A brand new sport from two of the creators behind GoldenEye and TimeSplitters is coming quickly, however it’s not an FPS.
Past Phrases is the newest sport from Steve Ellis and David Doak, who had beforehand based Free Radical Design.
Ellis was one of many key programmers on GoldenEye whereas Doak labored on the extent designs and AI scripting (and in addition appeared within the sport as Dr Doak). The pair then teamed as much as discovered Free Radical co-create the TimeSplitter collection.
The studio was closed in December 2023, however Ellis and Doak have now returned with one thing solely totally different from a brand new studio known as MindFuel Video games.
In keeping with its description, Past Phrases is a “genre-defining fusion of roguelike technique and word-crafting”, and seems to be a roguelike tackle Scrabble.
The sport is designed to check the participant’s vocabulary, creativity and tactical pondering, as they construct phrase combos and play by way of a “dwelling puzzle” formed by the phrases they kind.
“Construct highly effective phrase combos, unlock game-changing upgrades and journey by way of a dwelling puzzle formed by your choices,” the outline reads. “Each selection, each letter, each placement issues.”
Gamers can use greater than 300 modifiers and skills to alter the sport as they play, and greater than 30 boss challenges “twist the principles in devious methods”.
“In a small dev workforce, there’s the chance to experiment and iterate – we really imagine that’s the option to ‘discover the enjoyable’ and make an ideal sport,” Doak stated.
“Past Phrases is all about selection and company. We’ve made a sport that’s consistently difficult and evolving with the participant’s interactions – filled with surprises and alternatives to be intelligent. As builders, our guiding star has all the time been to make video games that we need to play.”
A demo for Past Phrases is accessible now on Steam, with the complete sport set to be launched on PS5, Xbox Collection X/S, Change and PC in early 2026.
The primary iteration of Free Radical Design was fashioned in 1999 and developed the TimeSplitters collection and Second Sight. Following the disappointing reception of Haze and a cancelled Star Wars: Battlefront undertaking, the studio went bankrupt in 2008.
Plaion and its father or mother firm Embracer introduced in Could 2021 {that a} new Free Radical Design had been established by unique founders Steve Ellis and David Doak to deliver the TimeSplitters IP “again to life”, however the studio was closed once more two and a half years later and the TimeSplitters reboot was cancelled.
