This could be the biggest holiday season ever for video games as big-time franchises push out sequels and classic games get an HD upgrade. Headlining the holiday season is the battle between “Modern Warfare 3,” the predecessors of which broke sales records, against “Battlefield 3,” which has players looking to take their gaming to a more team-based objective style of play. This season is shaping up to be one that will leave gamers with tough decisions on what to buy.
Batman: Arkham City
Oct. 18 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Nov. 8 on PC
The sequel to 2009’s “Arkham Asylum,” “Arkham City,” features many of the same style elements as the original game. To go along with that stealthy style of play, players will have an array of new gadgets as well as a chance to play as Robin and Nightwing if they get the Downloadable Content packs that are due out on Nov. 1 and 22.
Battlefield 3
Oct. 25 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and iOS
Finally, co-op has come to Battlefield, though split screen is not available. Also new is the Battog, which acts as social media for the game as well as a way to track friends and other players’ progress and view their records. Team Deathmatch, which hasn’t been seen since 2002’s “Battlefield 1942,” is being brought back for multiplayer mode. The storyline of “Battlefield 3” takes place in the Middle East and centers on a group of U.S. Marines.
GoldenEye 007: Reloaded
Nov. 1 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3
The classic Nintendo 64 game is back and revamped with a better game engine, improved graphics and features new to the franchise (but not the industry). “GoldenEye” has some nostalgic gamers excited for its release.
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Nov. 1 on PlayStation 3
The Uncharted series is like no other game on the market. It’s one part movie and one part game, and it’s back with its third installment. Drake is back on another treasure adventure along with his usual cohorts Sully, Elena and Chloe. This time around, the villain, voiced by Helen Mirren, is out to get Drake and use him to find a treasure.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Nov. 8 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii and Nintendo DS
COD fans, you can stop complaining about how bad Black Ops is and stop playing it cause it is the newest one out, because MW3 will be coming out this November. I’m expecting this to be a good Call of Duty, even though it technically isn’t a Call of Duty. For those of you that played “Modern Warfare 2,” expect a game with similar mechanics and play style with some twists to the online portion of the game.
Kill streaks are a thing of the past and are replaced by the new point streaks, which are earned for kills, objective play and with a perk assists. Look out for other changes to the multiplayer mode including a new game mode called Kill Confirmed. A new mode altogether called survival mode will be introduced. It will operate like a horde mode.
As for the single player campaign, I simply cannot wait. “Modern Warfare 2” left me wanting more two years ago, and I can’t wait to be back with Capt. Price and John “Soap” MacTavish. Also, developer Infinity Ward has scheduled monthly Downloadable Content for those that are going to buy “CoD: Elite” or get the upgraded version.
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
Nov. 8 on PlayStation 3
For those of you who are Metal Gear Solid fans, the franchise is set to release “Metal Gear Solid 2,” “Metal Gear Solid 3” and “Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker” in a combination pack in preparation for next year’s completely new title “Metal Gear Solid: Rising.” While there aren’t any changes to the actual story or gameplay itself, the game has been brought up to a higher definition, with 60 frames per second.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Nov. 11 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC
“Skyrim” is the fifth installment of the Elder Scrolls series. It takes place 200 years after oblivion. “Skyrim” is an open-world game like the previous one, where the objective is to dragon god, destined to destroy the world. Players can choose and develop their characters, and the choices made will affect gameplay.
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
Nov. 15 on PlayStation and Xbox 360, Nov. 29 on PC
In the fourth installment of this series, the three main characters from each of the previous games will be featured. Altair, Ezio and Desmond will each have their own quest and task that will tie into the gameplay. New weapons are also being introduced. A big one is the introduction of bomb crafting . Eagle vision and a weapon called the hook blade that’s used for zip lining are also new to this game.
Halo: Combat Evolved
Nov. 15 on Xbox 360, PC and Mac
The 10th anniversary of one of the biggest video game franchises brings a revamped version of the game that started it all. This game will be similar to the original, except with HD graphics, assassinations, co-op mode and a completely remastered campaign. Players will have the option to turn the HD graphics on and off at any time during gameplay to give them the feel of the old game or to see how far gaming graphics have come in 10 years.
