As you’d expect for this time of year, video game new is pretty slow. Many in the game community shut down for the last week of the year – which is understandable.
Before they shut down for the year end break, Rockstar Games dropped a few more screens from Grand Theft Auto V. You should check their site for the full release, but here are my two favorites:
The shark is actually the second animal featured in one of these announcements, the first being a dog. What role these two animals will play is unclear, as is the question of whether more animals will be featured. The submarine is a first for the series but it leads me to wonder how extensive the underwater world will be. They’ve talked up the game map as larger than San Andreas, Red Dead Redemption, and L.A. Noire combined. Is that including the ocean? We’ll find out next year.
Speaking of open world crime games, PlayStation Plus updated this week with Retro City Rampage free for PS3 and Vita. If you haven’t heard of this one I’m not even sure how best to describe it. It’s definitely a throwback to the classic GTA titles from PSOne, when it was still a top down game, before switching to a third person shooter with GTA III on PS2. But it’s not just that. It’s also a massive love letter to the classic 8- and 16-bit eras of gaming and pop culture. In just the first two missions I’ve clearly seen homages to Back to the Future, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (which I at first mistook for Doctor Who – my own mistake), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Smash TV, Super Mario Bros., Mega Man, Commando, Bionic Commando, Contra, and plenty more. If I have anything to complain about, it’s that the classic control scheme just hasn’t held up. I appreciate the retro-flair, but there’s a reason mechanics evolve. Even if you’re not on PS+, I’d still recommend picking this one up as it’s just gone on sale for $9.99 (originally $14.99). It’s also cross-buy, so getting it for one system will hook you up on both PS3 and Vita.
Over on XBox Live there’s a sale you shouldn’t ignore. Spike’s VGA game of the year, The Walking Dead is extra cheap today only. Really, this game is a value at the regular $25 price. But today only, December 28th, the first episode is free and the other four are 50% off, only 200MSP. If you’re concerned the game isn’t really your style, pick up that first episode immediately and play it. Maybe it’s not for you. But if you enjoy it, and I think you will, get the other four for half price right now!
One of the next year’s most highly anticipated games, Dead Space 3, is slated for release on February 5th. If you’d like to check it out sooner, watch for the demo coming January 22nd. XBox has an opportunity for you to get the demo a week earlier by signing up for early access here.
Kind of a weak way to end the year, but it’s to be expected. I don’t expect much to be announced over the weekend, so Tuesday’s VGQH, the first of 2013, will likely just be my best of 2012 list. I’d love to see a few readers’ lists as well. What were your top games? Top disappointments? What are you most excited for in 2013? Let us know in the comments.