2014 Video Game Preview Podcast

Here is part 2 of the Cosmic Book News video game preview podcast. You can listen to part 1 here.

Ubisoft Roundup

The panel discusses Assassin’s Creed Unity as another “annual installment” series game (not unlike CoD) which is teased for a 4^th quarter release in 2014 in addition to another unnamed AC title that will probably be for last generation counsels. Dan needs some clarification as to some details of Watch Dogs. The panel discusses another very ambitious project by Ubisoft: Tom Clancy’s The Division. This game has been confirmed to NOT be releasing any time in 2014 and has even been suggested as a lucky shot if it’s ready by holiday of 2015!?! Regardless, the panel reviews what the game is about in addition to some of the unique selling points as well as a nice plug for MarcoStyleNL and his coverage of The Division.

Destiny

The panel discusses the significance of Destiny which releases September 9^th 2014 and how much of a splash Bungie’s first game made out from under Microsoft’s shadow. How strong will this franchise be and how well does it differentiate itself from Halo? Casey leads the discussion surrounding gameplay, setup and story, but will this game just be another FPS? Kevin seems to not care at all for this game because he has issues regarding some sci-fi shooting mechanics. A slight disagreement arises thanks to debating the quality of recent Halo games and the suggestion that Destiny is a definitive Halo alternative.

The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt

Unfortunately, the third installment of the fantasy/action/RPG has been delayed until February of 2015 (provided it does not get pushed back any further). Casey and John lead the discussion here and tempers runs pretty high regarding this game. John and Kevin almost come to blows concerning Kevin’s inability to complete games in general and having a “valid” opinion concerning another sequel in this series in particular. As a result, this segment is slightly abbreviated. Giuseppe has a chance to explain what about The Witcher appeals to him despite not having been able to play either of the previous two games.

Batman: Arkham Knight

Rocksteady is back with a vengeance developing the franchise that made Batman cool in video games. Batman: Arkham Knight releases October 14^th 2014 and the major gameplay twist is using the Batmobile to navigate Gotham City. The panel expects the same high level of satisfying combat and stealth, but how excited are we about more Riddler puzzles? Will this game feature time trials with the Batmobile? Will multiplayer from Arkham Origins return?