By Jaye Sonia
Of all the months, October is my favorite.
In the States, the trees are starting to turn and those cool nights all but demand a fire. In Kuwait, the weather is also cooling, bringing an end to those long, oppressive hot summer days. Of course, the cooling weather also demands we get outside, promising late night chats over coffee or tea with new friends (like Mo and Stephanie from Team DC)! Of course, October is also a big release month in the gaming world, and this year, it means lots of console goodness.
First – and this is a game near and dear to my heart – is the release of Battlefield 4. It’s slated to be out on October 29th (November 2nd in Europe), but the Beta version (open for premium members) should be available slightly before the full release. Like its predecessors, we’ll see an initial release on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. We should see BF4 available on the Xbox One and PS4 by the end of November. Unlike the previous versions (it’s the 13th installment in the Battlefield series), BF4 is slated to introduce a third playable faction – China. So, the dynamics of the multiplayer games are about to get very, very interesting. It’ll also feature a “commander mode” (originally appearing in Battlefield 2142), which should add another, complex dynamic to game play.
Personally, I’m super excited about BF4. It’s one of the games that really shines when you’ve got your friends online and in your squad. Unlike a number of the first-person shooters I’ve played in the past, the various battle roles people play in Battlefield can (and do) make a big difference. Of course, with PS4 and Xbox One on the horizon, BF4 players are likely to see a platform shift with some of their friends (I know my coworkers are already discussing various platform moves), so players may have to suffer through that painful “noob” learning phase that comes with finding a good server.
October also means Batman: Arkham Origins (and who doesn’t like Batman?!?!) for the PC, Xbox 360, PS3, and WiiU. The third installment in the series (which started in 2011), this game is essentially a prequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum (set five years before that game). It is also the first game in the series to feature a multiplayer feature – so you’ll be able to invite friends over to play!
If you’re a fan of Assassin’s Creed, the end of October (early November in Europe) also means a chance to play Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Like many good games, it’ll be available on most platforms (sadly, it’s a bit too much for your old Sega Genesis) and will feature one of the things I love most – pirates! Now while I’m no diehard Assassin’s Creed player, this game is already on my “must have list.” Why? Well, because while pirates should be enough to sell most games, the Assassin’s Creed franchise already features a role that is notoriously similar to that of the ninja (both are awesome, silent killers) and pitting any ninja against any pirate means one thing; ninjas vs. pirates.
Go ahead and think about it.
No, it’s perfectly fine. I’ll wait.
Essentially, the Assassin’s Creed series is tackling the age old Internet rivalry and you’ll be able to play through it firsthand, both above and below the waves. Personally, I don’t know if the folks over at Ubisoft are trolling gamers around the world (and even if they are, do we honestly care?), but if not, then this game should deliver in ways previously unimagined! I can only imagine how awesome jumping around Havana will be, or how immersive swinging from the top mast, sword in hand, will be! If it is anything like its previous editions, then we’re all in for a very big treat!
Of course, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag is the perfect introduction to November, which will unleash a wave of new games for both the PS4 and Xbox One – easily enough to keep all of us busy until 2014 sets in. So, while you may be hesitant to buy games for your current consoles, these three might just be worth doing so.
FIFA 2014, however, can wait.
