We have had a pretty solid year so far in terms of good games releasing. Titles like Monster Hunter World, God of War, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Octopath Traveler, and Detroit: Become Human have put some points back on the AAA games scoreboard. And there are more to come. Looking past the blockbuster hits there are some very good indie titles coming to the surface in the near future. Let’s take a look at a few.
Dead Cells
Dead Cells, by Motion Twin, is an intense 2D action game that lets you explore an evolving environment. The rogue-lite platformer looks like a hell of a good time. The art style looks incredible, and the combat looks like something that can get you breathing fast and your palms sweaty (mom’s spaghetti). I’ll let Motion Twin tell you about it:
“To beat the game, you’ll have to master 2D “souls-lite combat” with the ever-present threat of permadeath looming. No checkpoints. Kill, die, learn, repeat.”
If that gets your blood pumping then you will definitely want to pick this one up. I only recently discovered this gem randomly one day and have had my eye on it ever since. Dead Cells is in early access now on Steam, but releases on PS4, Xbox One, and the Switch on August 7th.
ITTA
Have you ever wanted to follow a story about a girl and her cat and some crazy guns? Well, now you can! ITTA is a bullet hell action game created by Glass Revolver that places you in a world of mystery and secrets. You will encounter all sorts of different bosses while uncovering the secrets of the word you inhabit. The boss fights in ITTA look absolutely bonkers. There’s so much coming at you at some points that I get anxious just watching the trailers. It looks like it’ll be a wild ride. From what I’ve seen ITTA is coming along nicely and I know we are ready to have it in our hands. ITTA is slated to release late 2018 or early 2019.
Flipping Death
Zoink Games is at it again. The creators of Stick It To The Man! And Zombie Vikings are back at it developing a game where you control Penny. After kicking the bucket, she must now help the ghosts of Flatwood Peaks solve their weird problems. On top of that, you’re searching for answers surrounding your own death. If this is anything like their previous titles (and it definitely looks that way) you can expect some zany characters, hit-or-miss humor, and some really cool gameplay. Zoink Games’ unique art style is something that makes them stand out from every other studio and it doesn’t stop there. Zoink Games has been on a pretty good streak with its releases. Be sure to keep a close eye on this one.
A Long Way Down
A Long Way Down is a deck building, role-playing game where you craft the dungeon as you go. While you find your way through the area you’ll come across all sorts of monsters you will need to defeat to continue on. A Long Way Down, being developed by French studio Seenapsis, seems like it meshes a few gameplay features together. I am a big sucker for card games, so this immediately caught my attention with its deck building mechanic. The art style is also something that stuck out when looking at this game. The world of A Long Way Down is dark and ominous, making it unique among its contemporaries. I really enjoyed Slay the Spire and this reminds me a lot of that, although in A Long Way Down you get to build your way through the dungeon.
A Long Way Down also seems to have some sort of morality mechanic, where the player may benefit or suffer from their decisions while progressing through the game. All these elements packed into one game could be really fun if executed well. Excited to try this one out.
The Last Night
The Last Night, by Odd Tales, is a cyberpunk adventure game that really doesn’t have too much information out there. The Wikipedia entry of the game just has a small tidbit to offer:
“The Last Night is a 2.5D cinematic platform game, where the player controls Charlie, a person living a lower-class existence among the rest of society that is living in an “era of leisure” and where computers and machinery have otherwise taken over all menial work. The player can have Charlie explore his city, talk freely with other citizens, get involved in gunfights, and includes elements of stealth.”
Nonetheless, the game looks gorgeous and the premise alone is interesting. Pretty impressive for a game that, in its original Flash incarnation, was made in six days. We are excited to uncover more about the game and can’t wait to see what it’s all about. Definitely keep this one in sight, especially if you are looking to scratch that Cyberpunk 2077 itch (we definitely are).
Untitled Goose Game
Okay, stay with me on this one. You are a goose. Still there? You have a to-do list. Still reading? Your job is to annoy the groundskeeper accompanied by some very relevant and groovy music. That seems to be the premise of Untitled goose Game by House House. When you see the trailer there’s something about it that sticks out as adorable and interesting. It feels like you are playing out a comedy skit but as a goose. As I was watching the trailer, I could feel myself smile while the goose was goofing with the groundskeeper. It just looks like something that is just silly and fun one hundred percent of the time. Also at the end of the trailer, it hints at multiplayer? That could be very interesting. Definitely keep your eye on this one.
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