Welcome back to another edition of This Week in Games Australia! This week: As the year comes to a close, so do the game releases of the year. There are still one or two major titles to come in the coming weeks, but the deluge has begun to pass. For now. A bank of storm clouds marked “Q1 2023” rises on the horizon, growing darker with each passing day.
Maybe this 2023 cloud looks pretty good to you, I don’t know. I feel scared. That or I’m just really ready for Christmas break.
Anyway, it fills the void in the AAA space and since 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’m a fan of a good arcade game and Swordship turns the genre on its head. Instead of being an attacking force, you’re running for your life. You have no weapons, just your ship’s hypermobile capabilities, which you can upgrade to be tougher and more athletic. Really cool concept. Looking forward to playing it.
December 6
Cuphead (XBO, PS4, NS)
Another retail release, for those who want a boxed copy for their collections.
Divine Knockout (PS5, XSX, PC)
DKO is a party deck where players choose from a list of real-world gods and then outdo each other. Looks like 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 as if Ubisoft decided to make an expansion for Destiny 2 instead of their own game? Anyway, if you liked the gunplay in Far Cry 6 and the idea of a sci-fi shooter using that mechanic sounds like fun, I guess go for it. It seems very much in the blood dragon “we’re not actually taking this seriously” vein.
Hello Neighbor 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 only need to apply. Empaler seems to be trying to combine several shooters from the 90s into one product and the result is quite amazing.
Knights of Honor II: Sovereign (PC)
If the recent release of Victoria 3 has you craving more strategy, maybe Knights of Honor II: Sovereign will scratch that Paradoxa-style itch.
December 8
The Outbound Ghost (PS5, NS, PS4)
A 2D RPG about a little ghost who helps other ghosts make the journey to the afterlife. This has Ruby written all over it.
December 9
Dragon Quest Treasures (NS)
A new Dragon Quest game about a couple of small treasure hunters. If you’re already into Dragon Quest, chances are you have a pre-order locked out.
Goat Simulator 3 (PC)
Retail copies of the PC version of Goat Simulator 3 are finally arriving this week, so if you’ve been waiting for the disc version, here’s your chance to pick it up.
And that’s it for this week! See something you liked? Are you happy for AAA’s payoff this week, or disappointed by the lack of blockbusters? Let us know in the comments below.