New Releases for the Week of July 29th, 2012

Risen 2We’ve always maintained that there’s a reverse correlation between outdoor temperatures and the frequency of game releases. With blistering summer heat and a scant eight new titles hitting store shelves and download services, this this week’s numbers certainly seems to substantiate the theory. One group that has it made in the shade is RPG aficionados; between the publishing of Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance, Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time, and dare we say, Risen 2: Dark Waters, gamers should be quaffing potions at the same rate they are rehydrating.

360
Deadlight (XBLA, $15)
Risen 2: Dark Waters
Street Fighter X Tekken Character Pack DLC (XBL, $20.00)

PS3
The Expendables 2 Videogame (PSN, $14.99, 11.99 PS+)
Grand Theft Auto 3 (PS2 Classic, $9.99)
Risen 2: Dark Waters
Street Fighter X Tekken Character Pack DLC (PSN, $19.99)
War of the Monsters (PS2 Classic, $9.99)

3DS
3D Solitaire (eShop, $2.99)
Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (The Mark of Mastery Edition)

DS
The Lost Town: The Jungle (DSiWare, $4.99)

PSP
Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time

Vita
No Releases

PC
Death Rally

DesertEagle’s Pick: Growlanser‘s last arrival on U.S. shores proved bittersweet. While it gave stateside gamers a double-dose of strategy-role playing goodness, bundling together both Growlanser II: The Sense of Justice along with prequel Growlanser III: The Dual Darkness, proved to be a bit too ambitious for Working Designs. The expenses for localizing two titles (along with the investment lost from Goemon‘s domestic denial) were enough to force the publisher to shut their doors in 2005. Although this week’s release of Wayfarer of Time offers only a tangential reference to previous storylines, rest assured the free-range combat encouraging cooperation magic hasn’t changed a bit. Time to don those Ring Weapons once more!

Growlanser PSP

SeanNOLA’s Pick: Having just read a synopsis of the five preceding Kingdom Hearts titles (of which I have played three and understood zero) I think I’m ready for Dream Drop Distance. That being said, the fact that I would be picking a Square-Enix title that requires so much preemptive research should be a pretty major red-flag for anyone familiar with my opinion, so approach your Best Buy with caution.

Samurage’s Pick: My pick for this week shouldn’t be hard to guess.  Risen 2 is still one of the best pirate games I’ve ever played. It offers swashbuckling, swearing, and high-seas adventure.  My enthusiasm for it was stymied after it had so much trouble downloading and updating on my computer, but console players should have no problems of that nature.  If you enjoy pirates at all, or are in the mood for a unique RPG, check it out.

Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

22 Comments

  1. Death Rally the iphone game is coming to PC? I like it, but I wouldn’t pay more than 3 bucks to play it some more.

  2. We’ve always maintained that there’s a reverse correlation between outdoor temperatures and the frequency of game releases.

    What about the first few weeks of January? They’re cold and releases are few!

  3. I like pirates so I want to play, but I have a feeling it will drop in price pretty quickly.

    1. Yep, and I also say this- “the sheer scope of the game’s script ultimately made licensing the original Japanese dub or creating a new English dub for the rest of the game’s text prohibitive to the project’s profitability.”

      My reaction? “…”

      Still good for Atlus for bringing it over in some form.

  4. I’m still mulling over Kingdom Hearts 3D. Maybe if the review scores are good. 8.0 and up.

  5. Change of thunderstorms here mean it’s hot and I don’t want to play games without surge protection!

  6. Risen 2: Dark Waters could be fun. It’s looks cool, but is it open-ended like Skyrim or more linear?

  7. The episode would be great if it had an interview. So many games on the horizon, what gives?

  8. “Although this week’s release of Wayfarer of Time offers only a tangential reference to previous storylines, rest assured the free-range combat encouraging cooperation magic hasn’t changed a bit. Time to don those Ring Weapons once more!”

    No, it’s time to move out of your mama’s basement.

    1. If you can get over the fact that the “new” characters have been on the game disc all this time, I’d say it’s a solid purchase for those who love SFxT.

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