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Assassin's Creed: Odyssey - it's got a lot of competition

Assassins Creed: Odyssey – virtual vacation

GameCentral readers discuss the games theyre most looking forward to for the rest of the year, from Smash Bros. to Fallout 76.

With Gamescom just finished almost every video game that will be out for Christmas has been announced and shown to the public. So we wanted to know what youre most interested in and which you might have already pre-ordered.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Red Dead Redemption II was by far the most popular but there was also a lot of interest in everything from Battlefield V to Shadow Of The Tomb Raider.

Holiday ritual

Im sure some, including GC, are going to think this silly given some of the competition this year but Im really looking forward to Assassins Creed Odyssey. I know they have their problems but Ive always enjoyed Assassins Creed, even the dubious ones, and its become something of a year ritual for me to get the latest one and enjoy a toasty couple of weeks indoors beating and 100%ing it.

I am a little wary about Odyssey, as it seems to have been put together in a bit of a rush, but since the only other option is missing out on my yearly pleasure, well… theres little chance I wont be getting it. Especially, and I dont know if this is going to sounds silly, but it reminds me of family holidays to Greece which I have very fond memories of.

The really weird thing is thats why Im also getting Forza Horizon 4. I mean, I wouldve anyway, but that also reminds me of being on my hols. I guess those blue skies in games apply to more than just Sega…
Gitts

Odd year

Looking at the release schedules this Christmas is pretty crazy, but I honestly struggle to get very excited about any of the games. Im not a fan of any of the current shooter franchises or boring open world games like Red Dead Redemption and Assassins Creed. Ive also never liked Super Smash Bros. so I cant wait till Nintendo get that one out of the way, as it were.

Looking a bit deeper I am looking forward to Life Is Strange, as Ive enjoyed both the previous games and I appreciate the fact that theyre not just going with a lazy sequel with the same characters. Beyond that though Im just not excited by anything and am basically saving all my money for the spring – which has a whole bunch of games Im much more interested in.

I think this year has been fairly mediocre for games, nowhere near as good as last year but also not actively bad. Ill take that over what we were getting at the beginning of the generation but my hope is that 2019 could be another classic. Maybe its one year on, one year off?
Rinser

One exception

The answer for this Hot Topic is so obvious its been hilarious watching other publishers running for cover, trying to get out of the way of the Red Dead Redemption II. Im not even that crazy a Rockstar fan and havent played GTA Online in months, but this game looks incredible. Like, if you said it was a PlayStation 5 game I would totally believe it and still be impressed.

I havent pre-ordered it, because I never do on principle, but I will be buying it day one without reading any reviews. That is something I never usually do but I just dont see anyone the game could disappoint. I mean, it could be just a remake of the first game, with no differences, and itd still be totally worth it with those graphics.

Anything else I get this year will be dependent on reviews though, especially Spider-Man which I am not currently sold on. Ill also probably get Hitman 2 as I love the series and this looks pretty much like just a second season of the same game.
Dosh

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Cheap shot

I honestly dont know what my answer is for this one. Not because Im undecided but because Im a big Fallout fan and still dont really know what to think about Fallout 76. I like that its not an MMO and seems to be doing something different, but I worry that it all seems a bit… cheap? Like its just been slapped together with old assets and feels a bit like filler.

I know most Bethesda games arent really lookers but I found their attempts to pretend this was a whole new amazing graphics engine to be very unconvincing and just drew attention to how far behind they still are on that aspect.

Ill give it a go if the reviews are good but while I wouldve already pre-ordered it if it was Fallout 5 Im not that confident. Ill also probably get Battlefield V but dont feel there is any need to pre-order it, especially not before getting to play the beta.
Ratso

Early rush

An interesting question given how crowded this Christmas is looking, although to my mind the most interesting stuff is all coming out next month before the actual rush begins. Spider-Man, Dragon Quest XI, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 DLC, The World Ends With You remaster… to me these are much more interesting prospects than the 16th (just a guess, but I bet its not far off) sequels to Call Of Duty and Battlefield and whatever else.

The Christmas rush may look intimidating but to me its just an indication that I wont be interested in anything coming out during that period and the pre-rush before that is the most likely time more ambitious games will be released.

That said I have to admit I am somewhat interested in Red Dead Redemption II given the quality of its graphics, and at least partial resemblance to a 4K Zelda: Breath Of The Wild. Its still bottom of my list though, as I always find Rockstars combat to be lacking and storytelling to be slow and thematically uninteresting.
Ulala

GC: Black Ops 4 is the 15th mainline Call Of Duty. Depending on which ones you count Battlefield is the 16th.

Personal list

Probably not the top of many peoples lists but Im really looking forward to Valkyria Chronicles 4. I loved the first game and have always thought it a tragedy that none of the other sequels ever lived up to it. Im hopeful this new one will though and will definitely be getting it if it reviews well.

Im also interested in Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner remaster and Dragon Quest XI and cant imagine thered be anything wrong with either of them that would stop me getting them. I dont see the need to pre-order though.
Freddy

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Price comparison

I had a look at whats to come in 2018 and theres only a few Ill be getting. Shadow Of The Tomb Raider will be on my Christmas list. Now Im of an age I dont need anything my family just get me a game or three, so thats one Ill have on a list. As will Code Vein, assuming it comes out, it says TBC so I wont get my hopes up but that looks right up my street being a SoulsBorne fan.

Two Ill be buying myself at launch are Yakuza Kiwami 2 and Spyro reignited. Yakuza Kiwami 2 Im really looking forward to as I missed Yakuza 2 first time round. Its the only one Ive not played apart from Ichin.

Nothing else interests me, just seems to be the usual updates. I love PES but I wait till January when its gone down to £20 or so. The rest I dont buy at all (Battlefield, Call Of Duty, Assassins Creed, etc.) and I really didnt like Red Dead Redemption so I have zero interest in more of the same with shinier visuals.

The game Im super hyped for is Resident Evil 2, but thats January sadly or itd be top of the list.

The thing that popped out to me most whilst looking though is how many ports, and how disgusting the games are priced for the Switch. Cat Quest £20, its a £10 title at best, more like a phone game than a console title. Albeit a very fun little title I really enjoyed (for £5.99 mind). And Goosebumps the game £30, seriously? I got it for £1.99 out of curiosity and even then I felt Id been ripped off.

How they get away with releasing these small or ancient games at those prices baffle me. And it sickens me to my core that parents will see Goosebumps and think its a great game for little Timmy and blow thirty smackers on such drivel thats constantly being pushed for pennies on PlayStation 4.

I hope theres some nice sales people out there that might advise Mrs Jones would be better buying something else when shes stood at the counter with trash like Goosebumps. £30 is scandalous for a three hour point and click title, especially such a terribly dire one.

Even Grim Fandango and Day Of The Tentacle in a double pack for £30 would be quite steep, and theyre bona fide classics. Deplorable theyre asking so much for that trash.
Lost Sock

GC: Code Vein was delayed until 2019. Also, Cat Quest is £9.99 on Switch, the same as PlayStation 4 and Steam?

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