June 24 – June 28

Section: 

Company of Heroes was not an exactly underrated Real Time Strategy game. Critics adored it and lauded it with rave reviews and correspondingly high review scores. And yet, not many people bring up the World War 2 strategy game in discussions of great games released in the past few years, or even for that matter in most discussions about RTS games in general. Don't get me wrong, those in the know will talk about Company of Heroes every chance they get, but that population is not exceedingly large.

This week developer Relic and publisher Sega release a full blown sequel to their critically acclaimed Company of Heroes. Initial feedback is that while quite good, Relic's sequel is not as ground breaking an experience as the first had been. That's a little discouraging, just because Company of Heroes did so many things in new and interesting ways, but to be honest just an opportunity to get more of the same from Relic is enough for the price of admission.

Also this week, Wizards of the Coast updates their perennial Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalker. Among some general iterative changes, WotC has added more deck customizability, a long noted absence for the series, and a 'Sealed Play' mode for both single and multiplayer.

In the 'Might be worth the risk' column, we find High Moon Studio's Deadpool. High Moon, which has made an impressive showing of the recent Transformers War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron, takes a stab at the whimsical, juvenile and irreverent superhero. It seems like a game that would be primed for cringe-worthy failure in the wrong hands, but there are whispers on the wind that this might be worth paying attention to. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of pre-release reviews available, and that always makes me a little nervous.

Add to all that four or five games I likely missed mentioning, and it's a pretty impressive week for new games. Unless, that is, you own a WiiU.

PC
- Company of Heroes 2
- Dark (download - $40)
- Deadpool (download)
- Gun Monkeys (download)
- Jack Keane 2: The Fire Within (download)
- Joe Danger (download)
- Joe Danger 2: The Movie (download)
- Magic 2014 - Duels of the Planeswalkers (download - $10)
- Ride to Hell: Retribution (download)
- Rogue Legacy (download - $15)
- Super Splatters (download - $10)
- The Sims 3: Island Paradise

Xbox 360
- Deadpool
- Doodle Jump for Kinect (XBLA - $5)
- Magic 2014 - Duels of the Planeswalkers (XBLA - $10)
- One Finger Death Punch (XBLIG - $1)
- Ride to Hell: Retribution
- Spartacus Legends (XBLA - free-to-play)

PS3
- The Best of PlayStation Network, Vol. 1
- Deadpool
- Hotline Miami (PSN - $10)
- Magic 2014 - Duels of the Planeswalkers (PSN - $10)
- Pool Nation (PSN)
- Ride to Hell: Retribution
- Riding Star (PS2 Classics)
- Spartacus Legends (PSN - free-to-play)
- Warship Gunner 2 (PS2 Classics)

Vita
- Hotline Miami (PSN - $10)
- LEGO Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey
- Muramasa Rebirth

3DS
- LEGO Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey
- Project X Zone
- Urban Trial Freestyle (eShop)

Comments

Company of Heroes 2 baby!!! Can't wait!

Deadpool is also going for $40 (at least on Steam) which is also a curious decision.

Nothing for me this week, playing Animal Crossing New Leaf and Super Luigi U.

Nothing really interests me this week... already have
Hotline Miami on PC, no itch to double-dip.

Oh Magic 2014 is only $9.99 on Steam.

Figured I'd be waiting for a sale but that's cheap enough I might just grab it.

shoptroll wrote:

Deadpool is also going for $40 (at least on Steam) which is also a curious decision.

$50 for console. I think they know they're going for a rather niche audience and are trying to draw more people into it by lowering the price.

Only thing for me this week is the PS+ version of Zero Escape

Go download the demo for Rogue Legacy right now! To be reductive it's a Castlevania flavored Spelunky, but there's way more charm than that would imply. It plays really, really well, has a really fun sense of humor with some of the minor mechanics, and has quite a bit to chew on even in just that demo.

All about Company of Heroes 2. ALL ABOUT IT.

I've had Muramasa: Rebirth preordered for months. Can't wait...

I want to try Deadpool, but I'm waiting on reviews...

Thin_J wrote:

All about Company of Heroes 2. ALL ABOUT IT.

Oorah!

Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep is also out today for Borderlands 2.

but..but.. Shadowrun... what about the Shadowrun?

Annnnxioussss

Most wrote:

but..but.. Shadowrun... what about the Shadowrun?

Annnnxioussss

Pushed back to the 25th July I think.

I'm hearing some pretty positive stuff about Deadpool, but then I also know some people from that team, so it's probably more likely that I'd hear the positive stuff.

stevenmack wrote:
Most wrote:

but..but.. Shadowrun... what about the Shadowrun?

Annnnxioussss

Pushed back to the 25th July I think.

That's what I saw when I was poking around Steam earlier today

I'm pretty interested in seeing how Dark pans out though at $40 I think I'll hold out for some GWJ reviews and/or a deep steam discount.

I am rather enjoying Deadpool. It is stupid comic book hack slash shooty violence, with the added bonus of Deadpool's incredibly childish sense of "humour". The fourth wall isn't as much broken as atomised, and I have to say, on the whole it is very funny, especially to a comics fan.

Spoiler:

Cable's intro is frigging hilarious.

There was one moment that really made me cringe, though. First named boss fight. The fact that it may be consistent with the character doesn't excuse it at all, really.

Not one for anyone looking for depth, realism or a dearth of Nolan North. Deadpool, as expected, never shuts up, and North voices him, the two voices in his head, and someone else.

To sum up, leave your brain at the door, and enjoy a solidly built game with some novel approaches to the conventions of video games in places. It's a good antidote to me, since I spent the last week and bit playing The Last Of Us.

BlackSabre wrote:
Thin_J wrote:

All about Company of Heroes 2. ALL ABOUT IT.

Oorah! :D

x2!!

Quietly putting these to pasture?

I was wondering the same thing. Two weeks in a row of nothing seems deliberate.

Naw, it's just usually Sean who writes them and he's been on the road both days. We're just a bit disorganized with all the vacations going on.

garion333 wrote:

Quietly putting these to pasture?

Someone left the gate open.

Have I mentioned that I'm descended from goat thieves?