Heart of the Forest is a narrative adventure game based on the legendary role-playing system Werewolf: The Apocalypse. You play as Maia, a young woman looking to uncover her family’s history. In the pursuit of past mysteries, she arrives at the Białowieża Forest, an ancient wilderness full of ancient and dangerous secrets.
Different Tales and Walkabout Games have prepared an entire series of short stories presenting their history with the World of Darkness setting and their views on the werewolf mythos. They will also discuss various elements of the game, including art, design, and characters.
The first entry in the dev diary series explains how our lead designer got into Werewolf: The Apocalypse. Incidentally, him becoming a fan included being bit by a dog. Learn more in the video above.
Drone Swarm, the upcoming sci-fi strategy adventure game for PC will offer space fans not only control over a swarm of 32,000 drones, but also an exciting story that will catapult them directly into a gripping fight for mankind’s survival in the vast expanses of an unknown galaxy. Your main mission is to find a New Earth for the remaining human survivors after a catastrophic attack by the swarm you now control has devastated Earth. Now that everything you once knew has been reduced to ashes, you have become humanity’s last hope.
Gain some first impressions of the unique story of Drone Swarm in today’s story trailer:
The end of earth
21st January 2111 – Out of nowhere a gigantic sphere arrived in our orbit and a swarm of alien drones attacked Earth. This was the day life as we knew it came to an end. Families were ripped apart and cities destroyed, but people fought to survive until the very end. Mankind however did not stand a chance. Carter, an ex-soldier, and his brother Ayden tried to save as many helpless inhabitants of their city as possible – but when the military unleashed all available nukes in a last desperate attempt of defense, the fires of apocalypse consumed the planet.
The last of hope of mankind
When Earth laid in ruins and only a few survivors were left to hopelessly fight the swarm, Ayden subconsciously found out that he is the key to end this destruction – but it came with a heavy price: he had to sacrifice his own life. Ayden was able to transfer is soul into a drone and with this gained the ability to control it. Other 32.000 human psionics like Ayden resolved to sacrifice themselves as well to save the remains of humanity. This was how the psionics became mankind’s last hope. Another powerful psionic, Eva, discovered her special connection to the Sphere itself. Through it she was able understand its nature and found a way to build the Argo – an interstellar ship built around the Sphere designed for the search of New Earth.
The story in Drone Swarm
With the swarm now under human control you lead this mission as Captain Carter – the swarm is yours to command. But you are not alone, your fellow crew members will help you to accomplish your mission. But be careful, there are risks waiting. You will encounter unknown alien races. The Voohr and the Dashan are the two dominant factions in this region of the galaxy, only it is not predictable whether they are willing to talk or whether it will come to inevitable conflicts.
The team behind the Drone Swarm story
The universe and story of Drone Swarm is the result of a collaboration between 451 Media and stillalive studios. 451 Media, co-founded by star director Michael Bay, will publish Drone Swarm comics that tell the prequel story. Meanwhile, Austrian developer stillalive studios is working with publisher astragon Entertainment on an action-packed strategy adventure game in which you will control 32,000 drones against a wide variety of enemies.
Drone Swarm will be released in fall 2020 on Steam. It will have voiceovers in English and German. In addition to the two dubbed languages, there will be subtitles in 13 languages. A detailed listing can already be found on the Steam store page.
Developer Cradle Games and publisher tinyBuild are excited to announce that the Kickstarter-backed Souls-like RPG Hellpoint is out today on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Nintendo Switch version, as previously announced, will come later in 2020. Watch the launch trailer:
Hellpoint is an intense, dark sci-fi RPG set on a derelict space station orbiting an ominous supermassive black hole. Taking inspiration from games like Dark Souls and Dead Space and movies like Event Horizon and Hellraiser, Hellpoint is doubling down on co-op multiplayer (with both split-screen and online support) while immersing players in a twisted narrative involving Cosmic Gods, quantum physics, and extinct space civilizations.
The game is set in the aftermath of a massive quantum cataclysm called the Merge. You wake up on board the Irid Novo space station, a beacon of galactic cooperation and scientific exploration gone horribly wrong. What happens next will be solely determined by your choices.
Key Features:
Souls-like gameplay in a unique setting: Explore the derelict space station of Irid Novo and face bizarre enemies with a tight and unforgiving combat system.
Occult space story: Blending science and fantasy, the intensely atmospheric dark sci-fi setting will keep you searching for answers.
Dynamic World: The Quantic System acts as a dungeon master, slightly transforming the game world every time you die and triggering events as the station revolves around the black hole.
Jump-in co-op and PvP multiplayer: Ask a friend to press Start to join a couch co-op session or call for assistance online. Hellpoint offers a full, uninterrupted co-op story with shared loot drops.
We survived the Great Storm, but the path ahead is still marked with toil. A finding outside New London seems to be a blessing, but doesn’t every miracle come with a price? Lead the expedition to explore the uncharted parts of Frostland in Frostpunk: On The Edge. 11 bit studios is thrilled to present a new cinematic trailer, the first screenshots, and announce that the third and final expansion for its bestselling survival city-builder is coming to PC this August 20th.
While Frostpunk’s previous expansion, The Last Autumn, served as a prequel, On The Edge picks up when the base game has ended. The storm has exposed an army warehouse from times before the evacuation. A scouting party is sent from New London to set up an outpost and a steady chain of supplies. It’s time to take another step on the laborious path of rebuilding hope and leading humankind to survival. But… the world of Frostpunk is still full of embroiled dualities: trust or skepticism, independence or domination, union or separation. The question is, what path will you take?
Near the outpost, there are no animals to hunt, so you’ll be depending on food sent from New London and their favors are not inexhaustible. They have their demands too. Luckily, the weather is not so severe here, on the edge. For now, the people have managed to survive without a Generator, but for how long? Will you be able to lead them to survival, far from the capital city of New London? Play On The Edge – the final chapter of the thrilling Frostpunk story!
Frostpunk: One The Edge awaits you with:
-A gripping survival story set after events of the original game
-Circumstances will force players to explore and adapt to the frozen wilderness
-A brand-new map with unique structures
-New methods to divide or unite your people
-New mechanics to build economic and diplomatic relations
Thirdverse Inc. and inXile entertainment today revealed plans to launch its post-apocalyptic PvP game in virtual reality, called Frostpoint VR: Proving Grounds. The game is being created by inXile, an Xbox Game Studio, and published by Thirdverse. Frostpoint VR: Proving Grounds is planned for global release in ten languages in 2020 on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive VR, and Valve Index headsets.
Get at first look at Frostpoint VR: Proving Grounds with the newly released trailer:
Frostpoint VR: Proving Grounds is a team-based multiplayer shooter that pits two sides against each other in high intensity PvP game modes. Set in a dilapidated military training base in Antarctica where strange biomechanical creatures now roam, each team will need to gear up and set out to dominate the opposing team. Over a dozen highly-detailed weapons can be brought into battle in a unique and beautiful sci-fi experience, where the other players aren’t the only enemies.
Brian Fargo, founder and Studio Head of inXile entertainment, said: “I’ve been enamored with VR since the early days, and have had some of my finest gaming memories with a VR headset on. We’ve created an immersive new world with Frostpoint VR, and dialed up the intensity with 20+ player matches. It will be a thrill for us to watch people step into the world and battle it out.”
Kiyoshi Shin, Co-Founder of Thirdverse Inc., said: “The world in Frostpoint VR: Proving Grounds is vast, while the action is dense. We want players to be challenged to experiment and find the right combinations of gear and weapons to survive and level up their skills to be effective in this punishing yet highly enjoyable game. We’re looking forward to seeing how audiences respond to Frostpoint VR: Proving Grounds’ gameplay in the next several months.”
Join in on the weird and wonderful world of nerd fandom and celebrate SYFY’s coolest picks of the summer with SYFY WIRE AFTER DARK thisSaturday, August 1 at 11PM ET/PT. From comic books and superheroes to wacky water toys and favorite summer movies this 45-minute special is hosted by Jackie Jennings and her talking cat sidekick, Mr. Scribbles, and will feature a variety of SYFY WIRE correspondents and guests breaking down the latest and greatest genre discussions, debates, fan-favorite products and more.
SYFY WIRE AFTER DARK segments include:
SUPERHERO SIDE HUSTLES: An in-depth discussion with WIRE correspondent and comic expert Angélique Roché on Wonder Woman’s most unexpected side hustles
SUMMER READING BOOK CLUB: A fun series of short segments presented by WIRE correspondent and literary master Brian Silliman breaking down the best comics to add to summer reading lists this year
TOY MASTERS: Wet and wild show-and-tell with toy specialist Tom Neff and his adorable family featuring the best classic backyard water toys and a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the super soaker
BEHIND THE PANEL: WIRE’s resident comic book fanboy and “metal nerd” Juan Cadavid digs into the epic “Dark Nights: Death Metal” series from DC — breaking it down for current comic book readers and new fans alike
SUPERHERO SYMBOLOGY: WIRE’s Superman superfan Matt Romano takes viewers on an in-depth journey discussing the evolution of the iconic Superman symbol
COMICS THAT BLEW OUR MIND: Comics queen and WIRE correspondent Whitney Moore dissects “The Sandman” from its origins to the adaptation in the works today
SUMMER TIPS FROM GRANTIMAHARA: Short, light-hearted segments featuring the beloved late robotics specialist and television personality Grant Imahara sharing tongue-in-cheek tips on how to get the most out of summer
Throughout SYFY WIRE AFTER DARK viewers will also have the ability to instantly buy what they see utilizing bothNBCUniversal CheckoutandShoppableTV, including graphic novels from some of Dark Horse Comics’ most popular properties, The Witcher, Umbrella Academy, or the soon-to-be SYFY series Resident Alien; goodr sunglasses‘ limited edition “Wonder Woman 1984” sunglasses; and “Superman,” “Dark Nights: Death Metal” or “The Sandman” products from Graphitti Designs.
Puny Humans, rejoice! The day has finally arrived, today Destroy All Humans! is available on PlayStation®4, Xbox One™, and PC. These devices will allow you to witness the glory of the Furon Empire in your living room, no need to bring your resistance to the outside world!
Get ready to be annihilated, when Cryptosporidium-137 arrives:
Xbox Owners: It’s 3 PM UTC
PlayStation 4 Players: the invasion has already begun for you!
PC Gamers: The Game will launch at 10 AM PDT
Orion Pictures’ BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC just gave the most excellent panel discussion at this year’s Comic-Con@Home. Moderated by Kevin Smith, this panel included cast members Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine and William Sadler, as well as director Dean Parisot and screenwriters Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. Fans can now watch the panel at the link below.
Watch the Comic-Con@Home panel HERE:
The stakes are higher than ever for the time-traveling exploits of William “Bill” S. Preston Esq. (Alex Winter) and Theodore “Ted” Logan (Keanu Reeves). The now middle aged best friends set out on a new adventure to seek the song that will set their world right and bring harmony in the universe, with the helped by their daughters (played by Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine), a new batch of historical figures and a few music legends. The film also stars Kid Cudi, Kristen Schaal, Anthony Carrigan, Erinn Hayes, Jayma Mays, Jillian Bell, Holland Taylor, Beck Bennett, William Sadler, Hal Landon Jr. and Amy Stoch.
BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC will be released on demand and in theaters on September 1, 2020.
The new adventure game of savage horror within the legendary World of Darkness is clawing its way to PC. Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest, from the makers of Wanderlust: Travel Stories and The Witcher 1, will let you share the deep secrets of the last primeval forest in Europe.
Heart of the Forest is a narrative adventure game based on the legendary role-playing game Werewolf: The Apocalypse. You play as Maia, a young woman looking to uncover her family’s history. In the pursuit of past mysteries, she arrives at the Białowieża Forest, an ancient wilderness full of ancient and dangerous secrets.
The game’s mechanics are based around three main resources: Rage, Willpower, and Personality. They determine the choices available to Maia and influence the overall presentation of every scene.
“Heart of the Forest is one of the few video games that actually represent the traditional pen-and-paper role-playing mechanics. The game assumes the role of the game master and guides us through the adventure. It’s one of the best renditions of traditional RPG I’ve ever seen in gaming,” said Piotr Gnyp, Head of BizDev at Walkabout Games and a long-standing fan of tabletop RPGs.
The game is set in one of the last primeval forests of Europe – the Bialowieza Forest. It is a vast area located in Poland, Europe, full of myths and legends which players will also find in the game. The first people settled here 1,500 years ago, but their presence remained relatively limited until they eventually vanished. The mix of nature and mystery makes the Bialowieza Forest a perfect setting for a World of Darkness story.
Just like the original Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Heart of the Forest has many themes. These vary from mythological to inspired by its real-world setting, e.g. where should our interference in nature end? Aren’t we morally bound to interfere? How far would you go for a good cause?
The game stands out thanks to its unique art style. Dynamic collages, which mix photography with hand drawings, are used to represent not only the forest environment but also Maia’s state of mind. The main inspiration for this look was the art of Dave McKean, especially his legendary covers of The Sandman graphic novels. The design team also studied works of artists such as Elke Trittel and Wangechi Mutu.
Sean Greaney, Brand Manager for World of Darkness at Paradox Interactive, adds “We’re excited to be partnering with Different Tales: their unique brand of narrative adventure storytelling fits the World of Darkness perfectly. The story of Maia helps us experience the richness and complexities of the Garou, and gives us a new perspective on their long, savage struggle to protect the world from natural and supernatural disaster.”
The game will be available on Windows, macOS, and Linux on Steam and GOG.com in Q4 2020.
Milestone unveiled today a new trailer of RIDE 4, the latest chapter of its beloved franchise dedicated to all two-wheel lovers that will be released on October 8th, that gives a glimpse of the cutting-edge level of visual fidelity the game reached in both bike and tracks modelling.
The new trailer, which was created using the game engine exclusively, shows some incredible bike details that have been perfectly reproduced from their real-life counterparts. Even the cockpit is a perfect reproduction of the real thing, both in terms of design and dynamic elements. The data on the dashboard changes in real-time, speed, temperature, traction control…even the oil bottle vibrates according to the movements of the bike!
All bike models in RIDE 4 have been created from the ground up using the most advanced technologies and the original CAD and 3D scans of real models, to bring to life authentic and lifelike replicas of the most iconic motorcycles, even the rarest and most exclusive ones.
Together with the new trailer Milestone also revealed the RIDE 4 retail Special Edition for PlayStation®4 and Xbox One, that will feature a Steelbook dedicated to the iconic Yamaha R1 2020 and allows access to the Season Pass, that will include 65 new bikes, 2 new tracks and 150 new events!
Together with its a cutting-edge level of visual fidelity that brings to life authentic and lifelike replicas of the most iconic motorcycles, RIDE 4 features a unique gameplay experience, with a completely renewed Career mode. Players will face fast-paced challenges all over the world that culminate with ultimate Championships with the most powerful Sportbikes, including a brand-new Endurance mode, the hardest challenge that only the best virtual riders can face. This new game mode allowed Milestone to boost the level of realism and authenticity with dynamic lighting and weather conditions, and Pit Stops for tires and fuel management. When the competition gets tough, strategy becomes crucial to succeed!
Already available for pre-orders, RIDE 4 will be released on October 8th, 2020 for PlayStation®4, Xbox One and Windows PC/STEAM.
