Upcoming video games: Sound Shapes, Persona 4 Arena, Sleeping Dogs

Musical experiments in platformer Sound Shapes beckon on PlayStation Vita, with contributions from Beck, Deadmau5, and Jim Guthrie.

Musical experiments in platformer Sound Shapes beckon on PlayStation Vita, with contributions from Beck, Deadmau5, and Jim Guthrie.

Sound Shapes (PS3 PSVita via download)

North America: August 7, E for Everyone

Europe: August 15, 3+

Intriguing platformer that blends action and sound, with contributions from Deadmau5, Beck, Jim Guthrie and Superbrothers (of iOS, PC and Mac hit Sword & Sworcery); there's level creation and sharing between PS3 and Vita users.

Price:

$14.99 / €12.99 / £9.99

Persona 4 Arena (360 PS3)
North America: August 7, Teen
European regions: August 31, 16+
Japan: since July, B (12+)

Considered role playing series crosses genres for a bit of bish bash bosh as the makers of the BlazBlue fighting games convert characters from Persona 3 and Persona 4 into agile one-on-one martial experts.

Price:

$59 / €49 / £39 / ¥7,990

Sleeping Dogs

(360 PC PS3)

North America:

August 14, M17+

European regions:

August 17, 18+

Japan:

September 27, Z (18+)

Roam around Hong Kong as an undercover cop infiltrating the brutal triads. Inspired by classic action flicks such as Infernal Affairs and Hard Boiled.

Price:

$59 / €59 / £39 / R549 / ¥7,980

On PC:

$49 / €49 / £29 / R399 / ¥7,980

Darksiders II

(360 PC PS3)

North America:

August 14, M17+

European regions:

August 21, 18+

Plunge yourself into the chaos of the earth's final apocalypse as Death, one of the Four Horsemen, as voiced by the gravely Michael Wincott (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Crow), and vindicate fellow horseman War, star of the first game.
Price: $59 / €69 / £39 / R599
On PC: $49 / €49 / £35 / R399

New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS)
North America: August 19, E
European regions: August 17, 3+
Japan: July 28, A (all ages)

Coin-collecting frenzy New Super Mario Bros. 2 has been boasting of its long-term replay value. Mario's latest outing could prove a decent little money-spinner for Nintendo too.
Price: $39 / €39 / £29 / R499 / ¥4,800

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (360 Mac PC PS3)
North America: August 21, Teen
European regions: August 24, 12+

Settle the score between Autobots and Decepticons during the final moments of home planet Cybertron in a conflict that sucks in transforming robots miniscule and megalithic.
Price: $59 / €59 / £39 / R599, less on PC