single-player Archives

AppWizard

June 22, 2025

Almost a year after launch, Frost Giant’s StarCraft wannabe has finally added the feature it’s named after: ‘We called the game Stormgate, yet we didn’t actually have any stormgates’

Stormgate faced skepticism upon launch due to its aesthetics, narrative, and gameplay mechanics, which some players felt lacked polish. The game had limited single-player missions and a push for additional purchases. Developer Frost Giant has since overhauled the campaign, introducing a new feature called Stormgates, which are dimensional rifts on 1v1 maps that provide randomized rewards affecting gameplay dynamics. Examples of rewards include the Soulforge Relic, Sky Hunters, Void Prowlers, Swarm Mother, and Stormcaller Relic. These elements significantly impact match strategy, prompting players to adapt their tactics. Frost Giant is replacing traditional creep camps with Stormgates based on community feedback, and while creep camps have been removed from three ladder maps, they remain in other custom settings. The Stormgates are now integrated into 1v1 gameplay, with plans for expansion into other modes.

AppWizard

June 21, 2025

Dustwind: Resistance Has Launched For PC & Consoles

Indie game developer Dustwind Studios, in collaboration with publisher Z-Software, has released Dustwind: Resistance, a tactical squad game available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. Players lead a tactical squad with a canine companion named Diesel in real-time combat against raider forces. The game features a new single-player campaign, enhanced mechanics, a rebalanced arsenal, and various combat strategies such as stealth and heavy weaponry. It includes a refined user interface, improved gameplay experience, and significant updates to skills, character systems, environments, and weapon systems. Players can utilize tactical pauses to strategize and issue commands during gameplay.

AppWizard

June 21, 2025

NetEase’s ‘first AAA singleplayer’ game is Blood Message, and it looks amazing in its first trailer

Blood Message is a new action-adventure game developed by NetEase's 24 Entertainment Lin'an Studio, marking the company's first AAA single-player title. It is designed to provide a cinematic experience using Unreal Engine 5 and will be available on PC and consoles. The game features a narrative centered around a father and son during a righteous uprising in Shazhou, Dunhuang, exploring themes of duty and family. The development team emphasizes the importance of ordinary individuals in history. The trailer highlights the game's historical context, showcasing a fictionalized restoration of a mural related to the Dunhuang uprising. More information and updates can be found at blood-message.com.

AppWizard

June 20, 2025

NetEase Games announces AAA single-player action adventure game Blood Message for consoles, PC

NetEase Games, in collaboration with 24 Entertainment, is developing a single-player action-adventure game titled Blood Message, which is set to be released on various consoles and PC. The game is powered by the Unreal 5 Engine and marks NetEase Games' first AAA single-player title. Blood Message features a narrative-driven gameplay experience set during the final years of the Tang Dynasty, where players assume the role of a nameless messenger and his son during Dunhuang’s uprising. The game emphasizes themes of loyalty, survival, and the impact of ordinary individuals on history, with gameplay that includes visceral combat and exploration of expansive landscapes inspired by East and Central Asia. A trailer and screenshots have been released, but no specific release date has been announced.

AppWizard

June 20, 2025

NetEase Games Announces AAA Action-Adventure Game Blood Message for Consoles and PC

NetEase Games, in collaboration with 24 Entertainment Lin’an, has announced a new AAA single-player action-adventure game titled Blood Message, designed for consoles and PC. This game is NetEase Games' first fully single-player experience, featuring a cinematic, linear story driven by the Unreal 5 Engine. Set during the final years of the Tang Dynasty, players will follow a nameless messenger and his son as they navigate East and Central Asia to deliver a critical message amidst a righteous uprising. The game will explore themes of loyalty, family, and the impact of ordinary individuals on history. Players will traverse approximately 3,000 li (around 1,000 miles) back to Chang’an, facing various perilous environments. Key features include narrative-driven gameplay, realistic combat, and expansive landscapes inspired by the region's diverse terrains.

AppWizard

June 19, 2025

Aaero2: Black Razor Edition Announced For PC & Consoles

Indie game developer Mad Fellows, in collaboration with publisher Wired Productions, has announced Aaero2: Black Razor Edition, which integrates new features, music packs, and previously released content for PC and consoles. The game offers an on-rails rhythm shooter experience where players navigate alien landscapes while tracing ribbons of light, synchronized with the soundtrack. It includes a single-player campaign, two-player co-op, and PvP modes, featuring over 20 unique levels and a redesigned combat system that encourages timing missile launches to the rhythm. The soundtrack includes tracks from Monstercat and Black Razor Records, with contributions from artists like Droptek, Muzz, Bossfight, Ivar & The Horde, Kieron Pepper, and Lania Kea. Players can engage in epic boss battles and complete achievements and daily goals throughout the game.

AppWizard

June 17, 2025

Stellar Blade hits 3m sales

Stellar Blade has sold over three million copies as of June 16th, 2025. The game sold over one million copies within three days of its PC release on June 11th, 2025. It was first released on PlayStation 5 in April 2024. Stellar Blade has become Sony's largest single-player title on Steam in terms of concurrent players.

AppWizard

June 17, 2025

‘Stellar Blade’ Rockets To A Million PC Sales In Three Days

Stellar Blade achieved sales of one million copies within three days of its PC launch, contributing to total sales of 3 million since its release in April 2024, a 50% increase. Approximately 58% of sales occurred in China, where the game is priced lower than in the U.S. The game reached a peak concurrent player count of over 190,000 and received a 92% rating on Steam and an 86 score on Metacritic. SHIFTUP plans further updates and is considering a sequel for 2027, with no current plans to bring the game to Xbox. Sony is focusing on releasing major AAA titles on PC, while multiplayer games are launched simultaneously on PC.

AppWizard

June 16, 2025

Stellar Blade now Sony’s biggest single-player game on Steam

Stellar Blade has become the most successful single-player game from Sony on Steam, achieving a peak of 192,078 concurrent players. It has outperformed other notable titles such as The Last of Us Part 1 (39,496 players), The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered (30,690 users), God of War (83,529 users), and God of War Ragnarök (35,615 users). While Helldivers 2 holds the record for PlayStation-launched games on Steam with 458,709 concurrent users, it is a multiplayer game. Prior to its release on June 11th, Stellar Blade ranked as the sixth highest-grossing game on Steam in pre-orders. Herman Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, mentioned a cautious strategy for expanding first-party titles to the PC market. Sony has also faced challenges, including layoffs at its Bend Studio after canceling an unannounced live-service title.

AppWizard

June 15, 2025

Steam quietly makes 2018 game free to keep for 1 week

Currently, the indie game Paradox Soul, developed by Ritual Games and released in 2018, is available for free on Steam until June 17, 2025. The game is a single-player ‘metroidvania’ action platformer that typically costs £4.29. It now includes Steam Trading Cards and invites players to explore its mysteries. User reviews on Steam are mixed, with some players sharing humorous feedback. If players do not enjoy the game, they can remove it from their library without any cost.