I just got home from a stop at Best Buy to use a My Best Buy certificate to buy a PlayStation Plus membership renewal to stave off the PS+ price increase coming soon. So I thought I would use this day off from comics reviews to take a look at video games I’m looking forward to in the next few months.
I don’t really devote a whole lot of time to video games. My PS4 is used mostly as a streaming media service and Blu-Ray player and my Wii U… just kind of sits there collecting dust, unless my wife wants to play Wii Sports Resort. Seriously, she loves that game. She’s all about Frisbee Dog.
But when there’s something I want to play, I’ll find the time to play – which usually means dishes don’t get cleaned and floors don’t get swept. Oh well. Through the end of the year, I hope to spend some time playing some of these new releases.
Out Now
Batman: The Telltale Series
Telltale Games have so far adapted The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones and Fables to their unique style of episodic gaming, creating amazing experiences in these fictional fantasy worlds. Their latest endeavor takes gamers to Gotham City to help Batman out with his detective work. The first episode is out now, though I haven’t played it yet, and the second of five episodes is set to release later this month. Once all five episodes are out, I’m sure I’ll dedicate some time to the story, which features the Falcone crime family.
Available for: PS4, PS3, XB360, XB1, Mac, Windows, Android
October
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Apparently, there’s a Change.org petition out, with fans calling for the game’s cancellation because the game seems to run counter to what they want out of a Paper Mario game. Which is silly, but that seems to be the norm for the online video game community. I’m just a casual geek, I don’t understand the hate. Paper Mario games have given me tons of enjoyment over the various systems and Nintendo has enough goodwill with me that I’ll pick this up and give it a shot.
Available on Oct. 7 for: Wii U
WWE 2K17
I usually go every other year for these annual releases, but the roster additions for WWE 2K17 almost make it worth it for me to pick up the new addition. Lots of great new NXT talent will be available along with the usual roster of legends and current superstars. They sucked me in with American Alpha, The Revival, Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles.
Available on Oct. 11 for PS3, PS4, Windows, XB360 and XB1
Batman: Return to Arkham
Collecting the two previous-generation Arkham games – Arkham Asylum and Arkham City – and updated for the current generation of systems, I definitely plan on reliving the amazing Batman games I played on my PS3 when this gets released, with all DLC and added content. Of course, finishing these games will lead to another round of the last game in the series, Arkham Knight. A lot of Batman to play this quarter.
Available on Oct. 21 for PS4 and XB1
Civilization VI
I did this list chronologically, but if I went with either A) Order of Importance To Me or B) How Much Time I’ll Spend Playing, Civ VI would be at the top of both lists. I have picked up every Civ game since Civilization II, which I played on my Mac PowerBook in college, and the new game will be no different. Hell, I plan on wiping my older PC laptop so that there’s nothing but Civ VI on it so the game will hopefully run nice and smooth on it. It’s Civ. Either you get the appeal or you you’ll just never understand why people care so much, but I am definitely all about playing one more turn.
Available on Oct. 21 for Windows
November
Final Fantasy XV
It’s been a very long time since I genuinely enjoyed a new Final Fantasy experience, probably dating back to Final Fantasy X and X-2, just about 15 years ago. Call me an optimist, but I’m hoping FFXV brings Square Enix’s main franchise back on track. So far, things look fun. And the game has been in development for 10 years, so hopefully all the kinks will be worked out and we’ll have a new classic on our hands with the new story. Until then, I have the remastered FFX/X-2 on my PS4 and Final Fantasy VII and IX on my iPad to tide me over…
Available on Nov. 29 for PS4 and XB1
“Before Christmas”
Super Mario Run
A Mario game for my iPhone and iPad? Sign me up. It’ll be a good companion to the Sonic the Hedgehog runner I have. Seriously, I think I was more excited for this announcement at the most recent Apple event than I was for the new iPhone. Hopefully we will soon get a new Farmville game based in Legend of Zelda’s Hyrule. That could be fun. There’s no set release date for this yet, but whenever it gets released, I’m expecting to look around on the subway and see just as many people playing it as I saw people walking around trying to snag Pokemon when Pokemon Go came out.
Alright, that’s it for the my for the fourth quarter of 2016. Sure, there are other games coming out for the upcoming holiday season, but these are the ones I’m excited about and adding to my Amazon Wishlist. Reviews, I’m sure, will be forthcoming as soon as I sit down with some of these games.