DeTechtive 2112 is a newly released indie action-adventure game that immerses players in a cyberpunk dystopia set in the year 2112. Developed by M11 Studio and 5Deniz, the game offers a blend of shooting mechanics and detective work, although it leans heavily towards action rather than traditional problem-solving.
First fight. Pic: veronica.irizarry
Gameplay Overview
Players assume the role of Detective Matthew Wallace, who is navigating a crumbling England post-World War III. The game features five unique cases, each designed to unravel complex narratives involving the city’s elite and Wallace’s own troubled past. While players can approach missions through stealth or direct combat, many reviews indicate that stealth is poorly implemented, often leading to overwhelming enemy encounters when players are detected.
Weapons and Equipment loadout. Pic: veronica.irizarry
The gameplay mechanics allow for a choice between aggressive tactics or stealthy approaches. However, many players have reported that the AI lacks sophistication, making combat feel repetitive. Enemies tend to follow predictable patterns, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences. The game supports co-op play for up to four players, adding a social element to the otherwise solitary detective experience.
Visuals and Audio
One of the standout features of DeTechtive 2112 is its visual presentation. The game employs a striking cyberpunk aesthetic with neon-lit environments and detailed cityscapes, thanks to Unreal Engine 5 technology. This visual style effectively captures the essence of a dystopian future, creating an engaging atmosphere for exploration. However, while the graphics are praised, some audio elements have been criticized for inconsistency, such as louder footsteps compared to gunfire sounds.
Subway. Pic: veronica.irizarry
Narrative and Longevity
The narrative structure is engaging but somewhat limited due to the short length of the game. Players can expect to complete all five cases relatively quickly, which may lead to a feeling of repetitiveness over time. Despite its narrative potential, many reviewers feel that the game’s focus on action detracts from its detective elements.
My Thoughts
Overall, DeTechtive 2112 presents an intriguing concept with its blend of action and detective work set against a vibrant cyberpunk backdrop. However, it struggles with execution in terms of gameplay depth and AI behavior. While it may appeal to fans of fast-paced shooters looking for a stylish setting, those seeking a rich detective experience may find it lacking.
Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this product from https://www.keymailer.co #DeTechtive2112
In October 2024, Bandai Namco launched “Unknown 9: Awakening“, a new single-player action adventure developed by Canadian studio Reflector Entertainment Ltd.
You take on the role of Quaestor Haroona, who travels the world equipped with supernatural abilities. The game is set in a rich universe filled with supernatural elements and intriguing lore.
The story
You play Quaestor Haroona, who was born with the gift of traveling to “The Fold”, a mysterious dimension that overlaps with ours. Haroona must master her unique connection to “The Fold”, which gives her the ability to channel its powers into our world. But such power also arouses desire, and so Haroona becomes the target of the “Ascendants”, a splinter group of the LYS (Leap Year Society), which wants to use the power of “The Fold” to change the fate of humanity.
Stealth in Unknown 9: Awakening is a key element. Photo Bandai Namco
In the tutorial, you and Haroona’s teacher Reika search for one of her old students – Vincent Lichter, who is digging for ancient knowledge in the Richat structure in the west of the Sahara with an army of mercenaries that can help him in his fight against the LYS.
Reika teaches Haroona a few very useful combat skills, including taking over opponents for a short moment and thus attacking other enemies, for example. Haroona is not to be underestimated in close combat either, she can dish out pretty good damage with her fists and feet.
Haroona. Photo Bandai Namco
The skill list covers three areas: Stealth, Combat and Umbric. The latter includes the special combat skills that Quaestors can use. Some of these abilities are limited in their usability, for example, you need a token to take over an opponent (stepping), which you can refill if you defeat opponents.
Graphics
The graphics are OK, but seem a little outdated. The landscapes are quite nicely designed, and it is exciting to experience India at the beginning of the 20th century. A few graphic errors here and there spoiled the gaming experience a little, but not too much.
Unknown 9: Awakening uses Unreal Engine 5 and supports ultra-wide displays. The game includes ray tracing, though its implementation is limited to shadows cast by the player’s bracers in dark areas. While the graphics may not push the boundaries of next-gen visuals, the game offers solid performance on high-end systems.
Sound
The soundtrack for “Unknown 9: Awakening” is a rich musical experience that captures the game’s narrative and protagonist’s journey. The game features an original soundtrack composed by Yuichiro Oku, with a special highlight being the official theme song “A Light Lies Within”, co-composed and performed by American singer BANKS.
The theme song “A Light Lies Within” is particularly significant, as it reflects the protagonist Haroona’s journey. The track is designed to capture her inner strength and quest for truth through powerful lyrics. A music video accompanying the song traces Haroona’s steps across different world locations.
The soundtrack will be available on various music streaming platforms and is also being released as a vinyl album by Bandai Namco.
Gameplay
The gameplay is nothing surprising, you run, sneak, crawl and squeeze your way through the game world. You can hide in the tall grass and defeat the enemy from behind. The fighting is also kept simple, short left click for a quick attack with your fists, long left click for a kick that can interrupt the enemy’s blockade. The use of special abilities is clearly displayed to the opponent, and since there aren’t too many of them, you shouldn’t get too confused.
Fight to survive. Photo Bandai Namco
Players take on the role of Haroona, a young woman who possesses supernatural abilities as a Quaestor. Haroona can interact with a mysterious dimension called “The Fold”, which grants her unique powers known as Umbric Abilities. The gameplay combines elements of exploration, combat, and stealth:
Combat: Haroona can use melee attacks and Umbric abilities like “push” to defeat enemies.
Stealth: Players can sneak up on enemies and take them down silently.
Exploration: The game features semi-linear areas with collectibles and skill points hidden off the beaten path.
The Fold: Haroona can use “The Fold” to highlight interactive objects and detect enemies
The game’s structure involves moving through corridors and transitioning between arena-like combat areas, reminiscent of older action-adventure titles.
Trivia
There are really great comics, two web series and books about the game and the game universe that can be found on the homepage.
Anya Chalotra plays the protagonist Haroona in “Unknown 9: Awakening”. She is a British actress best known for her role in Netflix’s The Witcher, and was described as an “obvious choice” for the role of Haroona.
Recommendation
The game didn’t blow me away, but it’s fun to play and entertaining, that’s all it needs. Definitely good for a first work. I recommend all the additional material that you can find on the website, it’s nice and elaborately made, and should be rewarded accordingly.
System Requirements
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
◦ Requires 64-bit processor and operating system ◦ Operating System: Windows 10 ◦ Processor: 4 or 6 cores / 8 threads / 3.6 Ghz Base clock speed ◦ Memory: 12 GB RAM ◦ Graphics: 8 GB VRAM / AMD RX 580 ◦ DirectX: Version 12 ◦ Disk Space: 55 GB available disk space ◦ Additional Notes: SSD Required
RECOMMENDED:
◦ Requires 64-bit processor and operating system ◦ Operating System: Windows 10 ◦ Processor: 6 cores / 12 threads / 3.4 Ghz Base clock speed ◦ Memory: 16 GB RAM ◦ Graphics: 8 GB VRAM / AMD RX 5700 XT ◦ DirectX: Version 12 ◦ Storage: 55 GB available space ◦ Additional Notes: SSD Required
“The Thaumaturge” is a story-driven RPG with morally ambiguous choices, taking place in the culturally diverse world of the early 20th-century Warsaw. In this world, Salutors exist: esoteric beings that only Thaumaturges can truly perceive and use to their needs.
A thaumaturge bears both a gift and a burden at the same time. This parallel holds true for Wiktor Szulski, who is drawn back to the tumultuous streets of 20th-century Warsaw by family matters. The gift of thaumaturgy significantly shapes Wiktor’s life journey tied around, a pursuit of unearthly Salutors and their hosts.
The Thaumaturge in the streets of Warsaw. Pic: Fool’s Theory
As only a thaumaturge can tame them, utilizing their mystical abilities to discover secrets hidden within the human soul and speak to the Darkness, no one understands quite like Wiktor how everyone suffers their own demons.
Obedience of beings
Only Thaumaturges can truly perceive the presence of esoteric Salutors and use their powers to their needs. Once captured, Salutors – whose existence is imperceptible to ordinary people – faithfully obey their masters.
The Thaumaturge in a fight. Pic: Fool’s Theory
Next to being capable of influencing people’s temperaments and affinities, they serve as a useful tool during fights. And be prepared to be dragged into many of those from the dark alleys of infamous districts like Praga and more.
Warsaw, 1905 AD
This isometric, story-rich RPG will portray Warsaw under the yoke of imperial Russian tsardom. Its inhabitants constitute a diverse group of different ancestries, views, and beliefs with often conflicting interests.
The Thaumaturge uses his senses to find clues. Pic: Fool’s Theory
Here hopes and dreams mix with dark desires, because darkness constantly lurks and waits to stigmatize its victims. “The Thaumaturge” will offer a unique take on turn-based combat, character development features, and investigation mechanics, and confront gamers with morally ambiguous choices.
My thoughts
I simply love it. The gameplay is easy, just navigate with a left mouse-click to a spot or walk with WASD. However, if you use the keyboard, you cannot walk in a straight line and often have to use W with D or A to zic-zac through Warsaw’s streets. With a right mouse-click, you can use your powerful Thaumaturge senses, who lead to hidden objects or forgotten stuff, or you follow the thoughts of people, and it leads to side quests.
The battle system is round based, and you can use your Salutors to aid yourself, or harm your opponents. It’s relatively easy and good explained. Think about some strategies, and even 4 enemies with guns and knives are no problem. Also, don’t forget to max out your skills.
It’s more story-driven rather than RPG, your choices in answers are limited. But that’s not a problem at all, since the story is excellent. It’s a lot of fun to see or interact with some of the famous people of that time. It exceeded my expectations… and don’t forget to visit your barber or tailor sometimes.
System requirements
Minimum:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (6 core with 3,5 Ghz) or Intel i5-10400F (6 core with 2,9 Ghz)
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: Radeon RX580 (8GB) or Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti (4GB) or Intel Arc A750 8GB
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 25 GB available space
Additional Notes: SSD (Recommended), HDD (Supported). Framerate might drop in graphics-intensive scenes. Ultrawide screen supported.
Recommended:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (6 core with 3,5 Ghz) or Intel i5-10400F (6 core with 2,9 Ghz)
Memory: 32 GB RAM
Graphics: Radeon 6700xt (12GB) or Nvidia RTX 3060 TI (8GB) or Intel Arc A770 16GB
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 25 GB available space
Additional Notes: SSD. Framerate might drop in graphics-intensive scenes. Ultrawide screen supported.
December 4th. was the publishing date for “The Edge of Allegoria”, a turn-based 2D role-playing game by Button Factory Games and CobraTekku Games (CTG). Released on PC with Game Boy aesthetics, adult humor and a huge game world with over 25 hours of gameplay.
This unique pixel RPG is definitely not aimed at children. “The Edge of Allegoria” is available for PC on Steam for €19.99, and is fully localized in both English and German. Button Factory Games boss Joe Picknell’s describtion of the game: “Some Nudity and Sexual Content, Pervasive Coarse Language, Alcohol and Drug Use“
Pic: Button Factory Games
What’s it about?
Joe Picknell of Toronto-area Button Factory Games told us at 2024 Gamescom about his game in-house development since 2021, published by CobraTekku Games. In this lovable indie 2D RPG full of monsters, magic, and adventure, the protagonist embarks on a journey to put an end to the ever-present danger (we won’t spoiler, but it’s as simple as that).
Pic: Button Factory Games
When asked what Joe Picknell thinks the best feature of the game is, the long-time pixel artist answered “the dog,” meaning the animal companion, which doesn’t necessarily have to be a dog. “The Edge of Allegoria” has a retro look from the Game Boy era and should take around 25 to 30 hours to complete. It offers 96 different weapons, 50 pieces of armor, 145 monster types, 41 boss fights, 31 dungeons, and 6 divine beings with their own domains.
Pic: Button Factory Games
The game is clearly designed for a player who has fun with the easy game mechanics and the mature language. It can be played either with keyboard or controller and you won’t need many settings.
Pic: Tim SpielmannPic: Tim Spielmann
Recommendation?
Simple answer – YES Enjoy the time with this extraordinary game, and remember to pet your best friend from time to time.
Space. The final frontier. But what if that frontier was explored not through twitch reflexes and joystick mastery, but through the careful curation of a deck of cards? Enter Starforged, a solo (and cooperative) game that blends the vastness of space exploration with the strategic depth of deckbuilding.
As an avid fan of both space games and deckbuilders, I was immediately drawn to Starforged’s unique premise. This isn’t just about blasting asteroids or dogfighting with alien raiders (though those elements certainly exist!). It’s about forging your own path through a procedurally generated galaxy, making tough choices, and shaping your own narrative.
Cologne, Germany – Remember that awesome zombie-slaying, inventory-juggling roguelite I stumbled upon at Gamescom 2024? Well, get ready to hit the road again because Pixelsplit just launched the second public playtest for Deadly Days: Roadtrip, and it’s jam-packed with new features, improvements, and enough zombie guts to paint the highway red.
For those who missed the memo, Deadly Days: Roadtrip throws you into the driver’s seat of a zombie apocalypse road trip. Imagine a chaotic blend of reverse bullet hell and Tetris, where you’re dodging hordes of undead while frantically managing an inventory bursting with bizarre weapons and items.
Gameforge Celebrates Two Decades of Galactic Warfare with Major Update
Gameforge, a leading publisher of multiplayer games, is excited to announce that OGame’s 22nd anniversary update is now live! The “Profile & Achievements” update introduces a wealth of personalization content to the free-to-play space war MMO, available in browsers on Windows PC and as an app on iOS and Android devices.
Toy Tactics, the innovative real-time strategy game that lets players sketch their armies into existence, has officially launched on PC via Steam. This unique title offers a fresh take on the RTS genre, combining strategic depth with a playful and accessible aesthetic.
Supergiant Games had already set the bar high with Hades, but Hades 2 goes above and beyond, offering an experience so refined that it doesn’t feel like it’s in Early Access at all. It’s truly remarkable to see a game at this stage that has the depth, scope, and polish of a full release. Hades 2 is not just a worthy successor to the first game; it’s a game that shines even in Early Access. I never expected that I’d want to nominate an early access game for Game of the Year. This alone is a crazy achievement!
The Plucky Squire is an innovative Action-Adventure game developed by All Possible Futures. Released on September 17, 2024, this charming title takes players on a linear, puzzle-filled adventure that draws clear inspiration from classic Zelda titles, especially Link’s Awakening. It blends various gameplay elements from different genres and offers a mix of 2D and 3D segments, all within an imaginative and colorful storybook world.
