The 3rd Birthday (PSP)

Frequently frustrating combat and an annoying central character prevent The 3rd Birthday from making the most of its unusual mechanics.

Release Date: Mar 29, 2011

The 3rd Birthday is a follow-up to the Parasite Eve games of the late 1990s and early 2000s, but the choice not to call it Parasite Eve III is a telling one. This third-person action adventure represents something of a fresh start for the striking heroine Aya Brea. Unfortunately, Aya's characterization here is a troubling one, and while some cool concepts contribute to occasionally exhilarating gameplay, stiff controls and some infuriating battles make this struggle to save humanity as frequently frustrating as it is fun.

The 3^rd Birthday, the latest edition in the previously-on-pause Parasite Eve series, is typical of my PSP confusion – it plays like it wants to be a home console game, and makes no concession at all to playing ‘on the go’.

It’s complex, it takes quite a bit of practise to master, the small screen feels cluttered by the text-heavy HUD, the lack of second analogue stick makes for frustrating camera control, save points are too sparse and audio plays a big part in creating the game’s aesthetic tone (meaning that, on noisy public transport, headphones are essential rather than optional).

If The 3^rd Birthday had been made for the PS3 it would make perfect sense. And yet, despite its stubborn refusal to adapt itself to the confines of a handheld system, it’s still an enormously enjoyable game when you’ve got enough time to sink into it.

That enjoyment is largely the result of a robust, deep and (generally) satisfying set of core gameplay mechanics. Rather than have a permanent body of her own, protagonist Aya Brea ‘overdives’ between person to person, adopting their position on the battlefield, their health and their weapons.

The idea is that you stay one step ahead of your enemies (the distinctly alien looking and sounding ‘Twisted’) by strategically moving each of the available soldiers into positions that allow you to attack from multiple angles; thus preventing the enemy from being able to hurt the whole group with a single attack and enabling you to fire upon them from multiple directions. Position in a guy poorly and they’ll likely end up dead, giving you less options when overdiving and giving the enemy less to worry about.

Environments have clearly been designed around the system and will often feature elements that make success rather easy to achieve – getting a guy up on a raised platform while the rest provide a distraction at ground level, for example, makes short work of the slow, meandering ‘normal’ Twisted.

However, overdiving really comes into its own during many of the frequent boss battles. This usually involves taking on an enormous monstrosity much too tough to comfortably defeat via regular overdive-and-shoot tactics (although it is possible). Bosses usually come packaged with an Achilles heel of some sort that, by seeking it out, can make your life a lot easier.

One memorable example comes early on (about two hours in) whereby a giant boss has a weak point on the top of his back which is invisible from your lowly position on the ground in front of it. In order to get a shot at the weak point, you need to position a couple of guys in front of the beast as a distraction while you sneak around with another to a stairwell leading to a rooftop from which you can attack and destroy the big guy with comparative ease.

When The 3^rd Birthday moves away from this system it tends to struggle. Some boss fights take place in wide open spaces with no cover or strategic locations to take advantage of, meaning you’re continually running around, dodging attacks and overdiving between allies in a frantic attempt to avoid being hit. These moments only serve to highlight the PSP’s inadequacies when it comes to hosting a game of this ilk.

Camera control is assigned to the d-pad which makes it almost impossible to move Aya around while positioning the camera to keep an eye on your enemy’s position or attacks, which can lead to frustration when you find yourself wiped out at the hands of an unseen blade swipe or fireball-esque thing.

Areas tend to require you to dispatch all of the enemies and the pods that spawn them before allowing you to continue and repeat the process until you either reach the end of the mission or encounter a boss. Checkpointing is extremely generous (dying resulting in minor backtracking) but there are not enough hard save points. As a result, I found myself not wanting to load the game up if my battery wasn’t at a decent level of charge in fear of it dying on me, my progress being lost and having to redo the same section over again.

However, if you do happen to lose your progress there’s always a chance it’ll plonk you back at a location that means you get to sit through one of the gorgeous cut scenes again. These movie-moments are Square Enix at their practised best – beautifully rendered, competently acted and generous in length – providing a very tasty carrot-on-a-stick moment at the end of each mission (even though, like most Square Enix stories, I largely had no idea what was going on… something about monsters attacking Manhattan and going back in time to stop them and then blah blah blah).

If Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy is a fighter-RPG, then The 3^rd Birthday is surely a shooter-RPG. There’s a wealth of upgrades and levelling up to be done to Aya and her arsenal of firearms, ranging from health upgrades, to increased ammo capacity and improved attack strength. Combine that with the tactical edge to the combat and you’ve got one of gaming’s rarest treats – a third-person shooter with brains and one that refuses to limit itself to merely aiming and shooting.

The 3^rd Birthday has its problems due to that refusal to treat itself like a handheld title but, if you can put up with the small screen, it’s a wonderful game to play at home, with the PSP plugged in and your headphones on full blast. 

WWE All Stars (PS3, XBOX 360, PS2, PSP AND Wii)

Pit WWE Legends against today's most prominent Superstars in WWE All Stars.

Release Date: Mar 29, 2011

There are two kinds of wrestling games – the ones that take themselves super-seriously (like the WWE Smackdown vs. Raw games) and the ones that “let loose” and try something different, like the old-school Midway release WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game and the Nintendo 64 grapplers. It seems we haven’t had a release that leans towards the arcade motif in quite some time – which is what makes WWE All Stars so welcome as it arrives this week. Here’s a wrestling game that refuses to take itself too seriously, and as a result, produces more fun than we’ve had in years. The process is very true to the sport of wrestling, with lots of punches, kicks, grapples, reversals and other moves. However, the style in which they’re executed is all arcade, as you’ll jump across a ring from the top rope to nail an opponent or go high-flying to send your foe to the mat. This is especially true with the game’s “power” moves, in which you’ll go flying ten feet in the air before sending your rival to the mat with a thunderous blow.

Once you gain enough energy, you’ll be able to execute your wrestler’s signature move, such as The Rock’s Rock Bottom or Triple H’s Pedigree – with arcade modifications, of course. What’s more, the roster combines everything that’s good about the current state of WWE, while throwing in some classic love for good measure. Rey Mysterio, The Undertaker, and Kofi Kingston, among others, make up the new side, while vintage wrestling favorites such as The Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan (among others) are ready to rumble. There are 32 in all, with the ability to add more via DLC or, if you’re feeling frisky, creating your own. We had a lot of fun making Michael Cole in the character creation system, them pummeling him to bits. (Hey, if you read his Twitter account, you’d be angry too.) Gameplay is straight-up arcade style, with moves coming off with ease and plenty of chances to create killer combos and counters. The four-tier energy bar works very well, giving you the chance to mount a comeback, even if it’s late in the match.

The game is also impressive in the multiplayer aspect, as you can grapple with others in a variety of matches – steel cage, four-man Texas Tornado, extreme rules – both online and locally. There hasn’t been a hint of lag in our sessions, which makes the slammerific action even better than expected. And if you need help learning any moves, there’s a helpful practice set-up, as well as adjustable difficulty. Along with the main arcade mode and various match types, WWE All Stars also includes a Path of Champions mode, where you head to Wrestlemania, knocking off opponents as you chase after the current champions – either the Undertaker, Randy Orton or Degeneration X, depending on which route you take. If that isn’t enough, Fantasy Warfare is also quite exciting, pitting older wrestlers against new ones in themed match-ups. We admit, it was crazy watching the “Straight Edge” superstar CM Punk go up against the beer-swilling, Stunner-dropping Stone Cold Steve Austin. For that matter, watching the late Eddie Guerrero go high-flying against Rey Mysterio is also quite memorable. Though the wrestlers are divided by classes: acrobats, grapplers, big men and brawlers; each one has advantages for each match-up. So you’re not automatically doomed pitting Kofi Kingston against Andre the Giant, although, obviously, you have your work cut out for you.

Shift 2: Unleashed (PS3, XBOX 360 AND PC)

Shift 2 Unleashed combines violence and excitement in this racing experience.

Release Date: Mar 29, 2011

Need for Speed has been a revolution in the racing games segment with its cutting edge graphics, superior game controls and on the edge driving experience. Its subsequent versions have been equally impressive in terms of delivering a complete gaming experience.

SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED comes with renewed game engine and superior graphics, coupled with innovative camera angles, night racing modes and more realistic graphical presentation of car damages resulting from crashes in the course of the race in order to enhance the energy, aggression and thrill of a genuine racing experience.

The game exclusively features the newly-introduced Pagani Huayra supercar and likeNeed for Speed Hot Pursuit, SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED also features Autolog technology, which enables one to race against rival players and load the match data simultaneously to add to the intensity of playing a rivalry generation racing game.

SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED is being acclaimed as the next big step in the racing games category as both PlayStation: The Official Magazine and Official Xbox Magazine have rated the game nine out of ten in their reviews.

Electronic Art’s timely launch of SHIFT 2 UNLEASED not only provides the much-needed boost in sales, it also serves to reassure ERTS investors about the depth in the Electronics Arts product pipeline.

Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D (3DS)

This game lets you pit dinosaurs against each other to see which one is the strongest dinosaur.

Release Date: Mar 22, 2011

Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs is PunchOut with extinct giant lizards. Seriously. You go head to head against another dinosaur, dodging his attacks, and hitting him with combos when you have an opening. Certain attacks require you to dodge a certain direction, and the different dinosaur types have their weaknesses (raptors are easier to push off ledges, and an ankylosaurus can be devastated with a frenzy assault). The entire game is about recognizing the oncoming attack, and knowing how best to damage your opponent. 

The reward for winning is getting to watch your dinosaur beat the ever loving crap out of the opponent, and as a bonus you get a random powerup item you can equip to make your dino stronger. It's all very exciting; the dinosaurs claw, tail whip, and bite at each other and it looks good, though not amazing. More animations would have been nice. As cool as it is to see my T-Rex crash into an enemy and knock him across the arena, seeing it a dozen times lessens the wow factor.

There are four identical campaigns in the game, each requiring about an hour to beat. Each campaign has you go through five stages, walking along a path until you find a dinosaur to kill, which triggers the PunchOut style battle mode. After playing through the same game four times you get to fight the final boss. Combat of Giant: Dinosaurs gets really tiresome by that fourth time around. There's not enough in this game to warrant multiple playthroughs, despite the numerous powerups and unlockable customization options.

It doesn't help that the gameplay is rudimentary. Obviously a game about fighting dinosaurs that features a boss battle against broccoli is designed for an under 10 age bracket, but it's still too simple. By the time Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs becomes challenging at all it's the last level and the game ends. It's fun, for a bit, but there needed to be more in here to convince me to keep playing it. 

Asphalt 3D (3DS)

Asphalt 3D brings the Asphalt franchise to the 3DS.

Release Date: Mar 22, 2011

Gameloft’s racing series is something of a DS staple, With Namco Bandai launching Ridge Racer 3D, a very capable entry in its arcade series, Gameloft and publisher Ubisoft have some competition out on the track. On paper at least, Asphalt has a lot going for it: 40 licensed cars, a variety of real-world locations, StreetPass functions and a sizeable career mode — but the whole package just fails to come together.

Jumping into the career mode will likely be your first port of call, and with 70 races spread over 14 leagues it’ll keep you going for a long old while. Each league or series contains five races, each with different objectives: finish first, accrue drift points, eliminate opponent racers and so on. Completing a stage rewards you with money to buy new cars or upgrade the ones you have, as well as experience points that increase your standing on the world stage. There are also secondary objectives to meet that dish out extra cash and experience, making it worth retreading old courses if you want to earn everything.

Once you’re behind the wheel, cracks start to appear. The game engine isn’t up to the task at hand, with regular frame rate drops at hairy moments whether the 3D is on or off. There’s also some prominent pop-up of scenery on many courses, something that jolts you out of the game, particularly when viewed in 3D. There’s a nice graphical effect when you trigger a full nitro boost, but otherwise the graphical side of things isn’t up to snuff.

Handling isn’t without its issues either. Whereas Ridge Racer revels in the joy of drifting, Asphalt is yet to carve out its own particular style, and here it seems caught between two minds. While it’s possible to drift with a tap of brake while cornering, hitting the button again sets you right back in a straight line as if it were an auto-centre command. It’s another seemingly small touch that breaks you out of the game, cars going from sideways to dead ahead almost automatically.

The artificial intelligence of your opponents is usually good, as they jostle about with each other and won’t think twice about bumping you to get past, but as street racing is Asphalt’s trademark there are other cars on the road to consider. These drivers are every bit as dangerous as your official opponents: head-on crashes aren’t pretty, losing you vital seconds. It’s the behaviour of these cars that baffles though, sliding around corners without turning, making it hard to predict where they’re heading and causing many a frustrating crash.

While the top screen handles all the in-game action, the bottom screen hosts a map that shows each racer’s position, as well as clearly marking all the available shortcuts, rather taking the challenge out of learning the courses. You can zoom in or out of the map by holding a touchscreen button, but as this usually means taking your thumbs off the all-important steering and accelerating, it’s hardly ideal.

It’s a shame the interface is so hit-and-miss, as the content on offer is rather good. The career mode is substantial and paces the unlockables nicely, with upgrades on older cars helping you keep up with the pace until you can afford a new ride. You also unlock purely decorative decals and the more useful sponsors, which grant you extra abilities: more experience after races, improved handling and so on. For players who stick with it, there’s no question of there being a multitude of things to shoot for.

If multiplayer is more your cup of tea, there’s local wireless play requiring one copy of the game per player, with the ability to share ghost data and lap times to other Asphalt players via StreetPass. Meeting other players this way grants rewards, from extra experience to cash rewards, going right up to meeting 5,000 players, something we’d be very surprised if anyone ever managed. Still, if the game sells well enough it could provide an entertaining diversion to see new times and ghosts appear automatically.

Rounding out the whole affair is a decidedly average audio accompaniment, with some of the worst announcer dialogue we’ve ever heard: “they say South Beach never sleeps, and you won’t want to be sleeping on these corners, or you’ll put the ‘die’ in ‘beach diet.’” The engine sounds, horns and crashes are a mixed bag, and the bland dance soundtrack blands away in the background blandly.

Conclusion

Asphalt 3D’s flaws are mostly minor but there are too many to ignore, and it doesn’t have enough of its own personality to make amends. Its twitchy handling does it no favours – half the fun of powersliding is wrestling control back from your car, but here the cars all bounce back to a central position as if spring-loaded. If you’re after a launch racer, steer towards Ridge Racer instead.

The Sims 3 (PS3, XBOX 360, PC, 3DS, IP AND DS)

For the first time ever, enjoy a complete life simulation experience in 3D on handheld with The Sims 3 for the Nintendo 3DS.

Release Date: Mar 22, 2011

Possibly the last version of The Sims 3 to hit the market, number nine is a Nintendo 3DS launch title from Electronic Arts. As one of the world’s largest videogame publishers, EA does appear to be unusually slow to support Nintendo’s new console, with only The Sims 3 included in the launch line-up, but given the quality of this conversion of the game, you could forgive the publisher for putting all their eggs in just one basket.

            The Sims 3 on Nintendo 3DS begins in much the same fashion as any version of the game, with the creation of your own sim. Using the immediacy to the console’s touchscreen to select from the pleasing variety of options is a far easier approach than the completed control schemes offers by home consoles, and the addition of the option to use the Nintendo 3DS console’s front-facing camera to set the size, shape and spacing of your sim is simply wonderful.

            Once a sim has been created the player must then choose a home to purchase. A tutorial then ensues, teaching the player the very basics of sim life, and the control and menu systems. The division between the two screens in The Sims 3 is simply remarkable, with a top down, map-like view available on the touch screen amongst the menus and a close-up view on the top screen. Essentially, the display set-up means that players can continue to design, build and plot activities for their sims without ever losing sight of them. While some versions of The Sims 3 challenge the player to go elsewhere, leaving their sim behind to get on with the tasks set while they plan the next move, The Sims 3 here on the Nintendo 3DS is presented in such a way that the player can monitor all essential activities at once.

            The Nintendo 3DS version of The Sims 3 follows all the same basic rules of any The Sims game, with each sim having their own traits and skills, wants and needs, moods and relationships, and also the Karma system designed for the console versions of The Sims 3. Players must ensure that they fulfil the needs of their sims to keep them happy, and managing to grant their wishes will earn the player Karma, which can then be used as any of the available bonus Karma Power actions. A sims’ wishes could be anything from making a new friend to starting a new career, and each sim will have their own lifetime wish: an ultimate goal for which the player must strive for throughout their playtime.

            An interesting feature for the Nintendo 3DS version of The Sims 3 is that of the use of the console’s StreetPass functionality. Players meeting others using the system while in StreetPass mode will exchange any selected sims, and will then be able to see detailed statistics on each other’s sims and ultimately given the option to have them join their town.

            The visual quality of The Sims 3 on Nintendo 3DS is clearly beyond that of the original Nintendo DS version of the game, but still lacking compared to the home console or PC versions. New camera angles specifically designed to take advantage of the stereoscopic 3D capabilities of the system are certainly welcome, though most players will manually adjust the camera so frequently as to not notice that the default settings are often the best view for the task at hand.

            With the Nintendo 3DS launch line-up being surprisingly sparse, Electronic Arts most certainly have one of the system’s leading lights on their hands. The publisher may have chosen just to stick with that which is most familiar this time around, but it’s a game that deserves to be taken seriously as a contender for best third-party release available on the console at present. The Sims 3 remains a traditional The Simsexperience, but as far as the console versions stand, it’s most certainly one of the best.

Ridge Racer 3D (3DS)

The hit series is back with brand new stereogram features.

Release Date: Mar 22, 2011

Namco Bandai’s racing offering for the Nintendo 3DS has two things working for it. It is easily the best vehicle based offering on the launch day of the new system, and more importantly, it is just a fun game to play. The gameplay is a bit on the arcade side for those that prefer the ultra-realism of the Gran Turismo and Forza franchises, but the drift based mechanics make the game continually feel fresh and entertaining.

Ridge Racer 3D doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is. You burn around tracks in a handful of cars through a use of speed, drifting, and race fundamentals. Many of the tracks will feel familiar to fans of the series, and they all are well designed. A handful of cars can also be augmented by three loadout options that you can purchase at the start of each race, including nitro and things like that. It won’t appease the racing simulator fans, but it makes the cars all entertaining to test out.

Rayman 3D (3DS)

Rayman 3D is an adaptation of the acclaimed Rayman 2 original game on the Dreamcast.

Release Date: Mar 22, 2011

When Rayman 2 first saw the light of day on the Nintendo 64 console, it pretty much came out of nowhere and surprised many gamers with its amazing transition into the realm of 3D gaming. After seeing a host of releases on various consoles of the time period, the game was finally released on Sega's struggling Dreamcast system to surprisingly rave reviews. After a lacklustre attempt to bring the classic 3D platformer to DS, Ubisoft has taken another stab at it with Rayman 3D. But is this the game fans have been waiting for or just another vain attempt at bringing our limbless hero to the small screen?

Since Rayman 3D is basically a port of the 2000 Dreamcast version of the game, most of its gameplay conveniences aren't quite as up-to-date as some of the more recent 3D platforming efforts. Your main goal in each level will be to make your way to the magic warp door at the end of the level, collecting Lums and releasing caged inhabitants along the way. Once you've completed the level, you'll receive a tally of how many cages you broke open and how many Lums you were able to collect. You can even go back and revisit a level in order to collect any Lums and cages you might have missed the first time through.

As you progress through the levels on the world map, there will be times where face off against one of the game's bosses and while fairly standard in design, they do tend to make great use of Rayman's special powers, not to mention aspects of the level they take place within. These fights tend to be a bit too short and simple, but they offer a nice change of pace at given intervals and work well in laying out the story of your adventure as the game progresses along.

At the beginning of the game, Rayman only has a limited move set that mainly consists of being able to run, jump, and fire off his power fist, but he can also grab onto ledges and even climb certain walls and spider webs in order to reach tricky parts of the level. Having these limited moves affords you an opportunity to get a feel for the game before you begin gaining new powers to come to grips with. As if these basic platforming skills weren't enough, the game will also allow Rayman to ride various objects, including a gunpowder keg and a missile shell. These provide a whole new set of play controls and offer up a great diversion at different spots throughout your adventure. There are even a handful of underwater levels to further mix things up a bit.

If you're able to collect all of the Lums in a particular level, you'll be given the chance to take on a special bonus level. One such bonus level pits you against a pirate in an all-out foot race with you controlling one of Globox's children. While these aren't nearly as in-depth as the actual game levels themselves, they do provide a fun challenge separate from the main game and provide a nice incentive to go back and try to collect things you missed the first time around. Of course there are other hidden secrets to uncover as you play through the game as well, for those who are willing to put in the time and exploration to locate them.

Rayman 2 on the Dreamcast had some pretty good controls, but the developers have changed things up a bit for his 3DS outing. While the analogue Circle Pad makes controlling Rayman far more intuitive and responsive than the D-Pad used in the DS release, the manual camera controls have been moved to the D-Pad, which means if you need to adjust the camera yourself, you'll have to move your thumb from the Circle Pad to do so. While the developers made some nice improvements to the automatic camera, there will still be times when you need to adjust it manually, and this can take some time to get a handle on. Luckily the majority of the controls are very well implemented and give the game a very responsive feel for the most part. The game also received a few difficulty tweaks that make the game a bit less frustrating, but might not be as appreciated by fans who enjoyed the stiff challenge of the original release.

It's worth noting that Ubisoft did very little to upgrade the visuals when they ported this game over from the Dreamcast release, so don't expect the same level of visual flash we've seen from games specifically designed for 3DS. That said, the game does have its fair share of moments that will wow you, although it would have been nice to see more of them. The depth of the 3D visuals adds a very beautiful and realistic look to the surroundings, but it can be a bit distracting at times when you find yourself in a closed up area with walls all around you. The frame rate will drop down a bit at times when the action becomes overly intense, although it's nothing too distracting, and the game tends to remain fairly smooth in most areas, even with the 3D effect in full force.

Anyone that's played the console versions of the game will know what a great musical score the game features, not to mention the trademark Rayman gibberish talk we've grown to love over the years. While the majority of that soundtrack is present in Rayman 3D, the quality can sometimes be a bit streaky. For the most part, the music has a beautifully spacious sound to it and sounds quite good, but there will be times when the music becomes more intense that it will take on an odd static-like effect. It doesn't happen terribly often, but it does slightly diminish what is an otherwise wonderful musical presentation.

Conclusion

Ultimately, Rayman 3D might not be the complete reworking that some fans had hoped for, but it is a solid portable version of what remains one of the better 3D platformers. There are a few minor issues here and there, like the somewhat average visuals and a camera that doesn't always cooperate, but for the most part the game still manages to capture the majority of the magic from its earlier console days. Toss in the added depth of the 3D visuals and the gameplay enhancements, you get what is easily the best portable version of Rayman 2 and a game 3D platformer fans should definitely check out.

Mayhem 3D (PS3 AND X360)

Mayhem is a fast-paced arcade racing and car-destruction game.

Release Date: Mar 25, 2011

Featuring a distince noir comic book aeshetic, Mayhem challenges players to crush or be crushed in a white-knuckle racing and car destruction game.

Highly customizable for hours of opponent pummeling entertainment, the fast-paxced arcade racing video game features realistic 3D action.

Mayhem is a fast paced arcade racing and car destruction game. The inspiration for the game comes from two distinct types of events: Demolition Derby and Banger Racing. A demolition derby is more of an American pastime, primarily at state fairs and the like. Participants take an old beat down car, strip it of all the glass and other "dangerous" elements, spray paint the car and decorate it to their liking, then beat it to death at the main event. The last vehicle standing is the victor. A Banger Race is more practiced in the UK. Races take place on small courses with pits and hills, and drivers are encouraged to send their opponents off course. Courses can have hazards and obstacles, and the "figure 8" shaped course is a staple of the race. No matter whether it's Banger races or demolition derbys, the fact is that everyone love to see the everyman take it to the mat and come out a victor, and that's what Mayhem is all about

Theatre of War 3: Korea (PC)

Theatre of War 3 Korea begins where World War II ended.

Release Date: Mar 24, 2011

A new instalment in the famous Theatre of War series allows you to replay the events of the first hot war of the Cold War era, the Korean Conflict. 

Unhappy with the status quo on the Korean Peninsula, the North Korean government decided that dialogue had come to an end. North Korean ground forces crossed the 38th Parallel into South Korea about 4:30 A.M. on 25 June 1950, in an armed intervention aimed at reunification. Little did anyone realise that one of the most bitter wars the world has ever seen would ensue, with thousands of casualties on all sides over a three year period. Today, North Korea and South Korea still remain in a state of war, with a shaky ceasefire regularly interrupted by armed skirmishes. The war in Korea was a defining moment for an entire generation that continues to shape modern geo-politics. 

Armchair generals can put their skills to the test on a new strategic level – controlling and moving your forces over the entire Korean Peninsula, managing reserves, fuel and supplies. The situation is precarious and only skilled and daring leadership will lead to victory. 

- Tactical battles are generated based on the historical situation. 

- Strategic overlay greatly enhances the tactical experience. 

- Non-linear dynamic campaigns that follow the ebb and flow of combat 

- New units including infantry carrying helicopters in both tactical and strategic modes. 

- Updated squad based control system 

- Engineer Corps allow you to lay mines and clear the battlefield 

- New binocular view feature for total immersion. 

- Detailed replication of authentic Korean landscapes and architecture. 

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars (3DS)

Lead the Ghosts, the most elite special forces unit in the US Army, across multiple tactical missions to prevent a war from breaking out.

Release Date: Mar 22, 2011

As the commander of the Ghosts, the most elite special operations fighting force in the world, your mission is to stop the Russian ultranationalist Yuri Treskayev from coming to power. From the hot deserts of Kazakhstan to the towns and villages of Ukraine and the frozen lands of Siberia, you must discover and disable the secret Soviet-era “Dead Hand” bases which Treskayev is using to build an army of drones to seize power. You will have access to full resources to build, train, and equip your team, using increasingly high -tech weapons and armor.

Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars is the first tactical, turn-based Ghost Recon game, featuring eye-popping 3D cut scenes and in-game effects, deep team management options and a 1-vs-1 multiplayer mode on the same console.

Swarm (PS3, X360 AND PC)

Swarm is a downloadable game by Hothead Games.

Release Date: Mar 23, 2011

Swarm lets the player take control of 50 utterly fearless Swarmites and drive them through an intense, entertaining and often suicidal battle for a greater good. Run, bash, huddle, boost, stack, jump, push and throw your way through gauntlets of death and destruction in an attempt to collect valuable DNA and ensure that at least one Swarmite survives. With a unique combination of mass character control and fast action, the resulting brutal aftermath will make players want to play Swarm over and over again.

Featuring innovative swarm control and imitate mechanics, Swarm is a hilarious romp through a desolate and dangerous world that offers players gameplay they've never experienced before.

Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime (PS3, XBOX 360 AND PC)

Sanctum of Slime is a top-down action adventure following the star of 2009's Ghostbusters revamp.

Release Date: 23, 2011

Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime is a four player, ghost-busting adventure that will take players on a brand new paranormal experience. Gamers will suit up with their proton packs and assume the role of a rookie hired by the Ghostbusters to save New York City from a disaster of ghoulish proportions.

The action-packed gameplay progresses as players complete jobs as fearless rookies who explore a series of haunted environments that must be cleared of any ectoplasmic threats. The gripping adventure rages on as players encounter gigantic bosses that require a concentrated effort to defeat using a medley of highly destructive weapons including the Proton Stream, Plasma Inductor, and the Fermion Shock. Rookie Ghostbusters will face the dangers of the eerie world alone or with a ghostbusting team of friends both locally or online through the game’s multiplayer capability.

PlayStation Move Heroes (PS3)

Characters from Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, and Sly Cooper band together to defeat a villainous duo in this adventure game utilizing the PlayStation Move.

Release Date: Mar 22, 2011

It’s here! March 22nd, aka the day we’ve been working so hard towards. I am pleased and proud to be able to say thatPlayStation Move Heroes is complete and available today!

You can pick up your copy of this fresh new mash-up for $39.99, either from your favorite video game retailer or by simply downloading it from the PlayStation Store. If you don’t yet have a PlayStation Move, be sure to check out the exclusive bundle from Toys R Us. Retailing at $99.99, you’ll get the game, the PlayStation Eye camera, and thePlayStation Move motion controller – so basically, you’re good to go.

Our team at Nihilistic Software did a phenomenal job of putting this game together. They had a ton of fun working with the PlayStation Move, discovering new opportunities, discarding old habits, and always pushing on the possibilities that the PlayStation Move gave us for a new way of interacting with the game. Like bringing the user interface off the screen and into the player’s hand by showing the Combuster overheat on the motion controller sphere, or basing the whip on real-world whip moves. The development team took our first goal to heart: build a game from the ground up for the PlayStation Move.

No launch day would be complete without a little nostalgia for the best days we had working on the game. Here are some of our fondest memories:

• In early playtesting, one of our playtesters was a young lady who was also a dancer. She discovered that when playing a melee challenge, she could spin in a circle and get the system to recognize attacks; she played an entire challenge by spinning to attack.
• The first time we got the visuals, sound, and explosions working on the whip Super Strike, we turned up the speakers and tried it out. The big bass sound of the explosion was so… big… that it attracted people from all over the building. So we spent an hour or so just passing around the motion controller and Super Striking with the whip. Whoo, fun!
• Joe, one of our gameplay programmers, had an idea about incorporating some of the more technical features of the motion controller into the flight model of the disc. His first try took flying the disc from “Okay, this is interesting, what are we going to do with it?” to “Ho! Can you fly through that crack? Flip over and do a barrel roll? Watch out!”

All of that great stuff (and a whole lot more that I don’t have space to mention) led to some great features. Keep your eye out for some of our favorites:

• Team Strike: In each challenge, if you touch the motion controller spheres together during Team Play, you’ll trigger a one-time mega-blast that will obliterate just about everything on screen.
• Diamond Challenges: Complete all the story challenges with a gold medal, and you’ll unlock a bunch of new versions of our favorite challenges – but each one’s got a twist to make it extra hard…
• The Long Shot: Timer running out in a disc or ball challenge? Go ahead and throw – you’ll get to keep playing until your projectile is destroyed, even if you run out of time.

We have enjoyed making this game so much, and we hope that you will enjoy playing it just as much. We’d love to hear about your favorite features and moments, so drop us a comment!