The Best Console Game Releases for February: Horizon Zero Dawn, For Honor, Nioh, Halo Wars 2 and more

While it may be difficult to think about anything in the gaming world outside of next month’s release of Nintendo Switch and Zelda Breath of the Wild, there are actually some amazing games releasing this month. With Nioh’s Dark Souls-inspired combat, For Honor’s Vikings vs. Samurai vs. Knights (enough said) and giant robotic T-Rex battles in the mysterious and wonderful Horizon Zero Dawn, its going to be a busy few weeks for gamers.

Here are the absolute best titles for February 2017 on Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo 3DS and more:

Nioh PS4 – February 7th

Nioh released to amazing reviews this month. Set in a mythological take on feudal Japan, players take on the role of a westerner to take on hoards of strange creatures, samurai and more. Heavily inspired by the Dark Souls series, there is a decent difficulty curve here but with a more Team Ninja-style combat system.

Master every fighting style – learn the flow of combat and move with precision. Unleash combinations of attacks and dodges specific to a range of authentic samurai weapons, including polearms, katanas and axes.

Nioh $60 or $48 shipped for Prime members

For Honor PS4/Xbox One – February 14th

For Honor is Ubisoft’s latest melee battle arena game. Choose between three factions: Knights, Samurai or Vikings, and engage in all-out melee warfare. Ubi looks to have brought quite a deep combat system here hoping to rise For Honor above what appeared to be your typical button-masher from the start. It’s not. There is fully directional blocking, parry-breaks and much more. And I mean really, who doesn’t want to be a samurai? And there’s a single-player campaign too!

For Honor $60 or $48 shipped for Prime members

If you’re in the market for an Xbox One S, Microsoft recently unveiled a pair of new bundles and you can pre-order both of them right now at Amazon with a free copy of For Honor attached:

• Xbox One S 1TB w/ Halo Wars 2 Bundle + For Honor $350 ($460 value) | Amazon
• Xbox One S 1TB w/ Forza Horizon 3 Bundle + For Honor $350 ($460 value) | Amazon

Sniper Elite 4 PS4/Xbox One – February 14th

Sniper Elite 4 is not for everyone. Its brutal X-ray style bullet cam is certainly one of the most gory ways to experience sniper-based combat in a video game. This time around the team is taking us to Italy circa 1943 with a slew of enhanced stealth features and more to take on the role of “covert agent and elite marksman” Karl Fairburne.

You must fight alongside the brave men and women of the Italian Resistance…Fighting to help free their country from the yoke of Fascism, and defeat a terrifying new threat with the potential to halt the Allied fightback in Europe before it begins.

Sniper Elite 4 $60 or $48 shipped for Prime members

Halo Wars 2 Xbox One/PC – February 21st

Halo Wars 2 will put players up against a new villain known as Atriox in the single-player campaign, while introducing a new deck building-based multiplayer mode dubbed “Blitz”. You will be able to play this one on both Xbox One and Windows PC with a single purchase via Microsoft’s Play Anywhere program. Here’s a quick link to the Halo Wars 2 Xbox One S bundle (mentioned above with a free copy of For Honor). 

Halo Wars 2 $60 or $48 shipped for Prime

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRQDqurZJNk

Horizon Zero Dawn PS4 – February 28th

While normally I stick to the shadows, straying from anything that doesn’t let me sneak around like a ghost (for the most part), the beauty and wonder that is Horizon Zero Dawn is bringing me into the light.

With its massive open world, interesting main character and generally unique aesthetic overall, HZD is easily my most anticipated title of the month. I loved the Monster Hunter series for a time and I tend to feel most comfortable with the sort of slimmed down action-RPGs we have seen a lot of lately (think Dishonored, Deus Ex, MGS V). Horizon Zero Dawn is all of those things with giant robotic T-Rex beasts and one of the most interesting story set-ups (alongside The Last Guardian) I’ve seen in years. I highly doubt you’ll want to miss this one.

Horizon Zero Dawn $60 or $48 shipped for Prime members

Honorable mentions this month go to Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World on Nintendo 3DS and the release of WWE 2K17 on PC.

Subscribe to the 9to5Toys YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!