We’re only halfway into February, and already we’ve received some of the year’s biggest releases. Quite how publishers expect us to find the time to play all these games is a mystery, especially when another bunch of time-consuming RPGs are upon us.
Elden Ring has been a long time coming, with work underway since 2017. George R. R. Martin contributed to worldbuilding and writing – his work was allegedly completed years ago. Introducing a trusty steed, a suitably different experience from Dark Souls is expected. The launch edition includes a bunch of physical extras and is still in stock at Amazon at the time of typing.
If you prefer RPGs more traditional, there’s Monark from NIS America – a turn-based affair with free movement during battle and an ego system “to strengthen your sense of self.” Siliconera chalked up their verdict: “It may not be the next great JRPG, but if you’ve been looking for a tactics style game that provides a decent challenge, I’m going to recommend picking Monark up when your budget allows.”
Two new racers are also upon us. GRID Legends is the second Codemasters racer to fall under the EA banner, with a drama-filled story mode, tracks set across London, Moscow and Strada Alpina, and a truck battle mode. Assetto Corsa Competizione comes to Xbox Series and PS5 too, based on the 1.7 update.
Destiny 2’s next major update is days away and generating a buzz. The Witch Queen has surpassed 1 million pre-orders, promising a new raid and six-player activities.
Then there’s Wired Production’s Martha Is Dead – a dark first-person psychological thriller, set in 1944 Italy. It comes from the creator behind The Town of Light and promises authentic Italian voice acting. Themes of folklore with superstition also feature.
PlatinumGames are back this week with vertical shooter Sol Cresta – a sequel to Moon Cresta and Terra Cresta, originally believed to be an April Fool’s joke. Reviews went live last week, with scores being a mixture of 7s and 8s.
“Sol Cresta has excellent core gameplay with a lot of depth, but it is held back by technical issues in its current state on Nintendo Switch. If PlatinumGames can improve on this base release through updates, Sol Cresta has the potential to be something special,†said The Mako Reactor.
Expect a few belated conversions too, including Moto Roader MC – a re-release of a PC Engine CD-ROM top-down racer – the abstract adventure Tux and Fanny on Xbox One, a PSVR release of Sam & Max: This Time It’s Virtual! and the Pokémon style monster battler Monster Crown on PS4 and Xbox. Autobahn Police Simulator 2 also heads to Switch – check out the trailer below.
New release trailers
Elden Ring
GRID Legends
Martha Is Dead
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
Sol Cresta
Assetto Corsa Competizione
Monark
Tux and Fanny
Explosive Candy World
Moto Roader MC
Autobahn Police Simulator 2
New multiformat releases
- Elden Ring
- GRID Legends
- Martha Is Dead
- Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
- Monster Crown
- Moto Roader MC
- Assetto Corsa Competizione
- The Sims 4: My Wedding Stories
New on PSN
- Sol Cresta
- Sam & Max: This Time It’s Virtual!
- Dragons in Space
- Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream
- Arcade Archives DANGEROUS SEED
- MeteoHeroes Saving Planet Earth!
- Monark
- BloodRayne 2: ReVamped
- BloodRayne: ReVamped
- VICO
- Word Mesh
New on Xbox Store
- Synergia – A Cyberpunk Thriller Visual Novel
- Dr. Oil
- Explosive Candy World
- Istanbul: Digital Edition
- Light Up the Room
- Tux and Fanny
- Clouzy!
New Switch retail releases
- Astroneer
- Youtuber’s Life 2
- Autobahn Police Simulator 2
- Life is Strange: True Colors
- Undernauts
- Grow
- Reverie Knights: Tactics
Next week: Gran Turismo 7, ELEX II, Shadow Warrior 3, FAR: Changing Tides, Conan Chop Chop, 35MM, Music Racer: Ultimate, Legend of Ixtona, Ryan’s Rescue Squad, Gunborg: Dark Matters, Little Orpheus, A Musical Story, Babylon’s Fall, and What Lies in the Multiverse.