Call of Duty Black Ops Multiplayer Gameplay

Some guy named Hutch got hands on time with Call of Duty Black Ops multiplayer. He was kind enough to upload some youtubes with his impressions and observations via voice over commentary. From what he says, it seems like Treyarch has attempted to keep the game a little more balanced than Modern Warfare 2. Shotguns aren't overpowered, damage increasing/mitigating perks (juggernaut, stopping power) are gone, and in Hutch's own words, you need some skill to get kills. Nice.

Aside from the Team Deathmatch, Hutch shows us Wager Mode, in which you have only your primary and melee, no perks, secondaries, or grenades. You start off with a pistol, and for each kill you score, you level up and instantly change weapons. The winner is the first one to get a kill with all 20 weapons in the mode, the last being the fucking sweet ballistic knife. Looks like fun. Also, a quick peek at class creation. 

These are definitely worth watching if you're a CoD fan. While the maps look too much like Modern Warfare 2 (I want to see a jungle map) Hutch says the game plays more like Call of Duty 2, which I've never played, but he made sound like a good thing. 

Updated with the official Wager Game trailer, which details the different modes that make up the Wager Game as a whole. Looks awesome, I have a feeling this may be my game mode of choice. 

Videos are after the break.

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Vanquish Demo is a Velocity Attack

I wish I could tell you I have a complete grasp of what's going on in the Vanquish demo. I can't, but that doesn't mean I didn't have a hell of a time playing it. I think to comprehend Vanquish in it's entirety, I'd have to be on either coke or speed, and hope my brain would function at the sufficient level of 300%, thus making the game's electric pace seem more like a Sunday morning stroll through Central Park. 

The demo's subtitle is Velocity Attack, and I don't think it can be summed in two words any better that. Right from the start of things, you're tossed into a world of perpetual fast forward, where the only thing more helpful than shooting things, is moving really fast, or at times, really slow. Some points of observation:

+ Feels like a shooter with racing game mechanics
+ Flashy style with intense action and bullet time makes for cinematic gameplay
+ Learning curve, rewarding results 
+ Scoring system adds leaderboard competitiveness and replayability
+ Language choices for voices/subtitles/menus - Japanese voice acting wins

- HUD is too busy, limits field of view
- Subtitles for comms during in-game action are huge and distracting
- Gruff English voice acting is abrasive, Sam's voice especially
- You can only evade in four directions from the point you're on, vertically and horizontally

I took a quick look at the button config and jumped right into battle. I struggled a bit, so after
completing it, I went through the tutorial, got a grasp on things and played again, performing
at a much more respectable clip. Once you get a hang of the action and controls, the game
becomes a ballet of augmented reaction, transforming guns, headspins, and cigarettes.

If you were unaware or unsure of Vanquish, give the demo a shot. Fans of stylized action will be
ready for more come October 19th.

Review: Shank

If you've been following Otaku But Gangsta the past few weeks, you know that I've had a hard time shutting up about Shank. The XBLA and PSN downloadable title was tickling my fancy as release day approached, and developers Klei did a nice job of keeping those interested, such as myself, drawn in. They released the game's full soundtrack, slowly unearthed alternate costumes on the game's website, and revealed the methods to unlocking them via Twitter. A few days before release, I felt a bit dirty because of how much I was buying into a game I've never played, and for all I knew, could have been a complete bomb. Am I still a Shank skank after playing the game? 

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Deliver Hope, Deliver Bombs, Deliver Great Live Action

Whether you're a hardcore who owns every Halo title ever released and was one of the last guys forced off Halo 2's servers, or you swore to never touch the series again after being engulfed by the vibrant pink death of needles, both sides of the spectrum have to agree on at least one thing: Halo be marketing. 

Halo ODST's live action trailer was perhaps the best of the bunch, feeling more like a trailer for a Hollywood blockbuster than a mediocre game. The next entry in the series, Halo Reach, has followed it's predecessor with a bunch of live action spots ranging from "damn, dope" to "bland, nope." 

Deliver Hope, Reach's latest and possibly last big ramp up to the release, delivers indeed. It's a great mix of flawless graphic effects, immersing action, and a tale being told to hook us into buying the game. And buy we will.

Halo Reach drops on September 14th. 

Kill Time With Closure

Bored at the office? At home, waiting for your roommate to finish shaving his legs so you can take your 2pm bubble bath? If you have some time to kill, give Closure a shot. It's a dark styled puzzle platformer that relies on the use of light to pave your way from one end of the stage to the other. Don't get caught without your glowing magic 8-Ball, one misstep in the shadows and you'll disappear right into the void.

Play Closure now!

Rockman Online Blows Minds, Cities

South Korean exclusive Rockman Online has released an animated teaser trailer that is chock-full of amazing. I was overcome with feelings of nostalgia, euphoria, and childish glee that I had not experienced since the first time I loaded up Rockman 8.

As with any good Rockman/Megaman title, there's a lot to process in this clip. Characters from the original series are present and looking good; the first game's robot masters, Protoman in traditional anti-hero fashion, my personal favorite Bass, and of course Megaman himself. Then we're thrown a curve when we see some of Mega Man X's supporting cast urgently working the consoles in a command center. Whaaaat ?! Can we expect to see Sigma? Zero? VILE?!

Gamers with roots in classic gaming will always love Megaman, so logically this trailer has gotten the lot of us piqued. At least until we remember that it's Rockman Online is a South Korean exclusive that currently has no plans to be released elsewhere. Though once Capcom notices the amount of buzz the side-scroller with RPG elements is receiving, they'll be hard pressed to not port it over and give us Mega Man Online.

Preorder Vanquish From Amazon, Get More Guns

Platinum's next big thing, Vanquish, has released fresh footage, dedicated to getting you to preorder for some goodies. The action flosses three exclusive weapons; the Laser Cannon, the Anti-Armor Pistol, and the Boost Machine Gun. True tools of destruction worthy only of those heroes brave enough to preorder.

Trailer releases to plug preorder bonuses are nothing new, Gamestop has been using this old ploy for what seems like ages now. The curve ball this time, however, is that you have to preorder through Amazon to get these shape reconstructing armaments. I've been strictly buying games from Amazon for almost a year now, as they usually offer $10-$20 credit toward future game purchases, and with their Prime program, release date delivery costs you no extra. So for me, this preorder bonus seems like a no-brainer. 

Vanquish slides into your home on October 19th. If you're still on the fence about this wild thrill ride, you're absolutely mad! You can also download the demo on September 2nd to give yourself a good month to realize you've got a loose gasket for sleeping on this title.

In A Perfect World, Shank's First DLC Costume Would Be This

So, what can we do about making this Shank's first downloadable costume, Klei? 

Snowball's chance in hell, I know. But how awesome would it be to play as Brock freakin' Samson? 

While I know this idea will never come to fruition, I do love the massive amount of character skins the game lets you choose from, but as any glutton would tell you, moar is better. 

Which Shank skins do you want to see?

Shank is out today on PSN and tomorrow on XBLA.

And I promise, you won't hear another peep from me about Shank until it's review time.

Shank's Soundtrack is Killer

 

I've been all about Shank the past few weeks, pacing back and forth like an unsatiated fiend waiting for my fix. And while I still have a little more than a day to wait before I dish out revenge in the form of style and pain, developers Klei has made the wait that much easier (or more painful) by releasing Shank's full soundtrack. 

Listen to it. Even if you're not interested in this game, you should listen to it. This soundtrack could easily score Robert Rodriguez's next Mexican shoot'em-up. While it is possible to download each file individually (without proper metadata) Klei assures we'll have a full zip file very soon. Hopefully with some proper labeling and track numbering, but even if not, it's 13 tracks of quality music, for free. Can't complain. Can't wait to hear these tracks in context. Can't stop thinking about Shank.

Shank - Original Video Game Soundtrack by Suite803

Miranda Lawson is Genetically Engineered Cosplay Perfection

Miranda Lawson, Mass Effect 2's genetically engineered perfect woman, is hot. Some might say her suit is more fitting to work a pole than to cleanse the universe of genocidal robot-gods, but damn, dat ass.

Do I feel odd admitting this? Maybe a little, but I don't care. Besides, Miranda is modeled after a real woman, a real good looking woman at that. So seeing this Miranda cosplay made my heart skip a beat. Not only because Miranda's real-life avatar, Jessika F., is a looker but because of the detail Dark Stars put into the shoot and post processing. Omnitools, geth, mechs, skintight suit, Cerberus agents, it's all there. 

Make sure you check out the whole photo set. Not to be missed if you're a fan of Mass Effect, hot cosplay chicks, great photoshop work, or all of the above.

via Kotaku