With a lack of any big releases this week I thought it would be a good idea to look back on the past month or so, we've seen the launch of two brand new consoles and a decent batch of games to go with them, but what really stood out amongst all the hype? The first party next gen titles were pretty standard fare, Killzone looks amazing but it’s pretty much the FPS you’ve played countless times before, Dead Rising 3 is the victim of a change of platform half way through development, from last gen to next gen, and feels like it was rushed for release, although admittedly the core game is great. Killer Instinct is a solid fighter but has decidedly last gen visuals and I really can’t see it standing the test of time next to the big guns like Street Fighter.
The multi-platform releases fared better with some standout games in pretty much every genre, Need for Speed in particular being surprisingly solid and gorgeous to look at with some great network features. Battlefield 4 doesn’t surprise although the campaign was the most enjoyable of the franchise for me. Ubisoft also did a fantastic job with Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag, it’s a sprawling beast filled with atmosphere and it sports some lovely visuals especially on the PS4. Overall there were some great games with fabulous graphics but none of them particularly set the world on fire in the way a true masterpiece does.
Enter Nintendo
Do gamers even know that a brand new Mario game is out? Super Mario 3D World peaked at a disappointing 14 place and it is easily one of the best games this year and certainly the best game since GTA V. Granted Nintendo’s fortunes are a little blighted of late with the false start that is the Wii U, a great console mired by poor PR, the Wii U is the perfect example of how quickly allegiances can shift when a once motivated audience is confused by a product. Is it a Wii add on? Is it just a new controller? Are just some of the things I have heard people say. Of course this should in no way sour the experience of a new Mario game, and this one is as good as it gets, a delight to play and beautiful to look at, it’s a game that deserves to be experienced by everyone, but I feel it’s been lost in the commotion of two new console releases and some mainstream franchise updates. Is it doomed to be resigned to the same place as Mario Sunshine? I hope not and I urge anyone with even a passing interest in video games to give it a whirl, it will make you grin from ear to ear.
Mario isn’t the only must have game Nintendo are throwing at us, in the same month they gave us a new Zelda and the charming Bravely Default for 3DS. This line-up is more than deserving of your money and your time but, in Bravely Defaults case, a certain major retailer only stocked a couple of copies in their Manchester store, one of the UKs biggest cities! It has no chance of breaking through if there is no confidence in new franchises. It plays like classic Final Fantasy and has a similar art style to FFIX, with some genuinely original ideas. I can’t help think that this could be the basis for future Final Fantasy games, it certainly should be.
So that’s it! Enjoy your weekend of fevered, last minute panic buying and make sure you don’t get lost in the crowd!
