Mouthwatering releases to sink your teeth into before Thanksgiving
Gaming is a lot like cheese. No, really. It’s all about the experience of the various flavors from around the world. Some games age very well and other games are downright rank and are better left in a dark cellar to putrefy in obscurity.
With a global market to produce a newer bigger and better cheese, er, game, it’s no wonder gamers like me start to develop flavor deficit issues from an overwhelmed palate.
Often times I ask myself if this new game really does taste like best first person shooter of the year or is it just another slab of expensive cheese-like flavored deli blanket?
I’m happy to report these games are all Gouda.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
The Wolfenstein franchise has a special place in my heart next to the buildup of cholesterol and distinct murmur. Wolfenstein 3D was my gateway drug into heavy game use. It is and will always be the design platform from which all FPS games owe their existence from Quake to Halo all have some of granddaddy Wolfenstein in their ersatz veins.
Though the franchise has seen some revisions over the years the greatest of these has to be Wolfenstein: The New Order. With the chiseled war hero B.J. Blazkowicz awaking from a coma to a world totally dominated by the evil Nazi Empire. The violence is over the top and the one liners are extra cheesy and fun.
Wolfenstein II capitalizes on everything that Bethesda brings to the table with its foray into shooters. Though they did toy with level design to offer some sneak-a-kill segments the best part is the eye bleeding insanity of pulse pounding gunfights reminiscent of 2016 Doom.
Oh baby, slaying Nazis and white sheeted ghost boys with a triple barreled shotgun never felt so good! It has a cool story mixed with sweet explody mayhem and a ridiculous arsenal that would make James Bond jealous. It’s Nazis wrecking at its finest and pairs nicely with Yuengling and dry fruit loops because who has the time to buy milk when overthrowing the Nazi empire?
Assassin's Creed: Origins
Now I’m going to be honest I only liked the first Assassin’s Creed and loved Assassin’s Creed II but hated almost all the other sequels and iterations. Ubisoft Montreal has a bad habit of stuffing too much cheddar into one bird with just about every successful or moderately successful franchise. Though I wouldn’t consider myself an AC fanboy in any measure, I have to admit that I maybe onboard the Creed wagon now. Placing the story of the first assassin Bayek in the middle of one of the most exciting and mystically tantalizing periods of human history is a fine choice.
Also allowing you to actually explore by means of wandering around and sending Bayek’s death chicken to scout ahead ups the immersion factor. Busy market places, roaring gladiatorial arenas, and fine voice acting give the feeling like playing a movie destined for the Academy awards instead of a game.
AC:O does feel like a grind when gathering raw materials to build your kit to unleash death wherever you may go, but it doesn’t break the grandiose experience of hopping around ancient Egypt and taking in the sights of a beautifully designed world with seamless parkour skills.
Another tasty treat to AC:O is the newish roleplaying feature that keeps you engaged as you level up and sort through loot to gear up for the next mission. I always felt the franchise needed to be heavier on the roleplay, so this is a nice addition.
AC:O combat mechanics borrows a lot from Ubisoft’s For Honor in that fighting in this game is no longer a button spamming parry fest like before. Instead the combat is heavy and visceral forcing you to combine tactics and timing to render body crushing blows making each fight an absolute thrill to get into and dominate or be dominated.
AC:O is one of the finest installments to the franchise and for those who long for open world exploration and brutal combat this game has all the flavors and more. Just so you know epic Pyramid surfing pairs nicely with cold coffee and overcooked top Ramen.
We’re hurdling towards the season of deflating finances and expanding waistlines and though I feel the powerhouse triple A releases came early this year it’s nice to have something good to fire up the taste buds before they are ultimately ruined with pumpkin spice and mail order fruitcakes before the New Year.
When not vaporizing zombies or leading space marines as a mousepad Mattis, Brandon Watson is making gourmet pancakes and promoting local artists.