New release slate championed by Nintendo’s new handheld and software for it; EA Sports’ latest golf game, Shift 2: Unleashed, WWE All Stars, Dynasty Warriors 7 also out.
It’s a bustling week at retail this week, but one product screams louder than the rest.
Today, Nintendo released the 3DS, its latest portable in the DS family. The system is already available in Japan and the United Kingdom, and sells for $250 in North America. Gamers can choose from two color options: cosmic black or aqua blue.
Hitting the green this week is Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters. The game is the first in the series to include the famed Augusta National golf course, home of the exclusive Masters tournament. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game will feature 16 courses, with Sony’s system also receiving a Collector’s Edition of the game, which includes an extra five courses at a $10 premium over the standard edition. As in previous years, the Wii edition offers the most holes in one game, with Augusta National and 23 additional courses to play. PGA Tour 12 will also let players relive memorable shots from the Masters’ storied history, including Woods’ four Green Jacket wins at the tournament.
Racing fans have two new options this week: Shift 2 Unleashed: Need for Speed and NASCAR 2011: The Game. As for EA’s game, Slightly Mad Studios developed Shift 2, and the game will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Within the package, gamers will find a number of different modes, including 40 single-type race events, where the playing field is leveled and gamers compete in the same make of car.
Gamers looking for a new NASCAR game can grab NASCAR 2011: The Game this Tuesday. The game will be a fully licensed NASCAR entry with over 22 real-world tracks. It will also support up to 16 players and have an experience system, which will unlock cars, decals, and sponsors in career mode.
Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio battle it out in this video explaining the depth of the combat system featured in each class, as well as the incredible array of moves, combos, reversals, and back-and-forth over-the-top fighting action you will perform in WWE All Stars.
Codemasters’ sequel hitting the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC this fall; UK release set for September 23; 3DS and NGP versions announced, not dated.
Just last week, Codemasters’ racing game F1 2010 took home the British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ top award for a sports game, beating out juggernauts FIFA 11 and Gran Turismo 5. Now, the developer–on the heels of the strong debut of the original–has announced and dated the next game in the series.
F1 2011 will arrive in North America for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on September 20. In the UK, the game will ship on September 23.
Additionally, Codemasters sent word that versions of the game for Nintendo’s 3DS and Sony’s Next Generation Portable (NGP) are in development and will sport features unique to the systems.
Like its predecessor, F1 2011 will include every circuit, team, and driver from the forthcoming 2011 FIA Formula One Championship, including Sebastian Vettel, current World Champion.
Additionally, F1 2011 will premiere the 2011 Formula One Grand Prix of India, raced at Delhi’s Jaypee International Race Circuit, as well as the German track Nurburgring.
The somewhat vague and foreboding “grim darkness of the future” got a bit more specific today, as THQ nailed down an August release window for its upcoming third-person action game Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine. Previously, the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC game had been set for a general summer launch.
The game casts players as Captain Titus of the Ultramarine chapter of the Space Marines, one of humanity’s last hopes in an intergalactic war against the sinister Orks. Players are charged with defending an Imperial Forge World from the Orkish invasion, a task made more complicated when the forces of Chaos make their presence known.
While the Warhammer 40,000 universe has featured in multiple PC titles, Space Marine marks the franchise’s first outing on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. THQ has a crew of developers well acquainted with the universe handling the game, as Space Marine is being created by the publisher’s in-house studio Relic Entertainment, whose previous works include Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II and Company of Heroes.
This new trailer will give you a glimpse of the gorgeous environment and clever physics-based gameplay you can expect when you play as the powerful knight, the swift rogue, and the crafty wizard.
New release slate championed by Crytek’s multiplatform shooter, TT Games’ latest block game, and Square Enix’s fighting game; The Sims Medieval, Ghostbusters: SOS, Tomb Raider, Splinter Cell Trilogies, and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood PC also out.
Next Sunday Nintendo will release its new portable, the 3DS. But this week’s focus is placed on aliens, building blocks, and fighting.
Leading the week is Crytek’s Crysis 2 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the platform that birthed the series, the PC. The shooter sees players fend off an alien threat once again, aided by a nanosuit that grants the user superhuman abilities ranging from speed boosts to active camouflage.
The sequel features two major distinctions from its predecessor. The original Crysis featured lush tropical environments, but Crysis 2 takes place in the urban jungle of New York City. And, as said, the game will see release on consoles in addition to the PC.
Gamers looking to grab the latest Traveller’s Tales Lego game this week can pick up Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. The game will introduce new battle modes, including close-encounter combat techniques and the ability to build customized bases and fortresses. Gamers can take the side of either a Jedi or a Separatist, each of which comes with its own special abilities.
On-the-go gamers looking for a new title to play can pick up Square Enix’s Dissidia 012 Duodecim this week for the PSP. The game features multiple roster additions, including Final Fantasy IV’s lance-wielding dragoon Kain. A number of familiar faces will also be returning, including Sephiroth, Tifa, Onion Knight, Cecil, Golbez, Zidane, and Terra.
While the action is still primarily one-on-one, Square Enix is implementing a new assist feature that will let players summon backup allies in battle. Dissidia 012 Duodecim will also include new game modes, items, and costumes, as well as the ability to play through a storyline focused on the character Chaos.
The Sims franchise continues to grow this week. The Sims Studio unleashes The Sims Medieval on Tuesday for the PC/Mac. Announced in early August, The Sims Medieval is a stand-alone Sims spin-off from the creators of The Sims 3 and other series entries.
The title, the first in a series, will have players create heroes, venture on quests, build and control a kingdom, and play every “hero sim” character in the game. Additionally, The Sims Medieval gives players the chance to control people from all walks of life, including kings, queens, knights, wizards, blacksmiths, and bards.
On the download front, Atari will release Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime this week on the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. The top-down game set in New York City will be a cooperative adventure title playable online or offline with up to four players. It will drop players into the boots of the Ghostbuster team’s newest recruit and task them with working cooperatively to take down “gigantic bosses.” Also, gamers will have a range of weaponry at their disposal, including the proton stream, the plasma inductor, and the fermion shock.
