Every week, it feels like there are more games for more platforms than ever before. So, every week, we cut through the noise to pick out the five games that are worth playing. Starting, this week, with a return of a beloved fantasy game that has a distinct twist to the proceedings.
Pick of The Week: The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind, Tuesday ($40, PS4, Xbox One, and PC)
Yes, Morrowind returns to Bethesda’s MMO, which became basically a $60 multiplayer version of The Elder Scrolls a while back, and if you’ve wondered how the intervening centuries have changed things, you’ll finally get your answer. The good news, if you haven’t been playing the game to this point, is that Morrowind will let you into the whole thing, not just the one area, so you can explore the whole game as well as see what’s been going on since you broke your PS3 trying to get over those mountains. So, if you’ve got a slow summer ahead, there’s now a game to fill it.
Dirt 4, Tuesday ($60, PS4, Xbox One, and PC)
If racing is more your style, a big title drops this week as Dirt 4 arrives. The rally-racing simulator is fairly beloved among racing fans at this point, not least for offering a different, grimier experience than you usually get from your Forzas and your Gran Turismos. That the legendary racing studio Codemasters developed it is a plus as well, although it won’t feature anything from the World Rally Championships. Still, if you feel the need for speed, this should get your pulse going. Unless, of course, you prefer your racing a bit more futuristic.
Wipeout: Omega Collection, Tuesday ($40, PS4)
Yes, the classic future racing series is back, with all three games on one disc, a bunch of graphical upgrades, online multiplayer, and, of course, the ability to talk trash with a friend as you race on the couch. And if you’ve never played them, now’s the time to try them out.
Farming Simulator ’18, Tuesday ($30, 3DS and Vita)
Yes, arguably one of the strangest genres, and certainly one of the more popular niche games out there, is back and heading for portables with lots of intense farming action! Well, OK, leisurely farming action. Really, the whole point of these games is to chill, escape into a supposed simpler life, and till some crops. And now you can do it on the go, which would seem to contradict the whole “Farm corn and chill” idea but hey, you’ve got to load those virtual bushels, right?
The Town Of Light, Tuesday ($20, PS4 and Xbox One)
Finally, if for some reason things have felt too upbeat for you lately, you can tackle this game, a psychological horror game that dispenses with demons and zombies and instead confronts the ugly realities of mental asylums in the 1940s. If you’re familiar, at all, with these places, you’ll know this is not going to be a cheerful expedition, but it’s a gutsy attempt to explore a serious issue using game mechanics.
Anything we missed? Let us know in the comments!