Top Releases:

• Resident Evil Requiem (PC/PS5/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Feb. 27^th
• Reigns: The Witcher (PC) – Releases Feb. 25^th
• Utawarerumono: ZAN 2 (PC) – Releases Feb. 25^th
• Towerborne (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Feb. 26^th
• City Hunter (PC) – Releases Feb. 25^th

While I’m sure that Dragon Quest and Mario Tennis have their fans, the 2026 video game release slate has felt pretty light, so far. That changes this week, folks, with the arrival of our first must-play game of the year, Resident Evil Requiem. While the series re-invented itself with its last two outings, Biohazard and Village, taking players out of the grander Umbrella Corporation/Raccoon City saga, Requiem dives head first back into that world, as well as a full embrace of the series initial two-protagonist format.

Resident Evil Requiem (PC/PS5/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Feb. 27^th

Developed by: Capcom
Published by: Capcom

Players will be taking on the roles of Grace Ashcroft, a FBI agent and daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft, one of the characters from Resident Evil Outbreak, as well as fan-favorite Leon S. Kennedy, who hasn’t been a lead character since Resident Evil 6. Players will alternate between two gameplay styles with each character, as well, seeing Grace’s section feel more survival horror, similar to Village, while Leon’s sections will feel more action oriented, similar to RE4.

I am absolutely thrilled to dive back into the world of Resident Evil, it’s one of my all-time favorite video game franchises and I couldn’t be happier to see Leon back in a starring role. While I think the splitting of the game into two styles, quiet sneaking and balls to the wall action, I’m slightly worried that each section might be a little half baked. If Capcom is able to pull it off, though, we might have a legitimate contender for 2026 Game of the Year.

Reigns: The Witcher (PC) – Releases Feb. 25^th

Developed by: Nerial
Published by: Devolver Digital

I have a strong feeling that many of us will be sticking with RE Requiem this week but, if that doesn’t do it for you, there are alternatives. The 2016 game Reigns has been a solid series for developer Nerial, now the studio is back with a brand new entry that incorporates characters from The Witcher. Musou fans should be excited to see the long overdue Western release of Utawarerumono: ZAN 2 on PC; a bit odd that it isn’t coming to PlayStation, despite the game being released on that console in Japan.

Microsoft’s early access action/RPG Towerborne is finally getting a full release this week. The game has decent user reviews on Steam so maybe give this one a shot, I know Microsoft could use some good press right about now. Finally, another long overdue Japanese title is coming to the West, City Hunter. This side scroller was originally released in Japan for the PC Engine way back in 1990. Despite the anime getting localized for the US, the game never got the same treatment; until now!

Utawarerumono: ZAN 2 (PC) – Releases Feb. 25^th

Developed by: AQUAPLUS
Published by: DMM GAMES/Shiravune

Towerborne (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Feb. 26^th

Developed by: Stoic
Published by: Xbox Game Studios

City Hunter (PC) – Releases Feb. 25^th

Developed by: Sunsoft/Red Art Games
Published by: Sunsoft/Clouded Leopard Entertainment

Ports and Expansions:

• Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition (Switch 2) – Releases Feb. 24^th
• The Disney Afternoon Collection w/Goof Troop & Bonkers (Switch/Switch 2) – Releases Feb. 26^th
• No Sleep for Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files (PS4/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Feb. 26^th
• Resident Evil VII: Biohazard – Gold Edition (Switch 2) – Releases Feb. 27^th
• Resident Evil Village – Gold Edition (Switch 2) – Releases Feb. 27^th
• Tales of Berseria Remastered (PC/PS5/Switch/Series X|S) – Releases Feb. 27^th

One thing I’ve noticed from years of writing this column, is that there tend to be a large number of ports released the same day as a major release like Resident Evil Requiem. There are, of course, related titles, like Resident Evil Biohazard and Village, which are coming to Switch 2, but also some major hits from past console generations, like Fallout 4, which is also coming to Switch 2, and Tales of Berseria Remastered, which is coming to all current consoles. We also can’t ignore No Sleep for Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files, a former Switch console exclusive that is now coming to PlayStation and Xbox.

Lastly, we have a re-release of The Disney Afternoon Collection, which originally came out in 2017 (has it really been almost ten years?!). This collected a handful of popular NES era Disney titles from Capcom, including Duck Tales, Chip & Dale Rescue Ranger, TaleSpin, and Darkwing Duck. While this re-release contains all of those, it will also include two Super NES titles, Goof Troop (which was designed by Resident Evil director Shinji Mikami), and Bonkers, a somewhat forgotten Disney character from the 90’s.

Everything else:

• Emberbane (PC) – Releases Feb. 24^th
• Dice A Million (PC) – Releases Feb. 25^th
• Ratfall (PC) – Releases Feb. 25^th
• Exit Lab -15 Rooms- (PC/Switch 2) – Releases Feb. 26^th
• Forgetable (PC) – Releases Feb. 26^th
• MITNAL (PC) – Releases Feb. 26^th
• VELTHRA (PC) – Releases Feb. 26^th

• Candy Brain (PC) – Releases Feb. 27^th
• High Risk (PC) – Releases Feb. 27^th
• Liar’s Dice (PC) – Releases Feb. 27^th
• Ruins Of Fear (PC) – Releases Feb. 27^th
• Rusty Seas (PC) – Releases Feb. 27^th
• Stick Out! (PC) – Releases Feb. 27^th

Notable Releases from 10, 20, and 30 (and sometimes 40) years ago:

Games:

In notable games, 2016 gave us a game that has solidified itself as one of the all-time greats, Stardew Valley. Developed and created by one guy, Eric “Concerned Ape” Barone, Stardew Valley was created in response to, what Barone felt, was a lack of quality releases in the Harvest Moon series. Initially, Barone thought he would make a small farming sim that he could release through the Xbox Live Indie Games program in 2011 but found that his ideas were simply too large for the platform. Using Steam’s now-defunct Greenlight program in 2012, Barone was able to gauge interest in the project, learning that there was great demand for a proper, Super NES style Harvest Moon-type game. Things just took off from there.

Over the next four years, Barone would engage with the community sprouting up around Stardew Valley, giving eager fans a glimpse into the development, courting feedback on his proposed ideas, and getting a sense of what players wanted in the game. He refused to take pre-orders for Stardew Valley and did not want to release an unfinished version through the Steam Early Access program, saying that he’d release the game when it was done.

In February of 2016, when Stardew Valley hit Steam and GOG, it became an instant hit with critics and players. With universal acclaim, and over 1 million copies sold in just two months, it was clear that Barone had tapped into something that players had been missing. The development of the game did not stop upon release, however, with Barone frequently updating and patching the game based on player feedback. Despite Stardew Valley being finished it wasn’t “finished”. That isn’t to say it was released in an incomplete state, no, it would receive improvements and additions.

With a strong, inclusive community, and a developer who cares about what fans & players of the game have to say, Stardew Valley has grown into something extraordinary in a video game industry obsessed with team bloat, live service player engagement, and microtransactions. Not every “single developer who listens to fans” game works, there is a special quality to Stardew Valley, perhaps it’s because it was one of the earliest “single dev indie titles” to come out, or perhaps it’s because Barone truly gave his audience what they wanted. Regardless, he caught lightning in a bottle and has been generous enough to share that lightning with everyone who plays his game instead of hoarding it all to himself.

From 2006, we have the FPS game Black, from developer Criterion Games. While the company was primarily known for the racing game Burnout, they hoped to take what they learned from disrupting that genre (with Burnout’s over the top crashes) and apply it to the FPS genre. Black leans heavily into the realm of action films, with the game almost played like a film. It has, for lack of a better term, a “modern” feel, and would is a portent of what FPS games were going to be like moving forward.

Part of being the first to do something is that you may stumble a bit out the gate. While Criterion’s sort of new take on the FPS genre was admirable, the game felt a bit undercooked. The game’s plot was pretty much an afterthought and led to the use of in-game storytelling and a radio voice that acts as an exposition dump. While the game received generally positive reviews, most critics were highly critical of Criterion’s decision to not include any kind of multiplayer mode, particularly on Xbox where the console’s Live multiplayer service was showing just how popular online play was becoming.

Despite the hype, Black is kind of an afterthought in the PS2/Xbox era of gaming. It is a title that probably should have been shelved a few extra months to allow for a release on the 360 and PS3. Instead, it had to contend with aging hardware on the PS2 and an almost non-existent Xbox player base. With Black not exactly setting the video game world on fire, Criterion’s parent company, EA, insisted that they stick to racing games, handing them the keys to Need for Speed.

With no sequel, players would have to contend with a spiritual successor, Bodycount, which released in 2011 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. If you’re like to give them game a try, or you’re a fan who hasn’t played in years, Black is available on the Xbox Series X digitally, so go give it a shot!

From 1996, we have the game Alien Trilogy, another first person shooter, for the PlayStation (and eventually the Saturn and PC). Developed by the British company Probe Entertainment, Alien Trilogy is, as the title says, based on the Alien film franchise. However, don’t expect to get a coherent, 1 to 1 re-telling of the first three films. Instead, the game is broken up into three episodes that just barely qualify as adaptations of the films.

In the first episode, players guide Ripley through the colony LV426, as seen in the film Aliens. In episode two, Ripley makes her way through a prison facility, though it does not appear to be the same prison as in Alien 3, while episode 3 finds Ripley entering the alien Boneship, as seen in the original Alien film, where she tries to eradicate the Xenomorphs once and for all.

The critical reception to Alien Trilogy was near universal praise. The dark, moody atmosphere of the films, that eventually leads to hectic gun battles, really translated well to the video game realm. Critics called Alien Trilogy the best adaptation of the film franchise to date, towering above other incarnations. For me, however, Alien Trilogy is a huge miss, and this comes as someone who grew up with 2D, claustrophobic shooters like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom. The biggest pain point, for me, are the controls, which are absolutely ABYSMAL on the PlayStation.

The slow movement combined with the awkward turning makes this an absolutely nauseating experience for me, as a person who suffers pretty bad motion sickness. I can understand how Alien Trilogy could be seen as a wonderful game in 1996. By today’s standards, however, it’s neigh unplayable. This game is, truly, for hardcore fans of either old school first person shooters or the Alien film series. Everyone else can easily skip this one.

Movies:

In notable films, 2016 gave us Zoolander 2, the sequel that would have been “so hot right now” in 2006, but instead was so 2000 & late in 2016. The public’s “love” for Zoolander, the film about a dipshit male model who wants to learn to do other stuff good was really only for comedy nerds and drunk college guys who watched it on Comedy Central in 2009. What was supposed to be a $20 million dollar, #1 at the box office opening weekend turned into $14 million dollar, 4th place weekend for Zoolander 2.

In the 15 years since the first film’s release, Stiller wasn’t the brash “bad boy” of comedy anymore, he was that guy from Meet the Parents your grandma loved. The newest comedy genius was, of course, Deadpool (he says “fuck”), and his film was king. Zoolander 2 was even beaten by a new Rebel Wilson comedy, How to Be Single, which saw her star on the rise after being in the wildly successful Pitch Perfect films.

With Zoolander 2 tanking at the box office, Stiller decided to pivot away from comedy, taking a chance on a weird science fiction program called Severance. It’s the ultimate “making lemons out of lemonade” story, as Severance would rejuvenate Stiller’s career and give the world one of the greatest television shows of all-time.

From 2006, we have the movie Madea’s Family Reunion, a sequel that was mad at exactly the right time (unlike Zoolander 2) as the American public just could not GET ENOUGH of mother fucking Madea. Released one year after the sassy matriarch’s debut in Diary of a Mad Black Woman (which is, surprisingly, pretty good; go watch it), Madea’s Family Reunion sees the titular character dispensing some more justice by breaking her foot off in y’all’s asses for being so damn stupid.

With a solid $30 million dollar opening, Madea’s Family Reunion topped the box office, easily beating the other new release, the Paul Walker action thriller Running Scared. While the film’s final tally of $63 million might not seem like a blockbuster number, the independent film cost only $6 million to make, earning director/writer/producer Tyler Perry a hefty profit. The success of the film ensure we’d get Madea films for the next 20 years (seriously, a brand new one JUST CAME OUT, called Joe’s College Road Trip) and has kept Tyler Perry one of the busiest, and most successful, filmmakers in Hollywood.

From 1996, we have the film Rumble in the Bronx, starring Jackie Chan. While this was certainly not the first Jackie Chan film to release in the United States, it is absolutely the one to make mainstream audiences in the U.S. pay attention to him. The film was first released in Chan’s home country of China in January of 1995, where it became a smash hit, breaking box office records. When it came stateside in February of 1996, Rumble in the Bronx would dominate the box office, opening at #1 and beating the presumed #1 film, Mary Reilly, which starred America’s sweetheart, Julia Roberts.

Critics were right there with audiences, as well, calling Rumble in the Bronx one of the most fun times you could have at the movie theatre. While most critics agreed that the film’s plot, acting, and clear indication that it was shot in Toronto and not New York City, failed to detract from just how incredible it felt to watch Rumble in the Bronx. Following the film’s release, Chan would find himself starring opposite Chris Tucker in the highly successful Rush Hour in 1998, leading to his status as one of the biggest stars in both China AND the United States. Jackie Chan rules.

Albums:

In notable albums, 2016 gave us Painting With from the experimental music group Animal Collective. While not as big a hit as their 2008 album, Meriweather Post Pavilion, it was still able to manage a peak of #46 on the Billboard Top 200. That’s not bad for a bizarre collective of music nerds who very clearly don’t give a shit about conventional song writing.

Three singles were released off the album, with the standout track being “FloriDada” with its music video directed by PFFR, the absurdist comedy production studio that are best known for the programs Wonder Showzen and Delocated. I tried listening to this album the other day and could just not get into it. There are things in this world that are for me, and things that are not for me; Animal Collective falls easily into the “not for me” category.

From 2006, we have the album In My Own Words, the debut release from R&B singer Ne-Yo. The album was a massive hit, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and selling over 2 million copies in the United States, with an additional 565k around the rest of the world. The album’s hit single was one that I didn’t think I knew, that is, until I heard it; “So Sick”. This song was EVERYWHERE in 2006 and led to it being a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

At the Grammy’s, In My Own Words would be nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album (losing to Beyonce’s B’Day) and “So Sick” would be nominated for Best Male R&B Performance (losing to “Heaven” by John Legend). The success of In My Own Words would lead to a long and fruitful career for Ne-Yo, not just in music but in the world of film & television as well. While his most recent albums haven’t hit the same peak as In My Own Words, I don’t think Ne-Yo has much to be sad about. His career has been solid, so good for him.

Closing things out this week, from 1996, we have the album Goldfinger, the self-titled debut from the pop punk band Goldfinger. Self produced and recorded by the band’s front man and lead guitarist, John Feldman, Goldfinger has a raw, almost amateurish quality to it. The band’s sound was, at the time, kind of experimental and was not really like anything else in the punk scene at the time. With their toes dipped into the pop punk sub genre, just about all of the songs on Goldfinger are about girls. These are girls that Feldman loved, thought he loved, rejected him, that he pushed away, all the classic relationship stuff that you come to expect from a group that stand in the shadow of the greatest pop punk band of all-time, Descendents.

Goldfinger seemingly came out of nowhere, though as a Los Angeles based band, they were certainly not without some kind of exposure to industry people. The reason I think Goldfinger hit it big was that they had a really talented, driven songwriter with Feldman, and they were able to capitalize on the then burgeoning ska punk scene that No Doubt had ushered in just a year earlier. It also helped that the album’s lead single, “Here In Your Bedroom” was a certified BANGER, and would later be prominently featured in the marketing and trailers for the 1998 comedy film There’s Something About Mary.

It was also around 1998 that I, Andy Tuttle, first discovered Goldfinger. I was working at a Summer camp that year and a buddy of mine heard that I liked pop punk. He suggested we check out this CD he got from a band called Goldfinger because he thought I’d really like it. Typically, I hate to be told what I will and won’t like, so I went in with some trepidation. The album’s opening track, “Mind’s Eye”, was decent enough and I knew that I was enjoying the album. However, once the second track started, “Stay”, I was all the way on board with Goldfinger. This song was, like, speaking directly to me, in my soul. The sound of the drums, the way Feldman sang the song imperfectly but passionately, it was exactly who I was at that time.

Each subsequent song only made me love the album more, “Here in Your Bedroom”, “Only a Day”, and “King for a Day” solidified that this was going to be one of my all-time favorite records. “Hazel” was another stand out, then we have the kind of joke songs, “The City With Two Faces” and “My Girlfriend’s Shower Sucks”, before we get solid tracks like “Miles Away”, “Nothing to Prove”, and “Pictures”. The album then closes on a secret track in which drummer Darrin Pfeiffer calls a want ad in regards to joining a metal group called Abby Normal. If you want to know exactly who Andy Tuttle circa 1998/1999 was, listen to Goldfinger. I could tell you about myself, or you could just listen to that album and know me inside and out.

Goldfinger would release their next album, Hang-Ups, in 1997, delving even further into the ska punk sound, and would gain further notoriety from the already mentioned There’s Something About Mary and, of course, the video game Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Personally, Goldfinger peaked at their third album, 2000’s Stomping Ground and kind of fell away from their early sound in subsequent releases. Feldman would go on to have a very successful career as a record producer and songwriter for a variety of acts, including Good Charlotte, Ashlee Simpson, 5 Seconds of Summer, Avril Lavigne, Blink-182, Korn, Avicii, and far, far more.

I have probably listened to Goldfinger a dozen times in the last week to prepare for this week’s column, and I’ll likely listen to it a dozen more times in the next week. Hell, it’ll probably end up being one of my most listened to albums this year if I keep playing it as often as I have been. I’m always very happy when an album, game, or film, appears in the Notable Releases section, because it lets me transport myself back to very specific times and places in my life, putting people into my mind that I haven’t though about in years, places I haven’t visited in a while, and reminds me just how lucky I am that I’ve gotten to experience all of the things I’ve experienced. Thank you all for reading this column and indulging me all these years. I’ll see you next week.

Stardew Valley (PC) – Released Feb. 26^th, 2016

Black (PS2/Xbox) – Released Feb 28^th, 2006

Alien Trilogy (PlayStation) – Released Feb. 29^th, 1996

Trojan (Arcade) – Released Mar. 1986

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