New Game Releases: Madden NFL 25, Lost Planet 3, Killer Is Dead, And More

I’m not sure who originally said it, but the end of summer would be a lot more depressing if it didn’t also mean the beginning of football season.

Wait, did anyone actually say that? If not, can I call dibs on some version of that as a famous quote?

EA Sports always ushers in this transitional period with the release of a new “Madden” title, and this year’s is more signifcant than most. Not only is it the 25th anniversary of the birth of the series, it’s also the first one that will grace the next gen systems when they release in a few months.

Of course it’s not the only new video game to pick from this week, even though its presence does tend to cast a shadow over everything else. Some people don’t like football, as crazy as that sounds, but there are options for them too.

Here’s what caught our eyes for this week:

“Madden NFL 25” (PS3, Xbox 360) – August 27

There isn’t a whole lot that I can add that hasn’t already been said about this game, but I do have one burning question: if you decide to relocate your franchise to London, does it prevent you from signing any free agents? Because I’m pretty sure that’s what would happen in real life.

If you’d rather read about all the cool new stuff in this year’s game without my lame attempts at humor, we already reviewed it. I don’t get every “Madden” game, but since this is the end of an era in a way, I’ll be picking it up.

“Lost Planet 3” (PS3, Xbox 360, PC) – August 27

Though it’s numbered like a sequel, “Lost Planet 3” is actually a prequel to the first two games. Will it explain how we lost the planet in the first place? Stay tuned.

The most interesting thing about the new game is that it’s hopping on the open world bandwagon that so many franchises seem to be keen on joining. Open world games are great, sure, but sometimes you get the feeling that not everything needs to be heading that way. We’ll see if it pays off for “Lost Planet 3” or not.

“Killer Is Dead” (PS3, Xbox 360) – August 27

If you’re looking for some made-in-Japan action craziness, this is your stop this week. “Killer Is Dead” is being called a spiritual successor to “Killer7” and “No More Heroes” and features cel-shaded swordplay, gunplay, and any other kind of play that actually is another word for a type of violence.

On top of that, the main character has a cybernetic arm that can change into various different weapons. Works for me.

“Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn” (PS3, PC) – August 27

Call it gaming’s biggest do-over. “A Realm Reborn” is new in just about every way when compared to the original “FF XIV”: new engine, new story, new gameplay elements, the whole shebang.

Interestingly, even players who felt let down by the first release are anxiously awaiting this revamp. It just goes to show you how much weight the “Final Fantasy” brand carries and how desperate some gamers are for an MMO worthy of it. And I have to admit, some of the stuff the developers have shown does look pretty cool.

Also new this week:

• “Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Apocalypse” DLC (Xbox 360) – August 27
• “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” (Xbox 360, PC) – August 28
• “Guardians of Middle-Earth” (PC) – August 29
• “Pokemon Rumble U” (Wii U) – August 29
• “Painkiller: Hell & Damnation” (PS3, Xbox 360) – August 30