Sony & Microsoft’s Next-Gen consoles are literally only a few months away at this point which might be prompting you to think about possibly trading in your current-gen console either leading up to, or on release day of the next-gen systems. But Wait! Don’t do anything you might regret just yet. There are still loads of great games coming up in the months between now and the release of these new consoles for you to sink your teeth into. Maybe the price points aren’t quite realistic for you just yet either. No fear! This list is for you (In order of release date):
1. Splinter Cell Blacklist (Xbox 360, PS3) – The Splinter Cell franchise has had it’s ups and downs over the years but thankfully Blacklist seems to be one of the ups. With a new actor in place of the long serving Michael Ironside playing the role of Sam Fisher, fans were always going to be unsure of this game before going in with such a huge change being made. But if reviews are anything to go by then this game is 100% worth your time and money with it being compared to Chaos Theory, the third game in the series which I (along with many others) consider to be the best in the franchise to date.
Release Date: Aug 20th (North America), Aug 23rd (Europe).
2. Diablo III (Xbox 360, PS3) – Diablo III was hugely successful when Blizzard released it on PC in 2012 which is probably why over a year after it’s initial release they decided to port it over to the current gen consoles. For many gamers like me that doesn’t do a lot of PC gaming, Diablo III on consoles is welcomed with open arms. It’s unsure quite how the game will translate comfortably over to thumbsticks rather than it’s native mouse and keyboard but I’m sure that’s why console gamers will buy it and PC gamers won’t.
Release Date: Sept 3rd (Worldwide).
3. Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox 360, PS3) – GTA V is probably the single most important reason to keep hold of your current gen consoles. The game has been in development for 5 years and is shaping up to be possibly the best and most important release of this console cycle. Rockstar have gone all out in providing players with the most realistic living-and-breathing open-world game ever created and have once again massively improved the game over it’s predecessor as they do with every instalment of the franchise. Providing us with 3 playable characters, improved driving and shooting elements and an open-world bigger than anything Rockstar have ever created before, we are in for a hell of a ride with GTA V that will go on for months. And that’s not even including the hundreds of hours that will be sunk into the recently announced GTA Online that will be available two weeks after the game’s initial release and will see friends hook up online to attempt one of the many, many activities that the world will be populated with such as rob a bank or liquor store, and that’s not even having scratched the surface. A serious must buy that I will definitely be playing even after having purchased my Xbox One on release day.
Release Date: Sept 17th (Worldwide).
4. Batman: Arkham Origins (Xbox 360, PS3) – When Rocksteady Studios released Arkham Asylum back in 2009 it took everyone by surprise and was very well received by critics and fans alike. Two years later came the sequel Arkham City that kept the same fundamental elements as its predecessor intact whilst improving upon others and providing players with a larger open space for the Dark Knight to stalk his foe. Now comes Arkham Origins, this time a sequel to the two previous titles and being developed by Warner Bros. Studios Montreal instead, will see a younger more inexperienced Batman take on the Joker for the first time. Once again the game looks to maintain the fundamental elements that have made the previous games such fun to play but will also provide new gameplay features and build upon what Rocksteady studios have already accomplished with the series.
Release Date: Oct 25th (Worldwide).
5. Call of Duty: Ghosts (Xbox 360, PS3) – If the reason you’re not getting a next-gen console on release day is the steep price point and your dying to get your yearly CoD fix then developer Infinty Award have made this an extremely easy transition for you. You might be thinking that buying a current-gen copy of Ghosts and putting hours into levelling up in the online multiplayer would be pointless if your going to be getting a next-gen console at some point down the road. But Infinty Ward have made it possible for you to put hours into current-gen Ghosts until you take the step up to a next-gen console at which point you can carry your stats (that you’ve worked so hard to acheive) over with you! This is an extremely smart move on Ininity Ward’s part for both them as the developer and for us as the players that will inevitably be sinking hours into the newest instalment of CoD come this November.
Release Date: Nov 5th (Worldwide).
Thanks for reading and if you feel I’ve not included an upcoming game that you will definitely be buying later this year then please feel free to contribute in the comments section below.
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