June 11: wallet threat level yellow

Good news! This week’s wallet threat level plummets with the release of Lollipop Chainsaw. I can’t post the review until midnight tonight, but suffice to say your wallet can sleep safe and sound. Wait a second! The red phone is ringing! Hold on.

Oh dear, it seems the wallet threat level has elevated substantially with the release of Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion. Since its release, this epic sci-fi RTS has gotten cool add-ons that fold in new bits of gameplay. But Rebellion remixes the entire experience for the better. One of the best RTSs you can play just got better.

Krater is an oddduck from Fatshark. Based on the beta, I’m not convinced it works as a direct competitor to Diablo III and Torchlight 2, the games it most closely resembles. But I’m intrigued by its touch of real time strategy, party-based RPGing, and characters who can actually die. It goes live tonight, so stand by for more detailed impressions this week.

Sony releases a new game for the PSP Veeta called Gravity Rush. I did my term of service with gravity rushing in last week’s stinker, Inversion. Which I didn’t have to play on a $300 handheld boondoggle. Furthermore, Konami ports a few old Metal Gear Solids to the Vida. Meanwhile, Atlus shows some love for the PSP Regular with a nifty tactical RPG called Gungnir. From playing a few levels, I can plainly see the same colorful charm and exhaustive detail of Jean d’Arc, Tactics Ogre, and Disgaea.

Finally, Dirt: Showdown is out. And by out, I mean it’s out on the platform of preference for those of us who take our arcade racing in the living room.