More studios adopt Generative AI, even though its increasingly unpopular among developers. But the game industry is resilient, as are its developers. Narrative roles were hit worst at 19%, compared to 6% working in business and finance. The most common reasons given were restructuring, declining revenue, and market shifts/industry trends. This year that number fell to 43%. 19% of developers told GDC that they were given “no reason” for layoffs at their company....

For May is now the month of DOOM. It marks the coming of a new Dark Age. I can’t confirm this, obviously, but chainsawing the month neatly in two is classic Doom behaviour. Hopefully, we’ll get the last word tomorrow. The Dark Ages is one of four games that are publicly slated to appear. The others are Clair Obscura: Expedition 33, South Of Midnight, and a mystery surprise guest. As for what you’ll do in the new Doom - there shall be no maypoles and kissing....

Save big on Steam games for the next couple of weeks. Go ahead, tell yourself youll play these games right awayweve all been there. (If you need a tip, theSteam Deckhas been a game-changer for tackling my own backlog.) To celebrate the sale, here are my top picks among the discounted titles. Ive put countless hours into Civ 6, and it even works surprisingly well on Steam Deck. At$21.59 / 17....

Eliot’sThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock. The poem meant enough to me that I didn’t want to dissect it with a class. I wanted to keep for myself. I went in the end, and though I hesitated, I talked because I had things to say. I now have to etheriseFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Cait Sith is splayed upon a table. It’s all scalpels, forceps, and oversized novelty dice. It’s a strange way to treat art you love....

From your tower, you gaze down at four factions, each with their own members and complaints. If any one faction gets too large, they’ll rebel against you. “It was the lion faction! They raised taxes!” Bloody love a bit of politics, me! As you watch from above, you’ll see neutrals bumble through the town gates and eventually join factions. I notice the frog faction getting too populous first, so I blame them for bandit attacks....

“There’s no standard. It’s difficult to parse. It’s ‘the wild west’. The point is that perhaps Rockstar have enough clout to lay down the new law. And with that others will sink or swim?”

The developers fell upon the mortal planes like comets. Where each landed, a game development studio took root. Summerfall appear to beprospering, but many of the studios founded by former BioWare devs haveexperienced hard times. In particular, Humanoid Origin and Worlds Untold have respectivelyclosedand"paused operations"without releasing a single game. The company’s debut gameEternal Strandswill release on 28th January, and there’s now a PC demo. All those obvious parallels may suggest a project with no real identity of its own....

I…don’t know what to make of it, honestly. As far as reasoning goes, it isn’t unprecedented. But then again,Jimbo’s Big Naturalssuggests otherwise. Teamkill previously released dino FPSSon and Boneto Steam. The only mod I could find wasthis one, which removes the splash screen. Maybe they’re just really, really proud of Code Violet’s splash screen?

HoYoverse will also be banned from selling lootboxes to children under 16 without parental consent. It requires approval by a federal judge before it can go into effect. “Animation-style games and shows are well-received by global audiences and players across various ages. Genshin Impact is a popular free-to-play, anime-style game designed for older teens and adults. You love to see it.

Lots of howling round these parts. Here’s a trailer. I quite like the game’s stark, emaciated, slightly rotten pixelart. The cards are pleasingly grisly. “Take Skin”, for example. I’m less sold on the game’s self-serious narrative direction, which make me think ofHellbladeat its shoutiest. Death Howl is out later in 2025, and there’s a demo coming toSteamon Monday 20th January.

The one and only Reviews Edders Friends, another soul is departing the RPS treehouse today. Ed has decided to lay down the mantle of reviews editor and rejoin polite society. Come join me in saying goodbye. Ed started at RPS back in 2020. He had been working on Metabomb, another site operated by RPS’s then-owners which was closing down. You ought to know Ed’s work by now. Heobsessed over Valheim carrots, mused ongrey carpets, and explainedhow badminton and Gears Of War were alike....

A slice-of-life adventure about forming a band in Jakarta Making a game about emotionally wayward 20-somethings in a band? You have my sympathies. It’s set in the city of Jakarta, Indonesia, for one. It was conceived of by the creator ofCoffee Talk, another beloved game, for another. It’s now got a release date: February 14th. Maybe I’d have released it the dayafterValentine’s Day. Fahmi passed away during development of Afterlove EP in March, 2022....

Sometimes he feels too tall for the levels. Look at his cape! Look at his pony tail! I used to have hair like that. I never had a cape, though. Blade Chimera launched today, and still has a demo. If your interest has been piqued, Id download that demo pronto, because theyll likely pull it soon. Demon Swiss Army Knife, morelike. Demon Green Lanterns Ring, even. Shes the kind of friend you want when youre lacerating dragons....