To say Dead Island 2 has been a long time coming is an understatement. Development first began in 2012, ahead of a 2014 reveal. Since then, it has bounced around three different studios and even managed to elude a whole console generation, originally due on vanilla Xbox One and PS4.
Cast aside images of a Colonial Marines/Duke Nukem Forever shambling mess – Dambuster Studios took on the project in 2019, meaning it has had a lengthy development, even without the studio shuffling. We’re expecting something outlandish and not too cerebral, diving into the chaos that only a US-set zombie apocalypse could offer.
It’s a busy week for releases, all told. The Switch finally gains the Wayforward-developed Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp, along with the monster-hunting RPG Labyrinth of Zangetsu – also on PS4 this week – and belated retail releases of Front Mission 1st and the excellent retro FPS Prodeus.
The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series also comes to both the eShop and PSN. Six new FF games in one day? Square-Enix has no chill, especially with Live-A-Live on PS4 next week too.
Minecraft Legends also comes to all formats, hitting Game Pass at launch. The critical reception hasn’t been too positive so far, with scores being a mixture of 6s and 7s. The Metro opted for a middling 5/10. “A failed attempt to turn Minecraft into a real-time strategy game, that goes out of its way to be as shallow as possible and is made worse by fiddly controls and terrible AI,” was their verdict.
On a brighter note, the multiformat visual novel Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly and the Xbox/PC-only bewitching farming sim Homestead Arcana also debut on Game Pass.
Following on from last week’s free-to-play Tray Racers comes Gameloft’s Disney Speedstorm, with a bunch of Founder’s Packs to buy into. IGN called it “a charming kart racer that has some baggage,” with that baggage being the “sprawling” systems designed to pull you in and keep you coming back.
It isn’t the only free-to-play release on the agenda, with Puzzle Quest 3 also due.
Then there’s the PS5-only Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, promising dazzling sights at a £15.99 entry point. As the name suggests, this new story takes place in a volcanic area. Make sure you’ve completed the main campaign first!
We can also expect the hyperactive rhythm actioner God of Rock, the promising hack and slash battler Stray Blade, retro shooter Wild Dogs, the gross-out roguelike Cavity Busters, PSVR2 horror adventure Afterlife VR, pixel art RPG The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story, and the officially licensed Rubberduck Wave Racer. That’s quackers.
New release trailers
Minecraft Legends
Dead Island 2
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
Disney Speedstorm
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp
God of Rock
Stray Blade
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly
The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story
Homestead Arcana
Afterlife VR
Puzzle Quest 3
Labyrinth of Zangetsu
Cavity Busters
Wild Dogs
Rubberduck Wave Racer
Secret Agent: Cold War Espionage
Mr. Brocco and Co
Ayre and the Crystal Comet
New multiformat releases
- Minecraft Legends
- Dead Island 2
- Disney Speedstorm
- God of Rock
- Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly
- Puzzle Quest 3
- Labyrinth of Zangetsu
- The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story
- Cavity Busters
- Wild Dogs
- Mr. Brocco & Co.
- Ayre and the Crystal Comet
New on PSN
- Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
- Afterlife VR
- Stray Blade
- Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster
- Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster
- Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster
- Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster
- Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster
- Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster
- Moe Waifu H
- Arcade Archives DIG DUG II
- Faircroft’s Antiques: The Forbidden Crypt Collector’s Edition
- Rubberduck Wave Racer
- Formula Retro Racing – World Tour
New on Xbox Store
- Homestead Arcana
- Secret Agent : Cold War Espionage
New Switch retail releases
eShop round-up coming Thursday
- Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp
- Minecraft Legends
- God of Rock
- The Pathless
- Labyrinth of Zangetsu
- Front Mission 1st
- Prodeus
Next week: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, R-Type Final 3 Evolved, The Last Case of Benedict Fox, Treachery in Beatdown City: Ultra Remix, Nuclear Blaze, Trinity Trigger, Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, Strayed Lights, Live A Live (PS4), ArcRunner, Velocity Noodle, Bramble: The Mountain King, Afterimage, Smile For Me, Ampersat, Mangavania, War Mongrels, Varney Lake, 8Doors: Arum’s Afterlife Adventure, Omega Strikers, Roots of Pacha, Stranded: Alien Dawn, and Neko Rescue Tale.