Here’s everything shown in today’s Annapurna Interactive showcase
Stray, Outer Wilds, Artful Escape and more
Publisher Annapurna Interactive made a plethora of announcements during its first games showcase on Thursday, which featured games including Outer Wilds, Stray and Artful Escape.
The show kicked off with the colourful action-adventure game The Artful Escape, which was confirmed for release on Xbox consoles (including Game Pass) and PC on September 9.
“In this 2D adventure platformer, Francis, a teenage guitar prodigy, sets out on a psychedelic, multidimensional journey to inspire his stage persona,” reads the game’s synopsis.
Next up was a fresh look at Neon White, the unique Nintendo Switch and PC title described as “a lightning fast first-person action game about exterminating demons in Heaven.”
The game has players controlling Neon White, “an assassin plucked from Hell to compete with other demon slayers for a shot at redemption”, and collecting ‘Soul Cards’ to attack foes or discard for unique movement abilities.
Next Annapurna showed off A Memoir Blue, an interactive poem about a superstar athlete and “the all-encompassing love between mother and daughter,” coming to Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, PC, and the App Store.
“A unique aesthetic combining hand-drawn and 3D art brings Miriam’s magical-realist journey to life, as she swims into the depths of her memories,” the publisher said.
“A series of gameplay vignettes blends sacrifice and heartbreak with victory and pride as she reconnects with her inner child and deepens the love she shares with her mother.”
Storyteller, described as “a unique and creative spin” on the puzzle genre, was another highlight of the showcase.
“You’re given a variety of iconic characters, settings, and emotions to build tales of love, betrayal, and revenge,” the game’s synopsis reads.
“You’ll create everything from supernatural fantasies and Shakespearean tragedies to myths of creation and much more!”
Next Solar Ash, the second game from Heart Machine, the creators of the award winning 2016 game Hyper Light Drifter, was confirmed for release on October 26 for PC and PlayStation consoles.
The action game has players journeying through a “surreal, vivid and highly stylized” world filled with “mystery, wild high-speed traversal, endearing characters, and massive enemy encounters,” according to its developer.
Skin Deep by Blendo Games is a first-person shooter which has players stalking through a non-linear starship. “Sneak, subvert, and sabotage to survive in this stellar sandbox,” says the game’s developer. “You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and have no shoes.”
The game currently doesn’t have a release date and PC is the only confirmed platform.
One of the final titles shown by Annapurna was Stray, the PlayStation and PC adventure game that has players exploring a neon-lit city as a stray cat.
In the new video, game producer Swann discusses the gameplay of Stray and confirms that it’s now planned for release early next year.
The final announcement of the showcase was confirmation that the critically acclaimed space exploration game, Outer Wilds, is officially getting an expansion.
The publisher and the game’s developer Mobius Digital announced that Echoes of the Eye, Outer Wild’s “final campfire tale”, will release for consoles and PC on September 28.
Other announcements from Annapurna included news that it’s working with Outerloop Games (Falcon Age), Jessica Mak (Sound Shapes), Ivy Road and No Code (Observation) on new projects.
You can watch the full Annapurna Interactive Showcase via the video embed at the top of this page.