Welcome to our new weekly Forecast article here on PlanetXbox360, the premiere website for all video game news, reviews, features, and previews. No, this isn’t a weather report or new way to read your horoscope, so we aren’t going to tell you if the sun is out or not or if you should buy a lottery ticket. (Our meteorology equipment is broken – and imaginary, at that.) Instead, we look at the forthcoming week in games and give you a heads up as to what might be good to play. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the Forecast of the Xbox 360 games releasing in the next week; let us know in the comments if there are any games you'll be picking up - stay tuned for full reviews very soon.
Gatling Gears (Electronic Arts, Xbox Live Arcade - May 11th) - Inspired by the war serials of the 1940’s, Gatling Gears is a challenging shooter where you take control of a walker, shooting at all sorts of incoming enemies on the ground and in the air, using missiles, grenades and a turret cannon that obliterates anything in its range. The game is huge in install space (about 1.5 GB) but EA has done painstakingly good work in creating an original environment for the game. It’ll also keep players entertained with its non-stop shoot-em-up gameplay. Look for a review on this one later this week.
Brink (Bethesda Softworks, Xbox 360 - May 10th) - Brink has been a highly anticipated game on a number of players’ lists for some time, and for good reason. Bethesda is putting a few conventional twists on the first-person shooter theme, including a brilliant storyline that unfolds in the near future and cool little play tactics for each soldier, including better precision aim and athletic abilities we haven’t seen since Mirror’s Edge. The multiplayer looks completely addictive as well. But can Brink overcome the huge glut of awesome shooters already on the 360? We’ll find out in our review later this week.
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean (Disney Interactive, Xbox 360 - May 10th) - With Captain Jack Sparrow primed to make a return in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger’s Tides (hitting theaters May 20th), it seems only fair that Disney release some sort of video game tie-in to cash in on his return. With that, they turned to Travellers Tales, on a bit of a rebound as of late with its awesome Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars game, to produce a Lego Pirates adventure spanning across all four films. Gamers of all ages can get into the controls with ease, and the replay value is through the roof thanks to unlockable characters and other bonus goodies. This one should be a swashbuckling good time when it arrives, so be sure to look for the review soon.
MX Vs. ATV Alive (THQ, Xbox 360 - May 10th) - THQ’s next racing epic is almost upon us, once again putting us behind the wheel of some sick bikes and ATV’s as we try and conquer each course. MX Vs. ATV Alive has a lot of potential to be the best game yet, and it all starts with a brand new price point -- $40, compared to the $60 Reflex sold for a year and a half ago. With that, the downloadable content for the game expands greatly, with new bikes, tracks and other goods to upload into the game. Even without that, though, the competitive gameplay and beautiful graphics will have you kicking up mud for weeks at a time. Be sure to check back for the review on this one.
The First Templar (Kalypso Media, Xbox 360 - May 10th) - Forget this Last Templar guy. Why doesn’t anyone give the First Templar some credit? This co-op adventure game provides a dark and gritty view of events that took place during the 13th century, where noble heroes fight against treachery and corruption. Featuring a vast amount of RPG-inspired character development and an expansive historical game world, The First Templar just might be the ticket for history buffs. Still, the fact we haven’t seen much hype on this one doesn’t bode well for the final product. We’ll look into it later on…
Virtua Tennis 4 (Sega, Xbox 360 - May 10th) - Last but definitely not least, we have the return of one of Sega’s most addictive sports games, an arcade-style twist on the game of tennis. Up to four players can take part in Virtua Tennis 4’s shenanigans, and a revamped Career mode is perfect for those of you playing on your own, complete with special competitions and a slew of new mini games to play. Virtua Tennis 4 also has gorgeous visuals that make it the best looking entry to date, along with Kinect support, so you can really get into the action. But is it enough to recommend over the much cheaper Virtua Tennis 2009? We’ll find out in our review later this week. Swing away!
