Unveiling the Mysteries: Devolver Direct 2024's Haunting Game Lineup

It’s almost time for the big show. In the months leading up to the prestigious games industry expos and conferences, publishers galvanise anticipation as they gear up to reveal their newest offerings. Take Devolver Digital’s annual cinematic press conference, Devolver Direct 2024, as a prime example. The capstone event to the crowdfunding titan’s fourth-quarter publishing announcement, this year’s iteration delivered another gut-wrenching barrage of unforgettable psychological horror. Join me for more coverage of Devolver’s offerings this season – from game reveals and updates to the most recent expansions on some of our favourite titles.

A Glimpse into the Shadows: The Premise of Psychological Thrills

Devolver’s shows aren’t simply about the games (although they’re always a blast to play), they’re about the experience. To complement this year’s announcement they also released a psychosexual short film – and you’d better believe it’s weird and wonderful. While the already announced Anger Foot and the shlockier The Crush House were highlights from the showcase, it was some of the new games and new updates to existing franchises – including a new entry into Tenjutsu and a new trio of DLC for Possessors – that took the cake.

Tenjutsu: A Dance of Shadows and Strategy on PC & CONSOLES

The most hyped was Tenjutsu, from the creator of Dead Cells, Sébastien Benard: a dark story in which you play a former yakuza who must destroy four mafia gangs damaging your city. Tenjutsu will be released on PC and consoles, and while it’s due ‘in 202X’ its combat looks inspired by XCOM with a fully roguelite element.

Navigating Dimensions with Possessors on PC

Possessors, Heart Machine’s mechanically complex addition to the mix, are spirits that allow Luca and Rehm to swap bodies Why settle for two playable characters when three will do? Journeying with both Luca and Rehm, an unlikely duo who stumble together into an interdimensional catastrophe, Possessors unfolds as a narrative-focused adventure with a side-scroller framing and a combat system built after platform fighters. A PC release is set for 2025. That game has exploration at its core, where the world’s interconnected nature is meant to play a big role in the experience.

Mark Your Calendars: Anger Foot and The Crush House on CONSOLES & PC

Amid that barrage of new game announcements, Devolver was also free to announce release dates for two originally announced and quickly postponed games: Anger Foot and The Crush House. Both games are scheduled for release this summer, on 11 July and 9 August respectively; the first is an absurd first-person action game, the second a delightfully surreal ‘reality TV’-inspired simulation, and both portend to appeal to the same console- and PC-centric Devolver fanbase that keeps the publisher in business.

Expanding Universes: DLC Updates for CONSOLES

Devolver’s philosophy of supporting existing game worlds is evident in two big DLC announcements, too. The Unholy Alliance update for its 2022 hit Cult of the Lamb will bring local co-op gameplay to the title, arriving August 12, while the Road to Elysium DLC for its 2022 mind-bending puzzle game The Talos Principle II will offer an expansion of the base game, with new puzzles and storylines, arriving June 14. We can expect both of these to arrive on consoles.

The Future Is Bright: An Outlook on Devolver Direct 2024

Devolver Direct 2024 comes to a close. The gaming public is brimming with anticipation over the cinematic, narrative, and game loop wonders that the upcoming games and expansion packs set to come out from Devolver Digital hold. More betrayals, unexpected deaths, and severed limbs are on the way in the gloomy, dystopian streets of Tenjutsu’s crime-ridden city, as well as in the battles fought against demons in the dimensional rifts of Possessors.

Embracing the Console: A Look into Gaming's Versatile Future on CONSOLES

Console gaming is leading the way into this exciting new era. There will be several titles appearing for different consoles; all of which will be available at a fraction of the cost of virtual reality systems. I can’t imagine how much better the experience will be when it’s a more immersive console world. And the fact that more consoles are now being released with 3D capability will make it, once again, accessible to more people. Console gaming will take you through similar open-world adventures as you can experience on a computer game in a rogue-lite experience like Tenjutsu or exploring the mysteries in Possessors. Ultimately, as technology progresses, the relationship between the evolution of devices and exciting and stimulating new games will continue to evolve, and will enable players to venture into new and fertile gaming worlds forever.

A New Pantheon of Gaming Experiences in Store for 2024 on CONSOLES & PC

A new pantheon of gaming experiences is in store for 2024. Revealed at Devolver Direct 2023, a slew of new game releases, expansions and technical deep dives showcase the future of console gaming as one of the most exciting times to be a gamer. While we wait for these titles to be officially released, there’s one thing that’s certain: this year’s showcase had a unifying theme, one that featured a showing of some of the most anticipated imminent releases and heart-pounding trailers. Just as Gone Home redefined the purpose of traditional games in the past, the psychological horror theme of this year’s Devolver Direct conference is set to change the digital storytelling landscape forever.