As the once vital gaming press event slowly lost its position in the industry, with other competitors like Nacon setting up their own events, like Bigben Week, during the Summer season to promote their new titles, 2022 marks the end of the E3 era. Nacon's Bigben Week 2022 featured announcements and previews for big-name titles that are set to launch in 2022 and beyond. Screen Rant attended the event and had a chance to try out some of the games on offer, as well as learn new information about the titles in development.
Bigben Week 2022 coincided with Nacon and Big Bad Wolf's launch of Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong, which was released for PC (via the Epic Games Store), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on May 19, with a Nintendo Switch port currently in development. Swansong is a narrative-focused RPG set in the World of Darkness, and Screen Rant's review of Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong shows it to be a feather in Nacon's publishing cap.
Bigben Week featured a number of announcements for new games and a long of hands-on demonstrations for Nacon hardware. Games like the newly-released Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong were the centerpiece of the show, but upcoming titles like Steelrising and WRC Generations were also featured in different capacities, along with a press event that featured announcements for new titles. These are the games that Screen Rant had a chance to learn more about at Bigben Week 2022.
Greedfall 2: The Dying World Was Announced At Bigben Week 2022
One of the biggest announcements during the event was 2024 prequel Greedfall 2: The Dying World, which is a story set in the same universe as the first game. Greedfall 2 is set three years before those events and it shows the early days of the various factions that appeared. The player takes on the role of a native of Teer Fradee, who is captured and taken to the continent of Gacane. The story begins with the player as a prisoner and they must form alliances and learn the reasoning behind their kidnapping, as well as the plans for their island, so that they may escape and save their homeland. Greedfall 2 is an RPG with some new gameplay systems, including the ability to control the other party members (something not possible in Greedfall), as well as direct their actions in combat. The skill system is also being overhauled, with more options for player customization and giving players more skills that can be used outside of combat. The development of Greedfall 2 is still in its early stages and it's currently set to launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S in 2023.
Bigben Week 2022 Had A Hands-Off Steelrising Preview
Screen Rant had a chance to see Steelrising in action, which is an upcoming Soulslike that is set during an alternate timeline, where King Louis XVI builds an army of clockwork automatons to quell the French revolution. The player takes on the role of Aegis, the robotic bodyguard of Marie Antoinette, who must stop the King's oppressive regime and carve her way through his army of machines. Steelrising is closer to Bloodborne than Dark Souls in terms of both its aesthetic and its gameplay. Exploring the war-torn streets of Paris patrolled by clockwork machines that are both beautifully designed and frightful in a soulless kind of way, is not too so far off from walking the streets of Yharnam.
The combat also has similarities to Bloodborne, with its preference for fast-paced movement, dodging over blocking, and powerful firearms with limited range. Aegis is far more agile than a FromSoftware hero, with her ability to soar through the air and gadgets that let her leap across balconies, giving Steelrising a lot of verticality in terms of its exploration and combat system. Steelrising is looking incredible so far and a more traditional Soulslike experience with amazing character designs has a lot of potential, especially in a year where Elden Ring might not have resonated with everyone. Check back soon for Screen Rant's hands-on preview of Steelrising within the next few weeks. Steelrising is due to launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on September 8.
WRC Generations Was Announced
Alongside Greedfall 2, the other big reveal during Bigben Week was for WRC Generations, which will be the final entry in the WRC series developed by KT Racing, as the license is moving to Codemasters for the next five years. The developers are going out with a bang on this entry, integrating their years of experience into the most realistic rally driving experience yet. The real WRC has entered the hybrid generation and WRC Generations is following suit, with hybrid vehicles with their own mechanics and a play style that hasn't been seen in the series before, including their own skill tree system.
WRC Generations will have at least 37 legendary vehicles that are portrayed as authentically to the real-life cars as possible, with 22 different countries and 165 Special Stages, including the new snow-covered Swedish route, with physics that match the actual conditions of such rough terrain. The game will feature a Career mode, where the player can manage every aspect of their team; a League mode, where players can compete with others to take the top spot in the rankings; a Livery editor, which allows players to customize the appearance of their vehicles and share them with each other online, and a Teams system that lets player join and form competitive teams. Screen Rant had a chance to try out WRC Generations with a full set of driving peripherals with a dedicated seat and screen, and it really is a unique video game racing experience, right down to the force feedback that makes it feel like driving a real vehicle. WRC Generations will be released for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on October 13, 2022, with PC and Nintendo Switch versions set to launch later in the year.
Hands-On Blood Bowl Preview
Blood Bowl 3 is a tactical sports game based on the board game developed by Games Workshop. Unlike its predecessor, Blood Bowl 3 is based on the new second edition rules of the tabletop game. Blood Bowl 3 is set in an alternative version of the Warhammer Fantasy world, where the races settle their differences with a game that is similar to American Football, rather than bloodshed. While the game might look like a fantasy slugfest on the surface, it's actually a detailed strategy game, akin to Chess with dice, as the player must manage the different aspects of their team and position their players carefully, in order to maximize their potential. Screen Rant had the chance to play a game of Blood Bowl 3 at Bigben week, with a team of dwarves facing off against a team of black orcs.
In Blood Bowl 3, the aim of this tactical Warhammer strategy game is to grab the ball and reach the end of the other team's field, and the teams are free to go about this in any way they please. In the case of the black orcs, they do this by unleashing powerful trolls against the defensive line and smashing them into the dirt, leaving the more agile goblins to sneak through the line and grab the ball. Blood Bowl 3 has an attack of opportunity/threatened area system, where moving through a spot next to an enemy player will result in a free hit. All opposing actions in the game are tied to dice rolls and performing them next to allied players will result in bonus dice, so player positioning is absolutely vital in most cases, though luck can always swing both ways. Blood Bowl 3 will include a tutorial as part of its career mode, which will be a godsend, as there is a lot to learn for new players. Once it all clicks, Blood Bowl 3 is a lot of fun and far more strategic than its orcs in headgear aesthetic makes it out to be. Blood Bowl 3 will be released by Nacon for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 2022.