Highlights from the THQ Nordic Showcase
THQ Nordic showed us what we have to look forward to with their latest showcase. Coming in at just under an hour, there's a bit of everything for everyone to enjoy, and it's nice to see such a variety of different games and styles represented. We didn't get very many definitive release dates, so make sure to wish list these games if you're interested in keeping up to date with development progress! Here's the full showcase if you'd like to watch, or check out the highlights below!
17 years after the release of the legendary RPG Titan Quest, fans are finally getting a sequel! Crate Entertainment will not be handling this release, instead, it will go to Grimlore Games. The announcement trailer featured stunning visuals and set-up for a great story, but no gameplay. Given that this is an early announcement, it’s safe to shoot for an estimated release date of late 2024. This timing could be perfect, however, as players cool down from Diablo 4 and are ready to be excited for Titian Quest 2. If you’re a fan of Greek mythology and RPGs with less darkness and gore, this is definitely one to look out for!
An unexpected yet familiar face, Eric Cartman, made an appearance in the trailer for South Park: Snow Day! The four-player co-op game will be in 3D and feature a real-time combat system. While Cartman is still wearing his Stick Of Truth outfit from the previous South Park games from Ubisoft, it appears THQ Nordic now has the license and is choosing to change creative directions a bit. Let’s hope this new game captures the excitement of a childhood snow day with the comedy that we are used to seeing from the franchise.
With a focus on returning the balance back to the ecosystem, it’ll be nice to have an open-world shooter that incorporates something other than just death and destruction into the story. Originally marketed as a sequel to a 24-year-old game, the game had gone through a bit of a rebranding and is no longer marketed as an “Outcast 2.” You’ll play as an ex-Navy SEAL Cutter Slade who comes equip with a jetpack as you save the planet Adelpha and the native race known as “Talans” from robot invaders. The more time you spend in the world, the more you will learn about the lore of the planet. The game will be single-player, around 35 hours, and will be in beta soon, although that’s as much as we know so far.
In this “faithful” remake of the original, THQ Nordic and developers Alkimia Interactive are bringing us updated visuals, gameplay, and combat. The trailer follows the main character as he steals and sneaks around a small, dinghy town, causing trouble along the way and eventually finding himself in trouble. While this was not gameplay, it was produced with in-game graphics, so we got a pretty good taste of what it will look like. There’s no release date yet, but we do know this will be released on PC. Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PlayStation 5.
TRINE 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy
Finally, a game we do have a release date for! TRINE 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy is coming out this month on August 31st. You might want to start letting your friends know they’ll need to schedule some time for some good ole couch co-op adventures. Team up with up to three friends to tackle obstacles, fight foes, and solve puzzles. Each of the four characters comes with a special set of skills to help get through the game. If you can’t manage to grab enough people, you can still switch around on your own, it just might be a bit lonely.
Now that Halloween season is upon us (I will die on this hill) it’s time to get excited for the horror genre to have its moment. Alone in the Dark is coming out on October 25th and has some pretty incredible talent on board. David Harbor (Stranger Things) and Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) are introduced as their characters Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood in these short yet eerie trailers. A remake of the original that was released in 1992, you’ll get the choice to play as either character to solve puzzles, explore, engage in combat, and watch this spooky story unfold.
Not only does it have a cool pun built into the name, but it boasts a pretty original concept. Wreckreation lets you build your own crazy racetrack, embellish it with props, customize your car, and then race it yourself! From the trailer, it looks like you have the freedom to make tracks that can be fun, a total nightmare, or a mix of both. Not only can you go as wild as you’d like, but you can also do so with friends! If you were a big fan of Rollercoaster Tycoon but felt like the coaster itself got to have all the fun, this might be the perfect solution for you. You’ll get to build your track and eat it too! Or… have your cake and race it too? Either way, you get what I mean.
TMNT: The Last Ronin
The showcase closed out with a teaser trailer that had just enough to get fans of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles interested. The Last Ronin comic book followed one remaining ninja turtle (no spoilers) through a battle-ravaged New York City. This gloomy premise is a stark change from the comedic themes we are used to seeing in TMNT stories and sets the tone of the game to be serious and gritty. This should be an exciting, albeit bittersweet, adventure.
Which one are you looking forward to the most? Let me know!
