You’ve got to hand it to the publicity team over at 2K Games. After the explosive success of the original Bioshock on the PC and Xbox 360, the publisher/developer kept dead quiet on the possibility of a sequel…that is until they silently added a teaser to the Playstation 3 release of the game, confirming that a second installment was on the way. Then…more silence, that is until a week ago when a new viral media site (www.somethinginthesea.com) opened up as a publicity stunt to hype the sequel. And since then we’ve been bombarded with a flurry of information and rumors from magazines, press releases, and community speculation about the hotly anticipated video game.
To add to the current information we have on Bioshock: Sea of Dreams comes more news from the April 2009 issue of Game Informer magazine. Yeah, yeah, old news you say–the cover was released a couple of days ago we already know about the Big Sister, yada yada. Well, now we’ve got some scans and info from INSIDE the popular video game magazine, and they sure reveal a heck of a lot about both the plot AND gameplay features.
In Bioshock 2: Sea of Dreams you play as a Big Daddy, but not just any Big Daddy–you play as THE Big Daddy. The first one. It’s been 10 years since the events of the first game and one of the Little Sisters is all grown up. Now she’s returned as a Big Sister, armor and all, with a pack of fresh-faced little darlings to take control of Rapture. As you progress through the game you can kill other Big Daddies and, like the first game, you can harvest the Little Sisters for ADAM. Alternatively, instead of freeing her, you can adopt Little Sisters who will then extract ADAM from the corpses littering the city beneath the sea. When you take advantage of this feature you will be faced with several waves of slicers who seek to steal your Little Sister for her juicy genetic goodness…at which point it’s clobberin’ time.
Some new gameplay footage of Rockstar Games’s upcoming DS title, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, has been released via Gametrailers.com. The new footage features drug dealing and delivering elements of the GTA: CW, which represents one of the few mature games to be released on the platform since its debut in November of 2004.
Chinatown Wars makes necessary stylistic changes from its predecessors due to the graphical restraints imposed by the DS as compared to the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC, opting for a more animation-like, cell-shaded approach. True fans of the genre shouldn’t feel alienated though, as the visual style and overhead perspective is strikingly similar to the first two games of the GTA series, released on the PC and original Playstation. While neither of the original two games made use of 3D rendering, their bright palette and usage of sprites shares a close resemblance to the look (and feel) of GTA: CW.
Also worth nothing, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars seems to actually make good use of the Nintendo DS stylus, unlike most games featured on the portable unit. While often serving as an inventory screen and HUD, the game also uses the dual screen setup to provide different perspectives of the main character. For instance, in the video we see the top screen featuring the normal gameplay angle, a top-down view, while the bottom screen is in first-person mode, allowing for close-up inspection and manipulation of objects in the immediate vicinity of the character (such as slicing open a secret compartment in a car door to reveal a hidden drug stash).
Today, Bethesda Softworks released some incredible new screenshots of their upcoming DLC for Fallout 3, entitled The Pitt. Maybe it’s just me, but these shots really do the already impressive game justice, showcasing the more robust graphical features of Fallout 3’s modified Gamebryo engine. Despite the litany of crashes due to using VATS with anti-aliasing enabled, I played through the post-apocalyptic hellscape of Fallout 3 with most of the graphical settings at their highest levels with 1650 x 1080 resolution, but even so I don’t recall seeing anything quite as stunning as what’s depicted in these scenes.
In addition to the screenshots, Fallout 3 Senior Producer, Jeff Gardiner, also shed some welcome light on the process of creating downloadable content for the game:
Need some more nuclear fallout fun? Itching to pick up that gattling laser and massacre hundreds of people? Well, the wait is almost over. Bethesda has officially announced that the second DLC pack for their multiple award-winning Fallout 3, entitled “The Pitt,” will be released on the Xbox 360 and Games for Windows Live March 24th for 800 Microsoft Points, nearly two months to the day after the first, lackluster DLC “Operation: Anchorage.”
However, “The Pitt” promises to incorporate much more than just combat oriented content; Pete Hines of Bethesda has noted that this time around the DLC will focus more on making choices and dialogue options. He also states, in his interview with MTV Multiplayer, that since this is not a simulation (what Anchorage was), all items and equipment found throughout the “4 or 5 hours of gameplay” may be used within the main game, as well as the third DLC release slated, tentatively, for sometime in April. One of the coolest, although small, additions that “The Pitt” will include is the Trogs. A sect of humans only slightly tainted by radiation, the Trogs are descendants of hillbillies who, during the Great War, took refuge in caves to avoid the “fiery mushrooms.” Because of this, hillbillies weren’t as affected by radiation, but since they spent the last 200 years dwelling in caves (which weren’t completely protected from radiation leaks), they slowly devolved into light-sensitive, Gollum-esc creatures. Although similar to feral ghouls both in appearance and their undaunted hostility towards the Vault-Dweller, they’re backstory is much more compelling. Hopefully Bethesda will have the player delve deep into this potentially hilarious Read the rest of this entry »
As I’m sure most Xbox fanboys know, Capcom officially announced Lost Planet 2, the sequel to the frigidly cold, mecha-battling, best-selling third-person-shooter. Most interestingly though, is a statement put out by Capcom’s vice president of business development and strategic planning regarding producer Jun Takeuchi’s (of Resident Evil 1, 2, and most recently, the 5th installment, fame) devotion to sequels: “Takeuchi’s approach was, you know what we’re not going to sit back on our laurels and just shit out a sequel, we’re actually going to take it up five notches. We’re not going to under invest in this, we’re actually going to over invest in this, and we’re going to build it bigger.” (from an interview with Christian Svensson)
And shit it out they won’t. With the announcement trailer came news of features being added to the sequel, which, by the way, is an Xbox 360 exclusive. The trailer, which is mostly composed of in-game footage, looks a little less like Lost Planet and more like the Gears of War series, which I couldn’t be happier about. GOW has implemented a fantastic use of the over the shoulder view, incorporating both fast paced action and tactical maneuvering. And as enjoyable as Extreme Conditions was, something always felt slightly off (repeating cycles of explosions kicking your ass) when you weren’t inside a mech. But with this hopefully slight change to bring a more tactical feel to the game is welcomed with open arms.
Last week, news outlets discovered that NASA has been quietly working on a secret new project aimed not at conquering outer space, but the gaming industry. The government agency is reportedly working on a new MMO with developer Virtual Heroes, the same company behind America’s Army, a squad-based third-person shooter funded by the US army as part of a public relations campaign to show just how extremely awesome killing terrorists can be. After the recent and shocking discovery that James Carville is an alien lifeform, it is presumed that the goal of NASA’s game, Astronaut: Moon, Mars & Beyond, is to increase recruitment for the impending interplanetary crusade Operation Xenoform Freedom. Democracy: it’s not just for Earthlings anymore.
With a demo scheduled for later this year, NASA has released some early screens and video of one of Astronaut’s internally tested alpha builds exclusively to Counterfeitculture.com
Oh, Fiddy. I’ve idly stood by as you polluted my radio and television over the years, but tainting my consoles is where I draw the line. You know, not long ago an artist would have been called a sell-out for whoring their image, but now we refer to this practice as being “entrepreneurial.” Either way, you still suck, and so does your game.
In a nutshell, Blood on the Sand is 50 Cent’s attempt at vicariously living every violent fantasy he’s ever dreamed of fulfilling. The game is ridiculous from start to finish, from its premise of 50 and his posse trying to reclaim a jewel-encrusted skull from Middle Eastern terrorist crime lords to being able to purchase rocket launchers in telephone booths to the invokable “Gangster Fire” mode that stops time around the protagonist. Yeah, he’s also a super hero.
Like Ann Rice novels and movies by Michael Bay, Blood on the Sand contains lots of eye candy, action, and explosions, but you walk away from the experience feeling sadly empty and stinking of shame. Is it fun? Maybe, but so is using a stick to push a hoop down a dirt road. Let’s raise the bar a bit.
Wheelman
In the latest creative abortion featuring Vinn Diesel driving fast cars, players get to experience the thrills, chills, lacerations, and dislocated vertebrae associated with high-speed automobile chases and collisions. Originally based on IP owned by Midway, Wheelman was sold off for publication by Ubisoft a few weeks ago when the company filed for bankruptcy. Perhaps if Midway had spent a little more time developing a new title (their last successful franchise was, what, NBA Jam?) and a little less time putting out uninspired games loosely based on cinematic sewage like The Fast and the Furious they might have been able to stay out of the red.
I can’t get over the fact that, at some point, important, presumably intelligent people got together and collectively decided that making this game was a good idea. When I first heard about this game I had hoped it was some kind of Mega Man villain spin-off. I still do.
Being that the trailer has been out for a couple days now, the gaming world has had enough time to bask in the Mass Effect 2 teaser’s glory. After the news that ME2 will offer substantial connections with its prequel (see: BioWare Explores New Frontiers in Open-Ended Gaming), meaning that you’d best play the first one before the sequel comes out, BioWare’s release of such a tantalizing teaser continues to ready the gaming community for another all-encompassing journey into the deepest reaches of space, without uttering the words “Jedi” or “Klingon.” (Which is not to say they aren’t concurrently working on another massively ambitious Star Wars project.)
The trailer begins with a nice expansive view of some planet within the game’s solar system, with what seems to be a log from the Normandy, Shepard’s ship from the first game. The log notes Shepard’s credentials, as well as listing companions from the prequel. It then transitions to the first human Spectre’s status, which is stated simply as “Killed In Action,” with an unknown extraterrestrial revealing itself right before the end of the video.
Now obviously, Commander Shepard can’t possibly be dead, for he is once again the game’s protagonist, as well as the known connectivity with the series’ first installment. This does allow for very deep story progressing, offering vast amount of plot possibilities. Is the final shot of the teaser somehow connected to the reapers? Or is it a new threat to the Council (or the Systems Alliance, depending on how you ended the first game)? Will there be more lesbian sex? Will Seth Green be back? Too bad we’re not going to find out until probably the 2010 holiday rush, considering that BioWare has Dragon Age: Origins set for release sometime during the second half of 2009.
But they’ve done well with this teaser; gamers around the world have been left with significant blue-ballage. I know I’m sweatin’ for more Mass Effect greatness, and I think I may just give the ol’ girl another go.
Yesterday, Blizzard broke their typical tight-lipped silence and released a glut of new information and artwork for what is widely considered the most anticipated game of 2009, Starcraft 2. The release reveals a significant overhaul made to the existing artwork and character models for the Zerg faction. These new images suggest a darker, dirtier new direction taken by the design team, departing from the vibrant palette of the original game.
Art Updates
The StarCraft art team have been making massive updates to the Zerg faction, adding various new animations and improving even further on the textures of Zerg units and buildings. A picture is a thousand words so check out the updates for yourself!
Throughout the development process, the team is constantly reiterating and improving on the game in every way. As mentioned before, the Infestor too is getting a makeover, becoming much creepier and intimidating – you definitely don’t want to end up helpless at the will of this thing!
Today, Bioware revealed some new screenshots from their upcoming MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic, featuring the Hutt homeworld of Nal Hutta. These images represent the first time that this environment has been so thorougly visualized in any Star Wars media to date (it was first featured in Star Wars: Empire at War). With its toxic swamps and over-industrialized, smog-heavy backdrop, Nal Hutta provides a stark contrast to the lush, green environments and clean cityscapes pictured previously in press releases. Perhaps more importantly, the Hutt government remains neutral in the conflict between the Republic and the Sith, so this planet may provide neutral urban settings for players of opposing factions to comingle.
Nal Hutta serves as the central headquarters for the Hutts, a race of bloated, worm-like creatures driven by greed who make up the most infamous interplanetary gangster cartels in the galaxy. Originally from the planet of Varl, the Hutts allegedly left to colonize Nal Hutta following an apocalyptic natural disaster on their homeworld resulting in its obliteration. Contemporary historians in the Star Wars universe doubt the veracity of the Hutts’ account and believe that the destruction of Varl was caused by the Hutts themselves, most likely from full-blown civil war.
Using their keen understanding of business and galactic law, the Hutts manipulated the local primitive peoples of Nal Hutta (the Evocii) into signing trade agreements exchanging advanced technology for local real estate, ultimately dragging the local population deep into debt. The Hutts settled the debt by making slaves of the planet’s inhabitants and ruling over their former domain. After thousands of years of Hutt rule, the planet had been transformed into an industrial hive saturated with pollution and barely fit for living beings.
In Huttese, the name translates into “Glorious Jewel”, and the planet more commonly called Nal Hutta is considered a paradise to the gluttonous tastes of the Hutts. To anyone else, though, the planet is a living nightmare—a disgusting and dangerous place to visit, and an unthinkable place to live. Current Underworld slang has shortened the name to a simple ‘Hutta’—a place where more civilized people threaten to send their children if they misbehave.
Before the creation of the Republic, Hutta was controlled by the native Evocii, a relatively primitive race who made the mistake of engaging in extensive business deals with the Hutts, ignoring rumors of their legendary greed. Centuries later, the Evocii realized their mistake too late—their entire civilization was mortgaged. When the Hutts’ home-world of Varl later became polluted and uninhabitable, the Hutts collected on the Evocii’s debts, becoming rulers of the planet.
In the thousands of years since, the Hutts have subjugated the Evocii—they live in slavery and squalor while the Hutts’ insatiable pursuit wealth pollutes the planet. Hutta has become the breeding grounds for the powerful Hutt families who control competing crime cartels that operate across the galaxy. Though petty vendettas keep them in constant conflict with one another, the Hutts have remained neutral in the long-running war between the Republic and the Sith Empire, keeping their world exactly as they like it.
The Hutts are the lords of Hutta’s demented society, and all other races, even official foreign emissaries, are seen as expendable fodder in the Hutts’ bloated, wormlike eyes. Even the most infamous bounty hunters are hesitant to venture on the Hutts’ home-turf, and no sane person would ever come to Hutta willingly without the most crucial need.
UK sales charts report that Nintendo's new DSi portable device is now the 4th fastest selling console in history, behind the PSP, PS3, & Wii 2009-04-07
I love seeing grown men and women playing video games on the train. Not cell phone fodder, but real games. Like Mario Kart. How far we'v ... 2009-03-03
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