By now, you’ve probably heard that both Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network have been targeted by various “hacker” groups, and threatened to be taken offline on Christmas day. With the threat of yet another holiday DDoS attack looming, we’ve decided to prepare for a possible outage. Thankfully, we’ve come a long way since last year’s attacks, and being unable to access Xbox LIVE or PSN no longer means the end of the world for gamers. There are plenty of quality single-player games to keep you entertained during the possible downtime. Check out some of our recommendations below.
Fallout 4
PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE can go down for weeks, and you’d still find yourself with plenty to do in Fallout 4. Even if you manage to complete the entire campaign, the post-apocalyptic open-world that Bethesda has created is massive enough to keep you invested for hours on end. Whether it’s exploring the nuclear wasteland, farming for various legendary weapons, completing side quests, or fiddling around with your base, there’s plenty to do in Fallout 4. And with no real ending, Fallout 4 is the game that keeps on going — sort of like the Energizer Bunny.
Dying Light
This is a bit of an older one, but with a massive expansion on the way, what better time to familiarize yourself with Techland’s parkour-infused, open-world, first-person zombie action-survival (got all that?)? Although Dying Light can be played online with friends, it works perfectly well as a single player experience. Gameplay is similar to that of Dead Island, in that there’s a heavy emphasis on first-person, melee combat, but what makes Dying Light so unique is the movement system, which makes use of parkour. As an open-world game with more than 1,000 possible weapon combinations, there’s plenty of fun to be had even when you complete the main campaign. Should Xbox LIVE or PSN go down this Christmas, you’d have plenty of time to catch up and ready yourself for the upcoming expansion, Dying Light: The Following.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Another open-world title, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a sequel to the previously released Ground Zeroes, and a continuation of the narrative established there. So if you haven’t played that, I guess you can add that to the list as well. Serving as a prequel to the original Metal Gear, The Phantom Pain is set in 1984, and follows mercenary leader Punished “Venom” Snake as he ventures into Afghanistan and the Angola-Zaire border region to exact revenge on the people who destroyed his forces in Ground Zeroes.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
When it comes to open-world fantasy RPGs, it doesn’t get much better than The Witcher 3. Receiver of numerous Game of the Year awards, The Witcher 3 has it all — a massive, open world, an engaging story, and action-RPG gameplay elements. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is said to offer approximately 100 hours of gameplay, so Xbox LIVE and PSN can be down for days and you’ll be fine.
Just Cause 3
There’s not much to say about Just Cause 3 except that it’s a hell of a good time. Designed as an open-world, action-adventure, Just Cause 3 offers plenty to do — highlighted by its emphasis on creativity and destruction. Forget plot, Just Cause 3 is all about getting creative with Rico’s grappling hook.
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection (PS4 only)
With Uncharted 4 coming in 2016 (delayed to April), PSN downtime will give you plenty of time to catch up on the adventures of Nathan Drake. Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series is known for its thrilling single player story, complete with impressive visuals, gorgeous set pieces, and action-packed sequences, making it the perfect game to play without PSN. And did I mention you’re actually getting three games in one here? The Nathan Drake Collection is a bundle of all three previously released Uncharted games — Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Uncharted: Among Thieves, and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection (Xbox One only)
With multiplayer presumably rendered inaccessible, now would be the perfect time to go back and replay the wonderful story that is Halo. The Master Chief Collection makes that easier by bundling Master Chief’s entire story in one game. Included in The Master Chief Collection are the campaigns from Halo: Combat Evolved (Anniversary), Halo 2 (Anniversary), Halo 3, and Halo 4. That’s a total of 45 campaign missions allowing you to relive Master Chief’s epic journey — all leading up to Halo 5.
