Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Between the B.T. Kaijus duking it out, whatever Higgs has going on and all the deliveries, it’s easy to forget that Death Stranding 2: On the Beach features a robust stealth system. It’s somewhat hard to notice between the increased gunplay, but you’ll still have to carefully walk about areas infested with B.T.s and avoid getting caught. We’re also hoping for more non-lethal options and witnessing how dynamic weather impacts strategies (like a sandstorm obscuring enemy detection radius).

And regardless if the story makes as much sense as the original or not, you just know it’s going to be a journey unlike any other when it launches on June 26th for PS5.

It’s still early days for the technology too; as this console generation develops, expect more studios to release games that realise the UE5’s full potential.

Unrecord

Causing quite the stir when it’s first gameplay reveal trailer dropped recently, Unrecord is an upcoming tactical FPS that distinguishes itself from other shooters by way of its unique bodycam perspective. Blurring the line between video game and real-life police footage has proven too close to the bone for some, but it must be said that as a technical showpiece Unrecord looks fantastic, with tense gunplay intimately viewable through fish-eye lens distortion providing unprecedented grisly detail. Unrecord is still in pre-production, so no release window for this one yet.

Silent Hill 2  

Exhumed after a decade dead and buried is Silent Hill. Three new games are in the works: new mainline entry Silent Hill F, mysterious spin-off Silent Hill: Townfall, and a remake of arguably the most iconic of the franchise Silent Hill 2. Layers of Fear developer Bloober Team are in charge, with the isolating, dread-soaked atmosphere of the original top of the list of priorities to recapture. Fog will play a big part, of course, but original composer Akira Yamaoka – whose soundtrack arguably characterises the pervading dread as much as the fog – is also on board. Coming to PS5 and Windows some time in 2023, with rumours surfacing that a release window is announcing soon.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

The continuation of Senua’s Saga in Hellblade II has been a long time coming. It feels an age since the jaw-dropping gameplay trailer, you know… the one where Senua comes face to face with a harrowing crawling giant inside a beachhead cave. At the recent State of Unreal 2023 showcase Senua actor Melina Juergens appeared demonstrating the power of Unreal Engine 5’s MetaHuman. This innovation is a complex system capable of capturing human faces, with believable features, emotions, and skin complexions selling the realism of actor performance. Expect to see plenty of this when Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II eventually comes out, with rumours pointing to a 2023 release.

I.G.I. Origins

Think your way in and shoot your way out is the name of the game in upcoming tactical espionage FPS I.G.I. Origins, and for a game which challenges players to exist mostly in the shadows there’s an awful lot of complex graphical detail in weaponry and clothing on display. I.G.I. Origins’ graphics harness every shard of light to demonstrate Unreal Engine 5’s prowess for film-quality surface textures. No release window yet, but here’s hoping gameplay is as good as the graphics when I.G.I. Origins does come out.

Fort Solis

First revealed summer 2022, last month Fort Solis developer Fallen Leaf shared a first official look at gameplay, and whilst actual gameplay is unquestionably scant in the trailer it does solidify Fort Solis’ potential as a deeply unsettling, desolate experience. Taking place over one long night within the confines of a Martian base, this upcoming third-person thriller was allegedly pitched to voice actor Troy Baker as ‘Moon meets Dead Space’, and it’s easy to see why – tentatively treading through dark, creepy, neon-lit corridors make the up the bulk of Fort Solis’ action. Set to release Q3 2023.

Unawake

In Unawake, players will decide the fate of humanity amidst the turmoil of brutal war, battling nightmarish creatures from both Heaven and Hell in an epic story spanning eons. These surreal, clouded environments where melee-heavy skirmishes take place are breath-taking… nay, biblical in appearance. Unawake’s dev team RealityArts Studio truly are pushing the boundaries of imagination. Announced for Windows and listed as coming soon on Steam.

Immortals of Aveum     

Assume command of Jak and join an elite unit of battlemages to save a planet on the verge of abyss in Immortals of Aveum. Standing out from a crowd of first-person shooters is immensely challenging, but Immortals of Aveum’s Bioshock-tinged weaponised hands mixed with the franticness of arena shooters like Doom looks to be tapping into something unique. This first-person magic shooter features approximately 25 spells, colour-coded for offensive or defensive purposes, with action sequences fast, fluid, and dazzlingly colourful. Announced for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with an initial release date of 20^th July 2023.

Infinitesimals

Infinitesimals is a third-person sci-fi adventure where players take control of 1mm tall Captain Awkney Relinrake as he commands his band of miniscule aliens as they explore the treacherous, awestriking scale of Earth-like jungles through the miniature eyes. The crew utilises innovative alien technology to smoothly traverse the forest floors, with hostile mechs and organic insect lifeforms posing immediate threats to survival. Listed as coming soon to PC via the Epic Games Store.

Stray Souls   

Nightmarish, third-person action horror Stray Souls blends Alan Wake style psychological trauma with combat demanding Soulslike precision. Unreal Engine 5’s graphical fidelity perfectly complements the game’s eerie atmosphere, with ghoulish, foggy forests and crumbling foundations of dilapidated housing ripe for tentative exploration in the haunted, secret-laden town of Aspen Falls. Unreal Engine 5’s advanced facial animation innovation MetaHuman is said by developer Jukai Studio to exacerbate sheer terror by delivering new levels of photorealism and human emotion. Coming to PlayStation, Xbox, and Windows some time in 2023.

Repo Man

Set in the imaginative Art Nouveau city San Alma, players in Repo Man will assume the role of an intelligent debt collector. Tasked with tracking down debtors and reclaiming assets through the crumbling neon streets of a city akin to Bioshock’s Rapture, players will also come face to face with occultist forces, with mystery and conspiracy rife in high society and criminal lowlife. This peculiar first-person open world RPG will land on PlayStation, Xbox, and Windows in 2023.

Code: To Jin Yong

Explore the immersive, wuxia style martial arts imbued worlds of legendary writer Jin Yong in Code: To Jin Yong, an upcoming open-world RPG from developer Lightspeed Studios. Hyper-real renditions of iconic, much-loved characters is key priority for Lightspeed, with 3D creation tools in Unreal Engine 5 perfect for the task. Indeed, Code: To Jin Yong’s depiction of ancient China and character designs are masterful. Platforms and release window to be announced.

The Invincible

Set in a retro-future timeline on the grubby desert planet Regis III, The Invincible is an exploratory experience, one whereby players command sharp-witted astrobiologist Yasna as she embarks on a scientific journey, one which devolves into a search mission for lost crewmates. Unreal Engine 5’s penchant for photorealistic textures is present and correct here, with the game’s eerie landscapes are begging to be explored. Announced for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with a release window targeting 2023.

Layers of Fear

The next instalment in Bloober Team’s narrative-driven psychological horror experience has been rebuilt from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5. A recent tech demo showcased Layers of Fear’s ray tracing, HDR, 4K resolution and UE5-only features such as Lumen dynamic lighting and Niagara real-time VFX, crafting an immersive, stunning environment that’s sure to chill to the bone. Releasing in June 2023 to PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.

Witches of the New World

Plunging English witchfinder Jedediah Hopkins, armed only with sword and flintlock pistol, into colonial New England during the height of the 17^th century witch hunting craze is Witches of the New World. Promising a rich blend of survival horror, Soulslike combat, and RPG elements Hopkins will investigate the strange happenstance occurring, coming face to face with hordes of demonic monstrosities in the process. No platforms have been announced yet as Witches of the New World is still a couple of years away from its targeted release window.  

Project M 

This stunning interactive movie will likely play akin to The Quarry, but for now Project M is a truly lifelike experience coming from South Korean developer NCSoft, known mostly for MMORPGs. This story-heavy, choice-driven experience is supported by incredible interior design and lighting, realistic facial animations, and phenomenal city design that’s almost indistinguishable to real life. Announced last summer, with a presence at this year’s State of Unreal showcase at GDC 2023, production of Project M is ticking along although we’re still yet to be provided with platforms or a release window.

Splinter Cell Remake

The Splinter Cell brand is home to some of the best stealth games of all time, but with recent entries not performing as well as the developer expected them to – the franchise was put on indefinite hold. But now, the developer is hard at work on a full fledged remake of the original for modern consoles and PC. The remake is being developed using the Snowdrop Engine, and Ubisoft has clarified that the team will be focused on keeping the core stealth experience intact while modernizing the game for a brand new audience. While we are yet to see the game in action, the Splinter Cell remake is sounding really promising at the moment.

Lost Soul Aside

Taking inspiration from the likes of action games, developer UtilZeroGames’ upcoming Lost Soul Aside is looking like a promising hack and slash game. Players take control of a warrior and a shapeshifting companion as they make their way through a world where technology and fantasy coalesce together in a beautiful way. The combat is fast and frenetic, and the visuals are absolutely stunning – which is why you should definitely keep an eye out for Lost Soul Aside when it releases in the near future.

Project: The Perceiver

One of the more recent announcements in the list, Project: The Perceiver can best be described as Ghost of Tsushima meets Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Set against the backdrop of ancient China, the game follows an artist who dies moments before completing his masterpiece – but is brought back to life by a mysterious force following which he embarks on a quest to save his land from intruders. The combat is stylish yet retains a methodical flair to it, and the open world looks gorgeous with stunning vistas and a grand sense of scale.

Project GRAY

Currently in development at In-D, Project Gray puts you in the shoes of a native who has gained some special abilities thanks to an advanced civilization that has landed on its shores. Now, it’s up to him to stand up to the aliens and drive them away from this planet. Project GRAY started life as a one-man project and it’s still some ways from release, but it looks gorgeous with some dynamic gameplay that revolves between traversal and combat flawlessly.

Mumbai Gullies

Mumbai Gullies is a story about the protagonist rising through the ranks of Mumbai’s underworld throughout different time periods. The game is open-world, so it seems fair to expect a number of surprises while exploring every nook and cranny of this faithfully recreated rendition of the Indian city of dreams. Mumbai Gullies has the potential to morph into a grand hit, and we really hope that it does exactly that.

Airtight City 2.0

Airtight City 2.0 sees players assuming the role of a soldier who is powered by millions of souls, and if you think that premise is interesting – wait until you see the game in action. The combat looks absolutely brutal with our armored protagonist seamlessly switching between weapons and abilities to get through hordes of enemies. Airtight City 2.0 doesn’t have a release date at this point, but stay tuned to learn more.

IGI Origins

Toadman Interactive is bringing back a beloved franchise with IGI Origins, which looks like everything we would want from a modern entry in the series. IGI Origins presents itself with a fresh coat of paint thanks to updated visuals, and the hybrid gameplay loop of action and stealth is sure to captivate gamers once again when it releases for all major platforms sometime in the future.

Moon Mystery

Moon Mystery – at its core – is a game about uncovering the many secrets that lie undiscovered on its surface. Cosmonauts ask some pretty intriguing questions about our race to the moon, such as what was the real reason behind the mad race to reach the moon. It’s pretty rooted in alternate history and sci-fi fiction, and the gameplay seems to put equal amounts of attention to combat and exploration – which has us salivating for the final release.

Bramble: The Mountain King

Bramble: The Mountain King might seem like an ordinary adventure game at first glance, but upon further inspection – you will soon realize that it’s so much more than just that. The story (which is inspired by dark Nordic fables) sees you embarking on a grand adventure to rescue your sister from dark threats that haunt these lands. The journey will be punctuated by interesting set-pieces, gargantuan threats, and emotional story beats that should make Bramble: The Mountain King a game worth looking into.

Little Devil Inside

Neostream Interactive’s Little Devil Inside has been a long time coming, and suffice to say – it looks really promising. The trailers showcase our explorer characters going through a mundane personal life as well as an adventurous professional life as they search for monsters. The game will be open-world, and the minimalist cartoony art style really draws you in.

Aftermath

Aftermath puts you in the shoes of Charlie as he trudges through a city in vain hopes of finding his daughter, all while dealing with perils of an inhuman invasion. Apart from that, Aftermath will also put a lot of focus on Charlie’s own mental health issues such as PTSD which will have huge ramifications on gameplay as well. Aftermath looks really intriguing, and while it doesn’t have a release date just yet – we are really looking forward to playing it.

Vigilancer 2099

Vigilancer 2099 is all about your player character taking up on bounties to pay off some huge debt. Envoidant Studios’ upcoming action adventure is steeped in references to famous works of cyberpunk art, but it also has enough flavour of its own to help distinguish it from the rest of the pack. The visuals look gorgeous, and while gameplay details remain scant for now – Vigilancer 2099 certainly has our attention.

ILL NESS

Not to be confused with Project ILL from Clout Games, ILL NESS is another upcoming different survival horror experience from publisher ASDStudio. ILL NESS is inspired by a classic horror fiction novel Dreamcatcher, and it paints a bleak and dim world where survival seems unlikely – but you must trudge through all odds to remain alive. It looks absolutely brutal, and it’s currently set for a 2022 release date – though that would be updated soon.

Where Winds Meet

Much like Project: The Perceiver that we discussed before, Where Winds Meet is an open-world action RPG that’s set against the backdrop of ancient China. And it also tells a story that’s deeply personal to the protagonist, as he faces a moral dilemma between upholding his code of conduct or use everything in his power to defeat his enemies. The combat and traversal are looking pretty fast paced, and they all culminate to form a dynamic gameplay proceeding that looks really enchanting.

Pioner

In so many ways, Pioner looks like a true next-gen survival game. GFA Games’ paints a bleak world on the brink of destruction, and that gives way to interesting gameplay elements like well-designed first person combat, PvP elements, and base building among others. Pioner will be coming to PC sometime in the near future, and more details will be revealed soon.

Paranormal Tales

Digital Cybercherries’ upcoming Paranormal Tales is a collection of stories about people who went missing in a dark forest, and players must play through footage of those recordings to find out the mystery behind those disappearances. Paranormal Tales utilizes a rather unique bodycam perspective, and the developers are teasing some disturbing horror elements that are likely to get under your nerves. And that has us excited to know more about it, and hopefully we will get to play it soon.

The 2-minute trailer doesn’t really reveal anything new, but fans of the classic franchise will recognise that I.G.I. Origins seems to be going to great lengths to preserve the stealth-based gameplay the older games were famous for.

I.G.I. Origins was originally announced back in 2019 and slated for a 2021 release. It has, however, gone through a series of delays, likely thanks in no small part to difficulties in development brought on by COVID-19.

The game got its first gameplay trailer earlier this year, which alongside showcasing how I.G.I. Origins would play, also showed off the game’s lighting and shadows, as well as different weapons, elements of stealth, and even an assassination.

I.G.I. Origins is coming to PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Versions for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S haven’t been announced yet, but it is quite likely that the current-gen consoles will also be able to play the game.

More than 18 years later, we now have the first glimpse of the next game titled I.G.I. Origins. The game is currently in development at Antimatter Games, and is shaping up to be a worthy sequel all while paying homage to the games that came before. With the game’s imminent release date approaching soon, the time seems ripe to ask the question – what the hell is I.G.I. Origins?

The tale of I.G.I. Origins’ development is a rather interesting one; the game was first unveiled in 2019 with a short teaser. At the time, development duties belonged to Toadman Interactive and the game was being published by Antimatter Games. But later on, Antimatter Games took on development and as it stands now – Antimatter is in charge of both development and publishing the game.

I.G.I. Origins is set against the backdrop of an alternate history 1980s Cold War, and you take on the role of an agent codenamed Regent, who is serving a top-secret government organization by the name MI6. The involved nations are on the brink of a full-scale conflict, and your job is to prevent that from happening at all costs. An important point to note here is that this is a prequel to the original Project I.G.I., which makes Origins a great jumping-off point for newcomers to the franchise.

Those who have played through previous entries in the franchise would recognize this familiar narrative setup. And while it allows for some pretty varied level designs and operations scenarios, the major focus on the larger plot of preventing a war makes the story pretty forgettable. This was a major criticism of the original games, and there’s a high chance that Origins may suffer from the same complaints if it were to retread familiar ground. As such, it would be great if I.G.I. Origins deviates from the formula and tries to place some focus on the characters instead of conspiracies and the minute details of operations.

But either way, most fans are going in for the combat. I.G.I. Origins will play a lot like its predecessors, and the moment-to-moment gameplay is going to revolve around trying to find your way to the objectives through hordes of guards and enemies in highly guarded facilities. Players will have the option to freely choose their approach in missions, and the game would incorporate everything from all guns blazing to careful stealth kills to anything and everything in between.

The original games were pretty brutal in terms of difficulty, and going without prior planning would instantly result in a quick death. It’s pretty likely that Origins will retain the same level of difficulty, so players would have to try to mix action and stealth as per the situation to get through the levels.

Regent is a highly skilled agent, and will have access to plenty of varied weaponry to choose from. In addition to the trusty knife, there’s going to be a silenced pistol, an MP5 SMG, sniper rifles, and many other weapons in a similar vein. Each weapon will have its own pros and cons. So while the MP5 might have a silencer attached, the damage output would be markedly lower than a proper rifle which would obviously have higher damage but would make a lot of noise in return. As such, players will have to smartly choose their weapons of destruction for the job at hand.

And then there are the levels. Project I.G.I. and I.G.I. 2 featured sprawling levels with plenty of interiors and open spaces, and it seems fair to say that I.G.I. Origins seems to be building on what came before. The trailer showcased huge military bases populated with rocket launching stations and barracks, which has us excited for the release. We also saw the player sneaking into these facilities through forests and gutters and ladders, which would indicate multiple entry and exit points per level – which in turn should make each level highly replayable. Furthermore, we also saw a snippet of the player character equipping night vision goggles, which would further increase the variety in missions.

Any game with stealth elements needs to nail the level design, and Antimatter Games seems to have a great understanding of this level design. Of course, we would only know that for sure once the game finally releases – but it’s looking really promising nevertheless.

And we’d be remiss if we didn’t talk about the visuals. I.G.I. Origins is looking like an absolutely gorgeous game, and a lot of that praise can be attributed to the high-quality visuals. Antimatter Games has made great use of Unreal Engine 5, and it shows. I.G.I. Origins boasts some impressive texture work alongside great lighting even in challenging scenarios with low light, and the reflections and post-processing effects like volumetric fog are all looking really quality stuff as well. And the surprising part is that all of this is being achieved on last-gen hardware, which is a testament to the developer’s understanding of the many nuances and intricacies of the target hardware.

And that brings us over to the topic of release. Unsurprisingly, Antimatter Games hasn’t revealed any concrete release dates at the moment, and the only confirmed platforms at the moment are PC, PS4, and Xbox One. While the game would obviously be playable on current-gen platforms as well, no native versions have been announced just yet. But judging from the short trailer and the available information about the game, it seems fair to say that I.G.I. Origins is still some ways from release, and a release in the ballpark of 2023 is looking like a good guess at the moment. But an important point to note is that we don’t have a lot of knowledge about the game’s development, and considering the fact that the game switched developers midway through – the game could end up being pushed to 2024 if it may come to that.

Either way, we have really high hopes from I.G.I. Origins. Antimatter Games seems to have a great understanding of what made the original games tick, and we really hope to see it build a sequel that brings back this beloved series. There is a great void for sandbox-styled stealth shooters in today’s gaming landscape – and I.G.I. Origins can use that to its advantage and end up becoming much bigger than anyone might have anticipated. Here’s hoping it does just that, and then some more.

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.

Set in 1980 during the Cold War, I.G.I. Origins is a prequel to the first game and sees the player engaging in espionage. As Regent, you serve MI6 and complete different missions to prevent all-out nuclear war, eventually leading to the founding of the Institute of Geotactical Intelligence or I.G.I. Along with silenced weapons and rifles, one can use the shadows to their advantage, slinking around enemies without attracting attention and choking them out.

There are also Night Vision Goggles for fighting in the dark (as you do). I.G.I. Origins is coming to Xbox One, PS4, and PC. It’s not confirmed yet for Xbox Series X/S and PS5, but perhaps an announcement will be forthcoming. Stay tuned in the meantime for updates.

Toadman Interactive has confirmed the title of the next I.G.I. game. It’s now officially I.G.I. Origins and will be coming to PS4, Xbox One and PC via Steam in 2021. Antimatter Games, who worked on Rising Storm 2: Vietnam, is heading up development.

As a prequel to the original games, I.G.I. Origins takes place in 1980. The protagonist is an agent named “Regent” who takes on different missions for spymasters around the globe. You’ll be serving with the UK’s foreign intelligent service MI6 throughout the story. Eventually, how the Institute of Geotactical Intelligence aka I.G.I. started will be revealed, which brings us full-circle to “Origins” name.

The series’ penchant for first person shooting/stealth is still in place. You’ll use different gadgets and weapons to succeed and work to prevent “a new era of nuclear annihilation.” Will I.G.I. Origins also come to Xbox Scarlett and PlayStation 5 since its releasing so late for current gen consoles? We’ll have to wait and see so stay tuned for more details.

It’s never too late for a comeback. Toadman Interactive has announced that a third I.G.I. game is in development and currently slated to release in 2021. There’s no official title just yet (the current working title seems to be I.G.I. Origins) but like its predecessors, it will be a tactical first person shooter. Check out the teaser below.

From a story point of view, this will be a prequel that focuses on the origin of the I.G.I. itself. The game is currently being prototyped. Regarding the announcement, Toadman Interactive CEO Robin Flodin said, “I’m so psyched to announce that the prototyping is going well and we already have a fun base game to play in the studio. Today, we are releasing a teaser showing a glimpse of our prototyping and many things will improve as we continue the development.

“The reason we are sending out this update is so that we can allow enthusiasts to provide ideas and feedback when we are in the early stages of development. We want to hear from you fans to make sure you get to see the most out of this game.”

Project I.G.I. will be unfamiliar to most. Developed by Innerloop Studios, the first title released for PC in 2000 and was met with mixed reactions regarding its AI. It was popular enough to warrant a sequel, Project I.G.I. 2: Covert Strike, which suffered from many of the same flaws, along with no save games. How will I.G.I. fare in today’s modern shooter market? Time will tell, but check out the official website for more information and leave your feedback.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkyDbQ56onw