The Drop: Week of January 28th 2013 New Releases

Blurring the borders of good and evil, this cinematic and stylized adventure stars Bayonetta, a heroine bent on sending supernatural forces to the depths of hell. Armed with her four enchanted guns known as Scarborough Fair, she battles both monstrous behemoths and angelic enemies. This PS3 classics, comes to PSN as a full-digital download.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a PlayStation 2 classic and demos for the PS3 and PS Vita version of Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time are available for download on this week’s The Drop.

Bayonetta — Bayonetta is a stylish and cinematic action game, directed by Hideki Kamiya. A witch with powers beyond the comprehension of mere mortals, Bayonetta faces-off against countless angelic enemies, many reaching epic proportions, in a game of 100% pure, unadulterated all-out action. Outlandish finishing moves are performed with balletic grace as Bayonetta flows from one fight to another. With magnificent over-the-top action taking place in stages that are a veritable theme park of exciting attractions, Bayonetta pushes the limits of the action genre, bringing to life its fast-paced, dynamic climax combat.

Hitman: Blood Money — The fourth in the chilling Hitman series featuring the cold-blooded killer Agent 47. Finding that members of his contract agency, The ICA, are now being quietly (and mortally) eliminated, Agent 47 suspects a larger organization is moving in. Fearing he may be the next target, he heads to America. His jobs now will pay in straight-up cash — and how he spends the money will affect what weapons he has and what he does next. The developer added new gameplay systems, such as the concepts of notoriety and of blood money. The new Notoriety system means that anyone causing a bloodbath worthy of front page news is risking being recognised by civilians and guards in the future. Blood money lets players spend their earnings on fully customisable precision weapons and specialist equipment, or they can buy additional information upon the targets and location at hand, to aid a successful and professional hit.

Hitman: Contracts — The third installment in the critically acclaimed, multi-million selling Hitman series, developed by Io Interactive. Hitman: Contracts delivers more action-packed and suspense-filled missions, with a greater variety of ways to make the perfect kill and an increased arsenal of firearms and close-combat weapons. You’ll begin, as usual, as Agent 47, one of the most ruthlessly efficient contract killers in gaming history. Beginning in Paris, the game sees 47 in a vunerable situation, and promises to be, the most disturbing episode in the series. A new graphics engine showcases your ‘work’ in brutal detail and brings the new locations to life. An improved control system and more gradual learning curve will ensure that the game is accessible to all aspiring hitmen.

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin — Third-person action shooter from Io Interactive, also released on consoles. Players assume the role of “47,” a retired hitman who was once considered the best in his particular field. The title opens up as 47 is living peacefully in Sicily and trying to cope with some of the horrible atrocities he committed in his dark, mysterious past. Shortly after attending confession, 47 learns that his priest and mentor has been kidnapped by the mafia, and so he decides to temporarily come out of retirement to get him back. Carnage, naturally, ensues. The game jettisons players through 20 missions that span across such areas as Sicily, Japan, St. Petersburg, India and even Malaysia.

Zone of the Enders: HD Collection — Hardcore gameplay and an immersive storyline combine with stunning, vibrant visuals in this HD remastering of the legendary Zone of the Enders series. With the increased aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9, upped frame rate from 30 fps to 60 fps, and evolved audio for crisper sound effects, no leaf has been left unturned in bringing Z.O.E into the HD universe. Kojima Productions even teamed up with Sunrise to bring you an impressive introduction sequence that combines artistry and beautiful anime with technical and upscaled CG for an opening that will instantly put you in the zone. With the added bonus of all-new trophies and achievements to collect, this HD Collection is sure to leave you with a satisfying and enthralling gameplay experience.

Air Conflicts: Secret Wars — Air Conflicts: Secret Wars is an arcade flight simulation set in World War I & II scenarios. During the 7 campaigns the player has to fly and fight through over 48 missions. Before taking off, the player can choose between different aircrafts, each with different strengths and weaknesses.

Let’s Fish: Hooked On (PS Vita) — Featuring bright anime style artwork and authentic sports action by veteran Japanese fishing game design studio SIMS, Let’s Fish! Hooked On is the Playstation Vita’s first full-scale fishing game, delivering an intuitive arcade gaming experience with gameplay features tailored exclusively for this handheld device. The game combines realistic fishing action with fast arcade-style gameplay and comes complete with a full story mode, which aims to make fishing fun for everyone.

PlayStation Move

• Heavy Fire: Shattered Spear

Demos

• Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (PS Vita/PS3)

PlayStation 2 Classics

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — Following the success of Grand Theft Auto, developer Rockstar North takes gamers on a tour of a new city inGrand Theft Auto: Vice City. With new sights, new characters, new (ahem) business opportunities, and even a whole new ’80s themed era, players can indulge in more criminal fun than ever before.

Vice City features more expansive locations, and over 120 vehicles ripe for the picking such as exotic cars, motorcycles, luxury yachts and planes. The soundtrack boasts three times the tunes compared to the previous GTA, and features countless ’80s hits. Over 40 different weapons ensure effective firepower and provide enough variety for stylish defensive measures (samurai sword anyone?). Read More: Rockstar Games

[Editor’s Note: The following dates are subject to change. Game details are gathered from Press Releases, Retail Descriptions, from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]