May is a pretty busy month when it comes to video game releases, so let’s dive right in and look at the top games that are coming out on the various popular platforms this month.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Whilst the movie of the same name is filling seats and busting the box office at the cinema the game is also released on every platform imaginable. Whether you’ve got a Wii, a PS3 a 360 or a DS you’ll be able to grab a version of Wolverine, but as with any movie game there is going to be a certain amount of caution attached. This is because there are so few decent movie-to-game translations that it’s almost always sensible to steer clear of them. However, with X-Men Origins: Wolverine you should expect to be pleasantly surprised. It’s a God of War style beat-em-up, by which I mean it’s extremely violent, you can power up various weapons and there are the mandatory button mashing quick time events to get through. That being said it’s not a bad example of the genre, there’s plenty of variety in terms of level design and the controls are smooth and intuitive. The presentation isn’t always that consistent and this is indicative of a rushed completion of the title to tie in with the movie’s release, though that being said X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a game that fans of the series should definitely pick up.
Crysis: Maximum Edition
The system-crippling awesomeness of the original Crysis with its stunning visuals is brought together with the two expansion packs; Crysis: Warhead and Crysis Wars giving you hours upon hours of first person carnage in luscious surrounding. Bear in mind that you will need quite a powerful PC to run this collection and laptop owners need not apply.
Fallout 3: Broken Steel
This is another reason to be pleased to be living in the age of downloadable content as owners of the brilliant Fallout 3 can treat themselves to this expansion pack that is available on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in May. Add ons include a larger limit on the level your character can reach, more main quest goodies and loads of side missions and additional content for the game like new weapons.
Demigod
This game has already had positive reviews from many areas and is sure to be a hit when it’s released for the PC on the 15th of May. It’s basically an RTS combined with an RPG and has plenty to offer for fans of both genres. You choose from a selection of demigods and then battle it out Black and White style with minions in a series of well designed arenas. One to watch.
Rock Band 2
The Wii finally gets the second instalment of the hugely popular Rock Band series. The original team who worked on the first few Guitar Hero titles are responsible for this series, and kitting yourself out with the drums, bass, guitar and vocal peripherals makes this the best party game around.
Battlestations: Pacific
After last month’s fun aerial combat simulator Hawx comes Battlestations: Pacific, this time contextualising things in a historical way with the chance to control both American and Japanese forces in one of the most brutal theatres of World War 2. You may be getting sick and tired of war games rehashing the same material again and again, but at least the perspective of airborne fighting will feel refreshing after the constant barrage of first person shooter releases.
Virtua Tennis 2009
Another important release on the Wii is the latest in Sega’s tennis series that began a fruitful life on the Dreamcast many years ago. Known for its simple interface but ultimately deep gameplay we can only hope that this latest edition works in the Wii’s motion sensitive controls to good effect. If not we’ll all just be reaching for our Gamecube controllers and shaking our heads knowingly. Since this title is being released on the PS3 and 360 a week later everyone should be able to pick up a copy for their console.
Punchout
Finally, a Wii exclusive with some decent heritage and with controls that lend themselves to arm flailing. This boxing game is the first in the Punchout series for a decade and a half and comes at a time when some of the hardcore are loosing faith in the Wii’s ability to allow innovation rather than just casual gaming for kids and mums.
Terminator: Salvation
Another game based on a movie licence, this title is getting a lot of hype online so we hope that it will deliver. Going for a Gears of War over the shoulder shooter style this may be good fun, but the controls and the level variety will be where this game lives or dies.
