DUBAI: From outlaw cowboys to secret agents via purple dragons, here are the videogame releases to get excited about in the rest of the year
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Developer: Treyarch
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Released: October 12
By the time you read this, “Black Ops 4” will likely already be flying off the shelves. The 15-year-old “COD” first-person-shooter series has consistently sold big — 2015’s “Black Ops 3” reportedly pulled in $550 million in its first three days — and this year’s release, set in the near future, will be no exception, even if Treyarch has dumped the popular offline campaign story mode in favor of a new ‘Battle Royale’ mode (a salute to the runaway success of “Fortnite”) with an ever-shrinking map. There are 10 specialist classes for players to choose from, and the popular ‘Zombies’ mode will also be returning.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Developer: Rockstar Studios
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One
Released: October 26
An epic open-world Western adventure with a nod to the huge popularity of TV series “Westworld,” Rockstar’s follow-up to the wildly successful original “RDR” (2010) is actually a prequel to that game, with our ‘hero,’ the outlaw Arthur Morgan, working for the villainous Dutch, leader of the notorious Van der Linde gang. Set in 1899, the game atmospherically explores the end of the Wild West age of the gunslinger, with the industrialized metropolis of Saint Denis interrupting your rides through the stunningly visualized wilderness. As before, the game’s honor system means the storyline changes based on how you choose to interact with other characters (whose intentions are often far from noble), but for many players the real joy will come in exploring the vast landscapes on offer, from snow-covered mountains to the alligator-infested swamps of the bayou.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Developer: Toys for Bob
Platforms: PS4, Xbox one
Released: November 13
Retro gaming is big business right now, both in terms of consoles and franchises. Sony has already enjoyed the revival of Crash Bandicoot, and now another character from the Nineties is reborn in this rebuild of the first three games in the Spyro series, which sees the titular purple dragon star in a gorgeous-looking, easy-to-pick-up but hard-to-put-down 3D-platformer. The visual tweaks — as you’d expect 20 years on — make the whole thing way more immersive, but previews suggest the developers have gone way beyond a simple graphic makeover — the dragons’ personalities are now distinctive and well-realized, and the whole game is full of character.
Fallout 76
Developer: Bethesda
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Released: November 14
The ninth game in the “Fallout” series is a prequel to it all. It’s also Bethesda’s first foray into online multiplayer gaming (you can play this sprawling shared-world survival game alone or with up to three companions). The in-game world — Appalachia — is, the studio claims, four times bigger than that of “Fallout 4.” Naturally, the game is set in the post-apocalyptic mid-last-century setting as the rest of the series, following the (nuclear) conclusion to the fictional Great War. This time round, though, you’ll be able to take on the mutated beasts of the wasteland and explore the available resources (including nuclear missiles) with some friends. Or not.
Just Cause 4
Developer: Avalanche Studios
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Released: December 4
Covert CIA operative Rico Rodriguez returns for another action-packed installment of the popular third-person action series “Just Cause.” This time around, though, Rodriguez isn’t just battling the bad guys. In the latest setting — the fictional South American state Solis — developers Avalanche have reportedly introduced a new enemy: the weather. Extreme events including hurricanes and giant twisters will make your firefights even more chaotic.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Developers: Bandai Namco & Sora
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Released: December 7
Dropping just in time for the holidays, this crossover fighting game will reportedly — in a licensing nightmare for Nintendo — include every single playable character from the series’ storied history. So, Pac-Man can now take on Pichu, as well as ever-presents constants like Mario and Link. Newcomers include Princess Daisy, Ridley from “Metroid,” and King K. Rool from “Donkey Kong.” Switch owners should prepare to lose several weeks of their lives to button-mashing combat over the New Year.
Hunt: Showdown
Developer: Crytek
Platforms: Xbox One, PC
Released: TBC
There’s a lot of people hoping Crytek meet their proposed 2018 release date for this online multiplayer first-person survival game. And with good reason. The footage so far released looks amazing, with a genuinely creepy, olde-worlde atmosphere, full of grime and ghouls. You (and a teammate) will hunt down otherworldly monsters in a dingy, swampy setting. Kill a boss, and you might reap the rewards. But the moment you vanquish your enemy, the map shows all the other players where you are, and then you become the hunted as they try to grab your bounty before you can escape. It’s a great idea — one that should make the game endlessly fun to play.
A Plague Tale: Innocence
Developer: Asobo Studio
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Released: TBC
This stealthy action-adventure centers on two orphans, Amica and her young brother Hugo, and their struggle to survive during the Hundred Years’ War between France and England. The player controls Amica, and you have to sneak around (or use your slingshot to take down) soldiers of the fanatical Inquisition. They’re not the main danger though. That’s the rats. Big rats. Really big. And supernatural. Big enough to eat a human in a few seconds. Fortunately, you can scare them off using light and fire. But they’ll be back.
