Hello! Welcome to the latest Geeky Brummie Gaming Roundup!

This week, Keanu sex, Joy-Con drift and Tomb Raider, plus all the latest releases!

Cyberpunk Mods Inevitably Lead to Keanu Sex

Few things are certain in life. However, one thing you can always guarantee is that the internet will always find a way to have sex with someone or something when modding tools are provided.

It’s made even easier when the game in question already has sex scenes. Which is why PC modders have made it possible for you to have sex with Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077. The only surprise here is that it took a month and wasn’t already a mod by Christmas.

Which is why it’s odd that CDPR seem to be so surprised by it. They’ve had the mod in question taken down, specifically one that allowed model swaps between the in-game “joytoys” and other characters in the game. Their reasons are that they don’t want people using the likenesses of real-world people for explicit purposes such as this, which is why the main change has been the removal of Johnny Silverhand from the model swap mod, while other characters are still fair game.

It does make sense, although Keanu absolutely seems like the sort of guy who’d get a good chuckle of this scenario, but it’s fair to assume some other likenesses, such as the streamer cameos, may feel less comfortable.

Although it’s only a matter of time before Keanu sex returns in some form. The internet always finds a way.

Continental Drift

After their action against Valve last week, the European Union have a new target for legislation in the video games space – Nintendo.

The Switch has a known issue, usually referred to as Joy-Con Drift, where over time the thumbstick in the left Joy-Con will gradually decay and “drift” in games. As someone who’s encountered the issue personally, having characters constantly walking slowly to the left in Smash Bros is frustrating. It’s already been the subject of a class action lawsuit in the US, and now Europe is following their example, largely because Nintendo seem unwilling to address the issue, and have even denied it’s an issue.

After receiving more than 25,000 complaints across European nations, the EU’s consumer protection agency, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) have filed complaints with the European Commission calling for an investigation into the Joy-Con issue. Nintendo have yet to address the story but it’ll be interesting to see what happens next.

Tomb Raider 25th Anniversary News

Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix have made their first announcements regarding the 25th anniversary of my favourite game franchise of all time, Tomb Raider. Released in October 1996, Tomb Raider and its iconic lead Lara Croft now have 25 years in the gaming world behind them, and that’s certainly not a fact that makes me feel old because I’ve been playing them since the beginning or anything.

Right now, news is slim on what the team intends to do to celebrate this milestone, but an announcement video says there will be monthly celebrations dedicated to each game in turn, starting with the first game next month, and that a new title is in development that intends to bridge the gap between the classic titles and the recent reboot trilogy, although they also admit that the new title is still early in development.

There was news in non-gaming media for the franchise though. The next Tomb Raider movie, with Alicia Vikander reprising her role from 2018’s adaptation of the first title in the reboot trilogy, will be directed by Lovecraft County showrunner Misha Green. No further details are known about the script just yet, but presumably the story will derive elements from Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Also, Netflix have confirmed they will be producing an animated Tomb Raider series alongside Legendary. It’ll be written by Tasha Huo and Dmitri M. Johnson, the latter of whom is known for his work on the Sonic movie. Netflix have been doing a great job with game adaptations lately, so this should be good.

New Releases

Kicking off the new releases this week is a remaster. Fahrenheit: 15th Anniversary Edition is a tweaked version of Quantic Dream’s first attempt at interactive fiction (before going on to make Heavy Rain and Detroit Become Human), launching as a limited edition physical release for PS4. I’ve never played Fahrenheit, but I do know the story gets kind of bonkers, turning from a crime thriller into some bizarre sci-fi thing, but it does have a cult following.

Couple of games emerging from Early Access on Steam this week, with Main Assembly, a robot construction game, and Skul: The Hero Slayer, a roguelike sidescroller about a skeleton that can swap heads, both seeing full releases.

Chroma: Bloom and Blight (PC via Steam) is a free-to-play card battler in the vein of Hearthstone. However, it promises every card, including expansions, is entirely free. Not sure how the developer intends to support the game without a little bit of financing, but the intention is noble.

Two horror co-op titles released this week on Steam. Devour pits you against a crazed cult leader who’s out for blood, while Monstrum 2 (in Early Access) sees you playing as prisoners trying to escape a vast undersea prison while being pursued by biological horrors.

Continuing the double bill of similar games, here’s some point-and-click adventures. Encodya (PC via Steam & GOG) stars a young girl living in a dystopian city with her protector robot, as they chase her father’s mission to bring colour back to the world. It’s Blade Runner made by Studio Ghibli basically. Tohu (PC via Steam & GOG, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Stadia) also stars a little girl assisted by a robot, set in a whimsical world of fish planets powered by “the Sacred Engine”.

Gods Will Fall (PC via Steam and Epic, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Stadia) is a roguelike set in a world of cruel gods manipulating humanity. You play a band of warriors who set out to take down their oppressive rulers and help humanity regain control. Sword of the Necromancer (PC via Steam, Switch, PS4, Xbox One) is another roguelike where an adventurer named Tama sets out to bring a beloved princess back from the dead, and features a mechanic where you can revive your slain enemies and have them assist you in battle.

Disjunction (PC via Steam & GOG, PS4, Xbox One, Switch) is a top-down stealth action RPG set in a cyberpunk world full of unrest and conflict. You play as three citizens, each with their own customisable abilities and playstyles. It’s an ambitious game that promises your choices will have real consequences. It’s getting some pretty good reviews too, so could be worth checking out.

Olija (PC via Steam, Switch, PS4, Xbox One) is a sidescrolling action game set in the mysterious land of Terraphage where a man named Faraday finds himself bound to a lady named Olija. Gameplay is a blend of stealth, platforming and fast-paced action. Another one getting some good reviews.

Cyber Shadow (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC via Steam) is another sidescroller published by Shovel Knight devs Yacht Club Games. It’s a “ninja action” game and by that they seemingly mean it’s a revival of the likes of Ninja Gaiden, albeit with more cybernetic technology.

Game of the Week

Game of the Week this week is The Medium. The latest title from Layers of Fear and Blair Witch developers Bloober Team, The Medium is a horror game that looks set to bring back a Silent Hill vibe to the genre, even going as far as hiring Akira Yamaoka to work on the soundtrack.

Unsurprisingly, the main character is a medium, a Polish orphan named Mariane who can see through the veil between life and the afterlife. Much of the game involves this split, as Mariane solves puzzles between the two realms and faces off the strange spirits and monsters from beyond the divide.

I’m all for a creepy psychological horror game that brings back the days of Silent Hill, so I have to make this Game of the Week.

It’s available on PC and Xbox Series X/S, included in Xbox Game Pass for both platforms.

And that’s it for this week! I’ll see you again soon with more gaming news and releases!