Project Mugen is NOT a beat-em-up comprised of 16-bit sprites from other old-school 90s titles. Rather, it is a newly-announced open-world urban RPG that’s gacha-based and free-to-play. The game’s website is active, though it only shows off a countdown timer for the actual gameplay reveal, which will be during Gamescom (Opening Night Live) at 24 August onward. The game is being developed by Thunder Fire Studio, and is being published by Singapore company Naked Rain.

In the meantime, here’s some gameplay in GIF form (via ResetEra).

Project Mugen will be out for PC, PlayStation 5, iOS, and Android.

Jellyfish Pirate captain Johnny is back; he’s been a veteran in the Guilty Gear series since Guilty Gear X. Just like in past games, he fights using mid-ranged and poking tools via his Mist Finer sword slash. He also has a special leap and a card trick called Deal; using Mist Finer on the card will trigger additional attacks that put him at an advantage. This may trigger players as his deceptively simple kit put him in the top tier of the last Guilty Gear game.

Check out the rest of his kit and gameplay below. Johnny will be the first Season 3 character for Guilty Gear Strive, slated for 24 August. The other three characters for the season pass have yet to be announced, though one of them will be out before 2023 ends with the rest slated for 2024.

Specifically for the ones who pre-ordered the game, of course. This means lots of people will be taking a crack at Mortal Kombat 1 for the first time. Here’s a move list for the four playable characters so far: Liu Kang, Sub-Zero, Kenshi, Kitana. There’s even a primer video for Li Mei (new to this beta) made by Mortal Kombat pro player Ketchup. We’ll add Johnny Cage later when their move lists are available.

For now, it’s Kombat Time!

Liu Kang

Kenshi

Kitana

Sub-Zero

Li Mei

The new show is not starring Jake and Finn, though they will make an appearance. Instead, it stars alternate universe heroes named Fionna and Cake. Fionna is female Finn while Cake is a shapeshifting cat.

“Based on characters from the beloved “Adventure Time” franchise, this brand-new 10-episode series set in the land of Ooo follows the alternate universe versions of Finn & Jake on a multiverse-hopping journey towards self-discovery. When Fionna and her sidekick Cake find themselves in the crosshairs of a powerful new foe, they have no choice but to seek the help of former Ice King Simon Petrikov.”

If you know your Adventure Time lore, you will see a ton of familiar faces: Simon (pre-Ice King), Princess Bubblegum, Marcy, and the aforementioned Jake and Finn, along with a bunch of new weirdos to contend with. The show will run for 10 episodes on HBO Max/Go, and will premiere on 31 August. Check out the saccharine trailer below.

2019’s search action game Blasphemous garnered a lot of attention for its stark and gross imagery and gothic themes, filled with grotesque moments. Underneath it all is a solid game that almost misses the perfection mark when it comes to delivering a meaty 2D action experience.

Developer The Game Kitchen fixed all that with its eventual sequel Blasphemous 2, and Lord almighty, it’s a helluva upgrade.

Bless Me Father, For I Have Sinned….

Blasphemous 2 puts you in the shoes of the Penitent One as they explore the messed-up world they’re in -Cvstodia- to find out why there’s a godly baby being born out of the sky. You also have to stop a bunch of people who defected from your order as well; hunt them down, and eventually find a way to get to the top. Blasphemous lore hounds will find a lot to love here, particularly how cryptic it gets with its story. But the gist is you have to kill a bunch of bosses, then open up more sections and defeat a few more to access the top.

In standard search action format, you have to find new powerups to access previously-barred areas. You start off with a dash/dodge and any of the three weapons you get to pick. Yes, the weapons system is brand-new to this series, and it’s definitely a cherished addition. You’ll unlock more tools of destruction, with each of them having their own fighting style and obstacle-solving applications. You have the standard sword (Ruego Al Alba) that has a downward stab that destroys certain barricades, the dual rapiers (Sarmiento & Centella) that can be used onto teleportation mirror-things, and giant chained mace (Veredicto) that can ring bells that creates makeshift “water” platforms.

Blasphemous 2 requires you to switch between weapons for some of its platforming sections, some of them being more tricky than others. You have to switch from the mace to ring the bell, make platforms appear, then switch back to the rapiers to elevate and launch yourself to the finish line, for example. It’s devious and reflex-heavy, but fun all the while. If the weapon-switching gets tough, note that you can switch the order of the weapons so it can be slightly convenient for you while in the heat of the jumping bits.

And if you die? Well, you basically get a penalty in the form of Guilt. See the blue bar below your red health bar? That’s Fervour, which you need to cast Prayers (spells and powerups like your projectiles and buffs). That gets shortened the more times you die. You can go collect your afterimage from the spot you died at when you respawn, though it won’t clear all your Guilt. You need to head to the hub area’s local confessional booth to clear it out. Speaking of town hub, there’s a central area where you can buy passive equipment in the form of rosary accessories (5 slots, unlockable if you find beads all over the map).

You can also equip Blasphemous 2’s new equipment feature called Altarpieces; you can unlock up to eight spots for Altarpiece figures you can equip for passive boosts, be it extra damage for your sword attacks, bigger window for your block/parry, or buffs for your prayers and elemental attacks. It’s meant to cater to your playstyle while you’re fighting in Cvstodia. Equipping a pair of Altarpiece figures of the same family will boost certain attributes for your weapons or spells further, so it’s pretty important to find as many of these via the game’s many sidequests and secrets. Other collectibles can also unlock fast travel between save points, and more to make your search action exploration and 100%-ing all the more convenient, provided you put the work in.

Plus, there’s even a skill tree that needs upgrading via Marks of Martyrdom that open up new skills for your weapon(s) of choice, like a “Devil Trigger” mode for your Ruego, lunge attacks for your Sarmiento/Centella, and instant-charge flame properties for your Veredicto. I did unlock half of these, and they’re useful, though you are free to use the bare minimum to get through all of the game’s major challenges.

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done On Earth…

Speaking of which, the boss fights are just as epic as the last game. Rather than the majority of them being monstrosities, most of your fights are with warriors who look similar to The Penitent One. These battles are more like duels, where you have to figure out their patterns and methods before conquering them. The big bads you fight here seem “cleaner” and more orderly compared to the last game. You still fight some nasty Catholicism-themed giant freaks (one of them’s a multi-headed coffin priest hybrid) but given Blasphemous 2’s holy order context, the majority of your duels are with people similar to the Penitent One. You will need to time your evades and parries -a staple in Dark Souls-like titles- to stand a chance against the “holy” order of fiends and giants.

My favourite fights are a duo who are so contrasting with each other, yet when they attack me together in the third bout of the fight, I was definitely paying attention. It’s a similar dynamic as that one famous Dark Souls boss fight with the fat and skinny knights, but in 2D form. Long story short, you’re not going to be forgetting these memorable duels anytime soon, especially with how visually arresting some of these encounters can get. Case in point: the giant reverend with glass shards on his back, the swordsman with the portable millstone, and the aforementioned coffin priest-thing.

If I had to nitpick certain aspects of Blasphemous 2, is that some tutorials for certain moves do not pop up earlier as intended. I’ve been stuck in a particular section with specific barricades for 30 minutes, but only solved it out of sheer luck. Within a couple of screens later, the tutorial to clear those barricades popped up. I’ve had the tools all along; the game just cued me on its barrier-destroying use a little too late. Arguably, I may have broken the game’s intended progression sequence, but this is a minor game design issue I just had to mention.

Act Of Contrition

Blasphemous 2 is a lovely search action game made for anyone who wants a challenge, an R-rated experience, and a good mix of combat and exploration. For veterans, this sequel fixes a few of the problems from the first game so that it seems less cheap and buggy.

Those well-versed with late 90s and 2000s 2D platformers and search action games might bring up the fact that Blasphemous 2 feels like the gothic stepchild of the Megaman Zero and ZX series. This is because of how it plays, how it feels control-wise, and how much the sword feels like Zero’s Z-Saber and air dash to an extent. Hell, there’s even a boss that emulates the “recall dead enemies” ability from Dr Weil’s penultimate form in Mega Man Zero 4’s climactic final fight; The Game Kitchen’s influences are clear as the blood and gore on-screen.

You won’t forget the Catholic gothic imagery from the twisted minds of The Game Kitchen once you’re done with 14 hours of this lovingly-crafted title. Believe me, I still have that image of a woman’s arm slowly being mutilated by tiny cherubs bit by bit as the story progresses with a grotesque final form seared in my mind. And also that one giant bearded guy breastfeeding his baby. That’s a sight that will haunt me in my sleep.

Pros

• Memorable, if disturbing, pixel art and imagery.
• Haunting and beautiful soundtrack.
• Great action and exploration combo.
• Bosses are fun to fight.
• Main character feels good to control, and comes with new equipment/buff systems.

Cons

• Some protips about main character’s skills pop up later than sooner.
• Minor graphical glitches.
• Guilt system isn’t too taxing or punishing enough.

Final Score: 90/100

Review code provided by Team17.

Made by Digital Eclipse who also created the awesome Atari 50 game-slash-documentary hybrid interactive title, The Making of Karateka will be out on 29 August for US$19.99 for PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. The game will bring up the origin story of Jordan Mechner, featuring design documents, playable prototypes, and all-new video features. And the original 1984 game of course. Check out the feature list and trailer below:

About

Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner was a college student when he created one of the biggest-selling games of 1984: Karateka. Now, in a new interactive documentary from Digital Eclipse, the story of how a teenager with an Apple II created one of the most groundbreaking, influential games of all time.

The Origin Story of a Legendary Game Creator

Discover how Karateka was made through an exhaustive archive of design documents, playable prototypes, and all-new video features. Like walking through a museum, you can explore the interactive timelines at your own pace.

Play the Acclaimed Originals

Enjoy pixel-perfect versions of the original Karateka games and a variety of never-before-seen early prototypes, with rich quality-of-life features like save anywhere, rewind, chapter select, and director’s commentary.

Two Remastered Games

Karateka Remastered is an all-new version of the original game featuring cutting-room-floor content, commentary, achievements, and more. Deathbounce: Rebounded is a fast and frantic twin-stick shooter based on Jordan’s unpublished prototype.

A Groundbreaking Masterpiece

Discover how Karateka became one of the first games to include cinematic scenes, a moving original soundtrack, rotoscoped animation, and a Hollywood-style love story, influencing the decades of games that followed.

The Gold Master Series

New from Digital Eclipse (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration), the Gold Master Series presents iconic games in an innovative “interactive documentary” format, putting the shared history of games and their creators into one comprehensive package.

TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge – Dimension Shellshock DLC will be out for PC and consoles this coming 31st August, featuring new survival modes and new OSTs. The DLC also features Usagi Yojimbo as a playable character, as well as one new addition for the announcement: Shredder’s daughter(?) and elite female Foot Clan fighter Karai.

She has lightning moves, fights with a manriki chain, and has a sick izuna drop along with some Street Fighter-inspired moves like Juri’s wheel kick! Her idle pose is exactly like her TMNT: Tournament Fighters pose back in the SNES days too.

Check out the new trailer below.

Plenty, according to Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke. The D&D RPG will get on more hotfix before its upcoming big patch; the game has received three hotfixes so far. The hotfix will feature “+1,000 fixes and tweaks”.

The next big patch will start addressing player suggestions according to his Twitter post.

“We’re all very enthused by your feedback. It’s very rewarding. Our focus now is fixing any issues you report, but we are listening to suggestions. Current roadmap: a) Hotfix 4, b) Patch 1 (+1000 fixes and tweaks), c) Patch 2. The latter will already incorporate some requests.”

We're all very enthused by your feedback. It's very rewarding. Our focus now is fixing any issues you report, but we are listening to suggestions. Current roadmap: a) Hotfix 4, b) Patch 1 (+1000 fixes and tweaks), c) Patch 2. The latter will already incorporate some requests.

— Swen Vincke @where? (@LarAtLarian) August 15, 2023

The game will be getting official mod support (via PC Gamer), meaning the RPG will get some longevity assuming people are making mods for it for the next few months (or even years).

Speedrunner Mae, the same one who finished the game in under 10 minutes, made a video guide (under the Sex% Baldur’s Gate 3 speedrun subcategory) that answers the question: how fast can you have sex with someone? With the help of some spells, Mae blitz through the opening areas and spends the night with githyanki fighter Lae’zel.

He used enhanced leap’s jump distance to bypass obstacles, and uses Mage Hands to activate the Nautiloid’s transponder. As soon as he reaches the Ravaged Beach, he jumped all the way to where Lae’zel is being held prisoner by tieflings. After rescuing her, they end up in the Emerald Grove entrance goblin battle, arguably the part that took the speedrun bit the longest. Then once they’re in the grove, Mae went to get a tiefling named Zorru to bow down to their githyanki crush. This gets the githyanki all hot and bothered, leading to her inviting the player character to her camp. Once you smash the long rest button, you proceed with the smashing.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is out right now for PC, with the PS5 version coming out in early September. Stay tuned for our review; you can check out our legendary weapons guide while you’re at it.

The game will be targeting an early 2024 release window, with the game getting publishing help from its longtime partner Klei Entertainment. Why 2024? We’ll let the company explain:

“The game is in good shape right now, but we realized we want to take some extra time to make it really SING! We’ll also be able to double down on what makes the game great by adding more Rhythm Rifts for launch!

We don’t have an exact date yet, but we’re looking at the first half of 2024. We’re hoping to have a release date for y’all after the holidays. “

Brace Yourself’s previous game Crypt Of The Necrodancer was published by Klei Entertainment, so it makes sense for them to team up with the Canadian company yet again. In the meantime, if you happen to be at PAX West from 1st to 4th September 2023, there will be demos of the game. There will also be a free demo in a future Steam Next Fest.