WH40K: Space Marine: A Solid Shooter/Brawler FOR THE EMPEROR!
The Warhammer 40,000 universe is a grimdark place, where a corrupt, crumbling empire rules over millions of worlds, endlessly warring with aliens, demons, and other nightmarish creatures (and said empire is the only "good" faction, save for the psychic space elves of the Eldar). Life is short, brutal, and often meaningless except as fuel for the for the Imperial war machine. Few aspects of this setting are as emblematic as the Space Marines: immortal, genetically enhanced, psychotically xenophobic super warriors clad in power armor and charged with defending humanity from terrible threats both without and within. As such, it's no surprise that an action title featuring Space Marines prominently would appear at some point, especially after nearly every sci-fi shooter since Doom has effectively involved less badass versions of them. Relic and THQ's Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine is the game fans have been waiting for, since it finally puts them in the power armor of an actual Space Marine.
Space Marine is a third person action title that follows Captain Titus of the Ultramarines as he attempts to secure a valuable strategic asset on a world ravaged by Orks. The greenskin horde has shattered the planetary defenses and what few defenders are left are fighting a desperate, losing battle for survival. Players are immediately thrust into the action with little exposition, starting with Titus' arrival to Forge World Graia.
Disgaea 4: Another Disgaea, Another 400 Hours Of Weird Japanese Tactics Fun
There are two types of tactical JRPGs. One type is the unforgiving, tactics-minded, chess-like game where you can lose units permanently and will reset maps hundreds of times just to get through them. These games include Fire Emblem, Tactics Ogre, and Final Fantasy Tactics (the original one). The other type is the grind-heavy, brute force, wacky, full-scale war game where you build tons of powerful units and steamroller through enemies as you build levels in the four digits range. These games include anything NIS America makes, including Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten
Yes, I'm calling Disgaea 4 video game junk food. It's not good for you, but it's so damn mindlessly enjoyable. After you've beaten all of the secret bosses and realize that you put hundreds of hours into a game that really doesn't have "tactics" so much as endless grinding and massive squad building, you'll feel guilty. And you'll know that when the next Makai Wars (that's the Disgaea series, including both the main Disgaea games and side games like Makai Kingdom, Phantom Brave, and others) game comes, you'll do the same thing.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a Stealthy Shooter Triumph
When I first heard that there would be a new Deus Ex game, I was uncertain. It was going to be a prequel. It was going to be made with no input from Warren Spector. It was going to have cover-based shooter mechanics. It sounded like a recipe for worse disaster than Deus Ex: Invisible War.
I was wrong. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Capcom Kicks Off Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City AR Game
If you're a Resident Evil enthusiast who's stoked about Operation Raccoon City and looking to kill some time, then Capcom's serving you up some interactive teasing in the form of an AR game (brought to my attention by Eurogamer). Click around for a few seconds on Umbrella Sciences recruitment site, and you'll find all is not as it seems at first glance. But then again, to any Resident Evil fans, it's no surprise to discover a seemingly typical pharma giant has its tentacles in all kinds of conspiracies, shady dealings, and mad science.
Anyway, you'll soon be funneled to the website run by an anti-Umbrella activist group, from where you'll be tasked with an internet scavenger hunt for clues that result in codes, which you take back to the heroic...uh...hackers? As the good citizens of the internet uncover clues, tidbits and info about Operation Raccoon City will become viewable. There are also vague promises of future prizes for diligent detective work. So stop pretending you're actually getting work done at the office right now, and get started on something that's important. The Internet needs these game details, damnit.
Microsoft Gets 30-Day Exclusivity for Skyrim DLC
A press release sent from Bethesda today has revealed that "The first two add-on content drops for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be releasing exclusively on Xbox 360, 30 days before it's available anywhere else," (check out Joystiq for the full PR text). The developer has a track record for extensive post-launch DLC content, and the scope and scale of DLC for Skyrim look to be the hugest yet (Todd Howard's interview with AusGamers sheds some light on DLC plans).
So all you PS3 and PC Elder Scrolls fanatics who just gotta have the DLC now now now are SOL. I would be very interested to see sales statistics for moves like this, and how many multiplatform owners choose to get the 360 version instead of the PS3 or PC version, just so they can get the DLC right away. Are there really that many multiplatform owners for that to make a difference? It's doubtful that many people who weren't already in the market for a 360 are going to jump up and buy one just for this deal. And if the numbers don't really yield all that much competitive advantage for the 360, then it just seems like kind of a dick move on Microsoft's (and Bethesda's) part.
Seems to be a lot of that going around right now.
Gearbox confirms Borderlands 2
Now, I'm not saying Gearbox was desperate for a win, but they probably weren't feeling so great after taking it on the chin a bit over Duke Nukem Forever. Great timing, then, for a tweet and new website confirming the development of Borderlands 2. Scheduled for April 2012, the "sequel to the extravasplosive breakout hit, Borderlands™" returns to the planet Pandora and "features all new characters, skills, environments, enemies, weapons and equipment, which come together in an ambitiously crafted story." I hope that doesn't mean all the former treasure hunters will get completely scrapped. Sci-fi Captain Ahab up there has got nothing on Brick if he can't go BLAAAAUUUUUURRRRRRGGGHHH! and punch the hell out of everything.
If you're in the respective areas, Borderlands 2 will be featured at both Gamescom 2011 and PAX Prime. Also, since I now have stuck in my head the Cage The Elephant song that will forever and always remind me of Borderlands, I've decided to inflict it on all of you as well. Ain't no rest for the wicked/money don't grow on trees...
Catherine: A Strange Brew of Puzzles, Nightmares, and Sex
Catherine has been a surprise since it was first announced. I was impressed first to find out that it was coming stateside, but also with the relatively high profile marketing and buzz of curiosity it got. With its M rating and suggestively disrobing anime chicks with come-hither eyes on its posters and cover art, it's the sort of title that usually gets relegated to Japan. There, in Catherine's native land, sexual repression collides with WTF fetish hard enough for there to be a whole market for weird games about sex. Here in the U.S., on the other hand, it represents something different, new, and ballsy: a simple action-puzzle game dropped into the context of a very adult, very Japanese, creepy, sexy thriller story.
This game is not for anyone who quickly grows impatient with non-interactive dialogue and slow-moving plot, or easily gives up when stuck on a time-sensitive puzzle that might require many attempts to complete. Hell, I'm actually not really sure it's for me. But that's the weird thing about Catherine. Like the titular character, it's a new and refreshing seductress that keeps you coming back, if only for what a unique experience it is.
Dungeon Siege III preview
It's been awhile since since a Dungeon Siege title hit the scene. This one marks the franchise's first foray into the console market, and Obsidian Entertainment has taken the helm for this transition over from original developer Gas Powered Games (with Square Enix taking over publishing duties from Microsoft Game Studios). If that makes fans of the PC series wince, I'm here to tell you that while Dungeon Siege III preserves much of the concepts of its forebears, I couldn't shake how strikingly similar the game "feels" to X-men Legends and its successors, only with fewer playable characters and more equipment tinkering. That's not a negative criticism at all - I loved those games - and it's certainly a well-executed, solid, basic, co-op centric dungeon crawler that will satisfy you if you're having a major craving for isometric swords and sorcery. But otherwise, I find myself balking at the idea of dropping a full $60 on it.
Sony’s PlayStation 3D TV lets two viewers see different screens
The blogosphere has been abuzz about Sony's underwhelming press conference, and the reaction to their push for 3D technology has been negative. I have to agree, I'm finding myself puzzled as to what they're thinking here. Nintendo's Wii U and Microsoft's evolution of Kinect technology are both attempting to change how people play videogames, but Sony seems to be saying "Look! Even better graphics!" So when they announced a small 3D TV with a built-in PS3 yesterday, I shrugged and turned my attention to the next thing. This had been done before.
Today, however, a hands-on of this thing is making me give it a second look. If I'm reading this right, two players each wearing 3D glasses are looking at the same TV but seeing different screens. While 3D visuals are slick, forget about them for a second - being able to multiplayer around a single TV without needing to split the screen would be huge. Now, as I've grown older and more curmudgeonly, I've started to lose patience with the industry's recent penchant toward denying local co-op, especially 4-player shooters. My hunch is that developers not only want to force more people to buy the game if they want to play together, but also that they feel splitting the screen doesn't do justice to the graphics they so lovingly crafted. But c'mon, now. Every gamer has some fond 4-player splitscreen memories. Online gaming is a blast, but so is being in the same room as your friends when you all start to panic and spaz during Left 4 Dead.
This new TV is positioned to strike a blow for local multiplayer. While a $500 combination 3D TV/PS3 accompanied by $70 glasses is prohibitively expensive for working-class schlubs like me, the technology shows some promise to reverse a really irritating trend. I'd like to see Sony run with this idea, I'll always support anything that gathers more people around a single machine rather than force them to all retreat to their respective gamer caves in order to play together.
PSN Store Back Up, Welcome Back Content Now Available
It's taken a really long time, but Sony has finally gotten PSN back up, along with the PlayStation Store and its promised free content. Two games for the PS3, two games for the PSP (choose from a short list of both; my suggestions: Infamous and Wipeout HD for the PS3, ModNation Racers and Killzone Liberation for the PSP), and 30 free days of PSN Plus (which includes a handful of other free games that will stop being free when your subscription runes out). To access this content, just log on to PSN, access the PlayStation Store, then access the Welcome Back featured icon. You can get your free PSN Plus and download your four free games. Even if you don't have a PSP
Be prepared for some errors in the PlayStation Store, though. The service seems to be choked with users looking to get free stuff and catch up on a month of missing DLC, but if you keep trying to access the menu and your choice of game, you'll eventually get there. I accessed all four downloads and PSN Plus registration pretty quickly, despite the parade of error messages.
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