August 26 - September 1

  Felix “I shot first, then died, and tried again in stealth” Threepaper

Welcome folks, and happy “65th Anniversary of the Morris Mini-Minor” week!

On 26 August 1959, British Motor Corporation released the Morris Mini-Minor: a four-seater car that is only 10 feet long. At that size, it looks like a mere escape pod for today’s cars. You may all celebrate by playing a game where the traffic sucks.

Star Wars Outlaws is the big dog this week. The general vibe after last month’s previews was “cautiously optimistic”. The optimism comes from a generally enjoyable mix of stealthing, shooting and speederbiking. The caution comes from the fact that it’s a Ubisoft game.

The graphics are a good start: the environments are nicely-detailed with that sweet ‘practical effects’ Star Wars feel from the original trilogy. The story is set in the gap between right between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, but on a street level, while the bigger politics of the movies whizz past overhead. As an official Star Wars product, the story does have to fit into canon, but you play a scoundrel with a more personal story. While there might be some cameos, she is merely trying to play a bunch of criminal syndicates against each other, rather than get up in any Death Stars.

Assassin’s Creed fans will recognise the basic gameplay skeleton: open-world missions where you have to use a combination of stealth and loud combat, because you will be overwhelmed if you are spotted by too many people at once. Ubisoft has also thrown in a bunch of pieces from other games to add more meat to those bones: cover-shooting, lock picking, hacking, vehicles, space ships and faction reputation mechanics. None of these pieces are the tastiest portions of their kind, but Ubisoft is hoping they’ll come together into a hearty stew like Skyrim did.

Gundam Breaker 4 is arena brawling with Gunpla, those plastic models of Gundam mechs that you build yourself by snapping the pieces together. Bosses even appear by breaking out of their kit boxes. The loot mechanics also reflect the modular plastic vibe, as defeated enemies drop body parts that you can snap onto your own frame, within approved Gunpla design parameters. Sadly, this means you can’t make your own Godrick the Grafted Gunpla. People generally play these games to grind for all the suit parts, and there’s 250 base kits to mix and match with. The combat is a mix of melee and ranged weapons, as in previous games, with new special combos that are better for breaking off enemy parts.

On the ports front, there’s Risk of Rain 2 on consoles, and Vampire Survivors on Playstations.

I want Star Wars Outlaws to be good, because Star Wars is more interesting when it’s not focused on lightsabers and force powers. It’s my clear GOTW and will make a nice change of pace from the frenetic Black Myth: Wukong.

GWJ Word of the Week

Port: The term used for when a video game that was designed to run on one platform, like a Nintendo Switch, is converted to run on a different platform, like an Xbox. Converting games to different systems involves lots of jiggery-pokery, such that you can’t always get 1:1 performance. This raises a philosophical question for those who make the ports: does one try to (a) faithfully recreate the original game, bugs and all, or (b) improve upon it by tampering with it in ways that can ultimately break it further? In the case of ports from console to PC, the answer is always (b), and let the modders sort it out.

Here's the list, in release-date AND alphabetical order!

PC

• 08-27

• 100 Cats Berlin
• 100 Cats New York
• A Light Jog
• Abnormal Stairs
• Brawlberry
• Colorizing
• Core Keeper
• Dead by Daylight: Castlevania
• Deitrus
• Doomba
• Family tabu
• Hollow Floor
• INDUSTRING
• King Arthur Is Dead
• La Llorona Wants Your Soul
• Lost Mastery
• Monster Run
• Multiplayer Vikings
• Resplendent
• Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm
• SAMURAI
• SPIRITGRAPHER: THE ASYLUM 99
• Stargazer
• The Final Prize is Soup
• Therapy

• 08-28

• 100% Wedding Mission!
• 209
• 3D PUZZLE - Winter Outpost
• BlowHi
• Corpus Edax
• CyberRush
• Jade of Gensokyo
• Kamitsubaki City Ensemble
• Kanji Legends
• Lamina Island
• Life as Designed
• Ninza
• Sansagari
• Supermoves
• The Eminence in Shadow: Master of Garden
• WITCH ACADEMY H

• 08-29

• Aquarium at August 32nd
• Astro Link
• Bloodless
• Boosted Survivors
• Caesar's Revenge
• CarX Streets
• Daddy Comes Home
• Dungeon Divers
• Everlasting Flowers - Where there is a will, there is a way
• Fall From Eden
• goHELLgo: Tsukiotosh*teko
• Gori: Cuddly Carnage
• Grimstone Valley
• Gundam Breaker 4
• Komodor Kards Volume 1
• Leo: The Firefighter Cat
• Luna and the Wasted City of Sin
• Maxwell's puzzling demon
• Minesweeper Collector 2
• Monster Jam Showdown
• Multiplayer Pirates
• Not For Broadcast: The Timeloop
• Overflower
• Pinball FX: Goat Simulator
• Pinball FX: The Princess Bride
• ReMix
• ROBOT OX
• Safe Cracker
• Satellite Odyssey: Prologue
• siX Planes
• Sphere vs Gravity
• The Assistant Season 2
• The Mafia and Mom
• The Void Chronicles: One's Desolation
• This Company Of Mine
• Tower Collapse
• Unstoppable: Breakout
• Visions of Mana
• WARCANA
• Wer weiss denn sowas? - Das 3. Spiel

• 08-30

• A Cat's Way Home
• Adrift
• Amanatsu+
• Angles of Death
• Back 4 More
• Bi-chiku Beach ~Nangoku Nyuujoku Satsueikai~ HD Remaster
• Blocky Farm
• Bush Simulator
• Calvice Survival
• Capybara (Ventura)
• Charlie Charlie Challenge
• Cozy Designer
• Cronicas de Nueva Estrella Uno
• Dark Moon Deities
• Defense of the Earth
• Escape The Garage
• Finger Flex
• Flob and the Shattered Dimension
• Formula Racing Manager
• Fumble Fiesta
• Genki ni Natte, Ojiichan
• Halberta
• Hyakusen no Jou ni Kawatareshi Toki
• Imouto Friend!
• Infiltrate & Extract
• Isekai Jou to Himitsu no KonCafe Etchi
• Journey to the Rift
• Kanojo no Shinyuu ni Karada de Yuuwaku Sareru Himitsu no Kankei
• Kerker
• King Of The Pirates
• Kira * Kano
• Kouyoku Senki ExS-TiA Concerto 1 ~ 4
• Kouyoku Senki ExS-TiA Concerto 3 + 4
• Kyokkou no Marriage
• Lober Lobe
• LUNARiA -Virtualized Moonchild-
• Megaloot
• Metamorphosis
• Micro Star Command
• Naraku no Tane
• Next of Kin
• Ninja I & II
• Nordhold: Origins
• Nukikore vol. 64
• Nukikore vol. 67: JK to Inkou Kyoushi 1 + 2
• Osananajimi Yuka
• Pretty Agent
• Raven's Daring Adventure
• Saimin Shame
• Sengoku t Koihime BRAVE Ichi ~Shigoku no Oniwari, Chousokabe Hen~
• Setsuna ni Kakeru Koi Hanabi SS: Komari to One Room
• Sheepers
• Simulator of Countries
• Solar - Survival Space Battle Simulator
• Star Wars Outlaws
• Ten Bells
• The Bridge to Yesterday
• Tribute (Conni'co)
• Tsunderena Ane ga sh*tsukoku Karan de Kuruno de Mushi sh*te Itara, Ikinari Osowa reta Kudan ni Tsuite
• Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Party Dash
• Unicycle Pizza Time!
• Unstable Star
• What's done is Done
• White Bridge
• Why don't they laugh?
• World of Squares
• Would You Call Him a Bad Man?
• Yarimono
• Zenaku Full HD Remaster

• 08-31

• A Little Adventure
• Aura of Worlds
• Creepy Creepy Love
• Cynabre
• Dynasty Detective
• Eternal kingdom, Curses of love
• EXTERMINATOR
• Flowstone Saga
• Hearts in Orbit: When Stars Align
• Hidden Cats Invade Venice
• Hide and Seek with Noah
• Lost Seed
• Mirror Of Darkness
• Oniwaki Village -Horror game-
• PANDECROWN
• Pixel Game Maker Series NYANxTECH
• RAGDOLL UNIVERSE
• Resident Fear 2
• Solid Chunks
• Summit Hopper
• Super Alien Sniper - Super Realisitic Simulator
• Target
• The Other Side of the Sky
• The Perished
• The Ritual (Mad Genius Games)
• Time Travel: Escape Room Game
• Timebound
• World Without Reason
• Yemon
• Zero Days Since

Xbox Series X

• 08-27

• Age of Mythology: Retold
• Core Keeper
• Crypt Custodian
• Dead by Daylight: Castlevania
• Risk of Rain 2
• Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm
• SMITE 2
• The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria

• 08-28

• SokoPenguin

• 08-29

• Akimbot
• Forklift Simulator
• Gori: Cuddly Carnage
• Monster Jam Showdown
• Not For Broadcast: The Timeloop
• Pinball FX: Goat Simulator
• Pinball FX: The Princess Bride
• Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn
• Visions of Mana

• 08-30

• Raging Loop
• Star Wars Outlaws

• 08-31

• Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato

Xbox One

• 08-27

• Core Keeper
• Crypt Custodian
• Dead by Daylight: Castlevania
• Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm

• 08-28

• SokoPenguin

• 08-29

• Gori: Cuddly Carnage
• Monster Jam Showdown
• Pinball FX: Goat Simulator
• Pinball FX: The Princess Bride
• WitchSpring R

• 08-30

• Raging Loop

PlayStation 5

• 08-27

• Blood Hunting
• Core Keeper
• Crypt Custodian
• Dead by Daylight: Castlevania
• Risk of Rain 2
• Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm
• SMITE 2

• 08-28

• SokoPenguin

• 08-29

• Akimbot
• Gori: Cuddly Carnage
• Gundam Breaker 4
• Leo the Firefighter Cat
• Monster Jam Showdown
• Not For Broadcast: The Timeloop
• Pinball FX: Goat Simulator
• Pinball FX: The Princess Bride
• Rhapsody: 25th Anniversary Collection
• Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn
• Vampire Survivors
• Visions of Mana
• WitchSpring R

• 08-30

• Raging Loop
• Star Wars Outlaws

PlayStation 4

• 08-27

• Core Keeper
• Crypt Custodian
• Dead by Daylight: Castlevania
• Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm

• 08-28

• SokoPenguin

• 08-29

• everlasting flowers
• goHELLgo: Tsukiotosh*teko
• Gori: Cuddly Carnage
• Gundam Breaker 4
• Memento Memoria: The Abandoned Neverland
• Monster Jam Showdown
• Not For Broadcast: The Timeloop
• Pinball FX: Goat Simulator
• Pinball FX: The Princess Bride
• Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn
• Vampire Survivors
• Visions of Mana

• 08-30

• Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Party Dash

Xbox One

• 08-27

• Core Keeper
• Crypt Custodian
• Dead by Daylight: Castlevania
• Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm

• 08-28

• SokoPenguin

• 08-29

• Gori: Cuddly Carnage
• Monster Jam Showdown
• Pinball FX: Goat Simulator
• Pinball FX: The Princess Bride
• WitchSpring R

• 08-30

• Raging Loop

Nintendo Switch

• 08-27

• Crypt Custodian
• Dead by Daylight: Castlevania
• Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm

• 08-28

• Kamitsubaki City Ensemble
• SokoPenguin

• 08-29

• Bubble Blaster DX
• Can of Wormholes
• Depths of Sanity
• DICE MAKE 10!
• Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club
• everlasting flowers
• Everlasting Flowers - Where there is a will, there is a way
• Game de Manaberu! Sengoku Jidai Quiz Gassen Minna de Asoberu Rekishi Hakken Zatsugaku Kyouou Mame Chishiki Gakushuu Taisen Quiz
• goHELLgo: Tsukiotosh*teko
• Gori: Cuddly Carnage
• Gundam Breaker 4
• Kamigakushi Mystery: Yukue Fumei Tantei! Mikaiketsujiken Nazotoki Suiri Suspense Game
• Koi-Koi Japan
• Leo the Firefighter Cat
• Leo: The Firefighter Cat
• Marble Abduction! Patti Hattu
• Memento Memoria: The Abandoned Neverland
• MFC - Midnight Fight Club
• Monster Jam Showdown
• My9Swallows TOPSTARS LEAGUE
• Ninja I & II
• NouTore! Moji Sagashi: Moji o Mitsukete Chiiku Nou Katsu Training
• Pinball FX: Goat Simulator
• Pinball FX: The Princess Bride
• Purrfect Rescue
• Quiz de Mi ni Tsuku Kyouou Magoko no Heihou-Hen: Shougakusei Kara Otona Made Asoberu Zatsugaku Kyouou Quiz Game
• Rhapsody: 25th Anniversary Collection
• Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn
• The Backrooms: Survival
• Valfaris: Mecha Therion
• Voltaire: The Vegan Vampire
• WitchSpring R
• Xanadu: Scenario II - The Resurrection of Dragon

• 08-30

• Bedrotting
• Date Z
• Forests, Fields and Fortresses
• Island Survival: Craft, Build, Grow
• Kamikaze Lassplanes
• Kyokkou no Marriage episode LIA
• SURVIVOR HEROES
• The Doinksoft Collection
• Uboat Attack
• Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Party Dash

• 08-31

• Fruit Attack!!
• Ruthless Carnage Hotline

• 09-01

• The knight's path