Xbox 360

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance may be trading away stealth and lengthy cutscenes for highly technical third-person melee action, but the game will still stay true to the series' penchant for bizarro bosses. A new trailer highlights some of the main villains that Raiden will face off against along with their unique abilities.

Spoiler alert, I suppose, though more in the gameplay sense since there's nothing here that really tips you to what's going on in the story. It helps as well that all of the dialogue is in Japanese. Unless you can understand Japanese, that is. The wait for Raiden's latest solo adventure won't be much longer. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance comes to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on February 19, 2013.

There's a new trailer for Splinter Cell: Blacklist that confirms an August 20, 2013 release date (via IGN). The appropriately titled "Inauguration" trailer features gameplay mixed in alongside actual footage of U.S. presidents being sworn in and promising to protect the nation from those who would do it harm. That's where Sam Fisher comes in.

Blacklist sees Fisher heading up the newly formed Fourth Echelon, following the events of 2010's Splinter Cell: Conviction. The first big challenge that the organization faces is bringing down twelve terrorists and their collaborators before they can put their plan for a series of terror attacks in the U.S. -- called The Blacklist -- into action.

Conviction was solid and Blacklist certainly looked slick in its E3 2012 reveal. That said, you have to wonder why Ubi would stash the game at the tail end of the summer when it's widely believed that one or more new consoles will be hitting stores in the months that follow.

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel has a brand new trailer "Overkill" and as the title implies, every rifle discharge, bullet impact, and grenade explosion is in excess of what is necessary or appropriate (and I love it). There’s a brief exchange between Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel's new leads Alpha and Bravo that vaguely resembles Salem and Rio’s bro-speak so maybe there’s a chance I’ll warm up to these new characters (but I’m not holding my breath).

Check it out:

What’d you think? The other 2 Army of Two games had a unique charm to them so I have to say I’m looking forward to The Devil's Cartel. Are you?

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Developer: Crystal Dynamics

Publisher: Square Enix

Platform(s): PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows

Lara Croft has long been one of gaming's most recognizable mascots, though the Indiana Jones-inspired treasure hunter is being remixed for 2013. Regular franchise developer Crystal Dynamics is hitting the reboot button on Croft, with a fresh, new origin story to play through in the upcoming March 2013 release, Tomb Raider.

What We Know:

The rebooted Tomb Raider finds a 21-year-old Lara Croft freshly out of school and off on a sea voyage. She's off to find herself and establish a presence in the world, not unlike so many other recent graduates. The journey takes a dark turn when Lara's ship is cut in two by a violent storm, leaving her and her fellow survivors stranded on a remote tropical island.

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Grasshopper Manufacture has at last revealed some details about Killer Is Dead, the latest ultraviolent endeavor cooked up in the brain of Goichi "Suda51" Suda, in the latest issue of Famitsu (via Siliconera). The game was first announced back in April 2012, but the latest info dump amounts to the first substantial look at the game beyond its title and top-level goals.

Killer Is Dead follows Mondo Zappa, a full-time assassin who brings down miscreants around the globe under the direction of a secretive agency. Zappa wields a katana with his right hand and an assortment of firearms with his robotic, transforming left hand. That gun arm powers up over the course of the game, and Zappa is able to use it to absorb enemy blood, which powers up an Adrenaline Burst super-slash attack.

The article offers a bit more info up about Zappa's supporting cast, but says little more about the gameplay. Killer Is Dead is currently confirmed for release this summer on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 under Kadokawa Games' publishing banner in Japan. No word on plans for a U.S. release, but Suda51 games do tend to make their way here eventually.

Who would win in a race between Dash from The Incredibles and Cars' Lightning McQueen? Who is stronger, Mr. Incredible or Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc.? Disney Interactive gives you the chance to find out as they've announced Disney INFINITY, a new game that allows you to take control of Disney characters old and new and explore open worlds from Disney and Pixar classics. Using actual character figures of Disney's popular line-up, players can combine the many worlds of Disney across all major consoles, mobile devices and online. Think Activision's Skylanders, only with the vast history of Disney characters and properties.

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When we think of Tomb Raider, "multiplayer" isn't traditionally the first word that jumps to the front of our psyche, so we were curious to see how the recently announced multiplayer component plays out in the game's universe. Joe Khoury, Producer at Eidos Montreal, shared with us how they wanted to really bring in pieces from great multiplayer experiences and customize them to work within the Tomb Raider universe, while still creating something unique. They've definitely brought an experience that feels familiar to play, but it's also fresh and genuinely fun to experience.

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Injustice: Gods Among Us, the DC Comics fighting game from Netherrealm Studios and publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, is now confirmed for release on April 16, 2013, for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U. Fans will have three options to choose from when the game launches: the vanilla $60 release, a $99.99 Collector's Edition, and a newly announced $149.99 "Battle Edition" (exclusive to PS3/Xbox 360).

The previously announced Collector's Edition includes a statue featuring Batman, Wonder Woman, the Fortress of Solitude, and the ship that Superman escaped Krypton in, as well as an Injustice comic book, a free download of the Justice League: Doom animated film, and three in-game skins based on The New 52 looks for Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. Oddly, the Battle Edition skips everything other than the in-game skins, but it sweetens the deal with an exclusive controller.

The Injustice: Gods Among Us Fight Stick is plastered with artwork from the game. The bottom of the Fight Stick is made out of non-skid foam (for improved tabletop play). Players also have the option of locking out Start/Select/Guide buttons during combat and adjusting the lighting for the buttons and the joystick. You can see the Xbox 360 version in the image up top.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance might not be out until February 19, 2013, but you'll be able to try the game for yourself as early as next week when a demo is released for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live on January 22. The demo features the same playable content that was included as a bonus in the Zone of the Enders HD Collection, so it's nothing that hasn't been out there already.

Joining the news of the demo's release date is a new seven-minute trailer that highlights some of the game's slice-tastic action. Watch as Raiden effortlessly flays a squad of robocops and a pair of mechs that look like they could have come from the Enders series. As it turns out, it doesn't matter if you're made of meat or metal; Raiden's sword can still slice you to little bits.

Dead Island: Riptide launches in April 2013, and while North American gamers can look forward to a Collector's Edition set that comes packed into a miniature suitcase, that's nothing compared to what's going to be available in the United Kingdom. Dead Island: Riptide Zombie Bait Edition is an Xbox 360-exclusive release for "select European countries and Australia" (according to a spokesperson) that comes with... wait for it... a bloody torso.

Sure, it's not an actual torso with actual gore leaking out all over your game center. Instead, it's a one foot tall statue of a completely dismembered female torso that's been stuffed into a two-piece bikini bearing twin Union Jacks right where you'd expect them to be. SUPER tasteful, right? That could be the bitterness talking though. After all, overseas gamers get to buy a game that includes A BLOODY HUMAN TORSO STATUE.

The set also includes collectible cards and an exclusive pack of weapon mods. Before you consider importing, remember that most Xbox 360 game releases are region-locked. Dead Island: Riptide comes to Europe on April 26, 2013, three days after North America's April 23 launch.

Racing fans: MotoGP is back! Italian developer Milestone returns to the simulation-focused series after a few years away with the newly revealed MotoGP '13 (via All Games Beta). The developer last tackled MotoGP '08, after which Monumental Games took over for a pair of releases. Milestone is back now, though it's not clear if Capcom is still handling the publishing duties.

The upcoming game's existence is revealed in the debut trailer up top, though be warned that it doesn't actually show you anything from the game. Between the trailer and the newly launched official website, we know that MotoGP '13 is due for a multi-platform release on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, and PC. 

The website also mentions the existence of a full season mode (w/ MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3) along with an assortment of other modes (2013 World Championship, IRTA Test, Quick Race, Multiplayer). Real-life MotoGP events will also apparently inform the content in some way. There's no release date mentioned, though with big races starting in early April, you can probably expect the game to arrive around then.

What exactly is Resident Evil: Revelations Unveiled Edition? If a newly posted Achievements list at Exophase (via Joystiq) is to be believed, it's a console port of the Nintendo 3DS title Resident Evil: Revelations. The game is certainly console controls-friendly enough, though one has to wonder what an HD port of a 3DS game might look like.

Keep in mind that Capcom hasn't actually confirmed the existence of such a port. The list of Xbox 360 cheevos certainly seems to nod in the direction of the 3DS game's content, but it's nothing that an Internet hoaxster couldn't have conceived. We're checking this out with Capcom, so stay tuned for more when we hear it.

Electronic Arts and Crytek have fired off the latest episode of the Albert Hughes-directed and -produced web series, The Seven Wonders of Crysis 3, titled Cause and Effect. Taking a page from the acclaimed Dead Island reveal trailer, the all-CG short spins the clock back on Prophet's wanton destruction of CELL Corporation property.

This continues to be a sweet little web series based on Crytek's upcoming game, one which seems to serve little purpose beyond serving up a bunch of "Hey, that's really cool!" slices of action inspired by the game. Do you prefer this approach to a more typical gameplay trailer or dev diary? After all, a trailer can only do so much to sell you on a game; the final call can only be made when you actually play the thing.

Having recently played Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Far Cry 3 in the same week, it wasn’t long before I started craving that FPS middle ground between ultra narrow linearity and a story-driven sense of direction. The “wide linear” design of Crysis 2 hit that sweet spot, and after a brief but satisfying hands-on session with Crysis 3, I’m pleased to say that I’m wholly optimistic about Crytek’s 2013 sequel.

The traditional FPS controls (and having reviewed Crysis 2 only last year) made getting into Crysis 3 nearly instantaneous. Nor did I need much orientation with the added bow and arrow, which is toggled with the d-pad. Its tactical advantages complement an already fortified Prophet, the game’s protagonist, particularly when it comes to stealth. You'll  find enough tools and environmental options that you can’t help but be proactive, and it’s a joy to mix things up during a firefight, confusing the enemy by dropping in and out of stealth and keeping steadily fortified with the armor.

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Release Date: February 19, 2013

Developer: PlatinumGames

Publisher: Konami

Platform(s): PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance has a silly name, but it's much more than just a title. It's a first step in a new direction for a franchise that has never shied away from trying something different. The nearly canceled, Raiden-focused (read: CYBER NINJA-focused) brawler is now in the hands of the best possible developer for this sort of release: PlatinumGames. Who else is crazy excited for over-the-top face-meltery?

What We Know:

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a canonical story set in the Metal Gear universe, but it's not the proper next chapter in the ongoing saga of Snake-related codenames. This action-centric adventure focuses on the cyborg ninja-fied Raiden, fully restored to peak condition after his alarmingly frequent maimings in Metal Gear Solid 4: Sons of the Patriots. The story follows Raiden, a PMC soldier boy, as he takes on a competing PMC that is wrapped up in various terrorist actions. The cutscenes are shorter but the story is just as wacky as you'd expect or hope for from a Metal Gear game.

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