THREE TO PLAY

PSN games you might have missed

Every month, loads of games come to the PS Store. You’d be hard-pressed to play them all, so we’re looking at some that didn’t make the cut. This month we’re enjoying a pixel party throwback, where isometric views, spirited sprites, and many other blasts from the past are invited.

Rather than a punny pillow brand promising a magical 40 winks, The Knight Witch is a metroidvania-meets-bullethell developed by Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team – you probably haven’t heard of the studio, but its team boast veteran talent, having worked on games such as Rime and Plants Vs Zombies. As the titular airborne mage, you float through lovingly handdrawn environments popping off spells all the way down. Deck building mechanics allow you to fine-tune the magic at your fingertips, with over 30 different spells to mix and match. Customisation doesn’t stop there: auto-aim, a critical path navigation system, and even cheats make this an enticing first metroidvania for anyone not already in it deep with the genre – genre aficionados, on the other hand, may just blast through it.

Next up is another game that’ll make your thumbs sing – The Forest Quartet.

The spirit of a lost songstress ambles through this puzzle adventure in three acts, trying to get the band back together for one last hurrah, overcoming grief and rediscovering their joy in their music. Short and bittersweet, you won’t be able to get this hour-and-a-half-long experience out of your head – the game’s jazz score is definitely catchy. You may even find yourself whistling a familiar refrain from this one next time you take a walk through the woods.

Speaking of ‘Stop us if you’ve heard this one before,’ to round everything off there’s 16-bit-style RPG Chained

Echoes, a really heartfelt tribute to the RPGs of yesteryear. Foregrounding a war between three kingdoms fought with might, magic, and mech suits, there’s a lot to love. As it’s a 30- to 40-hour-long adventure, you can perhaps see why we weren’t able to squeeze this one in. RPG mega fans may not be able to shake an overwhelming sense of déjà vu as they tuck into turnbased fights and call upon an impressive array of skills, but there’s plenty to enjoy about this celebratory genre birthday cake. After all, a slice of double chocolate is just as nice the first time as it is the hundredth, right?