This week in video games, November 7, 2016: Battlefield 1 and new Pokemon 3DS

This week, a local studio takes gamers to the world of Oz, new games being added to the EA Orign Access program, and a new Nintendo 3DS XL system arrives. But first, a look at what makes Battlefield 1 so special.

Battlefield 1 goes intimate with personal war stories

The First World War has posed a problem for developers making video games in the shooter genre. For one, there is no Nazi power, no combatant that is an obvious enemy. Another difficulty has been making the combat compelling, given that there was a lack of advanced weapons or weaponry.

With Battlefield 1, EA Dice made such constraints work to the game's advantage and in doing so delivers a rich, compelling experience.

The studio also invested in the creation of a single-player campaign, where previous releases in the franchise tended to ignore story for the mayhem of multiplayer. And although those familiar with the franchise will be tempted to skip the story mode, they shouldn't.

With Battlefield 1, you need to start with the story. It's in this narrative component that things that make Battlefield 1 so distinct are obvious. Instead of being a single story that attempts to encompass the First World War, this game is an anthology of sorts.

Each of the six war stories is set in a different location and features the very personal experience of a different character. It starts in France with players in the role of a Harlem Hellfighter, a regiment of African American soldiers. Other stories are set in London, Italy, Gallipoli, and the Arabian Desert.

The characters are fully realized, complete humans, and their experiences become those of the players, intimate connections being formed over the course of the chapter.

During the campaign, players pilot biplanes, ride horses, and manouevre tanks. For a game described as a "shooter", there's a lot of time spent not shooting.

All the while, players are learning the various mechanics of the game that can they can then master while playing multiplayer.

And as with previous Battlefield games, the multiplayer here is satisfying, with vast and challenging maps and destructive background environments. The character classes have been shifted a bit, so they will take some time to adjust to.

Battlefield 1 provides good value with a unique single-player experience and a robust, endless selection of multiplayer gaming.

Releasing this week

• Dishonored 2 (Bethesda)
• Assassin's Creed: Ezio Collection (Ubisoft)      

Role-playing adventure set in Oz made in Vancouver

Vancouver game developer This Game Studio has a winner in Oz: Broken Kingdom. The action role-playing game, designed for Android and iOS devices, is a reimagining of the world of Oz.

It features the Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin Man, but in place of Dorothy is Ophelia Shen. The developers at This Game Studio were given licence to expand the mythology of Baum's world.

Combat is turn-based, with players directing the actions of their characters, then guiding the upgrade of the abilities of those characters. Action ranges across seven regions of Oz, incluing the Munchkin countryside and Glinda's castle.

The game, published by Nexon, is free to play and offers in-app purchases to upgrade characters more quickly.

New games added to EA's Origin Access program

Origin Access, which is EA's service that gives subscribers access to video games, is adding some new titles.

There's already more than 30 games available in the "vault", and later this year the following games will be made available to play:

• Star Wars Battlefront

• Mirror's Edge Catalyst

• Need for Speed Most Wanted

• Crusader: No Remorse

• Crusader: No Regret

• Ultima Collection

Pokemon-inspired 3DS hits shelves this week

A new Pokemon adventure comes to Nintendo's DS systems next week, and Nintendo has a new New Nintendo 3DS XL portable game system that is inspired by the game, which will be available in two editions: Pokemon Moon and Pokemon Sun.

Priced at C$240, the limited-edition system is black with images of the two new Legendary Pokemon that feature in Moon/Sun: Lunata and Solgaleo.