Game Releases for the Week of 10/29-11/4

Why hello there! It's me, Dan, with what's new in the gaming universe this week. Not a giant list this time, thankfully, but a bunch of stand-out titles make this the biggest week for quality games in some time. Next week? A little under-hyped game called Gears of War and the next Call of Duty.

Xbox 360

11/1 Need for Speed: Carbon - It seems like just yesterday I was finishing up the last NFS game, Most Wanted, yet here we are with another version, which retains the significant polish the first 360 game exhibited and adds a few new coats. New this year are some gameplay modes, including "cliff races" where you race an opponent on a track where a wrong move sends your car nose diving down a mountain. The series' successful career mode is back as well, adding a few tweaks such as the ability to hire a crew, who then assist you by blocking or pointing out shortcuts during races. All in all the last version was pretty great if you ask me, and it looks like EA hasn't tinkered with the basic driving action. (Also available in a Special Edition)

11/1 F.E.A.R. - It's been some time since 360 owners have gotten a good, old fashioned FPS -- you've got to go back to last year's PDZ or COD2 to even find one, but Monolith is set to fix that this week with a port of the hit PC title. Apparently genuinely scary (the plot features paranormal elements and draws heavily from Japanese horror flicks), F.E.A.R. boasts excellent AI, as you'll notice the enemies working in teams to flank you, create their own cover, and overall work to make your life miserable. Despite the gimmick (your main character apparently has super-human reflexes, giving him a convenient "bullet-time" like ability to slow down the gameplay) the main emphasis in this game is the traditional bloody FPS action we've all come to know and love. While owners of the PC game may be disappointed there's really not much new here besides a new weapon and a short bonus mission, newcomers to the F.E.A.R franchise should find an immensely playable, if not completely original, FPS title.

11/1 FIFA Soccer 07 - Delayed a few weeks from the old-gen console versions, the 360 incarnation features a beefy new physics system which reportedly makes ball handling far more realistic, as well as a new emphasis on player energy levels.

PSP

11/1 Rush - Fans of the original arcade racer have always had to deal with half-baked ports on the various consoles, but Midway is nevertheless trying again on the PSP, with this new version that takes place exclusively in LA. Featuring the same crazy level design with loops and corkscrews, the gimmick this time is a tie-in with West Coast Customs, yes, the place from the MTV show Pimp My Ride.

11/1 Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony - Best known now for being a franchise raped savagely by Uwe Boll, the Dungeon Siege series makes its way to the PSP for the first time (actually, first time on a handheld or console), shedding off much of its PC roots for a more action-oriented title -- with no pointing and clicking, the title is now more of a brawler than a RPG. However fans will note character progression and upgrades are still here, including significant character specialization at higher levels.

11/1 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories - One could argue that without the successful previous game in this series, Liberty City Stories, the PSP would be doing far worse than it is currently.. it's been a uphill climb to be sure, but Rockstar is yet again set to give Sony's handheld a boost with this latest version, featuring the same free-roaming action pioneered on the PS2, except shrunk down to portable size. Obviously set this time in the 80's world of Vice City (a much preferable setting than the original, if you ask me, complete with a new rockin 80's soundtrack), you'll be running around the same neighborhoods, with a new storyline, new weapons, and new aquatic vehicles (you'll remember GTA only added swimming ability in GTA3). Overall, with upgraded graphics over LCS and the same great GTA action, if you have a PSP you'd gotta be some sort of a moron not to pick this one up this week.

11/1 Death Jr. 2: Root of Evil - Originally a highly anticipated PSP launch title, then a delayed PSP launch title, then a mediocre platformer, Konami has nevertheless reincarnated (get it?) this franchise for another go, with new characters and a new camera to answer some of the major criticisms from the first title.

11/1 BattleZone - Atari's seminal tank-battling classic that first appeared in arcades way back in the Reagan-era comes to the PSP by way of Paradigm Entertainment (Terminator 3: The Redemption). Featuring 4-player Wifi multiplayer.

11/1 Power Stone Collection - It's been more than 6 years since the last Power Stone game, a multiplayer brawler for the Dreamcast that was originally Sega's response to the original, and far more-long running, Mario Party. Actually a combo-pack of both Power Stone games reworked for the PSP, the new version has new unlockable content, a new minigame, and multiplayer support via AdHoc.

11/1 Killzone: Liberation - The follow-up to the non-Halo killer FPS for the PS2, the PSP variation continues the story from the first game but does away with the first person perspective, instead opting to present the action from overhead. A new emphasis on giving commands to your squad mates gives the whole thing an added layer of strategy, and 8 player Wifi multiplayer means endless action. It received good buzz at E3 (and a best of E3 nomination) -- it's no Halo killer, but this time, it's not trying to be.

11/1 Need for Speed: Carbon - Own the City - While it's not the same as the big-brother console versions, the PSP and DS incarnations nevertheless feature similar open-world gameplay, where you can choose to enter events as you come across them.

11/1 Mind Quiz - Featuring 49 "mind quiz" exercises, and a "Brain Age Checking Mode" that in no way sounds like a brazen rip-off of the Nintendo DS game "Brain Age".

DS

11/1 Pokemon Ranger - Set in the world of the recent Pokemon direct-to-video movie, this is the next in the seemingly endless series of Pokemon spin-offs. No familiar RPG turn-based action here, instead the emphasis is on gimmicky stylus action that will have you circling and lassoing pokemen, which are then used to battle environmental terrorists. Seriously, that's the story.

11/1 Children of Mana - Dungeon crawler with a real-time battle system set in the Mana universe created by Square Enix way back in 1993. Wireless connection abilities (but no Wifi) means 4 players can take on slimes and whatever at once.

11/1 The Sims 2: Pets - Essentially the same Sims game the consoles have seen for awhile now with an expansion pack tacked on, the emphasis here is, obviously buying, mating, and raising pets. There's 40 breeds of cats and dogs stuffed in, and all can be customized, from adjusting intelligence and personality levels to deciding what kind of bow your poodle should have.

11/1 Need for Speed: Carbon - Own the City - See the PSP description

Xbox

11/1 Need for Speed: Carbon - See the 360 description. Xbox/PS2 fans take note: the old-gen versions of this game do not feature only support.

PS2

10/29 Final Fantasy XII - See game of the week, below.

11/1 ATV Offroad Fury 4 - The next in Climax Studios' ongoing ATV series (the last version appeared on the PSP in 2005), this variation features 60 tracks, some of which are from previous games, and a unique feature that lets owners of ATV Offroad Fury Pro for the PSP swap content back and forth between the console version.

11/1 Need for Speed: Carbon - See the Xbox description.

GC

11/1 Need for Speed: Carbon - See the Xbox description.

PC

10/30 1701 A.D. - Third in the so-called "A.D." series of RTS games (which includes "1503 A.D. The New World" and "1602 A.D.: Creation of a New World"), this mixes city building and trade with an emhphasis on historical accuracy.

10/31 Need for Speed: Carbon - See the 360 Description. Of note is PC owners get some collectors edition love as well, with a special version that is a whopping 30 bucks less than the 360 special edition.

10/31 Neverwinter Nights 2 - It's been more than 4 years since Bioware's original Neverwinter Nights, its epic story (the original spanned 3 CD's) and familiar gameplay (based on a tightly integrated version of D&D rules) garnering many fans, mods, and expansion packs along the way. Now set for a full honest-to-goodness sequel developed by Obsidian Entertainment (KOTOR2), with the engrossing storyline and intricate gameplay due to return. New features include a so-called "stronghold system", a castle you own and are tasked with upgrading and running day-to-day.

GBA

11/1 Need for Speed: Carbon - Own the City - See the DS description.

Game of the Week:

Final Fantasy XII, PS2, 10/31

Well, here we go. This is the next installment in the long running Final Fantasy series of games, which involve epic stories, colorful characters, and deliberate, strategic battles that require the player to pick options out of a menu and then watch the characters in your party execute the commands. While for the most part the series hasn't strayed from these essentials during its years (And why should it? It's sold 60 million copies and spawned countless spin-offs, variations, and a few movies..), this time around there are a few new tweaks. Gone are the despised random battle sequences, the camera can be rotated, and your AI teammates now have a mind of their own: you can "program" characters to act in specific ways during battle. However at its core, this is still Final Fantasy: the story is complex and epic, the world is giant and detailed, and the graphics and music, as always, are breathtaking. Next-gen be damned: this is the game to watch this week.

Game I'm Playing:

Not much to report I'm afraid as I play the real-life game of stacking boxes in preparation for a move next Friday. Gamefly still refusing to send me Splinter Cell is not helping matters!