Square Enix teases more Tomb Raider treasure

If the murmuring down the internet’s not so hallowed halls this week are to be believed, something is definitely up with Tomb Raider. One of the rumours is that a port of this year’s Tomb Raider reboot to the next gen consoles is on the cards; another is that the company may well spill some details about the next Tomb Raider game as early as next month.

With regards to the former, Amazon Italy started stirring the pot, by showing a page slating a Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on the PS4. Square Enix’s response to IGN only fanned the flames further’, with a representative commenting, "It's so hard to keep a secret these days! We appreciate all of the enthusiasm, however we don't have any details to share just yet. That said, we highly recommend you keep an eye on any major gaming events happening in early December."

It’s no coincidence that the Spike Video Game Awards are happening in the first week of next month. What’s more, this week Square Enix  also trademarked Tomb Raider: Reflections, although this could be anything, from the sequel, to even a mobile spin-off.

We do know that Crystal Dynamics is hard at work on the next Tomb Raider title, that much has already been confirmed. Also, despite the cloud that Square Enix introduced with its unrealistic sales targets, the game was nonetheless a triumph, and is widely considered to be a critical hit.

New Game of Thrones rumoured to be in development

Winter may not be coming (at least not down here in the southern hemisphere) but rumours are rife that something Game of Thrones related may be on its way from Telltale Games. Alas, there is no word as yet as to which characters the game would focus on or whether such a game would base itself on the books or seek to faithfully replicate the TV series.

Indeed, according to IGN, Telltale Games is keeping mum with its plans, commenting, “We get these sorts of rumors about what we could be working on next cropping up all the time. Officially we have no comment.”  

The studio is no stranger to bringing gritty and gory TV series to the interactive entertainment stage, having already shown their prowess with The Walking Dead episodic entries. If the rumours bear fruit though, we would love the option to be able to kill Joffre, Walking Dead style, or at the very least slap him repeatedly with our own virtual hands.

Free version of Super Mario 3D Land up for grabs

Nintendo has announced yet another promotion that rewards players for purchasing certain games, this time, with a free downloadable version of Super Mario 3D Land.

To participate in the promotion, Nintendo 3DS or Nintendo 3DS XL owners need to register their console and one of 15 selected games with Club Nintendo between 27^th November 2013 and 13^th January 2014. Once done, players can then request a free download code for Super Mario 3D Land by 13^th February 2014, which can be redeemed on any Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL or Nintendo 2DS system before 13^th March 2014.

The 15 selected games included in this promotion are Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3, Fire Emblem: Awakening, Luigi’s Mansion 2, EGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins and Sonic Lost World (Nintendo 3DS version),

Additionally, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Nintendo 3DS version), Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, Bravely Default, New Super Mario Bros. 2, Mario Kart 7 and Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy round out the qualifying titles.

Nintendo clarified that applicable hardware and software which has been purchased before 27^th November but hasn’t yet been registered with Club Nintendo is also eligible for the promotion.

Borderlands 2 receiving yet more DLC

Vault Hunters, rejoice! The oddly named The Horrible Hunger of the Ravenous Wattle Gobbler is inbound. 2k Games confirmed that the second Headhunter add-on for Borderlands 2 will be available on the 27th of  November (this Wednesday) for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 for approximately R30. The DLC, which features a giant turkey in honour of Thanksgiving Stateside, also apparently features another notable character to watch out for.

The developers elaborated that there’s also a strong theme of family in the DLC, embodied by characters like Mr. Torgue’s super buff grandmother, Grandma Flexington. “Grandma Flexington reminds us that we should be nice to Grandma during the holidays, even if she rambles on for way too long. This may be a tiny spoiler, but the actress that did voice over for Grandma Flexington performed that part so much better than we ever imagined and we can’t wait for players to finally meet her,” the company teased.  

For a fuller look at what to expect, waddle your way down to the preview below.

What’s the story with MGS5: Ground Zeroes?

Metal Gear Solid fans do not only have Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain to look forward to, as Konami is also working on its prologue, namely Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. Ground Zeroes will see Snake slither his way onto the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4 within Q2 2013. Konami has now released a few details surrounding the storyline via its website, with events in the game taking place during 1975 - the year when John Lennon’s new single Dream ruled the airwaves and Margaret Thatcher was elected leader of British Conservative Party.

Ground Zeroes may be the prequel to The Phantom Pain, but it is also the direct sequel of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (review). Snake is in charge of a clandestine group in the Caribbean that is operating in the shadows as elite guns-for-hire for various governments around the world. After a couple of colleagues get into a jam, Snake embarks on a rescue mission (solo of course). All we have to say to those standing in his way is, if you can see Snake, he can see you and if you can't see Snake you may be only seconds away from death.

GT6 as real as it gets, GT7 coming sooner than expected

Gran Turismo 6 is leaving the development pits on 6 December, with Polyphony Digital’s adieu to the PlayStation 3 aiming to be the best racing simulation title in the franchise’s prestigious history. GT6 entails a new graphics and physics engine cranking all the power possible out of the current gen system, as well as 1200 cars (not counting those included via DLC) and 33 exotic locations to race on. Check out the latest trailer for the game (posted below) which compares an in-game track with video footage of its real world counterpart.

An extra news nugget for next-gen fans was recently revealed by series creator Kazunori Yamauchi during an interview with Top Gear. Yamauchi said that Polyphony Digital does not want to take too long with Gran Turismo 7, adding that we may even see it released as soon as 2014.

Unlike GT6 which is a PS3 exclusive, GT7 will be burning virtual rubber on the PS4, with Yamauchi stating that “the PS4’s hardware is much better, so I think the overall quality of the game across the board will be boosted when you come to play it.

Contributions by Hanleigh Daniels