The games of June 2011

June 19

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

Platform: 3DS
EU: June 17

This actually arrives in North America on June 19 because of Nintendo’s affinity for Sunday releases, which is great if that day’s particular church sermons needs a little more spider slaughtering and time traveling in it. We’ve been pumpingout FAPS for Ocarina of Time 3D as quickly and as often as we can, because damn, this is a remake that’s really worth getting excited about. Not just because (let’s be honest) it’s the sole reason we all bought 3DSs in the first place, but because Ocarina remains one of the best games we’ve played. Nintendo’s small improvements, particularly in the tougher dungeons, make it an easier game to understand while still keeping with the general toughness of its puzzles alive. Best of all, though, Ocarina 3D is the perfect opportunity for a generation that arrived too late for the N64 original to see a catalyst in the adventure genre. Don’t let its age dissuade you, youngsters: This game is still the business.

This actually arrives in North America on June 19 because of Nintendo’s affinity for Sunday releases, which is great if that day’s particular church sermons needs a little more spider slaughtering and time traveling in it. We’ve been pumpingout FAPS for Ocarina of Time 3D as quickly and as often as we can, because damn, this is a remake that’s really worth getting excited about. Not just because (let’s be honest) it’s the sole reason we all bought 3DSs in the first place, but because Ocarina remains one of the best games we’ve played. Nintendo’s small improvements, particularly in the tougher dungeons, make it an easier game to understand while still keeping with the general toughness of its puzzles alive. Best of all, though, Ocarina 3D is the perfect opportunity for a generation that arrived too late for the N64 original to see a catalyst in the adventure genre. Don’t let its age dissuade you, youngsters: This game is still the business.

This actually arrives in North America on June 19 because of Nintendo’s affinity for Sunday releases, which is great if that day’s particular church sermons needs a little more spider slaughtering and time traveling in it. We’ve been pumpingout FAPS for Ocarina of Time 3D as quickly and as often as we can, because damn, this is a remake that’s really worth getting excited about. Not just because (let’s be honest) it’s the sole reason we all bought 3DSs in the first place, but because Ocarina remains one of the best games we’ve played. Nintendo’s small improvements, particularly in the tougher dungeons, make it an easier game to understand while still keeping with the general toughness of its puzzles alive. Best of all, though, Ocarina 3D is the perfect opportunity for a generation that arrived too late for the N64 original to see a catalyst in the adventure genre. Don’t let its age dissuade you, youngsters: This game is still the business.

This actually arrives in North America on June 19 because of Nintendo’s affinity for Sunday releases, which is great if that day’s particular church sermons needs a little more spider slaughtering and time traveling in it. We’ve been pumpingout FAPS for Ocarina of Time 3D as quickly and as often as we can, because damn, this is a remake that’s really worth getting excited about. Not just because (let’s be honest) it’s the sole reason we all bought 3DSs in the first place, but because Ocarina remains one of the best games we’ve played. Nintendo’s small improvements, particularly in the tougher dungeons, make it an easier game to understand while still keeping with the general toughness of its puzzles alive. Best of all, though, Ocarina 3D is the perfect opportunity for a generation that arrived too late for the N64 original to see a catalyst in the adventure genre. Don’t let its age dissuade you, youngsters: This game is still the business.

June 21

FEAR 3

Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
EU: June 24

Little Alma’s all grown up in FEAR 3 (thank God, freaky-ass children cause us to go fetal) and she’s wicked-pregnant to boot. Her demon baby is so friggin’ scary that two-player co-op is the recommended way to play. That the co-op plays a role in the game’s narrative—without getting too hung up on its complicated family values, the two playable characters are brothers with a wacky past—so that’s a plus. With Monolith, the team behind the first two FEARs, working on the downloadable Batman FPS, Day 1 Studios (Fracture) took control of the horror series’ third chapter. It should be interesting to see what the team does with it.

Little Alma’s all grown up in FEAR 3 (thank God, freaky-ass children cause us to go fetal) and she’s wicked-pregnant to boot. Her demon baby is so friggin’ scary that two-player co-op is the recommended way to play. That the co-op plays a role in the game’s narrative—without getting too hung up on its complicated family values, the two playable characters are brothers with a wacky past—so that’s a plus. With Monolith, the team behind the first two FEARs, working on the downloadable Batman FPS, Day 1 Studios (Fracture) took control of the horror series’ third chapter. It should be interesting to see what the team does with it.

Dungeon Siege III

Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
EU: June 17

Diablo III seems to be perpetually far away, leaving plenty of opportunity for other, similarly minded dungeon crawlers to scratch our itch for monster murdering and treasure looting. After the developer’s Alpha Protocol and Fallout: New Vegas released with crippling technical problems, we don’t think our scepticism in Obsidian’s ability release Dungeon Siege III without issues is unwarranted. We’re interested in it all the same, if only to sate our lust for stuff with pals in co-op. That’s what you get for taking your time, Torchlight II and Diablo III. Oh, and if you buy it from Steam in advance and you’ll get the first two games for free, too.

Diablo III seems to be perpetually far away, leaving plenty of opportunity for other, similarly minded dungeon crawlers to scratch our itch for monster murdering and treasure looting. After the developer’s Alpha Protocol and Fallout: New Vegas released with crippling technical problems, we don’t think our scepticism in Obsidian’s ability release Dungeon Siege III without issues is unwarranted. We’re interested in it all the same, if only to sate our lust for stuff with pals in co-op. That’s what you get for taking your time, Torchlight II and Diablo III. Oh, and if you buy it from Steam in advance and you’ll get the first two games for free, too.

Shadows of the Damned

Platform: Xbox 360, PS3
EU: June 24

Nonstop dick jokes on a disc, a save-the-girlfriend story, and vicious violence—sign us up. Shadows of the Damned is an absurd, crude, hilarious shooter from Shinji Mikami (Mr. Resident Evil) and Suda 51 (Mr. No More Heroes)—double sign us up. Everything about Shadows of the Damned screams “video game” in all the right ways, with the added bonus of kicking zombies in the bollocks and shooting the shit out of everything in Hell. Check out our FAP to see this nonsense in action.

Nonstop dick jokes on a disc, a save-the-girlfriend story, and vicious violence—sign us up. Shadows of the Damned is an absurd, crude, hilarious shooter from Shinji Mikami (Mr. Resident Evil) and Suda 51 (Mr. No More Heroes)—double sign us up. Everything about Shadows of the Damned screams “video game” in all the right ways, with the added bonus of kicking zombies in the bollocks and shooting the shit out of everything in Hell. Check out our FAP to see this nonsense in action.

Nonstop dick jokes on a disc, a save-the-girlfriend story, and vicious violence—sign us up. Shadows of the Damned is an absurd, crude, hilarious shooter from Shinji Mikami (Mr. Resident Evil) and Suda 51 (Mr. No More Heroes)—double sign us up. Everything about Shadows of the Damned screams “video game” in all the right ways, with the added bonus of kicking zombies in the bollocks and shooting the shit out of everything in Hell. Check out our FAP to see this nonsense in action.

Nonstop dick jokes on a disc, a save-the-girlfriend story, and vicious violence—sign us up. Shadows of the Damned is an absurd, crude, hilarious shooter from Shinji Mikami (Mr. Resident Evil) and Suda 51 (Mr. No More Heroes)—double sign us up. Everything about Shadows of the Damned screams “video game” in all the right ways, with the added bonus of kicking zombies in the bollocks and shooting the shit out of everything in Hell. Check out our FAP to see this nonsense in action.

Cars 2: The Video Game

Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, Mac, DS
EU: N/A

If you don’t know what to expect in terms of gameplay from the title “Cars,” we can’t help you. Still, the first Cars game actually had a lot going for it. The semi-open world of Radiator Springs had plenty of hidden doodads for collecting on top of its racing. It definitely proved to be a game for the wee ones, but it had its undeniable merits. Cars 2: The Video Game seems to focus on the guts of running laps, but given how great Pixar’s last movie-game (Toy Story 3) was, we’ll give Cars 2 the benefit of the doubt.

If you don’t know what to expect in terms of gameplay from the title “Cars,” we can’t help you. Still, the first Cars game actually had a lot going for it. The semi-open world of Radiator Springs had plenty of hidden doodads for collecting on top of its racing. It definitely proved to be a game for the wee ones, but it had its undeniable merits. Cars 2: The Video Game seems to focus on the guts of running laps, but given how great Pixar’s last movie-game (Toy Story 3) was, we’ll give Cars 2 the benefit of the doubt.

Michael Phelps: Push The Limit

Platform: Xbox 360 (Kinect)
EU: June 24

The long version: Push the Limit is a swimming game for Kinect about an Olympic swimmer; it comes to us courtesy of the folks behind the abysmal Dead to Rights: Retribution and those worthless Burger King games for Xbox 360. The short version: Hahahahahahahahahaha.

June 28

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

Platforms: 3DS
EU: July 1

If you can’t wait for the 3DS’s first “proper” Resident Evil game (Revelations, that is), The Mercenaries 3D should bide the time with some dumb-fun action. The Mercenaries mini-game mode popularized in Resident Evils 4 and 5 replaces horror for high scores, and was a great diversion from the campaigns. How well it can justify itself as a $40 to $50 product remains to be seen, but bursts of zombie-slaughterin’ co-op gaming seems suitable for portable play, indeed. The new unlock system, which gives each of the new (yet familiar) characters upgrades and abilities, should help it in that regard. And hey, it comes with a demo of Revelations if you’re not sold on it yet.

If you can’t wait for the 3DS’s first “proper” Resident Evil game (Revelations, that is), The Mercenaries 3D should bide the time with some dumb-fun action. The Mercenaries mini-game mode popularized in Resident Evils 4 and 5 replaces horror for high scores, and was a great diversion from the campaigns. How well it can justify itself as a $40 to $50 product remains to be seen, but bursts of zombie-slaughterin’ co-op gaming seems suitable for portable play, indeed. The new unlock system, which gives each of the new (yet familiar) characters upgrades and abilities, should help it in that regard. And hey, it comes with a demo of Revelations if you’re not sold on it yet.

Call of Juarez: The Cartel

Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
EU: July 1

The Cartel leaves the Wild West behind and moves it into modern Mexico for its first-person shooting. We dug developer Techland’s last Call of Juarez game, which improved on the first game considerably, so we’re enthusiastic about another. The three main characters each have unique roles to play in the campaign, both in terms of story and ability, and are each playable in drop-in co-op. Bustin’ drug-dealers with shotguns is a lawless way of serving justice, but we’re curious to see if it delivers on the “grit” it’s promising. We assume that means profanity and blood and stuff.

The Cartel leaves the Wild West behind and moves it into modern Mexico for its first-person shooting. We dug developer Techland’s last Call of Juarez game, which improved on the first game considerably, so we’re enthusiastic about another. The three main characters each have unique roles to play in the campaign, both in terms of story and ability, and are each playable in drop-in co-op. Bustin’ drug-dealers with shotguns is a lawless way of serving justice, but we’re curious to see if it delivers on the “grit” it’s promising. We assume that means profanity and blood and stuff.

Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3

Platform: Xbox 360, PS3
EU: June 24

First off, they made a Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2? My, how small an impression Koei’s creative bankruptcy leaves after all these years. Still, there’s obviously a market for these games, or else they wouldn’t keep making ‘em. Right? Giant mechs beating the robo-snot out of each other definitely has that immediate “Ooh, I’m into that, because why wouldn’t I be?” appeal, so maybe that’s the reason the Warriors games release with assaulting frequency. We’re certain we already know the ins and outs of DWG3—we’ll mash the attack button a bunch, roll credits—so may we take this opportunity to not-so-helpfully tell you that you already know whether or not you’re going to grab this.

First off, they made a Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2? My, how small an impression Koei’s creative bankruptcy leaves after all these years. Still, there’s obviously a market for these games, or else they wouldn’t keep making ‘em. Right? Giant mechs beating the robo-snot out of each other definitely has that immediate “Ooh, I’m into that, because why wouldn’t I be?” appeal, so maybe that’s the reason the Warriors games release with assaulting frequency. We’re certain we already know the ins and outs of DWG3—we’ll mash the attack button a bunch, roll credits—so may we take this opportunity to not-so-helpfully tell you that you already know whether or not you’re going to grab this.

First off, they made a Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2? My, how small an impression Koei’s creative bankruptcy leaves after all these years. Still, there’s obviously a market for these games, or else they wouldn’t keep making ‘em. Right? Giant mechs beating the robo-snot out of each other definitely has that immediate “Ooh, I’m into that, because why wouldn’t I be?” appeal, so maybe that’s the reason the Warriors games release with assaulting frequency. We’re certain we already know the ins and outs of DWG3—we’ll mash the attack button a bunch, roll credits—so may we take this opportunity to not-so-helpfully tell you that you already know whether or not you’re going to grab this.

First off, they made a Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2? My, how small an impression Koei’s creative bankruptcy leaves after all these years. Still, there’s obviously a market for these games, or else they wouldn’t keep making ‘em. Right? Giant mechs beating the robo-snot out of each other definitely has that immediate “Ooh, I’m into that, because why wouldn’t I be?” appeal, so maybe that’s the reason the Warriors games release with assaulting frequency. We’re certain we already know the ins and outs of DWG3—we’ll mash the attack button a bunch, roll credits—so may we take this opportunity to not-so-helpfully tell you that you already know whether or not you’re going to grab this.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior

Platform: PS3
EU: April 28 (out now)

With the sequel to Sniper: Ghost Warrior in the making (with use of CryEngine3, ooh-la-la), PS3 owners can finally give the first game a go...you know, a year later. It’s an odd release, considering the one-shot shooter hit 360 and PC in 2010. It was a bit of a mess back then (we didn’t love it) so hopefully the extra incubation ironed out the rough edges on the otherwise solid idea of smokin’ fools in the face.

June 1, 2011

With the sequel to Sniper: Ghost Warrior in the making (with use of CryEngine3, ooh-la-la), PS3 owners can finally give the first game a go...you know, a year later. It’s an odd release, considering the one-shot shooter hit 360 and PC in 2010. It was a bit of a mess back then (we didn’t love it) so hopefully the extra incubation ironed out the rough edges on the otherwise solid idea of smokin’ fools in the face.

June 1, 2011

The 100 most anticipated games of 2011
Clear your calendar. Prepare your wallet

The Top 7... Games we want announced in 2011
Developers, please make these a reality ASAP

10 games we (probably) won’t see until 2012
Which big releases are going to get slapped with delays this year? We've got a few educated guesses