BossLackey
Gold Member
Do you enjoy a 3rd person camera? How about stabbing things until they give you currency?
If you said yes to both, then boy have I got a lineup for you. The next year or so will see the release of quite a few 3rd person action games. Some closer to DMC, some Dark Souls, but all of them look great (okay maybe not all of them).
In no particular order…
Developer: Team Ninja
Publisher: KOEI TECMO
Platforms: PS4, PS5, XBONE, XBSX/S, PC
Release Date: Early 2023
DEMO AVAILABLE ON PS5/XBSX/S - SEPT 16-26
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is pretty much Chinese Nioh and that sounds pretty good to me. Taking place in 184 A.D. China, you'll be wielding traditional Chinese melee/ranged weapons and magical abilities to defeat humans and mythological grotesqueries alike. Admittedly, I've barely scratched the surface of the demo, so many of you probably know more about this game than me at the moment. One of the things I find interesting about the combat is how much more movement is ingrained in the move sets. Something that sets it apart from it's Japanese cousin. On top of that, magic seems to be taking a more central and direct role in combat, whereas in Nioh it was more buff/debuff and living weapon/guardian spirit burst damage, in Wo Long you'll be using magic as their own attacks. It may be due to the demo being…well a demo, but the actual melee movesets seem to have been pared-down compared to Nioh. This may be because of the added magic moves, or we just haven’t seen the additional unlocks. Either way, it’s looking pretty good.
Game Site
Steam Page
Developer: Game Science
Publisher: Game Science
Platforms: PS5, XBSX/S, PC
Release Date: 2023?
This is a weird one. Not often do we get good Chinese games and…we still may not. When this first showed up, I thought it was a tech demo vaporware game that would never see the light of day. However, the more they’ve shown, the more my skepticism has turned to intrigue. I’m still tempering my expectations.
Here’s an article I found regarding the potentially troubled development. (though I’ve never heard of xfire, so take it with a pinch of salt.)
In Black Myth: WuKong, you play as an anthropomorphic monkey…guy that is pulled straight out of the famous 16th century Chinese novel “Journey to the West”. Using a diverse (and seriously interesting) set of abilities, Wukong looks quite unique in many respects. Not to mention, it’s quite the looker. Using Unreal Engine 5 and very detailed assets and animations, it’s clearly a step up from many competitors.
I just hope this game is the real deal.
Game Site
Developer: SHIFT UP
Publisher: SHIFT UP
Platforms: PS5
Release Date: 2023
Korean developer SHIFT UP’s sci-fi character action game is lookin’ gooooood. Action, sci-fi, grotesque monsters, “fan service”, bad-ass cutscenes with gratuitous…angles. They may as well charge me $300 because I’m buying this game no matter what. For character action fans, I think this is an easy purchase (also ass fans).
Developer: Team Ninja
Publisher: KOEI TECMO
Platforms: PS5
Release Date: 2024
More historical than mythological, Team Ninja’s (boy they’re busy) 2024 Action RPG Rise of the Ronin is an interesting departure from their recent games. Less Souls and more Tsushima, it looks to be a bit more exploratory and open world than Nioh or Wo Long, with horses, wing suits, and who knows what else aiding your traversal. Oh and guns, lots of guns. There’s not a ton on this outside of the reveal trailer, but it has my interest.
Let’s just hope that by the time of it’s release, feudal Japan isn’t the beaten horse in video games I think it will be.
Developer: PlatinumGames
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Switch
Release Date: October 28, 2022
Is it too good to be true? Is this but a dream? No! Bayonetta 3 is finally here after eight long years of waiting. People lived and died. Empires rose and fell. The troubled development of Platinum’s crown jewel has been well on display and many thought it would never happen. But at last, the hour of the witch is here and I can’t wait to raise hell.
To see it relegated to Nintendo’s poorly aged hardware is a shame, however. Low-poly backgrounds, low-res textures, and other hardware related concessions are obvious from the recent trailer. It legitimately looks like a GameCube game. Good thing it’s gonna be fun as shit.
Game Site
Nintendo’s Bayo Page
Developer: Santa Monica Studio
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: PS4/PS5
Release Date: November 9, 2022
The follow-up to the incredible God of War reboot is just a few months away. As a direct sequel, many of the large story and character pieces are in place, paving the way for what I hope to be a fairly fast-paced story. The set pieces from the recent trailer do not disappoint and the fight with Thor is going to be amazing I’m sure. I do hope we can get some gameplay surprises. It will be hard to top the feeling of the axe returning to your hand for the first time.
Despite adoring the last game, I wasn’t really hyped for this. That is, until I watched the State of Play Trailer. Gotdamn.
Game Site
Playstation’s GOW Site
Developer: HEXWORKS
Publisher: CI Games
Platforms: PS5, XBSX/S, PC
Release Date: 2023
Is it a sequel? Is it a reboot? Is it going to be good? Yes, yes and who fucking knows. 2014’s incredibly average The Lords of the Fallen was one of the very first of the “Soulslikes”. Why we’re getting a sequel/reboot now is anyone’s guess.
The only thing we have to go on is the new trailer, which looks cool despite the seemingly mandatory out of place rock song. Here’s to hoping they’ve learned a lot since their last game.
Steam Page
Official Website
Developer: NEOWIZ
Publisher: NEOWIZ
Platforms: PS4, PS5, XBONE, XBSX/S, PC
Release Date: 2023
Rounding out our “could possibly be shit” section is Lies of P, an unabashed Bloodborne ripoff in which you (for some reason) play as Pinocchio in a fucked up grimdark version of the classic Italian children’s story. Actually, if you watch Pinnochio again you’ll realize how messed up that children’s story is to begin with. Orphans turning into donkeys. The growing nose trope to guilt trip subsequent generations out of lying. Being swallowed alive. Children getting drunk. Body horror. The list goes on. Maybe developer NEOWIZ wasn’t that off the mark when they adapted this into a hack and slash Soulslike.
Either way, if Geppetto isn’t the final boss then the devs don’t know what they’re doing.
Game Site
Steam Page
Developer: SE Creative Business Unit III
Publisher: Square Enix
Platforms: PS5
Release Date: Mid 2023
I’ve always been a fan of the beautiful art of the Final Fantasy series, but apparently can only subsist on games in which I can hammer buttons until the bad man dies. Luckily, Final Fantasy XVI is looking to be the perfect mix of character action, RPG elements, and emo anime protagonist.
I have a lot of hopes for this one. Sorry to those that wanted this to be a more traditional JRPG, but I’m glad this installment in the series is trying something I’ll probably like.
Square’s FFXVI Page
Developer: Respawn
Publisher: Electronic Farts
Platforms: PS5, XBSX/S, PC
Release Date: 2023
I never finished the first one (despite actually quite enjoying it). I should get back to it. Very very solid and I’m sure the sequel will be more of that. Not much to say on this one.
Unfortunately, I’ll be giving EA my money.
Did I miss anything?
If you said yes to both, then boy have I got a lineup for you. The next year or so will see the release of quite a few 3rd person action games. Some closer to DMC, some Dark Souls, but all of them look great (okay maybe not all of them).
In no particular order…
Developer: Team Ninja
Publisher: KOEI TECMO
Platforms: PS4, PS5, XBONE, XBSX/S, PC
Release Date: Early 2023
DEMO AVAILABLE ON PS5/XBSX/S - SEPT 16-26
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is pretty much Chinese Nioh and that sounds pretty good to me. Taking place in 184 A.D. China, you'll be wielding traditional Chinese melee/ranged weapons and magical abilities to defeat humans and mythological grotesqueries alike. Admittedly, I've barely scratched the surface of the demo, so many of you probably know more about this game than me at the moment. One of the things I find interesting about the combat is how much more movement is ingrained in the move sets. Something that sets it apart from it's Japanese cousin. On top of that, magic seems to be taking a more central and direct role in combat, whereas in Nioh it was more buff/debuff and living weapon/guardian spirit burst damage, in Wo Long you'll be using magic as their own attacks. It may be due to the demo being…well a demo, but the actual melee movesets seem to have been pared-down compared to Nioh. This may be because of the added magic moves, or we just haven’t seen the additional unlocks. Either way, it’s looking pretty good.
Game Site
Steam Page
Developer: Game Science
Publisher: Game Science
Platforms: PS5, XBSX/S, PC
Release Date: 2023?
This is a weird one. Not often do we get good Chinese games and…we still may not. When this first showed up, I thought it was a tech demo vaporware game that would never see the light of day. However, the more they’ve shown, the more my skepticism has turned to intrigue. I’m still tempering my expectations.
Here’s an article I found regarding the potentially troubled development. (though I’ve never heard of xfire, so take it with a pinch of salt.)
In Black Myth: WuKong, you play as an anthropomorphic monkey…guy that is pulled straight out of the famous 16th century Chinese novel “Journey to the West”. Using a diverse (and seriously interesting) set of abilities, Wukong looks quite unique in many respects. Not to mention, it’s quite the looker. Using Unreal Engine 5 and very detailed assets and animations, it’s clearly a step up from many competitors.
I just hope this game is the real deal.
Game Site
Developer: SHIFT UP
Publisher: SHIFT UP
Platforms: PS5
Release Date: 2023
Korean developer SHIFT UP’s sci-fi character action game is lookin’ gooooood. Action, sci-fi, grotesque monsters, “fan service”, bad-ass cutscenes with gratuitous…angles. They may as well charge me $300 because I’m buying this game no matter what. For character action fans, I think this is an easy purchase (also ass fans).
Developer: Team Ninja
Publisher: KOEI TECMO
Platforms: PS5
Release Date: 2024
More historical than mythological, Team Ninja’s (boy they’re busy) 2024 Action RPG Rise of the Ronin is an interesting departure from their recent games. Less Souls and more Tsushima, it looks to be a bit more exploratory and open world than Nioh or Wo Long, with horses, wing suits, and who knows what else aiding your traversal. Oh and guns, lots of guns. There’s not a ton on this outside of the reveal trailer, but it has my interest.
Let’s just hope that by the time of it’s release, feudal Japan isn’t the beaten horse in video games I think it will be.
Developer: PlatinumGames
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Switch
Release Date: October 28, 2022
Is it too good to be true? Is this but a dream? No! Bayonetta 3 is finally here after eight long years of waiting. People lived and died. Empires rose and fell. The troubled development of Platinum’s crown jewel has been well on display and many thought it would never happen. But at last, the hour of the witch is here and I can’t wait to raise hell.
To see it relegated to Nintendo’s poorly aged hardware is a shame, however. Low-poly backgrounds, low-res textures, and other hardware related concessions are obvious from the recent trailer. It legitimately looks like a GameCube game. Good thing it’s gonna be fun as shit.
Game Site
Nintendo’s Bayo Page
Developer: Santa Monica Studio
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: PS4/PS5
Release Date: November 9, 2022
The follow-up to the incredible God of War reboot is just a few months away. As a direct sequel, many of the large story and character pieces are in place, paving the way for what I hope to be a fairly fast-paced story. The set pieces from the recent trailer do not disappoint and the fight with Thor is going to be amazing I’m sure. I do hope we can get some gameplay surprises. It will be hard to top the feeling of the axe returning to your hand for the first time.
Despite adoring the last game, I wasn’t really hyped for this. That is, until I watched the State of Play Trailer. Gotdamn.
Game Site
Playstation’s GOW Site
Developer: HEXWORKS
Publisher: CI Games
Platforms: PS5, XBSX/S, PC
Release Date: 2023
Is it a sequel? Is it a reboot? Is it going to be good? Yes, yes and who fucking knows. 2014’s incredibly average The Lords of the Fallen was one of the very first of the “Soulslikes”. Why we’re getting a sequel/reboot now is anyone’s guess.
The only thing we have to go on is the new trailer, which looks cool despite the seemingly mandatory out of place rock song. Here’s to hoping they’ve learned a lot since their last game.
Steam Page
Official Website
Developer: NEOWIZ
Publisher: NEOWIZ
Platforms: PS4, PS5, XBONE, XBSX/S, PC
Release Date: 2023
Rounding out our “could possibly be shit” section is Lies of P, an unabashed Bloodborne ripoff in which you (for some reason) play as Pinocchio in a fucked up grimdark version of the classic Italian children’s story. Actually, if you watch Pinnochio again you’ll realize how messed up that children’s story is to begin with. Orphans turning into donkeys. The growing nose trope to guilt trip subsequent generations out of lying. Being swallowed alive. Children getting drunk. Body horror. The list goes on. Maybe developer NEOWIZ wasn’t that off the mark when they adapted this into a hack and slash Soulslike.
Either way, if Geppetto isn’t the final boss then the devs don’t know what they’re doing.
Game Site
Steam Page
Developer: SE Creative Business Unit III
Publisher: Square Enix
Platforms: PS5
Release Date: Mid 2023
I’ve always been a fan of the beautiful art of the Final Fantasy series, but apparently can only subsist on games in which I can hammer buttons until the bad man dies. Luckily, Final Fantasy XVI is looking to be the perfect mix of character action, RPG elements, and emo anime protagonist.
I have a lot of hopes for this one. Sorry to those that wanted this to be a more traditional JRPG, but I’m glad this installment in the series is trying something I’ll probably like.
Square’s FFXVI Page
Developer: Respawn
Publisher: Electronic Farts
Platforms: PS5, XBSX/S, PC
Release Date: 2023
I never finished the first one (despite actually quite enjoying it). I should get back to it. Very very solid and I’m sure the sequel will be more of that. Not much to say on this one.
Unfortunately, I’ll be giving EA my money.
Did I miss anything?
