In this weeks bulletin, we focus on a chapter written by VALUE, the terrain features in a new historical strategy game, the resurrection of ten dead MMO’s, the release of the new Mount & Blade game, the dev diary of a new historical/fantasy MMO, the combat in Chivalry 2 and of course the new free games over at the Epic Games Store.
VALUE publishes chapter in book
VALUE published a chapter in the book Communicating the Past in the Digital Age by Sebastian Hageneuer (ed.). The chapter, called ‘Teaching through Play: Using Video Games as a Platform to Teach about the Past’ deals with using videogames in teaching, and gives four practical examples on how videogames can be implemented as a teaching tool, such as the RoMeincraft project. The Open Acces chapter is published under Creative Commons 4.0. Read more.
Terrain in Humankind
The developers of Humankind released a new feature focus on the terrain in the game. The historical strategy game, planned for release somewhere in 2020, lets the player rewrite the entire narrative of human history. In the feature focus, the devs bring attention to the terrain, and its influence on gameplay and the course of history!
Ten dead MMO’s revived through rogue servers
In the bulletin of two weeks ago we discussed BlueMaxima’s Flashpoint, a initiative rescuing over 36.000 Flash-based games. Along the same lines, Massively Overpowered released a list of ten long gone MMO(RPGs) which have been given a second life through rogue servers and user-based projects. Some well-known titles such as The Sims Online and Age of Empires Online have been given a second life. Read more over at Massively Overpowered.
TaleWorlds Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord set to release on 31st of March
TaleWorlds new installment of the Mount & Blade game is set to release at the end of March, albeit in early acces. The game lets the player roam around in a medieval sandbox (but non-historical) world. It is set 200 years before the first installment, and lets the player determine their own story, by battling bandits, joining the army or becoming a king. There also is a story, if you like a more guided experience. The game is also known for it’s typical way of fighting, as you need to phisically swipe your mouse to swipe with a sword in game. M&B II also has a multiplayer mode, which is more focussed on battles than the story. Keep your eyes peeled at the end of March, as we might post a review of the game when it is released!
New World dev diary reveals history behind game world
A new released dev diary by the developers of the upcoming MMORPG New World reveals more of the history behind the factions and lore in the game. In the game, you play as a 17th-century explorer, shipwrecked on an island filled with monsters. The game loosely mixes real history with fantasy elements (such as aforementioned monsters). PC Gamer published an interview with the director last December, going more into depth about the games mechanics and new elements.
Chivalry 2’s medieval combat
Some more medieval combat news: PC Gamer published an article on the combat in the alpha version of upcoming game Chivalry 2. The game is a multiplayer first person slasher inspired by medieval movies, and comes after the first installment from 2012. Tyler Wilde of PC Gamer called the combat in the game ‘nuanced, gory and specteculary fun.’ The alpha version is set to release somewhere in March, with no definitive release date set yet.
Innerspace free at Epic Games Store
The flying-exploring game is free from today until the 5th of March over at the Epic Games Store. The game lets the player fly and explore through the Inverse, searching for many secrets. The game costs €19,99 over at Steam, so grab a free copy while you can!