We’ve spent some time with Escape from Tethys – a pixel art Metroidvania set within an off-world research facility teeming with alien life. While it doesn’t do much to push the genre forward, it’s competently put together and there’s a good sense of progression. Hellraid is back from the dead too. You're trapped, alone and cold on a distant planet. Pursued by a droid with only one purpose: killing everything. You must find an escape. Explore the hostile environment, find secret upgrades and new weapons, and finally make your escape from this dark, hostile planet.

With almost twenty new releases on Xbox One alone, we cansafely say it’s a busy week for new releases. Amongst these are two big hitters– EA’s UFC 4, which cranks up the realism this year to allow for agreater variety of outcomes, and Ubisoft’s free-to-play shooter Hyper Scape.

Escape From Tethys Xbox

Hyper Scape is Ubisoft’s first stab at battle royale, believe it or not. Set within the virtual city of Neo Arcadia, it’s a 100-player urban affair with battles taking place in cluttered city streets, rooftops and plazas.

There are two ways to win – either be the last one standing or by capturing the crown – and new ‘hacks’ can be acquired during play, including the ability to turn into a giant ball. Twitch integration lets viewers choose a variety of world-altering effects, meanwhile.

It’s a pretty good week for indie oddities too, including the psychedelic twin-stick shooter Zero Strain, the surreal bug-based adventure Metamorphosis, four-player physics party game BrunchClub, and an Xbox release of the curiously well-received Cooking Simulator.

Sticking with the food theme, Bite the Bullet – due on Switch and Xbox One – is a roguelike RPG shooter where every enemy is edible.

We’ve spent some time with Escape from Tethys – a pixel art Metroidvania set within an off-world research facility teeming with alien life. While it doesn’t do much to push the genre forward, it’s competently put together and there’s a good sense of progression.

Hellraid is back from the dead too. Well, kinda – Techland’s cancelled gothic slasher is about to be reborn as Dying Light DLC, reusing some assets and accessible from a “mysterious” arcade cabinet.

Mad Games Tycoon also gets a retail release on both Switch and PS4. We really enjoyed this game development sim. It lets you set up a studio, hire staff, and create a portfolio of releases across a wide range of genres. Seeing your hot new release reviewed by the press is a really neat touch – it takes a decent amount of experimentation to gain critical praise. Expect to pay around £20-£25 for this one.

New release showcase

UFC 4

Hyper Scape

Cooking Simulator

Banner of the Maid

Escape From Tethys Steam

Faeria

Brunch Club

Darkestville Castle

Metamorphosis

Zero Strain

Bite the Bullet

New multiformat releases

EA Sports UFC 4
Dying Light: Hellraid
Brunch Club
Hyper Scape
Prehistoric Dude
Darkestville Castle
Metamorphosis
The Alto Collection

New on PSN

Banner of the Maid

New on Xbox One store

Bite the Bullet
Escape from Tethys
The Ambassador: Fractured Timelines
Boomerang Fu
Linn: Path of Orchards
Car Mechanic Simulator Classic
Zero Strain
Faeria
Through the Darkest of Times
Cooking Simulator
The Explorer of Night
Linn: Path of Orchards
Of Tanks and Demons III

New Switch retail releases

Mad Games Tycoon
Beholder: Complete Edition Collector’s Edition
Mountain Rescue

Escape From Tethys

Next week: Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time,Battletoads, Peaky Blinders: Mastermind,Beyond Enemy Lines 2, Pathfinder: Kingmaker – Definitive Edition, Mortal Shell,Gleamlight, Stones of the Revenant, Norman’s Great Illusion, PGA TOUR 2K21Digital Deluxe, and Dungeon Scavenger.