Team Picks is our 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!
LittleBigPlanet 3 – I’ve been a huge fan of the Little Big Planet series since Day One and I’m extremely excited to see how new developer Sumo uses the PS4 exclusive features to further enhance the game. It’s also the biggest PS4 exclusive of the Holiday season so i’m hoping that the game turns out to be a hit for Sony’s sake. It’s genuine platforming fun at it’s best and I can’t wait to see how Sackboy and his new friends adventure pans out.
BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition – I have been waiting for this since the first DLC came out. I decided to wait and then could play it all together in all it’s glory. Like many others, this game holds a special place in my gaming heart. It twisted my mind, it took me on an adventure and it showed me a whole new world. I’m not usually a big FPS fan however the world of Infinite was so strong that I could not resist. I can’t wait to replay it all the way through, explore every little nook and then experience the DLC with a fresh perspective and hopefully be enraptured by the beautiful world of Bioshock Infinite. 
Halo: The Master Chief Collection – Without a doubt my most anticipated game this November. I have a lot of nostalgia for the series – I can remember many sleep overs where all of my friends and I would play Halos 1 and 2 nonstop until we were told to finally go to bed. I’m also excited to replay the series in its remastered form – these games will have never looked, sounded, or played better. It is unquestionably the best gaming deal this holiday season.
Dragon Age: Inquisition – I feel like I have been waiting for this game from the moment I finished the first game! The second Dragon Age wasnt what I expected or really wanted from the series but it seems that Bioware has listened to everyone and has built and improved upon the first game. Hopefully finally we will get the squeal that we wanted and a decent RPG for the current gen consoles to boot!
Halo: The Master Chief Collection – The Master Chief Collection, including remastered versions of Halo: Combat Evolved through to Halo 4 all running at 60 FPS, offers exceptional value for money. It provides the complete package for die-hard fans of the franchise as well as the ideal access point for any Halo Xbox newcomers. Halo was the sole reason I bought an Xbox 360 and I was gutted to never see Halo 2 Anniversary arrive on the platform. However, now it is a reality and makes the purchase of an Xbox One very tempting. Undoubtedly, it will be a system seller and we may even see our first month of Xbox One sales exceeding that of the PS4.
Assassin’s Creed: Unity – The only game I have pre-ordered this holiday period. I’m looking forward to seeing how the co-op structure handles but recently and more importantly, I cannot wait to see how these “Time Paradox” situations transform the game into something more unique.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U – I don’t even have a Wii U and I’m craving this game hard! I constantly wake up with the inner battle of whether to buy a Wii U or not solely to get this game. The original Smash Bros. on N64 was buy far one of the greatest games of that system and I feel with what I’ve seen so far of the Wii U version, Nintendo is bringing back the classic feel and gameplay I fell head over heels for the first time round. It’s the ultimate party game with friends and with a fresh new look and selection of characters, I may end up caving to my first world problem and come home with a Wii U in the next month or so.
Far Cry 4 – I enjoyed the first three Far Cry games for all their individual strengths. The first was a first of it’s kind shooter that managed to do open world in a tropical setting rather well. The second was a bit more controversial, and despite some questionable mechanics I still enjoyed the setting of Africa. It was unique and it was dripping with atmosphere. The third game kind of stepped more towards the Ubisoft formula seen in games like Assassin’s Creed and WATCH_DOGS, but had an interesting (if not culturally insensitive) story and a stellar villain.
With Far Cry 4, I’ve seen nothing about the game outside of the box. Literally nothing. I’m keen to see how the new setting will work as it’s a rather unique one, and just like Far Cry 2, if the setting is interesting and unique enough it’ll be enough to carry my interest throughout the entire game. I’m not expecting it to be as atmospheric as _that_ moment in Uncharted 2, but I’m very excited nonetheless.
(An honourable mention goes to both Assassin’s Creed games, Smash Bros. and Dragon Age too, of course.)
Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox One / PS4) – There are so many games on this list that I’m excited to get my hands on, but for me I’m gonna go with GTAV on next gen. It was a perfect game to begin with, a huge open world to explore, a compelling story, it had everything. And now that it’s coming back with a better look and all new content for returning players, I think I’m ready to head back to Los Santos and do it all again.
Binding of Isaac: Rebirth – Having spent nearly 100 hours on the original and the Wrath of Lamb DLC, The Binding Of Isaac is an incredibly tough, engaging rogue-like game that’s the highlight of my Steam library due to it’s unblinkingly graphic depictions of adult themes such as child abuse, suicide, abortion and religions. I cannot wait to see this pseudo remake on a brand new engine optimized for platforms and PC; it’s bound to be another highlight in my library.
Pokemon: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire – While I love the first and second generations to death, Ruby and Sapphire were revolutionary to me as they completely revamped the look for a new generation. Having played the demo thoroughly, I am excited to see my favourite Pokemon games revamped again. The addition of 3D and new playing options have me longing to get back to Hoenn!
Assassin’s Creed: Unity – Assassin’s Creed is a franchise that got me hooked at the first installment. The stories, enviorments and historical connections have always been huge selling points for me, and the Parisian setting of Unity during the French revolution alone is worth the purchase for me. Add co-op, 1:1 scaling and advanced traversal to the mix and Unity may bring us the greatest title in the franchise so far.
Assassin’s Creed: Unity – While I have been a long-time fan of the franchise, I have felt for some time that the Assassin’s Creed games have gotten to the point where they seem to follow the same format. With Unity, Ubisoft has taken the core elements of past games and improved upon them, offering players the ability for greater freedom and replay value. To me, it’s just another entry in an ever expanding universe, but from what I know of the premise, one that holds appeal to newcomers to the series. All in all, Unity is certainly shaping up to be one of the better games in the franchise.
