Pick & Play: December 18-24
Sometimes, a game’s release day is more than just a launch, a matter of getting that product onto shelves. It can become an event, a process that involves the gaming community, a firebrand setting them off. So it is this week, with the official release of one of the biggest MMOs to hit the market in years. And, honestly, that’s about it. So let’s hear it for…
Picks:
Star Wars: The Old Republic
(PC)
Star Wars Galaxies shut down at the end of last week. The servers went offline and the world’s first Star Wars MMO died. Picking up the slack without pause is Star Wars: The Old Republic. BioWare’s story-focused epic takes place in the Star Wars universe, after the events of Knights of the Old Republic, but still long before the original or even the prequel trilogy movies.
They’ve been rolling out an early access program, too, so odds are that anyone who’s preordered this game is already playing it, but don’t forget to pick up your copy when it launches (if you’re going physical instead of digital). A two-day grace period has been confirmed, but beyond that, early access players must register their retail codes to continue playing. Star Wars: The Old Republic will create a disturbance in the Force Tuesday, December 20.
Trine 2
(XBLA, PSN)
To be fair, this was a game we overlooked a couple of weeks ago when it first launched on the PC. The downloadable, three-character, co-op compatible, side-scrolling platformer is a colorful, gorgeous sequel to physics-heavy predecessor, Trine. Not much has changed with regard to the title’s gameplay, but that’s okay. The fun is in finding effective ways to use the abilities of your three characters: the wizard, the thief, and the knight. Trine 2 is already out on the PC, but will be available through the PSN and XBLA this Tuesday, December 20 and Wednesday, December 21 respectively.
Postal III
(PC)
Postal III has been in development for a long time. The latest in developer Running with Scissors’ murder and mayhem madhouse series of freeform shooters was originally slated for release in 2009. The Source engine-based game is coming now, though, in time for the holidays. In fact, it’s coming this Tuesday, December 20. It brings with it its over-the-top brand of gratuitous violence. Is it a game in poor taste? That’s for you to answer.
The Rest:
Tuesday, December 20
DLC Slated for release this week:
Hidden Gem of the Week: Sturmwind
You guys remember sh’mups? Raiden, Gradius, R-Type et al were, at one point, the hallmark of arcades around the world. Them and fighting games, of course. And light gun shooters. Well, light gun shooters sort of got a rebirth with the Wii, and fighting games have gone through an absolute renaissance over the last few years following Street Fighter IV, but sh’mups have remained mostly off the radar. This is perhaps, in part, due to their brief and difficult nature.
“No excuse,” says redspotgames, as they bring Sturmwind to the table. Rather than choose between vertical and horizontal scrolling, Sturmwind has it all as players take on grotesque, screen-sized bosses against hectic and explosive backgrounds. Further, while the game itself goes for 35 Euros, the obscenely stacked collector’s edition is twice that. Besides being held in a magnetically clasped box, it contains music remixed from the game or withheld from the final product, a strategy guide, and a model of the game’s spaceship at a 1:72 scale.
Oh, also, it’s for the Dreamcast. No, you’re not seeing things. It’ll be out this Thursday, December 22, and is region free.
By Shelby Reiches
CCC Contributing Writer
*The views expressed within this article are solely the opinion of the author and do not express the views held by Cheat Code Central.*