We have a ton of major games out this week, along with a mix of good and sad news in the Asia gaming industry sphere.

The Big Picture

Sandfall Interactive is a new studio in France that is taking a huge gamble with its first game release: Clair Obscur – Expedition 33. 

The studio consists of 30 developers, with most of them formerly from Ubisoft. After going through the title, it’s safe to say that it embodies none of the hallmarks of a triple-A Ubisoft game: bloated padding, checklist open-world gameplay, and lack of focus. 

One can even say that without the shackles of a corporate-level publisher, Sandfall are being rewarded with doing something highly creative while also paying tribute to the predecessors of the genre it highly respects and adore: the Japanese role-playing game. 

It’s good to know that even with rising prices for triple-A games and long-standing exclusive-to-console franchises like Mario Kart that we can still get a high budget-looking single-player experience for just the equivalent of RM139. Let us hope this continues and customers vote with their wallets for these cherished endeavours.

Short Beats

PlayStation and Sucker Punch Productions have announced the release date of their upcoming action-adventure title Ghost of Yotei: 2nd October 2025, exclusively for PlayStation 5. This title is the sequel to 2020’s acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima. 

Action RPG title Diablo IV and Diablo Immortal is launching its first external collaboration with the dark fantasy manga series Berserk, featuring exclusive equipment and fights that take place during a limited time. 

Bethesda responds to the makers of the The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim-slash-Oblivion mod Skyblivion by giving them free copies of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. 

Indonesian game studio Anantarupa, the makers of multiplayer online battle arena title Lokapala, has allegedly not paid its employees since November 2024. 

Malaysia’s indie game exhibition Indie Jam is taking place right now from 26 to 27 April 2025. 

SNK will be hosting a major Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves tournament in its SNK World Championship 2025 series. The prize pool is US$2,500,000, with the winner getting US$1,500,000 out of it. 

Op-Ed

Following the announcement of Ghost of Yotei, we have a retrospective on its prequel Ghost of Tsushima and how it handles moral compromise in wartime situations. 

Games Out This Week

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a new Japanese role-playing game made by French studio Sandfall Interactive. Lead the members of Expedition 33 on their quest to destroy the Paintress so that she can never paint death again. Explore a world of wonders inspired by Belle Époque France and battle unique enemies in this turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is the long-awaited 2D fighting game sequel to 1999’s Garou: Mark of the Wolves. This new 1v1 title features lovely graphics, an engaging and detailed fighting game system that balances offense and defense, and a robust single-player mode that fleshes out the Fatal Fury saga. 

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is a revamped version of the 2006 PC and Xbox computer role-playing game where you break out of jail and help an emperor take care of invading hell armies in a fantasy world. The remaster is made by Virtuos. 

Detective Dotson is an adventure game from Masala Games, and is a cozy mystery title about a detective with Bollywood dreams. It’s the first adventure game set in the colourful streets of India. Engage with adorable 2D characters living in a 3D world. Find clues and solve the evidence board. With each case, a larger mystery unfolds.

Moonton’s Mobile Legends Professional League Malaysia is seriously considering a franchise model going forward.

Recommended Viewing

Playism will be showcasing a huge number of indie titles this weekend. Check out the video below. 

We talk a bit about the new indie game wonder Detective Dotson and why it’s such a huge love letter to India. 

We also talk about why Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a huge Game of the Year 2025 contender.