Will the winter AAA-gaming freeze ever end!? Probably; we just have to hang on a little longer as spring is around the corner and September is looking pretty good. Luckily, gamers often build up a back-catalogue of games that need to be finished off before the new influx of titles. There are also plenty cool digital download titles that should keep gamers satiated until the big holiday season blow-out towards the end of the year.
If you’re itching for a great game right now, PC gamers should check out the just launched indie darling LIMBO, Xbox 360 gamers should consider From Dust, or Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, and PS3 gamers might want to look at Spelunker HD, LIMBO, or the Splinter Cell HD Trilogy.
Now a look at five games to come.
Bastion – 16 August (PC)
Action-RPG Bastion, already available on XBLA, has earned numerous accolades for its unique atmosphere and narrative style, deep yet accessible combat, and distinctive presentation. The game received ten E3 2011 awards, including the Game Critics Award for Best Downloadable Game, Game Informer Magazine’s award for Best Downloadable Game, and G4tv.com’s award for Most Original Game.
Bastion challenges players to build a new world after a cataclysmic event shatters the land to pieces. As players journey into the wild unknown, they will confront savage beasts, forge an array of customisable weapons and gain new powers from specially-brewed spirits as they become immersed in the game’s rich atmosphere.
The game boasts lush and imaginative artwork and an innovative reactive narration system that responds to players’ actions in real time. The gameplay is designed to reward player skill, and has been tweaked for PC players. Bastion for PC will also support gamepad controllers.
The PC version of Bastion will be launching on Steam first, with other digital download portals following soon after. It will be DRM-free and includes Steamworks support for Cloud saves, achievements, and leaderboards.
Rugby World Cup 2011 – 26 August (PS3, Xbox 360)
Rugby World Cup 2011 is the official game of the Rugby World Cup 2011 tournament being held in New Zealand. Developer HB Studios has plenty of experience developing sports games, having produced 30 titles since 2001; this includes titles in the EA Sports Cricket, Rugby, NHL, NBA, Madden, FIFA, and Tiger Woods franchises.
Rugby World Cup 2011 will challenge players to pick from the 20 Rugby World Cup 2011 participating teams and attempt to lead their team through the pool phase, and progress to the final with the opportunity to lift the prestigious Webb Ellis Cup. Game modes include four-player local multiplayer and online one-on-one matches via Xbox LIVE and PSN.
505 Games and HB studios have secured a partnership with the South African Rugby Union (SARU) granting use of the Rugby World Cup 2011 South African team strip, emblem, and many players’ likenesses within the game.
Tropico 4 – 26 August (Xbox 360, PC)
It’s good to be El Presidente!
In city building and economy management sim Tropico 4, players will once again don the boots of El Presidente, the newly elected leader of the Tropico island nation, and will be tasked with turning the small backwater banana republic into a feared and respected world power through economic dominance.
Tropico 4 builds on the gameplay formula of its predecessor by adding new features such as interactive disasters, additional superpowers (including China, the Middle East and Europe), and expanded political options.
The game will feature 20 campaign missions across 10 maps, 20 new buildings, six interactive disasters, a council of ministers used to push through controversial law, national agenda objectives, a new import/export economy, and Facebook and Twitter integration (PC version).
Renegade Ops – September 2011 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Renegade Ops is a new IP from Swedish developer Avalanche Studios, who are known for their work on Just Cause 2. The game is to be published by SEGA as a digital download only title, coming to XBLA, PSN and the PC during September 2011. No exact date has been set, but it is already available for pre-order (with some incentives).
Avalanche describes the game as a military competitive co-op shooter which will put players in a mobile commando unit sent behind enemy lines to defeat Inferno, a madman intent on global domination and the commander of a sinister terrorist organisation. The game is built on the impressive Avalanche Engine 2.0, the same used for Just Cause 2, but the camera will be used in a top-down perspective.
The game’s modes will include single player and competitive co-op, working in either two-player split screen or four-player online co-op mode. While players will be working together, they will also be competing for high-scores, achievements and the top position on the online leader boards.
Dead Island – 9 September (PS3, Xbox 360)
Dead Island caused quite a stir when it was re-announced back in early 2011, largely thanks to its emotive CGI announce trailer, which itself went on to be honoured at the Cannes Lions 2011. In case you’ve missed it, find the trailer embedded below.
Developed by Techland (Call of Juarez, Nail’d) and published by Deep Silver (S.T.A.L.K.E.R Clear Sky, Risen, Sacred), Dead Island will play out on a tropical holiday resort which becomes infested by zombies.
Unlike most zombie slashers, the action in Dead Island will take place from a first person perspective, and will have RPG elements. The combat will mostly be melee, and there will be built in 4 player drop in/drop out co-op.
Honourable Mention – Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad – 16 September (PC)
We mentioned Red Orchestra 2 in this feature two weeks ago, but during the interim the game was delayed and a new release date announced.
Red Orchestra 2 promises “unique and innovative gameplay” including first person cover, first person tank warfare, all new multiplayer gametypes including the multiplayer campaign mode, and weaponry systems with features such as full ballistics and suppression of enemies. Red Orchestra 2 also gives players the opportunity to fight through both the German attacks into the Russian city of Stalingrad and the Red Army’s crushing reply in single player.
5 games to look forward to (11 August 2011) << Comments and views
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