On Screen- Entertainment Enhanced: E3 2014: Pre-E3 Video Games News Round-Up

Source: Youtube

A new edition of Forza 5, an endless runner featuring Spider-Man and more await as we build up to the main event.
Since next week is going to be absolutely jam-packed with unmissable video game reveals and updates on some of the most anticipated projects currently in the works at various development studios, now is the perfect time in which to take stock and recap the plethora of release dates and (perhaps more excitingly still) new video games which were revealed in the past five days to avoid getting swept up in the sheer news tornado that will be E3 2014.

Can these enticing-yet-somewhat subsidiary announcements possibly hope to overshadow- or at least match- the reveals to come on June 9th and June 10th? Of course not. All the same, there's intriguing content aplenty contained here, so read on below to unearth more than a few pieces of hidden treasure...

NEW METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN GAMEPLAY VIDEO RELEASED- Hot on the heels of the release of the oh-so-controversial Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (better known to most as a pricey retail DLC pack), Konami have unveiled the first trailer (below) for the full MGS V product, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. What does it show? Well, we wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, but suffice to say that if watching a grown man stalk his prey from the safety of the innards of a cardboard box is paramount to your daily dosage of raised adrenaline, then the video won't disappoint in the slightest! Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain crawls onto PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC in 2015.
BORDERLANDS: THE PRE-SEQUEL! RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCED- Gearbox Software have this week confirmed the US and UK release dates of their upcoming first-person-shooter title Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!. Set between the events of the original Borderlands and its 2012 sequel, this in-between-quel will take players to the Moon (utilising its ultra-low gravity for some psychedelic and frantically violent set-pieces) and in doing so explores the origins of the villainous Handsome Jack. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! causes mayhem on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC this October 17th (in the UK- its release date is October 14th in the US).
NEW MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR GAMEPLAY TRAILER RELEASED- Batman: Arkham Knight may have been pushed back from its original October launch slot to a 2015 release, but Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor on the other hand is holding firm, and Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment have offered up a new pre-E3 gameplay trailer (below) to prove it. Monolith Productions have been working on this project for a fair while now, and despite allegations of its animations engine bearing a striking similarity to that of Assassin's Creed II, chances are that it'll end up being the finest The Lord of the Rings licensed tie-in to date. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor slaughters its adversaries on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PC this October 7th.
THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCED- Credit must go to CD Projekt RED for having the courage to hold a pre-E3 press conference in order to reveal new details about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. As well as confirming that the Standard Edition of the fantasy open-world game would come packaged with a soundtrack, stickers and more and that the Collector's Edition would boast a mighty statue depicting protagonist Geralt as he wrestles with a monstrous enemy, the development team announced that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will retail for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on February 24th, 2015. The Summer Conference trail for Wild Hunt is available to watch below this list.
BATTLEFIELD: HARDLINE RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCED- It's a shame that Visceral Games don't appear to be able to keep a lid on any of their major announcements regarding their upcoming franchise spin-off Battlefield: Hardline these days. First confirmed to exist last week, Hardline prioritizes Cops Vs. Criminals-style action in a manner not dissimilar to what the likes of True Detective and Gotham are doing at present. A new gameplay teaser trailer for the much-anticipated latest instalment in the now-annualized series can be witnessed in all of its glory below. Battlefield: Hardline will wage war on a still-to-be-announced set of platforms this October 21st.
KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 REMIX RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCED- Sadly, neither Final Fantasy XV nor Kingdom Hearts III will be making a playable appearance at the Electronic Entertainment Expo next week. On the plus side, however, we've now had it confirmed by Square Enix that Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX (a new trailer for which can be found below), a HD re-release of the beloved 2005 fantasy RPG featuring Disney and FF characters in abundance, will cross through a Gummi portal to retail exclusively for PlayStation 3 consoles this December 5th.
DISNEY FANTASIA: MUSIC EVOLVED RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCED- Harmonix Music Systems have this week announced the global release date of their music-rhythm title Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved. For anyone who was conned into purchasing the Xbox One with Kinect rather than waiting out the sensor-free version which is launching next Monday, Music Evolved represents an essential investment, simply because it's going to make more efficient use of the motion-sensing device than ever before and is sure to entertain your family for countless hours in the process thanks to its regular referencing of one of the most beloved Disney animated films of all-time. Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved commences its whimsical melodies on Xbox One and Xbox 360 this October 21st.
FORZA MOTORSPORT 5: RACING GAME OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCED- Heaven help us- developers aren't letting their products' failures to receive a Game of the Year award stop them from re-releasing a Game of the Year-esque upgraded edition anymore! Instead, Turn 10 Studios have concocted Forza Motorsport 5: Racing Game of the Year, a bumper-sized package which adds over 25 new tracks and vehicles to the already-extensive roster which was available in the original product. Forza Motorsport 5: Racing Game of the Year zooms exclusively onto Xbox One this July 22nd.
SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED ANNOUNCED- And last but by no means least, Marvel Entertainment and Gameloft have today announced the development of Spider-Man Unlimited for release on mobile video gaming devices later this year. Taking the form of an endless runner not unlike Temple Run or Sonic Dash, Unlimited will merge together the various incarnations of the Webbed Wonder just in time to coincide with the universe-blending comic-book crossover event Spider-Verse in the Autumn. Talk about a lucky coincidence, eh? Spider-Man Unlimited will swing onto iOS, Windows and Android App Stores this September.