New Releases: May 9th – 15th

After almost a year away, this week sees the return of our New Releases feature, detailing all the major games you’ll be able to get hold of throughout this week in the shops or at your online retailer of choice. This week sees the release of a new take on the FPS genre, an arcade racer, a sim racer, an adventuring puzzler and a family quiz game – so, something for pretty much everyone. What catches your eye this week?

Brink

Platforms: PC, PS3, 360
Publisher: Bethesda
Developer:  Splash Damage

Synopsis: Brink takes place on the Ark, a man-made floating city that is on the brink of all-out civil war. Originally built as an experimental utopia, the reported rapid rise of the Earth’s oceans has forced the Ark to become home to not only the original founders and their descendants but also to thousands of refugees. With tensions between the two groups growing, Security and Resistance forces are locked in a heated battle for control of the Ark.

Brink seamlessly blends single-player, co-op and multiplayer gameplay into an immersive FPS experience, featuring a wealth of customisation options and class based action meaning you can play it however you like, especially if you like shooting people in the face. In our hands-on preview, Lee said “one day, all shooters will be like this” and this week we’ll all have the chance to find out why.

LEGO Pirates Of The Caribbean

Platforms: 3DS, DS, PC, PS3, PSP, 360, Wii
Publisher: Disney Interactive
Developer:  Traveller’s Tales

Synopsis: Pirates Of The Caribbean is the latest movie franchise to receive the LEGO treatment in a title that will span all three movies, as well as include levels from the upcoming film ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’. Featuring drop-in/drop-out co-op action, players do battle in a variety of locations familiar to fans of the movies. Swordplay has been added to the familiar puzzling LEGO gameplay and of course it wouldn’t be a proper LEGO game if cut-scenes from the movies weren’t re-enacted by the mini-figures in the humourous style we’re been accustomed to.

MX Vs ATV Alive

Platforms: PS3, 360
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Rainbow Studios

Synopsis: Own the competition as you wrestle for position with tightly contested racing in the fifth iteration of the MX vs. ATV franchise. Feel the realism of the revolutionary real-world physics engine which has defined the racing genre. Live the sport as Alive captures the spectacle of motocross and the essence of competitive racing while providing the best riders and gear from the latest manufacturers.

Alive represents something of an experiment for THQ, who have opted for a cheap RRP of £24.99 but have backed up the fully functioning on-disc content with a comprehensive digital distribution strategy allowing gamers to pay for exactly the bits they want. Content deals with brands such as KTM and Yamaha have already been announced.

National Geographic Challenge

Platforms: PC, PS3, Wii
Publisher: Black Bean
Developer: Gusto Games

Synopsis: Featuring PlayStation Move support, National Geographic Challenge is an interactive multiplayer quiz game for all the family with a RISK inspired game-play dynamic that makes full use of National Geographic’s vast resources of puzzles, photos and video.

SBK World Championship 2011

Platforms: PC, PS3, 360
Publisher: Black Bean
Developer: Milestone Studios

Synopsis: SBK 2011 represents a new art direction for the franchise, with completely updated menus, environments, 3D objects, lighting effects. The changes aren’t just cosmetic as the career mode has also been expanded, a whole new story mode and of course you can expect all the classes; featuring 9 bike manufacturers, 70 riders and 16 tracks from the 2011 season.

Please note: while every attempt is made to get both the dates accurate and every applicable game included, we are not infallible and mistakes will be made. Feel free to mention any omissions or corrections in the comments below. We’ll endeavour to correct the above and even thank you personally. We’re good like that. Finally, all dates and platforms are the official from our sources. Actual release dates in your country may vary to the dates shown above.