Injustice: Gods Among Us Box Art and Three New Characters Revealed

The official box art for Injustice Gods: Among Us has been revealed on the official Facebook page here, and in addition, three new characters have been revealed:  Green Arrow, Joker, and Green Lantern have all been confirmed.

You can check out the announcement video for Green Arrow here or below:



Absolutely love that trailer; great style.  An official screenshot showing the Joker and Green Lantern has also been released here or below.

Pamela Horton, Playboy's Miss October 2012 Interview

Playboy's Miss October, the lovely Pamela Horton, not only has a sense of style and creativity, but she also loves a good video game.

While her work with Playboy clearly speaks for itself, I was quite curious about her gaming life.  Fortunately, I had the opportunity to ask her several questions, available for your own reading pleasure below:

1) What first drew you into gaming as a hobby and a passion?

I've been a gamer since I was 5, when my dad introduced me to Legend of  Zelda: A Link to the Past.

2) You're of course well established in League of Legends, but are there other MMO's or genres that you enjoy?

I enjoy RPGS mostly. World of Warcraft and Diablo III, Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Pokemon, that whole bag of chips. I do like puzzle and strategy games like Bust-A-Move (Bubble Bobble).

3) While PC gaming is always on the forefront of innovation, console gaming is huge.  Do you have a preferred console and what consoles have you owned in your lifetime?

I have always been a Nintendo Girl. All my original favorites were on the Super Nintendo. I do own all current systems though.

4) Is there an upcoming game that you're really excited for?

God of War: Ascension and Assassins Creed III!

5) It's often hotly debated as to whether games are considered art or not.  As both a gamer and an artist what are your thoughts on games as an art form?

To me, any creation is considered art. Whether you work with paints, words, computers, crafts, everything you create is your art. I agree completely with that.

6) Have you ever had the privilege to meet any big names from the games industry?  If not, is there a specific individual that you'd love to meet?

Almost every Nintendo fan would answer this the same: Shigeru Miyamoto. Either him or Nobuo Uematsu, the man who wrote the music for a lot of the Final Fantasy series.

7) If you had to describe your sex life with a game title, what would it be?

Infinite Undiscovery. Just the title, not the game of course. I am in a serious long term relationship with my soul mate, but every day I seem to learn something new and absolutely amazing.

8) Everyone has that one specific game they really remember fondly from yester-year.  What's yours?

Chrono Trigger or EarthBound.  Those games are classics that I will always love.

I'd like to thank Miss Horton for taking the time to answer my questions.  You can find out more about her art at her newly launched web site here, and you can check out her Playboy pictorial in the issue currently on newstands or via iPlayboy now.

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita Trial Impressions

About two weeks ago, I downloaded the Trial for LittleBigPlanet PS Vita and gave it a whirl on my GO trip in to work.  Outside of tinkering with LittleBigPlanet during Best Buy Gaming Invasion 08, I haven't truly experienced the franchise and wasn't sure what to expect, aside from the fact that I'd be controlling a well known character called Sackboy.

Well, the trial for LittleBigPlanet PS Vita starts off with style and humour where a wonderful British narrator takes you through the basics and outlines the gist of Sackboy's upcoming adventure in the world of Carnivalia, a place that once embodied joy and laughter but has become twisted by the evil Puppeteer.

Right away I was completely impressed by the game's colourful and lively art style, its use of music and creative humour to draw me in, and the sense of fun the title simply projected.  I enjoyed customizing my Sackboy and taking him through the well established tutorial and beginning the first levels of the Trial.

Of course being a PlayStation Vita title,  LittleBigPlanet PS Vita makes use of the handheld's touchscreen, allowing you to not only select items but to also place and resize stickers, move specific blocks and jump pads, twirls various platforms, and to interact with the various Side Levels available.  While in some PlayStation Vita games I found the use of the touchscreen to be very gimmicky, I didn't have that feeling at all with LittleBigPlanet PS Vita's Trial, and it seemed to me like the developers were actually using the touchscreen to compliment the gameplay instead of to dominate it.

I was also impressed with the length of the Trial. There are six levels to complete, including two Side Levels consisting of a whack-a-mole style mini game and a Tetris styled game, and you can go back and replay them as much as you like provided you don't actually exit the game or shut off your PlayStation Vita.  Sadly, being a Trial version, there's no way to actually save your progress, meaning that you need to play through the entire Trial in one sitting which took me nearly an hour and a half.  While the Trial's length is certainly great, it's a shame that without the ability to save your progress it doesn't really cater to the concept of portable gaming.

In truth though, that's the only con I found in my entire experience with LittleBigPlanet PS Vita's Trial.  It offered me a simple, fun, and intuitive platforming experience that I thoroughly enjoyed and would love to play more of.  While I might not pick the game up right away, as I'm expecting to get a PlayStation Plus membership in a month or so and want to see when it'll arrive to the Instant Game Collection, I fully intend to play through LittleBigPlanet PS Vita at some point.  Games showing this level of style and creativity don't come along too often anymore, and this is one experience I won't want to miss out on.

Resistance: Burning Skies (PlayStation Vita) Review

Last Spring, Sony Computer Entertainment made gaming history by publishing the first portable first person shooter to ever use dual analogue sticks.  Yes, I'm talking about the PlayStation Vita exclusive title, Resistance: Burning Skies, which boasts true console-style control in portable form.

The implications of this are completely huge.  While there's many shooters available on other portable platforms, such as iOS, many complain that the controls in these games simply aren't up to snuff, and the prospect of having a piece of hardware with native dual sticks to allow precision control is extremely appealing.  The PlayStation Vita also packs some solid internal hardware, allowing developers to craft a truly beautiful and immersive experience.

Resistance: Burning Skies features a full single player Campaign spread across six Chapters, as well as online Multiplayer via the PlayStation Network which supports up to eight Players over three different game modes.  This all adds up to the perfect recipe for a solid portable shooter and the inaugural portable title to use dual sticks, which leaves me with just one question:  What went wrong?

The game is set at the very beginning of the Chimeran invasion of the United States, and players take on the role of Tom Riley, a firefighter and national guardsman who gets caught up in the chaos while simply trying to protect his family.  Along the way, Tom ends up playing a major role in the beginnings of the resistance as he meets Ellie, a militia leader, and works with her and the Minutemen to aid other survivors and the military.  Overall this sounds like a pretty solid premise and the building blocks are all there, but at the end of the day Nihilistic Software makes some really odd design decisions that really hold the title back.

The big thing Resistance: Burning Skies has going for it is the controls, as the PlayStation Vita sports dual analogue sticks.  Overall, they get the job done well and the player can move and look around with ease, but there's other control hitches that keep the experience from being perfectly smooth.  The analogue sticks don't double up as buttons like on a console Controller, so Nihilistic Software had to find other methods of working all the standard controls in.  Basically, the breakdown is as follows:

- Left Stick = Move
- Right Stick = Look
- Right Bumper = Fire
- Left Bumper = Aim Down Sites/Zoom in with Scope
- Square = Reload
- Triangle = Swap Weapons/Bring up the Weapon Wheel (when held)
- X = Jump
- Circle = Crouch
- Select = Grey Tech
- Down on the D-Pad = Sprint (The player can also double tap the rear touch screen)
- Weapon Alternate Fire = Touch Screen (Motion varies by weapon)
- Melee = Touch Screen Button
- Frag Grenade = Touch Screen Button
- Hedgehog Grenade = Touch Screen Button

Just taking a look at the above, this all seems pretty straightforward and logical, but in actual practice it doesn't work as solidly as it should.  For example, adjust your grip on your PlayStation Vita and the game may recognize this as double tapping the rear Touch Pad, which will cause you to start Sprinting.  Die and load your last Checkpoint and the game conveniently forgets what you set as your secondary weapon, forcing you to hold Triangle and reselect from the weapon wheel which has a negative affect on the overall pacing of the Campaign.

The Touch Screen can also be extremely finicky.  The game has Intel Items scattered about the levels which you collect by holding them to pick them up, but if you accidentally just tap instead of actually holding, you'll use your weapon's Alternate Fire and waste some ammo.  You also open doors and pick up Ammo and Grey Tech by touching and holding them, which can lead to the same accidental Alternate Fire use if you're not careful.  While not the end of the world it added some needless aggravation to the game, and really, there's no reason you couldn't just pick up at least Ammo and Grey Tech by simply running over them.  This makes some of the game's Touchscreen use feel extremely gimmicky.

Another odd thing worth mentioning with Sprinting is that when Tom runs out of stamina (there's no metre to judge when this will happen), unlike every other shooter character out there who slows down to a walk Tom simply stops dead in his tracks, forcing you to release the Left Stick and re-press it upwards to keep moving.  If you're trying to run for your life or to get to cover this delay in fluid movement could see you loading your last Checkpoint.

Speaking of cover, the game does have a cover system but it's horribly clunky and unreliable.  You take cover by approaching a wall and moving into it, but this doesn't always work.  When it does you can aim around the cover or peak out as per normal, but the game features some odd clipping issues where shots can sometimes penetrate through the edges of cover (and I'm not talking about the Auger which is designed to do this) rendering it pretty useless to the point where I barely used it.

Visually, the game doesn't look as horrible as many pro-reviews have criticized it for, but it doesn't look jaw dropping either.  Some levels, textures, and character models look spot on, others look lower quality and faded.  Tom and his family look pretty good for a portable title, and Ellie and her resistance fighters look pretty solid as well, but random civilians tend to look less sharp and impressive.  The Chimera all look pretty solid though, and weapons and weapon effects look great.  Interestingly, while the PlayStation Vita can take screenshots at any time by pressing the PS Button and Start, Resistance: Burning Skies disables this handheld's feature.

The game's voice acting is okay, it gets the job done and isn't horrible but it's nothing to write home about.  The sound effects used in the game are very good and feel right, and the musical score is actually really, really nice when it's playing but there's long periods in the game which has no music at all, which I just found extremely odd.

In terms of the actual gameplay and enemy AI, to be perfectly honest it all felt extremely old school to me.  Most of the time Tom enters a room, several Chimera storm in, and you shoot them up pretty good allowing you to move to the next room and repeat.  The Chimera do take cover and move about, but not to any amazing extent.  Ellie also follows Tom around for much of the Campaign, and while she provides some decent fire support (she actually killed the Chapter 1 boss for me) her AI is really lackluster.  She'll often just stop and not catch up to you for a while, or she'll annoyingly rush ahead triggering a wave of enemies which is rather inconsistent and annoying.  Throughout most of the game, I actually felt like I was playing a late '90's shooter with early 2000's graphics, which isn't a horrible thing for a nostalgia trip but I'd expect better from a showcase piece like this.

It's a shame the game's save system wasn't solid and retro though.  Resistance: Burning Skies uses the single most annoying Checkpoint save system I've ever seen.  This is a portable shooter, meaning I might only be able to play it for about 20 minutes at a time, but the Checkpoint system clearly wasn't designed with this in mind.  The Campaign isn't long at only six Chapters, but it took me roughly double what it should have because it takes forever to reach an actual Checkpoint, and I had to abandon my game on many occasions before making it to one.  This means there were times when I played the same several battles a dozen times simply because I couldn't reach a save point, which was tedious and extremely frustrating.  What's ironic is the game saves ever time you pick up an Intel Item or Grey Tech or whatever, but it simply saves your character progress and not your actual place in the game.  Every time you boot up the game to you're also forced to watch the Chapters low compression quality cinematic as it loads the level, and while this is more interesting than a basic load screen with tips popping up, it got annoying seeing the same video dozens of times.  Clearly when designing much of the game Nihilistic Software failed to take into account how portable the platform is meant to be.

As I mentioned above, Resistance: Burning Skies features online Multiplayer for up to eight players in three game modes, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Survivor.  The first two modes are pretty self explanatory and Survivor is like Infection from the Halo franchise.  One person starts as a Chimera and every time he kills someone they respawn as Chimera.  You can also set up three different Loadouts to choose from and as you complete games and earn XP you level up, allowing you to get additional weapon upgrades and the like.

Sadly though, it takes a bit to find a game unless you use the "All Modes" option, giving you the broadest pool to try and find games in.  Most players left online have been playing for a while so new players will struggle as they get killed easily until they can finally start getting some decent upgrades.  When a match ends too the entire game seems to freeze for several seconds while it tabulates experience and score, which I also found annoying.

At the end of the day Resistance: Burning Skies isn't a horrible game, but it's not a great one either.  There's definitely some fun to be had here in either single or Multiplayer, but the game's design is extremely inconsistent and it really has a "rushed" feel to it.  To sum it up, it's a basic, mediocre shooter that shows us glimpses of what solid portable first person shooters could be like if they were developed with more care and polish.

There's no way I can recommend the game at full retail price, but as a bargain bin title (which I picked it up at), you'll get some fun out of it and you'll also boost your PlayStation Network Level very easily as all the game's Trophies can be earned in a single playthrough and one match of Multiplayer.  It's such as shame though as Resistance: Burning Skies could have been so much more, it really could have been the defining game for this fledgling platform, but instead it ends up being a pretty forgettable more-of-the-same shooter with flashes of greatness muddled by poor design decisions.

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Part 1

Yesterday, the hugely anticipated live action series, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, premiered on both Halo Waypoint and MachinimaPrime, and it was well worth the wait.

Leading into Halo 4 itself, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn tells the story of Hastati Squad, a group of young UNSC cadets training to fight Insurrectionists just before the Human-Covenant War kicks off.

You can check out the first full episode here or below:



Very well done.  I absolutely love the costume and armour design, so authentic, and I really enjoyed the nods to the expanded universe.  Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn is being told over five parts with a new episode airing each Friday leading right up to the launch of Halo 4.

Mass Effect 3: Retaliation Multiplayer DLC Announced

Earlier this week, BioWare and EA announced the next DLC add-on for Mass Effect 3.  Entitled "Retaliation," it features new weapons, characters, and enemies with the real highlight being the return of the Collectors.  It also adds environmental hazards to many existing maps, so we'll need to see how that all plays out.

The trailer for the new Multiplayer DLC can be viewed here or below:



This looks really cool, actually, and what's even cooler is that it's completely free.  Mass Effect 3: Retaliation launches this coming Tuesday on all platforms, and you can check out full details right here.

Playboy's Miss October Loves to Game

Who says cute girls don't play video games?  Earlier this week I received word that Playboy's Miss October, Pamela Horton, loves MMO's.  You can check out the official release below:

ARTIST AND AVID GAMER PAMELA HORTON
IS PLAYBOY’S OCTOBER ISSUE COVER GIRL
AND NEWEST PLAYMATE OF THE MONTH

Wichita, Kansas’ own Pamela Horton, 24, is Playboy’s newest Playmate of the Month, and is also featured on the cover of the magazine’s October 2012 issue (on newsstands and i.playboy.com now, with additional photos available at www.playboy.com/horton).

The Japanese/German beauty is both a multimedia artist and experienced gamer.  “I’ve delved into everything—acrylics, pastels, sculpting and even glassblowing,” said Miss October.  “I’ve also always loved video games and comic books, so when I paint in oil, I start with something realistic, but it inevitably scoots off into cartoon territory.  I’m definitely prone to the fantastic!”

Pamela, a gaming aficionado, is an established League of Legends player, specializing with Teemo and Soraka Solo Queue.   She sells her art and handicrafts on Etsy.com and recently launched a new website, www.misspamelahorton.com.

As for her thoughts on being both the October issue’s Playmate of the Month and Cover Girl?  “I’ve had many blessings in my life, but this double whammy is the biggest of them all!”

Very cool, but wait, it gets even better!  I recently had the privilege to interview this lovely gamer and artist, and look for that to be posted up soon!

Dead Space: Catalyst Review

The second novel to be published in the Dead Space franchise, Dead Space: Catalyst focuses on the relationship between Istvan and Jensi Sato and how they ultimately end up involved with a Marker.

Growing up the brothers are inseparable, always getting into trouble, trouble usually started by Istvan.  While Jensi is the younger of the duo, Istvan has always had psychological issues and hears voices in his head, leaving him socially awkward amongst other children.  Obsessed with patterns and numbers, Istvan literally sees the world differently than most and acts out in strange ways, leaving Jensi to constantly shepherd him and pick up the pieces.

This all changes in their teens when the government has to put them in foster care and the two are separated, Jensi being placed in a good home and Istvan rejecting foster care completely and fleeing to be on his own.  With no one to watch over him and guide him, Istvan's isolation causes him to disconnect further with reality, allowing unscrupulous individuals to take advantage of him over time.

Istvan is tricked into doing a serious crime which sees him arrested and spirited away by the government.  Jensi spends years trying to find and help his brother, ultimately taking him on a journey to a penal colony on an isolated planet where the government just so happens to be experimenting with a Marker.  Fans of the Dead Space games will certainly be able to guess what ensues.

While it's not made perfectly clear when in the Dead Space timeline the novel is set, my guess would be leading up to and during the beginning of the first game, as Aegis VII is mentioned, as are other Marker sites.  While taking place in new locations, Dead Space: Catalyst certainly captures the feel of the games with dark, claustrophobic and remote locations, religious extremists, and science gone wrong; fans of the franchise will feel right at home with the book.

I personally really enjoyed how B. K. Evenson fleshed out the relationship between the two brothers, and it was quite captivating experiencing the world as Istvan does, with such a disconnect and innocence that seems like a mix of both dementia and autism, and how this condition gets even more twisted once the Marker enters the mix.

There are, of course, Unitologists, Earthgov officials, military personal, and other Dead Space staples and archetypes, and they all fit into the narrative in pretty established ways.  Evenson takes a solid amount of time fleshing out all of these supporting characters and weaving them nicely into the story, which makes for a very detailed and entertaining read that fans of the series are sure to enjoy.  Paced slowly at first during this character development, the novel picks up when the expected Necromorph outbreak occurs.  Another plus for fans of the series is we actually get to learn how Infectors are created, something the games themselves never truly explained.

Considering the amount of time and detail Evenson took to build everything up, I was actually rather surprised how quickly the novel wraps up.  There's definitely an opening for a continuation, which is always a good thing, but the last several chapters actual feel extremely rushed and to a point, even anti-climactic, which is rather a shame.  Many key supporting characters either meet their end quickly or are simply never touched upon again, which actually feels odd for the novel's detailed and meticulous character building earlier on.

Despite this, however, Dead Space: Catalyst is a very enjoyable read and one Dead Space fans will find quite entertaining.  The book is due to be published in October 2012, so keep your eyes peeled at your local retailer!

Best Buy Reward Zone Gamers Club Halo 4 Contest

This past August, Best Buy's Reward Zone Gamers Club had a contest where members could enter for their chance to win one of two hundred Halo 4 t-shirts, and those entering were even allowed to specify the size of the shirt should they win.

Looks like I was one of those lucky two hundred.  This past Friday, a UPS package arrived at my door containing this shirt, and I must say it looks pretty cool:










For those interesting in signing up for Best Buy's Reward Zone, which allows you to earn points with almost every purchase in-store and online, head over here.

Once you sign up, you can then join their Gamers Club here, which traditionally nets you double the points on gaming related purchases and also entitles you to specific contests like the one above.

Mass Effect Trilogy Announced

This Fall, EA and BioWare will be releasing the Mass Effect Trilogy, the complete package of action role playing games to Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3.

The Mass Effect Trilogy also marks the first time the original game will appear on the PlayStation 3, and for PlayStation 3 owners who already own Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, Mass Effect will be available as a digital download via the PlayStation Store.

The DLC for the franchise will not be included for the Xbox 360 version of this collection, though the Cerberus Network for Mass Effect 2 and the online pass for Mass Effect 3 will be present.  The PC version includes both DLC add-ons from Mass Effect as well as the Cerberus Network and online pass.  Information on PlayStation 3 DLC will be announced soon.

The Mass Effect Trilogy will launch on Nov. 6th and will retail for $59.99 (US).

For those who have yet to experience the story of Commander Shepard, this is a great package and in my opinion, worth every cent.  You can check out the full details right here.

Dead Space 3 "Eudora" Gameplay Walkthrough

In this video demo, Visceral Games' Creative Director and Senior Audio Artist guide us through over 15 minutes of Single Player gameplay from EA's upcoming horror survival shooter, Dead Space 3.

You can check out the video here or below.



It looks to me like they nailed the feel and pace of the franchise, and I'm extremely excited for this game.  Very cinematic and with the usual dim lighting and jump scares we've come to expect from Dead Space.

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn "Squad" Trailer

The latest trailer from the upcoming live action series, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn is entitled "Squad," and formally introduces us to the members of Hastati Squad.

You can check it out here or below.



Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, begins airing this Fri. Oct. 5th on Halo Waypoint and Machinima Prime.

Halo 4: Promethean Weapons Trailer

Rounding out the factions in Halo 4, 343 Industries has recently released a trailer showcasing the game's Promethean weapons, which you can view here or below:



Not bad, but in truth, I'd expect weapons that are radically different from modern weapons to come from the Forerunners.  These weapons all have current equivalents, and they're clearly just Assault Rifles, Shotguns, Sniper Rifles, etc.

I'm sure they feel a bit different and I know this kind of design is done for gameplay purposes, but really, it just doesn't seem right to me; not advanced or "alien" enough.

Injustice: Gods Among Us Collector's Edition Revealed

Odd that it's not on the game's official site, but thankfully the news is on their Facebook page.  The Collector's Edition for Injustice: Gods Among Us has been detailed, and the primary attraction is the stunning collectable statue of Wonder Woman versus Batman, which stands at 13" tall and is impeccably detailed.

In total, the Collector's Edition includes:

- Exclusive 13" DC Collectibles statue featuring iconic characters Batman and Wonder Woman, the Fortress of Solitude, and the Last Son of Krypton’s escape ship
- Special Collector's Edition of a brand new DC Comics series
- Digital download of DC Universe animated film Justice League: Doom
- Three exclusive skins based on Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman from DC COMICS – THE NEW 52

The North American Collector's Edition of Injustice: Gods Among Us will release alongside the retail game this coming April for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and it'll retail for $99.99 (US).

Halo 4 Screenshots and Renders

With Halo 4 releasing in a little over a month, the marketing machine is in full swing.  Recently released are even more screenshots and renders.

The new screenshots, showing images from Campaign, Wargames, and Spartan Ops, can be viewed here.

The new renders, showing heavy vehicles and assassinations, can be viewed here.

Be interesting to see if the Flood will make an appearance in Campaign.  I saw some footage of the "Flood" gametype, and it seems their mutated arm functions much like an Energy Sword.

Halo 4 UNSC Weapons

Released more than a month ago, I have no idea how I missed this video, but better late than never.  The following showcases the UNSC weapons that will be featured in Halo 4.

You can check the video out here or below.



All standard UNSC fare, for the most part, with a few new additions.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Official Trailer 2

The second official trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has been released, and you can watch it here or below:



I'm ecstatic to return to Middle-earth this Holiday, and I can hardly believe it's been over a decade since Peter Jackson first allowed us to set foot there.  While many are skeptical about the book being broken up into three films, I have faith in Jackson to deliver yet another stellar experience.

December 14th can't come fast enough!

Halo 4: Covenant Weapons

343 Industries has released a new trailer for Halo 4 showcasing several of the game's Covenant Weapons.  Fans of the franchise will recognize some old favourites returning to the game, some tried and true staples, and a new weapon as well.

You can check the trailer out here or below:



I'm personally quite happy to see the Covenant Carbine make a comeback.  While I certainly had no issue with the Needle Rifle, the Carbine has been a favourite of mine ever since its introduction almost eight years ago, and I'm sure I'll be spending a good amount of time with it once again.

New Halo 4 Screenshots and Renders

Halo Waypoint is hosting some great new screenshots and renders from Halo 4.

The screenshots feature shots from Campaign, War Games, and Spartan Ops, and you can check them all out here.

The renders feature both characters and enemies and weapons and vehicles, and you can check them out right here.

Overall the game is looking very slick, though I must confess, I'm not a fan of the Jackal redesign, particularly their stubby face.

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn "Lecture" Trailer

Yet another trailer has been released for Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.  Entitled "Lecture," it features a discussion between an instructor and UNSC students about the insurrection.

You can check out the trailer here or below.

Injustice: Gods Among Us Tokyo Game Show Trailer

NetherRealm Studios and Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment have released a new trailer at Tokyo Game Show 2012 for their upcoming fighting game, Injustice: Gods Among Us.  You can check it out here or below:



To be completely honest, this looks absolutely great.  The gameplay looks very fluid, complex, and intense and the overall design is definitely heavily influenced by Mortal Kombat.  Very exciting!

Halo: Primordium (Trade Paperback) Announced

I received word from our friends at Tor Books that Greg Bear's second novel in his Forerunner Saga, Halo: Primordium, will be available in trade paperback on October 30th.

Here's the official word:

HALO: PRIMORDIUM is the second book in the New York Times bestselling Halo Forerunner Saga, written by legendary science fiction author Greg Bear. Halo: Primordium is also currently available in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook. The first book of the Forerunner Saga, Halo: Cryptum (Book 1) is currently available in trade paperback, e-book, and audiobook.

In Halo: Cryptum, Greg Bear began a three-book arc set in the era of the Forerunners, the ancient and enigmatic creators and builders of the Halos, which continues in Halo: Primordium. The third book in the series, Halo: Silentium is due to release in Spring 2013.

For those who missed out on its hardcover run or were waiting for it to hit trade paperback, you won't have much longer to go.  I greatly enjoyed the novel (reviewed here) and I highly recommend it.  If you're getting set to experience Halo 4 this November, then you'll definitely want to read both books in the series first as they flesh out a lot of essential back story.

PlayStation Plus coming to PlayStation Vita this November

Sony has officially announced that PlayStation Plus is coming to the PlayStation Vita this November.  For those who already subscribe to Sony's premium service via your PlayStation 3, you're already covered.

PlayStation Plus on the PlayStation Vita will over subscribers the following services:

- Instant Game Collection.  The most attractive feature of this premium membership, subscribers will get free access to a library of games, updated regularly.
-  Discounts on the PlayStation Store.
- Cloud Storage, 1 GB worth.
- Automatic Updates for both System Software, Games, and even automatic demo downloads.
- Automatic Trophy sync.

A 12 month subscription to PlayStation Plus is $49.99 (US), and I actually know many who've taken advantage of the service on their PlayStation 3 consoles and are extremely pleased with it.  Depending on what games are offered via PlayStation Plus on the PlayStation Vita this November, I might actually subscribe to the service as it seems to be actually worth its cost.

You can read Sony's official announcement at the PlayStation Blog here.

Halo 4: Return of the Forerunners ViDoc

The second ViDoc in the "Making of" Halo 4 series is also out, entitled "Return of the Forerunners."

It provides a lot of great details on the design and direction regarding the Forerunners and their Promethean warriors.

You can check this ViDoc out here or below:

Halo 4: A Hero Awakens ViDoc

Oddly, I missed posting this last weekend.  A "Making of" ViDoc series for Halo 4 is being rolled out, and the first video is entitled "A Hero Awakens."

This ViDoc is very in depth and features a lot of cool details, so don't miss it.

You can check it out here or below:

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn "Joyride" Trailer

The next trailer for Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn is out.  Entitled "Joyride," you can take a Warthog for a spin right here or below.

Halo: Combat Evolved - Anniversary Completed on Legendary Difficulty

This past week, a buddy and I teamed up and went through Halo: Combat Evolved - Anniversary's Campaign on Legendary.

We made very healthy use of the Bandana Skull, as well as Boom and Grunt Funeral, however the use of Skulls notwithstanding this is actually my first time completing Halo: Combat Evolved's Campaign on Legendary.

I also tackled both "The Pillar of Autumn" and "Assault on the Control Room" solo and went back and did "The Library" and "The Maw" on solo to earn "Speed Reader" and "Never Tell Me the Odds," respectively.

Thus, I've now earned all the Achievements the game has to offer.

I'm also still quite impressed with how well the gameplay has aged, and Halo: Combat Evolved is still just as much fun as it was almost eleven years ago.

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn "Flag" Trailer

Another teaser trailer for Halo 4: Foward Unto Dawn is up.  Entitled "Flag," it discusses one of the franchises favourite game types.

You can check out the trailer here or below:

The Dark Knight Rises Review

Set 8 years after the conclusion of 2008's blockbuster, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises is the final film in Christopher Nolan's masterful trilogy.  Thanks to Batman's (Christian Bale) sacrifice and the implementation of the Dent Act,  Gotham City is now free from major crime and Batman has retired from crime fighting, with Bruce Wayne himself becoming reclusive and hiding from the public eye.

Essentially in a state of depression and loss, Bruce still blames himself for Rachel's (Maggie Gyllenhaal) death and simply can't face both himself and the world, that is, until trouble starts for Gotham once more.  For those who are fans of the franchise, you'll certainly know of the character Bane (Tom Hardy), famous for breaking Batman's back in the comics.  As the primary antagonist of The Dark Knight Rises, Bane was once a member of the League of Shadows under Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson) and fully intends to finish the League's work.  With the on-again/off-again aid of Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), Bane slowly begins a reign of terror in Gotham, forcing Batman back into action.

I absolutely loved how much this final installment in the trilogy ties into the original film.  It most certainly makes many references to The Dark Knight, but Batman Begins is far more key to the core plot and there are enough twists, turns, and revelations that truly kept me on the edge of my seat.  In tandem with that, and along with a host of supporting characters, both old and new, The Dark Knight Rises does an excellent job of not becoming diluted or over saturated with all its characters.  Nolan really struck a great balance between screen time, character development, and action.

Now having said that, I personally found the action sequences from The Dark Knight Rises to be less spectacular than those found in The Dark Knight.  Sure, they're quite grand and generally flow well with the core plot, but they didn't steal the show for me; the character development did.

The whole tone of The Dark Knight Rises is very dark and as the movie progresses, it becomes more and more desperate.  I loved the play between Batman and Catwoman, who's dynamic I thought worked very well, and Bane was an exceptional antagonist.  I know many had issues with Bane's voice (as well as Batman's, of course), but I personally wasn't bothered by any of this and simply saw it as parts of the characters and of their very real flaws.  And yes, all of the characters are flawed and make simple, key mistakes throughout that have an overreaching effect on the whole film.

I personally got so attached to the characters that there were several moments where I did begin to get a little misty eyed.  Don't mistake me, the plot isn't perfect and there's certainly plot holes to be found (at a few points you really need to stretch your suspension of disbelief), but by movie's end I was still thoroughly entertained and greatly enjoyed myself.

By now, you already know that The Dark Knight Rises is the blockbuster film of the summer, and if you wanted to see it you've likely done so already.  If you're one of the few who haven't, provided you enjoyed Nolan's previous works with the franchise I strongly recommend you experience the film in theatres.  It's a great piece of entertainment filled with depth, heroism, and frail humanity, and it's a near three hour experience that you won't regret.

Halo 4: The Magic of Halo 4

First appearing on the Xbox 360 Dashboard, the video entitled "The Magic of Halo 4" is now available on Halo Waypoint and Halo Waypoint's YouTube Channel.

It essentially shows the team at 343 Industries working on creating the game, and has some cool footage present.

You can check it out here or below:

Halo 4 Controller Presets

In last week's Halo Bulletin, the Controller Presets shipping with Halo 4 were revealed.

Many classic configurations return and a new layout, entitled "Fishstick" (which might prove familiar to fans of other shooter franchises), has been included.

You can view the full list of Controller Presets here (scroll down to "Halo 4 Button Layouts").

Me, I'll be sticking with "Recon."  I've been using this general layout for almost five years now, so why bother changing.

Dead Space 3 Feeder Revealed

I missed this a few weeks back, and the official Dead Space 3 page was updated to showcase a brand new enemy.  Called Feeders, these Necromorphs are blind and hunt by sound and light, alone or in packs, cannibalizing any they come across.

You can read all about Feeders right here.

Halo 4: Foward Unto Dawn "Cryo" Trailer

The next trailer for Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn has been released.  Entitled "Cryo," two cadets discuss what it's like to experience cryo sleep.

You can check the trailer out here or below:

The Elder Scrolls V: Hearthfire Announced

The next add-on is coming to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim this Tues. Sep. 4th, exclusively on Xbox LIVE.

Entitled "Hearthfire," this DLC allows you to buy a plot of land and build your own house.  No, I'm not joking, this is actually a premium DLC add-on.

Don't believe me, check out the official trailer here or below.



I can see how this would appeal to some players, but those players aren't me.  I can think of far better things to spend 400 Microsoft Points on.

I also think it very odd that you can adopt children but you can't actually "make" a baby with your spouse.  This is a Mature rated game, after all.

Mass Effect 3: Leviathan Trailer

BioWare has released a trailer for their upcoming Single Player DLC for Mass Effect 3, entitled "Leviathan."

You can check out the trailer here or below.



Looks alright, though outside of being underwater for at least a part of it the trailer doesn't show anything too enticing.  The DLC will release this Tuesday, though I'll be holding off for a sale myself.

Halo 4 Achievements Revealed and Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn "Enlist" Trailer Released

In this week's Halo Bulletin, the full set of Achievements for Halo 4 has been revealed.  They all look like standard fare to me (which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned), and you can check them out here (scroll down a bit).  There's also some cool info about the game's official soundtrack.

Also, a new trailer has been released for Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.  This trailer is titled "Enlist," and you can check it out here or below.



The more I see of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, the more keen I am on watching it.  So much so, that I actually decided to pre-order the Halo 4: Limited Edition so I can get the full length version of it later this Fall.

Mortal Kombat (PlayStation Vita) Review

This past May, NetherRealm Studios ported Mortal Kombat to Sony's new handheld, the PlayStation Vita, with the goal of creating an experience that felt exactly like the game's console counterparts.  As someone who's quite addicted to Mortal Kombat (2011) and has spent hundreds of hours with the Xbox 360 version of the game, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take some kombat on the road.

The PlayStation Vita version features almost all of the content available in the console versions, with a few exceptions, and it also sports some exclusive content.  This exclusive content sparked some outrage from the community as they complained about the recently released Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition not being "complete," so let's take a look at what extra content the PlayStation Vita version has and what it's missing compared to consoles:

Exclusive Content

- A Bonus Challenge Tower featuring 150 new Challenges centred around the PlayStation Vita's exclusive functionality (touchscreen, accelerometer, etc).
- Test Your Balance
- Test Your Slice
- 16 additional Klassic/Alternate Costumes
- The Kombat Tomb stage featuring Augmented Reality (Training only)
- Touch Screen Fatalities
- Ability to touch the X-Ray icon to use your X-Ray
- Additional Concept Art in the Nekropolis
- An additional variable slot in Test Your Luck (When chosen under "Fight" from the Main Menu)

Missing Content

- King of the Hill
- Multiplayer Lobbies
- The Chamber of Flame Stage
- The ability to manually change your fighter's stance

Now while it seems that more was added as opposed to taken away, and it was, the majority of the new content is specifically tailored to the PlayStation Vita itself and simply couldn't be easily implemented onto consoles, at least not without their respective motion sensing peripherals.  The additional Klassic/Alternate Costumes would be a welcome addition on consoles, but seeing as how they're cosmetic they're certainly not essential, so I honestly don't see what all the fuss is about.

Outside of the exclusive content, it's essentially the same game, and as such my original review of the Xbox 360 version (found here), still applies so feel free to give it a skim.  For the remainder of this review I'd like to discuss the new content and technical changes present in the PlayStation Vita version of the game.

The Bonus Challenge Tower is great fun and is one of the primary draws to this version of the game.  Like the original Challenge Tower, some of the new Challenges are annoying and cheesy but for the most part they're interesting and well designed, and it's great to see the four DLC kombatants so prominently featured.  The majority of the new Challenges require you to use the PlayStation Vita's hardware specific features to advance, usually adding a great twist to the gameplay but occasionally the included functionality is very gimmicky.  There's also a few traditional styled Challenges mixed in, a fan favourite character guest stars (and is playable) in a few Challenges, and all the bosses are playable in the odd Challenge.  "Mini" versions of the kombatants also appear in several Challenges, where both speed and damage is increased.  As you progress through the Bonus Challenge Tower, you're also introduced to the two new mini-game modes:  Test Your Balance and Test Your Slice.

I personally loathed Test Your Balance.  Basically your kombatant is balanced above a pit and you need to tilt the PlayStation Vita back and forth to maintain their balance.  Subsequent Test Your Balance levels feature body parts being thrown at your kombatant to try and knock them off, and while the whole concept is good in theory, NetherRealm Studios clearly didn't play test this on a moving subway.  This is predominantly where I played the game, and the motion of the train regularly messed up the accelerometer to my great frustration.  If you fail, your kombatant plumets to their death, and there's about five possible ways in which they can meet their end.  While all of these potential deaths were fun to watch at first, they got quite repetitive after a bit, and since you can't skip them, they actually became rather annoying.  I have completed each Test Your Balance level and personally I never intend to touch them again.

Test Your Slice, on the other hand, is a different story completely and it's great fun.  Essentially it's Fruit Ninja Mortal Kombat style, and you're slicing body parts and power ups as they're tossed onto the screen while trying to avoid slicing bombs, which you can shake your PlayStation Vita to detonate safely.  Test Your Slice is a mode I keep coming back to when I need to pass a few minutes here and there, and I only wish there were more levels for it!  It's simple, addictive, and incredibly enjoyable!

Visually, the PlayStation Vita version of Mortal Kombat is a downgrade from its console counterparts, looking very much like a last generation title, however there's a solid reason for this:  frame rate.  Frame rate is something that's essential to a fighting game, and NetherRealm Studios chose to sacrifice the game's visual quality to keep it running at a smooth 60 FPS.  What this means for you is that you can play the game on your PlayStation Vita using the exact same combos and timing (more or less) as you would on the console versions, and I personally believe this is absolutely superb.  In truth while the visual downgrade is noticeable, it is not horrible at all, the game looks great for a handheld title, and you really don't notice it during the heat of a match.  I fully agree with NetherRealm Studios decision at having the PlayStation Vita version of the game play better over looking better.

The backgrounds suffered less than the character models, however, and they look very sharp and very close to their console counterparts.  There's less detail and animation in many of them, but again, during a match, you don't notice.  A great trick that NetherRealm Studios used is a lot of the background objects are actually 2D images of the high res versions found on consoles, and you'll only clue in on this when the camera angle shifts away from the standard 2D plain (such as during character intros).  Very clever and a great resource saver.

The cinematics featured in Story Mode are the exact same as those featured in the console versions, so you'll be able to see the characters in their high res and higher polygon count glory here, at least until Story Mode transitions into actual gameplay.

Audio wise, the game is exactly as you remembered.  The voice acting, announcer, sound effects, and music are all the same, which is great.  I did notice one odd audio glitch, however, and I've only experienced it in Arcade Ladder.  Sometimes, instead of saying, as an example, "Round 2.  Fight!," the announcer will oddly say something like "Round 6.  Round 7."  I have no idea why the wrong audio files are sometimes played here, nor can I reproduce the error at will, it is completely random, and it's the only audio hitch I've experienced.

As mentioned above, King of the Hill is absent from online play as are Lobbies, however you can connect via Wi-Fi to play Player and Ranked Matches or you can connect via ad hoc for local play.  I've played several Ranked Matches to date, and it saddens me to report that the lag which plagues the console versions appears to still be here, depending on the match, but thankfully the "Game Session is No Longer Available" drop seems to be absent.  Players can still disconnect on you though, screwing up your stats, but there's nothing to be done about that now and the overall experience is still both enjoyable and competitive.

The PlayStation Vita version of Mortal Kombat also features the same number of Trophies available in the PlayStation 3 version of the game, though some of them have been removed (such as the King of the Hill ones) and replaced with new Trophies related to the Bonus Challenge Tower, the new Mini Games, and a few other secrets.

At day's end, I really need to compliment NetherRealm Studios on an excellent port of an already excellent game.  Despite the visual downgrade, this is Mortal Kombat through and through with some great exclusive, hardware specific content to help keep things fresh.  Not only has the PlayStation Vita version of Mortal Kombat entertained me through countless commutes (and it'll certainly continue to do so), but it's also greatly improved the quality of my game, allowing me to learn additional kombatants and overall improving my skill in the game.

For you though, the real question is if Mortal Kombat for the PlayStation Vita is worth your hard earned cash.  Being almost the exact same game as that available on consoles, the question you need to ask yourself is if you're tired of the core game or not.  If the answer is yes, you're done with it or where never interested in it in the first place, then the PlayStation Vita version will do nothing for you.  If you're still in love with NetherRealm Studios fighter then there's an excellent experience to be had here which you can now take with you anywhere.  If you've never tried the game on any platform before and are itching for a solid title for your PlayStation Vita, I'd definitely recommend it as the amount of content available out-of-the-box is staggering for a modern day retail release, and you'll get months of solid enjoyment from it.

Halo 4 Specializations

This week's Halo Bulletin features a wealth of information about the upcoming Specializations, which will be featured in Halo 4's Multiplayer.  Basically, Halo 4 has 50 levels and once you've advanced past them, you'll get to choose a Specialization for your Spartan-IV.  You'll then need to advance through your chosen Specialization before being able to choose another one.

Only two Specializations will be available at launch, Wetwork and Pioneer, and more will be released post-launch.

You can read up on all the revealed Specializations thus far and what's been revealed about the entire process right here.

Mortal Kombat Season Pass (Xbox 360) Review

When NetherRealm Studios released Mortal Kombat (2011), they packed it full of a significant amount of content for a modern day retail release, something that impressed me very much.  Through the course of last summer, they did release four additional kombatants as DLC, each priced at 400 Microsoft Points ($5.80).  Launching along with the first of those DLC kombatants, Skarlet, players instead had the option of purchasing the Season Pass for 1200 Microsoft Points ($17.40), which granted them access to all four kombatants (once they were released) for a reduced price.

Last Boxing Day, the Season Pass was on sale for 50% off, and since I was busy grinding "My Kung Fu is Stronger" at the time, I decided to bite to add a little more variety to my Arcade Ladder opponents.  This allowed me to both fight against and to use Skarlet, Kenshi, Rain, and Freddy Krueger, and each of these kombatants also came with two klassic costumes each (also available with the free Compatibility Packs):  MK3 Cyrax and Sektor, MKII Smoke and Noob Saibot, MKII Kitana and Jade, and MK3 Sub-Zero and Cyber Sub-Zero.

If you use Random Select at the character select screen you could now get one of the DLC characters, and AI Shang Tsung can morph into them as well during Arcade Ladder/Tag Ladder.  If Skarlet is being used in Khan's Arena, she's no longer chained in the background and isn't replaced by anyone, and I'm not sure if Kenshi still appears in the background of The Pit if he's being used or not.

I spent some time with each of the new kombatants, and I personally found Skarlet and Kenshi to have a great deal of potential, Rain was fun but in my opinion the least useful, and I'm not a fan of Freddy Krueger being included as a guest character and didn't really enjoy using him at all.

Ultimately everyone has different play styles when it comes to fighting games, so whether you like the new kombatants or not is completely up to how you play.  Also, whether the new content is worth its price depends if you really want to play as any of them or not.  If the answer is "No," then each character won't add much to your game and you're better off passing on the Season Pass.  If you're only interested in one of them then getting that character specifically will save you some Microsoft Points, unless, of course, it goes on sale again.  Otherwise, if you're hungry for more characters to play as, then you'll get a lot out of this content.

I personally felt that Mortal Kombat (2011) has so much to offer that more kombatants weren't needed, however for 600 Microsoft Points ($8.70) I certainly got my use out of them, both playing as and fighting against.  In the end these characters are kind of like a bonus, something you can get if you really want but something you won't miss out on if you pass.  At full price I personally don't feel the Season Pass is worth it, especially since the Klassic Costumes they come with are available to all for free via the Compatibility Packs, but at 50% off it wasn't too bad and if you're a die-hard fan like me, you'll get a good bit out of it.

Dead Space 3 Weapon Crafting Gameplay Trailer

The Workbenches in the Dead Space franchise are getting an upgrade in Dead Space 3, becoming the Weapon Bench where Isaac can use scavenged pieces to assemble his own custom weapons.

To see this customization in action, you can check out the trailer here or below:



This seems like a natural evolution of the upgrade system to me, and it's cool that you'll have the option to create traditional weapons as well as customized ones.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 1.7 Update Released

A week ago the official 1.7 Update was released for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and it mainly addresses some standard bug fixes and also properly adds mounted combat to the PlayStation 3 version of the game.

If you don't have the update already you'll get it the next time you connect online.  You can read a full list of fixes here.

Injustice: Gods Among Us ComiCon and Catwoman Trailers

I completely missed posting the ComiCon trailer for Injustice: Gods Among Us, which was released just over a month ago.  You can check it out here or below.



Also just released is a "Catwoman" Trailer, which you can check out here or below.

Dead Space 3 Gamescom Gameplay Trailer

A new gameplay trailer for Dead Space 3 has been released, and you can check it out here or below.



Seriously, I want this game.  It looks great, both action-packed, story drive, with with suitable horror elements; just what I've come to expect from the franchise.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Multiplayer Reveal Trailer

Activision has sent along the official Multiplayer Reveal Trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops II.  You can check it out here or below.



Looks slick, very slick.

Mass Effect 3: Firefight Pack Released, "Leviathan" DLC Announced

A little over a week ago, BioWare announced and released the "Firefight Pack" for Mass Effect 3, which brings seven Multiplayer-only weapons to the Single Player Campaign.

The "Firefight Pack" is available now on all platforms and costs 160 Microsoft Points (or $2.32), and you can check out all the details right here.

More importantly, the game's next Single Player DLC has been announced.  Entitled "Leviathan," Commander Shepard and crew explore the darkest reaches of space looking for a fabled creature believed to be powerful enough to kill a Reaper.  Players will get to explore new Uncharted Systems as well as new areas of the Citadel, interact with new characters, gain access to two new weapons, and learn more about the history of the Reapers.

Mass Effect 3: Leviathan will be released on all platforms on Tues. Aug. 28th for 800 Microsoft Points ($11.60).  You can read all the details for "Leviathan" here, and the release date announcement here.