Welcome to the November edition of Team Picks!
Team Picks is Press-Start Australia’s monthly feature where members of the team get together to tell you about their most anticipated games of the upcoming month.
Why not join in? Let us know what you’re most looking forward to in the comments, or better yet, what you plan on picking up from this busy month….
Star Wars: Battlefront – *sigh* Did I really choose Battlefront? Surely I meant to pick Fallout 4? No… I am slightly more excited for Battlefront.
Maybe it’s just the Star Wars factor, but there’s something to be said about the immediacy too; I know I’m gonna pick this game up and immediately enjoy myself.
Perhaps Fallout 4 will be the same, but I’m less sure of it. Fallout will require me to be in the right head space, but I know that straight away, I’m gonna love tearing Sith up in Battlefront!
Deadpool (Remastered) – Lets face it this new remake of Deadpool is nothing short of a cash snatch clinging on to the hype of the soon to be released film (which looks awesome).
The original game itself I found to be awfully repetitive combat and gameplay wise but the humour and voice acting is second to none.
The humour of Deadpool has always been unmatched and as the hype does build for the film I keep getting eager and eager to play the game again. Damn Marvel/Activision marketing!
Star Wars: Battlefront – I’m just all kinds of excited for this game on so many levels! For one, it’s Star Wars…enough said. But I have such great memories of battling droids and stormtroopers, gunning down foes as a wookie and jumping around the battlefield as Yoda in the battlefront games that have come before; I’m so excited to get back into it.
I’ve been cautious about getting too excited for it just in case, but after playing the beta my confidence in what should be the biggest game of the year has definitely been cemented. The biggest thing that grabbed me was the soundtrack and sound effects! You get so accustom to playing FPS’s that have this grungy, driving music in the background, but Battlefront just brings the beauty of John Williams straight into my ear holes. The gun sounds, AI speech, tie fighters overhead just put you straight into the world which I love so much.
Cannot wait to see more game modes and experience the awesomeness in full!
Rise of the Tomb Raider – I know this might sound quite out there to say but I never really enjoyed Fallout 3 or Fallout: New Vegas so my hype for Fallout is nearly non-existant. Star Wars: Battlefront will be fantastic, based on what I’ve played, but it’s not got a strong single player element that I find myself craving since last month’s biggest game for me – Halo 5.
I really enjoyed completing 2013’s Tomb Raider reboot from beginning to end, collecting everything along the way. Crystal Dynamics did a fantastic job at reinventing Lara and what it means to be a Tomb Raider. Now that Lara is especially battle hardened since her escapades on Yamatai Island, I’m keen to see where the team takes her both narratively speaking and in terms of gameplay. Rise of the Tomb Raider should hopefully be a fresh yet familiar experience.
Fallout 4 – It’s time. After years waiting for confirmation; months waiting for Bethesda to finish developing the game, Fallout 4 is finally here. I’m so excited to get back into exploring the virtual nuclear wasteland that I’m preparing to drop everything come it’s release on the 10th of November.
The S.P.E.C.I.A.L videos have been consistently sustaining the hype for me, and while I’m usually not a fan of publishers overhyping their games before release, I’m making an exception for Fallout 4 because I truly believe it’ll meet the hype it’s been given.
Rise of the Tomb Raider – Tomb Raider was one of my favourite games of the last generation. It replicated so many aspects of what the Uncharted franchise had done but took it to another level. It told a great story and provided incredible gameplay without even feeling repetitive. Rise of the Tomb Raider seems to take it to another level again which much more open areas and even further improved combat. 
Fallout 4 – The hype for this is legendary. Will Bethesda finally deliver on what they’ve been promising for years now? A real, living breathing world in which to explore and build your character? Probably not, but expect one of the strongest RPG’s this year. With open world games delivering on all fronts this year (Witcher 3 to MGS V) there’s a lot that Bethesda need to do to keep their crown of open world kings.
Nevertheless I can only expect greatness from them. Hopefully we see way more voice actor variety and a tonne of meaningful side content, not to mention a decent main quest, something that Bethesda haven’t achieved in years. Hopes are high, let’s see if they live up to them.
Fallout 4 – I’m going to be totally honest with you; I’ve never properly engrossed myself in a Fallout game. I’ve played and watched passively, especially with Fallout 3, but I’ve never actively gone out and bought it to play it. Total travesty, right?
Well it’s time to redeem myself for my sins. Fallout 4 is shaping up to be one of, if not THE biggest release of the year (with Battlefront hot on its heels) and I think it’s time for me to say I’m ready. Bethesda has had a long time to work on this one, and after the enormity that was Skyrim, expect to see even more out of Fallout 4.
Star Wars: Battlefront – Obviously I’m the 100th in line to name this game as my most anticipated, but none the less I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this excited for a multiplayer game. The beta is still fresh in my memory, and the experience itself is just staggering with the authentic visuals and the original music to accompany it.
It may also be due to the fact that we’re so close to the seventh film, but the year of the force is upon us, and I intend to spend a lot of my time on the battlefront!
Need For Speed – I generally suck at any racing game that isn’t Mario Kart, but Need for Speed is a series I will always try and play. It’s probably just nostalgia purposes, as this installment is borrowing a lot from the classic Underground series.
And perhaps a bit more faith? There’s been a 2 year gap since Rivals, so I’m really hoping this one will be polished and deliberately thought out. I’m far from what you call a revhead, but man, NFS gets me hyped!
Star Wars: Battlefront – I’m sure there are those out there who played the original games, and remember setting up their Instant Action playlist to play each map in turn, from the point of both the Republic/Rebels and Separatists/Empire. It made for some truly great memories, having felt like I had some role in famous battles like Hoth and Endor.
Between all that I’ve seen and played of Battlefront so far, I can certainly say that my expectations for the game are well-founded. While the classic elements are still there, an overhauled multiplayer mode and the addition of more team-based objectives should make for some awesome gameplay.
Come November 19, I fully expect that I’ll be revisiting my childhood memories, and making countless new ones.
