Video Games
‘Axiom Verge 2’ Announced, Heading to Nintendo Switch Fall 2020
Thomas Happ Games has announced the sequel to the critically-acclaimed Alien-esque Metroidvania, Axiom Verge. Axiom Verge 2 will arrive for the Nintendo Switch in Fall 2020, with additional platforms to be announced. Additionally, an announcement trailer was released for the game.
According to the overview on the official site, AV2 is part of the same story as Axiom Verge, but with new characters, new powers, new enemies, and a new world. You can play it before or after the original, so no need to worry about spoilers. The game centres on Indra, the mysterious billionaire behind the worldwide Globe 3 conglomerate. Indra discovers what appears to be an ancient, alternate Earth hiding in a cargo lift in Antarctica. But Indra gets the feeling that something else is lurking just past the fringes of reality.
As you’ll see from the trailer, the game appears to no longer have the subterranean Giger-inspired biomechanical environments, but if the gameplay of the original is retained/improved upon, that shouldn’t stop you.
Video Games
Bloober Returns to ‘Star Trek’ With Psychological Thriller ‘Star Trek: Shadow Frontier’ [Trailer]
Bloober Team weren’t done dropping news this week. After surprising everyone with SAW: Genesis at Summer Game Fest yesterday, they’ve now announced a new horror-slanted Star Trek title with Paramount Games Studio in Star Trek: Shadow Frontier. This is the second Star Trek title Bloober has developed, having released the VR body horror title Star Trek: Infection earlier this year.
“We’ve long admired the way Bloober Team crafts deeply immersive, atmospheric experiences that keep players on the edge of their seats,” said Paramount Games Studio senior vice president and head of creative and production Shawn Kittelsen. “For Star Trek: Shadow Frontier, it was essential to partner with a studio that could both honor that legacy and push it forward. We have full confidence in Bloober’s ability to deliver a game that does justice to the ‘Star Trek’ name while bringing something bold and new to the beloved franchise.”
Launching for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, the Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam in 2027, Star Trek: Shadow Frontier is a story-driven action-adventure that sees players step into the role of former Lieutenant Ro Laren (voiced by Michelle Forbes). After crashing onto a distant planet overtaken by a strange consciousness, Ro Laren must survive in an environment that is as breathtaking as it is lethal. Ro’s mission is driven by duty and purpose. But here, discovery comes at a terrible cost. The more she uncovers, the deeper she is pulled into a corrupted labyrinth where her memories twist and the planet threatens to sever her connection to reality.
The hostile ecosystem of the planet poses a constant threat to Ro’s existence. It seeks to absorb Ro’s consciousness, burrowing deep into her mind and plaguing her with haunting visions. Environmental hazards and obstacles lurk around every corner. Exploration is both your only path to salvation and your potential undoing. Players will be able to use their Tricorder to scan and analyze items, and of course rely on their Phaser to solve puzzles and fend off enemies.