The trailer makes it very clear that Wreckfest 2 is far from complete at this stage. The studio has stated that there will be a lot of learning and bug fixing going on as players spend more and more time with the game. Alongside that, the studio has also revealed some of the new technology the game is using, including physics for vehicle suspension, deformation and driver interaction.

As the trailer puts it, Wreckfest 2 currently has its first few tracks and cars, and the studio is entrusting players to help it find all of the possible issues with the game before it’s properly released. The studio is also looking for feedback from players for potential new features that could come to the game down the line.

“We need your support and feedback to make this the best wrecking experience it can be,” wrote the studio on Wreckfest 2‘s description on Steam. “Wreckfest 1 was also in Early Access and became a big success thanks to the feedback and dedication of our community, so we want to do this again!”

While no concrete release date for a 1.0 release of Wreckfest 2 has been given, the studio believes that the Early Access period will go on for at minimum 12 months, depending on the community feedback it gets from players.

As for what content is already in the game, Wreckfest 2 includes racing and derby game modes for both single-player as well as online multiplayer. There is also a sandbox map where players can mess around with the game’s physics and the “destructive capabilities” of the new technologies that the game is using.

In totality, there are 3 distinct maps, each with multiple tracks. The Scrapyard map has a Circuit course with intersections and a Crazy course with oncoming traffic. The Speedway map has a Figure 8 Circuit, and a Speedway Oval Circuit. The Derby Arena has the Sandpit map, which is a remade version of the same map from the original Wreckfest, along with the Circuit long route and its reverse variant.

Players can drive through these maps and tracks in four different cars: 2 ’60s and ’70s American muscle cars, one ’80s EU compact banger car, and one ’90s US intermediate banger car. There are also some basic customisation options, including paint customisation for vehicles, a garage to edit and save car designs, a replay mode and a photo mode.

While its Early Access release is currently limited to PC, the studio revealed when it first announced Wreckfest 2 that it would also be making its way on to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Check out the trailer used to originally announce the game all the way back in August 2024, where the game’s new overhauled physics engine was first shown off.

Right when you start playing, the first thing you’ll notice is that Dragonkin: The Banished places quite a bit of emphasis on its world and story. The prologue chapter kicks things off by letting you play through an important point of the game’s fictional history, when several heroes banded together to help human armies take on the corrupting influences of an evil dragon. This prologue also serves as an interesting take on the tutorial formula, allowing players to play as multiple distinct heroes that you will then play for the rest of the game.

"Dragonkin: The Banished places quite a bit of emphasis on its world and story."

It’s important to note just how great of an idea it is to let the player experience the various heroes before you have to make the decision to pick one for the rest of the game. You get to experience multiple heroes: the Knight, the Barbarian, and the Ranger at the height of their power. You get to use their most powerful abilities as you take down hordes of the dragon’s underlings. Sure, it’s not a lengthy prologue, clocking in at around thirty minutes, but it gives you just enough information to let you make an informed decision so that you don’t end up regretting your choice two dozen hours later.

Dragonkin: The Banished makes one hell of a first impression thanks to the scale of the epic story being told. There are no punches pulled when you’re thrown against massive hordes of demons and dragonkins to take on. Starting things off in the shoes of the Knight, you get to feel immensely powerful. The prologue’s zones are also visually impressive, with plenty of debris flying all over the place and enemy corpses ragdolling away as you run through them with your shield raised.

On finishing the prologue, however, things slow down to an absolute crawl. After picking out your hero, you’re going to be spending the next several hours taking on small scale villains like bandits before you get to fight more intimidating enemies and bosses. There is also a surprising amount of time spent in mundane activities where you’re just running around and talking to various NPCs without any combat to break up the flow. While I’m not against the idea of trying to tell a story in an otherwise action-heavy genre like the RPG, things do start getting monotonous until you’re given your first real mission.

The core gameplay in Dragonkin: The Banished is a standard affair; movement is handled by left-clicking where you want to go, and can have five different abilities that can be used for a range of things, from shooting lightning bolts to teleporting around, and even getting defensive buffs. There is also an option for an alternate control scheme, where every aspect of your character aside from aiming abilities is handled by the WASD cluster of keys. The minute-to-minute gameplay where you’re just going on a rampage, slaughtering enemies by the dozens, is definitely quite fun.

"However, the Ancestral Grid does take a fair bit of time to actually start being fun."

There is also a great amount of customization allowed through the game’s Ancestral Grid system, which is also one of the core methods of progression in the game. Skills aren’t innate to your character, and are instead obtained through finding specific hexes, which can then be equipped into the Ancestral Grid. Skill hexes are available in different shapes and sizes, taking up varying amounts of space on the grid, and you are encouraged to mix and match various skills to find your ideal way to kill enemies.

Skill hexes come in two varieties: active skills, which are what you use to attack your enemies, and passive skills, which can buff up nearby active skills on the grid in interesting ways. For example, if Chain Lightning is an example of an active skill, a passive skill could improve its damage, reduce its costs, or even increase its area of effect. While it’s possible to find individual hexes for these skills, you will also eventually start finding combination hexes that can take up two, three, or even six spots on the grid. And while these combinations are always fun to find and try out, mixing and matching your own sets of actives and passives tends to be a lot more interesting and fun.

However, the Ancestral Grid does take a fair bit of time to actually start being fun. You don’t have access to the whole grid when you start out, and more parts of it open up as you level up. While this is fine in the long run, it definitely causes more frustration with the whole system in the earlier parts of the game since you don’t really have the room to equip the hexes you get early on. Considering the nature of the game, this isn’t too much of a problem; you can simply level up far enough to stop feeling those unnecessary early constraints.

"All things considered, Dragonkin: The Banished’s early access feels like a great first step."

Another unique aspect of Dragonkin: The Banished is that, along with your character’s abilities and gear, you also get to level up a city. Dubbed Montescail, the city has several spots where you can get new buildings built and upgraded. While an interesting concept, the city upgrading aspects unfortunately don’t do much to affect gameplay. Just about every building you erect or upgrade tends to offer at best minor buffs to things like your stats or how much experience you can get from killing things. Since it is an Early Access title and more city features are slated for future updates in the roadmap, however, this feels like an issue that will get ironed out over time.

There’s also a small baby dragon you get that can occasionally help your fight against draconic enemies, and as adorable as it may sound, when it comes to gameplay, your dragon companion doesn’t contribute much in these battles. You can get skill hexes that improve your dragon’s attacks, but unfortunately, all of these skills are surprisingly dull, doing little more than giving the dragon a chance to deal damage every time you do.

All things considered, Dragonkin: The Banished’s early access feels like a great first step. There are plenty of interesting ideas in the game, and its core combat is certainly fun enough to warrant at least one playthrough through its early access offerings. It’s too early to judge how the story will pan out, but the prologue feels appropriately epic and sets the stage quite well for what you can expect later in the game.

This game was reviewed on PC.

We got to have a chat with production director Jean-Georges Levieux about various aspects of the game, as well as the studio’s thoughts on new technologies like the PS5 Pro.

To what extent can we expect Dragonkin: The Banished to be complete at its Early Access launch?

The Early Access launch is really just the beginning. The core mechanics are already there – the city, the ancestral grid, the gameplay – but we will be adding a lot of content during Early Access. Most importantly, we want to take advantage of player feedback to improve the game in the right direction.

What are some of the ideas for additions to Dragonkin: The Banished along its Early Access journey?

When you develop a game for years, it can sometimes be difficult to step back and see the bigger picture. You create tons of mechanics, graphics, sounds, story elements… and there’s a moment when everything starts to come together – right at the end of the project. Playtests, betas, or Early Access help gain that perspective.

We want to use Early Access to listen to our players and adjust development if needed. The demo’s release has already taught us a lot, and we are already working on integrating player feedback.

That being said, we already have things in production and a roadmap that we’ve shared with our players. This includes new game modes, additional city features, a new playable character, new zones, multiplayer, and more.

"When you develop a game for years, it can sometimes be difficult to step back and see the bigger picture."

How many hours worth of content will be available in Dragonkin: The Banished in Early Access? How will this compare to the full release?

At launch, you will be able to play Act 1 (out of 5 total), which should take around 4 to 6
hours to complete.

After that, you’ll reach the End Game, particularly what we call the Hunting Board. Completing this board should take around 15 to 20 hours.

Once the Hunt Board is completed, you can continue playing and create your own custom Hunts with all the unlocked settings. At that point, it will be up to you to decide how much time you want to invest in the game.

Are there any plans to add multiplayer to the game?

Yes, it’s one of our major updates planned during Early Access.

How will build experimentation be encouraged?

A lot!

We have removed any costs for changing attribute points, passives, or even your hatchling (which can be seen as your character’s specialization). We’re also working on adding the Arsenal, which will allow you to save entire builds and test new ones without losing existing ones.

Of course, to perfect your builds, you’ll need to find the right equipment, the right fragments for your grid, and craft wisely.

How big of a role will the city-building mechanics play in Dragonkin: The Banished overall?

The city is your hub, and once multiplayer is added, it can be your friends’ hub as well if you choose. You will be able to develop it together – every activity (story, endgame hunts) will earn prosperity points that you can spend on your city.

You’ll be able to unlock services, merchants, artisans, bonuses for your characters, and various improvements for theorycrafting.

"Of course, to perfect your builds, you’ll need to find the right equipment, the right fragments for your grid, and craft wisely."

Are there already plans for endgame high-difficulty content?

We have designed a very broad difficulty system. From the start of Early Access, there will be 11 difficulty levels. Some thresholds will unlock access to certain types of rewards, allowing you to further enhance your character.

Whether you’re a beginner looking to enjoy the story on an easier setting or an expert in the genre, you’ll be able to experience the game however you like.

When are you expecting to be done with the Early Access period?

An Early Access period is determined based on player feedback. So, it’s still a bit too early to answer this question.

As a developer, what are your thoughts on the PS5 Pro? How does boost in GPU help in developing your game compared to the base PS5?

We are currently focusing on the PC version with the game’s release in Early Access. However, we have already run the game on consoles, particularly on the PS5, but not yet on the Pro.

The PS5 is a very important platform, and we will make every effort to ensure the game runs properly on it. As for the PS5 Pro, which comes with great improvements, we will take advantage of them to boost FPS and resolution.

What are your thoughts on PSSR? What kind of opportunities will this open for the game?

Almost all modern games use upscalers. On PC, depending on your GPU, we have several available.

On consoles, with Unreal Engine 5, we primarily use TSR, which is the engine’s native solution.

On PS5 Pro, we would definitely like to add support for PSSR. It should help us achieve better FPS while maintaining higher image quality.

"The PS5 is a very important platform, and we will make every effort to ensure the game runs properly on it."

What resolution and frame rates will the game target on PS5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PS5 Pro?

As I mentioned, we are focusing on the PC version for Early Access. The game will only be
released on consoles once it’s fully finished.

That being said, we have been and continue to be mindful of performance to ensure the game runs well on consoles.

At this stage of development, I wouldn’t commit to specific numbers for consoles. Ideally, we will offer different rendering modes to prioritize either FPS or image quality.

Do you have plans to launch the game on Nintendo Switch 2?

Not for the moment.

Along with choosing from a variety of anthropomorphic animals, players can also forge equipment from their fallen enemies. Scavenge the battlefield and use whatever you can to succeed. Though no gameplay is shown, Rotwood does have a nice vibe to it. Considering Klei’s expertise with titles like Don’t Starve, Griftlands, and much more, it should be interesting to see what direction this goes in.

Rotwood’s early access launch is listed as “202?” so at the very least, we know it’s coming before 2030. Stay tuned for more details and hopefully some gameplay in the coming months, maybe years. Also, keep an eye on more announcements and reveals from the PC Gaming Show.

Assetto Corsa Competizione was announced in February, with developers Kunos Simulazioni confirming that the game would be launching on PC, at least in Early Access, not much later, and they’ve now confirmed its specific release date. Assetto Corsa Competizione will be entering Early Access on September 12.

They have made this announcement via a press release, as well as a video (which you can view below). The very first build of the game that enters Early Access in September will launch with just one car and one track, as well as quick races against the AI, Hot-Stint, and “special events”. What price it will launch for has not been confirmed, but we can assume (and hope) that it won’t be too much, given how much content it is launching with.

There will, then, be five more monthly updates to the Early Access version, with each of them introducing a new car, a new track, new features and refinements. The full game will launch in Q1 of 2019. You can view further details in the release map below, as provided by the developers.

A new gameplay trailer for Assetto Corsa Competizione was also recently revealed at E3 2018. You can take a look at it here.

Scavengers Studio’s Darwin Project, a survival game where the director plays as much of a role as the players, is now available for Steam Early Access on PC and Game Preview for Xbox One. The newest trailer highlights exactly what the director does, which is restrict areas, throw gifts at players or make life harder for them. Check it out below.

Other features include the ability to place a bounty on a player’s head and reveal his location to everyone, thus creating a manhunt. The director can also change the gravity in the arena. Which feature allows for overtly loud shout-casting like the E3 2017 reveal? Well, the director can speak to other players so that’s also possible.

Along with making the game available on Early Access, Scavengers Studio has also given it away free to those who played the alpha or beta. There’s no update on when the full game releases but stay tuned for more information.

Co-op first person shooter/mining title Deep Rock Galactic is now available on Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview for PC and Xbox One respectively. The game focuses on Hoxxes IV, home to a plethora of minerals but also extremely hostile with its wildlife. Cue the space mining Dwarves to head into the procedurally generated caves.

The Early Access version includes support for four player co-op; four classes such as the Gunner for DPS, the Scout for lighting up the caves, the Driller for mining through rocks and the Engineer for creating turrets; and the aforementioned procedurally generated environment.

That last point promises a different playthrough each time and you’ll have an assortment of weapons like flamethrowers, gatling guns and more to battle foes. The environments are fully destructible but try not to go too crazy – a horde of aliens could take you by surprise.

For more information on Deep Rock Galactic including PC system requirements, head on over to Steam or the Microsoft Store. If you’ve already picked it up, what are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.

Phoenix Labs’ Dauntless is still chugging along in early access but has a significant new update coming that should draw players back in. And not a moment too soon because Monster Hunter World is out next month for Xbox One and PS4. The upcoming update is called “Sharpen Your Skills” and adds quite a bit like two new Behemoths to battle.

The new Behemoths are Skarn, a hulking rock-like creature, and Kharabak, which is essentially a giant hornet. To help battle them, players can earn a new weapon called The War Pike and take advantage of new damage types. There’s also the Cell System which will lend further customization and a “major overhaul” to the progression system that will keep you playing instead of waiting.

If that weren’t enough, there’s also a preview for Frostfall, the upcoming Holiday event. To learn more about Dauntless and enlist in early access, head to the official website.

Note: This list also includes upcoming games as well. 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 organiz

Campers

You encounter what seems to be an empty house. You don’t know if someone is close by but you’re still alert. You open the door, walk in alert and still get gunned down by a camper out of your view. Yes, even with the third person view active. It hurts in just about any game to die to a camper but when you’re among the 50 remaining players alive and climbing steadily, it can sting all the more in Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has received its latest monthly update which adds a ton of changes and improvements to the battle royale-style survival game. The biggest new addition is that of first person servers wherein players can battle it out from that perspective alone.

The servers are available for solo and duo queues in North America and Europe. With the number of people who complained about the third person perspective allowing for “cheesing” in certain scenarios, this is a welcome addition.

An FOV slider for first person mode, a new V-Sync option, additional hot keys and features in the Options menu and a new Colorblind Mode. The update also adds support for Xbox controllers with more effort to be made to improve it in the coming days. There are also the usual bug fixes, improvements and crash fixes which you can check out in the patch notes below.

Brendan “Playerunknown” Greene also addressed the recent controversy surroudning paid cosmetics. You can check out his response here.

Early Access – Month 4 – Patch Notes

Server Optimization

• Optimized fences, doors, and windows
• Optimized vehicle physics

Client Optimization

• Optimized memory usage for world objects
• Optimized terrain rendering
• Optimized vehicle physics
• Optimized User Interface

New Items

• Added new weapon Mk14 EBR. Mk14 EBR is a Designated Marksman Rifle that can only be obtained from Carepackages. This weapon is chambered for 7.62mm and sniper rifle attachments

Character

• Added two new face presets and hairstyles to character customization for both genders

Gameplay

• Added 1st Person server options to NA and EU Solo and Duo game-modes
• Players who choose 1st Person mode will be matched together
• Character view is set to 3rd Person mode in starting airplane and during free fall from the airplane. This will be set to 1st Person only in a future update
• Camera will stay still while looting items to prevent dizziness
• Added a new feature to report players
• Some people killed knocked-out teammates in order to avoid giving kill count to an opponent who knocked them down. Now the kill count will still go to the opponent in this specific case.
• Added new animation when using different consumables
• Improved camera transition when disabling Free look feature (Alt Key)
• Decreased the reload time of VSS
• Players may now re-enter games if they have been disconnected mid-game
• You may now play with Xbox controllers, and we will continue to make improvements with Xbox controllers
• Sound volume difference from inside and outside of building is more obvious
• Added new sound effect while scoping or aiming weapon
• Added new effects when a character is running or sprinting over different types of surfaces
• Improved character animation without any weapon or with melee weapon
• Added slight delay when using the drag-and-drop feature on items in inventory UI. We implemented this delay to provide a fair gameplay environment to all players
• Improved post-process effect when a character takes damage outside of the blue circle

Items and Vehicles

• Added a lower rail attachment slot to SKS
• You may now honk a car horn when sitting in the driver’s seat with Left Mouse Click
• Decreased the chance of vehicle explosion after the vehicle gets stuck in objects
• Vehicle driving sound will change slightly in FPP and TPP modes
• Added new sound effects for motorcycle tire screech while driving
• Eliminated firing delay of S1897 from pump action after reload
• Improved effects of boats
• Added spark effect to flat tires
• Reduced cast time of First Aid Kit / Painkiller to 6 seconds
• Reduced cast time of Med Kit / Adrenaline Syringe to 8 seconds

UI

• Added more features and hot keys to the Options Menu
• Added new option for V-Sync
• You may now designate a maximum of two different keys for each key bind
• Added new option to set toggle on certain actions and features
• You may now use Mouse wheel up/down as one of your key binds
• Added new keybinds, such as all mute (Ctrl+M) and switching Voice Channel (Ctrl+Y), and a new option to adjust the volume of voice chat
• Added new keybinds to use specific throwables
• Added Colorblind Mode
• Added an FOV slider for 1st person view
• Added some region names to the mini map
• Added new option to display helmet, vest, and backpack equipped on HUD UI. This HUD UI will be updated further in the future
• Added new option to display all equipped weapons on the right side of the screen. This UI will be updated further in the future

Bug fixes

• Partially fixed client crash issues
• Fixed an issue of weapons sporadically ceasing to fire despite being set to auto firing mode
• You may not use consumables in vehicles underwater
• Fixed bugs below while spectating another character
• A character appeared to be shaking when the character moves around
• Camera swing when a character scopes while walking
• Camera swing when a character peeks left or right while scoping
• A character appeared to be shaking when the player moves his mouse while scoping in Prone
• Characters farther than 500m away from a vehicle will no longer hear the tire screech sound
• Fixed post-process bug underwater in FPP mode
• Fixed an issue of the reloading sound getting played repetitively after dropping a weapon while reloading
• Fixed the probability of getting rainy weather to previous value
• Fixed a bug where a character could not equip attachment with full inventory
• Fixed a bug where weapons would continue to play looped reload animation even after canceling the reload
• Fixed a bug where a character could see through the other side of wall when scoping or crouching against certain walls
• Fixed a bug where a character sitting on objects inside of certain buildings could see through ceilings and walls
• Fixed sporadic issue of disabling in-game UI
• Eliminated bombing outside of Red Zone