Video Games
Upcoming ‘Control’ DLC “AWE” Crosses Over With ‘Alan Wake’; Arrives August 27th
While they didn’t explicitly state it, after the hints leading up to it, the wait for new Alan Wake content is almost over. At Sony’s State of Play earlier today, 505 Games and Remedy have announced that the next Control DLC known as “AWE” will launch on August 27 across all available platforms for $14.99, or as part of the $24.99 Season Pass.
And yes, the trailer is narrated by none other than Alan Wake!
The story for “AWE” sees Control‘s protagonist Jesse Faden investigating an AWE, or Altered World Event, which occur when paranatural forces breach our world. Faden enters a previously-sealed sector known as the Investigations Sector to chase down a mysterious being that’s been stalking this long-abandoned area for years. In order to reclaim the Investigations Sector from the clutches of this creature of darkness, Jesse will need to explore the numerous Altered World Events investigated here, including one from the town of Bright Falls.
And yes, while Remedy won’t reveal everything just yet, you can expect several Easter Eggs referencing Alan Wake in the new DLC (and then some).
The DLC will feature a new Service Weapon form called Surge, which is a glorified sticky grenade launcher. Also, the DLC will include the ability to replay boss fights (via an Altered Item that looks very much like an arcade machine), as well as a new Horde Mode.
On top of all of that, a free update this month will include a new ability upgrade, additional usability options, and more checkpoints added to some of the trickier campaign missions.
Control is out now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
Video Games
Bloody Body Horror Revealed in ‘Stellar Blade: Blood Rain’, Currently in Development [Trailer]
Shift Up has shifted things dramatically from 2024’s action-adventure game Stellar Blade, offering up a body horror bonanza in the newly announced sequel, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain. The sequel is currently early in development, but if the trailer is any indication, players will be in for plenty of body horror.
Continuing the story from the original Stellar Blade, Blood Rain will star a new protagonist named Eve. Earth has been abandoned, and what is left of humanity has fled to a Colony in outer space.
Shift Up had mentioned during a Q&A following its latest earnings presentation last month that development on Blood Rain (which was still unannounced at the time) was progressing smoothly, and was on track to meet their targeted quality standards.
Shift Up stated that with this new title it would be transitioning to a first-party service model, effectively moving away from the restrictions the game experienced with original publisher Sony, which had the game under an exclusivity agreement for the PlayStation 5. “This will allow us to lead marketing strategies that fully reflect the distinctive identity of the Stellar Blade IP, and we expect to communicate the unique appeal of its universe to players more directly and effectively.”
Whether this means that Xbox Players will finally be able to play the original game (or its sequel) is still not clear. Meanwhile, Stellar Blade is reportedly being ported to the Nintendo Switch 2, but no official confirmation has been made.