Sure, it was Far Cry 3’s open world and gameplay that formed the base for Blood Dragon. However, while that game was marketed on the basis of its charismatic antagonist Vaas, Blood Dragon’s charm seeped through every pore of the game’s style and atmosphere. The gameplay itself was no slouch either, removing many of the limitations of Far Cry titles like fall damage and increasing movement speed. Keep in mind that we haven’t even gotten to the part where you ride an armored Blood Dragon with a laser turret in an all-out assault.

"On November 8th 2018, Kotaku journalist Jason Schreier revealed a rather interesting yet unsurprising fact – single-player DLC doesn’t usually sell very well."

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon wasn’t just a financial success, selling over 1 million copies and becoming the fastest selling downloadable title in Ubisoft’s history. It also stood out as one of the best Far Cry titles ever made, despite essentially reusing an entire map and having a shorter story. We had a feeling at the time that it would influence Ubisoft’s approach to DLC in the future, moving beyond the typical add-ons and expansions, but little did we know by how much.

On November 8^th 2018, Kotaku journalist Jason Schreier revealed a rather interesting yet unsurprising fact – single-player DLC doesn’t usually sell very well. Citing a “fair number of developers over the last few years”, Schreier explained that this was the reason that DLC for games like Dishonored 2 and Uncharted 4 would become standalone games, as seen in Dishonored: Death of the Outsider and Uncharted: Lost Legacy respectively. Even Hollow Knight’s upcoming Hornet-focused content was meant to be DLC but eventually expanded into Hollow Knight: Silksong (that’s still being given free to backers of the first game, mind you). So it’s not a scenario that’s isolated to just triple A games. It’s interesting when you think about it in other ways– how many games got ahead of the curb like Grand Theft Auto 5 which focused primarily on delivering GTA Online DLC (especially considering how Grand Theft Auto 4’s Episodes performed in sales)?

It’s a real case-by-case basis though. The Forza series, both Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon, continue to deliver expansion packs in addition to free content. Forza Horizon 4 actually leaned further into the games-as-a-service model, offering substantial content updates since launch along with expansion packs. Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds is another great example – even if DLC sales weren’t through the roof, Sony is able to offset costs thanks to other factors like hardware sales, console licensing fees, PlayStation Plus revenue, digital sales revenue cuts and much more.

Such a trend could also explain why games-as-a-service has taken such prominence in this day and age. Rewarding continued investment, taking advantage of the sunk-cost fallacy, etc are major factors, make no mistake. After all, why release substantial single-player content that would be tougher to produce and doesn’t provide a continuous revenue stream (forget the fact that many players may not even buy it)? You may be thinking of exceptions like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt which have seen strong revenue from their post-launch expansions. Keep that in mind as we delve further.

"Games-as-a-service titles aren’t looking to be “one-and-done” like traditional single-player expansions or DLC. They’re meant to be a recurring factor in your gaming life, squeezing out some additional revenue whenever possible."

Games-as-a-service titles are benefiting more from smaller content releases in between substantially larger content drops. Destiny, Destiny 2, Tom Clancy’s The Division, ideally Anthem and Fallout 76, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Overwatch and so on are prime examples. Path of Exile follows a set schedule of substantial Challenge Leagues while preparing mega-expansions for release every few years. Warframe’s approach last year saw a big expansion arrive with Fortuna and various smaller content drops since then like newer story episodes, Nightwave and so on. Even Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, which functions off of a subscription-based model, delivers a major paid expansion every two years. The one thing they all have in common is that they’re multiplayer/social-focused titles and not purely single-player offerings.

Perhaps the one major advantage that games-as-a-service titles have is that they account for players eventually leaving. Keeping them hooked is important, for sure, but the amount of competition in today’s market actually helps players “decompress” from the grinds of of games-as-a-service titles. By the time they return, there are new offerings and hooks to keep them engaged (and possibly spending some money). After all, it’s not like you hate the gameplay of Destiny 2 or Anthem so why not return when some new updates go live? Why not drop some money on Forsaken and the Annual Pass or on Anthem’s cosmetics?

Games-as-a-service titles aren’t looking to be “one-and-done” like traditional single-player expansions or DLC. They’re meant to be a recurring factor in your gaming life, squeezing out some additional revenue whenever possible.

Which makes Ubisoft’s approach to DLC over the past few years so interesting to observe.

"Of course, we all know what happened in 2014. Despite being fairly successful, Watch Dogs faced a firestorm of controversy over its graphical downgrades, bugs and much more."

Let’s go back to Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. A phenomenal standalone game in its own right but for all intents and purposes, it was DLC. It probably would have been successful as a smaller-scale DLC pack for Far Cry 3 but Ubisoft took a risk, pricing it at $20 and making it a digital-only title.

Things weren’t going too badly for Ubisoft before this. Assassin’s Creed was already a successful yearly sequel franchise – in fact, the publisher was experimenting with releasing a “full-fledged” Assassin’s Creed title and a side game at the time. This would be seen with Assassin’s Creed 3 and Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation in 2013, and later repeated with Assassin’s Creed Unity and Assassin’s Creed Rogue in 2014. Yes, they were all on different platforms but the fact that they’ve arrived for current gen consoles since then makes Ubisoft’s goal of building a long-term catalog all the more obvious now.

Pre-Blood Dragon, titles were still very much in the traditional DLC cycle. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier received three DLC packs; Trials Evolution only received one DLC pack; and Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag received a single-player expansion in Freedom Cry (which would release as a standalone title in February 2014, not-so-coincidentally after the success of Blood Dragon). Despite releasing post-Blood Dragon, Splinter Cell: Blacklist also falls in the same category with its Homeland Pack which only added two new maps, some weapons, and new skins for $6.99. The game released only a few months after Blood Dragon so it makes sense that it would stick to a more old-school DLC model.

Of course, we all know what happened in 2014. Despite being fairly successful, Watch Dogs faced a firestorm of controversy over its graphical downgrades, bugs and much more. It still had Ubisoft’s patented Season Pass with DLC packs but that was pretty overshadowed by all the controversy. Such was the blow-back that it even affected launch week sales of Watch Dogs 2.

"2015 would see Ubisoft truly begin diversifying its DLC portfolio. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege launched and despite receiving heaps of criticism from the outset, it laid the foundation for eventual Yearly Passes."

A similar trend was observed with Assassin’s Creed Unity – it launched in a broken state, had a Season Pass with a main story expansion (Dead Kings), some additional single-player/ content (The Secrets of the Revolution Pack) and two packs with new gear, weapons and outfits (Underground Armory Pack being free and Revolutionary Armaments Pack being paid). Once again, the controversy over Unity’s launch would bleed over into launch week sales for Syndicate besides a general exhaustion with Assassin’s Creed as a franchise.

Granted, Far Cry 4 was better received but the fatigue with Ubisoft’s open world approach was becoming obvious. Far Cry 4 featured a bit more experimentation with its single-player content. Instead of only offering new missions and PvP maps, we also got Escape from Durgesh Prison, a 30 minute race to escape. Completing quests added more time and upgrades while permadeath forced you to restart from the beginning (albeit with any upgrades intact). Valley of the Yetis featured a more robust story component but also introduced base-building and upgrading (which would return as a core mechanic in Far Cry New Dawn). Then you had the standard Hurk Deluxe Pack which added new missions and weapons.

2015 would see Ubisoft truly begin diversifying its DLC portfolio. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege launched and despite receiving heaps of criticism from the outset, it laid the foundation for eventual Yearly Passes. In 2016, Far Cry Primal arrived and served as a standalone title that utilized Far Cry 4’s map. It presented a completely new narrative and mixed up the gameplay significantly by focusing on hunting, older weapons like spears, and warring with other factions. By March 2016, Ubisoft made a major foray into games-as-a-service with Tom Clancy’s The Division.

Though the plan was to initially have three expansion packs and a Season Pass, each expansion was its own self-contained experience. The only real benefit of completing them was for gear that could be carried over into the main game. In terms of narrative and world-building, they had no effect on the base game, not counting minor changes to some existing areas or being able to earn caches containing loot for use in almost all activities.

"Far Cry 5’s approach was a mix of free content updates and an expansion pass that contained three standalone experiences. This could be looked at as trying to create three potential Blood Dragon-like games for the price of one Season Pass."

Underground was a randomly generated set of dungeons; Survival was a battle royale-esque fight for extraction; and Last Stand introduced the game’s first dedicated PvP mode. The main plot-line wasn’t advanced in any significant way but it also meant you didn’t have to own any of the DLC. This became more apparent with Ubisoft’s Year 2 plan which introduced Global Events, Resistance and Skirmish with a brand new area, completely free for all players. Cosmetic-only loot boxes would be subsequently introduced but due to easily earning key fragments and the abundance of outfits as is, most players didn’t take issue with this.

As Rainbow Six: Siege received major improvements to its core gameplay and structure, it introduced its Year 1 Pass. This essentially provided 7 days early access to the new Operators, a Renown boost, Credits for spending in the shop and five daily challenges to earn even more Renown. It wasn’t so much pay-to-win as “pay to get an advance start”. After all, everyone got the new maps for free at roughly the same time. If you were super competitive and wanted to know how the new Operators interacted with these maps, then the pass was for you. Ditto for if you wanted more cosmetics because you were that dedicated to the game,.

Far Cry 5’s approach was a mix of free content updates and an expansion pass that contained three standalone experiences. This could be looked at as trying to create three potential Blood Dragon-like games for the price of one Season Pass. It actually harks back to that Ubisoft survey in 2015 which asked players what they would like to see. A “futuristic, sci-fi setting on another planet” is most likely a reference to Far Cry 5’s Lost on Mars while Hours of Darkness is set during the Vietnam war and Dead Living Zombies takes place during an undead outbreak.

Of course, we recently got Far Cry New Dawn, a standalone title that was actually set several years after the events of Far Cry 5. Though reusing the same map, it had enough new mechanics (including more base-building and outpost attacking) along with a new story to warrant its reduced price point.

"Assassin’s Creed Odyssey took things even further with monthly updates that introduced modes like New Game Plus, free story quests in The Lost Tales of Greece, new cosmetics and gear, level scaling options and so on. That’s in addition to a gargantuan amount of base content."

Cut back to Ghost Recon: Wildlands in 2017 which, again, featured two expansion packs – Narco Road and Fallen Ghosts. Both offered self-contained experiences – you couldn’t transfer equipment and progress to the base game. Meanwhile, the base game would see updates like Special Events, free quests and the addition of Tier 1 Mode for end-game players. For the game’s second year, Ubisoft introduced the Year 2 Pass. This provided cosmetics and early access to new classes in the new Ghost War PvP mode (which was added for free and received additional maps afterwards). It also ensured players had early access to the new Special Operations – special story missions that would crossover into other Ubisoft franchises. The introduction of various tiers of loot boxes also came with the new content updates which were free for everyone.

Remember The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its expansions? It seems Ubisoft has found an interesting plan to pursue games-as-a-service in the single-player, open world action RPG space as well. Assassin’s Creed Origins featured an in-game cash shop and added free content over time including Explorer Mode, an editor for PC players to mess about with any setting and Super Bosses to battle for rare loot. It also brought in two expansion packs with new regions and substantial story content.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey took things even further with monthly updates that introduced modes like New Game Plus, free story quests in The Lost Tales of Greece, new cosmetics and gear, level scaling options and so on. That’s in addition to a gargantuan amount of base content. Even the expansions took a more episodic approach – Legacy of the First Blade was divided into three, easily consumable episodes that introduced new weapons and abilities. As a whole, you could comfortably complete these and then either try out other new features or simply return to the game next month. Once again, you don’t need these expansions to get the most out of Odyssey – the base game already delivers dozens, if not hundreds of hours of content.

It’s an intriguing model, one that combines the games-as-a-service model with single-player expansions but without spending too many resources on brand new regions, dozens of new enemy types, tons of new loot, etc. Through a combination of new gameplay systems like Mastery Progression, balance tweaks, level cap increases and reasons to replay the entire game, Ubisoft is ensuring that fans returning to Odyssey have reason to stay.

"The company has talked about developing games that stick around for several years, seeing substantial updates and growing ever larger as a result (as opposed to a simple yearly sequel strategy)."

Now we have The Division 2 launching with tons of content, ensuring plenty of story and lore for those in it for the long haul along with plenty of end-game opportunities for those seeking the best loot. More content is on the way including World Tier 5, the first raid, the likely introduction of Gear Sets and Episodes containing new story missions, areas and much more. Ubisoft Massive has also promised multiple raids throughout the first year of the game, all free. Of course, there are loot boxes and Year 1 Pass if you want 7 days early access and some goodies but once again, it’s not necessary to avail of the free content.

So to summarize, this is Ubisoft’s current slate of DLC strategies:

• Standalone expansions that reuse a previous game’s assets like map design with new stories, some new mechanics and new characters. Example: Far Cry New Dawn.
• Expansions that don’t much alter the base game (sometimes at all) while also providing dramatically different standalone experiences. Examples: Ghost Recon Wildlands’ Narco Road and Fallen Ghosts, The Division’s Survival and Underground, Far Cry 5’s Season Pass DLC.
• Free content updates and features which often come with updates to the in-game cash shop. Examples: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, The Division 2.
• Yearly Passes which provide exclusive cosmetics, boosters and early access to new content. Examples: Ghost Recon Wildlands Year 2, Rainbow Six: Siege, The Division 2, For Honor.
• Single-player expansions but broken up into episodes and spread several weeks apart. These introduce new mechanics, weapons and abilities while also remaining baked into the main game. Perhaps the closest to “traditional” single-player DLC. Example: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

In this day and age of free to play titles, games-as-a-service titles, triple A releases, multiplayer-centric games and “grind” games, it’s easy to dismiss single-player expansions as being outdated. However, companies like Ubisoft are finding new ways to integrate them into their very large base experiences. The company has talked about developing games that stick around for several years, seeing substantial updates and growing ever larger as a result (as opposed to a simple yearly sequel strategy). This doesn’t mean you won’t see a trend like, say, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey releasing a year after Origins but it does mean that the former will have a much longer shelf-life as a result.

Intrinsically, this creates more potential revenue streams for the company to pursue without having to commit too many resources. On the surface, it heightens the profile of Ubisoft as a company that cares about its games, even if they suffer from a few glitches at launch. But at the end of the day, the plan was to always support some titles in the long-term, even if the method of doing so (see “Operation Health” for Rainbow Six Siege and update 1.3 for The Division) was based off of community feedback and requests.

"All of this is a big step up from the Ubisoft of old, which released technically troubled games to the ire of fans and critics everywhere."

Credit must be given to Ubisoft for improving the overall quality control of its titles at launch as well. However, it’s pretty crazy to see the company branch out into so many different DLC opportunities. It has Yearly Passes for early access to new content, free quests, story expansions, story expansions that serve as standalone games, new areas, new modes, new features, new Operators, the list goes on. And with the company lending its support to Google Stadia, a game streaming platform which promises to eliminate large downloads for the latest updates (among many other things), Ubisoft could be envisioning a future where it can have major triple-A releases on every platform that are supported for years at a time that exist at their own standalone franchises. These would have robust cash shops for those who want to attach additional support to the brand.

All of this is a big step up from the Ubisoft of old, which released technically troubled games to the ire of fans and critics everywhere. While one could criticize this approach as effectively homogenizing several of the company’s properties, stripping away the identity of Assassin’s Creed and Ghost Recon in favour of more generic sandboxes that tick all the open world requirements, Ubisoft has shown an ability to quickly iterate on things that aren’t working. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate released in 2015, for instance, and just two years later, the company reinvented the franchise into an open world action RPG with a heavier emphasis on exploration and choice-driven quests. Keep in mind that this is after Syndicate was well received by critics and eventually saw first-week sales pick up.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey took the same tenets of Origins but leaned much harder into the action RPG looter approach that defines games like Path of Exile and Warframe while being easier for the vast majority to get into. For a crowd craving more story-based open world RPGs like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Horizon: Zero Dawn, it implemented more choice-based gameplay, dialogue systems and multi-part quests.

No Ubisoft game is without criticism though. Ghost Recon Wildlands’ cosmetic loot boxes and lack of PvE content, complaints of excessive grinding in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (which would be further exacerbated by the existence of XP boosters), PvP balance concerns in The Division 2, whatever happens to ail Rainbow Six Siege in any given month – the list goes on.

"However you may look at it, this is a intriguing time for Ubisoft. What will the company introduce next and how long will it leverage current models of content delivery?"

Imagine the support structure and community teams required to constantly address PvE vs. PvP balance and loot droprates in The Division 2 or balance concerns and story direction choices in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Compared to the days of haphazard development on Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, it’s almost miraculous that Ubisoft is delivering post-launch content and new games at such a fast pace while also trying new things like Starlink: Battle for Atlas, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle and the upcoming Skull and Bones.

Ubisoft has also shown an apt hand at staying ahead of the monetization curb while still appealing to and retaining the vast majority of consumers. There’s probably something to be said about the company leaning much more into open world titles with boat-loads of content. Does all that content make for a better experience on a narrative and gameplay level or is it simply there to ensure all kinds of players have something to do? Is Assassin’s Creed Odyssey a better game because it caters to story-hungry fans while also having random contracts, gear grinding, best-in-slot optimization, fetch quests, large Conquest battles and so on? For that matter, is The Division 2 served better as a looter shooter by including so many random activities to complete along with social activities instead of a more narrative-focused, single-player campaign with optional co-op? Perhaps a discussion for another day.

However you may look at it, this is a intriguing time for Ubisoft. What will the company introduce next and how long will it leverage current models of content delivery? What does the future hold especially as conversations about crunch culture and the like keep happening? How will Ubisoft leverage deals with storefronts like the Epic Games Store and strengthen its own brand at the same time? Time will tell but if you have even a passing interest in the majority of Ubisoft’s offerings, chances are you’ll be in it for the long haul. And in age where the usual expansions don’t quite cut it in terms of revenue, what more could a major triple A publisher want?

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Legacy of the First Blade attempts to bridge that gap as it attempts to connect the story of Kassandra or Alexios with that of the origins of the Assassins Brotherhood. It puts the spotlight on a fascinating new character by the name of Darius, who is, for all practical purposes, the first Assassin ever (predating even Bayek and Aya). A story like that obviously has a lot of potential, especially when you jot down its setup on paper like that- and being an expansion rather than a new main instalment in the series, narrative developments is mostly where Legacy of the First Blade had the highest expectations to meet anyway, rather than introducing new mechanics or gameplay elements. Sadly enough, the expansion’s three episodes combined just don’t ever do justice to their initial premise.

"Legacy of the First Blade’s plot fails to do justice to its initial premise. "

Episode 1 of the DLC sets up some interesting things. In introduces an enigmatic new character, teases at some interesting bonds, and brings an antagonist force that fans of the series will be familiar with back into the fold. By the time the first episode ended, I felt excited to see what lay ahead, not only to learn more about the mysteries of Darius, who is undoubtedly the star of the show in the entirety of Legacy of the First Blade, but also because for the first time in many years, I felt like the larger arc of the series actually mattered.

All that potential, sadly enough, goes to waste. With the remaining two episodes, Legacy tries to take some big narrative steps, as the stakes continue to grow, but sadly, it fumbles with most of its attempts. The largest narrative beats of the entire package feel very removed from the personal tale of Kassandra or Alexios in the base game itself, and Legacy never really attempts to reconcile the two. It feels very isolated, almost like its going out of its way to ignore Odyssey’s own tale, to the point where it almost ends up feeling like fanfiction.

This is exacerbated even further by the fact that some of the things that do happen throughout Legacy are very momentous, and not seeing them connect with or even call back to Odyssey’s base game in any meaningful way feels a bit jarring. Many of the biggest moments also feel unearned. Relationships between certain characters develop far too quickly at times, and this insistence on jumping from one plot point to the next without first laying down enough groundwork feels rushed. All of this is made worse by the fact that by the time Legacy’s third and final episode comes to an end, it doesn’t make good on the potential of the mysteries and enigmas it had hinted at- most of all, Darius is a character I was hoping to learn a lot more about than I did. Considering how much time we spend with him, it feels all the more baffling that Legacy doesn’t really delve deep into his past as much as it could and should have.

"It feels very isolated, almost like its going out of its way to ignore Odyssey’s own tale, to the point where it almost ends up feeling like fanfiction."

It’s not all bad, though. While the larger narrative itself ends up being a disappointment, there are some isolated plotlines and characters that manage to impress. For starters, Legacy of the First Blade keeps introducing great new antagonists on a consistent basis, who’re written and developed quite well for the most part. They range from enigmatic to conflicted to sympathetic, and the fact that they’re so well developed makes it easy to get invested in the immediate conflicts at hand, even if the larger story doesn’t progress the way it probably should have.

With all that said, if you’re not really in it for the story, and all you’re looking for is more of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Legacy of the First Blade won’t disappoint you. The biggest strengths of the base game – the fast-paced and exciting combat, the deep progression, the engaging naval segments, the joys of exploration – are all present here, and in many cases, have even received some much welcome additions. In combat, there are a couple of new skills to unlock and make use of (with one of them in particular being ridiculously overpowered, and an absolute blast to use every single time), while naval warfare also gets a particularly fiery new enhancement.

There are also a few new weapons to forge, gear to craft, forts to clear, and new cultists to hunt down. Each new episode also offers plenty of side quests as well- as far as content is concerned, then, Legacy of the First Blade isn’t lacking by any means. If you stick to the critical path, all three episodes will collectively last you between eight to ten hours, while if you end up tackling all the new side activities and quests as well, that number can jump up to fifteen or sixteen.

"As far as content is concerned, Legacy of the First Blade isn’t lacking by any means. If you stick to the critical path, all three episodes will collectively last you between eight to ten hours, while if you end up tackling all the new side activities and quests as well, that number can jump up to fifteen or sixteen. "

In terms of delivering more quality Assassin’s Creed content to the player, Legacy of the First Blade succeeds in the way you would have expected it to, delivering similar mechanics and adding a few neat new wrinkles here and there. Narratively though, the DLC is a missed opportunity, and for anyone with even the vaguest investment in Odyssey’s story, to say nothing of the series’ larger lore, that will probably nag at your enjoyment quite a bit.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox One.

Ubisoft continues its stellar support for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey with news on the upcoming January update. Along with continuing the story of Legacy of the First Blade (which is paid DLC), there will be new Lost Tales of Greece quests for all players. An option for level scaling is also coming by popular demand, though it’s not quite what it sounds like.

Instead of turning off enemy scaling entirely, the level scaling option seems like it will allow players to set how many levels enemies are below them. The max seems to be four levels below the player’s current level, which definitely makes things easier. You can also choose to have enemies be at the same level as you at all times.

A new Mythical Creature to fight, along with a new Legendary weapon to earn, are also inbound. Aya from Assassin’s Creed Origins will also be available as a Legacy Lieutenant via Ubisoft Club rewards. Finally, the mysterious blacksmith that players have discovered will have a function. Check out Ubisoft’s overview of the January update below.

Legacy of the First Blade will kick off tomorrow for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, bringing the first paid expansion to Season Pass owners. Unlike past DLC, this one will be divided into episodes, with the first being “Hunted”. In a new gameplay preview, we get a look at how the story begins and what new challenges you’ll face.

It starts with Darius, the first known wielder of the Hidden Blade, and the man who assassinated King Xerxes. After engaging the player in a tough fight, Darius will enlist their help, as new masked enemies move in on the Eagle Bearer. Players will learn more about the assassin’s past, while also investigating their new foes, using new abilities like Death Veil. This stealth ability will disintegrate any bodies killed via stealth, thus eliminating any evidence.

New story and side quests (including one that makes you confront sins committed in the past) abound with new characters and allies. The next episode for Legacy of the First Blade arrives in 2019, roughly six weeks after the launch of Hunted. Stay tuned for more information on Episode 1 though.

Just Cause 4

Rico Rodriguez is back, yet again, making explosions suffer for their crimes against humanity. This time around, he’s in Solis, South America, fighting against the Black Hand to learn more about his father. Along with the same epic scale and environmental design, not to mention Rico’s grappling hook shenanigans, Just Cause 4 will feature hostile weather conditions like tornadoes, blizzards and much more that tear up the surroundings. This forces the player to think on their feet and survive the ordeal. Just Cause 4 is out on December 4^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – Legacy of the First Blade

Not much is known about the first paid expansion for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. In Legacy of the Hidden Blade, you’ll play as the first person to wield the legendary Hidden Blade. What new mechanics we can expect, where it takes place and even the release date are all pretty much up in the air. Regardless, it is an enticing adventure and will release as three episodes – the first is out in December 2018 for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Override: Mech City Brawl

It’s been a while since an outlandish mech fighting game has released. Override: Mech City Brawl seemingly covers all bases with 12 giant robots, a huge cityscape to wreck, numerous skill and styles and more. Along with a single-player campaign and local and online Versus modes, players can also partake in a unique 2 to 4 player co-op mode that sees each person controlling a different mech part. An over-the-top art style and awesome destruction make Override: Mech City Brawl worth watching out for when it releases on December 4^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

One of the biggest releases of the year is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Nintendo’s latest follow-up to the famous crossover fighting game series. Along with a new campaign mode called World of Light which sees players freeing their fallen allies, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate also features a new Spirits Mode. Spirits are essentially characters that provide boosts and other benefits to a fighter and it’s possible to use several at once. Spirits Mode involves battling other fighters with their own Spirits for victory. With Classic Mode, numerous tweaks and customization options for multiplayer and 74 characters to play with at launch, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate could be the series’ best yet. It’s out on December 7^th for Nintendo Switch.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PS4)

Regardless of all the controversies and complaints that PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has faced in the past year, it’s still one of the most popular Battle Royale titles available. On December 7^th, it releases for PS4 and brings all three current maps – Sanhok, Erengel and Miramar – along with custom matches and Event Mode. So if you want another Battle Royale title on PS4 – yes, another one – then PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds may be the way to go.

Monster Boy and The Cursed Kingdom

The Monster Boy series has always stuck out for its aesthetic and Monster Boy and The Cursed Kingdom is no exception. Developed by Game Atelier and releasing for PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One, Monster Boy and The Cursed Kingdom is actually influenced by Wonder Boy 3: The Dragon’s Trap released in 1989. In this side-scrolling adventure, players will have different animal forms to switch between, solving puzzles and eventually saving the kingdom from corruption.

Borderlands 2 VR

Yes, it’s Borderlands 2. But this time, it’s Borderlands 2 in VR! Borderlands 2 VR will be exclusive to PlayStation VR when it launches on December 14^th. Along with the same base campaign and four Vault Hunters, the VR version adds BAMF Time for slowing time down. This allows for dodging bullets and taking on multiple foes at once without getting overwhelmed. Several skills have also been reworked, taking BAMF Time into consideration. If that weren’t enough, vehicles can be driven in first person for the very first time.

Gear Club Unlimited 2

More than 1800 miles of roads, 250 races and over 50 licensed vehicles from manufacturers like Porsche, Dodge and McLaren await in Gear Club Unlimited 2. Releasing exclusively for the Nintendo Switch in December, the sequel promises a variety of environments like forests, deserts and coastlines to play through. Keep an eye out for it in December if you enjoyed the original.

Jagged Alliance: Rage!

Can you feel the rage? Classic turn-based tactics series Jagged Alliance is making a comeback with Rage which features a new aesthetic with the same band of crazy mercenaries. Taking place two decades after the first game, Jagged Alliance: Rage sees the player taking on an entire island of baddies. Two player co-op is supported and each mercenary has their own unique personality, backstory and abilities to take advantage of. The new Rage skills allow mercenaries to become more powerful as the battle wears on. Jagged Alliance: Rage is out on December 6^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Forza Horizon 4: Fortune Island

Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 4 was crammed full of content at launch and even with the plentiful updates, the developer will be offering even more with its first expansion Fortune Island. Heading to the North of the British Isles, players will deal with extreme weather conditions and terrain. Lightning storms are a given but cliff-side dirt roads and mountain switchbacks will also present hazards. More information on new missions, activities, Horizon Stories and more should be coming soon but for those who already own the Expansion Pass, Fortune Island arrives on December 13^th for Xbox One and Windows 10 PC.

Ubisoft has released its most recent update for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Actually, it’s released two updates – patch 1.1.0 and patch 1.1.1 – with the first having the most changes. The patches require a 2.9 GB download on the Xbox One, 2.8 GB on the PS4, and 2.3 GB on PC.

Along with adding support for Episode 1: Hunted of the upcoming Legacy of the First Blade DLC, patch 1.1.0 also brings the third part of Lost Tales of Greece. This will go live in December (likely when the DLC launches), and it’s a nice addition for those who haven’t purchased the DLC. Other changes include the Mastery Level system for leveling up post-level 50, fast travel points to Mythical Creatures, and dismantling items directly at Blacksmiths.

Even better is the fact that full sets of Legendary Armour will now provide stronger bonuses than the ones currently available for engraving. It’s also possible to circulate quest filters with LT/RT (L2/R2 on PS4), while PC players get improved HDR functionality. Check out the full patch notes here for more information, or take a look at a selection of them below.

Patch 1.1.1

• Addressed an issue that prevented Tier 6&7 Burning and Poison Damage perks to work properly
• Addressed various texture issues with robes on multiple characters.

Patch 1.1.0

Warning: Please note that these release notes contain major story spoilers.

SUMMARY

• Added support for the 1st Episode of the Legacy of the First Blade DLC and the third instalment in the Lost Tales of Greece.
• Added Mastery Level system to the game.
• Added fast travel points to Mythical Creatures.
• Added an option to dismantle items directly at Blacksmiths.
• Wearing the full set of a Legendary Armor now gives more powerful bonus than the version available for engraving.
• Addressed a display issue that caused Stats upgrades to appear downgraded after Level 50.
• The Child of Poseidon achievement/trophy will now unlock when conditions are met.
• [PS4] Addressed an issue that caused screenshots taken to appear black in the Capture Gallery.
• [PC] Added an option that allows players to set walking speed.

CONTENT

• Added support for the first Episode of the Legacy of the First Blade DLC, Hunted, to the game. Will release on December 4
• Added the third instalment in the Lost Tales of Greece, The Image of Faith, to the game. Will release in December. Available after reaching Episode 5. Quest will appear in the quest log after having met the quest giver in Elis. Look for a blue quest giver icon.

​FEATURES & IMPROVEMENTS

• Mastery Level increase specific statistics attached to the Assassin, Hunter, and Warrior ability trees and uses ability points to upgrade bonuses.
• The Mastery level Menu becomes available when reaching Level 50

Miscellaneous:

• Added a tip to the game on how to quickly source Olive wood.
• The amount of crafting material being bought can now be increased significantly faster
• Added more NPCs to the Skyros market.
• Players can now circulate between Quest filters with LT/RT
• [PC] Added an option that allows players to set walking speed.
• [PC] Improved HDR functionality on PC.

BALANCING

· Wearing the full set of a Legendary Armor now gives more powerful bonus than the version available for engraving.

· Fixed Burning Rate formula when too many bonuses were applied

Ubisoft has been fairly coy about a release date for the first expansion of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. However, a recent trailer has announced that Legacy of the First Blade will begin next week. Divided into episodes which drop every six weeks, December 4th will mark the debut of the first episode “Hunted“. Check out gameplay for it below.

There wasn’t much information provided, but it seems that Kassandra/Alexios are still very much playable. They come across the first person ever to wield the hidden blade, Darius, and must discern whether he’s a friend or foe. We’ll need to wait for more details, but so far, more equipment and abilities are definitely on the horizon.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey has otherwise had tons of other updates since launching. The level cap was recently increased to 70, a new Mythical Beast was introduced, and new story quests are available in the world as well. What free features will be available to those who don’t pick up the expansion? We’ll have to wait and see.