FTS: "Baldur's Gate 3" Launches Aug. 31 on PS5 & PC ft. the Voice of J.K. Simmons

Baldur’s Gate 3 Releases for PlayStation 5 & PC on August 31, 2023

New gameplay trailer gives players first glimpse at General Ketheric Thorm, played by J.K. Simmons, alongside split-screen co-op and controller support

DUBLIN – Feb. 23, 2023 – At today's State of Play Event held by Sony, Larian Studios announced via a new gameplay trailer that Baldur’s Gate 3 will ship on PlayStation 5, PC and Mac on Aug. 31, 2023.

Larian’s latest Baldur’s Gate 3 trailer gave players their first glimpse at one of the next-gen RPG’s as-yet-unseen antagonists, General Ketheric Thorm, a seemingly invincible necromancer leading an army of the dead towards the eponymous city of Baldur’s Gate – and voiced by none other than acclaimed character actor J.K. Simmons.

“Ketheric is a man with complex ambitions and motivations, so in searching for his voice, we knew we needed to work with a renowned character actor who could deliver the kind of nuanced performance we were looking for – so we decided to cast J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, Spider-Man). While we expected it, we were still amazed at how much his performance helped deepen the character. We’ll introduce you to two more antagonists over the coming months – keep an eye out,” explained Larian creative director Swen Vincke.

Here’s a peek inside the recording booth with J.K. Simmons as Ketheric Thorm:

The latest Baldur’s Gate 3 trailer also includes several gameplay-related reveals:

• Split-screen Co-op: Play with up to two players on one PS5 using split-screen co-op, or play online with up to four players!
• Controller Support: Baldur’s Gate 3 has only supported mouse-and-keyboard gameplay during early access on Steam, but the new trailer provides a first look at what to expect from full controller support at launch.

Finally, the PlayStation Blog post went into detail about the offerings from Baldur’s Gate 3's Deluxe Edition and the Collector’s Edition, both available to pre-order for PS5 via the PlayStation Store.

All early access players on PC (including anyone who purchases the game between now and release) have been automatically upgraded to the Deluxe Edition.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Deluxe Edition

This fully digital Deluxe Edition of Baldur’s Gate 3 contains:

• Playable Bard Song Pack featuring songs from Divinity: Original Sin 2
• Exclusive in-game dice skin
• An Adventurer’s Pouch containing supplies to help you get your journey started
• Digital downloads of the Baldur’s Gate 3 Original Soundtrack, artbook and character sheets
• 72-hours early access to Act I of Baldur’s Gate 3 beginning Aug. 28, 2023 [PS5]

As well as this pack of items inspired by the BAFTA Award-winning Divinity: Original Sin II:

• Mask of the Shapeshifter: Allows you to change race and appearance on the fly, inspired by Fane
• Cape of the Red Prince: Cloak inspired by the Red Prince
• Lute of the Merryweather Bard: Playable instrument inspired by Lohse
• Needle of the Outlaw Rogue: Dagger inspired by Sebille
• Bicorne of the Sea Beast: Headgear inspired by Beast
• Paintings from Rivellon: Discover a new collection of paintings across the Forgotten Realms

Baldur’s Gate 3 Collector’s Edition

Each Collector's Edition contains:

• A digital copy of Baldur’s Gate 3 Deluxe Edition
• Custom sticker sheet
• 25cm Mind Flayer vs. Drow battle diorama
• 160-page hardcover art book
• Cloth map of Faerûn
• Set of D&D-inspired origin character sheets
• Metal tadpole keyring
• Magic: The Gathering booster pack
• Custom-engraved metal d20, plus an in-game version!
• Certificate of Authenticity

By pre-ordering the Collector’s Edition, players will also receive the contents of the Deluxe Edition, which for PlayStation 5 players also includes 72-hours early access to Act I of Baldur’s Gate 3 at launch. All pre-orders will ship in time for launch.

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FTS: Open-World Roguelite "Ravenbound" Launches March 30 (PC)

Heed the Raven’s Call: Ravenbound Launches March 30 on Steam

Explore a vast open world and take on ferocious enemies in Systemic Reaction's new action roguelite

STOCKHOLM – Feb. 23, 2023 – Systemic Reaction has announced that Ravenbound, the open-world action roguelite set in a Scandinavian fantasy land, will launch on PC via Steam on March 30, 2023, for $29.99. Check out the new release date trailer to catch a glimpse of the treacherous journey that awaits!

Ravenbound is an action-packed roguelite set in Ávalt, a beautiful fantasy world filled with dangerous creatures inspired by Scandinavian folk tales. You are the Vessel, and within you is the Raven – a powerful weapon forged by the ancient gods to rid the land of darkness. Use skill and wit to defeat ferocious enemies, become stronger and wiser with each run, and save Ávalt from the monsters that threaten its existence.

Key Features

• A Beautifully Deadly Open World: Freely explore a unique fantasy world inspired by Scandinavian folklore on foot or on the wings of the Raven. Choose where to go and which challenges to undertake, but beware: this land and its creatures are ever-changing, giving rise to new foes, locations, and trials when you may least expect it!
• Intense Action-Roguelite Combat: Arm yourself with steel imbued with magic and face off against fantastic creatures like trolls, huldras, and the fearsome undead draugr in fast-paced, up-close combat where tactics are everything. Each Vessel has just one life to sacrifice, but the abilities you attain will benefit the next Vessel that rises in your place.
• Play Your Cards Right: Ravenbound’s deck-building feature gives you access to more powerful gear and weapons with each new life. Expand your deck when you die, but pick carefully: these are the cards your next Vessel will draw. Improve your deck to give each Vessel the best chance to survive and bring the Raven closer to victory.

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Mask Mania!

Dear Developer: Select Live Game Services are being shut down! Learn from this!

I mentioned this a while back regarding game services (I can't even recall how long ago because it's... been that long), but... look at the various live games going offline now. Karol Severin believes it is more a case of the market - and companies operating in it - finding "a new, more sustainable supply/demand equilibrium".

That could be partly the reason, but my argument is that you can only play so many games. How many of them are actually able to go live and stay live when you have select games with such a huge draw? You might even find that some of these games are in a similar genre as the giants (which you can try to test your luck at... but... at what cost?). On top of that, some games require specs that don't land in the space where the majority of players... play.

Here are the games that were announced to be going offline this week alone...

Apex Legends Mobile

Rumbleverse

Knockout City

CrossfireX

Crayta

Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai: A Hero's Bonds

This isn't me pointing my finger laughing saying, I told ya so! This is me saying that you may want to strongly reconsider your moves in regard to live games, and avoid making games that rival too many others of a similar genre... because gamers are going to have to make a decision. Believe it or not, that decision may be finalized before the first investment in that game (via DLC). At times someone may not even enjoy a particular type of game, but... their friends play that game, so another game may run cold because they'd rather enjoy time with their crew.

I'm not saying the games mentioned above aren't original (I'm not even going in on them in depth), but if you're going to take the live approach, consider hybrids that cross genres with some serious fun factor. If you want to create a game that you want people to enjoy on a competitive level without going live yourself... give the players the ability to set up games themselves (remember the days of LAN parties?). Going back to DLC, there are a number of people who refuse to invest until they know what game their friends are going to invest in, and that investment keeps them there for a while in hopes that it's worth it.... which affects (free-to-play games especially).

Serkan Toto from Kantan Games said it's a further sign the industry is still in the early stages of live service gaming. Think about this though, and not to knock Serkan (cheers), but... regardless of the stage of live service gaming... you're still going to be in the same boat making Generic Multiplayer game 22b and crossing your fingers hoping that it can get similar or better results as Generic Multiplayer game 1 - 22a. Developers need the audience, originality, fun factor, and worthwhile DLC to make it worthwhile. 

A developer may think I'm totally wrong on this, but coming from the standpoint of a gamer... I don't think so.

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FTS: Twin Sails to Publish "Survival: Fountain of Youth"

Twin Sails Interactive to Publish Survival: Fountain of Youth, an Age of Exploration Caribbean Survival Adventure

Survival crafting game inspired by historical expedition receives new trailer ahead of spring 2023 early access launch

PARIS – Feb. 21, 2023 – Twin Sails Interactive, the publisher of Gloomhaven and Ember Knights, has today announced a partnership with Odinsoft to publish Survival: Fountain of Youth, the single-player survival game set in the 16th-century Caribbean islands. The agreement comes alongside a new video highlighting Survival: Fountain of Youth’s upcoming 2023 early access launch.

Dive into an open-world survival crafting experience as a shipwrecked member of Juan Ponce de León’s expedition for the Fountain of Youth. Awaken on the shores of an uninhabited archipelago and get to work securing shelter, food, and water. Stave off hunger, thirst, and dangerous diseases while exploring uncharted environments, scouring for clues to the missing crew’s location, and crafting weapons and tools to establish a base of operations.

Combine a myriad of materials to assemble a wealth of useful items. Start with primitive bows, ideal for small game hunting, and eventually progress to powerful muskets strong enough to fight back against the archipelago’s deadly predators. Lash wood together and build a simple raft capable of exploring nearby landmarks, and work tirelessly to eventually assemble a glorious Spanish schooner to patrol for secrets across the tropical paradise.

Travel to different islands with sea vessels to seek out signs of fellow explorers, but be prepared for unexpected challenges. Assemble supplies before setting out on sea voyages and unlock new regions by either uncovering mapping notes abandoned by previous expeditions, referencing copper plaques hidden in ancient ruins, or crafting more technologically advanced vessels capable of longer trips. Plot a route and set sail on an epic journey full of ancient civilizations to explore, mysterious messages from missing crew members, and the clues tied to the secret of the fabled Fountain of Youth.

Survival: Fountain of Youth’s upcoming early access launch allows the development team to continually update and iterate on the experience through a collaborative process of listening to and implementing community feedback to create an immersive survival crafting game inspired by historical events. The early access version will debut with two expansive regions to explore, full of resources, fauna, and secrets to uncover, with three additional regions planned in subsequent updates, adding new biomes, story quests, and much more.

“Finding a reliable publishing partner was as challenging as finding the Fountain of Youth, and we were thrilled to get in touch with Twin Sails,” said Stas Ignatov, Head of Publishing at Odinsoft. “Their deep analysis of the game, thorough expertise and genuine interest in the project were the key reasons for us to partner with them. Twin Sails is dedicated to helping Odinsoft make Survival: Fountain of Youth one of the top survival games of 2023 and fulfill players’ expectations in the best possible way.”

“We are thrilled to publish Survival: Fountain of Youth, the long-awaited unique blend of survival and historical fantasy,” said Nicolas Godement, Managing Director of Twin Sails. “We are very excited by the game’s expertly crafted mechanics immersing players in a world filled with danger and mystery, supported by a well-written story full of twists and turns. We look forward to working with Odinsoft’s team of adventurers to craft an unforgettable experience.”

Survival: Fountain of Youth will arrive on Windows PC via Steam Early Access in Q2 2023, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions planned alongside the version 1.0 launch. For more information, wishlist Survival: Fountain of Youth on Steam.

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