New Games |
- The DTOID Show: Metal Gear Rising & Command & Conquer
- TheSpeedGamers will conquer Zelda for charity
- Even more Orcs Must Die in the 'Lost Adventures' add-on
- Here's your dose of testosterone for the day
- Review: Gears of War 3: RAAM's Shadow
- Last Guild Wars 2 profession unveiled, devs put on an AMA
- Sony launches PlayStation Game Music service in Japan
- First details on Max Payne 3's Gang Wars multiplayer mode
- Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon now up on Steam
- Tales of Graces F gets a release date for North America
- Club Nintendo is back with games as rewards and more
- Hands-on video with the hottest PlayStation Vita games
- Command & Conquer goes F2P MMO with Tiberium Alliances
- WTF?! Final Fantasy XIII-2 OST: Bresha rap, Chocobo metal
- 25 Days: Win Space Channel 5: Part 2
- I predict that Atlus' next game is 'Gungnir'
- Review: Joe Danger: Special Edition
- Office Chat: Faith in Valve, Zelda's motion-based future
- Capcom Digital Collection brings eight games to retail
| The DTOID Show: Metal Gear Rising & Command & Conquer Posted: 14 Dec 2011 01:30 PM PST
The big news today is Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and the stuff Hideo Kojima's been saying in interviews about MGS5, but we also talk about the Capcom Digital Collection as well as the latest Duke Nukem Forever DLC. Then there's some new stuff coming to Xbox Live and some new stuff coming to the 3DS, if you were an early adopter. If you have an internet browser, there's a new Command & Conquer game coming at your face soon. Oh! Also, Alan Wake's coming to PC. Honestly, we've got a lot of stories today. Just watch the darn show. OH, and REMINDER: We're still doing this friggin' Xbox 360 Halo contest. Enter that! Free Xbox! Details here! | |
| TheSpeedGamers will conquer Zelda for charity Posted: 14 Dec 2011 01:00 PM PST More holiday generosity coming down the chimney! Beginning December 16 at 6 PM CST, game-marathon specialists TheSpeedGamers will be playing through as much of the Zelda series as they can in the span of 72 hours. As usual, they are accepting donations; all proceeds will go to the Paws for Reflection Ranch, Tara Sawyer Foundation, and Trent's Retreat Nonprofit Foundation. If you want to toss some change their way, hit up their site when the video stream begins on Friday night. If they manage to hit $15k, they'll soldier on for an extra day. All this giving, all this charity, all this love and selflessness is really making me feel bad for being a greedy little man who wonders when he's going to get his. But really, I just try to do my thing by sharing a little something fun or fascinating now and then and hoping I can make people smile a bit. That's fine, right? | |
| Even more Orcs Must Die in the 'Lost Adventures' add-on Posted: 14 Dec 2011 12:30 PM PST As of today, you can now grab the new "Lost Adventures" downloadable content for Orcs Must Die on Xbox Live Arcade. This five-dollar (400 Microsoft Points) pack adds in five fortresses, Frost Bats, Cyclops Mages, more skulls to earn, and a hearty selection of weapons. The arsenal has been upgraded to include the Mana Well, Vampiric Gauntlets, Alchemist's Satchel, Shock Zapper, and Floor Scorcher. We can all agree that the flying enemies are annoying little sh*ts, so it's great to see a trap that is catered to taking them down. Having only gotten into the game recently, I'm still making my way through Nightmare difficulty -- but it's consuming my free time at an alarming rate. "Lost Adventures" will likely keep me going for a few more evenings.
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| Here's your dose of testosterone for the day Posted: 14 Dec 2011 12:00 PM PST I'm really starting to warm up to Fighterpedia. First came that comparison of South Town and Metro City, and now comes the manliest example of mighty manhood to ever make you question your lower confidence. We're talking EXPLOSIONS! PILE DRIVERS! MUSCLES! BACK DROPS! MORE EXPLOSIONS! Fighterpedia Episode 4: Ode to Grapplers: BALLAD OF THE BODY EXPLOSION [YouTube] | |
| Review: Gears of War 3: RAAM's Shadow Posted: 14 Dec 2011 11:30 AM PST "RAAM's Shadow"'s greatest strength is its premise. A prequel set in the hours following Emergence Day, the first piece of campaign DLC for Gears of War 3 hints at what Ilima City looked like before it was destroyed, both by the Locust and the COG's scorched-earth reaction. There's a sense of melancholy that permeates the three-hour campaign as you run through a city you know will soon be ruined, accompanied by characters who will soon be dead. Gears of War 3: RAAM's Shadow There's a discernible rhythm to every level of design in the the Gears series. There's the ebb and flow of intense firefighting and measured walking; the surprisingly steady tempo of shooting, taking cover, gaining ground, conceding ground, flanking, and armadillo-rolling-into-shotgunning; the delicate timing of the active reload system. High-level Gears play has a way of mesmerizing people with its locomotion.
In almost all respects besides bodycount, the humans fare better than the Locust. Playing as the titular RAAM seems like it should be fun, but it’s not. It’s more interesting to notice that “RAAM’s Shadow” feels and plays more like the first Gears of War than the third, visuals and engine aside. Gears 1 had a unity and cohesion of both level design and mission structure that, I think, went missing in 2 and 3 but returns in “Shadow,” perhaps because of the DLC’s urban landscape. While the level design of 3 feels busy and trench-like, most of the original Gears and “Shadow” feel more open, like an arena. It’s less about winning and maintaining ground than it is using cover to flank and maneuver, and the firefights never feel staid or stale. | |
| Last Guild Wars 2 profession unveiled, devs put on an AMA Posted: 14 Dec 2011 11:00 AM PST Rounding out the eight professions in Guild Wars 2 is the Mesmer, which was revealed by ArenaNet today. This class type uses illusory magic, like clones and phantasms, to confuse and take down enemies. For years in gaming we've been fighting foes with such abilities, so it's nice to take on the role for once. The development team has also taken to Reddit for an AMA (Ask Me Anything), divulging that the game's closed beta will commence on Friday -- though it sounds very much like a limited affair. Even still, it's progress! Give the thread a read if you intend to keep up with Guild Wars 2, which you should. | |
| Sony launches PlayStation Game Music service in Japan Posted: 14 Dec 2011 10:30 AM PST I love that Japan takes game music seriously. Its singles and albums rank up there right alongside pop and rock, and in music stores you'll find them in the same racks. Sony is also taking game music seriously. They've announced a service called PlayStation Game Music for Japan. It lets users stream first and third-party PlayStation game music to mobile devices. Andriasang says that the service launches with content from Final Fantasy XIII-2, Monster Hunter, Dynasty Warriors and the Yakuza series. There's also sound effects to get down to. It's too bad that there's not a similar effort here. The closest thing we have is my wonderful AOL Radio Video Game Scores station. | |
| First details on Max Payne 3's Gang Wars multiplayer mode Posted: 14 Dec 2011 10:00 AM PST We knew that Max Payne 3 would indulge in multiplayer, but weren't entirely sure how Rockstar would bring competitive play to fruition. Enter IGN with its exclusive look at Gang Wars. The team has attempted to infuse Gang Wars with narrative, which comes by way of voice overs and motion comics. Interestingly, objectives will shift on a round-to-round basis, hopefully providing for more fluid, contextualized multiplayer mayhem. Yeah, there are perks, too -- Rockstar has dubbed them "Bursts." A few examples include Bullet Time (which works based on line of sight), Paranoia (enables friendly fire for the opposing team), and Intution (enemy silhouette become visible). I can't feel much beyond apathy, but I'll keep an open mind. Max Payne 3: Gang Wars [IGN] | |
| Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon now up on Steam Posted: 14 Dec 2011 09:30 AM PST Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon has found its way on to Steam and is available for purchase at a reasonable price of $14.99. This discounted rate will remain active through January 2, so there's plenty of time to hold off before it goes up by five bucks. What's more, this version includes all previously released downloadable content. Granted, it's easy to stop caring about getting more weapons when there are already hundreds to choose from, but the inclusion is appreciated nonetheless. If you disagree, PC-exclusive weapon packs are on the way, so go buy them. Much like Conrad, I enjoyed Insect Armageddon quite a bit. Here's hoping this PC port is solid. | |
| Tales of Graces F gets a release date for North America Posted: 14 Dec 2011 09:00 AM PST Namco Bandai announced today a release date for RPG Tales of Graces f for PS3 here in the US: March 13, 2012. It seems strange that Tales is coming to the PS3 this late in the game, but I suppose it's never too late for a good JRPG. Of course, this is an up-port of the Wii game. This upgrade will see new graphics, gameplay enhancements, and anew epilogue to the existing story. But what about Europe? Tales of Graces f will be available in Europe in summer 2012, says Namco Bandai, with German and French localization. | |
| Club Nintendo is back with games as rewards and more Posted: 14 Dec 2011 08:30 AM PST As a follow-up to Tony's post covering the next set of Club Nintendo rewards, you might want to know that Nintendo's website is now functional. You can spend your hard-earned coins on digital games such as Super Mario Kart, Fluidity, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!, and 3D Classics: Xevious. Since this list is only temporary and new games are being swapped in on January 10, I'm hesitant to go all in just yet. If you aren't feeling any of these either, a couple of new physical items have been added as well, including a slick set of 25th anniversary Zelda posters. | |
| Hands-on video with the hottest PlayStation Vita games Posted: 14 Dec 2011 08:00 AM PST Max Scoville and I went to the Vita Hill Social Club in San Francisco for a special press showing of over a dozen upcoming PlayStation Vita games. We have a few videos in the works, but for now you can check us out as we went hands-on with Resistance: Burning Skies, Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3, Escape Plan, Rayman Origins and Touch My Katamari. I meant what I said at the end of the video. I really want a Vita now after seeing all the games and getting some real quality hands-on with the system. If you're in San Francisco you can visit the Vita Hill Social Club and get hands-on with Sony's new handheld yourself. | |
| Command & Conquer goes F2P MMO with Tiberium Alliances Posted: 14 Dec 2011 07:30 AM PST
Up next for Electronic Arts Phenomic, the studio behind BattleForge and SpellForce, is a free-to-play MMO take on Command & Conquer. It was only a matter of time. In a less obvious move, C&C Tiberium Alliances will be playable on mobile devices in addition to offering standard browser-based play. Of course, you can anticipate there being plenty of social elements. Remember, friends don't let friends spam others with in-game status updates. Those interested enough to throw their name in the running for beta access can do so here. | |
| WTF?! Final Fantasy XIII-2 OST: Bresha rap, Chocobo metal Posted: 14 Dec 2011 07:00 AM PST The music in Final Fantasy XIII-2 is awesome, but not in the way that Final Fantasy XIII's score was. It's...different. Really different. Here are two examples that are sure to blow your mind. The Chocobo theme goes straight metal in "Crazy Chocobo," as shown above. I...love it. I LOVE IT. Gas him up with the greens and let 'em go! The other selection I have for you (after the jump) is called "Invisible Invaders," or the "Lake Bresha Rap." Yep, rap. It took XIII's Lake Bresha theme and added some old school 1990s style rapping. At 2:02: Can't stop, won't stop 'till the day that it's done / The enemy's always there, let 'em come let 'em come I can see it now, though. Purists, old farts and uptight as*holes that don't know the meaning of fun will pick these songs apart, crying "Why, Square Enix?!" at the sky. They're hilarious! Relax! Did you forget that games are for fun? [Chocobo art by cicik] Of course, there's epic orchestral stuff in the mix. This song is quite good. | |
| 25 Days: Win Space Channel 5: Part 2 Posted: 14 Dec 2011 06:45 AM PST It's Sega week for our 25 Days of Giving! Today, you can win Space Channel 5: Part 2 by helping spread the word over, this time over on Facebook! Just Like our Destructoid Facebook page, leave a comment on this Facebook post and you're good to go. We have ten codes to give out for Xbox Live Arcade and we'll be picking winners at random after the contest closes at 11:59PM CST tonight. Contest is open to everyone! Be sure to check out our Sonic Generations and Sonic Figurine contest going on all this week for more Sega goodness! | |
| I predict that Atlus' next game is 'Gungnir' Posted: 14 Dec 2011 06:30 AM PST So as to avoid making a new post every time Atlus hints at what game they’ll be publishing next, I’m going to predict now that they’ll be publishing Gungnir, a tactical RPG for the PlayStation Portable, released in Japan this May. I know this because the latest hint they dropped on their Facebook page is that the game’s title ends with an “r”. Well, not only does “Gungnir” end with an “r”, but it starts with a “g”. Further, it’s the latest entry in Sting’s Dept. Heaven series, which includes the games Riviera: The Promised Land, Yggdra Union: We’ll Never Fight Alone, and Knights in the Nightmare, all of which were published in English by Atlus USA. While I’m fairly sure that I’m right, Atlus seems to be taking a risk, publishing a PSP game on the very cusp of the Vita’s advent. Then again, the Vita's backwards-compatible, so anyone with one and an interest in the sort of games the PSP specializes in (i.e. JRPGs) will have some interesting options from the outset. | |
| Review: Joe Danger: Special Edition Posted: 14 Dec 2011 06:00 AM PST The team at Hello Games got an opportunity that I wish more studios, particularly those smaller companies with limited budgets, would get: an honest-to-goodness second chance. Not to say that Joe Danger was a bad game in need of a redo when it originally released on PlayStation Network. Far from it! We gave it a 9 out of 10, after all. But, at some point, you have to stop adding features and put your game out for the world to see. More than a year after the launch on PSN, the definitive version of Joe Danger has come out. The twist, however, is that it's available exclusively on Xbox Live Arcade. Joe Danger: Special Edition (Xbox Live Arcade) To provide a basic overview for new players not wanting to read the entire aforementioned review, Joe Danger is a happy hybrid of racing, platforming, and puzzling. Tricks are performed with the left and right bumpers, and are how you earn boost. You're given a great deal of control -- crouching jumps allow for greater height, for instance, and acceleration/reverse can be used to maneuver Joe forward or backward while he's in the air. The end result is a control scheme which feels natural. The immediate comparison for Xbox 360 players to draw is Trials HD, which is a decent enough starting point. Whereas RedLynx provided an experience most of us struggled to survive, Hello Games largely goes for the opposite end of the spectrum. Joe Danger is simple in all the right ways, which very much seems to be by design. If there's fat in need of being trimmed, I haven't found it yet. It's the type of colorful, enjoyable, ageless entertainment that's suitable for the whole family. I'm reminded of the days when the ESRB still used its Kids to Adult rating. Though the game ultimately culminates in demanding courses which may or may not result in the occasional swear, the build up is gradual to the point where this fact isn't obvious until you go back to the beginning levels; their simplicity seems laughable by comparison. Getting frustrated by a botched combo, or the unforgiving end-game content, is a weird experience. On the one hand, you were so close, but on the other, Joe Danger is a game in which one background ad depicts a gentlemanly dinosaur mascot for Tea Rex brand tea. I can't stay mad at you. Splitscreen multiplayer and the sandbox-style level editor also make a return. The latter deserves a special mention for its rapid-prototyping philosophy. They even managed to smartly incorporate tutorials for it as "puzzle" courses within the core single-player mode. Okay, so what's new? Better anti-aliasing, new playable characters, "80% faster loading times" (!!!), The Lab, and Pro Medals. Those last two I'll need to expand upon, but -- as if my crazed use of exclamation marks didn't stress this enough -- quicker loads for a game of this nature is hugely important. Particularly for those who want to get wrapped up in leaderboard dueling with rivals. The Lab is like a shorter, alternate-universe take on the standard Joe Danger experience. Your progression in it is separate from that of Career Mode, and for good reason. While there are far fewer levels on offer (25), they're some of the more interesting, engaging courses in Special Edition. Due to the compactness of levels in The Lab, you're expected to perform well, in a short amount of time, with all of the tricks in the book being thrown your way. The end-stage Assault Courses combine prior lessons and expect nothing short of excellence from the player. Now, on to Pro Medals. In Joe Danger, getting to the finish line is rarely enough -- you have to earn stars along the way. Stars can be obtained by keeping a combo throughout an entire level, landing on targets, collecting coins, and clearing a course quickly, to name a few methods. Not every star type is available for you to earn on every level, and the same can be said of Special Edition's 25 Pro Medals. These are awarded when you complete every star objective simultaneously in a single run. Easier said than done. Those tracks with a Pro Medal up for grabs are often the more challenging ones. Unlockables such as characters and Xbox Live Avatar gear are attached to Pro Medals, so there's incentive beyond simply aspiring to master the game. That said, you haven't truly played Joe Danger until you've attempted to get some of these things. The end result is beautiful in its fluidity. I'll be coming back to Joe Danger for some time to come. In getting this review written for the game's launch, I haven't had too much extra time to go back and improve high scores to the best of my ability. With every new name added to the friends leaderboard, that urge will grow stronger. Special Edition is indeed the definitive version, but not merely for a new audience; there's just enough in here to warrant a double dip for even the more casual of returning players, especially when you consider how catered to the familiarized much of the additions are. This utterly delightful game is one everyone owes it to themselves to play. | |
| Office Chat: Faith in Valve, Zelda's motion-based future Posted: 14 Dec 2011 05:30 AM PST We have another delightful edition of Office Chat for you today. Join Jim Sterling, Jordan Devore and I as we consider a world where all Zelda is motion-controlled. We also contemplate what Valve fans might do for confirmation of Half-Life 3 and what starts as an innocent question about Jim's sunglasses takes a turn for the sordid. | |
| Capcom Digital Collection brings eight games to retail Posted: 14 Dec 2011 05:00 AM PST With a growing number of last-generation games getting high-def compilation discs, it's odd there haven't been more digital titles making it to retail. Leave it to Capcom, however, to jump right on that. Due out in spring 2012, the Capcom Digital Collection brings together eight Xbox Live Arcade games for $39.99 while retaining the individual Achievements and online functionality.
There's enough worthwhile content in there to make this bundle valuable. I have to imagine that most people reading this website have at least a few of 'em already, though. |
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