ODE TO JOYPADS
Best of the button-bashers…
NINTENDO SWITCH WITH SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY RRP £329
It’s been a wonderful debut year for Nintendo’s hybrid console. Off to a flyer with the astonishing Breath Of The Wild, Switch has its second copper-bottomed classic with its latest Mario game. A sprawling and dazzlingly versatile adventure, Odyssey lets the intrepid plumber fling his cap at enemies – from goombas to T-rexes – to inhabit them. Consistently inventive and funny, it’s the ideal game to kickstart the festivities.
STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT II RRP from £49.99 pC, pS4, Xbox one
Landing just before The Last Jedi hits cinemas this festive season, EA’s shooter sequel is a near-cert for the Christmas number one slot. Gathering characters from all three eras, its dynamic online battles let you pit Rey against Vader, or have Phasma and Palpatine fighting side by side. Lone players, meanwhile, can sink their teeth into a brand new story mode that casts you as the leader of an Imperial Special Forces group.
xBOx ONE x RRP £449.99
Touted as “the most powerful console ever made”, Microsoft’s upgraded model is firmly aimed at tech connoisseurs. Designed for Ultra HD displays, it comes with a 4K Blu-ray player, and offers superior resolution and performance for existing games. It’s short on essential exclusives, but the mesmeric animation of Cuphead should look better than ever.
CALL OF DUTY: WWII RRP from £47.99 pC, pS4, Xbox one
Abandoning the future tech of recent entries, Activision has chosen to keep its boots on the ground as COD returns to history’s deadliest conflict for the first time in nine years. No mod cons means no regenerating health: if you’re shot you’ll need to find a medic, and you’re forced to share ammo with squadmates. Pacifists can capture rather than kill enemies, earning experience for their clemency to unlock new skills.
ASSASSIN’S CREED ORIGINS RRP from £47.99 pC, pS4, Xbox one
A fresh start for Ubisoft’s blockbuster series, Origins rewinds to ancient Egypt, pitting protagonist Bayek – the first in the Assassin lineage – against a shadowy organisation pre-dating the Templars. With a literal interpretation of ‘eagle vision’ letting you fly a bird over unexplored territory to scout enemies, alongside improved stealth and combat, it should provide rather better holiday entertainment than this year’s movie adap…