NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the game’s launch.

"One of the things that makes Lovecraft stories so memorable is how detailed and descriptive they are. His writing is laden with atmosphere which makes it very easy to step into the shoes of his characters and relate to their situations. We hoped to capture some of that in Moons, both through the story and environment details that we’ve created."

How happy have you been with the reception to your game in the immediate aftermath of the launch?

Like any game, there are people who will love the game, and others who don’t. Luckily, we’re happy with the response so far, and we’re truly enjoying watching all the reviews and play-throughs to be found on YouTube.

What is it about cosmic horror and Lovecraftian stories that makes for such compelling horror stories and experiences?

One of the things that makes Lovecraft stories so memorable is how detailed and descriptive they are. His writing is laden with atmosphere which makes it very easy to step into the shoes of his characters and relate to their situations. We hoped to capture some of that in Moons, both through the story and environment details that we’ve created.

With its blend of the aforementioned Lovecraftian horror and a premise that’s very interesting even from a pure science fiction perspective, Moons of Madness’ setting was certainly ripe for some excellent storytelling. Was this something you saw as an opportunity early on and wanted to capitalize on?

The game’s setting of Mars was something we were very excited about from the start. It’s something that’s very relevant today and humans visiting Mars is a romanticized concept to some degree, because of the mystery surrounding it.

It also felt like a natural fit for a modern Lovecraft-style story with a pronounced “cosmic” aspect, as well as the loneliness that comes with being one of the first people on a new (dead) planet.

Did you look at any stories from any medium or any horror games in particular that served as inspirations for Moons of Madness?

Aside from taking inspiration from a lot of Lovecraft tales, Moons of Madness also borrows from The Martian, The Thing, the Resident Evil and Silent Hill series, Alien, and Stranger Things.

"It was an intense learning experience for us creating a story driven first person game, even though our next game will be pretty much the opposite; we’re definitely open to revisiting the genre should the right idea show itself."

Do you have any updates planned for the future, big or small- whether that’s fixes to the game in response to feedback or even expansions?

We’ve got ideas for additional content, but time will tell if they ever materialize.

If Moons of Madness proves to be a success, is this something you see yourself working on again in the future, perhaps in the form of a sequel?

It was an intense learning experience for us creating a story driven first person game, even though our next game will be pretty much the opposite; we’re definitely open to revisiting the genre should the right idea show itself.

I imagine atmosphere and psychological terror are much more important than the more in-your-face scares in a game such as Moons of Madness. How important was it to you that you struck the right sort of balance for the game in that area?

We were striving to achieve a sense of unnerve and atmosphere rather than scares. It’s a delicate balance, and something that’s hard to benchmark or find the right recipe for. Every person is different, and so how they perceptive these things will be as well. It’s a tricky one for sure, and there’s no real way of knowing if you hit the right balance, or not.

Do you have any plans to launch on the Switch?

Not at the moment, but it would indeed be fun to be able to play the game on the Switch.

There’s been a lot of talk of SSDs, which the PS5 and the Xbox Series X are both confirmed to feature. What’s the biggest impact it’s going to have on development, according to you?

Loading loads of data, and streaming inn levels like we do in Moons is challenging. Faster disks will help a lot and I think we will see less games with loading screens when SSD becomes the new standard.

"I think haptics add a lot to an experience. But, I also think it’s subjective to different players, and it also depends on how the game utilizes it. But overall, I think the potential for adding to an experience is very high."

Speaking of next-gen hardware, something else that the PS5 and the Xbox Series X are both going to have is a Zen 2 CPU – how big of a leap is it over current gen hardware in your view, and how is it going to help development?

This is probably a question for the Unreal engine developers, but for us it means that we can do more before the game gets CPU bound. Porting to console would of course also be much smoother, as the current gen hardware is pretty slow, and getting closer to the PC hardware helps a lot. But this is of course time-limited as the gap between PC and console will grow fast.

What’s your take on the PS5’s haptic-enabled controller? Do you think it’s something that can significantly add to an experience, or is it just going to be a novelty?

I think haptics add a lot to an experience. But, I also think it’s subjective to different players, and it also depends on how the game utilizes it. But overall, I think the potential for adding to an experience is very high.

As the clock ticks down toward the end of the year (even though the year’s only just started), anticipation and excitement surrounding the releases of next-gen consoles is going to grow on pretty much a daily basis. Even right now, with the consoles still months away, there’s plenty of buzz in the air, what with all these leaks about an imminent PS5 reveal event.

Suffice it to say, the PS5 and the Xbox Series X are on our minds right now- and that goes for developers working in the industry as well (probably most so than most of us in many cases). One such developer if Ivan Moen, CEO of Rock Pocket Games, who released first person horror title Moons of Madness on PC last year.

Speaking with GamingBolt in an interview, Moen answered plenty of our questions about next-gen consoles and his take on their features- one such feature being the PS5’s haptic-enabled controller, which Moen thinks has “very high” potential and can possibly “add a lot to an experience.”

“I think haptics add a lot to an experience,” said Moen. “But, I also think it’s subjective to different players, and it also depends on how the game utilizes it. But overall I think the potential for adding to an experience is very high.”

We also asked Moen about the PS5 and Xbox Series X’s respective CPUs (both are confirmed to feature a AMD Zen 2 chip), and how big of a leap over current gen hardware he feels that would be.

“This is probably a question for the Unreal engine developers, but for us it means that we can do more before the game gets CPU bound,” Moen said. “Porting to console would of course also be much smoother, as the current gen hardware is pretty slow, and getting closer to the PC hardware helps a lot. But this is of course time-limited as the gap between PC and console will grow fast.”

Moons of Madness is out now for PC, and will be releasing for PS4 and Xbox One on March 24. Our full interview with Moen will be going live soon, so stay tuned for the whole thing.

Journey to the Savage Planet

Typhoon Studios’ Journey to the Savage Planet is a quirky first person adventure with co-op support which sees you traveling to AR-Y 26 to see if it’s fit for humanity. Along with cataloging the different creatures, you’ll craft upgrades, traverse four unique biomes and discover if you’re truly the first one to settle here. Journey to the Savage Planet is out on January 28^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners

The Walking Dead hasn’t had many good titles outside of Telltale Games’ adventures but Saints and Sinners could be different. It’s for VR platforms and features a new story set in New Orleans where players contend with all kinds of threats. Scavenging for supplies is a necessity but you’ll also have to take down hordes of the undead, whether it’s through stealth or firepower. You can take missions from factions or kill everyone, human and undead alike. It’s intriguing, if nothing else – we’ll see how it plays on January 23^rd 2020.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE Encore (Switch)

A supernatural threat in modern Tokyo is pretty much a given in the Shin Megami Tensei series (especially Persona). But Fire Emblem warriors manifesting as spirit-esque Mirages that teens can use in dance performances to eliminate foes? That’s pretty far out there but Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore makes it work. Originally released for the Wii U, the Switch port promises more party members, new songs, additional story content and much more. It’s out on January 17^th 2020 so if you’re looking to start the year with an excellent RPG, this is definitely worth a look.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

Tokyo Mirage Sessions isn’t the only RPG releasing on January 17^th though. CyberConnect2’s Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will also be available worldwide on the same day for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. It’s an action RPG which means plenty of fast-paced, beat ’em up action. This isn’t a simple adaptation of a few story arcs though. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot replicates the entire saga of the Z Fighters from Raditz’s arrival to the battle with Majin Buu while adding training mechanics, quests and yes, Dragon Ball collecting. And who can say no to playing as Super Saiyan 3 Goku or Super Saiyan Vegito?

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (PC)

The wait has been long but finally, Monster Hunter World players on PC will get their hands on Iceborne. Out on January 9^th, Iceborne adds Master Rank quests, armor and weapons; new mechanics like the Clutch Claw; and heaps of new monsters to battle (not counting all the post-launch monsters that are also coming). If you’ve been starving for new Monster Hunter World content on PC, don’t worry – this will keep you busy for a good long while.

AO Tennis 2

Good tennis games are hard to come by but AO Tennis 2 might be worth checking out. It’s developed by Big Ant Studios of Don Bradman Cricket and Rugby League fame. Famous players like Rafael Nadal and Angelique Kerber are in, and a substantial career mode is promised for solo and doubles players. You can even create challenges with the scenario editor or your own courts and players. AO Tennis 2 releases on January 9^th 2020 for PC, Xbox One and PS4 worldwide.

Moons of Madness (PS4, Xbox One)

After haunting PC users, the trippy cosmic horror title Moons of Madness comes to PS4 and Xbox One on January 21^st. Taking place from the first person perspective, it sees an engineer on a station that’s falling apart. And that’s before the hallucinations start. It might not be for everyone but for horror fans that want some Lovecraftian terror in space, Moons of Madness might be worth a look.

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Ultimate Edition (PS4, Xbox One)

Obsidian’s critically acclaimed CRPG sequel is finally coming to Xbox One and PS4 on January 28^th. Along with offering the base game with all of its updates (including a turn-based combat option), the Ultimate Edition includes all of the paid DLC. Overall, there’s a great game to explore with lots of interesting characters, naval combat, tons of customization and class choices, and whatnot to keep you busy for a few hundred hours or so.

Kingdom Hearts 3: ReMind (PS4)

Launching for the PS4 on January 23^rd (Xbox One gets it in February), Kingdom Hearts 3: ReMind will retail for $29.99. It includes new bosses, including secrets ones; returning characters like Squall, Aerith and Yuffie from the Final Fantasy series; and the ability to play as Riku, Kairi, Sora and Aqua during certain segments. The story sees Sora attempting to save Kairi by exploring the hearts of the Seven Guardians of Light (whatever that means). If that sounds worth your while – or you just need more Kingdom Hearts in your life – then ReMind is for you.

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD (Switch)

If you ever stopped and wondered whether Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath would be something you need on your Switch, then good news: It’s coming to Switch. Unorthodox art-style and narrative aside, the game’s main claim to fame is using living ammo for your crossbow. Bees can be used as small shots; Boombats serve as rockets; and so on. Highly praised at launch, it might be worth experiencing when the Switch version releases on January 23^rd.

Lovecraft-inspired faction has certainly found some resurgence in recent years, as various mediums have been influenced by the horror writer’s works in the last decade or so. Games are no exception, and one such game is Moons of Madness. The first person horror game sees you on a facility on Mars, where mysterious things are happening. Today we got an official launch date for the game, and it’ll be pretty close for PC players.

As announced by publisher Funcom and developer Rock Pocket Games, Moon of Madness will release this month for PC, so those playing there can get into the madness soon. The console versions will have to wait, though, as they won’t come until the beginning of next year, so if you’re playing on PS4 or Xbox One, you’ll have to wait to descend into madness.

Moons of Madness will launch October 22nd on PC, and January 21st, 2020 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Along with the announcement also came a launch date trailer, which you can see below. To check out some gameplay from the horror title, go through here.

First person horror titles may seem played out, but Moons of Madness from Rock Pocket Games still looks intriguing. Cosmic horror is the flavour of this particular horror, and to offer a better idea of how the gameplay will flow, a new 12 minute video has been released. Check it out below.

Published by Funcom, Moons of Madness is about a strange signal intercepted on Mars. This led to the construction of a facility called Invictus, of which protagonist Shane Neweheart is a technician. However, over time, systems start to fail, the team is conspicuously missing, and strange visions start to manifest.

Solving that mystery is a core part of Moons of Madness, and the development team is really pushing for an atmosphere of paranoia and tension. Some light puzzle-solving can be expected as the player ventures further through the planet. But what else could possibly await? We’ll find out when Moons of Madness releases on October 31st for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

Ad Infinitum

Sure, this may look like your average World War 1 title at first. But Ad Infinitum throws in some truly terrifying creatures that hunt you down. There’s nothing like ambling along in a trench at night while it’s raining only to encounter a large, slender, multi-legged beast with claws for days. We don’t know if there will be shooting but expect lots of puzzle solving and running for your dear life.