Hello! Welcome to the latest Geeky Brummie Games Release Roundup!

This week, deadly expeditions, high schools at war and questionable fighting rosters.

Re-Releases and Ports

Continuing Sony’s trend of re-releasing the entire PS4 library while ignoring the PS3 games stuck on that system, Days Gone Remastered brings Bend Studio’s zombies and bikers game to PC and PS5.

Super Technos World: River City & Technos Arcade Classics (PC, PS5, Switch) is a compilation of games developed by Technos Japan in the 90s, mostly for arcades. These include Super Dodge Ball Arcade, Xain’d Sleena, China Gate, Shadow Force and The Combattribes. As the name suggests, there are also plenty of River City/Kunio-kun games here too, including River City Renegade, Kunio’s Dodgeball Time, Downtown River City Baseball Story and Kunio’s Oden.

Rumoured for weeks and now formally announced and released, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered brings the classic Bethesda RPG to modern systems. Visual improvements, some gameplay improvements and all DLC included (yes, including the horse armour).

New Releases

Asura the Striker (PC) is Space Harrier. No, really, this is just a new Space Harrier game. Maybe not in name, and maybe Sega aren’t involved so technically it’s not an official entry to the series, but it’s absolutely Space Harrier. It’s a lot of fast-paced rail shooter action as you play Asura, a humanoid weapon taking down alien invaders.

Out of Hands (PC) is a card battler wrapped in one of the most bizarre psychological horror aesthetics I’ve ever seen. You play as a man trapped in a nightmare world where he is, as the title suggests, made entirely out of hands. I played the demo for this one and was in awe of how far they stretched this utterly strange concept, as you fight metaphysical concepts with the power of stationery.

Detective Dotson (PC) is a point-and-click adventure that’s Indian in every possible way. Developed by Indian devs, you play as an aspiring Bollywood star who becomes a detective after his father (also a detective) is murdered.

Ghost Town (PC, Meta Quest) is a spooky VR puzzle game from the developers of popular mobile series The Room. You play as Edith, a paranormal investigator trying to find her brother on a remote Scottish island. Features writing by Cara Ellison, a former games journalist who has also worked on Dishonored 2 and Void Bastards.

Old Skies (PC) is the latest point-and-click adventure from Wadjet Eye, a studio who’ve been quietly keeping the genre alive for years with excellent games since the Blackwell series. This latest effort focuses on Fia Quinn, an agent for ChronoZen, a time travel agency, as she guides clients through different time periods. The demo for this is promising, especially with the time travel aspect adding some fun trial-and-error puzzles.

Sunderfolk (PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox X/S) is a tactical RPG crossed with Jackbox. You and up to three friends are heroes in the fantasy town of Arden heading out to deal with the threats of the surrounding Sunderlands. This is facilitated by your phone, which acts as your controller and supplemental materials. It’s an interesting experiment in blending tabletop and video games into one experience.

Monster Prom 4: Monster Con (PC) is the latest in the bizarre Monster Prom series, where the goal is to win over a monster to take to prom with you. Except in this game, as the name suggests, you and your monster friends are at a comic convention, and your prospective beau is who you will take to the afterparty. It’s a game about getting involved in various shenanigans, boosting your stats and winning over the monster of your desire, with your options including an Eldtrich horror, a vampire, a slime monster, a clown, a demon or a mimic.

Post Trauma (PC, PS5, Xbox X/S) is an old school horror game set in a terrifying alternate realm. You play as a train conductor figuring his way through the terrors, solving puzzles and fighting off monsters along the way. Looks like a great one for fans of classic horror.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (PC, PlayStation, Xbox X/S) is the first Fatal Fury game since 1999’s Garou: Mark of the Wolves. It’s a pure 2D fighter aimed at hardcore players, with a new mechanic known as the Rev System enhancing fighters’ moves. Reviews are positive, although critical of the seemingly Saudi-mandated inclusion of two real people as fighters, including Cristiano Ronaldo. Yes, the footballer. It’s as weird as it sounds.

Games of the Week

Oh no, it happened again. Too many good games, and this week is a battle of two RPGs that are essential for any fans of the genre.

The first Game of the Week is The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy (PC, Switch), the latest collaboration between Danganronpa creator Kazutaka Kodaka and Zero Escape creator Kotaro Uchikoshi.

Unlike the pure puzzle-based visual novels the creators are famous for, this is a tactical RPG with mild tower defence elements. You play as a group of students who’ve been rounded up and forced to stay at the titular Last Defense Academy, which they must defend for a hundred days or risk the end of all humanity at the hands of strange alien beings.

While there is a genre shift, it’s very easy to see the work of both directors, especially Danganronpa. The setup is so similar that a character even excitedly hopes she’s been thrown into a killing game like in that game. I played all four hours of the demo and was glued to it, so that’s my ringing endorsement right there.

Second Game of the Week is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PC, PS5, Xbox X/S), a JRPG from France. A FRPG?

In a world inspired by 19th century France, a mysterious woman known as The Paintress paints a number, and everyone of that age dies within a year. With the latest number, 33, Gustave, Maelle and a group of other 33-year-olds all set out with the goal of learning more about The Paintress and stopping her curse once and for all.

Anyone looking for an excellent turn-based RPG needs to get on this one, at least as far as all the reviews are concerned. Set in a vast fantasy world fraught with danger, you and your band of expeditioners will seek out harsh truths, figure out what happened to the previous expeditions and fight tough enemies. The battle system is built on a timed hit system, allowing for parries and counters, and looks like a great time to get to grips with. I’ve been excited for this one for a while.