded Horse Publisher Showcase | PAX East 2022

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Video Timestamps: 
0:00:00 - Intro
0:01:22 - Old World
0:06:05 - Sons of Valhalla (New Game)
0:07:35 - Falling Frontier
0:16:11 - Espiocracy (New Game)
0:18:20 - Fragile Existence
0:24:14 - Capital Command (New Game)
0:26:13 - The Way of Wrath
0:28:53 - Fata Deum
0:32:29 - Alliance of the Sacred Suns
0:36:25 - Terra Invicta
0:42:46 - Conclusion and beginning of post-show trailers

INDIEGAMEIACS checked out Age of Grit:

AGE OF GRIT - Indie Game First Impressions and Gameplay

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Uncanny Games reviewed Yaengard:

Yaengard - 3 min review | Personality & Morality turn based RPG

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In this quick 3 minute game review, we're looking at Yaengard - a tactical turn based RPG with huge influences from personal and moral choices that your characters take!

Kordanor checked out Hard West 2:

Hard West 2 - Tactics in the Wild West...with Zombies! - Preview (Beta Playtest) [EN]

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Henriquejr spotted a new info page about Alaloth: Champions of The Four Kingdoms:

All the info you need in one place

Hello Champions!

As promised in the Spring 2022 Update, we are going to drop here a bunch of misc updates originally scheduled in a different moment of the last year. Before doing that, we thought that a bit of recap was necessary, considering the huge number of questions we’ve received in the last months. To avoid any possible confusion, we are going to summarize here all the info already shared, adding comments on what is changed and what’s happened in development lately. Almost 1 year ago we hosted an AMA session on our Discord channel and highlights were published in this topic. Looking back at it one year later, made us thinking about the huge work done since than but we are happy to have kept our vision alive, despite a few changes we did following feeds from QA and testers. This update should work as a sort of guide to understand in full what Alaloth is and what is not.

WHY YOU DIDN’T GIVE US NEWS FOR MONTHS? WHAT’S HAPPENED?

We are not going to comment this. We apologized for the lack of updates on our Steam page and always tried to do our best to inform the community of what was going on. The Spring 2022 Update contains all the info on what’s coming next. Past is behind, future ahead and we are doing 110% to recoup the time lost without interacting with people and players waiting for the game.

OK, GOT IT. SO, WHAT ABOUT THE GAME? AN ISOMETRIC SOULS-LIKE? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

The idea has always been trying to put a few cool 3D mechanics in a isometric game. We thought there is nothing like this on the market. Souls-like ref has always been about a combat sys that will be hard to master but very satisfying once you’re done with it.

SO WHAT? IT IS A SOULS-LIKE, IT IS DIABLO, IT IS A CRPG?

It is Alaloth, we are trying to stay in between old school classics and modern action RPG. When you see the game running, mind flies to good old times but there is no tactical pause so you have to be good with the pad to kill stuff. And staying in between past and present, is something we’ve tried to reflect in any aspect of the game. We have two kind of players we’re talking with here: the first one, is the one skipping every single line of text and caring about his build only, skills and fights. The second one is the one taking his time enjoying every single dialogue around, trying to pick up lore details to connect all dots. We are trying to make both of them happy, leaving the freedom to play the game both ways. Anyway, to take 100% from it, hardcore players should play a bit with quest and lore related stuff around and old school players will have to master combat anyway. We are just trying to “force” this in a funny way for both .

YOUR MAIN GOAL IN ALALOTH?

In Alaloth, you embody a champion who is willing to set free the continent of Plamen by the evil and overwhelming presence of Alaloth himself, a mighty demigod trapped in a limbo and willing to come back to the mortal realms to rule them all. To do so, you will be required to recover four light shards that open the gates of The Fifth Kingdom, his domain. These shards pop in a random way each run and can be found in many locations spread around the world [Fighting Areas].

CAN YOU FREE ROAM IN THE GAME WORLD AND DECIDE TO WHAT TO DO AND WHEN?

Yes, you are completely free to do whatever you want since the very beginning. The Main Quest is just Alaloth-related. You need to kill him to complete the game. Anyway, there is nothing set for you to do so. You can just decide to explore Plamen, do your stuff, meet NPC, do other quests or starts claiming Fighting Areas looking for shards to access the endgame. The player is free to navigate and explore Plamen the way he likes most since the start of the journey, choosing to prioritize the main quest, secondary ones or to just see what’s next. At the beginning of the development, Alaloth was supposed to be played one way only, facing 3 other champions coming from the kingdoms the player didn’t choose running after shards as you, fighting you. We have 40 different champions representing each house and clan in the game, rolled every time a new session starts. Everyone with unique skills, drops and behavior. Anyway, while testing the game and collecting feeds, we decided to work on a brand new mode introducing a full single player campaign to be enjoyed the classic way. We are talking about two different ways to play. In both cases the more the time pass the more Alaloth’s rage and power increases. Spawns became way more dangerous with each of this phases.

[...]

THETRIBECOUK checked out the RPGMaker game The Tribe Game:

[Review] The Tribe Game

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In the Mini-devlog Update #29 is announced that Fabled Lands will be released at the end of May:

Mini-devlog Update #29

Skills & Spells

Hey, hey, everybody, it's time for the latest addition of the Mini-Devlog Update! It's been a hell of a ride but the final content update for the release I've been working on for the past 5 months is finally shaping up well and I am entering the Squash phase... bug squashing that is. I will be announcing the closed community beta any day now, so stay tuned and join Prime Games' Discord server if you want to take part in it!

Now, back to the main topic at hand for this update, which is...

Skills & Spells

Sometimes ability rolls are just not enough to avoid conflict, or a character is just better prepared and built up for raw display of power. Then we enter the tactical hex-grid combat.

With the addition of more and more game areas, new options unlock and new possibilities for me to add and expand upon the current system in place. Let's show some of the new active skills in action!

The Mage was in desperate need of a friend on the battlefield, hence they finally get one, the Water Spirit. However, other spells such as Animal Companion or Raise the Fallen already offer a meat shield for the spellcasters (which want one), but a ranged glass cannon is always a great option to have!

Back in May last year we were discussing extensively with fresh community members the Warrior and how to make their fighting style more interesting. These fighters engage in close combat more often than any other profession and can easily find themselves surrounded at the heat of battle. While they can go for a repositioning spell, a nice option is also to strike fear in the hearts of their enemies and make them flee. Of course, not before hitting that Whirlwind goodness.

Finally, I am showcasing the newest Priest spell, which is a way to chain heal all allies on the battlefield. A cheap Stamina gain for a quick 1AP action to get you out of a bad situation.

I am leaving the rest of the new skill additions to your heroes to discover!

Ranks

With the Skill system being in a solid state, it was time to think of a better way to incorporate it within the gameplay and promote more skill play to players who haven't discovered where to get those goodies.

I really enjoy those moments when hitting a new level in a D&D session that increase my stats and give me access to new abilities. You feel how your character has grown not only story wise (via their experience built up during the campaign) but also by altering their capabilities gameplay wise.

I wanted to incorporate that feeling, so instead of the previous going up in rank system with fixed amount of stamina and defence increases, there is now a choice.

On odd ranks, you get your Defence increased as well as a choice to increase one of your abilities (SCOUTING, CHARISMA, THIEVERY, etc).

On even ranks, you get a fixed Stamina increase and a limited selection of 3 skills and spells (both active and passive ones) from which you can choose one.

Don't worry, you can still go, explore and seek all the skills, even the ones you've missed, buy them if you have enough Shards on you and learn them!

It echoes exactly what I want to do, emphasize on choices, the game's main mechanic, and give players more options to build and differentiate their characters. Which are going to be less dependent on piling up defence and stamina for the late game but rather fight their way with tactical decision making.

In conclusion

Big content update coming, closed-beta and release of the full game at the end of the month!

Wishlist now and see you at the finish line!

Learn more about the merchant in the card-based RPG Ash of Gods: The Way:

THE MERCHANT

Telling you about the merchant and interesting things you can buy from him.

Hello, folks!

Today we’d like to tell you about one more useful character who will follow you from tournament to tournament — the merchant. From this article you will find out what he sells and why you should visit him quite often.

The merchant doesn’t appear from the very beginning—Eik brings him to the tavern in the second half of the tournament, when Finn turns to challenger battles. By this moment our character has enough gold—let’s see what he can spend it for.

CARDS

The part of the assortment of the merchant is cards of characters and support—items and charms. But you can also buy an elite fighter and considerably strengthen your deck—Skovos will come in very handy in challenger battles!

EXPERIENCE

If cards of characters and support can be received in the battles later, the experience is never too much. You will definitely need it for the card upgrade—if not in Berkana, then in Rigga. With every tournament points of new fractions experience will be added, but players will be able to gain the experience for the rest of the decks they play.

COMMANDERS

You can get a unique card from the merchant as well. It’s one of the commanders—a bercanan lancer Ainsly. She can buff the attack which will definitely help in the fights with powerful Frisians.

The merchant can сonsiderably diversify the game. He has goods for any taste and strategy—anything you can afford. But remember that you will also need gold for the improvement of cards of support—and you won’t be able to call off the deal. Choose cleverly!

Explore the assortment of the merchant in our demo-version, share your opinion which goods you’d like to see in his shop, follow our page and—the main thing—add the game to your wishlist.

SplatterCatGaming checked out Citizen Sleeper:

Citizen Sleeper - Dystopian Space Station Survival RPG

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The action RPG Eldest Souls got a free expansion called Depths of the Forgotten:

Depths of the Forgotten

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Eldest Souls is out now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The critically-acclaimed action-RPG now includes ‘Depths of the Forgotten’: a free, major expansion which introduces a new and perilous region, three new bosses, a selection of special weapons, and an all-new, obliterating ability.

The isometric action RPG Decision: Red Daze has been announced for May19:

Decision: Red Daze

Decision: Red Daze is an isometric action RPG with a unique spin on survival and tower defense mechanics.

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The Dust Bowl, once a ‘thriving’ society of corrupt politicians, rich property barons and everyday people who work for them ‘100% willingly’, has been overtaken by a mysterious phenomenon only known by survivors as the Red Daze. As the illness takes hold of the survivors and turns them into crazed and EXTREMELY dangerous mutated creatures, the worlds’ governments are running around like headless chickens. It falls to the few who remain to fend off the monsters in hopes of finding a way to eradicate the Red Daze once and for all.

PLAY AS ANYONE
Even the lowliest survivor you find has the potential to lead his own squad, explore, make the wasteland safe, and shape their own destiny. It’s up to you to upgrade and specialize any survivor you find in the wasteland any way you see fit.

EXPLORE, LOOT AND CAPTURE
While most of the buildings of the Dust Bowl are long abandoned and taken over by the undead, the loot and potential shelter is coveted by most survivors. During your exploration missions you’ll come across various farmsteads, factories and military installations full to the brim with monsters, loot, and most importantly, foundations that hold the potential to turn the long abandoned structures into sprawling and heavily fortified settlements.

YOUR OWN SAFE HAVEN
With survivors from all over the wasteland pouring into your settlements for safety, it’s smart to keep them occupied. Assign them to build factories to make food, fabricate resources or make useful goods to barter with, put up and upgrade defenses, and in the event of an attack, task your best soldiers to protect your settlements while you’re away or join the battle yourself and help push back the monsters coming to take what’s yours!

SCOUT OUT YOUR COMPETITION
The packs of monsters always have a leader. Plan ahead, strategically assemble your squad of specialists to maximize your odds of survival, and head out on exploration and scouting missions. Gather vital intelligence on the monsters’ movements to better defend your settlements, or find and eliminate the bosses to stop the attacks altogether.

The Early Access version of the roguelike Oaken has been released:

Oaken

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Story

The world of Oaken is a mythical place, existing in a not easily defined space and time. It is stretched among the branches of the Great Oak. Its inhabitants are spirits which listen to the same voice, called the Oak Song.
The loss of that voice starts a series of events leading into a struggle which may either heal or destroy the Great Oak.

Features

• Roguelike, hero-oriented campaign with deck management.
• A mystical world inhabited by spirits with celtic and tribal vibes.
• A randomly generated world map with tons of levels, bosses and events to be discovered.
• Unique, highly tactical battles on a hexagonal grid, where position and rotation is everything.
• Upgrade your spells and spirits the way you want.
• Easy to learn, hard to master - chill and challenge modes suitable for any player.

PC Gamer has reviewed the Cyberpunk RPG Citizen Sleeper:

Citizen Sleeper review

Citizen Sleeper is like Blade Runner, but you're a replicant. A synthetic being who has escaped from the corporation that built you, you hide on a space station that's become a rogue state—home to revolutionaries, refugees, and a pirate gang. While you're worrying whether you'll be hunted down and dramatically shot in the back, you're also worried about day-to-day survival. 

Citizen Sleeper is great at encouraging you to live a routine. Where in Cyberpunk 2077 I only went to bed if I was trying to trigger a sidequest, here I lived a day-to-day cycle that included sleeping, eating, working, and feeding a stray cat. Some of it was mechanically necessary, and some of it was pure roleplay.

[...]

Citizen Sleeper has multiple endings, some of which let you continue playing to find others. By the time I was done I hadn't seen any attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion or C-beams glittering in the dark, but I had freed an AI from a vending machine, foiled a couple of corporate schemes to get toeholds on the station, and renovated a bar. I didn't want to leave, and I hit the credits three times finding multiple endings in one playthrough. 

That's the best recommendation I can give Citizen Sleeper: it let me build a life I wanted to keep living. When I go, who'll harvest the mushrooms? Who'll feed that stray cat?

Score: 80/100

The Turn Based Lovers checked out Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters:

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters | Pc Single-Player Tactics Strategy Game | Gameplay

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World of Elex has reviewed ELEX II:

Elex 2 Review – Is the successor doing everything better?

It took a proud four and a half years for Elex 2 to finally be released. Fans have never had to wait this long for a new game from Piranha Bytes - a studio that polarizes like no other from Germany. Have the Piranhas used the long development time to improve in all aspects with Elex 2, or are the biting fish taking a bath with their ambitious vision?

By Ravenhearth and Dark Bauer

With Elex 1, the Piranhas dared to break styles in 2017 by mixing medieval fantasy and science fiction and giving the hero a name. Jax, meanwhile, lives as a hermit on a mountain after people failed to listen to his warnings about alien invaders. Elex 2 begins 6 years after the first game with the arrival of the alien Skyands on the planet Magalan, which was once populated by a modern civilization before a meteorite devastated it and brought the Elex to the world. The sudden arrival of the aliens in Elex 2 is presented in a nicely rendered intro and, of course, changes everything. The Skyands plan to reshape and subjugate the planet to their liking using a modified type of the Elex, the Dark Elex. Jax returns to the humans after the aliens destroy his hut, but is bitten by the creatures and infected with a disease on the way there in a second intro. The transition to this intro is a bit sudden, though, as the landscape shown doesn't match the in-game environment at all. One minute we're sneaking past the critters in a forested area, and the next, without warning, a video starts in which we see Jax being chased past cliffs in a desert-like region by these same beasts. Then we fall.

Piranha Bytes has chosen one of four endings for the first part. This can sometimes lead to confusion for players of Elex 1, because certain situations are forced upon you, which you didn't choose in part 1, because no savegame import was used. For example, in the predecessor we might have chosen a romance with outlaw lady Nasty - today we are in a relationship with berserker Caja and even have a son together. Piranha Bytes still manages to keep the newcomer from losing the thread, because the dialogue always offers the possibility to review what happened in part 1. However, you can't think too much about some things here either; as in all their previous games, the story isn't the most important aspect.

[...]

Ravenhearth's opinion: It's not easy for me to rate Elex 2. The game didn't become the hoped-for leap, but it's not a flop either. It does a few things better than its predecessor (jetpack, combat system, balancing, graphics, presentation) and retains some of its strengths (level design, scope, factions, companions). However, Elex 2 also disappoints with content regressions (story, quest design, world), making the game more of a sideways step. It's no Gothic 2, but it's no Risen 2 either. Those who liked Elex will probably like Elex 2, and those who were put off by Elex's inaccessible sides might like it too - especially when Piranha Bytes gets the technical problems under control.

Dark Bauer's opinion: I said at the time about Elex 1 that Piranha Bytes had built a good foundation with it. I still stand by that today, but unfortunately they didn't get past the first floor with Elex 2, where so much more would have been possible. For that, as you can read in the text, there are too many "buts" in places where potential was lost. They've improved a lot of things: combat system, character system, jetpack, graphics (excluding the no-gos like reloading objects and bodies, of course)... The techniques behind the game have all been modernized and improved. Flying is so much fun that I, who doesn't really like running around and uses fast travel systems where they exist, hardly wanted to use the teleporters. The quests themselves, which (too) often ultimately end in combat, are also fun and mostly don't feel like work. Unfortunately, not that much has changed on the content level, in some ways the predecessor was even better.

All in all, I'm sorry to say that while Elex 2 is definitely a lot of fun and does a lot of things better compared to its predecessor, Elex 1 remains the more well-rounded game in the end. Crashes, graphics errors or possible plot stoppers can really spoil the gameplay experience. Despite the already long development time, half a year longer certainly wouldn't have hurt. Perhaps Corona has also contributed to this. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to part 3, and for those who left part 1 behind because of the unfinished level system, the high difficulty or the spongy controls in combat and in the air, Elex 2 is definitely worth a try. For everyone else too.

Thanks Pladio!

SplatterCatGaming checked out Warhammer 40K: Chaosgate - Daemonhunters:

Warhammer 40K Chaosgate Daemonhunters - Grimdark Heresy Purging Tactical Strategy

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Gamereactor checked out Hard West 2:

Hard West 2 really does live up to its name

We've been able to dive into the first couple of hours of Ice Code Games supernatural strategy sequel.

I'm a big fan of the Wild West. That much I made clear in my recent review of WolfEye Studios' Weird West. For me this period and culture is and has been rife with a grand potential for storytelling, so needless to say, when the opportunity to take an early look at the sequel to Hard West landed on my plate, I snapped it up. Known candidly as Hard West 2, this title is coming from Ice Code Games, and once again revolves around a tale of revenge all set in a supernatural and dark version of the Wild West. I've been able to check out the first couple of hours of the game, and I have plenty of opinions.

The story for Hard West 2 starts with a posse of outlaws looking to rob what seems to be a government train carrying untold riches. In reality, the train is actually far more nefarious and is a spectral vessel known as the Ghost Train, which is commanded by a cruel and sadistic being. It's here, right at the start of the game that the ground for the story is laid, as in a bid to outsmart this villain, the posse's leader, Gin Carter bets his soul and the souls of his companions in an effort to win the Ghost Train. As you can probably expect, this doesn't go as planned and the gang of outlaws gets cheated, and would have lost their souls if not for the quick wit of the magical companion Flynn. From here on out, the story of Hard West 2 asks players to survive the hostile world that the Ghost Train has transported the posse to, all while also mounting an expedition and adventure to hunt down the elusive train and take revenge on the foul devil residing in its engine carriage.

[...]

While my time with Hard West 2 so far has been pretty fleeting, I will say that what I've seen gives me plenty of hope and makes me excited for Ice Code Games' sequel. Sure, it's not easy, and there are times that you'll want to shout in rage at the savage statistical combat systems, but that doesn't change the fact that you'll also be raring to dive back in and retry the same scenario with a fresh perspective. Matching the engaging combat with the immersive RPG exploration and the macabre overworld gives this game a satisfying balance, which all works well to bring to life this unique realisation of the Wild West. Hopefully, this success will transition to the full game, whenever that launches later this year.

Wizard Worm checked out the roguelite Sea Horizon:

Sea Horizon Review - Legendary Sea Journey (Roguelite RPG Adventure)

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Standard Edition owners of Dying Light get a free upgrade to the Enhanced Edition on Steam.

So if you own the base Dying Light game, now you’ll also get:

•     The Following expansion,
•     Bozak Horde,
•     Cuisine and Cargo,
•     Ultimate Survivor bundle,
•     and Crash Test skin bundle!

Enjoy playing with your new content, and see you in Harran!

Interested in the details of the upcoming patch? Check the changes below:
FULL PATCH NOTES

[...]

Thanks Henriquejr!

Redglyph spotted a new patch and free companion DLC for Vagrus: The Riven Realms:

A New Build is OUT - Patch 1.1.00 - Codename: Voracious

This new free DLC for Vagrus features a new Companion for recruitment: the esteemed Undead chef called Vorax.

Hey everyone,

the new update is here, and with it comes a free DLC Companion! Note that all the features and changes are automatically accessed via the update, while the Undead chef Vorax is available by downloading the new DLC for free. Now let’s see in a bit more detail what each of these additions bring. As ever, you can find the detailed patch notes at the end of the page.

Companion: Vorax
First and foremost, the update brings a new free DLC, which adds a new Companion to the game: the garrulous Undead cook called Vorax. You will find that Vorax is a good fit for almost any comitatus, bringing perks to the table such as his Deputy role Supercargo, as well as his cooking during camping and combat Skills that make him a great support fighter. He comes with his own, expansive Loyalty quest chain, which involves a cooking challenge as well as a less gleeful delve in his dark past.

Initiative Track Changes
To grant more immediate agency to the player during combat and to brush things up for increased visual clarity, we’ve adjusted combat design so that changes to Initiative will take effect from the active moment when they occur. Furthermore, downed and stunned characters will now show up in the Initiative order, along with new visual adjustments that show their diminished state.

Key Bindings
Responding to your requests, we have added key bindings to this update. From now on, you will be able to find customizable bindings in the menu – you may assign up to two bindings for each action.

Now let's jump into the patch details:

Important Note: Considering the extent of the improvements, there is little to no chance that we broke nothing in the process. Assume that we did not want to make anyone's life harder. If you see something amiss, please flag it to us using the usual channels, like the inbuilt reporting tool (F1 button), forums, and our Discord server.

***
Patch 1.1.00 - Codename: Voracious 

[...]

Gamestar reports that more Dark Eye RPGs are planned.

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Instead, Wagner came up with a new plan, which included empowering Ulisses-Verlag to develop the games themselves. This is the only way to guarantee that the necessary love and care flows into the product, which the publisher and the fan base want.

It's just that Ulisses simply can't develop any games at the moment. That should change in the next few years. That's why there is a master plan :

• The visual novel: It starts as early as May 2022, when Wolves of the Westwind , a new DSA game , will appear on Steam. Only this is a visual novel, with very little RPG content. It is a story to read and with beautiful pictures. Things that Ulisses is already good at without too much financial risk.
• An Action Game: The next project will be a standard action game for the studio to try their hand at. However, without a DSA license. Because with this brand loved by fans, according to Wagner, you only have a few shots free , and they should sit.
• A first role-playing game: What you have learned should then be implemented in another game, which this time will actually be a role-playing game. But again without a DSA license, another Pen&Paper work is to be used instead: Hexxen 1733.
• The new DSA RPG: And when all these points are ticked off, the staff is increased and trained and hopefully the funding and the international reputation of the studio are in a good place, then a new DSA role-playing game is to be created, with a reasonable production effort.

The goal is to have a game that is internationally competitive even without the brand's appeal and that satisfies DSA fans in Germany.

Thanks Couchpotato!

DSOGaming reports that Thymesia will release for PC August 9th.

OverBorder Studio has announced that its upcoming action RPG, Thymesia, will release on August 9th. In order to celebrate this announcement, the team released a new trailer that you can find below.

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Here's a new gameplay trailer for the tactical RPG Hard West 2:

Hard West 2 - Gameplay Trailer

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The Strategy-RPG Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters has been released:

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters

Lead humanity’s greatest weapon, the Grey Knights, against the corrupting forces of Chaos in this brutal and fast-paced turn-based tactical RPG. Root out and put a stop to an insidious plot to infect the galaxy with the Bloom, an intergalactic cosmic plague capable of rotting worlds into oblivion.

Armoured in faith, shielded by devotion, the Grey Knights’ very existence is rooted in mystery, enforced with mind-wipes and executions. Experience life in the 41st millennium and follow the journey of these elite warriors in a narrative penned by acclaimed Black Library author, Aaron Dembski-Bowden.

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SHAPE THE FATE OF THE GALAXY

Upgrade your base of operations, build new facilities, conduct research into arcane mysteries and engage in combat missions across multiple worlds to purge the spread. The Bloom corrupts without prejudice; your choices will affect which planets succumb… and survive.

FORGE YOUR CHAMPIONS

Command your own, personalised squad of Grey Knights; learn a range of diverse skills and psychic abilities, unlock powerful equipment and specialise your champions into four unique standard and advanced classes. Each of your warriors can be customised with voice, armour and facial options to make them your own.

PRECISION TARGETING

Grey Knights are an elite chapter of Space Marines and are not in the business of making mistakes or missing their shots. The Precision Targeting system puts you in control of your tactical decisions, allowing you to plan your strategy with confidence, whether by taking shots from afar with sure-fire accuracy, or dismembering and dismantling a foe in brutal melee combat!

MUTATING MONSTROSITIES AND THEIR MINIONS

As the Bloom corrupts worlds, environments will evolve and erupt with deadly hazards and minions, cultists and the infamous Death Guard Chaos Space Marines will mutate with pestilent boons and blessings, giving them new attacks and abilities. Adapt your tried and tested strategies to overcome unsurmountable odds against towering foes and their servants.

CINEMATIC SLAUGHTER

Charge headlong into fast-paced tactical combat. Eviscerate and execute enemies up close in gory displays of prowess, or strike from afar with blessed bullets and powerful psychic energies. Use the dynamically destructible environment to your advantage by tearing down pillars or slamming vehicles into unsuspecting enemies.

The Early Access version of Dark Quest: Board Game is now available:

Dark Quest is now available!!!!

Greetings everyone!!

Dark Quest: Board Game is now available to purchase as an early access game.
A big thank you to all the beta testers who helped us along the way!

We are currently working on adding 2 more areas in the game (Dragon Valley and Chaos Castle) along with a lot of other goodies.

Please share your feedback in the forum and we hope you enjoy the game!

Thank you!