The Month Ahead - September 2011

Since I wrote ‘The Month Ahead’ for June 2011, the release of games has slowed down slightly. With September swiftly approaching, it is the beginning of a very promising few months in terms of releases. I’ll be taking a look at the upcoming releases which I’m sure you’ll be dying to get your hands on.

Resistance 3

Developer:

Insomniac Games

Release date(s):

NA – September 6, 2011

JP/AUS – September 8, 2011

EU – September 9, 2011

Genre(s):

First-person shooter

Platform(s):

Playstation 3

Resistance 3 will be the third release in the Resistance series and will be the first to support 3D and Playstation Move. In North America, Resistance 3 will be released in two separate editions: Standard and Doomsday. In PAL regions, Resistance 3 will be released as a Special Edition and Survivor Edition.

In Resistance 3, discharged Sentinel Joseph Capelli has given up fighting the Chimeran menace, four years after its predecessor Resistance 2. He has resorted to hiding amongst survivors along with his wife and son. Ninety percent of the Earth’s population are dead or have turned into Chimera. Capelli leaves his family to endure the harrowing journey from Oklahoma to New York when Dr. Fyodor Malikov arrives to deliver a blow to the Chimeran force. Whilst on his journey, Capelli discovers the remnants of humanity left following the Chimeran invasion. Whilst Capelli was in hiding, Dr. Malikov experimented on Nathan Hale’s corpse and swiftly discovered Hale’s blood possessed unique blood cells. These blood cells would eliminate the disease within him. Armed with this knowledge, Malikov was able to create a cure for the Chimera virus utilising Hale’s blood.

Dead Island

Developer:

Techland

Release date(s):

NA – September 6, 2011

EU – September 9, 2011

Genre(s):

First-person shooter, sandbox

  

Platform(s):

Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Dead Island will be played from a first-person perspective and will include open world gameplay. The game features up to four-player co-operative play with the focus being on melee combat. Customisable weaponry, vehicles and combat are also a feature. RPG elements are also included which includes an experience system and skill tree system. There is also a stamina bar which restricts the amount of action with a weapon, which requires the player to stop to regain stamina before they can continue the attack. ‘Special Class’ zombies have been confirmed which are more powerful than standard zombies. Players will need to use a flashlight in dark areas and during night time throughout the game. Changing seasons will not be included in the game, but there will be a weather system. The game will be set in the Palms Resort, in Banoi, a fictional place located off the coast of Papua New Guinea.

Star Fox 3D

Developer(s):

Nintendo EAD

Q-Games

Release date(s):

JP – July 14, 2011

NA/US/EU – September 9, 2011

AUS – September 15, 2011

Genre(s):

Flight, rail shooter

Platform(s):

Nintendo 3DS

Star Fox 3D is a remake Star Fox 64. The gameplay will remain similar to that of the original, with slight modifications. The game includes a ’64 mode’ and ‘3DS mode’. The 3DS mode allows players to control the game by using the 3DS internal gyroscope sensor to control the Arwing in space. The controls and character dialogue are displayed on the touch screen. A multiplayer mode will be included called ‘Battle Mode’. This will allow players to engage in up to 4-player multiplayer, this will require one cartridge through download play, there is no online multiplayer. They player has the ability to take a picture of themselves and they appear in-game.

Gears of War 3

Developer(s):

Epic Games

Release date(s):

US/PAL – September 20, 2011

JP – September 22, 2011

Genre(s):

Third-person shooter

Platform(s):

Xbox 360

Gears of War 3 will be the third instalment in the successful Gears of War series. With over one million pre-orders, it is one of the most anticipated titles of 2011. The remainder of the Jacinto moved to Vectes to rebuild, after the fall of Jacinto eighteen months previously. The COG head of state, Chairman Prescott, abandoned the COG, evidently hiding something. Without a leader and being banished from the island, the COG disbands and separates to the safest places that remain. Some survivors are taken by Victor Hoffman to Anvil Gate. Delta squad then travel on the naval ship ‘Raven’s Nest’ with the remaining humans to avoid any further Lambent assaults.

F1 2011

Developer: Codemasters

Release date(s):

NA – September 20, 2011

AUS – September 22, 2011

UK – September 23, 2011

Genre(s):

Racing

Platform(s):

Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC

F1 2011 will be the sequel to the highly successful Codemasters title F1 2010. The full twelve teams and twenty four drivers featured at the beginning of the 2011 season will feature in the game. Mid-season driver changes will not be included owing to licensing restrictions. The new Buddh International Circuit in India will be present along with the entire calendar of nineteen circuits from the 2011 season. Day-to-night transitions will be featured on certain circuits. Online multiplayer has a maximum of sixteen players in a race and has the option to include eight additional AI-controlled cars. Codemasters announced that the safety car would now be included, following its absence in F1 2010. Red flags will also be implemented for extreme situations. Changes for the 2011 title include KERS, DRS and Pirelli tyres being featured.

FIFA 2012

Developer: EA Canada

Release date(s):

NA – September 27, 2011

EU – September 30, 2011

Genre(s):

Sports

Platforms(s):

Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii, Playstation 2, PSP, Nintendo 3DS

FIFA 12 will be the nineteenth game in Electronic Arts’ FIFA series. FIFA 12 includes several new features and alterations over its predecessors. The game’s presentation has been redesigned for the first time in a number of years. The vertical menu system is now being replaced by a side-scrolling menu bar system. Three major changes have been implemented in FIFA 12; these are the Impact Engine, Tactical Defending and Precision Dribbling. The Impact Engine will improve accuracy, momentum preservation and collision variety. It will also directly affect injuries sustained during a match. The Tactical Defending aims to alter the defending system by making the positioning, tackling and intercepting passes equally important. Whilst defending, there will be an increased emphasis on containing players, possibly slowing them down or causing them to make mistakes. The Precision Dribbling allows players to dribble whilst shielding. This allows players to proceed with moving around the field whilst holding the opposition off. 

Summary

September looks to be a very promising month for gaming, with a strong line-up of new releases. It’ll be the beginning of a very busy release schedule leading up to Christmas. With such an eclectic range of games being released next month, I can imagine gamers everywhere attempting to make their money stretch that little bit further. I’d love to know what games you’re excited for or any feedback in general you may have. I’ve included contact details at the bottom if you have any questions or queries.

Many thanks again for reading,

Hannah

Personal Twitter: @xsuperhan

Flawless Victory Twitter: @x_FV

Zero1Gaming Twitter: @Zero1Gaming

source(s):

www.ign.com

www.wikipedia.org

www.gamespot.com