After the tumult of last week’s releases, things will quiet down again this week. This is because one of the biggest games of 2022, Dying Light 2: Stay Human, is finally arriving. Games this big tend to launch in quiet weeks. This is what’s called “planting a flag,” a silent assertion from one publisher to the others that “this is our week, get your own.” Most publishers will toe the line because avoiding that week keeps their new games from being swallowed by a one with far more hype behind it. What usually launches in weeks like this are “lower-risk” titles — remasters, or games that fill a specific niche.
With that in mind, let’s see what’s happening this week in games.
February 1
Life is Strange Remastered Collection (PS5, XSX, NS, PC, PS4, XBO)
Hot on the heels of last year’s Life is Strange: True Colors, the Life is Strange Remastered Collection brings both the original game and its direct sequel Before the Storm to current-gen platforms. DONTNOD says both games have been given visual upgrades to take advantage of the PS5 and XSX hardware. These are coming-of-age stories that mean a lot to queer audiences in particular. They carry the kind of emotional punch that David Cage wishes he could write a fraction of. Good to see them get another run on current hardware.
February 2
Both of the following games were set to launch last week, and both suffered last-minute delays. Since I already wrote blurbs about these games last week, I’m going to repost them and use the time saved to make my morning coffee a bit early. I look forward to your comments.
Human: Fall Flat Anniversary Edition (PS5)
“It’s Human. It’s a next-gen re-release, you know what’s up.”
Rugby 22 (PS5, XSX, PS4, XBO)
“I remember when I worked at EB Games, back around the time of the Last Supper, the Rugby franchise would come out of nowhere every year. We would receive a shipment of copies, the handful of preorders would get their courtesy call, and then the walk-ins would start. We’d never have enough. People in South-East Queensland loved the Rugby games as much as they loved Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer. I wonder if that’s still true today. Let me know in the comments.”
February 4
Dying Light 2: Stay Human (PS5, XSX, PC, PS4, XBO)
The big boy. The release date obliterator. Like a 21-year-old marketing grad at the uni bar, Dying Light 2 can’t stop telling everyone how big and long it is. However, unlike that sweaty young man, beyond Dying Light 2‘s passe hype strategy lies genuine promise. The original game was a breakout hit, combining first-person free-running with gritty survival mechanics. The sequel promises more of the same, with refined systems and new challenges. Though we’ve not been able to secure a review code for this one, I look forward to grabbing it on launch day.
The Hundred Year Kingdom (NS, PC)
Watch this trailer and tell if I’m right: this is … a kingdom builder visual novel dating sim? Am I on the money here? I’ve watched this trailer three times and I still don’t know what I’m looking at.
Maglam Lord (NS, PS4)
Maglam Lord is a JRPG about a bunch of kids that are the last of the Demon Lords. Basically someone really liked Hades and said “yes, but what if it was a JRPG?” Turn-based combat and slice-of-life anime hijinks ensue. It’s a cute premise, and the character designs are actually pretty good too. Bonus points: the song they’ve used in the trailer is a deadset bop.
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