As we all know the next few weeks are going to be huge in terms of First Person Shooters.
We have:
- PayDay: The Heist (PSN, PC) on October 18th
- Battlefield 3 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) on October 25th
- 007: Goldeneye Reloaded (PS3, Xbox 360) on November 1st
- Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3) on November 8th
- Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary (Xbox 360) on November 15th
But what one is right for you?
Let’s take a look at the contenders.
PayDay: The Heist:
Good For:
- Team Co-op multiplayer. I’ve seen this described as a Left 4 Dead type or co-op experience where the only way to be successful is to work together.
- Your wallet. Its $19.99 price tag is very manageable, although it is admittedly high for a PSN title.
- PS3 and PC Owners. Sorry Xboxers this baby is exclusive to these two only.
Bad For:
- Communication. A teamwork based game on a system where nobody ever seems to have microphones could make for some frustrating rounds.
- The community. Of all the titles here this one will have the hardest time building a solid online following. Let’s hope it takes off.
- Variety – 6 missions at launch with the promise of more DLC to come, but the real question is, how much will this new DLC cost us?
Battlefield 3:
Good For:
- Impatient Gamers – it comes out a full 2 weeks before Call of Duty.
- Gamers Who want a change of pace: COD is COD is COD this, puts a different spin on tactical shooters.
- Vehicles – Over 20 different types!
Bad For:
- Gamers who buy pre-owned – EA’s online pass is required so you either buy it new or shell out an extra $10 to play online.
- Lacks mode variety. I realize there’s always DLC and such but out of the box the pickings are slim.
- Gamers Expecting COD. It’s similar but it’s not quite there yet.
007: Goldeneye Reloaded:
Good For:
- Anyone tired of the military shooter genre. Shocking as it may seem, there was a time when shooters weren’t about world wars and jungle combat.
- Crazy game modes. Escalation upgrades your weapon each kill, while Detonator Agent has a point multiplying bomb that must be passed off before it detonates, clearly these guys weren’t afraid to break the standard FPS model.
- Reliving the glory days of the N64.
Bad For:
- James Bond games have never been able to live up to the legend that was Goldeneye, there have been a few respectable titles over the years but nothing has come close to the Father of the console FPS. Keep your expectations in check.
- Oddjob. The online universe won’t follow the same No Oddjob rules you and your friends had a decade ago, so get used fighting Oddjob. You’ll be doing a lot of it.
- I know it looks like I’m gushing over this title, but I want to make it clear that the constant reuse of the Goldeneye license is a shameful money grabbing attempt, but hey, it could be worse. It could be Call of Duty James Bond: License to Kill.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3:
Good For:
- Playing with friends. Black Ops sold 7 million copies worldwide in the first 24 hours. You will know a lot of people with this game and will always be able to find someone playing it.
- Call of Duty fans – this seems redundant but If you’ve been playing Call of duty the past few years, you know what to expect. There’s nothing too Earth shattering about this.
- People who didn’t like Modern Warfare 2 – Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer have made a lot of changes to how perks and killstreaks are done to make gameplay more balanced.
Bad For:
- Fans of Zombies – that’s a Treyarch thing. Don’t expect to see it in MW3.
- Casual Gamers/Noobs – stay with me here – of all these games, which do you think is hardest for new players?
- Grades. Relationships and sleep.
Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary:
Good For:
- Gamers who like balanced gameplay – no perks, no weapon unlocks. Everyone starts the same, aside from armor abilities.
- Gamers on a budget – at $39.99 it’s the cheapest of the three.
- Xbox 360 Owners.
Bad For:
- Halo: Reach owners. It’s basically the same game with a couple new playlists and a few new maps.
- People used to killing enemies instantly. It’ll take more than a shot or two to bring your foe down (in most cases).
- PS3 Owners.
Be sure to check out:
Battlefield 3: A New Era for the Battlefield Franchise
A Detailed Analysis of the Battlefield and Call of Duty Franchises Part 1 and Part 2
Let us know in the comment section which game, or games you’ll be picking up this fall! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!