This week, for console releases, it's a fairly slow one, except of course an annual title for one of the best selling series of all-time, Madden NFL 19. Last year, it finished 4th in best selling, and looks to move up this year with its return to PC. They've added an even more extensive story mode, of course updated rosters and jerseys, and features that give players even more control over their split-second actions and reactions.
For the Playstation 4, the next hyped up release would come in the form of a popular PC battle royale shooter making its away across console, H1Z1: Battle Royale. The game will surely make its way to the Xbox One, but the release date is TBA.
Here's the list of releases for this week:
August 7th Releases:
Hyper Universe, CWave, Inc., price: Free to Play - Xbox One
"Leave the grind and start the brawl. Hyper Universe deftly combines action-packed combat and team-based strategic gameplay. With an outrageous cast of characters assembled from every corner of the galaxy, prepare for a gaming experience that's out of this world!" (HyperUniverse.com)
This innovative MOBA is the first of its kind in that it is a 2D side-scroller. It has been released on PC since January of this year, and although the playerbase has dwindled, the game did garner mixed reviews, and hopefully some of that positivity will be reflected in the Xbox One release.
H1Z1: Battle Royale, Daybreak Game Company, price: Free to Play - Playstation 4
"H1Z1 is a fast-paced, highly competitive, battle royale shooter. Parachute in and search for weapons, ammo, vehicles and supplies to stay alive. As a toxic gas cloud compresses the map, develop your strategy and prepare for the spectacle of mayhem. Go solo or group with a team of two or five to be the last ones standing." (metacritic.com)
The game has been in Open Beta for a little over two months, and will finally release for Playstation 4 this week. It still garners a healthy population on PC, an active professional competitive scene, and is looking towards the horizons of an Xbox One release date (TBA), so all signs look to be pointing upward for this popular battle royale shooter.
Overcooked 2, Ghost Town Games Ltd., price: $24.99 USD - Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
"You've saved the world from the Ever Peckish. Now a new threat has arisen and it's time to get back in the kitchen to stave off the hunger of the Unbread!" (Steam.com)
The sequel to the hit cooperative multi-player game is back! As a mix between fun cooking simulation games and Mario Party, players can either work with, or against, other players to help save the world from hunger.
Flipping Death, Zoink Games, price: $29.99 USD - Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Josh wrote a feature about it here. Here's the trailer again though:
"Possess the living, aid the dead and flip between the worlds of Flipping Death - a puzzling adventure platformer where you find yourself filling in for Death. Maybe your new powers will help you solve the mystery of your own demise?" (Steam.com)
Slam Land, Bread Machine, price: $7.99 USD - Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch
"Select your fighter and punch, grab and DOUNK! your way through five modes, ten levels, and a surreal world overseen by a benevolent (?) giant whose only amusement in life is to witness sporting and majestic slams." (Nintendo.com)
This fun local multi-player competitive fighting game is certainly inspired by the Super Smash Bros series, but with a bigger emphasis of throwing, or in this case, slamming opponents off the screen. The art style is very much its own, and some of the character designs are wonderfully twisted, this game has a chance to really be a solid indie hit.
August 9th Release:
Okami HD, Clover Studio & Capcom, price: $19.99 USD - Nintendo Switch
The hit action-adventure game known for its beautiful Japanese sumi-e inspired art design, the game has had many re-releases, and Nintendo Switch is finally getting their high definition version!
Take the role of Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess who inhabits the form of a legendary white wolf Shiranui. Use magical abilities, attacks, and Celestial Brush techniques to restore the land of Nippon to its previous glory full of life and color. (Nintendo.com)
August 10th Releases:
Madden NFL 19, EA Sports, price: $59.99 (Released Aug. 7th for pre-purchase) - Playstation 4, Xbox One
(Highlight of the Week)
Here's a new hilarious trailer for the game featuring Nicki Minaj, Quavo, Lil Dicky, and Chris Redd:
"Madden NFL 19 is set to take digital football to new heights with features like Real Player Motion. This season is set to build on the success of previous seasons thanks to added depth in community favorite game modes in Madden Ultimate Team and Franchise." (EAsports.com)
The game has a new feature, "real player motions," which really helps to customize the way players run, tackle and block which really helps add another dimension to the gameplay. There is no word on whether the game will be cross-platform, but the signs point this being an unlikely feature.
The Madden series frequently ends up on the top 5 best sellers lists every year, and hopefully this year it may jump up, not only because of new features that have helped revolutionize the game, but also its return to PC.
We Happy Few, Compulsion Games, price: $59.99 USD
"We Happy Few is the tale of a plucky bunch of moderately terrible people trying to escape from a lifetime of cheerful denial in the city of Wellington Wells. In this alternative 1960s England, conformity is key. You'll have to fight or blend in with the drug-addled inhabitants, most of whom don't take kindly to people who won't abide by their not-so-normal rules." (Steam.com)
This is a single player first-person action/adventure game set in a sort of 'future past' 1960s England. Players will bounce between three different characters' storylines, learning about how their stories intertwine, as well as learn about the cities past.