For us Aussies, the THQ Digital Showcase for 2023 was a little to early to attend in any real capacity. But, you can always rest easy knowing that all the hard-hitting headlines will be curated and shared for you later – such as this article. That you are reading. Right now.
So, what was announced and/or showcased? Well, get your scroll-wheel ready and take a squiz below!
Titan Quest II
RPG fans are eating extremely well at the moment, and the massive sequel to the iconic Titan Quest looks to keep delivering. Mythological Greece is a banger of a setting, especially when you are tangling with the godly beings that inhabit it. It’s a banger of a trailer, so let’s hope that Grimlore Games has a kick arse gameplay experience to back it up.
Gothic Remake
Hey! A neat little tour of how the Gothic Remake is coming together. Sure, it’s a little more cinematic than what I would like, but it does paint a pretty stellar picture of how the development is looking. Atmosphere seems to be a massive focus of the title, which is exactly what fans of the series would expect. I also commend any game that is happy to drop a British-twanged “YOU TWAT!” in the dialogue.
South Park: Snow Day
A trailer that raises more questions than answers – teaching us that ‘Snow Days are kewl’.
Thanks Eric. But at a glance, it looks to be a great deal more dynamic than the last few South Park games – which were turn based, and awesome in their own right – with a sprawling, brawling world filled with action and carnage. It’s not out until 2024, so we have plenty of time to learn more about what makes snow days so kewl.
TMNT: The Last Ronin
With a trailer that would have surprised everyone if it wasn’t for the giant NICKELODEON logo at the start of it, we see a super artsy reveal for TMNT: The Last Ronin, a stellar Ninja Turtle story that tells a pretty dark tale of what happens when your half-shell brothers meet an untimely end.
If you haven’t read the graphic novel, it is an easy recommend – and if Black Forest Games can nail the brief on this one, we could be staring down the barrel of an instant classic.
Outcast: A New Beginning
What the hell am I looking at? Jungles, Jetpacks, Wingsuits – this game looks like Horizon: Zero Dawn had a baby with Just Cause. With Jetpacks. And aliens.
Did I mention Jetpacks?
This is a crazy looking title. An alien world full of crazy beasts, supernatural powers and technology. The trailer is packing a lot of narrative detail into it, looking like a huge spoonful of crazy for people to take on with little context. Will be keeping an eye on this one.
Note: I initially read this title as ‘OUTLAST’ and thought “Oh god, not another one.”
TRINE 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy
TRINE is a series that has always cornered a niche in my heart. The experimental shifts to its formula do not always vibe with me, but I appreciate that the series keeps cooking up new and exciting ways to enjoy it’s unique world and characters. With four player co-op, the puzzle platform is back to keep doing what it does brilliantly – destroy and rebuild friendships as you all argue over how to solve a puzzle.
Space for Sale
With the Earthly property market completely broken, of course we want to explore the escapism of destroying the property market on other worlds. A nifty little pseudo-sim game where you are an intergalactic property developer. Looks groovy.
Alone in the Dark
A neat look at the beautifully gruff and growly David Harbour as one half of the duo protagonists in Alone in the Dark. The showcase of his digital self looks pretty good, even if the character-centric animation errs a tad on the wooden side. I have a feeling putting your digital double alone in a dark, empty environment does no favours – but they do capture some trademark mannerisms of Hopper. There is also a killer video of Jodie Comer as Emily Hartwood, which admittedly looks a tad more organic.
Last Train Home
I like Trains. But apparently this is about war – described as a ‘challenging situation’.
Not my cup of tea, but strategy enthusiasts will likely get a kick out of this.
Tempest Rising
Since the Command & Conquer as a franchise seems to be languishing in the archives somewhere, Tempest Rising seems to be boldly taking up the mantle and delivering not only the gameplay, but the whole aesthetic and banger soundtrack as well. The only disappointing element of this trailer is the cutscene-looking unit briefing detail that isn’t being shot with live-action actors.
I guess they had to draw the line on the similarities somewhere.
Seriously, holy crap that soundtrack – is that bass guitar alright?!? It’s being thrashed!
Wreckreaction
Oh hell yeah, the craft-your-own-track genre is getting an gigantic new entry – Wreckreation looks totally duck-tits, madcap crazy. Taking some familiar elements from games like Trackmania, the title looks to blow the arse-end out of the entire experience by cranking basically everything up to eleven. Describing it in text does no favours to what is on display – watch the trailer. Now.
Phwoar. This is a massive collection of games and trailers to take in. Some surprises for sure – also a well received look into some titles that are still puttering along. It is good to see that the THQ arm of Embracer Group is still producing – and while I am disappointed that there is no Darksiders announcement, I am man enough to accept that not everything is about me.
Take a look at your storefront of choice, a great many of the titles announced today have been unleashed for wishlisting – or for preorder, if you dare.
Did anything specific catch your eye? Are you a Ninja Turtle fan, hungry for some Last Ronin gameplay? Let us know in the comments, or on social media.
Known throughout the interwebs simply as M0D3Rn, Ash is bad at video games. An old guard gamer who suffers from being generally opinionated, it comes as no surprise that he is both brutally loyal and yet, fiercely whimsical about all things electronic. On occasion will make a youtube video that actually gets views. Follow him on YouTube @Bad at Video Games
