For PS5 players, action hack and slash title Soulstice will be available. PS4 players can look forward to Tacoma, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Killing Floor 2. A game trial for WWE 2K23 will also be available, though this is more than likely exclusive to PS Plus Premium.

It’s worth noting that several other titles like ELEX 2, Redout 2, MX vs ATV Legends, PAW Patrol Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay, My Friend Peppa Pig and DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace for PS4 and PS5 are mentioned in a recent PlayStation Access video. You also have The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition, Lonely Mountains: Downhill, Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York, A Hat in Time, Carto, Forager, Dodgeball Academia, The Wild at Heart and Thief coming to PS4.

Classics coming to PlayStation Plus Premium include Killzone: Liberation for the PSP and Worms and
Herc’s Adventure on the PlayStation One.

Gotham Knights

Gotham Knights may not rank among the worst DC superhero storylines out there (that honor still goes to Countdown, personally), but its ending is pretty terrible. Remember the Court of Owls? Irrelevant to the actual villains, aka the League of Shadows/Assassins/Idiots. The final boss? Talia al Ghul, because Ra’s is on extended leave in the afterlife, and no other major villains are available.

But the absolute worst is all those months of the developer convincing us that Bruce Wayne is dead and gone. And he is, but then they bring him back to life with a Lazarus Pit in some brainwashed state, after which he’s beaten back to his senses, and then dies again in a heroic sacrifice. It was absurd to the point of comedy.

The Callisto Protocol

After Jacob discovers the truth behind the virus, he goes up against the mutated Leon Ferris, now known as Subject Alpha, to synthesize a vaccine for an infected Dani. He does so, but because he effectively played a part in the outbreak on Europa, Jacob decides to remain in the prison while Dani escapes and Black Iron self-destructs. Of course, that’s not the end, as Dr Caitlyn Mahler suddenly intervenes, revealing that the two can escape if they work together. Ferris suddenly does a jumpscare scream, and we cut to black.

If the characters were better developed over a longer period, this ending wouldn’t have felt as abrupt or unsatisfying (especially with how many questions still lingered). But it also doesn’t help that there’s story DLC in development, making it feel like you need to pay extra for the “real” ending, if not to see what happens in the sequel.

New Tales from the Borderlands

New Tales from the Borderlands suffers from many problems, like being worse than the first game in almost every way. It also has a multitude of endings, each more underwhelming than the last. But the best ending, which sees the core cast (and LOU13) survive to form Galactic Healing Incorporated with the help of Rhys, doesn’t feel like a decent pay-off at all. Contrast this to how the first game ended and how well each character was written (including Rhys, who’s beyond ruined), and it’s just insulting.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human

The whole climax of Dying Light 2 revolves around the X13 lab and how Waltz, the main villain, will launch missiles on Villedor, The City. Aiden enters the lab to stop him and discovers that Mia is Waltz’s daughter and not his sister. X13 is keeping her alive, and stopping the missile strike means shutting down the facility, which can kill her. After Waltz is defeated, you can either save Lawan or Mia. The former results in the city being destroyed, so that’s no good.

The latter sees X13 destroyed and Mia dead, but Villedor survives, and Hakon may even save Lawan if the right choices were made. Aiden ultimately leaves, presumably to a better ending. Overall, very anti-climatic and unsatisfying, especially the final fight.

Shadow Warrior 3

I wanted to like Shadow Warrior 3, even if it failed on its one premise – Zilla and Wang teaming up – to focus more on Hoji. It all leads to Wang assaulting the dragon again in the finale. However, this time he gets inside, activating Hoji’s Chi cannon and destroying it from within. There’s a deeper message about Wang getting his mojo back, which isn’t given enough time to develop so it’s hard to care.

By the end, Wang, Hoji, Zilla and Motoko celebrate the dragon’s death by eating parts of it. What about Kamiko, implied to be the dragon when Shadow Warrior 2 ended? What about the world at large? Doesn’t matter, don’t ask.

Scorn

The “story” of Scorn involves two factions of the Homunculi waging war on an alien planet, one using biotech cyborgs and the other using exosuits. But none of that matters. Your story begins after the war is over and the planet’s ruined. First, you play as a character who tries to reach the citadel and fails, becoming a parasite. Then you play as another character, eventually infected by a parasite (which may be the first protagonist), and then undertake a big ol’ journey.

By the end, the parasite completely envelops the character, and they’re stuck in that form, seemingly for eternity. Who? Why? What was the point of any of this? Your guess is as good as ours.

ELEX 2

The plot of ELEX 2 surrounds the coming of the Skyand, responsible for the comet that struck the planet Magalan and unleashed ELEX upon the populace. Jax must gather allies to fight them, but it’s revealed that ELEX was stolen from a cosmic being called the Singularity and the Skyand fear its return. The Skyand attempt to reshape the planet and maybe stand against the Singularity, or something, it’s hard to say. When they’re defeated, Singularity is seemingly the next threat for Magalan’s people.

If this sounds like Horizon Forbidden West’s ending, then you’re more or less correct. Just imagine it with worse characters, a much worse final battle, lame choices, horrible presentation, bugs, and lots of jank, and you’ve got ELEX 2.

Salt and Sacrifice

There’s some decent lore in Salt and Sacrifice, but ultimately it boils down to the Undone Sacrifice becoming such to stop the gods’ wrath. However, this results in the prevalence of Magehood, and Mages aren’t very nice, judging by the sheer number you need to hunt. In the end, upon defeating the Undone Sacrifice, you can either take its place and perpetuate the cycle or devour the tree it hangs on, causing the world to end. All in all, it just pales in comparison to the first game’s set-up and ending.

Martha is Dead

Martha has died. Who killed her? Well, her twin sister Guilia did. But actually, Martha isn’t dead. Guilia is Martha. The former is her alternate personality, formed through childhood trauma. She’s taken to the asylum and eventually slits her arms, regardless of your choices. It’s revealed later that Guilia has recovered, and a message says there’s always something to live for.

It comes across as a powerful message at first but is also out of left field. So much is made irrelevant, like the photographs, the gruesome dissections, and the last hours of the story. Opinions may vary on the usage of mental illness as a major twist in a horror story, but it feels awkwardly implemented here.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands

The problems with the ending of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands are rooted in the Dragon Lord’s character. Throughout the story, it’s implied that he exists independent of the Bunker Master, aka Tina. However, this isn’t the case. As it turns out, the Dragon Lord was originally Tina’s character when she still played, who turned evil when she used the Sword of Souls to wipe out all evil in the game.

This caused Tina to rage quit and the Dragon Lord to swear vengeance on her…to no avail since she controls everything as the Bunker Master. None of this matters as the player defeats the Dragon Lord, uses the Sword of Souls to revive the Queen, and effectively spares the villain. He’s sentenced to 200 years of imprisonment for his crimes and seems mostly fine. Riveting stuff, indeed.

CrossfireX

Based on Smilegate’s super-popular free-to-play shooter, CrossfireX garnered attention because Remedy was behind its campaign. However, this was little more than two short “Operations” with bad writing, cliched and boring gameplay, and terrible AI. The studio’s trademark panache was missing here, though the Northlight Engine looked decent, and the “revamped” multiplayer didn’t offer much either.

Gungrave G.O.R.E

Some games are developed for years, and you hate to see them launch as Gungrave G.O.R.E has. Any notions of style that Overdose may have had all those years ago are overridden by an ugly visual style, from the characters to the levels. The story sounds like it could make for some B-movie-level fun but ends up confusing and outright time-wasting. Gameplay-wise, the sheer amount of jank in animations, movement, and combat are just awful all around.

Source of Madness

In theory, Source of Madness sounds cool. It uses procedural generation to create its Lovecraftian-esque nightmares and neural network AI to animate them. Unfortunately, this results in unpredictable enemies, further adding to the brutal difficulty alongside the shoddy controls. Even if you can appreciate the aesthetic, the sheer lack of strategy that enemies display, horrible bosses, and lackluster progression ensures little payoff for surviving this nightmare.

Winter Ember

As a dark fantasy stealth title, Winter Ember felt pretty ambitious with its 30 arrow types, 70 passive and active skills, and open-ended gameplay. The interesting aesthetic and setting are hampered by poor combat, awful enemy AI, shoddy cover while sneaking, and the same repetitive gameplay loop. Even the audio design, an essential part of a stealth experience, is not good, executing any hope one could have for this mess.

XEL

A sci-fi adventure inspired by Zelda with an appealing art style – what could go wrong? As XEL proves, quite a lot. The sheer number of bugs and lack of polish will put you off immediately. Once you make it further in, the combat and visuals can be somewhat satisfying, but the awful story undercuts them. Too much repetition and some baffling design decisions will further kill your interest if you’re still somehow playing.

The Last Oricru

Serving as one of the poster games for the new Prime Matter label, The Last Oricru takes clear inspiration from other Souls-like titles. But that’s all it is – a shallow inspiration where everything sticks out for all the wrong reasons. It may be the annoying main character, user interface, controls or how clunky everything looks. Whatever it may be, The Last Oricru doesn’t feel good to play, look at or think about.

Dolmen

Like The Last Oricru, Dolmen is a Souls-like but sci-fi with cosmic horror. It’s also terrible, with combat missing many key features and melee combat feeling janky and poorly tuned overall. Despite how interesting the sci-fi premise looks, it’s all fluff with no real purpose or sense that fails to hook you.

MX vs ATV Legends

MX vs ATV Legends isn’t bad enough to be truly awful, but it’s enough to be annoyingly mediocre. Multiple types of vehicles to race with? Good. The slippery controls and haphazard AI? Bad, though the former has reportedly improved. The open world aspect? Good. The lack of anything to do in it? Bad. We could go on with the physics, sound design, polish, and so on. While the new Trails mode and regular tracks are decent, it’s not enough when everything else is undercooked.

The House of the Dead: Remake

With all the remakes we’ve seen in the past few years, The House of the Dead: Remake could have been something good. Maybe not great, but still good. Developer MegaPixel Studio kept almost everything as is, but the visual upgrades look too dark and ugly. The remixed soundtrack comes across as bland, and the lack of much new content (save for the missable horde mode) makes it feel overpriced. The less said about the controls and performance issues, the better.

Diablo Immortal

Maybe it’s fun on mobile, but Diablo Immortal on PC is a travesty. Its user interface is horrid, with annoying pop-ups – especially during gameplay, resulting in misclicks – and the combat is an even more dumbed-down version of Diablo 3. The campaign is there, but any interesting plot is offset by the stupid progression blockers and grinding required. The sheer scale of monetization is also appalling, to the extent that certain end-game activities are just locked off to free players. Even without it, Diablo Immortal would still be a mess as opposed to the ongoing trainwreck.

Monark

Lancarse’s track record has been a bit spotty this year, as anyone who played The DioField Chronicle will attest. There was some hope for Monark, developed by a few former Shin Megami Tensei series members. It has a school setting, Egos, and an Otherworld to explore, just like SMT and Persona. It differs, however, in the awful pacing, repetitive gameplay, and troubling characterization, to say nothing of the shallow visuals and environments. With so many other great RPG efforts this year, like Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Trails from Zero, and so on, Monark hardly warrants a look.

LEGO Brawls

A platform fighter based on LEGO sets sounds appealing in theory. The execution leaves a lot to be desired. Originally released for iOS in 2019, LEGO Brawls made its way to consoles and PC this past September. Despite its looks, the gameplay quickly becomes boring (with little difference between characters), and the sheer grind required to unlock things is a chore. The lack of stuff to do doesn’t help either.

ELEX 2

I found ELEX to be a drag, but Piranhabytes’ sci-fi action RPG garnered a dedicated cult following after its release. ELEX 2 seemed a good time to capitalize on this and deliver something better. Sadly, it’s also full of clunky combat, dull writing, boring open-world design, monotonous side quests, and an underwhelming presentation. Being able to fly with a jetpack doesn’t count for much when there are so many bugs, and the DirectX 12 rollout is a whole other rigmarole on its own.

IKAI

Despite its low production values, IKAI could have been a nice little horror title, weaving in Japanese folklore in unique ways. Alas, it falls flat. It’s very short, the plot makes little sense, and it abruptly ends with almost no payoff. This wouldn’t be too terrible if the gameplay and horror were up to par, but the former is too restrictive and lackluster, while the latter offers bland jumpscares.

Blackwind

In some alternate universe, Blackwind would have been a decent twin-stick shooter/action RPG hybrid. Unfortunately in this timeline, its premise can’t withstand the horrible story, mind-numbingly dull exploration and progression, and awful combat. The glitches and poor controls further hamper your attempts to squeeze any enjoyment out of the experience.

The Waylanders

Developer Gato Studio’s recent The Waylanders is an interesting concept with hints of promise here and there, but all of these good aspects come with their own sets of caveats. While the story is interesting on some levels, it’s marred down by unimpressive voice acting and pacing that’s all over the place. Then there’s the gameplay, which is engaging but is plagued with bugs and glitches galore. Taken as a whole, however – it’s recommended that you pass on this game.

Diablo Immortal

The day it was announced, nearly everyone expected Diablo Immortal to be a pay-to-win shitshow. The final product somehow exceeded their wildest expectations with a battle pass, premium battle pass, empowered battle pass, materials, bundles, cosmetics – anything and everything was for sale. Let’s not even get into entire endgame mechanics – like Awakening – only accessible by spending money. The real tragedy is that even if that was all stripped away, you’re left with a middling, dumbed-down clone of Diablo 3 with a terrible UI and loot.

I am Alive

Released in 2012, this game sees players assuming the role of a lone survivor in a post-apocalyptic world as he embarks on a quest to find his daughter and wife. I Am Alive starts off strong with its gloomy and dark atmosphere, and the gameplay is also brutal with an ever-depleting stamina bar and violent executions. However, the game starts to feel repetitive as you keep executing the same tried-and-tested tactics over and over again to get out of nasty situations alive. It’s not a bad game by any stretch, but it does fall short of exploring the full depth of these promising mechanics.

The elephant in the room here, and perhaps ELEX 2’s greatest achievement, is the densely-packed open world that feels very much more like the dystopian sci-fi world Magalan that the first game wanted to be. Not because it’s particularly large or detailed, though, but rather, because of what inhabits it. Between members of the game’s five major factions, the eclectic assortment of monsters that range from giant trolls, to raptors, to flying insects, and even crazier things, you won’t be running around for very long before running into something of interest. The problem is, of course, with ELEX 2’s complete disregard for pacing of any sort. One second you might be slaying small monsters way under your level, then the next, getting one-shotted by a giant robot that’s exponentially stronger than you.

"With only a small handful of improvements over its predecessor and a couple new problems of its own, ELEX 2 succeeds in little more than being another ELEX game for those who dug the first one."

On top of that, some NPCs can turn on a dime and become enemies. Some behave differently depending on what you’ve done leading up to meeting them, and some quests are effectively impossible to complete depending on when you accept them. The first side-quest I came across after starting the game involved me following another NPC to go kill a giant troll, which seemed like a great way to start, but upon getting there and seeing him kill the NPC in one blow, then seeing that I do no discernible damage to him at all, the entire excursion felt like a totally pointless non-sequitur that had zero respect for my time. It would’ve felt like padding if it wasn’t so obviously poor game design. Some quests, on the other hand, involved nothing more than killing a few bugs or even just attending a concert of all things.

You just won’t always know what you’re getting into until you’re in it. And to be fair, an unbalanced world that shows you things you can’t do yet is not an issue in and of itself, in fact, some of the best games ever made do that. But it’s all about execution, and ELEX 2 is a bit too comfortable with not letting you know how over or underqualified you are for any given situation that it can feel like a lot of unnecessary time gets wasted as you try to earnestly carve your own path through the game. Your best bet to mitigate this is to simply spend the first several hours of your game just running around looking for enemies you can kill, avoiding those you can’t, and farming experience from menial side quests that you can hopefully complete while saving constantly and hoarding as many resources as you can along the way.

While there is certainly an audience for that sort of thing, I still don’t really think I can give it a pass with how stilted and clunky the combat itself is. Jax swings melee weapons around with no real flow or natural animations that connect one move with another. Chaining together multiple attacks feels okay when it works, but given the finicky lock-on function, and janky performance of the game generally, you end up fighting the game almost as much as the enemies too often. I’ve always said you can get away with having grindy repetitious combat or janky combat, but you cannot have both. ELEX 2 sadly has both, making its moment-to-moment combat little more than a wash.

"I’ve always said you can get away with having grindy repetitious combat or janky combat, but you cannot have both. ELEX 2 sadly has both, making its moment-to-moment combat little more than a wash."

I say “little more” because things do improve with more advanced weaponry. It’s a long road of getting leveled up to the point where slightly more interesting weapons are even an option, though, and that payoff is only arguably worth the tumultuous grind of getting over that hump anyway. The most tension you’re likely to feel with most of ELEX 2’s combat is when you’re worrying about the chugging frame-rate causing you to miss a dodge that you otherwise would have been able to squeeze in. The tried-and-true RPG mechanics of upgrading weapons and cooking different meals and attributing experience points into Jax’s abilities creates a functional system, but again, you won’t be doing much with it for a long time, and when you do, it kind of feels like climbing all the way to the top of Mount Everest to get to a McDonalds.

The more versatile jetpack of ELEX 2 does make some progress keeping the action from falling too far into inadequacy. Blasting out of a tricky combat situation to higher ground, and discovering nooks and crannies that would otherwise be inaccessible does inspire a sense of discovery that is perhaps the most addictive thing ELEX 2’s core gameplay has going on. Despite not really caring about what or who I might find, I still felt like exploring around the mountains, coves, and ruins of Magalan to be oddly intriguing a lot of the time. Perhaps that comes from the liberal inclusion of so many thematic concepts into ELEX 2’s world. Fantasy, sci-fi, dystopia, and mysticism all feel represented to one degree or another somehow, yet click together in a weird way to make ELEX feel like its own thing.

I can’t sit here and tell you ELEX 2 performs well on the PS5; it doesn’t. Nor can I tell you there is any sort of apparent reason for that; there’s not. The game struggles to keep a coherent image together with sometimes multiple lines of screen tearing at once, let alone a stable frame-rate. Despite the graphics themselves being pretty stale a lot of the time, ELEX 2’s frame rate sunk down to some of the lowest depths I’ve seen from any game on the PS5 yet. Even the overworld map can’t even hang on to a frame above single-digits despite being completely flat and exceedingly simple. Locations with multiple enemies and/or running water were the worst and almost made the game unplayable.

"ELEX 2 is not a game that gives you a very good sense of purpose or even immediate goals at times, nor does it have a very interesting cast of characters or a particularly good story."

That said, looking at some surfaces in the world up close can reveal a nice amount of detail. Clothes, weapons, enemies, and some of the NPC’s can look pretty good, but it’s very inconsistent, with many other textures that look ripped straight out of a PS3 game. Likewise, some smaller animations like mouth movements and other micro expressions came off as well-done, but then some bigger movements – like a lot of the ones in combat – look like they were slapped together the night before they were due. Uneven lighting doesn’t do character designs any favors, and can turn some characters quite dark during conversations with them. So, depending on where you are when you talk to them, you might not be able to even tell what they look like anyway.

ELEX 2 is not a game that gives you a very good sense of purpose or even immediate goals at times, nor does it have a very interesting cast of characters or a particularly good story. Nor does it run very well or reward the player for trudging all of those issues in a way that feels proportional. Yet I can see why the uphill battle of getting much of anywhere and the perpetual mystery of what exactly you’re getting yourself into at any given time can add up to a genuine delight for the right players. There are undeniably some addicting loops to be found beneath the rubble, but not enough to make this a particularly recommendable game in a day and age where so many better iterations of this genre already exist. If this was simply a case of the game catering to a niche crowd and being “more about the journey than the destination” I could roll with that. But with mediocre-at-best combat, vanilla-at-best graphics and some staggeringly bad performance issues eating away at ELEX 2’s already limited appeal, I can’t help but advise those entering this version of Magalan to proceed with caution.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

ELEX 2

Jax is back. “From where” you may ask but that’s not important because there’s a new threat in Magalan. As a result, Jax must unite the different factions, from the Outlaws and the Morkons to the Berserkers and Albs. That means a huge expansive world to explore (made easy thanks to a jetpack), numerous foes including wild creatures, and a wide range of combat abilities to master. If Gothic and Risen are your thing, then Piranhabytes’ ELEX 2 will be worth checking out when it launches on March 1st for Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Gran Turismo 7

For all the acclaim that Gran Turismo Sport rightfully garnered, there’s just something special about a new mainline Gran Turismo game. Gran Turismo 7 looks to be the series’ best yet with over 400 cars and more than 90 tracks to race on. Extensive customization with thousands of parts, new features like GT Cafe and Museum that emphasize the history and allure of different brands, new modes like Music Replay, and much, much more await in gorgeous 4K/60 FPS. Gran Turismo 7 is out on March 4th for PS4 and PS5.

Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin

Team Ninja’s action RPG spin-off of Final Fantasy 1, which sees Jack and his friends striving to save the world, releases on March 18th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and PC. Combining Nioh-like combat with Final Fantasy’s Job system, it looks to present a darker, edgier take on the franchise. The combat has drawn praise for its executions, abilities, and combo potential even if the writing leaves a lot to be desired. But you never know – the power of memes could propel it to greatness.

Triangle Strategy

As Serenoa Wolffort, you must decide how to proceed in a world driven to conflict, acting in the interest of your allies while also opposing the villainous Aesfrost. When major decisions come up, everyone in your council will vote with the Scales of Conviction, potentially leading to betrayals and other twists. With solid gameplay, a strong variety of abilities and classes, and great characterization, Triangle Strategy looks to leave its mark on the genre when it releases on March 4th for Nintendo Switch.

WWE 2K22

After the embarrassing release of WWE 2K20, Visual Concepts’ WWE 2K22 offers a much more refined gameplay experience. In terms of features, there’s a new 2K Showcase focusing on Rey Mysterio’s illustrious career; the return of MyGM and Universe Mode for booking your own shows; and the new MyFaction where you construct a stable and dominate. Of course, the visuals have also been polished extensively so you won’t mistake Superstars like Becky Lynch or Edge for someone else. Could it redeem the franchise? We’ll find out when it releases on March 11th for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Xbox One

Grand Theft Auto 5 (Xbox Series X/S, PS5)

For all the exasperation over Grand Theft Auto 5 being re-released yet again, there are more than a few reasons to be hyped. Along with ray tracing, 4K, 60 FPS support, improved textures and draw distances, and so on, GTA Online is getting some new features to coincide with its standalone release. These include a Career Builder for selecting a business from the start, five new vehicles (and five existing ones) that can be upgraded, and even an option for existing players to start afresh. It’s out on March 15th for Xbox Series X/S and PS5.

Ghostwire: Tokyo

Though it contains some traces of the horror titles that Tango Gameworks is so well known for, Ghostwire: Tokyo is more of a supernatural thriller/action adventure. It follows Akito who becomes possessed by KK, a spirit detective, and uses powers to fight off evil spirits called The Visitors. The duo investigate Tokyo where almost the entire population has vanished under mysterious circumstances. Along with using Ethereal Weaving to fight, you’ll venture to dimension-warping environments, help untethered Spirits and much more while investigating a strange group with Hannya masks. Releasing on March 25^th for PS5 and PC, Ghostwire: Tokyo is a timed PS5 exclusive for one year.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Kirby and the Forgotten Land will be the first 3D mainline title in the series’ history, which is crazy considering how long the character has been around. Nevertheless, it looks to have everything that fans of the pink puffball will enjoy. There’s a wide range of old and new Copy abilities to unlock, many which can now be upgraded. The environments are richly detailed and teeming with interesting puzzles, obstacles and enemies. Then there’s the borderline terrifying Mouthful Mode where Kirby can “possess” larger objects like cars, vending machines and so on, further expanding on the range of possibilities. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is out on March 25th for the Switch and already looks like an instant classic.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands

Instead of the chaotic interplanetary Vault hunting of Borderlands, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands opts for, well, chaotic fantasy loot hunting. As the Fatemaker in the tabletop game Bunkers and Badasses, players attempt to save the kingdom from the Dragon Lord. Battle skeletons, Shrooms and other horrors while choosing from one of six classes; multi-class with different skills and abilities; equip melee weapons and spells; and much more along with the classic FPS gameplay. If Borderlands 3 didn’t scratch that looter shooter itch, then perhaps Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands will fare better when it launches on March 25th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC.

Weird West

An immersive sim set in the supernatural Wild West with five different characters and where actions have gruesome consequences? Throw in the Dishonored and Prey pedigree, and WolfEye Studios’ Weird West has our attention. Take control of a bounty hunter and werewolf among other unlikely individuals, either relying on stealth or brute force to progress through fights. Be honorable or kill indiscriminately and see what happens – it’s up to you. Weird West launches on March 31^st for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Dawn of Ragnarok

Ragnarok is here but unfortunately, it’s not the God of War kind. Instead, it’s Eivor – and by extension, Odin – who must fight against the forces of Surtr, the fire giant, to save his son Baldr. You’ll venture to Svartalfheim and wield new powers like shape-shifting to transform into a raven; necromancy to raise fallen enemies to fight for you; and even teleportation. This is in addition to new upgrades, a new rune slot, new gear and weapons, and new activities like the Valkyrie Trials. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Dawn of Ragnarok releases on March 10th for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One and Google Stadia.

Tunic

After years in development and numerous delays, Andrew Shouldice’s Tunic finally has a release date. Inspired by old-school Zelda titles, it sees players controlling a fox who explores a mysterious land. Along with discovering weapons to defend themselves, they’ll also venture into ruins and catacombs while taking on bosses. Relics, puzzles, and much more await along with secrets for those brave enough to explore. Tunic is out on March 16^th for Xbox One, PC and Xbox Series X/S with the console version being a timed exclusive for Xbox.

Beholder 3

As the latest title in the acclaimed Beholder series, Beholder 3 sees you controlling Frank Schwarz who masquerades as a landlord and spies on his tenants for the authoritarian government. When not using surveillance cameras, the player must maintain their disguise but choose a faction to ally with behind the scenes to return to glory. Beholder 3 arrives on March 3^rd for PC.

Little Orpheus

Though The Chinese Room is better known for titles like Dear Esther, Little Orpheus is a significantly different endeavor. It sees Soviet cosmonaut Ivan Ivanovich venturing to the centre of the Earth and discovering prehistoric civilizations and other wonders. Sporting bright technicolor visuals, this 2.5D side-scrolling platformer originally released for Apple Arcade in June 2020. It’s coming to PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on March 1^st with improved visuals, high-resolution textures and new moves (along with a bonus episode).

Babylon’s Fall

The trajectory of Babylon’s Fall from announcement to re-reveal as a live-service title has been…interesting, to say the least. Nevertheless, PlatinumGames’ action RPG offers co-op for up to four players. The key appeal is wielding four weapons at once, each with their own skills, and battling foes across a fantasy landscape. If that sounds cool, then Babylon’s Fall may be worth looking out for when it releases on March 3rd for PS4, PS5 and PC.

It’s not that simple though as Jax starts out with the bare minimum in terms of weapons and abilities. There are five key factions, each with their own motives, NPCs and rivalries. Each is capable of teaching something different and while you could join them, it’s possible to be a lone wolf. Occasionally, different companions will join your party and assist in combat.

Check out the trailer below for more details, including the various wildlife threats in Magalan, the different weapons from chainswords to firearms that Jax can wield and much more. ELEX 2 releases on March 1st for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. For more information, check out our interview with the development team here.

Story

Taking place six years after the events of the first game which saw the Hybrid defeated, the world of Magalan has been somewhat peaceful. Of course, it’s not long before a new threat emerges in the form of the Skyands who wield dark ELEX for their own nefarious ends. In order to stand a chance against them, protagonist Jax embarks on a journey to unite the different factions and hopefully find his son Dex along the way.

Setting

Magalan can best be described as a post-apocalyptic science fantasy world where technology and magic collide. Given Piranha Bytes’ work on Gothic, there’s a medieval feel to the environments with ruins from the Old World scattered throughout. Along with forests and canyons, you’ll also explore snowy environments plagued with Icetrolls and other threats. There are also dungeons to venture into, though more details have yet to be offered on the same.

More Quests

Right off the bat, Magalan isn’t dramatically bigger – in fact, it’s roughly the same size as in ELEX 1 according to the developer. While things have doubtless changed over the years, the world as a whole is denser in content. Players will have many more quests to complete and dialogue to listen to. The number of companion quests has also doubled and have an impact on the main story.

Freedom to Explore

Exploring the world freely is a key aspect of ELEX 2. Though it won’t become available immediately, a jetpack is provided to make transportation easier and you can quickly soar through the skies to each destination (or even to places you’re not supposed to be at just yet). However, those who want to explore on foot can still do so and take in the sights and sounds at a slower pace.

Factions

There are five main factions to deal with – the Berserkers, Albs, Clerics, Outlaws and Morkons. Despite their name, the Berserkers are actually magic users and can be found in Tavar which they’ve converted from a desert into an area teeming with greenery. The Albs were heavy ELEX consumers in the first game and have thankfully reduced their dependence on it and operating on pure logic. The Clerics are craftsmen and are good at creating robots. The Outlaws are scavengers who are opposed to the Berserkers and prefer to live life on their own terms, though they’ve been scattered throughout Magalan over the past several years.

Finally, there’s the Morkon, residents of Magalan’s tunnels who have very harsh standards to their limited resources and exhibit fanaticism in accordance with their beliefs. Not every faction likes or gets along with the others but it will be Jax’s job to unite them against the Skyands. He can also join a faction, which leads to interesting consequences like rejoining the Albs as a commander.

Over 300 Unique NPCs

It’s hard to please everyone though because there are so many different kinds of NPCs. In a presentation that WCCFTech attended back in July 2021, Piranha Bytes confirmed over 300 NPCs in the game, each with their own unique personalities. Of the more than 350,000 spoken words in the script, it’s the NPCs that have the majority. Of course, you’ll have different companions that can join your party as well with their own goals and vested interests while also helping in combat.

Choices and Consequences

There are plenty of tough moral decisions throughout Jax’s journey, and the consequences sound fairly intricate. NPCs will examine your actions accordingly and remember what you’ve done. Companions can also leave the group if they don’t like your behavior. It’s also possible to kill NPCs which can affect the story’s outcome.

Speaking to GamingBolt, the developer noted that the world “heavily depends on the player’s choices, even entire battles are happening or not happening because of what the player did.” The consequences of your actions may sometimes happen immediately or over the course of numerous acts, and which faction you choose also plays a part. As Piranha Bytes notes, “It works just as in ELEX – but we even improved and expanded it. It’s more complex and dense, with more consequences and bigger impacts and more surprises in different storylines. Storylines are even longer than they used to be and will have many ‘oh!’ moments.”

Combat

ELEX received its fair share of criticism due to its jank and lack of polish, which extended to the combat. For ELEX 2, Piranha Bytes has sought to overhaul the combat system, revamping enemy AI and redoing all of the animations. Along with regular attacks, you also have charged attacks that help make battles more dynamic. Aerial combat is also a new addition as you’ll tussle with foes in the skies, either with melee or ranged weaponry.

No Class Restrictions

Players won’t choose a class to start out with, instead developing their own play-style overtime. As such, there are no restrictions on the different abilities that can be used but if you want to become stronger in certain aspects, then favoring one faction over another will definitely help. For instance, the Berserkers are recommended for those interested in magic.

Weapons

Creating your own combat style also boils down to the different weapons and abilities on offer. Along with melee weapons like swords, hammers, maces, axes and so on, there are ranged weapons like guns, bows and explosives. You can also employ magic to call down fire or zap opponents with lightning. More advanced tech like lasers and plasma weapons can also be expected but it’s also easy to just pick up a pipe and beat on an enemy.

Enemies and Bosses

ELEX 2 promises over 100 enemy types for players to battle including new adversaries like flying foes. The developer also revealed to WCCFTech that boss fights don’t take place in “scripted events” but are more organic encounters in the open world that fit their respective environments accordingly. “Powerful enemies with special attacks” can be expected so preparation is important but if a particular boss fight isn’t going your way, simply retreat and come back later.

PC Requirements

Compared to its predecessor, ELEX 2 is much heftier in terms of system requirements on PC. The minimum requirements include an Intel Core i5-7400 or AMD Ryzen 3 3100 with 12 GB of RAM and either a GeForce GTX 1060 or a Radeon RX 5600 XT. The recommended requirements include a Core i5-9500F or Ryzen 7 2700, 16 GB of RAM and either a GeForce RTX 2060 or Radeon RX 5700 XT. In both cases, 45 GB of installation space is required.

4K Ultra HD and Optimized for Xbox Series X/S

According to the Xbox Store, ELEX 2 will support 4K Ultra HD resolution on Xbox Series X/S, which means that PS5 players should also benefit from the same. It’s also being optimized for Xbox Series X/S though what this means in terms of texture quality, effects and so on is yet to be revealed. Xbox players also benefit from Smart Delivery, requiring only a single purchase to have it available for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

Playtime

The first game was fairly meaty in terms of content – though its main story could be finished in some 30 hours, it could take upwards of 100 hours to complete everything. Piranha Bytes told GamingBolt in a previous interview that ELEX 2 could be finished in 60 hours due to the amount of content present but that ultimately, it depends on the player. So whether you’re looking to finish the main story or explore every single nook and cranny of Magalan, there will be stuff to do.

No Paid Post-Launch Content Planned

Whether you play ELEX 2 for 60 hours or six hundred, it’s best to savor whatever the game has to offer. Piranhabytes isn’t currently looking to add any DLC, specifically any “paid new content” after launch. Speaking to Twinfinite, the developer said, “Actually, we don’t like DLCs. We think, if people buy our game, they should get everything that we’ve planned to put into it. Therefore there is no paid new content planned for ELEX 2 after the launch.”

That being said, it will look closely at how the game is received by players and offer support (which could mean patches and bug fixes). But in terms of DLC, it would “prefer to put our creative energy in another project very soon.”