Bioware are gone, a staple of the games industry for seemingly forever. Loads of interesting games on the horizon, and a general sense of panic over what happens to a game developer if their game can be cloned/recompiled by AI?
There is a video version of this newsletter, available here.
Game News
Drop Command + demo.
Drop Command has a demo out now, and it’s giving serious Battlezone vibes. Anyone who’s missed that blend of strategy and getting your own boots dirty should grab it.
Tempest Rising: The Veti’s Wrath releases
Tempest: The Veti’s Wrath is out now. With a title like that, expectations are high for something big, hairy and angry. Don’t say YETI!!! Instead of Abominable Snowmen, you get a Vampirish/Nekronish faction, who can convert and then sacrifice fallen soldiers, to fuel their war machine.
Dawn of War 4 Space Marines trailer
Dawn of War 4 has dropped a Space Marines trailer, and the Emperor’s finest look suitably grim and determined. Fans will be scrutinising every frame for hints of what’s coming. There are loads of Youtube videos talking about the upcoming game. I have been watching this guy.
The trailer itself is pretty cheesy, but a good overview of the faction. I was hoping that having 2 space marine chapters would herald Astartes sub factions or doctrines, similar to PanzerElite/Werhmacht, but alas, it is not to be. How could would it be to play as lore accurate Space puppies, sorry WOLVES….
Ascendance soon?
Is Ascendance coming to early access “soon”? This one has the space 4x community rather excited, and it is easy to see why. It gives off the vibe of Galactic Civilisations but designed from first principles and made huge, like really huge.
Expansion Pass 4 for Age of Wonders 4 now available
Age of Wonders 4 just keeps going. Expansion Pass 4 is available now, adding yet more content to a game that has grown enormously since launch. And it was hardly barebones at release either. Triumph aren’t slowing down. 6 seasons and a movie? Can you imagine a movie? Hey, Triumph, I am available for voice – or other – work. I look a bit like Dhalsim from the recent Street Fighter movie, let’s make it happen.
Distant Worlds: Shadow Rising is out – finally as good as the original DW:U?
Distant Worlds: Shadow Rising has landed. Universe set an incredibly high bar for sprawling, living galaxies, so the big question is whether this one can finally match it. If you have played it, do you think the new game has finally caught up to Universe? Has it surpassed it?
What is Project Lotus?
“Project Lotus” briefly appeared in a Paradox stream, then was promptly disappeared. Right now it raises more questions than it answers. We’re keen to find out what it actually is and whether strategy fans should be watching closely. Helpful hint – don’t google it, not helpful. Mystery! What are the odds it is Age of Wonders 5? 😛
Beltfed announced
Beltfed has been announced, and the name alone suggests something with plenty of firepower. It’s early days, but this is one to keep on the radar as more details emerge. Yes, it is a roguliek AND a tower defence, seemingly jumping on the trends, BUT, by golly it looks…impressive
Solar Imperium
Solar Imperium has turned up on Steam, promising empire building among the stars. Space 4X fans are always hungry for something new, so it’s worth a wishlist and a watch. Crash land on a planet, start with a hex, get back into the universe. From the miniscule to the majestic.
Fragile Existence
In a similar theme to Solar Imperium, Fragile Existence looks…nothing short of amazing. This is being published by Hooded Horse, who are yet to put a foot wrong really.
Battleplan releases (wargame for people who don’t like wargames?)
Battleplan is out now, and it might be the wargame for people who don’t like wargames. If the genre’s complexity has always put you off, this could be your way in. The core gimmick here is that your draw your order, and they are carried out.
Shogun 2 who?
Shogun 2 has a complete edition out, but it was a bit rubbish. Poor AI upscaling, that was apparently not declared, broken mods, not fixing bugs, reintroducing bugs fixed by the community, and so on. So bad it has been pulled from sales. Shamefurrl dispray. What are the implications for the upcoming CA titles?
Below video talks about it in much more depth.
Rule of Iron: Dark Age has a video showing battles. Possible TW killer?
Rule of Iron: Dark Age has shown off its battles in a new video. Plenty are already whispering the dreaded phrase “Total War killer.” Watch it and judge for yourself.
Grand Fantasy Empires: another TW killer?
Grand Fantasy Empires has entered the ring as another would-be Total War killer, this time with a fantasy twist. Bold ambitions, but plenty have tried and fallen before. Can it deliver? Seriously, is the Total War series about to be eclipsed?
Theos: City of Myth has a demo
Theos has a demo available, so there’s no better time to try it. Demos are the perfect way to see whether a game clicks before you commit, so dive in. This is a city builder, and a tribute to the classics of the genre. Plus, the developers are the team behind Pharaoh: A New Era. That means, definitely worth taking a look at.
Ashes of the Singularity 2 launches Nov 10th
Ashes of the Singularity 2 launches on November 10th. The original was all about huge armies and massive-scale RTS battles, so expect the sequel to push that even further. It is an RTS, but determinedly NOT twitch/reflex based. APM might not help you here. Forward thinking will.
Humankind 2 is announced
A new Humankind has been announced. Amplitude’s take on the history 4X divided players first time round, so plenty will be hoping this one fixes what didn’t quite land. The announcement trailer below was apparently done the old fashioned way, but such is the current paranoia of AI, that it received accusations of that.
eXplorminate is cautiously optimistic about this.
Asteria 4X is announced
If something sets out to imitate a 30 year old game, is it old or new school? Imitation, inspiration or homage? Well, Asteria 4X aims to reconstruct Stars! – a game from 1995 – complete with similar UI etc. I am very curious to see if old school conventions are acceptable to the current generation. BTW, there is a board game with the same name. Any relation?
Wielders of the Essence – out Nov 5th
From Lavapotion, the creators of the pixel tribute to HoMM known as Songs of Conquest, not to be confused with Songs of Silence, comes a new game. This is a roguelike action rpg. Your heroes are in a swamp, trying to awaken the Dormant one. Gameplay is intense, great fun. Expect to be bossed around by Rodents of unusual Size.
Bioware is dead
BioWare is dead. It’s a sad end for the studio behind so many beloved RPGs. It may not be strategy, but it’s a reminder of how fragile even legendary studios can be. Interesting, if a bit alarmist, video below. Collapse indeed.
The saddest part of this is obvious – No more Morrigan! Or Mabari Warhounds.
Notable Games on sale, until Nov 2nd:
Solasta 2 (early access) – 20% off
Godsworn (early access) – 25% off
Sintopia – 30% off
Phantom Brigade – 60% off
Songs of Conquest, and all dlc- loads% off:
Notable Updates:
Olden Era – still in early access!
Dust Front demo – interesting update notes. Still a game I am looking forward to.
Endless Legend 2 updates
eXplorminate News & Discussion
Out now our podcast interviewing Enkidu (of Folk Emerging fame).
It’s 90 minutes long, grab a brew and get comfortable.
Here is a Youtube video if you prefer.
We also released a new Community Series video, looking at the early access RTS game Liquidation.
We are lining up the following podcasts, dates to be confirmed:
- eXtermination in the 4x genre (a look at warfare and battle systems in a variety of games)
- *Fingers crossed* an interview with some very big people in the industry 😀
- Our end of year game ranking, always controversial!
And work continues on our Endless Legend 2 review.
Speaking of which, every month, we like to celebrate the community, which is full of lovely people, and highlight a community member we feel embodies what makes eXplorminate such a great place.
This month, it is Mat.Feudums , purely for this post on Endless Legend 2‘s pacing.
Questions to ponder:
- The end of Civilisation? versus
- We have been here before
- AI re-engineering games, and the ethics thereof
Did we miss anything? Be sure to let us know in the comments below if we’ve missed an important news item!
Want to write for us? Have a game or two that you love to keep tabs on? Let us know! eXplorminate@gmail.com
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