This past year has given us a wealth of games, most notably Ni No Kuni 2, Spider-man PS4, and Dragon Ball Fighter Z. As the year winds down towards its end, and the holiday season drives closer, you can no doubt expect publishers and developers to step up the volume when it comes to big releases. Here are 5 games that I’m personally keeping an eye on for the rest of the year.
1. Soul Calibur 6 (PS4, PC, Xbox One)
Release Date: October 19
What it is: It’ll be time to once again step onto the stage of history in Namco’s flagship weapons fighter. Old favorites such as Sophitia and Taki will mix it up with new characters such as Groh and Azwell. Players can create their own fighters in the game’s expanded Create-a-character mode and take them through a new single player mode. Also, Geralt from the Witcher series drops by as a special guest.
My Thoughts: While there was some controversy regarding the game’s DLC (mainly announcing Tira as a DLC character before all of the main cast was revealed), it looks like Namco learned its lesson from Soul Calibur 5 when it comes to single player combat. At any rate, I’m looking forward to once again experiencing a tale of soul and swords, eternally told come this October.
2. Mega Man 11 (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows)
Release Date: October 2 (TODAY!!)
What it Is: The first new title in the Mega Man franchise since 2010’s Mega Man 10. Just in time for the franchise’s 30th anniversary, the new game will feature 2.5D graphics, a new gear shift system, voice acting, and several other updates to the classic formula. The switch version will also include Amiibo support along with a new Amiibo. Players will once again take on Dr. Wily and 8 new robot masters. This time, when he gets a new weapon, he can change form when selecting it.
My Thoughts: This was a surprise when Capcom announced it late last year, as with the cancellations of games such as Mega Man Legends 3 and Mega Man Universe, people had felt that Capcom had forgot about Mega Man. Happily, that’s not the case (as the compilation re-releases have shown). The demo has been available for the past few weeks, and it looked good. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to making the bad guys cry like a Keji Inafune kickstarter backer (sorry fam, I couldn’t resist)!
3. WWE 2K19 (PS4, Xbox One)
Release Date: October 9(standard Edition), October 5(Deluxe Edition)
What it Is: The latest in 2k’s Wrestling franchise. With AJ Styles as a cover athlete, fans can once again take control of one of the biggest rosters of Raw, Smackdown, 205 Live, and NXT along with a series of legends, as they compete in dozens of match types. The Create a Wrestler and Universe Modes return as well for armchair bookers. Fans looking for single player content won’t be left out either, as they can take part in a series of tower challenges, along with a revamped career mode which starts players off as an indie wrestler before joining WWE. Showcase mode returns allowing players to go through the career of Daniel Bryan.
My Thoughts: At first I wasn’t sold on this year’s edition. However, it seems that 2K is focusing on putting the fun back into the gameplay rather than making it increasingly sim-like. I’m also intrigued by the new career mode. However, I’m still disappointed that requested features such as GM Mode, Create-a-story, and custom soundtracks are still a no go. Maybe next year.
4. Battlefield 5 (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
Release Date: November 20
What it Is: The latest Installment in EA’s shooter franchise. Taking players back to World War 2 for the first time since 2009’s Battlefield 1943, the game will have a heavy focus on customization, and it will contain a series of new multiplayer modes. Among these multiplayer modes includes Fire Storm, the obligatory battle royale mode featuring a literal firestorm on a map that supports up to 64 players. The game’s single player campaign will be a series of vignettes called ‘War Stories’ similar to Battlefield 1’s campaign. EA confirmed while there won’t be any loot boxes, players can purchase customization items through microtransactions.
My Thoughts: Although incels everywhere were triggered over seeing a woman with a prosthetic on the cover under the guise of ‘historical accuracy’ (because I demand historical accuracy in my video game where I can recover from almost lethal injuries within seconds and magically grab ammo when running over it), Battlefield 5 looks as if it’s going to be as fun and chaotic as its predecessors. Let’s just hope EA and Dice have learned their lesson over the Star Wars Battlefront 2 controversy.
5. Smash Bros Ultimate (Nintendo Switch)
Release Date: December 7
What it Is: The Fifth installment of Nintendo’s fighting franchise. The game will bring back every character who has ever been in a Smash bros game, including third party characters such as Solid Snake, Bayonetta, and Mega Man. Even with an already huge cast list, the game will include new characters such as Simon Belmont, King Krool (from the Donkey Kong country games), and the Inklings from Splatoon. The game’s final count will be well over 70 characters. The game will also include dozens of new stages, over 800 music tracks, and support for Gamecube controllers, amiibos, and other peripherals.
My Thoughts: You knew it was coming, but there was no way to imagine it would be this big. This will no doubt be the biggest Smash Bros ever, and for many, myself included, it’s the reason they bought a Switch. Let’s hope this time the single player gets a bit more love. I’d love to see a mode like the Subspace Emissary.
