As we enter the last week of October and the first few days of November, we have a crammed week of new games, as well as a bunch of old releases that have either been refreshed or released on PC for the first time. This week's AAA title is a single player RPG that appears to have something to do with an age of dragons. This is followed by a mystery on the moon, a strange life, cowboys, some martial arts, a trip through hell, mechanical animals and finally a sequel to Elona.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard / This week's first AAA release / Thursday 31 October
When a pair of corrupt ancient gods break free from centuries of darkness, the vibrant land of Thedas needs someone they can count on. Rise as Rook, Dragon Age's newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight back and lead your team of seven companions, each with their own rich story. Together you will become The Veilguard. Steam link

Last year, it was revealed that the masters of remasters at Nightdive Studios have taken on the task of bringing the beloved 90s classic Star Wars: Dark Forces to modern audiences. The remaster is set to release February 28 on PS5 and PS4, nearly 30 years after the release of the original game from LucasArts in 1995. Similar to Nightdive's previous endeavors with titles like Quake II and Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remastered, Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster honors the strong foundation of the original while updating it for modern consoles through the studio's proprietary KEX engine, allowing the game to run at up to 4K resolution at 120 FPS on PlayStation 5. With this, fans of the original as well as a whole new generation of gamers, will be able to experience Star Wars: Dark Forces and appreciate what made it such an essential title within LucasArts' (now Lucasfilm Games) impressive catalog. Further honoring the work that went into its initial development, it's been revealed that Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster will feature a special Vault jam-packed with never-before-seen content from the making of the 1995 original!

With improved spritework and remastered cutscenes, those looking to dig deeper into a truly unique story within the Star Wars galaxy will be able to enjoy a visually pleasing narrative experience as they join protagonist Kyle Katarn, a defector turned mercenary for hire working for the Rebel Alliance, in foiling the Galactic Empire and its secret Dark Troopers Project. As much as we'd love to continue gushing over why this has been such an exciting project for Nightdive and must-play title for fans and newcomers alike, let's dive deeper into the fascinating history and behind-the-scenes work of breathing new life into Star Wars: Dark Forces with Nightdive's Project Lead and Producer, Max Waine.

Grab your dueling pistols and dust off those adventurin' boots, because Lara Croft is back, baby! Get ready to embark on a journey down memory lane as the iconic Lara Croft makes her triumphant return in this lovingly remastered collection of the first three classic Tomb Raider games. The launch of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered brings these adventures to a new generation of gamers, featuring enhanced visuals, polished gameplay, previously exclusive expansions, and a surge of nostalgia to boot.

This time around, you'll be able to share your globetrotting adventures with your friends thanks to the new "Photo Mode" feature. Classic exploration meets modern creativity and every snapshot gives you a chance to tell YOUR story through daring escapades and unparalleled adventure. While you embark on legendary expeditions with Lara, capture your own moments of discovery and triumph.

It's time for Classic and Modern Sonic to reunite in a remastered collection of iconic 2D and 3D Sonic levels! We unveiled Sonic X Shadow Generations during State of Play—the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog platformer delivering blistering platforming challenges at speeds only Sonic and Shadow can deliver. It's a greatest hits playlist of iconic 2D and 3D Sonic levels from Sonic Generations, both remastered and expanded for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. But that's not all—Sonic X Shadow Generations also introduces an all-new standalone campaign for Shadow the Hedgehog, making this the definitive blend of Classic Sonic, Modern Sonic and Shadow gameplay.

The announcement that premiered last week shows off a glimpse of the title with action-packed footage to get fans excited for the new additions to come. The original Sonic Generations provided an unforgettable experience to Sonic fans old and new, as it combined nostalgia from the early days of Sonic with the latest modern Sonic gameplay at the time. The story centers around Sonic and friends as their universe is thrown into chaos when an ominous power appears, creating "time holes," which take Sonic and his friends back in time. While in the past, Sonic runs into some familiar faces including a classic version of himself! Together, they must team up to defeat enemies, save their friends, and find out who is behind this diabolical deed.

Until Dawn has remained a core, genre-defining horror experience for players since its release almost a decade ago. We are now taking these amazing foundations and adding more emotional depth, an enhanced look, and a completely new soundscape that a game with such a strong legacy deserves. Rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, Until Dawn has seen enhancements across the board, all made with passion and care for the original from the team of horror lovers, film fanatics, and veteran game makers at Ballistic Moon; and it's coming to PS5 and PC this year! Until Dawn has been rebuilt with the latest tools and techniques. New and improved animations build on the success of the original character performances. Characters, environments and VFX have been upgraded - all for a truly enhanced cinematic horror experience.

We use a broader cinematic tonal colour palette and new perspectives to make the story more nuanced and emotional. We've been brave enough to shine a light into the dark, unseen corners of Blackwood Mountain and added a third-person camera, which means you can now look behind the curtain of the original game, exploring enhanced and new locations with new interactions and collectables. Incorporating a third-person camera and adding contextual character movement animations, the game now allows the player to really feel the experience of that fateful night. Until Dawn's sound has undergone a massive overhaul too, featuring a new score from legendary horror composer Mark Korven. We've endeavored to keep the fantastic narrative integratory of the original, but we have seized the opportunity to expand upon unexplored emotional parts of the story.

It's a new year and a time to reset, reflect and think about what the next few months has in store. Here on the Age of Empires team, we've got a LOT lined up for 2024. Instead of trying to summarize it in a lengthy blog post, we decided to make a show of it! We're excited to announce the "New Year, New Age" livestream on February 23rd at 10:00 am PT (1:00 pm ET / 18:00 UTC).

With so much to come in 2024, we want to show our players around the world what to expect from the Age of Empires franchise this year. We'll be revealing more information on some of our most anticipated titles for 2024 - so expect to see a sneak peek of Age of Mythology: Retold and a first look at Age of Empires Mobile. If you're eager to know what's next for our games already in your library, don't worry, we'll have updates for those titles too.

Until Dawn, an interactive drama horror game, arrived back in 2015 as an exclusive on Sony's PlayStation 4 console—France's Dealabs Magazine believes that updated versions are due for release on PC and PlayStation 5 platforms. One of the site's editors, billbil-kun, is well known for sniffing out insider information—mostly originating from publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment. The latest claims include the hunch that "several PlayStation exclusives were being prepared for an upcoming arrival on PC." It is not clear whether (original developer) Supermassive Games is involved in Until Dawn's current generation refresh, but he expressed confidence in a non-specific team undertaking "development for at least a year." The Quarry, a Supermassive Games-developed title, is often regarded as Until Dawn's spiritual successor—the British studio partnered up with publisher 2K Games for a 2022 multi-platform release.

Sony often turns to (internal studio) Nixxes Software B.V. for major IP conversions and ports—billbil-kun reckons that the Dutch outfit is working on a modernized "Demon's Souls or Ghost of Tsushima" project. Sony's Until Dawn IP is expanding into film, as announced yesterday, so it would make sense to generate renewed interest with upgraded versions on the popular PlayStation 5 console, as well as an introduction to gaming audiences on PC. The French tipster believes that Sony will start teasing the new version of Until Dawn next month, but he cannot confirm whether the development team is working on a simple remaster of a full remake: "If we refer to the title of this new version (simply: Until Dawn), we can imagine that it will perhaps and only be a graphical improvement of the game using the latest graphical advances on PS5 as well as on PC. We can therefore decide, without risking being mistaken, that it will be at least a remastered version."

It's been almost 30 years since Lara Croft took her first snowy steps in the mountains of Peru. In about 30 days, console and PC players will get to re-experience Lara's first three globe-trotting adventures, with a fresh look and feel in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered on PlayStation 4|5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Windows PC. How did we get here? That story takes us to Austin, TX in 1998.

Aspyr & Lara go way back
A burgeoning video game company, Aspyr, launches Tomb Raider II on Macintosh computers. Aspyr continued with the Tomb Raider franchise until 2003, launching Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider III, Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Tomb Raider: Chronicles, and Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness. We've always wanted to revisit these titles, but we always debated the right approach. For years, we worked through the right balance of preservation and modernization. And once we felt we nailed it, we got in touch with our friends at Crystal Dynamics.

Hello everyone - my name is Kei Komaki, I am the producer and together with Yuichiro Kitao, Development Producer and Director we want to give fans and newcomers a deep dive into the development process of Star Ocean The Second Story R! This brand-new remake of the classic PlayStation-era RPG launches for PS5 & PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC (Windows) on November 2, and expands the original adventure with revamped mechanics, a rearranged soundtrack with new music, and a bold new 2.5D art style. The whole team has put their heart and soul into this epic adventure, so as the game launches, I thought I'd take you behind the scenes and explain how we approached the challenge of remaking such a beloved game.

The remaster takes off
The first thing you may be wondering is: why remake Star Ocean The Second Story at all? The simple answer is that the fans continually requested it. Even as we continued to develop new instalments in the series, such as 2022's Star Ocean The Divine Force, fans kept asking for the return of Star Ocean The Second Story. This year is the 25th anniversary of the game's original release, so naturally we started thinking about what we could do to mark the occasion. At the time, I was lucky enough to meet Yuichiro Kitao from Gemdrops, Inc., who would go on to work on the development. We discussed the project, and he quickly got on board with the idea of a remake.

Gargoyles Remastered is now available for pre-order on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Steam and GOG! Launching October 19th, Gargoyles Remastered is an artfully crafted revival of the 1990s classic 16-bit side-scrolling platform adventure. Relive the epic journey of Goliath and the Gargoyles featuring enhanced visuals, animations, and SFX, all inspired by the acclaimed animated series. The world of Gargoyles comes to life with a level of detail that will thrill fans of the animated series and retro gaming enthusiasts alike. Experience classic gameplay that stays authentic to its predecessor while including new features such as achievements, gameplay rewind, and more!

A true blast from the past! In 1995, Disney Software and Buena Vista Interactive teamed up to bring Gargoyles for the Sega Genesis. This platformer was based on Disney's animated TV series with the same title, which was known for its dark and mature themes, complex characters, and engaging storytelling. The game quickly became an absolute gem thanks to its faithfulness to the source material and fun-packed gameplay.

Ben Limare, CEO at 2.21: "Dear friends and supporters, I'm tasked with sharing a disappointing update. Despite our earnest efforts, we were unsuccessful in securing a publisher for the reboot of Twinsen's Little Big Adventure.

What's the path forward? With a heavy heart, we've halted our work on the reboot and, for the moment, regard the project as canceled. This allows us to channel our focus and energy into the remastered version of Twinsen's Little Big Adventure (TLBA Remastered). We will explore whether we can reincorporate the reboot's ideas into the remaster, but that's a conversation for another time."

Dears Twinsunians, we [2.21] are thrilled to announce the opening of our pre-alpha of Twinsen's Little Big Adventure Remastered! The aim of this playtest is to gather your valuable insights and feedback on the game, helping us to fine-tune it and create a gaming experience that truly resonates with our player community. This is your chance to contribute directly to the game's development process and to help shape its future.

To participate, click on "Request access" on the Steam page and you will be granted access automatically. Once in, you'll be able to explore our game in its early stages, discover new features, and contribute to its improvement.

Gematsu - a Japanese news site - has discovered that the Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea uploaded its rating of an announced remake of Quake II (1997) on May 31—apparently "not suitable" for youths. This could repeat a pattern from 2021, where the same committee registered the original Quake's remastered version prior to an official unveiling at that year's livestreamed QuakeCon event.

QuakeCon 2023 is heading back to its roots—with a return to an in-person format "at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas from Thursday, August 10 through Sunday, August 13." It is quite possible that Quake II Remastered will get an unveiling at the late summer convention. It will be interesting to see how the upcoming remaster will sit beside the existing RTX version—the South Korean rating info mentions new online multiplayer options, 4K resolution plus widescreen support, as well as support for community modification.

Two months ago French developer - 2:21 - announced plans for complete remasters of the quirky mid-to-late Nineties-era Little Big Adventure or Relentless: Twinsen's Adventure/Odyssey (titles were confusingly region dependent back then) games series. The team has paused work on a third entry/reboot, and development of spruced-up versions of the original games has since become the priority - both LBA Remasters are being rebuilt on the Unreal Engine 5 platform, and key members from the old Adeline Software outfit are involved in the remake process.

Ben Limare, the CEO at 2:21, has provided a small update this week - he mentions that a new teaser trailer was debuted at AG French Direct, and now the pre-alpha gameplay footage has been uploaded to YouTube and the company's social media accounts. The introduction states: "Discover the first video and images of the upcoming demo for Twinsen's Little Big Adventure Remastered! Built from the ground up, enjoy new breathtaking visuals, enhanced music and improved, deeper gameplay as Twinsen's Little Big Adventure - Remastered reignites the original TLBA game using the latest next-generation technology." The team reconfirms that a demo version of Twinsen's Little Big Adventure 1 Remastered will be playable in June.