Video game releases Dark Souls Rage Just Dance

The purgatorially difficult Dark Souls, post-apocalyptic shooter Rage, and light-hearted party game Just Dance 3 are among a crop of new games out the week of October 2-8.

Dark Souls (360 PS3)
Japan: September 22, D (17+), ¥8,200
North America: October 4, M17+, $59
European regions: October 7, 16+, €59 / £49 / R599

Medieval fantasy adventure in which every mistake is punished and players' fortitude is under constant examination. Online mode allows participants to invade each others' games for good or evil purposes. High expectations due to predecessor Demon's Souls.
preparetodie.com

Rage (360 PC PS3)
North America: October 4, M17+, $59
European regions: October 7, 18+, €49-€69 / R325-R499
UK: October 7, 15, £35-£49
Japan: October 6, Z (18+), ¥7,980

First in a new franchise from industry giants Id Software (Wolfenstein, Doom, Quake), this time merging state-of-the-art graphics, weapon wielding and road racing on a devastated future Earth.
rage.com

Just Dance 3 (360 Kinect, PS3 Move, Wii)
North America: October 7, Everyone, $39
Europe: October 11, 3+, €39-€49 / £29-£39 / R399

Available for the first time on 360 and PS3, and returning to the Wii with console-specific features. Over 45 new tracks including A-Ha, Daft Punk, Duck Sauce, Bollywood Rainbow, Katy Perry, LMFAO, and Taio Cruz.
justdancegame.com

Eufloria (PS3 via download)
Already available on PC
North America: October 4, Everyone, $10
Europe: October 5, 3+, €10 / £8
Biological warfare in space! Direct swarms of seedlings to propagate asteroid clusters and take them over before the enemy does. Independent Games Festival finalist 2009.
eufloria-game.com

NBA 2K12 (360 PC PS3 PSP)
North America: October 4, Everyone, $19-$59
European regions: October 7, 3+, / £25-£49 / R199-499
Japan: October 20, ¥5,040-¥6,090

Michael Jordan was the star of NBA 2K11, and here he's joined by legends like Bird, Ewing, Magic, Pippen and Olajuwon. Current teams are also in the mix, though rookies won't be due to the ongoing NBA salary dispute.
2ksports.com/games/nba2k12

NBA Jam: On Fire Edition (360 PS3 via download)
360: October 5, 1200 points ($15).
PS3: North America, October 4, $15. Europe, October 5, €13 / £10

Two-on-two arcade basketball with a range of improbable dunks, new "on fire" modes, taunts, and tag team dynamics for online multiplayer.
ea.com/nba-jam-on-fire

Spider-Man: Edge of Time (360 3DS DS PS3 Wii)
North America: October 4, Teen, $39-$59
Europe: October 14, 12+, €39-€59 / £29-£49 / R279-R479

Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099 must team up across time to defeat Walker Sloan's dictatorial empire and monstrous super villain Anti-Venom.
herohq.com/spidermanedgeoftime