Welcome to the StickSkills video game release preview for the week of October 24, 2011. Muammar Gaddafi won’t be joining us anymore, but most of us were getting a little tired of his persistent lag-switch routine anyway.
We’re living in one of the biggest gaming seasons in industry history right now, and it rolls ahead as Battlefield 3 dominates the week’s arrivals. Electronic Arts wants to go mano a mano with Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for the top spot among fps shooters. Not only does the game feature massively scaled multiplayer combat, but it looks like the single player storyline might have some fortitude of its own. When you think about it though, Battlefield could probably just skip its single player campaign all together and just slap “multiplayer” on the front of the box, and the game would sell at the same rate. If you pretend that the single player campaign is a free bonus courtesy of the good folks at EA, the pain from your wallet beginning its inevitable incineration might be a little more tolerable.
NFL Pick Six for Week 8:
New England over Pittsburgh
Dallas over Philadelphia
San Diego over Kansas City
Carolina over Minnesota
Upset: Arizona over Baltimore
Upset: Seattle over Cincinatti
Upcoming Game Releases:
Tuesday, October 25:
Battlefield 3 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi (PS3, Xbox 360)
Dance Central 2 (Xbox 360 – Kinect)
The original Dance Central was a surprise hit for Kinect and Dance Central 2 looks to add head to head competitions live from your living room. I hate to say it old DDR pad, but I need a new mat for my desk chair and you’re looking better by the day.
inFamous 2: Festival of Blood (Playstation Network)
Available for download on PSN, this spin-off of inFamous 2 finds Cole getting bit by a vampire and racing against the clock to track down the head vampire before being turned at night’s end.
The Cursed Crusade (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Kinect Sports Season 2 (Xbox 360 – Kinect)
All due respect to Usain Bolt, but it was only a matter of time before track-and-field got stale. Season 2 of Kinect Sports arrives with six all new sports including golf, darts, baseball, skiing, tennis, and American football.
Disney Universe (PS3, Xbox 360, WII)
Blackwater (Xbox 360)
The formerly named Blackwater’s former CEO Erik Prince was the subject of intense controversy during the height of the Iraq War and has also spent time in the Navy SEALs. However, I can’t think of many things more challenging than trying to release a low-budget modern military fps on the same day as Battlefield 3. I know part of Blackwater’s pitch is the fact that it can be played entirely though Kinect, but to say it’s outgunned would be an understatement.
Stronghold 3 (PC)
Wednesday, October 26
The War of the Worlds (Xbox 360 Arcade)
Thursday, October 27
JASF: Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighters (PC)
Imagine the depth and serene beauty of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator X….then toss a few F-18s and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles into the frame. That’s the kind of vibe JASF seems to be going for as it rounds out the week’s releases.