15 Games to Get During Devolver’s Birthday Sale

Devolver has been going strong for 15 years now and has established a reputation for publishing high-quality indie games from around the world across a wide range of genres. From the early days of Serious Sam and Hotline Miami, to more recent hits like Cult of the Lamb and Inscryption, the publisher has a track record of allowing small, creative teams to flourish.

To celebrate their 15th birthday, Devolver is hosting a huge sale on their entire catalog of games from May 16–23 on Steam. Since they’re turning 15, we figured it only made sense to showcase 15 lesser-known gems from their roster that you can get for super cheap during the sale:

Ronin

On sale for: $2.59 (80% off)

Released in 2015, Ronin is a turn-based action-stealth platformer created by Polish developer Tomasz Wacławek while he was working as a designer at Shadow Warrior studio Flying Wild Hog. Inspired by the likes of Gunpoint, Ronin is about a young girl determined to strike down five prominent figures of a powerful corporation, one at a time. Over its 15 missions, you carefully plot your movements to set up the perfect strike before retreating back into the shadows. Throw in a handful of ninja gadgets — including, of course, a trusty grappling hook — and Ronin is well worth its short and sharp playtime.

Okhlos

On sale for: $2.59 (80% off)

Greek mythology has always been ripe for satire, and 2016’s Okhlos joined in on the fun. Set in ancient Greece under the omnipotent rule of Olympian gods, you’re tasked with mobilising people tired of the abuse suffered at the hands of their rulers through philosophical teachings, convincing them to break free from the chains of Mount Olympus and establish an ochlocracy — literal mob rule. Going from city to city, players look to recruit warriors, peasants, slaves, and even livestock to topple the status quo through eight procedurally generated locations. As you progress, you can unlock special units or swap them for one of 100 legendary heroes to upgrade your mob and increase their savagery. Each run is different, and you may find yourself taking command of the likes of Heracles, Leonidas, Pandora, or even Socrates to turn your mischievous gang into a formidable army. It’s total anarchy in the birthplace of democracy!

High Hell

On sale for: 80% off (Soundtrack Bundle)

First exploding onto the indie scene with roguelike shooter Heavy Bullets, Brazilian developer Terri Vellmann and American rapper Doseone teamed up once again for 2017’s High Hell. It’s a neon-soaked, arcade-action first-person shooter that sees you descend upon an underground criminal enterprise with the most blessed of shotguns, bringing lethal salvation to those who have fallen from the light. Righteous fury and fancy footwork are crucial to surviving an escalating, absurd series of outlandish missions. Don’t be surprised to find yourself popping brainwashed chimps, defacing corporate effigies, and dismantling the business dealings of the unrepentant cartel in this vibrant, psychedelic remix of the classic first-person shooter.

Not a Hero

On sale for: $3.99 (80% off)

Long before the critically acclaimed, award-winning OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome, UK-based studio Roll7 dipped its toe into the world of action platforming with 2015’s Not A Hero, a raucous ballet of blood, bullets, and a political incumbent calling himself BunnyLord. You play as Steve, a former assassin turned campaign manager, sent out by BunnyLord to clean up the city by “shooting crime in the face.” You add additional crew members as the campaign picks up steam, including the shotgun-toting Cletus, hip-thrusting SMG master Jesus, and the dangerously enthusiastic katana-wielding Kimmy. You quickly find yourself murdering your way through gangs and police officers alike in the pursuit of winning the mayorship. Shoot, slide, dive, and duck behind a political platform built on ethics, accountability, and an inordinate amount of gunfire.

SPACEPLAN

On sale for: $0.98 (67% off)

SPACEPLAN is an experimental piece of interactive fiction based partly on developer Jake Hollands’ total misunderstanding of Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time. Launched in 2017, SPACEPLAN started life as an idle, browser-based “clicker” game (this was a thing back in the late 2010s) but soon expanded into a full game that was eventually released on both PC and mobile platforms. The game is beautiful in its simplicity: use manual clicks and the passage of time to create and launch potato-based devices and probes from your nondescript satellite orbiting a mysterious planet. Essentially, you can either spend this time unlocking the mysteries of the galaxy or just kill some time.

Crossing Souls

On sale for: $2.99 (80% off)

Nostalgia has always been a big thing for gamers, and that’s apparent in 2018’s Crossing Souls, developed by Spanish indie studio FourAttic (named after their “office,” which was literally an attic). Inspired by the dreamlike, Spielbergian wonder of classic ’80s fantasy, sci-fi, and coming-of-age movies, Crossing Souls takes you on a cinematic adventure through California in the midst of a supernatural event that rocks a small community. Taking control of five friends, each one with their own skills and combat styles (not to mention typically ’80s personality traits), you’re charged with flitting between each character on the fly, using each kid’s specialties to overcome obstacles and the bad guys’ weaknesses. Featuring a nostalgia-inducing cinematic score that evokes peak John Williams, wonkily animated cutscenes, and dozens of easter eggs, Crossing Souls is a joyful trip back to when VHS fuzz was the worst of your problems.

Gods Will Be Watching

On sale for: $1.99 (80% off)

Gods Will Be Watching is the first full-fledged release from narrative-driven developer Deconstructeam. Originally developed as an entry for the Ludum Dare game jam back in 2013, Gods Will Be Watching caught the eye of Devolver, who stepped in to help turn it into a full game. The result divided opinion upon its release in 2014, with some critics and players finding it difficult to get past the game’s intentionally punishing mechanics, despite acknowledging the team’s talent. Pitched as a minimalistic sci-fi point-and-click thriller centred on despair, commitment, and sacrifice, this was perhaps to be expected. Nevertheless, Deconstructeam soon implemented The Mercy Update as a way of helping players make the tough decisions that affect their entire crew’s wellbeing. It remains an innovative departure from the traditional point-and-click adventure, taking place in six intimate, tension-filled scenarios linked together through a narrative of interstellar espionage.

Gato Roboto

On sale for: $1.99 (75% Off)

2019 introduced Devolver-owned studio Doinksoft to the world with the Oregon outfit’s debut title, Gato Roboto. Featuring classic NES-inspired monochromatic visuals, the game follows a cat named Kiki attempting to save her owner after they crash land on an alien planet, forcing Kiki to don a mech suit and explore the planet’s depths. Pet-troidvania, Meow-troidvania, Mechtroidvania…whatever your genre-bending description of choice, Gato Roboto sees you exploring the underground labyrinth of a deep space outpost, uncovering the dastardly deeds that unfolded before your arrival. Curiosity will often get the better of your feline instincts, as you’ll also need to venture outside your trusty mech and risk all nine lives to explore otherwise inaccessible areas. Secrets abound in this purrfect ode to classic puzzle platformers.

Bleak Sword DX

On sale for: $5.99 (40% off)

Sleek, thrilling, and wonderfully cruel, Bleak Sword DX is a dark fantasy action game by Spanish developer more8bit, otherwise known as Luis Moreno Jimenez. Originally released for Apple Arcade in 2019, Bleak Sword DX builds on the original game, offering expanded gameplay mechanics, narrative elements, and atmospheric world-building. Its unique, condensed art style is reminiscent of 8-bit classics, but with a modern twist that blends 2D sprites with 3D environments. The game is centred around 12 chapters of cursed diorama battlefields, where your hero must lift the curse of the legendary Bleak Sword by eliminating the hostile creatures in each environment. Somewhat soulslike in its levelling system, you gain experience points by clearing stages but lose those not used for levelling up after dying twice in a stage. Not for the faint of heart, but a hell of a lot of fun.

Titan Souls

On sale for: $1.49 (90% off)

Speaking of soulslikes, what happens when an indie developer takes the brutal “one more try” philosophy of that genre and adds a boss rush on top? Well, Titan Souls is your answer. Conceived and prototyped during Ludum Dare #28, Titan Souls is an open world, top-down action-adventure, where your hero’s only weapon is a single arrow and you can only take one hit. The goal is to defeat 20 giant monsters (21 on hard mode) called the Titans. Just like you, they only take one hit to die, but they also only have one way to be defeated. During combat, you must figure out how each Titan behaves and identify their fatal weakness. The twist is that your single arrow must be charged before it can be shot and has to be retrieved before it can be reused. Oh, and you can only perform either action while not moving, making you a sitting target for the Titans. Did we mention it’s quite hard?

Heave Ho

On sale for: $3.99 (60% off)

Heave Ho tasks up to four players with a simple goal: don’t fall to your death! Created by French developer Le Cartel and released in 2019 for PC and Switch, players take control over a gurning disembodied head with a pair of stretchable arms, using their iron-like grip and the outstretched hands of their friends to grapple across each level on their way to victory. Clambering across one another’s dangling bodies and swinging your pals to safety in a wobbly mass of limbs is made all the more silly by customising your character with all manner of ridiculous accessories and zany accoutrement in a vain attempt to remember who you are.

Olija

On sale for: $4.49 (70% off)

Another French developer saw their game published by Devolver in 2021, though it came by way of Japan. Thomas Olsson conceived his debut game Olija after moving to Japan, collaborating with a team they dubbed Skeleton Crew, a Japanese saxophonist, a shakuhachi player, and his wife to bring his vision to life. Inspired by Moby Dick, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Prince of Persia, Olija is a game about Faraday, a man shipwrecked and then trapped in the mysterious country of Terraphage. Armed with a legendary harpoon, he and other castaways try to leave this hostile country to return to their homelands. The game mixes exploration and quickfire combat through the use of Faraday’s Harpoon, challenging you to rethink movement through platforming, puzzle, and combat. Inspired by swashbuckling tales and cinematic adventure games, Olija is a story about facing the unknown in adversity.

Boomerang X

On sale for: 75% Off (Soundtrack Bundle)

Continuing the theme of weapon-based traversal in 2021, Boomerang X from developer DANG! is like a rollercoaster ride of fast-paced first-person shooting taken from the classic hardcore boomer playbook. Armed with a magical boomerang, slice, fly, and dive through flocks of evil Ghibli-esque creatures in this acrobatic arena boomer(ang) shooter. As you catapult yourself through the air, the power drawn from the creatures you defeat can be used to slow time and recalibrate your airborne attacks. They really should have called it Doomerang.

Pikuniku

On sale for: $2.59 (80% off)

Pikuniku is a puzzle-exploration game that takes place in a strange but playful world where not everything is as happy as it seems. The brainchild of French-British indie collective Sectordub (Arnaud De Bock, Rémi Forcadell, Alan Zucconi, and Calum Bowen), Pikuniku sees you take control of the titular Piku as he helps peculiar residents overcome their mundane struggles, uncovers a deep state conspiracy, and starts a little revolution on his delightful dystopian adventure. The majority of puzzles involve kicking and pushing objects to open doors and access rooms, but Piku can also lasso his legs to swing from hooks or curl into a ball and roll, allowing you to move around faster and reach higher or previously inaccessible areas. Pikuniku also features a local co-op mode with nine levels, in which a second player controls Niku, Piku’s orange pal.

Stories Untold

On sale for: $1.99 (80% off)

Developed by No Code, the Glasgow-based studio spearheaded by John McKellan (Alien: Isolation) and Omar Khan, 2017’s Stories Untold is a narrative-driven experimental adventure game that bends the genre into something unique. Combining a mix of classic text-adventure, point-and-click, and first-person puzzle games, four short stories are packaged together into a single mysterious anthology that pulls together ’80s retro nostalgia, innovative and experimental gameplay, and tense, psychological horror.

On top of this sale, Devolver will be celebrating its 15th birthday by dipping into its archives for a series of blogs on its official website that take a trip down memory lane. If you’ve ever wondered which Devolver Digital T-shirts changed the game for video game merchandise, what their top 15 soundtrack entries are, their favourite game trailers, or even what their most impressive event spaces are from over the years (who could forget their iconic E3 parking lot space?), then wonder no more.

Monster-Catching Roguelike ‘Dicefolk’ Rolls A New Twist On Turn-Based Tactics Next Month

Never say di(c)e.

If you cast your mind back to April, you might remember that the dice-based tactical RPG Dicefolk was confirmed to be coming to Switch. One month on, publisher Good Shepherd Entertainment and developers LEAP Game Studios and Tiny Ghoul have announced that this monster-catching roguelike will be heading our way on 20th June.

There are a lot of different genre terms going on here, so if you haven’t come across Dicefolk before, we’ll do our best to break it down for you (but you should also check out the above explanatory trailer, of course).

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

EA Play: Immortals of Aveum Joins the Play List Alongside New Member Rewards this Month

Get ready to unleash an arsenal of spells in Immortals of Aveum!

The single-player, first-person magic shooter from Ascendant Studios, in partnership with EA Originals, is now on the Play List for all EA Play members (Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See https://tos.ea.com/legalapp/eaplay/US/en/PC/ for details). PC Game Pass and Ultimate Game Pass subscribers can now experience the story of Jak, set in the Immortals of Aveum’s original fantasy universe.

Powered by the groundbreaking Unreal Engine 5.1 technology, Immortals of Aveum puts players in a visceral and cinematic fantasy universe that combines modern characters and a story-driven campaign with intense magic-based action, world exploration and puzzle-solving. The game tells the story of Jak (played by actor Darren Barnet) who discovers that he is a magically-imbued ‘Unforeseen’ and finds himself reluctantly caught in the middle of the raging Everwar. Members will find themselves thrusted into action-packed gameplay, testing their skills in fast, fluid combat that is easy to learn and satisfying to master.

In addition to Immortals of Aveum, EA Play members also get unlimited access to an expansive catalog of EA games, including Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, EA SPORTS NHL 24 and more, as well as a 10% discount on EA digital content (including game downloads, Season Passes, point packs, and DLC).

EA Play also offers members regular in-game rewards! This month’s rewards include:

  • Apex Legends Golden Syringe Weapon Charm – Now to June 3
  • Battlefield 2042 Offshore Protector – Now to May 28
  • EA SPORTS FC 24 Clubs Nike What The FC Tn Shark – Now to June 6
  • EA SPORTS FC 24 VOLTA Nike What The FC T-Shirt and COINS – Now to June 6
  • EA SPORTS FC 24 Ultimate Team™ Draft Token – Now to June 14
  • F1 23 5000 XP Boost – Now to May 31
  • Madden NFL 24 MUT May Pack – Now to May 31
  • EA SPORTS WRC Season 4 Rewards – Now to June 3
  • NHL 24 Super Hero Set – Now to May 22
  • NHL 24 WOC Coins – Now to May 22
  • NHL 24 WOC Battle Pass XP Modifier – Now to May 22

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass PC members receive EA Play with their Game Pass subscription. Members enjoy great player benefits, including in-game challenges and rewards, special member-only content, trials of select new games such as EA SPORTS FC 24 and access to a collection of EA’s best-loved series and top titles, including the recently added EA SPORTS PGA Tour.

Visit the EA Play page for more details, and to stay up to date on the latest from EA Play, follow EA Play on, Instagram, or X. Please see EA.com/EA-Play/Terms for terms and conditions.

The post EA Play: Immortals of Aveum Joins the Play List Alongside New Member Rewards this Month appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Dave the Diver: free Godzilla DLC arrives May 23

Monstrous giants lurk in the unfathomable depths of the Blue Hole, their formidable presence striking terror into the hearts of any who dare to venture into their domain. They interfere with Dave’s tranquil fishing pursuits, yet unwittingly become prime ingredients for his sushi restaurant. Their colossal forms lend an unexpected and savory twist to the culinary creations.

Godzilla, the mighty monarch of monsters whose legendary reign celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, now emerges to make a historic appearance within the depths of the Blue Hole. Prepare to encounter the awe-inspiring Godzilla, arriving May 23.*

G-Force, the military organization from the Godzilla series

G-Force, an international joint military organization formed by the United Nations and the JSDF, is tasked with the paramount mission of safeguarding humanity and upholding global peace. They follow Godzilla’s trail, leading them to the elusive depths of the Blue Hole.

“Godzilla was wounded. We tracked down its brainwaves, and they led us here…”

Kaiju discovered in the abyss

While diving in the shadowy depths of the Blue Hole looking for fish, Dave is confronted with Godzilla, injured and recovering from his wounds. Wariness grips the mighty titan as he senses Dave’s approach, but it looks like he might just need some assistance from an unexpected ally.

Watch out for the relentless Kaiju in pursuit

Embark on an exhilarating adventure in the Godzilla DLC where you’ll engage in a heart-pounding pursuit with Ebirah, the iconic deep-sea Kaiju from the 1966 live-action movie [Ebirah, horror of the deep]. Plunge into the oceanic depths to evade Ebirah’s assaults as the creature relentlessly pursues the submarine carrying Dave and Miki. 

Epic battle with Ebirah

Harpoons prove ineffective against the Kaiju’s impenetrable shell. In a daring move, Dave abandons his usual gear for a more formidable approach. Boarding the G-Force submarine to confront Ebirah head-on. Despite his lack of experience in submarine piloting, Dave needs to stay focused to penetrate Ebirah’s shell.

On whose side does Godzilla stand…?

Godzilla is infamous for his city-razing rampages, yet beneath his fearsome exterior lies its true nature, defending the planet against looming threats. When another malevolent Kaiju emerges Godzilla’s allegiance might unexpectedly align with yours.

Beneath the calm surface of Dave the Diver’s world lies a host of lurking dangers in the depths. 

Amidst the looming presence of Godzilla, brace yourself and venture into the increasingly perilous depths of the Blue Hole.

*Dave the Diver— Godzilla Content Pack is a time-limited free DLC, only available from May 23 until November 23.

Madden NFL 25 Store Listings Confirm Release Date

A few days after the release date for this year’s Madden leaked, EA Sports has officially confirmed through product listings that Madden NFL 25 will come out on August 16 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, or August 12 if you preorder the Deluxe Edition.

EA quietly confirmed the release date after the company pushed preorders for Madden NFL 25 on a few storefronts, such as the Steam and Epic Game Store pages, confirming the sports game will be released in mid-August.

EA has yet to unveil who the cover athlete(s) will be this year. However, the company typically shares cover athlete details in June, as it did last year when it confirmed roughly two months before Madden 24’s release that Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen would grace the cover for that version.

A closer examination of the Steam page for Madden NFL 25 reveals a brief description that teases what’s new in this year’s release. “In EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25, discover the next level of FieldSENSE,” the description reads. “This includes a re-engineered physics system, updated features across franchise and other modes as well as brand-new commentary and presentation.”

The release date confirmation comes the same day EA Sports announced a July 19 release date and the cover athletes for College Football 25. Additional information, including a possible gameplay trailer, is expected for the highly anticipated collegiate sports game sometime tomorrow, May 16.

Madden’s August release date is no surprise, as starting with Madden NFL 2000, EA has released the annual professional football sports simulation game in August. With Madden keeping its August release month, players will have roughly a month to play College Football 25. This cadence was previously in place when EA published annual releases for both sports games until 2013.

Despite no further details, based on previous history there is a good chance those who create a character in College Football 25 will likely be able to carry their player over into Madden NFL 25. This theory is further supported by the fact EA announced an MVP bundle that includes one copy each of the Deluxe Edition of College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25.

In our review of Madden NFL 24, IGN wrote: “New animations and improved AI make Madden NFL 24’s on-field action the best it’s ever been, but everything that happens off the field is a slog of dated modes and laggy menus that brings everything around it down.”

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

College Football 25 Finally Has a Release Date

College football fans who miss College Football video games can finally cheer after EA officially revealed the cover athletes for College Football 25 and confirmed a release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on Friday, July 19, 2025, or July 16 for those who buy the Deluxe Edition.

Though EA has yet to provide a gameplay trailer for College Football 25, the publisher confirmed that a “full reveal” is coming tomorrow, May 17.

As previously confirmed by leaks, College Football 25’s Standard Edition cover features Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter, and Michigan running back Donovan Edwards. The Deluxe Edition cover features the same three athletes at the center and players from different schools in the background, such as Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins, and Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe.

“Donovan, Quinn and Travis are extraordinary talents who impressed and entertained millions of college football fans on the field last season and are poised to do so again this year,” EA Sports SVP and Group GM Daryl Holt commented. “We’re proud to be able to incorporate thousands of current athletes in College Football 25, and featuring this trio of playmakers and their iconic college programs on the cover is a perfect fit as we usher in a new era for EA Sports and college football. I can’t wait for the world to learn more about the game tomorrow.”

Before today’s official reveal, news on the next college football video game has been slim. The PlayStation Store leak that occured last week revealed not only the Deluxe Edition cover, but a screenshot of gameplay featuring players from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team exiting the tunnel and heading onto the field.

In February, EA dropped an official teaser trailer showing development concepts, such as players from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team tapping the “Play Like a Champion Today” sign before heading into the tunnel.

Following the teaser announcement in early February, EA Sports revealed to ESPN some new details for College Football 25. This includes confirmation that all 134 FBS football programs will be included, how much players who opt-in will be paid for using their likeness in the game, while those who do not opt-in will not be allowed to create themselves as a playable character, as well as reaffirming that Dynasty and Road to Glory game modes will return.

The long road to make the next College Football video game

EA officially announced it was making another college football game in 2021 when it originally planned not to use any real names or likenesses of the student-athletes. When the Supreme Court ruled that student-athletes could profit from using their name, image, and likeness (NIL), EA announced it would add real college football players into its upcoming game.

Similar legal challenges surfaced for EA in its recent venture into college football video games. Initially canceled due to legal issues, the series encountered similar obstacles when The BrandR Group, a licensing agency for student-athletes, filed a lawsuit against EA, arguing that compensation for participating student-athletes was “significantly below market value.” EA eventually settled the lawsuit.

College Football 25’s Standard and Deluxe Editions are available to pre-order now, but EA said it is offering a third version called the EA Sports MVP Bundle, which includes one copy each of the Deluxe Editions of both College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25, both of which will move the release date up by three days for each game, allowing you to play sooner.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

LEGO Horizon Adventures Reportedly a New PlayStation Game Set for Reveal Soon

Sony and LEGO are reportedly collaborating on a new PlayStation video game called LEGO Horizon Adventures.

Insider Gaming reports the unannounced video game is “essentially Horizon Forbidden West but Lego”, with “realistic graphics.” IGN has asked Sony for comment.

X/Twitter user @Kurakasis had previously flagged the collaboration, and Insider Gaming suggests this was the result of a recently discovered trademark filing.

That’s pretty much all we have right now. We don’t know which studio is behind the game, or the platforms it will launch on. But Sony is rumored to be set to hold a PlayStation showcase this month. Perhaps we’ll learn more there.

While a LEGO Horizon video game may sound like an odd choice, the two brands have collaborated before on LEGO sets based on Guerrilla’s post-apocalyptic franchise.

Sony has a quiet year ahead for first-party PlayStation games, and has ruled out sequels in its major franchises such as Spider-Man and God of War until at least April 2025. But it still has a number of key games set to release over the next 12 months, including PS5 and PC FPS Concord and, potentially, LEGO Horizon Adventures.

In February, Sony announced a significant round of layoffs affecting around 900 staff, or about 8% of its global PlayStation workforce. The layoffs affect a number of PlayStation studios, including Insomniac, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla, Firesprite, and, most significantly, PlayStation’s London studio. Alongside the layoffs, a number of in-development games were canceled.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Biomorph is one the best of its genre, of 2024, and maybe all time

There are exactly one million metroidy rogueishy action platform games and that is okay. There’s no such thing as too many of an entertaining thing in a world with, god I dunno, at least thousand humans in? Maybe more? Who knows.

They are rarely my thing, though. I try more than I really want to, for you, and games like Biomorph give me the energy to keep going through the many that leave me indifferent. This isn’t one of my grudging admissions that a subgenre isn’t all bad; it’s a game that I can’t even think of a way to complain about.

Read more

Splatoon 3 ‘Sizzle Season 2024’ Introduces New Weapons, Stages And Big Run Mode Next Month

BIG Big Run?!

Nintendo has just revealed our first look at Splatoon 3‘s ‘Sizzle Season 2024’ update, and it looks like it is going to be a big one.

Kicking off on 1st June, the annual Sizzle Season will bring with it a handful of new weapons and stages as well as a variation on the Big Run game mode called ‘BIG Big Run’. Yes, really.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – How Performance Capture and Stunts Created Next-Level Combat

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – How Performance Capture and Stunts Created Next-Level Combat

2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was an exceedingly special game. A bold, brash direction for Ninja Theory, the decision to craft a short, narrative experience revolving around mental health was a brave leap, but one that ultimately paid off. Now, seven years later, the studio is gearing up to reveal a sequel to Senua’s story, built with the same love and care, but expanding on the debut in every conceivable way. 

In the run up to launch, we’ll be bringing you the story of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II from inside the studio itself, as well as stories and lessons from Hellblade’s creative leads. This is Ninja Theory’s ultimate form, filled with industry-leading talent, groundbreaking technology, and one of the most unique approaches to game development you’ve ever seen to fulfil the ultimate goal – the pursuit of true immersion.


Motion capture has been part of Ninja Theory’s heritage for a long time, and for good reason. The studio established itself as a pioneer in performance capture for games with 2007’s Heavenly Sword and has continued to innovate since. Now, with greater access to state-of-the-art technology – including its very own performance capture studio nestled within the walls of its Cambridge HQ – Ninja Theory is once again primed to break its own barriers within Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

Ninja Theory utilised performance capture in the first Hellblade for its cinematic moments, but in Hellblade II, almost every in-game movement is performed by real-world actors and scanned in, to ensure the most realistic, human experience possible in-game. According to Studio Head Dom Matthews, capture for the combat sequences alone took almost 70 full days to complete.

“We see performance capture as a tool to deliver character performance in the purest way possible,” Matthews says. “We took that opportunity because it ties into our goal of doing everything we can to achieve immersion and keep it.”

You’ll never feel that more than in Hellblade II’s unique approach to combat – which stands simultaneously as a testament to Ninja Theory’s deep belief in their way of doing things, but also as a brand-new experiment for the restlessly creative studio.

Combat, Evolved

Combat in Hellblade II is a vast improvement on the first title, but, fascinatingly, this is not a traditional action game in practice. You won’t be bashing and slashing through endless hordes in Hellblade IIevery fight you’ll enter as Senua is calculated and intentional, every swing, punch and grapple is crafted to align you with her struggle, and her growth as she overcomes these hurdles. Every foe feels like the one that might finally finish you and Senua off, and walking away intact feels like a triumph every time.

“Instead of taking what we’ve got and adding to it, we looked how we could go deeper on the thing we really care about, which is making combat meaningful to the narrative,” Matthews says. 

During my visit to Ninja Theory, I was shown this evolution in combat from multiple perspectives – a look at how the combat scenes were performed and captured by actors, a behind-the-scenes glimpse at some of these movements in their development stages inside Unreal Engine 5, and then of course, the finished gameplay itself, which showcases the end product of this fantastic and thoughtful work. 

In one section, the chapter culminates in Senua facing off an onslaught of masked enemies, some with heavy builds primed to knock her down, and some with swift fire attacks that require well-timed dodging. Each fight – all handled one-on-one, but with new enemies barrelling in from off-screen to keep the frantic feeling alive – feels like survival by the skin of your teeth, and the sum of Senua’s power is funnelled through her retaliations; the movements to take down these foes are almost rhythmic, a desperate beating heart powering the game along.

It’s hard to explain unless you’ve played yourself, but this doesn’t feel like traditional video game combat. There’s a weight to it, both from Senua and her enemies, that turns this into more of a desperate dance than a piece of superpowered pugilism. It makes for exhausting, exhilarating sequences, producing the feeling of an intense boss rush, even against what would otherwise be regular enemies. 

“We wanted to bring a sense of brutality and struggle to one-on-one combat,” says Benoit Macon, combat director on Hellblade II. “There is a sense of connection between the combat and the narrative.” 

That brutality is felt even more keenly when you seeing it being carried out in real life. I watch two Lucky13 stunt performers act out multiple combat sequences, one taking on the role of Senua, and another acting as a hulking Northman. The two performers swing rapidly at each other, with one take culminating in a violent body slam. This is a real, tangible portrayal of a fight; the movements and body language – while expertly directed – are unpredictable, and differ slightly between takes, granting an authenticity that is seldom offered by wholly calculated digital character rigging. 

The scene is also heavily cinematic; a mass brawl breaking out between these masked Viking slavers and their newly freed captives onscreen means it’s never entirely clear who Senua is about to square up against next (and indeed, if you die, you’ll take on enemies in a different order, the fights shifting to stop you simply pattern-learning). Macon cites Games of Thrones’ famous ‘Battle of the Bastards’ episode as an early reference point for this sequence, highlighting the relentless, indiscriminate violence that Jon Snow faces in what seems to be a losing battle against endless foes. Similarly, Senua is not trying to be a hero in this chapter, merely fighting to survive – and you’re right there with her.

Bringing Senua to Life

Paradoxically, while I play, I realise that part of the genius of Ninja Theory’s work on combat is the effort they’ve put into the moments where you’re not fighting, and how they link together. Even when Senua’s sword is sheathed, moments of exploration, puzzle solving and conversations with other characters are rooted in a deep sense of dynamic realism – and crucially this means the game feels like a seamless whole. You don’t walk into a blank arena and realize, “Oh, this is a combat sequence.” The wholeness means that, even in its quiet moments, it feels as though you could enter combat at any moment.

Even Senua’s most incidental movements feel intensely authentic – as she’s carefully padding through abandoned villages or trepidatiously navigating around terrifying enemies, I often found myself mirroring her reactions. If Senua’s shoulders are tense, mine are similarly braced; if Senua is making herself smaller to not be detected, I’m also hunching into myself as though the masked nightmares are going to see me through the screen. This is all brought to life by Senua actress Melina Juergens’ astronomical efforts to create a living, breathing character that is now an extension of her.

“The benefit of working with actors like [Juergens] or any of the other cast is that we can bring them in to try different ideas; a scared walk, for example,” Matthews says. “We ask ourselves what you’d be feeling in that moment, and how do we convey that to the player? We can then capture it, and the end result in the game is based on a real performance.”

Juergens tells me that even aspects like the weather are considered – how will Senua move and behave if it’s raining heavily or there’s strong winds? There’re even scenes with multiple versions of the same dialogue between Senua and other characters, and the line that is delivered will depend on whether Senua is walking or running. It’s this constant reactivity not just to NPCs, but also to the dynamic world around here, that means you’re completely immersed in her world.

Some of the Ninja Theory team are even now trained in how to safely build scaffolding, due to its consistent use throughout the filming process to simulate climbing and suspension scenes, an incredible commitment to the craft. 

In some instances, Juergens will film physical movements first, and then record the facial expressions later to make for an even more realistic and animated approach. In other scenarios, actions and expressions are filmed in tandem, as Juergens is acting out the scene. She describes one instance of shimmying through a set piece with an iPhone camera strapped to her head to capture her face as she goes – which is all I could think about when later playing through a similar segment in the game itself. 

The result is something that feels differently pitched to most action games. We aren’t just driving Senua from one battle to the next, nor do those fights feel like interruptions to the wider story – combat is a part of Senua’s journey, and the intense work put into making her feel like a real person, both in and out of those fights, means we as players, are left in a state of blissful unease. The next fight could come at any moment.

Fighting With Purpose

All of this work – the stunt work, meticulous acting capture, and new mechanical ideas of how to present a fight – feel as much like a Hollywood production as they do a traditional game. Ninja Theory is aware of the appetite for sprawling, lengthy AAA blockbusters, and we’re increasingly familiar with the Hollywood techniques they employ. However, Matthews prefers to liken Hellblade II to a quality independent film, and tells me that the confidence to keep creating mindful art has only been reinforced by the success and resonance of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. In terms of combat, that means creating a system that doesn’t just feel good to play, but serves the wider message. Senua isn’t mindlessly engaging in battle – she has to do this to meet her goals, and that’s reflected in how Ninja Theory has approached every aspect of putting a character onscreen.

“That mindset has encouraged me and the people in the team to continue to be brave in our creative work, to continue to doggedly pursue the things we all personally care about,” Matthews says.

It makes Hellblade II’s combat less a cog in a gaming machine, and more of a brushstroke in the wider piece of art Ninja Theory is presenting. The studio is fuelled by a fearlessness to keep innovating on Senua’s journey in its own thoughtful, meticulous way – yes, this feels very fun to play, but fighting means something in this game. That might be an achievement in itself.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will be released on May 21, 2024 for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam and Cloud – and will be available with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass day one.

The post Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – How Performance Capture and Stunts Created Next-Level Combat appeared first on Xbox Wire.