TRAVIS LEFEVRE
Editor for The Scallion
‘Tis the season to bundle up in layers and crank up the Playstation. With the frigid weather, who really wants to go outside anyway? 2017 has been a year of hits and flops, but if there is any game you should ask for this year from Saint Nick, it should probably be one of these:
“Super Mario Odyssey”
One of the only games this year to get perfect review scores on a majority of gaming outlets, “Super Mario Odyssey” brings everyone’s favorite red-clad plumber back into the mainstream. With the help of his new companion Cappy, Mario has to do what he does best: save Princess Peach from Bowser.
“Super Mario Odyssey” takes platforming to a new level, much like how “Super Mario Galaxy” did back in 2007. Cappy lets you possess almost any living being in the game world, and there are segments where you are thrown back into the 2-D era of platforming.
“Cuphead”
Gamers beware, “Cuphead” is not a force to be taken lightly. This seemingly lighthearted game takes inspiration from the classic cartoons of the 1930s. This is visible in every aspect of the game from the art style to the soundtrack. While it is a fun side scroller, it is also difficult and doesn’t hold your hand. Think of “Dark Souls,” if “Dark Souls” was made in the guise of an adorable cartoon.
“Cuphead” is relentless and will show you no mercy. This was something of a pleasant surprise for me, to say the least.
“Ghost Recon: Wildlands”
This is one game that I am on the fence about.
On the one hand, I had a hell of a time playing through the story and the gameplay is some of the best I’ve experienced in a shooter. On the flip side, “Wildlands” gets repetitive and stale, and don’t even get me started on the cringy voice acting.
I decided to throw this one out there because they recently added a new player vs. player mode. In teams of four you fight the enemy using tactics and strategy, something that we haven’t seen a lot of in multiplayer shooters as of late.
It’s a breath of fresh air to any shooter fan and should definitely be on your radar this holiday season.
“Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus”
What’s better than being bundled up with hot cocoa and your game system? Killing nazis, of course!
“Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus” is a direct continuation of “The New Order.” If you haven’t played that, I highly recommend you do. It is a fantastic game and will provide a ton of context to “Wolfenstein 2.”
There, that’s two games to add to your wishlist.
But back to “Wolfenstein 2.” You spend your time in an alternate world where the Reich won World War II and moved onto American soil. The Ku Klux Klan runs the show down in the south and American streets are littered with Nazi propaganda. So, how do you handle it? Shoot them to hell, obviously.
You lead the revolution to take back America and fight for the citizens that are under the iron boot of the Nazi regime. It’s bloody and violent, and it’s one hell of a riot.