New Game Releases: Rise Of The Triad, Realms Of Arkania And More

This is a good week to own a PC. Yeah, I know it isn’t cool to own a PC any more if you aren’t a gamer, because they’re being replaced by tablets, wearable computers, yadda yadda yadda.

But we are gamers darn it, so we love our PCs (laptops too, where applicable). Also there’s hardly anything coming out for consoles this week, so I’d have very little to talk about if it wasn’t for new computer games.

So let’s hear it for that. Here’s what caught my eye on the list of this week’s new releases:

“Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny” (PC) – July 30

To paraphrase the great American philosopher Donnie Wahlberg, I like the remake baby! Or at least this one sounds pretty cool, as it’s completely faithful to the original 1992 RPG.

This game features a party of adventurers, an impending orc invasion, a powerful magic sword, and sweet, sweet, turn-based tactical combat. The original was based on a German pen and paper RPG, which for some reason filled my head with hilarious mental images of people shouting things at each other and the game master in German. Good times.

“Rise of the Triad” (PC) – July 31

I’m sensing a theme here, as this one is also a remake. The first version was supposed to be a sequel to “Wolfenstein 3D” before it was changed into its own title, and it gave the gaming world the phrase “Ludicrous Gibs!” I think we can all agree we’re better off for that.

This iteration will have the benefit of Unreal Engine 3 technology, meaning that it will look just a tad more detailed this time out. Okay, maybe a lot more detailed. It’s still a first-person shooter though, and I stink at those. Multiplayer is 8v8, so everyone have fun blowing off other players’ limbs.

“Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Vengeance” (PC, PS3) – August 1

Speaking of first-person shooters, here’s a DLC pack for a small, under the radar title you may or may not have heard about. Your friends playing on Xbox 360 have already enjoyed the three new multiplayer maps, but now you’ll get your mitts on them too.

There’s also a new zombie map, because the walking dead need to be destroyed. The only other option is to do what Mayor West wanted and encase all coffins in concrete, and as we’ve seen, that makes it very difficult to fake your own death.

“Cloudberry Kingdom” (PS3, PC, Xbox 360, Wii U) – July 30, 31 or August 1, depending on platform

This game looks cool, as it’s a platformer that claims to adjust it yourself to your skills and supports four-person multiplayer. It also may be masochistic, since it uses procedurally generated levels that adjust themselves to your skill level. The better you get, the more insanely difficult it becomes.

So don’t let the cute graphics and the unsuspecting hero, Bob, fool you. This game will chew you up and spit you out if you don’t come correct. You’ve been warned!