Marvelous Europe today confirmed that Mandragora, the highly anticipated action-RPG with Metroidvania and Soulslike elements, will be available to play on the Gamescom show floor, 23-27 August, in Cologne, Germany. Those visiting the show can look forward to time with the demo at Koelnmesse’s Hall 8.1, booth C-020.
Developed by Primal Game Studio and published by Marvelous Europe, Mandragora is a challenging, but rewarding 2.5D side-scroller coming to Windows PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch.
To be kept up to date please wishlist Mandragora on Steam, visit the game’s official website or the @MandragoraGame channels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and join the Discord server here.
Hit RPG marks major milestones with exciting events, rare rewards, and a big birthday makeover!
Amsterdam, The Netherlands | July 25, 2023 — Kakao Games is excited to announce a series of celebratory events filled with plentiful rewards and the new hero, Baby Dokkaebi Eunha, to mark the 3rd anniversary of the hit RPG, Guardian Tales.
Fan favourite character Little Princess will now have new interactions for players to discover within Heavenhold castle as it undergoes an anniversary-themed makeover to celebrate the momentous occasion. Players will also be treated to a brand new visual novel ‘Hide-and-Seek.’
But that’s not all! From today until August 7 Guardian Tales will offer 10 free summons per day with a total of 130 free summons available during this event. These summons will help unlock heroes including the brand new character, Baby Dokkaebi Eunha, who embarks on a journey to find her mother who was separated after their village was attacked.
Players can complete in-game challenges during a special Roadmap event to obtain the Super Costume Dark Hunter Garam, Epic Limit Breaking Hammer, Unique Hero Miya, and a whole host of other unique and special items. Fans can also expect a series of additional community events to be held via the official Guardian Tales social media channels (Twitter, Facebook and Discord) where even more rewards will be up for grabs!
Key Links
Guardian Tales is available to download for free via the store page links below. Here you will also find the game’s official social media pages to find out more about updates and future events.
Guardian Tales is a new game from Kong Studios that unites charming pixel art graphics and action-adventure dungeon crawling linked together by a journey travelling a rich diversity of worlds, inspired by the history of gaming.
About Kong Studios
Kong Studios, Inc. is a startup headquartered in Silicon Valley of the U.S. The studio focuses on developing games with unique and new gameplay perspectives. The studio has so far released Dungeon Link and is now working on Guardian Tales for worldwide service.
About Kakao Games
Founded in 2016, Kakao Games is a leading publisher of online and mobile games, responsible for releasing titles including: Pearl Abyss’ Black Desert Online (serviced in North America and Europe until early 2021), KRAFTON’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (serviced in Korea), ArcheAge, Survival MOBA Eternal Return (serviced in North America, Europe and Oceania), Kong Studios’ Guardian Tales (serviced in North America, Europe, Latin America and Oceania), Cygames’ World Flipper and XLGAMES’ Moonlight Sculptor (serviced in North America and Europe).
Bethesda has released an anthology set of videos for their upcoming game Starfield that they call “The Settled Systems” which are meant to serve as something of a light introduction to some of the game’s major cities and a few factions that they will deal with when the game arrives on September 6th fort the Xbox Series X/S and PC.
The first video is called Supra Et Ultra and in the city of New Atlantis, capital of the United Colonies, a courier pilot named Kent aspires to live in the most desirable part of the Settled Systems. After joining the UC Vanguard and working his way up to the Capital’s elite, Kent quickly realizes the adventures waiting for him off-planet are what he truly longed for.
The second video, “Where Hope is Built” focuses on Vanna—an Akila City orphan of the famous Colony Wars—desperately wants to explore the stars, and only one thing is standing in her way: a working ship. Her search for repair parts leads her throughout the city, and into some unexpected danger, as she closes in on her dream.
Finally we have The Hand that Feeds, following the tale of two Neon street rats, Ada and Harper, are partners in crime eking out a living stealing from the wealthy partygoers that come to the “pleasure city” to let loose. When Ada is forced into a moral dilemma, she quickly catches the attention of the all-seeing Ryujin industries, bringing her an exciting new opportunity. But at what cost?
For quite a few years now Capcom has been looking for a multiplayer experience to gain traction and while their previous undertakings with the Resident Evil series have resulted in some less than stellar results, the fairly consistent requests from fans for a Dino Crisis revival has pointed the company in a different direction. No, of course this isn’t a Dino Crisis remake, but Capcom has chosen to focus nearly entirely on Jurassic combat with their latest co-op multiplayer shooter, Exoprimal. With plenty of mech suits to try, dinosaurs to battle against as well as other players, and surprisingly even a storyline to go with it, is Exoprimal a possible multiplayer success for Capcom?
Story
Players take on the role of a freshly recruited exofighter pilot nicknamed Ace who has been assigned to the Hammerhead squadron and given the special task of investigating the events that transpired on the long destroyed island of Bikitoa. Three years prior gigantic vortexes formed across the island, and have spread throughout the world, spilling both normal dinosaurs and enhanced versions into the world and it all seemed to kick off right there on this island. After crash landing on the island, Ace finds themselves forcefully recruited by the rogue AI Leviathan to participate in their wargames against the dinosaurs and other exofighters in the search for the best combat data.
Surprisingly not only is Leviathan capable of transporting Ace back into the past right at the height of the dinosaur outbreak on the island, it is also capable of bringing pilots from across different dimensions to do battle against the dinosaur threat and each other, seeking the best data available for an unknown end. It is up to Ace to work with their Hammerhead team, interdimensional counterparts, and more to try and uncover Leviathan’s plans and the secrets behind these dinosaur outbreaks in what ends up becoming a B-level sci-fi storyline that is far more enjoyable than it has any right to be thanks to its charming cast and interesting ideas.
Exoprimal‘s storyline is an entertaining one and also works quite well with the way the game is structured. As players take part in matches, whether they win or lose, they will make progress in the game’s storyline. This can sometimes mean an entire cutscene with characters talking, making wisecracks, and even interacting with alternate versions of themselves from separate timelines, to simply still images that are then given full voiced descriptions that help flesh out the plot and what is happening in the world of the game. Not only does the storyline contain quite a few surprising reveals and some nice little twists here and there, it also serves as a great reward for playing the game as players will often be able to uncover more of the story alongside their standard battle rewards, at least until the main storyline reaches its conclusion of course and unlocks a yet to be available gameplay mode called Savage Gauntlet..
Gameplay
All combat in Exoprimal takes place in teams of five with the two teams competing against one another in all but one specific game mode. Players can choose to take part in matchmaking that will either automatically search for a PVP based match that will place them in direct competition with the other team during the final objective or a PVE based one that will only offer minor interference through a Dominator. A third, far more valuable option, is letting the game randomly select either of these modes for you and the reason this is actually worth doing is that selecting a random match type will provide a small but notable XP boost to the player’s final score, helping them not only level up their base account level, but also advance along the battle pass and level up their Exosuits faster.
For the most part, each match in Exoprimal will feature the same style of combat with each team of five taking part in wave based combat against a large number of dinosaurs, with more types of dinosaurs and far more dangerous ones appearing as players continue to play the game. The competition here involves “culling” enough of the required dinosaurs fast enough to move onto the next target before the enemy team does, with Leviathan chiming in to tell players whether or not their team is in the lead or falling behind. Once all of the standard missions are completed, the entire team will find itself transported to take on a final objective and the faster they reach this area, the more advantage they will have during the final objective.
This is where PVP or PVE elements will come into play as these final missions can allow for direct combat with the enemy team alongside the standard waves of dinosaurs to slay while completing the final objective. Sometimes the final objective is simply guarding and escorting a data key (payload) while protecting it from dinosaurs and the enemy team, chasing down a fleeing large dinosaur such as a Triceratops and killing it, controlling certain points on the map, item gathering, and more to provide some extra variety during these final confrontations. That being said, while these modes do offer a decent amount of variety through the first few hours of gameplay, they quickly begin to feel similar long before players even complete the main storyline let alone afterwards, especially since the initial rush to the final mission often plays out the same way every time. It is also worth noting that while game modes are planned to be added post-launch, with the first arriving on July 28th, the modes available now are anemic to say the least.
The actual combat in Exoprimal is fast paced, varied, and incredibly engaging thanks to responsive controls and a number of highly enjoyable Exosuits to choose from. Each of the suits available in the game is broken down into three separate categories, Offense, Tank, and Support though even then the way each Exosuit can play can be highly different from another in the same class. One such Tank Suit can deploy a shield that allies can fire through and even bash anything in front of it while another Tank class suit will wield a massive sword to parry, counter, and slash through enemies with ease transforming into a blend of tank and offense. Along these same lines, support Exosuits can focus primarily on healing or buffing others, with one suit capable of flying as well as locking down targets and another capable of dealing plenty of damage while also healing allies by swapping between damaging and healing bullets.
The amount of variety in the way different Exosuits play can make for some incredibly interesting team combinations that can power through the dinosaur threat with ease and when a well-oiled team is moving through challenges, taking down a T-Rex or modified dinosaur is an absolute blast. Movement options feel fast and easy to handle and even reviving fallen teammates is a fairly quick affair, especially with a certain Exosuit that can send out a hologram to revive others. This level of gameplay in the PVE experience is a true delight and can make it easy to sink hours into dino slaying while completing tasks. The same cannot quite be said about the PVP experience unfortunately. As mentioned before, during PVP matches the final objective will place players into the same map, allowing them to fight against one another at the same time they complete objectives. Unfortunately while the game feels properly balanced when it comes to taking on dinosaurs, the balance in PVP is incredibly poor to the point that it makes some Exosuits feel completely useless regardless of their loadout. It is entirely possible to swap between the suit players are using between deaths but not only does this take time, it also leaves the rest of the team scrambling should they find their well-balanced dino slaying team suddenly being wiped by an entire offensive team capable of one-shotting support units and even blasting through a tank’s shield.
On the other side of things, both during PVP matches as well as PVE matches players can find themselves being offered a Dominator. This Dominator will remove its user from the current fight and instead place them in control of an extremely powerful dinosaur capable of unleashing havoc on the enemy team in either gameplay mode. Using the dominator is a very enjoyable experience on either side of the fight, as taking on an intelligent dinosaur controlled by another player feels like a proper challenge while tearing through an enemy team yourself is always a delight. As a result, it often feels like Exoprimal’s primary development cycle was meant to be a PVE experience with some minor interfering through the Dominator, especially thanks to a certain special late-game mode that was then forced to incorporate PVP elements as well, leading to some unbalanced mechanics and a game that feels like it would be far more enjoyable simply being a team-based shooter taking on waves of dinosaurs and gigantic Jurassic creatures only.
As mentioned earlier, one of the reasons players may want to play a randomly chosen match is to gain an experience boost. This applies not only to suits that players will fight with, that then unlock additional modules that can provide various boosts to movement speed, healing, status’, etc. but also their character level and battle pass level. The various items players obtain both through battle passes and chests obtained from leveling are purely cosmetic but it is worth noting that the basic skins and paintjobs in the base experience are incredibly bland, especially compared to what is on offer in the premium battle pass.
Visuals & Audio
Capcom has done a rather amazing job making sure that Exoprimal both looks and ruins impressively no matter what type of action is happening on screen. Players and their team can be battling against waves of raptors while a T. Rex tears through the field and the title will continue to run smoothly. The designs of the dinosaurs are about what players should expect and are impressive in size when players battle larger dinosaurs while the various Exosuits that can be equipped are nicely designed with plenty of little details. As mentioned earlier, the skins available in the generic battle pass and through standard rewards are unfortunately a bit on the simple side, though the premium battle pass does feature some impressive looking skin variations if players are willing to spend a bit extra.
The game features a fairly impressive voice cast, though Leviathan’s voice work as an AI is a bit too generic at times. It is also nice to note that thanks to the game featuring alternate universes there is plenty of room for these voice actors to experiment a bit and it can be a real treat during cutscenes. The soundtrack and sound effects are also handled okay, with dinosaur roars matching what players would expect.
Overall
Exoprimal features well-balanced and exciting co-op action with plenty of variety in Exosuits spread across the three primary classes and taking down dinosaurs, be it waves of raptors and towering carnivores to rampaging triceratops and pteranodons, as a team makes for exhilarating gameplay. Unfortunately not only is the game a bit on the bare bones side here at launch but it feels like the PVP elements were either forced in last second or simply poorly balanced to the point that direct team confrontations can feel entirely out of place in what is otherwise a nicely designed packaged that perhaps would be best offered solely as a PVE experience.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Discover the exclusive skin available in the launch bonuses for the Nintendo Switch edition!
Sydney, Australia, 25th July, 2023 – Publisher Microids and IMPS have unveiled a new video for the 3D adventure/platform video game, The Smurfs 2 – The Prisoner of the Green Stone. Premiered at San Diego Comic Con on July 22nd, this new video reveals new environments and the evil Stolas!
Developed by OSome Studio, The Smurfs 2 – The Prisoner of the Green Stone is an all-new story releasing November 2nd, 2023, both in retail and digital versions for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Players wishing to purchase the Nintendo Switch edition will benefit from exclusive launch bonuses:
A skin for the squad
2 lithographs
A stickers sheet
A poster
The digital soundtrack
About The Smurfs 2 – The Prisoner of the Green Stone:
Handy Smurf has created a revolutionary invention: SmurfoMix! However, it’s missing a key ingredient, the Green Stone, which lays in the greedy clutches of Gargamel.
He sets off on a mission to retrieve the famous Green Stone, a key ingredient that would greatly help him improve his invention, from Gargamel’s laboratory. But a fatal misstep causes it to explode, its fragments scattering throughout the Cursed Land. In addition to unleashing into the wild its incredible powers to copy and decompose matter, the Green Stone has set free the evil Stolas, a new order bent on creating a reign of terror.
A crack team of four Smurfs must then adventure to save the Cursed Land from the mighty Stolas! Well equipped, the Smurfs can count on the SmurfoMix and an unexpected ally… Gargamel himself!
Key features:
Meet the team of four iconic Smurfs: Handy, Brainy, Dimwitty, and Smurfstorm.
An accessible and intuitive gameplay that will delight both Smurf fans and action/platforming fans.
Enjoy dynamic gameplay with exploration, platforming, and even more intense combat thanks to the SmurfoMix!
For the first time in a video game, collaborate with Gargamel! Use his teleporters to travel through the Cursed Land and discover three brand new unexplored regions.
Collect various resources to improve the Smurfomix throughout your adventure!
Embark on the adventure with a friend or family partner in co-op mode.
A new story which respects the license, set in a beautiful, well-crafted colourful universe!
The Smurfs 2 – The Prisoner of the Green Stone will be available on November 2nd, 2023 both in retail and digital versions for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
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2023 marks the Smurfs’ 65th anniversary! Stay tuned for upcoming cool Smurfs-related news by following them on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or by checking out their website!
Microids is a French video game publisher. Founded in 1985, Microids’ editorial strategy now focuses on 4 major areas: adventure games, racing games, retro gaming and games inspired by iconic titles. By collaborating with renowned studios and authors (Revolution Software, Sloclap, Oddworld Inhabitants, Pendulo Studios, Eden Studios, Go Nagai, Charles Cecil, Benoît Sokal, Paul Cuisset…), Microids has become a major player in international video games. Taking inspiration from legendary titles, Microids reaches a wide audience and creates original adventures which give gamers the chance to play as some of their most beloved characters.
About Peyo, IMPS (International Merchandising Promotions & Services)
IMPS is the world license holder for The Smurfs. Ever since its establishment in 1984, IMPS has worked closely with its teams worldwide to develop with success many merchandising programs, retail operations, publishing activities, broadcasting offers, theme parks, shows, video games, online games, official Smurfs license soundtrack… All of which played a part in the global success of the franchise. IMPS is managed by Véronique Culliford, Pierre Culliford’s daughter, the Smurfs’s creator, better known by his pseudonym Peyo.
These exclusive Xbox Wireless Controllers come with a built-in scent diffuser shaped like a slice of pizza. The controller comes in four variations, each representing the signature colors, weapons, and personality of a Turtle brother. Fans can enter to win the limited-edition Wireless Controllers by following Xbox Game Pass on Twitter and retweeting the official Xbox Game Pass sweepstakes tweet. The giveaway will run from July 24 through August 13, 2023. For official rules and eligibility details, please visit here. Controllers are limited to sweepstakes only – not for retail.
Play with Your Favorite Turtles
These controllers are great for games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, now available with Xbox Game Pass. The Turtles have also found their way into the Minecraftuniverse in a new DLC for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, available for download in the Minecraft Marketplace on August 3, 2023. Choose from 20 TMNT skins, explore iconic TMNT locations, and show off your skills as you take down gnarly enemies. Cowabunga!
For more information, please check out the Xbox Wire Post.
ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 is expanding its universe with the upcoming Character Pass 2 which includes Character packs 4 to 6, adding a total of 9 new characters to the game!
With Character Pack 4, unleash the full potential of Onigashima Battle Luffy, using his Gear Five powers! The animated series has never been adapted this fast into ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4. Those who loved to watch Luffy in the Onigashima arc in One Piece will be able to experience the peak of his power! Get the Straw Hat Crew’s Captain into Gear Five with special techniques, and release all of his strength.
Character Pass 2 is available for purchase now and Character pack 4 will be available for purchase and implemented in September. Please stay tuned for more information coming about the releases of Character Pack 5 and 6! Contents of Character Pass 2 can be purchased separately when released.
While waiting for the full content to release, new owners of the Character Pass 2 will get access to Onigashima Battle Law Costume.
Have a taste of what’s to expect in ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 with this new trailer:
ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC, and compatible with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
The final pre-launch update serves up refreshing new features, quality-of-life improvements
LOS ANGELES – 24 July 2023 – Epic Tavern, the tavern management simulator with rich high-fantasy RPG storytelling from Emmy-winning Hyperkinetic Studios, serves up a wealth of new features via the “Critical Decision” update releasing today for PC on Steam Early Access. Prepare to make crucial decisions leading to divergent fates in the feature-packed update, the final major patch before Epic Tavern closes early access and has its grand opening 1.0 launch.
Tavernmasters now have improved tools to manage their heroes’ energy, mood, and other stats through the overhauled Spirit system. Casting spells and suffering demoralizing defeats deplete Spirit, while the new midday Rest stages offer adventurers the choice between taking a break to replenish Spirit or pursuing a new Side Quest, each with 10 possible outcomes. Should the party stop for lunch or do a bit of shopping with a traveling potion vendor?
Further control your adventurers while they’re out on daring exploits with the all-new Critical Decision feature. These scenarios empower Tavernmasters to choose actions based on their unique party composition, and discover unorthodox solutions to challenges. Many stages now adapt to your roster and offer class-specific Critical Choice options. Will the brave band attack the army of skeletons head on or have the necromancer try to control them? Sneak up on the orcs or have the pyromancer unleash a fireball from afar, potentially damaging the loot?
The previous “Fantastical Crimes Unit” update introduced players to the criminal Undermarket along with entirely new faction-specific quests. In the “Critical Decision” update, tavernmasters are provided more control over their heroes in the field, more tools to manage their Spirit, and a wider range of possible outcomes resulting from their choices. The final pre-launch feature update serves to expand horizons and set the stage for the launch of Epic Tavern.
“Epic Tavern has always been about the impact of the players’ choices on their journey, but the ‘Critical Decision’ update brings this to the next level,” said Rich Bisso, CTO and co-founder at Hyperkinetic Studios. “We’re excited to see how every Tavernmaster’s distinct party of heroes leads to unique situations out on the road where no two players’ experiences are the same.”
Hyperkinetic Studios is an indie development team from Los Angeles founded by three industry veterans, who were among the first employees at Treyarch. In their previous lives, they held senior positions on franchises such as Call of Duty, Spider-Man, and Deus Ex. Hyperkinetic’s goal is to make games on its own terms, in an environment where like-minded people can come together with as little inhibition as possible. Hyperkinetic Studios produces its own titles like Epic Tavern, along with supporting outside clients like Sega, Mattel, Niantic, and Sony Pictures Television, the latter two of which helped Hyperkinetic win an Emmy for its work on PlayShow: Jeopardy!
A salute to four years of sailing on the high seas with plenty of new ships, the debut of Training Mode and another classic campaign in this July Legends update
AUSTIN, TX (July 24, 2023) — Wargaming, the publisher and developer of the leading naval MMO World of Warships is kicking off festivities for the fourth anniversary of its console edition World of Warships: Legends. To celebrate four years since launch, the game introduces plenty of in-game activities, alongside a Treasure Hunt web event, as well as tons of totally free gifts to unlock. In addition to the birthday festivities, this update welcomes a brand-new Training Mode, a classic campaign with a Tier VIII Italian Premium battleship waiting at the end and three new seasons of Ranked Battles!
An Anniversary On the High Seas
To celebrate four years, World of Warships: Legends is gifting players plenty of activities and in-game content to dive into. A new look of the Treasure Hunt web event awaits, with keys to be found across gameplay and missions, this time available for completion without spending doubloons. These keys can be used to open cells that contain plenty of prizes, including a special fourth anniversary currency called Quadrans. In exchange for Quadrans, players can unlock dedicated anniversary items including different ships, such as Tier VII Premium American cruiser Congress and British Tier V Battleship Repulse.
In addition, players can also acquire the highly desirable Super V Crate, which guarantees a Premium ship to those who unlock it. Exclusive to this сrate is Japanese Tier V destroyer Shinonome. Another specialty сrate, Super VI, also comes in this update, with plenty of other special ships waiting to be discovered, with the likes of Belfast and Yukikaze among those. To wrap up all the birthday bonuses, players can also pick up the “Seasoned Veteran” bundle. Featuring an exclusive edition of Soviet Premium Tier II cruiser Oleg, this bundle contains plenty of in-game goodies.
Test the Waters in Training Mode
Brand new in this update is the introduction of a Training Mode available to all players. This customizable practice area creates a space to strategize for battle, without the risk of losing any in-game resources. With an array of maps, scenarios, and durations to choose from, as well as bots with various settings available, players can trial new action plans before going head-to-head with the foe.
A Brand-new Campaign and the Return of Ranked Battles
Closing out this update comes a fresh, classic Legends campaign. The five-week, 100-milestone “Dies Irae” offers those who answer the challenge the impressive Premium Italian Tier VIII battleship Giuseppe Verdi, available with Admiralty Backing active. In addition to the campaign, World of Warships: Legends also sees the first of three seasons of Ranked Battles make its way to the game beginning July 28. Ships spanning Tier IV-VI, barring aircraft carriers, can get into the action, depending on the seasons, and fight for the number one spot to take home the glory and plenty of prizes.
This update also brings several bug fixes, upgrades and balance changes across the game. You can find the full patch notes here.
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About World of Warships: Legends Experience epic naval action in World of Warships: Legends, a massively multiplayer online game where you can master the seas in history’s greatest warships! Recruit legendary commanders from maritime history, upgrade your vessels and stake your claim to naval supremacy with or against players around the world in thrilling and immersive battles.
World of Warships: Legends brings the online naval action loved by millions to home consoles for the very first time, alongside a host of content and features exclusive to the console experience. Official website: https://wowslegends.com/
About Wargaming Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry with 16 offices around the world, including studios in Chicago, Prague, Shanghai, Tokyo, Vilnius and Belgrade. Millions of players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. Our flagship products include the free-to-play hits World of Tanks, World of Warships and World of Tanks Blitz.
As Promised Land Art Festival approaches, CD PROJEKT RED announced that the event will start with Open Day — a one-day-only accompanying event aimed at budding artists and creative industry enthusiasts, organized by the studio in collaboration with EC1 Łódź and the City of Łódź.
Open Day is a meeting of the worlds: that of creative industry professionals and of artists starting out on their path. As the halls of the venue are roamed by incredible talent from all around the world, attendees will get a unique opportunity to meet their favorite artists and heroes, including members of CD PROJEKT RED, as well as expand their burgeoning knowledge, gain valuable experience, and grow right there and then during one-to-one portfolio review sessions.
“When starting their career in video games or other creative industries, artists often find themselves lost. They have issues with putting together a solid portfolio, preparing for job interviews, or simply don’t really know what they should be focusing on when it comes to developing their artistic skills. This is why we created Open Day,” said Paweł Mielniczuk, Art Director at CD PROJEKT RED and co-organizer of Promised Land Art Festival. “Open Day is an event where attendees can not only listen to experienced artists from around the industry talk about their journey and various topics related to art, but also consult their portfolios with veterans of the craft, including CD PROJEKT RED’s team of art directors, all of whom will gladly assist in guiding them toward where they need to be. If that’s something you’re interested in, make sure to drop by!”
Throughout the event, attendees will also have the opportunity to join a host of diverse lectures blending areas of digital and traditional art, video game development, and filmmaking. One of the speakers at Open Day will be Paweł Sasko, Quest Director at CD PROJEKT RED, whose 11 years at the studio span titles such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Cyberpunk 2077, as well as the spy-thriller expansion — Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty:
“I’m incredibly excited to be hosting a lecture at this year’s Open Day and share some of the experience I gained from my years of work at CD PROJEKT RED with all those interested in quest design and crafting compelling, non-linear narratives. And perhaps even help shape someone’s future career! If you want to enjoy a deep dive into how we craft our tales, as well as what kind of challenges creating narratives for massive RPGs entails, I will have some advice and guidelines structured to be fairly universal, inspirational, and illustrated with game-specific examples.”
Open Day will also feature numerous activities showcasing cutting-edge tools and technologies used across the creative industry, hosted by Promised Land partners throughout the day — all open for attendees to witness and participate in. Details regarding the attractions, as well as the full event programme will be announced in the weeks leading up to Open Day via the official Open Day hub. While some content may be available in English, Open Day and its attractions will mostly be presented in Polish.
The event will take place in Łódź, Poland, in the Łódź EC1 Conference Complex, located in the revitalized buildings of the former EC1 Łódź Power Plant — a setting that is teeming with history, and one that fosters creativity, inclusiveness, and accessibility.
Tickets for Promised Land Open Day are available for purchase right now via EC1 Łódź website, with all Promised Land Art Festival ticket holders able to attend Open Day at no extra charge. For more information on Promised Land Art Festival and Promised Land Open Day, visit the official website.
The festival is orgaqnized by CD PROJEKT RED and held under the auspices of Łódź City Council as part of “600 Years of Łódź” (“600 lat Łodzi”) and “EC1 Łódź – The City of Culture” (“EC1 Łódź – Miasto Kultury”) promotional programs. Learn more about the festival on the official website.
About CD PROJEKT RED
CD PROJEKT RED is a game development studio founded in 2002. It develops and publishes video games for personal computers and video game consoles. The studio’s flagship titles include The Witcher series of games, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, GWENT: The Witcher Card Game, and the futuristic AAA role-playing game — Cyberpunk 2077, upon which the Netflix anime series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, created by CD PROJEKT RED and Studio Trigger, is based. Together with GOG.COM, a game store offering hand-picked titles for PC and Mac, CD PROJEKT RED is part of the CD PROJEKT Group. CD PROJEKT S.A. is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ISIN: PLOPTTC00011).
About Promised Land Art Festival
Promised Land Art Festival brings together professionals working in film, gaming, and other creative industries. Focusing on the exchange of knowledge and experience, the event plays host to dozens of activities: from hands-on workshops, talks and demos, to Q&A and networking sessions. Leading and collaborating in these are speakers from some of the most recognizable brands in the industry. The festival is organized by acclaimed games developer CD PROJEKT RED, in cooperation with the city of Łódź, Poland and EC1 Łódź – City of Culture.
