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

This week, mermaids and zombies.

Apologies for last week, everyone. I unfortunately was stricken with plague* so I had to take the week off. But no worries, because it’s a quiet week this week, with mostly a bunch of re-releases as the industry has collectively decided to avoid launching next to Resident Evil (fair). However, this is perfect, as it means last week’s relatively busier schedule of interesting games can be easily merged into this roundup.

So please enjoy this mixture of the past two weeks, with two Games of the Week as appropriate.

*I had a cold

Hamster’s Arcade Archives series continues with the first ever console release of Rave Racer, the third arcade release in the Ridge Racer series (developed separately from Ridge Racer Revolution and Rage Racer, the second and third PlayStation entries). Coming to PlayStation, Switch and Xbox.

Also from Namco, Tales of Berseria Remastered (PC, PS5, Switch 1, Xbox X/S) brings the sixteenth entry in their long-running Tales series of RPGs off the PS3 and onto modern systems. Now comes with some quality-of-life improvements.

No Sleep for Kaname Date, the latest game in the AI: The Somnium Files series, is now out on PlayStation after its brief Switch console exclusivity. This third case sees the titular detective taking part in a series of escape room challenges to save an idol from danger.

Avowed also came to PS5 last week, after a year of Xbox exclusivity. So if you’re a PlayStation-only player and you’ve been clamouring to jump into Obsidian’s spinoff of Pillars of Eternity and explore The Living Lands, this is a great week for you.

Speaking of Microsoft-owned studios, Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition is now on Switch 2, bringing the latest of Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic RPGs to Nintendo’s system with all the DLCs included.

In the latest episode of Single Player Studios Inexplicably Pivoting to Generic Live Services, Quantic Dream (Heavy Rain, Beyond Two Souls, Detroit Become Human) released Spellcasters Chronicles into Early Access this week. This is a third-person fantasy MOBA starring a variety of spell-slingers from sorcerers to shamans in a 3v3 battlefield. Will this finally end the recent run of live service games that die on their arse within a fortnight? Unlikely, but bless em for trying.

Love Eternal (PC, PlayStation, Switch 1, Xbox One) is a spooky precision platformer about a girl named Maya. After taking a strange phone call, she finds herself trapped in a decaying castle, as the mercy of a mysterious entity. Use gravity to your advantage as you take on a series of tough platforming rooms. Think Celeste or Super Meat Boy with VVVVVV mechanics. Developed by Brlka and published by Ysbryd Games.

Aerial_Knight’s Dropshot (PC, PS5, Xbox X/S) is a shooter about falling with style. Using your finger guns, you must take out any obstacle that’s stopping you from reaching the ground in one piece. Completely over the top and stylish, all made by a solo dev. Impressive stuff.

Under the Island (PC, PlayStation, Switch 1, Xbox X/S) is a cute top-down adventure game about Nia, a young girl travelling to a new island home only to discover it has dark secrets hidden within. Solve puzzles, fight a range of quirky enemies and befriend the locals, all to save the island from catastrophe. Developed by Slime King Games and published by Top Hat Studios.

Leaving Early Access, Laysara: Summit Kingdom (PC, PlayStation, Switch 1, Xbox) puts you in charge of a mountain community. High altitudes, rock slides and rough terrain are all things you must learn to overcome as you grow your town. What’s more, each town you build can be connected to a vast trade network across the mountain range, adding an extra layer of management complexity. Developed by Quite OK Games and published by Future Friends Games.

Norse: Oath of Blood (PC) is a turn-based tactics game set in the Viking era. You are out to avenge your father from a position of exile. You work to build a settlement in your name and defend it through strategic battles where you command your followers to victory. Developed by Arctic Hazard and published by Tripwire.

Styx: Blades of Greed (PC, PS5, Xbox X/S) is the latest in Nacon’s series of goblin-based stealth games. You play as Styx, a goblin who loves sneaking around, and now he’s got extra special powers to do as he pleases. This game promises a more open structure than the previous two in the series. Developed by Cyanide Studio.

Demon Tides (PC) is a hugely expressive platformer full of movement options in a big open space. It’s the followup to Demon Turf, only now everything is in full 3D instead of the flat character sprites of the previous game. You play as Beebz as she explores an exotic island paradise and uncovers its secrets. Developed by Fabraz.

Towerborne (PC, PS5, Xbox X/S) is a fantasy brawler with RPG mechanics, leaving Early Access this week. You play as a fully customisable Ace whose job is to defend the Belfry from the evils that threaten it from outside. You mainly do this by punching a lot of enemies in flashy combat. Developed by Stoic and published by Xbox Game Studios.

Star Trek Voyager: Across the Unknown (PC, PS5, Switch 2, Xbox X/S) puts you in the shoes of Kathryn Janeway as you take command of the USS Voyager. This is a management sim set in the world of the 90s Star Trek TV show, where you have to keep the ship running, but also make moral decisions about events on the ship and figure out military tactics when a space fight breaks out. One for the hardcore fans. Developed by Gamexcite and published by Daedelic.

Last week’s Game of the Week was Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse (PC, Switch 1), the surprise second game in Square Enix’s horror mystery series.

Announced a few weeks ago at the Nintendo Partner Showcase, the mystery at the heart of The Mermaid’s Curse kicks off when a pearl diver named Yuza Minakuchi discovers his own body on the ocean floor. Suddenly multiple supernatural mysteries start popping up around the small town of Kameshima, and it’s up to you to help solve them.

The first Paranormasight was widely praised for being a solid mystery full of twists and spooky occurrences, and it sounds a lot like this sequel cleans up the original game’s flaws, adds in more open exploration segments and tightens up its storytelling. If you like visual novels with a bit of mystery, this is for you.

This week’s Game of the Week is, obviously, Resident Evil Requiem (PC, PS5, Switch 2, Xbox X/S), the ninth mainline entry in Capcom’s endless Resident Evil series.

Starring newcomer Grace Ashcroft (daughter of a playable character in the Outbreak games) and veteran Leon S. Kennedy, Requiem sees the series return to Raccoon City, the start of it all, in a game that blends the tense survival horror of old with the action horror of 4-6. Both Grace and Leon are searching for answers regarding the disappearances of Raccoon City survivors and must work together to get out alive.

Resident Evil is always a good time, and with the return to Raccoon City, we’re set to get an entry that wraps up a bunch of plot points and brings some old favourites to the forefront. The blend of the two styles of RE is also a smart decision, as is the option to let players choose to play in first or third person. Reviews are some of the highest they’ve been for the series since RE4 on the Gamecube, so that’s also something to bear in mind. Clearly the choice to make Leon as hot as possible (the S does stand for Sex, after all*) paid off.

*may not be canon