This Week in Gaming Week 3 delivers a slow release slate across genres: Quarantine Zone: The Last Check (zombie screening/management), Big Hops (3D platformer with tongue-mechanics), Hytale (sandbox RPG), MaSzyna (train simulator), The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon (RPG), and BrokenLore: Unfollow (psychological horror about social media). The piece notes a quieter week but variety in games spanning platformers, RPGs, and simulations.
Steam is offering four new free games for gamers, including highly-rated titles like 12, Memory Lane with a 92% positive review score, and others like MINOS: Home A-Labyrinth, Modularity, and Unbound, covering genres from roguelike to puzzle and platformer, making it a great start to the new year for gamers looking for quality free titles.
The article reviews top two-player co-op games that emphasize communication and collaboration, including titles like It Takes Two, Portal 2, and A Way Out, highlighting their unique mechanics, storytelling, and how they strengthen friendships through shared experiences.
A new 2D competitive platformer called Sprint City, developed by the creators of SpeedRunners, is set to release on Steam in 2026. The game features a seamless shared world for multiplayer exploration and challenges, emphasizing pure movement and satisfying gameplay. It will be accessible via internet browser for free if a friend owns it, continuing the developer's consumer-friendly approach from the original game.
Konami's octopus platformer Darwin's Paradox! will be released exclusively on Switch 2 in 2026, with the Switch 1 version seemingly canceled, featuring stealth gameplay and colorful yet dystopian visuals.
Montezuma’s Revenge: The 40th Anniversary Edition, a remade version of the classic 1983 platformer, will launch on December 10 for multiple consoles and PC, featuring vibrant 3D visuals, new playable characters, and 100 challenging rooms, with both digital and physical editions available.
Yooka-Replaylee, a remastered version of the 2017 platformer Yooka-Laylee, introduces significant improvements like better controls, camera, and accessibility, but loses some of its original charm and brevity, making it a more fluid but slightly less nostalgic experience.
Yooka-Replaylee is a highly praised remake of the classic 3D platformer Yooka-Laylee, featuring improved visuals, expanded worlds, new collectibles, and a re-orchestrated soundtrack, making it a must-play for fans of the genre on Nintendo Switch 2, despite minor technical issues.
Yooka-Replaylee is a highly improved and revitalized remake of the 2017 game, offering smoother gameplay, fully unlocked abilities, and enhanced exploration, making it a worthy successor to Banjo-Kazooie comparisons.
Yooka-Replaylee on Switch 2 is a significant upgrade over the original Yooka-Laylee, featuring tighter controls, expanded content, and improved visuals, making it a must-play for fans of 3D platformers despite some technical hiccups.
Nintendo has remastered Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel for the Switch, making two of the best-selling and critically acclaimed platformers more accessible in 2025. However, the remasters are straightforward ports that lack additional enhancements, which is disappointing given Nintendo's rich history and potential for more inventive re-releases. The Galaxy games are praised for their innovative level design and tight focus, which have aged well despite camera control limitations.
Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac for PS5 is a decent but largely generic remake that adds new content and voice acting, aiming to extend its short gameplay, but suffers from bloated stages, tedious boss fights, and a dated feel, making it more suitable for fans of 3D platformers than newcomers.
The article discusses the challenging nature of Hollow Knight: Silksong and suggests alternative, less difficult Metroidvania games for players who find it too hard, emphasizing that game difficulty is a developer's choice and offering options for different skill levels.
Nintendo announced a new Yoshi game titled 'Yoshi and the Mysterious Book' during a Nintendo Direct, set to release exclusively on Switch in Spring 2026. The game is a charming 2D platformer featuring Yoshi helping a magical book named Mr. E, with gameplay involving storytelling, puzzle-solving, and cute interactions. It will be available on Switch 2.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance for Switch is a visually stunning, deeply crafted 2D ninja action game praised for its fluid combat, artistic design, and engaging gameplay, though it suffers from some frame rate issues that need addressing.
