No jokes about having to play the previous 39,999
games, we promise. Sweden’s Fatshark returns with
a co-op game in which a four-person Imperial
recon squad enters an underground hive on Atoma
Prime to deal with a deadly enemy cult. The studio
says that it’s “sticking with what we know”; those
who enjoyed Vermintide’s melee-focused combat
will doubtless be happy with more of the same.
Developer/publisher Fatshark
Release 2021
Confusion reigned over whether this was a
replacement for or an expansion to Sega’s MMO.
It’s neither: it’s a new universe (with a visual
overhaul) designed to co-exist with the original,
despite being described as “the next generation of
PSO2”. In a showcase dominated by western titles,
this was a coup for Microsoft, underlining its desire
to bring more Japanese games to Series X.WARHA M MER 40K: DARKTIDE PSO2: NEW GENESIS
Developer/publisher Sega
Release 2021
The wheel has stopped spinning, it seems, and it’s
landed on Obsidian’s turn to have a go at making
Skyrim. Open-world RPG Avowed is set in Pillars Of
Eternity’s world of Eora and appears to be played in
firstperson, with the distinctly Elder Scrolls vibe is
reinforced by your character’s apparent ability to
dual-wield weapons and magic. It’s rumoured to be
much bigger than its predecessor, too. Gulp.AVOWED
Developer Obsidian Publisher Xbox Game Studios
Release TBATriple Topping’s charismatic biographical adventure,
set on a fictional island but populated with real
people and real stories from the developers’ lives,
feels remarkably like home. Small towns, old
friends, family feuds and drunken walks back from
the local pub: the multiple art styles may veer into
the surreal, but the narrative core of Welcome To
Elk is surprisingly – sometimes soberingly – astute.
Developer/publisher Triple Topping
Release 2020
Purple Tree Studio needs a lesson in ornithology:
last we checked, birds don’t lay their eggs by
sicking them up, and they certainly don’t shield-
parry them into their enemies’ faces. Ponpu says
otherwise., a strikingly animated multiplayer battler
with an array of hectic modes, such as Deathmatch
and Paint Battle, and snappy controls that facilitate
silly back-and-forths. Great couch co-op material.WELCOME TO ELK PONPU
Developer Purple Tree Studio Publisher Zordix Publishing
Release Autumn
Our latest demo of this universe-spanning noir
adventure begins by having us tune a cosmic radio
frequency. It might be fiddly – point-and-click with
a cursor translates awkwardly to a pad – but the
outcome is worth it: a jazz-soaked journey through
a monochrome city, where we drag train cars and
comic-book panels forwards towards an incredible
cosmic jam session. This one’s destined for stardom.GENESIS NOIR
Developer Feral Cat Den Publisher Fellow Traveller
Release TBASpeak softly and carry a big stick, as the saying
goes. In this cel-shaded, side-scrolling beat-’em-up
your hero does both, thanks to a nicely voiced
narrative that accompanies the arcade-style chop-
socky. In your Shaolin temple hub, you receive
training to unlock a variety of moves, weapons and
stances as you progress from humble fisherman to
the rank of Shaolin master. Enjoyably old-school.
Developer Sobaka Studio Publisher Buka Entertainment
Release TBA
With the Indian game industry awaiting its first
breakout hit, Raji: An Ancient Epic could be the
one. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, but with
the help of Epic’s Unreal Grant, Nodding Heads has
lavished attention on the details. Fighting demons
is a thrill thanks to Raji’s acrobatic, Devil May Cry-
esque stylings, as she vaults into the air, hurls
herself around pillars and backflips off walls.9 MONKEYS OF SHAOLIN RAJI: AN ANCIENT EPIC
Developer Nodding Heads Games Publisher Super.com
Release Autumn
A narrative game that’s part mystery, part puzzle
game and part surreal adventure. Exploring an old
theatre in firstperson, you investigate items left by
an actor friend. Don a theatrical mask, and the
perspective switches to thirdperson and flips from
its semi-realistic visual style to a hand-painted look,
while the game becomes a journey through a series
of performances that manifest as magical worlds.ARS FABULAE
Developer/publisher Punk Notion
Release 2020OUTSIDE THE BOX