It’s terrifying to say this, but we’re actually heading into the big holiday season glut of video games. In August we get a few stragglers — Saints Row IV is this year’s rep — and by the time we hit September it’s all go. But, despite the bluster focusing on new console launches, are there really any games you guys and girls are looking forward to?
This year I can’t help but feel as though it’s all a little lacking, with developers focusing their muscle on next generation video games that won’t be coming out until 2014.
Watch Dogs in releasing this Christmas on PS3, 360 and PC — but I’ll be waiting for the next gen versions for that one. And outside of that the only big AAA title I’m salivating after is Grand Theft Auto V.
Sure I’ll love and play this year’s FIFA, and I’m looking forward to the new Splinter Cell, but nothing — except GTA V — is really making me excited.
What am I missing? Let me know in the comments below.
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37 responses to “Tell Us Dammit: Holiday Season”
Personally my games list is the following:
August – Saints Row IV
September – Grand Theft Auto V
October – Batman: Arkham Origins, Batman: Blackgate, & Pokemon Y
November – WWE 2K14
Catch Up Games: Project X Zone & Donkey Kong Country Returns
Next Gen Games: Madden 25, Infamous: Second Son & Watchdogs
Oh man, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze should be great too! Loved the camera changes in the e3 demo and also the prospect of Dixie Kong and a new playable character!
Looking forward to Arkham Origins too!
Really looking forward to Beyond: Two Souls.
Also Battlefield 4, although I can’t decide yet if I’ll get it on current gen or wait for next gen (I probably won’t upgrade until next year – definitely not a launch day buyer). The news that progress (and premium subscription) on current gen version will carry across to next gen does raise the possibility of getting both, though.
That makes the decision easier. I’m still paying for the same game twice but it’s Battlefield so I know I’ll get my money’s worth.
Yeah, that’s what I figure – I’ve got a few hundred hours out of BF3 (and still playing), so it’s still value for money even if I buy both current and next gen versions.
And I don’t want to wait until March or whatever to buy a PS4 and just start playing BF4 then, since everybody else will already have a big head start in terms of unlocks etc. This is why I really hate this modern trend of having to unlock weapons etc in online games – it makes it pretty much impossible to people to get into them if they don’t buy at launch because you end up getting crushed by people who have better equipment.
Yeah. I like the unlocks but there are some things that take way too long to unlock. Especially the vehicle unlocks in BF3.
The other concern is playerbase. I’m actually tempted to play PC to avoid the fractured console playerbase.
I just don’t see the point to starting with nothing and having to unlock stuff. It makes the game a lot less fun early on, and even less fun for people who start playing later and find themselves completely outgunned. And it’s not like you need the lure of unlocking stuff to keep playing. I played hundreds of hours of COD4, BFBC2 and BF3 long after I’d unlocked everything. I play them because they’re fun to play, not because I really want to unlock stuff. Did anybody stop playing these games because they felt their life was somehow unfulfilled because they weren’t unlocking new guns/attachments/perks etc?
I’m a completionist so I can easily be driven to enjoy a game more because of a random percentage bar. Makes me a little more ok with not having the top shelf gear at the start as long as the gap isn’t stupid.
Personally I prefer the challenge things in Modern Warfare 2. Unlock icons, title bars, dog tags, camo, that sort of thing. Maybe weapon accessories like grips and scopes. That way I can have fun doing that stuff but it doesn’t actually unbalance the game and nobody is really forced to participate.
I hate unlocks with a passion. I want to play the game in full from the start and have fun. I’m more likely to stick around with that then I am with the feeling that i’m outgunned by other people who have time to unlock more.
divekick
Beyond: Two Souls! Gone Home! Asylum! Rayman: Legends! Wind Waker HD!
Beyond: two souls – Yeah man… These guys are the only reason I bought a PS3 and I’m getting this game as soon as it comes out. I got to play it at E3 and while it was good, the demo i got to play focussed on one of the more action packed levels so it was more about combat than the story/decisions etc. QTE was also different and it was more situational.. if something is coming at you from the left, press right to avoid it.. that type of thing rather than true QTE.
I was told however that they had another demo that was more what you’d expect (which I really wanted to play) but didn’t get a chance to go back there.
Some games I’ll probably get
August – SR4, Splinter Cell, Rayman Legends, Wonderful 101
September – GTA 5
October – Wind Waker, Beyond Two Souls, Pokemon Y & X, Batman, Sonic Lost World, AC4, BF4
November – Watch Dogs PS4? Xbox One? COD Ghosts, Link betweeen worlds?
My list for this part of the year is (Pending some confirmations of release dates):
Rayman: Legends, Etrian Odyssey IV, Kingdom Hearts 1.5, Disgaea D2, Guided Fate Paradox, Witch and the Hundred Knights, Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus, Dragon’s Crown, Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW! and probably some others that I’ve overlooked.
Only looking forward to Rayman and Wonderful 101. I don’t know what else is coming up, but I guess there might be a couple to look forward to.
None of the “big name” games really seem to do much for me.
Pokémon I guess. More wary than excited about the schedule for the rest of the year.
ROME 2. Will you guys stop ignoring what will be the best strategy game in years
This.
Massively looking forward to this – only a couple of weeks away!
GTA V on the PS3 and Watch Dogs on PC for me, i might pick up Saints Row IV later but it’s definitely not a day one title for me.
But can GTA V be considered a holiday title considering that there is still 3 months to go until the holiday season starts?
Can any big November games (except Watch Dogs) not start with “another bloody”? 😉
Same. Its all GTA V (PS3) & WatchDogs (PC) for me.
Maybe BF4. Though I’m starting to dislike “never-ending’ games.
Well the campaign part of battlefields end… So I’m not sure what your alluding to? If there was an ending for the multiplayer part of the game, nobody would play it.
August
Disney Infinity
Splinter Cell: Blacklist
September
GTA V
October
Skylanders Swap Force
Beyond: Two Souls
Batman: Arkham Origins
Rocksmith 2014 Edition
November
Lego Marvel Super Heroes
A PS4 and a few games, probably
Watch Dogs and
Drive Club
Pokemon X & Y for me.
With a new gen on the horizon I am a little less interested in current multi-platform releases as it’s entirely possible they will be ported to the new generation.
I am counting down the days till Splinter Cell Blacklist, and GTA V will be day one purchase.
if the 360 version of Watch Dogs is decent ill get that at Xmas – not buying a new console till 2014 at least.
does anyone know when MGS V is coming?
mutha farking Zelda x2
Also GTAV, BF4, Beyond: Two Souls, and Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
Because we’re still in the dark on next gen console release dates, Watch Dogs is one of those games where I’m torn between getting it for the 360 if it comes out before the next gen is released, or waiting until they are released to play the game.
On the one hand it could mean playing the game sooner but at the cost of playing it on an “inferior” system.
It’s also one of the games (along with Assassin’s Creed IV) that might result in the purchase of two copies – one for each gen :/
Having said all that, I’ve got about 10 games preordered until the end of the year. Kicking off with Payday 2 today, followed by these in the coming weeks/months:
– Saints Row IV
– The Wonderful 101
– Kingdom Hearts HD
– GTAV
– Batman: Arkham Origins
– Assassin’s Creed IV
– Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD
– Watch Dogs
Beyond: Two Souls
MGS V
But I need to do something about my PS3’s lack of dual-layer reading ability, I don’t really want to pay PSN prices.
This Gen:
Splinter Cell Blacklist
Arkham Origins (pre-ordered, need dat statue)
Rayman Legends
GTA V
Next Gen:
Watch Dogs
Assassin’s Creed IV
Final Fantasy XV
I’m not 100% sure what games I will be grabbing prior to the Xbone coming out, which I have preordered for launch along with Watch_Dogs and Battlefield 4. I am tempted to wait and see if there’s a next-gen GTAV but I think I will just get it on 360 and rebuy it if it’s actually something I want to play long term. I am not sure about Saint’s Row 4. I will probably buy it but I might hold off a little because I was a bit underwhelmed with SR3 and while I love playing the game. And there’s other stuff coming out that I’m not even really aware of. I know the next month or two are very crowded but buggered if I know with what. I will probably miss a few games and honestly, as I get older and my backlog grows higher, I am kind of ok with that.
I think this year is one of the most craziest years for end of year gaming releases
Saints Row 4 (PS3)
Rayman Legends (PC)
GTAV (PS3)
Batman Arkham Origins (PC)
Batman Arkham Origins Blackgate (3DS – assuming it doesn’t suck.)
Zelda Wind Waker HD (WiiU)
Mario 3D World (WiiU)
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze (WiiU)
Zelda Link Between Worlds (3DS)
Then we get into the PS4 where I’ll buy Watch Dogs.
To stop my wallet from dying at the end of the year like it normally does, I have taken the precaution of getting in early with some stuff using discount coupon codes.
In no particular order
GTA 5
NHL 14
Killzone Mercenary
Tearaway
Rome 2
Rayman Legends
DK tropical Freeze
Super Mario 3d World U
Puppeteer
Sonic Lost Worlds
PS4 with a few games (watch dogs, killzone etc)
Also, I don’t know if I should get GTA 5 on 360 or PS3. Any thoughts?
Still only interested in Stick of Truth.
And Carmageddon: Reincarnation.
I’m feeling the same actually. Not really digging the AAA stuff at the moment. Still on the fence on new consoles too – there’s very few exclusives at launch for either of them that are hugely convincing, and the stuff I’d end up buying is multi-platform and available on PC, so should I spend that money on a new console or just upgrade my current PC?
“This gen”:
GTAV, Batman: AO, Beyond: Two Souls, Stick of Truth (if it ever gets released), and (maybe) Splinter Cell.
PS4:
AC: Black Flag and Watch_Dogs (coulda sworn I’d read it was delayed until ~April for the PS4 version, so was going to go PC for this one, but Google results suggest it’s a launch title)…
Six games in three months… yea, this year is somewhat empty. Last year I had one game every two weeks for four months straight…
Keen as a bean for those new Pokemans and GTA V. Trying to put off buying mutliplatform titles like Watchdogs, COD: Ghosts, NBA2K14 till PS4 is out.
Probably going to grab Batman and maybe Assassins IV on 360
GTA V, Rocksmith, Watch Dogs, Saints Row IV, Batman Arkham Origins, probably something else.
GTA V (obviously)
Rome 2
Payday 2
Any of the games that will be coming out on next gen (Watchdogs, BF4 etc, Batman Arkham Origin), I’ll be getting next gen.
Saints Row IV Non Aus Version
GTA V (definitely)
Watch dogs
I might pick up sr4 when it goes on sale. And I might also pick up bf4.