Windrose began life as a free-to-play MMO title called Crosswind. The studio eventually made the choice to pivot away from the original plan and Windrose is the result. This is also the team’s first title, so hopefully the game’s ambitious goals will be met and we will get to see what else Kraken Express has to offer in the future.

Fundamentally, Windrose is a survival game above all else. The survival mechanics come first and the pirate escapades come second, not the other way around. This is something players should be prepared for, as it could be off-putting to those coming in looking for a pirate simulator. That isn’t to say that there aren’t pirate-centric game mechanics present, just that they are not the crux of the gameplay loop.

Performance-wise, Windrose left quite a lot to be desired. I was running the game on a pretty high-end rig and I experienced fairly frequent stuttering and frame rate issues. As previously mentioned, these are the sort of issues Kraken Express needs to iron out during Early Access as development on the game continues, but at the time of writing it is not the smoothest gameplay experience. Loading times also felt pretty long, even when utilising an SSD.

The opening hour of Windrose is unfortunately one of the worst first impressions that a game has left on me for a while. After creating your own pirate in a pretty basic character creator, you then load into a very brief opening sequence where immersion-breaking text is displayed onscreen to tell you that Blackbeard is apparently attacking your ship.

After fighting through a couple of basic enemies and making your way up to the top deck, you are abruptly met with a janky 2D comic book style cutscene that has no voice acting or professional presentation to it. Frankly it reminded me of a dated digital-only title from the mid to late 2000s. The whole sequence feels extremely unfinished and rushed out the door.

Some more text then appears onscreen to describe a sequence of events that would probably have been pretty cool to see play out; Blackbeard taking your ship and stranding you on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean. This is when the game properly starts and you are essentially left to your own devices from this point on, with just a quest log and a mini map to keep you company.

For the next few hours, Windrose is strictly a survival game, heavily focused on keeping your character fed while crafting a base as well as weapons and clothing. In rare moments, some voice acting can be heard as you re-assemble your crew, but don’t expect anything overly cinematic or in-depth. This is also when you’ll get more to grips with the game’s combat.

The combat in Windrose is not especially good, but it is serviceable by survival-game standards. Survival games traditionally don’t put too much focus into combat, so I guess what is here is perfectly serviceable by comparison. However, judged as third-person action combat in 2026, it feels pretty lacklustre. Along with the narrative elements, hopefully combat is something that can be improved with future updates to the game.

After a bit of time, you are given a small sailboat that allows you to leave the starting island and explore. A few more hours of grinding and you will eventually have fully re-assembled your crew and acquired a proper ship that you can set sail in. The sailing mechanics in the game are very basic, with a handful of forward speeds and one reverse speed. The wind doesn’t affect the speed of the ship, so it really is just a case of pointing the boat in the direction you want to go and waiting patiently until you arrive.

Ship combat in Windrose is also pretty rudimentary, but it is at least a lot more fun than the sword-fighting melee combat. There isn’t much more to it than pointing your ship’s cannons at the opposite ship after lining up the enemy and then firing until the other ship’s health drops enough to allow you to board.

Boarding an enemy ship is more fun here than in something like Skull and Bones, (although that is admittedly a low bar,) however there is unfortunately no actual animation to show the player swinging across to the other ship. Instead, the player just sort of teleports onboard whereupon you are required to kill off the enemy crew along with your invincible crewmates.

The graphics in Windrose are impressive, this is a very pretty game to look at; especially when you consider that it came from such a small, inexperienced team of developers. The character models may not be the most realistic, but they do carry a distinct art style which is cool, and the vast environment is stunning to behold, from the clear blue seas, to the lush leaves of the island jungle, and the golden sands of its shoreline.

Almost every aspect of Windrose feels like it could be improved with more development time, and feels unfinished in its current state. The bones of something interesting do exist here, but the narrative, the sword combat, the ship boarding, and several other elements all feel as though they could have done with significantly more time in the oven.

The experience is far closer to something like Valheim rather than Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag and players should be aware of that going in to quell any disappointment based on preconceived notions. This is not a title from a AAA developer and that is abundantly clear from the outset. Still though, what Kraken Express has managed to achieve here is an ambitious and promising foundation that can be built upon to create something great.

Although what is here currently is far from a complete package, Windrose is still worth checking out if you are a fan of survival games, enjoy pirate-themed titles, and aren’t too bothered about experiencing an in-depth, detailed narrative. Given a bit of time and dedication, this could really be something special and is definitely a title to watch in the future.

There is some fun to be had here within the gameplay loop, as long as you don’t mind dealing with the grind that comes with the game’s survival elements, which are really its bread and butter. It would be an exaggeration to say that the pirate stuff feels like an afterthought, but it certainly feels more like the icing on the survival game cake underneath.

Overall, if you can stick with it through its off-putting opening hour, Windrose just about does enough to justify its current launch-discount price. That is, as long as you are a patient person willing to put up with a few growing pains in order to experience something more polished down the line. It may be a little rough around the edges currently, but it lays a strong blueprint for what could one day become a genuinely strong pirate-survival game.

This game was reviewed on PC.

But in a world where a lot of big releases demand a lot of time and patience from their players, we think Pragmata’s focus on a tight, filler-free experience deserves a look. Is it a facet of the experience that has been a refreshing change of pace for gamers who may not have the time that most modern releases ask of them? Has it been designed to refresh its players with its brevity rather than drain them with needless tedium?

We’re going to answer those questions as we examine how Pragmata’s appeal could be psychological, giving it an edge long before you start a playthrough and join Hugh and Diana on their trip through The Cradle. Let’s get right to it.

The Burden of Expectations

It’s a good idea to look at a few aspects of modern blockbusters before we get into our examination of why Pragmata has bucked the trends that they bring. They bring design habits that seem to want to pad out games with bloated content maps and repetitive progression loops that often feel like they’re there to inflate a game’s runtime.

It’s an effective way to improve a game’s shelf life, no arguments there, but they also come with the expectation that you should “main” the game in question for weeks on end. Unless you’re playing games for a living, that makes playing through these titles a sort of daily habit that you then balance against everything else going on in your life. It’s quite easy for a great game to feel like a chore once the novelty wears off, and you’re forced to sit through hours of content before you get to roll the credits and close out the loop on a title that you were enjoying when you first picked it up.

Value often becomes synonymous with volume, and while that has worked in many cases, it’s proven ineffective in titles that simply don’t have enough meat on them to keep players hooked. Pragmata has now come along to show that games don’t need to be big in scale, but can be big in scope with a core experience that’s just cleaner and tighter. The absence of bloat becomes a calling card in such cases, and Pragmata brings quite an impressive one.

We’d argue that the gaming industry as a whole has created the very conditions that are allowing Pragmata to thrive in the days since its release. It might be a shorter experience than its peers, but that doesn’t mean that it’s light on all the elements that make a modern blockbuster appealing. It’s substantial without being exhausting, the gameplay loop and character-driven narrative working in tandem to have you invested in the adventure.

It’s polished and clean, with enough reason to go off the beaten track while it isn’t overstuffed. Your path to progress in both the story and gameplay is focused, paced with intent to make everything you do feel like a natural extension of its systems. You’re nudged along to new discoveries without the need to forget about the main story, but you’re never obligated to engage with side content in a manner that can often feel forced in other titles.

These sentiments have been common factors in the discourse about the game, showcasing that a formula that goes for spectacle and substance without bloat has all the potential to succeed as another title that’s perhaps a bit more longer with more to do in the world it presents. But as a major release that doesn’t need players to clear their calendars for a few weeks, Pragmata is refreshingly free of the mental load that usually comes with a big release.

But how does a game with a short runtime manage to keep its players coming back for more?

Fast and Focused

Well, that’s quite easy to answer. Pragmata stands out thanks to its cool approach to combat, and it isn’t an easy game to pick up right off the bat. We’ve talked about how it can be a title that lets you show off your PS5 Pro thanks to the RE Engine’s penchant for incredible visuals and performance. But that won’t matter if you’re getting absolutely wrecked by The Cradle’s robot legions now, would it?

Pragmata’s a title that you’re going to want to learn quite well if you want to be good at it. We wouldn’t say it strays too far into ‘git gud’ territory, but managing enemy attacks while you try to sneak past their defenses with Diana’s hacks before you get to dish out some serious damage with Hugh’s guns isn’t a walk in the park. There’s an urgency to its combat that translates to an urgency to get into the groove of things sooner rather than later.

But once you do, it’s a game that you can finish with relative ease. It’s also a game that lets you tailor things to suit your playstyle, providing the scope to let you pad out Hugh and Diana’s loadouts with things that you like to use in the field. Get a build going, and you’re suddenly turning the tables against robots that had you on the backfoot a while ago. It’s approachable without being too easy, and there’s a certain satisfaction you get from making progress in it – a sentiment that’s reflected in user-generated reviews as well as critical insights into the gameplay loop.

Aside from approachability, there’s also the temptation to just keep going. The “just another hour” lie that we’ve trained ourselves to believe becomes a regular occurrence during your time with Pragmata not because you need to grind out upgrades or levels, but because you’re genuinely having a blast with its combat or story. It’s a different sort of addiction that doesn’t have daily things to do in the game for obligatory rewards, or a battle pass that quickly becomes akin to a treadmill that you don’t want to risk stepping away from.

It’s a game whose hook encourages curiosity, and choosing to stay in The Cradle for a while longer than you originally intended is just a natural extension of enjoying a game that gives it to you straight, and expects you to have a blast with it in return. It’s decidedly old-school in its approach, letting its quality and the need to continue playing because you want to become factors that keep you immersed in the experience, hanging out in The Shelter for far longer than you might have in a game that didn’t place a similar emphasis on natural continuation.

We believe that it’s what makes Pragmata a game that could be the beginning of a new approach to game design in a landscape where gamers are increasingly time-sensitive and discerning about the quality of their purchases.

A Refreshing Change From Stagnancy

Pragmata’s ability to keep its players hooked by simply doing what it does best deserves attention not just because it caters to players who want to have a good time without having to spend hours on end in a game. Rather, it has them doing that because they want to. For a modern playerbase that’s short on time and with a limited attention span, it’s a game that feels premium while also positioning itself as less demanding.

Its success since launch is an indicator that there might be more to its addictive potential than just a focused story and some tight gameplay. By daring to be complete, polished, and most importantly finite, Pragmata has demonstrated that there’s a hunger for games that resonate with players by meeting their expectations while limiting what’s expected of them.

You’re still expected to learn the ins and outs of its combat loop, but you don’t have to spend a chunk of your time grinding out upgrades once you do. You’re more than welcome to blaze a path through its story if that’s what you’re interested in, but its side content is compelling enough to get you making detours from time to time. It’s a game that has doubled down on a simple fact: players don’t just expect more content in a game, but want more rhythm from the ones that they’re playing.

In a world where many games can feel like they’re a full-time job, Pragmata has its players hooked because it doesn’t feel like work. It’s a title that’s the perfect way to cap off a long day, and is equally great for a quick session when you decide to take a break from your day job. It’s impossible to put down because it’s the perfect distraction, and one that can hold your attention with content that’s meaningful and executed well.

And that is perhaps its biggest strength. Time will tell if its potential turns out to be transformative enough to bring more games like it, but until then, The Cradle is going to be a place that keeps us all coming back for more for a while yet.

Rebuilt With Anvil Engine

For Black Flag Resynced, the development team really had one defining goal: Deliver the same story with the same protagonist but “elevated to a new level of immersion and realism.” As such, the original experience has been rebuilt with the latest version of Anvil Engine, which allows for pushing dynamism and gameplay further, according to creative director Paul Fu. Which is all well and good, but what exactly can you expect in terms of improved graphical fidelity?

High-Res Textures and Improved Environments

To start with, the remake is flush with high-resolution textures and enhanced lighting. Environments are far more detailed than ever – you can compare them side by side with the original to see the difference. Towns look more packed; buildings appear more weathered; and the foliage is far more detailed. Per game director Richard Knight, these additions “deepen the world,” further maintaining your focus on Edward and his journey.

Rebuilding “Every Single Small Moment”

Of course, the developer didn’t just stop there. Fu describes how “every single moment had to be rebuilt,” including the facial animations, which he felt to be “the game’s soul.” As such, a lot of hand-crafting went into the same to ensure they look realistic while maintaining the spirit of the original’s performance.

Stranger Tides and Dynamic Weather

Then there’s the dynamic weather system, which makes every sea-faring journey that much more unpredictable. Storms and rogue waves feel that much more harrowing and realistic, but even if you’re just going through a “normal” rough patch of weather, it will affect the ship’s overall handling. So kick back and enjoy the shanties (alongside some new ones), but always remain alert.

Expanded Underwater Exploration

Another reason to keep your eyes peeled is underwater exploration. It’s back and somehow more expansive, beautiful, and perilous than ever. So as dangerous as the original’s sharks could feel, Resynced is probably going to up the ante even further (and maybe offer some more rewards to boot).

Overhauled Combat System

For all the praise that older Assassin’s Creed titles received for stealth, it was usually the opposite for combat. Black Flag wasn’t bad per se, but it wasn’t exactly the best either. Resynced tackles this by going for a more “action-oriented experience,” reworking it to include perfect dodging, staggers, and faster, more fluid attacks. One example is taking out an enemy from afar with your pistol and then instantly parrying an incoming melee attack. Speaking of which…

Perfect Parries and Chain Takedowns

Better get that timing down because perfect parries will be your ticket to some serious damage. Thanks to different visual cues, it’s easier to read enemy attacks. Parry them perfectly, and you can chain up to four takedowns to quickly dispatch crowds. Otherwise, feel free to throw them into environmental objects or seamlessly switch between tools and weapons to get the job done.

Improved Parkour

Resynced is taking some cues from Shadows’ brilliant parkour, offering more natural movement that flows more naturally and includes options like back ejects, side ejects and free jumps. And whether you’re quickly navigating towns, be it Havana or Nassau, or navigating skirmishes, the developer promises far tighter control and speed than the original.

Freely Crouch in Stealth

Sneaking is also getting a small but significant upgrade. Edward can now freely crouch, so there are fewer chances of being detected. Granted, he won’t be clinging to ceilings or going prone anytime soon, but being able to crouch whenever is one of those things that really should have been in the original. It just fits the Assassin profile that much better.

Revamped Tailing and Eavesdropping Missions

Even if fans can learn to love the combat, the same can’t be said about the tailing missions. They’re simply a pain, especially if you’re detected and immediately desynced. While the remake isn’t completely disposing of them or eavesdropping missions, you’ll no longer fail when detected. Instead, your target will now react and even put up a fight, so you’ll have to adapt accordingly. Interestingly, the development team mentioned “all new interactions” for multiple ways to progress in missions, so this may only be one example of a different approach.

Jackdaw Weapon Upgrades

Who can say no to more firepower, especially in naval combat? The Jackdaw, home away from home for Edward and his crew, isn’t just getting a few damage bumps, though. Instead, each weapon will receive an alternate fire option, further expanding on the ways you can react in situations. Of course, this should also make it a more fearsome threat for anyone dumb enough to challenge you on the high seas.

Three Brand New Officers

Further adding to this are the three new officers – Lucy Baldwin, The Padre and Dead Man Smith. Recruiting them will let you harness their abilities – like Smith’s ability to grant double the shots to broadside weapons. However, you’ll need to earn their trust by completing separate narrative questlines to coax them into joining up. Combined with the new Jackdaw upgrades, you can become an even bigger menace in naval combat than before.

New Narrative Arcs for Blackbeard and Stede

While new quests and content for these characters are great, what about the pre-established cast? Well, you can look forward to new narrative arcs for Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet. How many more hours will this contribute? The team didn’t say, but we’re not going to say no to tearing things up with our favorite pirate outlaws.

No Multiplayer or DLC

Unfortunately, there have been some compromises with Black Flag Resynced. The DLC and multiplayer modes have not made the jump, so you’re not playing as Aveline or Adéwalé in their own quests, or terrorizing your friends in the genuinely compelling PvP. Instead, the remake wants to focus on the title’s roots while updating it for a new generation (and the original will remain available). Is it somewhat disappointing? Sure, but at least the developer isn’t spreading itself too thin and focusing more on what really matters (read: the base game).

“New Moments” in Modern Day Rifts

One point that’s still ambiguous, especially after all the rumors, is the modern-day sections. Fu said that the modern-day rifts would feature new moments focusing on Edward’s internal struggles. However, it wasn’t confirmed whether you’d still walk around Abstergo, a core component of the original’s story. Time will tell, but if it’s any consolation, Jean Guesdon, who was co-director on the original and is now head of content on the franchise, said he couldn’t tell where the old game ended, and the new one began. It just felt like playing Black Flag, and for millions of fans worldwide, that may be enough. We’ll find out first-hand when it launches this Summer.

Thus, we come to The Expanse: Osiris Reborn. It’s uncharted territory for Owlcat Games, a studio best known for CRPGs like Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous, not to mention Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. Going from tactical real-time-with-pause and turn-based combat into a real-time, cover-based shooter is one thing. Add on the established universe and lore of The Expanse, which has its own dedicated following in sci-fi circles, and the potential risk feels doubled.

And yet, I received a different impression from the closed beta. That of a team that’s confident in what it wants and how it wants to tell its story. A comfort in immersing you within this universe, and rewarding those who take the time to explore it. Granted, the beta only offers one mission and no character creator – only two class options (Hacker and Officer) and two backgrounds (Earther and Belter). However, the attention to detail in your choices, both in shaping your characters and their actions, is already abundantly clear.

Don’t worry if you’re not intimately familiar with The Expanse. All you need to know right now is that your character and their sibling, J, are Pinkwater mercenaries who just escaped from Eros, where a brutal bioweapon was unleashed. We’ve already seen these events play out in the official announcement trailer; what we didn’t see is the aftermath. After narrowly escaping the station aboard a stolen ship, they return to Pinkwater 4 to relay what happened to their boss, Oscar O’Connell.

While it carries that distinct sci-fi feel, the grounded nature of The Expanse’s technology is on full display. Entering Pinkwater 4 requires manually triggering an airlock switch. Boxes and crates are piled up everywhere. Belter Today plays on a large display, detailing the destruction of an ice hauler and the water crisis caused on Ceres. Dispatch is handled by a game named Larry, who’s been working way too hard and hasn’t had nearly enough vacation time. The result is that it feels alive – like a far future space station that doesn’t feel all that far-fetched, yet still distinctly sci-fi. A bit cosy but not too homely, which is probably the intended effect.

Before I can say, “Don’t you dare badmouth, Larry, he’s already one of my favorites,” we get to Luciana, the vendor/gossipmonger of the station. She shares details on what Zafar, an engineer who checks out your stolen ship’s transponder, and O’Connell had ordered. If you ask nicely (read: Have high enough Persuasion), she’ll share some even juicier gossip. Of course, the twins could also inquire about their reputations, which change depending on whether you’re Belters or Earthers. The former seemingly involves drinking juice with tea to deal with High-G burns, and also how you somehow took down a pirate ship at the age of 13.

On the Earther side, J allegedly punched the UN Deputy Secretary General’s son in the face, and that’s why we left Earth (which isn’t all that far from the actual truth). Also, that we were apparently models, and not soldiers, to begin with. While I couldn’t interact with everyone in this section, it was still nice to pass by different NPCs, going about their duties, or just fixing a broken door to help one trapped individual out (because someone happened to send Zafar away on more important business).

It doesn’t take long for all this levity to drain away, however. O’Connell receives the report about what happened to our original ship, the Piranha, and the outbreak on Eros. Things go from bad to worse when Protogen shows up. Apparently, the stolen ship is their property, and their unnamed squad leader, who calls us criminals, insists on boarding the station. Depending on your Persuasion, O’Connell can either tell Pinkwater 4 to take up arms or stand down to ensure the well-being of his people. That doesn’t stop you from escaping through the ducts, however, and trying to get back to the ship with Zafar’s help.

Depending on the choice, you can spot some fellow Pinkwater allies being gunned down in the middle of a firefight against Protogen or simply emerge from the vents with a tactical advantage (with someone wondering why you’re crawling around in there in the first place). This is where Osiris Reborn’s combat is front and center, and any concerns that Owlcat couldn’t emulate Mass Effect’s feel were immediately diminished.

The cover-based mechanics and shooting feel responsive and on-point. I was initially a little miffed at not being able to roll away from cover or clamber up guard-rails, The Division-style, but quickly got over it. Instructing my twin to focus fire on an enemy or exploit something in the environment also felt incredibly satisfying – a feeling that’s only amplified when Zafar can provide fire support from our new ship, laying down a hail of bullets to shred squads and entire structures. Now that’s what I call backup.

Abilities are tied to gadgets, whether it’s activating a clip of incendiary ammo or activating a scanner to pick up nearby enemies. You can swap these out whenever, but gather enough materials, and they can be equipped with various mods for more advantages. For example, I can make it so that activating any ammo abilities – like incendiary rounds – will confer the same effect to my allies, while reducing their ability recharge rate and increasing their critical damage modifier. That’s not even getting into the different equipment, which further influences your build. The Warlock Fire-Control System, for example, increases the uses of my Armor-Piercing Wrist Cannon to four while reducing the cooldown significantly. And of course, these can also be modified, alongside your weapons.

That’s not even getting into the skills, which range from small passive bonuses to accuracy and cooldowns to increased damage when a duration-based ability is active. Also, if it wasn’t obvious enough, the Officer and the Hacker offer vastly different playstyles, the former serving as more of a frontliner while the latter can disrupt enemies with electrical stuns. There’s even an element of risk vs. reward, as holding down the ability can increase its power, but too long and you’ll weaken the effect. Plus, you’ve just exposed yourself to the enemy, which absolutely takes no prisoners on Hard mode.

Again, this is only the first mission, but I’m already excited about the sheer range of build options. As for the actual objectives, they can feel straightforward at times, although tracing the wires of a broken terminal, looping around the outside of the station, can be fun, just from the sheer gravity-defying traversal. That same effect comes into play during combat with muffled gunshots and enemies floating away after being slain.

That said, this is a beta, and there are some optimization issues. There are a few bugs here and there, and some places where the animation and writing could use a bit of clean-up. But regardless, I’m very impressed with The Expanse: Osiris Reborn at this stage.

When all is said and done, and the wider universe opens up, it’s not just capturing the gameplay essentials of Mass Effect so much as putting its own twist on things while sticking true to the universe’s lore and language. Owlcat Games still has its work cut out for it on the full game, but for now, Osiris Reborn could very well be that game.

Well, thirteen years later, Windrose has set out to try and achieve the same feat, and with 10,00,000 copies sold since its Early Access release, it looks like piracy has returned to the mainstream yet again. Yes, we had Sea of Thieves in the intervening years, but that one hasn’t managed to be as interesting as Windrose, even though it’s a fairly solid effort. But sales alone aren’t an indicator of a title’s quality, a fact that’s been proven multiple times over the years.

So, what is it then that gives Windrose the enjoyment of favorable winds in a sea of titles that are vying for players’ attention? What is it about this one that has its players returning to its seas for more of what it has to offer? Well, we believe that Windrose has succeeded thanks to a sublime balance between simplicity and nuanced complexity that’s sustained across the board. Join us as we tell you what we mean.

A Pirate’s Life For You

Let’s start with the premise, which brings in some of that simplicity we mentioned earlier. You’re set upon by Blackbeard, a popular name in the pirate community owing to his fearsome reputation. Windrose’s take on the pirate captures his imposing presence, making him the catalyst for your adventure. You see, he attacks your ship and crew, leaving the bunch of you stranded on an island and left with nothing but your wits and a burning desire to become a pirate that no one dares attack ever again. At least, that’s what we’re aiming to be, but we’re sure that many of you feel the same way.

But getting there isn’t easy, which is the case with any undertaking that’s worth it. Being a pirate isn’t always an adventure where you’re sailing to distant lands and finding treasures everywhere you look. Windrose has been clever to make your journey interesting, making you earn your progress by putting in the work to build up your base, crew, and ship by engaging with its systems.

And with a world that’s procedurally generated and the option to bring up to four of your friends along for the fun with shared progress, the beginnings of why it has been so spellbinding for its players begin to show themselves.

Procedural PvE

Let’s start with the world you get to live out your adventure in. The fact that it’s procedurally generated is a major factor in Windrose’s ability to keep you coming back for more, as it lends a layer of unpredictability to your adventure. You never know what you’re going to find when you set out from your base, and while things can get a little more familiar as you keep playing, the sheer size and variety of content on offer in the three playable biomes in the game’s Early Access build are more than enough to keep even the most diligent of explorers busy for a while.

But before that familiarity sets in, you’re going to have to be able to adapt to situations and think on your feet, just as a real pirate captain would when faced with something they didn’t anticipate when undertaking a voyage into lands unknown. We’d argue that Windrose nails down the feeling of venturing into the unknown, and that it’s only going to amplify it as the game adds more content over the course of its development.

But while the world itself might be unpredictable, we think that having only PvE elements in it makes the experience avoid the risk of running into a foe you can’t beat. From the perspective of an average player, having PvP systems means that there’s always going to be someone who is more skilled than you are, or perhaps grinded enough to craft a build that can wreck even the most skilled players if they’re not well-equipped enough to handle the threat that they present.

With only PvE on board, it means that the game’s RPG trappings remain grounded in a gameplay loop that encourages cooperation over competition, and while that might seem like it goes against the pirate’s code, we’d quote Jack Sparrow and say that the code is just a bunch of guidelines anyway. As it stands, Windrose’s take on piracy is liberating, allowing you to meet anything it throws at you on your own terms, and the fact that you could choose to play it entirely solo is always a good thing.

But of course, a ship is only as good as its crew, and the addition of co-op multiplayer is the next solid touch that makes Windrose an addictive game.

Fleeting Advantages

Every pirate’s dream is to have command of their own fleet, and possibly even an armada that would give even Davy Jones a reason to pause and reconsider picking a fight with them. The option to bring up to four of your buddies along is a great touch, and one of the reasons why we can’t put Windrose down. It works so well with the procedurally-generated world, creating the scope for play sessions that had so much chaos packed into a couple of hours.

Think about it this way. The game’s chock full of formidable threats that might prove too much for you in your early hours when you’re just building up to the legendary pirate you’re eventually going to become. But where one of you might fail on your own, you could always get your friends together and bring four ships to turn the tide (pun intended) in your favor. Get a few synergies going with your buddies, and you’re going to be tearing through enemies with disdain. Of course, with your progress being retained, there’s a lovely continuity to it all. You could always just keep playing even if your buddies have to drop off for whatever reason.

It opens up so many possibilities, and the idea of having a bunch of like-minded friends joining us to terrorize the high seas is a superb touch in a game that wants you to feel like a pirate as you make your way through the adventure. Of course, choosing to go it alone is a viable option, especially if you manage to come to grips with the game’s combat.

Swashbuckling Action

There’s a reason we mentioned Black Flag when we set out to paint a picture of why Windrose has been as captivating as it is. Well, get into a fight with an enemy ship, and you’re immediately going to see what we meant. There aren’t any complex mechanics to wrap your head around, and while that may seem like a reason to walk (or sail) away from Windrose, it actually works in its favor. All you have to do is get on a ship’s broadside and let loose with your cannons.

There are no limits to your ammo, and while positioning yourself can be challenging, it does make the entire thing so damn enjoyable. Of course, ship-to-ship combat is only half of the combat’s allure, and boarding enemy vessels means that you’re going to cross blades with the crew on that ship. Melee combat is once again a simple matter of parrying enemy attacks and getting in some of your own, with your pistols being an alternate method of dealing damage at range.

While some of you might not like the emphasis on parrying, we found it to be a very compelling callback to Edward Kenway’s ruthless fighting style. We must admit that we’re eager to see what’s going to be added to flesh things out a little more on the combat front, but what’s on offer is definitely enough to keep you entertained for a while. That’s especially true when you think about how exploration and combat feed into each other, and the fact that you drop any raw materials but not crafted items when you fall to an enemy means that there are consequences to losing. It’s all quite nuanced and done so well that you find yourself itching to pick yet another fight with an enemy crew.

An Authentic Adventure

With a solid, varied world to explore, combat that’s quite good, and a premise that clicks almost instantaneously, becoming a pirate captain in Windrose is a treat. Of course, looking out for your ship, base, and crew is a part of that job description, and you’re going to be busy looking for resources and actually building up your base when you return to it for some well-deserved downtime.

With a plethora of ways to get more resources and a fairly deep crafting system on board, we’re now at the final piece of the puzzle of what makes Windrose as addictive as it is. Building up your base feels personal, and it’s a great way to bring a bit of individual expression into the mix. Each one of us found our bases to be so vastly different from our friends, and it was a great way to kill a few hours between exploring the world and taking on enemy ships and bosses.

Once again, it’s all quite simple and easy to wrap your head around, but nuanced enough to have you thinking about it when you’re away from your systems. And that’s Windrose’s greatest strength. It’s easy to pick up and challenging to master, making it a title that you could sink hours into without feeling fatigued or bored. That’s especially true when you play it with your friends.

But of course, we must end with a word of caution. Although the three playable biomes on offer have more than enough to keep you occupied for a significantly long time, there’s still a long way to go, and a lot more to come before Windrose achieves the infamy that befits a game about pirates. The early access build does need further optimization, as players encountered a couple of crashes and a bit of long load times between different biomes. The fact that the player community is going to be a part of shaping the game’s future does give us hope for a final build that’s going to be quite appealing, though.

But as it stands, Windrose isn’t just about the novelty of putting you in the shoes of a budding pirate, as it has enough meat to stand out as a solid title despite that. All it needs to do is sustain the momentum it has achieved and chart a course into a future where it allows us to become the worst pirates the world has ever heard of. We can’t wait to see that happen, and are going to be sailing its seas until that day arrives.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

We’ve already covered SAROS in detail through two other “15 Things” articles, so you won’t see us talking about parries, shields, corruption, or the mysterious eclipse here. Instead, we’re looking at how SAROS’ progression systems, combat flow, narrative tone, and overall structure reflect a design intent that’s markedly distinct from Returnal. Some border on philosophical diversions, sure, but they’re big differences none-the-less. Here’s fifteen of them.

Note: All information in this article is through official sources.

Run Structure

Returnal is built around uninterrupted momentum, where you’ll push through one biome to the next in a single run. SAROS, in contrast, breaks flow into segmented excursions, if you choose to play it that way. Rather than committing to a full-length run every time, you can tackle the sequel’s hostile planet Carcosa in smaller, more focused outings, returning to hub area The Passage to retool and recuperate. This is a fundamental change in pace and structure between the two titles.

Session Design

This shift in run structure bleeds directly into session length. Returnal’s runs can stretch into long sessions, demanding you sustain focus the deeper Selene travels into Atropos. SAROS, instead, appears designed for short bursts, with thirty-minute expeditions that are easier to maintain intensity, knowing The Passage is available any time. This design decision reflects Housemarque’s desire to make SAROS more approachable than its predecessor. The option for episodic runs, with pause for story context and levelling up in-between, might just encourage longer sessions. Of course, not everyone will want a break between biomes. If that’s you, know that SAROS’ levels can still be tackled back-to-back.

Failure Penalty

Speaking of design, failure in Returnal is modelled on punishment, where your progress is near-completely wiped. When Selene’s back at the Helios, it often feels like you’re starting over. SAROS softens this blow by offering more permanent progression systems. The sequel allows you to retain meaningful upgrades between runs, resulting in a loop that feels less about losing everything and more about consistently moving forward.

Your Motivation

Because of SAROS’ upgradable skill tree, your motivation will naturally shift. In Returnal, your mindset is bent on surviving, brute-forcing onwards, and taking care not to make a mistake. SAROS, instead, leans intentionally towards optimism, where you’re encouraged to think about build synergy, how each run contributes to long-term growth, and how to boost each excursion’s efficiency beyond exploiting shortcuts.

Progression Philosophy

This motivational difference – survival vs optimism, desperation vs growing confidence – suggests a wider philosophical divide. In Returnal, encounters often left you feeling like you’re hanging by a thread, where a single misstep could undo hours of progress. SAROS, on the other hand, fosters a sense of control, where success is continually within grasp. Through permanent upgrades, each run reinforces the feeling that you’re entering the fray better equipped to handle what lurks ahead.

Resource Philosophy

SAROS’ shift in mindset is reflected in its resource gathering too. See, in Returnal, most resources are tied to individual runs and lost upon death, while SAROS reframes resources as long-term investments – more rogue-lite, less rogue-like. It’s less of a high-risk structure than Returnal, where you’ll acquire tools to build into future attempts rather than rely on what you find for just a fleeting advantage.

Build Identity

So, what does this shift in resource philosophy ultimately lead to? Well, in SAROS, you can imbue your identity more precisely into a specific build. Because, yes, as we’ve already alluded to, in Returnal your builds are largely shaped by what you find during a run. SAROS gives you more agency outside of runs, losing Returnal’s knack of forcing you to adapt on the fly. What you get instead is the ability to shape and refine your build over time, to pursue your own playstyle and make your survivability hinge on intentional decisions rather than reactive ones.

Difficulty Curve

The way each title delivers difficulty also appears to differ. Returnal throws you in at the deep end, demanding you lean into its specific challenge, oftentimes learning through repeated failure. SAROS’ difficulty appears to scale more gradually, where challenge grows in tandem with your progression, upgrades, and builds, creating smoother onboarding without sacrificing depth.

Combat Readability

Despite frequent bouts of desperation and chaos, Returnal’s combat is built on clarity. Enemy patterns, as bewildering and balletic as they often are, are designed to be readable. Incoming projectiles are visually distinct, and your survival often comes down to skill and instinct. SAROS, by comparison, appears to increase your cognitive load, layering more variables into each encounter – we touched upon the various bullet-types Carcosa’s monsters will spray at your in our other “15 Things To Know” features, but what we didn’t say is this: in SAROS, it isn’t just about you executing quick reactions through movement anymore, but, now, you’re forced to make rapid decisions under enemy fire.

Combat Rhythm

This added complexity feeds into a wider shift in combat rhythm. To survive, Returnal often required a mix of caution and precision. SAROS, instead, brings a more aggressive ethos, where taking risks in battle can lead to greater rewards. This is another fundamental change between the two games, altering the rhythm of combat encounters entirely.

Spatial Awareness

If combat rhythm has shifted, you can bet movement and positioning will also play out differently. Returnal places heavy emphasis on verticality, where you’re constantly navigating upwards, downwards, and across arenas. SAROS, from what we’ve seen, appears more focused on lateral movement and spatial awareness. There’s still opportunities to extract positional advantages through elevation, but overall SAROS seems more grounded, changing how you’ll read and control spaces during combat encounters.

Encounter Framing

Tweaks in your spatial awareness aren’t just a by-product of more lateral level design, but encounters on the whole seem to be framed differently too. Where Returnal often throws sudden ambushes and reactive combat scenarios at you, SAROS – again, from what we’ve seen so far – seems to favour more structured fights. The result: you’ll enter encounters with a greater sense of anticipation, meaning higher chance you’ll be able to execute those on-your-feet decisions that we mentioned earlier through deliberation.

Narrative Delivery

We’ve already highlighted in our SAROS coverage elsewhere how the two titles narratively differ, but their tone and delivery diverge significantly too. Selene’s experience in Returnal is solitary and introspective, exploring themes of memory, guilt, and repetition. SAROS introduces a more interpersonal dynamic, where psychological strain, and environmental instability shape a more outward-facing narrative that is delivered, in part, during Arjun’s time back at The Passage.

Replayability

Replayability is another area where the two titles differ in approach. Returnal’s consistent repetition encourages you to refine your skills through consistent and familiar loops. SAROS, instead, introduces an emphasis on variation, pushing you to experiment with different builds, strategies, loadouts, and approaches across runs, facilitated further by the ability to teleport directly into already completed biomes.

Design Intent

Through Returnal’s announcement and subsequent launch, it became clear that despite switching to third-person perspectives, the game was an extension of Housemarque’s arcade roots – tight, punishing, skill-driven, bullet hell action. SAROS brings the next logical step, building on Returnal’s foundation with broader systems and more flexible design. It positions itself as an evolution of Returnal itself, exuding the studio’s DNA in a grander, more realised experience.

Spark in the Dark has a simple premise: you play one of four heroes, each with their own unique skills and proficiencies, as you try to make your way out of a dark, seemingly endless dungeon. Along the way, you’ll have to deal with dangerous foes and other threats, like traps, that can quite easily end your journey. To help you deal with these threats, you’ll also get your hands on new equipment and other tools, like potions. However, you won’t necessarily know what these potions do from the moment you pick them up, and it’s left to the player to experiment with them, either by consuming them or tossing them onto enemies.

When it comes to the story, Spark in the Dark doesn’t spend much time giving players a detailed narrative rundown of its world. Rather, it gives you a couple of lines about waking up in a dungeon and tosses you right into the run. You do, however, get a few more hints about the larger world, with references to things that may have been going on outside of the dungeon, as well as warnings for menacing things that might be resting in its deeper levels. Aside from this, the storytelling is quite sparse, and Spark in the Dark is ultimately driven almost entirely by its gameplay.

Let’s get one thing out of the way: Spark in the Dark is an incredibly difficult game. Even though it offers three distinct difficulty options—the equivalent of an easy mode, the “intended” mode, and a hard mode that includes permadeath—you’re almost always going to feel incredibly vulnerable any time you step into the dungeon. This comes down to the fact that the pace of gameplay is slow, you are severely limited in your movement options, and enemies tend to be quite hardy. Your starting class also affects the difficulty, since it determines your initial stats, gear, and skills. This means that starting out as a Fighter, for example, can be a bit easier than starting out as a Blacksmith, who doesn’t start with a shield for blocking. Similarly, picking Rogue or Ranger can also make things easier or harder, depending on how confident you are in your dodging and damage-dealing capabilities.

"Let’s get one thing out of the way: Spark in the Dark is an incredibly difficult game."

The procedurally-generated dungeons of Spark in the Dark are, as the game’s name might imply, quite dark. A faint aura around the player illuminates only your immediate surroundings. However, the darkness also tends to hide a range of enemies, from giant spiders to zombies and skeletons that were once heavily armed soldiers. There are also several traps that you will have to keep an eye out for, since they tend to cause heavy damage while also giving you other impairments, such as reduced movement speed or bleeding.

Your choice of weapon essentially defines your play style for that run as well. Swords and daggers, for instance, tend to be much quicker to use than bows or two-handed hammers. You’ll also find several other weapons as you continue your descent into the dungeon, promoting a healthy dose of experimentation. Loot only makes up one half of Spark in the Dark’s progression system, with the other half tied to player behavior and build choices. Using a one-handed sword, for example, gradually increases the associated passive skill. Similarly, wearing heavy armor and surviving attacks will let you eke out more defense from your armor set.

This is also where some of the more interesting differences between the four heroes come into play. Aside from different starting gear and skills, each character also has their own unique proficiencies. The Hunter, for example, can gut the monsters he kills to get his hands on crafting materials. The Blacksmith, on the other hand, starts out with a crowbar, allowing him to open locked chests, as well as an edge in repairing weapons and armor. While still relatively minor differences, these add up to make each character more fun to play, giving players things to consider when they strategize their next run.

"Aside from different starting gear and skills, each character also has their own unique proficiencies."

The healing system in Spark in the Dark also deserves a mention, since it’s quite unique. Aside from single-use potions that you may or may not find during your journey, certain light sources will also heal you up to full, assuming there aren’t any enemies nearby. You can also find beds, where you can rest for a few moments to recover from significant damage or negative effects you might have been suffering from. This means that, while there is often a way to proceed, you will be quite heavily penalized for mistiming your blocks or getting too greedy with your attacks and getting hit instead.

Dying in Spark in the Dark throws you back to the last resting spot you may have found. If you managed to die before you could find a bed to sleep in, the run is essentially over, and you’re going to have to start all over again. You also don’t keep any of the progress you may have made between deaths, with the penalty essentially working like an auto-load from a save file. It is worth noting that there isn’t much in the way of meta progression in Sparks in the Dark. Each run is its own thing, and you don’t get to carry over gear you may have found on one character into another run with a different hero.

Unfortunately, some of the gameplay aspects also betray the fact that Spark in the Dark is very much an Early Access game, and still far from a polished final product. Movement and action feel quite clunky at times, especially when there are multiple enemies involved in a fight. Similarly, the game also does a terrible job of explaining many of its important mechanics, like how weapon and armor durability work, and how you can go about repairing them once they have fully broken. There is also a distinct lack of enemy variety, and even venturing deeper into the dungeon will often have you face off against stronger variants of enemies that you’ve already fought before.

"Unfortunately, some of the gameplay aspects also betray the fact that Spark in the Dark is very much an Early Access game, and still far from a polished final product."

In terms of both visuals and audio, Spark in the Dark goes for simple effects that emphasize the horror of the world and the overall isolation that the player is meant to be feeling. There is little music playing in the game, which is a good thing since you don’t want to be caught unaware by a group of spiders patrolling the room you happen to be exploring. The visuals are also quite low-key, and raw visual fidelity clearly wasn’t the priority here. Despite this, the game sticks to a coherent art style that also has the added benefit of letting you scope out where you might want to go next. Background objects like pillars are also quite well-detailed, giving you a glimpse at what kind of structure once stood what kind of structure once stood here before it became a dungeon.

Performance was never really an issue owing to the lo-fi style of Spark in the Dark. Running on an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU, a Radeon RX 7800 XT GPU, and 32 GB of RAM, I was able to maintain the frame rate cap—which I had set to 120 FPS—while running at a resolution of 2560×1440. I never really felt any slowdowns throughout my time with the game, which is great since Spark in the Dark punishes missed blocks quite harshly.

Generally speaking, Spark in the Dark feels incredibly promising in its current state. While far from feeling complete—the lack of enemy variety, effective tutorials, and clunky combat stand out—I still found the game surprisingly addictive. The minimalist approach to storytelling, with plenty of vague hints and clues about what might be going on in the world, is great, and there is a certain “one more run” quality to the core gameplay loop that keeps bringing me back in. However, Stellar Fish certainly has its work cut out for it as it continues its journey through Early Access.

This game was reviewed on PC.

If you have played titles like S.T.A.L.K.E.R.  in the past, then you may have a rough idea of the gameplay systems that Road to Vostok has to offer. Think of it as a survival-sim roguelike, where each time you venture out into the unknown, you return with more plentiful bounties and a little more knowledge of what is out there and how to handle it.

First and foremost, I am pleased to report that despite Road to Vostok being an early access indie title, it ran buttery smooth for the most part on my rig. I experienced a frame rate dip once in a specific area, but overall, the technical performance is absolutely solid, especially considering it comes from a relatively unknown developer.

Antti Leinonen is the name of the solo developer responsible for Road to Vostok, and he has done a great job of making sure that his game runs well, so he has to be commended for that. Leinonen’s passion for both this genre and this part of the world shines through in every aspect of the experience. You can feel how much of his real-world lived experience and his personal gaming taste has been poured into this vision.

If you are looking for a layered, detailed narrative, then Road to Vostok likely won’t be the title for you. Other than a brief introduction to the game via a transistor radio, there isn’t much else here in terms of story, at least in its current state. Obviously, the game is still in early access and more plot elements may be added in the future, but at the time of writing, Road to Vostok is more concerned with atmosphere and mood.

In that regard, the game delivers in spades. The atmosphere in this game is thick, and the tension during certain moments could be cut with a knife. There have been horror games that haven’t made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in the way that Road to Vostok has. So much of this atmosphere comes from the game’s sound design, which is utterly phenomenal.

The player starts off the game in a small cabin, which essentially acts as your operations hub for the duration of your time in post-apocalyptic Finland. You must venture out of your cabin for the first time with a limited selection of randomly generated supplies and weapons. From here, you are on your own. You will have to feed, rest, heal and hydrate your character while you explore to keep him in optimal condition.

Each run that you complete allows you to store your bounties and supplies from the outside world in your cabin’s storage units. When you sleep in bed, the game saves, meaning that if you head out again the following day and get killed, the only things you will lose are the items you are carrying on your person, but your stash will be saved for the next time you load up and head out.

Speaking of taking bullets, Road to Vostok’s gunplay is not the fast-paced experience you might expect from a first-person shooter. It is, however, extremely intense. The guns handle well and adhere to a strict realism in terms of their use. For example, to switch from automatic to semi-auto on an SMG, you must manually trigger the switch on the weapon, before loading it into a suitable magazine, and only then can you fire your weapon.

This level of realism also applies when you are on the receiving end of gunfire. Getting shot in this game is no joke. Even if you win the gunfight and sustain a gunshot, that wound will continue to bleed and your health will continue to deplete until you treat it with a bandage and your health won’t increase until you apply a tourniquet and take some medicine.

On top of this, you’ll need to remember to scavenge for food and juice to keep yourself fed and hydrated, as well as ensuring your character gets plenty of rest. This level of detailed realism is what takes Road to Vostok from being a survival FPS, to something closer to a life-sim rogue-like. It is also the element most likely to put more casual players off the game.

This is a shame, because there are some really great moments to experience in Road to Vostok, even in its current early access state. As I have alluded to several times, the enemy encounters in the game can be extremely thrilling and nail-biting. These cat and mouse moments are so exhilarating that they are worth the price of admission alone.

Road to Vostok is at its peak when you are crouched with your gun drawn, listening carefully for footsteps as you and the enemy stalk each other through a cramped, abandoned home. Leaning around corners to check for camping enemies while you hold your breath and get ready to squeeze the trigger is a rush every time. The scarcity of ammo makes these life-or-death moments even more twitchy and consequential.

Hopefully, more will be added to the game over time. Some Last of Us-style environmental storytelling would feel right at home in the post-apocalyptic world of Road to Vostok, maybe in the form of notes or diaries the player could discover. It would be really cool to learn more about what caused the brutal, survival-of-the-fittest nature that is required to thrive in this harsh apocalypse.

Perhaps you could uncover the source of the EMP blast that destroyed electronics across the region. Maybe looting, reloading, healing, and eating animations could be added, while enemies could be given more personality and individual backstories instead of feeling like generic bandits. Taking the life of a fellow survivor in circumstances similar to the player’s would carry far more weight than killing yet another nameless bot.

Even so, the high points of the game vastly outweigh the lacklustre ones. Antti Leinonen has done a phenomenal job crafting an experience that feels vast, intense, harsh, and full of potential. At its $15 asking price, Road to Vostok is well worth checking out. Hopefully enough players are willing to stick with the harsh learning curve that the game presents and are not turned off by the relentless, unforgiving nature of the gunplay and enemy AI.

Road to Vostok may be a solo-developed indie game, but its future looks extremely bright, and the foundations already in place give it enormous potential. If you are looking for a tense, gritty, realistic world to jump into and act out your rural survivalist fantasies, then you could do a lot worse than Road to Vostok.

This game was reviewed on PC.

A Fighting Game Based in the Image Universe

Originally a comic book series set in the Image Universe, Invincible follows the story of Mark Grayson. The series began in 2003, with the last entry published in 2018 following 144 issues. An animated TV adaptation emerged in 2021, putting the spotlight back on this intensely gory yet mature take on the superhero narrative. Its fast-paced, complex action lends itself to fighting game mechanics with ease.

Fights Are Structured in 3v3 Tag Teams

A launch roster of multiple heroes and villains from the Invincible series will compete in 3 versus 3 matchups. Each brings signature moves, with your team’s individual power and complexion hinging on who you add to its ranks. Also, did we mention Invincible VS’s fist-fighting is brutal yet? Well, the devs have gone to painstaking lengths to capture blood, bruises, and bodily destruction in real-time; no doubt inspired by the comics’ frequent viscera.

Fighters Can Be Swapped Mid-Combo

Thanks to the game’s tag system, your opponents can be pummelled by multiple teammates through seamlessly connected combos. By performing an “active tag”, you can switch fighters to continue attacking, dealing more devastating damage through complex chains. There is a combo meter which fills via consecutive hits during battle, and the combo is over once this depletes. But, it is partially refilled when you swap characters, although constant swapping is countered by a cooldown meter, ensuring infinite combos are impossible whilst also giving your opponent opportunity to fight back.

Benched Fighters Can Recover Health

Bringing yet more strategy, when fighters are out of the arena they’ll restore a certain amount of recoverable health. Regaining full health isn’t possible, with the character’s individual health bar indicating just how much they can recover. The extra slice of strategy comes into force here as Invincible VS places strong emphasis on regularly swapping out your characters. With this recoverable health mechanic, benching fighters isn’t just optimal for maintaining the offensive, but it’s a defensive necessity too.

A Boost System Speeds Up Movement

Invincible VS’s Heroic Boost system is yet another resource you’ll need to manage during bouts. Represented by the three yellow bars beneath your character’s health, this boost system amplifies your defensive options by increasing your dash speed, meaning you can dodge or reposition swiftly. Offensively, using Heroic Boost when performing a special attack morphs the manoeuvre into a more powerful version, dealing better damage.

Ultimate Attacks are Brutal, Cinematic Finishers

Now, in Invincible VS, Ultimate Attacks are the most powerful, visually awestriking moves you can execute. Billed as manoeuvres which can turn the tide of battle, they’re also high-damage enough to end it once and for all with a brutal “overkill”. To unleash an Ultimate, you’ll need to perform a heavy attack and a special move simultaneously to wield a “super”. Then, to transform into an ultimate you’ll need to spend some of your boost meter. If done successfully, you’ll trigger a ten-second onslaught of cinematic brutality that’s sure to rank amongst the game’s most spectacular highlights.

Your Teammates Can Assist You In Battle

There are numerous assists that you can trigger during the heat of battle which include your teammates, summoning an ally to join you in a beatdown or to spare your blushes if you’re on the receiving end. Active Assist lets you call in a friend whilst you’re already attacking, hitting, or even blocking. Assist Breaker uses your boost meter to bring in a teammate to break you out of an opponent’s combo chain. We’ve already touched on Active Tag, whereby you tag in a mate mid-combo, but also worth pointing out is that the assist system is directional – forward, backward, and neutral, without any directional input, focusing the help on where you need it.

“Snapback” Forces Your Opponents to Swap Lineups

A more specialised offensive manoeuvre is Snapback, which directly disrupts your opponent’s character-swapping, combo-chaining strategies. When you execute a Snapback, you’ll smack your opponent out of the ring, forcing one of their allies to step in. In the process, you’ll remove their recoverable health by preventing them from healing on the sidelines. What’s more, well-timed Snapbacks can trigger Heroic Strikes and Stage Transitions, the latter smashing your opponent into a new arena altogether.

Stages are Destructible

Each stage in Invincible VS is highly destructible, leading to bouts that are continuously dynamic as the arena shifts, crumbles, and shatters in tandem with the match’s intensity. Together with permanent bruising and scars to characters, and violent stage transitions, there’s an overriding feeling that the brutality and suffering in matches causes permanent damage. These systems give weight and meaning to fights which other fighting games tend to overlook.

Story Mode Penned by TV Series Writer

Invincible VS includes a captivating, cinematic story mode, telling a wholly original story which is penned in collaboration with a writer who worked on the animated TV series. What’s more, series creator Robert Kirkman (who also serves as the TV series’ producer) is lending his creative oversight to the game. With both comics and TV series alike receiving near-universal acclaim you can expect the same level of emotional intensity, witty dialogue, and high-stakes melodrama in the game’s narrative.

Arcade, Training, and Multiplayer Modes

Invincible VS’s other modes include a traditional arcade mode, where your chosen team of three take on increasingly difficult AI opponents. A comprehensive training mode includes a suite of tutorials for the game’s basic and advanced mechanics, with a practice mode giving you a low-stakes arena to perfect your combos. As for multiplayer, you can play locally against your mate in a standard 3v3 matchup, or head online for casual or competitive battles, the latter bringing skill-based matchmaking, rollback netcode, cross-platform play, and global leaderboards.

There’s Plenty of Beginner-Friendly Mechanics

Beyond the game’s tutorials and practice modes, there are plenty of other mechanics to assist beginner onboarding. Simple inputs, functioning similarly to Street Fighter’s “modern controls” allow you to perform auto-combos via single button inputs. Likewise, special moves can be performed by combining a single input with a direction. Active Tag timing, the system whereby you swap characters, can be made a little easier by activating the assist buffer, widening the window a teammate is able to jump in to continue your combo. Lastly, the already mentioned assist breaker can be a one-button press to escape a long combo. You’ll spend two bars of your boost meter, but can prove invaluable for beginners who may be struggling to defend particularly brutal attack chains.

Release Date, Platforms, and Price

Invincible VS is scheduled for global release on 30th April 2026. It will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. We’ll outline the Deluxe Edition’s features and price in the next entry, but the game’s Digital Standard Edition is retailing at £39.99 / $49.99, with a “Zero Suit” skin listed as pre-order bonus. Also, a standard physical edition has been announced, currently available for the same price as digital.

Deluxe Edition Overview

Priced at £59.99 / $69.99, the game’s Digital Deluxe Edition includes exclusive cosmetics and the first year’s DLC characters – of which four have been announced – alongside the base game. Finally, a physical collector’s edition can be bought which presents the game in a decorative steelbook case, with art cards, and a mini-comic too.

PC Requirements

Your minimum PC requirements for Invincible VS are as follows: Intel Core i5-9700F or Ryzen 5 2600 CPU, GeForce RTX 2070 or Radeon RX 7800 – each with 8GB VRAM – GPU, and 15GB storage. However, recommended specs as per the game’s Steam listing detail an Intel Core i7-12700K or Ryzen 7 7700 CPU, GeForce RTX 3070 or Radeon RX 6800 GPU, both again with 8GB VRAM, and 25GB storage space. Whatever your setup, you’ll need 16GB RAM.