Certainly it’s been a great few weeks in gaming lately. New releases such as Battleborn, Doom and Uncharted 4 are in consoles everywhere. The Overwatch beta was so popular Blizzard added another day to satiate the gaming masses. Seems it’s a fine time to be firmly planted in front of your console of choice (If you’re a blatant fanboy, of course! You know who you are...) trying to save your solar system’s last star, relentlessly pursuing, shooting and dismembering the spawn of hell and traveling the world looking for a cool $400 million of treasure to save your brother from some seedy Panamanian drug kingpin. This week slows down somewhat with AAA titles but it turns around next week with the release of Overwatch so don’t fret. New releases this week include a visit to the far Northeast corner of the Wasteland, defending the motherland from the evil North Korean invaders and a remaster of a popular tactical role playing game.
Fallout 4: Far Harbor (DLC)
Release Date: May 19th, 2016
Platforms: PC, PS4, XB1
“Will you work towards bringing peace to Far Harbor, and at what cost?” Working with Valentine’s Detective Agency players set out to search the mysterious island of Far Harbor, Maine, where extreme levels of radiation have created a more feral world, for a young woman and a secret society of synths. Take care not to destroy the tenuous balance of peace that exists between the island’s three factions: the Synths, Children of Atom and local Townsfolk during your search. Far Harbor features new lethal creatures and dungeons, settlements and faction quests in addition to more powerful weaponry and armor. Bethesda’s biggest Fallout 4 DLC to date includes its largest DLC landmass ever and contains the most content since The Shivering Isles. Back to the Wasteland!
Homefront: The Revolution
Release Date: May 17th, 2016
Platform: PC, PS4, XB1
The sequel to Homefront is an open world first person shooter set in Philadelphia four years after the invasion of North Korean army. The city is now heavily oppressed and policed by the KPA. Players lead Ethan “Birdy” Brady as he helps lead the resistance to retake the city of brotherly love (funny because they boo Santa). Players must scavenge the environment to create and modify both equipment and weapons; using KPA weapons is not an option as they are fingerprint locked to their individual owner. In addition to resisting the rule of the KPA, players will be tasked with side missions including stealing KPA equipment and assassinating its leaders. Homefront: The Revolution will also feature a new four player co-op mode dubbed “Resistance” with its own characters, classes, perks and progression with difficulty slated to be similar to the renowned Dark Souls series.
htoL#NiQ: The Firefly Diary
Release Date: May 18th, 2016
Platform: PC
Yes, you read that title right! In this quirky Japanese game, players lead Hotaru, a firefly, as it guides Mion, a young girl suffering from anesthesia who awakens in the rubble of ruins surrounding her, upwards through the ruins to show her the outside world. Mion’s journey is fraught with fear as she passes distorted vegetation, unmanned machines and the bodies of dead children. In the “World of Light,” Hotaru’s movement guides both Mion’s movements and actions-helping her navigate the world’s various obstacles. In the “World of Shadow,” Hotaru operates as a “shadow firefly” with the ability to move and manipulate objects from behind the shadows. Hotaru must guide Mion through both world's various obstacles, traps and enemies. Mion cannot attack enemies herself; Hotaru, however, can manipulate the environment around them to destroy their foes.
Lastfight
Release Date: May 19th, 2016
Platform: PC
Lastfight, based on the French comic book Lastman, is billed as an indie 3D fighting and platform arcade game. It features a roster of 10 different characters and 8 different arenas. Each arena features its own unique boosts. Game features include a story mode, 1 vs.1, and 2 vs. 2.
Shadwen
Release Date: May 17th, 2016
Platform: PC
Shadwen is a stealth action game where you must stay hidden or risk being killed on sight. Players guide Shadwen on her quest to assassinate a king. During her travels she befriends Lily, an orphan. Now traveling with Lily by her side, Shadwen must decide how to handle the many ruthless guards she encounters: Does she risk Lily’s trust and resort to blatant violence? Or does she find other, more subtle means to dispatch her foes? Players can manipulate both their environment and time to do their bidding. Craft traps and hazards to catch and kill unsuspecting guards or use your grappling hook to make deaths look accidental by pulling, dragging or toppling environmental objects. Not happy with your killing method? Rewind time and try again!
Shadow of the Beast
Release Date: May 17th, 2016
Platform: PS4
Shadow of the Beast is a platform action game and considered a remake of the original game that launched in 1989 on the Commodore Amiga. Players control Aarbron, a monstrous monster servant created by magic when he was kidnapped as a child, as he wreaks havoc on his enemies. The game features both platform and action elements, brutal combat combos and quick time combat events and various forms of traps within its dungeons. Staying true to the original, Shadow of the Beast will retain parallax scrolling albeit in 3D. The game features the original game as an unlockable extra complete with an “infinite lives” mode to make it easier to play.
Time Machine VR
Release Date: May 19th, 2016
Platform: PC
Supporting both the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, Time Machine VR is an exploration adventure game. Humankind faces extinction from a devastating plague; the cure potentially residing in prehistoric DNA. Players travel through time to the Jurassic period to navigate the ancient ecosystem and, using the high tech tools at your disposal, track, probe and scan its dangerous inhabitants. Upload your data to the DinoDex to unlock the secrets that may save the human race!
Valkyria Chronicles Remastered
Release Date: May 17th, 2016
Platform: PS4
Valkyria Chronicles Remastered is a tactical role playing game originally released in 2008 for the PS3. Players control the Gallian Militia, tasked with defeating the East Europan Imperial Alliance after they invade Gallia for its vast reserves of raganite ore. The game features a turn based battle system called BLiTZ (Battle of Live Tactical Zones). In Command Mode, players view an overhead map of the battlefield and its units. Direct control of Gallian Militia units-such as movement and other unit actions-takes place in Action Mode. Target Mode freezes game action and provides players with control of character’s aim allowing for headshots and other battle related character maneuvers. Character classes include scouts, tank commanders, Shocktroopers (infantry) and Lancers (specialized soldiers such as snipers, engineers and anti-tank warfare).
