New Releases for The Week of Blocking In and Rocking Out

Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City is a third-person brawler with a non-linear story-line and massive world to explore—five times the area of Batman: Arkham Asylum. A district of Gotham has been turned over to the growing population of crazy criminals released from Arkham, and the city has given up on controlling this dangerous part of town, instead just walling it up and letting the monsters inside deal with one another. It’s up to the Dark Knight to go in there and beat all of them up one at a time. Batman has picked up a few new tricks, seeing more gadgets and new weapons in the fight against crazy. In addition, players will have the chance to play at Catwoman, who has her own gadgets, weapons, and plot-line. You can see the launch trailer here.

Okabu

In the whimsical Okabu, players work together to solve a series of puzzles to save a world dying from pollution and industry. The game is full of co-operative puzzles in a bubbly 3D landscape. The players take on Kumulo and Nimbe, the cloud brothers. They find the cities of the Okabu polluted and strained. They use their abilities to absorb and expel liquids to resolve the world’s problems. The game has a clear social message, and a childish appearance, but also seems to be a unique and interesting puzzle game.

Rocksmith

Rocksmith is more than a rhythm game. First off, it has no controller; BYOG, if you will. It works with any electric guitar—just plug it in, and get started. Second, it’s more of a teacher than a game. Sure, it has scoreboards, and audiences, and other Guitar Hero-esque features, but it also has features designed to make the player a better performer. The game starts everyone at the same basic difficulty, and changes, even mid-song, to adapt to each player’s needs. In a addition it will analyze each player’s strengths, and recommend specific practice sessions customized for that player. Finally, it will challenge players at the highest levels to play through the songs without a visual guide.

Dungeon Defenders

The Icrontic spotlight this week glints off the spinning blades of  Dungeon Defenders. In this online tower-defense adventure RPG, players work together to defend various structures from hordes of fantastic monsters. Similar to games like Sanctum, players can set automated defenses like turrets, mines, and other traps, but also engage the enemy personally. Success depends on the ability to balance these two methods, as well as the ability to rely on the strengths of the teammates (in co-op play). The thing that sets this title apart from other similar games is the RPG elements. Each player will earn experience, level-up, and choose a development path which customizes their character. The graphics are the only obvious low-point here, and the art style is colorful and bubbly, reminiscent of World of Warcraft, a style I find irritating, myself, and which could make the screen feel too busy. The videos I’ve seen make the screen seem cluttered with confusing figures. Expect an Icrontic review after release.

Following is a full list of this week’s announce North American releases:

Windows

• Alien Zombie Megadeath
• Cities XL 2012
• Dungeon Defenders
• JASF: Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighters
• Renegade Ops
• Worms Crazy Golf

Wii

• Ben 10: Galactic Racing
• Family Feud 2012 Edition
• Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With an Engine
• Jungle Speed
• Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder
• Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
• The Price Is Right: Decades

DS

• Ben 10: Galactic Racing
• Cut the Rope
• I SPY Castle
• Jewel Time Deluxe
• Petz Puppyz & Kittenz
• Professor Layton and the Last Specter

3DS

• Pet Zombies

Xbox 360

• Batman: Arkham City
• Ben 10: Galactic Racing
• Dungeon Defenders
• Family Feud 2012 Edition
• JASF: Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighters
• Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With an Engine
• Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge
• Minute to Win It
• PowerUp Heroes
• Rocksmith
• Tropico 4

PS3

• Batman: Arkham City
• Beat Hazard Ultra
• Ben 10: Galactic Racing
• Dungeon Defenders
• Everybody Dance
• JASF: Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighters
• Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With an Engine
• Okabu
• Payday: The Heist
• Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
• Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken
• Rocksmith
• The Price is Right: Decades

PSP

• Double Rivals Attack Pack!
• Double Super Hero Pack!