October 28 - November 3

  Felix “Splendor Solas” Threepaper

Welcome folks, and happy “198th Anniversary of the publication of Gulliver’s Travels” week! You may all celebrate by replaying a game that you originally quit after Act One, and realising there’s a bunch more to the story.

The big dog this week is Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

During the last round of previews in September, Bioware wanted to show that it was getting back to its roots, with a RPG heavy on story and relationships, but also that it has remembered how to make combat fun. Combat no longer plays like an RTS, like in Inquisition, with auto-attacks and command queues. Veilguard plays more like an action game: you move, dodge and attack in real time, while ordering your party members to execute their special abilities to set up killer combos. A lot of previewers compared it to God of War, but to me it looked like the ‘primer/detonator’ system in Mass Effect 3, tuned for more party members. While it looks flashy in a preview, seeing the combos make colourful explosions and big numbers spew out of critters’ heads, will it be fun enough to see me though the story over 40+ hours?

The previews couldn’t give as good a sense of the story and relationship mechanics without spoiling major plot points. From what they did show, the bones are there: your dialogue choices will trigger plenty of “X will remember that” notifications, companions will disagree about things, and people’s opinions of you will change. Beyond knowing these basics, I’d prefer to go in blind, save for recapping the plot of the previous games with TheHarpoMarxist’s very handy Dragon Age Summary.

The visuals look gorgeous, especially the scenery. The architecture has a sense of fantasy grandeur, whether or not the art style is more cartoony. It’s packing so much graphics, it’s only available on the latest-gen consoles. The environments are not open-world, offering more chance for curated vistas and less time to get bogged down (*cough* Hinterlands *cough*). I finished the first two Dragon Age games but not Inquisition, so the trimmed-down map and different combat are positives for me.

If you’re not into Dragon Age and still need a new game to play, Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade is an isometric roguelike set in Japan’s Edo period, with combat that looks a lot like Hades.

Albatroz is a backpacking RPG that looks like a cosy game version of Death Stranding.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a sequel to the first game that puts you back in the shoes of the original protagonist, Max Caulfield.

If you’re on the Switch, feeling left out because all the latest games are too chonky, you get some good old games in the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy, remastered for consoles with aim assist.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the clear GOTW this week. The first Dragon Age game in 10 years is a big deal, and I hope the story is solid enough to satisfy the long-time fans and loreheads.

GWJ Word of the Week

Open world: a video game that presents the player with an open environment, with freedom to explore and complete objectives with relative autonomy. Early examples include the space-sim Elite, Legend of Zelda and Microsoft Flight Simulator. In the 2000s, Grand Theft Auto III was such a smash hit that some of its features became baked into open-world design: griefing NPCs, side activities and emergent hijinks. Then the Assassin’s Creed games introduced RPG and crafting mechanics, turning open worlds into grindy collectathons. Open-world games now come with so many features, they can be either the most immersive game you’ll play all year, or a list of chores that you delete after the tutorial.

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

PC

• 10-28

• Across the Abyss: Voidborn
• Adit 11
• ANOMALY TAPES: Beyond Reality
• Backrooms: Partygoers
• Bat Blast!
• Beware Tomorrow
• Beyond the Marion
• Bloons Card Storm
• Breach the Abyss
• Call The Abyss
• ColdRidge
• Deathblossom
• Deathbound: Accepted By Death
• Destiny Star Girlfriend 2
• Destiny Star Girlfriend 3
• Don't Be Afraid 2
• Dr. Yaga Lost House
• Dreamline 404
• EvilPunk
• Flappy Tank
• Fruitbus
• Glue 10
• God Is Not Here
• Heartbeats
• Hero Pack
• Hidden Capybaras with Orange and Pumpkins: Spooky Halloween Edition
• Jennifer's Fragments
• Keep Keepers
• Keeper's Toll
• Laundromat Simulator
• Leshy Prelude
• Liminal Death
• Malpractice
• Massacre At The Mirage
• MOM
• Moon Mystery
• Mr. Pompy's Extravagant Quiz
• Night shift: Warehouse
• Nightmare House: The Original Mod
• Outbreak Overlord
• Paraplasm: Beyond the Veil
• Platform
• Pop the Corn: Kernel Clicker
• REAPER
• Reel Fishing: Days of Summer
• Restaurant Owner: Prologue
• ShipOS 1994
• Slayaway Camp 2
• Sofie: The Echoes
• Spooky Time
• Stunt Granny
• System Death
• Tales of Lost Ages Vol 1.
• The Fear Business
• The Nightmare Chronicles - Horror In Da Hood
• There's No Monsters
• Tostchu
• TropTopia
• Vengeance Hunters
• Waffle Cone Willie
• We Could Be Heroes
• Where is Love?
• Xenowars

• 10-29

• 100 hidden Cats : Kitty House 2
• Astronaut Assault
• Bad 2 Bad: Apocalypse
• Bioweaver
• Bipolar: The Tube
• Blackheart
• Choko loco 2
• CowaCowa: Jinmenken
• Days with Evraco: The Blind witch in Blue Forest
• Dreadful Delivery
• Fighting Monsters In West Province
• Fireball
• Happy Birthday: With Sergio Spellbound
• Happy Chase
• Hotelnomaly
• Lady's Tourney
• Life is Strange: Double Exposure
• Moment of Moonset
• Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets
• No Afraid Of Battle
• Quadrober Simulator
• Red Dead Redemption
• Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Pack
• Tiny Boxes
• Void Path
• Zombie Blitzkrieg

• 10-30

• Anime Dance-Off - Ghost Party
• BeyondThere
• BLUE NIGHT LAUNDROMAT
• Cat And Life
• CONCRETE
• Cybernetic Ninja Nuns
• Dark Manor
• DeathWoods
• DOCAAY
• Dong Wu
• Frameland: A Binary Tale
• Frights
• Game Of Fate
• Game Of Thrallan
• HalloweenTerror
• Karate Survivor
• Mars Mirage
• Museum Phantom
• Ninja Ming: Wu
• NumX
• Rusty's Day Off: Episode One - Janitor on Duty
• Snails & Potions
• Solitaire Flowerscapes
• Space Cycle
• Starvania - Tales Of The Past
• Tales of the Uncanny
• The Newton Mystery
• The Territory of Egg 2
• This is not Shenkeng
• Twilight Wars (Haska Su)
• Unmasked: An Inner Journey
• Vampire Hunters
• WORMHOLE
• Xenos: Cartoon Creature Catcher

• 10-31

• 7 Ate 9
• A Grim Tale of Vices
• Another Hope
• Atomic City
• Backrooms: Lost Place
• Blood On The Thames
• Bonanit - A Menorcan Horror Story
• Boss Breaker
• Bruxa
• Cool Cucumber Cricket Manager
• Corridor VR
• CrossinG KnighTMarE - A Hymn to the Defiled Holy Maidens
• Cursed Broom
• Darwin
• De-coding Armageddon
• Denizen's Den - Deeper Edition
• Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball 2025
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• Dragon Sleuth Brittany
• Evolution of Species 2: Online
• Fairies Praying To Heaven 2 ~ Great Devil's Return Match ~
• Fatal Delivery
• Fear Is In The Mind
• Fear of Fear
• Fish Playing Master
• Forgotten Dreams
• Frogo Jump
• Grave Filler
• Gripshot
• HANGMAN
• Hannah
• Hyperdrive Inn
• Insectoid Descent
• Kaimeishi
• Labyrinth of Wild Abyss: LayeRedux
• Lady Dracula's Mansion
• Land of Mushrooms
• League of Masters: Auto Chess
• Maguntsche: Chapter Two
• Me & My Friend Pippa!
• Miner Vidis
• Minha Casa
• Monospaced Lovers
• My Wet Leto Comic-A Day of Green
• NINJA REVENGER
• O.W.L Projekt
• Our Dark Heart
• Project Create
• Quad Blaster
• Rainerles Abenteuer
• Reverse Dyson Ball: Portal Tower
• Rushmith
• Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered
• Snowpult
• sobosuba
• Souno's curse
• Space intruders alliance
• Space Invaders Deck Commander - The Board Game
• SquareMan-Boy
• Starlight Riddles
• The Devil's Bride - Prologue
• The InBetween
• Unsteady
• VUP life from 0
• White Cat Adventure Team
• Within the Cosmos
• Zomb Bomb

Xbox Series X

• 10-28

• Deathbound: Accepted By Death
• Reel Fishing: Days of Summer

• 10-29

• Life is Strange: Double Exposure
• Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets
• Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution
• Post Trauma
• Way of the Hunter: Wild Expeditions

• 10-30

• Retreat To Enen
• Skater's Solstice
• Vampire Hunters

• 10-31

• [REDACTED]
• Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy
• Clock Tower: Rewind
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• Railbreak: Tailbreak
• Self-Delusion
• Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered
• Slime 3K: Rise Against Despot
• The Heirloom
• The Rocky Horror Show Video Game
• Totally Spies! - Cyber Mission
• Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania
• Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade

• 11-01

• Aero the Acro-Bat: Rascal Rival Revenge
• Albatroz
• CAFE 0 ~The Sleeping Beast~ REMASTERED

Xbox One

• 10-28

• Reel Fishing: Days of Summer

• 10-29

• Core Keeper
• Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets

• 10-30

• Last Escape: Dead Complex
• Skater's Solstice
• Vampire Hunters

• 10-31

• Clock Tower: Rewind
• Self-Delusion
• Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered
• Slime 3K: Rise Against Despot
• Totally Spies! - Cyber Mission
• Wolf Fang / Skull Fang Saturn Tribute Boosted
• Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade

• 11-01

• Aero the Acro-Bat: Rascal Rival Revenge
• CAFE 0 ~The Sleeping Beast~ REMASTERED

PlayStation 5

• 10-28

• Deathbound: Accepted By Death
• Reel Fishing: Days of Summer

• 10-29

• Life is Strange: Double Exposure
• Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets
• Post Trauma
• Way of the Hunter: Wild Expeditions

• 10-30

• Retreat To Enen
• Skater's Solstice
• Vampire Hunters

• 10-31

• [REDACTED]
• Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy
• Clock Tower: Rewind
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
• Monospaced Lovers
• Pixelshire
• Poppy Playtime Triple Pack
• Raiden NOVA
• Railbreak: Tailbreak
• Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered
• Slime 3K: Rise Against Despot
• Starship Troopers: Continuum
• The Heirloom
• The Rocky Horror Show Video Game
• Totally Spies! - Cyber Mission
• Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania
• Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate
• Wolf Fang / Skull Fang Saturn Tribute Boosted
• Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade

• 11-01

• Aero the Acro-Bat: Rascal Rival Revenge
• Albatroz
• Farmagia

PlayStation 4

• 10-28

• Reel Fishing: Days of Summer

• 10-29

• Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets

• 10-30

• Retreat To Enen
• Skater's Solstice
• Vampire Hunters

• 10-31

• Clock Tower: Rewind
• Raiden NOVA
• Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered
• Slime 3K: Rise Against Despot
• The Quintessential Quintuplets: Gotopazu Story 2nd
• Totally Spies! - Cyber Mission
• Wolf Fang / Skull Fang Saturn Tribute Boosted
• Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade

• 11-01

• Aero the Acro-Bat: Rascal Rival Revenge

Nintendo Switch

• 10-28

• Forgotten Memories: Remastered Edition
• Keeper's Toll
• Reel Fishing: Days of Summer
• The Legend of Santa
• Vengeance Hunters

• 10-29

• Backrooms: Partygoers
• Clock Tower: Rewind
• Life is Strange: Double Exposure
• Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets
• Police Simulator: Patrol Officers

• 10-30

• Cell Scientist: Beyond
• Gladiator's Arena
• Love Delivery
• Love in Login
• Skater's Solstice
• Vampire Hunters
• Wolf Fang / Skull Fang Saturn Tribute Boosted

• 10-31

• Astral Flux
• Broken Sword - Shadow of the Templars: Reforged
• Coloring Pixels: Collection 5
• Double Dragon Collection
• Ghost Assassin - Stealth Strike
• Kemco RPG Selection Vol. 8
• Legends of Heropolis DX
• Pixelshire
• Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2
• Poppy Playtime: Chapter 3
• Raiden NOVA
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
• Self-Delusion
• Shadow Corridor 2
• Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered
• Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island - Plus Pack 2
• Slime 3K: Rise Against Despot
• Synaxarion Christian Stories: Great Martyr Christina of Tyre
• The Beast Inside
• The Bunny Graveyard
• The Heirloom
• The Quintessential Quintuplets: Gotopazu Story 2nd
• Totally Spies! - Cyber Mission
• Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania
• WORMHOLE
• Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade

• 11-01

• A Walk With Yiayia
• Aero the Acro-Bat: Rascal Rival Revenge
• CAFE 0 ~The Sleeping Beast~ REMASTERED
• Farmagia
• Mars Survivor
• Shanghai Mahjong Solitaire Deluxe
• Space Planet Invader - Cosmic Power
• Wings of Njord
• Zombies Crusher

• 11-02

• BODYCAM SHOOTER
• Santa's Spot It
• Skater Bunny Simulator
• Street Survival: Homeless Simulator