Independent game developer C2 Game Studio has today revealed that its upcoming third-person action-RPG Astor: Blade of the Monolith will launch May 30th on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms. The release date was revealed as part of the ID@Xbox Showcase, featuring some of the most exciting upcoming indie games from around the world. The announcement also comes in the wake of a recent title rebrand. Wield legendary runic weapons and magical abilities in fast-paced combat as you confront the source of evil found on planet Gilese, and enjoy a rich, immersive adventure as you guide a lone hero across the planet in a desperate search for answers.

"We're really excited to finally reveal our release date for Astor: Blade of the Monolith," said Luis Correa, Founder & game director at C2 Game Studio. "Myself and everyone at C2 are immensely proud of the game, and we can't wait for players to get their hands on it when it releases on May 30th."

As we enter the last full week of April, we're finally back to a busy release schedule again. This week's AAA title apparently had some last minute bugs squashed just this week, so let's hope the released game delivers on its promise. As for the rest of this week you can look forward to a VR horror shooter, a side scrolling action-adventure medtroidvania game, a Robin Hood wannabe game, a dungeon crawler you can play with friends online, a game about a hermit crab, a JRPG and finally a very sandy action RPG.

Manor Lords / This week's AAA release / Friday 26 April / Early Access
Manor Lords is a strategy game that allows you to experience the life of a medieval lord. Grow your starting village into a bustling city, manage resources and production chains, and expand your lands through conquest. Inspired by the art and architecture of late 14th century Franconia, Manor Lords prioritizes historical accuracy wherever possible, using it to inform gameplay mechanics and visuals alike. Common medieval tropes are avoided in favor of historical accuracy, in order to make the world feel more authentic, colorful, and believable. Steam Link

As we enter the third week of April, things are looking up a bit when it comes to new game releases, at least if you're into RPG or adventure games. The major release this week is a new take on the action RPG genre that comes from a German developer. The rest of this coming week's releases involves episode two of a more humorous take on the zombie apocalypse, a halibut in space, some mildew, Waterworld in all but name and finally an eyeball.

No Rest for the Wicked / This week's major release / Thursday 18 April
From Moon Studios, the award-winning developers of Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps comes No Rest for the Wicked, a visceral, precision Action RPG set to reinvent the genre. The year is 841 - King Harol is dead. As word of his death echoes throughout the kingdom, the crown passes to his arrogant, yet untested son Magnus. Even worse, the Pestilence, an unholy plague not seen for a thousand years, has returned. It sweeps across the land, corrupting everything and everyone it touches. Madrigal Seline, a ruthlessly ambitious figure in the church, sees the Pestilence as a chance to prove herself in the eyes of her god. Steam Link

The month of April continues with more low-key releases and this week's major release is a somewhat new take on the MMO genre which focuses on players being nice to each other. As for the rest of this week we have a VR Western, a gigantic game, some roads in need of repair, a zone free of infection and turn-based tactics game involving mutant animals.

Sky: Children of the Light / This week's major release / Wednesday 10 April
Sky: Children of the Light is a peaceful, award-winning MMO from the creators of Journey. Explore a beautifully-animated kingdom across seven realms and create enriching memories with other players in this delightful puzzle-adventure game. Steam Link

Ease into spring with the warm, cozy vibes of Palia, coming to the cloud this GFN Thursday. It's part of six new titles joining the GeForce NOW library of over 1,800 games. Welcome Home. Escape to a cozy world with Palia, a free-to-play massively multiplayer online game from Singularity 6 Corporation. The game, which has made its way onto more than 200,000 wishlists on Steam, has launched in the cloud this week.

Farm, fish, craft and explore with friendly villagers across a stunning variety of different biomes—from sprawling flower fields to hilly forests and rocky beaches—in the world of Palia. Inhabit the land, furnish a dream home, unravel ancient mysteries and interact with a vibrant online community. Get ready for a captivating adventure across devices by streaming Palia from the cloud. GeForce NOW Ultimate and Priority members get faster access to servers and longer gaming sessions over Free members.

First was mobile, then came consoles—and now Sky prepares to take flight on PC! On April 10th, the Sky: Children of the Light experience arrives to PC players on Steam for Early Access, and there's going to be something that all players can celebrate. Sky: Children of the Light is a peaceful, award-winning MMO designed to help players meaningfully connect with one another. You are a Child of the Light with a magical cape, set out into a wide world to find others like yourself. All are welcome in this cozy, open-world adventure above the clouds!

We're very excited about what it's going to bring to Sky. This year Sky turns five, and it's at times hard to believe just how much the game has grown—and how the community has helped it thrive! There are so many more adventures and celebrations ahead, and we're working to bring those to life in 2024 and the years to come. Those won't all fit in one blog post, but we thought we'd share a glimpse of the many things on the horizon—we'll have yet more to share in the months to come.

Welcome to the 13th and luckiest week of the year, which is also the last week of March and Easter Week in many countries. Fortunately, we're still getting a ton of new games this week, most of which are released on Tuesday for some strange reason. This week's major release is from strategy game experts Paradox Interactive and it's one of several strategy games this week. The remaining game releases this week includes a cosy MMO, robots, a new take on a city builder, some familiar faces that are up to no good as usual, some necromancing, divine heroes and a spice grinder.

Millennia / This week's major release / Tuesday 26 March
Create your own nation in Millennia, a historical turn-based 4X game that challenges your strategic prowess across 10,000 years of history, from the dawn of humanity to our possible futures. Set the course of history and experience different timelines in every playthrough as you write an epic story through your actions. Lead your people through times of crisis and ages of discovery, face great challenges and opportunities, and build a civilization that prospers through the ages. Steam Link

Hi everyone, we're thrilled for our PC community to join Aloy on her journey as she braves the Forbidden West—a majestic but dangerous frontier that conceals mysterious new threats. That's right, Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition has launched on PC. Horizon Forbidden West continues six months after the events of the critically acclaimed Horizon Zero Dawn. Vicious superstorms rage. The land is dying. Machine hunter Aloy has traveled west to investigate the source of a mysterious blight that ravages the remnants of humanity. In these uncharted lands, she will meet strange new tribes and face ever more deadly colossal machines. Together with old friends and new companions, she must brave this awe-inspiring frontier to find the answers she needs, halt the biosphere's imminent collapse, and save life on Earth.

Unlocked frame rates, ultra-wide support up to 48:9 resolutions and performance-enhancing technologies including NVIDIA DLSS 3 AI-powered upscaling and frame generation allow PC players to experience Aloy's journey in its full glory on compatible hardware. NVIDIA DLAA is available to help maximize image quality. The game also comes with NVIDIA Reflex, reducing system latency and improving gameplay responsiveness. Intel XeSS and AMD FSR 2.2 upscaling is also supported. The team at Nixxes is working on an update to add AMD FSR 3 with frame generation.

Skydance New Media, helmed by award-winning writer and director Amy Hennig, and Marvel Games today shared new details on their upcoming narrative-driven action-adventure game, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra. A new trailer gives fans a sneak peek into an original story that takes players on a WWII-era adventure with an ensemble of four heroes playable at different points in the game.

As the game's narrative unfolds, players will assume the role of four central characters: a young Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America; Azzuri, T'Challa's grandfather and the WWII-era Black Panther; Gabriel Jones, a U.S. soldier and member of the Howling Commandos; and Nanali, a Wakandan spy embedded in Occupied Paris.

Explore a strange new planet, pilot and customize your very own mech suit and work with up to three friends online to clean up and create a sustainable environment in Lightyear Frontier, out in Early Access March 19 on Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam), and via Game Pass. Take a new direction in the farming-sim genre, as Lightyear Frontier sends players beyond the stars to a beautiful planet, where the goal is not to destroy or conquer but to nurture and cultivate a homestead for you and your friends. Embark in your mech and live in harmony with the world's wondrous nature, as you help restore the planet to its natural beauty.

Find The Mech, Save The World
Where many games invite players to alien worlds to battle waves of monsters or save the universe from an intergalactic threat, Lightyear Frontier brings fresh ideas to the table. Instead of embarking on a path of destruction, players will work to help cultivate this forgotten land, managing their relationship with the ecosystem as they create a sustainable, healthy environment for themselves and all the wildlife that roams the planet. Pollution has taken over the world, causing environmental hazards and challenges for players to overcome. With your trusty mech, it's up to you and up to three of your friends to clean up the hazards that have soiled this world. Use your hose tool to power wash devastating pollution or equip your trusty hose to clean up noxious weeds to unlock new areas and uncover the past of this world.

Game Pill, one of Canada's leading and most experienced game development studios with over 100 game credits, is thrilled to announce a new original snack 'n' slash action RPG called Hangry. In this all-new adventure, players take on the role of the titular character, Hangry, on an intergalactic quest to hunt down, carve up, and devour countless delicious beasts spread across a wide assortment of exotic locales.

You can be among the first people in the world to play this upcoming game at The MIX during GDC in San Francisco, CA, and give us valuable feedback in person. We'll also be showcasing the game during the GDC Expo briefly at the Canada booth near the GDC Play area in the North Hall on Wednesday, March 20th, from 12pm - 2pm PT.

Week 12 is really delivering a baker's dozen when it comes to big game releases, as we have both new and old big releases this week, with this week's AAA release being an open world action RPG game. However, if that's not your cup of tea, then we still have a week packed to the brim with big releases, although it starts off with a bug-sized indie game, but its theme carries over to the next release and this game somehow involves robots. This is followed by a game where you might want to have someone's hand to hold, as it can get a bit scary, even if it's a remake. Towards the end of this week we have another major release, which also involves robots and was a big hit on the PlayStation consoles. We end the week on a somewhat similar theme as the first two game releases of the week, even though it's on a much grander scale.

Dragon's Dogma 2 / This week's AAA release / Friday 22 March
Dragon's Dogma is a single player, narrative driven action-RPG series that challenges the players to choose their own experience - from the appearance of their Arisen, their vocation, their party, how to approach different situations and more. Now, in this long-awaited sequel, the deep, explorable fantasy world of Dragon's Dogma 2 awaits. On your journey, you'll be joined by Pawns, mysterious otherworldly beings, in an adventure so unique you will feel as if accompanied by other players while on your own adventure. All of these elements are elevated further through physics technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and the latest in graphics, to create a truly immersive fantasy world in Dragon's Dogma 2. Steam Link

V Rising is emerging from the shadows to take its greatest form to date! Join millions of Vampires on the journey to become the supreme predator of Vardoran, carving your name into the history of a world that has forgotten your kind. Journey through the shadows of the lands of man and monster, staking your claim and raising your towering castle. Drink blood, gather knowledge, and prove that you are worthy of the claim of the greatest Vampire to ever live by overcoming one final challenge…

Coming May 8th, 2024 to Steam, take to the skies on leathery wings and face down the Vampire king! Write the future of Vardoran in blood and live your legend this Spring! More information on the upcoming launch is right around the corner, so keep an eye on us to be the first to hear about the latest, greatest chapter of V Rising! V Early Access is available now on Steam!

Sea of Stars, a retro-inspired turn-based RPG, was released last summer—its single-player campaign received rave reviews, and player counts have exceeded expectations. Earlier today, indie development outfit—Sabotage Studios—celebrated another Sea of Stars-related milestone. A "Dance of Five Million Suns" video revealed that their hit title: "has been played by over 5 million people since launch. 5 MILLION. Every new player milestone we hit is absolutely mind-blowing to us. We're thrilled to see that this little world we built continues to connect with so many players around the world." A single-player expansion called "Throes of the Watchmaker" is in the works (launch date unknown), but Sabotage could be releasing a multi-player mode in the near future.

A freshly uploaded teaser video previews an upcoming "3-player couch co-op" update—Sabotage commented on this development: "Dubbed "Single Player+, this mode allows for three players to journey together in Sea of Stars. Staying true to the game's core turn-based roots, each player will engage in traversal and combat with a new 'Co-op timed hits' mechanic as they embark with friends on Sea of Stars' grand adventure. The new mode is currently in development and more details are set to be released soon." The very brief clip—eight seconds in length—features main characters (Zale, Valere, and Garl) navigating elevated islands. Presumably this recording captured Sabotage staffers controlling their playable protagonists.

It's been three-and-a-half years since Reflector Entertainment and Bandai Namco Europe unveiled Unknown 9: Awakening with a teaser trailer at Gamescom 2020. Well, we're back and ready to share the fruits of our labor with the world! We are thrilled to unveil Unknown 9: Awakening's Announcement Trailer, which reveals our tough-as-nails protagonist Haroona, a first look at the gameplay, and a Summer 2024 release. We'd love to get you up to speed on the game, share what we've been up to behind the scenes, and explain why you should join the quest to uncover humanity's best-kept secrets, so let's dive in!

Your Unknown 9: Awakening Refresher
The third-person action-adventure title centers on Haroona, a truth seeker with a troubled past whose connection to a shadowy dimension known as the Fold has blessed her with powerful abilities. The last time the world caught a glimpse of the game's heroine, she was just a child left to fend for herself on the streets of Chamiri, India, unsure of what to make of her unearthly gifts. Fast-forward to today, and Haroona is all grown up. She's embraced her unique talents and continues to learn the ways of the Fold.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a highly unique, Japanese-inspired single-player game that blends multiple genres to create an action-packed adventure unlike any other! First revealed in June last year during Xbox Games Showcase 2023, this new title from Capcom will release day one with Game Pass, as well as on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and Windows in 2024.

A New Tale of the Kami Awaits
The story begins when the legendary Mt. Kafuku is covered by an evil defilement and the 12 masks, including their special powers, are stolen. Our protagonist, Soh, must work together with Yoshiro, the Maiden with divine powers, to purge and cleanse the villages of the defilement. The masks worn by Soh and the villagers each feature a different divine power, and these powers are the key to protecting Yoshiro. As you cleanse additional villages from their evil defilement, you'll recover more masks and work together with the various villagers that each mask unlocks to bring Mt. Kafuku back to its original beauty.

Founded in 2022, Mighty Koi Studio aims to prove that "The Witcher" is not the only Polish fantasy story that can conquer the world. The studio holds the rights to two electrifying titles, offering creators vast creative possibilities. "Thorgal" and "The Night Wanderer" will launch on PS5, Xbox Series and PC. The release date is yet TBA. The team bases its productions on the Unreal Engine 5 with proprietary extensions and utilizes cutting-edge technologies such as photogrammetry and AI.

The approach to plans comes with great ambition, announcing two AA+ / AAA projects and engaging experienced experts from the world of gaming and animation - currently, the team consists of over 100 people, and the number is expected to double by the end of the year, with external studios also being involved. Mighty Koi hopes that the upcoming productions will conquer not only the Polish but also the foreign gaming market and, like "The Witcher," make Polish fantasy literature a world-class product.

2:21, a French development team is well versed in Unreal Engine 5-based games development—as of last year they were in the process of utilizing Epic's tech to remake Adeline Software's classic duo of Little Big Adventure (1994) and Little Big Adventure 2 (1997), as well as a now cancelled series reboot. Following on from recent-ish good news—regarding a new publication deal—CEO Ben Limare has announced that his team is moving away from UE5: "In June 2023, you experienced an initial prototype on Proxima Island, developed in a short time by a small team. Despite its imperfections, this prototype was a crucial springboard for engaging with you and understanding your expectations. This prototype was built using Unreal Engine 5, with an almost manual reconstruction of the island. Faced with the challenge of replicating this method for a larger world in a limited time, we opted for a complete overhaul of the game, based on new foundations."

Limare revealed to long-term fans that development of "Twinsen's Little Big Adventure" has already quietly transferred over to the Unity Engine—a strange choice given last year's fallout over "Runtime Fees." Unity Technologies is not winning any popularity contests in modern times—CEO John Riccitiello resigned last October, during payment plan upheavals. 2.21 developers did their very best to carry on with UE5, but legacy code demanded a pivot to a compatible foundation. Limare has roped in another Adeline Software veteran: "The answer lies in the work of Sébastien Viannay, a developer on the original games, as well as the mobile port. It was during the work on the latter that Seb developed a small tool to setup the pathfinding—that is, the ability to tap a point on the screen and have Twinsen follow that direction. This tool interprets the original game's data to reconstruct the level and identify obstacles."

As we enter the second week of March, we have a packed week of new releases for you and the big release this coming week is an open world third-person action adventure shooter. This is followed by a game in Vegas, a classic style run-'n'-gun side scroller, a trippy llama related game, a classic collection Sci-Fi game and the 25th release of a sports title. Sorry, no strategy game this week either.

Outcast - A New Beginning / This week's major release / Friday 15 March
20 years after the award-winning action adventure hit, Outcast, pioneered the genre of non-linear open-world games, the long-awaited sequel sees Cutter Slade return to the spectacular alien world of Adelpha. Resurrected by the almighty Yods, he has returned to find the Talans enslaved, the world stripped of its natural resources, and his own past intertwining with the invading robot forces. It's up to him to go on a mission and save the planet again. Steam Link

Embark on a thrilling scientific adventure today with Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, the latest creation from Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive, the renowned studio behind MudRunner and SnowRunner. The game is available now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC! In a fierce and beautiful wilderness, become the essential hero for scientific breakthroughs. Utilize your tools and high-tech gadgets to navigate muddy terrain, plan your itinerary, or uncover valuable equipment caches hidden in rocky cliffs or wooded mountains. Confront the steepest slopes and treacherous terrain with the help of specialist abilities, making each adventure an epic expedition.

Prepare for a year-long journey with 4 seasons of diverse content, featuring new missions, vehicles, never-before-seen gadgets, and surprises, including a free-for-all multiplayer update coming later this year. Year 1 Pass is included in Year 1 Edition and Supreme Edition. Prepare for a year-long journey with 4 seasons of diverse content, featuring new missions, vehicles, never-before-seen gadgets, and surprises, including a free-for-all multiplayer update coming later this year. Year 1 Pass is included in Year 1 Edition and Supreme Edition. Discovery awaits!

Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is coming to PC! We at Nixxes are thrilled to collaborate with the talented team at Sucker Punch Productions who created this critically acclaimed open-world action adventure. We are excited to bring Jin's story to a new audience and to bring a Sucker Punch title to PC for the first time. The PC version of Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut includes the full game, the Iki Island expansion, and the cooperative online multiplayer Legends mode. For the past year, the team at Nixxes has been working hard to bring the Sucker Punch in-house engine technology to PC and implement PC features such as unlocked frame rates, a variety of graphics settings and presets, and customizable mouse and keyboard controls.

With ultrawide monitor support, you can take in the expansive terrain and ancient landmarks with a cinematic field of view. Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut on PC is fully optimized for 21:9 and 32:9 resolutions and even supports 48:9 resolutions for triple monitor setups. Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut on PC features the latest performance-enhancing technologies. NVIDIA DLSS 3 and AMD FSR 3 are available with both upscaling and frame generation options. Intel XeSS upscaling is also supported and if your hardware has headroom to spare, you can use NVIDIA DLAA or FSR 3 Native AA to further boost image quality.

Welcome to the month of March, which we kick off with some American play fighting and although this is the biggest release this week, it's not what we'd call a AAA release. We obviously have a range of other games for you as well, ranging from a morally ambiguous RPG to a muddy driving game followed by a physiological horror title, a very Finnish adventure and nine days of preparation.

WWE 2K24 / This week's major release / Friday 8 March
WWE 2K24 boasts a star-studded roster featuring WWE Legends like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Undertaker, and Andre the Giant, alongside current WWE Superstars like "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Rhea Ripley, and Roman Reigns, whose larger-than-life entrances and signature moves are heightened by ultra-realistic graphics. WrestleMania is the biggest event in sports entertainment, where Superstars become WWE Legends. Experience a gripping retelling of WrestleMania's greatest moments in 2K Showcase of the Immortals, where you can relive a collection of some of the most unforgettable, career-defining matches. Steam Link

Get ready to embark on a thrilling scientific odyssey! Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, the latest creation from Saber Interactive, the renowned studio behind MudRunner and SnowRunner, reveals Runners of the Lost Ark, a new action-packed trailer paying tribute to legendary tales of exploration and to adventurers from all around the world. The perfect way to pack your bag for Expeditions' arrival on March 5, 2024 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC. Feel the excitement of adventure in a journey filled with gripping moments and spectacular sceneries. Become a famous explorer trading a whip for a winch and a hat for a roof rack. In a pitiless wilderness, avoid all the traps, look danger straight in the eye and discover all the secrets of a thrilling world.

Your itinerary, your odyssey
You're not alone facing sharp cliffs and muddy terrain in Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, as you can always count on your equipment. Whip out your incredible tools and make your way in these gorgeous landscapes. Whether you're defying the law of physics with your winch, conquering the biggest precipices with your self-deploying bridge or scouting your path with your drone, you and your gadgets form an unbeatable team. Drive until the sun sets and make every bend an adventure.

As we enter the end of the month of February and transition into March, we have a somewhat slower week, with a pair of remakes of a couple of classics being the headline titles and both are released on the same day. The rest of the games this coming week consists of a rather bizarre mix between a beat 'em up and tower defence game, a bunch of Greek things, a slightly different take on the zombie game genre and finally a rather good side scroller on an alien planet. In other words, no big releases, but hopefully something interesting nonetheless.

STAR WARS: Dark Forces Remaster / This week's first remake / Wednesday 28 February
The evil Empire is currently creating a doomsday army behind a veil of secrecy. However, they are no match for the Rebel Alliance's covert operations division. Your mission is to infiltrate the Empire and put an end to their plans for terror and domination.

Hello! Nick Suttner here. You may have seen my name on PlayStation Blog before in various guises (most recently, as the writer behind Carto), but I'm super excited to be coming to you today as co-founder of the small studio Furniture & Mattress, to reveal our debut game Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure. What the heck is role-puzzling, you may ask? Well, we've spent the past few years building the kind of world that you'd expect to find in a role-playing game: curious towns and moody wilderness areas to explore, quirky characters to meet, and weirdo monsters to battle in dungeons. But in Arranger, everything is expressed through the language of a puzzle game. Hence: role-puzzling!

The entire game world exists on a sprawling, interconnected gameplay grid, and as our protagonist Jemma moves around, everything on the same row or column moves with her. She can also loop herself - or other objects - from one edge of the grid to the other. Over the course of our 8-10 hour, single-player adventure, we regularly twist and subvert these simple mechanics in a host of interesting ways, trying to keep things breezy while still providing some satisfying head-scratchers. (And several assist options to skip past them if you're not in the mood.)