The Pulse is Game Informer's weekly ranking of the hottest games according to our team. Each Monday we tally up the games with the biggest buzz based on number of editors playing and the time they put into them.
A few weeks ago, if you asked us if Game Informer's staff would spend more time in Evolve or Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, we would have said Evolve. Monster Hunter has never had a big following in our office, and Evolve was one of the most anticipated games of 2015 for many of us. We guessed correctly for Evolve's launch – almost everyone here was playing it– but in the weeks that followed Monster Hunter won out, devouring the time we once put into Evolve. Game Informer's editors are glued to their 3DS units, some saying they've probably put over 120 hours into the game already.
Dying Light is also a big surprise, and it continues to gain momentum with more editors jumping into it. Other games that were played but didn't get enough support were Republique (the new PC version), Smite, League of Legends, Dragon Ball XenoVerse, World of Warcraft, Clash of Clans, Darkest Dungeon, and Danganronpa 2.
Week 3 ratings: February 22-28
1
MONSTER HUNTER 4 ULTIMATE
Last week: 2
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate mania is running rampant throughout Game Informer's offices. Lunchtime gaming sessions, water cooler discussions about crafting, and numerous editors logging over 20 hours into the game on the weekend alone, cements it at the number one slot for this week. This game looks to have great staying power.
2
RESIDENT EVIL REVELATIONS 2
Last week: --
The weekly episodic format didn't scare off Game informer's Resident Evil fans, who flocked to the first episode when it released last Tuesday. All editors intend to play the second episode this week. Many are also enjoying the game's Raid mode.
3
HELLDIVERS
Last week: --
Most of the laughing and screaming in Game Informer's offices last week came from a group of people who are Helldivers, a new downloadable game launching on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and Vita tomorrow. Is laughter and screaming a good thing? You'll find out when our review hits later this week.
4
Last week: 6
With Evolve falling off of most people's playlists this week, Dying Light was given a second blast of life from a handful of editors. This new group's thoughts of Dying Light are mostly positive. The people that have been with it from the start, while playing a little less than they did in the previous weeks, are still wanting to see this game through until the end. All signs point to Dying Light having great staying power on the list.
5
HEROES OF THE STORM
Last week: --
Blizzard's take on the MOBA genre is a staple for some staffers, allowing crazy match-ups to take place, such as Diablo's Azmodan taking on StarCraft's Nova while Warcraft's Thrall looks on. It is currently Dan Tack's favorite game in the genre.
6
DESTINY
Last week: 7
The big thing for Game Informer's veteran Destiny players at this point is finding new ways to interact with the game. With last week's big changes to shotgun and pulse rifle damage, our Destiny players spent a lot of time experimenting with new loadouts. Add in the new item shuffling capabilities of the mobile app and we spent more time in-game and less time going to the tower.
7
SUPER SMASH BROS.
Last week: --
Whether driven by some editors' desire to collect all of the Amiibos or the pure joy of playing the game, Super Smash Bros. was played by a good number of editors last week. We've included an image of the Villager as a reminder that you'll have to shill out roughly $70 to add his Amiibo to your collection.
8
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: MAJORA'S MASK
Last week: 5
Some editors wrapped up their playthrough of Majora's Mask or moved on to other games. Support for this beloved classic dwindled more than expected this week, but is on several editors "must-play" lists, and joins Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate as an ideal airplane game for Game Informer editors on the move.
9
HOMEWORLD REMASTERED COLLECTION
Last week: --
A few editors fired up their PCs to play Homeworld Remastered Collection this week. Although they've been having fun looking back this classic 3D RTS, they're not quite sure they'll be playing in the weeks ahead.
10
Anticipation for the upcoming release of The Witcher III: Wild Hunt pushed a few editors to revisit Geralt's last adventure. Other editors are debating whether they should do the same thing soon.
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