Couchpotato's Random RPG News

How Fortnite's cube is inspiring Anthem's post-launch plans

Fortnite doesn't even need a story. A multiplayer battle royale game only needs people to play it, but when the closure of a time rift in the sky summoned a massive purple cube that’s been rolling over the map, burning runes into the ground and leaving behind low-gravity bubbles, the innumerable Reddit threads and YouTube videos promoted more discussion than any videogame story since Mass Effect 3’s contentious ending.

BioWare responds again regarding the future of Dragon Age and Mass Effect

Anthem is still causing image problems for BioWare. Each time we see more of the game, debate swirls around the studio's departure from single-player storytelling, for which it is so well known, into cooperative multiplayer action games.

No romances, no (NPC) companions to accompany you on your missions, no ultimate control over the fate of the world? What happened to the BioWare formula we know and love? What happened to Dragon Age and Mass Effect? Will the studio ever be the same again?

They're questions BioWare has tried to answer already, but evidently the messaging hasn't been convincing enough. It's why BioWare general manager Casey Hudson felt the need to assure fans again Anthem will not permanently rewire the studio and its output.

Now is the Perfect Time to Get Into 'Divinity: Original Sin 2

One year ago Larian released Divinity: Original Sin 2, the sequel to their 2014 hit title once again kick-started by fans of the genre. To say it was great doesn’t do it justice, not only did Original Sin 2 beat out its predecessor, it’s likely one of the best RPGs ever made, with a bigger story, better combat, and an amazing list of new features that elevate it above other titles. Not content to rest on their laurels, Larian have once again updated their game with an Enhanced Edition and, for anyone that missed it the first time around, now is absolutely when you should be getting yourself into Original Sin.

Fallout 76' - the Spookiest Fallout Yet Thanks to West Virginia Folklore

Every Fallout game boasts an impressive bestiary of radioactive monsters from a given location’s ecosystem, environment, and lore. Nobody can even think of Fallout 3 and 4 without an intense Deathclaw battle rattling their memory. If there are two things that West Virginia has that make it the perfect location for Fallout 76, it’s “nuclear secrets” and folklore.

Going off of what we know from the extensive gameplay footage shown at E3, I’ve compiled a list of the four most interesting Fallout 76 creatures and the possible West Virginia lore that inspired their creepy designs.

Don't Let Dragon Quest XI Slip Through the Cracks

I admit there's only so much evangelizing I can do about Dragon Quest XI. Square Enix's decision not to bring the Nintendo 3DS version of the game to the West is a big downer. Worse is having no word on the Nintendo Switch release that's supposedly coming out sometime before the stars fall from the sky. The world's understandably gone Switch-crazy, and I've heard from a number of people who are passing over the PlayStation 4 / PC release in favor of waiting for the Nintendo Switch port—regardless of however long it takes to arrive. As someone who has to divide up her TV time with a husband who watches a mighty butt-load of WWE every week, I understand the compulsion to wait for Dragon Quest XI to go handheld.

Pathfinder: Kingmaker Conquers PAX West 2018

The world is standard fantasy fare (the way Pathfinder often is) and at first glance the world looks like any number of fictional places with the standard amount of spiders, dragons, and wizards. What makes Pathfinder: Kingmaker special is that the game feels like a tabletop come to life, not just in design, but the breadth of possibilities at the player’s fingertips. It comes out on PC on September 25th, and I personally can’t wait to fill out that virtual character sheet.

Almost forgot about this one.

Bethesda's Pete Hines on Fallout 76, next-gen and The Elder Scrolls 6

Bethesda Softworks continues its march as one of the most bankable video game companies on the planet. The Washington-based publisher has cultivated a passionate following with RPGs both post-apocalyptic and medieval fantasy in Fallout and The Elder Scrolls. With fast-paced, furiously named shooters like Doom, Rage and Wolfenstein.

The company has had a significant period of growth to put them at the top table. At an E3 press conference earlier this year, they announced a slew of games, including the eagerly anticipated The Elder Scrolls VI and new sci-fi adventure Starfield. This in addition to an already impressive slate, including the online multiplayer Fallout 76.

The host of that conference was Pete Hines, Vice President of PR and Marketing. We spoke to Hines about all things Bethesda, including why they decided to announce The Elder Scrolls VI so far in advance, his thoughts on the next generation of consoles and why Bethesda probably won't be opening a studio in the UK any time soon…

I say avoid dragon quest xi at all cost until the publisher is willing to spend $10 to fix the stupid keyboard layout. What a load of crap sega.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Don't Let Dragon Quest XI Slip Through the Cracks
Pathfinder: Kingmaker Conquers PAX West 2018

Garden Paws: A New Multiplayer RPG Now on Kickstarter

Garden Paws is a multiplayer RPG stimulation game that has the player building up a farm that they have inherited from their grandparents. In addition to a farm, the player is also in charge of managing a shop, which they require the help of a local construction shop to get up and running. The game allows the player to build up their very own town with the assistance of Mayor Wilson, and it does this through a whole slew of activities. The main point of the activities is to collect coins in order to build up the town and ensure that it prospers.

Sounds very much to me like a description of Stardew Valley.

BeamDog September 07th Livestream Recap

During last week’s livestream Beamdog Producer Luke Rideout and Marketing & PR Manager Lee Guille shared the latest studio news and updates on the Dice, Camera, Action! Portrait & Voice pack, Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition, and Infinity Engine games.

Call of Cthulhu Gameplay Livestream

Focus Home and Cyanide's RPG Call of Cthulhu is currently slated for an October 30, 2018 release. The developers decided to give a look at its opening.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden Rock, Paper, Shotgun preview

Sorry no quote as the layout is in mission form, and makes no sense

Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep Spotlight #4 - Music

Be sure to participate in our Wishlist Initiative! Wishlist the game on Steam, GOG, and Humble Bundle to lower the game's price and unlock free in-game extras! Follow the links below!

Final Fantasy is 30, Let's rank the 10 best games

Thirty years provides an awful lot of history to mine and a truly ridiculous number of games. Since the original Final Fantasy made its debut in Japan on December 18, 1987 the series has seen fifteen main numbered titles, three films, and a ridiculous number of spin-off games including a few discrete series’ including Crystal Chronicles, Tactics, Chocobo’s Dungeon and franchises built around specific entries or characters.

But which is the best? Well, you know… it’s complicated. Obviously whatever I write here is going to come in for criticism, but screw it: I got my start writing about video games as a teenager by setting up a Final Fantasy fan site, so like any good fan I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this.

Legends of Ellaria Version 0.5.41.0(Beta) - RPG Leveling System

Dear Legends of Ellaria players,

We're excited to announce a NEW closed-beta with the beginning of the much awaited RPG system!

We decided to release an early beta to really get your feedback from the beginning of the system, and to really give you an opportunity to be part of the game by testing and giving us your input on what you would like to see in this new phase of LoE.

We're also working behind the scenes on overhauling the whole UI design of the game, and we hope it will be to your liking

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey The first few hours

Of what we saw, Odyssey doesn’t have the jaw-dropping visual splendour of Origins, mostly because it wasn’t first out the gate to dazzle gamers with a dramatic contrast of pyramids, vast desert expanses and elegant cityscapes. However, Odyssey offers a far more cohesive and emotionally satisfying overall experience, from the story to the gameplay mechanics. You very quickly become invested in the fate of its characters and thrill at your expanding capabilities (and rapidly-changing hero’s wardrobe).

Narrative Director Mel MacCoubrey Discusses Choice in Odyssey

Assassin’s Creed games are known as much for their story as they are for their gameplay, with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey showing no indication of breaking that tradition. Hardcore Gamer sat down with Narrative Director Mel MacCoubrey to discuss some of what players can expect in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and how the changes such as playable character options and dialog trees that carry real consequences can impact that gaming experience. She also pointed out that Trojan contraceptives are not historically accurate, hence they will not appear as loot items in game.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey will feature two gameplay modes

Going into more details, in Guided Mode markers will be displayed at all times and quest objectives will be given to players automatically. On the other hand, in Exploration Mode, the player will have to investigate the world to uncover targets and quest objectives.

The exploration mode sounds interesting however it remains to be seen whether Ubisoft will provide some hints via its dialogue system about the location of the objectives or not. After all, we’ve seen numerous RPGs in which players have to aimlessly wander around in order to find – by mere luck – a quest objective. So yeah, if that’s the case here – and since Odyssey will feature a pretty big map – I think I’ll stick with the Guided Mode.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Legends of Ellaria Version 0.5.41.0(Beta) - RPG Leveling System

You've put this on my radar. Thanks!

Originally Posted by you
I say avoid dragon quest xi at all cost until the publisher is willing to spend $10 to fix the stupid keyboard layout. What a load of crap sega.

I agree with you and many Japanese publisher can't be asked to do proper PC port. However, this is where a proper gaming keyboard helps as you can do the mapping at the keyboard level and not in the game.

Originally Posted by lostforever
I agree with you and many Japanese publisher can't be asked to do proper PC port. However, this is where a proper gaming keyboard helps as you can do the mapping at the keyboard level and not in the game.

Yep seems to be a huge problem with JRPG ports lately.

One of the same replies I always get on forums is buy a controller.

Originally Posted by crpgnut
You've put this on my radar. Thanks!

It's a game with potential but development is slow since it was funded. They are trying to combine a RPG with an RTS game like the Spellforce games only better.

Sheesh, I thought that said Legends of Elvira at first… now that would have been awesome! (I wonder if she would be up to some voice acting?)

Music of Bards Tail is sounding extremely good - it may give The Witcher some serious competition on that front.

Last Remnant Remastered Announced for PS4 Only.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Sept. 11, 2018) – SQUARE ENIX® today announced that THE LAST REMNANT™ Remastered will arrive on PlayStation® for the first time this December, now fully remastered for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system.

Originally released in 2008, THE LAST REMNANT captured the hearts and minds of gamers with its enthralling story, countless characters and intricate battle system. THE LAST REMNANT Remastered features beautifully enhanced graphics enabled by Unreal®Engine 4, allowing for a more immersive and captivating adventure than ever before.

THE LAST REMNANT Remastered tells the story of a world filled with “Remnants” — ancient artefacts that grant mysterious power to their wielders, changing the world’s balance and leading to an era of countless frays between those who ruled, and those who obeyed. Within this war-torn fantasy world, players will follow the journey of a young man who is determined to uncover the truth.

THE LAST REMNANT Remastered will be available digitally via the PlayStation®Network for $19.99. This title is rated M (Mature). Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings.

Remember it was taken off Steam.

Torchlight Frontiers PAX West Gameplay Livestream

Join Tyler (Echtra's Product Lead) and Jared (Perfect World's Community Manager) as they feature the Gamescom / PAX West demo of Torchlight Frontiers!

Pathfinder: Kingmaker Official Paizo Preview

In just two weeks, the first single-player isometric CRPG using the rules and world of Pathfinder will be released—Owlcat Games' Pathfinder: Kingmaker. It's been a long time coming, and we couldn't be more excited for the world at large to get to experience it!

One of the greatest challenges of adapting an adventure path like Kingmaker—which came out way back in the spring of 2009—into a new medium is balancing faithfulness to the source material with the creation of enough new content to entertain players and GMs who played or ran the campaign in the last decade. Kingmaker, by far the Pathfinder Adventure Path with the most open, sandboxy feel, left the writers at Owlcat (led by industry veteran Chris Avellone, of Planescape: Torment and Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords fame) with plenty of room to add their own content while still including all the now-iconic encounters and story elements that made the pen-and-paper campaign such a classic.

An all-new introduction to thecampaign, set in the manor house of Swordlord Jamandi Aldori, serves not only as a tutorial for new players, but also gives context to the player's mission (something the original campaign left to the GM) and introduces some of the myriad characters who will play large roles in the ongoing campaign, gaining both her most loyal companion and a hated rival.

Apeiron's Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic Videos.




10 Details You May Have Missed From Cyberpunk 2077's Gameplay Reveal

After seeing this gameplay initially at E3, I'm so excited to have my hands on all of it to break down bit by bit. I hope you take something away from this video and be sure to submit more info into the comments so we can take away as much as possible from this!

Larian is going to 'make new stuff' now that Original Sin 2 is updated.

“We’ve already put a lot of effort into improving what’s there. People forget that these are three-year endeavours for us, and when you think about your lifecycle, you start counting how many you can make. It’s not that many. That’s why we need to move on and make new stuff.”

HellSign Paranormal RPG Starts Early Access November 7th

HellSign is an investigative action RPG that pits you against the horrors of the afterlife, let loose on a small town. As a hunter, you’ll plan, hunt, and kill to pay the bills and get revenge on the monster that butchered your family. Just remember - a smart hunter is always prepared.

Mike Gamble Says Andromeda Never Had A Good Foundation For DLC

Not too long ago at PAX West, team members from BioWare held a panel where journalists and other media outlets could ask them questions about a myriad of things. One of the queries happened to surround that of Mass Effect: Andromeda and its DLC, to which the producer of that game and Anthem, Mike Gamble, said “Mass Effect: Andromeda never had a good foundation to support long-term plans.”

Elder Scrolls: Blades running on iPhone XS MAX

Hard to believe that mobile games have come so far. Gameplay demo at Apple iPhone Event September 2018

Queen's Wish Update #8

Here is the second monthly update for Queen’s Wish development! It’s been a productive month, and the game is taking shape more and more.

As the game takes shape, one thing is becoming clear: This game will be unique. It is not your standard RPG fare. Far from it. Will you love it? I hope so. But I really think it will be something that feels different.

Right now, work on the game is split into thirds: Engine, Data, and Content.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 Patch 3.6.29.3822 - Crash fix and Editor update

Hi everyone,

First of all, thank you to everyone who has given feedback and notified us of any in-game issues.

Since the release of the Divinity Engine 2, we've noticed some problems with the editor that requires an update of both the game and our mod creation tool.

The update to the game fixes the following:

• A crash related to launching and immediately joining a game
• Issues with four active characters in arena combat
• Issues with using waypoints and texture streaming
• Adventures without Origin characters are now supported
• Stability improvements for custom models and levels

Disappointed they didn't fix any of the other obvious bugs. Kind of a lame patch all in all.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Divinity: Original Sin 2 Patch 3.6.29.3822 - Crash fix and Editor update

Already brought up in another thread but here you go.

Encased Launched on Kickstarter

The game is set in an alternate 1970's and revolves around the exploration of the Dome, a mysterious structure discovered in a remote desert. No one knows the exact nature of those who built the Dome, but the founders of this advanced civilization have come to be called the Forefathers.

The Warriorlock was released on Steam.

Escape into a far-out fantasy adventure as a young and talented warriorlock, whose next mission will bring him to battle his own demons in this stellar, story-driven romp with heroic and hopelessly flawed characters steeped in a twisted tale of mind over madness.

Another Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Q&A was posted.

The main advantage of creating your own game engine is that, instead of being a Swiss-army knife (second-best in everything it tries), you can craft it to specialise in what you need it to do. As you know, we created an engine from scratch for Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. We had many goals when we started working on it, but three of them had top priority: of course it had to do what we needed in order to create a huge sandbox game such as this one, but it also had to be easily moddable, and on top of that, it had to be flexible enough to work on low-end computers. In this week's blog, we talk to Engine Programmer, Burak Dermanlı, one of the people responsible for the engine and its optimisation for all kinds of computers.

Pete Hines Bethesda interview – ‘We do believe in single-player!’

As much as we enjoy speaking to game developers, they’re usually not the people in charge of the purse strings or the ones making the really big decisions. But most video game publishers don’t like to put themselves in the limelight and interviews with the execs in charge are rare and usually not very edifying. But Pete Hines is different. Bethesda’s vice president of PR and marketing is constantly offering himself up for interview and, for a man in his position at least, is always surprisingly candid.

Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut Now Available On Nintendo Switch For $29.99



Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is ripping up the history textbook

While the gameplay couldn’t live up to the premise of the first Assassin’s Creed adventure with Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad, there’s no denying that the 12th Century Holy Land was a refreshingly different, and distant, setting. You’ve heard of the big names – Richard the Lionheart, Saladin – but it’s not a period of history that you tend to study in school, and outside of the grand strategy genre, isn’t somewhere we see all too often in games either.

The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep Launch Trailer

Arriving on Sept. 18! Order your copy today!

Pathfinder: Kingmaker Interview on ExpansiveDLC.

We got to interview Creative Director, Alexander Mishulin and Owlcat Studios, the development team behind the game, and ask them some questions about the Kickstarter process, their post-launch plans, and everything else in-between. Here’s the full transcript.