2.5: Red Dead Revival
Red Dead sets a record; Silent Hill 2 "progressing smoothly"; The Witcher 4 development ramps up; a potential The Last of Us Part 3; and more
This is Volume 2, Issue 5 of Early Access for Wednesday, November 29, 2023. If you enjoy Early Access, please hit the “heart” button at the very top or very bottom of this post, or on the bottom-left corner of the Substack app. It helps more people find the newsletter, which helps VSG grow! Let’s get right into the news.
The Big Picture
1. PLAYER-VOICED CHARACTERS
A new patent filed by Electronic Arts, which was spotted by veryaligaming, has revealed that the company is exploring ways to implement player-voiced characters into their games. The patent application was filed in 2020, but it was recently made available to the public, and provides for “a computer-implemented method of generating speech audio in a video game” that “includes inputting, into a synthesizer module, input data that represents speech content.” The data is then “processed with one or more modules, to generate speech audio in the voice of the player.”
+ AI in Gaming: With recent advances in artificial intelligence, many developers are adopting the technology to shortcut game development. Or, in some cases, to bring back what’s been lost. CD Projekt, for example, turned to AI to replicate the voice of a Cyberpunk 2077 voice actor who passed away in 2021 (with his family’s permission) for its Phantom Liberty DLC.
+ Pessimism Abounds: While certain use cases have been praised, there’s a lot of negativity when it comes to AI and gaming. Embark Studios, for example, faced intense backlash when it was reported that it used AI for its commentator voice overs in The Finals. Meanwhile, prolific voice actors like Jane Perry and Troy Baker have questioned the utility of AI and whether it could ever truly replicate impactful human performances in games.
2. RED DEAD REVIVAL
Red Dead Redemption 2 has broken another record, with more people playing on Steam now than ever before. There are two explanations for the resurgence. First, the game was heavily discounted for Black Friday, leading to a new all-time peak on November 25 with 73,138 concurrent players shortly after the sale went live. That number was eclipsed just a few days later with a total of 77,655 Steam players. Second, with the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer coming very soon™, there is renewed interest in Rockstar Games’ titles.
+ GTA 6 Trailer: What should you expect from the highly anticipated trailer? Rockstar is fairly predictable when it comes to its reveals. Expect the initial trailer to (1) showcase the world design (time-lapse shots, tracking shots of life in motion, etc.), (2) feature some introductory exposition from the main character, and (3) keep a lot of details ambiguous. I’d be happy to be wrong, but I doubt we’ll even get a release window (let alone a date).
3. THE SILENT HILL TO DIE ON
Silent Hill 2 was announced in October 2022, but since then we’ve heard very little of the game’s development from Bloober Team. The situation has gotten fans of the vaunted franchise restless, especially after the recent disasters of Silent Hill: Ascension. Now, Bloober has “ask[ed] for a bit more patience” and confirmed that the project’s development “is progressing smoothly and in accordance to our schedule.”
+ Bloober Team: With impressive games like Observer, The Medium, and Layers of Fear under its belt, the Polish development studio certainly has the chops to pull the Silent Hill 2 remake off.
4. TOSS A COIN TO THE WITCHER 4
Following the successful launch of Cyberpunk 2077’s lone DLC, Phantom Liberty, 330 developers, which amounts to just under 50% of CD Projekt’s development staff, is now working on The Witcher 4, codenamed “Polaris” at the legendary studio. And there’s even more on the way - the report also identifies a further 25% of its developers as “in transfer” as they transition from Phantom Liberty.
+ When to Expect The Witcher 4: Polaris entered pre-production in May 2022, and CD Projekt Red CEO Adam Kiciński said in October 2022 that Polaris is still three years away (at least). That suggests a 2025/2026 tentative release window.
+ Live Action: Cyberpunk 2077’s live action project will not release until 2025 at the earliest, CD Projekt Red chief commercial officer Michal Nowakowski confirmed in an earnings call.
5. THE LAST OF US PART 3
Shortly after The Last of Us 2 Remastered was revealed, Entertainment Weekly asked director Neil Druckmann whether a sequel was in the works at Naughty Dog. “The Last of Us is obviously a world I love deeply and know our studio and fans to as well, but I have no comment at this moment on the series’ future beyond our focus on The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered,” Druckmann said. Druckmann did confirm, however, that the studio has “other projects in the works.” What Naughty Dog is working on has long been subject of speculation - some believe an Ellie-led TLOU 3 is definitely happening, while others have suggested the studio is working on a brand new IP.
+ More to Tell: Druckmann did say earlier this year that he thought there was “more story to tell” in The Last of Us’s world, so a third entry in the series remains a possibility.
+ Releasing When: The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered launches on January 19, 2024 as a PS5 exclusive. Meanwhile, HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 will enter production in early 2024 and is targeting an early 2025 premiere.
+ Lost Levels: The Last of Us Season 2 will feature “at least one element” from The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered’s “Lost Levels,” missions and locations that were cut from the original game but are being included as bonus content for the upcoming PS5 remaster.
6. BOTTOM OF THE NEWS
+ Destiny 2: The Final Shape has been officially delayed to June 4, 2024 so that developer Bungie can “deliver an even bigger and bolder vision, one that we hope will be remembered and treasured for years to come.”
+ Vampire Dynasty: Mehuman Games and Toplitz Productions have announced the title for PC. “We are excited to escort the Dynasty series on a dark and sinister path,” said Michał Ciastoń, CEO of Mehuman Games and Lead Designer on Vampire Dynasty. The game will use Unreal Engine 5 and is expected to launch into Early Access in late 2024.
+ Dragon’s Dogma 2: Capcom revealed in a gameplay showcase that Dragon’s Dogma 2 will release on March 22, 2024. The game was announced last year during a live stream celebrating the original game’s 10th anniversary.
+ Skull and Bones: As reported by Insider Gaming, following six delays, the Ubisoft title has finally gotten a release date of February 16, 2024.
Read the Reviews
Here are some highlights from the past week in review aggregation. Check out…
Steamworld Build - The stakes are never that high, but this is a unique hybrid city builder/dungeon miner with addictive gameplay and slick presentation. Steamworld Build is rated PLAY IT at 78% recommended, with 17 critic reviews.
Worldless - VSG is waiting on more reviews to provide a recommendation, but Worldless is currently at 100% recommended, with 7 critic reviews.
Super Mario RPG - An excellent remake with smart tweaks and new mechanics to make this historically important game both welcoming to newcomers and rewarding to longtime fans. Super Mario RPG is rated PLAY IT at 93% recommended, with 43 critic reviews.
Plus a ton of updates to existing games in the database, including: Layers of Fear, Pizza Tower, Slay the Princess, Party Animals, The Crew: Motorfest, Company of Heroes 3, and more.
Since launching in 2018, VSG has covered over 560 games and aggregated almost 40,000 critic reviews. Read more stats about VSG, and how the aggregator works.
New Game Releases - 11/29 to 12/06
Now . . . bring me that horizon.
Upcoming games calendar:
Gothic 2 Complete Classic [Switch] – November 29
Orten Was The Case [PC, PS5, XSX, PS4, XBO, Switch] – November 29
Biomutant [Switch] – November 30
Gangs of Sherwood [PC, PS5, XSX] – November 30
Hawked [PC] – November 30
Pixel Cafe [PC, PS5, XSX, Switch] – November 30
This Means Warp [PS5, XSX, PS4, XBO, Switch] – November 30
Tintin Reporter - Cigars of the Pharaoh [PS4] – November 30
Toasterball [Switch] – November 30
Batman: Arkham Trilogy [Switch] – December 1
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince [Switch] – December 1
Sanguivore: Twenty Below [PC] – December 1
SteamWorld Build [PC, PS5, XSX, PS4, XBO, Switch] – December 1
Make Way [PC] – December 4
The Wagadu Chronicles [PC] – December 4
Born of Bread [PC] – December 5
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition [PC, PS5, XSX] – December 5
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria [PS5] – December 5
Tram Simulator Urban Transit [PC] – December 5
View all of the upcoming video game release dates (including DLC) for PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, Nintendo Switch, and more, over at VSG.
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