Games you're looking forward to

[InGameScientist]

I rewatched Starfield Direct more closely and with the comprehensive deep dive into the gameplay, I can now safely assess how I feel about this game:

• Story, narrative and NPCs - Bethesda always lacked on this field comparing to other big studios, like Bioware, Rockstar or CD Projekt and I get the feeling this won't change in Starfield... Although there wasn't much told about the story and narrative to be 100% certain of that... it's precisely the reason why I think it won't be much of an improvement vs previous games. Developers present in this video talked about gameplay mechanic they like and are proud of, but none of them mentioned story or narrative. It's clear the team's focus was on exploration and all other mechanics that will boost the feeling of exploration. There is a slight chance it was only briefly mentioned to avoid spoilers, but I honestly don't think that's the reason. I think Todd and Bethesda team don't think the story is the most important aspect of crpg they create. Also, the NPCs were mentioned briefly and the ones we saw as potential companions were very conservative. There will be romance options, but from the single dialogue I've heard, I wish there would be none... Yeah, this point is my biggest concern about Starfield, that it would be just a gigantic sandbox without the main force to push you forward.
• Visuals - Bethesda always kind of fall behind other studios when it comes to the visuals. It was always good or very good, but never cutting edge. They stick to their Creation Engine like forever, and I basically came to terms that Starfield would fall into the same trap, especially after the last year trailer. BUT... I very much liked what I saw on this newest gameplay reveal! It looks sharp, consistent and the lighting really does a great job. The UI is minimalistic, but very clean, which fits the whole sci-fi punk vibe. Graphics are not super realistic as in RDR2 or CP2077, mostly because of specific art style, Bethesda is known for, but everything is super detailed, textures are sharp, design of locations or starships is great. I must say, this is looking much better than a year ago.
• Exploration - when I learned a year ago that Starfield comes with 1000 procedurally generated planets, I was very skeptical, that Bethesda will fall into a trap of 90% of them being dull and just time suckers. But, knowing that most of them will serve as a resource generator and from what I understood, you won't be able to walk around the whole planets, only the area nearby landing zones, I'm more comfortable that this wouldn't get boring too fast. And from what I saw, planets will differ substantially one from another, so there should always be a thrill of an unknown, while visiting those.
• Combat - although combat was always on a bit of a clunky side in Bethesda's games, especially Fallout games, and the combat showcase last year was also far from exciting, what Todd and the team have shown us during Starfield Direct was very good! Yes, the death animations are simple, and you don't feel the ecstatic joy of fun ragdoll deaths, but from what we saw you can kill enemies in countless different ways - classic gun blazing style, grenade maniac style, stealth assassin style, hell... you can even hit them from above from your jetpack or crush them bare handed if you pick the right feat. Really positively surprised with this showcase.
• Starships upgrade and base building - I was never a fan of base building in Fallout 4. The idea was super fun, but the execution was flawed. The way you had to clip the walls one to another was very tedious and took away the joy of building. Here, with the top-down camera and the "plug in" mechanic, this really look super easy and convenient. The fact that additional parts of the ship don't only change its statistics and the aesthetic look outside, but also give additional space to explore on the inside is fantastic. And the look of the ship interior is really detailed and feels like home. I had a big Mass Effect vibes (at least when it comes to ship exploration).
• Space travel - I never really played the true space simulator, as Elite Dangerous or the like (except a bit of No Man's Sky), because it always felt a bit intimidating. But it seems that you won't be able to fly freely (I think?) in real time, and you won't need to land manually each time on the new planet. There will be a lot of space to explore from your starship cockpit, but I don't think you will be able to fly in real time from one planet to another distant planet, because this would be a tedious journey. Instead, you would use your grav drive to quickly go there. What's great is you need to upgrade your drive to be able to fly to more distant planets, so it's not like the whole galaxy is opened to you from the beginning.

All in all, I think it would be a mix of previous Bethesda games, where I see also a heavy inspiration from No Man's Sky, Mass Effect, maybe Halo. I truly believe this will be another hit from Bethesda, that people will play as long as Skyrim, but... this will be hardly a game that will win players that didn't like their previous games. This is a big evolution, but Todd's core philosophy, giant playground to make everything you want, is preserved, and the narrative, story and NPCs are hidden in the second or even third plan. This will be 10/10 or 5/10 depending on who will play the game.

I think the feeling I have towards Starfield is that it is trying to do too many things at once. I'm having a hard time deciding if I want to play this game because I don't know what it is trying to offer me. With some of the latest changes to No Man's Sky (and they keep coming, for free!) I feel like I have my exploration, starship customization, base building, and space travel all covered. If I wanted a story and some combat, Mass Effect would be my go to. If I wanted space combat, maybe Everspace 2. But trying to cram all of this into one game feels...like the game might fall short on all of them. I guess we'll see what happens!

As for some new games I put on my wishlist:

Jumplight Odyssey on Steam

Keep hope alive on your adventure to the mythical Forever Star! Gather survivors, repair and build out your starship, brave black holes, and fend off attacks, all while managing the daily soap opera of your colorful crew.

store.steampowered.com

Think Star Trek: Voyager but out of the Star Trek universe. You manage a crew and a ship as you make your way through the stars. I love the visuals and though the premise isn't all that novel, I'm excited for the organic stories that you can tell through your adventures with the crew.

Sea of Stars on Steam

Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG inspired by the classics. It tells the story of two Children of the Solstice who will combine the powers of the sun and moon to perform Eclipse Magic, the only force capable of fending off the monstrous creations of the evil alchemist known as The Fleshmancer.

store.steampowered.com

This is inspired by some of the classic JRPGs like Chrono Trigger (composer is the same!) and features a rich setting to explore. If you enjoyed some of those classics, I think this will make a worthy entry as a modern take (not just with updated graphics) on that genre!

 

[Cahir]

I think the feeling I have towards Starfield is that it is trying to do too many things at once. I'm having a hard time deciding if I want to play this game because I don't know what it is trying to offer me. With some of the latest changes to No Man's Sky (and they keep coming, for free!) I feel like I have my exploration, starship customization, base building, and space travel all covered. If I wanted a story and some combat, Mass Effect would be my go to. If I wanted space combat, maybe Everspace 2. But trying to cram all of this into one game feels...like the game might fall short on all of them. I guess we'll see what happens!

That is a perfectly valid point. It crossed my mind too, but, I confess, I watched Starfield Direct a couple of times and the more I watch it the more I think, it will (mostly) all blend together nicely. I have played NMS only a little and never tried Everspace 2, so it might be that it won't be as great as a game dedicated to space flight, but from what I saw, it looks at least promising.

 

[Antimatter]

I think the feeling I have towards Starfield is that it is trying to do too many things at once. I'm having a hard time deciding if I want to play this game because I don't know what it is trying to offer me. With some of the latest changes to No Man's Sky (and they keep coming, for free!) I feel like I have my exploration, starship customization, base building, and space travel all covered. If I wanted a story and some combat, Mass Effect would be my go to. If I wanted space combat, maybe Everspace 2. But trying to cram all of this into one game feels...like the game might fall short on all of them. I guess we'll see what happens!

As for some new games I put on my wishlist:

Jumplight Odyssey on Steam

Keep hope alive on your adventure to the mythical Forever Star! Gather survivors, repair and build out your starship, brave black holes, and fend off attacks, all while managing the daily soap opera of your colorful crew.

store.steampowered.com

Think Star Trek: Voyager but out of the Star Trek universe. You manage a crew and a ship as you make your way through the stars. I love the visuals and though the premise isn't all that novel, I'm excited for the organic stories that you can tell through your adventures with the crew.

Sea of Stars on Steam

Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG inspired by the classics. It tells the story of two Children of the Solstice who will combine the powers of the sun and moon to perform Eclipse Magic, the only force capable of fending off the monstrous creations of the evil alchemist known as The Fleshmancer.

store.steampowered.com

This is inspired by some of the classic JRPGs like Chrono Trigger (composer is the same!) and features a rich setting to explore. If you enjoyed some of those classics, I think this will make a worthy entry as a modern take (not just with updated graphics) on that genre!

Both games look dope, going to try them out this weekend.

I finally had a chance to sit down and play for ~1 hour without distractions. I have to repeat, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical looks AND sounds just so sweet. The demo is longer compared to the version from the beginning of May, and has better hitboxes for dialogue choices. And has 2 extra songs to listen to.

Last year for me, it was Metal: Hellsinger. This year, I think it'll be Stray Gods. I'm a sucker for beautiful voices.

 

[Cahir]

There's too little time and so many demos to check. I'll be busy today and half of tomorrow, but I very much want to check the extended demo of Stray Gods. It very much unexpectedly became one of the most anticipated games for me this year. It's one of those rare games, I don't have the urge to rush, to push for the new quest, main story progress or yet another combat encounter. Here, I can just sit and relax, listening to all those beautiful songs, performed by some immensely talented people.

I admit, I was never into Indie games much, I was one of those millions' player for whom only AAA games matters, or games that they cherished in their juvenile days to which they like to come back for nostalgia reasons. But the gems like Stray Gods or Mythforce (although the latter is not my genre, but I do appreciate the art style very much) makes me reconsider. I guess the time came, when this old soul looks for something new and fresh. And shorter... god, yes... something shorter.

 

[Antimatter]

Found this about the sword fighting game. Looks even more interesting to me now.

For those who are interested in historically accurate swordplay, a Steam page for a medieval physics-based combat game is now live:

Half Sword on Steam

Half Sword is a physics-based medieval combat simulator featuring historically accurate XV-century arms and armor.

store.steampowered.com

Half Sword is a physics-based medieval combat simulator featuring historically accurate XV-century arms and armor.

There is already another game, released in Early Access, with a similar approach:

Hellish Quart on Steam

A physics-based, realistic, 3D sword dueling game set in the 17th century. Currently, it features an arcade mode, survival mode, modern HEMA mode, duels vs. AI, wooden weapons sparring, and a local multiplayer mode. Optional VR mode. Early Access.

store.steampowered.com

A physics-based, realistic, 3D sword dueling game set in the 17th century. Currently, it features an arcade mode, survival mode, modern HEMA mode, duels vs. AI, wooden weapons sparring, and a local multiplayer mode. Optional VR mode. Early Access

 

[Antimatter]

A new game has been announced with the following tags: RPG; Isometric. Excited? EXCITED!

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1630238997103652866

"The Thaumaturge is a story-driven RPG with morally ambiguous choices, taking place in the culturally diverse world of early 20th century Warsaw. In this world, Salutors exist: esoteric beings that only Thaumaturges can truly perceive and use for their needs."

The Steam page.

The Thaumaturge demo is now available as part of the Steam Next demo.

"Fans of Diablo will especially love this top-down, story-driven adventure. Created as a full-set RPG, Thaumaturge is based in 20th-century Warsaw. In the game, beings called Thaumaturges hold extraordinary perceptions that can detect auras, feelings, and even future actions of a person. The main character, Wiktor, is a Thaumaturge and is searching for a healer who can cure one of his ailing conditions and restore his connection to Upyr, a monster friend.

The game follows turn-based combat, with players selecting specific moves and gauging enemy reactions. Even though Thumaturge is top-down, it features full-depth cinematic cutscenes with skills and a complex story that binds it all. So, if you’re looking for an RPG adventure that gets a bit dark, play this demo at the Steam Next Fest."

15 Best Steam Next Fest Games You Should Try

Confused about the Steam Next Fest games demos you should first try? Check out our list to find out the 15 best demos to try out right now!

beebom.com

 

[Antimatter]

I played the Upveaval demo on Steam (an indie text RPG/roguelike by Alex Leone).

Here are a few screenshots:

It reminded me of The Secret of Darkwoods, but with a more relaxed approach - less fighting, more traveling and poking around. In 15 days, my adventurer hasn't really achieved anything, but got caught (and hit) by goblins (hey, I managed to defeat one goblin), played with an imp for 2 days and got lost in the forest, talked to people in the town tavern, and learned how he could become a magician, but never really could find a magical boulder they mentioned. Offered to join bandits, but since I didn't have anything, they declined. I guess, you can't expect more from someone who doesn't have any skills and just starts his way as an adventurer.

The game has relaxing music, a very intuitive UI (really, good job on that), and gives a very genuine feeling of how difficult it is to gain anything in a medieval world.

There were some typos, but overall nice and atmospheric descriptions, and I could even hide all the text to look at backgrounds.

Spoiler

Typos: Rhe instead of The, shoild instead of should, and tavejn instead of tavern

Will be definitely looking forward to the full version of the game.

 

[Alex Leone]

Thank you, @Antimatter, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Having an unproductive and fun first run is pretty common! Congrats on defeating the one goblin. Finding that magical boulder that was mentioned is one of the ways to be able to do more things on future runs, but I tried to put lots of ways to find where the cool items are hidden.

Thank you for your kind words about the music and UI! I really appreciate them.

Re: the typos: Those are intentional, actually! I'm assuming you visited the tavern just before those spoilers showed up? It sounds like I may need to make that effect more clear in the game. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Cahir]

Thank you, @Antimatter, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Having an unproductive and fun first run is pretty common! Congrats on defeating the one goblin. Finding that magical boulder that was mentioned is one of the ways to be able to do more things on future runs, but I tried to put lots of ways to find where the cool items are hidden.

Thank you for your kind words about the music and UI! I really appreciate them.

Re: the typos: Those are intentional, actually! I'm assuming you visited the tavern just before those spoilers showed up? It sounds like I may need to make that effect more clear in the game. Thanks for the feedback!

Welcome to our little Tavern! I hope you'll find the place cozy and relaxing. I'd definitely try Upveaval demo as a welcome distraction from intense emotions of Baldur's Gate 3. It sure looks very interesting.

 

[mlnevese]

Thank you, @Antimatter, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Having an unproductive and fun first run is pretty common! Congrats on defeating the one goblin. Finding that magical boulder that was mentioned is one of the ways to be able to do more things on future runs, but I tried to put lots of ways to find where the cool items are hidden.

Thank you for your kind words about the music and UI! I really appreciate them.

Re: the typos: Those are intentional, actually! I'm assuming you visited the tavern just before those spoilers showed up? It sounds like I may need to make that effect more clear in the game. Thanks for the feedback!

Welcome to the Tavern! Take a seat and have fun!

 

[Alex Leone]

Welcome to the Tavern! Take a seat and have fun!

Thank you! It seems nice here.

Welcome to our little Tavern! I hope you'll find the place cozy and relaxing. I'd definitely try Upveaval demo as a welcome distraction from intense emotions of Baldur's Gate 3. It sure looks very interesting.

I'd love to hear what you think! I haven't played Baldur's Gate 3 yet (my computer is a potato), but, from what I've heard about it, it seems likely that my game might elicit less intense feelings.

 

[InGameScientist]

@Antimatter Broken Roads is happening in just about two weeks!!!

Also, recently played a gem called Soccer Kids (sorry I used the s-word here instead of football, but it's in the name) -- it's a turn-based strategy game where you control kids playing soccer. I know it sounds a bit weird but I loved it especially because it's a turn-based game that isn't about blowing up aliens or hacking and slashing evil.

Soccer Kids Alpha on Steam

A game about soccer, made by people who suck at playing soccer. Guide your team of nerds to victory in this tight, tactical soccer game!

store.steampowered.com

 

[m7600]

Right now I'm looking forward to Subnautica 3. I finished Subnautica 1 and Below Zero a few months ago, and I started playing Stranded Deep mostly to scratch the Subnautica itch, though it's actually a pretty cool game in it's own right. But it's not Subnautica. I need the third instalment of the series, they already have me addicted!

 

[Nimran]

Dragon’s Dogma 2. Probably the only game I’m looking forward to at this time.

 

[Antimatter]

Dragon’s Dogma 2. Probably the only game I’m looking forward to at this time.

Have you played the first installment? Did you like it? What was the game like?

@Antimatter Broken Roads is happening in just about two weeks!!!

Also, recently played a gem called Soccer Kids (sorry I used the s-word here instead of football, but it's in the name) -- it's a turn-based strategy game where you control kids playing soccer. I know it sounds a bit weird but I loved it especially because it's a turn-based game that isn't about blowing up aliens or hacking and slashing evil.

Soccer Kids Alpha on Steam

A game about soccer, made by people who suck at playing soccer. Guide your team of nerds to victory in this tight, tactical soccer game!

store.steampowered.com

Broken Roads was delayed to "early 2024" though, as their team needs more time on QA & stuff. Happy about their decision tbh, the demo already had too many systems, so hopefully, they'll all work nicely in 1.0.

Right now I'm looking forward to Subnautica 3. I finished Subnautica 1 and Below Zero a few months ago, and I started playing Stranded Deep mostly to scratch the Subnautica itch, though it's actually a pretty cool game in it's own right. But it's not Subnautica. I need the third instalment of the series, they already have me addicted!

I agree! What would you say about Subnautica 1 vs Below Zero? Which one did you like more and why?

 

[m7600]

I agree! What would you say about Subnautica 1 vs Below Zero? Which one did you like more and why?

I liked them both a lot, but at the end of the day I prefer Subnautica 1. Below Zero is really good, but the main problem that it has IMO is that it doesn't have a truly scary Leviathan like the Reaper in Subnautica 1. I love the Chelicerate for example, but there's nothing scary about it, it looks like a pink dolphin to me, mostly due to the shape of its body and how it swims. The Shadow Leviathan could be a good candidate, but the environments that it lives in are more awe-inspiring (i.e., "oh wow, giant crystals!") rather than scary like The Dunes in Subnautica 1.
I don't mind the smaller map size of Below Zero, or the other usual criticisms that it gets. What it really needed is a scary, iconic leviathan of its own.

 

[Nimran]

Have you played the first installment? Did you like it? What was the game like?

Oh yeah, I played it. It’s probably the only game I can still play without getting bored of it fairly quickly. Basically, you play as a villager who stands up to a dragon that destroys part of your village, and the dragon steals your heart and challenges you to try and get it back (by slaying the lizard, naturally). The game is you and your loyal pawns (what the game calls your companions) going on adventures to stop the dragon, as well as his minions, from destroying the world. There’s more to it than just that, but I’d be jumping into spoiler territory if I said anything further.

The game plays as an aRPG, like the newer Final Fantasy games, but what makes Dragon’s Dogma truly unique is the fact that you can climb onto large monsters and attack them while climbing on them. It’s really fun, with the different classes, called ‘vocations’ appealing to a variety of different play styles. My current run is with a ranger, almost a pure archer, with some light dagger action.

I like mostly everything about the game, except for two things: the leveling system, and the pawn AI. With leveling, the stats you gain depend on what vocation you’re in, which sounds fine, but it promotes using only certain vocations to get the best stat growths, which I don’t really like. It’s not like you really NEED those gains, of course, but knowing my character could be even better grates on me a bit.

The other thing is the pawns. I hope the second game improves their AI a lot, because the way they worked in the first DD left a lot to be desired. Or, you know, the developers could just let multiplayer be an option. I have seen some of the gameplay trailers, and it does seem like the pawns have been improved, so I’ve got my fingers crossed, hoping that it’s better.

On a side note, the first DD was apparently only about 30-40% complete when Capcom decided to rush it out the door (like big publishers tend to do). The second game is apparently what the first game would have been if the developers were able to actually finish it. This is all just hearsay, of course, so I’m not guaranteeing its accuracy. That said, if it’s true, I’ll be calling it my personal game of the year for sure.

 

[Cahir]

Oh yeah, I played it. It’s probably the only game I can still play without getting bored of it fairly quickly. Basically, you play as a villager who stands up to a dragon that destroys part of your village, and the dragon steals your heart and challenges you to try and get it back (by slaying the lizard, naturally). The game is you and your loyal pawns (what the game calls your companions) going on adventures to stop the dragon, as well as his minions, from destroying the world. There’s more to it than just that, but I’d be jumping into spoiler territory if I said anything further.

The game plays as an aRPG, like the newer Final Fantasy games, but what makes Dragon’s Dogma truly unique is the fact that you can climb onto large monsters and attack them while climbing on them. It’s really fun, with the different classes, called ‘vocations’ appealing to a variety of different play styles. My current run is with a ranger, almost a pure archer, with some light dagger action.

I like mostly everything about the game, except for two things: the leveling system, and the pawn AI. With leveling, the stats you gain depend on what vocation you’re in, which sounds fine, but it promotes using only certain vocations to get the best stat growths, which I don’t really like. It’s not like you really NEED those gains, of course, but knowing my character could be even better grates on me a bit.

The other thing is the pawns. I hope the second game improves their AI a lot, because the way they worked in the first DD left a lot to be desired. Or, you know, the developers could just let multiplayer be an option. I have seen some of the gameplay trailers, and it does seem like the pawns have been improved, so I’ve got my fingers crossed, hoping that it’s better.

On a side note, the first DD was apparently only about 30-40% complete when Capcom decided to rush it out the door (like big publishers tend to do). The second game is apparently what the first game would have been if the developers were able to actually finish it. This is all just hearsay, of course, so I’m not guaranteeing its accuracy. That said, if it’s true, I’ll be calling it my personal game of the year for sure.

I tried to play Dragon Dogma, and while gameplay, exploration and even the story seemed fun and warranted further playing, unfortunately there was one dealbreaking (for me) issue that made me stop playing. Dialogue writing style. I don't know if it's because recently I played the games with the best narrative in crpg history (again, personal opinion) or there's really something off (maybe not, because I couldn't find people complaining about it), but to me it looked like the game was written in other language (most probably in Japanese) and then machine translated to English. It really was that bad for me. Couldn't get past it, which is a shame

 

[Nimran]

The dialogue is hit or miss. The dragon, for instance, is very well voiced, but pretty much every other character speaks as though it’s their first time reading ‘ye olde English’, which, to be fair, it probably was. All those ‘thous’ and ‘aughts’ probably made them a little stilted.

 

[Cahir]

The dialogue is hit or miss. The dragon, for instance, is very well voiced, but pretty much every other character speaks as though it’s their first time reading ‘ye olde English’, which, to be fair, it probably was. All those ‘thous’ and ‘aughts’ probably made them a little stilted.

Yeah, maybe this was the reason. Didn't feel natural to me, at all. I hope DD2 will be different in this regard.