Tag Archives: Xbox 2014

7 Must Have Video Games This Christmas

Posted on by
Call of Duty Advanced Warfare

As more and more video games release either broken or unfinished, we round up seven great must have games (that work!) that you should buy this Christmas.

The video game industry is having a bit of a rough patch at the moment. Despite sales of the PS4 and the Xbox One remaining strong, more and more of the games that are released on them are either broken, unplayable or have massive bugs on them that need giant patches to fix them.

This is completely unacceptable, that much is obvious, but with such a large amount of highly anticipated titles falling prey to launch bugs and errors, it’s harder than ever to figure out which ones are playable and which ones are not.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide. Spanning PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC,  the next seven games have either overcome their troubles or never had any to begin with. Each comes highly recommended.

1. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

The latest addition to the Call of Duty franchise could offer the series’ biggest change since things went from a World War 2 setting to games set in the current to near future. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare goes one step ahead of ‘the near future’ as it’s instead set in 2054.

In the year of 2054 it seems, the PMCs (Private Military Corporations) that many of the world’s armies already rely on in the year 2014, have taken over. They’ll fight any battle for anyone as long as the war wagers can afford it.

As a result of all that money flying around, players get access to the most hi-tech battle gear ever seen in a Call of Duty game. That includes Advanced Warfare’s swanky new exo suit which not only allows players to quickly dash out of the way, but it even lets them jump to ridiculous heights, put up super strong shields and even fire missiles from their shoulders.

These big changes will be available in the game’s much talked about multiplayer mode too, so you’ll be able to take advantage of Advanced Warfare’s new gameplay fun against both AI and real-life competitors.

Available on: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One

2. FIFA 15

Like the aforementioned Call of Duty games, you can expect a FIFA game to be released every single year. With all of the licenses from every big name club, league and player you can think of (as well as the tiny ones you’ve probably never heard of), the FIFA franchise is the go to game if you want to play as Chelsea in the Premier League rather than ‘London FC’ in the ‘English League’ (as is the case with PES).

Licensing technicalities aside, FIFA 15 signals another significant stride forward in the world of football simulation. The big change that publisher EA was boasting about this time round was goalkeepers as those in the net now perform as realistic as ever, with the acrobatic leaps and hopeful dives of the real game being witnessed here.

Not only that but the game is now more emotional than ever before. Players in FIFA 15 frown at bad tackles and get in the faces of those who slid at their ankles whilst missed shots or great goals see disappointed or enthusiastic yells, respectively.

Available on: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One

3. EA Sports UFC

A less established sports game than FIFA 15, however, is EA Sports UFC. After picking up the license when former UFC publisher THQ went under, EA gave their incredible sports sim touch to the world of octagon fighting.

It’s a purchase that seems to have proved successful too as EA’s debut UFC title is great. From the meatiest of right hooks to cartwheel spins and knees to the face, EA Sports UFC’s gameplay is as fast-paced and gritty as the real life sport.

The graphics on this one are also fantastic – with sweat glistening on fighter bodies and the way that blood splatters grossly onto the floor of the octagon. It’s to great effect though and you’ll be able to see just how much damage you’re doing as you take on opponents.

Available on: PS4 and Xbox One

4. inFamous: Second Son

inFamous: Second Son meanwhile, is one of the PS4′s brightest exclusives. Literally.

Second Son stars Native American lead Delsin Rowe as he finds himself imbued with some massively powerful fire abilities. From his flame-y rocket attacks to his thunderous ground pounds, Delsin uses his fire skills to take out the DUP, a shady government organisations that wants to take those with powers out.

Later in the game Delsin also gets some neon powers and with the technical muscle of the PS4 really being put to the test by developer Sucker Punch, Second Son looks absolutely gorgeous.

Available on: PS4

5. Halo: The Master Chief Collection

An Xbox One exclusive now as rather than being a new Halo game (the full version of Halo 5: Guardians isn’t out until sometime next year), Halo: The Master Chief Collection has been released to bring all of the existing Halo games to the newest Xbox console.

In the collection you’ll get reskinned versions of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4 including both their single and multiplayer modes. Furthermore, not only will you be able to shoot it out against players of those Halo games, but buying Halo: The Master Chief Collection provides you access to the Halo 5: Guardians beta.

That’s not quite a new Halo game, as mentioned, but given just how many fantastic Halo games you’re getting access, Microsoft could almost be forgiven.

Available on: Xbox One

6. Civilization: Beyond Earth

Next up we have the latest version of a generally PC-only franchise. While the Civilization games of old gave us new ways to take over Earth, Civilization: Beyond Earth explores what happens when the Earth is considerably less inhabitable and it also gives us a chance to see what life in Civ would really be like if we won by a space victory.

In Beyond Earth not only is there a massive wealth of new, futuristic technologies from the likes of sci-fi films, pop culture and some very smart science-y stuff (Animal Husbandry be gone!) but there are also alien factions to battle or befriend.

Like Advanced Warfare, this is the biggest change to the turn-based series yet. Arguably some players may miss the old ways of Civ games before but for most, this offers a much-needed shake up to the series.

Available on: PC

7. Dragon Age: Inquisition

Also offering a well needed shake up is Dragon Age: Inquisition. EA and BioWare’s supernatural RPG made a big misstep after the initial, well-received outing of Dragon Age: Origins when Dragon Age 2 disappointed many. Not only did its combat gameplay leave much to be desired but many players also felt that the game’s sections were too closed off for it to be a ‘true’ open-world game.

Inquisition is looking to fix that then, with its world letting you roam around it until your thumbs get tired from twiddling your controller’s analogue sticks. Combat is much improved, with strategic placements of characters and targeting of limbs and other body parts now having a tangible effect on battles. Graphics have been spruced up too and bolts of fire and magic look even more impressive than ever and you can see the battle scars, war wounds and general blemishes on a character’s face.

Available on: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Have a game that you think we missed off? Leave a comment and let us know.

Xbox One gets another price cut: now $349

Posted on by
Xbox-One-Price-Cut

Microsoft’s Xbox One is getting ready to rule the holiday season with a new price cut that puts the console at $349 USD until the end of the year.

Users who are in the market wanting to jump to the latest generation of consoles are in for some good news: from this weekend onwards, Microsoft’s Xbox One is getting a $50 USD price cut on all their models until the end of the year. That means the Xbox One is now, for all intents and purposes, $349 in its Kinect-less version, and $449 with the Kinect bundle, the one they keep insisting is the “real” way to enjoy the console.

These price cuts don’t only affect the console, but also some of their newly announced bundles such as Assassin’s Creed Unity, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and Sunset Overdrive, a new franchise for Microsoft based around open-world super-hero antics.

This will mark the first time the Xbox One sells for less than the PS4, which remains at the top of the sales charts at $399 USD.This promotion will last until January 3rd.

Via Gamespot

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories at Xbox One to Run Windows 10 Apps in 2015 and Madden 15 & Sunset Overdrive Xbox One Bundles Confirmed By Microsoft.

Madden 15 & Sunset Overdrive Xbox One Bundles Confirmed By Microsoft

Posted on by
Madden 15 Xbox One bundle image

Microsoft announces two new Xbox One bundles heading to North American retailers this fall.

It started on Monday with French retailer Micromania.fr mistakingly posting a price listing for a Sunset Overdrive bundle that included a white Xbox One unit. And within 24 hours later, through Microsoft’s own official admission today, one Xbox One bundle heading to retailers this fall turned into two.

Both bundles will be centered around two major upcoming titles, Electronic Arts’ Madden 15 and Insomniac Games’ Sunset Overdrive. The former arriving August 26, alongside the full wide release of the gridiron title, with a standard Xbox One unit, no Kinect, and a digital copy of Madden 15, this includes the three Pro Packs for Madden Ultimate Team, for $399 USD.

The bundle for Sunset Overdrive meanwhile, will feature the appearance of the white Xbox One console, which were only specially made for Microsoft employees. Now the ivory-looking console will be paired with the “radical-infused” third-person shooter come this fall, and interestingly enough goes head-to-head with Sony’s white PS4 bundle for Bungie’s Destiny.

Unfortunately, Microsoft has yet to date or price this specific bundle, but considering that Sunset Overdrive itself is set to exclusively release on the Xbox One come October 28… Well, it would be within the realm of possibility that the bundle should release around the same time. We’ll check back with you for further updates.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories at https://www.facebook.com/Walyou and https://twitter.com/walyou.

 

Xbox E3 2014: Microsoft hits it out of the ballpark

Posted on by
Xbox E3 2014

Microsoft’s E3 2014 event has just ended, and the news on the Xbox side of things are all fantastic! Scroll down to learn what happened.

What an exciting time to be a gamer. After the lackluster event Microsoft had at E3 2013, they had an uphill battle to remind gamers why it is that Xbox matters at all. Since the beginning of their 2014 press conference, they made it loud and clear: Xbox as a brand, and Xbox One as a console is all about games, and they had 90 minutes of uninterrupted games, creators and studios to show for it. TV wasn’t mentioned once, letting the games take the spotlight they should never have missed, and Microsoft didn’t just deliver the same old FPS games with exclusive, timed DLC, but a bunch of exclusives that make a serious case for the Xbox One to be a gamer’s console of choice.

What they had to show went as follows:

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

The latest Call of Duty looked fantastic, and seemed to have more of a focus on atmosphere and ambiance instead of being the same shooter of every year. This gives us some hope that they might be up to something cool, although we don’t doubt for a second the frantic multiplayer shooting will be there just the way we remember it.

Forza 5:

Microsoft’s driving simulator looks sharper than ever. The creators thanked the fans for their continued success, and spoke of the great things to come.

Evolve:

Evolve is a game by the creators of Left 4 Dead, and it shows: the game is a co-op shooter where 4 players with different classes traverse a stage looking for a monster, controlled by a 5th player. The action looks simply frantic, and the monster reminds us of Cthulhu.

Assassin’s Creed Unity:

The new Assassin’s Creed game looks like will finally address the issue of allowing players to co-operate when it comes to carrying out the missions. The world (well, Paris) looks huge and populated, and as long as they fix the combat to adapt for the many potential players, this looks like a serious entry for the best title in the series.

Dragon Age Inquisition:

The latest Dragon Age really does look like a return to shape for the franchise, with an incredibly fluid an attractive combat. Time will tell if our prediction holds or not.

Sunset Overdrive:

Microsoft’s answer to Sony’s Infamous comes from a former Sony studio. It was created by Insomniac Games, the team behind Ratchet & Clank, and promises to have a lot of action but being quirky and funny instead of serious.

Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX Plus Alpha

Are you having trouble pronouncing that? We do too. This is a DLC for Dead Rising 3, which tributes many of the other Capcom franchises, Street Fighter being king among them.

Fable Legends:

The new entry in the Fable series has the blessing and the curse of not having Molyneux behind it. It looks like this entry is a bit on the light side, being a co-op based, relaxed 3rd person hack-n-slash. The cool addition, though, is a “Villain” mode where players take a role analogous to that of the Dungeon Master in classic D&D, and places mobs and traps for the player to fight.

Project Spark:

This is an interesting one: Project Spark lets players create their own mini-games and play with friends. It’s not restricted to one genre, though, and players can try their hand at tabletop games, dungeon crawlers, arcade shooters, and more. Furthermore? It marks the return of Conker, from Conker’s Bad Fur day, and this alone is something to celebrate. The game will be releasing for Xbox One and PC.

Halo 5: Guardians & Halo: Master Chief Collection

It wouldn’t be a Microsoft conference without a million news on the Halo front, but this time they’ve outdone themselves. We saw a Halo 5 teaser which was expected, but also a deep look at the Master Chief Collection. This is a a single disc including Halo 1-4 with their respective multiplayers mode. Halo 2 Anniversary has the ORIGINAL Halo 2 multiplayer, in particular, the one everyone loved, with the same engine as 10 years ago. Players will be able to switch between modern and classic graphics with the touch of a button. Pretty exciting, really, but furthermore, the collection includes Halo: Nightfall, the live action series coming out that connects Halo 4 & 5, and a Halo 5 Guardians Beta.

Inside:

This game looked fantastic. It seems like we’re looking at the next Limbo/Portal, a post-apocalyptic mechanical future, and gameplay based on puzzle solving and stealth. Count us in.

Showing off indie games published to Xbox 1

They showed a bunch of indies, as if in order to contest Sony’s dominance on that field. Microsoft did great, although the footage was really short, they really did showcase a lot of variety.

Rise of the Tomb Raider:

We only saw a short teaser without gameplay, but it seems like this game will gap the transition between the Lara we saw in the last Tomb Raider, and the classic Tomb Raider games. We’re glad to see they’re still focusing on her human side.

Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

We got to see some gameplay of the latest game in the Witcher series, and it frankly looks fantastic. It looks like it will build on the strengths of the previous 2 games, and give players the freedom to hunt, track, and take on quests with incredible graphics and enhanced gameplay. This was our favorite game from the event.

The Division:

Tom Clancy’s games are back! In the trailer for The Divison we saw a 3D map of the city which we assume encompasses the playable area. Apparently, this tactical shooter has massive, sprawling buildings that can be traversed as well as environments that respond to being shot at. Could this game really deliver, or are we seeing the next Watch_Dogs?

Scalebound:

The concept of Scalebound seems to be small guy fighting big monsters in a very stylish way. Let’s not forget, this exclusive is a game by Platinum Games, the people behind Bayonetta.

Crackdown: (No really, just Crackdown)

Crackdown is back! We seem to have seen a pre-rendered sequence, hinting at the possibility of co-op. Despite the lack of actual footage, the return of the franchise alone should delight everyone.