Cinematic Storytelling
Ongoing coverage on Cinematic Storytelling.
Latest coverage
BLACKWOOD: Act 1 Launches on Steam With Three Acts Planned | Invision Game Community
Indie developer AttritoM7 Productions and publisher IZilla Games have launched BLACKWOOD: Act 1 on Steam, a single-player cinematic story game set in 2012 New York. The game features a dual life protagonist, combining DVD store management with assassin gameplay. Act 1 is available now for $24.99 USD, with Acts 2 and 3 planned as free updates in March 2027 and September 2027 respectively.
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation’s Director Kept Coming Back To The Witcher 3 For Inspiration
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi revealed that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Horizon served as significant inspirations for the game's cinematic storytelling and player agency. Hamaguchi frequently revisited The Witcher 3 for its excellence in delivering satisfying, cinematic moments within gameplay mechanics. Square Enix aims for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to feature a "planetary scale" world upon its April 2027 release.
Directive 8020 Review
Directive 8020 is a standalone horror experience from Supermassive Games that evolves their Dark Pictures Anthology formula. The game features a tense sci-fi narrative aboard a spaceship, drawing heavy inspiration from films like Alien and The Thing. It offers engaging characters, a new Fate system for branching narratives, and improved stealth mechanics, with a full playthrough taking around 8 hours.
Quake 2 dev felt "breathless" when he saw how Valve was using id Software's engine, and it led to one of my favorite games of the '00s: "26 years later and I can still say 'Wow'"
Former id Software developer American McGee reflects on his time working on Quake 2 and how he felt inspired by Valve's use of the engine for cinematic storytelling. This experience led him to create his acclaimed games, American McGee's Alice and Alice: Madness Returns, which he is now working on a spiritual successor to.
7 Reasons to Get Excited for Directive 8020 on Xbox
Directive 8020, a cinematic sci-fi survival horror game from Supermassive Games, is now available for pre-order on Xbox Series X|S with a launch date of May 12. The game features Hollywood actor Lashana Lynch and emphasizes player choice, stealth gameplay, and a branching narrative with a "Turning Points" feature allowing players to revisit decisions. It also supports single-player and a couch-co-op "Movie Night" mode.
DIRECTIVE 8020 DEBUTS ITS “EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW IN 60 SECONDS” TRAILER AHEAD OF LAUNCH ON 12 MAY
Supermassive Games has released a new 60-second trailer for their upcoming sci-fi survival horror game, Directive 8020, ahead of its May 12, 2026 launch. The trailer offers a final briefing on the dangers aboard the colony ship Cassiopeia, where a mission to secure humanity's future turns into a fight for survival against an alien organism. Pre-orders are now available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, with a Deluxe Edition upgrade included for a limited time.
Blizzard’s new game hints that a UE5 open world shooter, with a focus on cinemetic storytelling is on the way
Blizzard Entertainment is actively hiring for an unannounced AAA open-world shooter project utilizing Unreal Engine 5. Job postings reveal a focus on cinematic storytelling, advanced combat mechanics, and potentially a new intellectual property or a revival of the StarCraft franchise. The game is in early pre-production, with a potential reveal possibly at BlizzCon in 2026.
Project Songbird: Unravel Shadows and Survive a Cinematic World of Suspense
Project Songbird is a first-person cinematic narrative psychological horror game from Fyre Games, developed by Connor Rush. Players control Dakota, a musician seeking solitude in the Appalachian forest to record an album, encountering suspenseful challenges inspired by arthouse horror films and narrative-driven games. The game features ranged and melee combat, stealth options, a stellar voice cast, and a permadeath system.
Elevate your mission in Directive 8020 with PlayStation 5 Pro enhancements, out May 12
Directive 8020 will feature enhancements for the PlayStation 5 Pro, including sharper visuals via PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution and advanced ray tracing for improved lighting and shadows. These upgrades aim to deepen the game's tension and emotional impact, leveraging the console's capabilities for a more immersive cinematic horror experience. The game is set to launch on May 12 for PlayStation 5.
