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E3Feed Relaunches for E3 2009

Aaron Dunlap — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:18:51 -0500

Last year we quietly launched E3Feed just before E3 2008 to mild fanfare.

This year we've completely revamped the site. It's better, faster, stronger.

Besides a slick new design, some new features we've added include a more twitter-like automatic updating system, the ability to customize rss feeds, trending topics, and automatically populated preview images for most stories and videos.

For the uninitiated, E3Feed is a kind of automatic E3 news aggregator that pulls stories from dozens of popular news sources, swirls them around in a dusty cauldron, and pulls out only the E3-related stories. Everything is sortable, searchable, and subscribeable.

So stop wasting time refreshing 46 different tabs with different game news sites looking for E3 info, just leave your browser pointed at E3Feed.com

Team Ico Project Trico Unveiled?

Solomon Lee — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:44:53 -0500

An early trailer showing Team Ico's third project is available due to an exclusive video posted by the PlayStation Lifestyle website. The video shows a young boy who bears a striking resemblance to the lead protagonist from the game, Ico.

Sony has offered no comment on the video at this time. Those that wish to visit the site can do so here.

GB Review: Star Ocean: The Last Hope (360)

Solomon Lee — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 09:26:14 -0500

Star Ocean is an enjoyable RPG with engaging battles and an addictive item creation mode. Despite the bland dialogue and vague mission objectives, role playing fans will love the open worlds and intense combat with their party members. Ultimately, Star Ocean is a vastly superior game to Infinite Undiscovery and The Last Remnant titles. With multiple endings, battle trophies and various achievements, the Last Hope appeals to both casual and hardcore players. Though the game is plagued by bad dialogue and long cutscenes, The Last Hope is definitely an RPG that is worth the investment.

Click here for an explanation of our review and scoring format.

Star Ocean has been an RPG series that has only received modest attention. Overshadowed by other Square Enix series like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, the Star Ocean series has only begun to receive attention thanks to its recent PSP ports and the earlier Till the End of Time PS2 instalment. To the surprise of many RPG fans, the next title was announced exclusively for Xbox 360 with possible development for the PlayStation 3 left as unconfirmed. Despite the mediocre cutscenes and dialogue, Star Ocean: The Last Hope is a deeply complex but satisfying game.

Star Ocean tells the tale of World War III that erupted between the World Republic Federation and the opposing world nations. Most of the earth was left in devastated ruins with a cease-fire negotiated two weeks after (wait for it) weapons of mass destruction were unleashed on a global scale. Survivors of the war wandered underground cities with little hope of deliverance. The remaining nations formed the Greater United Nations and eventually launched a space campaign to explore inhabitable planets. Edge Maverick, a young soldier and Reimi, a childhood friend and expert archer, are sent on the SRF (Space Reconnaissance Force) maiden voyage. Along the journey, Edge meets other such characters like Faize, a young Eldearian, Lymle, a spoiled Lemurisian village child and Meracle, a spunky feline humanoid.

The Last Hope utilizes a real time battle system. You can issue commands to use items, switch characters, cast symbols and unleash skills, all on-the-fly. One of the highlights of these is the jump ability, allowing you to dodge enemy attacks or surprise them with blindside attacks, (where a ! symbol appears that makes enemies vulnerable to getting attacked when you escape from their line of sight). While most battles can feel like a chore in other RPGs, the ability to quickly maneuver around enemies keeps the battles intense and engaging.

As you take damage, your rush gauge slowly fills up enabling you to initiate rush attacks upon your enemies once the gauge is full. When initiated, they temporarily give you more speed and higher defense stats against various enemy attacks. There are no random battles as monsters prowl in open sight on the battlefield. In the event you are attacked while moving or standing still in battle, your party member may, depending on your stats, block the attack entirely. You can also execute special attacks with the trigger buttons and link combos together to inflict heavy damage on your foes. A battle simulator is accessible for those that wish to hone their skills prior to fighting real battles in the game.

As you build your repertoire of skills, you will be able to harvest and mine for materials on the open field with your character. Many of these points are both visible and well hidden in different locales and terrains on differing planets. Disintegration rings allow you to interact with the environment to remove barriers by utilizing different elements. For example, a large ice block can be removed with a fire disintegration ring. All of the rings have limited uses and can only be recharged by Lymle with her charge command ability or by ring experts in villages. Battle skills can also be upgraded frequently to unleash devastating attacks on enemies that increase your Bonus board, a tiled gauge that grants you extra bonuses for stylish and hard-fought battles.

The Calnus is your spaceship hub used to travel between planets. As you progress in the game, you can assign rooms to different party members. Depending on how you treat them, opposite party members can be assigned the same room for opportunities to trigger Private Events in the game. Private events are made of up of personal dialogue and interaction between two characters with a unique sidestory. Save points are also located in various rooms to allow you to rest and recover after difficult missions. Though the use of save points is convenient on the Calnus, the lack of sufficient save points during missions can be quite frustrating.

Item creation is one of the most satisfying features in this game. New items can be created by using old items with the help of your party members. This is done by designating your teammates into groups to invent recipes. The catch is that the recipes must be created in a timed session with the results hinging on the IC (Item Creation) abilities of your comrades. Once they are out of ideas, the message No Plan will appear and the session will end. You can also end the session manually if you are satisfied with the recipes before the timer is up. Much time can easily be spent on item creation to boost your partys offensive attacks in battle.

Visually, the game sports beautiful environments and polished character designs. The special effects are stunning in battle with a lot of symbology and chain combo attacks. Regarding the characters, the anime-style designs are decent but the vacant stares and awkward facial expressions in various cutscenes are rather disappointing. As for the soundtrack, the music is exceptional and is composed by Motoi Sakuraba, the acclaimed Star Ocean and Valkryie Profile maestro. The voice actors, however, dont fare nearly as well as the soundtrack.

One of the issues in this game is the mission objectives. You will find yourself either talking to your comrades often or wandering around aimlessly just to finish your objectives. They are not always clearly defined resulting in a bit of exploring and backtracking. In battles, the camera tends to swing or position itself poorly when fighting numerous enemies. With respect to the story and character development, the cutscenes are too long and would be more effective if they were shortened to emphasize key plot points.

More Fable 2 DLC on the Way

Zach Lott — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:40:43 -0500

Even the folks at Lionhead are "tweeting" these days, and CVG has discovered that the developer has announced via their Twitter page that more DLC for Fable 2 is on its way:

"Will there be any more DLC for Fable 2? The answer is quite simple: Yes. The team here in Guildford is working on some new content right now! More information will be shared in the coming weeks."

This comes after Wednesday's accidental announcement of Fable 3, which came via voice actor Jonathan Ross' Twitter page. Perhaps companies like Valve and Nintendo should start practicing the art of Twitter leaks.

Playstation Store Update: Flower, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift Demo

Zach Lott — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:36:22 -0600

As usual, Sony has released the weekly Playstation Store update today, and this week marks the long-awaited release of thatgamecompany's latest project, Flower. There's also a demo of Motorstorm: Pacific Rift and some DLC for Guitar Hero and Rock Band along with the usual extras.

Check out the list of additions after the jump.

Qore

Qore Annual Subscription ($24.99)
Qore: Presented by the PlayStation Network is a monthly interactive video production covering the world of PlayStation. Qore provides its audience with exclusive behind-the-scenes access to developers and their games, from both the SCE Worldwide Studios and the third-party community, where the audience member can freely navigate through the content.
File size: 1.17 GB

Qore Episode 09: February, 2009 ($2.99)
Episode 09 of Qore: Presented by the PlayStation Network kicks off Spring training with an inside look at MLB 09 The Show and demonstrates Resident Evil 5s co-op gameplay with new QoreVision technology.
File size: 1.17 GB

PULSE

Pulse 2/12 Edition (free) (also available from PSP storefront)
PULSE presented by the PlayStation Network is a free high definition video showcase of whats happening right now on PlayStation. Featuring new game releases, demos, movie and television arrivals available for your PS3 and PSP systems, PULSE is a fast-paced new source to keep you connected and informed about the world of PlayStation.
Hosted by Christina Lee.
File size: 269 MB (HD) 446 MB (1080)

Downloadable Games

Flower ($9.99)
Flower lets you take control of the wind as you explore and navigate beautiful, lush environments using only the SIXAXIS motion controls. This is an interactive escape that takes you on an emotional journey like no other game youve ever experienced.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 628 MB

Add-on Game Content

NBA Live 09 All Star Weekend (free)
Get up-to-date for NBA All-Star Weekend 2009 from Phoenix, Arizona with the official jerseys and court. This free update pack includes the official All-Star Weekend Court and official East and West All-Star game jerseys for All-Star 2009.
File size: 39 MB

LUMINES Supernova Classic Pack ($4.99)
This LUMINES Supernova download pack contains special classic skins!
File size: 136 MB

Disgaea 3 - Disgaea 2 Sacrebleu Set with Free Theme! ($5.99)
This package file adds new custom characters Tink, Yukimaru, and Priere. The download pak also comes with a free bonus item, a Priere theme for your PLAYSTATION 3!
File size: 1.23 MB

Disgaea 3 - Priere ($1.99)
This package file adds a new custom character called Priere. Purchase the Disgaea 2 Sacrebleu Set and get a free Priere theme!
File size: 1.22 MB

Disgaea 3 - Tink ($1.99)
This package file adds a new custom character called Tink from Disgaea 2. Purchase the Disgaea 2 Sacrebleu Set and get a free Priere theme!
File size: 1.22 MB

Disgaea 3 - Yukimaru ($1.99)
This package file adds a new custom character called Yukimaru from Disgaea 2. Purchase the Disgaea 2 Sacrebleu Set and get a free Priere theme!
File size: 1.22 MB

Rock Band

Creepin Up the Backstairs - The Fratellis ($1.99)
Flathead - The Fratellis ($1.99)
Henrietta - The Fratellis ($1.99)
The Fratellis Pack 01 ($5.49) - Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track pack: The Fratellis Pack 01. This pack includes: Creepin Up the Backstairs, Flathead, and Henrietta by The Fratellis.

File sizes: 26 MB - 35 MB (singles), 90 MB (track pack)

Guitar Hero World Tour

Wonderwall by Ryan Adams ($1.99)
New Slang by The Shins ($1.99)
Drive by Incubus ($1.99)
Acoustic Track Pack ($5.49) - Downloadable Track Pack for Guitar Hero World Tour featuring Drive by Incubus, New Slang by The Shins, and Wonderwall by Ryan Adams. Please Note: Many songs are available both as singles and as part of a Track Pack, so please carefully consider your purchases before downloading.

File sizes: 40 MB - 41 MB (singles), 119 MB (track pack)

Game Demos (free)

MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
This new MotorStorm: Pacific Rift demo offers both a single player and a split screen multiplayer race, but this time we let the veterans of MotorStorm.com choose their favorite track, Razorback.
File size: 673 MB

Game Videos (free)

Flower Trailer
File size: 93 MB (HD)

Flower Developer Diary
File size: 231 MB (HD)

LocoRoco 2 Launch Trailer
File size: 66 MB (HD)

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue - The Ride Of Your Life
File size: 172 MB (HD)

Tekken 6 Call To Arms Trailer
File size: 12 MB (SD) 48 MB (HD)

GTI Club+ Trailer
File size: 48 MB (HD)

Brain Challenge Expansion Pack
File size: 86 MB (1080)

50 Cent: Blood On The Sand Trailer #1
File size: 45 MB (HD)

50 Cent: Blood On The Sand Trailer #2
File size: 34 MB (HD)

50 Cent: Blood On The Sand Trailer #3
File size: 37 MB (HD)

Movie Trailers (free)

Rent: Live on Broadway Blu-ray Disc Trailer
File size: 38 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes

Flower Theme (free)
File size: 1.79 MB

LocoRoco 2 The Planet Theme (free)
File size: 2.04 MB

PAIN: The Hoff Theme (free)
File size: 1.97 MB

Prier Custom Theme free with Disgaea 2 Sacrebleu Set ($0.99)
File size: 1.43 MB

Magic Ball Theme (free)
File size: 2.20 MB

Mahjong Tales: Ancient Wisdom Theme (free)
File size: 3.11 MB

Cuboid Theme (free)
File size: 1.99 MB

Anime MBM Theme ($0.99)
File size: 3.48 MB

Valentine Hearts Theme ($1.49)
File size: 5.18 MB

Fractal Hearts Theme ($1.49)
File size: 5.63 MB

Valentine Angels Theme ($1.49)
File size: 6.60 MB

PS3 Wallpaper (free)

Flower Wallpaper
File size: 220 KB (SD) 504 KB (1080)

Game Love Wallpaper
File size: 414 KB (1080)

PlayStation Store for PSP Game Videos(free)

* Pulse 2/12 Edition (free) (also available from PS3 storefront)
PULSE presented by the PlayStation Network is a free high definition video showcase of whats happening right now on PlayStation. Featuring new game releases, demos, movie and television arrivals available for your PS3 and PSP systems, PULSE is a fast-paced new source to keep you connected and informed about the world of PlayStation.
Hosted by Christina Lee.
File size: 269 MB

* LocoRoco 2 Trailer
File size: 9.73 MB

PSP Themes

* LocoRoco 2 Planet Theme (free) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File size: 372 KB

* Anime MBM 1 ($0.99) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File size: 443 KB

* Anime MBM 2 ($0.99) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File size: 494 KB

* Valentine Hearts ($1.49) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File size: 310 KB

No Longer Left Hanging: Left 4 Dead Content is Free.

Ryan Fulton — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:25:52 -0600

In a move that is seemingly solely intended to alleviate some of my (mostly) irrational anger towards Gabe Newell, Valve has announced their plans for pricing on both the PC and Xbox formats, free. While it could be, rightfully, argued that the two additional versus mode maps were already paid for in the initial asking price, the freebie pricetag is a welcome sight nontheless. Additionally, they are including a new mode dubbed, "Survival" with 12 maps; it is not known whether these maps are entirely new or simply segmented maps from the four existing campaigns. The new mode is said to be something like an extended siege/assault. Players can look forward to both updates on the same day... at some point in the, hopefully, near future.

Halo Wars Demo Hits Xbox Live

Zach Lott — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:23:58 -0600

The Xbox Live demo for Halo Wars, the RTS title from the recently-disbanded Ensemble Studios, was released back on Thursday, giving fans a chance to check out how Halo holds up as a strategy title.

The download contains a tutorial, along with a skirmish map and couple of scenarios from the campaign. There's no online or single-player co-op, but there's still plenty to check out.

The game will hit store shelves on March 3, so download the demo and let us know what you think.

Criterion Announces Cops and Robbers Pack For Burnout Paradise

Zach Lott — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 21:46:26 -0600

1up is reporting that Burnout Paradise developer Criterion has announced that the racing title will receive its sixth DLC pack, entitled Cops and Robbers, later this year.

According to Criterion, the pack brings "the thrills and spills of cops and robbers car chases in Paradise City" and will be released after all of its siblings.

Fallout 3 DLC Delayed

Zach Lott — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 20:43:12 -0600

Operation Anchorage, the first DLC pack for Fallout 3, is out, but fans of Bethesda's latest title are going to have to wait another month for the next pack to arrive, according to a GameSpot report that it has been delayed until March. The third pack, originally slated for March, will now be released in April.

"The next DLC for Fallout 3, The Pitt, will be out in March," Bethesda vice president of marketing Pete Hines told GameSpot. "Broken Steel will be out the following month, in April."

The Pitt will send players against a group of raiders in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, while Broken Steel continues the main storyline and will raise the level cap.

Playstation Store Update: MLB 09 The Show Demo, Guitar Hero/Rock Band DLC

Zach Lott — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:50:37 -0600

Thursday has arrived, and that means that Sony has once again updated the Playstation Store. The latest batch of content includes a demo for MLB 09 The Show, new songs for both Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band, and a new pack of costumes and stickers for LittleBigPlanet.

Hit the jump to check out the full list of additions.

Downloadable Games3 on 3 NHL Arcade ($9.99)
EA SPORTS welcomes you to the fast paced world of arcade hockey. From the same team that brought you NHL 09 comes a 3 on 3 experience that throws conventional hockey, and its rules, out the window. Choose from 40 of the NHLs top players and bring them into this no rules hockey game where big heads and big hits rule the day. With loads of power-ups falling on the ice to the ability to level a guy clear out of the rink, this is definitely not your typical simulation. This full version of the game offers online play, achievements, leaderboard tracking, and more features that will have you coming back for more.

ESRB Rated E
File size: 188 MB

Burnout Paradise - The Ultimate Bundle ($29.99)
Get the full version of Burnout Paradise - 2008s Racing Game of the Year - and get the brand new Pass the Pad Party Pack as well. Paradise City is the ultimate driving playground, set in a vast open-world, filled with gameplay that will push your driving and riding skills to the limit.
ESRB Rated E10
File size: 3.25 GB

Add-on Game Content

Burnout Paradise Party ($9.99)
Want to play Burnout Paradise at home with your friends in some offline multiplayer action? Burnout Paradise Party introduces fun, quick-fire challenges around Paradise City that can be played by 2-8 players of all skill levels.
File size: 100 KB

High Velocity Bowling: Dwayne ($0.99)
Its time to bowl High Velocity style! Add Dwayne Harper to your High Velocity Bowling roster. It aint easy being a gangsta thug bowla, but Dwyane manages by combining good aim and power for an awesome shot. Download includes Dwaynes special Urban Assault ball, plus the new Inner City Alley lane, set in a back alley of a major city with unique audio.
File size: 48 MB

High Velocity Bowling: Candy ($0.99)
Its time to bowl High Velocity style! Add Candy Lincoln to your High Velocity Bowling roster. Candys a clash of old school and new tattoos. Her aim is great, but her ball is a bit too heavy for her. Download includes Candys special Candied Cherries ball, plus the new Jumpin Joes Diner lane, with a rockin retro atmosphere and unique audio.
File size: 42 MB

Hot Shots Golf New Course ($4.99)
Download the new Golfasaurus-Rex B.C.C. course now available for play in Hot Shots Golf Out Of Bounds. Take your favorite players and caddies and tee it up on this new, beautifully designed course and see if you have what it takes your game to a new level of play.
File size: 100 KB

LittleBigPlanet Valentine's Day Mini-Pack ($2.99)
New costumes and stickers to spread some love in LittleBigPlanet!
File size: 1.04 MB

NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM Pack 8 (free)
Download Storm Pack 8 and unleash the legendary Sound Ninja Kidoumaru as your support character in battle. The Storm Pack 8 also contains new Ultimate Mission to engage!
File size: 100 KB

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

Cowboy Song (Live) - Thin Lizzy ($1.99)
Jailbreak (Live) - Thin Lizzy ($1.99)
The Boys Are Back in Town (Live) - Thin Lizzy ($1.99)
Thin Lizzy Track Pack 01 ($5.49) - Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track pack: Thin Lizzy Pack 01. This pack includes: The Boys Are Back in Town (Live) (Live), Cowboy Song (Live), and Jailbreak (Live) by Thin Lizzy.
Precious - The Pretenders ($1.99)
Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benetar ($1.99)
Dont Tell Me - Nikko ($0.99)
Break My Heart - Nikko ($0.99)

File sizes: 21 MB - 36 MB (singles), 101 MB (track pack)

Guitar Hero World Tour
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com.

Gimme All Your Lovin as made famous by ZZ Top, covered by Wavegroup ($1.99)
Commotion by Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
Black Betty as made famous by Ram Jam, covered by Wavegroup ($1.99)
Southern Rock Track Pack ($5.49) - Downloadable Track Pack for Guitar Hero World Tour featuring Commotion by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Black Betty as made famous by Ram Jam, covered by Wavegroup, and Gimme All Your Lovin as made famous by ZZ Top, covered by Wavegroup.

File sizes: 27 MB - 41 MB (singles), 106 MB (track pack)

Game Demos (free)

MLB 09 The Show Demo
In 08, ESPN called the the game the most realistic baseball game ever created and IGN dubbed it Sports Game Of The Year. If youre a baseball fan, you owe it to yourself to get hands-on experience with the MLB 09 The Show. See for yourself why Nothing Gets You Closer. For more details, visit www.MLB09TheShow.com.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 1.56 GB

3 on 3 NHL Arcade Trial
EA SPORTS welcomes you to the fast paced world of arcade hockey. From the same team that brought you NHL 09 comes a 3 on 3 experience that throws conventional hockey, and its rules, out the window. This trial version of the game lets you get a taste of the power-ups, NHL stars, and outrageous gameplay that is definitely not your typical simulation experience.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 188 MB

Game Videos (free)

LocoRoco 2 Pre-Launch Trailer
File size: 106 MB (HD)

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin EPA Trailer
File size: 52 MB (HD)

PAIN: Darts Trailer
File size: 63 MB (HD)

PAIN: Fortress Trailer
File size: 42 MB (HD)

Winter Dew Tour: Kevin Pearce in Japan
File size: 101 MB (HD)

Winter Dew Tour: Colby West
File size: 98 MB (HD)

Winter Dew Tour: Breckenridge Ridin Highlights
File size: 124 MB (HD)

Winter Dew Tour: Breckenridge Recap
File size: 94 MB (HD)

Winter Dew Tour: Breckenridge Freeskiing Thrills
File size: 95 MB (HD)

Winter Dew Tour: Breckenridge Athletes
File size: 101 MB (HD)

Winter Dew Tour: PlayStation Pro Moments - Breckenridge
File size: 63 MB (HD)

Movie Trailers (free)

2012 Trailer
File size: 15 MB (SD) 49 MB (HD) 75 MB (1080)

Open Season 2 Blu-ray Disc Trailer
File size: 80 MB (HD) 106 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes

LocoRoco 2 MuiMui Theme (free)
File size: 1.12 MB

Evil Clowns Theme ($1.49)
File size: 5.2 MB

Gothic Girlz Theme ($1.49)
File size: 4.41 MB

Polar Bears Theme ($1.49)
File size: 5.56 MB

PlayStation Store for PSP Game Demos (free)

* Phantasy Star Portable
Check out the long awaited demo of Phantasy Star Portable and experience what others have been enjoying for years. Up to four friends will team up to unravel the exclusive new storyline that picks up where Phantasy Star Universe ends and before the start of PSU: Ambition of the Illuminus.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 272 MB

Game Videos (free)

LocoRoco 2 Pre-Launch Trailer
File size: 18 MB

PSP Wallpaper (free)

LocoRoco 2 Wallpaper (x4)
File sizes: 129 KB - 185 KB

Xbox 360 Dashboard Update: HDMI Audio Fix

Zach Lott — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:29:14 -0600

If you've signed into Xbox Live this morning, then you're probably already aware of this, but Microsoft has released a mandatory dashboard update for the Xbox 360.

Major Nelson has the story over at his blog, saying that the update fixes an audio problem some users were experiencing with their HDMI connection.

If you're one of the many 360 owners who have tried to deal with this problem ever since the "New Xbox Experience" was rolled out back in November, then get signed in and download the update.

Prince of Persia DLC Not Coming to PC

Zach Lott — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:18:42 -0600

Here's a story for those of you who played Prince of Persia on the PC: Big Download is reporting that Ubisoft has chosen to release the game's upcoming DLC pack, which continues the storyline, only on the 360 and PS3.

From Ubisoft's community manager via the Ubisoft message boards:

"Unfortunately for business reasons we won't be seeing any PoP DLC appear. Sorry guys!"

While unfortunate for PC gamers, the expansion will make its way to the Xbox Live Marketplace and Playstation Network on February 26.

Prototype to be Released in June

Zach Lott — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:06:50 -0600

Prototype may have missed its 2008 release date, but Activision hasn't forgot about it, seeing as they've sent Joystiq a New York Comic Con invitation that contains this nugget:

"Hands-on fans get their first chance to play the highly anticipated open-world/action thriller, PROTOTYPE, planned for release in June."

Naturally, we'll keep you updated with any announcements made at the event, which begins on Friday and lasts until Sunday.

Resident Evil 5 Demo Hits PSN

Zach Lott — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:00:11 -0600

PS3 owners have been waiting patiently for the Resident Evil 5 demo that hit the Xbox Live Marketplace last week to make its way to the Playstation Network, and today that patience was rewarded, as the demo is now available for download. Check it out and let us know what you think.

ESA Announces Exhibitor List for E3 2009, Activision-Blizzard to Attend

Zach Lott — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:43:21 -0600

After pulling out of the ESA and holding its own media event last year, Activision-Blizzard is headed back to E3, according to the current list of exhibitors for the 2009 event on the official E3 website.

Activision-Blizzard isn't rejoining the ESA, but it seems that they've managed to come to terms with the organization after an abrupt exit last year over reported displeasure with CEO Mike Gallagher.

Also, Joystiq is reporting that NCsoft will once again miss the event.

"While NCsoft has been a member of the ESA in the past, we are not currently an ESA member and do not expect to attend E3 this year. We will continue to evaluate how E3 fits into NCsoft's plans each year," a representative told the gaming blog.

The show will be held from June 2-4, so stay tuned for future announcements from the ESA and exhibitors. Hit the jump for a list of companies expected to attend.

Activision Blizzard, Inc.
Atari, Inc.
Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
Bethesda Softworks LLC
Capcom Entertainment, Inc.
Disney Interactive Studios, Inc.
Eidos Interactive
Electronic Arts, Inc.
Epic Games, Inc.
505 Games
IndieCade
KOEI Corporation
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC
Majesco Entertainment Company
Microsoft Corporation
Midway Games Inc.
MTV Games
Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
Nintendo of America, Inc.
Rebellion
Sega of America, Inc.
Serious Games
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Sony Online Entertainment LLC
Square Enix, Inc.
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
THQ Inc.
Ubisoft Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Inc.

Resident Evil 5 Demo Hits Xbox Live

Zach Lott — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:16:41 -0600

Although Microsoft is rather busy these days with firing their employees, it seems that they haven't forgotten that they still have an online service to maintain, as Major Nelson has announced via his official blog that a demo for Resident Evil 5 has arrived on Xbox Live.

The demo, which is the same one released in Japan last month, allows you to play "by yourself or play with a partner in co-op mode, either online or offline with a split screen," according to Nelson.

Capcom has yet to reveal a date for the PSN demo, but it shouldn't be long before it'll be available. We'll let you know once it's announced.

New Gears of War 2 Update Goes Live

Solomon Lee — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:03:12 -0600

Epic has released a new patch for Gears of War 2 that fixes various multiplayer glitches and gameplay bugs. Included with the update is a list of new achievements involving the Combustible and Flashback map packs. They are listed below as follows:

Skeletons in your Closet (20G) - Complete waves 1 through 10 on all Flashback Map Pack maps in Horde (any difficulty)
More Mystery, Less History (15G) - Win a multiplayer match on each of the 5 Flashback Map Pack maps (any mode except Wingman)
Bound by a Shared Past (15G) - Win a Wingman match on each of the 5 Flashback Map Pack maps
Trial by, and on, Fire (20G) - Survive first 10 Horde waves on Combustible Map Pack maps as a team
The Roof! The Roof! The Roof... (15G) - Win a multiplayer match on each of the 3 Combustible Map Pack maps (any mode except Wingman)
Forged in the Fire (15G) - Win a Wingman match on each of the 3 Combustible Map Pack maps
Annex: Now With Execution Rules (75G) - Win an Annex match on each Flashback and Combustible Map Pack map (public only)

Limited Edition White Dragon PS3 Available in Japan.

Ryan Fulton — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:34:02 -0600

"White Dragon" used to my my nickname in martial arts circles prior to my career ending loss in a tonfa pit fight in Cambodia. Ok, so maybe I'm making some of that up. Fine, ok ok, all of it was made up, but the amazing PlayStation 3 that you see above is very real. One day, it could be yours if you can snatch one of 10,000 pebbles from the hands of Japanese gamers. The alabaster creature of legend is part of a bundle that includes Yakuza 3, err well I guess it will be Ryu Ga Gotoku 3... since it's Japanese and all. Granted the game itself is unlikely to be importer friendly for those of you who don't speak Japanese, but the system itself would perform well enough for importers who don't mind region locking on backwards compatible titles and DVDs. Look for it around march 6th.

PSN Update. More Importantly Suikoden.

Ryan Fulton — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:41:55 -0600

Due to unforeseeable circumstances Christmas, the PlayStation Store update hit today. And why do we care? Because Suikoden, one of the best PlayStation RPGs was released today. Additionally, maybe, if we all knock our heels together we'll be blessed with a downloadable Suikoden II at somewhere less than 1/10-1/15 of the going rate (depending upon season, moon cycle, and oprah's weight.) So basically, if you're even remotely in the market for a decent RPG, it may be worth tossing your $5.99 towards a classic. Lots of other stuff came out too... That's after the jump.

Lumines Supernova: More Lumines puzzle fun with more themes, including Christmas themes for the next few weeks (to wit.)

Lord of the Rings: Conquest demo.

Toro the Japanese PlayStation mascot has been added as a playable character in Hot Shots Golf.

A new episode of Pulse.

Metal Gear 4 Little Big Planet levels and accessories. What's not to like?

Disgaea 3 add-ons.

Some music game song things for random music games. Notable: Foo Fighters songs are available for Rockband.

And well, tons of other things. Feel free to hit the jump if you're not already turning on your PS3/PSP/PC to check the store out.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Destroys Sales Records

Zach Lott — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:55:34 -0600

Over at Capcom's website, John Diamonon has revealed in a blog post that Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix may very well become the highest-grossing digital game ever made, having already sold over 250,000 units since its release in late November.

Diamonon mentioned in his post that the game has "shattered" day one and week one sales records and is on pace to break the 30 day sales mark.

The game has been reviewed very well and has garnered praise for its music and artwork, the latter of which, interestingly enough, almost got the game cancelled at one point for a perceived lack of quality. You can download it either through the Playstation Store or Xbox Live Arcade.

Fable 2 DLC Delayed Until January

Zach Lott — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:28:12 -0600

Looks like those of you that have been eagerly awaiting the upcoming Fable 2 DLC will have to wait a bit longer, as Lionhead has announced that the content has been delayed from December 22 until late January.

"Due to unexpected technical difficulties, the Fable 2: Knothole Island expansion will not be available until late January 2009. As a result, the Fable 2, Knothole Island Download and Win, originally scheduled to take place December 22 23, 2008, has been temporarily suspended," reads a notice on the game's page on the official Xbox website.

Hopefully it won't take any longer for the issues to be worked out and everyone will be enjoying the DLC come next month.

Voice Chat Temporarily Removed From Home

Zach Lott — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:55:54 -0600

In an attempt to alleviate some of the technical issues that are currently plaguing the Home beta, Sony did some system maintenance this morning and issued a patch that upgrades Home to version 1.04, which includes a temporary suspension of voice chat, according to the Playstation Blog.

"As soon as we are ready to resume the voice chat feature, we will inform you via PlayStation.com and PlayStation.Blog. In the meantime, we encourage users to make use of the Wireless Keypad for PLAYSTATION 3 or any USB or Bluetooth-enabled keyboard for text chat and also the 'phone friend' features to communicate within PlayStation Home," said Abagail Murphy, PR Manager for PSN.

Sony has been garnering harsh criticism from those frustrated with the numerous error codes and connection issues as well as those upset with the lack of content, but at least they're trying to fix things on the technical side. We'll let you know if any other announcements regarding the situation are made.

GB Review: Prince of Persia (360)

Aaron Dunlap — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:20:24 -0600

Prince of Persia is a reboot, re-imagining, re-everything of the longstanding platform jumping/climbing/sliding franchise. As far as reboots go, it's no Batman Begins or Casino Royale. It might qualify as a The Incredible Hulk. It's full of the basics (acrobatic maneuvering) but with none of the frills. It's fun to play, but it could have benefited from some gameplay experimentation and some play-testing to remove some control issues and bugs. It's a short game, maybe between 10-15 hours, so it's definitely worth a rental.

Click here for an explanation of our review and scoring format.

Prince of Persia, like Assassin's Creed before it, is a pseudo-historical acrobatic adventure game that could have benefited from a few months of play-testing and polishing. Unlike Assassins Creed, this more-or-less "reboot" of the Persia series doesn't suffer from an impenetrable story or some of the unbelievably frustrating elements that plagued last year's romp in the Holy land.

Comparing this Prince of Persia with the previous games, retroactively referred to as the Sands of Time series, is a bit difficult as they feel almost like they come from different genres. Sands of Time and its two sequels could be referred to as puzzle games mixed with action games. The puzzle element was built into the construct of the game itself. Often, simply figuring out how to progress through a level was a challenge, as wall-sprints had to be masterfully combined with wall-jumps and swings and rolls. Between the challenges of overcoming terrain and architecture were several battles against multiple foes. The battles themselves were almost like puzzles; simple sword swipes would never be enough, you had to combine acrobatic attacks and various superpowers.

This Prince of Persia is a different beast altogether. Here the puzzles are almost entirely removed. While almost the entire game is spent performing acrobatic feats such as running across walls and jumping from poles to ledges to walls to (somehow) ceilings in order to traverse otherwise-impassible areas, there is little challenge to figuring out how. What you're supposed to do is always made obvious by scrapes on the wall (apparently plenty of acrobats have been through here before you), or the sheer lack of alternative. If you're clinging to a pole and the only objects possibly within reach are another pole and the pole you just came from, it's not hard to figure out where to go. Even if you are hopelessly stuck, which I would surmise to be impossible, with a simple press of the Y button your AI teammate, Elika, can summon a floating blue orb that will mark the path to your next destination step-by-step.

Yes, Elika. This feisty princess acts as your guide, companion, and exposition dispenser throughout the entire game. My initial concern was that this would turn the whole game into one protracted escort mission (shudder), but I was rather impressed how well the AI character was able to keep up, stay out of the way, and fend for herself. If she's ever in your way, the two characters will simply hop over each other or scoot around each other, occasionally throwing in some cute banter. You never have to worry about protecting her or taking a path that she wont be able to follow. For a game like this, having a computer-controlled tagalong that never becomes annoying is quite an accomplishment.

Elika has a few vital functions, aside from providing the bulk of the plot. Y'see, Elika has some unexpected (to her) powers that let her fly in short bursts. The only gameplay implication of this is that it allows you to double to distance of a jump the Prince makes by having her catch you mid-air and give you a boost forward. This is novel, sure, but not very interesting. Elika's other function, the thing that could motivate philosophical discussions about this game is that she makes it impossible for your character to die.

If you fall off a ledge, miss a landing, or fall so far that the landing would kill you, Elika swoops in with her blue sparkle-magic and catches you, bringing you back to the last sturdy platform you were on. This sort of emulates the effect of the time-reversing ability in previous games, where if you made a mistake and plummeted to your doom you could just rewind time to before you screwed up, but that ability had a meter on it and was optional. If you were out of sand, or simply didn't care to muck around with causality at the moment, you'd die like normal, and have to restart from a save.

In this game, however, it is completely, 100% impossible to die. She will always save you.

Some say this makes the game too easy. I disagree, I think the lack of challenge makes it too easy. What it does do is raise an interesting question about one's stake in a game where death isn't an option. There are other games, sure, where you can't exactly die, but none where you cannot even fail. If in Prince of Persia if falling to your doom meant a quick "you died" message and you were instantly teleported back to where you were, would the game be different? What if dying meant having to reload a save and wait a few seconds? Playing a game where you can't die might make you feel powerful, but playing a game where you can't even fail just feels meaningless. In a way, the only way to fail at this game is to not complete it. The only way not to win is not to play.

It probably seems like a favor to the player, a way of simply automating the process of dying and reloading and saving them the frustration, but I think the way it's executed is damaging to the experience.

A penalty in a home video game will always be arbitrary, but time has shown it to be essential to the process. We're like rats in a maze. If we never get zapped and told we're doing it wrong, we'll never get it right. Removing the possibility of death, or even the fleeting sense of failure, could create an environment where the stakes of the game wont matter, and the sense of immersion desired by the game designers will be destroyed.

The only perceived penalty of screwing up in this game is having to try again, which I suppose can be punishment enough without the need to drag in the concepts of life and death.

I haven't mentioned the fighting system, or even anything about the story, I realize. This is because they left no lasting impression. After completing this somewhat-short game, the only thing I really remember about it is the running on walls and climbing up vines. The story is basically a good-god vs evil-god tale based in a small part on Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion. The fights are unbearable little segments where the game demonstrates how little it cares about your sanity for the sake of insinuating some excitement into the title.

Yes, this game boils down to wall-running and little else. I had fun while playing it, and when I wasn't playing it I actually wanted to pick it back up and continue (which is a rare thing for a game reviewer after a few years). I think if the game had tried to add something new, or tried to turn the tables partway into the story, it would be a better game.

The problem I'm having, and one that could very well cause me to re-write this whole thing, is that I rather enjoyed this game but the only things I can think to write about are the negatives. This is a well-made game, for certain. It's a major release from Ubisoft, how couldn't it be? It's a nice, well-made, short game that passed the time well enough for me and made me consider the nature of reality. Worth a rental, I'd say.

Prince of Persia could have been much, much better if they had tried something new instead of falling back on the old hat of acrobatic climbing and swordplay. But perhaps it's best that they didn't try anything new. Last time they tried something innovative, we got Assassin's Creed, a game of which the very existence I consider an insult. I wished that game had dropped all the complicated nonsense and just stuck to the acrobatic stuff. Prince of Persia is a game that just sticks to the acrobatic stuff. It's kind of like a Campbell's chicken noodle soup game -- kind of bland, nothing creative or zesty thrown in, but you can't say you don't enjoy it at the time.

New Xbox Experience: It's Up.

Ryan Fulton — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:43:13 -0600

Whelp it's up now. Enjoy all of those features that you've already heard about. Install the four games you can fit on your 20gb drive after uninstalling all of your demos and let rip. Enjoy kids. Or maybe don't if you're like me. It would be super awesome if we weren't forced to pick an avatar. These things were charming on the Wii for all of the first 30 minutes you played Wii Sports before that became tiresome, but honestly, can we please kill this trend? Additionally it would be nice if half of my themes weren't half-assed covered by the icons. Aside from that it's pretty cool.

GB Review: Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (360)

Aaron Dunlap — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:42:24 -0600

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is Treyarch's first Spider-Man game not based on a movie. The gameplay, especially in combat, is a step up from previous Spidey titles but the story is short and unsatisfying. Too much emphasis is placed on a half-baked "choose your fate" branching storyline that quickly devolves into a non-stop series of boss fights. The ability to switch between red and blue Spider-Man and black-suited symbiote Spider-Man is novel, but wasted. People like me who pine for a game with Spider-Man 2's quality of web slinging with a decent game attached might be satisfied, but not impressed. This game is worth a rental for Spidey fans or any curious gamer, but at the end you wont be itching for more.

Click here for an explanation of our review and scoring format.

Spider-Man is probably the perfect character for video games. He can jump higher than anyone; he can walk, run, and sit on walls; he can beat up multiple attackers with blinding speed and feline agility; and he can swing around town on webs he shoots from his wrists. If ever there was an entity better suited for virtual representation, I'd like to hear it.

He's had a spotted past in games. I have no qualms saying that Spider-Man 2 on the Xbox is one of my favorite games to play. Altogether, the game is a wreck, but it's the web swinging I love. I could sit in front of that game for hours doing nothing but swing around its digital Manhattan. It just felt right in that game. You could feel the weight of Spidey as he grabs a fresh webline, feel the G-forces as he reaches the apex of a swing, feel the wind sheer off his body as he pulls his legs in and kicks out at just the right moment to maximize airtime and distance. That game is the perfect Spider-Man webslinging simulator. Every game since then has tried to be a better game, cramming in more story or more combo attacks and celebrity voices, abandoning the web mechanics altogether. Spider-Man 3 was a complete waste. How couldn't it be? It was rushed to come out with the movie, which itself was a waste.

Launch Gallery: Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

(15 images)

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is different. It's not based on a movie or a particular series of comics (like Ultimate Spider-Man). If I had to describe Web of Shadows as intrinsically as possible, I'd say that it is Treyarch and Shaba Games' attempt to create a Spider-Man game that perfectly captures not only the feeling of swinging like Spidey, but the feeling of being Spidey. Not being bound or hurried by the release date of some summer movie, this game actually stands a chance of accomplishing that.

The web swinging is simplified and made more efficient, for sure, but the the focus this time around seems to be on the combat. Previous Spider-Man games have always been heavy on combo-attacks, but never very much fun. You never got the feeling during combat that you could do everything Spider-Man could, only that you were playing a watered-down beat-em-up tacked onto a web-swinging game. This time around, it feels much better. Combat makes heavy use of Spider-Man's abilities, and allows (at last) to make use of Spidey's best advantages in combat: his speed and ability to stay airborn.

How silly is it for Spider-Man, a man who can walk on walls and lift himself or anything else into the air with ease, to be seen standing with two feet on the ground, throwing punches against enemies? In Web of Shadows, there's no need to stay on the ground for the sake of grounded baddies. Better to knock them up into the air, where you're free to mangle their helpless bodies. The most welcome addition is the ability to "web strike," or zip yourself up to an enemy from far away, get in a quick attack, and then bounce out before he knows what hit him. You can string together web strikes and clobber dozens of enemies, one at a time, bouncing from head to head, staying in constant motion the entire time.

Treyarch's previous Spider-Man games have all been so-called "sandbox games" like Grand Theft Auto where an entire city is under your control, and you can attempt story-based missions at your leisure. This time around, the game is much more linear, but built around a sandbox architecture. You can still go anywhere in the city, and you still start missions by approaching specific characters and starting them, but there are no real alternatives. There are no real side-missions, and the random crimes you'll encounter just by wandering around aren't very engaging.

No, the game sees itself as linear and story-based, and shouldn't be ashamed for it.

The story itself involves the return of Venom and the black symbiote, and its eventual attempt to spread its inky tentacles across the whole city. Early in the game, Spider-Man gets re-introduced to the symbiote and through much of the game is free to switch between normal (red and blue suit) Spider-Man and symbiote (black suit) Spider-Man. Herein lies the biggest bullet point in the game's sell-sheet.

The game insinuates that your actions as either red/blue Spidey or black Spidey affect how the story branches. This is partially true. There are several points during the story where you're given the option to follow either a "good" path (marked by a red/blue Spidey icon on screen) or a "bad" path (marked by black Spidey). Whether you chose to be red/blue or black Spider-Man within the game itself makes no difference, and is altogether pretty arbitrary. Each suit has its strengths and weaknesses as far as combat and agility go, but it really just comes down to your choice of outfit. The branching storyline is controlled by your selection of the good/bad path, and when you're playing a super hero does it make that much sense to ask the player if he wants to do something good, like save somebody, or something bad, like let them die? Sure, after playing through the game once as a goodie two-shoes you might go through again to see what lies on the dark side, but the so-called conflict between good ol' Spider-Man and his evil suit doesn't come across very well when you're basically given the options of "be good" or "be bad."

It would be better if the branching paths in the story were based on your actions and not simply your selection of them. If the black suit had a more noticeable advantage in-game, maybe I'd be more tempted to use it. Maybe the game could keep track of how often you use the black suit or how much damage you cause with it, and from that make it harder and harder to go without it. Then, based on which suit you've spent the most time with, the story can branch however it likes. This is what I thought was going to happen. This is how the marketing material makes it sound.

Altogether, the story mode is somewhat satisfying but brief. The intention is probably to let people try the various branches, but I can't imagine it being too enticing.

Once you've beaten the game, you can't re-load your saved game and freely roam the town with all of your upgraded and unlocked abilities, nor can you start a new game with your earned abilities. This is a huge, huge problem for me. You spend the whole game unlocking and upgrading attacks and combos, and then after a boss fight wherein you can't even use them, they're completely wasted. I feel like I wasted all that time.

As I said, I can spend hours inside Spider-Man 2 ignoring the missions and just swinging around, looking for collectible items, earning points, unlocking new combos. Spider-Man: Web of Shadows doesn't really allow for this. It's a shame, really, because the swinging sure is fun.

I'm left at an impasse. I can't recommend this game for fans of Spider-Man video games. For people who don't really care, the more refined package and far fewer bugs compared to previous Treyarch Spidey games, as well as it being the first one truly designed for next-gen (although from the graphics you might not know it), it might be worth a rental.

They've finally made a game that feels like being Spider-Man, now they just need to make one with a satisfying game on top of it.

Sony: 80% of PS3 users are "active" on PSN

Zach Lott — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:04:27 -0600

In a post celebrating the second anniversary of the release of the PS3 on the official U.S. Playstation Blog yesterday, Sony's John Koller went through an extensive list of the system's achievements, but one that should draw your attention more than the others is this figure: 14 million "active" PSN accounts.

If Sony is to be believed, then this means that around 80% of PS3 owners are currently active on PSN, but chances are that this isn't the whole story. I'd be willing to bet that the 80% figure is counting people who have made an account, not just people who are actually using it on a regular basis, as I think that figure would be somewhat lower.

What do you guys think?

Square Enix to Open US Studio.

Ryan Fulton — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:14:51 -0600

According to Gamasutra Square Enix has plans to open a US studio based in Los Angeles for the purposes of creating an action game based on an original IP (assumedly for the 360 based upon the job descriptions.) It should be interesting to see how this pans out in the end. Square Enix, original IP, and action game aren't usually phrases that you see lumped together. I'm personally just excited to see what sort of art direction we can expect to see from this new studio. I'm going to be really disappointed if it's full of man-tough space marines rather than my beloved effeminate Gackt copies. In the end, I'm just glad to have had a chance to use this image.

GB Review: Gears of War 2 (360)

Solomon Lee — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:43:07 -0600

Gears of War 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to Gears; the title that gathered quite a following with its impressive visuals, intuitive run-and-cover gameplay, and engaging characters. The game doesn't mess with its own formula of success but rather, it focuses on what it does best -- delivering an intense, visceral, adrenaline-pumping experience. The sinister violence and gore is a trademark of this game that has been well received by fans and one that Epic doesn't shy away from. Although it fails to revolutionize the genre, Gears 2 delivers on all fronts and surpasses the original with more weapons, deadlier monsters, larger campaigns, more multiplayer maps and an incredibly addictive Horde mode. Gears of War 2 is this year's game to own on the Xbox 360.

Click here for an explanation of our review and scoring format.

Gears of War was quite the blockbuster when it first arrived on Xbox 360. The game offered solid controls, great visuals, intuitive third person camera and chainsaws. Though the plot wasn't the main focus, Gears effectively brought us the memorable, wisecracking Delta squad members: Marcus, Dom, Cole and Baird. Fast forward to Gears 2 -- the game takes everything that made the original Gears a solid shooter and takes it a step further on the epic scale. To quote Epic Lead Designer, Cliff Bleszinski, Gears of War 2 is definitely "bigger, better and more badass."

Gears 2 continue right after the original shooter; following General RAAM's defeat and the light mass bombing. Marcus and Dom fight with fellow COG soldiers fatally wounded defending the city after subsequent Locust attacks. It is there on the hospital grounds we meet the rook, Benjamin, brother to his sibling Carmine who died from an infamous sniper shot and Tai, a militaristic but calm leader. They quickly learn that the Locusts have quietly regrouped underground and have launched attacks in endless numbers. Entire cities have been sunk underground as the Horde employs powerful forces and tactical equipment and that's not all; they've brought grotesque and far deadlier creatures this time around. Epic has placed a strong emphasis on the story behind the war that sheds light on Marcus Fenix's history and Dom's continued search for his missing wife, Maria.

As expected, the returning weapons are the Lancer, Sniper Rifle, Shotgun, Torque Bow, Pistol and the Hammer of Dawn. New weapons added to your arsenal include the Hammerburst Rifle (enemy weapon), Gorgon Pistol, Ink Grenade (emits poison), Mortar (distance artillery weapon), Mulcher (turret gun) and the fan-favorite, the Scorcher Flamethrower. Grenades can be stuck to walls and used as proximity mines to destroy enemies lurking around. If you are pinned in battle, you can crawl while bleeding to try to reach your teammates to be revived. The new weapons are available in the latter half of the game and can be found by looting Locust corpses. Each weapon is distinct and allows you to perform unique executions on fallen enemies crawling away. You can also grab a dying Locust for use as a meat shield to flank your enemies. Be warned that using the corpse for cover lasts for a very short time -- limiting you to the use of a pistol. The shield will either explode into bits under heavy gunfire or be disposed of after breaking the Locust's neck.

The original Gears saw players destroying their opponents with a chainsaw attack; granting them temporary invulnerability to gunfire or melee attacks. Pulling the attack off was often based on luck between two players with the one who revved up his chainsaw just a split second earlier winning the fight; which was infuriating. Epic has addressed the Chainsaw attack complaints with a new Chainsaw duel feature. Two players that rush one another with the Lancer will be thrown into a mini-game; quickly mashing the B button ensures victory. If a third player approaches two people engaged in a Chainsaw duel, the poor guy or gal on the receiving end will instantly be overpowered.

Both single player and coop campaigns allow you to finish the game by yourself or with a friend. The option to play at your own pace is simplified as campaigns can be played with two separate difficulty settings. An extra difficulty setting Normal can be selected with the Insane difficulty unlocked after the game has been completed. You can invite your friends with the "What's Up" feature that lets you see the status and progress of your Gears' friends online. Personally, I found the friendly menu list to be useful in keeping tabs with other online players.

The all new Horde mode is one of the highlights of Gears 2. In Horde mode, you join a team of five players collaborating to destroy Locusts waves on various maps. Eventually, your enemies grow stronger with more health, better weapons and increased numbers. A total of 50 waves are featured in Horde mode for which the difficulty level rises considerably after the tenth wave. Fighting together in groups, reviving teammates, giving cover fire and using key vantage points is crucial for your survival. Linked achievements play a big role in the Horde and multiplayer modes. Gears fans will be happy to hear that specific achievements (completed from the original) unlock new playable characters such as Anthony Carmine, Minh Young Kim (former Delta squad leader) and General RAAM. Your progress ultimately dictates your rank; which is used for matchmaking purposes. Horde mode is tough as nails but is easily the most satisfying and rewarding to play with everyone.

A War Journal is a handy tool that tracks your listed achievements, unlocked characters, and collectables. Rather than using COG tags, Epic has placed hidden files, newspapers, memos and personal letters throughout the game. They comprise a total of 41 collectables that provides a side story to the events surrounding the war. A magnifying glass signifies the item is found and is easily picked up by pressing the X button. You don't need to guess how close you are to an achievement as the journal displays your progress towards obtaining it. This is a welcome change for fans wishing to complete the game in its entirety.

Multiplayer modes feature seven maps: Warzone, Execution, Annex, King of the Hill, Guardian, Submission and Wingman. Epic's gift to its fans is a code for the Flashback Map Pack for those with preorders and for those buying Gears 2 at launch. This map pack includes five maps: Subway, Canals, Tyro Station, Gridlock and Mansion. While it doesn't sound like much, each map is considerably different from the original Gears. The Subway is less dreary, Canals have been hit by a frozen icy spell, Tyro Station is more industrialized, Gridlock is filled with foliage and the Mansion has better lighting. A new Training Ground mode gives casual, novice and veteran players a brief tutorial on the basics of multiplayer controls and combat.

Gears 2 is a graphically intense game. Buildings, air-borne dust, the underground caverns and the city landscapes are very polished. Special effects ranging from hailing fire on your enemies with the Mortar to poisoning the enemy with Ink grenades are visually gratifying. The frame rate takes a severe hit at numerous checkpoint locations that could have used some tweaking. There is also a tendency for Locust corpses and weapon spoils to fall and to defy natural physics in its environment. Otherwise, Gears 2 is a game detailed to the core that manages to exceed the best visuals of the original Gears. With respect to audio, the soundtrack is top-notch and a great accompaniment.

Many of the flaws from the original Gears have sadly crept into Gears 2. The A.I. teammates tend to block your shots, run straight into enemy territory without cover, and get hopelessly pinned in a far corner amongst a group of Locusts. Regrettably, the vehicle stages are the most irritating part of many campaigns; especially on the higher difficulty settings. Despite its shortcomings, Gears 2 is an exciting game full of blood, action and suspense for anyone that enjoys a solid third person shooter.

Sony Addresses Little Big Planet Moderation

Solomon Lee — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:54:31 -0600

For those of you wondering why your precious LBP level was deleted without cause or notice, Sony has provided a formal explanation on the Three Speech blog in the form of guidelines:

Ensure that the content you share with other users is suitable for all ages - everyone has access to your level if you publish it
Please respect other people's intellectual property rights. For example, don't use images, brands or logos that you're not entitled to use.
If you come across any content that you feel the need to report, then please do it responsibly. Hoax reports will be considerable inappropriate behavior.

There you have it folks! Don't be afraid to create a living canvas or to build something truly unique - as long as they adhere to these guidelines.

Fable 2: Making Big Promises, Again.

Ryan Fulton — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:00:56 -0600

On the Fable 2 Dev Blog, Lionhead has gone and thrown down the big promises gauntlet again. This time they hint at big announcement next week. As to what it is? No clue, but since I'm here... and you're here... and maybe, just maybe someone at Lionhead may look at this before it's too late: Un-fix the co-op camera and give us the ability to be our own heroes in coop. You're welcome to add another dog, some new STDs, actually include the girl from the above posted shot (in fairness I have yet to finish it, but I'm going to guess she was replaced by the blind lady) you know, whatever you want. Just, please, fix the co-op.

Curse You Red Baron!

Ryan Fulton — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:43:09 -0600

Everyone's favorite beagle takes to the skies in pursuit of the infamous Red Baron in Snoopy Flying Ace. The title is slated for X360 and Wii release with a tentative 2009 date. Other details are sparse, but the game looks as if they actually managed to expend some effort on the licensed title. Anyway, enjoy a video of the game, since well... that's the best you can do just yet as the official site is rather barren. (You can thank me for not saying baron there.)

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts Text Difficult to Read on SDTVs

Zach Lott — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:28:34 -0600

If you've yet to make the jump to a high-definition television, then you might be a bit disappointed with this news: Joystiq is reporting that the text for the upcoming 360 title Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts is muddled when viewed on standard-definition televisions.

Worse yet, Rare has announced that they aren't planning to take action in order to fix it, stating that it would require too much "time, resources and money to alter."

While there are certainly many gamers who already own HDTVs, this should be a huge annoyance to those still relying on standard ones. It shall be interesting to note how this affects the November NPDs.

Resident Evil 5 Coming To PC?

Tim Grube — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:34:02 -0600

Resident Evil 5 is approaching quite rapidly and today the folks over at MCV have found something deep within a Capcom Q1 2009 release schedule. It states the RE5 is scheduled to be coming out on the PC as well as the previously announce PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles.

This is big news for PC fans because many RE fans have been asking for a PC port and now it is here! The game is scheduled for release on March 12, 2009 in Japan, and March 13, 2009 in North America and Europe.

Valkyria Chronicles DLC confirmed for US release.

Ryan Fulton — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:07:07 -0600

Sega's beautiful action-strategy-rpg Valkyria Chronicles released today, so if you're keen on experiencing a unique game that bends an established genre and blends another, now's the time to pick it up. If you're further interested, two bits of DLC have already been confirmed for US release in early 2009. One allows you to play as a side character called Edie, and the other allows you to take on the role of the game's antagonists. If Japanese prices are anything to consider, you can expect them to run $5-10 a piece. You can also expect them to be fully voice acted.

Gears of War 2 Sweepstakes Details

Tim Grube — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:43:00 -0600

On behalf of Lionsgate, you can now win some cool Gears of War 2 swag thanks to the movie Transporter 3.

How to enter:

Register your gamertag now and get ready for a whole weekend of fun and competition! From 12:01 A.M. (ET) on Friday, November 7 until 11:59 P.M. (ET) on Sunday November 9, you'll get an entry into the sweepstakes when you play a multiplayer Gears of War 2 match.

Prize Information
After the entry period, will conduct a prize drawing for the following nine winners from among all eligible entries:

Two Grand Prizes: A custom Gears of War 2 Xbox 360 console
Two Second Prizes: A Gears of War 2 Special Edition Zune 120 GB digital media player
Five Third Prizes: A Gears of War 2 Limited Edition game

Get more details on the Play & Win Sweepstakes.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States (includes the District of Columbia) 18+. Game ends November 9, 2008. For details including free, alternate method of entry, see the Official Rules.

NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM Ships

Tim Grube — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:33:03 -0600

Namco Bandai Games America Inc., today shipped NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM to retailers across North America exclusively for the PlayStation 3 console.

The Ultimate Ninja series is recognized by Naruto fans and gamers alike as the video game franchise that best captures the high-energy ninja action of the hit animated series, said Todd Thorson, director of marketing and public relations at Namco Bandai Games America, Inc. NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM represents an incredible leap forward for the franchise as we make our debut on the PLAYSTATION 3 system with an all-new battle system, free-roaming gameplay and undeniably stunning graphics.

Developed by CyberConnect2, NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM is rated T for Teen by the ESRB and carries a suggested retail price of $59.99.

Metal Gear Online Reaches One Million Mark

Tim Grube — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:02:57 -0600

With all the mass voting going on here in the states, Konami was able to sneak in some good news surrounding Metal Gear Online. The company revealed that Metal Gear Online has established over one million members since the service launched back in June.

To go along with this great news, Konami will launch a special campaign Metal Gear Online: Commemorative Campaign, which will officially begin on November 25, 2008, awarding reward points to gamers who access Metal Gear Online during the promotion. The 10,000 reward points will be updated to account owners on the last day of the campaign, December 9, 2008.

These reward points can be used to purchase new online gear from the in-game reward shop.

Heavy Rain: 30 Minutes of French and Good Lighting.

Ryan Fulton — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 21:20:20 -0500

Recently released video of Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain from the Micromania Expo in France has reached the gaming site formerly known as Jeuxfrance which shall henceforth be known as Gamekyo. The animations could use some work, and the gameplay looks as if it may be somewhat dry just yet, but damned if the game doesn't have lighting down to a science. Qualms aside it looks like it could very well be an interesting game. The video is definitely worth a look. Just excuse the French... unless you speak French, then please, by all means, ignore what I was just talking about.

Valve Unleashes Left 4 Dead Intro

Tim Grube — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 21:18:14 -0500

Valve has released the introduction video for its zombie shooter Left 4 Dead. Left 4 Dead will is expected to hit the Xbox 360 and PC on November 18.

The demo is scheduled for release on November 11. Expect more soon...

Happy Halloween To All - Now Go Play Fallout 3!

Tim Grube — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:19:33 -0500

Shameless plug incoming...I have been locked into Bethesda's Fallout 3 on the PC for a couple days now and I have to admit that this game is almost my game of the year. Well, the World of Warcraft expansion is due out on November 13, so that might consume most of my time--but as of right now, Fallout 3 is an exceptional game and you must purchase it today!

Game reviews:

GameRevolution
Gaming Nexus
GameTrailers
Atomic Gamer
Total Video Games
GoodGearGuide
Spillmagasinet Norway
Vandal
Hardgame2
Gamesurf.it
PS3Italia
Spaziogames
Big Download
Spike
Fox News
MSN
Empire Online,

Tomb Raider: Underworld Demo Now Available On XBL

Aaron Dunlap — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:58:36 -0500

In case you haven't got enough Lara in your life, you can now download an official demo for Tomb Raider: Underworld via the Xbox Live Marketplace.

PS3 fans seem to not be invited to this party. We haven't gotten any word that a demo will find its way to the PlayStation Network.

Tomb Raider: Underworld goes on sale November 18.

Official PS3 Headset: A Non-technical, Non-lengthy Review.

Ryan Fulton — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:40:57 -0500

The Official PS3 Wireless Headset that recently shipped with SOCOM and will see a future solo release on this upcoming Tuesday it is quite a nifty piece of tech. Through testing with a friend and by simply playing SOCOM it's rather apparent that this is a top quality headset.

The speaker is crisp and clear, and the dual microphone setup does an amazing job of picking up what you're saying with minimal distortion. Though untested and personally unconfirmed, the headset also works as a general microphone when docked if you should so chose to use it in such a manner. The inclusion of a mute button is also a welcome addition, especially when you consider the fact that games like Call of Duty 4 use an "open mic" system. The headset is considered comfortable by general consensus and personally I find it easy to forget that I'm even wearing it.

All in all, it's a top quality headset that if you own a PS3 and you happen to not have a headset, or if you're just sick of the horrible one that you have now, it's definitely worth looking into picking this headset up.

Little Big Planet: See You in Another Week.

Ryan Fulton — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:42:24 -0500

In a move that's just shy of incomprehensible Sony and Media Molecule have decided to push the release date of the exceedingly anticipated Little Big Planet back by a week and to break my heart in the process. Citing issues of a song that contains messages from the Qur'an, the game has been delayed in shipping until October 27th in order to remove the offending lyrics; the game can be expected around the 4th of November if Amazon is to be believed.

So... Feel free to play Fable 2 without feeling guilty now. At least for a week or two. Unless Sony does something awesome for atonement and opens a full public beta or something. Please do something awesome?

Portal: Still Alive; Even More Extra-dimensional Hyjinx

Ryan Fulton — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:29:38 -0500

Come October 22, Xbox fairing fans of Valve's Portal will be delighted to find an expansion available for their favorite mind-bending pseudo shooter on XBL's Marketplace.

You can expect to find an additional 14 challenge maps, and assumedly, more witty banter from computers with sultry voices. Expect to pay out somewhere around $15 for the privilege. Granted that's more than the game's original percentage based price in The Orange Box, but if you're like me you were only interested in Portal anyway.

Image courtesy of Brickshelf.com

Mother 3: If You Want Nice Things, Sometimes You Just Have to Do It Yourself.

Ryan Fulton — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:12:22 -0500

Glorious news for those of you eager for information concerning the perennially disappointing handling of the Mother series by Nintendo. No, Nintendo hasn't announced that they're translating and releasing the title. If you're the sort of person who has been waiting for a new Earthbound, you're the sort of person who knows that Nintendo will never release a new Earthbound.

For several people who were faced with that stark reality the solution became apparent, if the masses were to ever have any hope of Mother 3 getting an English copy they would have to do it themselves. So thusly, they embarked upon an epic journey involving translating squiggles into slightly more recognizable characters and attempting to pay service to Shigesato Itoi's legendary writing ability.

Fortunately for them and for the rest of us who were not blessed with such multi-lingual functionality, their work is nearly at an end and the patch for an English Mother 3 is ever closer to release.

Thanks to Shannon of Ganza Watching for the amazing picture.

Parasite Eve Third Birthday Semi-confirmed

Shiva Stella — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:20:44 -0500

Remember Parasite Eve, the "cinematic RPG" from the bygone days of PlayStation? Remember the Japanese-onry PE cell-phone games that we didn't get?

Now you can stop being ridiculously angry. Take a peek at the video below.

Just in case you missed it, that's a leaked trailer for Parasite Eve 3, tentatively titled PE: Third Birthday, in the works at Square Enix and HexaDrive. As of now the word is that it's being labeled as a "cinematic action RPG", putting it in line with PE2's Resident Evil-like gameplay, with a slew of heavily customizable weapons and (one can only assume) lots of gross monsters.

And did I mention that it's a PSP exclusive...?

Firmware Alert: PS3 2.50 and PSP 5.0 Due Up Soon.

Ryan Fulton — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:09:06 -0500

Today is a momentous occasion for those of you who were waiting on baited breath for the newest firmware releases on Sony's systems. For today, marks the day, when most of the features for the new updates were announced. While there is no hard release date given, we can assume that the PS3 update, at least, will be sometime this week due to the inclusion of the PS3 headset with SOCOM which releases this week.

For a list of notable features for both systems, hit the jump.

PS3:

Support for the new PS3 Bluetooth Headset.
The ability to take your stalking to a new level and spy on your friends playing habits, or at least see when they last played.
Trophy improvements, for the 3 games that you have which support trophies.
A more upfront manner for redeeming PSN codes to coincide with the advent of PSN cards being available at more retailers.
A welcome sleep-mode for both the PS3 and controllers.
A screenshot function. Allow me to be the first to thank Sony for this awesome feature. I don't know how this is the first time that it has been introduced to a system.

PSP:

You can now access the PlayStation Network and PSN Store by way of your PSP.
I suppose I didn't need a bullet list.

GB Preview: Snag some Little Big Love in Little Big Planet

Shiva Stella — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:49:41 -0500

If you haven't heard of Media Molecule's Little Big Planet by now, I want to be you. I've spent the last 72 hours holed up in my imaginary cubicle with nothing but the PlayStation 3's holiday savior, completing creatively designed levels with dragon bosses, Silent Hill pyramid heads (think SH 2; you know what I'm talking about), rockets, ghosts, dinosaurs, Mario (sorry Luigi), Indiana Jones (I kid you not!), Nathan Drake, and--of course--the deliciously adorable sackboy. Or sackgirl. As Media Molecule would probably interrupt right now, it's all up to you.

I don't want to be too cruel to those of you unfortunate enough to not receive a highly coveted invitation to join the beta, (okay, maybe a little cruel), but really, you're not missing too much--only one of the most interesting, thought-provoking, heartwarming, sweetest masterpieces we've seen from this console generation the likes of which may actually put Fable II in its place, and yes, Mr. Molyneux, I did just say that. Possibly I'm over-exaggerating, but after spending significant time delightfully chained to the sackboys and sackgirls in the beta (community hug!), Little Big Planet may just convince you that your PlayStation 3 purchase was worth it after all.

At the heart of LBP lies its undeniable, addicting charm. A tiny, plain sackboy might not look like much--just a little creature your grandmother could have knitted for you eons ago, you know, when you still played with dolls--but herein you'll find that its stark simplicity is what is most endearing: a trite, but almost loving creature operates as your mirror self, full of limitless potential and impossible to measure possibilities, complete with a witty British narrator who would have made your childhood so much easier when he wasn't drowning you in tea.

And if painting your own canvas is your thing, you're in luck--you'll have ample opportunity to turn your sack-self into something truly dashing, like an Elizabethan housewife, a bunny-eared cowpoke, a pirate with a savvy polkadotted dress, or even Kratos if you're all smash and no class. Name a customization option and it's here; change eyes, material color, throw in some teeth, maybe a disgusting mustache or a miscellaneous animal part to let everyone know you walk on the wild side, and viola--instant sack-asso. Your mum would be proud.

After you've completed your "look", you'll want to stroll through the enchanting levels designed by MM in the game's story mode. LBP's stages contain the whole package; you'll listen to infectious music and great sound effects, swing from giant sponges, watch a little tutorial tv, hop a ride on a bird, and, most importantly, sticker the place up with collectible items. And here we find the magic of LBP: at its core half of the game is about getting your grubby sack-paws on every single item, object, sticker, material, or decoration you can spot. The other half is about using those items to create a living world.

This dynamic universe is the epitome of videogame self-expression. If you ever wanted to design a level in which Solid Snake fought off Metal Gear Rex with snazzy cardboard boxes, you can do it. If you've dreamed of Mega Man racing your friends in the latest WipeOut, you can do it. And if you've fantasized about recreating every single level from the original Mario Brothers, you can do that, too--with some obvious caveats, the point being that if you're creative enough, the game gives you the tools with which to realize your fun delusions.

And everything is easy to master. The level design tools offer tutorials for every aspect, from placing an object or using a template to covering the world with bright purple flowers or coating the walls with blood (hey, this makes for a great aesthetic effect). Your only real limit is a bar that lets you know much room is left in your stage to fill with objects, and if you're not using a template that's a lot of space to test your imagination in.

Once you're creation is set to rock the sack-world, it becomes available for you and all your sack friends to play through together, including newbie strangers who operate as fantastic q/a testers and leave great comments like "SNAAAAAAKE!" and "needs more Mario". Anyone who plays through your level can rate it with a tag, from "awesome" and "fun" to "short" and "stupid", and those who love what you've done with the place can mark the stage with a heart so they always have immediate access to the thrill-zone that is your creative genius. At this point there is some lag when you're playing online with your fellow sack-peoples, but how much of this is relegated to the final product is impossible to tell yet, so cross your delicately stitched fingers and remember that a little lag is worth the chance to show off your sack-casa to your buddy list.

If you're as enthusiastic about Little Big Planet as the rest of the world, you can join the pre-order gig by clicking on one of my handy links below, where I've noted what pre-order goody goes with which retailer to save you some googling. Meanwhile you'll find me in LBP, robbing banks and rescuing sack-peoples from ferocious red-ringed Xbox 360s. Here's hoping I see you there on October 21.

Best Buy: Nariko (Heavenly Sword)
EBGames/Gamestop: Kratos, Medusa, Minotaur (God of War pack)
Amazon: Downloadable level design guide, sometimes a free $10 gift card as well
GameCrazy: Adorable knitted zipper pouch
Circuit City: Free $10 gift card
ALL: Space Suit Sackboy Costume (free from MM/PSN)

Little Big Planet: SquareEnix/Konami approved!

Ryan Fulton — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:05:56 -0500

God's honest truth, I didn't care about Sony's Little Big Planet until just a moment ago. Ok, that was a blatant lie, it's already pre-ordered, but that's hardly the point of what I'm going for here. Basically, we all knew that Kratos and Nariko were going to be making appearances in LBP, and that was cool. PlaySation Blog one-upped those two by breaking news of an additional round of sacked-out franchise characters.

Assuming you added your own drum roll there, the newly announced characters are none other than Metal Gear's Solid Snake, and Final Fantasy VII's Sephiroth. Please, kindly, resist the urge to make LBP Sephiroth x Snake yaoi. Who am I kidding; I'm sure someone is already writing the fanfic as I'm posting this.

Fable 2: Revenge of the Molyneux, Redux!

Ryan Fulton — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:48:04 -0500

Remember many moons ago when we first reported that Fable 2 would be shipping without a vital component? Well, it looks as if the gang at Lionhead Studios may just have pulled it out in the last moment. Should all go according to plan and the patch passes certification, the feature should be available at launch. See what we get for worrying?