The first episode of Life is Strange is almost set for launch. To celebrate, Square Enix and DONTNOD have released the launch trailer and the third and final installment of the developer diary series. The dev diary titled ‘Creating Arcadia Bay’ features in-depth details of the sights and sounds you can expect in Life is Strange and reveals full details on the licenced soundtrack as well as the names of the voice actors behind Max & Chloe. The DONTNOD team also discuss how they achieved their visual style by hand-painting every texture in the game.

Life is Strange will be released on January 30th for PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. The first episode will be available for $4.99 or alternatively as part of the season pass for $19.99.

NIS America has released new trailers for The Awakened Fate Ultimatum, introducing the game plot and the two main female characters, Ariael and Jupiel. The Awakened Fate Ultimatum will be available on March 17th exclusively for the PlayStation 3.

Idea Factory today announced that Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 is now available for PC via Steam. Originally only available on the PlayStation Vita, the JRPG will be available for %50 off, at $14.99, for the first week of launch.

Sony Computer Entertainment today revealed the lineup of free games for PlayStation Plus members in February, including Transistor and Apotheon for the PlayStation 4; Yakuza 4 and Thief for the PlayStation 3; and Rogue Legacy and Kick & Fennick for the PlayStation Vita.

Visceral Games today announced that Battlefield Hardline will host an open multiplayer beta from February 3rd to February 8th. The beta will be available to all players on Origin for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360. Visceral Games also released a new trailer that gives gamers an in-depth look at how new innovations with story, speed and strategy in single player and multiplayer are helping to make Battlefield Hardline a complete first-person shooter experience.

The Battlefield Hardline open beta will feature three different maps and modes highlighting this cops and criminals fantasy world. The all-new Hotwire mode brings high-speed chases to the battlefield, as the criminals attempt to steal a list of marked cars while the cops try to repossess them. Available on two maps in the beta, Downtown and Dust Bowl, success in Hotwire will be predicated on teamwork and precision driving. Players can also experience the Battlefield franchise’s signature mode Conquest in Dust Bowl, with battles for up to 64 players. And finally, the beta will also feature Heist, another new mode being introduced in Battlefield Hardline. Playable on the map Bank Job, the mode will pit criminals trying to pull off that big score and break into a bank vault, securing their take at drop off points in the map while a squad of cops work together to stop them.

The Battlefield Hardline beta will also provide access to the full breadth of multiplayer progression in the game, which features new weapons, vehicles, gadgets and gear. Players will have to create new strategies on the battlefield with faster getaway methods like the zipline and muscle cars, or new entry tactics with the grappling hook and non-lethal takedown options like arrests, interrogations and stun guns. On top of all this, the beta will give the first look at another game mode called Hacker. This takes surveillance to the next level as one player on each side can hack the battlefield in different ways including hacking into security cameras, spotting enemies and specifying areas for their team to attack or defend. Hacker mode will be playable on all modes in the beta.

Battlefield Hardline will be available March 17th on Origin for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Sega today announced a partnership with Japanese video game developers Ecole and French Bread to bring Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax to the West for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in summer 2015. Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax is a 2D crossover fighting game featuring characters from Japanese novels published under the Dengeki Bunko label.

In Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax players attack, guard, and take damage in order to build their Climax Meter, allowing them to execute moves which recreate highlight scenes from the original novels, even adding specially arranged animations for characters who do not fight in the original works. The game includes characters from numerous Dengeki Bunko works alongside several fan-favorite Sega characters brought together in Sega-themed environments.

Ubisoft today announced that Heroes of Might & Magic III HD Edition is now available for download on PC. The fifteen year-old title returns in full HD thanks to the refined work done on graphics. Players will relive the Heroes III adventure through seven campaign scenarios and 48 skirmish maps, enjoy a local multiplayer mode, a map editor and a Steam lobby, in which they can share their experience with other fans of the franchise.

Frogmind announced today that it is bringing the action-adventure game, Badland, to new platforms in spring 2015. Badland: Game of the Year Edition will bring the tablet experience to life with improvements on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, and Steam for PC.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games and The LEGO Group today announced their 2015 slate of LEGO videogames, including LEGO Jurassic World and LEGO Marvel’s Avengers.

LEGO Jurassic World

Following the storylines of Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III, as well as the upcoming Jurassic World, LEGO Jurassic World is the first videogame where players will be able to relive and experience all four Jurassic films. The game will be available in June for Xbox One and Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, and PC.

LEGO Marvel’s Avengers

Experience the first console videogame featuring characters and storylines from the film Marvel’s The Avengers and the upcoming sequel Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, and more. Play as the most powerful Super Heroes in their quest to save humanity. The game will be available in fall 2015 for Xbox One and Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, and PC.

LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin

The LEGO Ninjago franchise gets its most expansive adventure to date in LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin. The latest LEGO handheld game delivers an untold story of the LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu TV show. Using their Spinjitzu abilities, players can unleash their Ninja’s elemental power to smash their way through enemies and solve puzzles. The game comes out for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita on March 24th.

2K has released a video of the Firaxis Megapanel at PAX South, recorded this last Saturday, January 24th in San Antonio, TX. The session features game designer Sid Meier alongside the lead designers from the strategy title, Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth. The panel reveals the first public gameplay footage of Sid Meier’s Starships, as well as addresses the thematic tie-ins, connectivity and differences of the two games. Sid Meier’s Starships is scheduled to release for PC early this year.