When you mention FromSoftware, everyone automatically jumps to Dark Souls, or maybe Elden Ring now, given how monstrously popular that game was. However, before they started Soulslikes, they made a variety of other games. While I’d love to turn this into an article about Lost Kingdoms, I’ve yet to find an indie game that properly draws inspiration from it. Instead, this is about a game called Lunacid, which is very heavily inspired by King’s Field, a series of dungeon-crawling action RPGs that FromSoftware made all the way back in 1994.
Lunacid is as close to a modern-day King’s Field game as you can get. It’s set in a world where a gigantic beast came from the sea and covered the Earth in a poison fog, and now everything’s basically gone to poop. As a result of this, anyone who’s even slightly off gets chucked into The Great Well, and that’s where you come in, as the story starts with you being thrown in.
From here, you get to choose a class, then you walk around in first-person and explore the Great Well, always working your way down, and fighting off strange beasts and monsters on the way. It’s important to note that, while you do a fair bit of fighting in Lunacid, it’s not really the focus.
The focus here is on exploration, wonder, and some incredibly cool moments. Your class will dictate a little bit about how you fight, but the basics are you walk in, hit something, walk away before you get hit. You get some cool spells along the way too, but you have to be careful when using them as they require time to charge for the most part.
The game even tracks the real-world luna phases for some its mechanics, and that’s the kind of cool that old-school games could never manage. So, if you want to try out an old FromSoftware game, but want it to have some modern sensibilities, then please do yourself a favour and jump into Lunacid.
Mothergunship is a bullet-hell FPS game where you get to create your own guns out of different component parts. It plays a bit like Doom, with you being able to run about at high speeds and hop around as you shoot at things, and while the gameplay is genuinely enjoyable, the joy of the game comes from constructing a gun so uncomfortably large that you can barely see what’s going on every time you fire it.
You can have one gun on each arm, but each of those can be made up of as many parts as you can fit, basically. That means you can have a tri-pronged railgun/grenade launcher/energy blaster on one arm, and a line-up of four different shotguns on the other. Each time you pull the trigger every gun on that arm is going to fire, and you find little modifiers that might upgrade the fire rate, or give them special ammunition as you go too.
Now, this is a roguelike game, so you’ll be dying a lot, but progression feels pretty steady because you unlock new gun parts as you go, and the combat is one that you can actively learn because bosses fire in specific patterns, and you’ll nearly always end up with some over-the-top weapons at your disposal too.
It’s also playable in co-op, and we just love a good roguelike co-op game, because the only thing better than dying a lot is also dragging a friend with you. On top of that, there’s also a VR version of the game called Mothergunship: Forge, which is a little less about running around, and more about ducking and diving.
You still get to build the weapons in the VR version too, but you get to do it with your hands instead, and pieces you’re using float in mid-air while you’re figuring out what to do with the latest rifle you’ve just picked up. It feels incredibly cool to mess around with in both the normal and VR version, and we urge you to pick them up and go and shoot things in the game.
The latest entry in the legendarily violent one on one fighting game series, Mortal Kombat 1 is simultaneously a narrative reset for this much beloved brawler and also a continuation of everything that we saw with Mortal Kombat 11. With all new characters joining a raft of faces from the past, in addition to all new stages, modes, fatalities, a new Kameo system and much more, Mortal Kombat 1 looks set to be the most ambitious entry in Netherrealm Studios’ long-running series to date.
Be sure to keep this guide in your favourites as we cover everything you need to know about Mortal Kombat 1 including the release date, gameplay details, latest trailer, PC specifications, early access information and more.
Mortal Kombat 1 Release Date
The Mortal Kombat 1 release date has officially been confirmed as September 19, 2023. Mortal Kombat 1 is set to have a full release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X consoles, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Mortal Kombat 1 has not been confirmed for a release on the last generation PlayStation 4 or Xbox One consoles as of this writing.
What’s the Story?
As alluded to already, Mortal Kombat 1 represents a restart for the somewhat labyrinthine canon of the Mortal Kombat franchise which spans across some 23(!) different titles. Taking place directly after the events chronicled in the single-player campaign of Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, Mortal Kombat 1 unfolds in an entirely fresh universe ushered in by the new deity, Fire God Liu Kang, who owes his newfound omnipotence to a transfer of power from the Thunder God, Raiden.
Seemingly a reset of everything we know about the series, Scorpion and Sub Zero for example appear to be blood brothers rather than sworn enemies, Mortal Kombat 1 focuses on a mysterious threat to this universe and one that may undo everything that Fire God Liu Kang has created. I’m not sure about you, but that seems as good a reason for a colossal dust up as any.
Mortal Kombat 1 Gameplay
Though a cursory glance at Mortal Kombat 1’s fistic pursuits might suggest a game that hasn’t really changed since its predecessor, the truth is that developer Netherrealm Studios has actually made some neat tweaks to the Mortal Kombat formula. By far the biggest of these new changes is the addition of Kameo fighters to the mix. Reminiscent of the tag-in support you might see in a game such as Marvel Vs Capcom, the Kameo fighters in Mortal Kombat 1 allow players to not just briefly bring in another fighter to add extra damage to their combos, but these Kameo fighters can also perform their own fatalities as well.
Kameo fighters also have utility beyond extending combos and performing fatalities too. Chiefly, X-ray moves can now be jointly performed by primary fighters and the Kameo fighters that have been chosen, resulting in a symphony of bone-breaking savagery. Additionally, all of the other modes that Mortal Kombat fans have come to love, such as an in-depth story mode, Kombat Towers, online tournaments and more all make a comeback in Mortal Kombat 1 to boot.
Mortal Kombat 1 Characters
With a range of old and new faces making their mark, it’s fair to say that this is one of the most varied rosters of any recent entry in the series. You can catch the full list of confirmed characters below:
Ashrah
Baraka
Ermac (Included with Kombat Pack DLC)
Geras
Havik
Homelander (Included with Kombat Pack DLC)
Johnny Cage
Kenshi
Kitana
Kung Lao
Li Mei
Liu Kang
Mileena
Omni-Man (Included with Kombat Pack DLC)
Peacemaker (Included with Kombat Pack DLC)
Quan Chi (Included with Kombat Pack DLC)
Raiden
Rain
Reptile
Scorpion
Shang Tsung (Available as a pre-order exclusive)
Smoke
Sub-Zero
Takeda (Included with Kombat Pack DLC)
Tanya
Mortal Kombat 1 Kameo Fighters
An entirely new feature, Kameo fighters can support primary characters mid-battle by extending and augmenting their combo attacks. You can catch the full list of confirmed Kameo fighters below:
Cyrax
Frost
Goro
Jax Briggs
Kano
Kung Lao
Sareena
Scorpion
Sektor
Sub-Zero
Sonya Blade
Stryker
Mortal Kombat 1 Early Access
Mortal Kombat 1 early access can be obtained by purchasing either the Kollector’s Edition or Premium Edition on PC, PS5, Xbox Series S\X or Nintendo Switch platforms. The early access period begins on Thursday, September 14, 2023, allowing eager fighters a good few days to get familiar with Netherrealm Studios’ latest ahead of its official release five days later. Additionally, if Xbox Series S\X and PS5 gamers pre-order the game (including the standard version), they can also get a leg up on everyone else by gaining access to a special closed beta that will be kicking off sometime later in August 2023.
What are the Preorder Bonuses?
Currently, the only preorder bonus that is currently available to players that put their money down ahead of time, is access to wily sorcerer Shang Tsung as a playable character.
Where Can I Watch The Latest Trailer?
The latest trailer for is available to watch right now and you can catch it above. Easily the most eye-opening video released so far, the ‘banished’ trailer provides players with an extended look at returning fighters Ashrah,Havik and Reptile. Of the three, Reptile’s return appears to be the most impressive, with the reptilian ravager able to switch between his human and lizard forms mid-battle, which provides him with some wildly ingenious combo potential. Beyond that, it’s also a little odd to hear Reptile (or Syzoth, as he is known among his folks), actually speak with something resembling a human tongue – not least because it allows him to adequately convey the sadness he has at being made an outcast by his people, on account of his penchant for shapeshifting into human form. Oooh, drama!
Mortal Kombat 1 PC Requirements
Despite leveraging the ageing Unreal Engine 4, Mortal Kombat 1 nonetheless pushes that engine to its limits with extremely detailed environments, gorgeous character models and a veritable kaleidoscope of stunning visual effects. That said, by using Unreal Engine 4 rather than its feature stuffed successor, this game is eminently scalable across a wide range of PC hardware configurations. So with that in mind, you can catch the minimum and recommended PC specifications below.
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce® GTX 1080 Ti or AMD Radeon™ RX 5700 XT or Intel® Arc™ A770
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 100 GB available space
Shop for Mortal Kombat 1 on PC
Now you’re well armed, it’s time to perform a fatality on your bank account and head to our store to buy Mortal Kombat 1 for PC. Get a great deal when you shop with us, we know you’re Liu Kang for brilliant prices.
The best cyberpunk games let you fight back against the evils of capitalism, enjoy the neon sights, and hopefully get some cool robot limbs or something. It’s basically what a rebellion nowadays would be like in the real world, but with the bonus of having useful robotic parts, instead of just ageing joints that make you go “oof” whenever you get off of the sofa.
If you don’t know what we’re talking about, you’ll hit 30 one day, and then you’ll understand. Sorry. With Robocop: Rogue City on the horizon, we figured it was a good time to take a look into some of the best cyberpunk games out there that’ll let you enjoy this particular dystopia in the many flavours it can come in. Also, there are some amazing stories to enjoy here, so check them all out.
Transistor is the second game from the incredible Supergiant Games, and puts you in the shoes of Red. You’re a singer who’s found themselves in possession of an incredible talking sword, and the ability to pause time in order to plan out and use special attacks. There are loads of different builds to try out, immense bosses to take down, one of the best soundtracks around, and a heart-breaking ending too.
Citizen Sleeper is basically a digital tabletop RPG. It’s astoundingly deep and complex and puts you in an android body an impossible distance away from your actual body. You’ve decided to break away from the mega-corporation that owns you, and you’ll need to try and find your way and live out your days on a space station on the edge of an interstellar society. It’s thought-provoking in a way that few games manage, so please play it.
Cloudpunk is a neon-noir story where you have to deliver some packages. You get to control a cool flying car, but make sure you don’t ever think about what it is you could be delivering. Aside from a great story, it has a beautiful world to exist in, and if you’re just hoping to soak up some good neon vibes, you’d be hard-pressed to find a game that does it as well as Cloudpunk.
Deadlink is a very new roguelite FPS game that wants you to go in all-guns blazing against the megacorporations that have ruined the world. You can expect to find yourself running around at high speeds trying to fend off plenty of cool enemies, using over-the-top weapons, and just generally feeling like an absolute badass. If you want action, action, and then a little bit more action, Deadlink is going to hook you up.
If your idea of fun is fast-paced platforming and action, then you’re going to love Ghostrunner. Ghostrunner puts you in control of an advanced katana-wielding robot that’s on a mission to take down awesome levels one after another. There’s a level of grace and precision necessary here that’s not often required, which can make it a little harder than some people might like, but pulling off a perfect run is its own reward.
Signalis is a survival horror game, but one that’s from a different viewpoint, and in a cyberpunk world. It wouldn’t be here on the list of the best cyberpunk games otherwise. You don’t have to fight off zombies here though, but try and figure out what’s going on in a cosmic mystery, while also trying to escape from unknowable creatures, and also manage your resources to make it out alive. Signalis is constantly unsettling, regularly horrifying, and one of the coolest survival horror games we’ve had in years.
If you’d rather step away from action games and into something a little bit different, then Umurangi Generation is a must-play. This is a first-person photography game where you get to venture around different environments witnessing the depressing dystopia that has arisen. However, while you do have to take photos, they’ll be judged on not just the subject matter in each shot, but also the way you’ve composed the shot and used colour too. You’ll unlock lenses and new equipment as you go, and if you’re keen to explore, you’ll find lots of interesting secrets too.
The best space exploration games are the ones that inspire wonder. It’s not necessarily about going into space itself, it’s more about the feeling of awe that such a thing would cause. That feeling that you’re seeing something genuinely otherworldly, and it’s a feeling that a lot of people are going to be seeking out thanks to Starfield being on the (event) horizon.
Starfield isn’t out yet though, which means we’re all just left playing all of these incredible games instead. That’s right, waiting for one game doesn’t mean having to suffer, instead, you can just jump into these games in the meantime, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll find something truly incredible along the way. We say maybe, but we’re kicking this list off with what might be the best space exploration there ever will be.
Outer Wilds isn’t a game we can really talk about without spoiling stuff, so we’re just going to spend this time telling you to play it. The vague game description is that it’s an open-world mystery game set in a singular solar system. That’s literally all we’re going to tell you about it, so go and buy it instead of wasting your time here. Well, once you’ve finished reading the list. Don’t leave before that. You’ll need something to do while it installs.
If you’re looking for a game that’s going to hit a lot of the same notes as Starfield, then No Man’s Sky is one of the closest games out there. If you’ve not looked into No Man’s Sky since it originally launched back in 2016 to a mixed reception, then let us assure you that it’s exquisite at this point. You can do an absurd number of things in the game now, and you can even play it all in co-op for a very good time.
The Outer Worlds isn’t Outer Wilds, but that won’t stop you from re-reading each entry and probably double-checking the game pages too. The Outer Worlds is a single-player RPG from Obsidian, which pits you against capitalism. You can flirt with your companions, shoot stuff, sneak into places, and just generally have a good old RPG time. It’s a lot of fun, and if you really like it, there are also a few bits of DLC to devour too.
Stellaris is an incredible grand strategy game that will very happily consume all of your time until the end of time, if you want it to. It’s nice like that. This game allows you to create a custom race of aliens to play as, and then try and take over the galaxy, basically. Each game offers something a little different with a massive variety of different encounters and interactions to come across. It’s also multiplayer, which makes for a great way to spend every game night until the end of time, if you all want to. See, so nice.
It’s wild to think that FTL is somehow 11 years old. It’ll be hitting those nasty teenage years soon and telling us all it hates us and that we’re so embarrassing. The good news though, is that even with all that angst, this is still one of the best space-faring roguelike games around. You take control of a ship and a crew and try to survive. That’s the core concept of it, but things end up being a lot more complicated the further you get.
Everspace 2 is an awesome single-player spaceship shooter where you can fly around to see different planets, find loads of loot, do some mining, and enjoy a really cool sci-fi story. It’s a massive amount of fun, and one of the rare games that really makes the most of space-faring dogfighting. The good kind. Not the bad kind. We don’t condone that here.
If all you want from the best space exploration games is to spend your time tinkering around with a physics-based toolbox trying to send weird aliens called Kerbals into the stratosphere, then this is the game for you. Trying to find the perfect way to build each vehicle for proper performance is a lot of fun, and the slapstick nature of each failure makes even messing up feel like a blast.
August is somehow one of the most offensively stacked months of the year for indie games, and it’s almost a bit much. Seriously, could we all just chill out a little bit? How on Earth is anyone meant to actually find time to play all of these incredible indie games? We do this for a living, and we’re still unlikely to get the time to play even half of these.
Still, it’s better to have too much of a good thing, and a lot of these games will appeal to specific kinds of people, which means that, unless you’re like us and want to play everything, you should have a nice month with just a couple of excellent games to sink your teeth into. Or you could just spend the rest of the year playing only Baldur’s Gate 3 and probably not see everything there is to see in it. Anyway…
Are you ready to probably unearth some trauma from your childhood by accident? Good, because we’re pretty sure that’s what Boyhood’s End is going to do. This adventure game is hitting early access and is a science fiction horror game that has you all living under a mechanical overlord called R. Karellen, who rates people and gives them a human score. You take control of Giovanni, who has the lowest human score possible. It sounds stressful, but pretty enticing too.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has been in Early Access for just under two years now, and it’s finally coming out in August. This comes from the geniuses behind the Divinity series, and basically turns Dungeons & Dragons into an RPG for people to enjoy. There are custom characters, unique playable stories to experience, loads of choices to make, nearly infinite builds to test, and it’s co-op too.
30XX asks the important question, “What if there was a Mega Man roguelike?” This is actually a question that its predecessor, 20XX already answered really well, but 30XX builds on it substantially to create an even better game. It’s been in Early Access for some time now, but the full version releases in August, and whether you’re looking for a new platformer, action game, roguelike, level builder, or co-op game to play, this has you covered on every possible front. Also, the music is incredible.
If the idea of moving house seems fun to you, the Moving Out 2 is here for not just you, but also your strange friends who also like lifting furniture. The game builds on the chaotic first entry to add more levels, brand-new obstacles to overcome, and the same sort of co-op and sort of competitive multiplayer that makes it so enjoyable. It’s the kind of game that’s sure to test friendships and familial bonds, but in a light-hearted way, and one that’s less about capitalism than something like Monopoly.
City of Murals describes itself as being a “cute and gross, action-platformer, rogue-lite.” You get to explore huge colourful worlds and use a mix of weird and wonderful weapons against weirder and wonderfuler monsters as you do so. Everything in the game is trying to stay alive as long as it can, and you get to see if you can win that particular competition. The art style is wonderfully absurd too, so check it out.
Jet Set Radioooooooooooooo! Wait, no. Bomb Rush Cyberfuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunk. There’s no denying the inspiration behind Team Reptile’s latest game. The slick gameplay, the cell-shading, and the excellent soundtrack are sure to make this an incredible experience, and we can’t wait to jump in and master everything the game throws at us. We’ve been looking forward to this one ever since it was first announced, and the fact that it’s now within reach has us reaching for our skates.
Goodbye Volcano High is a cinematic narrative adventure game with dinosaurs. We’re not sure it needs any other words, but just in case, you take control of Fang, who is in their final year of high school, and is trying to salvage some underappreciated relationships as they navigate through that tricky time of life. It looks heartfelt, intense, and also it has dinosaurs.
The best CRPGs are about to change because Baldur’s Gate 3 is launching soon, and there’s no conceivable way that it doesn’t just flat-out ruin all of our spare time, our families, our work/life balance, and our sense of reality. It’s also going to have a big old impact on any list of the best CRPGs too, given that it already deserves to be up there just based on how it is in Early Access, and the full game is going to be so much more too.
To keep things fair, we’ve kept it off of this list for now, but there’s no reason why you can’t play some other excellent CRPGs in the meantime. Well, aside from the fact that these games regularly require hundreds of hours to finish. Look, we’re not going to judge you if you somehow finish all of these games before Baldur’s Gate 3 releases. In fact, do it, and then @ us on whatever the social media platform is next month.
Some would say this entry is cheating. We say good; cheating in real life should be the ultimate goal of all things. If you find a cheat code for infinite money, and it somehow doesn’t involve wage theft, then go for it. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is currently the best CRPG in existence thanks to an amazing story, one of the best magic systems around, and tons of charm. It’s also the game that Larian Studios made prior to starting on Baldur’s Gate 3, so ya know.
Solasta: Crown of the Magister is an absolutely incredible game that has you playing in an awesome fantasy world based on the SRD 5.1 ruleset. You can make a massive number of decisions, play with a team, and become a badass wizard or warrior. It’s also got dragons, and really that’s all anyone could possibly want from a fantasy game.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is the latest game in the series and is stunning. You take control of a group of characters who need to journey to the Worldwound, which is where a giant rift has appeared that has the Abyss trying to claim all that is good in the world. You’ll need to make countless decisions to fight back this evil, and the sheer volume of things you can do will keep you going for months.
Here we have a game that constantly wants you to question basically everything. Torment: Tides of Numenera does a staggering job of fusing both sci-fi and fantasy into one horrifying world where the value of a life is constantly questioned. It’s not as expansive as some options on this list, but it’s deeper than most other games in existence, and it allows you to fight in far more nuanced ways than just outright violence too.
Just so we’re clear, there’s no doubt that Disco Elysium is one of the best games to have come out in the last decade. It would be higher on this list were it not for the fact that it has no classical combat, which means it hits slightly different to Baldur’s Gate 3. This story puts you in the shoes of a detective who is either a genius or a complete idiot, and then basically sets you loose in a world where you’re constantly fighting your own inner demons. It’s a joy to experience.
Wasteland 3 is a very silly game. It’s exquisite, don’t get us wrong, but it can be just so very silly. There are so many awesome systems to play around with and exploit here that any group of characters navigating this post-apocalyptic world will be completely different every time the game is played. It’s especially good in co-op too, so grab a friend and get involved.
Finally, we have Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. Please don’t view its place at the bottom of this list as indicating it is somehow less than the other games here, because it’s not. It’s as good as any of these really, it’s just a little more text-heavy than some. Then again, that’s really what CRPGs are about. This adventure puts players in the Deadfire Archipelago, and has them journeying from island to island, finding strange events, cults, new allies, and even gods. It’s an incredible game, so please play it.
Armored Core 6 is coming, and it’s coming soon. For those about to mech, you might be wondering what the best mech games are that you can jump into in the meantime. After all, patience may well be a virtue, but in this modern age of convenience and a frightening number of games, we say that waiting is for fools; you should just play other games while you wait.
To help you bridge the gap between whenever you’re reading this and whenever you can buy Armored Core 6, we’ve decided to make a list of the best mech games you can play right now that aren’t from FromSoftware. Instead, these mechs all offer something a bit different, but all of them are centred around, or include, awesome mechs to jump into and use to take down enemies. Or deliver pizza. We’ll get to that.
MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is the most recent entry in the series, and it puts you in the shoes of a mech pilot fighting their way through different planets, all of which are filled with other mechs to shoot, buildings to walk through, and contracts to complete. It’s just a straight-up mech FPS fantasy that has you customising your mechanical rides as you wish, and it can also be played in co-op. We love co-op, because we love having friends who are definitely real.
From action to strategy, Into the Breach just so happens to be a truly incredible roguelike game that’s also full of mechs. You have to guide your little group of mechs through multiple battles against alien invaders, but you get to see what they’re about to do every turn. It’s then down to your strategy and the abilities of your team to try and make them attack each other, keep them from damaging the few remaining towns, and keep your crew alive. Whether you fail or succeed, you then go onto the next timeline to repeat the process again, albeit with likely better gear.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is an exceptional adventure game that has you playing through an intense and heart-wrenching story set in an alternate version of our own timeline where giant monsters called Deimos invade Japan. You get to control each of the 13 protagonists and get to learn about them and their struggles. Then you also get to fight against giant monsters in mechs too. It’s the best of all worlds.
If your idea of a perfect mech game is one that lets you spend hours upon hours customising 38 different robot parts as you want, including the paint job too, then M.A.S.S. Builder is the game for you. This Early Access game is still being worked on, but it’s already one of the best mech games out there for the sheer volume of stuff you can tweak as you want. It lets you mess around with your weapons too. There’s also combat, but it’s not quite as gratifying. It’s not bad by any means, but we’re hoping it keeps getting improved as it moves through Early Access.
Earth Defense Force 5 isn’t exclusively a mech game, but it does have mechs, and that’s all the excuse we need to talk about it. Among the four classes you can shoot oversized ants and frog people with, is the Air Raider. The Air Raider could be viewed as a support class, as it tends to attack via air strikes, orbital lasers, and even has healing items. It also gets access to the largest number of vehicles though, and one whole category of these are mechs with a mix of shotgun mortars, flamethrowers, missiles, and machine guns. There’s also one that’s so large that enemies can actually climb on it, and that one attacks exclusively with awesome punching attacks.
What if instead of fighting giant monsters, you just used a mech to deliver pizza instead? Well, that’s what you do in Pizza Titan Ultra, where your customizable mech has a pizzeria in the chest, and while you do get into the old scuffle with evil cyborgs, you also get to bring the good word of pizza to everyone you meet. It doesn’t need to make sense to be fun.
Finally, we have The Riftbreaker. This is a base-building survival action game. That has you playing as an elite scientist/commander (they probably have ADHD) who works inside of a mech. You have to explore the areas around you, build a base to make yourself comfortable and to allow you to do research, and also shoot, hack, and slash your way through anything that moves.
With its genre defining world-building, neo-noir detective beats and damaged characters all underscored by a stirring, ruinous futurist aesthetic (not to mention Vangelis evocative and timelessly melancholic score), Ridley Scott’s seminal Blade Runner has long earned its place as not just an all-time great of the big screen, but also as the godfather of the cyberpunk genre.
Given the wealth of enduring love that Ridley Scott’s 1982 science fiction effort rightly enjoys, it should come as little surprise that there are actually a decent handful of quality PC games that engagingly emulate different aspects of Blade Runner. So without further ado, here are some of the best PC games that are like Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner.
Blade Runner (Classic)
Though it’s somewhat on the nose, it shouldn’t be too much of a revelation to discover that Blade Runner is the video game that boasts the closest kinship with Ridley Scott’s motion picture. Originally developed in 1997 by the long and sadly defunct Westwood Studios, Blade Runner was a point and click detective adventure that deeply immersed players in the eternal twilight of 2019 Los Angeles, enticing them to track down a group of Replicants that appear to have gone on a killing spree. Taking in iconic settings such as the Bradbury building, the Dragon Market and more besides, Blade Runner was an excellent point and click offering that while it perhaps hewed a little too closely to the source material, nonetheless was as close to playing Ridley Scott’s seminal 1982 movie as you’re ever going to get.
A remastered version of Blade Runner, courtesy of usually excellent retro remastering outfit Nightdive Studios, released in June 2022 under the moniker Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition and well, it isn’t great. Despite a substantial patching effort that has been brought to bear since its release, Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition still suffers from a number of bugs that weren’t present in the original release, not to mention a visual ‘upgrade’ that is anything but. Akin to the motto of the Tyrell Corporation, commerce, clearly, was the goal here – and little else.
A resolutely dark and grim cyberpunk detective adventure from Bloober Team, the same studio that brought us horror titles such as Layers of Fear and Blair Witch, Observer System Redux casts players as neural police detective that must jack into the fractured and tortured minds of others to unravel a murderous conspiracy. Beyond the obvious similarities with the detective work and broader cyberpunk setting, Observer: System Redux does a particularly decent job of channelling the visual aesthetic of Ridley Scott’s opus. With constant streaming rain and a nighttime setting that is frequently punctuated by the same sort of extravagant lighting that set Blade Runner apart from its big screen contemporaries, Observer: System Redux certainly looks the part.
Observer: System Redux also gets a commendable shoutout for casting late (and sorely missed) actor Rutger Hauer as both the likeness and the voice of the primary protagonist, not least because it conjures a sort of irony that Roy Batty himself is now taking on the role of the world weary detective that Harrison Ford did all the way back in 1982.
Though on the face of it, The Ascent with its fast-paced dungeon crawler combat would seem to have little in common with the more ponderous, thoughtful beats of Blade Runner, it manages to nail two key similarities with Ridley Scott’s genre defining flick. The first, is that
The Ascent paints a compelling picture about what the audience would see if Blade Runner took a deeper glimpse into the myriad areas of Los Angeles, providing players with a painstakingly detailed neon jungle that is awash with blazing signage, flying cars and crowds of downtrodden city dwellers.
Next, it can be easy to forget just how much oomph the firearms in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner actually had. Deckard’s iconic blaster was a hand-cannon in the truest sense and carried with it the sound of splitting thunder each time he would fire off a round. Neon Giant, the developers behind The Ascent, have clearly taken this to heart, not least because every single firearm in the game has the sort of roaring audibles and satisfying heft that every other top down shooter should be jealous of.
Cloudpunk
While Cloudpunk would seem to mimic the dark, rainy nights of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner with due aplomb, it also represents something of a unique take on things. Rather than putting players in the shoes of a conflicted detective or an android in the middle of an existential crisis, Cloudpunk instead casts players as Raina, an employee of Cloudpunk, a sketchy delivery outfit embedded in the city of Nivalis. Tasked with making a range of do-not-ask deliveries to all manner of shady clients from her trusty hover car, Raina soon uncovers a vast web of deception into which rogue AI, deadly androids and more all find themselves caught in.
As Pris saunters towards the Bradbury building in Ridley Scott’s movie and glances up into the sky, observing the massive advertising blimp and the criss-crossing flying cars that soar overhead, it certainly triggers the imagination. Indeed, Cloudpunk is essentially what I would imagine the ‘sky roads’ of Blade Runner’s 2019 Los Angeles would look and feel like, with a city that just begs to be explored as airborne cars screech and turn in the rain-dappled night skies all the while an elevated urban sprawl, decked out in pulsating neon, speeds on by.
Cyberpunk 2077
Though perhaps of all the games on this list, Cyberpunk 2077 would seem to bear the least resemblance from visual perspective to Blade Runner, what with its sun-kissed city sprawls and resolutely futuristic architecture, the underpinning existential struggle and themes of attempting to ‘perfect’ the human race still boast a palpable kinship to Ridley Scott’s cyberpunk masterpiece.
More than that, Cyberpunk 2077 tugs at the wellspring of imagination by providing a tantalising glimpse at what the world of Blade Runner might look like beyond the boundaries of its frame, as CD Projekt RED’s recently redeemed epic RPG invites players to shape their own story in a massive, bleak metropolis teeming with tragedy, opportunity and hubris. If someone ever decided to make an open world action RPG based directly on Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, chances are that other than the occasional solar intrusion, it would look a lot like Cyberpunk 2077.
Developed by Round8 Studio and published by Korean outfit NEOWIZ, Lies of P is an atmospheric Soulslike that pulls on both the design bedrock of FROM Software’s legendary series and also Carlo Collodi’s beloved fairytale, Pinoochio. An enticing mix of influences to say the least, this game blends in a beguiling Belle Époque setting and visual aesthetic to make it stand out among its genre peers, sending players off into a darkly violent odyssey through Krat, a city rife with plague.
Be sure to keep this guide in your favourites as we cover everything you need to know about Lies of P including the release date, gameplay details, latest trailer, PC specifications, early access information and more.
Lies Of P Release Date
The Lies of P release date has officially been confirmed as September 19, 2023. It is set to have a full release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X consoles and PC via Steam. There is currently no release date for Lies of P on the Epic Games store. Additionally, Lies of P has not been confirmed for a Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One release as of this writing.
Lies Of P Gameplay
As we’ve already established, Lies of P is a Soulslike and with that descriptor comes a number of expected game elements that NEOWIZ’s latest effort embraces duly. With the action taking place from a third-person perspective, Lies of P follows in the footsteps of its genre stablemates by placing a premium on precise and punishing melee combat, where split-second frame timing is the difference between landing an attack on a boss and being one-shotted into controller-squeezing oblivion.
Familiar also is the manner in which checkpoints work. Stargazers, which function the same way as Bonfires do in FROM Software’s Dark Souls games, not only replenish Pulse Cells (Lies of P’s version of trusty restorative Estus Flask) and allow you to spend ‘ergo’ (think Souls from the Dark Souls games) to level up your character, but so too do they resurrect all defeated enemies, minus bosses, on the map, allowing you to grind your way to glory should you so choose. So far, so Dark Souls then.
Lies of P however, leverages its unique narrative setting to introduce an additional gameplay element that hasn’t really been seen in other Soulslikes. With the titular hero of the game being a puppet of sorts, players can craft special weapons and augmentations that can be hooked into their frame, providing a surprising amount of creative latitude when it comes to battle configurations to say the least.
Lies Of P Story
A somewhat off-kelter retelling of the story of Pinocchio (and that’s putting it mildly), Lies of P begins with players taking control of a masterwork puppet that has been crafted by expert puppet maker Geppetto after a calamity has befallen the city of Krat. Formerly a metropolis filled with art, culture and kindness, Lies of P has players taking the titular puppet through the depths of Krat itself, carving a vengeful and bloody path through the nefarious figures and foes that stand between them and a shocking truth that will upend their very existence.
Is There Multiplayer?
Quite unlike other Soulslike titles such as Dark Souls, Elden Ring and the seminal Bloodborne, Lies of P does not support multiplayer at all at launch. This means that the usual cooperative shenanigans where you would normally invite another player into your game – as has traditionally been the case in other Soulslike – simply isn’t an option. Additionally, Lies of P will not provide any adversarial multiplayer modes at launch either.
Lies Of P Demo
Yes, you can! There is a free demo that is available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S platforms. The free demo is available on the Xbox Marketplace for Xbox Series X/S gamers, while PlayStation 5 folks can nab the demo from the PlayStation Store. Finally, PC owners can also dabble their toes in Lies of P’s myriad delights by grabbing the free demo from the official Steam page for the game.
Early Access & Preorder Bonuses
The main Lies of P preorder bonus that is currently available to players is the Puppet’s Clothes and Mischievous Puppet’s Parade Hat. Both items will be provided for free to anyone who preorders the standard version. For folks with deeper pockets however, there is also a Deluxe edition which not only includes additional cosmetic DLC, a hardcover art book, original soundtrack and a fancy limited edition steelbook case, but also 72-hour early access to the game beginning on September 16, 2023.
Where Can I Watch The Latest Trailer?
The latest trailer for Lies of P is available to watch right now and you can catch it above. Courtesy of this year’s Summer Games Fest, the latest trailer for the game is all about setting the scene for this most unusual of Pinnochio adaptations, showcasing an impressive array of beautifully realised, ruined industrial environments alongside glimpses at its scintillating and acrobatic combat.
PC Specifications
With sprawling and highly detailed dark industrial worlds that unfurl before the player, all of which is ably supported by some great character designs and extravagant bosses, Lies of P is certainly a treat for the eyes. Happily though, I can report that all of that opulent, retina-stroking goodness doesn’t require a substantial PC to get the most from it. Certainly, if you’ve got a gaming PC from the last five years or so, then you should be able to run it quite comfortably indeed. You can catch the minimum and recommended PC specifications for Lies of P below.
Gem Wizards Tactics came out back in 2021 for Steam and 2022 for Switch, but frankly, not enough people are talking about it. This delightful turn-based strategy game has five factions to choose from, including Potatoes, and The Business Demons, each of which has its own unique take on how to take out enemy units and eventually win the battle.
Your job is to figure out not only what your faction is good at, but also what each individual unit can do, and then manage the action points needed to actually do things. You can flank enemies to give you a huge advantage, push them off of the map, take advantage of terrain for defensive advantages, or burn the very ground itself to cause damage over time.
It’s an incredibly clever game that not only has you trying to think outside of the box, but basically dismantles the box, puts it into recycling, gives you the idea of a box, and then destroys that too. You can absolutely win your way through the campaigns and missions by just using basic tactics, but if you’re clever, you can do it with the kind of style that many other tactics games can only dream of.
Alongside the five campaigns, there’s a story mode to take on in Gem Wizards Tactics and you can create your own missions as you please as well. It’s just a blast to play, and finding new ways to use old units never gets old. It feels like a mix of Into the Breach and Advance Wars, and that should have just about every tactics fan ready to jump on it. The visual style is great, and this is a perfect game for jumping in for a quick 10-minute battle, or to spend an entire afternoon smashing through one of the campaigns.
Necrosmith is a lot of things. It’s a necromancer simulator; it’s a bullet hell; it’s a strategy game; it’s a tower defence game. It sounds muddled, but it’s actually not. Basically, each run kicks off with you in your tower with only a handful of skeleton body parts to your name. Each creature you make needs to have two arms, two legs, a body, and a head. Outside of that though, which of each part you give any given creature is up to you.
Let’s say you get a zombie arm holding a sword, a tentacle, two harpy legs, an orc body, and a vampire head, you can put them onto your magical table and resurrect them as one thing. Your horrifying monster will then stagger out onto the battlefield, and start exploring as it likes. The same is true of all of your creations.
They’ll roam around looking for places to conquer, technology for you to upgrade, other monster parts, things to fight, and even teleporter gates. While they’ll all move around with their own will naturally, you can issue them commands like telling them to stand still to protect an area. You can also choose to take control of one of them at a time and move them around as you like.
When your tower eventually falls, you go back to the start screen, level up whatever you can afford to do so, and try again. As you progress you’ll unlock powerful spells, find easier ways to get new body parts, and unlock awesome technology. It’s a simple but very effective way of giving you a bit of progress, and the game does a good job of subtly seducing you into giving it one more go, even when it’s way past your bedtime or your cats are screaming at you. There’s also a sequel coming at some point soon (apparently), so now’s a good time to jump into the Necrosmith and find your feet.
Your Only Move Is Hustle hit Steam back in February this year, but had been on Itch.io before that. It’s a strange prospect, because while this is undoubtedly a fighting game, it’s also turn-based, and matches can take up to thirty minutes depending on the people and characters in play.
While most fighting games have you relying on split-second reaction times and learning lengthy combos, Your Only Move Is Hustle is a very different beast. It plays out a lot more like an intensely granular turn-based RPG. Every move you make can be from among a number of basic attacks, specials, and defensive options. You can tweak the direction of a lot of these slightly, and even change the direction you’re launched in if you get hit.
Every move shows you a preview of what it could do, along with when your and your opponent will get a chance to react next, meaning you will regularly cancel moves into other moves, try and find the perfect timing, and plan your blocks and dodges accordingly. Whoever lands a blow first will have an advantage and the chance to combo off, but it’s rarely straightforward.
The game has four characters by default, but modding is massive in YOMI Hustle (that’s what the cool kids call it). That means that if there’s an anime, game, or obscure meme character you can think of, they’re probably in the game thanks to those mods. The base game is absolutely incredible anyway, but modding means you can have Baki the Grappler fighting against Michael Jackson from Moonwalker, his video game, and that’s the kind of thing only gaming can manage.
While getting to grips with things does take a little bit of time, there are few games out there that make you feel quite as badass at the end of each match. That’s especially true as the fight will play out in real-time after your hard-fought battle, so you get to watch your characters beat the snot out of each other with more fluidity than most people can dream of.
Developed by the same talented hands that brought us the roundly excellent Divinity: Original Sin games, Baldur’s Gate 3 looks set to deliver the most sprawling, ambitious and accurate take on the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop phenomenon seen to date and we’re here to let you know everything you need to know about it.
Make sure to keep this guide in your favourites as we cover everything you need to know about Baldur’s Gate 3 including the release date, gameplay details, latest trailer, PC specifications and much more.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Release Date
The Baldur’s Gate 3 full PC Steam and Mac release date has been confirmed as August 3, 2023. Further afield, it will also have a full release on PlayStation 5 on September 6, 2023. The RPG will also eventually release on Xbox Series S/X consoles, but a release date has yet to be announced at this stage owing to current technical difficulties in making the multiplayer split-screen functionality performant on the less powerful Xbox Series S console.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Gameplay
Following the footsteps of its genre defining predecessors, Baldur’s Gate 3 once more whisks players off into Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms setting, though this time the experience has been crafted with the sort of sweep and scope that those older BioWare titles could only dream of. Using the D&D 5e ruleset as its base, Larian’s game tasks players with gathering a party of heroes together and to venture deep into the Sword Coast in an attempt to unearth a conspiracy between earthbound rulers and otherworldly deities.
Kicking things off with the sort of super in-depth and layered character creation system that one would expect from the tabletop Dungeons & Dragons experience, it soon thrusts players into its world, offering up a delectable mixture of turn-based combat, ambitious third-person perspective exploration and sophisticated questlines. Baldur’s Gate 3 offers up a bounty of player agency and non-linear choice, allowing wannabe adventurers and armchair heroes to entirely shape the narrative and side quests in accordance with the alignments that they have chosen for their party.
Really though where the game really would seem to stand apart from its genre contemporaries is in how closely it hews to its tabletop source material, allowing players to really do just about everything. From engaging in wild Druid bear relations (and that’s all I’m saying about that) to an in-game newspaper that reports on what you’re doing – and can be affected by finding the print office and, well, convincing them to report things in a different way – to a full range of customisable character origins that can uniquely shape a given playthrough, it looks to be the most accurate representation of Dungeons & Dragons tabletop experience that we’ve ever seen.
How Long Does It Take To Complete?
To be clear – Baldur’s Gate 3 is far from some meagre morsel of a game. Clocking in at between 75-100 hours to complete just the main storyline, well over 200 hours to finish all of the side quests, more than 175 hours(!) of story cinematics and triple(!!) the word count of the Lord of the Rings novel trilogy, it’s certainly fair to say that this game represents a veritable banquet of epic RPG goodness. Quite simply, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a mammoth undertaking in every sense of the word and is so broad in sweep, scope and ambition that repeat play is utterly irresistible in order to see everything that Larian Studios latest can offer.
Does it Support Multiplayer?
Yes, Baldur’s Gate 3 does support multiplayer. Much like the tabletop experience that it’s based on, multiplayer is a key part of the proceedings and developer Larian Studios has implemented it seamlessly into the game. Supporting online cooperative multiplayer for up to four players, it permits each of those players to assume control of a character within the party and in doing so, allows each player to fully experience the gargantuan campaign that the game offers.
Even better, not only is crossplay between PC and Mac players available with the online multiplayer side of things but it also supports local, same screen co-operative play for up to two players as well. In addition to split-screen multiplayer being available in all three versions of Baldur’s Gate 3, so too is cross save functionality supported – enabling players to hop from one platform to another and bring their progress with them.
Where Can I Watch The Latest Trailer?
The latest trailer for Baldur’s Gate 3 is available to watch right now and is a release trailer that provides players with a rapid-fire glimpse at what to expect from the game. Showing off an enticing mixture of combat, cutscenes, romance, terrifying monsters and providing a brief tease for the game’s story, the release trailer does a grand old job of priming players for their return to its titular realm of dark fantasy adventure.
Baldur’s Gate 3 PC Specifications
Unfolding within a sprawling take on the Dungeons & Dragons universe with an emphasis on detailed character models, breath-taking environments and extravagant effects work, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an opulent effort that demands a capable PC rig to get most from it. On that note, you can catch the minimum and recommended specifications below.
Minimum PC specifications:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel I5 4690 / AMD FX 8350
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 970 / RX 480 (4GB+ of VRAM)
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 150 GB available space
Recommended PC specifications:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel i7 8700K / AMD r5 3600
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia 2060 Super / RX 5700 XT (8GB+ of VRAM)
Brought to grim life by developer Sumo Digital and published by Gun Interactive, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre game is a third-person asymmetrical horror effort that channels the terror and intensity of the 1974 genre classic with nail-biting stealth and vicious, bloody executions.
Make sure to keep this guide in your favourites as we cover everything you need to know about The Texas Chain Saw Massacre game including the release date, gameplay details, latest trailer, PC specifications and much more.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Game Release Date
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre game release date has officially been confirmed as August 18, 2023. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre game is set to have a full release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X consoles and PC via Steam. The timeline for an Epic Games Store release for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre game is currently unclear. Likewise, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre game has not been confirmed for a Nintendo Switch release as of this writing.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Gameplay
At its core The Texas Chain Massacre is an online, third-person asymmetrical multiplayer horror game where players must choose to take on the role of either a member of the murderous Sawyer Family, tracking down victims and tearing them up with an impressive range of sharp things, or step into the shoes of the fresh-faced victims that have to flee their nihilistic pursuers. Certainly on the face of it, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre would seem to have a whole lot in common with other asymmetric horror offerings such as Dead by Daylight and most obviously, the sadly soon to be shuttered Friday The 13th Game – another genre effort inspired by a big screen horror franchise with a cult following.
Games play out with three family members chasing four survivors around what is a fairly sizable map, one that is abundant in all manner of hiding places, crevices and more that players can sneak into in order to evade detection (and subsequently a messy murder). In a similar fashion to other asymmetric horror efforts, both sides have upgradeable abilities and perks that can be used to shift things in their favour. The survivors have perks that improve their stamina, make them quieter when sneaking around, provide heightened senses and so forth, while the family have perks that increase melee damage, better blood harvesting, improved endurance and more.
Speaking of blood harvesting, the decrepit Grandpa Sawyer plays a key role in the game. Though largely immobile, if the family harvest enough blood for him they can improve their familial bond, conferring onto the elder Sawyer abilities that can make life even more miserable for the escaping survivors. Luckily, the survivors can prevent this from happening by attacking Grandpa Sawyer and thus breaking the bond between him and the rest of the family, negating any additional advantages his abilities might bring to help that side in the process.
Who Are The Family Members?
Rather than just being a bunch of identikit goons, the Sawyer Family is actually made up of a variety of deeply disturbed individuals that each have their own unique traits to help them harvest the flesh of their harried quarry. You can catch the Sawyer Family members and their unique abilities below.
The Cook: Ever eager to find raw meat to harvest, the Cook’s Seek ability allows him to zero in on the smallest of noises made by the victims, which makes tracking them down that much easier as a result.
Sissy: Well versed in the substances and compounds of the world, Sissy can concoct a special poisonous dust that can be blown in the faces of the victims or used to contaminate items around the map.
The Hitchhiker: Skilled in trap making, the Hitchhiker can lay special traps that not only temporarily stun victims but also alert him as to where on the map each trap has been triggered.
Johnny: A true hunter in every sense of the word, Johnny’s Hunt ability allows him to see the footsteps of victims, enabling him to catch up with the victims extremely quickly and unleash a barrage of brutal attacks upon them.
Leatherface: The iconic face of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the chainsaw-toting Leatherface is the lumbering brute of the Sawyer Family and as such, can use his Maim ability to chainsaw the victims into bits. Beyond that, Leatherface can also dramatically alter the structure of the map too, as he is able to destroy escape passages, barricades and more to reduce the escape opportunities available to the victims.
Who Are The Victims?
Just the very fact that the escapees are called ‘victims’ rather than ‘survivors’ gives you some clue about how long your life expectancy is expected to be against a trio of keen eyed killers. That said each survivor brings their own abilities to the table to help even things up, as you can see below.
Connie: Certainly one of the most dexterous members of the group, Connie’s Focused ability enables her to pick a lock much faster than usual without using up the unlock tool. The tradeoff however, is that she’ll lose stamina and her family proximity warnings whilst using the ability.
Leland: The jock of the group, Leland’s athletic frame is put to effective use with his Life Saver ability that allows him to execute a stunning charge on a family member in order to disrupt an attack on one of his fellow survivors.
Sonny: Something of a keen thinker, Sonny’s Heightened Sense ability lets him not only hear and detect nearby family members, but accurately pinpoint their movements too.
Julie: Boasting one of the best abilities in perhaps the whole game as it currently stands, Julie’s Ultimate Escape ability not only makes undetectable by the family for a short time, but it also greatly reduces the stamina drain from sprinting, making it the perfect ability for pushing through to a last minute escape.
Ana: The fearless leader of the group, Ana’s Pain is Nothing ability not only greatly cuts down on the damage she’ll absorb from attacks and falls, but it also provides a temporary immunity to poison as well.
Does The Game Support Crossplay?
Yes, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre game will support crossplay at launch between PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X players. Unfortunately, crossplay will not be available in the last generation PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
Where Can I Watch The Latest Trailer?
The latest trailer for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Game is available to watch right now and zeroes in on the extremely violent kills that the infamous Sawyer Family can inflict on their poor, hapless victims. Though just over a minute in length, this latest trailer for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre does a fantastic job of conveying the aesthetic, palpable intensity and terror that has long been synonymous with the 1974 cult movie.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Game PC Specifications
Showcasing some appropriately moody lighting, detailed shadow work and geometry modelling that really brings the eerie backwoods of Kingsland, Texas to life, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is shaping up to be one of the most visually accomplished multiplayer offerings that money can buy.
As yet, Gun Interactive has yet to release the official PC specification for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. However, during the technical test that was released in late May, a series of specs were issued based on four performance profiles. Based on that information, you can catch the minimum and recommended The Texas Chain Saw Massacre PC specifications below as they currently stand – though be aware these might change at release.
With the previously PlayStation 5 exclusive Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart making its way to PC, now seems as good a time as any to take a trip down memory lane and impart a brief history of the Ratchet and Clank franchise from its humble PS2 origins to its present day incarnation.
Ratchet & Clank (2002) – PS2
Where it all began, Ratchet & Clank released for the PlayStation 2 console more than twenty years ago now and introduced gamers to its titular heroes – a cheeky ‘Lombax’ known as Ratchet and his drily comic robotic companion, Clank. Unlike other previous games that had the platforming antagonist duos such as Banjo & Kazooie and Jak & Daxter, Ratchet & Clank instead combined three-dimensional platforming with the sort of shoot em’ up shenanigans that were previously the preserve of side-scrolling efforts to create something that was truly unique for the time.
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (2003) – PS2
Unfolding in a different setting to its predecessor, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando whisks the galaxy-saving duo off to the Bogon Galaxy where a mysterious experiment must be retrieved lest, you guessed it, the universe falls into an unfathomable peril. More interestingly, Going Commando would bring a neat levelling system for its weapons that would become a staple of the franchise for every game thereafter.
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (2004) – PS2
Guiltily amusing title aside, once again reunites Ratchet & Clank to embark on yet more intergalactic heroics, this time to defeat the evil (and appropriately named) Dr. Nefarious before he can wreak havoc across the galaxy. Though Up Your Arsenal maintained the core mechanics and structure seen in previous games, it kept things fresh by bringing split-screen and online multiplayer to the table for the first time.
Ratchet: Deadlocked/Gladiator (2005) – PS2
Separating Ratchet and Clank for the first time, Ratchet: Deadlocked (or ‘Gladiator’ for those folks residing in Europe or Australia) elected to focus more on the combat side of things as the titular Lombox found himself thrust into a cosmic gladiatorial contest to rescue his longtime partner, Clank.
Ratchet & Clank: Going Mobile (2005) – Java powered mobile devices
Marking the first time that the duo would leave their PlayStation stomping grounds, Ratchet & Clank: Going Mobile was a two-dimensional action platformer that hopped onto Java powered mobile phones all the way back in 2005. Given the technological limitations of the mobile phones of the day, it’s understandable that the three-dimensional spectacle of the PS2 titles wouldn’t make the leap, what is perhaps less understandable is why the game felt so tragically lifeless and soul crushingly dull.
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (2007) – PSP
Like Jak & Daxter before it (well, just Daxter actually), Ratchet & Clank was another PlayStation marquee franchise that would be given time to shine on Sony’s shiny new PSP handheld. Essentially a spin-off from the core series established on PS2, though it found itself lacking somewhat in the visual department when compared to the series entries on its home console big brother, it still captured enough of the platforming combat essence to make it compelling to fans all the same.
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (2007) – PS3
The debut of Sony’s new favourite mascot duo on its PS3 hardware, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction felt like a return to form that not only leveraged the newfound horsepower of Sony’s seventh generation PlayStation console, but also doubled down on the core mechanics that made the series so enrapturing in the first place. Not only can players once again control Clank separate from Ratchet (complete with his own puzzle solving sections), but a range of wacky new weaponry – the highlight of which being the hilarious Disco Ball that made affected enemies dance like lunatics – all underscored the fact that Tools of Destruction was the best Ratchet & Clank game to come along in a good while.
Secret Agent Clank (2008) – PSP
The second attempt at the limelight on Sony’s PSP handheld would come in the form of 2008’s Secret Agent Clank, the first (and only) game in the entire series in which Clank is the sole and main act. Separating itself from Clank’s input into the mainline games where his involvement mostly boiled down to some inexplicably slim puzzle-solving and platforming sections, in Secret Agent Clank our quick-witted robot has weapons and abilities all his own, lending credibility to the notion that Secret Agent Clank was able to successfully capture the core of the series at large.
Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty (2008) – PS3
A direct sequel to the events that unfolded in 2007’s Tools of Destruction, Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty basically gave players more of everything that they enjoyed from the duo’s PS3 debut. Where Quest for Booty is a little different though is in the increased focus on puzzle-solving and platforming elements above and beyond what players were typically used to.
Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time (2009) – PS3
Embodying the best of the series old and new, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is rightfully regarded by many as one of the very best entries in the whole franchise. Not only does Ratchet now possess a fancy Chronoscepter that can fix broken objects, but so too can Clank record up to a minute of himself while his actual self is off doing something else. Naturally, many of A Crack in Time’s challenges are built around these two concepts and provide some of the most compelling puzzles the series has seen to date. Elsewhere, A Crack in Time is also much more open than its predecessors, with our heroic duo able to fly between planets and moons freely.
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (2011) – PS3
The first (and to date, only) title to feature four player co-operative play, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One was a series spin-off that got quite the mixed reception to say the least. Though the notion of a four player co-op Ratchet & Clank game is an enticing one, All 4 One’s abridged length, demonstrably inferior level design and lack of polish compared to its predecessors all meant that this felt like quite the disappointment after the excellence that A Crack in Time brought to the table.
Ratchet & Clank Collection (2012) – PS3, PS Vita (2014)
A remaster of the first three PS2 games in the series, the Ratchet & Clank re-imaged the first game, Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal with 720p resolution and buttery smooth 60 frames per second animation. As an added bonus, not only did the multiplayer portion of Up Your Arsenal make the lap to PS3 fully intact but Insomniac Games also decided to throw in a stereoscopic 3D mode just for kicks. Oh and the PS Vita handheld version wasn’t half bad either, marking the first time that the original three games in the series would be playable on the go. A fitting way to celebrate Ratchet & Clank’s tenth anniversary.
Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault (2012) – PS3, PS Vita (2013)
A spin-off that incorporated tower defence elements into the series trademark third-person platforming shooter sensibilities, Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault sadly succumbed to its newfound design elements, making it feel more like a watered down strategy effort rather than a truly satisfying entry in the series. Worse still, the PS Vita version was an absolute mess with horrendous loading times, poorly detailed textures and on-screen text that became illegible at times.
Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus (2013) – PS3
Once more returning to the calibre that defined the earlier mainline games in the series, Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus did a decent job of capturing the series classic magic. Beyond its adherence to the series design bedrock, Into the Nexus brought new elements into the fold where Ratchet must manipulate gravitational forces to reach previously inaccessible places.
Ratchet & Clank (2016) – PS4
The sole Ratchet & Clank offering to be developed and released on PS4 (presumably we have the adventures of a certain well-known webslinger to thank for that), Ratchet & Clank is actually a reimagining of the series’ very first instalment. More than that, the 2016 outing also became one of the better entries in the series to boot thanks to some incredible visuals and a return to the superb platforming shooter gameplay that made the series so compelling to begin with.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (2021) – PS5, PC (2023)
Supported by the PS5’s cutting edge architecture – and in particular its screamingly fast SSD, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was ambitious in ways that no other game in the series could have been. A direct sequel to 2013’s Into the Nexus, this entry thankfully plays similarly to the series 2016 outing but augments it with portal based mechanics that allows our titular heroes to seamlessly hop one from dimension to the next, while the visual presentation was of such high quality that it can look like you’re playing a Pixar movie at times. A soaringly impressive offering, it’s little wonder that only the PS5 and the beefiest of PC rigs can fully realise the sprawling technical ambition of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
July is upon us and with it comes not only the best indie games releasing in July, but also the oppressive heat and humidity that some weirdos claim to love. Not us though, you can find us in a dark room praying for rain and tweeting about how horrific it is to be too warm. You’ll also find us getting stuck into the best indie games in July because why wouldn’t we be? Seriously, have you seen what we’re getting this month?
Oh right, maybe you haven’t but that’s only because you’re still reading this intro (and bless you for that) instead of jumping into the list of the best July indie games below. We’ve gone ahead and picked out our seven favourites from the upcoming releases and made a good argument for all of them. So, let’s go ahead and get stuck in. Treat yourself to an ice cream while you’re reading too, you deserve it.
Oxenfree is one of those indie games that sort of transcends the indie label to be way more popular than even some AAA games. It’s no surprise that Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is a game worth looking forward to. This game takes place five years after the original game, and you have to return to Camena to investigate some strange radio signals, and we’re sure everything will be fine.
Battle Bows is a virtual reality game where you and a few other friends can become the towers in a tower defence battle. You each get to choose an arrow type to command and then you get to loose your bow at every weird and wonderful enemy that comes at you. It’s got a solo mode too, but we reckon the co-op mode is where this one is going to shine.
If your idea of fun is hiring mercenaries and taking them out across a country where the president has gone missing, and a paramilitary group is staging a coup, then good news, Jagged Alliance 3 has you covered. You have to guide a group through battle after turn-based battle in order to try and save the country of Grand Chien, and you get to loot and salvage what you can after each battle to upgrade your troops. It looks like a huge amount of fun, and is sure to be a good shout for tactic-fiends.
Viewfinder looks a lot like it could be the next Portal. That sounds really reductive and annoying, but seriously, it’s true. This game has you taking photos to solve puzzles, and then you can place those photos in the real world, and either create new paths using them, or pull boxes you may need out of them, and so much more. It’s a cool concept, and we’re excited to see how it all comes together.
Dating sims still get a bad rap as not being “real games,” and we’re sick of it. The genre has been evolving in fascinating ways in recent years, and From Madness With Love looks like an excellent example of that. This game has you playing as someone who’s just transferred to a new private school for rich kids, but only because your last school was blown up. You have to navigate the intricacies of social class to try and woo some of those at the academy. It sounds like a cool concept, but things get really interesting if you scroll down the Steam page a bit because it also warns that it contains a lot of stuff that most people wouldn’t expect from a dating sim.
Remnant II is pushing the limit of being an indie, we know, but also, shut up. Remnant II is the follow-up to the colossally underrated Remnant: From the Ashes, which was a third-person-shooter Soulslike with just a little bit of roguelike energy sprinkled in. It was also absolutely sublime in terms of gameplay, story, and the scale of the boss battles. Remnant II looks to build upon all of that with a more fully-formed class system, while still retaining the co-op gameplay and excellent gunplay that made the original so enticing.
Rightfully, Beary Arms is a cute-looking game with a cute name, but it’s actually a bullet hell, so strap in. This roguelite has you collecting loot, choosing enemy upgrades as well as your own, and carefully working your way through dungeons seeking victory. Enemies have their own factions too, which makes them easier to categorise, but you’ll need a bit of luck as well as strong strategy and good reflexes to survive this game.
Final Fantasy XVI is out this month, and despite how good it looks, it’s literally only coming to PlayStation, to begin with, which leaves the rest of us schmucks all alone without the latest game in a classically turn-based game series. However, Final Fantasy XVI isn’t a turn-based RPG at all, but an action one. This isn’t a complete surprise as the series has been dipping more and more into action over the last few entries, including the FF7 remake and even Stranger of Paradise, the soulslike spinoff (which is both better than it has any right to be, and also absurd in the best way)..
The good news is that this means there are a lot of cool games that we can all play while we wait for the game to end up on PC or other consoles, and even if you do have a PS5, these are still incredible games that capture some aspect of Final Fantasy XVI, and should help scratch that intense action itch. If none of these games does it for you, then maybe go see a doctor about that itch instead.
Dragon’s Dogma – Dark Arisen is the ultimate version of one of the best action RPGs of all time, and in a better universe, we’d already be talking about Dragon’s Dogma 3 or 4. Alas, this rubbish universe only has us waiting for the second entry, but thankfully, this game holds up remarkably well, and will satiate any amount of hunger for monster hunting, climbing on dragons, and generally feeling like a fantasy powerhouse.
Bright Memory: Infinite
Bright Memory: Infinite isn’t strictly an action RPG; it’s actually more of an FPS. However, this game is slicker than Matilda’s dad’s hair, and it’s very much worth playing, especially as it’s just £15.49 most of the time. This game has you blitzing your way through levels using a mixture of guns and melee weapons to wreak absolute havoc on everything in your path, and the aim is basically to look as cool as you can while doing so. It’s also shockingly beautiful too.
Warframe
Warframe is a big old sci-fi game that has you leaping and speeding around levels, upgrading incredible futuristic suits to dole out damage with, and also deflecting bullets using katanas. It’s also almost scarily large in terms of things to do, and exploring open areas in-between more linear levels. It also has pets, co-op, and endless customization too.
Valheim
Valheim is a survival game, so another not technically an action RPG, but this is our list, and we’re right. This game has you and up to nine other players exploring a world inspired by Viking culture, and not only doing the usual things like building shelters and chopping down trees, but also fighting off monsters and massive bosses. It’s a lot of fun, and if you’ve not played it yet, now’s as good a time as any.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an awesome action adventure game that has you playing as a young spirit guide trying to fix a broken world, and free spirits while doing so. It’s deceptively tough to play, the action feels great, and the spirits you meet along the way are adorable, so it really does have a bit of everything. It might feel like a bit of a strange choice, but we think it fits in nicely, and also, just more people should play it.
Hades
Hades is quite possibly the best action roguelike ever made. Not only is it smoother than even BTS, but it also has an incredibly well-told story, loads of characters to meet and get to know, and the kind of satisfying combat that never gets old. If, for some reason, you’ve not played this, then this will surely satisfy your craving for slick action unlike any other game on this list, and the roguelike elements also mean it’ll likely last longer than the others too.
Tales of Arise is the latest entry in the incredibly long-running Tales series, and it’s the best one yet. Not only does it look eye-meltingly good, but it has an intense and politically charged story, much like FFXVI, and the battles take place in real-time, despite having a party at your command. It’s a truly incredible action RPG, and another game that’s likely to be overlooked because people just don’t realise how damn good it is.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is coming to PC, which we’re kind of surprised by because it’s probably the best PlayStation 5 exclusive on the console. It’s also the best game in the series, and one of the best action platformers out there as a result. It’s a style of game that’s not as popular as we’d like it to be, but is generally a great time to be had. Let’s be honest, side-flipping around a boss with a weapon that shoots out utter nonsense is always a good time.
Because of that, and the resurgence of more games in the genre that this could spark, we’ve decided to put together a list of some of the best action platformers out there. We’ve gone for a nice eclectic mix of options to keep things interesting, so some of these games are almost the same as Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and others capture a specific element and build on it.
Sunset Overdrive was made by Insomniac Games, the developer behind Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, way back in 2014. It was an Xbox One exclusive, and because of how the Xbox One was initially received, it’s a game that not as many people have played. It’s a little on the cringy side of early 2010’s humour, but it’s pure undiluted fun to play, and has you grinding on rails, jumping on trampolines, and firing massive weapons in a joyous open world.
30XX
If you like action platformers but just wish there was a 2D version, then good news, because 30XX is here. Strictly speaking, 30XX is basically a roguelike Mega Man game, but because of the big old guns, upgrades you can find, and the intense platforming action, it’s a good 2D version of a Ratchet & Clank game. It also has co-op, which is awesome, and can be played without the roguelike elements, or even be used to build your own levels.
Rain World is a truly beautiful platforming stealth game that has you playing as a little Slugcat trying to find their way home. It’s less action-y than Ratchet & Clank, and the pacing is completely different, but it’s a magnificent game that’s brutally difficult. It’s also both heart-breaking and heart-warming in a way that few games manage. It’s also available on most platforms too, which is always nice.
A Hat in Time
Here we have A Hat in Time, which sounds like an allegory for kids about saving nine or something, but is actually just a very cute 3D platformer who can use hats to gain new powers. You get to explore huge worlds, all with their own themes and challenges, and find Time Pieces to gain new powers and further open up your abilities. It’s a huge amount of fun, and the cutesy style makes it good for younger gamers to enjoy, along with more experienced fans too.
While Sackboy has traditionally been kept in the Little Big Planet games, he got his very own adventure thanks to Sumo Digital which is just great fun. For starters, it actually features both online and local co-op, which is always nice. Outside of that, it’s a great 3D platformer that has a bunch of really interesting mechanics to enjoy, a fun and light-hearted story, and a cutesy look that appeals to anyone who likes fun.
New Super Lucky’s Tale
New Super Lucky’s Tale doesn’t have big old guns to fire, but it does have a lot of excellent levels to jump through, an adorable protagonist, and a lot of fun to be found. It’s an excellent example of what a modern 3D platformer can be, and while it’s only 3 years old, it’s still one of the best examples of the genre in recent years. Also, squirrels are cute, so there’s nothing but love here.
Celeste
Celeste has you playing as Madeline as she tries to fight against her inner demons and climb the intimidating Celeste Mountain. It’s a very precise platformer that asks you to master timing, directional inputs, and your own fear as you climb up through the levels. It really is very difficult, but it’s also very rewarding to master, and trying to speedrun through levels once you’ve got the hang of them is awesome.
To bring you bang up to date, here’s everything you need to know about Six Days in Fallujah including the release date, early access information, content roadmap, gameplay details and much more.
Six Days in Fallujah Release Date
The Six Days in Fallujah early access release date has been confirmed as June 22, 2023. It will have a full release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam at a later date once the PC early access period has concluded sometime in mid to late 2024.
Six Days in Fallujah Early Access Details
Six Days in Fallujah early access on Steam is here and is expected to be in early access for 12 months. So it’s finally time for you and your friends to jump in and experience the harrowing battle for Fallujah. The game is already showing promise to be the most immersive tactical shooter on the market, offering early players a rather unique co-op gaming experience.
Given just how challenging the opposing side is supposed to be, it is strongly recommended that you take a friend with you if not 3! It’s also worth remembering that as more features are added to the game during Early Access, the purchase price will increase accordingly – so it’s certainly worth getting in on day one and enjoying all that additional content for free if you can. Plus Early access has more content on the way, with nighttime missions, weather challenges, and more enemy types set to arrive.
What Is Six Days in Fallujah About?
Six Days in Fallujah is a first-person tactical squad-based shooter but it’s one that strives for authenticity more than anything else. Following the plight of a squad of U.S. Marines from 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, Six Days in Fallujah thrusts players into the real-life bloody Second Battle of Fallujah and unfurls its narrative across six, gut-wrenching days.
To make it feel as authentic as possible, the game was developed in consultation with more than 100 Marines and Soldiers who served in the Second Battle of Fallujah in 2004. This is in addition to the dozens of Iraqi soldiers and civilians from the same time. Additionally, the U.S government has no involvement in the development of the game and also the game is independently financed to boot.
Finally, it’s also worth noting that you cannot play as an insurgent in any of the game modes in Six Days in Fallujah – this isn’t that sort of game.
How Does It Play?
As far from the three-dimensional game of whack-a-mole that many less serious FPS titles have become, Six Days in Fallujah is all about marrying up precision gunplay with dynamic battlefield tactics. From implementing suppressing fire to sophisticated flanking manoeuvres, ingress breaches and more, approaching this game like Call of Duty is going to get you filled with holes quicker than you can say ‘push X to pay respect’.
With the Second Battle of Fallujah widely recognised as one of the toughest battles of modern times, Six Days in Fallujah differentiates itself from the competition by essentially crafting a 360 degree battlefield. What this means is that danger can come from anywhere – from snipers in towers to small arms fire in close quarters and IEDs that have been wired into the ground, staying alive is so much more than just blasting whoever you can see in front of you.
According to its developers, Six Days in Fallujah exists quite simply to give a voice to the people who were there and who, by virtue of the media of the time, were perhaps portrayed in ways that were disconnected to their actual natures and the experiences that they went through during the fateful Second Battle of Fallujah in late 2004.
How Violent Is It?
Befitting its reputation as one of the bloody conflicts in recent memory, Six Days in Fallujah is plenty violent. Players can expect eruptions of red mist as bullets tear through flesh and limbs, while enemies fall to the ground appropriately lifeless after they’ve been killed. Out of respect for the veterans and their loved ones, you will only see the death of a Marine or Soldier if their families have specifically signed off on it. Otherwise, this game will convey the death of Soldiers and Marines via video interviews which take place during the story campaign that will be implemented later on in Early Access.
Six Days in Fallujah Content Roadmap Details
Speaking of which, over the course of its Early Access run, the developers behind Six Days in Fallujah will look to implement the following features from their content roadmap:
Additional maps for use in the four player cooperative mission modes
Implementation of times of day and complex weather systems
Inclusion of special operations forces from other coalition nations
Additional equipment and mission types
AI teammates that can stand in for human players in the cooperative mission modes
Inclusion of different civilian types that can complicate missions significantly
Introduction of story campaign missions later in Early Access that are based on and sometimes narrated by the Iraqis and coalition forces that were there
Where Can I Watch The Latest Trailer?
The latest trailer for Six Days in Fallujah is all about the kicking off of early access for the game on June 22, 2023 and provides a decent impression about what you can expect from the game on day one. You can catch the latest trailer above.
Six Days In Fallujah PC Requirements
With its accurate bullet simulations and detailed combat environments, Six Days in Fallujah needs a decent PC rig to get the most out of it. Something else to bear in mind is that as the game matures through the early access process, both the minimum and recommended PC specifications may increase as the game becomes more technically ambitious. You can sneak a peek at the current minimum and recommended PC specifications below.
Six Days in Fallujah Minimum PC Specifications:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10
Processor: Intel i5 7th generation or AMD Ryzen 5-2600
Six Days in Fallujah Recommended PC Specifications:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 11
Processor: Intel i7-8700 or AMD Ryzen 7-2700x
Memory: 12 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia RTX 2070 or AMD RX-5700XT
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 22 GB available space
Sound Card: Direct-X compatible
Shop for Six Days in Fallujah
Now you’re equipped with all the information you’ll need, it’s time to head to our store to grab Six Days in Fallujah for PC. Check it out here and see if we can help you get your hands on this blockbuster of a military simulation game.
