Weekly Gaming Round-Up

Written by: Mary Joaquin

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Welcome back to the Weekly Gaming Roundup!

Every week, we cover the latest in the gaming world. This week, we cover some breakthrough achievements like the first Side Dash and an award-winning game finding its publisher. We also have some scandalous court intrigue, dogs running airports, and a lineup of games you won't want to miss.

How do dogs run airports, you ask? Well, let's get right into it!

Hyper Dash raced its way into the tournament scene on Saturday, May 22, with the first Side Dash, and the first 5v5 league for the game, Dash League.

Hyper Dash first got its big break in SideQuest’s platform, eventually finding itself in the Oculus store. SideQuest collaborated with Logitech Esports Services, which provided prizes and support with its tournament management platform, Challonge.

“[We at] SideQuest are excited about the potential of Esports in VR and how we can take the action of traditional sports married with the convenience of Esports and create really fun and engaging events in VR,” said SideQuest COO Orla Harris.

Crusader Kings III received its first major expansion on Sunday, May 23, with the announcement of Royal Court.

Players wield their power over their subjects through holding court and fashioning it into one as mighty as their rule. The expansion also features a new culture interface, allowing for hybrid cultures and even diverging from the player’s traditional culture.

Royal Court is slated for release later this year on Steam.

Akupara Games announced on Monday, May 24, that it will be publishing Silver Lining Studio’s multi-award winning game, Behind the Frame.

A Winner at the NYX Game Award for Best Visual Art and winning last year’s Game Connection Asia Indie Development Award, the Taiwan-based team crafted a visually stunning, story-driven experience in their game. Players act as an aspiring artist in a journey of creation along with some puzzle-solving.

Behind the Frame is slated for release this year.

On Tuesday, May 25, Strange Scaffold released An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs—a dog petting, alien language-deciphering, comedy adventure unlike any other.

The game features various stock photo images of different dogs, who all work at the airport and are able to converse with humans. It also promises a player’s most important game mechanic: dog petting, with the bonus of “an infinite number of hands” at their disposal.

Strange Scaffold’s dog game, whose title is lovingly shortened to Dog Airport Game, is available on PC and Xbox Series X and S.

Pokémon Company International announced on Wednesday, May 26, the release dates and some sneak peeks on Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, and Legends: Arceus.

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, remakes of the 2006 Nintendo DS games, take none of the nostalgia away from the beloved titles. Players get to explore the Sinnoh region once again in its revitalized glory. Legendary Pokémon Dialga and Palkia grace the games’ package designs, respectively.

Additionally, Legends: Arceus revealed its cover art of Mount Coronet, where an old Sinnoh takes center stage.

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are slated for a November 19 release, while Legends: Arceus is set for release next year on January 28. All three are exclusive to Nintendo Switch.

On Thursday, May 27, Oddworld Inhabitants released Oddworld: Collection for Nintendo Switch.

The bundle includes three Oddworld titles: Munch’s Oddysee (originally released in 2001), Stranger’s Wrath (originally released in 2005), and New ‘n’ Tasty (originally released in 2014).

Though all three have been made available on other platforms throughout several years, it is their first release on Switch, both as a bundle and individually. The Oddworld games had previously been set on a pentalogy, aptly called Oddworld Quintology. The Switch release features both a former quintology title (Munch’s Oddysee) and a new title for the rebooted quintology (New ‘n’ Tasty).

Song of Horror released on PS4, on Friday, May 28, with an Xbox One release pending.

The game had been previously only available through PC, with episodic releases which can be purchased separately or bundled from episode two to five. Console players can expect to enjoy the complete edition, with all five episodes testing their survival skills.

Players can only run and hide, with no fighting skills at their disposal against the highly-reactive entity antagonist, The Presence. Choose among the thirteen playable characters to experience the same episode through different eyes and circumstances.

A character’s death is permanent. Strive to survive.

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EGD’s Weekly Gaming Round-Up gives a quick look into the newest news in the games industry. From blockbuster triple-A games to indie startups and mods, the Weekly Gaming Round-Up covers it all.

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