he reviews have been out for weeks, but this Friday, the game finally hits store shelves — Killzone 2, Guerrilla's "Halo killer," has brought with it more hype than we're used to seeing from a PlayStation 3 exclusive. I've got to say: the screenshots look awesome, the gameplay seems sound and the art's as gritty as it comes. Even though I'm utterly sick of first-person shooters, I'm ready and willing to give this one a try.
Square Enix apparently puts a lot of faith in Western audiences — by making Star Ocean: The Last Hope an Xbox 360 exclusive, they've all but guaranteed that not a single Japanese consumer will purchase it. This latest title continues the epic sci-fi JRPG series. Expect planet hopping and turn-based encounters galore.
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix takes the original's puzzle/RPG mash-up formula and transplants it into a sci-fi universe. While the fantasy-themed original didn't necessarily click with me, the game's mechanics are certainly compelling. Provided Infinite Interactive makes good use of stylus control, this could be the next great DS puzzler.
Rounding out this week's retail roundup are two ports: Dead Rising: Chop Til You Drop brings the mercilessly difficult Xbox 360 title to Nintendo's Wii; meanwhile, PC gamers get their own version of Tom Clancy's EndWar. While neither seems particularly timely, I can only hope that they live up to the originals — if you missed the boat the first time, now's your chance to jump aboard.
