Out this week: Madden NFL 25, Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Just Crow Things, Mad Devils, more

Although the Xbox misses out on next week’s anticipated Black Myth: Wukong, now confirmed to launch at a later date, this week does offer up a conversion of the former PS5 exclusive Kena: Bridge of Spirits. It’s a similar story driven adventure with puzzle solving and fast-paced combat, set in a corrupted world that needs to be cleansed. Visually, it’s a treat for the eyes, and most PS5 owners will likely testify that it has much to offer.

The Xbox also gains Just Crow Things, from the creators of Rain on Your Parade. It stars a pesky crow in a physics-based sandbox world where you’re free to steal, swoop, poop, and generally cause playful chaos. PS5 owners, meanwhile, can mull over the colourful sci-fi roguelike Shoulders of Giants: Ultimate – a co-op affair based around teamwork, with an oddball cast. It’s like Bucky ‘O Hare reborn.

As for multiformat releases, there’s the second coming of EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 – with a new physics-based tackling system and personalised storylines – a remaster of Telltale’s Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, Korean horror re-release White Day 2: The Flower That Tells Lies Complete Edition, the housebound House of Golf 2, co-op top-down supernatural shooter Mad Devils: Damned-finitive Edition, high speed racer Phantom Spark, and a digital version of the board game Overboss. Gritty cop-shop sim The Precinct was originally due this week too but was hit with a delay until ‘fall’ 2024. It’s still showing on a few release lists despite the delay being announced last month.

Hunt: Showdown also receives a native PS5/Xbox Series release under the new name of Hunt: Showdown 1896, along with an update adding a Colorado mountain range to duke it out in.

Also look out for the wave-based vertical shooter Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 – Ninpo Blast, side scrolling 2D detective story Cat’s Request, grid based puzzler Turn to Mine, and the PS1 style video store slasher Rewind or Die.

Lastly, and in case you missed it, enhanced versions of DOOM and DOOM II launched late last week, including new deathmatch levels, cross play, faster weapon switching, and other extras. Console owners who already own DOOM or DOOM 2 can grab this upgrade for free. Nothing better than free-doom!

New release trailers

EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25

Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered

DOOM + DOOM II

White Day 2: The Flower That Tells Lies Complete Edition

Mad Devils: Damned-finitive Edition

Just Crow Things

Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Xbox)

House of Golf 2 

Shoulders of Giants: Ultimate 

Phantom Spark

Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery

Cat’s Request

Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 – Ninpo Blast 

Overboss 

Thief Simulator 2

Rewind or Die

New multiformat releases

  • EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25
  • Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse
  • DOOM + DOOM II
  • House of Golf 2
  • Mad Devils: Damned-finitive Edition
  • Hunt: Showdown 1896
  • White Day 2: The Flower That Tells Lies – Complete Edition
  • Phantom Spark
  • Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery
  • Cat’s Request
  • Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 – Ninpo Blast
  • Turn to Mine 
  • Rewind or Die
  • Overboss
  • Castaway
  • Cricket: Jae’s Really Peculiar Game

New on PSN

  • Shoulders of Giants: Ultimate
  • Tiny Whaley 2
  • COMPOUND

New on Xbox Store

  • Just Crow Things
  • Kena: Bridge of Spirits
  • Bloodhound
  • Mute Crimson DX
  • Pizza Bar Tycoon
  • Thief Simulator 2
  • Farewell North

New Switch retail releases

eShop round-up coming Thursday

  • Windstorm: Start Of A Great Friendship

Next week: Black Myth: Wukong, Concord, Tiebreak: The Official Game of the ATP and WTA, Dustborn, Pneumata, My Lovely Empress, Mangavania 2, Tales from Toyotoki: Arrival of the Witch, Aery – Ancient Empires, and Rise Eterna War.