Call of Juarez: The Cartel is Risky Business

Games like GUN, Red Dead Revolver, and Call of Juarez were the only window gamers had into the old west, leaving fans of the genre stranded in a desert with no water in sight. Before Rockstar and Red Dead Redemption went and made the western game all mainstream, the best we had might have been Sunset Riders. 

Since RDR 'revolutionized' the old west, it seems like not many titles set in the same period will ever measure up to the commercial and critical success John Marston brought to the folks at Rockstar. Kudos then to Call of Juarez  for trying something new, and moving in a different direction. Though it may be on a bit of a touchy subject, you don't win big by playing the same safe hand over and over again.

Call of Juarez: The Cartel continues to bill itself as a western in the vein of the two preceding entries in the series, but the wild west has changed. The cartels are the new outlaws, and cash, drugs, and guns are the new gold. In The Cartel, you can take control of one of three 'bad' cops to take down drug lords from Mexico to Los Angeles. 

The Cartel is said to have three-player online co-op, three unique campaign stories and all that, but really that's not important. What is important, is the bitching and moaning that 'people' (ie. near-sighted journalists and left-wing politicians) are doing in regards to the latest Call of Juarez, seeing as how Mexico is in a bad way right now, thanks in part to the real cartels. 

To any of the detractors, I say find something better to do with your power of state or power of media. Lay off, let games be games, and go fight the problems you have with the latest Call of Juarez game at its source: real life. To developers Techland, and publishers Ubisoft, keep doing what you're doing. Call of Juarez: The Cartel looks like it might have some promise, please don't fuck it up on account of over-sensitive blowhards who attack the games industry to make themselves feel tough. 

Also, please don't turn Call of Juarez: The Cartel into something Kane and Lynch-like. Thanks! 

15 Minutes of The Gunstringer is Oddly Fantastic

Let me admit, when I first read about The Gunstringer, a Kinect title where you play as a skeleton cowboy, shooting stuff with your fingers, I promptly went to my toilet to drop a deuce, finished up, and went on with my day. 

I should have given more credit to Twisted Pixel. 

As more media for The Gunstringer has made its way out I've warmed up to it a bit. After watching a full 15 minutes of the game, I'm 90% sold. While the premise is weird, and the gameplay doesn't seem incredibly addictive or complex, Twisted Pixel's trademark style and humor shines through to give this Xbox LIVE Arcade title a bit of a 'DO WANT' edge. 

The question is, how does one price a Kinect XBLA game?

Extend Your Play Time with User-Created Content for Infamous 2

There's no way around it, Infamous 2 looks like a jolt of fun administered right to your brain in the most unorthodox ways imaginable. Developers Sucker Punch have chosen to omit multiplayer in favor of creating a truly immersive single player tale. Bummer, innit? 

Fear not fans of PlayStation 3 exclusives, Infamous 2 is attempting to win you back and keep you playing with the latest announcement of user created content. While it won't be as deep as Little Big Planet 2's user-creation modes (really though, what is?), it will surely be a great way to extend your hours logged as the shocking Mr. MacGrath.

It looks as if user-creation is 'limited' to creating unique missions in various modes with various goals, such as stealth, defense, search and destroy, races, and so on, but that in itself will give creative gamers plenty to work with. Once you've created your masterpiece, throw it on PSN and let the rest of the world suffer through your impossible user-created mission. Really though, why did you have to make it so difficult?

Amped for Infamous 2? Your day is about to get even better with the news that a limited beta will be available to a few lucky gamers to jump in Cole's stylish shoes and drop a beating on some very well deserving individuals. Check back on March 14 for details.

via PlayStation.Blog

REVIEW: Killzone 3

In a world where resources are shared and releases are almost always multi-platform in order to maximize sales, few have the balls to release console exclusives. Well, for argument's sake, let's exclude the Wii. As for Microsoft and Sony, two notables stick out; Halo for Xbox 360, and Killzone for PlayStation 3. While Halo seems to have the greater mass appeal, the Killzone series has released a solid lot of games for shooter fans. As big-budget console exclusives, these titles have to be something special, lest they risk losing interest, fans, and the almighty dollar. Killzone 3 is in familiar territory; It knows what has to be done to succeed, and developer Guerrilla Games has done it in the past. Does the fourth entry in the series hit its target or detonate a nuke on itself?

Click to read more ...

REVIEW: Marvel vs. Capcom 3

Capcom's Versus series is one of the quirkiest and most respected fighting franchises in the industry today. Its last entry, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom may not have captured a broad audience due to its Wii exclusivity, but Marvel vs. Capcom 2 has charmed both OGs and new gamers alike. Alas, the 11 year old game has shown its age. With the release of Marvel vs. Capcom 3, fans of the fight have let out a collective sigh of relief, but does the Fate of Two Worlds take us for a ride?

Click to read more ...

REVIEW: Hard Corps: Uprising

For more than 20 years, Contra has been a staple of classic gaming worldwide. From its original, painfully difficult roots, the series has grown and evolved into different entities over time, with slight gameplay changes introduced to keep the series fresh. Hard Corps: Uprising, while not a member of the Contra family in title, is a spiritual relative of the esteemed franchise. That said, The look of Hard Corps: Uprising is as drastic a departure from the series as the name change is. Does it get past the heavily armed and fortified one-eyed wall, or does it mistime it's leap and plunge into a pit?

Click to read more ...

New York's Arcade, Chinatown Fair to Close Down February 23

Image Courtesy Michael Nagle for The New York Times

Update: It is now February 23 and Chinatown Fair is still open. Huzzah! While New York's best arcade may still have to shutter its location on Mott Street, word is that if it comes to that, a relocation to Williamsburg may occur. Goodbye Chinatown, hello hipsters! 

Sad news for New Yorkers, and East Coast heads on a whole. Chinatown Fair, one of the premier arcades for fighting game competition on all of the right side of the country will be shutting its doors as of February 23 due to a loss of lease.

The dank, dark cavern which houses some of our generations greatest head-to-head games has been a fixture for world warriors seeking challenges whenever they may pass through New York City. Little more than a hole in the wall on the end of Mott Street, the lore of Chinatown Fair is one built on both urban legend -- in more ways than one -- and cold, hard quarters. 

In operation now for decades, one of the last true game arcades is a second home to many of those indoctrinated to gaming culture. Backpackers, goths, nerds, geeks, lawyers, college kids, grade-schoolers, old Asian men; the mix of folk here is an interesting one, yet a camaraderie is formed between them, stemming from the love competition and the love of the game.

If you're in the New York area, you only have a few days to pay your last respects to a true monument. Regulars are hoping for a relocation of some sort, somewhere that, while not as iconic as the humid, narrow corridors of that hole in the wall on Mott Street, will bring gamers and fight fans of different generations together for head-to-head, face-to-face competition and fraternity.

via EventHubs

REVIEW: Explodemon!

The planet of Nibia is under attack by a threat named the Vortex, and all of the Nibian Guardians are out of commission. You are Explodemon, a Guardian held in cryogenic storage due to your instability. Not only are you barely able to control your tendency to spontaneously explode, but you hardly have a grasp on the English language. Faced with the greatest decision of their history, the Nibian elders would rather surrender before letting Explodemon run free. Despite their choice, a stray missile hits your cryogenic chamber, and you awake from slumber to find the city under attack. Explode now, and ask ridiculous sounding questions later!

Click to read more ...

Killzone 3 Says "Get Used to These Odds"

I was greeted this morning by a package courtesy of PlayStation and Guerilla Games containing a Killzone 3 branded bag full of Army Men. Awesome! I haven't played with Army Men since some time last year, so it is very pleasing that I'll be hitting my yearly Army Men quota early in 2011. 

These aren't just any old little green plastic men though, they come in custom ISA and Helghast flavors. While the ISA trooper looks like your typical soldier, the Helghast all rock their iconic masks, complete adorably evil red specs. Also of interest, the fact that the pack contains 11 total figures; 10 Helghast to 1 ISA soldier. Nope, it's not a mistake. It's just getting us used to the overwhelming odds we'll have to face in Killzone 3. 

If you haven't preordered it already, you can pick up Killzone 3 this coming Tuesday, February 22 in North America, and three days later in Europe. Check back soon for our review.

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