This time last year, the world was counting down the hours until Cyberpunk 2077. One of the most anticipated games of all time, it promised much but delivered little. Well, outside of amusing glitch compilation videos. This year, Halo Infinite fills the same slot – another big-budget blockbuster with a troubled development.
Early impressions are that 343 Industries has successfully managed to turn the project around, adding the polish sorely missing from its initial reveal. We’re mildly confident that it’ll best Halo 4 and Halo 5 but do wonder if it’ll have the mastery to beat franchise high notes Halo 3 and Reach.
Taking place on Zeta Halo, Infinite sees the series go open-world, expanding ways to approach situations. There’s also a new threat to the galaxy – Jega ‘Rdomnai is a blademaster serving the Banished. Microsoft has a lot riding on Halo, so we really hope 343 Industries has got it right.
Over on PlayStation, there’s Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker – the fourth expansion for the popular MMO, set to bring the tale of Hydaelyn and Zodiark to a conclusion. The Fallout 4 alike Terminator: Resistance also gets PS5 exclusive DLC, in the form of Annihilation Line. Trailers are below.
Farming/crafting JRPG Rune Factory 4 Special makes the jump from Switch to PS4 and Xbox One, making this the first in the long-running series to grace the Xbox. Mini Madness, inspired by Acclaim’s ReVolt, heads to both formats too. The Xbox additionally gets two belated PC conversions – the low budget horror Antarctica 88 and the nuclear shelter management sim Dr. Prepper.
Then there’s the Lovecraftian cyberpunk thriller Transient: Extended Edition, with puzzle-solving and hacking elements, Ubisoft’s Monopoly Madness – launching at retail on Switch – gothic crafting adventure Wytchwood, and the PlayStation only puzzle-platformer White Shadows.
The Evercade family expands this week too. The Evercade VS is a home console with multiplayer in mind, compatible with existing carts while supporting a new range of arcade collections. A Bitmap Brother Collection will be available at launch, including The Chaos Engine, Xenon 2: Megablast, and Speedball. Ice cream! Ice cream!
New release trailers
Halo Infinite
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
Transient: Extended Edition
Rune Factory 4 Special
Monopoly Madness
Wytchwood
Terminator: Resistance – Annihilation Line DLC
White Shadows
Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space
Disney Classic Games: Definitive Edition
Evercade VS
New multiformat releases
- Transient: Extended Edition
- Rune Factory 4 Special
- Monopoly Madness
- Vaporum: Lockdown
- Alexio
- Wytchwood
- Mini Madness
- A Year of Springs
- Ball laB
New on PSN
- Terminator: Resistance – Annihilation Line (PS5)
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
- Heavenly Bodies
- Rover Mechanic Simulator
- White Shadows
- Alwa’s Legacy
- Memories of East Coast
- Arcade Archives: Dragon Buster
- Arcade Archives Liquid Kids
- Ever Forward
- After the Fall
- Twelve Minutes
- Sushi Break 2 Head to Head
- SushiRun
New on Xbox Store
- Halo Infinite
- Antarctica 88
- Collapsed
- Mr. Prepper
- Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator
- Trash Quest
- Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space Remastered
- Ever Forward
- Stick Fight: The Game
- Guazu: The Rescue
- Timothy vs the Aliens
- Archvale
- A Western Drama
- Townscaper
- No Time to Relax
- Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards
New Switch retail releases
eShop round-up coming Thursday
- Gang Beasts
- Monopoly Madness
- World Quiz
- Neversong
- Disney Classic Games: Definitive Edition
- Monopoly + Monopoly Madness
- Beyond A Steel Sky – Steelbook Edition
- Cursed Castilla ex Collector’s Edition
- Alwa’s Collection
Evercade
- Evercade VS Retro Premium Pack
- Evercade VS Retro Starter Pack
- Evercade Intellivision Cartridge 1
- Evercade Bitmap Brothers Cartridge 1
- Evercade Atari Arcade Cartridge 1
Next week: The Gunk, Among Us, Five Nights at Freddy’s Security Breach, Black Bird, moon: Remix RPG Adventure, Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning – Fatesworn, Beyond A Steel Sky, Aeterna Noctis, Murder Diaries 3 – Santa’s Trail of Blood, Aspire: Ina’s Tale, Asteroids: Recharged, One Hand Clapping, and the US release of Clockwork Aquario.