Gamasutra's regular round-up of worldwide video game releases, "Release This!", takes a look at every game title we know to be shipping to stores this week, in a custom compiled list.
This week brings Diablo III and Max Payne 3 to North America and Europe alongside downloadable highlights like Sonic 4 Episode II and PixelJunk 4am.
The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending May 19th, 2012.
Games Released in the United States:
Nearly 12 years after the release of Diablo II, Blizzard's anticipated action-RPG sequel Diablo III will premiere at retail and as a downloadable title in North America and Europe this week, boasting five playable classes, an overhauled quest system, and a random encounter generator.
Another long-awaited sequel hitting store shelves this week is Rockstar Studios' third-person shooter Max Payne 3, which arrives nearly eight years after the launch of Max Payne 2. Max Payne 3 offers a new take on the series' traditional bullet-time gunplay, and introduces a multiplayer mode in which objectives change dynamically throughout each match.
This week also brings a diverse slate of downloadable titles, including Sega's side-scrolling platformer Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II, a Kinect-enhanced port of the laserdisc arcade game Dragon's Lair, the PS3-exclusive music visualizer PixelJunk 4am, and a standalone Hitman game available as a preorder bonus for Hitman: Absolution.
Nintendo Wii:
- Battleship
Xbox 360:
- Akai Katana Shin
- Battleship
- Dragon's Lair (Xbox Live Arcade)
- Game of Thrones
- Hitman: Sniper Challenge (Preorder-exclusive download)
- JAM Live Music Arcade (Xbox Live Arcade)
- Max Payne 3
- Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (Xbox Live Arcade)
PlayStation 3:
- Battleship
- Game of Thrones
- Hitman: Sniper Challenge (Preorder-exclusive download)
- JAM Live Music Arcade (PlayStation Network)
- Max Payne 3
- PixelJunk 4am (PlayStation Network)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (PlayStation Network)
Nintendo 3DS:
- Battleship
Nintendo DS:
- Battleship
PC:
- Diablo III
- Game of Thrones
- Hitman: Sniper Challenge (Preorder-exclusive download)
- Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
- Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (online)
Games Released in Europe:
Diablo III and Max Payne 3 headline this week's European lineup, arriving alongside the region-exclusive Olympic sports sim Athletics Tournament and the multiplatform brawler Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion XL.
Nintendo Wii:
- Athletics Tournament
- Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion XL
Xbox 360:
- Athletics Tournament
- Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion XL
- Dragon's Lair (Xbox Live Arcade)
- Max Payne 3
- Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (Xbox Live Arcade)
PlayStation 3:
- Athletics Tournament
- Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion XL
- Max Payne 3
Nintendo 3DS:
- Azada
- Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion XL
Nintendo DS:
- 4 Elements II
PC:
- Athletics Tournament
- Blades of Time
- Diablo III
- Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
Games Released in Japan:
A remake of Atlus's classic RPG Persona 2: Batsu (previously released stateside for the original PlayStation as Persona 2: Eternal Punishment) hits the PSP this week in Japan, joining a lineup of visual novel titles from Idea Factory, Media-5, and FuRyu.
The Xbox 360 hosts an updated version of Ignition's stylish brawler El Shaddai, while the 3DS gets the Irem-published pachinko sim Pachi Para 3D Ooumi Monogatari 2.
Xbox 360:
- El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (Encore Edition)
- Dragon's Lair (Xbox Live Arcade)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (Xbox Live Arcade)
Nintendo 3DS:
- Pachi Para 3D Ooumi Monogatari 2: Pachi Pro Fuuunroku Hana - Kibou to Uragiri no Gakuen Seikatsu
PlayStation Portable:
- Brothers Conflict Passion Pink
- Bunmei Kaika: Aoiza Ibunroku Saien
- Danzai No Maria: La Campanella
- Maru Goukaku: Shikaku Dasshu! Shouken Gaimuin Shiken Portable
- Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Iwake Ganai: Portable ga Tsudzuku Wake Ganai
- Persona 2: Batsu
- Soukoku no Kusabi: Hiiro no Kakera 3 Ashita he no Tobira
