Star Wars Eclipse’s lead writer, Adam Williams, is leaving Quantic Dream. Spotted by The Gamer, Williams announced the new on his LinkedIn page, where he also confirmed that he’s founding an entirely new studio “with a group of very talented designers and developers” that we’ll be hearing more about “soon”.

“After almost 10 years at Quantic Dream, I am leaving to found a new studio – together with a group of very talented designers and developers,” Williams wrote. “We can’t say too much just yet. We are working on something very innovative, very special and, for now, very secret. More on that soon.

“I’ve already been in touch with many of you guys at Quantic Dream and Lucasfilm, to thank you for everything on Detroit and Eclipse. It’s been a great adventure.

“A big thank you to the team, for taking this leap with us – and to the investors, for being the ideal partners on the next adventure. More on that, also, soon.”

Williams was at Quantic Dream for nearly a decade. Joining in 2015, he worked as the lead writer on Detroit: Become Human, the same role that he was serving on Star Wars Eclipse.

Williams’ departure doesn’t necessarily give much away about how the game’s development is going – people change jobs all the time, especially in the games industry – but if past reports are to be believed, the game hasn’t been in the best of shape.

Shortly after it was announced in December 2021, it was reported that the game had been in development for roughly a year and a half at the time, but was still not in a playable state. Later reports claimed that it might not release until 2027 or 2028. Quantic Dream’s VP of Marketing Lisa Pendse provided a brief update on the project last September, stating that though it wasn’t ready to be shown off, it was “simmering” behind-the-scenes.

The Grasslands are showcased at 28:59 onwards in the stream, with a trailer highlighting all the different mini-games at 1:04:08. The latter include the card game, Queen’s Blood, and the Chocobo Ranch, which is where Chocobo can be customized. A rhythm game with the piano is also seen, though this appears separate from the Grasslands.

Overall, the Grasslands are big, spanning about two kilometers and featuring lots to do. It further reinforces the game’s sheer amount of side content (doubling the main quest), the 100 hours of promised gameplay and how the world map is “one-to-one” with the original game.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launches on February 29th, 2024, for PS5. It will ship on two Blu-ray discs and require 150 GB of space.

“Speaking to the seamlessness of the world, there are no loading screens when you’re exploring. Of course, if there’s a cutscene, we might load it in and then load you back to free exploration, but in terms of actually going into dungeons or caves and exploring different parts of the world, you’ll never see a loading screen.

“The roads in the game are somewhat there to give players an idea of where they might need to go. But they are suggestions. In terms of the game mechanics, they don’t mean anything other than the fact that we know people tend to follow roads when they’re given them, so that helps us design the game without players getting lost too much. Also, the AI of pawns and other characters know where the roads are and will treat them as a guideline of where they might want to go.”

So if you want to explore and ignore the main quest while seeing what the world has to offer, go right ahead. “You’re pretty free to make your way through the world. You can stick to the path if you want to. If you want to go off-piste and find your way forward, you’re free to do that as well. You, however, can’t climb up flat rock, but you can clamber up areas that are about your own character’s height,” says Itsuno.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 doesn’t have a release window, but it is in development for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. The world consists of two parts – Vermind, ruled by the Arisen who slayed the Dragon, and Battahl, ruled by the Beastmen and built on ancient ruins. Players have four Vocations to choose from, with other Advanced Vocations opening up as they progress. Check out the latest gameplay showcase and a boss fight against a Griffin.

Announced in 2021 at The Game Awards, Quantic Dream’s action-adventure title was rumored to have faced development issues. While the developer insisted it wasn’t delayed, since no release window was announced, it was recently rumored to release as late as 2026, with the potential for further delays. So, what’s going on?

Speaking to IGN at Tokyo Game Show 2023, Quantic Dream VP of Marketing Lisa Pendse confirmed it “exists.” “Can I say it still exists? Because it exists. It’s just not ready. It’s simmering.”

It doesn’t sound like much, but Pendse further noted, “One of the big focuses we’ve had when we announced Star Wars Eclipse was to make sure it was clear that this is an action-adventure game that has all of the elements that you would come to expect and want from a Quantic Dream title, which is intricately branching narratives, multiple playable characters.

“There’s no game over. Anyone can die, anything can happen, and the story sort of continues so that those signatures are still there. But what we’ve been doing is even more ramping up our expertise in the gameplay arena.”

While there’s still no release window, Pendse says that working with NetEase (which acquired Quantic Dream in 2022) means not having release dates imposed on the team. “Quantic Dream has always released games when they’re ready, and I think the high level of quality you get when you buy a Quantic Dream game is a testament to the value of that approach.

“And it’s the same thing with Star Wars Eclipse. So you will know, but it’s too early right now to give any update on it.”

The open-world action RPG follows in its predecessor’s footsteps with its Pawns, world design and combat while expanding and refining the gameplay. The demo sees the player and their Pawns fighting a Griffin as a Warrior. It can be mounted and knocked down to the ground, but the overall flow of the battle is not unlike the first game.

Of course, the Griffin leaves before it’s defeated, and we only really see one aspect of the Fighter Vocation (a flaming sword and shield). Nevertheless, the animations and responsiveness are on point. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. There’s no release date, so stay tuned for more details.

You start with a basic Metal Fighter but can customize them using different parts. There are also skins for famous characters like Metal Sonic, Metal Knuckles, etc. Additional parts unlock by spending Medals earned in the campaign, but they’re purely cosmetic.

Matches consist of three random mini-games or “stages”, from a race to reach the goal to shooting enemies with bullets in Zap Scrap or collecting stars within the allotted time in Star Snatcher. Points accrue after each round, and the player with the most at the end wins.

Sonic Superstars launches on October 17th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Naturally, the publisher didn’t outright confirm that this is from the next Monster Hunter, and the armor set is generic enough to quell suspicions of being from a new monster. Nevertheless, when you consider all of the armor sets from previous titles, there’s little else this could be than the tease of a new title.

When it will be revealed remains to be seen, so stay tuned. Monster Hunter Rise is the latest mainline title in the series, with its expansion, Sunbreak, receiving its final update in Primordial Malzeno. It’s available for Nintendo Switch and PC and was recently released for PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

There are four Vocations at the beginning, which you can change at any time. The Fighter has a one-handed sword and shield, focusing on melee combat. The Archer is about ranged attacks, especially against flying enemies with a bow and arrow. They can use exploding and blinding arrows, with third-person aiming supported.

The Mage is about long-range magic but can also heal and support allies. Casting more advanced spells requires longer incantations. Finally, there’s the Thief, who uses a dagger to strike at enemies and moves away after attacks using Swift Step.

There are also Advanced Vocations, like Mystic Spearhand, who wields a duospear for close-range combat and magic at long range. The Magick Archer also returns and can cast magical arrows, provide healing and support, and a  skill that deals damage in a wide area while sacrificing HP.

During combat, you can use exploding barrels to destroy parts of the environment, unleashing a flood of water at a foe. Sometimes, you’re accompanied by other inhabitants along with Pawns. NPCs may call out with quests, and you might receive some from those you save.  Pawns with quest knowledge may also guide you, and catch you if you fall from great heights.

When completing quests, you can ride oxcarts to major locations and close your eyes to make time pass faster. However, you might get attacked en route, so beware. The environment changes constantly, with nighttime being especially dangerous. You have no light and can’t see your feet, while monsters only present at night can appear. A Camping Kit is good for spending the night and recovering health.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 doesn’t have a release date, but it’s coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Available for Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android and PC, the trilogy features Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations, all in HD. The collection also supports additional languages like French, German, Korean and Simplified and Traditional Chinese.

For more details, check out our review here. That’s not all, as Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy – which includes HD versions of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice – is also coming to Game Pass in early 2024. It will be available on day one for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

It’s out on November 9th consoles and PC and focuses on Kazuma Kiryu as he takes on the name “Joryu” following the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. Despite laying low, it’s not long before Kiryu faces overwhelming odds, which affords plenty of opportunity to use the new Agent Style.

However, that’s not all, as Like a Dragon: Ishin!, the recent remake of Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin!, is also coming to Xbox Game Pass later this year. Set during the Bakumatsu in Feudal Japan, it focuses on Sakamoto Ryoma as he hunts for his master’s killer. It will also be playable on Xbox and PC. Check out our review for more details.