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Hot Summer Gaming Destinations

Hot Summer Gaming Destinations

I don’t know about you but the last thing I want to do this summer is stay in a town with nothing to do. I would rather go and see far off places and do crazy stuff that I wouldn’t normally be able to do. And even though I am totally broke and couldn’t afford a bus ticket to the next town over, I think I may have found a way to do some traveling and do some pretty awesome stuff until summer finally gets here. So fasten your seat belts and put your tray-tables in their upright and locked positions as I count down ten video game destinations I’ll be visiting this year.

Europe (Wolfenstein: The New Order)

Europe (Wolfenstein: The New Order)

So the Nazis won World War II. So what? They obviously didn’t count on one very important thing: that B.J. Blazkowicz would survive his wounds and return to make their life a living Hell. But he did, and now you get to take the fight to the Nazis like never before. With the help of some old friends and new allies, you will carve a path of destruction all the way through the Reich until you cut off the head of the snake. But the best part is that you get to steal and use the Reich’s “Super Weapons” against them. Where you used to be able to only use your standard gear and what you found lying around, you can now take control of the most powerful Nazi weapons and turn them on their makers to inflict maximum casualties. How could this not be a great place to hang out until summer? It’s a classic-feeling shooter with new-school graphics… win-win.

Spira (Final Fantasy X, X-2)

Spira (Final Fantasy X, X-2)

Now that Sin has been vanquished, I can only imagine that Spira has returned to the apparently beautiful place that it once was and that the level of fiends roaming the countryside has dwindled. But even if it hasn’t, I still love to stroll through its vast landscape and terrorize evil of all kinds while leveling up my party so that when the big battles happen, I’m ready. Taking a walk into the past is also sometimes a good thing. Finding your first Aeon or playing your first game of Blitzball are all experiences I want to keep fresh in my mind. So the varied landscape of Spira is most likely going to be one of my frequent ports of call this year, especially now that the HD versions of FFX and FFX-2 are coming to PS4.

Gotham City (Batman: The Arkham Series)

Gotham City (Batman: The Arkham Series)

I don’t know about you, but I have always wanted to be Batman. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to be the only human to ever take down Superman? Well, that and he is stupid rich and has a really kickass car…and cool gadgets. Ok, so there’s a whole bunch of reasons why heading to Gotham this year could be a good idea – especially since you’ll get to drive an all-new Batmobile in June. Since Arkham Knight ’s release is just around the corner, it’s time to start polishing up my Bat-skills. Not only is there a never-ending amount of action going on, there is also a vast urban expanse to explore and make your own personal playground. In fact, the most obvious reason to head back to Gotham is to get the city’s layout in your head so that when Arkham Knight drops, you won’t be wrecking your Batmobile like an idiot every five seconds. Just a thought.

Earth (Destiny)

Earth (Destiny)

Yes, I am still playing this game. And yes, I still like it. I am also keenly aware of its issues. But honestly, I have more fun running around blowing s#!t up with my friends in this game than I have had playing an online shooter in a very long time. Not since Borderlands 2 have I had this much fun loot-hunting and achievement-hogging. I that it’s insane that I have a maxed-out exotic piece of gear in every single slot of my character, but I don’t really care. Getting through the tasks to get that stuff, let alone level it up, was well worth the price of admission. And with new (albeit minimal) additions being made to the game, I am still going to shoot the hell out of some stuff this year. When the new content hits, I will be back in Destiny overdrive. But until that day, I am going to keep my trigger finger sharp.

The Caribbean (Assassin’s Creed 4)

The Caribbean (Assassin’s Creed 4)

What better way to spend the summer than hanging out in a tropical paradise? There is a never-ending amount of things to do in the Caribbean around the late 1700s. You can go harpooning for large sea marks or even spear a great white whale. You can go diving for buried treasure in a cornucopia of sunken ships. Just beware of jellyfish and the resident sharks that prowl those waters. If being in the water isn’t really your thing, you can try your hand at the pirates’ second favorite thing, drinking. Well, maybe we should lump that in with fighting and fornicating. It’s not really clear which-or even what combination of those things-is actually the pirates’ favorite thing after plundering ships. But no matter what you fancy, the Caribbean waters of AC IV have got something for everyone.

Yamatai (Tomb Raider)

Yamatai (Tomb Raider)

Now that this experience is out on the new generation of consoles, the island of Yamatai and all its insane inhabitants come to life in more vivid color that ever before. Having survived Yamatai once on the PS3 just wasn’t enough. Heading there on the PS4 version was so much more visually appealing. Everything happened in such vibrant ways that it helped to sell the visceral nature of the island and its many dangers. The body pits, the mountain peaks, the supernatural storms, the falling rocks – all were things that became that much more believable in an otherwise surreal place. Looking out over the beach littered with the remains of ships from all ages was a vastly more engaging experience. So grab you gear and your team and head to Yamatai, but try really hard not to let them all die.

Albion (Fable Anniversary)

Albion (Fable Anniversary)

Ah, how fondly I remember roaming the streets of the towns throughout Albion as a child. I remember the Hero’s Guild and all they taught me. I remember my first sword. I remember killing my first enemy. Oh, the beautiful times I had there. But then I grew up and had to choose my own destiny. I remember thinking to myself that often the people of Albion were not worth saving. I remember killing a few here and there… but only the bad ones. Then there were a few times where I heard them call out “Chicken Chaser” or “Arse-face” as I walked by. Okay, so maybe not all of my memories in Albion were great ones, but by the time it was over I owned every property a man could own in that place. Which reminds me – I should probably go back and collect all the gold that’s been stacking up since my last visit a few years ago.

Pandora (The Borderlands Series)

Pandora (The Borderlands Series)

No matter where you go on Pandora, there is always something to do. It doesn’t matter if you want to grab a few drinks or maybe sing some karaoke, Moxxi has you covered in that department. If your favorite thing to do is try your luck in a SmashTV style game show, then Moxxi has you covered there as well. If you prefer dune-hopping at high rates of speed while dodging bullets shot by the local riff-raff, then Scooter has most definitely got you covered. Even if you are into more educated things like archaeology, then Ms. Tanis can keep your schedule pretty full. Just make sure you are fully loaded in the weapons department. Her quests tend to get folks killed. I am totally digging the fact that I can now play through all my favorite adventures on Pandora on my PS4, so that means that I will be spending a lot of time there this year.

Super-Earth (Helldivers)

Super-Earth (Helldivers)

Well, maybe I won’t be spending any time at all on Super-Earth. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t need my help. Someone must keep her safe and spread the word of managed democracy to all the races of the galaxy. And if they won’t hear the truth, I’ll have to destroy them as viciously as possible. Building up my rank, leveling my teammates, dropping onto repeated hostile worlds, and laying waste to the enemies of freedom is a thought that keeps me warm at night. Furthering the cause of liberty above all else. Taking the truth to truthless groups of aliens who need our government just a badly as we do. In fact, I love the Starship Troopers vibe of this game so much that I went out, bought the whole series of movies, and watched them back to back just to get pumped up enough to tackle Helldivers on its hardest difficulty setting. Grab you gear, jump into the nearest hellpod, and let’s kill ‘em all in the name of liberty.

Kyrat (Far Cry 4)

Kyrat (Far Cry 4)

For those of you who have already made this journey, you know what I’m talking about. This small country, nestled high in the Himalayan mountain range, is a hotbed of action as it’s would-be ruler Pagan Min goes on a tear through the land, killing anyone who dares oppose him and his particular brand of rule. Playing as Ajay Ghale, I got to roam freely throughout the countryside of this beautifully rendered land in search of foods and targets for my weapons. Aided by members of the Golden Dawn, I did whatever it took to survive this harsh environment. Think Survivor , only without the lame tribal council and your votes are cast by bullets.

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