Asura's Wrath Cannot Be Contained by Captivate

Out of Capcom's recent Captivate event comes more news on Asura's Wrath. The blissfully mad action has had me gravitating toward this title since it was first discussed at last year's Tokyo Game Show. Developer CyberConnect2 has experience in frantic anime action, with plenty of Naruto games under their belt, and Asura's Wrath looks to continue that trend. The build at Captivate was not playable by attendees, but developers were showing off their moves to any and all onlookers.

What was seen, according to Destructoid's Nick Chester, was a healthy amount of quick-time events, some light on-rails shooting, and some pre-recorded video of the third-person brawling. Nick says it all looks as ridiculously insane as the initial trailer made it seem, and that excites me. I know a good percentage of gamers will sigh disgustedly at the abundance of quick-time events, but I'm cool with that. Some type of action can only be portrayed a certain way, and while I'm confident in my abilities to play a style-laden game the way it should be played, some people may not be able to pull it off. QTEs makes it so that everyone plays the same. And while that may not seem like a good thing from a gameplay standpoint, it makes sense, at least visually. And for a game like Asura's Wrath, where the visual aspect is an integral part of the experience, QTEs may be the right choice.

While the Captivate trailer for Asura's Wrath isn't as hyper as that shown at TGS, it's got a serving of GALACTIC BUDDHA FINGER, and that's what counts. 

Asura's Wrath Gallery

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Has Quite a Bit of Gunplay

Well folks, here it is. Mortal Kombat: Legacy, as envisioned by Kevin Tancharoen. Watch it more than once, like it, share it with your friends, tweet about it, retweet about it. Tancharoen seems to be taking this in the right direction, and the Mortal Kombat films are certainly due for a reboot. Let Warner Bros. know that we stand unified behind the directors vision, and hopefully they'll green light a feature film down the line. Though for now, these webisodes will have to do. 

You can find episode one at Machinima's YouTube page. Along with today's installment Machinima has also released a little teaser of what to expect in the coming episodes, which I will embed here for your konvenience. Though episode one is mostly about building the foundation, and hi-tech guns, the glimpses shown of upcoming action is decidedly martial arts, decidedly badass, and decidedly Mortal Kombat.

Make sure you check back next week for the next exciting chapter of Mortal Kombat: Legacy.

Boots, the Final Portal 2 Investment Opportunity Video

Have you ever wondered how Chell -- Aperture Science test subject and protagonist of the Portal series -- has survived all those nasty falls with nary a sprained ankle? It's gotta be the boots! For Valve and Aperture Laboratories fourth and final investment opportunity video, Cave Johnson explains it all. 

So there you have it. Four good reasons to invest in Aperture Science. Though they appear to be between banks, so please make your checks out to cash. Portal 2 releases exactly one week from today, on April 19. We're done here!

Brink Revises its Release Date

Don't you hate when a game you're dying to get into your console is delayed? You were looking forward to spending a few weeks with said game, leaving your couch only to urinate and change underwear every few days. A delay means all the time you set aside for some good ol' game time becomes free, allowing you to do awkward things like take a walk, conversate with friends, or have a drink with beautiful ladies. Honestly, who wants to do that kind of thing anyway?

From the title image and the tone of the first paragraph, you must be thinking the worst about Brink, one of the games that I'm most looking forward to spending a few months with, as a hermit. No need to be a pessimist, buck up kiddo! The news is that Brink will be pushed forward a week, now releasing on May 10 as opposed to May 17. That doesn't happen often, but when it does it's kind of amazing, ain't it?

"Production wrapped on Brink earlier than we planned" said Pete Hines, VP of PR and Marketing for Bethesda Softworks. "It's apparent from the tremendous reaction so far that people are eager to jump online and play, and if we can make that happen earlier - we're going to."

Production wrapped early. Or, they didn't want to compete for sales on May 17 with L.A. Noire. Either way, I've been sold on Brink since it was announced. Bethesda Softworks could choose to release it one day after Armageddon, my corpse would be eagerly awaiting the release date preorder delivery from Amazon. 

Ed Boon Must Feel Like a Boss Right Now

The other day, while walking out of my work place, a boy no more than 10 years old ran to his father, who probably just left work as well. They embraced in a hearty hug, the type fathers give their sons, with a lift off the ground and all that cliche stuff. Just another day as a family man, except I was not prepared for what the tween said. "I want to watch Mortal Kombat again! But not the second one, it sucked." Well, I guess you can't win 'em all. Still, I was surprised that the Mortal Kombat series, game or otherwise, had left a lasting impression on a child of that age.

So somewhere, Ed Boon -- creator of the Mortal Kombat universe -- is sitting in his Shao Kahn throne cackling like the Lord of Outworld himself. Children who are half as old as his creation sing the praises of the original Mortal Kombat films. Mortal Kombat, the latest addition to the fighting game series that has gamers' moistening their undergarments, releases next week. And as of tomorrow, Mortal Kombat: Legacy, a new web series directed by Kevin Tancharoen (of Fame fame) debuts on Machinima.

Yes, Ed Boon must be living the life right now. But more importantly, Mortal Kombat: Legacy, the series stemming from the 7 minute epic released last summer, will finally be released to the ravenous masses. A clip below shows a little of what we can expect. It feels like an early 90's action movie, which is both good and bad. What catches me is that it doesn't seem to have the 'grit' (for lack of a better term) that last year's trailer oozed. However, for Mortal Kombat I'm willing to make an exception, and prevent myself from already damning this production to the Netherrealm. 

Visit Machinima tomorrow to catch the first episode of Mortal Kombat: Legacy. If deemed a flawless victory, I'll remind you to visit Machinima every week thereafter to watch the following episodes. If it can come anywhere close to its potential, gamers need to let Warner Bros. know by way of clicks, comments, and social buzz. Then maybe Tancharoen will be given the keys to create a full-length film, as he should have originally, and Ed Boon will continue to rule Outworld like a boss.

According to Shang Tsung, Your Soul isn't Really Yours

Poor Johnny Cage. When he's not busy getting his ass beat in his own trailer, he's getting his ass beat elsewhere. Case in point, Shang Tsung's shine in the latest of the trailers for Mortal Kombat. The age-changing soul thief sees fit not only to kill poor Mr. Cage, but to kill him in one of the most humiliating ways possible. 

Don't worry Johnny, you still have fans. I don't plan on choosing you, but I know people will. And when they do, I will chuckle at your hijinks. Shang Tsung though, looks thoroughly nasty. In case you didn't know, your soul is his. 

Cole's Biggest Decision in Infamous 2 Could be Between Fire and Ice

If tearing stuff up with the powers of lightning alone wasn't enough for you in Infamous, today is your lucky day. In the latest trailer for Infamous 2, Cole is showing off some new powers, specifically those of fire and ice. Who made this guy a mage? Cone of cold, chain lightning, firebolt; you're dead, son!

Cole will not have all these skills available simultaneously, so takes your dreams back to World of Warcraft. A morality alignment with Kuo -- who represents 'good' -- will place ice powers at your behest. Similarly, an aligninment with Nix -- the 'bad' apple -- grants you fire manipulation. Now the choice between good and evil isn't simply how you're feeling after your day at work, the addition of an extra elemental skill set makes the decision that much tougher.

REVIEW: Nintendo 3DS

If there's one thing Nintendo is near untouchable at, it's portable gaming. Since 1989, Nintendo has virtually owned the portable handheld market, beginning with Game Boy. Technically superior competitors, such as the Atari Lynx and Sega Game Gear, could not overcome it. Nintendo followed up the original Game Boy with the Game Boy Color, later the Game Boy Advance and then finally the DS. Every time, these handheld devices stood in the face of the competition and prevailed. Does the 3DS continue Nintendo's streak of handheld dominance? 

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REVIEW: Dragon Age II

I've never played Dragon Age: Origins or it's spiritual predecessor, Baldur's Gate, but for whatever reason, I felt genuinely compelled to play Dragon Age II. In situations like this, I would go back and play the previous titles to get up to speed, but in this case, time wouldn't allow it. To offset my lack of series experience, I've watched a friend play through some of Origins. I've also recruited a rogue with many years of role playing game experience, and a specialization in Dragon Age, as an advisor. We'll call her Snake. Would my party find BioWare's latest suitable for Kirkwall's history books, or would it suffer the fate of a Darkspawn?

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Allow Cave Johnson to Sell You on Portal 2's Turrets

Aperture Laboratories introduces the consumer version of their most popular military grade product; turrets. The friendly and existential sentries are the focus of Valve's latest Aperture investment video series for Portal 2.

Honestly, who wouldn't want a turret in their home, protecting the things they love? I know I sure as hell would. When the sound of gunfire isn't echoing in your child's bedroom, set off by some dust particles, I'm fully confident that my infant will have the best sleep of his life, thanks in part to the Aperture Labs turret's soothing hum. Of course, I believe anything Cave Johnson tells me. 

Portal 2 ships in just about two weeks. Make Cave proud, preorder now.