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This week in gaming: The hunt is on!

Will Fulton
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week gaming hunt evolve big alpha postponement
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The hunt is on! Pursue or be pursued, with Evolve and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate leading the week’s releases. Alternatively you can practice carving a shank out of a toothbrush and figure out how to get rid of all that dirt with prison escape sim The Escapists. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask also makes its triumphant return in a 3DS port of the underdog Nintendo 64 classic.

What will you be playing this week?

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Evolve

PS4/Windows/XB1 (February 10)
Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock Studios has taken cooperative gameplay to a whole new level in this dueling game that pits four player-controlled hunters against one, giant, player-controlled monster. Dangerous, alien wildlife keeps both sides on their toes as they struggle for supremacy.

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Different modes remix the hunt-or-hunted angle, ranging from straightforward death matches to defense modes. A dynamically generated campaign mode weaves all of the modes together into a unique experience every time.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D 

3DS (February 13)
One of the strangest entries in the franchise, the oddball Majora’s Mask was overshadowed by its immediate predecessor on Nintendo 64, the revered Ocarina of Time, but it has retained a fervent cult following. Now those fans will be able to validate their nostalgia and share this quirky piece with people that missed it the first time around.

A leering, anthropomorphic moon is bearing down on the land of Termina, threatening apocalypse in three days’ time. Fortunately, the Ocarina of Time allows Link to reset that clock as many times as he needs, while solving everyone’s problems and collecting magical masks.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

3DS (February 13)
The title says everything you need to know about this action role-playing game from Capcom. Team up with friends online or locally to hunt monsters and collect that sweet, sweet loot.

Differing from previous entries in the popular Japanese series, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate features a greater focus on quests and narrative progression. It also opens up more three dimensional movement, allowing players to climb both walls and monsters in a more dynamic battlefield.

The Escapists

Windows/Xbox One (February 13)
Follow in the footsteps of Steve McQueen, Sean Connery, and Tim Robbins by planning and executing the perfect prison break. You have to balance your time between maintaining a job, developing your stats, making connections, and gathering supplies as you plot your escape while trying to keep a low profile.

If you miss roll call or get caught with contraband, the guards make it a lot harder for you to get out. Each prison has multiple possible escape routes for you to discover, and the game promises to have an editor so fans can share and break out of each other’s panopticons.

What else is coming:

  • Super Stardust Ultra (PS4/Feb. 10) — Save up your quarters and chase high scores in this frenetic, arcade shooter like Asteroids for the 21st century.
  • Unmechanical: Extended Edition (PS3, PS4/Feb. 10) — Take control of a whirring little robotic helicopter in this award-winning puzzle platformer, newly expanded.
  • Decay – The Mare (Windows/Feb. 13) — You are an addict, trapped inside your own nightmares in this phantasmagorical horror adventure.
  • Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy+ (3DS/Feb. 13) — Strap in to your fighter jet for some intense dogfighting in this enhanced version of the 2011 game that now supports Amiibo integration.

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Will Fulton
Will Fulton
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…
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Tchia - Commented Gameplay Walkthrough
Tchia first caught my attention in a hands-off preview of Kepler Interactive's Gamescom lineup last year, but it took me going hands-on to really understand the magic of Tchia. A freeing open-world game in the same vein as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Elden Ring, or Sable, Tchia lets players loose on beautiful islands in the Pacific and gives them tools to explore by climbing, gliding, possessing animals and objects, and sailing wherever they want. Its deep understanding and respect for the culture it represents enhance the experience too. If you're wondering what indie darling will wind up becoming this year's critically acclaimed game of the year dark horse, you'll want to keep an eye on Tchia.
What is Tchia? 
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I had the chance to play some main story missions during my preview where Tchia befriends a young girl and explores one of the game's biggest islands, completing various objectives and even hunting for treasure. The story was fairly light in what I played, but the gameplay really shined. Although I had some objectives, it was just as fun to climb up the trees near the starting town and fling Tchia into a glide to travel a longer distance.
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Oh, and did I mention you can play the ukulele? Because Tchia features a fully playable ukulele.
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