Blockbuster reviews highlight PTOM’s November issue as we get the world-exclusive first crack at Resident Evil 6 for our cover feature. Executive editor Mikel Reparaz dives in deep to determine whether the newest installment in the survival horror series still delivers the scares with its move towards more action. One thing is for sure — RE6 and its multiple storyline format doesn’t skimp on play value with more than 30 hours of zombie-battling goodness.

We’ve also got the PS3-exclusive review of Borderlands 2. The first Borderlands game was pleasant surprise when it hit in 2010, but it fell a bit short when it came to gameplay polish and presentation. 2K Games and developer Gearbox Software pulled out all the stops for the sequel and review editor Scott Butterworth’s reaction can be summed up in one word: wow. Clear your schedules as this legitimate Game of the Year contender looks to consume an obscene amount of your gaming time.

Another 2K game that’s been running a bit under the radar is XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Developer Firaxis’ reboot of the classic ’90s PC strategy game feels surprisingly fresh and involving. The strategy genre may not register at the top of most gamer’s must-play lists, but our preview feature details why XCOM is an experience that shouldn’t be missed.

Elsewhere in the issue, there’s Sony’s next wave of PS3 and PS Vita games including Puppeteer, Until Dawn, Tearaway, and Killzone: Mercenary. Big hands-on previews include Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, GRID 2, and PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale, while we’ve got more final review verdicts on games like Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, and Madden NFL 13.

It’s all in the November issue of PTOM hitting physical and digital newsstands on Tuesday, September 25th. (Or to subscribe, click here.)

Nothing seems to elicit more reaction from gamers than putting Call of Duty on our cover. But love it or hate it, there’s no denying that the franchise is still the king of the FPS hill. This time, our senior editor Scott Butterworth sat down with the Call of Duty: Black Ops II devs for a deep dive into the myriad of changes they’ve incorporated into the game’s online multiplayer. It’s difficult to predict how the laundry list of revisions will affect the overall experience, but it seems the COD battlefield has fundamentally changed.

Elsewhere, we delve into the forthcoming Resident Evil 6 by chronicling the first two chapters of each of the game’s three major campaigns. We also take a look at the opposite end of the gaming spectrum with a feature on the next wave of indie games coming to PSN. These big little games may not have the huge budgets or development teams of a Call of Duty, but they make up for it with imagination, ingenuity, and artistry.

New game announces and previews include looks at superhero actioner Deadpool, eye-catching fighter Dead or Alive 5, and TV-show-intertwined-with-MMO Defiance. We’ve also got hands-on updates of highly anticipated titles Assassin’s Creed III and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and the animation invasion continues as Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse joins South Park: The Stick of Truth for cameos in the issue.

The open-world crime saga Sleeping Dogs leads off our reviews section with an impressive showing, while Darksiders II proves that God of War isn’t the end-all when it comes to action games. And don’t miss our final verdicts on the affecting Papo & Yo, psychedelic shooter Dyad, and fan-service fighter Persona 4 Arena. No doubt, there’s a lot of great gaming out there right now.

Get it all in PTOM’s October issue, hitting newsstands on Tuesday, August 28th. (Or just subscribe here.)

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re happy to announce that PlayStation: The Official Magazine is now available digitally through Apple Newsstand, Google Play, and Zinio. Simply install the free app for the respective outlet to begin enjoying each PTOM issue via your smartphone, tablet device, or computer.

The September digital issue, which features our exclusive look at Assassin’s Creed III for PS3 and Assassin’s Creed III Liberation for PS Vita, is currently available for the promotional price of 99 cents. Subscribe for just $19.99 a year to continue receiving PTOM’s unique brand of PlayStation coverage for just a few cents more per issue. Following the September issue, single-purchase digital issues will be priced the same as our newsstand print edition—so subscribe now for the best value.

Please note that print and digital subscriptions are currently handled independently of each other, so you’ll have to purchase a separate subscription to each if you want both versions. This is primarily due to the business process challenges of working with different digital outlets. We’ll continue to look into the matter in the hope that we’ll be able to offer a more integrated and convenient purchasing solution in the future.

We’re also currently working with Amazon and Barnes & Noble to make PTOM available via Kindle Fire and Nook devices. We hope to be able to announce availability in the next several weeks.

But whatever your format preference, thanks for reading PTOM and please send any comments and feedback to us at PTOM_letters@futureus.com.

If sequels aren’t your thing, Quantic Dream’s Beyond: Two Souls and Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us lead off our look at 14 new PlayStation IP’s that promise to inject fresh ideas into gaming’s veins. We also sit down to chat with SCE Worldwide president Shuhei Yoshida for an update on Sony’s ace stable of first-part dev teams and all things PlayStation.

On the new games front, we’ve got our impressions on the gorgeous and enticingly mature-themed Star Wars 1313. We also go hands-on with sci-fi horrorfest Dead Space 3, stealth shooter Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and the war-iffic Medal of Honor: Warfighter. What was the unexpected surprise of this month’s previews? Metro: Last Light. We’re certainly going to keep our eyes on this atmospheric post-apocalyptic shooter.

The slow summer release season means the reviews section is a bit smallish this month, but some quality games lie within. Check out our in-depth analysis of the surprisingly evocative Spec Ops: The Line, and get other final verdicts on games like the mind-bending Quantum Conundrum, The Amazing Spider-Man, and LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (which, ahem, I’ve Platinumed).

Dive into all the gaming goodness in the September issue of PTOM, hitting newsstands on Tuesday, July 31st. To become a PTOM subscriber, just head here and sign up.

It’s also been a while since PTOM’s done an in-depth game strategy guide, but Rockstar’s latest Max Payne 3 has us so enamored that we couldn’t resist. Check out our 12-page breakdown—compiled with a little help from our friends at GamesRadar.com—that reveals the location of every single collectible in the single-player game.

As for previews, a whole new spate of potential blockbusters has been announced and we’ve got the details on the new Tomb Raider reboot, DC super-hero slugfest Injustice: Gods Among Us (from Mortal Kombat dev NetherRealm), Hitman: Absolution, Sleeping Dogs, Dead Space 3, and much more. We haven’t gotten hands-on time with all of the newcomers yet, but what we’ve played thus far indicates the next 12 months of gaming is looking stellar.

Lollipop Chainsaw leads off our reviews this issue, and while we love dev Grasshopper Manufacture‘s unique style, our reviewer did have some issues with the gameplay. It seems inconceivable that a game featuring zombies and a cheerleader could fall short. Personally, I’m heart broken. Fortunately, we also got to review the exceptional Gravity Rush for PS Vita, which embodies everything we’ve been hoping for in a new IP for the portable.

Check it all out in the August issue of PTOM, hitting newsstands on Tuesday, July 3.

We also take an in-depth look at 2K Games’ new combat shooter Spec Ops: The Line. Yes, another combat shooter. But Spec Ops focus on the dark, mind-twisting psychological effects of war is intriguing and could offer a new twist for the familiar genre. On a lighter note, we take a look at 20 Insane Trophies that we dare you to attempt. ’Cause there’s no way we’re ever gonna manage to earn ’em. Let us know how you do.

In our early looks and previews, we’ve go info on God of War: Ascension (OMG! Kratos!), PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale, Crysis 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Dishonored, DmC: Devil May Cry, Resident Evil 6… Can we stop now? Is that enough gaming goodness to suffice? Well, don’t worry about it—there’s more.

Rockstar Game’s Max Payne 3 leads off this month’s review section, which also includes our final verdicts on big titles like Starhawk, Prototype 2, Dragon’s Dogma, Dirt Showdown, and Mortal Kombat for Vita. But the surprise performers this month? Check out our thoughts on Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and two notable PSN games: Closure and the first episode of The Walking Dead. Not a bad month for games at all…

It’s also not a bad month to pick up the July issue of PTOM, arriving on newsstands on Tuesday, June 5 (The first day of E3!).

Our second game feature this month may, perhaps, be even more revolutionary. Dust 514 brings PlayStation players into the immersive world of PC MMO EVE Online. It’s a fascinating concept that has PS3 gamers doing the fighting for, and interacting with, PC gamers as they go about their machinations in their perpetual online universe.

We’ve also got early info on Lost Planet 3 and the coming-to-PS3 franchise debut of Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. Our big previews include The Amazing Spider-Man and Aliens: Colonial Marines, with updates on Far Cry 3 and the ever more compelling Dishonored. Personally, I’m pretty excited about LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes and its new open-world Gotham City—it’s just the shot in the arm that the franchise needs. And finally, on the portable front, we break down the next 22 PS Vita games that will shape the handheld’s future.

PS Vita also makes its presence felt in this month’s reviews with JRPG Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention, MLB 12: The Show, and extreme brawler Supremacy MMA: Unrestricted, while standout PSN reviews include 2D fighter Skullgirls and survival adventure I Am Alive. And while it’s a slow month for boxed PS3 games, don’t miss our final verdicts on Yakuza: Dead Souls, Birds of Steel, and Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat.

It’s all in the June issue of PTOM, now available on newsstands.

Elsewhere in the issue, the battle rages on in our Medal of Honor: Warfighter feature as we get our first look at EA’s second offensive front against rival Activision’s Call of Duty franchise. Warfighter’s focus on Tier One operatives and cinematic action sequences indicate it’s got its sights squarely set on the rumored but as-yet-unconfirmed Black Ops 2. We can’t wait to see the pyrotechnics when these two powerhouses meet on the field of battle.

But the announcement that’s got PTOM worked up this month is Assassin’s Creed III. With a new hero, renewed focus, and enthralling Revolutionary War setting, Ubisoft’s killer new title rebuts the notion that annual installments have diluted this franchises’s impact. We’ve also got big previews hits on crime thrillers Max Payne 3 and the resurrected Sleeping Dogs (previously known as True Crime: Hong Kong).

There’s no shortage of big reviews this month, either, with Mass Effect 3, Street Fighter X Tekken, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, and Silent Hill: Downpour leading the way. PS Vita games also continue to leave their mark with third-person shooter Unit 13, the venerable Plants vs. Zombies, and the quirky Escape Plan. Factor in a slew of hot PSN titles and we’ve definitely got more games than time this issue.

PTOM’s May issue arrives at newsstands today, Tuesday, April 10th. Grab it before it’s gone!

If we were to head out on an expedition, we’d be sure to bring on our shiny new PS Vita. But the real question: What games would we bring? We’ve got answers in our PS Vita reviews feature that breaks down the good, the bad, and the ugly of the portable system’s first wave of games.

We also take a look at the best and worst DLC, and name the 10 Greatest PS3 Games You’ve (probably) Never Played. How do we know you haven’t played these games? Because these are the games that made game critics sing…and game company accountants weep.

Elsewhere in the issue, we take a closer look at Resident Evil 6 after Capcom’s recent announcement confirming a November 20th, 2012 release. And our lead preview of Transformers: Fall of Cybertron seems to indicate that the gaming franchise is trending upward—in direct contrast to the film franchise.

Twisted Metal heads up our reviews this month, and the long-awaited return of the franchise delivers frenetic vehicular mayhem at its finest. And if ragin’ in the streets isn’t enough for you, head to the slopes as we review the new SSX. But the most memorable review game this month may actually be the beautiful, affecting Journey.

It’s all in PTOM’s April issue, hitting newsstands everywhere on March 13.

Our March issue also means that it’s time to celebrate V-Day. No, not Valentine’s Day. We’re talking about the really most important date in February, the 22nd: PS Vita’s launch day! Hands-on time with PS Vita is more potent than any cupid’s arrow, so the PTOM editors reveal which games and accessories they’re coveting and break down the purchasing decisions you’ll need to make on day one.

Elsewhere in the mag, the love fest continues with our first in-depth look at Lollipop Chainsaw. Zombies and cheerleaders?! Sounds irresistible to us. We’ve also got big previews on Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and the gorgeous new JRPG Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. And we put Street Fighter X Tekken through its paces to determine the game’s most potent tag-team combo.

Things are also picking up on the reviews front as some of the biggest first-quarter releases have finally arrived. SoulCalibur V proves that its weapon-based fighting action is as sharp as ever, the Jak and Daxter Collection fuels our nostalgia for the good ol’ days, and we finally get to see whether action RPG Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning lives up to its considerable potential.

Check it all out in the March issue of PlayStation: The Official Magazine, hitting newsstands on Tuesday, February 14—you know, that other V-Day.