It’s been one hell of a year, but you have to admit that the amount of games that have been released so far have been making up for it. This week we’ve got a really interesting mix of games, from incredibly exciting sequels to newly announced games, plus a very unique little title that shares its musical maestros with Steven Universe. It’s all very promising, so let’s jump into the games, shall we?
Baldur’s Gate III
The first game of the week is none other than Larian Studios’ early access release of Baldur’s Gate III. It’s been an awfully long time – two decades in fact – since Baldur’s Gate II, so any game bearing this moniker bears an obscene level of expectation. The good news is that the devs behind the third instalment also happens to be the team behind the monumentally excellent Divinity: Original Sin II from 2017.
Featuring gameplay which looks to be the most accurate digital representation of Dungeons & Dragons ever, Baldur’s Gate III is going to be absolutely massive. With the ability to completely customise your character, dozens of races and classes to choose from, and plenty of options both in and out of combat, the third game in the franchise is going to be overwhelming.
Although Baldur’s Gate III is only in Early Access at the moment, it’s still going to bring a massive playground to mess around in and is the beginning of what will undoubtedly be a truly epic story.
Baldur’s Gate III early access is out now on Google Stadia, Steam for PC and Mac, and GOG.com for PC.
The Solitaire Conspiracy
Look, we understand that Solitaire isn’t exactly what you’d fresh and exciting, but there are a lot of games that have taken that format and done something interesting with it. This particular one is created by the team over at Bithell Games. As the latest in the shorts from the studio, the team are breaking away from telling stories visual novel style and into something with a more repeatable loop.
You take on the role of a Spymaster who has to help take down a villain using Solitaire as your way of doing battle. The premise sounds slightly usual, but it makes a lot more sense when you actually play the game. The coolest thing about The Solitaire Conspiracy is that, while it tells an interesting story across it’s estimated two to three hours of gameplay, this one actually has repeatable gameplay. That means you can jump back in if you fancy some more conspiratorial Solitaire.
The Solitaire Conspiracy is out now on PC and Mac.
Ikenfell
Ikenfell is by far and away the most “indie” looking of this week’s choices. The game’s pixel art style gives it a retro look that would fit perfectly in any SNES or Sega Mega Drive catalogue. On the surface, it’s definitely charming and almost impossibly so.
Set in a magical world, Ikenfell follows a group of trouble-making wizarding students who end up uncovering all the bad stuff that always lurks at the centre of these things. You take control of the crew and have to master a vast array of spells if you want to come out alive in the battles you’ll find yourself in.
One of the most interesting things about the game, outside of the way it looks, is the music. The soundtrack has been done by none other than the minds behind the Steven Universe music. That means you can expect a moving set of songs that’ll bring you to tears and perfectly punctuate the punchier moments of the story.
Ikenfell arrives October 8 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Mac.