#epic game store

[dynamite-derek]

Looking at the self doubt and intrusive voices of Alan Wake 2

Note: I tread very lightly on spoilers in this writeup, however I do discuss an endgame scenario, so if you wish to enter that segment of the game completely fresh I would visit this piece after finishing the game. Last year, a lot of praise was circulating around over the movie Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Not only was it apparently a very good movie, but it also contained a realistic depiction of a panic attack. For as much as mental health issues have been brought to the forefront in recent days, it seems like accurate depictions of actual mental health events are quite rare. Especially in children's media

Gaming received a moment like this in 2023 but it is far less talked about. Sure, fans of the game probably discuss it amongst themselves because that's what fans do, but the wider public hasn't grasped onto it yet. Hey, 2023 was an astounding year for games, stuff is going to slip through the cracks.

Alan Wake 2 contains a constantly shifting and complex narrative. The world seems to be changing based on the story the titular character Alan Wake is writing. The player will likely be questioning their memory on certain things as they play. "Did this interaction play out as I remember it? Did I miss a key point in the narrative that would clue me in as to what's going on?" Nothing is quite as it seems and you are constantly guessing about what is going on as you play.

Probably the biggest 'questioning the narrative' moment in the game is related to one of the game's playable characters Saga Anderson and her daughter, Logan. Saga is sent to a town called Bright Falls to investigate a series of supernatural murders. You witness a phone conversation towards the start of the narrative between Saga, her husband and her daughter that's fairly innocuous. It basically just tells you that they're a loving family. But that's the last little bit we hear about this happy family throughout. From that point forward, things change.

Various citizens of the town you're in act like Saga is an old regular of the place. They address her by her first name and speak in very familiar tones. They think she separated from her husband and took her daughter with her to this down. Oh, and also her daughter died via drowning. Kind of a heavy pill to swallow but one you probably shake off the first couple of times you hear it because you witnessed that phone call at the beginning of the game. You HEARD her marriage was happy and you even heard her daughter. Things are fine.

But as the game goes on, more NPCs mention this to you. In fact, basically every plot relevant character including Saga's partner thinks Logan is dead. Eventually you start to doubt yourself. Did you actually experience that phone call at the beginning of the game or is it a false memory? You didn't actually SEE the characters she was speaking to, was it something she hallucinated? Is the twist for this game that the narrative impacting the game world never actually twisted this part of Saga's life?

As the player, it's hard to determine what's real. In a lot of games, the character the player is controlling doesn't actually mirror the emotions of the player. You might be confused but the main character isn't. It all makes perfect sense to them! And for a lot of this game, Saga comes across as someone who absolutely believes her version of events. Logan is alive. Her marriage is fine. Alan's narrative is shifting the world and fixing that will fix everything. As a player I was second guessing everything the game was throwing at me but the character I was controlling was more sure of herself.

However, we get to peer into Saga's mind a fair amount. The game has a gameplay mode called "The Mind Place." In it, Saga can deduce pieces of evidence related to the various cases you undertake. You can get her perspective on a lot of events in the game this way. A lot can be inferred about Saga's personality through this. You find out she is very sure of herself and competent. But in the end game, things change.

After a wild sequence of events, Saga is locked in the mind place. Usually when you can exit out of there with the press of a button, but no matter what you do, you are stuck. With nowhere to go in the 'real' world you are stuck alone with your thoughts and here are where a lot of your doubts throughout the game come to surface. You grab various pieces of evidence throughout your mind and all of them are just overwhelmingly negative. "You are a bad mom, you are a bad cop, you let your kid die, you are a bad wife." With every new piece of evidence you collect, the player and Saga's doubts become more and more intertwined.

It hits hardest when you're dealing with Logan. Every piece of evidence basically just screams "YOUKILLEDHERYOUKILLEDHERYOUKILELDHER" over and over again. The evidence is accompanied by a picture of your daughter that slowly fades after each message. Is everything the NPCs were telling us about this character true? Is it possible that everyone else in the world is wrong and her life actually does suck?

When I'm having a dark period of time and I think everything is bad, I often search for proof that things aren't as bad as they seem. I think of interactions I've had with people or stuff I've done at my job and go "okay so maybe I'm not as bad as I think" but invariably when I try to cheer myself up like this, a voice in the back of my head calls bullshit on everything I am saying and pops up right when I am on the brink of breaking out of it. "Oh that person was just being nice to you" "Oh, you just achieved that because you knew the right person" "You have done nothing with your life." That sort of stuff.

And wouldn't you know it, Saga does the same thing. She rejects that the death of her daughter is a reality and tries to find evidence to support this theory. All very strong stuff and a lot of it is not new information to the player. And yet, with every bit of evidence you collect that suggests maybe you're not a bad wife and mother, maybe you're not a bad fed, Saga basically screams at you that you're wrong and in denial. That you are looking for an easy escape to the obvious solution. That you are merely coping to evade reality.

Eventually your evidence becomes so strong that you snap out of your funk and are able to leave the mind place and return to 'reality.' Saga still has those lingering doubts, but she also has given herself enough reasons to believe that the doubts are in her head. She is at a point where she is comfortable confronting the nature of her personal life. You know in the back of her head she's not sure what she's gonna find on the other side of her mind place, but she is at least no longer content with sitting in obliviousness.

The handling of intrusive thoughts is done so well. You the player are the one who is going about grabbing the evidence that you're not mentally broken, but the voice in the back of your head is shoving all the bad thoughts up front whether you want them to or not. I cannot overstate how gripping the storytelling is during this 30 minute segment. Many people would call the gameplay in this section 'walking-sim' esque, but I would argue it the most gripping bit of gameplay in the game despite not requiring anything out of the player from a reflex perspective.

There are no fail states. It's just you and the mind of one of the characters you've spent the past several hours with. And it is enthralling.

[autumngracy]

What's up babes, the Epic Games Store Mega Sale is back and you can now get Dragon Age: Inquisition (for PC) for FREE until 11am on May 23rd, 2024!

[hanoistudios]

🇺🇸 A new game concept inspired by a classic puzzle.

Discover SOLID MATCH, where you can enjoy relaxed gameplay, without commitment, without game over .. OR, you can ACCEPT the CHALLENGE and try to OVERCOME the minimum number of MOVES. Available at Steam and Epic Game Store. solid.hanoi.gg solid-epic.hanoi.gg . 🇧🇷 Um novo conceito de jogo inspirado por um quebra-cabeça clássico. . Conheça o SOLID MATCH, onde você pode curtir uma jogabilidade descontraída, sem compromisso, sem 'game over'… OU, você pode ACEITAR o DESAFIO e tentar SUPERAR o número mínimo de MOVIMENTOS. Disponível em Steam e jogos Epic. solid.hanoi.gg solid-epic.hanoi.gg

[theindieinformer]

Hades II Technical Test Incoming With Early Access Not Far Behind

Hell is waiting for a sequel to a great game. Luckily, we won't have to wait much longer to get our hands on Hades II!

Hades II isn’t far off. Well, its release into Early Access isn’t too far in the future, at least. Supergiant Games, the developers behind Bastion, Pyre, and, of course, Hades, have announced a technical test of the studio’s upcoming action Roguelike sequel. We're getting close to launching HADES II in Early Access!🌒 A key step prior to that is our Hades II Technical Test, which we plan to begin…

[krissiefox]

Epic Game Store Giving Away Free Games Daily This Week!

For those who like to use Epic Game Store for the free weekly games, they're doing a special version of that right now where they're giving away a free game every day for, I think, atleast a week!

The current free game is Vampire Survivors, that's a cool one. :)

[bagogames]

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II Releases 2025

Soon after the release of the English voiced update for the critically acclaimed action RPG, The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak, NIS America has announced that The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II is coming early 2025 to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG. Unfortunately the sequel will skipped the Xbox family of…

[dmdarius]

Pissed that I'm doing a fabulous job of slaying all Loki's thralls, they decide that now they know where I live that they're gonna take out my really cool statue! The nerve! Time to smite them right back! FOR THOR!! #runeII #delisted # PC #rpg

[brutalgamer]

The Ghost Galleon brings huge new update for Early Access FPS Witchfire

Ensconced in Early Access for the PC, The Astronauts’ dark fantasy FPS Witchfire just got a massive update with The Ghost Galleon.

[jasonnally]

CRIME BOSS: ROCKAY CITY, PS5 Extended Gameplay First Look

[bearforceone3]

tried to mimic mvc2’s art style with guy for fun lol

[demifiendrsa]

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Reveal Trailer

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store in 2025. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass.

Key visual

Character headshots

Screenshots

Overview

About

Lead the members of Expedition 33 on their quest to destroy the Paintress so that she can never paint death again. Explore a world of wonders inspired by Belle Époque France and battle unique enemies in this turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics.

Year by Year, She Erases Us

Once a year, the Paintress wakes and paints upon her monolith. Paints her cursed number. And everyone of that age turns to smoke and fades away. Year by year, that number ticks down and more of us are erased. Tomorrow she’ll wake and paint “33.” And tomorrow we depart on our final mission: Destroy the Paintress, so she can never paint death again. We are Expedition 33.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a ground-breaking turn-based RPG with unique real-time mechanics, making battles more immersive and addictive than ever. Explore a fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France in which you battle devastating enemies.

Reactive Turn-Based Combat

In this evolution of JRPGs, real-time actions enhance the heart of turn-based combat. Craft unique builds for your Expeditioners that fit your playstyle via gear, stats, skills, and character synergies. Open an active dimension in combat—dodge, parry, and counter in real time, chain combos by mastering attack rhythms, and target enemy weak points using a free aim system.

Tomorrow Comes

With only one year left to live, join Gustave, Maelle, and their fellow Expeditioners as they embark upon a desperate quest to break the Paintress’ cycle of death. Follow the trail of previous expeditions and discover their fate. Get to know the members of Expedition 33 as they learn to work together against impossible odds.

A Hauntingly Beautiful World

Explore an enchanting realm populated by surreal adversaries. Wander through breathtaking landscapes, from the Island of Visages to the Forgotten Battlefield, discovering secrets and hidden quests along the way. Find allies of fortune in creatures of legend and recruit special companions, access new travel methods and discover secret areas in the World Map.

Experience the debut game from Sandfall Interactive, fully realized in Unreal Engine 5 with stunning graphics and a heartbreaking soundtrack.

[aiscapades]

m5 as items from the antique store!

kuras — shorthand guide + magnolia pages

vere — a rather suspicious book...

mhin — hanging swan sign

leander — green & gold glass

ais — book about birds!

[hanoistudios]

. 🇺🇸 You can play RELAXED, no game over, OR, you can ACCEPT the CHALLENGE and try to BEAT the minimum number of MOVES. . 🇧🇷 Você pode jogar TRANQUILO, sem 'game over', OU, você pode ACEITAR o DESAFIO e tentar SUPERAR o número mínimo de MOVIMENTOS. .

[ravensim]

The Sims 4 making three packs free for a limited time. Through the Epic Games Store. - Starts May 11, Ends May 18. The Sims™ 4 The Daring Lifestyle Bundle -The Sims™ 4 Jungle Adventure -The Sims™ 4 Luxury Party Stuff -The Sims™ 4 Fashion Street Kit Info here where to dl it here

[snoozykazoo]

MY GAME IS FREE ON EPIC! !! PLAY IT SO U CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE SEQUEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

steal from snoozy kazoo ⏬

[bagogames]

KENA: BRIDGE OF SPIRITS IS COMING TO XBOX

EmberLab has announced that their award winning action game, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, will be coming to Xbox this summer. The release of the Xbox version of the game will feature new content such as the Xbox Exclusive pirate-themed Rot hats as well as a unique Kena Staff and a Golden Rot Skin. Kena: Bridge of Spirits will not be digital exclusive, physical media fans will be able to purchase a…