With the industry focused primarily on E3 and the future holds, June represents a relatively light month for gaming releases. However, we managed to pull eight titles worth playing from the wreckage. If you’re starving for some new video games this month, give these titles a look.
Inversion
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC / Release Date: 6.5.2012
What It Is: Developed by Saber Interactive, Inversion is a gravity-defying third-person shooter with cover mechanics. Think Gear of War, only will a battlefield that can be constantly manipulated.
CraveOnline’s Call: We had the opportunity to play Inversion at last year’s E3 conference. The title definitely felt like a Gears of War knockoff from a gunplay perspective, but the added gravity mechanics do make the title stand out. Outside Spec Ops: The Line (listed below), there are no other shooters coming out this month. So if your trigger finger is itching, give Inversion a shot.
Lollipop Chainsaw
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 / Release Date: 6.12.2012
What It Is: A cheerleader, the living head of her decapitated boyfriend and a pack of zombies walk into a bar… Sex, action, mayhem, humor and style all come together for Lollipop Chainsaw. This project looks absolutely wacky. The work from Suda 51 is completely unique, aside from the overused zombie genre, and this departure from the norm will either be incredible or just so-so.
CraveOnline’s Call: A few of the staff here at Crave’s gaming section love the work of Goichi Suda. For that reason, we’re checking this title out. The zombies, the sex, the style are all sort of side-effects of gaming today. The creative forces behind the game? That’s what’s driving us towards this title.
Gravity Rush
Platform: PS Vita / Release Date: 6.12.2012
What It Is: This is actually the first PlayStation Vita game to be developed by Sony’s Japanese house. As such, it carries with it a certain amount of promise for quality. Players will control a girl as she explores and open world with a unique look and feel. The girl can control gravity and uses it to travel from place to place with speed.
CraveOnline’s Call: We’re in the middle of reviewing this title. PS Vita owners should be excited simply because the handheld’s catalogue is a little lacking. This game represents something to actually play. Aside from that, it has its charms. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. It has its share of problem, but it is a fun, well made ride worth experiencing.
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
Platforms: PS Vita / Release Date: 6.12.2012
What It Is: The Metal Gear Solid Collection finally drops on Sony’s new handheld. The collection contains Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, as well as ports of the original two Metal Gear titles from the MSX days. Unfortunately, MGS: Peace Walker is not included in this PS Vita port.
CraveOnline’s Call: Having a large chunk of the Metal Gear Solid saga for on-the-go gaming is definitely a treat. However, we can’t help but feel frustrated that Peace Walker is being omitted. If you already purchased the HD Collection last year for either Xbox 360 or PS3, you might want to skip this one, unless you really want these classics on your shiny, new handheld. But if you missed last year’s HD Collection and you own a PS Vita, then consider this compilation a solid (ahem) deal.
LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Nintendo 3DS, PC / Release Date: 6.19.2012
What It Is: LEGO games, plain and simple, are about fun, hitting stuff and collecting. They’re also about the mindless exploration of a franchise and its plot lines, characters and heroes. LEGO Batman 2 is set to riff on the flicks, the games and the comics in the DC Super Heroes catalogue.
CraveOnline’s Call: Here’s the thing with the LEGO franchise… we’ve come to expect the same things from them with every release. They are good games, there’s no doubt about it. But they’re also repetitious as all get out. Not just repetitious from moment to moment, but repetitious from game to game. So, we’ll be waiting for a review copy before we get excited. Could it be great? Absolutely. Could it be special? We’re not sure.
Quantum Conundrum
Platform: PC / Release Date: 6.21.2012
What It Is: This is a first person, physics-based puzzle game set in the belly of the main character’s uncle’s mansion. You’ll find dimension shifting experiments block your progress through the depths of the insane home. The fluffy dimension makes things soft and light, the heavy dimension makes things, well, heavy…the list goes on. You’ll use those bits to solve puzzles.
CraveOnline’s Call: Kim Swift was a big part of the team responsible for developing Valve’s Portal. Airtight Games is doing the work on Quantum Conundrum, Kim Swift left Valve for Airtight and is the main force behind Quantum Conundrum. That’s a seal of quality as far as we’re concerned, and we can’t wait to see what Swift and the Airtight team come up with here.
The Amazing Spider-Man
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 / Release Date: 6.26.2012
What It Is: To tie into the upcoming film of the same name, developer Beenox is returning Spidey to his open-world roots. The Amazing Spider-Man game is set in a fully explorable New York City and takes place after the events of the feature film.
CraveOnline’s Call: This game will be the third Spider-Man title developed by Beenox (Shattered Dimensions and Edge of Time being the first two). However, unlike those first two titles, The Amazing Spider-Man is Beenox’s first attempt at an open-world Spidey game. They clearly know the character, but what’s going to be interesting to see is if they can pull off open-world gameplay without making it feel monotonous after just a short while; some of the last few open-world Spidey games fell into this trap. We remain cautiously optimistic about The Amazing Spider-Man. You should, too.
Spec Ops: The Line
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC / Release Date: 6.26.2012
What It Is: Spec Ops: The Line is the first game in the Spec Ops brand developed by Yager Entertainment. The game is a third-person shooter with cover mechanics and light squad-based controls. The game spotlights a squad of Delta Force soldiers heading into Dubai to extract a group of missing teammates after a nasty sandstorm ravages the city. The title’s inspiration comes from war films of the 1970s, namely Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse Now, instead of the gung-ho, pro-Americana war films of today.
CraveOnline’s Call: The shooting mechanics of Spec Ops: The Line are nothing to write home about. We came to this conclusion after playing the game in early April at PAX East. However, Yager might be onto something with the game’s story; The Line feels dark and twisted, and is definitely the opposite of what Call of Duty sets out to accomplish. For that reason, we’re excited to check out Spec Ops: The Line when it releases at the end of the month.
