Game Preorders

buy:

• Genre:
  Fighting
• Platform:
  PS3, X360, PC
• Release date:
  Mar 6, 2012 (US)
  Mar 9, 2012 (EU)

Street Fighter X Tekken is a new installment in Capcom’s crossover series, bringing together the universes of two popular fighting games. SFxT features characters from both Capcom’s Street Fighter and Namco’s Tekken franchises, as well as additional Playstation-exclusive fighters, like Cole from inFamous.

Street Fighter X Tekken is essentially a 2 vs. 2 tag-team fighter that plays similarly to other SF games. It features elements from the previous Street Fighter titles, such as Super Combos and EX Attacks, and uses the familiar 6-button control scheme. Tekken characters, however, can perform combos using Tekken’s 4 button layout.

SFxT introduces a new “Gem System” which lets you equip up to 5 Gems and use them in battles. Activating a Gem grants you various power-ups, such as increased attack, speed, defense, and so on. Preorder the game at participating retailers to get bonus Gem Packs.

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buy:

• Genre:
  Shooter
• Platform:
  PC, PS3, X360
• Release date:
  Consoles:
  May 15, 2012 (US)
  May 18, 2012 (EU)
  Windows:
  Jun 1, 2012

Max Payne 3 is the first game in the series to be developed by Rockstar. It takes place 8 years after the second one, with the titular protagonist working for a wealthy family in São Paulo, Brazil. According to game producer Sam Houser, Max is “more world-weary and cynical than ever”, and has apparently developed a drinking problem. It seems he has also lost his trademark black coat, and now sports a bald head and a rugged beard. (Scroll down to the trailer for Max’s new look).

Despite the new developer, Max Payne 3 retains some of the classic gameplay features seen in the previous installments, such as bullet time mode, shoot-dodging, and dual-wielding. The graphic novel storytelling sequences are changed, however, and now use in-game footage. Max Payne 3 also includes a multiplayer mode for the first time in the franchise.

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buy:

• Genre:
  Action
• Platform:
  PS3, Xbox 360
• Release date:
  Feb 21, 2012 (US)
  Feb 24, 2012 (EU)

Asura’s Wrath is an action game developed by Capcom and CyberConnect2 for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. As you might have guessed from the studios involved in the production, the game features tons of fast-paced action and insane, over-the-top battles. (Scroll down to the trailer to see just how crazy they are).

The protagonist of the game is Asura: a god who is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, betrayed by his allies, and stripped of his powers. As if that wasn’t enough, the Seven Deities also took his daughter and used her power for their own ends. Understandably enraged, Asura sets out to get revenge and rescue his daughter.

According to the devs, Asura’s Wrath is a mix of Asian mythology and science fiction. Combined with powerful Unreal Engine 3 graphics, it might make for a pretty interesting game world. The visual style is certainly impressive – hopefully, the actual gameplay is up to par as well.

One of the most touted features of the game is the ability to control Asura during cinematic scenes, which means player input might be required to make a successful hit or evade an attack. Using QTEs during cutscenes is far from innovative; however, in Asura’s Wrath players will be able to interrupt some dialogues as well, similarly to Mass Effect 2.

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buy:

• Genre:
  Snowboarding
• Platform:
  PS3, Xbox 360
• Release date:
  Feb 28, 2012 (US)
  Mar 2, 2012 (EU)

The new installment in the arcade-style snowboarding series, SSX, is set to release in February 2012. Titled simply SSX, the game features the same fast-paced races and over-the-top tricks that the franchise is famous for, while introducing more serious elements as well.

SSX utilizes actual satellite data and recreates nine real mountain ranges (such as the Himalayas) in the game. A number of old and new characters are available – this time dressed appropriately for the cold weather, and carrying gear like headlamps, ice axes, and even wingsuits. The latter add a new gameplay mechanic that allows you to glide long distances and cross gaps that would otherwise be insurmountable. Despite the more realistic visuals, SSX is still very much an arcade game – consider the Rewind feature that lets you redo a landing or a trick you just messed up, although with a penalty to your score. The game includes a single-player campaign as well as a number of online and social features (you can find out more about these in the trailer below).

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buy:

• Genre:
  Shooter
• Platform:
  PC, PS3, X360
• Release date:
  Feb 21, 2012 (US)
  Feb 24, 2012 (EU)

Syndicate is a reimagining of the original tactical shooter series from the nineties. It is a cyberpunk-themed FPS game with some RPG elements, set in the near future where the world is ruled by all-powerful corporations. The upcoming title has a single-player and a 4-player co-op campaign; the latter actually offers nine missions adapted from the original ’93 game.

Business is war in the Syndicate universe, and the main weapon in it are agents: biologically-engineered and cybernetically-enhanced humans with powerful abilities like slowing down time or seeing through walls. The protagonist of the game, Miles Kilo, is one of them: a new prototype agent of Eurocorp who can not only wreak havoc using all sorts of high-tech weapons, but also utilize the military-grade chip implanted in his head to hack other people’s implants, forcing them to commit suicide or turn on their comrades.

The game might sound remarkably similar to Deus Ex: Human Revolution at first, but elements like megacorporations and cybernetic augmentation are found in most cyberpunk settings. Furthermore, GiantBomb writes that Syndicate seems to have a lot more guns-blazing action, so we expect it will play somewhat differently from DX: HR.

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