New Game Releases: Gran Turismo 6, Star Wars: The Old Republic – Galactic Starfighter, And More

There were multiple different hangovers to power through to make this week’s edition of the new video game releases possible. I’m not talking about the kind that come after overindulging in adult beverages either. First there was the hysteria of back-to-back new console releases. Then that was followed by the annual tryptophan and carb-fest we call Thanksgiving.

(Fun fact: egg whites and cheese contain more tryptophan than turkey.)

There’s yet another kind of hangover to talk about too, which is the fact that there aren’t all that many new titles out this week. The industry pretty much shot its proverbial wad last month; understandably, given the circumstances.

But never fear. We turned over every rock, searched every Google, and asked all of our informants to come up with four noteworthy new releases. We even cheated and included mobile games, but since I write often about that part of the industry, it didn’t take much arm-twisting for me to go there.

In any case, here’s what to look for over the next seven days:

“Star Wars: The Old Republic” — Galactic Starfighter expansion (PC) – December 3

In retrospect, it seems pretty amazing that BioWare and EA decided to release a big budget “Star Wars” MMO without space battles in it. I mean, “The Old Republic” did have those rail shooter space levels in it right from the start, but I mean real duels between starfighters. They were a pretty big part of the original three films if I recall correctly.

Well, better late than never, right” With “Galactic Starfighter,” “SWTOR” gets around to rectifying that oversight from its initial launch, allowing players to duke it out in sweet-looking PvP battles in space. Seriously, this looks like a big enough deal to give the game another shot if you are a lapsed player, or to try it out for the first time. Fingers crossed…

“Rainbow Moon” (Vita) – December 3

This is a tactical RPG that was released last year for PS3 and… Look, I’m not going to lie, that’s about all I know. But I told you four new games, and darn it, this counts.

“Assassin’s Creed: Pirates” (iOS, Android) – December 5

It seems kind of humorous to me now that everyone made it seem like the “Assassin’s Creed” series had jumped the shark with “AC III,” but then “Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag” came out, and those same people were back on the bandwagon. That’s the power of pirates!

Now fully aware of this, Ubisoft has this mobile game ready to go all-in on the theme. Expect plenty of nautical battles, treasure, customizable ships, and much more as you live out the adventure of Alonzo Batilla on your smartphone or tablet. Also the game is supposed to rock a special engine that makes the graphics kick butt on mobile devices. If its $5 price tag seems a little spicy, just remember: pirates, man. Pirates.

“Gran Turismo 6” (PS3) – December 6

I remember when every time a new “Gran Turismo” game came out, it was A Big Deal (patent pending). That’s not quite the case at this point, and with the next gen consoles out, will this latest edition become an anachronism since it’s only coming out for PS3? Let’s say it’s a definite maybe.

Since I’m still stuck in the last gen, I have to admit that I might be giving this one a look. It’s boasting 33 tracks, 1200 cars, and some new features to go along with the usual goodness. With the PS4 and Xbox One racing launch titles getting only lukewarm reviews, maybe we shouldn’t sleep on this old warhorse.