What a huge step forward since the first one! The dual world concept is fantastic and executed really well - transitioning between realities feels fresh, and exploration is way better this time. Difficulty feels a bit artificial at times and I questioned balance more than once. Combat is varied, flexible & satisfying (if a little bit floaty). Boss battles are often really artistic and often memorable. Mixed feelings linger, but it’s definitely worth a play.
Definitely a cool game - love the atmosphere, styling and general foundation. I can see this becoming something great over time, but currently the loop and endgame are a little underwhelming. Even with that though, the game is fun, fairly priced and an enjoyable little romp.
A silly but compelling gamejam entry from Mega Crit of Slay the Spire fame, Dancing Duelists is a deckbuilding autobattler with a dance-off theme. Understandably doesn’t have the same depth as StS given its jam roots, but it’s already a neat idea which proves to be fun and addictive. Absolutely worth a go.
Ahead of Alan Wake 2 releasing on October 27th, Epic Games have unveiled a clever promotional tie-in, in the form of a playable custom Fortnite island. Alan Wake: Flashback is a ‘reimagining the iconic story’, available now with island code 3426-5561-3374. We’ve seen these sort of collabs before, but this is a bit more involved, substantial and creative. Perk of a good relationship I s’pose!
Ensuring not another day goes by without games journalists googling exec headshots, long-time Bethesda SVP Head of Publishing Pete Hines has retired to ‘start an exciting new chapter’. Bethesda praised Hines’ authenticity, integrity and passion in a statement on Twitter.
It was already the best selling game of all time, but at this year’s annual Minecraft Live, it was announced that they’ve sold over 300 million copies. This puts Minecraft over 100 million ahead of the next best selling game, GTA V. Crazy.
The latest from Jeppe Carlsen, lead gameplay designer of LIMBO and INSIDE - COCOON is just as intriguing, creative and moreish. The puzzles are really nice, and all a good level of challenge. Everything else, from the visual and sound design to each little interaction wouldn’t be misplaced in a ‘Satisfying Aesthetic ASMR Compilation’ video. Really cool.
While consumers celebrate 2023 as a ‘great year for games!’, a lot of those who make them weren’t as thrilled. Stephen Totilo at Axios looked back over the year, and spoke to developers: over 6,000 industry jobs were cut in 2023, with major studios like Epic and EA making significant staff reductions. The impact extends beyond development roles, affecting DNI and HR jobs, and disproportionately impacting women. Unions may offer a solution as the industry adjusts to post-pandemic working conditions.
As the ink dries on the final steps of Microsoft’s acquisition, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has announced he will only stay on til the end of the year - closing out his 33rd year at the company under Phil Spencer’s leadership. Kotick’s time at the helm was marred by various controversies such as; discrimination lawsuits, allegations of union busting, unfair labour practice complaints and layoffs amid record profits. Hopefully a change in leadership will help turn things around.
UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has granted Microsoft approval to acquire Activision Blizzard. This removes the final roadblock for Microsoft, allowing the biggest acquisition in videogame history - $68.7 billion USD - to conclude.