It’s a slow week for console game releases, with no new titles appearing on the Xbox One. Luckily the digital versions of Square-Enix’s Tomb Raider and Thief are both on sale for half off, so Xbox One owners shouldn’t suffer from game withdrawals just yet. Unless the downloadable Strike Suit Zero materializes next week, that will have to tide the Xbox One faithful over until April 8th when Kinect Sports Rivals and LEGO The Hobbit show up.
The Xbox 360 does have a couple of new games, at least. At retail, Activision has just released Cabela's Big Game Hunter: Pro Hunts at retail for the low price of $29.99. Konami also published a new Xbox Live Arcade game today: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium Duels. Both titles appear to be available only in North America for some reason. Descriptions, Store links, and details about next week’s Batman XBLA release after the break.
Cabela's Big Game Hunter: Pro Hunts
On consoles, the Cabela’s series is pretty much the only game in town for hunting aficionados. The games tend to be low-budget affairs, with relatively simplistic graphics and animation. But they’re also a lot of fun if you like shooting things, and they do sell at value prices.
Each Cabela’s release has a different angle to differentiate it from its huntin’ and shootin’ brethren. Pro Hunts features several famous hunting personalities as guides: Wade Middleton, president of Careco TV (?) and host of several TV shows; Jim Shockey, host of two shows on the Outdoor Channel; and Vicki & Ralph Cianciarulo, who appear on Archer’s Choice on the Outdoor Channel.
Pro Hunts sports environments that are four times larger than in previous Big Game Hunter titles. It also supports Activision’s Top Shot gun controllers.
- Cabela's Big Game Hunter: Pro Hunts – Xbox 360 – 2.9 GB – $29.99 – Xbox.com Link (not available at Amazon)
Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium Duels
Talk about coming out of nowhere. Millennium Duels is Konami’s second Yu-Gi-Oh! XBLA game, following the 2010/2013 release Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Decade Duels Plus. This one comes from developer Other Ocean Interactive (who previously made Decade Duels and a couple of XBLA stinkers like War of the Worlds for other publishers).
Not much is known about Millennium Duels; Konami didn’t even bother to add a text description for it at Xbox.com. It supports online matches with 2-4 players. Curiously, it only offers 200 GamerScore worth of Achievements instead of the now standard 400.
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium Duels – Xbox 360 – ? MB – $9.99 – Xbox.com Link
Next Week
If an under-described Yu-Gi-Oh XBLA game isn’t your thing, next week’s downloadable release for Xbox 360 (not Xbox One) might do the trick: Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate – Deluxe Edition from Austin-based Armature Studio and Warner Bros. Interactive.
Blackgate was originally released on Nintendo 3DS and Sony PS Vita as a portable companion to last year’s Batman: Arkham Origins. The story takes place three months after Arkham Origins, which was a prequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum. Famous enemies who show up include the Joker, the Penguin, Deadshot, Solomon Grundy, Black Mask, and Catwoman.
Although mainline Batman Arkham games have been taken place entirely in 3D, Blackgate utilizes a 2.5D perspective (two-dimensional gameplay with 3D graphics). This makes it play like a Metroid or Castlevania game – never a bad thing. The portable versions have been criticized for unresponsive combat and frustrating trial-and-error boss fights, though.
XBLA improvements include a new map and hint system, enhanced graphics, and additional voice-acting during cut scenes.
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate – Deluxe Edition is due out on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on Wednesday, April 2.
