Tokyo Game Show 2022 is happening right now, and the build up to it this week has seen a nice steady stream of new game announcements. It's felt a little bit like E3 week, which has been quite nice. We even had a PlayStation State of Play and a Nintendo Direct on the same day! Be still my beating heart!

Of course nothing really compares to the E3 glory days of old, and the pre-recorded showcases we're treated to these days still have an air of marketing Power Point presentations about them, but both featured some exciting new game trailers, and everybody loves new game trailers, right?

Nintendo's Direct was oddly pre-occupied with farming simulators. Although a remaster of Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life (now called Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life) will have drawn a smile from fans with happy memories of the GameCube original. Of which I am most certainly one.

The GoldenEye remaster is finally real (although not the previously leaked upgraded version many had hoped for) and is coming soon to Switch and Xbox. Pikmin 4 is also finally real, and a host of new N64 games are headed to Nintendo's Switch Online service, including genre classics Pilotwings 64 and 1080° Snowboarding.

We'll probably never know whether the latest Zelda's unfortunately-timed new name was behind Nintendo's decision not to livestream the Direct in the UK. But of course every other gaming channel showed it, and the trailer for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom that closed the show is a brilliant mixture of the familiar and the new that successfully got the fan theories swirling.

Sony brought a similar show-reel of titles to show off. And Tekken 8, new Hogwarts Legacy footage, the intriguing Pacific Drive and Team Ninja's Rise of the Ronin ensured there was a little something for everyone. And of course, we finally got a proper God of War Ragnarök update. The lack of news has been a little worrying with that early November release date fast approaching, so it was reassuring to get some predictably spectacular new footage to gawp at.

After what seems like a rather long period where new game announcements have been few and far between, it's beginning to feel as though the industry is starting to get back on track a bit. And that we could have a very busy 2023 full of quality games to look forward to.

-

I hope you enjoy the rest of the newsletter!

Take care

Jeff

NEWS

Instead of listing the news from the game showcases individually this week, it's probably easier (for me and for you) to share links to some good round-ups. Which Eurogamer have handily provided:

• Everything announced in Nintendo's Direct.

• Everything announced in PlayStation's State of Play.

• Everything announced during Microsoft's ID@Xbox showcase.

• Microsoft has announced a fresh batch of titles that are headed to Xbox Game Pass.

• Metal Gear Solid 3 almost had a boss fight that would have taken two real-life weeks to beat.

• Multiple gaming outlets have been given access to PlayStation VR2, and first impressions are extremely positive.

• Hideo Kojima has teased... something on a mysterious new website.

• A whopping five Assassin's Creed titles were announced during the recent Ubisoft Forward event.

• A worker has discovered unreleased Meta Quest Pro hardware in a hotel and kindly uploaded an unboxing video.

• Tencent-owned media outlet Fanbyte has been hit by a sudden round of layoffs. Best of luck to those affected.

• The excellent Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves will launch on PC in October.

• Open-world exploration game Sable will arrive on PS5 later this year with new content and additional features.

• Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope gets a new gameplay trailer.

• EA and Maxis have announced that The Sims 4 will be free-to-play starting next month. 

• Street Fighter 6 will have a closed beta in October.

• Sony's live-action Gran Turismo movie casts Stranger Things' David Harbour.

• Ubisoft boss indicates its "big AAA" games will adopt a $70 price point going forward.

• Sky: Children of the Light, the most recent game from Flower and Journey developer thatgamecompany, will arrive on PlayStation in December.

• A new trailer for Sonic Frontiers has been released, offering a first look at Super Sonic.

• Bonnie Ross, who co-founded current Halo developer 343 Industries and has served as the studio head since 2007, is leaving 343 and Xbox.

• Earthworm Jim, Alisia Dragoon, and The Story of Thor have been added to Nintendo Switch Online.

• Splatoon 3 sold an incredible 3.45 million copies in Japan in its first three days on sale.

DEALS

• A Blockbuster Games Sale has just started over on the PlayStation Store with up to 75% off some pretty big hitters. Meanwhile, the PlayStation Indies Sale and Games Under £20 Sale are still on.

• PlayStation's Deal of the Week sees Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge at 20% off.

• Sony are still offering 7-day free trials for their new Extra and Premium PlayStation Plus tiers, if you're not already a subscriber.

• Xbox currently has a Tokyo Game Show Sale on with up to 75% off a variety of mostly Japanese games, an Assassin's Creed Anniversary Sale with up to 75% off AssCreed games and DLC, and a Publisher Spotlight Series Sale with up to 80% off various games both old and new.

• There's no specific promotion on Nintendo’s eShop, but there are still a load of games on sale anyway, including NFS: Hot Pursuit for just £6.99.

• Spirit of the North and The Captain are both currently free on the Epic Games Store.

• Steam currently have a PlayStation Publisher Sale running, with 20% off God of War, and Horizon: Zero Dawn and Days Gone are down to £16.

• Steam are also running a Resident Evil Sale until Monday 19th of September, with up to 80% off Res games and DLC.

• As always, there are plenty of games on sale on the Epic Games Store, and Steam has a number of current Special Offers including 50% off NieR Replicant and Cyberpunk 2077.

More!

• Switch Player #64

Issue 64 of the brilliant Switch Player magazine is available to buy now and comes highly recommended. This issue focuses on Splatoon 3, as well as the usual coverage of everything Switch. You can pick up a copy here.

• Heterotopias 009

The latest issue of Heterotopias “game spaces & architecture zine” is available to buy now. You can check it out here, and also get 25% off if you buy all previous issues together.

NEW RELEASES:

This week saw The Chinese Room's latest Little Orpheus hit all formats, Outer Wilds get a PS5 and Xbox Series update, and Metal: Hellsinger described as "a rhythm shooter that has no right to be this good."

As for next week.... it's only a new Monkey Island! If you'd like to find out a little more about it, Eurogamer grabbed an interview with series creator Ron Gilbert, co-writer Dave Grossman and art director Rex Crowle.

THIS WEEK:

Little Orpheus (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – September 13

ScourgeBringer (iOS, Android) – September 13

XIII (Switch) – September 13

You Suck At Parking (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) – September 14

Bear and Breakfast (Switch) – September 15

Metal: Hellsinger (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) – September 15

Outer Wilds (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S) – September 15 

Splitgate (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – September 15

Wayward Strand (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – September 15

NEXT WEEK:

Return to Monkey Island (Switch, PC) – September 19

Hardspace: Shipbreaker (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S) – September 20

Jack Move (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch) – September 20

Soulstice (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) – September 20

Gundam Evolution (PC) – September 21

No Place For Bravery (Switch, PC) – September 22

Serial Cleaners (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – September 22

Session: Skate Sim (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – September 22

Slime Rancher 2 (Xbox Series X/S, PC) – September 22

The DioField Chronicle (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – September 22

Shovel Knight Dig (Switch, PC, iOS) – September 23

GAME OF THE WEEK

A randomly selected game each week! Any and all games are eligible for selection regardless of age, platform, popularity, or otherwise.

This week, the honour goes to…

Burnout Paradise (2008)

The most divisive title in Criterion Software's racing series, Paradise moved Burnout’s classic formula to a seamless open-world for the first time.

It traded the laser-focused, linear precision of earlier titles for a refreshing but messier sense of freedom previously absent from the series, and split the audience in two. 

RECOMMENDED READS

10 years of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

By Mike Stubbs - PC Gamer

A full decade old, CS:GO still draws 21 million players a month and sells out massive esports stadiums for major tournaments... Few games will ever be able to reach the heights CS:GO has, and its journey isn’t over yet.

Video game guide writers help keep the lights on but get no respect

By Patrick Klepek - Vice

Plagiarism and poor pay are common in the world that produces the guides and walkthroughs that so many of us rely on every day.

Inside the thankless, quietly imaginative task of developing for low-spec gaming

By Edwin Evans-Thirlwell - Vice

"Developers that are very PC-focused ... often don’t think about the low end at all."

More for your inbox!

The Sample - A brilliant discovery tool that sends you recommended newsletters and blogs to match your chosen topics.

Left Angle - Newsletters for the everyday person. Left Angle keeps you informed, educated, and in-the-know about your favourite topics.

Refind - Every day Refind sends up to 7 curated links from around the web based on topics of your choosing - including gaming, of course.

(The Sample, Left Angle and Refind are part of a cross-promotion. Any clicks/sign-ups help The Week in Games to grow.)

CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGNS

World of Anterra

81monkeys - Campaign ends September 23rd

— www.kickstarter.com

"Skyrim with pixel art." An innovative, open world RPG influenced by classic and modern games.

nofio wireless adapter for Valve Index

nofio - Campaign ends September 27th

— www.kickstarter.com

Experience the wireless freedom of Valve Index without a cable to the PC.

RPG Stories

Brave Alice - Campaign ends October 1st

— www.kickstarter.com

A 3D Virtual Tabletop featuring a massive World Builder and Rulesets for all kinds of TT RPGs.

Fusion Retro Books 2023 Annuals

Fusion Retro Books - Campaign ends October 7th

— www.kickstarter.com

When 3 Annuals became 6 - time for a bumper Annual Xmas this year!

VM2: The Next-Gen VMU

Dreamware Enterprises - Campaign ends October 9th

— www.indiegogo.com

The Next-Gen VMU for the Dreamcast with Micro-SD storage, upgraded LCD, embedded Battery and Micro-USB port.

Please support The Week in Games!

The Week in Games is a labour of love that remains possible thanks to the ongoing support of members such as BitBloggist, johnXprinter & SeánLynch. If you enjoy it, please consider a paid subscription from only £1 a month. Thank you.

Friends of The Week in Games!

From custom framed art and premium journals, to gaming sites, fellow newsletters and beyond, our friends share similar values, a passion for quality and a willingness to support others.

Please click the images below and show them some love!

...and that's it for this week!

I hope you enjoyed this issue of The Week in Games! I’d be delighted if you would consider forwarding this email to anybody you think may like it, or sharing on social media via the links below.

I'm always looking at ways to improve this newsletter, so if you have any comments, suggestions, or enquiries, please reply to this email directly, write to [email protected], or catch me on Twitter!

Thanks again, see you next week!