Batman: Arkham City GOTY Coming In May (But With More Mandatory DLC In Tow)

Hmmm, I was wondering why the price dropped so quickly on Arkham City (it’s about $29.99 or less in some spots) and now I know. The Game of the Year Edition set to arrive on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC will feature the complete game with every updates and all the previously released DLC packs, along with an all new DLC pack: Harley Quinn’s Revenge AND the Batman Year One animated film (the latter for USA and Canada only). I wish the ENTIRE deal was on the disc instead of forcing users to grab the extra content off PSN, XBLA or whatever download services the PC version will be available from, but again, game companies are a bit stubborn about not understanding that not EVERY gamer has a decent internet connection or even a console account.

Ah well, one of these days they’ll get it (and perhaps actually start making money from those folks who feel so shut out because they just can’t get that content they want to pay for how they prefer it)…

The Military Shooter Resurgence: It’s Nice To See The Genre Getting A Kick In The Ass…

Despite all the money raked in over the past few years by certain well-known multimillion selling franchises, I see the military shooter genre as a bloated, rotting corpse with limited appeal outside of whatever multiplayer shenanigans keep the masses bunny-hopping and camping online endlessly. Granted, there have been many great advances in MP that have kept things fresh and exciting for fans, but those of us who crave deeper single player experiences have been, save for a few bright spots, left out in the cold. Granted, the story modes in the last few shooters I’ve played have been decent and well-written overall and I don’t give a hoot about how long a campaign is as long as it’s memorable. Thankfully, 505 Games and 2K Games are coming to the rescue with two fine titles that take the shooter into two different and very intriguing directions. And neither of them is a FPS…

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Max Payne 3 TV Spot: Probably The Only Bit of The Game They CAN Show On TV…

 

Rockstar Studios’ long awaited beautiful bullet ballet is almost upon us (and yup, I can’t wait to see how it’s turned out) and here’s the first big TV ad for the upcoming game. Ever since I saw the live demo last year at NYCC, this one has been tickling a few buttons in my head. The art direction, visuals and gameplay all looked solid and that new animation system is brilliant when you see it in motion. While I’m not big on multiplayer these days, I know the story and characters will be what I like to call “Rockstar memorable”. As in there will be quite a few quotable lines sinking into skulls like some of the bullets Max fires off during the game. May is certainly going to be a busy month around these parts, that’s for sure…

GOG.com’s Weekend Sale Goes Nordic!

Nice. Painkiller, Gothic 2 & 3, the Spellforce series, Panzer Elite and MORE awesome PC games are all part of this weekend’s sale over at gog.com. So if you STILL don’t have an account just yet, here’s an excellent opportunity to grab one and see what all the fuss is about. Great games at some great deals is what it’s all about and these folks know how to stack up the classics and make you want to spend some of your hard-earned loot, that’s for sure…

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XCOM: Enemy Unknown Update: Classic To Current, Not Lost In Translation

Hey 2K! While this very cool progress update on the tactical version of XCOM is fantastic, let’s also hear about the other game as well. I’m actually one of those fans of the PC classic that’s NOT going bat crap crazy against the first-person origin story at all as I want to see how it turns out. Besides, it’s time that developers and publishers stood up a bit more steadfastly to the constant whining about every damn thing getting in the way of otherwise interesting design decisions.

Sure, keeping fans happy is ONE key to success, but it’s also important to have the freedom to take any IP in a different direction even if there’s some resistance. I think it’s time for some of these angry kids to shut it and eat their broccoli – hell, they may just find that it’s not as bad as they’ve been hearing…

Star Trek Update: Hey, We May Not Be Here In 2013. Beam Me Up, Already!

Yeah, yeah – some Trek fans want less action and more of the same “nautical” ship combat from other Trek titles or something slower and more procedural like the old show instead of a more action-oriented game that this has been from the start. i say wait and see what a playable build brings as I hope this one gets around to NYC so I can get some hands-on time and let you all know the real deal. I have my fingers crossed Bad Robot does a game any Trek fan can be pleased with, but hey, you can’t win everyone over even with the best of intentions…

Dishonored Trailer Drops, Bethesda Gets My Fingers Tingling…

(shakes fist at monitor)… Blast you, Bethesdaaaaaaa! Showing off such an awesome game to us yesterday here in NYC, slapping us with an embargo until next week THEN unloading this spectacular trailer on the masses! Grrrr! Anyway (very fake rant over and done with), Dishonored is going to be a game that gets talked about quite a lot, especially as it’s definitely one of the more intriguing games I’ve seen this year that’s NOT a sequel or reboot of an older IP. Arkane Studios’ hard work blew me away and I hope it will do the same to you once more news gets out about how amazing it is.

Will Someone Do An Anvil of Dawn Kickstarter Project Already? Seriously.

The late, lamented New World Computing developed and/or published a number of great PC games back in the day including the classic Might & Magic series, but for me, DreamForge Intertainment’s 1995 MS-DOS first-person RPG was one of the most memorable titles the company was involved with (outside of the franchise they’re more well known for). The game was a single-player real time action game that allowed you to choose one of five characters and play him or her as they set out into the rather deadly dungeons in and around the land of Tempest seeking out the titular Anvil.

I loved how the character you chose ended up meeting up with the others you didn’t as the game progressed, the traps and puzzles mixed in with the combat and the multiple endings based on who you chose to play as. I’ve always wanted to see this one remade at some point (even though I still own the original game) and now with all this Kickstarter fury going strong, I’d say it’s time some dev team with members who remember this classic set out to reboot it for PC and perhaps consoles and other devices. Hell, I’m even willing to do some character or environment art if needed. In case you didn’t know, I can draw a little and I do like my RPGs old school. Anyway, someone out there, get on this and get back to me. I’d actually love to be playing this before I get TOO old and grey…

Hitman Absolution Pre-Order Bonuses: Agent 47 Hides Guns Everywhere, It Seems…

I’m not a huge fan of the way game bonus content gets diced up into selected bits and turned into multiple retailer exclusives (and I just KNOW a lot of fellow gamers as well as more than a few developers hate this as well), but this is something you just can’t get away from these days with many AAA releases.

Still, IO Interactive and Square Enix made me laugh with these pre-order weapons from the upcoming Hitman: Absolution. That thick Professional Edition in the top photo is tempting enough, but Amazon (well, one of their many crate-filled warehouses), Best Buy, GameStop and Walmart are all looking like places Agent 47 can pop into when he needs a new gun. Which means that clerks and shelf-stockers at these places had better watch their backs, as they might get KO’d and dragged into a closet when a certain bald guy in a black suit steps into their workplace…

Hawken PAX 2012 Trailer: While My Console Gently Weeps (Slight Return)…

 

It’s too bad Hawken isn’t blasting its way onto the PS3 or 360, as I could see a lot of gamers wanting to have at it in Adhesive’s and Meteor’s phenomenal-looking (and online only) mech combat game. Of course, I’m not complaining to anyone in particular, just expressing a wish while being a bit cranky about the state of the industry today with all this free to play stuff. From the beginning, this game has looked one that should get everyone who’s worked on it a nice paycheck, I say. Hell, stick a solid single player mode in (maybe with some split-screen play for those who need it), slap it in a case with some nice artwork and I’d definitely pay up at retail or direct from the developer. That’s how I roll – good games take time and effort to make, and people who bust their asses on them should be able to get something in return other than the thanks of those who get to play the end result.