The Devolver Direct is back and wishing a happy 15th birthday to “Volvy” in a weird as hell presentation that seemed extremely on brand for the cult favourite publisher. Along with some Volvy merchandise that I will sadly never be able to unsee, the publisher shared a heap of news about their impressive slate of games, and we’ve collected it all here for those who missed out to catch up on.
Cult of the Lamb - Unholy Alliance Update
Co-op is here! It’s happening! Cult of the Lamb is still going strong, and now you’ll be able to start a cult alongside a friend – which is obviously a dream we all share. Your friend will be able to join in as ‘the Goat’, which is surely a loaded concept that I’ll leave you all to unpack on your own time, and will will be able to join in on some 2-player versions of existing minigames. The expansion also adds a heap of other new things like tarot cards, relics, and follow traits and quests, so even if you’re set on running your cult solo, there’s still a lot in here to get excited about!
Unholy Alliance will launch on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S|X and Switch as a free update on August 12.
The Crush House
Okay, The Crush House is a fever dream and I am 100% here for it. Created by UK-based developer Nerial known for the hugely popular Reigns series, The Crush House is described as a ‘thirst-person-shooter’, and honestly I’ve never loved a descriptor more. Set in 1999, it puts you in the shoes of a TV producer on a reality show and tasks you with crafting a compelling show – by any means necessary. You’ll choose the cast, encourage romance and fist fights, and make sure The Crush House becomes must-watch television for every demographic. It also apparently includes a “sinister mystery waiting to be uncovered” that can be investigated by exploring the mansion at night, so I am absolutely sold. iIt seems vaguely unhinged, and I for one can’t wait until it releases on August 9th.
Tenjetsu
From the designer of Dead Cells comes Tenjetsu, a “rogue-jitsu” game that features one hell of a kickass female protagonist, a renegade yakuza out to destroy the hold her former associates have over Secret Garden City. You can take on these crime syndicates in whatever order you choose, shaping the city as you race against the clock to rebuild the ruined streets and make it your own. The game seems to be part action-brawler, part city management, and 100% chaos, and with its pedigree will no doubt be a whole lot of fun.
Tenjetsu has no release date yet, but will be coming to PC and consoles some time in the future.
The Talos Principle 2 Expansions
A three-part expansion “coda” is heading our way, so those who want to spend more time in the world of The Talos Principle 2 can rejoice. These three chapters come with their own distinctive look and feel, and offer a host of new puzzles and challenges.
The first, Orpheus Ascending, is inspired by Ancient Egypt and with the help of some laser puzzles, explores the philosophy of love, death, and resurrection.
The second, Isle of the Blessed, takes you to a Caribbean Island and is centred around some familiar tools from the main game, cultimating in ‘the Hexahedron’, a large continuous puzzle set in a mysterious tower.
Into the Abyss, the third part, also takes place on some floating islands, but offers a new perspective on existing events, showing what happened to Byron when he was trapped in the Megastructure.
Road to Elysium launches on June 14 for PC, PlayStation and Xbox Series X|S.
Anger Foot
The preamble to this reveal introduced some horror elements that I was absolutely not ready for (I should have been, given the tone of the rest of the presentation, so maybe that was on me), but Anger Foot itself looks mostly like a fun action colour explosion.
Take on anthropomorphic enemies in the unapologetically named ‘Shit City’ by kicking, shooting, and creating general mayhem using a series of weapons, sneakers, and upgradable powers in “absurd and wonderful ways”.
Honestly, the press release includes the line “Shit City is a disease and your foot is the cure”, and I think that tells you everything you need to know about what Anger Foot has to offer.
Anger Foot releases on PC on July 11th.
Possessor(s)
As the Devolver Direct’s protagonist descended into further madness, Possessor(s) was also revealed. This new action side scroller from the developers of Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash looks unsurprisingly gorgeous, and puts players in the shoes of Luca and Rehm as they “explore a quarantined city ripped apart and flooded by an interdimensional catastrophe”.
As the protagonists learn to co-exist, they’ll learn more about the catastrophe that destroyed the world, uncovering mysteries and learning about the city’s inhabitants in this sci-fi horror experience.
Possessor(s) is due to release on PC and consoles in 2025.
Happy Birthday Volvy?
I’m not sure I’ll ever quite recover from what I just watched. It was deeply unsettling, and I’m not convinced it won’t turn out to be one of those horror viral videos that kill you a week after you see them. Anyway, if you want to see the full presentation, and experience some light psychological horror, then you can do so here. Keep being weird, Devolver – it suits you.
