Summer is a slow time for gamers. Publishers put the kibosh on triple-a titles until the holidays rear their three-pronged check, credit card or money order. After prestiging in CoD, becoming a master spartan, and even whipping out the SNES for an hour or so gamers come to the same conclusion: I'll die if I go outside, but the hole in my heart for entertainment must be filled.
So here they are, three games coming out this summer all available for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. Oh yeah, and a couple of budget games to plug the hole temporarily.
Release Date: May 22
Taking its cue from the success of the recently released title Dark Souls, legendary developer Capcom seeks to reclaim the action-horror throne. Players will enjoy the cinematic combat they've come to expect from Capcom, as well as an all new RPG-styled system of advancement. A Shadow of the Colossus
grappling ability creates a sense of scale, as the player will be tasked with climbing on multi-story abominations seeking just the right vital organ.
The not-quite-MMO gameplay popularized by games like Souls shows up through the "pawn" system. The system enables players to connect to the game's dedicated server and nab computer-controlled party members from another player's game.
Release Date: June 12
Rockstar developer Suda51, creator of No More Heroes, has teamed up with the director of the hilarious Slither to give a cheerleader a chainsaw and watch her get to work on a school full of the undead. A group of zombie rock'n'roll lords move on to campus and Juliet Starling and the severed head of her almost-zombified boyfriend are tasked with dealing with the moaning hoard and their wailing guitars.
Weapon upgrades will be integral to the gameplay, so expect to collect currency to expand your arsenal. Nick, the boyfriend, hangs from the heroine's belt, assisting her by stunning enemies and using his ability to control headless zombies for a short period of time.
1. Max Payne 3 Release Date: May 15
Rockstar's iconic neo-noire franchise returns this summer. Finally recovering from the botched frame-job that killed his wife and daughter, Max sets up shop in Brazil. His boss' wife gets kidnapped, and Max is once again pulled into the bloody world of gang violence he sought to escape.
Bullet time is back and better than ever. Max's cinematic dives are complement by Rockstar Games' Euphoria Engine, also used for Grand Theft Auto 4 and Red Dead Redemption. Euphoria amps up the action, allowing enemies to react realistically to the rain of perfectly aimed bullets that is Max's fury. Multiplayer will be included for the first time ever, allowing players to gain ranks, join gangs, and even start feuds with other crews.
Triple-A titles are finally starting to show up during the summer months. Great.
For now, here are a couple of multiplatform titles that'll keep you entertained for cheap:
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection: Don't know Metal Gear? For $39.99 gamers will be able to
experience the past 20 years of classics on their Xbox or PS3: Metal Gear (NES), Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (NES), Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2), MGS3: Snake Eater (PS2), and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP).
From the series' cinematic plot to its innovative stealth action, players of the Metal Gear series not only experience a great game - they encounter an unsung verse of console history.
Dark Souls: Expect to die. At its easiest, Dark Souls is an unforgiving game, and when it gets hard controllers will be thrown. The game's difficulty is contrasted by the loving worldbuilding done by the developers, and insane attention to replayability.
Less scrupulous players are enabled with the ability to "invade" the games of other players as a monster, and can steal from their victim if the battle goes their way. Just one of the game's paradoxically-awesome nature.
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