With TGS running through the weekend, we’re getting bombarded by the usual: trailers, screenshots, terrible cosplay. We’re also getting a closer look at the story for the newest Metal Gear title, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Unfortunately, the trailer is only available in Japanese at the moment, but surely we can learn something from it: If you’ve played Bayonetta, the two games instantly feel similar in terms of design and style. Personally, I’m not sure how well this fits into the overall Metal Gear series. The game looks incredibly fun, don’t get me wrong, but this franchise is all over the place anymore. Robot dogs…
Author: Eric Robbins
If you were one of the many to watch the NFL’s season opener, you may have noticed a brand new TV spot for one of the year’s biggest games: Judging by the silence at my party (something that is truly rare, considering the company), I’d have to say the spot is really effective, save for the music choice. It looks like Ubisoft is making a strong case for setting the game in the American Revolution, a setting alone that makes the game feel different than the million modern / future warfare games we’ve seen in the last few years.
It is no secret that “Dishonored” was my favorite title at this year’s E3. Its unique blend of strategy, multiple path environments, and the ability to possess a fish all impressed. Arkane has released a new video showing off some of the abilities player’s will have access to, as well as creative ways to combine them. Check it out: I’ve seen some concerns online that the player may be overpowered. Having gone hands on, I would disagree; your character doesn’t last long in a head on fight, which is why having so many options available is necessary. We’ll find out…
Yesterday, Valve announced the start of the annual Steam Summer Sale. However, this year features a few new twists to their standard formula. Gone are the achievement based collections that appeared in the recent Winter sale, as well as last year’s Summer Sale. These little (meta? mini?) games have been replaced with a new option: community voting and flash sales. The flash sales are different than the standard 24-hour sale prices you see on Steam. Now the amount of time is shorter, but the discounts appear larger. So far, there’s been nothing major in the flash sale; rather, it is…
Bethesda and Arkane have released videos demonstrating the different ways to approach a challenge in Dishonored. These videos are similar to the demo that floored me at this year’s E3. Check them out!
Note: this review assumes you are familiar with Civilization 5. If you’re not, it has been on sale several times the last few weeks; pick it up if you get a chance! The first major expansion to Civilization 5 has arrived in the form of Gods and Kings. If you’re a purist clamoring for the return of square grids and unit stacking, you’re going to be disappointed. However, if you enjoy Civ 5 you’ll be pleased to know that Gods and Kings is, for the most part, more of what you love. Which is both its greatest strength and my largest criticism. Let’s talk about…
One of the most exciting things to emerge from the ever expanding indie game scene was the creation of the Humble Bundle. Originally created to energize the sales of a few independent games, the bundles “pay what you want” method instantly made it incredibly popular. After a few successful bundles, buyers were given challenges: pay more than the average price, receive an extra game or two. The prior four bundles have included some amazing games, but the quality of the fifth bundle, available for the next six days, deserves special mention. At the moment, you can pay any price you…
Today, I spent a little bit of time with Dishonored, a first-person-action-stealth-steampunk-assassination-adventure. You’ll notice there was no concise way to describe the game, and that’s because it is a strange combination of genres. Designed with a little bit of Thief and Deus Ex’s DNA, Dishonored puts you in the shoes of an assassin out to clear their name in a rotting steampunk city: The game allows players to approach situations many different ways. To highlight this, the developers guided us through two ways to play the same level: one focusing on stealth, the other focusing on butchering everyone. Using the…
One of the most pleasant surprises found on the floor this year is a completely revamped SimCity. Featuring a new visual style inspired by tilt-shift lenses, this entry in the long running series stands out by also embracing another deviation from its predecessors: multiplayer. In the demo, we were shown a three person multiplayer game. The cities run independently and asynchronously, meaning one player can be paused and planning while the others play and build. However, the cities affect one another: we were shown a situation in which criminals from a tough, blue-collar town traveled to another city for a good…
This morning, Nintendo played a trailer for Wii Fit U, their latest attempt to get gamers to get off the couch. I, along with most of the assembled press, rolled our eyes; seriously, a collective groan seemed to go through the entire conference. However, I subjugated myself to Wii Fit U today and came away impressed. In fact, it may have been the most fun I had today on the show floor. Each minigame was deceptively difficult. In fact, let’s watch the trailer again: See? None of that looks incredibly difficult, but after less than two minutes on the ice luge…
Check out the trailer for Quantic Dream’s Beyond: Two Souls. Continuing the path they started with Heavy Rain and Indigo Prophecy, Sony and Quantic Dream are showing a new game at E3 2012. Starring Oscar-nominee Ellen Page, the title was an excellent opener to this year’s Sony conference: Trailer courtesy of Sony’s YouTube Channel. Beyond: Two Souls will be available exclusively for the Playstation 3 later this year.
With E3 just a weekend away, trailers and leaks are starting to pop up all across the ‘net. After the jump, we’ve got trailers for Dishonored, Tomb Raider, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance!
Earlier this week, Naughty Dog showed off a little bit more of its post-apocalyptic title for the Playstation 3, The Last of Us. While some members of the press were invited to preview the game, the rest of us will just have to settle for this trailer: I’m really enjoying the kind of subtle, more realistic vibe I get from this trailer. It makes the game feel intimate somehow, and I hope Naughty Dog manages to translate this feeling into the game itself. Judging by the reactions around the web, they might just pull it off. We’ll find out more…
A very special sequel comes out next week. Fans have been waiting years to get their hands on the third entry in this critically acclaimed series. We’re talking, of course, about Max Payne 3. Not that we at Padinga aren’t looking forward to Diablo III; in fact, I’m incredibly excited for both. It has just been awhile since I’ve played as Max, and I’m looking forward to the chance to continue his story. Well, that and it is tons of fun diving into a room full of enemies in slow motion. To get you excited, let’s take a look at…
Starting TODAY at noon (PST), gamers everywhere will be able to download and play through the Diablo III beta. Both Erika and myself have been playing it for the last few weeks, and the game is a blast! The download can be found here. Currently, players can create characters of all five classes, with a cap at level 13. All that is required is one of Blizzard’s Battle.net accounts (also free).
Out of nowhere, Bethesda has announced that last year’s hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, will receive an update adding Kinect support to the XBox 360 version of the game. Don’t believe me? Check out their trailer (courtesy of IGN) below: I’m curious if the voice commands are as delayed as those found in Mass Effect 3. Personally, I just don’t see the appeal in yelling at my television. Official press release follows: We’re pleased to announce that Kinect™ for Xbox 360® support is coming to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Available for free as a title update slated for release this month, Skyrim Kinect for Xbox 360…
Did I miss this? Rockstar has announced that the original Max Payne will be coming to iOS devices next week, on April 12. Compatible with the iPhone 3GS and beyond, the iPad, and the newer iPod Touch, Rockstar claims the game will feature “HD graphics, high-resolution textures, Social Club connectivity and user-customizable controls”. The game, titled Max Payne Mobile, will also appear on the Android market on April 26. Details are few and far between at the moment, but we’ll know more next week when the game arrives!
Last week, we mentioned the game news drought that appears around this time of year. Luckily, cracks are starting to form in the dam, releasing little hints and rumors of what’s to come. Let’s take a look! The internet has been buzzing with rumors about the successor to the Playstation 3, supposedly called the Playstation Orbis. Planned for release around holiday 2013, the system supports several interesting features (or lack thereof, with supposedly no backwards compatibility), including an AMD based CPU and GPU, a blu-ray drive, and preventative measures against used games. You read that last one correctly: supposedly you…
Around mid-April, rumors start to engulf the game industry as it marches towards E3. Unfortunately, this translates to a bit of a drought in the months before, resulting in what we scientifically call “a slow news week”. It isn’t all bad, however! Here’s some stories circulating the web that you may have missed! NCEA’s Portal Gun replica, which is limited to 5000 pieces, has been rolling out pre-orders across various online retailers. While most are sold out, you can keep an eye on their website as they add more. Best of luck to anyone trying to snag one of these…
I know there’s been a ton of Mass Effect 3 news. Hell, if it makes you feel better, I’m getting sick of writing about it. However, this latest news is so absurd, so amazingly ridiculous, that it must be shared. A member of the BioWare forums, posting under the timeless name “El_Spiko”, has filed a false advertising claim with the Federal Trade Commission. Specifically, his claim singles out Electronic Arts, claiming that the title didn’t live up to the claims made by the developers before release. He writes: “This is not somethign [sic] I was happy to do, but after the terrible…
It is finally official: Diablo III is coming, and it will be here in two months. Today Blizzard announced that Diablo III, arguably the most anticipated PC game of the year, will be arriving on May 15th. Pre-ordering the game from Blizzard will allow you to install it in advance, so bust out those credit cards! Seriously, bust them out. I’m not fighting the minions of Hell alone.
I recognize that the last two weeks have brought lots of BioWare / Mass Effect 3 news. As a result, I struggled with whether or not I should share this launch trailer with you. However, after watching it several times, I decided that it deserved a spot here. Enjoy: That shot of the Alliance fleet engaging the Reapers is enough to get my money next week! As a bonus, here’s the extended “Take Back Earth” trailer: Look for a review sometime within the next two weeks. Mass Effect 3 arrives March 6th on Playstation 3, XBox 360, and PC.
Since last week’s entry describing my issues with the runaway freight train that is Mass Effect 3’s marketing, a few things have changed. Somehow, despite my annoyance at the constant barrage of advertising, I am finding myself excited for Mass Effect 3. So excited, in fact, that I’ve been playing through the Mass Effect 2 DLC, making sure my Commander Shepard has all of his side quests wrapped up in the event their data affects the next game. This is a feature that I wish more developers would include in their sequels. However, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows for…
The good people at EA seem to be obsessing over the possibility that there may be one gamer who is unaware of Mass Effect 3. Every day there seems to be some new promotion, publicity stunt, or PR release concerning the title. Don’t believe me? Here is a sampling of the madness from only THIS WEEK and the problems with each: Want some DLC for ME3? Then join the fight on Facebook! Simply add the Mass Effect 3 Recruitment App to your Facebook, tie it with your Origin account, harass your friends to join your farm fight for Earth, then…
Thursday brought us a decent amount of Blizzard news, all courtesy of the Activision-Blizzard investors phone meeting. Among the info released: -Diablo III will launch by the end of Quarter 2 of this year, which ends in June, narrowing the release window down to the middle of the year at the latest. -World of Warcraft saw a hit in player numbers, but that was to be expected. Currently, only (and I say only in jest) 10.3 million players are actively subscribed. Only. Considering the lack of a new expansion and the launch of a major competitor in Star Wars:…
Do you remember the Dead Island trailer? You know, THE trailer? Of course you do. Apparently, so does Sega. Check out the latest trailer for Aliens: Colonial Marines: Ever since we were treated to the story of one family’s struggle (and failure) to survive in Dead Island, game companies have upped the ante for their trailers. Now they all feature content that is removed from the game, choosing rather to focus on slow motion / cinematic shots set to music that has little (if any) connection to the title. Hell, the above Aliens trailer uses music from…
In an effort to prove there is no series currently cuter, Sony and Media Molecule announced Littlebigplanet 2 DLC will be released centered around The Muppets. Don’t believe me? Check out the trailer: See? Sickeningly cute. The Muppets themed DLC is currently available in the Playstation Store. There are both level packs and costume packs, so bust out the wallet and get your felt-covered groove on!
So it has been one month (!) since the launch of BioWare’s first MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic. Time flies when you’re having fun, huh? What’s that? You aren’t having fun with SWTOR? Yes, it seems there are several issues plaguing the young MMO already, causing players to rage on the game’s forums. Hit the jump to learn about broken patches, the inability to unsubscribe, constant downloads, and other fun issues that may or may not be wreaking havoc on EA’s big gamble.
As we enter 2012, it is time for that yearly tradition gamers treasure: arguing about the best games of the previous year. Over the next ten days, the Padinga crew will be sharing their favorite games over a variety of different categories. These categories have been designed to force our wonderful staff to pick only one game each, meaning many great games will be left out in the cold. We do this for two reasons: 1) to provoke thoughtful discussion in our comments about the games we forgot, and 2) to cause Mecha to have a heart attack. Hit the…
As we enter 2012, it is time for that yearly tradition gamers treasure: arguing about the best games of the previous year. Over the next ten days, the Padinga crew will be sharing their favorite games over a variety of different categories. These categories have been designed to force our wonderful staff to pick only one game each, meaning many great games will be left out in the cold. We do this for two reasons: 1) to provoke thoughtful discussion in our comments about the games we forgot, and 2) to cause Mecha to have a heart attack. Hit the…