5 New Games & Whether You Should Buy Them or Not

From big-name sequels to smaller titles, there have been some massively exciting and highly-anticipated games hitting shelves recently. We’ve got our hands on the biggest new games and put them through the wringer to give you everything you need to know about the current releases in one handy feature:

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Available on:  Xbox One | PS4 | Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | Switch | PC

What is it? A sequel to one of the most unique and underappreciated hits of 2019, A Plague Tale: Innocence, delivering a historical-supernatural adventure following a young woman and her brother who has the ability to control rats. 

Is it any good? Requiem follows a similar set-up to the first game, requiring you to overcome enemies, obstacles, and puzzles using whichever route you choose: whether it be stealth, sneak attacks, or the environment. However, the sequel adds a lot to the formula, allowing you to trick enemies with more environmental hazards, along with new weapons and abilities which are a lot of fun to experiment with. Of course, the game is still very much a linear experience, and a great one at that, but, by the end, it can feel like it overstays its welcome a little bit. However, it’s a joy to play through, is breathtakingly beautiful and delivers another heart-tugging story about siblings fighting for one another’s survival.

Should I buy it? Third-person action and adventure fans will want to pick up Requiem, especially if you played the first game and want to see where the story goes.

Gotham Knights

Available on:  Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | PC

What is it? In a similar vein to the third-person action/stealth Batman Arkham games, Gotham Knights sees Batman’s understudies taking the reins to stop Mr. Freeze and other villains from wreaking havoc on Gotham after Batman’s death. It’s got a lot more cooperative and RPG mechanics in it though, which could be a good or bad thing, depending on your taste.

Is it any good? Gotham Knights is an unusual game. On one hand, it feels like a natural successor to the brilliant Arkham games, giving you new characters, a gorgeously realised Gotham City to speed around in on the Batcycle, and some slick combat that packs a serious punch. However, it’s difficult to shake the feeling that this game was made with the intention of it being a multiplayer live-service release, only to be retro-fitted as a single-player game at the last minute, or visa-versa. There’s a lot of menu-tinkering, XP expenditure, and superfluous elements that detract from an otherwise great action game. On the plus side, the visuals and story are great, and the moment-to-moment combat is fun, with some interesting boss battles thrown into the mix.

Should I buy it? Batman fans will want to check it out, but don’t expect a ‘Batman: Arkham 4‘, of sorts, but rather an experimental spin-off of sorts.

Persona 5 Royale

Available on:  Xbox One | PS4 | Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | Switch | PC

What is it? A beloved PS4 RPG that has now made its way to current-gen consoles and other platforms, including with it a host of new upgrades and enhancements. Persona 5 Royal features a lengthy and unorthodox gameplay loop of balancing the double life of a Phantom Thief stealing the selfish desires of criminals and that of an ordinary high-school student.

Is it any good? Persona 5 is widely considered one of the best JRPGs available, so it’s a no-brainer to give it a chance. The rich (although admittedly overwhelming) story is incredibly enjoyable, and once you’ve overcome the learning curve around the mechanics of the game, interacting with the colourful characters and NPCs of Tokyo feels like you’re actually fleshing out a usable network and operating in a living world. The visuals are also a standout, with the game delivering some of the best animations and character attacks you’ll find anywhere.

As the “Royal” portion of Persona 5 Royal, it includes new storylines, dungeons, and bosses not found in the original version of the game. The new areas and enemies are interesting and add a breath of fresh air to the already-impressive campaign.

Should I buy it? If you’re a fan of the genre, it’s pretty likely that you already own Persona 5. In that case, it’s likely still worth a buy given that there’s a lot of extra content on offer here. And if you’ve never dabbled in the franchise, it’s quite an ambitious point to jump into it, but well worth the time and effort if you want to play catch-up with some summaries and guides.

PGA Tour 2K23

Available on:  Xbox One | PS4 | Xbox Series X/S | PS5 | Switch | PC

What is it? After a year-long hiatus, PGA Tour 2K23 is 2K’s latest entry into the beloved golf sim franchise. Tiger Woods is back on the cover, and he’s not just the face of the game, but also served as an executive producer, helping the team at HB Studios refine the experience to be as close to life as possible.

Is it any good? It’s safe to say that the extra development time and new features have made a notable impact on PGA Tour 2K23. The gameplay has been refined tremendously, giving a far more dynamic golf experience that has a lot of nuances to explore in the way you prepare shots, deal with hazards, and even swing, given the fine-tuning of the series’ analogue-based swing controls. All 20 licensed courses look sublime, and the enhanced career mode and comprehensive course creator will keep you busy for quite some time.

Should I buy it? If you’re a golf fan, this is the definitive golf experience and the best PGA Tour game in quite some time. There are other contenders hitting the market in the coming months, but it’s going to be hard to topple Tiger from his throne once again.

Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection (PC)

Available on:  PC | Also on PS4 | PS5

What is it? The spectacular Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and shamefully underappreciated spin-off Uncharted: The Lost Legacy are bundled together in the Legacy of Thieves Collection, which arrived on PS5 and is now available on PC.

Is it any good? Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy are both stellar games which need little introduction at this point. Even if you did play them upon release, there are some new visual improvements. At recommended settings, both games run smoothly at the highest resolution setting of 1080p and well over 60 frames per second. Uncharted 4 can even hit at 100 frames per second, and players can also lock the frame rate at 30 frames per second for both games. While the graphical options are limited in these games, they do suffice the needs of most players, and thankfully, these are already gorgeous-looking games and playing them on a high-end PC is remarkable, finally delivering the best versions of the respective games to PC players.

Should I buy it? If you love Uncharted, yes. Additionally, given the lower price for two games bundled into one package, it’s an easy decision.

Will you be picking up any of the games above? Let us know by tweeting @MenStuffZA, posting on our Facebook page, or commenting below.