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inspired

Dreamsettler, the follow-up to early internet inspired browser game Hypnospace Outlaw, has been cancelled

by admin June 22, 2025

A little over three years since it was announced, Dreamsettler, the spiritual sequel to Hypnospace Outlaw, has been cancelled. Yesterday, lead developer Jay Tholen shared a video simply titled “Dreamsettler is canceled”, where he explained some of his reasoning behind the decision. “This is not a joke, and I’m sorry everyone,” Tholen wrote in the description of the video.

After noting that he “didn’t want to make a video like this,” the developer went on to explain that Dreamsettler is cancelled, going on to say that this means “it’s not coming out, it won’t be finished. This was a mutual decision between the publisher and I. They didn’t pull support or anything, and they tried what they could to keep it going, but it’s just time to stop it.”

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He also noted how it was bad timing given that a Patreon to help keep the project going was only launched earlier this year. There are also plans to try to release the part of the game that do exist, including the soundtrack from returning composer The Chowder Man, in some shape or form.

In a short version of events, Tholan explained that with Dreamsettler, they had a budget this time, so “we tried to plan the game from the top down more or less, where we knew all the beats that would happen, and what expensive things we could afford to film or have made for the game, and how much money we could afford to pay a programmer for X amount of time.” In turn, there was a specific schedule to follow, and Tholen noted he has “never successfully made a game based on a design document.”

He later said that he thinks he’s a “hard person to work with. On a normal team, where there wasn’t some guy who needed to work a weird way, they would have finished this game, and it would have been great, but I just couldn’t get it going, you know? And it’s too late. Hopefully you all stick around, and don’t hate my guts, and hopefully we’ll talk soon.”

In the years since announcing Dreamsettlers, Tholen did also work on Slayer X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengeance of the Slayer, a boomer shooter spin-off made by the in-world Hypnospace Outlaw character Zane – former RPS staffer Liam reviewed it and had some positive but mixed feelings on it. Co-founder John Walker reviewed Hypnospace Outlaw back in the day too, coming away from it quite enamoured.

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June 22, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Tsarevna, An Action ‘Ballet-Slasher’ Inspired By Slavic Folklore, Gets New Cinematic Trailer

by admin June 19, 2025

Developer WATT Studio has released a new cinematic trailer for Tsarevna, its action “ballet-slasher,” teasing what awaits players in this dark fantasy, Slavic folklore-inspired world. The team says its combat system is built upon choreographed motion capture from world-renowned ballerina Alyona Kovalyova, a principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet.

“Set in the aftermath of a dark and fractured era, Tsarevna leads players on a journey through enchanted and forsaken realms – from the depths of the Underworld to the skybound lands of Iriy,” a press release reads. “Along the way, players will confront ancient deities, unlock Tsarevna’s forgotten past, and uncover the cost of wielding power rooted in grief and beauty.”

Check out the Tsarevna teaser trailer for yourself below:

In the game, players control the titular Tsarevna, a young warrior and heir to a fallen dynasty. She’s armed with a magical blade that WATT Studio says is forged from emotion itself. With it, the Tsarevna “battles through hordes of creatures drawn from myth – wraiths, mermaids, forest spirits – as she seeks vengeance and truth in a world scarred by a long-forgotten cataclysm.” Players can expect challenging boss fights with gods, as well as cursed villages, ruined temples, and divine realms to explore, and more.

Check out more of Tsarevna in the new screenshots below:

Tsarevna is due out on PC via Steam sometime in 2026.

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June 19, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Starlight Re:Volver is an upcoming anime as hell Hades-esque, MMO inspired roguelite that already has the vibe

by admin June 14, 2025

I’m not much of an MMO person, I’ve dabbled over the years like with RuneScape in my youth, and a bit of Final Fantasy 14. These days it’s the level of commitment that puts me off, even though I really do love being able to partake in what feels like living, breathing worlds, the hustle and bustle of actual people going to and fro. Luckily, I think I have a lower-key way to get this kind of feeling in the upcoming action roguelite Starlight Re:Volver.

Right from the first second of Starlight Re:Volver you’ll absolutely be thinking to yourself “oh, this is anime as hell.” That’ll be offputting to some, maybe, but it does so with such a ridiculous degree of finesse and style, I was won over right out the gate. The core gameplay loop is that you set out on runs with up to three of your friends, going through different rooms with waves of enemies across them, picking up abilities and buffs along the way.

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It definitely seems like there’s a Hades-like approach to the game, though the demo that’s currently available for Steam Next Fest is more like an online playtest above all else. Right now I’d say there’s a bit of an onboarding issue, as the game doesn’t really do much to tell you much about anything, but with multiple characters to choose from all with unique playstyles, I had a fun enough time in the few runs I went through.

All of that can be smoothed over of course, I’m not that worried about that, so the real thing that’s pulling me in so far is the vibes. The game’s Steam page refers to itself as an “anime-inspired MMO universe”, and the game’s hub area certainly offers a slice of such a pie up.

There’s an in-world Suika Game rip-off to play, a fishing mini-game, clothes to unlock, different areas to just hang out in. You can see different players running around too, and even if there’s not much to do right now, it really does capture that specific feeling of being in a virtual place with a whole bunch of strangers.

How that may progress whenever the game comes out, I can’t tell you, it’s certainly something I hope to see expanded upon. In the meantime, you can wishlist the game on Steam here, and you have until June 16th to try out the demo for yourself.

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June 14, 2025 0 comments

Esports

New Game of the Week! Acts of Blood is a violent brawler inspired by The Raid & Sleeping Dogs

by admin June 2, 2025

The art of hand-to-hand combat has been captured in many different games over the years, but Acts of Blood is on the way to ratchet up the violence. Dropping a splash of Indonesian cinema into the bloody mix, it aims to mirror the bone-snapping brutality of The Raid, The Night Comes for Us, and many others.

The Raid stands tall 14 years on as one of the finest action flicks ever made, and its many follow-ups and spinoffs have been delightfully devious watches too.

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There’s an indescribable tenacity to Indonesian cinema, a degree of realistic violence that’s so innately disturbing yet so engrossing you can’t help but be glued to the screen.

Despite being cultural landmarks for the region, none have attempted to bring that same ferocity to video games. At least, until now that is. Enter Acts of Blood.

What is Acts of Blood?

With the violence of Indonesian cinema at its core, Acts of Blood layers hard-hitting third-person melee systems to deliver a knockout of a brawler. It’s designed for casual players to make it through, while providing enough depth in its combat mechanics to allow for deadly combos and lethal power moves.

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Set in the creator’s city of Bandung, the game follows Hendra on a quest for revenge. It’s a plot typified by the genre where our star takes matters into his own hands, hunting down those who wronged him one by one.

Hand-to-hand combat takes center stage, with Hendra skillfully dispatching waves of criminals by separating them from consciousness, snapping their bones, or smacking them into deadly objects in the environment. One level at a time, one boss at a time, you will punish those who made you hurt.

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Set to be released in Summer 2026, Acts of Blood will launch with a litany of customization options, collectibles to track down, and a highly replayable arena mode.

Dexerto caught up with the game’s solo developer, Farjul, to learn all about it.

What the devs say about it

Working solo gave Farjul freedom

“I’ve been making games since junior high school back in 2010, but once I started working professionally in a game studio, things changed. The creative freedom I had as a solo developer wasn’t there anymore.

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“In January 2024, something just clicked. I decided to start a new personal project, Acts of Blood. Since then, what began as a learning experiment has evolved into the full game I’m building today.

“I started this project purely because I wanted to reignite that passion I used to have when making things on my own.”

Eksil TeamYou’re a one-man army taking down warehouse-fulls of enemies.

Recreating the city of Bandung

“We don’t often see our cities, culture, or everyday environment represented in games, so I wanted to change that, even if just in a small way.

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“It’s not an exact 1:1 recreation [of Bandung], but I try to capture the atmosphere, the feel of the streets, the architecture, and little details people from here will recognize. This is my way of paying tribute to my hometown while also giving players around the world a glimpse of a city beyond just our capital, Jakarta, which most other Indonesian games tend to be based on.

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“Besides representing my hometown on a global scale, the city also fits well with the game’s plot, vibe, and atmosphere. Bandung is known for its cooler weather due to frequent rain compared to other cities in Indonesia. I wanted the game’s color palette to lean toward bluish tones with red accents, which fits perfectly.”

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Eksil TeamActs of Blood is set in Farjul’s city of Bandung.

“The city’s biome is also more varied. Bandung blends a bustling urban environment with natural mountainous areas. From a game design perspective, this makes it easier to create diverse level environments so players won’t get bored with repetitive cityscapes.”

Violent gameplay inspired by Sleeping Dogs and The Raid

“I’m a huge fan of Gareth Evans’ and Timo Tjahjanto’s action films, and this game is basically my love letter to their work.

“We’re aiming to replicate the brutal combat and raw energy of those movies. We’ve been upfront with our publisher and other partners that we’re going all-in on violence, and they’ve been supportive.”

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“Our animator, David, actually attended a silat workshop in Bali led by Yayan Ruhian (one of the actors/stuntmen from The Raid), so I think our team has the experience and passion to stay true to the spirit of those films.

“Our core combat system is inspired by Sleeping Dogs, which uses strike, counter, and finisher mechanics. However, Sleeping Dogs’ strike combos are a bit too simple. Mostly relying on tapping or holding a single attack button. That’s where Sifu comes in. We’ve added some of its complexity in attack button variations to deepen the combat.”

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“The goal is to let casual players enjoy the game easily while giving more advanced players deeper combos to explore.

“Weapons are used sparingly. Guns only appear in specific areas where gunplay is required. They can also be used as melee weapons, you can actually swing a rifle at an enemy, which is a unique touch in our game.

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“Since this is my first big project, I’m keeping the scope manageable. The story will be a brief, intense revenge narrative that lasts a few hours. But we’re adding achievements, collectibles, and arena modes to extend replayability.”

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Plans for a follow-up

“As for the future, we do have plans. If things go well, I’d love to make a sequel that takes the concept into a small-scale open world, packed with content. Something closer to the Yakuza series. But that’s a story for another time.”

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June 2, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Here’s a new goblin booter RPG inspired by Dishonored and Dark Messiah Of Might And Magic

by admin May 23, 2025

Alkahest looks very good. Emphasis on ‘looks’ because both trailers released so far have been very scripted. Also, emphasis on ‘good’ because you get to bully goblins with your feet. It’s an open world RPG boasting a combat sandbox full of the sort of reactive flourishes you might find in an immersive sim. Crucially for fans of Dark Messiah Of Might And Magic (I’ve seen the words “spiritual successor” floating about, although not from the devs themselves) one of those touches is a boot. Here’s the boot in action:

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You seem to have an archer mate, off screen, that you can button-tell to shoot at interactive objects and goblins. We first see this when our character slides up to a cargo lift, then gets catapulted upward when an arrow flies in from nowhere and severs the rope. They then grab a barrel mid-air, before falling back down and braining a goblin with it. I would be very surprised if this is unsynced, impromptu barrel-grabbing. There’s probably a prompt that says ‘grab barrel’, if that. I’d also be a little shocked if the barrel hitting animation transitions into the fire throwing animation, then into the sword fighting animation, anywhere near that smoothly. Still, wishful stitching or no, someone had to animate all that, and they did a fine job.

As for a bit of context for what the game’s like outside of combat, here’s a trailer from last year:

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Plenty of fun stuff in there. Weapon throwing. Wood kicking. Spiky wall advantage taking. Cart skitching. We shoot some oil barrels then light an arrow on fire at one point. We drink a potion then throw the bottle at a goblin, annoying him for just long enough to slip an axe into his neck. Where the Dishonored influence becomes more apparent – and also presumably where that name comes from – is mixing and using a metal-heating substance to weaken an iron door before smashing through. Again, if this can be used to eg: render goblin weapons into useless melting slag-pops, rather than just being a specific door-based contextual action, I’ll be surprised. Happy, but surprised.

Pre-rendered trailers are flaky, impenetrable things – much like armoured croissants – but the game that’s being advertised here does look quite special, assuming it actually exists in any recognisable form. Also, it’s nice to see all those Moria goblins getting work after that damning plot hole was discovered in Lord Of The Rings. There’s no release date as yet, but you can suspiciously examine Alkahest on Steam here.

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May 23, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Dreamspring is an open world RPG inspired by Morrowind and King’s Field

by admin May 22, 2025

The Steam trailer for open world RPG Dreamspring contains: shooting spiders with a revolver. Hanging out near a green ocean. Fighting green skeletons. Most curiously, it features an armoured knight convulsing on a bed as if being shocked, from the inside, by some sort of magical electricity disease. Did this knight eat an entire pack of bad batteries? Do batteries even exist in this world, described as “a realm in ruins…beneath a twilight sky”. It’s a damn hell ass bum mystery, and mystery is exactly what I want from a game that lists both Morrowind and King’s Field as influences.

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“As a spellsword gunslinger,” – truly, the millionaire astronaut cowboy DJ of RPG classes – “you’ll explore ethereal landscapes shrouded in twilight, battle fearsome creatures, and uncover ancient secrets. Explore the dying Kingdom of Mortis and its different realms in first person action combat, in a world mixed with retro and vaporwave aesthetics”.

Despite the FromSoft influence, Dreamspring is aiming to be “a less punishing type of Souls/Scrolls-like game,” which I reckon is something that gets more important the bigger your world is. Otherwise, it looks to have most of the stuff you’d expect – branching dialogue, branching storyline, branching trees with branches branching toward an uncaring skyline, all the classics. It’s in early access at the moment, with the “core loop” apparently done, and the main quest and world still being worked on.

There’s no demo, although developer Billyfighter’s previous game Necroslayer is roughly the price of Greggs’ bake at the moment. Will you feel good after playing it? I can’t say. But you will likely feel better than after eating a Greggs’ bake.

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May 22, 2025 0 comments