The game offers 7 distinct races and 8 classes to choose from. Significant character customization is offered, both during character creation, and later on in game through armor dyes and remodeling. Besides appearance, players can further customize the abilities of their character by equipping Glyphs (which modify skills in different ways) and socketing crystals in armor and weapons in order to boost their stats.

TERA Online pre-order bonuses

Preorder TERA Online from any retailer and you will get access to all five closed beta tests during February, March, and April, as well as a headstart which begins on April 28th.

In addition, reserving a copy on the En Masse Store will get you the following benefits:

• Unique Mount: the exclusive White Stallion.
• City Wheel Earring: Defense +7, Balance +3, Max HP +178 (lvl 10+).
• Seren’s Sand Ring: Attack +57, Damage +30, Max MP +82 (lvl 35+).
• Early Name Reservation: create a character and reserve your name before launch.

Besides the Standard Edition which includes 30 days of game time, the game is also available in two premium editions – digital and physical – which contain some nice extra content.

Digital Collector’s Edition

The Digital Collector’s Edition comes with a price tag of $59.99 ($10 more than the Standard one) and includes the following in-game items:

• Regal Frostlion Mount
• Velik’s Bloodstone Necklace: Attack +21, Damage +8, Max MP +70, Attack Speed +4% (lvl 15+).
• Shakan’s Bloodstone Necklace: Attack +91, Damage +59, Max MP +143, Attack Speed +6% (lvl 40+).

It is available directly from En Masse, which means you will receive the pre-order benefits, too.

Collector’s Edition

The physical Collector’s Edition of TERA Online will set you back $79.99, but you will have the following collectibles to show for it:

• All items from the Digital Collector’s Edition
• Letter of Marque
• Valkyon Federation Handbook
• Federation Issued Compass
• Map of TERA
• Original Soundtrack

Gamescom 2011 trailer

This trailer promotes the main healing class of TERA, the Priest:

The “true action MMO” comes to North America on May 1st, and to Europe on May 3rd. As mentioned before, preorder customers can start playing as early as April 28th.

Read the original TERA Pre-Order Details article on Game-Preorders.com.

Risen 2 picks up where the original left off, and the players step into the shoes of the Nameless Hero again. The main character now wears a eye-patch because of the injury he received during his fight against the Titan in Risen 1. The story is said to start with Commandant Carlos requesting your help with rescuing sailors of a sunken ship. You will meet several characters from the first game (such as Patty), as well as many new ones.

Risen 2: Dark Waters preorder bonus

Pre-order Risen 2: Dark Waters at participating retailers and you will receive the Treasure Isle: a bonus DLC normally worth €10 or 800 Microsoft Points. According to the official website, “the player will embark on an extra story questline to uncover Captain Steelbeard’s legendary treasure – a quest that will continue a plot element from the first Risen game and finally bring it to an exciting conclusion”.

GamesCom trailer

Risen 2: Dark Waters is scheduled to release on April 24th in North America, and April 27th in Europe. The game needs to be activated online through Steam.

Read the original Risen 2: Dark Waters Pre-Order Bonus article on Game-Preorders.com.

More upcoming games: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Mass Effect 3, Prototype 2.

Volunteering for a Red Zone patrol, Heller barely survives an ambush which leaves his entire squad dead. Alex Mercer saves the man by infecting him with the Blacklight virus, and Heller soon develops incredible powers not unlike those of Mercer himself. Blaming Mercer for the death of his family, an enraged Sgt. Heller sets out to destroy him, and everyone else who stands in his way.

Prototype 2 preorder bonuses

Pre-ordering Prototope 2 for Xbox 360 or PS3 at Gamestop will get you a “Bio-Bomb Butt Kicker” ability which involves Heller turning an opponent into a bomb, and kicking it into a group of enemies for collateral damage. You can see this vicious move in action below:

It’s worth mentioning that this is a purely cosmetic addition, since all players will be able to make Bio-Bombs and throw them (rather than kick) across the map. The “Bio-Bomb Butt Kicker” is a preorder-exclusive DLC until June 12, 2012, when it becomes available to everyone.

BestBuy, on the other hand, is offering a “Hardened Steel Vehicle Armor” DLC. Any military vehicle that Heller enters will gain a huge defensive boost, protecting you against even the most devastating attacks by enemy soldiers, helicopters, tanks, and APCs. Watch the promo trailer for this bonus below:

In addition, you will also get a limited edition Prototype 2 poster (available while supplies last).

Furthermore, pre-ordering at any of the participating retailers will give you access to RADNET, an online content delivery system that provides you with a “mix of over 55 pieces of additional content including Events, friend vs. friend competitive score Challenges and weekly themed Rewards” for free. RADNET will be available in limited quantities after the launch as well. A FAQ explaining this service can be found on the official website.

Prototype 2 is set to release on April 24th, 2012 in the US, and three days later in Europe.

Read the original Prototype 2 Pre-order Bonus article on Game-Preorders.com.

More upcoming games: Risen 2: Dark Waters, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, The Darkness II.

Since ME3 is the last part of the series, your choices have a much bigger impact on the story. You can import save data from the previous two games, so the fate of the galaxy depends on your actions throughout the entire trilogy. According to Bioware, one of the endings even has Shepard losing to Reapers, thus dooming all intelligent life to extinction.

List of Mass Effect 3 preorder bonuses

Pre-order Mass Effect 3 at the following retailers to receive exclusive bonuses:

• Gamestop: in-game N7 Warfare Gear – N7 Valkyrie Rifle (accurate and powerful) and N7 Defender Armor (stores extra ammo and provides additional shields).
• Origin: a powerful in-game AT12 Raider Shotgun.
• Amazon and Walmart: both are giving away $10 store credit with the Standard Edition.

In addition, all Mass Effect 3 preorders will get the M55 Argus Rifle: “the high-powered Argus rifle is an excellent close-range weapon, and its rapid bursts of fire conserve ammunition during lengthy conflicts”.

UK gamers can acquire the N7 Warfare Gear pack at GAME, with all other British retailers offering only the aforementioned Argus rifle.

N7 Collector’s Edition

N7 Collector’s Edition costs $79.99 and includes a plethora of physical and digital items:

• Collectible metal case featuring commemorative Commander Shepard artwork.
• 70-page hardbound art book with hundreds of unique illustrations from Bioware’s artists.
• Limited edition Mass Effect comic by Dark Horse Comics with unique cover artwork.
• Exclusive N7 fabric patch.
• Exclusive 4×6 lithographic print featuring a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork.
• A rich collection of in-game content that can’t be found anywhere else:
  • N7 Arsenal Pack: bring the firepower with the N7 Sniper Rifle, Shotgun, SMG, and Pistol.
  • Robotic Dog: a faithful sidekick to keep you company on board the Normandy.
  • Squadmate Alternate Outfit Pack: new appearances for your favorite squad members.
  • N7 Hoodie: for Commander Shepard’s casual days on board the Normandy.
• Mass Effect 3 extended digital soundtrack.
• Xbox Live Normandy prop for your Avatar (available with Xbox 360 versions only).
• A collection of forum and social badges, avatars, and perks.

This edition of Mass Effect 3 is available for pre-order at participating retailers (the official website lists Origin, Gamestop, BestBuy, Amazon, and Walmart) in limited quantities.

N7 Digital Deluxe Edition

Gamers who prefer digital distribution over physical copies, or live in a location where ME3 Collector’s Edition is unavailable, might be interested in the N7 Digital Deluxe Edition. It carries the same price tag ($80) and contains all the in-game content that the N7 Collector’s Edition does, although you will be missing out on all the material goodies.

• 70-page digital art book.
• Digital Mass Effect comic by Dark Horse Comics.
• Digital version of the lithographic print featuring unique artwork.
• The same in-game content as in the Collector’s Edition:
  • N7 Arsenal Pack: includes the N7 Sniper Rifle, Shotgun, SMG, and Pistol.
  • Robotic Dog: a faithful sidekick to keep you company on board the Normandy.
  • Squadmate Alternate Outfit Pack: new appearances for your squad members.
  • N7 Hoodie: for Commander Shepard’s casual days on the Normandy.
• Mass Effect 3 extended digital soundtrack.
• A collection of forum and social badges, avatars, and perks.

Mass Effect 3 Digital Deluxe Edition is available at Origin and Amazon Game Downloads.

Gameplay changes

The gameplay of Mass Effect 3 isn’t drastically different from that of ME2, but rather improves upon it. The combat is faster, the enemies are smarter and coordinate better, and Shepard can move around the battlefield easier. The game is also more challenging – as game producer Casey Hudson put it, “Normal is the new Veteran”.

ME3 offers the players more freedom in customizing their character without going back to the messy inventory system of the first game. This is achieved by means of larger skill trees and bringing back the weapon modifications.

Other notable changes include the return of grenades, class-specific melee attacks capable of one-hit kills, and an overhaul of the tedious mining mini-game from ME2.

Squad Leader trailer

This gameplay trailer previews the combat in Mass Effect 3. Featuring Shepard, Garrus aka the “Calibrations Guy”, and Liara who rejoins your team, versus some Cerberus mercenaries.

Mass Effect 3 is scheduled for release on March 6, 2012 in North America, and March 9 in Europe.

Read the original Mass Effect 3 Pre-order Bonuses article on Game-Preorders.com.

More upcoming games: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, The Darkness II, Syndicate.

The player steps into the shoes of an Umbrella Security Service officer, tasked with destroying any evidence of Umbrella Corporation’s illegal research. The game is said to allow the player to diverge from Resident Evil canon, such as killing Leon or Clair.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City pits the player against survivors of the T-Virus outbreak, zombies and other mutated enemies, and the U.S. Special Ops who aim to expose Umbrella’s crimes. Besides the single-player campaign, the game also offers several competitive multiplayer modes.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon pre-order bonuses

Preorder Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon at any of the following three retailers to get alternate costumes for the six playable characters (Vector, Lupo, Bertha, Spectre, Four Eyes, and Beltway). In addition, each retailer is also offering exclusive in-game weapons:

• Amazon: Renegade Pack which includes the Machine Pistol and the Cowboy Shotgun.
• Gamestop: Power Weapon Pack with the Anti-Material Rifle and the Combat Shotgun.
• BestBuy: Elite Weapons Pack which contains the Perforator and the Combat SMG.

The same in-game weapons are also available at the following UK retailers:

• Amazon: Renegade Gun Pack (Machine Pistol and Cowboy Shotgun).
• GAME: Power Weapons Pack (Anti-Material Devastator Rifle and Combat Shotgun).

Fans looking for even more extra content should consider the Limited Edition.

Limited Edition contents

RE:ORC is also available in a Limited Edition which retails for $69.99 and includes the following items:

• SteelBook package with exclusive art
• Umbrella Security Service and U.S. Spec Ops Field Unit embroidered patches
• All bonus weapons, 8 in total

Naturally, if you pre-order the Limited Edition of Operation Raccoon City you will also get the same 6 alternate costumes as with the Standard Edition. This bundle isn’t exclusive to any one retailer, and can be found on Amazon, Gamestop, Walmart, and so on.

Triple Impact trailer

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City will be released for consoles on March 20, 2012 in North America, and March 23 in Europe. PC version will be released at a later date.

Read the original Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City Pre-order article on Game-Preorders.com.

More upcoming games: Mass Effect 3, The Darkness II, Syndicate.

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.

Street Fighter X Tekken pre-order bonuses

The following retailers are offering different Gem Packs for SFxT pre-orders:

• Amazon: Iron Curtain Gem Pack which boosts you Defense abilities (9 yellow Gems).
• Gamestop: World Warrior Gem Pack for increasing your Attack (9 red Gems).
• BestBuy: Lightning Legs Gem Pack which boosts your Speed (9 green Gems).

Scroll down to the trailer for a more detailed explanation on how Gems work in SFxT.

Special Edition

Street Fighter X Tekken is also available in a Special Edition which retails for $69.99 and includes the following content:

• Special Edition artwork
• Prequel comic book from UDON Comics
• Build-it-Yourself Arcade Bank (5″H): an easy-to-assemble model that represents old-school arcade cabinets. Store your quarters (and more) for your next challenger.
• 36 Gem power-ups:
  • All three Gem Packs listed as Standard Edition pre-order bonuses (Iron Curtain, World Warrior, Lightning Legs).
  • Special Edition-exclusive King of Iron Fist Gem Pack which boosts your Balance.
• Pre-order bonus: Cross Arts Gem Pack that helps you fill your C. Gauge faster.

That’s right, pre-ordering the Special Edition gets you yet another Gem Pack. SFxT SE with the additional Cross Gauge Gems can be found at Amazon, Gamestop, and BestBuy.

Game trailer

This 5-minute-long video explains the new Gem System as well as game concepts like Launchers, Cross Counters, Switch Cancel, Super Arts, and so on.

Street Fighter X Tekken launches on March 6, 2012 in the United States, and March 9 in Europe. It will be available on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles, Windows, and the upcoming PS Vita handheld.

Read the original Street Fighter X Tekken Pre-order Details article on Game-Preorders.com.

More upcoming games: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, The Darkness II, Max Payne 3.

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.

Max Payne 3 pre-order bonuses

Preorder Max Payne 3 at the following retailers to receive exclusive bonuses:

United States

• Gamestop: early access to the Cemetery Multiplayer Map.
• BestBuy: the first paid multiplayer DLC pack for free.

United Kingdom

• GAME: Cemetery Multiplayer Map.
• Zavvi: exclusive Max Payne 3 Bullet Pen.
• Tesco: Silent Killer Multiplayer Loadout Pack which includes a Light Anti-Tank Weapon, Slippery Character Burst, and Listening Device Item.
• Play: the first paid multiplayer DLC pack for free.

Special Edition

Max Payne 3 is available in a Special Edition which contains some exclusive multiplayer content as well as physical collectibles:

• 10″ tall collectible Max Payne statue created in a collaboration between TriForce and Rockstar Games.
• Game-inspired original still life art print series that depict some of Max Payne’s inner demons and vices.
• Copper and brass-plated iron, bullet-shaped bullet keychain featuring a screw-off back.
• Classic Multiplayer Character Pack of eight playable multiplayer characters for Max Payne 3 Multiplayer, including fan favorites from the previous games like Max Payne from Max Payne 2, Mona Sax, and Vladimir Lem.
• Disorderly Conduct Multiplayer Weapons Pack for Max Payne 3 Multiplayer that includes the Hammerhead Auto Shotgun, G9 Grenade Launcher and Molotov cocktail.
• Official Soundtrack featuring the instrumental score of Max Payne 3.

This premium edition of MP3 will set you back $99.99 (or £99.99 in the UK and €109.99 in Europe) and will only be available for pre-order while supplies last. As announced on Rockstar’s official blog, you can reserve a copy of Max Payne 3 Special Edition at the following stores:

Game trailer

Max Payne 3 uses an updated GTA IV engine and features brighter visuals as well as a changed protagonist. In this interview with Gamespot, Rockstar assured the fans that despite these changes, the game will still have the same noir feel as the previous Max Payne titles.

After being delayed from its March release, Max Payne 3 will be released for consoles on May 15th in the US and May 18th in Europe. PC version release date is set for May 29th in the US, and July 1st in Europe.

Read the original Max Payne 3 Pre-order article on Game-Preorders.com.

More upcoming games: The Darkness II, Syndicate, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City.

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.

Syndicate preorder bonuses

You don’t have to worry about exclusive incentives with this game (for now, anyway): everyone who pre-orders Syndicate at participating retailers will receive the Executive Package which allows you to kill your enemies in style. And by that we mean solid gold guns in the 4-player co-op mode mentioned at the beginning of the article:

• Solid gold versions of all loadout guns in co-op
• Golden DART 6 chip & vision
• Executive gold syndicate logos

The official website lists Amazon ($20 promotional credit with console versions), Origin, Gamestop, BestBuy, and Walmart as the stores to preorder from if you want this bonus.

Announce trailer

The announcement trailer of Syndicate features a dubstep track by Skrillex:

Syndicate is developed by Starbreeze Studios and published by EA. It is going to be released on February 21, 2012 in North America and February 24 in Europe for Windows, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 platforms. You can find out more about the game on its official homepage.

Read the original Syndicate Pre-order Bonus article on Game-Preorders.com.

More upcoming games: Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Mass Effect 3, The Darkness II.

New in Darkness II is Quad-Wielding, which allows you to use your Demon Arms while firing two weapons at the same time (you know, because dual wielding just isn’t cool enough). More brutal executions are included, such as promisingly-named “Wishbone” and “Anaconda”. The visual style of the game has also changed, with cel-shaded textures resulting in a more comic-book-like look (scroll down to the trailer to see a preview).

Darkness II Limited Edition

Pre-order Darkness II and you will get a free upgrade to Limited Edition which includes the following bonuses:

• A poster with artwork by Marc Silvestri
• Digital download of The Darkness Origins volume 1 and volume 2 comics
• An alternate outfit for your darklings – “Crazy Abdul”
• Two ability upgrades for your character:
  • Gourmet Hearts gives you an additional bonus for eating hearts
  • Relic Hunter helps you find collectible items in the game world

The official website lists Amazon, BestBuy, Gamestop, and Walmart as Limited Edition preorder sources in the US. In the UK it can be found on Amazon, ShopTo, GAME, and so on. It doesn’t look like there are any exclusive incentives for this game.

What is the Darkness?

This stylish trailer gives you a recap of the story, as well as some background on the Darkness as an entity itself:

Darkness 2 is going to be released on February 7th, 2012 in the US and February 10th in Europe for consoles as well as the PC.

Read the original The Darkness II Pre-order Bonuses article on Game-Preorders.com.

More upcoming games: Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Mass Effect 3, Syndicate.

The game does offer a number of new features and improvements. For example, the building system will give you a lot more control than before, and the map editor should be powerful enough to create detailed replicas of real castles. The online aspect of Stronghold 3 (which uses Steamworks platform) will include a global, as well as local, ranking system. Finally, for some medieval fun, you will be able to chuck a wider variety of diseased animals at your enemies – including the fan-voted badgers.

Stronghold 3 pre-order bonuses

Preorder Stronghold 3 before the launch to receive the original Stronghold game (2001) and / or some extra maps:

United States

• Gamestop: the original Stronghold 1 game and Warwick Castle Pack. The famous castle has a rich 900 year history and features two gun towers, murder holes, two drawbridges and one of the most feared and notorious dungeons in the world.
• Amazon: $10 promotional credit.

United Kingdom

• GAME: the aforementioned Warwick Castle map.

Digital distributors (worldwide)

• Direct2Drive: the original Stronghold and Edinburgh Castle map: “Standing on the plug of an extinct volcano, Edinburgh Castle began its life as a royal palace. Over the years, the castle has been besieged countless times, sometimes defending itself, sometimes not, but always remaining standing.”
• Steam: the first Stronghold game and a Tower of London map: “Founded in 1066 and built by William the Conqueror, the majestic Tower still rises above the Thames. Even though the violent years are long gone, an aura of death and medieval torture remains.”

Several other digital distribution platforms (GamersGate, GreenManGaming, GetGames) are giving away the first Stronghold game with Stronghold 3 preorders as well, but it looks like no exclusive maps are offered.

Stronghold 3 screenshots

The game utilizes Trinigy Vision engine (same as used in Settlers 7) and Havok physics. System requirements can be found on the official website.

Revenge trailer

Stronghold 3 is set to release on October 25th worldwide, published by Southpeak Games.

Read the original Stronghold 3 Pre-order Info article on Game-Preorders.com.