Persona 5 Tactica continues a fascinating tradition of Persona spinoffs that want to break you into new genres.

It wasn’t until I sat down to write this that I realized how wild the Persona brand has gotten. I mean, sure, every big brand has to have a Musou eventually. And you can see the RPG throughline that connects Persona with the Etrian Odyssey-style Persona Q. But a fighting game set in the Persona universe? A collection of rhythm games based on Persona soundtracks? The crazy part is, no matter what direction Persona spinoffs take, they always seem to land strong and find fans. Heck, I know a guy who’s chomping at the bit for a Persona 5 fighting game, even though he’s since graduated to fighters like Guilty Gear and Street Fighter.

I say all this to set the stage for what kind of game Persona 5 Tactica is. During my recent trip to a Sega event, I spent a while with the series' next tactical RPG. As a Devil Survivor fan, I was eager to see what Atlus came up with here. And after playing the game, I can certainly say that Devil Survivor is not a good comparison for Persona 5 Tactica. However, while I still need to see how the full game pans out, I think Tactica could easily find similar success to the spinoff titles that came before it.

[caption id="attachment_398230" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Sega[/caption]

New story, same great taste

So, I need to take this opportunity to make a deep, dark confession. I never played Persona 5. I know that’s appalling for a self-proclaimed RPG fan like me. It was just one of those games that wasn’t available on a platform I had on hand for the longest time, and now I lack the time for a massive RPG outside of work. I know, I’m a very, very bad Persona fan.

However, I'm happy to report Persona 5 Tactica is plenty easy to follow without playing the source material. It sets the stage for a new storyline right off the bat, moving quickly from the outset. And while the game doesn’t bother reintroducing main characters, I grasped the finer details from context. Only a couple terms were unfamiliar to me, but in short, don’t feel like you need to finish Persona 5 to understand or appreciate this one.

The story bits didn’t take themselves too seriously from what I saw. The game uses Visual Novel sequences to set the stage, with a few cutscenes sprinkled in once I got into the thick of things. Tactica's tone felt silly and fun, which I was on board with. But even if you’re allergic to stories, you won’t waste too much time before getting into the meat of the experience.

[caption id="attachment_398231" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Sega[/caption]

Take cover!

During my session with Persona 5 Tactica, I sampled a handful of missions from the earliest section of the game. These were very much tutorial stages, so keep that in mind.

In the first stage of the game, you'll abundantly learn one lesson: take cover. Persona 5 Tactica fills its maps with boxes both big and small, shaping the field for tactical play. Enemies hide behind boxes and take shots at you, which you can dodge completely if you’re out of their line of sight. Conversely, player characters can snipe foes from behind cover as long as they can at least clip an enemy. Deciding where to park party members immediately became a consistent choice at the start of each mission.

It helps that the game follows traditional Fire Emblem rules with its turn order. By that, I mean you’ll move all your units before declaring an end to your turn, the enemy will do the same, rinse and repeat. While you have full analogue control of a character as you move them, this one is 100% as tile-based as any other tactical RPG. This only got a little confusing when my characters’ attack range was visualized by a circle around them. The design made it slightly unclear whether I could hit certain enemies, but I imagine I’d get used to this quirk quickly in the full game.

[caption id="attachment_398232" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Sega[/caption]

Here's our chance for an all-out attack!

For the most part, your raw damage dealing revolves around ranged attacks. In Tactica, that means relying on guns, though you have your classic Shin Megami Tensei Garu and Bufu spells to nuke foes fast. Initially, I figured melee attacks would just act as extra powerful hits, but that isn’t quite the case here.

Since Persona 5 Tactica revolves so heavily around cover, repositioning enemies comes in clutch. This is where melee attacks come in. By striking an enemy, you’ll move them several tiles in front of you, Play your cards right, and you’ll make your foe vulnerable so your other units can quickly nuke them from the safety of their respective cover. Tactical RPG fans know that party strategies are core to any genre title, but they’re really important to Tactica. If you don’t plan carefully, you can waste turns repositioning your party while the enemy takes easy shots at you.

To drive the party synergy concept home, Persona 5 Tactica integrates all-out attacks from the main series. Here, it calls them Triple Threats. Basically, if your units can make a triangle around an unlucky enemy, they can unleash a combo attack. During my demo playthrough, this pretty much meant an instant KO. I will say I was never sure just how strict or loose the positioning requirements were here. It’s possible that years of making Triangle Attacks work in Fire Emblem made me overthink this. Either way, it is a nifty concept, I just wanted to optimize it more than I did.

Similarly, units can sacrifice turns to charge themselves up for the next turn. This comes with its own unique mechanics, which the game's tutorial messages really wanted me to use. So in short, while I didn’t necessarily have a ton of attacks in these early stages, I did see enough choices to keep the experience interesting. Everything served a unique function, so the basics were easy to learn. But I quickly saw how striving for perfection could become its own rewarding challenge.

[caption id="attachment_398233" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Sega[/caption]

Signs of things to come

As I poked around in menus, I caught a glimpse of a skill tree system for each character. This didn’t look particularly intensive, so I don’t think anyone will need to Google “Morgana build guide” or anything. But it was nice to see some customization on the table for those who like decking out their team in tactical RPGs.

Additionally, each stage came with its own set of challenges to complete. These resembled the type of challenges you’d find in typical mobile games. For example, “Clear the stage in 4 turns” or “Take damage less than 3 times.” I felt perfectly fine with this since it veered closer toward throwing genre veterans a bone without alienating casual audiences. The game comes with several difficulty options, so I imagine the game could get wild if you want it to.

Otherwise, it was hard to get a feel for how the game will pan out in the long run. I can see the potential for greater depth later on, but I had fun messing around in these early stages. A Sega representative told me Persona 5 Tactica should last for roughly 40 hours, which seemed like a sweet spot. Compared to some tactical RPGs, that might sound like chump change. But I’d say 40 hours is enough for anyone to sink their teeth into the game without getting overwhelmed, which I imagine is what Tactica is going for.

[caption id="attachment_398234" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Sega[/caption]

Alright, Persona 5 Tactica, you got me

Overall, I think Persona 5 Tactica is one to watch out for. Its combat felt immediate and fun, with layouts that made me think without ever really taxing me. And in the few places I was able to pull off a unique strategy the game didn’t necessarily point me towards, I did feel generally rewarded. I do wonder if the cover system will feel as prominent in the later game as it did in these early stages, but that’s my only major concern here. Not because it wasn’t fun, I just hope the game has more tricks up its sleeves to keep things interesting.

How Persona 5 Tactica will rank in the proud tradition of Persona spinoffs, I can’t say yet. But it offers a unique flavor of tactical RPGs that felt overflowing in its accessibility, which is enough to catch my interest. Sometimes I just want a quick Tactical fix without getting as hard into the number crunching, and it looks like Tactica will fill that niche nicely. Is it Devil Survivor? No. But Persona isn’t exactly Shin Megami Tensei either, and that’s how it found such an endearing identity. So unless the full game stumbles in any major way, I think this will be a good time for RPG fans.

Persona 5 Tactica will launch on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on November 17.

The post Hands on Persona 5 Tactica: Your gateway game into Tactical RPGs appeared first on Destructoid.

Now here’s a game I didn’t know I needed. Space colony management sims aren’t exactly a rare breed, even after you cross them with survival elements. However, I never realized that the one thing they were missing was the SDF-1.

Jumplight Odyssey bases itself on ‘80s sci-fi anime and does it with such incredible pizzazz and with such elegant depth that I’m absolutely stunned by the result. It feels like a missing Macross game, a title that bases itself not around the war going on but on the survivors aboard the SDF-1 as they cling to hope in the direst of circumstances. It is an exciting development by the team behind Armello.

Now, if only I could play it without getting hindered by bugs.

[caption id="attachment_396828" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Hope springs eternal

I want to be clear that Jumplight Odyssey is simply going into Early Access on August 21, 2023. That’s still over a week away, and after that, bug fixes are part of the path to Early Access. I have total faith that League of Geeks will be able to squash the biggest issues in short order, but I certainly had my share of issues with the pre-release.

But let’s put that aside for now.

Jumplight Odyssey has you managing a starship that is fleeing from an aggressive alien army. The crew’s homeworld has been destroyed, and their only hope is to reach “The Forever Star” on the far reaches of space. Currently, the only captain available is Princess Euphora, the last regent of the destroyed planet. Your only choice of ship is the SDF Catalina. It’s pretty clear that League of Geeks plans to add more captains and ships, but for now, we’ve only got one of each. That’s more than enough as a start.

The Catalina starts off in functional but damaged condition. Your first order of business is to get everything functioning again. Don’t get too comfortable, though. The Zutopans are right on your tail. As you work, energy is passively gathered by your jumplight drive. You need to make sure your course is plotted, keep one eye on the enemy position, and keep jumping to further star systems to stay ahead of the enemy.

https://youtu.be/4k7NmBF3Rdc

Bravely ran away, away

You also need to keep your crew alive. This means not only enabling the production of food and water but also keeping their morale up and gathering supplies from the planets you stop at. You choose missions and send off teams to bring back resources and other survivors. Crew members are also assigned to various teams, which you’ll need to balance as they’re required. There are combat, science, engineering, and supplies. Poor supply people. They just lift things.

You also need to defend yourself in Jumplight Odyssey, which I never really got to the point of having to do. Yeah, see, the bugs started cropping up pretty early for me.

My first attempt kept on getting stopped by things just not working right. One time, the last regent crammed herself against one of the shuttles, and everybody else chose to follow her. I think they were trying to unload it. Quitting to the main menu and reloading fixed everyone’s brain.

I then had an instance where the ship was running out of energy, but no one would man the generators. I told the crew to prioritize the delivery of supplies to them, but no one showed up to turn that biomatter into fuel. Eventually, the lights started going out, and someone came around to unload the stored biomatter. Okay, I guess we’re just giving up.

[caption id="attachment_396825" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Knees aren't supposed to bend that way

But the worst was trying to start a new game. On the default Catalina quest, if you don’t start with the tutorial, it doesn’t leave you a lot of time to gain jumplight fuel and warp to the next star system. It also doesn’t give you enough composite to build an item that makes jumplight fuel generate faster.

I realize that I could just start a custom journey and give myself more resources to start. Otherwise, I could play the tutorial again. But there are just too many headaches right now.

This is unfortunate, because I’m really excited about Jumplight Odyssey. The whole reason I took a chance with it was because I really liked Armello, a previous game by League of Geeks. I wasn’t sure if I’d like another attempt at space colony management, but once I got into it, I was in awe of how much there was to dig into and how accessible it was made to be.

However, right now, the bugs kill that accessibility. Once again, I have no doubt that they’ll get fixed. While there are a lot of interface tweaks I want to see happen, none of the bugs seem beyond fixable, so I have faith that they’ll get addressed. However, right now, I’m just going to be watching my Steam client for when updates start dropping. As it stands, I wholeheartedly recommend Jumplight Odyssey. It might just be a good idea to wait a little while before diving in.

The post Jumplight Odyssey is a tantalizing colony sim if you can get past the bugs appeared first on Destructoid.

Each Tekken in the series is usually a landmark for console generations, with its spectacular graphics and superb game design, and that's certainly the case with Tekken 8. With its stunning lighting, entertaining new Heat system, and crisp netcode, this entry is certainly going in the right direction with its closed network test. Get your fists ready if another test or the full game arrives soon. There are many reasons why I can't wait for the next battle.

[caption id="attachment_394395" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The next evolution of Tekken

The Tekken series has stepped it up again with its thrilling combat system. It keeps evolving, with each game adding a new compelling element; this time, it's the Heat system. The Heat Timer heightens the attack power of your character and enables you to chip damage away from foes even if they're blocking. You can only use it once per round, but it is key to your survival. Heat Smashes can be activated during the timer, letting you perform a flashy, yet powerful attack. It takes around a fifth of your opponent's health. The Heat System ups the stakes as it runs out, and the other player desperately blocks incoming strikes for around 10-15 seconds.

That's not all about the Heat system, however. There are certain moves—like Jin's Heat Engager—that activate the timer automatically within a combo. Button mashers may hate this, but if you use it strategically, these moves can be effective at disrupting your foe's reign-of-terror combos. Another way to stop your foe from attacking is a Power Crush. It's a counter that's utilized to stop yourself from getting juggled. Rage Arts are also back and are flashy as ever.

Tekken 8 feels great to play with all-new moves and combos to initiate on your opponent. In the excellent training mode, you can get used to the precise timing with every strike if you want to link a combo. Tekken 8 shows awesome bread-and-butter combos to perform on your enemies, and you can watch a video demo with the inputs on the screen. Combo challenges can also be shown through the UI, so you can reference them quickly. It's an approachable game for newbies who want to become intermediate players online.

How is the Tekken 8 netcode?

Despite Tekken 8 likely being many months away from release, the netcode during the alpha seems to be a success. Many games ran smoothly, as if the other player was sitting next to me in a local tourney. However, I did encounter a somewhat laggy game, despite there being five bars on my competitor.

[caption id="attachment_394396" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Damn, Tekken 8 is pretty

If you look at the trailers, you may believe there isn't a huge jump in graphical quality. Think again. Once you're playing it on a PS5, it's absolutely stunning. The facial animations of characters like Lee Chaolan are astonishing as he exaggerates his mouth and eyes. Additionally, you can see the intense hatred in Kazuya's face through his eyes on the main menu; it's actually haunting whenever you boot up the game.

The environments are filled to the brim with detail. The puddles in the New York stage reflect the lights from Times Square's advertisements, and the lighting from the neon signs stands out sharply on screen. You can even see the haze of smoke in the distance, and the crackling of the earth beneath your competitor's feet. The action is all in a wonderful 60 frames per second as well. You could name it as one of this generation's prettiest titles. Thank goodness there isn't a PS4 or Xbox One version holding it back.

As each battle continues, you'll see the sweat pouring from the characters as they desperately fight to win. Paul's sleeve breaks apart as he readies up his Rage Art and it remains that way for the rest of the match. Bandai Namco seems to pulling out all of the stops to make this as stunning as it can be.

Another neat factor of the game is the unique intros for rivalries in Tekken 8. When friends Lee and Paul face each other, they cross fists, breaking apart the glass under them in the Arena. It looks similar to how each Tekken trailer begins. This addition is a nice touch for long-time fans and adds further intensity to the fight ahead. The same happens with Jin and Kazuya as well.

Tone down the distracting music

Tekken 8's soundtrack is more like something you'd hear on a dance floor than an arena. The dubstep is obnoxious and distracting for some of the tracks included in this closed test, especially in the Urban Square stage. However, there is a standout banger for the Yakushima stage. It feels like a more rounded composition with gorgeous strings, stunning vocals, and a pumping backbeat that keeps the song moving forward. That's until the final round creeps in, and there's a blast of incessant dubstep within an otherwise great track. If this trend continues into the full game, I'm prepared to lower the music volume to 0 and put on my own playlist.

The electronic composition for the Arena stage is also decent but, in my opinion, goes way too hard with the bass. So far there are no tracks that come close to bangers like "Heat Haze Shadow" or "Infinite Azure" from Tekken 7 or Tekken 5's "Moonlit Wilderness."

Tekken 8's stellar so far

Bandai Namco hasn't pulled its punches with Tekken 8. Every character is animated incredibly well, and the action feels fluid, even more so than in Tekken 7. The new mechanics like the Heat Timer adds to the formula, creating a more fast-paced fighter that will be thrilling to watch at EVO and other tournaments. The music is a somewhat letdown as it's gone way too hard on the electronic and dubstep from past entries, but Tekken 8 is a promising fighting game I can't wait to get my hands on.

The post Hands-on: Tekken 8 seems ready for the next battle appeared first on Destructoid.

There came a point, in playing Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, that I determined I simply wasn’t going fast enough. By this point in my hands-on time, I had overcome plenty of enemy mechs, from simple cannon-fodder to named adversaries with callsigns. I was already a heavy-metal death machine. But I could be faster; not just in raw speed, but turning, target acquisition, and elimination. I could push this steel body faster than I currently was, faster than I probably should.

So I went into the garage and fine-tuned my machine. In battle, I practiced using my minimap and scan functions to see things my eyes, with one focal point, couldn’t. Heck, I cranked my camera sensitivity to the highest sensitivity it would go so I could pivot faster. If any of that sounds appealing to you, then Armored Core VI is right up your alley.

I got a chance to go hands-on with roughly the first chapter of Armored Core VI at a preview event, seeing the story unfold as the player character—a “dog” under the command of Handler Walter—gets embroiled in the conflict over the planet Rubicon 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcDjyestr4Y

Climbing the wall

It is what you’d expect story-wise from an Armored Core, in a good way. You pick up callsigns and handles, as you bounce between mercenary gigs for different factions in the ongoing battle for Rubicon. Some are fairly straightforward; go to a location, take out the target. They all, in some way, demand combat. And frequently, the odds are heavily stacked against you.

This is the first wall that I can see for some fans of developer FromSoftware’s more recent work. Though FromSoft has made a huge impact with its Souls series and spin-offs, the studio is unabashedly returning to the formula of an Armored Core game with its sixth numbered entry. Where other games might offer some alternative paths, Armored Core VI is a mission-based game. You can complete additional objectives and side content for more resources, but you have to proceed on the set path.

[caption id="attachment_393347" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Bandai Namco[/caption]

Personally, I dig this. A big part of the early first chapter is about getting the opportunity to “climb the wall.” What that means in-universe is just a looming mission objective. But for the gameplay demo, it was an obstacle I knew was coming. I would, eventually, have to scale a wall the developers had created. And it wasn’t going to be without obstacles.

Challenge is a well-known draw of FromSoftware’s games too, and Armored Core VI certainly has that. While smaller enemies can be easily dispensed with, a swarm of them may quickly become dangerous. Larger foes will bring more powerful weapons to bear, forcing you to adapt. Enemy mechs pose a massive risk once they start to have names and callsigns, posing an equal challenge to your own war machine. And bosses? Well, I think a lot of the footage and gameplay shown off speaks for how dangerous the bosses are.

[caption id="attachment_393349" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Bandai Namco[/caption]

By comparison, you are one mech; sometimes you’ll be accompanied by some allies, but for the most part, assume you’re alone. You certainly have a solid machine, with plenty of weapons and tools at your disposal. But you can also push your machine to its limits to see how far you can take the weapons platform you’re piloting.

My personal preference was the sword and rifle, a very Gundam RX-78-2 loadout. Twin missile pods sat on my shoulders, and I was able to carefully dance around enemies, picking away at them with ballistics before finding my opening and swooping in for a devastating strike. The whole time, I was carefully managing my resources. Missiles and guns have ammo counts, and a sword dash could leave me vulnerable if I missed my swing.

Boosters engaged

The boost meter was a constant concern, and probably the most important mechanic for any pilot to master. FromSoftware has found a really good balance of speed and control in Armored Core VI; in an interview with the game’s leads, they said they set the speed back a notch from Armored Core: For Answer. But while you’re not topping out at the same speeds, there’s still certainly a sense of rapid movement.

A standard boost keeps you moving at a good pace, while an extra blast can add a quick burst of speed to dodge incoming attacks. Meanwhile, the Assault Boost feels like a way to immediately traverse great distance. Its massive spike of velocity can carry you far, but the start-up and slow-down could leave you vulnerable. Managing all of these options is crucial, alongside tracking your weapons, ammo, and terrain.

[caption id="attachment_393341" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Bandai Namco[/caption]

This can, at times, make Armored Core VI feel overwhelming. Early on, I felt myself hit a wall with a certain boss. It was heavily armored in the front, meaning I had to focus on striking its back. And while the fight started off easy enough, I was soon left to fend for myself against an enraged behemoth, launching tons of firepower at me and littering the arena with explosives.

Hitting that wall, though, pushed me even further. I carefully watched the boss’ motions. Over time, I gauged the ranges he preferred to use certain attacks from, and when. I’d find ways to position myself perfectly, so that when I leapt over and stabbed him in the back, I could safely escape before he did a damaging spin-out.

Going back to the garage and retooling my mech helped a ton with this, and to FromSoftware’s credit, this is where some leniency comes in. The checkpoint system feels generous, and lets players hit the garage mid-stage or after a wipeout to retool and re-enter. Customization is a big factor in Armored Core VI, where bringing certain weapons or tools can give you the exact edge you need in a given situation. Some missions were well-suited to my “Heavyarms” loadout, dual-wielding automatic guns. Others, like the boss above, were much easier with a sword and rifle.

Still, I was left with one big question, after playing hours of Armored Core VI. This is a game that is, unabashedly, a new Armored Core. I don’t personally feel like it’s trying to make a bid for newcomers’ hearts through any concessions; rather, FromSoft is trying to create a modern Armored Core, potentially bringing in new players while retaining the pieces that made this series what it was. I wondered if that would land with anyone who never tried Armored Core, or bounced off of it years ago.

Armored Core VI is a game that appeals to me, personally. I like mechs. I dig customization. Constant improvement and challenge have steadily become a go-to beat for me. There really wasn’t a question of whether I would be into this game. But for less mech-inclined, challenge-seeking players, I wondered what they would think of Armored Core VI.

[caption id="attachment_393348" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Bandai Namco[/caption]

Within mission parameters

If anything makes a bid for those players’ hearts in Armored Core VI, it’s the missions themselves. Rather than exploring some steadily expanding world with hubs and spokes of exploration to uncover, you’re sent on specific sorties. But those confines let individual missions sing. They can narrowly focus on a specific, interesting objective, like taking out certain targets or hunting down a unique mech. Even through narrative, they can resonate. One mission pit me against a clear novice in a prototype, and his frightened radio chatter as he found himself in a duel with an ace pilot left a haunting note on all the action.

These missions can also expand into massive, exciting battles, like one against a giant walker with a devastating laser turret. I had to fly through the desert, taking cover in sandstorms and behind dunes as a terrifying laser tried to swat me like a fly. Then, I had to take down a leg and climb the walker, taking out defense subsystems on the way, and eventually knock out its main cannon. The whole experience feels thrilling, and it’s easily replayable thanks to the mission structure. No need to rekindle a flame or anything; just head to the missions tab and re-run it.

Those incredible moments, alongside the customization that I suspect is a bit more interesting for FromSoft players than they’ll expect, seem like enough to draw newcomers in. I do hope they give this game a genuine try, too, and discover what I enjoyed about it.

[caption id="attachment_393351" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bandai Namco[/caption]

As much as I dug the garage, and the giant fights, and all the morally gray ethics of my mercenary work on Rubicon on the battlefields of corporations and resistances, it was the speed that stuck with me. Handling a mech in Armored Core VI just feels good. It’s almost violently fast at times. There’s a sense of friction, as you try to manage four different weapon slots and a boost meter, while eyeing the terrain, dodging incoming attacks, and plan your next strike.

It felt, early on, like potentially too much data for the brain to manage. But that overwhelming feeling gives way to a flow state. As I internalized it more and more, shoved more pieces of Armored Core VI into parallel processing, where ammo management felt like checking my side mirrors on the highway, I could feel how I could push further. And the arena matches, which are essentially Gran Turismo license test-style duels against opponents in their own mechs, saw me tackling increasingly intimidating opponents, pushing even further, until I emerged victorious.

So if all of that sounds good, then Armored Core VI is really something you should be watching for. There are many ways to make a mech game, but few in recent memory have had me teetering on that edge, of either glory or ruin, quite like the fast and furious mechs of Armored Core have.

_{Travel for this media preview was provided by the publisher.}

The post Armored Core 6 hands-on: A devastating steel ballet appeared first on Destructoid.

The writer is writing again

Remedy has been on a bit of a journey since the first Alan Wake. The team went from the Microsoft-published horror experience into the realms of Quantum Break and Control, and all the while, the writer has been waiting. With Alan Wake 2, it feels like Remedy is returning to the series with both new concepts and ideas built over the years since Wake's first venture.

In a hands-off demo of Alan Wake 2 at Summer Game Fest 2023, I got to see an extended look at just how that adventure will play out. The first big note is that Alan Wake 2 will feature two protagonists, with different viewpoints and sets of missions. Alan Wake returns, but in the session we saw, we followed Saga Anderson—an FBI agent and profiler who's looking into a series of ritualistic murders in Bright Falls.

Into the void

Our look at Saga's section started with her and Alex Casey, a veteran agent, heading into the woods in search of a corpse that's come back to life. Though it starts out slow, the dread already starts to seep in. The woods aren't very inviting, and the further in they go, the more winding it all starts to feel.

[caption id="attachment_386012" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Remedy[/caption]

A big part of Saga's story is her ability to deduce and profile. At any point, Saga can enter her Mind Place, a safe haven for managing both her inventory and evidence. Using different clues found out in the world, Saga can corkboard her way through mysteries, unlocking new avenues for investigation. Profiling does something similar, as Saga dives deep into the psyche of different characters to find new leads.

It gives Saga's side of Alan Wake 2 a True Detective vibe, as the duo splits up, searches around, and pieces through the increasingly dark, shadowy, rainy Bright Falls. The audio design really increases the tension, as every little bump feels like a quick ratcheting-up of tension.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jChxlzSdVGI

Sprinkled throughout these areas are some fun references to Remedy's history. A poster in a cabin advertises "Ahti and the Janitors," a nod towards Control. And the thermos, an infamous collectible from the first Alan Wake, now serves a greater purpose: save point. Between gathering clues and solving puzzles like a missing fuse, there's a lot to look into.

[caption id="attachment_386009" align="alignright" width="640"] Image via Remedy[/caption]

Hit the lights

The earlier parts of Saga's story were a lot of that: tension and investigation. Then, as she gets closer to the more supernatural elements of the story, the action seeps in.

While I've played some amount of the first Alan Wake, it was all the way back when it first launched. But I do feel like this time around, it's a little bit more survival horror. The horrors of the woods start to emerge and attack Saga, and our demo driver had to start maneuvering, using the flashlight to stun foes, and land shots with a set pool of ammo.

Light is still a weapon of choice, and it can be dispersed in a few ways. Saga's flashlight is a handy option, but we also saw a floodlight act as a safety field while dealing with multiple entities. Everything was fast and hectic, in the way you'd want from a survival horror experience.

Through the looking glass

It all culminated in an otherworldly, dreamlike journey into the Overlap. While winding through looping areas and hazy, layering visions, she eventually finds her walking corpse. This kicks off a boss battle. The chase through the circular dreamworld is just as fast and nerve-wracking, as the hulking man relentlessly pursues Saga through the Overlap.

Our showcase of Alan Wake 2 ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. We saw more mysteries laid out, questions unanswered, and the writer himself make contact with Saga. There's even a fun reference to how long it's been since the first Alan Wake. Both characters will have their own sides of the story, which the player can swap back and forth on; I asked Remedy how often that would be possible and it sounds like that's still being fine-tuned, but the plan seems set to let players follow the lines of the narrative that intrigue them.

[caption id="attachment_386010" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Remedy[/caption]

We didn't get a look at Alan's side of the story, which Remedy says will be shown off ahead of Alan Wake 2's release date on October 17, 2023. But from the slice I've seen, Alan Wake 2 has become one of my most anticipated games of the year. It's dark and intriguing, winding a supernatural horror tale around a moody detective story. And if it carries forward as well as it played out in our demo at SGF, it could really be one to watch for.

The post Alan Wake 2 looks like a frighteningly good time appeared first on Destructoid.

Does that matter?

I’ve put hundreds of hours into Creative Assembly’s Total War series, starting way back with Rome: Total War. I haven’t played all the titles, but more than a few. Getting to try out the next game in the series, Total War: Pharaoh, was a tantalizing proposition. The new features they’re showing off sound pretty appreciable.

I was given the chance to preview three different battle setups within Total War: Pharaoh. Mainly, they highlight the new weather systems, but the third battle option had me defending against a siege on a city; the perfect playground to watch burn.

Having conquered the battlefield, I can tell you that this is the same Total War experience, at least when it comes to battles. Neat little rows of dudes with different strengths and weaknesses and a lot of micromanaging on the field. That’s not exactly a condemnation. The added features are noticeable and integrate so well with the established mechanics that it’s hard to believe they weren’t there in the same form before.

https://youtu.be/lLlD650ZBFQ

Dust in the wind

Total War: Pharaoh takes the series to the earliest period it has seen, the end of the bronze age. The thing about that period is that they still had swords, shields, and bows, so from a combat perspective, it’s not much different.

In the first battle, where I used the leader Ramesses against Seti, I used the same tactics that had always worked for me. I put bows in front of my line and advanced slowly until they were within range. Once I provoked the AI, I drew them back behind my lines and intercepted their charge. After a short time, Seti joined the fray. I prioritized taking down the general while maintaining my lines. Once the general goes down, it isn’t difficult to break the morale of the various groups and send them fleeing, which is exactly what happened.

Midway through the battle, however, a sandstorm rolled in. This reduces visibility but had little effect on the difficulty of the Total War: Pharaoh demo. There’s an active pause, so reduced visibility just meant using that more frequently to check on the overall battle progression.

[caption id="attachment_383333" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Creative Assembly[/caption]

It's a fun name to say

Next was Ramesses versus Suppiluliuma. While the last battle played out between open sand dunes, this time around, there was a little more vegetation. No time to test out the fire mechanic, however, as the battle starts in the rain. It only gets worse from there, progressing to a thunderstorm.

The briefing let us know that the mud would affect troop movement. However, if this was the case, it was kind of difficult to tell. I’m not sure how intimate you are with individual troop movement, but I can tell you that I don’t pay that much attention. When you have hordes of troops, you can't find much time to become really acquainted with a particular type of them. I did notice that the mud spatters on the troops, which is pretty cool.

The other feature of this battle that wasn’t in the previous entries was chariots. I was always kind of terrible with mounted units. They require too much attention to use effectively. Whenever I’d play co-op campaigns, one of us would take control of mounted units, while the other would take everything else, just so that more focus could be given to their movements. As such, even in Total War: Pharaoh, I think I sucked with the chariots.

[caption id="attachment_383335" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Creative Assembly[/caption]

Standing in fire

Finally, we come to the siege. The Siege battles have always been both the coolest and most time-consuming features in the Total War games. This one took place in the city of Mennefer, and it featured stacked armies.

The battle opens with the enemy approaching on four gates. They’ve got siege towers and battering rams on each of these, so I had to keep the defense on all of them. Unfortunately, they quickly penetrated my southern gate, and despite my efforts, managed to get some siege towers on the wall.

Unfortunately for them, all the wall crawlers got repelled, which means only the south wall was truly breached. Weirdly, he chose to separate his troops to go to capture points. This would have led to a quick victory if I had been distracted, but I merely needed to redirect some of my units (my chariots, in particular) to kick them off the capture points, and eventually, they all broke. As the battle with the highest difficulty rating, I felt a little perplexed about why I had such an easy time.

On the other hand, I finally got to see fire at play. It, once again, wasn’t terribly impactful. It was cool to see stray fire arrows ignite the houses in the city and see them burn throughout, but I kind of feel this was a feature going back to, at least, Total War: Shogun 2. Mostly, it was a problem because one of my units was left standing in some vegetation that was lit on fire, but the AI also left a unit on there as well, so…

[caption id="attachment_383336" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Creative Assembly[/caption]

A little more muddy

As I said, the battles in Total War: Pharaoh aren't anything majorly different. In the briefing, we were told that battles were slowed down a bit, but I honestly couldn’t tell. It felt the same to me, and it’s not like this is after a long period of not interacting with the series.

With that in mind, however, being the same from a battle standpoint isn’t a huge problem. It at least means they didn’t make a big change and screw everything up, and after over two decades of consistency, seeing that continue isn’t a surprise at all.

I’m always more interested in the campaign anyway. Creative Assembly hasn't shown off much of that yet, but it promises to be more dynamic than the ones in the past. I’m hopeful. The Total War series has never severely let us down, and Total War: Pharaoh is definitely on the right foot. I’m looking forward to jumping into another co-op campaign sometime later in the year.

The post Total War: Pharaoh is maybe not a huge evolution in the series appeared first on Destructoid.

Roomba will wipe the floor with you

I've had the pleasure of playing Street Fighter 6 multiple times since its initial reveal, just one short year ago. I first checked out the rad-looking sequel during the summer of 2022 at Birmingham's VS Fighting tournament, then later that year at EGX London. I've also had the good fortune to take part in both beta tests and, as previously reported, I have been left in a pretty excitable state from each experience.

A fortnight ago, I was kindly invited to Capcom's UK headquarters in order to check out what was, more or less, the full and final build of SF6. And, by the end of my short time spent with the complete game, my anticipation for this scrapper has, more or less, reached something of a eye-twitching, hand-scratching fever pitch... Or maybe that's just the coming of summer pollen. Who knows?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JmxWphGO5Y&ab_channel=StreetFighter

While there were limitations placed on what I could and could not play, (so save yer gripin'), as well as what I may or may not reveal, I was given the opportunity to check out one character's arcade mode, a healthy chunk of the "World Tour" feature, and poke around within various Tutorials, Character Guides, and Combo Trials. Most excitingly, I was given free rein with SF6's 18-strong launch roster, affording the opportunity to step into the ring with returning veterans Honda and Dhalsim, as well as frankly frightening newcomers such as Marisa, Manon, and JP.

I'll tell you this much, whoever you're taking to the lab, you can shape into a force to be reckoned with. And, for the first time since Killer Instinct, I  truly want to — and feel like I could — exceed as anybody.

https://youtu.be/QcI58UECAAc

Choose Your Fighter

While I hardly had the time to get neck-deep into the entire roster, the key element of the SF6 lineup that stands out to me is the perceived viability of almost every character, at least on first impressions. The sequel's fast, aggressive playstyle and incredibly flexible mechanics allow for all 18 World Warriors to feel solid and practical, while also owning their bespoke playstyles. With a roster of zoners, rushdown champs, grapplers, and hybrid fighters, SF6 has a highly varied pack of pugilists, each character built around one (or more) personal mechanics that offer them distinct personalities among their peers.

For example, Zangief and Marisa are both incredibly dangerous and dominant grapplers. But while Zangief is about smothering the opponent with ground-gaining strikes and singular, devastating throws, (many of which have way more armor than should be legal), Marisa's gameplay revolves around charging her buttons, (with all of her standing normals able to be held for alternate effect), with the Roman giant locking her opponents down with unpredictable striking rhythms that leave her hapless foes scared to press buttons.

So, while both characters boast what is essentially a "wrestler" archetype, the two titans are completely different from one another in control, strategy, and offensive and defensive tactics. It's this emphasis on distinction that makes the entire roster interesting, resulting in the player being almost spoilt for choice.

https://youtu.be/JSyL0llQplw

Lily is a fantastic hybrid character. The Thunderfoot Tribe member has learned many Specials of her predecessor, T. Hawk, but she is imbued with mobility and reach that was not afforded her chunky-sized ancestor. Of all of the new characters played, Lily is perhaps my favorite. There's just something so infectious about her. I also spent a little time as Manon, who very much felt a "specialist" character, one that will require deft study and experimentation, to be ultimately rewarded with a fighter who is frightening at mid-range and frankly terrifying in close quarters.

Cammy, delightfully, is still Cammy, and slips right into her role as an acrobatic rushdown character relying on dizzying speed coupled with assault from myriad directions. Within seconds the Delta Red Queen felt extremely comfortable, and her fans will be very pleased with her latest incarnation. If it ain't broke... right? Cammy's most important new addition is definitely her newest cat pal, who both hangs out with her on the character select screen and interrupts her mid-match victory poses.

https://youtu.be/e8ijMj4BF_U

An interesting note about piano commands, directly affecting Messrs E. Honda and Blanka in particular. Both Hundred Hand Slap and Electric Thunder are now Command Moves (qcf/qcb + P). In fact, during my short time playing the full game, I did not find a single piano-based input, a change perhaps necessitated by the addition of the new "Modern" and "Dynamic" control systems.

As for the sinister-looking JP, a variety of scary, multi-planed projectiles — one of which is actually a throw — brings about the same cautious anxiety conjured up by say, Mortal Kombat's Cetrion or King of Fighters' Goenitz. Oh, and he also has a screen trap, with a time-delayed release, (ala Korin), which is also a teleport... which he can also feint. Cheers. You can check out some of these moves in the video below.

We'll solve the puzzle, but JP is going to be an online monster in the early going. Put that in the bank.

https://youtu.be/VeiRp0J7iqQ

We are The World

Many of you will have, by now, played the World Tour opening as featured in the Street Fighter 6 demo, available now on PC and console platforms. I got the chance to push a little further beyond what is shown in the demo, touching base with Chun-Li and her adorable chum Lei-Feng, getting into scrapes with several cardboard box-headed ruffians, and even agreeing to some (fairly dopey) sidequests from various Metro City residents.

The World Tour mode, aside from the character-building elements featured in the demo, also offers up an array of (mostly silly) side activities, which include smashing up trucks at Abigail's Scrapyard, (no sign of the Big Man himself, thankfully), breaking boards for a scene in a kung-fu movie, teaching a wannabe gang member the error of his ways, (kicked the shit out of him, basically), and promising an "infooencuer" that I'd help him make some red hot fighting content for his channel. I won't.

https://youtu.be/Mlkld8nD8P8

This story-cum-adventure mode appears to be mostly designed to help introduce players to SF6's mechanics, characters, and fighting styles, piece-by-piece, while also offering up single-player fun for those who want to take time out from one-on-one matchmaking. SFV was rightfully lambasted at launch for its barebones release and utter disinterest in single-player content, which was eventually "rectified" with a crushingly long-winded story campaign.

Clearly, World Tour is an effort to offer players their own out-of-the-ring adventure, presented in the style of Like-a-Dragon-lite, if you will. I can't deny that I find the script and strange central plotline of "Chasing Strength" cheesy, even childish, with a stilted delivery and muted presentation style that feels generations old. But, all that said, I do really dig the excellent character creator, as well as some of the fun side modes and cameo appearances from some of Street Fighter's finest combatants (and beyond).

Besides, where else in gaming could you find yourself assaulted by a very angry Roomba?

https://youtu.be/GMzx5Hk7o7A

No Train, No Gain

My final few minutes were spent with two of the Training tools in Street Fighter 6's arsenal, namely the Character Guides and the returning Combo Trials. The Character Guide aims to go way beyond the act of merely showing you a respective fighter's moves, and instead breaks down exactly why and when you would use them, offering examples of counterplay against numerous eventualities. Essentially, the new Character Guides are not only hoping to teach you the ways of Juri, Guile et al, but they are also hoping to tutor you in the basics of Street Fighter itself.

Not just How to throw a Hadouken, but When to throw a Hadouken. Knowledge that is equally important.

While the Combo Trials will be immediately familiar to Street Fighter aficionados, the SF6 edition includes a valuable new feature, that allows players to slow down the action to better build the wrist-shattering attacks moment-to-moment. With several speed settings, the trickier combos can now be started and completed in super slo-mo, with the player gradually increasing the speed and input window until they find themselves cracking out a 20-hitter 10 times out of 10.

Or, in my case, a two-hitter 8 times out of 14. Nobody ever said the path to enlightenment was easy.

https://youtu.be/33eZ4sAhfnA

Fun Fact: Cammy has a Ryu-style mule kick (B+HK) that cancels into numerous specials/supers.

I think part of the reason I was greatly encouraged to spend time in the World Tour, Character Guide, and Combo Trial modes was Capcom's enthusiasm to demonstrate that Street Fighter 6 is not only being built as a fully-featured title, but also a title that hopes to pull in newcomers and wayward veterans.

With SF6's triple-control system, overhauled tutorials, new practice tools, and info-feeding story mode, Capcom clearly wants to educate players of all persuasions that its spanking new fighter, while undoubtedly deep, will be accessible. A title that will offer an array of tuneable options to allow even the youngest, newest, or most befuddled of fighting game fans to take their first steps to glory.

https://youtu.be/AnvWyO0hWhA

As for myself. Well, I've seen just about all I can ahead of next month's launch. With Street Fighter 6, Capcom is hoping to see its flagship fighting series, one that defined the genre itself, make a grand challenge for its (lost?) fighting game throne, offering fans old and new a fully-featured and engaging sequel that has learned from the mistakes of its past, while evolving its entire pedigree for a bold and electrifying future.

At this point, it's all over bar the fight itself. And in just five short weeks' time, we'll find out whether SF6 is set for the mother of all comebacks, or is to be left flat on its back, staring at the lights in a final K.O.

I'm not a betting man. But I know where the smart money's goin'

Street Fighter 6 launches June 2 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms. In the meantime, be sure to check out our reports on the 50 things I loved in the beta, a full playlist of character themes, and my suggestions on the 10 World Warriors who would fit right into the new title as post-launch DLC.

_{[This preview is based on a build of Street Fighter 6 played on a PS5. Expenses were not provided by the publisher.]}

The post Preview: I played a full build of Street Fighter 6, and it can’t get here soon enough appeared first on Destructoid.

A spark

I’m not really sure where to begin with Strayed Lights. It’s visually striking. It kind of has the vibes of 2012’s Journey or 2015’s Ori and the Blind Forest. Both of which are great inspirations. Designed as the first game by French developer, Embers.

I’m not sure I can spend that much time beating around the bush. From the time I’ve spent with Strayed Lights demo, I’m significantly underwhelmed. I want to stress that I’ve only played a small slice of the game; maybe 45 minutes. However, during that time, Strayed Lights failed to grab me. Beyond that, its core design is just kind of flat. So while there’s definitely a lot of potential that things could pick up, I can’t say I’m feeling optimistic.

[caption id="attachment_372330" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Torch

You play as a light, I guess. You wake up as a light baby, then venture forth into a dark world before becoming a light lad. From there, you fight angry lights. There’s some indication that there’s a sort of corruption going on here, but the whole narrative unfolds without the use of dialogue. Which I love! However, I still need to know what I’m doing here. There is very little that suggests the scale of what’s going on, or even what your purpose is. I imagine this becomes more clear as things progress, but typically you need some bait to set the hook at the beginning.

To its credit, Strayed Lights does look pretty excellent. It’s not necessarily that it has a lot of fancy effects and lots of polygons, but rather it features a lot of detailed movement. The animation is very expressive, and there are a lot of fluttering leavings and swaying fur, which look great in the high-contrast visuals.

The environment in which the demo takes place is a little monotonous, but further trailers show some nicer-looking places. Again, I kind of feel like what I played doesn’t give the greatest impression of the game.

[caption id="attachment_372331" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Both ends

Where I do feel a bit more let down is with the combat. On paper, it’s an interesting approach. Rather than just slam away on combos, Strayed Lights puts emphasis on parrying. You are able to attack directly, but you receive the most energy from perfectly timed parries. The goal is to charge a bar which, when full, ends the battle in a finishing move.

In order to make this a bit more interesting than, say, Assassin’s Creed, is how the game necessitates changing colors to parry specific attacks. The enemy will swap between orange and blue to try and throw you off, and the goal is to parry while lit up with the same color. It’s kind of like Ikaruga with fists.

The downside is that one button shoulder button swaps colors, and the other parries. Hear me out here: It’s one button press to change to match your foe’s color, then another to parry. Why? Why isn’t one shoulder button to parry as one color and the other to parry as the other color. That would make it much snappier. It’s not like it doesn’t work this way, but it just seems like the other way would allow combat to flow a lot better. I just couldn’t stop thinking about it.

[caption id="attachment_372332" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Ashes

Embers has certainly created an interesting-looking game with Strayed Lights, but as I tap my fingers on that shell, it sounds kind of hollow. I feel like I need to stress, once more, that this is all based off a short demo, so it’s possible that the game picks up after what I saw. It wouldn’t be the only game with a really short start.

On the other hand, I’m having trouble getting over the various weakness I bumped into. While I appreciate the minimalist narrative, it needs more than empty wonderment to make an impact. It’s not a very good mystery if there are no clues. Likewise, the abstract nature of everything needs some groundedness to allow the player to relate to what is happening.

Meanwhile, the gameplay is just okay. It’s nice to see a different approach to combat, but it needs a bit of polish to make it really snap.

Strayed Lights is currently slated for full release on April 25th. Here’s hoping that the full release puts the spotlight on special sauce that hasn’t yet been glimpsed.

The post Strayed Light’s demo gives a dim look at the upcoming game appeared first on Destructoid.

Dinosaur butts not yet implemented

I feel bad for absolutely every multi-player focused game entering the current market. They survive entirely on maintaining a player base, and a lot of folks will just play whatever their friends are playing. So, in order to succeed, they not only need to bring in people, but also the people those people associate with. It doesn’t matter if a game is good or not. Many people still playing Destiny 2 hate it, but it’s what their friends are playing.

Capcom seems to think they’ve found the secret ingredient: butts. And dinosaurs. Right there, those are two of my favorite things. Exoprimal is a game about robots who never miss leg day fighting dinosaurs. And it is… a game. And now I've played the beta.

[caption id="attachment_369001" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Exo-butts

Based on the beta, I have absolutely no idea what Exoprimal is supposed to be about. It opens up with a video that implies humanity is under threat of dinosaurs. Then you have a job interview. After that, an AI claims to have control over time and space and is using that to make you fight. You don’t so much exist in a world as much as you’re dropped into one, and then dinosaurs are dropped in right after you.

You’re given a slew of exosuits to choose from, and you can pick them on the fly, even mid-match. If your team is too squishy, a quick change into a tank exosuit will help alleviate that. There’s a wide selection of playstyles available, and a good portion of them have excellent posteriors.

Considering your pilot has the flattest pair of hams in the multi-verse, my theory is that Exoprimal exists in a future where butts have gone extinct. Humans have created exosuits to compensate for their lack of cake – a sort of prosthetic butt – but everyone is too ashamed to admit there’s no junk left in humanity’s genetic trunk. So we equipped our butt-suits for combat and then didn’t have anything to fight. We then created an AI to dump dinosaurs on us so that we can keep pretending that our robots don’t just have fly booties because we can no longer attain that level of shapeliness.

[embed]https://youtu.be/xM1Pt64uNFE[/embed]

What's your favorite dinosaur?

Gameplay has you following a sassy corporate drone. It shouts reassurances at you and keeps you informed of the incomprehensible stuff going on around you. Every so often, it stops at a node in its path, and then it’s time to fight dinosaurs. There are a few variations of this objective, but it all boils down to mass extinction.

What’s your favorite dinosaur? Mine’s a parasaurolophus, but those duck boys aren’t much for battle. Instead, the AI usually pours raptors on you. In return, you mash buttons in their direction. Sometimes, if you have a shooty robot, you need to aim, and other times you just wave your robot hands toward the swarm of scales and teeth. Then numbers come out of them, and they fall down. After a sufficient number of dinosaurs fall down, you move on to the next node, and things progress like that.

Another team of five players is stacked on the other side of the dimensional barrier, trying to complete the same objectives as your team, only faster. You race to see who can get to the final round first.

The final round has a few variations, but I only saw two. The first involved charging a hammer with the corpses of dinosaurs, and the other has you pick up batteries and kill members of the other team to steal their batteries. In the former, I always let a more capable member of the team carry the hammer while I focused on harvesting dinosaur souls. In the latter, I wrecked house. I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but I was incredible at killing the other team. Unfortunately, I’m not certain you get points for doing so, especially when they aren’t actually killing batteries. The only thing I know for sure is that after committing mass robo-cide still meant I was the second-worst member of the team in terms of score.

[caption id="attachment_368999" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Brain reading

I was often never clear on what was happening. It’s kind of like dropping a new person into World of Warcraft and immediately forcing them to run a raid. There are just particle effects everywhere, and the screen is shouting at you, but nothing comprehensible is happening. I’m sure that after running a few dozen rounds your brain will be able to read what was happening; but in the hours I spent with Exoprimal, I just aimed at dinosaurs and mashed the various action buttons.

I liked playing as the sniper because they have one of the more shapely butts. I actually did better when I stepped into the butt of anyone but the sniper, but I kept going back. I also liked the samurai because they speak Japanese and have, like, balls on their butt. I very briefly tried the support robots because I only feel valid when I’m murdering hordes of dinosaurs.

If there’s a good way to take down the bigger dinosaurs, I’m not sure what it is. Like, the Ankylosaurus is all armored on its back, right? So I just aimed for the belly area, and I have no idea whether that did more or less damage. Even the sniper’s attacks seem geared toward taking down swarms of dinosaurs as quickly as possible, so when you’re against a big, single target, there isn’t adequate feedback on whether or not you’re doing well.

[caption id="attachment_369000" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

I made it through this without mentioning Dino Crisis. Damn.

I’m not sure if I like Exoprimal. For one thing, I don’t often play multi-player games because humans are awful. On the other hand, I kept thinking about Salmon Run in Splatoon 3. Salmon Run is a fun, easy-to-read, cooperative horde mode where you can tell if you’re doing well or not. Salmon Run does lack one thing that Exoprimal has: butts.

If you really want to get into Exoprimal, it’s likely going to take some time until you understand how it flows, how everything works, and how to sight-read it. Your friends will also have to do that. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it. I’m just pointing out that it has a hell of a fight ahead of it. It really doesn’t have anything for me personally. Except dinosaurs. And robot butts.

You can find out if Exoprimal has enough robot butts for you when it releases July 14 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

The post Hands on: Exoprimal features dinosaurs and shapely robot butts appeared first on Destructoid.

It's a kind of magic

I don't think I've minced my words when I've talked about my distaste for fantasy settings. Whether it is a lingering effect of growing up in a religious household where magic was the creation of the devil, or just not finding it interesting, I've never been able to find an interest in fantasy worlds. So when I was approached with a preview build of Age of Wonders 4 I was apprehensive. Thankfully though I accepted, and for the first time I was enthralled by the fantasy world that stood before me.

So what was so great about the world that Triumph Studios built? Even though the world had some form of procedural generation built into it, each world was brought to life by not only the landscape but also the kingdoms and cities that inhabited your world. Like most 4X games, you start out in your own little corner of the world with no knowledge of what lies beyond your realm. As you venture further from your home and discover the world that you have been plopped into, you meet all kinds of races and characters.

Depending on how your actions, factions will react differently to you. Long-time veterans of the 4X genre will probably balk at my thoughts and try to say that it's all built upon some reactive code. Which it is. Knowing this though, it still feels like a vibrant and real world when the second I meet a new civilization they judge me on my previous actions and react as such.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2xc0AI9EOE

The best part is that every interaction in the world is built on the base of your society's traits, and they are all customizable. Sure there are the basic things like race, royal colors, and emblems, but the customization also goes much deeper, allowing you to craft the perfect roleplay base. There are cultures on which your lineage is based such as feudality or war-mongering barbarians. This culture is then refined even further into traits and schools of magic where you can either double down on the benefits of your culture or branch out and create a mix of different schools of thought. Whatever choices you make, they will come back around in both strategy and role-playing mechanics creating a sort of feedback loop.

Being the elf lover that I am (don't @ me) I found it particularly fun to make a race of nomadic feudal wood elves that were masters of wind and lightning magic. Nothing overly original but hey, I like my wood elves. One thing I did find odd though that with so much customization available, only binary pronouns were present in the game. It is nice that they are completely disconnected from character models but in a rich fantasy setting it feels weird to limit the choice to strictly male or female.

The gameplay feedback loop was only deepened by the fact that you gained the ability to access new tech, based only on the affinities of your culture. The way it works is that there are six different affinities that your society can have such as nature or material. You gain experience in an affinity through different means while playing. Some are as simple as choosing a certain outcome during a role-playing event, but it's also wrapped up in what schools of magic you decide to pursue in your research. The more you learn in a certain affinity the faster you will unlock empire-wide abilities that correspond to the affinity.

[caption id="attachment_366605" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Screenshot via Triumph Studios[/caption]

It is a bit of a letdown that the topics you are able to research are randomized but I kind of get what they were trying to do. One of my biggest gripes with the 4X genre is that it's ripe for railroading and making the research tree have a bit of randomness in it isn't the worst way to go about mitigating it but I don't know if it's the best either. It all feels a bit gamey to have to pay a resource to shuffle potential topics because you don't like anything that is presented to you.

While the actual research tasks are randomized, the schools of magic that are presented to you are left entirely up to you. As your society progresses you gain access to new schools of magic which in turn allow you to research new abilities and units and increase your affinity. So being that I liked wind and lightning, I was able to quickly build units that specialized in that, which came back to bite me in the ass when I went underground and had to fight rock people. I didn't feel like I was being punished for my actions but I did question what I thought would happen when taking a group of lightning elves underground. In a way I was glad the game kind of slapped me upside the head, because I know I'll never make that mistake again — which lead to tense relations with underground societies that hate forest walkers.

While I was only able to play for a short while compared to the amount I've played other 4X games, I can tell that this mix of role-playing and strategic decision-making would add tons of mileage to a genre that can easily burn people out with samey worlds and experiences.

[caption id="attachment_366604" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Screenshot via Triumph Studios[/caption]

One of the things I dislike the most about the 4X genre is when the minutia of battles are left up to a computer simulation. I've had the argument with my friends about randomness in all types of battle simulations countless times but when it comes down to it, I don't want to lose a battle because the computer decided I had a bad roll of some ethereal dice. I want to lose battles based on my own tactical incompetence dammit! Thankfully Age of Wonders 4 retains the option to either play out battles through simulation or by commanding your troops yourself. Even in tactical battles you can let the computer take control for a turn or two if you are nearing the end and know victory is inevitable. On the flip side, if you choose to simulate and don't like the outcome you can run the battle yourself.

Now, it wouldn't be a Marzano preview if I didn't talk about the UI/UX. Just as you can min/max your society, so too has the UI/UX been min/maxed as there are some areas it shines and others where it frankly doesn't. Anything relating to the strategy elements of the game is impeccably designed and gives you all the information you need in a prudent fashion. Nested tooltips from other Paradox-published games have made their return. While it's a bit unwieldy, it's super nice to see the ability to learn about a mechanic by simply hovering over it. Of particular merit is the diplomacy screen.

[caption id="attachment_366603" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Screenshot via Triumph Studios[/caption]

It's super nerdy to geek out about a single screen containing everything you would need to negotiate politics with a rival faction but Age of Wonders 4 diplomacy screen is one of the best I've seen in my time playing strategy games. Meanwhile, any screen that has to do with role-playing feels clunky. It took me longer than I'd care to admit to locate the level-up button for my ruler, because it looked like just another equipment slot. It's far from a game-breaker but it does show where Triumph's strengths and weaknesses lie.

Against all odds, Age of Wonders 4 has won over this ardent disliker of fantasy games and worlds. The world and empire customization makes for an engaging experience that loops back on itself by utilizing all aspects of the gameplay. The base that is being laid for the May 2 launch is fantastic and I can feel my love of the 4X genre returning to me in full.

Age of Wonders 4 is available for pre-order now on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.

_{This hands-on coverage is based on a preview build of the game provided by the publisher.}

The post Hands-On: Age of Wonders 4 can convert the fantasy averse with its compelling gameplay appeared first on Destructoid.

Halfway in, and Octopath 2 feels like it's surpassing its predecessor

Octopath Traveler, and its follow-up Octopath Traveler 2, both start off with an interesting but challenging narrative format: take eight adventurers, tell their origin stories, and weave their fates together into a greater anthology. These eight heroes grow into their own in their stories and then, once established in their own right, join together to fight the ultimate challenge awaiting them. Conceptually, it's powerful. In reality, it can be a delicate dance.

For a full disclosure, I wasn't too keen on the first Octopath Traveler. A soaring soundtrack and gorgeous presentation couldn't lift the stories high enough to make me want to see things through to the finale myself. So I'm not sure what it was that drew me in, almost last-minute, to Octopath Traveler 2. It could have been lingering good-will from the Live A Live remake. Or maybe it was the idea that Acquire and Square Enix could take the criticisms of the first Octopath and craft a better version of it, where the eight-legged story wasn't weighed down by its writing. Ultimately, I'm glad I did, because Octopath Traveler 2 feels like making good on the blueprint laid out by its predecessor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgmLN1NHXyE

Octopath Traveler 2 (PS5[reviewed], PS4, PC, Switch)
Developer: Square Enix, Acquire Corp.
Publisher: Square Enix
Released: February 24, 2023
MSRP: $59.99

From the outset, much of Octopath Traveler 2 is the same as the first. There are eight travelers, each with their own backstory and class for combat, as well as Path Actions. Journey around town, fight through the occasional dungeon and boss fight, and use Path Actions on NPCs to move the story forward. The framework is very familiar. It's how Square Enix and Acquire built up over the top that's impressing me.

Day and night

The addition of a day-and-night cycle means everyone has two Path Actions now. While Throne can knock someone out at night, she has to be a little more polite in the sunlight and simply pick their pockets. Osvald can scrutinize someone, gambling on a chance to uncover their deepest held secrets, during the day. At night, he just mugs them. NPC interactions broadly fall into a few categories: get information, follow me, get items, or knockout. (For Hikari, that's knockout and steal your skills, a la Rogue.)

The Octopath team has done a really great job, though, of making sure you're doing a lot of different things with the vocabulary set out before you. Some chapters may never see you engage in combat. Others might have you try to solve a small mystery. And still, others might just be wading into gladiatorial bout after bout. I'm writing this review-in-progress from the halfway point, as we got code just ahead of launch. But even at roughly 35 or so hours in, I've found I'm doing something a little different in every chapter, for every character. Stories rarely ever feel too one-note.

[caption id="attachment_366361" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

It helps that Octopath Traveler 2's cast is, on the whole, much more endearing than the first game. Importantly, you don't need to have played the first game to follow anything happening here. And that jump allows these tales to, outside a few scant gestures towards previous events, tell a story that's in a much different world state altogether.

Brave new world

Rather than just fantasy fare, Octopath Traveler 2 sees a fantasy world approaching industrialization. Pioneers and merchants venture to the silver-mining town of Oresrush, spurred on by whispers of a shifting standard in currency. Agnea, the dancer from a small forest town, is caught awestruck when seeing the lights and sounds of the bustling New Delsta. At one point, a shipwright laments how investors have left her work, proclaiming that steam engines might be the future.

This world is a fascinating one, and the characters who give you their viewpoints into the world give you a wide variety of views. Partitio the Merchant struggles with wages and fair earnings, as his desire to pay workers an honest living leads to tensions with the higher-ups who want to scrape out the most profit for themselves. Hikari finds himself caught in a struggle for the throne, as his nation comes to grips with its history of conquering and bloodshed.

[caption id="attachment_366363" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

My personal favorite is Temenos, the doubtful Inquisitor for the Church of the Sacred Flame. A string of bad luck sees him caught up in a murder-mystery, and so he sets to work, investigating his way through the JRPG equivalent of the movie Seven. But what I enjoy isn't just the detective vibes, but the entire inquisitorial nature of Temenos; his job, as he says, is to doubt. He casts aspersions on the way church officials wield their power over the more naïve.

Many paths, one road

This curiosity lends itself well to Octopath Traveler 2's very open approach to role-playing. Dotted throughout the world are sidequests. They operate similar to Octopath 1, in that they usually require a bit of problem solving and using Path Actions. Yet in the sequel, I'm finding them so much more rewarding. They give you just enough threads to let you solve something by yourself, while not being too difficult to discern.

[caption id="attachment_366364" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Moreover, there are dungeons all over the map. Altars await, offering additional abilities for your eight travelers. Guilds in cities now mete out subclass options, and subclasses themselves are available earlier and feel more interesting to dig into. I've yet to venture onto the Crossed Paths, which see two travelers spend time with each other, a common request from those who felt Octopath 1's party felt too distant. But even within chapters, the party will get optional moments of banter, reminiscent of skits from the Tales Of series. Some have genuinely made me laugh, or given me pause to think about what's happening at the moment.

All of this builds to a world that feels so much more alive in Octopath Traveler 2. There are always new sights to see, towns to explore, quests to undertake, and objectives to task myself with. I'm sure there's what some might consider grinding, but it's under enough layers of interesting meta-interactions and systems that I'm barely even noticing it.

Take to the field

Even combat has seen a pretty noteworthy shift. Sure, all eight characters maintain the same classes and general dispositions from the first game. The Scholar will cast magic, the Warrior wields weapons, and the Cleric heals and casts holy light magic. But alongside a fairly diverse set of abilities and support skills that can change how each character approaches a fight, every traveler has their own Latent Power. This Limit Break-adjacent skill lets a traveler do what they do best. Castti can freely mix up a massive, tide-turning concoction, without using up ingredients. HIkari taps into a well of probably-definitely-corrupting power to unleash heaps of damage.

Again, I turn back to Temenos, whose Latent Power ensures that whatever hits he doles out will break Shield Points on the enemy. Octopath Traveler 2 still uses the Boost and Break systems, encouraging you to Break enemies by hitting their weaknesses, opening them up for attacks, and using Boost points to either time those breaks or capitalize on them with massive damage. Well, subclassing Temenos into Scholar means I can give him the Elemental Barrage ability, which doles out anywhere from three to five blasts of magic in one burst, and more if I boost him. Coupled with his Latent Power, he shreds through shields in a single turn.

[caption id="attachment_366356" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Little tweaks and optimizations like that make the Octopath Traveler 2 combat feel so much more lively in its earlier hours than the first ever managed. Battles can provide a decent challenge, but a smart and tactical player could take on enemies well above their level if they plan and prepare right. That's the sign of an engaging turn-based combat system to me, at least.

All roads lead home

As I said before, I'm still at roughly the halfway point. I've cleared half of all the available character chapters, but still have a ways to go to see this through to its end, and how exactly all these travelers will come together. But where Octopath Traveler 2 is succeeding is making the journey feel so worthwhile. I think with Octopath 1, much of my focus was on the destination. That's not really on my mind in the second game.

Instead, I'm scouring the map for more opportunities for Partitio to strike a bargain. I'm trying to snatch all the guild subclasses and class statues I can locate. With each new screen, I'm filling in the blank outlines on my blank canvas of a map, while inviting new dangers at every bend. The soaring theme of Octopath Traveler always makes me think of grand adventure, spanning across lands and towns. With Octopath Traveler 2, that world feels vibrant, exciting, and ripe for exploration.

The post Review in Progress: Octopath Traveler 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Swords, eikons, and action, oh my

_{This is a special version made for media to experience. Contents may differ from the final version.}

Each of the mainline, numbered Final Fantasy entries takes a departure from its predecessors. The series maintains its thematic through-lines in its summons, its monsters, and in names like Cid; but each release, especially from the PlayStation 2 onwards, reinvents itself too. Final Fantasy XVI is certainly no different.

We got a chance to go hands-on with a build of Final Fantasy XVI, showcasing just how the next entry in the series will handle and specifically highlighting combat. And really, its combat is the thing to talk about, as it’s already been shown to be a bit of a departure from the ATB systems of yore.

Clive May Cry

Combat director Ryota Suzuki is a name you might recognize if you’re a fan of his previous work with Capcom, where he worked on games such as Devil May Cry 5, Dragon’s Dogma, and Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. I certainly felt the influence, after picking up a DualSense and starting to work my way through the demo. Clive might not have the blink-strike mobility of Noctis, but our new Final Fantasy protagonist certainly doesn’t lumber around, either.

For basic moves, Clive can strike with his sword using Square, shoot magic of his chosen element with Triangle, and dodge around with R1. It wasn’t long before I started to get the rhythm; Clive gets follow-up opportunities on a perfect dodge, so timing the action just right and attacking immediately after was key.

[caption id="attachment_366084" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.[/caption]

Some of the enemies in FFXVI hit hard and dodging can be a risky proposition. Parrying, which involves swinging directly into the attack, more so. Clive does get some help from NPC party members, and one constant companion in his dog, who can attack or support Clive based on issued commands.

But the real combat focus is the Eikonic abilities. It seems like, as the story progresses, Clive will open up access to different aspects attuned to the different Eikons of the world. We had access to a bit more than we would have, normally, in our preview; while the preview pit me against Benedikta, who embodies the wind eikon Garuda, I had access to Garuda’s skills, as well as Phoenix and Titan’s abilities. Swapping between them was as simple as hitting one of my shoulder buttons.

Invoking those aspects, though, significantly shifts gameplay. As Phoenix, I was a bit of an all-rounder. I could close the distance with my Circle Button, which invoked a dash attack. One skill gave me an area-of-effect damage option, while another was a rising uppercut, each triggered by hitting a corresponding face button while holding a trigger.

Swapping to Garuda, now everything’s fast and furious. My abilities are usable mid-air, and my Circle isn’t a dash anymore, but a grab that can grab foes and extend the staggered status of large enemies. Shift into Titan mode, and now I’m slamming the ground, throwing up a bulwark with my Circle, and winding up massive strikes.

[caption id="attachment_366092" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.[/caption]

Simply Eikonic

All of these elements combine to form a combat system that drips with action-driven influence. Combos felt swift and natural as I’d dive into enemies as the Phoenix, whipping flames around me and uppercutting them before swapping to Garuda, extending the combo further, then landing as Titan and slamming them down.

It’s the most action-heavy I’ve seen a mainline Final Fantasy get, but the good news is, it feels good. I enjoyed my time exploring potential combo routes as Clive, figuring out how different aspects and special moves could work in harmony. Different unlocks opened up new options, as I found moves that could counter projectiles, or even activate special attack animations if I parried an oncoming attack with it. The depth of the abilities, and the accompanying upgrades, will be easier to dissect in the final build of Final Fantasy XVI. But even with what I had available in the demo, it felt really good to master the moves and roll out extensive combos on hapless grunts.

On the standard difficulty setting, it wasn’t long until I felt supremely confident against standard enemies. Of course, my hubris arrived in the form of bosses. While fights against rank-and-file baddies felt as routine as they probably should, there were several boss fights in the demo that provided greater challenge.

[caption id="attachment_366083" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.[/caption]

In one, I fought two winged sisters of Garuda, fending off a simultaneous attack. Oddly enough, I saw a brief flash of Final Fantasy XIV here. While one sister led a melee offense on me, her sibling charged up range attacks that marked danger indicators on the floor, much like XIV’s encounters. Somehow, the “dodge the puddle” fits really well here, as I bobbed and weaved through floor markers while trying to get my combos in. It certainly appealed to my inner Dragoon main.

Fighting Benedikta on the roof, though, was a highlight of my preview. Here, the combat speed clicked for me. The Dominant would charge me in a flurry of blows, forcing me to carefully time my presses, then know when to do my follow-up. Long-distance exchanges of magical bullets quickly segued into a close-quarters dance back and forth. When I missed one window, I was subjected to a cinematic strike on Clive that did some serious damage.

[caption id="attachment_366087" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.[/caption]

This might be jarring to some. A fast, action-heavy take on Final Fantasy had some mixed results in XV, even though it landed a bit better in Final Fantasy VII Remake. Final Fantasy XVI is certainly the most action-heavy we’ve seen the Square Enix series lean, even eschewing any semblance of a command menu. But it really does work for me. It feels like they’ve got the right ideas in place, and it helps that it doesn’t feel like the team is dipping a toe in the water. In a post-demo interview with the developers behind the game, they noted that this is an action game, and they've tried to achieve both a high ceiling and an approachable floor for all skill levels.

For those worried about how approachable it will feel, especially if your reactions aren’t up to snuff, there are some helpful options being put in place. Clive will be able to equip some accessories that offer different levels of assistance with the action. One gives you a window and a prompt for dodging attacks, while another lets you auto-combo through mashing, an option some fighting games have included in the past. Heck, one even automatically issues commands for your dog companion. I tested these out, and they do feel like helpful methods of making the more dangerous and hectic sections of combat feel comfortably manageable.

Game of Eikons

As for the world of Valisthea, the setting of Final Fantasy XVI, it is definitely going for a darker and more politically motivated story. As we’ve seen in demos, Clive is spurred onto a quest of vengeance, touring across the realm for answers. Different nations vie for power and influence, using their Dominants and their ability to embody Eikons (the summons of Final Fantasy) as weapons.

I only got a small slice of the story, as the preview focused mainly on the combat and gameplay. When I did get some plot, though, I can’t say I wasn’t intrigued. I haven’t seen any hints of deeper interrogations into warfare and politics, as you might see from a Tactics game, but the political tensions were palpable. I'm curious to see how that develops.

Of course, Eikons are a big draw, (for story reasons I won’t delve into here), and my preview concluded with me piloting one of Final Fantasy’s most recognizable summons, Ifrit. Playing Ifrit against the winged Garuda felt a bit challenging at first; where Clive was agile and swift, Ifrit felt like trying to drive a flaming semi-truck into the eye of a hurricane. Was it as cool as it sounds? Absolutely. But piledriving Garuda into the ground did entail a lot of tentative approaching while mashing the attack button. I think that will really only shine in specific, tailored sections, which thankfully seems to be the approach for Eikon fights.

[caption id="attachment_366091" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.[/caption]

Presentation-wise, Final Fantasy XVI looked amazing in its showpiece moments. Cutscenes and big battles were graphically incredible. When Benedikta brings the roof down, literally, it looks fantastic. Individual characters have some great details, and all of the story encounters landed strong for me.

Some of the more dungeon-exploring moments of the demo gave me pause, though. The drab, gray halls blended together, and some heavy motion-smoothing effects didn’t help. We were told a Performance Mode is currently in the works, and I’m hopeful for that. I’m curious to see what Final Fantasy XVI looks like in more open-air sections, away from the night-time fortress raid and cramped quarters we saw.

A new fantasy

Final Fantasy, as a franchise, changes with every entry, and Final Fantasy XVI is no different. It might squash some hopes, if there are fans who still want to see the series return to a more classical, PlayStation-era format for combat. It might also draw players in who may not want turn-based battles, but are intrigued by the high-budget fantasy and powerful summons on display.

My main takeaway from playing Final Fantasy XVI is that Square Enix is not making a half-hearted effort at an action-RPG. From the team that’s been assembled to the way combat feels fast and engaging, XVI certainly feels like a fresh and different take from what’s come before it. The ultimate question is whether it can make the action still feel that good across a vast RPG adventure, and if fans both new and old latch onto this. We’ll find out, June 22, when Final Fantasy XVI makes its grand debut on PS5.

_{This is a special version made for media to experience. Contents may differ from the final version.
Travel for this media preview was provided by the publisher.}

The post Hands-on: Final Fantasy XVI tackles darker themes and faster action appeared first on Destructoid.

We sat down with some of the minds behind the next Final Fantasy

Making a new Final Fantasy is a big deal. The series has been running for over three decades, and each numerical entry leaves its own mark. Final Fantasy XVI isn’t just a new RPG in a long-running series, but one that has to carry a legacy and forge its own path at the same time.

In some ways, then, the creative team that’s been assembled for Final Fantasy XVI makes a good amount of sense. As part of a media preview event for XVI, we got the chance to sit down for a roundtable interview with four key members of the team: producer Naoki Yoshida, main director Hiroshi Taki, combat director Ryota Suzuki, and localization director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox.

Producer Yoshida isn’t a stranger to Final Fantasy, as he and several other members of the team at this interview spent quite a while revitalizing the 14th entry in the series. It was, as Yoshida tells us, why they were approached to create Final Fantasy XVI: because of what they did on Final Fantasy XIV.

“So yes, that was very difficult,” Yoshida said (via translator). “That said, creating Final Fantasy XVI, I think I’ve felt more pressure on this project.”

[caption id="attachment_366089" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.[/caption]

Turning up the action

While many names on the roster may be familiar to those who have played a good chunk of Final Fantasy XIV, Suzuki hails from a different background. With a past at Capcom, developing more action-oriented games like Devil May Cry 5 and Dragon’s Dogma, his experience falls on the real-time end of the battle spectrum. But so does Final Fantasy XVI.

As we saw in our preview, Final Fantasy XVI is an action-RPG in the full sense of both words. There are role-playing game elements, including a fair bit of character customization and equipment for protagonist Clive. But it moves at an action pace, as Clive doesn’t wait for active-time battle meters or flip through command menus. XVI is very much an action game, too. Yoshida says it comes from a place of asking what those turn-based battles of Final Fantasy past might have looked like, if they could take place in real-time.

“For example, using a spell like Stop or Freeze, how would that play out in real-time?” Yoshida said. “And taking that, and taking something that we’ve only imagined in our heads while playing the turn-based system and turning that into real-time, is something we feel that we’ve brought to the series.”

Of course, the challenge there is finding a way to appease both parties. Action-heavy games aren’t just a bit faster, but can sometimes be a bit less forgiving. This is something the Final Fantasy XVI team seems to have anticipated, at the very least; there are items, “Timely Accessories,” that make fights more approachable for those who can’t manage the reaction speeds or simply want to tune the frenzy down a notch.

In essence, the team wants to create something that can have a high skill ceiling, where action game players could find a challenge and a system that requires technique, while still having a lower floor for those who are new to these kinds of games. Suzuki says the team wants people to enjoy the story and get to the end of the game, “without being frustrated,” while creating something that “feels natural” for both the action-inclined and the action-disinclined.

[caption id="attachment_366086" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.[/caption]

To enable this, some of the scope had to be narrowed in on Clive himself. The player will have party companions, though they will (aside from commands issued to Clive’s dog companion) be controlled by A.I. Yoshida explains that by narrowing the scope, it opens up more control over what Clive can do, while also not overwhelming the player with too many things to juggle. 

“It comes down to not wanting to do things like half measures,” Yoshida said. “We didn’t want something that like, action game fans would look at and it’s like, ‘You’ve spread everything out, it’s not very fun as an action game.’ But we also didn’t want to have something that was so overwhelming to [Final Fantasy] fans that they’re like, ‘Oh it’s too busy, there’s too much to do, I can’t really get into this.’ And so, for that sense, focusing everything on Clive allows players to focus on that, and reduce that amount of stress, and not have to do things by half measures.”

There are still pieces of Final Fantasy embedded in XVI. (At one point, they joke that you do always need to have chocobos and moogles.) Some elements are even more prominent than they’ve been in other Final Fantasy titles. Crystals, powerful summons, and more are all a part of the world of Valisthea in Final Fantasy XVI. But even smaller drives call towards what the team feels are important pieces of Final Fantasy. Takai references the idea that there is a lost civilization, and that something happened to them long ago, affecting current events. Though we didn’t get to see it in this version, Clive will be able to explore the world and see remnants of this lost civilization in the full game.

“Again, because we want as many players to get into this as possible, not just original [Final Fantasy] series fans but new fans as well,” Takai said. “You have to have that mixture of new and old, and we think that we have enough new as well as enough old to get both parties happy.”

Final Fantasy XVI will explore some darker themes, too. In the preview alone, we see a fair bit of political intrigue and drama. Trailers show warriors fighting, blood splattering, and humans erupting into Eikons. Takai says the reason they went with that was because XVI’s developers, and the series fan base itself, have both grown older.

[caption id="attachment_366088" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.[/caption]

“We kind of all know that the world can be a dark place at times,” Takai said. “And that not just showing the happy things, but showing those dark things as well, kind of again creates this balance, and also enhances the fact that things can be good. By showing that things can be bad, when things are good, it has much more meaning, and we wanted to get that across as well.”

Yoshida adds that he’s a big fan of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight films, specifically the way it portrays good and evil that are reliant on one another.

“You have that kind of like, that back and forth with the Batman and the Joker is that, again, it's not just pure good and evil,” Yoshida said. “It’s that because one exists, the other can't exist; without the other, the other can't exist. And we kind of wanted to bring that theme into Final Fantasy XVI as well. It's not just good and evil. There's this gray area, and that both of them feed off each other, and both of them need each other to exist, and so having the dark in there to accentuate, you know, importance of the light at the end and that there is hope, is what we wanted to get across.”

[caption id="attachment_366083" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.[/caption]

Lessons learned

Near the end of the interview, I asked the developers what they felt they’d learned from making Final Fantasy XVI, as we’re nearing the June release date. For Suzuki, it was taking everything he’d learned at Capcom, and bringing it over to Square Enix.

“It’s something that Square Enix didn’t have,” Suzuki said. “And now they do have this. And now that Square Enix has it, how they’re going to be able to use it moving forward. Hopefully, they’ll be able to take that and build on it.”

“So for me is that, because we were creating the game on new technology for us, to be our first game on the PlayStation 5, we went into it thinking, ‘Okay, we don't want to try to do too much. Because if we try to do too much, It's gonna be too overwhelming for the team. This is our first time on it,’” Takai said. “In the end, it turned out we did way too much, and it was a lot of work for the team.”

For Yoshida, he talked again about the pressure of making a Final Fantasy game. He talks about taking his experience on XVI and bringing it back to Final Fantasy XIV, as the MMORPG continues to grow and expand. And, as Suzuki noted, he talks about high-level action games.

“That’s something that our company hadn't been able to do before,” Yoshida said. “And that is not something that we want to just forget about now that it's done, it’s something that we will build on moving forward.”

Again, Yoshida admits, you can’t please everyone. Those who want turn-based battles will ask why it’s action-based. Those who want an open world will ask why it’s not. And when it’s darker in theme, people will ask why it’s not brighter.

A quote that stuck with me, long after I’d left the preview event and gone home, was about Yoshida and the team’s approach to making a new Final Fantasy, and what they wanted to announce. With Final Fantasy XVI, they wanted to show that this series can be “much more than just what you’ve seen in the past 10 or 15 years.” But also that the series itself has potential beyond all that, for future makers of future Final Fantasy games.

“The other thing is just, even more so than showing the players that the series can have more potential, it’s showing future developers that you can do what you want,” Yoshida said. “You don’t have to stick to what’s come before, you can make something new. And showing, again, developers the potential moving forward that they can create whatever they want for a Final Fantasy game.”

_{This is a special version made for media to experience, and content may differ from the final version.
Travel for this event was accommodated by the publisher.}

The post Final Fantasy XVI leads talk action, history, and the pressure of forging a new legend appeared first on Destructoid.

It just makes sense

You know what's really good? Final Fantasy music. I'm not the kind of person who puts video game music in their walking-around playlists, but I'll frequently pop in a pair of earbuds and simply vibe on the Final Fantasy VII soundtrack. It's great in the context of the games - Final Fantasy as a franchise plays host to some of the most evocative JRPG battle themes of all time - but it's also just fun and pleasant to listen to.

So the philosophy behind Theatrhythm Final Bar Line makes sense. Nobody in the world will tell you that the music of Nobuo Uematsu is bad. Even the "worst" Final Fantasy soundtrack is a vibe. Why not make that the whole game? The idea has worked a handful of times before (the first two Theatrhythm games, the arcade spinoff, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, the Japan-exclusive Theatrhythm Dragon Quest), so it should work again.

[caption id="attachment_361052" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Yeah, it works

The good news is that Theatrhythm, at least in the recently-released demo, is as good as it's ever been. Tapping, sliding, and flicking to the beat still feels great. Developer indieszero has proven its competence in the rhythm gaming space time after time, and it seems like Theatrhythm Final Bar Line will continue the trend.

For the most part, this is Theatrhythm as it's always been. You assemble a small party of doll-like Final Fantasy characters and head into a stage where you'll tap to the beat of different Final Fantasy tunes. In the demo, songs are separated into Field Stages - usually town themes, overworld exploration songs, and other chilled-out tracks - and Battle Stages - intense fight themes. The final game will also feature stages with cinematics from various Final Fantasy games, but I haven't had the chance to try those yet.

Variety is the spice of life

Final Bar Line, like its Theatrhythm ancestors, does an excellent job of making Field Stages and Battle Stages feel different. The fundamentals are exactly the same; you tap when a red circle shows up, you hold when a green circle shows up, and you flick whenever you see an arrow. But Field Stages feature sliding notes, which make them feel significantly more free and flowing than the thumping, heavy Battle Stages, where the focus is less on movement and more on keeping track of your fingers. The developers have also done an excellent job of adapting the touch-based controls of the series to a traditional controller. I played the demo on a Nintendo Switch and it only took one track for me to fully adjust to the new control scheme.

[caption id="attachment_361049" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The game can get tough, too. Every song has at least three difficulty levels: Standard, Expert, and Ultimate. Some songs also feature an even tougher "Supreme" difficulty. These are truly terrible difficulty labels, but the levels themselves are very nice. Supreme songs will genuinely challenge hardcore rhythm gaming enthusiasts, while babies like me will feel fantastic clearing an Expert level track - sounds better than "second-easiest," doesn't it?

Every track can also be played in co-op mode, and my girlfriend and I played around with that a bit. We found the two-player offerings every bit as satisfying as they were in Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory's best-in-class co-op mode, and I'm glad to have a new multiplayer rhythm game in my pocket.

Not much RPG here

The one area where Theatrhythm Final Bar Line isn't singing for me just yet is its RPG core. Like the first two Theatrhythm games, Final Bar Line features a rudimentary leveling system. Every character can unlock different abilities, and you can assemble a party of four from a staggering number of Final Fantasy characters. There are also equippable summons, healing items, and a handful of other RPG systems. In theory, there should be a ton of customizability. Unfortunately, none of these abilities feel like they do anything.

[caption id="attachment_361050" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Healers make it possible to miss a few more notes than usual, and attackers will engage in little battles on the bottom of the screen that are presumably impacted by their stats and abilities, but none of this feels impactful at all. In some ways, I get the sense that Final Bar Line suffers from its release window. I never minded the relatively shoddy rhythm "combat" in earlier titles, but having just seen Hi-Fi Rush nail this format, it does feel a little disappointing. My performance doesn't seem to have any impact on the idle game that's happening underneath the notes, so I can't bring myself to care too much about what happens down there.

It's possible that party composition will feel much more exciting in the full game, but at least in the demo, it feels like a basically superfluous system. It's fun to have Alphinaud and Aerith fight side by side, but I'm not sure what they're actually doing.

A promising overture

Overall, I feel really good about Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. The modular difficulty makes it easy to find a sweet spot, the different tracks feel varied and interesting, and the co-op offerings are wonderful. I hope the RPG bits get more engaging and interesting as the game goes on, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else the title has to offer.

[caption id="attachment_361051" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

This is the kind of game I've been itching for, and I'm glad it's finally here. I never doubted that Square Enix and indieszero could make a fun Final Fantasy rhythm game, and it's nice to be proven right.

The post Theatrhythm Final Bar Line demo impressions: A worthy musical sendup to Final Fantasy appeared first on Destructoid.

Team Ninja has been back, but I think a lot of folks are just now realizing it

While From Software typically dominates the modern action-adventure conversation (especially after the more considerable success of Elden Ring), many other games are vying for attention. As most of my colleagues know, I constantly sing the praises of recent works from Team Ninja: including both Nioh games.

While there's still a lot more of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty for me to see, I'm two demos in; and I'm just ready for the thing to come out already.

[caption id="attachment_360122" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Koei Tecmo[/caption]

You may recall that there was a console demo held four months ago. This month I played a private build on PC, and things are still looking good. Kicking off in a burning village (during the Yellow Turban Rebellion) as the backdrop for a tutorial, things were intense and brought back memories of the start of Ninja Gaiden [Black] so many years ago. The change in atmosphere to China is welcome and notably disparate from the various medieval European or Japan-based settings that make up so much of the genre. That urgency is obvious from the get-go, extending to the combat system: which asks quite a lot from the player upfront (and will be the focus of this preview).

It's obvious that Team Ninja is trying to do something different here: so much so that I had to wrap my head around the entire concept of Wo Long's combat (refreshing!). Enemies have a life bar, and there are normal and heavy (spirit) attacks, as well as a deflect button that doubles as a dodge when double-tapped. There are also arts (physical skills) and magic. That much is easy to convey to pretty much anyone who even has tangential knowledge of the genre. But things start to go off the beaten path a bit early into the tutorial.

Normal attacks will increase your spirit gauge (kind of like a catch-all meter that governs multiple mechanics, like dodging and abilities), and spirit attacks will deal spirit damage to enemies. It's a neat little dance as you need to be refilling your spirit gauge to pull off some big punishes, but you can also mostly rely on your raw skills of attacking, dodging, and deflecting to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Dodging often is viable, but you can't just spam the dodge button, and even just getting a basic grasp on deflecting (the comparisons to Sekiro are warranted) will make a big difference in just about every bout. Deflecting is not just useful, it's also flashy as hell, and really showcases how far Team Ninja has come in terms of their combat animation prowess. I'm looking forward to seeing some high-level play and skill videos after the game is out.

The morale meter is fascinating too. It's essentially your power level rank (on top of the leveling system), which enemies also make use of. You can use this as a way to "size up" your opponents (typically of the elite variety) and decide whether or not they're worth taking on at this current moment. With enough skill, you can take down enemies above your rank with ease, but a lot of players may want to head to another area and come back later for some of these elites. The idea of tucking away tougher encounters isn't unique to Wo Long, but the morale system is a welcome addition nonetheless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am36au360Vo

It's not for the faint of heart, though. Enemies rank up after you die and you lose some morale points (remember de-leveling in MMOs? It's a little like that but not quite as severe): beating them will reclaim it (and your Qi experience). Thankfully, just walking into a boss arena will automatically trigger this process, saving some time. Both the skill floor and ceiling for Wo Long seem high, which is understandably going to put off some folks. And I get it! But I feel like I'm just scratching the surface of what the game has to offer, with concepts like its dual-weapon system (which lets you swap strategies and movesets quickly) and leveling/custom build mechanics on top of all of the other things I covered above.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is due out on March 3 on PC, PS4/PS5, and Xbox One/Series X/S. So far it's ticking all the right boxes, and even after a few hours I'm seeing a lot of positive signs; especially when it comes to the satisfaction of finessing an enemy you struggled with moments before.

The post Hands on: Wo Long continues to be one of my most anticipated games of 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

I do think it'll be polarizing though

Based on the reception of the main characters alone, I think it's easy to see how divisive the aesthetics of Fire Emblem Engage are: and the game isn't even out yet! As someone who was unsure, I have to admit to grew on me, especially after seeing it in action. Here are some brief thoughts after hands-on time with Fire Emblem Engage.

[gallery link="file" columns="4" size="medium" ids="356663,356664,356665,356666"]

Fire Emblem Engage is a loud game (figuratively)

Clocking in at 12.6GB, Fire Emblem Engage is in your face immediately: both in terms of dropping into a tense story moment, and the bright, sometimes zany visual style.

Engage seemingly opens in media res, as you (a character named Alear by default, with two form options) and your party are rushing down a group of enemies, with the "Engage" system (read: merging with spirits, including past Fire Emblem characters like Marth) in full swing. It turns out that the intro is actually taking place in the past (1000 years ago to be precise): right before your Divine Dragon avatar vanquishes a great foe and falls into a mystic sleep. Then, things get decidedly less "epic" in nature, almost like downtown in a party-based anime like El Hazard.

Alear wakes up, acts aloof, and wants to run from their first battle. From there you start down a path to acquire your power and memories...and I can hear some groans already. I think some people are going to straight up hate this shonen/shojo approach, but I'm somewhat mesmerized by it. After the somewhat traditional medieval storytelling in Three Houses, to rubber band back to this seems a bit jarring, but it also differentiates Engage from many modern Fire Emblem releases.

Cutscenes are sleek, colorful, and full of details. While I won't head into spoiler country here, I am enjoying a lot of the cast so far, including the relationships they're building with Alear, who is a legendary warrior of power as well as a blank slate. Pairing them with Marth is either going to seem like a cash grab or a stroke of brilliance right out of the gate, and I'm mostly siding with the latter line of thinking at this point. The pairing/Engage system is so fun that I kind of just learned to roll with it.

[gallery link="file" size="large" ids="356671,356669,356670"]

Gameplay so far is smooth and fun

Fire Emblem Engage brings back the classic SRPG format, and when moving around the battlefield, things look and feel very polished. Most of the old options (including speeding up battles/removing animations) return, though unlike many other entries, I kept a lot of the animation triggers on just to watch them go.

While there is a lot of emphasis on strategic unit placement (including placing them in bushes/terrain to obscure them) and a rock-paper-scissors conceit: the Engage/merging system really helped sell me on the game mechanically. There's a lot of build potential here, especially with the power to increase individual characters' bonds, while granting them new abilities. I think a lot of folks are going to love this gimmick, and will spend tons of time messing around with it. It's also just good fun to power up and go crazy on an enemy with floating angel wings and a beam sword.

The option to customize your playthrough is definitely going to help. Here are the big settings you can change:

• Japanese and English audio
• The ability to name the protagonist and choose from two forms
• Normal, hard, or maddening difficulty
• A casual (no character death) or classic (permadeath) toggle

Fire Emblem Engage is a fun strategic romp so far, and I'm eager to see where it goes. I'm not confident that it'll top Three Houses (which is admittedly a high bar for many), but we'll see closer to launch.

The post Hands on: Fire Emblem Engage is on the right track appeared first on Destructoid.

Collaboratively writing a dungeon crawl

In 2020, developer Shiny Shoe solidified its status in the roguelite genre with Monster Train. The locomotive deckbuilder has been very well received, and it would've been easy to fall back into another one. And true enough, Shiny Shoe is making a roguelite again with Inkbound. But its tackling a different style combat, a fresh setting, and altogether interesting new challenge: a co-op rogue game.

I recently got the chance to run through a chunk of Inkbound, both in solo play and in co-op with the developers at Shiny Shoe. Over the course of a couple hours, I got a decent look at some of what the team is planning, from a seasonal structure to how its thinking about co-op options. And after all that, Inkbound has become one to watch moving into the new year.

The basic premise of Shiny Shoe's new rogue title is that you are a Binder, who works with other Binders to maintain infinite stories against an inky malevolence. Tackling new levels involves jumping into stories, like Mario jumping into paintings. You can pick up some quests and meta-progression from the hub, establish your co-op crew if you're playing with pals, and set off for a fresh run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMzkN45lsyU

Taking it in turns

Inkbound's most apparent difference from Monster Train is in how combat plays out. While it's still quite strategic, battles are played out in a turn-based manner with single characters (Binders) moving around in an arena. Each Binder has an arsenal of items and abilities, as well as movement options, metered out by an energy counter.

As the circular arena appears for battle, the players get to take their turn. Though your whole squad acts in one turn, you play out your turn in real time. It's a bit of an adjustment at first; everyone starts using their abilities, flinging attacks and spells across the field at the enemies that have emerged. Once everyone's spent their energy, you can pass and let the enemies take their turn. It's a little bit of Transistor, and a little bit of Into the Breach, with abilities feeling inspired by MOBA games.

Normally, co-op might seem a little difficult, especially in a turn-based sense. But I found it was pretty easy to take things a step at a time with my developer pal, working through our potential damage abilities. I'd draw the aggro of an enemy about to hit them, so they wouldn't take the damage while I sidestepped away. Or we'd coordinate which pockets we were focusing, or I could drop an energy-conferring flower on the field and we'd debate over when it was best to pop it for some extra actions.

I do think Inkbound's co-op structure will lend itself better to organized, voice chat-enabled groups that random players online, at least from what I've seen. But even just the concept of a co-op strategic roguelite playing out well in front of me was pretty cool. Plus, everyone gets a say in what we do, using a simple voting system to determine which roads to take at a fork. And while some items can be dropped and swapped, everyone gets to draft and upgrade abilities when they can.

Arming up

The ability drafting is where the Monster Train and deckbuilding influence seeps in, and it seeps in well. Throughout a run, the player is often presented with choices to pick up new abilities or enhance current ones. A Binder can only have a limited number of skills at a time, so it's crucial to maximize what you're holding.

Where it gets interesting is how these skills can link up together. My chosen class was a threadweaver, who could tie strings to enemies and connect them for different effects. I decided to focus my efforts into spreading strings around as much as possible, and then enhancing my skills based on the number of strings. The more enemies that showed up, the more powerful my moves could be.

Suffice to say, I was annihilating groups near the end of our run. My cohort, meanwhile, played a nimble and deadly rogue-type, who relied on critical chance. When items dropped that could enhance their critical strike capabilities, I immediately offloaded them. There's a ton of room for developing your own playstyle, while also working as a unit to build an unstoppable party.

Better together

Even though I've had the option to do a bit of solo-running, I've honestly got to admit, it's the co-op that's got me keen on Inkbound. I love theorycrafting and building up builds over the course of a run, but don't often have the chance to do that in a social setting.

What Shiny Shoe is building really does feel like a step towards having a roguelite that a Discord group could play together, and that's pretty nifty. It' still a work-in-progress, with an Early Access launch slated for sometime in 2023.  Plans are currently in place to look at a seasonal model, with a pass that could grant additional cosmetics. No selling power, however. What's here is here, and what Inkbound is looking like right now is a co-op roguelite worth keeping an eye on.

The post Hands-on: Inkbound makes for some solid co-op rogue strategy appeared first on Destructoid.

Old school in a new era

When I first heard that Gungrave was coming back with not one, but two projects, I was in shock. This is a series that felt buried roughly two decades ago after Gungrave: Overdose on the PS2, but nonetheless we got a so-so VR adaptation, and very soon: Gungrave GORE.

We had a chance to play a preview build, and it feels like a blast from the past (in ways that will both delight and disappoint).

One thing I swiftly noticed after starting up Gungrave GORE is how much it asks you to already be somewhat invested in the lore. The quick intro was partially incomprehensible for newcomers, with a lot of exposition required, and less emotional resonance. What you mostly need to know is that anti-hero Grave is trying to kill the Ravenclan, led by four eccentric bosses who, in a literal sense, are big bads in a video game. Some slightly incorrect subtitles later, all my Gungrave anime-watching and game-playing knowledge came rushing back.

You aren't going to be alone if you're coming in blind and are partially confused. In fact, this passage is straight from the developers:

"The previous games do not have to be played to experience GORE, although certain established concepts might take some getting used to by newcomers, especially revolving around the Seed. The common thread between the games is the Seed and the relationship between Grave and Mika. In a sense, Gungrave GORE is the finalization of the Seed story arc and the culmination of Grave’s story since the real super villain is finally revealed and defeated."

If you're just looking for a pure action experience, then you're probably covered. The intro to the first stage is devilishly over-the-top, with Grave destroying a bunch of goons at the entrance to a facility, before the player takes over and does much of the same. The first thing I noticed, gameplay-wise, was the focus on style: a lost art in many character action games.

There's a "beat count," which serves as a combo aggregator of sorts, as well as the classic "diving/dodge shot" move that made the original games famous among action aficionados. You can also melee (with the coffin on your back) which also deflects rockets, grab enemies, initiate execution kills, or trigger ultimates governed by a meter (which usually involve firing something out of your coffin).

There's a lot of goons to kill. Action vets will want to jack the game's difficulty up to hard right away, as fighting through some of Gungrave GORE's enemy types and layouts feel like going through the motions. You'll have access to a shield (which recharges and can fend off raw health damage), which is extremely generous to the point where you can walk through a lot of gunfire and came out unscathed.

It's an intriguing push and pull. The team clearly wants Grave to to feel like an unstoppable force, and has to balance that around actual tension. Hopefully as levels progress the general pool of enemies will offer up new puzzles and challenges for everyone to conquer: as that's my main concern. The core of jumping/diving around like an anime action hero is intact.

The bosses are the things that, by far, have the most potential to really deliver in GORE. An early one is a giant tank, which requires a fair bit of dodging and focus to take down without sustaining a ton of damage. It's an early encounter, but it showed a lot of promise in terms of how far GORE could really go, and deliver a modern version of PS2-era chaos. At present, the game is in a really unique position as a niche character action game in 2022.

Gungrave GORE is out on November 22, and I'm curious to see how it will be received by general audiences and Gungrave fans alike. The studio says that it will take "14+ hours" to finish the game, and it'll run you $50 on both PC and consoles.

The post So far, Gungrave GORE feels like an authentic and flawed Gungrave experience appeared first on Destructoid.

Finding Nemo… Delicious

Sushi’s delicious, it’s just too bad we love it so much that it’s driving the depletion of ocean habitats. However, that’s largely because the industry relies on non-selective fishing. Spearfishing might not get us the quantity we crave, but it’s much more sustainable. So good on Dave the Diver for being environmentally conscious.

The marriage of spearfishing and restaurant management is a tantalizing mix I didn’t know I wanted. Now I just have to deal with the constant cravings.

Dave the Diver (Steam Early Access)
Developer: MINTROCKET
Publisher: MINTROCKET
Released: October 27, 2022
MSRP:

Dave the Diver stars the titular Dave, who is literally peer-pressured into managing a sushi restaurant. A friend of his found a lake that mysteriously contains fish from all over the world and has decided that people want to eat everything. So forget tuna and salmon; we’re talking about cuttlefish and anglers. Who knows what lies even deeper? Blobfish? We might have some blobfish nigiri.

Along the way, other people become interested in Dave’s excursions into the Giant Blue Hole and ask him to do them favors. Most of these are optional objectives that can get you gear and extra spending cash. There are also some non-optional quests that advance the story, which involves finding out about an ancient civilization that lived in the hole.

The day is broken up into three parts. You have time for two journeys into the depths during the day, but at night, you help run the restaurant. While all the managerial tasks are up to you, Dave also is pressured into assisting with the service. This involves delivering dishes and pouring tea. You can eventually hire people to help out – which is necessary because you’ll quickly find yourself swamped – but you’ll always want to lend a hand. No one pours tea like you do. I assume. It’s actually a cute minigame, and I suppose you could just keep screwing it up, but I have faith.

[embed]https://youtu.be/UrNTzqJ1lpw[/embed]

Source of endless cravings

Fishing is a dangerous business, as you have to monitor the weight you carry, your oxygen supply, and your depth. Going too deep with the wrong suit will deplete your oxygen. While some fish you can hook without any effort, some require you to wear them down first or actually do battle. Beyond your spear, there are also guns that you get your hands on. Killing a fish is less efficient than speering them, but sometimes that’s just not an option.

If you die, you’re returned to the surface, and you can only choose one prize to take back. It’s very easy to get overconfident and return to the surface belly-up. To prevent this, you can spend your hard-earned tips on better gear that help you dive further, longer, and safer. You also find blueprints for additional weapons to power yourself up.

Giant Blue Hole

I’ve played quite a few of these open-and-upgrade business sims this year, and I’ve found many of them to be quite shaky. Even though Dave the Diver is starting its life in Early Access, I didn’t have that problem, whatsoever. It actually struck me as an incredibly solid title. I came across a few bugs, and the balance needs to be tweaked, but the only real giveaway that it’s not finished is that it cuts short.

It also nails a great gameplay loop. The obvious draw to the game is the fishing, and it gives due attention there. A night at the sushi restaurant is rather brief; it’s almost just the payoff for a hard day fishing. The goal may be to build up the business, but Dave the Diver seems to recognize that work is work. You get to see growth rather quickly. You get a sense of what you need to build towards without having to see everything play out in slow motion. I’m honestly impressed by how much thought went into creating an entertaining balance.

Bring the soy sauce

Beyond that, I’m just excited to see where the game goes. It frequently hints at some spooky stuff below, and I can’t wait to see what horrors get thrown across some rice. The narrative doesn’t show much sign of getting very suspenseful, but a lot of surprises could still be in store.

The developer’s goal is to launch Dave the Diver fully sometime in early 2023. Judging by what’s currently on offer, that seems like a realistic possibility. Rarely have I seen an Early Access title that has everything so neatly in place already. The planning for the game must be ridiculously solid because, even at this time, there’s a bright, glossy polish on everything. I think only catastrophe could really derail this project, so for now, I can’t wait to dive in deeper.

_{[This scoreless review is based on an Early Access build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Early Access Review: Dave the Diver appeared first on Destructoid.

Forgive me, father

You’re rolling the dice whenever you pick up a game with “Simulator” in the title. Is this going to be an attempt at accurately translating something into a video game, or is it going to abandon all reason and present some sort of unhinged parody? Priest Simulator is definitely in the latter category, but rather than just having some wacky controls that make the whole performance absurd, it goes a few steps further, into a storm drain, and gets washed out to sea.

You technically get up to some priest business in Priest Simulator. One could also argue that you even play as a priest. Maybe my knowledge of priestly happenings is skewed in some way, but if you asked me what a priest does, my answer would be: not this.

Priest Simulator (Steam Early Access)
Developer: Asmodev
Publisher: Ultimate Games
Released: October 6, 2022
MSRP: $19.99

You play the game as a wooden vampire demon named Orlok, who is hell-bent on internet fame. During an attempt at collecting footage, he and his girlfriend are shot from the depths of Hell into Poland, where a Muppet-like parson immediately performs an exorcism on him to try and please his own parishioners. Orlok, too humiliated to return to Hell without his vampire powers, decides to do absolutely anything anyone says in the hopes that he’ll eventually have his power restored. He begins posing as a priest, as that seems to get him the respect he so thirstily desires.

Priest Simulator may sound absolutely ridiculous, and that’s because it is. However, while the narrative seems almost like a stream-of-consciousness trainwreck, it manages to be surprisingly insightful. You may expect it to be a heavy satire of organized religion, and it very much is, but it goes beyond that. Despite the wooden appearance of most of the game’s characters, its sense of humor leans into the “are we not all wretched?” sort of observation.

The antagonists, the Shatonists, are a bunch of jerks who are up to no good, but the parish are hardly paragons themselves. Really, the opposing groups seem to be two sides of the same coin. They seem to be competing more for popularity than any sort of morality. If anything, the Shatonists are more overtly aggressive, while the Christians are underhanded.

[embed]https://youtu.be/qO3UPw2SGvk[/embed]

Father Nosferatu

Meanwhile, Orlok is only helping the Christians because they give him more adulation, and the Shatonists are lead by his girlfriend’s ex, Diabolina. It’s even pointed out to Orlok that people are taking advantage of his naivety, which he’s unable to see due to his own hubris. That’s not to say that every character demonstrates these human flaws, but I’m not sure that’s really the focus.

You also should not take from this that the narrative is confidently done. Priest Simulator is in early access, and while it’s a more rounded experience than I anticipated going in, one of the rough spots is in its storytelling. The dialogue is often extremely choppy, and some of it even seems missing. At times, it feels like a joke is only half developed because the game is in such a rush to get through. In short, the cutscenes feel like they need to be touched up, and hopefully, they will be.

Speaking of cutscenes, you can enjoy them subbed or dubbed. You can have Polish voices with English subtitles or there is full English audio (mostly, there’s some spottiness with the translation in Early Access.) Either way is kind of hilarious and seems to be done by the same voice actors. The actor who does Orlok is particularly consistent with both languages, though it does sound like they’re going to ruin their voice. It sounds like they have an entire cat stuck in their throat.

Are you there, God? It’s me, Orlok

On the other hand, a lot of the systems in the game are in a surprisingly developed state. Priest Simulator is something of an open-world game, presenting a small playground to explore. You level up your character by spreading Christianism across the town. Play for long enough, and you’ll go to various houses to perform exorcisms, take confessions, and possibly give sermons. You can also upgrade both the church itself and your own weapons.

There’s actually a decent amount of content in the Early Access. The game can be completed from beginning to end, but much of it still seems to be in a placeholder state. Almost everything intended is there in some way or another, but the further you go into the experience, the more things feel sketched out. Some mechanics aren’t well explained, others just don’t fit together quite right.

If anything, I feel like some of the activities need to be fleshed out more. It’s a bit too easy to grind your way to a better church, and the character-building system doesn’t seem to be anywhere near its final state. Some of it feels like the fluff you’d find in many open-world games, which doesn’t jive all that well well with the bizarre premise. Much of this could just be stand-ins for where more creative gameplay will eventually be placed, but more meat will be needed for all the skeletons lying around.

No one’s running this whole thing

I eventually decided to put Priest Simulator aside, as I felt like I got the gist of what the developer is going for, but felt that it would be better experienced when it got closer to their vision. There’s a lot here, and I’d rather see the final portrait than just the sketch. The most important takeaway, however, is that I’m definitely interested in circling back to it after its full release. What’s present already is bordering on brilliant, and if it gets the touchup it needs in some areas, it’ll be fantastic.

According to the developer, they plan on having Priest Simulator in an Early Access state for about four to eight months, which seems like a reasonable amount of time to buff it to perfection. Whether you decide to look into it now or wait for its full release, the unique vision and sharp humor are good reasons to keep it on your radar.

_{[This scoreless review is based on an Early Access build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Early Access Review: Priest Simulator appeared first on Destructoid.

Bloodlust. Or perhaps just lust.

If there’s one thing I love more than Castlevania, it’s the fantasy that someone can find me interesting enough to extend our companionship beyond the boundaries of a five-minute conversation about the weather. Ah, yes, that’s the good stuff. Now, what if you took Castlevania and mashed it up with my delusions of tolerability? You’d get Romancelvania, which sounds like a pun that is trying too hard until you realize it’s a play on the word Transylvania and not Castlevania. Video games have warped my perspective on puns, apparently.

However, the way of executing this sort of composition eluded me when I heard the pitch. I could think of a few ways to approach it, and each sounded rather precarious. I’m happy someone is making the attempt, even though I’m skeptical. After spending some time with Romancelvania’s demo, I’m not fully convinced they can pull it off, but I’m satisfied that the project is moving in the right direction.

Gets the blood pumping.

The setup is almost flawlessly clever. You play as Dracula, 99 years after being defeated by humans. The humiliation of being whipped into submission has caused your lover to abandon you and all your followers to start questioning your leadership. You’ve been moping ever since.

Your buddy, Death, has gotten tired of your constant whining and sets you up on a reality dating show. A number of potentially lucky guys and ladies are scattered throughout your newly renovated castle, waiting for you to put the moves on them. Or you can just be friends, which is nice to know. Not everyone is into Incubi, so having the option to keep things platonic is appreciated.

To win them over, you need to pick the best answers from a dialogue tree, complete sidequests for them, and take them on dates.

You charmer, you

You also have to choose one of them to vote off with a currently unknown amount of frequency. This feels like a needless complication to me, and I have to wonder if the small development team is ready to deal with that many permutations of the gameplay. This is a concern I had through much of the runtime, but let me be clear in saying that the demo gave no indication that they’re in over their heads. I’m only saying that when I’m envisioning the end product, my mind gets a bit boggled. It seems precarious to me, but maybe I’m the one who lacks vision.

The demo itself is a small slice that introduces the game’s mechanics. Generally, things are similar to a Castlevania game of the Symphony of the Night formula. Areas are generally locked off until you gather abilities that allow you to bypass whatever obstacle is preventing you from getting there.

Scattered throughout the castle are 12 lucky contestants for you to get to know. The demo only gave a taste of three of these: Medusa, Brocifer, and Vess the genie. The actual cast is quite a diverse buffet for different tastes. There’s a succubus, a werewolf, a siren, and a bunch of others who, I guess, will have to rely on personality to get my attention.

If there’s one thing that Romancelvania nails, it’s setting the potential lovers up as quest investments. You can tell, even from the demo, that you’ll be jumping through hoops to score with any of them, which is, of course, the whole crux of the dating sim genre. Maybe it sounds like I’m stating the obvious, but if Romancelvania comes up short in any of its facets, the whole product will wind up limp and flaccid.

With extra cheese.

It helps that Romancelvania offers options for genders and gender preferences. While the demo only lets you play as the hunky he-Drac, it demonstrates its plans for she-Drac as well. Likewise, the cast of bachelorettes also includes bachelors, as well, and neither seems to have a preference between oysters and blood sausage. Even visual novel-styled dating sims often exclude the ability to set your preferences, so it’s great to see Deep End Games going the extra mile.

Once again, however, this adds an extra bit of chaos into the cauldron, so I remain cautiously optimistic as I watch to see if they can chew all that they’ve bitten off.

All of this is wrapped up in a goofy bow. From the obvious references to the Castlevania series to the provocatively accentuated anatomy, Romancelvania eagerly embraces its cheese. Some of the jokes it reaches for are eye-rolling but almost seem intentionally so. The area you start in, the ruins of Drac’s castle, are rendered with pixel-art textures while Dracula himself is sporting all the latest in abdominal shaders. It’s charming in its awkwardness.

On the other hand, I did get some pretty crap performance on my PC, which seems strange. It had a habit of dropping frames with annoying frequency. There’s still plenty of time to spit-shine the technical side of things, I would just hate to see that get missed.

Immortal pleasures.

There’s a lot that is yet to be seen in Romancelvania. The demo isn’t particularly short, but it only gives a taste of what’s to come. If the dish comes out as flavorful as what’s been shown so far, it’s going to be an absolute feast for fans of dating sims and Castlevania. However, I feel like Deep End Games have set themselves up with quite the balancing act. There are a lot of targets that they need to nail in order to pull off a real knockout.

On the other hand, the demo certainly suggests that they might be able to do it or, at the very least, they’re headed in the right direction. They’ve certainly demonstrated enough talent to gain my attention, so I’ll be eagerly awaiting the opportunity to sink my fangs into it. It’s currently unknown when we’ll get the full four-course meal, and the demo is hardly substantial enough to satisfy, but hopefully, we won’t be waiting too long for some spooky romance.

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Living history

When you first see Pentiment, it's quite plainly different from most other games. It's a historical thriller, an adventure told in another era using art, sounds, and design conducive to the overall feeling of life in 16th century upper Bavaria.

It's no surprise, then, that this is a passion project for the developers at Obsidian putting it together. We got a chance to take a look at some of Pentiment ahead of Gamescom and participate in a Q&A with some developers behind the project. And it didn't take long for Pentiment to seize my attention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXq20gant-4

Pentiment follows Andreas Maler, an artist working in a scriptorium. Though just a journeyman, Andreas becomes embroiled in a series of murders over the course of 25 years. In the process, he'll be tasked with investigating the murders and, hopefully, bringing the truth to light.

The entire art style of Pentiment is incredibly accurate to the art and aesthetic of the 16th century. Obsidian's team, made up of 13 developers, spent a lot of time digging into history. Part of it was for the explicit art style, but another part was to just get the general feel of life in this era.

Art director Hannah Kennedy says the team looked at different paintings from the time period, and artists from that region, to get contextual info on how people lived back then.

Life and type in motion

These details stem out and seep into even the game mechanics. Each character's lettering is based on their own background and upbringing. A clergy member might lay out empty lettering that gets filled in with ink afterwards. But this was near the rise of the printing press, and so someone working in that industry might have their dialogue stamped in by lettering tiles, in machine-like fashion.

The murder-mystery has to contend with methods of the time as well. Game director Josh Sawyer notes that many common forensic tools are not available to the player due to the time period, and even the justice system may seem odd to a modern player.

"There's a lot of ambiguity here, and you're put in a position where you have to kind of pin the murder on somebody," said Sawyer. "And it's never going to be clear, if that's really the person."

You just have to make a judgment call and decide. Pick the best option available. Or hey, pick someone you don't like. The punishment for murder in the 16th century is, well, pretty serious. That's a way to deal with a thorn in your side, so to speak. I reached out for clarification on this, and a spokesperson told me there is no "right" outcome. The narrative will adapt to the player's choices, and different options will lead to different consequences.

"So yeah, we really want you to see the consequences of these play out over a long period of time," said Sawyer. "That being said, there is a really strong central narrative that is connected to Andreas, that's pulled through the entire story. And so yeah, we're trying to do the classic thing where we interweave the choice and reactivity within a very strong storyline."

Reach out and touch faith

Of course, this being the 16th century, religion and faith play a major role. One pointed moment that Obsidian showed as an example was a minigame, where Andreas was assisting a woman by arranging the items on her wall.

It's a neat little minigame, and Obsidian wants these to be character moments that are designed for the vibes and bringing you into the world. But at one point, the woman requests that you remove the cross from her wall. She's unhappy with the church, and it provides a moment for the player to acquiesce or assert themselves.

Role-playing is still a part of Pentiment, even if it's a narrative adventure with RPG elements rather than a full-on role-playing game. The player gets to determine Andreas' background, and make choices as him that will echo throughout the story. Some might be major, some might be minor.

Take, for example, the choice of where to eat your meals. Getting to know someone might give you an option later on, making it easier to convince them to help you. Or maybe it won't. These are tools that the narrative team at Obsidian utilizes to reflect the player's choice in the story, though it's trying to keep it within reason.

"We try not to get bogged down in visibly tracking this stuff," said Sawyer. "Meaning we don't have meters or things like that. We just try to track the things that feel like characters would pay attention to. We let you know when they're paying attention to them, and when they come up in conversation again."

A historical whodunnit

Removing traditional systems like, say, combat or gathering, let the Obsidian crew work on building a lived-in world. And it really shows. What I saw of Pentiment looks like a passion project from developers who wanted to try something new.

Of special note is the accessibility options Obsidian is including, too. While the flowery lettering and text looks great, especially in a historical context, it's not the easiest to read for everyone. Sawyer says the team has been assisted by Microsoft's usability group in testing. Features like the high-contrast mode came from that, and they got testing on their easy-read fonts and scaling as well.

What's certain is that Pentiment seems like a unique experience, mixing murder and intrigue with art and history. It's a passion project for the developers that put it together, and seems well-positioned to be a surprise hit when it arrives later this year.

Pentiment will launch on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Windows. It will also launch on Game Pass for both Xbox and PC.

The post Obsidian’s Pentiment brings history to the fore for its adventure appeared first on Destructoid.

The never-ending story

Shiny Shoe, the studio behind deckbuilding locomotive defense game Monster Train, has already made its mark with one roguelite. Now it looks to make another in Inkbound, an isometric turn-based battler with some pretty interesting ideas.

We had a chance to get a hands-off look at the current state of Inkbound. It's going to look pretty Diablo at first. The camera takes an isometric angle on the action, following our two presenters creative director Andrew Krausnick and community manager Cami Baumann-Jaeger as they venture into the world of stories.

Right away, there are notable differences from Monster Train. While there is the allure of better runs and rewards on the horizon, there's also a quest system, where NPCs can give players tasks to complete. They're built into the entire structure, Krausnick says. The team is looking to tie more of the unlocks and rewards that happen into the quests and narrative.

"The reward you get from completing a quest might be an item that starts showing up in the run itself," said Krausnick. "And then our goals over time, or when we evolve the world, we want to have some story behind it."

Hitting the books

After standing around a bit in a social area, they set off for the Sea of Ink. The whole setup of Inkbound surrounds stories, as players fight through various fables come to life. Certain parts of it will feel familiar; the ability draft, for instance, allows the player to make selections that can add new abilities to their hotbar or augment existing ones.

In ours, Krausnick picks an option to add more damage to an ability. But there are other changes too, like applying status effects. Some higher-tier ones might be even greater evolutions. It's the same pick-one-of-three system that many, many roguelites use nowadays.

Where the familiarity falls away is the combat. Despite looking like Diablo, Inkbound is not a real-time action RPG. It is, rather, much closer to a turn-based RPG, as we see when they get into some battles in the Garden's Edge.

Krausnick and Baumann-Jaeger go about setting up their turn, using a metered amount of mana. Moving a certain distance will start to eat up mana, as will deploying abilities. Each one can change the world state too, and they can adjust in real-time.

Say a player moves one "length" (there's no grid, just distances) and knocks an enemy forward. That happens in real-time. Someone might be able to lay a trap for that knock-forward to affect, or have aggro drawn off them because of it. It feels a bit like the careful maneuvering and prodding of Transistor, or what we've seen thus far of the upcoming Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.

Once the turn's over, the enemy gets to move. And they can really hurt. Health is, as always, one part of your resource pool in Inkbound. Sometimes taking calculated hits is important.

Despite the careful planning, it seems like the battle system is something the player can take at their own pace. Much like how a high-level Monster Train or Slay the Spire player can blitz through a single hand, the system seems open to quick resolution if you know what you want to do.

A real page-turner

It's an interesting twist on the formula, made even more interesting by co-op. While playable solo, Inkbound can also be played co-op with friends. From the start, Krausnick says, Shiny Shoe wanted to do turn-based and co-op.

"The simultaneous turn thing came on pretty early," said Krausnick. "We just felt like it was the best way to make it feel like you weren't waiting too long for your friends to do other things, to keep gameplay moving smoothly."

They went through several prototypes, even a hex-based build at one point. But the team went for this asynchronous turn-based scheme for Inkbound. What we saw that day is what Shiny Shoe felt was the best way to move forward.

And to the team's credit, it seems pretty interesting. The folks behind Monster Train have shown they've got some roguelite chops already, but Inkbound seems like a neat way to incorporate careful planning, tense action, deckbuilding, and co-op all into one package. Hopefully it continues to blend together well.

Inkbound is targeting an Early Access launch on Steam in 2023.

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Rollerdrome turns skateparks into warzones, and does it pretty well

Missiles rain down. Snipers bead in on me. Land mines are flying out across the park, lying in wait. And I am doing the sickest flip I can to refill my ammo. Rollerdrome is filled with a lot of moments like these: doing a nose grind in the face of death, and letting loose with a hail of bullets in response.

Rollerdrome is the new game from Roll7, a studio well-known for its OlliOlli franchise. While the team is sticking with extreme sports, it's roller-skates rather than skateboards this time around, and the skateparks are a bit more dangerous than they used to be. We got to check out a preview build to see just how.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAEVuZdg4YQ

The world of Rollerdrome pits competitors against the House in an arena spectacle. Taking on the role of Kara Hassan in the year 2030, you compete in the brutal blood-sport of Rollerdrome. While you compete in each match, some of them are punctuated by brief explorations of this world, and the sometimes bleak future it paints.

In its art and world, Rollerdrome is absolutely fantastic. The retro-futuristic tone, mixing tech and throwback in equal measure, makes for a very distinct world. And with each new arena, it feels like you're seeing a bit more of what this world is, what it's become, and how it could wind up supporting a bizarre sport like Rollerdrome.

Rip, grind, shred

As you compete and rise up the ranks, you also start to unravel some of what's going on behind-the-scenes at the corporations running this bloody circus. But hey, until then, you need to drop in and take some guys out. The most succinct description of Rollerdrome is that it feels like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, but with an arsenal of guns.

Each stage is a deathmatch, where enemies spawn in waves and you need to eliminate them as fast as possible. Aiming is easy enough as locking on and pulling the trigger, which might seem straightforward at first. But that's because aiming and shooting aren't the only moves you're pulling off in the arena.

Tricks are a key part of the deathmatch, too. Alongside adding some style to your routine and upping your score, tricks are also how you reload in Rollerdrome. This isn't just a good push to engage with the level as a skatepark as much as an arena, but it's a constant tension between the player and the game. It helps that tricks are fairly streamlined, with a healthy but manageable list of moves to keep in mind as you skate along.

In frequent situations, I'd find myself scouring not just for the next enemy to take down, but the best route for doing so. Sure, I could just pepper that sniper from a ways away with my dual pistols; but if I took the ramp and went up and over, I could get close enough for my shotgun and do a trick reload, all in one go.

Guns blazing

The weapons add a good bit of variety to the action, too. While the pistols are your basic bread-and-butter, Rollerdrome keeps adding new options that add a little bit more. The grenade launcher is great for dealing with crowds. And the shotgun was a fast favorite; it has a quick-action, active-reload-style system where after locking onto an enemy, a timed shot would unleash a slug-shot that had a little more power to it.

Of course, there are constant dangers to consider too. Enemies start off with just bats, bringing sports equipment to a roller-derby-gunfight. But snipers soon add a wrinkle, as they gradually hone in on you and take a shot once you've been in their sights too long. Missile launcher enemies release a storm of explosives that follow you around the level, and riot shield foes are just the worst. They wait for you at the bottom of a ramp with a hello and a shield to the face.

Getting out the other side is one challenge. But Rollerdrome is built on challenges, much like the OlliOlli games. Each level has its own set of objectives, ranging from score-based markers to very specific ones. One level might ask you to blow up a few missiles that are hot on your trail, while another might call for executing a specific trick over the arena's combo markers.

Mastering the motions

If the two systems, shooting and skating, were at odds at all, it would be easy to see one taking over and pulling it all apart at the seams. Roll7 uses a few specific mechanics, like spot-on perfect dodges and trick-reloading, to keep the action and the score-chasing neatly entwined.

The core realization for me, in the levels I got to play of Rollerdrome, was that I didn't need to look for just openings, but whole routes. Say, for example, I saw a sniper on the far side that was really a thorn in my side. I could go right for them, or I could calculate out a route to deal with some enemies on the way, building up points and keeping my ammo stocked in the process.

Going from barely scraping by to sorting the match out in style is a really good feeling that Rollerdrome nails down. I did sometimes get a little frustrated with having to insert dodges into my tricks, but the chaos kept me rolling on through.

Roll7 has shown they've got a keen sense of how to handle an extreme sports game. This is a bit of an evolution. Rollerdrome's arena battles do add a bit more work and mental RAM to the load, but it all clicks together in a chaotic ballet of tricks and bullets. Fans of both pro skating and pro sniping should keep an eye on this one.

Rollerdrome is out on August 13 for PC, PS4, and PS5.

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Yes, it has a wingsuit

When the new 2022 Saints Row game was announced, I was legitimately surprised. A full reboot feels like the best direction to take a series that once brought us to hell and tangoed with aliens and superheroes, and we recently had the chance to put this to the test with a Saints Row hands-on session.

So what's the verdict? Well after playing the first few story missions and four full hours of the open world (via a later save file), I can safely say that it feels like a comfortable mix of the seriousness of Saints Row 2, and the silliness of Saints Row 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgjzDJA1o1E

Our story begins with the "boss," our plucky protagonist (who is fully developed with a highly customizable character creator) who joins up with the PMC Marshall Defense Industries [MDI]. It's here that the tutorial picks up and you start to see the aforementioned silliness in action. While the monetary plight of the boss is at the forefront, the MDI commercial also showcases how the organization is "serving the community" by saving an old lady from getting hit by a car by...blowing up said car with weaponry right on the street. It's a tone-setter!

Speaking of the character creator, it's also another neon sign of how weird Saints Row can get. I had the chance to flip through the boss creator social channel in-game, which included a dev creation of Shrek, fully decked out in Shrek garb (which you can click on as a loadout if you have the in-game cash to buy said outfit). Another writer next to me was making Thanos, complete with purple skin. So far, so good.

Whatever you end up deciding on looks-wise, the tutorial has the boss try and track down a notorious and elusive villain, disobeying orders in the process (which sets up a chain of events that leads to said boss creating their own empire with their own crew of preset story characters). Said tutorial also teaches you the basics of running and gunning, as well as the responsive dodge button and jumping mechanics. Immediately I noticed the snappiness of aiming and locomotion, a tightness that will come in handy after spending 30+ hours in this world. It also has a weapon wheel and a takedown system, as well as abilities like smoke bombs and proximity mines, on top of a leveling system and passives.

It's functional and fast, which is how you want an open-world game centered around action and gunplay to be. There's a familiar "retro" air to it too (as in, a GTA 3 retro, feel old yet?), with the proper amount of snap to the controls. On normal mode I acclimated very quickly to the game's various tricks, and found myself able to mow down droves of enemies, even at a higher "heat level" after causing a ruckus. With adjustable difficulty, having that higher ceiling and air of accomplishment is a good thing on paper; if it keeps that feeling going through the finish line.

Like the tone of the story, it's all a careful balance. There's just enough RPG elements to get that dopamine flowing when you level up in Saints Row, but not an overwhelming amount to the point where progression feels pointless. And it's easy to progress, too, because there are a lot of little things to do beyond the main story. It's still fun to stop and take a picture of a "Keep Santo Ileso Weird" mural (taking pictures of key/set locations also can unlock fast travel), or go dumpster diving (which is the Saints Row equivalent of a hidden package) after seeing an icon light up on the in-game radar. The map of Santo Ileso is massive, but it isn't overwhelming to the point where it feels like an empty canvas full of soulless pins.

I had the chance to speak to Danielle Benthien, an associate artist at Volition, on how the team achieved this goal, and how the reboot is more of a mix of southwest Americana than it is based on one particular region: "Making the [map] bigger is always important, but more color, more vivaciousness, making things alive...we have the technology to do that now. Our team traveled to places like Las Vegas, to places here in the southwest, to see what it's really like out here, and all those things we brought back to make Santo Ileso what it was. We wanted to make it bigger than Stilwater, bigger than Steelport. You have Mercado, which is very much like the Las Vegas strip, and you go out to the desert and it looks like the dry areas of Arizona, and then you go to the lush area with flora and fauna, and then there's the factory district that's very much the Breaking Bad [New Mexico] style."

Saints Row is also bringing back the cell phone interface, and it thankfully serves as an easy way to get in and out of several in-game functions (like mission selection). Benthien recalls the "tried and true" system was used in past entries, calling it a "no brainer" in terms of its return. But with the proliferation of cell phones being used more and more in the modern era, it makes even more sense in 2022 than it did in prior entries. As far as the identity of the game goes, I brought up the polarized reception reboots and sequels can often have from a tonal perspective. Take Diablo 3 for instance: so many people loathed that it completely changed the aesthetic and vibe of D2, but a lot of people embraced the newness. Saints Row has been so many different things, and I don't envy the position Volition is in when it comes to bringing it back.

Benthien responded in stride, noting: "So the decision to reboot the series wasn't an easy decision to make, but it felt right. We felt like the original Saints had their stories told to completion, and there wasn't much we could add to their story. So we had to strike a balance between people loving the seriousness, and while [Saints Row: The Third] was the more mainstream more popular one people were familiar with, we wanted to be sure we were respectful of both titles. So it's a little more grounded...but with those bombastic elements."

As far as an "elevator pitch" in terms of what the Saints Row reboot offers that past games don't have, Benthien says that the story is the aspect she feels the most strongly about: "it has a modern energy. So the Saints Row games are old at this point, and writing and gameplay can feel dated. It has the modern action system that never feels too slow, and this has some really serious elements and serious moments that really ground the characters...and show the whole spectrum of emotions of people trying to make it in this crazy world."

In terms of the technical aspects of Saints Row 2022, we played a PC build with a controller, and I had very few complaints. There are heaps of accessibility options, the game ran very smoothly, and load times were super short, as we've come to expect this generation. The chance to change your appearance at any time and five difficulty options were also a nice touch. One of the only issues I ran into had to deal with animations, especially when it came to takedowns, but it was minor. The main thing is that the actual takedown would follow through, and everything would actually happen, but the character models wouldn't always line up exactly. This is the sort of thing that could be shored up quickly as we head into launch.

Set to debut in August, the Saints Row reboot doesn't feel like it's stuck in time at all — but rather, it's coming at the perfect time. Right now the landscape of open-world games has shifted a bit, and old-school "GTA" style titles aren't nearly as prevalent as they once were. In fact, the whole GTA situation has cooled down a bit, and a lot of folks are done with GTA Online. Plus, it's been seven years since the last proper mainline Saints Row project, and nearly a decade if you don't count expansions. Timing is on Volition's side, it just needs to deliver. As of now, it seems like it's going to manage that.

_{[Disclaimer: Travel was provided by the publisher to this event in Las Vegas.]}

The post Hands-on: The Saints Row reboot is a clever mix of Saints Row 2 and 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm glad this series still lives on

If it wasn't for the efforts of people like the folks behind Operation Rainfall, a lot of us may have never experienced the original Xenoblade Chronicles. Which, in turn, means we may have never played its sequels. Now there's a lot of "what ifs" in there, as Nintendo and Monolith Soft could have collectively decided to localize the series at any point — but I'm happy that everything played out the way it has so far. That includes the road that led to Xenoblade Chronicles 3, which could end up becoming my favorite of the series.

So we can't talk about much at the moment (I'll be brief!), but suffice to say I'm really pleased with what I've seen so far.

Combat takes a bit to get going (you really need an array of abilities, and even the class-change system to rev things up beyond an auto-attack-fest). The initial landscapes are more pointed, meant to draw you toward story beats. But in the grand scheme of things, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 doesn't take that long to crescendo into something a lot of JRPG fans will find themselves heavily invested in. As more and more game systems unlock, things get more interesting from a micro and macro standpoint. We'll talk about that more in the review.

The main thing I wanted to touch on today is the world itself, as the beating heart of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the cast. You get some backstory on Noah and his crew woven into the game as period cutscene interludes, then meet another faction a few hours into the game: kicking off the crux of the conflict, and adding even more drama into the mix. That faction has their own set of flashbacks, cleverly filling in portions of their personal stories as you trek on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG_hINfOz28

At this point I felt comfortable going all-in. Not only did I want to see where the story went, I had to witness where these characters would end up. Linking six people together in the same party (with guests serving as the seventh member) is working out fantastically for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, as you get to constantly spend time with this crew and bond with them. I know some people will likely take umbrage with toiling away with the same party members (especially if you don't make a connection with any one of them), but this is a rare case where I'm delighted to learn more about every person involved.

My advice? Go in as blindly as you can. Most of what has been shown so far encompasses the first few chapters of the game, so even then you're mostly coming in fresh. I'm even keeping this piece as vague as possible! Expect our full review closer to launch.

The post So far, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is everything I needed it to be appeared first on Destructoid.

Watching...er, playing the first two episodes

If there is one surefire way to get my attention during a video game reveal stream, it’s to show me something that looks far different from the norm. Gimmie something unusual, something that every other developer isn’t out there trying to make. I love the big franchises and AAA games as much as the next person. But, when I see something like Lake or Season: A letter to the future or that dinosaur high school game that’ll probably never release, I really start to focus and obsess about what that game might turn out to be. And I have been obsessing about As Dusk Falls for quite some time.

From developer INTERIOR/NIGHT, As Dusk Falls is an episodic narrative adventure game focusing on two families connected through tragedy. It features a graphic novel-style art direction, which is one of the reasons I latched onto it as quickly as I did. The game launches in a couple of weeks on Xbox and PC, but this past week, I was given access to the first two episodes of As Dusk Falls to preview what the developers have managed to cook up.

Please note that there are minor story spoilers ahead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K4bFIDBzI8

You down with QTEs?

The game’s first two episodes primarily take place in 1998 at the Desert Dreams Motel, a shabby little lodge in Two Rock County, Arizona. The focus of these episodes is on the Walkers and the Holts. Vince Walker, who is most prominently featured in these opening hours, is traveling with his wife, daughter, and dad to start a new life in St. Louis when they get stranded at the motel. Jay Holt, who you’ll also control at certain points, also finds himself stuck at the motel when his older brothers take Vince, his family, and the hotel staff hostage following a robbery.

It’s a pretty dire situation, though one we have seen portrayed in film and television a multitude of times before. The hostage situation quickly escalates to a police stand-off and you’re left trying to keep everyone alive as conditions deteriorate. While this isn’t exactly breaking new grounds in terms of concept, the way INTERIOR/NIGHT keeps the tension ratcheted up to 11 makes the experience exhilarating. With limited time to make every choice in the game and some light quick-time events to keep you on your toes, I had to get rid of all distractions around me during this preview session lest I miss some important action that winds up getting a character killed. Just note that if you fail a QTE, it doesn’t automatically mean Game Over, which is good because the “Press Left on the Control Stick” actions are very demanding in their precision.

Speed is key to making decisions to completing the QTEs, but patience can be a virtue in certain situations. Every time you’re able to make a choice, you’ll have a few options right off the bat. But, if you hold out, other options might become available that’ll prove far more attractive to the situation at hand. With Vince, the late-arrival option would often be a quick and deeply unfunny joke to break the stress of the moment.

There's a history here

The unfunny jokes aside, the majority of the writing for these first two episodes is pretty top-notch. Some lines, much like the characters who spout them, are cliche, but overall, the dialogue only helps add to the tension brought by the situation these characters find themselves in. A large facet of that tension is trying to predict the outcome of your decided action. When options for lying are added to the mix, the stress of these choice moments is only heightened.

That’s not to say all two hours of this game is some edge-of-your-seat experience. There are slower moments in the time before the hostage situation and in the playable flashbacks that give you a look at the Walkers before they set out on their cross-country road trip. While nothing you do here will affect the core storyline for As Dusk Falls, your decisions in these flashbacks can give you unexpected insight into the characters and their relationships.

Outside of these flashbacks, the decisions you make will affect the story going forward, sometimes in cheeky minor ways and sometimes with unfortunate consequences. Because of how episode two ends, I’m left to wonder how some of my decisions will play out going forward. For some, I know I made the right choice. But when I look back at the story map for both chapters, I can’t help but question if I missed an option that would have amicably ended things before whatever tragedy is about to befall the Walkers and the Holts happens.

Experience the story alone or with friends

I’ll find out when the game launches next month, but in the meantime, there are plenty of little morsels for me to ruminate on. As with many prestige shows, characters in As Dusk Falls are absolutely drowning in secrets. Most everyone seems to have their own little mystery, and I’m very much looking forward to digging in further to find out what their deal is.

With these two chapters behind me, my I’m already sold on the concept. And while I think the art direction is absolutely solid — after all, it's what brought As Dusk Falls to my attention in the first place — I know not everyone will feel the same way.

Still, if you’re looking for a great story to play through, it’s probably worth giving a shot. As Dusk Falls will be available from day one on Xbox Game Pass when it launches on July 19. Plus, you don’t have to go through it alone. The game will launch with a companion app that’ll turn this single-player story into a group activity, allowing up to eight players to vote on each option presented in the game. More on multiplayer and the app can be found on the As Dusk Falls FAQ page.

The post As Dusk Falls would be right at home on AMC appeared first on Destructoid.

Face off with your not-so-evil exes

The demo for Thirsty Suitors starts off strong. Sitting on a long bus ride, there isn't much to do but think about life, love, and who your Thirstsona is. And from there, it's a long night of dealing with your past, your inner perception, and battling your ex in an RPG duel.

I got to play a slice of Outerloop Games' Thirsty Suitors as part of the Tribeca Games spotlight this year, and it was hard to slot into a genre. It doesn't neatly fit one, and I don't think it needs to either. Its blend of adventure, RPG, and even skateboarding simply clicks together, in a fun and very relatable experience.

The protagonist, Jala, is on her way home after a particularly rough break-up. But home doesn't always mean sanctuary, especially if you left it in a bad spot. That's the impression I got early, as Jala's internal narrator chides her and pokes at all her insecurities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH2WP4G-WhY

Look who walked in

There is walking around in town, answering some dialogue questions to determine my Thirstsona (including some rather incisive inquiries), and yes, skateboarding. The focus of my demo was an encounter with one of Jala's exes, though; the rather muscular Sergio.

Sergio is the boy back home who crushed on Jala and never un-crushed. He's been harboring feelings since grade school, and now that Jala is back on the market, he's shooting his shot. And in beautiful RPG fashion, that shot comes in the form of a turn-based battle, command menus and all.

Attacks went back and forth, with quick-time rhythm moments popping up to time out perfect hits or guards, similar to the Mario RPGs. I loved the 1-2-3-4-hit tap-in the devs added, making it very easy to pick up the rhythm for each hit.

As the fight goes on, Jala and Sergio argue about life and their past relationship. It plays a narrative role, setting up why these two didn't work out while also highlighting how each has changed, or not changed, in the time since.

It also plays up different combat maneuvers Jala can use to get the upper-hand. At one point, I threw out a flirtatious look, leaving Sergio smitten and open to attack, taking extra damage from certain skills in the process. It's straightforward but works very well, especially when it links up with the story.

Make peace, not war

The battle heated up more and more, until Sergio hit his power spike and changed the world around us. It was kind of like the Domain Expansion in Jujutsu Kaisen, which honestly ruled and I hope was at least part of the inspiration.

Anyways, Jala and I replied the way anyone should when faced with a stubborn, seemingly unmovable opponent: calling mom. Jala summons her mother, who towers over the battlefield before bringing down a thunderous chappal on Sergio's head. It was wonderful.

The fight doesn't end by beating Sergio up, however. This is a key part of what I dug about Thirsty Suitors: that this RPG combat, turning a terse verbal sparring into fantasy RPG battles doesn't end in defeating someone else, but making peace with them.

It's clear that Sergio has built a memory of Jala into a version of her that doesn't exist. And Jala's been a bit callous in the past, too. Both of them recognizing they can do better, and maybe start off on a better footing with each other, is the real resolution.

Homecoming

After playing this chunk of Thirsty Suitors, and getting a tease of more exes waiting in the wings, that's what I'm really looking forward to. Going back home and seeing old faces again is always strange; games like Night in the Woods have captured that feeling so well, and I get similar vibes from Thirsty Suitors.

But I'm also looking forward to seeing more of Jala's hometown in Timber Hills. The Steam page teases more skateboarding action and even a cooking minigame, where Jala works to improve her relationship with her mother through cooking. For all the wild theatrics of mentally battling your exes, there's a quiet, intense relatability to trying to reconcile your version of the past with others. And along the way, hopefully finding a way to move forward and grow a little bit in the process.

So yes, Thirsty Suitors is absolutely on my radar now. It's charming, fun, and strikes an even balance between an authentic, real story and goofy fun. I'm hoping the chappal sticks around, too. Wishlist it on Steam here.

The post Thirsty Suitors finds growth and reconciliation through RPG battles appeared first on Destructoid.

Venba explores home and heritage through the pages of a cookbook

The pitch for Venba is solid. Cooking games are a great time, and that alone would've at least piqued my interest. But where Visai Games' Venba secured my attention wasn't just the cooking itself, but what the cooking represented: history, family, home, and a connection to your roots, even in the unfamiliar.

I got to play a short demo as part of the Tribeca Games selection this year. It was just one chapter, a short cooking session bookended by narrative sections that set up the recipe creation. Venba follows Venba herself, who's immigrated from India to Canada along with her husband.

The pair is nervous, wondering if the move was the right choice. Venba is tired and a bit frazzled, but when her husband suggests he'll simply live off the coffee machine for lunch, she insists on getting up and cooking him a quick to-go meal. It's a very relatable moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3E4mZey1EU

Venba started me off with idli, and this is where I will fully admit that I'm not very familiar with the Tamil cuisine showcased here. In some ways, this made me a perfect test subject for the puzzles in Venba; when it put a stove, racks, a batter, and other cooking accoutrement in front of me, it took me a moment just to gather my bearings. I like to cook, but I've never tried anything like idli.

The key is to use Venba's recipe cookbook to figure everything out. It starts off with a simple recipe from her mother, which Venba says always turn out a little better than hers. The puzzle is to solve how, using her instructions.

Feel free to cue up a mental montage of me flailing about, concocting some harebrained attempts until I finally locked in the answer. (No spoilers, but it involves steam.) It was a fun, enjoyable puzzle that I enjoyed solving. But I was also taken in by what the puzzle represented.

Food for thought

There's a particular feeling of trying to figure out just how someone, a parent or loved one, cooks food in that oh-so-particular way. Maybe it's the way your dad grilled burgers. It might be your mom's spaghetti. Possibly even a particularly delicious cupcake from a friend.

Piecing it all together is a process, as you try to figure out the right ingredients and steps to perfection. And for Venba and myself, the answer was simple. But it resulted in a little taste of home, amid all the chaos of life.

That's the other thing that a good cooking game, and especially Venba, nails: that tactile feeling of cooking. It's a crucial part of why cooking can carry so much emotion.

Making something with your hands gives you a richer connection to it. And when, like Venba, you're feeling lost and homesick, it provides a tangible connection to that part of you. It's something I feel when I'm having a rough day and cook up some stroganoff, or chocolate-chip cookies like my mom made. (Mine are still not as good as hers.)

Then you share it with someone else, and get to spread that feeling. It's wonderful. And in a short, single-chapter demo, Venba captured that feeling incredibly well.

I've come up with a new recipe

In the full game, it seems like Venba will have to contend with more than just my own personal lack of knowledge. Her recipe book has been damaged, and so it seems like part of the gameplay and cooking segments will revolve around piecing together the right order-of-operations for making each dish.

That extra layer feels like a fantastic way to carry these ideas from the demo forward. Even when the past seems hazy, re-establishing your roots and restoring a slice of home, while sharing it with family, seems like a beautiful concept for a game. And I'll get to learn some delicious-looking new recipes along the way, too.

Venba doesn't have a release date locked in quite yet, but you can wishlist it on Steam here.

The post Venba is a delightful puzzle cooking game about family appeared first on Destructoid.

Where is my camera?

One of the most compelling things a game can do in my eyes is have a clear artistic vision and go balls-to-the-wall in order to execute it. American Arcadia is one of those games. From the very first trailer I saw, I knew it was going to be one of those titles that delivers on aesthetic and concept, which can either be spectacular, or flop on its face. After playing a preview of American Arcadia for the Tribeca Games Fest, I have a feeling it will be leaning toward the former.

Sometimes a game can bite off more than it can chew with a bunch of different elements — more complexity isn't always better. There's certainly much more game than what I got to play of American Arcadia, but from what I did get to see, it looks like a really fun balance of different styles of art and gameplay. It's got a little bit of retro-future '70s flair, a little bit of voyeuristic, capitalist dread, some platforming, some puzzles, some snarky dialogue — and yet somehow, it all works together.

Premise is everything

The story follows Trevor, a man who thinks he's living a normal life, but it turns out he and all of the other citizens of Arcadia are being broadcast live 24/7. Sound familiar? It's inspired by The Truman Show, but actually gives the concept an interesting new twist instead of resting on its laurels. That's one of my favorite movies, so seeing a game take the conceit and run with it is really cool as a fan.

The twist is that a hacker on the outside, Angela, has taken an interest in Trevor, and wants to help him escape. American Arcadia's story cuts between the two characters as they try to navigate the escape, with Angela using the camera feeds and controls to clear the way for Trevor to get the hell out of dodge.

Let's talk gameplay

Trevor's portion of the game has 2.5D side-scrolling gameplay with platforming, chases, and puzzles, while Angela's perspective is first-person with exploration, stealth, and hacking. At first I thought that these two halves of the game would feel too disparate and detached from one another, but like I said, from the section of the game that I played, they actually seem to balance each other out quite nicely.

To be frank, none of the gameplay elements seem to really be reinventing the wheel here, but the real magic comes from how all of the different pieces and sequences fit together to create the overall experience. There's a certain lack of control in Trevor's section that you don't really notice until you play as Angela, and that makes for some pretty powerful stuff.

Aesthetic, color, and theme

Art style is more important to me than I care to admit when it comes to games, and American Arcadia has one of the prettiest aesthetics I've seen in a while. It's a visual feast that knocks its retro-future '70s visuals right out of the park. Walking through the office building that Trevor works in was something out of a groovy capitalistic fever dream, and I love it — never in my life did I ever think I would see a conversation pit for cubicles. What a fun, campy detail that actually demonstrates these characters' relationships to their work, and if that's any indication of what the rest of the game is going to be like, I think we're in for a treat.

What I think is most impressive about American Arcadia and its use of so many different elements is how well it uses its dual protagonist/dual gameplay styles to reflect on the story's main themes. We don't get to see the world through Trevor's eyes (at least as far as we know at this point), but instead through the voyeuristic perspective that others have been seeing him through his entire life.

While Angela is trying to get Trevor to a place where he will have his own autonomy, she is still controlling everything he does in order to get him there. This game raises a lot of interesting questions just on premise alone, so I'm really looking forward to seeing how they address those plot elements in the full experience. Just as how the contrasting perspectives make for some compelling gameplay, they also make for a compelling story as well.

It's on the wish list, for sure

As a narrative-lover, American Arcadia is at the very top of my list of games to look forward to. Out of the Blue Games knows how to deliver on style, as we've seen with their first release Call of the Sea, so I have nothing but confidence that Arcadia will be one of the most enjoyable and refreshing interactive narrative experiences of the next few years.

The game doesn't have a release window yet, but we do know it's getting a release for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC thanks to publisher Raw Fury. For now, this is one I'll just have to be patient for.

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