Your Q2 2013 Release Guide

Once again we find ourselves at the end of another ninety days on the calendar, marking the end of a fiscal quarter as well as the 2013 fiscal year for developers and publishers.  It’s a time in which great games that hid away from the sale monster titles that choke the life out of other franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty rise up, ready to show themselves like a farmer exiting his storm cellar as the sun peaks through the dark clouds after a tornado.  The second quarter of the calendar year stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the first in terms of importance for publishers and developers as it’s their time to begin boosting their new fiscal year portfolios so you can expect a bunch of interesting titles to drop during it.  This, not to mention the US school vacation season as well as E3 coming up, makes the next ninety days incredibly important.

So, like this past quarter and the quarter before it, here are the major release titles to look forward to over the course of the next three months.  Please keep in mind: release dates are subject to change, especially so as the list gets further out.

April 16th

Injustice: Gods Among Us

Developer by: NetherRealm Studios
Publisher by: Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Though you tend to see us play more RPGs and other genres of games on the feed, Injustice definitely looks to be worth taking a look at release.  Created by the same team that did the rather supurb Mortal Kombat reboot (Ed Boon and his usual crew), Injustice looks to take the great ideas teased but never delivered in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe back in 2008.  The story was penned in collaboration with DC and many of the actors behind the Arkham and, by extension, DC Animated Universe versions of the characters are present such as Kevin Conroy, George Newman and Grey DeLise so it appears that NetherRealm is doing some strong fan service in this regard.  Beyond the production values, Injustice looks to have some pretty solid fighting mechanics on hand so aficionados of the genre should feel assured that NetherRealm is doing things right this time.  Need more?  A demo for the game went live on April 2nd so go download it and find out if the game's right for you.

Pandora’s Tower

Developer by: Ganbarion
Publisher by: Xseed Games
Platforms: Wii

Though we hear death throes of the Wii U nearly weekly as developers and publishers abandon the system for next generation pastures that they hope will be greener than the current ones, we all seem to be ignoring the end of their previous system, the Wii.  Pandora’s Tower may be the final major release for the system and man, what a way to go out.  The final title in the Operation Rainfall chapter of Nintendo’s life in which fans demanded the porting of three RPGs abroad, Pandora’s Tower will arrive in North America from a developer whose previous releases were entirely focused on licensed manga and anime products.  We’ve played it on the feed before but if you want one last go at your Wii before you shelve it for good, this may be the title for you.

April 23rd

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen

Developed by:  Capcom
Published by: Capcom
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Last year we played a metric fuck ton of Dragon’s Dogma.  It occupied a significant amount of our time and is easily one of the most talked about games we’ve ever put in our systems.  Building on the success of the new IP, Capcom is releasing a full standalone expansion to DD in the form of Dark Arisen, an action that has me harkening back to what Lionhead Studios did with Fable: The Lost Chapters.  While it appears that the game will only feature one new area to explore, Dark Arisen promises new quests, items and enemies as well as a reworked menu system and enhanced travel options.  The expansion will also feature backwards save compatibility so if you already own and have played through Dragon’s Dogma you will not have to worry about having to start all over.  If you haven’t experienced Capcom’s new IP this may be the definitive version to own.

Dead Island: Riptide

Developed by: Techland
Published by: Deep Silver
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

2011’s Dead Island was certainly a much-discussed title amongst the gaming community thanks to its memorable marketing campaign and the game’s rather divisive final release.  While Techland does not call it a full-on sequel, Riptide picks up right where Dead Island ended as the cast of characters finds themselves trapped on another island filled to the brim with zombies.  New to the series is the ability to build up and defend specific locations in tower defense-like horde sequences in addition to some gameplay refinements.  Though Dead Island had many, many flaws this new entry is Techland’s chance to really shine so here’s hoping that they really capture the magic this time around.

Star Trek

Developed by: Digital Extremes
Published by: Namco Bandai Games/Paramount Pictures
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

Licensed games have a bad rap in the gaming community but every now and then you find a jewel hidden amongst the piles of crap that litter the landscape.  Star Trek, based on the JJ Abrams reboot from 2009, has the potential to fit that bill.  This title serves as an interim story between the events of the 2009 film and the new one, Into Darkness, which arrives in theaters this May.  I had the pleasure of seeing the game at both E3 2011 and 2012 and I have to say that, for a licensed title, they are doing many of the right things we expect from a cooperative third person shooter.  In addition to securing the likenesses and voices of Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, the rest of the principle cast from both films were also signed on to the game including the likes of Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana and more.  Plus, it’s from Digital Extremes, a developer well versed in making a pretty decent shooter (ie. Darkness II, Dark Sector, etc.).  There are a lot of things going right with this title and I’m very much looking forward to it when it beams into stores.

May 14th

Metro: Last Light

Developed by: 4A Games
Published by: Deep Silver
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

If you recall from my last quarter release guide you may remember that I estimated Metro’s release date and I was sadly wrong.  My apologies but hey, that was written before THQ broke up so you can’t fault me on that.  Regardless, Metro: Last Light is looking just freaking fantastic.  After having over an hour for a hands-on at PAX East we can safely say that the game is doing some great things and is really worth your interest.  On a side note: those who purchase the PC version of Last Light will receive a digital copy of author Dmitry Glukhovsky’s Metro 2035, the novelization of Last Light and the official sequel to 2034.  Buy it, people.  Seriously.

May 21st

Resident Evil: Revelations

Developed by: Capcom
Published by: Capcom
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC, WiiU, 3DS (released previously on 2/7/12)

Come on, don’t tell me you didn’t see this one coming.  First off, you know that this is what Capcom does best so porting a game on a platform-flexible engine while retaining the same graphical work just makes sense for them to do.  It’s a standard upgrade port for Capcom: new difficulty mode, a little extra content and “HD textures”.  Oh boy.  The one thing you won’t like is the MSRP the publisher is wanting to put on the game: $49.99, ten dollars more than the price they put on Revelaitons [sic] at launch well over a year ago.  I dunno about you but I’m not inclined to spend fifty bucks on a handheld-to-console port of a game that should have been on consoles in the first place.  Either way, if you find yourself wanting to wipe that lingering bad taste from your mouth after playing the horrible excuse of a game that was Resident Evil 6, this might just be what you need.

May 28th

Fuse

Developed by: Insomniac Games
Published by: Electronic Arts
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Nick, Brad and the crew have talked extensively about how disappointed they were with the shift in design that Overstrike went through when it was changes to Fuse but the game, at this point anyway, still looks like decent fun.  This co-op based third person shooter gives each players unique powers to decimate enemies with, something that, had they not been at the core of Fuse’s design, would probably have made for a relatively bland experience.  Other than a few gameplay demonstrations however relatively little is known about Fuse, most specifically what the narrative plays out to be.  This close to release you would think that EA would be strongly marketing this title but, as of the time of publication, there hasn’t been any signs of it.  Hopefully this doesn’t spell trouble for Insomniac’s first venture into multiplatform development since, well, being founded but it wouldn’t hurt to err on the side of caution.  Pay attention to this one and, if it suits your fancy, consider renting it.

June 4th

Marvel Heroes

Developed by: Gazillion Entertainment
Published by: Gazillion Entertainment
Platforms: PC, Mac OS X

It was only a matter of time before it happened.  After all, if DC can get their own MMORPG, why can’t Marvel?  Unlike DC’s online massively multiplayer title, Marvel Heroes is a decidedly different beast.  Going away from the traditional create-a-hero/villain model, players will take on the roles of traditional Marvel superheroes with isometric click-based combat ala the Diablo formula.  Players will unlock new heroes as they progress through the game with some having their own unique missions to play through when playing in single player.  Marvel Heroes will be taking the free-to-play route and will utilize micro-transactions to fund the game.  I’m normally not one for MMORPGs and Marvel Heroes is no exception but I can definitely see people trying out this one given that it is more directed and doesn’t follow the traditional MMO formula.  Look for this one to arrive just before E3 starts.

Remember Me

Developed by: Dontnod Entertainment
Published by: Capcom
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

Remember Me debuted this past August with some unique gameplay mechanics and a delightful looking Neo-Paris backdrop.  It certainly held our attention, especially given the game’s unique memory alteration gameplay, and we were definitely excited to play it the moment we learned it would be on the PAX East 2013 show floor.  What we came away with however were mixed feelings.  The game’s combat system is a tad confusing, the platforming elements are too direct and the camera freaks out at the most inopportune times.  The demo didn’t even demonstrate the memory alteration so prominently shown in the game’s debut footage so, given these facts and the impending release of the game, we are all a little worried.  Still though, expect us to spend some time talking about it in a podcast shortly after its release.

June 14th

The Last of Us

Developed by: Naughty Dog
Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platforms: Playstation 3

We have talked a LOT about Naughty Dog’s next title after moving on from their supremely well done work on the Uncharted trilogy so if you haven’t caught any of our coverage of the game previously be sure to click on the title on the right side of the page.  Recently we got to take a look at the game’s infected enemies and they are just about as terrifying as you would hope them to be.  Nick had some impressions earlier in March for you to read and both Joseph and Jeff shared their impressions from PAX East so take a look at both of those.  We are definitely looking forward to this release and will most certainly need it to unwind from the stressful week that is E3 2013.

Lost Planet 3

Developed by: Spark Unlimited
Published by: Capcom
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

It would be a lie to say that we are excited for Lost Planet 3.  Shortly after the game was announced Brad was quick to attack the game for its developer’s rather lackluster release history despite their good ideas found in each title.  Capcom felt that Spark Unlimited was the right developer to continue the Lost Planet series but I’m inclined to ask the following: who actually wanted this game?  As far as I could tell the interest in the franchise was already dying out even before the second title released so why a third game is necessary is beyond my understanding.  Expect Lost Planet 3 to contain a story-focused shooter experience with less than exciting combat.  Could we be completely wrong though?  Could Spark Unlimited really churn out an impressive title?  We’ll find out… though probably not during the same week as The Last of Us.

UPDATE: Lost Planet 3 Delayed to August

Company of Heroes 2

Developed by: Relic Entertainment
Published by: SEGA
Platforms: PC

Yet another title that was the victim of THQ’s downfall, Company of Heroes 2 was rescued not too long ago by SEGA and man, am I proud of them for doing so.  This fantastic series’ real-time strategy gameplay has made it one of the best RTS not named Starcraft and the sequel is looking better.  The game’s focus on the Eastern Front of the Second World War brings new gameplay elements to bear such as new line of sight mechanics and an emphasis on keeping your troops warm lest they freeze to death.  Environmental destruction also comes into play such as allowing players to destroy the ice on a lake to prevent the enemy from crossing.  The game looks spectacular and keeps getting better with each bit of news that streams out so expect this writer in particular to be very distraught when he is forced to choose between The Last of Us and Company of Heroes 2 when they arrive together.

 

And that’s pretty much it for confirmed release dates, folks.  There are still plenty of titles that could land between now and the end of the quarter that didn’t have focused release dates at the time of publication (Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs and Planetary Annihilation come to mind) so if a strong title announces its arrival during the next 90 days we’ll make an effort to update this list.  Be sure to bookmark it in case you need a source to keep track of these games and more.

See you guys in July!