New Video Game Releases — Watch Dogs, Mario Kart 8 And More

When it comes to new video game releases, it’s about quality, not quantity.

After all, unless you’re lucky enough to be independently wealthy, you need to work, go to school, or do something other than just play video games all day. And that being the case, all you can really do is hope there are one or two good games out each week or two that are going to consume your free time for a bit.

Are there some this week that fit that description? Quite possibly. There’s a game that blew everyone away for two E3s in a row, then seemed to worry people as we got closer to its release. If you’ll excuse a sports analogy (and it’s coming regardless), this game reminds me of a quarterback who everyone says is going to be picked first overall before his last college season and then gets picked apart by draft experts for all of his perceived flaws.

The other notable new launch is the latest in a beloved franchise making its first appearance on an eighth-gen console. For some reason, its maker allowed it to be reviewed way ahead of time (not uncommon for this company, but still), and it’s always interesting to see how those advance impressions impact the way gamers feel.

But that seems like enough beating around the bush. Let’s jump into the new games:

Watch Dogs (PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, PC) – May 27

I’m not going to lie: I want this game to be awesome. The presentation that Ubisoft put together for Watch Dogs at E3 two years ago blew my mind, and even if you’re wary of it failing to deliver on the immense promise inherent in its high concept, it’s nice to see one of the big studios go for it with a new IP.

That being said, if this disappoints, look out. I worry about the big guys in gaming get even more risk averse, and that’s something we don’t need. In other words, Aiden Pearce, I’m rooting for you. Please don’t let us down.

The Sly Collection (Vita) – May 27

I’m not sure the Sly Cooper games are quite old enough to be classified as “retro gaming,” so we need another name for really good titles that are like eight to 15 years old. Whatever we devise, this collection of games belongs in that category.

It seems like there are more and more compelling reasons to own a Vita as time goes by. I’ve never been a huge fan of handhelds, but I think I’d consider buying one if I didn’t have kids. They’re pretty expensive.

Mario Kart 8 (Wii U) – May 30

The early reviews for this latest Mario Kart game are pretty darn good. It’s said to be graphically impressive and a lot of fun, and it’s got antigravity karts. If they had those in real life, I’d hand over all my monies to drive them.

Sadly, it seems like every Wii U game keeps inspiring the same question: will it convince people to buy the console who don’t already own one? I’m not so sure any entry in this series, no matter how well put together it is, can convince people to do that right now. Since we’ve already gone down the sports analogy road, let’s do it again: Nintendo doesn’t need doubles in the gap, it needs grand slams.

Also releasing this week: Mind Zero (Vita) – May 27

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