Getting Down-loaded: What Downloadable Goodies Came Out This Week?

Every week we’ll overview the stuff that came out for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, letting you know what great games and demos are now within your reach.  So without further ado, let’s get started…

Medal of Honor Warfighter Beta (XBL) – Just over two weeks out from the game’s release, Electronic Arts has launched one last online multiplayer beta for its forthcoming first-person shooter, which pits Tier 1 teams against one another in a heated battle through a stadium in Sarajevo.  You’ll be able to rack up points and do some damage without paying a dime, because the demo’s free of charge to all Xbox Live Gold subscribers.  You’ll just need about 1.91 GB of hard drive space to get it.

Trials Evolution: Origin of Pain (XBL) – Out this week for Xbox Live Marketplace, Origin of Pain will put Trials Evolution fans through a whole new series of challenges.  So, yeah, you might want to Nerf-ize your controller to prevent breaking it.  This add-on, priced at 400 Microsoft points ($5), features 36 new levels, including 10 new Supercross tracks to race your friends on, as well as a new BMX dirt bike, new items for the editor tool and plenty of abilities – including a grappling hook and the option to teleport.  It doesn’t make the game any easier though – it’s still as nuts as ever.  A must for fans.

NiGHTS Into Dreams HD (XBL, PSN) – A game that launched more than a decade ago on the Sega Saturn, NiGHTS comes flying into the HD era in style, with all of the original levels redesigned with gorgeous colors and high-definition detail.  What’s more, for a mere 800 Microsoft points (or $10), you’ll also get a number of extras, including online leaderboards that let you challenge a friend and the inclusion of all the content from the very rare Christmas NiGHTS expansion – free of charge!  If that isn’t the stuff that dreams are made of, we don’t know what is.

Sonic Adventure 2 (with battle expansion) (XBL, PSN) – Another Sega favorite is now available to experience in the new gaming era as well.  Sonic and his friends return in Sonic Adventure 2, set across various different stages across two campaigns – good and dark.  Help Sonic, Tails and Knuckles find the Chaos Emeralds, or guide Eggman, Shadow and Rouge on their dark path to victory.  The choice is yours.  And if you’re a fan of Chaos, you can buy the additional battle mode for 240 Microsoft points ($3) and take on your friends in Chao Karate, as well as various other challenges.  Good fun…but the Knuckles and Rouge stages drag on wayyyyy too long.

The launch of PSN’s Digital Day 1 services (PSN) – Sony is kicking off their huge new “Digital Day 1” program this week for PlayStation Network, making full retail games available the same day that they hit stores.  They’ve been doing it for a while now (like with Transformers: Fall of Cybertron and Borderlands 2), but it’s, um, official, I guess.  Resident Evil 6 and NBA 2K13 are available for $59.99 a pop this week, and Assassin’s Creed III is now available for pre-order, coming October 30th.  It’s a neat idea, though we’ve been hearing that Resident Evil 6 has been problematic when it comes to downloading it.  Proceed with caution – or just buy the disc version.

Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (PSN) – The final Lego Harry Potter game (for the forseeable future, anyway) has hit traveling through the final chapters of the book series, leading up to his eventual battle with Voldemort.  Like most Lego games, this one features fun two-player action, as well as a variety of puzzles to solve and plenty of action.  And it’s only $20 – not a bad deal at all.

Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon Special Edition (PSN) – One of two PlayStation 2 games getting a digital re-release on PlayStation Network, Innocent Life is a fun little game where you have to overcome an ancient curse and help out some fellow neighbors in the city of Heartaflame, all in the name of farming.  If you’re a fan of the series, this is a must.

Ruff Trigger: The Vanocore Conspiracy (PSN) – A Ratchet and Clank clone that didn’t quite pan out the way that Mastiff was hoping, Ruff Trigger is a space adventure with all sort of weapons at your disposal and some interesting level designs.  If you’re tuckered out on all the Ratchet and Clank games, it may be worth a look.  Otherwise, skip it.

Next week?

Next week will be jam-packed, with Worms Revolution making the rounds, as well as the arrival of Retro City Rampage on PSN/PS Vita, Joe Danger 2: Special Edition for PSN and more.  We’ll have a full wrap-up, as expected, right here on Getting Down-loaded.

See you next week!