Now that the biggest names in games like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are setting aside dedicated sections in their own presentations for indies, the growing importance of these types of games is clear. Initiatives like PlayStation Indies, ID@Xbox, and Nintendo Indie World show how the bigger studios are supporting and championing independent efforts and allowing them to reach even bigger audien
The original Lords of the Fallen is often cited as one of the first true Soulslikes. Releasing in 2014, the game didn’t exactly try to hide its inspirations, with many of its mechanics directly taken from Dark Souls . Critics were divided on the game, with some feeling that the combat was too slow and labored, and the story bland and uninteresting. Eight years after a sequel was first announced, the IP re-emerged with a trailer at Gamescom 2022 that raised a few eyebrows. Dubbed as a reboot of the series, which goes some way to explaining why The Lords of the Fallen dropped the number from the title , it looks to be adopting a very different tone from the previous g
We have had this certainty before, very often. We knew it would be Elden Ring in 2022. We knew it would be The Last of Us Part 2 in 2020, despite the stacked field. 2021 was a little more open, but the pandemic-hit year was without any stone cold classics, especially compared to the nominees in 2023 or 2020. 2018 was the last big shoot out, when Red Dead Redemption 2 and God of War were both in with an even chance, but that’s the exception that proves the rule. I’ve missed 2019 out there. Let’s talk about 2019. Then, I promise, onto 2024.
The calendar for indie game releases across 2022 will no doubt cause a flicker of excited anticipation in the hearts of many gamers, and barring any major delays or setbacks, it’s looking like a very strong year. As always, there are some question marks around exact dates for a number of games, but with a strong indication of a 2022 release date, the indie game calendar for this coming year looks just as compelling as 2021 (if not more
A Soulslike game is pretty easy to identify. They are usually heavily combat-focused with an emphasis on dodging and parrying enemy attacks, offer a large weapon variety that can affect play styles, feature checkpoints that respawn enemies if used, and include epic, tough-as-nails boss encounters. Several of these games, some of which have been in the pipeline for a while, are set to release in the next calendar year, and each of them will be looking to prove they can stand toe-to-toe with FromSoftware’s best gam
Built using Unreal Engine 5 , the game looks visually stunning, and if it plays as well as it looks, then gamers could be in for something special. Each time a subsequent trailer has been released, fan hype accelerates even further, and this title is probably the most hotly anticipated on the list. The game has a vague 2023 release window which everyone will be hoping it me
Game Science has had many opportunities to speak out about player perceptions of the studio and media coverage of the allegations against it. The studio’s founders are active on Weibo, and the game has social media accounts that post regularly. At least two journalists have brought up the allegations at hands-on preview sessions, and been met with refusals to comment. One of those journalists was promised a statement «related to the reports of sexism», and when she asked for the statement, was told the studio would «only answer questions related to gamepl
While it is typical of soulslike games to have large combat areas between rest points, as they should, most boss arenas tend to have a rest point close enough to allow for swift travel, and to at least provide a way for you to face tougher foes fai
From Team Ninja, developer of the acclaimed Nioh games, comes Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty , which looks to be a spiritual successor to Nioh . Featuring the cast of characters from China’s Three Kingdoms era, who fans of the Dynasty Warriors series will know well, the game is a mixture of tough, unforgiving combat, with elements of the supernatural and otherworldly beings. A demo was released in September, and as fans would expect from a Team Ninja title, it proved to be extremely challenging even in its beta ph
**With the potential to have been one of the next best soulslike games and portraying a beloved cultural gem of a novel, Black Myth Wukong missions Myth: Wukong missed many opportunities ** and has inherent issues that must be addressed and fixed to be considered a serious contender of other soulslikes. Should this be the case, I would bump the score up to 3.5 at le