FromSoftware developer Hidetaka Miyazaki says he wanted Sekiro’s combat system to centre on “swords clashing”. Instead of peeling off chunks of an enemy’s healthbar, you keep up the pressure until a deathblow opportunity appears. Then you execute your opponent with a stab and a geyser of blood.
The system is very good at two things. Firstly, swords actually feel dangerous. Secondly, blocking can be an offensive action. A perfect parry mitigates damage, but it also damages the opponent’s posture bar and brings the deathblow opportunity closer. Though the sparks and clang noises are satisfying, the ‘swords clashing’ part isn’t just for show, it’s the core of every fight.
The system is a great fit for Sekiro’s feudal Japan, but it also works in a universe where blades are made of searing energy, and where fights with those blades are based entirely on energy blades clashing in showers of sparks and cool sci-fi noises. It’s an unspoken law of the internet that lightsabers must be modded into every combat game possible. In this case I think that’s justified. Games like Jedi Knight have fun lightsaber combat that rewards player skill, but fights feature a lot of wild flailing that doesn’t fit the fantasy of films. Sekiro fights deliver challenge and spectacle.
The combat system is also able to simulate both the lightsaber’s power and the Jedi’s agility. Dodging and jumping are still important actions in Sekiro fights and force-powered movement is a natural replacement for a shinobi’s crouching dodges and acrobatic wall-jumps. You would only need to tweak how direct damage looks. Lightsabers can nick a thigh or an arm, but much more and you’d expect limbs to start flying. The Star Wars universe also has a different take on gore. Dismemberment is fine, it seems, as long as there’s no blood.
Lightsabers have always been a problem for games because they are supposed to cleave effortlessly through flesh, bone, and metal. The Star Wars universe has some handy workarounds, like vibroblades that can block a lightsaber swing. Games have also found ways to gesture at the lightsaber’s fabled power without actually letting you cleave levels to pieces. In Jedi Knight your lightsaber leaves a glowing molten trail when it clips through walls. It’s a small visual touch, but just enough to suspend disbelief.
However, few games have managed to make the Jedi’s signature weapon feel as lethal as Sekiro’s sword. I hope future Star Wars games take note.
Dying repeatedly in Sekiro infects characters you've met with a mysterious illness called Dragonrot. You can cure every character's dragonrot at once with a Recovery Charm. Veteran restorer of cut content, Lance McDonald, has discovered that the system didn't always work this way. Using patches to restore lost code, McDonald finds Dragonrot Pellets that let you restore characters' dragonrot one by one.
This method for curing Dragonrot was cut at some point during development, but restoring it unlocks new dialogue exchanges throughout the game. Dogen in particular has more to say. New dialogue options open up when you offer him the pellets, and he even talks a little bit about Emma.
The new dialogue doesn't dramatically alter Sekiro's story, but every scrap of dialogue is useful for lore-hunters. Plus, who knows what other cut content can be restored as players dig into the game's code. McDonald has previously found entire bosses and cut multiplayer features in Dark Souls and Bloodborne. McDonald's investigations are supported by a Patreon.
The extra dialogue is neat, but it would have been arduous to run around giving every NPC a pellet to keep them healthy. In addition to restoring cut dialogue, modders have been busy with Sekiro. They've added a photo mode and a costume pack that lets you play as various NPCs.
Sekiro's modding scene is really taking off: more than 50 mods have made their way to the game's Nexus Mods page in the past week, with more coming on every day. One of the most popular at the moment is modder ZullieTheWitch's costume pack mod, which adds 25 reskins for Sekiro, transforming him into a samurai, Lady Emma, or a shrieking monkey.
The character models are all taken from NPCs and objects in the game. My favourite is the giant lizard with bulging eyes, which is presumably a stretched version of the poisonous geckos you occasionally come across. I also like the one described by ZullieTheWitch as "man with a basket on his head". It looks exactly as you'd expect—I reckon it should come with an added stealth bonus.
Check out the video at the top of this post to see them in action—the animations all transfer remarkably well. ZullieTheWitch says they might add new costumes in the future, or replace some in the existing pack.
As with other mods, you'll have to install the Sekiro Mod Engine first. Once you've done that, you can add individual costumes to your game by downloading the pack from its Nexus Page.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice may be tough, but that hasn’t kept players away. From Software’s shinobi slice ‘em up sold more than two million copies across all platforms in its first 10 days on sale.
“The fans have made Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice one of the most incredible game launches of 2019 thus far,” said Michelle Fonseca, vice president of product management and marketing at Activision, in a press release posted today. “The game has performed well on all platforms including PC and we’re excited by the continued support from gamers and critics alike.”
Activision didn’t provide a breakdown of sales figures by platform, so it’s not clear yet how many sales are accounted for by PC players. Its peak player count, according to Steam Charts, is around 124,000 on PC, suggesting it performed pretty well.
Activision did provide some stats on viewership though: Within one week, Twitch viewers had apparently watched more than a billion minutes of Sekiro streams. That’s 1,901 years.
“Sekiro’s combat system serves up exciting new challenges to the end and the shinobi fantasy is powerfully realised in every savage deathblow and perfectly timed parry,” Tom Senior writes in his Sekiro review. He gave it a score of 92. From Software, meanwhile, is working on two unannounced games.
Shinobi Prosthetics Tools are found throughout Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and can be equipped on to the Prosthetic Arm, alongside your main-hand weapon. There are ten to find and each can help you out in different combat situations.
You can have three equipped at once and you'll be able to cycle through them on the fly. Knowing what each one does and having the correct ones equipped for the types of enemies or bosses you'll face can be hugely beneficial. So where do you get them and what do they do? Read on to find out.
Loaded Shuriken
Location: Outskirts Wall—Gate Path
From the Idol, you should see a hole in a building and a grapple point. There's a body to the left when you enter and the Shuriken Wheel item will be next to it. Take it to the Sculptor to have it upgraded to the Loaded Shuriken Prosthetic Tool.
Uses: Used to stun or interrupt enemies and deals heavy posture damage to airborne enemies.
Shinobi Firecrackers
Location: Outskirts Wall—Gate Path
After you've fought the mini-boss General Naomori Kawarada, head left and grapple to the top of the structure to find a merchant. He will sell you Robert's Firecrackers which you can take to the Sculptor to obtain the Shinobi Firecrackers.
Uses: Can stun or scare enemies. Most effective against beasts.
Flame Vent
Location: Estate Path
Head up from the Idol to find old buildings and a number of enemies around a bonfire. You'll find the Flame Barrel inside the fire. Return it to the Sculptor to acquire the Flame Vent Prosthetic Tool.
Uses: Sprays out flames in front of you dealing fire damage to enemies. Effective against red-eyed enemies.
Loaded Axe
Location: Estate Path
Follow the path beyond the bonfire (see above) and to your left, you'll find two enemies that you can eavesdrop on. Kill them to find the Shinobi Axe in the building behind them. The Sculptor will turn this into the Loaded Axe Prosthetic Tool.
Uses: Use this to break through enemies shields.
Mist Raven
Location: Bamboo Thicket Slope
From the Idol, head up the stairs and use the grapple on a tree to the left. Jump in the water and swim all the way upriver and grapple to another tree on the right with an item. Look right and break the bamboo blocking the way to access a cave. There is an enemy guarding the Mist Raven Feathers. Once you've defeated him take the item to the Sculptor to receive the Mist Raven Prosthetic Tool.
Uses: Use to evade enemy attacks and teleport in a specific direction. Ineffective against grab attacks.
Loaded Spear
Location: Ashina Castle
Take out the two enemies on the bridge next to the Idol to retrieve a Gatehouse Key then drop down the right side and head for the Ashina Reservoir. You'll find the Gatehouse in an area patrolled by a number of enemies. Use the key to get the Gyoubu’s Broken Horn item which the Sculptor will transform into the Loaded Spear Prosthetic Tool.
Uses: Mid-range thrust attack that can strip the armour of some enemies.
Sabimaru
Location: Upper Tower—Antechamber
From this Idol, head into the room with two holes in the floor. Drop down and defeat the enemies then locate the chest in a nearby room to collect the Sabimaru Prosthetic Tool.
Uses: Use to perform a flurry of attacks that inflict poison damage.
Loaded Umbrella
Location: Old Grave
Drop down to a building from the left of this Idol and through a hole in the roof to find a merchant. He will sell you the Iron Fortress item which the Sculptor will return to you as the Loaded Umbrella Prosthetic Tool.
Uses: Use to block attacks and make deflecting much easier.
Divine Abduction
Location: Gun Fort
After you've taken out the Long-arm Gentipede Giraffe boss, you'll find the Large Fan item in the same room. Take it to the Sculptor to obtain the Divine Abduction Prosthetic Tool.
Uses: This can be used to turn enemies away from you, making them vulnerable to backstabs and shinobi techniques.
Finger Whistle
Location: Sunken Valley
The Slender Finger item is dropped by the Guardian Ape boss. Take it to the Sculptor to obtain the Finger Whistle Prosthetic Tool.
Uses: You can use this to turn dogs, monkeys, or wolves against anything in sight.
You'll encounter the Folding Screen Monkeys boss as part of the story when playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. You'll need to have defeated Genichiro Ashina and spoken to the Divine Heir to access this boss; from the Senpou Temple—Main Hall Idol, interact with the altar here to be teleported to the boss arena.
Folding Screen Monkey strategy
This fight has four monkeys that you'll need to defeat; you can speak to the Illusory Hall Monk to find out the characteristics of each one. They are non-aggressive and it's your job to hunt them down and take them out but of course, it's not that simple. Illusionary Monkeys will spawn to attack you and while these do minimal damage, they will build up your terror significantly if they hit you so it's best to take them out quickly if you come across any. It's worth noting that you can - and should - use the Illusory Bell to reset the area after you've killed each of the four monkeys; this will reset them (and you) to their starting positions. Don't worry, you won't lose progress on the monkeys already killed.
Invisible Monkey
As soon as you spawn into the boss area, take a couple of steps forward before turning around to attack the area that you were just stood. One of the Invisible Monkey's spawn points is here so if you're lucky, you'll be able to make short work of him. He's also been reported to spawn in the watery room to the left (with the note on the wall). Once you've taken care of him, ring the Illusive Hall Bell to reset.
Green Monkey
This monkey is located in the tree in the centre of the area. You'll want to make your way around to the left to the water-filled room, then right and into the second structure on the left. Now turn right once more to head down a hallway and ring the large bell you find here. Quickly grapple to the tree in the centre of the area and take out the Green Monkey. Use the Illusive Hall Bell once he's dead.
Purple Monkey
Run left towards the water-filled room and then right, up the stairs to another building. Turn left into a room with statues and a note on the wall on the far side. Open the door next to the note then search for a grapple point in the roof above you. Grapple to it then onto the roof of the second building in front of you. Kill the Purple Monkey on this roof then ring the Illusive Hall Bell once more.
Orange Monkey
Immediately take cover behind one of the folding screens in front of you to hide from the Orange Monkey that's located on the roof directly ahead of you. Once the icon above his head disappears, sprint forward and grapple to the roof where the last monkey is. If you're quick, you'll kill him before he has the chance to move.
If it wasn't obvious, it's bigtime spoiler territory from here on out.
First up is Genichiro, who I already bested in the early hours of Sekiro. He's not so bad, but a simple mistake or two can suck down a couple health gourds, and I'll need all my gourds to even get practice in with the next bit, which is just three more phases of a mad grandpa decked out with some of the quickest, deadliest moves in the game.
Die and you start with Genichiro again. No checkpoint, even though he's set up as a bluff. Beat him and Isshin the Sword Saint, aka Sword Grandpa, bursts out of his skin and says hello. It's a four phase boss fight and I hate it. I know. It was easy for you. Cool! I spent hours on some of Sekiro's bosses. I just don't have the time or impetus to prove I can do the sword thing well again. The blade and I get along just fine. I'm looking for a different kind of payoff from Sekiro at this point.
So after spending a few mornings trying to take the Sword Saint, Isshin Ashina, down, I figure, fuck it! Let's give that slowdown mod tool a try.
What a godsend. I can adjust the speed of the game as I play it because it patches the active memory, live. Sekiro should've had this built in, Celeste-style, or as part of Hanbei's training set. Sekiro doesn't give much opportunity for in-depth, focused practice to the player. To learn a boss requires throwing yourself at it time and time again, which works eventually. I have patience. I wouldn't have reached the end of the game without it. But to stretch it out like this?
Take it easy
I can get into Isshin's 2nd and 3rd phases without the tool on occasion, but it's so easy to slip up unless I'm on the entire time. Considering it takes 5-10 minutes, and more as I progress, of near perfect execution and concentration to reach a new sticking point, the point where I get a split-second opportunity to observe and practice against a new move or special attack, learning the final boss is a hell of a time sink.
The lightning attacks don't help things, which aren't too difficult to dodge after spending a few hours getting to the third phase and dying to them over and over. It wouldn't be a FromSoft game without a frustrating elemental damage type.
Sure, there's a return mechanic, but it's rarely practiced outside of boss battles until the very last stage, and even then, timing your jumps with swift lightning returns against a set of lightning attacks with different release timings—nah, I'm good. This isn't fun, it's just four stages of fuck-you-prove-yourself difficulty.
Difficulty is one axis of Sekiro, not the orbital center.
I admire FromSoft games for much more than the challenge. The small, sad stories; the conversational level design; the idiosyncratic design touches. Sekiro’s difficulty is much more prescriptive than the Souls games, too. Bosses are lock and key challenges that require the gradual build up of instinct and intuition in response to their particular attack patterns.
It works most of the time. Sekiro's best bosses are great teachers. I really liked the second bout with the Corrupted Monk. With a few hours of space and practice between meetings and a moveset consisting of clearly telegraphed, but swift and strange attack rhythms, the Monk feels designed to show off your own muscle memory to you. Those slow burn epiphanies are one Sekiro's greatest assets.
And there's the ape, who teaches two different playstyles and attitudes. Phase one: matching the aggression of a big beast even if the odds feel tipped against you. Phase two, the great inversion: cautious and distant play against an otherworldly creature with uncanny, fluid movements. It's a flexibility test. Once you get how you're supposed to play, each stage is a cinch. But sometimes bosses are straight up tests of endurance and reflex and difficulty for the sake of difficulty. The final boss is one of them.
Nothing is lost
An hour or so in, I slow the action down by 50 percent with the intent to study Isshin's moveset. I plan on leaping off the cliff once I get cozy, and then juicing up the speed back to normal. But it feels too good to stop. So I finish the guy off in slow motion, watch a predictably brief From ending (I got the 'good' one too) and let the credits roll. The adrenal high, the sense of accomplishment, the themes and motifs and memories are still flowing through me. Nothing is lost. I love this damn game.
Some might say I missed out on the intended catharsis, sidestepping the 'artist's intent.' So what? There’s nothing to preserve for the greater good in Sekiro’s design. I'll get what I can from it. And I got a lot from Sekiro.
What a (gross) sad story.
Feeling good about what I play and why I play it is ultimately up to me.
Sekiro is certainly a game about overcoming challenges, and I’ve felt that from it quite often. I've felt solidarity and sadness in seeing our modern conflicts echoed in set pieces that depict the cyclical nature of violence, all directed by a select few in power. I laughed—alone, manically—after meeting Kite Guy. I saw anger dissolve into pity and coalesce into regret after bumping into the headless ape a second time, only for a perfectly healthy family member or friend or lover stand in the way, just to get cut down defending an animated corpse.
Sekiro is a game about specific moments, not a game entirely about making players do the sword good. Difficulty is one axis of Sekiro, not the orbital center. I feel no shame putting that last guy down in slow mo. It looked cool. I felt empowered. It was an appropriate time to flip the table and be the FromSoftware boss myself.
‘I did it’ is an exclamation I’ll still hunt for and achieve in games, but it’s so much less important to me than it once was. Feeling good about what I play and why I play it is ultimately up to me. That’s what PC mods, the spirit of the PC overall, has always been: openness and inclusivity. Kick a boss's ass if you wanna. Clip through a wall. Turn off gravity. Or play along with the designer and beat Sword Grandpa on their terms. Do what you want, it's a personal computer.
Sekiro isn't the worst of FromSoftware's PC ports, but its graphics and display options are few and its limits many. As always, modders pick up the slack. This mod from uberhalit unlocks the frame rate, adds custom resolutions with 21:9 widescreen support, lets you tweak the FoV and lots more. Oh yeah, and it also lets you change world and character speed, making the game considerably easier.
If a boss is giving you a hard time—inevitable, really—you can use the mod to slow down the global speed by your desired number but keep the player speed the same, making you lightning fast in comparison. It's a cheat rather than the addition of difficulty modes that some players have been asking for, but at least it might help you get past that brick wall you keep smashing your head against.
Should you only wish to fight honourably, you could still use the speed changes to train. If you're having trouble figuring out timings for parrying and countering, you might have better luck practising with things slowed down. There's already a fella you can train with, so this seems a bit more in the spirit of the game.
Alternatively, you could shame yourself into getting better. Use the mod to display in-game stats and your death count will follow you everywhere, mocking and taunting. That sounds like a nightmare, frankly. You can also display your kill count, though, which might make you feel better.
Winter is coming, which means that highly anticipated games both big and small are coming out every week, and the trend is forecasted to continue as the year comes to a close. Make sure you don't miss a release with our helpful guide to the new games of 2019.
We’ve organized our massive guide to upcoming 2019 PC games by the month they’re coming out. For the games that don’t have a release date yet (and there’s a ton of them), check out the TBA page. We're constantly updating this guide with new games and release dates, so make sure to check back often. Looking for something to play right now? Then check out our guide to the best PC games or the best free games on Steam. And to make them really shine, check out our roundup of the best graphics cards.
On this first page we've listed out the new games coming to PC in November 2019 that you should keep an eye on. And below November's games, you'll find a quick guide to the biggest games still coming in 2019 from the Master Chief Collection to Hollow Knight: Silksong.
November 5 | Rockstar | Link | Open world adventure
Rockstar's beloved cowboy walking simulator is finally making its way to the PC, just in time for the holidays. For the first month, the PC version will only be available on Rockstar's own launcher. This new version comes with some extra guns, new side missions, and other goodies.
Planet Zoo
November 5 | Frontier | Link | Park SimThe makers of Planet Coaster and Jurassic World Evolution take things back a notch with some simple critter corralling. We dug it so much we made it the cover of our June issue. Take a gander at what we had to say.
Stoneshard
November 7 | Ink Stains Games | Link|RPGStoneshard wants to make you suffer. A turn-based roguelike RPG, it promises to starve you, shock you—all kinds of fun stuff. But when you’re not suffering, you’ll be able to plunder caves, rescue villages and even build up your own company of mercenaries. There’s a management side to the game, then, as you try to keep everyone happy---if you don’t, they might betray you. You can play the prologue now.
The next Need for Speed has cars, speed, cops, and palm trees. The Miami-adjacent setting is what seems to set Heat apart the most this time around. There also seems to be a larger emphasis on cop chases and car upgrades.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
November 15 | Respawn Entertainment | Link | TBAIt took a while, but we finally have some hard details on Respawn's Star Wars game. Respawn debuted a story trailer at Star Wars Celebration in Chicago, and while it doesn't showcase any gameplay (kind of a bummer), we do get a great look at protagonist Cal and his harrowing journey on the run from an Imperial Inquisitor. Respawn says they're focusing on "thoughtful combat" with lightsabers and force powers, so yep, definitely a Jedi game. Read everything else we know, and maybe we'll see more at E3.
Shenmue 3
November 19 | Ys Net | Link|Action adventureThe sequel few thought would ever happen, Shenmue 3 features the return of martial arts everyman Ryo Hazuki as he closes in on the mystery of who killed his father. Shenmue 3 promises similar gameplay to previous entries, letting players combat enemies hand-to-hand, explore a living, populated world, and upgrade abilities. If you're not familiar with the epic saga, Shenmue 1 and 2 remasters came out recently.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts
November 22 | CI Games | Link | Stealth ShooterIt always feels like a new Sniper Ghost Warrior game is on the way. CI Games has had issues with overambition before, but they’ve promised a more replayable, less glitchy experience, and no open world.
Mooneye Studios' lovely-looking game about exploring the through the eyes of animals in a world after humans has a new release date. You'll be able to possess any animal you come across to explore on land, sea, and air and uncover the lost Yanrana culture. After originally being planned for earlier in 2019, Lost Ember will now arrive on November 22nd according to its new date announcement trailer.
The biggest games still coming in 2019
Halo Master Chief Collection
TBA | 343 Industries | Link | ShooterDespite a disastrous launch, the Master Chief Collection slowly became a definitive gathering of Halo games, made playable on newer hardware. And it's finally coming to PC. 343 Industries says it’s all coming in stages, with Reach, then Halo 1, and chronologically on from there with community input being taken into consideration.
MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries
December 10 | Piranha Games | Link|ActionIf you, like us, have been waiting 17 years for a new singleplayer MechWarrior campaign, this will be a huge deal in 2019. MechWarrior 5 will let you explore and liberate apparently hundreds of planets from enemy strongholds, fully customising your mech along the way.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
TBA | Team Cherry | Link | MetroidvaniaWhat started as DLC for Hollow Knight, starring Hornet as a playable character, apparently could not be contained. It's become a full game, a sequel to Hollow Knight, with a new setting, 150+ new enemies, a quest system, and doubtless much more. Whereas Hollow Knight was about descending deeper into the depths of Hallownest, this game will see Hornet climbing through a new kingdom to reach a peak. Team Cherry haven't mentioned a release date, but seem to be well into the game from what they've shown.
Games of December 2019
MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries
December 10 | Piranha Games | Link|ActionIt's our first MechWarrior campaign in 15 years, and it's singleplayer to boot. Players will have the freedom to choose their faction, travel anywhere in the galaxy, and join other players in co-op.
Phoenix Point
December 2019 | Snapshot Games | Link|TacticsJulian Gollop, the designer of the original X-Com, is taking another shot at the genre he pioneered in Phoenix Point. Here's everything we know.
Mansions of Madness: Mother's Embrace
Q2 2019 | Luckyhammers | Link|StrategyI’ve never played the Mansions of Madness tabletop game, or its numerous expansions, but if Luckyhammers can translate the Clue-meets-Lovecraft multiplayer gameplay to a videogame, that would be pretty great.
Halo Master Chief Collection
2019 | 343 Industries | Link | ShooterDespite some multiplayer woes early on, the Master Chief Collection was still one of the best examples of an FPS remaster done right. Even better, us PC folk are getting Halo: Reach, the 2010 prequel to the first Halo. 343 Industries says it’s all coming in stages, with Reach, then Halo 1, and chronologically on from there with community input being taken into consideration. The beta has been delayed a bit, though.
Back 4 Blood
TBA | Turtle Rock Studios | Link | Co-op ShooterWe’re all tired of waiting for a Left 4 Dead sequel, and so was original developer Turtle Rock, who have long since ditched Evolve. It’s co-op, it’s zombies, and “new features” they couldn’t get into in their FAQ. It’s sparse on info, but I doubt that will stop the internet from squealing in glee.
Witchbrook
TBA | Chucklefish | Link| RPGThe publisher behind Stardew Valley brings that pixel-y charm to a Hogwarts-like setting, where you’ll work to finish wizard school, battle in the forest, and take care of magical creatures. Want some other influences to get your brain running? Chucklefish says Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom, Harvest Moon, and Studio Ghibli are all incorporated. Fingers crossed for magical talking cat companions.
In the Valley of Gods
2019 | Campo Santo | Link|AdventureCampo Santo may have been bought up by the all-powerful Valve, but that’s evidently not stopping the scrappy team behind Firewatch from continuing their moody narrative adventures. This time, instead of observing trees catch fire, it’s two down-on-their-luck lady filmmakers looking to make a documentary about the tomb of Nefertiti. Firewatch had a disposable camera to play with, but Valley of Gods’ film camera will play a way more important role in how you interact with and capture the world around you.
Desperados 3
2019 | Mimimi Productions | Steam | TacticsThe team behind the brilliant Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun take their tactical selves to the wild west. You’ve got another ragtag group of uniquely skilled fighters shooting, abducting, stealthing, and apparently even mind controlling their way across dusty one-street towns. Check out Phil’s preview.
Tunic
TBA | Andrew Shouldice | Link|Action adventureFormerly known as “Secret Legend,” Tunic evokes the charm and beauty of The Legend of Zelda, all wrapped up in a beautifully fluid cel-shaded art style. Challenging combat demands plenty of dodge-rolling and pits you against huge bosses.
Battletoads
TBA | DLaLa Studios | Link|ActionThe amphibious beat-em-up is back, and well, we asked for it. Thankfully some modern touches are being applied to the toads, including 4K, hand drawn graphics, three-player couch co-op, and “body-morphing genre mash-ups.” We don’t know for sure if it’s coming to PC, but given Microsoft’s “ecosystem” policy, it’s a likely bet. We don't have an exact release date and haven't really heard much since its announcement, but we also wouldn't be surprised if this one dropped suddenly.
Solar Ash Kingdom
TBA | Heart Machine | Link | Action AdventureIt looks like the team behind the moody and colorful Hyperlight Drifter are staying firmly in that style, but this time in 3D. Details are sparse, but we can apparently expect to fight huge monsters and slide around a bunch.
Dwarf Fortress
"time is subjective" | Bay 12 Games | Link | SimI’d sooner believe that former editor Tom Marks gave up bowties than believe that Dwarf Fortress is coming to Steam with new graphics and Workshop mod support. Some call it a roguelike, a construction manager, or just a procedurally generated simulation of existence. Check out our chat with creator Tarn Adams.
Biomutant
2019 | Experiment 101 | Link|Action RPGThis very peculiar looking action-RPG mashes up martial arts, gun-fu, and plenty of anthropomorphic beasts to take down, all with a bit of DMC flair. The ability to infuse your little warrior with the genes of other beasts along the way means Soul Calibur 6's wacky character creator might get a run for its money.
Babylon's Fall
2019 | Platinum Games | Link|ActionThe next big thing from the Bayonetta and Nier: Automata team, Babylon’s Fall’s trailer teases a big ol’ timeline full of something called an Oversoul, the Age of Dawn, a World War, and the birth of a goddess. Then there’s a bunch of futuristic knights wailing on a big baddie before posing in front of a huge cathedral. Subtle, thy name is Platinum.
Spelunky 2
2020? | Mossmouth | Link|Roguelike platformerIn the sequel to our 2013 GOTY, you'll be playing as the Spelunker’s daughter and exploring the moon. In Summer 2018, we got a look at the game in action—glance at the trailer above for an idea of what's coming.
In a recent tweet, Spelunky 2's developer Derek Yu said it's unlikely that Spelunky 2 will arrive in 2019 after all. He didn't rule the possibility out entirely, but it seems that he is managing expectations based on the game's progress. "Development is still going well and we're not far off target, but the density and detail of the game is demanding more time." We'll keep Spelunky 2 on our 2019 list on the off chance it does squeak in before January 1st. If not, we'll see you for 2020's list!
Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition
Fall 2019 | Unknown | Link | RTSThe classic RTS returns with a fresh 4K coat of paint, a remastered soundtrack, and a few new campaigns to mess with. Some quality of life improvements help keep things from feeling like it's 1999. Even better, if you already own the original, it's just $15, or $20 for everyone else.
Beyond Good & Evil 2
TBA | Ubisoft Montpelier | Link|Action adventureAfter an oddly cuss-filled (but no less touching) debut trailer, we finally know we're getting another BG&E game, only this one's a prequel. Though it’s hard to pin down what the end result will be, creator Michel Ancel has teased the idea of a galaxy-spanning RPG that lets you work up from the bottom rungs of society to a ship captain, with multiplayer components to boot. Maybe don't hold out for 2019 on this one, though.
Starfield
Not a chance | Bethesda | Link|RPGOK, so this one definitely won't be a 2019 release (Todd Howard says it may not come out on current gen hardware, which suggests it might not release this decade, but it’s Bethesda’s first new RPG franchise in 25 years. There are PC Gamer writers younger than that. The debut trailer shows a space station orbiting over a desert planet before a tear in space gobbles it up, and it looks more like a semi-realistic Gravity than Mass Effect’s stylized take. And that’s it. Hey, at least it’s coming sooner than Elder Scrolls 6.
The Pathless
2019 | Giant Squid| Link | Action adventureThe team behind Abzu is whipping up this blend of Princess Mononoke and Journey, which makes sense given that Giant Squid’s founder was the latter’s art director. As a veiled huntress, accompanied by a friendly eagle, you’ll traverse a seemingly endless forest filled with ruins, puzzles, and massive beasts of fire and light.
Boyfriend Dungeon
"when weapons are beautiful enough"| Kitfox Games | Link|RPG/dating simSome people want to date dudes, some love the ladies, others adore cats (no judgement), and some folks just love a good katana sword. Boyfriend Dungeon says “why not all of them in one?” in what KitFox is calling a "shack-n-slash." Brilliant.
Kunai
TBA | The Arcade Crew | Link | MetroidvaniaTabby is a side-scrolling ninja who also happens to be a living tablet. Like...an iPad tablet. Tabby gets the power to pull of some sick ninja stunts while hack-and-slashing his way through a washed out retro-looking world at breakneck speed. I’m particularly a fan of that rockin’ chiptune soundtrack.
Scavengers
2019 | Panache Digital Games | Link | Survival shooter'Co-opetition' is the awkard buzzword in this competitive shooter that blends PvE and PvP. Team up with buddies to scrounge for resources on a hostile, snowy planet, but make it back to your space station before a storm swallows you up, or other enemy teams kill you and take all the credit. You can read James’ hands-on thoughts here.
Blue Omen Operation
TBA | BananaSoft | Link|RPGWhat if you took the Mario RPGs but swapped out plumbers for a cursed mechanic who is a reluctant host to a supernatural parasite and a beast-person mage-in-training who knows the netherworld like the back of her hand? If it sounds like your thing, give the demo a play.
Young Souls
TBA | 1P2P | Link | Co-op dungeon crawlerAfter a ginger-haired pair of siblings are transported to another realm, they’ll slash and combo their way through hordes of evil monsters and upgrade gear in a pretty dang gorgeous mix of 2D and 3D graphics. The FLCL fanboy in me always loves a good Vespa scooter.
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
2019 |Galactic Cafe | Link | AdventureI could listen to the Stanley Parable narrator read a phonebook, but I never expected a full update. Galactic Cafe is celebrating a console port by adding new choices and new endings on top of the original classic.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse
TBA | Cyanide Studio | Link|RPGWe're officially getting Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, but the World of Darkness franchise is setting out to explore its considerably more hairy side. There’s little more than an announcement to go on, but developer Cyanide Studio (Styx, Call of Cthulhu) has said it’ll explore the “shamanistic and tribal world” of the Garou (French for “werewolf”) as they battle the forces of The Wyrm. Werewolf will likely be an RPG, but with Cyanide’s history of creating bike racing management sims and Warhammer football games, who really knows?
Noita
Currently Early Access | Nolla Games | Link|Roguelike dungeon crawler“Every pixel is simulated,” Noita teases, which is one way of saying anything and everything in this surprisingly hilarious roguelike dungeon-crawler reacts the way it would in real-life. Fire doesn’t kill you the second you touch it. It spreads, and explosions tear away at the rock walls rather than leave them untouched like in so many other games. Combining these whacky reactions will result in some cool enemy (and personal) deaths by acid, crumbling rocks, or pooling liquids.
The Forgotten City
Late 2019 | Modern Storyteller | Link|AdventureThe Forgotten City started life as a Skyrim mod, and it was really, really good. So good in fact that it’s getting a standalone remake. After you stumble upon an ancient Greek city, you discover 26 trapped explorers perished because one of them broke a mysterious law, and it’s up to you to travel back and forth through time to influence events to something less deadly.
Among Trees
2019 (as early access first) | FJRD Games | Steam | Survival/adventureThink The Lone Dark, but much, much prettier and calmer. Instead of constant existential dread, there’s a gorgeous “survival sandbox” teeming with plants and wildlife, only some of which we presume will want to kill you. It's releasing as early access first.
Beyond Blue
TBA | E-Line Media | Steam | AdventureThere’s an eerie thrill to watching deep sea footage, and Beyond Blue looks like it’ll capitalize on that for a somewhat spooky, potentially awe-inducing underwater trek.
Morning Star
TBA | Metkis | Link|RPGAt first, Morning Star looks like a 3D Stardew Valley...and then it doesn’t. It’s actually a “post-cyberpunk” adventure where computers are your farm and software programs are your seeds. It’s not quite bitcoin, thankfully (I expect I’m on 10 new mailing lists for simply typing that out), but it does emphasize caring for and cultivating a healthy community with the tools that sparked our dystopia in the first place. Check out our interview.
Gears Tactics
TBA | Splash Damage | Link|TacticsGears fans are making off like bandits this year. This PC-only turn-based strategy game is a prequel set 12 years before the original game. Massive boss battles, you say?
Streets of Rage 4
TBA | Lizardcube, Guard Crush | Link| Beat-em upAxel and Blaze are back to beat up some bad dudes, and looking pretty spiffy doing it, thanks to some fancy work from the artists behind Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap.
Serious Sam 4: Planet Badass
TBA | Croteam | Steam | FPSOld Sam has been mostly hanging out in VR the last couple years, but he’s finally returning to TV screens after seven years without a core sequel. Sam’s got himself a motorcycle now, so expect some bigger shooting grounds, and tens of thousands of enemies onscreen. But Croteam says it’s totally not an open-world game. Okay, then.
Windjammers 2
2019 | Dotemu | Link |Arcade/sportsWe forgive you, Dave Lang. For the rest of you, if you haven’t heard the gospel of Windjammers, that’s fair. The original never came out on PC. It’s extreme air hockey in all but name, and it’s got quite the cult following.
Tactical Breach Wizards
TBA | Suspicious Developments | Link | TacticsFormer PC Gamer editor and Gunpoint developer Tom Francis is back at it again. If the title didn’t give it away, you’ll mix magic lightning bolts and transmutation spells with door-busting tactics against terrorists and drug dealers in a turn-based package.
Bravery Network Online
TBA | Gloam Collective | Link|Turn-based actionI can’t help but think of Scott Pilgrim and Pokemon when I look at Bravery Network Online, and that can be a good thing. From the looks of things, you’ll be compiling cyclable teams of trendy-looking teen warriors to do battle with tagout moves, claymores, and good old-fashioned smooching.
Atomicrops
Currently Early Access | Toby Dixon, Danny Wynne | Link|Action/simAtomicrops is probably the first ever roguelike farming simulator. You raise crops, make friends and get married, but it’s also a twinstick shooter, your crops are mutants that can fight alongside you, and your spouse will help you out in battle too. Also, your spouse can be a tomato. 2019, everybody.
Factory Town
Currently Early Access | Erik Asmussen | Link | City SimIt’s Factorio by way of Banished, meaning you’ll be turning a boring, tiny town into a bustling hub of productivity with lots of conveyor belts, mills, warehouses, and more. Developer Erik Asmussen is keeping it in early access for at least six more months, so expect lots of tweaks and additions.
Session
Currently Early Access | crea-ture Studios | Link|SportsSession looks like a pretty competent Skate replacement for the realistic skateboarding sim community. When not using that game's dual-stick control scheme to land ollies, you’ll make your own Thrasher-esque video clips in Filmer mode.
Tunche
TBA | LEAP Games Studios | Link|ActionA tunche is a mythical Peruvian spirit that haunts the jungle and whistles right before it attacks. Tunche the game is less deadly, but you’ll still be beating the crap out of 2D beasts in this co-op brawler.
Aquanox: Deep Descent
2019 | Digital Arrow |Steam| Action SimulationThe Aquanox series has been around since the turn of the century, and its brand of first-person submersible action still holds up from what we’ve seen.
GTFO
TBA | Ten Chambers Collective | Link | ShooterGTFO drops 4-player teams of scavengers into dilapidated, claustrophobic sci-fi tunnels that are, unfortunately, full of horrible mutant monstrosities that look a little like Dead Space’s nightmarish Necromorphs. There’s more than a hint of Aliens about it, with the dim lighting and the long stretches of silence punctuated by waves of grotesque creatures. Ten Chambers includes ex-Overkill developers, so expect to see a bit of Payday’s influence, too.
Doom Eternal
March 20, 2020 | id Software | Link|FPSDoom Eternal brings hell to Earth, a nice change of setting from 2016's excellent reboot. Expect to fight twice as many demons in this instalment, using a brutal upgraded armoury. This includes a new version of the Super Shotgun, which features a grapple-friendly 'meat hook' on the end, and hopefully a ton more ludicrous weapon mods. As of October, Doom Eternal's planned November release date was delayed to March 2020.
Halo Infinite
2020 | 343 Industries | Link | FPSWe now know that Halo Infinite will be a launch title for the next gen Xbox "Scarlett," we just didn't get to see any gameplay at E3 2019, just the spiffy story trailer you see above. Of course, with Scarlett not coming out at least until 2020, that means we're not getting it this year.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
January 20, 2020 | Bandai Namco | Link|RPG It's a full-fledged RPG recounting (once again) the saga of Goku AKA Kakarot. Flashy DBZ-style combat seems to take a page from the 3D brawler Jump Force. Bandai Namco confirmed it's an early 2020 release though.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
February 11, 2020 | Moon Studios | Link|MetroidvaniaOri and the Blind Forest crushed players' hearts with an emotionally charged narrative and crushed their spirits with challenging Metroidvania gameplay, so why not go for two?
Wasteland 3
Spring 2020| inXile | Link|RPGWasteland 3 takes a note from the world of Mad Max and adds vehicles as an important part of a balanced breakdown of society. Gear it up well enough and you can use it as movable cover, a mobile storage container, or plant a lovely little turret in the backside. With multiplayer comes more team-focused abilities, too. And if you’re worried all that apocalypse-trekking will be a slog, inXile is implementing a dialogue system based on Torment: Tides of Numenera’s branching system.
Twin Mirror
2020 | DONTNOD | Link|AdventureA guy named Sam is having a tough time returning to his bombed out post-industrial hometown, searching for answers to the death of journalist, and then things get even tougher. He wakes up in a motel with no memory and discovers his shirt drenched in blood, and his mind opening up some sort of rifts in reality, all in what the Life is Strange developer is calling a “story-driven investigation game.” It looks like a more adult take on Life is Strange’s YA trappings, for better or worse.
Sable
2020 | Shedworks | Link|AdventureSable wears its influences on its sleeve, including that of late French comic artist Jean 'Moebius' Giraud. A sci-fi coming of age tale (and one of our favorite things at E3), you traverse a beautifully cel-shaded desert full of ancient alien ruins, with no particular objective beyond learning more about the world and maybe solving some simple puzzles. Like all good coming-of-age stories, there’s a (hovering) motorcycle to ride.
Psychonauts 2
2020 | Double Fine | Link|AdventureDive once again into the twisted minds of the Psychonauts in the long-awaited sequel to Double Fine’s inaugural game. Characters Raz, Milla, Lili, and Sasha make their first visit to Psychonauts’ headquarters, with all the psychic crime fighting it entails.
Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
2020 | Studio MDHR |Link|PlatformerCuphead is based on old timey cartoons, so it only makes sense that they’d introduce a gender-swapped version of their original hero. Well, actually it’s the Legendary Chalice character (who you may remember from the mausoleum level), now referred to as Ms. Chalice. The DLC is also promising a new isle to fight through, new bosses, new weapons, and more, so I’m sure it will be a relaxing, serene experience for all involved.
Minecraft: Dungeons
Spring 2020 | Mojang | Link | Dungeon crawlerDare I say it, are they making the Minecraft equivalent of Ultima Underworld? I mean, probably not, but however it turns out, you'll be able to bring three friends along for this spin-off.
Journey to the Savage Planet
January 28, 2020 | Typhoon Studios | Link | UnknownThere’s not much to go on, save for a short trailer filled with some dark humor about “the fourth best interstellar exploration company” and its journey to explore and catalog a mysterious new home planet for humanity. The founder of Typhoon Studios previously directed Far Cry 4, so we're intrigued to see how it turns out.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborn
January 2020 | Capcom | Link | Action RPGThose darn console players will get Monster Hunter World’s enormous expansion in September, but PC players have to wait until January, Capcom says. Fine, at least it’s more appropriate to play it in the dead of winter.
The Settlers
2020 | Ubisoft Blue Byte | Link | City simThe Settlers series is 25 years old, and the seventh iteration came out all the way back in 2012, but Ubisoft is taking another crack at the medieval city building genre.
Cyberpunk 2077
April 16, 2020| CD Projekt Red | Link|RPGThe studio behind The Witcher dives into the world of the Cyberpunk pen-and-paper RPG by Mike Pondsmith. We've learned some cool things about it since E3 2019, including romance options, whether a morality system will factor into gameplay, and future expansion plans. Oh, and Keanu Reeves is your little buddy. Too bad we have to wait until 2020.
Dying Light 2
Spring 2020 | Techland | Link|Open worldFor all it’s glorious zombie parkour, the original Dying Light really failed to give players a narrative worth remembering. Techland clearly wants to change that by bringing on writing powerhouse Chris Avellone (of KOTOR 2, Pillars of Eternity, and Fallout: New Vegas fame) so it can give you more a more compelling reason to hopscotch the undead. Narrative choices in-game will alter the world something fierce, like a certain faction constructing additional outposts and unfurling banners across walls, which you can slide down like a drunken musketeer. As for the zombies, they’re more likely to hide from the sun now, but that makes their dark indoor dens that much more dangerous and lucrative for brave (read: totally dead) acrobats.
It wouldn’t be a From Software game without incredible boss fights. In Sekiro there’s a wide range of powerful warriors and creatures that will force you to use all of your shinobi arts. The simplest fight, between your shinobi and a master samurai, can be as tense and challenging as a battle with a huge ape-like beast. Sekiro’s bosses are also capable of deception and trickery. Spirits can fade and reposition in a puff of colourful vapour, and Lady Butterfly can vault between near-invisible threads of silk at bewildering speed.
They are tough, too. You can still chain together blows to damage their posture and open up Deathblow opportunities, but while ordinary soldiers can only take one Deathblow, bosses can take several. You need to demonstrate a sustained mastery of your enemy’s attack patterns to break their posture down and unlock each Deathblow opportunity.
This is especially difficult because bosses have access to unblockable attacks. Look out for a red symbol above their head as they launch an attack; that means you have to get out of the way quickly. Some enemies can also lunge forward and grab you. If this happens you will be subjected to a massively damaging attack that can kill you outright, or throw you off a nearby cliff.
You will need skill to defeat them, but you can gain an advantage by carefully managing your resurrection ability. You will likely be able to resurrect only once in a fight, and it’s important to use that power wisely. If you haven’t even secured one Deathblow yet, it might be wiser to retreat and come back again with full health and a resurrection in your pocket.
