Ubisoft, in recent years, has become a publisher that thrives on sequels and spin-offs, keeping a few popular games afloat year after year with follow-ups and reinventions. With For Honor, however, the company set out to build something brand new, not just in the sense that it’s not a sequel, but in the sense that’s it’s almost wholly unlike anything the publisher has done before. The melee and multiplayer focus of For Honor‘s knights-versus-samurai-versus-Vikings gameplay is a far cry from the tower-climbing open-world games and shooters that have become Ubisoft’s bread and butter. Whether the gamble will pay off remains to be seen, but it’s exciting to see one of the biggest brands in gaming trying something wildly new.
Read on to get the lowdown on all the new releases, including our picks for the most exciting games out this week. And if you’re wondering about future release dates, check out EGM’s full list of gaming release dates in 2017 and beyond, updated regularly as new dates are announced.
EGM’s top picks for this week:
For Honor (February 14th)
Available for: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Why we’re excited: Who doesn’t want to bash in someone’s head with a war-axe? The early buzz: Ubisoft waited until just before launch to turn the servers on for reviewers, so no scores are out yet. That might be reason to be wary, but multiple betas have proven wildly successful, and the buzz is pretty good among players so far. Battle ready: Still not sold on For Honor? Check out EGM reviews editor Ray Carsillo playing through 15 minutes of Dominion, all in crisp 4K.
Sniper Elite 4 (February 14th)
Available for: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Rebellion Developments
Developer: Rebellion Developments
Why we’re excited: The Sniper Elite games have always carved out an excellent niche among shooters by focusing on stealthy and (obviously) long-range solutions to combat, and this fourth installment seems poised to continue the trend. The early buzz: The game’s currently sitting pretty in the green on all three platforms on Metacritic. It’s at a 76 out of 100 average on PC, a 77 on PS4, and an 82 on Xbox One. Not bad at all. The Sound and the Führer: One of the things that sets Sniper Elite apart from other shooter series is its World War II setting—and DLC that lets you kill Hitler. Sniper Elite 4 continues the tradition with the Target Führer pre-order bonus mission.
Halo Wars 2 Ultimate Edition (February 17th)
Available for: Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Developer: 343 Industries, Creative Assembly
Why we’re excited: Creative Assembly, the team behind the Total War series, brings a strong pedigree to a sequel to one of the best console RTS games of all time. The early buzz: No reviews just yet, but EGM’s Ray Carsillo has gone hands on and hasn’t shut up about how much he’s dominating everyone he plays online. We’d say more, but Microsoft would probably have us killed. Sneak attack: You might be thinking that Halo Wars 2 wasn’t supposed to launch until next week. You’re right, but those who pick up the more expensive Ultimate Edition can get in a few days early. If you don’t want to shell out the extra cash, the game will be out for everyone on Tuesday, February 21st.
Also releasing this week:
February 14th
9Dragons (PC)
Among the Innocent: A Stricken Tale (PC)
Animal Lover (PC, Mac, Linux)
Battle Islands: Commanders (PS4, Xbox One)
Boor (PC, Mac, Linux)
Bridge Constructor (Vita)
City of Rott: Streets of Rott (PC, Mac, Linux)
Elaine (PC)
Flywrench (PS4)
For Honor (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Fumiko! (PC, Linux)
Heartomics: Lost Count (PC)
Holy Potatoes! We’re in Space?! (PC, Mac, Linux)
iO (PS4, Vita)
The Joshua Bell VR Experience (PS4, PSVR)
Monkey Land 3D: Reaper Rush (PC)
Monster Loves You! (PS4)
MX Nitro (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Neo Atlas 1469 (PC)
Resident Evil 7: Banned Footage Vol. 2 DLC (PS4)
Revolve (PC, Mac, Linux)
Ride 2 (PS4, Xbox One)
Semispheres (PS4, PC)
Sniper Elite 4 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Star Trek Online: Agents of Yesterday (PS4, Xbox One)
Toy Odyssey: The Lost and Found (PS4)
Vertical Drop Heroes HD (PS4, Xbox One, Vita)
February 15th
Copoka (PC)
Hidden Folks (PC, Mac, Linux)
Sky Ride (PS4)
Soul Searching (PC, Mac, Linux)
Syren (PC, Rift, Vive)
Treehouse Basketball (PC, Vive)
The Wardrobe (PC, Mac, Linux)
February 16th
Bucket Detective (PC, Mac)
Herald: An Interactive Period Drama (PC, Mac, Linux)
Homebound (PC, Rift, Vive, OSVR)
Mall Empire (PC)
Realpolitiks (PC, Mac, Linux)
Starry Nights Helix (PS4)
Tank Troopers (3DS)
February 17th
All the Delicate Duplicates (PC)
Circles (PC, Mac)
The Curse Of Yendor (PC)
Entangle (PC)
Halo Wars 2 Ultimate Edition (Xbox One, PC)
Jet Hero (PC, Mac)
The Mooseman (PC, Mac)
Munch VR (PC, Rift, Vive)
Pixel Puzzles Junior (PC)
Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion: HD Renovation (PC)
Vertical Drop Heroes HD (Xbox One)
February 18th
Typoman (Xbox One)
February 20th
The Journey: Bob’s Story (PC)
Virus Crashers (PC)