Real Talk By: KJ

This summer lineup has been quite possibly the slimmest in years (if we’re talking about major releases). What is a man to do? Well, I play what is available of course. Here is a list of titles that came right before or during summer, that have helped me maintain.

EA Sports UFC

It is the combination of a few things. The massive patch that was released, those insane graphics. These are some of the reasons im still playing. Trying to make new highlight reels, sharing with friends (and the world). Online fighting. Those are all great things, but here is the main factor. Since the major gameplay update, players can now finish the fight. This means folks can throw in extra hits before the ref slides in. The ability to touch gloves before a match-up is something that was missed, but added later as well. A bunch of other subtle, and major tweaks all added up to a more polished experience. Clobbering my friends with Bruce Lee, and playing a game that has gotten better over the summer months. EA Sports has helped make this summer a little more bearable.

Dynasty Warriors 8 XL

This was more of a spring release, but the hours clocked-in, go right into the red-hot months. Leveling up each of your favorite characters is a time-consuming but fun affair. The human interaction has really brought this title up a notch. We play the survival mode repeatedly over here. One or Two Players run the gauntlet against every general the game has to offer. We keep getting so close every time, but it is a lot of work. Mixing and matching your favorite characters, choosing the best duo. The obvious power team is Zhao Yun and Lu Bu. Of course there are plenty other modes to delve into, making XL the perfect summer fix.

Freebies

PS Plus, Xbox Live Gold Freebies. While PlayStation still has the edge on giveaway games, Xbox is finally creeping up. Recently Strike Suit Zero and Crimson Dragon dropped. While neither are 5 MF caliber titles, the effort to be more up-to-date is clear. With each month that goes during the summer, I look forward to adding new content to my collection. Or even stuff that I might have overlooked otherwise. It’s great for indie developers. It gives them more of an outlet. Players are going to give their game a shot. So, when a company releases another title, the consumer is already aware of the company/product. You see?

Mario Kart 8

The unpredictability of races. Smooth online play (even in split-screen). Fairly structured content packs coming later. Things like this add up. Basically, Mario Kart 8 hasn’t left my Wii U since its release. I forget what the disk even looks like. Every single track is fun to race on, and well designed, adding to its massive replay value. Though I have unlocked all the characters, vehicles seem to keep coming. The free Mercedes-Benz DLC that’s out now adds to that statement. Not much else to say about such a well-made title. Let’s race!

What Games Have Been Keeping You Busy This Summer?

#Summer @PlayLegit