The winter of 2013 marks a new generation of
home consoles, with the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 arriving on the market
within days of each other in November. With massive graphical power, a new and
vastly-improved Kinect, and full cable integration (with selected providers),
Xbox One will try to establish itself as the one entertainment box you'll need
in your living room over the next decade. They haven't forgotten about games,
either – here are our 10 most anticipated Xbox One launch titles, with some
helpful tips for saving on day one:
10. Killer Instinct
We've heard rumors of
another Killer Instinct since KI Gold arrived back in 1996; but until earlier
this year, those rumors were nothing but wishful thinking. But after a live
demonstration at this year's E3 (one that came with a bit of controversy), it appears
that this time, Killer Instinct really is returning. Set to hit Xbox Live on
launch day, Killer Instinct will have six playable fighters (with two more to
follow in the 'first season'; a second DLC season with eight more characters is
already planned for 2014) and the same auto-combo system fans of the original
loved.
9. Crimson Dragon
Although it's not being
developed by Team Andromeda (or being published by Sega, for that matter),
Crimson Dragon is being considered the spiritual successor to the Panzer
Dragoon Sag, the infamous on-rails dragon shooter series for the Sega Saturn.
Retaining the series' original director and composer, Crimson Dragon takes
place on a planet of dragons recently colonized by humans, adding RPG elements
like character classes, skill trees, and leveling up dragons to the
tried-and-true swerve-and-shoot action of the Panzer series.
8. Need For Speed:
Rivals
Blending elements of
both Hot Pursuit and Most Wanted, the Ghost Games-developed Need for Speed:
Rivals offers players a huge open world full of dynamic weather, the ability to
race as racers or cops, and seamless single and multiplayer experiences, thanks
to the all-new AllDrive social feature. It's a simple formula, really: exotic
cars + huge world + hundreds of events to compete in = many, many hours lost
behind the wheel.
7. & 6. Call of
Duty: Ghosts/Battlefield 4
The modern war shooter
remains one of the most popular genres on consoles (for better or worse), so
it's no surprise Activision and EA are releasing the latest iterations of their
massive series on new consoles. Both have their own neat new features and
caveats: where Call of Duty: Ghosts promises new multiplayer mechanics (like
destructible environments) and a dog (how could we forget?), Battlefield 4
offers the new Commander Mode interface for multiplayer matches and the
brand-new Frostbite 3 engine under the hood. Don't miss out on the fun: grab a Green Man Gaming promo code and
save on whichever you decide to purchase.
5. Assassin's Creed IV:
Black Flag
Assassin's Creed +
pirates... need we say any more? Ubisoft's latest open-world stealth adventure
will take players to three distinct cities, offering open-world ship
exploration – and of course, maritime battle. Sure, the narrative might be a
little ridiculous at this point, but the prospect of being a swashbuckling
adventurer in forgotten eras of time? It's hard to turn that down – and if
you're still wary, rent it with one of our GameFly coupons and find out for yourself.
4. & 3. NBA
2K14/FIFA 14
Both 2K Sports and EA
Sports are keeping a tight lid on gameplay videos and details of the next-gen
debut of their two biggest respective franchises. With Madden NFL 25 releasing
to disappointing reviews on current consoles, it's up to these two games to
give sports gamers an outlet over the coldest months of the year. NBA Live 14
may loom, but with plenty of new features, animations, physics engines, and
modes for players to enjoy, the two kings of virtual video games look to
smoothly transition to the next generation.
2. Watch Dogs
Some might say the
open-world action game has seen its hey day, but Ubisoft thinks otherwise:
their much-anticipated Watch Dogs finally hits consoles this fall, both current
and next-gen. In it, players can manipulate various electronic systems to do
their bidding, walking around the city as a hacker with the ability to
instantly obtain secure, personal information from anyone else inhabiting the
city, completely at will. The action-packed demos promise a level of freedom in
missions we've never seen in the genre: so make sure to grab a GreenMan Gaming promo code before
ordering your copy. This is one you won't want to miss.
1. Dead Rising 3
Set in a world larger
than Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2 combined, Dead Rising 3 introduces players
to protagonist Nick Ramos, who finds himself on similar adventures to the stars
of the aforementioned prequels. It expands upon the crafting system of Dead Rising
2, adding the ability to craft 'combo vehicles' to the mix – and finally
removes the annoying time limit and save system of the first two games (though
players can turn those on by playing 'Nightmare Mode'). If that's not enough,
Capcom Vancouver's new engine can render three times as many zombies on-screen
as DR2: in other words, it's going to be a long, bloody fight for survival.
Author Bio:
By Allison Preston. Allison is an avid sports fan and an experienced writer
with a passion for deals and coupons and for saving her readers money. She
currently writes for leading coupon and online promo code site bluepromocode.com based in Santa Monica, California.