With just over a week left in January, I’d like to highlight a few upcoming projects that may be worth checking out.
Games
Koe(声)
Jitesh Rawal opened a campaign for Koe(声) on Kickstarter circa 2014, and now 10 years later it’s finally about to release on Steam under developer Strawberry Games in February after Steam Next Fest comes to a close on the 12th.
According to Rawal, the game is ready for release, however with Steam Next Fest around the corner, they have opted to delay release in order to participate. Koe(声) promises to play similar to traditional JRPGs like Final Fantasy & Pokemon, with a focus on language learning. Attacks and items are different Japanese words, and the elements that make them up both temporarily weaken & level up with use, encouraging you to utilize other attacks and abilities.
In Koe(声), you play as a foreign exchange student in Japan attending classes during the day, and through a series of strange events, exploring a strange land, fighting monsters modeled after various Japanese myths and legends like Betobetosan, Aka Manto, and so many more. I have played the alpha, and based on the start of the game asking what level of Japanese knowledge you have, from none at all, to quite a lot. Even for those without a desire to learn another language, those who like JRPGs will most likely enjoy this game.
Homeworld 3
21 years after the release of Homeworld 2, & 8 years after Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, comes Homeworld 3, a standalone story set generations after the events of Homeworld 2, releasing March 8th, 2024.
If you’re unfamiliar with the series, Homeworld is a story rich space combat RTS game. Homeworld 3 is being developed by Blackbird Interactive , and Published by Gearbox Publishing. Blackbird Interactive’s previous projects include Hardspace Shipbreaker, Minecraft Legends, and Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak. Homeworld 3 promises to be a story rich experience full of large scale, epic battles in open space, offering multiplayer modes for 1v1s, free-for-alls, team battle, and tag team battles in addition to the campaign.
Books
Alien Clay
Adrian Tchaikovsky’s highly anticipated science fiction novel Alien Clay is set to release March 28th, 2024. Tchaikovsky has received Hugo and Arthur C. Clarke awards for his previous works. This story will follow one professor Arton Daghdev who always wanted to study alien life up close, and ends up finding himself exiled to an extrasolar labour camp on the distant world of Kiln.
In Excess of Dark
This horror novella by Red Lagoe will be published March 15, 2024 by DarkLit Press. The protagonist Karina is grief stricken and suddenly finds herself spiraling after her worst daydreams start to become reality.
I’ve received a galley of this so expect a review to be posted soonish! I’ll make sure to go back and edit this post with a direct link once the review is up as well. The premise seems interesting, hopefully it’s good!
TV & Movies
Halo
The second season of Paramount+’s Halo TV series premieres February 8th, with Pablo Schreiber reprising his role as Master Chief John-117 and I couldn’t be more excited!
I was wary about the first season of Halo, as historically video game adaptations don’t tend to go over all too well, but as of late studios have been doing a fantastic job, and Halo fits the bill of adaptations done right.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix live action)
Netflix’s live action Avatar: The Last Airbender TV show starring Gordon Cormier as Aang, premieres on February 22nd. The original creators of the animated Avatar: The Last Airbender, Konietzko and DiMartino left the show because they couldn’t control the creative direction, so while I am hopeful it’s good and does right by the source material, I’m also rather doubtful since the original creators left.
Madame Web
The fourth movie in the Sony Spiderman Universe, Madame Web starring Dakota Johnson is set to release on February 14th, 2024 (My birthday!). Madame Web (Cassandra Webb) is a paralyzed, blind, telepathic, clairvoyant, and precognitive mutant. I’m curious to see what Sony has in store for her on the big screen.
Damsel
Netflix’s movie Damsel, starring Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven from Stranger Things) should be an interesting watch. You’ve got all the components of your traditional fantasy story, a princess, a dragon, a Prince Charming… In this case, the princess’s Prince Charming attempts to sacrifice the princess to a dragon and she must rely on her wits to survive. I always enjoy when common scripts are flipped on their head. I’m looking forward to watching this March 8th when it releases.
The American Society of Magical Negroes
Written and directed by Kobi Libii, starring Justice Smith among 8 others, this satire of the Magical Negro trope’s theatrical release is March 22nd. I want this movie to be good, I love a good satire, but I have not heard many good things following its Sundance Film Festival premiere January 19th.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Starring Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace, and Annie Potts, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Premieres March 22nd, and sees the Spengler family’s return to New York, where they team up with some of the original Ghostbusters and protect their world from a second Ice Age.
Cthulhuville 