Dragon Quest Builders is an action RPG with voxel-based block building elements developed and published by Square Enix. A spin-off from the original series, the game tasks the player with rebuilding the land of Alefgard which was devastated by monsters after the hero’s demise.

Unlike true sandbox games like Minecraft, the world of Dragon Quest Builders is handcrafted rather than procedurally generated, and the game has quests and a storyline to advance through. However, there is also a Free Build Mode which becomes available after clearing the first continent. In this mode, players can build with no restrictions and share their creations through the PlayStation Network.

Continue reading →

The remastered version of Skyrim brings numerous graphical improvements to the award-winning action RPG, including remastered art and effects, volumetric god rays, dynamic depth of field, screen-space reflections, and more. In addition, the Special Edition also comes with all the DLC already released on the previous-gen consoles: Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn, adding new quest lines and areas to explore to the base game.

It should be noted that the upcoming remaster contains no new DLC beyond the ones already released on other platforms. Owners of the original Skyrim on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 might also be disappointed to learn that their saves won’t be transferable to the remastered version of the game. However, there also are exciting news – the Xbox One version is going to support user-made mods (PlayStation 4 support might be possible in the future).

Continue reading →

Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom is an action RPG developed by French indie studio Enigami, and published by Focus Home Interactive. The crowdfunded game features manga-style art, and in fact has a companion manga series, which offers clues towards discovering hidden quests.

Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom follows the adventures of protagonist Chado and his companions in a fantasy universe doomed to destruction because of the fragmentation of the planet Mahera.

Continue reading →

Steep is a winter sports game developed and published by Ubisoft for Windows and current-gen consoles. Set in the Alps, it includes skiing, wingsuit flying, snowboarding, and paragliding as the main activities. The players can participate in races, perform tricks, explore and unlock new challenges, and record and share their performances.

Steep features an open world with a variety of environments as well as dynamic weather and day / night cycle. The game does require an internet connection to play as the social features are integral to the gameplay. It supports up to four players in a co-op.

Continue reading →

Shadow Warrior 2 is an upcoming sequel to the Flying Wild Hog’s 2013 first-person shooter. It takes place five years after the events in the first game, and once again puts the players into the shoes of wisecracking ninja Lo Wang. The sequel is less linear and some level elements are procedurally-generated. Shadow Warrior 2 also boasts over 70 different weapons which can be augmented and leveled up by killing enemies. Enemies can now be dismembered and have various body parts blown off thanks to the new procedural damage system.

Like its predecessor, the game has a single-player story mode, the main difference being that it is now possible to revisit previous missions. New to the game is a 4-player co-op which allows four people to enjoy the campaign together. Each player will experience the story as Lo Wang, and see other participants as anonymous mercenaries.

Continue reading →

Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration Edition is the long-awaited PlayStation port that will be out for the PS4 as well as the upcoming PS4 Pro. On the latter, additional graphical modes will be available: 4K at 30 FPS, 1080p at 60 FPS, or 1080p at 30 FPS with enriched visuals.

The game comes with all the previously released DLC such as Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch and Cold Darkness Awakened. Brand new content includes Blood Ties story chapter, which will also support PS VR; online co-op for the Endurance mode with leaderboards; and an Extreme Survivor difficulty setting for the most hardcore players.

Continue reading →

Gravity Rush 2 is an action-adventure game developed by SIE Japan Studio and Project Siren, and published by Sony. Like one might guess from the title, the player’s ability to manipulate gravity is at the core of the gameplay, allowing for unique navigation and movement.

This mechanic is further expanded from the original Gravity Rush, with Kat now able to use two additional gravity styles: Lunar and Jupiter. The former increases Kat’s speed and allows her to jump higher, while the latter makes her heavier, lending more weight to her attacks in combat.

Continue reading →