The Drop: Week of March 12th 2012 New Releases

Bridge the gap between art and video games with thatgamecompany’s latest PSN adventure, Journey. Bend reality and transform the world around you into a fighting arena, using the PS Vita and its augmented reality cameras in Reality Fighters.

Players will once again find themselves face to face with their deepest sins and fears in the strange world of Silent Hill, in Silent Hill: Downpour. The PlayStation 3 exclusive, Yakuza: Dead Souls delivers a unique experience of Tokyo’s red light district with an undead twist. Enjoy this week’s The Drop.

PlayStation 3

Silent Hill: Downpour — Staying true to the franchise’s original roots, this eighth installment of the Silent Hill franchise returns with an all new thought-provoking horror storyline.

The survival horror experience begins after a prison transport vehicle careens off the road, leaving lone inmate Murphy Pendleton stranded in Silent Hill. Gamers will encounter mind-bending puzzles, as well as horrific creatures and other world terrors using everyday objects from wooden chairs to glass bottles to fend off their enemies. The natural response, fight or flight is left to the player as they unravel a dark, thought-provoking storyline which will appeal to fans of the early, classic Silent Hill series, as well as anyone who enjoys a deep, psychological horror experience. In addition to the main storyline, players will also be presented with variable side quests along the way that can change depending on their play style, revealing unknown evils within the town.

FIFA Street — Play with and against the stars of the most popular clubs in the world—or real-life street players—and compete at more than 35 locations around the world. From one-on-one battles in parking lots and parks to prestigious 5v5 tournaments on the streets of the world’s biggest cities, FIFA Street will replicate the unique street soccer style. Plus, it will feature a host of modes and online features that will be revealed in the months ahead that will make the game a social, connected experience.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations — Based on the popular animated Naruto Shippuden series, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations offer a vast selection of playable & support characters spanning every generation of the Naruto saga, alongside incredible online functionality to take the Naruto ninja fight onto the global stage in the much-beloved fighting series. The game powers the Ultimate Ninja series into the future by revolutionizing online play and ramping up the number of playable and support characters far beyond any Naruto game in the wildly popular franchise. Players will compete in a variety of online battle modes with their favorite Naruto characters, including Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto fans have been waiting to see more of Zabuza and Haku since the launch of the original Manga, and now they will have their chance!

Yakuza: Dead Souls (PS3 Exclusive) — The streets of Kamurocho have never been more dangerous, because now they’re overrun by hordes of zombies! Yakuza: Dead Souls is set in the infamous red light district of Tokyo, which is under attack from hordes of zombies. Players will not only face armies of the undead and incredibly powerful mutants, but a treacherous Japanese underworld that is just as merciless. Playing through the eyes of four of the most infamous characters of the series, witness allegiances shift quickly and the line between friend and foe lost. If you thought zombies were bad … meet the Yakuza!

Takes of Graces F (PS3 Exclusive) — The popular RPG series by Namco Bandai returns to PlayStation 3 with this port of the Wii hit Tales of Graces. In addition to the full game refreshed for this HD console, PS3 owners can look forward to additional costumes, new story elements and new battle skills.

PlayStation Network

Journey (PS3) — The pioneers that brought you the award-winning PlayStation Network titles flOw & Flower are back with another title that challenges traditional gaming conventions. With Journey, thatgamecompany (TGC) continues its tradition of delivering simple gameplay and accessible controls in a rich interactive environment that invites players to explore and experience emotional chords that are still uncommon in videogames.

An exotic adventure with a more serious tone, Journey presents a unique vision of an online adventure experience. Awakening in an unknown world, the player walks, glides, and flies through a vast and awe-inspiring landscape, while discovering the history of an ancient, mysterious civilization along the way. Journey’s innovative approach to online play encourages players to explore this environment with strangers who cross their path from time to time. By traveling together, they can re-shape the experience — creating authentic moments they will remember and discuss with others.

Reality Fighters (PS Vita) — Delivering the most customizable fighting experience on the go, the world around you comes into the fight with Reality Fighters. Using augmented reality technology, take pictures of yourself and create your own personal fighter, complete with unique fighting and visual style. From kitchen tops to parking lots, the world is literally your arena as the stages you fight in are determined by the environment around you.

Bioshock 2 — Set during the fall of Rapture, players assume the role of a Plasmid test subject for Sinclair Solutions, a premier provider of Plasmids and Tonics in the underwater city of Rapture that was first explored in the original BioShock. Players will need to use all the elements of the BioShock toolset to survive as the full depth of the BioShock experience is refined and transformed into a unique multiplayer experience that can only be found in Rapture.

Warp — Warp is a unique stealth action game that feature a top-down sci-fi world with a distinctive art style, addicting levels, hazardous traps and challenging puzzles.

Time Machine: Rogue Pilot — Time Machine: Rogue Pilot offers a brand new approach to puzzle games genre taking the best from classic match 3 experience and combining it with the innovative hidden objects gameplay. Dozens of fascinating story mode missions and a special multiplayer mode that can be played with a friend online or on the same screen! Plus the game also offers several bonus modes — all of this coming along with dazzling full HD graphics, ambient background music and rich visual effects.

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game — James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game is the official videogame based on the highly anticipated film James Cameron’s Avatar. The videogame will take you deep into the heart of Pandora, an alien planet that is beyond imagination. Gamers will encounter the Na’vi, Pandora’s indigenous people and discover other life forms the likes of which have never been seen in the world of video games before. When conflict erupts between the RDA Corporation, a space-faring consortium in search of valuable resources, and the Na’vi, gamers will find themselves thrust into a fight for the heart of a planet and the fate of a civilization.

Shoot Many Robots (Demo Available) — Shoot Many Robots follows P. Walter Tugnut on his mission to kill as many robots as possible after a factory begins to ominously produce killer robots. With an RV full of guns and beer, gamers will experience a four-player co-op run-n-gun side-scrolling RPG shooter filled with tons of weapon and item customization. Shoot Many Robots will also feature two game modes: Traversal, where players must progress linearly through a level, and Survival, where players fight against waves of robot hordes, delivering hours of robotic carnage and fun.

Phineas And Ferb: Across The 2nd Dimension (PS Move Compatible) – Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension is a fun-filled platforming and combat game where players can be one of eight characters including Phineas, Ferb or Master P as they use gadgets and combat maneuvers to defeat the evil Dr. D and his minions. In addition, the PS3 version features PlayStation Move’s motion controller compatible gameplay, giving the game a whole new level of fun and dimension.

PS Vita Demos

• wipEout 2048
• Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational
• Ridge Racer
• Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen

[Editor’s Note: The following dates are subject to change. Game details are gathered from Press Releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]