Welcome back to another edition of This Week In Games Australia! This week: as the year winds down, so do the game releases for the year. There are still one or two major titles in the weeks ahead, but the deluge has begun to pass. For now. A bank of storm clouds marked ‘Q1 2023’ loom on the horizon, growing darker with every passing day.
Maybe that 2023 cloud looks pretty good to you, I don’t know. It feels me with dread. That or I’m just super ready for the Christmas break.
Anyway, fill the void in the AAA space and because it’s a bit of a quieter week, I’m filling this week’s list with a few cool indies. Here’s what you could be playing this week.
December 5
Swordship (PS5, XSX, PC, NS, PS4, XBO)
I am a sucker for a good arcade shmup, and Swordship flips the genre on its head. Rather than being an attacking force, you are instead running for your life. You have no weapons, only the hypermobile capabilities of your ship, which you can upgrade to be hardier and more athletic. Really cool concept. Looking forward to playing it.
December 6
Cuphead (XBO, PS4, NS)
Another retail launch, for those who’d like a boxed copy for their collections.
Divine Knockout (PS5, XSX, PC)
DKO is a party-brawler where players choose from a roster of real-world gods and then beat the living hell out of each other. Looks fun! It’s among the free games in the PlayStation Plus Essentials tier this month.
Far Cry 6: Lost Between Worlds DLC
Lost Between Worlds, the latest DLC for Far Cry 6, is completely incomprehensible to me. It’s almost like Ubisoft decided to make an expansion for Destiny 2 rather than its own game? Anyway, if you liked the gunplay in Far Cry 6 and the idea of a sci-fi shooter using those mechanics sounds fun to you, then go hog wild, I suppose. Seems very much in the Blood Dragon “we’re not actually taking this seriously” vein.
Hello Neighbour 2 (PS5, PS4)
This one dropped for Xbox owners last week. PlayStation owners, now it’s your turn.
Impaler (PC)
Boomer shooter and Build Engine fans need only apply. Impaler looks like it’s attempting to meld several 90’s shooters into a single product and the result is pretty striking.
Knights of Honor II: Sovereign (PC)
If the recent release of Victoria 3 has you in the mood for more grand strategy, then perhaps Knights of Honor II: Soverign will scratch that Paradox-style itch.
December 8
The Outbound Ghost (PS5, NS, PS4)
A 2D RPG about a little ghost that helps other ghosts make the crossing to the afterlife. This has Ruby written all over it.
December 9
Dragon Quest Treasures (NS)
A new Dragon Quest game about a pair of scrappy little treasure hunters. If you’re into Dragon Quest already, you likely have a preorder locked in.
Goat Simulator 3 (PC)
Retail copies for the PC version of Goat Simulator 3 will finally arrive this week so if you’ve been waiting for the disc version, here’s your chance to pick it up.
And that is it for this week! See anything you liked? Are you glad for the AAA reprieve this week, or are you disappointed in the lack of blockbuster bangers? Let us know in the comments below.
Leave a Reply