If this really is the new PSP2 then sign me up for one. No official information has been released on the subject but we will keep you posted. (click to enlarge) Continue Reading»
If this really is the new PSP2 then sign me up for one. No official information has been released on the subject but we will keep you posted. (click to enlarge) Continue Reading»
The folks at blizzard have done it yet again. Wotlc conquered 24 hour sales records for pc games with good reason. The new class the Death Knight has one of the most impressive quest lines upon your start at level 55, touching on the lore of the Lich King and the Death Knights place in Azeroth while also letting you slay hundreds via undead flying dragon and mounted turret. Also the new continent Northrend is by far the most visually impressive place to date in WoW. You can finally put your computer to work with these beautiful landscapes that really make the whole experience a pleasure to be a part of. Continue Reading»
Since it's release, Gears of War 2 has had a slight problem with gathering online matches. Unless you have a team of 5 all with the classic map pack it is very difficult to find a game. Today Epic released a patch to correct the load times players face on Gears of War 2 matchmaking. The days of waiting to find a match should be over on your next log in.
Continue Reading»
Alpha Protocol was on the cover of GameInformer for its April issue. This game's graphics are really impressive and the story seems very intriguing. By mixing RPG with 3rd person shooter and branching dialog elements, one can't help but be reminded of Mass Effect. What the developers at Obsidian Entertainment are adding is espionage gameplay and a story similar to the likes of a Jason Bourne. Although this doesn't completely diverge my comparison away from Bioware's Mass Effect, I like where they are headed with this game and will keep posting more information on it. Continue Reading»
If you are a person who loves playing online games this one is for you. Left 4 dead is a team based game and you really have to rely on other players during your experience. If you're looking to pick this up and play by yourself, I recommended that you do not buy this game. In the review GameTrailers states "It is a 5 hour game by yourself and a 4 hour game with friends". 4 hours with friends sounds good to me, especially with the "AI Director" feature adapting to the player by changing spawns of zombies and items. This feature alone allows plenty re-playability and should keep your 4 hour experience pretty fresh. Also Valve is a developer that cares about their fans, so expect downloadable content. Continue Reading»
Well the answer is yes and no. A Resident Evil 5 demo has been confirmed for next week, but only for Japan currently.
Famitsu reports in its latest issue that a demo of the latest and greatest in survival horror will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace starting December 5. Players will be able to sample two stages of play set in that familiar urban setting from past game show demos. These stages will be playable both offline and through co-op.
But based on previous track records U.S owners can expect a demo in the near future as well.
via ign Continue Reading»
The removal of Sony's movie library for streaming to the 360 was a pretty big bombshell for a lot of people, myself included, eagerly awaiting the new Netflix service. Well I'm sure everyone will be happy to hear that all the major Sony owned titles have now been added for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.
Continue Reading»
Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, if your willing to take on the lines of people murdering each other for a Wii than there's some awesome deals on 360 consoles. Here's a list of all the deals involving the 360 and more.
Best Buy
Xbox 360 Pro 60GB Holiday Bundle with Tony Hawk Proving Ground & NBA 2k9 $299.99
Playstation 3 80GB w/ Ratchet & Clank & Casino Royale Blu-ray $399.99 (door buster)
Circuit City
Xbox 360 60 GB Pro Holiday Bundle + $30 Gift Card $299.99
Xbox 360 Arcade Holiday Bundle + 20GB HD & Wireless Controller $199.99
Dell
Xbox 360 Arcade Holiday Bundle w/Rock Band 2 Game - $199.00
Radio Shack
Xbox 360 Pro 60GB Hoilday Bundle + $50 pre-paid card via mail in rebate $299.99
Target
Xbox 360 60GB Pro Holiday Bundle with $60 Gift Card $299.99
Walmart
Xbox 360 Arcade Holiday Bundle w/free Guitar Hero III + Wireless Guitar $199
Best Buy
Xbox 360 Pro 60GB Holiday Bundle with Tony Hawk Proving Ground & NBA 2k9 $299.99
Playstation 3 80GB w/ Ratchet & Clank & Casino Royale Blu-ray $399.99 (door buster)
Circuit City
Xbox 360 60 GB Pro Holiday Bundle + $30 Gift Card $299.99
Xbox 360 Arcade Holiday Bundle + 20GB HD & Wireless Controller $199.99
Dell
Xbox 360 Arcade Holiday Bundle w/Rock Band 2 Game - $199.00
Radio Shack
Xbox 360 Pro 60GB Hoilday Bundle + $50 pre-paid card via mail in rebate $299.99
Target
Xbox 360 60GB Pro Holiday Bundle with $60 Gift Card $299.99
Walmart
Xbox 360 Arcade Holiday Bundle w/free Guitar Hero III + Wireless Guitar $199
To see more deals on all things video games head over to the huge list over at Cheap Ass Gamer Continue Reading»
As reported earlier in the week Rockstar announced its first details on its downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto 4. The first images have surfaced to see more click here Continue Reading»
Most have us have beaten Fable 2 by now, and by the end of the game while there was more to do (in most cases) most logged off the world of Albion. Well Lionhead announced that DLC is coming soon. Here's the full press release:
Fable II adventures continue with downloadable content and free pack to release mid-December 2008
The epic journey begun in Fable II, the fastest selling RPG on Xbox 360, is not over. Starting mid-December 2008, fans will be summoned back into Albion's service with the release of the Knothole Island downloadable content pack. The remote island of Knothole is dying: its golden sands and lush vegetation are covered with snow, its people freezing, its treasures buried. Only a hero can face the trials of the three shrines to bring back the sunshine.
Following its release on Xbox 360 on Oct. 21, more than 1.5 million units of Fable II flew off store shelves worldwide in the first two weeks, making it the most popular game, across all platforms, in the U.S. in October. With the release of the first Fable II downloadable content, available exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points, gamers will be invited to set sail for Knothole Island, where new quests, wondrous items and bizarre characters await.
Also in mid-December, fans everywhere will be able to enhance their Fable II experience with the release of a free Fable II downloadable pack exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. To engage in co-op gameplay with a player who has already downloaded the Knothole Island content, gamers will need to download the free pack. Both co-op players must download the Knothole Island (Premium) pack in order to play new quests and enjoy the complete Knothole Island co-op experience.
Free and premium downloaders will receive a show of gifts, including Knight's Boots, Assassins Gloves, a special Weight Loss Potion, collectible silver book and more. Players will also be able to check their standing in over 50 new Leaderboards on Lionhead.com.
As an additional treat for Fable II fans, Lionhead Studios and Microsoft Game Studios have created an all-new Albion dashboard theme in celebration of the launch of the New Xbox Experience. Fans who want to show off their Fable II pride can head over to Xbox LIVE Marketplace to download the Albion theme, available now for 250 Microsoft points
To see the first images of the DLC click here Continue Reading»
Fable II adventures continue with downloadable content and free pack to release mid-December 2008
The epic journey begun in Fable II, the fastest selling RPG on Xbox 360, is not over. Starting mid-December 2008, fans will be summoned back into Albion's service with the release of the Knothole Island downloadable content pack. The remote island of Knothole is dying: its golden sands and lush vegetation are covered with snow, its people freezing, its treasures buried. Only a hero can face the trials of the three shrines to bring back the sunshine.
Following its release on Xbox 360 on Oct. 21, more than 1.5 million units of Fable II flew off store shelves worldwide in the first two weeks, making it the most popular game, across all platforms, in the U.S. in October. With the release of the first Fable II downloadable content, available exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points, gamers will be invited to set sail for Knothole Island, where new quests, wondrous items and bizarre characters await.
Also in mid-December, fans everywhere will be able to enhance their Fable II experience with the release of a free Fable II downloadable pack exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. To engage in co-op gameplay with a player who has already downloaded the Knothole Island content, gamers will need to download the free pack. Both co-op players must download the Knothole Island (Premium) pack in order to play new quests and enjoy the complete Knothole Island co-op experience.
Free and premium downloaders will receive a show of gifts, including Knight's Boots, Assassins Gloves, a special Weight Loss Potion, collectible silver book and more. Players will also be able to check their standing in over 50 new Leaderboards on Lionhead.com.
As an additional treat for Fable II fans, Lionhead Studios and Microsoft Game Studios have created an all-new Albion dashboard theme in celebration of the launch of the New Xbox Experience. Fans who want to show off their Fable II pride can head over to Xbox LIVE Marketplace to download the Albion theme, available now for 250 Microsoft points
To see the first images of the DLC click here Continue Reading»
When the NXE launched for the 360 a few days ago, one new feature was the fact that you could now install any game to your hard drive in order to speed up load times. Although the tray still had to be in the console to play the idea of optional installs was interesting. If you were curious on how much space these installs take up or how they affect the game then here's the list for you.
- Assassin's Creed (6.7 GB) -- Jerusalem load 39.5 seconds (DVD) vs 25 seconds (HDD)
- Dead Space -- "shortens the initial load time and the load time when accessing save stations"
- Gears of War 2 (6.7 GB) initial load 8 seconds shorter, causes stuttering at "saving game" checkpoints
These are just a few examples I noticed when I skimmed the list to see the full list click here
Continue Reading»
Reported earlier in the month Microsoft predicted that it would surpass its original consoles user base. Well looks like all that marketing paid off. Microsoft has announced that the Xbox 360 has already overtake the original Xbox's total sales of 25 million.
“We’ve already surpassed the installed base of the original Xbox – which is a really significant milestone. We’ve been blown away by the appetite of people to consumer digital entertainment experiences."
via mcv Continue Reading»
Well, At least the disc tray is.
That one on your 360? Piece of crap. It's so flimsy that I feel like if I put a disc in the wrong way that it just might snap off. No worries though, Xbox-Scene forum user RDC has you covered with this mod that substitutes the stock drive with the "sucking-and-spitting" disc drive from an old iMac.
Xbox Scene via Kotaku Continue Reading»
That one on your 360? Piece of crap. It's so flimsy that I feel like if I put a disc in the wrong way that it just might snap off. No worries though, Xbox-Scene forum user RDC has you covered with this mod that substitutes the stock drive with the "sucking-and-spitting" disc drive from an old iMac.
Xbox Scene via Kotaku Continue Reading»
IGN Review:5.3
GameTrailers Review: 8.0
Personally, I agree with the review from IGN. Just seems like there is too many issues with the game entirely. The Japanese must be having a rough time using the Unreal Engine. Continue Reading»
GameTrailers Review: 8.0
Personally, I agree with the review from IGN. Just seems like there is too many issues with the game entirely. The Japanese must be having a rough time using the Unreal Engine. Continue Reading»
Hey everyone, my name's Kenny Mahoney and I'll be contributing to the GBU Blog. As you may or may not know, I've been gaming since I was in the womb - well, at least it feels like it's been that long - and I'm looking foward to writing about the games we all know and love... or know and hate... or know and love to hate... or maybe the ones we don't know at all but will most certainly hate. Anyway, since my jokes are lame I'll leave you with this - a response I had to an article in UK newspaper The Guardian's Gamesblog. Enjoy! To see the original article click here
While movies and games can both be innovative, it is important that the means with which you interact with them work well. For example, if you go to a movie theater that’s too noisy, or if the chairs are uncomfortable, you’re not going to have the same experience you’d have if those things weren’t an issue, and would alter your opinion of the film no matter how good or innovative it is. There may also have been problems with the camera angles, or crappy editing, or terrible actors. It doesn’t matter how good the story is, or how innovative it is, because the fundamentals of movie-making were done poorly, and that will affect your opinion of it.
Continue Reading»
While movies and games can both be innovative, it is important that the means with which you interact with them work well. For example, if you go to a movie theater that’s too noisy, or if the chairs are uncomfortable, you’re not going to have the same experience you’d have if those things weren’t an issue, and would alter your opinion of the film no matter how good or innovative it is. There may also have been problems with the camera angles, or crappy editing, or terrible actors. It doesn’t matter how good the story is, or how innovative it is, because the fundamentals of movie-making were done poorly, and that will affect your opinion of it.
Yes, the ideas in Mirror’s Edge were innovative and generally enjoyable, but some argue that there were a few “niggling decisions” that kept it from being truly stellar. When playing a game, not only do you have to worry about the degree of comfort in your sofa, you have to worry about the fundamental aspects of a game that make it a game. These can include (and are not limited to) button layouts, camera position and sensitivity, voice-acting, narravite, combat mechanics, etc. , which can greatly or not-so-greatly, impact your decision of the game as a whole – no matter how good or innovative it is. These are the basic components that absolutely cannot be overlooked for the sake of innovation. While I’m not saying that innovation isn’t important, especially these days where every other blockbuster title features another gravely-voiced space-marine or unlikely RPG hero, it needs to be said that innovation cannot be a free pass as an excuse for sub-standard basic game design.
As for the whole, “I can’t wait for the sequel” stuff Stuart comments on, this is an area where a comparison to film doesn’t work. It has nothing to do with longevity, it has to do with having a better experience with something you believe could be done better. For example, lets say I go out to a really nice restaurant, and I order an innovative new pasta dish.
Got pasta in it? Check. Got some new and interesting sauce? Check. Got some veggies or meats in there, finely and innovatively prepared? Check. Well, lets sit down and have a bite then. This is the point that I discover that the chicken was overcooked, and that the pasta was too al dente for my liking. Maybe the sauce was too thin or too thick, and maybe the wine the waiter suggested didn’t pair as well as he said it would.
Yes, this meal fulfils my lust for something new and different, and it should be commended for doing so. Unforunately, it falls short in the areas that a pasta dish should have done right from the beginning. However, I see potential in this dish, and I hope the next time I visit this restaurant and order it again that it might come out better.
In conclusion, creativity and innovation should be, and certainly is, awarded. However, this does not give game designers (or directors for that matter), free reign to do whatever they want for the sake of innovation and not expect any kind of negative feedback. There’s always a risk to trying new things, and I’m not saying that Mirror’s Edge fell flat on it’s face for doing so, but it may have stumbled in what could have been an otherwise more enjoyable parkour experience.
Continue Reading»
Thats right, anyone who logs on today will receive a free Baby Blizzard Bear companion from Blizzard. Wow celebrates it's fourth year of domination in the PC world with this less then stellar gift. Beware however, the gift is only awarded to the first character logged on per account today, although the bear is account bound. Upon further examination you can notice the bears body is the same as all bears across Azeroth with a different head applied. Guess 8 million users aren't worth a new model but free is free. Ill be sticking to my tree frog but WoW players, enjoy. Continue Reading»
I agree with this list 100%, but I would definitely add a Shinobi title in there somewhere. Continue Reading»
10. Your Mother...has a long storied checkered past she's corpulent and has performed innumerable sexual favors for little compensation. In the case of your opponents she's done so for no reason other that the joy of bearing their children which leads to No.9 except in the case of No.4
9. Your Daddy...was born many years before you. Anyone you encounter on Xbox Live may well in possession of a time machine, and has shrill, preadolescent insults should be received with appropriate respect. Filial piety demands that you let him take your head off with a needlegun.
8. The Flag...should not be camped. Doing so is unsportsmanlike ad only enrages those who are honorably attempting to capture it. One should always behave as though one's own flag is freshly opened Ark of the Covenant and must never make the mistake of gazing upon it or its surroundings. Upon learning of the capture of one's flag, one must count 10 Mississippis before giving chase.
7. South Central...is in Arkansas, judging from the peculiar combinations of slang and accent you'll probably encounter. The district is known for geographic fickleness, though , and may occasionally surface anywhere from the fabled Canadas to the flowering kingdoms of Orient.
6. Babies...do not require maintenance. They may scream ceaselessly in the background of your conversations with Arkansas gangstas, but given the inexhaustible multitude of children who've plagued you (and will continue to do so over the years) it's apparent that their feeding and other upkeep is entirely optional.
5. Robots...are the future, and their distorted voices may be incomprehensible to you, but you must allow them to shoot you in your imaginary videogame brain. All the while thanking your weak, human gods that you future masters presently occupy themselves playing Halo rather than crushing multitudes of simpering fleshlings beneath their steely tread.
4. Girls...may be vocally indistinguishable from 12 year old boy. Mistaking the former for the latter and accosting them verbally will make you feel bad about yourself. At least, until you realize that the possession of ovaries does not make anyone any less of an idiot.
3. Chocolate Milk...is a delicious nectar, and you should never cease your pursuit of it. Your obese, promiscuous mother will provide it on demand, you have only to shriek to her of your need for it.
2. Vents...exist to provide opportunity for your teammates to blockade you within while they giggle at you predicament. Allow them to do so until you descend into pure animal rage. It is right to indulge them in this, for they are your friends and allies.
1. Homosexuality...is within all of us. Our screaming 10 year old daddy said so. Its presence is made more apparent by our inability to recognize the truths presented in the above list and complemented by its occasional companions; femininity and low IQs. Take these lessions to heart, for they will completely and utterly fail to make you a better person. Continue Reading»
- This new episode, available Feb. 17 via download exclusively for those who own the Xbox 360 version (no price yet), stars Johnny Klebitz, a member of Liberty City biker gang The Lost.
- "Johnny is a very different character than Niko, with a very different background," says Dan Houser, vice president of creative development for Rockstar Games. "I can't go into too much detail on the story, because we try not to give away too much plot before the game is released. But I can say that the story will show you a different side of Liberty City."
- In the original game, Niko crossed paths with The Lost several times. This time, Niko has only a bit part, Houser says. "The story is not directly impacted by decisions you took in the main game," he says. But "tons of details and mysteries from the main story get explained, so it will add a lot of color to the main story."
- Previous games have used downloads to add "new stages, weapons and costumes," says GamePro Media features editor Dave Rudden, "but GTA IV's content will reportedly add hours of gameplay."
- Rudden hopes the episode costs $15 or less, but Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter expects a $20 price and says Rockstar could sell 2 million to 3 million downloads. "I see episodic content as a natural progression of the quality of downloadable content."
Not exactly what I expected but should be interesting. Also just in case you were curious this DLC has not been dated for PS3.
via usatoday
Continue Reading»
- "Johnny is a very different character than Niko, with a very different background," says Dan Houser, vice president of creative development for Rockstar Games. "I can't go into too much detail on the story, because we try not to give away too much plot before the game is released. But I can say that the story will show you a different side of Liberty City."
- In the original game, Niko crossed paths with The Lost several times. This time, Niko has only a bit part, Houser says. "The story is not directly impacted by decisions you took in the main game," he says. But "tons of details and mysteries from the main story get explained, so it will add a lot of color to the main story."
- Previous games have used downloads to add "new stages, weapons and costumes," says GamePro Media features editor Dave Rudden, "but GTA IV's content will reportedly add hours of gameplay."
- Rudden hopes the episode costs $15 or less, but Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter expects a $20 price and says Rockstar could sell 2 million to 3 million downloads. "I see episodic content as a natural progression of the quality of downloadable content."
Not exactly what I expected but should be interesting. Also just in case you were curious this DLC has not been dated for PS3.
via usatoday
Continue Reading»
1) Create (or Customize) your Avatar – You can spend as much (or as little) time as you want in the Avatar Editor to personalize your little guy/girl
Bonus: When you are done with #1, be sure to take a Gamer Picture of your Avatar. In the Avatar editor, choose Gamer Picture. You can use the controls to move your avatar around, zoom in and out or even change the background color (press Y)
2) Explore the all new dashboard. (hint: use the trigger and bumpers to quickly scroll up and down or left and right)
3) PAR-TAY! Check out Xbox LIVE Parties and chat with up to seven of your friends. Go to the Friends channel…choose a friend who is online and press Y to get the party started. You can also hit the Xbox 360 Guide button > Party >Start a Party. Once you do that, send off invites to your party (since one does not make a very good party…does it?)
4) Themes. While any themes you work will NXE, check out some of the new themes via My Xbox and select your profile (second slot) and then change theme. Xbox 360, Spectrum, Day and Night are new themes that available as part of your NXE upgrade…check them out.
5) Marketplace on Xbox.com. This new feature lets you search, browse, and purchase games and videos while you are away from your console. You can also perform account management functions like changing your billing information, viewing your purchase history, and downloading items you already own.
6) Netflix – Xbox LIVE Gold Member and you have Netflix? If you are in the US you can stream thousands of videos (some in HD) directly from Netflix to your Xbox 360. Not a member? Sign up for a free trial at Xbox.com/netflix
7) Install to / Play from Hard Drive. With the game in the tray, return to your dashboard. (pressing the guide button then Y works as always) then go to My Xbox. From here press Y, which will bring up a new menu which will allow, among other things the ability to install a game to your hard drive.
Hint: You can still use the Xbox 360 guide while installing a game to keep in touch with your friends or start a Party.
Bonus: Before you do #7, be sure to set up what happens when you turn on your Xbox 360. My Xbox->System Settings>Console settings. Then choose Start up to to choose Disc, Xbox Dashboard or Windows Media Center. Once you are done there…check the option right below it: Autostart. This tell your Xbox 360 what to do when you insert a game. The choices are enable or disable. I have mine set to disable so I can easily use install to hard drive.
8) Delete Zero Gamerscore games. You can remove any games from your games played list that you have earned no achievements or gamerscore. Press the Xbox 360– guide button, navigate left to the games section and choose Achievements. From here choose the game with zero gamerscore you want to remove and press X (Delete Game History.)
9) Press the Xbox 360 button on your controller to see the all new Guide. The team has added more functionality than the old guide, while making it more responsive. It’s a quick way to check your messages, see who is online or start a party.
10) Take a look at Community Games in the Games Marketplace. For the first time in the history of console gaming, thousands of games developed by the creative community will be available to the public.
via Majornelson Continue Reading»
Bonus: When you are done with #1, be sure to take a Gamer Picture of your Avatar. In the Avatar editor, choose Gamer Picture. You can use the controls to move your avatar around, zoom in and out or even change the background color (press Y)
2) Explore the all new dashboard. (hint: use the trigger and bumpers to quickly scroll up and down or left and right)
3) PAR-TAY! Check out Xbox LIVE Parties and chat with up to seven of your friends. Go to the Friends channel…choose a friend who is online and press Y to get the party started. You can also hit the Xbox 360 Guide button > Party >Start a Party. Once you do that, send off invites to your party (since one does not make a very good party…does it?)
4) Themes. While any themes you work will NXE, check out some of the new themes via My Xbox and select your profile (second slot) and then change theme. Xbox 360, Spectrum, Day and Night are new themes that available as part of your NXE upgrade…check them out.
5) Marketplace on Xbox.com. This new feature lets you search, browse, and purchase games and videos while you are away from your console. You can also perform account management functions like changing your billing information, viewing your purchase history, and downloading items you already own.
6) Netflix – Xbox LIVE Gold Member and you have Netflix? If you are in the US you can stream thousands of videos (some in HD) directly from Netflix to your Xbox 360. Not a member? Sign up for a free trial at Xbox.com/netflix
7) Install to / Play from Hard Drive. With the game in the tray, return to your dashboard. (pressing the guide button then Y works as always) then go to My Xbox. From here press Y, which will bring up a new menu which will allow, among other things the ability to install a game to your hard drive.
Hint: You can still use the Xbox 360 guide while installing a game to keep in touch with your friends or start a Party.
Bonus: Before you do #7, be sure to set up what happens when you turn on your Xbox 360. My Xbox->System Settings>Console settings. Then choose Start up to to choose Disc, Xbox Dashboard or Windows Media Center. Once you are done there…check the option right below it: Autostart. This tell your Xbox 360 what to do when you insert a game. The choices are enable or disable. I have mine set to disable so I can easily use install to hard drive.
8) Delete Zero Gamerscore games. You can remove any games from your games played list that you have earned no achievements or gamerscore. Press the Xbox 360– guide button, navigate left to the games section and choose Achievements. From here choose the game with zero gamerscore you want to remove and press X (Delete Game History.)
9) Press the Xbox 360 button on your controller to see the all new Guide. The team has added more functionality than the old guide, while making it more responsive. It’s a quick way to check your messages, see who is online or start a party.
10) Take a look at Community Games in the Games Marketplace. For the first time in the history of console gaming, thousands of games developed by the creative community will be available to the public.
via Majornelson Continue Reading»
Edit: Apparently its having some issues being embedded if its not working for you head to http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/420-Fallout-3 Continue Reading»
In case you've been living under a rock for the last couple of months this is just a remider that the new Xbox experience is launching today. Estimated time for launch is 4am central time, 5am eastern. Above is a video showing how the update will launch on your xbox. Continue Reading»
For those of you that haven't seen Quantum of Solace yet, a new Watchmen trailer debuted in front of it and proves that yes, there will be a story that goes along with all the gorgeous visuals. For those of you who haven't read the graphic novel, please do yourself a favor and pick it up at your nearest book store. Every time i watch the trailers, I'm absolutely blown away at how closely Zach Snyder has come to reproducing each panel of the book.
One rumored change was confirmed over the weekend however, concerning the ending of the book, which has been changed for the movie. While plenty of fan boys are going to bitch and moan about the change, honestly, the ending was really the only problem I had with the book. Without spoiling anything, it came out of left field and was a bit ridiculous. Dave Gibbons, co-creator of the graphic novel, has even come out in approval of the change and said it still stays true to the overall tone of the book.
Finally, The Watchmen has been announced to be coming to current generation consoles in the form of a prequel beat em up entitled Watchmen: The End Is Nigh . Early sources claimed that it would be coming to XBLA and PSN and would be a side scroller, early screens look way to good to just be a download. It's also been announced to be episodic in nature which further lends credence to the early XBLA, PSN rumor. While I am interested in playing as the lunatic Rorschach as he kills just about everyone, I fear once this reaches Alan Moore by carrier pigeon it will be the final straw that pushes him over the edge into Bond villiany. And that ladies and gentlemen, is how you bring an article full circle. Continue Reading»
One rumored change was confirmed over the weekend however, concerning the ending of the book, which has been changed for the movie. While plenty of fan boys are going to bitch and moan about the change, honestly, the ending was really the only problem I had with the book. Without spoiling anything, it came out of left field and was a bit ridiculous. Dave Gibbons, co-creator of the graphic novel, has even come out in approval of the change and said it still stays true to the overall tone of the book.
Finally, The Watchmen has been announced to be coming to current generation consoles in the form of a prequel beat em up entitled Watchmen: The End Is Nigh . Early sources claimed that it would be coming to XBLA and PSN and would be a side scroller, early screens look way to good to just be a download. It's also been announced to be episodic in nature which further lends credence to the early XBLA, PSN rumor. While I am interested in playing as the lunatic Rorschach as he kills just about everyone, I fear once this reaches Alan Moore by carrier pigeon it will be the final straw that pushes him over the edge into Bond villiany. And that ladies and gentlemen, is how you bring an article full circle. Continue Reading»
Good:
-Intriguing Story
-Big Open World
-Enemy AI Is Smart and Intuitive
Bad:
-Too Many Encounters While Driving
-Repetitive Side Quests
-Weapon Degrading system
-Multiplayer
Ugly:
-Voice Acting
-Machete is Useless
-Hang Gliders
GOOD: Far Cry 2 is a Far Cry from the original, The feral instincts are gone, the main quest is not forced upon the player, also the previous hero Jack Carver isn't mentioned at all during the game. Instead Far Cry 2 allows you to chose 1 out of 9 playable characters to be your protagonist. Its a nice change of pace to be able to choose a character in an FPS in the days of the set in stone characters. Far Cry 2 throws you into a huge open world somewhere in the middle of Africa Where you will travel through tons of beautiful terrain. The game is true eye candy and the surroundings will make you feel you truly are in the heart of Africa. The story starts off by explaining the two factions that run the nation; The "UFLL" and the "APR". These factions are heavily armed all thanks to an arms dealer known as "The Jackal", you're mission: Kill "The Jackal". Not only can you choose to go the linear route through the game only completing the main quest but you can dabble in sidequests given by arms dealers, friends, and assassins via cell phone. All these elements together make Farcry 2 an interesting single player experience, it pulls you in with its 'Blood Diamond' moments and keeps you playing with its open world.
This game is without doubt a challenge. I myself played through on the normal difficulty setting and I was constantly dying. Far Cry 2's continue method will ease the pain of dying by having a buddy pull you out of the fray and heal you up. However die again without a buddy rescue available an you will be forced to load from you're last save. Despite the help from the buddy system this game is unrelenting and will show you no mercy for mistakes. You will be run over, you will get incinerated, you will be blown up by mortar fire, and hell you will die some more. This is all thanks to a strong and intuitive enemy AI that will cover behind the brush or just about any obstacle in the environment. If you post up from a far position with a sniper, enemies will all find cover an maneuver around the environment forming ways to flank you. At times I saw enemies pull their wounded comrades out of battle only to post them upright against a tree so they could still fire at me.
BAD: Far Cry 2 is by no means a perfect game. There are plenty of times I shut this game off for the sheer fact I did not want to do the task at hand. The huge open world has a great feel to it and it adds to Far Cry 2's biggest strengths, but will also contribute to it's biggest weaknesses. A huge problem with the game lies within the fast travel system. The player can find a bus in which you can ride to the middle, or all four corners of the map. However getting to these buses can vary from a regular 5 minute trip to an annoying 20 minute trip. This is because you will encounter enemies almost every minute along the way. There are guard posts all over this nation, and none are filled with starving little African children that want food and water, no sir just angry soldiers that want you to die. Just when you think you're safe and you wont run into one of the guard towers, you're sadly mistaken. If you drive past one of these guys on the road they will actually turn their car around and desperately try their best to kill you. At many times I found myself way ahead of these enemies but for some reason they were able to catch up to me. I was curious to see why this was happening over and over, till one time I watched the car chasing me the whole time, only to find their car (the same model I was driving) was FASTER then mine. If you actually get to play some of the sidequests without these guys running you off the road or killing you, you'll see they are actually pretty fun...at first. However then you will discover the sidequests all have the same main goal. Which is either; travel to a point in the map eliminate a target, or steal a briefcase. There are some quests in which you must find pills for your characters case of Malaria, but even in those you find yourself running to a target and killing tons of people. Because of this Farcry 2 may seem to have a plethora of sidequests but when you really look at them they are mostly just rinse and repeat. During your travels to these many sidequests you notice Farcry 2 tries to approach weapons management in a more realistic fashion. Over time your weapons will degrade, fire less accurately, become jammed, and have more issues. Although this sounds good on paper it is executed poorly. Other than the obvious issue of the weapons having to many problems to frequently will notice enemies will seem to have no issues while operating their own weapons. In one instance I was pinned down with a weapon that was completely broken. With no other choice I rushed an enemy that had been firing at me for at least 5 minutes with no issues. After taking him down I procured his weapon only to find it have a jam one clip in. I understand that the game is going for a more realistic approach but does every weapon have issues? It would be a much more enjoyable experience if these issues only happened once in a while. Not only would it keep it fresh but it would eliminate the frustration of weapons breaking all the time. Farcry 2 also offers a multiplayer experience in order to keep things fresh.
Despite the map editor being a strong part of multiplayer Farcry 2's actual multiplayer component is very poor. The class system goes hand an hand with the upgrade system. Players will chose their class and depending on their kill count they will receive diamonds. These diamonds open up new weapons in the players arsenal, but only for the chosen class. Because of this you feel restrained to one class and the need to change classes is void for you will have weaker weaponry in all remaining classes. Multiplayer gameplay problems are met with the inability to use syringes that the single player offers. Instead wounded players will have to heal while sitting through a small cinematic of a player snapping their bone back into place or pulling bullets from a wound. These animations look great and some will even make you cringe. However being very time consuming and forcing the player to stop in place, healing yourself will in turn lead to certain death almost every time
UGLY: Now I know Africans have their own language and they have an ugly English accent, but why does everyone in Far Cry 2 sound like they have a fire lit under them? The dialog is great but the people talk so fast you wonder if they take breaths in between sentences. Thankfully there are subtitles, otherwise you would never know what anyone was trying to say. Another feature that bothers me to no end is the machete. Say you're sneaking into a town you want to go about it in a stealth manor so you take out your machete and slice someone in the back without a sound, but somehow everyone is alerted to your position. Also your machete doesn't cut tree branches or grass, so what exactly is the point of having this weapon in the game if it doesn't do anything it's suppose to do. Well at least there are three variations of vehicles to have fun with. There's cars, boats and apparently there's hang gliders in Far Cry 2. Funny thing is through my 27 hour experience with Far Cry 2 I only found 2 hang gliders. Yes this big huge open world, and all I can find is 2 of these suicide gliders. As it turns out my hang gliding experiences were both short lived. The first hang glider I found was great as I was soaring through the air like a beautiful bird admiring the scenery, ah...Peace at last, then suddenly BOOM! My beautiful moment is ruined as I'm shot down by one of the many guard towers scattered all over the map. As I plummeted to the ground I realized I was only in air for a total of 3 seconds, also I didn't have a buddy rescue available an I would have to start from my last save. As I found a second Hang glider i realized my objective was in the opposite direction. So I grab the hang glider and press left to turn around but I catch the edge of the rock behind me an fall to my doom, thankfully this time I have a buddy rescue so he comes and picks me up, only to cause more problems and alert the guard tower down the road. So I try to kill the guard tower an I get blown up by a missile causing me to load from my last save again, but this time my last save was hours ago... This however left my air time in Far Cry 2 at a whopping total of 3.1 seconds, for fear of dying at another try with those suicide gliders.
Final Thoughts:
Far Cry 2 is a game with its ups and downs. However this game is fun and I don't regret my time spent in this beautiful open world. Far Cry 2 shows that open world games can be played through a first person narrative and is truly an original idea. Although Far Cry 2 doesn't execute this perfectly, I do hope to see more first person shooters utilize this gameplay element. Far Cry 2 is a 20+ hour experience which should keep you occupied enough, but if your craving more the multiplayer is there although you will probably find yourself departing the online Africa only a few days later. I myself had high expectations for this game and while some were met, most of them weren't. Not to say Far Cry 2 is a bad game, it's just not winning any game of the year awards. Still it is an experience worth 60$ and should keep you occupied if your a FPS fan.
B- Continue Reading»
The 42-year-old Turkish citizen - who was serving a seven-year sentence - had been making stationery with other prisoners destined for the shops. At the end of his shift, the inmate climbed into a cardboard box and was taken out of prison by express courier. His whereabouts are still unknown. Shortly after it had passed through the prison gates, the inmate made his dash for freedom by cutting a big hole in the tarpaulin of the lorry and jumping off. The driver alerted the police after he noticed the tarpaulin flapping in the breeze.
I'm actually surprised at this. Despite World Tour being a bad game especially in comparission to Rock Band 2 I still believed that it would not only live up to Legends of Rocks numbers but maybe even surpass them. Hopefully Activision will spend some actual time developing the game next time. According to an Activision press release, Guitar Hero III sold 1.39 million units and generated $115 million at retail in its first week. It also launched in complete form on four platforms: PS2, PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360. For a comparable seven day period this year, Guitar Hero: World Tour sold 534,000 units and generated $67.3 million at retail. Continue Reading»
I really didn't expect much out of this one anyways. Cool concept, but could have been done better. Midway tried to expand it's market with a Teen rating and ruined everything that makes Mortal Kombat so special in the process. The fatalities are toned down, with some looking like a basic special move rather than a fatality. With Mature rated games like "Gears of war 2" selling over 3.5 million copies, this marketing plan really makes me scratch my head. Regardless I am a fan of the Mortal Kombat series and hope this game does sell. Enjoy the review. Continue Reading»
I hope you're prepared to have this song stuck in you're head all day. But hey, at least you get to see how big Chun Li's thighs are in HD... Continue Reading»
As long as this game is nothing like "Kingdom Under Fire:Circle of Doom" it has a shot. The big questions on my mind are, will the game play well with all those characters on screen? And why does the main character have dreads? Continue Reading»
For all those who bought the collectors edition of Fable 2 and didn't receive your codes, emails are being sent out now. Continue Reading»
With less than a week till Mirrors Edge releases, EA has released its launch trailer. As always it has the cool transitions, and some new stuff including Faith jumping onto a moving train. Mirrors Edge releases November 12th. Continue Reading»
Next week's DLC offering will be the Foo Fighter's The Colour and the Shape album. The DLC album will include the following tracks:
1. "Doll"
2. "Monkey Wrench"
3. "Hey, Johnny Park!"
4. "My Poor Brain”
5. "Wind Up"
6. "Up in Arms"
7. "My Hero"
8. "See You”
9. "Enough Space"
10. "February Stars”
11. "Walking After You”
12. “New Way Home”
The Colour and the Shape will be available for download starting November 11, 2008, for the Xbox®360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and November 13, 2008, for the PS3. Pricing will be $19.99 (1600 Microsoft Points) for the album, or $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) per track. All tracks are masters. Continue Reading»
Harmonix wasn't kidding when they said they were fixing the issue. Codes should be rolling out right now. Continue Reading»
When Dead Rising released way back other than Otis calling every 30 seconds to inform you what he was having for dinner it also plagued many players with another problem. It had a habit of having unclear text on standard definition televisions. Let me rephrase by 'unclear' I mean completely unreadable. This issue has gone under the radar because it hasn't been seen in a game since Dead Rising. Unfortunately players who downloaded the new Banjo Kazooie demo are experiencing the same unclear text. So does Rare plan on fixing the issue? No. Rare's George Kelion stated:
I'm sorry that we weren't able to address this issue as nothing would please us more than turning all your complaints into gleeful responses, but it's simply something that's too expensive in terms of time, resources and money to alter.
Way to be Rare, way to be. Continue Reading»
Reported earlier the 20 free additional rock band song tokens were supposedly rolling out via email over a 24 hour period. Unfortunately its hit a bit of a snag and we wont see them when we expected
Sean Baptiste on the Rock Band forum sates "We have hit an unexpected delay with getting the content online with Microsoft and are working diligently with them to get that resolved."
Knowing Harmonix they are working as fast as they can to resolve the issue, and we should see these songs as soon as possible. Continue Reading»
Preordered or Preloaded Left 4 Dead? Well the demo drops for anyone who preloaded on STEAM or preordred in an Gamestop in North America. The Left 4 Dead demo features single-player and co-op for up to four zombie holocaust survivors. Continue Reading»
One thing Guitar Hero World Tour did bring into the world of rhythm games, is its music creator tool. Although the tool is very difficult to use, and you cant record any vocals. It is pretty cool to download someones rendition of the Zelda theme and rock out. Well Activision has taken notice. Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard stated that since World Tours release 25,000 user created songs have been uploaded to GHTunes and by years end they epect up to 100,000. Kotick continued "The ability to offer these songs on a subscription basis may very well result in the newest subscription opportunity in our portfolio". What I dont think Kotick realizes is if a subscription fee is tacked onto this service the number of songs being uploaded/downloaded will drop substansially. Better download those songs now for free while you still can. Continue Reading»
As many have experienced, playing drums on Guitar Hero: World Tour takes a lot more effort then on Rock Band. The amount of strength required for a note to register is much greater on Guitar Hero and this has pissed people off. But sure enough if enough people bitch about a common problem there is bound to be a solution proposed. As poor of an attempt it is a program deemed the "Drum Controller Standard Tuning Kit" has been released for windows. (As usual, Mac users are out of luck, eat that Justin Long.) The program is supposed to allow you to adjust the sensitivity of your plastic drum kit.
If your a "drummer" and face this problem, this program may seem like a prayer answered, however, things get ugly. To be able to use this program you have to connect your drum kit (which is wireless) to your PC so an additional wire must be used, a Midi-USB cable. Red Octane is giving these away to Guitar Hero owners but if this is anything like the Rock Band instrument replacement I wouldn't expect to be drumming stress-free anytime this year.
Download the Drum Controller Standard Tuning Kit
Apply for a free Midi-USB cable Continue Reading»
Over on the Rock Band 2 forum harmonix developer posted:
"The codes for the 20 free DLC on 360 will begin to go out this evening for redemption. Due to the volume of emails being sent, these will roll out over a 24 hour period. We appreciate your patience!".
Just in case you missed it the 20 free tracks are:
• The 88 - "Sons and Daughters"
• Authority Zero - "No Regrets"
• Between the Buried and Me - "Prequel To The Sequel"
• The Cab - "Bounce"
• The Chevelles - "Get It On"
• The Cocktail Slippers - "Give It To Me"
• Dealership - "Database Corrupted"
• Endeverafter - "I Wanna Be Your Man"
• The Ghost Hounds - "Ashes To Fire"
• Hollywood Undead - "Young"
• Kutless - "The Feeling"
• The Len Price 3 - "If I Ain't Got You"
• Lesley Roy - "I'm Gone, I'm Going"
• Opiate for the Masses - "Burn You Down"
• Semi-Precious Weapons - "Magnetic Baby"
• Shaimus - "Like a Fool"
• Thenewno2" - Crazy Tuesday"
• Tickle Me Pink - "The Time Is Wrong"
• Underoath - "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures"
• X Japan - "I.V." Continue Reading»
One of the best comedy specials you will ever watch. You can see all of it on YouTube.com or Showtime on demand. Continue Reading»
If you are still in doubt about "Spider-man: Web Of Shadows" rest assure this game is BAD! As reviewers at IGN.COM bash this game with a 5.7. It seems this game will get no love from GameTrailers as well. They actually recommend one of the previous movie game titles from the bargain bin instead. So go ahead and ignore this game, along with your Nintendo Wii. Continue Reading»
Yeah I'd say Gametrailers hit the nail on the head with this review. "Gears of War" was the last game I was really excited for. On my way home from picking up the very first "Gears of War" my hands were shaking. Although I'm sure it won't be the same this time around, I'm still very excited after this review. Continue Reading»
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