Arbiter's Judgement

Mass Effect 3 "Take Earth Back" Trailer Preview

2012-02-18T13:20:00.000-05:00

A new cinematic trailer for Mass Effect 3, entitled "Take Earth Back," will debut tomorrow during AMC's The Walking Dead.

EA has released a preview of the trailer which you can view here or below.

I'll be watching The Walking Dead so I'll get to see the trailer when it airs. For those of you who won't be watching the show, rest assured it'll be all over the internet soon enough.

I'll post the full length trailer either on Monday or the following weekend, depending.

Halo Avatar Collection - February

2012-02-18T13:13:00.002-05:00

Looks like Microsoft Studios and 343 Industries are adding additional Halo-themed Avatar items for Xbox 360 Avatars, and once again their Avatar weapon policy is wishy-washy.

Now available for purchase is a Needler and a Brute Stalker helmet. The Needler also fires sticky "suction darts" instead of Needle Shards.

Thanks, but at a premium cost, no thanks.

Halo: Primordium Review

2012-02-12T15:56:00.000-05:00

The second novel in Greg Bear's Forerunner Saga, Halo: Primordium takes a different perspective from Halo: Cryptum. While Halo: Cryptum was a tale told by the Didact and ended with Bornstellar assuming that role and title during the events of the Forerunner Civil War, Halo: Primordium has a far more human angle.

Beginning after the events of Halo 3, a Forerunner Monitor is being interrogated by the Office of Naval Intelligence, a Monitor that claims to once have been the human, Chakas. Chakas was a companion to Bornstellar and the original Didact, but was captured by the Forerunner Master Builder during the Forerunner Civil War and taken away 100,000 years ago. ONI is quite concerned and curious about the Didact (furthering my suspicion that he'll appear in some form in Halo 4) and to further enlighten them, this Monitor continues his tale, Chakas' tale.

Awakening among the wreckage of a crashed pod on an unknown planet, Chakas is injured and under the care of a young human named Vinnevra, only to discover that this planet is actually a Halo, one in which many humans have been stranded and are being experimented on for unknown purposes.

Together Chakas and Vinnevra, along with her grandfather Gamelpar, venture out through the surface of Halo in search of both answers and of Chakas' friend Riser whom was also captured by the Master Builder. What, and whom they discover, however, is far more terrifying than anything they could possible imagine.

Like Halo: Cryptum before it, Halo: Primordium is an extremely unHalo-like story that's definitely set within the Halo universe. There are Monitors, Forerunners, Flood, etc., however things were far different 100,000 years ago than they are in the current 2553 time frame. The games and other fiction have always grounded the Forerunner-Flood conflict in more plausible, scientific concepts, whereas Halo: Primordium continues Bear's far more fantastical approach.

How the Forerunner's build the Halo rings, how their armour and ships behave, it is more akin to "magic" as ancient humans believed as opposed to more realistic science. Structures and ships assemble from the ground, base materials and hard light, holograms are tangible things that can physically interact with others, and the Forerunners have limited control over time itself. Extremely powerful, very fantastical.

Suffice it to say if you're looking for a traditional, hard military Halo tale you won't find it here, but what you will find is a wonderfully woven story with strong character development and many simple, human qualities. Bear does write a compelling story and he's certainly thought his plot points through. Yes, there is retcon to be found in this saga, however the Forerunner-Flood conflict was always presented with the barest of facts and much assumption, so it's easier to justify or expand upon what was revealed before. This is in stark contrast to Traviss' work in Halo: Glasslands, for example, which retcons things in the current timeline and has really made a mess of key established canon. In Halo: Primordium the Terminals found in Halo 3 are called into suspect, allowing for the saga's retcon to more easily become the proper canon, however several variances in the core narrative are reconciled with the traditional fiction by novel's end.

One key fact that I find quite surprising with the Forerunner saga though is the implementation of the Flood. Seeing as how the Forerunner-Flood War was always the key background point regarding the entire Halo fiction, you would think the Flood would factor largely into this saga. And yes, while the Flood are certainly present, they remain more of a background element and a driving force for the actions of various factions and individuals in the story.

Instead of the Flood that we know from the games, infesting bodies and turning them into Combat Forms to pit the player against, 100,000 years ago the Flood truly did behave more like a truly lethal virus. Hosts would be infected by spores or "dust," and as the sickness progressed the body slowly mutates and then becomes a lump of simple flesh, adding to the overall Flood biomass. Heroic and desperate battles of the Forerunners fending off the Flood are quite lacking from this saga, and the focus is truly on Forerunner politics and philosophy and how it's all being twisted and perverted in the face of the greater theory of the Flood-threat. In the case of Halo: Primordium, humanity's budding re-emergence as an important species on the galactic scale in the face of Forerunner opposition also comes to the forefront, giving readers something a bit more familiar to identify with.

So while Halo: Primordium, like Halo: Cryptum before it, delivers a tale most would find different than expected for a Halo story, it is remarkably well done science fiction woven with a touch of fantasy, and it's a novel that any science fiction fan can pick up and enjoy; no knowledge of the Halo franchise or games required. Some may see this as a weakness but I personally see this as a strength, as it broadens the appeal of the overall franchise while providing solid entertainment and back story to all.

Halo: Primordium ends leaving the reader with more questions, and I anxiously await the next novel in the series and will enjoy rereading Greg Bear's tale to see what other juicy details I missed.

Several New Mass Effect 3 Trailers Released

2012-02-11T14:29:00.001-05:00

EA and BioWare have released several new trailers for your viewing pleasure which show of various features from the game, as well as some cool little cameos of former squad mates.

First up, we have the "Reinstated (FemShep)" trailer which you can view here or below.

Next is the "Interactive Storytelling" trailer which you can view here or below.

The third trailer is "Integrated Co-Op Multiplayer" and that can be viewed here or below.

Next is the "Build a Customizable Arsenal" trailer which can be viewed here or below.

The fifth trailer we have is "Ruthless and Intelligent Enemies," which can be viewed here or below.

The final trailer is entitled "Adrenaline-Pumping Gameplay," and it can be viewed here or below.

Now that's a _lot_ of trailers!

The demo releases this coming Tues. Feb. 14th and will include single player content for all to try. A few days later, the multiplayer component of the demo will unlock for everyone.

The Amazing Spider-Man Official Trailer

2012-02-11T14:13:00.000-05:00

The official trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man has now been released, and you can check it out here or below.

It doesn't look too bad at all, and I'll certainly check the film out. Overall though I still don't think they needed to reboot the entire franchise, as Sam Raimi did a solid job with his Spider-Man trilogy.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 1.4 Update Now Live on All Platforms

2012-02-11T14:09:00.000-05:00

The 1.4 update for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is now live for all platforms.

For a full list of changes as well as additional details for PlayStation 3 players of the game, check out this official post at Bethesda's Blog.

The History of Mortal Kombat - Episode 04

2012-02-04T16:21:00.000-05:00

Mortal Kombat Secrets has released the fourth episode in their series, "The History of Mortal Kombat." Entitled "The Year of Mortal Kombat and Beyond," this video looks at 1996 when Mortal Kombat was everywhere; on the silver screen, stage, TV, etc. Mortal Kombat Trilogy is also shown.

You can check the video out here or below.

This was actually the year that I really got out of the franchise. I saw the film and enjoyed it, would have checked out the stage performance if I had the chance but never did (I do recall the ads for it), and I had no interest in Mortal Kombat Trilogy at all since it was nothing more than (what I considered) a cash-in update to Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. The franchise just couldn't hold my interest compared to the PC games I had started playing, and shortly afterwards Mortal Kombat 4 was released to arcades which turned me off of the franchise completely.

This series is a great watch though, and I look forward to the next episode.

Mass Effect 3: Voice Cast Revealed Trailer

2012-02-04T16:09:00.000-05:00

BioWare has released a new trailer which officially unveils the voice cast for Mass Effect 3, and includes some cool new gameplay video.

You can check it out here or below.

Not bad. Hopefully they all come together well just like in Mass Effect 2.

Mortal Kombat (PlayStation Vita) Details and Footage Revealed

2012-02-04T16:05:00.001-05:00

With the PlayStation Vita releasing soon in North America, details are emerging regarding Mortal Kombat (2011), which will be available this Spring for the new handheld.

First up, you can watch Destructoid's gameplay impressions here or below.

Next up, GameSpot has a longer video with Hector Sanchez, producer at NetherRealm Studios, showcasing many features from the game. You can view it here or below.

Finally, GamesRadar has an even longer video with Sanchez, showcasing the game in even more detail. You can check this out here or below.

While I have no interest in picking up a PlayStation Vita myself, if I were this would be a game I'd be getting. For a handheld title, it looks gorgeous! Now of course Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment wants you to buy this version of the game regardless of what you already own, so they've tossed in some exclusive goodies not available on the console versions:

- Bonus Challenge Tower. A new 150 Challenge Challenge Tower with Challenge's customized around the PlayStation Vita's hardware as well as Challenges for the DLC kombatants.
- 16 exclusive alternate costumes for various kombatants, which are unlocked as you progress through the Bonus Tower. Mortal Kombat II Mileena and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 Classic Sub-Zero are seen in the videos above, and alternate costumes for the DLC kombatants are also confirmed. That means there are presently ten new costumes which are unknown, but I'd strongly suspect five of those are Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 versions of the other male ninjas.
- Test Your Balance mini-games.
- Touch Screen functionality for inputting Fatalities and executing X-Ray moves.

All of these features are cool, but of course not essential, so don't let them influence your decision on picking it up or not.

Update: Oh, and Shao Khan's playable in the Bonus Challenge Tower.

You can also view another short video from the PlayStation Blog showing off various gameplay footage here or below, and also read their Hands-On experience with a few screenshots here.

Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection Now Available via Steam

2012-02-04T15:22:00.000-05:00

Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection has finally been released for PC, and is now available on Steam here.

I find it odd that it's a Games for Windows title and yet is still not available on their service (it should be available for download here), so how Steam secured the ability to distribute it first is a mystery but hey, at least it's finally available. It's also interesting to note that this is the first Mortal Kombat title released to the PC since Mortal Kombat 4 back in 1998.

Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection is a re-release of Mortal Kombat (1992), Mortal Kombat II, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 all in one package, emulated from their original arcade ROMs of yester-year and updated with online play, Achievements, and a few other graphical options. It's a complete nostalgia trip and I recommend it.

You can check out my review of the Xbox 360 version here, which was finally patched a little over a month ago and is greatly improved for it.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 1.4 Update Available on Steam

2012-02-04T15:07:00.000-05:00

PC gamers who've purchased The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim via Steam will now have their game updated to version 1.4 the next time they log on.

For full patch details, you can check out Bethesda's Blog here.

The patch has been submitted for certification to Microsoft and Sony for the Xbox 360, Games for Windows, and PlayStation 3 versions of the game and should be available on those platforms in the next week or so.

Dead Space 2: Severed (Xbox 360) Completed for the Third Time

2012-01-28T16:42:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't One Gun it like I had originally planned, I Two Gunned it. Earlier this week I completed Dead Space 2: Severed for the third and likely final time, this time on Zealot Difficulty which earned me the add-on's final Achievement. I actually found it easier than on Survivalist, however I suspect that's because this time around I played smarter.

As soon as the add-on began and I got to the first Workbench, I immediately re-speced my Pulse Rifle and sold it along with my Flamethrower. I then bought the Refurbished Plasma Cutter, fully upgraded Stasis, and then began upgrading my R.I.G. to gain additional Health. Buying Medium Medkits, ammo, and Power Nodes as available, I slowly but surely made my way through the add-on's two Chapters.

The Plasma Cutter has always been the franchise's staple weapon, and this playthrough proved that this still held firm in the series' latest addition. I supplemented the use of my Refurbished Plasma Cutter with healthy uses of Stasis and the Patrol Seeker Rifle you start the add-on with; which came in very handy on the tougher Necromorphs.

In truth, the only hard section of the add-on was right towards the end of Chapter 1 where you're ambushed by about four Leapers and those two Pukers (where it's the Leapers that are the real problem). That took me several attempts and a healthy dose of profanity, but once I got past that the add-on was pretty smooth sailing.

I clocked in a little over 2 hours, which is more or less what I expected to spend.

At the 50% off price I paid for the add-on, I've enjoyed myself and it's solved that Dead Space fix I've been craving for a little while. I likely won't be touching the franchise for a while now, either not until the inevitable Dead Space 3 is released or should I pick up an iPod Touch or iPad this summer when I move to my house. I'm toying with the idea of using one so I can easily take my tunes between floors, and if I do pick up one of Apple's devices I'd likely purchase Dead Space (iOS) for it and give that a whirl.

Mass Effect 3: Special Forces Trailer

2012-01-28T16:19:00.000-05:00

With Mass Effect 3 releasing in a little over a month, EA's kicking the advertising campaign into high gear. The latest trailer showcases the game's Multiplayer mode. Entitled "Special Forces," this trailer loosely shows how Multiplayer might be tied into Single Player, as well as some core Multiplayer game mechanics themselves.

You can check out the new trailer here or below.

Provided Multiplayer isn't required to fully experience the Single Player game, I won't have an issue with this at all. If that's not the case, however, it'll be extremely disappointing since the Mass Effect trilogy is really a Single Player experience.

Aliens: Colonial Marines "Contact" Cinematic Trailer

2012-01-28T16:13:00.000-05:00

Gearbox Software's upcoming shooter, Aliens: Colonial Marines, has officially been delayed until this Fall. To tide us over until then, they've released a new Cinematic Trailer entitled "Contact," which you can check out here or below.

Robot Chicken Star Wars Episode III - The Force Unleashed Sketch

2012-01-28T16:09:00.000-05:00

While this trailer is well over a year old, looks like I completely missed it. While Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II turned out to be a disappointment, this Robot Chicken commercial certainly is not!

Enjoy here or below!

Kinect Star Wars "Duel" Trailer

2012-01-28T16:05:00.000-05:00

While I'm personally not interested in Kinect or the upcoming Kinect Star Wars, I quite enjoyed this trailer. Entitled "Duel," it's a nice little spoof on an iconic scene that I can see the Staff re-enacting in just such a fashion.

You can check the trailer out here or below.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Demo (Xbox 360) Impressions

2012-01-22T19:20:00.000-05:00

For a demo, this download has more meat too it than most premium DLC today, and this was free. Thanks to the cross-promotion with Mass Effect 3, I downloaded and gave the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Demo a whirl today, not knowing much about it going in.

For all intents and purposes, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning appears to be EA's version of Fable II with some Mass Effect and, I believe, Dragon Age thrown in for good measure. The game world is a standard fantasy world with Men, Elves, Gnomes, etc. and there's a race of what I believe are Elves who've gone all evil and Orc-like and they're trying to wipe out the other races in a massive war. That's all well and good save that unlike the other "mortal" races, these evil Orc-Elves don't properly die; you kill them and their soul goes back to their homeland to be reborn.

This war has been going on for well over a decade and the western kingdoms (why are the good guys always in the west anyway?) are starting too loose simply due to the inexhaustible numbers of the enemy. That's where the Gnomes come in. One crazy Gnome has been working on a way to bring regular folk back to life, and guess what: You're the results.

The demo starts with a summary of the fantasy world and the war and with your body being hauled off to be discarded. You can choose to be male or female at this point and can choose from four different races, two kinds of Men and two kinds of Elves, and you can fully customize your facial appearance, name, etc. It's all standard RPG fare and you awaken in a pile of corpses, still alive but with no memory of anything (amnesia, the classic RPG plot device) and a Quest to escape the underground tunnels you're in.

From this point on, if the cartoonish graphics weren't already a give-away, the game plays very much like Fable II: linear exploration, similar styalized combat and control scheme, similar inventory system, and a host of Skills to expand and level up (you do actually earn XP in this game). More or less it's fun with a slightly clunky camera, but I didn't find anything overly innovative.

Dialogue is handled via a conversation wheel just like in Mass Effect save that you don't hear your character speak anything, traditional dialogue boxes will crop up in more detailed conversations, and I found myself having to hit "A" several times on many occasions to have a dialogue option actually select; the responsiveness wasn't the best.

Just like in Fable II, you can find chests to open and loot for goodies, and you can engage in lock picking of a make and style ripped right from Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; it's exactly the same but inverted.

Once you escape the dungeons you have a Fable II-styled surface area to explore, again very linear with caves, mines, and swimming scattered about (complete with bubbling spots in water that have items you can take).

Once I completed the demo's core Questline, a notice popped up telling me I had 45 minutes to continue playing and that Pausing the game or entering conversations stopped the timer, so I could take my time talking to townsfolk. This was good as exploring and doing Side Quests is what I wanted to do, save that this is when the bugs really began.

From this point on, I could talk to people but they wouldn't actually speak, and the dialogue would race through as if I was jamming on the "X" button to skip everything; save that I wasn't. For this reason I had no clue what was going on with anything because I couldn't read/hear any of the information, Quest related or otherwise. Outside of conversations, music would cut in and out as would some sound effects, and I started having odd texture issues; corpses would sometimes stretch into the ground or bounce around with odd physics, and one towns person's teeth were showing through her facial skin texture, making her look like a sloppy wanna-be zombie.

Basically these are some pretty heavy bugs that were near enough to game breaking to really turn me off from the game. By playing through the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning demo, I've unlocked several items for the retail game, but more importantly to me, I've also unlocked special armour and a weapon for Mass Effect 3.

Seeing as how I found nothing special or innovative with the demo (outside of the fact that it took me about 3 hours to complete) and with the tremendous amount of bugs that kicked in, I'll be passing on the retail copy unless I find it dirt cheap in a bargain bin. If I get any kind of an action RPG fix before that, I can always fire up Fable II again, as it was similar enough.

Dead Space 2: Severed (Xbox 360) Completed for the Second Time

2012-01-22T18:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday night I finished off my second run of Dead Space 2: Severed, this time on Survivalist, and it took me a little over two hours to complete. It was actually a decent challenge due to the lack of a New Game + option, as you do need to start bare bones and credits/ammo were scarce for a while.

There really isn't anything amazing or spectacular about Dead Space 2: Severed, but it was still fun in a simple kind of way. Knowing what enemies were going to pop out where this time really helped, and also knowing the locations of Stores in advance helped with better Inventory management.

Shame the story wasn't a bit more engaging and there wasn't more variety in the gameplay, but hey, it's modern DLC so what do you expect.

I'll go through Dead Space 2: Severed one last time to complete it on Zealot Difficulty and earn the DLC's final Achievement. I'm thinking of One Gunning it, actually, and seeing if I can make that work. Won't take long to find out, that's for sure.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 1.4 Update Detailed

2012-01-21T17:19:00.000-05:00

Though still being worked on, Bethesda Game Studios has revealed what the 1.4 patch for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will contain, and you can check out the sizable list in their Bethesda Blog post here.

Some of these bugs have affected me, and I know far too many PlayStation 3 gamers who are having issues with long term play save files, so I'm glad to see this all getting patched.

There's no official release date for the 1.4 update just yet, but I'd anticipate late January to early February and that the Steam version will release first, followed by the Xbox 360, Games for Windows, and PlayStation 3 versions about a week later.

Can't wait to finally use my weapon racks in my house in Whiterun!

Mass Effect 3 Demo Dated and Kinect Video

2012-01-21T17:07:00.001-05:00

For some odd reason, EA and BioWare have decided to release the Mass Effect 3 demo on February 14th. The demo will be available on the Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3 and will contain the opening Single Player level as well as another level from later on in the game, and a sampling of the Multiplayer portion (available to select gamers on the 14th, opening up to everyone on the 17th).

Xbox 360 gamers will also be able to experience the demo with Kinect if they happen to have the peripheral, and BioWare has posted up a demo video showcasing Kinect in action which you can view here or below.

I'm still not sold on Kinect and voice commands, as I've unanimously heard that the integration was horrible in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. And no, I wouldn't buy Kinect just to play Mass Effect 3 even if it did work fine.

Thankfully Kinect isn't required for Xbox 360 gamers, and it'll be great to see how Mass Effect 3 handles. Note that you will not be able to import any of your previous Commander Shepards into the demo and no game data, Single or Multiplayer, will carry over from the demo to the retail game, so this really is just a sampling of what's to come a few weeks later.

You can check out a full Q&A regarding the Mass Effect 3 demo here, and the official announcement on the BioWare Blog here.

Mortal Kombat (2011) Coming to PlayStation Vita this Spring

2012-01-21T16:46:00.000-05:00

For the first time, NetherRealm Studios' smash hit fighting game, Mortal Kombat (2011), will be going portable as it arrives for Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld console this Spring.

All of the original content and DLC from the PlayStation 3 version of the game will be present, and there'll also be unique content and features exclusive to PlayStation Vita.

To read more about the upcoming port's graphical compromises, as well as touch screen Fatalities and a second exclusive Challenge Tower, you can check out the review PlayStation Blog has posted with Ed Boon right here.

BioShock Infinite 1999 Mode Announced

2012-01-21T16:35:00.000-05:00

Paying homage to challenging games of old (and in this instance, more specifically System Shock 2), Irrational Games has announced 1999 mode for BioShock Infinite. Essentially, 1999 Mode will make player's customization choices for Booker permanent, and weapon uses will be restricted and the game's health system will be different, amongst other changes.

Unlike most games of today which ridiculously hold your hand through the entire experience in an attempt to increase the customer base, if players select the 1999 Mode in BioShock Infinite they're going to be in for a more hardcore and serious challenge when they traverse Columbia.

For more details on this exciting mode, which I'm very, very happy about, you can read the official announcement here.

Additional New XCOM: Enemy Unknown Screenshots

2012-01-21T16:27:00.000-05:00

Once again, ActionTrip is hosting some great screenshots of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and the game is looking really, really slick. I'm excited to learn more about it, and should it actually turn out to be a solid title I simply hope I'll have the time to play it!

You can check out their entire collection of screenshots here.

Dead Space 2: Severed (Xbox 360) Review

2012-01-14T16:04:00.000-05:00

I've had the craving to play through Dead Space 2 again, and I've only resisted simply because I lack the time to properly enjoy the 15 to 20 hour experience. I also never bothered to pick up the game's single player add-on, entitled Dead Space 2: Severed, because I heard it was a) short and b) rather actioned up much like the disappointing ending Chapters of the core game.

During Xbox LIVE's Boxing Week Sale, Dead Space 2: Severed was discounted by 50%, and I decided to bite. So how does it stack up compared to what I'd already heard? Well, a) it is very short, with only two Chapters that clocked me in at under three hours on Normal Difficulty and b) it is _not_ like the ending Chapters of Dead Space 2 and once again focuses on solid survivor horror gameplay, much to my pleasant surprise.

Dead Space 2: Severed continues the story of Gabe Weller and his wife, Lexine, both of whom survived the events of Dead Space: Extraction three years ago. Now residing on Titan Station, Weller works as a security officer patrolling the Titan Mines when the Necromorph outbreak is unleashed. As most of his fellow security personal are whipped out, Weller realizes the situation is hopeless and contacts Lexine to plan their escape.

Paralleling the events of Issac's journey during Dead Space 2, Weller travels through many of the mine areas that Issac will explore and then much of the hospital section that Issac has already gone through. Much of the environmental interaction that Weller does in the mines are things that Isaac has to undo when he makes it there later on, and Weller will travel through post-battle chaos in the hospital that Isaac caused, complicating his own journey.

Being a simple add-on, Dead Space 2: Severed is less robust than the core game. There are no new suits to purchase, so you can not increase your inventory space, and there are no locked doors requiring Power Nodes to open, so spend them at a Work Bench as soon as you get them. You begin the DLC with 50,000 Credits to immediately let you purchase items or upgrades, and if you have a save game from Dead Space you can still buy, at no charge, the Refurbished Plasma Cutter (handy against the Pack). You also start with an upgraded Plasma Rifle and the Patrol Seeker Rifle (grants +5% to firing speed and -%5 to reload time over the default model), as well as a Stasis Unit and Telekinesis. Every other weapon and Inventory item is available for immediate purchase in the Store, however.

The only new enemy in the add-on would be the return of the Twitchers whom I so loathed in Dead Space, though instead of being reanimated soldiers they are instead reanimated security team members and there's two special Twitcher's towards the add-on's end. The Twitchers are tougher than before as they now zig-zag while approaching you, dodging your shots and making them far harder to hit. Using Stasis is near essential to slow them down and take out their legs. Despite the lack of real new enemies and weapons, the add-on is fun featuring several nicely done scenario pieces and scripted sequences which add to the plot and variety, and I won't ruin them for you here.

Oddly enough, one of the hallmark gameplay mechanics from the franchise is completely absent: there's no Zero-G sequences what-so-ever. This susprised me greatly, as I expected Zero-G to be in the DLC in some short and limited form. There is a very brief sequence where there's no oxygen, but at no point will you need to upgrade the Oxygen in your suit to get past it. Overall, Dead Space 2: Severed's gameplay is very basic gun-play.

The story telling is far less dramatic and much more simple than what was offered in the core game, but it certainly gets the job done, and the voice acting is good, though it's a shame that Weller makes much of the same basic grunts and noises that Isaac does since the developers really just used Issac's model over again; save for the face. There's also no new music that I noticed, but the overall sound scape is as creepy as any Dead Space experience and will make you jump at things that aren't really there.

The add-on features 8 additional Achievements to earn, some Secret/story based, on Difficulty based, and the rest situational specific. For the most part, it's an easy 250 Gamerscore that you can earn in one or two playthroughs, a short affair given the DLC's length. Note however that you can _not_ take advantage of the New Game + option with this add-on, and any subsequent playthrough's you do you'll be starting from scratch.

Dead Space 2: Severed is a simple little fix to any Dead Space craving and is a decent Single Player add-on based on today's lowered content standards; straight, basic, and to the point. While I did enjoy it and was surprised by a few of the scripted events, due to its short length and lack of any real innovation and complete lack of some key components from the franchise (Zero-G), I can't recommend it at the full overpriced cost of 560 Microsoft Points ($8.12), but at the discount of 280 Microsoft Points ($4.06) it was alright.

If you have the time to properly play through Dead Space 2 again though, you'd get a far richer experience out of that at no additional charge, and you wouldn't miss much of anything if you passed on Dead Space 2: Severed completely. Basically, buy it only if it's on sale and if you want something new that's Dead Space related.

Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition Announced

2012-01-14T14:55:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment formally announced the Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition, releasing to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on February 28th.

The Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition includes Mortal Kombat (2011) and all of its DLC, such as: Klassic Skins Pack #1, Skarlet, Kenshi, Rain, and Freddy Krueger plus the eight skins that came with each DLC kombatant, as well as a downloadable copy of Mortal Kombat (1995 feature film) and Mortal Kombat: Songs Inspired by the Warriors soundtrack.

No word on whether all the DLC is included on-disc or if they'll be provided via downloadable token, and I'm also not sure if the soundtrack is on a CD or will also be a digital download. Also no word on the retail cost, I'm afraid, but I'd anticipate around $39.99 plus tax.

Regardless, this is a cool compilation if you don't own Mortal Kombat already. For those who already own the game, it'll be cheaper for you to buy the extra content separately if you really want it.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown Screenshots

2012-01-14T14:34:00.000-05:00

ActionTrip is hosting the first XCOM: Enemy Unknown screenshots right here.

These screenshots are early, of course, however they're certainly not too bad looking for a tactical game. Looking forward to finding out more about the title!

Accounts Being Hacked on Xbox LIVE

2012-01-07T20:28:00.000-05:00

Recently, a member of the Delay of Game community had is account hacked and stolen via Xbox LIVE. The thieves immediately purchased Microsoft Points and an Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack with his credit card (since it was linked to his account), and then transferred the Microsoft Points to another account created with the Family Pack.

When he reported the theft to Xbox Support, they promised to suspend the account immediately for 30 days while they investigated, thus preventing any additional purchases on his card. It took them a few days to suspend the account.

While searching around, he came across this blog. Entitled Hacked on Xbox, it details another user's similar story, Microsoft's denial that their service was compromised, and demonstrates a colossal failure by Xbox Support to address the situation in a timely manner. Unlike the Delay of Game community member, this person had multiple charges made against her over a series of days.

A very interesting read if you have the time, and a solid reminder not only about keeping a strong password, but also if your Xbox LIVE account is ever compromised and your Credit Card is associated with it, immediately call your bank and have your card suspended first to prevent any additional charges, as Xbox Support is clearly going to take their sweet time dealing with it.

Shame on Xbox Support and Microsoft for treating such situations with such little concern, and shame on them for providing only a month's worth of Xbox LIVE Gold as compensation.

Halo: Primordium Released

2012-01-07T20:12:00.002-05:00

The latest Halo novel is now on store shelves, and our friends at Tor Books has sent along the official release which you can read below:

Tor Books announces publication of the second novel in Science Fiction legend Greg Bear’s Halo Forerunner Saga!

HALO: PRIMORDIUM

New York, NY – January 6^th, 2012 – Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC—the largest publisher of science fiction in the world—is pleased to announce the publication of Halo: Primordium, the second novel in acclaimed science fiction author Greg Bear’s Forerunner Saga, a prequel series to the hugely successful Halo video game franchise for the Xbox 360. Halo: Primordium goes on-sale in bookstores nationwide and online on January 6^th, 2012. An unabridged audio book edition will publish simultaneously with the novel.

Halo: Primordium continues the story of the enigmatic creators and builders of the Halos that began in Halo: Cryptum. In the wake of the apparent self-destruction of the Forerunner empire, two humans—Chakas and Riser—end up on a strange inverted world where horizons rise into the sky. Their epic journey across this damaged Halo takes them into the domain of a powerful and monstrous intelligence who claims to be the Last Precursor. Called the Captive by Forerunners, and the Primordial by ancient humans, this intelligence has taken charge of, and perverted, the Master Builder’s already horrifying research into the Flood. Chakas and Riser unwittingly become trapped in an ancient game of vengeance between the powers who seeded the galaxy with life and the Forerunners, who have taken up the sacred Mantle of duty to protect all living things.

Halo: Primordium publishes at an exciting time for Halo fans, as the Master Chief is set to make his triumphant return in “Halo 4,” the next blockbuster installment in the Xbox 360 franchise that begins all-new Halo trilogy, set to release in 2012. As with Halo: Cryptum before it, Halo: Primordium continues to expand Halo’s universe and lays the foundation for many new discoveries to come. “As we head into the launch year for Halo 4, more and more fans are begging for answers to a lot of questions. In Primordium, Greg answers those, and a bunch you never even thought to ask and introduces some new mysteries that will have a resounding and lasting effect on the Halo universe.” said Frank O’Connor, Franchise Development Director at 343 Industries.

An icon in the science fiction community, Greg Bear has won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for such critically celebrated international bestsellers as Eon and The Forge of God. His work has covered such heavy themes as galactic conflict, artificial universes, consciousness and cultural practices, and his talent for taut narratives, intellectually rigorous themes, and realistic, appealing characters make him the perfect fit to write the early history in this epic blockbuster franchise.

“Greg Bear's high concepts and deep characterization are the perfect complement to the beloved world of Halo,” says Tor editor Stacy Hill. “The implications of his thoughtful Forerunner books are shocking and far-reaching, illuminating the satisfying complexity of the Halo universe."

The Halo franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that have grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” for Xbox in 2001, the rich fiction of the franchise has since inspired a series of blockbuster Xbox and Xbox 360 video games, New York Times best-selling novels, comic books, action figures, apparel and more. To date, sales in the Halo franchise have eclipsed $2.8 billion. The highly-anticipated next installment in the franchise, “Halo 4,” was recently announced for a holiday 2012 release. With a fully fleshed-out universe of heroes, villains and epic scenarios, the novels expand the universe to give fans a grander view of the game environments and characters they encounter.

About Tor Books

Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, is a New York-based publisher of hardcover and softcover books. Founded in 1980, Tor annually publishes what is arguably the largest and most diverse line of science fiction and fantasy ever produced by a single English-language publisher. In 2002, Tor launched Starscape, an imprint dedicated to publishing quality science fiction and fantasy for young readers, including books by critically acclaimed and award winning authors such as Cory Doctorow, Orson Scott Card, and David Lubar. Between an extensive hardcover and trade-softcover line, an Orb backlist program, and a stronghold in mass-market paperbacks, books from Tor have won every major award in the SF and fantasy fields, and Tor has been named Best Publisher 24 years in a row in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

2012-01-07T20:07:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, 2K Games announced the development of a strategy sequel to the turn based classic, X-COM: UFO Defence. Entitled XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the game will take PC and console gamers alike back to the core gameplay that made X-COM a smash hit in the '90's.

X-COM: UFO Defence is still one of the greatest games I've ever played, and no sequel has lived up to the original. With any luck, XCOM: Enemy Unknown will at least spark some very fond nostalgia.

The official site has also launched, with limited info, and you can check it out right here.

Mass Effect 3 Pre-Order Bonuses Revealed

2012-01-07T19:59:00.000-05:00

Following the trend for pre-order bonuses, EA has revealed what extra weapons or armour you can get when you pre-order Mass Effect 3 at select retailers.

Anyone who pre-orders the game at any participating retailer will receive the M55 Argus Assault Rifle (and since I've already pre-ordered at Best Buy, looks like that's what I'll be getting).

Anyone who pre-orders the game at EB Games will get the M55 Argus Assault Rifle and the N7 Warfare Gear.

Anyone pre-ordering via EA's own Origin will receive the M55 Argus Assault Rifle and the AT12 Raider Shotgun.

Full details and a brief FAQ can be found here, and links to screenshots and videos are also included. You can also check out the videos below.

I personally find the enemies revealed in the videos more interesting than the pre-order bonuses themselves; what appear to be Turian Husks and Krogan Husks.

Gears of War 3: Fenix Rising Achievements Revealed

2012-01-07T18:24:00.000-05:00

The upcoming "Fenix Rising" Multiplayer Map Pack for Gears of War 3 will feature seven additional Achievements totaling 250 Gamerscore. If you're interested in reading up on what they are, you can do so here.

"Fenix Rising" will release on January 17th for 800 Microsoft Points or at no additional charge for Season Pass holders.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T14:42:00.000-05:00

We here at Arbiter's Judgement want to take a moment to wish you and your family and friends a very Happy New Year!

Enjoy whatever plans you have for tonight and here's to a wonderful 2012 filled with prosperity, opportunity, and innovative entertainment!

I know. I'm stretching with that last one, but hey, a man can dream!

Halo: Primordium Excerpts

2011-12-31T14:27:00.001-05:00

Releasing this Tuesday at book stores everywhere, the second novel in Greg Bear's Forerunner saga, Halo: Primordium, will be available in hardcover.

The first novel in the series, Halo: Cryptum, was the single most un-Halo like novel I have ever read, and it was actually very, very good (you can check out my review here). I'm hoping for more from the sequel, specifically much more graphic detail on the Forerunner and Flood War.

To whet our appetites, Tor Forge and Halo Waypoint are hosting various excerpts from the novel.

You can read Chapter One at Tor right here, and then Chapters Two, Three, and part of Chapter Four over at Halo Waypoint here.

So human consciousness can be transferred into a Monitor, huh. Very interesting, and this raises some even more unique questions.

Top 3 Games of the Year, 2011

2011-12-26T22:02:00.000-05:00

With 2011 drawing to a close, it's time to once again announce my top three games of the year.

As I mention each year, I'm not a professional reviewer and I don't get review copies of games, so I can only judge based on what I've played. I won't go and spend my money on triple A titles that I have no interest in, which means there are certain franchises that will not appear in my lists.

To further add to my policy, I can only consider a game for Game of the Year status if I've played through it (or at least completed its main component or Quest), so keep that in mind when you notice a few Triple A titles missing.

3) Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (Xbox 360). 343 Industries first major foray into creating a game in the Halo franchise actually comes to us in the form of an HD remake of the title that started it all. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is truly a labour of love that takes the original Campaign and gives it a major HD overhaul while still retaining the excellent classic gameplay we know and love.

In addition to a facelift, it also adds Co-Op Campaign via Xbox LIVE, Terminals, and Skulls to further add to the experience, and it comes bundled with the Anniversary Map Pack for Halo: Reach that features new remakes of classic Multiplayer battle grounds as well as a new map for Firefight.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary really harkens back to a day of quality, a day when there really was a lot of substance to retail games and products weren't just released with clearly missing pieces that you could buy later as "premium" DLC, but also to a time when games where challenging.

Don't believe me? Play through the Campaign on Legendary with no Skulls. Halo: Reach has an Achievement for completing the game on solo Legendary, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary has no such thing. There's a reason for that.

A wonderful nostalgia trip and a stellar shooter that's stood the test of time and benefits strongly from the new visuals, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is not only a great title (and a budget title at that), but it's also Microsoft Studios' best title released this year.

2) Dead Space 2 (Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3). Dead Space was an exceptional experience that really took the survival horror genre above and beyond, featuring a great story, great gameplay, and a truly nerve wracking atmosphere (I'll never listen to "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" the same way again. Taking things up several notches, Dead Space 2 throws Isaac Clarke into one dark narrative.

Awakening in an insane asylum on a space station called the Sprawl, Isaac is caught between a new Necromorph outbreak and a government that's trying to kill him. Battling his own dementia and haunting visions, Isaac presses forward trying to stop the nightmare, to save himself, and to save anyone else he can.

Dead Space 2 is truly a work of genius providing suburb level design, an exceptional narrative (and having Isaac talk now really enhances the experience), and creative survival horror gameplay that's varied and fresh. The developers really know how to shock their audience and aside from some poor, more action-oriented design towards game's end that feels out of place, the whole near 20 hour experience is one heck of a ride.

Oh, and there's also a Multiplayer component as well, but it's really the single player portion that's the heart and sole of this game. Dead Space 2 is without question the best story driven experience I've played this year, and I'm anxiously awaiting the announcement of the inevitable third chapter in the saga.

1) Mortal Kombat (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3). At the beginning of 2011, if you would have told me that I'd be listing Mortal Kombat as my Game of the Year I would have told you that you were nuts. While I loved the franchise as a teenager it had its time and I've since moved on from fighting games.

Based on the strong reviews and online feedback the game received I decided to give the title a gamble just after its release, and I simply can not believe how amazing it is. Mortal Kombat is packed so full of content, NetherRealm Studios has really outdone themselves. Arcade Ladder with twenty seven kombatants to master (twenty eight if played on a PlayStation 3), a wonderfully enjoyable Story Mode, the insanely long Challenge Tower, Test Your Luck, Test Your Might, Test Your Strike, Test Your Sight, and oh yeah, there's online Versus, Tag Matchs, a full Krypt of unlockables, hidden opponents of old, _and_ they even added four downloadable "premium" kombatants and eight free alternate costumes.

Mortal Kombat, being a retelling of the original trilogy I so loved back in yesteryear, has not only completely impressed and rekindled my love of the franchise but it's also redefined what a complete retail package should contain. Built upon the Unreal Engine 3, it's also the single most beautiful console title I've seen this year with exceptionally detailed characters, backgrounds, and special effects, and boosting a wonderful soundtrack of effects, music, and even voice acting.

And this is a fighting game people, not an over hyped FPS or an overpriced MMO. Mortal Kombat has impacted my gaming life so extensively that it's become my most played game over Xbox LIVE ever, and I've also gone back to check out previous titles in the franchise, dressed as Scorpion for Halloween, and have ignored The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to keep playing this game. Seriously, you want to know why I haven't completed The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim yet and why I couldn't include it in this year's Game of the Year running? It's because of Mortal Kombat!

Simply due to how much I've played it, how much I've loved it, and how much Mortal Kombat is defining my overall gaming experience, there's no question that it's the best game I've played this year. Thank you Ed Boon and co for creating such a great title and a wonderful franchise, and it's with great pleasure that I name Mortal Kombat my 2011 Game of the Year.

Top 3 Novels of the Year, 2011

2011-12-26T13:41:00.000-05:00

Well 2011 is wrapping up and it was a pretty good year for books. My top three picks below:

3) BioShock: Rapture. BioShock is a great franchise and it's always had a compelling and disturbing universe. The underwater city of Rapture itself is simply fascinating, not just in the scope of such a marvel of engineering but also in its history and its people themselves.

By playing the first two games, you come to learn a lot about the history of Rapture and the people behind it, primarily through the various audio logs left behind, but with BioShock: Rapture you actually get to read firsthand how this city was conceived, built, and corrupted from within.

Andrew Ryan himself is the man behind Rapture, the one who had the vision, the capital, and the drive. Gathering like minded people to help make Rapture a reality, Bill McDonagh really believes this underwater city will be a better place than the service world, and that it'll be a marvel to raise his family in. But what will happen when Ryan comes into conflict with those who see Rapture as a means for profit instead of freedom and how will McDonagh draw the line between right and wrong in a city with no laws, no morality, and no hope?

A great read for any fan of the franchise looking to understand more about these wonderful characters.

2) Halo: Cryptum. The Halo universe is one long steeped in mystery, and while the Covenant War is the focus of the games, a darker threat looms above all. This threat, as any fan knows, is the Flood, an extragalactic parasite that seeks to devour all life in the galaxy.

Scattered throughout the Halo universe are ruins and relics from a long lost civilization, called the Forerunners. Worshiped as gods by the Covenant, the Forerunners possessed technology far beyond the comprehension of humans and were once the custodians of the galaxy, until they were brought face to face with the ravening Flood.

Halo: Cyrptum goes back 100,000 years prior to the games and for the first time, truly shows the tale of the Forerunner-Flood War and the construction of the Halo array. What follows is a tale unlike anything else featured in the Halo universe, and this first book in the trilogy clearly shows us how different the galaxy was 100,000 years ago, how flawed the Forerunners really were, and how humanity was woven into it all.

While Halo: Cryptum can take a bit to get into, it's a fascinating piece of science fiction that really takes the Halo universe in unexpected directions, and will make an interesting read for anyone who's ever wanted to know hard details and facts about the Forerunners themselves.

1) The Forest Laird. Jack Whyte's first novel in his new Guardian series, detailing the history of the wars of independence in Scotland, The Forest Laird follows the rise of one William Wallace as he reluctantly steps forward to be the leader the realm needs him to be.

So unlike Braveheart, The Forest Laird takes a different approach at examining the life of the Wallace, drawing upon further legend of the time. Essentially, Whyte proposes that Wallace was the basis for Robin Hood, the outlaw whom we all knew robbed from the rich and gave to the poor.

How Whyte builds upon this theme and how he develops not only Wallace himself but the great group of characters surrounding him is a hallmark trait of such a great author, injecting the tale with both drama, compassion, honour, and folly. Whyte's characters are as human as they ever were, and The Forest Laird presents readers with a view of English and Scottish history that they likely have never considered before.

The Forest Laird is simply an excellent, lengthy, and fantastic read, and it takes the cake as my novel of 2011.

Mortal Kombat Review Updated a Second Time

2011-12-26T12:58:00.000-05:00

Two weekends ago I decided to treat myself and I picked up the Mortal Kombat Kollector's Edition, and as such, I've updated my review for the game.

For those who've already read my review of Mortal Kombat you can check out the update itself below. For those who have yet to read it, feel free to do so right here.

Several months after release I caved and bought the Mortal Kombat Kollector's Edition. For those unaware, it comes with:

- A copy of Mortal Kombat
- Scorpion vs. Sub-Zero Bookends
- The Art of Mortal Kombat book
- A downloadable token for the Ermac Retro Costume
- A downloadable token for the Xbox 360 Avatar Scorpion Costume
- A downloadable token for the Xbox 360 Avatar NetherRealm Studios T-Shirt

It was the bookends that I really wanted, though I must confess I loved the Art Book and my Avatar is looking pretty slick dressed up as Scorpion.

Now the box for the Mortal Kombat Kollector's Edition itself is, of course, quite large to properly hold the bookends, and they're packaged in there securely to prevent them from being moved around and damaged. There was actually an extra bit of padding where Sub-Zero's right hand touches the inside of the box, which is a really great packaging thought, as this hand could easily have been hit and broken. The box itself also sports a very cool Goro's Lair theme, enhancing the overall look of the package itself.

The bookends are simply fantastic, and I absolutely love them. Made out of plastic, they are gorgeously painted and extremely detailed and worth it for any collector and fan of the franchise. Scorpion's Spear is tied to a rope like in past titles as opposed to a chain like in the current game, but this is a minor knit pick. My original intention was to place these bookends on my mantle once my place is built, but since they're plastic I'm worried they might get damaged when the gas fireplace is on for too long so I'll place them elsewhere when the time comes.

Having bought several collector's editions for other games in the past, I can say that I'm quite used to included art books and what many say is true, you look at them and read them once and then never again. This won't be the case for me with The Art of Mortal Kombat. The book is filled with excellent information and nostalgia and comments from the designers on how they tried to model everything new while retaining the spirit of the original trilogy. I know I'll be leafing through this book a few more times just to take it all in. Regrettably some of the ink appears to have run during printing, and one page in particular is hard to read but there's not much on that page that I know I'm missing. Manufacturing defects are unfortunate, but I'll take this over a broken bookend easy.

The Ermac Retro Costume is a Mortal Kombat (1992) red ninja outfit, which I find amusing since Ermac was not in that game 0utside of rumour, and the Avatar items are, like any other Avatar item, a nice bonus but nothing I'd buy on their own.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the Mortal Kombat Kollector's Edition. Several collector's editions that I've picked up recently have been disappointing or filled with items that I considered useless, but I don't regret picking this one up one bit, even though I already purchased the core game back at launch. Of course like any other collector's edition the worth of the bonus content is all in the purchaser and how much a fan he/she is of the franchise, and me, I've really, really gotten back into Mortal Kombat.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T11:27:00.000-05:00

We here at Arbiter's Judgement just want to take a moment to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday season!

Enjoy some good food and drink with your family and friends, and of course, enjoy some gaming on any and every platform of your choice!

So what're you playing this holiday? Me, I'm still working on Mortal Kombat and the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and playing the occasional match in Gears of War 3 to earn the Onyx War Supporter Medal.

Merry Christmas!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Trailer

2011-12-24T15:00:00.000-05:00

The trailer for Peter Jackson's upcoming return to Middle-earth, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, is now out. In case you're one of the few people left on the planet who hasn't seen this trailer yet, you can view it here or below:

Exceptional, simply exceptional. It is so refreshing to me to see that 2012 might actually be a quality year for films that restores my faith in the silver screen; the art design and mood of the trailer looks just perfect.

Nostalgia strikes yet again!

The History of Mortal Kombat - Episode 03

2011-12-24T14:46:00.000-05:00

Mortal Kombat Secrets has released the third episode in their retrospective on the Mortal Kombat franchise, entitled "There is no Knowledge that is not Power." This episode looks at Mortal Kombat 3 and its upgraded version, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and the changes and effects this game had on the franchise in the year that became known as "The Year of Mortal Kombat."

You can check out the episode here or below:

Like the previous two episodes, there's a lot of nostalgia here for me. I was 14 when Mortal Kombat 3 released to arcades and I still remember my excitement! I also remember a lot of the magazine ads featured in the video and I of course own the home version of Mortal Kombat 3 for my Super Nintendo Entertainment System, which I spent far too many hours playing.

I was 15 when Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 was released and it was with this title that I started to leave the franchise behind with. I did not own a home version until the now discontinued Xbox LIVE Arcade release in 2006.

Regardless, the episode is a great watch for any fan of the franchise and being able to pause and read some of the court documents from the lawsuit Midway and co were faced with at the time is also a rare opportunity.

Prometheus Official Trailer Released

2011-12-24T14:36:00.000-05:00

A coming film by Ridley Scott, Prometheus is the prequel to Alien, and the official trailer for the film has been released. You can check it out below:

That got my blood pumping, and the art direction is a spot-on modernization of the classic '70's film. Oh nostalgia, how you take a hold over me. Very excited to see how this ties into the greater Aliens franchise as a whole!

Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection 1.02 Patch Released

2011-12-24T14:31:00.000-05:00

Available now on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PlayStation Network, the 1.02 patch for the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection addresses several serious issues with the compilation, and at 8 MB in size, it's a fair sized patch for any Arcade Game.

Generally speaking, Achievement/Trophy issues, Gamma issues, and most notably, network issues for online play have all been addressed amongst others. Taken from the official forums here:

General Game

Networking

While I confess it's disappointing that this patch took almost four months to be released, better late than never, I suppose.

Now I can actually recommend the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection as a proper purchase, however it was already discounted once as a Deal of the Week on Xbox LIVE Marketplace by 50%, so keep your eyes peeled for future deals.

For the patch itself, my only major gripe is that they darkened the Gamma far too much, and there is no in-game Gamma correction option. Not the end of the world though.

Gears of War 3: Fenix Rising Map Pack Announced

2011-12-24T14:16:00.000-05:00

The third DLC add-on for Gears of War 3 has been announced, a new map pack entitled "Fenix Rising."

The add-on will contain 5 new multiplayer maps based on locations from the Campaign, and they're entitled Academy, Anvil, Depths, Escalation, and The Slab.

Four new multiplayer skins will also be available, Recruit Clayton, Thrashball Cole, Savage Marauder, and Savage Kantus.

Also, for players who have reached Level 100 you'll also be given the option to "Re-Up," where you can start the process again (only your Level and Experience are reset) to earn new rank icon colours and unique weapon skins.

For full details, you can read the announcement here. No official cost is given, but I'm assuming the add-on will sell for 800 Microsoft Points and it'll be available on January 17th. If you already have the Gears of War 3 Season Pass it'll be available at no additional charge.

Xbox 360 Avatar Guns being Pulled from the Marketplace

2011-12-24T13:52:00.000-05:00

This made me laugh. According to this article at TeamXbox, Xbox 360 Avatar gun Props, such as those featured from Gears of War 3, are being removed from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace on January 1st.

This is hilarious because originally it was stated that weapons would never be made available to Xbox 360 Avatars, and then magically, versions of the Lancer and Hammerburst from Gears of War 3 were put up for sale.

You can check out the full article here.

If you've already bought one of these Avatar items, you won't loose them when they're pulled, but anyone else will not be able to purchase them after the New Year.

Gears of War 3: RAAM's Shadow Now Available

2011-12-17T14:45:00.001-05:00

The first single player add-on for Gears of War 3, entitled "RAAM's Shadow," is available now on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 1200 Microsoft Points. If you purchased the Gears of War 3 Season Pass, then this content is already included and you can download it at no additional charge.

Set before the original Gears of War during the height of the Locust War, players will follow Zeta Squad as they attempt to evacuate Ilima City. Primarily playing as Michael Barrick (from the comics), players will also be reunited with Tai Kaliso, Minh Young Kim, and a new Gear, Alicia.

Players will also be able to play as General RAAM himself as he lays waste to human fortifications during a Locust assault.

In addition the add-on contains a new Chocolate Weapon Skin pack, opens up new character skins for Multiplayer, and contains several new Achievements.

You can read the official announcement here and also check out the launch trailer below.

While this kind of an add-on certainly sounds great, the Campaign is pretty short at about 3 hours and friends of mine who've already played through it have said that really, it's only okay and nothing to jump and shout about. All of this points to another overpriced, over-hyped DLC add-on published by Microsoft Studios.

Considering how disappointed I am with Gears of War 3, if I pick this add-on up it'll be when it's on sale for well over 50% off. Which means I probably won't be picking it up at all.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 1.3 Update Now Available on all Platforms

2011-12-17T14:25:00.000-05:00

The 1.3 update for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is now available on all platforms, Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3.

Simply log in with the game and connect to Xbox LIVE, Games for Windows LIVE, or PlayStation Network to get the update.

For a full list of details on what the patch addresses, you can check out Bethesda's Blog here.

Mass Effect 3 VGA 2011 Gameplay Trailer

2011-12-11T12:17:00.000-05:00

GameTrailers is hosting an exclusive gameplay trailer for Mass Effect 3, showing Shepard and Garrus in a bind during the Reaper invasion. You can check the action packed trailer out here or below.

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Mass Effect 3 - VGA 2011: Exclusive Gameplay Trailer, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

All I've got to say is _finally_! The franchise has need a roll option since the first title!

BioShock Infinite VGA 2011 Trailer

2011-12-11T12:09:00.000-05:00

GameTrailers is hosting the latest trailer from BioShock Infinite, which you can watch here or below:

Get More: GameTrailers.com, BioShock Infinite - VGA 2011: Exclusive Trailer, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Stylistic yet intense as always, showing a great deal of character and morality with the action and desperation. I'm greatly looking forward to Irrational Games latest offering.

Diablo III Opening Cinematic

2011-12-11T11:53:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Blizzard Entertainment released the opening Cinematic for their upcoming hack and slash RPG, Diablo III. You can check it out here or below:

As usual, their Cinematics are top notch and extremely impressive.

Xbox 360 Fall 2011 System Update Impressions

2011-12-10T18:10:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, the Fall 2011 System Update for the Xbox 360 went live, and unsurprisingly it had a bit of a bumpy start.

Delayed by almost an entire day, Xbox LIVE had connectivity issues after the Update finally did launch this past Tuesday, and some people had issues getting it installed and even lost their Profile! Thankfully I didn't have anything that serious, though installation was somewhat complicated due to spotty connectivity and it appears there are two parts to the Update itself, but after a little patience all was well.

Regardless, once done, you're presented with the complete layout overhaul of the Xbox 360 Dashboard. Fully embracing Microsoft's Metro design, there are now several Channels at your disposal which are navigated from left to right on your screen (LB and RB are your friends here). Once you're on a Channel you'll see a cluster of tiles representing the options you can select, videos you can watch, etc.

Now, I honestly need to say that I find the new Metro and tile look of the Dashboard ugly and a major step backwards. It looks very cluttered to me, and while it can be navigated with a Controller there's no question that this design is Kinect centric. Microsoft, not everyone wants Kinect and Dashboard navigation isn't the reason the peripheral isn't in everyone's living room, lack of quality games for it are.

Releasing a Kinect-focused design only frustrates those of us without the sensor, and we're not going to go and buy one just because you change things on us.

Having said that, the Xbox 360 Guide has survived mostly intact and navigating it is a lot faster than the Dashboard itself if you're using a Controller. Everything is laid out like you remember via the Guide, so using it when you're stuck or looking for something will be a huge help.

Cosmetic and layout issues aside, and the fact that ads are bloody everywhere now, the Fall 2011 System Update does add some cool new features to your Xbox 360 console.

Your Profile is now a Roaming Profile, and you can confidently download it at a Friend's place without fear of corruption that was common enough with the old Account Recovery option. Not only that but when you get home, since you didn't need to Move your Profile, you can just log on and play as per normal!

Cloud Storage is also now available to Gold members, meaning you can access your save games from any console in which you have your Profile on. Not only does Cloud Storage make a handy back up, but honestly, combined with Roaming Profile, it pretty much removes the need for a USB Flashdrive save as a final redundancy back-up option.

The Xbox LIVE Marketplace has been butchered with the new design, however Microsoft has added Bing, giving it its own Channel, which allows you to type or voice search (with Kinect) for anything you want. While this sort of works, the previous Xbox LIVE Marketplace was superior in terms of accessibility.

Other new features, such as YouTube, Rogers on Demand, etc., are Coming Soon and not yet available, so I can't comment on how great or not they are. I believe a Gold Membership will be required for access along with many of the other new features.

Beacons are another addition, allowing you to specify what game(s) you want to play and the service with automatically notify your Friends, even hours later provided you've let the Beacon remain active. I personally have not used or experienced Beacons yet as the games I'm playing right now are being played by few of my Friends, but I hear this feature is extremely annoying. Apparently there's no way to disable Beacon alerts, and many are finding them distracting when they're trying to play.

And that's pretty much it. I can still play games, my Xbox 360 still works, but now the Dashboard looks uglier, is more annoying to navigate, but in exchange I've gotten some cool new features that won't really re-invent the wheel.

I do honestly wish Microsoft would stop redesigning the Dashboard each year. I know it generates press, but really, do we need a whole new look this often? Had only the new features themselves been added, I would have personally been far more impressed with this System Update.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (Xbox 360) Review Updated

2011-12-10T16:28:00.000-05:00

This week past, I realized I actually forgot to discuss Kinect's integration with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

For those of you who've already read my review of the game, I've cut and pasted the update below for your reading pleasure. For those of you who have not read my full review, you can do so here, and the update has been amended to the review's end.

A few days after publishing this review, I realized I had forgot to mention the Kinect integration featured in the game. In truth, that's because I completely forgot that Kinect is, well, featured in the game.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary does not use Kinect out-of-the-box, and in order to have the Xbox 360's latest peripheral function you need to connect to Xbox LIVE and download the game's Title Update. Once updated, and if your Kinect sensor is connected, you can then use it to reload your weapons by saying "Reload."

You can also use it to access the game's Library from the Extras menu. The Library is a collection of information you've obtained on Covenant foes by looking at their corpse and saying "Scan." The game will then scan them and add a page detailing that species' info to your Library.

Now, I don't have a Kinect sensor and clearly, I didn't miss this simple integration one bit, and you certainly don't need Kinect to enjoy Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. In truth reloading via the Controller would be faster since you can press a button quicker than saying the word, and any info contained in the Library can be found online, so really, Kinect adds nothing special to the mix.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 1.3 Update Now Available on Steam, Imminent on Other Platforms

2011-12-10T16:12:00.000-05:00

The 1.3 update for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which fixes the backwards flying Dragons, resistances not calculating correctly, and several other bugs introduced with last week's 1.2 update, is now available on Steam for those who've purchased the PC version of the game from this service.

The patch has also been given to Microsoft and Sony, and once it passes their certification, it'll be made available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Games for Windows versions of the game.

You can read the full patch notes here.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (Xbox 360) Review

2011-12-04T15:01:00.001-05:00

Just over 10 years ago, the Xbox console launched to the world and Microsoft took its first steps into the crowded console gaming market. Xbox LIVE was still a year away and Microsoft really needed something to draw gamers to the big black box, something that would really set it apart from Sony's dominant PlayStation 2. That something was a little killer app called Halo: Combat Evolved.

Today, the Halo franchise is a household name, but back in 2001 shooters saw very rare success on consoles and were still the domain of PC gamers. I was also PC gaming at the time, knee deep in Diablo II: Lord of Destruction as I recall, and I not only missed out on the Xbox but also on Halo: Combat Evolved. This all changed shortly after I picked up the platform in the Fall of 2004 and my love for the franchise has persisted ever since.

While there were other shooters available on consoles, most notably Rare's efforts on Nintendo's N64, Halo: Combat Evolved really pushed things forward in ways that hadn't occurred before. The game's controls, one of the biggest challenges for a console shooter, felt solid, smooth, and responsive. It featured an excellent story driven Campaign with excellent enemy AI, spectacular vehicle sequences, and indistinguishable transitions from interior to massive exterior areas. While it didn't have any online gameplay, players could System Link up to four Xbox consoles for 16-player local Multiplayer, or play Split Screen Co-Op Campaign with a buddy.

Simply put, Halo: Combat Evolved was insanely innovative for its time and laid the ground work for many more shooters to come.

In celebration of its 10 year anniversary, 343 Industries has re-released Halo: Combat Evolved for the Xbox 360 as Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. This updated version of the game comes on a single disc and features the original Campaign in its entirety, what you played then gameplay-wise is exactly what you'll be playing now. If you're looking for Armour Abilities, Vehicle Boarding, regenerating Health, etc. you won't find those here (and admittedly I do miss Sprint), however the same excellent, fast passed first person shooter action from a decade ago is just as fresh and fun today.

The updates come primarily in the form of a graphical overhaul. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary features completely re-skinned and updated textures for ever part of the Campaign, including the Menus. Master Chief and the human character models, be they Pillar of Autumn crew members or Marines, all look fantastic. The Covenant, as well as the game's vehicles, have been re-skinned with their Halo: Reach counterparts which provides some better visual continuity from the last adventure to now. Some of the colours have changed, Elite Zealots are once again Gold instead of that silly Maroon colour from Halo: Reach, but the upgraded textures still look fantastic. In fact, Stealth Elites appear even harder to see now and they don't show up on your Motion Tracker. You've been warned!

In fact, as you're playing you can actually change the visuals from Classic to Updated on the fly. By default the game uses the Updated visuals, and while you can change this in the Main Menu, you can actually press the "Back" button mid-gameplay to see just how far things have come in 10 years. During my playthrough I did this all throughout the Campaign and was stunned by how much better the environments, characters, and lighting looks. In fact there's so much actual grass added in to Chapter III, "Truth and Reconciliation" that on occasion it actually obscured my vision through my Sniper Rifle's scope! Overall, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary doesn't look as good as Unreal Engine 3 based games or even Halo: Reach, but it still looks exceptional and you'll instantly see how great things are when you start toggling the graphics.

The Cinematics have also been remastered in Updated mode. You can not toggle the graphics using "Back" during the Cinematics, so if you want to see how they looked 10 years ago you must adjust the option in the Menus prior to playing, but the Updated Cinematics have also had their character animations revised. Basically many of the characters move more subtly and with less "cartoonish," low poly jumpiness, and this helps add some more realism to the story's presentation. Cortana's lip syncing was pretty bad though, but this is a minor quibble.

Also of note, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is the first native Xbox 360 Halo shooter that actually perma-saves my Brightness setting, which was always an annoying little bug in Bungie's prior three offerings. Subtitles are also available for the first time now, making it easier to understand some of 343 Guilty Spark's ramblings in "The Library."

The Campaign's audio has also been updated overall. The voice acting is the exact same as 10 years ago, however some of it I found harder to hear this time around, but the sound effects and music have all been remixed and re-recorded. I suspect that many of the weapon sound effects and such were pulled from Halo: Reach, and the music was rerecorded and sounds very nice. If you wish though, you can switch back to the classic audio via the Menu options again.

As I mentioned, the gameplay is just as you remembered it 10 years ago (though you can now set Crouching to be held or toggled in Options), as is the story, however there have been a few nifty and franchise-true additions. Mainly, these come in the form of Skulls and Terminals. Available with the Updated graphics _only_, Skulls are now scattered about all the Campaign chapters and are waiting to be discovered. Classic Skulls such as Mythic, Fog, and Grunt Birthday Party return, while several new Skulls have been added to the mix such as Bandana (gives infinite ammo), Foreign (can not use Covenant weapons), and Recession (ever shot uses twice the ammo).

One Terminal can also be found per Chapter, and most are pretty simple to find. The Terminals essentially tell the story of 343 Guilty Spark and are predominantly narrated by him, revealing unknown tidbits about everyone's favourite Monitor as well as providing a few hints for his motives in later games and also a glimpse at some possibilities for Halo 4. While not game defining, the Terminals certainly add more depth for true Halo fans (and for those of you who've read Halo: Cryptum, you'll understand the Terminals far better than those who haven't).

Little other nods to the expanded universe have also been thrown in. For example, around the cyro rooms on the Pillar of Autumn you'll now see readouts that were monitoring not only John-117, but also Linda-058, showing her as flat lined, and if you've read the novels you'll get this reference perfectly. Little inclusions like this really show the attention to detail that 343 Industries have packed into this re-done package and how they're trying to tie all facets of the franchise together.

One interesting little bug that's found its way into Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary involves clipping and was seen in the original game when played on the Xbox 360. Sometimes when you blow up an enemy their weapon or a piece of their corpse will clip through and get "stuck" in a wall, causing the impact sound it made upon hitting the wall to constantly and quickly repeat and stutter; the closer you are to the clipped item, the louder the sound. A minor bug to be sure, but worthy of mention.

I also had it happen once where, on board the Truth and Reconciliation in Chapter III, a squad of Marines did not want to follow me past a certain cargo bay, which was clearly an AI glitch as replaying the Chapter had them behaving fine. During this playthrough I was also unable to use the button on the second level of the Hanger to call in reinforcements from a Pelican. Again, not game breaking but definitely worthy of note.

With Halo: Combat Evolved, Multiplayer was restricted to System Link and Split Screen, but with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary the original retro experience finally comes to Xbox LIVE in a form. I say in a form because yes, the Campaign is finally available online via two-player Co-Op, however competitive Multiplayer is done via Halo: Reach. Seven Maps are included with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, and from the game's Main Menu you can launch Halo: Reach's multiplayer allowing you access to the new maps only. If you want to play from Halo: Reach directly, you'll find a downloadable token in the game's case that allows you to download the maps as a Map Pack for Halo: Reach itself. Once loaded, you can play in the Anniversary playlists that allow you to experience the six versus maps (five of which are remakes of popular favourites from Halo: Combat Evolved and one is a remake of "Headlong" from Halo 2) and also a new Firefight map called "Installation 04," which is taken from Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary's second Campaign Chapter.

I've had the opportunity to play on three of the six competitive maps, and they play great and fit right in with the rest of Halo: Reach's line up. Yes, they're older style design despite the visual upgrades but they still feel just fine and have been fun to play on. "Installation 04" adds in AI allies for the first time in Firefight history. Garrisoned on top of a Forerunner structure are several ODST allies who will fight with you and also occupy vehicles to help fend off wave after wave of Covenant opponents. In truth, the ODST allies tend to serve more as a distraction than actual assistance, but they are a nice and welcome touch and they can actually help if they mount up in the map's Warthog or stationary Turret. A Mongoose is also available, and a Covenant Banshee or two will be flying around the map taking pot shots at you and the ODST's. "Installation 04" is a great open Firefight map and is my favourite new addition to the Multiplayer locations.

Achievement wise, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary features 44 Achievements of varying difficulties all related to the Campaign and Co-Op Campaign. Many are straightforward but there are some really challenging ones present. Keep in mind that Halo: Combat Evolved was developed back when games were actually hard on tougher difficulties, so Legendary Difficulty really is Legendary despite the effectiveness of the game's Pistol. You'll also note there's no Achievement for completing the Campaign on solo Legendary this time around, and there's a reason for that.

Halo: Reach also has several new Achievements added due to the new maps. If, for whatever reason, you do not want to purchase Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary but you want the new maps, they're available via the Xbox LIVE Marketplace as the Halo: Reach "Anniversary Map Pack," available here for 1200 Microsoft Points. You know my stance on Multiplayer map packs by now, so I won't hit you over the head with it, but think of it this way: $17.40 for a Map Pack or $39.99 for the Map Pack and a complete Single Player and Co-Op Campaign experience...

I'm extremely pleased with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. The Campaign has not only held up exceptionally well over the last 10 years, where it's gameplay and story are still of high quality today, but it's easily the most fun I've had with a video game since I fired up Mortal Kombat back in April. The visual upgrades are absolutely great but it's really the core game that's such a blast. The new maps are fun and add further variety to Halo: Reach, and really, unless you can't stand the slightly older game design, there's no reason why any fan of the franchise shouldn't own Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. This budget package truly is a labour of love on behalf of 343 Industries and it clearly demonstrates how they don't make games like they used to.

Here's hoping we get to see a Halo 2 Anniversary released in a few years so that the entire franchise can be native to the Xbox 360 console, as that game would be fantastic with visual upgrades.

Update: A few days after publishing this review, I realized I had forgot to mention the Kinect integration featured in the game. In truth, that's because I completely forgot that Kinect is, well, featured in the game.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary does not use Kinect out-of-the-box, and in order to have the Xbox 360's latest peripheral function you need to connect to Xbox LIVE and download the game's Title Update. Once updated, and if your Kinect sensor is connected, you can then use it to reload your weapons by saying "Reload."

You can also use it to access the game's Library from the Extras menu. The Library is a collection of information you've obtained on Covenant foes by looking at their corpse and saying "Scan." The game will then scan them and add a page detailing that species' info to your Library.

Now, I don't have a Kinect sensor and clearly, I didn't miss this simple integration one bit, and you certainly don't need Kinect to enjoy Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. In truth reloading via the Controller would be faster since you can press a button quicker than saying the word, and any info contained in the Library can be found online, so really, Kinect adds nothing special to the mix.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Title Update 1.2 Released

2011-12-04T12:03:00.000-05:00

About mid-way through last week, Bethesda Game Studios released Title Update 1.2 for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

For those of you who own the Xbox 360 version of the game, this patch fixes the Texture Scaling issue, which means you can now install your game to your HDD instead of playing off of the disc if you wish.

In addition to other various improvements, sadly, the Title Update adds several rather nasty bugs into the mix.

Resistances are no longer calculated correctly, so if you're a magic-wielding character relying on resistances instead of armour to keep you safe, you're going to be dying a whole lot easier now. Dragon instances may also result in the Dragon magically (and hilariously) flying backwards and being untargetable.

Those are the major bugs, with things like bookshelves and weapon racks no longer working correctly rounding out some of the minor bugs introduced.

Thankfully, Bethesda Game Studios will be releasing an additional Title Update by business week's end to address these problems.

You can read all about Title Update 1.2 here, and you can read about Bethesda Game Studio's intention to fix the issues caused in their blog post here.

The History of Mortal Kombat - Episodes 01 and 02

2011-11-27T13:43:00.001-05:00

Mortal Kombat and its sequels were a game that really defined a lot of my late childhood to early teenage years. My friends and I were all playing it, wasting countless quarters against the cheap AI in arcades and local variety stores and obsessing over the home ports for both Arcade Ladder and Versus on Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, and Nintendo Game Boy.

Good times indeed, and now Mortal Kombat Secrets is creating a new web series entitled "The History of Mortal Kombat."

While there are other video retrospectives about the franchise out there, thus far Mortal Kombat Secret's videos are the most informative and comprehensive, and despite a few audio quarks and the artificial British narrator, I recommend you give them a watch.

The first two epsiodes can be viewed here and here or below, and I'll post additional episodes as they become available.

Watching these really makes me feel like a kid again. I remember those old commercials, and the live action commercial for Mortal Kombat II was exceptional in it's day. Also interesting to see the dessert that Reptile came out of in that ad looks a lot like Jade's Desert in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and I'm sure it served as an influence. Never made that connection before.

Oh, fond memories...

New World of Warcraft Ads

2011-11-27T13:23:00.000-05:00

While I don't play World of Warcraft as I'm not a fan of MMO's, I do love their celebrity ads!

Blizzard Entertainment has released two more featuring Chuck Norris (he's looking old), and Aubrey Plaza, and you can check them out here and here or below.

Halo: Helljumper Trailer

2011-11-27T13:18:00.000-05:00

No, it's not a new Halo game or even a novel, but rather a fan made film broken into episodes. Coming in January 2012, Halo: Helljumper is a fan made film based on the short story "Dirt" by Tobias S. Buckle and featured in Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe.

It tells the story of Gage Yevgenny, how he became an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, and his participation in humanity's loosing war against the Covenant. A well written story, and based on the trailer below, it's shaping up to be a great fan film.

Those are definitely some awesome costumes and props, and it'll be interesting to see how well the Covenant species look if they actually show them.

You can check out more about Halo: Helljumper on the official site right here.

Gears of War 3 Completed for the 2nd Time

2011-11-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

Just under a week ago I completed Gears of War 3's Campaign for the second time, my first on Hardcore. It took me a little over a month simply because I was playing other games.

In truth, I wasn't very impressed.

The weak story and one dimensional characters didn't hold my attention and I'd go weeks at a time without playing. Hardcore difficulty was, in truth, a joke and far too easy with only the final boss providing an imbalanced challenge. I say imbalanced because she herself wasn't hard, it was the never ending spawning of Palace Guards surrounding you with dumb AI allies that was the problem.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, infinite spawns in almost all cases represents weak design and the developers' inability to craft a real challenge or better AI, which is sadly the hallmark of Gears of War 3: weak design.

I'm really disappointed with Gears of War 3. It could have been so much more, and while it's certainly a gorgeous looking game it's ultimately a dumbed down version of what's come before and that's not what I'm looking for with the trilogy's conclusion. The franchise has evolved so much over the last few years, yet it's core medium, the games themselves, have now taken several steps backwards.

At some point I suppose I'll give Insanity a run, but in truth with far better titles to play I'm not feeling motivated to do so. If Gears of War 3 didn't complete the actual trilogy itself, I'd have traded it in already, as it's redeeming qualities are really that few. In truth, I've been considering trading in my trilogy and clearing some shelf space; I'm that disappointed with Gears of War and Epic Games.

We'll see.

Halo: Glasslands Review

2011-11-20T16:09:00.000-05:00

The Halo franchise has been around for over 10 years now and its core fiction is pretty fleshed out. The dynamics of the cultures and factions are very well established and generally speaking, people know what to expect when two opposing parties cross one another. Apparently, someone forgot to tell Karen Traviss this important little fact.

Halo: Glasslands is the first full novel set directly after the events of Halo 3, and it predominantly follows a special team created by the Office of Naval Intelligence who's sole purpose is to sow dissension and civil strife between the Elites. While the Elites and humanity technically have an alliance of sorts, Admiral Parangosky, the director of ONI, doesn't believe it will last or that the Arbiter will be able to keep control of his people. Already dissident Elite factions are springing up and ONI wants to see Elites fighting Elites as opposed to starting a war with humanity once again.

Now this is all well and good and without question the core story concept of Halo: Glasslands is solid. Reading about a highly skilled black ops team doing its thing is rather interesting and something not seen too often in the Halo franchise, and the story also broadens by continuing the tale of Dr. Halsey and the last few Spartans now trapped in a Dyson's Sphere in the remains of Onyx, as read at the end of the 2006 novel Halo: Ghosts of Onyx. That story arc grows larger and larger as the novel goes on and eventually intersects with the main plot.

All of this is well and good and is a solid formula for a wonderful tale of Halo-themed military sci-fi, but the final product is, sadly, lackluster. Why? How could Traviss, the master of character building and deep, military plots have dropped the ball? Because she got the dynamics of the characters and cultures all wrong.

Let me ask you something: When you think of Elites and Brutes, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Assuming you've been paying attention to the overall Halo story since 2004, you know they hate one another and now that the Covenant has fallen they want to wipe each other out. After the Prophets betrayed the Elites and used the Brutes to try and exterminate them, the Elites themselves have been on a campaign to purge the Brutes from the galaxy. According to Kevin Grace's short, "The Return" (featured in Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe) this campaign has been on-going for about seven years after the events of Halo 3.

Well Halo: Glasslands is set during the end of 2552 and leads into early 2553, and apparently there are some packs of Brutes loyal to Elites. Does that make any sense to you? Nope, I didn't think so. In fact when I first read this, since Traviss uses the actual Covenant species names instead of their human given names, I thought they meant another Covenant species and this was a typo but no, there are some packs of Brutes loyal to Elites. Not only that, but since Elites are so important to this novel's core story we see Sanghelios in detail for the first time, and not only are there loyal Brutes on the planet but some of them are actually landscapers.

Yes, you read correctly: Brute gardeners. What's next? Brutes amicably living alongside humans on a human world? Oh wait, Traviss does that to. See what I mean about messed up dynamics, and this really, really hurts what would otherwise have been a solid story. If you go and change key cultural relations without any prior reason like this, the story looses credibility since it fails to keep true to the heart of the franchise; to what we, the fans expect. And while retcon is always inevitable with growing properties, it should at least have a solid purpose that benefits the whole of the franchise, and what Traviss does fails to meet that requirement.

Traviss even manages to bungle the different UNSC personalities. The new ONI black ops team formed consists of some ODSTs and a Spartan-II amongst others, but is there any tension between them as the franchise has always shown? No, there isn't. In fact, in very short order the ODSTs are all buddy-buddy with the Spartan and a budding romance actually begins to surface, which just feels all manner of wrong.

The Spartans themselves, well, Traviss doesn't seem to understand that they're not traditional soldiers. The hardcore discipline of the Spartan-II's shown time and time again in all manner of media is really relaxed here, and Fred, Kelly, and Linda act very out of character throughout. In any potentially hostile territory they do not relax their guard, they always religiously respect the chain of command, and they would not be taking off their helmets and joking around yet this continually happens here. Traviss' rendition of the Spartan-II's simply doesn't feel like Spartans at all.

The Spartan-III's also don't feel right, and I'm really curious to know if Traviss even read Halo: Ghosts of Onyx or not to work out how these existing charatcer's personalities should be, and I'm really guessing she didn't.

Heck, at one point a civilian is briefly introduced and he begins swearing Gears of War style, clearly showing Traviss' influence from that universe. While yes, there is cursing in Halo, it's more controlled and, well, mature. The Gears of War story might be more violent and gory but it is juvenile compared to Halo and this is another intricacy that Traviss just doesn't seem to understand.

All of her characters, new and established ones from past fiction, feel forced, hollow, and wrong, and it's quite the shame as Halo: Glasslands had a significant amount of potential. While not a bad story on it's own merits, it doesn't feel "Halo" much at all, and I'm truly hoping that Traviss shapes up for the second novel in this series or that this series is deemed non-canon in short order.

Of all the Halo novels released over the last decade, I'd need to rank this one as the second worst simply due to all the unforgiving tampering and poorly done character and cultural dynamics. I also truly hope that the fiction represented in these pages is not a fine example of what we can expect in the upcoming Halo 4, as if it is, I have a feeling we'll all be very, very disappointed.

Mass Effect 3 Collector's Edition Video

2011-11-19T17:27:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, BioWare released a video showcasing the unboxing of the Mass Effect 3 Collector's Edition. Like the Collector's Edition for Mass Effect 2 this one looks solid, and you can check the video out here or below.

I very rarely pre-order unless there's a pre-order bonus I want to take advantage of, or there's a pre-order discount (such as 800 Reward Zone Points from Best Buy, which is essentially $10.00 in-store credit), but I do plan on pre-ordering the Mass Effect 3 Collector's Edition soon.

Why? Well, assuming it's anything like the Collector's Editions seen in the franchise thus far, it truly will be limited and the odds of getting it on launch day will be next to nil. Better safe than sorry I say!

Update: Just pre-ordered it now. If you pre-order it online at Best Buy.ca here, you'll have $5.00 reduced from the purchase price, which ain't half bad.

Gears of War 3: RAAM's Shadow Achievements Revealed

2011-11-19T17:17:00.000-05:00

Epic Games has unveiled the Achievements that you'll be able to earn through the "RAAM's Shadow" DLC coming on December 13th for Gears of War 3.

You can check out their official announcement with the full breakdown right here.

Interesting to see that there are some Multiplayer related Achievements for this Single Player add-on, which is a great way to keep things mixed for the community.

DLC Quest (Xbox 360) Trial Impressions

2011-11-12T15:32:00.000-05:00

I don't sample Indie Games from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace very often, but recently a friend recommended one entitled DLC Quest.

Now, as you all know, I have a big issue with the current DLC market and what it's doing to the games industry. I personally consider DLC to be the single worst thing to happen to this generation of gaming and the kind of content that publishers now charge for is rather appalling. What's even sadder is that we, the consumer, support this practice as we keep buying the overpriced stuff!

It's gotten to the point where some games are no longer released in their completed state as DLC is expected to "finish" the gameplay experience, forcing us to pay more for a proper game. Or the kind of content that was once unlockable, such as additional character costumes, is now a premium item. Boils me up just thinking about it, but at least someone's decided to take a satirical shot as the milk market.

Developed by Going Loud Studios, DLC Quest is a simple platformer where the Bad Guy has taken the Princess and you need to rescue her and save the world. Sounds simple and fun, right? Well it just gets better.

Throughout the game world there are Gold Coins to collect and you'll need to spend those on "DLC" to progress further through the core game. Want your character and the world to actually have animations? Got to buy the DLC. Want to be able to jump so you can properly play this platforming game? Got to buy the DLC. Want to pause the game so you can access menus or take a leak? Yup, you've got to buy the DLC for that to.

You're only buying in-game "DLC" with in-game Gold, so you're not actually spending anymore money than the actual price of admission, but it's just hilarious as the state of the games industry isn't that far away from something like this becoming a reality!

One great laugh-out-loud moment was when some blacksmith tells you you'll need a sword and you need to make one by grinding the blade. It'll take about 100,000 grinds. After grinding for a minute, a pop-up occurs telling you that you can now by DLC to accelerate the grinding process by several times! Oh, too funny and too true.

There's also horse armour available for an outrageous gold cost, in case you were wondering.

Like all Indie Trials, the Trial for DLC Quest didn't last long, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time in it. Months from now once I'm done with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and I'm looking for something to do, I fully expect I'll pick this little gem up at 80 Microsoft Points to help prepare me for the real milkage that's bound to come sooner or later.

The game's trailer is also great for a laugh, which you can check out here or below.

Halo Avatar Collection - November Update

2011-11-12T15:04:00.000-05:00

The Halo Avatar Collection has once again been updated for the month of November. To see what new Halo-related items you can purchase for your Avatar, you can check out the trailer here or below.

I certainly love Halo as you all know, but these Avatar items are so ridiculously priced. My recommendation is to not buy them and wait for great pre-order bonuses or Avatar Awards or the like.

You can still go to the Avatar Marketplace and preview the items on your Avatar for free though!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim "The World of Skyrim" and "The Animation of Skyrim" Trailer

2011-11-12T14:55:00.000-05:00

Released yesterday, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is finally available and it's absolutely amazing and epic.

If you haven't seen these yet, then just before launch Bethesda Softworks released two more trailers to wet your appetite.

The first is entitled "The World of Skyrim" and is simply stunning. You can view it here or below.

The second is entitled "The Animation of Skyrim" and can be viewed here or below.

I'm only about thirty minutes into the game, not even done the tutorial yet, and I'm already blown away! Such an immersive and inspiring opening!

Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360) Review

2011-11-06T14:33:00.000-05:00

There's no question that Gears of War 3 is Microsoft Studio's biggest exclusive launch of the year. Featuring a massive advertising campaign and a tremendous amount of hype, this sequel finishes off the journey of Delta Squad and their battle to save humanity against the Locust Horde and a newer, more terrifying threat, the Lambent.

Written by Karen Traviss, the author of the Gears of War novels, the Campaign is set about two years after Gears of War 2 and after all four novels. The Locust have been defeated but humanity is nearly extinct and the C.O.G. has disbanded. Hoffman leads one group of survivors to the old fortress of Anvil Gate, Prescott abandoned everybody, and Fenix and company are living on the Sovereign, one of the last Navy vessels sailing.

Now let's be honest, the Gears of War franchise isn't known for strong storytelling. It's always reminded me of an 80's action flick where muscle-bound soldiers run around and kill monsters through miraculous feats of bravado, but Traviss changed all that. Here novels are detailed and full of strong character moments and development, and with her actually penning the script for the game I honestly expected something more than what we've seen before: a solid, cohesive story and character moments in-game.

While playing you can certainly tell that that was the goal and a lot of novel-only stuff either appears or is at least hinted at, such as the play between Baird and Bernie, but really it all falls flat upon itself with poor execution. There are snatches of potential in there, particularly mid-way through Act 1 and at the end of Act III, but when all is said and done the Campaign's story is poorly implemented as a coherent narrative and the excessive swearing that the franchise is known for seems to be amped up this time around, feeling completely juvenile and out of place. Yes Fenix, you're angry. We get it.

Marcus, Dom, and Anya are around for the long haul but other key supporting characters are generally given smaller "screen time" which is a damn shame. So much was done with Cole, Baird, and Hoffman in the novels that they were done a complete disservice with the game. New characters come and go like crazy, barely giving you time to get to know them save for a very few exceptions (like Sam). I was sorely disappointed that Bernie, a great novel-character, only had a small cameo, and new characters like Griffin, voiced by Ice-T, were so stupid that it should have been laughable, however at that level of lame it just had me cringing.

To be perfectly blunt, this critically acclaimed Campaign story is worse than Gears of War 2 (though better than the original game's) and is a huge disappointment. If you haven't read the novels even the summary video courteously provided and narrated by Anya Stroud doesn't fill in everything you need to know, but again since the story's so weak you likely won't even notice. The story's implementation is so poor I often forget why I was leading Delta Squad to a particular location or trying to achieve a certain objective; it was just all muddled and derivative.

So basically stuff in Gears of War 3 just happens and you roll with it. Literally. At least the franchise's cover and combat are still sound, and while that's certainly enjoyable, it's honestly nothing new or revolutionary. You can do some cool things at the beginning of the game like pick up a Fire Extinguisher to put out fires, wear a baseball hat, and interact with world objects in such a way that it almost feel like your stepping into a Valve shooter, but then all that cool innovative design seems to be forgotten and it's back to basics. Throughout you can swap weapons with AI allies or instruct them to focus fire, but it's nothing overly crazy and the whole gameplay experience screams been-there-done-that. Sure, you also have Lambent to fight as another enemy faction now, the Gears of War universe's version of zombies, but they're so shoddily implemented that, for the most part, you might as well just be fighting the Locust themselves. Which of course you do later on.

The ever troublesome Emergence Holes are long gone, and the Locust rocket up from under the ground like reverse Orbital Drop Shock Troopers without their pods, which is plain stupid. Instead of the Locust having a massive troop funneling system to try and overwhelm the player and build gameplay tension, the Lambent now fill this roll and come out of Stalks that erupt from the ground and grow pods on them. Destroy the pods to stop the flood of Lambent which is actually far easier than closing Emergence Holes since any old firepower will do, no Grenades or specific weapons or tactics required.

This makes dealing with an infestation of Lambent, who fight almost exactly like their Locust counterparts with a few exceptions, far simpler, and when it comes down to it, Gears of War 3 is a very easy game to complete. Still hampered by the annoying Checkpoint system the franchise is known for, getting killed by lucky shots is how you'll most often die, as even on Hardcore the game simply isn't. Granted I haven't tried Insane yet and I hear there's challenge there, but I expected Hardcore to be up to the standards of Gears of War 2 at least.

The AI isn't horrible for both friend or foe but it's nothing to write home about. What is memorable is the game's boss encounters. Truly amazing, there are several massive boss battles that you'll encounter, all of which feature large enemies with great encounters that are very intense and cinematic. Such a shame the rest of the Campaign isn't up to this level. To try and split up the monotony of repetitive gameplay, Epic Games throws in some on-rails vehicle sequences now and then, seeing you take to vehicles both on land, in the air, and even at sea, but they're pretty basic and rather underwhelming once you get past their original novelty.

So yeah, as you can tell, I'm quite disappointed with Gears of War 3's single player content. Very hyped, very much a let down, and overall it honestly feels extremely rushed; rather ironic since the game was delayed by nearly half a year. Perhaps they were simply trying to cram in too much that they lost their sense of identity along the way, or perhaps it was all a mess from the start. Either way, the end result is underwhelming.

Where Gears of War 3 truly shines is in Multiplayer. Now, I've never been a fan of the franchise's Versus game modes and even with a few new modes, such as Capture the Leader, I still find it all more frustrating than fun. I just suck at Gears of War 3 Versus and that's alright, so I won't complain about it and I know there's many, many of you having a complete blast with it. If you want to find out more about the game's Versus mode you can check out my Beta Impressions post here, as not much has changed to any great degree, in my opinion.

For me, it's all about Horde, and Horde is back and better than ever. While not as drastic an upgrade to the original Horde as Firefight was for the Halo franchise in Halo: Reach, it still sees some great enhancements that really refreshes things.

Still set at 50 Waves max, players now start with a certain amount of money that can be spent on fortifications around the game world. These fortifications consist of fences, decoys, turrets, etc. that harm, distract, or kill Locust and Lambent allowing teams to really set up perimeters and defensive locations. You start a match by placing a Command Post which is your central spawn location. From here you can quickly begin building pre-determined defences, picking up scattered weapons or ammo (which now costs money, so do so wisely), or just digging in and saving your cash for later Waves.

This latter strategy seems the soundest as early Waves are simple, but every 10th Wave is now a Boss Wave. In addition to normal enemies, you'll also end up fighting a swarm of Reavers, perhaps two Lambent Berserkers, or even a Brumak, etc. These Waves tend to be challenging and require a good bit of team work to overcome, and getting past one is a huge achievement.

Thankfully you can boost things to your advantage even further by completing bonus objectives that pop up every several Waves, which grant special crates to spawn near your Command Post that contain power weapons or extra ammo. These bonus objectives can range from killing a certain amount of enemies with a certain weapon, or with melee, or with executions, etc. They're not essential, but really help to mix things up.

A new game mode introduced, rather the reverse of Horde, is Beast Mode. Here you play as the Locust Horde and must defeat human forces over a max of 12 Waves. Each Wave is on a timer, however, and if you fail when time runs out the Hammer of Dawn will strike and wipe out your entire team.

While proper coordination and team play is essential for surviving the later Waves of Horde, in Beast Mode, team work is a must right from the get-go. You begin with a set amount of cash and can choose to be a Wild Ticker, Ticker, Wretch, Feral Drone, or a Butcher. Each one plays different and each is essential for working together. Wild Tickers are great at taking down fortifications but are extremely fragile. Feral Drones, on the other hand, play like a standard character and start with a Retro Lancer. As you take out defences and kill humans you increase you time limit and also earn additional cash, which ultimately allows you to become more powerful forms of Locust.

In later Waves as well, human Hero units start spawning, such as Marcus and Dom, and while you can down them they can only be killed via an Execution. Beast Mode is a great addition and an interesting twist on a known gameplay style, but it still doesn't replace the great fun that is Horde. Thankfully, for both Horde and Beast Mode, matchmaking is featured so getting into a game is very easy. Just note that a lot of Public players like to quit mid-match which may ruin some of your fun and really, Private games are the way to go for these cooperative game modes.

Another thing Gears of War 3 did well is the game's graphics. Simply put, Gears of War 3 is the most beautiful Xbox 360 game I've ever played and the Unreal Engine is still the cream of the crop when it comes to this generation's graphic engines. Backgrounds and vistas look stunning, character models are rich with detail and fluid animation, and effects and gore flash, bang, and splatter good.

Audio wise, the voice acting is mainly what we've come to expect from the franchise, excessive swearing, grunting, and so on and so forth; nothing to write home about and it's a damn shame, as you can see Traviss tried. The music is definitely good, though not as epic or grand as what was featured in Gears of War 2. Sound effects are, as usual, top notch and I've got nothing to complain about with weapon sounds, monster howls, etc.

When all is said and done, Gears of War 3 is not a bad game despite my more negative tone in this review, but it's not a great game and it's definitely the worst of the trilogy. Lacking any real depth or innovation, it's the poster child for been-there-done-that, and Horde alone can't improve the quality of the whole product. I was really, really looking forward to a solid Campaign and the game just failed me here hard. Beast Mode is fun but won't last, and I'm not a Versus fan so really, Horde is all the game has going for me and the improvements aren't that huge over Gears of War 2 there.

But who am I kidding, like me, you've probably owned the game on launch day, so you already know what to expect and this review is moot. If you haven't and you're waiting to get it, I'd say pick it up to complete the trilogy in your collection, but wait for a price drop as there's nothing here you haven't seen before.

Centurion Review

2011-11-06T12:41:00.000-05:00

Released a year and a half ago in the UK, I was unable to find a theatre showing Centurion, which was disappointing as I love Roman-inspired media and was curious to see the brutality the film had to offer. Having recently fired up a Netflix trial account, I was pleased to see it present as a new release and last night I finally gave it a watch.

Set in 117 AD, Centurion stars Michael Fassbender as Quintus Dias, the lone survivor of a Roman fortified camp successfully raided by Pict warriors. As the Roman Empire has conquered the province of Britain they are finding it difficult to further advance into Caledonia (modern Scotland), and Agricola (Paul Freeman) the governor of Britain, dispatches the Ninth Legion to deal with the Pict menace once and for all.

In reality, the fascination surrounding the Ninth Legion is that around this time, they simply disappeared. Roman records are quite thorough, and the Ninth simply disappears from these records leading many to speculate about their fate. Centurion looks at one possible circumstance, that the entire Legion was wiped out in Britain or Caledonia.

In the film, the Ninth is commanded by Legate Titus Flavius Virilus (Dominic West), and he is appointed a Pict scout named Etain (Olga Kurylenko) by Agricola to lead him in the quest to find the Pictish king, Gorlacon (Ulrich Thomsen) and wipe him out. During the journey the Ninth Legion discovers Dias who escaped his Pict captors somehow, and they re-instate him as a Centurion of their legion.

As can be expected, the Ninth Legion marched into disaster and was all but wiped out by Pictish forces. Surviving once again, Dias must take command of the few men left and lead them on an attempt to rescue Virilus, who was taken alive.

Overall, Centurion isn't a bad B flick. It features some good action and excessive violence, which works well for the time period depicted, but the narrative is a bit rushed and while I generally got to know the key characters I admittedly didn't end up remembering most of their names. There are also a few odd plot devices, such as Dias escaping capture the first time which wasn't shown. One minute he was imprisoned in a Pict camp, the next he was running for his life. As I said, he escaped somehow.

The film also suffers during it's mid-section, lagging a bit as the remainder of the Ninth attempts to flee back to Roman territory and a budding romance springs up. The chase by Pictish hunters drags a bit, and the romance wasn't unwelcome but just wasn't properly developed. It felt midway that Centurion was struggling for it's narrative identity now that large scale infantry battles were out of the question, and as a result the overall product suffers.

I really enjoyed the costumes and props featured in the film, as they were very detailed and relatively historically accurate. The cinematographer was strong capturing the wonderful landscapes cleanly and crisply, and the sound track was inspired and worked well to heighten tension and to score other moments.

In truth the major issue was the film's pacing, as more character development and less rushing from point to point would have served to form a much stronger connection to both protagonists and antagonists. A more consistent tone to the plot and a bit of tightening in the middle would have done wonders, combined with enhanced character development, and we would have had a truly dramatic film.

While I would not recommend the film at full theatre price, as a rental or viewed off of Netflix it was an enjoyable time. No Gladiator, mind you, but certainly entertaining and to a point, historically informative.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim "Behind the Wall: The Making of Skyrim" Trailer and "The Sound of Skyrim" Trailer

2011-11-05T16:41:00.000-04:00

Less than a week away now; The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is almost here and from my associates who already have review copies I'm hearing great, great things!

Bethesda Softworks has released two new videos for the game. The first is entitled "Behind the Wall: The Making of Skyrim" and previews the bonus disc that comes with the game's collector's edition. You can check it out here or below.

The second is entitled "The Sound of Skyrim" and details the fantastic score native to the game as well as the voice acting and other audio bits. This video can be viewed here or below.

Very, very exciting. Such an amazing sound track and such a great scope for a game. Friday can't come fast enough!

BioShock Infinite "The People Behind Booker and Elizabeth Part 2"

2011-11-05T16:34:00.000-04:00

The second video looking at the actors behind these key characters in BioShock Infinite is now up, and can be viewed here or below.

Very interesting. Not just the relationship between the director and his talent, but also the overall challenge needed to get the right amount of emotion into these lines.

Gears of War 3: Versus Booster Map Pack Announced

2011-11-05T16:26:00.000-04:00

On November 24th, Epic Games and Microsoft Studios will release the "Versus Booster Map Pack" for Gears of War 3, and it'll be released for free.

The Map Pack will contain five maps for use in Public Matchmaking only. These are "Bulletmarsh" and "Clocktower" from Gears of War fame, as well as the three new maps recently released with the "Horde Command Pack."

While it is a shame that this free content will have very restricted use, at least it's free so mustn't complain.

You can read the full announcement here.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Launch Trailer

2011-11-05T16:18:00.000-04:00

With just over a week away until launch, 343 Industries has released the launch trailer for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

You can check it out here or below:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim "The Concept Art of Skyrim" Video

2011-10-29T22:08:00.000-04:00

I'll let this video released by Bethesda Softworks speak for itself.

The music, the landscapes, the character. I can't tell you how excited I am for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Less than two weeks until you loose your social life!

BioShock Infinite "The People Behind Booker and Elizabeth Part 1"

2011-10-29T22:06:00.000-04:00

A new ViDoc has been released from Irrational Games detailing the voice actors behind the characters Booker and Elizabeth in their upcoming game, BioShock Infinite. Known for creating innovative and vibrant worlds, Ken Levine weighs in his thoughts on not only these characters within Columbia but also about the voice talent as well.

You can check out the video here or below.

I love you Ken Levine.

Halo: Glasslands Now Available

2011-10-29T21:58:00.004-04:00

While Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is just over two weeks away, our friends at Tor Books sent word this past Tuesday that the latest Halo novel, Halo: Glasslands, is now available at retail outlets everywhere.

You can check out the full press release below:

Tor Books announces publication of HALO: GLASSLANDS by #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Traviss

The first novel in an all-new trilogy set in the Halo Universe takes readers and gamers through the chaos of the post-Halo 3 universe…

New York, NY – October 25, 2011 – Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC – the largest publisher of science fiction in the world – and Microsoft are excited to announce the on-sale availability of HALO: GLASSLANDS by #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Traviss. This is the first novel in an all-new Halo trilogy based on the acclaimed Xbox and Xbox 360 Halo videogame series. Traviss, who has penned number one bestselling novels in the Star Wars universe, as well as bestselling novels for the Gears of War franchise, will explore the events following “Halo 3” in a novel continuing the story begun in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx.

Halo novels published by Tor have sold over a million combined copies to date, and on January 3, 2012 Tor will also publish Halo: Primordium, the second novel in the Forerunner Saga by science fiction icon Greg Bear. The highly-anticipated Xbox 360 video game “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary” will release in November 2011, with the recently announced “Halo 4” scheduled for fall 2012.

In HALO: GLASSLANDS, The Covenant has collapsed after a long, brutal war that saw billions slaughtered on Earth and her colonies. For the first time in decades, however, peace finally seems possible. But though the fighting's stopped, the war is far from over: it's just gone underground. The UNSC's feared and secretive Office of Naval Intelligence recruits Kilo-Five, a team of ODSTs, a Spartan, and an eccentric AI to accelerate the Sangheili insurrection. Meanwhile, the Arbiter, the defector turned leader of a broken Covenant, struggles to stave off civil war among his divided people.

Across the galaxy, a woman thought to have died on Reach is actually very much alive. Chief scientist Dr. Catherine Halsey broke every law in the book to create the Spartans, and now she's broken some more to save them. Marooned with Chief Mendez and a Spartan team in a Forerunner slipspace bubble hidden in the destroyed planet Onyx, she finds that the shield world has been guarding an ancient secret – a treasure trove of Forerunner technology that will change everything for the UNSC and mankind.

As Kilo-Five joins the hunt for Halsey, humanity’s violent past begins to catch up with all of them as disgruntled colony Venezia has been biding its time to strike at Earth, and its most dangerous terrorist has an old, painful link with both Halsey and Kilo-Five that will test everyone’s loyalty to the limit.

“We’re excited to share Glasslands with the Halo audience, mostly because it’s a really incredible read, but also because for the first time, we’re using the Halo novels to take the game fiction forward in time, rather than exploring historical moments,” said Frank O’Connor, Franchise Development Director at 343 Industries. “These are the foundational elements for the next Halo game trilogy and Karen has captured and created them masterfully.”

#1 New York Times best-selling novelist , comics author and games writer Karen Traviss has received critical acclaim and award nominations for her Wess'har series, as well as regularly hitting the bestseller lists with her Star Wars and Gears of War novels. She was also the writer of the blockbuster Xbox 360 game “Gears of War 3.” A former defence correspondent and TV and newspaper journalist, she lives in Wiltshire, England.

“Halo's got some interesting moral dilemmas for me to explore,” says Traviss. “It's also an opportunity for me to examine the UNSC personnel who don't get all the limelight that the Spartans do, like the ODSTs, and of course the ones who'd run a mile from the spotlight anyway – the Office of Naval Intelligence. But you do get to see a side of the Spartans you haven't seen before.”

The Halo franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that have grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” for Xbox in 2001, the rich fiction of the franchise has since inspired a series of blockbuster Xbox and Xbox 360 video games, New York Times best-selling novels, comic books, action figures, apparel and more. To date, sales in the Halo franchise have eclipsed $1.7 billion. The newest game in the franchise, “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary,” will re-introduce the iconic title that started it all, re-mastered in 3D for the Xbox 360. The highly-anticipated next installment in the franchise, “Halo 4,” was recently announced for a fall 2012 release. With a fully fleshed-out universe of heroes, villains and epic scenarios, the novels expand the universe to give fans a grander view of the game environments and characters they encounter.

About Tor Books

award winning authors such as Cory Doctorow, Orson Scott Card, and David Lubar. Between an extensive hardcover and trade-softcover line, an Orb backlist program, and a stronghold in mass-market paperbacks, books from Tor have won every major award in the SF and fantasy fields, and Tor has been named Best Publisher 24 years in a row in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF.

Very excited for this novel, as the excerpts originally released were top notch!

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Behind the Scenes Videos

2011-10-29T21:52:00.000-04:00

Two new Behind the Scenes videos for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary have been released.

The first is entitled "Anniversary Music" and details updating the original game's score with a full orchestra. You can check it our here or below.

The second is entitled "Anniversary Terminals" and goes into detail on creating the Terminals for the game and a bit about 343 Guilty Spark himself. You can check this one out here or below.

And just like the updated graphics, you'll be able to listen to the original or updated score, but the option to change this will be located in the game's Options menu.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Live Action Trailer

2011-10-29T21:47:00.000-04:00

A lot of triple A games seem to have live action trailers these days, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is no exception.

You can check it out here or below.

Not bad. Leaves one anticipating the action but in truth, I love the series more for its exploration.

Diablo III Black Soulstone Cinematic

2011-10-23T00:07:00.001-04:00

Clearly in top form, Blizzard Entertainment has released yet another trailer courtesy of their exceptional cinematic department. The Diablo III "Black Soulstone" Cinematic shows Deckard Cain's niece receiving a horrible vision of things to come.

You can check it out here or below.

In addition, Blizzard Entertainment has also released an interesting Diablo "Retrospective" video showcasing the history of the franchise. Diablo accomplished many things, key among them the launch of Battle.net, a free online gaming service for Blizzard Entertainment games that was instrumental in crushing pay-to-play services.

That is until Xbox LIVE came around and gamers grew ignorant again.

You can check out the Diablo Retrospective here or below.

The above video shows two great games and an actual expansion set, none of this DLC BS we're shoveled today, from what I consider to be the golden age of gaming. A true shame those days are gone, and a greater shame that the average gamer today is too apathetic to care.

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Preview Trailer

2011-10-22T23:55:00.000-04:00

Blizzard Entertainment has released a preview trailer for their upcoming expansion set, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. Full of breathtaking cinematic action, you can check out the trailer here or below.

The next time I upgrade my PC, I will need to pick StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty up. Hopefully it'll have dropped in price by then, and perhaps there will even be a Battlechest containing the core game and all the expansions.

Mass Effect 3 Demo

2011-10-22T23:51:00.000-04:00

BioWare has officially announced that a playable demo of Mass Effect 3 will be released in January 2012, prior to the game's launch itself. The demo will contain both Single Player and Multiplayer content, and players who purchase Battlefield 3 will gain early access to the Multiplayer portion of the demo.

Additional, no purchase necessary options for gaining early Multiplayer demo access will be revealed in the coming months.

For full details, check out BioWare's official FAQ here.

Gears of War 3: RAAM's Shadow Announced

2011-10-22T23:44:00.000-04:00

The first single player DLC for Gears of War 3 has been officially announced. Entitled "RAAM's Shadow," it's set prior to Gears of War and follows the exploits of Zeta Squad, composed of Minh Young Kim, Tai Kaliso, Michael Barrick from the comics, and a new female Gear, as they evacuate the city of Ilima.

There will also be an optional section where players can take control of General RAAM, the Locust general and final boss of the original game, and storm a COG fortification, marking the first time players can play as a Locust in Single Player.

The add-on will also contain six new Multiplayer character skins, the Chocolate Weapon Skin pack, and 250 Gamerscore. Clocking in at just over 3 hours of gameplay, Gears of War 3: RAAM's Shadow will sell for 1200 Microsoft Points and will be available on December 13th. It'll be available at no extra charge if you already have the Gears of War 3 Season Pass.

Honestly, 1200 Microsoft Points is a lot to ask for a 3 hour experience, and as a result I'll pass until it becomes a Deal of the Week.

NOTE: As of this typing, the official Gears of War 3 web site will not load, and thus I can't link to the official announcement. I'll do so as soon as the site loads again.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary BTS - Anniversary Campaign

2011-10-22T23:27:00.000-04:00

343 Industries has released another Behind the Scenes video for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, entitled "Anniversary Campaign." It goes into detail, surprisingly, about re-creating this classic single player Campaign for the Xbox 360.

You can check out the video here or below.

After taking the video in and, essentially, drooling all over it, I caved and decided to pre-order Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. Best Buy is discounting it with $5.00 off via online pre-orders, and I know I'm going to have a blast playing through this another few times.

Batman: Arkham City "I have powerful friends Batman!" Trailer

2011-10-16T19:32:00.000-04:00

The launch trailer for Batman: Arkham City has been released, colourfully entitled "I have powerful friends Batman!"

You can check it out here or below.

Batman: Arkham City releases on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this coming Tuesday, October 18th, and will launch on PC November 8th.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Achievements Revealed

2011-10-14T19:24:00.000-04:00

The 10th anniversary of Halo is a month from tomorrow, and that means that Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary will be on store shelves. Naturally the game will feature Achievements, and 343 Industries has finally revealed all of them in this announcement here.

Some of them are standard fair, others look extremely challenging. "The Library" on Legendary is enough to drive fear and terror into just about any gamer!

Dead Space: Ignition (Xbox 360) Trial Impressions

2011-10-14T18:48:00.000-04:00

I've been craving a new Dead Space experience as of late so I decided to try the free Trial of the Xbox LIVE Arcade game, Dead Space: Ignition. A prequel to the exceptional Dead Space 2, Dead Space: Ignition's story is told from the perspective of Frank, a repair tech, in the form of an interactive comic. As the original outbreak on the Sprawl occurs, you play a serious of hacking mini-games to progress.

To sum it up, I'm sorry I downloaded this trial. The intro motion comic showed promise of a cheesy but fun story, but once I got into my first hack the controls were simply horrible. You're basically moving a line through a maze to try and reach the end before AI counter agents beat you there and lock you out. There are obstacles in the way that you need to avoid and it's all very straightforward, save that the Left Stick handles horrendously for moving your way through said maze.

The odd thing is, I can't pinpoint exactly what's wrong with the stick as sometimes it felt too unresponsive and other times far too responsive. There's no way to tweak the sensitivity and as such trying to get through that puzzle was a horrendous burden as opposed to a challenging pleasure.

I attempted it twice and decided to call it quits, promptly deleting the trial of Dead Space: Ignition from my Xbox 360's HDD.

The cutscenes, as I mentioned, did show promise, and I'm sure I can find them on YouTube somewhere for my viewing pleasure.

The Gaming Industry and DLC

2011-10-14T14:21:00.000-04:00

A regular at Delay of Game posted this recently, and it's a real shame because it's true.

1999 and just beyond is what I consider to be the golden age of gaming. We got amazing retail products with excellent, honest to God expansion packs released and, not reflected in the picture, game add-ons (modern day DLC) released for free. What a time to game in!

Around 2005 convergence began to really happen as consoles finally caught up to the power of PC gaming and publishers and developers began re-evaluating their add-on and content distribution models. This was also the first time console-only gamers really had the opportunity to experience the kind of additional content, multiplayer gaming, and software updates that PC gamers have enjoyed and taken for granted for a decade and more. The console gamer's experience was still limited by everything being forced through publisher controlled first party services, but it was there none-the-less.

Now? Now we get incomplete products shipped as retail releases and we're nickle and dimed for overpriced DLC that provide a fraction of the experience of yesteryear at an inflated cost.

This is what we, the consumer, have allowed the games industry to decline into because we keep supporting not just these lesser-but-flashier retail releases, but also DLC as we know it today; the worst thing to happen to this generation of gaming. We now have a lesser and more costly experience as the norm, and it's all our faults. We're ruining gaming for ourselves through apathy and ignorance.

Halo: Glasslands Excerpts Available for Preview

2011-10-14T13:58:00.000-04:00

The next novel in the Halo franchise, entitled Halo: Glasslands, will release to retailers everywhere on October 25th. Written by Karen Traviss, this will be the first full novel set after the end of the Human-Covenant War in Halo 3, and is the first book in a trilogy that will detail characters and events that lead into Halo 4.

While you wait for the 25th to roll around, you can preview the novels prologue and first two chapters courtesy of Tor Books and Halo Waypoint.

The prologue and chapter 1 can be read on Tor's site here, and the second chapter can be read at Halo Waypoint here.

I read the prologue and the first half of chapter 1 and I decided to stop there as I don't want to spoil too much for myself, but I'm loving what I'm reading! Traviss has quite the way with characters!

Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer Announced

2011-10-14T13:44:00.000-04:00

BioWare's has officially added Multiplayer to the Mass Effect franchise, and players will be able to engage in Co-Op missions on all three platforms via Mass Effect 3 this coming March.

For full announcement details, you can view the BioWare Pulse video here or below which features an interview with Executive Producer Casey Hudson, and you can read the official FAQ here.

I'll be honest, I'm not excited by this at all and I am concerned about the quality of the Single Player game since it appears Multiplayer will tie into the core game, however I am going to reserve judgement until more details are released.

Mass Effect 3 is being published by EA and they had Multiplayer added to Dead Space 2 which was quite unnecessary, but thankfully it didn't detract from the exceptional Single Player game at all, so hopefully the same will ring true here.

In a related topic, does anyone else find David Silverman to be a poor choice of host and for BioWare Pulse to be overly flashy and rather annoying, or is it just me?

Gears of War 3 Horde Command Pack DLC Announced

2011-10-14T13:02:00.001-04:00

I'm a little late on this one but as usual, better late than never. Epic Games has officially announced the first DLC add-on for their smash hit, Gears of War 3. Entitled the "Horde Command Pack," it will include:

- Three new maps that can be used in Horde, Beast Mode, and Private Versus matches
- Four new Fortification Upgrades for Horde
- Three new Multiplayer character skins
- Two New Weapon Skins

The Gears of War 3: Horde Command Pack will be available November 1st for 800 Microsoft Points or at no additional charge if you purchased the pricey Gears of War 3 Season Pass.

You can read the official announcement here.

You know, I've had the game since launch and I still need to try Horde and Beast Mode. I'll be honest, Gears of War 3 has not grabbed me at all, and while it's not a bad game, I'm finding myself disappointed by it. It has such a been-there-done-that feel too it, and the Campaign was pretty disappointing to me and no where near as marvelous a story experience as professional reviewers are making it out to be.

Once I do sink my teeth into some more game modes, I'll review Gears of War 3 myself. Look for it in a week or so.

Mortal Kombat Review Updated

2011-10-02T12:25:00.000-04:00

I'm about a month behind with this one but better late than never.

Mortal Kombat is a great game and you can check out my entire review here, however now that the atrocious online lag from launch has been fixed I've updated my review to include some proper thoughts on the game's Xbox LIVE experience.

If you've already read my original review, I've posted the update below for your reading convenience.

Early this past Summer, the horrendous lag that plagued Mortal Kombat's online play since launch was resolved via a Title Update, and as promised, now that I've spent a lot of time with the game over Xbox LIVE I'm updating this review accordingly.

Lag is still present, especially if your opponent has a lesser internet connection, but what remains is negligible and it's just a shame that it took NetherRealm Studios about two and a half months to resolve the issue. When the Title Update was released I was enjoying Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe and grinding that game's online play as Scorpion. In August, I turned my attention to Mortal Kombat and looking for a new kombatant to spend a lot of time with I selected Mileena as my champion.

In a little over a month I played a grand total of 252 Ranked Matches, winning 143 of those with a Best Streak of 12 games. I made it into the top 5000 players and greatly enjoyed myself, so much so that Mortal Kombat has now become my most played game over Xbox LIVE (in terms of number of games). Considering my limited time for gaming these days, that certainly says something!

Like any other fighting game many players simply spam or try to cheap their wins, but for the most part so long as you think while you fight and learn the patterns everyone copies from one another you should be able to do fine. NetherRealm Studios also releases regular balance updates which happen seamlessly when you connect online, and this further refines and balances the overall gameplay experience.

What is a shame is that like Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, several of the online-based Achievements are glitched. If an opponent disconnects or even quits a match early legitimately, the match may not count towards some rather time consuming Achievements. As a result, "Wavenet" and "The Competitor" can take a lot longer to earn amongst others, but at least you'll have a blast while doing it.

I also dabbled in King of the Hill and it seems like a really great game mode. It's fun to watch others pound on one another and to tinker with expressions for your Avatar, and when you're fighting in a match yourself you can easily switch to full screen mode by pressing "Back," which I recommend as it'll help you focus better.

My only gripe with King of the Hill is that in a full room you're going to spend a lot of time spectating, possibly more so than playing, which doesn't work so well for me given I usually only have an hour a day to game. With that amount of time at my disposal when I'm online to play I want to play, simple as that.

Regardless, I'm quite glad that Mortal Kombat's online play was fixed, at least from a lag perspective. There's a robust online experience here with great Ranked and Player matches to be had, and King of the Hill adds in a new aspect of fun if you've got the time to kill. I do wish they would have added Test Your Luck as a Multiplayer mode as the random variables would have made for some great and unique matches, but I suppose one can't have everything.

Really though, Mortal Kombat is an excellent experience and an extremely complete package. There's so much to offer on the core game disc that if you have any interest in fighting games or the franchise at all you need to pick this game up

Aliens: Colonial Marines Gameplay Demo

2011-10-02T11:18:00.000-04:00

At last week's end, Gearbox Software released a Gameplay demo for their upcoming shooter, Aliens: Colonial Marines.

Narrated by Randy Pitchford, this gameplay simply looks amazing. The team seems to have really capturing the feeling and atmosphere of Aliens and I'm greatly looking forward to more details in the months ahead!

You can check out the Gameplay demo here or below.

I guess the reactor blowing up wasn't much of an explosion after all seeing how the colony appears to be mainly intact.

Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe Sold

2011-10-02T11:11:00.000-04:00

Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe is a solid and fun game that's a great budget title. I enjoyed it and had my fun with it but with Mortal Kombat being such a better game, and now that its online is fixed and with me working on "My Kung Fu is Stronger," I realized that I wouldn't be playing Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe again. Thus, I sold it to EB Games yesterday.

When the trade-in value is taken into account, I only paid $7.99 plus tax for the title, which isn't too bad at all.

If you are looking for a budget fighter that's both fun and campy, I highly recommend it, and you can check out my full review here.

It's $19.99 plus tax brand new as of this typing, so should I ever feel the urge to play it again it'll be easy to pick up.

Mortal Kombat Patch 5 Released

2011-09-25T15:19:00.000-04:00

This past Friday, NetherRealm Studios released the 5th patch for Mortal Kombat. Full details about what the patch changes can be read here or below.

V 0.144S-234-77c814ec (Xbox 360) / V ????-??? (PS3) [update version 1.??] *released 09/23/2011

General Gameplay Fixes/Tweaks

• Fixed a couple of crash scenarios.
• DLC billboards should now behave correctly on Xbox
• You should no longer see online desyncs on Xbox that are related to alternate costumes or classic costume DLC packs.
• MOTD handling and displaying code was tweaked.
• Fixed a bug that could have resulted in tweakvars getting corrupted.
• Fixed a crash in player select if you tried to exit out while the dlc box was open.
• With the exception of Human Cyrax and Human Sektor, everyone’s alternate costumes should behave the same as their primary costumes and have the exact same move properties.
• You can now block after a dash forward is completed if it was cancelled into from a special move. Canceling out of a dash into another dash was normalized for most of the characters. Dash Block canceling remains the same.
• Wakeup attacks should have better invulnerability on them if done in the first 4 frames of the wakeup window. (this was added as a hotfix tweakable value)
• You no longer get a completely free throw attempt after someone blocks your jump punch. The opponent has less block hit frames but chained combos from a jump punch will remain the same.
• There were several reactions that could freeze players just before they landed from attacks and reactions such as Kano’s Airball and Cyrax’s Net air reaction.
• Made many minor hitbox adjustments.
• Tweaked the negative edge window.
• Several low attacks were being parried incorrectly.
• Nightwolf and Kenshi can no longer still absorb a projectile if they get hit out of their enhanced reflects before the recovery frames start.

Baraka
• Baraka's Blade Spin move starts up faster and is safer when blocked.
• Baraka's Enhanced Blade Charge (Blade Rush) attack goes farther now.
• Baraka’s Chop Chop no longer auto corrects mid-move.
• Baraka’s has a new D1 low poke.

Cyber Subzero
• Cyber Subzero can no longer handcuff certain characters by catching a wakeup attack with his enhanced Ice Parry.

Cyrax
• Cyrax's Buzzsaw is an overhead block and safer when blocked
• Cyrax's Bombs will no longer pop someone up who is in a 2nd Net reaction or in a Buzzsaw reaction.
• Cyrax's mk3 costume should behave the same as the primary costume now.

Ermac
• Ermac can no longer leave an invisible fireball collision around.
• Fixed damage scaling a few of his reactions.

Jade
• All of Jade's Enhanced Boomerangs (Reboomerang) will now return when the first hit is blocked.
• Jade’s Staff Grab is slightly safer when blocked.
• Jade’s U3 attack (Pole Vault) can be ducked.
• Jade’s 4,F3 kick (Polecat) is safer when blocked.

Jax
• The armor on Jax's Enhanced Dash Punch (Dash Fist) and X-Ray (Briggs Bash) now starts instantly.
• Added armor to the startup of Jax's Enhanced Elbow (Elite Smash).
• Jax's projectiles (Energy Wave) recover a tiny bit faster.
• Jax’s towards 3 attack (Big Leg) is now an overhead.
• Jax can no longer frame trap someone with his Gotcha Grab.

Johnny Cage
• Johnny Cage's F3,2 (Take Two) no longer true combos into 2in1’d special moves
• Johnny Cage's Nut Punch does slightly less damage.
• Johnny Cage's sweep kick has less advantage on block or hit.

Kabal
• Kabal can no longer leave an invisible fireball collision around.
• Removed a couple unavoidable block traps with Kabal. (with F2 and 4)

Kano
• If you don’t charge and hold the Enhanced Kano Ball it will now keep its armor.
• Kano’s Enhanced Knife Toss recovers faster.

Kitana
• Kitana's Fan reactions on an airborne opponent damage scale correctly now.
• Kitana's X-Ray (Fan-Tastic) can no longer be reflected.

Kung Lao
• Removed the pushback on Kunglao's spin when blocked.
• Ground Hat now leaves both players at neutral when hit close and leaves Kung Lao at a disadvantage when blocked up close.
• Kung Lao's overhead hat attack is slightly safer when blocked.

Liu Kang
• Lui Kang's Parry now can correctly give a first hit bonus!

Nightwolf
• Nightwolf's reflect should work better as a wakeup attack.

Noob
• Noob's Teleport Slam should connect better with some opponents.
• Noob should no longer be hit on the ground after he is up in the air for his teleport.
• Noob’s Shadow Charge hits overhead.

Quan Chi
• Fixed an isse where Quan Chi's Skull Projectile (Skull Ball) could sometimes become invisible.
• Added some armor to the Quan Chi’s Enhanced Sky Drop (Sky Stomp).

Raiden
• Raiden can no longer unavoidably frame trap someone with his Vicinity Blast.
• Raiden has 2 additional recovery frames on his normal Teleport.
• Raiden can’t be hit during his Enhanced Teleport (Sparkport).

Reptile
• Reptile whiffed Elbow Dash now builds slightly less meter.
• Reptile is held slightly longer after knocking someone down with the Elbow Dash.
• A blocked Reptile Elbow Dash no longer pushes back.
• Reptile's Enhanced Slide (Slime Trail) now has armor on it.
• Reptile can no longer leave an invisible Forceball collision around.

Scorpion
• Scorpion's Leg Takedown is safer when blocked.
• Scorpion's Enhanced Leg Takedown (Takeout) now has armor on it.

Sektor
• Sektor can now 2in1 into the front and behind Up Missiles
• Sektor's mk3 outfit should behave the same as the primary costume
• Sektor's backjets will no longer get stuck firing, wasting precious fuel. (Yay!)
• Sektor’s X-Ray (Massive Missile) can no longer be reflected.

Shang Tsung
• The armor on Shang’s Enhanced Soul Steal now starts instantly
• Shang Tsung’s Enhanced Soul Steal (Soul Capture) activates faster.

Sheeva
• Sheeva's Fireball is a mid block now and the Enhanced Fireball (Fire Blast) is an overhead.
• Sheeva's Ground Pound can correctly give a first hit bonus!
• Sheeva's Enhanced Jump Stomp (Jump Crush) now has armor on it.
• Sheeva's Air Grab has better anti-air collision on it.

Sindel
• Sindel can no longer leave behind an invisible fireball collision around.
• Sindel’s B1 attack is a low block.
• Sindel's regular Scream is slightly faster nd the Enhanced Scream is a lot faster now.
• Sindel’s Scream (Yell) can no longer be parried.

Smoke
• It’s no longer possible to handcuff opponents with Smoke’s Vibration (Shake) Parry.

Sonya
• The armor on Sonya's cartwheel (Krazy Legs) lasts until the first collision and Archkick's (Arc Wave) armor lasts until her arch is almost over.
• Sonya's 1,1,4 (Fierce Assault) no longer true combos into 2in1’d special moves from it.
• Sonya's 3,1,4 (Beat Up) no longer true combos into 2in1’d special moves from it.

Stryker
• Stryker's Enhanced Baton (Baton Bash) Sweep’s 2nd hit is an overhead and is safer when blocked.
• Stryker's Grenades recover slightly faster.
• Stryker's Baton Roll starts up faster and the enhanced version has armor on it for a longer time.
• Stryker's Grenade Toss and Baton Sweep do slightly more damage.
• Stryker’s B1,2,2 (Beatdown) combo is safer when blocked.

Sub Zero
• Fixed some of the Ground Freeze reaction properties which were causing some other gameplay issues.
• Sub Zero's Enhanced Slide (Power Slide) now has armor.
• The opponent is frozen for 10 additional frames to allow him to at least get a slide in for some trade cases were he could get nothing before.

Freddy Krueger
• Freddy’s Nightmare Stance can’t be repeated instantly anymore.
• Fixed a bug where Freddy could get stuck being immune to projectiles.
• Freddy forward and backward Teleports (Hell Shift) build slightly less meter.
• Some of Freddy reactions were not damage scaling correctly.
• Tweaked the recovery on some of Freddy specials.

Kenshi
• Kenshi’s X-Ray (Soul Blade) can no longer be reflected.
• Kenshi is freed up sooner now when he absorbs a projectile with his (Blade Absorb)
• Kenshi’s F2,2,B1 (Absentminded) reaction no longer lets opponents be hit just as they hit the ground.

Skarlet
• Skarlet has an additional 10 frames before she can cancel out of her normal dagger toss.
• Skarlet can no longer 2in1 cancel out of her Slide attack from her Red Dash.
• Skarlet’s back throw now does normal damage.
• Skarlet can do her U3 (Lifting Leg) attack from a dash now.

A rather extensive list of balance and bug fixes, which is always a good thing. Except for the people who scream "NERF!" They'll be angry.

Batman: Arkham City "We Could Both Actually Die Here Tonight" Trailer

2011-09-25T15:12:00.000-04:00

A new trailer has been released for Batman: Arkham City, featuring the Joker, which you can view below or here.

Halo: Reach Title Update 2 Released

2011-09-25T15:09:00.000-04:00

The second Title Update for Halo: Reach is now available, and it makes some rather interesting tweaks to the game:

- Damage now bleeds through your Shields and impacts your Health like in previous titles
- Configuring Reticle Bloom
- Armour Lock no longer saves you from Plasma Grenades
- Damage sustained while in Armour Lock reduces the Ability's duration
- Reduced Active Camo bonus time when standing still
- Reduced overall length of Active Camo
- The ability to block the Energy Sword has been removed save for when using an Energy Sword
- Implementing the classic Magnum from Halo: Combat Evolved in certain Game Types
- Co-Op Campaign and Firefight can now be played without an HDD

This is the first title updated released by 343 Industries now that they've taken over development of the franchise from Bungie, and I personally find it rather interesting that they've removed or heavily adjusted several key gameplay components added into Halo: Reach by Bungie to make the game feel different than your typical Halo title.

Full details can be read/are linked in here.

Gears of War 3 Toronto Launch Party

2011-09-18T21:46:00.000-04:00

At 2:00 pm today, the line up around The Hoxton was literally spilling out onto the street with eager fans anticipating one thing and one thing alone: Gears of War 3. One of the most anticipated games of 2011 and Microsoft Studios' key launch of the year, Gears of War 3 releases this Tuesday, September 20th and Xbox Canada threw not just a party but a concert in its honour.

Those who completed the recent viral campaign and gained V.I.P. access to the event got first dibs on advancing through the crowds, gaining admittance eight at a time. Once inside the venue a themed T-shirt and do-rag were handed out and the gamers were ushered over to several large TV's complete with Gears of War 3 and Gears of War 3 Limited Edition Wireless Controls for a match of local Team Deathmatch.

Now, typicaly I stink at Gears of War Versus, but I was placed on a team with some strong players and we won the match in some great back and forth action. While this was certainly fun, many of us had already experienced Team Deathmatch in last Spring's beta and as I always find with these community events, it's the venue and other attractions that really steal the show.

First off, thanks to the presence of the Gears of War 3 Limited Edition Wireless Controllers, this was actually the first time I got to experience the transforming D-Pad. I was actually so mesmerized by changing it from a plus to a disc to a plus again that I wasn't paying attention when the match was set up, and thus I played as the Locust Queen with a Hammerburst and Gnasher instead of customizing my seat-up. Aside from the fact that, as I already mentioned, we won the match (it was on "Check Out," by the way), I really liked the transforming D-Pad and if something ever happens to my Xbox 360 Halo Reach Wireless Controller I will definitely pick one of these Controllers up.

On to the venue, the lighting was dim and the sounds were loud as TV's everywhere showcased the game, the "Dust to Dust" launch trailer was projected onto a wall, and a stage was all decked out for a surprise band performing later this evening. Crimson omens were everywhere and all the event staff were walking around sporting face paint, wearing Kevlar vests, and carrying actual replica Lancer Assault Rifles that fans could hold and gawk at.

Off to the side, LG had a few 3D TV's set up where the game was being played and players and bystanders alike could put on some 3D glasses and check out Gears of War 3 in three dimensional glory. Personally, I was quite impressed with the depth of field present and how crisp and clean it looked and I also had the pleasure of speaking with their product manager who was on hand. He explained to me how the high refresh rate maintained a strong image quality throughout the entire experience and that any TV sold comes with four pairs of 3D glasses. Sold separately at retailers are also clip-on 3D glasses for gamers like me who already wear prescription lenses, and of course LG's glasses can be used at any theatre showcasing 3D films as well.

Food was also being served, fresh "Locust Meat" carved with cleavers made into pitas for all, and right next to the food stand there was a tattoo artist airbrushing Crimson Omens onto lucky fans. Right next to this at the back of the club in a very poorly lit area a sculpture artist worked with a real chainsaw carving what I believe were foam blocks into more Crimson Omens to further deck the place out.

Regrettably, I could not stay for the concert itself, but performing live right now is none other than Tokyo Police Club themselves, and it's a shame I couldn't stay and see them as this would be the first free concert I recall Xbox Canada ever having done.

Simple, atmospheric, and fun, this was another great community event put together by Xbox Canada and their publicity partners. As always I'd like to thank them very much for having this event and giving back to the great Toronto and Canadian community, and for giving out some cool swag. Tuesday can't come fast enough and I'm eagerly awaiting my copy of Gears of War 3!

Pictured Below:

- Gears of War 3 T-Shirt
- Gears of War 3 Do-rag
- Package of 2 "AA" Energizer Batteries
- LG 3D Glasses
- Pack of Locust Meat and launch party V.I.P. Ticket (from viral campaign)

Halo "Cortana Chip" Avatar Item

2011-09-18T18:11:00.000-04:00

Released late last week, the "Cortana Chip" Avatar item is a new prop for your Xbox 360's Avatar.

Available here for 240 Microsoft Points, you can preview the item in the video here or below.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary "Breakneck" and Campaign Screenshots

2011-09-18T18:07:00.000-04:00

Earlier last week, 343 Industries released a series of screenshots for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary showcasing the multiplayer map "Breakneck," which is a remastered version of the Halo 2 map "Headlong."

A few Campaign screenshots from first Mission, "Pillar of Autumn," have also been snuck into the collection.

You can check them out in all their glory here.

Got Meat? Gears of War 3 Launch Party V.I.P. Access

2011-09-15T21:35:00.000-04:00

Regrettably I haven't been anywhere near as involved in participating in the viral campaign for Microsoft Studios' big launch this year as I have been in the past, but it's all shaping up to be quiet the solid marketing campaign.

The launch party for Gears of War 3 will be held in Toronto this Sunday, and today I ventured to a butcher shop in China Town to pick up a very special package.

Got meat?

For those of you who won't be able to get V.I.P. access, the event is still open to the public, and keep a watch on your Xbox 360 Dashboard's Spot Light Channel for upcoming details.

For those who can't make it at all, look for a full write-up post event! Hope to see you there!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Demo (Video)

2011-09-15T21:28:00.000-04:00

Now available to the general public, we can all view the demo of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that Bethesda Softworks has been showcasing at various trade shows these last few months.

Narrated by Todd Howard, the Game Director this video clocking in at about 20 minutes total (in three parts) gives us a solid taste of what to expect less than two months from now.

The game looks solid given the age of the Xbox 360's hardware, and it really, really makes me want to fire up The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion again. The exploration, the adventure, the world, all these things Bethesda Softworks does so well.

I'll never forget the first time I slowly rode my horse along the bridge into the Imperial City with White Gold Tower standing tall in the background, and I know there'll be many such moments of awe and wonder to be had in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

I really do hope I have the free time to enjoy the game come launch on November 11th!

Gears of War 3 Season Pass

2011-09-11T12:03:00.000-04:00

I missed posting about this a bit ago, however it looks like Epic Games and Microsoft Studios are jumping on the Season Pass bandwagon.

Releasing on Sep. 20th along with Gears of War 3 itself, the Gears of War 3 Season Pass will allow gamers access to the first four installments of Gears of War 3 DLC, the first of which will be released this November. As a bonus, Season Pass owners will also get to download the Liquid Metal weapon skin set at no additional charge.

The Gears of War 3 Season Pass will sell for 2400 Microsoft Points ($34.80) and will provide gamers with a 33% savings as opposed to purchasing the four DLC add-ons individually.

So what will these four add-ons consist of? Multiplayer and Campaign content, apparently, but beyond that we know nothing. Doing the math, I'd anticipate three of the four add-ons will sell for 800 Microsoft Points and one will sell for 1200 Microsoft Points (3600-33%=2412), and if that's correct, it'll be interesting to see if Microsoft Studios is hoping on the 1200 Microsoft Point Map Pack pricing as well.

Regardless, we're still overall in the dark about the actual content that will be provided for what's a sizable cost for a few add-ons. In relation, I'd like to point reference to the Mortal Kombat Season Pass. It also featured mystery content in the form of an unannounced 4th kombatant who turned out to be Freddy Krueger, which was to the disappointment of many. Since there's no need to purchase a Season Pass right away, I'd advise waiting to see exactly what it'll contain before you drop your Microsoft Points, unless, of course, you want to blindly give your money to publishers, then by all means.

Also keep in mind any content released will likely end up as a Deal of the Week for Xbox LIVE Gold members, resulting in potentially greater savings overall if you wait for that. Time will tell, of course.

If you're still interested, you can read the full official announcement right here.

Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection (Xbox 360) Review

2011-09-05T12:16:00.000-04:00

Dominating much of my late childhood to mid teenage years, the original Mortal Kombat trilogy was the franchise to play. Featuring digitized actors instead of sprites, a dark storyline, and a gruesome fighting style with memorable characters, each game in the trilogy sucked up a lot of my quarters and, when they finally came to home consoles, ate up a sizable amount of my abundant spare time.

With the success of Mortal Kombat, an alternate retelling of the franchise's original trilogy, Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment has released the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection on Xbox LIVE Arcade so gamers can relive or experience for the first time the classic games that started it all.

Aside from the fact that I love these games by default, the great appeal for me is that I no longer own copies of Mortal Kombat or Mortal Kombat II. While I do own the now discontinued Xbox LIVE Arcade version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, that's all I've got of these classic titles and the opportunity to not only own them all in one package but to also have arcade perfect versions of them for only 800 Microsoft Points is fantastic!

Developed by Other Ocean Interactive with the assistance of NetherRealm Studios, the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection is truly a trip down memory lane. The collection allows you to choose which of the three games to play from the main menu, and you can also jump into Multiplayer games over Xbox LIVE, Player or Ranked matches.

Now, I'm going to come right out and say it: This collection of arcade classics is filled with annoying bugs that should not be present, and that's a damned shame as the original games that led to the creation of the ESRB deserves far better in my opinion.

One of the additions to the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection is the option to set the game's difficulty. The downer is for both Mortal Kombat II and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, this difficulty adjustment seems to make no difference what-so-ever. The AI is still horrendously cheap, just as you remember in the arcades, and while this is rather authentic, it's also not very fun. Though a humbling experience in AI cheapness that will stop me from complaining about Mortal Kombat's Shao Khan forever more, you're only going to want to play through each game's Arcade Ladder once to earn their respective completion Achievements, except that you'll likely need to play them multiple times as the Achievements are glitched.

Completing each game should earn you an Achievement for doing so, but said Achievements will not always unlock, forcing the player to give it another go. While not the end of the world, it is frustrating and tedious to be deprived that "Achievement Unlocked" pop up when you've legitimately earned it, and the internet rumours you may see of having to complete each Arcade Ladder with one character, or no continues, or winning all the Test Your Might Challenges (in Mortal Kombat) to guarantee an Achievement are false. They are glitched and there's nothing special you need to do to unlock them but simply keep playing until you do so. I only had to play Mortal Kombat once, thankfully, and I had great fun as Scorpion, but Mortal Kombat II and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 I needed to play twice each to get their respective Achievements. While not the end of the world this was tedious and is the kind of bug that simply shouldn't be present in a retail release.

With the ridiculously cheap AI, the real fun for any classic Mortal Kombat game is versus matchs either with your buddies on the same console or over Xbox LIVE. Offline play works very well with no major hiccups, though occasionally you'll encounter some input lag and the Controller won't register what you're pressing, but online suffers from pretty horrible network lag.

When you select Online Kombat from the main menu, you'll have three options: Quick Match, Player Match, and Ranked Match. Quick Match is exclusive to Xbox LIVE and it will immediately drop you into the next available non-Ranked game. At least it's supposed to. Playing on a Sunday afternoon of a long weekend, Quick Match was unable to find me a single match to play in. Seeing how useless this exclusive feature is, I decided to give Player Match a whirl, but sadly, no games were listed what-so-ever. The only option left for me to try and get some Multiplayer goodness going was Ranked Matches, and thankfully there do seem to be players here.

Unlike unranked matches you need to select which of the three games you want to search for, and I played five games of each title with no major difficulty getting a match here. The only frustrating thing with Ranked Matches over Xbox LIVE is the lag is pretty bad. Not as bad as Mortal Kombat when it launched, each match was still playable, but bad enough where it feels like we're still beta testing the game at retail, and that's rather a sad insult towards Warner Brother Interactive Entertainment's customer base. Still, I went 3-2 as Scorpion in Mortal Kombat, 3-2 as Mileena in Mortal Kombat II, and 4-1 as Sub-Zero in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Online play for Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 also sees Mileena, Ermac, and Classic Sub-Zero unlocked by default, whereas you need to unlock them via their Ultimate Kombat Codes for offline play. Thankfully you _do_ need to do this offline as Kombat Codes entered at versus screens do _not_ work at all online; you can not enter them period. Again, how such an essential element of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3's Multiplayer could have escaped testing is beyond me.

Visually, these classic games look like they did back in the arcades, and there's several filter options available if you want. You can view the games in their "Klassic" digitized actor pixilated glory, use two kinds of "Painted" filters to pretty things up, use a "Smooth" filter to help with the jaggies (my preferred filter), or use a "Scan lines" filter to imitate that classic CRT look. You can also adjust the display to look like a curved CRT screen in an arcade cabinet to heighten this retro sense. There is no option to stretch the screen to fit widescreen, but the pre-done pillar boarders are beautiful and look very nice, so no complaints there. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 does seem overly bright and looks a bit washed out as a result, but again, that's not the end of the world.

Audio wise, this arcade perfect version sounds more or less like the classics of old. The music is still midi-based, Liu Kang still sounds like a girl on speed, and Scorpion still shouts "Get Over Here!" all angry like because he's grumpy. Death seems to do that. I've heard it said that some people are experiencing issues with music in-game that will randomly stop playing, though thankfully this hasn't happened to me yet, however in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 some sounds are very muted and other sounds will cancel out current audio being played. Audio bugs like this are a shame but at least they're not game breaking.

The controls are fully re-customizable, which is a plus, and the game handles well aside from the occasional input lag offline and the network lag online. A Moves List is available in the main in-game menu (accessed by "Back" for some reason), however you can't seem to view it unless you're in a versus match, and I mean actually in the match and not at the menus or Ladder screen, and in Single Player I could only view it in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and not the previous two titles. If you also return back to game from this menu, it will take one second to allow you to start using the controls again, leaving you vulnerable mid-match or wasting one second of your Fatality time if you're trying for one of those. Why such a delay happens when switching back from a menu offline is beyond me and once again leaves me wondering how thoroughly this collection was tested.

Aside from the Moves Lists, visual filters, somewhat functional difficulty settings, customizable controls, glitched Achievements and laggy online play with Leaderboards, each game is true to its arcade roots in terms of content and will provide you with a solid trip to yesteryear. Once that nostalgia wears off, however, you're left with a great collection of arcade classics that was sloppily ported, sporting bugs and issues that simply should not be present. It's been officially announced that a patch is being worked on, but until it's released it's very hard for me to recommend a defective product that may be at retail but is, for all intents and purposes, still in beta.

If you're a die hard Mortal Kombat fan, you will likely be able to look past the neglect done to this collection from the get-go as the bugs and issues are more annoying than game breaking, but otherwise wait for the patch to be released and then, assuming all the sloppiness is fixed, the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection will indeed be worth the 800 Microsoft Points Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment is asking for. These really are a great collection of games that have had a strong influence on the gaming industry we know and love, and there is a significant amount of entertainment value to be had here, it's just a damn shame that it had to launch in such an obviously rushed state.

The Guardians Series Book 1: The Forest Laird - A Tale of William Wallace Review

2011-09-05T10:41:00.000-04:00

The last series Jack Whyte worked on was his Templar Trilogy which dealt with the rise, progression, and fall of the Knights Templar. The final novel in that series, "Order in Chaos," may have been about the Templars themselves but one could clearly see that Whyte had already turned his eye towards Scotland and its wars for independence, and while Whyte dabbled with such a setting then, his new trilogy deals with these wars as the central focus.

Entitled The Guardian Series, the first novel is "The Forest Laird: A Tale of William Wallace." Like most, I'm sure you've seen Braveheart by now, and while it's certainly an excellent and well made film, as a Scotish collegue of mine once put it: "Don't look to Braveheart for historical accuracy," and it appears that Jack Whyte agrees.

Going back to a narrative style not used since his superb A Dream of Eagles series, this tale is told by William Wallace's cousin, Father Jamie Wallace. Years after his execution at the hands of the English, the tale of William Wallace as a larger than life hero and legend is growing by leaps and bounds, and Jamie undergoes the effort of writing all about William from his first hand knowledge to keep things grounded in reality. The story begins with Jamie comforting Will in prison while Will awaits his execution, and then goes back far further to the beginning, when young Will and Jamie are fleeing for their lives from English soldiery who have just murdered Will's parents and sister.

Like all his historical fiction, Whyte grounds his superbly entertaining tale in historical fact, focusing strongly on the feudal and religious politics of Scotland, England, and even France, and having his wonderfully developed characters act according to what's really occurring at that time. The manipulation and eventual occupation of Scotland takes years to achieve, and there are those of both nobility and church who oppose and approve of such English intervention. The common folk, of course, have no voice in such matters and must accept the neglect and abuse as it comes.

William and Jamie do grow up safe under the care of Will's uncle, a knight, and they're provided the finest schooling available at the local abbey. Sheltered from the events of the realm at large, Jamie gravitates towards the priesthood due to his love of books and learning, but Wallace gravitates towards archery and forestry, taught to him by his friend and mentor Ewan Scrymgeour. This knowledge proves invaluable in the days ahead when English oppression becomes great and Will is forced to become an outlaw fighting for retribution against English crimes without reprimand.

Do not be mistaken, Whyte's portrayal of William Wallace is _not_ Braveheart. As an outlaw, Will is not able to lead armies against vast numbers of English forces, but instead must resort to leading his merry men from their forest base camp, picking targets selectively and using guile and cunning to outmaneuver a superior foe. Through such tactics William succeeds wonderfully, giving what he steals to the poor and keeping his outlaws safe in Selkirk Forest, including his own wife Mirren and their young son Will.

Whyte does a wonderful job of painting Wallace as a real man, with an array of moods, hopes, and dreams, he avoids the archetype model we've come to expect of the character. As the reader this not only helps with empathy, but helps keep things fresh since we don't know what's going to come next, what will occur to propel Wallace to defy English even further, and what will lead him on the path that will see him ultimately executed in London.

"The Forest Laird" is a strong start for Whyte's new trilogy, and it is a sad and tragic tale filled with ideals and grief. Whyte's historical fiction is always a pleasure to read and his latest offering is certainly no different, and I eagerly await the second novel in the series.