In addition, consumers who pre-order the Grand Theft Auto V Special Edition, Collector’s Edition or the standalone retail version now will be ensured access to the Atomic Blimp in-game vehicle. With every pre-order, players gain the ability to pilot the most iconic and leisurely aircraft in the Los Santos skies.

The Grand Theft Auto V Special Edition includes:

• Full retail copy of Grand Theft Auto V;
• Collectible SteelBook with Exclusive Artwork – features custom color and metallic treatments to bring out the detail of the Michael, Trevor and Franklin artwork created exclusively for this SteelBook;
• Blueprint Map – exclusive, 21.5” x 26.75” map displays a blueprint view of Los Santos and Blaine County;
• Special Ability Boost – Michael, Franklin and Trevor each have a unique special ability. With this boost, the special ability bar will generate 25% faster;
• Stunt Plane Trials – single-player Stunt Plane Trials let players take on additional aerial challenges spread throughout Los Santos and Blaine County;
• Bonus Outfits, Tattoos and More – Michael, Franklin and Trevor get bonus outfits in their wardrobes, character specific tattoos at tattoo parlors, and special deals from shopkeepers across Los Santos and Blaine County;
• Additional Weapons – when visiting Ammunation stores in single-player, merchants will have special weapons in their inventory available for free: the Pistol .50, Bullpup Shotgun and melee Hammer.

The Grand Theft Auto V Collector’s Edition includes the contents of Grand Theft Auto V Special Edition plus:

• Grand Theft Auto V Security Deposit Bag with Logo Key – inspired by the heists in Grand Theft Auto V, this custom 10.75” x 8.5” money bag features a pop-up style lock and laser cut logo key to secure important items. The reverse side features a pressed Rockstar Games logo on the security mount with a framed ID window;
• Grand Theft Auto V New Era 9FIFTY™ Snapback Cap – this exclusive New Era 9FIFTY™ cap features an embroidered Los Santos logo on the front, a stitched, black Rockstar Games logo on the wearer’s left side, a Grand Theft Auto ‘V’ logo applique on the opposite side, and snapback closure for an adjustable fit;
• Custom Characters for Grand Theft Auto Online – get classic Grand Theft Auto characters to use within the Grand Theft Auto Online Character Creation System;
• Unique Vehicles and Garage Property – players will instantly receive a garage to store custom vehicles. In single-player, the garage will be stocked with the 1930’s style Hotknife hotrod and the CarbonRS sports bike. In Grand Theft Auto Online, players will get the high-end Khamelion electric car.

The Grand Theft Auto V Collector’s Edition comes packaged in a collectible outer box featuring a foil embossed Grand Theft Auto V logo on the top and finished with a matte, scuff-resistant film lamination housing all of the contents.

The Grand Theft Auto V Collector’s Edition and Grand Theft Auto V Special Edition are the perfect way for fans to celebrate the return of this acclaimed series, with special digital content and exclusive Grand Theft Auto V physical items. Grand Theft Auto V Collector’s Edition will retail for $149.99, while the Grand Theft Auto V Special Edition will retail for $79.99.

All versions are now available for pre-order until September 17, 2013 while supplies last.

- Claptrap from Gearbox Software’s critically-acclaimed and multi-million selling Borderlands video game series

- Brock Samson from Adult Swim’s animated series The Venture Bros. 

- Sam from the Sam & Max video game and comic book series by Steve Purcel

- Ash Williams from the cult classic movie Army of Darkness. Groovy!

Players at the table will be assured of a fair hand dealt under the unblinking gaze of a Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System from Aperture Science research facilities. Otherwise known as GLaDOS from the Portal and Portal 2 games by Valve, Inc.!

And as one more reminder, if you have yet to receive or request for a review copy of Poker Night 2 on any platform, please contact reviews@telltalegames.com for more details, as we have a limited number of codes for distribution by request.

Telltale Games’ Poker Night 2 is compatible with iPad 2 and up, iPhone 4 and up.

For more information on the game, visit the official website, Facebook, and follow Telltale Games on Twitter.

Call of Duty: Ghosts releases globally on November 5, 2013.

Watch or download the Launch Trailer and download the launch screenshots here. Find more assets at press.neocoregames.com.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing pits players in fierce battles against familiar supernatural foes in a one-of-a-kind action-RPG. Following the journey of  Van Helsing, son of the famed vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, players can partake in immersive cooperative multiplayer to watch the engrossing dark storyline unfold. A tale wrought with wry humor and snappy dialogue, the dark adventure presents larger-than-life obstacles to overcome yet delivers a romantic charm of the fantastical 19th century Europe.

THE INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES OF VAN HELSING KEY FEATURES:

• Detailed level-up system – Players are able to spend points on hit points, mana, damage, and much more as they traverse through skill trees to mold Van Helsing to their liking.
• Hunter’s Lair – A central hub for players to stash collected loot, trade with non-playable characters, accept new quests from allies who join the resistance against the scientific scourge, teleport between locations, and utilize the alchemy lab.
• Tower-defense mini-game – When the Hunter’s Lair is attacked by enemies, players have the opportunity to defend their home with deployable traps and several upgradable functions to ward off evil.
• Rage system – Enabling players to have up to three active skill modifiers called PowerUps, players have the ability to charge their PowerUps by way of spending Rage points collected from impressive feats.
• Unique companion system – Lady Katarina, a ghost with snappy wit, comes to the support of Van Helsing with her own set of abilities, behaviors, and skill tree.

• The ‘Faction Pack’ and the ‘Chronicles Pack’ will include new, original single player gameplay that expands on the Metro: Last Light universe and story

• The ‘Tower Pack’ will present a unique solo challenge to Metro veterans

• Meanwhile, the ‘Developer Pack’ will give creative players some interesting tools with which to explore the world of Metro…

“Artyom’s story may have been concluded in Metro: Last Light, but there are other characters with stories to tell, some familiar locations that fans of the Metro series wanted to revisit, and some new challenges that 4A wanted to explore,” said Andrew Prokhorov, Creative Director at 4A Games. “Since completing the game we have been working on these new stories and hope to release them throughout the summer.”

The Metro: Last Light Season pass is available to download now from Xbox Live, PlayStation®Network and Steam for $14.99 / £11.99 / €14.99 or 1200 MSP now. The first chapter will be the ‘Faction Pack’, set for release in June 2013.

Metro fans can pre-purchase all future DLC at a discount with the Season Pass, now available on Steam, Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PlayStation®Network. The Season Pass also grants an additional weapon, the deadly Abzats, a semi-automatic shotgun rifle with a devastating secondary fire mode that unleashes six shells in one blast.

PlayStation Plus subscribers are entitled to an additional 25% discount on the Season Pass through June 4th in the US and through June 5th In Europe and the rest of the world.

Metro: Last Light is available now for PlayStation®3, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows PC and has been critically acclaimed by the gaming media.

Company of Heroes™ 2 will be available for PC on June 25, 2013.

About Company of Heroes 2

It is 1941 and the beginning of what will become the most brutal conflict of World War II, as Germany launches a full-scale invasion of the frozen tundra of the Soviet Union which would result in over 14 million military casualties.  Take command of the iconic Soviet Red Army in brutal frontline warfare to free Mother Russia from the invading Nazis. Your strategic skills and tactical expertise hold the power to tip the very balance of this conflict in the sequel to the critically acclaimed and multi award-winning Company of Heroes. Engage in visceral tactical combat that will define you as a military leader and challenge you to wield the might of the Soviet Empire as you smash your way to Berlin.

Download Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi to your PlayStation®Vita System

Now available on PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system via PlayStation®Network!

Aksys Games is pleased to announce that Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi is now available on the PlayStation®Vita system via Playstation®Network!  Get ready to live through the events of Hakuoki as one of the six legendary (oh did we mention awesomely handsome?) warriors!

About Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi

Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi blends the beautifully told visual novel, Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom, into an action-packed adventure game fun for those new to the series or fans from the beginning!  As one of six legendary samurai, become stronger and more deadly as you battle imperial soldiers, samurai and blood-thirsty furies.  Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi follows two storylines where players can either follow the events of Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom or play in an alternate universe where events unfold very differently.

Two Major Storylines – Play through events of Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom with each of the six playable characters, or change history in “Shinsengumi Chronicle”!

Shinsengumi Chronicle – Change history as any one of the six main characters in “Shinsengumi Chronicle” mode.  Play in an alternate universe where you control the fate of the Shinsengumi!

Shinsengumi Memorial – Step into the shoes of your favorite samurai and play through battles from Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom.  Join in on the action as you battle your way through Kyoto in “Shinsengumi Memorial” mode.

Skirmish Mode – Replay past battles to add some more kills or level up your character to be more deadly.  Unlock two addition characters in this mode and duke it out on your favorite stages.

Fury Mode – When a character’s life is spent, he will enter Fury Mode, unleashing an inner ferocious killing machine, able to tear down anyone that gets in his way.  However, becoming a Fury too many times can unlock a particularly bad ending.

Review Score: 4.5 of 5

I’ve always been a fan of the original C.S.I. show and the various games that were born from it, and Special Enquiry Detail: Engaged to Kill HD plays right into all those strengths; the searching for clues, the data analysis, the puzzle-solving, and even interviewing witnesses and suspects.

Engaged to Kill spans six chapters that kick off when the bride-to-be is murdered at a photo shoot on Liberty Island. You and your partner will explore 44 detailed locations in search of clues to solve this challenging case with multiple suspects and plenty of misdirection. Along the way you’ll come upon 22 mini-games and puzzles that will test your reflexes as well as your logic and problem-solving skills. One of the earliest was disarming a bomb in the head of the Statue of Liberty by tracing the various wires and cutting them in sequence – perhaps one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in a HOA game.

Soon, the one death turns into a serial spree and SED detectives Turino and Lamonte must dive into the case and track down the “Engagement Killer” before he can strike again. The mix of gameplay leans toward hidden object recovery which is some of the best and most challenging I’ve played in over a year. The graphical detail of the levels is astounding and the way they work the objects into them is uncanny. One thing I enjoyed is that you will see objects not on the current list, but later on when you return to that scene for more clues your memory kicks in and makes finding new items that much easier.

Thankfully, there are no penalties for missing a tap or even using a Hint, although there is a lengthy cool-down timer to keep you from abusing the system. Even the puzzles can be skipped if you find one of them overly complicated, but best of all is how all of the various gameplay elements all fit within the theme of the story and the activities of what real detectives might actually be doing on the job. Later in the game you’ll get to work in the lab comparing hair samples or analyzing scraps of paper. I do wish I had a better selection of tools. I found it highly unrealistic that when I was required to make a plaster mold of a shoeprint I had to find a wide assortment of puzzle components in completely unrelated areas to do so.

To go along with the great graphics is some fantastic music that slips into the background in a non-repetitive way adding great mystery and suspense to the game. There are also a nice assortment of environmental sound effects fitting for each scene. Since the previous game in the franchise took so much flak for its poor voice acting, most of the dialogue in Special Enquiry Detail: Engaged to Kill HD is text based and will have to be read. There are a few comic-style cutscenes that still have voice overs and it remains painfully bad. They either need to get better actors or go completely text.

In lieu of any real C.S.I. games coming out anytime soon I can highly recommend Special Enquiry Detail: Engaged to Kill HD. It’s a surprisingly lengthy game with plenty of detailed scenery, challenging puzzles, engrossing item hunts, and a fairly gripping story that will keep you playing until the case is closed. I highly recommend.

Review Score: 3 of 5

Hidden Wonders of the Depths HD is a hodgepodge assortment of mini-games often found either in standalone releases or as part of a larger HOA game. This medley consists of Match Three (with a few twists), underwater item searches, shape matching, jigsaw puzzles, Mahjong and more. You’re bouncing around so many various puzzles that you don’t even realize (or care once you do) that there isn’t even a story to drive you forward. This is just good old-fashioned puzzle-solving for the sake of solving puzzles.

My only issue is the hefty $7 unlock fee; a bit steep by premium game standards and Hidden Wonders of the Depths HD if far from a premium title. You don’t really win the game but rather complete it as you really can’t lose…just run out of time on a few puzzles and then you merely start again and try to do better. None of the puzzles were particularly challenging other than a few of the Match Three where you had to break some tiles out of their chains before they could be removed, and some of the more complicated puzzles tested the limits of the clock.

Mostly, Hidden Wonders of the Depths HD is just a nice way to casually pass the time, and it does that job with ease thanks to great graphics, fun sounds and music, and a great variety of gameplay, but again, nothing worth 7, so I would hold out for a half-price sale unless you are really starving for a collection of mini-games you probably already have buried away in other larger apps.

Review Score: 2 of 5

With so many HOA games out there these days you really have to create something special for anyone to take notice. Sadly, Red Crow Mysteries: Legion HD doesn’t do a single thing to revolutionize the genre, and with its collection of worn-out puzzles, obtuse storytelling, and vague objectives, it might actually knock the genre back a few notches.

Red Crow Mysteries: Legion HD is arguably a short game and even boosting the difficulty level to any of the three higher settings won’t extend the game or your enjoyment of it. Difficulty mostly affects things like the highlights on objects or the cool down timer, which, even on Easy, is painfully slow to recharge. Somewhere in the process (about 5 minutes into the game) you lose track of the story and start to blindly follow the prompts to find the objects and solve the puzzles – not so much because you care about the narrative, but more out of a sense of duty to finish the game.

The formula seldom strays from rules of HOA. Mix in a slightly dark supernatural story with slightly haunting visuals and some slightly disturbing sounds and music, throw in some random item collection via numerous pixel-hunt scenarios, and toss in a handful of mini-games to mix things up and there you have it. Honestly, the mini-games are the only saving grace of the game with unique twists on Match-3, jigsaw puzzles, and some cool logic brain teasers.

The visuals are a bit below our current HOA standards and much of the game is overly dark. When things brighten up there is some interesting details in a few of the screens. While sounds and music are pretty generic I was impressed that the developers chose to include voice-overs for the characters. Sadly, there is no real story behind the words and it looks like they didn’t want to take the time to lip-sync the characters; painfully obvious in one scene where you are chatting with Satan who is holding a newspaper over his face to block his mouth.

As mentioned earlier, Red Crow Mysteries: Legion HD is short, not so much by design but in that it just ends…suddenly…unexpectedly…and with no real closure or even an adequate hint at a possible sequel. It almost looks as if they cut the game in half and plan to release the finale as a separate purchase. Considering I really had to force myself to finish this game, a sequel is hardly called for.

There is no mystery about it – Red Crow Mysteries: Legion HD is just a poor attempt to cash in on the flurry of HOA games and while there are those who will mindlessly buy the game simply because it exists; there are far superior games to spend $5 on.