For starters, there is, of course, the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, which is available to subscribers of both tiers. Among the many games that this library will add on November 19, some of the more notable ones of Grand Theft Auto 5, Dying Light 2 Stay Human, Like a Dragon: Ishin!, and Chivalry 2, among many others.

Meanwhile, PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers also get access to legacy and VR titles every month, with this month’s offerings bringing Synapse for PS VR2, as well as classic PS1 and PS2 action-adventure titles Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Blood Omen 2, ahead of the December release of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 and 2 Remastered.

Finally, Insomniac Games’ beloved PS3 first-person shooters Resistance: Fall of Man and its sequel Resistance 2 will both also be available to PS Plus Premium subscribers, but only via streaming. You can check out the full list of upcoming additions across both tiers below.

PLAYSTATION PLUS GAME CATALOG

• Grand Theft Auto 5 (PS5, PS4)
• Dying Light 2 Stay Human (PS5, PS4)
• Like a Dragon: Ishin! (PS5, PS4)
• MotoGP 24 (PS5, PS4)
• The Sims 4 Island Living (PS4)
• Digimon Survive (PS4)
• Overcooked! All You Can Eat (PS5, PS4)
• Stick Fight: The Game (PS4)
• Clash: Artifacts of Chaos (PS5, PS4)
• Killer Frequency (PS5, PS4)
• Hungry Shark World (PS4)
• Chivalry 2 (PS5, PS4)

PLAYSTATION PLUS PREMIUM

• Synapse (PS VR2)
• Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PS5, PS40
• Blood Omen 2 (PS5, PS4)
• Resistance: Fall of Man
• Resistance 2

The announcement, made over Twitter reveals that the event is set for February 12, and can be watched live on the Bandai Namco YouTube channel. Sadly, little else in the way of details about the new game have been revealed.

Bandai Namco is currently gearing up to launch Digimon World: Next Order on PC and Nintendo Switch. The publisher recently kicked off pre-orders for the game, which had originally been released on the PS4 and PS Vita.

The last major game in the Digimon franchise, Digimon Survive, was quite successful, having shipped over 500,000 copies worldwide. The game featured a new cast of characters, with Takuma Momozuka as its protagonist.

For more details, check out our review of Digimon World: Next Order and Digimon Survive.

DIGIMON CON 2023 Announcement
DIGIMON CON, our special livestream event started in 2022, is on

Time: February 12, 2023 at 10 a.m. JST
Place: Bandai YouTube channel

Further details will be announced soon! Hope to see you there!https://t.co/Ay9AeMrRyE
#digimoncon #digimon pic.twitter.com/EqEerfUZ5P

— デジモンウェブ公式 (@digimonweb_net) December 16, 2022

Digimon Survive has been in development for years, with Witchcraft at the helm before HYDE took over after several delays. It focuses on a new cast of teenagers, with Takuma Momozuka as the protagonist. After following a Digimon during their school trip to a shrine, the teens are trapped in an alternate world and must fight to survive.

While Digimon Survive offers strategy RPG combat, the story is the appeal. It’s like a visual novel with branching choices and animated cutscenes. There are also multiple endings to unlock, so choose wisely. Depending on the three types of Karma chosen, Agumon, Takuma’s Digimon, will evolve in unique ways.

For more details, check out our official review here. Stay tuned for further updates on the title in the meantime.

Wow! #DigimonSurvive has sold over 500,000 Units Worldwide!
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported Digimon games.

If you haven't played it yet, Digimon Survive is 30% off on Nintendo eShop through 12/4: https://t.co/vDTeKdDAdw

Your #Digimon partner is waiting for you! pic.twitter.com/JWxBH8eCDL

— Bandai Namco US (@BandaiNamcoUS) December 2, 2022

Sales of new titles in the first half of the fiscal year totaled 5.4 million, with Digimon Survive and Taiko Drum Master noted to be “smash hits.” Sales numbers for each title haven’t been detailed.

As for the future of Elden Ring, datamining has discovered hints of potential DLC zones, 30 new flags for boss fights (which doesn’t necessarily mean 30 new bosses), and ray tracing support. Neither Bandai Namco nor FromSoftware has confirmed DLC or ray tracing to be in development. The latter has released updates with new features and balance changes, including separate damage scaling for PvP.

For more details on Elden Ring, check out our review here. It’s available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is in third place, which means that two of the top three best-selling games of the month were published by Warner Bros. In year-to-date sales, TT Games’ title ranked in second place behind FromSoftware’s Elden Ring (which recently hit 16.6 million units sold worldwide).

Monolith Soft’s Xenoblade Chronicles 3 also had an impressive debut at fourth place, that too without digital sales included. It’s the best-selling title on Nintendo Switch for July. The final new release of the month was Bandai Namco’s Digimon Survive. Two days of sales were tracked, but it was still enough to net eighth place.

Check out the top 20 best-selling video games in the US based on dollar sales below.

https://twitter.com/MatPiscatella/status/1560613213674188802

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The reason I say this is not the game fans have been waiting for comes down to what Digimon Survive is. Unlike Cyber Sleuth, which went on to become one of the most popular games the series had delivered in a while, and got a new generation of Digimon game fans on board, Survive is not a monster taming role playing game. It is very barely a role playing game, in fact. Primarily, Digimon Survive is a visual novel – and while it does include battles with your Digimon, they are very different from how they played in previous games (adopting a tactical, SRPG style system), and far more de-emphasized versus the visual novel sections.

What this means is that this is a far more narrative driven game, and that its gameplay flow is extremely different (and also driven by that story emphasis) as a result. For example, the bulk of your time is spent trying to observe and interact with your environment, and with the characters in it with you, making choices big and small that can have a profound impact on how things play out – from which characters you end up being closer to, to how your stats grow, to how your Digimon evolve, to even who lives and who dies (we’ll get back to this in a moment). The visual novel portions of the game are also where the bulk of the story takes place – while there are some cutscenes and anime-style sequences, the bulk of the story playing out is with some only slightly dynamic sprites juxtaposed on backgrounds, and text and voice doing the heavy lifting.

"Past Digimon games have touched upon some pretty dark themes, and even had some deaths – Survive ramps that up to eleven, with its horror story vibe and aesthetic. The story, which begins in a nice, idyllic summer camp that the main characters are attending, quickly shows its true hand, presenting a disturbing narrative which sees the characters you are with starting to crack under the stress they find placed on themselves as they attempt to survive, their sanity slowly unravelling."

Suffice it to say, given this emphasis on the visual novel side of things, it becomes paramount for Digimon Survive to nail the execution. And happily enough, it does. This comes primarily down to the strength of the story. Unlike the Pokemon series, to which Digimon has often been compared (for often superficial reasons), Digimon media generally isn’t afraid to get dark with its narratives and plots. Past Digimon games have touched upon some pretty dark themes, and even had some deaths – Survive ramps that up to eleven, with its horror story vibe and aesthetic. The story, which begins in a nice, idyllic summer camp that the main characters are attending, quickly shows its true hand, presenting a disturbing narrative which sees the characters you are with starting to crack under the stress they find placed on themselves as they attempt to survive, their sanity slowly unravelling. As mentioned previously, these characters can die – and who does and does not will ultimately depend on the choices you make, and sometimes even the order you make those choices in.

The writing is top notch, and instantly sells the atmosphere and tone that the story is going for. This is a story about trauma, about the sinister undercurrents behind folklore, this is a story about how bonds and friendships can be tested under strenuous circumstances, and yes, it is a story about survival. These are the kinds of themes that it is easy to get wrong, and get too hamfisted with, but Digimon Survive does an admirable job of telling its dark story without ever going overboard, thanks to its writing. There are occasions where it does veer into seeming slightly too “anime” or too convenient – but on the whole, Digimon Survive’s writing is a big part of why the story works, and why the game strikes the chilling aesthetic and tone that it does.

But arguably equally important to the story’s triumph in these regards is the art style. Digimon Survive is not a graphical showcase – it’s a visual novel with largely static images for a lot of its play time, and it’s not even fully leveraging the power of the last gen hardware that it is available for. But the art style is absolutely fantastic, instantly conveying the idyllic but eerie nature of the locations you find yourself in, and the horror that you encounter in these places. Characters and environments all feel incredibly expressive, and end up establishing an incredible sense of place – fully immersing you in the game and the story, and where it takes you (literally and figuratively).

"This is very clearly not a follow up to Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – but honestly, given how well it turned out, I am okay with that."

The big stumbles the game makes with this storytelling focus feel like they were largely avoidable (which makes them more frustrating to begin with). For starters, the game lacks an English dub (or a voice track in any language but Japanese), which is definitely a huge bummer. The Japanese voice acting is great, don’t get me wrong, but Digimon as an IP is big enough to be afforded English voice acting for a global release (which this is), and the lack of that only adds a layer of friction to being able to immerse yourself in and enjoy the story.

The other issue with the story is the pacing; once it picks up, it’s almost impossible to put down, but the starting few hours can be extremely slow – they are, in fact, so slow that it can be a good couple of hours before you have your first non-tutorial battle (we’ll get to battles in a second). While all of this is ultimately additive to the tone and aesthetic, as well as the character payoffs, that make the story of Survive so compelling, there must have been a better way to do it that felt less soggy at the outset.

The battles themselves are fairly straightforward affairs. If you have played any grid based tactical role playing game, you’ll know how they play out. Digimon Survive does mix things up by taking cues from other games – for instance, while recruiting new Digimon involves you talking to them and trying to answer the questions they pose to you to your liking (so basically, like Persona).. The battles are well balanced, and managing your build, skills, and load out to try and do well in each can become wildly compelling on its own (and is probably the closest to the RPG style that fans of some of the previous Digimon games may have been looking for). These battles are very clearly not the point, and extremely de-emphasized in this game, but when they take the stage, they are great, and feel every bit worth it.

As I said at the start of this review, Digimon Survive is excellent, even if it is not the game that many may have been looking forward to or hoping for. Players who approach it with an open mind and take it at its own merits may find much to love here, from the unique story to the striking atmosphere, to the sheer deployability that the game’s divergences in how the story plays out can afford. This is very clearly not a follow up to Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – but honestly, given how well it turned out, I am okay with that.

This game was reviewed on Xbox One.

The previous chart-topper, Horizon Forbidden West, dropped to second place. Guerrilla Games’ open-world title has topped the charts several times in the past few months, thanks to the new PS5 bundle. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga holds steady at third while Nintendo Switch Sports drops to fourth from second place. F1 22 also dropped from fifth to sixth place.

The other new debuts for the week were Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge in eighth (with Merge Games publishing the physical version) and Bandai Namco’s Digimon Survive in 10th. Check out the full top ten for the week below.

In a press release, the publisher confirmed that early purchasers would receive an additional monster, Guilmon. Those who pick up the physical version on PS4 and Nintendo Switch would receive the Digimon Survive Release Commemorative Promotion Pack which includes three promo cards from the trading card game.

Digimon Survive is a tactical RPG/visual novel which follows protagonist Takuma and their friends on a school trip to a shrine. After some strange encounters with Digimon, the group finds themselves in an alternate dimension. Various choices will impact the story, affecting the Digivolution of Takuma’s partner Agumon along with the survival of his friends. To learn more about the Karma system and how attributes work, head here.

Your Karma score is the sum of all decisions made, ranging from scheduling plans to fighting or fleeing in certain situations. It’s divided into three types – Moral, Harmony and Wrathful – and whichever is highest will influence Agumon, protagonist Takuma’s Digimon. Moral Karma is gained by making decisions focused on justice, prudence and sacrifice, which aligns with Vaccine attribute Digimon.

Harmony Karma is all about making peaceful, compassionate decisions which align with Data attribute Digimon. Wrathful Karma is garnered from direct and bold decisions, aligning with the Virus attribute Digimon. Based on the Karma scores, it’s easier to recruit certain Digimon in Free Battles.

Given that the game’s attributes follow a rock-paper-scissors system with Vaccine superior to Virus, Virus superior to Data, and Data superior to Vaccine, it’s important to consider certain Karma decisions when building a team. Furthermore, depending on the highest Karma score, you can determine Agumon’s Digivolution path.

Though there are no right or wrong decisions, the game does have multiple endings. Garnering specific Karma scores will likely be necessary to see them all. Digimon Survive is out on July 29th for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

F1 2022

F1 22 is out in July worldwide for those who didn’t purchase the Champions Edition for early access. Along with the usual 10 teams and 20 drivers, Grand Prixs, and MyTeam and MyDriver Career Modes, there are a bundle of new features in this year’s iteration. Formation Laps and Pit Stops can either be Immersive, with the player in control or automatic; new Sprint Races are now in play on eligible tracks; redesigned cars offer changes to the driving; and VR has been added for the first time ever on PC.

Then there’s F1 Life, a new lifestyle element with clothes to purchase, interior decorating for one’s crib, and Supercars to collect. F1 22 releases on July 1st for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC.

Rune Factory 5 (PC)

Just a few months after finally releasing in the West for Nintendo Switch, Hakama’s Rune Factory 5 is coming to PC on July 13th via Steam. Following Rune Factory 4 Special, the sequel sees the amnesiac protagonist in Rigbarth. After joining SEED, the town defense force, players can set about completing tasks for the townsfolk and help combat growing threats.

There’s farming to be done, monsters to tame, festivals to attend and up to 12 different companions to bond with. The real-time combat is also faster-paced and sleeker-looking while featuring new mechanics like Link Attacks. Though its Switch version was plagued by performance issues, Rune Factory 5 on PC seems to offer consistent 60 FPS performance.

As Dusk Falls

Though first announced in July 2020, As Dusk Falls shone in its recent trailer at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase. The narrative adventure title starts in Arizona in 1998 with a botched robbery. Two families are involved and throughout two books across decades, one has to make decisions that will affect their fate.

Inspired by the likes of Breaking Bad, Fargo and Dog Day Afternoon, As Dusk Falls also supports multiplayer for up to eight players online and locally (or even a mix of both). It’s out on July 19th for PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S along with Game Pass.

Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels

Playground Games has been doing an exceptional job with its open-world racing title Forza Horizon 5, releasing new features, updates and cars since its launch last year. On July 19th, it will receive its first paid expansion with Hot Wheels, adding 10 new cars based on the toyline like the 2000 Hot Wheels Deora II. Players can also race and create outrageous tracks from more than 80 pieces. The expansion will be available for Premium Edition, Expansions Bundle and Premium Add-Ons Bundle owners of Forza Horizon 5 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Arcadegeddon

Illfonic of Predator: Hunting Grounds and Friday the 13th: The Game have something a little different to offer with Arcadegeddon. In early access since July 2021 on PlayStation and PC, the co-op shooter focuses on Gilly, who becomes mixed up with an evil megacorporation to save his beloved arcade. Offering a mix of PvP and PvE, Arcadegeddon sees up to four players battling through evolving stages in various biomes.

The full launch promises new Surge abilities, a new PvP mode, new Gangs and much more. It’s out on July 5th for PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S with cross-platform play supported.

KLONOA Phantasy Reverie Series

The ear-flapping, platforming goodness of Klonoa returns when KLONOA Phantasy Reverie Series launches on July 8th for Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch worldwide. It features remasters of the very first two Klonoa games – Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, which first launched in 1998 for PS One, and Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil, which released in 2001 for PS2. The visuals have been significantly revamped, whether it’s the character models or the environments and lighting (for better or worse in some cases).

It also features two-player co-op, difficulty settings – including an Easy Mode which reduces damage taken, grants infinite lives and five health hearts – and runs in 4K/60 FPS.

Loopmancer

While several roguelites embrace various kinds of animated styles, eBrain Studio’s Loopmancer offers realistic 3D visuals to go with its fast-paced action. The setting is Dragon City in 2046 with detective Xiang Zixu investigating the death of a famous journalist. He eventually meets his demise but finds himself back in his apartment, seemingly trapped in a time loop.

With seven stages to explore, over 100 weapons, and various skills and items, players will make different decisions throughout loops to ultimately find a way out. Loopmancer releases on July 13th for PC.

Stray

Cyberpunk adventure Stray releases on July 19th for PS4, PS5 and PC (while also available in the Extra and Premium tiers for PlayStation Plus). As a stray cat in a run-down cybercity inhabited by deteriorating machines, the player’s goal is to reunite with their family. They’re joined by B12, a small drone, and must solve puzzles, gather clues, and platform through environments to progress.

Along the way, there are swarms of Zurks and various hostile drones to avoid. With its gorgeous visuals and setting, and unorthodox protagonist, Stray promises an atmospheric adventure unlike any other.

Digimon Survive

Over four years, multiple delays and a developer change since its initial announcement, Bandai Namco’s Digimon Survive is finally on the verge of release. Part visual novel, part tactical RPG, it follows Takuma Momozuka and his friends as they visit a mysterious temple during Spring Break, discover Digimon and find themselves dragged into another world. The group must look for a way to survive but can also engage in turn-based tactical battles with their Digimon.

Based on one’s decisions, different routes, digivolutions and endings can be unlocked. While not quite like The Quarry in terms of the body count, it’s also possible for characters to die if you make the wrong choice. With about 80 to 100 hours of gameplay promised for all of the routes, Digimon Survive could be a dark horse in terms of RPGs this year. It’s out on July 29th for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PC and Xbox One.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Almost five years after the launch of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the story is finally continuing. MonolithSoft’s Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is out on July 29th for Nintendo Switch as one of the rare games moved up from its original September release. Set in the world of Aionios, with two nations – Keves and Agnus – in constant conflict, it focuses on Noah and Mio. Though opposed to each other, both are off-seers who use flutes to mourn the fallen soldiers. Along with their respective companions, the party embarks on a seemingly common mission to Sword March while a strange threat looms behind the scenes.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 continues the series tradition of open world exploration with stunning locales, dangerous wildlife and numerous quests to partake in. Combat features six party members (along with heroes that can be recruited as a seventh member) with numerous classes, character switching mid-battle, Chains, and much more. The new Interlink system also allows two characters to fuse into a single powerful entity called Ouroboros with a dedicated progress tree.

With compelling characters, a serious story and cool-looking combat, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 may be the series’ best outing yet.