Welcome back to This Week In Games Australia for another week. This week, we have one of the most packed weeks for game releases since March. We’ve got heavy hitters like Splatoon 3 and NBA 2K23, mid-tier AAs like Disney Dreamlight Valley and F.I.S.T, creative indies like Railbound, and even Aussie games like Justice Sucks and One Dreamer. Because we have so much to get through, I may not be able to go into the kind of detail on each game I usually do, but I’ll try to give you an overview of everything on the way.
September 6
Disney Dreamlight Valley (PS5, XSX, PC, NS, PS4, XBO)
This is a family-friendly life simulator set in Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Dreamlight Valley has fallen on hard times, taken by a blight called The Forgetting. Now, it’s up to you to sort it out, make friends with a heap of Disney characters, and restore the town to its former glory. Out on Game Pass on Day One as well. Ruby’s excitement level: very high.
F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch (PS5, NS, PS4)
F.I.S.T. launched on various platforms last year, but will come to PS5, PS4, and Switch at retail this week. This is a great one for those who love a weird little AA title with big ideas.
Gloomwood (PC)
New Blood’s hotly anticipated Thief-styled stealth game Gloomwood goes into early access this week. Blackjacks, guns, sneaking, and shadows are your friends as you explore a dangerous Victorian city by night. Gloomwood should prove a balm for those who long for a return to Looking Glass Studios’ heyday.
Railbound (PC)
Railbound shares a conceptual space with games like Mini Motorways, a chill puzzle game about building functional rail infrastructure. It’s got a great look and will tie your brain in knots (but not in a stressful way). I can see myself dumping a lot of time into this while catching up on my podcasts.
Rocksmith+ (PS5, XSX, PC, PS4, XBO)
Ubisoft is moving its Rocksmith guitar game to a subscription model, presumably to help pay for all that licensed music, but is also rebuilding the game to be a better teacher. I know quite a few people who’ve found the original Rocksmith beneficial for learning the basics of playing the guitar, though it has become increasingly difficult to track down the adapter required to connect it to the PC. Hopefully, there’ll be a fresh wave of those to go with the game when it launches this week. Learn guitar! It’s fun!
Train Sim World 3 (PS5, XSX, PC, PS4, XBO)
I am very ready to be a terrible train driver. I’ve got hundreds of hours in Flight Simulator. I like to think I’m pretty handy on a technical vehicle sim. Every time I’ve tried to play Train Sim World 2, I’ve failed at it dismally. I’m ready to fail again. Out on Game Pass on Day One.
September 7
Cirque Electrique (PC)
There’s quite a bit going on in Cirque Electrique. It’s a story-driven RPG with tactics elements but also a circus management sim. I think it looks cool as hell. Going on my list for sure.
September 8
Horizon Chase 2 (PS5, XSX, PC, NS, PS4, XBO)
Horizon Chase 2 has been out on mobile platforms for a little while. Now, it’s making the jump to console and PC. If you played the first, it’s an arcadey, Outrun-inspired racer with a pulsing soundtrack.
Jack Move (PC, NS, PS4, XBO)
Jack Move is a cyberpunk RPG about a young woman thrust into a world of murder and revenge after her father goes missing. Turn-based combat, cool retro graphics and powerful hacking moves are the order of the day.
Kaichu: The Kaiju Dating Sim (PC)
What if we kissed in the wreckage of this kaiju-ravaged city? That’s the thrust of Kaichu: The Kaiju Dating Sim, the game that dares to ask the question: what if these giant, angry monsters just made up and smooched?
Road Warden (PC)
Road Warden is a text-based adventure game in which you are a wandering knight, delivering justice wherever you go. You’ll meet interesting people on your travels, hear their problems, and unravel a larger mystery. Very cool, it’s going on my list.
Steelrising (PS5, XSX)
Because FromSoft fans start getting itchy when they haven’t had a new Souls-like in a few months, Steelrising is arriving to take the edge off. Imagine a steampunk FromSoft game set during the French Revolution, and you’ve got the gist.
September 9
DC League of Superpets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace (NS, PS4)
I put this one on the list for two reasons: 1) your kids will probably love it to bits, and 2) it’s honestly rare to see a movie tie-in game on consoles anymore. These games used to be the industry’s bread and butter but now feel like a relic of an earlier age.
Deeeer Simulator (NS, PS4)
Deeeer Simulator was on TWIG just last week, but its retail date ultimately slipped. It’ll be out this week.
Justice Sucks: Tactical Vacuum Action (PS5, XSX, PC, NS, PS4, XBO)
The little murder Roomba that could is back. Justice Sucks is a game about a little Roomba who has Had Enough and is bringing down the criminal element. Bloody, strange, and very, very silly. Made by Aussie studio Samurai Punk.
NBA 2K23 (PS5, XSX, PC, NS, PS4, XBO)
2K’s favourite cash cow is back for another year. NBA 2K23 is going big this year, plastering Jordan the great across its marketing, but it will remain to be seen how invasive the game’s now-perennial microtransactions are. For those who hop in every year, I know you’ll enjoy yourselves. Let’s go, Celtics.
One Dreamer (PC)
Darwin dev F2House’s long in-production passion project, One Dreamer, is finally out this week. A story about helping a burnt-out indie game developer finish their game by editing source code in the world around them.
Splatoon 3 (NS)
Splatoon 3 is out this week, putting Nintendo’s first-party shooter back on the Switch. A lot of you are looking forward to this one, and having played a couple of hours of it just two weeks ago, I’m sure you’ll love it.
Temtem (PS5, XSX, NS)
Described as a Pokemon-like MMO, Temtem has been around for a little while. Now, it comes to next-gen platforms and the Switch at long last. So if you need a game to fill the gap until Pokemon Scarlet and Violet arrive later this year, now you have it.
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