New Releases – October 2015
You thought September was huge for games? Then just wait until October, because shelves are about to get even more crowded.
Kicking things off on Thursday October 1 is Fallout Anthology, a PC mega-collection that bundles some of the industry’s greatest games before Fallout 4 steals your life next month. Alternatively, NBA Live 16 also lands for the more athletically inclined.
Jump to Wednesday October 7 and another collection – Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection – rears its head, remastering three amazing action games for PS4 owners.
Things might quieten down from there, but swing back into action on Tuesday October 20 with Guitar Hero Live. This will mark the return of the musical showstopper – packing a complete visual overhaul and brand new guitar.
The party continues all the way to Thursday October 22, because that’s the day you’ll be able to grab Just Dance 2016, while a day later (Friday October 23), you’ll spy Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. It’s the latest in the successful series – popping out from the shadows to provide twin protagonists and a London playground.
Even 3DS players have something to celebrate with The Legend Of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes on Saturday October 24. It might not be exactly what fans were hoping for, but allows three players to team up for co-op dungeon adventures.
Wrapping things up on Tuesday October 27 is the big gun: Halo 5: Guardians. The first in the shooter series on Xbox One, make no doubt about it – this game will deserve a place in your library.
NEWS
HIT AND RUN
Despite making a big splash with a fascinating release model at this year’s E3, IO Interactive has announced that the next game in the popular Hitman series has been delayed until 2016. “These extra few months will mean we can add more to the launch content of the game, more than we had originally planned, and then follow with a tighter frequency of updates which ultimately will create a better game for everyone,” IO explained on its Hitman blog. Originally slated for December, the game joins the ranks of Star Fox Zero for Wii U, which has also recently been pushed back into 2016.
BEATA-FUL
Excited about Star Wars Battlefront? Well then, prepare to get even giddier, because not only is the highly anticipated shooter’s beta coming in October, it’s coming to everyone – no pesky pre-orders required! The beta is set to include three modes including the Walker Assault mode on Hoth, Drop Zone mode on Sullust and the Survival mission mode on Tattoine, and will include split-screen functionality. The full game drops Thursday November 19 for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
MORPHEUS NO MORE
As the battle for VR domination continues to truck along, Sony has finally lifted the curtain on the official name of the company’s own VR-centric device. Originally given the codename Project Morpheus, the unit will adopt the much more functional (and painfully obvious) name PlayStation VR from now on. PlayStation VR is currently scheduled for launch during the first half of 2016.
REVIEW:
Super Mario Maker
If you’ve been guiding Nintendo’s iconic moustached plumber through treacherous levels for anywhere near as long as he has existed, there’s more than likely been a time where you’ve believed you could do better. That if you were the designer, your levels would be smarter, harder.
With Super Mario Maker, Nintendo does the unthinkable by releasing its shackles and tempting you to try. To prove you have the design chops to impress the world. That said, it won’t happen overnight. First you might want to brush up on your 2D platforming skills with the game’s in-built 10-Mario Challenge, which pits you against a selection of pre-made levels that must be completed with only ten lives. The kicker is that each can vary wildly – one might be a remixed classic while another could feel like a miniature maze.
Still, while these diversions are certainly enjoyable, they’re merely an entrée to the main course and the wonders you can create with Super Mario Maker’s tools. With your stylus in hand [pictured top], you’ll be the one making the big calls – like your level’s graphical style, for example, with skins ranging from classics like Super Mario Bros., Super Mario World or New Super Mario Bros. U. Each brings a distinct look, feel and sound to your designs, as well as their respective items.
At a glance, it sounds incredibly daunting and intimidating because… well, it is. The good news is that a smart and well-executed user interface helps keep things relatively easy (like a grid-based UI to avoid confusion as well as drag-and-drop controls), and the game’s 60-odd building blocks are handed out in a non-overwhelming manner over the course of nine days. Soon enough you’ll be uploading levels for the world to see and downloading the diabolical designs of others.
The content creation concept is not a particularly new one in the gaming industry, nor is the idea to share it online with likeminded people all across the globe. Titles like LittleBigPlanet have been catering to that need for years already. Where Super Mario Maker is able to succeed, however, is by being able to draw upon 30 years of polished, refined and expert gameplay mechanics – not to mention the associated fountain of enemies, items and music that can also be combined to create your wildest dreams or darkest nightmares. Go on; show the world what you can do.
★★★★☆
