July 5 - July 9

Section: 

On this extended U.S. weekend, the release list isn't exactly overwhelmingly large, but there might be more in there than you would otherwise suspect. Yes, the list is dominated by Crackdown 2, but following a demo that some might argue did more harm than good, my enthusiasm for that game has become somewhat muted. I'm hoping the full release will reveal a much more complete and advanced game than the one introduced by the demo.

And, while Crackdown 2 is my game of the week, there are a few other releases of note. The first is Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies for the Nintendo DS, and while I can tell you nothing derived from facts or insight as regards this game, I do know that there are enough of you interested in the Dragon Quest series that I should not ignore the game entirely. Additional, and quite possibly for the exact same crowd, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable releases this week on the PSP, allowing me to once again remember that is a machine that people buy and that has apparently not been abandoned entirely.

For me, though, Crackdown 2 is the focus of my interest and our Game of the Week.

Xbox 360
- Crackdown 2

Wii
- Tournament of Legends

DS
- Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies

PSP
- Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable

Coming Soon -
- Starcraft 2 : July 27
- Mafia 2 (PC, 360, PS3) : August 24
- Metroid Other M : August 31
- Halo Reach : September 14
- Civilization V : September 21

Comments

I'll be giving Crackdown 2 a whirl. I prefer the lighter, brighter city in v1, but I'm hoping they've fixed a few things (driving!) and improved a few things (enemy models) while keeping the basic game play the same.

What about those accents! Some of those Chinese gang members who sounded like they fought for the Confederacy!

Few, but (possibly) quality releases, excepting Tournament of Legends, which I've been arguing with Nintendo fanboys for months that it would turn out to be utter crap because High Voltage hasn't shown they can make a decent game ... regardless of how much TLC they put into the Conduit.

Wish the SMT games would come to DS more. No way I'm buying a PSP, but a little portable SMT could be a very good thing.

DQ9, woo hoo! I've been on media blackout, so I actually have little to no idea what to expect.

It's a shame too, on any other week, I'd snap up Persona 3.

PC gamers shrug this week and survey the damage done to their bank account by the Steam sale.

Does anyone know if Persona 3 PSP will be available through the PSN store this week? I have an US account on my PSP (and PS3), so if it becomes available through the PSN store, this EU guy can still get this. (No news of an EU release as far as I know.)

estorino wrote:

Does anyone know if Persona 3 PSP will be available through the PSN store this week? I have an US account on my PSP (and PS3), so if it becomes available through the PSN store, this EU guy can still get this. (No news of an EU release as far as I know.)

I don't see it mentioned anywhere on the Atlus or PSN Store site. Atlus has a fantastic mailing list and I think it would be easy to find out if the game were available on the PSN store.

I'm still so torn on whether to get it. It seems to both improve and worsen the PS2 version.

beeporama wrote:

It seems to both improve and worsen the PS2 version.

How so? I haven't heard much about it. Is it based on the FES version?

Minarchist wrote:
beeporama wrote:

It seems to both improve and worsen the PS2 version.

How so? I haven't heard much about it. Is it based on the FES version?

I haven't dug deeply into it, but at the very least you're getting reduced to a smaller screen. I think they might have cut some movies or something for space but I don't recall. On the upside, they added the ability to play as a female. I like options for the main character in principal, and I'll select female as often as male, depending on the game.

Doesn't Dragon Quest IX come out next week? This is what Amazon is telling me...

ilduce620 wrote:

Doesn't Dragon Quest IX come out next week? This is what Amazon is telling me...

Sunday. Close enough.

Okay, in answer to my own question: Persona 3 Portable IS available through the US PSN Store since yesterday.
I decided to go for it in a weird broadening your horizons project. Why's that?
I hardly ever play RPG's, I played Torchlight, Fable 2 and Fallout 3 (barely) and that's all the RPG experience I have. And all those games could be considered RPG lite games...
I never play any Japanese games, so now I've committed myself to a hardcore JRPG game...
(It has lots of difficulty settings; beginner, easy, normal, hard and very hard. I chose beginner...

What? No Monkey Island love this week?

garion333 wrote:
ilduce620 wrote:

Doesn't Dragon Quest IX come out next week? This is what Amazon is telling me...

Sunday. Close enough. :P

and yet between weeks. I say it should have been the game of the week for next (this) week...

Giant Bomb did a Quick Look for those wondering about Persona 3 Portable. I don't know how much info in there is useful to you all, but thought I'd point it out.