After a three-year hiatus, the MXGP series returns this week, refreshed by Nacon and Kylotonn. We can expect advanced physics, user-friendly controls for beginners, 20 tracks from the 2024 calendar plus every official bike. Kylotonn’s WRC games were generally well received, but their last game – the online focused Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown left much to be desired.
Another franchise returning this week is Snow Bros. The classic arcade platformer has been turned into a 3D isometric adventure – subtitled Wonderland – by Tatsujin, looking both fun and creative due to retaining the ability to crush enemies with giant snowballs. It’s skipping Xbox though, sadly. The retail release is also a few weeks away.
The Xbox does however gain Shines Over: The Damned – in which you’re guided through a mysterious, twisted, world by a German shepherd dog. The very well-received (83% Metacritic score on PC) Nine Sols also comes to Game Pass in addition to PSN and the eShop, taking the form of an Asian-fantasy Metroidvania that borrows from Sekiro. Penguin’s Road meanwhile is a cartoony military third-person shooter. With penguins.
PSVR2 owners can jump into the arcade style 2-3 player wave-based shooter Starship Troopers: Continuum this week, developed by the team behind Zombieland Headshot Fever. Reviews from last month’s Meta Quest version appear to be mostly positive.
Then there’s the neo-noir 2.5D cyberpunk RPG Neon Blood, top-down rogue-like Ravenswatch – from the creators of Curse of the Dead Gods – airline management sim Fly Corp, and the one-hit death low-poly FPS Death Elevator. Steel Arts are also trying their hand at horror again with Beyond Hanwell, which involves battling abnormalities in London’s Westminster. To help boost immersion, there’s here’s no HUD. Combat will mix melee and ranged shooting, with combos to create and environmental hazards to exploit.
It’s also a big week for the Evercade, with Data East Arcade 2 and Toaplan Arcade Collection 3 launching alongside the new Evercade Alpha bartop arcade systems. After a few delays, the revised Evercade EXP-R handheld should be out too. Not to be outdone, Atari are readying the Atari 7800+ along with a bunch of cartridges issues, some of which are new multi-carts for the Atari 2600. Now there’s a thing.
New release trailers
MXGP 24: The Official Game
Starship Troopers: Continuum
Snow Bros. Wonderland
Ravenswatch
Beyond Hanwell
Neon Blood
Nine Sols
Fly Corp
Glitch Hero
Shines Over: The Damned
Biomorph
Evercade – Data East Arcade 2
Evercade – Toaplan Arcade 3
New multiformat releases
- MXGP 24: The Official Game
- Ravenswatch
- Neon Blood
- Nine Sols
- Beyond Hanwell
- Death Elevator
- Fly Corp
- Glitch Hero
- Find Love Or Die Trying
- Furious Bikers
New on PSN
- Starship Troopers: Continuum
- Snow Bros. Wonderland
- Liberte
- Biomorph
- The Mildew Children
- UNREC SHOOTER
- Platform 8
- Pretty Girls Pop Match
- MiceGard
New on Xbox Store
- Shines Over: The Damned
- Tribe: Primitive Builder
- SokoNature
- Penguin’s Road
- ReactorX 3
- Cursed Feed
- Pure Mini Golf
New Switch retail releases
eShop round-up coming Thursday
- Wildermyth
- Super Woden GP Podium Edition
- Neon Blood – Limited Edition
- TERRACOTTA Collector’s Edition
- Virgo Versus the Zodiac
New Evercade carts
- Data East Arcade Collection 2
- Toaplan Arcade Collection 3
Next week: FANTASIAN Neo Dimension, Infinity Nikki, Dog Man: Mission Impawsible, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (PS5), Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop, Marvel Rivals, The Thaumaturge, MasterChef: Learn to Cook, Endless Deaths, Shadow Tactics: Aiko’s Choice, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, UFL, DETECTIVE – The Motel, Railroads Online, Entropy Survivors, Real Heroes: Firefighter HD (PS5), Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Digital Premium Edition.