So here we go, hold on tight. Sunset Overdrive, out this week marks the end of October and as we go into November games will come thick and fast. Owners of a PS4 might very well be jealous of the XBOX One exclusive Sunset Overdrive which looks fantastic, especially considering the disappointing launch of the recent PS4 exclusive Driveclub. Make some friends with owners of Microsoft’s next-gen system and I’m sure they will let you play it. As per usual, our writers have picked out some news from the past week that has caught their eye. Then go play some games, game like you have never gamed before.
Weekly news:
Steam removes game after developer tweets death threats
After Paranautical Activity was mistakenly listed as Early Access when it was released on Steam, one of its developers Mike Maulbeck posted a series of tweets condemning Valve and its Steam service, finally directing death threats towards Gabe Newell. Valve responded by removing the game from Steam, preventing further sales, and ending its relations with Maulbeck and his studio Code Avarice. Maulbeck has since left Code Avarice, and the studio are attempting to have the game restored on Steam, however Valve are unlikely to reverse the decision.
GTA: San Andreas confirmed for Xbox 360 upgrade
After a list of achievements were leaked online last week, Rockstar have confirmed an upgraded version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will be released on Xbox 360 soon. Although the original version has been available as part of the Xbox Originals collection for some time, the new release will replace the old version and will have upgraded visuals and achievement support. There is no news of this new version coming to any other console.
The Unfinished Swan coming to PS4 and Vita next week
Originally released on PS3 in October 2012, The Unfinished Swan will hit Playstation 4 and Vita next week. It will be priced at £9.99 but will be cross-buy, so any player who owned the game on Playstation 3 will get the new versions for free. The Unfinished Swan is an ‘indie’ game that follows a fairytale story of a boy chasing a swan through a colourless, unfinished kingdom. Its initial release was met with huge critical acclaim and the Playstation 4 version has been upgraded to 1080p.
PS4 update 2.0 release date announced
After announcing in recent weeks that the PS4 could soon expect the long awaited 2.0 software update, Sony has finally announced that the update will be available to PS4 owners from 28th October (next week!). Featuring the highly anticipated Share Play as well as custom themes and the ability to play music from a USB disk whilst playing games, this update comes at a good time before all the major November releases.
Last Week’s Releases (20/10/14):
Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth: 24/10/14
As the first Civilization game is set in the future, the latest addition to the franchise from Firaxis brings a variety of new gameplay elements into a setting familiar to Civilization 5 allowing greater freedom and customisation in gameplay than ever before. Lead your colonists from Earth to explore new worlds, and choose how you respond to others trying to do the same. With beautiful new terrain, a non-linear technology tree, and reactive alien AI system, you can expect hours of diverse gameplay ahead.
Bayonetta 2: 24/10/14
Amongst the Wii U’s increasingly sparse release calendar, there emerges a shining light: a sequel to 2009’s Bayonetta. This is an arcade combat game that is extremely popular in Japan where it was developed. Fans of gameplay, where combos and special moves are core, will be sure to love this game. Bayonetta 2 has already been out for over a month in Japan and has received extremely positive reviews across the board. Owners of a Wii U may want to pick up this game as an addition to their library.
Just Dance 2015: 24/10/14
Likely appealing more to casual gamers due to its easily accessible gameplay, the Just Dance series returns for another outing. Featuring new songs from the last year, including artists such as Maroon 5, Calvin Harris and Pharrell Williams, Just Dance 2015 also incorporates a ‘Community Remix’ mode whereby players can optionally submit recordings of themselves dancing to Ubisoft which other players can then dance along to when playing the game. Just Dance 2015 is the first of the series to be released on next-gen systems and is sure to continue the success already achieved.
Games released this week:
Lords of the Fallen: 31/10/14
Lords of the Fallen is another game around this busy period that has somewhat slipped under the radar. This is not to say it will not be a good game however! A fantasy game with RPG elements, this will appeal to fans of the Dark Souls series and is likely to occupy a huge amount of your time in your quest to progress through the ranks. This game is only available on PS4 and XBOX One.
Sunset Overdrive: 31/10/14
I recently got the chance to play a demo of this game at a special event at GAME and it was such good fun – it is a potential system seller, only being available on XBOX One. With amazingly cool graphics and a cartoon art style, Sunset Overdrive is an open-world shooter set in a fictional Sunset City. With advertisements for it seemingly playing back to back on television at the moment, Microsoft clearly want to hype this game up. It remains to be seen how successful this new IP will be, but my prediction is that it will be one of the best this year. A must-have if you own an XBOX One.
Also out this week: NBA LIVE 15 (31/10/14), WWE 2K15 (31/10/14)
