“Zombie Army 4: Dead War” – 02-04-20

The fourth game in the “Zombie Army” series serves as a continuation of the story the last entries have set up. It promises a “shocking new campaign” with “award winning gunplay.” The controls can make or break a game, so this sounds enticing. So what is the story, anyway? Well, if you’re new to the series, this next part may be shocking. After casting zombie Hitler into Hell, you’d think your job was done; however, zombies aren’t known for staying dead. You are thrown back into the fray to slay a ton more. A fan favorite, the X-Ray Kill Cam alsoreturns. Now, you’d think It’s impressive they could do this in the first place, given how detailed the internal models are. However, allow me to explain a popular game design choice called “culling.” Culling is when you simply make the model less rendered at long distances. Basically, the farther away an object is, the blurier it is. This is what makes games like “Zombie Army” run so smoothly! In all, this new addition to the series is highly anticipated.

Playable On: PS4, XBOX ONE, PC

Publisher and Developer: Rebellion Developments

Genre: Shooter

“Darksiders Genesis” – 02-14-20

This prequel is technically already released, but it is coming to the consoles in early February. If you’re familiar with the Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the 7 Deadly Sins, this will be easier to understand. A group of beings called the Council has kept the Balance across all of existence. However, they leave their dirty work to the Horsemen. There are more than 4 this time. You play as War and Strife while you fight your way through Hell. The demon king himself, Lucifer, is looking to upset the Balance and destroy all of creation. He has granted power to master demons all throughout Hell, and it’s your job to hunt them down. War is a barbarian type who wields a mighty sword called Chaos Eater. He has a hard time with temper management, but nonetheless is dedicated to be the best warrior he can be. Strife is slightly smaller and wields the dual handguns Mercy and Redemption. He serves the Council, but is always looking out more for himself. 

Playable On: PC, Stadia, PS4, XBOX ONE, Switch

Publisher: THQ

Developer: Airship Syndicate

Genre: Hack-and-Slash, RPG

“Persona 5 Scramble” – 02-20-20 (Japan)

You’d think that after the conclusion of “Persona 5,” your troubles would be over, however, all is not said and done for the Phantom Thieves of Hearts! The story picks up six months after the events of the previous game, and the whole gang is on vacation. Somehow, they end up in a distorted version of Tokyo with more supernatural enemies. This installment is more of a mash-up of “Persona” and “Dynasty Warriors.” Recently, a two hour gameplay stream was made and that is only a sample of it all. If you want to watch only the boss fights from “Persona 5,” for example, that video alone is EIGHT HOURS. It is arguable that this is due to the turn-based gameplay, but there are so many bosses alone, not counting regular enemies and cutscenes. It’s a real challenge to make it through the whole game in one weekend even if you have the time. However, I think it’s well worth the effort. The endings to the “Persona” series are all memorable and feel like a neat and tidy end to the adventure.

Playable On: PS4, Switch

Publisher: Atlus

Developers: Omega Force, P-Studio

Genre: Hack-and-Slash, RPG