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, let’s get to it…
This Week’s Music Game
Rock Band 4 (Xbox One & PS4, Oct. 6)
That’s right, it’s time to fish your plastic instruments out of the basement, because Rock Band is back, baby! This time around, Rock Band is offering a players a deeper, more RPG-like career mode and more freedom to perform songs how you want (you can even play freestyle guitar solos). It’s been a while, but Rock Band 4 looks like a solid evolution of the franchise.
This Week’s Compilation
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection (PS4, Oct. 9)
I usually don’t include compilations in Five Games, but Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is more than just a handful of old games dumped on a disc. All three of the games (Drake’s Fortune, Among Thieves and Drake’s Deception) have been remade and remastered pretty extensively to bring them up to date in terms of both design and graphics. If you’ve missed out on the Uncharted series, this is a great, economical way to get up to speed before Uncharted 4 comes out early next year.
This Week’s Quirky Platformer
Chibi-Robo! Zip-Lash (3DS, Oct. 9)
For those not familiar with Chibi-Robo, he’s a tiny adorable robot who cleans up your house when you’re sleeping by using his head like a garbage can. His original Gamecube game was a cult classic, but he hasn’t really caught on since. His latest, and possibly final, adventure is Chibi-Robo! Zip-Lash, a platformer in which the little guy uses his power chord to maneuver around stages. Nintendo has said this may be the last Chibi-Robo game if it’s not a success, so come on folks, give an adorable robot a chance.
This Week’s Expansion
Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide (PC, Mac & Linux, Oct. 9)
Get ready for a whole new chapter in Firaxis’ space strategy game Civilization: Beyond Earth. The new expansion Rising Tide allows you to found floating cities and exploit your alien planet’s ocean, and promises to greatly improve the diplomatic aspects of Civilization: Beyond Earth. Get ready to get addicted all over again.
Pick of the Week
Transformers: Devastation (PC, Xbox One & PS4, Oct. 6)
Fed up with the Michael Bay Transformers movies? Wish the series would go back to its roots? Well, that’s exactly what’s happening in Transformers: Devastation, a new adventure set in the Generation 1 Transformers universe. Oh, and Transformers: Devastation is developed by Platinum Games (the guys behind Bayonetta) so even if you take away the nostalgia factor, this should be a pretty badass action game in its own right.
A solid little week. Any games you’re itching to get your hands on that I failed to mention? Hit the comments and let the world know.