The Xbox Partner Preview showcase was chock-full of incredible games that I am really looking forward to, but if one company stole the show, it was 11 Bit Studios. These guys came swinging with The Alters Gameplay Reveal, announcing the new game Creatures of Ava, and showing off the release date for Frostpunk 2. All of these games look amazing, and I can't wait to see more, but if you missed the showcase, here is a quick roundup:
The Alters Gameplay Reveal
The first of the 11 Bit Studios games that were shown off was The Alters, and they went all out with the trailer. You are Jan Dolski, a man who is stranded on a distant planet alone, so in a desperate attempt to find a way to escape, he creates alternate versions of himself to escape. While using the extra help of his alters to get off this planet, then will have to face his life choices, see how his background would have changed, and make hard decisions that could have some major consequences.
The Alters is quite unique in its story, and the gameplay follows suit. This is a survival-adventure game with base-building elements, so while you are trying to find ways to get off of this planet, you will also be building and growing your home base. All of this while building relationships with your alternate selves so you can influence their decisions, taking control as you try to gather everyone to work for the goal you want to accomplish.
The game looks really intriguing, and after watching the gameplay, I was completely sold on it. Now, I am just sitting here...waiting patiently for The Alters to release later this year!
Creatures of Ava Announcement
Right after The Alters was shown, we went to 11 Bit Studio's newest game announcement, Creatures of Ava. Instead of a generic creature collector, this game goes in the other direction, away from battling and focused on taming creatures to work with them and save planet Ava. There are over 20 creatures to tame and 4 distinct ecosystems that are full of life! Each creature has unique customs you will learn, and working with them, you will help stop the infection plaguing the planet, while also confronting your own troubled past.
I love the premise of Creatures of Ava and the focus on helping rather than battling. The exploration-driven gameplay looks great, and the visuals look extremely appealing. This one looks like a fantastic addition for the Steam Deck library, and I am hoping it will be playable!
Frostpunk 2 Release Date Reveal
Finally, we have Frostpunk 2. The follow-up to the critically acclaimed city-builder is back with a brand new entry. You will be back to building out the city on a new scale, creating entirely different districts with their own purposes, forging new laws, and connecting each part of the city to create a self-sustaining colony. You will also have to balance and tame everyone's ambitions, as there are a lot of individuals who are thirsty for power.
Frostpunk 2 looks to be on a significantly larger scale than the original, and that's exactly what I would hope for! In the trailer, we finally got the release date for the sequel: July 25, 2024. So we will finally get to experience this awesome-looking game in 4 months.
City builders aren't generally great to play on the Steam Deck, and regularly face CPU bottlenecks, but the original was very playable, so I am willing to give it a shot and hope for the best!
11 Bit Studios did not pull any punches in this showcase, and it really shows! I am excited about each of these games, and am really hoping we will hear more about all of them soon, especially if it concerns Steam Deck performance!
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