But as much as we hate to say it, there are a few titles that just didn’t click, and now have the dubious distinction of forming the lower end of the year’s releases. Let’s jump into which of this year’s games have made the list, and why.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

With fatigue having set into the franchise for a while, a lackluster campaign, and some heavy competition in the form of Battlefield 6, Ark Raiders, and Ready or Not, Blacks Ops 7 has failed to breathe new life into the franchise, and has plummeted to being the lowest-ranked Call of Duty entry in history.

Despite its emphasis on a more tactical gameplay loop this time around, Blacks Ops 7 has ultimately failed to bring any meaningful innovations that can make it stand out in a long list of titles from a franchise that could use a bit of course correction. That’s especially disappointing in a year where some excellent shooters have made their presence felt.

2. Sacred 2 Remaster

While the original game might have been considered innovative at the time of its release, this remaster’s insistence on preserving the original experience has largely backfired thanks to the passage of time. Sacred 2’s clunky mechanics and dated visuals needed more than a fresh coat of paint, and it’s a game that’s going to be played only for its nostalgia factor.

Although it did many cool things with its setting and world, it simply doesn’t measure up to scrutiny today. The world may be unique enough to give this one so replay value, but every playthrough is such a chore that it could be very tempting to drop off the game and move on quite quickly. This one should have been a remake if it were to have had any chance at succeeding among a very discerning crop of modern gamers.

3. Double Dragon Revive

Basic combat, finicky targeting, horrendous character models, and a failure to live up to the promise of a series that had been dormant for over a decade, this one was all kinds of wrong for both franchise fans and newcomers alike. Its drab environments and lack of the flair that makes a fighter special made this one a very forgettable experience that quickly gets boring.

And don’t get us started on the platforming sections. We’re all for a challenge in our games but bad design being a part of that challenge is a recipe for frustration , not engagement. While it all could have been salvaged by some awesome combat, there were only so many times we could punch the air before giving up on it all.

What’s sad about this one is that it had the potential to be all that it promised. Countering enemy Aura attacks with a Special Attack of your own was quite satisfying but the minuscule timing window on those parries made pulling them off rely more on luck than on skill. As a fighting game, this one should have been very different, and so much more than it was.

4. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

Combining a vampire adventure with a setting that pushes you in the direction of an investigation just like a detective sounds like a great concept, doesn’t it? However Bloodlines 2 fails to capitalize on that premise. Its emphasis on sending you all around its admittedly well-crafted world does little to disguise the fact that its exploration is just unrewarding.

While the setting on offer is reasonably good, the combat is too clunky to be entertaining and this is a game that simply doesn’t click on any level. It can even get tedious from moment to moment if you don’t try and diversify what you’re doing. In a year where Ghost of Yotei gave us a more nuanced take on detective work alongside a brilliant combat system, this one is sadly relegated to the shadows.

5. Game of Thrones Kingsroad

With honestly terrible recreations of popular characters from the franchise, and a gameplay loop that doesn’t stay as entertaining as it is after the initial thrills of being let loose in Westeros in a well-crafted RPG world wear off. Bad character models, visual glitches, and a progression system that actively worked against players looking to make progress were factors that broke the spell of some solid visuals.

The combat gets repetitive too quickly, and as an RPG, having to manage menus more than your character arc was a drag. Kingsroad is an ambitious attempt to bring a popular franchise to life in the gaming world, but unlike its presence in other media, this take on Westeros fails to be one to draw the masses.

It’s disappointing to place this one among 2025’s non-preformers but Kingsroad is one that’s better avoided thanks to the journey being too uninteresting to be relevant.

6. Drag x Drive Review

A reasonably good gameplay loop and solid performance on the Switch 2 might have been factors being praised if this one had managed to be more interesting. With its innovative use of the Joy-Con 2’s mouse mode, Drag x Drive Review could have been on the frontline’s of the console’s initial push into popularity after its launch.

But its high skill ceiling and unfamiliar control schemes work alongside a lack of content to keep things interesting to wall off most players from being incentivized to keep pushing forward through its gameplay loop until they get to the meat of why it can be enjoyable in the first place.

However, if you’re looking for a fun, unique 3v3 online title to dive into with your buddies, this one might just be worth picking up on sale when the chance comes along.

7.Killing Floor 3

While the legacy this one carried might tempt you to give it a go, you’re quickly going to find out that Tripwire Interactive failed to capitalize on the valuable feedback it received during the closed beta it held for it. While it can be fun on occasion, and even shines brightly when your plans for the chaotic decimation of Zeds line up well, its lack of content makes it too forgettable to be worth it.

For a game meant ot be played with friends or as a team, its solo survival mode might just be the most entertaining thing it has to offer. There was too little synergy between its playable classes for it to sustain any sort of engagement its initial hours might have garnered, and the lack of enemy types and bosses at launch meant that it soon became a rampage without consequences once we got used to its mechanics and combat.

All in all, there was a lot to like but too little of it to make Killing Floor 3 a game that holds its own against the year’s heavyweights, or enough to ensure it stayed off this particular list. Tough luck, though.

8. Dollhouse: Behind the Broken Mirror

In a genre where the world you craft is as much a part of the experience as your story and gameplay, Behind the Broken Mirror’s poor level design and a fairly predictable and uninspired story made it rank low among the year’s best horror experiences.

Frustrating puzzles peppered a progression path that was often blocked thanks to a lack of clarity on potential solutions stemming from poorly designed levels. It often felt like the game was working against us to be as frustrating as it could be, instead of with us to be entertaining instead.

The story is similarly all over the place, and you’re better off not joining Eliza on her journey to regain her lost memories.

9. MindsEye

In the end, MindsEye’s gorgeously crafted world was ultimately where its ambitions went to die. As if its lackluster story, subpar combat, and uninspired game design weren’t enough, the game’s AI was simply not up to the standard of a 2025 release. Policemen would walk idly by while you slaughtered an enemy in front of them, while the lack of life along the streets you go along made the entire experience feel like a massive letdown.

It’s a world that feels empty despite how its vibrant colors and futuristic buildings immediately stand out as soon as you see them. But MindsEye sadly doesn’t populate that world with enough life to make it matter to its players.

Making things worse was the lack of effective damage control from Build a Rocket Boy, and the eventual promise of a roadmap of fixes has ultimately failed to grab any attention. It’s a pity, but MindsEye is among the biggest failures of 2025 as far as gaming is concerned.

10. La Quimera

It’s a solid premise for a shooter. Its absolutely dystopian premise and environmental storytelling might have been the stuff of a legendary game. But Reburn’s Early Access version of a solid idea does nothing to make this game worth your time.

Its story fails to raise the stakes enough to make you care, which is quite surprising considering the setting it takes place in. Its combat is similarly vanilla, giving you farily powerful weapons and linear levels in which taking down enemies quickly became routine instead of a fight for survival in which either side could end up losing.

And in what’s going to be our top pick for most annoying mechanic of the year, your mercenary’s pockets only let you carry a limited amount of money. That’s counterproductive to the nature of your work, isn’t it? La Quimera makes too many of these blunders to be close to the experience it could be as it stands today.

11. Solo Levelling: Arise Overdrive

While its visuals and excellent audio design might have you believing that this one is worthy of the anime that inspired it, you’re going to want to temper your expectations with Solo Levelling: Arise Overdrive if you’re a fan or someone with a passing interest in what it has to offer.

It’s a story wastes the potential set up by the level designs, while bosses waste its combat system’s potential by having massive health bars whose only effect is that they make each one outstay their welcome. Despite a lot of depth, this one simply fails to make use of its strengths enough for it to be worth a shot.

And that’s a wrap on the year’s titles that might have been more than what they are if things had turned out different. We’re hoping that the talented teams behind these titles lift their chins up and come back stronger than ever with new projects in the years to come.

But we couldn’t help but feel that some games this year could have been so much more in terms of the value they brought to their players but ultimately let us down. It’s time to dive into 2025’s most disappointing games – and why they made us feel that way.

Let’s get started. 

Deliver At All Costs

Developed by Far Out Games and published by Konami, Deliver At All Costs had all the makings of a fun experience made engaging via a very unique premise. Winston Green’s determination to be the ultimate courier, letting nothing get between his cargo and his destination ultimately fell flat thanks to an uninspired gameplay loop.

While the isometric graphics and unique mechanics could entertain you for a brief time once you get started, the game quickly gets repetitive, with little to no narrative context other than a few fetch and carry requests.

Limited upgrades to the We Deliver pickup truck and a lack of actual consequences for your destructive actions other than some bland police pursuits make this an unfortunately forgettable experience that is sure to lie forgotten in many of its players’ libraries once the initial thrills wear off. 

Monster Energy Supercross 25 – The Official Video Game

Despite an excellent visual makeover courtesy of Unreal Engine 5, a wide selection of tracks, and the legendary Ricky Carmichael taking up the in-game commentator’s mic, Monster Energy Supercross 25 wasted away its advantages with a learning curve that a significant portion of players would find daunting.

Its tutorials are ineffective at getting you into the ebb and flow of a race, a lapse that is sure to throw you face-first into the dirt in front of a crowded stadium. Milestone S.r.l. probably assumed that anybody picking up the game was already a fan of dirt-bike racing and tailored the experience accordingly.

We’re sure that fans of the sport will swear by this one but for the rest of us, this is a title that is a very ironic uphill climb.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master

This indie title from the stables (or garages?) of Warsaw-based developer Gaming Factory seemed like it would be a great drifting simulator for racing fans who like a bit of style when they turn a corner. While its in-game physics and story-based open world are certainly highlights, the overall experience was ultimately marred by several inconsistencies in the Guntama Prefecture’s streets and winding mountain roads.

Obstacles that a fast-moving car could plow through quite easily in the real world could bring you to a complete stop while irregular lighting ruins the dynamic day and night cycle, sending you tearing right into unsuspecting NPCs who just want to get home and unwind after a long day.

Its delivery missions are nothing to write home about either while errors in the kind of vehicle you will need for its many events are a constant annoyance, requiring you to reload at the last garage you were in and drive a new car all the way back to the starting point.

We recommend rewatching Tokyo Drift a couple of times while you wait for a sale on this one.

STAR WARS: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles Remastered

We’ll be the first to admit that getting to revisit the origin story of Anakin Skywalker (or Darth Vader as you know him) had us pretty excited for this remake of the 2000 title from LucasArts. Getting all of its original content in one place while Aspyr’s additions like the ability to play as a bunch of enemies you beat down in your first playthrough during New Game+ was quite the attractive package.

However, an excellent visual makeover aside, all of the problems that players had with the original continue to plague the remaster, and are annoying enough to drive you towards the Dark Side of the force. It’s a baffling lack of polish that is sure to ruin what could have been a very entertaining return to Star Wars’ glory days.

Perhaps Qui Gon would be happy to let Darth Maul stab him to death if he were to try this one out.

TRON Catalyst

Bithell Games had the opportunity to bring the magic and complex political discourse of the original TRON films to a new generation of gamers in its take on the sci-fi franchise. However, Exo’s adventures and the subsequent conflict between the Automata and Core ultimately failed to impress thanks to a lackluster story and a distinct lack of utility to its many inventive mechanics.

From the Glitch system that lets you reset your state on a server to an earlier, safer time, or the lore that fails to flesh out the various factions you encounter in any satisfactory way, this is a game that could have, and should have been a whole lot better than it ultimately was – and that’s a real shame considering that it does so many things right.

Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter

Although Arlo’s quest for revenge and his adventures as the Warden of the West are quite well-written and given a lot of gravitas and weight thanks to Doug Cockle’s narration, this attempt to create a side-scrolling Soulslike was ultimately let down by its tonal inconsistencies.

It was quite jarring to see a boss brutally murder innocent NPCs only for a character to make a very droll quip a few moments later. While the combat on display is certainly top notch, the healing mechanic proved to me more annoying than innovative, especially towards the story’s final sections and boss fights.

Hardcore Soulslike fans might find a lot to like in this game but for the most part, it does feel like it could be more fleshed-out both narratively and from a technical standpoint. Its world-building does deserve credit, though.

La Quimera

What could go wrong with an FPS title that puts you in the heart of a conflict between warring states in a world gone mad? A lot, apparently. Reburn’s take on a co-op experience that lets you team up with your buddies to take on a world of threats with an AI companion in tow failed to impress on any level.

It didn’t help that the game was delayed on the day of its release, a misstep that is sure to be a sore spot for the studio and anyone who was excited for the game alike. But its distinct lack of a clear and engaging narrative coupled with its lackluster combat is sure to make this one a game that the gaming world would be happy to leave behind.

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remaster

We’ve certainly been seeing a lot of Oda Nobunaga and his exploits in recent times. But younger games might have not known that the Japanese warlord was the main antagonist of a very popular action franchise from Capcom back in the day.

The studio’s remaster of 2002’s Onimusha 2 does include everything that made the original title so memorable, but fails to bring anything new to the table other than a new weapon swapping quality-of-life improvement and a couple of difficulty modes to accompany its visual upgrade.

Jubei Yagyu certainly deserved better despite his stoic and occasionally sassy demeanour making him less popular than Dante or Leon.

The Precinct

Fallen Tree’s police-sim brought a very promising start to Mick Cordell Jr’s first day at the Avernus City PD’s headquarters. However, his career soon took a very boring turn, devolving into mindless prowling along the city’s streets with only a hint of the promise he brought to table ever showing up during its runtime.

Terrible driving controls aside, The Precinct was a pretty interesting title that failed to deliver on the action-packed chases and gunfights it seemed to offer, instead focusing on the boring and dreary parts of police work. While it does shine on occasion and its main story could be interesting to some, this is a game we quickly moved on from thanks to its sloppy writing and average gameplay loop.

Splitgate 2

Its controversial marketing aside, Splitgate 2 never really reached the heights that its predecessor did thanks to being held back by a limited selection of playable classes and a gameplay loop that many players found derivative despite its intention to innovate.

Although credit must be given to its wide selection of weapons, maps, and modes, they were ultimately let down by its gameplay, which was hamstrung by the presence of only three playable classes with fixed functionalities. That’s especially saddening when one considers how many people worked on it as opposed to the original game.

Atomfall: Wicked Isle DLC

Although Wicked Isle did bring meaningful additions to Atomfall’s main story, they weren’t enough to make up for its lack of new enemy types and glaring omissions that made its runtime more tedious than it should have been.

That’s especially egregious considering how the main game always found a way to keep us on our toes, and the DLC’s new weapons, skills, and characters could not justify its lack of enough content to justify its price tag. Wicked Isle is another presence on this list that could have been so much more but ultimately failed to live up to the expectations it generated.

Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest

While getting to dive back into the main game’s story and learning more about the tragic events that brought about the Beira D’s destruction was certainly exciting, Mhairi’s search for its data logger was a disappointment thanks to its shorter runtime and technical issues that actively made it far less appealing than the main game.

Although it did bring a fairly interesting narrative to the table, it was not enough to deserve the same praise that the main game earned, mostly in part due to The Chinese Room’s attempts to address the linear nature of the main game only to get caught up in pathing and other technical issues that were obstacles to obtaining the full experience on offer in the DLC.

That’s a paradox many studios would rather avoid. 

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

After 26 years of silence, Fatal Fury fans were all “REV”ved up to receive a new title in the popular  SNK franchise. Bringing innovative new mechanics and excellent visuals to the table, it’s quite surprising that KOF Studios failed to do more with a franchise that had many gamers very excited about returning to the 2D fighting experience it offered.

That was unfortunately the extent of its traction, as an uninspired RPG mode and a distinct lack of heavy hitters on its playable roster brought disappointment to its fans despite the presence of excellent fighting systems that would challenge newcomers and veterans alike.

FBC Firebreak

A co-op multiplayer shooter set in the world of Control had us immediately invested in what we assumed would be another banger from Remedy Entertainment. However, FBC Firebreak failed to live up to that hype with a gameplay loop that quickly became repetitive while its inspirations were largely relegated to the background with a few notable exceptions.

A limited selection of weapons and little to no variety in locations and enemy types marred a gameplay loop that was frantic and action-packed until it revealed a slew of unlockables that required way too much grinding for the average player.

All is not lost, however, as Remedy could bring changes that puts this exciting yet flawed shooter back on track.

MindsEye

Oh, MindsEye. We really wish Build a Rocket Boy could have made this game live up to the high expectations that we and the rest of the gaming world had for it. We once expected it to be the perfect title to ease our sorrow at the delay of GTA 6. On paper, MindsEye has everything a modern hit should bring to the table. An interesting narrative backed up by a gorgeous open-world that blurs the line between man, machine, and AI.

But Redrock’s empty streets and non-responsive NPCs worked in tandem with its uninspired mission design, lackluster story and buggy execution to rob us of what could have been one of this year’s finest titles. We wish we could say this was a bittersweet experience but we have to lean more towards the former than the latter.

Were there any games that you believe failed to live up to your expectations? We’d love to hear about them in the comments!

And while we tend to get plenty of titles from indie studios that will often combine great shooter gameplay with interesting stories, ones with high production values have been seemingly just left to some studios, like id Software. However, Reburn – formerly known as 4A Games Ukraine – wants to bring in some of its expertise in the genre from games like Metro Exodus with a new narrative-focused single-player and co-op title: La Quimera.

"La Quimera is, at its core, a linear shooter that has an emphasis on story."

Throughout my time with La Quimera, one of the key things that stood out to me was that the game could definitely have used some more time in the oven for the sake of polish. A lack of polish felt like something of a running theme throughout the game. This extended all the way from how the story is told through its cutscenes, audiologs, and dialogue, to the mission structure and pacing, and even things that affect minute-to-minute gameplay, like animations and weapon swapping.

Throughout the game, there are aspects that feel rather lacking, giving the indication that the goals of Reburn with La Quimera may have been a bit beyond the time and budget that the studio was able to put behind its development. This feels like a bit of a shame, since almost everything about La Quimera is quite compelling.

La Quimera is, at its core, a linear shooter that has an emphasis on story. This puts it in line with games like classic Halo, albeit without the combat sandbox that Bungie’s seminal franchise is famous for. Rather, the combat scenarios in La Quimera are more akin to corridor shooters, where you follow linear paths into arenas where you then have to take out a bunch of enemies, before yet again following the next linear path.

Now, this is by no means a bad thing; La Quimera is clearly more interested in telling its story while still offering serviceable gameplay, and in that regard, there is little to complain about. Exploration isn’t a big factor in the game, and ultimately, the level design does its job of offering some fun scenarios where you get to blow things up. There is little to complain about here.

"La Quimera is, at its core, a linear shooter that has an emphasis on story. "

The core combat in La Quimera works well enough; guns feel good to use, and coupled with some of the exosuit powers you start getting as you progress through the game, it becomes very easy to start feeling like an unstoppable murder machine. Mobility is simple too; while you don’t get fancy jets or double jumps, you do get a quick dodge, a tall jump, and the ability to completely ignore fall damage. Unfortunately, none of the levels feel like they were designed to take advantage of any of these mobility options, and even the grappling hook you get early on is seldom used outside of cutscenes every now and then.

The progression feels pretty well done too. Taking on missions and finding collectibles will earn you cash, which you can then spend between missions to unlock new weapons and other tools. While far from being a radical new method of player progression, the system in La Quimera works well thanks to its simplicity.

You can carry two weapons at any given time: a primary and a secondary. Each weapon is also further divided into what kind of ammo it uses, be it regular ballistic ammo, or energy ammo. While the former is good for general-purpose shooting, the latter becomes useful to take down enemies that have shields. In gameplay terms, you use ballistic weapons for enemies with red health bars, and energy weapons for enemies with blue health bars. Things can get slightly more complex with enemies that have an energy shield that has to be depleted before you switch to doing damage with your ballistic weapon.

Ultimately, this ammo-type system doesn’t really matter much in the long run. Once you unlock powerful-enough weapons, you don’t really have to care about switching between your primary or secondary weapons. Rather, that decision will often come down to how much ammo you have left in which weapon. I personally found myself sticking to a single weapon regardless of what kind of damage was expected of me, only switching to my secondary when I ran out of ammo.

"Ultimately, this ammo-type system doesn’t really matter much in the long run."

La Quimera is plagued with issues, ranging from random dips in frame rate, to poorly-animated cutscenes. While I first believed the dips in frame rates might be because the game might be too heavy for my relatively beefy rig – a Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU, 32 GB of DDR5-6000 RAM, and a Radeon RX 7800 XT GPU – other, busier parts of the game still playing out fine with the frame rate staying well over 60 indicates that there might be some deeper optimisation issues. The early-game base you get is especially problematic in this regard; there is little in the way of gameplay elements in the base, and yet the frame rate often struggles to maintain a stable 45 FPS. Generally speaking, the overall poor performance, along with animations that often glitch out, feel more symptomatic of the studio not getting enough time to further polish the title.

The game also loves to constantly steal control away from the player in order to play out a cutscene that often feels quite unnecessary. Even the first level of the game is full of this; while it is supposed to be a tutorial of sorts, you seldom get more than two or three minutes of play time before yet another cutscene plays out. Sure, this sounds like a rather minor complaint overall, but when you add it all up together, minor annoyances start turning into major issues.

One department where La Quimera definitely deserves praise is its world. Its vision of a dystopian cyberpunk Latin American country is incredibly interesting, especially since Latin America is seldom represented in games in general. While we don’t really get to explore too much of Nuevo Caracas and its surrounding areas, the world still feels like one I’d love to check out more with future titles. While the story isn’t quite as good as it could have been considering the setting, some of the more mystical aspects also tended to add quite a bit of flavour to what is already shaping out to be an incredibly interesting setting.

"Its vision of a dystopian cyberpunk Latin American country is incredibly interesting"

Speaking of the story, the premise is quite interesting. You are a fresh recruit in a PMC (private military company), Paloma, that is constantly on the brink of bankruptcy. Luckily for you, your very first real mission puts the PMC in an awkward situation between the members of the upper class of Nuevo Caracas, a shady corporation that is not above partaking in unethical human experimentation for the purposes of war profiteering, as well as other PMCs that are trying to make a name for themselves. While the overall setup for the story is quite interesting, especially from the second mission onwards, the story feels quite poorly paced overall. Things often move along at what feels like the speed of light, and aside the time you get between missions, major plot beats rarely ever get the chance to breathe.

How the story is told also feels quite awkward. While there are a lot of cutscenes in La Quimera, they all tend to be quite poorly animated, and sometimes, even have incredibly weird-looking characters that tend to veer off into the uncanny valley. Dialog lip syncing is also terrible, with characters exaggerating the lip movements that one would otherwise expect from the words they are trying to say, and the game will happily play dialog from different characters over each other at the same time without caring about what is important plot information and what is just background banter between two unnamed NPCs.

Ultimately, La Quimera feels like a game that may have been too ambitious for the time that Reburn had to make it. Whether played solo or in co-op, La Quimera delivers the same story-driven, combat-focused experience.While there is a decent enough foundation underneath all of the problems that we could get a good game eventually, in its current state, the fact that La Quimera doesn’t overstay its welcome thanks to its short campaign (roughly 5 hours) is a good thing. The host of quality issues throughout the title would have made it quite difficult to recommend the game, were it not for its interesting world, serviceable gameplay, and short runtime.

This game was reviewed on PC.

CEO Dmytro Lymar apologized on the game’s Discord, stating that the team has been “working hard” on the title. “We are trying our best to address the matters as quickly as possible while also navigating the circumstances we’re faced with here in the Ukraine.”

In an update, the developer noted that it’s “still working” with Steam on technical issues. It hopes to share an updated release date “soon,” though there’s no ETA.

The exact nature of the issues is unknown. However, initial reviews for the title were negative, with WCCF Tech criticizing the story and various bugs that plague the experience. XboxEra was similarly scathing, noting 125 minutes of total playtime (a stark contrast to the previously touted five hours) across three missions with “on-the-nose writing” and “zero likeable characters.” Both publications scored it a four out of ten.

Stay tuned for updates on La Quimera and its release date in the coming days. In the meantime, check out our feature for everything you should know.

Here are 15 things you need to know about it before you pick it up.

From the Devs of the Metro Series

The studio behind this new FPS has a history developing the Metro series. Just this year, 4A Games (the Metro studio) split into two groups, with one continuing development of the Metro games in their main Malta location and the other working on La Quimera. La Quimera is being developed under the re-branded Reburn studio in Kyiv Ukraine.

Uses the 4A Graphics Engine

Like the aforementioned Metro games, La Quimera utilizes the team’s proprietary 4A graphics engine to good effect. The destructible environments characteristic of 4A’s PhysX engine seem to be absent from the gameplay that we’ve seen, though. At least destructible bottles and elemental effects such as fires burning oiled surfaces are present. La Quimera looks graphically impressive, but time will tell if it really runs as good as previews suggest at release.

3-Player Co-op

One of the most promising features of La Quimera is the 3-player co-op campaign. That’s right, like the glory days of the Halo series, La Quimera’s primary campaign is fully playable with two other players. The catch is that co-op functionality is relegated to online only. It doesn’t seem like Split Fiction is getting another couch co-op contender this year after all.

Story-Driven FPS Similar to Halo

And since the campaign is the catch-all mode of the game, naturally there’s a lot of story focus. Heck, the game’s advertising labels it as a ‘story-driven FPS’ first and foremost. And one look at any promotional material instantly gives off Halo vibes; this is by design. They both have similar sci-fi settings and prominently feature exosuits in a graphically intensive FPS game.

Plot is About Mercenaries in a Dystopian Sci-fi World

But what’s the story about? Well, it’s set in a dystopian future (shocker) within Latin America (okay, that’s more unique). Global infrastructure has been upended by a litany of disasters, both natural and self-inflicted, causing mercenary groups to police the many microstates. In the story missions we’ve seen, there appears to be lots of internal quarreling between factions and an emphasis on government intrigue.

Set in a Sci-fi Latin America

I can’t really think of the last time a game was set in Latin America, so La Quimera provides some unique flavor in that regard. The game has contrasting biomes to vary up the scenery, ranging from wild jungles to a dense megalopolis concrete jungle.

Lots of Mobility

Such an untamed landscape requires mobility, something this game provides plenty of. As a PMC mercenary, your exoskeleton allows for quick movement not unlike that found in Halo games. There’s your usual sprint, but also a quick lateral side step in either direction, vaulting over platforms, and a high jump. We haven’t seen any jetpack ability yet or an upgraded double jump, but here’s hoping we can level up our traversal further in some way.

Customizable Exoskeleton

There’s been a lot of emphasis put on the superhuman exoskeletons in La Quimera, and rightfully so. Exoskeletons are a beloved component of many sci-fi games and players haven’t really experienced such a mechanic in other FPSs lately. In this game, there’s four exoskeleton pieces: head, body, arms, and legs. It’s possible to mix and match these pieces for a range of different stat bonuses fashion purposes. In the armory menu, helmets each have a cool visor animation as you select the head piece. Here’s hoping the HUD changes based on head piece too.

Missions Are Taken as Contracts From a Hub Area

As a mercenary PMC (private military company), you return to the local base of operations after every contract. The gameplay demonstration doesn’t indicate just how explorable the hideout is due to story and character moments railroading the sequence, but it’s likely you can roam around this area. The contracts themselves contain a list of parameters for each mission. These include the client name and order type, which basically indicates the objective. There’s also urgency, which tells you when the mission disappears, level of payment, time of day, and forecast. Each contract has a difficulty you can set before heading out too. Before going on a mission, it’s important to check out the Armory.

Loadouts Can Be Customized From the Armory Menu

Within the Armory, you can name each of your loadouts. Loadouts are comprised of a primary weapon, secondary weapon, all four exoskeleton pieces, an assault device, support device, and grenade type. It’s also here in the Armory where you get a good view of your character and their cosmetic exoskeleton. The special animations for each exoskeleton piece is a nice touch.

All Equipment Can Be Upgraded. And You Get Exp for Everything You Do

Every individual weapon, exoskeleton, and device can be leveled up. This is not such a difficult thing to do considering all the constant experience obtained from every little action done within contract missions. During combat, experience numbers pop up after every well-aimed shot and kill. We don’t know if these numbers can be turned off yet, but we can expect quite a bit of grind to upgrade the best equipment to a high level.

Numerous Devices To Use in Combat

La Quimera isn’t just resting on its shooting laurels; there’s lots of other ways to engage in a firefight besides neat sci-fi guns. The scanner device is particularly interesting as it seems to allow penetration through thin walls and enemy cover (though, this is not yet confirmed). A neon outline is  shown around enemies, allowing the player to easily track enemy movement. Camouflage is another device shown, and it acts just like you’d expect, cloaking the player briefly with invisibility. We see some other devices like hacking and drones within the Armory menu, so there’s plenty of ways to engage in the battlefield besides just guns and grenades.

Enemy Types

If you like sci-fi robot enemies, you’re in luck. La Quimera promises to be chalk-full of cool mechanical menaces. Some of the most dynamic moments of the gameplay involves getting jump-scared by wall-climbing spider drones and whizzing flying bots. Some of these robotic enemies seem to behave like insects. What’s more, as the Steam page points out, most robot enemies are resistant to conventional weapons, requiring tools such as hacking or elemental damage to disable them for good. Of course, you’ll be fighting plenty of other humans too; a good variety of them considering the range of factions vying for dominance in the setting.

AI Combat Assistant

I hope you’re fond of AI voice assistants in games because La Quimera features one in a prominent way. The female voiced AI assistant gives intel about combat encounters in real-time. Super low on health? No need to look at the HUD since the assistant will chirp in warning you to heal. What may ruin some of the challenge and immersion is how the combat assistant alerts players about snipers nested just out of sight. It’d be cool if there was an option to toggle this combat assistant on and off for those who want a less hand-holdy experience.

Platforms, Price, and Release Date

As of the date of publishing this video, Reburn hasn’t updated us yet on the console platforms La Quimera is aiming to release on. It currently only has plans for a PC launch. It will release on April 25 date and will be priced at $29.99. Time will tell when we’ll get an update regarding the potential console launch details of La Quimera.

When asked about La Quimera‘s focus on narrative might mean that it won’t have a semi-open world like we saw in Metro Exodus, Kostiuk said that it was a conscious decision by the studio to focus on making use of narrative acts that will guide players through the story.

“Yes, we are highly focused on delivering a tight, story-driven experience where the narrative acts as a guide for the player through the world of the game,” said Kostiuk. “As a result, we’ve chosen a more linear approach for the design of our locations. That said, players will still be able to discover secret areas and optional zones that aren’t required for the main storyline.”

Kostiuk also spoke about how the studio is approaching the idea of developing more content for the game. Since it is a much tighter and more linear experience than the studio’s previous works, it is currently considering how it can bring in more content for players while still sticking to its narrative focus.

“The development of additional content for La Quimera is still in progress, and we’re carefully considering how best to expand on the experience while staying true to the core narrative,” said Kostiuk.

On the question of how long La Quimera will take to finish, Kostiuk said that the studio wanted to focus on making a shorter game that offers up a tight experience. He explained that this comes from the hardships and challenges the studio faced due to the war in Ukraine.

“Given the challenges we faced during the development of La Quimera due to the war in Ukraine, we made the decision to focus on a more compact experience while still including the most essential elements of the game,” explained.

According to Kostiuk, the main storyline of La Quimera will take seasoned FPS players around 5 hours to finish. He does point out, however, that more content is available in La Quimera in the form of additional challenges, as well as co-op gameplay that can also do quite a bit in extending play time.

“The main storyline for a solo player will take seasoned FPS fans around 5 hours to complete,” said Kostiuk. “If you are looking for some additional challenge with your friends playing cooperatively, this should extend your playtime by quite a few hours.”

La Quimera will be coming to PC on April 25. Leading up to its release, this weekend, the shooter will also be giving players a taste of things to come through a 24-hour closed beta that will throw players in the middle of a “pivotal mid-game mission”. This beta will be playable both solo as well as in co-op.

Retailing for $29.99, the first-person shooter will receive a closed-beta test for limited participants on April 12th at 7 AM PT. It includes a “pivotal mid-game mission” playable alone and in co-op but only for 24 hours. 

In a press release, Dmytro Lymar, studio CEO and co-founder, said, “Our Reburn team can’t wait to finally share our hard work and vision for La Quimera with players on April 25. Ahead of our release, we invite players to join us in our closed beta to get an early look at the co-op experience for our vision of Nuevo Caracas and far beyond.

“As a development studio operating out of Ukraine, the last several years have been extremely challenging in terms of bringing any artistic creation to life while contending with the realities of war and dramatic shifts in the games industry. Through it all, we stayed focused on what we love: Creating immersive, story-driven experiences.

“Our work wouldn’t be possible without the bravery and sacrifice of those defending Ukraine, and we’re profoundly grateful for their strength and resilience. We’re also truly thankful to everyone who supported and believed in us along the way.”

Set in 2064 Latin America, consisting of multiple microstates, players control an operative embroiled in a “web of lies and deception.” Players will venture across a megalopolis and jungle, taking on other factions with a customizable exoskeleton, various abilities (like outlining enemies through walls) and weapons. Between hostile robots and elite mercenaries, there are a lot of enemies to deal with.

Stay tuned for more details on La Quimera, especially when its closed beta goes live. You can also learn more about Reburn and its transition from the 4A Games Ukraine here.

Metro developer 4A Games has since stated, “We are 4A Games. We are the team that created and built the Metro games you know and love. We’re still making the next Metro with Dmitry Glukhovsky, the same core founders, leadership, developers, and nearly 20 years of experience on the series. We also have our other new IP project in the works. We’ll reveal more about both when we’re ready.”

4A Games is Ukraine-based, with studios in Kyiv and Sliema. While there are remote workers and developers in Malta, about 150 of its 200+ team members reside in Ukraine.

“In 2014, we, led by the original ‘four A’s’ – the founders of 4A Games – formed ‘4A Games Limited’ and created a new HQ in Malta with roughly 50 of our fellow team members. We have since grown and work to this day on Metro under contract with Deep Silver and Plaion.”

It revealed a close working relationship with 4A Games Ukraine, who also assisted with Metro Exodus. After the title and its DLC were released, 4A Games formed another studio in Kyiv with “roughly” 50 more developers. Meanwhile, 4A Games Ukraine sought to pursue La Quimera as a “completely separate entity,” which it renamed to Reburn.

“We wish them every success,” said 4A Games. However, it assured fans, “The 4A Games you know and love have not changed, and we are not rebranding. We are the same developers of Metro that brought you Metro 2033, Metro: Last Light, Metro Redux, and Metro Exodus.” The developer is looking forward to the 15th anniversary of Metro 2033 later this month and showcasing what it’s been working on at a “later date.”

La Quimera is in development for PC, though it doesn’t have a release date. As for the next Metro game, Deep Silver assured in February 2024 that its development will continue. Stay tuned for updates in the coming months.

La Quimera will use Latin America as its main setting, with the game taking place in a megalopolis alongside a lush jungle. Its story is written by Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, The Neon Demon), and E.J.A. Warren. According to the press release announcing La Quimera, its story will combine advanced sci-fi weaponry and technology with Latin American folklore.

The story takes place in the year 2064, in a world where most nations have gone extinct thanks to a series of catastrophes that took place between the 2030s and 2040s. While most of the world is ruled by microstates, there is constant conflict between them and corporations.

“Reburn is proud to introduce La Quimera, which draws upon our success crafting narrative-driven shooter games for the Metro game series,” said Reburn founder and CEO Dmytro Lymar in the press release. “We look forward to sharing this mysterious new world with players and hope they revel in suiting up to join the fight.”

While primarily a story-driven shooter, La Quimera will also feature co-op multiplayer for up to three total players. Players will get to make use of a host of different weapons and abilities as they make their way through the game’s story, thanks to the exosuit that the player’s character is equipped with. These exosuits can be customised for different needs, depending on the needs of the mission.

Currently in development for PC, La Quimera doesn’t yet have a release date.