February may be the shortest month of the year but plenty of amazing titles are coming in the next four weeks anyway. So make sure you book some of your time (or all, we don’t mind and won’t tell) to explore some of these worlds. Off we go with our list of upcoming games for February 2018!
Shadow of the Colossus
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Release Date: February 6
In this era of remastered versions, some titles resonate stronger than others. That’s the case of Fumito Ueda’s Shadow of the Colossus, the PlayStation 2 exclusive from 2005 that now comes as a remake in high-definition.
Bluepoint Games, the studio that directed the earlier PlayStation 3 remaster, has developed all game assets and control schemes from scratch while keeping the original essence. This new Shadow of the Colossus will especially benefit those playing on a PlayStation 4 Pro with its 4K resolution at 30 frames per second – but hey, it’s also looking great on the basic console.
If you have never played Shadow of the Colossus, this is the moment to dive in. This is a game of majestic creatures and unforgettable combats. Having the possibility of revisiting it in higher definition sounds like the perfect plan for a long weekend.
Civilization VI: Rise and Fall Expansion
Platforms: PC
Release Date: February 8
If turn-based strategic games are your thing, then you should be on the lookout for the first expansion of Sid Meier’s acclaimed Civilization VI. On the surface, Rise and Fall introduces eight new civilizations and nine new leaders, new wonders and extra ways of becoming the leader of everything that moves.
However, development team Firaxis has also worked on a second layer of game mechanics that build upon already existing systems. Oh, yes, Civilization VI is getting “even” more complex. As its name indicates, Rise and Fall is all about experiencing the thrills of your civilization’s ups and downs. As turns (or ages) keep on progressing, players will have to decide how they deal with all those factors which may potentially destabilize that great empire they built.
Dynasty Warriors 9
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release Date: February 13
The Dynasty Warriors saga is coming back with its 9th installment. The major novelty of this new title, when compared to its predecessors, is its size. It will be the first game to feature a giant open world environment. Basically, if you were to traverse the map from one side to the other, it would take you approximately three real-time hours. Fortunately for you, there will be plenty of enemies and story missions to keep you playing for much, much longer.
Dynasty Warriors 9 brings back the hack-and-slash elements players have come to love, tons of old and new characters (each of them with their own ending), and everything you may expect in an open world title: day and night cycles, different weather conditions and changes in the world depending on the status of the missions you take part in.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release Date: February 13
Branded as a “historically accurate” Skyrim, Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an interesting option for all medieval lovers out there. The creators, Warhouse Studios, have hatched a breathing and realistic open world that brings the essence of the early 15th-century directly to our screens. As you may imagine, beauty and brutality come hand in hand on these lands.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance plays with elements very familiar to all of us. It offers a classless RPG system, full skill customization and high doses of interactivity as we traverse the world and discover all the main and side quest lines. This game may have come silently under your radar but it has all the ingredients in place to keep you hooked for hours.
Bayonetta 1 & 2
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: February 16
The kick-ass Bayonetta does not really need introduction, does she? And yes, we are aware neither of these two games are new – but hey, they are coming to Nintendo Switch and that’s a novelty. From mid-February onwards, you can play them both in your brand new console while you wait for the third game’s release.
This is not the first time one of the Bayonetta titles was ported to modern platforms. The first game came out on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and was later on released on the Wii U and PC. Proof enough to confirm that the stylish witch with impossible weapon-heels will stay with all of us for a while.
Metal Gear Survive
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release Date: February 20
Is there life in the Metal Gear solid world after Hideo Kojima? The debate has always been on the table and we won’t enter into those waters now. Suffice to say that Konami placed their bet for continuity and the result of this is Metal Gear Survive. A title that follows a brand new storyline, somewhen between the events of Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain.
Metal Gear Survive is a survival, co-op game set up in an open world with plenty of brainless creatures craving for your death. According to its creators, it’s meant to be a “fresh take” on the series and, who knows, maybe the beginning of something new. What you may not know, however, is that Kojima toyed already with the idea of granting zombies a special protagonist role within the Metal Gear universe.
Whether the latest installment lives up to general expectations, that’s something we’ll need to see after playing it.
Past Cure
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release Date: February 23
You may have not hard about Past Cure until now – and that’s ok. We also did not know about it until recently but for everything it seems to offer, this indie third-person action game should definitely be on your radar. Unveiled last June, Past Cure puts us in the shoes of a former elite soldier, Ian, who struggles with memory loss and the consequences of some unearthly experiments done to him in the past. Dwelling between reality and nightmares, Ian launches a hunt against his captors and everyone standing in his way. Helping him is his brother and the nifty side-effects of those tests: time manipulation and telekinesis.
This thriller with dark psychological overtones taps on games we’ve enjoyed playing a lot: Max Payne, Alan Wake or Deux Ex, to name but a few. Ian may not have asked for any of his powers but we’ll surely warp the story around them – and let you know in a fanatical review.
Moss
Platforms: PlayStation VR
Release Date: February 27
Do you have a PlayStation VR set? And do you dig first-person adventure games with dainty touches and evocative settings? Then, and by all means, get yourself Moss and see the world through the eyes of an unconventional heroine.
Moss follows the story of Quill, a legend-in-the-making mouse, as she traverses the boundaries of her forest and into the unknown, following a chain of events that have to do with magic and also, with a dark villain brewing on the other side. With a foot on puzzles and another one on typical adventure elements, Moss looks like a relaxing game you can lose yourself in. On a personal note, this is exactly the type of title that makes me ponder about investing in a VR set.
So this is all for our list of upcoming titles for the new month that just started. Do you have any other on your to-play list you are dedicating yourself these weeks, Fanatics? Any other special game you are looking forward to playing? Let us know in the comment section down below and keep the game rolling!
