The end of the semester is quickly approaching, but don’t worry too much. You’ll find everything you need to survive the summer without falling out of the loop. There’s a bit of a drought this season when it comes to new video games, but fortunately, the quality of the few releases should make up for the quantity. Here are a few of the best:
May
The most exciting release is, without question, “Diablo III,” which will drop May 15 for both the Windows and Mac operating systems. Gamers have anticpated Blizzard Entertainment’s newest addition to the series for years.
An action-role playing game, “Diablo III” is reminiscent of the previous two dungeon crawlers and set in the world of Sanctuary. Players will have five different classes to choose from when picking how they want to hack and slash their way through the armies of the Burning Hells.
Compared to the last entry, which was released more than a decade ago, there are improvements all around. The graphics are modern and beautiful while staying true to the dark, threatening tones of the series’ past. Gameplay has been tooled up too, allowing players to experience the next chapter of the story with more fluidity and ease than ever before.
June
June proves to be less about games and more about general gaming news. As many gamers know, the Electronic Entertainment Expo always takes place in June, and this year promises to be quite exciting.
E3, from June 5 to June 7, is a gamer’s heaven. So far talk is scarce, but Nintendo has already announced a few things about what it plans to bring. For one, the Wii U, its next generation console, will get a big spotlight since it’s set to hit stores at the end of the year. As for games, Nintendo has already mentioned that a new “Super Mario Bros.” Wii sequel will make an appearance alongside “Pikmin 3.”
Sony, not to be outdone, will surely reveal more about its next generation console, dubbed the PlayStation Orbis. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding it, but Sony would be stupid to ignore it this year.
As for games, expect plenty new material for the PlayStation Move. While it’s been out for a few years now, Sony hasn’t done anything to make it a must-own, but you can bet it’ll try to change that.
Microsoft is the only one breaking the next-gen trend when it comes to E3. The company has already shot down rumors of the possibility of the Xbox 360’s successor making an appearance, but that shouldn’t be a cause to worry. In addition to pushing Kinect, Microsoft is also sure to finally reveal more details about “Halo 4,” which the entire gaming community has been waiting for.
Plenty of game publishers, from Activision to Ubisoft, will attend with their newest games, but many are keeping things under wraps for now. While it’s a private event, coverage should be easy to find online and on the G4 network.
July
It’s another quiet month with only one worthwhile release for a platform most people don’t even have.
Yes, the only thing worth buying in this month is “Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance” for the Nintendo 3DS. OK, I know, it’s a “Kingdom Hearts” game — but trust me on the fact that they’re actually all wonderful experiences. It’s one of the better series in the industry and it appeals to a wide variety of people.
“Dream Drop Distance” will begin weaving the stories from the console games together with those from the handheld games. Players will also take control of both Sora and Riku as they explore all new worlds with new mechanics in hopes of becoming Keyblade masters.
Don’t be put off by the fact that it’s a handheld game, as Square Enix has proven with predecessors like “Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep” that the games are just as fun and exciting to play on a PSP — or, in this case, 3DS — as they are on the PlayStation.
— Jason Krell is the assistant copy chief. He can be reached at arts@wildcat.arizona.edu or on Twitter via @WildcatArts .
