GUANGZHOU, China – Oct. 27, 2025 –Retrace the Light, the time-bending 2.5D action-adventure from developer Xiaming Game and publisher GlintForge, traces its path through PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on Thursday, Nov. 20th, 2025 for $17.99, and is now in development for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
In the year 3323, psychological issues like paranoia and obsessive thoughts can be cured from the inside-out thanks to mankind’s greatest invention: Primus, a supreme intelligence being. Observing the propensity of intense emotions to precede humanity’s irrational behaviors, the almighty AI begins to alter the mental states of those deemed “unstable” to create a safer, sanitized future.
Primus constructs Enforcer Decem, a warrior capable of diving into bizarre digital recreations of paranoid minds called Mirrormazes to destroy destructive thoughts. After a failed mission wipes Decem’s memories, set out to relearn the reason for his existence by retrieving memory fragments scattered across a futuristic utopia. Along the way, seek out the dark secrets behind the seemingly perfect world Decem was created to maintain.
Dash and slash through Mirrormares, mental anguish manifesting as mechanized foes. Decem leaves a temporary trail of light in his wake, and his Spatial Retrace ability stops time, empowering him to instantly teleport back to any point of the trail. Retrace to set up enemy-interrupting surprise attacks from unexpected angles, and solve mind-bending puzzles where the confines of time and space block the path forward.
Battle behemoth mechanical bosses with tactical thinking and keen spatial awareness, manipulating time and space to Decem’s will. Create a personalized fight style with seven Primary Combat Modules and twenty Secondary Modules for a custom combination of light and heavy strikes, charge attacks, counters, stances, and much more.
Encounter other Enforcers, learn about their missions, and explore a visually stunning world across crumbling ruins and bustling cities. Discover the forgotten past and determine humanity’s future in one of five multiple endings. Enjoy an immersive story with minimal enemy resistance, or fight the mind’s hardest battles with three different difficulties tailored for both action game veterans and newcomers.
“Retrace the Light is a beautiful game,” said Guo Lei, Producer, Xiaming Game. “Underneath the fast-paced action and creative puzzles is an enthralling story of humanity’s future that we can all understand.”
Retrace the Light will launch on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store for $17.99 on November 20, 2025, and later on PlayStation and Xbox, with both English and Chinese voiceover. The language support includes English, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese. To learn more, join the community on X, YouTube, and Discord, and search #Retracethelight on social media.
About Xiaming Game
Guo Lei, a famed teacher at the China Academy of Art, founded Xiaming Game with a group of his newly graduated students. Xiaming means the buzzing cicada, which reflects the studio’s mindset — burning themselves for years to create a short but sweet game they love, echoing a cicada’s life cycle. Currently, the team is dedicated to bringing their debut title, Retrace the Light, to players around the world.
About GlintForge
With a pure passion for indie games, Jason (Wang Ziqiang) established GlintForge to help Chinese indie studios bring their creative ideas to life. Following the thrilling success of Black Myth: Wukong in China and the global market, the Chinese premium game market is growing rapidly, which brings a large number of developers into this field. The vision of GlintForge is to help Chinese developers bring their creative ideas to life and also support global indie games to achieve success in the Chinese market.
LONDON — Oct. 27, 2025 —Mythrealm, the medieval fantasy adventure RPG developed by Delta Video Games and published by indie.io, channels divine sorcery to banish evil on Steam Early Access for Windows PC today.
Evil has risen, the demons of Ragratha ravage the lands, and the influential Wizards of Zelenar, fierce protectors of the people, have vanished. Drawn by a strange calling, Alari sets off to uncover the mystery behind their disappearance and eradicate the darkness that plagues the citizens of Arloria.
Bravely defy villainy in a tale inspired by classic fantasies on an epic adventure. Race across the lands of Arloria to vanquish demonic abominations hellbent on world annihilation. Slash with the might of steel, employ medieval martial arts, loose arrows from afar, or spellcast scorching hot flames in souls-like combat. Mix and match abilities to exterminate the mightiest of evils who dare cross paths with the strength of Alaris.
Travel through several regions scattered across Arloria’s gaping depths. Traverse the heights of sky-piercing mountaintops and delve into dungeons deep underground. Navigate tricky environments by scaling over walls, leaping over tumbling platforms, and solving clever puzzles to find the richest of treasures or the deadliest of traps. Discover the secrets bound to Aloria’s magical history, waiting to bring Alari one step closer to the truth.
Pave Alaris’ path from carefully chosen decisions. Learn the way of the blade and master the arts of sorcery to defy fate and become a formidable hero. Show the demons of Ragratha why fortune chose her to restore peace and tranquility to the realm.
Mythrealm’s Early Access debut sees the first part of Alaris’s tale unfold. This period will allow the team to record player feedback, make adjustments, and make for a memorable grand finale to a spellbinding tale of good vs evil.
“Mythrealm has been a labor of love and years of hard work,” said Russell Morahan, Mythrealm Lead Developer. “We want Alaris’ story to be as epic as the RPG games we grew up playing. As we continue to support it through Early Access, we hope it brings players the same epic feeling of saving the world.”
Mythrealm overcomes the forces of evil on Steam Early Access for Windows PC today, for $14.99 USD with a 20% launch discount. It will include English language support.
Founded in London in 2021, Delta Video Games is an independent game development studio dedicated to crafting immersive 3D action and adventure experiences. With a focus on fast-paced combat, cooperative gameplay, and striking visual design, Delta Video Games aims to deliver engaging titles that resonate with players. Mythrealm is their latest title, representing half a decade of focused efforts on delivering memorable gaming experiences.
About indie.io
indie.io is home to over 100 of the world’s best independent video games and developers. Our platform was built to provide independent developers with the resources, services, and management tools needed for success. Through collaboration and passion, we strive to cultivate a diverse and vibrant gaming landscape that resonates with players and creators alike!
The chilling first-person adventure returns to the spotlight with Steam Scream Fest, leadership expansion, and a 30 percent discount
Springdale, AR – October 27, 2025 – Independent developer Causeway Studios is proud to bring their award-winning debut single-player adventure game, The Haunting of Joni Evers, to Steam Scream Fest today with a 30 percent off discount.
Causeway Studios is equally excited to share that it has regained the publishing rights to the debut title, opening new opportunities for building a portfolio of games set in the same universe, The Worlds Across the Causeway. The leadership team has expanded with the additions of Director of Production & Principal Narrative Designer Amanda Farough and Director of Operations & Publishing Mike Futter, who are guiding development of the studio’s second title, a follow-up to The Haunting of Joni Evers.
The Haunting of Joni Evers tells a personal story of loss, regret, and a broken family. When an otherworldly force latches onto her vulnerability and sorrow, Joni must confront not only the haunting itself, but the pain she’s carried for years with a new sense of resolve. In facing the threat, she discovers uncomfortable truths that linger like shadows in the dark corners of her abandoned family home.
Behind old wallpaper curling at the edges and picture frames coated with dust, lie family secrets that bear the weight of a troubled past. By facing the truth, Joni attempts to break a multi-generational curse that afflicts her home and loved ones—and she won’t be doing it alone.
The Haunting of Joni Evers is available now on PC and Mac via Steam at 30 percent off, for $10.49.
The Haunting of Joni Evers was honored at the 2025 Collision Awards as an audience choice winner and for its voice acting and narrative design.
About Causeway Studios
Causeway Studios is an independent game studio dedicated to crafting immersive, narrative-driven games that explore deeply human stories where the strange meets the everyday. Nestled in the Ozarks of Northwest Arkansas, the team draws significant inspiration from Ozark folklore, tales of the American South, and the New Weird genre of media, which they then blend with their technical expertise gained working on professional tools at Unity and educational games. With The Haunting of Joni Evers as their debut title, the team introduces the Worlds Across the Causeway, a connected anthology universe where reality is stranger than you think, but hope can be found by those who seek it. Find out more on their official website.
Build bases and fight and befriend more than 150 players in persistent open-world servers
Zagreb, Croatia (October 27, 2025) – Today, tech-focused veteran indie game studio Fearem is proud to announce the underwater survival crafting game, Anchor, coming to PC. Featuring online multiplayer and a persistent open-world, more than 150 players per server can explore the watery depths together.
Watch the Anchor announcement trailer:
After a nuclear holocaust forced humans to find refuge in the depths of Earth’s oceans, you awake as a race genetically engineered to survive in The Anchor, a region carefully modified to sustain your new aquatic life. Build, defend, and fight for your subaquatic home, finding shelter from the ecosystem and other players in these dangerous depths.
Subaquatic life may be treacherous but you don’t need to go it alone as the game’s persistently online servers support more than 150 players on each server, and worlds that continue to exist and evolve even when you’re offline. You’ll remain vulnerable to the environment and other players while you’re sleeping, making secure shelters and player alliances vital. This is made possible by Fearem’s custom networking technology, utilizing the studio’s decade-long history in tech-focused games, including work with other, popular multiplayer titles.
Across Anchor’s vast 16km² open-world map, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to fight – or befriend – your servermates. In diverse biomes such as rocky, coral, and arctic areas, you’ll build bases from crafted and collected materials before defending your community. Face off against powerful clone remnants of an old civilization, raids from other players, and the ultimate underwater predator – sharks, which are attracted by blood and guided by a hunting and feeding system.
Key Features of Anchor
Build Together or Go It Alone: Although Anchor is designed to be enjoyed together with more than 150 players per server, the game will also feature a solo or co-operative multiplayer sandbox mode without the threat of PvP (player versus player) but including resource scarcity and combat with NPCs.
Anchor’s Apex Predator: Sharks play a key role in the game and are part of a predator system which sees them actively hunt and feed. Just like their real-life versions, Anchor’s sharks are attracted by blood and scavenge from corpses and while they aren’t always hostile, you’ll need to stay alert to stay safe.
Advanced Crafting: The rich crafting system sees you not only build your base, but a variety of primitive and advanced tools and weapons. Process ores, metals, shells, and more to develop melee and projectile weapons from Hydro Cannons and the Hydro Precision Rifle, to Obsidian Knives and Crossbows.
Founded in Zagreb, Croatia in 2015, Fearem is a tech-focused and self-founded indie studio with a strong emphasis on networking and multiplayer technology. Having largely focused on developing technology to support its external clients, the studio also released asymmetrical multiplayer horror game Daemonical in 2018 and is preparing to launch underwater survival crafting game Anchor.
“Spearhead” content update is coming this November
Gaijin Entertainment is pleased to announce that the major content update “Spearhead” for the military action online game War Thunder will be releasing this November. There’s dozens of new ground, air and naval vehicles for players to look forward to, including the British Hawk 200 strike aircraft, and the modern French Jaguar EBRC and the Chinese CM-34 recon vehicles. The colossal battleship Musashi will also be arriving, the sistership of the legendary Yamato.
The British Hawk project was originally conceived as a jet trainer, but also proved to be a popular light fighter and strike aircraft, subsonic and highly maneuverable. The Hawk 200 modification first flew in 1986 and was exported to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Oman, while the entire Hawk family is used by more than a dozen countries. For air-to-air combat, the aircraft is armed with four AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles and 30mm cannons, but the Hawk 200’s primary role is to strike ground and surface targets. Its expansive arsenal also includes powerful Sea Eagle anti-ship missiles, a new weapon in War Thunder.
The Jaguar EBRC was developed as part of a large-scale modernization program for the French Army, with the first batch of vehicles entering service in 2021. It is a fast, wheeled reconnaissance vehicle equipped with cutting edge weaponry and equipment. Its 40mm CTC autocannon fires APFSDS and AHEAD rounds to effectively combat both ground and air targets. Its large turret is equipped with a launcher for a pair of Akeron MP anti-tank missiles with a tandem warhead, which can penetrate over 1,000 mm of armor. The Jaguar EBRC also features a modern fire control system, including a panoramic commander sight, a laser warning receiver, and thermal imaging for both the gunner and commander sights. On roads, the Jaguar can comfortably reach speeds up to 90 km/h.
The CM-34 Yunbao is a Chinese wheeled reconnaissance vehicle with high speed, excellent electronics, spall liners and a powerful 30mm Bushmaster cannon. It can achieve staggering speeds of up to 100 km/h on roads and can reach 40 km/h in reverse as well. In the game, the CM-34 fits perfectly into Rank VI vehicle lineups and will be a key vehicle on fast-paced maps, ideal for capturing locations or flanking enemies.
You can find more information on all the new vehicles coming to War Thunder in the Spearhead major update on the official website.
About Gaijin Entertainment Gaijin Entertainment is the developer and publisher of the online games War Thunder, Crossout, Enlisted, CRSED: F.O.A.D. and Star Conflict as well as other PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, iOS and Android titles across several genres. The company’s diverse portfolio has received a range of mass media and game industry awards including such as Gamescom Award and many more. Official website: http://gaijinent.com/
About War Thunder War Thunder is a free-to-play, cross-platform, massively multiplayer military masterpiece with millions of fans worldwide, that allows players on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Mac and Linux to fight their way across air, land, and sea in the same battlefield. War Thunder offers 2000+ playable aircraft, armored vehicles and ships from the 1900s to the 2010s. The US, Russian, British, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Swedish, Israeli, South African and French military vehicles represented in game are carefully researched, historically accurate recreations of their real world counterparts. Fans can expect hundreds more added as Gaijin Entertainment commits to ongoing development via regular updates. Official website: http://warthunder.com
Enjoy hours of new adventures on PC, iOS & Meta Quest with today’s “Skully’s Fantastic Fails” update, featuring a wide range of new content, 1,000+ new voice lines and much more!
REYKJAVÍK, Iceland – Oct. 27, 2025 – Just in time for Halloween, today Aldin Dynamics’ wildly wacky wizard simulator, Waltz of the Wizard, makes its long-awaited iOS debut, available now on iPhone and iPad for $7.99 / €8.99 / £9.99 / CA$9.99 / AU$12.99. Go on an arcane adventure full of magical shenanigans with everyone’s favorite snarky skeletal sidekick – Skully! – and experience the enchanting variety of content that made Waltz of the Wizard a hit on PC, Meta Quest and PlayStation, including a full campaign and tons of secrets and spells to discover. iOS players will also enjoy a reimagined interface designed specifically for mobile and an exclusive special feature: Reality Mode, letting you interact with the in-game world in AR with your mobile device, capturing the feel of VR!
But that’s not the only sorcerous surprise in store today! Players on iOS, Steam and Meta Quest can now dive into the massive “Skully’s Fantastic Fails” major content update*, featuring an incredible new rocket launch section in the Courtyard for more experiments, as well as more than 1,000 new voicelines and reactions, a fully redesigned menu with a detailed Waltz Codex, and even more Tower events. Show the world your magical mastery and experience hours of engaging gameplay, humor, and many, many other wondrous curiosities!
An epic wizardry simulator inspired by classic fantasy fiction, Waltz of the Wizard’s handcrafted blend of highly interactive fun, mystery, and secrets has sold more than one million copies worldwide. Conjure up awesome magical powers, brew potions and more with the aid of Skully, your chatty, wisecracking, hyper-tormentable skull companion who reacts to everything you do!
*The “Skully’s Fantastic Fails” update will release on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation VR2 later this year.
About Aldin Dynamics
Based in Reykjavík, Iceland, Aldin is pioneering a new gaming format that blends simulated reality with dark comedy — where you can do and say anything you want, with hyper-interactive characters that feel alive. www.aldin.io
From the desperation-fueled Kotakaya to the mutilated, cursed beasts, every threat has the desire to cause your downfall
[Red Bank, New Jersey – October 27, 2025] – Astral Clocktowers is excited to release the newest addition to the Kristala Developer Diary series: The Foes That Forge You. The curse that plagues Ailur didn’t just corrupt the land itself — it also mutated the wildlife, turning once-peaceful creatures into twisted nightmares. In this developer diary, you’ll dig your claws into the three main types of enemies you’ll face: the Kotakaya, the cursed monsters, and the Kristal Guardians.
The Kotakaya and cursed monsters weren’t simply born vengeful, but eventually evolved from peaceful to malicious due to various outside factors. After the Kota were denied magic the Anagativa wield, they embraced technology and science, morphing into a steampunk-inspired army split into two distinct factions: the peaceful Hemani, and the militant loyalists to the Mad King Edam. The Kota aren’t the only malicious creatures plotting on your demise — The Cursed beings also roam Ailur. Consisting of wildlife mutilated by The Curse, these unpredictable foes are sure to put up a fight.
The Kristal Guardians, while not spiteful, will not yield easily. Each Shard Guardian is a physical manifestation of their clan’s magic, and are designed to test the player’s mastery along the Raksaka Proving. These otherworldly judges will test your magical skill and physical prowess.
Key Features:
Challenging & Fast-paced Soulslike Combat – Master a precise and punishing combat system inspired by Sekiro and Dark Souls, with light/heavy attacks, perfect parries, well-timed dodges, and brutal aerial attacks and finishers.
Agile Protagonists & Catlike Abilities – Play as a feline warrior from one of six clans, each master of a distinct magic specialty and lore-rich culture. These catlike characters allow for interesting traversal and stealth mechanics, which players can enhance further via the Feline Skill tree.
Purr-sonalize your Cat – Create your feline warrior by choosing fur color, fur length, your clan, and your starting class. All of these choices will factor into building your unique playstyle. The paw-sibilities are endless!
Comprehensive Magic System – Each clan specializes in an ancient/elemental magic, sourced by the Sacred Six Kristals. Unlock and level powerful spells and spell perks for each clan on a comprehensive, branching magic tree to customize your playstyle.
Atmospheric, Story-Driven Worldbuilding – Immerse yourself in the mystical realm of Ailur, where ancient prophecies, cursed creatures, and lost civilizations weave a dark and emotional narrative.
Ready to pounce into the purrocious world of Kristala? The game is being featured in Steam Scream Fest, with a free demo available now. Dive deeper with the Early Access version—available for purchase today.
About Astral Clocktower Studios
Astral Clocktower Studios is a US-based women-led indie game development studio dedicated to crafting immersive, story-driven fantasy games that speak to players on a deeply personal level. The studio’s debut title, Kristala, blends dark fantasy themes with fast-paced combat and fluid parkour. Set in a rich, lore-filled world, Kristala’s feline characters and unique mechanics offer a fresh take on the soulslike genre. Kristala is currently in Early Access on Steam, with release plans for PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch following a full PC release next year.
Gaijin Entertainment is pleased to announce that to celebrate Halloween, Crossout has received two new game modes, and the “Project: Shadow” armored car featuring epic-rarity parts is now available in the in-game store.
The Project: Shadow vehicle is equipped with the “Artemis” crossbow, whose projectiles increase the damage enemies take, and the “Paris” dispersion stabilizer, which boosts the penetration value of your weapons. The Shadow parts and dark-themed decor are perfect for assembling a unique armored car that reflects the spirit of the holiday.
“Gaze into the Abyss” is a team-based mode where players battle in pre-assembled Ravager armored cars. Gigantic, invulnerable centipedes roam the battlefield, hostile to everyone – they cannot be destroyed, but their attention can be lured toward your enemies.
“Drones vs. Reptile” is an asymmetrical mode where four survivors in tiny vehicles must complete objectives while avoiding detection by a fifth player controlling a massive mechanical lizard.
The availability schedule for the new and returning modes can be found on the game’s official website. Players who complete event objectives will earn festive cosmetic items and new parts for their armored vehicles
About Gaijin Entertainment Gaijin Entertainment is the developer and publisher of the online games War Thunder, Crossout, Enlisted, CRSED: F.O.A.D. and Star Conflict as well as other PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, iOS and Android titles across several genres. The company’s diverse portfolio has received a range of mass media and game industry awards including such as Gamescom Award and many more. Official website: http://gaijinent.com/
About Crossout Set in a post-apocalyptic world, Crossout is an MMO vehicle combat game available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S offering players complete customisation in building and upgrading deadly armored vehicles to destroy enemies in open PvP and PvE battles. Crossout gives players thousands of possibilities to design their vehicle, including shape, armor, weapons, support systems and, of course, cosmetic enhancements. Official website: http://crossout.net/
It’s always a little concerning whenever a franchise shifts hands to a new developer, even if the new developer happens to be one just as skilled in the genre as the original. Such is the case with Little Nightmares, a game that saw its first two titles created and handled by Tarsier Studios only now Supermassive Games of Until Dawn and Dark Pictures fame have taken the reins with Little Nightmares III, trying to implement a different twist to the horror that fans have come to expect from the series. The question is, with these new hands at the wheel and some new mechanics brought in to keep things fresh, have they managed to succeed or simply tread along for now under their predecessors’ shadow?
Story
Playing as either Alone, a girl with orange pig-tails wearing a jumpsuit and aviator mask and wielding a wrench the size of herself, or a boy named Low who wears a raven mask and wields a bow and arrow awaken in the middle of their journey in front of a broken mirror, finding themselves in the Necropolis within the “Spiral.” Little is known about who these two little children are, other than that there are horrors that they will need to run away from as they search for their goal with the first one being a gigantic ominous baby capable of turning anything it looks at into stone.
Throughout this short, little over four hour journey, players will slowly get to feel out a bit more of the storyline through snippets of flashbacks and some eventually quite clear examples of what is happening at least in regards to the relationship between the two main characters as they explore through the dead Necropolis, candy coated sweets factory, sprawling carnival, and generic hospital, but unfortunately that’s really all there is. Each stage has various main enemies that feel a bit too generic for their own good, lacking the impactful nature that many of the past games’ monstrosities have offered and even the final “twist” is lacking impact as well. Though this may be due to the fact that the game is being sold with two additional “stages” of content that will release sometime in the future which may address the ending’s nature, though how it might address it we can’t say to avoid spoiling it.
Gameplay
One of the key elements of Little Nightmares III is the fact that it is designed to be played with “co-op” in mind. So much so that the game launched with a similar element that games like Split Fiction and It Takes Two offered, a “Friend’s Pass” that means it only takes one player to actually own the game to play with a friend online. Unfortunately, cross-play is not available nor is the ability to “drop-in” and “drop-out” of gameplay so if players are playing with a random online or not a close friend, they’ll be out of luck. In fact, there isn’t even a couch co-op option in any way, something that is a surprisingly shocking absence given how undemanding the title seems to run even on “beauty” settings. This isn’t the first time that there have been co-op elements in the franchise however as the second entry saw players accompanied by Six who would assist in various tasks and if players are playing solo, then their AI partner will act almost exactly the same way and thankfully quite quickly more often than not. It is worth noting that it is possible for the AI partner to get in the way in some of the more finicky locations, potentially causing a fall or failed jump but thankfully the checkpoints tend to be right at the door to that room.
Depending on which character players select, since there is oddly no ability to swap between characters in single player mode, they will be limited to one tool. Alone will make use of her over-sized wrench to smash through pre-damaged walls or floors, turn items in the environment, or even perform the “coup-de-grace” on smaller enemies that appear during combat sequences. If players are playing as Low they will instead have access to his bow and arrow capable of hitting switches that are out of reach and can open doors, snipe through threadbare ropes to drop boxes, and knock smaller enemies out of the sky or the heads off of weaker foes for Alone to, as mentioned before, finish off. Solo players must always take and at least do their part and the AI will usually handle theirs quite effectively, though there are a few times they’ll wander into an enemy and die instantly during combat, and the same can be said for puzzles. The AI will generally always head to a lever that might need two people to pull, automatically shoot down an obstacle, or even “call” for the player to come over and smack open a wall if they haven’t noticed it yet.
That being said, almost every puzzle is shockingly easy and hardly frightening, which was quite a disappointment. While being stuck with a brain scratcher would be frustrating, the more likely “challenges” that players will face when it comes to puzzles would be side-objectives for Achievements like deliberately carrying a ball up an elevator to shoot a basket or feeding a trapped monster some sausage. Instead almost everything else tends to rely on simple pulling and pushing platforms around, doors open, or simply platforming in some rather hit and miss style platforming where players will often feel like they fell and died for no good reason other than the character not grabbing the platform correctly. These can feel real cheap during a chase especially as the chase sequences from the “big bads” of every stage tend to be make-or-break affairs where a single mistake will start the run over, even if it happens to be a mistake the AI made in getting caught. Thankfully there are quite a few checkpoints here and there to help make these issues more tolerable.
As mentioned before, there are various “random” things players can do for achievements in levels and some of these also include using random items such as an umbrella that players have access to for the first two stages that can be used to either slow their descent or glide with updrafts and a flashlight that well, is a flashlight only in the final two stages. There are also various collectables along the different stages, with each one having a certain number of dolls, some including the returning Nomes, and other things though there is unfortunately no reward for gathering everything.
Audio & Visuals
Each of the four stages throughout Little Nightmares III have a unique design to them and theme, giving at least some variance to the fact that most of the puzzles tend to be the same throughout. The best of these stages happens to be the carnival that is not only the longest level but also the most varied, featuring some monstrous Beasts of men and an even more twisted final enemy to deal with. The designs of Alone and Low are rather simple but work quite well overall, and it is worth noting that players can get extra costumes for these characters by purchasing DLC though, that being said, most of the costumes aren’t particularly good even for big fans of the franchise and the references.
There is no real dialogue throughout the game other than minimal soft-calling between Alone and Low as well as the screams and cries of the various massive bosses that will chase and grab after them. There are some great atmospheric sounds to help build up the suspense however, though it is also worth noting that there isn’t much in the way of a soundtrack for the game, which is surprising given how effective it was in previous entries.
Overall
Little Nightmares III still delivers the same atmospheric scares that fans of the franchise have come to expect, it just really doesn’t do it in any better way than before. If anything it almost lets it down a bit instead thanks to the designs of some enemies being a bit too substandard at times. It doesn’t help that the co-op gameplay is only available online and cannot be done through couch co-op, meaning players cannot experience the environmental puzzles and surreal exploration as intended, simply having to rely on AI to navigate the ever-growing horrors awaiting in this shorter game.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
For a long time Pokemon games have come in many forms, be they part of the mainline series or through one of the countless spin-offs that tackle all manner of genre. Then when the series started expanding into the 3D realm, Nintendo started taking Pokemon in a new direction and really started experimenting when it came to Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Offering an open world to explore with pokemon that could be caught just by a lucky throw of a ball, dodge attacks directed at the player in active combat, it brought a bit of fresh light to the series. Then things took a bit of a turn when the next mainline entry tried to work that open world into the mainline format. Now Game Freak has returned with a brand new take with Pokemon Legends: Z-A that looks to capitalize on many elements of what people liked in the Legends title while still offering something new. The question is, were they successful with this packed entry?
Story
The grand Lumiose City has been the talk of the Kalos Region, blending pokemon living amongst humans within a sprawling metropolis of a city and now that it is being expanded even further, with its grand Prism Tower standing at the heart of it all, the city has become a hot tourist spot. That is at least initially why the player happens to head to the city only to have their bag stolen by a pesky pokemon. With the help of Taunie (or Urbain if the player plays as a female) they will be given a choice either Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile to get their first taste of how battles work in Lumiose City before bringing them back to Hotel Z as a reward for showing off their skills.
Owned by an extremely familiar face and accompanied by a highly unique Floette, players greet the owner and eventually join the Lumiose City Z-A Royale tournament where trainers battle at night in “Battle Zones” and rise from the rank of Z all the way to A in order to have their wish granted by the company that owns the city. With Taunie looking to bring Hotel Z to prominence, she quickly recruits the player to help join her team, Team MZ. The only thing is, not only are there strange events happening throughout Lumiose City such as a detective noticing the appearance of alpha pokemon outside of the boundaries but even some unknown forms of pokemon appearing in other areas as well, nevermind a familiar looking green slug that appears to be keeping a keen eye on the player. Between all of this and battling through the ranks at night, a quick shot up through the ranks places players right into the thick of things as more secrets of Lumiose City and the dangers it might be facing are laid bare.
It will be a little odd guessing what makes Nintendo and Game Freak decide to place a Legends title onto a Pokemon game. Is it simply because it features a more free catch and combat style? Or because it explores a different type of storyline? Few can know besides the developers themselves, because in many ways it feels like Pokemon Legends: Z-A actually fits perfectly fine as an actual sequel to Pokemon X and Y‘s storylines instead. Between literally walking face-first into a signature pokemon and character from the games within the first ten minutes of the game to walking around the city and talking to NPCs and hearing about how some characters from the original games have gone on to do other things or have vanished entirely to direct references themselves, there is a lot to be found here for fans of X and Y. Of course, even without that the story still holds up more than well enough on its own but those that are familiar with how the former games play out will certainly enjoy this much more, but we can’t explain why because doing so would obviously spoil the story. So, while in name it may come close to a sequel, slapping the Legends title on it feels a bit of a strange one.
One thing that is also nice to note is that, as mentioned before, there is a detective in the game and she is also where a large source of the game’s side-quests come from as players are given the task of being her “helper.” These side-quests actually have quite a bit of humor to them and can come in a variety of different tasks that range from simply delivering a certain pokemon type or showing one off, to gathering items from a location under certain conditions. The fun thing with these is not only the aforementioned humor since many of them come from the fact that people are living in a city where “Wild Zones” contain huge pokemon and some even break free and others wander the rooftops freely, they actually feel fitting with the world, giving the player a better look at how it would actually be to live in such a city. Ironically, players can even see NPCs complain about being trapped by a “battle zone” on their way home from work, unable to enter since they don’t have a pokemon to fight with should they run across another trainer. These little organic things help breathe life into the city and there is a rather dense amount of content spread throughout the city, making sure to never really feel like any area is too empty until players start clearing out tasks.
Gameplay
One of the clearest examples of what might “designate” a Legends game is how the basic capturing mechanics work in the game and how seamless things can feel. In Legends: Arceus players were introduced to the ability to just throw out a poke-ball of various types and try to catch it without even having to fight it and the same thing happens here now in Z-A, including a little “catch meter” indicated by arrows next to the pokemon’s stat screen when locked onto it. The higher the arrows, the better catch chance. That being said, some pokemon will flee when they see the player or fly into a rage when tried to be caught too many times, making them uncatchable for a while. It is here that the biggest change of all comes in with Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the combat.
It must be said that Pokemon Legends: Z-A has taken the game’s combat to an entirely new level and it is easily the best that battling in the games has ever been. While Arceus may have played with the feeling of some freedom in combat, Z-A goes far beyond that by making every battle, be it against a wild pokemon or a trainer, take place in real time. Every move that your pokemon and enemy pokemon can unleash is set around a cooldown, with various attacks having longer cooldowns depending on their power and things such as status-effects playing a role in either increasing these cooldowns or triggering things such as damage over time and standard confusion elements. What makes this part interesting is that, combined with the ability to re-use TMs an infinite number of times plus the ability to recall forgotten moves, players can build their pokemon in any way they see fit and kit its move-set out to their playstyle.
It also means that moves that may otherwise have been something easily forgotten, like tail whip or growl that wouldn’t be kept are far more useful as they can be used as in-between moves that come out fast and lower an opponents stats or pump up the player’s own pokemon’s stats while working with the cooldown for their actual attacking moves. Similarly, throwing out a poke-ball to try and catch a wild pokemon or alpha can knock it out of an attack animation or give the player a few extra seconds of cooldown time even if the catch does fail. Of course, positioning also plays a key factor here as players can dodge-roll out of the way of direct attacks but their pokemon can also move out of the way of incoming attacks as some are slower moving than others. This can lead to some strategic positioning when attacking both wild pokemon and trainers, as moving behind cover can block some long-range attacks and similarly using wide-spread attacks such as Surf can wipe out an entire pride of pyroars chasing you through a Wild Zone.
This even comes into play when swapping out pokemon that are either weak or are fainting since doing so will leave the player themselves open to attack or give the opponent a chance to let their cooldowns run off and prepare to automatically unleash on the player if they aren’t careful. The Mega Evolution mechanics have also been given significant improvement as they feel like dynamic and snappy transformations that can be triggered mid-battle to try and turn the tides of battle in your favor. Thankfully there is a wide range of Rogue Mega Evolution pokemon to battle against to get the hang of things throughout the story as well as those that will be unleashed by enemies in later parts of the storyline. Obtaining your own Mega Stones for pokemon is generally a mixed bag depending on the pokemon, some can be purchased outright with poke-dollars, others using mega-shards scattered throughout the world, or even by defeating the rogue version of a Mega Evolution of that same type. Others rely on the online only battles but more on that later.
Anyways, generally exploring Lumiose City during the day will have players taking on various side-tasks, exploring the roof tops through a wide-variety of ladders, scaffolding, and even a rolling glide of sorts using the Rotom Phone that can also prevent dying from a long fall. There is, somehow, still no ability to actually jump. During the day is also where players will often be able to venture into Wild Zones where various types of pokemon are located at any given time including eventual Alpha variants, though plenty of pokemon can also be found simply roaming the rooftops, waterways, and back alleys of the city. This is also where most shops will be open, allowing players to customize their look, pose with their pokemon, and take part in various other activities such as “shiny hunting” that is easier than ever thanks to the massive amount of notifications when one is nearby alongside their persistence and ways to regenerate them. Without even trying my first few shiny pokemon came just from completing side missions, not including one that straight up hands one to the player.
As time passes the title displays a “clock” of sorts that shows how much daytime is left before nighttime arrives. When night falls Lumiose City undergoes a small change by springing up a large Battle Zone that will now be filled with trainers that players will battle against throughout the night in order to earn enough “tickets” to try and raise their ranking through the royale. New pokemon will spawn at night as well, but players will likely want to battle in these zones as not only are they the primary way to progress through the storyline, they also reward players with money. As players travel through a battle zone they can pick up three Bonus Cards at a time that can boost the rewards earned in fights by completing certain actions. These range from putting enemies into certain status effects, knocking out an enemy with a single surprise attack, or even just using a certain type of move enough times.
The other aspect of the game comes from actually taking the player’s skills online and battling against other players. Here things can be a bit hit or miss but thankfully, for the most part, the online systems hold together well enough. What is hit or miss is the fact that there is any type of mega evolutions locked behind online play at all. While it is understandable that this was done to encourage fans to play online more, especially the ranked mode that is required to “rank up” and acquire the current Mega Greninja stone, it is unfortunate that it is the only actual way to do so. This isn’t the only unfortunate aspect about Pokemon Legends: Z-A, beyond the aforementioned inability to jump. For the most part a lot of the Wild Zones in the game are shockingly small, especially in later parts of the game that see them begin to start populating with larger or more elaborate Pokemon. This is especially true for some early game locations that get buffed up later on, seeing some wildly disproportionate encounters.
Audio & Visuals
Pokemon Legends: Z-A looks pretty solid on the Nintendo Switch with both character models and the pokemon models themselves looking impressive, perhaps the best they have looked yet on the handheld at this point. The city itself is a bit of a disappointment overall though, since while the design of the city feels okay and is dense with content, the overall appearance feels a bit flat and lifeless. Combine this with the fact that all shop interiors have been removed, with even poke-stops being little corner stops, and it feels like Game Freak cut a lot of corners trying to keep the game as fluid as possible while also not going into a lot of effort to actually make it work right. That being said, fighting is as impressive as ever with so many different attack animations now looking like fans have hoped they would look in ages something that, as mentioned before, is desperately needed in future entries.
There is no dub of any kind in Pokemon Legends: Z-A and honestly, it is actually getting rather distracting than excusable at this point. Sure, the signature pokemon noises all remain the same at least but thanks to how impressive the character models look and some solid framerate even on the Switch version of the game, watching cut-scenes play out with characters acting and reacting dynamically and “talking” to silence is bad. Sure, the title still features some great background music that works perfectly for the franchise, but there is only so much background noise can pull off on its own. At some point there needs to be voice work and that time has already come and gone.
Overall
Few would have expected that the best possible thing for the Pokemon series would be to make its combat more dynamic by making it actually happen in real-time. Players must properly and tactfully plan out their attacks and build their party around taking on a challenge, managing cooldowns effectively to avoid finding themselves being caught on the back-foot in a fight. Combine this with an interesting storyline and side-quests and the entire journey feels like a delight, albeit limited by no voice work and the fact that it happens within a rather restrictive feeling city. Lumiose City feels restrictive especially at the start and the small nature of Wild Zones feel limiting, even when battling against numerous pokemon at a time. That being said, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is certainly a step in the right direction especially as far as combat and story writing are concerned, let’s just hope Game Freak and Nintendo can decide to take the next few steps next time around to put out something with a bit more presentation.
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