While last week’s new release assortment was definitely far quieter than this week, a handful of big-name titles still made their way to store shelves. These included Codies’ DIRT 5, EA’s Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered, LOL Surprise! Remix on Switch, and a new multiformat Paw Patrol game.
Can you guess which of these was the best-selling in this week’s physical chart, dear reader?
It was LOL Surprise! Remix, we kid you not. The toy tie-in entered the UK chart at #10, outselling such games as Marvel’s Avengers (at #11) and Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (at #13.)
Paw Patrol: Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay was the second highest-charting new release, with the Switch version unsurprisingly being the most popular.
So where are DIRT 5 and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered? The answer is a long, long, way down the chart. EA’s racer remaster took #35 while DIRT 5 parked up at #38.
DIRT 5 is being poised as a next-gen title, giving some explanation as to why it failed to chart higher. We imagine gamers are holding out to purchase it alongside a shiny new Xbox or PS5, be it digitally or physically. We’ll find out over the next fortnight as to whether this is the case.
As for Hot Pursuit Remastered, well, it hasn’t exactly received the same level of promotion as Burnout Paradise Remastered. It likely sold better as a download on Xbox too, thanks to the EA Play discount. Adding to this, the Switch version isn’t out until later this week.
The top ten is, once again, mostly filled with Switch games. Sales were reportedly up, which we put down to a combination of lockdown and Tesco currently running a £199 Switch Lite promotion, which includes a free first-party game.
FIFA 21 remains no.1, followed by Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Watch Dogs Legion falls to #4, while Minecraft and Super Mario 3D All-Stars hold onto #5 and #6.
Ring Fit Adventure climbs to #7, Minecraft Dungeons takes #8, GTA V re-enters the top ten at #9, and then at #10 it’s the aforementioned LOL Surprise tie-in.
We stand a good chance of seeing a much fresher top ten next Monday. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will no doubt battle for the top spot, with Yakuza: Like a Dragon and the early PS5 retail releases of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon’s Souls and Godfall underneath. KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory and Just Dance 2021 possibly, too.