Welcome to the PDG March 2013 New Video Game Release Guide
By PDG Staff
Tomb Raider (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
March 5, 2013
As a young woman, Lara Croft is in search of adventure… and herself. She embarks on an exploratory quest when her hunt for adventure comes looking for her. Now, stranded away from civilization, and equipped with only her instincts and the ability to push herself beyond the threshold of human endurance, Lara must look inside and find what she needs to fight for her survival.
Step into the role of Lara Croft in this gritty and intense narration of the origin of the famed Tomb Raider. Armed with only her raw instincts and physical abilities, you must rise from a scared young woman to a hardened survivor. Push yourself past the limits of human endurance and fight to stay alive in merciless environments. Endure physics-based gaming for an authentic gameplay experience. Will you become a survivor?
Key Features:
* Uncover the gritty and visceral story behind the origin of Lara Croft.
* Follow her rise from a terrified young woman to a tough survivor.
* Push yourself past the limits of human endurance.
* Use your raw instincts and physical abilities to stay alive in unforgiving environments.
* Immerse yourself in the heart-pounding storyline of Lara’s most introspective and defining adventure yet.
* Amazing physics-based gameplay offers an authentic experience.
MLB 13: The Show (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
March 5, 2013
MLB 13 The Show allows you to experience the MLB like never before. Its jaw-dropping realism doesn’t just capture every detail and mechanic of the sport, it captures the raw emotion of Major League Baseball. Improvements to Diamond Dynasty, Franchise and Road To The Show modes make MLB 13 The Show the most realistic baseball game ever, while the addition of all-new game modes expand gameplay options even further. If it can happen in baseball, you can experience it in The Show. Whether it’s the moment you’re called up to the majors, a sacrifice fly to left field, or crushing a walk-off homer to win it all, every big, emotional moment in baseball can be yours. And The Show delivers it with such realism, it’s like it really happened.
Key Features:
* Multiple all-new game modes – Bring unique gameplay experiences to The Show.
* All-New Playoff Mode – Includes an unparalleled in-stadium atmosphere that replicates the excitement and tension of October baseball.
* Revamped Franchise and Road To The Show modes with expanded options and new gameplay experiences.
* Completely-new beginner mode and instructional enhancements make The Show the best pick-up and play baseball experience.
* Improved Play Now mode streamlines gameplay for the option to play faster, simpler games.
* New commentary and a new voice in the booth provide updated analysis and color commentary.
* Save files between the PS3 and the PS Vita via the PlayStation Network – Sync your Season, Franchise and Road to the Show saves and load them on either platform to continue the action anywhere.
* Play with friends around the world at no extra cost on PlayStation Network.
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm (PC, MAC)
March 12, 2013
Welcome to the Hive Mind – You are Sarah Kerrigan, former Queen of Blades. Once the most feared entity in the galaxy, you now wait in a cell in the depths of a high-security research laboratory. Before the murderous forces of the Terran Dominion close in, you must plot your escape to the dark reaches of space… and reclaim your living empire at the Heart of the Swarm.
Key Features:
* Command New Weapons of War – Deploy devastating new units across an ever-shifting battlefield. Incinerate advancing foes with the Battle Hellion, seize air superiority with the Tempest, engulf entrenched enemies with the Swarm Host, and much more.
* Unleash Hell – Lead Sarah Kerrigan as she embarks on a path of furious vengeance. Evolve your brood for maximum devastation, unlock latent psionic powers, and swarm from planet to planet aboard your moon-sized Zerg Leviathan.
* Join the Global Battle – Experience the next evolution of StarCraft II’s global community on Battle.net. Join co-op games with friends, play near-limitless custom mods in the StarCraft II Arcade, and marshal your forces across ranked and unranked brackets for every level of play.
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
March 12, 2013
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 takes the bulls-eye precision of its 3 million plus best-selling predecessor to new and exciting heights. It is the only multi-platform FPS modern shooter exclusively designed around the sniper experience and built using the most advanced game engine in CryENGINE3. The missions of Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 are graphically stunning and provide more diverse sniper challenges. Feel the kill as you experience unprecedented levels of realism in weapons, ballistics and environmental factors.
Key Features:
* Motion Sense Trigger System – An innovative first in FPS controls! In-game shooting requires a steady squeeze of the game pad’s trigger so that when the round is fired, the rifle is more accurate. Jerk the trigger and the round is thrown off.
* Realistic Ballistics – The hallmark of the Sniper franchise is the realism of its shooting dynamics. Wind speed, distance, gravity and bullet-drop all play critical roles in the performance of your shot.
* Refined Shooting Mechanics – Proper breathing technique to steady your heart rate combined with the precise timing of your shot are both critical in achieving the ideal “one shot; one kill.”
* Challenging Enemy AI – The Artificial Intelligence (AI) system was completely re-tooled and designed from scratch. Much of the improvements were made possible from the switch to the CryEngine 3. Expect everything from flanking movements to frontal assaults as the enemy tries to engage you in close quarters where your rifle is less effective.
* New Target-Rich Environments – Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 adds new urban environments like Sarajevo and treacherous mountain terrain to go along with jungles that are as lush and deadly as ever.
* Various Difficulty Levels – To diversify gameplay and make it accessible to the widest group of gamers, CI Games is introducing three difficulty levels that totally change the nature of the game. You decide how to play – either relax and be the ultimate predator or test your skill and experience the game on Expert Mode.
* Bullet-Cam – Everyone’s favorite feature returns to reward expert shots and show the battlefield from a totally new viewpoint. See what a bullet’s true stopping power looks like as you drop enemies from 1000 meters or more!
* Bullet Penetration – Concealment doesn’t necessarily mean cover. In Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2, bullets behave as they would in real life and are able to pick-off enemies hiding behind various types of cover.
* Expanded List of Sniper Rifles – Try out the world’s most advanced sniper rifles, each of them meticulously recreated so that they accurately simulate the modern weaponry found on today’s battlefields.
* New Gear – Own the night with the introduction of thermal and night vision optics, plus a pair of powerful binoculars critical for locating the enemy before they spot you.
God of War: Ascension (PlayStation 3)
March 12, 2013
BEFORE HE WAS A GOD, HE WAS A MAN
Vengeance is born in the fires of betrayal in this prequel to the best-selling God of War franchise. Six months have passed since Kratos stood over the bodies of his wife and child, his hands stained with their blood – tricked by Ares into murdering the only people he ever loved. Swearing to avenge them, Kratos broke the blood oath that bound him to Ares, but oaths to Olympus are not so easily broken…
Sentenced to an eternity chained within a prison for the living damned, Kratos battles insanity at the hands of the Furies. He will be tested as he seeks freedom, redemption for his sins, and the clarity to avenge his family.
Key Features:
* Multiplayer comes to God of War for the first time. Take the epic God of War combat online with 8-player objective-based combat.
* Align yourself to Zeus, Ares, Poseidon, or Hades and earn their Favor to unlock new customization options for your multiplayer Gladiator.
* Experience Kratos’ quest for freedom from the very beginning with an epic new single-player story.
* New combat and puzzle mechanics build on the award-winning God of War gameplay.
Gears of War: Judgment (Xbox 360)
March 19, 2013
Gears of War: Judgment” delivers the most intense and challenging “Gears” game yet, with a campaign that takes you back to the immediate aftermath of Emergence Day – the defining event of the “Gears of War” universe – for the very first time, and tests your mettle in highly-competitive new multiplayer modes.
Key Features:
* A Riveting Campaign – Set years prior to the events of the previous “Gears of War” trilogy, “Judgment” centers on Kilo Squad, a troop of soldiers led by Damon Baird and Augustus “The Cole Train” Cole. They are joined by newcomers to the “Gears” series Sofia Hendrick and Garron Paduk, as they attempt to save the besieged city of Halvo Bay from a terrifying new enemy.
Playable cooperatively with up to three friends on Xbox LIVE (four players total), “Gears of War: Judgment” depicts the planet Sera on the brink of annihilation by an unstoppable new Locust menace, giving you a new vantage point into one of the richest and most acclaimed sagas in gaming.
Marking a first for the “Gears” franchise, “Gears of War: Judgment” features a “Misson Declassification” system that lets players experience more challenging gameplay scenarios and achievements by uncovering critical information during the course of the campaign.
* Faster and More Intense Combat – “Gears of War: Judgment” delivers a riveting gameplay experience that gets back to basics and captures the true essence of “Gears” combat, and introduces a new style of combat that’s faster-paced and more actionpacked than ever before.
“Gears of War: Judgment” introduces a new Smart Spawn System [S3] for both campaign and multiplayer action. This new system ensures each encounter is unique and new, as types, timing and locations of enemies change with each new encounter.
* Explosive New Multiplayer Experiences – “Gears of War: Judgment” introduces brand-new multiplayer experiences, including OverRun, a thrilling new class-based competitive mode that pits Locust and COG soldiers in a head-to-head battle unlike anything “Gears” fans have experienced yet.
An objective-oriented mode that lets 5-player teams alternate between playing as Locusts and COG soldiers, OverRun marks the first time that a class-based, competitive multiplayer experience has been introduced in the “Gears of War” series, and amps up the addictive gameplay with a deep player progression system layered on top of the experience.
Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
March 26, 2013
The originator of tactical co-op is back with Army of TWO: The Devil’s Cartel! Visceral Games delivers an immersive and gritty co-op action-shooter that pits two players against a dangerous Mexican drug cartel. Built on the new Frostbite 2 engine, Overkill mode offers the devastating power needed to unleash epic mass destruction at any time. Experience this explosive action-blockbuster campaign in two-player local split-screen or online co-op!
Key Features:
* Shoot-and-Destroy Tactical Co-Op – Work together and perform challenging strategic maneuvers with your friend in a true two-player co-op experience with flanking, dual-breach, riot-shield attacks, and much more!
* Unleash the Ultimate Destructive Power of Overkill – Build up your Overkill meter by performing cooperative maneuvers and unleash it with your partner to take destruction to a whole new level.
* Challenge a Powerful and Ruthless Mexican Drug Cartel – Experience a grim but relevant story set in a modern Mexico that’s been torn apart by the drug war.
* Customize your Character for Explosive Action – Use the powerful customization tools to outfit Alpha and Bravo with personalized tactical gear to prepare for a dangerous, action-packed mission to end the cartel’s ruthless reign.
BioShock Infinite (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
March 26, 2013
The year is 1912 and Booker DeWitt is headed to the city of Columbia. A technological marvel amongst the clouds, Columbia holds a dark secret, and with it, a mysterious girl. Upon arrival, Booker discovers that rescuing the imprisoned girl will be more difficult than he could have imagined.
Key Features:
* The City in the Sky – Leave the depths of Rapture to soar among the clouds of Columbia. A technological marvel, the flying city is a beautiful and vibrant world that holds a very dark secret.
* Unlikely Mission – Set in 1912, former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt must rescue a mysterious girl from the sky-city of Columbia or never leave it alive.
* Whip, Zip, and Kill – Turn the city’s Sky-Lines into weaponized roller coasters as you zip through the flying city and dish out fatal hands-on punishment.
* Tear Through Time – Open Tears in time and space to shape the battlefield and turn the tide in combat by pulling weapons, turrets, and other resources out of thin air.
* Vigorous Powers – Throw explosive fireballs, shoot lightning, and release murders of crows as devastatingly powerful Vigors surge through your body to be unleashed against all that oppose you.
* Custom Combat Experience – With deadly weapons in one hand, powerful Vigors in the other, and the ability to open Tears in time and space, fight your own way through the floating city of Columbia to rescue Elizabeth and reach freedom.
* 1999 Mode – Open your own Tear to 1999 to experience the design and balance that hardcore gamers enjoyed back in the 20th century.
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