Run, Hide, Survive in Alien: Isolation

"In space no one can hear you scream", that was the tag line of the original Alien movie. It was a science fiction horror movie that was so critically acclaimed that it changed the face of science fiction forever. However, video games based on the franchise never fared as well. They never quite captured the essence of the films instead opting for more traditional action adventure game play.   Enter "Alien: Isolation", the game takes place 15 years from the end of the first film and puts you in the shoes of Amanda Ripley, Ellen Ripley's daughter. The game is unapologetically a horror game. During Amanda's journey she finds herself in a decommissioned trading station on the fringes of space, a station that some how finds itself with a Xenomorph (Alien) in it's mist. Survive or Die! Those are your choices, because help is not on it's way. After playing thru Outlast I have high hopes for this game. Horror, when done right can be oh so entertaining.

Alien: Isolation will be out on October 7th, 2014 for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PC platforms.

From the Devs: Discover the true meaning of fear in Alien: Isolation, a survival horror set in an atmosphere of constant dread and mortal danger. Fifteen years after the events of Alien™, Ellen Ripley's daughter, Amanda enters a desperate battle for survival, on a mission to unravel the truth behind her mother's disappearance.

As Amanda, you will navigate through an increasingly volatile world as you find yourself confronted on all sides by a panicked, desperate population and an unpredictable, ruthless Alien.

Underpowered and underprepared, you must scavenge resources, improvise solutions and use your wits, not just to succeed in your mission, but to simply stay alive.
Survive Trailer:

Forbidden Love Becomes Entwined

Two souls in love who cannot be together set out on a path that crosses 9 life times to overcome all odds. That's the premise for Pexelopus's newest game, Entwined. The two souls are represented by a fish and a bird. The unique art style really makes this game stand out. The gameplay has you controlling both souls as they set out on this love torn journey. Published by Sony for the PS4, PS3, and PS Vita platforms, the game made it's debut at E3 during Sony's conference. It was subsequently released digitally on the same day.

From the Devs:
Entwined for the PS4, the PS3 and PS Vita systems. It’s a beautiful, addictive and abstract action/arcade game about two souls who are in love but that can’t be together. These souls are represented by a bird and a fish, which you must learn to control simultaneously. Over the course of nine lifetimes you will help these two characters come together with the eventual goal of uniting them for eternity. This story was inspired by an ancient Chinese myth, and the theme of reincarnation lives in our level structure.

Within each of these varied lifetimes you will earn the opportunity to bring the two souls together, and at that moment they will turn into a soaring dragon. This empowering transformation was designed as a moment of liberation and pure gameplay reward to celebrate this important moment in each lifetime. The freedom and joy of flight soon leads to the ability for players to ‘skywrite’ using glorious trails of light and living paint across the sky. We hope that players will enjoy this ability to create their own aerial sculptures, and on the PS4 system they can share what they make with their friends through the Share button.

Entwined Launch Trailer:

Ubisoft Pulls Heart Strings With Valiant Hearts

At E3 Ubisoft presented a game based on the letters sent from soldiers during World War 1. Valiant Hearts: The Great War is built with the same engine used to create Rayman Legends/Child of Light and is set to pull some major heart strings.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War will be available this year on PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4 and Xbox One. No word yet on a specific release date. Releases on June 25th, 2014.

Update[1]: Release Date Added
Update[2]: Added Launch Trailer

From the Devs:
Valiant Hearts tells the tale of three strangers coming together on the battlefield to help a young German soldier find love in a story about survival, sacrifice and friendship.

Solve puzzles and sneak through enemy lines while doing your best to stay alive. Each of the four playable characters (including the lovelorn German soldier) work alongside the same faithful canine companion at different times, all trying to survive in the trenches while doing their best to hold onto their humanity in the face of loss and tragedy. Though it’s set during a dark time in history, there are lighthearted (and even comical) moments spread throughout the game.

E3 Trailer:

Launch Trailer:

Cross-Play Your Way to Hell with Helldivers

Four player bug squashing goodness comes to the PS4, PS3, and PS Vita. Helldivers is a top-down squad based shooter that allows anyone with a PS4, PS3, and PS Vita to play together regardless of what platform they own. You have a PS4 and a friend doesn't, but has a PS3? No problem. Another friend only has a PS Vita? No problem. Cross-Play and all can join in on the fun. This is a feature that more and more titles need to implement.

From a developers point of view they still have to make 3 builds of the same game and those 3 builds need to inter-operate. It's a tremendous challenge. I believe as services like PlayStation Now mature the ability develop a title once and play from any device becomes an asset to developers and a pleasure to consumers. The speed of development increases and the cost of developing for multiple platforms evaporates. I'm hoping to see more cross-play titles in the coming years and write once play anywhere becoming a possibility in the future.

Helldivers has no firm launch date but is slated for release in 2014.

From the Devs:

HELLDIVERS™ is a top-down squad shooter set in a dystopian future where mankind is ruled by a managed democracy. As part of the elite unit called the HELLDIVERS, players must work together to protect Super Earth and defeat the enemies of mankind in an intense intergalactic war. Coming exclusively to PS4™, PS3™, and PS Vita systems in 2014, HELLDIVERS™ features cross-play and cross-save.

Trailer: