Lionheart: King’s Crusade is a new strategy game set during the Crusades. Don’t expect too much fantasy here, as it has been developed and published by companies known for realism. Play through the vast campaign as either the Crusaders or the Saracens, and command hundreds of men in epic tactical battles, while commanding the overall strategy of the war from the larger map. Players will engage in diplomacy and army management at various levels while they interact with historical figures and rewrite the history of the war for the Holy Land.
Many Wii owners have found that the time they use the system the most, and the times that the platform and its content really shine are when they have a group of friends over—and they want to play casual games together with the easy to learn and usually intuitive motion controllers. For this reason some of the best games for the hardware are the Mario Party titles. This week, in the tradition of Mario Party, we’re getting Wii Party. This game is specifically built for party play, with 13 game modes for different numbers of players and dozens of unique mini-games, all utilizing the Miis that each player has created. The primary mode seems to be ‘Board Game Island’ in which players roll and move, and participate in structured mini-games between turns, which then affect the progress and action on the board. Now what we need is a way to sync up more than just four controllers.
I want to point out Logic Machines only because this has been one of my favorite genres since the defining game The Incredible Machine so long ago. No one has ever been able to replicate the sheer enjoyment of that first ‘Rube Goldberg’ game, but I think it’s only because it’s not attempted nearly often enough. Someday perhaps we’ll see a real, AAA high-budget remake of the classic game, but until then, these lesser games will have to hold us over. This one features only 35 items to interact with, but has nearly a hundred levels, and while City Interactive is no Firaxis, they are not shlups either, so expect the quality to be limited mostly by the hardware they chose to develop for.
The Icrontic Spotlight this week illuminates the character flaws of Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. Players take over control of Monkey, a apocalypse survivor who has escaped from a mysterious slave ship, only to be captured and enslaved by a fellow escapee. The genius girl Trip wants an escort into the west, to discover the purpose behind the appearance of the slave ships, and has placed a modified circlet on Monkey’s head to make his survival dependent on hers. Now he must protect her as she, otherwise defenselessly, travels west in search of answers. The third-person action adventure game features a tactical combat system, and a dynamic battle and environment mechanic, which ensures that the world reacts to the players actions. With sophisticated combat, team mechanics, versatile game-play, interesting story-line, and some great actors and directors on board, this game has the makings of a classic.
Following is a full list of this week’s announced North American releases:
Windows
- Discover 4 Game Pack
- Hordes of Orcs 2
- Insider Chronicles Triple Pack – A New Perspective on Mystery
- Kung Fu Saga
- Lionheart: King’s Crusade
- Natalie Brooks: Triple Trouble Collection
- NBA 2K11
- WRC: FIA World Rally Championship
Wii
- Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction
- Def Jam Rapstar
- EA Sports NBA Jam
- FIFA Soccer 11
- Haunted House
- Hollywood Squares
- Learning With the PooYoos: Episode 3
- Oops! Prank Party
- Racers’ Islands: Crazy Racers
- Rapala Pro Bass Fishing 2010
- Sled Shred featuring the Jamaican Bobsled Team
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: 3rd Edition
- Wii Party
DS
- Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction
- Deer Drive
- FIFA Soccer 11
- Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light
- Freddi Fish And Friends: ABC Under The Sea
- I Love Puppies
- Jewel Master: Cradle of Athena
- Jewels of the Tropical Lost Island
- Littlest Pet Shop 3
- Logic Machines
- Petz Fantasy
- Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs
- Rummikub
- Shantae: Risky’s Revenge
- Sports Collection
- Vampire Moon: The Mystery of the Hidden Sun
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: 3rd Edition
Xbox 360
- Angry Brainless Bovines
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
- Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley
- Coral’s Curse
- Def Jam Rapstar
- EA Sports NBA Jam
- Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
- Left 4 Dead 2: The Sacrifice
- NBA 2K11
- Rapala Pro Bass Fishing 2010
- U Want Cookie?
PS3
- Actual Crimes: Jack the Ripper
- Apache Overkill
- Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
- Def Jam Rapstar
- EA Sports NBA Jam
- Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
- John Daly’s ProStroke Golf
- NBA 2K11
- Pro Evolution Soccer 2011
- Rapala Pro Bass Fishing 2010
PSP
- Actual Crimes: Jack the Ripper
- Apache Overkill
- Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction
- NBA 2K11