With just a few days to go, excitement for Microsoft's Xbox One is reaching fever pitch. With plenty of multimedia services, Blu-ray playback and DLNA support (something Sony's rival PS4 can't claim) you could spend hours with your new console before jumping into a game, but there's one critical question to keep in mind on launch day. Which games to you pick to play first?
We're starting with the big exclusive titles here, the ones that really divide the Xbox One from its PlayStation rival.
Dead Rising 3 - Xbox One Exclusive
Dead Rising was one of the more unique Xbox 360 launch titles, so it's fitting that a second sequel should arrive with that console's successor. The developers have dropped even more zombies than ever onto an unsuspecting town, which is completely free to explore with no loading times between areas.
Unfortunately the slowdowns, graphical fuzziness and controller lag (according to Eurogamer, anyway) aren't becoming of a next generation title, but if you're a fan of the first two games there's still plenty to like here.
BUY IT - if you're a fan of the series
Forza Motorsport 5 - Xbox One Exclusive
The PlayStation might have Gran Turismo, but the Xbox has Forza. With over 200 cars, excuisitely modelled both inside and out, and 14 circuits to race them on, the Xbox One has let developer Turn 10 truly bring out the beauty in racing, as it flashes by at 60fps in Full High Definition.
As much as we're looking forward to seeing it in action, we're more excited about the potential of Drivatar, the awkwardly-named feature that will upload your driving performance to the Xbox One cloud. It does much more than simply recording your fastest lap - it learns where you brake, how much force you apply and when you turn in, building a detailed profile of your racing style. It means your friends will be able to challenge a virtual you to a race, even if you aren't logged in to Xbox Live.
BUY IT - if you constantly feel the need for speed
Killer Instinct - Xbox One Exclusive
Resurrecting a fighting game series last seen on the Nintendo 64 might seem like an odd choice for an Xbox One launch title, but Killer Instinct is arguably an experiment for developers Double Helix Games. The game you get at launch will only have six characters, with two more added at a later date and another 8 coming as downloadable content.
There's no single player mode, and you don't even have to buy the game if you're happy to play as one character - the demo will have basically all the features of the paid-for game. However, it looks fantastic and the combo-heavy gameplay feels refreshingly different from many of the other fighting games out there today, so is definitely worth giving a try.
BUY IT - if you Hadouken in your sleep
Ryse: Son of Rome - Xbox One Exclusive
Crytek's first Xbox One game was criticised at E3 for its quick time events, but apparently the developers have dialled them down for the final version of Ryse. Son of Rome is a brutal and bloody hack and slash brawler set in the glory days of the roman empire, which borrows gameplay elements from several genres including God of War's melee combat and Total War-like control over your legionaries using Kinect voice commands.
BUY IT - if your name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North
Cross-platform titles
It's unsurprising, but still disappointing to see so many games launch simultaneously on current generation and next generation consoles, as apart from a few more fancy effects and a higher resolution, there's virtually no difference between the two. If you've played Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Call of Duty: Ghosts or Need for Speed: Rivals on another system, we don't recommend picking them up a second time for the Xbox One.
The one exception should be Battlefield 4, which supports 64 players per server - matching the PC and doubling the current console generation. We've yet to play the Xbox One iteration, but if it can match the PC in terms of frantic gameplay it will be our go-to FPS until Titanfall lands in 2014.
BUY THESE - if you haven't picked them up for PC or current-gen already
Kinect titles
Microsoft has so much faith in its Kinect motion camera that you can't buy an Xbox One without one, so there should be no surprise that there are a number of launch games that will take advantage of it. Just Dance 2014 will use the upgraded Kinect camera to better judge your performance when pulling off the series' signature dance moves, while Zumba Fitness: World Party and Xbox Fitness are designed to get you off the sofa and moving about.
Finally, Ubisoft's Fighter Within should hopefully fix the detection issues that plagued the Xbox 360's Fighters Uncaged, but we doubt it will build up the same following as Killer Instinct.
BUY THESE - if you actually want to get some use from your mandatory Kinect camera
Sports games
If you're a big fan of American sports, you're spoilt for choice when it comes to Xbox One launch games. For American football there's Madden NFL 25, and for basketball fans the choice of NBA 2K14 and NBA Live 14.
For everyone else, FIFA 14 understands that the correct type of football is round, and in no way shaped like a small rugby ball. All four have sharper graphics than their current generation counterparts, but these games thrive on their multiplayer modes and you're unlikely to have as much competition on Xbox One, at least for the few months following the launch.
Finally, to slow the pace down a little, Powerstar Golf will be available to download from the Xbox marketplace. It's essentially a mobile game, upscaled to 1080p resolutions, which demands in-app purchases for new players, courses or accessories.
BUY THESE - if the mere thought of actual physical exercise brings you out in a sweat
Xbox Live titles
Considering the Xbox Live Arcade introduced us to some of this generation's most memorable indie games, such as Limbo and Braid, the opening selection of Xbox One downloadable titles is disappointing indeed. The laughable LocoCycle is supposed to be a guilty pleasure, in the same way you can enjoy a bad movie, but early reviews are suggesting gamers stay away.
Crimson Dragon has fared a little better: billed as the spiritual successor to Panzer Dragoon, arguably one of the games people bought Sega's Saturn console just to play, it looks pin-sharp but there's only a limited selection of levels and the on-rails aspect means it gets repetitive quickly.
BUY THESE - if your budget won't stretch to a full retail game
Kid-friendly games
The Xbox 360 arguably dominated the first person shooter genre, but Microsoft hasn't ingored families with the Xbox One. Three kid-friendly titles are available at launch, with LEGO Marvel Super Heroes being our top pick.
It follows the pattern of previous lego games, letting several players take their pick of recognisable faces from the Marvel comic books to explore, build and generally save the day. Zoo Tycoon, previously only available on the PC, adds a new first person exploration mode that lets you walk around your zoo and interact with the animals, and Skylanders: Swap Force upgrades the graphics of its current-generation counterparts. Be careful with this one, though, as the accompanying toys can quickly dent your bank balance.
BUY THESE - if buying an Xbox One was merely a ruse to spend more time with your kids
Andoid Games
No comments:
Post a Comment