I'm apparently not back in the habit of creating regular posts, so this one may go a bit long to cover everything I missed last week. We're right in the middle of a gaming flood (opposite of the drought we had this summer). There are many good games being released every week. So let's start by quickly covering the big releases I missed last week. I'm sure all you soccer fans know FIFA 12 came out for Xbox 360 and PS3 last week. This is a solid entry into the top soccer franchise, if you're a fan I definitely recommend it. If you're a fan of Playstation 2 classics, the Ico and Shadow of the Colossus collection also came out last week. These are two awesome games for one low price, I'll be playing these two as soon as I get a break from all these games I haven't played before. Lastly, if you have a 3DS, the Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition came out for free on the Nintendo eShop. This is a great remake of the classic Gameboy Advance game, with some great new levels and a brand new single player mode. It's free, so go get it now! Alright, now on to this week's new releases.
New Releases
There are some HUGE releases coming October 4th:
Dark Souls (PS3, Xbox 360): This is the spiritual sequel to Demon Souls, the brutally punishing RPG by From Software. If you were a fan of the previous game, this game looks even better. It might be worth checking this out if you want a solid but very difficult RPG to play while waiting for Skyrim in November.
Dungeons and Dragons: Neverwinter (PC): This looks very similar to the recent D&D release. Graphics look solid, probably a good game to pass time with if you're waiting for Diablo 3 early next year.
NBA 2K12 (PS3, PC, Xbox 360): Not much to say here, another entry into the NBA 2K series. Solid Basketball game. I just hope they switched up some of the between game commercials so I don't keep getting the same stuff I got in 2K11.
Rage (PS3, PC, Xbox 360): This is a new post apocalyptic shooter by Id Software and Bethesda Softworks. A lot of people are calling it a blend of Fallout and Borderlands, but I assure you this game is a full on shooter. There are no RPG elements to be found so don't go expecting anything like those two games. It should be a very good game though if you're a fan of shooters, I will be picking this up for sure.
Spider Man:Edge of Time (PS3, Xbox 360): Not much has been said about this game yet. It's a 3rd person adventure game, the screens look good. Guess we'll just have to wait until release to see whether this one is a must have or not.
The only other release this week is Orcs Must Die! on October 5th. This is an Xbox Live Arcade title, so probably not a must have when all these other blockbusters are coming out, but it does look like it could be a little fun at least.
What I've Been Playing
It's been a while since I've updated everyone on what I've been playing, so bear with me as this section might be a little lengthy. We'll start with Deus Ex: Human Revolution. This game is an awesome futuristic stealth/shooter game. I say stealth/shooter instead of pure stealth shooter, because you can play it however you want. I myself am playing it very stealthy, giving my character stat boosts in Hacking and Silent abilities. It sort of reminds me of a blend of Mass Effect and Splinter Cell, but it's by no means a clone of either game. It's very unique and definitely worth your time if you're a fan of futuristic shooter RPG's.
I also played some Dead Island. I had high hopes for this game based on the amazing trailers that were released earlier this year. The game is definitely a little different than what I expected. It's not quite as story driven as I would have hoped. You get some story in the beginning, then you pretty much just start doing missions for everyone around you. If you like doing a ton of missions, and you like slaughtering zombies with all sorts of makeshift weapons, this is the game for you. Only downside to it are the graphics. While they definitely aren't as bad as some of Techland's games, they aren't the best. Shadows are blocky and sometimes contain a gradient of colors. However, the gameplay is a blast so I'll forgive the few graphical issues this time.
I downloaded the Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Aniversary Edition a few days ago and just sat down to spend some time with that. And damn is this a fun free game! I was slightly worried since Four Swords was originally a spin off multiplayer part of A Link To The Past on Gameboy Advance, but once I sat down and played the new single player part, I honestly couldn't put it down. This game blends elements from all Zelda games together to create one big blast of fun. Many levels are even designed like classic Zelda maps from previous games. I'll definitely post more about this one as I keep playing it.
I'm still playing Catherine, slowly but steadily. This game is still extremely fun, but it's starting to get very challenging around level five. Some new block types have been introduced, such as ice blocks that cause you to just slide over the edge and die. But I keep pushing forward to reveal more of this amazing story by Atlus games. A full review of this game is soon to come, as soon as I finish it once.
Lastly, I played some Final Fantasy XIII. I just realized that the sequel comes out in a few months, so I decided to re-play this game in order to stay current on the story so far. The graphics in this game are still jaw-dropping, even a few years after it's release. This is by far one of the best looking PS3 games in stores, and has an awesome story to boot! The battle system is a little too close to turn based for my liking, but it's classic Final Fantasy style so I guess I can't really complain. I still love this game to death!
Well, that's it for this week. Stay tuned for updates as I get Rage later on this week. I may post a brief mid-week update if I get some time away from work. Until then, get out there and play some games!!
