Clockwork Revolution - the next game from a veteran Fallout developer - has time travel so impactful that your RPG consequences can unfold throughout the game, and your party may even return changed after a romp across time and space.
Game director Chad Moore detailed Clockwork Revolution's choices and consequences in a recent blog post, following on from the steampunk game's impressive showing at the Xbox Games Showcase, and suddenly its lofty promises have become a whole lot more concrete.
Clockwork Revolution lets players toy with time thanks to a gadget called The Chronometer. One of the powers shown off earlier tonight was Displace, an ability that, as the name implies, lets you grab an object before plopping it somewhere else. Useful for repositioning explosive barrels behind a group of enemies or getting a friendly turret within line of sight of enemies, say.
But the Chronometer also opens the door to decisions that can have far ranging consequences. Change the past, change the future - that kinda deal.
"When you reach into the past and start pulling threads, the people closest to you feel it first," Moore writes in an Xbox Wire post. "Their lives change in ways you don't always see coming, and the crew you come back to might not be the same one you left. Unfortunately for you, you're not the only one changing history."
The steampunk city's ruler and seemingly the game's antagonist Lady Ironwood can rewinds the clocks to some extend, as well. Bad news for us, "she's been using time travel to keep her grip on power, reshaping the past to make sure her future stays exactly the way she wants it."
"Staying ahead of her is going to be a constant push. You'll need to be cunning and try to build something better for you, your friends, and the people of Avalon. This is a world built on consequences. Some are big, some are small, some hit right away, and some take a long time to catch up with you. But every choice you make will matter," Moore adds.
Developer inXile Entertainment's last game, Wasteland 3, was already wildly flexible and reactive to player choices even without a time-rewinding gimmick, and based on the studios' pedigree, I'm inclined to believe it can pull off a concept this outlandish. For those out of the loop, original Fallout boss Brian Fargo is the founder and head of Clockwork Revolution's studio.
Elsewhere during the showcase, Microsoft announced Clockwork Revolution is set to launch in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S and PC. This time, it's one of two upcoming permanent Xbox console exclusives, along with Gears of War: E-Day, as the company peels back its multiplatform strategy.
For more, check out the upcoming Xbox Series X|S games or see everything announced at Summer Game Fest 2026.
