Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

This game doesn’t get what it means to be a superhero, full stop. Incremental powerups to characters who should already be suited to high-level meant this generic paint-by-numbers shooter was always destined to underwhelm. Most disappointing with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League though is the fact Rocksteady were at the helm. The Arkham developers crafted multiplayer shooter when atmospheric single players are their bread and butter. The reported $200 million loss on the game hasn’t perturbed WB Games though who seem strangely hellbent on going all-in on live service for their future titles.

LEVEL ZERO: EXTRACTION

Doghowl Games’ extraction shooter is currently in early access, so technically, it can get better- but that isn’t the trajectory it has followed thus far. Level Zero: Extraction had a promising enough premise, but was let down by significant gameplay and balancing issues even at launch. In the time since then, the developer has consistently made updates that have proven unpopular with players, leading some to wonder just how healthy the game’s future is going to be.

15. Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs

Considering how successful Pac-Man 99 was, it’s understandable that Bandai Namco Entertainment sought to make a follow-up. Chomp Champs even took a multi-dimensional approach, allowing players to escape the confines of their mazes and devour the opposition (and their Ghosts). However, this isn’t so much a spiritual successor as a port of PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle, which launched in November 2020 and sank alongside Google Stadia.

All these years later, Chomp Champs is little more than the same experience for other platforms but with cross-play. The gameplay can be fun for a bit and performance is solid, but the overall package is so barren that it’s impossible to ignore the flaws. Whether it’s the embarrassingly low-rent user interface, lack of offline modes, the bland music or the terrible Ranked experience, Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs is imminently forgettable.

14. Graven

Boomer shooters are common these days, but the sheer variety and creativity many exude is great. As a spiritual successor to Hexen, Slipgate Ironworks’ Graven seemed like a winner from the moment early access was announced. Sure, there were some rough edges but there was hope that subsequent Acts would be even better. However, the final product is left wanting.

A reliance on checkpoints instead of a traditional save system seems fine until you’re hard stuck or puzzles begin to break, setting progress back by a fair amount. The immersive sim elements are intriguing but ultimately lacking, the stamina system is restrictive, and the enemy design is frustrating. Couple this with numerous bugs and glitches, some game-breaking, and Graven fails to measure up to its inspiration.

13. Endless Ocean Luminous

As a follow-up to Endless Ocean: Adventures of the Deep from 2009, Endless Ocean Luminous could have offered a relaxing aquatic exploration experience with some bits to help you learn more about various species underwater. Unfortunately, its focus is all over the place, bogging down the overall product. There is a story, but progression is an annoyance due to the clunky scanning, which you must constantly engage with. The lack of realism to the whole affair is also a bummer, and the dull visuals don’t help either.

12. Alone in the Dark

Not only is it another failed attempt to bring the classic survival horror franchise into the new generation, but the developer shut down shortly after due to its lackluster reception. Nevertheless, there’s no denying that the reboot just wasn’t good. Combat feels unpolished and rough, but given the lack of compelling challenges, it’s more of an inconvenience. The sheer amount of bugs with the audio alone is enough to keep fans away, and despite the intriguing set-up, the writing and performances from its lead actors are simply lackluster.

11. Sker Ritual

Have you ever played Maid of Sker and felt, “Hm, this needs a first-person shooter spin-off with multiplayer”? Probably not, but that didn’t stop Capcom and its awful Resident Evil multiplayer modes. Thus we have Sker Ritual, which essentially borrows the round-based format from Call of Duty’s Zombies mode. However, it’s lacking in many ways, from the matchmaking and UI to the glitches and messy visuals. Couple this with an issue at launch where the host could retain their XP on quitting while other players couldn’t, and it’s easy to see why Sker Ritual is essentially dead.

10. Outpost: Infinity Siege

Team Ranger’s Outpost: Infinity Siege is a genre mash-up that could have worked with more focus and less tedium. A tower defense/first-person shooter hybrid can be great – as evidenced by the beginning of the game, despite the laughable dialogue and increasingly absurd plot. However, once the rogue-like and extraction shooter elements come into play, things fall apart. The horrible AI, dull map designs, grindy progression and numerous glitches on release didn’t help either. Though it’s seen many improvements and updates since then, Outpost: Infinity Siege needs a rethink of its fundamentals.

9. Die by The Blade

Outside of Tekken, Street Fighter, Guilty Gear, and whatnot are more niche fighting games that could use some exposure. Die by the Blade isn’t one of those games. It’s not even in the same stratosphere based on the mechanics alone, with clunky combos and movement that feels like molasses. Matches devolve into little more than rock-paper-scissors, and the lack of content beyond that, including no campaign or proper ranked mode, results in a tedious experience.

8. Undead Inc.

Ndemic Creations’ Plague Inc. was one of my favorite mobile games back in the day, and there was some hope that Undead Inc. from Rightsized Games would channel some of that nostalgia. It doesn’t, unfortunately, and can’t even provide a compelling management experience on its own. Numerous bugs, lackluster content, be it in the biomes or facilities, crashes, horrible interface – the list goes on. What is a compelling concept that could have explored the darker side of pharmaceutical companies ends up way out of its depth.

7. Winter Survival (Early Access)

Yes, it’s early access, but Winter Survival is seemingly set on doing everything wrong with its survival sandbox premise. An empty world lacking in much to do, a lackluster crafting UI, awful combat that focuses on timed strikes and often ends in disaster – it’s all the worse when you’re constantly nagged about having to sleep, eat and drink. The injury and trauma system could have been something unique, but as it stands, Winter Survival has a ways to go with its fundamentals.

6. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

For all the backlash it received after its initial gameplay reveal, you would think Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League would have something on its sleeve to win players. Honestly, the opening hours of the story were intriguing, even if each squad member, their CO, Amanda Waller, the Rogue’s Gallery, the brainwashed heroes, you name it, couldn’t go five minutes without chatter. Once the Elseworlds kick in, the plot promptly falls off a cliff. The awful boss battles and recycled open-world activities further kill the enthusiasm (even if the gunplay was passable).

Even with the marketing might of Warner Bros. Discovery and recognition of the Suicide Squad property, Kill the Justice League fell short of expectations, contributing to a $200 million impact on revenue. Its first season is a dud, and player numbers range in the hundreds on Steam nowadays. On the bright side, at least WB is committed to completing the current roadmap. After that? It could end up joining the likes of Anthem and Marvel’s Avengers.

5. Skull and Bones

What are the chances that February would bring not one but two long-in-development, live-service titles that failed to resonate with players? Of course, nothing is ever guaranteed with Skull and Bones, announced at E3 2017 and facing multiple delays, reported reboots, leadership changes and more throughout its nightmarish development.

The fact that it finally launched is shocking enough…until you play the game and grind through the menial labor that is the story. Activities served as little more than sailing from point A to point B, shooting some ships and/or mythical creatures, and maybe plundering a few hapless souls. The loot felt menial; the actual pirate aspects felt empty and soulless, and the game is just the same grind with a dash of PvEvP thrown in. Skull and Bones didn’t exactly have every opportunity to succeed but seeing it flop so succinctly is sad.

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants

As a port of Raw Thrills’ 2017 beat ’em up, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants seems unassuming enough. Then you see that GameMill Entertainment of The Walking Dead: Destinies and Skull Island: Rise of Kong is involved. While not a disaster on the level of those two titles, it’s still a miserable experience. The combat is terrible. The movement is terrible. The visuals are bland and the distinctions between characters are almost non-existent. Even if all those issues were shored up, there isn’t enough content or replay value to justify revisiting it.

3. Bulletstorm VR

How do you mess up Bulletstorm, one of the most fun first-person shooters ever made? As it turns out, very easily. Though original developer People Can Fly published it, Bulletstorm VR is developed by Incuvo, who worked on Green Hell VR (released to a mixed response on Steam). The gunplay is cooked right out of the gate, from its horrid aiming and reload mechanics to the lackluster impact. Then there were the crashes, missing textures on Quest headsets and poor performance.

If that wasn’t enough, several missions were outright cut. Remember your emotional bond with Waggleton P. Tallylicker and controlling it to wreak havoc on enemies? Gone. Not even the extra missions focused on Trishka could salvage this mess. Several updates were released to improve the experience and even add the vulgarity back in but alas, it’s too little, too late.

2. Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator

Nacon’s had some pretty horrendous releases over the years like Gangs of Sherwood and Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, but it’s also had winners like RoboCop: Rogue City and Session: Skate Sim. Taxi Life unfortunately falls into the former, as part of the publisher’s iffy “Simulator” series.

The “simulation” part has its share of problems, from the unrealistic behavior of the traffic and passengers to the infuriating pedestrians, who will walk in front of you when the light is green with joyous abandon. The lack of support for many steering wheels is bad enough yet the default controls are equally shabby. Performance, despite the admittedly decent-looking visuals, leaves much to be desired. Creating any sim is a tall task, but Taxi Life makes it seem like a herculean effort.

1. Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash

Imagine being able to launch a video game based on the popular Jujutsu Kaisen series, that too just a few months after the conclusion of the Shibuya Incident. What better publisher than Bandai Namco Entertainment with its success on other shounen franchises like Naruto and Dragon Ball? Unfortunately, Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash isn’t it. It’s little more than a shameless cash-in, existing for no other reason than to cash in on a peak moment in the series’ popularity.

The combat is exceedingly dull, marking a new low for any sense of depth an arena fighter could have. The balance is all over the place, the visuals are ugly and the Story Mode does a horrendous job of representing the first season and Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Any hope of deriving fun from the online multiplayer is quickly dashed by the terrible netcode. Even if you’re a die-hard fan of anime games, Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash is little more than cursed.

There’s some tower defense comfort. However, it’s sandwiched between layers of uninspired story-telling and extraction shooter-like resource gathering. Throw in some rogue-like elements and base-building, just because, coupled with lots of crashes.

"The spectacle is hard to deny, as you activate turrets, pour bullet after bullet into the swarm and even hop into a mech to dish out punishment. Unfortunately, it’s even further downhill from here."

Set in the future where machines called the Mechanos have gained sentience under a singular AI and declared war against humanity, you play as a fairly forgettable rote protagonist. You’re part of the Starfall Project, chatting it up with your Commanding Officer, Levi Lau when suddenly, the base is attacked by the Mechanos. After taking down waves of enemies, you’re overrun by a drone swarm dubbed Crius before the Anti-Earthbound Tyrranos Orbital System, or AETOS, brings its full might down.

It’s a heroic last-stand mission which feels completely unearned since you know none of these characters or had time to sympathize with them. Nevertheless, the spectacle is hard to deny, as you activate turrets, pour bullet after bullet into the swarm (clearly “inspired” by the Matrix Revolutions) and even hop into a mech to dish out punishment. Unfortunately, it’s even further downhill from here.

Several months later, you’re now in control of Fae, a recently promoted Commander who gets his own Outpost, touted as fully modular. The player can add walls and other defensive structures on the fly, including turrets and ammo crafters. At some point, a mysterious AI – later dubbed Juliette – joins forces with Fae, allowing him to commandeer some nearby mortars before never doing much of anything until the plot calls for it. And when the plot does, it suffers in an embarrassing fashion.

However, you’re not playing tower defense all of the time. When embarking on tours, you have a tactical map of branching paths. Each has different power requirements and resources to gather – some allow for exploring freely while others task you with finding specific items and extracting them via the Outpost’s core tower.

"However, you’re not playing tower defense all of the time. When embarking on tours, you have a tactical map of branching paths."

The result is you’re tossed into these generic, barren-looking stages to hunt for materials, difficult to distinguish without an area scan (which only lasts for a short time). A few Mechanos are roaming around, and their AI is horrendous to the point that it feels like shooting fish in a barrel, except even the other fish would react to the gunshots.

As you explore different buildings, some of which are recycled, like the tower with the massive gun turrets you can control despite the lack of many threats, there are consumables, materials, and what not to collect. Some are empty or feel unrewarding, making those lockpicks you spent feel like a waste. Others require finding keycards or power banks to open doors, which gets boring on the second run-through.

Along with attachments like scopes, stocks and whatnot, you get an XEN mod to modify your singular gun. On the surface, this is cool since it fits the whole “modular construction” theme, but the perks aren’t all that interesting, even with the addition of Pyro ammo later on. While changing your gun to fire explosive projectiles instead of bullets sounds cool, each shot has its own cooldown. Also, you can’t remove mods once they’re installed, so if that sounds terrible and completely contradicts that one ability to fire bullets endlessly for a brief period, tough luck.

Once you’ve spent enough time gathering resources, it’s time to extract. I mean, extract from the entire map, separate from all the extraction done thus far. You have about 100 seconds to set up your defenses and turrets – with no option to skip the preparation phase – as the Mechanos will try to assault you in waves. Depending on the exploration and missions completed in earlier map nodes, you gain benefits like more materials, damage, free turrets and guardian buddies, and more for the final mission. While skipping over all these is an option, you might get overwhelmed with the final extraction mission.

"One of the bigger issues revolves around ammo management since your ammo crafters can only create one box at a time before going on cooldown for several seconds."

There are some free towers on the field, and thankfully, the Mechanos pose somewhat of a threat when given direction i.e. towards your base. It can be a little easy on Difficulty 1 and 2 in the starting tours, but Difficulty 3 kicks things up and poses a challenge, especially when armored tanks with mortars and hulking melee Mechanos jump into the fray. One of the bigger issues revolves around ammo management since your ammo crafters can only create one box at a time before going on cooldown for several seconds.

Since you need to reload turrets manually, it gets annoying to manage even if you have a few boxes on standby beforehand. Your own shots consume about six ammo, which drains them quickly. It’s probably meant to encourage relying on your turrets, but feels ridiculous all the same, especially when the shooting is tight and on-point throughout.

Once you successfully extract everything, you earn Tech Points to spend on research and Gold to buy materials and other consumables. The progression feels slow – you’ll be rocking the same piddly turrets a few hours in and only have enough materials to craft a few to attach to your Outpost when it lands. Tech Points feel like they’re hard to come by, making the slog to higher research tiers much more annoying.

It also doesn’t help that failing an extraction means losing everything, including all those resources you spent time gathering. Maybe this is meant to feel more realistic, like Escape from Tarkov, but while it’s in keeping with tower defense titles where you start from scratch, also losing your weapons, armor and backpack items feels lame.

"If you want to experience tower defense/action goodness, Sanctum 2 and Orcs Must Die! 2 are still the way to go."

The pace of the campaign also doesn’t help, as you revisit the same areas again and again in Tour Mode or embark on more linear story-driven missions with uninspired objectives. The former wouldn’t be so bad if the tactical map didn’t crash continuously. Simply opening it or choosing a node would prompt a crash. Have fun watching the unskippable intro again as you load back in, with the game mercifully saving your progress so you can resume from the same spot (and probably crash again).

The aesthetic isn’t necessarily inspired, but it’s not terrible, even if it can look unattractive with odd shimmering on lower-end rigs. At least, it’s better than the voice acting or the repetitive music. I didn’t venture into co-op, but based on complaints that progression and items aren’t shared among all players, it doesn’t sound worth it.

Outpost: Infinity Siege could have been an enjoyable title if it streamlined the tower defense aspect instead of needlessly tacking on extraction shooter mechanics or the tactical map, lightened up on the ammo economy and allowed players quicker access to its cooler toys. Creating killboxes and piloting mechs sounds enticing – it just needs a better overall structure, a lot less of its cheesy story-telling and much more technical polish. If you want to experience tower defense/action goodness, Sanctum 2 and Orcs Must Die! 2 are still the way to go. Even if the $24.99 price looks attractive, Outpost needs a lot more time and polish.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Hi-Fi Rush (PS5)

Step aside Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – the true best Xbox exclusive is coming to PS5 on March 19th. Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush already cemented itself as one of the best character-driven, hack-and-slash action-adventure titles ever made when it suddenly dropped last year. The addition of rhythmic elements to the combat with a gorgeous art style and fun humor, made it all the more endearing, but PS5 players can experience the Arcade Challenge! Update! for more challenges and replay value right out the gate.

Outpost: Infinity Siege

If you’re a fan of sci-fi tower defense and base-building, then Team Ranger’s Outpost: Infinity Siege may be worth checking out. Story details are lacking at the moment, but it involves gathering resources, managing units and fighting for survival across multiple sci-fi zones with unique hazards, with a mix of first-person gunplay and overhead commands. You can customize your Protoslag Gun in different ways and team up with friends in co-op, including an endless Horde-mode style mode. Outpost: Infinity Siege is out on March 26th for PC.

Winter Survival

Between Palworld, Sons of the Forest, Enshrouded, Nightingale and Pacific Drive, there are plenty of survival crafting games to jump into. DRAGO Entertainment’s Winter Survival is another potentially worth noting as players fight for survival on a hike gone wrong in Mount Washington State Park. Hunt the wildlife, stave off the cold and hunger, and explore the area to find refuge. Random events can also occur, for better or worse, but the real challenge is managing your sanity, especially when hallucinations start to manifest. Winter Survival launches on March 6th for PC via Steam Early Access, where it will remain for at least six months.

Lightyear Frontier

Of course, those seeking something less stressful can look into Lightyear Frontier. The farming title sees players venturing to a far-off planet for farming purposes. Despite having a mech, it’s more of a multi-purpose tool, allowing you to plough the fields, clear out pollution, plant new trees, and much more (and yes, you can also build a home). With co-op support, it should be interesting to see how Lightyear Frontier fares when it launches into early access on March 19th for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

WWE 2K24

Controversies loom heavily for the WWE following a lawsuit against its former chairman, Vince McMahon. Wrestlemania season rolls on regardless, though, and a new WWE 2K title is out on March 8th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. Visual Concepts’ WWE 2K24 offers a new 2K Showcase highlighting 40 years of memorable Wrestlemania matches; new match types like Ambulance, Gauntlet, Special Referee and Coffin; and various new features for MyGM, MyFACTION and Universe Mode. Even Backstage Brawl has been revamped to feel more brutal.

Dragon’s Dogma 2

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is out on March 22nd for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Combat is real-time and includes new Vocations like the Mystic Spearhand, Warfarer and Trickster, powerful skills and Pawn actions, the world has limited fast travel and a hefty amount of side content that players may miss. Dragon’s Dogma 2 could be a stand-out RPG in this highly competitive quarter.

Rise of the Ronin

Rise of the Ronin is Team Ninja’s biggest project yet and seven years in the making. It’s an open-world action RPG that takes several combat cues from Nioh, particularly its Styles and weapon types while adding a glider, Grappling Hook and even character switching. As a Veiled Edge in the Bakumatsu era of Japan, players must side with different historical figures and carve their path, with multiple decisions deciding their fate.

Forming bonds with characters can alter the course of the story and unlock new endings. However, the developer also promises extensive side content and detailed cities like Edo, Yokohama and Kyoto. It’s out on March 22nd, exclusively for PS5, and with a character creator, four-player co-op and different difficulty options, we can’t wait to see how it pans out.

MLB The Show 24

It wouldn’t be a year of sports follow-ups without a new MLB The Show. Launching on March 19th for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Nintendo Switch, MLB The Show 24 offers 400 new animations, including new pitcher animations, revamped base sizes, and multiple other gameplay improvements. Modes like Diamond Dynasty, Road to the Show, Franchise, and March to October also return, while this year’s Storylines sees the addition of Derek Jeter’s 1995 to 2000 seasons.

Outcast – A New Beginning

Appeal Studios’ Outcast – A New Beginning is a dream come true for long-time fans of the 1999 adventure classic, especially after the cancellation of Outcast 2: The Lost Paradise. Cutter Slade returns to Adelpha, and he’s once again on a mission to save the Talans. With extensive weapon customization, different abilities, a large open world with secrets to uncover and extensive wildlife, and a jetpack for quick exploration, A New Beginning promises an extensive amount of freedom like the original. It launches on March 15th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.

Contra: Operation Galuga

The Contra series hasn’t had the best track record lately, especially 2019’s Contra: Rogue Corps. However, Contra: Operation Galuga is a vast improvement, as WayForward embraces the 80s-style run-and-gun action complete with big bosses, several playable characters, three difficulty options and eight stages for players to test their mettle. New weapons, Overlord abilities and stackable upgrades also sound enticing, and there’s even support for up to four players in Arcade Mode. Contra: Operation Galuga arrives on March 12th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch, with a free demo currently available.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game

If you liked Snowrunner and wanted more of the same, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game…isn’t exactly that. Instead, it’s more of an exploration title where you work with a research team to explore three massive maps. Unearth treasures, transport equipment, help other truckers – the list goes on, with several new tools to help navigate the dreaded landscape and Specialists to lend their knowledge. Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is out on March 5th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition (PC)

After Horizon Zero Dawn, it’s now the turn of Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Forbidden West to launch on PC. The Complete Edition includes the acclaimed base game and expansion, The Burning Shores, while supporting 21:9 and 32:9 displays alongside 48:9 triple monitor set-ups. PC players can also look forward to Nvidia DLSS 3 and DLAA support, in addition to AMD FSR and Intel XeSS being supported. If nothing else, Nixxes Software being in charge should mean a much better port than the original when it arrives on March 21st.

Princess Peach: Showtime!

Princess Peach finally gets her time to shine as the protagonist again when Princess Peach: Showtime! arrives on March 22nd for Nintendo Switch. The action-adventure title sees her utilizing various transformations to defeat Wicked Grape and the Sour Bunch, from the deadly Ninja Peach to the martial arts of Kung Fu Peach. You can even don a detective hat as, well, Detective Peach and duel with Swordfighter Peach. Overall, Princess Peach: Showtime! looks like a massive step up from 2005’s Super Princess Peach in every way.

Planet Zoo: Console Edition

A console re-release of a Frontier Developments’ management title on PC from 2019? Odd as it may be, Planet Zoo: Console Edition is out on March 26th for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It features the same content that fans of the original love, from creating different habitats in your dream zoo to caring for various animal species (complete with console-centric controls). The Frontier Workshop also gets cross-platform sharing, providing even more content to download, but there’s also a Season Pass for a whopping 14 additional DLC packs for console players.

Open Roads

Previously set to launch in February, Annapurna Interactive’s Open Roads is now out on March 28th for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. The story of Tess and her mother, Opal, still looks endearing as they embark on a road trip and revisit the past (unearthing some secrets along the way). With a uniquely gorgeous art style and an atmosphere that evokes the nostalgia of simpler times, Open Roads should be worth checking out for adventure game fans.

"Exploration, defense, improve your outpost in our base system, exploration, defense… are the core cycles of our game."

Outpost: Infinity Siege is blending elements from a number of different genres, from shooters to strategy games to tower defense games. How did the idea for this specific blend of genres come about, and what have been the biggest challenges in ensuring that the game offers a cohesive experience with all of these unique elements?

I am a big fan of survival games and am aware of what they lack in terms of experience. The integration of these elements was an attempt to compensate for these shortcomings, thereby creating some new experiences.

Survival games are a genre rich in mechanisms, and innovation is a significant challenge for us. We indeed blended many familiar mechanisms, but not just by stacking these gameplay elements on top of each other. Instead, after setting a clear goal, we believed that the addition of these mechanisms could achieve the new experiences we wanted. I can give two examples:

For instance, in survival games, players collect resources to build their own “home,” but this brings two problems:

1. The destruction of the “home” comes at a great cost, so you anticipate its challenges, but you dare not verify whether the “home” can withstand these challenges (because if you lose, the home is gone). The “home” in Outpost: Infinity Siege can be verified repeatedly and can continue to grow. This was one of the core differentiated mechanisms we determined from the beginning.
2. As the “home” gets bigger, using and maintaining it might become more and more burdensome. Imagine having to run between several floors to ensure all facilities are functioning correctly or to fend off attacks from all directions, which could consume most of your attention and game time.

We introduced the RTS mechanism precisely to “reduce the burden” on players in operating the outpost. You can conveniently use all the functions of your “home,” freeing up time to do other things, enjoy exploring and shooting, or simply appreciate the firepower network performance of your “home.”

Given the emphasis Outpost: Infinity Siege seems to be placing on exploration, what can you tell us about its world and how it’s designed? What can players expect from it in terms of its size and the variety of environments we’ll be exploring?

Exploration, defense, improve your outpost in our base system, exploration, defense… are the core cycles of our game.

Actually, exploration won’t take up a lot of the player’s time, but it is a very important link in the process. On our Exploration Days (exploration time), players will collect various loots/resources, but they need to undergo a high-intensity battle on the last day (Recovery Day) to take them out. The more materials that need to be brought back, the greater the intensity of the battle.

Similarly, the deeper you explore, the more supplies you will consume and the more dangers you will encounter, but you can also obtain better materials and more beneficial events to help you face the challenges of Recovery Day.

We hope that players can decide their resource allocation and exploration depth based on the dynamic events and materials they encounter during exploration.

"Ultimately, we hope players can recreate classic scenes from popular sci-fi movies and games through building their own outposts, bringing those memorable moments to life."

How expansive are the systems that will drive the game’s outpost building mechanics? How much freedom will the game afford to players in terms of what kind of outpost they want to build, and how they want to build it?

The growth of the outpost is designed around the keyword “firepower,” ultimately leading to the creation of one’s own firepower fortress, then enjoying the “epic view” of it unleashing barrages against hordes of enemies.

Continuously building and evolving the outpost to face enemies in one’s preferred style, whether it be a “land cruiser,” a “wedge fortress,” a “depth of science artillery array,” or simply “a wall crammed with cannons.”

We have hundreds of outpost components, various interesting and powerful weapons and equipment, along with parts designed for assistance/support/expanding resource limits, as well as various types of defensive structure components. There are a plethora of choices and room for creativity, along with consideration for the most appropriate placement of components.

Ultimately, we hope players can recreate classic scenes from popular sci-fi movies and games through building their own outposts, bringing those memorable moments to life.

What shape will the game’s progression and customization mechanics take outside of outpost building?

All our growth is aimed at enabling players to challenge higher difficulties and confront more exaggerated enemies. In the game, you will be the commander of an organization, capable of expanding your organization (a massive underground base), recruiting and training team members, embarking on explorations, or dispatching them on missions.

Additionally, there’s a rich research system offering a variety of combat and exploration methods, either by providing powerful weapons or cool appearances.

Moreover, we have XEN gun (Xenium Extension Nucleus, a new metal element in Outpost’s worldview), which allows you to collect a wide range of XEN. These can be combined like magical elements and fired from the gun. Constantly experimenting with combinations, you can create a “magic wand” When playing with friends, you can take this gun to show off to them.

What are the biggest ways that the XEN Firearm will define Outpost: Infinity Siege’s moment-to-moment gameplay loop?

Like in any FPS game, the primary combat method for players is shooting with guns. However, the “XEN Gun” is far more than just that.

It’s a customized gun system that allows for free assembly. Throughout the game, you can pick up “weapon attachments” and “XEN modules.” Players can modify their guns at any time. Weapon attachments might alter the gun’s parameters, such as recoil and shot spread, while “solvents” can significantly change the nature of the bullets fired. You can assemble common real-life firearms (such as submachine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, shotguns, etc.) as well as more imaginative and fantastical weapons, including splitting shares, flamethrowers, bounce pads, gravity fields, repair beams, and more.

The game’s numerous enemies serve as the perfect testing ground for your weapons: you can assemble the most powerful firearms or use gravity fields to gather enemies together, then annihilate them with the help of your outpost’s firepower. Beyond combat, you can assemble a “support gun” to shoot at outpost components to provide buffs or perform repairs.

"We do not have plans for creating PvP modes, as PvE is our focus and where we dedicate all our efforts. We hope to keep it pure and allow players to enjoy the process of gradually developing their outpost."

Outpost: Infinity Siege does have co-op options, but are there any plans to maybe also add PvP multiplayer down the line? Given its unique blend of genres, I imagine something like that would take quite a bit of time to nail down.

We do not have plans for creating PvP modes, as PvE is our focus and where we dedicate all our efforts. We hope to keep it pure and allow players to enjoy the process of gradually developing their outpost.

However, we have experimented with PvP gameplay in the past and obtained some very exciting ideas and results. We might try implementing these in the future, but our main goal will always be to provide fun rather than competitive gameplay.

What can you tell us about your post-launch plans for the game? Do you have any new content or gameplay features that you’re looking to add after the game has released?

Our game has a lot of room for expansion, including components, levels, monsters, equipment, characters, and game modes. Of course, our first step will be to adjust the game’s balance, performance, and mechanics based on player feedback.

Do you have any plans to also bring the game to consoles?

We have integrated FPS and RTS gameplay styles, allowing players to seamlessly switch between them. Initially, we did not consider the controller environment, and the operation and key assignment pose a significant challenge. If there is a high demand from players, we will consider it.

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.

Starfield 

Set in the far reaches of space, Starfield looks set to take the Bethesda RPG formula into an entirely new dimension – and it looks nothing short of breathtaking. You get to explore over a hundred different planets brimming with quests to track and people to meet, and the choices that you make during these quests will ultimately dictate the outcome of this adventure. Between a solid gameplay loop and impressive NASA-Punk designs, Starfield is looking to be worth all the hype and anticipation. It releases for PC and Xbox Series X/S on September 8, 2023. 

As such, the baton for breaking that new ground has been passed down to the AA and indie game scene where plenty of new and exciting releases await us right around the corner. This feature series is dedicated to putting a spotlight on such promising games, and today we will be looking at Outpost: Infinity Siege. The game is currently in development at Team Ranger, and Outpost: Infinity Siege is looking to be yet another game that stands out against the barrage of homogenized releases in the current AAA landscape.

Outpost: Infinity Siege is an interesting mix of tactical defense, real-time strategy, and first person shooting. These are all wildly different genres that appeal to different audiences, but they seem to work pretty well in tandem with here. As you can observe in the available footage for the game, the action smoothly transitions from one type of gameplay to the without any hitches which almost makes this conjunction of genres feel amazing. The game takes place in an unnamed sci-fi world where players are in charge of commandeering a Mobile Outpost as you defend your base against enemy forces and advance your troops deep into uncharted territory in a grand quest to overthrow the opposition.

As you can imagine, this is a pretty barebones narrative setup that does just enough to put you in the action which can be a good thing because the developer isn’t spending its crucial resources into a story that not many players would be interested in. If anything, it’s a positive sign that Team Ranger knows that the core of its game is the unique combat loop – and is trying to double down on those core mechanics and polish them to an immaculate sheen.

Each invasion starts with the player preparing their defenses for the battle. You can set up turrets, machine guns, missiles and all sorts of equipment that one would expect from a game of this ilk alongside a healthy amount of deadly traps like explosive barrels which can be used against incoming enemies. The game will also support co-op gameplay, so players will be able to use support from friends and create even bigger outposts and cause even more mayhem on the frontlines.

Outpost: Infinity Siege seems to feature plenty of options for players to choose when it comes to defense equipment, and you will need to make some wise choices if you wish to survive the toughest white knuckle challenges in the game. The trailer showcases huge squadrons of enemies attacking from the skies above while ground troops pummel down the player’s defenses, so fans should be prepared to face some brutal challenges while playing Outpost: Infinity Siege.

Once the defenses have been set up, players can shift their perspective to first person as they get thrust right into the heat of the battle. The player character is pretty nimble to control, and you can cover huge distances quickly by using your grappling hook to transport you through long corridors and over walls. The shooting mechanics also look pretty competent for the most part, thanks to adequate audio and visual feedback from the guns as well as damage indicators on the enemies.

Furthermore, you can also take control of huge mechs and wreak havoc upon your adversaries by using heavy ammunition – which looks really cool to be honest. There’s also some RTS elements in Outpost: Infinity Siege, which will allow you to direct the specific enemy units your defenses should prioritize, and which ones should be left for you to deal with. All in all, there’s impressive variety in the modes of gameplay on offer, and it seems that the focus here is on juggling between these different modes in real time as you try to hold off huge armies against what seem to be insurmountable hordes of enemies.

As mentioned previously, player progression will also play a huge role as you advance your conquest in the game. Each successful mission will net you rewards in the form of XP, which can be encashed for upgrades to your outpost. You will be able to install thicker walls of defense and more cannons to further your security alongside possible upgrades to your mechs and other methods of offensive combat – which will enable you to take on even tougher challenges in the game.

Briefly talking about the visuals, Outpost: Infinity Siege looks nothing short of amazing. Not only the graphics look great from a technical standpoint, but also intriguing in its art direction. The designers over at Team Ranger have done a great job of depicting a sci-fi world threatened by mechanical monsters and gargantuan mechs which deserves praise on its own. On that note, we should also highlight that the team seems to have done a great job of rendering all the real time chaos that ensues in these invasions without any hitches as well.

When it comes to Outpost: Infinity Siege, the most crucial piece of the puzzle will undoubtedly be the balance between these different forms of gameplay and whether each of these different loops feed into each other to create a cohesive and fun experience. Ideally, players should have the option to make really smart tactical decisions before the start of the invasion and set up a sturdy defense wall and complete the mission without firing a single bullet in the first person perspective.

On the other hand, any slip-ups on the preparations front would then require them to harden their efforts by aggressively pushing enemies while controlling a mech or setting off any last minute traps. Whether the game ends up being successful or not relies on whether Team Ranger is able to crack that element of balance without skimping out on the depth of individual mechanics that make up this experience.

In conclusion, Outpost: Infinity Siege is looking to be a fresh game in an industry that’s too reliant on rehashing old formulas for the sake of increasing profit margins and reducing risks to a minimum. The team seems to have done a great job of realizing the potential of this mishmash of genres, and the end result looks nothing short of extraordinary.

Of course, there’s still some skepticism to be had when it comes to games that we haven’t played for ourselves – so the best course of action is to always keep our expectations in check for the worst. Outpost: Infinity Siege is set to release for PC sometime in Q3 2023, and we will be checking it out when it releases, and we are hopeful that it will deliver on most if not all of its promises.

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.