Video Game Quick Hits 6/4/13

June? Already? Where has the time gone? It’s practically E3 already!

I’m not sure where EA thinks it’s announcement of Grass Effect is going to fit in at E3, what with all the hubbub for PS4 and XBoxOne, but they’ve announced that they’re announcing. As much as I’m annoyed by publishers announcing their announcements and teasing their teasers, it might have actually worked in this case. I’m not sure what to expect of Plants vs. Zombies mashed up with Mass Effect, but I do want to know more. I’m also intrigued by all the smoke in the promo picture for a game with the word “grass” in the title.

Microsoft’s list of games for their E3 presser may have been leaked. This is supposedly from a screen grab of their schedule but nothing can be verified at this time. Take these titles with a grain of salt, but there is definitely an air of legitimacy to them, as some have been publicly announced and others are currently under press embargo:

A billboard posted at the Los Angeles Convention Center for E3 has outed Dark Souls II for a March 2014 release. That’s not an unreasonable release window, but it’s curious that the sign sported logos for PS3, 360, and PC. With PS4 and XBoxOne releasing later this year, why is this not being billed as a next-gen title?

Eidos Montreal is also playing the tease. A tweet from their official channel yesterday simply asks “Are YOU ready for The Fall?” This was clearly related to the registration of domain names several months back for Deus Ex: The Fall. This was confirmed through a teaser on Vine today, with the promise of a real announcement tomorrow. This all makes for good timing with Deus Ex: Human Revolution joining the PS Plus Instant Game Collection today.

Other additions to the Instant Game Collection this month will include Machinarium (PSN), Saints’ Row: The Third (PS3), Orc Attack (Vita), and Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward (Vita). Several titles will also be leaving the IGC this month, meaning you might want to grab these before they go away: Sleeping Dogs (6/4), Closure (6/11), Ratchet & Clank All 4 One (6/11), inFAMOUS 2 (6/11), LittleBigPlanet 2 (6/11), SOULCALIBUR: Broken Destiny (6/18), and BlazBlue: Continuum Shift EXTEND (6/25). Other PS Plus benefits this week will include discounts on Let’s Fish! Hooked On (Vita), Portal 2 and Portal 2 in Motion (PS3, Move), and Grid 2 (PS3).

Have you been wondering what Harmonix is up to after they discontinued Rock Band DLC a few months ago? Wonder no more, they’re making Fantasia: Music Evolved for the Kinect. The game is based on the 1940 Disney classic, casting the player as Yen Sid’s new apprentice. According to Harmonix’s John Drake, “You have the power to become a great musical sorcerer.” You’ll use the Kinect’s motion capture to play through at least 25 songs in 12 levels. Songs will have multiple mixes you’ll be able to play and remix yourself. You’ll also be able to save your new mixes and share them with friends. The whole thing seems a little off the wall, but this is Harmonix and they haven’t steered me wrong yet. I’m interested to learn more, especially since we aren’t just talking about the traditional score from the film. Five songs have been announced for the game so far:

• AVICII – Levels
• Bruno Mars – Locked Out Of Heaven
• Fun. – Some Nights
• Kimbra – Settle Down
• Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody

There should be plenty of huge news coming down the pipe next week with E3. Nintendo has let it be known that they will be demoing three new Mario games for WiiU. Microsoft should be revealing details on the 15 exclusive titles they have planned for the first year of XBox One. June 10th should also see Sony’s reveal of the PS4 design. New console years are always a blast at E3 and this one is shaping up to be one of the biggest.