THQ Nordic’s 2024 Digital Showcase highlighted the publisher’s impressive range of properties, from iconic RPG and ARPG titles to racing games and even an artsy platformer. Fans who tuned into THQ Nordic’s showcase last year might see some familiar names this time around but with some additional details revealed, along with some world premiers. The showcase involved around 40 minutes of trailers, gameplay footage, and developer insights focused on five upcoming titles, thoughTHQ Nordicwas mostly quiet about specific release dates and windows.
In order of presentation, THQ Nordic premiered a demolition derby racer sequel withWreckfest 2; a stunning hand-drawn 2D platformer by Weappy Studio entitledThe Eternal Life of Goldman; gameplay footage for the long-awaited ARPG sequelTitan Quest 2; highlights from Purple Lamp Studio’s complete remake ofDisney Epic Mickey, and a first look at gameplay forGothic Remake, a highly anticipated reimagining of aniconic open-world RPG.
Wreckfest 2
The show kicked off with some explosive footage ofWreckfest 2, the sequel to the well-regardeddemolition derby racer by Bugbear. Bugbear is the studio who largely pioneered physics-based demolition derby racing withFlatOutback in 2004, andWreckfest 2builds upon two decades of technological advancement. Of course, there’s a major focus on vehicular destruction physics, and the gameplay footage shows parts flying all over the place with some incredible fidelity thanks to Bugbear’s in-house ROMU engine. Also on the tech side, Bugbear is quite proud of the game’s audio system, which is supposed to generate some very convincing engine sounds.
Along with racing gameplay footage and a brief cinematic, THQ Nordic also offered a look at the game’s vehicle customization system. Players can individually paint every part of their cars, from bumpers to doors and individual panels. Decals are also shown being resized and placed freely, and players can also hand-paint rust textures to give their cars aclassic demolition derbylook.Wreckfest 2will feature a career mode, multiplayer, and modding support, and Bugbear plans to support the game with regular updates post-launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
The Eternal Life of Goldman
Perhaps the most visually striking game of the entire presentation,The Eternal Life of Goldmanis a true work of art. Indeed, the game’s lengthy development process was largely attributed to the painstaking labor of its art team, as each frame and animation in the game is hand-painted using old-schoolanimation techniques similar toCuphead. THQ Nordic emphasized that no corners were cut in the art department: Weappy Studios didn’t use AI or other digital techniques to craft the game’s visuals, which were inspired by Greek, jewish, and Mesopotamian fables.
On the gameplay front,The Eternal Life of Goldmanplays a bit like a metroidvania, though THQ Nordic says that the game won’t be leaning into the genre’s stable backtracking. The protagonist, an old man with a cane, gradually unlocks new abilities by upgrading his magical cane. One upgrade added a hook handle allowing him to grapple onto ring-shaped objects through the environment and in boss fights, while another upgrade gave his cane a pogo jump. Goldman will be taking on some multi-phase bosses that bring to mind certainHollow Knightbosses, though any frustration should be tempered thanks to the game’s deliberate lack of corpse-run mechanics.The Eternal Life of Goldmanwill be available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Titan Quest 2
It’s a great time to be an ARPG fan with so many major releases in the genre recently, and now THQ Nordic’s first-time unveiling of someTitan Quest 2gameplay.Titan Quest 2is a straight-up ARPG just like its predecessor and similargames likeDiablo, with an emphasis on build variety, piles of shiny loot, and visceral combat.Titan Quest 2’sUnreal Engine 5 visuals stand out in contrast to many of its contemporaries due to its bright and colorful Greek mythology theme, as opposed to the grimdark aesthetics ofDiabloorGrim Dawn.
Grimlore Games has placed a strong focus on build variety: character classes are created by combining two “masteries” in what appears to be a multiclass system, and skills are then further modified through customization. A magic ability might be transformed from ice to fire, while melee and ranged builds may alter their playstyles through this customization system. Loot is contextual and based on the equipment defeated enemies would logically be carrying, and enemy encounters are also hand placed instead of randomly spawned, with enemy groups working together as a team. These enemies hail from a variety of factions, each with their own tactics, strengths and weaknesses. Loot can also be loosely targeted thanks to a crafting system similar toDiablo’s which is largely a way to recycle unused gear.Titan Quest 2will be availableon PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed
Next up is the first of two remakes shown at the event, Purple Lamp’s complete remake of 2010’sEpic Mickey. Like the original,Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushedis a 3D platforming deep dive into the history and lore of Disney as imagined bylegendary developer Warren Spector, and players once again take on the role of Mickey as he journeys through a number of iconic Disney locales and meeting characters like Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s first creation.
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushedis a full remake, and every asset and game mechanic has been redone from the ground up for 60fps at 4k resolutions. Mickey has a few new moves at his disposal, including a dash, a ground pound, and a sprint to cover long distances quickly. New trophies and achievements have been added to mix up gameplay approaches, and gyroscope functionality is available to Nintendo Switch and PS5 players. There’s alsoa new photo modewith filter capabilities that allow players to customize their screenshots.Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushedis currently available for pre-order that comes with 24-hour early access and additional skins, and the game will release September 24 on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Gothic Remake
Last but certainly not least, THQ Nordic unveiled gameplay footage of thehighly anticipatedGothic Remakefor the first time. Combat was shown to be weighty and deliberate, andGothic Remake’s weapon animations are actually tied to the player’s skill with said weapon. A player who is poorly skilled with a sword will swing slowly and imprecisely, but with practice, the animation will eventually reflect their mastery of the weapon. Staying true to theGothicseries, one of the game’s pillars is the simulated world. NPCs live their own lives, and a living ecosystem throughout nature gives players the sense that the world could exist without them. Gameplay footage was visually striking of course, thanks to the ever impressive Unreal Engine 5.
Alkimia Interactive hopes to maintain anauthenticGothicvibewhile improving in areas that make sense. Traversal mechanics have been expanded upon with more interactive diving and the addition of free climbing, players can engage in more complex crafting, there have been improvements to the progression system, and the UI is kept to an absolute bare minimum. Even when browsing the inventory, players are never shown a fullscreen UI. It’s great to see some actual gameplay ofGothic Remake, and hopefully more details will be revealed soon.Gothic Remakewill be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
