We're going to get a lot of people going to ask for sale dates and if X/Y/Z will go on sale or not... best to cut that at the nip in the
bud, assume the sale will start on the 18/19th of December, point them here if all else fails. A big thanks for all these amazing
reviews: BinaryPork2737, Kurt Russell, Dr Dogg, wetflame and Uzzy
Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) - BinaryPork2737
Never Alone, or Kisima Ingitchuna, is a puzzle platformer based on the folklore of the Iñupiaq people. The game revolves around a
girl named Nuna and a fox, two characters that you can either switch back and forth to or play with someone else in the local co-op
mode to solve different puzzles, and their journey to put an end to a blizzard that threatens the survival of the Iñupiaq. The
environments featured in the game range from the tundra to forests, and will pose natural threats to both characters.Heavily inspired
by Iñupiaq folklore, the game has been designed to pass on their culture to future generations (thanks to working directly with Iñupiaq
elders and storytellers), featuring numerous characters from the society's folklore as well as optional vignettes unlocked during the
course of the game that you can view to learn more. Even the game's art style is influenced by culture as it's drawn from Iñupiaq art,
providing a unique aesthetic quality to the game. Basically, if you want to learn about a cool culture and like playing video games, get it.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - Kurt Russell
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is the latest installment in the popular shooter series. This time, franchise holder Activision is taking
an unexpected risk by handing over the reins of this year's game to newcomer Sledgehammer Games, a new company helmed by
ex Dead Space 1 devs instead of the two known CoD studios (Infinity Ward and Treyarch)
As expected, since the devs are newcomers to the franchise, this year's game isn't a sequel to any of the previous Call of Duty
installments. Advanced Warfare is a near future shooter set in an universe where exosuits and advanced weaponry are common
issue equipment for mercenary units, and PMC's fight wars instead of regular armies.
New gameplay features are said exosuits, joined by high tech grenades, rifles, invisibility equipment, and hover bikes. Exosuits
have limited jetpacks, adding a vertical element to the tried and true Call of Duty formula, and bringing it closer to more frenetic twitch
shooters. Exosuits and future weaponry carry over to the multiplayer modes, but vehicles weren't confirmed, and going by the
franchise's past are unlikely to be included. Aside from the popular multiplayer modes, this year's offering also includes a digital
Kevin Spacey, playing the boss of the Atlas Corporation PMC, which is the player's contractor. Rounding up, this year's Call of Duty
offering seems poised to bring something new to the franchise, which is a welcome change. Let's hope that releasing a proper PC
version is part of that new approach.
Assassin's Creed: Unity - Dr Dogg
Another year, another Assassin's Creed entry. The setting this time is Paris during the events of the French Revolution. You play as
Arno Dorian, a native Frenchman from Versailles who has a bit of a complicated upbringing that has conflicting interests with both
sides. So without spoiling anything, things go awry, Arno feels guilt for the tragedies that happen and sets out on a quest for
redemption. Obviously this leads him to the Order of Assassin's (duh) where he rises through the ranks as the game progresses.
Slightly new to the story this time our protagonist has a prominent love interest as well as the who's who of historical characters
thrown in, The Marquis de Sade and Napoleon Bonaparte for starters.
Being a new Assassin's Creed game there's also a new toy to play with, this time the Phantom Blade, which pulls double duty as a
crossbow weapon of sorts and hidden blade. The parkour and combat mechanics have been reworked too supposedly switching up
encounters and traversal from previous games with some added mechanics to aid stealth like a dedicated crouch button (don't laugh).
Multiplayer has been jettisoned in favour of 4 player coop. The city of Paris has been recreated in detail with multiple building to
enter and created to larger and more accurate scale than past entries' play areas, combined with incredible large crowds. So far
everything is sounding great but the only worry I have is performance. Hopefully Unity scales well across a good range of hardware
but it's looking to be one to keep an eye on if you preferred the earlier titles.
Binding Of Isaac Rebirth - wetflame
Not quite a remake, not quite a sequel, but a bit of both - The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth takes the original Flash rogue-like 2d dungeon
crawler and expands it massively, giving it a 16-bit makeover, a whole new engine, and 150+ new items, 16+ new bosses, new levels,
layouts, and new playable characters on top of all the content from the original game. Take Isaac on a journey deep into his basement,
finding items which will change him in strange ways, gain new abilities, and take on all manner of unsightly creatures as you descend
further into the depths.
Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault - Uzzy
Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault, by Relic Entertainment, is a standalone, singleplayer expansion to the RTS, Company of
Heroes 2. Set on the Western Front of WW2, Ardennes Assault sees you take charge of the American Army during the winter of 1944,
playing through a series of 18 missions inspired by the Battle of the Bulge. Lead three different companies through a persistent
campaign, with veterancy levels and company strength all carrying over between missions, while smaller events occur that could have
beneficial or negative consequences.
So, Company of Heroes 2 came out last year to a rather mixed reception, with a singleplayer campaign that, controversy aside, didn't
do much different to the usual RTS campaign formula of a series of set piece battles, linked together through cutscenes to form an
overall narrative, with little incentive to ever play it again. Ardennes Assault, on the other hand, is doing something rather more
interesting. Rather than a straight re-creation of the Battle of the Bulge, the campaign is played across a map of Belgium, split into
different regions for your three different companies, Airborne, Mechanised and Support, to battle over with the Wehrmacht forces. It
reminds me of the Wargame singleplayer campaigns, in that you have real strategic choices to make on the campaign map that can
completely change the nature of the battles you're fighting. This should offer up a lot of variety over different campaigns, and hopefully
give you plenty of reasons to return again and again to the game.
Football Manager 2015 - Uzzy
Football Manager 2015, by Sports Interactive, is the latest version of the yearly management simulator. Set in the grimdark dystopia of
modern professional football, you play as the manager of one of thousands of football clubs, and try to lead them to glory, while dealing
with prima-donna players, training sessions, arrogant rival managers, irritating journalists who refuse to take 'no' for an answer, and the
board who demand last years success on a much tighter budget. New to this year's version is an improved UI that should hopefully put
far more useful information at your fingertips, and more manager customisation, as well as the usual set of upgrades and tweaks all over
the game.
Long recognised as the king of management simulators, Football Manager is not really a game. Rather, it's a dream simulator, where
you take your squad of lower league no hoper’s, with your iron will and grit and great management, to the heights of glory. It's a cruel
mistress, where a terrible refereeing decision robs you of victory, and half your team gets injured in the same match. It's the agony of
losing a cup final game to your hated rivals, and the ecstasy of scoring twice in injury time to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
It's the despair of relegation, and the joy of bouncing right back up, stronger than before. Football Manager will ruin your life, but when
your 17 year old wonderkid scores the winner in the Champions League final for your beloved Rotherham United, guided to the elite of
football after hundreds of hours of gameplay, you know it was worth it.
Valkyria Chronicles - Dr Dogg
Releasing on PS3 way back in 2008, Valkyria Chronicles is on it's way to PC with all 4 of the DLC packs too. Well better late than never.
Set in an alternate time where In 1935, the continent of Europa is dominated by two superpowers: The autocratic East Europan Imperial
Alliance in the east and a commonwealth of loosely allied democracies known as the Atlantic Federation in the west. The economies of
both powers depend on a precious multipurpose mineral called Ragnite. Its growing scarcity results in the Empire declaring war on the
Federation, sparking the Second Europan War. When Imperial forces launch an attack on the Gallian border town of Bruhl, Welkin
Gunther, is forced to fight for his life alongside the town watch captain, Alicia Melchiott. Together with Welkin's adopted sister Isara
and using Belgen's prototype tank from the first war, the Edelweiss, they escape to the capital city of Randgriz and join the Gallian
militia.
The key hooks for me with Valkyria Chronicles are in the artstyle and the gameplay. Styled to look like a watercolour painting in motion
with some creative use of filters and effects, Valkyria Chronicles looked gorgeous even on the PS3 but now with the much needed boost
in resolution it should really sing. The gameplay does take a lot from Strategy RPGs and also Turn Based Tactical games like XCOM
but really is quite unlike anything else. There are 5 infantry unit types covering different abilities plus you also have a tank at your
disposal. Using the environment to your advantage as well as managing the Command Points that allow you to make your actions are
key to success. You can use Command Points to issue actions to a unit but unlike other strategy games you can use them multiple
times just as long as you have the Points to spend.
You also have a great levelling system where instead of the individual recruits levelling up you level the class instead so everyone get's
boosted. Speaking of recruits the way they are handled is a really nice touch. All the recruits have a predefined name, a personality,
Potentials (the game's perks system), appearance and voice so I really felt a connection with my squad, more so than other such games.
There's also a R&D system that allows you to upgrade weapons, gear and even customise your tank. I could go on and on about Valkyria
Chronicles but if you're a fan of strategy or tactics based games you really should give this a look, you won't regret it.
