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 Retro Compilation
Mega Man Legacy Collection (PC & PS4, Aug. 25)
Ready for some classic mega buster-blasting action? Capcom finally acknowledges their once-mascot again with Mega Man Legacy Collection, a compilation of all six NES Mega Man games. That may not sound like a huge collection, but these games will be updated to actually look good on an HDTV screen and come with a ton of bonus content. A must-have for classic gaming nerds.
This Week’s Multiplayer Brawler
Runbow (Wii U, Aug. 27)
Runbow is a multiplayer brawler in the vein of Super Smash Bros., except in this game you also have to complete a side-scrolling platformer stage as you battle to the death. Oh, and all the platforms are color-coded and appear and disappear as the background color changes. So yeah, Runbow looks pretty frantic, but hey, frantic certainly isn’t a bad thing.
This Week’s Creepy Adventure Game
Fran Bow (PC, Mac & Linux, Aug. 27)
Ready to get creepy? Fran Bow is a classic-style adventure game about a mentally disturbed little girl who must escape the asylum she’s trapped in and solve the murder of her parents. Fran Bow has a great, children’s book-gone-wrong visual style, and looks like it’s going to deliver a lot of narrative gut punches. If you’re up for some feel-bad fun, give this one a try. Here’s the game’s Steam page.
This Week’s Sports Game
Madden NFL 16 (Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 & PS4, Aug. 25)
Welp, it’s that time of year again Madden fans. This year, Madden NFL 16 is promising revamped passing and throwing mechanics, a new mode called Draft Champions and all sorts of other stuff that people who like football will be totally into, I’m sure!
Pick of the Week
Until Dawn (PS4, Aug. 25)
Tired of horror games putting on airs? Well, you won’t have that issue with this game. Until Dawn is basically a cheesy ’80s slasher simulator, complete with all the clichés, spooky cabins and dumb teenagers you’d expect. That said, this virtual B-movie has some triple-A production values, and more depth than you might think. Basically every choice you make in Until Dawn matters and will determine how your virtual horror movie unfolds, and who will survive. Summer’s almost over, so get some dumb, scary fun in while you can.
This is it folks! The holiday gaming season is ramping up! Any games you’re itching to get your hands on that I failed to mention? Hit the comments and let the world know.