Turning Tides has been released in a staggered manner, with the first part of its content launching in December, and the second dropping in late January. Collectively, both parts consist of four new main maps, a new Operation, a new game mode, and the Infiltrator Elite class, among other things (those being just the headline additions). And it is, most likely, this area where Turning Tides shows one of its biggest weaknesses.

"The Turning Tides DLC is a little different from everything that has come before it, in that it has a much heavier focus on naval battles."

While Battlefield 1’s previous DLC, In the Name of the Tsar, was absolutely brimming with content, with a lot more maps and new weapons, Turning Tides is relatively lacking content. It is, in fact, more like They Shall Not Pass in terms of how much content it has, however that, unlike Turning Tides, launched in one go. Given its relative shortage of content, it’s a little perplexing to see DICE and EA splitting the launch of this pack’s contents in such a manner.

Let’s get to the major talking points, though. The Turning Tides DLC is a little different from everything that has come before it, in that it has a much heavier focus on naval battles. Vehicular sections have long been an important foundation of the Battlefield gameplay loop, and Turning Tides makes it a concerted effort to have players traversing through the seas a lot more than usual. And for the most part, that’s a lot of fun, especially with the inclusion of destroyers and, more importantly, dreadnoughts. Rarely before in Battlefield 1 has the balance between vehicular sections across all land, sea, and air been so fine, and Turning Tides has to be commended for that.

It is, of course, the maps that really determine just how successfully the game can do that. Heligoland Bight is the map that is the most naval focused, for instance. It puts a dreadnought each in control of both teams, and the fate of matches on this map can often be decided by which team loses control of their dreadnought first. Similarly naval focused is the map Cape Helles, and it’s also quite a vast and open map.

The map design is, thankfully enough, generally strong, especially Zeebrugge, which has to be the best new map in the DLC. Visually, all the new locations look great, while the maps also have to be commended for their sheer sizes. Additionally, maps such as Heligoland Bight and Zeebrugge have excellent visual design, with certain spots and locations on both maps with striking visual features that, in true Battlefield fashion, are also intricately tied with the map’s function itself.

"Beyond the maps, notably enough Turning Tides also includes an all new class, the Infiltrator Elite, which gives players greater mobility thanks to infinite sprinting abilities."

But of course it’s not without its issues. Some maps in the game feel rather familiar in nature, either to things that we’ve already seen in Battlefield 1 itself, or to things DICE have tried in the not so distant future with other entries in the franchise. To say that there is absolutely no creativity or originality here would be very unfair- it’s not just a lazy copy-paste job. But the originality here is certainly a lot less than what I was expecting.

Beyond the maps, notably enough Turning Tides also includes an all new class, the Infiltrator Elite, which gives players greater mobility thanks to infinite sprinting abilities. Playing with the Infiltrator Elite class is a great deal of fun, lending a kind of dynamism and kinetic nature to the moment-to-moment gameplay that what veteran players might be used to. Infiltrator Elites can also, in fact, call down the support of heavy artillery, and adding to their already heavy firepower, this is surely a class that more offensive players will surely have a blast with.

Also part of the Turning Tides DLC is the new Operation, which is played across Cape Helles, and though it’s far from being among the best Operations of the game, it’s still quite enjoyable, and fans of the game will surely enjoy tackling it a few times. Meanwhile, the new multiplayer mode, Conquest Assault (which is basically an amped up and more urgent version of Conquest) is also a joy to play through.

What’s notable about Turning Tides, though, is that it doesn’t just bring extra new content to Battlefield 1. No, it changes the base game in some pretty big ways thanks to some tuning and tweaking done by the developers, which results in some noticeable balancing issues. DICE have made it so that classes are better to suited to some weapons and worse to others, while they have also changed the Time To Kill (TTK). What this means is that rather than being relative bullet sponges up until now, players in Battlefield 1 will now die of much less damage.

"Battlefield 1- Turning Tides is a DLC pack that plays it safe in many regards."

This is the sort of change that many players might not notice at first, but if you’ve been playing Battlefield 1 for a while, you will definitely notice this. The moment-to-moment gameplay is now a lot more in line with Battlefield 3 and 4, and that doesn’t necessarily work in the game’s favour. It’s not a huge issue, especially not one that breaks the game or anything like that, but there are times where these subtle tweaks hinder the match’s momentum a little bit, especially if you get caught in a cycle of bad respawn points.

Battlefield 1- Turning Tides is a DLC pack that plays it safe in many regards. For starters, it has a lot less content than its predecessor, In the Name of the Tsar did. Beyond that, the content it does have is mostly solid- but it doesn’t really ever go beyond that, while some balancing issues are also a little hard to ignore. People who have been playing Battlefeld 1 for some time now will surely find a lot to like here, but we’re hoping DICE will choose to be a little more ambitious with the upcoming Apocalypse DLC.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

Hello Neighbor

Have you ever wanted to play a stealth game where your neighbor was the enemy, probably wanted to kill you and had an adaptive AI to prevent you from trying the same trick twice? Hello Neighbor is probably your best bet. It’s an intriguing mix of survival and stealth as you explore numerous different ways to infiltrate your neighbor’s home. Recent updates have diversified the gameplay even further with the ability to double jump and escape the neighbor should you be caught. The real question is whether Hello Neighbor will finally hit its December 8^th release date and not suffer another delay. It arrives for Xbox One, PC and Mac OS.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Nintendo has been continuously scoring home runs this year, offering a good to great Switch title almost every month since launch. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 from Monolith Soft joins that club and it’s certainly a momentous title to close the year with. Along with a massive open world that should – if it’s anything like previous titles – offer hundreds of hours of gameplay, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has a new story. Set on the backs of Titans, a scavenger named Rex discovers a Blade known as Pyra and must take her to Elysium, a paradise of sorts. There are colourful characters to meet along the way, different Blades to acquire, abilities to learn, combos to create and beautiful areas to explore. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is out on December 1^st for the Nintendo Switch.

Resident Evil 7: End of Zoe/Not A Hero

It’s hard to believe that this year began with an excellent title like Resident Evil 7 and to cap that off, we’ll be receiving not one but two DLC on December 12^th. Not A Hero is the free DLC focusing on Chris Redfield and his hunt for Lucas Baker after the main story while End of Zoe is a paid DLC pack that sees Zoe meeting up with a stranger named Joe. It’s also the same day that Resident Evil 7: Gold Edition launches so you can experience all previously released DLC along with the new additions in one great package.

Okami HD

After many, many moons, Capcom is finally fulfilling my wish of seeing Okami on PC. The fact that this is Okami HD, a remaster of the classic action adventure Zelda-like title, and it’s also coming to PS4 and Xbox One doesn’t hurt either. If you’ve never played Okami, it follows the tale of Amaterasu, who must stop the eight headed demon Orochi from conquering the land. More than just a higher resolution and widescreen support, Okami HD offers the chance to revisit one of the most underrated video games of the PS2 era. It releases on December 12^th.

Battlefield 1: Turning Tides

December marks the release of Battlefield 1’s next DLC Turning Tides. Or at least, it’s the first stage of the content release which will include battles on land, sea and air along with two new maps – Cape Helles and Achi Baba – out this month (an additional two maps arrive next month). You can expect six new weapons like the M1917 Trench Carbine, Type 38 Arisaka and the M1917 MG among other weapons. New vehicles, a new faction, a new Operation and the Conquest Assault mode where players must take back and hold areas occupied by defenders will also be coming. The first wave of content will arrive on December 11^th 2017 for Xbox One, PS4 and PC players while the second wave is out in January 2018.

Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris

Despite every single indication that this will be another bland DLC for Bungie’s Destiny 2, Curse of Osiris at least offers…some new story. Essentially, you’ll be looking for Osiris, the legendary Warlock, and attempting to battle the Vex’s next big evil plan. This involves heading to Mercury and The Infinite Forest, which offers random arrangements of levels and time periods, along with forging new weapons. There’s even something called a raid lair to add on to the Leviathan and which should hopefully be more fulfilling. Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris is out on December 5^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

DOOM VFR

After bringing DOOM to the Nintendo Switch by some miracle, Bethesda Softworks is now gearing up for DOOM VFR. This is the virtual reality version of the game but it still maintains the demon slaying, bone-tearing, arm-ripping action that defined the original. While we’re not sure how the fast-paced experience will translate to virtual reality – where the less insane movement, the better – but it certainly has us intrigued. DOOM VFR will be coming to PlayStation VR and HTC Vive via Steam on December 1^st.

Fallout 4 VR

More Fallout 4? Yes, there’s more Fallout 4 and this time, it’s heading to HTC Vive. The controversial first person shooter/RPG has seen a number of updates, DLC, the Creation Club with its lame add-ons and so on. But this time, we get to do it all in virtual reality. The highlight of Fallout 4 VR is the fact that this isn’t just a slice of the game. It’s the entire experience and for what it’s worth, early impressions seem favourable if not outright excited. Still, if you want something to justify that VR purchase that isn’t called DOOM VFR, then Fallout 4 VR will be available on December 12^th via Steam.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (Xbox One)

One of the most eagerly anticipated Xbox One exclusives isn’t even from Microsoft, nor did it start out as an Xbox title. We’re talking about PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, the 100 person Last Man Standing title that’s swept the world with 22 million copies sold on Steam. From its humble roots on Early Access, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has shattered a number of records on Steam and version 1.0 is currently in the testing phase. That version will release in late December for PC users but Xbox One players can look forward to playing it through Xbox Game Preview on December 12^th.

Final Fantasy 15: Episode Ignis

So it’s not exactly meant to be the meatiest content releasing for a game in December but Final Fantasy 15: Episode Ignis does look pretty fun. Releasing on December 13^th, the DLC will focus on Ignis as he temporarily teams up with Ravus Nox Fleuret aka Luna’s brother in order to secure the safety of both Noctis and Luna. Ignis’s abilities are pretty interesting as he throws spell dagger and can target numerous enemies at once. The story should also help fill in some awkward holes – like how Ignis was blinded and what other events occurred in Altissia while Leviathan was stomping around.

Battlefield 1‘s next major DLC will be called Turning Tides, and it will be released in two waves- this is something we have known for a very long time now. However, now we have some more specifics regarding when we can expect to play it, and what we can expect from it at all.

According to MP1ST, the first wave will come on December 11 (for Premium Pass owners), and will introduce Cape Helles and Achi Baba, two new maps. Additionally, 6 weapons, 2 melee weapons, the L-Class Destroyer, and a new Operation will also all be included in this update. The second wave will come in January, though a more exact release date wasn’t shared for it yet. This one will include Zeebrugge and Heligoland Blight, two additional maps, as well as C-Class Airship and the Royal Marines.

So there you have that- Battlefield 1 is currently available on the Xbox One, PS4, and PC.