Titan Quest 2
There are always a lot of games to look forward to. No matter your favorite genre or franchise, you can bet something exciting is on the horizon. THQ Nordic had a preview event and showcase and the publisher’s upcoming lineup looks pretty exciting.
For example, Titan Quest 2. For many fans of Diablo, hands twisted into rigid claws from so much pointing and clicking, 2006’s Titan Quest was a breath of fresh air. It wasn’t a reprieve from repetitive stress injuries, but it did offer a change of venue. Instead of the gothic fantasy dungeons of Diablo, Titan Quest was set in sunny ancient Greece beset by mythological monsters. It was also a bit more graphically impressive than Blizzard’s dungeon crawler.
Titan Quest has had some love over the years, and while still playable, it definitely shows its age. For fans of the original, THQ’s announcement that they will be publishing Grimlore Games’ Titan Quest 2 couldn’t be more exciting. An action RPG dungeon crawler, Titan Quest 2 returns to the world of Greek myths and heroes, with the ultimate goal of stopping Nemesis, the Goddess of Retribution herself. From the trailer and gameplay preview, Titan Quest 2 already looks stunning, easily the equal of other…ahem…recently released gothic ARPGs.
Outcast- A New Beginning
1999’s Outcast is one of those games that has reached genuine cult status. Way ahead of its time, it took an early stab at open world design, advanced voxel graphics, orchestral music and more. Fast way forward to 2023, and THQ Nordic and Appeal Studios are developing Outcast-A New Beginning, which is being called a sequel. It looks promising.
Outcast-a New Beginning is a third person action game. It takes place on the verdant planet Adelpha. You play as stranded space traveler Cutter Slade, who finds himself in the middle of a planetary conflict. Slade’s goal is to return home, but he becomes an unexpected hero to the Talans. The developers promise that the open world game will have “no busy work.” From the preview, Outcast-A New Beginning includes some survival crafting mechanics, modular guns, jetpack flight and more.
Space for Sale
Space for Sale was described by Mirage Game Studios as “a property development game…in space.” It’s a combination of city builder and economic sim, set on a planet populated by a wide range of life forms. The developer notes that “As an intergalactic property developer, your mission is to construct habitats for eccentric alien clients and sell them for a sweet profit.”
Space for Sale has a colorful and stylized art style that’s charming and interesting. It looks like it has great appeal for fans city builders and even No Man’s Sky.
Lots More to Come
Not long after the preview event, THQ Nordic revealed a slew of other upcoming games and updates on already known ones. At top of my personal wish list is the remake of Gothic. Gothic was one of OG third person fantasy games and while the original was charmingly janky, the update looks slick and polished.
South Park fans have enjoyed some really excellent video game spinoffs. The upcoming South Park: Snow Day! is a four player coop game. Cartman, Stan, Kyle and Kenny battle their way through the snow-piled streets of South Park on a quest to save the world and enjoy a day without school.
Also on tap: the next installment of the puzzle platformer Trine, with Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy. 3D Realms is dipping into the RTS genre with Tempest Rising and the much anticipated, star-filled Alone in the Dark is fast approaching, with a playable prologue already on PC, Xbox and Playstation.
