Steam Next Fest No. 1 of 2026 (Pt 2)
VHOLUME
I miss mirror's edge and this looks to be scratching a similar itch. The movement is a lot more loose and out of reality than Mirror's Edge and the city appears more overtly dark than the nice clean, ominous streets of Mirror's Edge. However, having a game dedicated to movement and using it to your advantage is always welcome and invites players to constantly iterate their skills to get faster and faster, or just fancier and fancier.
Outbound
I have been following outbound for some time now. It fits neatly into the type of games I have been itching for recently which put a focus on a friction filled journey. Jusant, Cairn, Caravan Sandwitch have all been games I have enjoyed in recent months and this is another to add onto the pile. The story seems to take an optimistic approach, with the van being powered by easily collected organic materials and the ability to gain new items by recycling litter left by previous travelers. I will be interested in playing with the more advanced crafting and base-building options - there is just something interesting about having a mobile base that Raft touched on that Outbound seems to want to build on.
Australia Did It
Didn't get to play this one as much as it probably deserves. Always love an 'Australia Mentioned' game. The strategy is nice and the ability to combine units allows the player to put their touch onto the tactics. Can't say too much to balance just yet but having a strategy game have multiple builds that players can take is a fun concept. The art style and music are nice and punchy and I am keen to see what is done story wise here or if it is just a run game - although the provocative title suggests there is a story waiting to be explored.
The Eternal Life of Goldman
Also didn't get a lot of time with this one but it is a very well stylised 2D platformer that has an interesting mechanic where you can swap out the build of your cane. This forces a player to be aware of what they are capable of and to switch their cane build up on the fly. I think there are some interesting level design pathways that can open up with this hot-swapping mechanic that could bring some depth to the platforming in The Eternal Life of Goldman. Beyond that the art style is very consistent and the storybook narrative is a fun presentation that I imagine will weave the two stories being told here together.
REPLACED
I think it is obvious that this game looks great and the story is an instant hook, I will admit it is one of my many soft spots though so that isn't saying much. The movement feels smooth and is expertly animated and this flows into the combat where there isn't too much depth presented within the demo. That is where the demo lacks a bit but I will have to hold judgement until the full release to see if it gets more complicated.