Japan’s Release Forecast: July 2011

From L.A. Noire to Queen’s Gate, PlayStation gamers in Japan are getting some highly anticipated software this month.

In slot machines and dice rolls, the number seven is the lucky hit. Likewise, July 7, or seven-seven, has some high-profile games hitting Japan. Japanese MMO players will be treated to a title becoming available on PS3 in Angel Love Online on that day. More intriguing to Western gamers will no doubt be the Eastern launch of L.A. Noire. The game got a 39/40 and 95% from the softest game critics in the world, Famitsu and Dengeki magazines, respectively.

But the PS3 and PSP aren’t done there for July 7. PS3 gets R.U.S.E., inFamous 2, Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon, and Knights Contract that day, while PSP gets a whole slew of love adventures. Going to the budget line that day are Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny and My Summer Vacation 4.

The 14th of the month will have Japan getting to play a new PSP RPG called Unchain Blade as well as Brink for PS3.

On July 21, action fans will surely be pleased by the arrival of No More Heroes: Red Zone Edition, F.3.A.R, and Sniper: Ghost Warrior, all for PS3. On the handheld end, BASARA Chronicles: Heroes arrives on PSP. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories had been scheduled to be re-released as a “Rockstar Greatest Hit,” but ran into a snag, so it’ll come out July 21 instead.

Operation Flash Point: Red River, Fit in Six (for Move), and Dungeon Siege III will sneak in just before the end of the month, on July 28. The success of boobalicious anime RPG Queen’s Blade has led to a sequel, and Queen’s Gate will arrive on Japanese PSPs this day as well. North America, on the other hand, will likely never see either one of the Queen’s games.

Looking ahead, August should be big, as it will contain the releases of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, WWE All Stars, and Monster Hunter 3 HD, among others.

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