Doom: The Dark Ages

Id Software has brought DOOM back into the limelight with its modern reimagining, and DOOM: The Dark Ages is looking like a bigger, badder, and better version of DOOM 2016 and DOOM Eternal in so many different ways. The combat loop has been reworked in new and clever ways, making it feel more grounded yet nimble. Add to that new tools like the shield, companion mech, and dragon – and DOOM: The Dark Ages becomes a game that you don’t want to miss at any cost. It comes out for PC, Xbox Series X/S on 13 May, 2025.

Crimson Desert 

Currently in development at Pearl Abyss, Crimson Desert is an open-world game brimming with unrivaled ambition and vast swaths of potential. The game puts you in the shoes of a warrior who must battle insurmountable odds to save his kingdom from peril, and that journey is characterized by varied missions and complex game systems that are closely knit with one another to create something that looks truly mesmerizing and fresh. 

Death Stranding 2 

Death Stranding was not everyone’s cup of tea when it was released, but many fans eventually warmed up to this peculiar kind of cargo-hauling experience and came to appreciate its design and the meaning behind its world. Kojima is hard at work on Death Stranding 2, a sequel that will most likely showcase the true potential of a Strand game with its gameplay innovations and narrative developments. The teaser is chock full of questions waiting to be answered, and we are definitely excited to see what’s in store.

War of the Worlds 

Developed by FlipSwitch Games, War of the Worlds is a game that tells a story of humans trying to survive against an alien onslaught. It features shades of both action and horror as you slowly tiptoe around urban neighborhoods in search of a safe haven from all the commotion happening outside. It looks like a pretty open-ended game that allows different forms of gameplay ranging from driving to exploration and much more, and the multiplayer aspect also allows you to assume the role of aliens and experience the narrative from a new angle.

inZOI 

inZOI is a new life simulator that lets you live out a virtual life to the fullest as you try to keep tabs on hunger, happiness, and other meters of each individual that you control. It boasts incredible levels of fidelity thanks to the power of Unreal Engine 5. inZOI has definitely managed to impress us with its vast array of gameplay options and the sheer breadth of choices you get within its sandbox elements.

Mouse 

Mouse’s concept of creating a violent first-person shooter with the jovial art style of cartoons might sound like something straight out of a fever dream, but it all surprisingly works while looking absolutely bonkers. The animation work is immaculate, and the gunplay seems really fun. Add to that a noir-inspired story that would most likely have morally gray characters and twists and turns galore, and Mouse becomes a really interesting game that’s worth keeping an eye out for.

Zoochosis 

Clapperheads is hard at work on the upcoming Zoochosis, a game that puts you in the shoes of a zookeeper of a very peculiar zoo. As the only person with the responsibility of keeping the animals safe and sound, you must keep inspecting these creatures for signs of mutation or infection – and deliver rapid response vaccines to keep things in check. Zoochosis also manages to throw in shades of horror with its dark and dreary aesthetic, and fierce mutations that can lead to scary outcomes. 

Screenbound 

Screenbound is one of the most creative ideas we have seen in recent memory, combining a 3D world with a 2D world in a very interesting fashion. Certain elements of the game world are only visible in the 3D realm, while others like the enemies are only visible on a 2D screen glued to the hands of the protagonist. There’s definitely some inherent jankiness or frustrations that might come from such a gameplay mechanic, but it would be interesting to see how the developers tackle those challenges and create something that’s as fun as it is unique.

Unrecord 

It’s easy to mistake Unrecord’s trailer for actual real-life footage, and that statement alone speaks volumes about its spectacular attention to detail. Everything from the texture work to the lighting and the animations has been created with extremely high levels of fidelity, and it makes great use of Unreal Engine 5’s graphical feature set to deliver something that genuinely feels like a step up from current-gen games. In addition to the visuals, Unrecord also provides an interesting gameplay loop that combines action elements with tactics to create something that’s both thrilling and engaging.

Light No Fire 

From the developer behind No Man’s Sky, Light No Fire feels like the natural evolution of the formula found in Hello Games’ debut title. Light No Fire is set against a massive open world that’s about the size of the Earth built to scale, and that vast space is filled with procedurally generated map geometry and a diverse cast of flora and fauna spread across multiple biomes. It truly feels like a world ripe for exploration, and it would be interesting to see Hello Games’ morphing its past learnings into an entirely new universe. 

Project TH

Heavily inspired by the likes of Splinter Cell or Hitman, Project TH is an upcoming action-adventure stealth game that puts you in the shoes of a covert operative who must make his way through enemy-infested mazes and complete objectives without raising alarms or commotion. Project TH impresses with its photorealistic visuals and smooth-flowing animations, making it a perfect showcase for the power of current-gen gaming systems.

Europa 

Set against the backdrop of an alien world, Europa is a tale about the last human alive trying to survive in a world that plays by its own rules. It features a cartoony aesthetic that has a distinct charm to it, and that also lends a really relaxing vibe to the overall experience. The gameplay entails exploring the many biomes spread throughout its world, solving puzzles, and taking part in missions that will test your survival skills to the fullest. 

Exekiller

Exekiller is a game that presents an interesting dichotomy of the past and the future. It takes the familiar setting of the American Wild West that is usually associated with horses and cowboys, and meshes those elements into a futuristic dystopia ruled by capitalism and technology. Apart from the more aesthetic elements, Exekiller also features a complex gameplay that prioritizes player freedom with the ability to craft your own narrative in a world brimming with choices and an open-ended combat loop. 

Paranormal Tales 

Built using Unreal Engine 5, Paranormal Tales does a great job of actually seating you into the horror. It showcases multiple horror vignettes from different perspectives like a bodycam or a VHS tape, but the more impressive part of the game is how it plays on the fear of the unknown with a stunning atmosphere and appropriately ominous sound design. 

Black Myth Wukong 

Game Science’s upcoming Black Myth Wukong remains one of the more interesting takes on the Souls formula, and that largely boils down to how the developer meshes those ideas with its own and in doing so creates something that’s just as recognizable as it is fresh. With a beautiful art design and compelling fast-paced gameplay, Black Myth Wukong has no shortage of impressive elements to its presentation. 

Pragmata

Currently in development, Pragmata looks like a wonderfully eccentric experience that raises more questions than it answers. The short teaser trailer showcases lunar travel, otherworldly beings, and an astronaut who apparently has to save Diana. While it’s difficult to make sense out of such visuals, they are definitely enchanting to say the least. While details about the gameplay remain shrouded in mystery for now, it is apparently inspired by modern action games so that’s something to look forward to as well.

Clockwork Revolution

inXile Entertainment, the developer behind the Wasteland series is entering uncharted territory with its next project Clockwork Revolution. It’s an upcoming first-person shooter that thrusts you into the steampunk realm of Avalon where you have to travel back in time through the use of special abilities to reshape reality through your decisions. Clockwork Revolution features some impressive art direction, and the gameplay is all about juggling between your weapons and special abilities to take on different challenges. It’s heavily inspired by Prey, and might just end up being a great time if it stands true to its promises. It comes out for PC and Xbox Series X/S sometime in the near future.

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League

Rocksteady has been hard at work on Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, and it will be released for current-gen consoles and PCs on February 2. It tells the story of how Brainiac has hijacked the minds of the members of the Justice League, and how the ragtag group of anti-heroes i.e. Suicide Squad rises up to the occasion to save the day. The gameplay is pretty simplistic with players having to shoot down waves upon waves of enemies all while jumping around the open-world of Metropolis. There is quite a bit of skepticism with regard to its seemingly repetitive gameplay, but it just might be a fun time with friends through the co-op mode.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape

Destiny 2 has been growing strong with each passing expansion, and Bungie is set to bring the Light and Darkness saga to an end with The Final Shape expansion. Set in an entirely new region, The Final Shape expansion will pit players against a new evil force namely the Subjugators. Of course, there’s going to be plenty of new loot to look forward to – and the developers have also confirmed that all classes will receive a new Super Ability with this pack. It comes out on 4 June 2024 for PC and consoles.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

Set against the backdrop of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is primed to bring the classic open-world survival sandbox gameplay to a brand new set audience. The trailers have showcased a well-realized post-apocalyptic world brimming with all sorts of human and inhuman threats alongside some great use of Unreal Engine 5, so S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has plenty of great stuff to look forward to. GSC Game World has been working on this sequel for a long time, and it releases for PC and Xbox Series X/S consoles on 5 September 2024.

Exe Killer

Paradark Studio’s upcoming Exe Killer might just have one of the most unique settings for a first-person shooter. It thrusts players into an alternate post-apocalyptic reality that combines a futuristic dystopia with the Wild West, and the story revolves around the bounty-hunting adventures of our protagonist. There’s quite a bit of shooting involved in the gameplay, but Exe Killer also infuses open-world mechanics and driving to craft a compelling experience. Exe Killer releases for PC sometime in 2025.

SCP: EVENT CLASSIFIED

Set against the backdrop of a mysterious facility, SCP: Event Classified lets you choose between the role of a soldier, a prisoner, a scientist, or a monster with differing goals for each of these characters. SCP: Event Classified is a horror shooter with some interesting atmosphere and gameplay variety, and it also claims to be highly replayable thanks to procedural map generation and varied objectives. It comes out for PC sometime in Q2 2024.

IGI Origins

The I.G.I. series is making a grand return with I.G.I. Origins which looks like everything that fans would want out of such a sequel right from a military conflict setting to espionage-styled missions and a gameplay loop that mixes stealth and action in just the right proportions. It’s being built using Unreal Engine 5, and suffice it to say it looks really beautiful with realistic lighting and quality textures. It will come out on PC sometime in the near future.

Ripout (console release)

Pet Project Games has made its grand debut with Ripout, a first-person shooter set in outer space. It looks pretty standard affair at first glance, but it has quite a few tricks up its sleeve ranging from procedurally generated levels to a pet gun companion and regenerating monsters that help it stand out from the crowd. It was released last year for PC to some great reviews, and is en route for a console port that will come out in the near future.

Mouse

Yet another beautifully unconventional-looking game, Mouse combines a noir story with an art style that’s heavily inspired by hand-drawn cartoons, and it looks amazing to say the least. The gameplay revolves around shooting down your enemies to the tune of jazz music, and the immaculate art direction that we see in the trailer is what makes it all so compelling in the first place. Mouse will be released for PC, Xbox consoles, and Nintendo Switch.

Outpost: Infinity Siege

Outpost: Infinity Siege is a really interesting game because it combines two very contrasting genres into a single gameplay loop, and that too in a way that it all feels weirdly natural. Outpost Infinity Siege is all about taking part in large-scale conflicts that start out with placing your units and defenses on the battlefield. And once war commences, you take control of those very units in first-person and try to hold your defenses. The game thrives on this element of juggling between different roles and responsibilities, and that sounds really fun and unique. It comes out for PC sometime in the near future.

Helldivers 2

In Helldivers 2, players are tasked to take on the role of warriors who are the last hope for the salvation of humanity. It’s a co-op shooter where you take part in large-scale conflicts, and the gameplay is looking pretty slick with explosions happening everywhere and characters getting embroiled in crossfire among others. It’s a game that’s meant to be experienced with a group of friends, and we will be doing that when Helldivers 2 comes out for PC and PS5 on 8 February, 2024.

Star Wars Outlaws

Star Wars Outlaws will thrust players into a fictional setting as they take control of Kay Vess, an outlaw trying to find a fresh start in an era overrun by crime syndicates. In development at Massive Entertainment, Star Wars Outlaws is being built using the Snowdrop Engine and will see players taking on high-stakes missions where they are free to choose between stealth and action however they see fit. It comes out sometime this year for PC and current-gen consoles.

Unrecord

Unrecord is one of those games that you can easily mistake for real life, and a lot of that praise could be attributed to the ultra-realistic visual presentation on offer. It’s built using Unreal Engine 5, and this first-person shooter flaunts almost every tool of the game engine to great effect – right from Nanite geometry to Lumen lighting and much more. The subtle camera shake and realistic shooting mechanics also help in selling the illusion of real-life footage, and Unrecord definitely has quite a lot of potential both as a tactical FPS and a visual showcase. It comes out for PC sometime in the near future.

Killing Floor 3

The Killing Floor series is characterized by large waves of zombies and a fast and frenetic gunplay loop, and those merits seem to be shining brightly in the upcoming entry. Killing Floor 3 not only iterates on what came before but also makes some new changes like a futuristic setting complete with a whole host of bioengineered zombies. You can team up with a group of friends for some good old-fashioned zombie slaughtering, so Killing Floor 3 could really end up being a great time. It comes out for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 sometime in the near future.

The Division 3

Despite the first game suffering from a rather tepid critical reception, The Division series has managed to make a name for itself in a sea of live-service experiences. With support for The Division 2 rounding up, the developer is gearing up for the next entry in the franchise which is currently in the works at Massive Entertainment. Not much is known about what it will entail, but there’s a great chance that it will also be a similarly fun game that’s worth sinking your teeth into. It will be released for current-gen consoles and PC at an unconfirmed date.

Tom Clancy’s The Division Heartland

Talking about all things The Division, we have The Division Heartland – the developer’s free-to-play offerings within the massively successful live-service franchise. It’s essentially the same experience in a new format, so you can expect some significant changes to how the content is spread out and how the progression will work. The Division Heartland will be released on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S sometime in the near future.

Beneath

Camel 101’s upcoming Beneath is a first-person shooter that takes place in a mysterious underwater world brimming with undead creatures and all forms of hideous nightmares. Beneath takes cues from contemporaries like Resident Evil and Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, and tries to nail the right balance between horror and action with scarce availability of resources and a sanity meter that has the ability to significantly impact the gameplay. Beneath sounds like an interesting idea, and we will be checking it out when it releases on PC sometime this year.

Currently in development at Fumi Games, Mouse is an interesting mix of contrasting genres and art style – which helps it stand out from the crowd. And suffice it to say, early showings of the game have set the internet ablaze with hype and excitement. But if you really look closely, you will be able to notice many trappings of a great game which is precisely what we will be discussing with this feature.

Fumi Games is a humble game developer based out of Poland, and Mouse is one of the studio’s debut titles. It’s currently being developed alongside Galaxi Taxi, a game that puts players in the shoes of an intergalactic taxi driver as they transport players from one planet to the other. Of course, the studio hasn’t proven its mettle just yet which definitely warrants some skepticism – but Mouse’s impressive first showing has us convinced that the team is talented and passionate about this project, so we’re giving it the benefit of the doubt here.

But coming back to the game itself, Mouse is a first person shooter where players assume the role of a detective by the name of John Mouston as he embarks on a quest to solve a thrilling mystery in a city that’s full of corrupt forces. Apart from that, not a lot is known about the story as of yet – so we’ll have to wait for more information for now. That being said, the developer has stated that the story is heavily inspired by noir thrillers, so it seems fair to expect a lot of morally grey characters and riveting plot twists as you peel back the many layers behind the central mystery.

A good noir story can be a hard nut to crack since there are so many defining elements to a good narrative. Take for example Max Payne, where everything from its signature writing to the supporting cast of characters and excellent atmosphere comes together to make for a constantly thrilling experience. Mouse will have to do something similar to succeed, though it can also double down on humour afforded by its cartoony art style which can make for something that’s both fresh and engaging at the same time.

Over on the gameplay front, Mouse looks like a standard first-person shooter. You get a handful of guns, and you will obviously use them to fend off waves of enemies as you make your way through the many levels on offer. You can use a pistol, submachine gun, and snipers to pick off enemies individually or use dynamite to blow up stuff from a distance. Or better yet, you can ditch weapons altogether and beat your adversaries with your bare hands.

It looks like a simple yet enjoyable gameplay loop, and the developer has done a great job of nailing the basics right. The movement seems responsive, and shooting down targets has a satisfying kick to it regardless of whichever weapon to choose to use. Popping off headshots result in some hilarious decapitations, and you will find plenty of similarly charming touches in the gameplay loop that coalesce to make Mouse such an intriguing game to look at.

As for the progression, Mouse will feature vending machines littered throughout the environment using which players will be able to upgrade their weapons. The game calls these machines Fantastic-o-Matic, and the developer has stated that you can use them to upgrade your special abilities as well. The trailers haven’t showcased any of these abilities, so we’ll have to wait to know more about them.

Of course, the biggest drawing factor in the case of the Mouse is its art style. Much like Cuphead before, it is heavily inspired by the Disney animated movies of the 1930s. But it marries that 2D art with a fully 3D geometry, which makes it look nothing short of extraordinary. Character models exhibit a ton of detail, and animations are appropriately expressive in nature. Fumi Games has also done a great job of taking that core visual aesthetic of Disney cartoons and weaving that into every element of the experience.

Let’s take the user interface as an example. The bullets icon features an expressive doddle that has a nasty grinning look when the clip is full, and once the magazine is out of bullets – the expression changes to an exhausted one. It’s the same case with the health icon, and we’re really excited to see more of these subtle touches with the final release. The same story continues over to the music as well. The time period of these early cartoons was defined by some slick jazz music, and Mouse features some quality music that fits appropriately with the nature of the game. All in all, the developer has paid some great attention to detail with this game – which is a pretty rare sight for indie games like this one.

There are a ton of promising things about Mouse that we could be rambling about endlessly, but the hard truth is that what we have seen is a very small slice of the experience. For instance, almost all the trailer footage takes place in test levels – and we haven’t seen any complete levels as of yet. Similarly, the story is also up for debate since we only have a very vague framework to work with at the moment. Sure, the core gameplay looks impressive, but for Mouse to be successful – it has to nail every aspect of the experience and keep shaking things up with new mechanics, enemy types, bosses, or set pieces so as to retain the interest of any fan right through to the end credits.

Finally coming over to the release dates and platforms, Mouse is currently planned to be released for PC through Steam. It’s possible that the game may come to consoles at some point in the future, but that most likely depends on how the game ends up being received on PC. As for the release date, we don’t have any concrete information just yet – but considering the current state of the game, a 2024 release seems like a good guess.

In conclusion, Mouse is looking like an absolutely great time and everything from the art style to the immaculate attention to detail and much more has us really excited for this game. Some elements like the story, level design, and gameplay variety are still shrouded in mystery, which definitely calls for some rightful skepticism – but we are genuinely hoping that Mouse ends up being worth all the hype and excitement 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.

The wireless version compared to the v.2 has no groovy fluorescent lighting on top of it, but most importantly it does not have the weight system that the v.2 wired one does.  For those of you who are unaware, people that are serious about their mice like them to have an exact weight, so the the v.2 had a slide out container that you could make heavier or lighter by taking small weights in and out of the mouse.  I really hate to compare to mouse to any other one, especially the wired version of the 3500 but when it comes to hardcore gaming, it is not easy to get away with taking a slightly major feature away from a mouse.  In all honesty though we have to be real and understand that gamers that are hardcore enough to care about that, would never use a wireless mouse to begin with.

Now when it comes to the software for the mouse you can control everything from the button assignments to the acceleration, scroll wheel speed, double click speed and of course the DPI.  So it has pretty much everything that the wired version has and even looks prettier.  The most important thing I want to state about this mouse is that although wireless, it is not a Bluetooth mouse.  It’s actually a 2.4 GHz wireless mouse, which is the same thing as let’s say your TV remote control.  Now initially I thought that this would be a bad thing and it would not be up to par with a wireless Bluetooth mouse, but I could not have been more wrong.

Rude Gameware Fierce 3500 Gaming Mouse with Nano Receiver

With this unique 2.4GHz connection it has high speed motion detection with 30 inches per second, an ultra high sampling rate, extremely fast polling rate as well as response time and it has very quick wake time from your computer, that is faster than some Bluetooth mouses I have used.  This is all good and surprising at the same time, however you are still forced to use the nano receiver, which although so small, it is almost unnoticeable, it does take up a USB slot, which is the down side.

Other features the mouse has is its obvious 3500 DPI Engine, an on-board memory to save your modifications, zero-acoustic smooth Teflon feet, low power architecture.  It also has on the fly sensitivity DPI adjustment with no need to add a driver, LED, DPI Indicator and a Smart Surface Analyzer.  The Teflon feet combined with the surface analyzer really help when it comes to moving the mouse around with flawless, smooth movement.  Not to mention, it also comes with replaceable Teflon feet if needed.  The 3500 has an automatic power saving mode and as previously mentioned, super quick wake up time.

There are independently programmable buttons which is great as the more buttons to program the better.  Especially being able to program the click button as well as the wheel.  You can also give the buttons Macro controls with is very important when it comes to a gaming mouse.  You can program a combination of keys to a button to a single key configuration and a multi-fire function which can all be saved.  The one issue i did have was that while the two side button were fairly easy to access the upper two seemed to be out of the way and harder to quickly get access to when those mili-seconds matter in gaming.

Overall though I was quite impressed with the mouse itself and surprised by how well the 2.4GHz connection worked.  This is a great gaming mouse and if you just want a wireless mouse this is fabulous if you don’t mind sacrificing a USB port.  In today’s market gamers can be extremely picky when if comes to their mice, but if you are not anal about small things that this mouse will most definitely serve you well while game and will surely not let you down like other wireless mouses I have used have.