HomeTheXboxHub FeaturesOpinions7 Games Flying Under the Radar This Holiday Season

7 Games Flying Under the Radar This Holiday Season

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Every gamer knows the last quarter of the year means one thing. No, it’s not spending time with your family over the holidays. The biggest three months of game releases reaches its pinnacle. Every week leaves gamers with hard choices and empty pockets. Colossal game releases are at every turn. Multiple games debut on the same day. With so many titles reaping our devotion, it’s easy for games deserving of your patronage to be overlooked.

2018’s most talked about video game is Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2. Any studio that has its property anywhere near Red Dead’s October 26 release date should be wary. Not to mention the other massive franchises fighting for our dollars: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Battlefield V, Fallout 76, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. There’s nothing wrong with having a vested interest in those titles, but there may just a few more games worth your time. These ones perhaps…

Spyro Reignited Trilogy (PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

Expect intense violence and brutal multiplayer to rule the holiday sales numbers. With so many teen/adult focused games set to release, it’s easy for family-friendly games to get lost in the shuffle. Spyro Reignited is a remaster of the first three games in the Spyro series.

Spyro is a delightful choice for gamers who haven’t had the opportunity to play the original trio of Spyro titles. If all goes well, the franchise can experience a resurgence, prompting future games featuring the titular dragon. Updated graphics, collectibles, and the added bonus of being playable on Xbox makes the Spyro Reignited Trilogy a natural choice for young fans.

My Hero One’s Justice (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch)

My Hero One’s Justice is a 3D Battle Action Fighter from Bandai Namco Entertainment. The title is based on the popular manga and prolific anime series. In a world populated with superhumans, the superhero-loving Izuku Midoriya is powerless. With unique circumstances leading to Midoriya acquiring the power of All Might, he enrolls in a high school for burgeoning superheroes and is thrust into a world of heroism and tumult.

The game allows players to take hold of their favorite heroes and villains in a unique fighter. Stages can be destroyed, buildings can be run across, and superpowers are at your disposal. The Sidekick System grants players the ability to choose sidekicks to aid in battles and complete combos.

Trailers showcase a fast-paced beat-em-up faithful to the series and this is why My Hero One’s Justice is a no-brainer for any anime/manga fan in your family.

Overkill’s The Walking Dead (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

The game is an upcoming first-person shooter developed by Overkill Software and published by Starbreeze Studios and 505 Games.

Overkill’s The Walking Dead takes its cues from the graphic novels rather than the TV show, which is waning in interest. Importance is placed on cooperative gameplay to survive the zombie apocalypse. Players choose between four protagonists, each with their own skill-sets and abilities, and all of role-playing, survival horror and stealth mechanics have been implemented, adding distinct means of survival.

The Walking Dead has been compared to State of Decay but may very well prove to be a more successful co-op survivor horror experience. The association with a declining Walking Dead franchise could very well hurt sales, which is a shame, but everything we’ve seen thus far appears promising.

Just Cause 4 (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Just Cause 4 isn’t an indie title by industry standards. However, a release date wedged between the monster known as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate could hurt sales. Avalanche Studios’ Just Cause is known for its set-piece moments, lush open world, and polished physics and Just Cause 4 seems no different. The story tends to take a backseat to the “do as you please” gameplay.

Set in the fictional South American country of Solis, Rico Rodriguez is a one-man army taking on the paramilitary group the Black Hand. Just Cause is known for equipping Rico with tools and gadgets that make allows for fast travel and even quicker combat.

Expect Just Cause 4 to do what it does best, let players loose in a fictional world ready to be destroyed.

Ashen (PC, Xbox One)

Ashen picked up an award at E3 2017 for breakthrough indie game and even though the year end is fast approaching, is still set to be released before 2018 is out.

Ashen is an action role-playing game set in a dark fantasy realm. The avatar roams the dark world in search of a home. The cel-shaded graphics compliment the dark tone and underlying gloom. Players will be met with an open world of exploration that combines cooperation and competition with other players and threatening in-world monsters. Levelling up a character eschews traditional player stats and places its focus on equipment.

Everything revealed thus far has piqued fan interest; consider this a possible hidden gem.

Call of Cthulhu: The Official Video Game (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)

Call of Cthulhu falls under the same umbrella as Just Cause. It isn’t a small game by any definition, but the role-playing survival horror doesn’t seem to be making waves and this may just well get sucked under by others. Which would be a shame.

Imagine if you will a relative at the mall looking for that game to please their niece or nephew. Does Call of Cthulhu come to mind? Um… no.

The game follows detective Edward Pierce, a private eye tasked with solving the death of the Hawkins Family from a fire. He travels to Darkwater Island to shed light on the mystery only to discover a plot to revive the Great Old One, Cthulhu.

Call of Cthulhu targets a niche market – those gamers with a penchant for horror, a psychological Lovecraftian horror at that. That doesn’t exactly have the formula for broad appeal, but nevertheless, Call of Cthulhu has the potential to become a cult classic, tapping into the dark recesses of our minds with ghoulish delight.

SOULCALIBUR VI (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

SOULCALIBUR VI is a substantial release threatened to be overshadowed by significant blockbuster titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, Super Smash Bros., and Battlefield V.

What sets it apart from other fighters is the inclusion of weapons and a battle on a 3D plane. Every entry into the series has an intuitive control system that invites new players to feel at ease while simultaneously embracing a more robust level of intricacy for life-long fans willing to get more from every battle. SOULCALIBUR VI is no different and happily presents a new mechanic: Reversal Edge, which allows players to defend against attacks and swiftly strike back in a wave of slow motion.

SOULCALIBUR is also known for its guest characters. This year Geralt of Rivia, best known from The Witcher franchise, joins the ranks. His custom look and move set fits seamlessly within the Universe and his introduction will no doubt appeal to many new fans.

If you wish to know more about SOULCALIBUR VI then our full review is already at hand.

 

So, what do you think of these 7 games? Are they flying under your radar? Feel free to chime in and let us know your picks for underrated games this holiday season.

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