Video Game Apocalypse – Day 1

Many of you are probably already familiar with the most recent “dooms day” news scheduled for this Saturday. Harold Camping, an 89 year old Christian radio broadcaster, believes he has decoded the Bible and found a message stating the Rapture will occur on Saturday, May 21 of 2011. Whether you believe this or not, this gave me an idea. All week this week I will play a game with an apocalyptic theme to it each day and give a short write up on it. This task isn’t hard since there seems to be no end to dastardly villains whose only plot is to take over and/or destroy the world in some way or another.

Darksiders

(Xbox 360, Ps3, PC)

Where better to begin then at the ending itself? Darksiders puts you in the shoes of War, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. All Hell breaks loose (literally) when War is prematurely summoned to Earth to start the apocalypse. Because of this, Earth becomes a battleground for the epic and biblical showdown of Good vs. Evil. Caught in between are all manners of life resulting in total destruction of all life and most of the Earth. The Earth then becomes home to dark and evil forces. War is initially blamed for this destruction but is given a chance to prove himself innocent by hunting down the person (or persons) responsible for his early release. He then must go back to Earth, stripped of much of his power, to find the real culprits responsible.

Darksiders is a mix of several different games all in one. There are strong influences from the Legend of Zelda formula, as well as fighting styles similar to God of War or Dante’s Inferno. These combinations make for an interesting campaign on huge maps, plenty of enemies, and epic boss battles at the end of each temple. This game certainly has it flaws, but overall, this game does an excellent job getting one in the apocalypse mood.

Day 2 Preview: Get your Geiger counters out children.

Daily Bits for 8/19/10

In Today’s Daily Bits: Castle Crashers PS3 and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow get release dates, THQ continues to use its version of the Online Pass, Rumors about new Sony PSP and could a preview video have outed many Rock Band 3 tunes?

Release date news

A couple of games now have set release dates. Those who have been awaiting a firm release for the PS3 version of Castle Crashers need only wait a little longer; the title makes its PSN debut August 31. Then there is the news many gamers have been awaiting: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow finally has a release date of October 5.

Gotta say the little bit of Lords of Shadow I got to play at E3 has me thinking this is going to be the first 3D Castlevania game done right, but what else can you expect from Kojima Productions.

EA not the only bad guy in the Online Pass game

Many of you may remember how THQ snuck in a $5.00 version of EA’s Online Pass on UFC Undisputed 2010. Well, the company is now adding a $10.00 version to WWE Smakdown vs. Raw 2011. New copies of the game will come with a code which will unlock online access and the first DLC package, which adds a new playable character and some alternate costumes. Those who buy it used will have to buy the DLC for $9.99/800 MS Points, which will presumably unlock the online play.

In the interview our own Chris Maeurer did with Dan Amrich of Activision, he said he would not be surprised if more developers started copying EA’s online pass. Looks like that has started already.

Source

Could the new PSP have touch sensitive controls?

So there are many rumors about the new PSP, one of which is just…well, I am not sure what to make of it. According to some sources, the new iteration of Sony’s handheld may have a touch sensitive area on the back.

As far as things we know for certain about the new design ideas, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai has state it will not be a download only system. He still claims the PSP Go was a success, but he has stated the company has noticed there is still a need for people to be able to buy some for of a physical medium.

Touch controls on the back? Not only does that just sound weird, but I am not going to get worked up about any PSP rumors will we have a better idea what it will actually have. Remember we all got excited before we saw the PSP Go.

Source

Possible list of Rock Band 3 tunes leaked

So there was a video coming out of Gamescon yesterday that may have accidentally leaked several of the tracks included in Rock Band 3. During an interview with Youtube GottGamesShow, a Harmonix rep was seen scrolling through the set list. While the video has been removed, sources including Joystiq have been able to compile a list of what was shown, including Devo’s “Whip It” and James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good).” Here are the tracks:

• The Bronx – False Alarm
• Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird
• Beach Boys – Good Vibrations (Live)
• Tegan and Sara – The Con
• Riverboat Gamblers – Don’t Bury Me… I’m Still Not Dead
• The Police – Don’t Stand So Close to Me
• Steve Miller Band – Fly Like an Eagle
• Blondie – Heart of Glass
• The Who – I Can See For Miles
• James Brown – I Got You (I Feel Good)
• Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated
• John Lennon – Imagine
• Big Country – In a Big Country
• Primus – Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
• Echo and the Bunnymen – Killing Moon
• Dover – King George
• Raveonettes – Last Dance
• The Sounds – Living in America
• Phish – Llama
• Faith No More – Midlife Crisis
• Paramore – Misery Business
• Queens of the Stone Age – No One Knows
• At the Drive-In – One Armed Scissor
• The Muffs – Outer Space
• Golden Earring – Radar Love
• Amy Winehouse – Rehab
• Elton John – Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)
• Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water
• The Smiths – Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before
• Hypernova – Viva La Resistance
• Pretty Girls Make Graves – Something Bigger, Something Brighter
• Swingin’ Utters – This Bastard’s Life
• Dire Straits – Walk of Life
• Devo – Whip It
• Warren Zevon – Werewolves of London
• Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1

Now these are uncomfirmed, but this is quite a list. Looks like Harmonix is going to bring it for Rock Band 3. This game has gone from something I really was not interested in to a day one purchase.

Source

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Daily Bits is a collection of all the gaming news that has happened for the current day that we deem as interesting and relevant to our readers. Check back daily for more news round-ups and feel free to send your suggestions to dailybits@everydaygamers.com

The Weekly Byte for 8/2/2010

New Releases

Friday, 7/30 – Commander:Conquest of the Americas, Strategy/RTS by Paradox $39.95

Tuesday, 8/3 – Metro 2033 Ranger Pack DLC, $3 on XBL, free for Steam users :O)

News Bytes

Reason to traverse radiated tubes, once more! Yes, as you’ve read above, there will be new DLC for this year’s sleeper hit, Metro 2033.  Sadly, I have not had a chance to play it, myself, but I am salivating for a price drop.  The new DLC allows players to take advantage of a Ranger Mode setting, which makes ammo scarce and increases the damage dealt by both sides.  Ummm, am I the only one who doesn’t see the fun in this?  Also, there will be some new items, weapons and achievements, so look for the DLC to pull into your station this week!

Seems like Fable on the PC will be a bedtime story at dusk. Originally planned to launch side-by-side with console versions, Fable II has now been pushed back to an unannounced date.  Microsoft reassures that this is not a cancellation, but an opportunity to optimize the game for the PC platform.  I would not have made Fable III a day one purchase, and I can certainly stand behind a developer taking extra time to customize a PC version of the game, so the news is not as upsetting to me as it may be to some.  I’m still glad to see Microsoft gaming make a return to PC, and I can only hope this Fable will herald more Microsoft gaming tales to be told on the PC.

Have you lost that lovin’ feeling? The void that has been left, since HAWX came out, so long ago?  Well, get to pre-flight, Mav, HAWX 2 is touching down this fall, on September 7th.  Among scarce details in the skies, the multiplayer aspect of the game seems to have undergone a complete overhaul.  There will now be co-op, arcade and survival modes for up to 8 pilots at a time.  You can be my wingman anytime!  Well, that is, if Ubisoft doesn’t eject us from the cockpit with it’s crippling DRM…….

Geared Up

It’s seeming like I should change the title from ‘Geared Up’ to ‘Overpriced Nerd Gear’!  Sadly, I have two entries this week, that seem to be, only for gamers with the deepest of pockets.  A while back, I detailed a statue of Valve Team Fortress 2 character, The Heavy.  Also planned, were Left 4 Dead and Half-Life entries, well, wait no more zombie maniacs, the first Left 4 Dead statue is here!  The Tank, measuring an intimidating 15 inches tall, is now available for pre-order.  Another Gaming Heads creation, the statue looks fantastically detailed, and an exclusive edition includes a pump shotgun(what no molly?).  He comes in two flavors, vanilla, for a whopping $300, or a more limited flavor for $325.  Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy?  Oh, and you won’t even receive the goods until early next year.  For the cheaper Valve fan, Aperture Labs is moving in on the Beanie Baby market, with it’s plush GlaDOS Curiosity Spheres, far a slightly more palatable $45.  The full set is available, at a discounted $120, and they are only available via Etsy here.  You can purchase one of four colors, each one features different sayings from Portal by pressing the eye (ouch!?).  Believe you, me, if I had that kind of cheddar laying around, I’d be spending it on games and not dust collectors and chew toys, but who am I right?

The Weekly Byte for 7/26/2010

New Releases

• Tuesday 7/27 – Starcraft II : Wings of Liberty King of the RTS, MSRP – $59.99

News Bytes

THQ, Relic and Company of Heroes award service medals to veteran franchise players. Details are sketchy but if you have a copy of Company of Heroes, and plan to jump in when the free-to-play CoH goes online this Fall, you may want to bronze that CD Key.  One of the games producers, was quoted in an interview as saying how much the CoH team appreciates it’s fan-base, and will have some rewards in store for those who enter their CD Keys into the free-to-play game when it hits.  For those unfamiliar, Company of Heroes debuted shortly after Vista, and revolutionized RTS games by abandoning the traditional base-building/resource gathering system found in games, and created a Risk-style game mechanic, where players fought for control of supply routes/depots to choke out their opponents in a WWII setting.  The game has seen expansions, and remains a largely popular competitive online game, in the RTS space.  Registration is still ongoing for the game, with chances to get into the Beta.

Charge up your R2 unit, space combat is coming the Old Rebuplic.  It seems PC Gamer will have the scoop on space combat in Old Republic, for their October issue, so details will be scarce until then.  I’m sure it’s great news for those already looking forward to TOR, or maybe it’s something that will attract players on the fence about investing in the game.  Full details will not be disclosed until the issue hits, on 8/17, but it will be interesting to see how the combat factors in with that games features, and if it will be an interesting addition, or an annoyance, hindering travel within the game’s universe.

Fighting games making a PC comeback? We can only hope so!  PC gamers reveled in the release of Street Fighter IV for PC, now we can continue the great one-on-one fighting game battles with BlazBlue : Calamity Trigger!  The good news is that Japanese fans can square off when the game releases there on August 26th, the bad news is that Games for Windows LIVE will be handling the multiplayer aspects.  No news on a US release yet, but we will be watching this closely, maybe Mortal Kombat will follow suit, with Marvel vs. Capcom not far behind?

Dragon Age 2 breathing fire on traditional RPG lovers?  I have to admit, as much as I like what I hear about Dragon Age, it seems to be abandoning all of the things that made it hearken back to the RPG of yore.  New details outline a more action-oriented combat system, and a streamlined conversation system, limiting choices to no more than three responses–each with a Mass Effect-style Paragon/Renegade icon.  While I very much enjoy strategy and tactics in my games, I do prefer them blended into the action setting, and the punishing I took in DA:O was enough to sway me from not finishing it(yet).  To me, these details are welcome and not upsetting, but I can definitely understand how those who enjoyed the style and gameplay of DA:O could see this as a negative “Mass Effect in a fantasy setting” setup.  Unfortunately, I think the latter portion of gamers make up the minority and Bioware is definitely catering to the masses in the DA sequel, but either way I can’t wait to see it this Spring.

Geared Up

This week’s Geared Up gear is not out yet, but pay’s homage to a 12 year, in the making, gaming juggernaut Starcraft II.  Hailing from Comic-Con, DC Unlimited has announced the first three figures, in their Starcraft II series.  The first three are an action pose of hero, Jim Raynor, sans armor, a space marine and Protoss Dark Templar, Zeratul.  This set of three will be in range of our tractor beams in Spring of 2011.  If they follow suit, from the similar WoW series’ from DC Unlimited, they will stand 8.5 inches tall, and retail for around $26.99 for the set—-however, those specifics have not been released yet, that is my speculation from past precedence.  Detailed pictures, from various angles, are displayed here, or check out the pic of the set below.

The Weekly Byte for 6/21/2010

Hey all!  E3 is over, and all of the goodies are out there.  As usual, the PC has a dismal appearance-worst was no news on the Games for Windows LIVE initiative.  Fallout New Vegas and other games have said they will not use the service, and with all of the leaps and bounds in XBOX LIVE, we hear nothing and see no innovation for it’s PC service, which should easily rival it’s console counterpart.  I won’t rehash all of the E3 news, but there are a couple stories I wanted to mention and some gear to share, so let’s boot up!

New Releases

Tuesday 6/22 – Transformers : War for Cybertron $39.99

News Bytes

More details have leaked about Telltale’s adaptations of the Jurassic Park and Back To The Future franchises. Naysayers have been skeptical since the announcement of Jurassic Park being added to the Telltale lineup, but recent interviews assure that the company is looking to steer away from a Sam & Max style humorous approach.  Telltale says they will do neither an action oriented game or solely an adventure based one, but rather blend elements of the two for a cinematic experience.  They understand that the characters will not be able to go toe to toe with many of the dinosaurs, but do not want to lose the edge-of-your-seat adrenaline rush and tension the movies conveyed.  Given some of the differences of the franchises they currently produce, I would say it’s a safe bet these will be great games-for both new IP’s.  Moreover, they may be the first series from Telltale that I subscribe to, since, as of yet, I have not taken the plunge.

Speaking of revisiting franchises, who would like to see You Don’t Know Jack! return? If you said yes, your prayers are answered.  You Don’t Know Jack! was an awesome PC trivia series from a while back, and show host Cookie announced that Jellyvision and THQ are bringing the game back, finally!  Cookie made the announcement on the Bombcast, E3 2010 Episode 2 intro.  Unfortunately, no further details were leaked and there is no news if consoles will see the game, but just the announcement of it’s return—with Cookie intact, makes me a happy man.

Last, but not least, we have confirmation of a PC port of Hydrophobia. The game, being released with an exclusive window, on XBOX LIVE, has been confirmed by Dark Energy Digital, the game’s developer.  Exactly how much later the port will flow onto PSN and PC, we do not know, but I will be happy with the confirmation, for now.  Hydrophobia is attempting to rain down on XBL by the end of the summer.

Geared Up

Any fans of the site, and the two people who read ‘The Weekly Byte’, will know that I am anxiously awaiting the release of Starcraft II, this July.  Razer, makers of elite gaming gear, have chosen E3 to show off there new, Starcraft II optimized peripherals.  They are releasing the Spectre SCII mouse, the Marauder SCII keyboard and the Basnhee SCII headset.  All three are optimized with a new, programmable, APM lighting system, that provides in game feedback to any of the three peripherals.  APM stands for actions per minute.  Razer tells us that novice gamers produce 40-60 APM, while the pros level off at between 100-150.  Each peripheral features LED’s that the user can customize to not only provide APM feedback, but also customize to flash different colors to correspond to in-game events, such as a base under attack or a unit/structure production being complete.  How you will differentiate between APM feedback and in-game event feedback is not totally clear, but it sounds like an interesting idea.  Also unclear is whether or not this feature will be backwards compatible with other games, or compatible with future games not within the Starcraft franchise.  Gimmick or not, Razer is known for their solid peripherals, and all three of these seem to be well priced for anyone needing a peripheral upgrade, even if the APM system will go largely unused.

The Weekly Byte for 6/7/2010

New Releases

Prince Of Persia : The Forgotten Sands – 6/8, retailing at $49.99

News Bytes

• Mass Effect Deathmatch? Apparently that’s the newest rumor.  Job listings for Bioware Montreal were looking for ‘programmers  capable of adding multiplayer components to an already rich single player base using the unreal engine’.  Of course, these postings were ripped down, the minute they made headlines, but it would seem the damage is done.  The only Bioware property to use the Unreal engine is Mass Effect, and further rumors have a captured screen of one of the ads, shown here, getting into gross detail about the requirements.  Let us know how you feel about multiplayer in the Mass Effect universe.  I, for one, think it’s completely unnecessary and will divert resources that should be focusing on the awesome single player experience that the previous games brought-but, then again, I never would have predicted some of the things Bioware has pulled off before, so I guess we will see.
• Move over Torchlight, dungeon crawlers are crawling out of everywhere! Those of us who can’t wait for Diablo III, now have Dungeon Siege 3 to look forward to!  And it will simultaneously release on consoles?  Press releases have confirmed the sequel, designed by Obsedian with some Chris Taylor input, and a sprinkling from Square Enix.  Co-op has also been confirmed, but all other details seem to have Town Portaled back to E3 for a more spectacular reveal, so stay tuned!
• You shall pass, without fees! It would seem that Lord of the Rings Online will follow in the footsteps of Dungeons and Dragons online, and become free to play, later this year.  Hold onto Sting and your Lembas bread, players will still have to pay to unlock the content from the expansions, and some other features.  There will be ‘VIP’ access, but those details have not been outlined yet.   If your lucky, maybe you will be able to storm Mordor in the closed Beta, venturing forth on the 16th of this month.
• In other RPG news, Elemental : War of Magic, from Stardock, will be unleashed this September. Stardock’s Brad Wardell posted a lengthy video demoing the game’s opening dozen turns, in the beta engine.  For those unfamiliar with Elemental, think a fantasy-style Total War game with some Magic : The Gathering and Heroes Of Might and Magic elements thrown in.  The game is Stardock’s newest entry into the 4x strategy genre, and has not seen much in the way of details. The trailer is a whopping 12 and a half minutes long, but lacked the grand scale teasers that have come before, opting, instead, to show off the game’s basic mechanics and strategies. UPDATE : Release date confirmed for 8/24 2010!
• Survival horror on Mars? That’s the feeling we have gotten from the newest Red Faction trailer, announcing the new game, Red Faction : Armaggeddon, slated for March 2011 release.  So, the game takes place about 50 years after Red Faction : Guerrilla, and you take the role of the grandson of that game’s character.  Oddly enough, aliens have now been thrown into the mix, begging the question, where were they for the last few games?  Taking a page from Aliens and Dead Space, it will be interesting to see how this new mechanic plays out, as I’m sure we can all admit some new mechanics were needed, for the franchise.  I’m sure our own, Eric Bouchard, will be able to unearth more details at this month’s E3, and let us know if he got any hands-on squashing bugs with the game’s fabled hammer!
• Ready for some more Star Wars MMO action? No, I’m not talking about The Old Rebuplic and please don’t mention Galaxies!  The new, younger audience attracting online game is titled Clone Wars Adventures.  This fall, the free to play online game from Sony will be unleashing it’s clones on us, but don’t think typical MMO!  The game is more a collection of puzzle games, with some overarcing elements-reminding me of Puzzle Pirates, by description.  Early hands-on reports have force pushed nay-sayers aside, and reported that the minigames have tapped into the best addictive flash games and innovated them with a little Lucas magic.  Needless to say, I am intrigued, and my little clones at home will play anything emblazoned with the Star Wars logo, so you can be sure to find plenty of details here, as soon as I can get them!
• OK, I know I’m known as the MMO hater, but I’m all about the FREE! Another, free to play online game, this time sanctioned by Bigpoint and Universal, will take place in The Mummy film universe.  Supposedly, the game will be a browser based, action RPG featuring many of the characters and environments from the film series, in your quest for ancient treasure.  Unfortunately, the only details we have are speculation, but it will be interesting to see if this trend continues as well as to see how well this particular title will turn out.
• Last, but not least, some bittersweet Aperture Labs news. Yes, I know, this story already opened up on our own, ‘Daily Bits’ segment, but it bears repeating for PC fans.  In an oddly worded press release, from Aperture Labs, Valve canceled it’s ‘Portal 2′ event at E3, but said that there would be a surprise-the time and details of which would not be released until it was time for the surprise.  Also, to clear up any accusations, the memo also stated that the cancellation was NOT the surprise in question.  I think we will see that Eric Bouchard’s prediction of Portal 2 releasing with an Orange Box type bundle successor are coming to fruition, but I, admittedly, am not sure what to expect in it!  I think, if a Half-Life game is in the works, Valve will skip Episode 3 and just launch right into the next full game-especially if we are to believe the changes teased in the way of bringing back proper scary games.  I would have to think that a worthy Team Fortress 2 replacement would be in one such collection, but who knows if it’s Counter-Strike related, or a new property.  I can’t imagine Team Fortress 2 needs any work or new iterations right now, it is standing well enough on it’s own feet. Stick around for the emerging details from E3!

Geared Up

Geared Up is taking a hiatus this week, it was a full news week, and we are awaiting some of the E3 goodness heading our way.  In the meantime, if you have any entries, send them to me over at chris@everydaygamers.com!

Red Faction: Guerrilla

I hadn’t heard anything about Red Faction: Guerrilla prior to the release of the demo. I downloaded the demo for fun just to see what it was about. Thank goodness for demos. Red Faction is the sleeper hit of the summer. Red Faction: Guerrilla is just plain fun. A lot of people liked Mercenaries 2 simply for the fact that you could destroy things. Red Faction does this 1,000 times better.

Red Faction: Guerrilla takes place on Mars and your character is Alec Mason a former miner who rebels against the EDF (Earth Defense Force). Basically the EDF are the bad guys along with with Marauders which are the original inhabitants of the planet. RFG is an open-world game similar to Far Cry 2 and the Grand Theft Auto series. You can do what you want when you want. There are different types of missions that you can complete. The first type is the Gorrilla Actions, these are kind of like side quests, they aren’t necessary but they are pretty fun. Most of these missions consist of doing something in a certain amount of time, for example, destroying the building in front of you with only your hammer in under 2 minutes, or use the turret to destroy the windmills in under a minute. Some of the Gorrilla Action missions consist of going to rescue hostages from a building or stealing a truck from EDF territory and bringing it to a safe house. Each GA mission has a reward whether it be to raise the morale of the Red Faction or give you salvage. The currency used in the game is known as salvage. Salvage is picked up from destroying things as well as rewarded for completing missions.

The second of the mission types are the Destruction Targets. Destruction Targets are exactly what the name says, EDF targets that are to be destroyed. These can range from windmills to office buildings to huge EDF bases. These targets are to be destroyed to weaken the EDF’s forces. The last of the mission types is the actual campaign missions. These missions are usually pretty long and consist of doing more than one thing. If you played the demo you saw one of the campaign missions. Infiltrate an EDF base camp and steal a Walker. Take the Walker to the truck and then defend the truck as it escapes. The campaign missions usually have more of a structure. It’s these missions that when completed will get you further in the game. As you complete these missions you also unlock new areas of the map to explore and conquer.

By completing missions you receive salvage. Salvage is then used to buy upgrades. Some examples of upgrades would be being able to carry more remote charges, or being able to increase the amount of charges you can lay down at one time before detonating them. Other upgrades include better weapons and increasing the amount of damage your armor can withstand. It’s these upgrades that I look forward to most in the game. They change the game up and give you a reason to get more salvage.

There are a few things that instantly stood out about the game for me. One being the fact that the shooting is very accurate and feels great. Another being the vehicles. There is a wide range of vehicles and they are all fun to drive. Some vehicles even have turrets which you can switch to at any moment. Another thing I liked was the fact that they took the narrator from Crackdown, this gave it a great feel. The last thing and also the most important aspect of the game is the fact that everything is totally destructible. Everything. You can go up to a huge tower, destroy the foundation and the whole building will fall down and crumble to pieces. This is at times pretty amazing and this is what makes the game so fun.

Overall Red Faction: Guerrilla is in my opinion a day one purchase if you like open-world games. If you are skeptical, try out the demo, I bet you will enjoy it. I did not play the multiplayer modes at the time this review was written but the single-player campaign alone is enough to merit a day one purchase in my opinion. I plan on putting many more hours into the game so I am happy it was released right in time for the summer months. It looks like all my time is going to be spent on Mars this summer.