It’s one of those rare weeks where there’s no easily identifiable major new release. In fact, by our reckoning, there’s just one new release heading to retail – THQ’s belated Titan Quest on Switch, a remastered of a cult PC RPG that’s knocking on 12 years old.

Over on both PS4 and Xbox One there’s 1979 Revolution: Black Friday, a narrative adventure covering a world-changing historical event. Despite a few technical issues, it’s worth investigating. You’ll find review scores below.

Castaway Paradise is another multi-format release defying expectations. On first glance, it resembles a low budget mobile title. The reality? It’s a decent enough alternative to Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, stuffed to the brim with stuff to see and do, and a slight addictive streak.

Then on Xbox One only there’s the cheapy cheap (£4) FMV adventure #WarGames, based on the 1983 movie of the same name. Sadly, the price does reflect the quality – it’s a very simple affair, with stories simply altering based on how long you watch certain camera feeds. Think along the lines of Night Trap on Mega CD.

That’s joined by a surprise remaster of Acclaim’s tunnel shooter Forsaken. The jury is still out on how well it has stood the test of time. The studio’s re-releases of Turok 1 and 2 had notable effort put into them, so we’re hopeful similar magic has been worked here.

Gene Rain appears to be one to avoid, meanwhile – scores for this third-person shooter are as low as 3/10, with Xbox Tavern comparing the game’s voice acting to the original Resident Evil. Wow.

New release showcase:

Castaway Paradise

Reviews:
8.5 – PSU: “A charming and quirky simulation game in the spirit of Animal Crossing. Castaway Paradise is the virtual vacation that will end the summer gaming drought”

7/10 – Push Square: “Castaway Paradise is one of PS4’s more pleasant experiences, offering a tropical vacation that’ll keep you busy for hours on end. Although the game’s addictive qualities do wane over time, the process of steadily expanding and improving your island is both relaxing and satisfying”

6.5 – PlayStation Lifestyle: “While it’s nowhere near as in-depth as Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing, it is still a very relaxing and entertaining little adventure”

1979 Revolution: Black Friday

Reviews:
8.5 – PSU: “A brave and inspiring work that provides an evocative window into a world-shaping historical event, what 1979 Revolution: Black Friday lacks in audiovisual presentation it more than makes up for with sheer guts, heart and that most rarest of things – a soul”

7.5 – DualShockers: “Despite clunky mechanics and sometimes awkward visuals, the title goes above and beyond regarding storytelling by incorporating real-life pieces of media, making a nuanced and varied story out of literal history that most people know nothing about”

3.5/5 – Game Revolution: “1979 Revolution: Black Friday is a great first entry by developer iNK Stories. Technical hiccups and a few narrative shortcomings hold it back a bit but its honest look at the Iranian Revolution is unflinching, educational, engrossing, and hopefully inspirational for those trying to make games capable of enabling cultural empathy in its players”

Titan Quest (Switch)

Reviews:
75/100 – Gaming Trend: “Titan Quest is fun enough on its own, but playing multiplayer with a friend adds another layer of entertainment to the game. That being said, Titan Quest on Nintendo Switch is well worth your time if you can overlook its occasional graphical issues”

7/10 – Nintendo Life: “Disappointing visual glitches and the occasional crash give the impression that everything is held together with nothing more than sticky tape and a prayer, but it was never enough to stop us playing”

2/5 – Trusted Review: “Ultimately, this is a 12-year-old game, and no amount of spit and polish can overcome the dated mechanics and repetitive combat that lies at its core”

New digital multi-format releases:

State of Anarchy: Master of Mayhem
Road to Ballhalla
The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs

New on PSN:

Thug Life
Chasm
Anamorphine
The Wardrobe
PieceFall
My Riding Stables Life with Horses
Roundabout

New on Xbox One store:

#WarGames
Forsaken Remastered
Gene Rain
The Z Axis: Continuum
Vigor
Armored Warfare
Doughlings
Jump Gunners
Super Dungeon Tactics
Zazmo Arcade Pack

Next week: Overcooked! 2, We Happy Few, Madden NFL 19, Flipping Death, Dead Cells, Hyper Universe, City of the Shroud, TerraTech, and Slam Land