Videogame Releases: Week of September 1st, 2013

Videogame Releases: Week of September 1st, 2013

This week, legend tells of a legendary videogame whose gameplay skills were the stuff of legend. Read about ‘Rayman Legends’ and more in today’s gaming roundup.

Rayman Legends (360, PS3, Wii U, PC, PS Vita)

Rayman Legends‘ is a co-op 2D (with bits of 2.5D and 3D) platformer that builds on everything excellent that 2011’s ‘Rayman Origins’ did in every imaginable way. The visuals are incredibly lush, and the top-notch, accessible gameplay is enhanced by the local multiplayer (especially with the Wii U’s GamePad touchscreen). The game has so many levels, creatures, costumes, challenges and myriad things to do that it blows away other lesser, but still good platformers from recent years. Check out our site’s High-Def Gaming review.

Diablo III (360, PS3, PC)

A year and a half after coming to the PC, ‘Diablo III‘ finally spreads to consoles. ‘Diablo’ fever seemed to peak at the launch of the game, but many were frustrated with bugs, the leveling system, the marketplace, the classes, etc. Many tried the game and said, “No thanks.” Others became addicted to the isometrical raids and sorting through loot. I say try it for free on PC before taking the plunge.

Total War: Rome II (PC)

With serious strategy and serious history, ‘Total War: Rome II‘ is a real PC game. As the latest entry to the ‘Total War’ series, ‘Rome II’ looks to strike a great balance between absorbing campaigns full of empire building and reasonably approachable multiplayer. The new quick battle system adds a really fun option that won’t require hours to complete.

Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (XBLA, PSN, PC)

Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse‘ features all-new HD graphics and gameplay. Just like the original game, the new version starts with the evil witch Mizrabel kidnapping Minnie, compelling Mickey to traverse the Castle of Illusion with its rebellious toys, enchanted forests and mazes of living books. This is a bigger departure than the recent and enjoyable ‘DuckTales: Remastered‘. However, hopes for the game are tempered by the April announcement that the titles’ developer, SEGA Studios Australia, is scheduled to close this year.

4 comments

  1. Mark B

    I’m planning on purchasing Castle of Illusion. This was one of my favorite games when I was younger, and being that I was the odd man out with the Genesis, most of my friends never gave this one a chance.

    • I am in the opposite camp as I did not own a Genesis until 1995 (a second-hand Nomad), and so I had to rely on my friend’s SEGA consoles before then.

      I vaguely recall playing ‘Castle of Illusion’ on an emulator way back around 2000, and I’m actually really concerned about this game. Details have been very slight, plus I understand that this new version is brutally difficult.

  2. Kelly

    Rayman is fantastic. I had a blast playing it for a bit yesterday before work. I hope to dive in to the co-op with my wife this weekend!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *