This Week in RPGs – August 27th, 2023

Happy weekend from Fextralife! If you’ve been too busy to keep up on the latest in the games we cover or are looking for a refresher we’ve got you covered! Here’s a bite-sized version of the Top RPG news of the week. Taste all the latest news across the Fextralife Wiki Network.

This Week in RPGs – August 27th, 2023

1This has been one of the busiest weeks for RPG news with Gamescom 2023 kicking off with Opening Night Live and a number of updates and announcements. This included new footage for Black Myth Wukong, Lords of the Fallen officially going gold, Granblue Fantasy Relink getting a release date, new insane gameplay for Crimson Desert, new details for Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty and more. We’ll be going over some of the biggest news from Gamescoms in case you missed it.

Before we get into it, a quick shoutout to our sponsors Roccat and Turtlebeach who have given our lovely viewers a gear discount which is in the description below this video.

Cyberpunk 2077

• CD Projekt Red unveiled a new trailer ahead of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty’s release next month.
• A new trailer dubbed ‘New Ways to Play’ spotlights new gameplay features that will be arriving alongside the expansion and part of the free Update 2.0.
• The expansion Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty follows a “spy-thriller” theme. It will introduce a new Relic skill tree which provides powerful abilities. It’s a chance to master new playstyles and create some unique new builds.
• Also making its way to the game is the new location Dogtown. Chocked full of new events, missions, new clothing items, Weapons, Cyberware and much more.
• As update 2.0 these include new perks to make the gameplay more impactful. Enemy AI will get some combat improvements. Police AI will now be more responsive. They do things like set up roadblocks to stop you or even ram you off the road.
• Combat also reaches new heights with new vehicle combat. A chase just isn’t quite a chase without being able to shoot while on the go, even while driving. Not only using guns, but Quickhacks to infiltrate your enemy’s car or motorbike.
• The Phantom Libery expansion will launch for PS5, Xbox Series and PC on September 26th.

For more on this news find it here in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Shows ‘New Ways to Play’ in Gamescom 2023 Trailer.

Crimson Desert

• A new gameplay trailer was dropped for the open-world RPG Crimson Desert. Its been a minute since we’ve seen more of this game, and Opening Night Live at Gamescom seemed the perfect time for Pearl Abyss to share some major updates of the game.
• To say the least, the trailer is majorly action packed. They decided to cram quite a lot of features into the short three-and-a-half-minute video. The footage is dense and if you blink you’ll probably miss a key feature.
• The footage shown includes actual in-game gameplay which is a work in progress. Some fast-paced combat is shown right off the bat. Our lone mercenary is shown kicking up a fuss, tripping up enemies and slamming the ground knocking back a group of foes. There is even a look at what looks to be finishers, with tapping the button during a slow-mo moment to choose an action to knock back an enemy with a forceful kick.
• But it wasn’t just about combat of the game this time as we got a quick look at some smaller missions, sort of odd jobs which can be picked up, literally. The main character is seen carrying a sheep to reunite with its owner. There’s also some activities between battles, such as fishing and even taming horses.
• Other interesting features include GTA-styled commandeering of a horse and cart. There’s travelling by hot air balloon and even some Zelda-esque free-falling from the sky.
• Crimson Desert looks to have a culmination of RPG influences. The scope seems quite ambitious, and I can see why they’ve taken time before showing more of Crimson Desert after going back to the drawing board since switching from an MMO to a solo experience. Taking their time to add some exciting core features.

For more on this news find it here in Crimson Desert New Open World Gameplay Trailer is Nuts.

Granblue Fantasy Relink

• Cygames this week finally nailed down the launch date for Granblue Fantasy Relink. The game will launch on February 1st 2024.
• The action-RPG is spinoff of the Granblue series, but instead of controlling just one character you will lead a group. It will feature a Solo Mode and a multiplayer mode so you can join up with friends to slay monsters together.
• A new trailer highlighted the destruction and chaos brought about by the Primal Beasts. They are monstrosities created by the Astrals years ago. It isn’t going to be easy to eliminate them but there is a rich cast of characters whom players can rely on.
• Instead of opting for an open-world environment, you can expect to see large open areas, allowing you to prepare for potential battles way before stepping into the next one. Cygames has gone in this direction to make it friendly for a wide variety of players coming from a number of RPG genres.
• Granblue Fantasy: Relink also has a bit of MMORPG DNA sprinkled in it thanks to the more than 100 quests available. These include destroying bosses and participating in raids. Another positive aspect is that players can easily swap from one loadout to the next even when participating in these activities.

For more on this news find it here in Granblue Fantasy: Relink Confirms February 1, 2024 Release Date.

Fera: The Sundered Tribes

• If you can’t get enough of monster hunters, be on the lookout for Fera The Sundered Tribes coming in 2024. During Gamescom, the Action-RPG was announced by developer Massive Damage featuring a vibrant cel-shaded world.
• What makes Fera different is that it adds a “tetherhook” item into the hunter’s arsenal, giving them freedom of movement and swing through the world. Players can hook this gizmo onto the environment or even monsters themselves, creating an anchor point that they can use to propel themselves in various directions. You can swing around monsters, using momentum to gain great speeds and fly over your target.
• Don’t worry if your tetherhook breaks though, as players also have a trusty glider that they can quickly deploy in a pinch. Using this will let you easily breeze through the landscape, and fall at your own pace.
• Another unique feature is the ability to build up your village. Starting from humble beginnings, and eventually reaching a thriving metropolis. As you branch out and grow your village, more and more citizens will flock to your homestead. Some may even be directly in the sight of the deadly monsters, and you will need to save them.

For more on this news find it here in Fera: The Sundered Tribes is an Upcoming Contender in the Monster Hunting Genre.

Baldur’s Gate 3

• Good news for Xbox players, Baldur’s Gate 3 will be coming to platform this year. Larian Studios has now found a solution for the Xbox Series version of the game. The CRPG which ran into some issues when it came to split screen for Xbox Series S has held up the release of the game on the platform.
• However, this week after discussions with Xbox head Phil Spencer, Larian shared that they will now be forgoing split screen co-op on the Series S. Now to be clear this is only for the Series S, it will still have cross-save progression between Steam and Xbox.
• While this means the Xbox version will be moving forward this year. We will still need to wait for the official announcement for the release of this version of Baldur’s Gate 3. The Playstation 5 version is swiftly moving ahead, releasing as early as September 2nd for Deluxe Edition owners through a few days of early access.
• However, the good news is Xbox players will finally be able to shove enemies into ravines in Baldur’s Gate 3 at some point this year.
• If you’re looking for our latest guides you can find them on our channel. Be sure to check out our new Wizard Class Guide and Shadowheart Build Guide.

For more on this news find it here in Baldur’s Gate 3 Won’t Have Split Screen on Xbox Series S; Xbox Release This Year.

Lords of the Fallen

• Lords of the Fallen looks to be all set for its October 13th as the developer Hexworks announced the game has now officially gone gold.
• The industry term means the game is all set to be released come launch day. To celebrate this milestone the studio announces a Dev Journal that will be starting next week. This surely shed some light on some burning questions that fans may have.
• Also this week, the studio has released a new trailer featuring the story of Lords of the Fallen during Gamescom 2023 Opening Night Live. It shows the main protagonist trying to hide from a major foe. Failing to stay hidden, the knight is caught and stabbed. The trailer shows more of the gorgeous gothic-looking souslike, including a few NPCs, plot points and even another look at the boss Pieta.
• It shows dual-wielding torches, slicing and dicing as well as truly menacing enemies. One truly frightening entity is shown at the end, that looks absolutely massive. The trailer is still slightly cryptic, not outwardly telling all about the narrative but does give some good hints of what’s in store for players come October.

For more on this news find it here in Lords of the Fallen Goes Gold Ready for October.

Last Epoch

• We’ve been getting a lot of ARPGs lately, and this week a new trailer was released for the Last Epoch. The game will be getting a new class called the Runemaster. This is a Mastery Class of the Mage. Classes in the Last Epoch can ascend to one of three masteries.
• Runemasters are unique in the sense that players can theoretically cast 40 different spells with one button press, provided that you know the correct Rune combination. Preparing runes to cast specific spells. For example, casting fire spells will grant you fire runes. Ice spells, ice runes and so on.
• The 40 different spell effects that can be invoked are also split into the usual offensive, defensive, and utility categories. Mastering the Runemaster looks to be a lot of fun, as it initially seems like a very complex class.
• A new update will be releasing on September 7th called Runes of Power which will come with the new class mastery in early access. The developer Eleventh Hour Games plans to launch 1.0 towards the end of this year.

For more on this news find it here in Last Epoch Adds the Runemaster Class Featured in Gamescom 2023 Trailer.

Black Myth Wukong

• Black Myth Wukong as promised by Geoff Keighley got a world premiere of a new trailer during Opening Night Live. The game gets another impressive trailer, opening with a song sung by a headless musician.
• After that image sinks in, we are introduced to a number of bosses, each possessing some formidable powers and each more ferocious than the last.
• Wukong swings into action with his magic staff, showing off some of his abilities such as creating a circle of fire and even deflecting high-speed projectiles. His moves seem to be very versatile.
• Nvidia GeForce also released some extended footage for boss battles from an early demo. The bosses range from scorpion poison-tailed foes to lighting dual-wielding dragon types that pound the ground with electric waves.
• There also looks to be a peek at one of Wukong’s many transformations. He’s seen wielding a double-ended flame blade staff and appearing double the size of his usual form. Just how many transformations will make it into the game isn’t known just yet but we’re eager to see more.

For more on this news find it here in Black Myth Wukong Shows Off More Striking Moves in Gamescom Trailer.

Starfield

• You might be wondering with Starfield fast approach, at what time can we start exploring the space? Well, Bethesda answered that question this week releasing details for launch times across timezones.
• The global release times show two launch dates, one for early access and one for standard launch. It was only last week when Bethesda confirmed the game is on track for launch, so if you haven’t yet you can already start preloading the game.
• Early Access is available for those who have picked up any of the premium editions of the game. Starting on August 31st at 5PM PDT you can start your space adventure. For those who have picked up the standard edition or Xbox Game Pass, your journey starts a few days later on September 5th also at 5PM PDT.
• Can’t wait? Bethesda also showed some more of Starfield this week. Todd Howard presented the game on stage which showed some of the beginning of the game as well as explaining how players will begin as a miner. This includes touching some mysterious artifact with strange effects and being able to see into space-time. After customising your character you’re off to explore the galaxy.
• Will you be playing Starfield? What kind of character will you be making background and trait-wise? Let us know.

For more on this news find it here in Starfield Gets Launch Times for Early Access and Standard Launch.

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