In addition to the Early Access announcment, the devteam has released a new gameplay feature video, showcasing the core gameplay systems players will master throughout their journey as Noa and Aaron.

The video offers an in-depth look at the game’s investigation mechanics as players hunt the mysterious Originals across Amsterdam. It also showcases combat, the day and night cycle, Noa’s mystical abilities, Aaron’s feline gameplay, and how both characters combine their unique skills to uncover hidden truths and restore the balance of the world.

1666: Amsterdam centres around the eponymous city that was built on wealth, power, and sheer will, but now fuelled by a sinister force it did not forge. Entities known as The Originals have lived for centuries, granted time, granted power, and the freedom to abuse both. That power is now owed. Noa Brooklyn was born The Collector, raised by the Zaindaris for a purpose she did not choose: taking that power back.

The post ‘1666: Amsterdam’ Launches into Early Access on August 25; New Gameplay Feature Video Released [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Anchored by No More Room in Hell 2’s Armageddon Update, 1.0 delivers an intense 8-player co-op experience where high-stakes permadeath ensures every encounter with the undead is a fight for survival – and every victory is another step back from the brink of apocalypse. Shaped directly by two years of continuous community feedback, Version 1.0 drastically expands the sequel through never-before-seen maps, brand-new game modes, and sweeping gameplay refinements built to deliver an unrelenting tactical horror experience where death has consequences.

Designed for total feature parity, the title’s console debut means that PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series players will experience the exact same deep survival systems, content updates, and achievements as PC players. Cross-play functions connect every Responder worldwide, delivering faster matchmaking and allowing squads to team up across any device to hold back the endless horde together.

Backed by a Day 1 global progress reset, the 1.0 release brings veterans and new recruits together on equal footing from launch day. For players stepping into the quarantine zone for the first time, 1.0 eliminates the sink-or-swim frustration of traditional hardcore survival games, adding new interactive tutorials and a smoother Beginner difficulty featuring timed respawns. Absolute newcomers can also take advantage of the newly introduced Solo Mode, where permadeath is turned off and main progression is paused to let players master combat, resource management, and map layouts risk-free.

This onboarding comes without softening the nightmare for seasoned players, as higher difficulty tiers have been retuned to be significantly more brutal.

“Bringing No More Room In Hell 2 to 1.0 has been the culmination of unyielding passion and teamwork between our studio and our community,” says Steve Piggott, CEO & Creative Director at Torn Banner Studios. “Working side-by-side with our Early Access community has allowed us to refine this sequel into a modern co-op horror nightmare, preserving its hardcore DNA while opening the doors to a brand-new generation of Responders. With Armageddon upon us, we can’t wait to watch our player base grow as veterans and first-time recruits join forces to survive the relentless undead.”

The post ‘No More Room in Hell 2’ Unleashes 8-Player Co-op Zombie Survival Today [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Over on X, the official account for the game was doing some promoting of the game ahead of its September 8 release, to which one Australian fan responded, stating that they were unable to pre-order the game on PlayStation 5.

The social media team responded with the unfortunate news, stating that despite the developer’s best efforts, Halloween: The Game was denied a rating. The reason behind the refusal was not for Michael Myers carving people up, but rather for the presence of a controlled substance.

Sadly, this means that IllFonic can’t sell the game physically or digitally in both Australia and New Zealand.

Australians are unfortunately no stranger to this sort of “thinking” by the Classification Board, as titles like We Happy Few have been denied a rating because of their use of drugs. Fortunately for We Happy Few, the refusal was later overturned, but sadly, that doesn’t appear to be the case for Halloween: The Game. The fact that smoking weed in the game gives players the advantage of knowing where Michael is on the map probably didn’t help matters.

It probably also doesn’t help that you can drink in the game, too. But that adds a detriment to your movement, which would evens things out, don’t you think?

Halloween: The Game will launch digitally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. The game will also launch physically on October 6 in two editions.

The post ‘Halloween: The Game’ Denied Rating in Australia appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 drops up to four players into the boots of Colonial Marines deployed to the most hostile corners of the Alien universe. This is not a rescue mission – it’s a fight for survival. Xenomorphs stalk the corridors, ambush from the shadows, and swarm in overwhelming numbers. Every room could be your last.

You must coordinate with your fireteam, utilizing each class’s unique abilities, and adapt on the fly as encounters escalate from tense standoffs to all-out war. Fireteam Elite 2 will feature deeper squad mechanics, smarter enemies, and a “fully customizable Specialist class” that lets players mix and match major and minor abilities from every available class into one Marine. Build a loadout tailored to your exact playstyle and fill whatever role your squad needs.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 with the announcement that the game will launch on August 25 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. The game will be available in two editions: the Digital Standard Edition, and the 40th Anniversary Premium Edition.

The post Nintendo Switch 2 Version of ‘Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2’ Coming This Fall; New Co-op Trailer Released [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Titled “Severing Fates”, the trailer explores Yasui Konpiragu Shrine, a sacred place known for granting wishes, but not always in the ways you might hope. In the game, a Genma called Rasho-gan preys on pilgrims, twisting visitors’ desires to take their body parts for himself. Players can look forward to dueling this multi-armed monster as protagonist Miyamoto Mushashi, wielding the samurai’s Oni Gauntlet and deep arsenal of combat abilities in an intense boss battle.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword returns to a dark fantasy feudal Japan where samurai clash with the supernatural in cutting-edge combat. The game takes place in Kyoto during the early Edo period. Fusing history and myth, the story follows the journey of Miyamoto Musashi, a samurai armed with a mystical Oni Gauntlet, as he battles demons invading Edo-period Kyoto.

Look for Onimusha: Way of the Sword when it launches on September 4 for PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series, the Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Pre-orders are available now. Players who pre-order the Standard, Deluxe, or Premium Deluxe editions before the game’s release will receive Early Adopter Bonuses, including the “Sealed Curse” sword skin and “Lion Dog” charm. You can also check out the demo on all platforms (save for the Switch 2).

The post Capcom Debuts “Severing Fates” Trailer for ‘Onimusha: Way of the Sword’ [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Those looking for something extra can also spring for the newly-revealed Deluxe Edition of Crimson Moon, which will offer players access to the Ceremonial Armor Set and the Axe of the Gods weapon cosmetic, along with an upcoming expansion for Crimson Moon that will be released at a later date.

“We’ve made Crimson Moon an intense action-adventure RPG that’s approachable to players. We want as many people as possible to enjoy it, and we priced it with that in mind,” explains David Lesperance, ProbablyMonsters General Manager and Game Director. “With our gothic-inspired art design, co-op support, and epic metal soundtrack, we’ve made something truly unique for gamers to experience this September.”

Crimson Moon is a gothic high renaissance action-adventure RPG built around intense, replayable missions. Players take on the role of the Nephilim, ruthless human-angel hybrids forged to defend humanity. They’re immersed in a blood-soaked power fantasy as they battle their way through the besieged city of Gildenarch using combat that blends brutal precision with deep character progression.

The game is built for either solo or co-op play, with solo slayers getting a satisfying single-player experience, and co-op turning every encounter into a “shared onslaught of power and resilience.” Players who are strong and skilled enough to fight through three districts of Gildenarch in a row will face a world boss. These epic foes will test players’ mastery of their abilities. Only by defeating the three world bosses can players face the hellish final boss.

The post Gothic Action-RPG ‘Crimson Moon’ Launches September 1 [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Through a series of votes, blog posts, and community streams, the Dead by Daylight community voted on a variety of different topics, with the outcomes determining elements of the Chapter’s development. For their Killer, they chose an otherworldly being with divine themes – a first among the game’s villainous roster. For their Survivor, they chose a spiritual scientist from a world destroyed by The Judgment itself, adding a post-apocalyptic tilt to this Chapter’s lore.

With Divine Light, The Judgment summons a pillar of divine light that injures Survivors and marks them with Heresy. When downed, marked Survivors may be sent into Exile: a realm of eternal punishment where they must avoid hazards or risk speeding up their own demise.

The Judgment is blessed with three character-specific perks:

Celestial Witness briefly reveals your Obsession’s aura when they are a great distance away. Hex: Under Your Thumb ignites a Dull Totem that limits Survivors’ Haste after the first time they gain a Hook State. Finally, whenever you damage a Generator, Lay Waste will make it regress faster the further it has been repaired.

Meanwhile, Survivor Aurora Stardotter arrives with three character-specific Perks. Fruits of Your Labor lets you stack up tokens as you complete Generators. When you finish your repairs, you’ll gain Haste and increased healing progress for each token you possess. While being chased by the Killer, Salvation’s Cry briefly reveals both of your auras to fellow Survivors. Your teammates’ auras will become visible to you in turn. Finally, Boon: Steadfast creates a Boon Totem that causes Generators in range to regress more slowly and be repaired faster.

Dead by Daylight: Chorus of Sin and officially releases on PC and consoles on August 25.

The post ‘Dead by Daylight: Chorus of Sin’ Now Available in PTB on Steam appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In 1666: Amsterdam, Noa Brooklyn is the heir to an ancient lineage of Zaindaris tasked with hunting down The Originals. Meanwhile, Aaron is mysteriously summoned 300 years into the past and trapped inside the body of a cat. Bound together across centuries, the two must work as one to uncover hidden truths and confront an ancient force threatening the balance of the world.

Set to launch into Early Access on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, 1666: Amsterdam centres around the eponymous city that was built on wealth, power, and sheer will, but now fuelled by a sinister force it did not forge. Entities known as The Originals have lived for centuries, granted time, granted power, and the freedom to abuse both. That power is now owed. Noa Brooklyn was born The Collector, raised by the Zaindaris for a purpose she did not choose: taking that power back.

The post New Gameplay Feature Video for ‘1666: Amsterdam’ Introduces the Protagonists [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In Mimic, players must escape the crumbling Icarus spacecraft while rooting out who amongst them is secretly a mimic: an alien creature that can disguise itself as a fellow human survivor. Players must solve various objectives to create their escape route while surviving against two sinister threats pursuing them. Meanwhile, as the titular Mimic, you’ll hunt from the shadows, hiding beneath the flesh of a friend. With five players in online matchmaking and up to ten in customizable private lobbies, Mimic aims to blend tense survival, social deduction, and dynamic mechanics into a highly replayable multiplayer experience.

Unlike other asymmetrical multiplayer horror games that pit survivors against a sole antagonist, players in Mimic are assigned secret roles that dictate their win conditions. Crew members must repair the ship’s vital systems and identify the alien threat before it’s too late. Meanwhile, the player assigned the agent role has ulterior motives of the corporate kind unbeknownst to the rest of the crew that doesn’t prioritize their survival. Lastly, the sole purpose of the mimic, is to blend in, gain trust, and strike when survivors are most vulnerable. But the mimic isn’t the only threat at play: an NPC android roams the halls of the Icarus, indiscriminately hunting all organic lifeforms who could be the mimic in disguise.

Making things even more interesting is the fact that players do not have weapons, and must rely on their wits and survival instincts. Whether with pure intent or selfish gain in mind, players have the power to influence the android’s pursuit, sabotage escape efforts, and sow chaos amongst the ranks.

In addition to PC, Mimic will also launch for the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series once the game exits Early Access next year.

The post Social-Deduction Horror Game ‘Mimic’ Terrorizes PC Gamers on October 27 [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In even bigger news, Resident Evil 5, which has sold just over 19 million across various incarnations, is no longer the best selling entry in the series. That title now belongs to 2019’s Resident Evil 2 remake, which has now moved 19.75 million copies across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

It gets only more crowded when you look at the numbers of other entries: Resident Evil 7: biohazard currently sits at 18.41 million, while Resident Evil 6 has hit 17.60 million units. 2023’s Resident Evil 4 remake isn’t far behind with 16.04 million, while Resident Evil Village is at 15.86 million units. And while it’s considered a “miss” compared to the other remakes, 2020’s Resident Evil 3 remake is still at a respectable 14.52 million units.

Devil May Cry V, which was already the highest-selling entry in the franchise, has apparently seen a boost in sales thanks to the second season of the Netflix series and last month’s launch on the Switch 2, having now hit 14. 24 million units.

Meanwhile, we can look forward to Zach Cregger‘s violent take on the franchise with his Resident Evil film, which is set for a September 16 release.

The post ‘Resident Evil Requiem’ Surpasses 8 Million Units Sold; ‘Resident Evil 2’ Remake Now Highest-Selling in Franchise appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Original Tormented Souls protagonist Caroline Walker returns after her ordeal at Wildberger Hospital. Yearning for a normal life, Caroline is dealt another bad hand when her sister Anna falls victim to a mysterious affliction. When conventional remedies prove ineffective, Caroline looks to the supernatural and an ancient, forbidden ritual for a cure, leading her to the remote South-American community of Puerto Miller.

Founded centuries ago by the secretive Ismuit tribe, Puerto Miller is home to the aforementioned minor religious order that spurned connection with the outside world. As these things go, beneath the town’s crumbling façade lies an ancient, unspeakable horror.

Fortunately, Caroline will have a greatly expanded range of weapons at her disposal. Caroline can also take advantage of the new quick select feature that allows her to switch weapons in the heat of battle, as well as new upgrade components to further strengthen her arsenal.

The post ‘Tormented Souls II’ Launches Physically and Digitally for the Nintendo Switch 2 on October 15 [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The footage revolves around never-before-seen gameplay captured in the Arkham Fish Market, once a bustling waterfront hub alive with merchants, dockworkers, fishermen, and travelers. Today, it stands as a decaying monument to the evacuated city. Rusting ships sit abandoned in the harbor, empty storefronts line the flooded halls, and the workshops that once supported the local fleets have long since fallen silent. Eldritch monstrosities now stalk the market’s walkways, while only the most unhinged survivors remain, as the flood seeps further and further into their minds.

The footage also offers a closer look at protagonist Calvin Rafferty in combat, showcasing more advanced weapons and the tougher encounters awaiting players as they face larger, deadlier, and increasingly unpredictable horrors.

Frogwares has also confirmed that The Sinking City 2 will include a fully featured New Game+ mode at launch, giving players even more reasons to return to Arkham after completing the main story. As one would expect, New Game+ lets players carry over all their perk points, perks and items to the start of the game to better take on a range of challenges to unlock certain achievements as well as unlock various cosmetic and gameplay rewards.

Alongside the announcement, the team confirmed that its planned HDR patch is now part of the game’s free post-launch support. As development enters its final stretch, the studio has prioritized completing the core game and launch features, with the HDR update following shortly afterward.

The Sinking City 2 launches August 18 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Pre-orders are now open.

The post Frogwares Unleashes New Gameplay Footage for ‘The Sinking City 2’ [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Jon McKellan explains, “I was maybe 18 when [Silent Hill] came out. I was very ill; I had a fever, a cold flu thing. And my dad was feeling sorry for me, and he said, ‘I’ll go pick you up a video game at the local video store,’ and so he brought back Silent Hill, which I didn’t know about at the time. And so he brought that in, and I finished it in one night, but I had a high fever, so I don’t really know how much of that happened. I know I finished it; I remember the credits rolling, but I was in a weird space, and I was like ‘that was the best experience I’ve ever had,’ and so I felt like if I go back it will never live up to that moment, so I’ve decided to never play Silent Hill again.”

Earlier this month, Konami invited Bloody Disgusting to a preview event where I, alongside other journalists, got to chat with McKellan and Silent Hill series producer Motoi Okamoto about the upcoming Silent Hill: Townfall, scheduled to release September 24.

This interview and presentation provided the most in-depth look at what the new entry in the series had planned, finally shedding light on the mysterious title.

The first gameplay trailer for Townfall made it clear what the biggest change to the series would be: the first-person perspective. While this took me a bit by surprise, it seems like their reasoning for making the jump is solid. Presented in an immersive 2.35:1 CinemaScope aspect ratio, the new viewpoint complements the game’s focus on tense stealth and frenetic combat.

JM: “It was first-person from day one for us… I think the two biggest features we wanted to bring to the table in terms of gameplay experience, between puzzles and story, were stealth, evasion, peeking around corners, and the CRTV, which was one of the first features we were developing when we were like ‘what is our take on the radio?’ It feels like a very Screen Burn thing to do, to take this piece of analog tech and enhance it, and there’s no way to hold that in front of the player in third-person without having to render that onto the UI, and that starts to feel like a mini-map that feels really out of place in Silent Hill… Personally, I’m a huge fan of first, because when you’re going for proper terror or tension, not having an avatar between you and the enemies just lifts that experience a little bit. If you’re trending towards action, it makes sense to have something in front of you and see how they move, but when you’re going for stealth and evasion, there’s nothing better than being right up front.”

There are many signature Silent Hill elements that are present in this game, from the oppressive fog to the terrifying Otherworld, but Screen Burn wanted to make sure that they were putting their own twist on one of the franchise’s signature items, the radio. Their take on the iconic gadget is the aforementioned CRTV, which can be tuned to various signals to deliver story beats and help you track nearby enemies. It’s a very tactile, analog device that fits in with elements they’ve been exploring for years.

JM: “I think [analog technology is] creepy because we know it’s unreliable. It’s not magical, it’s not intelligent. These systems are cables and wires and transistors, and it can break. We don’t really think about the components in an iPhone breaking in the same way; we think of it as a device, it’s just a thing. But I think you know it’s kind of strung together with duct tape and it could fail you at any time, and I think that lends something to it. We talk about weaponizing nostalgia in all of our games, taking things you love, like text adventures in Stories Untold, something that was cute and quirky and fun, and turning it on its head to make it the most horrible experience you’ve had…It feels nostalgic for the people who grew up with that, and it feels really unique for the people who didn’t, so it feels like you win both crowds that way.”

Motoi Okamoto: “I think the 90s is right on the borderline between the more analog tech and the more modern digital tech, so I think it’s a time where those two technologies overlap and start to crossover, so I think that exact timing is part of the appeal, part of why analog tech feels so creepy.”

Another signature element usually associated with the series is composer Akira Yamaoka, who has done the majority of the games in the franchise. This time around, Screen Burn is teaming with Pilotpriest, a musician who has composed for film as well as directing films himself. While it may be weird for long-time fans to not have Yamaoka on board, McKellan said that Pilotpriest became an integral part of the project and fit into the tone of the series from the moment he was brought on board.

JM: “He sent over fifteen tracks within a month, and every single one of them made it into the game. It was like, this is perfect. He essentially became part of the dev team; he was working with us pretty much every day, working with the audio team, playing the game, feeling like if something didn’t quite land, a moment or certain encounter didn’t feel quite right, he would go back in and rescore and re-export. He was completely integral to the design of the game.”

While Silent Hill games have been set outside the iconic city before, Townfall follows Silent Hill f in setting the game both in a new location and in a specific time in the past. Simon Ordell, the player character you inhabit, is exploring the Scottish town of St. Amelia in 1996.

MO: “It was a very natural decision for a team from Scotland to create a game that is based in Scotland… I think we all know that Silent Hill fans are very analytical, and they like to go into a lot of details and guess and analyze what goes on in Silent Hill, and I think we’re able to provide an extra layer on that by giving them an opportunity to try to guess where we are going to explore next.”

JM: “I think on top of that, players will find out as they progress through the game that the town is really the star of the show, and what happened there. It’s not just a coincidence that it’s set in Scotland. There’s meaning to that; there’s meaning to the island community and the way it’s positioned in the world. All these things matter by the end of the game. So hopefully as people dig into it, they realize it’s not just a stylistic choice or that we just happen to live here. We make what we know, but there’s a lot of reasons to be Scottish and a lot of reasons to be the kind of town that it is.”

Prior to Silent Hill: Townfall, Screen Burn had developed two other games, Stories Untold and Observation, which are both much smaller in scale than this project. Fortunately, this experience synergized with the style of narrative-focused puzzle design that Silent Hill is known for, making the transition easier than anticipated.

JM: “I think Stories Untold especially was where we really started to find our feet on narrative puzzle design. I grew up with point-and-click adventures and text adventures, things where you were getting the story through the action, rather than the action being something you did between the story. The scale of Stories Untold and Observation were much, much smaller. You were in a fixed room; you did very little exploring of the area. With Townfall, we were like, ‘Can we take the narrative presentation of Stories Untold and the way that we solve puzzles and tell that story, and also allow the player to walk around and get into combat. All those things that were a bit newer for us.”

It can be a tricky balancing act trying to jump into an established franchise, trying to please long-time fans while still making sure the game is something unique and personal. Screen Burn and Konami were both aware of this, and worked hard to ensure Townfall brought its own perspective that adds to the series, while still respecting and referencing the past.

JM: “What we came to try and do was to find what felt like Silent Hill to us, and it seems to be landing the way we thought it would, which is to pull people in with things that feel distinctly Silent Hill, and feel reminiscent. You’re gonna get shades of Silent Hill 2 or shades of P.T., but then we start to subvert those expectations as the game plays out. So by the end of the game, you’re gonna feel like Townfall is something that’s completely unique to the rest of the series, but still feels like Silent Hill so that fans feel connected to what we’ve done.”

MO: “There are some parts of the game that feel somewhat similar to Silent Hill 2, but I think the one thing that makes Townfall stand out compared to all of its predecessors is that it has its own take on social commentary. It’s a game that explores the perspective of an individual opposed to society at large and opposed to corporations, so there’s that bit of a social angle that you can explore the game from.”

Knowing how hardcore Silent Hill fans are, everyone on the team is well aware of how much their game will be scrutinized down to the most minute detail. McKellan welcomes it, as Screen Burn’s past titles have prepared them for the type of storytelling and detail the series is known for.

JM: “Speaking as someone who had a Geocities fan page for Silent Hill 2, I was one of those people for a long time. I think that’s part of the fun for us, layering in the details. We pour a lot of love into the environment, not just to make it look realistic, but there are clues everywhere. There’s a sense of who the town is if you look deep enough. We know the player’s going to be very analytical, and so we try our best to cater for that rather than be afraid of it; we just lean in. We did the same with Stories Untold, even though there were no expectations on that game, but there’s stuff people have noticed in that game, you know the names of hardware and what that could mean as a metaphor. It’s our vibe, it’s the thing that we love.”

As they previously announced, the game will feature a total of five endings, including the expected secret endings that the series is known for. The way they described it, it sounds like they are using the Silent Hill 2 methodology of assigning an ending, allowing the player’s actions to dictate the conclusion. Multiple endings can be a challenge to write around, but McKellan said it was fun to rise to the occasion.

JM: “Because we have this slightly fluid nature of gameplay and how the player plays affects what ending you’re going to get in a very subtle way, we wanna make sure that each one of them still feels like it makes sense for everything that’s just happened before it. With the exception of the more secret endings, the endings should still feel appropriate, and that’s the hardest thing. If you’re gonna end up with that ‘go left, go right’ at the end of the game, both still need to work with everything you’ve built, and that is a challenge, and this is the first time I’ve written this way. It’s also fun. It’s a challenge and a puzzle of how do you figure out to make sure that whatever happens in Ending B still carries the message of what you went through, while still feeling rewarding enough to have people want to find the alternatives.”

Silent Hill: Townfall is the final game to be released out of the initial announcements from 2022, and it’s clear by the quality of the titles that Konami has made a statement about their dedication to the series. Not only was it a great business strategy for them, but they also did an excellent job of creating an environment for each dev team to flourish creatively.

MO: “The main reason we decided to have multiple titles in the works at the same time was because we wanted to convey to players that Konami is serious about coming back into the gaming landscape. A part of the strategy behind that was to work on multiple games at once so we can have an annual release of a new Silent Hill game every year. That way, players will know that it’s not a facade. We’re serious about coming back into the gaming space and providing players with new games.”

JM: “Overall, it felt like they gave us the creative freedom to do what we do, and know that there’s a little bit of oversight there so we don’t accidentally make the same story as another [Silent Hill game], given that we’re all drawing from the same pool of reference… Seeing those games do really well gave us confidence that people were accepting of the new Silent Hill and that the fans were here for it. It’s always been a confidence builder for us.”

In addition to chatting with them about the game, I also got to play a three-hour demo of Silent Hill: Townfall. You can find my article about my hands-on experience with the game here.

Silent Hill: Townfall will release on September 24 for PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

The post ‘Silent Hill: Townfall’ Director on Reinventing the Series With First-Person Terror and Scotland Setting appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

But Silent Hill: Townfall, which is slated to finally release this September, has always been the most mysterious.

Screen Burn, the Scottish studio behind Stories Untold and Observation, had never really handled a project of this magnitude, so it remained to be seen how it actually felt in action. This month, Konami invited Bloody Disgusting to get hands-on with the game, along with an interview with members of the development team, and thankfully it convinced me that they are perfectly capable of rising to the occasion.

Like the aforementioned P.T., Silent Hill: Townfall switches from the series traditional third person view to a more claustrophobic and intimate first person perspective. This was my biggest hesitation with the game going into the event. I’ve always been impressed with the way that the early Silent Hill games played with perspective, deftly moving the camera to ensure the shot was framed perfectly for maximum impact. How would the game play from a more limited point of view, and what would it gain to make that transition worth it?

First-Person Horror Enhances the Immersive Experience

The first portion of the demo, which was the beginning of the game, opened with a blast of eerie discordant music, this time provided by Pilotpriest instead of series regular Akira Yamaoka, along with a distorted message asking you to come back to the Scottish town of St. Amelia. As the camera pans over the water and slowly reaches the dock, your character, Simon Ordell, emerges out of the water, coughing. With a hospital band on his wrist and an IV in his hand, he climbs up to the dock and begins his way into the town. In true Silent Hill fashion, none of the weirdness of how he got here or why he has an IV is commented on, making it all the more surreal. After we finish up with the third person cutscene, we’re moved into first person to start exploring.

Right off the bat, I’m struck with how immersive the new perspective makes everything feel. The environment is so detailed and alive, and being up close and personal with it makes it feel that much more real. There’s a really great bit as you leave the docks and enter the town proper where there’s a tarp flapping in the wind on the welcome sign, revealing only an S and the vaguest glimpse of the other letters. For a moment, you think it’s going to say Silent Hill before it blows off and reveals the name St. Amelia.

Despite being a different location in a completely different country, it immediately feels extremely Silent Hill. Townfall’s fog looks incredible, with sound cues and lighting effects doing an excellent job of guiding you without completely holding your hand. It reminded me a bit of the original Silent Hill in this regard, with the abandoned small town feeling with a more open structure that allows you to wander rather than explicitly funnelling you to your destination. The part of the town we were allowed to explore was compact and dense, with specific buildings that acted as focal points for exploration and puzzle solving.

St. Amelia Feels Like Silent Hill

Any worry about Screen Burn being able to achieve the Silent Hill style of surreal, psychological horror was very quickly relieved when I arrived in the town square. I found the first of many phones, which act both as places for narrative and save points (the one in this area even had a grid of red squares nearby like that part near the end of Silent Hill 2). After a strange phone call, the dread of the quiet town turned into outright terror. In a cutscene, Simon turns around and sees a man in the middle of the town square with a tube in his mouth and black goo streaming down his chest. As he follows the tube to its source, he realizes that it’s coming from something strange in the sky. He pulls the tube out, only for an overwhelming sound to start piercing his ears, which slowly morphs into the signature siren.

After things go dark, you wake up in a series of cramped stone hallways bathed in red light. This feels like Townfall’s version of the series’ Otherworld, transforming into a surreal space teeming with monsters. Like the original, it knows that this is best used sparingly and brings you back to the main town, but not before giving you a quick tutorial on the basics of sneaking around enemies.

It’s in this section that you’re introduced to Townfall’s signature addition to the series, the CRTV. Evoking the feel of the static-emitting radio, it’s an amazingly tactile device that serves many purposes, both mechanical and narrative. When you pick it up, it’s used to help you break out of a room by tuning into different channels in order to both hear and see clues to how to escape. It’s a pretty basic interaction, but scanning the channels feels very tangible and adds a clever layer to the puzzles solving.

CRTV Changes Exploration, Puzzles, and Stealth

Not only is it used for progression, it ties into the game’s stealth mechanics in an important way. When creatures are around, notches show up on the CTRV’s frequency band, and scanning to the channel allows you to see a shadowy version of the monster, even through walls. Using this along with the lean button is a perfect combination, feeling like a fully-fledged stealth game in the middle of my Silent Hill. While I was worried having full knowledge of where your enemies were would make things easier, the limitation of only being tuned in to one monster at a time was smart, limiting your information just enough without making it useless. It’s very reminiscent of the feeling of using the motion tracker in Alien: Isolation, which is appropriate given Townfall writer-director Jon McKellan worked on the title.

The CRTV makes the best case for the switch to first person, which is the ability to closely examine objects without having to swap the camera. The puzzles in the demo have the same tactile feeling to them that was enhanced by the perspective, making all your tinkering feel intimate and immediate. Combined with the game’s 1990s time period, I’m excited to see what kind of nostalgic technology I can get my grubby little hands on.

Like the best games in the series, Townfall does a lot of its storytelling through its puzzles, giving your information about characters and the world as you progress. One of my favorites involved trying to turn on a computer in one of the houses you enter, but in order to do so you need to turn on the power to the house by getting a card from the local corner store that gives you access to electricity. The detail about buying a power card adds an air of authentic specificity to the world that you’re exploring, grounding it in a nostalgic realism, which only goes to heighten the surreal moments by contrast.

This store is marked on your map, which is another object that’s examined in your hands, allowing you to plan your route there through the monster-filled streets. While stealth is going to be the best way to deal with enemies, slowly monitoring them with the CRTV, Townfall does give you the ability to fight back as a last resort. There are melee weapons that break after a certain amount of uses, so you need to be careful about when you pick your fights. You are able to block enemy attacks, but given the first person perspective, it always feels dangerous and desperate, making for brutally intense encounters that feel like they pack a real oomph.

Even when they go wrong, you’ve got a bit of a lifeline to help you out. The aforementioned IV in Simon’s hand will act as a quick revive, bringing you back to life right in the place you died. Once it’s expended, you’ll have to find the resources to craft a replacement, or else risk a game over screen.

After a time jump in the demo, I was given access to a pistol, but it in no way made the combat trivial. Since stealth is such a focus, the noise of the weapon made it a last resort option, as any other creatures in the area would come running immediately. In another tense touch, bullets are loaded one and at time, so every shot counts when in the middle of an encounter.

A Modern Take on Classic Psychological Horror Monsters and Level Design

The monsters themselves are fairly typical Silent Hill fare, with weird fleshy humanoids writhing at you and spitting horrible fluids. Without a full sense of the narrative of the game, it’s hard to see if there’s any deeper symbolism like the series is often known for, so time will tell how these designs end up resonating. While they might not be breaking the mold, the wonderful animation sells it, making them look frantic and feral as they stalk up and down the streets trying to hunt you down and rip you apart. The series’ exceptional sound design is another tradition that Townfall continues, and these monsters all make horrible noises to let you know to be on the lookout.

Navigating St. Amelia is a joy, thanks to some really sharp level design decisions. Like the best survival horror games, progressing through areas unlocks clever little shortcuts that makes returning to previous areas with the required items a breeze. This makes the world feel dense and satisfying, rewarding your mastery as you become more familiar with your surroundings. There’s a particularly great sequence where you’re trying to locate a specific address on a street, and it’s crawling with too many monsters to effectively take out. This area is full of lots of little nooks and crannies for you to duck in and out of as you monitor your path with the CRTV, making for an incredibly satisfying and tense stealth sequence.

In addition to great level design, the town itself has tons of character that’s delivered through the locations themselves. After we saw Silent Hill f move the action into an international location in the past, it’s nice to see Townfall do that with its Scottish ’90s setting. The details are all there to put you in the time and place, adding a new layer of unfamiliarity makes you feel off balance and out of place. All the locations feel extremely lived in, with spaces that tell the stories of everyone who lives or works there. It’s a challenge to create a space that feels both realistic and designed for gameplay, and so far Screen Burn has been able to pull it off.

Why Silent Hill: Townfall Could Be the Franchise’s Next Great Entry

It’s clear there’s a lot going on in this seemingly abandoned town of St. Amelia, and there’s an air of mystery to the nature of what exactly happened. Over the CRTV, you’re frequently hearing from a nurse named Zoe, but the current status of your relationship with her feels unclear. Given the series relationship with nurses, I’m very curious to see where this goes, as its ripe for callbacks while still definitely doing its own thing.

Townfall’s narrative vagueness feels in line with the Silent Hill franchise, and shows a level of confidence in its audience that the AAA space is rarely capable of any more. I have some theories about where the plot might be going, so I’m excited to see how it all turns out when I get my hands on the full release.

I was really loving my time with the demo from the start, but there was a specific moment that completely sold me on it, letting me know that the series was in the right hands. While you’re walking around town, there are some doors that look really heavy, with little metal flaps in the center.

At one point while you’re exploring, you collect a scalpel, which oddly came up as an option to be used on one of these doors. I selected the option and Simon pried the panel open with the scalpel, only to reveal what looked like human flesh behind it. He then cut into the flesh, which unlocked the door. This morbid unlocking ritual was repeated at all doors like this, and it got under my skin every time. It’s the exact type of weirdness, where the character underreacts to an absolutely bizarre situation, that I expect from the earlier Silent Hill games, and it made me feel right at home.

That’s the feeling that struck me most during my time with Townfall – familiarity. Not in a bad way where it feels like hitting the same beats as before, but in a way that reminded me of the best entries in the series. Even with the change of perspective and setting, which both feel like they were chosen for all the right reasons, this feels like a modern take on classic Silent Hill. It’s very similar to the way that Resident Evil 7 managed to capture the spirit of the original RE games, despite the completely different setting and first person view, and that series has been riding a wave of success ever since.

If my three hours with the game is any indication, I’ve got the same high hopes for Silent Hill: Townfall.

Developed by Screen Burn and co-published by Annapurna Interactive and Konami, Silent Hill: Townfall will release September 25 for PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

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In Cost of Hope, players once again step into the role of Skif — the protagonist of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl — as a mysterious PDA signal draws him into events unfolding alongside the main game’s story.  Players will explore uncharted locations, encounter unexpected allies and enemies, discover powerful weapons, and experience a new story. With dozens of hours of content, your choices will shape the future of the Zone in this major new chapter of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. saga.

Launching in line with Cost of Hope will be a “massive” Update 2.0 for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Available as a free update to all owners of the game, the update will upgrade the game to a new version of Unreal Engine 5, as well as bring a variety of new content and improvements.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will launch for PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store and GOG.com, the Xbox Series and PlayStation 5.

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As detailed in the new trailer, version 1.0 is the game’s biggest update yet, including a new Survivor, a new map, and a new game mode.

And, as a way to celebrate the upcoming release, the developer has made their previous title, Yet Another Zombie Defence HD, available to own for free for a limited time. You can add the game to your account from now until July 30, so get clicking.

In Yet Another Zombie Survivors, you’re dropped into a world that’s been overrun by a zombie apocalypse. You’ve had enough, and now you and your team are out to make them pay. Your squad evolves based upon your decisions as you play. Choose to go for a varied set of perks and support skills, or focus on your favorite character to alter their gear and gain their ultimate abilities. Control a lone SWAT soldier, or an entire team of mercenaries armed with a variety of weapons.

If you’re keen to check out the game prior to its launch, you can play the demo that’s currently available on Steam.

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In the video, the team discusses using new protagonist Dylan Faden to expand the Control universe, rather than simply repeating original Control protagonist Jesse Faden’s story. “When we were concepting Control for the first time, one of the key statements that we had, together with [Remedy Creative Director Sam Lake], was that it is a game that is not about the single protagonist,” explains Control Resonant Creative Director Mikael Kasurinen. “It is about the world.”

“As you step into this world, we’re witnessing it through a lens of a protagonist. The protagonist can change in every game, basically.”

In Control Resonant, players take on the role of Dylan Faden (voiced by Sean Durrie), who will explore multiple areas of Manhattan in an expansive, unfamiliar world as an invading cosmic force reshapes the environment, defiles natural law and distorts gravity, reordering reality into a geophysical nightmare. Players will traverse perception-bending locations and journey beyond the material world into a mysterious metaphysical space reflecting Faden’s troubled psyche.

You must tap into power that Dylan must learn to master and make choices to shape abilities that manifest and grow while exploring a deep progression system. Face ever-changing threats head-on, utilizing the environment, unleashing elemental abilities and wielding the raw force Dylan’s shapeshifting melee weapon, the Aberrant.

Control Resonant launches September 24 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

The post Explore the World of ‘Control Resonant’ in New Developer Diary [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Those attending gamescom will be able to play the final version of EONA at the SUPER AC booth, located in Hall 10.1, Booth A043. If you’re not able to attend, you can always check out the demo for the game on Steam.

EONA centres around the eponymous girl, who after a failed spell, has her soul split into two, with one half residing in a mysterious puppet. Eona must enter the castle of the evil fairy Mélusine and recover an artifact that is the only hope of saving her mother. But the path through the castle comes at a cost. To achieve her goal, Eona must uncover the castle’s secrets… and ultimately confront Mélusine herself.

Eona wields the Puppeteer’s Cross, a stolen artifact that allows her to manipulate the souls of the castle’s servants. By altering their behavior, redirecting their patrol routes, and disrupting the castle’s order, she can turn its own inhabitants against it. She can also swap between her human body and her puppet form, with each form granting unique abilities that are essential for delving deeper into the castle, reaching inaccessible areas, and uncovering its hidden secrets.

Blending stealth, exploration, puzzle-solving and soul manipulation, you’ll use Eona’s supernatural abilities to overcome obstacles—but never lose sight of your own body, which is completely vulnerable when using her puppet form.

In addition to Steam, EONA will also be launching on the Epic Games Store.

The post Horror Action-Adventure Title ‘EONA’ Appearing at Gamescom 2026; New Gameplay Trailer Released [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Operation: Shadow Hunter sees Nightfall specialists venture to the Nordic North Sea to explore a mire-infested oil rig and the horrors it has unleashed. Joining the team to explore the new map is the highly-anticipated Gunslinger perk, which includes an armory of dual-wielded pistols and high-tech gadgets for dispatching Zeds and the second phase of dual-wield support for the remaining sidearms.

The update also introduces the elusive Dr. Moorcroft as a new boss and adds a ‘Suicidal’ difficulty level, giving players a challenge between ‘Hard’ and ‘Hell-on-Earth” currently in-game. Players can also expect a Supply Pass refresh with free and paid tracks, performance optimizations, new achievements, quality of life improvements and more.

As for the free-to-play period, new players will have access to the full game, including the latest seasonal update, and all other updates including the recently added Onslaught map and text chat support. All progress will be saved and available after purchasing the game, with all three editions and Seasonal DLC Passes on all platforms discounted 50% off their regular price.

Tripwire also revealed the latest roadmap for Killing Floor 3, detailing the content ahead, including the return of popular seasonal events and a first look at plans for mod support across all platforms.

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Starting today, select content creators will stream Dead by Daylight: Chorus of Sin, and those viewers who tune in to participating streamers for at least one hour will automatically be placed into a draw to earn the Early Access build on Steam only. A limited number of players worldwide will randomly be selected to receive access, and codes will be sent in waves by email.

Of course, there are a few fine print details in order to actually be entered into the draw. To be eligible, players must create or already have a BHVR account (which if you don’t have one yet, click here to get started). You must also have your BHVR account linked to Twitch. Lastly, you’ll need to watch a minimum of one hour of Chorus of Sin Early Access streams labeled with the “Drops Enabled” tag.

Early Access for Chorus of Sin will be available during the following times:

• Thursday, July 30: 12:00-4:00pm ET and 5:00-9:00pm ET

• Friday, July 31: 8:00-11:00am ET, 12:00-4:00pm ET and 5:00-9:00pm ET

• Saturday, Aug. 1: 8:00-11:00am ET and 12:00-4:00pm ET

Dead by Daylight: Chorus of Sin officially launches across all available platforms on August 25, while the full Public Test Build on Steam will go live on August 5.

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The 40th Anniversary Premium Edition includes the base game and the following DLC that draws from the broader Alien universe. The DLC is also available as a $19.99 upgrade for players who purchased the Digital Standard Edition. Here’s what you get:

Ripley’s Hive Exterminator Pack includes an exclusive cosmetic outfit themed to Ellen Ripley’s appearance near the dramatic climax of 1986’s classic, Aliens. All player-created characters can wear the outfit, adding a visual homage to one of cinema’s most iconic characters. Players can also exclusively wield Ripley’s modified pulse rifle, featuring a fiery surprise and further customize their marine with exclusive decals and more.

Herk Mondo’s Pest Pack draws inspiration from the over-the-top comic-book hero. It includes an appropriately wild outfit, perfect for taking on xenomorphic threats – and anything else that gets in the way of the thrill-seeking badass. It also includes an exclusive weapon, Herk Mondo’s massive, modified pulse rifle and a host of decals and other elements to make customizable characters stand apart from the pack.

Additionally, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 players can bring Alien: Romulus to the game via the Rain’s Jackson’s Star Pack, available to all editions on August 25 for $9.99. The pack includes an outfit based on Rain Carradine, the protagonist from the 2024 film. It also includes Rain’s specially modified pulse rifle, featuring a deadly cryoweapon as an underbarrel bonus. It’s an effective way to immobilize (and shatter) rampaging enemies, highlighting AFE2’s new element-based weapon mods. Players can also further customize their marine with a variety of special decals and enhancements.

Once again, up to four players in Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 can suit up as members of the Colonial Marines. This is not a rescue mission—it’s a fight for survival. Xenomorphs stalk the corridors, ambush from the shadows, and swarm in overwhelming numbers. You must coordinate with your fireteam, utilizing each class’s unique abilities, and adapt on the fly as encounters escalate from tense standoffs to all-out war.

Fireteam Elite 2 will feature deeper squad mechanics, smarter enemies, and a “fully customizable Specialist class” that lets players mix and match major and minor abilities from every available class into one Marine. Build a loadout tailored to your exact playstyle and fill whatever role your squad needs.

The game will also launch with multiple dedicated Horde maps that will push squads to their limits. Teams will battle through escalating waves of xenomorphs and other deadly enemies, earning increasingly valuable rewards as they survive deeper into the onslaught.

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The Fire’s Edge introduces two new characters in The Duelist and The Runaway. The Runaway is a position-flexible damage dealer utilizing a unique Burn damage type with high synergy for teams that like to utilize Stuns and Pull/Knockback/Shuffle effects. Meanwhile, The Duelist is a complex damage dealer that dances between the party’s ranks, able to freely maintain Riposte while alternating between her two combat stances, Defensive and Aggressive.

Those who have explored Darkest Dungeon II will be pleased to learn that the Burn combat mechanic from that game will be incorporated into Darkest Dungeon.

Players will also have three new districts in Academie Duello, Craftworks, and the Archaeological Base Camp. Trinkets, with unique mechanics such as Trigger Uses, Quest Charges and Progressive Trinkets, have also been added. And for those wishing to do a bit of modding, the devteam are working on tools to allow fans to do just that.

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The news comes after Techland quietly dropped a new update for Dying Light, which focused on some “minor fixes.” This comes after a year since the Retouched Update, which was released as part of the franchise’s 10-year celebration, giving the game a graphical overhaul, as well as a remastered soundtrack by composer Paweł Blaszczak.

“There’s never been a better time to discover the Dying Light universe,” says Paweł Kopiński, Techland’s Head of Live Products. “Whether returning to Harran after years away or stepping into the city for the very first time. This is where players get to know Kyle Crane – an iconic character voiced by Roger Craig Smith – and experience the beginning of a story that continues in Dying Light: The Beast.”

And to further speak to the enduring appeal of the game, the devs have released a new devlog that delves into just why after 11 years, the game that specialized in open world zombie combat still remains alive to this day.

In addition to the PlayStation 5, Dying Light is also available on Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

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The Black Rain came out of nowhere and drowned the world. The oceans rose and buried our world in a watery grave. You play as a band of survivors living in a floating village trying to save what’s left of the world. Old Jack, a member of your group, is haunted by visions and believes you can appease the Maker of Rain, the incomprehensible being that flooded the planet, by diving into the depths and collecting eight lost idols. But time is of the essence, as there’s only 40 days left until the final flood comes to take you.

Each day, you send one of your people down into the depths in search of an idol, but it’s not quite that simple. The dives are presented in 2D, making it feel slightly Metroidvania-y in the way you explore. Your divers each have their own unique set of stats that are upgraded over time that will help them on their dive. Oxygen capacity, carry weight, hit points, and sanity all are important to monitor as you plunge the depths and face the horrors beneath. At the beginning, when your characters’ air capacity is still low, these dives can be pretty brief, lasting only a couple of minutes, but still full of important decisions about what types of resources you should collect on your specific run.

It should be noted that while the resources and enemies change a bit from day to day, the map you’re exploring is static, so navigational knowledge can quickly become just as important as any resources you may pick up. These resources will be crucial to your success, as there’s upkeep that needs to be done at your base. The community has a nutrition and morale value, and those both tick down depending on the number of people you have in your base. Picking up food and heirlooms will help increase your stats, while going into a negative value can have disastrous effects for your community. Narrative events will frequently happen at the base, sometimes involving a simple choice to make, and this can give characters different status effects, which greatly affects their efficiency during a dive.

Fortunately, they don’t all have to be good divers. Your base has a variety of buildings that all grant bonuses if you station a member of your team there. For example, having someone manning the lighthouse will allow you to send people on expeditions where they have a certain percent chance to come back with items and survivors, while stationing someone at the Town Hall can increase your upper limit of nutrition and morale. Not only can each building be upgraded as you collect and spend resources, but leveling up a character can give you a chance to pick new abilities that enhance their abilities at a specific location.

Characters will gain experience points both for diving and for manning locations, and leveling up always feels meaningful. Not only are you given an opportunity to increase their stats, but the abilities they gain can help you focus their utility, whether that be for exploration, resource gathering, or a specific function in the town. When getting new characters in your camp, by default you get one per day but others can join from expeditions, they will often come with specific abilities that show you how best to use them. Whenever I got someone with Iron Lungs, a skill that allowed them to dash without any penalty to oxygen consumption, I knew that I would end up focusing all their skills on diving, making a powerful explorer that I used when I had specific, challenging goals in mind.

Another way to help improve your characters is crafting new items at the workshop. You start the game with a rudimentary knife and needle gun, but as you find blueprints and upgrade the structure, you’ll be given options to craft more useful consumables along with permanent upgrades. At the beginning, it was exciting to get things like a brighter lantern or bigger oxygen tank, but by the end I was getting things like supernaturally enhanced storage lockers and a teleport option called the “blood gates.” Occasionally, exploration is gated behind new technology, limiting you on where you can go until you are able to upgrade yourself to a specific level. This not only gives you a satisfying feeling when you finally are able to, for example, pass through toxic areas, but also helps keep you to earlier areas while you’re lower level, without letting you go too far out of your depth, pun intended.

As I mentioned, there’s a 40 day countdown timer that you’re given, but there’s an important structure in your camp that can help you push back the countdown. When manned, the altar allows you to make sacrifices to the Maker of Rain, which fills up a meter that will delay the flood. Sacrificing nutrition or morale will fill the meter 25 percent, which means it will take a while for you to build up to actually earning a day, so the real way to keep your head above water is by sacrificing your characters. These will give you 15 percent per level, so you’re incentivized to kill the best of your roster when times get tough. It’s a brutal choice to have to make, and it really elevates the decision making you’re doing. I would occasionally get a level four character from an expedition and give them abilities that helped them earn XP faster, just fattening them up for the altar with no intention of ever using them as a useful member of my society. It really shows you how the dark, cultish mindset of your society quickly devolves into desperate barbarism, making for a bleak tone that might not be for everyone.

When you plunge into the Abyssal Pool, you’ll find distinct biomes with their own types of creatures that are out to tear you to shreds. Things start out pretty basic, with serene reefs around sunken buildings, but things quickly get horrifying and surreal. Each of the areas has their own visual theming, each gorgeous in their own right, and often have specific creatures that have their own gimmick. Running into these beasts and figuring out how they operate is part of the fun and mystery of the game, so I won’t spoil it here, but they provided some of the best horror moments I’ve had in gaming this year. Thanks to the excellent sound design, you’ll always hear them coming before seeing them, making for truly terrifying moments. I’ll never forget hearing a guttural roar from the deep, dashing my way back to the surface, and seeing a glimpse of something at the edge of my lantern range encroaching on me from the abyss below.

Getting to actually see the creature is just as exciting, because the monsters are rendered in a heavily-lined art style with designs that capture the alien feel of what lurks in the oceans. Classic sea creatures twisted into Lovecraftian forms lurk the Abyssal Pool, and their beautiful, Mike Mignola-like forms will always leave me with a combination of terror and awe. They each have their own unique audio cues, allowing you to prepare for what’s coming, though forewarned rarely means forearmed.

Since you’re going to be frequently passing through the earlier biomes, there’s a clever mechanic incorporated that allows you to escalate the challenge for greater resources. Each zone has a place where you can sacrifice a diver, which makes the monsters in that area more dangerous while also allowing for blessed resources to spawn there. The blessed versions are necessary for higher level crafting and upgrades, so you will need to make the sacrifice at some point, but when you do it is up to you. It’s a smart way for allowing you to opt in to higher level stuff at your own pace, even if you still have the countdown bearing down on you.

Searching for the idols is the main driver of progress, and the way they dole out the objectives is clever and thematic, if occasionally frustrating. You’ll be given instructions on how to find them in the form of visions from Jack, providing vague guidance without giving you concrete direction. It’s a double edge sword, because I do really enjoy the exploration, and the experience of something clicking into place feels so great when you finally figure it out, but there have been times that I’ve wasted so many in-game days following the directions incorrectly in a dangerous zone.

You’ll assemble your in-game map by collecting fragments as you explore, but it can only be viewed at the library between dives. Once you’re being guided to the later areas, it feels really punishing to die quickly in a new, unmapped environment after spending a lot of time struggling to get a high level character down there. The game does provide ways for you to get up or down faster through quick travel as you get upgrades, but it still feels like there were too many times I took a level 7+ character to a lower area only to get eaten by something I didn’t know how to deal with. Much like Darkest Dungeon, it feels extremely punishing to lose someone you spent so much time on. I know this is the intended experience from the developers, but I found it more frustrating than exciting most of the time.

Once you do get your hand on an idol, there is a new ability unlocked associated with it. These can be equipped at the altar, and the number you can equip is based on the structure’s current level. For how central these are to the plot, I was hoping that they would be a little more useful, but I found myself often forgetting they were there. While they definitely helped me out in a pinch more than once, nothing felt like a massive jump in the power curve that I was looking for.

Every day, there’s a chance for the world condition to change, adding some strange modifiers to your dives. Much like the discovery inherent in the exploration, these were fun to figure out as I went. The first time I saw it say “RED MOON” made my skin crawl with the possibilities, as I had no idea how it would affect my dive. Since you’re usually trying to plan a dive around a specific objective, whether it’s resource gathering or exploring or an idol run, these conditions derailed those plans several times, causing me to figure out how to pivot to get something out of a more dangerous day.

As much as I enjoy all the resource and base management involved in the game, the real secret sauce for Dive or Die is how good those dives feel. Even when you have a creature’s gimmick figured out, it’s never in a way that trivializes it, keeping you on the edge of your seat trying to execute perfectly to circumvent it. There’s nothing more thrilling than grabbing that idol with 30 percent oxygen left and making a mad dash to the surface, panicking and making a wrong turn, only to successfully get to an exit with five percent oxygen to spare. While I think having a map that you could view while exploring would be immensely helpful, I usually had a screenshot of it on my second monitor, there’s something about forcing you into a position where you have to intimately know the world yourself is so satisfying.

Pressure mechanics like the incoming flood are extremely risky for games, as that extra layer of challenge can really make your losses free double frustrating. If I take out my level 10 diver to the deepest zone I’ve ever been, only to have them get killed by something I had no idea existed, it feels devastating. Not only do I lose a diver I’ve put a ton of work into, but I also just spent one of my valuable days getting absolutely nothing. This can be compounded if you made mistakes early on without realizing it, making things extremely rough as you’re sacrificing high level divers just to hold back the flood. I saw a post on the Steam forums from the developers saying that there would be an Endless Mode available from day one, but it wasn’t in the review build I played. I hope it exists upon release, because it’s something I would definitely recommend if you find countdowns like that to be too stressful.

About halfway through, I got very frustrated by the timer because one of the upgrades for my workshop was stuck behind an extremely rare resource that I had no idea where to find. Based on the name of the resource, I tried to guess where it was, but could not find it after wasting several days looking for it. I had so many blueprints that told me I needed to upgrade my workshop, and even though I possessed the resources to craft the items, I wasn’t allowed to. Once I found the needed upgrade material, I was actually able to upgrade the workshop twice in a row because I had already collected the other materials needed for the next level in the time it took me to find it. It’s a fine line to walk when you are putting this level of challenge in front of the player and trusting that they’ll be able to find things in the order that you want, and this part crossed that line and massively demoralized me for several hours of playtime, and probably not in the way the developers intended.

Dive or Die: Children of Rain is a punishingly challenging game that finds multiple ways to keep the pressure on you. While most of the time it works to make your successes feel truly thrilling, there are times when your losses take the wind out of your sails in a negative way. Despite my frustrations with later game difficulty, it’s hard to deny that the game captures the combination of wonder and terror of the deep better than almost any other game I’ve played. The environments are horrifically beautiful, populated with the unsettling eldritch monstrosities and plenty of eerie mystery. The experience of desperately ascending to the surface, trying to remember the turns to take as the sound of a massive beast gets louder and louder on your heels is such a unique brand of horror that this game manages to capture. Even when the setbacks were mounting and I was losing hope, I found myself saying “just one more dive” over and over again. The level of difficulty won’t be for everyone, but fans of the desperate feeling of Darkest Dungeon or XCOM will find a lot to love here.

Review code provided by publisher.

Dive or Die: Children of Rain is available now on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

The post ‘Dive or Die: Children of Rain’ Review – The Punishing Difficulty Overshadows the Addictive Qualities appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Currently in development for release on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, GRAFT sees you attempting to escape the aforementioned rotting space station. The Arc is a continent-sized station that was once filled with biomechanically enhanced citizens, all working toward some greater purpose lost to time. Now the station is in ruins, its citizens now unrecognizable. And you have no idea how you got here.

In order to escape, you must tear pieces from your enemies to transform yourself into something new—something capable of surviving the horrors that prowl around you. Every Graft brings with it some piece of its previous owner’s identity, changing more than just your physical body.

However, you are not the only survivor in the desolation. Ancient feral experiments, strange abominations, and ruthless agents of a mad AI stalk you. You must use the tools in your growing arsenal as you fight through the horrors in a visceral new twist on classic survival horror combat. Know when to fight, and manage your resources carefully in order to escape alive.

The post New ‘GRAFT’ Story Trailer Delves Into Tormented Body Horror [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

From historical research and artistic references to the process of translating paintings into interactive environments, the episode showcases the philosophy and craftsmanship behind the world of 1666: Amsterdam.

Set to launch into Early Access on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, 1666: Amsterdam centres around the eponymous city that was built on wealth, power, and sheer will, but now fuelled by a sinister force it did not forge. Entities known as The Originals have lived for centuries, granted time, granted power, and the freedom to abuse both. That power is now owed. Noa Brooklyn was born The Collector, raised by the Zaindaris for a purpose she did not choose: taking that power back.

Take part in Noa’s Commencement as she inherits the mantle of the Collector. Unravel a mystery that spans centuries. Choose the companion that will walk beside you. Follow the traces left behind in a city shaped by secrets, power, and memory.

Currently, you can check out the game’s prologue demo on either platform.

The post New ‘1666: Amsterdam’ Dev Diary Delves Into The Game’s Visual Inspirations [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Sergeant Leland Coyle returns in a prominent new role for the season’s new Trial, Locksock the Warden. Sporting a brand new hat and an old appetite for control, Coyle is ready to inject more of his “cruel and unusual” style into the prison population.

As noted last week, Project Boneyard brings with it a new Trial, a new environment in the Prison Farm, new challenges, and a new Ex-Pop in The Biter.

Arms removed to prevent further self-harm, Biters are universal sadists, still capable of grievous harm with their mechanically enforced jaws. Though Biters are kept chained by the neck for safety, Reagents should approach with caution, as their augmented legs gift them with unexpected velocity.

Also part of the content is a new Deluxe Catalog, filled with 10 pages of new exclusive cosmetic items for Reagents looking to express themselves under Murkoff-approved supervision. The Deluxe Catalog is permanently available, allowing you to unlock items at whatever pace suits you.

Players can also partake in the game’s first limited-time Community Event in the Blood Drive. Blood Extractors have been installed in multiple Trial Environments, and Reagents are strongly encouraged to donate generously. Designed as a community-wide event, Blood Drive is Murkoff’s blood supply for an upcoming project. Every contribution helps advance the collective goal. As the community reaches new milestones, additional rewards will be unlocked for all participating Reagents. However, a minimum donation will be required within the trial environment to qualify for claiming event rewards.

The Outlast Trials is available on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox.

The post Season 7 “Project Boneyard” Now Available for ‘The Outlast Trials’ [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Exploring themes of self-discovery, desperation, and the cost of freedom, The Green Light centres around a man named Fred, who is trapped in a dead-end job and weighed down by a life of routine, dissatisfaction, and growing psychological strain. As his reality begins to blur with unsettling hallucinations, a mysterious voice on the radio reaches out to him, speaking of a distant green light that promises freedom and peace.

The voice tells Fred that his escape is waiting at a distant lighthouse, a beacon calling out to him from the darkness. Intrigued by the idea of escape, Fred sets out toward the lighthouse that’s said to hold the answer he has been searching for. But what begins as a search for relief soon turns into a disturbing journey through isolation, obsession, and the fragile boundaries of the human mind.

The post Narrative Horror Adventure ‘The Green Light’ Coming July 28 to Consoles appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Season 7 will see Reagents sent into Murkoff’s latest correctional nightmare in the Prison Farm. At the center of it all is Sergeant Coyle, returning in a prominent new role for the season’s new Trial, Locksock the Warden.

The American prison is a meat grinder, taking in sociopaths and criminals and extruding functioning members of society. But strict routine, severe conditioning, and close quarters create a crucible for power dynamics built on violence, contraband, and flesh.

With the new Trial, you are freedom. The indefinable promise that keeps prisoners at the grindstone that turns authority to profit and back again. Don’t let false authority stand in the way of real capital. Kill the Warden, and set yourself free.

Season 7 also brings with it two new MK-Challenges. In “Bribe the Judges”, you are the master, whose property is the purpose of the law. Salary reminds enforcement that their monopoly of violence only exists for your monopoly of capital. Collect the bribes in order to pay the judges. Meanwhile, “Cancel the Broadcast” has you sabotaging the broadcast and defiling the faithful with blood in order to be let out.

Then there’s the new Ex-Pop stalking the Prison Farm in The Biter. Having had its arms removed to prevent further self-harm, Biters are universal sadists, still capable of grievous harm with their mechanically enforced jaws. Though Biters are kept chained by the neck for safety, you should approach them with caution, as their augmented legs grant them unexpected velocity.

If that’s not enough content for you, from July 14 to August 11, Twitch users who tune in to participating The Outlast Trials Twitch streams can earn rewards through the latest Twitch Drops campaign. You can read up on the full details from the FAQ on developer The Red Barrels’ website.

Lastly, Project Boneyard also introduces a range of new features and improvements for The Outlast Trials, designed to “expand player expression, streamline preparation, and improve the overall experience” across key modes. That includes the introduction of Rig Customization, Knife Customization, Loadout Presets, and Mastery Tasks, giving players new ways to “prepare for therapy” and personalize their approach before entering the Trials. The update will also bring major reworks to both Escalation and Invasion, with significant changes designed to improve the flow, structure, and overall player experience of both modes.

More details on these features, and the full contents of Project Boneyard, will be revealed closer to launch.

The post Sergeant Coyle Returns in “Project Boneyard” for ‘The Outlast Trials’ [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

With pre-orders now live on PC and consoles, players can choose from three editions, with each offering bonus content in addition to the base game.

• Standard Edition ($49.99 MSRP) – includes the base game, along with the Chthonic Arsenal pack
• Deluxe Edition ($54.99 MSRP) –  includes the base game, Chthonic Arsenal pack, and The Arkham Field Kit
• Premium Edition ($59.99 MSRP) – includes the base game, Chthonic Arsenal pack, The Arkham Field Kit, Holloway Manor, and 24-hour advanced access

The Chthonic Arsenal features mythical weapons to give you options when the abyss fights back: the “Shale Mary” handgun, the “Breakwater” shotgun, and the “Tektite Tommy” SMG, each with its own look and features.

The Arkham Field Kit adds three outfits for the main character: “The Anatomist,” “The Witness,” and “Heretic Heraldry.” It also includes three Dream Essence to learn your first Talent early and a Resource Pack with a helpful mix of ammo, healing, and crafting items to aid your first steps in the city.

Lastly, Holloway Manor is a house that belongs to an old family whose history curdled into occult practice. Rooms interlock like a puzzle box, dusty heirlooms open doors, and the house rewards your curiosity with paths you were not meant to find. See the job through, and you’ll receive the “Bucking Bronco” revolver as your reward for the main game.

Set in a Lovecraftian vision of 1920s America, in the infamous city of Arkham, The Sinking City 2 sees a supernatural flood that has driven out all but the most deranged residents, leaving decay and eldritch horrors that roam the streets. Players step into the role of Calvin Rafferty, an occult adventurer whose cavalier actions have led to devastating consequences.

After a dreaming ritual goes wrong, his girlfriend, Faye, is left trapped in a mysterious sleep. Now Calvin must navigate the drowned streets of a derelict city in a desperate attempt to bring her back. On his quest, he’ll come face to face with a plague of otherworldly creatures, the Slither, who possess and twist the dead into lethal, walking puppets.

The Sinking City 2 launches August 18 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

The post Pre-Orders Now Open for ‘The Sinking City 2’; New Trailer Released [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Meanwhile, the digital version is sticking with the September 8 release date.

Teaming up with Nighthawk Interactive, there will be two editions for the physical edition: the Standard Edition will be available for MSRP $39.99, while the Limited Collector’s Edition will be available for MSRP $149.99.

The Standard Edition of Halloween: The Game will include a copy of the game for PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, an exclusive poster, and advance access to the Michael Myers Clown skin and two civilian cosmetics.

Meanwhile, the Limited Collector’s Edition will include a copy of the game, plus an exclusive Trick or Treat Studios Shape Jump variant action figure, exclusive lenticular art, an exclusive poster, advance access to the Michael Myers Samhain and Clown skins, advance access to the two civilian cosmetics from the Standard edition and two additional civilian cosmetics, and more surprises to be revealed at a later date.

As for the Orange Grove Estates, this is an upscale neighborhood in one of Haddonfield’s affluent corners. Multi-story houses surround a playground and basketball court, and expansive yards turn every fence and hedge into a fresh hiding (or hunting) ground. The map’s open layout reshapes how players move between structures, opening up new opportunities for collaboration while widening the lines of sight that can give a hero (or The Shape) away. The larger, multi-story homes also introduce precarious upper-floor encounters that every player will need to account for.

“Every neighborhood in Halloween: The Game is designed to change how you play, and Orange Grove Estates is our most ambitious map yet,” said Jared Gerritzen, Chief Creative Officer, IllFonic. “The open layout and multi-story homes force players to rethink their every action as it could compromise their line of sight, collaboration, and escape, whether they are playing as a Civilian or Myers.  Players will learn to dip, dodge, and scan surroundings for options to find an escape route. Pairing this map’s reveal with our physical editions felt like the perfect way to celebrate the physical pre-order launch.”

In addition to the physical editions, Halloween: The Game will launch digitally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

The post IllFonic Reveals New Map, Physical Preorders for ‘Halloween: The Game’ [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Cronos: Lazarus sees players return to the wastelands of New Dawn as the once-loyal Pathfinder in the process of transforming into the Warden from the base game. Isolated in the Terminal and severed from the Collective, he devotes every waking moment to awakening a lost Essence that he refuses to let fade. His sanctuary has unfortunately been compromised, as a new kind of hunter has been deployed with one directive: to find and eliminate The Warden.

Shifting gameplay to a more aggressive style, Cronos: Lazarus lets you experience what it means to be one of the Collective’s elite agents. Scarred and broken by a lifetime of survival in the wasteland, The Warden is not at full strength, but even in his damaged state, he retains the ability to move fast, strike hard and survive against mounting pressure.

The Warden is powerful, but he will not remain unchallenged for long. In this DLC, he will face off against an adversary engineered specifically to stop him. This new pursuer is relentless, highly adaptive, and fully capable of matching the Warden’s strength. Your battles will escalate into large scale, cinematic encounters that will test every skill you possess.

Look for Cronos: Lazarus later this fall on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series,  and the Nintendo Switch 2.

The post New Gameplay Teaser for ‘Cronos: Lazarus’ Released, Dropping Hints on the Story [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“We came back on the setting of Cronos because we wanted players to experience this super strong character,” says Game Design Director Marc Albinet. “The second reason was that we also wanted to provide a different flavor, a different taste of the original game.”

The DLC also puts greater emphasis on the more “emotional” human side of the story, where players learn of the cost of going up against The Collective. Cronos: Lazarus sees The Warden isolated in the Terminal and severed from the Collective, where he devotes every waking moment to awakening a lost Essence he refuses to let fade. However, his sanctuary, has been compromised. A new kind of hunter has been deployed with one directive: to find and eliminate him.

Scarred and broken by a lifetime of survival in the wasteland, The Warden is not at full strength, but even in his damaged state, he retains the ability to move fast, strike hard and survive against mounting pressure. In addition to being able to deploy a decoy to distract foes and being able to turn invisible to strike against distracted foes, The Warden can also teleport, which fits with the more aggressive playstyle of the DLC. He also has a souped-up version of the Dagger PS-3713 in the Gladius.

Cronos: Lazarus is slated to launch later this fall for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series,  and the Nintendo Switch 2.

The post New ‘Cronos: Lazarus’ Dev Diary Details The Warden [Video] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The remastered editions of both games will introduce major visual and technical improvements while preserving the original gameplay, atmosphere, balance, and identity. According to the developers, the goal of the project is to preserve the essence of the original games while delivering a technical presentation that meets the expectations of today’s players.

Specifically, the remastered editions will feature:

• More realistic lighting powered by Lumen technology
• Richer, more detailed environments with 4K textures and Nanite technology
• Enhanced character models
• Redesigned user interface and menus
• Updated cinematic sequences built to modern production standards
• Fixes for legacy bugs found in the original releases
• Overall improvements to stability and gameplay quality

“Remothered is a franchise we continue to deeply believe in,” said Antonio Cannata, CEO & Co-Founder of Stormind Games. “After confirming that [Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy] will arrive later this year, these Remastered editions represent another step in our commitment to this universe and to the community that has supported it over the years. We want to keep strengthening the franchise by honoring its past while building its future.”

Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy is currently in development for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store and GOG.

The post Remastered Editions of ‘Remothered: Tormented Fathers’ and ‘Remothered: Broken Porcelain’ Announced [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Pre-orders for Onimusha: Way of the Sword are available now. Players who jump in and secure the Standard, Deluxe, or Premium Deluxe editions before the game’s release will receive Early Adopter Bonuses, including the “Sealed Curse” sword skin and “Lion Dog” charm. You can also check out the demo on all platforms (save for the Switch 2).

Players with save data from the demo can also look forward to claiming a Kubi Akari charm as a special bonus when the full game arrives.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword returns to a dark fantasy feudal Japan where samurai clash with the supernatural in cutting-edge combat. The game takes place in Kyoto during the early Edo period. Fusing history and myth, the story follows the journey of Miyamoto Musashi, a samurai armed with a mystical Oni Gauntlet, as he battles demons invading Edo-period Kyoto. Onimusha: Way of the Sword features intense action that combines the series’ signature Issen and Soul Absorption mechanics with swordplay that aims to take the combat to new heights.

The post Capcom Bumps ‘Onimusha: Way of the Sword’ Up to September 4 Release appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Just in case you missed it, Konami took to X to make it official, with each ending being shaped by player’s choices, with each ending “leaving a lasting emotional impact”. Of course, it’s ridiculous to reveal just how players will arrive at one of the endings, since that’s obviously part of the fun. There’s also no word on how many endings players will have to discover.

For context, last year’s Silent Hill f features five endings, including one involving the series’ long-running “UFO Ending” joke. One would hope that this trope continues with Townfall.

Silent Hill: Townfall centers around Simon Ordell, who is called back to the island of St. Amelia in Scotland to ‘put things right’. What he encounters is a town lying quiet beneath a heavy fog, seemingly abandoned but not at rest. All he has on him besides his clothes are an IV bag and a medical wristband with his name on it. He heads to the town with no leads but the voices from the CRTV he picked up along the way. Venturing deeper and driven to understand his connection to the place and its inhabitants, Simon begins to discover fragments of a past rising to the surface.

Played entirely in first person, Townfall has players exploring, evading, and ultimately trying to survive using a limited set of weapons and tools, including the CRTV, a pocket television used to tune into unstable signals. Evasion is tense; combat is frenetic, while narrative driven puzzles reveal a truth that refuses to stay submerged.

Developed by Screen Burn and co-published by Annapurna Interactive and Konami, Silent Hill: Townfall will release for PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

The post Players Will Have Multiple Endings in ‘Silent Hill: Townfall’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

According to Dropper7894, they’ve been working on this mod for the past few weeks, with the ultimate goal to turn Survivor Mode into a co-op experience with your friend. For those in need of a refresher, Alien: Isolation‘s Survivor Mode sees you working to escape the small confines of Sevastopol Station while avoiding the relentless Xenomorph and hostile NPCs.

The redditor has created a Discord channel to keep those interested in the mode up to date on the mod’s progress, as well as to answer any questions.

And seeing as it’s the Steam Summer Sale, you can grab Alien: Isolation right now with a generous 70% discount. You can also grab the game on the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch.

Meanwhile, Alien: Isolation 2 is currently in development for Steam, PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series, with the Nintendo Switch 2 to follow soon.

Thanks to DSOGaming for highlighting this.

The post Fan-Made Co-Op Mod for ‘Alien: Isolation’ Announced appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The footage provides a first look at Dohatsu-ten, a terrifyingly fast and bloodthirsty Genma. After carving its way into the mortal realm, this winged warrior from the depths of hell locks blades with protagonist Miyamoto Musashi in an intense boss battle.

And in case you missed it, pre-orders for Onimusha: Way of the Sword are available now, and include the “Sealed Curse” sword skin and “Lion Dog” charm as bonuses. You can also check out the demo on all platforms (save for the Switch 2).

Onimusha: Way of the Sword returns to a dark fantasy feudal Japan where samurai clash with the supernatural in cutting-edge combat. The game takes place in Kyoto during the early Edo period. In this time of relative peace for Japan, Malice has befallen the ancient city. Twisted into an eerie and unsettling place, Kyoto has been infested by the demonic Genma.

The post Game Overview Trailer Released for ‘Onimusha: Way of the Sword’ [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Growing up in the Glass River First Nation, Shane Wiigwaas was driven by a simple belief: justice wasn’t about punishment, but rather restoring balance. That conviction led him to become a defense attorney, advocating for First Nation clients and others in need.

When Shane’s cousin Derek was accused of murdering a police officer, the evidence seemed overwhelming despite Derek’s insistence that the officer had vanished into a mysterious cloud of black fog. Though Shane believed the story, he urged his cousin to accept a plea deal – something Derek refused, determined to stand by the truth. The result was a life sentence without parole. A decision that would haunt Shane for the rest of his days.

Leaving home, he traveled on his motorcycle, helping others where we could, and searching for answers about the strange fog that had destroyed his cousin’s life. His search led him to the Pacific Northwest, where he set out to investigate the unexplained disappearance of a man named Jake Park. Shane ventured into the forest, to the spot of Jake’s vanishing… and was never seen again.

Shane arrives with three new character-specific Perks designed to reward bold decision-making, teamwork, and an assertive play style.

Wide Open Throttle gives Shane the ability to gain a burst of Haste after Fast Vaulting a Pallet, while also resetting the Pallet and blocking it for a considerable duration. During this time, his teammates will be able to see the blocked Pallet’s Aura. Cross-Examination brings new evidence to light, allowing Shane to see a trail of the Killer’s Light Marks when inside their Terror Radius. Following the trail also provides a burst of Haste. Finally, Lend a Hand unlocks a special healing ability once per Trial when blessing or cleansing a Totem. Shane can activate the ability to give the teammate healing a small increase in permanent healing charges.

As for cosmetics, The Life Road Collection launches with two Outfits inspired by the experiences that shaped Shane. Shane’s Rare Law School Nights Outfit offers the casual comfort of a hoodie, joggers, and colored braid wraps worn as a student earning his degree in Northern Ontario. Meanwhile, his Very Rare Woodland Regalia Outfit, made together with his grandmother, delivers a more traditional look at his Anishinaabe roots.

Dead by Daylight: The Life Road is available now on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Xbox One and the Xbox Series, and the Nintendo Switch.

The post ‘Dead by Daylight: The Life Road’ Chapter Now Available on PC, Consoles appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

CI Games founder and CE Marek Tyminski stated the following regarding the delay:

“As development progresses, we have worked closely with the Gameplay Feedback Team, a dedicated group of seasoned Souls-like veterans within our Launch Creative Team. Their valuable ongoing input, combined with the team’s vision, has identified meaningful opportunities to further refine and strengthen the overall experience.

These enhancements will benefit from additional integration, iteration, and polishing time, enabling the team to deliver the highest possible quality at launch.

This updated release window also strategically positions Lords of the Fallen II outside of a highly competitive holiday period, ensuring the game receives the dedicated attention it deserves.

The team remains fully energized by the strong response to our recent reveals and is deeply focused on delivering a standout dark fantasy action RPG and a worthy successor to the Lords of the Fallen franchise. We are grateful for the continued passion, feedback, and support from our community, and we look forward to sharing more updates in the coming months.”

Currently in active development and available to wishlist on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via the Epic Games Store., Lords of the Fallen II is set in a human realm besieged by eons of malevolent gods, visceral magic, and unflinching defenders. 1,000 years after the fall of the demon god, Adyr, a lone kingdom stands against the forces of the dead realm known as Umbral and its eldritch master.

As the Lampbearer, players can rend enemies limb from limb with a brand new dismemberment feature and silence them forever with all-new executions in a fast and fluid combat system. An even greater wealth of enemy types and truly jaw-dropping boss battles will test even the strongest in solo play or best-in-class shared progression co-op.

The post ‘Lords of the Fallen II’ Pushed to Q1 2027 Release appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Revelations introduces the Marshland, a hostile wetland map crawling with new abominations. This grim region hides the secrets of the Cathedral of Saint Aurelian, shedding light on historical Vatican failures and the mystery of a forgotten Fallen Preyer.

To survive, players can now equip themselves with a powerful new gear pack featuring 4 distinct weapons. The Heart Eater is a precision pistol that rewards successive weak-spot hits with devastating lightning damage, while the Corpse Eater harnesses the power of decay to ramp up its damage output. Rounding out the arsenal is the Soul Eater, a demonic firearm that reveals the soul sigils of nearby enemies, allowing players to stun them on demand. Lastly, the Tempest is a demonic raygun that fires electric energy.

The update also adds the biggest dungeon to grace Witchfire yet in the highly anticipated Witch Vault, as well as overhauling environmental mechanics through World Corruption 2.0, introducing an entirely new set of challenges and difficulty scaling.

Outside of combat, players can now retreat to the Garden, a now-accessible area to the Hermitorium. Here, they can cultivate the rare resources needed to craft incense, or simply sit on a bench to take in the view.

Witchfire is available now in Early Access on Steam and Epic Games Store with a 20% discount until June 25.

The post Ahead of 1.0 Launch, ‘Witchfire’ Receives Final Major Update in “Revelations” [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The Limitless Strain update introduces seven new deadly weapon perks to enhance your loadouts. Three new customized frames are also available to unlock after completing special milestones in game. And the bar has been raised with new Daily Challenges for Horde Mode for those brave enough to take them on.

A brand-new set of six mutators is now available, as well, including:

• Lethal Fumes: Booster infects nearby zombies after death
• Still Alive: Zekes only die from shots to the head (Private Lobby only)
• Deafening Scream: The Screamer’s sound is deafening at any distance
• Power Cut: Electric grids are shut down during the wave
• Overheat: A stationary machine gun can overheat, making it unable to fire
• Copycat: During the wave, only one type of special zombie appears

Also releasing today are two new weapon skin DLC packs, available for $4.99 each:

Chibi Bunko Weapon Skin Pack: Inspired by WWZ playable character Bunko Tatsumi, this colorful skin pack offers bold new looks for the 1911 Protector Pistol, TMP5 SMG, HAMR-17 Battle Rifle, ACW-20 Grenade Launcher, and RPG4 Rocket Launcher.

Chibi Daniela Weapon Skin Pack: Packed with a bright punch, cover your loadout with flashy new looks for the Mini-21 Scout Rifle, Dunali SxS Double-Barreled Shotgun, LAR Battle Rifle, BSS-2 Multi-Barreled Shotgun, and SchreiTech Forest Warrior Chainsaw.

Finally, World War Z now features Xbox Play Anywhere support, allowing owners of digital copies of World War Z on the Microsoft Store for either Xbox or PC access to both the Xbox and PC versions of the game at no extra cost. Xbox Play Anywhere also supports cross-saves for game progress, saves, and achievements, as well as the ability to swap between console and PC while retaining universal access to all purchased content under the same account.

The post Saber’s ‘World War Z’ Keeps on Rolling with New “Limitless Strain” Update, Available Now [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The Urban Blight mission takes place one year after the events of the game. Humanity, along with the shady Hopewell company, has failed to learn from past mistakes and tries to weaponize the sludge, risking the creation of another nightmare. Once again, it is up to the Commandos to save the city… and hopefully the world!

Alongside this new mission, the Urban Blight update includes several gameplay additions:

• Meet your first flying enemy, the Hornet. This insect grabs players, lifts them into the air, and drops them, causing real bad damage.
• Take control of two new vehicles, the Forklift and the Thrasher APC. The Forklift is exclusive to the Urban Blight mission, while the Thrasher, its turret and its missile system can be found across other maps.
• Discover a new feature called Trials. Complete daily, weekly, and seasonal challenges to earn XP and unlock exclusive rewards.
• Tear through hordes of zombies with six new weapons, including three primary weapons, one secondary weapon, one heavy weapon, and one melee weapon.

Alongside the free update, new cosmetic content arrives with the Cosmetic Pack 1 DLC, included for players in the Bloody Season Pass. Players can unlock unique skins and headgear for each character, as well as weapon skins featuring skull and graffiti designs. Players can also complete the look with a popcorn charm! Vehicle customization is also expanded, allowing players to apply bold stickers and full wrap skins, including graffiti and leopard patterns. New profile titles and icons are also available to round out your style.

As an added kicker, the full music video for “Tell Me When the World Stops Ending” is out now! Originally composed for the John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando animated trailer, this track by GUNSHIP now has a dedicated video directed by Rob Sheridan. The clip perfectly captures a retro vibe, blending footage of the band members with high-octane in-game moments, all enhanced by stylized analog glitch effects.

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Known as The Slasher, Jason’s abilities are split into two distinct components, the first being Omnipresent Evil—a stealth-based ability that encapsulates the Killer’s knack for popping up in unexpected places to catch his victims off guard. Activating Omnipresent Evil causes Jason to vanish from the Map entirely, allowing him to move at increased speed while giving Survivors zero clues as to his whereabouts. While invisible, Jason can track his prey through faint visual cues like footsteps.

To reappear, Jason targets key environmental points such as Pallets, Vault points, and breakable walls—bursting back into action with explosive force. For added effect, these sudden appearances (known as his Jump Scare ability) can destroy breakable obstacles around him and trigger screams from nearby prey. Survivors will have to contend with the tension that comes from suddenly losing track of Jason, and knowing a vicious attack could be waiting.

The second half of Jason’s Power is his Impaling Throw, which taps into his signature creativity when it comes to kills, utilizing the items available in his environment. Scattered throughout the Map are containers filled with makeshift projectiles—fragments of Lockers, broken Generator parts, shattered Pallets, even Hooks.

Jason can pick up and throw these items with devastating force. Unlike other ranged Killers, each projectile must be gathered individually and will only be replenished the next time Jason enters Omnipresent Evil, adding a layer of strategy to their use.

A successful hit will stagger Survivors, but under the right conditions, Jason can also score some welcome style points. If an injured Survivor is struck near a wall, they’ll be pinned in place—left helpless and suspended until Jason strides up to claim them.

And if you missed it, Dead by Daylight’s 10 anniversary stream gave fans plenty of updates on the future of the title, including the announcement of the director for the film adaptation in Thordur Palsson (The Damned).

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The diary reveals how the entire studio travelled to Amsterdam in 2024 to study the city’s streets, canals, architecture, sounds, and atmosphere firsthand. Rather than relying solely on historical references, the devteam immersed themselves in the city’s environment to better understand its scale, rhythm, and character.

The diary also delves into the game’s exploration systems, including the ability to enter houses, traverse rooftops, and navigate the city alongside a feline companion, creating multiple opportunities for discovery and player choice.

“Inviting the studio to Amsterdam was, at its core, about sharing something,” explains Patrice Désilets, Panache Digital Games Co-Founder & Creative Director. “We gathered everyone and said: come into your game. Come experience it the way I did.”

Set to launch into Early Access on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, 1666: Amsterdam centres around the eponymous city that was built on wealth, power, and sheer will, but now fuelled by a sinister force it did not forge. Entities known as The Originals have lived for centuries, granted time, granted power, and the freedom to abuse both. That power is now owed. Noa Brooklyn was born The Collector, raised by the Zaindaris for a purpose she did not choose: taking that power back.

Take part in Noa’s Commencement as she inherits the mantle of the Collector. Unravel a mystery that spans centuries. Choose the companion that will walk beside you. Follow the traces left behind in a city shaped by secrets, power, and memory.

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Survivaton is the name of poncle’s new lineup of Survivors-like projects. Short for “survive a ton,” the label encompasses internally developed games that build on the foundation of Vampire Survivors, in collaboration with selected content partners. Each project will aim to introduce major gameplay changes, content expansions, or genre twists exploring ideas substantial enough to stand as their own games.

The Survivaton initiative will serve as Poncle’s umbrella for future Survivors-like releases, and reflecting its place as the foundation of the series, Vampire Survivors will also be renamed to Vampire Survivors – First Survivaton.

To celebrate this new chapter, the game has releasing its free Patch 1.15 update on Steam, featuring a new stage, new characters, new weapons, and new Darkanas. Patch 1.15 will be released on all other platforms a bit later by the end of the month, due to platform-specific optimizations and differences in save slots management. And for Switch 2 fans, there will be a version of Vampire Survivors coming soon, with better performance and mouse support.

Meanwhile, described as the “evil twin” to the game’s first-ever expansion pack Legacy of the Moonspell, Legacy of the Bloodmoon is expected this summer across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and mobile platforms. The expansion will include a substantial 10 new characters, more than 16 weapons and evolutions, a new XL stage, and 8 new music tracks. As part of this release, poncle will expand Legacy of the Moonspell with additional content and permanently reduce its price, ensuring both it and Legacy of the Bloodmoon deliver a similarly substantial experience.

In addition to Steam, Vampire Survivors is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and the Epic Games Store.

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Kicking things off was a recap of the game’s upcoming Chapter as horror icon Jason Voorhees finally lands June 16 on all platforms. Next was the surprise reveal of a Survivor-focused Chapter featuring original character Shane Wiigwaas, the game’s first Indigenous Survivor. Dead by Daylight: The Life Road follows shortly after Jason, releasing June 25 on all platforms.

Jason’s not the only surprise to hit this year, as Art the Clown is poised to enter with Dead by Daylight: Terrifier this November! This follows the August release of Dead by Daylight: Chorus of Sin – the game’s first-ever Chapter developed entirely in collaboration with its community.

Looking even further ahead, Dead by Daylight will see a collaboration next year with its first narrative-driven title, The Casting of Frank Stone.

On the gameplay front, Dead by Daylight will be getting a visual overhaul next year, which will be designed to make every Trial more immersive and emotionally impactful. The update will introduce new character model reworks with expanded animation capabilities, alongside realistic facial animations that bring greater expression and nuance to characters.

Maps and environments will also receive significant upgrades, including enhanced lighting, shading, and textures, improved Fog and Mist effects, a stronger Entity presence, and, for the first time in Dead by Daylight, dynamic weather systems featuring light rain, heavy rain, and storms. New voice lines for all applicable original characters will additionally be recorded and introduced over time as part of the initiative.

New Game Modes will also be rolled out in the coming years, including a 1v1 Mode and Zombie Mode.

Lastly, the game will be officially opened up to sandboxed modding. The dev team is currently working on a suite of tools to put in players’ hands sometime next year that will give them everything they need to cook up and share new Maps, Modes, and everything in between.

On the film front, Behaviour Interactive Executive Vice President Stephen Mulrooney provided fans with an update on the upcoming Dead by Daylight film, alongside producer Jason Blum. With a screenplay by Alexandre Aja (High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes remake) and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick already completed, the group announced that Thordur Palsson (The Damned, Avalanche) will be the film’s director.

And for those in love with cosmetics, Behaviour also offered up a sneak preview of several of the game’s upcoming Collections. The Black Banquet Collection tied to this year’s Anniversary Event, which runs from June 25th to July 16th, will offer players some party-appropriate formal wear. The desert-themed Sunflesh Collection will also deliver new looks as part of one of Dead by Daylight’s next Rifts.

Also announced were a new Eddie Legendary Outfit for The Huntress in honor of Iron Maiden’s 50th anniversary, and an Ice Nine Kills Collection inspired by the heavy metal band who thrilled fans at the event with the debut of their new Dead by Daylight-themed track and music video.

Expanding on existing franchises, The Walking Dead Collection will add Glenn and Negan as Legendary Outfits for Rick, while a new Silent Hill Collection Legendary Outfit for Cheryl will transform her into Shimizu Hinako from Silent Hill f.

Finally, after years of fan requests, the team will be teaming up with Hanna-Barbera to bring Scooby-Doo into Dead by Daylight. That’s not all, as Behaviour Interactive will be teaming up with Blizzard to launch the new Diablo Collection this October!

Just in case it wasn’t already clear, Jason Voorhees will be arriving in Dead by Daylight next week. And along with teasing their 10th Anniversary Livestream on June 14, Behaviour Interactive also dropped another teaser, this time for Jason and his never-before-seen Bloody Jason skin. That also includes a Redband variant, just for old time’s sake.

While it’s unclear for now just how players can snag this gory cosmetic, the skin joins the other three previously-revealed skins in the Jason Collection, featuring a range of Outfits that pay homage to his legacy while being reimagined in ways only The Fog could shape. Jason’s default Outfit presents the unmistakable icon from Jason Universe, originally designed by horror legend Greg Nicotero: a 13-holed hockey mask, machete, and weather-beaten clothing worn through countless kills.

Additional outfits include Backwoods Terror, which trades Jason’s jacket for flannel and suspenders, and his machete for a heavy axe. Death Forsaken offers a more grotesque incarnation with decayed features, exposed bone, and a shovel in hand. Lastly, Jason’s Depths of Despair Outfit sees him emerging from the depths; a vision of terror covered head-to-toe in barnacles, coral, and seaweed.

Dead by Daylight is available on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch.

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The trailer also highlights the expansion emotional journey, filled with unsettling encounters, complex personalities, and a prevalent sense of decay, all set within the iconic S.T.A.L.K.E.R. atmosphere.

Cost of Hope explores the long-running conflict within the Zone between two iconic factions. Zulu, a series veteran from Duty, and Mavka, a member of Freedom, are set to uncover new and terrifying mysteries of the Zone under increasingly tense circumstances. Caught in a rapidly unfolding chapter of an age-old confrontation, Skif — the protagonist controlled by the player — must follow previously unexplored paths and face dangers beyond comprehension, choosing sides and once again shaping the future of Chornobyl through his decisions.

And for those lore junkies, GSC Game World has released a new blog post on the official S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 website. The post in question provides insight into what players can expect on their journey in Cost of Hope, as well as more about the history and context behind the legendary conflict between Duty and Freedom.

Players can expect dozens of hours of gameplay, exciting exploration, breathtaking mysteries of all sizes, and revelations worthy of the saga’s legacy when S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope launches later this summer for PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store and GOG.com, the Xbox Series and PlayStation 5.

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In addition to featured maps built in close collaboration between Techland’s developers and selected creators, The Breach includes standout mods “chosen for their bold ideas and fresh takes”  that are curated by Techland, and powered by the people who play the game.

“At Techland, we’ve always looked for new ways to innovate, and we see tremendous potential in UGC,” says Rafał Polito, UGC Program Manager. “By providing players with the right framework and tools, we’re enabling them to create and share new experiences within the world of Dying Light 2: Stay Human.”

The Breach is built on three pillars:

• Curated by Techland. Every chapter is reviewed, selected, and shipped with our studio’s stamp.

• Powered by fans. Selected creators work directly with our developers, and the wider community shapes the content pool.

• Always something new. Themed worlds drop on a rolling schedule with new rewards in every chapter.

Patch 1.28 launches the program with its first chapter, Survival Archives. Fan-favorite characters Tolga and Fatin have torn the fabric of the universe, unleashing hand-picked maps that range from co-developed scenarios polished alongside our studio to raw community submissions that take the world in unexpected directions. Players can expect a variety of new gameplay options, including third-person traversal, low-gravity parkour, hardcore survival pockets, and experimental modifiers that “twist the core formula in ways the main game never could.”

The Breach also gives players plenty of reasons to keep coming back. Players earn XP in both the main game and in new maps and modes, so progression carries over wherever you play. Each chapter also brings new weapons and gear to chase.

Patch 1.28 also includes improvements to the core game. The devteam has rebuilt the opening hours to smooth onboarding for new players, and rebalanced the early game – encounters difficulty and early loot accessibility – to get players into the core experience faster. That’s on top of revamping the game’s visuals, including environment elements, cutscene lighting, and overall color balance.

Players can check out the new devblog to learn more about The Breach.

Dying Light 2 is available on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Xbox Series and Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

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In this third entry in the Remothered series, players will enter a world where nothing is quite as it seems. Exploring an abandoned villa, you’ll need to use your wits to overcome disturbing revelations, secrets, and a twisted reality to learn the truth behind the Red Nun—all while surviving the relentless Stalkers preying upon you.

Red Nun’s Legacy introduces more ways than ever to fight back against the terror and expand your exploration. Utilize limited melee weapons to keep the Stalkers at bay, and conjure unique psychic powers to uncover new hidden pathways and secrets in the villa.

Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy features a star-studded roster of talent including the voices of Cissy Jones (Telltale’s The Walking Dead, Life is Strange, BAFTA winner for Firewatch) and Maggie Robertson (Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village), as well as a soundtrack composed by the legendary Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill).

Look for Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store and GOG.

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