Huge week at retail sees the launch of new games from Rockstar, Remedy, and Ubisoft, as well as Split/Second, Dragon Age: Origins' latest DLC, and more.
Even with dreadful April sales figures prompting analysts to second-guess the state of the industry, pretty much everyone expects May to be a huge month at retail. That's because of release slates like next week's, which features a handful of long-awaited and heavily hyped games all launching on the same day.
Perhaps the biggest release is Rockstar San Diego's Red Dead Redemption for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, releasing May 18. The Western-themed third-person shooter has been on gamers' wish lists for years, as it was initially unveiled in the very first PlayStation 3 footage reel from Sony's 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo press conference, almost five years ago.
Interestingly, Red Dead Redemption isn't even the longest-awaited game coming out that day. Remedy Entertainment's Alan Wake was revealed 12 days earlier, with the Finnish developer announcing its psychological action thriller for "next-generation consoles and PCs." Unfortunately for PC and PS3 gamers, the intervening five years saw Alan Wake become an Xbox 360 exclusive. GameSpot's review of Alan Wake is already online.
The wait for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands has been considerably shorter. While many assumed Ubisoft would time an entry in the franchise to the debut of the series' feature film adaptation later this month, the publisher didn't confirm that the multiplatform game was in the works until late last year. The Forgotten Sands draws its inspiration not from the cel-shaded 2008 revamp, but from the Sands of Time trilogy that debuted in 2003 on the previous generation of consoles.
For those not interested in that weighty trio of new releases, there are still a number of notable new options on shelves next week. Disney Interactive's arcade-style racer Split/Second tears up the track with plenty of player-triggered mayhem, while Shrek Forever After provides an interactive take on the green ogre's final chapter, and the Blue Dragon role-playing game series continues with a new DS installment. On the downloadable front, Dragon Age: Origins gets another dose of DLC in the form of the Darkspawn Chronicles, with gamers playing through an alternate-reality version of the main game's climax.
For further details on the week's games, visit GameSpot's New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later in the week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.
MONDAY, MAY 17
Bit.Trip Runner--WII--Aksys Games
Frogger Returns--DS--Konami
Looksley's Line Up--DS--Nintendo
TUESDAY, MAY 18
Alan Wake--X360--Microsoft Game Studios
Attack of the Movies 3D--WII, X360--Majesco Games
Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow--DS--D3
Dragon Age: Origins - Darkspawn Chronicles--X360, PS3, PC--Electronic Arts
EVE Online: Tyrannis--PC--CCP
Fantasy Earth Zero--PC--Square Enix
Gundemonium Recollection--PS3--Rockin' Android
Imagine: Animal Doctor Care Center--DS--Ubisoft
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands--PS3, X360, Wii, PSP, DS--Ubisoft
Red Dead Redemption--X360, PS3--Rockstar Games
Rocket Knight--PS3--Konami
Runaway: A Twist of Fate--PC--Focus Home Interactive
Shrek Forever After--PS3, X360, Wii, PC, DS--Activision
Split/Second--X360, PS3, PC--Disney Interactive
Trauma Team--WII--Atlus Co.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19
Sword of the Stars: Complete Collection--PC--Paradox Interactive
Brendan Sinclair has been a games journalist since 1999. His tastes are eclectic, though he has a definite affinity for games with arcade roots. He's Canadian, but has also been at home in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, and San Francisco.
@ Snorlax_ZZZ You're right about the pre-order content, but you are conveniently forgetting about the exclusive content (hideout and special outfits, etc.) that is only available for the ps3 version. So to anyone who is still deciding between the versions, I would get Red Dead Redemption for the ps3 because it costs the same as 360 version BUT you get extra stuff. It only makes sense to get the one with most content :) .
@freema extra content in red dead isn't determined by what platform you have it depends on what store you pre-order it from gamestop you get faster dead eye targeting, amazon golden gun pack, and best buy exclusive horse
@awarriorg Full day night cycle, you can camp on your own or join another camp fire for news.
In my opinion i reckon red dead will kill them all, and be the most successfull Game of the year.
Red Dead Redemption + Alan Wake + the remastered Exile on Main Street = an epic week for my entertainment and an incredibly painful week for my wallet.
I'm wondering though has anyone heard any word/reviews as to how the new Prince of Persia is? Honestly, I've only heard a few things here and there about gameplay and saw a few bits on sites like GameTrailer.com but not much else. Not so sure Ubi made a smart move by releasing the game the same week as Rock* RDR....I get the strange feeling it's probably gonna get drowned out in all the excite--which apparently heavier for that right now.
By perusing the comments below, most people are hyped for Red Dead Redemption. I too am excited. :D
@freema The two actual reviews I found only mentioned small glitches and didn't relate them to either system. I seriously doubt it's going to matter which system you play this on as far as performance and looks goes. Multiplayer is another matter entirely and depends on which one you get the best MP experience with personally.
@ DFen I don't care about the online aspects of RDR and some of the reviews noted small glitches on 360 version, so will go with the ps3 version for those reasons.
Red Dead Redemption seems like a breath of fresh air. I never played any wild-west-ish game and this is the first one that actually has good gameplay and graphics (in recent times). But have you guys noticed that games are getting much cheaper 3 months after launch when before they would barely go down 5 bucks? You can find Bioshock 2, which is decently good, for 35 dollars new. I'll probably wait a couple months for this one too.
So I'm watching Robin Hood: Men in Tights today... and Will Scarlett O'hara's character comes on screen for the first time. I don't recognize the actor, so I look him up. What has he done recently, you might wonder? He's the voice of Alan Wake.
@ csartinian,i agree with you.I have headset for the Ps3,but i am gonna get Red Dead for the 360,because the online experience is better.
I've been saving up to get both Alan Wake and Red Dead Redemption, though I don't know if I should go to the midnight launch tonight for both games at GameStop, or if I should wait until tomorrow where Fry's Electronics is selling each for $50, instead of $60 a piece.
@DFen I would get the Xbox 360 version if you place a high emphasis on online component. I have both systems and for this one I am going 360 since a lot of my online buddies also have Xbox. PS3 folks don't all have headsets etc.. it's the truth.
hey ppl should I get RDR for the ps3 or xbox360 ?? does it make a big difference in long run ????
Getting Red Dead Redemption tomorrow woot! Red Dead has some serious game of the year potential, IGN gave it a 9.7!
@Zerosumgame Hello there Mr. Negativity! Alan Wake isn't a first-person shooter, so heads up! There's a big different between your Call of Duty stuffs and an adventure game. Ever play the classic PC games of old, such as King's Quest, Phantasmagoria, or even recent adventure games like Dreamfall? Granted, there's more control over the action in Alan Wake, but adventure/story-telling is what this game is all about, not gun-toting. And sorry you avoided Heavy Rain. You missed out on a masterpiece! What is it that you play instead?
Does the RDR free world change from day to night, night to day? I haven't seen that in the trailers and gameplay videos. I sure hope it does. Imagine night-time with some thunderstorm and rain - I'm thinking Tombstone - yeah baby!
@wwonka666, wrong, I try to avoid Heavy rain like the actual thing itself. I got all 3 consoles by the way, you can now stfu. Thanks.
@zerosumgame, obviously your a fanboy of another system besides Xbox360. Bet you loved Heavy Rain.
this is going to be a big week. red dead redemption, and alan wake which has been in development since the 360 was nothing more than a confirmed rumor? and it lives up to the hype! wow....
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