This Week in Gaming

With so many games being made these days, it's hard to keep track of when titles are actually scheduled for launch. Similarly, it's easy for some titles to get lost or overlooked in the clutter. As a result, Tom's Games will attempt to navigate and chart the plethora of games each week with This Week in Gaming, which will help readers get up to speed on new and recent releases. Here's a look at what's on tap for this week:

New Releases

Title: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platform: PC
Rating: M for Mature
Release Date: April 15, 2008

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 brings character customization to the Tom Clancy series.

The first-person shooter sequel finally comes to the PC, albeit a few weeks late. The first Rainbow Six Vegas title was a surprise hit both critically and commercially (I quite enjoyed the game myself). So Ubisoft naturally churned out a quick sequel for its money-printing Tom Clancy franchise. After launching for the next-gen consoles last month, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 earned positive reviews and has already sold 2 million copies worldwide. The new title revisits the terrorist takeover of Las Vegas, which was the basis of the first game (obviously), in both prequel and sequel styles. Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, however, introduces a new playable character named Bishop, which is customizable in the same way that multiplayer classes were in the original Rainbow Six: Vegas. Along with the usual squad-based tactical shooter gameplay, the sequel adds some new features like sprinting and the ACES (Advanced Combat Enhancement and Specialization) system that awards points for unlockable weapons. Fans of Rainbow Six Vegas look like they're in for a treat.

Title: Okami (Wii Edition)
Developer: Clover Studio, Ready at Dawn
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: Wii
Release Date: T for Teen
Rating: April 15, 2008

Unique, watercolor-style visuals and a story based on Japanese mythology make Okami an original experience.

Now here is an underappreciated gem. Before Link turned into a wolf in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, there was Okami. Developed by the now-departed Clover Studio, maker's of the critically acclaimed Viewtiful Joe series, Okami is a unique title that mixed glorious watercolor-style animation, Japanese folklore and of course, wolves. First released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2, Capcom has now created a Wii version of Okami. Ready at Dawn, best known for its PSP hits Daxter and God of War: Chains of Olympus, took over the development duties. The game focuses on Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun who has taken the form of a white wolf and must defeat an evil curse. Okami mixes action, platform and puzzle gameplay with a fantasy setting based on Japanese mythology. It would be a shame if this title gets overlooked again.

Title: Gran Turismo: Prologue
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PlayStation 3
Rating: E for Everyone
Release Date: April 15, 2008

New cars, new tracks and HD graphics are the hallmarks of Gran Turismo: Prologue.

Racing fans will have to wait a little longer for Gran Turismo 5, but they can at least rejoice in the arrival of Gran Turismo: Prologue, the PlayStation 3 exclusive racing title. While not quite a full game, Prologue will give players a glimpse of what's to come for Gran Turismo 5, like exquisite cars in high-powered HD 1080p graphics, the new My Page interface, and being able to race 16 cars at once. In addition, Prologue sports a new cockpit view, an enhanced physics engine, and improved AI for single player racing. Oh, and there's tons of cars from all over the world, including the Dodge Viper, Ferrari 599 and BMW M3. The game will also have soundtrack that features bands like Weezer, Thin Lizzy and the Mars Volta. There are only five tracks in Prologue, unfortunately. But the PS3 game is also available at a reduced price of $39.99. So racing fans have that going for them, which is nice.

Title: Europa Universalis: Rome
Developer: Paradox Interactive
Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Platform: PC
Rating: April 15, 2008
Release Date: E for Everyone

Rome is the newest installment of Paradox Interactive's rich and complex strategy series, Europa Universalis.

Paradox Interactive's latest installment of its Europa Universalis strategy game series, entitled Rome, takes place in, well, Rome. Specifically, the game focuses on the Punic War and the rise of Roman Empire. Players can select various time periods between 280 B.C. and 27 B.C. while also choosing between 10 different cultures, including Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and Celtic. Rome mixes empire building and conquest-style gameplays with more than 50 different factions and detailed maps with a plethora of environments to explore. The Europa Universalis sequel features a multiplayer mode that supports up to 32 players, as well as a co-op mode. Paradox's strategy games are know for their steep learning curves yet richly rewarding gameplay, and Rome may very well be its deepest game yet. A demo of the game is available at Paradox Interactive's Web site.

Other New Releases: The Sims 2: Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff (PC), Dream Pinball 3D (Wii), Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (DS), and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (DS).

Recent Releases: Overclocked: A History of Violence (PC), Assassin's Creed (PC), Cry of the Infected (PC), Condemned 2: Bloodshot (Xbox 360, PS3),

Next Week's Titles: Mario Kart Wii (Wii), Turok (PC), Persona 3: FES (PS2), Target: Terror (Wii), NBA Ballers: Chosen One (Xbox 360, PS3).

Join our discussion on this topic