Hot Games of the Week Reviewed: November 11

November is the money month in video games, meaning you’ll need a ton of it to keep pace with all the amazing games on shelves. The past week alone has brought out a bevy of heavy hitters, and the next  week delivers just as many budget-busters. This week I’ve rounded up the latest current-gen Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, a Halo roundup and the premiere new Microsoft IP, Sunset Overdrive. Next week will bring the new Dragon Age, Super Smash Bros., a last-gen Assassin’s Creed and Pro Evolution Soccer. It’s a good time, albeit an expensive one, to be a gamer.

Reviews by Phil Villarreal. Phil is an author, blogger and Twitterer. Publishers provided review copies.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

(PS4, Xbox One, $60, Mature)

Buy Assassin’s Creed Unity here

Shifting the scene to Revolution-era France, the series goes back to its stealthy, open-world basics while stretching its multiplayer concepts to invigorating new frontiers. Eighteenth century Paris comes to life with incredible detail, filled with buildings that make for excellent rooftop running, interiors crammed with hideouts and secrets, and historical figures who manage to teach you history while paying and otherwise coercing you to chase down and kill people. Stirring voice acting and brilliant motion captured performances create cutscenes and gameplay that are stunningly cinematic. The sounds and sights of the streets work as a time machine that rivals the powers of the Animus-like Helix itself.

Multiplayer is refreshing, allowing as many as three partners to team up with you to take down certain missions, letting you form either a crack squad of elite hunters, or bumbling gang of goofballs who exist to screw with one another. The world teems with unlockables that are a joy, rather than a chore, to discover. And while Unity may be missing the seafaring scope of Black Flag, its commitment to delivering a stealth/action hybrid steeped in mesmerizing historical lore pays off. Probably the most replayable Assassin’s Creed to date, Unity is a brilliant Parisian sandbox in which it’s a joy to stalk and explore.

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Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

(PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, $60, Mature)

Buy Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare here

It’s a given that each year’s Call of Duty will dominate the multiplayer shooter corner of the console world, but the past couple games have left solo players out in the cold. That trend ends with Advanced Warfare, which eschews the safe route of realistic combat to pile on sci-fi elements. Adding Kevin Spacey as a Machiavellian political manipulator was just the right touch, fusing the gravitas of Spacey’s Netflix series House of Cards with a crackling paramilitary tale of corporate warfare worthy of Tom Clancy. The grim and unflinchingly brutal tale of enduring brotherhood and conflicting loyalties flows throughout the series’ trademark eyebrow-torching set pieces.

The multiplayer portion plays it safer, sticking with the meat and potatoes that has shot the series up to its commanding spot on the charts. You start off by loading out your set of success-driven perks, choosing 13 prizes you’ll pick up as you play, along with customizable supply drops and accessory-laden weapons. There’s a bit of a Titanfall and Halo-like feel to the multiplayer, since combatants wear superpowered exoskeletons equipped with jetpacks. The worry is that matches would devolve into silly, D.C Universe-like affairs, but the technological boosts are well-balanced and grounded enough to keep the integrity of matches.

You need strategy, communication and well-calibrated teamwork to survive team battles, and cunning deception to succeed as a lone wolf. Most importantly, the game nails the thrill and exuberance of the best titles in the series. This is a game that is a heck of a lot of fun to spend all night playing, then daydream about at work the next day before hitting it just as hard the next night.

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Halo: The Master Chief Collection

(Xbox One, $60, Mature)

Buy Halo: The Master Chief Collection here

Credit Microsoft for heaping value on a definitive package of mainline Halo remakes rather than going the cynical route and releasing the games one by one. You get all four Master Chief-starring Halo games (sorry, that means no Halo Wars, ODST or Reach), revamped from the ground up with current graphics and sound, all the multiplayer maps you chewed up in your dorm days, the avalanche of downloadable content that you spent too much money on, and a live-action drama series that rounds out the story. Touches abound for series loyalists. You can toggle back and forth between the new and original graphics.
Even if you’re only a casual Halo fan, the game is well worth a pickup for the sheer volume of stuff to see and do. You have to go back to The Orange Box (2007) for a comparable level of value crammed into a single package. Microsoft’s army of Xbox One cloud servers grants the series its most seamless multiplayer action to date, allowing for seemingly infinite options, smooth matchmaking and a rabid yet surprisingly friendly and welcoming community of enthusiasts. Even though this is no longer Halo‘s day, the spirit of the franchise is resurrected in an impressive package that should be the cornerstone of any Xboner’s library.

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MotoGP 14

(PS4, PS3, $60, Everyone)

Buy MotoGP 14 here

The current generation has precious few options for motocross racing, making MotoGP 14 a godsend for those who thrive on dirt track antics. Airtight controls, blisteringly detailed, creatively designed tracks and a beast of a career mode make the game a robust addition to a racing manaic’s game shelf. As solid as the game is, though, you’ve seen and heard just about everything the game has to offer if you’ve played any of the past entries. This is a game geared for those who want the same experience on a newer console.
Taking no chances and risking no opportunities to push the boundaries of the genre, the game performs well but lacks head-turning flash. In the era of Forza Horizon 2 and Mario Kart 8, it takes more to zoom out to the front of the pack. MotoGP 14 is content to stick with the safe lines and revel in its past success. Multiplayer racing is well-designed and easy to access, but the PS4 community has yet to grow to a critical mass that lets you find matches easily and whenever you like. That could change with a price cut, but for now the game’s stronger suit is single player.

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Urban Armor Gear Galaxy Note 4 Case

($40)

Buy Urban Armor Gear Galaxy Note 4 case here

At $300, the Note 4 is a hefty investment, and one well worth protecting by a case that would stand up to heavy, repeated faceplants. The Urban Armor Gear manages that task, while sacrificing only some of the phone’s sleek size and weight. The textured backing makes it easier to keep your grip on the device — making it tougher to drop in the first place — and the lip surrounding the screen keep the screen from suffering the brunt of the impact when it does take a spill.
The lone downside is that very lip also makes it a struggle to swipe your index finger over the fingerprint sensor to unlock the device. The tradeoff is a small price to pay though. The case is so tough it feels like it would protect your Note 4 from being run over by a truck. A case that gives you the protection of an Otterbox without the bulk or the price tag, the Urban Armor shell is built to withstand your worst.

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Sunset Overdrive

(Xbox One, $60, Mature)

Buy Sunset Overdrive here

Insomniac Games, which created the Ratchet and Clank and Infamous games for the PS3, switches teams to bring its distinctive brand of rail-sliding, wild weapon-blasting shoot-em-ups to the Xbox One. The result is an endlessly customizable romp that is far and away the most fun, laid back and lively shooter on the software-poor console. Set in a post-apocalyptic world gone wild, courtesy of an energy drink that transforms the mindless population into zombie-like bloodthirsty beasts, you romp through the open world, taking down story and side missions at your whim, growing your character into an unstoppable force.

A sold multiplayer suite is there, but seems tacked-on and unnecessary. Gamers who want to keep on enjoying the game are better off restarting characters with different builds and leveling them up to new strengths. There is more than enough on the single player side to keep you busy for months, and the fledgling online community could eventually grow into something worthy of the finely honed singe-player system. A short story will be bolstered by downloadable mission content, which was hopefully not held back from release in hopes of squeezing more cash out of devoted players. At least what’s included in the starting package is enough to make the game one of most joyously addictive shooters of the year.