Welcome back to This Week In Games Australia for one more week. This week has been one of the busiest weeks for game releases since March. We have heavy hitters like splatoon 3 and NBA 2K23mid-tier AAs like Disney Dreamlight Valley and FISTcreative indies like train boundand even Aussie games like Justice Sucks and A dreamer. Because we have So a lot to get through, I may not be able to go into the kind of details of every game I usually do, but I’ll try to give you an overview of everything along the way.
September 6
Disney Dreamlight Valley (PS5, XSX, PC, NS, PS4, XBO)
This is a family-friendly life simulator set in Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Dreamlight Valley has been going through hard times, stricken by a plague called The Forgetting. Now it’s up to you to figure it out, make friends with a slew of Disney characters and restore the city to its former glory. Out on Game Pass on day one too. Ruby’s excitement level: very high.
FIST: Forged in Shadow Torch (PS5, NS, PS4)
FIST launched on several platforms last year, but is coming to PS5, PS4, and Switch retail this week. This is great for those who like a weird little AA title with big ideas.
Gloomwood (PC)
New Blood has been eagerly anticipated Thief-stylized stealth game Gloomwood goes into early access this week. Blackjacks, guns, sneak and shadows are your friends as you explore a dangerous Victorian city at night. Gloomwood should be a balm for those longing for a return to the heyday of Looking Glass Studios.
Rail-bound (PC)
train bound shares a conceptual space with games like Mini highways, a chill puzzle game about building functional rail infrastructure. It looks great and will tangle your brain (but not in a stressful way). I can see myself putting a lot of time into this as I catch up on my podcasts.
Rocksmith+ (PS5, XSX, PC, PS4, XBO)
Ubisoft is moving rocksmith guitar playing to a subscription model, presumably to help pay for all that licensed music, but is also rebuilding the game to be a better teacher. I know quite a few people who have found the original rocksmith useful for learning the basics of guitar playing, although it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the adapter needed to connect it to the PC. Hopefully a new wave of those will come to the game when it launches this week. Learn guitar! It’s fun!
Train Sim World 3 (PS5, XSX, PC, PS4, XBO)
I’m all set to be a terrible machinist. I have hundreds of hours in Flight Simulator. I like to think I’m pretty handy with a technical vehicle simulator. Every time I’ve tried to play Train Sim World 2, I failed miserably. I’m ready to fail again. Out on Game Pass on day one.
September 7
Cirque Electric (PC)
There’s a lot going on in Circus Electric. It is a story-driven RPG with tactics elements, but also a circus management sim. I think it looks cool as hell. Definitely going on my list.
September 8
Horizon Chase 2 (PS5, XSX, PC, NS, PS4, XBO)
Horizon Chase 2 has been available on mobile platforms for a while now. Now it’s making the jump to console and PC. If you played the first one, it’s arcadey, avoid-inspired racer with a pulsating soundtrack.
Jack Move (PC, NS, PS4, XBO)
Jack Move is a cyberpunk RPG about a young woman who finds herself in a world of murder and revenge after her father goes missing. Turn-based combat, cool retro graphics and powerful hacking moves are the order of the day.
Kaichu: The Kaiju Dating Sim (PC)
What if we kissed in the wreckage of this Kaiju-ravaged city? That’s the point of kaichu: The Kaiju Dating Simthe game that dares to ask the question: what if these giant, angry monsters just made up and cuddled?
Roadside Assistance (PC)
roadside assistance is a text-based adventure game where you are a wandering knight, delivering justice wherever you go. During your travels, you meet interesting people, hear about their problems and unravel a greater mystery. Very cool, going on my list.
Steel Rising (PS5, XSX)
Because FromSoft fans start to itch if they haven’t had a new one soul-like in a few months, Steel Rising coming to take the edge off. Imagine a steampunk FromSoft game set during the French Revolution, and you’ve got the gist.
September 9th
DC League of Superpets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace (NS, PS4)
I’ve listed this one for two reasons: 1) your kids will probably love it, and 2) it’s honestly rare to see a movie tie-in-game on consoles anymore. These games used to be the bread and butter of the industry, but now feel like a relic of an earlier era.
Deeeer Simulator (NS, PS4)
Deeeer Simulator was on TWIG last week, but the sale date eventually slipped. It comes out this week.
Justice Sucks: Tactical Vacuum Action (PS5, XSX, PC, NS, PS4, XBO)
The little kill that Roomba could be is back. Justice Sucks is a game about a little Roomba who has had enough and takes down the criminal element. Bloody, strange and very, very stupid. Made by Australian studio Samurai Punk.
NBA 2K23 (PS5, XSX, PC, NS, PS4, XBO)
2K’s favorite dairy cow is back for another year. NBA 2K23 is going to be big this year and Jordan the big stopping place in its marketing, but it’s yet to be seen how invasive the game’s now perpetual microtransactions are. For those who get in every year, I know you’re going to have a good time. Let’s go, Celtics.
A dreamer (PC)
Darwin dev F2House’s long in-production passion project, a dreamer, is finally out this week. A story about helping a burnt-out indie game developer finish their game by editing the source code in the world around them.
Splatoon 3 (NS)
Splatoon 3 comes out this week and puts Nintendo’s first-party shooter back on the Switch. Many of you have been looking forward to this, and now that I’ve played it for a few hours two weeks ago, I’m sure you’ll love it.
Temtem (PS5, XSX, NS)
described as a pokemon-such as MMO, Temtem has been around for a while. Now it finally comes to next-gen platforms and the Switch. So if you need a game to fill the gap to Pokemon Scarlet and purple arrives later this year, now you have it.
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