#gamescom is on the rocks

[homeofthelonelywriter]

Of Cupcakes and Skulls | Part 4

(A/N) It's back! I apologize for the break last week, like I mentioned I was at GamesCom in Germany and didn't really get to write anything. I hope you enjoy this even more tho!

Pairing: single dad! Mafia! Simon x baker! Reader

Warning: angst, threats against Reader, comfort, kissies, confessions,

Synopsis: Based on this post by @lunamoonbby

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

You felt cold. So incredibly cold. And it was loud. Yelling and gunshots, glass breaking, and metal clanging. Desperately, you pressed your hands against your ears as you curled into the fetal position, trying to keep the world out. It wasn’t working.

You could still hear all the noises. And that voice.

“Kleine Maus.”

It was a singsong, slowly distorting, the words turning into your name. And he said it again. And again. And again. And again.

A cry tore its way through your throat and out your mouth as you shot up. Your breathing was labored as you quickly looked around the room, confusion filling you when you didn’t recognize your surroundings. Suddenly you felt two strong hands on you - one on your left shoulder and one on your back. Panicked, you whirled around, expecting to see the man that was haunting your dreams, but it wasn’t him.

“Hey, hey. You’re alright. It was just a dream.”

Simon looked concerned as he gently pulled you closer. For a moment, you resisted, before you realized what was going on and immediately moved toward him, curling up in his lap as he wrapped his strong arms around you. Gently, as if not to startle you further, he began rocking you back and forth, fingers drawing gentle circles on your skin. Only when he stopped for a second and reached up to wipe the tears slowly flowing from your eyes, away, did you realize that you were crying. You looked up, meeting his eyes which were filled with concern, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Simon?”

He hummed in acknowledgment, tugging a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Di-Did you k-kill them?”

You watched as his eyes hardened and he hesitated, the frown on his face intensifying. He never wanted you to know this side of him. That’s why he never came back, he knew that sooner or later something would happen that would force him to do his job, but you were too sweet for that world, too innocent. Still, you deserved to know.

“Some of them, but König, he…he escaped.”

His eyes flickered to your throat as you swallowed the lump that formed there, threatening to suffocate you. That man was still alive and out there. He could…he could easily kill you. Panic started to fill you as your mind ran through each possible way he would do it. Shoot you. Maybe he would suffocate you, or slit your throat when you least expected it. Your breathing picked up, Simon’s arms around you immediately tightening.

“Hey. It’s okay, I won’t let him hurt you.”

You looked at him, your eyes flickering from his eyes to his lips and back again. His face was a stone facade, impossible to read, but the softness in his eyes was unmistakeable, as they flickered to your lips, before he leaned closer, almost closing the gap.

A pleasurable shiver ran through your body as he whispered your name, his lips ghosting over yours. It almost looked like he was about to kiss you, but at the last second, he angled his head up, instead pressing his lips to your forehead. He held them there for a moment before pulling back and cradling your face in his palm, concern in his eyes. Easily, he picked you up, laying down before placing you beside him, your head on his chest.

“You should rest some more, love. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

You nodded against his skin and closed your eyes, letting the comfort and safety of his embrace lull you to sleep.

“-addy?”

“Ssshh, you have to be quiet Millie, okay? She’s still sleeping.”

There was a pause before you could hear little feet tabbing against the floor, growing closer. And then there was a ruffling of sheets and a quiet chuckle from Simon.

“Quiet now, munchkin. Come here.”

Millie giggled and when you squinted your eyes open, you watched her fall into her father’s arms, cuddling into his embrace while she gazed at him with adoration in her eyes. You watched as he kissed her forehead and pulled her closer, her fingers softly trailing over the tattoos on his chest. A smile spread on your lips as you remembered what all of this was about, and why you had gotten into this mess in the first place. Millie. And she was worth it.

“Good morning, love.”

You glanced up at Simon, who smiled down at you, squeezing you against him.

“Hi.”

Before you could utter more, a squeal of your name cut you off and you watched as Millie scrambled, over her father’s torso and into your arms. As soon as she was close enough, her tiny arms wrapped around your neck and she hid her face in the nape of your neck.

“I missed you.”

You pulled your arm out from underneath Simon and wrapped it around Millie’s back, holding her as close as humanly possible.

“I missed you too, sweetheart.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Simon watching the two of you, a soft smile on his face as he carefully pulled away and rolled to the other side of the bed, getting up. He continued to watch you for a few moments more before he pulled a shirt over his head and walked back over to the bed, easily picking Millie up and throwing her over his shoulder.

“Let’s give her a few minutes, okay munchkin?”

He turned to you, still smiling, with adoration shining in his eyes.

“We’ll be downstairs, making sure breakfast is getting started. Just join us whenever, okay?”

You nodded and watched the pair leave, Millie giggling as she drew random patterns on her father’s clothed back, while he tried to guess what she was drawing. The bond between the two filled your heart with love and you couldn’t help but miss the feeling of Simon pressed against you. But at the same time you were glad that he gave you a few moments to be alone and process everything that happened the past few hours.

Someone had come into your bakery, threatened you, nearly killed you…and Simon saved you. The events replayed before your eyes and you could again hear the chaos that broke out once Simon had come to the rescue. You didn’t even want to imagine what your bakery looked like and how long it would take to clean everything up. A sigh escaped your lips as you closed your eyes and leaned back into the pillows, relaxing for a few moments. That was until your phone rang.

You didn’t check the caller ID, expecting it to be Mary to ask what happened to the bakery, but when you picked up, the voice on the other end sent a shiver through you.

“Hallo, kleine Bäckerin. Gut geschlafen?” (Hello, little baker. Slept well?)

You sat up with a start, eyes wide and body tense.

“König. How did you-”

“-get your number? Oh, that was easy. But let’s not talk about that, ja?”

With stiff movements, you got to your feet and rushed out the door, bolting down the stairs as quickly as possible without falling. Simon. You needed Simon.

“Last night ended…unfortunate. You know, at the start, I only wanted to play with you to annoy Ghost, but now…I see what he sees and I want what he has. I want you, Liebling. Don’t you want me too?”

You finally reached the kitchen, Simon turning to you as soon as he heard your footsteps, his smile falling the moment he saw your panicked look, he gently grabbed Millie and pointed to a room, saying something you couldn’t hear over the ringing in your ears. She obediently left the kitchen, as Simon stalked toward you, his eyes dark.

With shaking hands, you pulled the phone from your ear and pressed the ‘speaker’ button.

“Tell me you want me too, Schatz.”

A low growl echoed from Simon’s chest as he grabbed the phone from your hand, glaring at the device.

“Keep your distance, König, or I’ll finish what I started.”

Your ears picked up on the frantic, almost manic laughter echoing from the speakers, even as Simon walked to the other side of the room. With quiet steps, you crossed the room, walking until you stood right behind him.

“You can’t protect her, just like you couldn’t protect your family.”

You watched as every muscle in Simon’s back grew tense, his hand shaking with the firm grip he had on your phone.

“You are not your father. You will not take anyone from me. Come for her and I’ll enjoy ripping you apart before putting a bullet in your head.”

As soon as the final word left Simon’s lips, he threw your phone onto the ground and stepped on it, effectively breaking it. A quiet yelp escaped your lips as you watched him destroy the device, but he immediately turned to you, the darkness in his eyes slowly dissipating as he took in your shocked face. Before you could react, he pulled into his chest, arms tightening as they wrapped around your body, almost smothering you. It was silent, for a few moments, before you quietly spoke up.

“Simon?”

He didn’t respond for a moment, instead tightening his hold on you even more, before mumbling against your neck.

“I won’t let him get you. I promise. I’ll keep you safe.”

A soft smile spread on your lips as you returned his hug, wrapping your arms around his waist as you buried your face in his face, speaking just loud enough for him to hear.

“I know. I trust you, Si.”

He pulled back slightly, just enough so he could look at your face. His eyes flickered back and forth between yours before they eventually landed on your lips. He hesitated, but when you moved your own head a little closer, he immediately smashed his lips to yours, his fingers digging into the fat on your hips, as he groaned at the contact. Your hands quickly found their way around his neck, pulling his face closer to yours as your lips moved against each other. You carefully tug at the strands of hair that your fingers can reach, tentatively licking into his mouth as his lips part, letting out a quiet moan. His reaction was immediate as his hands moved to the back of your thighs, easily hoisting you up and sitting you down on the kitchen island, without breaking the kiss.

“Daddy?”

The two of you immediately break apart, both glancing at Millie, who was curiously peeking into the kitchen. Simon, while still keeping a hand on your thigh, took a step back, putting some distance between you as he looked at his daughter.

“M-Munchkin, hey. Is everything okay?”

Millie nodded, walking in until she stood in front of her dad, and looked up at him, before glancing at you. She then glanced back at her father, before she waved him down. And with a crooked smile, he fell into a squat, bending down until Millie could whisper in his ear.

“Is-Is she my mommy now?”

Well, it was meant to be a whisper at least, but it was loud enough for you to hear. You watched as Simon froze for a second, before he relaxed again, whispering back to Millie. He kept it quiet enough that you had no idea what he said and curiosity immediately filled you. Whatever he told her, made Millie giggle, as she took a few steps back and nodded before bouncing back out of the room. After she left, Simon rose back to his full height and returned his attention to you as he found his place between your thighs again, his hands on your hips.

“I guess you heard what she said?”

You hummed as your arms lazily wrapped around his neck, a coy smile on your lips.

“I sure did. What did you tell her?”

Now it was his turn to hum. He hesitated, conflict clear in his eyes as he weighed his options. After a moment, he answered, a cocky grin on his face.

“I told her…that it is your choice, but that I wouldn’t mind.”

The grin fell, as he turned serious, his eyes searching yours for a moment before he swallowed and glanced at the floor.

“Look, I know this is new and we don’t really know each other or anything, but I really…I…”

You reached up, cradling his cheek in your hand as a soft smile spread across your lips.

“Me too, Simon. I…I feel the same way.”

Relieve flooded his eyes as the frown disappeared and the grin returned. He quickly closed the gap between you, pressing his lips to yours in a sweet kiss, before pulling away and resting his forehead against yours. The moment was once again interrupted by the voice of the little girl who wanted you to be her mommy.

“Daddy! We’re goin’ to be late…for school!”

Midway through her yell, she paused and drew a quick breath, before finishing it. You chuckled and glanced toward the door, before looking back at Simon, who just sighed, but there was still a giant smile on his face.

“I’ll go get her ready, okay? You get started on breakfast.”

With one more peck to his lips, you hopped off the kitchen island and walked to the door, ready to search for Millie. You had barely made it two steps when you felt a light slap to your ass, turning around just to see Simon grin at you. König and all his threats were forgotten. At least for now.

Please consider reblogging and following me! It helps a lot!

Call of Duty - Masterlist

Master-Masterlist

Tags: @lunamoonbby @distinguishedprincesstrash @xanvasy (I am so sorry I forgot to tag you last part, please forgive me 😭)

Like what you're reading? Buy me a coffee!

[marimayscarlett]

You’ve probably answered this before but I am kind of new here so I’ll ask again: how and when did you become a fan of Rammstein?

For me it was my best friends mom, she has an entire dedicated to the band and she took us with her to see a tribute band, which was cool and all, then I got my first mp3 player and asked the mom for audio files of the cds (ripping was a possibility then) because I liked rock and metal, I had my dads old Iron Maiden, Nirvana, Roling Stones cd’s etc already on it :) Plus is German class at the same time in high school, Sonne was played as an example of German music, which was very cool. Since then I am a listener. Was unfortunately too expensive at the time to go the MIG tour, my first time was festival tour 2016! And since then I have been every time they were in the ‘area’. And when Paul announced the break this year, I felt lost because aside from 2018 and the covid years I have seen them each year and was wondering how to survive without and started looking for the online fandom! And now I am here!🖤

Hi and thank you so much for your lovely message! I always enjoy reading and hearing how others found their way to the band and into the fandom! 🤲🏻

I mentioned my own story here and there briefly, but this asks gives me the opportunity to delve a little deeper 🙂‍↕️

Growing up as a kid in 90's and early 2000's Germany, it was almost impossible to avoid the band. Rammstein was a name that was always present, and while "Du hast" was the band's flagship song worldwide, "Engel" was THE Rammstein song that everyone in Germany knew (and still knows). I can remember hearing that song on the radio as far back as I can think.

Now things are about to get random: When I was around 11/12 years old, I was already neck deep in my fantasy/vampire phase, and I desperately wanted to watch something truly scary, like the cool kids. My mother didn’t allow me to watch horror movies, but she had another idea and showed me the video for "Du riechst so gut." I instantly fell head over heels for the song and had it on my MP3 player since I was 12 😊. However, I found the video so creepy, and as a child, I was terrified of Paul with his red eyes for ages 🫢

(gif source)

My third Rammstein song was "Stripped," which my father showed me. I was also introduced to the music video, kind of as an educational tool for Leni Riefenstahl, as my parents explained to me that while her film footage is very controversial due to her ideology (rightfully so), they were once considered highly aesthetic.

I saw Rammstein live for the first time in 2013 at the Southside Festival. I wasn’t a full fan yet, but I was incredibly excited to hear "Du riechst so gut" live. And I remember that all the Rammstein fans around me were incredibly kind and friendly, giving each other plenty of space to dance 😊.

Here comes another random but vital moment: I used to cosplay a lot and attend various conventions, one of them being Gamescom in Cologne. In 2015, after a particularly exhausting convention day, a friend and I came home in the evening and spent the night vegetating on the couch, clicking through YouTube, until we came across a video titled "Ich will" by Rammstein. Since I was somewhat familiar with the band by then, I was curious, so we clicked on it. And well:

That guy comes on screen and that was it for me.

Since then, Rammstein has become an inseparable part of my life. I’ve seen them live several times in 2017, 2023, and 2024, made wonderful friends through the fandom, and kind of met my husband with the help of this band (the first conversation we ever had was about Till's newly released album "Skills in Pills" in 2015 🤭)

This band has given me so much, brought me a lot of joy and distraction, pushed me to educate myself on various topics, and simply feels like a musical home for me.

Sometimes it’s not easy being a Rammstein fan (for various reasons), but I can’t imagine my life without them anymore 🤍

If anyone wants, feel free to share with with your experience on how you found your way to Rammstein 🤲🏻

[satoshi-mochida]

Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered International announced for PS5, PS4, and Switch - Gematsu

Red Art Games, in cooperation with Square Enix, has announced Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered International, a new edition of Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered with English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish localizations for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Switch. It will launch both physically and digitally in early 2025 in North America and Europe.

The physical edition will be available for PlayStation 5 and Switch in North America, and for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Switch in Europe. The standard edition will be available at multiple retailers at launch, while limited and collector’s editions will be exclusive to Video Games Plus in North America and RedArtGames.com in Europe.

Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered International will also be playable at Gamescom 2024, which will run from August 21 to 25 at Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany.

Get the details below.

■ Physical Special Editions

-Standard Edition

A copy of the game

Deluxe Edition (500 PEGI-rated copies per platform, RedArtGames.com-exclusive)

A copy of the game with a reversible cover

An exclusive sleeve with alternate cover art

A manual

A PVC keychain

Special Edition (500 ESRB-rated copies per platform, Video Games Plus-exclusive)

A copy of the game with a reversible cover

A PVC keychain

Collector’s Edition (1,000 PEGI-rated and 1,000 ESRB-rated copies per platform, RedArtGames.com-exclusive in Europe, Video Games Plus-exclusive in North America)

A copy of the game with a reversible cover

A box with retro-inspired cover art (Switch and PlayStation versions have different boxes)

A Steelcase

An artbook

A manual

Three postcards

■ Fact Sheet

About

The gods created man and man created stories. The primordial creator Marda brought forth the land of Mardias. In ages past a mighty battle rocked this land, when Elore, the king of the gods, fought three malicious deities: Death, Saruin and Schirach. After a long and drawn-out struggle, Death and Schirach were sealed away and rendered powerless, with the final deity Saruin also trapped through the power of the Fatestones and the noble sacrifice of the hero Mirsa. Now 1,000 years have passed since that titanic battle. The Fatestones lie scattered across the world and the gods of evil are resurgent once more. Eight heroes set off on their own journeys, as if guided by the hand of fate. What tales will these adventurers weave across the vast tapestry of Mardias? You are the only one who can decide! The original Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song included many of the SaGa series trademark elements, such as the Glimmer and Combo mechanics and was considered to be the epitome of the series when it first released. The free scenario system that lets you create your own storyline remains at the core of the game, letting you select one of eight protagonists with completely different origins and backstories, then set off on a unique journey. This remastered edition has evolved in all areas, featuring upgraded high-definition graphics and numerous enhancements to improve playability. And for the first time ever, the game will be fully playable in French, German, Italian, and Spanish. This makes it highly recommended for both fans of the original and newcomers to the SaGa series.

Key Features

Brand new localization in French, German, Italian, and Spanish. (English also included.)

Full high-definition graphical update.

Schiele, Marina, Monica, and Flammar can now be recruited.

Enhanced and more difficult bosses.

High speed mode.

Mini Maps.

New Game+ mode.

■ Staff Comments

Akitoshi Kawazu, SaGa Series General Director

“With the support of Red Art Games, we’re now able to release a new version of Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered that includes localization into French, German, Italian, and Spanish languages. We are finally able to grant this desire of our loyal fans! We know there’s a big SaGa fanbase and community in the west, so releasing a new localized edition of the game to more of our fans has long been a dream of mine. I hope to continue to fulfill the wishes of our fans, as well as creating opportunities for even more people to play the game.”

Masanori Ichikawa, SaGa Series Producer

“The opportunity for this release all began when Michael Binkowski (CEO, Red Art Games) and Romain Mahut (business development and communications manager, Red Art Games) contacted me directly. Thanks to them, a long-time dream of ours is coming true and I’m so grateful. From visiting the Red Art Games office in France to all the discussions we’ve had on this project, it’s been an amazing experience from start to finish, and I can’t wait for SaGa fans to get their hands on this beautiful game.”

Hiroyuki Miura, Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered Producer

“Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered International is a title that allows players to enjoy a great many of the characteristic mechanics of the SaGa series, including the Freeform Scenario system, Glimmer, and Combos. The addition of new localization into French, German, Italian, and Spanish is particularly impactful for the freeform scenario. Now, players globally will be able to experience the story on an even deeper level, in their native language. I’m excited for more people to discover the SaGa series thanks to the additional language support and the physical release of the game. I’m delighted to be partnering with Red Art Games on this collaboration.”

View a new set of screenshots and box arts at the gallery.

[nibwhipdragon]

Least favorite Monster Hunter monsters design-wise?

OK I waited for the WILDS trailer at gamescom to drop before answering this but after having a lot of thought about this...I don't really have a lot of monster designs I don't like? I definitely love ones and don't really care for others, but I can't really say I have a least favourite. All the monsters in the series are really solidly designed.

That being said, I really hate Chatacabra.

The concept behind it (monster that attaches rocks to itself with sticky saliva) sounds SO COOL and I love that part! But something about the design really puts me off. It doesn't look like a mh monster to me

[smlpodcast]

The SML Podcast - Episode 984: Bag on Fire

Download Episode 984 --

It's Gamescom time and there's tons of news to discuss, so let's not waste any time!

The show kicks off with Jacob Garner, Bri Galgano, and Aki all on hand to discuss all the latest news from Gamescom! From the reveal of Borderlands 4 to the news that Indiana Jones is heading to PS5, as well as all the trailers in between. Infinity Nikki looks bonkers, Genshin Impact is finally coming to Xbox, and tons more. We also discuss the latest Xbox Game Pass additions and departures, a wave of PS Plus games leaving the service, release dates, and reveals. Plus reviews!

0:00 - Intro/News 53:25 - Green Hell - Creepy Jar (Bri) 1:01:27 - Murder is Game Over: Streaming Death - HitherYon Games, Meridian4, Ratalaika Games (Bri & Aki) 1:07:53 - Parking Masters - Last Man Gaming (Jacob) 1:12:04 - White Day 2: The Flower That Tells Lies - Rootnstudio, PQube (Aki & Jacob) 1:21:22 - Bloodhound - Kruger & Flint Productions (Jacob) 1:27:54 - Mangavania 2 - Alexander Nikolaev, Sometimes You (Jacob)

The show ends with some Monster Squad rock from Stemage and The Arkadian!

1:32:43 - Stemage & The Arkadian - Rock Until You Drop (Monster Squad)

https://creepyjar.com/en/ https://twitter.com/hitheryongames https://meridianfoursite.wixsite.com/meridian4 https://www.ratalaikagames.com/ https://www.lastmangaming.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@rootnstudio2035 https://pqube.co.uk/ https://knfproductions.com/en/ https://twitter.com/mangavania https://www.sometimesyou.com/ https://www.stemagemusic.com/ https://arkadianvgrb.bandcamp.com/ https://www.keymailer.co/ https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sml-podcast/id826998112 https://open.spotify.com/show/6KQpzHeLsoyVy6Ln2ebNwK https://twitter.com/theSMLpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/theSMLpodcast/ https://store.streamelements.com/thesmlpodcast ALL REVIEWED GAMES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED FOR FREE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ANY COVERAGE ON THE SHOW

[linuxgamenews]

Discover the Intriguing World of Journey Beyond the Edge

Journey Beyond the Edge of the World Demo for the first-person adventure game is playable on Linux via Windows PC. Developer Markus Koepke’s creative genius shines through. Available to try now on Steam. Markus Koepke’s upcoming first-person adventure, with the longest name, is making its debut at this year’s Gamescom. But don’t worry if you can’t make it there in person. You can still dive into what Journey Beyond the Edge of the World has to offer because an early demo is up on Steam. And for those of us playing on Linux, it’s playable via Proton. In this first public demo, you’ll also get a taste of Journey Beyond the Edge of the World, a surreal, retro sci-fi story, set in 1953. You’ll find yourself aboard a fishing vessel caught in a wicked storm. Here you’re due to solve an environmental puzzle that makes great use of the game’s rope physics. As you do, you’ll start to feel the eerie vibe that’s all around you. Especially when you start tinkering with the Temporal Resonance Localiser. A strange device that uses the game’s cool spatial audio mechanics.

Journey Beyond the Edge of the World(Game Teaser) for the Demo

In Journey Beyond the Edge of the World, your mission in the demo is to explore a storm-battered ship. You’ll be fixing broken navigational equipment, patching up leaks, and tackling various item-based and environmental puzzles. Each puzzle unlocks more of the story, which unfolds through a mix of narrative, music, and those awesome spatial audio effects. Visually, Journey Beyond the Edge of the World demo rocks a low-poly, pixelated retro look. But it’s also more than just a nostalgic throwback. The atmospheric lighting, modern visual effects, and realistic water simulation all come together to create a truly immersive experience. And the sound design? It’s on another level. With handcrafted sounds and spatial audio, you’ll be fully wrapped up in the world around you. It works with any headphones, letting you pick up on specific sounds that lead you to memories—and those memories help you solve even more puzzles by letting you step through time. The Journey Beyond the Edge of the World story itself unfolds through narrated ambient music tracks in the demo. While each chapter of the story ties to a puzzle. Crack the puzzle, and you unlock the next piece of music. As you progress, the ship and its surroundings evolve, mirroring the events in the music and drawing you closer to the Edge of the World—and beyond. The Journey Beyond the Edge of the World developer is eager to hear what players think, so after you’ve given the demo a shot, be sure to drop your feedback on Steam. Surprisingly, this first-person adventure is well done. With a full release (TBD), coming to Linux, Mac, and Windows PC.

[esorydoolb]

oh, gamescom happening right now? lmao i totally live under a rock it seems (of studying)

[jcmarchi]

Unknown 9: Awakening Preview - Unknown No Longer - Game Informer

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/unknown-9-awakening-preview-unknown-no-longer-game-informer/

Unknown 9: Awakening Preview - Unknown No Longer - Game Informer

Announced at Gamescom 2020, Unknown 9: Awakening hasn’t had much in the way of news since its reveal. That promising trailer gave us a basic idea of what the game, which is a small part of a multimedia franchise, is going for, but beyond the basic premise laid out by the series, we haven’t learned anything new about the game in quite some time. However, I recently had the chance to meet with publisher Bandai Namco and developer Reflector Entertainment to learn more about the game and see the first gameplay footage.

What is Unknown 9?

As a multimedia franchise, the story of Unknown 9 follows the story of the Quaestors – powerful people who are keyed into the way the universe works – which folds out across various platforms. This preview specifically talks about the game, but the story unfolds across media like comics, a novel trilogy, a podcast, a web series, blog posts, and the game. However, Reflector designed the story of Unknown 9: Awakening to be a self-contained story that anyone can enjoy. Still, if they feel compelled to dig deeper, they can do so through other media.

The Unknown 9 universe centers around empires’ cyclical rise and fall across human history. As the next empire’s end approached, nine individuals with a strong connection to a mysterious hidden dimension known as The Fold were shielded from death. Those joined the quest of trying to break the cycle of destruction. Out of this premise, two separate groups formed with a shared goal: trying to learn the power of the 9. However, they want different things with the knowledge and power they seek. The Leap Year Society hopes to gain the knowledge of the 9 to tell it to humanity for their betterment. On the other side, the Ascendants want the knowledge and power of the 9 to break the cycle, then use the power for selfish means. As you might imagine, in Unknown 9: Awakening, the Leap Year Society is often painted as the good guys, while the Ascendants are the more antagonistic group.

Awakening Gameplay

Unknown 9: Awakening follows Haroona, a woman raised in the streets of Calcutta, India. Played by Anya Chalotra (Yennefer in Netflix’s The Witcher), Haroona’s powers awakened during her childhood. Now, as an adult, she’s learning how to train her powers while on a mission for revenge against Vincent, a member of the Ascendants who killed her father. 

The gameplay of Unknown 9 operates on three main pillars: Stepping, Combat, and Active Stealth. Stepping uses Haroona’s unique powers, allowing her to jump into the body of an NPC and control them. You start with one Step Token but can upgrade to four by the end of the game. When you take control, time pauses, and you map out their moves. For example, you can Step into one enemy and force them to drive their melee weapon into an explosive object in the environment to take out the three guards, then Step into another enemy and have them open fire on a couple of other nearby guards. Moves like these level the playing field for Haroona as she faces insurmountable odds on her quest.

Outside of Stepping, Haroona also has various other powers, including the ability to pull, push, and crush objects in the world. Using this, she can detonate objects or alarms to distract guards. She can also heal, an Umbric Rock to distract enemies, don a cloak to turn invisible, and use her senses to see the locations of enemies and objectives. All of those allow Haroona to take out enemies craftily, but when things hit the fan, more straightforward methods come in handy; Haroona can also perform light and heavy melee attacks and use an Umbric Attack to stun enemies, and can block and dodge on the defensive side.

Demo Recap

My demo takes place in Suknasari Forest, a location players will encounter in the first three hours of Unknown 9: Awakening. The minimal U.I. elements assist with immersion, showing just one single element in the lower left corner to tell you your health, Tokens, and powers. As you explore the environments, you find skill points within anomalies. Unknown 9: Awakening doesn’t use a traditional XP system, instead relying on these anomalies – some of which are on the main path, some of which require some exploration – to allow Haroona to unlock upgrades.

Across several sequences, I watch the developer giving the demo Step into the bodies of guards between Haroona and her objective. In some instances, Haroona forces the guard to kill other guards. Other times, the guard is compelled to run head-first into an explosive. Stepping definitely feels like a fun additional fold into traditional stealth gameplay. 

Playing through the sequences stealthily, Haroona sneaks through the tall grass in typical stealth-game fashion, but her stealth takedowns are devastating in a way Assassin’s Creed could never pull off; Haroona looks to be removing their souls from their bodies. Or maybe she’s simply removing their consciousness and then putting it back using her added senses. Either way, it doesn’t look like something I want done to me. 

After a couple of sequences of smaller minion-type enemies, I watch the demoer take on a tougher enemy. This brute blocks a lot, so standard melee attacks won’t work as well. Instead, you must use Haroona’s powers to Step into other enemies to attack environmental objects like incendiary lamps and explosive barrels. After dealing a good deal of damage to the heavy, Haroona finishes him off by pushing him into an explosive barrel, putting him down for good.

The demo ends with a segment where Haroona must steal an airship from Vincent. However, before infiltrating the hangar, she must remove the anchors that are keeping it grounded. After watching the demoer battle through the first wave of enemies, he loosens the first anchor, which unleashes another wave of baddies. Some of these guards are the standard melee guards, while others have high-powered rifles, and others still are the heavy-style enemies from the previous encounter.

Each loosened anchor unleashes a new wave of enemies, and I delight in watching the developer playing the game show off how creative you can get with these encounters. After dropping a lamp on the last enemy’s head and setting him ablaze, Haroona removes the final anchor. With that, the path to the airship is opened up, and my hands-off demo comes to a close.

While there’s still so much we don’t know about Unknown 9: Awakening, I liked a lot of what I saw. The universe is ripe for exciting storytelling, and the gameplay reminds me of a strong mix of Control, Uncharted, and Assassin’s Creed. I’m sure we’ll learn more in the lead-up to the launch, but for now, my interest is piqued. Unknown 9: Awakening arrives this summer on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. 

[ayakoito]

I can't stand hanging in the air. I always need tendencies, otherwise I’m gonna break 🙃

[niyana-the-ambiguous-mobian]

Okay, potential Sonic Frontiers spoilers under the cut.

So, this morning we got some new leaked footage of some game play as well as two cutscenes today people managed to record at Gamescom.

This one cutscene however was the one I kept rewatching the most. We can see Sonic battle these giant bosses that are called "Titans" with Sage controlling the one that Sonic is fighting, and the kid didn't stand a chance against this thing. I physically cringed when I saw how far he got thrown and crashed into those rock pillars.

Guy got thrown almost halfway across the damn island....

((Source))

[galli-halli]

Wo wir grade bei unangenehmen Videos sind, was sind denn deine comfort clips, die du immer wieder gucken kannst? (Abgesehen von Nepal und Jamaika was wir uns wahrscheinlich alle schon 3000 mal gegeben haben)? Silvester für eins ist da mittlerweile bei mir auch fest in der Rotation, und die MAZ von JKvsP7 wo sie alle zum Lachen bringen müssen, alles so wholesome. Hast du (oder andere) Ergänzungen? :) :3

Entschuldige bitte die späte Antwort, ich habe ein bisschen gebraucht, weil mich so Auflistungen immer überfordern und ausarten. Silvester für Eins, Nepal und Jamaika gehören definitiv ganz oben auf die Liste der comfort Mazen! Und alles, was die Florida Mitarbeiter miteinschließt, gucke ich sowieso sehr gerne.

Ich nenne hier jetzt nur Mazen, weil ich über (JKP7) Studiospiele hier gesprochen habe.

Joko & Klaas

Flugsimulator. Das ist ehrlich gesagt eine meiner absoluten Lieblingsmazen aller Zeiten. Weiß nicht, wie man so perfekt harmonieren kann, aber JK tun es.

Kroatien. Eine der lustigsten Mazen überhaupt. Ich liebe die Teamdynamik. Ich liebe, wie soft Klaas ist, nachdem er getroffen wurde. Ich liebe alles daran.

Wenn ich du wäre - Weihnachtsmarkt. Das ist und bleibt die Comfort-Maz schlechthin für mich. Klaas der mit dem Kinderchor Angels singt und Joko der dabei emotional wird. Kriegt mich jedes Mal aufs Neue.

Kroatien. "Ich will einfach nur nach Hause, Joko" ist mein Kryptonit. Dazu muss ich glaube ich nicht mehr sagen.

U-Bahn. Soft, soft, SOFT. Purer Comfort.

Wenn ich du wäre - Rock am Ring. "I'm loving Joko instead." Für mich hat damit alles angefangen und der Nostalgie-Faktor ist so hoch, wenn ich das sehe.

Rock am Ring 2017. Macht mich aus offensichtlichen Gründen sehr emotional.

Funkturm. Jede JKP7-Maz ist comfort für mich, aber diese hat Kultstatus. Besser konnte man die Richtung nicht vorgeben, in die das Konzept der Show gehen würde. Das Miteinander, das gegenseitige Helfen, das gemeinsame Lachen usw.

Rolltreppe. Ich mag simple Aufgaben, bei denen sie ihre Chemie perfekt ausspielen können, so sehr. Könnte ich den ganzen Tag gucken.

Fessel-Maz Enfesselung. Joko redet über's Rummachen und Klaas kichert vor sich hin. Dieser gesamte Einspieler ist Comedy Gold.

Gumball. Gehört natürlich auf jede Liste. Die Dynamik zwischen den Beiden auf der ganzen Reise ist legendär.

Aushalten - Nicht Lachen. Jeder Teil, mit oder ohne Team. Ich bekomme bis heute Bauchschmerzen vor lachen, wenn Klaas tanzt, Joko Tagebücher vorliest oder sie in den neueren Ausgaben im Team dumme Witze machen. Das Format ist so einfach, wie es genial ist.

Blitzer-Maz. Ein personal favorite. Klaas, der irgendwo zwischen Schreck und Bewunderung für Joko schwankt und Joko, der danach mehr als genug rechtlichen Stress hatte. Bis heute ist Gemeinsam Dumm eine meiner Lieblingsrubriken, weil sie sich auch damals schon klar positioniert haben.

Roter Faden. Ich mag es, wenn die irgendwo zwischen Null-Bock und Überdrehtheit festhängen und dabei Kuriositäten wie diese Maz rauskommen.

Aushalten - Leise Sein. Die Rednose-Day Folge war generell wild, aber dieses Aushalten ist eine richtige Herzensmaz von mir. An manchen Tagen funkt es zwischen den Zweien noch mehr als sonst und das war so einer. Ich liebe jede Sekunde dieser Maz.

Showlympiade. Wie legendär kann eine Maz sein, wenn sie bis heute zitiert wird? "Ich hab gehört hier wird gesoffen", "Der ganze Platz ist auf 'ner Schrägen gebaut" usw. Allein durch dieses Video haben JK damals einen Kultstatus erreicht, den sie ohne Alkohol vermutlich nie bekommen hätten xD

Gamescom. Apropos Alkohol. Hochgradig peinlich und sehr, sehr witzig. Genauso wie die Showlympiade ein absoluter Klassiker, den man gesehen haben muss.

Bobbahn. Ist nicht umsonst eine der beliebtesten Mazen im Fandom. Man kann sie gar nicht sehen und danach keine gute Laune haben.

Lagerhalle/Einbrechen. Meine Lieblings-Maz aus der neusten JKP7 Staffel. Liebe die chaotische Energie, die halbherzigen Strategien und vor allem das Ende. Ich möchte dieses Ende heiraten.

Wasserski (MTV-Home). Ich habe ein Faible für die frühe JK-Dynamik, das sollte inzwischen Jedem klar sein. Alles von Home-Schnack-Schnuck bis hin zu dem eher freundschaftlichen statt übertrieben konkurrierenden Verhältnis hat mich damals gepackt und deswegen sitze ich immer noch hier.

Aushalten - Brechmittel. Es mag seltsam anmuten, dass dieses Video auf die comfort-Liste kommt, aber ich liebe MTV-Home Nostalgie. Ich liebe sie. Ein junger Thomas Martiens, schlechte Schauspielerei und dieses Ende. Alle am Kotzen xD

Nur Joko/nur Klaas

Goodnight-Show. Extremer Comfort. Man konnte Joko ansehen, wie sehr er die Show geliebt hat. Ein bisschen kam es mir immer vor wie die Weiterführung des Zuschauer-Cribs, nur dass es viel mehr Spaß gemacht hat.

Weinmesse. Da brauche ich nichts zu sagen. Legendär.

Vanuatu (Vulkan). Irgendwie ist es ein genereller Comfort für mich geworden, Klaas (& Thomas) durch die Mazen auf Reisen zu begleiten. Mehr, als das bei Joko der Fall war. Aber Vanuatu hatte wirklich alles. Genug Witz, eine kreative Aufgabe und überwältigende Landschaftsaufnahmen. Ich habe den Einspieler schon dutzende Male gesehen und er wird nie Langweilig.

Philippinen. Noch eine fantastische Aufgabe, die grandiose umgesetzt wurde.

China (U-Boot). Sollte eigentlich kein Comfort sein, weil es für Klaas und Schmitti so ein Albtraum war, aber allein die Art und Weise, wie Klaas Thomas beruhigt hat, macht die Maz zu etwas ganz besonderem.

Las Vegas. Ein Klassiker. Kann mir die JK-Welt ohne Frank gar nicht mehr vorstellen und das war der Anfang von allem.

Schottland. Bei Jakobs und Thomas Martiens Kommentaren in der Maz könnte ich mich jedes Mal wieder totlachen. Von den Beiden hätte ich gerne noch so viel mehr gesehen.

Parabelflug. Jokos kindliche Freude und diese Euphorie steckt beim Zugucken schon an.

Ägypten. Habe ich bereits erwähnt, dass Thomas Martiens für mich der witzigste Mensch der Welt ist? Nein? Thomas Martiens ist für mich der witzigste Mensch der Welt.

Waterslide ohne Klaas. "Now is my time to shine." Wie kann dieser Mann allen Ernstes behaupten, nicht süß zu sein?

So. Ich mache hier einen Cut. Ich könnte noch stundenlang auflisten, aber irgendwann reicht es auch mal.

[voice-of-anarchy]

Name this band!

Or - just watch us rock @gamescom tonight on a livestream at 7:30pm CET at metalhellsinger.com 🤘

[demifiendrsa]

DokeV - World Premiere Gameplay Trailer

DokeV is in development for consoles and PC. 

Key visuals

Screenshots

Overview

Dive into a gorgeous and lively world where Dokebi and humans live side-by-side! Watch DokeV‘s first official gameplay trailer which premiered at gamescom 2021: Opening Night Live and let’s get a look at what these adorable denizens are cooking up…

This trailer contains actual in-game and gameplay footage. As a work-in-progress, the content is subject to change.

What is DokeV?

DokeV is an upcoming creature-collecting open world action adventure from Pearl Abyss filled with intriguing stories and set in a unique, vibrant world. Meet Dokebi, whimsical creatures that live side-by-side with humans and encourage people’s dreams from which they gain strength. The gorgeous and colorful world of DokeV is brimming with activities, stories, and experiences, so get ready to befriend tons of Dokebi, embark on an adventure, and rock the world! Who knows, they may be dancing around you, even now..!

[aceteamsoftware]

We are happy to see both 'The Eternal Cylinder' and 'Rock of Ages 3' on Jeff Cork's (Game Informer) list of  “10 Of The Coolest Things I Saw At Gamescom 2019”!

[jackdawyt]

Well, punch me in the teeth and call me the Dread Wolf! BioWare have already revealed another trailer for the next Dragon Age this year! The Game Awards 2020 premiered a beautiful-cinematic trailer that showcased many locations, factions, characters and foes we’ll witness in the next instalment. As per usual, we have many thoughts, theories and tinfoils on everything this trailer revealed!

However, before we break down the trailer, we have two descriptions of the next Dragon Age game shared separately on YouTube and Twitter.  

On YouTube, the trailer’s description said:  

“The world of Dragon Age needs a new hero – someone who can take on the evil forces threatening Thedas. Get a first look at some of the new locations you’ll discover and the factions fighting by your side in the next chapter of Dragon Age.”  

And shared on Twitter, the post said:  

“The world of Thedas needs you, a new hero. The next #DragonAge will see the return of Solas… and an old friend.”  

https://twitter.com/dragonage/status/1337198092957839365

Of course, the old friend no doubt refers to Varric who narrated this brand-new cinematic trailer. That’s right, the one, the only, our storytelling-chest-haired dwarf is coming back in the next Dragon Age, so we’re already going to have some familiarity in the next adventure.

With that said, let’s breakdown the entire contents of this new trailer and what it means for the next Dragon Age!

Meredith & Corypheus

The trailer started by revealing the first piece of a brand-new stone-etched mural.  

Knight-Commander Meredith was shown, infused with red lyrium, holding her sword “Certainty”.

Followed up with Corypheus holding Solas’s orb towards the heavens. During this point, Varric said: “I’ve faced tyrants and would-be gods.”  

These two shots clearly showcase the previous events of Dragon Age that have somehow circulated towards Solas’s scheme to destroy the Veil and deal with the Evanuris.  

Meredith took the Red Lyrium Idol and forged it into a sword, the idol itself apparently belongs to Solas, and he cares for it and recognises its depiction. Meredith was turned into a thawed red lyrium statue, and the red lyrium idol was found and retrieved inside her statued body. The idol’s current whereabouts are unknown.

"The Dread Wolf wants that idol, and he’s not afraid to get his hands bloody to get it." (The Dread Wolf Take You, Page 490). “He intends something for the Fade, and if he wants the idol, then whatever he intends will be terrible.” (The Dread Wolf Take You, Page 498).

Whereas Corypheus intended on using Solas’s orb to usurp the throne of the gods for himself. Solas, banking on the magister’s failure, sought out to regain his orb after Corypheus unlocked it, and died doing so. In this ideal situation, Solas would then use his orb and destroy the veil.  

However, that didn’t happen. Instead Solas’s orb was destroyed by crumbling rocks with Corypheus’s defeat. The elven god strives to find alternative ways to destroy the veil.

Both these foes at the start of Solas’s new mural show that what’s coming next will be much worse than any catastrophe in Thedas and that these events have always been set in stone for the Dread Wolf. It’s like he’s drawn Corypheus and said, you thought he was tough, wait till you see what I can do.  

Two Evil Gods

The trailer continued with the next pieces in this mural, two carvings of very enigmatic figures. The first engraving has an arched headpiece, red eyes, a spiky torso, and wavy lines coming from their head, with a haloed sun or moon behind them.

Immediately, this spooky figure reminds us of the evil god shown in BioWare’s Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development. However, we believe the figure shown in this book resembles the elven goddess “Ghilan'nain, the Mother of the Halla” who created giants, monsters, and beasts that spanned across the sky, water, and earth.

While this depiction of an evil god is concept art, there is one key difference between the two figures - the evil god in the concept art has four arms, whereas the mural figure has two arms. So, are they depicting the same god? We’ll certainly come back to this figure later on.  

The next figure has a very curved headpiece, elven ears, and clawed-looking shoulder pieces. With another haloed sun behind their head, this leads us to believe this is yet another evil god.

Personally, this figure reminds us of Dirthamen’s statue we saw in Inquisition, but this could honestly be anyone... And we’ll touch on that when we get to the finished mural.  

While these two figures are shown, Varric said: “Seen friends lose life and limb, but there’s always someone bent on breaking the world.”  

Obviously referring to allies previously lost, like potentially Hawke, and even the Inquisitor’s anchor. However, the enemies bent on breaking the world paint the figures shown as evil and malevolent. Of course, it’s not Dragon Age without someone trying to destroy the world.    

BioWare Logo

In the next sequence, a golden BioWare logo appears with a sun behind it, perhaps this relates the previous figure to Elgar’nan considering Elgar’nan was said to be born of the sun?

Anderfels/Grey Warden

Taking our minds away from the mural for a moment, the trailer began to explore iconic locations and factions that are going to feature heavily in the next Dragon Age.

The first location is a blazing desert with rough sands, cobblestone, and huge puddles. We think this is the Anderfels, Thedas’s blighted western lands. Over the horizon are multiple, huge reptile creatures. They look like turtle monsters similar to the Ankylosaurs, which is a kind of armoured dinosaur with a clubtail.

During this sequence, Varric said: “It’s time for a new hero.” As grey boots entered the shot. No doubt, referring to the next protagonist. The boots are instantly recognisable as a Grey Warden’s. You can see a dark blue tint on their leggings, as grey and blue are the Warden’s colours.  

Not to mention, the biggest indicator that this character is a Warden, is the location. A Grey Warden being in The Anderfels makes complete sense considering Weisshaupt, the Warden’s headquarters are located there.

More importantly, the fact that Varric said: “it’s time for a new hero” while showing this Grey Warden, and the trailer continued to show different factions, while still talking about the idea of a new hero. We think this indicates to the overall message of this trailer, being that perhaps this time around we can choose the faction our new hero belongs to. Like origin stories, our hero can choose between at least 4 or more different factions within Thedas.

While the Grey Wardens and many other factions will join our fight as key roles in the story like “Davrin” who was hinted at in the Gamescom trailer, having the choice to choose where your hero is from would make for an epic RPG, and a great callback to the series' roots.

Antiva/Antivan Crow

The next location revealed the most elegant nation of Antiva, looking absolutely stunning with its gold accents, and regal aesthetic. When compared to the Behind-the-Scenes concepts, we can certainly see the similarities between the early concepts and the CGI reveal. Most notably, the Disney-like palace that encompasses every shot.

Still sharing about our new hero, Varic said: “No magic hand, no ancient prophecy.” As a zoom-in shot of Antiva City revealed an Antivan Crow stirring a goblet of wine. The palace behind the goblet had magical energy emerging into the skies.

The shot pulled back, and revealed an Antivan Crow sat on the rooftops of Antiva, looking over the city. With Varric talking about the next hero being a nobody, with no magical anchor, and no ancient prophecy, can we choose to play as an Antivan Crow?

If this Crow is not showcasing the option of a new hero, then perhaps this is a Crow who will join our journey, like one of the Antivan Crow Talons. I see a lot of similarities with this cinematic shot and the recent short story - “The Wake,” which was all about the Talons mourning their lost friend.

Antiva as a whole, looks astonishing, from the rivers flowing through the city, to the picturesque sky, the city looks like a delightful place to take a love interest. However, we’re most curious about the magical energy emerging from the palace. Perhaps Antiva City prepares for the imminent Qunari Antaam invasion?

Tevinter Imperium/Siccari

The next location revealed the most prideful, gothic nation known as the Tevinter Imperium. This beautifully macabre shot is most likely showcasing Tevinter’s capital city, Minrathous.  

Once the motherland of the ancient elves before the veil’s creation, Tevinter was founded on the ruins of the elven kingdom, we can see many magical marvels and wonders in this cinematic shot. For instance, we have magical neon lighting guiding you through the city and the floating structure that stands in the centre.  

Perhaps this haunting structure is the Magisterium, or Minrathous’s Circle Tower? Regardless, the ferocious architecture and dark themes truly define Tevinter as a remarkable, and otherworldly nation. A lot of these undertones look similar to one of the concept art pieces shown at Gamescom.

Followed with this shot, Varric said: “The kind of person they will never see coming.” As a new hooded-character was revealed pulling out a winged-dagger ready to attack a blurred figure in a Tevinter alleyway. Not to sound like a broken record, but again, Varric is mentioning the new hero, so is this character one of the potential factions we can choose, and if so, what faction?

Well, because it seems like we’re in the streets of Tevinter, we think this character represents the Tevinter Siccari. This faction was recently introduced in Tevinter Nights, they are the Imperium’s best shadow network, made of highly skilled and secretive agents who each come from slave families, they are formidable and honourable warriors.  

“I have heard many things of the Tevinter Siccari,” the Mortalitasi added, “but I have never heard them called cowards or traitors. Most of them come from slave families, and those families are kept safe as both promise and threat, ensuring the Siccari never flinch from their duties. (The Dread Wolf Take You, page 503). ““Tevinter’s intelligence network declined to answer our request.” (The Dread Wolf Take You, page 485).

This hooded-figure has what-looks like keys on their chest, along with a very golden logo on their shoulder, which looks like an owl? The dagger also looks to have a winged bird on its helm.

If this figure doesn’t represent a faction the player can choose between, then perhaps they’re a shadowy Tevinter character from an unknown faction, or they could be someone like Neve, who was introduced in Tevinter Nights as a private investigator working out of Minrathous. However, we feel like Tevinter Siccari is the best bet, because they’re literally the Imperium’s spies.

Executor/Ancient Elf?

Followed by that, a most intriguing character appeared walking through a snowy forest. The figure has a three-horned headpiece, with trims of red on their outfit, holding a bow made of floating triangles.

The location of this area is the exact same as the sexy tree we witnessed at EA Play, the gloomy, midnight snow graveyard, with infected red lyrium and Ferelden architecture. The tree appeared on the right, as this mysterious character shot their enigmatic bow. With the location being the same as the tree, it can be anywhere close to the equator where it can snow, like southern Tevinter, northern Nevarra, or it could literally be anywhere in the mountains. The Ferelden architecture really throws us off though.

This new character is also a mystery, who exactly are they, and what faction do they represent? Well, we've never seen anyone like this before, so they could totally be something brand-new.

However, we can piece a few things together, like the magical, triangle bow. We saw this exact design in a concept piece at Gamescom, with many thinking that this design was ancient elven. On top of that, in the “Ruins of Reality” short story art piece that featured the Starkhaven elf known as Strife, he wore a red cloak with floating triangles on it.

However, even more intriguing, his cloak had the Executor’s logo on it - “a downward-pointed triangle with two wavy lines drawn through it.”

So, does this new character represent either The Executors, or an ancient elven clan? The Executors are mysterious beings who come from beyond the sea, they’ve been described to wear “dark robes of Vyrantium samite, with a thin mesh dropping down to cover the hood.”

I see a gold trim covering their face, but I don’t know if that headpiece constitutes as a hood? Even so, we don’t know what Executors look like.  

If this character represents an ancient elven clan faction, that would explain why they have this magical bow that fires as if projected with Fade magic, also illustrating the more alien look to this character.

Regardless, we think this character is quite the enigma, they could just as easily represent a Tal-Vashoth clan, a new Nevarran faction, or something brand-new that hasn’t been explored in the games yet.

Varric Tethras

During this entire sequence, Varric said: “We’ve got your back, I’ve got your back.” By, “we’ve got your back” we assume he’s speaking on behalf of the Inquisition’s remnants like the Divine, Scout Harding, Charter and company, who’re pursuing after the Dread Wolf. However, even more than that, Varric said, he’s got our back. So, Varric is coming back in the next game as a pivotal role it seems, hopefully, this time around we can romance our chest-haired friend, please?

Fen’Harel

Varric followed that up and said: “Demons, dragons, darkspawn, even the Dread Wolf.” As the next sequence revealed a very familiar Fen’Harel...

Solas is pressing one of his hands on this fresco that depicts him as the Dread Wolf rising. He’s touching the mouth of the Dread Wolf, as the beast’s teeth appear red, most likely to resemble red lyrium? Does Solas’s plan involve ingesting red lyrium? The substance does weaken the veil after all, so is Solas going to become blighted in order to fulfill his scheme?  

As Solas approached, we can see he has clothed himself in ancient elven robe-like armour with varying tints of green. He looks very stoic, but also a little bit sad.

New Mural

The cinematic mural that featured behind Solas was posted as a painting on the Dragon Age website, so we can take a greater look at it, and decipher its meaning.

https://twitter.com/Nthornborrow/status/1337521623084093440

Straight up, we can see the Dread Wolf with six blazing blue eyes, previously the Dread Wolf was depicted with red blazing eyes, however, this time around, his eyes are blue? This clearly has something to do with lyrium Maybe the Dread Wolf’s eyes will turn red once he has become tainted? Or Perhaps there’s a chance we could stop him from becoming tainted before it’s too late?

As stated, the Dread Wolf has six eyes, exactly like his description in Tevinter Nights. A Mortalitasi mage witnessing the Dread Wolf explained the description of a lupine, monstrous six-eyed Wolf the size of a High Dragon.

“Lupine in appearance, but the size of a high dragon, with shaggy spiked hide and six burning eyes like a pride demon.” (The Dread Wolf Take You, Page 496).

With the proportion of his eyes, there could be some significance to them, or it could honestly just be an art style. However, I wouldn’t deny anything relating to Old God souls or the amount of Evanuris left. But we feel the size of each eye shows us that the Dread Wolf is dealing with some sort of distortion with his appearance, like absorbing Mythal’s power metamorphosing him to become more draconic.

The Dread Wolf is bursting through the Black City which is imbued in red lyrium.

We can see the Dread Wolf has destroyed the Veil by the representation of the spheres that have exploded with a roaring fire. With its destruction, the Fade and the waking world of Thedas have become one. With the world burning in the raw chaos, Solas could then restore the time of the elves.

Two Evil Gods Identity  

These statues are old. Better shape than anything I've seen on the surface. Many of them are for Mythal, though. And Fen'Harel. Not in a spot of honor, but guarding, attending.

Protector and All-Mother, why are you honored here, so far from the light of the sun? And why was the Dread Wolf at your side? — Torn Notebook in the Deep Roads

The two evil figures on the left and right side look like the eluvians and statues from the Vir Dirthara, the ancient elvhen Library. And according to Tevinter Nights, there are many elvhen libraries throughout the land of Thedas like the one near the Imperial Highway. These ‘headpieces’ the figures have are slightly different and differentiate each member of the Pantheon from one another.

it’s honestly hard to tell who these figures could be Pantheon-wise, but here are some of our tinfoil bits that can correlate to their appearance:

When we reacted to this trailer live, we stated that these two figures could resemble the elvhen twins Falon’Din and Dirthamen. Their statues look very similar to these figures, but now that we have studied it, the figure on the left looks more feminine with long hair so this could be Ghilan’nain who has been mentioned a lot recently in the Dragon Age’s short stories and Tevinter Nights. If that figure on the left is Ghilan’nan, then the right still has to be Dirthamen who we know has a closer relationship with Ghilan’nain through Dalish and ancient elvhen legends.

"His crime is high treason. He took on a form reserved for the gods and their chosen, and dared to fly in the shape of the divine. The sinner belongs to Dirthamen; he claims he took wings at the urging of Ghilan'nain, and begs protection from Mythal. She does not show him favor, and will let Elgar'nan judge him." — Old Elvhen Writing

On the other hand, these figures could represent Elgar’nan and Mythal, who are closely related to Fen’Harel’s redemption to break the Veil.

“Long ago, when time itself was young, the only things in existence were the sun and the land. The sun, curious about the land, bowed his head close to her body, and Elgar'nan was born in the place where they touched.” — Codex entry: Elgar'nan: God of Vengeance.

“And that night, when the sun had gone to sleep, Mythal gathered the glowing earth around his bed, and formed it into a sphere to be placed in the sky, a pale reflection of the sun's true glory.” — Codex entry: Mythal: the Great Protector.

We could say that the masculine figure represents Elgar’nan who is represented as a sun. And Mythal, who represents the moon. If these two gods are side by side with Fen’Harel, then the Emergent Compendium’s reference could come true:

‘Two shadowed spheres among stars, an eclipse as Fen’Harel stirred’  

However, this could be a stretch knowing that Solas already has the remaining power of Flemeth, and Elgar’nan also has barely been mentioned, it is worth knowing that these figures have a similar reference to these gods either way...

Another connection these figures could resemble are the remaining old gods that bring forth the blights.  

In our Dread Wolf Rises mural breakdown back in 2018, we talked about the centrepiece of the artwork, with the massive moon that had two golden circles still lit, while 5 of them were greyed out. Most certainly referring to the past and future blights.  

In our new mural, behind these two figures there are the same golden circles. If we are comparing these two murals together these figures could be the two remaining Old Gods left who aren’t blighted, Razikale and Lusacan.

According to Solas, if there is any chaotic event in Thedas, spirits will pull against the Veil, weakening its forces. So, if Razikale and Lusacan were to become Archdemons at the same time, that could potentially tear the Veil hence the Dread Wolf rising in the moment to change the world once again.

Razikale is the only Old God to be confirmed female, so according to the mural, this theory might not be far off from this depiction. These Gods have not been tainted and have been left somewhere sleeping for centuries, to awaken them will require most of Thedas to become blighted in order to escalate the timing of two Blights happening at once.  

However, that’s just a theory, as we know, evil gods have Thedas in their sights, it really just depends which gods we’re talking about. We lean more to the Evanuris in this mural, however, the old gods are not out of the picture yet, as shown in The Dread Wolf Rises mural. We feel a double blight is in store for the future of Thedas.

Dragon Age New Font

Anyhow, the trailer ends with a new Dragon Age font and colour, I wonder if gold is going to be the main tone of the next game.  

Varric ended the trailer, and said: “This is your story.” No doubt referring to the fact that the narrative will be shaped by your choices and consequences.

Regardless, this trailer was amazing, and we’re so happy we actually had another look at the next Dragon Age game! We want to know all of your thoughts and speculation down below, how excited are you knowing that Varric is coming back?

[renatogpadilla]

Let's talk about that Gamescom "KoF 15" Trailer!

Things I've taken from it:

1) K' is alone on his team, so I imagine Kula and Maxima are locked in already.

2) Heidern is in the cover art, which gives us one more character they haven't mentioned.

3) Ash is alone in his team, so maybe Elizabeth will make a comeback...? Maybe?

4) Jet Set Radio Girl is alone on her team, which tells me that the other girl with the braid is either on her team and later to be revealed or a boss.

5) JSR Girl, and now that I think about it Verse, have floating hands around them, much like Shun'ei, so that might be the connection we're looking for in terms of story...

6) NO KIM YET AND THAT SCARES ME.

Speculation:

* Kula and Maxima aren't a lock and Heidern is on Team K'.

* There's a whole team below the character select screen, so maybe Heidern, Whip and somebody else from the army?

* "Garou Terry" implies they're acknowledging "Garou"exists, and I don't think they'd do that without putting Rock in as at least first-wave DLC. Calling it now: "Team GAROU"!

* Mostly wishful thinking, but I think there's a REAL chance we get a "Team Bosses" with Rugal, Geese and somebody else... That's probably just me, though.

What do ya'll think...?