Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s regular catch-up news feature. With each issue we will bring you the best news that you may have missed. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us (and our favourite news anchor, Dee Dee)!
We’ve got a special catch-up today: it’s themed! It’s rare that this is possible, but Annapurna Interactive held a showcase late last week and it’s so full of goodness that we’ve had to include as much as possible. Here’s the entire presentation if you crave more than the four games I’m about to talk about:
Stray is coming to PS4! Celebrate with gameplay footage
When Stray, the game about a stray cat, was announced, I legitimately freaked out. I’ve mentioned my love of cats before. The only thing bigger is my love of stray and rescue cats. So I was incredibly disappointed when the available platforms came to light: PC and PlayStation 5. I figured it would be ages until I could play. But Annapurna Interactive must have been psychically linked to my brain, as it has announced that the title will also launch for PlayStation 4 alongside the two other platforms in early 2022. Annapurna Interactive also released a gameplay trailer, which you can watch here:
Stray follows a lost cat who has to solve an ancient mystery to escape the city it finds itself in. That’s right, it’s about a cat detective! Okay, not literally, but close enough. The decaying cybercity, like most cities, has a seedy underbelly. The cat makes friends with a flying drone, which is surprising because you think it would be more likely to swat it out of the sky.
As the player embodies the cat, the stray will interact with the environment in playful ways. It will go high, go low, defend itself, and solve the mystery of why the city is the way it is. There is a stealth aspect. The cat is nimble. The cat is silly. And yes, the cat is even annoying sometimes. Stray is developed by BlueTwelve Studio, and published by Annapurna Interactive.
Storyteller is going to be something really special
Described as a reactive puzzle game, Storyteller has just been announced yet already seems like it will be a contender for my game of the year 2022. It basically makes the player an author, gives them some parameters, and sets them free to fulfill the creative brief. Here’s the announcement trailer:
The player is given a title, settings, and some characters, and is then left to tell their story. It’s completely open past that. If the title fits the narrative, you’re golden! The characters and settings are inserted into a comic panel (it varies, sometimes it’s only a few panels and sometimes it’s much more).
Developed by by Daniel Benmergui, and published by Annapurna Interactive, Storyteller is expected to launch on February 1, 2022 for PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch. A demo is currently available via Steam.
This interactive poem is sure to make you cry
Whereas Storyteller could be a contender for game of the year next year, I have my eye on A Memoir Blue for 2021. An interactive poem about a superstar athlete and the love between a mother and daughter, the trailer alone feels incredibly emotional. Grab some tissues and take a look:
Hand-drawn and 3D art are combined to tell Miriam’s magical-realist journey as she swims to the depths of her memories. The story is told through a series of vignettes about sacrifice, heartbreak, victory, and pride. Her recollections will reconnect her to her inner child and deepen her love for her mother. The various environments are a feast of light and colour, and feature unexpected puzzles.
Developed by by Cloisters Interactive, and published by Annapurna Interactive, A Memoir Blue will launch on October 12 for iOS, PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series/One (including via Game Pass).
Two Annapurna favourites are coming to new platforms
For a company that’s only five years old, Annapurna Interactive sure has published a lot of amazing titles, such as Flower, Gorogoa, Gone Home, Outer Wilds, Telling Lies, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Wattam, Last Stop… the list goes on further, but I’m sure you catch my drift. One fan favourite title is What Remains of Edith Finch (our review can be read here), the story of a girl learning of her family’s history through the exploration of a home. Another is I Am Dead, a successor to I Am Bread. Both What Remains of Edith Finch and I Am Dead will be finding new fans on through launches on new platforms.
Developed by Giant Sparrow, What Remains of Edith Finch – currently available for PC via Steam/Epic, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One – will launch for iOS on August 16. In the game, Edith explores the massive Finch House to learn of her family’s history and discover why she’s the only one left alive. Each story shares the experience of a family member on the day of their death. Here is its original launch trailer:
Developed by Bossa Studios, I Am Dead – currently available for PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch, will launch for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, and Xbox One on August 9. The title explores the afterlife through Morris Lupton, a freshly-dead museum curator for an island who is reunited with his ghost dog. Morris learns a disaster is about to destroy his beloved island, and together with his pup, must try to stop disaster by visiting places they’ve spent time in to unearth lost ghosts. Here is its original launch trailer:
