Assassin's Creed 4, Battlefield 4 Highlight This Week's PSN Update

Pirates, soldiers, vampire hunters and more hit the PlayStation lineup this week with another truckload of titles primed to arrive on markets both physical and digital. A new genearation of consoles might be just around the corner, but that's not keeping the current gen from going out with a bang.

In case you're having a hard time waiting for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to arrive in a few weeks, this week's latest offerings at retail and via PSN should help pass the time more quickly as this week's Drop offers up a wide variety of gaming goodness from an equally varied collection of genres.

First up this week is the latest in the pretty-much annual series, Assassin's Creed, with its fourth entry, Black Flag. It'll be available in both physical and digital formats, meaning you can pick your poison when it comes to dishing out yet another fresh batch of justice at the pointy end of all manner of deadly instruments.

“Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag...sends gamers on a wild adventure piercing the heart of the Caribbean,” said PlayStation Social Media Specialist, Ryan Clements. “Play as the cunning Edward Kenway as he sails into danger and fortune. Experience yet another piece of the great puzzle that is the Assassin Templar war.”

Clements is quick to point out that Black Flag will be sharing the spotlight this week, namely with one of the biggest, baddest military first-person shooters to ever hit a games console, Battlefield 4. Along with “sizzling visuals and immense action,” Clements promises the team at DICE have provided a “character-driven campaign,” as well as the requisite massive multiplayer offerings pitting huge teams of 32 soldiers against one another. As with Black Flag, Battlefield 4 will be available day one at retail and digitally through PSN.

And while AC4 and BF4 will likely create the most waves this week, there's still plenty of other options for those who have little taste for swashbuckling or sneaking behind enemy lines. Angry Birds Star Wars, for instance, will be up for grabs on the PS3 and Vita this week, both as a physical and a digital offering. It's all of the fowl-flinging antics you've come to expect from the series, complete with a Star Wars coat of paint and 20 exclusive new levels.

Formerly a 3DS exclusive, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow-Mirror of Fate HD arrives on PS3 this week, bridging the gap between the first and upcoming second game in the storied vampire-hunting series.

Crazy Market and OMG HD Zombies will provide some lighter entertainment for the Vita crowd this week while Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires tasks gamers with uniting China under one banner using cunning and brute force.

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures send the gaming icon on a 3D adventure the likes of which he's never experienced this week while Proteus finally arrives on both the PS3 and Vita, offering a unique take on the simple act of exploration.

Finally step into the ring with your favorite wrestlers as WWE 2K14 lays the smackdown on the PS3 this week.

Look for all of that, and more, in stores tomorrow morning or digitally through the PlayStation Network once the regular weekly update goes live Tuesday afternoon.