There’s a lot of sport stuff released this week. So I wont be equipped to make my usual witty jokes. All I can really do is give you facts. Woo facts.
NHL 16 is released on Thursday. That’s all I got on this one. It’s… Hockey? The series is in rocky territory following the widely panned release of NHL 15 last year, which was criticised for removing core features that had become staples of the franchise, a move which was all the more confusing since the game was tailored for next-gen consoles. As a result, NHL 16’s marketing has largely focused on what will be returning to the series, rather than on anything new that it offers. Of course there are all of the usual technical steps forward in terms of details, physics and dynamic animations. The game is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360.
Thursday also sees the release of Rugby League Live 3. I am almost utterly convinced that I covered this release only a couple of weeks ago, but my extensive googling has confirmed that this is indeed a different rugby game, and that I’ve not gone legally insane… yet. Unlike Rugby World Cup 2015 however, this one might not be as painful as undergoing serious dental surgery without the appropriate anesthetic. For one thing, there are actual details concerning the game online (always a reassuring bonus) and for another thing, it doesn’t look like it was made in 2002.
Oooo! Something that isn’t a sport game! I can talk about this one! What’s that? Racing you say? Oh. Well then… So Forza Motorsport 6 is released on Friday, for the Xbox One. One of the game’s new features is rain…. Which I thought was in most games now but what do I know. Apparently what distinguishes Forza’s rain effects is that they are not merely cosmetic. They can affect races by causing cars to skid, or even hydroplane if they encounter a puddle at too fast a speed. As well as this new mechanic, the game will feature tons of new cars, tracks and all the other goodness that I imagine racing fans demand from their sequels.
Rounding off the week is PES2016 (that’s Pro Evolution Soccer for those who don’t know). Essentially The Omen to FIFA’s The Exorcist, PES has beat its rival to stores by just one week. The good news is, the game has received lots of acclaim already, with critics hailing it as the best in the series since the PS2 era, with the physics, AI, new collision system and animations all being praised for their extremely high standard. Check in next week to see how well its competition fares.
