And here we go. August was a nice beginning, but the deluge begins… now. Prepare to lose all of your hard-earned Taco Bell money over these next 4 months. It’s going to be EPIC.
You’re going to lose sleep, your backlog will get ginormous, and you’ll be doubling up on podcasts while at work.
The marquee titles for September 2011 are Gears of War 3, Resistance 3, and Dead Island.
Instant Analysis
What a drought that was! This year’s Summer seemed especially brutal gaming-wise, but at least it allowed us to catch up on our backlogs and enjoy the Godforsaken sun. It’s important that we have the free time, as there are plenty of big games releasing that will suck it up with both single-player and multi-player hours.
The best course of action is probably to limit ourselves to one new game per week at most. Couple those full purchases with a few downloads and demos of other interesting new games, and there’s an opportunity to put a decent checklist together for December and January buying. By then, many of September’s games will have dropped in price or be on sale. Avoid new tech purchases this month, too. As nice as the 3DS is at $169, it’s worth it to wait until October when there are actually some big games releasing for it. And don’t get any 3D peripherals or TVs this month or next; Black Friday isn’t too far off, and is perfect for that.
Stick to just games for now. We’re narrowed it down to the best of the best for you.
Console Games
Dead Island - We were really intrigued by Dead Island‘s terrific, moody trailer months ago. Now, on the eve of the game’s release, we’re more intrigued by what the game is actually going to be like. Zombies + islands aren’t necessarily new, but with an RPG-lite mechanic thrown in, it might be a fairly unique experience, and one worth checking out.
Resistance 3 (PS3) – In our preview of Resistance 3 at E3, we noted how great we felt the demo was. While the action has always been solid, the latest sequel’s story is shaping up to be the real shining stuff. This may finally be the shooter that the PS3 has been waiting for.
Space Marine – It’s a generic name, yes. But we’ve been hearing a lot of positive buzz about this game. Frankly, the idea of space marines AND orcs warring it out seems novel enough to get our juices flowing.
Rise of Nightmares (Xbox 360) – We don’t really know what to think about this game. It’s Kinect-enabled and meant to scare you, but you can’t use Kinect without decent lighting. If anything, it’ll be a novel rental that should help shake a little bit of the dust off of the Kinect. Other than that, it may just be worth picking up in a bargain bin next year.
Driver: San Francisco – We know there’s a meaty single player side of this game, but the real fun is the most-excellent multiplayer. After playing the demo of the game, we were floored at how solid a racing game can be when equipped with enough unique twists. It IS best played with friends, though, so if you can convince a group of buds to pick it up then you’ll have a memorable online experience.
NHL 12 – There’s a battle brewing between this and FIFA for the title of “EA’s Best Sports Game”. The last few iterations have been wonderful, and when we saw the latest edition at this past E3, we realized that hockey had come a looooong way from NHL 94.
God of War Origins Collection (PS3) – If you were like 99% of America, you probably didn’t pick up a PSP and get a chance to enjoy either of these games. Thankfully, Sony is rehashing remaking selling them back to us again, like the suckers that we are. This time, the visuals are in HD and there’s some nifty 3D TV effects thrown in.
Gunstringer (Xbox 360)- Microsoft is doing their best to ram Kinect games down our throats. Thansfully, Gunstringer is just novel enough (it’s a marionette-thing!) that it would be worth checking out. Again, may not be much more than a rental, but when that price drops it’ll be a good buy.
Bit.Trip Complete (Wii) – This is the full collection of the WiiWare Bit.Trip games, along with a special new challenges, music, artwork, and more. A nice way to cap the series. Also, it’s an actual Wii game being released. Those still happen?
Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360) – This one is kind of a big deal. There isn’t much to say about it, except for the fact that it’ll be played for years afterwards, like every other Gears game.
Otomedius Excellent (Xbox 360) – Arcade-style games are always a welcome site these days, especially when they’re filled with as much weirdness as anything Konami makes. Otomedius is a Gradius-style shmup, with explosions, crazy weapons, and giant bosses.
Child of Eden (PS3) – Eden‘s been out for the 360 for a while now, but the Kinect functionality was a tunr-off for some, lacking the precision needed to maintain an excellent on-rails shmup experience. The PS3 version utlizes Move which, while still motion-based, could actually be a better experience. Pointing to something with a controller is far more precise than waving my hand in the air.
FIFA 12 – It’s a shame that this game comes out so close to NHL 12′s release. Both are excellent experiences, and both should be played by every sports gamer. We chose this over PES 12 because of the legacy and terrific new realism level.
The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection (PS3) – It’s two of the best PS2 games of all time, now in HD, together. YUM!
X-Men Destiny – If you’ve liked the RPG-lite Marvel Ultimate Alliance series, you’ll feel right at home with Destiny. It focuses on a storyline that can be shifted and changed, selecting either good or bad along the way, and allows us to be X-Man or enemy. It’ll be a great rental or bargain binner.
Portable Games
Star Fox 64 3D (3DS) – If you’re as starved for 3DS games as everyone else is, then this may be a good antidote. The original Star Fox 64 was a tremendous game, so adding in a few new modes, 3D visuals, and decent multiplayer options makes this a nice pickup.
Bit. Trip Saga (3DS) – This is the entire, awesome Bit.Trip series. In 3D. What else do you need to know? Definite get.
Kirby Mass Attack (DS) – We loved this at E3. It’s Kirby in a new light: pinker, nastier, murderererer. If you’ve still got a DS floating around, or you didn’t pick up Star Fox or Ocarina of Time for the 3DS, then this is a great compatible choice to fill your library.
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2 (PSP) – Hey, a PSP game! They’re actually more rare than Wii releases these days. In this case, it’s the Persona game that never came to the West, now with expanded features, missions, and visuals. If you’re a serious fan of the series, you’ve probably already got a PSP ready for this.
Dragon Quest Monsters 2 (DS) – The spin-offs from the Dragon Quest series have been much better than those in the Final Fantasy series. That’s why we love DQM so much. It’s like a cross between Pokemon and DQ, with all of the quirkiness of both. Totally worth it.
Solatorobo: Red the Hunter (DS) – It’s a unique RPG, which isn’t uncommon on the DS. What IS uncommon is that this one is a serious action RPG take on competing animal cultures… with multiplayer flight races included.
Downloads
Nintendo Ambassador Games - You really can’t go wrong with ten great NES games on your virtual console. Zelda 1 7 2, Super Mario, even Balloon Fight are all great. And if you were one of the folks who scored a 3DS before the deadline price drop, then you’re getting a terrific deal on some iconic classics that still hold up well.
Bloodrayne: Betrayal (XBLA) – A new Bloograyne game? Apparently, this one is different enough to actually make it good!
Hard Reset (PC) – This FPS is getting incredible previews and reviews.
Red Dead Redemption: Myths and Mavericks – More Red Dead DLC? That’s always welcome. Especially when it’s free.
Fallout New Vegas: Lonesome Road – More New Vegas DLC? That’s always welcome. Especially when it’s… wait, this one costs money.
Hardware
PS3 Wireless Stereo Headset - I know we said “don’t pick up any hardware this month”, but this is a pretty good piece of tech if you’re a PS3 multiplayer gamer. Heck, it’s downright a necessary purchase. You know what? Don’t listen to anything we said before; get this for your PS3. It’s comfortable, it works great, and it’s a sexy design.
So, what are YOU buyin’?
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