Operation Backlog Completion 2025

Highlights From The Game Awards 2023

 Video games  5 Responses »  Tagged with: , , , ,
Dec 082023
 

The Game Awards took place last night, and that meant we got plenty of new game announcements and trailers alongside the awards.

There wasn’t anything Earth-shattering for me (which is probably good, since 2024 already looks so stacked my backlog is shuddering in fear), but there were still some great announcements.

The following games were the highlights for me.

First, a really big surprise was Pony Island 2: Panda Circus. We talked about the first Pony Island a couple years ago, as part of 2021’s spooky games celebration. It was a puzzle game that was bizarre, funny, and creepy, with some fantastic tricks for the player. I enjoyed it a lot, so I’ll definitely play the sequel when it comes out.

The next big highlight for me was the new trailer for Metaphor: ReFantazio. It was announced ahead of time that it would be shown, so I wasn’t surprised, but I was excited to get another look!

Its fantasy setting comes across more clearly in this trailer, and it looks like it will be a great game to play. It’s now set for fall 2024 (fortunately distanced from the crush of games at the start of the year).

Now, what should have a been a huge, exciting surprise for me was the announcement that God of War: Ragnarok has DLC comeing out on December 12 for free, especially since it’s an epilogue to the story.

But my enthusiasm diminished when they said it will involve roguelike elements. Hearing the term “roguelike” doesn’t immediately turn me away anymore after I enjoyed Hades so much, but it did change my initial reaction from “I need to get back to Ragnarok and hurry up and finish it!” to “Sure, I’ll get back to Ragnarok eventually.”

How about another exciting surprise, then? The Mana series is getting a new mainline entry next year with Visions of Mana. It looks beautiful! I’m disappointed that there’s no Switch version, but maybe they’re assuming the Switch’s successor will be out by then.

(I probably should play some more Mana games before then, though.)

Getting back to DLC, another big announcement of the night was the reveal of two DLCs for Final Fantasy XVI, the first of which is already out while the second will be coming next spring. I’ll get around to playing Final Fantasy XVI one of these days, once I finally pick up a PS5.

The Game Awards was one big long reminder of games I want to play. Don’t forget the epic performance by Poets of the Fall as the Old Gods of Asgard, which I watched even though I haven’t played Alan Wake 2 yet. It just got me even more excited to finally play. Rise of the Ronin also looks pretty cool, and so does the new game from the developers of Ori and the Blind Forest, No Rest for the Wicked.

These are the announcements that stood out the most to me from this year’s Game Awards! What games are you most excited for?

A New Detective Grimoire Game, The Mermaid’s Tongue, Was Announced!

 Video games  2 Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Dec 062023
 

All the way back in 2014, I fell in love with a short point-and-click adventure detective game called Detective Grimoire.

Then, in 2022, I finally played the sequel, Tangle Tower, which I found to be quite enjoyable despite the ending feeling rushed.

At the time, we knew a sequel was in development… and today it was officially announced as part of the Day of the Devs indie game showcase in connection with the Game Awards.

This new entry in the series, The Mermaid’s Tongue, follows Detective Grimoire and Sally as they investigate a murder on a submarine. It will be out in 2024 for PC and consoles.

A demo is currently available on Steam, and while it’s pretty short, it provides a good sample of the gameplay and humor. The biggest new feature that stands out is that evidence now has 3D models that you can rotate, so that’s a nice touch.

The demo left me looking forward to the new release, although I just hope it isn’t overlooked as easily as Tangle Tower was. I don’t know why the developers aren’t using a series name to make them more recognizable, but I nearly scrolled past the headline until I saw the characters in the art.

Anyway, this was exciting news and a great start to the Game Awards announcements. Are you interested in the Detective Grimoire games?

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Full Reveal Set for Summer 2024

 Video games  4 Responses »  Tagged with:
Dec 042023
 

Remember when Dragon Age: Dreadwolf was first teased back in 2018?

The teaser told us next to nothing, but I was excited by the tagline “The Dread Wolf Rises,” due to the implications for how it would follow the events of Inquisition.

From then on, it felt like we were doomed to have BioWare show up once a year or so with a new teaser to show some art, environments, etc. but not anything substantial from the game itself. We eventually got the title Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, but the game itself remained elusive.

Well today, BioWare did it again. They released another short teaser that shows some environments. However, this one promises that the full reveal is coming in summer 2024.

The official blog post about it gives some more details, most importantly that the full reveal next summer will include “new trailers, gameplay, and—of course—the long-awaited release date.”

I wish I was excited for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. While neither reached the same level as Origins, I enjoyed Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition. But having gone this long without seeing anything from the new game, not to mention seeing all the reports of people leaving BioWare, I can’t help but be nervous instead of excited. However, maybe the full reveal next summer will revive my enthusiasm.

Are you looking forward to Dragon Age: Dreadwolf?

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