The Month Ahead - April 2012

The month of April sees releases decline slightly but still promises an eclectic range of titles for you to enjoy. Hopefully having less of a selection this month will allow your bank account to recover from March’s spending spree. That being said, these titles do look pretty tempting…

Kinect Star Wars

Developer(s): Terminal Reality

Publisher(s): LucasArts

Genre(s): Action

Mode(s): Single play, local co-op

Platform(s): Xbox 360

Release date(s): April 3, 2012

Kinect Star Wars is arguably the most anticipated title for the Kinect to date. With a console and limited edition Kinect designed around the game, it has successfully captured the imagination of budding Star Wars fans. 

The player is required to take the role of a Jedi within Kinect Star Wars. Several new characters are introduced throughout the game as you make progress.  Utilising the Kinect the player possesses the ability to throw objects with the Force or wield a lightsaber merely by using their hands. The player can use their body to control X-wing starfighters and podracers and can also utilise a voice component to make additional commands.

The events of Kinect Star Wars takes place during the prequel trilogy timeline of the Star Wars universe. It begins shortly after Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and concludes during the events of Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith. Settings from the original trilogy are included in the game such as planet Bespin featured in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. The player also gets the opportunity to fight Darth Vader in the game.

Prototype 2

Developer(s): Radical Entertainment

Publisher(s): Activision

Genre(s): Action

Mode(s): Single play

Platform(s): Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Release date(s): April 24, 2012 (NA) April 27, 2012 (EU) (Playstation 3 & Xbox 360) July 24, 2012 (NA) (PC)

The protagonist in Prototype 2 is James Heller, an individual that holds Alex Mercer responsible for the deaths of his family members. Following his survival of a suicide mission and having the virus administered by Alex Mercer, Heller wishes to kill Mercer. Mercer is the game’s primary antagonist. Owing to the mutation of the virus, Heller does not completely resemble Mercer. The virus’ mutation has formed tendrils which makes Heller’s appearance a more organic and fluid look as opposed to Mercer’s black and red metallic coloration. 

The events within Prototype 2 take place 14 months after the events of Prototype.  Manhattan has been quarantined and cordoned off from the other boroughs of New York City. These boroughs have been divided into three categories, the Red, Yellow and Green zones. Each region symbolises how affected that segment of New York City is by the Blacklight virus. The Red zone is Manhattan which happens to be the home of Alex Mercer. Within this zone, the virus proceeds to grow unhindered.  The Yellow zone is a triage full of the poor and shanty towns. The Green zone highlights the non-infected area of New York City. Heller will have missions within each zone to complete. The difficulty of the mission will depend on which zone it resides within.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (Console)

Developer(s): CD Projekt Red

Publisher(s): Namco Bandai

Genre(s): Role-playing game

Mode(s): Single play

Platform(s): Xbox 360

Release date(s): April 17, 2012 (INT)

Owing to the popularity of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings on the PC, a decision has been made to transfer it to console to allow console gamers to delve into its splendour. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings allows the player to traverse various paths and storylines which include multiple endings. The player takes control of Geralt of Rivia, one of the few remaining witchers. Witchers are humans who are genetically enhanced to allow them to combat monsters from a young age. Each witcher possesses unique special powers. These range from alchemy, magic and sword handling. 

During the prologue, Geralt is interrogated within a prison in the kingdom of Temeria by Vernon Roche. He is the commander of a group of Temerian special forces by the name of the Blue Stripes. He is being interrogated regarding the assassination of the king of Temeria, King Foltest. Geralt recalls the events leading up to Foltest’s death, during which he acted as Foltest’s bodyguard. During an uprising against Foltest by noble families of Temeria, Foltest personally handles the battle to locate his illegitimate children, Anais and Boussy, who are being held captive by the rebels.  Once Foltest locates his children, he is assassinated by an assassin disguised as a blind monk, who proceeds to escape before Geralt has time to react. Temerian forces then locate Geralt and falsely accuse him of killing Foltest. After Geralt protesting his innocence, Roche decides to aid him in escaping prison.

With a slim selection of games being released, is this the calm before the storm in terms of the release calendar? We’ll have to wait and see. I thank you for reading and I hope you have a lovely month of gaming. Below is a list of other titles that are being released for you to contemplate purchasing.

Many thanks,

Hannah

List of releases: VGReleases

Sources: IGN, Gamespot, Wikipedia