Just Cause 4

How could we not mention Just Cause 4, especially when the entire hook of the game is its extreme weather? Tornadoes emerge naturally, swallowing up nearby foes and debris; thunderstorms will strike down enemy helicopters and a stray Rico if he’s caught unaware; and sandstorms will be rough, coarse, irritating and so on. It’d be amazing to sit back and watch the destruction unfold if you weren’t at risk of being destroyed yourself.

It’s a two-part con, that opening mission. Fortune Island’s initial beauty dissipates when the sun comes up, and the feeling of a good environment to drive cars in goes shortly afterwards. This isn’t to say Fortune Island is a bad expansion or that it has no value; it’s not and it does, but the opening sequence rights a check that the island itself can’t cash, which is a bit ironic considering cashing in is the name of the game.

"Completing a challenge goes like this: you solve riddles, which will unlock a photo of a chest somewhere on the map. Once you find the chest, all you have to do is crash into it and boom: seven figure payday."

You see, the big new wrinkle in Fortune Island are Island Challenges, which reward 1 million credits apiece. There’s ten scattered across Fortune Island, and the cash prize, plus the novelty, make them the most popular thing on the island. Completing a challenge goes like this: you solve riddles, which will unlock a photo of a chest somewhere on the map. The game will provide you with a general location, but nailing down the search is up to you. Once you find the chest, all you have to do is crash into it and boom: seven figure payday. The riddles are pretty simple, often giving you a car to drive, a place to go, and a challenge to complete, delivered in slightly vague terms. Here’s an example: “A sixty-five wild horse blazed across the USA, follow its trail at Viking Bay.”

Well, Viking Bay’s a place on the map. And anyone who knows anything about cars knows that a sixty-five wild horse that “blazed across the USA” could only be one car: the inimitable Ford Mustang. I checked the Horizon autoshow and bingo: a ’65 Mustang, like it was waiting there just for me. From there, I floored it to Viking Bay, where I had to blaze a trail across the map within a certain amount of time. It took me a few tries to learn the best route, and I ended up dropping a high-powered V12 into the Mustang to shave off a few more seconds – work smarter, not harder, kids – but I did it, which earned me a snapshot of a chest atop a mountain overlooking a winding road.

Because I’m lazy and didn’t want to drive all the way back to the festival to change cars, I tried to take the Mustang up the mountain. That… didn’t work out so hot. So after falling off the mountain a few times and driving down to the festival, grabbing the Dodge RAM that I was behind the wheel when we first made landfall on the island, and making my way back, I went treasure hunting. I fell off the mountain a few more times – it was a steep climb, even with the RAM’s superior off-road handling – and it took me a while to find the right angle, but eventually, I grabbed my chest, and a cool million.

"Hunting for treasure is fun and, like most things in most Forza Horizon titles, feels like a community event. If you see a bunch of players driving around in the same place, in an area you know has treasure, they’re probably on to something."

That’s the way island challenges tend to go on Fortune Island, and they are a lot of fun. Yeah, solving the riddles is pretty simple – another asked me to drift the Needle Climb (a curvy road up in the hills) with “an Italian 456,” an obvious reference to the Ferrari 458 Speciale – and the challenges, themselves are straightforward (unless, like me, you suck at drifting), but hunting for treasure is fun and, like most things in most Forza Horizon titles, feels like a community event. If you see a bunch of players driving around in the same place, in an area you know has treasure, they’re probably on to something.

The rest of what Fotune Island has to offer is pretty standard stuff. You’ll compete in a variety of events, from road races to cross-country tours to dirt racing. Some are limited time events, while others force you to use a certain class of vehicle. Almost all are fun. The real problem here isn’t the events available or the treasure hunt gimmick. The issue is the island itself. It just doesn’t offer much variety. Because it’s an island with a mountain in the center, the courses almost universally favor off-roading, mud, and dirt. That’s great if you just want to goof around in a truck, SUV, or buggy, but racing anything else is often absurdly unfun, especially when it rains, which seems to be all the time. Of course, there are some races if you’re looking to try out an expensive new toy (I found one particularly good race that I used to put my new Aston-Martin through its paces), but you wouldn’t be wrong to think that the quickest way to complete the island would be to stay in that RAM any time you weren’t solving a treasure hunt riddle or completing a race that requires specific cars.

It doesn’t help that the environment doesn’t feel consistent, either. You can plough over most rocks, walls, and guardrails, which feel as though they’re made of particularly cheap paper mâché, but other rocks and the fences guarding the Horizon Festival will stop you dead in your tracks. This can add uncertainty to any given driving route and almost immediately breaks the game’s sense of environmental immersion. On top of all that, Fortune Island feels small and there’s no real driving force behind doing anything other than completing enough challenges to unlock the riddle for the next chest.

"Fortune Island feels… a bit dull. There’s fun to be had here: the challenges themselves are compelling and there are a few genuinely interesting areas to race through, but I would be surprised to see anyone other than the most dedicated Forza fans stick around long enough to see everything it has to offer."

Throw in your annoying “friends,” who are incapable of ever shutting up, a lack of variety in the available races, and samey environments, and Fortune Island feels… a bit dull. There’s fun to be had here: the challenges themselves are compelling and there are a few genuinely interesting areas to race through, but I would be surprised to see anyone other than the most dedicated Forza fans stick around long enough to see everything it has to offer.

Maybe things will change when Horizon 4’s seasons change – I imagine this place will be fun every season, but particularly in winter and summer – but I’ve seen enough of Fortune Island and come away a little wealthier in the process. Now, though, it’s time to take my fortunes elsewhere – at least until the seasons change.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox One.

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.

Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 4 is a little more than a month old. But even with the different events and rotating rewards, the developer has more content coming with the first expansion. Announced during Microsoft’s X018 event, Fortune Island will release on December 13th for Xbox One and Windows 10 PC.

According to the developer, Fortune Island will be the “largest expansion” in the series yet. It will feature rougher terrain like ravines and roads atop cliffs. If you weren’t a fan of paved mountain switchbacks, then prepare yourself because Fortune Island has the longest stretch yet. The DLC is included with the Ultimate Edition (which costs $99.99 and includes VIP Access, the second expansion and more).

However, those interested in just the expansion will need to buy the Car Pass for $34.99. It will contain Fortune Island as well as the second upcoming expansion. Forza Horizon 4 was a very strong game at launch, and Playground Games has only added on to it with more Horizon Stories, a Route Creator, and much more. Check out GamingBolt’s official review for the game here.