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2018 Spring Game Preview

Now, usually spring is an underwhelming time for game releases, and if you take a quick peek at this year’s slate it’s exactly that…ZZZzzzZZZzz…but if you look a little closer, there are some interesting gems hidden in the clutter of Indie games and, somehow, another Final Fantasy game!

Sea of Thieves

Arrrhhhhh! (Had to be done) Sea of Thieves is a new type of multiplayer game that delivers all you ever wanted in a free-roaming pirate life.  Whether adventuring as a group or sailing solo, you’ll encounter other crews – but will they be friends or foes, and how will you respond?  You’re free to approach this world and its wealth of challenges however you choose.  Sail for the sheer joy of discovery or undertake dramatic voyages, following maps and untangling riddles. Xbox/PC

State of Decay 2

This is a personal favorite in the plethora of zombie survival games.  The dead have risen, and civilization has fallen.  Even the military couldn’t stop the zombies, and now humanity stands on the brink of extinction.  It’s up to you to gather survivors and build a community.  Play solo or team up with up to three friends (this is a big deal) to explore an open world filled with dynamic zombies, human enemies, and the valuable gear necessary to keep your community alive.  Xbox exclusive.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered

Ok so I am a bit of an Assassin’s Creed fan boy…or at least I thought I was.  I don’t recall the original at all!  I guess this one slipped by me.  Assassin’s Creed Rogue, Assassin-hunting odyssey through pre-Revolution America and the North Atlantic, is making a gloriously remastered return on PS4 and Xbox One, complete with 4K support for PS4 Pro and Xbox One X.  Looks to be the same loot grinding, parkour jumping, Templar killing…wait the storyline says he goes rogue and turns on the brotherhood.  How have I not played this!?

Nintendo Labo

At first glance, this appears to be some sort of Nintendo executive’s cardboard fever dream, but it’s actually pretty cool!  If I had a kid old enough to enjoy building stuff out of cardboard and learning awesome sciencey things, I’d be all in.  Lobo consists of DIY kits that come as sheets of cardboard.  You pop the pieces out, use the instructions on your Switch to assemble them, and you’re left with incredible interactive video games that merge the physical and virtual worlds.  Switch only.

6 years ago /, , , ,
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February Game Preview

The month of February is shaping up to be a very impressive month for the video game industry. With solid releases throughout the month, gamers should expect some triple A game releases. Both Xbox and Playstation are having big name exclusives this month. Nintendo has a new console on the way that will shake up the competition as well.

For Honor – February 14

The brand new game from Ubisoft, For Honor, drops you into a war-torn landscape. Set in a medieval fantasy world that a history buff could only hope for. This game pins Samurais, Knights, and Vikings all up against each other. All three factions are playable and each has their own unique story. While the story portion of this game is interesting, the multiplayer is where this game steps into something new. For Honors multiplayer, is much like any other game where you are going up against another player, but with a slight twist. Ubisoft has introduced a new combat system called “Art of Battle”. This system allows you to lock into one on one combat with a real person. To come out victorious in these battles you must time your attacks and blocks correctly. This is a very new way to tackle combat and makes each and every interaction in the game feel new and just as intense as the first. This game has a lot of excitement surrounding it; hopefully, For Honor can live up to the hype.

 

Halo Wars 2 – February 21

Halo is a name synonymous with gaming at this point. It has been over 15 years since the release of the original, Halo: Combat Evolved. The Halo franchise is traditionally a futuristic first person shooter. In 2009 Halo Wars changed the formula. Like the predecessor Halo Wars 2, is a real-time strategy game played from a top-down view. You must lead the UNSC forces against a group known as the Banished. The story portion of the game centers on the entire cast not knowing that the war had ended. In a push and pull game, where you can also play cooperatively, it is heavily reliant on moves and counter-moves. Halo Wars 2 features a multiplayer option as well. In multiplayer, up to 6 players can battle it out in different modes such as Domination and Stronghold. In these game modes the teams must capture and hold a center point from the other players. Halo Wars 2 is a Windows exclusive, so Xbox and PC only. Overall this game looks like it will improve on all of the mechanics from the first one and with more content to offer.

 

Horizon Zero Dawn – February 28

The excitement surrounding this game is unrivaled in the first quarter of the year. Horizon Zero Dawn is set in a post-apocalyptic landscape where robotic creatures rule. Simply known as “Machines”, they resemble dinosaurs but are completely mechanical. Humans are broken up into tribes, similar to the first humans that were on earth. The main character is equipped with an array of ranged, stealth and melee weapons. The premise for the story is the protagonist, Aloy, believes there is more to the world than just inside the tribes’ walled-off town. On her journey outside of the tribe, she realizes that a rogue tribe is trying to conquer all of the surrounding areas. Aloy takes it upon herself to save her tribe from the invaders. Horizon Zero Dawn is an open world RPG adventure game with a loot system and a day and night cycle. The game is a Playstation exclusive but is still highly anticipated. The game has already won awards before its release, which is a good sign of things to come.

 

Nintendo Switch – March 3

The Switch is not available until March, yet has had massive numbers of preorders. The Nintendo Switch is the next console from Nintendo. Combining mobile gaming with the power of a home console built in one. The Switch is unique because you can slide a tablet into a dock and be playing on your home TV. If you have to leave but don’t want the game to end, you can pick the tablet up and put two attachable joysticks on the sides of it. The fact the tablet is able to get up and go, continuing right where you left off is very special. Playstation with the PSP and Vita tried to do this but it was a lot more complex than the Switch. The tablet can have up to 6-10 hours of battery life depending on the game you play. The Switch can charge by placing it in the dock. The device is also playable while it is charging. The Nintendo Switch will launch with 17 games available including Super Mario, Sonic and The Legend of Zelda. It will be getting games like NBA 2K18 and Skyrim later this year. Maybe this console will put Nintendo back in contention with Sony and Microsoft in the console war.

7 years ago /, , , , , , ,
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