Author - Jerry Paxton

Darrington Press Launches Open Beta Playtest for Daggerheart Fantasy TTRPG

Today Darrington Press, the publishing arm of Critical Role, officially launched the open beta playtest for Daggerheart, an original fantasy tabletop roleplaying game set to release in 2025. From March 12 through the summer, playtesters aged 18 and above are encouraged to create characters, immerse themselves in the game, dissect its components, and provide honest and open feedback through online surveys on the Daggerheart website.

“Daggerheart is not a finished product yet, and in order to get there, we need people to play it and break it. No, seriously!” said Lead Game Designer Spenser Starke. “This phase of playtesting will help us gather the much needed information from YOU to create the best game possible, and we need your help to do that.”

Daggerheart is a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game of brave heroics and vibrant worlds that are built together with your gaming group. Create a shared story with your adventuring party, and shape your world through rich, long-term campaign play. When it’s time for the game mechanics to control fate, players roll one HOPE die and one FEAR die (both 12-sided dice), which will ultimately impact the outcome for your characters. This duality between the forces of hope and fear on every hero drives the unique character-focused narratives in Daggerheart.

In addition to dice, Daggerheart’s card system makes it easy to get started and satisfying to grow your abilities by bringing your characters’ background and capabilities to your fingertips. Ancestry and Community cards describe where you come from and how your experience shapes your customs and values. Meanwhile, your Subclass and Domain cards grant your character plenty of tantalizing abilities to choose from as your character evolves. Craft your unique character through the cards you choose and the story you tell, and become the hero you want to be!

Daggerheart’s Open Beta Playtesting has three ways for people to participate:

  • At Home: Download playtest packets from Daggerheart.com or DriveThruRPG and play the game at home.
  • Digital Playtest: A character creation tool in partnership with Demiplane, set to host the Daggerheart NEXUS for playtesting materials.
  • In-Person Playtest: Select Darrington Press Guild stores will be offered physical playtesting packets to host playtesting sessions at their store.

As part of the Daggerheart Open Beta Playtest launch, and in celebration of their 9th anniversary, Critical Role is rolling out multiple exciting pieces of content, including deep dives into Daggerheart, further details on how to play, and more throughout the day on Critical Role’s Twitch (twitch.tv/criticalrole) and YouTube (youtube.com/criticalrole) channels. And to wrap up this exciting day, the cast of Critical Role will be playtesting Daggerheart live at 7pm Pacific!

For more information on how to participate in the Daggerheart Open Beta Playtest, visit daggerheart.com.

Hollywood Animal Shameless Sequel Trailer

Your film unexpectedly became the highest-grossing picture of 1959. Where do you go from here? Of course, you capitalize on your success by cutting all possible corners and making an epically monstrous sequel! After all, that’s exactly what our latest gameplay showcase video is all about. In Hollywood Animal, you run a movie studio over the course of decades, and you’re free to grow it however you please — even if it means turning it into a soulless corporate juggernaut:

“There’s something strangely satisfying about doing things in games that you hate seeing done in real life,” say the developers from Weappy. “You might not find a single cinephile who rejoices in assembly-line filmmaking. But when you find yourself in the manager’s chair, responsible for the survival of a business, like you do in our game, all those time-tested tropes and outrageous cliches suddenly gain a new appeal.”.

Whether you’re driven by love of the art or counting cold hard cash, you’ll get to run your dream film studio in Hollywood Animal. Just so long as you can make ends meet and the money rolling in this freeform film studio management game.

The Elder Scrolls Online – Scions of Ithelia Launch Trailer

Today, The Elder Scrolls Online’s 2024 journey begins with the launch of the Scions of Ithelia dungeon DLC game pack and free base game Update 41 on PC/Mac. Players can now venture into two new dungeons and prepare for the adventures to come in the upcoming Gold Road Chapter. Scions of Ithelia is now live on PC/Mac and arrives on consoles March 26.

Check out the launch trailer here:

Scions of Ithelia DLC features two all-new PvE dungeons, Oathsworn Pit and Bedlam Veil. Players will earn unique rewards that include new collectibles, Achievements, and item sets, as they battle their way through these two perilous adventures and uncover the evil forces at work in the upcoming Gold Road Chapter coming June 3 on PC/Mac and June 18 for consoles.

All the details on both the Oathsworn Pit and Bedlam Veil can be found on the ESO official website.

This launch also includes the Update 41 base-game patch, providing all ESO players with a series of free fixes, additions, and improvements to the game’s core experience. As part of this patch, players can use the new stackable siege weaponry to lighten their inventory and stack up to 20 similar siege weapons. Update 41 also brings changes to the game’s min spec for PC and Mac, ensuring a continued level of performance for older systems that can be maintained in newer content as well.

Check out the patch notes for both Scions of Ithelia and Update 41 on our official forums.

Mighty Koi Studio Unveils Thorgal The Night Wanderer Trailers

Founded in 2022, Mighty Koi Studio aims to prove that “The Witcher” is not the only Polish fantasy story that can conquer the world. The studio holds the rights to two electrifying titles, offering creators vast creative possibilities. “Thorgal” and “The Night Wanderer” will launch on PS5, Xbox Series and PC. The release date is yet TBA. The team bases its productions on the Unreal Engine 5 with proprietary extensions and utilizes cutting-edge technologies such as photogrammetry and AI.

The approach to plans comes with great ambition, announcing two AA+ / AAA projects and engaging experienced experts from the world of gaming and animation – currently, the team consists of over 100 people, and the number is expected to double by the end of the year, with external studios also being involved. Mighty Koi hopes that the upcoming productions will conquer not only the Polish but also the foreign gaming market and, like “The Witcher,” make Polish fantasy literature a world-class product.

Forza Motorsport Update 6 Out Now

Forza Motorsport Update 6 is now available across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Update 6 adds new content and features into Forza Motorsport along with some fixes and events. The update is available from 9 a.m. PT on Monday, March 11, with Spotlight cars and new events kicking off from Wednesday, March 13.

Some of the highlights for Update 6 include:

  • Car Progression changes which allow you to equip the parts you want to install on your car regardless of Car Level
  • 4 new Spotlight cars
  • 4 new Car Pass cars
  • The new Combustion Tour
  • Open Class Tour – Engine Cylinders
  • Big fixes and other updates
  • And more!

The First Omen New Trailer Released

A terrifying new trailer and poster for 20th Century Studios’ upcoming psychological horror film “The First Omen” is now available. The film, which is a prequel to the classic horror film franchise, opens April 5, 2024, exclusively in theaters nationwide.

When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her own faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate. “The First Omen” stars Nell Tiger Free (“Servant”), Tawfeek Barhom (“Mary Magdalene”), Sonia Braga (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”), Ralph Ineson (“The Northman”), with Charles Dance (“Game of Thrones”), and Bill Nighy (“Living”).

The film is directed by Arkasha Stevenson based on characters created by David Seltzer (“The Omen”), with a story by Ben Jacoby (“Bleed”) and a screenplay by Tim Smith & Arkasha Stevenson and Keith Thomas (“Firestarter”). The producers are David S. Goyer (“Hellraiser”) and Keith Levine (“The Night House”) and the executive producers are Tim Smith, Whitney Brown (“Rosaline”), and Gracie Wheelan.

Warhammer 40,000: Dakka Squadron Out Now on Nintendo Switch

RedDeer.Games, in partnership with Phosphor Studios and the creator of the globally known and beloved universe – Games Workshop® launched today on the Nintendo Switch console the long-awaited game – Warhammer 40,000: Dakka Squadron.

Warhammer 40,000: Dakka Squadron has hit Nintendo’s eShop like a Blasty Dakka to a goblin command base! Right now, players can take the helm of an orc machine and, as one of their commanders, lead his boys to victory in this fast-paced, aerial shooter.

Here, action is mixed with black humor of the real kind. But if you think it’s going to be just funny, well… couldn’t be more wrong. This is war, after all. A bloody battle between the player’s orc companions and vicious goblins.

This time, players will take the wheel of an airborne war machine as one of the orc commanders.

They will be able to choose from five available orc clans, each with their own unique bonuses, whether more defensive or offensive. As they say – “whatever floats one’s boat”.

Shines Over: The Damned Confirmed for March Release

Indie publisher and developer Firenut Games is excited to announce that their dark horror adventure game Shines Over: The Damned will launch exclusively on PlayStation 5 on 21st March, 2024 and can be added to Wishlists now.

Shines Over: The Damned is a unique adventure experience where your senses will be tested and your reality questioned. Immerse yourself in a mysterious and terrifying world where scares, tension, and environmental puzzles surround you, and danger lies in wait.

You have no name, no weapons. There are no friends to protect you. You are alone except for your faithful dog, who will guide you through this dark world and stay by your side.

Beware of the horrors that await you in Shines Over: The Damned. You have been warned. . .

The Alters Gameplay Reveal Trailer

Today, Polish developer 11 bit studios revealed a first-look gameplay trailer for their upcoming emotional sci-fi game The Alters, along with the news that the title will launch on Microsoft’s PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass for console services. The Alters’ gameplay trailer shows the first look at Jan Dolski’s quest to escape a perilous planet while searching for the answer to the most oft-asked question in human history: what if?

Inspired by the critically acclaimed title This War of Mine, The Alters thrusts players into a heart-pounding battle for survival that Jan can’t conquer alone. After crash landing on a desolate planet with a scorching star, Jan must avoid the murderous conditions by taking refuge in a cutting-edge mobile base. The only issue? It’s meant to be operated by a skilled team and he’s just Jan.

Thankfully, fate takes a turn with the discovery of Rapidium, a mysterious substance exclusive to this perilous world. Interacting with the Quantum Computer on board the mobile base allows Jan to manipulate pivotal decisions from his past—creating alternate versions of himself known as Alters—that have the potential to change everything.

The Alters are indispensable allies and they possess diverse skill sets crucial for repairing the base, sustaining life, crafting essential tools, and mining precious resources. However, they’re also more than mere taskbots, with each operating as a sentient being, complete with unique emotions, goals, and even a dash of existential doubt thrown in. While this does potentially open the door for chaos, their collective goal remains the same: survive, escape, and do it all by themselves.

The Alters will launch later this year for Windows 11 PC and consoles. The game will also be coming to both PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass for console upon its release.

Frostpunk 2 Release Date Trailer

Hope rises significantly as 11 bit studios, creators of the iconic This War of Mine, unveil the release date for their most anticipated game to date, Frostpunk 2. This fully-fledged sequel to the original society survival game is set to arrive on Windows PC on July 25th and is available for pre-order today. The Digital Deluxe edition—also available for pre-order today—offers access to a seven-day beta in April, that consists of part of the game’s sandbox mode.

Diving even deeper into the post-apocalyptic abyss, Frostpunk 2 builds upon the foundations that made its predecessor a triumph. It thrusts players into a world of unyielding realities and complex social dilemmas within an ever-expanding city. With a broader scope and expansion in every aspect of the gameplay mechanics, Frostpunk 2 escalates the tension as you steer the City and its inhabitants into an uncertain future.

Much of that tension comes from introducing different factions within the City walls vying for allegiance among its citizens. Will you bend your decisions to the survivalist nature of the Icebloods, advocates of adaptation over development? Or will you side with the methodical Technocrats, champions of technological progress? Perhaps, you might even side with one of the more radicalized groups you’ll meet in-game. It’s up to you – the City’s Steward.

Both the Frostpunk 2 base game (44.99 USD / 44.99 EUR / 37.99 GBP) and the Digital Deluxe edition (74.99 USD / 74.99 EUR / 62.99 GBP) are available for pre-order today on Steam and the Microsoft Store. Additionally, the Digital Deluxe edition on Steam will be discounted by 10 percent.