This May, deep role-playing adventures from storied franchises lead the month’s console releases, packing intricate customization options, vast open worlds and a wealth of in-game content easily capable to keep players busy.
Other notable releases this month include a brand new title in the racing genre, boasting the most authentic video game driving physics to date, as well as a prequel to the latest entry in the cult classic Wolfenstein series, offering a refreshing break from the seemingly endless modern war first-person shooters.
Even though titles are not releasing nearly as frequently than they do at the end of the year, these few games provide more than just cheap thrills, adding quality experiences to the current console and PC game catalogue.
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – May 5
As one of the oldest shooters in gaming history, Wolfenstein provided generations of games with unequivocal excitement, battling Nazis in an alternate history as they rise to power during World War II.
The series’ last offering, The New Order, was well received by critics and fans with its enthralling single-player campaign and unique story that draws a creative line between history and supernatural
Looking at screenshots and gameplay footage of The Old Blood, the weaponry, game mechanics like cover fire and dual-wielding weapons, and enemies that include zombies all allude to the 2001 smash hit Return To Castle Wolfenstein, which can only be considered a positive.
The standalone title developed by MachineGames is split into two separate campaigns set in the familiar Castle Wolfenstein and the German city Wulfburg as players control B.J. Blazkowicz on his mission to thwart the Nazi’s plan of harvesting artifacts for power.
Project CARS (Xbox One, PS4, PC) – May 7
Amidst the tenuous development process and seemingly endless delays, Project CARS is finally ready to be unleashed for racing fans on computer and current-generation consoles.
The new racing simulation from British developer Slighty Mad Studios sets itself apart from its contemporaries like PlayStation’s Gran Turismo and Xbox’s Forza Motorsports in a few ways,
CARS’ career-oriented single-player mode takes cues from sport titles that offer a similar experience like NBA2K’s MyCareer mode, allowing gamers to experience the weekend race events authentically, going through time trials to place for the main event.
Developed with professional racers and a loyal community of contributors, the attention to detail is apparent, from the expansive tuning system to the massive amount of tracks to race. This racing simulation should give the genre juggernauts healthy competition for years to come.
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – May 19
There are few games that effortlessly blend meaningful role-playing, versatile action and an immersive plot in a complete, cohesive package, let alone improve upon an already impressive experience for a second and third time.
Polish developers CD Projekt RED have perfected that very trinity, building an incredibly engaging and replayable franchise, never sacrificing quality for quantity and setting the stage for a grandiose finale to The Witcher trilogy.
The hype is real for The Witcher III: Wild Hunt. After two years of anticipation and multiple awards at expos and shows, protagonist Geralt’s story comes to a close in compelling and visually stunning fashion as he sets out to find the Child of Prophecy, a girl with world-saving powers.
A revamped combat system should still feel familiar to franchise players amidst some of the new additions, including horseback combat, a living economy, the ability to use a crossbow and an improved skill development system all make The Witcher III the biggest entry in the series.
The final chapter in Geralt’s journey features an incredibly diverse open world bigger than the environment in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and without loading times, seamlessly allowing for players to approach the game however they want.
All the above-mentioned additions and improvements only scratch the surface of potential The Witcher III: Wild Hunt possesses. Whether visiting Geralt’s story for the first or final time, this is an experience that should not be missed.
Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited (Xbox One, PS4) – June 9
What began as one of the most ambitious MMOs to be conceived, Elder Scrolls Online released with a rocky start, experiencing massive bugs and ultimately leaving more to be desired when it released in April 2014 on PC.
Now, ESO: Tamriel Unlimited is looking to conquer current consoles after finally finding its footing on computers with a new, buy-to-play business model and repairing many of the glitches that plagued the game at launch.
Other than the absence of text chat, the console ESO looks to be an exact port of the PC version with a few changes to cater it toward playing with a controller, mapping shortcuts and buttons in a way that feels familiar to Skyrim players.
The Elder Scrolls series is as comprehensive and critically acclaimed as any role-playing video game franchise, responsible for creating massive and intriguing worlds like Daggerfall, Morrowind and Skyrim. Elder Scrolls Online brings those three environments together in condensed form to allow thousands of players to roam together or, in traditional Elder Scrolls fashion, tackle the game’s story solo.
Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited will be the biggest name in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games on consoles come June 9, far superior to the few titles available in the genre currently like Neverwinter on Xbox One or DC Universe Online on PlayStation consoles and PC.
