Tag: video games

‘The World Ends With You’ Returns… To iOS?

by Josh Jackson

Eariler this week, we reported that a new teaser site from Square Enix seemed to be hinting at something related to the DS cult classic, The World Ends With You. While the website is still counting down, it seems like Square accidentally let the cat out of the bag, and the big secret was apparently something we never expected… Or wanted.

Thanks to a listing on the Japanese iTunes store, an album titled, “The World Ends With You- Crossover”, listed remixed tunes from the original and additional songs from the Kingdom Hearts 3D soundtrack which are set for an apparent iOS remake. The listing was taken down, but not before some crafty Japanese took screenshots of the page.

 

Oops!

 

But is that all there is to the story? Since the leak, Brian Gray, (@brilingual,) one of the translators for TWEWY, tweeted the following:

“before everyone decides that the #twewy coundown is over, they might want to wait for the countdown to be over”.

The countdown is still going, so we won’t know for sure if this is all there is to the story until the clock hits zero. It’s pretty strange that we seem to keep getting iOS releases when most gamers seem to prefer them on their gaming consoles. I understand that everyone and their mothers have iPhones and iPads  at this point, but that larger install base doesn’t mean everyone is going to care. Especially when games like Final Fantasy Mega Man are iOS exclusive, especially the latter where its fans have been begging for a release and expected it on an actual gaming platform.

Is it too late to hope for a sequel? And not for my phone or tablet? Pretty please Square?

SOURCE: operationrainfall.com

‘Final Fantasy Dimensions’ Goes Retro On August 31st For $29

by Josh Jackson

Final Fantasy Dimensions, the upcoming iOS and android title that takes us back to the RPG franchise’s 2D roots, will be available for sale on August 31st.

Acting as a throwback to the early titles in the series, Dimensions will put gamers in control of two teams, the Warriors of Light and the Warriors of Darkness. Using a job system that can change character abilities on the fly and taking advantage of the active time battle game play style, the game seems to favor Final Fantasy V. Which by the way, was a vastly underrated entry in the series that I’m excited to revisit, even if its in just in spirit.

So you may ask, how much is this going to set you back? Surely it’ll be $10. Maybe $15. It is just a 2D game after all… Nope! The game will be released in episodic chapters. The prologue is free for those who want to get their feet wet, but like Final Fantasy IV: The After Years during its initial WiiWare release, players will have to buy each chapter seprately for $2.99, in bundles of three for $9.99 or the whole package at $28.99.

It seems like many a gamer are complaining that this is too much for a lowly old school RPG. But I really don’t mind, and I’ll tell you why. First, we’re getting a brand new Final Fantasy game that is sure to be a minimum of 30 hours long if it stays true to the length of previous titles. Second, it’s developed by Matrix Software, who have worked on FFIV: The After Years, the 3D DS remakes and the original DS title, Final Fantasy: The Four Heroes of Light, each of which have been excellent entries worthy of the legendary name, so this game is in more than capable hands. Third, you can try it for free, so unlike console DLC, you’re not stuck with a steaming pile of crap if it ends up being no good in the beginning. And lastly, I’d much rather pay $29 for a good, albiet sprite based RPG that I can actually, control, strategize and adapt with rather than $60 for a glorified graphics demo where I can mash auto battle to get through about a third of the game.

But I digress. Either way, it seems cell phone owners are getting a lot of love from Square if recent rumors are to be believed. RPG fans will have plenty of reasons to rejoice once the 31st rolls around, and the best part is you can try it for free!  Until then, check out these screenshots and decide if it looks worth the price for yourself.

SOURCE: Shacknews.com

‘Persona 4 Golden: Solid Gold Edition’ Is Coming; Only 10,000 Made!

by Josh Jackson

Many a JRPG gamer has been anticipating the release of Persona 4 Golden, the definitive version of one of the PS2’s last great games, to accompany their brand new Vita’s. Now, Atlus has given us even more of a reason to be excited… but you better act quick!

Announcing the Solid Gold Edition, this jam packed set comes with what’s essentially the Vita accessory pack from Japan, and is perfect for the Persona mega fan, or someone who’s waited this long without getting a case and protectors to guard their $300 + piece of equipment, (what’s wrong with you?) But it seems like you’ll want to jump on this gold rush. Only 10,000 are being released!

According to the Amazon.com product page, a thirty dollar increase of $69.99, will get you:

  • P4G (The Game): One of the best RPGs of all time, now expanded and remastered to make full use of the power of Vita.
  • Hori Hard Pouch: Sturdily built and stylishly customized, this case has a flap that stores games while it guards the screen.
  • Hori Face Cover: Offers lightweight yet effective protection without blocking any major parts, so it never has to come off!
  • Protective Skin: Adorns your Vita with the stylish, vibrant aesthetics of Persona 4 and includes 8 matching wallpapers.
  • Stickers: Starring characters from Persona 4, these stickers can be used to decorate anything you can think of!

I don’t even have a Vita yet, but with such limited quantities, I jumped on it as soon as I found out. If you’re a Persona fan, have a Vita, (or want one,) and especially if you don’t have a case for it, I don’t see why you wouldn’t snatch up this set. Especially when importing the accessories would be almost double the extra thirty bucks. And besides, who wouldn’t want Yukiko and Rise on their handheld?

Pre-orders are being accepted at Amazon, Gamestop, NewEgg, Buy.com and most major retail outlets. Of course, that’s while supplies last.

SOURCE: Atlas.com

Geekscape’s Love Letters To Nintendo Power

by GeekscapeStaff

With the news earlier this week that Nintendo Power magazine will be ceasing publication as of December it was yet another sign that print is dying. For years Nintendo Power was one of the only ways to get the inside scope on the latest news about our favorite games. It helped shape and change the lives of geeks everywhere, especially around here at Geekscape. With that said, some of the staff wanted to share some of their memories regarding Nintendo Power. These are their love letters, enjoy.

Ben Dunn

I read Nintendo Power as a kid, not because I needed updates about the games that I would be enjoying soon, or tips on games that I was playing now, but because it was the closest my parents let me get to video games. Yes, I wasn’t allowed to have video games in the house until I was 15. Before that I could only play NES, Super NES or Gameboy  when I went to friends houses. In fact, the only reason I got my first girlfriend was because I was always over at her house playing her NES and I helped her beat Mega Man 3. (With the tips I learned from reading Nintendo Power.) So even though my parents wouldn’t let me have them in the house, they did let me read about all of the great games I was missing.

I think my favorite part was the envelope fan art submissions. I must have drawn the Triforce on at least 15 different envelopes trying to get in there. Never did though. I think it was because I never actually included anything in the envelopes when I sent them and the postal office had them destroyed along with all my letters to Hanukkah Harry. While I haven’t read NP in years, I still have my player card somewhere in a trunk and will never forget the hole it filled in my video game free childhood. RIP Nintendo Power. May flights of winged koopas sing thee to thy rest!

Shane O’Hare

The moment I heard Nintendo Power was going to stop, my heart sank. I felt like a great childhood friend was going away for good. I remember discovering Nintendo Power for the very first time. It is one of my oldest and fondest memories.

It was the Christmas of the Nintendo 64. I had it up and open and I was bummed that I had to wait until tomorrow because we didn’t have the RF adapter. Another gift of mine was the Super Mario 64 soundtrack and inside that was an ad to get a 12 month subscription to the magazine. My dad saw it and said “Hmmm this looks cool! You get cheat codes and stuff, Ill mail this out tomorrow for you”.

The next month I had my very first issue. I will never forget the cover. It was Star Wars: Shadows of The Empire and that issue was the reason I bought that game. Since then my childhood all the way up until Junior year in high school was filled with Nintendo Power. I couldn’t wait to see what the next month’s cover was. what the fold out poster was and what were the next games we could expect in the coming months. No other magazine could keep my attention like this. Subs to Popular Science and various car magazines have come and gone, but my good ole’ Nintendo Power stuck by. Any time during middle school, if you walked into my bathroom the floor was covered with back issues, all very well read.

Nintendo Power introduced me to Pokemon, Jetforce Gemini, Forsaken 64, Goldeneye and Turok. My parents played a great prank on me when Super Smash Bros suddenly “showed up” in the mail, only because they had heard me talking all about this amazing next level game while reading about it in Nintendo Power. I would bring my issues to school and be the badass of the playground.

Let me put it this way: I discovered my favorite creators (Mega 64) because Nintendo Power ran a blurb about their Tetris video in an issue. And those guys have been a huge influence on my life. Hearing the news that Nintendo Power is going away made me very sad. I am going to renew my subscription as a last goodbye and that final issue will be framed.

Josh Jackson

 I have two major memories of Nintendo Power growing up, and despite my love for the magazine for so many childhood years, neither of them are good.

The first was introducing me to Earthbound, which was far from bad in and of itself. It was the way they did it.

The magazine had a set of scratch and sniff stickers with the brilliant tag line of, “This Game Stinks!” Needless to say, they weren’t kidding. Those damn things all smelled god awful! Hey Nintendo, that’s a great way to sell a game. Let’s have a sticker with Ness on it that smells like flaming charcoal ass farts. How did that work out again?

The second was Star Fox. Not the space badass that saves the Lylat system from the mad scientist, Andross. No… I mean this guy…

Yes, this Fox. You know, this scary asshole. The one who looks like he’s going to rip your throat out in your sleep. The one who literally had his legs chopped off and replaced with robotic implants. Yeah… That Fox.

So yeah, thank you Nintendo Power. Thank you for giving me nightmares and almost burning out my fucking nostrils.

But seriously, it was a great run filled with many other great memories of running down to the mailbox every month to get the latest news on my favorite Nintendo games and instantly become the coolest kid on my block. If it wasn’t for that, I might not be writing here for Geekscape today.

So cheers Nintendo Power. Thanks for the memories. No matter how messed up they are.

Jonathan London

Gaming news sites these past few days have been lamenting the news that Nintendo Power will end publication this December, but how many of them have voiced responsibility for these turn of events? Let’s face it. With the proliferation of the internet and geek culture news sites such as our own, the need for print publications like Wizard, Electronic Gaming Monthly and now Nintendo Power has gradually (and then steeply) declined. We can voice our sadness, but how many of us still subscribed to any of these publications? Not many of us.

Which really is the irony, since Nintendo Power was the first magazine that I ever had a subscription to. In many ways, those issues from the mid to late 80s inspired the sharing of enthusiasm, knowledge and opinion that you’re experiencing right here at Geekscape. I remember seeing the claymation cover announcing Super Mario Bros. 3 and losing my 11 year old mind. What about the fully realized drawings of game characters like Link and Samus that filled in the gaps left by trying to fully realize something you’d only seen in 8 bits? For me, the highlight was always the multipage game maps that would unfold in each issue, a precursor to the internet’s Walkthrough guides, that showed you were the different platforms and traps were or how to navigate Hyrule in the first Zelda. My friends and I all had that map cut out of Nintendo Power and taped up on our walls or folded in our school folders. The map to Tim Burton’s Batman game saved my life many times, as did the one for the Roger Rabbit and Dick Tracy games.

The one I’ll always remember was the 2D fold out map for some of the stages from Super Mario Bros. 2. As if the game wasn’t already enough of a stylistic departure from the first one, you could now play as different characters with different abilities. Hearing about the end of Nintendo Power this week jarred a memory that I’d forgotten for decades: I created a different Super Mario Bros. sequel (or spin off game) and designed the entire thing on taped together pieces of construction paper designed to imitate one of those Nintendo Power fold out maps. The game was centered around Toad, Princess Peach’s mushroom capped retainer, and was called Toad’s Maze. In reality, it was basically the second Goonies game but with Toad as your main character. You fought bats, collected items, jumped platforms and went through different doors in order to escape a giant cavernous maze. I now realize that calling a game Toad’s Maze, and then having you play as the character of Toad lost in his very own damn maze is pretty stupid. Toad would have to be a complete idiot to get lost in his own maze or even set foot in a maze which he owns that is littered with a zillion death traps.

Come to think of it, the game probably wasn’t that great, but it was an extensive piece of work, probably as lengthy as the fold out maps from each issue of Nintendo Power. I was 10 years old and I had designed my own game. That’s pretty amazing looking back. As listeners of the podcast know, I’m a Nintendo fanboy to this day and have been my entire life. I even competed in the Nintendo Championships back in 1991. But with games at $50 a pop, the 10 year old me had to either borrow friend’s games or make them up himself. For all of my game cravings in-between, there was Nintendo Power magazine.

Like a boss in my Nintendo Championships t-shirt!

Everybody’s Gaming For The Weekend Of August 24th, 2012!

by MoreLikeAndy

It feels like we have had a lot of dips in the gaming lull season. Usually, it’s a straight month of no releases before we get hit with the onslaught of games at the end of the year. Although this is one of the lull weeks, I am sure a couple of you out there missed some of the suggestions I have for this weekend.

 

Symphony – PC

 

A simple top-down shooter that uses your music collection for how the enemies are generated and act. I love the premise of Symphony in that an evil entity, which freaked me out the first time I saw those white eyes on a red background, is trying to come into our world by absorbing and corrupting our music. Every song in your music collection is a stage as well as an item you can unlock and use once you cleanse the song. It seems like the items repeat themselves a little but it helps in that you can add/change four weapons on your ship. Spreadshot is the best all-around for how much ground it covers and the sub-woofer is great to use with songs that have a lot of bass in them. It becomes a pain to remember what songs you’ve already played through if you have a huge collection since you have to go back to that specific song to upgrade the item that was unlocked from it. Symphony is great for music lovers that want more of an interactive experience when blasting their favorite tunes.

 

Unmechanical – PC

 

Cute little puzzle adventure game that has you in control of robotic contraption with a propeller on its head to help it stay afloat. Unmechanical ends up being shorter than I wished it was, but the puzzles are engaging and the art style is charming and really damn good looking. This is the sort of game my puzzle-loving heart wants to see more of.

 

Dust 514 Beta – PS3

 

I haven’t kept up on Dust 514 as much as I probably should. All I really know is that there is cross-play between Eve Online and Dust 514. I guess I need to read up on this a lot more, huh? Anyway, Playstation Plus members get access to the closed beta of this free-to-play multiplayer FPS game until September 4th. Be prepared to wade through A LOT of downloads though. It might be a good idea to go make some coffee and a bagel while you sit and stare at all the progression meters. I had some issues with staying connected to the servers but managed to get some playtime in and I like what see so far. If you’re not a Playstation Plus member, you will have to wait your turn for Dust 514 to have an open beta period.

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Transformers: Fall Of Cybertron’

by MoreLikeAndy

We all know how it ends, how the Autobots and Decepticons came to our planet. Differences in the origin stories between the plethora of media still never really showed what actually happened, in detail, in the final hours of Cybertron. With a great job on War for Cybertron and an unfortunate trip into movie tie-in land with Dark of the Moon, High Moon Studios is back to show us all just how the Fall of Cybertron went down.

 

Clearly, some of the ideas from the movie tie-in game, Dark of the Moon, rubbed off in the early talks of the development process of Fall of Cybertron. Very cinematic opening to the game that doubles as a tutorial level is a great way to set the tone of things to come as well as getting gamers acclimated with the general controls. Though if you played War for Cybertron, you will instantly feel at home with the controls since they’re mostly the same.

As soon as the tutorial level ends, we are whisked away to 6 days prior to the events that just occurred. Instantly you can tell that the level designs are more open and spacious. The claustrophobic feeling of War for Cybertron is gone and replacing that feeling is now a feeling of size. Seeing the action going on in the horizon as you make your way through the battle field is great to look at. Very little pop-in textures that are known to happen using the Unreal engine when installed but it consistently happens when running off the game disc. Having a more diverse use of colors in the environment as well as on the Transformers themselves makes everything feel more alive than they was in War for Cybertron

Speaking of alive, the Transformers seem to have more humanity in their character traits. Throughout the whole game, I never felt like I was controlling mindless automatons. Instead, I was leading brave soldiers into a battle for their survival against a mad man hell bent on destroying everything and everyone in his path. It’s too bad that most of the voices are done by Nolan North, Steve Blum and Troy Baker. It felt like a contest of who could have his voice used the most in each character throughout the game. It really started to grate on my nerves near the end.

High Moon Studios decided give gamers a wider selection of Autobots and Decepticons to use in the campaign.  Co-op had to be removed in order to pull this off, but most of us won’t miss it in the slightest since there are plenty of other ways to get in on some metal on metal action with the multiplayer and wave-based survival modes. The unique levels that catered to each Transformers’ special ability was a nice way to make each character have enough difference that things didn’t become too repetitive. Optimus Prime controlling Metroplex saddened me in a big way though. I wanted more control over the city-sized machine instead of painting the target with Optimus Prime and having Metroplex automatically do his A.I. scripted business. What could have been a better idea would be having Optimus riding on the shoulder of Metroplex controlling his every move. Controlling such a massive metal beast should be more of a jaw-dropping experience, not a special ability.

Cliffjumper’s stealth missions were a big surprise to me in how much fun I had since I am not a fan of how most games implement stealth. Simple in design, I couldn’t help but shout with glee when stomping the hell out of those Decepticon foot soldiers coming out of stealth. For all the hype that was built up around it, playing the Grimlock level was frustrating. From the slow movement to the attack moves feeling cumbersome and missing the mark a lot, I couldn’t wait for me to be done controlling him. At least High Moon Studios got it right with Bruticus, the final form when all five Combaticons merge together. I felt like such a menace to the Autobots. Using my helicopter blades as a shield then slamming my fist down to send a shockwave that destroyed everything within a radius of the blast was a great feeling. That’s the way I wanted Grimlock to play instead of being regulated to using a sword and shield like some poor man’s hack ‘n’ slash game.

It felt like the best parts of Fall of Cybertron were too short and the most frustrating parts were too long. I understand playing as Cliffjumper that he is fragile and is made to move consistently but Megatron is the leader of the Decepticons, although Starscream does take that role temporarily. He should be almost unstoppable yet there is a section of the game that makes you feel powerless with Megatron. That should never, ever happen when playing someone as powerful as Megatron. When I have to restart more than three times in that section of doom, it made Megatron fell more like a Megachump.

The climatic finish to the campaign was well paced and executed. Switching back and forth quickly during the final battle aboard the ‘Ark’ made me feel like this was a life or death battle. Throwing the Autobot/Decepticon symbol on the corner of the screen every time you switched sides was a nostalgic touch to those of us who watch the original cartoon. The choice you have to make in the final scene seems wasted since the outcome is the same. It would have been better to continue the swapping of sides instead of forcing players to make a choice that doesn’t mean much.

Once you devour the six hour campaign, you can look towards multiplayer and the wave-based survival mode, Escalation, to continue the robo wars. The biggest thing that has been added is customization of your own Transformer. Of course, you have to use set parts but at least it feels like when I make my Transformer, it stands out enough to make me feel proud of my new metallic friend.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is a great tale of what actually happened in the final days of Cybertron. Saddled with some poor frame rates during the heavy action scenes, pacing issues with some of the levels, and some audio sync issues with the PS3 version of the game, High Moon Studios managed to still engage me enough to enjoy my time with Fall of Cybertron. Let’s hope that we see a lot more in the following Transformer games that don’t just tweak the formula, they reinvent it.

Media Molecule Working On Two New IPs!

by Josh Jackson

At Gamescom, LittleBigPlanet developer Media Molecule revealed two new intellectual properties that are currently in the works.

First, Tearaway for the Vita drops players into a paper world where gamers will help their character manipulate the environment with the back touch pad. With as much creativity as LBP allowed, I’d expect more of the same from Tearaway, and could be a much needed title to help peak interest in Sony’s struggling handheld.

Aside from Tearaway, another unnamed project is in the works. While details were scarce on the title, it’s clear that proper attention is being paid to both titles. Co-founder Alex Evans stated, “…the focus is on Tearaway. I’m not saying that from a press angle – our focus is on Tearaway and making it awesome. The other project is very much in an early stage and is a toy. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Are you guys excited to see what’s coming next from the LBP guys? Check out the trailer for Tearaway and let us know what you think!

‘Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow – Mirror Of Fate’ Will Miss 2012 Release Window

by Josh Jackson

Those who are salavating for their next DS Castlevania title or are anxious to dive back in to the Lords of Shadow universe will have to wait a little longer.

Konami commented to Game Informer that the upcoming 2D platformer is being pushed back from its original fall 2012 release window to early 2013. No reason was given, but the game seemed to be shaping up nicely at E3, so a little extra time couldn’t hurt.

Once a staple of the DS lineup, a Castlevania game hasn’t been released for the portable since 2008’s Order of Ecclesia. While I personally wasn’t a big fan of Lords of Shadow, going back to the Metroidvania style of play peaks my interest. And I can’t lie, playing as Alucard and the Belmonts again is always an exciting thought.

Check back for updates for both Mirror of Fate and Lords of Shadow 2 as they become available.

‘Nintendo Power’ Magazine To Cease Publication In December

by Josh Jackson

Another gaming print icon is dying out…

Nintendo Power, the long running video game magazine that has dealt with any and all things from the house that Miyamoto built since the late 80s, will cease publication with the final issue being scheduled for December 2012 according to a report from arstechnica.com.

Once owned directly by Nintendo, ownership of the magazine has since shifted to Future Publishing, who has decided to close the doors of the longest running gaming magazine in the United States. As of now, Nintendo has shown no interest in taking back the publication, so the end of the year, for all intents and purposes, will be the last time we can relive our childhoods by running to the mailbox or the local news stand to grab the newest issue for the latest reviews, news, tips and tricks for our favorite Nintendo games.

Or at least they would have been the latest updates back in its prime, but the sad reality is that in the digital age, having to wait monthly for printed updates is obsolete when you can get your information instantly on the web. It’s sad for me because aside from Gamepro, (another gaming magazine that has bit the dust,) Nintendo Power was a childhood favorite that I always relied on to help keep me in the know, not to mention helping my stuck up ass know more than my friends.

While it’s been years since I’ve read it, you better believe that I’m going to enjoy these final months of its run.

Nintendo To Make Wii U Announcement On September 13th!

by Josh Jackson

Nintendo has said that their follow up to the wildly successful Wii console, the Wii U is scheduled to be released by the end of 2012. Well… it’s August, and not a word has been spoken in regards to the status of the launch. According to a press release from the Big N however, that’s set to end on September 13th.

Shacknews.com and various gaming outlets have been contacted, informing the press that a presentation led by Nintendo of America COO, Reggie Fils-Aime, will take place in New York. Could this mean the Wii U will finally get a launch date? I’ll finally know how fast I’ll have to find someone to buy this damn kidney so I can afford the damn thing.

As always, Geekscape will be here to deliver all the details as they become available.

SOURCE: Shacknews.com

‘Final Fantasy XIII’ Teaser Site To Announce The Next Chapter Of ‘Lightning’s’ Story

by Josh Jackson

Final Fantasy sequels used to be non-existent. But after X-2 set the wheels in motion, each major entry in the series has had one, with some of the retro ones getting updates for good measure. Most recently, Final Fantasy XIII-2 attempted to rectify many of the problems gamers had with the first game in the series while expanding on the story of Lightning and her friends. While the ending of the second go around left little doubt in anyone’s mind, it seems as if another sequel is on the way.

A new teaser site is promising an announcement regarding Lightning’s future to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the legendary series. Below are the details listed on the site:

FINAL FANTASY XIII TEAM TO PRESENT NEW DIRECTION FOR THE SAGA OF KEY CHARACTER, LIGHTNING

The “Lightning Saga” that started with the release of FINAL FANTASY XIII, has achieved a cumulative shipment of over 9.6 million units; and in May 2012 FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 was brought to conclusion with the add-on content entitled “Lightning’s Story: Requiem of the Goddess”.

Key members of the FINAL FANTASY XIII development team including the Producer, Director and Art Director, are in preparations to present new information about the direction of Lightning’s story. This presentation will take place at an event in Tokyo to celebrate FINAL FANTASY 25th Anniversary, on 1st September 2012.

While it’s no surprise a sequel is coming like I mentioned, I wasn’t the biggest fan of XIII. While XIII-2 made improvements, at this point I feel like Squeenix is treating XIII like that popular radio song that you can’t stand. They’ll just keep shoving it out there over and over again until it catches on. And where the hell is Versus XIII?

Check back here on September 1st for all the juicy details on Lightning’s future. Whatever it may be.

‘The World Ends With You’ To Get A Follow Up?

by Josh Jackson

One of the most beloved original DS titles just might have a follow up on the way!

The World Ends With You, the popular action RPG brought to us courtesy of Square Enix and many of the key people that gave us Kingdom Hearts, was praised by fans and critics alike for its stand out art style, unique touch screen based game play and catchy music, so much so that fans have been begging for a sequel ever since. Well, we might not have to wait too much longer, at least not if this teaser site is any indication.

While nothing solid is mentioned on the site as of yet, the font and music sure as hell reminds me of the title. When you keep in mind that the latest entry of the Kingdom Hearts series, Dream Drop Distance, created a new Traverse Town that featured numerous World Ends With You characters, it’s obvious that someone at Square is listening to the cries of its fans.

I guess we’ll just have to wait until Monday at midnight if that clock is to be believed. Until then, get hyped!

SOURCE: Shacknews.com

Watch The ‘Fall Of Cybertron’ While Peter Cullen Narrates

by MoreLikeAndy

Welp. This is it. The end of Cybertron as we know it. At least we get a proper send-off from Peter Cullen in this launch trailer for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is out now for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Geekscape Games Geek Peek Review: ‘Retro/Grade’

by MoreLikeAndy

Retro/Grade ends up winning the award for “I didn’t know that was possible.” It actually had me thinking back to an old episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air where Will Smith had the idea for a book called ‘Celebrity Houses…At Night!” Both ideas are insane and shouldn’t work at all. Somehow, the folks over at 24 Caret Games managed to mash together a shoot-em-up and a rhythm game and have it actually work better than I expected.

 

Retro/Grade has you jump in the role of Rick Rocket who has to restore the space-time continuum before the whole universe is destroyed by the temporal anomaly. The only way you can restore the balance is to play in reverse. Essentially, you are undoing everything that was already played out before you take control. The rhythm part of the equation comes into play in that you have to time your button presses to your shots that are collected as you go in reverse. While doing this, you need to avoid the enemies attacks that appear behind as well as in front of you at times.

Using a crazy neon color scheme, it can be hard to keep track of everything, especially the higher you go in the six difficulty levels. I had a hard time in pro mode due to the colors blending in with the things I was suppose to avoid thus losing track of the shots I was suppose to collect. I didn’t have a PS3 guitar controller to test out but with dexterity and speed you need in order to go back and forth on the note lines reminded me how bad my reaction times are lately. The electro-pop music is charming and I was never in full head-bobbing motion while trying to keep my multiplier up, although I could just use my limited meter to reverse time and correct my screw-ups.

The only thing wrong with this elaborate mix-up of game genres is that there is not enough to keep you engaged past the ten campaign levels. There’s a challenge mode but that just rehashes the same levels with a specific objective for you to do. Even the music seems to sound the same after awhile. Taking a chance seemed to payoff for 24 Caret Games in creating Retro/Grade, it just left me wanting more of its goodness.

Geekscape Games Review: ‘Dust: An Elysian Tail’

by Molotov Cupcake

Dust: An Elysian Tail hearkens back to a simpler time in the action-RPG genre, where the plot advancement, character development, and exploration factor depended on you. These are all common traits of games released in the era of PlayStation 2, and it’s coincidental that, as Dust is reminiscent of the cult Vanillaware hit Odin Sphere, but without all the pesky chugging while knee-deep in combat. Dust is, in fact, a slicker, leaner incarnation of that excellent hack and slash gem, even if completely unintentional.

 

The whimsical tale begins with Dust, an anthropomorphic fox-like fellow who seems to have lost his memories. The only clue to unlocking them seems to lie in a mysterious blade he apparently summoned — that, and a spunky guardian creature known as Fidget. Together the trio set off to uncover the secrets of Dust’s previous life, and the truth behind the summoning.

Gameplay consists of exploration via side-scrolling segments, separated on the on-screen map into smaller quadrants. As Dust you traipse through different areas fighting off multiple enemies who spawn in, discover treasure chests, and the keys required to open them, and unravel an engaging story that’s well-paced and exciting. Residents located throughout the world can be approached to assign various quests, most of which involve scuttling back and forth between areas available on the world map, collecting items, or recovering lost characters. Occasionally you’ll be faced with some larger-than-life boss encounters and snippets of plot advancement (more often than not preceded by the running of majestic, adorable deer) but for the most part your journey through this Elysian Tail is comprised of hacking and slashing your way to the next level.

In no way is that a demerit against this beautifully crafted adventure, however. It’s very much a breath of fresh air in a stagnant market — the bright colors, fun dialogue, and main cast go a long way to set a lighthearted mood that is still appropriately mischievous and mysterious when necessary, while ingenious in ways we haven’t truly seen since the character interactions of Lunar: Silver Star Story.

Slinging around your blade is immensely satisfying in addition to the multiple combos and special attacks between Dust and Fidget. Cutting through the hordes of advancing monsters is buttery smooth and fluid, eschewing the slowdown from games like Odin Sphere and similar games for a clean and slick combo system where movements are lightning fast and a 1000+ hit chain is realistically conceivable. The higher your chain, the better your reward comes in XP, eventually resulting in another level gained. While the grind may feel like an insufferable chore as far as so many other RPGs are concerned, it never feels as such with Dust. It’s so fast-paced and silky you nearly look forward to encountering throngs of baddies, which is high praise indeed, even if the enemy types do tend to get a bit repetitive.

But it’s not just core mechanics in Dust where it draws so much of its delectable goodness — it’s just genuinely likeable. Whether it’s outspoken Fidget’s thinly-veiled Resident Evil 4 references or Dust’s tendency to blurt out awkward one-liners in the midst of a serious moment, you can’t help but smile at the silliness or let in the warmth you feel exuded from these familiar characters. That’s what keeps you coming back, in addition to the addictive looting, slashing, and storytelling.

Crisp visuals, a fantastic soundtrack, and an impressive campaign make Dust: An Elysian Tail easily the best Summer of Arcade release thus far, clearly ending the promotion with a bang. If you’re looking for an RPG with old-school sensibilities to spend a weekend or two on, Dust must not be missed. In fact, forget the rest of the XBLA Summer of Arcade games — Dust is where it’s at.

‘Counter Strike: Global Offensive’ Gets An Official Trailer!

by Shane O'Hare

What I think is going to be the greatest game of 2012, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, gets a launch trailer. No words are needed. You should just watch.

 

This damned source film maker is awesome! Counter Strike: Global Offensive comes out August 21st. I have it preordered…DO YOU?

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Persona 4 Arena’

by Josh Jackson

Former Nintendo head Hiroshi Yamauchi once famously said that RPGs are for, “depressed gamers who like to sit alone in their dark rooms and play slow games.” Current head of Geekscape.net Jonathan London also said that fighting games are for, ” gamers who were too afraid to play contact sports.” So it’s surprising that it took this long for an honest to goodness RPG inspired fighting game to actually release. Sure, there was Dissidia: Final Fantasy, but that game used the fighting genre loosely.

Persona 4 Arena, on the other hand, is not only a full fledged 2-D fighter from the minds at Arc System Works –of Guilty Gear and BlazBlue fame– but it’s also a canon sequel to the Persona 4 RPG. The dillema is finding a balance between the fast paced depth a fighting game requires while following the complex story of an established role playing game to please both audiences. Does this latest battle accomplish this task or is it destined to live in the shadow of its traditional prequel?

Yosuke and Yu. The ultimate bromance.

Taking place one year after the true ending of Persona 4, which you obviously want to steer clear of the story mode if you have any interest in either the game or anime remaining spoiler free, the main cast from gets pulled back into the TV world and are forced to participate in a mysterious fighting tournament, pitting them against friend and foe alike. The story is told through both the arcade and story modes. Arcade mode is what you would expect from a fighting game. Watch a voice acted scene during key story fights, fight a few people, rinse and repeat until you finish the game and watch the ending. The story mode is much more in depth and has a structure similar to the BlazBlue series for those who have played it. Choosing between the various cast members, each character’s role is explained in depth, requiring players to follow branching paths and even lose matches to uncover every outcome.

The sprites and effects look incredible in motion.

Unlike BlazBlue, Persona tries to stay true to its RPG roots by having a much longer story mode. And I mean MUCH. LONGER. Even though I’m interested very much in the universe and lore, the dialogue goes on and on. It took me about an hour and a half to finish one story that contained about 20 minutes of play. It gets to a point where the only way to get through it without tearing your hair out is to fast forward. Which is a shame because the game has very strong voice acting for the most part. But I can only stare at still potraits of the characters for so long. And no, the occaisional animated scene doesn’t help.

But it’s a great thing that the fighting itself is so damn fun. Featuring characters from both Persona 3 and 4, each fighter has two sets of attacks. One set is from their character and the other is from their Persona, a summonable creature that fights side by side with each player. The key to success is to play to the strengths of both the person and the Persona to pull off alternating combos. This gameplay style helps the Persona 4 Arena make full use of its source material while creating a unique feeling experience. Keeping your Persona protected is vital however, because if it takes too much damage, it can be temporarily disabled, effectively cutting your moveset in half.

And there’s no lack of moves in this arena. Each fighter has a unique set of abilities such as unblockable flames, an arsenal of bullets and even a steel chair. The trademark Arc Systems instant kill attack has made it in too! Certain mechanics have even been adapted from Persona 4 to fit the fighting arena, such as the All-Out Attack, where fighters rush down their opponent in a cloud of smoke and button mash to victory, or the Once More Cancel, which borrows the name of the Once More attack from the original game, but is just a simple cancel to reset combos. Even RPG inspired status effects have been thrown in, such as control reversing confusion, health draining poison and paralysis that locks down movement. Of course, not every RPG gamer is used to stringing together moves in a fighter, so mashing A allows a preset auto combo to occur, making players feel like a badass without actually doing anything. All of this is complimented by some of the nicest 2D sprites you’ll find in a fighter, especially in motion. Top it off with a strong soundtrack that borrows and remixes songs from the original game and anime, and you have one kick ass game on your hands.

The low quantity of characters is made up for with their unique qualities and styles.

Learning each fighter is made easier thanks to the challenge mode that’s found in almost every game in the genre nowadays. Challenge mode walks players through a variety of combos to make it easier to learn each fighter’s moveset until they’ve become certified masters. In addition to the world famous Arc Systems score attack which will pit you against the toughest CPU opponents you’ll ever find combined with the arcade and story modes, there’s hardly a lack of content to dabble through all on your lonesome. Especially if you’re a lonely, basement dwelling RPG gamer.

Though it might take awhile, once you run out of single player content, there’s always the online mode to go through. The options are basic, but the netcode is mostly seamless, leading to mostly lag free games where you can only blame yourself if you lose. Lobbies are easy to create in player matches where you can fight both friends and strangers, but ranked matches against random fighters is where its at if you want to boost your rank and to earn experience points and level up. These don’t actually do anything other than give out bragging rights to show how awesome you are at “owning scrubs,” but it’s a nice feature nonetheless.

Yukiko Amagi Ain’t Nothin’ To Mess Wit!

It’s amazing how well Persona 4 Arena is able to keep the RPG’s identity while creating a damn good fighting game at the same time. By crafting a story that effectively continues the narritive into what could have been Persona 5 and making it fit around a unique game play system that’s easy to learn but hard to master, there’s no reason this title shouldn’t appease RPG and fighting fans alike. Sure, the story mode is way too drawn out, and some of the DLC is asinine –three dollars for glasses that you can hardly see? Really?– but all I know is I’ve been playing it for a week and not only have I not stopped, but I’m considering learning how to kick ass with fans and look good in a red blouse. Regardless, if you’re a fan of the Persona series or a fan of fighters, it’s time to climb out of your basement and get some sun, because Persona 4 Arena is worth the trip.

Expecting A Vita Price Drop? Not This Year Says Sony

by Josh Jackson

If you’re like me and are holding out for a price drop before investing in Sony’s newest gaming handheld, it seems like we’ll be waiting for quite some time.

In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida stated that it’s “too soon” for a Vita price cut, despite lagging sales. While the electronics giant is looking for ways to cut the price of production, it’s not as simple as just slashing the price and hoping for the best.

“Of course, cost reduction is one area our engineering team is working on.” Mr. Yoshida went on to say, “But we just launched the platform earlier this year. It takes time to do so.”

For existing Vita owners starving for new content, Yoshida had a message for them too.

“From our perspective, we were very pleased to launch with many titles. Many people said we had the strongest launch line-up for a PlayStation platform. But it’s amazing how much more people want and how much content they consume.” He continued by saying, “the best way to realize the potential of the PS Vita platform is to provide the content.”

From my perspective, aside from Uncharted, Gravity Rush and Sound Shapes, I think the want for more content is more because of the severe lack of original content for the platform. Porting console games and calling it a day doesn’t count as providing meaningful content in my opinion, but hey, what do I know?

I’ve stated what I feel Sony should do to get the Vita on track. What do you think? Will a price drop convince you to buy? And is Sony taking too long to pull the trigger?

A New Mega Man Game Is Finally Announced, But Not For The Platform You’d Expect

by Josh Jackson

For over a year, Mega Man fans have been demanding something… anything that has to do with the blue bomber, but their cries to Capcom have seemingly fallen on deaf ears. Well, unless you count the bad box art Mega Man being added to Street Fighter X Tekken, but most see that as more mocking the internet outcry rather than embracing it.

But fret not Mega fans, your angry emails, blogs and forum posts have finally been addressed, kind of.

Rockman Xover, or cross over since in Japan “X” equals “+”, will be a social RPG headed to iOS devices. Featuring characters from the various Mega Man series’ throughout the years including Star Force, Zero, Battle Network and X amongst others, players will build their own robot and gather abilities on their favorite iDevice.

While this is better than no Mega Man, it’s still funny that they’re giving us something no one asked for as opposed to what over 100,00 people have been begging for, but I guess mysterious grudges are more important than fanbases and money.

Mega Man Xover will hit Japan in the fall with a North American release following suit sometime in 201x. You know, unless it gets cancelled.

SOURCE: 4gamer (via Mega Man Network)

‘Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time’ Delayed To 2013

by Josh Jackson

For those eagerly awaiting the next chapter in the beloved Sly Cooper saga, it looks like the master thief is going to slip out of our reach for a little bit longer.

The newest installment of the popular platforming title exclusively for Playstation has been pushed back from its late 2012 release window to sometime in 2013. While it may be disappointing for some, the E3 demo that I got to experience was fun, but failed to do anything that wasn’t done in Sly 2 or 3. Considering these are pushing 10 years old, I’m hoping the extra time goes into crafting a unique experience worthy of the Cooper name.

Keep your eyes peeled for Thieves In Time, coming to both PS3 and Vita in 2013.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance’s Destructive New Trailer Reveals Release Date

by Josh Jackson

UPDATE: Looks like Konami Japan has a press release that says the U.S. release date will be February 19th, 2013 while the February 21st date at the end of the trailer is for Japan.

 

To say Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance’s development has been all over the place would be an understatement. After many missed release windows, a change in developers and even rumors of cancellation, this thing has gone in more circles than the naked cartwheels in the Big Shell. After watching the newest trailer from Gamescom however, things finally look back on track.

Watching the action from E3 still gets me hyped, from the destructible environments to the oh so choppable enemies. But it looks like Raiden won’t be alone, since he has a new robot dog keeping him company. I mean it worked for Casshern and Blue Falcon, right?

But most importantly, the end of the trailer reveals a release date of February 21st, 2013. It’s been pushed back so many times, I wouldn’t hold me breath, but at least we finally have something solid to go on!

Assuming the Mayans were wrong, living until 2013 can feel like a long wait. Check out the trailer and quench your thirst for Revengeance. Whatever that is…

Capcom To Reward Players With Resident Evil.Net

by Josh Jackson

There has been no shortage of Resident Evil 6 news coming out of Gamescom, including a new trailer featuring Jake, (Jake Wesker?) in action. But once gamers are able to rack up their zombie kill count, it looks like a little more will be at stake than just bragging rights.

Introducing Resident Evil.net, the feature acts as a leaderboard that constantly tracks each player’s progress and stats as they play and compares them to other gamers around the world. Leaderboards are nothing new, but the plan is to hold community events where racking up the kills or meeting certain goals will earn points that can be used to redeem rewards such as costumes and other goods through the ResidentEvil.net site.

This is quite the departure from what Capcom’s recent trends have been. I’m all for rewarding players with unlocks rather than charging them extra on top of the $60 price tag. Does this get you more excited for release day?

Resident Evil 6 will infest stores on October 2nd.

Rumored ‘Playstation All Stars’ Roster Leaked!

by Josh Jackson

Remember the anticipation Wii gamers felt when the Smash Bros. site announced the character roster very… slowly… leading up to release? Those days sure were torturous. It doesn’t seem like Sony fans will be blessed with the same curse privledge if the latest set of rumors are to be believed.

IGN has reported that the entire Playstation All Stars roster has been leaked via a post on Reddit. If the leak happens to be true, the following fighters will be at our fingertips come November.

Big Daddy(BioShock)
Colonel Radec (Killzone)
Dante (DMC)
Evil Cole (Infamous)
Fat Princess (Fat Princess)
Good Cole (Infamous)
Heihachi (Tekken)
Jak & Daxter (Jak & Daxter)
Kratos (God of War)
Nariko (Heavenly Sword)
Nathan Drake (Uncharted)
Parappa the Rapper (Parappa the Rapper)
Raiden (Metal Gear Solid)
Ratchet  (Ratchet & Clank)
Sackboy (LittleBigPlanet)
Sir Daniel Fortesque (MediEvil)
Sly Cooper (Sly Cooper)
Spike (Ape Escape)
Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal)
Toro (Sony Icon)

I have to say I’m both surprised and disappointed by this lineup. First, I’m very happy that Daniel made it in. There’s not nearly enough PS1 throwback characters in here. Speaking of, Spike wouldn’t have been my first choice for Ape Escape, but at least this once great series that’s been all but forgotten is getting some kind of representation. And lastly, Nariko, from the first PS3 game I ever loved. I need more Heavenly Sword in my life.

But my disappointment comes in the 3rd party characters chosen. Not that I’m against them. Hell, Heihachi represents a game that put the PS1 on the map in its early days. But young Heihachi from Tekken Tag 2? MGS Rising Raiden instead of Snake? Emo Dante? Big Daddy with an already confirmed Bioshock Infinite stage? This game is starting to seem less like a celebration of Playstation history and more like a commercial for future 3rd party games. Expect PS3 exclusives coming soon! Oh, and don’t get me started on two different Cole’s. It’s annoying because the Playstation brand does have a decent amount of character history, but I can’t help but feel like it’s being wasted. If the leak is true of course.

But what do you think? Are these choices good? Bad? Let us know below!

Source: IGN.com

How ‘The Last Story’ Can Shape The WiiU’s Future

by Josh Jackson

Today is finally the day that RPG fans can rejoice. After a surprisingly successful launch of Xenoblade Chronicles in North America, (especially considering that the game is a GameStop exclusive,) The Last Story is looking to follow suit. What’s the significance of this release you might ask? Simply put, from the minds at Mistwalker Studios, led by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, (who was involved with the legendary series from I-X. You know, back when it was actually good,) The Last Story promises to be a return to form for the once great JRPG genre and the swansong for the Nintendo Wii. While most gamers might have given up on Nintendo’s little white box by now, it doesn’t change the fact that not only are the two titles above catered to the supposed hardcore crowd that seemingly felt abandoned by the motion controlled giant, but the success of these titles has a strong chance of shaping the WiiU into a console that caters to all audiences.

Above all, Nintendo is a business. And if there’s one thing a business cares about, it’s making lots of cash. If Nintendo of America feels like the potential reward of releasing a particular title offsets the risk, then why would they ever want to pass it up? In reality, we weren’t ever supposed to get these titles on our side of the shore. As I’ve mentioned in passed posts, it wasn’t until a group of respectful, passionate gamers banded together and proved to Nintendo that yes, in fact there was an audience for these games that were originally only meant for Japanese and European eyes.

That hot night with a Chocobo and Lion-O has come back to haunt Ganondorf.

I’ve never shared the idea that the Wii wasn’t welcoming to the hardcore gamer. Personally, I’ve never had a hard time finding fantastic exclusive games to quench my thirst while waiting for the next Zelda or Mario. On the flip side, it was hard for me to argue when Nintendo time and time again decided not to release games like Fatal Frame 4. Or Another Code: R, (Trace Memory 2 for us Yanks.) Or Disaster: Day of Crisis. I mean why would they? As much as gamers cried out for quality hardcore games, how much did Zack and Wiki really sell? How about Madworld? Or either Conduit game? One was an incredibly vibrant title with charm to spare, one was a vulgar, violent bloodbath and the last two were solid FPS titles with fantastic online multiplayer. Of course, these aren’t the only examples, but I’m not here to list great titles that were overlooked, (I’ll save those for my Underground Games series, *shameless plug.) Most gamers didn’t even give these titles a chance, all while crying to the high heavens that there weren’t any releases catered to them. Although it may be too late for the Wii, The Last Story can help it go out with a bang straight into the WiiU’s release.

Last Story has all the tools needed to be a success. It has the all star pedigree developer wise. It promises to satisfy starving RPG fans regardless of console preference. It promises to be a memorable epic that reminds us of the feeling we got spending hours leveling up our favorite party members over a decade ago. Now whether or not that pans out remains to be seen, (look for a review in the near future, *shameless plug #2,) but according to critics so far, it seems to be a winner.

But in the end, it’ll be up to us gamers to buy it and show that we want games like these. Game publishers will have to take notice, especially when all they can see from us is dollar signs. As the WiiU approaches, we really need to prove that while party and fitness games are all well and good, we want our games with depth. Titles we can lose hours on if we choose to. Because there IS an audience out there. We just need to open our eyes as a group and recognize quality titles when they’re released. Maybe then we’ll actually get the next Disaster or Another Code for WiiU. Hell, maybe Xbox and Playstation will get more decent JRPGs if we show we want them on other platforms.

As the enemy waits, Elza bravely lets out a battle cry that sounds a lot like, “I’ll be finished in a minute!”

So there it is arriving on store shelves. Xenoblade created the momentum but Last Story continuing it will play a big part with whether or not we show we want strong titles like these rather than another half-hearted Mii game, (I still haven’t forgiven them for Wii Music.) Let’s prove that North America is about more than gore fests and that we want a variety of quality titles. And from what I’ve played so far, Last Story is one that will be well worth our time. You know, unless Wii Play 3 is on the top of your WiiU list and Carnival Games is your game of the year. I won’t judge.

New ‘WWE 13’ Details Hit The Ring!

by Josh Jackson

Looking to expand on the upgrades that WWE 12 brought to the ring, THQ has unveiled some of the new bells and whistles that wrestling gamers can look forward to in the upcoming WWE 13.

Looking to improve on the overall presentation to make it feel more like you’re playing in front of a crowd of 10,000 plus piss drunk fans, crowd noise is expected to react appropriately to the action in the ring. If you pull off a big move? Expect the fans to jump out of their seats. Let’s just hope that every match takes place in New York, Miami, Chicago or Philly, because realistic crowds anywhere else usually means uncomfortable silence… oh wait, here comes Cena! Now you can cheer!

It’ll be much easier to pull off big moments too, with new spectacular moments that finally let us pull off some of the crazy happenings that make us fans to begin with. Things like reversing moves into finishers, chaining pinning combinations into reversals and even wrecking the whole f’ing ring will be possible.

And to top it all off, commentary is looking to be improved by bringing in two sets of announcers, (Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler for current stars while good ole’ Jim Ross and King take over for the announced Attitude Era stars,) that will actually respond to what’s happening in the ring. You know, instead of the generic, bored banter we’re used to having repeat every five seconds.

Can’t get enough grappling and baby oil? Check out these features in action while we count down the days until October 30th.

 

 

Geekscape Games Reviews: Lollipop Chainsaw

by Josh Jackson

Zombies are all the rage lately, especially in gaming. Sure, you’ve got your Left 4 Dead’s, your Dead Rising’s, you have plants fighting zombies… Michael Jackson even danced with them once upon a time at the local arcade. So when making a video game surrounding the new, exciting idea of fighting off the undead, what does one have to do to make it stand out? The answer is to apparently make it as ridiculous and over the top as possible. With Suda 51 attached to the project, this goal seems sure to be effortless.

Enter Lollipop Chainsaw, the story of high school cheerleader, Juliet Starling, who is secretly part of a family of zombie hunters. Carrying itself with a grindhouse comic book style and storytelling reminiscent of a much more vulgar version of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie, the the spunky teen’s school gets overrun with flesh eating monsters –it’s time to whip out the chainsaw and make them wish they were never reborn.

Zombie Slaying Never Looked So Cute.

This hack and slash adventure constantly throws waves of enemies at you, many of which have different attack patterns and strategies if you want to take them down quickly. Mixing in pom pom attacks that stun enemies and more powerful chainsaw attacks that dismember or kill dazed foes, using a variety of moves based on who you’re fighting is essential for any successful hunter. Of course, as with cheerleading, style is just as important as execution, which is why dispatching multiple enemies with one strike achieves a sparkle bonus, earning Juliet extra zombie medals, including rare platinum ones that can be used to buy new outfits, music, unlockables and techniques.

Aside from the game play, when you see Grasshopper Studios or Suda 51 attached to a project, you know you’re going to be mind raped with some of the most surreal content you’ll find in a video game. Lollipop Chainsaw is no exception. I don’t know if it’s her boyfriend, Nick’s, living decapitated head on her hip, using it as a weapon using power ups called “Nick Tickets,” having a decapitated head for a boyfriend to begin with, having lights and rainbows litter the screen instead of blood when enemies are killed, or fighting off a group of bosses called Zombie Rock Gods who each do battle using different musical themes, but everything I experienced was so damn memorable. From psychadelic to punk to auto tuned, these bosses just has to be seen to be believed. Not to mention the soundtrack itself is full of great tunes mixed in with some hilarious choices. Come on, I dare you not to sing along with the 80’s pop hit “Mickey” every time her sparkle power is activated.

One of the Many Zombie Rock Gods.

Hack and slash titles usually fail at keeping me engaged for long, running out of new tricks early into the game and becoming a redundant pile of boring a few hours in. Somehow, this zombie hunting tale seems to be the opposite, which is its only glaring flaw. A few stages in, having so many abilities and attacks unlocked, I had the flexibility to handle fights with many different approaches that made the game feel exciting, especially when trying to rack up those sparkle kills. But in the hour long prologue? You can hardly do anything, with most of the attacks at this point being slow, repetitive mash fests. The prologue actually left me feeling like the game could possibly be… dare I say, a disappointment. But man, am I glad I stuck with it. Once Juliet hits her stride, there’s nothing stopping her and her adventure from being one of the most memorable I’ve experienced this year. Or it would have been if the final chapter didn’t fall flat like a missed catch during a cheer meet, but it’s still pretty damn good.

Brings new meaning to talking out of your ass…

Technical problems like pop-in aside, the game remains fast paced, action packed and completely insane throughout with few problems past the prologue and ending. By the time I was done, I still hadn’t had enough of this universe, and I really hope we see more of this world where lollipops are a legitimate source of nutrition and zombies are all rock gods. Lollipop Chainsaw is easily one of the best hack and slash titles I’ve played in years, is a refreshing take on the zombie sub genre and gives you achievements/trophies for going for the upskirt. Yep, sounds like its catered to gamers to me.

Check Out A New Trailer For Lego’s ‘The Lord Of The Rings’!

by Shawn Madden

One game to rule them all! We’ve got a brand new trailer for Lego: The Lord Of The Rings for you guys to check out and does it look fun. If you’ve never played any of the Lego games by now you should because they’re honestly some of the most enjoyable games out there.

Based on The Lord of the Rings motion picture trilogy, LEGO The Lord of the Rings follows the original storylines of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, taking players through the epic story events reimagined with the humor and endless variety of LEGO play. Trusted with the dangerous task to destroy an ancient magical ring that threatens all that is good, Frodo is forced to leave his peaceful home. But the ring wants to be found and the road to Mount Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed, will be perilous and riddled with Orcs and fouler things. To help Frodo, a Fellowship is formed —Aragorn the Ranger, Gandalf the Wizard, Legolas the Elf, Gimli the Dwarf, Boromir a Man of Gondor, and Frodo’s Hobbit friends Sam, Merry and Pippin. Players relive the legend through the LEGO minifigures, as they explore wonders, solve timeless riddles, and overcome endless foes in their quest to destroy the Ring.

LEGO The Lord of the Rings is being developed by TT Games and will be published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

No release date has been announced…yet.

Heroes & Generals Hits Beta With 8000 Keys Being Sent Out

by Shane O'Hare

The interesting take on the MMO, Heroes & Generals, just hit beta. The devs released their third video log which comes with the announcement that 8000 keys will be sent out and to have everyone come and sign up to stress test the game. Take a look at the video log below.

Heroes & Generals is looking better and better everytime I hear about it. If you ever played Planetside then you have an idea how this game plays out. The interesting twist, is that players can take up the role of General and play a different role, moving units around and altering the battlefield. So head on over to the official website and sign up for a beta key, and while you’re at it, gander at the announce trailer too!

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Sleeping Dogs’

by MoreLikeAndy

Switching what seems a decent amount of identities since its conception –from Black Lotus to True Crime: Hong Kong, Sleeping Dogs is what Square Enix is calling this open world action game set in Hong Kong. Whatever Square Enix saw in this title that was worth saving from being shelved, all of us should thank them for picking up the pieces Activision left behind.

Sleeping Dogs does its best to bring the Hong Kong cinema feel to open world gaming. What we get is a story of an undercover agent Wei Shen teetering on the edge, in-house fighting with the Sun On Yee Triads –which is based of the real Triad gang Sun Yee On— and a lot of double crosses. For the most part, United Front Games nails the story in making it feel like most Hong Kong action movies. There are some slight pacing issues in the middle of the game that made me want to just move on with things, but the hooks were in me so deep that I looked past the slow parts. How it all ends also leaves a little more to be desired. Maybe that is my biggest gripe with it all. Sleeping Dogs could have pushed the envelope more but seemed to err on the safe side.

The story was able to shine in Sleeping Dogs due in part to the great cast of voice actors. Just look at this stellar cast:

Everyone nailed their lines and since it seems everyone did their lines in the studio together, there weren’t any long, awkward pauses between characters in the game. Edison Chen seems to channel his inner Bobcat Goldthwait at times. Could you picture Jackie’s character modeled and voiced by Bobcat? Maybe Police Academy 8 will be set in Hong Kong? All I could see when Uncle Po was on screen was James Hong as Lo Pan in Big Trouble in Little China. “They have returned. And this time they are not alone. Egg Shen is with them. Little bastard sorcerer has brought them through the Bog of the Dead Trees.” See? He was foreshadowing meeting Wei Shen in Sleeping Dogs!

What should have been an amazing thing fizzled with Emma Stone’s character. It’s not that she didn’t do a good job, cause she really did. It’s the fact that love interests were whittled down to a two-bit part with the only thing coming out of it being the special bonus to finding items on your mini-map –health statues, lock boxes, security cameras, etc. I would have liked to have seen the ladies play a bigger role in the story of Sleeping Dogs. Having them be something an enemy can use against Wei would give have given the story a more emotional sting to it.

The action in the game is great. Utilizing the school of combat mechanics from Rocksteady’s handbook, dispatching tough guys trying to stomp a mudhole in you is a lot of fun. Although you can sit back and just mash the counter button when enemies turn red, it will be incredibly boring. Instead, the more you treat this like a martial arts movie scene, the more fun you will get out of the combat. There’s enough moves that you will acquire throughout your Hong Kong adventures that it won’t feel that repetitive. You could always use a table saw to slice someone’s face. Or, you could drop their body on some swordfish heads. Death by swordfish, such a terrible way to perish.

Guns are rarely used in Sleeping Dogs, which I love a lot. The few times guns come into play, the controls are a little on the loose side. Thanks to the generous auto-aim, it’s not much of an issue. Sitting behind cover will get you killed so your best option is to slide over cover and enter slo-mo mode, picking off everyone around you with ease. The shootouts that happen during the vehicle chase scenes are a lot of fun but I can see where shooting the tires out of a car for the 15th time can get monotonous. Still, having everything go into slo-mo while leaning out the driver side window making a car flip over from blowing the tires out was a joy for me to do. Boat chases weren’t as fun but that’s because I wanted the boats to flip 20 feet in the air like the cars. I know, how selfish of me.

The promise of quick transitions from combat to chase didn’t quite translate well from paper to video game. Sure, going from a shoot-out in a warehouse to racing down a highway in one mission worked, but when Wei Shen spends 8 seconds too long playing with his crotch rocket, I get a prompt telling me not to lose the person I’m chasing before I even get the damn bike out of park. The animation time of Wei starting up a bike could have been cut down to 3 seconds to make it feel more like an action-packed scene instead of Wei revving the engine trying to look cool for absolutely no one.

Chasing people on foot was great. Free running, sliding over tables, running up walls made it really feel like a good foot chase scene. You’ll still get some issues with the person of interest you’re chasing slowing down enough for you to catch back up if you screw up a button prompt to vault over a table faster. This is still a video game, after all. Wouldn’t be any fun if you had to start over at the very generous checkpoints every time you ran into a wall or jumped up the wrong railing. Vehicle chases are a little more frustrating since not only is it a pain to drive a car in Sleeping Dogs, the camera can also gets away from you since it’s really sensitive. If you can help it, use a bike. They were much easier for me to control.

Now, not having access to the console version of Sleeping Dogs, I can’t say if the PC version is better. I can say that it looks amazing to the eyes, if your PC can handle it. My specs for the system used to play Sleeping Dogs with everything set to medium were:

AMD Phenom II X4 925 2.8GHz

8GB of RAM

ATI 5770 Video Card

Even with some of the assets in the world being flat jpeg images, when using the HD texture pack option, Hong Kong looks sexy to the eyes. You spend most of the time playing at night even though there is a day/night cycle, at least to me. It just seemed like most of the time it was either night time, day time with a cloudy overcast and raining, or night time with rain. Everything looked really good and made me feel like this is what Hong Kong would look like having never stepped foot there myself. Neon lights, street vendors yelling at me to buy cheap suits or food and the random people just chatting about whatever was on their A.I. programmed minds. I found myself driving around the massive areas you can access for at least an hour just to take in all the beauty. If I could only remember to drive on the left side of the road, I wouldn’t have flown 20 feet off my bike every 10 minutes.

For all the side missions you are given in Sleeping Dogs, I never felt implored to go and do them. Racing cars, collecting money from deadbeats, helping random strangers with their issues and hacking security cameras to bust dealers from the comfort of your apartment never felt engaging enough for me to do more than a handful of each.

Unless you want more money or ‘Face XP’ to get access to more choices in the clothes you can wear or the cars you can drive, the benefits you get from doing these side missions don’t outweigh going straight through the story missions. The bonuses and upgrades you can pick from the skill trees you get just by going through the motions of the story is more than enough to make it through to the end. At least you can mop all the unfinished business when you complete the game.

Sleeping Dogs is a open world game that will stand in the limelight with such notables as GTA IV and Red Dead Redemption as an amazing accomplishment. Over the top action, good story, amazing voice work, and the immersive world make this a surprise hit of 2012 and a serious contender for Game of the Year.