PS4 subscribers gain access to Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, Kingdom Hearts 3 and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory. There’s also Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, and What Remains of Edith Finch. Rounding out the line-up of PS4 titles is Earth Defense Force: World Brothers, Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain and Onee Chanbara Origin.

PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers also gain access to five classic Ratchet and Clank titles on PS3. These are Ratchet and Clank, Ratchet and Clank 2: Going Commando, Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Ratchet and Clank: Deadlocked, and Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. For details on the PlayStation Plus Essential titles available for November, head here.

Three more games will be coming to Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s game subscription service for Xbox One, and they’re all fairly interesting. The Gardens Between, Mutant Year Zero, and Strange Brigade are all coming to the service. One of these is, in fact, already available, as The Gardens Between launched for Xbox One yesterday.

Mutant Year Zero will release on December 4th, bringing some post-apocalyptic XCOM-like action to the Xbox One. The main hook of the game is that various anthropomorphic animals can serve as your squad-mates. Mutant Year Zero will also be coming to PS4 and PC on the same day.

Strange Brigade has been available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC for a while. The co-op third person shooter hits Xbox Game Pass on December 6th. With the number of free updates it has received, there should be more than enough reason to check out Rebellion’s latest. Xbox Game Pass subscriptions cost $9.99 per month, though first time subscribers can join for just $1.

PUBG 1.0 Dated for Xbox One

Amid its various issues and Bluehole’s desire to fix things, the developer announced that PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds would be launching version 1.0 on Xbox One on September 4th. Not only that but the new Sanhok map, custom games and War Mode would also be included with the update. Though PUBG on the Xbox One had a shoddy start and – depending on who you ask – isn’t the best Battle Royale title available, it still has a very, very healthy player base. And they’ve got a whole lot to look forward to.

Devil May Cry 5 Release Date and Gameplay

Arguably the star of Gamescom 2018, Devil May Cry 5 astounded all who played it on the show floor. Along with faster movement, mid-air dodging and a whole variety of combat options, the sequel re-established the Devil May Cry flavour that we knew and loved. Not only that but Capcom announced a release date of March 8^th 2019. Footage for Dante, more details on the mysterious third character “V” and much more are in store but for all intents and purposes, we’re kind of thinking Devil May Cry is back.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Out in March 2019

Perhaps the second most hyped game at the trade fair, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was also playable. Activision took to announcing a release date of March 22^nd 2019 and a Collector’s Edition, complete with a statue of the protagonist. However, it was the gameplay that honestly excited us. Sekiro doesn’t have a stamina meter, boasts impressive movement thanks to a grappling hook and channels a contemporary Tenchu more than you’d think. Despite this, combat is intense, relying on threshold meters that increase with damage taken, leading up to execution-style attacks. It’s bloody, grim and has that From Software vibe to it. Suffice to say, that’s good news.

The Surge 2’s First Look at Combat

If you happened upon that leaked gameplay clip for The Surge 2 a while ago, then nothing in the current trailer really surprised you. For everyone else, it was the first look at a game that’s still relatively Souls-like. The previous game’s special limb-targeting system is looking good, the movement seems more fluid and overall, the world feels more realized. That may not seem like a big deal but those cloaked Hunters and transforming statue gave us hope for what’s to come.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps – Spirit Trials

Did Microsoft announce a release date for Ori and the Will of the Wisps? No. It did the next best thing though with the reveal of Spirit Trials. This is essentially time trials as players attempt to beat their friends’ best times. Competing against them will be “ghosts” of said friends, amping up the competitiveness even more. Perform well enough and you’ll unlock some rewards. This already sounds like an awesome way to cater to the speed-running and hardcore fan base, having them come back for more after the main story is finished. Now let’s hope a release date shows up sooner than later.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection Coming to Xbox Game Pass

It’s hard to forget just how much of a disaster Halo: The Master Chief Collection was at launch. However, 343 Industries has been working to improve it and all that effort comes to fruition when the game launches for Xbox Game Pass on September 1^st. Along with Xbox One X support (including 4K and HDR), it will bring a large patch that improves matchmaking times, lets players pick and choose which games they want, or whether to forgo multiplayer entirely for the single-player experience.

Desperados 3 Announced by THQ Nordic

This has been a long time coming, especially following the lacklustre Desperados 2: Cooper’s Revenge. THQ Nordic unveiled Desperados 3 and pretty much confirmed that it would be the same isometric, real-time tactics, Wild West title that the very first game did so well. Nothing else was revealed beyond that but it’s out in 2019 so there’s still time to learn more.

Supermassive Announces The Dark Pictures Anthology

In an interesting twist, Bandai Namco – who’s been on fire with the partnerships this year – will be working to bring Supermassive’s next horror anthology to all platforms. The first title in The Dark Pictures Anthology is Man of Medan, a story about tourists who mess with some underwater relics and have to deal with a haunted ship. The textures and animation are pretty great and it’ll be out in 2019.

Overwatch’s Shooting Star and New Control Map

A new animated short is always a special occasion for Blizzard’s Overwatch. While “Shooting Star” didn’t do much to advance the main plot, it did give some backstory into Hana “D.Va” Song. The production quality and presentation were stellar as always but it perhaps pales in comparison to Busan, the new Control map. Available now on PTR, it offers new environmental hazards and interesting geometry while still maintaining the Control essentials. Expect to see it sometime in the coming month or two on live servers.

Life is Strange 2 First Gameplay

Life is Strange 2 finally revealed its premise and gameplay aspects, telling the story of Sean and Daniel Diaz who are on the run after an incident. Magic powers are once again at play but thanks to the age difference of the brothers, the decisions of Sean will have an influence on Daniel. Episode 1 arrives on September 27^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC but early gameplay shows that the Life is Strange aesthetic is more or less intact. Let’s hope the story-telling is up to par as well (or ideally better).

Cyberpunk 2077 Screenshots Tease FPS Gameplay

CD Projekt RED sadly didn’t showcase its behind-closed-doors E3 2018 demo. However, it did release some screenshots that gave us a better idea of what the first person perspective would look like. Furthermore, it announced that a major development milestone was reached with the game being playable from start to finish. Bug testing and other optimization still remain to be done but we could be seeing the game sooner than expected.

Dark Souls Trilogy Announced for US

Remember that Dark Souls collection that was only released for Japan on PS4 earlier this year? Bandai Namco announced that both Xbox One and PS4 players in the United States and Asia could pick up the Dark Souls Trilogy on October 19^th (sorry Europe). So you get Dark Souls Remastered, Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin and Dark Souls 3: The Fire Fades Edition, all for $80. On the one hand, it’s kind of lame for those who recently bought Dark Souls Remastered. On the other hand, if you never played Dark Souls, this is the best way to get into it with all the DLC included.

Metro Exodus Continues Looking Gorgeous in New Trailer

What’s more terrifying than a post-apocalyptic, bombed out Moscow crawling with monsters? Heading out into the great unknown. Because for all the beautiful sights out there in Metro Exodus, from lush green valleys to calm wildlife, there are some nasty things lurking in the dark. Other human factions that nail bodies to walls for fun, wolves, giant bears – you name it and it’s probably trying to kill you. Still, Metro Exodus looks great and we’re looking forward to its upcoming February 2019 release all the more.

Battlefield 5 Open Beta Dates Announced

For all the criticism that Battlefield 5 has received over its customization and depiction of World War 2, it does look insanely good. DICE teamed up with Nvidia to showcase the first person shooter on the upcoming GeForce RTX, which was quite the visual feast. However, it also unveiled the open beta for September, bringing the new Rotterdam map to Conquest. It’s available for Origin Access Basic/Premier and EA Access subscribers on September 4^th but everyone else can jump in on September 6^th.

This War of Mine, Windjammers 2 and More Heading to Switch

Nintendo isn’t running out of indies for its Switch platform any time soon. At the start of Gamescom, it unveiled numerous titles like 11 bit Studios’ Children of Morta, This War of Mine and Beat Cop for the platform. Moonlighter also received a more solid release window, which was great, but that wasn’t all. Slay the Spire, Night Call, Monster Boy and The Cursed Kingdom, Everspace, The Gardens Between, Bad North and so much more looked great. Oh, and did we mention Windjammers 2? Because Windjammers 2 is FINALLY happening. Sure, many of these are already available or coming to other platforms but having them on the go is just fantastic.

Soulcalibur 6’s Libra of Soul and Tira Revealed

Not content with a traditional single-player campaign, Project Soul announced another story mode for Soulcalibur 6. Libra of Soul does have its differences though as players will create a custom fighter and engage with other player-created fighters and main roster heroes. Each of these encounters will have different rule sets to mix up the battles further. The customization system harkens back to Tekken 7 in many ways so hopefully, the voice-acting for Libra of Soul is on point. Oh and Tira is back but as a DLC character. So that’s a thing to either get excited or upset about.

Shenmue 3 Releasing on August 2019

Ys Net’s Shenmue 3 will be releasing on August 27^th 2019. Now, all jokes aside about another possible delay, the sequel is actually looking pretty good. The animation is mostly on point, textures look nice and sharp, and even the story is very well presented. I mean, who didn’t mark out when Lan Di was shown after so long? Honestly, the biggest compliment I can give the latest trailer is that it evokes the same feelings that the original Shenmue’s reveal did in the Dreamcast era. Take that for what you will.

THQ Nordic Bringing Microsoft Titles to Steam

Xbox One/Windows 10 titles that have been relegated to the Microsoft Store are finally coming to Steam and physical retail. THQ Nordic announced a deal with Microsoft for the same and will release games like ReCore, Super Lucky’s Tale and Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection. All these titles will arrive on September 14^th. It may not seem like that big of a deal compared to other announcements but could lead to other Windows 10 exclusives arriving on Steam. No, not Gears 5 or Halo Infinite but some other stuff, probably.

Ace Combat 7 Arrives in January 2019

Bandai Namco had announced that Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown will be released on January 18^th 2019 for Xbox One and PS4. Even better, PC players can get their hands on it in February 2019. The newly unveiled trailer was full of intrigue, political dealings, high-flying action and…more political dealings. Regardless, the game looks gorgeous and a worthy follow-up even if some of the English voice-acting is…different, to say the least.

New Settlers Game Announced

Champions of Anteria? Get out of here with that nonsense because The Settlers are back. Not only is Ubisoft re-releasing all of its old Settlers titles on November 15th but it has a new game in development. Releasing in Autumn 2019 and simply named The Settlers, the game runs on Massive’s Snowdrop Engine and heads to a new world. Will it live up to the old games? Maybe not but hey, maybe it will. There’s always hope, right?

The Gardens Between, a gorgeous adventure puzzle game with time manipulation, was originally announced at Sony’s Paris Games Week 2017 presentation. Developer The Voxel Agents has now announced a release for Nintendo Switch in Q3 2018 alongside the PS4 and PC versions. Along with offering portability, the Switch version will also have HD Rumble support. Check out the announcement trailer below.

The Voxel Agents co-founder Simon Joslin said, “The Gardens Between is an homage to the friendships from our childhoods that felt so impossibly large that the bonds could never be broken. We took inspiration from our own childhoods when building the narrative of The Gardens Between. We wanted to tap into something relatable, familiar and nostalgic. The magic of being a kid is fleeting, but the story of Arina and Frendt captures that enchantment in a beautiful package.”

The game sees two friends, Arina and Frendt, exploring a number of surreal islands while reflecting on their friendship and the memories they’ve made together. Interestingly, players won’t control the characters, but time itself. Time must be manipulated to solve different puzzles and eventually reach the peak of each isle. Light up the constellations and watch the story unfold in the process. Spoiler: It doesn’t appear to be entirely happy.

The Gardens Between will be present at Gamescom 2018 on Switch. If you’re attending the trade fair, then head to hall 3.2, booth A70 from August 21st to August 25th to check it out. After that, a playable version will make its way to PAX West, which runs from August 31st to September 3rd.

Spelunky 2

Look, I don’t know about anyone else but this was the announcement of the show for me. Derek Yu’s Spelunky is a great game. In fact, it’s a great game that does almost everything it promises in as perfect a way as possible, from the rogue-lite elements and exploration to platforming and randomly generated levels. Such was the impact of Spelunky that it still stands out among current top-tier rogue-lite titles like Rogue Legacy, 20XX and whatnot.

So needless to say, when the announcement of Spelunky 2 closed out the pre-show (not even the main show), it was simply the best. We didn’t even get an overload of information about the game. The explorer from the first title has settled down and started a family. His daughter, most likely knowing about her father’s exploits, is planning her own adventure. However, there’s a tease – the possibility that she’ll take to the skies rather than going underground. From there, we were informed that Spelunky 2 would be out for PS4 and PC. It’s probably the only time during the show were a game announcement didn’t have a release date and avoided angering me.

Erica

Flavourworks is a developer that’s been working in “secret” for the past few years and Erica is it’s first project. On the one hand, you might think this to be another “Give Yourself Goosebumps” style game that’s guided along by PlayLink. However, Erica has a lot more going on. It’s live-action unlike Hidden Agenda or many other interactive adventures in recent memory. There’s a significant “Her Story” vibe where players must piece together a mystery for themselves, though it seems more focused on branching paths than pieces of a missing picture. And of course, you’re not just making choices for Erica but contextually interacting with the environment as her.

We don’t know how all of this will add up for the final game. The overall story could end up being terrible and it may be overshadowed by another branching path game like Detroit: Become Human which looks far more in-depth. Regardless, there’s an appeal there that not many games instil with their fancy graphics, cinematics and big-budget storylines (not that this looks small budget by any means). Maybe it’s just Her Story and the brilliance that gives me hope for Erica. We’ll found out for ourselves whenever it releases.

Guacamelee 2

If Spelunky 2 wasn’t announced, then Guacamelee 2 would have ended up being my favourite announcement during Sony’s pre-Media Showcase. I mean, what more could you want? It’s Guacamelee. It features the return of Juan as the superpowered mythical Luchador from the previous game. It’s got four player co-op, new abilities (including one that turns you into a chicken) and the same awesome combat. The graphics still look as gorgeous as ever.

Much as I’d wish Drinkbox Studios would just bring Severed to the PC, Guacamelee 2 is definitely a highlight that needs more attention, whether you think it’s Metroidvania-esque gameplay is too linear or not revolutionary enough. Though I don’t want Guacamelee 2 to be a complete overhaul of the first game, there is some hope that Drinkbox offers something new and interesting for this go-around.

Again, there’s no release date attached to Guacamelee 2 but the developer did note that it’s coming “soon-ish”. A part of me hopes that this means late 2017 but early 2018 is looking like a safer bet.

The Gardens Between

Since the release of Oxenfree, there have been very few 2D side-scrolling games which captured that sense of wonder and endearment. Night in the Woods is an excellent addition to this line-up even if the initially slow opening will wear on you. The Gardens Between looks to be another such game, combining surreal environments with intriguing puzzles and a time travelling mechanic.

The story itself revolves around Arina and Frendt who discover a world of garden islands and can unravel their secrets by moving through time. One would guess that the narrative reveals more about them as you explore the gardens, perhaps showcased about why they sneak out of their houses to spend a rainy night in a tree-house (among other things). The Gardens Between is due out in Q3 2018 and that’s a long, long way off. And while atmospheric side-scrolling adventures like this are fairly niche, The Gardens Between looks to be yet another endearing tale that will draw us in.

The Hong Kong Massacre

When you talk about niche games, nothing really feels more niche than the top-down arcade shooter. Just ask Housemarque who developed games like Nex Machina and found little success with them. That’s not stopping the developer for The Hong Kong Massacre however. This is a John Woo-style, top-down shooter with realistic graphics that’s all about stylish gunfights and killing Triad goons.

You could call it a mix of Max Payne and Hotline Miami but The Hong Kong Massacre feels more sombre – less over the top gore and overt bullet time and much more emphasis on the Heroic Bloodshed genre of films. That means lots of dual-wielding, firing bottomless clips into enemies and a performance that’s more skin to ballet than actual battle. Not that I don’t want some blood mixed in but they’re corpses all the same. Now if the game actually grades you for the “dance” you put on and how stylish the overall killing was? My heart will simply melt.

The Hong Kong Massacre will be out in 2018 for the PS4. One can certainly hope it comes to PC as well but at this point, I’ll take the game on any platform.