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[Update #2]: It took a while for this announcement to arrive, but Remedy Entertainment is now also working on Control 2!
[Update]: Remedy has now also begun work on big-budget remakes of both Max Payne and Max Payne 2!
Despite already working on a numerous new games, including a co-op focused spin-off of Control, Remedy Entertainment has just announced a brand new one. The freshly revealed project Vanguard is still extremely early in development so the details are few and far between, but so far it looks like it's going to be a free-to-play, co-operative PvE shooter.
While Vanguard will be an original IP and take place in its very own universe, it will share the same focus on narrative as some of Remedy's previous games. As for the release platforms, Vanguard will be developed with Unreal Engine and will be launching onto both PC and consoles.
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[Update]: The list of the most successful and popular Steam games of 2022 has now arrived, and it's full of surprises!
In celebration of the quality games released this year, as well as old ones that have managed to stay relevant despite fierce competition, Valve has now revealed the most successful and popular games of 2021. The list covers everything from the top sellers to the best received controller games, so it's quite an interesting read!
While there are some repeats from last year, especially from the AAA camp, I'm pleased to say that there's a solid variety of indie games sprinkled throughout the various categories. I especially have to highlight Valheim here as it's a relatively small, microtransaction-free game that has managed to stand shoulder to shoulder with giants like Destiny 2, Dota 2 and even Apex Legends in terms of revenue.
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[Update]: The Final Fantasy VI pixel remaster has now landed onto Steam, and so far it has garnered mostly positive reviews.
If you were holding out hope that the Final Fantasy VI pixel remaster would arrive this year as previously announced, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. According to the freshly posted developer update, the pixel remaster has been pushed back to February 2022, though no exact release date has been given just yet.
"In order to bring you the best experience possible, we're allowing the necessary time to apply final polish while finishing development on the game," reads the brief update. "We will be adding new items for those that pre-purchase the game individually, or have purchased the pixel remaster bundle on Steam."
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It took nearly two decades and a highly successful crowdfunding campaign to make it happen, but the classic Homeworld RTS series is getting a brand new sequel next year! While the exact date has not been revealed just yet, Homeworld 3 will be launching in in the later part of 2022.
Much like its predecessors, Homeworld 3 will be heavily focused on large-scale fleet battles in full 3D space. As such, you'll not only need to think about your army composition and weaponry, but also the angle you're attacking from as the more impressive ships will have plenty of weaknesses that can be exploited, as well as plenty of strengths you'll definitely want to avoid running headfirst into.
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[Update]: January 13th has arrived, and with it The Anacrusis has now launched into Steam Early Access.
After the genre disappeared for a fair few years, it seems that the Left 4 Dead inspired co-op shooters are now finally coming back into fashion! Back 4 Blood and World War Z's Aftermath expansion arrived only a short while ago, and soon The Anacrusis will be joining the party as well.
While The Anacrusis is going for a retro-futuristic vibe instead of the usual apocalyptic one, the gameplay should feel instantly familiar. It's all about joining forces with your friends in order to fight against endless hordes of enemies, all the while the 'AI Driver' will analyze your performance and throw appropriate levels of enemies and items at you to make each playthrough feel both challenging and unique.
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[Update]: The Steam Awards 2021 winners have now been revealed, and I'm happy to say the Steam community has voted for a quality batch of games!
If you still have some money left over after the avalanche of sales that have been unleashed over the past few weeks, you'll be happy to hear that Steam will soon be throwing their hat into the ring as well. And when I say soon, I really do mean that as the great Steam Winter Sale is arriving in a couple of hours!
The start of the Winter Sale will also mark the start of the Steam Awards voting process. So if you're interested in giving a bit of extra recognition to your favorite games and developers, make sure to cast your votes across the numerous categories before January 3rd, as that's when the winners will be announced.
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In an announcement that came pretty much out of nowhere, Ubisoft has now revealed that they are working on a remake of the original Splinter Cell. While the details are still few and far between, Splinter Cell will be rebuilt from the ground up using the Snowdrop Engine (The Division games), all the while respecting the original's gameplay style and identity.
"A lot of time has passed since the original Splinter Cell, and even since the last sequel – enough time to miss an entire console generation", explains the developer update. "So now we're going to take the time to explore what this means for us, for light and shadow, for animation tech, for gameplay, AI, even audio."
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[Update #2]: Diablo 4 will be launching on June 6th, 2023 with five classes: Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue and Sorceress.
[Update]: Diablo 4's March 2022 preview offers a detailed look at the environment and dungeon design.
While Diablo 4 has been delayed recently despite not even having a release date, the good news is that at least the quarterly developer updates are continuing as planned! So if you're interested in a peek behind the curtains of game development, this time around the focus is on the itemization, character progression, as well as the visual effects.
When it comes to the itemization, there are two important things to note. First of all, +Skill effects from Diablo 2 are coming back, and they will allow you to either gain a new skill or boost the power of one you already have. And to make Legendary items feel even more character-defining, you will be able to extract their power and slot them into other Rare or Legendary items, thus getting to keep the Legendary effect while still being able to replace outdated gear.
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[Update #2]: Shiro Games have finally announced a release date for Dune: Spice Wars - April 26th, 2022!
[Update]: The very first gameplay preview for Dune: Spice Wars has now been unleashed!
After proving themselves as capable RTS developers with the excellent Northgard, Shiro Games have now set their sights on something a bit more ambitious - a real-time 4X game. Set in Frank Herbert’s Dune universe, the recently announced Dune: Spice Wars will be all about using subterfuge, political intrigue, economic supremacy, and as is tradition, all-out warfare in order to expand and solidify your faction's hold on the desert planet.
While there is no gameplay preview available just yet, you can get a bit of an idea of the sort of tone Shiro Games are going for through the brief announcement trailer. Have a look:
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[Update #2]: Alan Wake 2's launch has been pushed back until October 27th due to overcrowding.
[Update]: Despite already working on numerous new games, Remedy has now announced a brand new co-operative PvE shooter - Project Vanguard.
If after a decade of waiting you were starting to lose hope that Remedy would ever announce Alan Wake 2, I'm happy to say that I bring some good news! Not only has Remedy announced that they are working on Alan Wake 2 during the recent The Game Awards, but also that they are pouring absolutely everything they have into it!
While the details are still few and far between, you can expect an even greater focus on atmosphere and physiological horror elements. Here's a brief teaser trailer showing off what they mean: