The excitement of tearing the protective plastic off a new game may only resonate with readers of a certain age, but gamers of all generations understand the buzz a fresh release gives us.
Digital downloads may have replaced over-the-counter, careful-not-to-scratch-the-disc purchases, but a substitute for the thrill of plugging into a new game to master? We’ve yet to unlock that particular DLC.
Clear some space on your hard drive, here are the biggest new releases shaking up the screen scene.
Age of Empires 4
Oh the nostalgia. No title quite resonates with the pioneers of gaming as Age of Empires, and this 2021 version is sure to tug at the heart strings. In truth, the modern-day graphics reflect exactly how we saw this titan of a game back in the day, but to experience the oft frenetic RTS gameplay with the power of a dedicated graphics card is a whole new level of joy. Throw in a 4k screen and the 35 campaign missions that span some 500 years from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance, putting players at the helm of armies from France to Mongolia, and it’s a history lesson like no other.
Release date: October 28, 2021
Battlefield 2042
This franchise put the boots of FPS players firmly back on the ground with Battlefield 1, but they are getting a tech injection with the latest instalment propelling us all two decade into the future. The vast arenas have helped set the series apart from its more flamboyant competitors, and the massive multiplayer action looks set to break even more boundaries with all-out warfare modes coming into Battlefield 2042. Ever-changing battle conditions make this an absolute must for gamers who prefer their combat to err on the side of ‘realism’. But that won’t stop them having tanks air-dropped into the middle of a tornado-stricken war-zone, though.
Release date: Out now
Dying Light 2
It takes a lot to stand out in a genre where, by definition, everything is a little grey around the gills. But Dying Light injected some life into the zombie basket of great games, and its sequel looks to set pulses racing yet again. Five years on from its debut, there’s a definite Mirrors Edge vibe to this fight or flight apocalypse, with plenty of moments for liquid smooth evasion and takedowns of enemies – both living and dead. It also looks beautiful, perfect for tearing the head off foes or hacking your way through a hungry horde of rotting limbs.
Release date: December 7, 2021
Halo Infinite
Halo is seemingly infinite. So much so that devs plumped to name their latest edition of the space-age shooter just that. Master Chief’s comeback special is stepping into a hugely populated battleground, with the MMO battle royal riff it’s aiming to melt faces with now a common tune among nearly every bullet-orientated game on the market. But this Spartan has a mighty pull, and with energy sword in hand, gamers can look forward to another gravity defying, sticky grenade-hurling melee for the ages.
Release date: Holiday 2021
Metroid Dread
Samus is back in glorious 2D fashion for the first time in nearly 20 years. One of the OG platformer heroines (a great shock to completionists at the time as the mech-suited protagonist was originally listed as a bloke in the game’s accompanying literature), Samus is rewinding things back to a simpler, more sequential time of dodging missiles, clearing chasms and racing to the end of each level as fast as possible (if speed running is your jam). The ancient Egypt-cum-alien-apocalypse narrative looks a rager, and is just the type of side-scrolling action purists will savour play through after play through.
Release date: October 8, 2021
