New Releases: July 28th-August 3rd, 2022

This week, Digimon Survive arrives, offering a mix of visual novel storytelling and strategy stages inspired by the Utawarerumono series. Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony updates the 2009 “Touhouvania” for Switch and PC, while Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (pictured) offers another heaping helping of Monolith Soft’s cherished action role-playing franchise.

PlayStation 4
Digimon Survive (physical & digital, $59.99)
Frogun (digital, $11.99-$24.99)
LootLite (digital, $4.99)
RimWorld Console Edition (digital, $39.99)
South of the Circle (digital, $11.69)
Surviving the Aftermath (physical, $29.99)
The Sims 4: High School Years (DLC, $29.99)
Zorro the Chronicles (physical & digital, $39.99)

PlayStation 5
Zorro the Chronicles (physical & digital, $39.99)

Switch
After Wave: Downfall (digital, $11.99)
Avenging Spirit (digital, $5.99)
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 (digital, $26.99)
Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions (digital, $24.99)
Coloring Book: Adventure Bundle – 90 Drawings (digital, $5.99)
Cyanide & Happiness: Freakpocalypse Episode 1: Hall Pass to Hell (physical, $34.99)
Digimon Survive (physical & digital, $59.99)
Frogun (digital, $11.99-$24.99)
Japanese Escape Games The Hospital (digital, $4.99)
Hot Lap League: Deluxe Edition (digital, $19.99)
Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony (digital, $29.99)
LootLite (digital, $4.99)
Lord Winklebottom Investigates (digital, $18.99)
Madison (digital, $31.49)
Moonrise Fall (digital, $9.99)
Pizza Bar Tycoon Deluxe Edition (digital, $5.99)
Promo Pack 2×1 (digital, $7.00)
Pure Crosswords – The Best Crossword Puzzle Word Game Ever! (digital, $14.99)
Puzzletronics: Digital Infinite (digital, $2.99)
Romeow: to the Cracked Mars (digital, $2.99)
South of the Circle (digital, $11.69)
Squish (physical, $34.99)
Strange Horticulture (digital, $14.99)
Superpanda 2 (digital, $3.99)
Turrican Anthology Vol. I (digital, $34.99)
Turrican Anthology Vol. 2 (digital, $34.99)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (physical & digital, $59.99)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Special Edition (physical, $89.99)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – Expansion Pass (DLC, $29.99)
Yuoni (digital, $14.39)
Zorro the Chronicles (physical & digital, $39.99)

Xbox One
After Wave: Downfall (digital, $11.99)
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 (digital, $26.99)
Digimon Survive (physical & digital, $59.99)
Frogun (digital, $11.99-$24.99)
LootLite (digital, $4.99)
RimWorld Console Edition (digital, $39.99)
South of the Circle (digital, $11.69)
Surviving the Aftermath (physical, $29.99)
The Sims 4: High School Years (DLC, $29.99)

PC
Apostle: Rebellion ($TBA)
Autonauts vs Piratebots ($17.99)
Bear and Breakfast ($19.99)
Earth’s Shadow ($TBA)
Frogun ($11.99)
Ghost Watchers ($11.99)
Graduated ($TBA)
Hard West 2 ($TBA)
Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony ($29.99)
Lord Winklebottom Investigates ($18.99)
PlateUp! ($TBA)
Pretty Girls Breakout! PLUS
Nyaruru Fishy Fight ($TBA)
Re-Volt ($TBA)
South of the Circle ($11.69)
Sweet Transit ($19.79)
The Sims 4: High School Years (DLC, $29.99)
Turbo Golf Racing ($TBA)
Vestaria Saga II: The Sacred Sword of Silvanister ($TBA)
Yacht Mechanic Simulator ($TBA)

Rob’s Pick: Touhou titles have been a mixed bag on Switch. Sure, Genso: Wanderer Reloaded and Luna Nights were solid, but Kobuto V: Burst Battle and Gensou Skydrift were a bit disappointing. Hyouibana: Antinomy of Common Flowers was serviceable.  This week sees the release of 2009’s Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony (Koumajou Densetsu: Akeiro no Koukyoukyoku). As a Touhouvania with a few distinctive traits, the game tasks Reimu with exploring the Scarlet Devil Mansion. While your whip-based melee-attacks will feel familiar, the ability to fly and fire amulets endows the game with engaging shooting action.

As fun as Scarlet Symphony is, it’s no match for this week’s juggernaut: Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Like the previous two entries, there are the expansive open worlds that invite exploration as well as a combat system that prods players into investigating its nuances. A storyline that borrows some of the existential ponderings of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep but also adds some of the struggles of working-class survival is capable of engrossing players for its extended duration. And I’ve always maintained that a hint of melancholy is an essential spice. Storylines that lack it habitually seem bland to me. Without spoiling anything, Chronicles 3 feels like it’s been seasoned by a Michelin-starred chef. Itadakimasu/Bon appétit! (Where am I going to find time for Digimon Survive?)

Matt R’s pick (editor, Shindig): Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the obvious choice this week, as the culmination of a series that’s long made its mark not just in grandeur and innovative combat, but in the depths it takes its storytelling and the often heavy themes it tackles. Building off the previous games, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 looks even more willing to really go places, and I’m very curious to see where that ends up.

The other big one for me this week is Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony. Touhou and Castlevania inspiration go hand in hand, as Touhou Luna Nights already proved. But where that was very clearly made in the Symphony of the Night, Scarlet Symphony calls back to a more classic style of Konami’s action platformer. A hefty whip, bullet hell boss fights, and the endless charm of Touhou’s cast make this a great time.

Lastly, I want to give a quick nod to two interesting little games that are out in Early Access this week. Turbo Golf Racing is exactly what it sounds like: a racing game where the goal isn’t just to cross the finish line first, but to sink a large ball into a hole at the end of a giant golf course… using a car. It’s to golf what Rocket League is to soccer, and it’s just as ridiculous as it sounds. The other one is Sweet Transit, a relatively humble little city builder, but where the focus is squarely on the train network around which the city develops. It’s early days yet, but it’s already showing a lot of promise and depth.

Matt S’ pick (Editor, DigitallyDownloaded): I am really – REALLY – keen on seeing how Digimon Survive turns out. A tactics JRPG staring collectible monsters? Why I don’t think we’ve had that since the Pokémon Conquest game back on the Nintendo DS, and that was an excellent thing indeed. I’m surprised there haven’t been more efforts to combine those particular genres, actually. Perhaps Digimon Survive can be the proof of concept that could kick start more attempts (and a new Pokémon Conquest, please!)

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the other highlight this week, and what a massive highlight it is. Well over 100 hours of intense narrative combines with overwrought, but highly engaging combat to produce a game that almost redefines “epic.” There’s also a lot of smarts packed in, with a deep dive into theology and philosophy that feels like the cumulation of everything this expanded series has been driving at from as far back as Xenogears. Earlier this year I would have said that nothing was going to compete with Elden Ring for sheer artful impact among JRPGs in 2022. I stand corrected.