Very few publishers ever want to go head-to-head with the juggernaut that is Call of Duty. As such, this week’s new release line-up is quieter than usual with just a few smaller releases on the agenda.
We’re still waiting for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’s review embargo to lift. Once they start to surface we’ll post a review round-up. Current anticipation level: moderately high.
If you haven’t been keeping an eye on IW, this one is set in the far-flung future with intergalactic dogfights being an obvious highlight. Multiplayer mode is being spiced up with the introduction to weapon crafting – guns now have different, Destiny style, rarity levels and each has its own perks. Infinity Ward are also throwing a zombie mode into the mix – a first for the developer. Zombies in Spaceland is set in a cheesy ‘80s theme park, complete with rides that can be ridden. MP guns can be used here, and so weapon XP gained while in Spaceland will carry over to regular multiplayer.
Over on PC there’s Football Manager 2017 from SEGA. Steam reviews have been incredibly negative so far but don’t let this put you off – those bad reviews are mostly down to a backlash from Chinese players demanding a Chinese translation. Eurogamer has more on that.
Sticking with SEGA, you might be able to get your hands on the 3DS’s SEGA 3D Classics Collection come Friday. It appears that only a few retailers are stocking it. You could always go digital should copies prove elusive – it’s £24.99 on the eShop.
This week also sees the return of the Moto Racer series. You remember Moto Racer, right? The first instalment was published by EA. After that, it was something of a free-for-all – even Ubisoft dabbled with it once. Moto Racer 4 can be found for around £30 online, with the PS4 version including VR support. No reviews yet, sadly.
Then we have the 2D side-scroller Cartoon Network – Battle Crashers. It’s out on PS4, Xbox One and 3DS for around £20. With publisher Little Orbit seemingly shuttered, this is the nearest we’re going to get to a new Adventure Time game this year.
Super Dungeon Bros. is another budget release arriving both at retail and on the download services. It’s free on Xbox One this month for Gold members; PS4 owners have to stump up £15.99. The physical release can be found for slightly cheaper, however. We spent an hour or so with it yesterday and found it to be a worryingly simplistic Gauntlet clone. Maybe it’ll evolve into something more when we play it online with others. Maybe.
Finally for retail releases, cult brawler Blazblue Centralfiction heads to PS3 and PS4, while Dead Synchronicity: Tomorrow Comes Today and Here They Lie VR make the jump from PSN to physical form.
On the Xbox One store, 2D hack and slasher Earth’s Dawn is now available. Then on Friday Gas Guzzlers Extreme is making an appearance. This crass crash and smash racer gained surprisingly good reviews when it launched on PC, suggesting it might be worth considering.
The same goes for Hitman Episode 6: Hokkaido. IGN called it “a great mission to end the year on†before giving it an 8.3. VG24/7 was impressed also. “This episode only had to be competent – but the good news is that it’s a damn sight more than that,†they said before praising the package as a whole.
Also available now on PSN: 2D arcade shooter Seraph, capitalism simulator Adventure Capitalist, immersive 2D puzzler Color Zen, stealth platformer Ronin, and a rather expensive (£15.99!) PS2 re-release of Destroy All Humans. UPDATE: It’s a remaster, not a PS2 re-release. That’ll explain the price tag.
Next week: Dishonored 2 (PS4/XO/PC), The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II (PS3, PS Vita), Eagle Flight (PS VR), Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization (PS4/PS Vita) and Xenoraid (XO).