Immersive Sim
Ongoing coverage on Immersive Sim.
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Dark Messiah's new edition adds co-op, cut content and console-exclusive maps to the 20-year-old orc-kicking…
Ubisoft is officially supporting the "Dark Messiah of Might & Magic: Community Edition," a free, community-driven project by WiltOS Technologies that enhances the 20-year-old immersive sim. This new version, heading to Steam in 2026, includes Linux and 64-bit support, restored content, console-exclusive maps and modes, co-op, New Game+, and Steam Workshop integration.
Jordan Thomas, director of BioShock 2, played Path of Exile for over 7,000 hours while working on co-op horror game The Blackout Club: 'I was essentially awake all the time'
Director Jordan Thomas, known for BioShock 2 and The Blackout Club, revealed he played Path of Exile for over 7,000 hours during The Blackout Club's development as a stress reliever. Thomas discussed his gaming history, including early influences like Commander Keen and his work on Thief: Deadly Shadows and BioShock 2, and shared his current gaming habits, which include Hellraiser: Revival and REPO.
'This is the bit where the comet hits the earth and the dinosaurs die:' Tim Sweeney revisits scathing 26-year-old eulogy for beloved studio Looking Glass
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney's 2000 statement on the closure of Looking Glass Studios, which described the event as an 'economically realistic day' and criticized the studio's overhead and niche appeal, has resurfaced. While Sweeney stands by his assessment that game businesses must be profitable, industry figures have criticized his 'asshole CEO' mindset, highlighting the artistic impact of studios like Looking Glass and the often illogical reasons behind modern studio shutdowns and layoffs.
This third-person mod for Deus Ex turns the classic immersive sim into Max Payne, introducing dual-wielding and…
A new third-person mod for the classic immersive sim Deus Ex has been released, adding features like dual-wielding and Max Payne-style bullet dodging. While the author prefers the original first-person perspective, the mod offers a fresh way to experience the cyberpunk world. The article also touches on the series' history with third-person perspectives and the unlikelihood of a new Deus Ex game.
"System Shock and Deus Ex, they were RPGs. People called them RPGs": Gloomwood's publisher isn't too keen on using the term immersive sim despite it being one
New Blood publisher Dave Oshry believes the term 'immersive sim' is a poor marketing term and that games like Gloomwood and Fallen Aces should be marketed as RPGs. He argues that classic titles like System Shock and Deus Ex were always considered RPGs, and that the genre's core elements of character building and immersion align with RPG definitions. Oshry suggests that marketing games as RPGs would likely yield better results than using the 'immersive sim' label.
New Blood CEO confirms it: the worst way to sell immersive sims like Gloomwood and Fallen Aces is to call them immersive…
New Blood Interactive CEO Dave Oshry believes that marketing games as 'immersive sims' is detrimental to sales, stating the term is niche and off-putting to mainstream audiences. He argues that categorizing these games as RPGs, like Baldur's Gate 3, would be more commercially viable, citing the struggles of titles like Prey and the success of the 'boomer shooter' label.
As devastating Xbox "reset" continues, Dishonored studio Arkane Lyon reportedly only has until November to find a new buyer before it's closed
Arkane Lyon, the studio behind Dishonored and Deathloop, is reportedly facing closure by November if a buyer is not found, following significant layoffs at Xbox. Microsoft acquired ZeniMax, which owned Arkane, in 2021. The studio's current project, Marvel's Blade, is reportedly still in development but its future is uncertain amidst these potential closures.
Life has once again found a way in Athanasia, an "immersive" dinosaur FPS that feels like comfort food for Dino Crisis and System Shock players alike
Athanasia, an immersive dinosaur first-person shooter from Momentum Games and Black Lantern Collective, has launched in early access. The game pays homage to Dino Crisis and System Shock, featuring researcher Carmen Flores exploring an abandoned scientific facility in South America filled with dinosaurs. A full release is planned for 2027.
Disco Elysium splinter studio's Red Rooster is going to be a 'an incendiary, physics-driven RPG' where you play an inmate, an opiate-fuelled mathematician, and a bus driver with nunchucks
Eternal Summer, a studio formed by former Disco Elysium developers, has announced its debut title, Red Rooster. This physics-driven RPG will allow players to investigate arson as an inmate partnered with an opiate-dependent mathematician, blending cerebral worldbuilding with immersive sim elements.
Red Rooster announced for Nintendo Switch 2, from former Disco Elysium devs
Summer Eternal has announced Red Rooster, a physics-driven RPG developed by former Disco Elysium creators, for the Nintendo Switch 2 and other platforms. The game features a unique investigative narrative set in an alternate-history science fiction world, aiming to push the boundaries of the RPG genre with dynamic, reactive environments and physics-based mechanics.
"This non-profit will be the 'voice of the gamers'" - Former Disco Elysium devs break new ground with player- and developer-owned studio structure
Former Disco Elysium developers have launched Summer Eternal, a new studio with an experimental community-driven ownership structure. Players can become members of the Players Non-Profit organization, which owns 5% of the studio and participates in its governance, allowing them a say in game development decisions.
Ex-ZA/UM developers reveal Red Rooster, an "incendiary RPG" that is very intentionally not trying to be a "Disco Elysium successor" or "Disco-like"
Summer Eternal, a studio founded by former ZA/UM developers including writer Argo Tuulik, has announced its debut RPG, Red Rooster. The game is described as an "incendiary, physics-driven RPG" that aims to combine immersive sim elements with deep worldbuilding, and is being built in Unreal Engine. The studio is also releasing a 500-page anthology book detailing the game's development and industry commentary, which includes a player-funded model.
Gargantuan cop immersive sim Militsioner now has an acrophobia-inducing demo, and yes, I did somehow manage to fail the tutorial
The immersive sim Militsioner has released a new demo that allows players to experience its acrophobia-inducing environments and unique gameplay mechanics. The demo features a tutorial where players are interrogated by a giant cop, and showcases the game's open-air prison setting and escape-plotting elements. Militsioner is currently slated for a 2027 release.
Svenska Neon Giant förklarar vad de tvingades välja bort i No Law
Neon Giant, the developer behind The Ascent, is working on the immersive sim No Law, set in a cyberpunk open world. Due to their small team size of 24 internal members, they had to make significant prioritization choices during development, such as omitting drivable cars and limiting building interiors to focus on verticality and natural integration within the city of Port Desire. The game aims to allow players to combine items to create unique effects for combat.
Why it's still worth making immersive sims
Former Arkane Studios collaborators Harvey Smith and Ben Horne, now co-founders of Black Pony Immersive, are committed to developing ambitious 'immersive sim' games. They discuss the challenges of creating these genre-defining titles without the backing of major publishers like Zenimax or Microsoft, emphasizing creativity and passion.
"We opted out of some things really early on": How the 24-person team making No Law plan to make it look as big as Cyberpunk 2077
Neon Giant, a 24-person team, is developing the open-world RPG No Law, aiming for a scope comparable to Cyberpunk 2077 by strategically limiting features. Creative director Tor Frick explains how the team opted out of elements like drivable cars and entering every building to focus on verticality and dense exploration within their Mediterranean-inspired city, Port Desire. The game's design incorporates layered systems and dynamic world elements like time and weather to create a rich player experience despite the team's size.
If game developers steal one thing from No Law, I hope it's the open-world game's ridiculously detailed and realistic corner shops
The open-world game No Law is praised for its exceptionally detailed and realistic corner shops, which are seen as a standout feature. These shops are integrated into the game's systems, offering items that affect gameplay and reacting to player actions like theft or purchase.
RetroSpace Sends A Very Strange Janitor Into A Black Hole
RetroSpace, an immersive sim with sci-fi horror and dark humor elements, has been released on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. Developed by The Wild Gentlemen and published by Kwalee, the game puts players in the role of a janitor on a space station consumed by a sentient black hole, offering multiple approaches to survival including stealth, combat, and environmental manipulation.
Sound the 'This week's free Epic Games Store game is worth logging in for' alarm
Nightdive Studios' remaster of the classic immersive sim System Shock 2 is available for free on the Epic Games Store until October 8. The article praises the remaster for its smooth performance and updated visuals, calling it an excellent videogame and an all-time immersive sim that is well worth logging in for.
RetroSpace offers a huge sci-fi playground for inquisitive space janitors, but I'm not that System Shocked by the tools at your disposal
RetroSpace, an immersive sim from The Wild Gentlemen, offers a vast sci-fi playground where players act as janitors exploring a space station affected by a black hole and temporal anomalies. While the game excels in its secretive level design and world-building, the available tools and mechanics feel overly familiar and less innovative compared to its inspirations like System Shock and Prey.
