After checking out ModNation Racers at a Sony event last December and participating in the beta later that month, I was definitely intrigued by the a quirky, fun kart racer that may actually be able to hold its own against Nintendo's kart racing series. I didn't get to spend nearly enough time with ModNation Racers to be able to tell whether or not it would have the lasting appeal of Mario Kart, but we don't have much longer to wait before we can find out. Sony has announced that ModNation Racers now has an official release date of May 25, putting it just a few days ahead of GameStop's June 1 placeholder. Additionally, there will be some pre-order incentives for the game, but they vary by retailer.

As you can see from the image above, characters from a few key Sony franchises will be bonus characters in the game: Kratos of God of War fame, Ratchet and Clank from the series of the same name, and Uncharted's Nathan Drake. Who you get depends on where you reserve the game; Kratos will be available through GameStop, Ratchet and Clank from Amazon, and Nathan Drake from Best Buy.





These are all nice incentives, but personally I think I would have to go with Kratos. He was awesome in Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds, and he looks so badass driving around in his little Kart of Chaos. Who would you choose? Are you looking forward to kicking off the summer with ModNation Racers?