Worms Revolution does what Team 17 does best, and improves upon the Worms formula. Each iteration of this classic ballistic tactics game introduces new features to the basic gameplay model. This time the new features are added physics (including flowing water), some new weapons that take advantage of those new physics, and worm ‘classes’, which allows the player to customize the composition of their worm team. Each class has slightly different abilities and life totals. The Soldier is the normal worm with stats similar to previous games, the Heavy is slower but deals more damage and takes less, the Scout is the opposite of the Heavy, and the Scientist has access to more advanced weaponry and can heal teammates. Creating a team that fits one’s play-style will be a big part of doing well in the game. Of course, as usual, the graphics have been upgraded a bit with the new engine, and a whole bevy of new hat and voice choices for the worms allows for further customization of teams. Non-ranked multi-player matches will have fully customizable rule-sets.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is the long awaited update to the XCOM series of tactical games. Like past entries in the franchise players will take a team of human special forces operatives to contain, kill, or capture dangerous space aliens around the globe. The gameplay basics haven’t changed much other than some more modern interface options, but the whole engine has been built new from scratch with enhanced graphics and more tactical options. Most notable is the addition of visibility to the battlefield—using cover and camouflage, players can affect the enemy’s ability to see their location. There are also new tactical attack options, like suppressing fire. There is a multi-player mode for 1v1 play, but it’s not asynchronous, a feature many contemporary tactics games are employing.
The Icrontic Spotlight this week shines through the steam of Dishonored. This first person stealth action game seems to take a lot of cues from the classic Thief franchise. The player finds themselves in the role of Attano, a member of the Empresses bodyguard who has been framed for her assassination. A mysterious stranger gives him a mark of magical power, and he escapes from the dungeons, and embarks on a mission of revenge in the steampunky city. It is left to the player to decide how this revenge is carried out. Each mission is a target who must be removed from the city. One could always just barrel through to them with brute force, but there are a number of spells, powers and gadgets that will allow one to sneak in or take a variety of other routes. The developers have expressed a focus on player choice very specifically. Not only are there dozens of ways to complete each quest, but the player also decides how much chaos to cause. Killing people and destroying things causes more chaos, and as the chaos in the city rises, the environment changes, the story changes, and paths open and close. No path is the “right” path, just different. It’s even possible to complete the entire game without killing anyone, even the mission targets—as long as they are removed from power, the mission is a success. Other features include non-linear character development, and some randomized elements which keep the game from being too easy on additional playthroughs. If you’re a fan of stealth action games, you have to get this one. Careful, though: Assassin’s Creed III is also coming out soon. Don’t overdo it or you might sprain something.
Following is a full list of this week’s announced North American releases:
Windows
- Dishonored
- Jennifer Wolf and the Mayans Relics
- La-Mulana
- Mass Effect 3: Retaliation
- Of Orcs and Men
- Port Royale 3: Pirates and Merchants
- Retro City Rampage
- Worms Revolution
- XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Wii
- Just Dance 4
DS
- Robot Rescue 2
3DS
- Code of Princess
- Nurikabe by Nikoli
Xbox 360
- Dishonored
- Dragon Ball Z for Kinect
- Fable: The Journey
- Happy Wars
- Harry Potter for Kinect
- Just Dance 4
- Of Orcs and Men
- Port Royale 3: Pirates and Merchants
- Worms Revolution
- XCOM: Enemy Unknown
PS3
- Dishonored
- Just Dance 4
- Of Orcs and Men
- Port Royale 3: Pirates and Merchants
- Retro City Rampage
- Worms Revolution
- XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Vita
- Retro City Rampage
- Spy Hunter
- SunFlowers
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