Hi all!

I hope you are well. A bit of a shorter intro from me this week (and a few days late too, due to an unforeseen problem with the newsletter provider - so apologies for that) but the issue is still packed with gaming goodness. Tetsuya Mizuguchi's classic on-rails shooter Rez is Game of the Week. Fez, A Link to the Past, and Nintendo's SNES console celebrate big anniversaries, there are recommended articles about Sonic and SEGA from Brian Shea of Game Informer and Dan Driver of the Mega Driver Blog, Eurogamer scoop a rare interview with Fez creator Phil Fish, and there are currently four noteworthy gaming Kickstarter campaigns running!

I hope you enjoyed the 10 Years of Fez Week in Games Special last week. It was the second 'Special Issue' after the 10 Years of Journey issue a few weeks ago. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, and if you would like to see similar issues in the future.

As always, please just reply to this email directly and I'll be sure to get back to you!

Take care everybody. Until next time!

NEWS

• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has set a new opening weekend record for video game movies

• Square Enix has confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 4 is officially on the way via a brief trailer.

• Sega has said that its previously announced ‘Super Game’ plan is actually multiple games, and may use NFTs.

• Valve has released a video to celebrate a month of Steam Deck being on sale and also talks about the future plans for the device.

• Eidos Montreal have spoken to Eurogamer in an illuminating interview about Guardians of the Galaxy, and also address Square Enix's sales expectations.

• The previously PlayStation-only Bugsnax is coming to Xbox, Switch and Steam later this month.

• The creators of Unpacking discuss their BAFTA winning game in this Eurogamer interview.

• Sony has invested $1 Billion into the development of Epic Games' Metaverse.

• CD Projekt Red say that there’s still work to be done on Cyberpunk 2077, and have confirmed expansions are on the way.

• Nintendo have bought a $40million plot of land to expand its Kyoto headquarters.

• According to Digital Foundry, the the new Chrono Cross remaster runs worse on PS5 than the original did on PS1

• No Man's Sky developer Hello Games says its new project is so ambitious it would seem impossible even with a 1,000 person team

• Takashi Doscher is set to write the screenplay for the film adaptation of Ghost of Tsushima, with John Wick filmmaker Chad Stahelski attached to direct. Daisuke Tsuji - the voice of Jin Sakai himself - has also thrown his hat in the ring:

NEW RELEASES:

This week saw the release of eFootball 2022's version 1.0 update, after last year's catastrophic launch. The previously world-beating series formally known as PES has fallen from grace in spectacular fashion in recent years, and it will take a lot of convincing to get fans back on-side - despite Konami's assurance that they are taking feedback "very seriously".

Also this week, Nobody Saves the World arrived on PlayStation and Switch, after previously impressing on Xbox and PC.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim 

(Switch) – April 12

Don't Starve Together 

(Switch) – April 12

eFootball 2022 

(PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC) – April 14

Cat Cafe Manager 

(Switch, PC) – April 14

Nobody Saves the World 

(PS4, PS5, Switch) – April 14

Road 96 

(PS4, PS5, Xbox) – April 14

UPCOMING RELEASES:

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 

(Switch) – April 20

Teardown 

(PC) – April 21

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…

Rez (2001)

Originally released for the Dreamcast back in 2001, and then later for the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 and PC, Rez is one of the greatest on-rails shooters of all time, and an absolute masterpiece of audio/visual design.

Nearly twenty years later, Rez Infinite (a virtual reality update for the PSVR and Oculus Quest) finally saw technology catch up with Tetsuya Mizuguchi's original vision for the game. Indeed, the new 'Area X' - designed specifically for the new game - is one of VR's most remarkable experiences, ensuring Rez remains as stunningly unique and relevant today as it was over two decades ago.

GAMING ANNIVERSARIES

Another round of video game anniversaries to make you feel old... Sorry!

Click through the links to see what people had to say about them...

Playtonic's Yooka-Laylee turned 5!

Fez turned 10!

In case you missed it, check out this Special Edition Issue of the Week in Games dedicated to Fez!

Mario Kart Wii first released 14 years ago!

A Link to the Past was released 30 years ago in North America!

The Super Nintendo was released in the UK 30 years ago!

RECOMMENDED READS

This week’s recommended articles are tinged in Sega blue as Brian Shea of Game Informer discuss 30 years of Sonic with five developers from Sonic Team, and Dan Driver looks at how Sega's Sega Channel from 25 years ago compares to modern day offerings.

Also this week, Eurogamer managed to grab a short interview with elusive Fez developer Phil Fish.

Sonic Team Looks Back At The Blue Blur's First 30 Years

Brian Shea - Games Informer

Originally published last year, this Game Informer article sees five long-time Sonic Team developers discuss their unique experiences with the franchise, as well as what 30 years of Sonic means to them. 

Sega the Subscription Service Pioneers

Dan Driver - The Mega Driver Mega Blog

PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass are cool. But are they revolutionary? This article from Dan Driver looks back at Sega's pioneering services from over 25 years ago.

Fez at 10 years old: Phil Fish resurfaces for a rare interview

Robert Purchese - Eurogamer

Fez developer Phil Fish makes an extremely rare appearance to talk to Eurogamer's Robert Purchese about the game's 10th anniversary

CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGNS

Dead by Daylight: The Board Game

By David B Talton Jr. - campaign ends April 22

— www.kickstarter.com

A strategic survival horror experience for 3–5 players. Become a Killer or fight for your life as a Survivor. Death is not an escape.

Toasty: Ashes of Dusk

By Pocket Llama - campaign ends April 28

— www.kickstarter.com

Stop the cataclysm and save your friends in this Action RPG! Overfunded in just 5 hours!

Long Live Mortal Kombat - The Definitive History of MK

By David L Craddock - campaign ends April 28

— www.kickstarter.com

This first book in the Long Live MK trilogy of books celebrates the series' coin-op era, the fandom, and impact on pop culture.

A Handheld History

By Lost In Cult & Retro Dodo - campaign ends May 9

— www.lostincult.co.uk

A high-quality, explorative jaunt through the systems and games that defined the legacy of portable systems.

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

I hope you enjoyed this issue of The Week in Games!

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Thanks again, and I hope to see you next week!