After a jam-packed March, which saw the release of several highly anticipated blockbuster titles including Tomb Raider and BioShock Infinite, we now turn our pages to a still-crowded, but slightly less busy April. Even though there are less releases, there are still a few must-buy games this month — here they are.
Defiance (Xbox 360, PS3) — April 2, 2013
Released today, Defiance is a third-person MMO that ties in to the Syfy show. The game follows a similar story to that of the show: a massive world-wide terraforming event led to the alteration of the landscape and the extinction of several species of plants and animals, as well as the rise of a new species. Shortly after, a race of aliens known as Votans come to earth to set up a new home, only to engage in war with humans. After the war, the two races learn to live side by side. How? I'm not too sure. Guess I'll have to tune in to the show.
As a "Ark Hunter" in Defiance, you travel to the Bay Area in search of advanced and expensive alien technology, while taking part in side missions or challenges to earn cash and compete with other Ark Hunters. We recently went hands-on with the Defiance beta weekend; check out our impressions.
Injustice: Gods Among Us (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U) — April 16, 2013
Easily one of the most anticipated fighting games of 2013, Injustice: Gods Among Us is the latest creation from NetherRealm Studios (Mortal Kombat). The game pits some of DC Comics most iconic characters in one-on-one matches, and it looks damn entertaining. Not much has been revealed of the game's story, but it is said to be similar to that of Mortal Kombat. That is, Injustice will use cinematic narrative to drive the one-on-one matchups, rather than the traditional ladder-based experience. And while we don't know much about plot, it is expected to rationalize the game's fighting mechanics between characters that would not normally fight one another. A demo for Injustice: Gods Among Us is now available.
Dead Island: Riptide (Xbox 360, PS3) — April 23, 2013
This is certainly one of the more intriguing games of the year. After shocking gamers with stunning trailers, the launch of this game's prequel, Dead Island, was a bit rough. Aside from underwhelming gameplay, Dead Island ran into a number of PR flubs, including the discovery of a rather inappropriate line of code.
But the past is the past, and now we turn our attention to Dead Island: Riptide. Although described as a spin-off, the game's story picks up where Dead Island left off. Five survivors find themselves on the island of Planaia in the Banoi archipelago, now overrun by zombies. Like its predecessor, Dead Island: Riptide has already had its own share of blunders, but we're still looking forward to it.
Star Trek: The Video Game (Xbox 360, PS3) — April 23, 2013
With Star Trek Into Darkness opening on May 9, this game comes at just the right time for fans of the franchise. Designed to be canon for the new universe created when Paramount Pictures released Star Trek in 2009, Star Trek: The Video Game is a third-person action adventure game featuring the likeness of Chris Pine (Kirk) and Zachary Quinto (Spock).
Although it's mostly a single-player action game, there are cooperative gameplay elements allowing for two people to control Kirk and Spock. Both characters feature different styles of gameplay: Kirk being more of a typical shooter and Spock relying more on stealth techniques and mind meld. Gorn will serve as the primary enemy in the game. For those of you that are into the movies and lore, Star Trek: The Video Game is set after the 2009 film and before the upcoming film Star Trek Into Darkness.
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