Welcome back to This Week In Games Australia, your weekly look at what you could be playing over the next seven days.
David is off for his government-approved “labour day”, although these days it feels like Melbourne gets a long weekend every month. I swear I’m not a bitter Sydneysider, I actually did my darn research and Victoria really does get more public holidays than New South Wales this year!
Now that I look back at that sentence, I really do sound like a bitter Sydneysider. Oh well!
That being said, Ruby’s in charge today (that’s me!) which means this week’s release schedule is up to me to put together. I believe in abundance, so I’ve rounded up many games that will be released this week to prepare you.
It’s actually an incredibly fuckin’ weird week for releases this week, as the biggest release is a toss-up between the new WWE game and the new Bayonetta Origins game. Two completely different titles battling it out.
That being said, it’s also a pretty chockers week for indie releases, re-releases, console releases, English translations of old Japanese games, and PlayStation VR ‘launch window’ releases.
And hey! If you’d like a preview of this piece each and every Friday, be sure to check out the latest episode of The Kotaku Australia Podcast. It’s a show where David and I discuss all the biggest and most interesting games arriving in the next week. We go up weekly on your favourite podcasting platform, with the vodcast going up on our YouTube channel.
Anyway, that’s the episode from last week, and the next one isn’t coming until midday this Friday (so tune in!). Now it’s time to talk about what’s coming out this week.
March 13
WuJiDaoRen (PC)
This one is so visually fascinating. It’s a physics-based action game that takes cues from classic kung-fu films. Could be really cool, and could be a bit of silly fun. It’s releasing in early access in about 9 hours.
March 14
Mile High Taxi (PC)
Remember Crazy Taxi? What if that made a comeback, but instead of being on the streets, your taxi was up in the air? Mile High Taxi is essentially a futuristic version of Crazy Taxi made by sole developer Cassius John-Adams. It looks ridiculous in the best way!
Rough Justice ’84 (PC)
You run a private security agency in the 80s and have to advise your agents as they deal with security, fugitive recovery, repossession cases, and more. It’s set up like a digital board game, and looks very cool.
Life of Delta (Switch, PC)
I’ve been an absolute fiend lately for point-and-click games, recently playing Dropsy and Little Misfortune. Life of Delta looks like yet another really interesting point-and-click adventure, this time in a post-apocalyptic robot world.
Potion Tycoon (PC)
It’s another potion shop management game, but this one looks a little darker and in-depth than other titles we’ve seen. You’re not just making potions, you’re setting up goblin production lines as well. Very cool!
March 15
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure (PC, PlayStation)
This one was actually born from a fan translation, with the original The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure releasing exclusively in Japan on PlayStation Portable. Now NIS America has jumped upon it and it’s coming on a whole bunch of platforms this week but specifically, the Switch version isn’t out until March 24th.
The Forest Cathedral (NS, XBO, PS, PC)
We heard about The Forest Cathedral at last month’s Whitethorn Games Showcase, and now it’s coming out. If you’re looking for a little puzzling mixed with a little spooky scary here and there, check it out.
The Wreck (NS, XBO, PS, PC, Mac)
The Wreck looks like a Groundhog Day-type situation. You play as a 36-year-old woman called Junon in this mature 3D visual novel about sisterhood, motherhood, grief and survival. Looks like the kind of game that would make an ol’ girl cry (me).
DELETE AFTER READING (PC)
DELETE AFTER READING honestly just looks like a hoot. A real riot in the form of a text-based puzzle adventure. Also has an evil billionaire called Martin Skrilhlex who has stolen the only existing copy of a video game that you have to get back. It’s on my wishlist, that’s for sure.
Vernal Edge (PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox)
It’s time to add another title to the Metroidvania pile. That being said, make sure Vernal Edge has a comfy spot, as I’m intrigued by its visuals which look like a mix of anime-style pixel art and old side-scrolling Disney games. Very keen to see how this one plays out.
Mortal Sin (PC)
Mortal Sin is a project by sole developer Nikola Todorovic and is easily one of the coolest-looking games I’ve seen in a long time. First-person melee in a world that looks like it was ripped out of a gritty medieval comic book? Yes, please.
March 16
Anno 1800 Console Edition (PS5, XSX, PC)
This is great news for David Smith and anybody else who may be excited about this game. Anno has been around for ages, don’t know what else to tell you. Wahoo!
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR (PSVR 2)
From the folks that brought you Rush of Blood VR comes the equally spooky experience of The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR. Respectfully, I will not play this. It looks too scary. Looks good, though!
Backbeat (PC, PS, XBOX, NS)
Backbeat actually caught both David and my eyes when we are looking for games to discuss for the podcast. It’s a musical strategy puzzle game that acts as a homage to the 16 and 32-bit story-driven games of the 90s, with multiple band members that have different moves they can make. Looks like a banger!
SUBWAY MIDNIGHT (NS)
Subway Midnight came out on PC back in 2021 and was easily one of the most underrated releases of that year. Now it’s getting released on Switch, which is a move that I think is good for both the game and the console. The Nintendo Switch needs more low-stakes, visually unique horror games.
March 17
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (NS)
You already know the deal-io here. Bayonetta, before she was in her slay era, was simply just a young little witch. This game covers that period of her life, with you controlling her with one Joy-Con and controlling her big demon Cheshire with the other Joy-Con. It’s a storybook adventure akin to Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.
WWE 2K23 (consoles)
I don’t know what to say other than this has been an exciting game release for many who simply don’t want to watch anymore and just want to play. This game has the most wrestlers that any WWE 2K game has ever had, but I feel like that is always going to be the way with every new game, right?
To be specific with this one, if you preorder the game’s deluxe edition, you get it three days early on March 14th. This date up here is the standard edition date. Plus, if you’re a PC gamer, the Steam version isn’t out until the next day, March 18th. Bit of a weird one!
Sims 4 Growing Together expansion (PC/Mac)
Babies! Babies! Babies! Babies! It’s baby time. The Growing Together expansion adds milestones, dynamic relationships, and new compatibilities between Sims that make the relationship between family members more in-depth. Also, the babies are more than just furniture now!
Skate Horse (PC)
And finally, a game that I couldn’t even find a trailer for but stuck out the most to me on Steam, Skate Horse. In Skate Horse, you play the viral legend Skatehorse who is killed saving a child from a speeding truck and is therefore sent to horse hell. Thankfully, the Devilhorse is entertained by Skatehorse’s funny skateboarding and offers to send Skatehorse back to Earth if he shreds enough.
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