Why so many publishers have major new releases planned for this week is a mystery – it’s a ridiculously busy week, with new titles from Sony, SEGA, 2K, EA, Atari, and Square-Enix.
From Bandai-Namco comes the desert wasteland action RPG SAND LAND, based on the late Akira Toriyama’s 2000 manga series. You’re cast into the role of the Beelzebub, the fiend prince, and must use his twisted imagination to create tanks and bases, while teaming up with the world’s oddballs to help secure a new water source. It’s due on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series this Friday.
Sony’s Stellar Blade also launches on Friday, as a full price (£69.99) PS5 exclusive. Inspired by the Nier and Dark Souls, it’s a stylish hack ‘n slash adventure with a deep combat system, taking place in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world. Originating from Shift Up in South Korea, feedback from the recent demo has been positive, suggesting Sony has another hit on their hands.
On the EA Originals label there’s Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, a Metroidvania from talent behind the Assassin’s Creed: Origins series, paying homage to Bantu cultures. Look out for it on PC, Xbox Series, PS5, and Switch. It’s good to see EA not overlooking the Switch with this one, especially when Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown performed well on that platform.
On that note, TopSpin 2K25 is skipping Switch – an odd choice, seeing it’s merely tennis. Hangar 13 are behind this franchise revival, which appears to include all the players and courts you’d expect to find in a modern tennis sim. John McEnroeis also on hand to teach the finer points.
The Switch does however gain SEGA’s party game Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- Sweep the Board! – based on the popular anime of the same name.
TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants is out this week too, available as a £24.99 retail release. This is an expanded version of Raw Thrill’s 2017 arcade game, based on the 2012 CGI animated series. As something originally intended to shove coins into, we shouldn’t expect anything deep.
3D Realms are also back with WRATH: Aeon of Ruin – which is very much up their alley, being a first-person shooter not just influenced by Quake but powered by Quake-1 Tech. Much like last week’s PERISH, we feel as if it may be overshadowed by this month’s bigger titles despite showing promise. The PC version arrived to mostly positive reviews.
The colourful Soulslike action-adventure Another Crab’s Treasure should be able to find its niche though, arriving on Game Pass at launch. That’s joined by Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, an anticipated RPG likened to Suikoden. It isn’t the only RPG out this week either, with Square-Enix prepping SaGa Emerald Beyond, which sees six characters traverse 17 different worlds. This too appears to be reasonably anticipated.
We aren’t done with new releases yet. Atari has another revival due in the form of Lunar Lander Beyond, which is coming to retail and launching at a higher price point than similar retro re-releases. Retro fans may also be interested in the mech shooter Assault Suit Leynos 2 Saturn Tribute and, to some extent, LEVEL5’s MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED – a hack ‘n slash about to stomp onto PS5, PS4 and Switch.
Then there’s the mountaineering adventure Insurmountable, Jandusoft’s arcade action-platformer Teared, the feline-filled fishing RPG Whisker Waters, a belated retail release of Konami’s Contra: Operation Galuga, and PQube’s double-whammy of Class of Heroes: Anniversary Edition and Class of Heroes 2G: Remaster Edition. Whew!
New release trailers
Stellar Blade
SAND LAND
TopSpin 2K25
WRATH: Aeon of Ruin
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- Sweep the Board!
Another Crab’s Treasure
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
SaGa Emerald Beyond
Lunar Lander Beyond
Assault Suit Leynos 2 Saturn Tribute
MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED
Insurmountable
Whisker Waters
Class of Heroes 2G: Remaster Edition
Teared
Ratyrinth
Metro Simulator 2
New multiformat releases
- SAND LAND
- WRATH: Aeon of Ruin
- TopSpin 2K25
- Tales of Kenzera: ZAU
- Another Crab’s Treasure
- Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
- Lunar Lander Beyond
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants
- Assault Suit Leynos 2 Saturn Tribute
- Insurmountable
- Ratyrinth
- Zombies, Aliens and Guns
- Hidden Cats in New York
New on PSN
- Stellar Blade
- SaGa Emerald Beyond
- Secret Agent : Cold War Espionage
- Food Truck Simulator
- Dementium: The Ward
- MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED
- Teared
- Library Of Ruina
- Whisker Waters
- Age of Water
- Class of Heroes 2G: Remaster Edition
- Class of Heroes: Anniversary Edition
- Jack Holmes: Master Of Puppets
- Railbreak
New on Xbox Store
- Hatsune Miku – The Planet Of Wonder And Fragments Of Wishes
- Hammerwatch II
- Aery – Cyber City
- Farm Tycoon
- Metro Simulator 2
- The Ramsey
New Switch retail releases
eShop round-up coming Thursday
- Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- Sweep the Board!
- Contra Operation Galuga
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants
- Railway Empire 2 – Deluxe Edition
- Lunar Lander Beyond
Next week: Sea of Thieves (PS5), Endless Ocean Luminous, Front Mission 2 Remake, Space Mercenary Defense Force, MotoGP 24, Candle Knight, Armed and Gelatinous: Couch Edition, Gordian Quest, Full Metal Sergeant, Sclash, Evercade Piko Collection 4, and Evercade Sunsoft Collection 2.