Tag: Unreal Engine 4

  • Kingmakers: Time-Travel Shooting Game Delayed Indefinitely

    Kingmakers: Time-Travel Shooting Game Delayed Indefinitely

    Key Takeaways

    1. Redemption Road’s Kingmakers, a time-traveling shooting and strategy game, has been postponed indefinitely, missing its planned early access date of October 8.
    2. The developer cited the need for additional time to refine the game and maintain all planned features as the reason for the delay.
    3. A detailed half-hour gameplay presentation will be released soon to showcase progress on the game.
    4. The game aims for true 60fps performance on lower and mid-tier devices, pushing Unreal Engine 4’s capabilities to the limit.
    5. Kingmakers will feature fully destructible environments, drop-in/drop-out multiplayer, and a mix of medieval and modern elements.


    Redemption Road’s Kingmakers, a unique blend of time-traveling shooting and strategy, combines modern firearms like assault rifles with classic swordplay. Sadly, the game has been postponed indefinitely, missing its planned early access date of October 8.

    Developer’s Statement

    In a post on Steam and X, the developer expressed their need for additional time to refine the game before they feel ready to charge players. They said, “After much thought, we have come to the conclusion that the October 8 launch for Kingmakers is no longer achievable. We sincerely apologize to all our fans who have been looking forward to this title. We regret disappointing you.”

    Reasons for the Delay

    The delay appears to stem from the game’s ambitious goals and Redemption Road’s firm resolve to maintain all planned features. They stated, “Why is Kingmakers delayed? Simply put, it’s a highly ambitious game, and we refuse to cut any features just to make a deadline. Our aim has always been to create something that stands apart from everything else available in terms of gameplay, size, and interactivity.”

    Even with the setback, the studio has promised a detailed half-hour gameplay presentation in the near future, which will showcase their progress thus far.

    Technical Ambitions

    Redemption Road is particularly focused on ensuring that Kingmakers performs well on both lower and mid-tier devices. They proudly announced that they have pushed Unreal Engine 4’s capabilities to the limit to achieve true 60fps performance, avoiding any reliance on “fake frames.”

    With 80% of its team dedicated to engineering, the studio is committed to overcoming technical barriers. Kingmakers aims to feature thousands of soldiers with AI and pathfinding comparable to that of top-tier games.

    Game Features

    According to the developers, players will be able to explore every room in every six-story castle, with every element—floors, ceilings, and walls—being fully destructible. The game is set to include full drop-in/drop-out multiplayer and will feature elements that don’t fit the medieval theme, such as cars and tanks, alongside the ability to construct buildings.

    The first trailer for Kingmakers was launched last year and quickly became a viral hit. Reactions to the delay have mostly been surprising, with many gamers finding humor in the irony of a time-travel game missing its own deadline.

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  • High Hopes, Hard Landing: Unknown 9 Awakening’s Disappointment

    High Hopes, Hard Landing: Unknown 9 Awakening’s Disappointment

    Unknown 9: Awakening is a much-awaited action-adventure game made by Reflector Entertainment and published by Bandai Namco on October 17. In this game, players become Haroona, a character with magical abilities who can enter a parallel world known as “the Fold.” Here, she learns to harness her supernatural powers while being chased by a group called “The Ascendants.”

    Disappointment After Launch

    It appears that the creators of Unknown 9: Awakening have not met expectations. Although there was considerable excitement prior to its release, the game quickly turned into a letdown, perhaps even more disappointing than Sony’s recent flop, Concord. Data from SteamDB indicates that the game only reached a meager peak of 285 players since its launch. In contrast, Concord had about 700 players at the same time.

    Poor Ratings and Reviews

    The reviews are just as disappointing, with Unknown 9: Awakening garnering a low Metascore of 62 and a shocking user score of just 1.5. On Steam, the feedback is similarly grim: only 42 percent of the 280 reviews were positive.

    Technical Issues and Criticism

    Behind the scenes of Unknown 9: Awakening, there are numerous issues that both players and reviewers have pointed out. A major complaint is the outdated graphics, as the game was developed using Unreal Engine 4, making it look old-fashioned when compared to modern AAA games like Black Myth: Wukong or Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. Additionally, many players have reported technical problems like stuttering and frame drops, even on high-end computers.

    Controversial Depictions

    Users on Reddit have criticized the game for its portrayal of social and political issues, claiming it’s clichéd and overdone. The representation of white men and the look of the female protagonist sparked intense debates, leading to frequent use of the term “woke.”

    Ambitious Plans for the Future

    Reflector Entertainment, the Canadian studio behind Unknown 9: Awakening, had grand aspirations for the game. The story was intended to unfold not just in video games but also through novels, comics, and films. However, it remains uncertain whether these ambitions will proceed following such a rocky start.

    Steam DB, Steam, Metacritic

    Image source: Bandai Namco Entertainment