Many games will soon fall under the shadow of the upcoming mega-title “Grand Theft Auto 4,’ but this weekend a number of developers took the opportunity to set up demos at the New York Comic Con and show many gamers what they had to offer.
– “Dragonball Z: Burst Limit”
Available June 10 (360, PS3)
Anime fans had a number of new games showcased at the New York Comicon this year, but the best by far was “Burst Limit.” A departure from the free-roaming setup of “Budokai Tenkaichi,” “Burst Limit” is more of a traditional fighter and will be available for the Xbox, 360 and Playstation 3.
Like most DBZ games, the single-layer battles will progress through a storyline that mirrors the series, but “Burst Limit” includes new stories, all voiced by the original actors and available in both English and Japanese.
Another new feature, drama pieces, offers a number of different helpers that appear at certain times and either block attacks or heal you depending on the situation. While the game seems like a button-masher, there are a lot of subtleties that are sure to make this one of the year’s best fighters.
– “Hellboy: The Science of Evil”
Available June 24 (PSP, 360, PS3)
While comics always offer good subject matter for video games, it’s rare to see a good one come from outside the DC or Marvel universes. The Hulk will appear in another title, as will Spider-Man, and Iron Man will make his next-generation debut, but what shows the most promise is “Hellboy: The Science of Evil.”
While there is a Hellboy movie coming out, the game features a different story written by the film’s creators. The game will also feature voice acting of the film’s stars Ron Pearlman and Selma Blair.
While the overall gameplay is nothing innovative and Hellboy is a sluggish one-punch fighter, the story will make this title worth checking out.
– “Civilization: Revolution”
Available June 2 (DS, 360, PS3)
2K Games offered fans a taste of the latest incarnation of the classic “Civilization” series, and video game legend Sid Meier was on hand to meet fans and help promote the title.
“Revolution” is the same basic game as the other Civ titles, but offers some tweaks to the mechanics that speed up the gameplay and make everything a bit more console-friendly.
No matter what your strategy to win — economic, scientific or military — there are plenty of layers to each experience that will keep you interested.
