The Digital Insider | Category: Electronic Games

A Deep Dive Into Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Combat, Abilities, Skill Tree, And More

If you’re at all familiar with the Dragon Age series, you likely already know BioWare has experimented quite a lot with its gameplay. From Dragon Age: Origins’ real-time strategy RPG approach to Dragon Age II’s mostly-set-within-one-city action experience to Dragon Age: Inquisition’s strategy-action mix, BioWare hasn’t quite defined the franchise’s combat. However, a through-line is apparent from Origins to Inquisition: BioWare seemingly wants this franchise to be action but has attempted to shift to that without abandoning its longtime fans.

With Dragon Age: The Veilguard, BioWare has completed its transition from strategy to real-time action, but thanks to an optional tactical pause-and-play combat wheel that harkens back to the series’ origins, I feel it’s found a great (battle)ground for Dragon Age combat. Of course, it’s hard to tell how Veilguard’s action will hold up over what is sure to be a dozens-of-hours-long RPG, but if what I’ve seen so far is any indication, the studio is on to something.

A Shift In Strategy

A Deep Dive Into Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Combat, Abilities, Skill Tree, And More

“I think the first thing to keep in mind is that combat […] in the franchise has been an evolution,” game director Corinne Busche tells me within BioWare’s Edmonton office. “Every single entry reimagines what combat is like and I would say our goal was to make sure we had a system that allowed players to feel like they actually were able to step into the world of Thedas. They’re not a player observing from afar – they are inside of this world. Being this authentic world that’s brought to life, the combat system needs to support that, so you are in control of every single action, every block, every dodge, every swing of your sword.”

Busche says players complete every swing in real-time, with particular attention paid to animation swing-through and canceling. On the topic of canceling, I watch Busche “bookmark” combos with a quick dash. With this mechanic, players can pause a combo’s status with a dash to safety and continue the combo where they left off afterward. Alongside the dash, there’s a parry for some classes, the ability to charge moves, and a revamped healing system that allows players to quickly use potions by pressing right on the d-pad.

Busche says each character will play the same in a way, regardless of class, in that you execute light and heavy attacks with the same buttons, use abilities with the same buttons, and interact with the combo wheel in the same way. During my demo at one point, we use a sword-and-shield Warrior Qunari that hip-fires and aims their shield to throw it like Captain America while hammering down big damage with a sword. Pressing the same buttons as a mage might throw out magical ranged attacks instead of a shield.

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Abilities, like a Spartan-like kick from a Warrior or a Mage’s firewall that deals continuous damage, add to the player’s repertoire of combat options. Warriors can parry incoming attacks, staggering enemies in the process. Rogues have a larger parry window, and Mages can’t parry at all but instead throw up a shield that blocks all incoming damage so long as they have the mana to sustain the shield.

“That is just the baseline that allows us to get that level of immersion of, ‘I’m actually in this world; I’m a part of it,'” Busche says. “But again, the abilities, the strategy, linking my companions’ abilities together to perform devastating combos, that is really where the depth and the complexity comes into play.”

Abilities And The Skill Tree

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Dreadwolf Game Informer Cover Story

Warrior Rook Skill Tree

This extends to companions, who, at your choosing, bring three abilities (of their five total) into combat, executed either with quick select buttons or the pause-and-play combat wheel. Every time you rank up a companion’s Relationship Level, you unlock a skill point to spend specifically on that companion – this is how you unlock new combat abilities.

Though companion skill trees pale in comparison to Rook’s expansive tree, which features passive abilities, combat abilities, and more, as well as paths to three unique class specializations, there’s still some customization here.

You can find the skill tree for Rook and companions within Veilguard’s start or pause menu. This menu contains pages for Veilguard’s map, journal, character sheets, and a library for lore information, too. Here, you can cross-compare equipment and equip new gear for Rook and companions, build weapon loadouts, and customize your abilities and builds via the aforementioned skill tree, which looks relatively easy to understand.

You won’t find minutiae here, “just real numbers,” Busche says. In other words, a new unlocked trait might increase damage by 25% against armor, but that’s as in-depth as the numbers get. Passive abilities unlock jump attacks and guarantee critical hit opportunities, while abilities add moves like firewall and spartan kicks to your arsenal. As you spec out this skill tree, which is 100% bespoke to each class, you’ll work closer to unlocking a specialization (which doesn’t take reaching the max level of 50). Every class has three specializations, each with a unique ultimate ability. Busche says BioWare’s philosophy with the skill tree is “about changing the way you play, not the statistical minutiae.”

Companions In Combat

If you completely ignore companions in combat, they will attack targets, use abilities, and defeat enemies all on their own. “[Companions] are their own people, “Busche says. “They have their own behaviors, they have their own autonomy on the battlefield, they’ll pick their own targets. As their plots progress, they’ll learn how to use their abilities more competently, and it really feels like you’re fighting alongside these realized characters in battle.”

Speaking to companion synergy, Busche adds, “I see all the abilities Harding has, and I see everything that Bellara is capable of. And sometimes, I’m using vulnerabilities synergistically. Maybe I’m pausing or slowing time with Bellara so that I can unleash devastating attacks with Harding, knocking down the enemy, and then me, as Rook, I’m rushing in and capitalizing on this setup they’ve created for me. It is a game about creating this organic sense of teamwork.”

Busche says there are more explicit synergies, with intentional combos where specific companions can play off each other, and you can queue up their abilities to do just that. That’s what the pause-and-play combat wheel is for in Veilguard.

In this screen, which pauses the camera and pulls up a flashy combat wheel that highlights you and your companions’ skills, you can choose abilities, queue them up, and strategize with synergies and combos the game recognizes, all while targeting specific enemies. Select what you want and release the wheel to watch your selections play out.

Putting It All Together

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Game Informer Cover Story Exclusive Details

During a mission within Arlathan Forest after Veilguard’s prologue, Busche utilizes Veilguard’s dual-loadout mechanic. As Rook, you can create two weapon loadouts for quick switch-ups mid-combat. As a mage Rook, she uses magical attacks to add three stacks of arcane build-up to make an Arcane Bomb on a Sentinel, a mechanical set of armor possessed by a demon. If you hit the Sentinel’s Arcane Bomb with a heavy attack, the enemy will take devastating damage. Once the Sentinel has an Arcane Bomb on it, Busche begins charging a heavy attack on her magical staff, then switches to magical daggers in Rook’s second loadout, accessed with a quick tap of down on the d-pad to unleash some quick light attacks, then back to the staff to finish charging its attack. She then unleashes the heavy attack, and the Arcane Bomb explodes in a liquidy whirl of green magic.

“I’ve seen [Veilguard’s combat] refined over time [and] I love it,” BioWare general manager Gary McKay tells me. “I love that balance of real-time fluid action, but also the ability to have the depth in the RPG, not just in terms of pause-and-play, but the depth in terms of how you bring your companions into the battlefield. What are you going to do with their skill points? What’s the loadout you’re going to use? Everything is about bringing Rook to the center of the battlefield, and I love it.”

Former Dragon Age executive producer and Veilguard consultant Mark Darrah feels Veilguard is the first game where the combat is legitimately fun. “What I see in Veilguard is a game that finally bridges the gap,” he says. “Uncharitably, previous Dragon Age games got to the realm of ‘combat wasn’t too bad.’ In this game, the combat’s actually fun, but it does keep that thread that’s always been there. You have the focus on Rook, on your character, but still have that control and character coming into the combat experience from the other people in your party.”

I get the sense from watching Busche play several hours of Veilguard that BioWare has designed a combat system that relies heavily on players extracting what they want out of it. If you want to button mash and use abilities freely when their cooldowns expire, you can probably progress fine (although on the game’s easier difficulties). But if you want to strategize your combos, take advantage of elemental vulnerabilities, and min-max companions and Rook loadouts, you can do that, too, and I think you’ll find Veilguard rewards that with a more enriching experience.

For more about the game, including exclusive details, interviews, video features, and more, click the Dragon Age: The Veilguard hub button below.

Hidetaka Miyazaki Talks Why Bloodborne Is Special To Him And How It Led To Elden Ring

Bloodborne arrived on PS4 in 2015 and immediately became one of the best games of the year, earning a 9.75 out of 10 from Game Informer and even taking home our award for Best PlayStation Exclusive. But something about that game has stuck with players. In addition to resonating with a wider audience than many of From Software’s most iconic titles to that point, Bloodborne delivered an engrossing world full of mystery and challenge, causing it to remain top-of-mind for many Soulslike fans even today. In the lead-up to the launch of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, I sat down with the creator of Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Demon’s Souls, and Bloodborne to learn why the 2015 PS4 exclusive holds as special a place in his heart as it does the game’s many fans.

For Miyazaki, who has directed nearly every game in From Software’s legendary Souls catalog (including Elden Ring, Sekiro, and Bloodborne), the relationship between offense and defense started getting more fully fleshed out during the development of Bloodborne. “It’s become something much more fluid and active, I think, which was a very defining characteristic of Sekiro, and it’s something I’ve been thinking about since Bloodborne,” Miyazaki says. “Perhaps in Sekiro, it appears most obviously or its the clearest form that I think that philosophy can embody. And personally, I think there’s one more level we can crank it up to and sharpen that and hone in on that mechanic even more, but I think Sekiro was a big turning point.”

Hidetaka Miyazaki Talks Why Bloodborne Is Special To Him And How It Led To Elden Ring

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

When I mention that Bloodborne was the first From Software game that clicked with me, Miyazaki smiles. “I’m very glad to hear that,” he exclaims. Bloodborne is a special game for me as well. I’m very, very happy to hear you say that.”

I then follow up, asking the director why the critically acclaimed title sticks out in the vast pool of his other beloved creations. “A couple of reasons,” he begins. “The first one being it was probably one of the most challenging development cycles we’ve had from a studio perspective. The second, perhaps bigger element is how personal it was for me in the sense that I’ve imparted a lot of my own ideas into this game, whether it be story, the world-building component, or even the game mechanics and game systems that are in place. It is perhaps the strongest reflection of my type of flavoring of a game that one can experience.”

However, Miyazaki’s influence is undeniable in the entire From Software catalog, which can likely be attributed to the fact that he has been heavily involved in the stage and level design from Demon’s Souls all the way up to Elden Ring. “My approach of making games as the game director, it’s like sandwiching from a very high, conceptual level and painting the final image of what we’re trying to achieve, as well as going really granular on some of the detailed elements of what the players experience,” he says. “By sandwiching the game development process, the middle almost has only one place to go which is completing that whole experience. Of course, the high-level conceptual stuff might be easy to imagine, but of the details that I pick and choose to oversee myself, the level design is one of them because I think that experience really creates and raises the floor of what players are going to feel and experience through the game design. This is true with Elden Ring and true with Dark Souls as well: I’ll look at what’s being done and say, ‘Alright, this, this, this, and this I’m going to oversee,’ because I know which points in that experience are going to be the most effective and sandwich the high-level vision plus the details that players see.”

Elden Ring

That influence and approach carried into Elden Ring, the latest critically acclaimed From Software title in the Soulslike subgenre. “In the case of Elden Ring, there was the very high-level conceptual vision, and then there were the details,” Miyazaki says. “The defining details for me throughout that game was artwork, the level design, the animation, as well as the text that you see on screen. I think that was the strongest supporting factor that helped elevate the entire experience for players. And because Elden Ring was such a massive experience to design certain levels, we did hand off to other level designers and game designers and I think that is what helps the company grow massively through this experience. Every game has a different set of details that need special attention and one of them that seemed appropriate to work collaboratively or hand off to other designers was the level design in this case. And that, again, I think helps elevate the company as a whole in terms of the talent we have.”

Though Bloodborne and Sekiro are tentpole moments in the evolution of the Soulslike subgenre, Elden Ring is the most successful game in the young category’s history. Not only does it carry an almost unheard-of 96 out of 100 on reviews aggregate site Metacritic (including a rare 10 out of 10 from Game Informer), but it also took home several Game of the Year Awards, including from Game Informer and The Game Awards.

Now, players have an excuse to jump back into that acclaimed 2022 title as From Software is poised to release Shadow of the Erdtree, the long-awaited DLC for Elden Ring. For more on Shadow of the Erdtree, be sure to check out our glowing review of the latest DLC right here.

Zelda Is The Protagonist In The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Out September

For years, fans of the Legend of Zelda have clamored for the titular princess to star in her own game, but even as she’s become a more prominent character in recent entries, the Zelda-led Zelda game has yet to appear on store shelves. In today’s Nintendo Direct, that wish was finally granted; in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, it’s up to Princess Zelda to save Hyrule when Link is captured.

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While the game takes its art style from 2019’s Link’s Awakening remake, this title is not a remake of any kind, and there’s no clear indication that it is connected to Link’s Awakening. In this adventure, Zelda uses a new magic item called the Tri Rod to journey across Hyrule. The Tri Rod can create “echoes” of items, like tables, beds, or boxes, to climb and explore the overworld and its dungeons, but it doesn’t stop there. Echoes of water blocks can be used to swim up and over certain obstacles, while trampolines allow players to easily leap across gaps.

Throughout the gameplay demonstration, Series producer Eiji Aonuma explains that players can also make echoes of enemies, and that these enemies can be used in combat on your side. Zelda captures a moblin to fight some slimes, then uses meat to lure in some bird enemies and summons a deku baba to snap them up. Aonuma goes on to say that there are so many echoes in the game and that he hasn’t even counted them all – we’ll have to learn what the limits of echoes are, if any, some other time.

As the trailer continues we get more glimpses into who Zelda will be interacting with throughout the game, and it includes two kinds of Zoras, some Deku shrubs, a Sheikah person (potentially Impa) and the Great Deku Tree. It also features some 2D platforming and underwater sections, as well as Zelda using birds and plants with helicopter-like leaves to glide.

The game launches alongside a golden Hyrule-themed Switch lite, which you can view in the gallery of images above. Luckily, you won’t have to wait long for either of them: the handheld and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom will be available later this year, on September 26.

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Announced, Launches September

In recent years, Capcom has really shown its dedication to the Ace Attorney series by bringing the games to modern consoles. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles brought two games to the West for the first time, while the Apollo Justice Ace Attorney Trilogy gave the newest games in the series a facelift. Today, with the announcement of Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, Capcom is not just bringing another Japan-only release to Western gamers, but it’s also made the entire library of Ace Attorney games available on modern consoles.

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The Investigations games follow Miles Edgeworth, an antagonist turned reluctant ally from the original trilogy of Phoenix Wright games. Instead of defending suspects in court, Edgeworth is a prosecutor, so it’s up to him to build a case against the main suspects. By collecting evidence and completing logic puzzles, he and the lovable Detective Gumshoe solve mysteries and serve justice. While the first game launched in the States as a DS title, the second never officially made it over, so this is many players’ first chance to see its story.

Like other Ace Attorney collections, the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection will have a number of modes and settings for fans to appreciate the art and music of the original game. While it includes new “hand-drawn character visuals” for a more modern look, it also allows players to switch to classic pixel sprites if they prefer the look of the original. Meanwhile, the gallery includes character art, a photo album, and music from the game, including orchestral arrangements.

While the announcement was made during the Nintendo Direct, Ace Attorney Investigations collection is far from a console exclusive – the two-game collection will launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on September 6.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Review – An Emphatic Exclamation Point – Game Informer

Following up Elden Ring is a gargantuan task. It’s one of my favorite games of all time, and the base adventure isn’t lacking for content, intrigue, or surprises. Shadow of the Erdtree doesn’t outclass the primary campaign but expands it, adding a fun and fascinating new zone in the Realm of Shadow. With entertaining new dungeons, a challenging fresh slate of bosses, and a smart new form of progression, Shadow of the Erdtree gives Elden Ring fans more of everything that worked in the main game and is a fantastic excuse to endure its many dangers once more.

From Software expansions are notorious for being exceptionally more difficult than the base game. Shadow of the Erdtree is overall harder, but the degree of which will, of course, vary based on the character you’re bringing into it. Since defeating Radahn and Mohg is the only prerequisite for beginning the expansion, and because Shadow of the Erdtree requires owning the base game, players are likely using late-game or New Game + characters. For context, I began the expansion using my endgame (level 165), single playthrough character who proved to be more than ready to handle the new threats – at least for a while.

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Because of these circumstances, your character likely requires an exorbitant amount of runes to level up. From Software clearly considered this and introduced smart new progression items called Scadutree Fragments and Reverned Ash Fragments. Scattered all over the map, spending these items at checkpoints improves overall damage output and resistance: Scadutree for yourself and Reverned Ash for your Spirit Ashes (though the effect only applies in the expansion). This is a great, streamlined method of strengthening your character, and I love not relying solely on grinding to gather tens of thousands of runes just to level up once. This is also great for bolstering maxed-out Spirit Ashes, letting me roll with my favorite(s) after they peaked in the base game. These fragments won’t suddenly turn your Tarnished into an unstoppable juggernaut, but it is a noticeable, if small, difference that doesn’t throw off the game’s balancing.

Without getting too specific, Shadow of the Erdtree also goes out of its way to provide a surplus of smithing stones to upgrade the expansion’s plethora of new weapons (which you can use in the base game). This offers a strong argument to retire old favorites in favor of using something new. During the early hours, I stubbornly clung to the loadout that brought me success in the main game. Eventually, I discovered numerous cool and powerful weapons, armor sets, spells, enchantments, and charms that compelled me to finally create new, potent loadouts. Shadow of the Erdtree encourages experimentation as much as the main game, if not more so, thanks to its roster of intimidating, grotesque, and, in some cases, outright bizarre new enemies.

Needless to say, Shadow of the Erdtree isn’t a walk in the park. An imposing new class of armored adversaries that would probably be considered mini-bosses in the base game now roam the map as normal enemy types. They’re tough enough that I was shocked to see them respawn after spending a good amount of time and effort defeating them once. Basket-like fire giants stomping around the map may as well be wearing signs saying “Mess around and find out” due to how obscenely powerful and sturdy they are. Creative new boss encounters offer fresh – and infuriating – trials that had me yelling in agony at defeat and jumping for joy upon victory. I won’t spoil any of them, but a couple of particular foes may rival Malenia in difficulty. They’re all fun to topple, and, like the main game, the sting of defeat can often be remedied by simply moving on to someplace else.

The Realm of Shadow may be smaller overall, but it’s still huge and sports several postcard-worthy locales, several of which are tricky to even reach. Don’t be surprised to go dozens of hours before un-fogging the map due to how well From Software uses the Realm of Shadow’s verticality to hide layers of crucial routes and openings. I appreciate how this layered-cake approach to world design makes exploring the Realm of Shadow feel distinctly different from roaming The Lands Between. Trekking up or down is usually the answer to most navigational conundrums, with the former often offering gorgeous views of the landscape and the latter taking players through underground pathways, revealing hidden ruins, villages, and more. Despite the increased challenge of finding where to go next, the thrill of discovery remains a powerful motivator after 40-plus hours of play, and my curiosity was usually rewarded with a cool location, a useful item, or a terrifying foe.

The new dungeons, including repeatable ones like smelting forges and underground gaols, beg to be thoroughly explored thanks to some clever and devious secrets, presenting more great examples of From’s exceptional level design. While it’s tough to beat mind-boggling discoveries like the underground cities in the main game, a few points of interest gave me pause to admire them and have unique visual identities. Meeting the strange and questionably trustworthy faces occupying these zones is its own treat. Even if you don’t totally understand (or care) what’s going on with Miquella and his followers, characters like a shady sorcerer soliciting favors or engaging with weirdly charitable bug warriors contribute to the expansion’s head-tilting but alluring charm.

The boring but ultimately correct shorthand to summarize Shadow of the Erdtree is that it’s more Elden Ring. The incredible sense of discovery, fantastic dungeon design, entertainingly deep combat, and intriguing lore and characters that defined From Software’s 2022 masterpiece all apply to this expansion. From Software didn’t drop the ball and make Elden Ring worse, nor do I believe it wholly topped what it had achieved before. Shadow of the Erdtree maintains a sky-high status quo, even if it loses a little magic from being a known quantity this time instead of a complete surprise. Still, Shadow of the Erdtree is one hell of a mic drop that further cements this adventure as one of the finest ever crafted.

Dragon Quest III: HD-2D Remake Preview – Returning To The Roots – Game Informer

The long-awaited Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake appeared during today’s highly anticipated Nintendo Direct. We learned much more about the upcoming game, including its release date, which falls in November. On top of that, during Summer Game Fest 2024, we spent about 45 minutes checking out the upcoming retro remake of one of the most beloved and important Dragon Quest games of all time.

In Dragon Quest III, which takes place years prior to the first two games in the series, you step into the shoes of the only child of Ortega, a great hero who failed to defeat Baramos, an Archfiend who threatens the world’s safety. On the child’s 16th birthday, they’re summoned by the king of Aliahan and told to take on their father’s unfinished quest to defeat Baramos. The 16-year-old Hero must assemble their party, explore a massive world full of towns and dungeons, and defeat monsters in turn-based battles.

Dragon Quest III: HD-2D Remake Preview – Returning To The Roots – Game Informer

In Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, players enjoy the gorgeous HD-2D visuals, which take 2D sprites and add 3D graphics and elements to the mix as popularized by other Square Enix games like Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy. The remake also includes modernized UI and various quality-of-life improvements. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is pitched as faithful to the story of the original game, but developers Team Asano and Artdink also expanded the core narrative under the supervision of series creator Yuji Horii.

This new version still relies on the traditionally turn-based combat present in the NES original that came to the US in 1992. However, the team has also expanded on that, giving players new animations, adjustable battle speed, and even an auto-battle setting. During my hands-on time, these improvements were the most impactful. Yes, the visuals are beautiful, and the UI improvements help, but being able to speed up the traditionally slower-paced turn-based fights and even set them to auto-battle made the grind so much more enjoyable. Pushing through endless waves of Antnibblers, Stark Ravens, Slimes, and Bunicorns using these settings helped me level my characters as they explored the large overworld map.

However, it is worth noting that this is clearly a game that was created in the late ’80s. Various modernizations and updates have been made to the formula, but you might be left wanting if you’re expecting something in line with modern game design and gameplay standards. However, if you’re a fan of the original or are just curious about going back and experiencing this beloved classic, this seems like it could be the best way to enjoy the story of Dragon Quest III in 2024.

If this remake sounds appealing, we also received a release date during the Nintendo Direct: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC on November 14.

Nintendo Direct Reveals The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Out September

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Forza Horizon 5 Adds Iconic Cars From Back To The Future, Jurassic Park, And Knight Rider

Developer Playground Games has announced its next wave of Forza Horizon 5 content will be focused on newer innovations in the realm of automobiles. This means that players will have the opportunity to drive around Mexico in a 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, 2021 Toyta GR Yaris, 2023 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo Turbo S, and 2023 Kia EV6 GT. However, for many, those are unlikely to be the highlight of this batch of releases. Available tomorrow, Forza Horizon 5 is bringing several iconic vehicles from Universal Studios films and TV shows.

The Universal Icons Car Pack adds KITT from Knight Rider, Jurassic Park‘s 1992 Jeep Wrangler Sahara, and a distinct version of the Delorean Time Machine from each Back to the Future film in the trilogy. Each Time Machine features a unique look and visual effects once you hit 88 miles per hour. The Jurassic Park Wrangler features the park’s logo as well as the iconic color scheme from the film. Finally, KITT includes a body kit that includes Super Pursuit Mode.

Forza Horizon 5 Adds Iconic Cars From Back To The Future, Jurassic Park, And Knight Rider

This isn’t the first time Forza Horizon 5 has introduced licensed vehicles from pop-culture properties. Players can already purchase the Forza Horizon 5: Fast X Car Pack as well as the Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels expansion. In addition to those aforementioned vehicles, this season adds 17 EventLab props to help players build modern highways and a robot collectible out in the world.

We absolutely loved Forza Horizon 5 when it came out in 2021, awarding it a 9.5 out of 10, naming it one of the top 10 games of 2021, and awarding it both Best Microsoft Exclusive and Best Racing Game for that year. The Universal Icons Car Pack will be available tomorrow, June 18. The Mustang arrives on June 20, the IONIQ and EV6 land in-game on June 27. The Yaris comes out on July 4 and the Taycan on July 11.

Embracer Shuts Down Developer Of The New Alone In The Dark

Embracer has shut down Pieces Interactive, the developer of the Alone in the Dark reimagining that arrived earlier this year. The studio is the latest to be closed by the troubled company over the last 10 months.

Pieces Interactive’s website now only features a graphic listing “2007-2024 Thanks For Playing With Us” and a short blurb detailing its history:

Pieces Interactive released over ten titles on PC, Console and Mobile since 2007, both our own concepts such as Puzzlegeddon, Fret Nice, Leviathan Warships, Robo Surf and Kill to Collect, as well as work for hire titles such as Magicka 2 and several DLCs for Magicka. Our client list includes Paradox Interactive, Koei Tecmo, Arrowhead Game Studios, Koch Media and RaceRoom Entertainment.

In 2017, Pieces Interactive were acquired by Embracer Group after working with the expansion for Titan Quest, Titan Quest: Ragnarök and third expansion for Titan Quest, Titan Quest: Atlantis.

Our last release was the reimagening of Alone in the Dark.

Alone in the Dark launched on March 20 to mixed reviews, currently sitting at a 63 on Metacritic. The game stars actors Jodie Comer and David Harbour, who lent their voices and likenesses, in a third-person reimagining of the 1992 survival horror classic.

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Following the collapse of a $2 billion deal with the Saudi Arabia-backed Savvy Games Group in 2023, Embracer has undergone a massive restructuring to stay afloat, resulting in a significant reduction of headcount across its many studios. That has included laying off over 1,000 employees (including those at Eidos-Montreal), selling off its studios (Saber Interactive, Gearbox Entertainment), and outright closing others (Free Radical Design, Volition Games). Embracer has most recently split itself into three separate companies, with its studios divided among them.

Monster Hunter Wilds Preview – The Chase Is On – Game Informer

Monster Hunter is known for its protagonists overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds in their pursuit of taking down the massive monsters that populate the region, but with Monster Hunter Wilds, Capcom may be taking it to a whole new level. While at Summer Game Fest Play Days, I took in an extended gameplay demo involving an Alpha Monster hunt. I left the demo excited to dive into this seemingly improved take on what the very popular Monster Hunter World delivered in 2018.

Monster Hunter World served as Capcom’s big push into making a more mainstream and globally appealing entry in the franchise. The team worked hard to bring the franchise up to global triple-A standards and included several quality-of-life improvements, as well as a simultaneous ship date across Japanese and Western markets and additional language localizations. The result was a smash success, with Monster Hunter World currently sitting atop the franchise’s sales charts. Capcom and the Monster Hunter development team hope to go even bigger with Wilds.

Monster Hunter Wilds Preview – The Chase Is On – Game Informer

“For Monster Hunter Wilds, it’s pretty much a similar approach to what we have accomplished with World in that we want to use what were then the most high-spec machines available to create the world of Monster Hunter in unprecedented detail and depth,” series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto says. “That was true for Monster Hunter World, and for Monster Hunter Wilds, it’s the same approach, but now, hardware has advanced so much in the intervening years that we’re just able to go even further than we did in that direction.”

From the start of the demo, the graphical enhancements are obvious. The lush environments, improved animations, and better faces are immediately evident as the on-screen character walks through the base camp populated with humans and Palico, but once the character hops on his mount (which are larger this time around), Wilds really starts cooking with gas.

A new tool that allows players to pick up items from a distance while riding a mount is just the start, as we have our eyes on hunting an Alpha Doshaguma. Venturing out into the eponymous wilds from base camp requires no load screen, and thanks to the day/night cycle, players must be intentional about when they start their hunts since certain monsters only appear at specific times. Because of this, the character must wait for prime Doshaguma hunting hours, so he asks his Palico friends to set up a mobile camp in the field. These camps are extremely handy, but they can be destroyed by monsters, so you must be strategic about your placement.

Before the hunt, the character cooks a meal via an extended cooking sequence that is, in the words of the demo’s commentator, quite sensual. The detailed food looks terrific, and the character’s facial expressions and sounds seem to reflect that it tastes as good as it looks. After feasting, the hunter is off to find the Doshaguma. Using the Ghille Mantle, the hunter sneaks right past the standard monsters and right up to the Alpha. He lands a heavy blow, and all chaos breaks loose. The giant bear-like monster alerts all its buddies, and they swarm the hunter in the enclosed space.

The only way the hunter is going to survive this is by trying to thin the herd, but that’s not going to happen in this tight space. The hunter calls upon his mount and makes a break for it. The four congregated monsters give chase. While they’re hot on your tail, you have ways to slow them down or even take them out of the fight. You can lead them through Bramble or even other monsters’ territory. In this case, the demo player leads them right through a pack of smaller monsters who don’t hesitate to jump up on the four Doshaguma. This slows them down, but two stay on the hunter’s trail.

After a few more maneuvers, the hunter loses all of the Doshaguma except the Alpha target. Now it’s time to lead it through even more traps in hopes of slowing it down and landing some damage. First, the hunter leads them through Balahara territory, which results in the Balahara opening up a quicksand trap that sucks the Doshaguma into it. The bear-like monster escapes, so the hunter enters a nearby thunderstorm. There, the area’s Apex monster appears and attacks the Doshaguma but does not finish it off. The hunter then rides into a nearby cave where boulders crash onto the monster from the ceiling.

It’s obvious that having knowledge of the map will pay dividends as you fight a powerful monster like this Alpha Doshaguma. “With the maps being so much bigger now – two times or more as large as Monster Hunter World – being completely seamless, my approach is to give the player as wide a toolset as possible and place these things so that they can make a choice on what kind of strategy they want to take,” director Yuya Tokuda says. “This is a game you can play for dozens or hundreds of hours, and even though it’s very big, you will see the same field so many times, and I don’t want it to feel static, but we always have our, ‘I know that if I go here, this is what happens. That’s option A, and there’s also option B: The way the field actually changes with the daylight cycle and extreme weather system means that you are always able to, ‘Okay, well now that it’s this time of day, if I go here, I know that [a particular monster] will be available for me to track. Or for the next time when it’s a different time of day or different weather option, we’ve provided the information to let you decide how to take it differently this time. You can go through your old favorite strategies or just decide to change it up on a whim. I feel my job as the director or the designer is to give you the tools you need to hunt. How you use them is really up to you.”

To prevent players from feeling overwhelmed by the options available to them, the Palico, who can talk this time around, will call things out to ensure the player is aware of what is at their fingertips. “They will call out these things just to make you aware of them, but it doesn’t force you to do them,” Tokuda says. “So, if there’s a storm coming in, then one of the characters might tell you to watch out for that. […] I just want to ensure that the players don’t miss out on all the exciting new features we added because they didn’t know what to look out for.”

After the chase through the cave, the Alpha Doshaguma begins limping, but the hunter also needs to rest, so he lets the monster escape. The hunter returns to the mobile camp, changes to a long sword, and sends up a signal flare to call co-op partners. Together, they set up traps in the area where the monster roams. One hunter lays a pitfall trap while the others prepare their own ways. Once ready, our main hunter sneaks up on the Doshaguma and sets up explosive barrels near where it’s sleeping. The hunter blasts the barrels, and they explode, serving as the rudest alarm clock. It wakes up, understandably irritated, and chases the hunters once more. The main hunter leads it into the pitfall trap, where it gets wedged in the ground, and the team unloads on the already-injured beast. The Doshaguma climbs out, but the main hunter jumps on its back, grabs its mane, and begins stabbing it from the top. Thanks to this maneuver, the pre-existing injuries from the thrilling chase, and the teamwork from the co-op partners, the Alpha Doshaguma finally falls, and the hunters use the carving knife to cut the carcass. The entire sequence was white-knuckled, breathless, and edge-of-my-seat thrilling, and I can’t wait to undertake similar chases once I have the game in my possession.

When Monster Hunter World arrived in 2018, I was excited to finally give the series a shot. I liked what I played, but I didn’t make it very far into the campaign. After leaving my Monster Hunter Wilds demo and speaking with the creators, I am ready to download World and its Iceborne expansion in anticipation of Monster Hunter Wilds’ 2025 release.