TGO Daily | Friday July 30, 2021 | Annapurna Interactive Showcase
In the news: Annapurna Interactive Showcase shows some amazing things, New Pokémon Snap getting a free (and cool) new update, and Kena: Bridge of Spirits gets release pushed back again.
TGO Daily | Friday July 30, 2021
✏️ From the Author
Feeling dizzy, my nerves alight.
Fingers crossed, could this be the night?
Can no longer take it, can no longer fight.
When will I have time to play you, Pokémon Unite?
Until next time,
Brandon
Annapurna Interactive Showcase
The publisher, Annapurna Interactive, had a showcasing yesterday showing a number of games from different studios. You can find a full list of the games they’re publishing on their website. I’m including a few of my own hand-picked choices from the show that captured me in one form or another. Be sure to click on the name of any games I list if you want to see a trailer!
The Artful Escape - Housing an all-star cast (Carl Weathers, Mark Strong, Lena Headey, and more) this rock opera adventure looks quirky and fun. It’ll release on Steam, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, on September 9th. Also, yes, you did read that right, I did say ‘rock opera adventure’.
Storyteller - An interactive puzzle-like game where you are given a story theme and you must create the ‘comic’ that makes the theme correct. I highly recommend watching the video to grasp the gameplay better. It’s a really unique ‘create-your-own-story’ type of game that seems to have wiggle room for how you resolve the theme. I wonder how much replayability the game will have, but the idea is really intriguing and I’m excited to see more of it. ‘Coming soon’ to Nintendo Switch and Steam.
Neon White - A speedrunning first-person action game that’s designed around mobility, with an overarching story and dialogue events in-between to break up the action. The story seems like it can have varied endings and the speedrun aspect gives me Katana Zero vibes (but with a different gameplay style and aesthetic). ‘Coming soon’ to Nintendo Switch and PC.
Solar Ash - This is the second game from studio Heart Machine (Hyper Light Drifter). It’s a highly stylized world with high-speed traversal and gives me Shadow of the Colossus feelings of epicness from some of the monsters. I really enjoy the art in this one. Coming to PS4, PS5, and Epic Games Store on October 26th.
Stray - A game where you play as a cat traversing a town inhabited by robots and some jump-happy monsters. It looks really cute and I love what we’ve gotten to see so far with the gameplay and story. This is the one my bestie and I are most excited for! Coming early 2022 to PS4, PS5, and Steam.
Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye - The first, and only, expansion is coming to Outer Wilds, and we know very little of what to expect. The developer, Mobius, confirmed that the expansion would directly weave into the existing world and narrative. I haven’t gotten to play Outer Wilds yet, but it’s on my list! Coming to PS4, Xbox One, Steam, and Epic Games Store on September 28th.
New Pokémon Snap Receiving Free Update
A free content update is coming August 3rd to New Pokémon Snap. The update will contain three new areas to explore and 20 additional Pokémon to snap photos of, such as Pancham, Psyduck, and Snorlax. The new areas will be a rainforest, a river, and a canyon - each with a day and night cycle. One of the areas will even allow you to shrink down and take pictures, giving a different and unique perspective.
If you’re a fan of Pokémon, I recommend you check out the content trailer below to get a glimpse into what you can expect in the update:
Kena: Bridge of Spirits Release Pushed Back
Originally slated for release in late 2020, Kena has been pushed back for a second time - the game is now set to release on September 21st. Ember Lab’s released a statement that the delay is to take more time to, “Polish the game across all platforms.”
The game has generated a lot of hype with its animation and cute critters that support you in and out of combat. You can check out the State of Play trailer if you happened to miss it.
The game is a Sony timed exclusive and will initially release on PS4, PS5, and Epic Games Store.
Brandon’s Thoughts: I’ve said it many times already, but it always sucks to see a game get pushed back, especially when it’s one you’re excited for (like I am for this one)! Yet I can never bring myself to complain, because I’ll always prefer to wait for a game to be better polished, rather than be hurried into a release. You only get to release a game once, so taking the time to do it right is important. Ember Lab’s is only around a 30-person team in total, so they’re certainly not working with a load of people as well. You should really watch the trailer if you haven’t seen it before, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Ember Lab’s has done some really cool animations too. You should check out their 2018 Character Reel as well, if you’re interested.
🕹 Free Games
Epic Games Store has announced their latest free titles for August. Make sure to claim them if you’re interested once they’re posted!
Epic Games Store
A Plague Tale: Innocence - August 5 - August 12
Speed Brawl - August 5 - August 12
💡 Read More
Ubisoft staff back Activision Blizzard protestors, call for industry-wide change.
Capcom reports record profits, driven by Resident Evil Village and digital sales. Their net income rose 121.9% to $157.5 million USD. That’s certainly some walking around money.
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster fans are already tweaking fonts. There was some backlash on the look and size of the font in the remasters. Fans took it on themselves very quickly to create something more legible than what Square had released it with.
👋 Say Hello!
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Thanks for the read <3