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)!
My Time at Sandrock coming next month to PC via Early Access
My Time at Portia is one of those games that was a massive time sucker for me and my spouse. In fact, we had to buy two copies for different consoles so we could each play at the same time instead of arguing over who gets how much time and when. Its successor is My Time at Sandrock, set in a city-state struggling with economic and environmental ruin. The player is Sandrock’s newest Builder, tasked with revitalising the region and restoring the city. The developer, Pathea Games, has announced that the game will launch in Early Access in late May. Here’s the Early Access release date trailer:
Players can level up the skills that matter to them while letting the others fall to the wayside (unless you’re obsessive like me and must keep them equal). There are community and friendship traits, construction talents, cultivation talents, and combat-related talents. Assemble machinery and structures by learning new blueprints to create them piece by piece. Jobs and side quests let the player earn a higher Builder rank, which makes it possible to take on advanced commissions to overhaul Sandrock. Other gameplay elements include mining, exploring, expanding your workshop and decorating your home.
Developed and published by Pathea Games, My Time at Sandrock will be released in Early Access for PC via Steam and Epic Games on May 26. Its predecessor, My Time at Portia, is available for iOS/Android, PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.
Here’s 16 minutes of gameplay from Trek to Yomi (oh, and a release date!)
Trek to Yomi is a highly stylised game; it’s easy to see a trailer and know exactly what it is. A young swordsman vows to his dying master that he will protect his town and the people in it from all threats. It’s seems lonely while he voyages beyond life and death to decide his path forward. The game will be coming out in early May, but until then here’s an extended 16-minute gameplay video to enjoy.
The game is presented with what the published describes as “breathtaking” camera angles and “striking” visuals, and I’m inclined to agree that’s accurate based on what I’ve seen. The combat system is streamlined and based on traditional samurai weapons. The score is designed to feel authentic to feudal Japan. The Kurosawa inspiration is clear (and check out our interview with the developer).
Developed by Flying Wild Hog and published by Devolver Digital, Trek to Yomi will be released for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, and Xbox One on May 5. Sorry, Nintendo Switch players, you’ve left out (hopefully only temporarily).
Lake is coming to PlayStation!
Mail delivery games are all the rage lately, but Lake takes the gameplay aspect of them and successfully merges it with narrative. Quite frankly, it’s something you have to experience if you can. Set in 1986, Meredith has returned to her childhood town for two weeks to take over her father’s job as mail carrier. Here’s my favourite trailer for the game, focusing on its story:
The game combines an open-world game with a story-driven point-and-click adventure. Meredith is sure to run into familiar faces as well as new people while delivering the mail through the forests of Oregon. After work, she can chill with friends, help neighbours, or just stay home. When the two weeks are done, she will decide whether to stay in town or return to her high-flying city job.
Developed by Gamious and published by Whitethorn Games, Lake will be releases for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on April 8. It is currently available for PC via Steam, Xbox Series, and Xbox One.
Nobody Saves the World launching on more consoles
DrinkBox Studios has been on my watch list for years now (most people know it for Guacamelee!, but I’m really fond of Severed) so I’m always excited and happy to share news from the developer. This time, it’s about Nobody Saves the World, which launched for PC and Xbox in January. The game is poised to be released for PlayStation and Nintendo Switch in mid-April, alongside a free update for all platforms that includes local co-op.
I love this but from the official description, so I’m just going to steal it: “The Calamity’s power is growing, and nobody can save the world now. Good thing you are Nobody!” Nobody must complete quests to discover and swap amongst many distinct Forms. Abilities can be mixed and matched, allowing more difficult quests to be completed and more powerful Forms to be unlocked. It’s important to known progression happens through quest completion, not defeating enemies. The dungeons are procedurally-generated, so no two runs will ever be the same. As the player progresses, the dungeons will do the same and become more difficult.
Nobody Saves the World will be released for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch on April 14. It is currently available for PC via Steam, Xbox Series, and Xbox One.
Is it normal that I can’t login with discus anymore? It’s your friend born_naughty here.
I have Lake on the epic store. It’s actually from a Dutch developer, my northern neighbours and friends. Haven’t played it yet though.
Hello! We have to do away with Disqus because I am determined that DDNet be completely ad-free and Disqus’ ad-free version is just way too expensive for us at this stage. So it’s a bespoke comments system instead! Glad you were able to log in, and now I’ve whitelisted you, so you won’t have to wait for approval with your comments into the future :-).
Okay thanks Matt. One more thing. In the past I got an email notification if you replied to me. I didn’t get one now. Can I turn that on somehow?