Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 2 (PS3 - next week! - direct sequel to something I liked, low hanging fruit)
Persona 5 (PS4 - Feb '17 - a new Persona game, at long last)
Mass Effect (PC - Mar '17 - a little nervous about this one)
Civ VI (PC - Oct '16 - “looking forward to” even though odds seem greater than even that it won’t be good enough to be worth the time)
I’m sure there are probably others, but I tend not to look too far ahead; I’ve already got more games than I have time to play them. Also, most of my favorites tend to be under-the-radar RPGs and strategy games and roguelikes. Great time for gaming even if you don’t like the first/third person action and open-world games that get all the attention.
I’m looking forward to those too, and also the upcoming Titanfall sequel. In particular, I’m hoping that Deathwing isn’t just another shooter that happens to be 40k themed. I’m really hoping it goes for that old 1990s-era “Space Hulk” dread and spookiness.
What’s got you concerned with CIV VI? Everything I’ve read/seen so far seems fantastic.
I share your apprehension with Mass Effect: Andromeda. I’m terrified it’ll be DA:I in space, and the New Shep will be the galaxy’s new herb/resource/garbage collector, with nary an interesting tale to tell from his time planet hopping.
While past performance is not indicative of future results… Civ V was bad at release, eventually improving to okay-at-best, while Beyond Earth was just pretty bad. Still hopeful! Good pre-release coverage! But two bad ones in a row takes you out of the “endless optimism” category.
I agree that on launch Civ V was lackluster, I cant imagine why you think it’s “okay at best” after expansions. It’s the definitive civ (now), IMHO. I also agree with Beyond Earth being a huge let down.
My main concerns appear to be being addressed with Civ VI though.
Here’s what I’m looking forward to, plus a couple brand new releases. Get yourself a beverage, this is going to be long.
These are mostly upcoming indie games. Also, I don’t like beta testing games, so I always for a full release before purchase (and then usually wait for the DLC well to run dry, too). The only upcoming AAA game I care about is Elder Scrolls 6. (And that’s like five years away.) Clockwork Empires
I’m crazy for this one, but waiting, like I said. They update regularly, couple times a month and also Twitter updates, so I have no doubts about their ability to finish.
If you’re interested in game design and programming, they also have regular posts discussing their process. Here’s the latest -
They are widely famous for the quality of their post tags:
The Great Whale Road
Next up is another Early Access game, inspired by King of Dragon Pass. It features Vikings, rather than Thunderducks (alas) but I’m intrigued. The combat will be turnbased with some cards rolled in for chance.
Game blurb:
This Is the Police is a strategy/adventure game set in a city spiraling the drain. You’ll come face to face with the ugly underbelly of Freeburg, taking the role of gritty Police Chief Jack Boyd (portrayed by Jon St. John, the voice of Duke Nukem).
Dive into a deep story of corruption, crime and intrigues. You are taking the role of gritty Police Chief Jack Boyd – you’ll come face to face with the ugly underbelly of Freeburg, a city spiraling the drain. Will Jack see his retirement with a nice sum of money waiting to be spend or will he end up broken … or even worse?
This one is available right now, at the links above, but I don’t own it yet, cause I have the brokes. Reviews are positive. Okhlos
This is an Angry Mob simulator, and I’m sure there’s nothing else in your inventory quite like it. You play an Ancient Greek Philosper who is mad as hell and not going to take it anymore, so you round up an Angry Mob and storm Olympos.
This just hit release a few weeks ago and has positive reviews.
This LP video gives a good look at the gameplay.
Okhlos Gameplay - Ep 1 - REKT! (Let’s Play Okhlos) (Okhlos Gameplay Introduction)
This one is out now. Impressions are mixed. It’s a gorgeous co-op 3d action game. Really stylish. Well worth a look.
Rimworld
Another citybuilder, this one namechecking Firefly, Dwarf Fortress and Dune and … oh let’s be honest, I stopped thinking when I got to Mal Reynolds.
But the game itself looks pretty great. It’s in early access. It’s big and chewy and the various impressions are all very positive. I do love me some citybuilders. And let’s be honest again - we’re all just praying for a Dwarf Fortress with better graphics, aren’t we? Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire
This was just released today so it’s 10% off on Steam or Gog!
This is a tactical strategy RPG. It’s a little different so I’ll just copy the game blurb. Great looking game, too -
• A World Fallen Into a Dark Age – Explore a planet still reeling from the collapse of a galaxy-spanning empire. Learn the history of a former frontier world, and the ancient spacefaring people who first explored it.
• Turn-based Guerrilla Warfare – Control up to 20 characters as you fight against the vast army of the Astral Empire in tactical turn-based battles. You must utilize the environment to even the odds by ambushing enemies, taking cover and knocking foes off cliffs and rooftops.
• Never Fight the Same Battle Twice – Tahira has no filler fights. Each encounter has been specifically designed to advance the story. Battles take place in large environments and feature multiple phases, ranging from the three-stage defence of a town to a desperate struggle to rescue trapped civilians.
• More Than Just Fighting – You don’t just advance from one battle to the next in Tahira, between skirmishes, you’ll find yourself exploring the environment, learning Tahira’s thoughts about the world and getting to know the people who are travelling with you.
• Near Real-time Experience – The majority of Tahira takes place over one night. The game is designed to give you a near real-time experience as you guide our heroine through the most challenging night of her life.
• A Rich Cast of Colourful Characters – Including Baruti, an Avestan General; Claw and Hammer, a mercenary power couple attempting to repay a 20-year-old debt to Avestan; and Iba, Tahira’s loyal horse.
• Tactics for Beginners & Experts - With four difficulty settings, Tahira caters to gamers just interested in the story, seasoned turn-based tactics veterans looking for a brutal challenge and everyone in between. Curious Expedition
This one’s still in development but getting very positive impressions. It’s set in the Golden Age of Victorian Exploration. I have a real soft spot for those lunatics.
About This Game
Curious Expedition is a roguelike expedition simulation set in the late 19th century. Together with famous personalities you will venture on unprecedented expeditions to regions never explored before for fame, science and treasures. Put on your pith helmet and khakis and make your way through a lush, procedurally generated world full of wonder and mystery. Now go explore, adventure awaits!
Gameplay overview
• Experience your very own adventure through a procedural story which makes every game unique.
• Explore procedurally generated worlds, each with its own distinctive set of challenges for the ambitious explorer.
• Plan and equip your trek. A good explorer is prepared for any eventuality.
• Manage your resources to keep your trek alive and sanity high. Balance your needs with the desire to carry all that precious treasure back home.
• Visit and interact with the land’s natives. Enter villages, trade and communicate with local tribes and civilizations that are unknown to mankind.
• Loot mysterious temple ruins to gain fame and treasures, but watch out for deadly traps and curses that will compromise your trek and the world around you.
• Equip and utilize miraculous treasures to gain advantages, but be wary of unforeseeable side effects.
• Fight and defend your trek against a wide range of wild animals, mystical creatures and even dinosaurs.
**
Return of the Obra Dinn
**
By the guy who did Papers, Please (which was my personal Game of the Year in whichever year that was).
This is an old-school adventure game, in glorious black & white, se on an East India merchant ship in 1802.
Still in development, you can download the recent demo from GDC, if you want. I’m waiting because I don’t want to spoil the mystery.
Setup
In 1802, the merchant ship “Obra Dinn” set out from London for the Orient with over 200 tons of trade goods. Six months later it hadn’t met its rendezvous point at the Cape of Good Hope and was declared lost at sea. Early this morning of October 14th, 1808, the Obra Dinn drifted into port with sails damaged and no visible crew. As insurance adjustor for the East India Company’s London Office, find means to board the ship and recover the captain’s logbook for assessment.
Particle Fleet
This is by Knucklecracker, who made the brilliant Creeper World games. In this game, you focus on building a fleet of spaceships and engaging in realtime physics based space battles.
I’m not really a real time player, but I have a lot of respect for this dev and Creeper World so I’m looking forward to it. Planet Coaster
I need to stop but I can’t leave without mentioning Planet Coaster, by Frontier, who did Rollercoaster Tycoon 3.
And … That’s really all I need to say, isn’t it?
It comes out November 17, just in time for Thanksgiving.
Still in Early Access with positive impressions. Here’s the blurb - it sounds exactly like my kind of jam:
This game lets you try on the role of a Supernatural Newspaper Agency boss and editor. The world it takes place in is a dark and haunted one, with ghosts, zombies, monsters and even shapeshifting murderers, pretending to be human after they have stolen their victims’ bodies or infiltrated the humanity. It was inspired heavily by the works of H.P.Lovecraft and it builds on the atmosphere of uncertainty and noir of the 1940s.
Send your sextet of weathered journalists, detectives and occult specialists to investigate murder, affair, and horror in the Town.
Each time, the story will be different. Sometimes, a werewolf is shredding innocent (and less innocent) victims to pieces and it is your task to unmask the creature. Other times, it will be a body stealing alien from outer space, a mummy that some misfortunate archeologist has excavated and is now haunting them. Perhaps it will be Jack the Ripper, still mysteriously alive and lurking in the streets at night.
Or maybe there is a really bad big tentacled monster hidden in the cellar of the University?
It is for you to find out and entertain your readers while bravely standing up against ancient evil.
I Kickstarted Bard’s Tale IV so I’m looking forward to it but it’s not due out until late spring 2017. So I’ll be looking forward for a good while yet.
Rock Paper Shotgun has an article up today with an interview with Brian Fargo, the … I was going to say, Publisher, but Prime Mover is a better description … behind Torment and Bards’ Tale. (And also Pillars of Eternity, which is already out, although I think it’s still getting DLC. Wait - nope, looks like White March is it. Cool! I can finally start this one.) (And of course - Wasteland and Fallout).
Anyway! Brian Fargo! Interview at Gamescom!
It’s mostly about the upcoming Torment, but it hits a lot of points.
