Posted in: Movies, Recent Updates, Video Games | Tagged: entertainment, Mario Kart 8, minecraft, nintendo, playstation 4, Saints Row The Third, Sly Cooper Collection, sony, Steam, the forest, ubisoft, video games, Watch_Dogs, Wolfenstein, xbox one

Live(ish) From The Games Shop – Mario Kart 8, Watchdogs, Sly Cooper Collection Vita, The Forest, Saint Row The 3rd FREE!

By Jared Cornelius

Well we made it the finish line everybody, May's almost over and arguably the biggest releases of the month are out this week.  Our games in today's line up, include the 8th iteration of "The" kart racing series, an open world game based on hacking, a handheld collection of Sony's favorite raccoon, cannibal Minecraft and the best freebie you'll get all month.

Mario Kart 8, is the Wii U's version of the seminal kart racing series.  Mario Kart at its core is a racing game with strategy elements mixed in via the use of power-ups and track short cuts.  The long running series is in HD for the first time and sports the series familiar elements like banana peels and blue turtle shells.  Mario Kart 8 looks to add more to its tried and true formula, with anti-gravity tracks, more customizable karts, and new characters.  Nintendo has also seemingly gotten behind the series online play, adding 12 player multiplayer, and a feature called Mario Kart TV that allows you to share race replays with the online community.  The reviews were in early on this one, and the critics say it's great, from everything I've been told this might be the most substantial Mario Kart to come out in quite some time.  The Wii U hasn't had much in terms of games anyway, so if you want a game for your HD Wii, this is the game to get.  Mario Kart 8 is being released Friday on the Wii U.

Watch_Dogs, is the latest open world adventure from the folks at Ubi Soft.  The world of Watch_Dogs is built around the modern day controversy of surveillance of everyday citizens.  Taking place in the city of Chicago, we're told that major metropolitan areas are monitored and controlled by the Central Operating System.  As hacker and former criminal, Aiden Pearce, you set out to seek revenge on those who hurt his family, by using the COS against the authorities that run the system.  Watch_Dogs boast a huge open world Chicago to explore, the ability to hack and exploit the cities technologies such as bridges, subways, and cameras.  The game also has the obligatory multiplayer elements, and a second screen "experience" via use of your smart phone or tablet while away from the game.  Watch_Dogs did have some controversy around it, originally to be released around the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One launches it was delayed six months with Ubi Soft stating it was a quality issue.  The game also recently received some flak for a visual downgrade after recent videos didn't match up to the games video's from six months age.  I'm not saying that Watch_Dogs is bad, but I've heard almost nothing about it, good or bad.  In any event, Watch_Dogs released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, and Steam on Tuesday.  If you have the option, I know the PS4 version has an hour of extra content if that matters to you.

Here's a raccoon fact for you, the Sly Cooper Collection, is the handheld version of the third person stealth/platform adventure game.  You play as the titular Sly Cooper in all three of his PlayStation 2 adventures, The Thievius Raccoonus, Band of Thieves, and Honor Among Thieves.  The cel shaded platformer was developer Sucker Punch's first big hit and still holds up as one of the generations' best.  Much like the recently released God of War Collection, the Sly Cooper Collection is a little bit bare in terms of extras, but does feature the all three games in glorious HD.  Three games for $29.99 is a price I can live with, and just as an FYI, Band of Thieves is the best of the three.  I have a soft spot in my heart for these games and if you've remotely interested in platformers the sly series delivers.  The Sly Cooper Collection was released Tuesday on PlayStation Vita at retail and on PSN.

Are you the kind of person who thinks there's not enough cannibalism in Minecraft?  Well sounds like the first person survival game The Forest is for you.  You play as the lone survivor of a plane crash in a mysterious forest and encounter a tribe of cannibalistic mutants' hell bent on devouring you.  The Forest seems like a mix of a single player Rust and Minecraft, with elements of survival and resource collection.  The Forest features a build in the day, defend at night mechanic that includes scavenging, building defenses and traps.  I haven't heard a whole lot on this one, but cannibalistic Minecraft is good enough for me.  The Forest is out May 29th on Steam.

So this game has been out for three years, but it's one of my favorites, and it's free to keep forever for Xbox Live Gold members.  Saints Row The Third, is the completely insane open world crime game from Volition.  You play as the leader of the Third Street Saints gang, who've become world renowned celebrities.  After a bank heist you run afoul with an international crime ring and have to work your way back from the bottom, doing battle with hackers, luchadors, and even costumed mascots.  It's really not hyperbole to say Saints Row is completely bananas, and awesome, and free!  This is the last week too, so please I implore you, by all that's holy or unholy or whatever go download this!

So looking back May was pretty good for games, between Wolfenstein, Kirby, Mario Golf, Borderlands, Super Time Force, God of War Collection, and everything this week, I'd say we made out!  I wish companies wouldn't load the end of the month up like this, but what can you do, complain there's too much to play.  Let's save that conversation for November when the real onslaught begins.  You can check out my other regular column, Typing on The Dead: Bleeding Cool's Walking Dead recap.  I've also been putting out more games content, why not check out a brief history of Xbox One's failures, and why I'm glad Wolfenstein is single player only.  You can find out about what I'm doing buy following me on Twitter @John_Laryngitis where I might be making obscure jokes about pro wrestling.

Jared Cornelius is some guy from New Jersey's coast who's blown away that Memorial Day was just here.  If you'd like to discuss how fast summer came contact him on Twitter @John_Laryngitis

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!