Every week, more games arrive for more platforms than ever before. So every week, we’ll help you cut through the noise by focusing on five games worth playing this week. And we’ll start with the definitive edition of a game that never really got its shot.
Pick Of The Week
Halo Wars: Definitive Edition, Tuesday (Xbox One, PC)
Halo Wars first arrived in 2009, and while it moved a million copies, this game never really quite got its due. Ensemble Studios took on the mechanical challenge of creating a real-time strategy game that you played with a controller, and amazingly, it not only worked, it was incredibly slick and opened the door to other console-based RTS games. Sure, this is just a reminder of the franchise ahead of Halo Wars 2 arriving in February, but if you missed it the first time around, and many did, now’s a good time to pick this game up and see what you missed.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, Tuesday (PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, PC, Vita)
The cult franchise delivers its first game designed for consoles this week. The Shantae games are an unusual mix of Mario-esque platforming and Metroidvania-style item hunting, as you collect new animal forms to solve puzzles, unlock new abilities, and collect the rup-er, gems you need to improve your weapons and buy new magic spells to use on your foes. The series has always been well-done retro gaming, and we’ll have a review of this entry tomorrow.
The Walking Dead Season 3, Tuesday (PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC)
Now that Telltale has finished its Batman game, the company can focus on the franchise that put them on the map. And, in typical Walking Dead style, it looks to be a cheerful romp. Just kidding, it looks grim beyond all belief, although hopefully they won’t try to top themselves after the last season in the darkness stakes. Also hopefully certain characters are gone for good, because screw that guy.
Wild Guns Reloaded, Tuesday (PS4)
Likely winning the prize for strangest remaster of 2016, and we’ve seen a lot of them this year, is the return of a 1994 Super Nintendo game set in a Western-in-space setting where you gun down robots and hop in and out of the foreground. It was an odd mix of light-gun game and third-person shooter and it was fairly ahead of its time. A re-release on Virtual Console put it over the top and the original team has returned to redo the game with some new levels and characters. Especially since we’ve got the gaming doldrums coming up, it might be a good time to catch up on a cult classic.
Rollercoaster Dreams, Thursday (PS4, PSVR)
Build rollercoasters, strap the PSVR to your face, and then ride them. Yeah, it’s not a complicated game, but does it really need to be?
Any games we missed? Let us know in the comments!