Out this week: Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Clock Tower, Shadows of the Damned, Life is Strange, Albatroz, Raiden NOVA, more

A couple of generations ago EA was one of the most prolific publishers, releasing big budget games on almost a monthly basis. Modern EA is a different beast, mostly focuses on The Sims and their annual sporting/racing updates – their last ‘new’ title was Tales of Kenzera: Zau back in April.

This ‘less is more’ strategy does however mean that Dragon Age: The Veilguard has had plenty of development time, reportedly spending four years of full production. In this single player RPG you play as Rook, a hero who can be shaped as you wish. Together with a squad of seven companions known as The Veilguard, they must prevent a pair of corrupt gods from destroying the world of Theda.

Back when EA was churning out games, Shadows of the Damned was under their wing. This comical, slightly twisted, third-person shooter became a cult classic, even though it was clear EA didn’t allow time for some sorely lacking polish. This week it gains a second chance of success with Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered, published by Grasshopper themselves. This remaster adds new costumes and a New Game+ mode.

Square-Enix is also back with the Deck9 developed Life is Strange: Double Exposure

Another remaster launching this week is Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for PS5 and PC. It’s set to feature improved animation, enhanced lighting, textures in line with modern standards, over 10 hours of re-recorded dialogue, and faster travelling between settlements. The timing strikes us as a bit odd, with LEGO Horizon Adventures due in a fortnight.

As it’s Halloween we can expect a slew of horror titles. These include the online co-op psychological thriller Phasmophobia – which was very well received on Steam – WayForward’s SNES remake Clock Tower: Rewind, faux NES platformer The Rocky Horror Show Video Game, and QUByte’s 3D puzzle platformer Hannah. Toy line tie-in Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets falls into this camp too, we guess.

Square-Enix is also back with the Deck9 developed Life is Strange: Double Exposure, which features two storylines running parallel. Here, Max is jumping between timelines to prevent a murder. The early access version appears to have gone down well with fans.

 backpacking RPG Albatroz

We can also expect the anime style monster farming adventure Farmagia, isometric roguelike [REDACTED], the curiously colourful backpacking RPG Albatroz, ‘bullet heaven’ shooter Slime 3K: Rise Against Despot, exploration based platformer Monospaced Lovers, and an Xbox release of Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution.

Vampire Hunters, meanwhile, is a first-person take on the Vampire Survivors formula that involves choosing auto-firing weapons to keep hordes of enemies at bay. It also includes the original ‘classic’ version, offering two games in one.

On the retro side of things, there’s a re-release of the GBA’s Aero The Acro-Bat: Rascal Rival Revenge, MOSS’ arcade-style twin-stick shooter spin-off Raiden Nova, the promising pixel art scrolling brawler Vengeance Hunters, and the shoot’em up bundle Wolf Fang / Skull Fang Saturn Tribute Boosted. And just in time for Halloween, there’s the Super Mario style pixel art platformer The Legend of Santa for PS5 and Switch. The timing isn’t too off, as it includes a Halloween world, a la The Nightmare Before Christmas.

New release trailers

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered

Life is Strange: Double Exposure

Phasmophobia

[REDACTED]

Vampire Hunters

Clock Tower: Rewind

Farmagia 

Albatroz 

Vengeance Hunters

Slime 3K: Rise Against Despot

Raiden NOVA 

Wolf Fang / Skull Fang Saturn Tribute Boosted

The Rocky Horror Show Video Game

Hannah 

CAFE 0 ~The Sleeping Beast~ REMASTERED

Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution 

Rumours From Elsewhere

Monospaced Lovers 

Totally Spies! Cyber Mission

Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets

New multiformat releases

  • Dragon Age: The Veilguard
  • Life is Strange: Double Exposure
  • Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered
  • Phasmophobia (Game Preview)
  • [REDACTED]
  • Totally Spies! – Cyber Mission
  • Albatroz
  • Retreat To Enen
  • Clock Tower: Rewind
  • Monster High‎ Skulltimate Secrets
  • Vampire Hunters
  • Post Trauma
  • Slime 3K: Rise Against Despot
  • Wolf Fang / Skull Fang Saturn Tribute Boosted
  • The Rocky Horror Show Video Game
  • Hannah
  • Aero The Acro-Bat: Rascal Rival Revenge
  • CAFE 0 ~The Sleeping Beast~ REMASTERED
  • Vengeance Hunters
  • Backrooms: Partygoers
  • Skater’s Solstice
  • Self-Delusion

New on PSN

  • Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
  • Raiden NOVA
  • Knight Shooter
  • Farmagia
  • The Legend of Santa
  • ROAD TO EXOTICS!
  • Fears to Fathom – Ironbark Lookout
  • Monospaced Lovers
  • The Exit Project: Backstreets

New on Xbox Store

  • Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution
  • Cell Scientists: Beyond
  • Deepest Trench
  • Hidden Paws Mystery
  • Last Escape: Dead Complex
  • Garten of Banban 6
  • Magic Cats Pots
  • Rumours From Elsewhere
  • Journey to Kreisia
  • Sainthood – The Game
  • Unsolved Case: Killer Popularity CE
  • I’m on Observation Duty 6

New Switch retail releases

eShop round-up coming Thursday

  • Farmagia 
  • The Smurfs: Dreams
  • World of Goo 2
  • Police Simulator: Patrol Officers – Extended Edition
  • Halloween & Ash vs Evil Dead Retro Realms
  • Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets 
  • Totally Spies – Cyber Mission

Next week: Mario & Luigi – Brothership, Metal Slug Tactics, SlavicPunk: Oldtimer, Empire of the Ants, Goat Simulator: Remastered, Planet Coaster 2, Slitterhead, Phantom Brave: The Hermuda Triangle Remastered, Metro Awakening Deluxe Edition, Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival, Magical Bakery, Back Then, Run From Mummies, O.W.L Projekt, Land of Mushrooms, and Bioframe Outpost.