Rewinding to last week, GOTY contender Baldur’s Gate 3 is out now on Xbox, dropping during The Game Awards. That was joined by the slick-looking, and potentially massive, multiplayer battler THE FINALS for PlayStation and Xbox formats, along with Epic’s Rocket Racing and LEGO Fortnite. If anything can make Fortnite even more popular, it’s LEGO.
This week is a real Haribo Starmix of a week, with a little bit of everything. The PS5 gains the PSVR2 shooter Vertigo 2 – which gained impressively high review scores on PC – along with Arc’s 2D beat’em up Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, promising to be accessible to newcomers.
Fans of the genre may also want to look out for next week’s The Rumble Fish+, set to launch at a cut price.
The PlayStation formats also receive the laid-back management Bear and Breakfast and D3’s Custom Mech Wars. As the name of the former suggests, it involves making customized robots before engaging in large scale battles. It leans into the customisation aspect heavily, allowing for some ridiculous looking mechs. This game isn’t to be confused with HARDCORE MECHA, due on Xbox this week after initially launching on Switch in 2020.
Then there’s a belated release of Dungeons of Sundaria on Xbox One, polished looking Rogue-Lite action platformer Trinity Fusion, low-res adventure Bahnsen Knights – featuring events linked to Mothmen 1966 and Varney Lake – irreverent cartoony Metroidvania Cookie Cutter, and the multiformat pixel art multiplayer action RPG Hammerwatch II – which also appears to be the last retail release of 2023.
We can also expect the pixel art tower defence game Hell Well, the spinning collectable filled 3D platformers Aztek Tiki Talisman and Raccoo Venture, and the 2D platformer Rising Dusk – which involves avoiding coins instead of collecting them. Hidden object puzzler Yuletide Legends: Who Framed Santa Claus also brings Christmas cheer to the Xbox, being the first of a few festive themed games due this week and next.
New release trailers
Vertigo 2
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
Trinity Fusion
Hammerwatch II
Custom Mech Wars
Cookie Cutter
Bahnsen Knights
Hell Well
Metro Quester
Rising Dusk
Raccoo Venture
Aztek Tiki Talisman
Dungeons of Sundaria
Stickman’s Arena
New multiformat releases
- Trinity Fusion
- Cookie Cutter
- HARDCORE MECHA
- Bahnsen Knights
- Hammerwatch II
- Hammerwatch Anniversary Edition
- Metro Quester
- Hell Well
- RISING DUSK
- Raccoo Venture
- Aztek Tiki Talisman
- Stickman’s Arena
- Emergency Call – The Attack Squad
- Hirilun
New on PSN
- Vertigo 2
- Not For Broadcast: VR
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
- CUSTOM MECH WARS
- Western Slot Machine
- CityDriver
- Bear and Breakfast
- Hidden Paws
- Sky Runners Infinite: Parkour
- Slimeboo
- Gallery Gunner
- Towers and Powers
New on Xbox Store
- Dungeons of Sundaria
- Yuletide Legends: Who Framed Santa Claus
- Cards We’re Dealt
- Argonauts Agency 2: Pandora’s Box
- Criminal Expert
- Everdream Valley
New Switch retail releases
eShop round-up coming Thursday
- Hammerwatch II: The Chronicles Edition
Next week: Ravva and the Phantom Library, Railbreak, The Rumble Fish +, Bigfoot’s Journey, SokoWinter, Santa’s World, DETECTIVE – Stella Porta case, Synthetic Lover, Deleted – Cyber Invasion, Aery – Calm Mind 4, Jinshin, SHMUP Mania, and This Bed We Made (Xbox One.)