Magpie Recommends: the best upcoming video games

27/10/2017

Chris Smith

Games

Magpie Recommends: The best upcoming video games

Gamers have been spoilt this year, with the Nintendo Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Destiny 2 and Resident Evil 7 among the big consoles and games released.

The good news is that the next few months are packed with quality titles across all consoles. Here are a few of the new games we recommend you play as soon as they arrive!

Super Mario Odyssey

Release date: 27th October 2017

Nintendo's 2017 has been nothing short of spectacular and it's not even over yet. Up next is their main man Mario in what could be his best adventure yet.

Odyssey begins with Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach (seriously, get that girl some security!) in the hopes of making her his lady-wife. Once again, poor old Mario is left to clean up the mess.

Odyssey takes place across a number of worlds, ranging from realistic cities to fantastical lands. Each world is reached using Mario's boat, the Odyssey. Also joining Mario is his cap, which is now inhabited by a spirit named Cappy, which can be used to attack enemies and as a makeshift platform.

Reviews so far are universally fantastic; Edge gave it a perfect 10/10 while Famitsu gave it 39/40, the same score it gave Super Mario 64.

Call of Duty: WWII

Release date: 3rd November 2017

Call of Duty: WWII sees the behemoth franchise returning to its roots in more ways than one.

It's the first WWII-themed Call of Duty since 2008's World at War (yes, it really has been that long) and the gameplay has a distinctly old-school vibe too, with the wall jumps and power sprints of previous entries replaced by 'boots on the ground' combat; the most agile you'll get is a 'hit the deck' dive to get behind cover.

The campaign follows the 1st Infantry Division and their battles on the Western Front between 1944 and 1945, including the Invasion of Normandy, Liberation of Paris and the Battle of the Bulge. It'll also be the first campaign without health regeneration since the very first Call of Duty. Instead, you'll have to rely on health packs administered by your squadmates.

Of course, the real highlight of any Call of Duty game is the multiplayer, and this year promises to be a much more measured and tactical take on the classic COD formula.

There will also be a new social area, HQ. Like the Tower in Destiny, this will be an open area to meet players, take part in minigames and hone your skills on a shooting range. You'll also have a social score, designed to encourage players to be friendly rather than screaming down the mic at each other. As your score increases, you'll get special rewards – so play nice!

Star Wars Battlefront II

Release date: 17th November 2017

2015's Battlefront reboot sold over 14 million copies but was widely criticised for lacking depth. The sparse multiplayer and the lack of a single-player campaign meant that a lot of players didn't stick around for long after launch.

Luckily, EA has taken that feedback on board for Battlefront II. The first major change is the addition of a single-player campaign based on an original story. You play as Iden Versio, the leader of the Empire's Inferno Squad, as she attempts to stop the Rebels from getting their hands on secret Imperial intelligence. The plot starts towards the end of Return of the Jedi and leads right up to The Force Awakens.

Multiplayer has received some much-needed improvements too, with more levels, new classes and heroes (including Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Yoda and Han Solo). The best news of all, though, is that all DLC will be free. Hooray!

Far Cry 5

Release date: 27th February 2018

Most gamers are familiar with the Far Cry formula by now: you play as some poor soul in a tropical paradise who has to defeat enemy forces using a combination of brains, brawn and Rambo-style traps. It's great fun but *whisper it* it got a little dull towards the end.

Far Cry 5 promises to inject new life into the franchise. While the gameplay remains largely the same barring a few tweaks, an intriguing new setting and an enthralling plot could make this the best Far Cry for years.

Rather than a tropical locale, Far Cry 5 is set in Hope County, a fictional town in the US. Hope County has been taken over by Joseph Seed, a preacher who leads a cult called Eden's Gate. Unfortunately, Eden's Gate is one of those 'kill everyone who doesn't join us' cults rather than a 'form our own community and leave everyone else alone' cult…

As one of the few Hope County residents who hasn't joined Eden's Gate, you're forced to fight back with a combination of guns and cunning traps. It looks fantastic and, for the first time, you're able to customise your character how you see fit. Count us excited.

Crackdown 3

Release date: Spring 2018

Crackdown 3 was originally set for release in November, but Microsoft pushed it back to next year so they could deliver the right game, with the right quality.

That delay is unsurprising given how ambitious Crackdown 3 is though. You play as a futuristic policeman in Iron Man-esque armour and your mission is to eliminate criminal gangs through any means necessary, including blowing up half the city (pretty much everything in Crackdown 3 is destructible).

If you love Saint's Row, you'll love this; it has the same level of freedom and the same irreverent tone.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Release date: Spring 2018

We don't need to tell you why you should be excited about Red Dead Redemption 2, the follow-up to arguably the greatest game ever made.

Set a little later than the original, RDR 2 puts you in the boots of Arthur Morgan, a cowboy who has to go on the run after annoying quite a few dangerous people. Luckily, he meets a few people to help him along the way (presumably forming the gang depicted in most of the artwork).

Red Dead Redemption 2 was originally due to come out later this year but has been pushed back to Spring 2018. It'll be well worth the wait.

State of Decay 2

Release date: Spring 2018

Amidst a formidable horde of zombie games, State of Decay stood (half a) head and shoulders above the rest. It's mix of combat, stealth, resource management and community building made it a bit like a videogame version of The Walking Dead, except with less boring bits.

The sequel promises more of the same with a few more juicy morsels added for good measure, including a new online mode where you can team up with your pals to try and survive (and fall out when someone inevitably lets the side down).

Days Gone

Release date: 2018

If you're of the PlayStation persuasion, Days Gone will be the zombie game to sink your teeth into. Like State of Decay, this is a zombie survival sim where you have to battle the undead, fellow survivors and your own hunger to stay alive.

Set in the Pacific Northwest two years after the initial zombie outbreak, Days Gone casts you as Deacon St. John, a bounty hunter drifting through the wilderness. Along the way, you'll encounter 'Freakers' (AKA zombies) who get stronger at night, fellow survivors and some seriously adverse weather.

If you need extra cash to buy the latest titles, sell your video games with musicMagpie today! Simply get an instant price, send your items for FREE and we'll pay you the same day they arrive. Why wouldn't you?

musicMagpie Blog

Magpie Recommends: The best upcoming video games