Press Release:
Your small boat has capsized near a dark, deserted island. Your belongings are scattered and your wife, who was traveling with you, has mysteriously disappeared. Farther up the beach, a larger ship is beached with a gaping hole torn into its hull. And the people who were once aboard are nowhere to be found…
What secrets does this seemingly abandoned island hold? And why is your heart pounding in fear…? (more…)
Take 2 is a new weekly roundup of the biggest news in gaming. This weeks takes are from GameZombie writers Cody Toothman (Take 1) and Nick Bowersox (Take 2).
It’s been a few weeks since E3 and the gaming industry is itching for another chance to dramatically announce more information about the games they just dramatically announced. Lucky for them, ComicCon just came to a close and the blogs are all aflutter with new trailers and information about this coming year’s big titles.
In honor of the weekend of geekery that occurred in San Diego, this week’s Take 2 is dedicated to the GZ’ers that know who created adamantium and the difference between Dick Grayson and Tim Drake. This one is for you, comic book nerds:
Voice Actors for DC Universe Announced
"We meet again, Batman. And again, and again, and again."
Those familiar to the DC universe in any kind of animated form whether it be computer or cartoon are familiar with certain, memorable, voices giving life to their favorite characters. DC Universe Online has continued this trend with the confirmed participation of Mark Hamil and Kevin Conroy as the Joker and Batman. They also added in people you are used to seeing physically on the screen with the additions of James Marsters, Adam Baldwin, and Gina Torres. The only thing left to wonder is who’s next?
Take 1:
As soon as I saw that Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamil were there I was sold. What’s not to like already? A surprising, yet welcome, addition was James Marsters as Lex Luthor. I was probably going to pick up the game anyway, but based on the talent it turned into a must play.
I’ve always had a love for the DC Universe, mostly Batman, and this game sounds like it will have what DC fans are looking for. It even has some of what Joss Whedon fans are looking for with some voice talent coming from previous projects. The nerd in me is getting giddy. Congrats to Sony for yanking me in full force instead of letting me be indecisive.
Take 2:
First thing that comes into mind when I see the cast: Mark Hamil had the time to reprise his role as the Joker from Arkham Asylum and The Animated Series? Splitting his time between this, Metalocalypse, and The New Woody Woodpecker Show must have been a real struggle. Downward-spiraling career aside, Hamil’s work as the Joker has a special place in my childhood Saturday morning cartoon days so I’m happy to see this.
Besides the obvious geek-grabbing ploy that rests in the former Luke Skywalker, the Whedonverse has also been tapped for some talent with three voice actors coming from one of Joss Whedon’s cult classics. Adam Baldwin, best known for his work in Firefly as mercenary Jayne Cobb will be the voice of Superman while Firefly costar Gina Torres has taken the role of Wonder Woman. Rounding up the geekbait is James Marsters, the peroxide blonde anti-hero from Buffy: The Vampire Slayer who will be lending his talents as the voice of Lex Luthor.
Sony knows their audience for this game, and they’re making all the right moves to pull them in.
Final Dimension for Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions Revealed
The BP oil spill has affected all animals, even spiders
Activision’s drawn-out reveal of the four playable dimensions in Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions has finally ended at ComicCon. Alongside web-slinging in the Amazing, Noir, and 2099 dimensions, players will be taking a trip to the restart of the classic Spiderman franchise in the Ultimate universe. The Ultimate universe will be cel-shaded and the famous Symbiote suit will be playable, providing some additional fighting techniques.
Take 1:
This sounds like it could do for a symbiote suit what Sam Raimi could not, make it fun and interesting. Regardless about how some of us may feel about Activision this is too good to overlook. The Amazing and Noir dimensions sound like they are enough to keep my attention tethered to my TV screen while I’m playing it. I’m always wary of Spiderman games though because as we all know there have been more mediocre or bad than there have been good.
I like the idea of four different playable dimensions for the web-slinger because it’s adding a new element to the Spidey games. I applaud them for just trying something exciting instead of the same old stuff time and time again. Don’t let me down Activision.
Take 2:
Symbiote suit. Honestly, can a Spiderman game survive without a playable symbiote suit? The answer is irrelevant, because Activision knows better than to ever find out. Although the suit is a fan favorite, I think the decision to use it most likely came with variety in mind. Considering the similarity between the Amazing and Ultimate universes from a gameplay perspective, allowing the players to don the symbiote suit gives the final dimension some unique combat elements. From the trailers released so far, Ultimate Spidey gets new ranged attacks and a generally more aggressive fighting style.
Other than the new duds, I’m digging the cel-shaded art direction for the Ultimate universe. If anyone remembers the short-lived Spiderman series on MTV, it’s very similar. In comics, artists change throughout the years and in turn, so does the look of a series. Shattered Dimensions seems to be a nod to this constantly evolving art form with the drastically different stylistic decisions for each universe.
New Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Characters
Johnny? Sue? Mr. Incredible? Help...
Capcom announced four new characters at ComicCon, including two major villains from the Fantastic Four series. Super Skrull and Dr. Doom have made it into Marvel’s roster in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Both look to have a nice move set and also seem to have their own merits and combat abilities. From the looks of things Capcom just plans on revealing a few characters at a time, but they chose two of the best on the Marvel side to debut at ComicCon. Who could possibly say that they don’t like Dr. Doom or Super Skrull?
Take 1:
This series of games is among my favorite and with their inclusion of some of the best comic book characters it makes me nerd out to the point of barely functioning. Dr. Doom was always one of my favorite villains so I’m more than happy to see his ass kicking action coming to consoles everywhere very soon. He’ll be a powerhouse to be sure, and I think playing as him will be able to yield a Doom like arrogance whenever you win just because that’s what Doom would do.
Super Skrull will also be interesting. He has a bit of versatility from the looks of him so you can probably utilize him against a lot of team combinations. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is looking to have a very impressive roster of combatants and I can’t wait to see the carnage unleashed in all of its glory. The quick paced combat was one of the things that drew me to its predecessor afterall.
Take 2:
In the trailers that have been released at ComicCon, Dr. Doom seems to be the most impressive new character. The guy is massive — like, Zangeif-dwarfing massive. His specials are a mixture of energy blasts and sheer strength and really showcase MvC3’s seizure-inducing art direction.
In the Marvel world, the Skrulls are pretty universally hated by super heroes, so the addition of Super Skrull definitely helps tip the hero to villain ratio towards the bad guys. His attacks are a combination of something from each member of the Fantastic 4 which makes for a complex character to control and an extremely annoying opponent.
Final Take
As the final bit of news rolls out of the San Diego Convention Center, it looks like a good year for comic book video games. Though some of these games are still a long way from coming out, the new videos and announcements coming from ComicCon remind us that we’ve got some quality titles to look forward to. Take 2 will be back next week with yet another roundup of all things awesome, specifically all things awesome in gaming.
- NB
New videos from Valve’s Portal 2 demo at E3 are making their rounds on the blogs and it seems GladOS has even more new toys for us to play with in the sequel. The videos below show off the use of the new Thermal Discouragement Beams and Pneumatic Diversity Vents, which are Portal-ized names for laser beams and vacuum tubes. Still, it looks fun:
Portal 2 will be released early 2011 on Steam, Xbox 360, and PS3.
-NB
(via Kotaku)
News- DJ Hero 2 Set to be Released This Fall
This autumn, living rooms will transform into nightclubs letting budding beat chemists, singing sensations and all of their friends party together by firing up two turntable controllers and a microphone to experience their favourite music as they’ve never heard it before in Activision Publishing Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) DJ Hero® 2 – the follow-up to the #1 new videogame intellectual property of 2009, DJ Hero®. Picking up where the award-winning DJ Hero soundtrack left off, DJ Hero 2 spins together the hottest tracks blazing up the charts and legendary club anthems from the biggest artists in pop, dance and hip hop including Dr. Dre, The Chemical Brothers, Kanye West, Metallica, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and over 85 others. Fuelling the party will be a host of all-new social multiplayer game modes and innovative freestyle gameplay giving virtual DJ’s the ability to crossfade, scratch and sample in over 70 speaker-blowing mashups from the hottest DJ’s and Producers around the world, including Deadmau5 – part of dance music’s elite – who will be starring as an in-game playable character.
To celebrate the announcement, DJ Hero owners and all of their friends will have the opportunity to download, spin, scratch and battle a mix from DJ Hero 2 as downloadable content. The mix features the sultry sounds of Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance”, mixed With the blistering beats of Deadmau5’s “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff.” The mix will be available for free from 8-14th June on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®Store for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.
Although the iPhone 4 stole the show at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference, Activision Senior VP Karthik Bala grabbed the stage for a moment to announce that Guitar Hero can now be purchased in the App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Available immediately for $2.99, the game comes with 6 songs alongside 6 additional song packs for $1.99 each. Check out the press release for song lists and screens:
The Guitar Hero base app will feature the following tracks:
- Queen – “We Are The Champions”
- Rise Against – “Savior”
- The Rolling Stones – “Paint It Black”
- Vampire Weekend – “Cousins”
- Weezer – “Say It Ain’t So”
- The White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”
Six additional song packs, featuring three songs each, will also be available at launch.
Song Pack featuring The Faint, Minus the Bear and Silversun Pickups:
- The Faint – “The Geeks Were Right”
- Minus the Bear – “Secret Country”
- Silversun Pickups – “Substitution”
Song Pack featuring Band of Skulls, Obits and The White Stripes:
- Band of Skulls – “Death By Diamonds And Pearls”
- Obits – “Two-Headed Coin”
- The White Stripes – “Blue Orchid”
Song Pack featuring Darkest Hour, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Protest the Hero:
- Darkest Hour – “The Tides”
- The Dillinger Escape Plan – “Farewell, Mona Lisa”
- Protest the Hero – “Limb From Limb”
Song Pack featuring A Day to Remember, AFI and Breaking Benjamin:
- A Day to Remember – “I’m Made Of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?”
- AFI – “Medicate”
- Breaking Benjamin – “Diary of Jane”
Song Pack featuring Vampire Weekend
- “A-Punk”
- “Giving Up The Gun”
- “Holiday”
Song Pack featuring Queen
- “Another One Bites The Dust”
- “Fat Bottomed Girls”
- “Killer Queen”
Guitar Hero for iPhone will include familar elements such as character customization and challenges
Tap Tap Revenge, we hardly knew ye.
-NB
Rockstar Games has announced the first DLC that will be available for Red Dead Redemption just a month after the title’s release. The Outlaws to the End Co-Op Mission Pack drops on June 22nd to both Xbox 360 and PS3 owners for the low price of Free.99. Check out the press release for details and screens:
The Outlaws to the End Co-Op Mission Pack will feature six all-new cooperative multiplayer missions to play with 2-4 players. This will be a completely free download that we will have ready for you to download and play at some time in June.
These six explosive and epic missions will play out across the game world, including:
“Walton’s Gold”
Walton’s Gang have taken control of a mining camp rich with gold. Fight through the camp and load your mine cart with as much gold as you can carry and get out as fast as you can – Walton’s boys have rigged the place to blow!“The River”
Ride a raft down river, taking out rebel encampments along the way until you reach the rebel stronghold of Nosalida and a final epic battle for the town’s massive weapons caches. Watch out for Gatling gun-equipped enemy rafts.“Ammunition”
The Mexican Army has the town of Tesoro Azul under siege. Storm the gates under heavy cannon, Gatling gun and sniper fire to destroy the Mexican artillery placements.Plus three more missions to be revealed in detail soon.
The Outlaws to the End Co-Op Mission Pack will also yield additional multiplayer XP rewards, and brand new Achievements/Trophies to unlock.
Screens:
Taking back the town of Tesoro Azul in "Ammunition".
Engaging the Walton Gang from an advantageous elevated position in "Walton's Gold".
Heading downstream towards the rebel stronghold of Nosalida in "The River".
By the looks of it, Rockstar is putting just as much effort into developing the multiplayer element of Red Dead as they have in the single-player.
- NB
(via Rockstar Games)
After a week on the demo circuits, 505 Games’ attempt at tackling the Goliath that is the Madden franchise is now available in stores for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Alongside the release, 505 Games dropped a new trailer detailing all the game modes included in Backbreaker:
Exhibition: You know the drill. Choose from one of the 60 default teams or customize your own and play in either single-player or split-screen mode.
Season: Season mode is the more traditional League game type, offering players the chance to choose from an 8, 16, or 32-team league in a format similar to Madden’s Franchise Mode.
Road to Backbreaker: 505 Games has switched up the expected League format by bringing in an interesting element to American football that has been used for years in European soccer: relegation. Players begin with their team in the lowest league which consists of 8 teams. As they move up the ranks to being the best team in the league, they are given the opportunity at the end of the season to move to a higher division through a game against that division’s worst team. This process continues until your team is at the top of the pile in Backbreaker’s premiere 32-team league. This game mode should add an element of urgency to every season, especially those which put you up against a rising team trying to take you down a notch.
Tackle Alley: Not mentioned in the trailer, this mode is essentially a mini-game. In Tackle Alley, it’s one player versus a whole team as you cut, juke, and stiffarm your way to the end-zone. You can also play with a friend, with one player on offense and the other manning the squad of defenders.
Besides the gameplay modes, Backbreaker’s latest trailer also focuses on creating custom teams. Using a similar customization engine to the Forza Motorsport franchise, team logos are only limited by a player’s imagination. According to the developers, every logo from the 60 teams included with the game was created from the engine and posts on the official Backbreaker forums are already showing some impressive results.
I’m looking forward to seeing what the Backbreaker community comes up with from the customization engine and also what lies ahead for a non-NFL licensed football game. 2k Sports was unable to survive the shift with All-Pro Football 2K8, but Backbreaker offers enough additional elements that it may actually have a shot to coexist with Madden.
Just a sample of the custom teams already made by the Backbreaker community. They look a little familiar.
-NB
News- Tiger Woods 11′ Adding New Features
Lead your team to glory with Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 11. Fight for honor, fight for country in the all new Ryder Cup Challenge on The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales; home to the 2010 Ryder Cup. Play like a pro with fully enhanced swing mechanics with the Wii MotionPlus accessory and experience True View, an all new first-person camera, for a truly authentic interactive golf experience. If you need a break from the challenges of hitting fairways and greens, jump into a round of mini golf or go online with your friends to experience the fun of disc golf. Click the read more link to read about the features in Tiger Woods 11′.
For those of you who have yet to get the real Mario Kart experience from the little plastic wheel that comes with the game, CTA is offering a new, inflatable solution. For $40, you can be the envy of all the 10-year-olds on your block with the Inflatable Racing Kart:
Remembering the inflatable furniture craze of my middle school days, I can promise this accessory will offer hours of awkward shifting around for comfort and lots of glances from your competitors after you explain the squeeking noise wasn’t you, it was the Kart.
-NB
(via Joystiq)
After months of teasers and silhouettes, the first set of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 screenshots have been unleashed to the public. Let the speculation begin!
-NB
