Mass Effect 2
The major cross-platform release for this week is Mass Effect 2. The sequel to the popular action RPG Mass Effect, this game promises to hold a similar experience—with more detail—and a more advanced engine. New features include better character models, more action options, better AI (especially for ally NPCs) and more than four times as many weapon types. In addition, players will be able to bring their Mass Effect character over from the first game to continue the story.
Escapee Go!
For the DS, we’re getting Escapee GO!. In this four-player game, one player is the “Escapee”, a girl with no memory, but with supernatural psychic powers. The other three players are the “capturer”, each of whom can only see a small part of the area. If the Escapee managed to leave the level before time runs out, she wins. If not, the capturers win. The game does have a single-player mode in which the capturers are played by an AI, but that does not seem to be the focus of the title. If you’ve been looking for a new four-player game for the DS, this might be one to look up.
Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans
The cross-platform release Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans is a video game companion to the children’s book by the same name, which strives to teach Roman history by way of gore, violence, and trivia. Players will be challenged with a series of minigames as they struggle to win their freedom by winning in the gladiatorial ring. In the Wii’s multi-player mode, up to four players can compete in those same mini-games.
MAG
The Icrontic Spotlight this week is MAG for the PS3. This Massive Multiplayer Online First Person Shooter places players in the middle of The Shadow War, a future conflict among the Private Military Companies who have grown to become the major world-governing factions. Each player will choose which PMC to ally themselves with, and compete online for the supremacy of their organization in battles with up to 256 players.
Character’s begin their careers as simple soldiers—and most stay that way—but if a player earns enough experience points, and gathers the right skills from the skill tree, he can move up to Squad leader, and be put in charge of the moment to moment objectives of an 8-man team. Further development might see the character in the role of Platoon Leader, in charge of the over-all goals of 4 squads, or even Officer in Charge, who leads an entire 4 platoon company of soldiers, giving each platoon an overall task, assigning command abilities to the Platoon leaders, and calling in air-strikes.
While there is no official word about the persistence of the game-world, some of the promotional material seems to suggest that the successes and failures of the teams in each match will effect the structure of the game as a whole, allowing the fronts of the war to shift over time.
As always, you can purchase new releases from Ye Olde Icrontic Gaming Shoppe.
Following is a list of this week’s Announced North American releases:
PC
- Blood Bowl
- Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans
- Mass Effect 2
- Hotel Giant 2
Legend of Vraz
Wii
- “Aha! I Found It!” Hidden Object Game
- bittos+
- Uno
- Fast Food Panic
- Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans
- No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
- Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
- Ghoul Patrol (VC – SNES)
DS
- AiRace: Tunnel
- Escapee GO!
- Number Battle
- Playmobil Knights
- Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans
- Imagine: Party Planner
Xbox 360
- Blood Bowl
- Mass Effect 2
PS3
- MAG
PSP
- Shadow of Destiny
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