This next week in video gaming is building up to some big launches. HNGN's bringing you its editors' picks for games to be on the lookout for, come November 2014 Week 2:
- "Assassin's Creed: Rogue" & "Assassin's Creed: Unity"
As with any video game in the "Assassin's Creed" series, "Rogue" and "Unity" are no exceptions to the rule that they are going to be worth a try for any third person open world lover. Both the seventh and the eighth installments of the critically acclaimed historical action-adventure game promise to bring excitement to players brave enough to pick up a controller, starting Tuesday, Nov. 11.
"Unity" succeeds "Black Flag" on the Playstation 4, Xbox One and (Windows) PC systems. Set during the French Revolution, players take control of Arno Dorian, navigating the game's battlefields with improved stealth and combat systems. There's a new Phantom Blade weapon system for taking down opponents silently from a distance. Another good aspect of the game is the customization options, allowing players to assign points they acquire during gameplay to change the character's stats, weapons, armor and equipment. The cooperative multiplayer is also sure to grab players' attention.
"Rogue" takes the player deep into the Seven Years' War, following disillusioned Brotherhood recruit Shay Patrick Cormac into an intense mixture of ship- and land-based combat as you hunt down the ones you once called brothers. Unlike in "Black Flag," your ship can access rivers without running aground, so you can still pound your opponents in the comfort of your "home sweet ship." This time, however, there are no diving missions, due to the frigid nature of the Altantic waters (anyone seen "Titatnic?"). New weapons include an air rifle for silent killing from afar with multiple different kinds of projectiles, as well as a grenade launcher for fragmentation blasts. "Assassin's Creed: Rogue" sets sails and comes ashore on Tuesday, Nov. 11, for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
- "Digimon All-Star Rumble"
Set in a peaceful time, a large tournament, the "Digimon Evolution Tournament" has been organized in the name of gaining experience and determining the strongest Digimon of all. Players will find during play, however, that there's an ulterior motive to this event that may just influence the game plot considerably.
The game will feature 12 base Digimon, with a total of 32 distinct forms (although some evolved forms are non-canon), digivolved and super forms included, from previous games and anime seasons, with English dub voice acting.
"Digimon All-Star Rumble" releases on Tuesday, Nov. 11, on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
- "Halo: The Master Chief Collection"
The classic first-person shooter returns in all its remastered glory in the form of a compilation collection, featuring "Halo: Combat Evolved," "Halo 2: Anniversary," "Halo 3" and "Halo 4." The multiplayer modes are included, complete with all of their add-on content, in addition to access to "Halo: Nightfall" and "Halo 5: Guardians" multiplayer beta. You can gear up for the release of Halo 5 with exclusive content from the collection that will carry over to the yet-to-be-released sequel (due in Fall 2015).
The games have all received graphical upgrades, especially "Halo 2." There will also be a Mission Setlists mode, allowing the player to create custom mission sets from across the 4 games in the collection. The game's launch will come with 400 achievements, an additional 50 becoming available with the Day One update.
Pre-order it today for the Xbox One! The "Master Chief Collection" blasts in on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
- "Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham"
Brainiac is at it again, this time using the powers of the Lantern Corps' rings to shrink down the planets for his "collection." Batman is going to need all the help he can get from Justice League to stop him from dominating the entire universe by traveling to different Lantern worlds and collecting the rings.
Between in-game characters, including heroes and villains, and DLC characters, the game will feature more than 150 playable characters for players to use on their mission to stop Brainiac. Whew, that's a bunch! With its unique storyline, surprising plot twists and iconic settings "Lego Batman 3" is a must-have for any Batman, Lego and/or DC Comics fan.
Pre-order it now for the Xbox One, Xbox 360, Playstation 4, Playstation 3, WiiU, 3DS, Playstation Vita and/or PC, before your opportunity starts to shrink!
- "Senran Kagura: Bon Appetit!"
The ninja girls gear up for a battle, and this time, unlike previous beat 'em up titles the franchise is known for, it's a cooking contest.
"Bon Appetit" is a rhythm-type cooking game featuring the (very) buxom young lady shinobi from the "Senran Kagura" series. The goal of the game is to win the cooking tournament and win a Secret Ninja Art Scroll that will grant the winner one wish.
Tap the buttons along with the music; the better the combos, the better the dish. Beat all 10 levels to win, and every other level reveals secrets about the player's character's story, which creates quite a bit of intrigue and provides a curiosity factor.
"Senran Kagura: Bon Appetit!" comes to the Playstation Vita Tuesday, Nov. 11.
- "Shape Up!"
An Xbox One-exclusive fitness game utilizing the Kinect, "Shape Up!" combines different exercise methods with some very ... interesting workouts. Some examples include doing pushups with an elephant on your back and punching asteroids. Fantastic, no? All to make the game more fun, and when working out is fun, better results will follow.
Whether it's for a quick fix or a serious workout, "Shape Up!" will put you on the road to fitness and make it fun.
- "World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor"
The upcoming fifth expansion to the MMORPG "World of Warcraft" raises a lot more than just the level of play! The sequel expansion to "Mists of Pandaria" takes the player to an alternate universe, set in a time period before the rise of the Horde.
The new expansion allows the player to level their character up even further, now to level 100, due to the raising of the level cap from level 90. The player character models can also be upgraded. There will also be ungradeable garrisons the player can build. The game brings seven new dungeons to the party, with new bosses, challenge modes, permanent abilty bonuses and more, according to the game's official website.
This isn't all that's due out in the coming week - it's just about half the gaming fun due for release - so be on the lookout for new stuff in the coming days. Call your local video game retailer and ask about the newest games to hit the streets.
Check back next week for another batch of HNGN's picks for upcoming gaming releases.
