Games of June 2008

Summer in India may be on its way out (hopefully), but for gamers playtime’s just begun, since the month of June holds in the palm of its hands a bunch of diverse, high-profile games that are sure to keep the temperature soaring... especially of the Xbox360 (I kid, I kid).�

In my book the only thing cooler than bloodthirsty Vikings are bloodthirsty Ninjas who have the power and the speed to decimate foes within seconds, leaving nothing but blood, guts and stumps behind. Ryu Hayabusa is one such Ninja who for his much-touted sequel can now obliterate foes in ways you’ve only dreamed of (head over to our preview to understand the true meaning of decapitation). Also we hear that the game is now a bit simpler than the original Ninja Gaiden so you don’t have to worry about strangling your pet cat out of frustration (hurray). The game hits stands worldwide by June 3 (US) and June 6 (EU), and is expected in India somewhere around June 17.�

While this franchise may still bear the brunt of the crappy Alone in the Dark movie made by the one and only Uwe Boll, developer Eden Games (Test Drive Unlimited) is planning on redeeming the franchise’s name with a sequel that will not only scare you silly but impress the f**k out of you with its mind-numbing technical aspects (visuals and physics), and haunting OST. And hey, even if you don’t own a next-gen console you could always play the game on your PS2/Wii. As of now we don’t have a concrete Indian release date, but if all goes well we should get the Xbox360 and PC versions before the end of June. The PS3 version will be released later in the year (internationally as well).�

After proving to the world that they really really like multiplayer games, Swedish developer DICE (now a subsidiary of EA) is planning on blowing your socks off with an all new Battlefield game that boasts a full-fledged single player campaign (and I don’t mean a half-assed botfest that serves as a tutorial). The USP of this game (besides being single player) is DICE’s new Frostbite engine that apparently takes environmental damage to the next level. Since EA has a healthy presence in this country we’re hoping we get this game pretty much on time, which would be around the end of June.