New PAL Releases Roundup

By Tom Bramwell Published 3 December, 2009

DiRT 2 PC! COD Classic! Blue horse!

So then, with the not inconsiderable exception of Zelda Trains next week, after tomorrow the shops are basically done with new game stock for 2009. Even the internet shops won't exactly be heaving - although PSN has a nice pairing of PixelJunk Shooter (10th) and Blue Toad Murder Files (17th) to look forward to.

But are we going out with a bang or a whimper? It's the question no one's asking, but it's the answer with which this obligatory page is concerned this morning, and the answer is probably "Yes".

Bang: Colin McRae: DiRT 2 for the PC. The console ones came out months ago, but don't let that put you off, PC gamers: Codemasters' handsome rally racer combines the modern day trappings of Kenneth Block and his ilk with the historical wit and composure of the Colin McRae series. It's a bit "gnarly", but you can always close your eyes and shout "hitpoints!", "autoexec.bat!" and "old jokes you've stolen from RPS!" to pass the time during voice-overs.

Whimper: James Cameron's Avatar: The Game. I really wanted to like this. My support for blue horses is thoroughly documented on this website. But despite a quite lovely world and an intriguing premise, Avatar doesn't really follow through, delivering a couple of limp campaigns that branch away from an initial twist that seems a bit bonkers in hindsight.

Bang: Call of Duty Classic (review soon, retrospective elsewhere). It may just be the first Call of Duty, but on PSN and XBLA, and it may cost a whopping tenner, but this is the sort of nostalgia worth revisiting, not least because it reflects a period when FPS games based on real-world conflicts actually suggested they were s*** places to be, and not slightly incomprehensible large-scale episodes of 24 with sexy choreography.

Whimper: Tony Hawk: RIDE. Say what you like about Avatar, at least it works. Blue horse blue horse.

Verdict: Well, it's not exactly October 2008, is it. Oh well, not everyone ran away from Modern Warfare 2, and quite a few of them did well. And Zelda Trains is out next week. Blue horse!

This week in shops:

  • Colin McRae: DiRT 2 (PC)
  • Flips (DS)
  • Girls Life Sleepover Party (Wii)
  • Horrid Henry: Missions of Mischief (Wii)
  • Imagine Beauty Stylist (DS)
  • James Cameron's Avatar: The Game (DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360)
  • Petz Nursery (DS)
  • The Saboteur (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
  • Tony Hawk: RIDE (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
  • Your Shape (Wii)

This week online:

  • Call of Duty Classic (PSN, XBLA)
  • Foto Face: The Face Stealer Strikes (DSiWare)
Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (29) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • lennon #1 2 years ago

    Wheres The Saboteur review?

  • bad09 #2 2 years ago

    Girls Life Sleepover party? I'm in.

    Just a quick tip for PC people in case they don't know already. Both D2D and EA store are doing a deal a day throughout Dec.
    Edited by 1 at 03/12/09 @ 09:19

  • muscleblade #3 2 years ago

    Dont tell me you didnt get a review copy of the Saboteur. Its not too shabby so i predict a 7. The game isnt AAA but its very fun. Great opening sequency obviously and the presentation is spot on imo.

  • swissorc #4 2 years ago

    Rubbish week roll on Zelda!
    @ Lennon ign AU have reviewed it if your looking for a review

  • Ornithophobe #5 2 years ago

    I heard there's an embargo on Saboteur reviews till sometime today ?
    Edited by 1 at 03/12/09 @ 09:29

  • optimusprym8 #6 2 years ago

    I would buy Saboteur but as EA made the studio redundant, all the profit goes straight to EA and not the peeps who made it so Lovefilm list it is

  • NoseBagUK #7 2 years ago

    @optimusprym8 Yeah totally, all the money from MW2 goes straight into the pocket of the guys who made the game, EA suck.

  • muscleblade #8 2 years ago

    @optimusprym8

    Correct!

    @NoseBagUK

    Idiot.

  • TravisTouchdown #9 2 years ago

    http://ww w.metacritic.com/games/platform... Saboteur

    Better start than I would have expected...

  • TravisTouchdown #10 2 years ago

    Also: http://ww w.metacritic.com/games/platform... tracks

  • Lee_Morris #11 2 years ago

    This doesn't fill me with such too much faith, that there is only one review of The Saboteur.

    Are you not even going to mention it in your list of things coming out tomorrow though? There has been massive add banners for it all week on here. That seems abit strange

  • muscleblade #12 2 years ago

    @Lee_Morris

    Well ive played it a little bit. Its not AAA like AC2 ( same genre ) but its very fun nevertheless. It depends on how many games you can afford/have the time to play i guess. The shelves is filled with great games and theres more coming first week of january (Bayonetta and Darksiders).
    Thats the only reason not to buy this excellent little game. The game itself is pretty damn good fun.

  • dirk_aircool #13 2 years ago

    thats just a dire collection ( apart from Dirt 2 ). where are all the sodding games. is that it 'till next year.

  • andywilkie35 #14 2 years ago

    Is there a new Scene It out tomorrow? I've seen absolutely nothing about it anywhere but online retailers seem to think it is...

  • muscleblade #15 2 years ago

    @dirk_aircool

    Depending on taste of course but i would say: Borderlands, Brutal Legend, MW2, Halo ODST, Uncharted 2 (oh yes),Forza 3, AC2 and L4D2 are all worth buying and i think most people can agree. If you own a Wii and no other console im sorry. New super mario for you then.

  • Machetazo #16 2 years ago

    Scene it: Bright Lights, Big Screen (360/Wii/PS3) - Retailers have it listed for release tomorrow...

    Is that the one you're thinking of, Andy? IGN have a review, but I think it's largely under the radar.

    The Saboteur is the only recent game that I feel absolutely no need to read a review, before buying. I'm confident from what they've showed, that it will work well enough to be worth getting, and I'm quietly confident that it could well turn out to a good deal of fun, not hampered by things that I don't like as much about other games in the genre. I like the style, the gameplay seems right, so I'm hoping for good stuff from that.
    Edited by 2 at 03/12/09 @ 11:56

  • muscleblade #17 2 years ago

    @Machetazo

    You will like it. Trust me.

    Much better than Pandemics last effort Mercenaries 2 btw.

  • makeamazing #18 2 years ago

    Having played Saboteur a few days ago, I can say its not too bad actually. I didnt particularly like the opening and the first little missions the controls are clunky, but once you get a flashback (about an hour or so) (all i am going to say or i will need to use spoilers and cannot remember the tag)... it gets quite good. Initially i saw lots of tearing in the nightime missions, and the day time missions are overly colourfull, but as you play you get used to it...so if you can get past the initial bordem, the serious to extreme cheesyness of it, then I think you will like it.

    I predict a 7 or 8 as well. I will certainly buy it once the price drops in 3 or 4 weeks (not going to buy full price on the principle that they sacked the team (Also i have too many other games to play).

  • muscleblade #19 2 years ago

    "so if you can get past the initial bordem, the serious to extreme cheesyness of it"

    I think the cheesyness is on purpose, and i found it amusing. I do hope it was on purpose though or the joke is on the developer.

  • davisorle #20 2 years ago

    Poor week. For non console gamer Dirt 2 is visually stunning and gameplaywise fun. When it comes to Saboteur, I have no idea. I'll know in a few ;)

  • makeamazing #21 2 years ago

    @muscleblade I agree it probably was on purpose, but it kinda swings between the very serious to the cheesyness that was initially a bit of a shock... but it probably needed to do that for light relief..but i like the game :)

  • muscleblade #22 2 years ago

    I dont get the lack of The Saboteur reviews as its availaible in the shops already. It has been released. Embargo until after a game is released isnt a good sign we all know that, but i actually dont think The Saboteur falls into the catechory since its a decent game no doubdt.

  • dingo75 #23 2 years ago

    Really weird concering Saboteur.
    It's even out on the internet since 30.11.

    My copy from Amazon should arrive soon. :)

  • andywilkie35 #24 2 years ago

    @ Machetazo

    That's the one, cheers! If I see it I'll get it, really enjoyed the first two

    Also definitely getting The Saboteur - looks like my exact kind of game. In fact it should have been delivered today but hasn't turned up yet :(

  • DrStrangelove #25 2 years ago

    Girls Life Sleepover Party? Is that an adult title?

  • richie9997 #26 2 years ago

    I might be going crazy but where is Call of Duty on PSN??

  • Trinod #27 2 years ago

    COD Classic - seems we have been duped...again!!

  • Darren #28 2 years ago

    I've just had a bugger of a job trying to get hold of PC DiRT 2 here in Hull, East Yorkshire.

    My original online pre-order from a month back with GAME wasn't despatched and upon checking the website it is listed as "out of stock". So I cancelled that last night and decided to go to my local GAME store as I had a gift card with £23 on it. Turns out GAME don't have it either... nor did Tescos... or Gamestation. Odd. Thinking it had been delayed last minute, I checked some other online sites and places like Amazon and ShopTo.net have it listed as being in stock. I, thus, decided to order it from ShopTo.net so hopefully it'll actually be sent out today.

    Has anyone else had any problems getting hold of the PC version of DiRT 2?

  • Darren #29 2 years ago

    GAME has changed the release date for PC DiRT 2 to 11th December on their website... which is strange considering that ShopTo.net have already dispatched my copy of that game! :?