Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Episode 26: The Eerie Calm

So as expected, I've played NOTHING but Diablo III since I got it last weekend. The gameplay is a slightly polished version of the classic Diablo style but the new skill map system is AWESOME! I always hated sitting on my skill points until level 40 (or whatever it was) and having a lame ass character until then. Now you can change your skills and "Runes" (skill modifiers) anytime you damn well please. It's one of those things I can't believe it took this long for someone to get right.

Anyway, enough about me... let's talk about... GAMES!

Only one lonely new release this week, Resistance: Burning Skies hits Sony's Vita this week. You are a firefighter defending against aliens in the aftermath of the original Resistance game.


There is another game hitting stores this week, just not a NEW game. The Game of the Year Edition of Batman: Arkham City lands today with Catwoman, Robin, Nightwing, all skins, challenge maps, and the new  Harley Quinn's Revenge DLC (which is available for download today for those who already have the regular version of the game). 



Looking down the road a bit, geeks like myself are FINALLY getting a Marvel MMORPG called Marvel Heroes. The story centers around thwarting some evil plan by Doctor Doom. So far, the character list includes members of the X-men, Avengers, Fantastic Four, and others and looks to have a similar play style to that of the Diablo series (also, like Diablo, the game will be FREE to play online). No word on a release date yet. Click here to check out the list of characters and get more info.


And now, on to some gaming news: Angry Birds Friends has gotten an upgrade to "official Facebook app" and will now feature new levels each week and a feature to compete in tournaments with friends. Diablo III set the record for most PC games sold in the first 24 hours with 3.5 MILLION COPIES! It went on to top 6 million in it's first week. The team who makes MLB 2K is considering NOT renewing their contract with MLB which would make the PS3 exclusive MLB The Show the only MLB game (that is, until another company picks up the slack). And lastly, Saints Row has added some sexy new gang members: Penthouse Pets Nikki Benz, Justine Joli, Ryan Keely, and Heather Vandeven are available as DLC. Here's a taste:


And that's it for this week. Below is your list of what's coming in the next month. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!


Release Date
Title
Consoles
June 5th
"Inversion"
Xbox360 and PS3
June 5th
"Madagascar 3: The Video Game"
Xbox360, PS3, Wii, DS, 3DS
June 12th
"Gravity Rush"
Vita
June 12th
"DiRT Showdown"
Xbox360 and PS3
June 12th
"Lollipop Chainsaw"
Xbox360 and PS3
June 18th
"Pokemon Conquest"
DS
June 19th
"Brave: The Video Game"
Xbox360, PS3, Wii, Vita, 3DS, DS
June 19th
"LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes"
Xbox360, PS3, Wii, Vita, 3DS, DS
June 19th
"Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor"
Xbox360
June 26th
"The Amazing Spider-Man"
Xbox360, PS3, Wii, 3DS
June 26th
"Spec Ops: The Line"
Xbox360, PS3, PC
June 26th
"Guild Wars 2"
PC

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Episode 25: Ghosts In The Machine

Before we dive into the new releases, I have FINALLY experienced Diablo III and it's freaking AMAZING! I hated to miss launch day but I grabbed a copy over the weekend and got around to installing and playing last night. I haven't done much but I started off with a Witch Doctor named Deekae (same as my necromancer from WoW). I'll keep you posted as I explore more of the world of Sanctuary.

Now, onto the new stuff!

First up, and by far the BIGGEST release of the week, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier coming to Xbox360 and PS3. This time you'll be heading to Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, and Norway. New features include "optical camo" that makes you invisible when you keep a low profile. They have also added various drones based on real world technology like the BigDog and quadrotor.


Next up, MIB: Alien Crisis hits Xbox360, PS3, and Wii this week. I'm not holding a lot of hope as this is a semi-movie adaptation. It's partly based on the movie but you play as some new agent they created for the game. 



The last hard disc of the week is Dragon's Dogma coming to Xbox360 and PS3. This is an action RPG where you a hero on a quest to kill the dragon who tore out his heart.



Available via download on PS3 this week is Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock and Sorcery. Doctor Who send the good doctor to the Eternity Clock (a planet that is a record of all things that have been, are, and will ever be) to save the Earth. Sorcery uses the PlaystationMove as your wand to cast spells.





Now on to other gaming news. Halo 4 is officially available for pre-order for $100. It comes with a boatload of bonus content like maps and weapons and skins and also has a 90 minute version of the upcoming live action series. South Park (the RPG based on the show) has been pushed back to a 2013 release. Diablo III had some major issues around launch time which lead to a terrible user score but those issues have been handled now.

And that about does it, as an added bonus, I'm going to start including a list of upcoming releases at the end of each blog post so you can be ready for what's coming. So that does it, I'll be playing Diablo III for a while so find me on there. Until next time, go out there and get your game on!

May 29th
"DiRT Showdown"
Xbox360 and PS3
May 29th
"Resistance: Burning Skies"
Vita
May 31st
"Test Drive: Ferrari Legends"
Xbox360 and PS3
June 5th
"Inversion"
Xbox360 and PS3
June 5th
"Madagascar 3: The Video Game"
Xbox360, PS3, Wii, DS, 3DS
June 12th
"Gravity Rush"
Vita
June 12th
"Lollipop Chainsaw"
Xbox360 and PS3
June 18th
"Pokemon Conquest"
DS
June 19th
"Brave: The Video Game"
Xbox360, PS3, Wii, Vita, 3DS, DS
June 19th
"LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes"
Xbox360, PS3, Wii, Vita, 3DS, DS
June 19th
"Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor"
Xbox360
June 26th
"The Amazing Spider-Man"
Xbox360, PS3, Wii, 3DS
June 26th
"Spec Ops: The Line"
Xbox360, PS3, PC
June 26th
"Guild Wars 2"
PC

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Episode 24: The Return of EVIL!

FINALLY we have a week with a nice list of big releases and one of them I've been waiting for almost a DECADE to play!

First off, the game that will be eating my time for a good long time... DIABLO III! This will be PC only (although there is rumor of a PS3 version at some point). This time around you'll be facing off against two Lesser Evils (Azmodan and Belial) as you try to unravel the mystery behind the Black Soulstone. This time around you'll be guided by Decard Cain's (the guide from the first 2 games) neice. The classes you can choose from this time are Barbarian, Witch Doctor, Wizard, Monk, and Demon Hunter.


And for those who have missed out on the Diablo gaming legacy, here's a nice 5 minute recap of what you've missed so far:


Still want more? Here's a badass animated telling of the battle between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells of Sanctuary (the realm where Diablo is based) and how that lead to the story of Diablo and the Prime Evils (and now the Lesser Evils):


Sorry for gushing, if you can't tell I'm pretty damned excited about that one. Next up, Game of Thrones makes the leap from book to show and now to video games on Xbox360, PS3, and PC. The game takes place during the events of Season 1 but follows two new heroes: a "skinchanger" like Bran Stark (who can slip into the skin of his dog) and a red priest who's sword ignites into flame. You'll alternate between their stories until they merge on a common quest.


The only game coming to almost every format this week (PS3, Xbox360, Wii, DS, and 3DS) is Battleship: The Video Game. Before you get too excited, it's not the awesome board game from childhood, it's the adaptation of the movie starring Rihanna and Brooklyn Decker. First person shooter style, I'm not expecting much.


Landing on Xbox360 and PS3 this week, Max Payne 3. This time, Max has left NYC and headed south of the border to a private security firm in Brazil. The coolest thing about this game in the online "crews" you form will be used in the upcoming Grand Theft Auto sequel.


Mario Open Tennis lands on 3DS this weekend. Same as the other Mario Tennis games only this one finally has online playability!


And lastly, downloadable on Xbox360, PS3, and PC this week is Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II. Metal Sonic and Tails join the fray in this reboot of the classic franchise.


In the gaming future, Avengers will be getting the motion controlled treatment with a game for Kinect and Wii called Avengers: Battle for Earth. It will follow a different story from the movie. No release set on this one yet. Bioshock: Infinite (the 3rd in the series) has been DELAYED. Original plans were for a Fall 2012 release but now it's been pushed back to Spring 2013.

A few numbers from the gaming world: Angry Birds has been downloaded ONE BILLION TIMES! Call of Duty (the franchise) has hit 40 MILLION active monthly users (CoD Elite has over 10 Million!).

Xbox360 will soon be adding a version of Internet Explorer to it's desktop features (and yes, there will be Kinect capabilities).

And that about sums it up. Sadly I'm having to wait till Sunday (aka Pay Day) to get Diablo 3 but by next week I should be able to report on the actual gameplay. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Episode 23: 8 Bit Booty

Kind of a slow week in the gaming world with only one new release BUT lots of news a something kind of interesting to share, but first...

Only new release of the week is a Playstation exclusive (I'm guessing VITA and PS3) called Starhawk. A nice vehicular combat game that allows up to 32 man multiplayer. Unlike it's 2007 counterpart Warhawk, this time around you can play in a single player campaign mode as well as new features like Build 'n Battle mode, flying mechs, and more.


Fans of the Elder Scrolls series can rejoice, the MMO you've been dreaming about is coming! The Elder Scrolls Online will be set in the same world as Skyrim and Oblivion and will hit PC and Mac next year. Here's the first screenshot they've released:



Speaking of Skyrim, its first DLC will be coming our way this summer called Dawnguard. No word on an exact date or even what the DLC will include for now but here's the announcement graphic:


As for that something interesting I mentioned, Kim Kardashian tweeted recently saying she was really excited about the release of  Call of Duty: Black Ops II. This has nothing to do with gaming except that next time you play CoD you can imagine this is who you're facing off against:


Try not to play with your "joystick" too much and until next time, get out there and get your game on!


Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Episode 22: Headshots!

The games have been slow to trickle out early in 2012 but at least there seems to be one good game or more coming each week. Only one new one this time though.

Coming to Xbox360 and PS3 this week is Sniper Elite v2 which is a World War II shooter that focuses on sniping Nazis working on the V2 rocket program. The coolest thing about this franchise is the Xray cameras that show the internal damage caused by each shot!


The only other big release is not a new one, Mortal Kombat (the newest version) makes its way to Playstation VITA this week. It will feature all downloadable content and characters plus touch screen fatalities and you can use the VITA's camera to make a new background for your kombat.


In other gaming news, the next Call of Duty game will be announced TODAY during the NBA Playoffs on TNT. Jay-Z is developing a Facebook game called Empire where you start as a street thug and work your way up to business mogul (obviously, it's loosely based on Jay-Z's life).

Sony has taken a bite off the Super Smash Bros. apple with a new game called Playstation All-Stars: Battle Royale pitting Playstation characters like Kratos, Sweet Tooth, and Sly Cooper against each other in combat. It actually looks and seems to play a lot like the Super Smash Bros. games.


And lastly, the cover for Madden 13 has been announced and it's CALVIN JOHNSON! He beat out #2 Cam Newton by almost SEVEN MILLION VOTES! Here it is:


So there you have it. A new shooter, MK portable, and a few things to look forward to. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!