BigFire Games Releases New CINDER CITY Developer Preview

NC has just launched the official Steam page for CINDER CITY, its upcoming open-world, cinematic third-person shooter, set in a dystopian near-future Seoul, developed by BigFire Games.

NC has also released a new developer video preview featuring gameplay footage from the current development build.

Please find the full announcement below and the latest assets here. We would be so grateful for any coverage of the news and the new video.

CINDER CITY is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

NC (formerly NCSOFT) launched the official Steam page for CINDER CITY today, its upcoming open-world, cinematic third-person shooter developed by BigFire Games. Players can now visit the Steam page to learn more about the game, view newly released screenshots, and explore key features. 

Those who add CINDER CITY to their Wish List will receive the latest news and updates as development progresses. NC also refreshed the official CINDER CITY website and launched an official Discord channel, where it plans to share the latest news and updates on the game’s development. 

Alongside the Steam page launch, NC released a new Developer Video Preview featuring gameplay footage from the current development build. In the video, Lead Concept Artist Samuel King and Project Manager GH Shin introduce the game’s setting and development vision.

Dungeon Crawler Carl

The Apocalypse is here and it’s being televised. Carl just broke up with his girlfriend Beatrice while she was on vacation. Bummed, still babysitting her apartment and her fluffy show cat, Princess Donut, Carl is in a bad spot. When Donut attempts to runaway in the middle of the night, Carl runs into the night in just his jacket and boxers. All hell breaks loose. Millions dead instantly, leaving the baffled survivors with an announcement: they’re now contestants in a intergalactic game show. Thrown into the Dungeon, now dubbed Crawlers, the survivors most traverse hellscapses full of monsters, looting for gear, and facing bosses before the level collapses. 18 floors, each harder than the rest. And Carl’s only companion is Princess Donut…

The hype around this book was pretty nuts. Every author tuber I follow has this book somewhere on their bookshelves, I’ve seen it posted all over Instagram and Tiktok, and recently it was greenlit for a series on Peacock. I went inn totally blind, weary of literary Blockbusters. This is one of the rare times I think it was warranted.

Dungeon Crawler Carl is a really fun book with great characters, humor, heart, lore and some really cool action. As a gamer, I enjoyed the gaming tropes and found the setup really relatable. Carl and Doughout are great characters that play well off each other, though Doughnut does steal the show more than not. Matt Dinnaman’s writing is down to earth and easygoing, making for a smooth read. My only real complaint is I feel like the book doesn’t come to a real climax. It just ends. No main antagonist per say. There’s alot of threads to be followed up on and their are plenty more books so I’m not too mad. In the end, I loved this book and I highly recommend checking on it. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Kynseed Launches for Consoles on 4 August

Today PixelCount Studios has announced that its acclaimed PC life sim sandbox RPG, Kynseed, will launch for PlayStation 4/5Xbox Series X|SXbox One and Nintendo Switch on 4 August.

ynseed’s free new Tavern Update is also available to all PC players from today. This community-requested feature allows players to run a tavern of their very own where they’ll serve refreshments, manage stock and hire staff to create a lively social hub and bring NPCs together. 

Developed by veterans of the Fable series, in Kynseed players plant a mystical acorn and raise it into a family tree where their choices form the branches. Players will raise a family, farm the land, run a business, and explore a vast world filled with colourful NPCs as its inhabitants age and reveal their secrets. When a character dies, control passes to their children and the adventure continues across generations.

Since launching on PC in December 2022, Kynseed has seen more than 10 major game updates, adding significant new features including:

  • The Tavern: Serve food and drinks, hire staff and acquire useful perks to create a social hub where all NPCs come together. 
  • A deeper story experience: New tasks and characters, plus a new region and combat level designed to bring gentler story pacing. 
  • Customisation: Unlock hundreds of items through gameplay to customise the interior, exterior and function of farms. 
  • Friends & family builds: Forge closer friendships with NPCs to enlist their aid in building farm structures with additional benefits, or to help with repairs and gaining access to new areas. 
  • Progression Tracking: Comprehensively track progress across all activities, with over 400 challenges available offering money, items and customisation unlocks. 
  • Quality of life updates: General improvements to NPCs, new batch crafting, an instant messaging system for task/event alerts and much more. 

Kynseed’s new content will be available for console players at launch, alongside a newly-optimised console UI and controls. A full list of updates can be found here

Kynseed Features:

  • A generation-spanning story. Embark upon an epic adventure filled with joy, sorrow, comedy, and tragedy, where choices matter and decisions echo through the generations. 
  • Run a business. Forge tools as a blacksmith, run a store, mix potions as an apothecary, or find other ways to build a fortune.  
  • A world of exploration. The land of Quill is filled with characters, secrets, danger, and dark faery tale creatures to battle. 
  • Farm the land. Grow ingredients for food and potions, work the soil, and set up home for your family.  
  • Develop Relationships. Quill is full of colourful NPCs who will remember your deeds, actions, and pranks.   
  • Find proverbs. Unlock the lore and secrets of this mysterious dark faery tale world. 
  • Gather materials. Forage and farm to craft items, cook recipes or mix cures for a range of bizarre maladies. 

“Bringing Kynseed to consoles is a milestone we’ve been working toward for a long time,” said PixelCount Co-Founder Neal Whitehead. “The PC community has been incredible and their feedback has helped us make the land of Quill even richer and more vast than it was at launch just over two years ago. We know that many players want to experience the land of Quill on consoles, and we’ve spent a long time ensuring the console experience feels natural, intuitive and complete.”

Sir Ian Livingstone, games industry legend and Chairman of PixelCount Studios, added: “The ambition of Kynseed has always been to offer players a level of freedom and legacy-building rarely seen in sandbox RPGs. From deep crafting to exploration to mastering the combat system to farming to running a blacksmith shop, or simply watching your family grow, Kynseed has it all in a wonderfully whimsical way! We are delighted that PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch players will finally get to plant their own family trees on 4th August.”

Kynseed will launch for PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on 4 August and is available to pre-order now for £19.99/$24.99/€24.99.   

The Cabin Game reveal trailer

There’s a few rare times I see a trailer for anything and truly have no idea what the hell went on. This game is one of those cases. I got a bit of a PT vibe meets Cabin in the Woods feel which could be pretty cool. Some of the imagery was interesting. Honestly this one of those games I’m pretty invested in just to find out what the hell is actually happening. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Florist-Gardens of Death gameplay trailer

So once again I came across a game channeling some old school horror vibes ala the Tortured Souls series. Admittedly this game gives off a huge, classic Resident Evil 1 vibe with the scenery. What I think is cool is the idea of killer plants and plant monsters. In that regard I was getting a lil bit of Poison Ivy’s section of Batman: Arkham Asylum feel too. The tank camera is a lil bit of a con but if the game is smoother, I’ll be ok with it. In the end, I’d definately would keep on eye out for it when it comes to PS5. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

1492 – Colonization of the New World

1492- Colonization of the New World was sent my way by Salty Olives, and as of 5/17/2016 are facing some legal issues with the title. Which before I get to my review, I will copy and paste their statement.

The store page for 1492: Colonization of the New World is currently unavailable due to a legal notice.
We are reviewing the situation and working to resolve it as quickly as possible. The game will return to the store once this process is complete.
Thank you for your patience and support — we’ll share updates as soon as we have more information

This situation is new for us, so we don’t yet know how long it will take. We’re working to resolve it as quickly as possible so we can get back to Update 1.1.

To clarify what’s happening:

Take-Two Interactive has sent a legal notice to Valve Corporation regarding alleged IP concerns. We have not been contacted directly, this is between Take-Two and Valve.

1492 is inspired by Sid Meier’s Colonization, which we’ve always been open about. We’ve only used elements we believed to be in the public domain, but Take-Two appears to disagree.

We’re reviewing the notice and will respond via Valve. Some minor changes may be made.

That said, based on our initial review, we believe there is a possibility that this notice may be automated (AI?) and triggered by specific words or phrases found in the game.

At this stage, we are not convinced there is a valid case. It’s not uncommon for larger companies to take a cautious and wide-ranging approach to IP protection.

Without being out of the way, let me get to my review. The game is much like Civilization on a smaller scale and in a different role to start. You aren’t on your own as a new country, but as a colony of said country. I started by making my own city with a few people and attempting to get things rolling. I had a single ship to send back to England with some furs and to get new people to help run my new settlement.

Thankfully, the ship, after it hits the open see will simply travel to England, then let you decide what you are doing there, then come back. You can, of course, control it on your coast. I really like this approach because it lets me focus on my side of the ocean.

How you handle things like the natives and other countries in the Americas is up to you. I chose not to make my life harder by going to war with them, but it is an option. I simply enjoyed trading and setting up new settlements. You do have to be careful, however, since not everyone will just take whatever you stroll up to their town with. I learned this the hard way with a (metaphorical) truckload of furs nobody wanted until I got to what is probably modern-day Texas from Pennsylvania.

Now I won’t lie to you. The sound and graphics of this game aren’t the best, but the game is fun. It is a nice 6/10 title I enjoyed, but can’t say there isn’t better out there. It is, however, a nice change of pace, and if their legal issues get straightened out, I can see it having a fan base and, with a few updates, being a great game. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Welcome, Dear Human announcement trailer

Sometimes I find some really cool stuff wandering down the Youtube rabbit holes. The trailer looks odd but the art style is really eye catching. The concept looks pretty interesting and I can see it being a fun kinda creepy. Admittedly the narrator made me think of Patrick Stewart which also helps. Anyway, this game looks like something interesting I’d like to check out someday if it lands on consoles. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 trailer

Aliens: Fireteam Elite was one of the video games of all time. No, that last sentence wasn’t a typo. It was a alright experience with some cool moments but even as a fanboy of the Alien series, I wasn’t really blown away by it like I was Alien: Isolation nor was it the hilarious trainwreck of Aliens: Colonial Marines .

As for the sequel, I’m getting much the same vibe. We see some new Xeno types that barely resemble the iconic monster. I’m sure me and Savior would get some level of enjoyment out of it but I highly doubt it’ll be full or even half price worth. I did laugh seeing the queen at the end- remembering the travesty of the finale of the previous game. In the end, I’m pretty meh but with friends I’m sure it’ll be fine but if you want a epic horde shooter, there’s always Left 4 Dead or the surprisingly awesome John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Doom: The Dark Ages

In the years before Doom and Doom: Eternal , the Doom Slayer was a slave to the Kreed Makyr. Dispatched to a world overrun by the demon scourge, the Doom Slayer must band together with a kingdom to make a stand against the endless armies of hell.

Ok guys, real talk time: there’s A Lot of story in this particular entry. No longer is the story stuffed into notes or audio logs most of us didn’t pay a lick of attention to. It’s Doom. Most of us come for the brutal demon slaughter with badass weapons to loud, unrelenting metal music. Thankfully we get plenty of that. I love the aesthetic of this game. The weapons are a mix of medieval and sci fi, with giant robots, biomechanical dragons, and a certain special horror figure tossed in. The shield is the biggest gameplay change. You can whip it around like Captain America, sawing through fodder hoards and stunning bigger enemies, as well as parrying critical attacks. The parrying mechanic is fine but I felt like it was overused to living hell. Instead frantic combat that made you think on a microsecond’s notice like Eternal, most of this game comes down to the shield. It made the game stale in a way the previous entries weren’t for me.

The game takes a grander, more open approach than any other Doom has. I found it mostly fun to explore and gather loot to upgrade my abilities. The enemies are your pretty standard Doom fare, with a couple new enemies that can murder you real quick if you don’t learn to parry. The weapons themselves range from great to meh- the Super Shotgun, the Ravager, the Accelerator, Rocket Launcher, and Chainshot were my personal go-tos. Some weapons I felt were cool in theory but I nevr found much use for a lot of the options I was given all around. The epic set pieces were a huge win for me, fighting giant kaiju demons in a robot mech and flying around on my badass dragon were a long time metal nerd’s dream come true.

The game leans heavy on it’s story but sadly I wasn’t really invested. There’s long cutscenes that while beautiful feel like they belong in another game. A lot of the game is basically generic fantasy game dialogue and hyping the Slayer up as if he wasn’t already a absolute legend. As I said, while I appreciate the effort, the story didn’t really do anything for me.

In the end, I found Dark Ages to be the weak point of the trilogy but far from terrible. It’s a damn fun, truly epic experience at times that just leans too heavy on the shield parry and a meh story for me but still well worth grabbing. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Empty Desk is launching on consoles this April!

JanduSoft ispleased to announce that The Empty Desk, a psychological thriller developed by Cheesecake Games, will be released on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. In this narrative-driven adventure, players step into the shoes of Detective Thomas H. Bennett as he faces his final case before retirement, an investigation that quickly spirals into a disturbing journey where reality begins to fracture.

Set within the mysterious headquarters of Blackthorn & Co, The Empty Desk blends investigation, exploration, and psychological tension to deliver a gripping experience. As players uncover the secrets behind a high-profile death and a puzzling disappearance, they will navigate a haunting environment where every clue brings them closer to the truth… or further into the unknown.

The Empty Desk will launch on April 17 for €10.49 / $10.49, with a 20% launch discount for a limited time.

Immerse yourself in a psychological thriller with narrative adventure elements and unsettling details. Join Detective Bennett on his final case and uncover dark secrets in a world where reality bends and sanity wavers. The Empty Desk is the first chapter of the Detective Bennett: Solved Cases saga—a psychological thriller with narrative adventure elements and hints of horror. It immerses the player in a true crime story while exploring the effects of a mind trapped in a cycle of repetition and emotional burnout.

In this first installment, veteran homicide detective Thomas H. Bennett, just one week away from retirement, faces one final and unsettling case that could change him forever. As you delve deeper into the game, reality crumbles before your eyes.

Features:

  • A complete story you can finish: Between 2.5 and 3.5 hours of gameplay, designed to deliver the full experience from beginning to end.
  • Deep narrative: Follow Detective Bennett’s final mission as he confronts a homicide case that devolves into something far more unsettling and emotionally devastating.
  • Psychological exploration: The game tackles themes of mental health, emotional burnout, and workplace alienation through Bennett’s experiences and the dark mysteries of Blackthorn.
  • Tense atmosphere: Blackthorn offices are a changing, disorienting environment where reality distorts, and every step reveals new threats and secrets.