The original Portal seemed to have materialized from emptiness, bundled as an extra in The Orange Box, almost feeling as more of a throw in than anything else. I thank my lucky stars that both critics and consumers enjoyed the game as much as I did, or else we would not have Portal 2. The second coming has been fleshed out and fully realized as a stand alone game, rife of comedy that is as dark as it is hilarious, puzzles that are simultaneously confounding and child's play, and some of the best writing I've seen in a game in a long, long time.
Naughty Dog wants you to play Uncharted 3's multiplayer. Not only do they want to you play it, they want it to be the only game you ever look to for mulitplayer if you own a PS3. Yeah, doin' thangs.
A trailer from the developer shows a little bit of what to expect when you hop online to do some fragging in Uncharted 3. Cinematic shootouts, collapsing buildings, what's not to love? One thing that's odd to see, Nathan and Sully mixing it up in the multiplayer. Are they just skins that anyone can apply and use? Could get a little confusing to see three Hawaiian shirted Sullys taking cover next to each other, but I guess it could be worse right? It could suck. Fortunately, sucking seems to be the last thing Naughty Dog is worried about.
Make sure your schedule is completely open in late June/early July. You can get yourself some Uncharted 3 mutliplayer beta starting June 28. You might wanna sign up for PlayStation Plus a little ahead of time.
More RAGE is always a good thing, at least in regards to id Software's upcoming video game. Rage at the workplace or at school could lead to expulsion and anger management classes, so please try to avoid that if you can.
Here's your good RAGE news of the day: preorder pretty much anywhere that matters (Amazon, Steam, Direct-to-Drive, *mutters* Gamestop) and you'll have your order automatically upgraded to the 'Anarchy' Edition, free of charge. Not only does this special set have a kick-ass name, but it comes with a ménage à quatre of useful in-game items; a double barrel shotty, slick Crimson Elite armor, bladed knuckle dusters, and a 'Rat Rod' buggy. That's gear that could fetch $5 on the DLC tip, yours for donuts.
Speaking of gear, RAGE seems to be all about the weapon selection. In the latest trailer, a full 5 minutes of impressive gameplay across a rather lively place called Dead City, we see weapons aplenty. Shotguns, sniper rifles, some sort of useless crossbow, rocket launchers, pistols that fire a whole damn clip at once, and even a shuriken-chakram deal that takes off heads. That's my type of mutant-maiming device.
Aside from playing host to a cavalcade of uniquely designed mutant mashers, RAGE is easy on the eyes. Check out the facial expressions and body movements of the old Russian dude sending you on your quest. That's some top flight animation right there, L.A. Noire be damned.
RAGE is still a few months away, releasing September 13. That's plenty of time to stew in your own desires for this one, especially since there will be a few more trailers like this to amp you up. Don't let a few measly months turn you away, preorder NAO!
Toy alert, haters can stop reading right now! The fuggin' sweet figure that shipped with Killzone 3's Helghast Edition isn't just a one off production. DC Direct will be producing two more figures from the popular PS3 series, in plain Assault Infantry and exotic Sniper flavors. The figures stand a typical 6.5" tall, and are sculpted directly from Guerilla's character art, so there's no doubting they look official.
The good news is that they look fly as hell. I've never owned any DC Direct toys, so I can't speak for durability or articulation, but at least they're lookers. Two outta three ain't bad. The bad news? Remember the series of Mass Effect 2 figures that DC Direct was producing? That didn't work out too well, as series 2 was canned due to 'differences' between BioWare and DC Direct, with the former saying only the nicest things about the latter (that's sarcasm).
They're available now, so go buy them, then let me borrow one so I can accidentally break it.
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.
The game looks interesting to say the least. It's nice to see the series shift away from the third person shooter which it was rapidly becoming. It will also be pretty dope to play as the vile Umbrella Corporation for once, and possibly even eliminate Leon Kennedy. No, that can't be right. What will the world do without his perfectly parted hair?
On the flip side of things, I hate SOCOM games, so I don't know how well I'd receive SOCOM with a Resident Evil mod on top of it. I can dig the team focused gameplay, and I do like that each character has his or her own class, but what is with all the atrociously fake accents? I guess Capcom is keeping it real, rediscovering Resident Evil's roots.
Hey, I'll bet you $10 that Vector will be the most played charcater of the Umbrella four. What do ya think?
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.
Don't tell me you've forgotten about Outland already, have you? Housemarque's visually stimulating, projectile-laden platformer is due out soon. The last week of April in fact! Get yourself reaqcuainted with Outland via the following trailer, which spotlights cooperative play elements.
There's really not much to go by, so it's not known how intricate the co-op system will be. However, it looks like a worthy purchase even as a single player affair, so the addition of multiplayer is gravy baby. I came away from PAX East impressed with how Outland looked under player control. Smooth, sexy animation is a great compliment to lovely visuals, unique style, and the omnipresent hell of bullets, wouldn't you say?
Mark it on your calendars, April 26 on PSN ($9.99), April 27 on XBLA (800 MSP).
It's easy to doubt Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. Longtime veterans of this series know what to expect when a home console game gets ported to handheld. Such titles are normally fraught with all kinds of problems and limitations; there are fewer characters, the control layouts aren't conducive to the gameplay, there aren't enough buttons to map all of the commands, and the overall presentations are watered down at best. The more you play those half-assed renditions, the lower your expectations become. But if you go into 3D Edition assuming that you'll be in for another disappointment, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. This game not only works amazingly well for a handheld fighter, but it gives its predecessors a run for their money.
Capcom's Captivate event has also shed a whole lot of light on the latest crossover game, Street Fighter x Tekken. Producer Yoshinori Ono puts it best; "This is not a game about people getting along; this is a game about oil and water trying to mix, this is a game about people kicking each other's asses." And that dynamic is clearly visible, as the Street Fighter x Tekken cinematic trailer even has the appearance of Tekken's oil against Street Fighter's water.
I could sit here and tell you how the gameplay has changed. How, while it may look like Street Fighter IV, it plays nothing like it. How Capcom characters retain their methods of play -- with certain tweaks, such as charged special moves -- and Tekken characters retain their combo-centric methods. How a seasoned Tekken player, who is accustomed to playing with four buttons, can completely ignore the fierce and roundhouse attacks and still have a fulfilling Tekken experience. I could tell you all that, but why bother? Take a look at batshit videos out of Captivate 2011, and see for yourself just how crazy Street Fighter x Tekken can, and hopefully will be.
One note though, I really hope they character selection for team Tekken is stepped up. Bob? Come on. Why not throw Rufus in there too? Give me some Raven, baby.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 1:19PM 
