The Week In Games

This week sees the release of DJ Hero, Activision’s attempt to move beyond the confines of guitar-based rock music in the competitive plastic peripheral genre.

It’s perhaps not the biggest release this week, but it’s the one I’ll be watching the closest. With music games under-performing this year, DJ Hero will either prove an expensive failure for Activision or a much-needed rejuvenation for the genre as a whole.

Also worth noting is the Ballad of Gay Tony appearing on the disc-based GTA release of Episodes from Liberty City and Konami’s annual Pro Evo instalment.

What are you picking up this week?

New releases for the w/c October 26:

Astro Boy: The Videogame (PS2, Wii)
What Is It? Brawler based on the (apparently) terrible new movie.
Should You Care? Go and play Astro Boy: Omega Factor on GBA instead.

Bakugan: Battle Brawlers (PS3, PS2, Wii, DS)
What Is It? Mix of card-battling, mini-gaming and role-playing-lite.
Should You Care? Lack of depth means this is a kids-only affair.

Borderlands (PC)
What Is It? Not-so-serious post-apocalyptic open world shooter with RPG-style questing and character progression. Now on PC!
Should You Care? If you wanted more shooting and less story from Fallout 3. It’s good fun in co-op too. And on PC!

Cars Race-o-rama (360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
What Is It? Late to the party arcade racer based on the Pixar movie.
Should You Care? Don’t go in expecting Forza 3.

DJ Hero (360, PS3, PS2, Wii)
What Is It? Rhythm game with a turntable controller but the same concept as Guitar Hero.
Should You Care? I could do with a stable table for my console.

EyePet (PS3)
What Is It? Virtual pet sim that relies on the PlayStation Eye camera.
Should You Care? A pet that doesn’t smell or require cleaning sounds ace to me.

Fairytale Fights (360, PS3)
What Is It? Curious mix of cutesy characters and brutal, bloody violence.
Should You Care? Nice concept, shame about the dull execution.

Football Manager 2010 (PC, PSP)
What Is It? Staggeringly detailed footy sim where you don’t control your players, you just tell them what to do.
Should You Care? The most exciting spreadsheet you’ll ever see.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (PSP)
What Is It? PSP port of the really quite good DS GTA from earlier this year.
Should You Care? If you have a PSP, but not a DS, then yes, you should.

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City (360)
What Is It? Lost & Damned and Ballad of Gay Tony on one disc.
Should You Care? Pricier than the download versions, but you don’t need GTA IV to play this.

Guilty Gear 2: Overture (360)
What Is It? Not the fighting game you might expect; this is more like Dynasty Warriors.
Should You Care? Combat and strategy that is unlikely to satisfy fans of either genre.

Imagine: Rescue Vet (DS)
What Is It? Strategy game that sees you going behind enemy lines to save an animal physician.
Should You Care? Or something like that.

Magna Carta II (360)
What Is It? Traditional JRPG starring an amnesiac youth destined to save the world.
Should You Care? Solid genre fare, but absolutely nothing special.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (360, PS3)
What Is It? Konami’s attempt to wrestle its football crown back off EA’s resurgent FIFA.
Should You Care? It’s not the thrashing it was last year, but PES suffers a second straight defeat.

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