New Game Releases: October 21-27

This week’s game releases include an expansion to Skylander’s Spyro’s Adventure with Skylander’s Giants, an FPS excursion into the Middle East with Medal of Honor Warfighter, a fast-paced addition to the racing genre with Forza Horizon, the collision of two universes with Street Fighter X Tekken, a storybook adventure with a blank canvas and lots of paint with The Unfinished Swan, and a compellingly infectious game with Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward.

Skylanders Giants – PS3/Wii/Xbox 360/3DS

As an expansion to the Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure game, Skylanders Giants lets the player bring back the Giants from the brink of banishment in preparation for the battles ahead.  Skylanders Giants features things like forward compatibility that allows the player to retain old characters, stats, and customization.  Gamers will also have access to a wide variety of new Giants and ways to bring life back to the world around them.  Skylanders Giants is scheduled for release on the PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, and 3DS on October 21.

Medal of Honor Warfighter – PS3/Xbox 360/PC

Developed by an international team, Medal of Honor Warfighter is a first person shooter (FPS) that throws the player into the thick of a series of battles in the Middle East.  Inspired by a number of fights that were all linked by a single threat, Medal of Honor Warfighter also follows the path of ‘Preacher’.  An operative from the U.S. Navy that has finally returned home, Preacher finds his life in shambles because of the time he spent abroad.  Medal of Honor Warfighter is scheduled for release on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on October 23.

Forza Horizon – Xbox 360

Fast-paced and easy to pick up, Forza Horizon takes the player through gorgeous racetracks located in the heart of Colorado.  With a mixture of a 24 hour lighting scheme (which includes night driving, etc.), a reward system based on player’s style and time, and a number of challenges that can be completed with or against friends, gamers will also have access to a wide variety of iconic cars and gameplay modes.  Forza Horizon is scheduled for release on Xbox 360 on October 23.

Street Fighter X Tekken – PS Vita

Choose from a cast of 55 playable characters in this no holds barred meeting of the Street Fighter and Tekken universes.  Mixing two dimensional gameplay with 3D characters, players will be able to fight against both PS Vita and PlayStation 3 users alike.  Players will also recognize a number of familiar backdrops, but there will also be a handful of new environments that will be brought to life by combat and animation alike.  Street Fighter X Tekken also features data sharing: any DLC purchased on the PS Vita version can also be used on the PlayStation 3 version (and vice versa).   Street Fighter X Tekken is scheduled for release on PS Vita on October 23.

The Unfinished Swan – PlayStation Network

Assume the role of 10-year-old Monroe, a boy whose mother has passed away.  Before Monroe is taken away to the orphanage, he is allowed to keep one of his mother’s paintings.  Much to his dismay, Monroe finds that the swan in the painting he has chosen has gone missing!  The Unfinished Swan takes place in an environment that is mostly blank; the world around the player must be uncovered by hurling blobs of paint.  Played out very much like a classic storybook, The Unfinished Swan does require the PlayStation Move.  The Unfinished Swan is scheduled for release on the PlayStation Network on October 23.

Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward – PS Vita/3DS

The second installment in the Zero Escape series brings back an evil that players surely thought that they had defeated: the Nonary Game.  Solve puzzles, make important decisions, and cycle through the Novel and Escape stages to survive this infectious game.  In the Escape stage, players must solve puzzles, but in the Novel stage an ever-increasingly complex story continues to unfold.  Virtue’s Last Reward promises up to 24 unique, different endings, and the ability to manipulate objects in three dimensional space.  Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward is scheduled for release on the PS Vita and the 3DS on October 24.