Every week, it feels like there’s more games for more platforms than ever before. So, also every week, we look through the crowded release schedule and find five games worth playing. And this week’s pick is a sports game that lets you role-play your way to the World Series.
Pick Of The Week
MLB The Show 17, Tuesday (PS4)
The yearly, console-exclusive franchise gets its annual release today, right as the season is about to start. As usual, it’s mostly a set of minor upgrades to a game they’ve been refining for years. That said, a lot of our complaints appear to be addressed, and the addition of a Retro Mode that’s a tribute to a Super Nintendo classic sure doesn’t hurt. Expect a two-pronged review, with yours truly and baseball fanatic Jason Tabrys, later this week.
Snake Pass, Wednesday (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)
Sure, the title sounds like a weird Japanese RPG, but the actual game is a platformer where you have to navigate the level like an actual snake, wrapping your body around obstacles and levering yourself up through your own movement. It’s a fascinating take on the platformer, not least because it changes how you take on what are normally fairly conventional challenges, and if you’re looking for something fresh in the crossing-chasms genre, this looks to be a change in pace.
Thimbleweed Park, Thursday (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Ron Gilbert, legendary adventure game designer/grumpypants, has returned to the genre he loves with Thimbleweed Park, a dark comedy mocking sweaty, paranoid (and let’s face it, sometimes pompous) thrillers like Twin Peaks and True Detective. As you might guess from the obscenity-screaming clown, this isn’t a game for the kiddies, but Gilbert’s taste for dark comedy, and desire to make a game much like the old-school LucasArts adventure games, will make this one to watch.
Punch Club, Friday (PS4, Xbox One)
The sim game where you train up and unleash a fighter up the ranks comes to console. Underneath the retro graphics and bleeps, there’s a pretty solid management sim and a surprisingly engaging story as you build up your fighter and learn his personal history. It’s an interesting take on the fighting game and worth exploring if you haven’t already given it a shot.
Anoxemia, Tuesday (PS4, Xbox One)
Finally, there’s this adventure horror game, featuring a doctor escaping a crashed submarine and trying to perform his mission with a drone while figuring out just why his sub crashed in the first place. You actually command a drone that assists the doctor, finding new paths, changing the environment, and leading him around hazards. So yeah, it’s an escort mission, but the echoes of games like Ecco The Dolphin are attention-getting.
Any games we missed? Let us know in the comments!