This week’s most notable releases come from three classic video game franchises. On Tuesday, we get Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Ninja Gaiden 3 and Silent Hill HD Collection. Then on Friday, Nintendo’s long-awaited franchise makes it’s return in the form of Kid Icarus: Uprising. Check out the videos below and don’t for get to vote on which one you plan on picking up.
3/20
Ninja Gaiden 3 (Playstation3/Xbox360)
- New gameplay mechanics and presentation that places the Dragon Sword in your hands, along with the consequence that come with using it
- Through a new story and new characters players will learn more about Hayabusa’s past and present life than ever before
- Intense ninja action that will challenge players while remaining accessible for players new to the franchise
- Franchise first multiplayer options, featuring a challenging set of modes including cooperative and competitive action
- The “Ninja World” system which lets players control and customize an ordinary ninja to try to advance him
- A Hero Unmasked: With a new story and new characters, players will learn more about Hayabusa’s past and present life than ever before.
- Cutting Down your Enemy: Through new gameplay mechanics and presentation, players will feel what it’s like to cut through an enemy’s flesh and bone, along with the consequence that comes with it.
- High-Octane Ninja Action: Built upon the same intense action that the series is renowned for, Ninja Gaiden 3 will challenge players while still remaining accessible for players new to the franchise.
- Online Action: A rich and challenging set of online modes are being implemented, giving players the option to play cooperatively or competitively. New challenges, characters and missions await those who choose to join the Shadows of the World online!
Source: Amazon
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (Playstation3/Xbox360)
It is September 1998 and the action centres on the ill-fated Raccoon City and the horrific consequences of the deadly T-virus outbreak, developed at the Umbrella facility. With a cover up required, Umbrella orders an elite team into Raccoon City to destroy all evidence of the outbreak and eliminate any survivors. Meanwhile, the US Government has quarantined the city and dispatched its own team of elite soldiers to determine the source of the mysterious outbreak. You are an Umbrella Security Services soldier (U.S.S.), competing alone or in up to four player co-op in a battle against all the competing forces at play in Raccoon City. Expect the return of original Resident Evil enemies, iconic landmarks such as the Raccoon City Police Department and fan favourite characters, including Leon S. Kennedy, who, as a rookie police officer in Raccoon City, is on your hit list to eliminate.
- Experience the Fear: Set in the terrifying world of Resident Evil
- Three Corner Conflict: Bio-Organic Weapons (B.O.W) and zombies create an unpredictable third force and additional challenge on the battlefield, adding chaos to the shooter game play.
- Campaign Mode – both single player and up to 4 player co-op: You are part of the Umbrella Security Service. Protect the truth behind the T-Virus outbreak by any means necessary.
- Fight Online: Robust and fully featured online multiplayer modes
- Define your Play Style: Gain new abilities and skills unique to your playable character as your experience level increases.
- International Team Development: a high quality, fully loaded, third person co-op / multiplayer shooter developed in collaboration between Capcom Japan development studios and an experienced Western multiplayer specialist studio.
Source: Capcom
Silent Hill HD Collection (Playstation3/Xbox360)
Silent Hill Re-Mastered Collection combines two classic spine-chilling Silent Hill titles from the past and brings them to the Xbox 360 for the first time ever. Introducing Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams and Silent Hill 3 with enhancements including true high-definition graphics, this offering gives new fans and old fans the opportunity to experience the early era of Silent Hill as a true genre-defining experience with the added value of two games.
Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams follows the sad story of James Sunderland as he woefully enters the sleepy town by a mysterious letter from his deceased wife. Seeking the chance to see her again beckoned by guilt and remorse, he stumbles upon his these fears manifested through unseen evil and ominous characters leading him to the asylum of another world. The fight against the truth that his wife has died, James must escape the lumbering demon Red Pyramid (a.k.a Pyramid Head) along with his mystified fears that have taken the form of living monsters within the haze that is Silent Hill.
Serving as a sequel to the original Silent Hill game, Silent Hill 3 centers on the forces of the demonic cult that spreads the insanity of the otherworld through Claudia, a cult member attempting to bring Harry Mason’s daughter, Heather, into Silent Hill. With a subplot and themes involving the loss of innocence and childhood, a web of intrigue is spun by Claudia with intentions to birth a new god.
- Experience the two classic Silent Hill titles previously released on PlayStation 2, Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams & Silent Hill 3, that defined the Survival Horror genre in its early inception
- Both titles re-mastered to HD at 720p for improved graphics on PlayStation 3
- Completely updated in-game voiceover directed by series vocalist Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and soundtrack score enhancing the storytelling and ambient music within each re-mastered game
- Full PlayStation Network Trophies support integration
- Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams & Silent Hill 3 critical acclaim from the previous console generation:
- Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams = 89% for PlayStation 2 game average rating
- Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams voted “#20 PlayStation2 Game of All Time” by IGN
- Silent Hill 3 = 85% for PlayStation 2 game average rating
Source: Konami
Armored Core V (Playstation 3/Xbox360)
COME HEAVY – OR NOT AT ALL The ravages of war & natural disasters have depleted natural resources, leaving mankind in peril. Wage fierce battles for control of territories using the most powerful weapons of war: Armored Core!
- INTERACTIVE MULTIPLAYER
- Up to 10 players can play online simultaneously in 5-on-5 cell match-ups
- Each team’s Operator who sets strategy, conducts recon & issues tactical commands
- Capture territories to accumulate team & individual points, increasing rank
- Higher rank enables greater purchasing & customization options
- DEEP CUSTOMIZATION
- Upgrade & customize from 500+ items such as Head Piece, Core, Arms, Legs, and Weapons
- Collect multiple Armored Core units & store them in your personal Garage
- DLC components such as emblems will further customize each AC
- Trade parts, booster packs, soldier models, BGM, and in-game items with other players
- WIDE RANGE OF WEAPONS
- Base weaponry includes Kinetic, Chemical & Thermal
- New “Over” weapons with “one hit kill”power can change the tides of battle
- Over Weapons are broken into 3 types: Close Range, Long Range, Area
Source: GameStop
DiRT 3: Complete Edition (PlayStation3/Xbox360)
DiRT 3 Complete Edition will see DiRT 3, Gamespot’s ‘Racing Game of the Year’ and rated 87 on Metacritic, expanded with 12 new routes across two locations, new cars and a range of liveries (via download on PC) to deliver the definitive version of the ultimate off-road racer.
DiRT 3 Complete Edition extends the game with:
- The Monte Carlo Rally Pack – eight breathtaking Rally stages featuring dramatic climbs, descents and hairpins of snowy mountain roads. Race through the Alps and conquer the legendary Col de Turini pass.
- The X Games Asia Track Pack – four new routes set across two new tracks in Shibuya, the neon heart of central Tokyo, where spectacular mud-spattered Rallycross circuits weave beneath towering skyscrapers.
- The Power and Glory Car Pack – stars five cars including the BMW M3 Rally, Lancia Delta S4, Ford Focus ST Rallycross, Scion tC and Chevrolet Camaro SSX Concept, each with a range of liveries.
- The Mud and Guts Car Pack – features five cars available for single-player, split-screen and online multiplayer events. Race the Lancia Stratos, Peugeot 205 T16 Evo 2, Citroën C4 Rallycross, Saturn Sky and Ford Mustang GT, each with a range of liveries.
- The Colin McRae Vision Charity Pack – access the Ford Escort Mk II, a 70s rally classic with five liveries.
- The Ken Block Special Pack – features a customised and upgraded Ford Escort Mk II, an Open Class Rally car sporting a killer Ken Block livery.
- The Mini Gymkhana Special Pack – access the mid-engined Mini Cooper S Gymkhana, customised and tuned to become an outrageously responsive Gymkhana car.
DiRT 3 itself features over 50 years of iconic rally cars to be raced through the snow, rain and dirt. Powered by the award-winning EGO Engine, the game delivers incredible graphics, damage and weather in solo, online and in split-screen. From the forests of Michigan to the infamous roads of Finland and the national parks of Kenya, gamers take on a wide range of disciplines including Gymkhana, Rallycross, Landrush, Head 2 Head and Trailblazer, plus the most amount of Rally content in the series yet.
Source: Codemasters
Kinect Rush (Xbox360)
Use KinectScan to become different characters in fast-paced adventures. Dive into five unique movie worlds to discover hidden secrets & solve puzzles. Use your arms, legs and wits to save the day! Invite your family to join Woody, Lightning McQueen, and others in this one-of-a-kind Pixar experience!
Source: GameStop
3/21
Warriors Orochi 3(PlayStation 3)
Warriors Orochi 3 combines the much loved heroes of the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors series in an all new story that for the first time also features characters from Ninja Gaiden, Warriors: Legends of Troy, Bladestorm, Trinity: Souls of Zill O’ll and Dead or Alive!
- Huge cast of playable characters: More than 120 playable characters from the worlds of Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors. But that is not all that you’ll have at your disposal this time, as the vortex created by Orochi drags a few more allies to their universe. Dragon Ninja Ryu Hayabusa, Achilles, Jeanne d’Arc, Nemea and Ayane are only a few of the new additions to the playable character roster!
- Introducing the new bond system: The bonds between characters can be increased by interaction in banquets, fighting together as allies, rescuing struggling allies, and accepting then clearing missions in battles. These bonds can influence the storyline, as well as unlock extra attacks and new stages.
- Customize scenarios and share them online for all to enjoy: Cleared stages from Story Mode or Free Mode can be edited to create unique battlefields, where players can change voice lines and characters, acquire Musou Battlefield Elements in Story Mode and use them to add even more interesting new aspects to their original battlefields. Then rate scenarios created by others and see how your scenarios stack up.
3/23
Kid Icarus: Uprising (Nintendo3DS)
Some 25 years after the original Kid Icarus game for NES captured the hearts and imaginations of gamers worldwide, Kid Icarus: Uprising brings the action and adventure of this beloved series to new heights – and new visual dimensions – on the Nintendo 3DS system. The dark goddess Medusa and her Underworld Army have returned, and they’ve got their sights set on the heroic angel Pit. With the aid of Palutena, goddess of light and guardian of the human race, Pit must fend off this malevolent threat. The richly immersive graphics of the Nintendo 3DS system offer incredible depth as Pit battles enemies by air and by land.
- Designed by Masahiro Sakurai – creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros. – Kid Icarus: Uprising features a vividly redesigned game world and a new look for Pit and other returning characters.
- Pit is unable to fly on his own, but upon receiving the “Power of Flight” from Palutena, he can soar swiftly through the skies for about five minutes at a time. After each stage’s initial air battle, Pit enters into ground-based skirmishes.
- While Pit is battling in the air, the action unfolds like a dynamic guided shooter. Yet when he’s facing enemies on land, it handles like a third-person shooter. Throughout the sprawling adventure, players gather numerous distinctive weapons and collect treasures.
- Beyond the deep single-player adventure, Kid Icarus: Uprising also offers a thrilling and unique take on multiplayer battles. Two teams battle against each other, whittling away their point totals as each team member is defeated. When one team loses all its points, the last member defeated is revived as the powerful Angel Pit. If the other team can track him down and defeat him, they will win the match, introducing a new ebb-and-flow dynamic to multiplayer battles.
- The game includes AR Card compatibility. Using the built-in 3D camera on the Nintendo 3DS system, the game recognizes countless specially designed AR Cards, with animated game characters popping up in 3D on the game screen and even battling each other when two cards face off.
- The game’s simple, intuitive play control has players hold the system in their left hand, while the right hand uses the stylus on the touch screen for targeting. Their left thumb on the Circle Pad controls Pit’s movements, and the L Button fires ranged weapons and unleashes melee attacks. The controls are simple enough to be grasped quickly, but offer layers of depth and strategy for advanced maneuvers. A special control option for left-handed players is also being prepared.
Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai (PC)
THE END OF THE SAMURAI ERA, THE DAWN OF AN EMPIRE
The standalone expansion to the award winning Total War: SHOGUN 2 explores the conflict between the Imperial throne and the last Shogunate in 19th century Japan, 400 years after the events of the original game – a dramatic clash of traditional Samurai culture with the explosive power of modern weaponry.
Guide ancient Japan into the modern age, as the arrival of America, Britain and France incites a ferocious civil war which will decide the future of the nation.
Dramatic 19th century Japan settingBased on the backdrop of the Boshin War period, the new campaign starts in 1864, a time of growing resentment against Western colonial power and influence. As Japan began to modernise and industrialise, the inevitable social and economic changes led to increasingly militant nationalism and antipathy towards the Shogunate.
6 new playable clansPlay as a clan supporting the Imperial throne, or the last Shogunate:
- Shogunate clans: Aizu, Nagaoka, Jozai
- Imperial clans: Choshu, Satsuma, Tosa
New foreign powersThe American, British and French nations played an important part in the story of the Boshin war and your relations with these foreign powers will be integral to unit recruitment and to advancing your technology trees.
New 19th century Japan campaign map
- The new island of Ezo extends the SHOGUN 2 campaign map northwards.
- Fully refreshed towns and other campaign map features reflect the different time period, with railways making their first appearance in a Total War titleRailway lines on the campaign map
- Develop your own railway network to move armies and agents between your regions.
- Railways can be sabotaged and transport can be blocked by enemy armies who take control of parts of the line or railway stations.
39 new land units
- Including modern ranged units – such as the Gatling gun and Armstrong gun – controllable in a new third-person mode.
- New units can also be recruited from foreign powers, including the British Royal Marines, US Marine Corps and French Marines.
10 new naval unit types with a total of 21 ships
- New steam-powered warships, heavily armed with modern artillery.
- Foreign ironclad ships can also be purchased, including the Warrior-class ironclad.
New port siege battle type
- This new battle type triggers when attempting a naval assault on an occupied enemy port.
- The attacking fleet must sail into the harbour and capture the port, running the gauntlet of coastal gun defencesNew land and sea unit interactions
- During a land battle, armies can call in offshore artillery support barrages.
- Conversely, costal gun emplacements can target enemy ships during port siege battles, when ending their turn within the range of upgraded coastal defences.
- Campaign map bombardments: offshore naval units can bombard armies and cities in adjacent coastal areas on the campaign map itself.
3 new agent types
- The Foreign Veteran, the Ishin Shishi and the Shinshengumi.
- Each new agent has its own skill tree. Ninja and Geisha agents have had their skill trees updated.
Improved siege battle mechanics
- New upgradable tower defences can be built with a specific defence specialty: archery, matchlock or Gatling gun.
Multiplayer 2.0
- New Conquest map reflecting the 19th century setting
- Brand-new Fall of the Samurai avatar, including:
- Over 40 new retainers
- Over 30 new armour pieces
- New 19th century avatar skill tree
- Multiple avatars: players can enjoy multiple careers and progression across Shogun 2 and Fall of The Samurai
Source: SEGA
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