The slate of games from Xbox’s growing list of first-party studios is shaping up to be a fascinating collection. During the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase we got a look at many upcoming titles for Xbox, but one of the standouts was the steampunk RPG Clockwork Revolution. The Bioshock Infinite look-a-like promises fans a fascinating world defined by player choice that affects past and present.
Here is everything you need to know about the time-traveling RPG Clockwork Revolution.
What Is the Clockwork Revolution Release Date?
As of yet, there is no official release date for Clockwork Revolution, nor a release window. As it was only announced during the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase in June, it is likely Clockwork Revolution won’t be released until 2024 at the earliest.
Is There a Clockwork Revolution Trailer?
Yes! Clockwork Revolution was revealed during the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase with an impressive trailer highlighting the game’s steampunk aesthetic, time-traveling story, and first-person gameplay. Check it out!
Will Clockwork Revolution Be on Game Pass?
Clockwork Revolution is being developed by inXile Entertainment, the developer of Torment: Tides of Numenera and Wasteland 3, which was purchased by Microsoft in 2018.
Since it is now part of Xbox Game Studios, Clockwork Revolution will be exclusive to PC and Xbox, in addition to releasing on Xbox Game Pass day one.
Is Clockwork Revolution a BioShock Infinite Sequel?
The trailer for Clockwork Revolution sparked comparisons to 2013’s Bioshock Infinite. While both have a steampunk aesthetic and narrative elements about manipulating time, the developers told IGN that “Any similarities are unintentional.”
Either way, Clockwork Revolution does seem like a game that will scratch that Bioshock Infinite itch, and maybe even deliver the experience many fans expected from Infinite but felt was never truly delivered by Irrational Games.
What Is the Story of Clockwork Revolution?
Clockwork Revolution is a steampunk game that takes place in a Victorian-era metropolis called Avalon, which is described in an Xbox blog post as a city where “steam trains fly overhead, wealthy industrialists replace their limbs with ornate clockwork prosthetics, and mechanical servants fulfill their masters’ every whim.”
All of this exists thanks to Lady Ironwood, who has used a time travel device to change history in her favor and subjugate the working class. This is where the player enters. Discovering the truth of Lady Ironwood’s actions, you come into possession of a time travel device with which you can go back in time to influence the present. The consequences of your actions may vary and will often be unexpected. So be careful how you choose to change the past.
What Will Clockwork Revolution’s Gameplay Be Like?
Developer inXile Entertainment has been adamant about stressing that Clockwork Revolution is first and foremost a deep RPG. While the game does have a first-person perspective, and shooting mechanics it also has deep character customization and a branching dialogue system.
The core gameplay mechanic of Clockwork Revolution, however, is the Chronometer. This device will give players the ability to go back in time and choose how to change the future. When traveling forward the player will then see their changes' effect on the world at large. In practice, this seems like it could be a large-scale version of Dishonored 2’s ‘A Crack in the Slab’ or ‘Effect and Cause’ from Titanfall 2. The potential for how player choice could affect Clockwork Revolution seems ambitious but in line with inXile’s promise that the game will have “deep reactivity.”
