Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s weekly catch-up news feature, the catch-up coffee. With each issue I 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)!
Take a look at the world in Forspoken
This isn’t the first “deep dive” of Forspoken posted on the PlayStation Blog, but it is perhaps my favourite as the world in games can often feel like another living, breathing creature. Along with the blog post, there’s also a nice chunky trailer available, also detailing the world of Athia. Take a look at the trailer below, and the blog post here. I’ll also sum it up very briefly.
There are monuments across the world, sacred stones that still store a piece of power that can provide stat boosts; it’s not going to be easy though. Some monuments have “flashback” challenges, which take players back to an earlier point in history. There are beautiful pools of water called Founts of Blessings all over the world, able to give Frey a blessing that boosts her magical skills. Another way to upgrade her magic is through Spellcraft Challenges. Sometimes, players will collect Old Coins in chests or hidden in the world; these coins can be spent at trading spots. Underground, and all over, and Locked Labyrinths. Dangerous to explore, these contained valuable crafting items, crafting materials, and dangerous monsters. In some safe spaces, like pubs, play a game called Partha for temporary boosts. Photo spots high lit the world’s architecture and landscapes, and require parkour to access. There are magical fuzzy cats called Tantas’ Familiars, prowling near special monuments. If players are careful enough, these creatures can be befriended. Finally, we get to combat challenges: take down super-strong enemies and be handsomely rewarded.
Developed by Luminous Productions and published by Square Enix, Forspoken will be released for PC via Steam/Epic/Microsoft and PlayStation 5 on January 24, 2023.
There’s (another) new character trailer for Samurai Maiden
Last week brought us the first character trailer for Samurai Maiden, detailing Iyo. This week brings a new trailer, focusing on Hagane. Her right arm can extend an contract at will, and also emits a high-voltage current. She’s supportive and nurturing, heaping affection on the women around her while ignoring their blushing.
I’ve written about this game a lot, and I’m getting a bit tired of rewriting the same premise each time, so here’s a game description I wrote up last week: “It follows Tsumugi, a young woman from the 21st century, as she is transported back to Honnoji in the Sengoku period. Specifically, she ends up at a temple in flames, with the angry shouts of soldiers surrounding her. There she meets Nobunaga Oda, and three ninja friends. The ninjas help her on a journey through the underworld, where they are constantly confronted by enraged corpses. When things get tough, Tsumugi can kiss one of the ninjas to enhance their abilities.”
Developed by Shade and published by D3 Publisher, Samurai Maiden will be released for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch on December 8 worldwide.
Storyteller launches a good bit into next year
It was difficult to narrow down what games to expand upon during this week’s Nintendo Indie World Showcase, and unfortunately one of the games that were cut was Storyteller. Good thing I have the chance to talk about it now! Storyteller is a unique spin on the puzzle genre, with some pretty nice artwork to boot. This week, its release date was announced.
Players are given a variety of iconic characters, settings, and emotions. Use these items to create stories of love, betrayal, and revenge. Genres will cover everything from supernatural fantasy to Shakespearean tragedies to mythos of creation. Characters and themes include heroes and villains, dragons and vampires, infidelity and remorse, love, lies, madness, and much much more. Use blank comic panels to insert items that all add up to a story that makes sense.
Developed by Daniel Benmergui and published by Annapurna Interactive, Storyteller will be released for PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch on March 23, 2023.
We Were Here Forever is set to launch on consoles
The latest standalone game in the We Were Here series, We Were Here Forever is already available for PC. Now, the developer is looking ahead to its release on four consoles (basically everything minus Nintendo Switch) in the near year. The game brings fans of the cooperative adventure series back to Castle Rock, complete with award-winning puzzle design, 12 hours of playtime, and a grand finale.
Players and their partner will wake up locked and separated in the dungeons of Castle Rock. Using a walk-in-talkie for communication, the pair must solve puzzles to escape once again. Once outside, begin to unravel the mystery of a town called Rockbury.
Developed by Total Mayhem Games, We Were Here Forever will be released on January 31, 2023 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, and Xbox One. It is currently available for PC via Steam/Epic.
