Video game launches have a way to generate hype in ways that boggle the mind. Hype trains start months, sometimes years, in advance, and every little bit of information sends the masses of fans into frenzies. This is especially true when it’s a huge game that already has legions of supporters.
But sometimes hype trains don’t exactly check for a clear track before setting off. This often leads to huge games colliding within launch windows and that can lead to some strong competition as gamers are stuck with the decision of which one to pick up. We’ve already seen this in action this year when Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and Mad Max released on the same day.
Two games due to go head to head in the near future are Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and Halo 5: Guardians. With Syndicate hitting store shelves this Friday, and Halo 5 doing so on Tuesday Oct. 27, these two beloved franchises will be fighting for the hard earned cash of gamers. For many, this will mean having to make a difficult decision.
On the one hand you have the latest entry of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Its open world history based action and new found focus on the single player experience is set to win back fans who may have felt a bit burned by Unity and everything it brought along with it. Ubisoft has listened, and after a few hands-on sessions it’s clear that they were genuine in their apologies and are tracking towards delivering something worthwhile. Set in London during the dawn of the industrial revolution, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate feels as new as it looks, which is something the series was sorely needing. Add in the dual protagonists, offering completely different play styles for players to experiment with (no issues animating certain characters this time), and you have a game worthy of your attention.
On the other hand, you have what may prove to be the Master Chief’s final adventure. It’s no secret that there are millions of fans who buy Xbox consoles for the sole purpose of playing Halo, and it’s for good reason. Halo is one of the leading franchises in the FPS scene. It offers a prolific and perpetually popular competitive multiplayer alongside a deep story that expands beyond the video games. Halo 5 Guardians lets players take control of two different teams with two very different goals as they search for the truth behind Master Chief and whether or not he is the hero we’ve all been led to believe he is. Multiplayer returns to form as well as introduces new ways to play together with the Warzone mode. All in all, Halo 5 is shaping up to be a solid exclusive for the Xbox One to kick off the holiday season with.
Both of these games are making the effort to switch up the formula while also delivering content that the established fan base is sure to love. So how do you choose? For some, it will be easy to say that they’re different enough to justify the purchase of both, and those individuals have a point. But, when you step back and look at the upcoming video game schedule, you’ll quickly see that there are a lot of games set to release during this holiday season, with many of them being highly anticipated. That simple fact makes this upcoming head-to-head all the more thought provoking.
Halo 5 has the benefit of being an exclusive title so it doesn’t have to worry about appealing to a wide range of platforms. Many Xbox fans like Halo so they’ve got a solid base of customers awaiting the release. Of course this hasn’t stopped them from still getting the word out there with constant updates, the Hunt the Truth campaign, and even Master Chief showing up at a football game (that last one may have had nothing do do with Microsoft, he probably just likes football). The improved AI, four player co-op with different fleshed out characters, and suspenseful narrative also help make for one heck of a push to buy.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is releasing on three platforms (PS4, Xbox One, and PC). That gives it a lot of wiggle room in terms of pushing units. The PS4 doesn’t have a major exclusive due out for quite some time, so most fans looking for something new will turn towards Evie and Jacob along with their assassination exploits. The real battle will be faced on the Xbox One. What Halo 5 definitely has over Syndicate other than the fact that it’s one of the Xbox One’s heavy hitters is that it isn’t coming off of a notoriously bad release. Even if Unity wasn’t as bad as many people claimed it to be, it is remembered as a horribly broken game with horrifying images that can easily place it on a Halloween gaming list. Syndicate is meant to be an apology and a return to form, but an apology means nothing if all of the trust is lost already.
Ubisoft is hoping that a focus on single player experience will make fans feel warm and fuzzy about the franchise once again. Between the strong female protagonist who is more than just a re-skin of her brother, new technology like trains and rope launchers, and interesting new mechanics such as parkouring on moving vehicles and brutal situation specific finishers, Ubisoft is hoping that all this will help to erase the sour taste delivered to fans last year. Even then, nothing is certain. The fact that they’ve listened is a great sign, but only time will tell what will come of the shift in direction.
Each game has already cast its lot, and their release dates are so close that you can almost hear them running on your platform of choice. Although a last minute delay isn’t unheard of, it’s pretty safe to say that neither game is budging as we reach the end of the home stretch. What it comes down to is you, the fans, those who purchase games and ultimately decide which is most deserving with the power of your collective wallets.
Is Halo 5: Guardians, the fifth entry in the Master Chief saga, a series that hasn’t really let anyone down and continues to set a standard with each new generation going to be the victor between these two for you? Or, is Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and its apology in the form of something more refined enough to make you give them yet another chance? This is only the first major face-off this year, but it is certainly one of the biggest. As these hype trains make their way into the station you can’t help but wonder if they’ll arrive safely or if there will be one decisively nasty collision as one steals all of the thunder.
If you’re fortunate enough to afford both awesome! If you can only pick one though, which one are you getting? Let us know in the comments!
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