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The playable races, including the as-yet-unreleased Undead race.

D:OS is set in a time when humans were the only race on Rivellon of any importance at all. D:OS2 takes place some 1200 years later, and several other races have since sprouted up and become a significant part of the world. Dwarves, Elves, and Lizardmen are all selectable for the player character (of which there is only one as opposed to the two in D:OS), and you will meet members of all four races along your journey. Depending on the race you pick, people will react to you differently. I chose to be a Lizardman, a race with a strict hierarchy and class system involving several different houses on their far away continent. Each race has unique quirks and abilities, though Elves are by far the most interesting. They have the ability to absorb memories from a dead person by eating their flesh, an ability which not only contributes to worldbuilding but also can help you on quests.

Classes are much the same as they were in D:OS; you pick an archetype (wayfarer, inquisitor, knight, etc.) and can from there shape every aspect of your character as you see fit. While each race has specific bonuses to certain traits that cannot be changed, the class bonuses and abilities can be customized to such an extent that even if you created your character as a knight, you might end up with a full-blown wizard after you’re done tinkering. Classes like the inquisitor have changed somewhat since D:OS Enhanced Edition, though the changes are ones that help the classes deserve their names more. New classes like Conjurer, Enchanter, and Metamorph do not bring unique skillsets, but they are far more honed and lethal and honestly really fun to play.

The way combat feels is mostly unchanged from D:OS, though you have access to a much wider range of abilities from the start. There isn’t much to say about it other than it is turn based with free movement but with grid-based abilities. It sounds strange, but it works quite well and feels polished. It’s easy to get your ass kicked, so it is recommended you make sure you have at least one person with a heal ability in your party.

The map design is incredible. Secrets abound, and the world feels full. There’s so much going on on-screen, but it’s not cluttered. The models are gorgeous and provide a real sense of immersion despite the top-down perspective. Fort Joy is well populated with interesting characters who all have unique things to tell you. However, there is a problem. As with D:OS, the first thing you do when you leave the first hub town is… fight undead. God damn it, Larian. One of my least favorite things about the first many hours of D:OS was having to fight undead. They are boring, generic, and only challenging in that they are damage sponges and hit like trucks in regular combat. Their spell and arrow selection tends to be limited, and they are generally quite straightforward to fight. I get that the undead are a staple of fantasy, but I still find it unfortunate that the first thing you see when you step out of Fort Joy is a skeleton. (Note: They are far from the only thing you fight once outside the walls of Fort Joy, and it may well be a throwback to the first steps outside of Cyceal in D:OS. It still freaked me out.)

The humor and heart of the first game seep from every pore of Divinity: Original Sin 2. Characters are clever, funny, dangerous, and evil. Dwarves are appropriately goofy, and Elves appropriately Elf-y. One major change from Divinity: Original Sin to D:OS2 comes from the fact that the composer from the first game, Kirill Pokrovsky, died in 2015. As such, the memorable score from the first game has been replaced with a less memorable but far more atmospheric score. Whether this is a positive or a negative is entirely based on your taste, though I personally miss hearing Battle Force played over and over again during combat.

As the game exists currently, it is quite incomplete. Only the first act is playable, though it is a significant chunk of gameplay. Non-player party members do not currently have personal motivations, which is a great piece of content that will be coming in the full release. I have not yet encountered any bugs, and the game allows the player to cheese many otherwise difficult to get through sections (this is a very good thing. D:OS almost required you to completely cheese some fights and puzzles, and it was one of the more endearing parts of the game). I have absolutely no reason to believe that the final version of D:OS2 will be anything other than another addition to my top 10 games of all time, right next to the original.

I have not at the time of writing tried the multiplayer mode at all. However, there is a segment of the single player that is very similar, it works quite well. On top of that, the creation kit that will be released with the full game promises to make Divinity: Original Sin 2 one of the most complete games released in recent memory.

Is there any reason not to get Divinity: Original Sin 2? The only two I can think of are 1) You don’t like CRPGs; 2) You don’t like good games. Otherwise, Larian has produced a game that I honestly believe anyone can appreciate in a way that many games simply don’t warrant.

Divinity: Orignal Sin 2 is on sale on Steam right now for $45. As it currently exists you get an incomplete version of the game; many features are missing and only the first act and multiplayer are available. You get the full game upon release, and honestly, if you plan on buying the full game, I see no reason to buy it right now.

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The art of The Inner World is intriguing; although the faux-naive style has become incredibly popular in the last decade or so (e.g. Adventure Time and Misadventures of Flapjack), Studio Fizbin keeps it fresh with beautifully detailed environments, unique character designs, and funky takes on perspective. Although it feels somehow nostalgically familiar, the game really does have a unique look. Much of the gameplay will feature the exploration of the world of Asposia, and the trailer indicates that this will be a pleasant and engaging aspect of The Inner World.

The game seems to have a good sense of humor about itself, with lighthearted dialogue and slapstick gags aplenty. Players should expect a lot of traditional adventure game puzzles, according to the most recent press release:

Challenge Uncle Oboe to a game of Knock-Knock and win some much needed prison toilet paper, cause trouble in the tumble mouse shearing factory, help a desperate Bingo Pony become happy once again, bring an adorable baby gorf back home, and save Asposia! Again!

But the flute-nose element of the story also impacts the gameplay. During the journey to find the last wind monk, Robert will “Learn new songs on [his] magic flute nose, to activate ancient artifacts and invoke the wind”, adding an Ocarina of Time-style music element to the puzzle-solving.

Those intrigued by this latest trailer don’t have long to wait; The Inner World is slated to release this September for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows PC, Mac and Linux. Find out more on the game’s website, their Facebook page, or the Studio Fizbin projects page.

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Coming from the team that created The Kingdom of Loathing MMO, West of Loathing is a sprawling, wild-west themed single player RPG. Expect a massive open world adventure brimming with stories, saloons, side quests and shenanigans.

West of Loathing will see you take the role of one of three character classes. These range from the incredibly seriously named Cow Puncher, through the equally demure Beanslinger, to the downright austere Snake Oiler. See what I mean? Silly. This is all just so wonderfully daft that when you add a choice of no less than 50 hats and general stat boosting junk you’re going to have one hell of a character on your hands. With said character you can go out and make friends(or frenemies) of travelers you meet on your way through the game. Whether you’re shoveling cow dung, drinking whiskey or running from the law this is likely to be a thoroughly mirthsome ride.

If all of this is perking your attention and poking your funny bone you only need to wait till next month. Of course you’ll also need PC, Linux or Mac and a copy of Steam but that’s no big deal for the kicks right?

As a sneaky little side-note if you happen to be an iOS junky, (and there’s nothing wrong with that,) you can expect to see this game appearing on your device at some later point in time. Definitely worth keeping your eyes peeled and your spurs handy for when it does.

This genuinely looks like something that those of us with a love of pure silliness could get to grips with. I think I’ll be getting my giggle on with the rest of you and reporting back later, you know, once I’ve caught my breath and all that.

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An Assassin’s Creed Origins novel, artbook, comic miniseries, and official guide are expected for a worldwide fall release

Assassin’s Creed Origins Desert Oath

Author and historian Oliver Bowden (a.k.a. Anton Gill) will grace us with a brand new Assassin’s Creed novel to sink our fangirl (and fanboy) teeth into. The novel will walk us through the origins of Assassin’s Creed Origins. It’ll follow a much younger Bayek, the protagonist who had to flee his tranquil home in Siwa in order to uncover truths, and pursue his true purpose as protector of the land of the Nile.

Assassin’s Creed Origins Comics

Publisher Titan Comics and writer Anne Toole have collaborated to deliver four comic books. They will introduce us to the early Assassins’ brotherhood years, the history of Ancient Egypt and its remarkable figures, and Assassin’s Creed Origins‘ both in-game characters and brand new ones.

Assassin’s Creed Origins Artbook

Titan Comics will also be publishing the artbook for Assassin’s Creed Origins. Taking us back to Ancient Egypt, the artbook will show off mystical Egyptian landmarks and unveil the era’s cryptic myths, the in-game weaponry, and more. The artbook will also contain concept art, city maps, character design sketches – all accompanied by game creators’ commentary.

The Complete and Official Guide for Assassin’s Creed Origins

Published by PRIMA Games, the official guide for Assassin’s Creed Origins will accompany the player during playthrough. It contains information on weapons and gear, a complete game walkthrough, as well as impressively instructive and detailed maps. Moreover, an electronic guide version will be digitally accessible via phone if you purchase the physical copy of the guide.

With the Assassin’s Creed Origins published assortment, Ubisoft aims to expose the franchise’s fanatics to more in-depth knowledge of Ancient Egypt, Bayek’s juvenescence, the Assassins’ origins, and in-game tips and tricks.

For more information on Assassin’s Creed Origins, feel free to check out the franchise’s official website. You can also check out Ubisoft’s E3 2017 conference recap here for more on upcoming Ubisoft titles.

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We also see stark white rooms, some maze-like, some changing shape (perhaps requiring Ian’s special abilities?), some reminiscent of observation rooms genre standard for “government testing facilities”. These are implied to be Ian’s nightmare world. Are these warped flashbacks of the torture Ian suffered, or are they hints to who Ian’s true enemy is?

Players will certainly be raving about the motion-capture fight sequences which were “created in collaboration with professional MMA fighters.” Although PAST CURE is Phantom 8 Studio’s first game, the studio “embraces the challenge of delivering thrilling high quality games at an affordable price point for millions of players”, utilizing “their strong partnerships with technology providers” and “the latest 3D scan and motion-capturing technologies”. As they wrote on the PlayStation Blog, they have attempted to prioritize strong gameplay and well-developed story and characters in order for their relatively small team to deliver the best game possible.

The studio also seems dedicated to connecting with fans, responding to nearly every comment on their YouTube channel, with good-natured replies to every comparison to John Wick, The Evil Within, and Inception by excitedly type-shouting “PAST CURE!”.

PAST CURE will be available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, in retail and online versions, for US$ 29.99/€ 29.99 in Q4 2017. You can follow the game’s development on their Facebook page or visit the official website at www.phantom8.studio

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Champions Field

The first big addition to the game is a new free stadium to play matches in. In my opinion, the setting looks great. There is a giant Rocket League trophy overlooking the field, and fireworks exploding throughout the air. I will admit it looks familiar to the other stadiums in the game, but who is going to complain about a free stage to play on?

New crate items

The Overdrive Crate is a limited crate you receive after online matches which unlock customization items like animated decals, wheels, new trails, new goal explosions as well as 2 new cars. The 2 import battle cars, the Animus GP and Centio V17 will only be available through these crates and from what I have seen of the Rocket League crates, you have to buy keys to unlock crates so the cars are stuck behind a pay wall. Not even a guaranteed pay wall. That being said though, all crate items are completely cosmetic and and do not change the gameplay whatsoever.

Competitive Season 5

The latest competitive season starts today for all the hardcore Rocket League players out there. The higher you place in the competitive ladder the more trails you will unlock to customize your car with. Players receive all rewards below where they place as well.

Rocket League Radio

18 new EDM songs have been added to the game. I have never been a fan of this kind of music personally, but every new song they add fits the feel of the game. The playlist is available to stream or purchase on Spotify, Itunes, and more. A free flag and decal has also been included for fans of the incoming music. Rocket League Radio allows the player to choose from 4 playlists to play in the menus. There is also a promise for more playlists to come, and also the ability to play the songs while in a match.

New achievements and trophies

Achievement hunters have the chance to unlock 6 new achievements having their own unique requirements.

Engine audio upgrades

Finally, all engine sounds in the game have been retouched. New engine sounds have been added to old cars that did not have unique engine sounds.

So that is all of the new content within the anniversary update for Rocket League. Psyonix has said in the past they want to keep riding out the success of the game and keep adding to it and it at least appears they are living up to that promise. With the added success and recognition the game is getting from Esports and recently the X Games, don’t expect it to go away anytime soon.

If you want to read more about recent Rocket League news, you can read Will’s post here.

If you want to check up on the Anniversary Update news yourself, the Rocket League website is here.

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These lobbies, they get wild.

There has been no word of a release date as of yet, but PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is constantly brimming with new content, so you’ll certainly be kept busy with new weaponry, weather, and mantle mechanics while you wait. In the mean time, keep those chicken dinners rolling in.

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From humble beginnings…

After a brief introduction to the basic controls, the campaign element of Aven Colony kicks in, as you’re tasked with building a high-tech settlement on an unknown planet that’s large enough to support a History Museum. A constant stream of objectives keeps the uninitiated on track by suggesting what to build and when to build it; I was glad to see that these objectives were not mandatory, although their completion often gave you free building materials or supplies.

Accommodation, food/water, and power are fundamentals, as are the drone workers that construct the many potential buildings at your disposal. Build trading hubs or immigration centres to interact with the Aven mothership in orbit above your head, bringing in supplies and settlers respectively; keep your population entertained and healthy with shopping centres, hospitals, and police drones. Your population will automatically slot into any available employment, and can be directed toward certain sectors if – for example – you’re running low on farmers.

Watching the ants scurry by.

Your Aven Colony relies upon nanites to survive. The futuristic building material is like currency, to be consumed when constructing new structures, and must itself be built with mine-able ores like iron or copper? Structures must be connected with transparent tunnels, and all can be upgraded to maximize efficiency. Nanites are also a commonly traded commodity, so amass a ton in order to trade with the mothership for food.

Beyond the construction aspects of Aven Colony, you’ll have to keep an eye on population happiness, which is affected by a dauntingly long list of factors. Make sure to build plenty of tunnel routes, or they’ll complain about the commute to work; build air purifiers, or they’ll moan about their slow and torturous suffocation. Annual referendums must be won by a majority in order to avoid political chaos, and though you can enforce a variety of prerogatives as colony chief, be warned: if you enforce overtime at work, expect general unhappiness and possible riots.

The full Aven Colony campaign features progressively more challenging environments in which your colonists must survive, introducing late-game objectives like planet exploration and the acquisition of alien technology. If structure and prerequisite is not for you, however, fear not: the game also features a sandbox mode, which allows you to go wild on a planet of your choice.

Aven Colony also happens to look pretty darn attractive, as I’m sure you’ll have noticed from my unfortunately low-resolution screenshots; I’m a particular fan of the annual cycle, which brings a frosted screen and snowy terrain (as well as lightning storms and reduced productivity) to an otherwise vibrantly cheerful game. The rendered world holds up well at a distance and up close, and although the tiny humans tend to be overlooked their scurrying movements and random outbursts of conversation have had at least a bit of thought.

… mighty things may grow.

I had an awful lot of fun keeping my Aven Colony from disrepair, and was particularly pleased to note that things spiraled out of control even on normal difficulty at an alarming rate. If you enjoy this sort of strategy game, I’m sure you’ll devour the campaign. But even if you don’t usually stray too far into indie territory, all I can do is assure you that this intricate little gem is certainly worth consideration.

This preview is based on an early access copy of the game provided by the publisher.

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