Out This Week: Assassin’s Creed, Donkey Kong & Rambo

Things are shaping up this week with plenty of releases across a whole spread of platforms. Publisher Ubisoft is being particularly active with three new scheduled releases. Well, we say new: two of them are upscaled ports and the other is a re-branded slab of DLC. Without any further ado, let’s crack on!

Assassin’s Creed: Freedom Cry | PS3, PS4 | Wednesday

Previously released as single player DLC for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Freedom Cry will be re-launched by Ubisoft this week as a standalone adventure.

It’s an unusual move, sure, though given how detached Freedom Cry is from the original game it’s quite understandable. If anything it gives Ubi a second chance to advertise the DLC to those who didn’t pick it up in the first place.

For more info, check our review.

Strider | PS3, PS4, X360, X1 | Wednesday

This week sees the return of a classic in downloadable form. Originally released for the NES, Strider is a modern remake, showcasing fast-paced, brutal 2D platforming action.

The game was meant to be developed by former Swedish studio, Grin (Bionic Commando) before it was passed on to Double Helix. That team has now been bought up by Amazon, potentially ruling out post-launch support.

Still, it looks good and hopefully wont fall into the same trap Flashback did last year.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze | Wii U | Friday

Speaking of classics, Nintendo icon Donkey Kong is also swinging back onto the scene this week in Tropical Freeze.

Showcasing all the hallmarks of a true DK title, this latest Wii U exclusive combines rewarding 2.5D platforming action with some great-looking visuals and plenty of content to uncover. Want to hear more? Check the review.

Earth Defence Force 2025 | PS3, X360 | Friday

Coming out from under the radar we have a somewhat unexpected entry this week. Continuing the series’ traditional of frantic firefights and bug-bashing, Earth Defence Force returns with a sequel for last generation platforms.

Ally with up to three other players, select from four diverse classes and take to the streets, dispatching of alien invaders as an EDF operative. It looks mindless though, clearly, someone must be playing these games.

Far Cry: The Wild Expedition | PS3, X360 PC | Friday

Having been delayed for a week, gamers will finally be able to pick up the ultimate Far Cry collection this Friday.

Bundled in this triple-pack of survival shooter action are Far Cry 2 & 3 as well as a spruced up version of the original. Happy hunting!

Rayman Legends | PS4, X1 | Friday

The past few years have been good to gaming’s resident armless adventurer. When it launched in 2011, Rayman Origins marked a much-needed return for the Ubisoft flagship.

Last year’s follow-up, Legends, proved just as fun and innovative and now it’s coming to these new platforms. What’s more it’s officially endorsed by reggae reincarnation, Snoop Lion. Buy the game, spark up your shiny new console, and pass around the gamepad for what will probably be a memorable Friday night.

Ys: Memories of Celceta | PS Vita | Friday

Listen up. Word on the street is that the PlayStation Vita, despite a slow build-up, is now a serious handheld contender.

This year alone we’ve seen some stellar ports as well as new fresh out of Japan including Toukiden and the deliciously messed up Dangan Ronpa.

Adding to this ever-growing catalogue is Ys: Memories of Celceta. For those in the dark, Ys is a big-time player in the realm of role-playing games. Things have moved on since 1987 however, this latest instalment combining traditional and action elements.

Rambo: The Video Game | PS3, X360, PC | Friday

One of the unspoken conventions in our medium is that adaptations are usually bad news. This sentiment may have lost some truth over the past several years (check out the Arkham trilogy for a start) yet plenty of examples still exist.

Hopefully the same wont be said of Rambo: The Video Game. Stripping material from the iconic action flicks, its an on-rails shooter packed with some explosive set pieces. We’ll hopefully have a review in the coming weeks.