8 things to watch out for this week

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Luke Cage tackles last season's pacing problems, Mario Tennis Aces serves up a Story mode, and the anticipated Captain Spirit channels Strangers Things in our pick of the week's best games, movies, and TV

Vass from Far Cry 3, Mario Tennis Aces, Captain Spirit and Luke Cage

1. Never got to experience the Trance Vibrator? Lumines Remastered on Switch has what you need... sort of

Not everyone will remember 2002's cult shooter, and even fewer its Trance Vibrator peripheral. Back when synaesthesia shooter Rez was released on PS2, Japan was the only region to get the Trance Vibrator, a bizarre tie-in peripheral that would plug into the console and pulsate in time to Rez's techno music. It was a way to heighten Rez's spellbinding effects, as the game could now stimulate your senses via sight, sound, and touch. Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the mastermind behind Rez, would later go on to make the hit PSP puzzle game Lumines, which has been spruced up for all modern platforms as Lumines Remastered. And the Switch version has a very special feature: Trance Vibration mode, letting you sync up multiple Joy-Con that will vibrate in time to the music of this entrancing, Tetris-esque block game. Truly, this is one of the best uses for the Joy-Con's HD Rumble technology since Golf Story, letting you immerse yourself in the color-coded puzzling in ways you never imagined. I recommend sticking two Joy-Con underneath your knees while you sit and see how that treats your brain as you lose yourself to the rhythm. Lucas Sullivan

What: Lumines Remastered
When: June 26
Where: Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC

2. Did you know there’s a Westworld mobile game, which is a lot like Fallout Shelter? Now you do

If you’re looking for a new mobile obsession to kill time on your commute / in class / at home, then you should give the Westworld mobile game a look. Just search for Westworld game on the App Store or the Play Store. It’s available on iPhone today, but has been up on Android all week. The basic premise is that you build a Delos base underground, and a Westworld theme park on the surface. It’s not a park-builder with as much freedom as Fallout Shelter, but it’s more about how you manage your Hosts. They exist to satisfy the Guests who pour into the park, so you need to keep the healthy, increase their ability to entertain, and occasionally debug them when they show signs of abnormality. There is heaps of game to unlock, and loads to do - it’s actually very poor at explaining its intricacies - but once you get the hang of things is a great taste of how running a complex park like Westworld might actually feel. And you can sort of play it without paying for microtransactions. Sort of. Andy Hartup

What: Westworld: The Game
When: Out now
Where: App Store and Google Play Store

3. It’s Bruce Campbell’s 60th birthday. Time to rewatch the Evil Dead trilogy, before he retires Ash forever

It’s Bruce Campbell’s birthday. That makes today pretty much an international holiday. If you’re in work, feel free to leave right now. Tell your boss we said you could do so. It’ll be fine. If you’ve already finished work? Well, bad luck. Let that be a lesson to you to observe such important occasions wit the reverence they deserve. But whatever time it is in your neck of the woods, know that this year, the stars have aligned in the most marvellous way. You see, this isn’t just any birthday for The Man Who Gave Us Ash. It’s the day we celebrate six entire decades of a world with Bruce Campbell. And it’s happening on a Friday, which means we have an entire weekend to rewatch the Evil Dead trilogy in tribute. Hell, throw in the actually-brilliant remake as well. It’s a barnstormer of a film, and Bruce has a tiny cameo. Campbell has recently stated that the current season of the (similarly brilliant) Ash vs. Evil Dead, is the last time he’ll play his most famous character, so it’s undoubtedly time for some bittersweet reminiscence. Fire up the internet and get involved. It’ll be groovy. David Houghton

What: Bruce Campbell’s 60th birthday
When: June 22, 2018
Where: Everywhere (but the movies are all for rent on YouTube, or streaming on Netflix) 

4. Mario Tennis Aces is bringing back a story mode for the first time in 13 years

You might think that a game of Mario Tennis simply involves hitting a ball back and forth across a court, but when it comes to Mario Tennis Aces, that’s quite the understatement. This new Switch exclusive actually comes with an Adventure Mode, which makes it the first Mario Tennis game to be released with a story since Mario Tennis: Power Tour back on the Game Boy Advance - yes really. Luigi’s been possessed by a magic racket capable of destroying the entire world, but only if Wario and Waluigi collect all five Power Stones (sound familiar?). To stop that from happening, you’ll have to topspin, slice and backhand your way through a variety of challenges, matches across courts that are designed to throw obstacles at you, and even boss battles. Yes, tennis boss battles. Until you’ve knocked down Petey the Piranha Plant with your tennis skills and lobbed a ball or two at his engorged belly button, can you even call yourself a gamer? Sam Loveridge

What: Mario Tennis Aces
When: Out now
Where: Nintendo Switch exclusive

5. Can Luke Cage season 2 fix its pacing problem?

The second season of Netflix Original Luke Cage hits the streaming service this week and if you watched the first season you probably noticed something was a little off… It’s well-known that most of Netflix’s Marvel shows are about three episodes too long, but Luke Cage suffered more than most from pacing issues. With hard-hitting political commentary and one hell of a soundtrack, Luke Cage is still one of the best shows on Netflix, but the decision to kill off villain Cottonmouth so early in the season, as well as a number of other decisions, ruined the superhero’s first outing for some. With season 2 on the way, everyone’s wondering if this time, Luke can get it right. While there’s still the usual 13 episodes (we don’t need that many Netflix!) showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker is confident he’s cracked it saying: “There’s no drop off in action - it just keeps rising and rising the entire way.” That’s a bold promise, but one the bulletproof hero can hopefully live up to. Lauren O’Callaghan

What: Luke Cage season 2
When: June 22, 2018
Where: Netflix worldwide

6. Get a new, free, slice of Life is Strange action and tease out all the secrets for the sequel

One of the surprise E3 announcements was that a brand new Life is Strange game is coming out on June 26 and it’s free to play on all platforms. It’s a brand new tale within the Life is Strange universe called The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, that follows the adventures of an imaginative nine-year-old boy called Chris on one (extra)ordinary Saturday. He lives most of his day in a fantasy world as Captain Spirit, a superhero taking on the small task of saving the world, because his real world contains the ghost of a dead mother and a Dad that switches to whiskey after his coffee in the morning. This little two-hour self-contained story is another fantastic look at everyday troubles from developer DontNod, and although that’s incredibly exciting on it’s own, there’s more. Captain Spirit will be the first introduction to Life is Strange 2, which Dontnod plan to officially unveil rather soon, and there are “hints and clues” as to what the game will depict woven into Captain Spirit. We already know that Chloe and Max’s story arc is done, so it’ll be interesting to see what secrets we can discover in Captain Spirit about which stories Dontnod is about to tell in Life is Strange 2. So get your magnifying glass out, and let’s figure it all out together. Sam Loveridge

What: The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit
When: Tuesday, June 26
Where: Xbox One, PS4 and PC

7. Far Cry 3 Classic Edition reminds us that this is when Far Cry got good

Even now it sounds weird to think that the Far Cry we know and love didn’t really settle into its stride until the third game. Far Cry 3 was the instalment that perfected its open world chaos with missions, action and animals all over the place. Playing was generally a brilliant chaotic mix of what you thought you were going to do, mixed with unexpected gun battles, surprise tigers, fires and often ending up with you realising you forgot what you were even trying to achieve in the first place. It also features one of gaming’s best villians - deliciously camp, evil Vaas, a philosophising, sociopathic second in command to the game’s drug, running people trafficking arch bad, Volker. The Far Cry 3 Classic edition gives you the chance to relive it all again on PS4 or Xbox One with updated graphics and a few gameplay tweaks. The honey Badgers are still complete [censored] though. Leon Hurley

What: Far Cry 3 Classic Edition
When: Non-season pass release June 26
Where: PS4, Xbox One

8. Nier: Automata's Xbox One release is really highlighting its godlike status

Nier: Automata shouldn't have succeeded as well as it has. At least, not according to anyone's expectations. And yet here it is, a game made with love, care and a strong creative vision that stands apart from the AAA market. A not-quite-sequel to a spin-off of a relatively obscure action-RPG series, Automata puts you in the thigh-high boots of android warrior 2B and her companion 9S as they fight to reclaim the Earth from killer robots. That's really just the setup though, and every twist you think you see coming in this wild and surprisingly philosophical plot is just the first scratch on an iceberg of existentialism. This is to say nothing of the combat, which - as is to be expected from developer Platinum - is smooth, satisfying, and spectacular to watch. And then there's the soundtrack, which has won multiple awards for its eclectic blend of choral chants and pulse-pounding melodies. In short, there's a reason you keep hearing Automata talked about like it's something special. Because it is special. With the Become As Gods Edition, Xbox One players can have the definitive experience for less than base price - and if you've got an Xbox One X, you'll even get the added benefits of HDR and 4K resolution support. Sam Prell

What: Nier: Automata - Become As Gods Edition
When: Tuesday, June 26
Where: Xbox One

8 Things to Watch Out For This Week picks the best games, movies and shows of the next seven days every Friday at 9am PDT / 5pm BST.

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