New Releases: November 26th- December 2nd

From Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege’s adaptation for now-gen consoles to Worms Rumble transformation to real-time warfare, expect new looks for familiar titles. Fortunately, if you are seeking a wholly fresh experience, this week’s new releases bring games like Chronos: Before the Ashes, Empire of Sin, and Twin Mirror.

Header image: NEKOPARA Vol. 4, PC

PlayStation 4
Chronos: Before the Ashes (physical & digital, $29.99)
Empire of Sin (physical & digital, $39.99)
Twin Mirror (digital, $28.99)
Worms Rumble (digital, $14.99)

PlayStation 5
Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition (physical & digital, $49.99)
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (digital, $9.99 to $79.99)
Warframe (digital, free to play)
Worms Rumble (digital, $14.99)

Xbox One
Chronos: Before the Ashes (physical & digital, $29.99)
Empire of Sin (physical & digital, $39.99)
Twin Mirror (digital, $28.99)

Xbox Series S/X
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (digital, $9.99 to $79.99)

Switch
Arrog (digital, $2.79)
BFF or Die (digital, $6.79)
Chronos: Before The Ashes (physical & digital, $29.99)
Destropolis (digital, $4.79)
Electro Ride: The Neon Racing (digital, $11.99)
Girabox (digital, $2.49)
Grindstone (digital, $TBA)
Empire of Sin (physical & digital, $39.99)
In Celebration of Violence (digital, $12.99)
Lovekami -Divinity Stage- (digital, $11.99)
Maid of Sker (digital, $24.99)
More Dark (digital, $4.99)
Nordlicht (digital, $3.99)
Picklock (digital, $6.39)
PICROSS S5 (digital, $9.99)
Ponpu (digital, $TBA)
QV (digital, $11.99)
Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- Xtend Edition (digital, $36.79)
Sam & Max Save the World (digital, $19.99)
Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate (digital, $19.99)
Sky Mercenaries Redux (digital, $15.00)
The Alto Collection (digital, $7.49)
The Explorer of Night (digital, $4.99)
Tiny World Racing (digital, $3.99)

Evercade
Atari Lynx Collection 1 (physical, $19.99)
Atari Lynx Collection 2 (physical, $19.99)

PC
Android Hunter A ($19.99)
Arcanium: Rise of Akhan ($TBA)
Axe Cop ($8.99)
Chronos: Before the Ashes ($29.99)
Empire of Sin ($39.99)
NEKOPARA Vol. 4 ($8.99)
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix ($TBA)
Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate ($19.99)
Sakura Dimensions ($TBA)
Sisters Royale: Five Sisters Under Fire ($12.59)
The Monster of Memory: Destiny ($TBA)
The Never Ending Game ($TBA)
Twin Mirror ($28.99)
Worms Rumble ($14.99)

Rob’s Pick: I know some of you aren’t into visual novels; there are plenty of moments when I crave action rather than reading. But if you appreciate a good narrative accompanied by evocative imagery, Root Double -Before Crime * After Days delivers. Although the novel has some metaphysical elements, it’s essentially a very human story, offering skilled character studies through the lens of tense situations. Like many Japanese VNs, its foundations are rooted in theory, with a key component built around the Enneagram of Personality. Of course, you don’t have to know any of this to enjoy it. But like many VNs, Root Double is an intriguing catalyst for additional reading. Think of it as the social science counterpart to the hard science explorations of Steins;Gate.

But I also have to give a mention to Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate, the fifth instalment in Spike Chunsoft’s franchise. It’s a decidedly tough crawl, especially when areas like the Bladeless Wasteland dungeon have you tossing rocks at tough enemies. I know you’re probably up to your eyeballs in roguelikes, but this is probably one of the sub-genre’s best efforts and certainly worth the twenty-dollar price tag. Lastly, Sisters Royale: Five Sisters Under Fire brings the action for fans of vertical STGs.

Matt C’s pick (editor, Shindig): In the last couple of years, I’ve started to really enjoy Mystery Dungeon (thanks, Chocbo’s Mystery Dungeon and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon!). But this relatively newfound fascination means I’ve never played one of the classic Mystery Dungeon sub-series: Shiren the Wanderer, whose most recent release was back in 2016. Which means I’m very much looking forward to Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate, an updated Switch release of the fifth game in the series.

It’s got all that classic roguelike charm, with a wandering samurai theme that really lends itself to the genre and a gorgeous 2D pixel art aesthetic. Compared to the likes of Chocobo’s and Pokemon, it’s a tougher, much less forgiving take on Mystery Dungeon, but there’s a lot of satisfaction to be found in that, too.

I also have to drop a mention to a handful of other noteworthy games this week: Picross S5, because more picross is always a good thing; Empire of Sin, because a mafia-themed strategy game with the Romeros behind it sounds like a recipe for something fantastic; and Twin Mirror, which I still no absolutely nothing about beyond the fact that Dontnod is developing it, but that’s enough to make me very excited.

Ryan’s Pick: This week I believe my time is best spent with my favorite catpanions in La Soleil in NEKOPARA Vol. 4. Admittedly I am a late adopter to the NEKOPARA series, but once you sit down to enjoy one of these games you come to appreciate the level of detail and polish that they have. My appreciation towards the series has only grown with each subsequent game, as they continue to improve upon the animated bust-ups, fully voice the game, and in general make likeable characters.

While my affinity for the Minaduki family catgirl Coconut is unwavering, if a visual novel is not enticing enough for you this week, then I’d give Axe Cop a try. This game started as a comic book written by two brothers (one 5, the other 29) and it evolved into a retro RPG. The game’s battle perspective reminds me a lot of Phantasy Star and the music equally is very retro, so if you are looking for a new RPG with classic vibes then this one’s for you. It also has an enemy named Dr. Doo Doo and a volcano full of dinosaurs. Sign me up.