Weekend Headlines Jan 27-29th Part 1: Announcements

By Rebecca Smith,

From Friday through to Sunday, PAX South took place at San Antonio, Texas. Many developers took the time to release information about the titles that gamers could play while they were there; this included announcements, upcoming content and plenty of screenshots. So much news appeared this weekend that we've split the article into two parts. This first part rounds up all of the new titles to be announced over those three days.

Embers of Mirrim

In this "adventure-platformer" players assume the role of a creature called Mirrim. He has a unique ability — he can split himself into two entities known as Embers, light and dark, each of which is controlled by a different joystick. These Embers allow him to jump, split, collect and reconnect to evade obstacles and solve puzzles. The aim is to save the world from an alien threat that is corrupting and infecting Mirrim's planet.

Ghost Blade HD

Next month, players will be able to push their reflexes to the limit in this "intense bullet-hell shoot 'em up game" that has been inspired by shmups of the 1990s. Blending old memories with modern techniques, the game has a modern graphic style and special effects but comes with 2-player co-op, an old-school soundtrack and TATE mode. The Earth Defense Force fleet has defended Mars from from an evil AI known as Shira, but it has escaped. Now taking refuge at an abandoned space station on the outskirts of the solar system, you are tasked with finally destroying Shira once and for all.

Immortal Redneck

There are several things that do not go together in the same sentence. Two of those would be "Ancient Egypt" and "Redneck", yet here we are. The titular redneck is on holiday in Egypt when he suffers an accident. When he wakes up, he has been mummified in a sarcophagus and transported back in time to Ancient Egypt. He needs to discover what's happening by dealing with the whole incident in typical redneck style — break into the three huge and danger filled pyramids of Giza and shoot everything in sight. Blending old-school FPS mechanics with roguelike elements, the layout of the pyramids will be procedurally generated so that no two playthroughs are the same. You'll be able to play the ultimate mashup when the game is released on Xbox One later this year.

In The Shadows

This title was successfully Kickstarted back in May but flew under the radar until its appearance at PAX South. The puzzle platformer pits players against their fears. A man revisits his childhood imaginary world to try to make sense of his life. He must use light sources to scare away monsters and transform them into different objects to help with your journey.

Indivisible

Whereas the last title took to Kickstarter, this one used IndieGoGo for its successful funding campaign. Made by the same team behind Skullgirls, Indivisible is a side-scrolling Action RPG that draws inspiration from titles like Valkyrie Profile and the Metroid series. Protagonist Ajna is a tomboy whose father trained her in martial arts to be able to defend her home. When her town is attacked by warlords, Ajna discovers that she has the power to absorb individuals into her being. Not only do these individuals grant new weapons and abilities, she can also summon them into battle. Will she be able to stop the warlords?

Kona

Developer Parabole and publisher Ravenscourt have joined forces to bring the "survival-adventure horror title" to consoles. It is 1970. The village of Atamipek Lake in Northern Canada is being ravaged by a strange blizzard. You are detective Carl Faubert, who must explore the village, take on the elements and investigate all of the surreal events that are taking place during the storm. Everything seems eerily quiet... too quiet.

MXGP3 – The Official Motocross Videogame

Milestone's motocross racing simulation franchise returns for its third iteration, arriving this spring. Having moved onto the Unreal Engine 4, the game offers better graphics and gameplay techniques. Based on the 2016 season, players will have to race through unpredictable and dynamic weather conditions and deforming terrain as they conquer the career mode and a variety of offline and online modes. All official MXGP and MX2 2016 riders, and the official tracks, including the MXoN, will be available in-game.

Tale of Ronin

Unlike all of the other titles above, Tale of Ronin has not been specifically confirmed for Xbox One. Coming to "consoles", the title is developed by the same studio that is behind Shadow Blade: Reload, meaning that there is a decent chance of it coming to our favourite console. The RPG title tells a tale of "camaraderie and betrayal", "war and peace, and above all honor". You'll assume the role of a ronin whose choices determine your success in a world that is full of turmoil and violence.

Stay tuned for part 2 where we go through all of the upcoming game updates, new screenshots and more!

Written by Rebecca Smith

Rebecca is the Newshound Manager at TrueGaming Network. She has been contributing articles since 2010, especially those that involve intimidatingly long lists. When not writing news, she works in an independent game shop so that she can spend all day talking about games too. She'll occasionally go outside.