As this semester comes to a close, you finally realise that you don’t really have the necessary notes you need to feel optimally prepared for the upcoming exams. You do what any person undergoing a shock would do – call up all your contacts to find an equally unprepared friend and find relief that you are not alone in this dilemma (and, fascinatingly, it works every damn time). Just to make matters worse, here is a list of new game releases that you will be missing out on for a really long time:

Far Cry 4
The Far Cry series has set a whole new benchmark in the genre of open world, sandbox games. While Far Cry 3 was set in the wild, humid tropics, the latest instalment of the series will have you explore the chilly mountain ranges of Kyrat. Don’t bother checking the map, Kyrat is a fictional setting nestled in the Himalayas. The players will set into the shoes of the new English speaking Nepalese protagonist – Ajay Ghale, who returns to his native hometown of Kyrat to spread his mother’s ashes. He is unwittingly caught in the tide of a civil war, where the rebels struggle to fight against the despotic regime of a psychotic King – Pagan Min. The cinematic trailers and gameplay snippets have shown just how much effort the developers are putting in, to push the next-gen systems to its limits. Apart from the promised graphic upgrade, the other new features include: wide choice of armaments, different variety of flora and fauna, new modes of transport like auto-rickshaws (don’t forget to set down the meter) and a freaking six tonne elephant! Oh and it also has a grappling gun to go “Na na na na na na Batman” with. The game is set to release on the 18th of November, 2014. While Ajay is out exploring the vast expanse of the Himalayas and trading bullets with the local colours, why don’t you open that book that has been gathering dust on top of the shelf?

Dragon Age Inquisition
After the disappointment that was Dragon Age 2, the latest instalment seeks to redeem itself. With the game already being reviewed and praised by critics worldwide, I was encouraged to raise my hopes up again for this new RPG game by Bioware softwares. Dragon Age Inquisition is, as the previous instalments of the series, a very story driven game with lots and lots of dialogue. The developers have promised greater story immersion, with plenty of decision making that will inadvertently affect how the story unfolds. Many of the previous characters are to make a cameo in the game bringing back fond memories and nostalgia. Dragon Age Inquisition does not linger on the past though, you, an ‘inquisitor’, are set into the path of saving the world from itself, as it threatens to implode. As an inquisitor you are responsible for the safety of your people and travel across vast, different territories, which are independent of each other and accessible only through the map. Looking at the many video reviews, it looks like the combat system has lost its awkward clumsiness and the graphics are just eye-popping. Maybe it is time to put Skyrim to pasture while we try out this bad boy as it released on the 18th of November on console and 21st of November for the PC. Oh, dang! We have exams, don’t we?!

Grand Theft Auto 5
Yes, yes. We all know that GTA 5 came out last year and everyone had the chance to play it. Well, everyone that owned a previous gen console that is. For months, console owners have laughed and mocked the PC and the next gen consoles for its inability to play this masterpiece developed by Rockstar Studios. Well, they aren’t laughing anymore. That’s right, folks. GTA 5 is now making an appearance in the next gen consoles boasting of better graphics, refined gameplay and some neat surprises. The re-mastered edition for the PS4 and X box One is due to release on November, the 18th. Unfortunately, PC owners, #gamingmasterrace, will have to wait till January for their edition, which doesn’t really matter as you wouldn’t have been able to touch the keyboard anyways. Imagine the world of Los Santos in ultra HD with new contents the next time you hit your books.

Shadows – Heretic Kingdom
The gaming market seems to be flooded with fast paced and cinematic FPS or the watered down arcade games to entertain the novices that only look to pass time rather than commit hours into gameplay. It has been a long time since any good old school RPG has hit the market since the release of Diablo 3 and Path of Exile. Then my eyes fell towards a lesser hyped Shadows – Heretic Kingdom, developed by GamesFarm. This point and click game shows promise of countless hours of level farming, loot collecting and character building that would make any RPG fans jump with glee. The early access to the game is available on steam which shows off two of the three heroes we can choose to play (the archer and the barbarian. Sorceress is unavailable in early access.). The story line follows the usual ‘world in dilemma’ thread, but your character is what makes the gameplay a little different than other games like Diablo. You are a devourer, a demon with the ability to consume souls and control the bodies of men. The game is divided into two worlds – the material world and the shadow world – and you can jump from these two worlds seamlessly by switching between your demon or the mortal body that you chose to posses. This may allow for a whole new angle of strategy in combat and exploration. The game is set out for a full release on the 20th of November. Yet another game to ponder upon while Karl Marx and calculus refuse to make sense.

Assassins Creed Unity
There has never been a dull moment in the Assassins Creed Universe…scaling impossible heights or jumping from atop the tallest towers all with the push of a single button. You always took care to plan your assassinations methodically, playing and replaying every mission just to discover the most efficient way of killing your target. Or, if all the sneaking around bored you, there was always the flamboyant sword fights you could get into, beautifully animated and orchestrated to give us some of the most smooth gameplay. With a franchise known for its historical depth and great sandbox features, its new instalment has been very much awaited for a long time. Assassins Creed Unity is set in the era of revolutionary France where both wine and bloodshed flowed aplenty. You play as a French Assassin named Arno Dorian. What makes the story a tad bit complicated is the Arno’s dad is a high ranking templar and Arno himself is in love with a templar named Elise De LaSerre. Who are the templars? Only the mortal enemy of the Assasins that have been locked in an eternal battle of brawns and wits. Assasins Creed Unity boasts of some of the most bold new changes which include better parkour mechanics, scene transition without loading screens, ability to render 8000 character models at a time without busting a sweat, re-invented stealth and cover system and hardened the combat system to encourage players to play an Assassin game the way it’s meant to be played – stealthily. The game released on the 11th of November but not without problems. Complaints ranged from random glitches, connectivity issues and the most notorious 30fps controversy. But you can be glad you don’t have to worry about such things as you have other things to think about right now…

Ambiso Tawsik
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