Check Out Some Of The Top Video Game Releases You Should Get

By Nathan Young on July 9, 2015

UPDATE: This post is from Calhoun County Insight. Learn more at: http://calhouncountyinsight.com/

With E3 (the Electronic Entertainment Expo) behind us, we’re looking ahead to new releases. Some don’t come out for a while, but a few are ready to hit this summer and later in the year, so we’ve rounded up our favorites from the show to give you a quick, digest-format roundup of the best of E3.

Fallout 4 – Nov. 11, 2015 PS4, Xbox One, PC

For fans of the Fallout series, the newest installment takes things to the next level with features that are usually reserved for PC modders: weapons can now be crafted from scratch, armor can be modified and, the big one: players can now scavenge the land to turn junk into new buildings, defense systems and survival supplies. Creating a brand new village in a post-apocalyptic setting? We’re all over it. There’s also an overhauled character creator and players can select from a list of thousands of names for their character, which non-player characters will then use in spoken dialogue. If you’re not a regular gamer, that may not sound like much, but for those who spend hundreds of hours in Bethesda roleplaying games, it’s a wild, next-gen feature.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – 2016 PS4

Nathan Drake returns one last time (presumably) in his final tale, set years after the end of Uncharted 3. Drake has finally married Elena Fisher, and the two are proud parents, having left behind treasure hunting. Drake’s brother, Sam, long thought to be dead, reappears asking for Drake’s help in searching out a long-lost pirate colony. The Uncharted games have always been graphical powerhouses, but it’s their story that keep us coming back, and Unchated 4 should be no exception.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake – TBA

There’s not a lot in the way of details yet, but for most gamers of the late 1990s, all you have to do is show the legendary FFVII characters with upgraded, modern graphics and it’s enough. We’re hoping that the script gets an update, too, to make the somewhat convoluted plot of the 1997 original a little easier to follow.

Horizon Zero Dawn – 2016 PS4

When a game advertises itself as set in a post-apocalyptic world, we roll our eyes. We’ve been there before. But when a game continues by saying that we’ll be using bows and grappling hooks to fight robot dinosaurs in the wake of humanity’s collapse, we get interested.

The Last Guardian – 2016 PS4

The long-awaited continuation of the loosely bound story of the games Ico and Shadow of the Colossus is finally nearing the end of its 8-year development cycle, finally delivering footage of the platformer at E3. The game features cooperative gameplay between a young boy and a giant eagle/dog/cat creature named Trico, who helps the boy navigate a giant castle setting. We’re suspicious that this should be called “The Giant Dog Who Died at the End of the Game” but the promise of another amazing experience like the games that preceded it is worth risking another “Old Yeller” story.

Batman: Arkham Knight – Out Now PS4, Xbox One, PC

Arkham Knight takes one of the most memorable villains of the series, Scarecrow, and lets him loose on Gotham City as the villain-apparent. The new game features fluid acrobatics, with players whipping around buildings and using their cape to glide, driving the Batmobile at ludicrous speed and using the Caped Crusader’s fabled skill as a detective to solve and stop crimes. Never has a game made the player feel more like Batman.

Metal Gear V: The Phantom Pain September 1 PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, PC

The Metal Gear saga continues, this time set in 1984 and following the exploits of Big Boss, who started as the villain of the first game in the series and has gradually become its main character. The Phantom Pain features the series’ trademark stealth gameplay, as well as the ability to recruit soldiers and prisoners of war into an organization, effectively building a small army in the player’s service. Enemies also learn from player tactics – shoot too many people in the head and enemy soldiers will start wearing metal helmets – which will force players to keep the experience fresh by changing up their playstyle.

Hitman – December 8 PS4, Xbox One, PC

After the mess that was Absolution, developers Square Enix are returning Hitman to his roots by setting him free in big, sandbox levels with goals to accomplish and absolutely no directives on how to accomplish them. Technological improvement means that there’s even more convincing design to levels, which not only look good, but support up to 300 NPC characters milling around and making the world feel real. As before, players will be able to create contracts for other players to complete, with custom goals and stipulations to keep things interesting.