Sleeping Dogs Shows You What's Hip in Hong Kong

I haven't visited many places in my life time, but I was lucky enough to spend a week in Hong Kong, easily one of the world's most awesome cities. The weather is beautiful, the people are friendly, and the vibe is strangely reminiscent of my home city of New York. Though I did much during my time spent in the Pearl of the Orient, there were some wonderful activities I missed, without a doubt. Sleeping Dogs is here to make sure that you won't miss a beat in Hong Kong. From drag racing, to karaoke, to slashing dudes with meat cleavers, it's all here!

The more I see of Sleeping Dogs, the more impressed I become. The True Crime games have always been a guilty pleasure of mine, but it looks like I will not need to feel guilty about enjoying this one at all because it looks fucking awesome. Alive, bustling, full of activities. The racing looks fast, the fighting looks visceral; the whole package just looks right. But looks ain't good for nothing, it's all about that feel. Don't fuck up that feel, Sleeping Dogs.

This article has been approved by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (香港旅遊發展局).

Deus Ex: Human Revolution: The Talented Mr. Jensen

Deus Ex is a polarizing piece of video game history. Billed by many as one of the greatest games of our generation and the foundation for many of today's successful intellectual properties, still an even amount of gamers have never played it. As one of the latter, the buzz created by Deus Ex: Human Revolution was sufficient enough to inspire a dose of the original, which I do not regret at all, despite the visuals being a decade below par. I considered it a primer, a late introduction to an incredibly realized cyberpunk universe that many have tried to replicate but few have done successfully. In the wake of Warren's spectre, with the team behind the original having moved on to their own personal projects, Eidos Montreal has undertaken the task of creating a prequel to Deus Ex. Setting the table for one of the greatest games of our time is a rather large trenchcoat to fill, however DXHR is up to the task.

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Terribly Voiced Trailer or Not, I'm All in on Deus Ex: Human Revolution

I've been looking forward to Deus Ex: Human Revolution for quite some time. I'm hoping very much that it ends up being better than a steaming pile of excrement, because my sixty bucks says this baby is going to be a big time winner!  

Eidos Montreal and Square Enix haven't been shy when it comes to marketing DXHR, and I can't blame them because everything about this game looks incredible. Stylized violence, stealth, character interaction, ability upgrades, item management, what else do you want? If you've been hiding under a rock and haven't seen the dozens of other videos, just watch this one. A mundane-voiced gentleman summarizes all you need to know, for the most part. Rest assured, the voice acting in-game is much better than this trailer's voice-over. 

If DXHR has one strike against it at this point, it may be that there is too much going on. It looks to have the scope of an Oblivion or Fallout 3 in that it will easily warrant at least 2 plays, just so you can see a percentage of what the game has to offer. When these flimsy plastic discs are sold for three Jacksons, you take a game with replay value like this and make sweet love to it. Yeah, that's my plan, as long as the bounty of options don't muddle things up. Let us pray.

August 23, mark it down. Catch a mysterious affliction that can only be cured by the augmentations found in Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Take the entire week off, because from the looks of things, you may need it. You have a sickness, and the only cure is more arm-blade!

Lara Croft gets all Cast Away in Tomb Raider

Lara Croft makes Tom Hanks look like a little bitch. She doesn't need a volleyball to keep her sane, her injuries and crafted bow and arrow are doing the job just fine! Here's our first cinematic look at the Tomb Raider reboot, where Lara Croft sets off on her first adventure and gets her ass kicked by the elements in the process. No one said being a treasure hunter would be easy, babe.

What are you all thinking about this one? I haven't cared for a Tomb Raider game for years, maybe it's because Lara's boobs keep shrinking? Seriously though, gameplay makes it look as if Tomb Raider is learning toward adding some survival horror elements into the tried and true action adventure genre. I'd be all aboard for that. The videos are not much to go on, therefore the jury is still out until I can see a little bit more of what Tomb Raider is all about.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Continues to Impress

Every time I watch a Deus Ex: Human Revolution trailer, I'm left with chills. The latest spot from this year's E3 is no different. This title looks like it has everything going for it; lovely visuals, atmosphere inspired by Blade Runner, hauntingly beautiful music, a story of deceit and betrayal, and different pillars of gameplay. How will you play Adam Jensen? Will you move in silence, using subterfuge to avoid physical conflict by handling tasks quickly and quietly? Or will you overcome enemies guns ablaze, grenades aloft with arm-blades flailing like a (not so) typical third person shooter? 

Rooted in the sensibilities of the original Deus Ex, a game that many consider amongst the best ever made, I would be surprised if Deus Ex: Human Revolution is anything less than an overwhelmingly incredible experience.

European Human Revolution Collector's Edition Makes Me Jealous

I never really understood region specific bonus content. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, and your region is the one that gets the short end of the stick, it's frustrating. Case in point, Deus Ex: Human Revolution Collector's Edition, available only to select European countries, New Zealand, and Australia. Some of you may not be stressing it, since us North Americans will be getting the Augmented Edition, but just look at what the Collector's Edition includes:

• Making of DVD and motion comic (also included in the Augmented Edition)
• 40-page Art Book (also included in the Augmented Edition)
• 10,000 in-game credits
• Just about all pre-order DLC, which includes a mission pack and hefty weapon pack
• Adam Jensen Play Arts Kai action figure

Okay, I can live without the credits. Missing out on the DLC is when it starts to hurt a little more. But once you say that I can't has the marvelously crafted Square Enix Play Arts Kai figure, that's when I start to get a little batshit. Though I don't own any Play Arts Kai figures, they are very well noted as being some of the best gaming figures on the market. I'm dying a little inside.

To soften the crushing blow, Square Enix has announced they will be releasing Play Arts Kai Adam Jensen as a standalone figure, along with antagonists Federova and Barrett. They'll retail for about ¥4800 yen, which is a little less than the difference in price between the Augmented and Collector's Editions. So you can understand why I'm a little upset that American collectors are missing out on them goods.

via Destructoid, Tomopop

Let Sarif Industries Change Your Life

Have you always wanted to throw a football, but never quite had the muscle to do so? Have you always wished you were able to play Liszt's finest nocturne, but was just too damn impatient to take piano lessons? Let Sarif Industries change your life. One simple pain-free procedure can change you forever. See clearly, play with your children, entertain your extended family at awkward reunions, with Sarif Industries' human enhancements.

So it ain't real, but it is very well done and has me craving more of these live action viral spots. Though honestly, I'm craving anything having to do with Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Do I really have to wait until August? That's a total bummer. I need a Sarif Industries cybernetic watch, so time can move faster.

REVIEW: Moon Diver

Running and slashing. Slashing and running. Tried and true mechanics that date back to the days of Strider. Speaking of which, one of the brains behind the original Strider is behind yet another futuristic ninja title. Moon Diver, as it's called, is heavy on the running and slashing, but mixes it up by throwing in a dash of RPG style character progression and Crackdown-esque orb hunting. It's not ground breaking stuff by any means, but Moon Diver is well aware of it's limits and doesn't try to do too much. Fortunately, the old formula doesn't feel outdated or stale, and I'll even go as far to say it works to an extent.

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A Moon Diver Demo and Launch Trailer for Your Consideration

The world needs more four-player cooperative futuristic ninja games, dammit. Thankfully Square Enix has answered the call with Moon Diver, the multiplayer ninja platformer created by the man who may have pioneered the genre, Kouichi Yotsui, designer of the arcade classic, Strider. 

Ninjas are an easy sell for me, as is four-player co-op. Pairing the two means I'd buy four copies of the game, which I may consider for my tight-pocketed friends. I understand some may not be sold on what to me seems like a complete no-brainer. For those of you on the fence, there are three items to sway you into a purchase: a demo which is currently available on PSN, a launch trailer which is considerately attached to at the end of this post, and a katana to the neck!

Moon Diver is out today on PSN for $14.99, with an unspecified XBLA release sometime in April.

Moon Diver Will Confound You and Your Friends on XBLA and PSN

If you told me there was a four-player cooperative stylized side-scrolling futuristic action game in which I take control of a super-powered ninja and fight oversized bosses for PSN and XBLA, I'd slap fire out of your mouth and call you a liar. Fortunately for you, this is not a lie, so rather than resorting to violence, I'm just going to cream my pants instead.

Directed by the dude who created Strider (and it shows), Moon Diver combines many things I love, even if it looks like it might be a little confusing. Four ninja throwing flashy moves all over the screen in a side-scroller seems like it might be overwhelming to keep track of the important factors: position, health, enemies, pitfalls, etc, but hot damn if it doesn't look like it'll be worth the trouble!

Aside from the beautiful art and effects, Moon Diver has some RPG elements peppered in to assure that your character progresses in stride with the difficulty, which I'm sure is going to be pretty steep. This looks to be the experience I had hoped Castlevania: Harmony of Despair would deliver, but couldn't quite nail down. Fingers crossed Moon Diver gets it right when it releases, sometime this spring.

via Game Informer