Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s regular catch-up news feature. With each issue we will bring you the best news that you may have missed. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us (and our favourite news anchor, Dee Dee)!
The Fullbright Company announces Open Roads
It takes a lot for me to be legitimately excited by a video game announcement. Normally, if it’s somewhat interesting, I’ll remember it for a few days and it will drop off my radar until there is something new to talk about (I have the memory of a goldfish, as pretty much anyone who knows me would say). That is and will not be the case when it comes to the next title from The Fullbright Company (Gone Home, Tacoma). Published by Annapurna Interactive (which I basically trust without question at this point), Open Roads follows a mother and daughter as they travel the, well, open roads, trying to solve a dark mystery better left alone. Here’s the trailer:
Tess and Opal, daughter and mother, discover old letters in their attic, hinting at family secrets, old burglaries, and a treasure lost somewhere near America’s border with Canada. The duo set off on a road trip to find what’s been left behind at places forgotten to time. In between locations, enjoy a classic road trip while sitting in the car, with the ability to fiddle with the radio and speak with Opal.
Open Roads will launch sometime next year (AKA not soon enough, ever) for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. Tess is voiced by Kaitlyn Dever, a brilliant young actor whose portrayal of Marie Adler in Unbelievable left many of us in puddles of emotions, tears, and anger. Opal is voiced by Keri Russell; known to me as Felicity but to the younger crowds, Russell is perhaps best known for her role of Elizabeth Jennings in The Americans.
Sea of Solitude is coming to Switch
It was only four days ago I was writing the last Catch-up, where I talked about how Quantic Dream has started publishing works from other developers. In that case, the game in question was Dustborn. Quite soon after that announcement, developer Jo-Mei games announced it was working with Quantic Dream to release Sea of Solitude: The Director’s Cut for Nintendo Switch. Take a look at the announcement trailer:
Sea of Solitude follows Kay as she visits a drowned city, where light has become darkness and metaphorical creatures stir up painful emotions that Kay will have to face. She travels by boat and by foot, solving puzzles and finding her way around a rather harsh landscape. This Director’s Cut features a rewritten script, new voice actors, and augmented animations. This Nintendo Switch version also offers a customisable photo mode and gyroscope integration.
Sea of Solitude: The Director’s Cut will launch for Nintendo Switch on March 4, 2021. It will be available digitally (via the Nintendo eShop) and physically, with limited edition pre-orders already open at the Quantic Dream Store.
PS5, Switch top November sales
Both Sony and Microsoft released new consoles last month, while the Nintendo Switch has been hanging around for nearly four years now. At first glance of that sentence, you’d think oh, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series will surely be leading in the way in console sales for November – but that’s not the case. I’m not saying the Xbox Series S/X didn’t sell well, but still, Sony and Nintendo led the way in numbers. Sony made the most money, and Nintendo sold the most units.
Sony’s PlayStation 5 launched on two dates, November 12 and November 19, depending on region. It was the former in the United States, which is where these numbers are from. The new current-gen console beat the PlayStation 4’s sale records for highest launch month units and dollar sales for video game hardware. Comparatively, the Xbox Series X/S launched two days sooner yet sold less units than its predecessor, the Xbox One, launched in the same month as the PlayStation 4. Both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S remain in short supply everywhere with the holidays looming.
The Nintendo Switch has always surprised me; I tend to be skeptical of what Nintendo is up to next because sometimes it falls flat on its face (hello, Wii U). But the Switch is the little console that could. It doesn’t pack the power that the new consoles’ PR folks brag about, but its versatility has people loving every second with it. And I offer up proof: in the United States, the Nintendo Switch was the highest-selling console (in units) last month, selling over 1.35 million units (combining the Switch and Switch Lite). That makes it the best-selling console in the US for a solid two years now.
Cooperative platformer It Takes Two launching next year
It was a big week for video game news last week, and this announcement nearly slipped under my radar. Developed by Hazelight (known for A Way Out, a remarkable co-op game) and published by EA, the 3D action-adventure platformer should be a dream for anyone yearning for co-op. In a press release, Hazelight founder and director Josef Fares states, “we’re always looking to push the boundaries of what’s expected in games, and It Takes Two is going to make your head spin! We’ve taken all our learnings from our previous games and kicked it up a notch, linking the narrative and gameplay mechanics for a genre-bending experience. ” Here’s the announcement trailer:
Clashing couple Cody and May have been turned into dolls courtesy of a magic spell. In the fantastical world they end up in, they have to save their relationship by surviving what Hazelight describes as “gleefully disruptive gameplay.” As they progress, Cody and May will each gain new abilities. Couch co-op is available, but for those wanting to play online, there’s an option to use Friend’s Pass. It’s free, and allows a friend to join in without needing a copy of the game.
It Takes Two will launch on March 26, 2021, for PC via Steam/Origin, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.
– Lindsay M.
News Editor
