TLDR · · BY BOSS ROOM
WK44: Indie World Opens Doors as Minecraft Gets Brighter
Four free indie demos, an inventive new action RPG and a return to Fabletown. Plus, the latest Game Pass additions and November's PlayStation Plus lineup.
1. Indie World makes room for new ideas.
Nintendo's 29 October Australian Indie World showcase gave smaller studios fifteen minutes in the spotlight, including the witchcraft life sim Witchbrook, the cooperative adventure Spirit Crossing and the kinetic action game Tenjutsu. The variety is more useful than a single genre trend, with cosy adventures sitting alongside competitive and experimental ideas.
Four games also received free demos: Haunted Paws, Petal Runner, RACCOIN: Chaos Max Edition and Winds of Viridia. Those playable samples give interested players something more useful than another trailer, and a chance to find out whether a promising idea is genuinely fun.
Wisky’s Tasting NotesFour free demos are a better invitation than another polished trailer. Sometimes the best way to discover a game is simply to play it.
2. Minecraft reaches Switch 2, with a catch for couch players.
Minecraft arrived on Nintendo Switch 2 physically on 27 October and digitally on 28 October, bringing Vibrant Visuals lighting and shadow improvements and an updated Super Mario Mash-Up Pack. Existing Switch owners can carry their worlds across, making this an upgrade to a familiar game rather than a different Minecraft experience.
Eligible owners of the original digital Switch edition can claim the Switch 2 Standard digital upgrade at no charge until 31 January 2027. Physical owners have a separate discounted upgrade offer. The important limitation is that Vibrant Visuals does not work in split screen, meaning families sharing the same television will not see the headline graphical improvement.
Wisky’s Tasting NotesMinecraft looks better than ever, until someone picks up a second controller. For a game that's brought so many people together on the same couch, losing the visual upgrades in split screen feels like a strange compromise.
3. Phantom Blade Zero turns boss fights into new abilities.
Released on PlayStation 5 on 29 October, Phantom Blade Zero combines fast martial arts combat, defensive timing and exploration. Its more distinctive idea is how defeating major enemies grants weapons that let players adopt the boss's fighting style, rather than simply claiming another statistical upgrade.
Some acquired weapons also open previously inaccessible routes, linking difficult encounters to the wider world. It's an approach that connects combat progression with exploration and offers a practical reason to revisit earlier areas. That sounds more meaningful than collecting powerful gear purely for larger damage numbers.
Wisky’s Tasting NotesThe best reward for beating a boss shouldn't just be a weapon with bigger numbers. Give me their fighting style and a reason to explore somewhere new. Now that's progression worth chasing.
4. Game Pass adds an RPG landmark and a very different horror story.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade joined eligible Game Pass tiers on 29 October for Xbox, PC and cloud, bringing the Midgar portion of Cloud's story rather than the later Rebirth chapter. Its mix of real-time combat and tactical commands gives subscribers a substantial RPG to explore without another individual purchase.
The same wave includes Mouthwashing, a compact psychological horror story set aboard a stranded space freighter, and Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted, a refreshed edition of the original garden defence game. These are very different experiences, and a useful reminder that subscription value is often found in the games you might not have purchased separately.
Wisky’s Tasting NotesGame Pass is at its best when it convinces you to play something you wouldn't normally buy. Discovery is genuine subscription value, and something worth remembering when we're busy arguing about which blockbusters are missing.
5. November's PlayStation Plus selection offers three different moods.
Sony confirmed Dead Island 2, Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered and Monster Train 2 for its November monthly games selection. All three become available to claim from 3 November, with the monthly claim window scheduled to close on 30 November.
There's familiar zombie action, a return to Lara Croft's older adventures and a strategic deckbuilding game for players who prefer something less frantic. These are subscription claim dates, not new game release dates, so the practical action is to add anything interesting to your library while the offer is active.
6. The Wolf Among Us returns to Fabletown in black and white.
The Wolf Among Us Remastered launched on 29 October, bringing Bigby Wolf's murder mystery back with improved presentation and an optional Noir Mode that presents the adventure in black and white. The original remains an engaging example of Telltale's choice-driven storytelling, with a world built around familiar fairy tale characters living less familiar lives.
The remaster also includes bonus material, including behind the scenes features and playable deleted scenes. This is not a sequel or a new investigation, but a revised way to experience the same five-episode story. For newcomers, the value is finally meeting Fabletown. Returning players can decide whether the new presentation is enough reason to revisit it.
RELEASED THIS WEEK
Phantom Blade Zero | PlayStation | A$89.95 PS5 Standard | 29 October
The Wolf Among Us Remastered | PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Switch | A$37.95 PS5 Standard | 29 October
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