Out This Week: Dead Nation, Pac-Man & South Park

It’s March already and straight away we have three upcoming hits to kick off the month. Though many will be holding out for next week’s Titanfall and the long-awaited return of Dark Souls, there’s still plenty of fun to be had.

Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition | PS4 | Wednesday

Housemarque’s zombie shooter returns with an upgraded PS4 version this week. Featuring better visuals, the DLC packed in, and new control options such as quick-select, it seems to be a worthy upgrade although perhaps not one suited to those who have played the original.

You’ll be thankful that it’ll be available as part of the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection then, and the new Challenge mode should make it a bit more competitive. Also, Broadcast+ mode will allow Twitch commenters to appear as zombies in your game and influence the difficulty.

Atelier Escha & Logy | PS3 | Friday

Last year saw the release of Atelier Ayesha on PlayStation 3, another instalment in Gust’s JRPG series. As in previous instalments the game served up a combination of accessible gameplay with an expanded alchemy system, allowing players to craft a variety of components and items to use in battle. It was a solid enough JRPG though felt almost identical to 2012’s Atelier Totori, which we gave a fair 7/10.

Hopefully the template will see a bit of a shake-up this year with Escha & Logy. Interestingly, this latest game is split between the two titular protagonist. Escha, an alchemist of dusk, will provide your classic Atelier dose of tinkering and customisation. Logy, on the hand, is said to be suited more towards casual fans as well as those new to the series.

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures | PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360, 3DS, PC | Friday

This week also sees the return of gaming’s hungriest hero, Pac-Man. This isn’t just a spruced-up repackaging of the arcade classic, however.

No, based on the hit TV show, Ghostly Adventures sees Pac-Man and friends in 3D form as they attempt to save the world, bashing dinosaurs and hurling fireballs along the way.

South Park: The Stick Of Truth | PS3, Xbox 360, PC | Friday

Here’s one many of you will have no doubt been waiting for. Originally planned for a 2013 release, The Stick of Truth has gone through a number of interesting developments. After being sold off during the THQ aftermath, the game was then subject to delays and, more recently, a censorship scandal.

Hopefully the waiting will have paid off when the game finally touches down this Friday. Reminiscent of South Park’s frequent parodies, The Stick of Truth charts an epic quest complete with turn-based combat and other RPG staples such as side quests, levelling, and companions. What will entice most gamers, however, is the setting and characters with Trey Parker and Matt Stone reprising a catalogue of roles in their zany -sometime politically-incorrect- cartoon universe.

Expect our review in the coming days.