PCs, handhelds, mobile, console, indies, triple A, free-to-play — the gaming scene gets more diverse and difficult to follow by the day, but thankfully I’m here every week to guide you through what’s happening with games.
As always, I’ll rattle off five games I think you might want to check out this week. Keep in mind, these articles aren’t meant to be comprehensive lists of everything coming out that week so much as a nice rounded tasting menu. So, here are the games you need to know about this week…
This Week’s History Desecrating Adventure
Rise of the Tomb Raider (Xbox 360 & Xbox One, Nov. 10)
Lara Croft is back, and in Rise of the Tomb Raider, she’s more confident, skilled and deadly than ever. Rise of the Tomb Raider contains all the well-tuned action of the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot, with more open level design and, yes, a ton of actual tombs to raid. This really looks like it could be the best Tomb Raider game to date.
This Week’s Board Game
Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival (Wii U, Nov. 13)
If you’re waiting for the next full entry in the Animal Crossing series, well Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival isn’t it. Instead, it’s a Mario Party-esque virtual board game, which lets you insert characters into the game by scanning Animal Crossing Amiibo cards and figurines. This one looks a bit like an Amiibo cash grab, but I’m always willing to give anything Animal Crossing-related the benefit of the doubt.
This Week’s Chill Out Game
Lovely Weather We’re Having (PC & Mac, Nov. 10)
Lovely Weather We’re Having is about, well, weather. The game reads your local weather data, then changes its game world accordingly. Lovely Weather We’re Having doesn’t have any actual goals; you and your dog just stroll around exploring as you will. Do you often find yourself checking the weather, sighing to yourself, and wishing you could be outside instead of in front of your computer? Well, this game might make you a little bit happier. Here’s the game’s Steam page.
This Week’s Expansion
StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void (PC & Mac, Nov. 10)
The StarCraft II trilogy first promised back in 2010 finally wraps up with the release of the expansion, StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. This final chapter focuses on the Protoss and introduces diplomacy and a host of multiplayer tweaks and changes into the mix. Legacy of the Void is a standalone expansion, so you don’t have to own any previous versions of StarCraft II to play it.
Pick of the Week
Fallout 4 (PC, Xbox One & PS4, Nov. 10)
This week’s pick was a tough call. Rise of the Tomb Raider looks great, but how can you not go with a new Fallout game? Fallout 4 delivers yet another sprawling, post-apocalyptic world, and this time around you’re given more freedom than ever to tackle it how you want. The game’s storyline and characters also look like they’re going to be as well-written and oddly more endearing than ever. Put your other gaming priorities aside, and let Fallout 4 consume your life.
Well, this is it – probably the biggest gaming week of 2015. Any games you’re itching to get your hands on that I failed to mention? Hit the comments and let the world know.