Keeping track of all the games arriving each week on PC, handhelds, consoles, and mobile is no easy track, but don’t worry, I’m here to help. Every week in Five Games, I separate the wheat from the chaff and pick the titles you need to pay attention to.
We recently freshened up the Five Games format a bit. The Pick of the Week is now listed first, and the rest of the games are filed under headings that will hopefully be more helpful for you. Looking for the latest indie hotness? Check the Steam picks. Want to download something for your Xbox One or PS4 on a Saturday night? Hit up the Console Downloads section. So, without further ado…
Pick of the Week
NBA 2K17 (PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 & PS4, Sep. 20)
The best basketball sim in the game hits the court again this week. NBA 2K17 is as visually impressive and detail-oriented as ever, but the improved and returning modes are what really makes this update worth it. MyGM and MyLeague modes are back for those who are into the nitty-gritty of management, and MyCareer mode, starring A-lister Michael B. Jordan, promises to be an even more in-depth exploration of the NBA experience.
Aside from all that, it’s obvious the makers of NBA 2K17 have a huge amount of love for the sport. The shoes, the arenas, the dorky announcers – it’s all accurately recreated. NBA 2K16 was one of the most complete sports games ever made, and NBA 2K17 looks to be a solid follow-up.
This Week on Steam
Pavilion (PC, Mac & Linux, Sep. 22)
Pavilion is a new puzzler, which is being sold as a “fourth-person adventure” by its makers. In practice, that means you don’t directly control a character, but rather interact with the environment in order to clear pathways and solve puzzles. Not the most ground-breaking idea in the end, but the game is gorgeous, and the puzzles look suitably puzzling. Here’s the game’s Steam page.
This Week’s Episodic Game
Batman: The Telltale Series – Episode 2 (PC, Xbox One & PS4, Sep. 20)
Telltale’s take on The Dark Knight returns. The first episode of Batman: The Telltale Series presented some promising ideas, but wasn’t the knockout blow some were expecting. This time around, Bruce Wayne deals with the allegations about his family that came to light in the last episode, Telltale unveils its version of The Penguin, and a new gang called the Children of Arkham hits the scene. Hopefully this is the beginning of this series going in a more unique direction.
This Week in Retail Releases
Destiny: Rise of Iron (Xbox One & PS4, Sep. 20)
Destiny: Rise of Iron promises to be the biggest expansion to Bungie’s MMO-shooter to date. The villainous Fallen have broken into an area called the Plaguelands and unleashed a deadly virus created by a now-extinct order of warriors called the Iron Lords. Now it’s up to you and the last Iron Lord to save the day. In addition to the new campaign, you can also expect fresh missions, PvP maps, gear, raids, and all the usual goodies.
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse (3DS, Sep. 20)
Steel yourself, because Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is coming to deliver more hard-as-nails Atlus-style dungeon hacking. For those who have never played a SMT game, they’re basically a twisted take on Pokemon, in which you collect bizarre demons, rather than cuddly critters. If you like a challenge, this one’s for you.
Between NBA 2K17 and the return of Destiny, there’s going to be a lot of people logging some serious couch time this week. Any anticipated titles I missed? Feel free to call ’em out below.