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 Stealthy Platformer
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India (PC, Xbox One & PS4, Jan. 12)
Want to play some Assassin’s Creed, but aren’t up to facing another huge open world adventure? Well, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India might be the bite-sized bit of neck stabbing you’re looking for. A 2D platformer with stealth elements, the game takes place in India in 1841 against the background of the Sikh Empire’s war with the East India Company. Sounds like an interesting unexplored slice of history.
This Week’s Pinball Game
Star Wars Pinball: The Force Awakens Pack (PC, Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 & PS4, Jan. 12)
There may not be a true Star Wars: The Force Awakens video game yet, but you will be able to play some pretty cool Episode VII-themed pinball tables this week. The tables, one Force-themed and one based on The Dark Side will be available as DLC for Pinball FX 2 on the PC and Xbox platforms, and Zen Pinball 2 for PS3 and PS4 (they’re basically the same game with different names).
This Week’s Dice-Rolling Survival Game
Tharsis (PC, Mac & PS4, Jan. 12)
Tharsis is a strategy game in which you try to get your crew to Mars after your spacecraft is crippled by a meteor. That would be a fine concept on its own, but Tharsis also adds an interesting random element to the mix as you’ll have to roll dice to determine whether your decisions and hairbrained schemes will work out. Will you end up a heroic space explorer, or will you have to resort to space cannibalism? Roll to find out.
This Week’s Emotional Roller Coaster
That Dragon, Cancer (PC & Mac, Jan. 12)
Want to kick 2016 out on an emotionally devastating note? That Dragon, Cancer is based on the experiences of Ryan and Amy Green, whose son Joel was diagnosed with terminal cancer at 12 months. Despite being given a very short time to live, Joel survived until he was four years old. That Dragon, Cancer has you play through various impressionistic scenes based on Joel’s short life, in which you’ll have to make various important, wrenching choices. That Dragon, Cancer may be too raw for most gamers to tackle, but it looks like a beautiful, heartfelt experience. Here’s the game’s Steam page.
Pick of the Week
Oxenfree (PC & Xbox One, Jan. 15)
Created by Night School Studio, a new developer founded by former Disney and Telltale folks, Oxenfree is about a bunch of high school kids who get together for a beach party, but end up stumbling on an unsettling supernatural mystery. The game puts a lot of emphasis on dialogue and moral choices, but it seeks to provide more freedom than, say, Telltale’s games. In Oxenfree, no conversation is essential and you’ll never find yourself in non-interactive movie-like cutscenes. Oxenfree may very well be the next big thing in indie adventure games.
Good to be back! Any games you’re itching to get your hands on that I failed to mention? Hit the comments and let the world know.