Every week, it seems there are more games for more platforms than ever before. So, to help you cut through the chaff, we offer five games you need to play this week, starting, this week, with a nice gory palette-cleanser from all those 100+ hour open-world RPGs as part of a wave of remasters and rereleases out this week.
Pick Of The Week
Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, $60, Friday (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
Bulletstorm, back in 2011, was beloved among game developers, critics, and absolutely nobody else. What looked on the surface to be yet another maudlin, linear shooter about giant meatheads instead turned out to be a bizarre hybrid of puzzle game and splatstick parody of games like Gears Of War where the real game was about using the environment, a lasso, and your mighty boot to figure out the most creative, explosive and gory way of killing waves of mutants. Fortunately, it’s back this week, courtesy of Gearbox, so if you missed it six years ago, now’s your chance.
Persona 5, $60, Tuesday (PS4, PS3)
Yes, the insanely popular cult series is back. Persona 5, if you’re unfamiliar, follows a group of teenagers as they do homework, form friendships, and discover they’re psychic superheroes who can destroy evil intent in the souls of the adults around them. It’s difficult to overstate how hugely popular this game is in certain corners of the gaming world, but despite the oddball premise, the games themselves are quite fun turn-based RPGs with a distinct style. If you want something a little more cerebral, this’ll be your game.
Use Your Words, $15, Tuesday (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2vxmLMSh-4
Or, essentially, Snarking Memes On the Internet: The Game!, Use Your Words connects to your phone for each player, and everyone offers up a bon mot related to whatever image, clip, or other gag setup is on the screen. In other words, it’s an ideal party game for grown-ups who want to drink and make tasteless jokes to each other.
LEGO City Undercover, $60 (PS4, Xbox One, Switch)
Speaking of open-world games, if you’re in the mood for something whimsical, TT Games’ take on cop tropes, filtered through a LEGO lens, gets a multiplatform release after being a Wii U exclusive. The game itself is quite a bit of fun, of course, and LEGO fans who missed out will now have a chance at it.
PaRappa The Rapper Remastered, $15 (PS4)
Finally, the adorable, beloved rhythm game about a rapping dog and the many odd individuals he runs into on his way to asking a girl out on a date is finally back. Sony’s rereleased it a couple of times over the years, and it still holds up.
Any games we missed? Let us know in the comments!