This title has been on gamers' wish lists for the last 12 years, but a lot has changed since a time of dated graphics and slow Internet connections.
Since Diablo III was announced in June 2008, Blizzard has continued to stretch development on the title, but hopefully it will be worth the wait.
Diablo III takes place about 20 years after Diablo II. A new group of heroes protects Sanctuary in this hack-and-slash fantasy game. There will be five character classes: Monk, Demon Hunter, Barbarian, Witch Doctor and Wizard, and players can use Battle.Net to easily create multiplayer campaigns.
The game will be available for Mac or PC.
Another trilogy will be completed on May 15, with the release of Max Payne 3. It's Rockstar's addition to the Remedy-created story of Max Payne begun in the early 2000s.
Max Payne 3 offers a lot of features for die-hard fans. Its beautifully crafted next chapter will keep true to the gritty, hard-boiled feel of the first two games, while making strides in gameplay. The bullet time the title made famous in PC gaming is back, with new enhancements that make Max's movements look like a violent ballet.
May 15 marks the release for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3; the PC version releases May 29.
The studio Sudo 51 is known for making over-the-top titles that resemble exploitation games for the genres they are mimicking. No More Heroes poked fun at anime tropes, while Shadows of the Damned flirted with Latino machismo.
Lollipop Chainsaw takes that formula and aims it at the zombie/horror genre. While the main character, Juliet, may look like a vapid cheerleader, we know from trailers that she's not to be messed with, especially when wielding a chainsaw.
The zombie genre needs an injection of creativity at this point, and we predict Sudo 51 is just the fun, over-the-top company to do so. It's easy to see the studio is on the right track when you notice Juliet attends San Romero High School -- a nod to zombie godfather George Romero.
Lollipop Chainsaw will be available for Xbox 360 and PS3.
Pokémon Conquest is not just another Pokémon game. It takes the monsters everyone knows and loves, and warps them back to feudal Japan. Instead of playing as Ash or another Pokémon trainer, you play as a warlord trying to overtake other warlords, while collecting as many Pokémon as you can.
Pokémon Conquest is based on popular Japanese game, Nobunaga's Ambition, and is being developed by Tecmo Koei. It will be released for the Nintendo 3DS June 18.
This summer you'll be able to relive all those nostalgic skating memories -- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater levels an HD remake of the game.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD is a redeveloped title, with a new engine and new graphics. However, it still includes the original level maps from the first and second entries into the franchise. It's also going to include some of the original music from the first games, though exact tracks haven't been released yet.
The game will be available on XBLA and PSN sometime this summer, with an exact date to be announced.
Sound Shapes is a unique platformer: As your character hops across nodes, he activates different musical tracks, allowing you to make music as you complete a level. There are five "albums" (one created by famous DJ Deadmau5), each with a few tracks that make up the levels.
Think the fun stops there? Sound Shapes also has a level editor. You can make your own musical levels, then share them socially with your friends.
Sound Shapes may convince some players to pick up a Vita, the only system on which the title will debut. There is no hard release date, but the targeted release is this summer.
At this point, the market is saturated with MMOs; it takes a lot to stand out, especially if you want to keep gamers paying a monthly subscription. The Secret World looks unique enough, dropping the fantasy or sci-fi realms, classes and levels in favor of a more streamlined system.
Instead, players can join one of three secret societies -- the Templar, the Illuminati or the Dragons -- and work together (or battle each other) to see which will control the earth. There are all kinds of bizarre monsters to fight and secret powers to unlock, based on the society you chose.
It looks to be a significant MMO departure, and developer Funcom brags that over 750,000 are playing in the beta. We'll find out how well The Secret World performs when it comes out for PC June 19.
The original Steel Battalion started as a game with a ridiculous, expensive peripheral that put you in the driver's seat of a mech. Its $200 price tag was a little prohibitive, but it wasn't the end of the line for the series.
Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor relies on the Xbox's Kinect to move the game's mechs (called "vertical tanks"). While it may not be as satisfying compared to mime-pulling levers and firing missiles, the game will be an interesting experiment in Kinect technology.
If you're a fan of Hong Kong action movies, and love playing open-world action games like Grand Theft Auto IV, then meet a game that looks like their beautiful, violent love child.
Sleeping Dogs has had a hardscrabble journey; it was dropped by Activision after the company didn't see "blockbuster" potential in the title, which was originally the third game in the True Crime series. But the publishing rights were picked up by Square Enix, and development continued.
In Sleeping Dogs, you play an undercover police officer with a goal to break up the legendary Triad gang. The game relies on story-driving missions, with plenty of other options in the sprawling world.
Sleeping Dogs is due to be released for PC, 360 and PS3.
What do you do when you are stuck on a desert island, separated from your girlfriend, and surrounded by crazy people? Ubisoft poses that question inFar Cry 3, the first-person shooter that has players control Jason Brody, a callback from the first Far Cry. Jason has to kill everyone in his way to figure out how to get off the island, but it won't be easy.
Far Cry 3, which looks like a summer blockbuster in a video game package, will be available on PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on Sept. 4 in the U.S.
The original Borderlands, which blended RPG and shooter elements in a futuristic western setting with a dash of sassy robot, was a blowout success that sold more than 4.5 million copies. Since the sequel was announced, fans have been eagerly anticipating Gearbox's next adventure on Pandora, the post-apocalyptic world where the action takes place.
Borderlands 2 introduces a set of four new characters with new powers. Along with a promise of "87 gajillion" more guns, Gearbox has made several improvements on the original game, including a richer story, AI improvements and new environments, while still managing to hold on to what made fans love the first game.
Borderlands 2 will be released for 360, PS3 and PC Sept. 18.
If you’re looking for a way to escape the heat and have fun this summer, check out our list of the biggest and most-anticipated game releases.
While summer isn’t traditionally known to be the best time to buy games (usually that’s reserved for the holidays), plenty of publishers are releasing exciting titles just in time for summer vacation. And just like summer blockbusters, many of these are sequels or revisits to franchises that have large followings and shouldn’t disappoint in sales.
Not everything is a sequel, though. Games like The Secret World and Sound Shapes are representative of new intellectual property.
Check out our list above so you can mark your calendar for this season’s releases. Are you really pumped about any of these games? See anything we missed? Let us know in the comments below.
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