How to beat the Winter gaming drought

In lieu of our “Games you can play this week” feature, we are providing some valuable consumer advice. The reason for this is that, well, there are not many new games you can play this week.

Retrobooster and The Red Solstice go live on Steam this week, and Wii Sports Club for the Wii U hits the shelves in SA.

Despite the lack of new titles, you can still go out there and get a game you have never played before, and a good game at that. Here are some of the better games that released this year that you should try. Pick one off the list you have not played, get it, and ride out the drought.

Transistor

RRP – R250.00

Platforms – PC, PS4

Metacritic – 83

Supergiant Games’ sci-fi RPG released right before payday in May, meaning that most people did not get it. If you are considering the game now, it received great reviews all-round, and has been touted as a must-play. Play as Red as she travels through a series of locations, battling enemies in both real-time and frozen strategic combat.

Wolfenstein: The New Order

RRP – PS4 R749.00, PC R499.00

Platforms – PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Metacritic – 82

One of the greatest FPS released this year might have flown in under your radar. For those of you who saved for Watch Dogs and ignored the Nazi-slaying title, shame on you. The New Order was amazing. Its fresh take on the FPS genre, non-cliché dialogue and voice acting, and Wolfenstein-esque Nazi killing make this a must play.

Thief

RRP – Console R599.00, PC R399.00

Platforms – PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Metacritic – 70

Thief might not have received the best reviews ever, but the game is a solid stealth title which will keep you entertained. I have to say that I did abandon Thief for a while, but I am playing it again and enjoying it. If you like stealing things and shooting people in the knees with arrows, give Thief a go.

Bound By Flame

RRP – Console R599.00, PC R399.00

Platforms – PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360

Metacritic – 56

There comes a time in a gamer’s year where he or she craves to buy a new game, but are scared to make a purchase. Bound by Flame was that game for many, including me. After taking the plunge and purchasing it, I can say that it’s not bad at all. Sure, it has a wonky story, but its combat and customisation options are great. This game will cure your boredom.

Child of Light

RRP – R250.00

Platforms – PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PS Vita

Metacritic – 81

Do not be afraid of its whimsical music and artistic vibe, Child of Light is a solid RPG. The Ubisoft game packs a decent punch despite its small size, and you will love the time you spend with Aurora. Considering its relatively cheap price, this is a no brainer.

South Park: The Stick of Truth

RRP – PC R399.00

Platforms – PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Metacritic – 85

There is not much I can say about this game without being crude and using many asterisks. South Park: The Stick of Truth was a combination of the award-winning series and solid RPG action, rolled into one gaming being that has a crack addiction. In short, it was great.

Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Expansion

RRP – R399.00

Platforms – PC, Mac (Coming to PS4 soon)

Metacritic – 87

The content that gets added to Diablo 3 in the Reaper of Souls expansion is packed full of new features, loot, and quests. Blizzard stripped down the game and rebuilt it the way it should have been made in the first place, particularly in the “limbs flying everywhere” department. Reaper of Souls was a second bite at the apple that made Diablo 3 worth playing.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

RRP – PC R419.00

Platforms – PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Metacritic – 58

An expensive rubbish game is a game to stay away from, but a cheapish rubbish game is not always a bad buy. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is not a game of the year contender, but if you are looking for a solid hack-n-slash title you should pick this up.