USD ($)
EUR (€)
Here we are, the build-up to Christmas and another instalment of video game news. A wonderful time of year when day drinking becomes socially acceptable and children are kept in line with threats from Elves on Shelves and the omnipresent, Christmas overlord - Santa.
But Christmas isn’t the only thing coming to bring us joy. Spotify released their “Wrapped 2021” event. An annual tradition where Spotify users get to find out how much time they spent listening to music and who their top artists were.
If you’re aware of Wrapped, chances are you’ve already been bombarded by it and thought you’d escape the barrage by reading this. Well, dear reader, you’re wrong. You see, in July, I set myself the task of becoming a top 10% listener of Avril Lavigne. Why? No reason, thought it would be funny. Now, I didn’t simply put Miss Lavigne on quietly in the background or leave the entire discography running overnight. No, I listened and listened well. At work, in the car, at home, while gaming, while playing with my children, any chance I got I was playing the Canadian Punk Princess. And on December 1st I finally got my result... it brings me great joy to announce that I am in the top 0.01% of Avril Fans in the world! That’s one for the CV!
Anyway, gaming, back to the reason you’re here right after the jump:
I’m currently playing: Dead by Daylight stayed in rotation even after Halloween on PlayStation 4 and on Switch I’m playing Pokemon Brilliant Diamond.
I’m currently hyped for: Halo Infinite on Xbox, Elden Ring on PlayStation and Advance Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp on Switch.
New Games
November saw the annual battle between gaming’s war veterans - Call of Duty Vanguard and Battlefield 2042 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Jurassic World Evolution 2 also roared onto PlayStations and Xboxes. While the Nintendo Switch saw the long-awaited release of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl.
December keeps us busy starting on the 3rd with the release of Treasures of Aegean on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. The Switch sees the release of Danganronpa Decadence 4 on the same day. Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Definitive edition was originally due out on December 7th. However, there were more than a few problems with the digital release. It has been delayed until December 21st on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Iron Harvest on PlayStation 4 and the delayed Life is Strange: True Colours on Nintendo Switch hit shelves on December 31st.
You might be thinking there aren’t many releases for Christmas month, and you’d be right. And that’s because on December 10th Microsoft’s Mean Green Covenant killing machine - Master Chief himself - hits Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S with his latest outing Halo Infinite. And no one wants to release near this absolute behemoth of gaming!
Announcements
Blood Bowl III and Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong Delayed
Blood Bowl III and Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong now have new release windows, after a further delay to both games from publisher Nacon.
It was announced that Blood Bowl III will now release “later in 2022”. Which is a change from the already delayed but still rather optimistic February launch.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong sees a similar hold-up - and again, this isn’t the first delay it has faced. Swansong is now down for a 19th May 2022 release, three months later than its previous February date.
Metroid Dread Developer Working on Third-Person Action-RPG
MercurySteam, the developer behind this year’s critically acclaimed Metroid Dread, has announced it’s working on a new third-person action-RPG “set in a dark fantasy world”.
Details are limited on the new title, codenamed Project Iron. It is described as a brand-new IP intended for a multi-platform global release. The IP will be co-owned by MercurySteam and Digital Bros, the parent company of 505 Games, which is co-publishing the game.
MercurySteam first made its mark with the release of 2010’s Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. It later teamed up with Nintendo on 2017’s Metroid: Samus Returns and then the enormously well-received Metroid Dread.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are 2021’s Second-Biggest Boxed Game Launch
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl’s physical versions have become the best boxed Nintendo Switch game launch of 2021. They have also become the second-best boxed game launch of the year on any format.
Only the boxed version of this year’s FIFA, launched for Switch, PlayStation and Xbox, did better.
And That’s That!
So there you have it, Christmas is upon us! Let us know on the Zatu’s social media which games you’ve asked Santa for. I’ll see you in 2022. Catch you on the flippity-flop!