Kaser Focus: The return of Max, Lara, and Guybrush

I don’t know what was in the air this week, but the games industry decided to announced the return of several iconic gaming characters this week. Earlier this week, we heard there’s going to be a new Monkey Island game, and Ron Gilbert’s going to be involved. I’m not popping off quite like Mike Minotti is, but I’m excited to see the return of one of the greatest point-and-click adventure games of all time.

Rockstar and Remedy announced that they’re remaking the first two Max Payne games for current-gen consoles. I’m not exactly the biggest Max Payne fan, but I’m a big fan of noir and urban thrillers, and Max Payne is one of video game’s truest examples of both genres. Besides, I just like the cut of Remedy’s jib in general.

Crystal Dynamics is making the next entry in the Tomb Raider series on the newly launched Unreal Engine 5. We don’t know anything else about it, but that’s all I need to know, because I’ve missed Lara Croft. I’m going to assume that Lara Croft is returning in the new title, though no one at Crystal Dynamics has explicitly said so. It’s not a Tomb Raider game without Lady Croft.

Other than that, a big piece of news is that Activision Blizzard has made over 1,000 of its contract workers into full-time employees, with a corresponding rise in pay. Notably, the change in pay does not apply to Raven Software or their QA team, who were spearheading unionization efforts following the layoffs of their colleagues. Very interesting.

As for the games this week, I’ve been playing the new adventure game Chinatown Detective Agency. This throwback to the old Carmen Sandiego games is reinvigorating my love of research and detective work. But on the other side of things, I finally completed my review of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. The two games feel as far from each other as it’s possible to get, so it’s been an interesting week.

What to play this week

What’s new:

• MLB The Show 22
• Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
• Chinatown Detective Agency
• Outbreak: Contagious Memories
• Road Maintenance Simulator

New on subscription services:

• Hoods: Outlaws and Legends (PS Plus)
• Slay the Spire (PS Plus)
• SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom — Rehydrated (PS Plus)
•  Cricket 22 (Xbox Game Pass)
• MLB The Show 22 (Xbox Game Pass)
• Dragon Age 2 (Xbox Game Pass)
• Chinatown Detective Agency (Xbox Game Pass)
• Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare (Xbox Game Pass)
• Star Wars: Squadrons (Xbox Game Pass)
• Die After Sunset (GeForce Now)
• Elderborn (GeForce Now)
• Tunic (GeForce Now)
• Northgard (GeForce Now)
• Offworld Trading Company (GeForce Now)
• Spirit Of The Island (GeForce Now)