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

This week, Korean cyborgs, plasticine people, African legends and crabs.

No roundup last week due to some minor personal issues, so this week I’ll be covering what I missed from last week. That said, it was a quiet week so perhaps could have been skipped, but I do want to highlight my original Game of the Week, so it’s a double bill.

That said, this week is absolutely not a quiet week. There are a ton of major releases from all corners of the industry. Three highly anticipated Japanese releases, with a highly anticipated crowdfunded throwback, the latest in a cult classic Square Enix franchise and a game based on the work of the late Akira Toriyama all hitting at once.

But that’s not all, as the Ori devs are back with something entirely new, a quirky indie Soulslike that’s gained a bunch of attention, a highly personal game directed by an Assassin’s Creed voice actor, an experimental stop motion game and a big Sony release from a major Korean developer. There’s a lot.

For personal recommendations, I would suggest Tales of Kenzera: Zau, which would have made Game of the Week if it wasn’t releasing the same time as a game that’s had my attention for longer. Another Crab’s Treasure looks neat too if you’re into Soulslikes.

Re-Releases

In the latest round of Xbox games coming to other platforms, Grounded came to PlayStation and Switch last week. This co-op adventure about children shrunk to the size of insects is now more accessible than ever, with crossplay for the Xbox and PC versions.

For another prior Xbox exclusive (albeit one not owned by Microsoft), Planet of Lana also came to PlayStation and Switch last week. This cinematic platformer is an adorable adventure featuring and a girl and a cat creature seeking to take down a violent invading alien force. I played it on Game Pass last year and found it incredibly charming.

Early Access

The first Early Access release this week is No Rest for the Wicked, the latest game from Moon Studios, but don’t expect more Ori and the Blind Forest. Instead, this is more of a cross between Diablo and Dark Souls set in a gloomy medieval fantasy world.

Developed by Austrian developers Moon Studios (Ori and the Blind Forest) and published by Private Division (Kerbal Space Program, OlliOlli World, The Outer Worlds).

If you’ve ever felt city builders could use more large-scale battles, Manor Lords is here to meet those needs. You’re a medieval lord building fine settlements for your subjects but occasionally you’ll need to rally the troops against invading forces. I have no idea how well the combo of city builders and RTS works, but Manor Lords is commendable for trying at least.

Developed by solo developer Slavic Magic and published by Hooded Horse (Against the Storm, Old World, Sons of Valhalla).

New Releases

If you’re a fan of Demon Slayer and would like to ruin your friendships with fellows fans of the series, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Sweep the Board! (Switch) is the answer to your problems! It’s Mario Party but in the Demon Slayer universe. I have no idea why this exists, but there it is.

Developed by Japanese developers CyberConnect2 (Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Fuga: Melodies of Steel, Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles) and published by Sega (Sonic the Hedgehog, Like a Dragon, Total War).

SaGa: Emerald Beyond (PC, PlayStation, Switch) is the latest in the SaGa franchise, and sees you playing a multi-dimensional story focused on multiple characters. Personally I didn’t enjoy the three (!) demos available across each of its platforms, but there seems to be a solid combat system here at least.

Developed and published by Square Enix (Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, SaGa Frontier)

Sand Land (PC, PlayStation, Xbox) is based on the other manga from Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. While it has been in development for a while, its release now feels especially poignant following the passing of Toriyama earlier this year. This open world (literal) sandbox where you play as Beelzebub as he and his friends search for a legendary spring. You also get a bunch of vehicles to scoot around the desert in. Hard to express an opinion on this one because I never read the original manga but also the demo did a poor job showing the game off. Hopefully there’s more to the game than just shooting things in a desert like in the demo, because otherwise that’s unfortunate.

Developed by Japanese developers ILCA (One Piece Odyssey, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl) and published by Bandai Namco (Tekken, Tales series, Dark Souls)

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox) is the highly anticipated new RPG from Suikoden creator Yoshitaka Murayama. It’s a throwback to simpler times in the genre, for better or worse, featuring a cast of 100 characters (the name is not a lie). It’s got your standard JRPG story, as a boy from a remote village sets out on a journey and finds himself in conflict with an imperial force. Played a little of this through Game Pass and it’s definitely got some old school design that is great for anyone looking for a new Suikoden, but may be off-putting to people looking for something a little more modern.

Developed by new Japanese developer Rabbit & Bear Studios and published by 505 Games (Control, Ghostrunner, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night)

Another Crab’s Treasure (PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox) is a unique take on the Soulslike genre. While normally the genre loves dour, miserable settings, this takes more from Spongebob Squarepants than Berserk. You play as Kril, a hermit crab whose shell has been taken for tax purposes, and now he wants to get it back. There’s a lot of goofy humour here and a message about ocean pollution. I personally can’t get into these kinds of games, but I hugely respect what the developers are going for here.

Developed by Seattle-based developer Aggro Crab (Going Under).

Tales of Kenzera: Zau (PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox X/S) is the directorial debut of Abubakar Salim, an actor best known in the games world for playing Bayek in Assassin’s Creed: Origins. Made by a new studio founded by Salim, Tales of Kenzera is a Metroidvania inspired by the legends of the Bantu people, and made to help Salim deal with the grief of losing his father.

I was fortunate enough to play the game ahead of its release and hugely enjoyed it. It’s very heavily inspired by the Ori games, with fluid movement and combat. It’s also wrapped in a genuinely moving tale of grief and loss that ultimately celebrates life and the people we share it with. A Game of the Week contender, although didn’t quite make it.

Developed by new British studio Surgent Studios and published by EA Originals (It Takes Two, Wild Hearts, Unravel).

Game of the Week

Game of the Week for last week was Harold Halibut (PC, PS5, Xbox X/S), a point and click adventure set in an undersea colony in space. Also, it’s all stop-motion.

You play as the titular Harold, a hapless worker on Fedora 1, an off-planet colony embedded below the ocean of a harsh alien world. While strange discoveries and possible conspiracies go on around him, he spends his days just trying to do his job and not get fired. Relatable.

The main reason I’m so intrigued by this is the fact it’s stop motion. Every character was meticulously animated by hand. Between that and the dialogue, Harold Halibut felt a lot like some cosy old British show in the short amount of it I played, in all the best ways. One day I’ll get round to playing the full thing (it is on Game Pass!) but what I have seen is quirky and interesting enough to warrant a Game of the Week award.

Developed by German developers Slow Bros.

This week’s Game of the Week is Stellar Blade (PS5), a new PlayStation exclusive.

You play as Eve, a member of the 7th Airborne Division, who was part of a botched operation to save a ruined Earth. As the sole survivor of the operation, Eve now journeys to the last surviving human city to help take down the monstrous invaders that have claimed the planet.

Stellar Blade has had my attention for a while now, because of how much like Bayonetta with cool monsters it looked. Then I played the demo and realised that, no, it’s actually Nier Automata with cool monsters. So I’m sold, basically. What I’ve played so far (which is mostly the demo content, let’s be honest) features a damn cool combat system and an intriguing setting and premise.

I’m not going to get into the weird online discourse from weirdos whose monkey brains are entirely focused on the protagonist’s lovingly crafted buttocks, because the game honestly deserves better than that. There’s a cool sci-fi game here, some fun combat and an excellent soundtrack, so that’s all I need to give it Game of the Week.

Developed by Korean studio Shift Up (Goddess of Victory: Nikke) and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment (God of War, The Last of Us, Gravity Rush).