Keeping track of all the games arriving each week on PC, handhelds, consoles and mobile is no easy track, but don’t worry, I’m here to help. Every week in Five Games, I separate the wheat from the chaff and pick the titles you need to pay attention to.
We recently freshened up the Five Games format a bit. The Pick of the Week is now listed first, and the rest of the games are filed under headings that will hopefully be more helpful for you. Looking for the latest indie hotness? Check the Steam picks. Want to download something for your Xbox One or PS4 on a Saturday night? Hit up the Console Downloads section. So, without further ado…
Pick of the Week
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice (3DS, Sep. 8)
Phoenix Wright and his ever-expanding supporting cast of shouting lawyers are back! In Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice, Mr. Wright finds himself in the mysterious nation of Khura’in, where lawyers and detectives are cast aside in favor of spirit mediums who can conjure visions of the last thing a person saw before their death. Of course, even the supernatural is no match for Phoenix Wright’s incredible contradiction-finding skills.
Gameplay-wise, Spirit of Justice features a ton of returning features and mechanics, as well as the new ability to explore a victim’s memories via seances. Nobody who likes a good mystery should have any OBJECTION to the latest Phoenix Wright adventure.
This Week on Steam
Mother Russia Bleeds (PC, Mac & Linux, Sep. 5)
Feeling a hankering for an old-school 2D beat ’em up? Well, Mother Russia Bleeds provides just that, with a hearty helping of modern brutality. Set in an alternate, ultra-violent USSR, you play as one of four drug-addicted street fighters aiming to take down the oppressive criminal regime holding you captive. Mother Russia Bleeds is an ugly game in more ways than one, but it also looks like a pretty solid four-player throwdown, provided you can stomach it. Here’s the game’s Steam page.
Project Highrise (PC & Mac, Sep. 8)
Remember SimTower? The makers of Project Highrise certainly do! Much like that Maxis classic, Project Highrise tasks you with designing cool-looking skyscrapers, managing all the drones living and working within, and (hopefully) turning a profit. Becoming the next Donald Trump won’t be an easy task! Here’s the game’s Steam page.
This Week in Retail Releases
Just Sing (Xbox One & PS4, Sep. 6)
Ubisoft looks to get into the karaoke game with Just Sing. Unlike most karaoke games, Just Sing doesn’t come with a microphone – instead you use your smartphone or tablet to record your performance, then you can share it online (if you so choose). Just Sing could be a worthwhile twist on the karaoke formula, provided Ubisoft can provide enough licensed songs for it.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 2 (PS3 & PS Vita, Sep. 6)
That’s not a typo – we have a new PS3 game coming out this week. The Legend of Heroes games are cult-favorites that hearken back to the 32-bit golden era of JRPG, featuring complex plots, a heavy focus on character interaction, and a massive amount of content. If Trails of Cold Steel 2 is anything like its predecessors, it should provide another hearty dose of PSOne-style RPG goodness.
The big holiday releases aren’t quite here yet, but there’s certainly some quirky fun to be found in this week’s offerings. Things will only get more busy from here.