Avowed – Obsidian Looking Forward to Showcasing it "Soon"

Obsidian Entertainment had a few big announcements at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, namely The Shroom and Doom Update for Grounded and The Outer Worlds 2. Its first person fantasy RPG Avowed was absent but the developer addressed the same. On Xbox Wire, it said that the team is "hard at work making something we're sure fans of our games and the Pillars of Eternity universe are going to love.

"While we are not showing anything right now, we are looking forward to showing off what we have been working on soon." How soon is "soon" remains to be seen but recent rumors indicated that development was almost fully on schedule. Perhaps we'll see a new trailer late this year at The Game Awards.

Avowed will be releasing for Xbox Series X/S and PC along with launching day one on Xbox Game Pass. It's reportedly set in The Living Lands region of Eora and rumored to release in late 2022/2023. As for The Outer Worlds 2, it's exclusive to Xbox Series X/S and PC without so much as any gameplay or story details being provided (though it will be taking place "in a new star system with a new crew" as per the developer).

Halo Infinite Multiplayer Overview Coming Later Today, Bots and Arena Mode Confirmed

Multiplayer gameplay for 343 Industries' Halo Infinite finally debuted at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, showcasing all of the new weapons and maps coming to the series. On Halo Waypoint, the developer confirmed that a multiplayer overview is coming later today at 8 AM PT. Some new details have been revealed via the blog post such as the inclusion of a Training Mode and bots in Custom Games to practice against.

Arena from Halo 5: Guardians is returning and once again offers 4v4 competitive play. For more casual players, there's Big Team Battle which supports 24 players and offers all kinds of chaos. A new outline system has also been added to make it easier to distinguish teammates and enemies, the colors of which can be customized by the user.

Both Ranked and Social playlists will be available along with limited-time seasonal events for earning "special rewards." Additional details on maps and modes will be shared en route to launch. We also get a brief glimpse of the Armor Hall which encompasses all of the Spartan customization in the game. Along with coatings for armor, weapons and vehicles, there's also the customizable Personal AI which can be provide different voices during matches.

Halo Infinite releases in Holiday 2021 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Halo Insiders will gain access to technical previews this Summer to help test the game out before launch.

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Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Trial is Live on PS5

Square Enix's Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is real with the gameplay debuting during the publisher's E3 2021 showcase. Though it stated a demo was coming "soon" to PS5, it turns out that it's already live. The trial version can be downloaded from the PlayStation Store, where it will be available until June 24th.

As an excerpt from the full release, the trial provides a selection of different weapons and jobs to choose from. Some aspects could differ from the final game and save data can't be transferred over. There's also a survey in the title to gather feedback from players.

Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is slated to release in 2022 and will be coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. Set in the world of Final Fantasy 1, it sees three Warriors of Light venturing to the Chaos Shrine to defeat Garland. Unlike most Final Fantasy titles, this gameplay is pure hack and slash and developed by Team Ninja of Nioh fame.

Rune Factory 5 Western Release Delayed to Early 2022

XSEED Games and Marvelous provided an update on the development for Rune Factory 5, announcing a delay into early 2022 for the Western release. A new gameplay trailer was revealed though and fortunately, the English localization is shaping up well. Check it out below.

Controlling a hero named Ares/Alice who suffers from memory loss (which is how Rune Factory 4 Special started as well), the player sets about helping the people of Rigbarth. Along with farming and fishing, one joins a band of rangers to fight off monsters. Combat sees some improvements especially with the addition of powerful combination attacks. You can also tame monsters which comes in handy during battles.

Rune Factory 5 will be releasing exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. It's currently available in Japan so stay tuned for more gameplay in the coming months. In the meantime, Rune Factory 4 Special is coming to Xbox One, PS4 and PC this Fall after releasing for Nintendo Switch last year.

Severed Steel is a Bullet Time-Heavy Voxel FPS With a Unique Protagonist

Greylock Studio's Severed Steel made an appearance at the Future Games Show and we got to see more of it in action. The first person shooter is noteworthy for its voxel environments (which are destructible), bullet time and a protagonist named Steel who only has one arm. Check it out below.

"Style" is an important part of Severed Steel and the player will wall run, flip, slide and dive their way through foes (while also shooting them). Like Superhot, you have to acquire new weapons when the current one is spent. Fortunately, a lot of your soon-to-be dead enemies can help out with that. Weapons can also be thrown which comes in handy.

Thanks to dynamic AI, each battle comes out feeling different, providing more replayability in the process. Severed Steel is currently in development for PC, Xbox and PlayStation. Stay tuned for more gameplay and hopefully a release window in the coming months.

Her Story Creator's Next Game is Immortality, Releases in 2022

Sam Barlow isn't your typical game creator – titles like Her Story and Telling Lies have been more like interactive movies with real-life actors and complex, rich narratives. His next title Immortality appears to be going down the same path. It's currently set to release in 2022 for PC and focuses on fictional actress Marissa Marcel.

Marcel made three movies but for some reason, none of them were ever released. By the trailer's end, we learn that it was her "dream" to be an actress (which feels like some kind of grim foreshadowing). Along with Barlow as director, the title features writing from Allan Scott (Queen's Gambit), Amelia Gray (Mr. Robot, Maniac) and Barry Gifford (Wild at Heart, Lost Highway).

You've probably noticed that each writer has a penchant for psychological thriller/horror films so it should be interesting to see how Immortality progresses. Stay tuned for more details and updates in the coming months.

Multiplayer FPS Hell Let Loose Launches Out Of Early Access This July

Developer Black Matter has revealed some interesting details about its latest multiplayer WW2 shooter Hell Let Loose. In a developer presentation during Future Games Show this E3, Black Matter founder Maximilian Rea revealed that the game would be launching out of early access this July.

Hell Let Loose started development as a hobby project at Black Matter way back in 2015, and the game entered Steam's early access program in 2019 following a successful Kickstarter campaign. After a plethora of updates to the game over time, Hell Let Loose will finally be launching as a full game on July 27th, with a new update adding more gear and maps to the game.

Hell Let Loose has sold more than a million copies during its Early Access period, and a constant drip-feed of new content should keep players hooked. E3 2021 is far from over, with a plethora of conferences and events slated for the coming days, so stay tuned for all the latest updates.

Red Solstice 2: Survivors Receives A Launch Trailer At Future Games Show

E3 2021 has dawned upon us, and studios and publishers have blessed fans with a constant barrage of new exciting trailers. Today started with a thunderous Microsoft Bethesda showcase of 30 games, and the show ends with the Future Games Show revealing a bunch of new titles, with Red Solstice 2: Survivors being one such pleasant surprise. Check out the trailer below for more details.

Red Solstice 2: Survivors is a successor to the original Red Solstice, and the game is all about planning moves against an army of mutants currently infesting the planet of Mars both in single-player as well as co-op multiplayer. Developer Ironward has surprised its fans by providing a release date of June 17th for PC.

Red Solstice 2: Survivors seems to be all about planning and strategizing attacks on mutants, all of which looks great in action as seen in the trailer. If the original Red Solstice is anything to go by, fans should definitely keep a lookout for Red Solstice 2: Survivors when it launches next week.

Rune Factory 4 Special Coming This Fall to PS4, Xbox One, and PC

Marvelous and XSEED Games have announced that Rune Factory 4 Special, which launched for the Nintendo Switch last year, will be coming to PS4, Xbox One and PC. It's out this Fall and essentially a remaster of the 2012 title that debuted on the Nintendo 3DS. The story focuses on a hero who's saved by a dragon named Ventuswill. Check it out below via the Future Games Show.

Despite having no memory, the hero takes up residence in the castle and sets about developing the nearby town. This means farming, ordinances and even venturing to some dungeons to slay monsters (with various companions able to accompany you). Rune Factory 4 Special offers HD visuals and new features like Newlywed Mode which provides additional cutscenes.

Veteran Mode is also included which provides additional content for long-time fans to engage with. Stay tuned for more details and gameplay for the title in the coming months. Marvelous is also publishing Rune Factory 5, which has been delayed to 2022 for Nintendo Switch.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human Will Feature a "Lot of Game Activities" – Techland

Following the reveal of Aiden's tragic backstory at the PC Gaming Show, Techland provided a brief Q&A for Dying Light 2 Stay Human on the Future Games Show. Side quests were touted as an important part of the world-building and a "lot of game activities" have been promised. Animation director Dawid Lubryka doesn't want to spoil anything.

Lubryka also reaffirmed several things about the co-op experience as players can see the impact of their friends' decisions. While the first game's story wasn't anything amazing, Techland is aiming for a "deep, thought-provoking experience" in the sequel. Depending on your choices, the consequences will shape the story differently. A nice touch is that depending on whether they're on the roofs or the ground, NPCs will act differently.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human is out on December 7th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. Along with the base game, there will also be story DLC arriving in the months after launch. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.