From Avowed to Grounded 2 to The Outer Worlds 2, Xbox Game Studios — and Obsidian Entertainment, specifically — has launched several huge RPGs in recent. One of the next big ones from the publisher, though, is coming from Wasteland 3 developer inXile Entertainment: Clockwork Revolution.
Set in the massive steampunk city Avalon with a strong emphasis on FPS combat, time travel mechanics, and an apparent focus on conflict between the dystopia’s wealthy aristocrats and its lower-class citizens, Clockwork Revolution looks like — and has strong potential to be — one of the most interesting new games in years.
Notably, during the recent PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted showcase, inXile CEO Brian Fargo came on to briefly talk about the game, discussing its complexity and depth as an RPG.
“Well, I can tell you this is the most complex game I have ever worked on. Between the character creation that really matters, the reactivity, and, if you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve seen how gritty and how our dark humor really shines through,” he commented. “And, to think, we’ve only shown a tiny glimpse of the world, the mechanics, and the wild characters you’re gonna meet.”
An assertion like that means a lot coming from an RPG veteran like Fargo, best known for founding Interplay Entertainment and working on both the original Fallout and Fallout 2 as executive producer. He was also director of the original Wasteland, and executively produced Wasteland 2 and Wasteland 3.
Clockwork Revolution’s game director Chad Moore accompanied Fargo on the show, and explained that inXile is focusing on the “visual reactivity” of Avalon to make sure the influence of player time travel isn’t just felt or heard, but also seen — even though that’s also complicating the development process.
“We’re making it way more complicated for ourselves by taking visual reactivity to an entirely new level, letting players go to the past and then rewrite history through their choices in the game,” Moore said.
The trailer embedded above shows many of those visual changes in action on a broad scale, with things like statues erected in an individual’s honor or banners hanging from landmark structures changing or disappearing completely based on the actions you take and choices you make while rewriting history. It will be interesting to (hopefully) see more granular instances of visual reactivity down the line, and hopefully we get a glimpse of them in future trailers.
I’m dying to see more of that “visual reactivity”
Everything we’ve seen of Clockwork Revolution looks absolutely terrific so far, though the thing that excites me the most about it is the visual reactivity Fargo and Moore were talking about here.
Many of the best RPGs such as Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 feature strong reactivity to the player in terms of NPC behavior and how systems affect you, but the appearance of game worlds themselves dynamically shifting based on your choices and actions? That’s nigh-unheard of, and indeed worthy of being considered an “entirely new level.”
Thus, Clockwork Revolution has shot up to the top of the list of the games I’m interested in, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing how deep that visual reactivity goes. Hopefully it ends up being very special, and a huge draw for the RPG.
Clockwork Revolution’s release date is unknown, with Fargo and inXile cheekily commenting it’s coming “in due time.” With that said, a recent leak may have revealed it’s launching in 2026; regardless of when it releases, it will be available through Xbox Game Pass on day one on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC (with PC Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate) since it’s a first-party Microsoft title.
FAQ
Is Clockwork Revolution coming to PS5?
While a release on PS5 may come at some point — either at launch or at a later date — there is currently no indication Clockwork Revolution is coming to any platform other than Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC at launch.
Is Clockwork Revolution an open-world game?
It’s unclear right now if Clockwork Revolution will have an open world or not, though I’d argue a few snippers from its trailers that look like free-roam sections imply it will at the very least have non-linear elements.
Is Clockwork Revolution a BioShock game?
No, Clockwork Revolution isn’t a BioShock game, though you’d be forgiven for thinking it is with how similar to BioShock Infinite it looks stylistically. Clearly, inXile drew heavy inspiration from 2K’s popular immersive sim franchise.
Is Clockwork Revolution multiplayer?
Clockwork Revolution’s store pages indicate that it’s a single-player game, so don’t expect any multiplayer elements in it.
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