Why I’ll be playing (some of) this year’s big shooters

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You may have read why Chris won’t be playing this year’s big shooters, but I’m not quite ready to trade my holster for a pipe and slippers yet. I’m still holding out hope for a couple of big shoot-‘em-ups, so allow me to offer a brief rebuttal.

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by
Liam
Andrews

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@pass_controller

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Chris overlooked one heavy hitter that can turn this boxing match into a regular Royal Rumble – Gears of War 4. The series’ first foray since Microsoft flashed the cash and purchased the IP from Epic, placing it instead in the safe hands of The Coalition, is one I’ll definitely be picking up. As a fan of the original trilogy, and even Judgment (get back, ye devils!), I’m looking forward to seeing what new directions the series might head in.

Being the fifth game in a franchise that’s been around for just shy of ten years, there’s always a chance of fatigue setting in, but what I’ve seen of Gears 4 has me excited. The Coalition look to have achieved a decent blend of new and familiar when it comes to both gameplay and characters.

As for the season’s big players already mentioned by Chris, I’m firmly in Infinite Warfare’s corner. The Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2 betas cooled my anticipation for their respective releases, which piles pressure on the shoulders of the unexpected underdog to fly the FPS flag on my console this winter.

Like many others, I dropped out of the CoD scene once I’d had my fill of the Modern Warfare trilogy, and I’ve since been hoping one of the franchise’s many developers would come up with something to pull me back in. It’s a series that provided - much like in Chris’ case - my first experience with an online shooter, and one that holds some of my fondest gaming memories as a result, so it hurt to have left it behind.

Popular as it may be to hate on Infinity Ward’s latest effort, Infinite Warfare looks to be that game. It has a lot of potential; the ability to pick and choose missions whilst commanding your very own starship sounds like just the type of innovation the franchise was crying out for, and the future setting allows for some outlandishly fun weapon, gadget and narrative design.

The addition of Modern Warfare Remastered in the Legacy Edition is also a nice bonus, of course. No, I don’t buy into the controversy surrounding it.

But that’s enough of me trampling old-man Brand’s freshly mown lawn… Now it’s your turn! Will you be picking up any of this year’s big shooters? If so, which one(s)? Let us know in the comments or head on over to the forums and share your thoughts with us.

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