New video game highlights this week – quick links
Valor Mortis – 13 October
Games Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
‘You are William, a soldier of the Grande Armée brought back from a battlefield grave. But the Europe you awaken to is not the one you sacrificed for. A mysterious plague now sweeps the continent, and you have been reborn with its corrupting power pulsing through your veins.’
‘Each death is a chance to grow stronger. Master a combat system of parries, dashes, and visceral finishers across a variety of weapons. Channel your power to enhance attacks and unlock new supernatural abilities to inflict upon your enemies.’
Planet Zoo 2 – 13 October
Games Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
‘Build a wilder world in Planet Zoo 2 – the sequel to the beloved zoo simulation game. Let your creativity soar by constructing and managing distinctive zoos around the world, full of awe-inspiring animals, including fully aquatic and flying species for the first time. Plus, take the next step in animal conservation and release your species into customisable, expansive Wildlife Reserves.’
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 – 14 October
Games Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
‘Following directly on from the end of Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, your duty takes you to new locations in a branching, single-player campaign that effortlessly blends the grimdark Warhammer 40,000 universe with a fast-paced first-person shooter.’
‘Lock in as one of two playable characters, each offering their own unique abilities, weapons, and play style. Dominate combat as the unrelenting force that is Malum Caedo, a formidable Sternguard Veteran with a reputation for purging heretics. Or quickly take control of the battlefield as the swift and nimble Sister of Battle, Nyra Veyrath, torching enemies and leaving only ashes in her wake.’
Ratatan 1.0 release – 15 October
Games Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2
‘Ratatan is a rhythm roguelike action game that combines rhythm games and side-scrolling action, with online co-op gameplay supporting up to 4 players. An intense battle unfolds with over 100 characters fighting in a massive melee. Defeat the enemies by riding the rhythm of Ratatan’s catchy, toe-tapping soundtrack in this delightful, heartfelt adventure!’
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse – 15 October
Games Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
‘Medieval Paris, Where the Tolling Bells Herald the End. 1499. Paris is engulfed in flames as monstrous creatures suddenly emerge from the shadows. Trevor Belmont, the hero who defeated Dracula, ventures into the burning streets with his daughter, Rose Belmont. Armed with the legendary holy whip, the Vampire Killer, they hunt down the beasts bleeding from the looming castle. Rose is soon swept up in the dark conspiracy that lurks beneath. Will she succeed in saving Paris from devastation?’
Beyond These Stars – 16 October
Games Platform(s): PC
‘Recovering from uncertain times, your Peeps find themselves on the back of Kewa – a lonely Space Whale journeying across the universe. Building a city on the back of a sentient creature comes with its own set of challenges, but as you build your relationship and travel across the galaxy, you’ll come across great opportunities for exploration and stable expansion. Meet other species, pursue the needs and wants of your Peeps, and seek the truth about their ancestors and the Space Whales alike.’
Tenebris Somnia – 16 October
Games Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
‘Tenebris Somnia is a survival horror adventure game in the same vein as classics like Silent Hill or Resident Evil – but adapted to a retro 2D aesthetic from the 8 or 16-bit era. You will struggle to survive while solving puzzles and fighting horrible creatures. Yet the secrets of the game lie within its cinematics… When you reach certain key points you will see sequences from a completely different point of view, made in live action with real actors and practical effects – created by a professional and award winning film crew from Argentina.’
Penguin Colony – 16 October
Games Platform(s): PC
‘The year is 1939, and the Nazis and Kaitiaki are making their way into the deep Antarctic to answer the call of an impossibly ancient being. One group seeks to extract this inconceivable power for its own destructive means. The other, as it has been doing for generations, hopes to return it to its slumber for another hundred years.’
‘These humans, with their strange sights and sounds, will pique the curiosity of the local penguins. Embody any one of these penguins and wander the frozen landscape, following the humans in their discoveries, and witnessing their minds collapse under the strain.’
