Out This Week – 25/02/2011
Bulletstorm! Killzone 3! Kirby!
This week two blockbuster first-person shooters go head-to-head in a clash that will no doubt result in the end of the world and the universe and everything and gamers' wallets.
First up, People Can Fly's over-the-top gore-fest Bulletstorm unleashes itself upon shops across the UK. The Skillshot-fuelled shooter is endorsed by Gears of War creator Epic Games, but will you do the same?
Alternatively, if you like your shooters serious, Guerrilla Games' PlayStation 3 exclusive Killzone 3 may be up your garden path. The gritty sci-fi frag fest comes packed with visuals beamed in from the future and other hyperbole.
On a quieter note, Wii exclusive platformer Kirby's Epic Yarn finally hits Europe after a thousand years on sale in Japan and North America. It's enchanting because it's cute.
And let's not forget THQ's de Blob 2, also enchanting because it's cute, SEGA's Dreamcast Collection, Square Enix's PSP game Tactics Ogre, Gray Matter and Knights Contract. Phew!
This Week in Shops!
Bulletstorm
- Developer: People Can Fly
- Publisher: EA Partners
- Formats: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
What is it? Over-the-top shooter with an emphasis on swears and high scores. What does Eurogamer think? Eurogamer's review will go live at 5pm UK time tomorrow.
Killzone 3
- Developer: Guerrilla Games
- Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
- Formats: PS3
What is it? Gritty shooter with visuals to die for. What does Eurogamer think? Dan Whitehead's 8/10 review said this: "Killzone 3 is a powerful, impressive game that sets an imposing standard for Sony's 3D, Move-enabled future output; it's just a shame that in doing so, it's lost just a little of what made the series stand out in the first place."
What Else?
- de Blob 2 (DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
- Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii)
- Gray Matter (PC, Xbox 360)
- SEGA Dreamcast Collection (PC, Xbox 360)
- Knights Contract (PS3, Xbox 360)
- Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (PSP)
- Bejeweled Blitz (Xbox Live Arcade)
- Alien Breed 3 (PSN)
Chart Predictions!
Each week one of the team will step up to predict the UK all-formats chart. The following predicts the outcome for the week beginning Friday 25th February (to be reported on Monday 28th February).
Oli Welsh, Reviews Editor, Eurogamer.net
"We've had quite a few quality releases this year, but this week it's really like someone just fired a starting gun. It's FPS time! Naturally the two new shooters will dominate and I'm betting on the Sony fans to push their boy to number one, while Bulletstorm struggles with not being a sequel to anything. There are plenty of other new releases but they don't stand a chance - apart from Kirby, but Nintendo never gets behind a game with TV ads until week two at the earliest, and anyway I don't think it's banking on a pink puffball when it's got a new Pokemon in its back pocket."
- Killzone 3
- Bulletstorm
- Call of Duty: Black Ops
- FIFA 11
- Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Eurogamer deputy editor Ellie Gibson peered into her crystal ball last week. We've made a fancy table to show how she did.
| Position | The Truth | The Prediction | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Call of Duty: Black Ops | Marvel vs. Capcom 3 | WRONG! |
| 2 | Marvel vs. Capcom 3 | FIFA 11 | WRONG! |
| 3 | Dead Space 2 | Dead Space 2 | YES! |
| 4 | Test Drive Unlimited 2 | Call of Duty: Black Ops | WRONG! |
| 5 | FIFA 11 | Test Drive Unlimited 2 | WRONG! |