Halo Wars Title Update #3 Details

The next Title Update for Halo Wars, which will contain several bugs fixes and balance changes, will be released via Xbox LIVE in the next few weeks. Until then, Robot Entertainment has released the patch notes so we can see exactly what to expect (taken from the main Halo Wars page):


Balance Changes:
- UNSC Warthogs Gauss cannon damage against tanks and other heavily armored vehicles reduced by 25%
-UNSC Warthogs build time increased by 3 seconds to 25 seconds
- Anders research time bonus decreased to 25% from 50%. Her Research cost bonus remains unchanged at 50%
-Covenant and UNSC turrets have 5% increased health and 5% increased damage
-UNSC Elephants have a 20% more health
-Grenade damage type now has 25% additonal damage against Warthogs and other medium armor ground vehicles.
-Recycle basic cost return fixed to be 50% for constructed buildings.
- Locked down bases when unlocked will now release units inside very quickly, which means that when under attack a player can now build a fighting force while locked down and then release them much more quickly than before
- UNSC Leader powers disabled at the start of Reinforcement Matches
-Players no longer receive points for team killing.
-Self Destructing/Recycling buildings now gives points to opponents

Bug Fixes:
-Players should now find it much easier to play System Link games
-Fixed Covenant Shield Generator Exploit
-Invisible Units should now have invisible health bars
-Players will no longer be able to scout opposing bases by using the area-select tool


Looks pretty good. Once it's released, I'll likely start playing Multiplayer again.

Wolfenstein CG Trailer

Thought this trailer was pretty well animated, and I believe it's the game's intro.



Wolfenstein hits shelves on August 4th, I believe, and I'll be checking out reviews to see what the critics have to say. If the game's done well, I may just pick it up.

Martin Streek Passes On

Honestly, 2009 is either going to be called my Year of Doubt or my Year of Change, as everything representing my childhood, or what last scraps I was hanging on to of it, seem to be pulling away.

Earlier this week, I heard the sad news that Martin Streek, former DJ of 102.1 the Edge, has passed away. I grew up listening to this guy, and many other talented DJ's on Edge, and I just want to send out my own respects.

Martin, thanks for entertaining all those years, and I hope you've found peace wherever you are. You'll be missed.

Halo 3: ODST Maps Revealed

This past Bungie Day, Bungie Studios has given us our first real glimpse at the second set of Mythic Maps for Halo 3, which will ship exclusively with Halo 3: ODST this fall.

Say hello to Heretic, Citadel, and Longshore right here.

So let's see. New 5 hour expansion Campaign. Check. New Co-Op mode. Check. 3 new Multiplayer Maps. Check. Every other Halo 3 Multiplayer Map. Check. $69.99 plus tax price tag. ... ... Screw that.

Sorry Bungie, but if you want me to buy a retail game, give me a retail game and not an expansion set.

Nice try though.

Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack

On Canada Day, I was fortunate enough to win a community contest on the Xbox Canadian General forums for Halo 3's Mythic Map Pack.

While I haven't gotten to play them too much, I have had a brief chance to sample each Mythic Map and thus far they're both well designed and fun. Assembly's my favourite, with Sandbox being my least, but then again I was never huge on Forge.

Now, I haven't played Halo 3's Matchmaking in several months, so I was quite surprised to learn that many of the Playlists now require all the DLC, or at least the premium DLC. In English, that means to play a Playlist that shipped with the retail game, you'll need to go and purchase at least 1400 Microsoft Points ($20.30) of content, 2 x Map Packs, a total of 6 Multiplayer Maps.

That's horrible! So basically, if you want to enjoy Halo 3 out-of-the-box over Xbox LIVE, you now _must_ purchase the Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack and the Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack. I still can't believe it, and that's a disgusting cash-in that's turned me right off of Halo 3's Multiplayer. Extra maps should only be requried if they're _free_ to all, otherwise "premium" Playlists should be kept separate.

What's even worse is that Playlist's are maintained and implemented by Bungie, not Microsoft Game Studios, so this is a nice example of a developer providing the milkage.

Shame on you, Bungie Studios. I've just lost a lot of respect for you.

Gears of War 2 Title Update 4 Release Date, Double XP Independance Day Weekend

Rod Fergusson from Epic Games has informed us that the 4th Title Update for Gears of War 2 will be available tomorrow via Xbox LIVE.

In addition to the Title Update, Epic Games is celebrating Independence Day weekend with double XP earned, and as an added bonus, the 10th wave of every Horde match will now be filled with Tickers and only Tickers (better than Bloodmounts)!

The event ends on Monday, July 6th.

For full details regarding Title Update 4, head over here. For the official word on the Independence Day weekend Double XP, step this way.

Doom: Resurrection Released

Hot on the heels of their recent acquisition by Zenimax Media, id Software has released a new Doom title, this time for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Doom: Resurrection is an all new adventure set within the Doom 3 universe. Scientists conducting experiments on Mars have lost control unleashing the minions of Hell, and as the last surviving Marine, you need to battle your way out of there. Sounds rather like pretty much every other Doom title ever released, but hell, Doom's fun so it's alright.

The game is set parallel to the story of Doom 3, and uses the same assets from the 2004 title. Keep in mind though that Doom: Resurrection is a rail shooter, and it features a new control scheme taylored to the iPhone and iPod Touch (which is rather a given).

For your viewing pleasure, the official trailer, pulled from the site of co-developer Escalation Studios, is found below.



The texture quality and lighting are rather low, but again this isn't a current gen console, so I'm rather intrigued, but since I don't own an iPhone or iPod Touch and don't plan on getting one I'll be missing out on this game.

If you happen to download it, please, comment and let me know what you think!

Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Xbox 360) Review

We came. We saw. We kicked its ass! No, seriously, this game is my childhood in HD, which has me all in a nerdgasim. Released on the 25th anniversary of the original film, my second most watched movie of all time, Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Xbox 360) is, for all intents and purposes, the third movie. Set in 1991 and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, the game features the original cast, excluding Sigourney Weaver and "Honey I Shrunk my Career" Rick Moranis, and it even features everyone's favourite Peck, Walter Peck, voiced by William Atherton.

Being an '80's franchise, Ghostbusters: The Video Game is all about nostalgia, and it does this very, very well. The early parts of the game are true to the source material, so much so that at first it feels like Terminal Reality was simply re-hashing the original film, but thankfully this changes greatly after the first few missions, allowing the story to become really fresh, branching in its own direction and even concluding several points from the previous films.

You play as the Rookie, a new cadet and the fifth Ghostbuster who's just been hired to test out new and experimental equipment. Unfortunately, as you begin your first day on the job it looks like Gozer may be back, so the Ghostbusters need to swing into action. The game's tutorial introduces you to the Firehouse (complete with the painting of Vigo!), and then you're off on a mission to catch 'em, slam 'em, and trap 'em.

The gameplay for Ghostbusters: The Video Game has been described as a lite Gears of War, and from a certain point of view, I agree. While there is no cover system, the game is played from a third person perspective with your "HUD" built into your Proton Pack itself, and you can sprint, leap, and revive downed teammates. Really though, what's so much fun is the combat; bustin' does make me feel good! As described above, there are generally three phases to catching a ghost. First, you zap 'em with your Proton Pack until their health is low. Then you use your Proton Pack's Capture Stream to wrangle them, and you can slam the ghosts around to daze them. Lastly, you trap 'em. Toss out a Ghost Trap and guide them down into the little box to complete the capture and get paid.

Throughout the course of the game, you get a total of 4 weapons to use, your Proton Pack, and three variations, including the Slime Gun, which now dishes out green slime instead of the lovey pink crap from Ghostbusters II. You also get the Dark Matter Generator, which is more or less a Shotgun, and the Meson Collider, which is a high damage weapon that can track a target if used correctly.

Every weapon has a secondary fire that eventually becomes available, and all of your weapons, including your Ghost Trap, and your PKE Metre, can be upgraded with the cash you earn. Secondary fire for the Proton Pack, for example, is a grenade-like Boson Dart, and the Dark Matter Generator has the Stasis Stream which temporarily freezes enemies in place. The coolest of all secondary fires though has to be the Slime Gun's Slime Tether. It's a great puzzle solving device. You attach a rope of slime to an object, or even an enemy, then you attach the other end somewhere else. The Slime Tether will then contract, moving platforms closer together, getting objects out of your way, or slamming that ghost right against a wall or into your Ghost Trap! The Slime Gun is so useful for both its modes that it's actually my favourite weapon and usual my "default."

Did I also mention how destructible the environments are? Zap a wall, and you'll leave carbon scoring, just like in the films. You can leave slime trails, smash tables, break pillars, and in fact you can destroy so much that the game actually tracks how much damage you've caused (in dollars) and there's two damage based Achievements to earn, one for causing a ridiculous amount of damage, and the second for causing a very minimal amount of damage, which I have yet to earn. Considering the amount of damage you'll likely be racking up, it's a good thing the Ghostbusters have that damage claim arrangement with the city of New York!

You also get your handy-dandy PKE Metre to help navigate your environments. The PKE Metre, when used, drops you into a first person view in which you're looking through your Para-Goggles, providing image enhancement. You'll be able to see things normally invisible to the naked eye this way, and the PKE Metre will detect hidden ghosts and entities (red), Cursed Artifacts [collectables(blue)], and environmental phenomena (green). Ghosts and entities are just that and self-explanitory. Cursed Artificats provide you with some cash, Achievements, and you'll find them scattered around the Firehouse when you return there. Environmental phenomena are usually walls you can blow open, switches you can pull, or other some such that will advance your progress. The game has no map, which is frustrating at first, but once you learn to rely on your PKE Metre and get used to it, you'll never be lost. In fact, you can also see your PKE Metre on your belt in third person, so you don't need to walk around with it out all the time, but I personally found it more helpful to do so.

The game also relies strongly on team work with your AI allies. You're very rarely alone, and there's usually at least one other Ghostbuster with you, and your AI allies generally do a good job of helping out. The PKE Metre is also used to scan ghosts and find out information about them, such as what weapon they're the weakest to, and your AI allies will switch to that weapon when fighting different enemies. They'll also trap Ghosts, revive you when you're down (yes, unlike Gears of War, the game doesn't end if you're downed), and occasionally move ahead to guide you in the right direction. Ironically, for a game that's built well on teamplay, there's no Co-Op version of the Campaign, which is really sad. The more Ghostbusters using their Capture Streams on the same ghost, the less it can resist the Ghost Trap, and while the AI does help out here, it would have been much more fun with a real live buddy, either via splitscreen or Xbox LIVE. While the AI is also quick about coming to revive you, they're rather slow about helping each other, which means you'll be playing medic a little more often.

Visually, the game looks very good. Not Unreal Engine 3 good, but very good. The environments are extremely detailed (and destructible. Did I already mention that!), the character models fluid, and they very much resemble their '80's counterparts. In fact, the only major graphical con would be the lip syncing, which is generally poor, however the voice acting and dialogue, as previously mentioned provided by the original cast members and writers, is spot on and full of '80's cheese. The sound effects are great, right from the films, and some of the environments you'll traverse are quite eerie. Not scary, mind you, but definitely moody. The music is also pulled right from the first film, but it gets overplayed, which is rather a shame.

Like most shooters on the console market, Ghostbusters: The Video Game relies on an archaic, inferior checkpoint save system, except unlike other games, it never tells you when it checkpoints! This was very frustrating at times, 'cause unless I died I never knew when quitting exactly where I'd start up again. Usually just before a big battle or plot point makes sense, but there were some oddities to the system. For example, I had completed a mission and returned to the Firehouse, quitting and saving for the night. I come back the next day to play, and instead of loading me up at the Firehouse the game drops me right at the beginning of the next mission, forcing me to miss some crucial story information. Fortunately, being based on an '80's franchise, I was able to pick up what was going on quickly but come on! Don't jump me _forward_ when I load a bloody checkpoint! Yet another example of how Quick Save systems are the superior save system. And they've only been used since, what, 1993's Doom?

I also find it rather annoying that some games today, not just Ghostbusters: The Video Game, still ask you to select a Storage Device on starting up the game, and they still prompt you with a notification that Save Data will be overwritten if you continue. Honestly fellas, it's 2009. If I start up the game and have an HDD attached and _only_ an HDD, guess what Storage Device I'm going to use? No really, take a wild, educated guess! I also fail to see why most games don't support multiple Save slots. I mean, if I have 46 GB free, I think I could hold another 500 KB save file. Again, the steps backwards the gaming industry has taken on game saves over the last 5 years hurts my head, and while it's not deal-breaking, it's certainly annoying.

The real question you're asking though is if Ghostbusters: The Video Game is worth your hard earned coin. Well, that's going to depend on you. If you're an '80's kid like me who was obsessed with the franchise, then you will own this game. It's that simple, and Ghostbusters: The Video Game is, without a doubt, the best movie-tie-in game I've ever played. If you aren't into Ghostbusters, I'd recommend a rental first, as the game does get repetitive gameplay wise and while fun, isn't overly innovative. The enemies are challenging and there's enough variety to keep things fresh for the short Campaign, which took me about 9 hours on Experienced (Normal) and there's also some Multiplayer to have fun with, but really, the game's strength is its faithful rendition, re-creation, and continuation of the classic source material, so if you don't have the nostalgia for it, you'll likely enjoy the game less.

Regardless, if you do plan to pick up or rent Ghostbusters: The Video Game, I strongly urge you to watch the previous two films first. You'll get a whole lot more of the inside jokes, and you'll also learn why it's a bad idea to cross the streams.

Aliens Roleplaying Game Cancelled

Some sad news. Earlier this week, I learned via ActionTrip that the Aliens Roleplaying Game, developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Sega, has been officially canceled.

Final words taken from this soon to be extinct thread here:

"Rumors have circled around a bit regarding the fate of the Aliens role playing game that Obsidian and SEGA had been working on. Unfortunately, it is true that we are no longer working on the game, and we wanted to finally announce that officially to everyone who has been following its development."

Being a huge fan of the franchise I can't help but be disappointed, but there's always other games to look forward to.

Nathan Fillion Visits Bungie Studios

In last week's Weekly Update, Bungie revealed that they had an awesome guest pay a visit to their studio and to try out Halo 3: ODST: None other than Cpt. Mal Reynolds himself, Nathan Fillion.

Fillion lent his voice as a Sergeant in Halo 3, and he plays the ODST Buck in the upcoming Halo 3: ODST. Being a huge fan of the series, Fillion was privileged to try out the current build of the upcoming stand-alone expansion, as well as the new Firefight mode.

To get fully geeked out, check out Bungie's Weekly Update here.

Happy Canada Day

Whether you're enjoying a day out on the town, relaxing at a cottage, or taking it easy with your favourite game, we here at Arbiter's Judgement want to wish you a safe and happy Canada Day!

And remember children, fire works are nice and sparkly, but they don't belong in your hand, no matter how many beers you've had.

Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant Coming This July

Here's some welcome news. This July, we'll see the second Gears of War novel published. Written by the wonderful Karen Traviss, Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant is a direct sequel to Gears of War 2 and will follow Delta Squad as they escort survivors from the ruins of Jacinto and are forced to deal with not only the remnants of the Locust Horde, but something much darker: humanity itself.

Considering how excellent her original Gears of War novel is (reviewed here), and how much it really fleshed out what was lacking from the games, I'm quite excited about this sequel. Look for a review after I get a copy and give it a read.

Fallout 3: Point Lookout Screenshots

With it's release only days away, Bethesda Game Studios has posted a few additional screenshots for their upcoming Fallout 3 DLC, "Point Lookout."

You can view them right here.

BioShock & The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Bundle Coming to Xbox 360 and PC

2K Games has announced a great Single Player bundle headed our way. Beginning on July 7th, gamers will be able to pick up the BioShock & The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Bundle at retail for both the Xbox 360 and PC. The Xbox 360 version will retail for $39.99 (US) and the PC version will retail for $29.99 (US).

The official announcement can be found on Bethesda Softworks site here, and this is an excellent opportunity for gamers who missed out on these exceptional games a few years back.

Thinking a little more on this, that means we can expect the Xbox 360 version to retail for $49.99 (Canadian), and since each game now retails for $29.99 each you'd save about $10.00 by picking this bundle up. Of course, you can also find The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition for $29.99, which contains a lot more content, in which case this Bundle is overpriced for its worth. Your call.

Originally spotted at TeamXbox.

Star Wars: Order 66 - A Republic Commando Novel Review

Once again, Karen Traviss proves she is the mistress of military sci-fi with this excellent addition to her Star Wars: Republic Commando series. Not only do we get to read about the continuing exploits of Omega and Delta Squads, but we also get to see the Clone's perspective on the galaxy changing Order 66.

Sgt. Kal Skirita continues to plan for the future while working for the Grand Army of the Republic with the help of his Null Arc Troopers. Not only is he actively seeking a way to reverse the accelerated aging found in the Clone genome, but his preparations are almost complete for when the galaxy goes to hell, his safe haven for any Clone that wants to leave the Grand Army without having to do so in a body bag. Omega Squad is sent on what appears to be another pointless assassination mission that, naturally, goes to osik, while Darman is completely unaware that Kal's new grandson is actually his own Force-sensitive boy. Etain is filling the void in special operations left by Jusik's departure, and Jusik himself is loving his free Mando merc life, while doing everything he can to help Fi get back into shape.

We all know how this story's going to end: The Jedi die, the Republic falls, and Sev doesn't leave Kashyyyk, but reading how it all gets to this point, following these wonderfully written characters and their odd family mentality is just gripping. Karen Traviss knows how to write, to infuse her pages with so much style, heart, and drama that you simply don't want to put the book down.

Not only is it fascinating to read about the main characters and their further development, but taking a step back and watching the brilliance of Darth Sidious' plan unfold, and how it's all viewed as it happens by the simple rank-and-file is mesmerizing. Want to know why Jango Fett was chosen as the template for the Clones? Want to know why the Clone Troopers were elite units, yet Stormtroopers can't hit the broad side of a barn? Want to know how the Clones really feel about the Jedi Generals they've fought shoulder-to-shoulder with for over 3 years, only to find out they're declared traitors to the Republic? Read Star Wars: Order 66 - A Republic Commando novel. You won't be sorry. If you have even a passing interest in military sci-fi, Star Wars, or shooters, you'll enjoy this novel (though you'll want to read the previous three books first to really know what's going on).

This series has to be the single best military science fiction novel series I've read, very strong, and very humane. Credit to LucasArts for making the original game and allowing us to really view the galaxy from the grunt's perspective, and kudos to Traviss for really fleshing out that dark and gritty perspective to its fullest, infusing it with a fascinating look at Mando culture, and for giving the Clones so much more meaning and purpose than simply being expendable wet droids.

I'm also glad the series is _not_ coming to an end. The Jedi Order has fallen, the Clone War has ended, and the Empire has risen overnight, quick to consolidate its new power. Coming this October, the series continues with its 5th book, Star Wars: 501st - An Imperial Commando Novel. The series has been lite in showing the major characters from the saga, though they're certainly mentioned, so I wonder if we'll see Vader at all. Only time will tell.

Altered Beast (Xbox 360) Trial Impressions

The second of the 6 Sega games I tried was the trial for Altered Beast. I used to play this a lot on my friend's Sega Genesis, and loved this classic beat-'em up.

You play as a man brought back from the dead by Zeus for the purpose of rescuing his captive daughter Athena. You'll need to battle the minions of the underworld, collecting Spirit Balls as you do so to toughen up, and if you collect enough of them, you'll transform into a beast-man and really kick ass.

Altered Beast is a classic '80's beat-'em up in every sense of the word, and the controls are rather simple as you move left or right, and punch or kick your way through your enemies. You have a few varied moves in your arsenal, and these moves change when you become a beast-man.

The graphics and audio are what you'd expect from the era, which is to say poor by today's standards, but still fun, especially the primitive audio with it's low quality voices, and classic style midi-music.

Thankfully, this game allows you to take several hits before you die, and like most games of the day, you have several lives before you'd need to continue.

In brief, there's not much to Altered Beast that you haven't seen in other games of the day, but it's a great classic none-the-less. When I get bored of everything else I'm playing through, 400 Microsoft Points ($5.80) sounds like a find price for a trip down memory lane.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Xbox 360) Main Quest Completed for the 3rd Time

Have I mentioned how wonderful The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Xbox 360) is? I've played through it so many times now, with several different characters, and it's always an amazing and unique virtual world to visit.

For this playthrough, I decided to create a male Nord named Shale who's task it will be to complete the main Quest, The Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles. I'm mainly chasing the last Achievement I need to collect in the game, but decided to do everything since I haven't tackled the main Quest in 2 years.

It took me just under 30 hours to foil the plans of the Mythic Dawn, as well as to tackle the odd side Quest that came my way. Originally, I had set a goal to avoid the game's fast travel system and to close every Oblivion Gate I came across, but I encountered the bug where I was unable to grab the Sigil Stone in one such Gate. After attempting to close this Gate a few times with no luck, I decided to nix those goals (though my horse sure got a lot less use). This bug also cropped up on an optional Quest I was doing, but thankfully it didn't affect the main Quest at all.

Shale is combat oriented, a Warrior, as I recall, and I've been specializing in both Blade and Blunt. I also went through The Elder Scrolls IV: Fighter's Stronghold again, so I have a nice castle to call home.

Even after 3 years, I still consider The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion to have some of the best game environments ever created, sporting excellent design. The province of Cyrodiil is a wonderful and varied land to explore, that you really need to experience it to believe it. The role playing elements of the game are also exceptionally done, enhancing the feel of this living world, and there really is just so much to do in Cyrodiil, that I'm still able to find and complete new Quests, even though I've been playing this game for over 2 years.

Now, while I go through other titles, Shale will be taking 5 before tackling The Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine. If you haven't had the chance to experience The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion yet, I strongly urge you to do so, as the game really does offer so much content to explore.

Shinobi (Xbox 360) Trial Impressions

This past Wednesday, Sega released 6 classic games to the Xbox LIVE Arcade, and I downloaded the trial versions of two of them. First up was Shinobi, a classic side-scroller that I owned on my Sega Master System, though I do recall the game looking very differently.

Regardless, you play as Joe Musashi, and must stop the criminal organization "Zeed" who've kidnapped a bunch of children from what I assume to be your clan. You guide Musashi through the levels, tossing ninja stars, kicking, jumping, or using your "Ninja" power to defeat your foes. Honestly, I remember there being more special moves and weapons, though perhaps they just weren't included in the trial version. I know I am remembering the right game, because I distinctly remember the bonus levels where you must toss ninja stars at ninjas from a first-person view, and try and prevent any of them from jumping right at you.

While I enjoyed the trial of Shinobi, and certainly had some nostalgia tossed my way, one thing ruined it all for me: The one hit kill. You get hit once, you die and need to start the stage over. Man, how did I used to play games like these? Remind me of that the next time I gripe about an inferior Checkpoint save system.

So when all is said and done, I think it's best that I leave Shinobi buried in the sands of time.

Fallout 3: Point Lookout Screenshots

The next Fallout 3 DLC, entitled "Point Lookout," is nearly upon us, and Bethesda Softworks has released 3 screenshots that you can view right here.

Looks like there'll be plenty of red necks to shoot.

Halo Wars Title Update #3 Officially in the Works

Earlier this week, Robot Entertainment officially announced what we already suspected, that they're working on Title Update #3 for Halo Wars.

They haven't released full details yet, however this Title Update will focus specifically on balance changes and a few bug fixes, such as:

- Reducing the effectiveness of Warthogs
- Friendly Fire/Team Killing
- Invisible Unit's health bars will also be made invisible

You can read their post on the official site's front page here.

Halo 3: ODST Gameplay Trailer, Content and Pricing Revealed

At E3, Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie released the first gameplay trailer for their upcoming stand-alone expansion: Halo 3: ODST. Set during the events of Halo 2, Halo 3: ODST sees players stepping into the shoes of the Rookie, an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper who's deployed with his squad to New Mombassa in a battle to resist Covenant occupation of the city.



Sweet, just awesome. The intro looks stellar, and the twists from the Halo norm on gameplay look invigorating. I'm also absolutely psyched for Firefight, Halo 3:ODST's own version of Horde from Gears of War 2.

With the DLC milkage train on high speed, expansion sets are a thing of the past. Gone are the days of quality add-ons, and today we're saturated with nothing but overpriced, lower quality gameplay add-ons.

Not so with Bungie. With Halo 3: ODST, we're getting a full fledged expansion set featuring the following:

- a new Campaign, about 5 hours in length
- Firefight Co-Op mode
- 3 Weapons not featured in Halo 3 (A silenced SMG, a silenced/scoped Pistol, return of the Brute Plasma Rifle)
-Every Halo 3 Multiplayer Map Pack released to date
- 3 additional Halo 3 Multiplayer Maps
- An invitation to the Halo: Reach beta in 2010

That, my friends, is one hell of a solid expansion set and should set a standard for other lazy developers. Should, sadly, is the key word here. Then comes along Microsoft Game Studios to fuck it all up.

An expansion set is not a full game, it's not a new game. Simply put, an expansion set is meant to add in an extensive amount of new content to an existing game while we wait for a proper sequel. It invigorates that title a year or so after release and, well, expands its gameplay. That's why expansion sets always retail for $10.00 to $30.00 below retail cost; they're not a full retail game.

Halo 3: ODST will retail for $69.99. There will also be a Halo 3: ODST Collector's Pack bundled with a special edition Wireless Controller for $100.00 (US).

I went completely Brute-shit when I found this out. You're telling me, Microsoft Game Studios, that you're expecting me to pay full retail price for an expansion set!?!? And one with only a 5 hour Campaign at that! I'm sorry, but no matter the quality, no matter the developer, no matter the IP, no expansion set is worth full retail cost.

This is simply an insult, a berserk punch in the face, and sadly, business. The industry is bastardized yet again. Look at any forum on the interweb, and most gamers are singing Halo 3: ODST's praise, anxiously "preparing to drop" full retail price on a product that doesn't even contain the content of a full retail game.

It's sad really, how many lemmings there are in the gaming gene pool. Heck, it's cause of lemmings that the DLC milkage machine is doing so well.

So, this means I won't be getting Halo 3: ODST at launch, though I'll rent it if I can. $49.99 is the maximum cost I'd be willing to pay for a stand-alone expansion in today's market, and that's at the extreme upper echelon. Compare the contents of Halo 3: ODST to another recent expansion, like The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles to see what I mean regarding content and cost. That expansion retailed for only $34.99, and was well worth that cost.

For those still interested, the Halo 3: ODST site has been re-launched with loads of new details here.

Wolfenstein 3D (Xbox 360) Trial Impressions

Been a while since I tried a demo off of the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, and I can think of no more fitting a title to break that drought than the grandfather of the first person shooter genre, Wolfenstein 3D.

Now gracing Xbox LIVE Arcade, Wolfenstein 3D looks and feels like it did in yesteryear, which is great because it really preserves the feeling of the original classic. Set during World War II, you play as B.J. Blazkowicz, an OSA agent escaping from Castle Wolfenstein and bent on stopping the Nazi regime. You leave your cell with a Knife and Pistol, and venture out to find each area's exit while collecting treasure along the way, and thus increasing your score.

Make no mistake about it kids, Wolfenstein 3D is old school. The trial version features the first two levels of the game, and all the areas are blocky, sprite-based rooms connected to other blocky, sprite based rooms. You can get one other weapon in the trial, a Machine Gun, which shares ammo with your Pistol, and is basically just a rapid fire version of it. Careful though, as you're capped with a ammo count of 99 bullets. You'll fight Nazis who use both Pistols and Machine Guns, and also have guard dogs rush you in crazy zig-zag patterns, attempting to take a chunk out of you. Being a classic shooter, as I mentioned, each area has an exit button that you need to locate and press, and there's also several hidden areas across each map which contain extra Health, Ammo, or treasure. Secret areas are accessed by pressing the right spot on a wall, so be prepared to spend a lot of time pushing against random walls if you're going to try and find them all.

One cool little tidbit is how the game will tie in for players looking to pick up Wolfenstein, which will be releasing August 4th. As you play through Wolfenstein 3D, you'll earn Gold which you'll be able to spend on customizable weapon upgrades in the as-yet unreleased sequel. We're seeing more and more Xbox LIVE Arcade and retail game interaction these days, which is a good thing and a nice way to add incentive to the Xbox LIVE Arcade market.

Because of how dated the game is, it will _not_ be for everyone, even for me. At only 400 Microsoft Points, ($5.80), Wolfenstein 3D will not set your wallet back much, but if you don't like it's classic style or simply lack the nostalgia for the title, you'll want to try the trial version first.

Me, I missed out on Wolfenstein 3D back in the day, and will be passing on it again; it's bland-looking levels are too repetitive for me. Back in the '90's, I started off with Doom, and while Wolfenstein 3D is the genre's grandfather, Doom is id Software's masterpiece and father of the shooter, introducing the weapons and fast paced multiplayer gameplay that's made the gaming industry what it is today.

Conveniently, Doom is also available on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 400 Microsoft Points. Classic goodness for everyone!

Nintendo Developing "Help" Feature

The Wii is greatly credited for opening up gaming to a wider audience, appealing to many casual and first time gamers for its simple pick up and play gaming style, and ease of use with its motion controller. Nintendo is now looking to take that one step further with a help feature they're tentatively calling "demo play."

Demo play will be incorporated into the upcoming Super Mario Bros. game, and will allow a player to pause the game and have the game itself play the for them. The player can then unpause and resume control at any point.

Great. You know, I remember a developer commenting once, and it may have been Bungie, that they could design the game to play itself but where's the fun in that. Apparently Nintendo disagrees. The intention is for demo play to allow players to get past tough spots, but seriously, if you let the game play itself for the player, you're removing any sense of challenge or reward from your game. For any developer, it's simply good game design to present the player with a challenge and to balance its level of difficulty and frustration, which will then create a great sense of reward and accomplishment once the player passes it. Even now, we have far too many lazy developers who rely on uber-bosses or ridiculously frustrating environmental situations to "challenege" players, and if this feature takes off (Nintendo is considering it for other games), I can see sloppy, overly hard challenges becoming the norm over quality design. Why bother designing something well when we can simply have the game go through it for us!

Way to encourge development sloth Nintendo!

Original story spotted at Sync.

Xbox 360 Project Natal and Other Enhancements on the Way

Also showcased at this year's E3 was Project Natal, Microsoft's answer to motion control for the Xbox 360. Much more than a simple motion controller, Project Natal is a sensor that will, in theory, allow the user to control their Xbox 360 and supported games without the use of a controller. Project Natal is a camera, recognizes various voice commands, and can even allow you to log into Xbox LIVE via facial recognition! Sounds pretty nifty, huh. Instead of reading about it, watch this E3 promo video.




On first glance, this is really cool, a great peripheral that will work with any Xbox 360 console, and really help to bring the whole family into gaming. Except, honestly, I can't see my whole family jumping around the living room. I also want to know what happens if a dog walks by while I'm playing a supported game. Will my race car smash into a wall if it senses that motion, or will my menus go out of whack? Do I really want to model dresses on my sissy little Avatar? And how many TVs will experience death-by-shoe?

When I take a step back and really look at Project Natal, while we are getting one step closer to having our very own holodecks, it seems more like a gimmick and an attempt to appeal to the casual gamer just like the Wii. I mean, honestly, is Project Natal going to help me play Mass Effect 2 better when it launches? Doubtful. For that matter, we don't have a tentative cost or release date for this peripheral yet anyway, and while I'd like to see it succeed, I can't claim to be very excited for somethig that, at this point, looks rather useless to me.


In other news, Microsoft has also announced that both Facebook and Twitter will be integrated into Xbox LIVE, which is just awesome: now that cute girl I added to my Facebook Friends list can see even more clearly what a nerd I really am! Lord help us if it constantly updates our status to reflect what games we're playing.

We'll also see the addition of a Games on Demand channel. This Fall, you'll be able to download games in an ever growing catalogue straight to your Xbox 360's HDD, beginning with such hits as BioShock, Mass Effect, and Assassin's Creed (no doubt for those who missed out on them before the launch of their respective sequels). Again, no word on cost, but if the Video Marketplace is any indication, expect to pay for the convenience of being able to purchase games from your own home.

Microsoft has also announced their answer to the PlayStation 3's Blu-ray Disc support: Streaming of 1080p movies! Provided you have a home entertainment set up that can take advantage of this, video streaming will be an awesome feature, though I'm curious how much it will cost and how often you'll encounter buffering issues. I suppose that'll all depend on the quality of your own net connection.

There's also going to be some new Party features allowing you to view any of the 1080p movies you'll be able to stream with your Friends over Xbox LIVE. That's all well and good I guess, but honestly, what ever happened to simply, oh, I don't know, going and visitng people for real? Is it just me, or is this whole online social networking deal gone a little too far?

I'm not trying to rant on the advancement of technology here as we're living in exciting times and have more gadgets and communication methods than most retro sci-fi writers could ever have imagined, but I remember when gaming was a form of escapism. Now that anti-social is the new cool, we've got shared introversion for everyone! Yay!

Seriously though, it's getting awful crowded in my virtual world.

Star Wars: The Old Republic "Deceived" Trailer

I'm not a fan of MMO's myself, but this trailer is simply epic. Often, media from the Star Wars universe is hit and miss, depending on who's directing and what's being depicted, but without question, this has got to be one of the best cinematic trailers I've ever seen.

Set long before the films, this trailer shows the Sacking of Coruscant, setting the stage for the dark times of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Prepare to be amazed.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled Coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade

It's true, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled is coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade this summer, and unlike TMNT: 1989 Arcade, this won't be a straight port and will feature all new enhanced graphics and widescreen support!

Wet your appetite with the screenshots courtesy of TeamXbox right here. Cowabunga!

Fallout 3: Point Lookout Trailer

With its release only a few weeks away, Bethesda Softworks has released the trailer for their next Fallout 3 DLC entitled Fallout 3: Point Lookout.

You can watch it below or download it off the official site here.



Looks a little creepy, but somehow less impressive than their other trailers.

E3 2009 Media Round Up

The Electronic Entertainment Expo for 2009 has come and gone, and there's lots of great media to share.

To kick things off, Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie have announced an entirely new Halo game entitled Halo: Reach, which will be a prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved and is set for a Fall 2010 release. I wonder if the Master Chief will make an appearance in this one.




Next up, Valve Software announced Left 4 Dead 2, which will be launching this November. While I'm not a fan of the original, the trailer is still chalk full of zombie goodness.




EA and BioWare have released a great gameplay trailer for Mass Effect 2 which reveals the fate of Shepard, and they've also relaunched the Mass Effect 2 site with some tasty tidbits and screenshots. The Mass Effect universe is looking darker, and the trailer features some excellent music. Really looking forward to finding out more about this one.




Sega and Rebellion's upcoming 2010 release of Aliens vs. Predator is one of my most anticipated titles right now, and they've released a Predator-themed trailer, as well as some awesome screenshots courtesy of ActionTrip right here.




Lastly, we all know that in today's day and age developers borrow and copy ideas from one another, but the upcoming PlayStation 3 exclusive entitled Quantum has gone a bit too far. Developed by Tecmo, this is a hardcore Gears of War rip-off, but sullied with Japanese style influences of which I'm not a fan. Oh Sony, will you ever learn?




Update: Forgot to include the trailer for Assassin's Creed 2, which looks simply stunning. Now if only they could add some variety to the gameplay this time so I'll actually be inspired to finish it...

Star Wars: Republic Commando (Xbox) Completed for the 5th Time

It sure took me a while, roughly a year and a half, but I finally got around to finishing my 5th playthrough of Star Wars: Republic Commando (Xbox). Since Star Wars: Republic Commando was a lower priority in the face of many newer games, this didn't bother me, and it's still every bit as fun and intense as the first time I went through it.

This time, however, I played it on my Xbox 360, and I must say the emulation software did a very good job. The most notable emulation glitch would be the rainbow coloured textures on some shiny surfaces, most evident on the Core Ship in the game's first Act. I actually found these messed up textures gave me a bit of a headache, but thankfully that's over quickly, and the rest of the game is really holding up well even by today's standards. Sure, it's no Gears of War 2, but the art design, lighting, and even texture quality are still very detailed and nice to look at, and that says a lot about the Unreal Engine since this is a 4 year old original Xbox game. It was also great to be able to play Star Wars: Republic Commando in widescreen, since it is one of the few original Xbox games that supported this.

The game's audio emulated properly as well, save for a few minor bugs on Kashyyyk where Boss' audio would be completely muted at a level's start. This seemed to resolve itself as you played, but it was too bad as you missed some of the dialogue between the squad.

And still, even after all this time, it's the banter between Delta Squad itself that makes the game such a charmer. The unique personalities of each Clone Commando, and how much time you spend with them, really attaches you to the game and has you caring about these special forces soldiers who have no choice but to fight this war. You really do feel like you're leading a squad of the best of the best, and their AI handles very well, with each member supporting you and effectively taking on enemy targets the majority of the time.

The gameplay is as crisp as ever, and controlling your squad is a snap. The weapons are plentiful and mainly standard fair for shooters, and the use of off-hand grenades, or Detonators, made them all the more useful in a pinch. The pre-determined positions make location assignments quick and painless, and the development team did a solid job of incorporating basic squad elements into a standard shooter.

Really, Star Wars: Republic Commando is an all-around excellent single player shooter, and a great original Xbox title. It's all the more the shame that LucasArts never developed a sequel, as a Star Wars: Imperial Commando would sure be a blast to play, even if it featured a different squad.

BioShock 2 Release Date

In the clamour of preparation for E3, 2K Games has announced the official release date for BioShock 2.

You'll be able to return to Rapture in North America on November 3rd.

Mark those calendars, kids. November 3rd is the day you start adopting creepy little girls.

Originally spotted at ActionTrip.

Star Trek Review

Way to make Star Trek cool again. No, really. While many hardcore Trekkies will argue that Star Trek was awesome before, the series was definitely in decline, as demonstrated by the general lack of success of Star Trek: Enterprise, and a reboot of the franchise is just what Bones (Karl Urban) ordered.

Thus far, Star Trek is the best film I've seen this year, and certainly the current thrill ride of the summer. For those unaware, Star Trek starts off in Kirk's (Chris Pine) time, and there's some time line muddling so the characters are different from their retro '60's counterparts, and I'm not just talking about the actors. While I'm generally sick of the time travel plot device, it works well here (especially since it's been done before), and everything we know from the original series and onward is in a different timeline (so yes, Star Trek: Enterprise still happened).

The action kicks off right away, with a Romulan vessel that looks more like a Borg uber weapon (and yes, yes, I know it was built with Borg technology, but that was never explained in the movie, now was it) coming through some kind of rift, and their commander, Nero (Eric Bana), doesn't take too kindly to the United Federation of Planets. In fact, Nero really needs to take some anger management courses, as he's just raging all over the place (and yes, I know his real back story and motivation was explained elsewhere, but not in the film!). Think of him as the "Hulk smash" kind of villain, though much more articulate than Bana's previous, traumatizing role. So you've got a very angry guy with a very powerful ship, plotting revenge on a galactic scale. The solution, get some crazy, red-necked maverick onto the new flag ship to blow shit up. What? At least Kirk isn't bumping every alien chick in sight (though he certainly does try).

You see, Kirk's not exactly in Starfleet. Part of the timeline shift, his old man wasn't around to be that you-can-do-it influence, so Kirk's just some rough-and-tumble farm boy trying to score at bars. It takes a visit from Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) to convince him to enlist, and thus begins Kirk's journey through Starfleet and our introduction to many of the original series' characters. These may be the same characters under different, re-envisioned circumstances, but mark me the film makers did their homework. Lots of classic details and traits are prominently displayed, but with a twist, and it's very interesting to see how everyone meets and reacts to one another. Kirk and Bones hit it off right away, of course, but Kirk and Spock (Zachary Quinto), not so much. In fact, they hate one another, a lot of pride in the way, but hey, that's ambition and ego for you.

Visually, the film is excellent. I didn't quite buy some of the structures in the far background in the earlier Earth scenes, they looked added in and didn't blend, but that's just a minor gripe. The new look of the Enterprise is modern, sleek, and inspiring, and I found it very fitting that engineering is designed more like a ship, very industrial instead of the neat and clean look we've come to expect from Star Trek. The make up and costumes are also well done, either looking fantastic, or clearly poking fun at the "nose of the week" from the '60's.

Audio-wise, spot on. The sound effects, the music, all classic Star Trek, but new and modernized. Excellent performances all around by the cast to really capture the essences of their predecessors, especially Karl Urban. He truly was Bones down to the mannerisms and the voice itself. Exceptional. And poor Chekov (Anton Yelchin), not even the computer (Majel Barrett) can understand him.

I suppose when all is said and done, my biggest complaint regarding Star Trek would be the reliance it's using on you knowing the characters and source material, which took away from some needed character development. Nothing too crazy, mind you, but there's several points where I felt a little more exposition was needed, however when it boils down to it, Star Trek is much more of an action flick than the previous incarnations, and action flicks always have less character moments and more stuff going boom, of which the film has plenty.

Of course, if you're not a Star Trek fan at all and you won't even give the film a chance, even though I know many non-Trekkies who've absolutely loved the film, then you could always just watch this for a quick summary. RED ALERT, CONTAINS SPOILERS.



Otherwise, you owe it to yourself to watch Star Trek, enjoy the first "woot" of the summer, and engage to where man has gone before, just in a very different direction. Hopefully in the next film, they can re-invent some better looking uniforms. Them Starfleet types really aren't that military rigid, and love their cheery colours.

Diablo III Bestiary Updated with The Fallen Ones

Silent for a while now, Blizzard Entertainment has finally updated the Diablo III Bestiary with an old familiar to the series, The Fallen Ones.

This time around, however, it looks like there will be several new kinds of Fallen Ones added to the mix, and some interesting story details have also been revealed.

For full details as well as a short video and additional screenshots, head right this way.

Aliens vs. Predator Teaser Trailer and Screenshots

There's something about the sound of a motion tracker that sends chills up my spine, so I'm absolutely psyched for Rebellion's return to the Aliens vs. Predator franchise.

Their classic PC release of the same name was a lot of fun a decade ago, and the unique perspectives of each species was excellent, adding a lot of variety and challenge to the game. The major negative of the title was the horrible save system, so much so that Aliens vs. Predator: Gold Edition, released several months later, contained a more traditional-save anywhere system that was advertised right on the box!

But today, console developers jack off all the time to inferior save systems, so Rebellion can toss that back in there and no one'll complain. Why argue when you can just buy more or pay for some DLC that'll fix the problem! Conform with blind obedience! Oh, and watch the teaser below, and check out some screenshots, courtesy of ActionTrip, right here.



Sarcasm and bitterness over the sorry state of the games industry aside, the Aliens and Predator franchises are truly influential and many a fan favourite. I'm a huge Aliens and Predator whore, so I'll be waiting to pounce on this one as soon as it launches sometime in 2010.

Original story spotted, where else, but ActionTrip.