SEGA's revamp of the classic Dreamcast game Jet Set Radio has been given a release date and price. This high definition revamp will be released on Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade and PS3's Playstation Network on the 19th September 2012. The game will be priced at 800 Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360, whilst it is £7.99 on the PS3. Jet Set Radio combines cel-shaded art with plenty of futuristic skating action...all set to a brilliant soundtrack. It's definitely worth checking out if you haven't played it before!
Sega has revealed their HD revamp of Yakuza 1 and 2 via a Japanese trailer. Both games have received a graphical revamp and will also allow players to install game data onto the PS3's hard drive, decreasing the games loading times.
The Yakuza games have been massive hits in Japan and whilst there is no word of a release date for the HD revamp, Yakuza 5 is scheduled to be released for the PS3 in Japan this winter.
This month, Resident Evil fans have been treated to two HD revamps of two games in the series-Resident Evil 4 and Code Veronica X. Released by Capcom, the Resident Evil series combines elements of the survival horror genre with an intriguing story, and an eclectic bunch of heroes and villains.
The re-vamped editions of both of these games boast some excellent high definition graphics, and allow for fans to re-immerse themselves with two cracking additions to the series, as well as welcoming in first time players.
Resident Evil 4 Resident Evil 4 originally gained a release on the Nintendo Gamecube in 2005. Since then, it has been released on the Playstation 2, iPod Touch and iPhone, Wii and Zeebo.
Regarded as the best in the Resident Evil series by many fans, Resident Evil 4 follows Raccoon City hero-cop Leon S. Kennedy, who has been sent on a mission to rescue the President's kidnapped daughter, Ashley Graham. Leon has been directed to a remote village in Europe, where he is quickly faced with a barrage of hostile, and infected, locals. Things begin to get more sinister, as Leon realises that a mysterious cult lies behind the villagers, and Ashley is caught up in this huge mess. Leon now must save Ashley, stop the cult from carrying out their plans, and try to warn the rest of the world before the infection spreads.
Resident Evil 4 is available to download from now.
Code Veronica X HD
Code Veronica X follows Clare Redfield, who is searching for her missing brother, a S.T.A.R.S member, Chris Redfield. After narrowly escaping the events in Raccoon City, Clare sets out to track down her brother, only to find herself stumbling upon the news that the notorious Umbrella Corporation's zombie creating antics stretch much further than this remote city. The game then follows Clare as she strives to find out what Umbrella Corporation are planning, as well as finding out where her brother has got to.
Code Veronica X is due for a release on the 27th September. Not long to go now!
Resident Evil fans definitely have a lot to look forward to in the coming months. As well as the two revamped editions released on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 this month, fans will expect Resident Evil: Revelations on the Nintendo 3DS, as well as the forthcoming (but unfortunately recently delayed) Operation Racoon City for the PS3 and Xbox 360.
Resident Evil 4 and Code Veronica X HD are priced at £14.99 and are available on the PSN and Xbox Live Games On Demand services. Check out the trailers for both of these re-releases below:
Since the release of the original Tomb Raider in 1996, Tomb Raider has expanded from merely games to two live-action films (a new one is currently in the works too), comic books, and theme park rides. The franchises' English action heroine Lara Croft is now a very recognisable gaming icon. With so many games now under their belt, Tomb Raider does not appear to show signs of slowing down just yet.
Now, in 2012, the ninth game in the series is getting a complete revamp. Simply titled Tomb Raider, the game will follow 21 year old Lara Croft as she travels aboard the Endurance, a salvage ship destined for Japan. However, nothing is plain sailing (excuse the pun) for Lara, as the Endurance is hit by an unexpected storm halfway through the voyage. Shipwrecked, injured and alone, Lara must now overcome serious obstacles and danger whilst frantically searching for a way off of the island.
In game hints and automatic weapon targeting has been kept to a minimum in this release, to keep this game challenging. To add to the challenging aspect, puzzles are supposed to be much trickier to solve this time around, and jumps to ledges or other parts of map have been made harder, as the landscape has a tendency to crumble if you have been dangling or standing on it for too long. The game introduces a new "survival instinct", which will help players solve these puzzles with subtle hints if they require them though, so perhaps it is not as difficult as it was first made out to be.
What intrigues me the most about Tomb Raider is the element of adapting to the island. Lara starts off the game with nothing to defend herself. However, whilst progressing through the island, Lara can pick up objects to combine and create her own weapons. Another aspect that I am intrigued about is the idea of exploring the island freely. This loose sand-box element completely changes the formulaic structure of the previous games in the franchise, and the idea of exploration in games has always been something that has captivated me (this is probably due to my love of RPGs).
Immediately from the demo and details currently available, it appears that the confident, hardy and gymnastic Lara we have grown accustomed to over the past 15 years has gone. In her place is a much more vulnerable and real character. This time around, the game play will focus on surviving the horrors that await on the island. The demo unveiled at E3 gave this outing an almost survival horror feel, but the action adventure and puzzle aspect that so many Tomb Raider fans know and love are thankfully still present.
The previous games in this franchise are definitely worth playing, especially if you enjoy the puzzle platformer genre. Steam users will be thankful of the Tomb Raider Summer Sale over on the Steam store from today. This sale includes 75% off Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Tomb Raider: Underworld, Tomb Raider: Anniversary, and Tomb Raider: Legend.
If you were only to download one from this sale, I would strongly suggest Tomb Raider: Anniversary. It is a revamped edition of the original Tomb Raider, and will allow you to get acquainted with the series before playing the new game.
Tomb Raider will be released in Autumn 2012 for Microsoft Windows games, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
