So, it’s on the way and soon at that, which is awesome. It’s even more awesome if you’ve been one of those folks playing the beta or were a big PS3 Warhawk player, as you’ll see in the above video. Personally, I love that LightBox is giving both single player and multiplayer fans something to look forward to. No matter which mode you choose, you can expect some of the tightest hybrid gameplay that should set the standard for this type of game for quite some time (well, until it gets copied to death by other developers). Of course, expect a few overly cranky RTS fans to whine a bit about the game making it so “easy” to blend fast-paced action with no need for insane resource management (or much in the way of micro-managing anything except trying to get shot up on foot or in/on a ride or or out of the sky when you’re flying around). SCEA has yet another mega-hit on their hands, and that’s always a good thing,,,
While some of us will be wrapped up in the single player mode multiple times until we’ve done and seen everything it has to offer, Rockstar Games plans to keep fans of online play even busier. The company has announced a wealth of downloadable multiplayer content for Max Payne 3 as well as its Rockstar Pass program that allows purchasers access to this premium content. Beginning now, the Pass is up for pre-order online over PSN and Xbox Live and at retail Best Buy and GameStop locations in the US for $29.99 (or 2400 Microsoft Points, if you’re a 360 owner). Like other online pass programs, users will get first crack at new DLC as soon as it becomes available and it looks as if Rockstar is planning to roll out a hefty amount of content starting in June 2012:
Ah, this month’s (or was it last month’s?) worst kept secret finally gets an official trailer. Pretty slick stuff so far – the horseback section should be amazingly cool to play if it’s done right. The most amusing thing about the whole future weapons aspect of the trailer and the older guy narrating it was it reminded me of Metal Gear Solid 4 in terms of tone. Maybe that’s just me, but I bet a few other people will make that comparison soon enough…
Anyway, I loved the first Black Ops because even with the darker tone, it was the funniest CoD in terms of the breakneck pacing and crazy bonus content in single player (I didn’t venture online at all). That said, I’m REALLY hoping that Activision doesn’t wall away the fun though a pay system that screws me and folks like me out of an otherwise cool experience. Now, I don’t take the franchise so seriously that I bend over backward to praise everything and not think about the stuff that’s flawed. Nor do I bash the franchise (and other well-made shooters like it) for basically doing the same stuff year after year because, hell, it works. If you’re an adrenaline junkie and love big, crazy roller coaster rides with screams and explosions and splashes of blood mixed in with dead serious storytelling where need be, it’s always been fun to blast through a CoD game over a weekend or so and have a gab-fest the next week or so with friends who’ve also enjoyed what’s been served up.
That said, Hey, Activision! Where the hell is that CoD zombies game compilation? You know, the RETAIL disc one with Call of the Dead, Moon, and every other bit of Zombie content from the series? I say it would sell like hotcakes, especially if you guys rounded up the cast from Call of the Dead and made a new campaign-based game with them appearing as playable characters (single, co-op and multiplayer modes). Get on it and get back to me. No charge for the idea (as usual)!
Nice. This is a pretty cool promotion for the upcoming Eurocom-developed multi-platform game 007 Legends that allows anyone to sign up, submit a photo of themselves along with a description of their evil world dominating ways for a chance to get into the final version of the game. Of course the big catch here is it’s a popularity contest with the community voting on the best Bond baddie. I’d prefer the developers choose in order to make sure this is taken 100% seriously, but I guess I should trust that there are some reliable Bond fans out there who can come up with a few great villains for Bond to go up against. OK, I know you’re itching to dress up like Dr. Evil and snap some pictures for your chance in the spotlight (before Bond busts a cap in your cap, chap) – go to it, already!
With a three-part story written by Rockstar head Dan Houser AND Remedy Studios’ Dan Lake, fans of the game series should be wanting to snap this up one wherever it appears. The graphic novel will have its digital premiere later this week, followed up by a limited edition retail release that I’m guessing will be a pretty hot commodity should the fan base find it worthy of dropping into a plastic sleeve and socking away for safekeeping. Hey, anything that extends what’s looking like an already solid story is alright in my book.
I really like the idea of transforming vehicles (even though it’s been done before in games since the Spy Hunter days), the brief gameplay shown here looks great and the first game was a ton of fun. But what’s up the the total lack of Sega in the title this time out? Hopefully it’s a misprint, or perhaps we’ll be seeing some non-Sega All-Stars in this follow up? Whatever happens, I’m hoping to see Sega be a bit prouder of itself despite a bumpy year so far. Go, Sega!
Sooooo… it looks as if pirates are the new zombies this year, huh? Between this game, Risen 2, the new One Piece game and a few other pirates appearing in games lately, it’s looking like “Yo, Ho, Ho” and “Arrrrrr” will be popping up on review sites as well as too many lame pirate jokes that even I won’t be able to stand with my pun-laded ways. That aside, Raven’s Cry does look quite good so far. Octane Games and publisher TopWare just may have a nice niche RPG hit on their hands that won’t get the hook (arrrr!) when the finally game hits PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 at some point.
For me and many other gamers, adding multiplayer modes to a game that’s best known for its solo play and cinematic storytelling is the sign of the beast, a franchise running on fumes begging for cash from a crowd focused on massing up kill counts with no regard to narrative structure or hell, enjoyment of all the hard work it takes to make a story driven game flow from start to finish. Sony Santa Monica Studios obviously realizes this as well as a few other negatives and positives about MP and is forging ahead with an intriguing multiplayer mode in Kratos’ next adventure.
From what I’m reading elsewhere, you won’t have twenty Kratos’ running around the screen at all. One aspect of the mode will feature players representing warriors selected by the gods to do battle over territory, so at least my first fear has been quelled. As for the rest, well, I’ll need to see the game up close and personal to judge more fully what’s coming. All I’ll say is I’m looking forward to the single player story FIRST and foremost over any multplayer modes, no matter how good they are. Color me cautiously optimistic…
While I’m really loving what I see here and want the game to do fantastically well over PSN, I really wish that SCEA would get this game plus Plastic’s great Linger In Shadows along with some other PSN-only titles (even demo versions would be fine) onto a retail disc at a nice price so that the rather large amount of PS3 owners who still can’t (or don’t yet) use PSN can get to experience what they’re missing. As I keep saying, shutting out any gaming dollars by enforcing evolution before everyone can come along for the ride just makes you less profit if you expect everyone to be aboard at the same time. Hell, the Move needs more positive support, right? I’m keeping the flame going for Sorcery, which looks amazing from what I’ve seen, but I want Sony to acknowledge that as successful as PSN is, it (and any other download content service) isn’t doing much for those gamers who may want to try some of these titles but currently don’t have a decent online connection.
Here’s a look at another “making of” featurette for Firaxis’ upcoming reboot of the classics tactical sci-fi RPG. I have to hand it to the team for not jumping on the retro bandwagon in terms of the visual style. As much of a fan of the original X-COM and a few of its spin-offs and sequels, the fact is going too old school would have been a bad idea unless the team was doing a portable version that implemented a rotating camera like Rifts: Promise of Power on the N-Gage (one of those games that needs to be redone for handhelds or consoles just so gamers could see that, yes, there were some great games on the much-berated device). I don’t think 2K has anything to worry about other than a few cranky fans who never even plan to buy the final version still going ape about stuff they don’t like (even if it’s well implemented and make the game more enjoyable)…
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 