New Releases: December 1st-7th, 2022

This week, Need for Speed Unbound races onto now-gen consoles and PC while The Callisto Protocol creeps its way out onto everything but Switch. But Nintendo owners shouldn’t fret, as Sakura Succubus 6 (pictured) enlivens the system this week.

PlayStation 4
Astronite (physical, $29.99)
Bot Gaiden (digital, $14.99)
Divine Knockout (digital, $24.99, free via PS+)
Far Cry 6: Lost Between Worlds (DLC, $19.99)
Firefighting Simulator – The Squad (digital, $29.99)
Hindsight (digital, $TBA)
Kukoos: Lost Pets (physical & digital, $29.99)
Othercide (physical, $44.99)
Paper Cut Mansion (digital, $19.99)
Redout 2: Deluxe Edition (physical, $44.99)
Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered (digital, $24.99)
Sakura Succubus 6 (digital, $9.99)
Sword of the Vagrant (digital, $9.99)
Swordship (digital, $19.99)
Terror of Hemasaurus (digital, $12.99)
The Callisto Protocol (physical & digital, $59.99)
The Outbound Ghost (digital, $24.99)
Togges (digital, $19.99)

PlayStation 5
Astronite (physical, $29.99)
Hello Neighbor 2 (physical, $39.99 and $59.99)
Marvel’s Midnight Suns Enhanced Edition (physical & digital, $69.99)
Need for Speed Unbound (physical & digital, $69.99)
Redout 2: Deluxe Edition (physical, $44.99)
The Callisto Protocol (physical & digital, $69.99)
The Eternal Cylinder (physical, $29.99)

Switch
Astronite (physical, $34.99)
Bot Gaiden (digital, $14.99)
Crysis 2 Remastered (physical, $39.99)
Crysis 3 Remastered (physical, $39.99)
Cyborg Invasion Shooter 3: Savior Of The World (digital, $9.99)
Donut Dodo (digital, $4.99)
Goonya Monster (digital, $17.99)
GRISAIA PHANTOM TRIGGER 07 (digital, $24.99)
Inscryption (digital, $19.99)
Intrepid Izzy (digital, $10.99)
Japanese Escape Games The Room Without Doors (digital, $4.99)
Kukoos: Lost Pets (physical & digital, $29.99)
Lover Pretend (digital, $49.99)
Othercide (physical, $44.99)
Papetura (digital, $8.99)
Railbound (digital, $12.99)
Redout 2: Deluxe Edition (physical, $44.99)
Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered (digital, $24.99)
Sakura Succubus 6 (digital, $9.99)
Siralim Ultimate (digital, $19.99)
Super Kiwi 64 (digital, $2.99)
Sword of the Vagrant (digital, $9.99)
Swordship (digital, $19.99)
Terror of Hemasaurus (digital, $12.99)
The Rumble Fish 2 (digital, $29.99)
The Rumble Fish 2 Additional Character – Beatrice (DLC, $2.99)
The Rumble Fish 2 Additional Character – Greed (DLC, $2.99)
The Rumble Fish 2 Additional Character – Hazama (DLC, $2.99)
The Outbound Ghost (digital, $24.99)
Togges (digital, $19.99)
Tomomi (digital, $7.99)
Warp Drive (digital, $24.99)
Witch on the Holy Night (digital, $39.99)
Work from Home (digital, $19.99)

Xbox One
Bot Gaiden (digital, $14.99)
Divine Knockout (digital, $24.99, $49.99)
Dobo’s Heroes (digital, $6.39)
Far Cry 6: Lost Between Worlds (DLC, $19.99)
Hello Neighbor 2 (physical, $39.99)
Hindsight (digital, $TBA)
Marvel’s Midnight Suns Enhanced Edition (physical & digital, $69.99)
Need for Speed Unbound (physical & digital, $69.99)
New Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja (digital, $39.99)
Sword of the Vagrant (digital, $9.99)
Swordship (digital, $19.99)
Terror of Hemasaurus (digital, $12.99)
The Callisto Protocol (physical & digital, $59.99)
Togges (digital, $19.99)
Warp Drive (digital, $24.99)

PC
Art of the Rail ($TBA)
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla ($19.80)
Chained Echoes ($TBA)
Curse of Eternity ($16.99)
Divine Knockout ($24.99, $49.99)
Doki Doki House ($TBA)
Dwarf Fortress ($29.99)
End State ($TBA)
Falsepine ($9.59)
Marvel’s Midnight Suns ($59.99)
Need for Speed Unbound ($69.99)
Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered ($24.99)
Super Kiwi 64 ($TBA)
The Callisto Protocol ($59.99)
The Rumble Fish 2 (digital, $29.99)
The Rumble Fish 2 Additional Character – Beatrice (DLC, $2.99)
The Rumble Fish 2 Additional Character – Greed (DLC, $2.99)
The Rumble Fish 2 Additional Character – Hazama (DLC, $2.99)
Togges ($19.99)
Warlords Under Siege ($TBA)

Rob’s Pick: As Returnal demonstrated, ambient noises can be wonderfully unsettling. As a spiritual successor to Dead Space, The Callisto Protocol has all obligatory visual creepiness, from the beam of a flashlight illuminating a walking skinsack to a shadowy aggressor whose posture signals bloodthirsty intent. But beyond the apprehension of never quite having enough ammo, the real scares in Striking Distance Studios’ survival horror are aural. And that’s the way it should be. My only issue is movement that feels heavy. I know it ratchets up the level of tension, but occasionally I get frustrated by heavyweight characters like Jacob Lee.

As a fan of street racing games, I’m excited for Need for Speed Unbound. For years, the series seemed to struggle to keep the series looking fresh and Unbounded’s mixture of cell-shading with graffiti-style art is interesting, even if it will date the game (you’re free to troll me in 2032 if it proves to be a stylistic harbinger). Criterion Games hasn’t developed any racing games since Alex Ward and Fiona Sperry left to form Three Fields Entertainment. Hopefully, Unbounded will rekindle the studio’s knack for intense, high-speed driving action.

Ryan’s pick: My pick this week is Dwarf Fortress. Granted, the game has been out until 2006, but its release on Steam is a big thing in my opinion. If you are into a challenge and remotely are interested in strategy or simulation games, it’s definitely worth a look. A lot of players suggest that the wiki is the best way to get acquainted with the game, as its learning curve is quite steep. However, once you invest some time into it, the game is really surprising in how deep the strategy can be.

On the other side of the spectrum in terms of graphics I’d like to also suggest The Calliso Protocol. It’s been quite some time since I’ve played a horror game that has got my adrenaline up, with the last being Resident Evil Village. There’s a lot to like about this game in my opinion, and the addition of being able to use melee against enemies also helps set the game apart from Dead Space. The game is quite graphic, so that would be my only warning if you are a bit squeamish when it comes to gore and blood.

Matt S’ pick (editor, DigitallyDownloaded): I’d never played Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- before, so my pick this week is the remaster of that PlayStation 2 classic. As I’ve said often enough in the past, I do love the SaGa series because, while it might not be Square Enix’s major property – it’s no Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest – that lower profile also liberates them to be more experimental in approach. Sometimes it falls flat. Other times it’s brilliant. I hope -Minstrel Song- is the latter, but either way I’m excited to find out.

I’m also really excited for Witch on the Holy Night. The art style tells you immediately that it could only come from the same company that dreamed up the Fate series, and as I love Fate, I’m quietly confident that I’ll love this one. I mean, sure, it’s not going to be an adult VN, given that it’s on the Switch and all, and unfortunately, it’s not actually Fate so we won’t get to witness the glorious zettai ryoiki of Rin Tohsaka, but still. It’s gotta be good, right?

Finally, a shout out to an Aussie project! Siralim: Ultimate. Siralim has been kicking around for quite a few years now, and while the games look like they’re something straight out of a Nethack roguelike from decades ago, these games are Pokemon fo the truly hardcore. You’re looking at hundreds of dungeons and millions of experience levels in this, the ultimate grind to end all grinds. All the previous Siralims have been really good and I expect this one will be too.