tldr videogame curation
melbourne, australia

There are No Ghosts at the Grand turned heads at the Xbox Showcase with its storybook art, talking cats, and creative FPS twists. Launching in 2026 - looks neat.

Owlcat Games, known for Pathfinder and Rogue Trader, have announced The Expanse: Osiris Reborn - a new story-driven RPG set during the early seasons of the TV series. Expect Mass Effect-style combat, choices, and everyone’s favourite - romance. Osiris Reborn launches “soon”.

First of all: it’s good. I’m always for happy FromSoft to try stuff, and this was a really interesting idea. If you’re relying on two multiplayer randoms, you may be in for a bad time - it can be a bit of a dice roll, but solo is absolutely doable. It’s hard to play this and not have thoughts of a FromSoft live-service game, and so long as it wouldn’t distract from their usual approach… I’d be kinda down for it! This is multiplayer Elden Ring with drips and drabs of content and mechanics from all over the From archive - it might not be what you want from them, but it’s really fun.

Probably justifiably copped flak because 2016 and Eternal were so strong… Combat feels looser, less refined, and the focus on the shield seemed to me to just slow things down and funnel one type of gameplay. Mech/dragon bits drag, story’s forgettable. Music’s also a step down, given the unfortunate (lack of) Mick Gordon situation. Still fun though.

Photography puzzle sequel goes (fully) 3D. Take snaps, solve quirky mysteries, and team up with new characters who tweak your camera. Looks delightful.

Manipulate dodgy charts to fudge reports and keep your job. Visual design looks great. Pocket Boss has gamified my dayjob and seems right down my alley.

Dungeon crawl by night, run your shop by day - Will returns with new gear and upgrades. Moonlighter 2 is coming late 2025.

From Heart Machine and Devolver comes a gritty action-platformer. We’d seen a bit of this before, but get a new look at the stylish mayhem of Possessor(s).

A dark, isometric metroidvania from the Guacamelee devs with shifting difficulty and full co-op. No launch date, but a demo’s planned for later in the year.

From the Abzû devs, ride a flying sword across surreal landscapes as the Wraith, resurrected to revive a vanished sea. Sword of the Sea Launches August 19.