Given the amount of heart-stopping stories we’ve had this week, we’re starting to wonder whether or not Sony and the rest of the crew could possibly have anymore surprises up their sleeves for E3 next week. Indeed, in the space of the past seven days, we’ve got yet another sequel announcement in the form of Evolution Studios’ MotorStorm Apocalypse, a sumptuous gameplay trailer for Killzone 3, and a heap of other juicy morsels from the likes of Warner Bros and SEGA.
Check out the week’s top below, and be sure to gear up for a killer week ahead as E3 2010 kicks off on Monday.
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Red Faction: Armageddon Officially Announced
We knew this was on the horizon, but it doesn’t nullify any excitement we harbour for the title, and believe us; given how great 2009’s Guerrilla turned out to be, we’re positively stocked for Armageddon. Furthermore, it sounds as though the team at Volition are attempting to craft an even more memorable experience this time around, with the game apparently boasting “never-before-seen physics-based weaponry that redefines gameplay in the shooter genre.” Big claims for a game that is still some ways off, but we’ve no doubt they’ll deliver the goods. Look out for it in March 2011 for PS3, PC and 360.
Yakuza 4 confirmed for western release
SEGA always maintained that the chances of seeing future Yakuza titles heading west would depend on how well the latest effort sold – fortunately, it seems as though the recent third instalment was a hit with punters, as Yakuza 4 has now confirmed to be hitting western shores in 2011. Count yourself lucky, as it could have been an entirely different situation altogether (if you don’t know what we’re talking about, look up how well Yakuza 1 & 2 did outside of Japan and you’ll see why SEGA has been so reluctant about releasing the series in other territories. Short answer: not very well). PSU has a soft spot for the franchise, as aside from essentially being a spiritual successor to the doomed Shenmue, it’s actually not half bad, providing a thoroughly engaging dose of combat, exploration and mini-games to indulge in. Japanese gamers obviously think highly of it too, since they’ve been selling like hotcakes over there.
May Payne 3 takes a delay bullet
Bugger us, another delay right before E3? While these occurrences are inevitable, it’d be nice just to have a game pushed back that hasn’t even appeared on our radar; after all, there’s a fine difference between hearing that the likes of Max Payne 3 has slipped a few months in comparison to, say, Battle for Earth 3: Revenge of the Generic Space Marine. Catch our drift? Unfortunately, no such luck – looks like we’ll have to wait a while longer to see Payne cap some unscrupulous gun-toting goons in fancy bullet time fashion than originally anticipated.
Agent still PS3 exclusive, confirms Take-Two
There’s been a pesky cloud of ambiguity surrounding the exclusivity status of Rockstar’s espionage action outing, Agent as of late. Originally announced as a PS3 exclusive, it was later rumored to be making an appearance on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 alongside Sony’s flagship console, much to the dismay of PS3 owners worldwide. However, Take-Two has cleared up the mess, confirming that there has been no change to the game’s PS3 exclusivity – in other words, it ain’t showing up on 360 anytime soon. Obviously in this day and age with production costs skyrocketing, the whole concept of third party exclusives has dwindled, so it makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside that PS3 owners will still be getting a fresh IP all to ourselves. Let’s just hope it’s worth the wait, eh?
3D gaming hits PS3
A crucial turning point in the PS3’s lifecycle, the addition of 3D gaming ushers in the start of a new era of savvy technology, just as HD gaming did during its invasion of living rooms in the mid-late 00s. Although the feature is only in its infancy, Sony aims to push the technology as much as humanly possible at E3 and over the course of the remainder of the year, and has already pledged to ‘retrofit’ older PS titles with the feature later down the line. If you happen to be minted or just have very generous parents and already own a 3D TV, then you’ll be able to get stuck in to the likes of WipEout HD and Superstar Dust HD from a whole new perspective – if you’re one of those lucky few, be sure to let us know how it’s shaping up in the comments section below this article.
New Mortal Kombat unveiled
Flawless Victory – Fatality! Sorry, we couldn’t resist. This news has us positively stocked. For us, Mortal Kombat remains unequivocally one of the greatest beat ‘em up franchises of all time, so you can imagine our delight at this week’s news that Warner Bros is taking the series back to its gore-ridden roots, complete with classic battlegrounds and – most importantly – spine-snapping, wince-inducing fatalities. And not a DC superhero in sight. Marvellous.
Official: Dreamcast games heading to PSN/XBL
Rejoice. SEGA’s ill-fated white wonder may have gone to that old plastics factory in the sky, but its games live on in our hearts – and thanks to a new move by SEGA, on PSN and Xbox Live too. While it remains unknown as to how many games the Japanese giant plans making available on Sony and Microsoft’s online service, we’re at least able to enjoy two of the consoles most celebrated offerings, namely Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi. However, these titles represent merely the tip of the iceberg in regards to the sheer quality of games available on the platform, so we’re hoping to see the likes of Metropolis Street Racer, Soul Calibre, Power Stone, Chu Chu Rocket and, of course, Shenmue 1 & 2 eventually made available to the public. Who knows, if sales of Shenmue 1 & 2 on PSN/XBL prove solid enough, it may stimulate interest among SEGA bigwigs for a possible resurrection of the series in Shenmue 3. Well, we can dream anyway.
MotorStorm Apocalypse officially announced
Just when we thought we couldn’t possibly get anymore pre-E3 goodies on our screens, Evolution Studios goes and lifts the lid on a third PS3 instalment in the horrendously addictive MotorStorm series. Adopting an apocalyptic urban setting, the off-road racer features collapsing buildings, lethal tremors and will be more story driven than previous entries, in addition to accommodating up to 16 players online and four player split-screen. From the screens that have been released thus far, the game looks positively exquisite, with stunningly chaotic environments falling to pieces all around you as you burn up the track in an assortment of vehicles.
First Killzone 3 gameplay trailer looks stunning
We’ll let the trailer do the talking this time. If you haven’t clapped eyes on it yet, check it out here and soak up a preview of what is surely going to be one of 2011’s hottest GotY contenders. Must-have viewing.
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As always, be sure to let us know what stories from the past week raised your hype meter in the comments section below.