Gait Games

Good news, people who figure they are going to die of old age before they get another Dino Crisis! Good news also, people who can’t get enough throwback immersive sims! Even as Capcom forge ahead with their Resident Evil remake ouroboros, plucky Momentum Games and horror publishers Black Lantern Collective are releasing Athanasia – a first-person homage to both Dino Crisis and System Shock, in which you play intrepid researcher Carmen Flores, who has been sent to one of gaming’s many ominous abandoned scientific facilities in South America.

One of these days, I’m going to turf up to a collapsing laboratory complex in a game and discover nothing but stationery, old rubber gloves, and unfiled expense claims. I imagine a lot of laboratories are abandoned not due to (for example) gene-modded dilophosaurus outbreaks, but because the funders got cold feet long before Project X reached the prototyping stage. But that day is not this day. Today, there are dinosaurs! Argh, my face and/or intestines! Here’s a trailer.

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The Call of Duty franchise is set to begin an exhilarating new phase. Activision has announced that next year’s release will not extend any current sub-series within the franchise but will rather unveil a completely new sub-franchise. This signals a major strategic change as the series moves away from its entrenched practice of alternating between its two primary sub-series, Modern Warfare and Black Ops.

In a recent discussion with The Game Business, Tyler Bahl, Activision’s Chief Marketing Officer, elaborated on the company’s choice to chart a new course. “We’ve already kind of stated that a future title is going to be a new sub-franchise and we’ve already kind of laid the groundwork there,” Bahl remarked. This announcement ushers in a new chapter for Call of Duty, following the completion of this year’s title, Modern Warfare 4, which concludes one of its most acclaimed sub-franchises.

Traditionally, Call of Duty has thrived on its oscillating releases between Modern Warfare and Black Ops. Nevertheless, as video game trends and player demands evolve, the company is reevaluating its release approach. Activision previously indicated that it would stop releasing consecutive titles from the same sub-series, in response to feedback from players who have shown a desire for greater diversity. “Yeah, I think we were pretty public about the idea of us going back-to-back with Modern Warfare 2 to Modern Warfare 3 and Black Ops 6 to Black Ops 7 was not something that our community was looking for,” Bahl emphasized.

The choice to launch a new sub-series arises from players’ appetite for novel environments and experiences, even with recurring themes. “And even though there were different time settings and different ways to play the game[s] and lots of new features, that tonal shift is something that they were looking for us to [do],” Bahl continued. This perspective highlights players’ cravings for fresh stories and settings that separate themselves from earlier installments.

Previous efforts to innovate within the franchise, such as 2021’s Vanguard, created by Sledgehammer Games, fell short of expectations and struggled to establish a lasting identity as a sub-series. The industry buzzes with excitement over whether next year’s game, also produced by Sledgehammer Games, will successfully establish its legacy in Call of Duty’s vast lore.

Looking towards 2027, there are whispers of a backdrop in the late 90s and early 2000s, offering a fresh range of characters and stories that could set this installment apart from its predecessors. The triumph of this new sub-series may prove pivotal in shaping Call of Duty’s trajectory and its capacity to resonate with longtime fans while drawing in new ones.

This transition mirrors a wider trend in the gaming industry, where players are on the lookout for creativity and originality. As Call of Duty steps into unexplored realms, the community will be keen to see if these new aspirations translate into the kind of engaging and innovative gameplay that has become synonymous with the franchise.

Rumours of Troika classic Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines potentially getting the remaster or remake treatment have surfaced. They’ve come from two places: one being the fairly standard source of poster on a game leak-obsessed section of Reddit, the other being rather more unorthodox. It’s not often a metal band allegedly pause mid-concert to ask the crowd if they know an old game’s getting a revamp.

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I’ve been doing this whole games journalism for over five years now, and I’ve seen a lot of different kinds of games in that time. I’ve written about plenty of them too, with a fair few being plenty weird. But I’ll admit that today’s game is one that I do understand if I were to tell anyone I’m interested in playing who maybe isn’t familiar with games as a whole, they’d probably talk to someone else at the party. You see, Urine Trouble: PEE V PEE is a competitive online game all about pissing literally everywhere, and trying not to get caught doing so.

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Call of Duty testers have voted to authorise a union strike. The union, formed back in March of 2024, is made up of almost 600 quality assurance workers at Activision, and plan to strike if conditions at the publisher don’t change.

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**Drunken Goddess Reflux: A Look into the Upcoming Anime Horror Game**

*Drunken Goddess Reflux* represents a distinctive addition to the anime horror game sector, merging aspects of psychological suspense with gambling elements. Crafted by Alliance Arts, this game immerses players in a high-pressure setting where they partake in a perilous game of Russian Roulette against a demon bartender. The aim is to get the demon inebriated to uncover vital secrets that affect the player’s chance of survival. While the game boasts an exciting concept and visually appealing design, it has recently sparked interest due to a notable change in its marketing approach.

Initially aiming to launch a free demo at the forthcoming Steam Next Fest on October 19, the developers have now decided to proceed with a closed play session involving a restricted group of participants. This shift was announced in a Steam update, where the developers conveyed their regrets for letting down enthusiastic players. The main reason mentioned for this change revolves around apprehensions regarding generative AI technology, which has evolved rapidly over the past few months.

The development team expressed concerns about the possibility of AI-generated replicas of their demo that could inundate online platforms prior to the official game release. With such technologies becoming more widely available, Alliance Arts understood that imposing limitations on streaming and content sharing related to the demo would be impractical considering their team’s size. The looming threat of unauthorized content mimicking the spirit of *Drunken Goddess Reflux* played a crucial role in their decision-making.

Although relatively obscure before this year, *Drunken Goddess Reflux* has already garnered a substantial fanbase, with more than 25,000 followers on its Steam page and ranking 65th on the list of most wishlisted games on the platform. This early enthusiasm suggests the game’s potential impact within the gaming community, particularly among fans of similar horror-themed games like *Doki Doki Literature Club!* and *Buckshot Roulette*.

The storyline surrounding *Drunken Goddess Reflux* highlights a larger concern within the gaming sector regarding the influence of AI on creative endeavors. Recent trends have led to a surge of AI-generated games and imitations, raising fears about originality and market oversaturation. While the economic ramifications of this trend remain unclear, it is evident that the risk of imitation is driving developers to take proactive measures to safeguard their work.

In a climate where Steam Next Fest is teeming with various game demos, it seems that Alliance Arts may have chosen to forgo the public demo path to establish a unique identity for their game amid intense competition. By opting for exclusivity in playtesting, they effectively underscore the distinctive characteristics of *Drunken Goddess Reflux*.

As the gaming landscape adapts alongside technological advancements and evolving player expectations, the tale of *Drunken Goddess Reflux* stands as an engaging case study. Its combination of horror and gambling elements, coupled with the challenges posed by generative AI, forms a captivating intersection of creativity and innovation—a narrative worthy of attention as the game nears its official debut.

Welp, that was short lived. Earlier this month, Jagex made some big RuneScape announcements, namely that they’re making a fourth version of the MMO (aptly, currently called RuneScape 4), but also the arrival of RuneScape Reignited, a new character type that would come with its own, new economy. The intention here seemingly was to bring new people in to breathe some life back into the game. This did not go down well with the old timers. And now, it’s been flat out cancelled.

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**Examining the Highs and Lows of *Cyberpunk: Edgerunners II***

The inaugural season of *Cyberpunk: Edgerunners* mesmerized viewers with its unforgettable scenes and profound emotional storytelling, weaving a narrative fabric that soared throughout its ten episodes. The partnership between Studio Trigger and CD Projekt Red guaranteed that every moment was carefully designed to lead to significant climactic experiences, portraying a journey marked by sorrow and violence.

Memorable moments, such as the main character David Martinez facing the crippling impact of cyberpsychosis on his mentor Maine, highlight the series’ capacity to express intense emotional nuances through striking animation. The moving finale, where netrunner Lucy fulfills her lifelong aspiration of reaching the moon due to David’s sacrifices, further enhances the narrative’s emotional depth.

However, the excitement surrounding the debut of *Edgerunners II* was met with discontent. The subsequent season departs considerably from the singular focus that its predecessor established. Instead, it adopts a more ensemble technique, introducing various characters—Roman, Talia, and D—whose separate storylines gradually connect over the course of the season. This stylistic evolution signifies a move away from conventional storytelling, where a distinct protagonist embarks on a quest with clear stakes.

Set in Night City, a societal microcosm defined by the stark contrasts between wealth and hardship, *Edgerunners II* struggles to produce a unified storyline. In contrast to *Cyberpunk 2077*, where players navigate the intertwined lives of various characters, the second season’s plotlines frequently feel isolated and disconnected. The interactions among characters lack the depth and narrative significance that previously unified the story threads, resulting in a fragmented viewing experience.

The revelations meant to bring the narrative together seem insufficient, prompting doubts about the stakes introduced throughout the season. Talia’s declining health and growing revenge schemes evoke incidents of violence, but they rarely resonate with the deep commentary on violence found in the first season. The depiction of Night City itself appears to fade into the background, lessening its importance as a key character in the story.

While the series retains Studio Trigger’s talent for visually captivating animation and features strong voice acting, the emotional impact once present in the first season seems lessened. Viewers who cherished the peaks of David’s journey might find themselves longing for the same degree of investment and emotional connection that characterized the original.

In summary, *Edgerunners II* offers an adventurous exploration of thematic elements within the *Cyberpunk* universe but ultimately stumbles in conveying a cohesive narrative. Despite its flaws, the distinct setting and characters still present opportunities for storytelling within Night City, though not every story within this universe can reach greatness.

“The triple-A industry has become over-specialised, specialised to the point of hyper-fragility,” Mark Darrah states in a foreboding interview found deep in the pages of the Summer Eternal Anthology, recently covered by Edwin. As a former executive producer at Bioware, who corralled teams on Anthem and Dragon Age, after starting his career as a programmer on Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and Jade Empire, Darrah has seen firsthand the growing scale of video game production and the challenges it can bring.

Darrah’s also been vocal about the difficult development of Anthem in the past, and the struggles he had at Bioware. However, while what he says in the interview may be familiar, I found it gained sharper definition when read in light of games industry news and some of the interviews I’ve had with developers this year. So let me pull together some of the choice bits with the extra context from our own RPS vaults.

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**Establishing Order Amidst Turmoil: The Tactical Authenticity of *Ready or Not***

*Ready or Not*, a tactical shooter crafted by VOID Interactive, situates players as commanders leading a four-member SWAT team through challenging and chaotic scenarios in the fictional city of Los Suenõs, California. The game is inspired by real-life incidents and tragedies, exploring themes of violence and law enforcement within a meticulously crafted setting.

In *Ready or Not*, participants are immersed in the high-pressure situations that characterize contemporary policing. Each mission presents players with moral and tactical quandaries, requiring swift decision-making as they navigate through scenarios reminiscent of notable tragedies, such as school shootings and mass violence events. The developers aim to foster empathy and a comprehension of the physical and psychological burdens that law enforcement officers endure while ensuring public safety.

To restore order in the midst of chaos, players give commands, employing non-lethal methods to incapacitate suspects and safeguard civilians. The game highlights tactical strategies, rewarding players for exercising restraint and strategic thought. However, it also recognizes the disorderly nature of these encounters—failure to achieve compliance can swiftly escalate crises beyond management.

The history of SWAT teams is crucial for grasping the gameplay mechanics in *Ready or Not*. The inception of SWAT can be traced to the civil disturbances of the 1965 Watts riots, which highlighted the shortcomings of conventional policing methods. LAPD Chief Daryl Gates was instrumental in forming the specialized unit in response to such upheavals, transforming the landscape of American law enforcement towards militarization. This backdrop informs the narrative of *Ready or Not*, showcasing the transition of police tactics from community-focused methods to assertive interventions.

The game draws similarities with earlier titles, particularly Sierra’s *Police Quest* series and the classic *SWAT 4* from 2005. VOID Interactive’s development team features modders from *SWAT 4*, preserving a link to the heritage of tactical shooters that compel players to think quickly and evaluate violence from various angles.

*Ready or Not* effectively ignites discussions around controversial subjects. The game navigates delicate narratives, depicting scenarios that elicit both empathy and discomfort. By representing criminals and victims from diverse backgrounds, it challenges players to face intricate social realities, including poverty, desperation, and violence.

The narrative structure of *Ready or Not* is non-linear, presenting a variety of mission scenarios that cover an array of situational challenges, from drug trafficking organizations to secluded cults. Each mission introduces distinct challenges, compelling players to modify tactics based on the environment and developing events. The lack of a fixed storyline contributes to unpredictability, mirroring the chaotic essence of real-world policing.

Ian Bogost’s notion of “persuasive games” resonates with *Ready or Not*, as the game encourages players to engage with significant social issues while fulfilling their roles as law enforcers. However, the game’s capacity to evoke empathy is intricate and complicated; it simultaneously romanticizes the legend of the heroic officer and places players in ethically questionable circumstances.

As players delve into the stark realities of law enforcement, the game provokes potent emotional reactions, rendering the experience deeply engaging yet ethically ambiguous. The design and mechanics seek to heighten the urgency of decision-making under high-stakes pressure, immersing players in the challenges confronted by those on the policing frontline.

In summary, *Ready or Not* utilizes its identity as a tactical shooter not merely for entertainment but also to stimulate contemplation about the realities of policing in modern America. Through a combination of immersive gameplay and thought-provoking themes, the title encapsulates the proverbial struggle to “establish order amidst turmoil,” urging players to ponder the intricacies of violence, authority, and ethical decision-making in a chaotic world.