narrative depth Archives

AppWizard

April 30, 2025

Top Explosive Upcoming PC Games You Can’t Miss in 2025

- Game of Thrones: Kingsroad (TBA) will blend strategic gameplay with narrative depth in the lore of Westeros. - The Last Voyage is set to launch in Q4 2023, featuring a mysterious journey across uncharted waters. - Echoes of the Past is scheduled for early 2024 and will include a gripping narrative with intricate puzzles. - Cybernetic Dawn (TBA) offers a mix of action and strategy in a technology-dominated future. - Whispering Shadows is set for mid-2024 and is a horror adventure with atmospheric graphics. - Legends of the Forgotten Realm (TBA) is a fantasy RPG featuring vast landscapes and mythical creatures. - Galactic Conquest will launch in late 2023, focusing on empire-building and diplomacy in an interstellar setting. - The Enigma Files is set for release in Q1 2024, where players will act as detectives unraveling mysteries. - Realm of Shadows (TBA) features a dark fantasy setting with unique art style and engaging combat mechanics. - Timekeeper’s Legacy is set to debut in late 2023, combining time manipulation with puzzle-solving.

AppWizard

April 23, 2025

Old Skies review

Wadjet Eye Games will release the adventure game Old Skies on April 23, 2024. The game is set in a futuristic New York City in the 2060s and follows Fia Quinn, a ChronoZen agent who guides wealthy tourists through time manipulation. Fia is chronolocked, remaining unchanged by the timeline's fluctuations, which contrasts with her clients' evolving lives. The gameplay features accessible puzzles that encourage logical thinking, including a scenario where Fia must create a life-saving drug from non-existent ingredients. The game departs from Wadjet Eye's traditional pixel art style, using bold colors and comic book-inspired designs. It features a jazzy score by Thomas Regin and explores themes of love, loss, and human emotion. Fia's character development highlights her struggle for agency in her role, with her experiences portrayed through Sally Beaumont's performance.

AppWizard

April 11, 2025

Neverway is a ‘nightmarish life sim RPG’ with hand drawn cuties and horrors from Celeste’s artist

Coldblood Inc. revealed its upcoming horror life simulation game, Neverway, co-founded by pixel artist Pedro Medeiros. The game features a protagonist named Fiona, who is the "immortal herald of a dead god," and includes elements like farming, fishing, crafting, and exploring dungeons. The narrative is described as rich and unsettling, with a focus on darker fantasy themes. Medeiros previously left Extremely Ok Games due to creative challenges. A release date for Neverway has not been announced, but it can be added to wishlists on Steam.

AppWizard

April 10, 2025

Lost Ember studio reveals its next game, and dang, it’s got some really good snow

The trailer for Ikuma: The Frozen Compass showcases a realistic depiction of snow. The game is set in the Arctic in 1864 and follows a cabin boy named Sam and his sled dog, Ellie, as they navigate an uncharted island while surviving with limited resources. They will uncover remnants of a lost expedition and a dark secret. Developed by Mooneye Studios, known for the critically acclaimed Lost Ember, Ikuma is anticipated for its narrative depth and gameplay mechanics. The game's CEO, Tobias Graff, expressed excitement about sharing the project after five years of development. Ikuma: The Frozen Compass is scheduled for release in 2026, and players can add it to their wishlists on Steam.

AppWizard

April 7, 2025

La Quimera, the new shooter from former 4A Games Ukraine studio Reburn, will be out later this month

La Quimera, a sci-fi shooter from Reburn, will launch on April 25. A closed beta test will take place on April 12 from 7 am PT/10 am ET for 24 hours. The game is set in a fictional Latin American megalopolis called Nuevo Caracas, featuring a narrative about a private military company involved in conflicts with rival factions and corporations. Players can engage in solo or cooperative gameplay with up to three friends, using high-tech exosuits. A gameplay trailer has been released, highlighting immersive action and a nostalgic feel reminiscent of the Crysis series. Interested players can visit the game's Steam page for beta participation.

AppWizard

April 4, 2025

The Best PC Games to Play Right Now (Spring 2025)

PC gaming in 2025 features advanced GPUs enabling ray tracing and AI-enhanced upscaling, with tools like Unreal Engine 5 facilitating diverse game development. Platforms such as Steam and Epic Games Store host tens of thousands of titles, with over 13,000 new games launched on Steam in 2024. Notable games include Baldur’s Gate 3, Elden Ring, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, Cyberpunk 2077, Valorant, Overwatch 2, Dota 2, League of Legends, Warframe, and Apex Legends. Key trends include cross-platform compatibility, free-to-play models, and game subscription services. Optimal gaming setups typically require a mid-range processor, a GTX 1070 or better graphics card, and at least 16GB of RAM. Popular multiplayer games include Valorant and Apex Legends, while highly rated titles include Baldur’s Gate 3, Elden Ring, and Disco Elysium. Classics worth playing today include The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Portal 2.

AppWizard

April 4, 2025

South of Midnight

South of Midnight is a video game developed by Compulsion Games for PC and Xbox Series X/S, set to release in early 2025 at a price of .99. It features a coming-of-age story centered around Hazel Flood, a teenage track star who embarks on a quest to rescue her mother after a hurricane separates them. The game incorporates elements of Southern Gothic folklore, including characters like a talking catfish and the child thief Huggin' Molly. Hazel, an African-American teenager, navigates themes of generational poverty and historical struggles faced by Black individuals in the South. The gameplay includes platforming, puzzles, and combat, reminiscent of action-adventure titles from the PlayStation 2 era, with a total playtime of around 10 hours. The game showcases a rich visual style with detailed environments and a stylized aesthetic, supported by a soundtrack composed by Olivier Deriviere. South of Midnight has received the Editors' Choice accolade and is noted for its narrative depth and cultural significance.

AppWizard

April 1, 2025

The First Berserker: Khazan

The First Berserker: Khazan is a hardcore action RPG that has received critical acclaim for its intense combat and immersive gameplay. It achieved a perfect score of 100 from screenrant.com, which praised its exceptional gaming experience despite some desires for more weapon types and an open-world environment. Noisypixel.net rated it 90, highlighting thrilling boss fights and diverse level design, while acknowledging weaknesses in narrative depth. Gamingtrend.com and pcmag.com both scored it 80, commending the combat systems and anime aesthetics but noting storytelling and level design shortcomings. Rockpapershotgun.com offered a more critical perspective, describing the plot and level design as uninspiring but recognizing the satisfying combat and challenging boss encounters.

AppWizard

March 23, 2025

The best games to play in 2025, so far

In 2025, the gaming landscape features a mix of innovative titles and new iterations of beloved franchises. The standout games, each rated four stars or higher, include: - WWE 2K25: Offers an immersive wrestling experience with a talented roster and innovative modes, though it has monetization strategies that may frustrate fans. - Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii: Revitalizes the Yakuza series with engaging mechanics and a captivating pirate adventure narrative. - Sniper Elite: Resistance: Set in World War II France, it enhances the sniping experience with multiplayer modes and a strategic narrative. - Dynasty Warriors Origins: Features epic battles and refined combat mechanics, creating a thrilling atmosphere. - Wanderstop: A simulation game about a former champion fighter running a tea shop, blending whimsical gameplay with a narrative about personal growth. - Civilization 7: Enhances the 4X formula with stunning visuals and new mechanics, making it accessible for newcomers and rewarding for veterans. - Avowed: Set in the Pillars of Eternity universe, it emphasizes rich storytelling and exploration. - Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector: Enhances narrative depth and introduces new gameplay mechanics, creating a thrilling experience. - Assassin's Creed Shadows: Combines stealth and RPG elements in a beautifully crafted Sengoku-era Japan setting. - Kingdom Come Deliverance 2: Features a detailed open world and engaging quests, rewarding players for overcoming challenges. - Two Point Museum: A humorous simulation game where players build and manage a quirky museum, adding layers of strategy. - Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape One: Introduces a dual timeline for enriched storytelling and innovative mechanics. - Split Fiction: A cooperative game with a blend of genres and gameplay styles, promoting teamwork in a visually stunning world. - Monster Hunter Wilds: Refines the series' core loop with thrilling hunts and gear crafting, emphasizing dynamic combat and immersive environments.

AppWizard

March 21, 2025

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s director was ‘starving for new turn-based RPGs,’ and figured if he wanted them, there would be others out there who’d want to play his game

During the 2025 Game Developers Conference, François Meurisse, producer of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and COO of Sandfall Interactive, discussed the game's development, which began in early 2019 as a passion project by creative director Guillaume Broche. The game features a parry system and allows players to aim freely with ranged weapons. Broche's inspirations include FromSoftware titles like Sekiro and classic JRPGs such as Final Fantasy and Lost Odyssey, while Meurisse draws from Paper Mario and EarthBound. Meurisse described Expedition 33 as an homage to classic JRPGs rather than a groundbreaking innovator. The game is set to release on April 23, and players can wishlist it on Steam.