E3 starts this week folks, but you certainly wouldn’t know it by looking at the releases. These publishers got the balls to release triple-A games at exactly the same time people decide to save their money because the E3 showing for Gears of War 3 looks too goddamn awesome. Let’s hope they know what the hell they’re doing.

Remember. Release dates are quite literally made at the whims of the publisher.  The following are subject to change without any warning.

Releases To Watch For This Week

Red Faction: Armageddon (Xbox 360, PS3)

Tuesday June 7, 2011
If there has ever been a video game IP that has changed without ever re-booting itself as Red Faction does, I certainly don’t know it. The original Red Faction from way back yonder on the PS2 was played in first person and touted the ability to reshape the environment thanks to the GeoMod technology, and you were fighting a tyrannical corporation as well for freedom. Although the sequel stayed fairly true to the first, Red Faction’s last incarnation, Red Faction: Guerilla, outright abandoned most of that premise and went with an open world, third person shooter/basher model where only manmade structures are destructible, although you are still fighting for freedom. One game later, they changed it again.

This time you’re underground fighting off aliens who are just not overly fond of humans(Aren’t they all?). The game remains in third person, but Voilition has opted for a more linear structure as opposed to the open world structure. Voilition, the developers, reason that in doing so, they can deliver much more satisfying destruction to structures and whatnot in addition to having a much stronger story. Don’t worry about blowing up bridges and stairs though. Your Nano Forge armlet can repair anything that can be destroyed at the hold of a button.

Armageddon does have a multiplayer mode, but it seems to be shying away from any kind of competitive modes. Instead you get the all too popular Horde mode clone in Infestation. Ruin mode, on the other hand, does offer some competitive relief in the form of getting your name as high as possible on the leaderboards. In Ruin mode, all you have to do is destroy everything in sight. You get infinite ammo and no enemies to bother you in your quest for ultimate destruction.

Despite the number of times this game has changed, it never fails to deliver the goods. Pure, cathartic destruction.

Did I leave the oven on?

inFAMOUS 2 (PS3)

Tuesday June 7, 2011
Everyone’s favorite lightning rod returns. Not that we should be surprised or anything, but ever since people played the open world action game that is the first inFAMOUS, they’ve been clamoring for this sequel ever since.

The first inFAMOUS introduced us to Cole, and how he became the electric badass that he is now. By the end of it, we learn that the Beast, a powerful being hell bent on Cole’s destruction along with everyone else’s, is coming. By the way in case you’re wondering, no. I didn’t just spoil the ending to inFAMOUS. inFAMOUS 2 starts out with Cole battling the Beast unsuccessfully. Defeated, Cole heads to New Marais to seek out a man who might know how to defeat the Beast.

In New Marais, Cole will learn a whole slew of new powers. In addition to his electric based powers, he’ll also learn to wield either ice or fire depending on which morality path you decide to push him into. Some of these powers include the Firebird strike where he, wreathed in fire, launches himself at an enemy E. Honda style. Another ability lets him lift up cars and launches it at enemies.

So far, everything looks to be just more of the same but bigger and better, but inFAMOUS 2 decides to take a page out of LittleBigPlanet 2 and include a mission creator mode. This mode allows players to make a wide variety of mission types and populate the area with as many enemies as they want, wherever they want. The mode actually lets you put in simple programming for the enemy as well, so you can have them act however you want them to act. You can even take control away from the player to have Cole do something specific. Moreover, playing these custom made missions gives Cole experience points like regular missions do.

The success and popularity of the first all but guarantees that this one will do well with the general public, and for good reasons. Unless Sucker Punch somehow screw up immensely, inFAMOUS 2 will probably be just as good if not better given the mission editor mode.

Coming This Week

Tuesday June 7, 2011

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, 3DS, DS)

Why a lantern? Why not a flashlight or a cell phone? Both of which provides a reliable source of light in the darkness if you ask me. I suppose the Green Cell Phones would be a little goofy though. Anyways, following the footsteps of recent licensed games, Rise of the Manhunters won’t be following the movie’s plotline. Instead you’re fighting off a race of evil androids known as the Manhunters in a third-person brawler sort of affair, 2D platformer for the handhelds. Wait wait! The Green Spotlight! No?

Operation Flashpoint: Red River (Xbox 360, PS3)

Whereas Call of Duty brings spectacle to the army combat experiences, Operation Flashpoint looks to bring the tactical nature of it into the fray. You play as a squad of Marines who have been deployed in Tajikistan to clear out insurgents. That is until the Chinese PLA arrived. The tactical nature comes in the form of the radial menu to issue commands to your three squadmates and your very fragile human bones and tissue. You can only take three or so bullets before going down. May your aim stay true.

Michael Phelps: Push the Limit (Xbox 360 Kinect)

So I’ve heard of air guitar but air swimming? This swimming game utilizes Kinect, and only Kinect, to determine how fast your swimmer swims. Here’s to hoping you don’t have a lamp collection sitting around your living room.

If anyone needs me, I’ll be dusting off my PS3 to play inFAMOUS 2. Damn thing’s a dust magnet. I’m guessing I’m not the only with the hots for this sequel. I don’t care much for the mission editor, but hell, maybe I’ll surprise myself and come up with some weird ass mission involving thugs, clowns, puppies, and cake. Here’s to hoping there is a cake option in inFAMOUS 2’s mission editor.

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