This Week In Games, August 17 - 23: Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition, Hotline Miami, Tales of Xillia 2, Counterspy, Sentris, Plus A Pigeon Dating Sim! And More.

Written By: Tyler

Hello people, and welcome to another edition of This Week In Games, a weekly feature I write where I try to crack the Da Vinci Code.

Every week I jump onto more popular video game websites like Gamespot and I see what games are coming out. I then give a quick little rundown on the games that I think are important and/or interesting and tell you a little bit about why I think they look good or bad. I don't include every game -- just games of interest.

I stick to North American release dates because that's where I live, and I don't focus a lot on ports, but if a port is interesting I will include it.


August 17

It's a Sunday, there's hardly everything released on a Sunday.



August 18

There's really nothing of real interest on this day.



August 19


Tales Of Xillia 2

Coming Out For: PS3
Genre: JRPG
Gameplay:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnb2mVs-c-8

To be honest, I never played the first Tales of Xillia because even though JRPGs are in my blood, I'm kind of beyond playing any of them that I see. I spent my childhood playing them, and the first Tales didn't really stick out to me as one that I needed. Even though the video above isn't in English, you get the general idea of what is going on (unless you can actually speak the language, then you're awesome!). It looks like an okay JRPG, but nothing that is going to go down as a great one. Still, it's an important release because I know there are people who loved the first, and Tales games get good reception most of the time.


Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare

Coming Out For: PS3, PS4
Genre: Third-Person Shooter/Tower Defense

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gin3uYn95QU

Copied from an older This Week In Games:
I've never actually played Plants vs Zombies, but people really dig it. This is actually already out on console but it's coming out for PS3/PS4. It actually looks like a fun blend of third-person shooting and tower defense, which is a mash-up I've been a big fan of since Dungeon Defenders. It looks to have a sense of humour, a colourful art-style, and it should be worth your time if you haven't played the console version.


Counterspy

Coming Out For: PS3, PS4

Genre: Side-Scrolling Stealth/Action

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGr5uMwvMEI

This is an interesting one. I never heard of it, but I think I'm in love. Even though it is a 2D stealth game for the most part, they seem to have added a 3D element to it by allowing you to press up against certain walls and look down them in a more 3D view. It's a nice blend of the two genres.

You play as a spy and apparently it's a bit of a twist in the narrative sense because you don't actually think the organization you work for is good. You're actually kind of just like, "Hey, maybe the things we're doing here are bad."

Aside from that, it has a neat visual style and the stealth gameplay looks solid. I'm not sure how the AI will be -- because it didn't look great in the video above -- but they're also a small team and AI is extremely difficult. Chalk this up as one of my most anticipated releases of this week.



Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition 

Coming Out For: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Genre: Action-RPG

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Tkg9GHjqk

I've gone on record and said that while the Vanilla version of Diablo 3 was good, there were definitely some problems with it. I've also gone on record and said that with Loot 2.0, the many updates and Reaper of Souls, Diablo 3 is now awesome. In fact, it's one of the best games in the genre and is only held back by the leveling system... which is something they've modified and made better, but is still not up to par. Unfortunately it's something that they'd have to give the game a complete overhaul to fix.

Besides that, everything else about Diablo 3 is a lot of fun. I don't care what Diablo elitists say... this is awesome hack n' slash action. The graphics are pretty, everything feels good (like bashing enemies), there is sufficient loot, Reaper of Souls is an amazing expansion with an amazing soundtrack, and it's a lot of fun to play with friends.

The Ultimate Evil Edition has Reaper of Souls, a few bonuses and it's been tweaked for consoles. Now is a good time to pick it up.



Hotline Miami  

Coming Out For: PS4

Genre: Action

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5AJtaYx1Eg

Hotline Miami is a game I loved for PC, though it had some minor flaws. I hope the PS4 version fixes them, but I strongly encourage picking it up because it's really weird and violent, but there is actually a strong puzzle element to the game. It's the funnest game cactus has been a part of in a strict gameplay sense, and it has all the charm that his lesser-known games have.



Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment

Coming Out For: Vita

Genre: RPG

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsxQg73hnA4

This game looks interesting but unfortunately I don't have a Vita to play it. It's not an MMO, but apparently feels like one because it takes place in a large virtual reality world. The combat looks fun and chaotic with some depth to it, it comes with the first game embedded in, and there are little elements of a dating Sim as well (of course, it's from Japan). Check it out, let me know how it is.



August 20

Just some releases of Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment and Hotline Miami elsewhere in the world.



August 21

Shadowgate

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Adventure
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McO80u6oFqQ

A 2014 version of Shadowgate was Kickstartered and now we're seeing a release. It harkens back to the old school, with a first-person view as you traverse large labyrinths and see what you can find. Some will find this gameplay very outdated and thus turned off, but the people who played these games back when they were more popular will definitely have something to sink their teeth into.





Hatoful Boyfriend

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Dating Sim
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SnF_Y2vnso

This is a game about setting pigeons up with other pigeons. That sentence is all you really need to know because that's all that matters. Don't judge, pigeons need love just like we do.




August 22

Demon King Box

Coming Out For: 3DS
Genre: Strategy-RPG

Gameplay: Can't seem to find a video.

What's up with these obscure 3DS games? I had a hard time finding anything on the Ninja Turtles game a little while back and now this. It's another strategy-RPG to add to the 3DS canon, where you capture, feed, upgrade and combine your demons to do battle. Nothing real original, especially when a game like Shin Megami Tensei 4 exists on the system, but who knows, it could be good. Doesn't look great, though.



Sentris

Coming Out For: PC

Genre: Music

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyNAlMrv_ro

Ever get interested in making music but you lack talent like I do? Sure, I dabble in Fruity Loops here and there, but I can't play an instrument to save my life. Do you like video games? Of course you do, otherwise you wouldn't be reading an obscure blog on the subject. You like the idea of a video game that acts as a puzzle game and music generator at the same time? Here we have Sentris.

The idea is that you can switch instruments, and you drop boxes down below, thus being a game where you solve a puzzle-of-sorts, but it also creates a song that is uniquely your own. Very cool idea.



August 23

Nothing today. Enjoy your weekend!




Well that's it for this week. Any games you wish I would have included? Tell me in the comments below or verbally abuse me on Twitter @ArtBathednCrime

This Week In Games, August 3 - 9, 2014: Sacred 3, Road Not Taken, Metrico, The Swapper, etc

Written By: Tyler

Hello people, and welcome to another addition of "This Week In Games," the weekly On The Gamely feature where I talk about how great Guardians of the Galaxy was.

Each week I go on Gamespot.com and see what games are coming out this week. I then pick some of the more interesting ones and I do a quick write-up about why you should avoid them or play them. I tend to pick games that are seeing their first release, but I do pick ports once in a while, and I go by North American release dates... sorry other parts in the world who aren't 'Murica, but I live in Canada so that's how I'm running things.


August 3

It's Sunday, do something besides game! Or just play an older game. Either way, there are no new releases on this day.



August 4

Jet Gunner

Coming Out For: PC

Genre: Platformer
Gameplay: http://store.steampowered.com/app/314250/

Jet Gunner is hitting Early Access this week, and it's an homage to the games of the 8-Bit era. At one point, I think that was a really good selling point but indie games have come so far and we're so used to seeing this kind of thing that the game really has to do something interesting with the nostalgia, like Shovel Knight did. So is Jet Gunner up to the challenge? Obviously it remains to be seen but for what it's worth it looks like a pretty good, fast-paced side-scroller. The visuals don't really pop to me, but I've only seen the video in the link above, but it will probably be a solid game. I'm just not entirely sure if it'll have a lot to offer that a ton of other indie games (and NES games) haven't already. 



RPG Tycoon 

Coming Out For: PC, Mac

Genre: Simulation/RPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCwlh8bpqhg
RPG Tycoon is another game that is hitting Early Access, and this one is promising to be a mixture of an RPG and simulation games like Roller Coaster Tycoon (and other Tycoon games). Though I've never actually played any Tycoon games, this one interests me because of the RPG elements. You run your kingdom and heroes come and do quests. I'm not sure how much depth it's going to have to it, but I enjoy when games blend simulation and RPGs together, like Recettear a few years back. It'll be interesting to see how RPG Tycoon develops as time goes on.



August 5

Sacred 3

Coming Out For: PC, PS3, 360

Genre: Action-RPG

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFCURzNgCYo

Sacred 3 is the big release of the week for me. It was released on the 31st elsewhere, but it's hitting North American soil August 5th. I'm a big fan of the second Sacred and consider it one of the finest examples in the genre, and an underrated gem because I don't think it got amazing reviews across the board, so I was really looking forward to this... until just now.

I've been avoiding reading much of anything about it because I just wanted to go in as blind as possible because discovering the different features of games is appealing to me. Usually this works out fine, but I read a little bit about Sacred 3 and I am really scared now that I'm going to be let-down. They streamlined the experience, got rid of the open-world aspects, dumbed down the RPG elements and instead give us levels and a lot of actions. I'm very cautious now, but I already pre-loaded it so I'm in it for the full haul. A review will come for it.


Road Not Taken

Coming Out For: PC, Mac, PS4, Vita
Genre: Roguelike/Puzzler

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqz16Khp61I

Boasting nice music and great 2D art, with the promise of procedurally generated levels, Road Not Taken seems to be a slightly interesting take on the Roguelike. It's got puzzles, for one, and your character is a Ranger who is trying to save children... by pushing and levitating objects. I've read that the puzzles are deceptively difficult, so this could be a good game to sink your teeth into, especially if you're a fan of the genre.



Mind: Path of Thalamus

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: First-Person Puzzler
Gameplay: http://store.steampowered.com/app/296070/

If the video that plays when you access the Steam page for the game is any indication, the developers want to make you feel something. To solve the puzzles you can manipulate the weather or travel into the past. I'm not sure how those things tie in together but I don't care because it's a neat gameplay mechanic and I really hope it works out well for the game. The main character asks how many times he'll kill "her" at the beginning of the trailer, and I'm looking forward to figuring out the answer. My guess is twenty.



Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Coming Out For: 3DS
Genre: Action
Gameplay: I actually can't find any videos of it...

I was just going to ignore this game but I wanted to include a 3DS game and I like the Ninja Turtles. With that said, it's hard to find anything on this game, and it will more than likely end up being incredibly terrible so I wouldn't waste my money on it if I were you. I mean, it's a movie tie-in with a Turtles reboot that's pretty controversial at this point.



Metrico

Coming Out For: Vita
Genre: Platformer
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87SRSElTR9Q

I think the Playstation Vita wins "game of the week" in the handheld department this week. Metrico is a game with pretty simplistic visuals, but like The Floor is Jelly, it looks like it's still going to give us a beautiful and atmospheric journey. The gimmick of this platformer is that each screen will have different rules that you have to figure out. This should make every stage a new, exciting experience. I wish I had a Vita, because this may be a game I'm going to regret not being able to play.



August 6

Back To Bed

Coming Out For: PC, Mac
Genre: Puzzler

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lz-QUPABqw

Set in a surrealist world, you have to help sleepwalker Bob get through the puzzles. What will make this game exciting is the fact that he will be constantly walking so you'll have to think quickly. I love surrealism so the artwork appeals to me.



The Swapper

Coming Out For: Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Vita
Genre: Platformer

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3EyhIM9k_k (PC)

The Swapper was a PC indie game released last year and it got really good reviews. It's a platformer but the take on it is that you have a gun called "The Swapper" and it creates clones of you. I've never gotten a chance to play it, but it looks like a great Sci-Fi game with an intriguing story that doesn't beat you over the head with it. Make sure to check out this port.



Crawl

Coming Out For: PC, Mac
Genre: RPG/Action
Gameplay:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_3xrqjTyes

Every now and then when I'm looking up games that are coming out this strange game that I've never heard of pops up and I'm amazed by it. Crawl is a dungeon crawler game with an emphasis on local co-op. The twist is that your friends control the monsters, and when one of them kills you he/she instantly becomes the hero and tries to complete the dungeon. Now, I don't have any friends, and local co-op is increasingly hard because of this, but I absolutely love this game and encourage everyone to support this if they can. It'd be a bit of a waste for me because I won't be able to get the full experience, but maybe sometime down the line.


August 7

Nothing interesting being released here unless Shut The Box for Wii U is interesting to you.



August 8

GamersGoMakers

Coming Out For: PC

Genre: Simulation

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hchq3HalHlo

GamersGoMakers has a silly name but it's a neat idea. If you've ever wanted to run a video game company but, y'know, can't because you're as dumb as me, then here's a game for you. In it, you start in the 1980s and you develop video games. As the game progresses, your company will get bigger, you will manage your resources, and you can even buy out your competitor. This could be fun.



Victory At Sea

Coming Out For: PC

Genre: RTS

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToEPgfKyAZQ 

Victory At Sea is an explorative combat real-time strategy game where you explore the sea and shoot other ships. It boasts over 80 ships and three game modes, and if this is your kind of thing then it may be worth checking out, especially since we don't see a lot of games like this.



August 9

Nothing, it's the end of the week!



That's it! Those are the games that I deemed interesting for one reason or another. Leave a comment in the little box below if you want to yell at me or contact me on Twitter @ArtBathednCrime. See you next time.

This Week In Games, July 28 - August 2, 2014

Written By: Tyler

Hello again everybody to another edition of "This Week In Games," a weekly feature I do that involves me talking about cows.

Every week I go through the new releases (usually according to Gamespot) and I pick some of the interesting games of the week, whether they're good or bad. Usually I'm pretty positive, especially when you consider I've never played a lot of them so I try to keep an open-mind.

I keep it mostly to "first time" releases, meaning games that are launching this week, but I do throw in some ports and whatnot as well here and there. The release dates are all North American as well, because that's where I live. Okay, let's do this.



July 27

Nothing today, go outside and play heathens.


July 28


The Room

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Puzzler
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4R7KxglZY4

The Room is originally a mobile game (and a terrible but awesome movie, but this is no relation to that), and it is getting ported to PC. I had to post a link to the gameplay on the iOS version because I couldn't find anything concerning the PC version that isn't just a comparison of the graphics between the two versions.

The gameplay consists of you solving puzzles. The puzzles, in this case, are boxes that you have to open. It looks pretty interesting and the mobile version won awards, so it's probably worth checking out on PC. On a side note, the title screen music is pretty haunting.




July 29


Firefall

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: MMO shooter
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI_QHwlLUXI

This is going to be a hard sell for a lot of people, and I'm not even convinced that I want to play it myself. Firefall is an MMO shooter that has been in beta for years. I only ever heard the name and never cared to check it out, but it's been a long time coming and because of that it's, at the very least, a relatively important release.

The good aspects, as I see it, is that we don't actually have a lot of full-fledged MMO shooters and so this has the chance to be fresh. It looks like there's a fair bit to do in it such as a campaign, random missions and PvP, and if you like cartoon visuals it will be pretty appealing. I'm also a big fan of Tribes and enjoy jet packs, so on a personal level it has that going for it.

On the other hand, it's a free-to-play game which could be good or bad. It's bad, obviously, if it ends up being pay-to-win and I'm not entirely sure how this will work. The other thing I'm not a fan of is the shooting mechanics. It doesn't really look like it's going to feel good to shoot. It looks like nothing has any oomph, and that's a problem in the genre.

I can't really recommend it or tell you to avoid it, because I'm honestly not sure. It looks like it could be okay, but part of me feels like it's going to be a disappointment. Hey, it's free though, so there's no harm in checking it out.



Rogue Legacy 

Coming Out For: PS3, PS4, PS Vita

Genre: Roguelike, Side-Scrolling Platformer
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfIFidx71WE


Rogue Legacy is a game that I unfortunately ignored last year when it came out on PC. It's a Roguelike, which means randomly generated dungeons so no playthrough will be the same... only the twist here is that when you die, your child takes over and he/she could have a variety of features, such as being colorblind or a dwarf. It's a really neat idea, and now that it's coming out on console as well, there's no reason not to pick it up.



The Last of Us Remastered

Coming Out For: PS4
Genre: Third-Person Adventure/Action
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNZesQXSyxo


The Last of Us is one of the best games to hit the PS3, and now PS4 owners get a chance to play a remastered version. I don't even need to play the remastered version to say you should play it. The game is a fantastic, story-driven action/adventure game. The plot may not be complex, but it's told extremely well. The gameplay consists mostly of killing hideously deformed creatures and searching buildings for stuff, but it's a very rewarding, addictive game. Grab this enhanced version, because not only will it have better graphics, but it will have the Left Behind DLC and more. I can't stress this enough; get this game.


July 30

Nothing here... but you should be playing The Last of Us anyway.



July 31

Cloud Chamber

Coming Out For: PC

Genre: MMO Story Game
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62W-ju8Xd-c

There's a very good chance that Cloud Chamber ends up winning my award for most original game at the end of the year if I choose to give out that award. It is a multiplayer story game, where you basically just watch videos and go on their network and discuss your way through the story. It's a very neat idea in theory, and I hope it translates to a fun experience.



Lovely Planet 

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: FPS
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEBvOVrhnuA

Realistic shooters too violent and graphic for you? Enter Lovely Planet -- a cutesy FPS where you shoot things with your semi-auto in an abstract and colourful world. There are five levels, and it could be some harmless, simple fun.



August 1

Eidolon 

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: First-person exploration
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCZJUH7sx-Q

Eidolon is a first-person exploration game, which means you'll basically just walk around and explore your surroundings. These times of games are hit and miss, so it's up to Ice Water Games to craft a compelling story that makes us want to dive deep into this world.


August 2 

Nothing of interest here.


So that's it for another week. Did I miss a game that you're looking forward to? Let me know in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter @ArtBathednCrime.

This Week In Games, July 6 - July 12, 2014

Written By: Tyler

Welcome again to another edition of the cleverly titled, "This Week In Games." If you can't tell by the title, each week I tell you what movies are coming out. I check the release dates according to Gamespot and the "video games in 2014" page on Wikipedia to get my games, so blame them if the dates are wrong. I refuse to take any accountability for my actions.

These are only North American release dates because that's where I'm from and I try to keep it to new releases as opposed to games that are just getting ported, unless I feel they're a big game. I have rules that I probably consistently break, but oh well.

A final note is that it's not every game released in North America: it's only games that I think are of interest, whether that's because they're a huge release (even if I don't care) or if they're games I'm interested in myself. Let's get to it.


July 8

The Wolf Among Us Episode 5 - Cry Wolf

Coming Out For: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 (July 9), iOS (July 10)
Genre: Adventure
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umw8QPW5tiw

I actually forgot to play Episode 4 so I have to catch up, but I will say this... from my experience this has been an excellent series with a great story. I always criticize the lack of gameplay because I'm not real into these games where you mostly watch, but to its credit, it does allow you to make quite a few choices in conversation and when you're fighting someone. But anybody who is into this type of thing, this is a must-play because really, it has been a suspenseful thrill ride so far.



One Piece: Unlimited World Red

Coming Out For: 3DS, Vita, PS3, Wii U
Genre: Action-RPG
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uohkYxCcgvQ

Truthfully I'm probably not the best one to sell you on this, because I know zilch about the One Piece manga and anime, but I will try purely from a game-fan perspective. This is an action-RPG from the looks of things where you have real-time battles and you can catch bugs and go fishing. It looks like there's some decent freedom when you're walking around too, since you can grapple hook your way up to places and whatnot. It doesn't look like anything original, but it looks like a nice blend of some cool things, and if I didn't have Episodes 4 and 5 of the Wolf Among Us to go through, while also being knee deep in Divinity: Original Sin (review coming at some point), then I'd probably give this a go.



Mousecraft

Coming Out For: PS4, PS3, PC, PS Vita, Linux, Mac
Genre: Puzzle
Gameplay: http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/d4lal6/mousecraft-debut-trailer

Want something cheesy? This may be the game for you. Basically what you do is help your mice get cheese by moving blocks to allow them to proceed. The game is described as Tetris meets Lemmings, and that sounds about right.



July 9

The Escapists

Coming Out For: PC

Genre: Action/Adventure

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpF3LFlXgSc#t=25

Unfortunately this is only hitting Early Access July 9, and I don't think I'll make a habit out of including Early Access games in this feature (because I don't like including unfinished games), but The Escapists looks fascinating, and when I know there's a really interesting game hitting Early Access I'll include it. Think of all the great prison-break movies that you've seen... now think about playing in them, only with pixel graphics and no Morgan Freeman. The Escapists sets you in a prison and you have to escape. There's a reputation system where the cons will react differently to you depending on what you do, a crafting system because every game needs one since Minecraft (just a joke), light RPG elements and apparently gang warfare. Count me in, honestly, because this game seems neat.






July 10


The Red Solstice

Coming Out For: PC

Genre: Action/Shooter

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt1c8AayNhY

The Red Solstice is a top-down shooter where you choose from 8 different classes and fight hordes of monsters, whether in a single-player story mode or with 7 friends in the co-op mode. The levels are randomized and resources aren't unlimited, so each playthrough will be different and you have to manage your ammunition or y'know, you will die. I'm always up for a top-down shooter because we don't get AAA versions of these types of games anymore and they're one of the genres I grew up with.




July 11


Terraria

  Coming Out For: PS3

Genre: Action/Adventure/Platformer/Builder

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGo7iMUcxLc

I guess Terraria isn't out for every system yet? Like Minecraft, it appears that we get a port every few weeks. That isn't a criticism because it's a good thing. I played it on PC and it's a great game with a little more focus on combat and exploration than Minecraft. If you are into mining and building things, then this is the game for you because it is seriously awesome.

On a final note regarding Terraria, it has a perfect main theme. It's so dinky but makes me want to explore and dig for hours.



Any games coming this week that I missed that you are into? Yell at me on Twitter @ArtBathednCrime or just leave a comment in the comment box below. Thanks for reading!

This Week In Games, June 29 - July 5, 2014

Written By: Tyler

Hello and welcome to another edition of "This Week In Games," a weekly feature where every Sunday or Monday I give a quick preview of some of the games releasing this week that are of interest to me in a good or bad way.


June 30

Divinity: Original Sin

Coming Out For: Windows, Linux
Genre: Role-playing
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDaYWfqJD3g

This is the big release of the week for me, and it's strange because I didn't know anything about it and I only played Divine Divinity briefly years ago... so I'm not a series fan. However, this prequel to that looks incredible.

It looks like a dense (as the gameplay video says) RPG, with a neat robbery system that actually affects your reputation if you get caught. You can cause a distraction with one character by talking to somebody and then use another to steal. The crafting seems simplistic but it appears that there are a lot of things you can craft. The combat is turn-based but I like the idea of your action points carrying over to the next turn so you can have a big turn. It looks like there's a lot of variety in your attacks.

The leveling system looks like it has depth, with the different perks you can put points into and all the other things that you can level up, and there's a lot of story to read and things to do. My only complaint from what I know is that there isn't a marker telling you where to go so questing will be extremely difficult. NPCs will tell you, but then you have to remember. There is a dialogue diary but it looks like it's hard to filter through.

If you're playing co-op, you can make decisions together and depending on how you interact with your partner your stats will be affected.

There's also an RPG kit to make your own adventures! The game isn't even full-priced but looks huge. $40 on Steam.


July 1

Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition 

Coming Out For: PS4 (July 1), Xbox 360 (July 2), Xbone (July 2), Wii U (July 2)
Genre: Platformer
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVQbAtAQzj8

Guacamelee! sees its debut on the systems listed above in an enhanced edition. I'm not really sure why I never played the game because I love luchador wrestling, and the game is zany and colourful. I reckon now is probably a good time to try it out, and if you have Xbox Live Gold it is the free Games With Gold for July, so pick it up.



Child Of Light

Coming Out For: PS Vita
Genre: Role-playing
Gameplay: http://ca.ign.com/videos/2014/05/20/child-of-light-psvita-trailer

I really enjoyed Child of Light because JRPGs are where my heart is. They're my roots.

You can fly around in this game, which is different, and the turn-based combat has a spin on it with the fact you can use your companion to slow down enemies and just generally interact with things. The story is told entirely in rhyme, and the visual style is gorgeous. It looks like the Vita version hasn't suffered so if you haven't played Child of Light, here is another chance to do so.



Sniper Elite 3

Coming Out For: PS3, PS4, X360, XboneGenre: Third-Person Shooter

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1yg9jffjxI

It's already out on PC, but it sees its console release. Here's what I said about the PC version.

This one doesn't interest me at all, and since I don't get paid to do reviews I'm not sure if I'll get around to this one or not. It's not that it looks terrible, but it doesn't look like it brings anything to the table that we can't get a million other places. The kill-cam idea doesn't really make me feel like I'm seeing the damage I'm doing, it just seems annoying, and the action looks okay but there are so many shooters it just doesn't stand out.

This Week In Games: June 22 - 28, 2014

Written By: Tyler

Every Sunday or Monday I'm going to try to give a quick preview of some of the interesting upcoming games for the week. These will often be games that people should be excited for, even if I'm not, but sometimes I will throw in terrible games that you should avoid.

These release dates are based in North America because that's where I'm from, unless noted otherwise. If I get any of these dates wrong I apologize, because sometimes games are released in different regions on different dates and I don't realize it because when I'm looking for upcoming games it only says one date. This was the case for Sniper Elite 3, but I noticed it right at the last second.

June 24

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare  

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Third-Person Shooter/Tower Defense

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gin3uYn95QU

I've never actually played Plants vs Zombies, but people really dig it. This is actually already out on console but it's coming out for PC. It actually looks like a fun blend of third-person shooting and tower defense, which is a mash-up I've been a big fan of since Dungeon Defenders. It looks to have a sense of humour, a colourful art-style, and it should be worth your time if you haven't played the console version. The developers also said that it's not just a port and it's been reworked to function well on PC.


Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark

Coming Out For: PC, X360, Xbone, PS4, PS3, WiiU, 3DS
Genre: Third-Person Shooter/Strategy-RPG

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxCy0Uo72p0

This is an interesting one. On consoles, it is a third-person shooter much like the other games in this series. You can choose between being the Autobots or the Decepticons, or play the online mode where up to four players fend of hordes of enemies. The online mode is not a part of the Wii U or 3DS versions. Honestly, I haven't played any of the games in this series but I've been told by someone that I trust that they're a lot of fun because they make it feel awesome to be a Transformer. I reckon if you're a fan of the series, you're already excited.

The reason this release is interesting is because the 3DS version is a strategy-RPG with turn-based combat. I understand why they'd do that because I don't find action games to be that great on the 3DS, but it also gives you a reason to buy the game twice.



June 25   

Another World (20th Anniversary Edition)

Coming Out For: PS4, PS Vita, PS3
Genre: Platformer/Adventure

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHqS35B_aV4 (PC version because I couldn't find much video-wise)

The classic game is back, and even though other systems have gotten it, it hits the Sony systems this week. If you missed out on this before, and you have a Playstation, now is a good time to pick it up.


Valiant Hearts: The Great War 

Coming Out For: PC, X360, Xbone, PS4, PS3
Genre: Puzzle/Adventure

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEMv0ia6cSM

I think that the gameplay/puzzle elements will be solid, but I don't actually think that's where this game will shine. If the E3 presentation was any indication, then this game is going to pull on my heart strings. The artwork is beautiful, so I imagine this will go down the same road as Child of Light: a completely solid, pretty game. I enjoy that Ubisoft does these smaller games in between bigger releases.



June 26

Shovel Knight  

Coming Out For: WiiU, 3DS, PC, Mac, Lin
Genre: Platformer

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo-uuawy9Ok


This is the big release of the week for me, and not because I'm some retro-nut that just flocks towards everything retro. I do love me some retro, as I grew up in it, but if a game isn't bringing interesting mechanics and is just milking nostalgia then I'm usually not interested. The pitch of Shovel Knight is obvious -- you're a knight with the most badass shovel imaginable. You can use it to jump on enemies (ala Duck Tales), reflect enemy attacks back at them, open chests, and of course... smash and dig things like a shovel should do. It's a novel concept, and you know the game is going to be silly in a good way. It helps that the game legitimately looks fun to play and from the video that I posted above, it looks like the developers have taken great care to craft a game with interesting level design and awesome 8-bit inspired music.


June 27

Sniper Elite III (Releases in Europe on this date)    

Coming Out For: PC, PS3, PS4, X360, Xbone
Genre: Third-Person Shooter

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1yg9jffjxI

This one doesn't interest me at all, and since I don't get paid to do reviews I'm not sure if I'll get around to this one or not. It's not that it looks terrible, but it doesn't look like it brings anything to the table that we can't get a million other places. The kill-cam idea doesn't really make me feel like I'm seeing the damage I'm doing, it just seems annoying, and the action looks okay but there are so many shooters it just doesn't stand out.